Satin followed Rhython into the field by the barn, both of them landing with their dragons.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing, Rhython? You injured a man and stole his dragon. Do you have any idea what that means? It means that my husband will be coming back with his dragon army and they’ll smite you as sure as the sun is going to rise again tomorrow. I could just fly out of here you know? There’s nothing stopping me!”
“You see, that’s where you’re wrong, little sister. Just as how I told you I would kill your husband if you didn’t land here, I’ll shoot Sapphron in the head the minute you fly out of here.”
Sneering at her brother she seethed inside. “You’re a vile and evil man, Rhython.”
“Yes, that may be true sister, but trust me on this. If you dare to fly off, not only will I attempt to kill you, I’ll kill that fucking orange dragon instantly.”
“Don’t kill her, Rhython. She’s a good animal. I won’t leave, promise. When did you become so evil and cold-hearted?”
“You see, sister, I’ve become what you could never be to the father. I’m going to run his dragon army. You chose to leave and be a wife to a Commander, but I’m going to live the dream. This is my dragon now, and we’re going to make our dragon army. Since we no longer have a use for you, we’ll take your dragon for mating with this brown one, and you can just skip on back to Trexotera and be the good little wife.” He threw his head back laughing.
But the dragon he was sitting upon, turned his long head, his golden eyes burrowing into Rhython before spewing fire just past him, singing his hair in the process.
“You better watch out, brother. Dragons are fiercely protective, and you just hurt his rider. They choose the Dragon Warlords who ride them, not the other way around. So you may think that is your dragon, but she seems to have other ideas.”
“Wait…what is that?” Rhython pointed toward Satin’s tail.
Oh by the Gods of Alpheas, how am I explaining this?
She took a deep breath, and just plunged forward with the truth. “It’s my tail. My dragon, Azure.” She stroked her dragon’s neck. “She licked me—chose me. I have a dragon patch on my shoulder indicating that I’m a Dragon Commander—which is an important designation, and not many are gifted with it. And to prove that I’m a Dragon Warlord, I’ve sprouted a tail, the same color as the dragon that chose me. See…we match.” She pressed her tail to the dragon’s back, and the colors matched perfectly.
“What happens if a person doesn’t have a tail and he chooses to ride the dragon?” He looked out of the corner of his eye at Sapphron.
“I’m not sure to be honest, Rhython. I’ve only been around people who are Dragon Warlords, they all have tails, and all were chosen by the dragons. So, in that case, I’m guessing that it doesn’t work too well. But I suppose you’ve decided to take your chances, regardless.” She shrugged. Part of her wanted just to fly off and leave him to find out, but she worried more about Sapphron.
“Yeah, I have decided to take my chances, it’s a beast like any other beast, I’ll beat it until it submits. I’m not going to let a dragon run my life.” He slid off the beast and then pointing his riding crop in her direction shouted, “Get down. We need to see father.”
“We need to water and feed the dragons first. They’ve just been through battle; I’ll not do a single thing until they’ve been put down for the night.”
Standing with his hands on his hips, he frowned at her. “You’re such a vexing bitch. I swear I’d like to thrash you within an inch of your life.” Sighing loudly, he shook his head and stomped toward the barn coming back with two large pails of water, filling a trough and then came back with a bale of hay for them to eat.
“Happy? Get your ass moving; they’ll sleep fine under the stars. That is unless you feel they should sleep in our beds too?” Sarcasm dripped from his lips, and she wanted to slap the smug smile off his lips. There’d be time enough for revenge. She’d meet with her father and trust that Drayce would be back to get her. He promised to protect her.
Will he think that I’ve deserted him? Will he think that I’m starting an army here?
She hoped that her character spoke for itself, that she’d proven to him that she was loyal to him and Trexotera. He’d vowed his love for her, calling her his treasure. He wouldn’t leave her this easily, would he? She hoped not.
Walking toward the Castle, she was amazed at how much damage the missiles and dragons had done, and a niggling of fear gripped her, and she hoped her family had survived unmaimed.
“They’re in the basement of the castle and should be safe. We’ll go straight to father.”
They went down the wooden stairs to the lower level of the castle and pushing open a solid wooden door; they entered into a large room that their father used as a planning room for battle.
“Do you see what your husband has done to my castle?”
“You had planned to attack them and steal the dragons, what did you expect him to do, Father? Just sit and wait for you to steal them all?”
Her father bolted out of his chair, his face red, and he rounded the desk toward her, his hands fisted at his sides. “I expect that my daughter would care about what has happened to her family. I would expect that my daughter would come to the defense of her family, and not take part in the demise. Your home has been destroyed. Isn’t there even a bit of you that feels remorseful?”
The tears fell down her cheeks, and she could barely see him through the tears. “Yes, of course, I’m upset. How could I not be? I grew up here. I played in halls and laughed like a child here. But I am a princess to the Dragon Prince, who is Trexotera’s Dragon Warlord and Commander, and with those titles come a lot of responsibilities. I couldn’t just abandon him in his time of need. This hasn’t been easy for me at all, Father. This is my planet, my home….but I’m now a dragon Warlord too, and a Commander as well.” She dropped her gaze to her hands clasped behind her back hoping to hide her tail; suddenly she felt ashamed of it.
“Yeah…turn around sister and show him your tail and bare your shoulder to show us your dragon patch.” She wanted to leap across the room slapping Rhython and his snotty voice.
Swiveling, she let her backside show to her father, and she slowly removed her hands showing him her tentacle.
Gasping, her father’s heavy footfalls approached her. “What the hell? What is this?” His meaty fingers picked up her tail, inspecting it.
“When a dragon chooses you to be Warlord or Commander you are given a physical evidence of the appointment. I have a scaly patch of skin on my shoulder.” She brushed her jacket off her shoulder to show them her patch. “And this tail is evidence that I’m a Warlord, it matches the color of the dragon that chose me.”
“So you were a warrior. You always swore you were. Maybe I’ll keep you, after all, looks like you’d come in handy.”
“I belong with my husband on Trexotera.”
“You belong where I say. And if I say you’re staying here, here is where you’ll stay.” Her father’s narrowed gaze had her swallowing any reply she could formulate. It was best to keep silent until Drayce came to rescue her.
“Wait, Father! I thought you had made me dragon Commander here?” Rhython’s voice had become whiny and petulant, no longer aggressive and sarcastic.
“I’m still in charge around here. I can have two Commanders, can’t I?”
“Yeah, I guess. But we don’t need her. Thunder and I will do just fine without her.”
“She stays until I decide. Now, go to bed, we have a long day ahead of us.” Dismissing them without so much as a second look, Alistair sat behind his desk, pushing his white hair from his face and started typing on his comm set.