Page 137 of Shadowborne: Reckoning

Benji’s face twisted. “I’m not sure how… they don’t always understand words.”

Kgosi rumbled from above us on the hillside and Benji turned to look at him, his eyes widening.

‘I have asked for permission from this one… I know how to show them. He considers my proposal.’

It was fascinating to watch the boy’s face shift, emotions chasing each other across his features. His body poised as if for flight. But as moment after moment passed, and nothing changed, I began to sag.

‘Kgosi?’

‘I may have no choice but to take them, Donavyn. Something freezes them. Something they fear more than me. The boy is trying, but… only one responds, and he is very young. He shivers.’

I stood there, barely breathing, praying fervently that these poor dragons would take a leap of faith and trust—but suddenly Kgosi hissed and the dragons in the valley grew agitated again, milling and calling, ruffling wings.

“Benji, what’s going on?”

“I don’t know! They’re… the females are listening. They can understand better. But Kgosi asked me to have them share images of… things that are done to them. I’m not sure I understand, but I think Kgosi does.”

‘Keg? What’s hap—’

“No!” Benji breathed, then rushed forward, running full-tilt towards the dragons who reared back and vocalized—fear, warning, and aggression.

“Benji!” I snapped and instinctively dived after him to yank him back by his collar, but I was stopped by a furious roar from my dragon, freezing me in my tracks as the valley erupted in chaos.

I’d missed Benji and cursed as he disappeared among the dust and tree-trunk legs of the dragons stamping and jittering, some leaping to hover above the grasses for a moment before dropping and screaming.

Then Kgosi roared again—so deep and ragged, so full of fire and rage, the very air shook and the herd erupted, rippling away from Kgosi who descended the hillside behind me, his pounding footsteps shaking the earth.

Time slowed as I turned, throwing my hands up, reflexively begging Kgosi to stop, to pause—had one of the males challenged him?

But the world was a mess of dust, smoke, and earth-shattering roars so that it took a moment to register that Kgosi’s mouth wasn’t open. That he didn’t descend in rage—but a second roar rose.

As I craned my neck back to catch eyes with my galloping dragon, movement in the sky overhead caught my attention and it all became clear.

Carnage.

Kgosi wasn’t running for the dragons. He was coming for me.

45. Now

~ DONAVYN ~

“BENJI!” I shouted, half-crouched, whipping around to search for the boy, but he’d disappeared in the mix and mess of the panicking dragons.

As Kgosi tore past, I leaped for the mounting strap and swung up his side, climbing hand over hand, frantic, my breath tearing in and out between my teeth as I heaved myself up to his back and into my seat. I clipped myself into the safety strap with one hand, looped the other around the harness at his neck and urged him on.

Kgosi powered across the small clearing, roaring for the dragons to scatter, and I clung to his back until he could launch, heaving us into the sky in great, flapping rushes, his mouth open to bare his teeth as he roared his challenge.

Holy shit. He was roaring a challenge.

‘Keg—’

‘He torments these poor souls, Donavyn. He cannot be allowed. I will not allow it.’

I saw it in my dragon’s mind—the oversight of a Primarch. A mature male, the king of their noble society. He was served, but his power shared with those who followed. And Carnage, a mere guard among them. A wing in service, had used power and authority he only possessed because he was a member of Kgosi’s herd to subvert these wild dragons.

To a dragon, this was beyond betrayal. It required judgment.

As Kgosi flapped into the sky, banking to turn towards Carnage and roaring again. I felt that one in my ribs.