“Sure did. And I already know you didn’t tamper with my defensive network. I checked and added a few new spells you and the elders taught me.” Ulon smiled slightly. “Before the fight against the Tiaxm I would have been exceptionally drained, but I’m still good to go. Already in that week I can see a difference now. All the training has done tremendous improvements to my mana’s stamina.” He took in the room and the dragon laying on his belly, neck arched and looking down on him. “You guys are like me, never do anything small unless required. But I’m curious, with all the space, what did you do with the excess for there wasn’t a single sign of excavation outside.”
Ulon laid a lone claw on the stone slabs. “Ten percent went into the creation of stone from sand. The remainder made the ceiling above and around the dens more dense. Without an impact greater or by magic, this area shall withstand for no less than ten millennia without upkeep. This section of land will remain strong.”
“Did you complete the second den?”
“Indeed.” Ulon’s head dropped in a nod. “With my mate’s aid, we completed tunneling and fortifying by first solar light, were she left to view the land from the peak, as such is her favorite time.”
“You should both be here during the height of spring then. That is when the island is most beautiful.”
“We would be honored.”
“Ulon, mind if I ask you a personal question as it’s only the two of us?”
“You may.” The dragon became highly inquisitive for Cage rarely asks of a person’s opinion.
“When my chain combines and I reach my peak, will Gralla have you and Poli reassigned?”
“Likely, but that is in no less than seventy rotations.”
“Well you know me enough, as I’ve intentionally allowed, to realize I have mistrusts, well deserved mind you, against others. The only pair I do completely are my mates Meeka and Brooke. What I want to extend to you and Poli is a home here, should you wish it. It can even be a home away from yours in the Blind Mountain’s colony. I still know so little of dragons, but if you do choose to stay my only request is to study you and one day become genuine friends, not bodyguard and client. After all, we are both immortal and barring a bodily death, I will need company through the millennia. And my loves will also share in the longevity and need a friend as Poli is easy to love.”
“That she is. Poli has privately wished for me to ask much the same.” Ulon openly admitted, which was rare. “The moment we arrived we could never remember such a clean smelling piece of land where other two-legs occupy. It reminded us of winter in Valagax. We cannot neglect our duties to our Rex, but your logic is irrefutable. You too will not die a natural cellular decaying death and there can be no worse fate than being alone, much like the white king has been for more than a thousand cycles.” The pink reptile crossed his arms. “Before my mate and I make a decision on this proposal, Cage Two-legs, you must be aware that neither of us can be used to interfere in your peoples affairs if danger comes and we are here, unless in clear defense of ourselves.”
“Understood, but by now, my enemies know enough now that I don’t show mercy or am a weakling. In terms of power, even you know that only twelve or so humans could singularly pose a challenge anymore and six are loyal to Twilight. As an added defense the ocean won’t allow an army to secretly surround us. Only those who can use magic to walk on water or fly can do any harm. And in risk versus reward, I’m proven to be not worth it as twelve first class sorcerers fell in less than a minute here and I’ve not retaliated. Even you cannot deny I can take care of myself and my people.” Then he held up one finger. “But if in the event I should be overwhelmed I ask you to simply hide my people till the enemy gives up and inform Tate, Skylar and Grandpa of how it happened. It won’t infringe on your laws because you wouldn’t directly be defending my people. I know it can be done as another of your kind did something similar and when Rex Nattan demanded an explanation she said she was hiding native animals from extension. As it stands, none in my tribe can intentionally do magic aside from me. Meeka and Brooke are passive users. Therefore my people are legally helpless animals in your laws. The female who did this wasn’t punished as she used a loophole in the Draconian laws to an advantage without being imprisoned or sent into isolation with her power diminished.”
Impressed beyond all reason, Ulon smiled and showed his teeth. “Poli and I will discuss the matter, but where did you come by this information? None of my kind would have willingly spoken of it if asked or by accident. News of this reached our home world many millennia before I hatched and all were taught to keep it secret.”
“The adventure book collection I was loaned from the library. I asked a keeper who knew of the passage I stumbled upon, for it had a unique reference few would have realized. Using a few investigative qualities of mine, during my brief free times to go out, with Poli as my protector, I located a thin book and found the details the fiction story was actually based off of.”
“Then it is to be stated that you wouldn’t have offered a permanent den for my mate and myself here if you did not have that ‘loophohe’ as you say?”
“Yes.” Cage said bluntly.
Ulon chuckled, making the ground shake and the sound vibrated his breast. “Again you prove to be a cunning predator, Cage Two-legs.”
“For a vegetarian or a human?”
Ulon laughed all the harder, revealing all his teeth and a few puffs of smoke rolled between them. “Human. Like me, you cannot choose what you can only survive on.” A scaly knuckle wiped a lone tear from the enormous slit eye. “Poli and I will discuss your entire proposal.”
“To which we both know she’ll undoubtedly say yes.”
“Likely, but still, I must ask as our laws demand. May I ask if you knew that speaking to me of this first was in our ways.”
“Yes. It was fictional another story in the same book. It said that to propose an idea to a dragon concerning friendship or to meet somewhere, you must conference with the elder one that will affect more than the one in question.”
“I must read this book.” Ulon joked.
He got it in reality as Cage Jumped it from his office to his upraised hand. “Be my guest. I left a leaf between pages in reference to dragons and twigs for unique ideas in new spells. Just do not remove the last bookmark as that is where I left off. And sorry, but I do not have a magnifying glass that will enlarge the print like the library offers your people. You can figure the rest.”
“Not to worry, I still have much to accomplish here. I will borrow the book at a later date, on my own time. I must finish so that I may return to my duties.”
“Suit yourself.” With a ‘pop’ the book was returned instantly to his office.
“If you give aid I should be accomplished in an hour.”
“Sounds good. What do you need?”
Ulon stood and lifted another large square from the dwindling stack. “Use flame to melt a half inch of wall while I do same for this. I will place the piece and we can weld the seams.”
“Got it.” Cage moved to the wall and focused. A bright orange fireball appeared on the raw wall and was manipulated into a slightly smaller square. The intensity of the flames rapidly heated the rock while behind, Ulon blew fire from his mouth, effectively halving the draining work. The dragon finished first, but the warlock wasn’t far behind. When his gut feeling said it was just right he held still while Ulon lifted the section and pressed the piece like a semi-molten sandwich. As the piece was firmly held in place Ulon breathed fire on two lines while Cage used his board to fly and conjured an intense red fireball in his palm to weld the seam properly.
The last four pieces went up without further issue or injury. It also took three quarters of an hour, saving one in the original estimate.
“Our den’s basic functions are complete.” Ulon spoke as he landed on all fours again. “Stability is assured. What is it you must do at this time?”
“I have one last appointment to attend to befor
e I need to head home to work out a few private issues.”
“Then I will accompany you.”
Heavy sounds alerted the tribe to a dragon’s wing beating before the ground shook slightly. Two hours remained before nightfall as Ulon and Cage appeared on the beach. A fire made in a ring lay on the beach where four dozen sat out in the freezing sea breeze. The Spear had returned to dock and he last saw it in his flight after making Eoin and Cody’s home and forge. The boat’s return showed Bryan and his four beauties returned from the western island. The rest of the men, aside from Cody who seemed to still be busy, and their newly won mates along with several elders and curious people brave enough to stand the weather listened to stories of the former Emrocan citizens.
Conversations were put on hold and all stood. Cage said “How is everyone?”
“Sore.” Fredrick chuckled. All except Shorty agreed. Even most of the wounded women couldn’t hide discomfort.
“No pain no gain” The warlock quipped.
The saying made them silent and work out before Luke said “True. A little pain for two wives is more gain than I ever dreamed.” His two new lovers kissed either cheek at the same time.
Cage popped his knuckles and rolled his shoulders to say “Shorty, you ready?”
“I am.” The man took rocks off a cloth that covered a small pile of objects. The weapon’s master from the Scholar’s Guild in Emroc and his new woman began lifting items. “This here is a…”
“Trident and net.” Cage said as the five and a half foot tall man lifted them. “Use the net to tangle around a person’s legs to trip them and the three prongs of the trident stab down to finish off the enemy. I see you modified the net with rocks for added weight to swing around with more force, enough to break a man’s shin if lucky. That” He pointed to what she held. “is a bola, a throwing weapon. The two rocks act as a centrifugal force to tighten the line connecting the pieces together. You used leather and round rocks, but if you use wire the bindings cannot be cut by knife and if you spiked the ends with the head of a Morningstar, the damage would be lethal. Neither man or horse will remain standing with tangled legs. And if you’re really good you can throw it around a person’s neck to potentially break it… And that can only be an armlet blade, used for close quarters combat. If any of those were metal, you’d have some effective weapons.”
“All you say is correct. I had help making all this.” Shorty admitted as his large woman stepped beside him. “So what now?”
“Now” Cage’s smile grew to a madman’s grin. “you’re going to prove your worth to me before I allow you to teach my tribe new weapons and tactics. You’re going to use those weapons and try to take me down.”
The new men were the only ones who laughed and stopped when everyone else simply looked at them. “Is he serious?” Bern asked his two women.
Elder Metak instead answered. “When it comes to fighting, my successor is relentless. And I agree. Cage has great respect and honor as a warrior and though he has been among us for a short time, he alone has made our warriors more deadly than in Utala history. If you are inferior and boast to be a weapons master, you will not teach us your arts.” He looked at Shorty, but spoke to the other five men.
To their added surprise, Cage disrobed.
“What are you doing?” Bryan’s deep voice asked as he tapped the hilt of the war hammer at his left hip.
His first mate and seventh strongest fighter, who is no longer a virgin after their night, used her undamaged hand to brush his arm. “Bryan Love, all fights are done without deception. Because it is cold does not matter.”
Shorty’s woman took the trident and net so he could take off his clothes as well. In a minute he and Cage were bare to the elements. The short man linked his quarterstaff before jamming an end into the ground so it could stand on its own. He slipped off the leather sleeves that hold his thin throwing knives and replaced them with the bladed armlets that slid up.
“Let’s make things interesting.” Cage said as he walked straight up to his opponent and looked at the six inch wooden blades that extended three inches past the elbow and Shorty watched as the knife marks smoothed out and firmly fitted to him, the dull blade straightened and sharpened before he watched alchemy in process as the wood took on a metallic sheen. He and others watched as wood was transformed to metal. Cage began to sweat with exertion, but showed no other sign of exhaustion. The two were done in five minutes before he made the head of the trident metal as well.
Shorty touched the sharp point and pulled back a bloody finger. “They are real now! What did you just do?”
“Turned pine into titanium. It is the strongest metal I could make with the substance made by the wood. Iron or steel would need more mass to transform. Titanium is light and durable. Now you won’t pull punches. Are you use to fighting in sugar sand like this?”
“Of course. All weapon masters of the guild are trained in every natural environment. Even water.”
“Good to know. Remember, Shorty, impress me. Attack with the intention of killing. Ulon here will observe and intervene should you prove to be the best.” The large dragon did indeed take everything in.
“No question.” Bryan said. “Shorty might not look it, but he’s our best fighter. If he doesn’t hold back, he’s even more deadly. Just because we bicker doesn’t mean he doesn’t have my respect.”
Shorty looked over his shoulder and giggled his bare posterior. “My ass is warm enough from the kiss Bryan. No need to add more impressions.”
“What is with you and asses?” The giant groaned.
“It’s my finest ass-set!” The short man quipped.
“One that’s about to be kicked.” Came the retort from his friend’s women.
Shorty turned in time to see a giddiness overcome Cage. Shorty reciprocated by grinning too. “A kindred spirit!” Cage nodded and said “You can hide it, but you live to fight too don’t you?”
“Until the day I die.” Shorty promised.
Cage realized back during their first battle that Shorty was the deadliest little man of the group. He used a nonlethal weapon so he didn’t kill his enemies and was a martial artist by his lean physique. Cage knew appearances meant nothing and action did, but Shorty couldn’t see the depths of the man facing him as he grabbed the net and trident in one hand and the bola in the other.
Holding one rock, Shorty began spinning the weapon ever faster as he circled Cage who didn’t even move or take a stance. Twinkling black eyes showed immense excitement as the rock began to hum from the generated speed.
“HA!!!” Shorty yelled as he threw the bola. He expected Cage to Jump or be helpless as the line and weights would wrap around the legs.
Instead, Cage folded in on himself at the last possible second, lifted his right leg straight up in a split while bending over. Before the ends could wrap around, his large hand palmed one stone and pulled enough to continue spinning as he changed direction, twisted his ankle and body in a spin while he brought his leg down in a complete spin and redirected the bola with more speed and spin than Shorty ever knew possible. Never had he seen a bola sent back as a counterattack. Most failures were an inexperienced miss, intentional, a skillful dodge or simple luck. None of that applied to the instantaneous move this man used.
Not to be outdone, Shorty judged the attack’s trajectory in a split-second, dropped the trident and net and barely managed to grab the center leather of the bola and duck before losing his head. As his arm was jerked back by momentum, and before the ends could keep going, he tightened his back and spun as well. He then released as he knew Cage would be standing.
Cage laughed and used both hands to catch the stones right in front of his chest. “Well done! Let’s see how good you are at midrange combat.” Again he laughed as he ran without any additional warning. Shorty barely managed to kick the ground to send the weapons up with a bunch of white sand. Cage leapt and drew his fist back.
Shorty launched the trident forward and was certa
in Cage would be unable to block from the air till he watched the thee prongs get elbowed aside before getting pierced in the throat and right lung, the third prong would have missed anyway.
Before he could react Cage’s fist slammed dead center of his sternum so powerfully it was audible that the bone and several ribs broke. Thrown back a half dozen feet, Shorty dropped to his knees in pain and of loss of air. Then there was a second crack as his chest glowed blue and the pain vanished.
“Resume.” Ulon commanded. “I healed you. If not, you would have died. Cage broke a rib which punctured a lung.”
Realizing the dragon saved his life and Cage didn’t hold back. “The stories weren’t exaggerated.” He admitted and raised himself and his weapons. He’d been warned, but now did he realize it wasn’t a game. The warlock didn’t lie. He charged and swung the net.
Cage skipped back to avoid it and lunged only to be met by the three pronged spear. He deflected with a snap from his left wrist and got in close range and grasped both wrists. Shorty didn’t scream out in pain from the bone crushing pressure, but he couldn’t hold either weapon anymore. Cage was impressed, for Shorty’s muddy brown eyes were squinted in pain, but he fought it to bring his knees up for a groin kick, since Cage was greatly endowed, hoping it would allow his release. Cage didn’t stop the attack and accepted the pain. He pushed it aside and watched Shorty’s eyes widen in surprise. “Most of the time that would work… not on me.” Ever so intentionally slow, Cage released his hold and Shorty leapt back. More blue magic repaired damage in the wrists.
“Do you not feel pain?”
“Yes, but my tolerance is high. I spent three years in constant agony after torture and being paralyzed. You’ve also been trained to endure pain, but have yet to master it like me. Come, now we do close range.”
Ascension of the Warlock (Book 4 of the Death Incarnate Saga) Page 25