Requiem's Hope (Dawn of Dragons) Read Online Free PDF Page A

boy in a fight.
    "There are four of us," the young man said. "I'm
Tanin, and this is my sister Maev. The fourth is Laira. We are few,
but we serve the stars and we're strong." Tanin squared his
shoulders. "Join us, friends. Together we will build this
kingdom."
    Dorvin blinked, scarcely believing it.
    Then he burst out laughing—a hoarse, twisted laughter that sounded
dangerously close to tears. Finally he released his own magic and
stood as a young man again, the wind billowing his black hair and fur
tunic. He turned back toward his followers; they were releasing their
magic one by one, turning from dragons back into men, women, and
children.
    "I told you I'd bring you to Requiem!" Dorvin said to them,
still laughing, almost sobbing. "Bloody bollocks, here we are. A
column and four piss-drinkers whose arses I could kick in my sleep."
    Maev leaped forward, sneering, and gave Dorvin a shove so mighty he
nearly toppled down. "We'll see whose backside gets kicked."
    Dorvin barked a laugh. "I don't normally clobber girls, but
today I'll make an exception." He raised his fist. "You lot
are a sorry pile of—"
    "Dorvin!" The cry rang across the forest. Her lavender
robes swaying, Alina—that cursed druid—stepped forth. She grabbed
him and tugged him away from Maev, her purple eyes flashing. "You
lout! Step back and cool down."
    Maev was still growling and trying to lunge at him. Her own
companions were holding her back, though their eyes glared at Dorvin;
they seemed to detest him no less than Maev did.
    Dorvin snickered and mussed Alina's hair. "Hey, sweet sister, I
was only joking with them. You know how I like to joke."
    The druid shoved him backward and smacked his chest with her staff.
"You can have your little pissing contest another time. We stand
on holy ground. Go back!" She shoved him another step back
toward their followers, then turned toward the four dragons of
Requiem. Her eyes softened and she lowered her head. "Please
forgive my brother. Dorvin is a child of wildfire, but I was born in
starlight. His heart is rash, his mind is small, but he brought us
safely to this place." She smiled softly, gazing up at the
column. "We've come to join you. To join Requiem." She
knelt upon the marble tiles and lowered her head. "We've come to
serve you, King Aeternum."
    Standing among his followers, Dorvin stared in disbelief. Rage,
disappointment, and fear battled inside him. He had thought to find
safety here, to find glory, a kingdom he would be proud to join, a
king he'd be proud to fight for. Instead he'd found nothing—not even
a village. Just four more ragged survivors. And his sister knelt
before them? Before this shaggy, bearded brute who called himself a
king?
    "He's not a king," Dorvin spat out. Several of his people
were following Alina's lead; they too were bowing. Dorvin grunted and
tugged them up. "On your feet! Stand straight and proud. We do
not serve this man." He pointed at Jeid, this so-called King
Aeternum. "He's nothing but another outcast. I've led you all
winter. I fought for you. I slew monsters for you and brought you
here. This is all Requiem is?" Dorvin laughed mirthlessly. "Then
so be it. I will lead this kingdom. I will serve as Requiem's king.
Requiem will be ours!"
    With that, he leaped into the air, shifted into a dragon, and lunged
toward Jeid.
    I won't kill you, old man, he thought, grinning savagely. But
I will crush you into subservience.
    With a roar, Jeid shifted too and leaped.
    As the others cried out, the two dragons slammed together.
    Scales cracked, loud as thunder. Fire blasted out and smoke covered
the forest.
    "Dorvin, stop!" Alina shouted somewhere in the distance.
    "Grizzly, kill the boy!" Maev was shouting, shaking her
fist.
    The two dragons drew apart, and Dorvin grinned again, hissing out
smoke. "I'm a leader of dragons." He let the flames grow in
his belly. "I lead twenty people; you lead three. Requiem is
mine." With that, he blasted out a stream of fire.
    Jeid was a larger