The Coming Dawn Trilogy

by Austen Knowles

  “Give her, or die.” The giant grunted threateningly, while looking at Ky’s body. She hid behind Cobaaron.

  “You aren’t listening,” Cobaaron warned, “she’s mine. I share her with no one! If any of you touch her, I’ll kill you all. I’d rather not wipe out an entire colony, but I assure you I will if necessary. Let us pass, untouched, and you’ll be rewarded with your lives.” Cobaaron reached down slowly, took a glob of stiff clay in both his hands, and then pressed the hardened mud to his stomach as he stood. His hands blazed, heating the clay to jagged disks. He kept them glowing hot.

  The giants watched him curiously. Finally another giant spoke. He was clearly not as bright as the tallest. “She’s purddy.” He licked his lips. “Make er naked. Let’s see er chest.”

  Cobaaron, in jealousy, hurled a disk at the giant lusting after Ky, and drove it into his thick skull. With a great thud, the pigmy giant fell onto his back. “I warn you again that she’s mine. I won’t let any of you touch what I have sworn to protect.”

  The giants glanced at their comrades and then at Ky, unmistakably wondering if she was worth death. Finally, the largest spoke again, “We still want.”

  “Then you’ve given me no choice.”

  As the largest giant reached down to remove the disk, Cobaaron chucked the second ceramic weapon, and in one fatal blow, the leader died. Cobaaron gave them one last chance, as they grunted with surprise that their strongest so easily fell. “Do you still wish to fight to the death? I will never allow you to take my woman from me.”

  The giants gazed stupidly at Ky, processing what happened. Then some departed, while others contemplated if Ky was worth the risk. Their decision was quick, and most stayed because of their extreme attraction to women.

  When it was evident that no other giants wanted to leave, Cobaaron decided he had given them enough time and warnings, and sprung into action. He ran for the two disks, and in one fluid motion, he freed them from the dead, before continuing to the giant closest to Ky. He sliced the neck of one, and pierced the kidney of another. The giants began to gang up, surrounding him, swinging close with walloping fists, but they were too slow. None successfully made contact with Cobaaron. They hit each other, because they huddled so closely while trying to clobber Cobaaron. The giants grew angry at one another, and within minutes, the entire group was brawling. Only the smarter giants followed Cobaaron to the edge of the rowdy fight.

  The fists that flew with anger, started to swing near Ky. While trying to make space and not get hit, she stepped backward and fell into a hole. She continued to roll until the slope leveled out. She stood, finding herself in a large carved-out room. Ky could hear the giants warring outside the tunnel. She backed up, fearing some would fall into the dwelling.

  Ky had only taken a few backward steps before she hit something soft, not hard like earth. She slowly spun, and gasped when she realized she wasn’t alone. A youthful-looking pigmy giant was only a foot from her. The giant took in a long slow breath, and as if intoxicated, teetered toward her. “You smell good.” He smirked with anticipation he was obviously trying to mask.

  Ky’s fingers twitched toward her robe. She was poised to remove her cloak in case she needed to shine. As Cobaaron instructed her, she would burn him if he touched her. “If you want, I’ll follow you and take you while he sleeps, if you want me instead. I’ll keep you from my brothers if you give yourself to me. I’m smarter than most. We could easily hide.”

  Ky shook her head, not interested in being stalked or taken from Cobaaron.

  There was a sound of someone skidding down the hole. The giant backed away from Ky. When she whirled around, Cobaaron was sliding down the slope like he was surfing on hard clay. After he reached the open cave and saw the giant, he held up the bloody disk. “Stand back from her!” Cobaaron bellowed. The giant stepped further away. “Did he touch you?” Ky shook her head, but knew better than to talk. Cobaaron took a step toward the giant, still holding up a crimson-stained weapon. His quiet words were more threatening than peaceful as he offered, “You’re welcome to stay and avoid the fighting as the herd shifts away from us, but if you so much as reach for my wife I won’t hesitate to end you.”

  The giant turned around, exposing its back, before walking as far from them as possible within the hollow. The three remained in silence as they listened to curses, grunts, more profanity, and angry yelps as fists bashed into their hot-tempered kin. Cobaaron kept Ky close, because he obviously didn’t trust the giant. She was thankful Cobaaron watched over her faithfully and intently. After what the giant offered, Ky was nervous. Smart giants who would stalk and kidnap her, made her uneasy.

  The giant kept his back exposed to show he wasn’t paying attention to Ky. He didn’t even move after the wrestling and clobbering moved away.

  “Come, Ky. We will leave.” Cobaaron led her from the hole, while he threatened the giant, “Don’t follow us, or I will kill you next time I see you.”

  When they surfaced, Cobaaron walked around the hole, as he made sure the giant was obediently staying behind. Then they hurried away, getting as far from the battle scene as possible. They quickly and quietly made their way through the grass. When Ky slowed, feeling sick from going too long without adequate rest or food, Cobaaron picked her up. His jostling didn’t help and she was immediately nauseated. The worst part was she couldn’t voice needing him to slow down because of her churning stomach.

  She was dangerously close to vomiting. She frantically reached for her peppermint leaves, but when she put them in her mouth they did nothing for her.

  “You have to let me rest. I’m going to throw up,” Ky eventually pleaded.

  Cobaaron descended into the very next tunnel. He carefully laid her on the ground, and arranged pillows so she could comfortably lie for a much-needed rest.

  Ky swallowed several times to keep from hurling. It took her some time to open up her mouth enough to take in more peppermint. After that, she rested for half an hour, letting her fatigue take over. “I can’t keep traveling like this.”

  “Okay.”

  When she was close to sleep, she decided to tell Cobaaron what the giant proposed. She feared it would give her nightmares if she didn’t say something. “Quiet,” Cobaaron consoled, combing his fingers through her hair and calming her. He cuddled her, holding her in his protective embrace. “I promised to get you and Lu Lu home safe. I know the minds of giants. They’re not that different from lustful men. You’re beautiful. If I fell in love with you, I’m sure many men look at you with desire. But I don’t like knowing about it. I’m sure more than one giant is cunning enough to stalk you while hoping to use wisdom instead of resorting to violence.”

  “That isn’t making me feel better.”

  “I’m saying there is no need to warn me, love. I’m not a fool. Sleep well, because I will never let another man touch you the way I can.” He kissed her. “That would kill me slowly and painfully, and I’m thankful no man has ever known you, or ever will, the way I do. I can’t imagine, but I understand how Noxis is having a hard time loving Onya after numerous lovers have touched her. Luckily, I’m your first as you are mine, and I’m relieved for that. So, no worries, I will selfishly guard you for my own sanity.”

  He rubbed her back. He appeared guilty about something but he didn’t voice his feelings until she questioned him, asking what was wrong. “I made you sick from traveling too much. The peppermint isn’t even working, is it? I shouldn’t have made you walk so far.”

  “You’re fine. Though, I think from now on we should take less bumpy, alternative transportation if there is a lot of walking.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  “How are you feeling this morning?” Cobaaron asked, as Ky lay on the bed of pillows.

  “I feel like...I need about five more hours of sleep, and a buffet of green olives, blue cheese, and chocolate.”

  “So, you’re hungry and tired.” Cobaaron gave one curt nod, indicating he could fulfill those needs easily. Then
he smirked. “I’ve never heard of green olives or blue cheese. And you think we have odd food.” Ky sniggered. “Will you get the jerky and water flask from your silver box? I can’t seem to take anything out, and I think it’s because Ambrosia gave it to you. I don’t think I can wait five hours without eating, and I’m positive there are about a half dozen giants waiting for me to leave you alone. I want to hunt while you sleep, so I will leave.”

  Ky reached for her silver box, and felt for anything hard. She felt the handle of the dagger, and then something else that felt like her water flask, but when she tugged it out, she held her dream jar. Momentarily distracted by the image, Cobaaron and Ky watched the silent dream.

  Ky saw Aaron, the boyfriend Cobaaron spoke about, and Kylie. The two were at a restaurant with her family, roommate Gale, and two friends from high school. Kylie was the belle of the party. A huge cake sat in the middle of the table with Happy Birthday Kylie written on it in red frosting.

  “It’s my birthday. I’m nineteen now.” Ky continued to gaze into the jar.

  Aaron, who sat close to her, kept smiling, kissing, and doting on her. Her family was as smitten with Aaron as Kylie. Her mom seemed thrilled, and continually beamed at the pair. Her dad had a great rapport with Aaron, and they laughed easily together. From what Ky could see, besides the blossoming love between Kylie and Aaron, nothing had changed in the last ten months since she left her old life and the dream. Ky was pleased to see Aaron was completely ignorant of her sister’s charms. In fact, he ignored her; his eyes were constantly on Kylie.

  The dream was strange, the way it switched back and forth from a scene where Kylie was shown, expressing her happiness in full as her eyes brightened, then switched to Kylie’s point of view any time she spoke to Aaron or kissed him.

  “Well, he certainly is all over you,” Cobaaron griped, unimpressed. Ky rubbed Cobaaron’s back reassuringly, and remembered that he viewed Aaron as competition. Aaron was a lot like Cobaaron, and as far as Ky was concerned, Aaron was Cobaaron. But Cobaaron didn’t see it that way.

  “Kylie isn’t me. Don’t be jealous of a dream. I would never let him touch me as he does her.”

  “True and I did get you pregnant first,” he boasted.

  “Yes, you have bragging rights,” Ky concurred, but she really didn’t find it that impressive. At least she didn’t think it was as legendary as Cobaaron claimed after coming from a place where unexpected pregnancies happened all the time. Ky leaned forward, and kissed him. “I would rather have you than Aaron any day. You’re my husband.”

  After they shared a long kiss, they eventually got back to viewing the dream. As Kylie eagerly opened the gifts, and was distracted with several handed to her at once, Aaron slipped in his gift to her. Kylie absent-mindedly opened a present, and clearly asked whom it was from. When she opened the jewelry box with a diamond ring, she immediately faced Aaron, looking scared as if Kylie may have misunderstood the meaning. She evidently hoped that he was proposing.

  “He’s asking for her hand,” Ky whispered, knowing exactly what the ring meant.

  Aaron knelt, and his lips moved. Ky wished she could hear the conversation. Their obvious love equaled that of Cobaaron and hers. Between their passionate embrace and kisses, Aaron kept telling Kylie he loved her. The declaration was the only thing Ky could lip-read.

  “So, that is what you meant by getting on one knee. He’s really…thoughtful.” Cobaaron sniffed; less impressed to be outshined with how he had given Ky the ring. Ky didn’t agree. The way Cobaaron slipped her ring on her finger was much more intimate.

  “You’re romantic, too, and being nude in a bath was far more personal. You’re a warrior, Cobaaron. Your mind is geared toward war and protection. I learned that you don’t gush about love, but I’ve never said I needed that. And though you don’t say I love you often, you explain it perfectly. You call me love constantly. I, on the other hand, don’t refer to you by any other name than Cobaaron. I’m simply not that romantic. You’re far more than me. I’m positive you love me. I’m in need of nothing.” Ky stuffed the bottle into her silver box. She didn’t want Cobaaron comparing himself unfavorably to Aaron. Although she was slightly jealous Aaron often said I love you to Kylie because she did want to hear it spoken. But Cobaaron was a man of war and fighting. Blood was all he lived for until she came along. They were still changing and adjusting. Maybe one day he would say I love you as often as Aaron, but it truly didn’t matter. In this world, she’d choose a fighter over a sentimentalist. She wouldn’t survive here on sweet words.

  “I’d rather be both, since you clearly enjoyed him succumbing. I miss very little. I saw that you liked it.” Cobaaron waved his hand dismissively. “I’ll show you I’m better and equally yielding.”

  “It’s not a display of power, Cobaaron.”

  “Yes, it is. I recognize a gesture of submission when requesting favor. I resign myself to you, hopefully as much as you do me. I’m not the controlling man you believe me to be. I want you happy.”

  “Cobaaron, I am happy!” She glanced at the box where the jar hid, and then back to Cobaaron. “Is this because you saw him sleep with her once while you dreamt of my life? Are you jealous because of that?”

  “I hated that, yes, but…I’m not expressing myself well and…I’m done talking. I don’t want to dwell on you and this Aaron.” His words trailed off, muttering never mind, and waited for the water flask and endless jerky. She crawled onto his lap, and hugged him. He was still quiet, and held her until deciding to share the bland meal.

  “You don’t seem tired. Are you?” Cobaaron asked.

  “I feel more lazy than tired.” Ky then quipped saying, “If you’re bored you can go up top and take care of those pigmy giants.”

  “Will you feel safe if I leave? You’ll shine if a giant comes down, right? There are no beasts in these woods besides giants, and you could easily kill them. Take off your cloak the second you see them.”

  “Yes, I can do that.”

  “Good, because it’s your birthday,” Cobaaron kissed her. “I will be back as soon as I can.”

  Without another word, he left. It was quite some time before she heard Cobaaron talking. He once again gave the pigmy giants an ultimatum. He had hung around until they showed themselves and he now wanted to put an end to their stalking. There was a scuffle that lasted moments, and after that, there was complete silence. Ky knew Cobaaron left to find a gift. She fished out the dream jar again, and watched with fascination.

  It felt strange that she could spy on them without their knowledge. There was an odd sense of familiarity, seeing herself as Kylie. She felt as if she was watching an old, intimate friend.

  When Ky saw her mother, she cried. She couldn’t ignore the homesickness deep in her soul. She wished her mother could give her advice and calm her nerves about pregnancy. With a mom as a midwife, it was cruel that she couldn’t be with her while she carried a child. For once in her life, her parents weren’t there when she needed them.

  Her sister brought little joy, and she forgot why she was angry with Roslyn. She put the jar away, dismissing her resentment.

  Seeing her family laughing and enjoying an afternoon gathered around a restaurant table was too painful. She jealously missed the private lunches with her mom. She couldn’t ignore the warnings that she could be depressed easily as a Star.

  She pushed away all thoughts, even the happy ones of Aaron proposing, and idly sat around for Cobaaron. She waited, and waited, and waited. Cobaaron took longer than anticipated. She packed and unpacked, wondering if she should be ready to leave. Finally, she tidied up and left the burrow to find dead grass to burn.

  She didn’t wander far and unfortunately found nothing but mud for a fire. She gathered clay by the fistful, deciding hot ceramic was better than no fire at all, and began taking trips aboveground as she walked over the corpses.

  She wasn’t used to seeing death, but there was no way around them. One thing bothered her very much, though.
Of all the faces she saw, the young giant who offered to abduct her wasn’t among them. It meant that he was lurking, still hoping to take her. After that, Ky was hesitant to keep surfacing, and decided she had enough makings for hot coals. She stayed underground and continued to wait. She roasted, but unfortunately burned bite-sized chunks of stale jerky with peppermint. Cooking over a campfire wasn’t as easy as warriors made it look. She washed it down with the never-ending water, and fought to stay awake.

  Ky heard grass swishing from above ground, and a yellow glow lit her cave. Heavy footsteps circled her burrow. The old cliché a cave is a grave kept screaming in her mind, scaring her. She held her breath, gripping her cloak in case she needed to yank it off, and hoped her womanly honey scent was smothered by the odor of poorly cooked food. The pigmy sniffed the air loudly, and then, to her great relief, stomped off.

  Ky took a deep silent breath. Maybe the giant saw all the dead on the ground and took it as a warning not to steal food. Once out of danger, Ky hunkered down on the hard ground, determined to remain in her spot for Cobaaron. She wouldn’t move until he returned.

  Hours later, Cobaaron bounded down the tunnel. She rushed to him; relieved he was back. “What happened? You were gone a long time.”

  “Of course I took a long time. That is why I kept you here so you could rest.”

  “Oh.”

  “I had to wait longer than I expected on my trap.” Cobaaron walked deeper in the cave, apologizing. He lifted her gift, holding a solid white ball of fluffy fur by its long ears. It looked like a fat cotton ball with whiskers. It had stubby little legs like a munchkin rabbit and a short, fluffy tail. The small creature held perfectly still, playing possum. Something was around its foot. A white flower with pink tips, and a twisting vine circled its foot like a ring. The opened petals held a pea-sized opal.

  Cobaaron knelt on one knee, similar to Aaron’s proposal. “This is a royal opal blossom,” he said, sliding the jewelry off the critter before handing the ring to Ky. “It opens during the day and closes at night when it sleeps or if in imminent peril. There is no need to water it, because your sweat and light feed it.”