The Uncommon Rider Read online

  The Uncommon Rider

  Exceptional S. Beaufont™ Book 1

  Sarah Noffke

  Michael Anderle

  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 © 2019 Sarah Noffke & Michael Anderle

  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, November 2019

  eBook ISBN: 978-1-64202-569-9

  Contents

  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

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  Chapter 58

  Chapter 59

  Chapter 60

  Chapter 61

  Chapter 62

  Chapter 63

  Chapter 64

  Chapter 65

  Chapter 66

  Chapter 67

  Chapter 68

  Chapter 69

  Chapter 70

  Chapter 71

  Chapter 72

  Chapter 73

  Chapter 74

  Chapter 75

  Chapter 76

  Chapter 77

  Chapter 78

  Chapter 79

  Chapter 80

  Chapter 81

  Chapter 82

  Chapter 83

  Chapter 84

  Chapter 85

  Chapter 86

  Chapter 87

  Chapter 88

  Chapter 89

  Chapter 90

  Chapter 91

  Chapter 92

  Chapter 93

  Chapter 94

  Chapter 95

  Chapter 96

  Chapter 97

  Chapter 98

  Chapter 99

  Chapter 100

  Chapter 101

  Chapter 102

  Chapter 103

  Chapter 104

  Chapter 105

  Chapter 106

  Chapter 107

  Chapter 108

  Chapter 109

  Chapter 110

  Chapter 111

  Chapter 112

  Sarah’s Author Notes

  Michael’s Author Notes

  Acknowledgments

  Books By Sarah Noffke

  Check out Sarah Noffke’s YA Sci-fi Fantasy Series

  Books By Michael Anderle

  Connect with The Authors

  The Uncommon Rider Team

  Thanks to the Beta Team

  Mary Morris, Nicole Emens, John Ashmore, Kelly O’Donnell, Larry Omans

  Thanks to the JIT Readers

  Angel LaVey

  Dave Hicks

  Deb Mader

  Dorothy Lloyd

  Jackey Hankard-Brodie

  Jeff Eaton

  Jeff Goode

  Larry Omans

  Mary Morris

  Micky Cocker

  Misty Roa

  Nicole Emens

  Paul Westman

  Peter Manis

  If I’ve missed anyone, please let me know!

  Editor

  The Skyhunter Editing Team

  Once again and a thousand times more, for Lydia.

  — Sarah

  To Family, Friends and

  Those Who Love

  to Read.

  May We All Enjoy Grace

  to Live the Life We Are

  Called.

  — Michael

  Chapter One

  Nothing in the last eight-hundred years had prepared Adam Rivalry for this. Atop and astride his dragon, Kay-Rye, he’d defeated leagues of armies, taken down lines of trebuchets and sent murderous monsters into extinction, yet, he’d never faced a beast like the one trailing them presently.

  Icy winds raced through his long hair and beard, sending them flying over his shoulder as Kay-Rye swerved to avoid the strange projectiles the thunderous monster fired at them. It was a magic that Adam had never seen before. The beast didn’t move with the wind like the dragons, but rather cut through it, making a noise like a thousand vibrating drums. The monster also left behind a chemical smell that burned Adam’s nose.

  Daring to look over his shoulder as they passed through a dense cloud, Adam tried to make out the form of the enemy. As far as he could tell, it was covered in strange armor. Not a dragon, and not a bird. Its wings didn’t fold and expand like Kay-Rye’s. Instead, they stayed stick-straight.

  Its attacks didn’t come from its mouth or from its rider, who was locked inside a clear compartment on the top. They shot from under the wings, large metal capsules that had many times whistled by Adam’s head or scraped Kay-Rye’s wings, injuring him little by little. There was also a weapon on the top of the creature that fired rapid projectiles that were harder to avoid since they were smaller.

  The dragon was okay, though. They’d make it to the Barrier of the Gullington soon. Then no matter how close the beast was to them, they’d disappear into the mists, safe once more.

  Adam and his dragon would return once they’d rested. He knew the monster was guarding something that it had harmed. The dragonrider might not know much about his new enemy, but he knew it deserved no mercy.

  It was Adam’s job to protect. He and Kay-Rye had taken an oath to uphold justice. Even if they hadn’t been able to do that properly for several hundred years, there was little stopping them from returning to that mission now.

  The sun had just set on the other side of the Pond. The night belonged to the black dragon, giving it speed and increased agility. Adam lowered himself, his chin barely grazing the neck of the dragon he’d known for most of his life.

  We’ll be through the Barrier soon, Adam thought, feeling the dragon slow. Only in battle did they choose the more draining method of telepathy to communicate with one another.

  We won’t make it in time, Kay-Rye insisted. He nearly halted in mid-air, and the lights from the modest village below began to blur when they started to free-fall as the dragon folded his wings into his body.

  Wind whistled past Adam’s ears as they plummeted. Pushing against the force of the fall, he peered up to find that the monster had put on a sudden burst of speed. It shot forward, quickly covering the distance to where they had been. The beast turned into a nosedive as soon as it caught the change in their direction.

  How did you know that was going to happen? Adam asked.

  Instinct, Kay-Rye simply answered, unfolding his wings and regaining height.

  More of the cottages on the eastern hills were turning on their lights for the night. Adam watched them with affection, remembering when that area was unsettled. He’d spent most of his life in this area of Scotland, and he wasn’t going to allow this monster to ruin it. As a dragonrider, he wouldn’t stand for bullies, especially not in what had become his homeland over these centuries.

  Kay-Rye’s wings flapped furiously in perfect rhythm with the wind. They were again headed back to the Barrier. As fast as Kay-Rye was at night, he couldn’t outpace the beast. It made up the space between them in seconds, sending multiple attacks.

  Adam tried his best to shield, but the assaults were unrelenting, exploding through his spells and continuing undeterred.

  He sent two attacks off-course as Kay-Rye sped through the clouds, spiraling to the side, his massive wings soaring through the darkness, perfectly camouflaged by the night. Although, wherever they flew, no matter how well the dark masked the black dragon, the monster’s attacks seemed to f
ind him, almost like it was using a homing spell of sorts.

  We must make it to the Barrier, Adam insisted, feeling Kay-Rye’s exhaustion like it was his own. This chase had gone on for what seemed like hours, the strange creature behind them never slowing. It wasn’t natural. It almost didn’t seem to be alive, but rather a machine. Adam had never heard of a contraption the size of a dragon that attacked like this. However, there were many things he didn’t know about the modern world, he realized. If granted more time, he’d learn. He’d adapt. He’d figure out how to outmaneuver and overpower the thing gaining on Kay-Rye’s tail, flying several yards behind the dragon.

  Even with the increased power of the night, Kay-Rye was no match for the many projectiles that whizzed by, one of them tearing straight through his wing, which bent back at a weird angle. Adam held on for dear life as his dragon toppled to the side, his wing dragging uncontrollably in the wind like a flag, knocking into him.

  The dragon’s screams unleashed a pain inside Adam so deep that he felt his heart might pound out of his chest. They had to land. Kay-Rye was too injured to continue much farther, but the monster would pursue. It was out to kill, and the Barrier was too far to reach.

  Adam had only one option left.

  Don’t, Kay-Rye urged, a soft pain in the single word as he tried to make his broken wing work.

  I have to, Adam stated, adrenaline shooting through him as he stood up on the back of his dragon, twisting around to face the strangest enemy he’d ever seen. He pooled his and Kay-Rye’s collective energy, not unleashing it until it nearly made his chest explode.

  With a guttural scream, Adam shot the attack at the monster barreling through the night sky. The use of that much magic depleted them both severely, leaving them with few options should they need more power. However, Adam’s attack hit the front of the beast with a punishing blow, knocking it to the side and tearing off one of its wings.

  Adam was about to rejoice, feeling the first bit of hope in hours. Smoke flew up from the center of the creature as it spiraled to the dense mountain range below, crashing in a fiery burst. Thankfully, they were past the village and over the unchartered territory that surrounded the Gullington.

  Yes! Adam whipped around, ready to guide his injured dragon home when he froze, his eyes wide as his mouth sucked in what would most assuredly be one of his last breaths. Racing toward them, faster than they could avoid, uninjured or otherwise, was another of those strange weapons the monster shot. This one must have been sent prior to Adam’s attack. It sped forward, then turned around and came back in their direction.

  Kay-Rye worked to hold his injured wing straight as he glided for the hills below. They might be able to make it. Out-maneuver the attack. Get to the safety of the grass and the caves.

  Both held onto this hope, feeling the doom in the other’s hearts as they made their final descent. The projectile zoomed at their back, closing in like a hungry dog on a hunt.

  Adam gripped the reins tighter. Held closer to the creature that was more a part of him than his own skin and bones. He didn’t close his eyes when the blast met its target, hitting Kay-Rye in the backside and exploding fire over Adam as well.

  The dragonrider didn’t let go of hope even as Kay-Rye stopped flying, spiraling into a free-fall, his wings like broken kites, tangling in the wind.

  Adam didn’t let go even as they tumbled onto the stony earth, the dragon rolling onto his already broken body, smashing it even more. He did close his eyes when he felt Kay-Rye’s breaths slow to almost non-existent quickly after impact.

  Whatever the monster was they’d angered that night, it was a force they weren’t prepared to defeat or survive. The oldest living dragonrider hoped with everything that he had left that his brothers would be in a better position to fight this enemy if they should ever come in contact with another like it. And he hoped they did, because it was evil, and what it guarded needed their help. He knew that much, without knowing why.

  Kay-Rye pulled his head around, awkwardly gazing back at Adam, who was lying half under him. There was no point in moving the dragon. They both knew it was over.

  “It’s been a good run, my friend,” Adam said, coughing up blood. He felt something sharp cutting into his chest.

  “It has,” Kay-Rye replied, his breaths too far apart, eyes drifting closed.

  “Thanks for the ride.”

  “The pleasure has always been mine, Adam.”

  And with that, the dragon and his rider took their last breaths together, closing out the end of an era.

  Chapter Two

  On the edge of a giant’s yard in a city that was never quiet, the first dragon’s egg in over a century began to hatch.

  Sophia Beaufont sucked in a breath as a large crack started at the top of the blue egg and split down the side.

  The full moon was the only light in that area of the yard, showing the progress the dragon made as he worked his way out of the shell, making a strange noise that wasn’t music and wasn’t crying. It was the sound of birth. Of awakening. The echo of the soul of the dragons who lived deep in the consciousness of the creature getting his first glimpse of the moon’s ray in this lifetime.

  Only a few months ago, Sophia had found herself in a strange magical shop among mortal dwellings. That was when she’d magnetized to the egg before her, sealing her fate.

  A dragon hadn’t magnetized to a rider in a hundred years. Dragons were actually thought to be extinct, but the truth was, there had simply been little reason for them—until now.

  The time of the dragonriders was starting anew. Only a few knew it was being reborn with the gentle cracking of the shimmering blue egg sitting on the soft patch of ground before this young girl now.

  Sophia and the egg had both grown at alarming rates since magnetizing to one another. She had always been well ahead of her age mentally, but now her body had caught up with her.

  Losing her childhood hadn’t mattered. Having her fate chosen on a random trip to a shop hadn’t bothered her. It had all made sense from the beginning because Sophia Beaufont always knew she wasn’t a normal magician.

  Most didn’t come into their magic until they were older, at least in their teens. Honing those skills took time. None of that had applied to Sophia. She might have been born to parents who she couldn’t remember, who had been taken from the Earth when she was only three years old. She might have spent much of her childhood alone. But she was no victim. From the beginning, Sophia knew her life wouldn’t take a predictable course. And at this point, there was absolutely no certainty in her future. But she knew something with true conviction—one day, she wanted to be like her big sister.