Tanin marveled momentarily at the beast before him.

The dragon was shaped like an enormous snake, twice as thick around as Orrock’s muscled body, with stout forelegs ending in sharp claws that it used to pull itself onto the riverbank. Its scales were iridescent aquamarine that dazzled him in the rays of the setting sun. Its mouth was bright white, the color of the moon. Its jaws flexed and snapped around the naked Agnise.

It had seized the female vertically, twisting its body to grab hold of her and twisting back so that she dangled limp in its mouth. The monster began sliding backward into the water.

Orrock and Mohani reacted instantly. Tanin could only stand and stare at the majestic and awful beauty of the beast, certain his own quest was ending here and now.

Mohani cried out—in rage, it seemed, more than pain—and fired a punch into the monster’s open left eye. The water dragon reared and hissed, dropping the Agnise into the river at its edge. The monster angled its head to glare at Mohani and hissed again, preparing to strike.

Orrock reached it first. Holding the hammer at the very end of its handle, he swung at the water dragon. The iron head thunked heavily into its left flank and tore into its scales. The weight of the swing carried Orrock in a half-circle. He let the hammer dangle from his left hand while he swung back around, aiming his horns at the upraised beast. The swing missed as the water dragon arched away.

Tanin, uncertain and terrified, raced back to Iona. She lay quietly sleeping, undisturbed in the least by the life-and-death struggle happening a few lengths away from her. Tanin swept the ground for his Fell spear, found it, and stood.

Mohani regained her feet. To Tanin’s shock, the Agnise made no effort to escape the scene. Instead she shrieked and flung herself at the giant snake, wrapping her powerful arms around it just beneath its jaws. The water dragon tried to dart away from her, but the Agnise used the momentum to swing herself atop it, straddling it just behind two knots on its head that Tanin took for ears or horns.

Orrock swung the hammer again, and missed. He shouted at Tanin: “Fight!”

Tanin rushed forward—and stopped, only halving the distance to the melee. The water dragon lifted and reset its forelegs like a bird seeking a better perch, hissing and swinging its head as Mohani pounded it with her fist.

It was so big; Tanin had no frame of reference to compare it to. The sandcats were large, larger than a single Fell, but this monster . . . it defied everything he had ever known. Fight? Fight, how?

Orrock landed a blow against the water dragon’s other side. The dragon fought back, snapping its double-hinged jaws at the Guar. Orrock narrowly escaped the attack by falling backward, landing with a crunch on the rocky soil.

Taking the opportunity, the giant snake arched, its clawed feet leaving the ground. It rose and twisted hard to the side, crashing into the river on its back. It wriggled out of the water, taking Mohani with it.

Tanin rushed ahead, this time making it all the way to Orrock’s side. He grabbed the larger creature around the arm and tried to hoist him up.

Orrock, still seated with his legs outstretched, grabbed Tanin’s long hair and yanked the Fell downward. Tanin yelped and went along with the momentum.

“You wish to free your loved one?” the monk roared in his face. “Fight!”

He threw Tanin toward the water dragon.

Tanin landed on his feet only barely as the monster sized him up. The water dragon hovered over him, its right eye squarely fixed on the desert dweller as if enjoying the prospect of a new opponent and a new meal.

Tanin made feeble jabbing motions with his spear. The water dragon issued a mocking, soft hiss.

“Take your time,” he heard Orrock behind him. He wasn’t nearby, yet the monk’s voice seemed to come from right over his shoulder. “Strike when you are sure.”

All Tanin was sure of was a desperate need to run and save his own life, but he stood still in front of the serpent.

It struck.

With a squeal, Tanin scampered out of the way and jabbed. Shocked when the spear found flesh, Tanin pulled the spear away and the water dragon twisted wildly from side to side. The Fell stared at the reddened tip of the spear, awed by the sight of the serpent’s blood.

Blood. It was mortal. Just like the sandcats. Enormous, terrifying, hungry for his flesh—but mortal.

The Fell’s awe nearly cost him his young life as the water dragon reoriented and came whistling down from above. Shouting now, Tanin crouched then shoved himself upward, spear tight in his hands.

The sharp point dug deep into the water dragon’s lower jaw, penetrating the scales. The monster jerked to one side, but Tanin held on. When it flipped its head backward and then forward, Tanin threw his entire weight into the spear.

He felt something crunch. He feared it was the spear, but the sensation rippled down the shaft and into his hands. The water dragon stiffened, then shuddered.

The monster crashed to one side, splashing the Fell with a flood of river water. Still Tanin maintained his grip on the weapon, unable to believe the thing was truly dead.

He yanked his spear from the monster as another splash sounded to his right. Panting, he brandished the weapon high, only to find Mohani pulling herself from the water. Her hair matted against her skin.

Mohani cast only the barest glance at the water dragon as she walked past Tanin. She smacked him hard on the shoulder.

“Well done, little Fell.”

Tanin turned his head to watch her walking away—then vomited clear fluid helplessly all over his own feet as the adrenaline cascaded into his belly.

Even in this sad state, he didn’t miss the two larger creatures trading glances and slight grins. He wanted to be angry, but found the emotion wouldn’t arise. Instead, he only gawked at the slain beast for a long time before dragging himself toward the tree line where Mohani was getting dressed and Orrock was sitting with the hammer by his side.

“You see?” Orrock said. “Now you are warrior.”

“You left me to die.”

“I left you to learn.”

“Next time, just kill it.” Tanin flung himself beside Iona.

Before Orrock could respond, the wood witch stirred. She opened her eyes and blinked. Tanin leaned over her. “Iona?”

She turned her head to take in each of them in turn, her face calm.

“Everyone is wet, Tanin Fell.”

Mohani laughed loudly, big chortles that echoed in the woods behind them. Orrock half-grinned and grunted something like a chuckle. Tanin only stared at the witch for a moment before falling backward into the sand and covering his eyes with one arm.

He laughed longest.

# # #

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