The Dragon Liberator: Escapee

POV: Fendrel

Thankfully, Venom is as keen on finding this captured dragon as I am.

“We’re almost there. This fortress has sky-viewing scouts so we should walk the rest of the way there.” Fendrel couldn’t take his eyes off of the ground, anticipating their arrival to the dragon hunter base.

Thea didn’t want to rejoin the group until after we rescued the floral dragon due to Oliver’s safety. I hope they stay safe wherever she goes. I think she said she was going to Wing’s Caress?

Venom descended with Fog right beside him. When they touched down in the now sparse grass, Fendrel slid off the dusk dragon’s shoulders.

“You’re going to walk?” Venom cocked his head to the side.

Fendrel nodded. “I think better when I walk.”

“Will you be able to keep up?” Venom chuckled.

“I used to hunt elk with a stubborn ice dragon veteran in calf-deep snow, I’ll be fine.” He smiled.

“Really?” Intrigued oozed out of Venom’s voice. “When did this happen?”

Fendrel scratched his head. “I think we started when I was twelve or thirteen.”

“Really?” Fog’s ears perked up.

“Who taught you?” Venom lowered his head a bit.

Fendrel took a deep breath. “His name is Blizzard. He lives in a permafrost burrow with his mate in the southern part of Frost Lake.”

“You said he’s a veteran. So he fought in the War Across the Sea?” Fog walked closer to Fendrel.

Blizzard was sent home during the thirty-five-year war before I met him, and he didn’t like to say much about it, but he was proud to have served in it.

Fendrel nodded. “He told me he fought alongside the previous dragon king and queen of the Freelands at the battle of Broken Wings. I remember him saying he would have stayed longer to fight if he could, but he was commanded to retreat.”

Venom gave a respectful nod. “I was there at that battle. He’s a brave dragon to have wanted to stay longer than he had to. You’ll have to introduce us some day.”

“Maybe we can go visit him on our way back from the mission!” Fog had a skip in her step.

Venom grinned at Fog’s happiness, then looked back at Fendrel. “How did you meet him?”

Fendrel studied the ground sullenly. “His mate found my brother and I in the snow after my mother passed.”

“They took you in?” The dusk dragon lowered his head more.

Fendrel nodded. “After the attack on Stone Edge, we wanted to get as far away as possible. It was summer so we didn’t see Frost Lake as a danger, but we didn’t get there until autumn. Then they found us, thankfully, before winter set in.”

“How long did you stay with them?” Venom returned his gaze to the land ahead.

Fendrel glanced at the sky. “Around seven years, then my brother and I decided we’d have better luck getting human jobs rather than working with dragons. Oh! The valley base is just ahead.” He pointed at where the ground before them dropped off. “I doubt my information would be old. So, the capture must have happened up to a few days ago. He said the hunters were traveling by cart, weighed down by a dragon, and they have to carefully travel into a valley without getting stuck. They would have to go around, whereas we can just fly in. Huh…” He chuckled as he stopped at the lip of the valley. “We’re here early. I’d still like to clear it out before the new dragon gets here.”

“I think Fendrel and I should look around the base for other captives while we wait for the new dragon’s arrival.” Venom turned to Fog, “If the hunters see you while we’re in there, run. Fresh Grove is close enough to find safety in.”

“I understand.” Fog stuck her wings behind her.

Venom peered into the valley. “Where is the base?”

“There’s a cave entrance for the carts behind that group of boulders.” Fendrel pointed at the other side of the valley.

The dusk dragon squinted. “Are those the scouts you mentioned?”

A trio of dragon hunters stood partially obscured by a group of boulders.

“Yes.” Fendrel felt himself frown. “I can’t see their uniforms clearly, so I don’t know what rank they are.”

Venom flattened himself to the ground. “How can you tell what rank they are?”

“Sometimes you can’t tell unless you’re up close. Generally, hunters with more fangs sewn onto their shoulder guards are higher ranked.” Fendrel tapped his own shoulder. “But the highest number of fangs we’ll see on a hunter here is three… I hope.”

Fog stepped up beside him. “What do you mean?”

Fendrel sucked a breath in between his teeth. “Well, Sadon himself is the only one with five fangs and his second head has four fangs, but they were at the Sharpdagger base. It would take them longer to get here than we did.”

“Good.” Venom watched Fog sigh in relief.

“The last time I was here I lured the scouts away by setting a signal fire, but I doubt they’d fall for that again.” Fendrel groaned.

Venom analyzed the valley with his eyes. “We need a distraction of some sort.”

Fendrel stayed silent for a moment. “I can only think of one way this will work.”

“Yes?” Venom’s ears perked.

“We have to split up. One of us needs to make a distraction so the other can sneak in.” Fendrel looking at Venom.

“I’ll fly into the valley and get their attention. If they aren’t well-trained, I’ll deal with them quickly and join you inside.” Venom rolled his shoulders and flexed his claws.

Fendrel thought for a moment. “Okay, but how do I get down? It would take too long to scale the walls of the valley, and you won’t be here to fly me in.”

Fog leaned down so she was at eye-level with Fendrel. “I can get you down there.”

Venom and Fendrel shared a look. “That could work.”

“Are we all in agreement?” Venom looked between Fendrel and Fog.

They nodded in affirmation.

“Good. I’ll make sure the hunters don’t see you when you fly back up here, Fog.” Venom spread his wings and glided into the valley, away from the hunters’ base.

A hunter nudged his partner’s shoulder and pointed at Venom. The second hunter shook his head, but nervously chased his wayward comrade after the first hunter took off after the dusk dragon.

Fendrel mounted the saddle on Fog’s back.

She leapt off the edge of the valley and beat her wings furiously, struggling against the added weight. Unsteadily, she descended to the floor and crashed.

Fendrel tumbled out of the saddle, the dirt biting his skin. He pushed himself to his feet. “Are you all right?”

Fog stumbled to her paws. “I’m fine, I just wasn’t used to that. Go!”

He gave her a skeptical look but nodded and turned, running for the cave entrance behind the boulders. Fog’s flapping wings told Fendrel she was safe. Looking to his left, Fendrel saw Venom dive-bombing the dragon hunters.

Fendrel snuck into the flat-floored cave, straining his ears and shifting his gaze every few steps. There weren’t any hunters nearby. He relaxed.

The cave widened and the ceiling rose. As it steadily expanded, several dragon carts came into view, all of them empty.

When Fendrel passed the last cart, he heard wing beats at the cave entrance. It was Venom.

“They were lower ranked?” Fendrel glanced over his shoulder.

“Two of them were.” Venom crawled through the cave’s mouth. He rose and stretched his wings as he neared. “How do you usually go about infiltrating these hideouts?”

“I listen to what the hunters say and see if they’ll mention where the dragons are being kept or killed.” Fendrel sighed. “They change around the layouts of the bases every now and then, so I don’t know if this one is still the same from when I last came here.”

Venom cocked his head. “What do you mean ‘or killed?’ I thought all hideouts did that.”

“Well, some hideouts harvest from dragons while other hideouts are designed to train hunters how to kill.” Fendrel shivered. “Sometimes they bring in eggs to hatch here.”

“Disgusting.” Venom recoiled and bared his fangs. “Where are those murderers?”

“This way.” Fendrel waved. He ventured further into the cave, keeping his steps light.

Venom followed close behind, prowling like a wild cat. As they continued, torches became their main light source.

They peered around the corner to see the torches were replaced by a large bonfire in the center of a circular room. Several doors marked by letters and numbers led to what Fendrel remembered to be hallways. Weapons, chains, tethers, snappers, and other tools hung on the walls. Hunters swarmed around the bonfire, teasing each other and playing rough despite some of them holding swords.

Fendrel and Venom hid behind the corner.

“Where are the newest entrants?” An older hunter examined his dagger.

“Charles sent a few out to bring whatever dragon they could find here.” Another hunter sat on the bricks that contained the fire. “They’ll probably pick up another floral dragon.”

A third came up behind the second and smacked him on the back of the head. “He’s the second head. What makes you think you can call him by his first name?”

The second hunter winced and rubbed where he had been hit. “Does it matter? Sadon doesn’t trust him enough to teach new recruits. He always keeps an eye on the guy. Don’t you remember he let a whole squadron of new recruits escape a few years back. And three weeks ago, that ‘Liberator’ took one of our dragons from right under his nose! I don’t trust him either. It’s no wonder he was stuck on babysitting duty.”

“But, besides Sadon, he’s the best fighter.” A female hunter crossed her arms. “I’ve been here longer than he has, and I haven’t seen any of us rise to his level.”

“Battle prowess doesn’t equal trustworthiness. Sadon hasn’t let him fight a dragon or do anything important in months.” The second hunter laughed. “I doubt anyone would be upset if he disappeared.”

“Quit that, you know he’s still valuable.” The first hunter sighed. “Anyway, where are the new recruits putting the dragon? I want to have it in a cage as soon as possible.”

“I think our second-head—” the second rose from his seat pointed at doors “—said there was an empty cage in F-1.”

“There’s always an empty cage in every room now.” One hunter snorted.

Fendrel turned to Venom. “Those markings on the doors show where dragons are kept in which rooms. There are two rooms for each of the elements.”

Venom nodded. “So all of those rooms have dragons in them?”

“Maybe.” Fendrel kept his eyes on the dragon hunters.

“We have to get them out.” Venom’s tail swung. “How?”

Fendrel glanced over his shoulder at Venom. “Well, we need another distraction. Something big enough so they won’t notice me.”

Venom chuckled. “This day is already full of half thought-out plans. Why don’t we make another?”

“All right, what are you half-thinking?” Fendrel grinned.

“That room is large enough for me to move around in easily. I can charge and keep their attention on me.” Venom positioned so he could pounce at any moment.

Fendrel shot him a look. “Are you crazy? You saw all the weapons in there.”

“They’ll be too shocked at first to even think about attacking.” Venom’s back paws shifted his weight like a hunting cat.

“There are at least ten hunters in there.” Fendrel grabbed Venom’s foreleg.

Venom let out a deep sigh. He looked at Fendrel and nudged him with his wing. “If I need to, I can lead them out into the valley where I’ll have more space. Trust me.”

Fendrel stared into Venom’s eyes. He looked down briefly. “Okay.” He took his hand off and moved out of Venom’s way.