The Dragon Saga Box Set

by Nicolette Andrews

  "You could have warned me we were stopping," Suzume grumbled.

  "He's getting closer," Rin said, putting a damper on any more complaints Suzume might have.

  "I gathered as much."

  The group fanned out around her, reaching for their weapons. Suzume clutched at her staff, palms sweaty. The fire was right there at her fingertips, ready to be unleashed to wreak havoc upon any foe. She could do this. She had done it before. But after what she had done, knowing what dwelled inside her, she held back from reaching out to it. The ground beneath Suzume's feet trembled, the vibrations traveling up her body. It was getting closer.

  From out of the dark shadows, a figure dressed all in black emerged. His eyes glowed green in the darkness as he sang a song. Suzume could feel the power rising off him, igniting every cell in her body. Her throat itched to join in with him, to feel that power course through her, but she clamped her mouth shut instead and just watched Makato, or Hikaru, which was his real name.

  The notes of his song faded into the night and he turned to the others. "That should give us sufficient cover for now."

  "It won't last forever. We better hurry," Rin said in a rumbling voice.

  They continued through the twisted maze of the bamboo forest, and the creeping sensation would not leave Suzume. Maybe it was because the nights were turning colder, but the chill continued to grow. A small spark of her flame would both warm her and give her something to see by. But with her power, it wasn't always that simple. One little spark and the next thing she knew she'd be consumed by Kazue. Instead she followed the dim light Rin emitted and rubbed her palms against her arms, trying to keep warm.

  "How much farther?" Akira asked, her voice floating from somewhere in the darkness behind Suzume.

  It was a disorienting feeling, being surrounded but having no real way of seeing any of them. It was as if they were all lost in darkness.

  "Almost there," Hikaru replied. His disembodied voice echoed around Suzume.

  As if summoned by his words, the bamboo forest came to an abrupt end. The night was still and the only sound was the chirp of insects.

  "I think we lost him," Suzume said, with an audible exhale of relief.

  "Wait here, just in case," Rin said before stepping out from the archway of bamboo.

  Rin lifted her fox head, sniffing the air. After a few cautious moments, she gestured for the others to join her. Outside the forest there was nothing but a long stretch of rolling hills, nothing to disguise them for a league. Suzume hurried across the space, wanting to be back in the shelter of treetops as soon as possible. Her gaze kept drifting to the cloudless night. If something was flying overhead, they'd see it in an instant.

  Halfway across a cloud passed overhead, casting a long shadow over them. Behind her she heard the clink of a sword being drawn. The long serpentine shadow was directly over her and she tilted her head back to see a flash of blue scales against the dark sky. She squeezed her hands into fists to suppress the sparks that already threatened to ignite all over her body.

  Maybe he didn't see us. But how could he miss them, when they were out in the open?

  An ear-piercing roar shook Suzume to her core.

  Or he did.

  The others closed into formation around her, weapons drawn. As if they could protect her from what was coming. Suzume reached for her staff, but feared drawing it. If she fought now, the power would only leap to her defense and she feared the consequences if she did. So she dropped her hand to her side instead, relying on her friends for protection.

  The dragon took a dive from the sky, on a crash course with their group. He skimmed over the tops of their heads. The rush of the wind as he passed tossed Suzume's hair back, and she whipped her head up to watch his progress as he landed a few feet away.

  In a puff of smoke, he transformed from a serpentine dragon to something more human. From a distance, Suzume could see his icy blue eyes. He stormed toward them, one hand extended, partially transformed, and tipped with razor-sharp claws.

  "Out of my way," Kaito growled at Noaki and Tsuki, who stood directly in front of her.

  "Not gonna happen I'm afraid," Tsuki said. Even though she couldn't see his face, she imagined he had a grin.

  "Then I'll make you move."

  The dragon lunged for the two swordsmen, claws clashing with blades, the sound ringing out into the night. The two of them circled the dragon, whose face had partially transformed into something dangerous and beastly. Elongated fangs protruded from his mouth, his face was covered in scales, and his eyes were a dangerous blue. He spun slowly in a circle while the swordsmen held up their weapons, on guard.

  "I do not wish to fight you," Noaki said.

  "Too late for that," Kaito said as he lunged once more for the swordsman.

  Even in a fight of two against one, the odds were in Kaito's favor.

  Suzume's hands were slick with sweat as she gripped her staff. She let it go though, she wouldn't use it against him. Not at the risk of hurting him once more. She stepped out from the protective barrier Rin and Hikaru had put between her and the dragon.

  "Stop!" she shouted.

  Kaito froze, his hand in the air prepared to slash at Tsuki. His piercing blue eyes caught hers and narrowed.

  "What are you doing?" she said to the dragon, hands on hips, arms trembling. She'd wanted to make a clean break. But knowing the dragon, that was never going to be possible.

  Kaito lowered his hands to his side. "Excuse me?"

  "Why did you follow us?"

  He shook his head and stalked over to her, grabbing her wrist and yanking her close to him. "Is this a joke? You snuck away in the middle of the night. What else was I supposed to think other than you were kidnapped?"

  Sparks danced between them as her fire could not be suppressed against the threat of his icy grip. It would be so easy to fall into old habits, let him lure her back in with an argument that he would inevitably win. She had left without a goodbye for this very reason. She yanked her hand away.

  "You knew I wasn't kidnapped." She glared back at him.

  A few errant sparks sputtered out and died, fading into the dark. Kaito glared at the space between them.

  "You have a knack for trouble," he said but the old joke was half-hearted at best.

  "Well you see that I'm fine, so you can leave now." She turned to walk away. If she looked at him, she might still give in and stay with him. Not because she thought he'd ask her to stay, but because she was afraid her own resolve would crumble. It would be so much easier to fall into his arms and become his pet, kept hidden away forever. But that's not who she wanted to be.

  Kaito balled his hand into a fist. "What are you hoping to prove?"

  She turned around to face him once more, her face flushed with anger. "Do you really not get it?"

  "I see that you're still too reckless for your own good. I'm bringing you back before you get hurt."

  He reached for her once more and she picked up her staff, blocking him with a flaming barrier that she had not intended to use, but was grateful for just the same. Ice coated his hand as he grasped the staff.

  "Do you want to know why I can't go back there?" Suzume asked as she knocked the dragon backward. He skidded back a step or two. She was lucky that time. He'd not expected her to go on the attack. But before he could recover, she lunged toward him, swiping her staff at him. He dodged her attack, rolling out of the way. She felt her power swell inside her, a raging inferno that was just waiting to be unleashed—Kazue's flame, the power of the kami. Whatever it was, it wanted more than anything for Suzume to prove to Kaito just how strong she had become.

  He had to feel it as well, the rise of her spiritual pressure. But he was pretending not to. He only saw her as a fragile princess, a woman incapable of protecting herself, but she had become so much more. She swung at him again, letting rage guide her steps. But Kaito was much faster than her and he was behind her in a heartbeat.

  He wrapped his arm around her t
orso, pressing her staff against her body and pressing her back against his chest.

  "I don't care what your reasons are. I know what's best for you."

  Her anger rose in her like the tide, and flames burst out of Suzume, turning her into an inferno. Kaito jumped back and away from her before he too was burned. She turned to face him, and saw the flame reflected in his eyes and she saw his fear. The scales receded on his skin and he reverted to a more human visage. She thought Hikaru had broken the spell that caused her to steal Kaito's energy, but the bond was not broken. They were still connected and the longer they remained together the more she would hurt him and herself.

  The thought sobered her and she let the flames die out. Kaito was left nearly bent over, clutching at his stomach.

  "This is why I'm leaving," she said, gesturing toward him.

  Kaito stood up again, as if he had not almost been brought to his knees by Suzume's brief show of power.

  "You don't have to use your power," he growled. But she could see the strain on his face and the cracks in his veneer, which showed his real fear of her.

  "That's what you don't get. I don't want to give it up. If I have to choose between you and my power, then I choose my power." It was a lie, of course. She didn't want this destructive power, but she didn't want to be a kept woman either.

  She turned to walk away, hoping that she'd made her point clear and he'd let her walk away once and for all. But before she could even take a few steps, Kaito chased after her. He grabbed her but this time she didn't feel any of the frost in his touch. It was warm and firm.

  It was so difficult not to turn around and beg him to protect her. She was terrified of the power inside her. So scared that she would lose control again, and hurt someone else.

  She wished she could live the ideal life he wanted for her—living protected and comfortable, a similar version of the life she had once had back at the palace. But that Suzume was gone, burned away and nothing but ash.

  "Let me go," she said, softly.

  As if he was a puppet on a string, Kaito loosened his grip. It shocked her that he listened. His entire body was tense, clenched and angry.

  "Do you think I'm going to let you go that easily?" he asked.

  "Is keeping me like your pet going to change the past?"

  "You're mine." His voice was a growl.

  She shook her head. "No, I'm not."

  She took another few steps and he followed. "Just stop!" she shouted.

  Kaito froze in his tracks. "This isn't funny," Kaito growled.

  Suzume turned to him once more. "I'm not trying to be funny."

  "Then whose spell is keeping me from moving?" he snarled.

  Everyone had the same confused expression on their faces. Then she remembered how after she'd taken Ai's energy she had been able to control her. Could it be she had the same control over Kaito?

  "Pat your head."

  Kaito's arm moved stiffly to his head and he tapped it once and then twice.

  Suzume covered her mouth with her hand. He has to listen to me. There were so many evil thoughts running through her head, all of which would only lead to trouble. As much as she wanted to tease him, and fall back into the same routine they used to have, she knew there was only one command she had to give.

  "I'm going to walk away and you cannot chase after me. Do not search for me. I never want to see you again."

  "Do you think I'm going to listen to a mere human?"

  "You don't have any choice. We're bound together and you have to obey."

  2

  It had been five hundred years since Kaito had gazed upon this shoreline. While he had been sealed away, his dreams at times had brought him back here—seated at the head of the great hall, his subjects feasting while the sounds of music and laughter filled the room. The palace had been full of life and color, his people as varied as the islands over which he ruled. When he closed his eyes, he could almost hear them again. But when he opened them, the sky overhead was gray, and his once vibrant palace had been stripped of color, hardly distinguishable from the sky and sea. Everything was one muted canvas.

  The palace long ago was a shining jewel set on the ocean’s surface. At the height of his power it had been a testament to his strength. Now all that remained was a bleak island, buffeted by waves. At first glance, it appeared to be nothing but crumbling stone. To any passing human eye, that was exactly how it seemed. But Kaito saw beyond that, to the crumbled walls which once fortified his palace. The beautifully painted tiles which once covered his roofs were cracked and bleached by the sun.

  Raindrops pattered onto his face and Kaito tilted his head back to let them roll down his neck. Perhaps the clouds overhead were reflective of his mood, and the sea's raging against the sandy shore fueled by his anger. There was no denying it now, time had almost wiped away the last traces of him and his kingdom. Nothing was how it was supposed to be. First he lost Suzume, and now this.

  "You are back where you belong," Ai said. Though childlike in appearance she had at one time been one of the most powerful of the first children. Beloved daughter of the Lord of the Sea, and Kaito’s one-time mistress. She had insisted on joining him on his quest to return home, rather than remaining in the underwater palace which had once been her prison.

  The two of them had lost everything, taken by Kazue. But if he had known what awaited him here he would have held back on returning. He would have gone to search out allies first, prepare himself. After everything he'd lost already—his pride, his rulership. He had hoped this place would remain the same as so many other palaces had. But this was just another cruel twist of the knife.

  "It can be rebuilt," Ai said, reading his mood.

  Kaito lowered his gaze to the horizon once more. Water blurred his vision as he held up his hands. Thunder rumbled overhead as lightning cracked through the sky. The sea grew still, recognizing its master. The waters parted, and from the depths of the ocean arches rose. Seaweed was tangled around their tops, but the color had not faded and the bright crimson shone like a flame against the bleak landscape. Following the arches, a stone pathway emerged from the sea floor and crabs scuttled across it, heading back to the water they'd been so rudely removed from. Everything fell into place with a shuddering halt.

  "I am home."

  He strode beneath the arches, heading for the doors which clung to the remains of the outer walls. The massive wooden doors hung loosely on the hinges, battered by the wind and sea for centuries. They were mostly rotted. Beyond the main gates the central courtyard greeted him. Seabirds had made nests in the eaves of the outer buildings. Broken shells and the skeletons of fish littered the ground. Kaito's feet crunched on shells and bones as he crossed it. He made a mental note of everything that would need to be returned to its former glory.

  "This is a mess," Ai said, hiding her face behind her large sleeve. Everything stank of rotting fish.

  Kaito continued up the main stairs through the outer ring of buildings, where in times past the lesser of his court dwelled. These buildings had taken the brunt of the ocean's torment. All that remained was the skeletal structures jutting from the foundation. Sea life had taken up residence and barnacles clung to stones and walls.

  Into the second and third rings the damage was less, though age and neglect showed in the damp decay that clung to everything. Kaito stopped before the double doors, which had once led into his audience room—the place where he had ruled over Akatsuki. The double doors, shielded from the elements, seemed untouched by time. Unlike the outer reaches of his palace, this place still held some of its spiritual energy due to spells woven into the fabric of the place and his own essence which had seeped into it from hundreds of years of residence. He brushed his hand against the wood, but as he did a jolt went through him. His spells had been contaminated with unfamiliar energy.

  He pulled his hand back. It was most likely scavengers who had come while he was away. Once word of his defeat had spread, the yokai would have thought li
ttle of his possessions other than to take it for themselves. That was a matter for later, however. Kaito pushed open the doors and they creaked, protesting their use after five hundred years of stillness.

  As soon as he opened the door, raucous laughter drifted outward.

  "Someone is here," Ai said, stating the obvious.

  He felt the shift in her spiritual energy as she channeled her power to defend him. Not that he needed it. He was more than strong enough to fend off a few squatters. Likely it was some low-level yokai who had moved in while he was gone. He wasn't surprised, but he wasn't pleased either.

  The audience hall was long, lined with numerous supporting beams, and the ceiling was high—at least five times his height, to accommodate all types of yokai. At the far end of the room was a raised dais, where he had once presided over his court. A fire flickered just at the foot of the dais, casting long shadows onto it and the surrounding pillars and walls. A figure sat where Kaito once sat. These were very presumptuous squatters.

  It was exactly the sort of distraction he needed, knocking around a few yokai might help calm the rage which churned around in his gut. The small band of yokai were seated around the fire. Kaito and Ai kept to the shadows, hiding behind the pillars as they crept closer to the group. A yokai with garish blue hair and curling horns sprouting from the top of his head lounged on the dais, his head resting in the lap of a beautiful yokai, whose blue-green hair fell to the ground behind her. She stroked his head, running her long fingers through his hair.

  There were no more than ten of them in the room. A quick scan of the surrounding area revealed there were no more about. All of them had the same sort of appearance—jewel toned hair and horns on their head. Though their appearance was nothing like any yokai he had seen before, he was surprised to find they were dragons. Who would willingly assume these ridiculous forms? I thought I knew all the dragons in Akatsuki. He assessed them another moment, trying to discern if he had met them before and did not recognize their current chosen forms. But after careful probing, in which none of them so much as flinched, he determined they must be some lesser beings closely related to dragons.