Night Dragon An Epic Fantasy Adventure - D.K. Holmberg Page 0,99

And I’m going to bring the dragons back together.” The people around him began to murmur. Jason had no idea whether they agreed or not. Maybe it was little more than discomfort at what he said. “The misfits will fly with me. The new dragons will fly with me. And as many of the dragons as I can free will fly with me.”

He wondered if he would have the strength needed to be able to free those dragons. He would have to try. As he called upon that power within him, he realized something.

The female dragons began to exert their influence. As they were connected to each of the other dragon misfits, their power similar to his, they were able to use illusion—and alter reality—as well.

But stronger.

The dozen dragons, all of them connected to something more and something greater, held onto illusion in a way that Jason wouldn’t have been able to do, not without weakening himself.

What about the influence of the mist dragons? He needn’t have been concerned. These dragons had that in them, as well. They had that of the earth dragons. There was nothing more he needed to do.

Jason marveled at it.

The dragons began to circle with more force.

“Look at them,” William whispered.

Jason looked over at his friend, and he realized that William indeed had a connection to the dragons. That was how he had been summoned, the reason that he had been influenced. Because of that, William was here, trapped along with the dragons and the people of Dragon Haven, drawn into something that Jason thought he should not be.

“The dragons feel it,” William said.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Henry watched Jason, and the look in his eyes suggested that whatever else they decided to do would leave him uncertain. The old Dragon Soul had been through so much in his time serving, and shouldn’t he want to rest?

Shouldn’t Jason want to help him rest?

“We have been dealing with Lorach and their attack for long enough. It’s time that we do something different. It’s time we stopped them for good. It’s time the dragons are truly free.”

Henry looked at the sky, and a look came to his eyes that Jason recognized. “For that reason alone, I would fight with you. I imagine the others as well. If you have some way of finally ending this war, then all of us will fight with you.”

Jason looked at Sarah.

“What about you?”

“I don’t know if I can do this,” she whispered. She looked at the people of Dragon Haven. “I have wanted to help the dragons. That’s all I’ve ever wanted, but now…” She shook her head. “It’s my fault Lorach found Dragon Haven, but I needed to know. And now that I know my parents are gone…”

“The people need a leader,” Jason said.

She looked down.

“They have one,” he said, knowing that it was true, but knowing as well that she needed to do what she intended. Much like he needed to do what he intended.

Jason took a step forward, reaching out for her, and he saw Sarah tense.

He understood. She didn’t need him to comfort her.

He hadn’t been there when she had wanted him to be, and even now, their goals were not aligned. She wanted nothing more than to help the people of Dragon Haven, whereas he wanted to protect the dragons. “The rest of your people are still out there,” he said softly. “And I need to go find the rest of the dragons I can help.”

She watched him for a long moment and then turned away as a dragon descended. Her dragon. At least he remained free. Jason had to find the others, too.

Sarah looked over at him. “Be careful, Jason.”

Given everything they had gone through, he hated the idea that Sarah wouldn’t be here with him. Except, recently, she hadn’t been there with him, anyway. Jason didn’t like the idea, but at the same time, he understood.

She’d never wanted to fight. She’d wanted to rescue dragons.

With what he intended, he would have to fight in order to rescue the dragons. She didn’t need to be a part of it any longer. She could let him do it.

Sarah needed to lead.

With her parents gone, the people of Dragon Haven did need someone like her. They needed a leader. They needed somebody willing to stay with them, to work with them, and that someone was her.

Jason, on the other hand, was a fighter. He had become that in his time working with Dragon