The Dragon Liberator: Escapee

-12-

POV: Fendrel

Fendrel and Fog returned to their companions. Venom was back from hunting. A pile of deer bones was lying beside his red-stained claws.

Fog bound over to Venom. She exhaled a puff of mist on his wounds. Immediately, Venom's ailments shrunk and disappeared, but the missing scales didn't regenerate.

Now that Venom had returned, Sour resigned his duty of standing guard and slept beside the boulders. Viper playfully jumped from his head to his back like a mountain goat.

Venom stood. He eyed the full bags as Fendrel threw some plants on the weak fire. Black smoke started to rise, and the flames rose.

Fog brought a bag to Sour and left it by his sleeping form. The floral dragon's nose twitched, and his eyes fluttered open. "Thanks."

"No knights yet?" Fendrel walked up to Venom.

"No, but I think they'll come soon. I caught the scent of horses and metal as I was returning." Venom lowered himself so he was at eye-level with Fendrel. "The dragon hunters are closer, however, and they have the new dragon with them. We should probably hide and wait for them to arrive."

As if on cue, a horse whinnied on the opposite side of the valley.

"That must be them." Fendrel felt energy course through him.

Venom scooped Viper into one of his paws and lowered himself for Fendrel to climb on. They lifted off with Fog trailing them. Sour grabbed the bag—now only half full—and followed, his drowsiness forgotten.

The dragons landed at the top of the valley. Fendrel dismounted and Viper was set down in the sparse grass.

Venom laid down and stretched out his neck to survey the valley. He squinted his eyes. "I see them, they're trying to get their horses to run faster."

"And the dragon?" Fendrel came up beside him and crouched. "Is it Mist?"

"No, he's a floral dragon, a birch mimic. I can't tell if he's asleep or if the ropes are immobilizing him." Venom edged closer to the cliff's lip.

Fendrel sighed in disappointment.

Fog laid down and leaned over to whisper to Fendrel. "I've never really understood what makes a dragon a mimic."

Glanced at her, then back at the valley. "Floral dragons hatch with the natural abilities and appearance of whatever plant their egg spent the most time touching. The same goes for gemstone dragons and whatever precious stones they touch."

The hunters were getting closer. One of the hunters was pointing at the fire. He whipped one of the horses, which let out a short cry and sped up.

"When should we go down there?" Fog started to stand.

"'We?'" Venom squinted at her.

"There's only two hunters. I want to help." She sat on her haunches and lifted her front claws, displaying the metal talons she brought along from the Hazy Woods. "I have these for a reason!"

"You brought those to defend yourself, not to run into battle," Venom looked back toward the cart.

Fog huffed. She flung her wings out in his line of sight. "Please, Venom. Let me help. I'm a healer, I can fix any wounds we might receive if you can't make it back up here."

Fendrel shrugged. "I don't see a problem with it. And she's right, there are only two of them. Most of the time, the hunters who control horses better are worse at fighting dragons."

Venom stood firm, his steely eyes pinning Fog where she stood.

"When we were inside, the hunters said that the two who captured the birch dragon were lower ranked," Fendrel stepped between them.