Dragon Count

by Kendal Davis

  I did not have to answer her, here at the formal convening of my Council, but I did. Somebody needed to articulate what had happened here. “Theirs is the House I trust the least,” I said simply.

  “So you have surrounded yourself with them?” Her face flushed in anger. She would not back down, even if she believed that I was a monster. Especially then. I admired her ferocity more than I could say.

  “I keep them close to me, so that I may watch them. It is our way.”

  The old man, David, now advanced to stand next to Olivia. I knew she was fond of him as a valued, trusted friend. I saw it in her mind. To me, he was a curiosity. We had never seen a peasant who had reached such an age, and such a state of experience. Although his mind was rich with knowledge, his emotions were far calmer than Olivia’s. They were concentrated into their very essence. They would be exquisite if I absorbed them and turned them into dragon magic.

  Perhaps Olivia was right about me.

  Was I a monster to have had that thought?

  David spoke in a clear, centered tone. He was, strangely enough, not afraid of us. “We need not discuss your politics right now. Unless, that is, you plan to use those social structures to get our friend back. There is where our focus must be now.”

  I longed to tell him that we would not try to get the blonde woman back. I wished that I were free to deny all knowledge of where she had gone, or why they had taken her. Yet I was not.

  We all understood that Brick had taken Kat in order to goad me into following him. He wanted to draw me onto the land of House Rubellus. If I made missteps there, I would find no friends in any form. They no longer kept any advisors from other Houses there.

  Even the dragons that I might bring with me from my own house would not stand by me if I erred so badly there as to make a fool of myself. Instead, I would encounter humiliation and the total loss of pride that would make it impossible for me to sit as Count.

  Without a dragon’s pride in myself, I could not rule.

  But without honor, I had nothing at all.

  And, though it was ruinously dangerous for all of us, Brick’s plan was going to work. I could no sooner let his court of ruffians kidnap a guest that I knew was my responsibility, than I could allow him to claim Olivia herself. To most of the dragons in this room, they were interchangeable women, visiting peasants from another land that meant nothing to us. Not Sage, perhaps.

  And not to Cobalt. I remembered how he had looked at Kat.

  But for most of the dragons here, it did not matter. That was the truth that I could no longer bear. They were sparring with each other simply to pass the time. None had gone after the helpless human. Not one had managed to save her as Brick took her from my stronghold.

  Olivia was right in thinking that we were a decadent race whose habits amounted to little more than vampirism. Humans, including her, were mere pawns as we jostled with each other for power. We were only amusing ourselves, rather than accomplishing anything of genuine honor.

  If my own Guards could not save a guest of mine, or did not even want to bother with such an errand, then all the peasants in my care would suffer the same fate. Would House Rubellus eventually poach all the women from our town?

  Olivia drew herself up as tall as she could. She was still no more than a tiny, unthreatening human woman. But although her form was small, her spirit radiated strength all around her. She was willing to risk her life for her friend. She would do the same for every peasant in the town, I realized, even though she did not know them.

  “Indigo. You must go after her. You say that your House Gift is honor. Do you have any to spare for humans, or is it just for dragons?”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I cut her off. “It is not a choice for me. My House Gift is literally binding for me. It directs my actions, whether I wish it or not.”

  “Then prove it. Show me, and show your people, that you understand that honor is not just for dragons. It is your responsibility to care for all those in the care of your House. That goes for peasants, too.”

  A voice drifted up from the table. It came from a Guardsman who did not wish to show his face. I could have traced its source with my magic, but I didn’t bother. He said, “That’s right, you should save her so she can be sacrificed in today’s ceremony. That is where your duty lies.”

  I froze. Was that what my Guards thought of me?

  What they thought duty meant to us?

  It was a yellow-cloaked dragon, I could tell that much. The words emanated the disdain that was the Gift of that House. I should have known that most of my advisors would be content to watch and wait, only commenting for the sake of cruelty. House Flavus most of all, perhaps. Disdain was a Gift that was hardly attractive in any situation, but was unbearable right now.

  I could feel the glow of heat rising around me as my dragon form threatened to take over against my will. Anger was all I knew as it coursed through my veins. I was sure that I was about to change from the shape of a man into a wild dragon that would show these doubters what I meant with brute force.

  Then, with a snap, the world adjusted into focus for me.

  Brute force might be needed, but I would not apply it here. I would use it to prove what was right, what I knew that honor demanded of me.

  “No. I will go to the stronghold of House Rubellus and I will rescue her. All those who want to support me as I battle House Rubellus may come.”

  The room was as still as a tomb. Every set of eyes, human and dragon alike, watched me.

  The yellow-cloaked Guardsman spoke again, this time not bothering to hide that it was he who was speaking. “And will there be a sacrifice before sunset? Your duty to the magic of your House requires it.”

  I stared at him. For that single moment, it was as if the fulfillment of my position as Count, the life that I had been born for, meant nothing to me. All that mattered was the protection of those that depended on me.

  Belatedly, I understood that those two imperatives were the same thing.

  As I turned to make my way to the ramparts outside, I threw the answer over my shoulder. My voice echoed, loud and firm enough that all would hear it and mark my words.

  “Don’t count on it.”

  Chapter 17: Olivia

  Indigo’s change of heart took my breath away. Was it possible that there was a conscience somewhere in his dragon heart after all? I stared after him for a moment, too stunned to move. If he meant what he said, then perhaps he was capable of change.

  What if they all were?

  All the Guards seated at his table watched him stride away. There was a sense of unreality in the hall as we each processed what the Count had said. His proposed rescue of Kat was a politically sound plan, no matter how we looked at it. Even if he was the ruthless dictator I had begun to believe that he was, it made sense that he would bring her back. That was plausible, just as a necessary means of protecting his House.

  But his last words before he walked out told us that maybe he had other reasons for wanting to save her. More sympathetic motivations. He might, just possibly, view her as an individual who was worthy of value, and unworthy of sacrifice.

  Despite the fact that she was human, of course.

  If he did, if he was demonstrating to me the most honorable choice I’d ever seen him make, then there might be hope for us after all.

  I put aside the question of our relationship, tucking it into a mental pocket for later. There would be time to think about that after my friend was safe. After we were all safe, if that moment ever came.

  I started toward the door to follow Indigo. I stopped when I realized that there was still nobody else rising to leave the room to support the Count. I turned to David, questioning him with my eyes. He swiveled his gaze to Sage, sending a private entreaty.

  The green-eyed dragon of House Viridis made a decisive motion with his hands, settling his green cloak on his shoulders and squaring his stance. “Guards,” he said. His voice was gentle, but i
t carried throughout the hall with a dignity that was transfixing. “I will follow the Count. If you believe in his honor, in your own, and in his rule of this House, then you should be there as well.”

  Before he made his way to the wide doorway to exit the hall, Sage turned to a blue-cloaked Guard. The man was clearly of House Caeruleus himself. It seemed impossible to me that the blue dragons had not already left to support their Count. These dragons were strangely circumspect in their customs. Then I understood that his hesitation was not about Indigo, but rather about Cobalt. Sage gave a firm nod in answer to the other man’s silent query.

  “I authorize you to release Cobalt. I will answer to the Count for this decision. I am confident that it is his intention that Cobalt be there to join the rescue party.”

  At that, an invisible sign released all the Guardsmen. They moved as one to leave the hall and follow Indigo to the ramparts to change their forms and fly.

  David looked at me with concern. “You should go. I will stay here with Andres. Somebody should. He would not be comfortable with the confrontation that is about to happen.”

  I grinned, the adrenaline coursing through me making me reckless. “But you think I will?”

  My mentor chuckled. “Olivia, I think you have been preparing for this moment for years. I have never known you to shrink from a conflict if you believed in your purpose. Now go.” He waved a hand in a generalized salute as I left.

  Although my nerves were jangling with energy, wired and ready to be part of whatever what was about to happen, I was physically unable to move as fast as these Elterian men. They came in different sizes and apparent ages, but they all had in common a magnificent fitness. I smiled wickedly to myself as I hurried outside, remembering that most of them probably wore nothing at all under their robes.

  If they had donned their bright cloaks right after shifting from their dragon forms, then that fabric was all that separated their hard, naked bodies from the sight of the world.

  I felt like a sex-starved youngster, to be having these thoughts even as we raced into danger.

  But my mind was now awakened to what it was like to lie with a dragon man. I did not know that I could ever be the same again. I would never be able to look at Indigo now without the secret knowledge of what it was like to be with him so intimately. It was possible that I could never settle for another man at all. My growing suspicion that this was true was worrisome and comforting at the same time.

  As it was, I was the last to arrive on the flat stone area at the top of the mountain that the dragons used for their landing place. When I arrived, I almost froze with fear that they had all left without me. The broad expanse of gray rock was littered with neat stacks of cloaks, each one folded perfectly. Was it some sort of standard of dragon politeness, to leave things tidy when riding into conflict?

  Surely they had not all left. Indigo would not do that to me.

  Unless he meant to abandon me here for my own safety.

  “I’m still here,” he said, as he stepped into view from behind a boulder. “I waited for you.”

  “Thank you.” I could muster nothing more than that, but my words were heartfelt.

  “Did you think I would leave you here, knowing how much you want to ride a dragon into battle to shout for the moral right of your ideals?” His words were lightly mocking, but his tone was gentle.

  “You can laugh if you want. But that is exactly what I want to do.” I smiled at him, still wondering if he was really capable of change.

  Yes. I am. That was all he said in my mind in answer.

  I watched him, my lips parting in concentration and desire, as he removed his blue cloak. He did as the other shifters had done and folded it into a smooth, square pile before setting it gently on the stone. He met my eyes, showing no sense of modesty about his naked form. His shoulders rippled with unspent strength as he stood tall in front of me.

  “We leave our cloaks here when we shift so that we don’t damage them. Of course, you’ve guessed that. You are also right in thinking we could make more cloaks with no trouble, using our magic. But the reason we take the time to make them neat is to promise ourselves that we will come back to them. We will come back to our lives as shapeshifters.”

  “Was there ever a dragon that didn’t?” I asked, surprised.

  “Many. You think we are ruthless, besotted with wielding our power over others. What you don’t know is that this is an age of peace for us, a time in which we have succeeded in controlling ourselves. If we were dragons all the time, we would live as animals. Chaos would reign.”

  “Was that what happened in a different time? In another age?”

  Indigo frowned at me. “Yes. I forget that you have no way of knowing these things. Our history is not a dragon secret. All peasants on Elter know these things. It helps them understand our ways.” He lifted a hand to show that he knew I did not agree with how he viewed his peasants and their motivations. Wanting to hear more, I let it go.

  “Go on,” I said neutrally.

  “There was an age of chaos many centuries ago. I was born after that, but there are dragons in my House who remember it. Dragons sought unceasing power, and spent all their time as creatures on the wing, never returning to the form of men and women. They lost their ability to understand themselves and each other. Their emotions were unbalanced, all feelings merging together into rage and avarice.”

  I was beginning to see where this was going. I pinned him with my gaze, trying my hardest not to allow my vision to detour any lower on his body than the eyes. “So the dragons created the ideal that you have now, in which each House exemplifies a single emotional trait?” I spoke slowly, not wanting to let him know my opinion of that system. Frankly, I didn’t think it was much of an improvement.

  They were still astoundingly lacking in self-awareness, as far as I could tell. Their compartmentalized idea of emotion had not made them civilized, it had resulted in a race of ruthless vampires.

  “I know what you are thinking, and you are correct. As a social plan, it has its own problems. But the Founders managed to rein in the chaos by binding each House to a behavioral trait. No longer could dragons descend into the maelstrom of animal violence that led to mindlessness.”

  “But you steal from the peasants to make it possible. You take everything from them. You crib from the passion of their souls, and you abscond with their very lives.”

  Indigo looked at me. His voice was firm, but something about his eyes was desolate. “You heard me back there, in the Great Hall. I won’t continue it. The honor of my House depends on finding a better way. We cannot do this anymore.”

  Then, galvanized by shouts from the sky above us, he pointed upwards. “Look. The other dragons are waiting for us.”

  I lifted my eyes to see the sky filled with dragons of all colors. It might have been every Guardsmen he still had, up there, in their scaled, breathtaking beauty. I saw Cobalt, the massive blue dragon who captained Indigo’s forces. His wings beat powerfully against the air as he held his position above us, waiting.

  He could not wait much longer.

  None of us could.

  The air began to hum around Indigo’s body, as he used his magic to initiate his transformation. His muscles rippled with the sheen of magic as light wrapped around him. I stepped back instinctively from the heat, then realized that my own safety required that I make much more space for the new size he was about to take on.

  I would never hurt you.

  Even as he was enveloped in a swirl of magic, sparks lifting from the rocks to the sky above us, he had time to send me that message of reassurance. The glowing embers of his power danced lazily through the air, merging with the colors of the setting sun.

  And, as if there was nothing to it, he had become a dragon. A blue-scaled, spiny, sharp-toothed dragon stood there before me. Only a few days ago, I would have been dumbfounded to hear that such a thing was possible. Now, it was becoming as natural to me as breathing. I was beginning t
o think that I understood the sleight of hand that was this man, the way he existed with one foot in each reality.

  I was glad to see him. I knew I could ride him to where my friend waited, needing me.

  But I also knew that my pleasure at being with the dragon again was because I loved him. Not just the man, not just the dragon.

  I loved them both.

  I crawled up Indigo’s extended wing, running my hand along his smooth scales. They felt like nothing else in the world. A shiver of pleasure swept through me at the touch as I settled into my accustomed spot.

  We will have more time.

  I heard him, and I nodded blindly, through the tears that had sprung into my eyes. I hoped we would. Right now, the only thing I could think about was the task in front of us.

  We would fly into battle, into the home advantage of my Count’s enemies, for our honor. Indigo and I were, I hoped, finally united in our belief that a human life was as valuable as a dragon life.

  If we could save a single life, we could prove it.

  Chapter 18: Indigo

  We rose from the rocky plateau that topped my mountain stronghold. I relished the feeling of my strong wings cutting through the air. No matter what magic we possessed, the ability to fly was the defining trait of dragonhood on Elter. Dragons did not need our lives of luxury, or our carefully constructed rituals, if we had this.

  The great Houses of Elter might not even need their portals. It was blasphemy to think such a thing, but times had changed. We were not a world of warlike creatures any more. The portals were vestiges of the time of chaos, when dragons assembled in great armies in the desert, so that we could invade other worlds.

  If I had my way, those days would never return. True, we were decadent and self-absorbed creatures now, but there must be another purpose for us besides waging war. There must be something else that dragons were good for, or good at.

  Olivia rode astride me, her concentration on learning everything she could leaving no room in her mind for fear. That was her secret. As long as she was busy taking in new information, she had no time to worry about herself.