by Eric Vall
The pain was unbelievable, even as I pushed my healing power to concentrate on my ravaged forelimbs, and I knew I needed to be more careful when fighting these creatures. I needed to figure out a way to kill them without getting their blood on me, because while I could heal myself over and over again, there was the chance of being blinded or driven mad by the pain.
“What the fuck?” I glared up at Valerra as my talons twitched and healed from the acidic blood. “This would have been helpful to know before hand!”
“I won’t be giving you all the answers,” Valerra drawled back lazily from where she floated, “how are you supposed to learn otherwise? You can’t just have everything handed to you on a silver platter. Coddling and spoiling only leads to death in battle, especially for a dragon.”
I gritted my teeth as I glanced down at the crawling echidnas. She had a point, but would it have killed her to have given me a little warning about their blood?
I continued to coat my limbs with healing magic as I thought about my next move. None of the echidnas’ acidic blood had splashed on me any higher, so healing my wounds was quick work. Then I turned back to the chittering beasts and bared my fangs.
I hadn’t noticed when I first observed them from high up in the sky, but the echidnas had countless crimson eyes, just like a tarantula would, and they chittered a high pitched sound that grated on my ears.
Desperate for the sound to stop, I gathered my healing power and covered my ears with it. It was sheer instinct that made me do this, but it somehow worked. The keening chittering somehow dropped to a manageable level, and I was able to think clearly as I dove back into the fight.
I slashed through the echidnas with my claws and forelimbs covered in healing power. Thankfully, this worked and stopped their acid-like blood from eating through my flesh again. I also didn’t have to worry about it reaching the rest of my body so long as I was careful with the angle of my slashes.
There was also no way I was going to bite into these things, though, even if I coated my insides with healing magic. I didn’t want to think about how they would taste or how my body would react.
The echidnas had claws, but they weren’t able to do much damage to me. Every time they reared up for an attack, I pumped my wings, buffeted the beasts with hot air, and rose up out of their reach. After several minutes, I’d killed a huge swath of them, but the remaining insects climbed over the corpses of their fallen friends to surround me. I could keep hacking them to pieces, but there was still the danger of their blood, and they could potentially suffocate me if they somehow managed to drag me down from the sky.
Just as I was about to sweep back down for another attack on the echidnas, two of them did manage to latch onto my legs. The other echidnas immediately grabbed onto those two, and the combined strength of all the creatures pulled me down from the sky.
I pushed my healing power to envelop all of my body right as I was slammed into the hot desert sands and the large pools of acidic blood. This would have been more than just painful if I didn’t have this healing power.
“Get off me,” I growled at the hideous creatures while I thrashed about in the hot sands.
I lashed out wildly and spread lightning magic all over my scales as I did so. While I knew it wouldn’t harm them much, I’d hoped the electricity would shock them enough to let go of me.
Some of the creatures did loosen their grip on my legs, and the ones that had latched onto my wings were shaken off. I slashed at them with my claws and swiped at them with my tail as I made a wide circle around me. This was the only way to keep the chittering bug-like creatures away from me.
I had to think outside of the box, otherwise I would be stuck fighting these hideous creatures for the rest of the day and maybe the day after, too.
Wait a minute … maybe a box was exactly what I needed to take care of this.
I roared as I flew upward again and ensured the echidna’s attention remained on me. Once I was high enough that I could see all of the creatures with one glance, I yanked at the earth around them.
I was envisioning a stone box as I did this, and high walls of unbreakable rock rose up around the echidnas. There was no escape from it, no matter how much the creatures chittered and attempted to climb up over each other to reach the closing gaps.
My stone box closed around them with no mercy, and I mentally pressed down on it. Instantly, the echidnas were flattened inside of it. For lack of a better word, they’d become puree. I let my stone walls crumble back into the sand they had come from and frowned at the mess.
Calling the echidnas puree was pretty accurate. They’d turned into a green and black mush, but I could pick out chips of ivory bone within the gore.
Some of the creatures were still alive, though, even if just barely, but they weren’t a threat any more. They were on the verge of death as it was.
So, I flew back down for a moment and decided to put the remaining echidnas out of their misery with some well placed slashes to their skulls.
Once all of the echidnas had been defeated, I glanced up to see a rather bored looking Valerra touch down on a nearby dune.
“All in all, your form wasn’t terrible,” she began with a drawl, “but your execution was sloppy, and you could have finished this quicker.”
“Excuse me for having never fought these things before,” I snarked back at her with a growl. “It would have been helpful if you’d given me more to go on, or at least given a helping hand. There were hundreds of them here.”
“But I did give you a hint,” Valerra sighed as she stretched out languidly on the sands. “In fact, I gave you two hints. It wasn’t my fault you weren’t able to understand what I meant by any of it. You’re quite young, after all.”
“Which is why I asked you for help,” I muttered back as I glanced at the carnage around me. “There had to have been a less messy way to get this over with.”
“Just follow me,” Valerra snorted as she took to the skies with one flap of her wings.
I followed after Valerra and left the gory mess behind us for the elements of the desert to take care of. The winds and sands would swallow the corpses.
“Where are we going?” I called out to the crimson dragon flying ahead of me.
“Unless you want to remain disgusting,” Valerra roared back to me, “be silent and follow me.”
I rolled my eyes at her reply. Someone was determined to be crowned queen bitch of the year. I suppose that’s what living on your own for god knows how long did to a person, that and hating everyone else. It turned you into a grumpy menace.
We flew deeper into the desert, and the scent of water began to fill the arid air around us. The golden sands of the desert slowly gave way to lush vegetation, and I could see small flowers and hear the gentle trickle of water. The oddest thing was that I could sense some sort of magic emanating from the water, as if it was healing and protecting the area at the same moment.
“Is the oasis alive?” I asked Valerra as I touched down on the soft grass. “It feels like it is, like there’s magic everywhere, in the air and even in the water.
“Hn,” Valerra replied as she landed gently next to me and curled up languidly like a snake. “Perhaps it is. Perhaps it isn’t.”
“What a great nonanswer,” I snarked back as I walked toward the faintly glowing pool.
“Be quiet and go bathe,” Valerra huffed, and puffs of smoke flew out from her nostrils, “you reek of echidna guts.”
I rolled my eyes at her, but still stepped into the pool until it covered all of me. The water was soothing, and it was just as I thought, there was some sort of power in the oasis.
Perhaps you are feeling the blessing of the water spirit? Miraya purred languidly from within me.
“Water spirit?” My mind went back to the water demons I’d fought before.
Nothing like that, Miraya chuckled, and her amusement spread throughout my mind. A naiad. A being born of the water, and so they are one with it. They are said to b
e able to heal with their water and grant minor blessings. So, perhaps what you have sensed is the naiad’s grace.
“Why would a naiad be in an oasis, though?” I murmured back as my body and mind began to unwind in this peaceful place. “There’s not a lot of water in the desert for a being of water.”
Naiads are a source of life, the Sword Spirit replied as contentment dripped from her voice. Otherwise, there would be no oases in the desert. The size of the oasis determines how powerful the naiad is and vice versa. This one must be quite powerful.
I nodded absentmindedly, and my eyes drooped lower and lower until everything went dark for me. It was a gentle sleep, more like a cat nap than anything. I could feel the warmth of the sun on my scales and the coolness of the water around me. All my worries and everything that had me on edge was slowly washed away from my body.
When I opened my eyes again, I was alone in the oasis. Valerra had disappeared on me, and I wasn’t sure where she went. One moment she was there, and the next moment she wasn’t.
It was pretty impressive, and I wondered if I would be able to find her. I doubted she was going to hide her presence from me in case there was an attack or something, but this might just be another form of training.
That, or she’d gotten annoyed enough of me already. Somehow, that thought made me want to annoy her more and more until I was the only thing she could think of.
I snickered lightly at the thought, and then I closed my eyes as I concentrated on Valerra’s image in my mind and the way her power felt. It was like a burning fire, wild and out of control, and that was how she showed up in my mind. A flickering flame that burned in the distance and led me straight to her like a lighthouse’s beacon in the middle of a stormy night.
I slipped out of the oasis and took to the air once more as I followed the trail to Valerra. Her power led me through the desert and just past the entrance of the canyon. There was a small cave I hadn’t noticed the first time I’d entered her territory, but then again she was trying to kill me at the time.
I flew closer to the small cave entrance and realized there was a ledge jutting out from it, almost blending in with the rest of the stone face. Right as I was nearing the stone ledge, I shifted from my dragon form and jumped down to it. I managed to land perfectly on the stone, and I glanced back at the drop behind me.
It was at least a good nine hundred feet or so to the bottom. If I’d fallen, that would have been more than a little annoying.
Suddenly, there was a shift in the air, and I glanced over to the small entrance to see Valerra in her human form. Then I did a double take when I realized she was completely naked. When the crimson dragon had been recovering in Hatra, Alyona had lent her some clothes, and while Valerra had grumbled about wearing human garments, she’d been even less keen to have so called “filthy humans” ogling her. Now that she was back in her home, she’d reverted to her natural state of being.
Which was sexy as fuck.
My eyes trailed up her long, ivory legs, to her round hips, the bush of red hair between her thighs, her taut stomach, her full breasts with their pink nipples, and finally settled … on the scowl she wore.
“What are you doing here?” Valerra growled out as she stood at the entrance to the cave. “Go away. I don’t want you here.”
“You disappeared on me,” I replied with a shrug, “I was curious to see where you went.”
“You’ve seen.” Valerra’s scowl only grew as she blocked me from entering. “Now leave. We have finished our patrol for the day. Your precious human city is safe. So, go.”
“Yeah, that’s not gonna happen,” I laughed as I shook my head. “I’m curious about this place. Is this your hoard or your home? Or maybe both?”
Valerra paused for a moment to think, and I took advantage of that to slip past her and into the cave.
“I should kill you for even coming in here,” Valerra muttered partly to herself.
“But you’re not going to,” I cheerfully reminded her as I stepped further into the cave, “since, after all, I’m your disciple. I’m precious to you.”
There was a system of tunnels in front of me, all leading in different directions. But there was one thing that was the same about all of the tunnels: I could see hints of glowing objects within each and every one of them.
I started down the main tunnel, and the crimson dragon huffed as she followed after me.
“I don’t see anything precious in front of me,” Valerra replied immediately. “What I see is an annoyance who is perilously toeing the line.”
“Aww, you don’t mean that,” I laughed as I glanced behind me. “I’m your only disciple, after all.”
“Precious disciple my ass,” Valerra muttered angrily and shoved past me.
I opened my mouth to retort, but instead I ended up gaping as I realized just why Valerra didn’t want me in here.
As far as I could see, there were mounds of treasure. There was everything from ivory statues to piles of gold coins and silver goblets. Any type of treasure I could think of, it was there.
This was everything Aunt Emma had told me about when I was a child, of ancient tombs bursting with more riches than any man could imagine. Except this wasn’t back on Earth, and this wasn’t a tomb. This was the treasure hoard of a three thousand year old dragon.
I glanced around at the piles of treasure that surrounded us. “This is impressive. I guess this is what three thousand years will get you.”
“Of course it’s impressive,” Valerra sniffed proudly and sauntered over to a pile of gold ingots and jewels, “this is all mine. I wouldn’t have anything subpar.”
Valerra reclined on the heap of treasure and raked her hand through it as a possessive gleam glowed in her golden eyes. Then a different and odd light came into Valerra’s eyes, and she motioned for me to follow her.
I cocked my eyebrow at her curiously but followed without a word. We passed more mounds of treasure, some of it silver jewelry that glowed with the light of stars and some of it intricately carved furniture. In the distance, over in one of the beautifully crafted silver beds, I could see a crimson and gold flecked dragon egg.
The dragon egg was nestled within a mound of finely embroidered silk, and I could see pillows spread out on the bed. I guess Valerra slept next to the egg, and I didn’t blame her. I would too in order to keep it safe.
“Hey, wait up!” I called out after Valerra and jogged to where I’d last seen her.
The crimson dragon peered her head around a corner and glared at me before she ducked away again.
I followed Valerra, and we came out to a massive entrance just behind the waterfall. The roar was deafening, but through the curtain of water I could see glimpses of my city and the aqueducts. This was both the perfect look out point and escape exit for anyone.
“Come along now,” Valerra called out as she walked to the edge of the stone floor. “We’re climbing up.”
There was no choice but to follow her, both up and out. Climbing on the slick rocks was a bit of a thrill, but not much considering I was capable of flight. And then, even if I did fall, it wouldn’t kill me.
When we made it up to the top of the waterfall, I took in a deep breath and let out an ecstatic yell.
Valerra only rolled her eyes at me and sat down on the edge.
“Be quiet and sit before you fall off,” she growled and pointed next to her rather imperiously.
“As you command,” I laughed as I made my way to where she pointed.
“Good.” Valerra brushed some locks of crimson hair over her shoulder as she threw a dismissive glance in my direction. “I wasn’t going to dive after you if you fell.”
“Do you do this a lot?” I asked as I ignored her snide tone like a champ.
“What?” Valerra glanced back at me with one crimson eyebrow perfectly arched. “You’ll have to be more specific.”
“Sit by the waterfall like this, I mean,” I said and motioned to the rocky outcropping and the surround
ing water.
“Oh.” Valerra blinked back at me, and her golden eyes were puzzled for a moment. “Well, yes. It’s peaceful, and the sound of the falling water is soothing. It … helps when one has lived as long as I have.”
“Huh, I wouldn’t have pegged you to be the type to like sitting quietly.” I tilted my head as I looked at her and quietly reconsidered my previous perception of the crimson dragon.
“Hn.” Valerra shrugged her shoulders and turned her gaze back to the water.
We sat somewhat quietly by the edge of the waterfall in our human forms, and I asked questions about the past three thousand years and what she’d seen. Valerra would sometimes reply with elaborate answers, other times with noncommittal sounds. I’d have to change the question when it came to those grunts, since I’d discovered that she was a rather lazy lizard, all things considered.
Suddenly, Valerra frowned and narrowed her eyes as she stared off into the direction of Hatra.
“What is it?” I asked as my eyes followed hers. “I don’t sense anything, what’s there?”
“The people you spoke of are arriving, perhaps.” Valerra leaned back with a huff and scowled deeply. “More pesky humans to befoul my air.”
I blinked in surprise as I glanced back toward Hatra. This was too soon. Not even half a week had passed since King Rodion left, and now the architects were here? I stood and took a step toward the edge of the waterfall.
“I’ll be back tomorrow morning,” I promised Valerra as I shifted into my dragon form.
Then I launched into the air and flew in the direction of my city, curious to meet the people King Rodion had sent me.
Chapter 7
I flew through the sky and made my way back to the city of Hatra. Two rings of bluestone walls encircled the city. One was fully reconstructed and decorated with mosaics that reflected the morning sun. The other wall was undecorated and mostly rebuilt, but that wasn’t where I was heading to.
I angled my wings and pivoted in the sky as I decreased speed. This was the exact opposite of how I’d landed the first time outside of Hatra’s inner walls. That had been an inexperienced crash landing. But this time? I was much more experienced, and my wings glided gently over the barren soil as I came to a stop in front of the main gate.