Beneath the whisper of the breeze, the rustling of leaves, and murmurs of conversations came a steadythump, thump, thump.
Ryker couldn’t help but smile.
The sound grew louder with each passing moment. The wind was the symphony, and the thumping was a drum announcing the impending arrival of the creatures of fire, ash, and death.
“They’re coming,” he breathed.
The words rippled around him. Variations of the same phrase rose over the field. Conversations dropped off. Gazes lifted. Anticipation swirled in theair.
Thump, thump, thump.
Ryker’s magic whirled, and his heart thundered as true alpha predators drew near.
All creatures in the Republic of Balance, even powerful fae, recognized the strength of the dragon. The land itself seemed to tremble in eager expectation.
And then he saw them.
Breaking through the dark clouds, their wings outstretched, and fire ripping from their maws were ten dragons. They fanned out in a V formation, their wings flapping in perfect synchrony. They were so high that they were little more than specks against the sky, but they drew everyone’s attention.
Thump, thump, thump.
As one, they beat their wings.
As one, they slowly descended.
Nothing in this world was more powerful than them.
Soon, they were close enough to the ground that Ryker could make out the beasts’ individual features.
At the tip of the formation, in the position of leadership, was a black dragon twice the size of the others. Onyx horns rose above his head, spikes ran along his back, and his tail was barbed.
Flurries of excitement rose. Even the sternest soldiers couldn’t help but get caught up in it. The Carinoc Division was well-known, and their existence was legendary throughout the entire Republic. After all, dragon shifters were a rare breed.
Long ago, the Crimson King had attempted to wipe all dragons from the continent. He’d failed, but they were still few and far between. Even rarer were dragon shifters willing to enter the Republic’s army.
Ryker remembered the first time he saw the fire-breathing creatures.
The summer Ryker turned nine, his mother had been overwhelmed with work, so Cyrus took him to their country home in the Western Region. They were fishing at the lake when that samethump, thump, thumpfilled the air.
Ryker had dropped his pole, the fishing implement promptly sinking to the bottom of the lake. He gazed skyward in wonderment as a trio of dragons flew overhead.
Three decades had passed, but the wondermentremained.
Pulling out his phone, Ryker snapped a picture. He sent it to Brynleigh, along with the caption,Look who showed up.
Not even a minute later, his phone vibrated several times in a row.
Brynleigh
Oh, my gods!
*dragon emoji*
They look even bigger in real life.
A grin pulled at Ryker’s lips.
Other than their leader, who was as black as the night, the dragons were a lesson in the colors of the rainbow. Their scales ranged from the palest of yellows to the deepest of blues. They flew as one, and as a unit, they let out a deafening roar that could undoubtedly be heard for miles.