The two dwarves who had just been mocking Kurdran were instantly engulfed by the red dragon's flames, along with their gryphons.
The screams of dwarves and gryphons rang out across the sky.
"No!" Kurdran's eyes widened as he roared, "Skare, let's go... kill it!"
Skare the gryphon screeched, but someone moved faster than Kurdran.
It was Faland, a Wildhammer dwarf renowned for his bravery. Without hesitation, he had already spurred his gryphon forward, charging toward the red dragon!
"Watch out, Faland!" Kurdran's expression changed at once. He sensed danger, for the dragon had spotted the dwarf as well.
But Faland did not hear his shout. The young Wildhammer warrior raised his Stormhammer high, riding his mount in a dangerous posture as he dove toward the dragon without hesitation, letting out a roar-
Then came a sight too dreadful to watch... the dragon opened its mouth, revealing sharp teeth and a blood-red tongue, and swallowed the unfortunate dwarf and his gryphon in a single bite!
There were no screams, no roars... the dragon swallowed them as easily as a sausage.
Except for a single tear that spilled from the corner of the dragon's golden eye...
Kurdran felt his hands trembling, not only with fear, but with rage!
He, too, wanted to charge forward like Faland and fight this dragon to the death... but reason told him he could not. He was not merely a gryphon rider, but a leader.
He had brought these youngsters from Aerie Peak, and he had to take them back-as many as he possibly could.
Kurdran gritted his teeth and forced himself to calm down.
Then he saw that the other dragons had all flown over... there were many of them, twenty-odd, or perhaps thirty-odd. He could not count them clearly.
The dragons were not merely targeting