by Eric Vall
“Is everything okay?” I cut him off as I looked up at the palace with worry. “The eggs?”
“Yes, yes, the eggs are fine,” the fox replied with a wave of his hand. “It’s just that--”
“Evaaaaaan!” I heard a familiar voice roar from inside the palace, and Ruslan winced.
Apparently, the Crimson Dragon was pissed.
Chapter 6
Valerra stomped out of the Lunar Palace, and her normally pale amber eyes were bright gold with rage as her straight red hair billowed out behind her. The Crimson Dragon wore a slender red dress that matched her angry red face and ended at her mid-thigh, and I was slightly disappointed I’d talked her into wearing clothes when she was outside of her room. I could just make out the outline of her lithe figure under the crimson fabric, and my cock twitched in anticipation of our reunion, which would apparently have to wait, since she didn’t quite look like she was in the mood.
Two human women scurried out of the palace after my lover, and they stood behind Valerra as she stopped in front of me with her arms folded across her chest. The crowd seemed to dissipate with the appearance of the angry dragon, and I tried for a warm smile.
“Hey--” I started, but she immediately cut me off.
“It’s about time you got back!” Her voice was shrill as she waved one arm behind her and then crossed it across her breasts again. “Do you see this? They won’t stop following me! Everywhere I go, there they are! In the kitchen, in my chambers, even in the damn bathroom!”
“We’re your ladies-in-waiting, milady,” one of the women explained with a patient smile. The woman’s blonde hair was pulled back into a bun, and she wore a plain blue dress that matched her companion’s. “We always wait on you. It is our duty, and we are so happy to serve you.”
“But I don’t need anyone to wait on me!” Valerra snarled as she rolled her eyes and glared at me again. “Is this what you fancy humans do? Let people follow you around all day? Tell them to leave me alone. You are the lord of the city.”
“Why would I do that?” I chuckled. “They said they’re so happy to help you. That’s very nice of them.”
“And they aren’t worried you’ll eat them,” Laika pointed out with a Cheshire cat grin.
“I still might,” Valerra growled, and her gold eyes flashed. “Just because I saved the people from a few attacks--”
“Wait, what?” I asked as the smile dropped from my face. “What attacks?”
“It was nothing,” Ruslan interjected as he gripped my forearm. “We handled them just fine with Valerra’s help. She certainly made them regret coming here. The Blue Tree Guild didn’t even have time to gather their forces before she destroyed the enemies.”
“Why did they attack?” I pressed. “And who attacked? What did they want?”
“I didn’t stop to ask,” Valerra huffed and then smirked. “I was too busy scorching them to their bones for even trying such a stupid idea. If you see little piles of ashes outside the gates, you’re welcome.”
“Oh, Lady Valerra!” one of the servants giggled. “We already cleaned those up for you, silly.”
“Either way, the people love her now,” Ruslan pointed out before Valerra could reply. “She saved us all from the attacks, and the city is grateful.”
“Yeah, it’s been fantastic.” The dragon’s voice dripped with sarcasm as she glanced over her shoulder at her staff again. “They love to celebrate. The food is fine, but the rest is ridiculous.”
“Milady, they didn’t know you wouldn’t like the party,” one of the ladies chirped. “They thought you would enjoy having a celebration in your honor. It isn’t their fault you didn’t like parties.”
“Oh, right, Eleanor,” Valerra snorted. “Dragons love parties.”
“I don’t mind parties,” I offered with a grin.
“They threw me a surprise party, Evan!” my lover hissed. “I nearly roasted half the population of Hatra in a matter of seconds!”
“But you didn’t roast any of your subjects,” Ruslan reminded her with a smile. “So, we all still love you.”
“I almost shifted into my dragon form right there in the dining hall!” Valerra argued. “I would have destroyed the entire palace!”
“Well, true,” Julia admitted as she casually fanned herself, “but you realized what was happening, and the party turned out great!”
“If you like parties,” the lady dragon mumbled and looked angrily over her shoulder away from the rest of us.
“We do!” Eleanor declared and turned to her companion. “Right, Emily?”
“Right!” her fellow lady-in-waiting replied, and she twisted her brown hair around her finger before her green eyes lit up with excitement. “Ooh! We should throw one tonight for Lord Evan and Princess Alyona’s return!”
“Oh, gods, whyyyyy,” Valerra groaned and clenched her fists at her sides.
Alyona and Laika stifled their laughs at the Crimson Dragon’s frustration.
“We’ve heard the wonderful stories of how Lord Evan rebuilt our city when everyone else thought Hatra was long gone,” Eleanor gushed.
“Yes, his return should be celebrated!” Emily agreed as she clasped her hands together over her chest.
“We can decorate the city with flowers and ribbon!” Eleanor suggested with a grin.
“And we can have the palace staff prepare a most splendid meal for all of our travelers!” Emily added.
“But no surprises this time, milady,” Eleanor said soberly, and she put a gentle hand on Valerra’s shoulder. “You will be apprised of every detail of the celebration.”
“We have learned our lesson.” Emily nodded and reached for Valerra’s other shoulder.
A growl rumbled in the lady dragon’s chest, and both women pulled their hands back quickly, though they never stopped smiling.
“At least Mallory’s hair is growing back now,” Eleanor chirped.
“It’s her own fault for standing so close to the door where a dragon would enter and be surprised,” Valerra muttered and turned her nose up into the air.
“Yes, of course, it was,” Emily agreed. “And we won’t ever surprise Lady Valerra like that again.”
“We only want to make you happy,” Eleanor added with a grin.
“You, ah, scorched someone’s hair off?” I asked as I tried to stifle my own laugh.
“It was a reflex,” the lady dragon hissed.
“Badass,” Aaliyah murmured with a feline smile. “I like her.”
“And you would be?” Valerra raised a red eyebrow as she eyed the lioness.
“Sorry, you weren’t out here yet when I introduced my group,” I replied. “These women are Lady Aaliyah of Tikal, Lady Naomi of Kana, and Miraya, spirit of the Sword of Healing.”
“And they are all now a part of our harem?” my dragon mate asked and looked the other women up and down.
“Oh, I’m not part of any of that,” Naomi finally spoke up, though she sounded uncertain.
I just wasn’t sure if it was about Valerra or about not being part of the harem.
“What?” Julia asked as she stepped forward and took the lizard mage’s hands. “Why not? Our son is a wonderful person, and he would take great care of you.”
“Ah, um, yes, he is,” Naomi agreed with an awkward glance at their hands. “I just, ah, don’t… I prefer women… is all… Anyway, how does a dragon who isn’t even from here have human and fox Demi-Human parents?”
“Ruslan and Julia adopted me,” I replied as Julia froze with a shocked expression. “We did the whole blood ceremony and all that, which reminds me. I need to have some time alone with my dad if you don’t mind.”
Valerra’s head whipped around to me again, and I could see she was annoyed that I was about to leave her alone with all the women, including her ladies-in-waiting.
“You come back just to leave me again?” she hissed.
“I won’t be long,” I chuckled. “I know you missed me. Just say it.”
�
�I will say no such thing!” Valerra growled.
“It’s okay,” I assured her with a smirk, and I blew her a small kiss. “I can see it in your eyes. I missed you and Junior, too.”
“We’ll get everything ready for the party,” Julia offered before Valerra could argue. “You two go talk. I’m sure Evan would enjoy seeing all the changes around the city.”
Valerra gave me another death stare, and I winked before I followed Ruslan out of the courtyard and down the road toward the fields and gardens.
As we passed more of the city, I was amazed with the progress they’d made while I was gone. Buildings soared above us, and hundreds of new citizens rushed back and forth. Houses had sprung up along the edge of town, and the smithy wasn’t the only business anymore. I saw a bakery, a wine store, a butchery, and dozens of other stores that lined the main path down the center of Hatra. I felt like I could barely take it all in, and my throat tightened as pride bubbled to the surface of my emotions.
“Azra and Raisa have been busy,” my father said and pointed out a few different buildings. “They’ve worked hard to bring your designs to life.”
He was referring to the architects King Rodion had sent over from the city of Leyte. The pair were a little odd, but they did great work, including the Lunar Palace.
“They certainly have done well,” I breathed. “The city feels like it has a whole new life.”
“We even have a market now,” Ruslan explained as I watched a woman push a cart full of flowers past us. “There’s always something going on. And with all the new people moving in, most of them have a specialty of some sort, so even more stores and jobs have opened up.”
“That’s awesome, Pops,” I replied with a grin. “Our city is finally growing again.”
“It reminds me of how it used to be,” he mused with a glazed over look in his blue eyes, and then he shook his head and focused on me. “So, enough about what I’ve been doing. What’s on your mind?”
I glanced around at the moving crowd and gestured to walk further before I answered. I loved my city, but there were too many new people to worry about, and I didn’t want anyone to overhear our conversation. The Celestial Triad was just a myth to some people, and I preferred to keep it that way. If people were already attacking the city, we didn’t need to give them any more reasons to continue.
So, we wandered down the road until the crowd thinned out, and we eventually reached the gardens at the edge of town. Hundreds, maybe even thousands, of flowers were spread out in perfect rows next to the path. They had barely seemed alive when I was here before, but now they looked like they belonged on a postcard. I wondered if we had the little fox Afra to thank for that, or if she was keeping her attention focused on the crops.
When I looked out past the flowers and closer to the city wall, I could just barely make out more rows of other plants like corn and wheat. Then I gazed up at the dragonsblood trees that were now blossoming by the dozen. We’d saved a few saplings after the Asuran village was attacked and most of the trees were burned, and the dryads had used a little nature magic to help them grow. Now, they not only lived on but flourished, just like Hatra.
“So, you know about the Celestial Triad, right?” I asked Ruslan after a long moment.
“I’ve heard stories,” the fox replied as we followed the winding path through the flowers and trees. “Artifacts designed by humans to defeat the gods.”
“Exactly,” I murmured. “Well, I found them.”
“You did?” Ruslan stopped and looked at me incredulously. “I wasn’t even sure they existed, but I thought the story said they were hidden forever.”
“They were supposed to be,” I said as we continued walking. “Some bandits found out about the one hidden in Kana, and they tried to steal it. Well, they did steal it--”
“What!” my father gasped and covered his mouth.
“We got it back,” I assured him. “And after I had all three, the spirit of the Sundex tried to take over me from within my spiritual sea, and I fought her off. After I beat her, I assimilated her ability. Then I realized if the Sundex had a spirit, the others probably did, too. So, I had Miraya bring the other two relics in, and I beat them, too.”
“That’s amazing, son,” Ruslan breathed, and his green eyes were wide with awe. “You defeated some ancient relic spirits that hold great power. That is no easy feat.”
“Yeah, I know,” I muttered. “The problem is the power itself. It’s so much strong, ancient magic, and we were worried about one person having it all. Now I do, and I’m not sure that I should.”
“Okay,” my father replied and raised his eyebrows. “But why were you worried about someone else having them?”
“Because of the power they hold,” I answered and narrowed my eyes. “You just said they can be used to defeat the gods. There are crazy people out there who think that’s a good idea. Or even stupid people like the bandits who only wanted the relics to sell them for a profit, which would probably put them in the crazy people’s hands anyway. Then they’d go after the heavens.”
“Is it what you want to do?” Ruslan asked.
“Of course not,” I growled. “I’d never do something like that.”
“Then why are you worried?” The fox smiled. “No one else can have them if you do, right?”
“Yeah, I guess,” I mumbled as I realized where he was going with this.
“And you aren’t going to do anything like that,” he continued. “So, there’s nothing to worry about now.”
“But it’s so much power for one person,” I argued. “What if I’m corrupted by it?”
“You?” my father asked with wide eyes as he stopped again and grabbed my shoulders. “I can’t imagine you’d be corrupted by anything. You have a strong mind and a true heart. And really, you aren’t just one person. You’re a man from another world and a dragon in this one. Who else can say that? It might be true that one man couldn’t handle such power, but that’s not you. We all have faith in you. You need to have some more faith in yourself.”
I took in my father’s words for a moment. He was right. I wasn’t just a typical guy who happened across this great power. I didn’t get bit by some radioactive bug or sucked into a bad science experiment. I was a fucking dragon who had been brought to this world to help save it. I was the one who had taken the power from some old ass spirits who didn’t think I could do it. I’d proven them wrong, not because I’d wanted to gain power, but because I needed to stop them. I would never go after the gods, unless they deserved it, so I was in a unique position of both having power and protecting it.
“I guess you’re right,” I murmured.
“I know I am, my son,” Ruslan said and put his hand on my shoulder. “Now, the only thing left to do is figure out how to use your new abilities, which are…?”
“Oh, right,” I laughed. “Precognition, automatic healing, swiftness, and target precision.”
“Automatic healing?” the fox repeated and lifted a red eyebrow.
“Yeah, check it out,” I said and conjured a dagger in my hand.
I dragged the fiery blade across my palm to draw blood, and Ruslan gasped as the skin began to knit itself together almost instantly. Within seconds, even the pink line of new skin had faded until it disappeared altogether.
“You didn’t have to use your own healing magic?” he asked as he grabbed my hand and looked it over.
“Nope,” I replied and grinned. “As soon as the injury stops, the healing kicks in. Cool, huh?”
“Is it temperature-based?” Ruslan asked with a confused look.
“No,” I chuckled. “Cool as in awesome or amazing.”
“Ahhh,” he breathed. “Then, yes, very cool.”
“Precognition is hard to show you,” I continued. “I just see lines showing me where my opponent is going, but I can definitely show you the new speed.”
I grinned and lifted one leg like a cartoon character before I took off running down the path through t
he garden. I weaved in and out of the flowers and plants before I looped back around and skidded to a stop behind Ruslan.
The fox Demi-Human whipped around to face me, and his mouth dropped open in surprise.
“Wow, that is certainly a fantastic ability,” he laughed. “So, what about the target one?”
“Well, when the Bow spirit used it, he was able to hit me with his arrows even when I had a shield up,” I explained. “So, I’m guessing that’s what I got, but I haven’t actually used it yet.”
“Really?” Ruslan sounded excited, and a sly, foxy smile spread across his face. “We should try it out.”
“How?” I raised an eyebrow. “There isn’t exactly a battle going on.”
“We can figure something out,” he replied as he dug around in his pockets. “Let’s see… Aha!”
Ruslan pulled an apple from his pocket and tossed it up into the air. It landed in his hand with a smack, and he grinned.
“You want me to shoot an apple?” I laughed as I pictured the old Johnny Appleseed stories with the apple on the fox’s head.
“I’ll throw it, you shoot it,” he said. “Ready?”
“Sure,” I snickered, and I conjured a bow and arrow in my hand before I gave him a nod. Then Ruslan threw the apple high above us, and I tracked it for a moment before I launched the arrow at the apple. The arrowhead pierced the juicy fruit, and the apple exploded with chunks of its pure white center flying through the air.
“Incredible!” Ruslan exclaimed.
“That wasn’t very hard,” I said with a twinge of disappointment. “I’m not even sure I used my power. I tracked it.”
“Okay, let’s try something else,” the fox suggested as he rubbed his chin in thought.
Then he snapped his fingers and held his palm out. A silvery fox appeared in his hand and spun around before it sat down and waited.
“I don’t want to hurt your messenger.” I frowned. “Would he be okay?”
“Of course!” Ruslan waved a dismissive hand. “It’s harmless to him. Let’s do it.”
“Okay,” I agreed.