The Uncommon Rider
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 support@lmbpn.com. 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.