Drakhana's Claim

by Tara Starr

In the span of two blasts, we have the fire bastards on the run. Ivy looks at me. She doesn’t have to say anything. I know what we have to do.

  In a mighty flap of our wings, we go in separate directions. There are still parts of the frontline that need our help. Even in the air, I’m already gathering power in my chest. As soon as I land, I set it free.

  The ground is frozen. Fire clan men and dragons all stop moving, becoming motionless statues. They die instantly. Not the death I wanted for them, but hey, it’s working since we have them on the run.

  Seeing Ivy and I in our mighty dragon forms gives our troops the extra energy they need to finish the fight. Once I’m sure that they have everything under control, I return to the air. In the distance, I see Ivy do the same.

  We sweet through the surrounding areas and blast columns of fire dragons as they flee. We are not leaving anyone alive. They will just go back to their clan and find another way to harass our people. It might sound barbaric, but there is not softness in war.

  When you know that your enemy will only return with a larger force, you have to set mercy aside. Kindness at this stage will only bite you in the ass in the future. I learned this in my business dealings, especially with the fire clan. You can’t give them any wiggle room or they will stab you in the back when you’re not looking.

  Ivy and I move on the to surrounding caves once we’re sure the forests are clear of fire dragons. We route them out and dispose of them in turn. I know that Ivy feels the same way.

  What we are doing is for the safety of our people. I want to send a message to the fire clan that we are not to be trifled with. I may hate going into battle, but I’m not opposed to fighting when the outcome is peace for my people.

  We make a final sweep around the area as our troops finish off the remaining dragons on the field. Then, when we are sure that there are no longer any threats against us, Ivy and I land side by side on the largest clearing. Our warriors gather around, lifting their swords and cheering.

  It takes a moment for us to shed our dragons. They are quite large and the energy that we must dispense is quite significant. When we are finally in our human form, we come together in a tight embrace.

  “You were amazing,” I say to Ivy.

  “Why do you insist on stealing all my lines?” She leans back and looks into my eyes.

  “I guess we’re thinking the same thing?”

  It’s true. She knows it’s true. We move and think as one unit now.

  She takes my face in both her hands and bring her lips to mine. I bend down in a romantic sweep where she extends her leg behind me. A roar of celebration comes at us like a crashing wave.

  We smile at each other even if our lips are still pressed together. We did it. We won.

  Thirty-One

  Ivy

  The elation of winning takes me all the way into bed. I take a well-deserved dip into the hot spring and fall asleep almost immediately when my head hits my pillow. It’s a good kind of tired. The kind the comes from accomplishing what you set out to do.

  The fire clan is well and defeated. Many died on the field and I don’t think we will be seeing them ever again. Actually, if I see so much as a fire clan dragon’s shadow it will be too soon.

  Despite my fatigue, I wake up refreshed. The sun is shining brighter than it has always been. The possibilities of the day are endless. My people are finally free from the impending threat of invasion.

  I stretch out the kinks from my muscles and get the blood flowing again. Then I push away the covers and edge out of bed. Today, we honor the slain by celebrating the victory that they died achieving. They will be ushered to join the ancients with song and merriment.

  Moving into my bathroom, I wash the sleep out of my face and perform my morning ablutions. For the first time in what seems like so long, I don’t have to dress in my fighting leathers. I pick a cable knit sweater and tight pants that I stuff inside knee-high boots. I want comfort after the constriction of battle gear.

  When I leave my room, I’m already met with a flurry of excitement and preparations. The whole mountain is partying tonight. This will be one for the books.

  I have to walk carefully down the hall toward breakfast because it seems like every servant, soldier, and council member is in a hurry to get this or that done before the sun sets. I have done my job. Now I can just sit back and revel in the excitement filling the air.

  My skin still feels the tingles from the powers that I’m not tethered to for the rest of my life. I carry around the heart of the mountain. It’s both humbling and empowering at the same time. I’ve never felt more comfortable in my own skin before.

  I walk into the dinning hall to the applause of everyone there. Soldiers and nobles alike acknowledge what I have done. What I participated in to maintain the way of life they have become accustomed to. I nod and send them my silent appreciation for their adulation.

  After I fill my plate with eggs, bacon, and a stack of pancakes, I’m invited to sit with the remaining generals. A few of them had fallen in the battle yesterday and they will be honored for the heroes that they are, laying down their lives for their people. I can’t imagine a better death for a warrior.

  The generals all tell stories of battle while we eat. It’s tradition to share of their exploits. I listen patiently to all their achievements. How many fire dragons they brought down. Their best kills. It’s a bragging right that they all deserve as victors of the battle.

  The war, on the other hand, I’m still not convinced is over. I want to make sure that our efforts are successful. That the fire clan won’t come knocking on our doors. But it’s still too early to tell. I guess I have to content myself with having to wait and see.

  By the time we reach the end of breakfast and I’m drinking the last of my coffee, discussion switches to my new dragon form and the power the comes with it. I’m about to tell them about being one with the heart of the mountain but I’m saved by a page with a message for me. It’s from my parents asking that they see me.

  I make my excuses and leave the dining hall. I can feel the disappointment of my men hitting me in the back as I make my exit. In the back of my mind, I’m not sure if they should know about what Logan and I did. Something tells me that’s not the best course of action.

  Instead of the council chamber, my parents asked me to attend them at their private quarters, which is on the other side of the fortress. East to be exact. They like to rise with the morning sun a head of them on the horizon. I’m more of a sunset dragon that anything else.

  On the way, I wonder where Logan could be. Last night, we decided on sleeping in seperate bedrooms. We were too tired to do much of anything afterward anyway.

  Becoming a mythical dragon takes a lot out of you. It’s a powerful force that demands much from the one who wields it. I’ll be glad if I don’t have to use it again.

  The hallway to my parents’ private quarters is quieter than the rest of the fortress. The bustle of activity is elsewhere. I’m sure they will soon join the melee since some decisions only they can make and some choices will need their approval. Like how many barrels of wine will be carried out of the cellar for the celebrations. I say nothing less than several hundred. Dragons can drink.

  As I approach the double doors leading into their rooms, my eyes focus on the carved dragon on the ancient wood. When I was younger, it was just another dragon to me. Now that I know what I’m capable off, the dragon on the door looks exactly like me. Fierce. Strong. An immovable force.

  I square my shoulders before I knock. My father’s voice tells me to come in. I push one of the heavy doors open and step inside.

  There is a large antechamber with massive columns and marble floors that lead deeper into my parents’ suite of rooms. At the center is a table with a large ice sculpture of the ice clan emblem. It never melts, sustained by the powers that my parents share as monarchs of the clan.

  “Come in, darling,” my mother calls.

  I move into the living r
oom and find them sitting at the breakfast nook. They are also in the middle of having breakfast. My father is reading a newspaper while my mother is cutting into a grapefruit.

  At first glance, they look like a typical suburban couple. You can’t even tell that they are the king and queen of the most powerful dragon clan on earth. I can safely call us the most powerful if yesterday is any indication.

  “You asked for me?” I ask, standing a few feet from where they are seated. Even in private, there will always be an air of formality between us. I do not initiate any affection unless it comes from my parents first. But I don’t have to bow, unlike if we were inside the council chamber.

  My father folds his newspaper in half and sets it aside. “I wanted to talk to you about the spectacle that happened yesterday.”

  “Do you mean the battle that we won?”

  “What your father means is, we know what you did in order to claim that kind of power,” my mother says, ever the mediator. “We’re just concerned. We need to know if you are aware that these new powers of yours have consequences.”

  The thing about being one with the heart of the mountain, it brings out the real you. I came out of there more humbled than I ever thought I would be. I drop my gaze for a moment before I look into my parents’ eyes again. They wait for me expectantly.

  “I am well aware of the responsibilities that come with my powers, mother, father.” I look at them in turn. “The ancients showed me what happened to the dragons who abused their powers. It’s not a pretty sight.”

  “We trust in your digression, Ivy,” my father says. “But also know that the elders and I will be keeping a close watch on you. Please don’t make us have to restrict your use of the powers of the heart of Verglas.”

  “I understand, father.” I know that behind his warning is his worry. He just wants what’s best for me as I want what’s best for my people.

  “Now, can we please talk about you and Logan?” My mother can barely stay in her seat. I know she wants to give me a hug, but is cautious.

  “We heard about that kiss on the battlefield,” my father clarifies. “Does this mean you two are heart-bonded?”

  I drop my gaze for an entirely different reason. My cheeks grow hot under their watchful gazes. I peek at them from behind my eyelashes and nod.

  My mother finally stands and gives me that hug. I welcome it with open arms.

  “How wonderful!” she exclaims.

  “I can’t see a better match for you, Ivy.” My father joins us and also gives me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Then he looks me in the eyes as he says, “I know that you want to go and finish off the fire clan, but I want you to let that go. There is no more danger for us.”

  Reluctantly, I nod. I see the wisdom in my father’s words. But that doesn’t mean I’ll let my guard down until I’m absolutely certain we’re finally out of the woods.

  Thirty-Two

  Logan

  As much as I wanted to sleep beside Ivy, I knew that it would be better if we slept in our own beds the night after the battle. The instant I stretched out on my bed I was pretty much dead to the world. I had no plans of getting up any time soon.

  The only reason I wake up earlier than expected has to do with the racket happening outside my door. Groaning from the ache that comes from muscles I haven’t used in years, I wipe the last of the sleep haze from my face. I sit up and stretch my arms above my head. I take a moment to search for Ivy to find that she’s already in the dining hall.

  I smile. She was never one to stay in bed long. Always the early riser. Ever the soldier.

  Seeing that there’s no way I can go back to sleep, and anyway I don’t want to feel lazy for the rest of the day, I force myself out of bed. It’s feeling like a jeans and a T-shirt kind of day already. Nothing like the feeling of peace to relax an entire community. Not a day before, everyone was panicked out of their minds.

  The battle has been fought. The war has been won—for now, at any rate. And the ice clan can once again go back to their normal lives. Plus, a celebration today.

  The ice clan know how to party. There will be great food. There will be much drinking. The mountain will be hopping for most of the night. Already I’m thinking of a secluded place in which to sleep peacefully, away from the celebrations once I’m done.

  Honestly, I feel like I can sleep for a week. The powers that come from the heart of the mountain really takes its toll. I should know since I’m a businessman. Nothing comes for free.

  I’ll be experiencing its aftereffects for a while yet. I’m pretty sure that Ivy is going through the same thing. She just probably hides it better than I do. Maybe she’s right. I have gone soft.

  I leave my room and enter the chaos that is the Floe Fortress. It seems like everyone is on the move. On the way to accomplish whatever task they have been assigned.

  Unwilling to get in the way, I move as quickly as I can to the dining hall. Since I woke up pretty late for this place, breakfast is all but done. Ivy isn’t in the hall anymore.

  I reach out and find her with her parents. Okay, it seems like we won’t see each other until the party. It’s not my place to disturb her time with them. I get the feeling she’s telling them about me. A dragon can hope.

  I grab the last piece of toast, butter it, and wash it down with what’s left of the coffee. I’m still a tad hungry, but I get the feeling that the kitchen is complete pandemonium at the moment. I don’t want to risk the cooks getting mad at me by barging in on their territory. Have you encountered a stressed dragon while cooking? Pray that you never do.

  Instead, I make my way outside the fortress and head straight for sickbay. I want to check on the injured and see how they are faring. They fought a hard-won battle with us. It will be nice to show them that we’re all still in this together.

  One of the medics meets me at the entrance of the medical facility. Everything is state of the art. All the equipment is new and the medical supplies are well stocked. All the wounded are getting better care here than if we sent them to the best hospital in the world.

  The medic greets me and I ask if I can visit with the injured. He takes me to the special ward where they all are staying. It’s on the second floor.

  The smell of antiseptic and medicine hurts my nose. I don’t like hospitals on my best days. Even if I’m not the open injured, I still feel uneasy being in one.

  I visit each dragon and speak with them. Finding out how they are and boosting their moral where I can. It seems that even in the ward they are excited for the party tonight.

  After about an hour, I leave the medical facility understanding how much the mountain relies on the money that comes from our businesses. We were able to build the best medical facility because of that money. All the modern comforts in and around the fortress is also because of the money the businesses bring in.

  In fact, we have a conference room because of all that money. Since everyone is busy with party preparations, the room is empty. I take a seat at the head of the table and fidget with the touch screen in front of me.

  A large screen comes down from the ceiling. With a tap of my finger, it turns on. It’s connected to the internet, which allows me to set up a conference call with all my business managers.

  I check in one each and every one of them. Based on what they tell me, it seems like all the contingency plans Ivy and I have set up worked like a charm. Not only are our new businesses thriving, it looks like cash flow is starting to return. Which gives me a sense of comfort.

  I dismiss everyone with a smile of triumph on our faces. I tell them to take the day off and celebrate our victory. I ask them to raise a glass for a battle fought and won.

  My assistant stays and I ask, “Is there anything else I should know?”

  He nods. “I’m happy to report that the fire clan is closing up shop in LA. They have either sold their shares or abandoned the businesses they bought from under us.”

  “Really?” What an interesting development. “I
would have thought they’d have more backbone than that.”

  “They’re all running scared, sir. Last I heard, they are fleeing back to Las Vegas.”

  “Good.”

  “Do you want me to make arrangements on next steps where they are concerned?”

  “I like your initiative, but let’s leave them alone for now. Give yourself a break and take the day off like the rest of us.”

  “Somehow I doubt that you’re really taking the day off, sir.”

  My assistant knows me too well. I roll my eyes. “Fine. I might be plotting my next move, but that shouldn’t concern you right now.”

  “When you’ve hashed it all out, give me a call.”

  “Oh, before you go . . .”

  “Yes, sir?”

  I grin. “Give yourself a raise for a job well done.”

  “Already in the works.”

  Got to love an assistant who thinks several steps ahead. We end the call and I lean back on the chair, allowing myself a sigh of relief. We did well. I can’t wait to tell Ivy.

  My meeting ran a little long. By the time I leave the conference room, it’s already almost time for the party. I head back into my room and change into something more appropriate.

  I pick out slacks and a cashmere sweater. Then I head into the shower.

  When I leave my room and head for the ballroom, the party is already underway. There are also festivities being held in the courtyard of the fortress and the surrounding areas all the way down the mountain. I can feel the festive vibe in the air.

  The ballroom is packed with dragons. It seems like no one wants to wear anything formal tonight. Even the king and queen aren’t in their robes.

  Like always, I search the room. Almost immediately, I find Ivy standing among a group of commanders. They are all fawning at her feet. I can’t blame them.

  She’s wearing a dark blue dress that hugs every curve on her body but flares out at the waist. The color compliments her eyes, and she has her hair up in a bun with tendrils curling down the sides of her face. She smiles while she speaks.