Kelan walked out of the tunnels and into the dark night. He was weary but elated. The soldiers had made quick work of clearing the fallen debris from his workroom. They had been able to salvage more than half of the casings. Despite the negative way the day had begun, it had ended quite well. His injured arm ached, and he was relieved to let Tae take over for the night. He had been so lucky to find Tae. He prayed his son turned out as honest and hard working as his apprentice.

Kelan hoped his son was still awake. He missed playing with him and hearing his childish giggles. Michelle would have food waiting for him and kisses to soothe his tired body. Kelan laughed to himself remembering how Michelle had once turned her nose up at Talonian food. Now, she not only ate it, she cooked it as well. Although, she still had a small stash of the foods they had brought from Earth. Those she doled out sparingly as if they were treasure worth billions of dollars. The hot chocolate was reserved for their son. Since the first time his eyes had lit up in wonder upon tasting the sweet, warm treat, Michelle had gladly given up her favorite treat to him.

The platform had barely reached the level of his home when Michelle came rushing out to greet him. "Are you okay? How's your arm? Let me look at it."

"Can we go inside for this?” Kelan laughed. "I would like a hot shower and something to eat before I am accosted."

Michelle blushed. She knew she was overreacting to his injury, but the last time he had been hurt he hadn't woken up for days. He had been brutally attacked because of her. Very few weredragons had been willing to welcome her to Talonia. With the help of Daer, Hesher, and surprisingly Shara, she had finally been accepted. Her tiny son had sealed the deal. He was a weredragon, with the best of humanity’s traits added. He was only two, but you could see the intelligence in his eyes, as well as the fire behind them. In adulthood, he would be a force to be reckoned with.

"I'm sorry. I've missed you and worried about you all day. You're correct. A shower and food should come before questions. However, Keshel can't wait. He waited up to see you. Can you give him a moment before he must be put to bed?” Michelle inquired.

Kelan kissed her sweet lips and pulled her close. "I cannot think of a better way to spend the next hour or so. With you by my side and Keshel in my arms, I am filled with happiness and love."

He opened the door to his home, and a small whirlwind ran directly at him. He swung the muscular child into his arms and was rewarded with a squeal of joy. "Daddy home. Read please," Keshel demanded.

"Did mommy write down another of Earth's fairytales for us?” Kelan inquired.

"Dragons," Keshel replied.

Kelan arched an eyebrow at Michelle and said, "What kind of dragon stories does Earth have? I doubt that we are the heroes."

"It's not an Earth story. I made this one up, especially for our son. The dragon is definitely the hero. Keshel drew the pictures. You're going to love it," Michelle answered.

"Beautiful and creative. I knew I made the right choice when I hired you. You are even better as a mate. Where is this story? Keshel, go get it," he said as he stood the boy on the floor.

As the child's sturdy legs carried him quickly through the house, Kelan turned to his wife. "Dragons are heroes now? I love you too." Then, Kelan gave her a kiss full of promises for later, once their son was fast asleep.

Chained to the wall in her dark prison, Eveline scratched in another mark. It kept her sane to count the days, otherwise she had no sense of the time passing. She drank the dirty water in the bowl that sat on the floor, then curled up to sleep. The floor was damp and cold, like always. After ten years, she was used to it. Being chained in here was as close to freedom as she could get. It was actually her sanctuary. No one abused her or forced her to do chores. Her fears could fade, and she could dream of more pleasant times.

Today had been different. The Savra had left her in the corner with their pets. There had been no chores or beatings. Her captors spoke of war. They talked of flying creatures that breathed fire. Did they mean dragons? That was crazy. Dragons only existed in fairytales. Had they been planning all this time to attack something that existed only in their imaginations? Or were the fire-breathing creatures actually some type of weapon that they didn't have a name for? That was possible. It didn't matter to her what they meant. As long as they were preoccupied with it, they would leave her alone. That made whatever it was her best friend.

Left alone, her neck had scabbed over. If they kept ignoring her, it would have a chance to heal. A terrible thought made her sit up in a panic. If the Savra lost the war, what would happen to her? Would she starve to death down here? No one knew she was here, after all. If the Savra lost control of the planet, would the next aliens to take it be worse? Eveline didn't know whether she wanted to be found or not. She reached up and twisted her tangled hair around her finger, just as she had done since she was a very small child. It soothed her. Her heart longed for the family she had been taken from. Had she been missed or forgotten? Were her parents still alive? It was better not to think about it. Tears only made her scraped skin burn. She shut her eyes and willed herself to sleep.

Clean and fed, Kelan pulled Michelle down on the bed with him. He lavished kisses on her long neck and pushed her filmy gown off her shoulders. He never grew tired of touching her soft skin. The bruises from her abusive lover on Earth were long gone, but a few scars remained. He ran his fingers over each one, then kissed them. It was a ritual he performed each time they made love. It was his way of reminding Michelle that he would always save her from harm.

Uncovering her smooth, round breasts, Kelan flicked the nipples with his warm tongue. He began to suck them and whispered, "I envied my son when these belonged to him. Thankfully, they are mine once more."

Michelle threw her head back and arched her back. She moaned her pleasure, holding his head in place. "I've missed you so much. These long work hours have kept us apart too often. I should thank Tae in person for giving you back to me."

"We can do that later. Tonight is just for us." His hands roamed over her curves, reveling in how her softness complimented his hard muscles. He allowed his hand to slip to the inside of her thigh and touch the warm wetness of her center. His thumb circled the most sensitive spot and elicited an instant climax.

Michelle panted and begged, "It's been too long. I need you. Please, my love. Fill me and make me know you are mine."

Kelan slowly kissed his way back to her lips. She wrapped her legs around his waist. He teased her by touching her center with the head of his member, rubbing it gently over her swollen nether lips. "Is this what you want?” he asked.

"More than my life," she replied.

Kelan impaled her with one mighty push. Her body accepted and welcomed him. Michelle's legs tightened, shoving him deeper. "Now, we are one," Kelan declared.

"Always," Michelle answered.

Together, they began to move in the dance of love. Each thrust was a declaration of joy in being mated. No other could fulfill the needs of their souls. This union was meant to be. They had found their match across the stars, recognizing the other half of their souls.

Michelle shouted his name as she lost herself in the explosion of her climax. Kelan soon joined her, a tiny spark of dragon fire emitting from his lips. Their worries fled, for nothing could compete with love.

Hidden in the caves behind the waterfalls, the Talonian soldiers practiced with their new weapons. Dragon fire could destroy, but it only reached so far. These weapons would give them ten times the range. In conjunction with their fire and ability to fly, it would give them an advantage against the Savra. Fighting on a planet they knew nothing about was going to be extremely difficult. They would require every advantage they could get. The Savra also had weapons they had pilfered or copied from Earth. The battle could be won by either side, unless the Talonians became proficient with the new weapon. They had risked so much to gain it. Sending Kelan to Earth had almost given their planet away. Luckily, Michelle was honorable and would never give away their secret. Her abuser had tried, but everyone considered him crazy. For the moment, they were safe from Earth. The Savra were enemy enough.

Maneuvering in the caves meant staying in the form of man. The Talonians would have preferred practicing with the weapons in dragon form, but they could not show the weapon to the always hovering Savra. The less the enemy knew, the better the chances of annihilating them.

Tae balanced the light weapon in his right hand and pointed it at the rock his group was using as a target. It was covered with black holes from the lasers. They had set the lasers on the lowest setting so that the rock was not instantly exploded. It had to last until the end of practice. Tomorrow a new one would be put in its place. Tae was impressed by the accuracy of his fellow soldiers. After missing the rock once each, they seemed to learn how to aim. Tae was competitive. He was currently trying to hit a small hole directly in the center of the rock, not once, but over and over. He succeeded ninety percent of the time, and the rock eventually cracked in half. He accepted the praise for his expertise along with the praise of the weapon. The discovery and design of the weapon were Kelan's, and he did try to explain that to the others, but they insisted on giving him credit for his work as well.

Tae had slept for only three hours, and his mind was overflowing with how much he had left to do in the mines. The closer they came to manufacturing enough weapons to arm every soldier with at least two, the closer they came to entering a war. Tae would have to fight. His life would be in danger. Once he boarded the spaceship, he might never set foot on his home planet again. He was young enough for this to terrify him. Yes, he was a dragon with the use of dragon fire, and he was proficient with the new weapon, but what did the Savra have in their arsenal? So far, they had just been playing with Talonia. Why pick on a species as strong as weredragons unless you knew that you could destroy them? Tae had always believed that a soldier fought hardest if his home was in danger and yet they were planning to take the fight to the Savra. Was that not to the Savra's advantage? No, he did not wish war to ruin Talonia. However, he wanted every advantage. The nuances of war were beyond his comprehension. It would be prudent to leave planning in the hands of his leaders.

He stopped briefly to check on his family, then made the trek down to the tunnels. Kelan was there to greet him and discuss the progress. "Your friends have been busy. Weapons are piling up faster than expected. In less than a week, we should be armed and ready. There will be more than enough weapons for the fight with the Savra and to protect Talonia. Is the training going well also?” Kelan asked.

"The last group is training now. The weapons are simple and easy to use. Our soldiers are praising them. Your design is excellent, and the atmosphere has not been affected. I know that was your biggest reason for going to Earth. Winning the war would be great, but if the atmosphere was destroyed in the process, what good would winning do? We would all die anyway. I am beginning to worry about the war itself. Many of us may not come home. I am afraid of being in that number," Tae admitted.

"It is true. You cannot have war without death. I do not relish the idea of sending men to their deaths, but if we do not, we could lose our entire species. Women and children would die. Fighting on Savra is not ideal, yet it is the best we can do under the circumstances," Kelan explained. "I do not want to lose you, my new friend. Please, do your best to return safely. Michelle would like to meet my apprentice. She is grateful for the respite you have given me and wants to thank you herself. When the final weapon has been manufactured, will you come to dinner at my home?"

Tae was in awe. His mentor was inviting him to his home. Kelan was a high-ranking soldier, despite his demotion for bringing a human to Talonia. He lived in one of the largest homes high in the sky. Tae's home was small and far closer to the ground. Would he ever attain such riches? He would get a chance to see how the rich lived if he accepted the invitation. More importantly, Kelan had called him a friend and that was better than being rich.

"You have not answered," Kelan said. "Have I offended you in some manner?"

"No, sir. I was just surprised by the invitation. You are of the elite, and I am far beneath your station, yet you referred to me as a friend and asked me to your home. I am honored to say yes. Are you certain this is what you wish?"

"Of course, I wish it. Titles are meaningless when it comes to friendship. Honor, hard work, truthfulness, and integrity are what I desire in a friend. You have shown all of those and much more. I am proud to have you in my home. You will be a fine example for my son to follow," Kelan explained.

"I hope to follow in your footsteps, sir. You are my mentor," Tae answered. "Your son is lucky."