The end of any month is always hectic for me, sometimes more than others. This month is shaping up to be one of the rougher ones. Despite starting with a wonderful Fourth of July weekend, I still found myself recovering from last month and July’s original genre poll slipped through the cracks. With some focus and determination, I managed to turn things around and dive into this month’s patreon stories, beginning with a dramatic tale. Despite knowing the genre it took me far too long to decide what kind of story I wanted to tell. However, as its deadline loomed over me, the perfect narrative had wormed its way into my mind.
When last we visited Samuel and Anna, in Predator’s Home, they were heading out to have a conversation with Old Man Maddock. (You can revisit the previous chapter here, or catch up on the full Dragon Rider series here.)
The lake’s surface was calm, a mirror for the fading light. The air held a brittle stillness, as if even the wind had paused to listen. Despite Tobias’s continued flight westward, Samuel and Anna followed in his wake, piecing together strange clues — clues that brought them to a wizard’s isolated home on the edge of a small town. They knew Maddock might hold valuable answers. They also knew this stop would not be easy.
Find a comfortable seat and join me as Samuel and Anna try to pry information from Maddock.
As Maddock regains consciousness, Samuel looms over the wizard as he demands answers…
“Are you sure about this?” Anna asked as she squeezed Samuel’s shoulder. “I doubt he’ll be agreeable, considering you shot them out of the sky.”
“I wasn’t planning on allowing him the opportunity to refuse to be helpful.” Samuel rubbed his eye as he gestured toward the lake, where their dragons were looming over Maddock’s unconscious one. “Remember, his dragon can’t bypass ours.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Maddock’s body stirred as a groan filled the surrounding air. Samuel put a finger against his lips and shook his head. After several moments, the elderly man rolled onto his back and opened his unswollen eye. When his gaze settled upon Samuel, Anna slipped behind her partner. The elderly Maddock leaned forward and thrust a hand toward the people looming over him.
“Don’t bother,” Samuel said as he withdrew his LeMat. He pulled the hammer back and leveled it at the man’s shoulder. With a sorrowful grin, he pulled a bullet from his belt and sighed. “You’ve likely already noticed something’s missing. Despite the familiar feel of power that normally swirls through your being, you’re sensing an overwhelming dread now that it’s stilled.”
Maddock’s breathing hitched as he grasped his chest with white fingers. He turned his head toward the lake and found his motionless dragon being watched by a larger pair. “What have you done to me?”
Samuel tossed the bullet into the air, grabbing it as it reached the apex of its flight. “Leveraged the ingenuity of a friend to keep dangerous wizards like you from causing any actual harm.”
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