by Logan Jacobs
The elf said nothing, but I saw his lips twitch again, and he reared his sword back and let out a terrible screech as he ran toward me.
I was standing near the steps as he came toward me, so I adjusted my stance just slightly, and when he was nearly to me, I pivoted to the right.
He wasn’t able to stop himself, and his momentum carried him down the small flight of stairs as he tumbled to the ground in a heap of orange hair and gangly limbs.
I nodded to Blar, and the little dragon let out a massive blue fire blast, but the elf was quick, and once again, he threw up a shield to block Blar’s fire. He probably learned that trick a long time ago being in the line of work he was in, and I was surprised his brother hadn’t known it as well.
“You sonofabitch.” He stood up and wiped blood from his mouth. His hands and face were scratched up from his fall, but I still hadn’t managed to land a single blow, and my technique of distracting him so he’d get sloppy didn’t seem to be working as well as I’d hoped.
“Alright,” I muttered to myself. “Time to get serious.”
I nodded to Blar again, and the little dragon glanced down at me and nodded back.
The orange-haired elf ran up the stairs toward me, and judging by the snarl curling his lip, he was clearly upset with my taunting.
Perhaps my plan was working better than I thought.
“Fuck you,” I spat, and I raised my blade above my head as if I were going to come down on him, but as soon as he made it to me, I swung sideways and caught him in his ribs.
“Shite!” he cursed and dropped his weapon.
Before he could pick his sword back up to defend himself, I swung again, and this time I landed a blow on his leg.
Blood poured from his wounds and ran down the steps, but he gritted his teeth and held his hand up. Suddenly, I was immobilized in an orange glow, and I knew he’d cast some sort of spell on me.
Blar came down on him, but instead of using his fire, the little dragon tore at him with his talons and teeth long enough to distract the elf from the spell he was casting on me.
I was able to move again, and with one powerful blow, I swung my sword and nearly cut the man in half at the waist.
Blood spilled from his mouth as he looked up at me with dark-blue eyes draining of their light, and I thought about this fuck and everything he and his brother had done to the innocent dragons. He deserved to die, and I was happy to be the one who took his life.
Blood pooled around his teeth as he sneered at me again, but I just thrust my sword harder to the left so it dug even further into his body, and his mouth opened wide as he gripped onto my blade in some sort of attempt to save his pitiful life.
“You’ll never … stop us…” he gasped, but then the light completely disappeared from his eyes, and I yanked my sword back and watched as his corpse fell to the ground.
As soon as he was defeated, I ran down to the girls. Eira sliced the last guard through the throat as I made my way down the steps, and the redhead spun around quickly, clearly thinking I was an enemy.
“Oh, Rath,” she breathed, and she lowered her weapon.
“It looks like you’re all done here,” I said as I looked around.
“Eira just took out the last one,” Asta explained, and the elf girl’s white hair looked more pink than white now that it was stained with blood.
I smiled as I looked around at the women. All of them were covered with blood except for Preyna, who only had a drop or two on her legs, and that clearly wasn’t from her fighting, but rather from blood spray all around her.
Kas’ face had a massive streak of red across it, which tapered down to her chest and then faded off around her hip. The sweet Valkyrie looked up at me and smiled wide, which only added to the contrast between her outward blood drenched appearance and her very sweet nature.
Eira didn’t have much blood on her face or body, but her arms and hands were coated with the red sticky liquid since she preferred closer hand-to-hand combat.
Then a feeling of dread hit me like a sudden tidal wave, and I realized it was coming from the baby dragons in the cages.
“We should get them out of there,” I said with a gesture to the cart.
“Of course.” Kas started toward the cart, but she stopped short when Preyna called her name.
“Uh, perhaps it would be better if we were to clean ourselves off first,” the sorceress suggested.
“Clean ourselves…” Kas’ eyebrows pulled together when she looked at Preyna’s pristine appearance, but then she looked down at herself, and her eyes widened to saucers. “Oh, yes. I think you’re right.”
“Just one moment,” Preyna said, and she gestured for all of us to come forward.
We gathered around in a small circle, and Preyna closed her eyes and muttered something in the old language. A second later, golden sparkles swirled up from around her to cascade over us all like tiny shooting stars, and I watched the girls as the blood dissipated from them in a matter of seconds.
“Thank you,” I told Preyna.
“Of course.” The blonde councilwoman nodded and then gestured to the cart. “Let’s get them out of there.”
“Right,” I agreed.
I slowly made my way over to the cart, but before I lifted the covers off the cages, I spoke softly to the little dragons inside.
“We’re here to help you,” I said. “You’re safe now.”
The first cover I lifted up revealed a small peach-colored dragon with brown eyes that reminded me of Preyna’s.
“Hello, little girl,” I whispered with a smile, and I bent down so I was level with her. “I’m Rath. We’ve come to take you back home.”
Blar cocked his head to the side and then jumped down from my shoulder and walked over to the cage. He laid down and let out a small sigh, which somehow seemed to calm the little female dragon down.
Her energy was no longer as frightened as it had been. Now, she was growing curious, and I could tell she wanted to trust me.
“Here,” I said, and I opened the cage. “I’m going to let you out, but don’t try to fly away. We’re going to get you back to dragon valley very soon.”
The peach-colored baby looked over at Blar, but then she nodded at me and stepped forward.
I carefully opened the cage, and she stepped out and walked over to sniff Blar.
“My goodness,” Preyna said from behind me, and I glanced back to see all the girls were crowded around.
I chuckled softly and shook my head, of course, they were right there. I didn’t expect any of them to miss the freeing of baby dragons, though I probably should have asked for some space to help put the babies at ease.
Still, they didn’t seem to be bothering this little girl, and sometimes I felt like a calming female presence helped the little ones feel more at ease since most of them had just been separated from their mothers. I could calm them down quite well, and they trusted me, but trusting me and feeling as comfortable with me as they did with their mothers were two totally different things.
“You are just beautiful,” Preyna told the little girl with a smile, and the tiny dragon let out a small coo but then turned away as if she were embarrassed.
“Oooohhhh, she’s so cute,” Asta whispered, and I could hear the strain in her voice as she tried to hold back her excitement.
I focused on the next cage, then the next, and before long, I had six small dragons free. They stayed in the back of the cart, but they were gathered close to the edge so they could receive pets and compliments from the girls.
“Rath,” Kas said, and she grabbed my bicep and gently led me away from the cart. “What should we do about this place?”
“Hm.” I pursed my lips. “You’re right, we need to make this look like some sort of deal gone wrong.”
“That’s what I was thinking.” She nodded.
“First, we need to make sure there are no other dragons inside,” I said.
“Right,” she agreed.
“You
all stay with the babies,” I instructed. “I’ll be right back.”
“Are you headed into the castle?” Preyna asked as she walked over to us with the little peach-colored baby in her arms.
“I am,” I answered. “I’m just going to make sure there are no other dragons inside.”
“Let me assist,” she said. “I can cast a spell--”
“We were up against a sorcerer just now,” I said. “He may have enchanted wherever they were kept.”
“Ah, yes, you’re correct.” Preyna nodded. “But do allow me to come with you, at least.”
“Alright,” I said, and I gestured to the baby in her arms. “I doubt she wants to go back inside, though, so it’s probably best to leave her here.”
“Of course,” Preyna agreed, and she lifted the little girl up to kiss the top of her head and then handed her to Kas. “Stay here, we’ll return in a few moments.”
The little girl looked somewhat sad, but she nodded anyway, and I couldn’t help the smile that came over my face at how good Preyna was with the baby dragon. The peach-colored girl clearly liked the sorceress, and I reminded myself how fortunate we were to have her with us for the day.
I’d been hesitant at first, but Preyna’s abilities had come in handy, and she was doing exceptionally well comforting the babies. She made a wonderful member of the team.
After she passed off the baby, she turned to me and nodded, so we headed up the stairs until we came to a large set of double doors that led inside.
“Let’s make this quick,” I said. “We don’t want to keep the babies waiting to get home.”
“Right.” Preyna nodded. “I’m ready whenever you are.”
“Let’s go,” I said, and I pushed open the doors and ran inside.
I led Preyna down the first hallway I saw, and I opened the doors on the left while she opened the ones on the right.
Luckily, the building wasn’t as large on the inside as it seemed to be on the outside. There was a lot of open area that was just sitting rooms, or dining rooms, which didn’t require much searching.
The last place we searched was the lower level, and it was clear that was where the dragons were kept. An entire wall was lined with small cages perfectly sized for baby dragons, and I scowled at the sight.
“I can’t imagine how many children have been locked in here,” Preyna whispered, and she gently placed her fingers between her collar bones. “It just absolutely infuriates me.”
I hadn’t expected that last part, but I also wasn’t totally surprised by it, either. As much as the dragon trade saddened me, it infuriated me all the same, and I wanted to kill every last one of the bastards who participated in the barbaric custom.
“I understand,” I told her. “But it will soon be over. I’m not going to stop until every last dragon is free, and every last dealer is dead.”
“I know.” Preyna smiled, and the expression was equal parts soft and surprisingly bloodthirsty. “And I very much look forward to that day.”
I was about to respond, but then a feeling came over me, and I paused to open myself up to it further. There was a sense of fear, but also curiosity.
“There’s a baby here,” I said.
“Oh, goodness,” Preyna whispered, and she started to look around frantically. “I didn’t see anything.”
“I don’t see them, either,” I assured her, but then I closed my eyes and focused on the feeling of the little dragon.
I allowed the sensation to lead me to them, and after a moment, I opened my eyes and found myself crouching down near a large chest.
“What the…” I undid the clasp and opened the chest to see a large green egg.
“Another egg?” Preyna gasped. “You could feel this one, as well?”
“It’s the same as the other.” I shook my head. “This baby is about to hatch.”
“They must have taken them at that point on purpose,” Preyna said. “They probably watched the mothers and waited until the eggs were ready.”
“I think you’re right,” I agreed. “They knew if the babies were about to hatch, they’d likely have to come out since they were no longer dormant. They stole them at this crucial moment so they could have them freshly hatched without having to do the work of stealing a baby instead of an egg.”
“The bastards,” Preyna sneered, and something about her face contorted with anger made my stomach flip with excitement. She was gorgeous, but she was even sexier when she was passionate about something.
“Come on,” I said as I patted the egg carefully and then closed the lid of the trunk again. “Let’s get this little guy back home.”
Preyna nodded, and I picked up the trunk and led us out of the small castle and back to the cart.
“What did you find?” Kas asked with a frown as her violet eyes landed on the trunk I was carrying.
“There’s an egg in here,” I said. “He’s about to hatch, and we need to get him home.”
“Okay,” the sorceress said with a nod, but then she closed her eyes and shook her head. “You know, it’s bad enough they’re stealing babies, but stealing eggs, too? They aren’t even hatched yet, what good are they to them?”
“I can feel this one, just as I could the silver baby,” I told her.
“What?” she gasped, and her violet eyes widened.
“You can feel this baby, too?” Asta asked, and her white eyebrows pinched together.
“So, they stole him at the same time as whoever stole the little silver dragon,” Eira mused. “They must know when they’re close to hatching.”
“I believe so.” I nodded. “Dragon eggs can be dormant for centuries, as we all know. However, it seems once they get past a certain age, they need to hatch, and the dealers have figured this out.”
“They’re purposely taking them then so they’ll hatch already in captivity.” Kas’ fist clenched as she spoke.
“I believe so,” I said softly. “But now we know what they’re doing, which means we’re one step ahead of them.”
“Alright,” Eira agreed, and she gestured to the mansion behind me. “What are we doing with this place?”
I turned around and looked at the beautiful house built of white stone, but all I could see was the torment that must have taken place inside it. I couldn’t imagine how many baby dragons were kidnapped and kept here before being shipped off to the King, or some other arsehole who wanted them for himself.
“Burn it,” I whispered through gritted teeth.
“Burn it?” Eira asked.
“Yes,” I clarified. “We’ll destroy all traces of us here, and it will look like some sort of deal gone wrong.”
“I like it.” The redhead nodded. “Especially since we took out one of the King’s men. It has to look like something happened with the dealer.”
“Or like one of the mother dragons found them and went on a rampage,” Preyna suggested.
“That sounds possible,” I agreed.
“I think I can manage that,” the sorceress said. “Stand back.”
We all moved back toward the cart, but then Preyna turned around and blinked at Kas.
“I didn’t mean you, Kaspyr,” she said. “This spell will be much easier with both of our powers.”
“Oh, of course,” Kas said, and I could hear the smile she was trying to hide.
The curly-haired sorceress stepped forward, and she and Preyna linked hands. The councilwoman muttered while Kas closed her eyes and focused, and a second later, red and gold sparkles swirled around them and floated up toward the castle.
Several seconds went by, and Eira caught my eye and lifted an eyebrow, but I just shrugged. I had faith Preyna knew what she was doing.
Before I could even finish that thought, a huge explosion erupted from the small castle. Fire blasted out from the sides of the building, and smoke billowed from all over as the place collapsed.
“Blar,” I said. “I think now’s a good time for a portal.”
The little blue dragon nod
ded, hopped on my shoulder, and closed his eyes.
A portal appeared, and Preyna and Kas ran over to us as we gathered the baby dragons up and then linked arms before we stepped through the swirling air. We came out on the cliff that overlooked dragon valley, and before I could stop them, several of the baby dragons let out squeals of excitement and dove down into the cavern.
I laughed and shook my head at their immediate recognition of their home, and then I turned to the remaining babies and smiled.
“You can go if you know where your families are,” I told them. “If not, we’ll help you find them.”
Two of them smiled back and then immediately dove into the valley, but the peach-colored baby stayed in Preyna’s arms.
“I think she needs some help.” The sorceress frowned.
“Come on,” I said, and I led us down the hill toward the valley.
As we came down the path we’d been on the day before, the same dark-brown dragon greeted us, but this time he came to us with respect and curiosity.
“This little girl needs help finding her family,” I told him.
The great dragon let out a breath through his nose and then nodded slightly, so I knew he would assist her.
“That’s not all, though,” I said, and I set the small trunk down and opened it. “This baby is ready to hatch, he needs--”
Before I could finish that sentence, a loud cry sounded through the air, and a huge light-blue female pushed her way over to us. Then she nuzzled the trunk so hard she nearly knocked it over.
“I believe you’ve found his mother.” Preyna smiled.
“It appears so.” I nodded.
The blue female looked at me with glistening orange eyes, and then she pressed her head against me in a show of gratitude.
“You’re welcome,” I told her.
Suddenly, the little peach-colored girl let out a squeal and propelled herself out of Preyna’s arms and into the air. She glided over the massive dragons in front of us, and I watched as she flew over to a large female of the same color who was headed toward us.
“The mothers all seem to be over here,” Kas whispered.
“They do,” I agreed. “They know this is where we usually come to release the babies.”