Read Ramaeka (The Ramaeka Series Book 1) for Free Online Page B

he
inquired politely.
    “If you cannot
be bothered listening to my lessons, you may stand outside,” the dragon told
him sourly.
    Sighing
Ramaeka stood and dragged himself out the entry of the small chamber.  He was
still leaning outside when the other classes were dismissed.  He winced as he
saw the brother he had beaten in combat class advancing on him, Ramanor looked
furious.
    “You got some
lucky shots today lizard,” his brother snarled at him.
    Ramaeka grit
his teeth together, it was best not to provoke his brother here where there
were few escape routes, but no dragon liked to be called a lizard.
    “You hear me
lizard?” Ramanor taunted, smirking at his friends as they gathered around
grinning cruelly like a pack of wavaki.
    Ramaeka
scowled, biting his tongue firmly to stop it spitting out the insults he wanted
to say.
    Ramanor
smacked him around the head. 
    “Not so tough
now that father’s not here to protect you little lizard.”
    Now that was
too much, first off his father had never protected him in the entire fourteen
years that Ramaeka had been alive, and secondly he was not that little!
    “Really?” he
said to his brother coldly.  “I thought he was protecting you.”
    Ramanor
snarled and swung his fist at Ramaeka.  He ducked around his fist and shoved a
fist full of fire down his brother’s pants.  As Ramanor squealed and danced in
pain, he ducked through the crowd of young dragons and ran for it.
    He paused for
a moment as Garain emerged from another classroom.
    “How’s that
for a fire charm?”
     
    Several hours
later found him wandering through the massive network of corridors back from
the kitchens.  He had finally had a chance to get that snack after escaping his
brother and his friends by circling back around the long way.  He was
definitely going to be in trouble with his magic teacher tomorrow, but it had
been almost worth it to see the expression of shock on Ramanor’s face. 
    Ramaeka
shivered as a slight breeze caressed his face; it was always so cold despite
warming spells in every room of the fortress.  He tensed suddenly, there
faintly on the breeze, he was sure it was the same scent he had smelt the day
that the hunting party had brought in that prisoner.  It faded as quickly as he
had picked it; he walked in the direction of the breeze scenting the air.  Before
he got far he caught it again.  Sniffing he followed it down a smaller side
passage; the scent was getting much stronger, frustratingly familiar but
completely different as well.
    At the end of
the passage a light glowed from an opening on the side.  As he halted in front
of it, Ramaeka was surprised to find the opening was blocked by solid bars of
stone.  Peering through one of the gaps he saw a forlorn figure sitting curled
up in the corner of the small room.  The only other thing in the room was a single
blanket which the figure had pulled around them self.  Suddenly they looked up
startling him backwards.  The prisoner hurried to the bars and called out to
him in a strange language.  He pressed himself against the wall, as far from
the cell as he could get.  The prisoner continued to talk in the strange
language, reaching out to him.
    What is that
language?  He thought curiously, his fear beginning to fade since the prisoner
obviously couldn’t get out.  It didn’t sound draconic he thought, but then it didn’t
smell draconic either.  Everything clicked together in one blinding flash of
clarity.  This was a human!  The smell was familiar and different because the
only human he had ever met had been cooked.  He peered eagerly at the human,
his first chance to meet one face to face.  As the human continued to talk at
him he realised that it, no she, was in fact female.  Incredibly filthy, but
definitely female.
    “Er, I don’t
understand what you are saying,” he said rubbing the back of his neck
unsurely.  The human stopped talking for a moment and looked at him closely.
    “Ah,