Dragon Spirit, page 1
part #12 of Path of the Ranger Series
Dragon Spirit
(Path of the Ranger, Book 12)
Pedro Urvi
Other Series by Pedro Urvi
THE ILENIAN ENIGMA
This series takes place several years after the Path of the Ranger Series. It has different protagonists. Lasgol joins the adventure in the second book of the series. He is a secondary character in this one, but he plays an important role, and he is alone…
THE SECRET OF THE GOLDEN GODS
This series takes place three thousand years before the Path of the Ranger Series
Different protagonists, same world, one destiny.
Join my mailing list to receive the latest news about my books:
Mailing List
Thank you for reading my books!
Community:
Mail: pedrourvi@hotmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PedroUrviAuthor/
My Website: http://pedrourvi.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PedroUrvi
Copyright ©2022 Pedro Urvi
All rights reserved.
Dedication
To my good friend Guiller.
Thank you for all your support since day one.
Contents
Dragon Spirit
Pedro Urvi
Other Series by Pedro Urvi
Dedication
Contents
MAP
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
The adventure continues in the next book of the saga:
Prologue
1
Prologue
Norriel
Acknowledgements
Author
Note from the author:
MAP
Chapter 1
The moon was shining bright above the Shelter on that autumn evening. A breeze that was not yet too cold ran through the great secret valley caressing its northern wildlife and nature. The Panthers had just arrived at the Shelter after their adventure in the Frozen Continent. They still had not recovered from the surprise Camu had given them at the Pearl when they arrived at the Lair. They had hopes of going to rest and commenting about it with the creature, but they did not even get to cross the Chamber of Runes before someone approached them.
“Welcome all,” Loke greeted them. “The Mother Specialist has requested to speak to you at once,” he said with a brief nod.
“We’d better sleep a little and talk tomorrow,” Viggo replied, trying to avoid the meeting. He stretched his arms and yawned as if he were really exhausted.
Loke shook his head.
“I’ve already warned them of your arrival. You’re wanted at once.”
“Well, that’s great,” Viggo protested. His face showed clearly that he was not looking forward to the meeting right then.
“I saw you the moment you approached the entrance to the Lair. It’s a pleasure to see you all well.”
“Don’t you ever sleep?” Viggo retorted.
“A Ranger sleeps just as much as he needs to and is always alert,” Loke quoted The Path of the Ranger.
“You look well, sir,” Egil said as way of greeting.
Loke gave him a kind nod.
“You do too, I’m pleased to see.”
“We’re happy to be back without having suffered any bad injuries,” said Ingrid with a nod.
“Or deaths,” said Lasgol as he mentally thanked the Ice Gods for it. Every time they went out on a mission he had the ominous feeling that something would happen to them, especially on a Royal Eagles mission. He could not fully shake off the feeling. He stroked Ona’s head, who as usual was right beside him.
“I’m sure it’s due to the good deeds of the group,” Loke said in recognition.
“Of course it’s due to that, and isn’t it odd that we’re not allowed to even take a nap before reporting to our dear superiors?” Viggo complained in his usual fake-upset tone.
“As odd as the fact that, of every two words that come out of your mouth, one is either a biting comment or a whine,” Ingrid snapped at him.
“Yeah, but the other one is a compliment to the most beautiful, intelligent, brave, and daring Ranger of the realm,” he replied with a lovelorn face and a deep bow to Ingrid.
“If you don’t behave yourself, you’ll be complimenting the skill and accuracy with which I put my fist in your right eye,” she threatened.
“She’s such a charmer,” Viggo said, blinking hard, as if he was bewitched by the blonde Ranger. “Irresistible, I always say so. We’re together,” he told Loke.
The Masig looked shocked and then smiled.
“Congratulations to both of you.”
“We’re nothing yet, and whatever we become or not is nobody’s business,” Ingrid snapped, upset. “So stop trumpeting it to the wind.”
“They’re adorable,” Nilsa commented excitedly. “Our missions would be quite boring without their constant amorous bickering.”
“Yeah, that’s for sure,” Gerd said with a guffaw, Nilsa joined in giggling.
Loke shook his head resignedly.
Lasgol kept stroking Ona beside him. Camu’s apparition at the Great Pearl above the Lair had surprised the panther greatly—as well as the rest of the group, although they had decided to pretend as if nothing had happened for now. They would keep Camu’s transformation secret until they understood it better and could reach some conclusions. Egil had suggested this and the rest of the Panthers agreed.
“I see we are in a good mood,” a voice they all recognized said. Sigrid was coming toward them from the Winter Cave, and after her came the four Elder Rangers.
“And very happy to be back, Mother Specialist,” Egil replied as he got down on one knee, looking straight ahead as Rangers did. The others followed suit, and even Ona lay down.
“Welcome back to the Shelter,” Sigrid said. “The Lair opens its doors and the Leaders welcome the Royal Eagles with the honor they deserve. Rise and let us look upon the champions of the Frozen Continent.”
Ingrid, Nilsa, Astrid, Lasgol, Gerd, and Viggo rose with Egil, and Ona with them.
“We are grateful for this warm welcome, Mother Specialist,” Ingrid said. “It’s an honor to serve the realm and do our duty as Rangers.”
“You always go beyond what duty requests. That is why you are unique, because of your commitment and for your personal qualities. A group with unique and different personalities which always manages to come through the adversities of complex situations where the risks are so high—this sets you apart as unique and special. You have proven this once again.”
“Thank you, Mother Specialist. We’ve been well trained,” Ingrid said.
“That is true, but your successes are due to something else. There is something special in the link that unites you, and more so in the deeds you carry out. This last one is no more than a perfect example of how special you are. Gondabar has sent me a detailed report of what took place during the mission, and after studying it with the Elder Rangers,” she said, waving her staff in their direction,” I can only say that we are very impressed. You have done a magnificent job.”
“We appreciate your words,” Lasgol said.
“Especially because King Thoran and his people weren’t exactly grateful…” Viggo commented with irony and made a face of feigned distaste.
“Our King Thoran, his brother Orten, and the Court always have too many concerns, and major ones at that. That is why they do not always appear to be excessively satisfied with the tasks we, their faithful servants, carry out for them,” Sigrid said, shielding the King, but in her words they could hear a certain irony too. “I am sure they are really pleased, whether they openly show it or not.”
Lasgol thought King Thoran had been pleased with the results they had achieved. He had waved his arms and yelled as he used to, especially when they told him the leaders of the Frozen Continent had died. That had made him howl with joy. He had shouted all kinds of “niceties” against his dead enemies. His brother Orten had cursed the dead and promised that all the enemies of the realm would have the same end. Well, rather all of Thoran’s and Orten’s enemies.
Viggo was complaining for the sake of it, because he was like that and never missed the chance to make a fuss.
“We serve the realm and no extraordinary shows of gratitude ar
“King Thoran is very pleased with your work,” Galdason said as he approached them, accompanied by Enduald. “Gondabar has written to me and assured me it is so.”
“Kings are never grateful,” Enduald said in his usual tone of being upset about something.
“Kings might not be, but these Rangers certainly are,” Lasgol said. “We want to thank the Enchanter for his gifts which have saved our lives.”
“My cloaks?” Enduald asked, raising an eyebrow with interest.
“Yes, sir, they saved us from freezing to death. The Arcane of the Glaciers, Hotz, nearly killed us all when he conjured up a killer winter storm against us with the help of the Ice Creature Suge Edur’s energy,” Egil explained.
“More than nearly,” Gerd said, whose teeth chattered remembering the terrible experience. “I thought we wouldn’t live to tell the story. Everything in me froze, even my heart.”
“And the cloaks saved us from freezing to death,” Astrid added. “It was a certain death. The enchantments protected us against the deadly cold and we survived.”
“Well, then, they worked as they ought to,” Enduald said in a slightly surprised voice at the success of his work.
“What d’you mean, well? Why does it surprise you? Weren’t the charms tested?” Viggo demanded accusingly.
“They were tested, but not to that extreme,” Enduald admitted without flinching at Viggo’s tone.
“What d’you mean ‘not to that extreme’? The things we have to put up with!” Viggo said in disbelief. He started waving his arms in despair.
“Where did you want me to get a winter storm in the middle of summer from?” Enduald said defensively. “Do you per chance see an Ice Mage here that might have created one?”
“Full confidence is what I have in the magic used around here,” Viggo snapped, offended and full of irony.
Enduald glared at him with distaste.
“You can never trust magic,” Nilsa sentenced, folding her arms over her chest and frowning.
“You have to differentiate between good and bad magic…” Ingrid told her.
“I never trust the bad, and the good almost never,” Nilsa replied, shaking her head.
“Magic is not good or bad. It is the person using it who has good or bad intentions,” Galdason explained, as if he were giving a lesson to some students in arcane arts.
“The important thing is that the charms worked and we’re alive,” Gerd said in a pacifying tone.
“Of which I am immensely glad,” Sigrid added gaily. “It would have been a terrible loss for the Rangers and for the realm.”
“We are glad too,” Annika said, speaking for the Elder Rangers.
“And we are even happier,” Viggo said. He opened his mouth for a new insidious comment when Ingrid gestured for him not to say another word. He did so reluctantly.
“The Royal Eagles have returned victorious thanks to their spirit and training,” Sigrid said, glancing at the Elder Rangers.
“I hope the new system of Higher Training has helped you in this mission,” Annika commented. “The fruits of the new training system ought to start producing results relatively quickly.”
“They have without a doubt,” Ingrid said, nodding. “We’ve confronted numerous enemies in harsh environmental conditions, and danger has been lurking ever since we arrived at the Frozen Continent. Coming out victorious has required all our training, and I have no doubts the Higher Training has helped us.”
“We are glad to hear this, we were wondering to what point it helped you achieve victory in this adventure,” Ivar said.
“It has helped us. It is difficult to say how much, but I’d say quite a lot,” Astrid said looking at Engla, who was watching her with great interest.
“The enemies, the Ice Creature’s Magic, and the land made it difficult,” Ingrid said.
“I’d say very difficult,” Lasgol pointed out, whose expression made it clear they had had a very rough time.
“What matters is that you have all come back,” Esben said as he gazed at Ona with eyes full of affection. He clearly wanted to pet her.
“The new training should have helped,” Sigrid reasoned and then thought for a moment. “We must try and quantify how much and how. It is important to estimate and gather all the progress we make with the new system of Higher Training then study it well to determine how we can improve it.”
“I also hope the Improved Training helped you three who did not have the advantages of the Higher Training,” Loke told them, looking at Nilsa, Egil, and Gerd. “I’m sure that crossing the Frozen Continent was pretty tough physically.”
“Tough doesn’t even begin to describe it,” Viggo replied with a frown. “We had the Wild Ones of the Ice, the Tundra Dwellers, and the Arcanes of the Glaciers on our heels ever since we set foot in that forsaken land of ice and freezing winds.”
“The Improved Training helped us a lot,” Nilsa confirmed so fast she almost stepped on Viggo’s last words. “My strength didn’t fail me at any moment, and no matter how tired I was I could always draw on a little more energy to keep going. Previously not in my wildest dreams would I’ve been able to walk the distances we covered on the tundra and in the freezing conditions of that climate, which has no mercy on humans or animals.”
“Oh, yes indeed,” Gerd nodded. “A great part of the time there I had to carry Brenda, the Snow Witch, piggyback, since the conditions were too demanding for her. The Improved Training made that possible. Something I’d never have been able to do otherwise, of that I’m completely certain.”
“What happened to Brenda?” Sigrid asked with interest. “I hope she is all right. She is an old friend, and her help with the Rangers’ problems and those of the realm is always valuable. I am very fond of her.”
“She’s fine,” Lasgol assured her. “She was resting at the Royal Castle and was well looked after. She’s now recovered, and when we came back to the Shelter she had decided to return to her home. She did comment that she wanted to study and further her knowledge of the frozen nature. I don’t exactly know what that means…” Lasgol said with a shrug.
“I am sure that some of your experiences in the Frozen Continent have sparked her interest. She likes to study nature. She is wise in everything related to our Mother Earth and the mountains that shelter us.”
“She mentioned she was going to her gray dwelling… she didn’t specify where…” Egil said, hoping to find out more about where Brenda’s home was.
“The Snow Witch lives in one of the great caves in the Gray Mountains of Oblivion. It is an inhospitable place to the east of the realm, and quite lonely. Rumor has it there is ancient magic covering the mountains with eternal mist. Not many people live up there, and still less dare to go near.”
“A lot of what is said about that place is gossip,” Annika said. “Some witches live up there and their magic and presence are feared.”
“Needlessly. As you have already learned, Brenda is a good person and is always ready to help the realm. The fact that she is a witch is irrelevant. I do not understand why they are so feared and detested,” Sigrid said bitterly. “I am glad she is well and has returned to her home. I will send a crow to her with a message to see how she is faring and also to learn more about this new study she has begun. It could be interesting.”
“Even I bore the expedition quite well,” Egil said in a tone of genuine surprise. “Without a doubt, the fact that I didn’t falter during the long marches through the tundra and the glaciers and that I was able to withstand the eternal cold of that land without collapsing is certainly due to the Improved Training.”
“I’m happy to hear that,” Loke said proudly.
“Well, it seems you have sparked curiosity,” Sigrid commented as she glanced toward the Spring Cave where about thirty contenders were watching them with great interest.
“Everybody to their bunk beds!” Engla shouted at them. “There is nothing of interest here for you!”
“Tomorrow I will tell Snowflake to be particularly affectionate with you,” Esben threatened them in a tone loaded with irony.
