Chapter Six
Her job of helping rescued humans proved as hard as expected. The people she got saddled with at the inn were damaged goods. The younger ones maybe possessed more hope, but older ones simply had set views, unable to understand that life could be different. They didn't get that they no longer needed to worry about keeping their voices down, or expect punishment for every minor transgression. They flinched like awful, shattered animals who had been kicked one too many times.
Honestly, it became exhausting. But at the same time, seeing the first spark of hope, no matter how rarely it came, made the whole process worthwhile.
Travelling the lands on Kalgrin's back was pretty fun, too.
The first time she did it, she marvelled at the world from atop. Not being encased in his claws made her beam and want to throw up her arms in excitement, except if she did, she'd probably fall off and break everything in the fall.
“Must be different for you now, eh? Instead of staring at everything through my claws.”
“It helps I'm not covered in shit, either,” Anya said, grinning. Her hands curled around Kalgrin's spikes. She rode at the bottom of his neck, finding it the best place to not accidentally fall off. He'd let her try a few positions before settling on this one. “How must you feel, Kalgrin? Seeing the world like this? What I wouldn't give to fly like you.”
Kalgrin let out a rumbling laugh. “You get used to it after a while. But you know, if you want to fly so much, you can just ask me. I might be able to find some spare time here and there to take you into the skies. Visit some nice places. The wyrms can't touch us there, after all.” He then let out a theatrical sigh. “Apparently the drakes of old used to be able to breathe fire. If we still had that ability, I'm sure the wyrms wouldn't have such a strong foothold on everything now. Hey, did I ever tell you about the time where I nearly lost my life trying to protect people on a supply run?”
“Did you now?” Anya deliberately enthused her voice with as much interest as possible. She caught about every second word he said with the winds whipping past them.
“Yes. I'll have you know I was very heroic.”
“I'm sure you were,” Anya said, now smiling, though obviously he couldn't see it. Her mother had warned her about this. Boasting. Men liked to boast of their achievements, to impress women. Because they didn't know any other ways to impress.
It probably wasn't anything like that, but the description did give Anya some amusement.
“There were about fifty humans on the food wagons, escorting them to one of the barren northern towns. It's hard to grow crops up there, so they rely on the nearby farming villages, the ones run by drakes for sustenance. We were almost there, before two hundred wyrms set upon us from the hills.”
“Two hundred?”
“Yes. Two hundred. And there were just twenty drakes, expected to protect the humans from those bastards. Twenty! Can you imagine the odds?”
Anya let out a complimentary mm hmm, and Kalgrin continued talking about his heroic efforts to save the food caravans. How they helped pick up the humans from almost three hundred wyrms – the number kept increasing for some reason – and protected most of the caravan from being destroyed thanks to the sheer ferocity of how Kalgrin fought.
When he'd finished his astonishing tale of ardor, Anya waited a moment. He held his head up high, wanting her to see how heroic he was.
And then she asked, “So what really happened?”
At first, Kalgrin blustered. Then, with a little more teasing, he admitting it was just twenty wyrm guards, and they'd already been forewarned of the attack. They did have ballistas like he mentioned, but none came close to hitting the drakes.
“It just sounds boring if I describe it as a routine rout, you know.”
“I'm sure,” Anya said. “How many times have you told that story to others?”
“Probably a few dozen times,” he said, sounding rather sheepish. “But it was scary. We don't usually get attacks so far north.”
Anya shook her head, smiling because he'd so clearly been trying to make her admire him. Not that he needed to do that, because she admired him already.
“Kalgrin. I'm sure you've done some spectacular, amazing things in your life. Things I could only dream of.” That soured her a bit, because the words stung of truth. She'd never done anything past the plantations except dream. Other places felt like clouds hanging over her head. Unseen, unknown, except for that city they once visited. Wherever it was. She cleared her throat, banishing the mood. “And I'd love to hear about all your exploits. I could do with some more color in my life.” She discreetly checked over his red scales. Yes, this definitely added extra color in her life.
She grinned, rubbing his scales, knowing his tough hide wouldn't feel it. What a wondrous creature Kalgrin was. Soaring through the skies like this. Covering grounds that might take humans days in a matter of hours. Seeing the entire world from above, nothing stopping his flight.
“Oh, well, I guess I can tell you about that time where I nearly got cursed by a strange old witch in the forest.”
“There are no witches. There is no magic.”
“Isn't there? Oh, you'll be surprised at what kind of things we have in this world,” Kalgrin said, the smile in his voice. “And you know, there used to be magic. Lots of it. Practically as common as breathing.”
“Why don't I believe you?”
“Well, how do you think we can turn from humans into dragons and keep our clothes, thereby disobeying logical laws of conversion? It's because we're magical. We don't have any other powers, obviously. Except the fire breathing thing some centuries back...”
He continued talking about the magic, and Anya simply shook her head, enjoying the sound of his voice and the wind in her hair.
Their first proper flight ended with her meeting a small, frightened group of slaves who had been released from a slave cage. They were on their way to being sold to a distant mining company, until Kalgrin's group intercepted them. They were too nervous to talk to the drakes, though, which left Anya negotiating with them. Trying to push through that sullen despair to let them know life would change for the better.
That they deserved it.
After that, she returned home, not exactly triumphant, but better off than before. Knowing her arguments did punch through to these people. Because she shared their experiences. And she held within her a burning passion. Sometimes, she saw Kalgrin interact with that Leoch person, though she didn't like him. Not at all. Just some brash drake who helped humans, but at the same time liked to remind them that he didn't have to, but he assisted them anyway.
It rubbed her the wrong way, somehow. Kalgrin seemed to like him, however. And she liked Kalgrin. So she kept her mouth shut.
The biggest boost to her independence came from living in her small house. She stocked it up with supplies, making it something that felt like a home. And she had one person to thank for all this. Kalgrin.
That smug, boastful, garrulous drake had done everything possible to give her a better life. Rescuing her and the rest of the family. Securing her a job helping others. Securing her independent living in a little house with objects of her own that she had bought. Because money jangled in her pouch. Money she never formerly held.
Coins did have that lovely musical clink when a lot of them were squashed together in a bag.
Her heart also liked to do that stupid lurching thing when she looked over his way. When he transformed from his drake form to that astonishing human with those storm-gray eyes. When he smiled. When he laughed at something she said. When they both made up an excuse to hug one another on meeting and departing.
Everything she kept expecting him to do, he didn’t. When she thought Kalgrin would just absorb her into his life without any chance for protest from her, it didn’t happen. When she thought she might be forced to stay on with him, she got the option to work and live in her own place instead.
She did see wyrms visit Tarn every now and then. Thankfully, they ignored the humans who lived here and didn’t try anything funny with them, respecting the drakes enough not to encroach on their space.
She suspected things wouldn't be like that forever. Not when you had someone as cruel and destructive as the wyrms. Those bastards never stayed away for long. They broke people, crushing them so often and so hatefully, that emotions stopped existing. They became something you longed for. Crying and pain was better than the feeling of being dead.
Then there was Kalgrin. Her vague ideas of independence virtually disappeared around him. She liked the idea of striking out on her own, of being here without someone's foot in her face as she tried to sleep. She also liked the idea of being close to Kalgrin, to the point where she practically stalked the poor guy. She found herself anticipating his visits. Talking to him about anything. What the drakes were doing, how her family was doing, if he’d like to help deliver a letter to them or let her ride him to visit.
She made excuses to go over to his house for his cooking, just so she could see him smile and laugh in her presence, and admire her openly with his deep gray eyes, which brimmed with wisdom. She liked the way his light brown hair tumbled carelessly about his face, like a living mop. She even liked sometimes the awkward pauses between them in conversation as he stared, before trying to fill the empty space with words, to make her at ease, or to ask how her job was going.
It's going fine. More than fine. It's going like a dream. And I can't shake him out of my head.
On one of her days off, Anya visited Seon at the inn, enjoying the friendship they'd developed. Drakes and humans filled up the place. Some of them turned keen eyes upon her.
“You know,” Seon pointed out, as one gray-eyed drake kept glancing over to Anya's table, nursing his tankard, “you're really taking your time on your love life.”
Naturally, Anya decided to turn crimson and splutter a bit. “I'm not delaying anything! I'm just happy being by myself. Doing things. By myself.”
“Uh huh. Is that why you specifically chose a house one street away from Kalgrin's place, despite having better, cheaper offers? You had the pick of the town with your wages, and you choose one of those run-down, thatch-roof buildings that no respectable person would be seen in.”
“I don't know what you're talking about,” Anya said, the blush now transitioning to her voice. How did a voice even do that? She might as well be wearing her heart like a badge.
“I think you do. And you keep getting excited whenever you end up working directly with him. You keep wearing that stupid lovesick grin on your face. And you make these moony eyes that clearly tell me you'd like him to mean something more to you.”
Drat. Seon didn't miss a beat, did she? Nosing around in Anya's feelings like they weren't hidden at all. Her brain really tried to jump around the subject. She liked him. She even dreamed about him and thought admiring thoughts. She lived near him, and yet, somehow, her brain malfunctioned. It didn't step any further ahead and link all of the incidences together into one tangible fact.
She wanted him. Not just as a friend, but someone to keep in her life. Someone to share her bed with. She'd never even had sex before, but she knew she wanted it with him.
A drake. Someone she shouldn't love.
I shouldn't like him. It's all wrong, surely? All wrong and twisted.
“You're right. I do like him.”
“I knew it,” Seon said, thumping her hand on Anya's shoulder. “It's one thing to know it, another to hear it... sorry.” The blasted woman grinned like she'd done something clever. “So why not just... say this to him?”
Anya gave a helpless shrug. “I don't know if he likes me that way.” Even though her mother said Kalgrin did. Even though Kalgrin treated her with reverence. “And if he did, I might have left it too late.”
“Anya. You need to stop making excuses for yourself. Just stop. You know as well as I do that you want him. And you also know that until you ask, you won't know.”
Yes. And that thought sent a shiver of fear inside Anya. “What if... what if,” she mumbled, “he rejects me? And I look like a fool for thinking... for thinking that I had a chance with him?”
“Then he rejects you and you look like a fool. But you still have a nice job. And you're not going back to that plantation of yours. You need to take risks, Anya. You won't get anywhere in life if you don't take risks.” Seon glanced over to the window, her eyes going distant for a moment.
You won't get anywhere in life if you don't take risks. Anya sensed the truth in those words. It applied to her former life only too well. No one took risks. And nothing happened. She took a risk instead. A huge one. And it made something happen. Unfortunately, it would have led to her demise. Until Kalgrin saved her.
If she admitted to Kalgrin she liked him, what principles might she break with herself? The principle of not doing what her mother expected with the drake? The principle of learning to strike out on her own?
A small, manic voice in the back of her mind said excuses, excuses. It's just like Seon said. You're making excuses and stalling.
But why? Why did she stall?
“You're afraid,” Seon said, eyes gentle. “It's something new to you, isn't it? Liking someone in this manner. Wanting them, but fearing rejection. Considering going for that half-life instead, where you'll always harbor those feelings of longing, but you won't ever admit them because you don't want to compromise what you have now.”
“I... yes.” No point in lying. Those words seemed to actively wrench the truth out of her. As if naming the emotions made them opaque and possible to touch. It created a wildness in her, a kind of panic that she struggled to contain.
“From my observations, Anya – I think he likes you as well. I think you should go for it.”
Anya took deep breaths, attempting to calm herself.
“Perhaps I will,” she said.
She didn't, though. Not for another few days. Seon had tried to help in her own way, but she didn't wield the tempest of emotions Anya felt inside. Plus, Anya knew so little about everything. Of love, of the world, and what made people smile.
Maybe I am just afraid of this. And I should stop. She just... she didn't want to lose the things she had gained. It terrified her. And that terror led to the instinct of staying put. Not moving. Hoping nothing bad came to pass.
In choosing that, her life never developed into what it might have been.
She did one more mission with Kalgrin. Another pleasant ride through the air. Another successful run at some far-off plantation where the lord had a rather nasty habit of cutting off workers’ fingers if they disobeyed any order.
Most of the women and men and children on that plantation had an average of three fingers missing. Apparently, few people disobeyed for the fourth. Or perhaps they had simply been killed, judged too unruly.
After the run, she made it back home after leaving Kalgrin. For a moment, she'd been tempted to ask to go into his house, but refused at the last moment.
At her place, in her tiny bedroom, she considered her reflection within the little mirror. Her grave face. The fears eating her up.
Her eyes hardened. Rummaging through her drawers, she scooped out a fresh blue top and knee-length blue skirt.
She grabbed the sponge and scrubbed herself thoroughly down until she smelled like strawberry perfume.
I'm going to do it. I'm going to go over to Kalgrin's house, knock on that door, and just walk in. And stop being such a coward.
Thinking the thoughts bolstered her resolve, and she preened in the mirror, her head held high. Besides, if she didn't do something about the blasted drake soon, her thoughts might be so saturated with his image that she'd end up mad. Her brown hair was frazzled from the brush, so she spent longer straightening out the frantic strands.
With her comfy black shoes on, with their little brass buckles, she nodded to herself. Resolved. Determined.
Walking to Kalgrin's house took a minute.
Blasts. What if he slumbered? The moon rose about a quarter way in the sky. Lights were turned on in the houses, though no light shone from Kalgrin's home. She knocked on the door, her heart palpitating in a mix of fright and anticipation.
Kalgrin opened the door and blinked when he saw Anya standing there with a face like a storm. “Anya? Is something wrong?”
“Iwanttospeaktoyou.” Drat. She’d said that too fast, and enunciated it when Kalgrin frowned in confusion.
“Oh. Right. Sure, you can speak to me, anytime. You know that. Come in.” He wrinkled his nose when Anya passed, taking a deep sniff. “Hmm. You smell nice. And fresh.”
“I try,” Anya replied. No. Don't get distracted. Her emotions were all over the place. Her pulse lurched in her throat, making it hard to focus, to get what she intended. Curses, she didn't want to be a blathering fool in front of him. “It's something that's been on my mind for a while. And I feel like I need to get it off my chest before I explode.”
Kalgrin’s nose twitched as he scented her perfume, and observed her elaborately brushed hair and popping breasts under her shirt. Yes. Perhaps she had been a little overkill with the attire. She might as well have turned up at his door naked. How to begin? Her heart turned craven. “It was just a question I've been thinking of, since, you know. We have so many humans suffering over the world. Are there many places where humans actually live good lives? Or just a few?”
Kalgrin shook his head, though his eyes observed her in faint hunger. Sometimes they dipped in the gap between her breasts. He didn’t look half bad, either, opting for a ruffled blouse, a black waistcoat, and pinstriped pants. He chose to walk around in black socks, though, preferring to leave his shoes at the door. Anya did the same, though she wore no socks under her shoes.
“I’m afraid it’s not common. We send the humans to the north, or to towns run by drakes, but there are more... unsafe places than there are safe. Wyrms are the ruling factions in most countries. And there is a reason for it. A reason I've not fully explained to you. Just hinted at.”
A reason for the wyrms being in power? What more reason than the fact that they were stronger than humans? “Okay.” She waited for his explanation.
He did seem a little puzzled, though. Suspecting she intended to say something else, before she diverted her thoughts. “There was a war. A long time ago, between humans and dragons. Humans used to be the dominant population.”
What?
“They used to live in big cities, practise magic, fight with each other and live off the cream of the land. Hard to imagine something like that, right?”
Impossible to imagine. Anya tried picturing it and failed. Kalgrin spoke about magic. Anya had seen no magic, and Kalgrin simply implied it had fallen into disuse, somehow. Like people had forgotten. “But how could we rule against dragons? They’re so… strong.”
“Humans were stronger, with their magic.” Kalgrin automatically reached out a hand to steady Anya as she stumbled upon his carpet, not paying attention to her walk. The shiver of contact made her blink stupidly for a moment as he gripped her. Her mind started going ahead to certain scenarios. Maybe it struggled to imagine humans being leaders, but it certainly had no issues going through the fantasy of taking off Kalgrin’s clothes, leading him to bed, and having her wicked way with him. Her face flushed, even as Kalgrin continued explaining, apparently unaware of her sudden arousal. “Humans used to have powerful magic. It doesn’t matter if your opponent is a big lizard if you can blast them out of the sky with a rain of diamonds, or with thunderstorms and balls of fire. Humans used to enslave dragons.”
A quiet gasp slipped out of Anya's lips at this thought. No. She didn't believe it. “What? Really? How do you know?”
“History books. We keep information,” he answered. “See, this is why I think you should learn to read. There’s so much knowledge written down!”
“Why should I learn to read when you can just tell me everything?”
“I…” he paused. “I guess that’s a good point.” His frown made her laugh.
“Sorry, Kal. You were saying?”
“Well, I was saying – you guys used to have magic. But something happened to your magic a while back. A sickness. Magic users caught some kind of disease; no one knew where it started. But it targeted magic, and your magic died. And, without magic… you became easy prey to the wyrms and the drakes. And ever since then, the roles have been reversed.” He gave a shrug. “But I suppose just as it suddenly vanished, it can find a way to come back. What if I told you that I know humans who wield magic and who are alive today?”
Anya shook her head. “I need to see it to believe it.”
Kalgrin smiled. “There's a school in the mountains. They take magic users if they find them, and train them. I haven't found a user myself yet. I don't have the ability to seek them. For all I know, half the humans in Tarn have magic, but because I've never seen it directly, they're just uncut gems, walking around. For all I know, you have magic. It's a strange thing.”
No. No one had magic. Except, he appeared adamant that the possibility was there. That he'd seen them.
She forced herself to accept his words for now. She'd still want to see one for herself... but he had no reason to lie to her. However, something bothered her.
In his story about humans once enslaving dragons, which she had issues processing as it was – then why did drakes bother helping humans at all? If humans had done this thing, then in a way, the dragons were justified in doing what they did. It sickened her to consider.
How could you justify anything like this?
“Why do drakes help us, then? It doesn’t sound like you have reason to.”
“Don’t we?” Kalgrin smiled. Affable. Maybe a little weary, too. Perhaps he'd experienced this type of discussion with others. “Times change. There are no excuses for suffering. Not when you’re punishing people a thousand years later, who have no memory of before. It makes us no better. And maybe one day, we’ll find the tables turned again. And it'll just keep going on in some big, bloody cycle.” He licked his lips, his eyes distant. Seeing something Anya didn’t understand. “We don’t have excuses anymore, little human. But we like to keep making them all the same.”
There was some truth in that. Anya thought the same thing about her people. How could they excuse such treatment? How did they keep allowing it year after year? Surely there reached a point where the excuses stopped?
Surely there came a time when people faced reality, and realized it’d never get better, not unless they did something about it? Surely... they could find a way to stop being the kind of broken that never picked itself up again.
Anya reflected on Kalgrin's words for a little while. She'd done this to distract herself, really, but the information was valuable all the same. Something she needed to know.
But now, she needed to face that tempest inside herself. The one that wondered if things might be more. If she could reach out to Kalgrin and touch him upon his face, and kiss those lips.
Anya sure made a lot of excuses for not confronting Kalgrin. Excuses like she wanted to be independent, she didn’t want to be beholden to a dragon, she didn’t feel ready…
Why bother distracting herself any further? She was here. Dressed up for the war to figure out Kalgrin's heart, and discover her own. She hovered at the edge of that emotional cliff, terrified to jump down. But she needed to.
Time to stop with those excuses, then.
“Kalgrin. You know I came over, wearing these nice clothes, and putting on this nice perfume?”
“I had noticed that,” he said, with a rather amused expression. “Why?”
“Well… it might be related to the fact that I have a house near you. And I enjoy excuses to go with you to those places. And I enjoy... talking to you. And... I don't want to leave you.”
Yes, she was babbling. Extending it. Her heart wanted to leap out of her mouth. Just get to the point! Kalgrin seemed frozen, like a statue.
“Okay. Kalgrin. I like you. And I want you. In every sense of the word.”
“Oh.” His eyes blackened. His nostrils flared, and his body trembled in pleasant shock. “Is that so?”
“Yes. Though I'm not sure what it might feel like. You know. Having a person you can wake up next to and smile at. My mom never had that. So many people I’ve known don’t get that happy ending. But I think with you… I’d like to try and taste it for myself.”
His smile softened. “It’s the least you deserve. To have some measure of happiness. You should never have been denied the chance in the first place.” A flicker of worry then consumed his face. “But, are you sure? I mean, I’m a dragon. I recall that you might have some issues with that fact.” His tone sounded like he was preparing for something. For her to retract her statement, or confirm it?
“That doesn’t matter to me anymore.” The truth.
Those words cleared the doubt in his eyes and settled the fluttering nervousness in her stomach. She didn’t know what she was saying, if she’d said it right, but she seemed to be hitting the right notes so far. It flowed naturally from her, when she let go of the excuses and let the truth trickle out.
I should have admitted this as soon as I began to feel it. Not entirely fair. She didn't understand it. And the fear... it ate at her. Insidiously, without her usually being aware it did so.
This, though. This was perfect.
He folded his arms neatly over his lap, and leaned forward, feet pointing to her. Those eyes of his seemed to twinkle now. They shared smiles, the kind that threatened to burst out of their bodies. “May I kiss you?” He waited, earnest, not making a move without her say-so.
How polite. She took a deep, glorious breath, which flooded her body with light and life. Maybe also a hint of excitement. “You may,” she said, pasting on a mock formal expression. It made her giggle, before her heart lurched further, since Kalgrin had stood up, his face hard with intent.
“Kissing in three, two, one…” He leaned forward and planted his lips on hers. That first contact came awkwardly, clumsily. Nothing like what Anya had imagined, where she thought stars might burst around them and the heavens then fell – the things they only told you in the best stories when love flourished and didn’t have to worry about the grind of everyday life. Of being crushed to the point where nothing remained.
Few people in the plantations became whole families, so they had to rely on the run of the community, and elected leaders within that community. Feeling strong bonds of love was considered dangerous, but people made those connections anyway. Some deep, primal part of them craved closeness. Craved affection.
A kiss from Kalgrin at first felt disappointing, likely because she didn't know how to kiss. She half expected fiery explosions and melting feelings in her, but really, it was just the unusual, smooth texture of the lips and the heat of their breaths that confused Anya. Did she keep breathing? Did she hold her breath until she couldn't anymore? Did she keep her eyes open or closed?
Open seemed rather awkward. Closed helped heighten the sense of the moment. Kalgrin worked at kissing with her, being patient with her lips, and it got to a point where the pressure they placed and the movements they conducted became natural and pleasant.
Sure, the countdown Kalgrin did might have been strange, but then again, the whole thing could be construed as strange. What mattered was the rapid beating of her heart, and the gentle way he touched her, and the patient affection he showed. Being embraced in such a way embarrassed and pleased her at the same time, tinged with a hint of sadness. She should have known something like this before. Not spent eighteen years of her existence barely making it above water.
Sometimes she wondered if she was doing the wrong thing when it came to the touches, the kisses. Those thoughts cleared away when she lost herself in the moment. They slowly led one another to bed, taking the time to stop, to kiss, to caress.
The treatment made Anya want to cry – she couldn’t remember the last time someone held her with so much love. Not wanting to start blubbering her eyes out, she dove deeper into the kiss, into ruffling his floppy curls, into sharing herself with him. Just to stay in the moment, and to remember that Kalgrin wanted this as much as her. One by one they peeled off one another’s clothes, until both were naked – her skin had the hardened tan of working on the fields, and his was as pale as snow.
What a wondrous thing.
He stood back to admire her body, all the way from her freckled face to her soft, rounded breasts, calloused hands and strong thighs. She admired his body, too, the sculpted build, with broad, toned shoulders, not bulging with muscles but hinting at the power that lay within. He had a flat, hairless chest with the hint of abs showing – not quite a muscular demigod, but certainly an arousing sight to behold. Everything was just right.
He reached for her hand and kissed the rough underside, not caring if her skin was hard and lacking in softness. She had other soft parts to make up for it. She also couldn’t help but notice his growing erection, from the way it uncurled from small to big. She liked the way he always asked her if it was okay, though it eventually reached a point where she simply whispered into his ear, “Just shut up and fuck me.”
That worked pretty well. He lowered her down onto the mattress, those gray eyes dark and his body quivering in excitement. Anya’s cheeks flushed, her whole body raised up its temperature, making it feel as if she were about to burn up. Nothing else mattered at this moment except him.
He kissed her neck, warm air wafting onto her skin. He braced his arms on either side of her, sliding into position between her legs. His erection pressed against her stomach in a promise. A shivering, tantalizing promise. Would it hurt? Would it be pleasant? Would she let out a sigh from her lips and arch into him, or stiffen in pain?
He crawled backwards slightly, and rested his length upon her entrance.
Heart beating in a frenzy, Anya let out a whimper as he moved inside her for the first time, the first time for anyone in her life. She knew something of masturbation and got urges like anyone else – she just didn’t want to risk having children in such an impoverished, cruel place. Even though the others didn't care, and just went for it, Anya restrained herself.
But here, it didn’t concern her. Not with someone who showered her with affection, who helped raise her life above the mud it had dwelled in, who helped save her family, and for some reason, loved the soul inside her. Not when she didn't have to worry about her child growing up on a miserable plantation, knowing nothing but the slash of a whip upon their back, and the sad, gibbering voices of the humans around them. Or the musk of dark that followed people, like an evil that had attached itself to their souls.
People used to think she deserved punishment for being so outspoken.
Now, allowed to be who she was, she felt nothing but happiness and gratefulness for her new position. She whispered her love in his ear, perhaps encouraged by the feel of him so close to her. Maybe the feeling would vanish afterwards, when the tension wasn’t knotting up in her stomach, getting ready to spread out in a warm, delicious wave of bliss.
He sped up his thrusts, continued snatching kisses from her lips, breathing harsh, his heart thundering at the same pace as hers.
When he came, her heart soared at his pleasure and sounds, and she moaned as well. She noticed the drop in pressure inside her, and would have been perfectly happy leaving things like this. Then he reached down with his fingers and fumbled around her slit, until he hit the right spot. The electricity bolted through her like a thunderstorm, the feeling came hard and intense, and within moments, she found herself shuddering and moaning her way into orgasm.
“Didn’t want to keep all the glory to myself,” he whispered in her ear, before kissing it, and allowing themselves to arrange into a comfortable embrace.
Exhausted with happiness – who knew such a thing could wear you out? – Anya fell into a deep sleep, breathing in Kalgrin’s musky scent, secure in the wrap of his arms around her.
Security. What a strange thing to feel, and to know you had it. Her family were tucked away safely in that fort town which she didn't remember the name of. She flew the skies with Kalgrin, spoke to the broken, the people who had forgotten what hoped looked like, who had been reduced to animals, simply living for themselves and their own survival, not caring about anyone else. Anything else.
It needed a special kind of work to coax these people out of their shells. Words didn't work. Not really. Attitude did. Showing them the reality of their new world did. And giving them the chance to step out on their own.
She couldn't blame them in the end. Depression settled like a heavy blanket, smothering those it touched. Clouds followed them, brewing their storms. And their night terrors filled dark silences. They lived, but not really. And Anya had tried to live, but she was stagnating, withered away by the years. She would have died in that place.
She woke up once in the night, sweat coating her face. A half-remembered nightmare, of being chased, the wyrm's feet pounding the earth beneath her as she ran. There had been mud upon her arms and legs, but it dried up, caking her, making it harder to move forward. Maybe if she could fly, hop up into the air...
But those wyrms would never stop. The sound of their feet somehow always clattered in the distance. The vibration of each footfall carried the taste of hate.
Kalgrin slumbered like a babe at her side, his arms sprawled out, taking space under the pillows. Half the bed covers wrapped itself around his lower half, leaving his chest exposed, which rose and fell in a peaceful rhythm.
Anya watched this for a while, relaxing in the calm of Kalgrin's deep sleep. Reminding herself that somehow, this drake had become hers. She didn't want to risk waking him up, so she left him untouched.
It made her heart ache to see how beautiful he was, even cast in shadows. Sometimes in the dark, people's faces took on frightening visages. She didn't know why, just that the dark increased her level of fear. No fear lingered here. Smiling, she soon fell asleep again.
Waking up to an empty bed, Anya stretched out languorously, the sheets slipping over her bare skin. She didn’t regret a moment of her choice. She didn’t regret staying with Kalgrin, with sharing her heart and soul with him, or falling in love with him.
Yes. It was love. Such a tiny word. Such a powerful feeling.
Her family existed in a better place. But many more families didn’t. And as long as she stayed by Kalgrin’s side, she actively helped contribute to the cause he followed. It became her cause, her calling. And she fell that little bit more in love.
Kalgrin smiled at her when she walked into his kitchen. The smell of cooking food lured her, and she lifted her nose to sniff. Eggs and toast and sausages. Simple but filling. And exotic, compared to the slops she tasted at the plantation.
“A good, hearty breakfast is the best way to start the day,” Kalgrin declared. “Though I usually prefer honeyed porridge. I work better in my day when I have a full stomach.”
Anya agreed. She skipped meals in the past, but if you headed off to the wheat fields without food, you found yourself drained so fast that you could barely stay upright.
“I could get very, very used to this. Having you cook for me in the mornings.”
“You can do the same for me. When I go over to your house.” He winked at her, before flipping the egg over in the little pan over the hearth. The sausages were already cooked. The heat from the hearth radiated through the room, warming up the cool space. Anya stepped outside for a moment, inhaling the cool air, before she noticed that there were those little envelopes on the ground. The ones with the letters that she couldn't read.
Taking one last glance out into the crisp late morning, taking in the bustle of people going about their business and the calls of stall owners trying to attract people to their wares, Anya ducked back inside, clutching the letters.
“Kal. Some letters for you.” The messy-haired drake took them from her and inspected them.
“Huh. One's for you. From... your mother, I believe.”
“Oh!” Right. She hadn't passed on the new home to her mother yet. Kendra still thought her daughter lived here, so of course the letters would come to Kal. “I can't read it.”
“I know. I'll do it for you, unless you want to get a scribe?”
Anya shook her head. She wanted Kalgrin to know the contents of the letter as well. The drake opened the envelope and examined the squiggles all along the page.
“Actually, let me finish the cooking. We don't want it to get cold, do we?”
He cooked the last of the eggs and spilled them over buttered toast. Anya sat at his little table, grabbed a fork and knife, and tucked into her delicious breakfast. The smell of the food lingered in an appetizing way, saturating the air around them. Kalgrin wanted to finish eating first before starting on the letter, and he wolfed down the food fast.
“Wow. You don't waste time when it comes to food, do you?”
He let out a belch, which made Anya blink, half in amusement, half in disgust.
“Sorry. My digestive system can be a bit odd at times. Okay.” He cleaned his hands and dried them off, before taking the letter and settling back into the seat. “Dearest daughter. I hope everything's well with you, and you've gotten around to a relationship with Kalgrin at last. I know you were stalling, but I'm telling you, you'll be hard pressed to find better.”
Kalgrin paused. “Huh. Did she try to foist you off on me?”
“Yes,” Anya admitted. “But I didn't want to think of her as being right that we were attracted to one another. She'd likely chase me to the ends of the world until I got into a relationship with someone respectable. She always had hopes I'd break the cycle.”
“Well,” Kalgrin said, grinning, “you might just have done that, haven't you?” Then he frowned. “Though should I be concerned that your mother wanted to shove us together?”
“Probably not. Just watch out for the grandchildren queries.”
Kalgrin chuckled before reading more of the letter.
“I named all the children proper. Your two sisters are now Jeyna and Daisy, and the two little ones are Bodrin and Kallen. Named in honor of the wonderful drake who saved us, of course.”
Kalgrin's expression grew soft at the mention of a child being named after him. Meanwhile, Anya felt little stabs of irritation because her mother didn't say which sibling was which. The rest of the letter mainly focused on when Anya was going to come and visit, or when Kendra might be able to visit her. She wanted to know all about everything, since although the fort town was a nice enough place, there weren’t a lot of humans there, and she still struggled at times to snap out of what the plantations had done to her.
Five children, and she didn't want to lose a single one.
That was Kendra for you. Yet, for some reason, Kendra had risked all her family to get Anya away. She wanted to include that question in the next letter.
“I've never had people praise me like this,” Kalgrin said, still wearing that soft expression. He passed the finished letter reverently to Anya. “Don't tell anyone, but I feel like crying big, manly tears.”
“Manly?” Now it was Anya's turn to raise an eyebrow. She plucked at her food, finishing off the rest of the egg.
“Of course. If I plan to keep you around, you'd rather have someone reliable to support you, right?”
For some reason, this statement seemed to darken the mood. Anya wondered why her emotions had sunk. Perhaps it came because of her need for independence, instead of being constantly supported. She let it go, however. He meant well.
And he'd found that place in her heart. They spent the morning together, just talking, considering her mother. Kalgrin wanted to understand better why the children hadn't been named until now. He never asked their names when he'd saved them. Just Kendra. Anya explained, and Kalgrin reacted as expected – saddened by the reality of the serf's situation.
Back in her house, Anya aimed for another quick rest.
She planned to go with him next week to one of the plantation areas. She wanted to see if all plantations were the same, or if some had more or less cruelty than hers.
“It’s dangerous,” Kalgrin had told her when she had first asked, “but I can see you've got that determined glint in your eyes. I'll say this: If you want to get involved with infiltrating these areas, you’ll need more training. I’m sorry, but I can’t let you go to those places without some kind of basic self-defense.”
“So, teach me,” was her response.
“With pleasure,” he replied, bending to kiss her hand. He looked so proud in that moment, standing by her side. Admiring the spirit inside her body. Allowed to be a part of her life, by a choice of her own making.
She knew full well the path she now chose wouldn’t be easy. She knew Kalgrin, despite his jovial manner, his casual way of dipping himself into dangerous situations, might die any day. One mistake when he crept into an isolated lordling’s home, and she’d no longer have a lover returning home. But, well, if a bloody dragon wanted to risk his life for humans, then surely, she could do the same in return. And support him in any way possible.
A few of the former plantation slaves had chosen to settle in Tarn, enjoying the simple, vibrant life of a small town where people ended up sticking to one another like glue. Others had run away into the wilderness, not being able to handle the truth. Likely they would have died or been recaptured.
Something, Anya decided, is very wrong with everything. If what Kalgrin said was true, if humans once used magic to rule the world, then lost it... had the wyrms originally started enslaving humans out of revenge? And did they never let go of that hate, even though the humans born centuries later no longer remembered what it was they did?
She really didn't like that the wyrms might have a valid justification for what they did. No. It's not valid. It's never valid to treat people like they don't deserve to live.
But it did feel like fighting a difficult, uphill battle. One where she wasn't sure if humans could ever reach the top.
He said humans had magic, though. And it might be possible that many under our noses can use it, but never reveal it. She decided that for Kalgrin, she'd pay attention to the serfs and slaves they helped, and see if any of them had the spark of magic.
She scheduled a letter to send to her mother. Just her general thoughts and feelings, and confirming that she did get together with Kal, and worked closely with him on a number of projects. The scribe had glanced at her a few times, a little surprised to hear she came from a plantation, but otherwise kept impartial to the matter. Likely she heard all sorts of interesting things in her effort to transcribe speech.
Anya wandered through the little town of Tarn afterwards, thinking hard on where she wanted to aim her life. Perhaps she could go to the northlands in time, without fear of the wyrms. Maybe not to a fort town – she suspected life in those to be uniform, with everyone having their set routines and cautions in place.
She settled at the inn once more and saw Seon, strangely morose, taking her time cleaning out the insides of an already glistening jar.
“What's wrong, Seon?” Anya ventured over to the bar counter, and sat with her arms folded as Seon continued polishing the glass.
“Oh, nothing.” She gave a wry smile when Anya appeared less than impressed with her answer. “Okay. It's something. I'm just a little worried because I've been seeing more of a wyrm presence in the area lately.”
“Really?” Anya had only seen a few in the whole time living here.
“Yes. You just don't get wyrms here, you know? But for some reason, they're insisting on regular patrols through the streets. Drakes and humans might hiss at them, but we can't legally stop the idea of community protection from the city. But it seems like they're looking for something.”
A chill went through Anya's heart. Are they chasing me? Kalgrin? The feeling lingered, before Seon said, “Don't worry. I don't think it's anything to do with you or Kalgrin. That happened far away in some little rural place nobody cares about. They'll likely assume the slaves revolted. So don't worry about that.”
Anya deflated slightly. “Sorry. I keep thinking... having nightmares that they're still coming after me.”
“I suspected as much. No. I don't know what they want. Guess we'll just have to wait and see.”
The way Seon kept polishing that glass, though, told Anya that maybe she did have an idea of what they wanted, but didn't plan to tell Anya. Perhaps in time, with some more trust.
“So,” Seon said, “did you do the thing with Kal yet? I'm waiting.”
Anya blushed brighter than a ruby. “Uh... yes? We did the thing.”
The barmaid cackled in delight, now finally putting that glass away. “Okay, this I have to hear. How did you get around to it?”
“We just... did. I turned up at his door, dressed in a way so he saw a hint of what I looked like under the clothes... and I guess we're a couple now.”
“Good. You two make a good one. He's a good man. Drake. Whatever. You have enough spine in you to not let yourself be completely walked over. And you're going back to places that you have every right to not even want to touch, ever again. I admire you. Just keep at it, okay?” Seon gave Anya a pat on the back, and the two women shared a smile.
She returned back to Kalgrin's house later in the evening, giving a small knock, hoping he'd be in. When he answered, she stumbled into his arms and planted her lips upon his.
“Mmf,” Kalgrin said, gray eyes amused. Anya removed her lips from caressing his. “I could get used to that. I'll feed you if you want, just don't expect anything more than tomato soup.”
Anya smiled. “That will be perfect.”
“Obviously. I'm a perfect guy. Well, since you're here, I don't have to knock on your door about it. Fancy coming to see my parents tomorrow?”
“Uh...” Anya blinked rapidly. “Is that necessary?”
“They don't bite. My mother, I bet, would love to see you. She sent me a letter a few days back, asking when I'd be coming over, asking if any nice ladies had wandered into my life. Bet she'll love to hear how we met.”
Anya laughed, though she ran a hand nervously through her brown hair. Kalgrin's parents wouldn't be like human ones in the plantations. Likely they gave him a wonderful upbringing, a balanced one without him needing to work before he became the right age to do so. “Sure. But I admit I'm kind of terrified they won't like me.” Or me them.
“I don't mind. I want to introduce you to them eventually. It can be tomorrow, or it can be a little longer if you're uncomfortable.”
She grasped his hand with her own. Steeling her stomach. This is Kal. If he turned out like this, his parents aren't likely to be monsters. “I'll do it. Can't be scarier than running from a wyrm, right?”
He grinned before ruffling her hair and seizing her in another kiss. During the kiss, Anya forgot how to breathe. He looped his arms around her waist and pulled her up with him until her feet left the ground.
“Hey,” she gasped, the sound vibrating on Kalgrin's lips. “Put me down.”
In response, Kalgrin lifted her higher, pretending not to hear. She flailed her legs and he grinned, holding her at arm's length before him.
“Look at you. Small thing.”
“I'm not that small,” Anya grumbled. She wasn't – she hit about average height with other women. Kalgrin wasn't even that tall, either. He just wanted to show off his strength. Anya punched the air ineffectually.
“Oh, what fun we’ll have together…” Kalgrin purred, giving her a rather sultry gaze, gray eyes darkening in lust.
Anya twitched a smirk of her own.
That seemed to be the trigger, for Kalgrin hugged her close and dashed towards the bedroom, the tomato soup apparently forgotten. Clothes found their way to the floor fast, and their naked bodies entwined with one another as they lost their minds to the moment.
Anya wanted so much more of this. Her body had a lot of catching up to do, sure, but now that she knew for certain that Kalgrin desired her, and she desired him back, she needed to make up for lost time.
She arched her body, shivering as he glided into her, his length hitting her sweet spot, over and over. She gasped and moaned, and his hands seemed to be everywhere. Touching her cheeks, neck, breasts, hot and leaving a ghostly trail in her mind. She imagined all her skin that had been touched by his hands to glow a different color.
His mouth grasped her neck, licking and sucking hard, until a dull throb spread across it, next to where her pulse beat madly. Marking her. Those gasps of pleasure kept eliciting themselves out, and she wanted him to never stop.
Not just to feel his body moving over hers, to see those eyes dark and glazed, to see that smile upon his face or to hear those soft grunts of pleasure. She wanted him to never stop loving her.
Maybe a tall order, but she clutched him as if he were a life raft. In a way, he was. The one who pulled her out of that dark sea, before it swallowed her below water and snaked into her lungs.
The one who brought her the keys of freedom, allowed her siblings to be named early, and wanted her with all his heart.
The orgasm hit her hard, spreading a heated path through her veins, sinking her into bliss. Her contractions caused him to orgasm with her as well, and they lay side by side.
Yes. Anya snuggled up into him. Still not intending to eat just yet. I could get used to this...
The End
Annora’s Dragon
By: Lisa Daniels
Chapter 1
Competition and Criminals
Annora looked around, her blue-green eyes taking in the picturesque landscape. Had she been anyone else, her breath would have been taken away by the way the rising sun reflected against the ocean and the brilliant colors of the sky. Annora noticed none of these things as she scanned the horizon. Her thoughts were focused on one thing only – finding the dragon that had burned down the villages of King Salmon and Marked Tree. The inhabitants of King Salmon had largely escaped with their lives, but the people of the small town of Marked Tree had not been so lucky. She had known many of those who had died. While she hadn’t been exactly friendly with them, the people had always treated her well, despite her profession. Dragon hunters were not popular. They were considered boorish, brutal, and generally cold. The people of Marked Tree had not felt that way; they had always been understanding that you did what you had to do to make a living. It was an easier sentiment for the people of Marked Tree to understand since that was the way most of them lived.
Initially, she had refused the request of King Salmon to hunt down the dragon, but after it decimated Marked Tree, she took up the contract. What Annora did not tell her employers was that she would go after the dragon with or without their payment. After all, if you could get paid while getting revenge, it provided a little extra incentive. Dragons were among the toughest creatures to kill, and there were times when the fight didn’t seem worth it. The odds of dying were significantly higher than surviving. It’s probably why dragon hunters were so wild and unpredictable. And they were incredibly expensive. You had to be either a certain type of desperate or a large amount of crazy to join this profession.
Annora was neither of these. Dragons had destroyed three of her homes by the time she was 12 years old, leaving her an orphan after the second attack. She never questioned what she should become. For her, the job was a vendetta.
That had been 15 years ago.
As the woman stood on the cliffside scanning for the familiar outline of a dragon, a few strands of her wavy, chestnut-colored hair passed over her vision. She seemed not to notice, her attention too intent on finding the one thing she was after. Standing there, any passerby would have thought she was a strange statue – a fair woman wearing men’s clothing and carrying a pair of weapons. The sword was angled up so that she could quickly remove it from the scabbard. A dirk was located slightly higher on the right side. Men who saw her often laughed, believing that she didn’t understand that real sword wielders carried the sword on the left side to make it easier to remove with the dominant right hand. Their laughter lasted only as long as it took Annora to level the sword at their throats, her left hand firmly grasping it with a level of expertise that few others had.
Annora’s eyes sparkled as her cold smile told the men she knew how to use the weapon just as well as they. “Yes, it should be on the opposite side of the dominant hand. Why do you think it’s on my right side?”
No man who ever tried to challenge her during these encounters was ever able to use a weapon afterward.
Men were easy when you were accustomed to dealing with dragons.
The breeze on the cliffside caused her dark-brown braid to sway, the only sign that she wasn’t a statue. The dragon hunter didn’t feel it gently tapping against the small of her back as she took in the horizon.
Then she saw it. The creature was smaller than most she had seen, but that didn’t mean anything when it came to dragons. Females tended to be smaller than males, but they were far more vicious. Of course, the dragon may have been young still and was testing out its strength and power for the first time. Annora watched the graceful arch as the dragon soared over the water in the distance. A wry grin spread across her face as she imagined how much fun the dragon was having. Probably the same look it had when it decimated Marked Tree.
She was about to move when a movement at the bottom of the cliff caught her attention. For a second, she thought she had seen wings. If there were two dragons, she would have to reconsider the agreement. Either she would require more money or turn it down.
Shaking her head, Annora knew that she couldn’t do anything without confirming a second dragon. The fact that the dragon on the horizon was playing indicated that it did not realize that another dragon was nearby, and dragons did not tend to be stealthy. With that kind of power and size, stealth was hardly a necessary (or practical) skill to have. Considering how territorial they were, there were only a few reasons why two would appear in the same area together. This kind of distance between them made no sense. It was likely that the wing belonged to something else, perhaps a griffin or siren.
Taking a step forward, Annora looked over the cliff. To her surprise, a human was walking along the beach, his eyes also on the dragon in the distance. Her eyes flicked up to watch the movement of the dragon on the horizon, then back to the man. He was tall with curly black hair that moved with the breeze sweeping along the beach. For a moment she stared at his figure as he moved along the edge of the waves in the same direction as the dragon. It was obvious that the man was a fighter. The way his muscles pressed against his clothing was easy to see even from the cliff top. Even if she hadn’t been able to see the tensed muscles in his arms as he stood and folded them to watch the dragon’s progress, the broadsword on his back left no question that he was a warrior.
She completely forgot about what had caused her to look over the edge in the first place.
Competition.
It was the only thought that mattered amidst the jumble of other words floating through her head as she gazed at him.
Her eyes swept over his figure one more time, taking in the details. Best to know the competition, she thought, unable to admit even to herself that he was rather pleasing to watch from such a distance. He quickly unfolded his arms and turned toward the cliff face. Annora was startled for a moment and backed away where she would not be seen. Giving her head a shake, the dragon slayer turned and quickly moved back into the woods following the same direction in which the dragon had gone. She was going to have to work fast with someone else also after it. There was no way she was going to let anyone else take this kill because it wasn’t just about the money. Annora was going to make it suffer for what it had done to the people of Marked Tree.
Annora walked into Defiance, a bustling town and port. She had only been there once before, nearly five years ago, and it had grown considerably since then. The change was a bit unsettling. Had the woman known that it had changed so drastically, she would have gone to Kildeer. However, that was another three miles out of the way, and she didn’t want to go so far out of her way just because of a bit of discomfort. Not at this hour. Not when someone else appeared to be after her kill.
She didn’t notice any of the merchants or customers going about their lives as she headed toward what had once been a small and inviting inn. To her disappointment, that inn had burned down three years ago. In its place was a merchants’ guild. Glaring at the building, Annora saw someone approaching her from the corner of her eye. It was getting dark, and she wasn’t accustomed to so much light, but it did make the shadows and movement much easier to detect.
“Hello…” Annora slowly turned to look at the man addressing her. He was about to say something, but stopped when he got close. “Oh. Hello, ma’am. What do you think?”
Annora watched as the man folded his arms over his chest. He was clearly a merchant and he was looking up at the building with a sense of pride.
Usually she would just turn and walk away, but she did need some information as she had no idea where to go for the night. She attempted a small smile when he looked at her. “It certainly looks nice.” The woman’s mind was scoffing at him as the man returned her smile with a huge grin.
“Nice!” He laughed. “There is no building in this magnificent town as costly or luxurious.”
Annora simply blinked at him. “Well, that is something, then.” She fought to keep her tone from being too sarcastic.
The man didn’t seem to notice. “It’s mine, you know.”
Suddenly Annora didn’t feel like asking this man for assistance. “Good for you.” Her tone was nearly monotone as she gave him a condescending look. “If you will-”
Ignoring her words, the man pressed on. “And I dare say you are quite a pretty thing, aren’t you?” He winked at her. Annora merely stared back at him, her cold eyes warning him not to continue. The man seemed oblivious to the warning. “I’ll tell you what. If you will give me the pleasure of your company for, oh, let’s say three days, I will-”
Annora spun on her heel, her braid hitting the man’s arm with an audible smack. Ignoring whatever he had to say, she walked purposefully back the way she had come.
Unsure of where to find lodgings, the dragon hunter headed toward the water. The town was located at the mouth of the Allia, the longest river in Senones, a country that, until recently, had been backward. After the Cremera War, though, Senones had been growing rapidly, having benefited from aiding the victorious country of Volsci. Annora didn’t know the politics behind it, nor did she care. The only thing that mattered to her was that the small town she once understood was now yet another place she planned to avoid in the future.
As she reached the port, a hand fell on her shoulder. The woman’s instinct was to draw her blade, but she could hear someone gasping for breath and saying her name.
“Annora! My gods, but I never expected to run into you here!” There was a very melodic laugh and the tension eased from Annora’s shoulders.
Turning to face the woman, Annora tried to keep her face straight. “Hello, Bree.” She could not help the way one of her eyebrows raised and the corner of her mouth likewise went up.
There was another laugh as the curly-haired, redheaded woman placed a hand on her hip and stood up straight. Dramatically, she expelled a long breath, “Wooooo, but you are a hard woman to catch.” She beamed from ear to ear. “Don’t know what brought you here, but damn, it is good to see you. It’s been, what? Three? Four years?”
Annora couldn’t hide a small smile. “It’s been a year and a half.”
Bree looked shocked. “That’s it? Are you sure? No! It has to have been longer! Your hair is almost twice as long now.”
Annora shook her head, the braid swaying back and forth. “Just a couple of inches. It was just after the war ended. That was about two years ago.” Bree’s eyebrows were furrowed. “Remember? We were in Illyrian when the army came through and you-”
Bree began laughing. “Oh yeah! That was amazingly fun. You should have joined me.”
Annora just shook her head.
Bree looked her friend in the eyes. “So, where are you staying and for how long?”
Annora looked out over the water. “Just staying for the night, but I don’t have a where yet. The Boar’s Snout Inn burned down and I really don’t know anywhere else.”
Bree threaded her arm through Annora’s. “Now that’s what I want to hear. You’re coming with me.” Annora knew better than to try to fight at this point – Bree had never been one to listen once she heard what she wanted to hear. A rare smile spread across the dragon hunter’s face as her friend gently steered them toward one of the more luxurious inns in Defiance.
Annora stepped out of The Palace Paradise and shook her head. Bree had finagled a room for her, despite how packed the place was, and had managed to get it for free. Laughingly, Bree had told her that the room wasn’t free, it just wasn’t a bill that either of them would be paying. The woman was a couple of years younger than Annora with a personality that was the complete antithesis of Annora’s, despite the pair having grown up on the streets together in the modest city of Achaean. Bree’s given name had been Brianna, but she had always said it was too formal. Where Annora was cold and serious to a fault, Bree was charismatic and gregarious almost to the point of obnoxiousness.
Still, Annora loved her like a sister and was sad when Bree had taken her to a small but nicely-furnished room, then announced that she had to tend to a few things that night. Annora thought she knew what Bree was up to, so it was best not to ask, just as Bree never asked her about dragon hunting. Their outlooks on life were very different, and both felt the other had taken on a job that was too dangerous. The best way to avoid arguments was to simply avoid talking about work.
Bree had given her a big hug and headed toward the door. The young woman placed a hand on the door frame and paused. With an uncharacteristically serious look, she turned to face Annora. The dragon hunter felt a sense of dread. Bree was almost never serious unless it was bad news.
Bree bit her lower lip, looked to the window, then up at the ceiling, before fixing her sparkling green eyes on Annora, “Naya says she forgives you.”
Annora felt her stomach lurch. Whatever she had expected, that was not it. She looked toward the window.
Bree gave a humorless smile. “I know you aren’t ready to forgive yourself yet, but I think you owe it to her to at least pay a visit and talk. She’s not a child anymore.”
Annora heard Bree’s footsteps as the woman moved down the hall. Annora closed her eyes and for a few moments she felt lost. With a quick shake of her head, the dragon slayer decided she needed to head outside before her thoughts went where she wasn’t ready to go.
And that was how she found herself in an unfamiliar part of a growing town, unsure which way to go. Cursing herself, Annora wished she had at least asked where she could get a decent meal. The cost of the room was covered, but nothing else, and the dragon slayer was starving. Her head swiveled left and right. Deciding that direction didn’t matter, Annora stepped out into the night.
Her mind managed to keep track of all of the twists and turns she took while she looked for somewhere that would have decent food at a reasonable price. Usually following the smell was the easiest way to find a place where the food tasted like it was fresh. Annora may not have been particularly picky about the type of food she ate most of the time (after all, she really didn’t have that luxury when on the hunt), but it was one of the few benefits of being in a town. The dragon slayer greatly preferred the freedom and mobility of the wild, and detested being stuck in a place full of people. However, well-cooked meals were one of the few comforts Annora enjoyed when she was forced to remain in a populated place. Beds were the other benefit that she found great comfort in as the number of dangers were significantly reduced. The feel of a bed was also nice, although she felt more bothered about who may have slept in the bed before her than she felt about the animals who last slept in wherever she decided to sleep when she was in the wild.
Annora grimaced as her stomach growled. It had been a very long day, and she now regretted her earlier decision to skip food in favor of making progress.
She was distracted enough as she turned down a darker street that she did not notice the two figures that stepped out of the shadow. Annora didn’t walk very far before she realized the folly of allowing herself to be distracted. Cursing herself again, this time under her breath, Annora decided to make quick work of it.
In the dim light, it looked like she placed her hands on her hips as she stopped walking. The woman’s voice sounded annoyed as she spoke. “Sorry, but if you are looking for easy prey, you haven’t found it yet. I won’t even turn around so you can slink away and pretend this never happened.”
There was a derisive laugh behind her, then a higher-pitched male voice said, “Oh, I think we have found the perfect person for our little adventure. There’s nothing like a woman who knows how to act tough. They are the sweetest to take down.” His laugh echoed through the alley.
Slowly, she turned around and looked at the two thugs, men who clearly had enough money, so they didn’t need to prey on tourists who roamed into the wrong part of town. That meant the guys had been following her for a while, and there was only one way to take that –they were part of the criminal underground. The dragon slayer rolled her eyes as she tapped her sword and dirk. The first person she had talked to and this was the result. She made sure the metal gleamed as she partially drew them out. “These aren’t just for show.”
The sound of the man’s voice grated on her ears as he gave a cold, humorless laugh. “If you were a real fighter, you would know that the sword goes on the left side. Only a fool or a woman would wear it in the wrong place.” His smile was a sneer.
Annora simply blinked at him.
The man stepped forward and continued, “The boss didn’t like the way you turned him-”
The man’s voice wavered as the sound of metal hissed in the evening and the two weapons appeared leveled at his throat and stomach. A cold smile spread across her face. To make the point that she wasn’t incompetent, she quickly drew them back and twirled the sword and dirk, returning them to the same spot when she was done. It was obvious from looking at them that the sword pointed at his throat and the dirk at his stomach were well used and the edges really sharp.
The man’s eyes went wide and he swallowed hard before leering at her. “Sorry, sweetheart, but flashy tricks don’t mean anything.”
Annora realized too late that she had given the man in front too much attention. The second man threw a small dagger. Unable to dodge it, she changed its direction with her dirk. She felt the edge gash her right bicep. The street was dark enough that it was nearly impossible to see that wound, and she was not one to make a sound when wounded. Annora immediately moved forward, her weapons moving in unison. The man in front tried desperately to fend them off with his own sword only to find that the woman’s skill far outmatched his own.
The fight lasted only a few seconds. Annora’s sword plunged into his chest as her dirk slashed across his throat. It was certainly more than was necessary, but she was in a really bad mood. She used her foot to push the dying man away and immediately turned to fight the second. To her annoyance, he had already turned to run and was several hundred feet ahead of her. She dashed off after him, cursing as he reached the corner of a building and disappeared from sight.
Her weapons still out, she reached the corner and almost immediately froze. Her weapons were up and ready to fight the shadow lurking in the alley. Without a word, she dashed forward, her weapons looking for a second kill.
The sound of metal rang out in the night. Then a male voice spoke in the darkness. “You’ve missed him.”
Annora had been pushed back. Narrowing her eyes, she watched as a different figure emerged from the shadows. She had not seen much of the second man, but she knew he was not as tall as the figure before her, nor had he been as muscular.
“Why didn’t you stop him?” Her voice was cold and accusing.
The clouds that had covered the moon passed for a brief moment, and she was able to get a better look at the man’s face. His eyes were deep and dark, and in the moonlight they almost looked red. Not as if they were bloodshot, but because the whites of his eyes were a very bright white. His jaw line was very sharp, and his nose a little large, although it fit his very rugged features. Stubble lined his jaw and encircled his mouth, drawing her eyes to rosy red lips, the kind of lips she thought only belonged to men of leisure. His hair was almost as dark as the night. A gleam of metal also caught her eye, and Annora could tell from the location that the man carried a broadsword.
Shit, she thought, immediately recognizing him as the figure on the beach. It looked like her competition had also made it this far, too. Regretting that she had not pushed further that night, Annora tried to find an excuse to keep from talking to him. The less they talked, the better. She knew it was only a matter of time until he would inquire about her clothing, and there were too few reasons to give for it.
The man’s expression was one of surprise as he looked at her. It was not a look that she liked as it was one that Annora had come to associate with having to kill. Fully expecting the encounter to go wrong, the dragon slayer relaxed her stance. Though she looked at ease, her weapons were ready for what she felt was inevitable in the current situation.
The man smiled, and her brain told her that it was a pleasant sight. Her eyes narrowed in disapproval of such a girlish thought.
The man raised an eyebrow at her reaction to his smile. “I didn’t stop him because I had no business with him myself.”
Annora’s expression did not change. “Oh, how gallant of you to feel it is none of your business when two men attempt to assault a woman in a dark street.”
The man grinned, his teeth shining as the moon passed behind another cloud. For a moment, Annora thought his teeth looked a little too pointed. Had she not seen him about during the day, she would have suspected him of being one of the undead. There was clearly something off about him, though.
The man seemed relaxed as he looked up at the sky. “Oh, most nights I probably would have stepped in. It’s not like I enjoy lurking in alleys, but it didn’t appear my intervention was necessary this time. I hate to get in the way.” There was sincerity in his voice, but it still sounded more like an excuse to her.
“You let a criminal escape.”
“You could probably still catch him.” His expression was calm as he spoke, his voice low and gentle.
Annora shook her head, then she turned. As she returned to the corpse of the first attacker, she said, “And do what? By now he’s in a high traffic area or made his way into a building, which increases his advantages. I’ve no desire to-” Pain shot through her as she began to wipe her dirk on the corpse. She had forgotten about her injury. Refusing to let the man see that she was already injured, Annora continued to talk, although her voice was more aggressive as she kept it steady through the pain, “-to go hunting in a town that is nearly a city. He will likely meet his end some other night playing the thug for that merchant.” She tried to make it clear that she did not want to continue talking to him.
There was silence behind her, and the young fighter hoped that meant he had left. Annora turned, thinking that she may be talking to herself, hoping that was the case. Her disappointment was palpable as she realized he had followed her a ways and watched as she checked to make sure the man was dead, saying nothing as she cleaned her weapons and stood to face him. Once she was looking at him, the man reached out a hand. “I’m Elian.”
Annora’s stomach growled in response. As the man laughed, she glared at him. She did not offer her hand in return, but her eyes took in his features as the clouds moved on. The moon shone brightly on his face and his laughing, reddish eyes.
Elian did not seem offended as he smiled at her. “I dare say you are hungry. Would you mind if I accompanied-”
Suddenly a shadow passed over the moon, a shadow that was certainly not a cloud. Both the man and the woman immediately looked up and saw the outline of a dragon passing overhead.
Elian watched for a moment, his eyes following the trajectory that the dragon must have taken. He turned to look at the woman to make an excuse to leave, but found that she was already gone. Blinking and looking around him, Elian had no idea which way she had gone. Then his eyes went to the ground and a barely perceptible trail of blood.
“And just what is your interest in a dragon?” His words were spoken into the night, a sign that the woman had captured his attention and curiosity. The man took a few steps in the same direction that the woman had gone before he recovered himself. “Now’s not the time for distractions.” He cocked his head to the side and wondered for another brief moment, clearly ignoring his own advice.
With a faint smile, he turned and moved down a different alley.