The Erth Dragons Book 1: The Wearle Read Online Free PDF Page B

Wearle needs young dragons. Fearless dragons. Dragons prepared to face difficult and possibly dangerous encounters. Despite our mapping and our searches we are still no nearer to knowing what happened to the first Wearle. I am therefore in some agreement with Grogan.’
    ‘Your point?’ said Grynt.
    ‘I ask that the blue be kept on Erth to continue his work, not exiled back to Ki:mera in shame.’
    ‘I agree,’ said Galarhade, before Grynt could interrupt. ‘They will both stay – but they must always be reminded of what they have done.’ He ordered both dragons to look at him.
    Gabrial sat up proudly.
    ‘From this day,’ said the Prime, ‘until or unless you prove your worth again, you are no longer recognised in the glory of Godith.’
    ‘What does that mean?’ said Gabrial.
    ‘It means your name is now Abrial,’ said Grynt. He nodded at Grogan. ‘And his is Rogan.’
    ‘No,’ per Grogan said. His old legs gave way and he collapsed to the stones. This time, not even per Gorst came to help him. ‘I am of the old ways. The shame… Please. Anything but this.’
    Gabrial glanced at per Gorst. G’vard’s second was deeply troubled by the sentence. And very few dragons were making any noise. ‘Abrial?’ the blue repeated. And then the rumble did begin. One of those peculiar waves of sound that dragons could produce, but rarely did.
    The sharp and raucous wind of derision.

4
    His judgments delivered, Galarhade gave the order that all activities would be postponed until sunrise the next day. During this time the Wearle would pay homage to the memory of Grystina. All of them, Veng included, would return to their settles when the meeting was done to contemplate her life and that of her drake. Elder Givnay would prepare a song of comfort, which he would share with the Wearle through the gift of transference. No dragon would forget this tragic day.
    Before that, there was yet more misery for Abrial and Rogan. Looking at the older dragon first, Galarhade decreed that Rogan be removed from his duties as a mapper – one engaged in memorising the layout of the land around the dragons’ domayne – and that he be sent instead to the far side of the mountains to mine the seams of fhosforent there. Fhosforent was a pink, crystalline substance found in Erth’s volcanic rock. Its discovery had been reported by the first Wearle, who had also determined its principal benefit. Ingesting even minute quantities of the crystals appeared to improve the strength and duration of a dragon’s flame. Over the centuries, dragons had tested many naturally-occurring minerals in this manner, but none had produced such rapid or promising effects as fhosforent. Rogan knew the work would be hard, but he was not overly dismayed by his punishment. Confinement in a mine would keep him out of the main body of the Wearle, where there would be fewer taunts about his name. And there was always the chance he might find a rich seam, which would instantly grant him favour with the Elders. In these respects, he counted himself lucky.
    Abrial was less enchanted with his new role.
    ‘A sweeper?’ he said, when Galarhade passed sentence. Until the morning of the tragedy the young blue had been part of a five-dragon wyng, learning to improve his flying skills. This included lessons in aerial combat from none other than per Gorst. Abrial was easily the best of the wyng and had just advanced to the most exciting part of his training: learning the art of phasing – the ability to move through time during flight. Now, it seemed, his progress was about to be abruptly halted.
    ‘Are you questioning the decision of your Elders?’ said Grynt, his breast scales glinting weakly in the sunlight.
    ‘But I was—?’
    ‘It doesn’t matter what you were . Your duty now is to fly the edges of the domayne, keeping watch for incursions, especially from the Hom. You will rest no more than once on each circuit, and at dawn each day you will report to Veng