A Dawn of Dragonfire

BAYRIN



A dozen phoenixes soared toward Mori.

Flying beside the princess, Bayrin roared.

"Mori, to your left!"

She spun in the sky, pointing the Moondisk to her left. The beam caught the phoenixes and they extinguished. Bayrin swooped upon them, bathing them with fire. They crackled and fell.

"Bay!" Mori shouted above him, fear twisting her voice.

The beam of moonlight left Bayrin, sweeping to the north. He turned his head and saw ten more phoenixes surge toward Mori. They shrieked, claws outstretched. When the beam hit them, they cried and lost their fire. Wings aching and wounds blazing, Bayrin soared toward them. He roared fire and burned them down.

He spared the battle below a glance. Phoenixes fell like rain. The dragons of Requiem were flying from side to side, staying within the moonbeam. He saw his sister, a sapphire dragon blowing fire. He saw his parents—Deramon flew as a burly copper dragon, crashing into phoenixes, while Adia soared as a white dragon, leaving a wake of flame. When Mori moved her Moondisk, those dragons too slow to follow burned in phoenix fire.

"Mori, phoenixes over the temple!" Bayrin shouted. A hundred of them were roaring from the marble roof, comets of fury.

Mori nodded and moved the Moondisk upon the enemy. The phoenixes screeched and Bayrin saw dozens of dragons swarm upon them, roaring fire.

More screeches sounded above. Bayrin looked up and cursed. Ten phoenixes had managed to flank the battle, fly over the clouds, and were now swooping upon Mori from above.

"Mori, fire above!" he shouted and soared. She banked, and Bayrin crashed upward. His wings brushed her, and he slammed against the phoenixes above.

Fire engulfed him. Talons tore him. Beaks of flame ripped his flesh. He howled and lashed his claws but cut only fire.

Silver light bathed him. Below, Mori was flying upside down, pointing the moonbeam toward him. He roared fire and the phoenixes fell.

"Point the Moondisk down!" Bayrin shouted to her. Welts blazed across him. He felt ready to fall from the sky, but forced himself to keep flying. "I've got your back. Protect the dragons below."

Mori looked as hurt and wounded as Bayrin felt. The lamprey bites still bled on her shoulders. Like him, she had not slept or eaten in two days. And yet she snarled and directed the Moondisk down, catching a formation of soaring phoenixes. Bayrin showered them with fire.

Three more phoenixes swooped from the clouds above Mori. Cursing, Bayrin drove toward them.

"Keep that moonbeam pointing down!" he shouted as he soared by her.

He crashed into the firebirds above. Their flames washed him. He screamed in agony. It felt like flying into a forge. He clawed blindly.

I will protect Mori. I won't let them burn her.

Moonlight bathed him. He roared fire. The phoenixes fell.

More flew at Mori's left. He drove forward and crashed into their fire. When she lit them with moonlight and he burned them, more flew from the right. Bayrin howled, scales blazing, and crashed into them.

Protect the princess. Don't let them burn her. Don't…

Fire washed him.

Talons ripped him.

Bayrin howled and blew flame, and his world was nothing but heat, screams, and pain.