The Endonshan Chronicles Book 1: DragonBond Page 2
Axen released another snort of hot steam toward the hostile men. They both fled, and she snuffled in amusement. They scream like infants.
Hush. I turned back to Erret and Rik. Now for the part I dreaded. Sure enough, though they still kept a fearful distance, Erret stared at me with horror while Rik looked between Axen and me with uncertainty. Their minds refused to let them accept what they’d seen.
I rubbed Axen’s eye scales and gave her a pat. Go. I’m safe now.
She let out an acknowledging snuffle and leapt into the air, her wings slashing out to catch the wind and soar away.
Erret’s mouth was working. “That… That…”
“Was a dragon,” I supplied, keeping my tone adequately submissive and gentle. “I apologize to you both. It was never my intent to frighten you. I know this must seem strange.”
“Strange?” Erret exploded. “Strange? That’s what you think this is? You summon a dragon from nothing, and you think that might seem strange?”
I opened my mouth, but he was still going.
“What evil sorcery was that? How dare you bring such vile magics into our village? We are a respectable people!”
The ground tilted slightly. Axen’s energy was already wearing off; I must have been hurt worse than I thought. I did my best to draw in a slow, steady breath, trying to keep control. “I can assure you—”
“Assure me nothing, witch,” he spat. “You endangered every person in my village by coming here with your evil, and I will not stand for it!”
“Erret,” Rik said, “that’s enough. She’s injured. We need to take her to Magra for care.”
“Over my dead body, we are! I’m not letting her near our village again!”
The world shifted once more. “It would be best for me to leave now.”
“You’ve got that right,” Erret snarled, jabbing a finger toward my face. His voice seemed to swirl a little. “You will never again come back to this forest. Or our village. You won’t even travel the road past us. You hear me?”
Rik caught Erret’s arm and pushed it down. “Banishment is for the village to decide, not you. Thone will sort this out.”
“I’m not letting her near Thone!” Erret snarled. “She is a vile witch, and it is only for the sake of your weakness that I don’t gut her on the spot!”
It was the last thing I heard before everything went black.