First Blood (3 page)

"No!" Florian shouted. His throat went dry. "That's disgusting."

"I once felt the same, but you will come to see how powerful blood can be." Stitches squatted down next to Florian. "Do you remember how powerful you felt when you used the magic I gave you?"

Despite his fear, Florian nodded.

"Do you want to feel that one hundred fold? Do you want to be invincible? Do you want others to cower in your presence?"

Florian bit his lip. He wanted all of that, and more.

"Then drink." Stitches held his bloody arm to Florian's lips.

The blood settled on the tender skin, seeping into Florian's mouth. He closed his eyes, swallowing.

Power shrieked through his veins. Florian's eyes snapped open. He felt strong. Alive. Florian bit into Stitches’ arm, taking more blood from the man, slaking a thirst he'd never known before.

Eventually, Florian gave up, full. He tore himself away from Stitches and leaned against the wall. "What am I?"

But Stitches did not have to answer. Florian knew. He'd tasted the blood. Truth flowed in his veins.

"Come." Stitches stood, holding out a hand to Florian. The boy took it, hauling up to his feet.

At first, he wondered if he'd be shaky, but he'd never felt to strong.

Together, the two made their way through the cave. The guards had awoken and were looking for them.

"Do you want to, or should I?" Stitches asked Florian.

Florian ran in front of Stitches, leapt into the air, his teeth changing into shiny points, his hands now claws. He fell upon the first man, ripping his face off with one bite. Florian swallowed. More flesh. More blood.

The second guard ran out the cave, screaming like a child.

Florian laughed, blood dripping down his face.

"You need to get out of this cave," Stitches said, smiling, "or you might get stuck when you change."

Florian ran with surprising speed to the mouth of the cave. He emerged into the midday sunlight. His body contorted, his skin ripped. Instead of pain, he only felt joy. His torn clothes lay on the ground, the five bits his father had given him scattered in the grass.

Florian stretched his neck, looking at the black dragon behind him. Stitches. His new father. Florian glanced down at his four legs, strong, steady, and golden. His scales glittered in the sunlight. He looked at the sky, pressed on his back legs, unfurled his wings, and hurtled into the sky.

He flew until he reached the town of Trapper's Glen. Humans screamed at the sight of him. Florian knew, for the first time, the villagers respected him. He was no longer the boy with the pounding headaches and a penchant for the night. Now he was their worst fears come to life.

Dragon.

Myth made reality.

Florian reared back, blowing fire into the air, raining down embers upon his town.

Stitches flew next to him. "Curious. You are not the same color as the other dragons I have known. We will get to the bottom of that eventually. Follow me."

"Are there others like us?" Florian asked in Stitches’ mind.

"Only one other, now. My brother. But he is of no consequence. We will spread our blood and we will rule the land. Our land."

"The Dragonlands," Florian thought as he followed Stitches to his destiny.

-end-

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Read the Author’s Note to find out what to read next!

Author’s Note

Thank you so much for reading First Blood. It is the first in a series of short stories surrounding the origins of the Dragonlands. My hope is that this story will intrigue new readers to continue with the Dragonlands series, yet still whet the ravenous appetites of fans of the USA Today bestselling series.
Dragonlands:
Hidden, #1

Hunted, #2

Retribution, #3

Desolation, #4

Reckoning, #5

A huge thanks to Joelle Sisto for her awesome proofreading skills!!!! Blowing a big, wet kiss to the hubby for taking a final read before publishing. *mwah*
XoXo,
Megg
http://www.meggjensen.com