by Sher Dillard
She gasped, no, it wasn’t possible.
Where Drake had stood, now a great green dragon came into form. Its leathery wings unfolding. The twin row of sharp spikes down his back rising to point into the air.
The dragon shifted, its tail sweeping through the grass. It’s great horned head turning to focus on her.
She felt her stomach roll over in fear. The monster was huge, towering over her. Its massive head twisting. Faint puffs of smoke rising from his nostrils.
It could devour her in an instant. There was nothing stopping him. He would reach her long before she made the relative safety of the tree line.
Was this how she was to die? Alone? consumed by a dragon? No one would ever know her fate. The sadness of the thought seeped through her.
No child would ever call her mother. No babe would ever nuzzle at her breasts.
The dragon turned to stare up into the sky, then back at her once more. Their eyes met. He has Drake’s eyes. She would know those eyes anywhere, they made her knees weak and her heart pound. Those were Drake’s eyes.
She moaned in disappointment. No, it wasn’t possible. She no longer feared death. Now, she feared her broken heart.
A sense of betrayal passed through her. How could he? Why hadn’t he told her? He couldn’t be what she thought.
But, he was. There was no denying it. Her soul knew. Every part of her knew. Drake was a dragon.
The anger that flashed into her at his betrayal fueled her. Kept her from running.
He saw the anger in her eyes and she thought she might have seen a sorrow cross into those giant orbs of his.
But how could she know? Everything about this man was a lie. It made sense now. The warmth in his chest, the way he couldn’t be hurt by fire. The speed and strength that had demolished five King’s Guardsmen, as if they were a band of shepherds.
She should have known. Chastising herself at her innocent ignorance, she swore at herself. How could she have been so stupid?
The great dragon shook his head, then turned. He took a few steps, then his wings beat the air, sending waves of air washing into her, almost knocking her off her feet.
He jumped, then slowly rose into the sky. His wings pounding a slow drum beat as he fought to gain altitude.
Her heart jumped with him. Was he leaving her? Her anger mixed with loss. No, not like this, she thought.
The giant beast rose. She marveled. How was it possible? He had grown ten times, how could such a beast fly?
As he climbed into the sky, the great green monster, Drake, let loose a mighty roar and then, a stream of fire erupted from its mouth as he claimed the sky.
Elsbeth gasped, holding a hand to her mouth. The beauty of the flames shocked her. The animalistic power, the pure magic of it. All overwhelmed her with wonder.
That was it, she realized. Magic. Drake was a dragon. He could fly and shoot fire. The only answer was magic.
A whimper bubbled at the bottom of her throat. She had let herself be used by a dragon. What did that make her?
A fool, she thought.
He began to circle over her, then turned as something from the west approached.
Elsbeth strained to see as a small dot grew larger and larger.
Another dragon. Her stomach fell. Who? What? Her mind continued to spin as she tried to understand. Up until a few minutes ago, she had never really believed in dragons. They were stories used to scare children into minding their nannies.
But, now. Not one, but two dragons. Her mind fought to regain reality.
The second dragon was gray, equally armored, and equally as large as Drake.
For the first time, a new fear entered her.
She watched in awe as Drake’s wings gave a mighty push, sending him towards this new interloper at breathtaking speed.
The Gray Dragon twisted as well, diving towards Drake.
Elsbeth held her breath as the two dragons came together in a resounding crash. The thunderous roll of sound pushed at her. She swallowed hard as she watched them twist and turn. Each searching for an advantage.
Drake broke away to climb higher.
The Gray followed. Elsbeth could see an old scar across the Gray Dragon’s back. She knew that this was not its first fight. He? It? Was every bit as large as Drake, and just as fierce.
She grit her teeth as they fought.
Drake raked the side of the Gray Dragon with fire, but it was a waste, as it had no effect. It was like trying to burn stone.
She gulped as the Gray dipped under Drake, turned onto his back and raked at Drake’s belly with its claws.
She screamed for Drake to be careful.
What was she doing? she thought with chagrin. She was telling a dragon how to fight. Shaking her head, she continued to watch.
They were like two dogs in the worst alley. Circling, nipping, and scratching at each other. Whatever it took to take the other down.
They separated again, then swooped together, crashing into each other with a resounding burst.
Elsbeth yelped as she saw the Gray sink its teeth into Drake’s shoulder. Where wing met armored side. Her own shoulder screamed in sympathetic pain.
Drake twisted and brought his own mighty jaws into the beast’s neck.
He had purposely sacrificed his wing so that he could reach the animal’s throat. Her insides turned over with fear as the two mighty dragons tumbled in the air. Falling, neither relinquishing control. Latched onto each other for life or death.
She held her breath as she waited for them to break apart. They had to.
“Drake,” she screamed as the two monsters crashed into the earth.
The ground jumped under her feet as a large cloud of brown dust, and green grass exploded into the air.
Still, Drake held onto the beast’s neck while the other worked his shoulder. Neither had been destroyed by the fall.
She laughed to herself. Obviously, they could survive fire. Could beat and scrape each other with mighty claws and massive spear like teeth. A fall wasn’t going to end this.
They twisted and rolled on the ground, their wings beating at each other as feet scrambled to disembowel. Each fighting for purchase.
At last, only when she was sure that it could no longer continue, did they break away from each other.
The Gray roared as he broke free, blood dripping from its neck. A chunk of Drakes shoulder flesh fell from the gray beast’s teeth as he jumped into the air.
Drake jumped into the air after him. His mighty wings beating the air as he chased after him.
Elsbeth watched them disappear. Her heart breaking all the while, her anger rose. How dare he? Lie to her, hide this from her, then leave her. The coward.
Within minutes, the two mighty monsters were lost over the horizon. Slowly, the sounds of the forest began to return. The air smelled of dust and sulfur. Her heart raced. She was unable to believe what she had just seen.
Not one dragon, but two. Fighting.
It wasn’t possible.
And what of Drake? she wondered. He was wounded. She had seen that gash on his shoulders. How could he fly? What if there were more dragons? What if the Gray was leading him into a trap?
She wanted to follow. Every instinct she had cried for her to follow. But that was ridiculous. They were miles from here. How could she ever find him?
Her measly abilities sent a shaft of shame through her. Oh, how he must have laughed at her. Every time he saw her stumble on the trail. Her difficulty with the fire. He must have found it so funny.
The man could have sneezed and started a fire. Why did he need her to do it?
The thought depressed her. She felt a blue funk settle over her as a tear slowly dripped down her cheek. Here she was, still sore from her night with a dragon, and now he had abandoned her alone, in the Forbidden Forest.
The man was a bastard. Pure and simple. A dragon bastard.
Chapter Nine
Drake fought to continue. The Gray was gone and wouldn’t b
e coming back. A protective need coursed through him. He must return. Elsbeth must not be left alone. Especially, now.
Besides, he was going to need her help. His shoulder continued to drip blood with each beat of his wing. It would continue to do so as long as he flew. It needed to be immobilized in a sling, but slings were not conducive to flying.
He beat his wings again as he scanned the forest beneath him. It formed a green carpet, stretching as far as the eye could see. His home, his to protect.
Sending out his senses he searched for any other beasts.
No, he was alone. He was sure of it. The Gray had fled. It was either that or die. Drake’s teeth had come so close to reaching the vital jugular. But the Gray had broken free before he could finish him off.
Heaving a heavy dragon sigh, he continued to make his way back to Elsbeth.
Why had the Gray appeared? Why now? Did it know of the medallion? Had it sensed it and come seeking the precious item? No, surely not.
He reworked the fight in his mind. Something about the Gray was familiar. Something pulled at his memory. Maybe, it wasn’t about the medallion. Maybe, the attack was because of something from his own past.
Some long forgotten enemy.
He continued to ponder and question as he struggled to return to her. He could feel himself losing energy with each drop of blood. His strength sapping away. Could feel himself sinking lower. Closer to the tree tops. If he fell now, he might never find Elsbeth, again. She would wander off. Get lost. Or worse.
There were too many dangers in the forest. Things she would never know about. Now, there were other dragons to fear. If the Gray had attacked. Others might as well.
No, he thought, as he fought to rise higher in the sky. His shoulder screaming with agony. He had received a dozen other cuts. But, nothing as severe as the bite into his shoulder.
Every beat of his wing caused something to grind against something within the joint.
It didn’t matter, he reminded himself. He must return to Elsbeth.
The thought of the woman left behind sent a cold shiver down his long spine to the tip of his tail. She was going to be upset. He well remembered the look of shock and anger on her face when he had turned.
This was not the kind of thing the princess was used to dealing with.
Shaking off the fear that rumbled deep inside of him, he searched for the clearing.
At last, there to the right.
Dipping a wing, he banked and began the descent.
The beast in him rebelled. Fighting the need to return to human form. The beast preferred the freedom of this form. Looking down at the world. Everything and everyone cringing in fear at the mere sight of him.
The beast rejoiced in the fight. Wallowed in the pool of adrenaline. He had defeated his enemy. There was no greater achievement.
Yet, he must return. His duty was to protect. But, it was also to care for those who were special to him. She deserved no less.
Flaring his wings, he came to rest at the edge of the clearing. Elsbeth stood at the far side. Staring at him hard, as if he had ruined her life. Her hands on her hips, her head at a haughty angle. She looked down at him even though he towered over her.
Her eyes no longer held the loving adoration he had come to cherish. They now held an indignant anger.
Swallowing hard, he made himself ready for the transformation back.
This was not going to go well. The look on her face told him it would be smarter to stay in his dragon form.
.o0o.
Elsbeth’s insides relaxed a little when she saw the shape appear in the distant sky. It was Drake, she was positive. It had to be. No other answer was acceptable.
Holding her breath, she watched the dark, distant spot grow. Slowly coming closer and closer. Yes, it was Drake, that deep green. It was him.
He looked massive, his armor glistened in the morning sun. His grace and pure power did something to her insides. Called to something deep down.
Shaking her head, she pushed her emotions aside. He had lied to her. Or at least, failed to tell her the truth. He had used her. She wouldn’t have laid with him if she had known, obviously.
He seemed to hover in the air, then gently touched down, folding his wings.
She didn’t move, couldn’t move. Instead, she watched and waited. Would he stay a dragon, or would he return to being a man? Her heart pounded in her chest. The answer was rather important.
At last, a burst of fire and smoke surrounded the dragon. Elsbeth gasped. Would she ever get used to it? she wondered.
The smoke twirled, then seemed to disappear into a hole in the sky as Drake the man walked out from beneath it.
Her heart skipped a beat. He was fully dressed, his sword at his side. It was as if he had walked off to get a rabbit, not chased a dragon through the sky.
He was walking slower than normal, she thought. The vital urge to hurry to Sinstra seemed to have been forgotten. About time.
Elsbeth examined him as he approached. His shoulder glistened, his jacket torn. His white cotton shirt underneath appeared pink for some reason. His face had a gray chalky appearance.
A hand went to her mouth to hide her shock.
He was injured. Badly. Dragon wounds transferred to the human form. How was that possible? How was any of this possible, Elsbeth? She thought to herself. The man just turned into a dragon, and flew through the sky. The normal rules don’t apply.
Lifting the hem of her dress, she hurried across the field towards him.
She was still angry with him, she reminded herself. But, he was injured. Besides. He was her only way to Julian. She needed this man, this dragon, this Dragon-Man, if she was ever to obtain her Crown.
As she ran towards him, he glanced up and caught her stare. A look of regret passed behind his eyes before they rolled up into the back of his head as he collapsed to the ground.
“Drake,” she screamed.
He smiled weakly at her. “I seem to have tripped,” he said with a confused look before he passed out.
She rushed to his side. The metallic smell of blood permeated the air. Pushing the bile that rose up in her throat, she gently began to examine the wound.
A large piece of flesh had been ripped from him. Exposing raw meat and white bone. Even now, blood continued to seep out. She swallowed hard and forced herself to gently turn him over so she could examine his back.
It was the same.
How had he flown with such an injury? How had he even lived?
She looked back, their packs were all the way across the meadow. She didn’t have time and feared leaving his side. Reaching under her dress, she quickly removed her petty coat and began tearing it into strips.
Taking a deep breath, she packed both wounds, front and back, with the fabric, and tied a crude bandage around him. It seemed that only seconds later the white cloth began to turn red with his blood.
There was too much blood. He had lost too much. He should have landed quicker. He should have taken better care of himself. Why had he chased the other dragon?
A million thoughts rambled through her brain as she tried to figure out what to do next.
He needed shade, he needed water, he needed a healer. The realization of all that he needed and how little she could provide hit her like a club to the stomach. This man might very well live or die depending upon what she did.
Looking around, she assessed the situation and made a decision. She glanced once more at Drake. Had his face grown paler? Her heart skipped a beat.
Setting her teeth, she raced across the field to regain their packs. Maybe he had something in his that could help. The thing weighed a ton. She could barely lift it from the ground. How had he carried this all day without ever seeming to tire?
He’s a dragon, she reminded herself with a shake of her head.
Her heart pounding a dozen times with each step as she dragged the pack back to Drake, leaving a long trail of bent grass in her path.
When she re
ached him, she used the water bag to trickle a little water into his mouth. Once that was done, she ran to the trees to find what she needed. Returning, she used several sticks and her spare dress to create an awning for some shade.
Still, he looked terrible. Her heart continued to race as her stomach clenched up into a ball.
Maybe his pack? she thought as she tore into it. Removing clothes, food, and the rice pot. At the bottom, she found a small leather pouch containing a herb mixture.
She brought it to her nose. The familiar scent of Willow, St John’s wort, and other medicinal herbs greeted her.
Yes, this was what she needed.
Her hands shook as she quickly built a fire and set to making a tea. It surprised her a few minute later to realize, she had made a fire and thought nothing of it.
Turning back, she inspected Drake, again. She found several slight cuts and abrasions, nothing serious. It was the shoulder wound that threatened his life.
What should she do? Where could she go for help? Her mind searched for an answer. There was no one. He was alone. Fear washed over her.
For the remainder of the day she cared for him. Holding his head on her lap, she would give him tea and force him to swallow. She covered him in blankets and kept the fire going.
But, mostly, she waited.
Her heart skittered, her mind darted in a dozen different directions every minute. But, she waited.
The afternoon sun was slowly replaced by the night stars, and she waited.
A lone wolf called in the distance, her shoulders shivered with fear, but, she waited.
He occasionally stirred, an arm here, a leg there, a deep, painful moan. Her hopes would soar, only to be torn asunder when he didn’t wake.
And still, she waited.
The moon rose into the night sky. The night wind became cool. The day’s events finally caught up with her. She could stay awake no longer.
Pulling a blanket aside, she lay next to Drake. She told herself that it was to help keep him warm. But deep inside, she knew it was because she needed his strength against the fear that bubbled just below the surface.
She was furious at this man, but still, something inside of her wouldn’t stop caring.