Page 15 of Dragon Sword

That is, until we made our appearance. The men stopped their combat practice and turned to us in surprise.

“Get back and prepare yourselves!” Will shouted at them.

His words put them on the defensive and those without weapons snatched some from the racks close at hand. I heard a snarling noise behind us and turned in time to watch the wolf fly out of the door and onto the field. The elves gasped and took a step back at the sight of the hideous creature. Its friends soon followed it and the five snapping creatures crowded together.

I expected them to attack us but they shrank down to the ground. Their lifeless eyes glared up at the sun and a faint mist arose from their bodies. They crawled backward toward the hole intent on escaping into the shadows.

Will let go of me and clapped his hands together before he flung them apart. A flurry of fireballs burst out of his palms and flew not at the creatures, but behind them. His magic created a wall of fire into which the creatures walked their tales. Their dark magic clashed with Will’s power and fireworks shot out. The monsters yipped, howled, and squealed, and all of them dashed off in different directions in search of cover.

“Bind them!” a voice shouted and I looked toward the barracks to see the general hurrying over. “Destroy them if you must but stop them from escaping into the city!”

The soldiers leapt at the command and a flurry of arrows shot into the sky to come crashing down on the wild beasts. The elves moved so quickly I could barely follow them and they cut off the animals’ escape. Their swords drove them back toward the center of the field but capture was impossible.

Not because their actions weren’t heroic enough, however, but because it wasn’t necessary. Every moment they were under the open sun their bodies sizzled and more black mist rose from the maggoty wounds that sprouted all over their flesh. The creatures thrashed and bit at themselves in blind fury but one by one they dropped lifeless to the ground. Their bodies eventually burst into flames which consumed their whole being until nothing remained but a scorched spot on the otherwise green field.

We had gotten out of that frying pan and into the fire.

CHAPTERTEN

A dozenelven archers hurried up and surrounded Will and me, their bows loaded and their arrows pointed at us. General Terve stalked up to us with a look of fury on his face. “Explain yourself or I will not hesitate to throw you back into the dungeons.”

Will extinguished his flames that had blocked the door and nodded at the entrance. “Your first efforts to place us down there nearly killed my mate and me.”

“What do you mean?” the general snapped.

“The monsters you kept in the dungeons were more powerful than you guessed,” Will explained as he drew me close against his side. “Several of them broke through your magic barrier and attacked us. We had no choice but to escape and lure them out here where I suspected you would be.”

Terve’s eyes flashed with anger. “YouexpectedI would be? And if we had not been here?”

“Then I would have taken care of them myself,” Will told him as he nodded up at the sun. “The sun would have helped subdue them regardless of your being here or not.”

Some of Terve’s fury subsided but he still studied us with suspicion. “Some of the creatures have been down there for months. What made them break free now?”

“I suspect they sensed our magic and didn’t like what they smelled,” Will mused as he smiled down at me. “My mate here has a particularly alluring scent.”

The general stared at us for a moment longer before he pursed his lips. “This matter will need to be brought before the king.”

Will smiled at him. “Then we will go along with you and give him a detailed account. We have some business with him, anyway.”

“His Highness has not requested your presence,” the general reminded him.

Will bowed his head. “Then we will give His Highness a most welcome surprise. He owes us that much for endangering our lives in such a reckless manner.”

Terve frowned and opened his mouth to reply but a swift messenger hurried from the direction of the palace. He bypassed us and hurried over to his commander with whom he whispered a few words. Terve listened with an intense expression before he nodded. “Very well. Tell him we will be there soon and inform him of a disturbance on the training field that has been dealt with.” The messenger bowed his head and ran back in the direction from which he’d come.

“The matter concerns us?” Will guessed.

The general nodded. “It does. It appears your charge has caused such a ruckus at the gates to the palace that His Highness is demanding you be brought before him.”

Will smiled and inclined his head. “We will gladly accept His Highness’ kind invitation.”

Terve nodded. “Then follow me.”

The elves who surrounded us backed off and we trudged across the field toward the white walls of the palace. The only access must have been the main gates because Terve led us over there. I couldn’t help but notice the ground was very firm when we walked across where the dungeons and weaponry rooms stood.

Remembering the dungeons, I tugged on Will’s hand. “What about Sylvia and Steve?” I whispered to him.

“We will see if we can vouch for their release,” he assured me.

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