by Corin Cain
21
Aubrey
The three men leave to hunt, and I feel hollow inside.
What if they decide to fight the dragon today?
I fondle the cold steel of my gun. With it, I could most likely survive going out in the jungle and following them… if I could get a shot off before some panther turns me into lunch. I nervously touch my thighs and console myself with reason remembering the map I’d seared into my memory.
If the Aurelians were going to fight the dragon, they’d have taken more resources and rations. The volcano that was marked on the map was at least a few days hike away, even at their quick, long-legged pace.
Plus, I have to trust them. I have to trust that they would not make such a life-altering decision without consulting with me. Because if they don’t? Then I don’t know what I’m fighting for.
Yet every second that passes in their absence is agony. For the first twelve years I was back on Earth, I constantly questioned my sanity – my very understanding of the world.
Then I worked for two decades with a single-minded focus – committing every second of every day towards getting back to my three, powerful warriors.
Sleeping was a begrudged necessity. Eating was a biological weakness.
I didn’t spend thirty years fighting for Stryker, Haleon and Brigg just to lose them to a great beast.
I’ll kill that dragon myself.
The thought flares up in my mind. It excites me. My heart pounds as I imagine sneaking up on the dragon and putting my pistol to its eye; pulling the trigger eight times and putting it to sleep forever. I don’t care if you’re a mythical being, cold steel slugs through your eye will put you down.
But how could I possibly sneak up on it? I have no idea how good its hearing, or sense of smell is. How much of the day does it spend in slumber?
I hear the rough sound of the boulder being moved aside. The three warriors have returned, with a brace of birds plucked and ready to cook. They all have the same stern, indomitable look. I know a decision has been reached.
“We go tomorrow,” says Stryker, his deep green eyes locking on to mine. He does not ask. He simply tells me what is going to happen.
“Good. I’m ready,” I respond, my pistol in my belt.
“This is not the time for jokes,” Haleon says sternly.
I stand, drawing myself to my full height. Haleon still towers over me, but I don’t let that stop me from saying what I have to.
“The portal opened for me again last night.”
The three warriors stiffen, their eyes wide. I’ve seen them face down giant eagles, lions and even Scorp – and yet my words are the first thing to ever make them appear truly frightened.
“I stayed,” I reassure them, and the tense shoulders of my three loves soften slightly. “I stayed because you need my help. Do you even have a plan for killing the dragon?”
Brigg nods. “Yes. We do. We will ambush it while it sleeps.”
I smile, knowing that I have them. “I thought of this plan, as well. I thought of leaving while you were gone and putting my pistol to its face. One small woman could hide better than three large warriors.”
Stryker reaches forward for my gun, but I jump back, putting my hand up in warning. “I’m no pet, Stryker. If you knew the things I did to get back here, you wouldn’t think of my so lightly…”
“My love… We do not think of you lightly.”
Maybe not, but I knew my three loves each had a warrior’s arrogance. They just still didn’t appreciate that I was every bit the warrior they were – only I used my wits and intelligence instead of brute strength and an Orb-Blade.
“I have a better plan than yours,” I told them.
“Then speak it,” says Haleon, his voice cold. He hates the idea of me being anywhere near the terror of the dragon. The irony is, I feel the same about them.
“When I was first on this planet,” I explain, “I left this cave at night. I watched a wolf kill a deer. The dragon swooped in and stole the kill.”
Brigg nods. “The dragon is greedy.”
“Exactly – and it must not have the same immunity to Scorp venom that you three have, built up by years of small doses. I saw it grab a Scorp-Blood warrior. Instead of eating him, the dragon dropped the warrior onto the ground and killed him.”
Haleon slams his fist against the table. “Liam. I knew him well, when we were kids. I didn’t sound the war horn early enough to warn him.”
I gently touch my hand on Haleon’s arm. “You did everything you could.”
He nods, but his green eyes suggest he doesn’t fully believe my reassuring words.
I brush aside such things – we have no time for them. Not right now.
“Think, my love. The dragon would not eat an Aurelian who has Scorp venom in his veins. It’s poison to it.”
“Indeed,” Stryker nods. “Occasionally, we’ve seen members of the tribe attacked by mountain lions and tigers; but all the creatures that have feasted from a marked member of the tribe have died in agony as a result – the flesh of a marked warrior like poison to them. It is only a truly starved beast that will try… they prefer to eat the unblooded.”
I nod. It’s horrifying to think of young Aurelians being hunted down by beasts, but there’s no time for anything but the matter at hand.
“The dragon knows that. It will kill the members of your tribe, but not eat them…”
My eyes flash.
“Yet, it would eat a deer. We’ve seen it do so – stealing another predator’s kill.”
I see the understanding flicker in Brigg’s eyes. The gold flakes seem to flicker more brightly somehow.
“By the Orb-God, Aubrey. You’re right. We poison the dragon.”
Stryker considers the plan, pacing anxiously.
His face is a mask – but at least he’s thinking about what I proposed, instead of dismissing it out of hand. He saw reason before when I counselled him to bring me to Ripper despite him not wanting to put me in danger. If I am going to have a future with these three warriors, I need to know that they take my advice seriously.
“But - one taste of poisoned meat, and the dragon will spit it out,” says Stryker, and I know from years in the boardroom that I am winning. He’s looking for any reason that my plan might not work. He’s grasping at straws and I go for the kill.
“The dragon ate the deer whole. It’s greedy. Besides, a taste might be enough – if not to kill it, then to weaken it. When the dragon is weak, then we fight it.”
Haleon shakes his head. “It’s a good plan, my love, but we can’t let you be in danger. I don’t want to live in this world without you.”
I gently pull Haleon’s hand up, kissing his knuckle. “You must not think of me as less than you. I will stay back, hidden, and only attack from afar. This pistol will fire farther than even the magma breath of the dragon.
Brigg wraps his arms around me from behind, kissing my neck. “I don’t want to lose you, Aubrey. I don’t want to wake up and be tormented that you’re only a memory. Your plan is excellent, but we can’t risk you.”
I turn, pushing him away. “And so, you expect me to sit in this cave? And wait and wonder if any of you three will come back alive? Why would losing you three be any less painful for me, than losing me would be to you? ”
Stryker growls, the sound low and animal in his throat. “Aubrey speaks the truth. She comes.”
“Are you insane?” Brigg snarls. “If she dies to that beast, I’ll be the one to end your life, Stryker – for this foolishness!”
Stryker gives Brigg a threatening look. The three of them explained something called the Bond to me – how the members of an Aurelian triad can feel each other in their heads. I never want to see them come to blows, but I know their passions are at a peak.
“We cannot leave her here, Brigg. Not with Ripper so close. He aches for her – you saw it in his eyes. If we’re gone for days, he may come for her. Aubrey will be safer with us, even if we face the
dragon.”
Stryker’s voice is calm. Yet again, I understand why he is the natural leader of this triad.
He turns to me, grabbing my arm in a vice-like grip.
“You have never been in battle, though, Aubrey – not like this. You must obey my commands instantly, you understand?”
I nod. “Yes. I understand.”
“Good,” he says, and licks his lips. “Now drop to your knees, my perfect little pet.”
The sudden command is so bold and incongruent to our tense talk of seconds earlier – and yet my body responds instinctively.
Stryker watches me sink to my knees, and pulls down his loincloth. His massive cock rears out – huge and proud.
My mouth waters.
If we’re going to be slain in hopeless combat against a tyrant dragon, I at least want my last days with these men to be filled with endless pleasure.
I open my mouth, and prove that I can be both their submissive slut, and their equal in bravery and cunning.
22
Brigg
I have never felt fear like this before. Cold, insistent, gripping my heart.
It’s not the flames of the dragon’s breath washing over me that terrifies me – I have faced those flames before, and even felt their bite.
I run my hand against the old scars from that night where I thought I lost Aubrey, all those years ago.
No, my fear is of something else – something I also first felt the bite of that night so long ago. I remember the feeling of absolute grief when Aubrey first left through the portal, leaving me in a darkness that felt like an endless abyss.
I will never lose her again.
I hate the idea of her being near that creature, but Stryker is right. Aubrey will be even less safe in our cavern, especially now that we’ve challenged Ripper’s authority.
He is growing old and unstable, and will be feeling even more vulnerable in his position as Chieftain. Like the barb of a Scorp, he has been stung by our words, and poisoned by our doubt. He knows his leadership has led to the tribe dwindling. The rumors will have spread that we are going to face the dragon, and that makes him look weaker still.
But a wounded, frightened animal is at its most dangerous – and what is an Aurelian if not just a stronger, smarter animal?
Ripper may now try something desperate or insane, like coming for Aubrey and killing her; in a foolish gamble to appease the tyrant dragon. If his theory that she is a Cursed Mate responsible for the dragon’s rampage was correct, he would regain the trust of the tribe.
He is, in some ways, as dangerous as that black-winged, fire-breathing beast.
I consider this, Aubrey packs a sack with dried meat – enough for a week’s journey. I grab her wrist gently, and she turns, meeting my eyes.
“If you die, I’ll never forgive you,” I say, wanting her to feel my love fully. She gives me a sad smile and I kiss her. As our lips meet, I wonder how many more times I’ll kiss her in my lifetime.
Is this one of the last?
You never truly know. At any moment, it can all end, snuffed out by some random cruelty. I ache to protect Aubrey from the cold violence of the universe, to build with her a beautiful life. The southern lands will suit her. Though the Aurelian tribes there are not as ruthless and warlike, important qualities for my sons, perhaps a softer life is best for her.
But we cannot think of those things right now. Not until we have finished what we started thirty years ago.
The four of us step outside, into the warm jungle, and we exchange nods of solidarity and comradeship. Then we set out together, closing the boulder behind us and leaving our home for what might be the last time.
I’d almost given up on seeing Aubrey again. How cruel fate would be to bring her back to us… and take her away again.
23
Stryker
We set off northwards, towards our old home. I’m on high alert. My skin prickles as if Orb-Power is flowing through me, and my eyes constantly scan left and right, upwards and down, scanning for any sign of the winged beast.
I know the greatest danger is from the sky. We must never take our eyes from it.
For many nights over the past decades, I’ve fallen asleep imagining conquering the dragon. I’ve ached to rid our world of the scourge of this creature. Now, though, I finally feel like we have a plan. A chance.
A slim chance – but more than has ever been offered to us before. I spare a glance at my mate, feeling as though she is secretly the leader of my triad. Twice now she has swayed my mind on important, life-changing decisions in a way that Haleon or Brigg never could. This morning, when I made the decision to fight the dragon, I never would have considered for a moment putting my mate in front of the flames. Somehow she convinced me to let her come, and I’m still not quite sure how she did it.
I can never underestimate that beautiful woman. Her mind is sharper than mine. Instead of feeling foolish knowing that she can see more clearly than me, I simply feel grateful that she is on my side.
Yet, to get to the dragon’s lair, we will have to pass through the northern tribal lands, where a clan we have an uneasy peace with lives. The north-tribe survives underground, like us, in a vast network of caverns in which they can hide from the dragon. Up above their subterranean home, the luscious jungle climate turns raw and hot, filled with an ashy heat that rakes at your lungs with every breath.
As we walk, I look back at my fated mate. Aubrey should not have to bear such discomfort. More and more, I understand that she deserves to be in the softer southlands, eating sweet fruits and spending her days relaxing. Her bravery draws me to her, bonding us even closer together. I know that our sons will be proud and strong.
“Tell me more, my love,” I ask her as we walk. “What did you see in the Orb?”
She smiles. “I saw victory. I saw… I saw sons. Many sons. I watched them go to a strange world and save a woman and small children from certain death. I watched them battle Scorp Queens and earn their right to mates. They grow up and live healthy, strong lives. Our lineage will prosper throughout eternity.”
Her words make my chest puff out. Most of our tribe die out, their bloodline ending when they cannot earn the right to females destined to mate with them. Most of our tribe member’s bloodline ends in a brutal battle underground, fighting for a sacrifice.
Mine will continue, though – strong, and vital; my sons forging themselves in the histories. The dragon will be the greatest foe I face, and he will die by my sword.
24
Aubrey
We get to the cavern where it all started, oh so long ago.
It’s not nostalgia that brings us here. The cavern is a natural mid-point between the triad’s new home and the lair of the dragon.
It’s also safe and secure – the perfect resting place.
“It seems so long ago,” says Brigg wistfully, as the three towering aliens push the boulder aside. Once again, I’m in awe of their flexing muscles as they exert themselves – the perfect specimens of men.
“It was so long ago,” I say, and Haleon laughs.
“Thirty years will feel different to you when you have lived hundreds. Tell me, how many suns and moons are in an Earth year?”
We walk down the hallway and into the cave.
“365,” I tell him. “Well, 366 once every four years.”
Stryker is silent. He’s been brooding ever since we set off on this mission, completely focused on the task that lies ahead. He reminds me of a coiled spring. I’m terrified of what will happen when he unwinds.
The dragon should be, too.
“On this world, there are 460 days in a year,” says Haleon oblivious to my thoughts about Stryker. Yet Stryker’s darkness is infecting us all. I know that there are terrors in the near future, but like Haleon, I prefer to distract myself and not think about it.
Stryker is the leader, however – and his word bears the most weight out of all us. With this power comes responsibility; and it’s understandabl
e why he wears it heavily. I’m just grateful that he treats my counsel as equal to his. If he was always steamrolling me in important life decisions, I’d truly feel like coming to this planet was a mistake.
Torches are lit, and we set up a meal of dried meat and nuts on the old stone table, chewing silently. My jaw is aching by the time my belly is sated.
I marvel at my hands as I eat. I’m sixty-four years old, and yet they look so slender and youthful. If I had never met these three Aurelians, there’d be a crisscross of wrinkles all over my hands and face. Instead, somehow, my pairing with this triad has given me some kind of extended youth. At the rate I’m aging, I’ll live perhaps longer than twenty generations of humans could – and every day of them with my beloved triad at my side.
I hope – because I know that the promise of all that time might soon disappear if we are killed by the beast we seek out. While all the animals – and even the other Aurelians of this world – cower in fear of it, we are going to find the dragon that lays waste to so much of this land.
But what if we fail?
I imagine the flames of that horrific tyrant licking at my legs, covering my body until all that remains of me – and of all my hopes and dreams – is nothing but ash and dust. The vision that the Orb showed me was not certainty, I know that. It was just one possible future.
I shudder, the cold tendrils of fear churning in my stomach.
I look around at the three huge, powerful men. I don’t see a hint of fear in their eyes.
Do they feel fear? Or are they hiding it, just for my sake?
Regardless, I ache for them. If these three gorgeous warriors are going to be taken from me, or I from them, I need to experience them just one last time. I need to embrace the complete surrender of lovemaking with these God-like men.