The Dragonet: The Earthborn, #1

By Jessi Hammond

The King of Tanaqui Island has decreed that, because his son was killed by giants, all Earthborn are to be put to death.

Rhin thought he had enough problems already, trying to survive a conniving boss and wary workmates.

But when he literally stumbles over an egg that may well come from one of the rarest Earthborn of all, he finds himself in real trouble…

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kincaid Publishing
• Release date: Jun 29, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215748039

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About this book

The King of Tanaqui Island has decreed that, because his son was killed by giants, all Earthborn are to be put to death.

Rhin thought he had enough problems already, trying to survive a conniving boss and wary workmates.

But when he literally stumbles over an egg that may well come from one of the rarest Earthborn of all, he finds himself in real trouble…

The Dragonet

One

Rhin stumbled along the middle of the dirt road, his feet catching in the ruts carved by wagon wheels and tangling in the clods of dirt kicked up by horses’ hooves. It wasn’t that he couldn’t see them – the moon was high in the sky, and so close to full that everything was painted with a pale silver shine lined with dark shadows. It was almost as bright as day.

It was just that Rhin was drunk.

Gloriously, stupidly, ridiculously drunk.

More drunk than he’d ever been in his life – and he’d only taken his first sip of ale three months ago.

And those ruts and clods reached out to trip his feet and twist his perceptions, so that three times now he’d fallen over a clod – or maybe nothing – and gone sprawling.

The third time, he just rolled over and stared up at the sky.

He knew he should push himself upright and keep going, because if he didn’t he’d end up sleeping off his hangover out here instead of in his cramped bunk in the barn.

At least at the farm someone would kick him awake in the morning and he wouldn’t miss any work hours and give Ellerson another chance to dock him even more pay.

But after what had happened that afternoon – well, yesterday afternoon now, probably – he’d had enough. Another ‘accident’, this time not latching the gate and letting sixty prize sheep wander into the road. Something else he hadn’t done that had put more coin onto his debt.

At this rate, he’d be paying back Ellerson the six weeks he’d worked at premium wages for the rest of his life.

And he’d just wasted two coppers of his meagre savings on ale that he really didn’t need.

‘Argh,’ he moaned. He was a big, stupid, gullible idiot.

If he’d been smarter, if he’d listened to Ma and Pa, if he hadn’t been so keen to see more of the world than Waterford (and be honest, Rhin, more of Sabrina Ellerson too, and he knew he wasn’t the only one at the mill with that wish), he wouldn’t have fallen for Ellerson’s lies and be lying on a dirt road right now.

The Ellersons were one of the richest families in the Southern Plains. Over the last sixty years they’d built five mills in five towns, all along the River Tor. Three years ago they’d replaced all the waterwheels, and production had increased by a third on the spot.

That was why Rhin had been working in the mill when Ellerson came round to inspect it, trailed by his daughter, Sabrina. The miller had needed the extra labour once production increased, and Rhin had needed the extra coin to help his family buy more stock and seed for their farm.

He hadn’t realised then that Ellerson had been watching him. The folk of Waterford knew Rhin, had known him since he was a few months old. The fact that he was near eight feet tall and had the outsize strength that youth and a powerful build could give didn’t matter to them.

To Ellerson, it mattered a great deal.

The sum he promised to pay Rhin if he came to work at one of his Riversleigh