Page 173 of Dragon Strike (Age of Fire 4)

“Takea. What do you think the choice should be? Will you speak for the Firemaids?”

The drakka paled, and her tail twitched nervously as she found her voice. “I say they’ve not given us a choice.”

This one bears watching, the Copper thought.

“My thoughts exactly,” the Copper said. “What is our choice? Life at the pleasure of the Red Queen?”

“Settle it quickly, then. One strong blow,” HeBellereth said. “Unite the Aerial Host, the Drakwatch, the Firemaids and fly to Ghioz and lay waste to their capital.”

“No,” the Copper said. “The Queen tried to provoke us into exactly that move, I believe. They’ve made war against us at the edges of our empire, sapping our strength. I suggest we return their favor. We will attack them on the horsedowns and the savannahs. We will close mountain passes and rivers.”

The Copper sensed their growing excitement. NoSohoth moved to put more oliban on the braziers, but the Copper stilled him with a glance. Now was the time to channel their anger.

“Dragons of the Lavadome. When I became your Tyr I swore an oath to all of you. That we would live to see an awakening of dragonkind. There’s only one direction for dragons to go, and that is up. For years there’s been talk that one day, when we were strong enough, we’d return to the surface united and resolved to overcome any difficulty. I believe that time is now. Let us inaugurate a new age for dragons.”

He raised himself as high as he could, and spread his wings slightly so that all could see him.

“Will you follow me back to the surface?”

The Lavadome roared their assent.

“In the memory of our martyred hatchlings, let us strike.”

They liked the sound of that.

“In the memory of our fallen fighters, let us strike.”

They liked that even better. HeBellereth roared. Even little Takea hopped up and down, dodging waving necks and tails, growling.

“In the memory of our ancestors’ glory and in the hope of our hatchlings’ future—let us return! United we resolve. United we overcome. United we strike!”

They roared so as to shake the Lavadome. Even NoSohoth and the thralls joined the chorus.

BOOK THREE

Overcome

OH, BATTLE’S THE EASIEST THING IN THE WORLD. SMASH ’EM UP. THEN

SMASH ’EM SOME MORE, THEN STOMP WHAT’S LEFT. IT’S THE BEFORES

AND AFTERS WHAT CAUSE ALL THE TROUBLE.

—AuRye, grandsire to AuRon

ate,

As many suitors as stripes, but never to ma

Chapter 17

“In some months it blows out. In other months it blows in,” Ayafeeia said. “The Anklenes told me why once, but I’ve forgotten. All that matters is that you’ll have an easier time of it with the wind passing out.”

AuRon noticed that she looked at a high rock as she spoke. He searched, saw nothing, then glanced over at her.

“My sister was mated here,” she said. “To your brother.”

“I’d rather think him your Tyr than my brother. Nilrasha is lovely, though this seems an odd place. Is it because of the privacy?”

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