Read Forest Kingdom Trilogy 1 - Blue Moon Rising for Free Online Page A

matter?' asked the dragon.
    'You're not quite what I expected,' Rupert admitted.
    The dragon chuckled. 'Legends rarely are.'
    'But you can talk.'
    'So can you.'
    'Well, yes, but I'm human ...'
    'I had noticed,' said the dragon dryly. 'Look, most of the legends, that we're big and strong and nasty and eat people for any or no reason, all those stories were made up by dragons, to frighten people away.'
    'But ...'
    'Look,'said the dragon, leaning forward suddenly. 'One on one, I'm more than a match for any human, but no dragon can fight an army.' The huge creature hissed softly, golden eyes staring through Rupert at something only they could see. 'Once, dragons filled the skies, masters of all that was. The sun warmed our wings as we soared above the clouds and watched the world turn beneath us. We tore gold and silver from the rock with our bare claws, and the earth trembled when we roared. Everything that lived feared us. And then came man, with his sword and his lance, his armour and his armies. We should have banded together while we still could, but no, we fought each other, and feuded and squabbled, and guarded our precious hoards. And one by one we fell, alone. Our time had passed.'
    The dragon lay brooding a moment, and then shook himself. 'Why did you come to challenge me?'
    'It's supposed to prove me worthy to be King.'
    'Do you want to kill me?'
    Rupert shrugged, confused. 'It'd be easier if you were the monster you're supposed to be. Haven't you slaughtered women and children, burned property to the ground, and stolen cattle?'
    'Certainly not,' said the dragon, shocked. 'What kind of creature do you think I am?'
    Rupert raised an eyebrow, and the dragon had the grace to look a little sheepish. 'All right, maybe I did raze the odd village, devour an occasional maiden, but that was a long time ago. I was a dragon, they expected it of me. I'm retired now.'
    There was a long pause. Rupert frowned into the gently crackling fire. This wasn't at all what he'd expected.
    'Do you want to kill me?' he asked the dragon.
    'Not particularly. I'm getting a little old for all this nonsense.'
    'Well, don't you want to eat me?'
    'No,' said the dragon firmly. 'People give me heartburn.'
    There was another long silence.
    'Look,' said the dragon finally. 'Killing me is supposed to prove your worth, right?'
    'Right,' said the Prince. That much he was sure of.
    'So, why not bring back a live dragon? Isn't that an even braver thing to do?'
    Rupert thought about it. 'That might just do it,' he said cautiously. 'Nobody's ever captured a real live dragon before . . .'
    'Well then, that's our answer!'
    'Don't you mind being captured?' asked Rupert diffidently.
    The dragon chuckled. 'I could do with a bit of a holiday. Travel to strange lands, meet new people; just what I need.' The dragon peered about him and then beckoned for Rupert to lean closer. 'Er . . . Prince
    ...'
    'Yes?'
    'Do you by any chance rescue Princesses? Only I've got one here, and she's driving me crazy.'
    'You're holding a Princess captive?' yelled Rupert, jumping to his feet and clapping a hand to his swordhilt.
    'Keep your voice down!' hissed the dragon. 'She'll hear you! I'm not holding her captive; I'll be glad to see the back of her. Some Court's elders sent her up here as a sacrifice, and I haven't the heart to kill her. She can't go back, and I can't just throw her out. I thought maybe you could take her off my hands
    ...'
    Rupert sat slowly down again and rubbed gently at his aching brow.
    Just when he thought he was getting the hang of things, somebody changed the rules.
    'She's a real Princess?'
    'Far as I know.'
    'What's wrong with her?' asked Rupert warily.
    'Dragon!' yelled a strident voice from a side tunnel. The dragon winced.
    'That's what's wrong with her.'
    The Princess burst into the cavern from one of the side tunnels, and then stopped short on seeing the Prince. Rupert scrambled to his feet. The Princess was dressed in a long flowing gown that might once