Jagger looked at her oddly, “Are you okay?”
“It’s very cold here…” She replied softly.
Jagger smiled, “You’re used to being outside in the heat… and something tells me that your body wasn’t designed for cold weather. This place is climate controlled. Given that it’s the middle of the summer…”
“I tried using the com to ask them if they could turn up the heat, but no one responded.”
“Likely they’re all in bed.” Jagger replied.
“Probably… Jagger… um…”
“What?”
Raiya lowered her eyes, “The nomads often huddled together for warmth on the rare occasions when we were stuck in cold weather.”
“Body heat?”
“Yeah…”
A look of humiliation appeared in her eyes. He knew what she wanted to ask, but clearly she was having trouble finding the words, “Okay, come on, climb in.”
“Really, you sure?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay… thanks.”
Jagger turned over and lay on his side, facing away from Raiya as he waited for her to join him. He could hear a light tussling sound behind him, following by the sheets tightening as they were lifted. He was about to close his eyes when he felt Raiya’s arms find their way around him.
The feel of her body press against his forced his eyes opened wide, “You’re freezing!”
She had removed her night dress and her skin felt like fine grain sandpaper. The texture of her skin didn’t bother him, but it was extremely cold. He could feel her head turn to the side, allowing her cheek to press against his back, “Does it bother you?”
“No.”
It was a lie. It did bother him. If her body didn’t warm up, he’d be freezing all night. It was like trying to sleep while being pressed against a block of ice. His instinct was to try to pull away, but Raiya’s rhythmic breathing told him that she was finally comfortable.
His skin broke out in goosebumps. As her arms passed over his, her rhythmic breathing stopped, “Liar… it is bothering you. I can feel the goose bumps.”
“It’s fine.”
“No, it’s not…”
“Raiya, really. Get some sleep, I’m sure you’ll warm up.”
“All right… but if you decide you can’t sleep, tell me.”
“Okay.”
Raiya lay on her side with the typical frown on her face, “Jagger?”
“Yeah?”
“The attack on New Framingham… um…”
“It wasn’t your fault.”
“You keep saying that, but how do you know?” Raiya demanded. “For all you know, they could have been looking for me.”
“Maybe, but how is that your fault? Don’t listen to what those idiots said to you. You didn’t bring the dragon down on them. I know that. When we evacuated, all you could think about was saving those people. You kept them alive longer than they likely would have survived.”
“That doesn’t make it any easier.”
“It wasn’t supposed to. I’m just saying that you did what you thought was right. No one can fault you for it.”
“Thanks, I guess.” Raiya replied.
Jagger felt her body relax against him again. She slowly drifted off to sleep as her body continued to remain pressed against him. Little by little, her skin did warm until it was a normal temperature.
As he began to fall asleep, Raiya unconsciously let go of him and turned over. She immediately began to shiver as her breathing became erratic. Is it really that cold in here?
It didn’t matter, she was uncomfortable and he needed her in good shape. She needed to be well rested if they were going to have any chance against a dragon lord. He rolled over and placed his arms around her. His body pressed against hers as he leaned over to see if she had woken up.
Raiya’s eyes were closed, but a narrow smile had appeared on the corner of her mouth. She was content at least. That was good enough for him. He ran his hand over her hip and reached out for her arm.
Her side raised as she took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Jagger blinked a few times as he looked at her. Are you attracted to me? That question still caught him off guard. It wasn’t exactly something that a person just came straight out and asked… at least not so directly. Yet he was lying next to her contemplating those exact words.
There was an opening in the blanket that allowed him a glimpse of her slender body. Yeah, despite the scales and odd boney plates on her back, she was actually very attractive. However, she was a nomad who likely wouldn’t survive very long, given what she was after. Probably best to just keep it to yourself.
Without another thought, Jagger drifted off into a dream world he was certain that Raiya would soon be dominating. Both of their bodies were warm and they’d both be comfortable… sort of.
I’ll be lucky if I don’t wake up with a road rash… skin rash… whatever you want to call it.
The next morning, Raiya awoke to the sound of light snoring. The sun was up again and that meant that their big day was upon them. Then she noticed that Jagger had apparently rolled over and held her in place to keep her warm.
A faint smiled appeared on her face as she lay in bed. Part of her resisted the urge to move. This was the first time she’d ever slept in comfortable bed being kept that warm, she liked it until another sensation became apparent.
Right at the bottom of her tailbone, she felt something stiff press against her. What’s this? Oh boy… Someone’s having a fun dream… wonder if I’m somehow involved.
Feeling devious, she slowly arched her back and gently wiggled her butt against his hips. Jagger groaned and turned on his back. She sat up and looked at him, “Was it good for you?”
No response.
She giggled to herself as she got up and headed for the nearby shower. She didn’t feel dirty, but she’d gotten into the routine of taking a shower whenever one was available. Who knew when the next time one would be?
………………….
The sound of running water woke Jagger. He pressed his eyes closed as he stretched and sat up. Raiya must have decided to grab a shower.
Jagger got up and decided to take a look out in the living. Loud snoring from across the room let Jagger know that Eric was still out cold. The sun was peeking through the window, creating a shadow on the floor in front of him.
To his surprise, Jagger saw that an assortment of breakfast foods including fruit, pastries, and beverages had been laid out for them. He was hungry, but he decided to wait until the others were ready to eat before digging in.
Behind him in the bedroom, Jagger heard the shower stop. He turned and went back in to wait his turn and hope that she had left him some hot water.
He grabbed a towel out of the small closet next to the bathroom as Raiya stepped out. Once again, she didn’t bother wrapping herself in a towel.
This time Jagger didn’t immediately try to look away. He just looked at her like he did when she was dressed. Her nipples were fully erect, her breasts seemed very firm, not moving as she walked, and there was no trace of pubic hair anywhere on her, despite her clearly being of age. He began to wonder if her skin could even grow such hair. She had a full head of hair, so who knew? It was either that or he’d have to solve the mystery of how she shaved it off.
She smiled deviously at Jagger, but he pretended not to notice, “Oh good, shower time!”
Jagger got up and picked up his towel. Raiya’s eyes narrowed as he briskly walked past her, “What, no reaction this time?”
“Nope.”
Raiya frowned, “Really?”
“Yeah, why?”
Raiya’s lips twisted like she was pissed off, but didn’t want him to know. She shook her head and turned away, “Nothing, just forget about it.”
“You sure.”
“Yeah, just go.”
She quickly grabbed the sheet off the bed, wrapped herself in it and marched back to her room. Jagger shrugged the whole thing of
f and got ready for a shower.
Jagger sat down for breakfast and was quickly joined by his companions. Eric speared a few pastries and quickly began munching on a croissant. Raiya began munching on a slice of bacon.
Jagger’s place was a little bit of everything. He was actually kind of surprised with Raiya. Her plate was almost entirely meat. He’d seen her sharp teeth and figured that she was likely more carnivorous, “Someone likes her bacon.”
Raiya looked down at her plate, “What? I’ve never had this before… it’s actually really good.”
“Have you tried the fruit?”
“No… to be honest, it actually kind of makes me sick.”
“Really?”
Raiya nodded, “Yeah… I don’t know why, but it always seems to make me nauseous within minutes.”
They had only been eating for a few moments when the elevator bell sounded and the door to the opened. A tall gangly man with a white beard entered into the room. He spoke with an accent that was clearly not American. Likely this man was from Mid-Western Europe, “Good morning my friends. I trust we all slept well?”
Jagger turned and stood up, “Dr. Ian Castillo?”
“At your service. I understand you wished to speak with me?”
“Yes sir, we’ve got a little bit of a mystery on our hands.” Jagger replied as he turned and beckoned towards Raiya.
Dr. Castillo’s eyes lit up like a dog’s that had just been offered a slab of beef, “Well… well… Yes, I can clearly see what you mean.”
………………….
The way this doctor was looking at her made her skin crawl, “You’re Dr. Castillo? You’re the guy we’ve come all this way to see?”
Dr. Castillo smiled warmly as he extended his had to her, “Don’t sound too disappointed, my dear. I may not look like much, but I helped cure Dragon’s Bane and helped treat many injured soldiers. What can I do for all of you?”
Raiya showed him her clawed right hand at which point the doctor grabbed it and kissed the back of her palm. Jagger stood up next to her, “Doctor, we’re hunting one of the Five Dragon Lords. Raiya may be the key to defeating it, but we need to know… why she is the way she is.”
Raiya flashed Jagger a momentary look of appreciation for his careful wording as the doctor scoffed, “A dragon lord, you say? You think you can battle one and survive the encounter?”
“We already have.” Raiya replied.
“What?”
Jagger stepped forward, “I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it myself. She stood between a dragon lord and its prey. He sprayed her with dragon’s fire and not even her hair was burnt.”
“Intriguing…” Dr. Castillo replied.
His eyes fixated on her scanning her body from head to toe. Raiya looked at Jagger as if to say, ‘make him stop.’
Jagger nodded that he understood and looked at the old doctor, “Can you help us?”
“Of course.” Dr. Castillo said enthusiastically. “We’ll need to run a few tests and take a few samples of her skin and blood, but it is completely doable.”
Dr. Castillo looked into her eyes, “Those… are the most striking eyes I’ve ever seen. You’ll need to come with me.”
Jagger stood up, “I’m going to…”
“No.” The doctor replied as his voice suddenly became stern. “I’m afraid my equipment and my lab space have certain environmental requirements that have to be maintained. We can’t have a bunch of filthy nomads down there making a mess and contaminating the air. I’m sorry, but I have to insist. Either she comes alone, or not at all.”
Jagger shook his head, “I’m not going to…”
“I’ll go.” Raiya said, cutting him off.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, it’ll be all right. I can take care of myself.”
Jagger’s face twisted as he sat back down in the chair. Dr. Castillo looked overjoyed as he clasped his hands together, “Terrific! We’ll proceed immediately!”
The doctor beckoned Raiya to the elevator. She hesitantly stepped by him and proceeded through the metal doors. Dr. Castillo nodded and turned to follow Raiya out of the room, “Enjoy yourselves, we’ll be back before you know it and I’ll have information for you soon.”
………………….
Jagger turned back to Eric as the doors closed, “Something doesn’t feel right about this.”
Eric looked up from his plate of food. His face was a mess and his voice was sticky, “What do you mean?”
“I didn’t like the way he looked at her.”
“It was kind of pervy now that you mention it. Even so, she’s unique and he’s a scientist. Maybe he’s just over excited. You know how these guys are. They spend so much time in the labs that they don’t really develop people skills.”
“Maybe…”
Eric sighed as he sat back, “Buddy I don’t think we really have much to worry about and we do need his help. Why don’t we just let this play out for now and see where it goes?”
“I don’t want to take that chance… if something happens to her…”
Eric’s eyes narrowed, “Yeah what’s your deal man? You act like the two of you are brother and sister, didn’t you just meet her a few days ago. Why do you seem so attached to her?”
Jagger sighed, “I’m not really sure, to be honest. I can’t explain it… but I think she might be the key to ending the war. If she can withstand dragon’s fire, she might have a chance against the one she wants to kill.”
“It’s not just that…”
“What is it then?” Jagger said as he slouched back in his chair. “If you’ve got something to say, spit it out.”
“Calm down man.” Eric replied defensively. “I’m not trying to attack your character or anything, I just think maybe… maybe you’ve got a thing for her?”
“Like you said, we’ve only known each other for a few days.”
“So? Love at first sight may be a myth, but instant attraction sure as hell isn’t. You’ve also had two days with no one else around to talk to. I mean in the time I’ve been around, it’s like you’ve been drawn to her more and more. The fact that you’re so protective is proof of it.”
Jagger rubbed his forehead, “And what if I am?”
Eric put up his hands defensively and shook his head, “Nothing wrong with that, Jagger. It’s just an observation. If that is what’s going on, it’s something you might want to keep in check. That’s my opinion anyway.”
“Well keep it to yourself.”
“Sorry buddy.” Eric said with a smirk. “So, what are we going to do?”
“Keep your daggers with you, I think we’re going to need them.”
“Not really an issue. Anything else?”
“Yeah… I’m going to try to get out of here and go exploring. We’ll see how they react and what happens. If they try to keep us locked up here, we’ll know something’s up.”
Jagger got up and pressed the down arrow on the elevator panel. Feint clanking and the grinding sound of mechanical equipment emanated up the shaft from behind the door. He waited patiently as the down arrow light turned off and the door opened.
Eric shrugged, “See?”
Jagger shook his head and stepped inside, “Just be ready… We’ll see how this goes.”
“No problem.” Eric replied as the doors closed.
Jagger was greeted by a fairly Spartan lobby as the doors opened a few moments later. He stepped out and surveyed the area. There was no reception desk, no real furniture other than a few seats near the door, and no one to meet him. Two surveillance cameras, one at either end of the hallway was the only proof that the area was guarded in any way. Why would they need guards? This entire area is one big fortress. If anything does happen, I doubt we could escape on our own.
Jagger stepped outside where he was greeted by two heavily armed guards. They looked extremely bulky due to the armor and ammo-heavy belts that they wore. Ah here we go. This is more like it.
The one on the right, a young but very gruff looking man with whiskers, turned and looked at Jagger, “Can we help you, sir?”
Jagger nodded, “I was hoping to look around. I wanted to check on my jeep and maybe see the Truman?”
“You’re free to move about the city, but your jeep and the carrier are both in military restricted areas. I can arrange to have someone take you to the jeep, but you may not be able to get very close to the ship.”
“All right.” Jagger replied. “Please do.”
“Yes, sir.” The soldier replied as he pulled out his radio.
Chapter 10
If he doesn’t stop staring at me, I’m going to gouge his eyes out.
Every time Dr. Castillo looked at Raiya, her skin crawled. “Yes… very interesting indeed. Tell me my dear, what do you know of your past?”
“Very little… I was able to find some information about my mother before the internet collapsed, but I know nothing about my father. I assumed he was dead.”
“Tell me what you know.”
She sighed softly as she thought back to her grandparents, “My mother escaped Richmond, but was injured on the way. The people who raised me said that when they found her, she was filthy and covered in blood.”
“Did you ever see anyone about your appearance?”
“A few clinics and medicine men. Most of them believe that I have some kind of weird form of Dragon’s Bane…”
Dr. Castillo nodded, “Quite conceivably… perhaps a mutated version that somehow altered your appearance, but that is all conjecture at this point.”
Raiya touched the scales on her forehead, “Doctor, what is Dragon’s Bane? I mean… how do you get infected with it and what does it do?”
“You mean you don’t know?”
“I was orphaned at a young age. No one ever really told me much.”
The door to the elevator opened to the command center. Dr. Castillo bid Raiya to follow him, “This way.”
They stepped out onto the catwalk and headed over to the science division. Dr. Castillo led the way over the metal planking, “It’s a good question. To put it simply, Dragon’s Bane is considered a disease, but that is not entirely accurate. It does act like a disease, but there is a difference.”
Drakin: The Story of Raiya Page 12