Dragons Ahoy: Dragonsbane Saga, #2

By Madison Keller

The seedy port of Beachcliff has a pirate problem. What they don't know is they also have a dragon problem.

 

Sybil has no idea how to make good on her promise to break the curse on the dragon Riastel. Especially while penniless and on the run from the king himself.

 

Her main form of income, slaying dragons, takes on a different light with one as a lover. When he is kidnapped by pirates who demand she slay the dragon terrorizing the coast, Sybil must make a tough decision.

 

This time, saving one dragon might mean slaying another.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rainbow Dog Books
• Release date: Oct 14, 2016
• ISBN: 9781386730743

Madison Keller

MADISON KELLER lives and writes in the Pacific Northwest. When not writing he can be found bicycling around the woods of Oregon or at the dog park with his adorable Chihuahua mix. Madison has transitioned and now goes by Ian.

Book preview

Dragons Ahoy

Ian Madison Keller

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Rainbow Dog Books

Copyright © 2016 by Ian Madison Keller

All rights reserved. Published by Rainbow Dog Books. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission.

Publisher's Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author's imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

Edited by Element Editing

Map by Tabs Abernathy

Illustration by Beleoci

Cover by Ian Madison Keller

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The mission should have been simple. Sneak in and loot some of a dead dragon's treasure before the dragon slayer can haul it all away, but the dragon wasn't as dead as they'd heard. Unwillingly left behind as bait so the rest of the party can escape, this thief will need all her wits to survive.

Get a free copy of the prequel Black Dragon here:

https://bit.ly/3pZdBui

Contents

The World of Dragonsbane Saga

1. Easy Marks

2. You Know How to Read?

3. Desperate for Money

Illustration: Magic Lessons

4. Dragons Don't Give Up

5. Kidnapped by Pirates

6. Sharks, or Worse

7. The Dragon Sympathizer

8. Reaver's Thunder

9. Tribute to the Dragon

10. Of Course There are Traps

11. The Worst Kind of Sacrilege

12. Armful of Wands

13. Betrayed

14. Human Eggs

ALSO BY IAN MADISON KELLER

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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Chapter one

Easy Marks

Sybil shuffled the cards in her hand as she examined the other players for tells. Most of the men on the ship were easy marks. Like Charlie, swigging from the communal jug of mead, who was so tipsy that he kept flashing his cards toward her, and One-eyed Sid across the table who was more interested in trying to look down her low-cut blouse than in playing the game. However, the last player, Gordo, was a bit of a poker shark and Sybil had only narrowly avoided losing all her hard-earned funds the last time she’d played with him.

When Sybil and Riastel boarded Wings of Gold, they’d been flat broke, having lost all their money and gear when they’d fled. Sybil bluffed her way into the first game with IOUs and apologetic lies that Riastel had their shared gold, with nothing to actually offer up to the pot if she’d have lost. From there she’d carefully built up a meager pile of copper one game at a time.

So far most of the men attributed her frequent winnings to beginner’s luck, all except

Gordo who, for the last few hands, had begun to get a thoughtful expression on his face. Sybil knew she’d have to have something substantial to back up her next bet, and she was in luck. Her starting hand contained two kings and two tens. She plucked the six out of her hand and lay it facedown on the rickety table.

Just the one? Gordo smiled, revealing his blackened and rotting teeth.

Yup, just the one.

One-eyed Sid, the dealer for this round, slipped her a card off the top of the deck, his eyes never leaving her chest. Sybil pulled it across to her, careful not to lift it. Shuffling footsteps sounded beyond the casks that hid them from view. Everyone at the table froze.

They were playing in the darkest corner of the hold, away from the prying eyes of the captain and his mates. If they were caught there’d be hell to pay as the captain had forbidden gambling.

Sybil? Riastel called. You down here?

Sybil grit her teeth. Riastel had no poker face at all; his emotions flowed across his face like water. Up until a month ago he’d been a mighty red dragon, master of all he surveyed, with no need to hide his feelings from anyone. Sybil shook her head and lifted a finger to her mouth.

One-eyed Sid and Gordo nodded in reply, but Charlie swung the jug, sloshing foul-smelling mead onto the floor of the hold and cried out, Back here, Ray my boy!

Sybil took advantage of the distraction to glance at her new card. King of spades. Perfect. She tucked it with her others as Riastel reached them. The ship swayed and he stumbled, tripping over his own feet to fall heavily into Sybil’s side. Riastel wrapped around her, pinning her arms as he sloppily kissed the side of her face.

Sybil, look! Riastel shrugged back his coat to reveal his shoulders and arms. They were the bright red of a nasty sunburn. My skin’s changing back!

Sybil winced. No, it’s not. You stayed out in the sun too long and got burned. I warned you about that, remember?

Riastel pouted as he knelt down beside her and pulled his coat back on. You’re just jealous.

Sybil rolled her eyes and turned back to the game. Please sit down and wait. We’re almost done. Charlie and Sid had only a few coppers left each, with the rest split evenly between her and Gordo’s piles. With her hand she had a fair chance of taking Gordo’s coppers, too. After she cleaned them all out she would take Riastel back to their cabin and explain, once again, the difference between dragon and human skin.

The sailors snickered and she heard Gordo mutter under his breath. Stupid git doesn’t even know what sunburn is?

Twenty copper. Sybil counted them out, more than doubling the current pot.

Twenty-five, Gordo said, tapping one cracked fingernail on the tabletop.

I’m out, Sid mumbled, scooping up his last few coppers.

Aye, me too. Charlie upended the last few drops of mead into his mouth.

Sybil gave Gordo a wicked smile as she upped the ante. All-in.

One corner of Gordo’s mouth turned down and an eyebrow twitched as he shuffled his hand. She almost had him. He was going to fold.

Riastel shifted against her and peered down at her cards. Wow, three pretty crowns.

Ray! Sybil shouted, pushing him away too late.

Gordo’s smile brightened and he grinned, pushing his entire copper pile forward. All-in.

They lay their cards down on the table, faceup.

Full house, king high, Sybil declared triumphantly. She lowered her eyes to the table. Gordo had laid down three aces and two queens.

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Back in the cabin, Riastel slumped onto the bed. He knew that he was somehow responsible for Sybil losing the small pile of copper pieces to the sailor and that Sybil was angry with him about it, but he didn’t understand why.

Copper’s worthless, Sybil. Riastel looked up at her through a curtain of his red hair. Sybil always enjoyed it when he looked at her like this, especially when they had sex.

Sybil shot him a dirty look as she paced back and forth in their small cabin. Not worthless. They aren’t worth much, but they’re better than nothing, which is what we have now! She chewed on her fingernail and returned to her pacing.

Oh. Riastel pulled his knees to his chest and clasped his wrists. The jeweled bracelet that contained his dragon essence was a comforting weight beneath his hand. The skin on his face and shoulders itched under the heavy wool, but the power pulsating from the bracelet eased the pain.

Yeah, ‘oh’ is right. Sybil sat on the bunk next to him and sighed. Look, I know this whole trip is hard for you. You don’t understand all the intricacies of human behavior or how to act.

Riastel glanced at her. Sybil’s expression had softened and most of the red had left her cheeks. Maybe a bit less than I originally thought, he admitted.

It’s adorable, actually. Sybil pushed his long hair back and kissed his cheek. But now we need to talk about what we’re going to do tomorrow when the boat docks in Beachcliff. Right now we don’t even have money for dinner, let alone an inn for the night or supplies for our journey.

Riastel shrugged and shifted his legs to dangle them off the side of the bed. Just go get more gold from your hoard.

Humans don’t keep hoards. We have to spend our gold buying things to survive. Sybil held up a hand as Riastel took a breath to reply. And no, we can’t all just fly around and hunt like dragons.

I guess I can see that. Riastel ran a finger along the edge of his bracelet, missing his talons and wings. If he still had his dragon form he’d fly straight to the mountains of Valhill, to the Faymoor the wizard college, hunting for dinner along the way. But then he supposed they’d have no need to go to Faymoor in the first place.

Where I’m going with this, Riastel, is that once we land we’re going to have to get jobs. Both of us.

Jobs. Riastel wrinkled his nose.

You know what those are, don’t you? Sybil teased, poking him in the arm.

Riastel nodded and scowled. It means doing labor for money.

Don’t worry, it won’t be for long. We have at most a month before word gets to Beachcliff from Thima, less if they send a message through the wizards or by bird.

What kind of job are you thinking for me?

Sybil regarded him for a moment before cuddling up to him. Well, with these big muscles you’re so proud of, I was thinking dockworker, helping to unload ships as they come into port.

You want me to lift boxes all day?