“No. I learned other art forms as well, such as sculpture. Painting is my preference.”
“I’m going to be a wheelwright,” said Boden.
“And I’m going to be a groomsman, like Father,” his brother said.
“Neither of you wants to follow your uncle as Dragon Keeper?”
Two heads shook. “No. We haven’t the patience for dragons.”
They lacked the patience for art as well, but that did not stop them from finding entertainment in Lito’s work. Both were bright and spirited boys. He could see why Aldric was fond of them.
He was explaining how to mix paint when Boden said, “A royal is coming this way.”
Lito saw a small group approaching that included a figure in red. Corancian law allowed for only members of the royal family to wear crimson red, making them quite easy to identify. While he was not able to distinguish each royal by sight, the boys were.
“It’s the Crown Prince,” said Fred.
If Lito had known he was going to encounter the Crown Prince, he would have worn nicer clothing, but it was far too late in any event. He set down his work and stood as the royal party approached, recognizing the steward among the trio even before the man hurried forward.
“His Highness the Crown Prince has come to see the dragons,” said the steward, “and as I informed him to expect your presence, he brings your reward as well.”
Now Lito wished even more strongly that he was dressed in his best clothing. Still, there was nothing to be done, so he must be content to meet the crown prince in his working clothes. He bowed deeply when the prince neared. Fred and Boden stood slightly behind him and bowed as well.
“Your Highness,” said the steward, “this is Lito of Marnachi, the man who revealed the plot to us.”
The crown prince nodded. “I and my father are most grateful. We are indebted to you for the continuing protection of the dragons. Soon we will announce the expulsion of Marnachins from this kingdom, as they have abused our hospitality, but you are welcome to remain. So long as you wish to reside in this kingdom, you may visit the royal accountants on the day of Midwinter’s Eve to collect fourteen gold coins.” He handed Lito a small sack. “A further token of appreciation.”
Fourteen gold coins per annum would provide a respectable income, enough that Lito would not be impoverished, even if it would not entirely purchase all of his art supplies, or at least not canvases, which tended to be pricey. The heft of his sack suggested further coins, so Lito would not need to worry about his expenses for some time.
He had not informed Aldric of the plot for his own financial gain, and would not have betrayed his own king for such a reason. He had, quite simply, found the extermination of all dragons to be abhorrent and war a tragic waste of men’s lives. Nevertheless, having rendered himself unable to return home he appreciated the monetary expression of gratitude.
Lito bowed his head as one did when receiving royal favor. “Your Highness and His Majesty are most generous.”
The prince looked at Lito’s panel. “You aim to create art featuring dragons?”
“Yes. This is the business that brought me to Corancia.”
“Splendid. This unfortunate incident has brought to my attention that we take dragons for granted, and we ought not to do so. Indeed, we continue at our own peril. I believe paintings depicting dragons can only help remind our people of their importance, and I am sure you will not struggle to find patronage.”
Promising. “Thank you, Your Highness.”
“You are welcome to reside in this kingdom for the rest of your days, Lito. We will not forget your assistance.”
Lito bowed his head again. “I will take you up on the kind offer to make Corancia my home.”
“I look forward to seeing your artwork.”
“Your Highness is most kind.”
The prince turned to Fred and Boden. “Good afternoon.”
“Good afternoon, Your Highness,” they chorused.
“I’m pleased to see our youth taking an interest in the dragons as well.”
Boden said, “Our Uncle Aldric is the Dragon Keeper, Your Highness.”
“Is he? Very good. He’s done well in this crisis.”
The boys beamed with familial pride. Aldric was making his way over, and the steward moved the royal party along. “There is the Dragon Keeper now, sir.”
After a final round of respectful nods from Lito and the boys, the prince and his party moved on. Once they were out of earshot Fred said, “Now we’ve met the Crown Prince! I’ve never met a member of the royal family before.”
“I’ve only seen their likenesses in paintings and on coins.” Boden was so excited he had to jump around. “Let’s go tell Mother.”
Fred grinned at Lito. “Our sister is going to be so mad that she stayed home.” With that the two raced off to share their exciting news. No, not very patient boys at all, but then patience was an uncommon trait among youth.
Lito opened the sack of coins he’d received and gasped. They were all gold coins. It was more gold than he’d ever seen, much less held in his hands. Combined with his annual allowance, it would ensure he never needed worry about money again.
It also meant that he oughtn’t to overtax Aldric’s hospitality. He hoped the dragon keeper would be agreeable to spending further time together, and Lito did not merely mean in bed, much as he hoped for that as well. He had certainly enjoyed his time in Aldric’s bed, but he also found himself quite interested in all aspects of the man. If nothing else he’d very much like to have a friend in Corancia. A lover would be even better.
****
Aldric brought him up to date on the latest news while he made dinner. “The Crown Prince is pleased with my efforts,” he said, “and the slaughtering of swine is nearly finished. The gamekeeper reports finding only one dragon dead in the royal woods.”
“A shame.”
“Yes, but much less than we might have expected. Several conspirators have been caught in possession of poison as well. They’re to be executed.”
Lito frowned. “I do hope the king takes steps to address the people’s hatred of dragons. Otherwise the threat will be merely delayed.”
“I mentioned as much to the Crown Prince, and he agrees something must be done.”
That was good news indeed. While Lito was fond of dragons, he could sympathize with the frustration of farmers who lost valuable livestock. He was about to say so when all conversation was ended by a tremendous roar.
“What in the heavens is that?” he asked.
Aldric rushed to throw open the shutters and peer out the window. “The battle roar of a male dragon.”
“It sounded very close.”
“It was.”
Lito did not care to be collateral damage in a fight, yet he was intensely curious to see a dragon in battle, so he lit a lantern and followed Aldric outside. It was dusk, and there was just enough light to see two massive shapes.
“The troll,” said Aldric. “It must have come for the uneaten sheep.”
Even by troll standards this one was very large, as tall as a dragon. Against the waxing moon its upstretched arms looked like great tree trunks. When it made a thunderous noise Lito could feel the ground vibrate beneath his feet.
The dragon swooped down, claws outstretched, and elicited an angry growl before it flew out of reach once more.
“Why doesn’t it drop heavy objects?” he asked Aldric. A male couldn’t spit acid, but dropping boulders seemed a safer strategy than raking the troll with its talons.
“It doesn’t need to, and it doesn’t want to leave the sheep so the troll can eat them. A troll is no match for a dragon, which is far faster and more nimble.”
And so it was. The troll seemed to react several seconds after each move the dragon made, and while the troll was large enough that it could overtake a running man it could not keep up with the dragon’s aerial tactics. Over and over the dragon inflicted wounds with its claws as the troll cried out
in rage and pain.
In perhaps three minutes the troll fell with a terrible thud that shook the earth. The dragon settled on the back of its foe, talons and teeth busy. When it stepped away it did so with a higher, almost cheerful cry.
“That is the sound of victory,” explained Aldric. “Now we need not worry about the troll, other than arranging to have the carcass removed before it smells.”
“What an eventful evening. I didn’t expect to see a dragon and troll battle.”
“It is not a common occurrence.”
The dragon circled overhead and made its celebratory noise again. Lito felt he understood it slightly better now, or at least he better appreciated how fiercely territorial dragons were. It was superb in a wild and brutal fashion.
“I begin to understand why dragons cannot be tamed,” he said. “It’s difficult to find the right words, but if we could control dragons, they would not be half so wondrous, would they?”
The moonlight illuminated Aldric’s knowing smile. “No, they wouldn’t.”
Lito felt a bit wild himself, standing outside surrounded by powerful creatures in the middle of life and death. Perhaps nothing man could witness was more primal than a fight to the death, and he felt so very alive.
Aldric must have felt similarly because he touched Lito’s shoulder and led him inside, neglecting the soup he’d been cooking in favor of moving straight to the bedroom.
Lito had never shared a sexual experience when he felt so wild, so much a part of a world that was magnificent beyond comprehension, and he could feel that same energy radiating from Aldric. He ceased thinking and let himself simply feel.
They undressed each other with caressing strokes and no words, because none were needed. Aldric opened the shutter over his bedroom window so the moonlight streamed in, providing further connection to the wildness of life and lust.
Lito admired Aldric’s body with his fingertips, feeling the strong muscles underneath tanned skin. He could feel Aldric’s cock against his own thigh as it grew and reveled in the result of his ministrations.
Aldric used two fingers to angle Lito’s chin for kissing while his other hand roved around Lito’s back. How long precisely this went on, Lito could not say. He entered a state of mind where time was of no consequence. What mattered was the visceral feel of skin on skin.
Eventually Aldric whispered, “I want to feel you inside me.”
Lito’s cock jumped at the suggestion. To have such a muscular and ruggedly masculine man say that was a fantasy come to life. “I want that as well.”
Aldric darted away and returned with a bottle of oil, which he placed beside the bed before sprawling out face down. Lito joined him on the bed and poured some oil in his hand. He was of the opinion that the preparation was as erotic as any other part of a sexual encounter and set out to make that so.
He teased his fingers around Aldric’s hole at first, then eased one inside. Aldric groaned his appreciation. The entire scene was so sensual as to be almost surreal, and it was intensely erotic to the point that Lito was forced to squeeze his own cock to quell his enthusiasm slightly.
Once he judged his lover sufficiently stretched, he dripped oil on his cock. When he turned back Aldric was on his hands and knees, presenting himself for taking. Heavens above, he was gorgeous. Lito wasted no time in aligning their bodies. He rubbed his cock around Aldric’s hole, eliciting a throaty moan.
They were both quite ready. Lito pushed himself forward, inhaling sharply at the thrilling heat. Of all the actions in the world, none made him feel as powerful as taking another man in bed, and certainly none promised as much pleasure. He waited until he could feel Aldric’s body relax and welcome him, then slid in as far as he was able.
Now the key was to determine what would bring Aldric the most pleasure. To that end he experimented with three angles before settling on a fourth because his lover pushed back and said, “Harder.”
Happy to comply, Lito pushed and pulled harder, beginning to lose himself in the rhythm of their bodies and the marvelous feeling of being inside Aldric. It was, of course, far too good to last, much as he would have liked to continue indefinitely. He could feel the approaching orgasm and reached around to take Aldric’s cock in hand.
It took only two strokes of his hand before he set Aldric off, and the intense pressure of Aldric’s orgasm around his cock compelled Lito to follow.
He had been wrong before. Swimming wasn’t the closest a man could experience to flying, an orgasm was. The forces that bound a person to the ground ceased to be relevant and everything around him rushed by in a haze. He cried out his pleasure while he flew higher and higher, until the regrettable but inevitable point when he descended to earth again and resumed inhabiting his own body as normal.
He slipped out of Aldric’s body in order to collapse on the bed, which was the last movement he felt able to make. The better a sexual encounter was, the more exhausted he felt afterward.
Lito wanted nothing more than to make this a regular occurrence and wondered if Aldric would be agreeable. Once he recovered some energy he turned to his lover and said, “I received a generous reward from the Crown Prince today. I imagine you’ll be glad to have your cottage to yourself again.” That provided an easy way for the dragon keeper to decline, if he so chose.
Aldric was quiet for a moment too long, as though he really thought about the idea before he said, “I enjoy your company. Inside the bed and out of it.”
“I’ll not be very far, and I would be pleased to visit.”
“Good.” He smiled and put a hand on Lito’s shoulder. “I would like that.”
So he would have a lover to ease the pain of exile. Truly, Lito’s life was becoming so excellent that he believed in time he would hardly miss his home.
Epilogue
Aldric was not a man prone to nerves, but this day he was anxious. So much so, in fact, that he decided he’d best make his suggestion as soon as possible to end his torment. Once he removed a twig that had lodged under one of Segomo’s talons, he left Esan to his own devices and walked over to his lover.
After the better part of seven months, the dragons were growing used to Lito’s presence and allowed him to be moderately close. He continued to keenly observe them in the name of his art and his personal interest.
When Aldric joined him, he was painting a troll. The scene appeared to be inspired by the fight they’d witnessed between a dragon and troll, only Lito was turning it into a larger battle between an entire dragon clan and eleven trolls. He had a penchant for the fantastical and the grand. He also possessed talent that continued to awe Aldric. Somehow, he conveyed movement, so that one would hardly be surprised if his painting sprang to life.
“What do you think?” asked Lito.
“The dragons are realistic. You’ve captured the motion of their wings perfectly.”
Lito blushed at the praise. “I’m glad you think so.”
“I’ve never heard of such a large group of trolls, though.”
“It’s not supposed to be strictly factual. I’m painting this to please myself now that I finished the panel to please the king.”
That painting had taught Aldric that there was some amount of politics involved in Lito’s profession. He shrugged. “You have much talent, but I didn’t come to see your work.”
Lito paused, brush in the air. “Then what brings you here?”
“You spend a great deal of time at my cottage,” he began. In addition to their relationship, Lito found the light in Aldric’s second bedroom suited his work, and he now spent less time in his own rooms than with Aldric, who had grown accustomed to the sounds of an artist at work. “If you like, you might spare the expense of your rooms by simply living with me.”
He’d given this suggestion a great deal of thought. It was economical, to be sure. It would also please him to have Lito with him, to share his bed and his life completely.
Perhaps he overemphasized the practical benefits, because Lito an
swered, “Is this a matter of pure finances?”
“No. Not even foremost.” He continued on, despite the nerves, which were doing uncomfortable things to his stomach. “You have heard of the stories where people talk about love? I never understood the concept. I knew what it was, but I had no experience with it, until you. Now I do not want you to be away.”
Aldric had never felt so vulnerable in his life, and he worked with massive, powerful creatures. He did not care for the feeling as he waited for Lito to respond. When his lover’s smile grew to encompass his entire face, he was able to relax.
“In that case, I am delighted to accept your offer,” said Lito. “I would very much like for my home to be with you, my dearest Aldric. My love.”
Aldric smiled, as happy as he could ever remember being. It was worth the nerves a hundred times over.
“I doubt there’s been a happier exile in the history of all the kingdoms.” Lito placed a brief kiss on Aldric’s lips, something they were not prone to do in public, but Esan’s back was turned and there was no one else to see but Doubleclaw, returning late that morning with half a deer. “I do believe the evildoers who wanted to eradicate dragons did me a tremendous favor, after all.”
“And me as well.”
Since the clan was unharmed and even the wild dragon population seemed minimally touched by poison, Aldric could admit that he had benefitted. To think that he’d initially considered Lito a nuisance, and now it was that same enthusiasm which so brightened his life. He understood so many stories now, tales where men and women did incredible things for the one they loved. It had always seemed rather foolish, but now Aldric thought he would do no less to be with Lito. Better still, Lito appeared to feel similarly.
Love made Aldric bolder. He kissed Lito again before deciding he ought to return to his duties. “I’ll see you at home.”
Lito nodded, still smiling. “I look forward to it.”
He wasn’t the only one. Aldric would look forward to returning home to Lito for the rest of his life.
The End
The Dragon Keeper Page 5