by Eric Vall
“Y-you can’t do that!” the same woman from before shouted as her eyes hardened, and the Qianlong simply swiveled her massive head towards her. “We w-will stop you!”
“Will you now?” Heijing snarled, and her massive face seemed to grin down at the woman who objected toward the dragon’s will. “You and the army of pacifists that have never fought once in their lives? You would be dead within minutes; I’m not being cruel when I say that but merely truthful.”
“If you’re not our leader, then who is?” a younger woman shouted, her face was unafraid, and her tone was full of respect for the Qianlong as she stared up at the creature with wonder in her eyes.
Heijing’s icy blue eyes snapped toward me, and it seemed as if the citizen’s gazes followed hers. I stood tall and towered over most of the citizens. Silence fell over them as they took in my appearance, and I stepped forward toward Heijing. The Qianlong curled tighter around the fountain and lifted her head into the air. Heijing’s true form was huge, and as I stepped up next to her, the Qianlong let go of the fountain and moved towards me.
“I am,” I told them as Heijing moved around me protectively. “You may refer to me as Master.”
“How do we know that you will take care of us and protect us? The Canartian islands have never had a ruler or lord throughout all of these years!” another cat-man yelled as his yellow eyes flitted between the dragon and me.
More voices rose, and soon, everyone in the crowd was screaming, either complaints, support, or general confusion. Heijing’s movements were rigid around me as she became agitated, and my other women glanced nervously around them as more voices rose into the air.
“Enough!” I bellowed, and the sound echoed out, and a flock of black birds lifted into the air. Silence roared in our ears as all of the people of Canarta fell quiet in my presence. “I am the ruler of the desert land of Valasara, High King of the mighty iron-rich country of Tamarisch. My powers reach to the island of Machstein and even farther north to Tintagal. I took control of all of these lands, and they are flourishing under my hand. I established a trade route between all of these places, and that has made them not only stronger nations but also healthier and richer people. I will bring all of those things to the islands of Canarta.”
The citizens whispered amongst themselves for a moment, and finally, a young girl turned towards me and with wide, frightened eyes, shouted.
“Are we going to have to fight? Bring the trade route, bring us everything you like but are we going to have to change our ways to fit the times?”
I stared at her and watched as the young cat-girl shook in fear under my eyes. I didn’t need to use Canarta like that, I had legions of warriors, these pacifists had no value to me as combatants. Even though I was an Underdark god who killed and maimed for fun, I wasn’t going to force the people of Canarta into war with other countries.
When I glanced over at Carmedy and Haruhi, their eyes were wide, and their lips pressed into hard lines. Each of the cat-women’s minds ran rampant with thoughts of their home islands being destroyed. Even Heijing’s mind was worried when I glanced up at her colossal dragon face, the Qianlong knew how to fight and how to do so well, but she didn’t wish it upon the people of the island she protected and loved so much.
“No, you will not be fighting in wars of any kind but…” I trailed off, and the people of Nekoka held their breath. “We will need your aid.”
No one spoke, they only watched me with wide eyes. Carmedy had told me a long time ago that the people of not only her home island of Mauntenraion but also the people of Nekoka and Kegawa were healers. When I looked out over the crowd, I spied more than a few people with small pouches ties to their waists like the alchemist. The people of the Canartian islands were indeed well-versed in healing and medicine.
“You will not need to fight in any wars or carry any weapons,” I shouted for all to hear, and they listened enrapt to my commanding voice. “You are welcome to if it is what you wish, but the only thing we ask of you is your knowledge of medicine and healing. There will be battles ahead, and we will need all of you. In return, you will receive safety, stability, and access to goods that you wouldn’t normally have once I bring the trade route to you.”
I looked out over the horde of people as they talked amongst themselves, and none of them seemed to have any qualms with me taking over as the leader, even if they had, I would have taken the islands by force.
“It’s a good idea!” a voice shouted from my left, and I recognized the voice to be Adrian’s as the old librarian hobbled down the stairs with the help of his son. “The traders that come here occasionally talk about how well those nations are doing as a whole! Even my daughter, Haruhi, who goes on journeys to collect books has told me how well these nations are doing under the power of Master.”
“I’ve seen it too.” Haruhi’s brother spoke up as his white ears twitched, and his hazel eyes looked out over the crowd.
“Ezra! Ezra’s home!” a huddle of teenage girls squealed excitedly as they stood on their tiptoes to get a better view of the tall young man, but Haruhi’s brother ignored them.
“My fleet went to Machstein a few weeks ago, and the difference between now and before is baffling. The people there are happier with full meals on their tables because of the newly established trade route. I personally think that we should take this deal and accept him as our ruler.” Ezra shouted for all to hear as he helped his father closer, and Adrian nodded in agreement.
Ezra seemed to be well-respected in the city from the approving looks I received after the cat-man spoke up. Ezra’s eyes met mine respectfully, and he bowed his head to me. Haruhi and Ezra, though separated by five years, looked alike enough to be twins. The older male’s dark, almost black hair was cropped short, and his face was angular. From the whisperings of the young girls in the crowd surrounding me, it was plain to see that Ezra was the town favorite among the teenage girls.
He was a handsome man as he stood tall and helped his aging father closer to our party. Ezra walked with an assured confidence as his eyes locked with mine. His thoughts were clear and good-natured, just as his father’s and sister’s were. Ezra would be an excellent lieutenant to me just as the Decathmor brothers and Makar were.
Ezra let go of his father’s arm, and Adrian leaned on his cane as his son moved away. The cat-man came to stand directly in front of me, and I felt Heijing tense from behind me. Finally, the Qianlong was showing the tiniest amount of aggression, but I raised a hand to stop her, and she calmed herself. Ezra dropped to a knee in front of me, respectfully, and bowed his head. A few of the young women in the crowd gasped and whispered softly to themselves but did nothing more than that. When Ezra raised his head again to me, his hazel eyes were clear.
“Welcome Master, I humbly offer my life to you,” Ezra uttered in a deep voice, and I nodded my head to him as he went on. “Use it as you wish, let me be a tool to you and your people. I am your servant and will do everything you ask.”
“There is no need for that right now, my son,” I smiled as I offered him a gloved hand.
I helped Ezra to his feet, and even more girls from the crowd giggled, but the tall sailor ignored them as he looked into my face. He studied me for a moment then his hazel eyes moved toward the massive dragon above me.
“Are you really Heijing?” Ezra asked in a whisper, and in an instant, the Qianlong transformed back into a human.
“That I am.” The dragon nodded as she slipped her small, delicate hands into the sleeves of her robe.
“Can you prove it?” the cat-man asked awkwardly as he brushed at the back of his head. “I heard that all dragonborn…have…a…”
I raised my eyebrows in surprise as the sailor’s cheeks flushed red, and he avoided the Qianlong’s probing gaze. Heijing scoffed, rolled her eyes then lifted her left hand towards the collar of her pure white robe. The Qianlong tugged on it lightly, and it came away from her pale skin. Heijing pulled it away to reveal her collarbone then t
he shoulder, and I saw what Ezra had meant.
A small swatch of her smooth, pale skin was covered in the same scales that her dragon form has. The mark was shaped into a swirl, almost like a sigil but burned into her flesh like a brand. Her icy blue eyes examined Ezra’s face with interest for a moment then she sighed, let the fabric drop and turned back to me. The cat-man coughed loudly and gave the Qianlong a shy smile, but it all went ignored by the tiny woman as she addressed me.
“The Canartian islands are yours, Master,” The dragon purred to me in an alluring voice, and I simply raised my eyebrows in surprise. “What is your next course of action?”
“Well, there might be a problem…” Ezra started, but I read his thoughts before he could even finish and raised a hand to silence him.
“I understand,” I stated in a firm voice as I turned towards my group of women. They all stood and watched me happily.
My eyes landed on Carmedy and Rana as they stood together and grinned to me. Their thoughts were light and happy like they usually were, and I couldn’t help but smile back at them. I treasured each of them equally, and I would have to come to a decision very soon.
I wouldn’t really be the ruler of Canarta unless I was married on its soil, just like on Machstein. I knew that both Rana and Carmedy were anxious to marry me, especially since they knew that their time was coming soon. I’d married Annalise first then Morrigan, and now I had to choose another wife. I already knew that it couldn’t be Haruhi, though I loved her and the sage was already part of my minions, it’d be genuinely unfair to both Carmedy and Rana if I did such a thing. Heijing seemed to sense my thoughts and anxieties as she stepped close to me and gazed over to the two hybrid-women.
“One of them will be disappointed,” the Qianlong whispered in a soft tone. “But that is to be expected. If I may offer you a piece of advice?”
“Of course, you are one of my consorts now; I wouldn’t expect anything less,” I stated in a firm voice as the small woman stood beside me and looked straightforward.
“Canarta is a prideful chain of islands, as you can already tell, I am a prideful being and respect the people of my island’s wishes. The people who first moved onto the islands were none other than catkin, and they may take offense if…” the Qianlong trailed off as her icy blue eyes met mine for a moment, and I understood her meaning.
“An outsider marrying another outsider, you mean?” I asked in a low tone, and Heijing bowed her head.
“It is merely a suggestion. They accepted you willingly as their leader, but that sentiment can change in an instant if you offend their morals. I know it matters not if the people of the islands like you, but it is better to catch flies with honey than with vinegar. You will need their cooperation in the future, and I would hate to have it denied. I know you have the power to make them do as you wish, but a forced hand is nothing more than that, a forced hand. I may not have been a leader in my time, but both my parents were, and I learned many things from them. You can force someone to do something, but it is better to have them do it willingly.”
I raised my eyebrows and examined Heijing’s face as she looked out over my women. The Qianlong wasn’t what I expected, and I placed a gentle hand on her tiny shoulder. She may have been small, but she was sturdy, and her head snapped to me at the sudden contact. I smiled to her, and Heijing’s cold blue eyes softened for a moment. The dragon’s thoughts went wild for a moment at my touch, but I kept my hand where it was.
“You will be of great use in the future,” I nodded to her approvingly.
“Of course I will,” Heijing said easily, and I blinked in surprise at her response. “I am the only daughter of the Akalong warlord, I’ve sat in on hundreds of war counsels to know what happens out on the battlefield. You train your women on weapons and ways of war, correct?”
“Yes, I teach them what they need to know to help me along the way.” I nodded and finally, Heijing turned to me, her icy blue eyes burned into my face for a moment before she spoke.
“I do not need lessons on how to hold a sword or how to behave on the battlefield,” the Qianlong said in a firm, emotionless voice as she studied my face. “But you could teach me…other things…”
The implication behind the Qianlong’s words was obvious, and I stared down at her in disbelief for a moment. Heijing’s face was honest and free of embarrassment like she’d asked me a simple request. I wouldn’t say that she looked up at me with innocent eyes because the heat of desire behind them burned intently. She’d told us this was her time to escape into the human world and would decide if it were the best place for her to be.
The dragon-woman blinked once, sniffed once then turned away from me to look towards my women once again. Her thoughts were soft whispers in her head, and my silence hadn’t bothered her one bit as she watched my minions interact with each other in the crowd of Canartian people.
“Heijing…” I started as I decided what to say, but she shook her head and let a small smile slip over her plump lips.
“No, it’s alright, Kazama,” the Qianlong let my true name fall from her lips as her eyes met mine. “You don’t have to answer me now or give me a decision any time soon, but the offer still stands, and I hope you think about it. As you said, I would be an aid and an asset to your party.”
Heijing let the words slip from her lips, and then the Qianlong stepped away from me and into the crowd towards my women. The dragon was an intriguing creature, and her offer was enticing, but I had other things to worry about before I opened my arms up to the mysterious Heijing.
I turned and locked eyes with Ezra for a moment. He bowed his head respectfully to me and stepped forward toward me with Adrian at his elbow. The older librarian gave me a cheery wave and a giant grin as he held onto his son’s arm. I glanced back at my women, and my eyes settled upon one of them in particular as I decided who I would marry next.
“Ezra?” I asked in a soft voice.
“Yes, Master?” the young cat-man answered back hurriedly.
“Where is your closest jeweler?” I questioned as I watched my women talk together happily in the bright sunlight.
“I can take you there, Master, but may I ask why you need the jeweler?” Ezra asked as he cocked his head to the side, interested.
“Ah, of course, I’m going to have a new bride soon, then there will be a wedding, and then I will be the true ruler over the islands of Canarta.”
Chapter Two
Ezra showed me the way to the jeweler, and I stood outside of the shop for a moment. It was much different from the one I’d commissioned for the ring I gave Morrigan. The outside of the shop looked expensive with massive windows that displayed a vast array of glittering rings. The place I’d gone on Machstein for the elven woman’s ring was more of a smithy where the actual ring was forged.
Ezra bowed to me as he held open the door, and I stepped inside. I took in all of the massive display cases that contained large quantities of not only rings but other jewelry as well. A young cat-woman stepped around the counter at the back and gave me a dazzling smile. Her honey-blonde hair shone in the bright sunlight, and her dark brown eyes sparkled excitedly as they moved over my holy armor.
Like the outside of the building, the walls inside were pristine white with dark wood that creaked as I stepped forward. There was a pleasant scent in the air; I couldn’t place it, but it smelled fresh and clean. All of the counters sparkled brightly in the shifting sunlight, and I stepped towards the nearest showcase to take a look inside.
“What are you looking for today?” the salesgirl asked in a raspy but pleasant voice that reminded me of Annalise in a way.
“Master?” Ezra asked over my shoulder, and I turned towards the saleswoman and looked deeply into her face.
“Engagement rings,” I stated, and the cat-girl’s face split into a wide grin.
“Oh! That’s so exciting! What kind of engagement ring are you looking for?” the blonde cat asked as her spotted ears twitched happily.
/> I stood and looked over the rings under the glass for a moment. None of these rings suited the minion I meant it for, and even the tiny price tags attached didn’t seem expensive enough for my women.
“Show me your most expensive ones,” I said as I met the attendant’s eyes once more, and her puffy, brown and white tail wagged out behind her excitedly.
The cat-girl ushered me to the back towards one of the smaller cases directly beside the register. The salesgirl stood directly behind it, unlocked the white door, and lifted out a small display holder with ten rings affixed to it. Each ring had a different shaped white diamond pressed into the gold or silver, but they weren’t what I was looking for. I shook my head and waved a hand to the salesgirl as I stepped away from the display case.
The cat-girl nodded with disappointment as she slipped the holder back into the case and locked it back up. She didn’t follow after me but watched me from behind the counter. Ezra stood by the door with his hands clasped behind his back as he waited patiently for me.
I moved about the room slowly and took in all of the options. All of the rings were beautiful, but none of them were worthy enough for my minion. I was about to give up when out of the corner, a bright glint caught my eye and I turned toward it. I placed a gloved hand on the counter as I bent down to get a better look. The salesgirl scurried over as I took in the way the subtle pink diamond pressed in the rose gold setting. It was perfect, and the cat-girl hastily unlocked the cabinet and pulled out the ring I’d set my eyes on.
The salesgirl lifted the ring and held it out to me. I took it from her thin fingers and scrutinized it. The diamond was a shade of soft pink and glittered in the light as I tilted it.
“It also includes the wedding band with it.” the salesgirl smiled as she held the second, smaller band out to me.