JEID

The cavern collapsed around him.

Rocs clawed and bit, tearing at the opening. Stones crashed down. The ceiling cracked. The beasts, mightier than any animal that roamed the earth or flew in the skies, were tearing the canyon apart. Boulders slammed down behind Jeid, blocking his way deeper into the network of tunnels. He roared, down to mere sputters of flame, as the cave collapsed around him.

And so I fight in the open, he thought.

Stones pelted him. One slammed down onto his spine. More buffeted his neck, knocking him down. Jeid growled.

And so I fly out to death in fire.

He stretched his wings wide. He bellowed—a cry that shook the canyon.

"For Requiem."

He crashed forward, driving through the raining boulders, barreling past rocs. Clawing the air and lashing his tail, a copper dragon blowing fire, Jeid emerged into the canyon and sounded his cry.

"For Requiem!" His voice was hoarse, and blood coated his scales. All around the enemy flew, wings covering the sky, arrows filling the air. But beyond them a light shone; the sun was rising. "For a dawn of dragons!"

He soared, blowing fire, into a sky of talons and arrows.

A roc swooped toward him. Jeid clubbed it aside with his tail. A second rancid bird landed upon his back, and a beak crashed through Jeid's scales. Blood showered and he howled, flew backward, and slammed the roc into the canyon wall. The creature crashed down, but three more swooped at Jeid. He roared his flames and bit into rank flesh. Arrows pelted him. Jeid flew higher, grabbed a rider between his jaws, and bit down hard. The man tumbled down in two halves, entrails spilling like streamers.

Flame and blood lit the sky.

"Eranor!" he cried. "Laira!"

He could not see them. When he stared down, he saw that their caves had collapsed. They were trapped. Perhaps dead.

I killed them. I led them here. I called this a new home; it became a tomb.

Rocs slammed against him, shoving him down. He growled. His claws hit the canyon floor, and he shoved upward, wings beating, tearing through the beasts.

So I die with them.

He crashed through the sea of fetid birds, rose out of the canyon, and entered the sky. The trees burned across the escarpment. Red smoke hid the sky. Everywhere they flew—the rocs of the Goldtusk tribe. The arrows of riders fell like rain, slamming into him. One sliced through his wing.

I fly to you now, my wife, he thought, eyes rolling back. I fly to you, Requiem.

When he closed his eyes, he saw it above—the Draco constellation, stars of Requiem, wells of magic. He flew through blood toward the lights.

Heat bathed him.

Roars rolled like thunder.

Jeid opened his eyes and saw them there. They rose from the dawn, three dragons, blowing their fire.

"A dawn of dragons," he whispered, tears in his eyes.

With slicing claws and streams of flame, they flew into the battle, red and green and blue. Tanin. Maev. The Prince of Eteer.

Jeid joined his roar to theirs, and their flames wreathed together.