by Logan Jacobs
“When will you be leaving?” Darya called out.
“As soon as possible,” I replied. “This island is safe and secure, and I know no harm will come to the ones I leave behind. Jonas and I have already chosen an island to travel to. Since we will be using the orc ship, I’ll need some women to volunteer to join me on this journey. Queen Nerissa and Ainsley will stay behind, so they can carry out their pregnancies in peace.”
“I will stay behind as well,” Talise piped up. “We will need a healer here for the women who are with child.”
“Perfect.” I nodded. “Who else will go?”
I expected a few volunteers. I knew Mira and Jemma would want to go, and I expected Sela and Brenna would volunteer as well.
What I didn’t expect was for nearly the entire village to announce, at the exact same time, that they wanted to be a part of this next crew.
Almost one hundred and fifty women looked right at me, raised their hands, and shouted, “Let me go, Draco Rex! Please pick me!”
“Not everyone can go,” I told them diplomatically. “We will need some women to stay behind as guards and warriors. Plus, the ship can only hold so many.”
Silence fell over the crowd as the women considered my statement, but I could tell not one of them wanted to take back their offer.
“So, how do we decide who does and does not go?” Jemma asked, and the auburn-haired woman straightened up in her chair.
I turned and glanced back to Nerissa and Ainsley, in the hopes that one of the women had an idea of how to choose. I didn’t really want to look like I was playing favorites if I chose some women and not others, though I did know I needed some certain people to come because of the different strengths they brought with them.
“Well,” I started, “I know I will need Mira with me. She has been by my side this entire time, and she is an invaluable second in command. And Sela, if you are willing to leave the twins to travel with us, we could definitely use your fighting skills. Yours as well, Jemma.”
“Of course, Ben,” Jemma exclaimed as a bright smile lit up her face. “I will come with you on every adventure!”
“Great.” I grinned. “Sela?”
The warrior tilted her gray-blue head, as if she truly needed to consider the offer. But I saw a half smirk pull up the corners of her darker blue lips, and I knew she’d already made the decision.
“Don’t play with me!” I laughed.
“Of course I will come, my king,” she chuckled. “If only to prove to Mira once and for all that I am the better warrior.”
“Oh, please,” the green-haired warrior guffawed. “Do not forget, dear Sela, it was I who won Draco Rex in our first games!”
“A game!” I gasped as the solution to our crewing problem just about slapped me in the face. “That’s how we can choose who else gets to come on our trip. The winners of the game will be my official crew for this next voyage. Does that sound good to everyone?”
The women all nodded their heads as they grinned from ear to ear. No matter what kind of culture a person came from, everyone had to love a good game. They were great uniters.
“So, my king, just what kind of game do you have in mind?” Zarya piped up.
I turned to Nerissa, Ainsley, and Talise, since they were the only ones who had decided not to go.
“Would the three of you want to design one?” I asked. “It seems only fair, since I can’t be completely unbiased.”
“Oooh, I have always wanted to design a game.” Ainsley nodded furiously, and a child-like excitement sparkled in her crystal blue eyes.
“Let us go inside and draw something up.” Nerissa smiled. “We will have a game devised by midday. Now, ladies, go about your daily chores until we call you back.”
Everyone shot to their feet and just about bolted from the dining area to head off and do their daily chores, as if they could complete them faster and bring about the start of the game more quickly.
I spent the time doing my final checks around the village, even though I knew everything was in absolute perfect condition. Since the last few weeks had been so blissfully quiet, I’d had time to build and fix to my heart’s content. Every single housing unit was reinforced to be able to withstand as heavy of winds as possible, the weapons stores had been nearly doubled thanks to the water dragons and their sea glass production, and the wall that cut off the beach from the village was now ten feet taller and twice as strong as it had been two weeks ago.
No matter what happened while I was gone, I had absolute faith the women left behind would be able to handle it without any issues. For the first time, I wasn’t at all worried as I planned to leave the island. We had water dragons and fighting skills that rivaled the orcs, and there was nothing out there that could beat our defenses, especially since the maldungs were destroyed.
The last stop I made was to the armory cabin, where weapons lined the walls and shelves. There was a plethora of bamboo spears with sea glass tips along the wall, and tons of bows and arrows on the shelves, as well as a few swords that we’d managed to make from some of the rare, larger sea glass the dragons produced.
As I was headed back into the castle to check in on Nerissa, Ainsley, and Talise, I ran into Jonas, and the old man was dressed in a different set of clothes than he’d been in earlier. Now, he wore some cream, cloth pants and a long tunic made of tree bark cloth.
“Ben.” He smiled at me. “I hear you have announced the trip. When do you plan to leave?”
“In the morning,” I told him. “We’re just deciding who will come along with me.”
“Yes, I heard.” Jonas leaned toward me with a glint in his eyes. “We will be having a little game later today, hmm?”
“Yeah,” I chuckled. “Your granddaughter is in there now, coming up with something.”
“I am sure Talise will make it wicked fun,” he said.
Then Jonas paused, almost as if the conversation was finished, but he made no move to continue on his placid walk through the palace halls.
“Is there something you wanted?’ I prompted him, since I could tell there was something on his mind.
“Well, yes, now that you mention it.” He nodded slowly. “I was wondering if I might accompany you on this journey. Now, I know you may not want an old, weak man like me hanging around and slowing you down, but, you see, I am near the end of my life. I feel it even more surely than I did when I wandered into the jungle all those years ago. My purpose was to bring you to this world, and I have done just that.”
“Jonas, don’t talk like that,” I said with a frown. I could feel tears prickle my eyes, even though the old man spoke so matter-of-factly. I may have only known him a few months, but I already knew I loved him as if he were my own grandfather. I didn’t want to think about his death, no matter how inevitable and natural it was.
“Do not be upset, Ben,” Jonas consoled me. “It is not my time yet. I have merely been thinking about it since we chose your next destination this morning. You see, I have never been off this island, just as my ancestors never left, but now that you are having these wonderful adventures, I wanted to know if I might accompany you on this one. I want to see the world a bit before I die. It is so vast, and I have seen so little of it. I’m finding the ancient stories and the daydreams in my head are not enough to satisfy my adventurous side any longer.”
I didn’t even need to think twice about it. I probably could have come up with a million reasons why this journey would be a bad idea. Jonas had little fighting skills of his own, and he was so old, but he wasn’t a weak man by any stretch of the imagination.
Plus, the way his eyes sparkled with a kind of joy and vigor I’d never seen before destroyed any worries or doubts I may have had.
“Of course you can come, Jonas,” I replied. “After everything you have done to help me, you deserve to see the world if that is what you wish.”
A soft smile spread over Jonas’ face, and his eyes seemed to turn inward for a moment as he reflected. But
then, just as quickly, he focused on my face and wrapped me up in a tight, grateful hug.
“You are a wonderful king, Draco Rex,” he murmured into my ear. “And an even better man. Granting this old man’s wish is one of the best things you have done for me.”
“Well, this and rescuing you from the depths of the jungle,” I laughed.
“What is this happy moment for?” Nerissa called out.
Jonas and I pulled apart to see Nerissa, Ainsley, and Talise stride down the hall. The queen was in the center, and the other women brought up her flanks, but all of them wore flushed, excited grins.
“I will be joining Ben on his next adventure,” Jonas announced with a proud smile, and he slung one arm around my shoulders.
Talise’s aqua eyes went wide as her emotions flew through them. First came confusion, then hesitation, and finally, a very stern, motherly expression I’d only seen her wear when Marella was in a heap of trouble.
“Grandfather, no,” the healer said firmly. “You are far too old for a journey like that. And what if you encounter orcs? Or, well, the gods know what else. There are far too many dangerous creatures out there. You should know, as the keeper of the ancient stories.”
“A life lived in fear of what might be is not a life well lived,” Jonas replied. “Now, I had better be off. There is much packing for me to do.”
The old man slipped past Talise quickly, before she could attempt to protest again, and he all but skipped down the hall.
Quickly, Talise turned her wide blue eyes to me.
“Ben, he is old,” she said. “Do you really believe this is the best idea?”
“He’ll be fine,” I promised her. “I’ll protect him with my life. But he’s got a good point. He’s spent his entire life living for others. The man needs a little bit of adventure for himself, don’t you think?”
The black-haired healer glanced down the hallway where Jonas had been as she considered my point. Finally, she sighed and nodded.
“I suppose you are right,” she murmured. “I just do not want to lose him again when it feels as if I have just gained him back.”
“I promise you won’t,” I vowed before I hugged the slight woman and kissed her warm forehead. Her body immediately relaxed at my touch, and her hands wrapped around my waist.
“He is such a brave old man.” Ainsley grinned after I’d finished kissing Talise. “Now, shall we prepare for this game?”
“Tell me what you three have dreamt up,” I replied with a grin.
It turned out three of my loves were far more devious then they’d ever let on to me, and thirty minutes later, the entire village was gathered in the town center as Nerissa explained to them the rules of the game.
Apparently, capture the flag had some sort of universal significance, because the game the three women had dreamed up was essentially capture the flag, warrior style.
The women would divide into three teams of about fifty each, so everyone had a fighting chance, and each team received a large piece of water dragon egg shell that we’d scavenged from around the island. The piece of shell was basically the equivalent of a flag, and the first team to capture both of their opponents’ shell pieces while remaining in possession of their own would be the team to win.
And nothing was off limits, except, of course, life threatening injuries. Weapons were fully allowed, as well as deception and whatever other tactics the women might come up with in order to win the game.
As much as I loved being Draco Rex, I almost wished I was one of the villagers just so I could participate in the game.
The four of us were joined by Mira, Sela, and Jemma up in the guard tower, where we had a perfect view of the entire village, the grassy fields to the right, and the piece of the jungle to the left that was within the bounds of safety. Nerissa handed off the shells to each team, and then she gave them all ten minutes to find their home base and hide their piece of shell as best they could.
“I do not know where your brains came up with this, but I really want to play this again,” Mira announced as she stared down at the playing field hungrily.
The warrior looked like she wanted to leap off the guard tower and join in the game herself, even though we’d decided that would be unfair since she, Sela, and Jemma were already part of my crew. If their team lost, they’d be the only one to come, which didn’t seem very fair to me. The three of them, of course, agreed, and so we were in the guard tower to watch.
Nerissa had just given the teams the egg shell pieces, and far below us, three groups of fifty women ran in all different directions, like chickens with their heads cut off.
One team was led by Darya and Zarya. The twins had taken charge immediately, and they now headed toward the castle. I knew them well enough to know their tactics. They’d put the piece of shell inside the castle, and then set up guards all throughout and in front of the building, while others went on searches for the other teams’ shells.
The second team was led by Theora and Brenna, and the two brunette deer women went straight for the fields. I laughed as I watched Theora bury the shell, and then spread out twenty of her teammates, so any rivals would have no idea just where the buried treasure was.
The last team was headed by Nima and Hali. Though the two women were less fierce than the other team leaders, they had brains. The two redheads raced off toward the outskirts of the jungle, where the gardens were, followed by their other team members. Then they disappeared just behind the tree line, so we didn’t see where they hid their piece of the shell.
“Time is up,” Nerissa announced as she stood, picked up the conch horn, and then blew on it with all her might. The deep sound reverberated across the jungle, village, and fields, and all of the women’s heads snapped up.
There was a pregnant pause as their brains caught up with their ears and then, suddenly, it was like a free for all. Women hollered and ran, while others stayed behind to guard their sacred shell pieces.
An hour went by as women raced back and forth, fending off attackers from the other team while simultaneously attempting to find the other two shell pieces.
Suddenly, Theora emerged from the castle with a battle cry so loud, we heard it up in the guard tower as if she was right next to us.
And in her hands was a shiny, pink piece from Nixie’s dragon shell.
“Theora’s got one of the pieces!” I yelled out. Instantly, all of us in the spectator box were on our feet and at the rail as we watched Theora race through the village on a zig zag path toward the field, where she would be safe behind a line of women ready to defend her.
But Darya had other ideas.
The warrior raced behind Theora, and even though the black-haired woman was at an advantage because of her long, deer-like legs, Darya had battle experience. She hefted her spear into the air and threw it with such precision it just barely grazed Theora’s arm, not enough to cause any serious injury, but certainly enough to take the woman by surprise.
With a cry, Theora toppled forward, shaken by the unexpected spear throw, and the piece of iron hard dragon shell slipped out from her hands and bounced down the center path of the village.
Quickly, Darya descended upon her, but the warrior made no move to keep Theora in her place and instead made a dash for her team’s shell piece, ready to return it to its place safe within the castle walls.
Theora was determined, though. She stood up, took one glance at Darya, spun around, and leapt onto the roof of the nearest house.
“Yes, Theora!” Jemma cried out.
“I do not think we are supposed to be showing favoritism,” Ainsley chuckled. “But I agree.”
Theora was on the roofs now. She leapt from one to the next the same way she leapt through the tree branches, and she quickly pulled up alongside Darya, who had managed to snatch up the piece of shell.
Before Darya could head back to base, though, Theora leapt from the roof onto a very surprised warrior and brought Darya down. The thinner, taller woman managed to kn
ock the warrior out cold from her jump, and the brunette emerged as the victorious one, with the shiny piece of shell in her hands.
As quickly as she could, Theora leapt back onto the roofs of the houses to avoid the barrage of teammates who came down to aid Darya.
“One down,” Nerissa said.
“One to go,” Sela echoed with a smirk.
Theora returned to the fields with the piece of egg as Darya woke up, and the disgruntled warrior allowed her team to help her retreat inside the castle to come up with a new plan of battle.
If they wanted to win, they now had three pieces of shell to retrieve.
“This is getting interesting,” I laughed.
The game lasted two more hours with very little action. We still had seen nothing from Nima’s and Hali’s team, and Darya and her team were now hidden within the castle walls, presumably to discuss where they went from their losing battle.
But then, slowly and quietly, Nima emerged from the jungle. The red-haired deer woman was completely alone, and she stalked quietly around the back of the castle and headed for the back end of the grassy green fields.
At the same time, I saw Theora, Brenna, and twenty-five of the dragonkin women form a party to go out and get the third piece of shell.
“Interesting,” Mira murmured, and as usual, the jade haired warrior seemed to voice my inner thoughts.
And she was exactly right.
On the one hand, Theora and her team might get a nasty surprise when they were faced with nearly double their numbers in the jungle. But on the other hand, it was hard to imagine Nima had much of a shot considering there were two pieces of buried shell for her to find among a field full of opposition.
Then Theora and her team disappeared into the jungle, where we could see nothing.
So, all eyes were on Nima.
The thin woman walked quickly and quietly, careful not to draw attention to herself as she approached from the far back end of the fields. Luckily for her, the women weren’t focused on a solo attack from behind. It was pretty clear that wasn’t in their list of expectations as they all scanned the field in front of them, where the castle opened up, ready for a barrage of enemy women.