Dragons of Asred

DRAGONS OF ASRED HR MOORE Published by Harriet Moore Copyright © 2023 HR Moore All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author. Titles by HR Moore: The Relic Trilogy: Queen of Empire Temple of Sand Court of Crystal In the Gleaming Light The Ancient Souls Series: Nation of the Sun Nation of the Sword Nation of the Stars Shadow and Ash Duology: Kingdoms of Shadow and AshDragons of Asred Stories set in the Shadow and Ash world: The Water Rider and the High Born Fae House of Storms and Secrets http://www.hrmoore.com CONTENTS MAP Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen PREVIEW OF NATION OF THE SUN PART 1 Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 CONNECT WITH HR MOORE MAP To view this online, go to: www.hrmoore.com/knownworld Chapter One FYIA COULDN’T MOVE. THE dragon had pinned her arms to her sides, and was huffing hot, sulfuric breaths at her face. Any hotter, and she was sure her skin would blister. She seemed to be in a cavern, although Fyia couldn’t make out much of her surroundings, only the impression of heat, other beasts circling, and a reddish-orange glow that lit the space. She struggled to make sense of it all. ‘Fyia,’ said a rich, male voice from somewhere above her. Cal. She looked up, and the dragon did the same, squeezing her harder in the circle of its tail. But it was no good. Her voice refused to heed her, and the dragon narrowed its eyes in victory. The dragon’s smug expression sent a heavy ball of searing anger into Fyia’s gut. She saw red, and the emotion grew, multiplying at a furious rate. The dragon went still, every trace of haughty satisfaction wiped from its features. Fyia grasped that which was growing inside her and pushed it outwards, towards the mighty beast. ‘Fyia, are you okay?’ said Cal, with an edge of panic. ‘You’re hot, and …’ The dragon dropped Fyia. She should have hit the ground, or fallen into the magma pit below, but instead, the heat abated, and Cal’s cool, soothing hand was on her forehead. ‘Thank the Gods,’ said Cal, pulling Fyia into his arms. Relief washed over his features, his muscles relaxing under the press of her fingers, and she inhaled him greedily, expelling the hot, acrid air of the cavern, replacing it with his wild scent of gorse and snow. ‘What happened this time?’ said Cal, who was pale and drawn. Fyia had been pulled into dragon dreams on each of the four nights they’d been flying north, and the sleepless nights had drained them both. ‘The same, give or take,’ said Fyia, not wanting to re-live it. ‘Although, at the end, the dragon seemed almost … scared.’ ‘Of what?’ said Cal. He hooked a finger under her chin and looked down at her with his deep, green eyes. She held his gaze, drinking him in, then said cockily, ‘Of me. I think I did something magical.’ Cal half smiled and kissed her gently. ‘You’re making it up,’ he teased. ‘Your magic is pitiful.’ She smiled into his mouth, then pinched between his ribs. He squirmed, and she took advantage of his distraction, rolling away and making for the window. He came after her, wrapping his arms around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder as they both took in the view through the airship’s porthole. ‘It’s …’ said Cal. ‘Barren,’ said Fyia. Her eyes searched for anything of note, but ice was the landscape’s only feature. ‘Stark,’ said Cal, ‘but it has a certain beauty.’ The sun illuminated a sea of ice crystals below. ‘I suppose it does. But it will be more beautiful when we melt it.’ ‘You don’t know what’s underneath,’ said Cal, nipping her ear. ‘Anything is better than … wait, what’s that?’ ‘What’s …’ The flash of red came again, and they raced for the door as one. They grabbed their cloaks and stuffed their feet into fur-lined boots, then flew up the stairs. ‘Movement on the port side!’ Fyia shouted at the top of her lungs, flinging herself through the door and out into the frigid northern air. Fyia’s wolves whined at the excitement, rubbing against her legs as she plucked a telescope from a crew member’s hand. Not for the first time, she missed Edu. If he’d been here, she and Cal wouldn’t have been the first to spot movement in the snow. But Starfall needed him more than she. ‘There,’ said Fyia. ‘It looks like … like a fight!’ ‘Gods,’ said Cal, looking through his own telescope. ‘We should help them.’ ‘Which side?’ said Fyia. A strange elation filled her. They’d seen no sign of another soul since they’d left the coast, and now this? It felt absurd to happen across a fight here. ‘Are they tribes?’ ‘The ones in red are from the Kraken Empire,’ said Cal. ‘They’re dressed like the men who attacked us in the north.’ ‘Change course!’ Fyia shouted. The memory of their attacker’s hands on her made her want to wretch; she wouldn’t stand by and let the dead Emperor’s soldiers do the same to anyone else. ‘It could be a trap!’ said Opie, their pilot. ‘Or it could be our one and only chance to discover what the Emperor wanted up here,’ said Fyia. ‘Change course.’ Opie hesitated for a beat, then ran across the airship, calling orders. The ship came around, and Fyia pressed the telescope to her eye once more, following the fight as best she could. The soldiers of the Kraken Empire wore heavy woolen coats and tasseled hats. They used ropes with weights at the end, which they whirled at their enemy. It seemed the Kraken soldiers were under attack, for they were