BooksBarbecue
Back Copper Chain
Chapters (62)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Dedication
  4. CONTENTS
  5. MAP
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  62. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The dragon whimpered as he stepped forward, taking the chain from her hands. As Zara had said, there were actually two sections of metal links, both joined to a connecting hoop in the middle. The central clasp was engraved with tiny symbols. The device was surprisingly light.

With anticipation, Palemon leaned over the dragon’s head, his height enabling him to reach forward to take the collar. He levered open the connecting hoop and in one swift movement fastened the chains to the collar.

He gasped.

‘What is it? Sire?’ Zara gripped his arm, concerned.

Palemon waved her away. A pulsing rhythm connected the chain in his hand to the thoughts of the creature it was shackled to. The experience was visceral, understood in the same way that sound doesn’t need to be explained to a child. With the reins in his hand, he had a magical bond with the black dragon. He could feel what it felt: he knew that it was thirsty, and afraid, and ashamed at its own loss of autonomy. Palemon knew, without a doubt, that it was now bound to his will.

He smiled.

‘Move,’ he said to the sorceress. ‘Step back. Open the gate – wide.’

Zara exited the cell and opened the gate as far as possible, anxious but also curious.

‘Down,’ Palemon said to the dragon.

A thrill coursed through him as the dragon dipped, bending a foreleg. Placing a foot on the limb, Palemon grunted as he shifted his weight to grab hold of one of the ridges behind the creature’s head. He pulled his body up and then settled himself astride its mighty back, feeling the power of the creature under him.

‘Forward,’ Palemon commanded.

He held the reins tightly, one in each hand, as the dragon lumbered through the open gate until it had left the cell. He then turned it to face the wide passage.

‘Sire . . .’ Zara said. ‘Perhaps—’

‘Forward!’ Palemon roared.

Feeling his desires instantly communicated through the magical chain, the dragon began to bound, racing ahead down the corridor, all four limbs carrying it along as fast as a galloping horse.

Abandoning the wide-eyed sorceress, Palemon and his black steed left the cells in a heartbeat and climbed the sloped passage. On his command the creature turned to enter the paved floor of the tower’s central shaft and then the wings spread wide, easily accommodated in the shaft’s wide diameter. Each beat of its wings propelled Palemon higher and higher as he climbed to the summit, until he shot out of the tower and the dragon took wing on the open sky.

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