Azure bonds - Kate Novak [115]
Mist continued to watch the lizard, nodding occasionally as though taking in some point or other, though the halfling could not hear a sound from Dragonbait. Is he some sort of telepath? she wondered. No. Then he would have talked to us in our minds.
Finally, Mist said, "An interesting tale. Yes, agreed. Maximum damage. If you win, I'll help you take on this abomination you describe. But after the beast is killed, our deal is ended. If I win, you shall tell me where to find Alias before I slay you and your ally."
"Brandobis!" cursed the halfling. His ally-that's me. Where does he get off forfeiting my life? She did not take into consideration that there was little else Dragonbait could do if he lost the battle.
Her first instinct was to flee. She reached down for her pack, but as she picked it up, that idea curdled like blood in her mind. The thin platinum coins in her pack clinked together, reminding Olive of her deal with Phalse. She wore the tracking ring on a chain around her neck, near the ring that detected magic. If she abandoned the lizard now, she might not be able to find the warrior woman, and Phalse's friends would believe she had reneged on her agreement and deal with her accordingly. But if Dragonbait won, he would take her right to Alias.
How do I get into these messes? Olive sighed. She wracked her mind for some means of helping the lizard battle the dragon.
"We start at three," the dragon explained. "One…"
Dragonbait went into a crouch. Olive wondered if she could loft the poison into the beast's mouth.
"Two…" Mist said, unfurling her wings. In the sunrise they were the color of human-and halfling-blood. The dragon flexed her rear legs and leaped into the air, hovering with a massive beat of mighty wings.
"Three!" Mist roared, as Dragonbait dodged beneath her.
Mist breathed fire-a short, spitting flame that divoted the earth where Dragonbait had been standing. The lizard was beneath the dragon, but Mist lashed out with her tail, batting him forward, once again in her sight.
She's playing with him, the halfling realized and began desperately searching through her pockets for something to help. The poison? No, she might need that for her own use later. Besides, she'd never get it up that high. The coins weren't enough to bribe a dragon. Her halfling short sword and daggers would be useless against that great hulk.
The blow of the dragon's whiplike tail separated Dragon-bait from his weapon. He dodged another small spit of flame and leaped on the lost sword. As he did so, the hovering dragon swooped, snagging his shirt. The shirt ties were already torn off though, and the lizard managed to slip out of the garment. He fell to the ground with a thud, rolling back toward his weapon.
Mist landed with her paw on top of his leg before he could reach his blade. She moved her head very close to him and smiled broadly, gloating.
"What's this, little dragon-warrior?" the dragon mocked her prey. "I think I've seen these markings before on your mistress. Are you a matched set? A pity to break you up."
The bard gasped. Dragonbait was branded with the same blue sigils as Alias. Only his were set in a ring.
A ring! Olive thought excitedly. Brands just like Alias! Olive pulled the chain out from beneath her shirt and slipped on the magical detection ring. She ran toward the battle, twisting the ring and pointing her finger at Dragonbait.
The azure sigils that marked Dragonbait's chest exploded with a satisfyingly brilliant light.
Mist pitched backward as the sapphire fireworks exploded in her face. Reflexively, the dragon raised her front paws to her eyes, tossing her prisoner through the air. Dragonbait spun about like a trained acrobat, landed on his feet, and ran toward the dragon's rear haunches.
As Mist pawed at the motes of light dancing before her eyes, she flapped her wings desperately, churning up clouds of dust. The mighty breeze caused blankets and cloaks to flutter about like