The Lost Heir Read Online Free

leave him here.”
    “Great,” Glory said. “How about a trail of cow parts, too? And a map of where we’re going? Or perhaps we could set this part of the forest on fire, just to make
sure
everyone knows how to find us. Would you like me to spell out ‘DRAGONETS WUZ HERE’ in giant rocks?”
    “Fine!” Tsunami said. “Here he is.
You
kill him.”
    Glory looked down at the unconscious dragon and hesitated. “I don’t kill dragons who can’t fight back,” she said finally.
    “Why not?” Tsunami said. “Just splat some venom on his face and melt him, if it’s that easy for you.”
    Glory sank her claws into the sand, scowling. Bubbles of dark purple began spreading across her scales.
    Sunny and Starflight landed on the beach beside them. Sunny gave the SkyWing a horrified look, and Tsunami remembered that she’d been trapped in another part of the palace during the arena fights. She’d never seen her friends battle another dragon.
    “Is he all right?” Sunny asked Clay.
    “Try this,” Starflight offered, coming over to help. Clay shifted aside, and they rolled the dragon onto his stomach.
    “Why did you attack him?” Sunny blurted at Tsunami. The little SandWing’s harmless tail flicked back and forth anxiously.
    “To save you!” Tsunami said, stung.
    “But he wasn’t even doing anything,” Sunny protested. “He was just flying by.”
    All four of them were looking at Tsunami like she was the kind of dragon who hid under rocks and bit innocent passersby for fun. She arched her neck indignantly.
    “I thought he saw you,” she growled. “He was about to call out to the others. I saw him open his mouth!”
    “So did I,” said Glory. “I’m pretty sure he was yawning.”
    “
Pretty
sure?” Tsunami said. “Would you risk our lives on ‘pretty sure’?”
    Was he yawning? Did I attack him for nothing? That can’t be right. I saw danger and reacted appropriately. Didn’t I?
    “Maybe if you’d just stopped to
think
for a second —” Starflight said.
    “Or forever? Like you? Think think think, worry worry, never do anything?” Tsunami cried.
    The SkyWing suddenly coughed, and seawater flooded out of his snout. Clay ruffled his wings with a pleased expression.
    “Oh, wonderful. Our enemy will survive. Well done. We have to get out of here,” Glory said. She took a step back and glanced at the sky where the other soldiers had disappeared. “So what do we do with him now, O Great Leader?”
    Tsunami had no idea. She glanced around frantically. Maybe if they could find some vines to tie him up with . . .
    “There’s a tree,” Starflight said, jumping to his feet. “In the forest.”
    “No
way
,” Glory said. “A
tree
in the
forest
?”
    “Being sarcastic is not helping!” Tsunami snapped at her.
    “I mean, a fallen tree,” Starflight said. “We can use it. Glory, stay and guard him; Clay and Tsunami, come on, quick.”
    Clay charged up the beach behind him. Tsunami paused for a moment — she didn’t like leaving the soldier, even if he wasn’t fully awake yet. She also didn’t particularly like taking orders from Starflight.
    “Go on, hurry,” Sunny said, nudging her with one wing.
    Not far into the forest, a large tree had fallen, with the top of its branches brushing the sand. Clay and Tsunami shoved and rolled it onto the beach and dragged it back to the SkyWing while Starflight flapped around squawking instructions.
As if we need to be told how to move a tree,
Tsunami thought grumpily.
    The soldier’s eyes were blinking awake as they reached him. He coughed and coughed again, lifting his head to peer groggily at the dragonets.
    “So how does the tree help?” Tsunami asked.
    “We put it on top of him,” Starflight said. “So he’ll be trapped in place, at least long enough for us to get away.”
    Tsunami hated to admit it, but it was a good idea. She helped Clay wrestle the tree over until it lay heavily across the orange dragon’s back and wings. The SkyWing