Claws of the Dragon Read Online Free PDF Page A

didn’t help that his great height and flame-red hair were far from ordinary. A small group of children slipped in behind him with giggles. He turned to look at them, and they scattered.
    Oh no, here we go again.
    “Come on. Come on,” Sasha said, prodding him along.
    Once again the children fell in step behind him. He ignored them. Focused on the others he passed who stared at him. One man, a burly fellow with a limp, nodded a greeting at him. So did the woman behind him, and she smiled. He nodded back.
    “Hail Dragon Slayer, welcome!” said a bricklayer on top of a catwalk, waving a navy knit cap like a banner. “Hail!”
    Nath waved.
    That’s odd, them calling me a dragon slayer. Of course, they probably don’t know the difference between the wurmers and a real dragon.
    “Dragon slayer!” another man cried out. It was followed by another and another, and before Nath knew what was going on, people were filling the streets and shouting encouraging words to him.
    “See, Nath?” Sasha said, rubbing his arm. “They embrace you now. You are their hero. You are my hero as well.”
    Arm high, Nath waved and nodded in return to the folks who watched his small parade.
    Now this is more like it.
    The streets thickened with people, happy faces one and all. Children were on men’s shoulders.
    “This is almost embarrassing.”
    “Hah,” she laughed. “Not for you. No, your name has spread, Nath. In the good spirit that it should.”
    But as the people chanted ‘Dragon Slayer!’ over and over again, a dark memory crossed through Nath’s mind. Of his time in Narnum, when the people had crowned him the Champion after he defeated Selene’s war cleric, Kryzak. A dark and shameful time.
    He didn’t like the association, not one bit. It was contradictory and perverted to him. And this parade he had unintentionally created was growing behind him. A few dozen people at least.
    “We need to end this, Sasha.”
    She looked at him. “Why? It’s delightful.” She started waving her hand. “Enjoy the moment, Nath Dragon.”
    He played along for another block as he studied Sasha. There was something odd about her. She wasn’t one to get caught up in moments like this. Though she wasn’t quiet, she was reserved.
    “So Sasha, you are no longer angry?”
    “Angry?” she said, looking at him somewhat aghast. “What in the world are you talking about?”
    “Last time I saw you, you were fighting with Bayzog.”
    “Bayzog and I never fight.”
    “Well, maybe I’m not putting this right. But you were very upset with Selene. Are you over that now? I can’t imagine you would be.”
    Still walking and with a confused look on her face, Sasha said, “Where is Selene? I would like to see her.”
    “She left.”
    “Why would she do that? I’d love to see her.”
    “You would?”
    “Of course I would,” she said cheerfully.
    Either I’m lost, or I really don’t understand women.
    Nath then said, “But you had some very choice words with her. Are you not still angry?”
    Suddenly, Sasha whirled. Anger filled her eyes. “Nath Dragon, quit playing games! I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

 
     
    CHAPTER 8
     
     
    Back inside Bayzog’s apartment, Nath stood at the great table. Books were stacked up in neat piles. Some of them still floated open in the air. With a wave of his hand, Bayzog sent one book floating away and pulled over another.
    “So you enjoy reading, don’t you.” Nath was just making conversation. His eyes were busy soaking in the grand oversized room that was much too big for the small building it was housed in.
    “So you’ve noticed,” said the wizard. His eyes darted over the wording of the ancient texts, and the pages flipped faster than Nath could attempt to read them. “Study creates the building blocks of knowledge.”
    Sasha wasn’t in the room. She’d said she was heading out to the market so she could prepare food for them later. She’d only departed moments