Page 4 of Galadon
You…danger?he asked with a note of concern.
She shook her head. “No, the Kandoran should be asleep. I have no intention of fighting them right now and only want to get a look. But if I need you, I’ll let you know.”
He let out a snort that sounded unconvinced.
Rayna ignored that and examined the area. Based on all the tracks, she was headed in the right direction. They’d become more numerous over the last half mile as they neared the end of the mountain range. Somewhere on the other side of the next rise was the group she sought, and more than anything, she wanted to figure out what she was up against. Until recently, most Kandoran had wandered as singles or groups of no more than three. Though the infection took away many of their inhibitions, and they lacked real emotions, they did seem able to manage themselves without sorcerers guiding them.
The humans didn’t roam far or enter other territories, only hunting what they could easily find for sustenance. As for the dragons, they were more trouble because they had voraciousappetites. There were few large game animals left in western Oklahoma and north Texas, so they had to travel to nearby territories for better food sources. They rarely made it far before a slayer or shifter found them.
Rayna looked back one last time to make sure her horse stayed where she left him. He was gnawing on some grass, though he had one eye on her. She appreciated that. Though she often felt lonely, at least Onyx gave her some companionship, and he genuinely cared about her.
She walked for about twenty minutes through the rugged terrain, following the fresh human tracks. The smell hit her first. It was a mix of body odors, feces, and urine, along with rotting carcasses. Rayna’s stomach turned, and she had to breathe shallowly through her mouth.
Slowly, she crested a hill while crawling on her hands and knees. Just over the top, she caught her first glimpse of the camp. It was filthy with piles of trash and overflowing trenches—likely for body waste—at the outskirts. Dragons and humans, young and old, lay scattered and sleeping everywhere on the ground, with two large canvas tents in the middle. Those were likely for the sorcerers. A couple of openings in the ground hinted at underground burrows where more Kandoran must have slept. Until now, she’d never seen how they rested during the day since they’d kept a shield up to prevent their side from getting too close to their gathering places.
So far, Rayna hadn’t run into any sorcerers since the war to see if they were infected as well, though many believed it was possible. If they were infected, did the dark magic affect them differently? How did that shape their thinking and autonomy? She had so many questions that might help her form a strategy.
Unfortunately, Rayna wouldn’t find out today. She focused on getting a rough estimate of the enemy instead, both dragons and humans. It took her nearly ten minutes of silently counting. She estimated a hundred and twenty-five people and over seventy dragons above ground, though some were curled so close together it made it difficult to be sure. The tents were large enough to hold eight to ten people each. There was no way to tell how many slept in those or the underground burrows, but she wouldn’t stick around until they woke to find out.
Carefully backing away, she crept down the hill and then sped up to return to Onyx. Rayna’s heart thudded in her chest the whole way, knowing if even one of them saw her, they’d kill her. Galadon would have told her she was being stupid, but she needed the count before she went for help, so they’d know how large a fighting force to bring.
Finally, she returned to her horse. He was still munching on grass, but he’d moved away from the tree where she’d left him. It also looked like he’d rolled around in the dirt at some point, so she made a mental note to give him extra grooming later. Onyx nickered when he saw her and trotted up. She hugged his neck, waiting for her heart and breathing to return to normal.
“Alright, boy,” she said, pulling away. “Let’s get back to the tower. Tomorrow, we’ll head to the Taugud fortress and see if they’ll help because we can’t handle these guys alone.”
Onyx pranced on his hooves, letting her know he was in agreement with her plan.
Chapter 3
Galadon
Returning to my territory always filled me with relief. I hated being away from it for any longer than necessary, feeling the pull every time I left. My mother—Ujala—still hadn’t revealed why she chose this section of land except that it was more fertile than other places to help me survive on my own. She wasn’t wrong, but I knew there was more she hadn’t explained. In this place, my powers increased considerably compared to anywhere else.
I soared along my border, making a full circle of the fifteen-by-thirty-mile section. It was heavily warded to prevent illicit entry, but I’d been far enough away in Oklahoma that I might not have felt the alarm signal. Powerful enough forces could have broken it. Though no matter my location, I should have felt any significant rupture. I still liked to reassure myself that everything was well. With Kandoran still roaming the region, one could never be too careful since they’d proven crafty. Losing their primary leadership hadn’t resulted in the remaining members being harmless.
After I finished my circuit and found no disturbances to the wards, I headed toward the central point of my lands. The ground was verdant and green from spring growth, with treessprouting fresh leaves, wildflowers growing, and small animals scurrying through the brush.
Pride filled me at how my land thrived—better than anywhere else.
I sailed down to the landing pad near my home. In the early years of my living here, enemies broke my wards multiple times. My mother hadn’t remained to keep them fueled, and I proved clumsy at reconstructing them in my youth. As a result, I built multiple “lairs” above and below ground so that my attackers couldn’t find my resting place easily. I maintained them over the centuries and added more out of an abundance of caution. Every so often, I would change which one I used to further confuse anyone who might make it this far. A dragon who lived alone could never be too paranoid regarding their safety.
I walked toward the newest structure assembled with gray bunker stones I’d repurposed after the Kandoran war last fall. The sloped roof home contained a bedroom, sitting area, and kitchen. I didn’t use it, but my mother insisted on a proper home for herself. She didn’t care for the Faegud preference of living in underground burrows. I found her in the back, turning a spit in the massive fireplace I’d built for her, wearing a midnight blue tunic and black pants.
As with any shifter who hadn’t reached their final century of life, Ujala still appeared young despite being almost seven centuries old. She had a sturdy build, yet she seemed softer than I remembered from my childhood, and there were faint lines at the side of her black-slitted amber eyes. Her long, wavy black hair hung loose down her back as she tended the sizzling meat. We shared a similar dark beige skin tone from our regular time in the sun. Both of us enjoyed being outdoors whenever theweather permitted, and there was always much to do on my land.
“It smells good,” I said, stopping at the kitchen entryway.
“Galadon!” She smiled and started to move toward me for an embrace before remembering to stop herself, aware it made me uncomfortable. “I can always cook a fine meal when you give me one of your sheep or cows.”
I had a fair amount of cattle on my land and did all I could to increase their numbers. My territory had always thrived enough to support life even when in Kederrawien. Not much had flourished there, but I’d done my best to cultivate what plant life existed and used it to attract animals.
“I do not like slaughtering more than we truly need,” I answered gruffly.
Also, I used any surplus as trade to other territories for things I needed. While I could manage some things on my own, I could not forge weapons or make clothes. That first winter as a child, when I was on my own, I had to remain in dragon form for two months because I’d outgrown my garments and had no way to acquire new ones. That had been before I garnered allies or formed trade relations with others. My mother had been so rushed to leave that she hadn’t considered such things before abandoning me.
Ujala nodded. “I understand.”
The guilt in her eyes said she knew I wouldn’t change my ways just because we’d returned to Earth and finally had atoriq—clan—that could assist me if needed. I’d craved belonging among my kind for centuries when I bargained my way into the Faegud. Yet still, I’d lived alone too long to ever rely on others for much.
