The Dragon Liberator: Escapee

-10-

POV: Fendrel

Thankfully, Venom is as keen on finding this captured dragon as I am.

"We're almost there. This fortress has sky-viewing scouts so we should walk the rest of the way there." Fendrel couldn't take his eyes off of the ground, anticipating their arrival to the dragon hunter base.

Thea, after realizing a dragon hunter base wasn't the safest place in the world, asked for herself and Oliver to be dropped off at a village on their route, Wing's Caress.

Venom descended with Fog right beside him. When they touched down in the now sparse grass,

Fendrel slid off the dusk dragon's shoulders.

"You're going to walk?" Venom cocked his head to the side.

Fendrel nodded. "I think better when I walk."

"Will you be able to keep up?" Venom chuckled.

"I used to hunt elk with a stubborn ice dragon veteran in calf-deep snow, I'll be fine." He smiled.

"Really?" Intrigued oozed out of Venom's voice. "When did this happen?"

Fendrel scratched his head. "I think we started when I was twelve or thirteen."

"Really?" Fog's ears perked up.

"Who taught you?" Venom lowered his head a bit.

Fendrel took a deep breath. "His name is Blizzard. He lives in a permafrost burrow with his mate in the southern part of Frost Lake."

"You said he's a veteran. So he fought in the War Across the Sea?" Fog walked closer to Fendrel.

Blizzard was sent home during the thirty-five-year war before I met him, and he didn't like to say much about it, but he was proud to have served in it.

Fendrel nodded. "He told me he fought alongside the previous dragon king and queen of the Free Lands at the battle of Broken Wings. I remember him saying he would have stayed longer to fight if he could, but he was commanded to retreat."

Venom gave a respectful nod. "I was there at that battle. He's a brave dragon to have wanted to stay longer than he had to. You'll have to introduce us some day."

"Maybe we can go visit him on our way back from the mission!" Fog had a skip in her step.

Venom grinned at Fog's happiness, then looked back at Fendrel. "How did you meet him?"

Fendrel studied the ground sullenly. "His mate found my brother and I in the snow after my mother passed."

"They took you in?" The dusk dragon lowered his head more.

Fendrel nodded. "After the attack on Stone Edge, we wanted to get as far away as possible. It was summer so we didn't see Frost Lake as a danger, but we didn't get there until autumn. Then they found us, thankfully, before winter set in."

"How long did you stay with them?" Venom returned his gaze to the land ahead.

Fendrel glanced at the sky. "Around seven years, then my brother and I decided we'd have better luck getting human jobs rather than working with dragons. Oh! The valley base is just ahead." He pointed at where the ground before them dropped off. "I doubt my information would be old. So, the capture must have happened up to a few days ago. He said the hunters were traveling by cart, weighed down by a dragon, and they have to carefully travel into a valley without getting stuck. They would have to go around, whereas we can just fly in. Huh..." He chuckled as he stopped at the lip of the valley. "We're here early. I'd still like to clear it out before the new dragon gets here."