Sacrifices
Dragon Approved™ Book Seven
Ramy Vance Michael Anderle
The Sacrifices Team
Thanks to the JIT Readers
John Ashmore
Kathleen Fettig
Kelly O’Donnell
Diane L. Smith
Larry Omans
Deb Mader
If we’ve missed anyone, please let us know!
Editor
The Skyhunter Editing Team
This Book is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Sometimes both.
Copyright © 2020 by Ramy Vance & Michael Anderle
Cover Art by Jake @ J Caleb Design
http://jcalebdesign.com / [email protected]
Cover copyright © LMBPN Publishing
A Michael Anderle Production
LMBPN Publishing supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture.
The distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
LMBPN Publishing
PMB 196, 2540 South Maryland Pkwy
Las Vegas, NV 89109
First US Edition, March 2020
eBook ISBN: 978-1-64202-823-2
Print ISBN: 978-1-64202-824-9
Dedication
To the GGW Team… here’s to one hell of a year!
—Ramy
To Family, Friends and
Those Who Love
to Read.
May We All Enjoy Grace
to Live the Life We Are
Called.
— Michael
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Author Notes Ramy Vance
Author Notes Michael Anderle
Other Books by the Authors
Connect with The Authors
Chapter One
In the green valleys of Middang3ard, the sky grew dark and oppressive. There was a storm coming, a much larger one than what played out in the sky. The flashing crimson lightning was only a foretaste of what was to come.
All throughout the land, folks eyed the sky with growing mistrust. There hadn’t been blood clouds like this for a long time, long enough that many people had forgotten what they foretold. Yet the fear was there.
Parents hid their children inside, tucking them in early before the true night descended. They hoped blankets and candles would ward off any danger, hoped dreams would protect the young innocents.
Not all children were home; there were some who had left their homes. They had come to Middang3ard to fight in the war to end all wars. Those children stood in a valley underneath the large mass of black clouds in the gray sky, staring up at the blood-red streaks of lightning as their friend plummeted toward the earth.
Alex was watching the sky, watching the horror unfolding above her. Brath had been unanchored from Furi, who was falling, madly flapping his wings, trying to fly. Whatever had hit them must have been incredibly strong. Alex couldn’t imagine anything that could hurt Furi that much.
The world seemed to be in slow motion. Even though Alex knew Brath was falling and there was something she needed to do about it, there didn’t seem to be a rush. Brath fell so slowly.
Gill’s scream punctured the time distortion, and Alex felt everything return to speed. Her eyes focused without her realizing it, and she could see Brath’s eyes, wide with fear, as he turned, still falling.
Alex turned to Jollies and shouted, “Help him!”
Jollies pulled up on Amber and flew toward Brath. Gill was already on Timber, pulling the dragon into the air. They both raced toward Brath.
Above Brath floated a meteor. The meteor should have fallen hours ago, but it was not truly a rock. It hung in the air like a blade waiting to drop. Alex still wasn’t sure what the object was. First, a wizard had emerged from it. Now giant bees, vrosks, and bats were flying out through a hole in the side.
These creatures headed for Brath, swarming in a mass of black wings flapping mindlessly as if they were denizens of hell released upon the world of the living.
Gill broke away from Jollies, heading straight for the closest beasts, those who looked as if they were getting close enough to strike Brath. The drow slipped under them, his dragon Timber blasting up a concussive force from his mouth that pushed the black-winged bats back.
Timber maneuvered under Brath so the gnome fell onto his back. Gill checked to see if the gnome was okay.
Brath was still breathing, but his face was badly burned, and he was now unconscious. Gill turned Timber around, ignoring the creatures from the meteor as he hit his comm. “Brath is hurt,” Gill explained. “We’re coming down.”
Jollies and Amber were flying around Furi. They were spraying a healing salve on the dragon, working as fast as they could. They hoped the salve would wake Furi before he crashed into the ground.
That was their only option. Furi was far too large to try to support out of the sky. If the salve didn’t pop the dragon’s eyes open, nothing could save him.
Furi continued to fall as Jollies and Amber flew around him, still deploying the bright green healing mist. Suddenly, Furi’s eyes popped open and he flapped his wings, creating a gust of wind that almost knocked Jollies off Amber.
The pixie and her dragon flew away from Furi as he regained his balance, looking around for his rider. When Furi saw Brath lying on Timber’s back, Furi raced toward him as Timber landed next to the rest of the dragons and mech riders.
Alex climbed onto Timber and helped Gill lower Brath off the dragon. They placed Brath gently on a mat on the ground.
Roy walked up silently behind the remainder of Team Boundless, as did Toppinir, the elf’s and the human’s eyes locked on what was going on above them all. The sky grew darker still as the wings of the creatures unleashed from the meteor blocked out the light of the sun.
Roy shook his head and said, “The dark clouds would have been appreciated more than this. I see that not listening to orders runs through your entire team.”
Alex stared daggers at Roy as she got
