Page 64 of Dragon Master (Rise of the Dragon Master)

“Two!”

Fuck.

The ground shook the next second as both Tharion and Venom landed behind me, growling at Asher for attacking me, but he didn’t even flinch. “Handle it,” he seethed.

Standing, I reached back to come up with fingers soaked in blood. Taking a deep breath, I turned to regard my Dragons, lifting a hand towards them. “It’s okay, guys,” I assured. “He is not against me. My commander is just teaching me to fight.”

Tharion’s fiery eyes went to the crimson stains on my palm, and he took a step forwards, his fire lava making the skin between his scales begin to glow.

“No!” I warned with an authority I hadn’t felt before. “Youwill notattack him. Asher is my friend and I am only training. Go back.” My gaze flickered between them, to find threads of electricity rushing over Venom’s form.“Stand. Down.”

My voice rippled into their minds, and Tharion puffed, embers flying out of his nostrils. A glimmer of recognition entered his eyes and he stepped back, the red glow beneath his scales dissipating. When I glanced at Venom, he shook his head, fighting against the command. I knew he didn’t like it one bit, but realizing Tharion had conceded, he, too, stepped—his lightning force fading.

Harrison and the others exchanged a few glances while a breath of relief left my lungs, except it was short lived. Asher thrust the spear towards me once more, and our weapons collided. I was about to jump forwards to land a blow that I believed would hand him his ass, but he turned. My feet were suddenly swept from under me, and I crashed onto my back harshly. Asher’s spear pressed against my heart, the tip puncturing my skin until a drop of blood slid down my chest.

“Three!” the Elevated Warriors shouted and I cursed everything under the sun.

“You are dead.” My commander informed and stepped back, signaling for me to get the hell off my ass.

Fuck!

Standing, I cringed at the burn rushing over my skin from the three slashes he had left on me.

“What is that attack called?” he asked the others like a drill sergeant, calmingly walking along the circle.

“The triple death, Commander!” they answered in unison.

Coming to a stop before me after walking the full circle, Asher nodded.

“The triple death is designed to do three things. Hinder. Incapacitate. Slay. It will kill our opponent with three strikes.” He lifted his spear, retracing the first blow he had given me in slow motion, until he stopped an inch from my arm. “One, hinder by mutilating their dominant arm.” The metal handle pressed against my spine once he turned. “Two, incapacitate by severing their spinal cord.” Then he focused on the soil, aiming his spear at the place where my chest would be after collapsing. “Three, slay by piercing the heart.”

Stepping back, he straightened, retracting the spear and hooking it back into his belt.

“Who invented that move?” Asher asked without glancing at the others; his eyes locked with mine.

“The sentries of the Dark Empire!”

“They use it because for them it isn’t enough to kill the slaves. Sentries want to show them they are superior. They want their prisoners to suffer as they take their last breaths. They want them to die, looking at the face of the men taking what is left of their lives.” My commander paused, letting out a burdened breath. “The only reason you survived it, is because you have been trained by us. And I’m not trying to kill you.”

Asher’s words chilled my blood.

He began to stroll around the circle again, hands held behind him. “That is Lachlan’s favorite form of attack. Why?”

“Because he is doing to them what they have done to our people,” I answered before the others could. He was giving them a taste of their own medicine.

The commander’s steps halted, and he nodded gravely. “He will not hesitate to use it on you, so you must be ready. Your presence alone undermines who he was before he fell out of graces with the princess. That mistake cost him everything, and now that he is desperately trying to get it back, you stand in his way,” Asher informed. “If you hadn’t arrived and conquered the princess’ heart—”

“I didn’t. I-we are not together,” I contended, trying to preserve our secret, but he threw me a sarcastic glance, silently asking if I really thought he hadn’t noticed.

“If she hadn’t fallen for you,” he continued, “Lachlan would have probably asked for her hand. He will do everything he can to get you out of the way.”

My hands fisted with the need to punch that asshole’s face. I knew he wanted her from the first second I saw him.

“For the next two days, you will train with me, harder than you ever have. You will follow my every order without hesitation. You will not question, you will not complain, you will only obey.” Asher stepped closer until his mouth was next to my ear. “Youwill notvisit the princess’ chambers at night. You will not go to the Dragon lairs…” He turned his head to look at me dead on, and his eyes bore into mine. “If you want to survive that duel, you will do nothing but train, eat, and rest. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Commander.”

“One more thing. Yesterday you disobeyed my direct orders, let thatneverhappen again or you will be banished from the Skyborne Legion,” he warned.

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