by Erik Weir
The Blade shook his head slightly, “Yes, but a bigger fight could put us all in danger.”
“I’m open to suggestions,” Lily said as they walked.
A cool breeze washed over the Blade as he walked along. He thought back to his jump ability and surely that would cut his journey down, but there was no way he could carry all of them. The image of blindly jumping along and holding four ladies didn’t sit well with him. Mind working, he wondered what they could do to shorten the distance. Maybe buy horses at a small town or find a mage willing to teleport them to Blackwood? The ideas shined bright until they dimmed from doubt. The last thing Victor wanted was to alert anyone else to what they were doing.
Thoughts flowed back to Nyphy. The goddess made it clear she wanted to help, but if it was a ploy to set up a trap, Victor felt they would all be screwed. There was no way to know for sure, but the hint of Vonn and Yimer being on Eddor was too tantalizing to not follow up. The odds seemed to grow and that only caused Victor’s mind to work harder. Calling up his list of abilities in the corner of his vision, he went down the list until he stopped at one ability.
Victor gently grabbed Lily’s arm and slowed to a halt. The succubus looked to the young man with curious eyes. Skye and Kira slowed down seeing Victor and Lily stop.
“I can’t believe I didn’t think of this before,” Victor laughed before turning his attention to the elf. “Dawn, stop, I have an idea!”
The elf stopped her march and turned around to the smiling Victor. Walking back, the group converged on the Blade as the idea took root in his mind.
“We have to keep going if we want to make good time,” Dawn said with an annoyed edge.
“I know, but we have too many obstacles in our way if we just travel through the forests. We have to go over it,” Victor smiled as he let go of Lily and faced the small group.
Lily crossed her arms against her stomach, “What do you have in mind?”
Victor paced before them, hands behind his back. “We need something big to carry all of us. I have the ability to shapeshift into animals. We just need a flying animal big enough to carry the four of you and fast enough to get there in a short amount of time.”
“A dragon could do it,” Skye said simply.
Victor stopped pacing and smiled at the red head. “Yes, a dragon could do it! I have only used my ability twice turning into small creatures, but I haven’t tried it yet to change into anything larger. Technically speaking, we are all animals, even the mythological ones.”
“Dragon’s aren’t myths,” Dawn said impatiently.
“A better reason on why we should try it,” Victor said with a toothy smile.
Lily’s eyes took on a warm hue even as her voice came out commanding, “It is a good idea. Turn into a dragon.”
Victor felt the sting of Lily taking away his thunder a little bit. Mentally laughing it off, he spent a point of Strength. The energy flowed into his body as it was released, waiting to be used. Focusing his thoughts, the image of a dragon filled his mind. Closing his eyes, he willed himself to become a mighty dragon.
Nothing happened.
The four women stared as Victor stood like a statue. Blinking, he couldn’t understand why his body wasn’t changing. It worked automatically when he used it before but now the energy flowed and nothing came to pass. Brow wrinkling, thoughts whirled into finding a solution when it struck him.
“I need more power,” Victor whispered and spent four more points of Strength.
Energy poured into his body, connecting with the point he already spent. Remembering that if he spent five points of his influence, he can create a greater effect, the energy swelled under his skin and his body began to change.
The group took a few steps back as Victor’s body began to grow larger and longer. Scales burst from his skin, sliding down along his body. Horns sprouted from his head as did a snout and sharp teeth. Black wings burst from his back, spreading out with webbed skin. A tail emerged from his lower back, snaked into the air and came down against the ground. The transformation took mere moments but when it was complete, a black majestic dragon with patterns of green scales stood on all fours.
Victor mentally smiled to himself as raw power ran through his new form. Wondering if there was any kind of time limit to his dragon form, he tried to call up his visual display. A long second ticked by, nothing happening. Victor tried to call it up again and was greeted with the same result.
Something tells me you cannot use your other abilities in his form.
“I think you may be right,” the dragon said in a deep voice.
Skye looked on the dragon and frowned. “You’re a pretty small dragon.”
Victor craned his head down to his body. Eyes drinking in his size, he was just larger than a big horse. The main trunk of his body was streamlined with scales and muscles, but Skye was right, comparing his size to Shyryth when she changed during the attack on Vala’s realm, he was smaller.
“It’s not the size that counts,” the dragon chuckled.
Lily smirked, arms still crossed. At her sides, Dawn and Kira’s eyes widened and filled with stars. The elf and silver-haired woman rushed ahead, hugging Victor by the neck. Skye smiled as she watched Kira nuzzle her faze against the smooth dragon scales.
“I love dragons,” Dawn said as she too snuggled Victor’s neck.
“Me too,” Kira said with a girlish laugh.
“Ladies ladies, there is plenty of me to go around,” Victor said with a gentle deep voice.
“This could work,” Lily said as she stepped closer.
Skye followed. “We will need to fly above the clouds if we want to go unnoticed. Does he even have the power to carry all of us?”
The dragon craned his head and gazed on the redhead, “Climb on and we can find out together.”
Dawn and Kira were quick to climb onto Victor’s back. Lily was next, climbing up behind Dawn. Skye was last, climbing up and sitting behind Kira. Victor flexed his wings, but quickly noticed the extra weight on his back. A sliver of doubt crawled into his mind as he wasn’t sure he was big enough to carry all of them. Flapping his powerful wings, the air shifted to each stroke. Leaves and debris blasted away with each powerful flap of leathery wings. Concentrating, he pumped his wings again and again.
Lily looked down, seeing that they had not left the ground. Sighing in defeat, she was about to tell Victor to stop when the dragon’s body began to lift off the ground. The succubus’s eyes widened as a wicked smirk formed. Lily held onto Dawn while Kira held onto Lily and Skye held onto Kira. The ground seemed to shrink away as Victor climbed into the sky.
The dragon huffed while focusing his power. The weight on his back was causing him to struggle, but now that they had lifted off, he hoped it would be easier to fly when they reached a higher altitude. Grunting, he flew higher and higher. Clearing the tops of nearby trees, he continued to pump his wings. The four women held onto each other and the dragon as they slowly climbed higher and higher.
“You can do it,” Dawn said as she leaned closer, holding onto Victor’s neck.
The dragon grinned with sharp teeth as he flapped harder. The clouds hung low in the sky and when Victor flapped into them, visibility fell to zero. A chill bit at their bodies as they hugged one another until they burst from the low cloud cover. Sunlight bathed their bodies in warmth before Victor made one final powerful push and he glided into the heavens.
Huffing, Victor caught a thermal and he flew higher into the sky. Tired muscles smoothed into relief as the wind and air took over against large wings. The four women on his back patted his sides as they soared high above the dark clouds.
Exhilaration washed over the Victor’s dragon body. Flying high above the clouds, he basked in the glory of flying. Wind whipping at his scaled face, he couldn’t believe he was actually doing it. Soaring from side to side, a sea of dark clouds rolled by underneath while the sun sank low in the afternoon sky.
“We should be there by even
ing,” Dawn shouted through the wind.
The four women huddled closer for warmth, but soon noticed the heat coming from underneath them. Looking down, they all felt Victor’s dragon body giving off waves of heat as he flew. Victor turned his scaled snout to them, eyes connecting with Lily and giving her a wink.
The succubus gave a sultry exhale as she hugged Dawn. The elf looked back to see Lily’s eyes fluttering and she smiled. It was apparent the succubus was enjoying the ride with a hot dragon between her legs and she showed no shame in enjoying it. The elf moved her hand over Lily’s arms around her stomach. The four women felt warmer as powerful muscles flexed underneath them.
Lily is going to have her way with you when we land.
“I hope so,” Victor mentally said to the shadow in his heart.
The air felt pure as Victor drank it in. They flew on, unaware of three creatures flying in formation far behind them. Sunlight glittered off scales as hawkish eyes spotted the small flying dragon and its riders. Leathery wings flapping, they sped across the sky, snouts pointed at Victor and a heat in their gazes.
Seven
Victor’s serpentine smile began to wane. Weakness bled into tired muscles, gliding along above the clouds. The sun sank lower in the sky, hues changing with the late afternoon into early evening. Shaking his horned head, he tried to power through the weakness, but it seemed to only get stronger. Victor had been flying for over an hour and the way the weakness seemed to grow, the more convinced it was because he was losing his ability to maintain the dragon form.
“We have to land,” Victor said as he craned his head back to his passengers.
“We should be close anyway,” Dawn shouted over the roar of the wind.
Victor gave a head nod when something sparkled in the distance behind them. Keen eyes caught the glimpse of three forms before they dove into the clouds and disappeared from sight.
Victor’s dragon eyes narrowed, “I think we are being followed.”
The four women on his back turned their heads to see nothing but sky and clouds underneath them. The tiredness consumed the weakening dragon and Victor couldn’t keep his current form forever. Needing to land, he banked to the right and dived toward the thick cloud cover. The dragon and passengers were engulfed in gray clouds before quickly emerging from the other side. A light rain fell as the black dragon continued his dive and when he reached the top of trees, wings flashed out. Wings pumping, he slowed their descent until the last bit of strength left him.
Lily and Dawn looked on the dragon with wide eyes as he began to shrink under them. Skye already took hold of Kira’s waist with one hand, pulled a potion from her robe. Popping the cork, she guzzled the vials contents as Victor’s dragon form shrank with every passing second. Leaping off, Skye and Kira floated down, the silver-haired woman clutching to her fiery partner.
Lily and Dawn jumped up and launched off the shrinking dragon. Victor let out a small weak growl before his body regained his true form, ten feet off the ground. Legs swinging out, he hit the ground and rolled to a halt, arms and legs out while breathing heavy.
Rain fell from the gray sky, painting the tired young man’s face as he lay. Strength slowly returned to spent muscles, but he continued to lie on his back. Four shadows stood over him with various expressions from frowning to amused smiles. Dawn and Lily reached down and each took one of his hands. Victor sighed as he was hoisted to a sitting position and then to his feet.
“What do you think you saw,” Lily asked.
“Don’t know. They were big though. I only saw some glittering before they dived down into the clouds,” Victor said as he lifted his collar to chase away the chill.
Lily seemed unaffected by the cool air while Dawn began to hug herself. Skye and Kira had thick robes on, but it was only a matter of time before they absorbed enough water to touch their skin.
Eyes on Dawn, Victor took off his armored trench coat and put it over the elf’s shoulders. The elf with glasses closed it around her body and smiled her thanks. Lily’s tail vibrated for a moment before the succubus looked to the East. Skye and Kira stood close to one another as the rain began to fall harder.
Victor spoke up, “I’m not sure who or what is following us, but I don’t think we should wait in the rain to find out.”
Dawn took in her surrounding and pointed to the East, “We are close. Blackwood should be just past those trees.”
“Let’s not waste any more time,” Victor said to the ladies before turning and beginning to walk.
Lily watched as Victor walked past her. The succubus eyed the Blade before Dawn rushed to his side. Tail vibrating again, she began following her partner and the elf. Skye and Kira followed along. The silver-haired woman shivered and Skye put her arm around her, trying to keep her warm as they walked.
The sound of rain splashing against leaves flowed over the small group like a wondrous white noise. Victor kept his senses sharp, knowing he spent much of his Strength on the dragon form; it would be another four to five hours before he regenerated his influence. Thinking of the three things in the sky behind them, he hoped they were only spying since he would be hard pressed in a fight right now.
Dawn’s fingers slid between Victor’s fingers. The young man turned his attention to the smiling elf as she held his hand. A pleasant comfort touched them as they walked along, holding hands.
“Your sister was very worried,” Victor said, breaking the silence between them.
Dawn nodded.
“She will be happy to see that you’re okay.”
Dawn squeezed Victor’s hand. “I know. I’ll be happy to see her too.”
The rain thickened as they walked, lightning flashing in the distance. The gray clouds grew darker as the sun moved further to the west. Victor’s heart beat heavy in his chest as he looked to Dawn, words forming in his throat.
“You don’t have to go at things alone. We are all here for each other. I’m here for you,” the young Champion smiled.
Dawn looked up to Victor, rain drops sliding down the tips of her long ears. “It’s difficult…to rely on anyone. Night and I have been at this a long time, by ourselves. It’s still new to me…” The elf trailed off.
“To have friends,” Victor grinned.
Dawn gave a shy nod.
“To be fair, it is kind of new to me too. I used to just have my family and didn’t have a lot of time to hang out with people. When my parents passed, I sort of put myself in solitude to help recover from the pain. Then I just kind of stayed there…until all of this.”
Victor squeezed Dawn’s hand tight, “You are doing the best you can for you and your sister. I understand and admire your strength. I didn’t have anyone to tell me if I was doing anything right or wrong, but from my experience, you are doing an excellent job of taking care of your family. Just know we are your family too.”
Dawn’s smooth face darkened in the rain, “For the first time in my life…It feels like that. Thank you, Victor.”
Dawn looked up into Victor’s kind face, oval brown eyes blinking in the rain. Victor smiled, admiring her beauty and seeing her opening up to him. The spitfire attitude seemed to melt to the background as she gazed with surreal warmth. It was enough to feel the connection between them and it blazed bright.
The elf turned and pointed with her left hand, “There’s the town.”
Victor looked up, past the trees to the chimneys and smoke curling up into the dark, rainy sky. The group of five made their way through the trees and onto a muddy road. The squishing of mud underneath boots rose up, blending with the rainfall. It didn’t take long to reach the town edge, rivers of rainwater cascading down roofs and the streets empty. Lantern lights glowed from behind curtains of various homes and shops as five figures walked along the mushy ground.
The sounds of laughter and shouting rang out in the small town. Victor looked down the street to a well-lit tavern. The faint sound of glass shattering and loud laughter stormed on as the rain came down.
Becoming silent, the rest of the group turned around to see what Victor was looking at. A tension bloomed as the shadows melted away and three women walked toward the small town. Three pairs of eyes kept their gaze on Victor’s group. They moved with purpose, walking a straight line toward them, seemingly unaffected by the rain.
Victor stepped past his group, “Skye and Kira, find a place to wait for us.”
The two women looked to Victor as he continued to walk, Dawn and Lily at his sides. The Blade readied himself for a fight as the three women didn’t slow down. He had no idea what they were about, but with all the talk of gods, monsters, Spellswords and Casters, Vala’s Champion didn’t want to take a chance.
The three women stepped closer, water running down their travelling clothes. One had long, vibrant blue hair and pale skin. She led the trio as a green-haired woman moved on her left and a white-haired woman walked on her left. Victor couldn’t stop his gaze from shifting to the white-haired woman, her eyes half closed and yawning. Electricity sparked in the air as lightning flashed again in the distance.
The lights from town illuminated the three women’s faces and Victor would be lying to himself if he didn’t find each of them strikingly beautiful. A cloud of power and elegance seemed to flow off their forms as they stepped along the thick mud. When the two groups of three reached each other, twenty feet of space separated them.
Victor kept his muscles loose, but concern touched his spirit as he knew he wouldn’t be able to call upon much of his Strength influence. Deciding to get an advantage from the beginning, the Blade spent two Charisma points and greeted the women with a big, kind smile.
The blue and green-haired women seemed unaffected, but the white-haired one’s mouth gaped as stars filled her half-closed eyes. Slouching forward, the white-haired woman marched forward like a zombie, stars turning to hearts in her eyes. The blue-haired woman put her arm out to stop her companion from taking another step.