by Viola Grace
The child led them into a huge entryway, and from there into a court where nobles were milling around. Juno stood in the entryway, and then, she let out a sharp whistle. The courtiers that had blocked their view suddenly parted, and a throne at the far end was exposed.
A man sat on the throne, and two guards in strange armor were on either side of him. He perked up when he saw them.
“Master Dronix! Be welcome to my palace. Please, come forward.”
Juno led them down the new aisle, and she stepped aside at the foot of the dais.
The leader stood up and greeted Dronix with his hands outstretched. Billa stepped up with Dronix, and one of the guards moved to stop her.
Her companion didn’t have to move. Billa had gotten strength. She continued to rest her hand on Dronix’s wrist as she raised her other hand to stop the guard.
It happened in seconds. His hand glowed blue, and he struck her. Billa focused and pushed back with enough force to move stone.
He shouted as he went flipping through the wide window that overlooked a gardened courtyard.
Juno ran to look, and she exhaled. “Maloss ended up in the reflecting pool. He has climbed out and might have a broken arm.”
The ruler looked at Billa. “You are not simply the offering?”
She looked down and snorted. “Does it look like I am simply the offering? I am one of his kind. I am just learning the finer points of power and etiquette.”
“Emperor, this is my mate, Billa Kekx. Billa, this is Emperor Darmon the Fourth. He is the grandson of the last emperor that I dealt with.”
The remaining guard was looking nervous.
The emperor looked at her and cocked his head. “I have heard your name. You were an offering.”
“I was.” Billa smiled. “How long ago was it that you heard my name?”
“Well, there are tales of your diabolical revenge that children are given as a warning to respect women. I heard them growing up.”
Billa blinked. She looked at Dronix. “How long have I been with you?”
He grinned. “Three decades by your calculations.”
She sighed. “To think, I could have been working on my etiquette all that time. Thank you for your welcome, your Majesty.”
“Please, Mistress. Call me Darmon.” He clapped his hands, and a door at the side of the throne room opened. “Please, my friends, come with me. Juno, lead the way.”
The guard followed the emperor, and Billa and Dronix followed him.
She frowned and asked Dronix, “Three decades? I thought it was only six months.”
“The days are longer at home.” He lifted her hand to his lips.
She didn’t want to do the math of time and space.
Juno led their group to a private office with a desk and a series of couches that were in a conversational grouping. That is where the emperor sat. He sat on the couch and gestured for them to sit opposite. “Juno, can you have someone bring some refreshments?”
The young woman nodded and left to open a door and whisper through the narrow crack. When the door closed, she stood next to it.
Billa looked back to the emperor. “How can you hold children for their parent’s debts?”
The emperor smiled. “The dedicated get food, room, board, education, and when they are done with their service, the mark is removed. They are then able to achieve additional work in their choice of suitable occupations. The parents sell the children and themselves to the court for the absolution of their debt. They are assigned values based on age and skill levels.”
“But, why use the children?”
“With their parents paying off the debt via labour, there is no one to care for the children. Operating a creche would not help them prepare for a future, so this was the solution that we have been working with for five centuries. The only deviation is that now the markings are erased instead of coloured in. They used to be pigmented to show that the term had been completed. Now, we simply remove them if they prefer. It was Dronix that introduced us to that technology.”
Billa wanted to know, “What do the locations mean?”
“The indicator is what the contract is for. Juno’s mind is her asset; she excelled at it. Her mark denotes mental service to the royal household. A worker will have their hands marked. A surrogate will have their belly marked. That is usually one episode to complete a debt. A translator will have their jaw marked; you get the idea.”
Billa nodded. “I understand. It is unpleasant to me. I was raised by the state, so it is sensitive.”
His eyes widened. “Ah, that is not part of the legend.”
She smiled. “When we are done, you will have to tell me that legend.”
He nodded. “I definitely shall.”
Dronix chuckled. “So, Darmon, what have you called us here for?”
Darmon lifted his hand, and Juno went to the desk and got a small box.
The emperor opened it and showed it to Dronix. “Have you seen minerals like this before? We have been using them in medical scanning equipment, and the imaging is astounding.”
Dronix looked into the box, and he smiled. “I am sure that I can locate more of this. What will you do for me?”
Darmon smiled. “I have fifty volunteer colonists.”
Billa blinked. “Seriously?”
Darmon nodded. “Most of them have been contract sex companions who have found the adjustment back into our society difficult. A fresh start at Master Dronix’s colony will be for the best.”
Dronix filled in. “I have them put in stasis, and then, I grip the container they are in and fly them home.”
Billa nodded. “Oh. Okay.” She didn’t believe that they were all volunteers, but if she could, she would interview them.
Dronix took the mineral and bit it. He nodded and smiled. “What have you called it?”
“We are just calling it the mineral right now.”
Dronix chuckled. “I will call it Kekxite.”
Billa smiled. “Aw, how sweet. I didn’t get you anything.”
He smiled, and his eyes were brilliant purple. She glanced at Darmon, but he was oblivious.
They chatted for a few more minutes, and then, Billa asked in the pause, “So, what is the legend that you learned?”
Darmon smiled. “Well, there is the tale that you were trying to fight the dragon. The priests had shackled you to the temple, and you used your purity of heart to get free and face the drake. You smacked him on the nose and then dodged under him as the crowd stood stunned. He caught you with his tail and tasted your blood. From there, he announced that you were a suitable offering, and you were carried off to the stars.”
Billa shrugged. “Pretty close.”
“Days later, the minerals that Dronix provided in exchange for the offering fell, and one large and valuable piece dropped directly onto a ship at the port, destroying the spaceport, exploding the ship, and leaving a trail of devastation for miles. Fortunately, all folk at the port had time off for the offering celebrations. No lives were lost.”
She blinked, and a slow smile spread across her face. She got up and sat in Dronix’s lap, kissing him wildly. His eyes were glowing when she pulled back.
He flashed his teeth, and she moved her hair to one side of her neck a moment before he bit down. She closed her eyes and hid the shudders of pleasure as he drank more than she should have been able to give, but that was part of the change in her body. She would take from him later in an equally intimate way.
Darmon was staring at them when Billa opened her eyes. His shock was apparent.
Billa shrugged. “Sorry, but he was hungry.”
Darmon blinked. “I thought that the feeding stopped in six weeks. That is what we have heard.”
Billa fought to keep her spasmodic shudder from being visible but knew that she had betrayed her orgasm with the light sheen of sweat on her skin. “I am not a standard offering. Apparently, there are occasionally
seeds like me in the worlds who never meet a drake. I was in the right place at the right time. Oh, and I was never trying to fight him, I was just trying to get away, so I shredded my hands in the cuffs and used my own blood to make a run for it. He’s big and clunky in that form, so I got pretty far, though the sprint under his groin was harrowing. Still is, actually.”
He bit harder, and she winced. Dronix finished his snack, and he licked the punctures clean.
“You tore your own hands?”
She looked at them and leaned against Dronix. “Yes, it seemed the best way to get away from him. The blood made my hands slick, and how was I to know that it was one of his turn-ons?”
Dronix looped his arms around her. “It was a fortuitous meeting.”
She smiled at the emperor and shrugged. “I am sure you have seen weirder couples.”
The snickering was unbecoming a leader.
Chapter Eight
Billa walked with the emperor while Juno led Dronix to the experimental medical facility. He needed to see how much was used to determine how much Kekxite to send to them.
“How are you adapting to being with him? That bite was... something.”
She chuckled and opened her mouth, showing her own growing canines. “He’s going to be in for it when I finish growing these things in.”
“You didn’t always have them?”
Billa shook her head. “No. They are new. My clothes? They aren’t clothing. They are something that I create myself. It is hard to explain.”
He nodded. “I have heard that Dronix is very serious. Yet, I see him laughing when you are around. Why is that?”
Billa smirked. “He has learned what it is like to get laid. It does wonders for the mood. He just hadn’t tried having sex before me.”
Darmon paused and started laughing. “Are you serious?”
“Yes. He hadn’t met someone like me before. We are extremely random, and my reaction to his bite is a little more animated than he was used to.”
“I thought it paralyzed. I mean, I saw you, so I know it doesn’t.”
“It would be easier to say that it doesn’t paralyze... me.”
“Ah. So, will you remain his companion?”
She smirked. “That is the plan at present. I will eventually take on my own form, but that might be centuries away. In the meantime, I will travel with him, keep him company, and continue our intimate relationship.”
“You travel in his mouth?”
She chuckled. “Yeah. It takes getting used to, but in that form, his saliva is a very effective moisturizer.”
They continued to walk toward the medical center, and Billa asked him, “What did that guard try to hit me with in the throne room? I felt heat, so I just reacted.”
“Ah, he is one of those selected by the gods to carry power in his veins. It is what makes us unsuitable to be offerings for Dronix. We just don’t taste good.”
She laughed. “Why didn’t I think of that?”
He nodded smugly. “That is why I am the emperor. I am good at the thinky stuff.”
They reached the medical center, and Dronix was tasting things that he shouldn’t be tasting.
“Is he drinking acid?”
She sighed. “He’s sipping it. We have started to go on gastronomical tours of different worlds, and now, he is all about the nuances of flavour.”
“What is he looking for?”
She blushed. “He is looking for a better flavour than something he can only get at home.”
Darmon frowned at her, and then, his cheeks pinked as well. “Oh.”
“Yes. He says that it is still the best thing; however, he has to keep comparing compounds to me.”
“Not to put an idea out there, but why doesn’t he try other women?”
She snorted. “The first is that contact with his saliva would paralyze the female in question, and paralysis is not good for arousal. The second is that I would find a way to injure him to a rather large extent if he started tasting other women.”
Dronix wandered over and wrapped his arms around her, pressing a kiss to her shoulder.
“You had better not be kissing me with acid in your mouth.”
“The acid had been neutralized. You are safe.” He licked her neck. “And tasty.”
Darmon asked, “Have you seen what you need to?”
Dronix nodded. “I have. We will be leaving, and I will send the mineral to the traditional coordinates. Is that acceptable?”
Darmon nodded. “Yes, it will be wonderful. Thank you.”
“Where are the volunteers?”
Darmon inclined his head. “At an outbound center. They will be prepped for transport immediately.”
Billa didn’t like it. “Can I meet with some of them? I want to make sure that they are all going voluntarily.”
Darmon nodded. “Of course. The outbound center is on the edge of the city. We can go there now.”
She made a face. “Is it near the tower we saw when Dronix let me out?”
“It is the tower.”
She looked at Dronix and smiled. “Can someone tell them that I am coming? I don’t want anyone to try and shoot me. It wouldn’t go well.”
Juno got the com activated, and then, she handed the unit to Darmon. She ran to Billa. “Can you carry me?”
“Sure. Put your head against my shoulder. I don’t want to snap your neck.”
Juno’s eyes went wide, but she hung on as Billa went outside and then lifted her.
When Juno’s head was steady, Billa launched herself skyward toward the tower. They were there in thirty-six seconds.
Juno blinked as she was set on her feet. “You can fly.”
“I can jump. There is a distinction.”
Juno had the access to the building, and she led Billa inside. Billa looked around and saw fifty men and women in bodysuits milling around, talking, walking back and forth, or watching vid screens.
Juno whistled sharply. “Ladies and gentlemen, this is Lady Billa, the companion to Master Dronix. She wishes to speak to you.”
The fifty people turned to her expectantly.
“Are any of you here under duress?”
A ripple of amusement ran through the ridiculously attractive grouping. One of the women smiled and stepped forward. “Are you worried that we will be taken advantage of by the drake, Lady?”
Billa snickered. “Uh, no. That isn’t the worry. I just want to make sure that everyone here knows that there is a minimal amount of people, the land is lush and vibrant, and you will all have fresh starts. I just want to make sure that you want them. This world looks to have its charms.”
The woman beckoned to her. “May I speak to you for a moment?”
Billa walked with her to one of the beverage areas at the back of the space.
“Lady, when I was bound for three years, I experienced the most degradation and injury that he was legally able to inflict. I thought it was a fair trade when I started, but when my contract was over, there were images of me everywhere. They were against the contract, but he was a noble and got a light sentence. Those images of me bound and vulnerable are out there, across the globe, and that is what will come up when I am seeking a new occupation.”
“So, you are leaving because of public shaming? All of you?”
The woman sighed. “Most of us. A few are escaping relationships that have gone bad. We all need a new start, and we know that Master Dronix has the room to house and shelter us while we get our bearings. He has offered it to our people before.”
Billa suddenly understood why he never tried to take offerings from his own people. He had spiked the population with unpalatable beings. She chuckled.
“Good. Thank you for that information. It will be an honour to welcome you home when we arrive.”
The woman paused. “Are you really his companion and not his offering?”
“I was the offering for a day and a half. Then, I
was upgraded to companion. He is already calling me his mate, but I am not quite a match for him yet.” She chuckled. “I am a work in progress.”
“Is he doing it to you?”
“Yes and no. It is happening because I am a person who could evolve. The trigger is in the genetics he is hauling around, so nothing happens quickly.”
The woman laughed. “You will be there?”
“I will. If you see Dronix, I will be in the nearby vicinity. He does not travel without me now.”
“Why?”
She smiled. “He gets hungry.”
The shock in the woman’s face made Billa laugh.
Dronix and the emperor came into space, and all of the locals bowed low. A team of medics began to circulate through the room, organizing and settling the new colonists.
Billa looked at Dronix, and he walked over to her, kissing her neck softly. “Apologies for delaying, but the emperor’s guard had to be told that it was fine for me to carry him here.”
She grinned and leaned on him. “It is fine. I was able to ask my questions. So, these people need a change.”
“Yes, and that is what they will have. I am thinking of putting in a spaceport... eventually.”
She chuckled, and the woman she had been speaking with looked from Dronix to her. “You are one of the drakes.”
Billa frowned. “I thought I mentioned that.”
Juno shook her head. “No. Not directly. You did hint at it.”
Billa smiled. “What made it clear?”
“Your eyes changed colour. They are molten gold.”
Billa shrugged. “I am hungry.”
Dronix tightened his arms around her. He leaned in and whispered, “Excellent. Now you are going to start on your shapeshifting.”
She groaned. “That is so scary, and I haven’t decided on my final form yet.”
“I will be with you; she will be with you. I am amazed at your progress.”
Billa snorted and watched the woman she had been talking to being led away by the medics, getting ready for the flight.