Page 55 of Dragon Me Through Space

“Hide, pet,” Preston urged me in a quiet whisper. Even in pain, he sounded calm and collected. I didn’t understand how he did it. “Lock yourself in. We’ll escape.”

Were they whispering so their captors couldn’t hear what they were saying to me?

“I’m tired of hiding,” I said. “Just hold on. I’ll be there soon.”

“No!” all four yelled simultaneously and then cried out in pain again.

I climbed out of the emergency exit hatch and found it luckily empty. There were voices by the ramp just as I’d expected, so I ducked behind some tall containers and slipped away from the ship and down the dock.

The dock was four blocks from the castle, which I was able to thankfully walk to without incident since the regular citizens and visitors had no idea who I was. However, at the castle there was a stone wall with a single gate guarded by two guards as well as two guards stationed at the doorway into the castle itself.

I needed a diversion to get those guards away so I could get into the castle.

“Scout, I need you to find a guard building near the entrance and blow it up. You have to revert to disc size right after, so they don’t capture you, and return to me. Can you do it?”

Scout chirped happily, excited about getting to blow something up again after so long. I needed to remember to allow it to blow off some steam every now and then.

Keeping my head down, I waited, trying to ignore the few guards who walked from the castle into town.

A few of the guards nodded at me and I smiled and nodded back.

The explosion Scout caused was so large that it made the ground shake like an earthquake. I squatted down to keep my balance as fire and smoke flared up into the sky immediately causing screams of panic.

The guards at the gate rushed towards the scene, but the ones in front of the main castle doors held their post.

“Well, I guess two is better than four,” I muttered to myself as I raced inside the gates.

Scout returned to me, playing a happy little song, obviously proud of its self.

“Good job, Scout,” I praised. “Now, can you zap the two at the door and knock them out?” I asked.

Scout chirped in what sounded like a laugh and immediately did as I’d asked.

The guards fell with their mouths open to shout for help.

Scout two, Exostalon guards zero.

Pushing open the doors, I hurried down the hallway, which was full of Exostalon people looking out of the castle windows to see the explosion aftermath, whispering about what could have caused it.

Keeping my head down, I continued down the hallway and to the throne room. The doors to the throne room were closed and two guards stood before it.

Without hesitation, I ran forward and punched one in the face while kicking the other. Scout chirped, letting me know they were going to stun them, so I leapt back. The next second, their bodies convulsed and fell to the ground.

“You’re the best, Scout,” I praised.

Pushing open the doors, my eyes widened at the sight before me.

Wayne, Preston, Gage, and Zeke were on their knees, arms behind their backs in weird black and teal constraints. A guard stood before them with an electric baton in his hands and a sinister smile on his face.

On the throne sat the King of Exostalon, Almarst, to his right sat his son, Prince Alton, who I’d been betrothed to. King Almarst looked old and frail, his hair stringy and sticking up all around his head while his skin sagged off his bony face. Prince Alton looked just as I remembered him, but the baby fat was replaced by a sharp jaw and his eyes were full of delight as he watched the Dragonkin getting electrocuted.

Their heads all whipped in my direction as I entered.

“That’s enough!” I barked and stomped forward.

“Who the frak are you?” King Almarst demanded, his voice barely loud enough for me to hear.

“Release my men this instant!” I shouted. “How dare you imprison and torture them.”