Inferno Legacy: Loyalty of the Dragon (Book Two)

Chapter 1

He didn’t want that day to turn into some big and important memory simply because he was getting older. It seemed like everyone needed time getting used to their new home and the last thing they needed was a big celebration over how many years he had been alive. What was the point? Inferno had only been born a few months earlier and he was easily just as smart and skilled as Cody was.

“It is important,” Inferno argued. “Maybe celebrating will be a good way to accept the fact that we are a part of this place.”

“Fine, but I’m not going to bring it up if they don’t notice at once, okay?” Cody asked.

The dragon grunted his reluctant agreement as the soared over the forest that stretched throughout that part of the valley. Ahead loomed a massive lake that Cody now knew was called Lake Firesword. Nothing about it resembled fire or a sword to him, but it deserved a great name. From their height that they flew, Cody couldn’t even see the other side. Anyone who didn’t know any better would probably guess that it was an immense ocean that ran through the mountains like some strange river.

In a few minutes Cody could easily see the village near the lake. There was one building about twice as long and twice as wide as Inferno with somewhere between 12 and 15 small houses, best described as huts, forming a rough almost angular circle around it. Inferno gently glided down to the ground a few yards away from one of the huts. That was when Cody noticed a small window on the hut with two little children in it, watching them.

A second later the kids disappeared, running out the door fearlessly and stopping only a yard from Inferno’s feet. One of them was a girl, looking to be 11 or 12, with long, curly chocolate-brown hair and little brown freckles on her rosy cheeks. Her hand was holding the hand of a boy, probably eight years old with hair that went down to his shoulders in even bigger curls than his sister’s. Cody noticed that the boy had a little green dragon toy in his other arm, looking ragged and dirty with age.

“You’re pretty little Mr. Dragon,” the boy commented.

The girl pulled roughly on her hand, only glancing at her brother for a second before looking back at Inferno. Cody laughed as he slid from his dragon’s back and landed next to the boy, startling him slightly.

“I bet you’re used to seeing that big blue dragon a lot of the time,” Cody said, enjoying meeting another human, even if he was young.

The girl replied for him, “Mama says Argos has lived in the mountain forever and he will always be here to protect us. Will you be here too?”

Cody didn’t have to think long before answering, “Yes. Inferno and I will always be here to protect you from anything that tries to hurt you. What are your names?”

“I’m Rebecca and this is Kenya. Do you wanna meet our friends?” the girl asked.

Cody looked up in surprise to see at least a dozen more people of all ages watching him. “Sure.”

Rebecca let go of her brother’s hand and dragged Cody over to the crowd. She announced a number of names: Daren, Alexa, David, Dylan, and Devon. He realized with some surprise that the girl’s “friends” were as young as two years old or even older than he was, but she seemed to care for them equally. Then again, he was a little less surprised when he saw how small the town was. As she went into detail about each and every one of her friends, he decided to take Heyrone’s advice. He stretched out his mind and sought her thoughts.

Autumn said to bring him to her if he ever came, the girl thought and Cody easily heard. “Autumn said you should come see her,” Rebecca announced when she was finished, making Cody smile when he realized that he must have really read her thoughts.