by Eric Vall
When we got to the clearing outside House Quyn, Dragir let out a low stream of Elvish curses, and he exchanged a few brief words with his guards before we began making our way to the crystal bridge.
“I’m guessing Qiran wasn’t too fond of the explosives idea,” I muttered under my breath.
“Do not worry about him,” Dragir said as we made our way to the crystal bridge. “My father has no appreciation for large scale destruction, and he dislikes the idea of sharing Halcyan with others when it has been exclusive to our family for so long. This idea of yours is an intriguing one, though. I will work on it once we return from this next battle, but perhaps we should consider your rockets in this as well. Have any of them broken from being dropped before?”
“Never,” I told him. “I chucked them all over the infirmary by accident once, and nothing happened.
“If we were to rune the casings properly, and fill them with the liquified Halcyan, then your bazookas could propel them to a safe distance with a greater impact,” Dragir pointed out. “Same weapon with a more powerful result.”
“Holy shit,” I chuckled. “That would be perfect against the Master’s fortress.”
“We’re talking about the blue liquid that altered the state of that rag, exploded, and then melted straight through the floor, right?” Markus checked, and I grinned over my shoulder at the mage who looked like he’d gotten a decent buzz off that goblet of juice.
“That’s the stuff,” I assured him. “Pretty impressive, huh?”
“There’s probably a lot of ways to describe this idea,” Markus mumbled.
“That is essentially what my father said as well,” Dragir snorted.
“Hey, what did he say in there before we walked out?” I asked as we neared the crystal bridge. “He said something in Elvish at the last second.”
“There is not a direct translation to your language,” Dragir admitted, “but roughly, I think ‘eat your own penis’ would work, if you think of the word ‘eat’ as the way your eels behave.”
“Lovely,” I muttered, but then I had to chuckle because we found Deya sprawled in a bed of flattened ferns and rolling around on her back like a scaly dog.
The brawny guards along the riverbank were doing their best not to break their stony demeanors, and I had a feeling this was what Deya had been entertaining herself with all this time.
“Ahh… you brought the dragon with the concerning appetite,” Dragir sighed.
“Of course, she’s my favorite one,” I chuckled. “Don’t you like her?”
“I am impressed with your battle dragon,” the elf admitted, “but I have many opinions about the fact that you let her devour any creature she pleases regardless of how very delicate she is at present.”
The warriors of House Quyn glanced at Dragir with furrowed brows, and then they looked back at the massive dragon that had mowed down every fern along the bank as well as a couple trees.
“She throws up regular food,” I said with a shrug. “Come on. I’ve got a long night ahead of me, and we need to make sure Rhys is prepared by tomorrow. You really don’t have to make the journey out there if you’ve got your hands full, though.”
“I have time,” Dragir assured me, and while he spoke with his guards, Markus and I saddled up.
Then Deya kept nipping at Dragir’s cloak so he couldn’t climb on, though, and he finally ended up throwing up his arms and formally announcing his promotion to the dragon. The guards failed to keep their composure when Deya knocked her brother off his feet at the news and let out a silly screech, and Markus chuckled with somewhat tipsy confusion at the exchange.
At least Dragir was allowed to mount up now, and when Deya vaulted through the canopy, the sky was studded with billions of stars while the creatures of the jungle chirped and growled below.
The trip between House Fehryn and House Quyn had taken me and my women hours on Bobbie, but by dragon, it took only ten minutes to soar over the trees and bring us down about a five-minute walk away from Rhys’ village.
I still made Deya take a few laps above the canopy while we scanned the area for any troops, though, and once we landed safely, Dragir spoke to the dragon in their native tongue. Then he gestured toward the south, and Deya snorted some smoke in his face before she nuzzled her snout against my ribs.
“Will you tell your scaly beast that she would be safer if she waited half a league south?” Dragir growled through gritted teeth. “House Fehryn’s guards patrol this area regularly in the night, and we do not know how long this will take.”
I nodded and turned to Deya. “Better do what he says. We’ll call you back to us, but no playing around this time. Stay focused, and if you hear anyone approaching, take flight and circle above the canopy instead.”
Deya immediately obeyed as she turned to make her way through the trees, and Dragir rolled his eyes.
“As if you do not speak Elvish, you little miscreant,” the silver-haired elf muttered.
“I’d be careful what you say,” I chuckled. “She’s getting sassier lately, and that spike on her tail is poisonous.”
The black dragon flicked her tail with a little more zeal at the words, but she didn’t bother looking back at her brother. I could tell Markus was extremely confused now as he furrowed his brow and watched the dragon lumber away, and I sent Dragir a pointed look so he wouldn’t blow Deya’s cover.
“I never knew dragons were such intelligent creatures,” Markus hiccupped. “This one really seems to understand what’s expected of her.”
“That was not intelligence, that was insolence,” Dragir clarified.
Then the elf stalked his way through the ferns while Markus looked blankly at me, and I waved the topic off as we followed. I listened carefully to the sounds of the jungle while we made our way to House Fehryn, but I didn’t hear any footsteps beneath the loud chirping and hissing of the creatures in the trees.
Markus jumped at every rustle he heard in the large ferns around us, and he pulled up earthen shields twice in a moment of panic. I kept close to him while both of us scanned the soil for any presences, and he began yanking desperately on my sleeve when we neared the village up ahead.
I already knew the elves he sensed were the guardians of House Fehryn, though, so I wasn’t too surprised when we reached the edge of the ferns and came face to face with a line of silent, braided elves in leather vambraces and golden bands around their foreheads.
They were waiting with their crossbows locked on our heads, and while Markus almost lost his shit completely, Dragir let me pass him up so I was closer to the serrated tips of their arrows.
“I’m Mason Flynt,” I said as I eyed the metal bows. “You probably remember I made those weapons for your House and helped defend you against the Master’s army not long ago. I’ve come to speak with Rhys.”
One of the elves narrowed his eyes and said something in Elvish, and I turned to Dragir.
“He wants some sort of proof of who you are,” Dragir translated.
I nodded, and then I melted the elf’s loaded arrow down to nothing with a wave of my hand.
Even in the dark, half the guards gasped in shock as they realized what I’d done, but the others just chuckled and waved me past.
We followed along the tree line while I scanned the village of House Fehryn, and I’d never been here so late at night before. It still looked familiar, though, and from what I could tell, they’d added several more huts since my last visit.
At least seventy structures made from densely woven vines were built around the trunks of massive trees, and each structure started at a pointed roof that spiraled outward to encompass the living area.
Torchlight illuminated the small round windows of the huts so they looked like glowing lanterns, and heavily armed elves in white tunics and gold bands gathered on the logs that formed the steps of their homes.
All of them sat in complete darkness and spoke in hushed tones, and most of them eyed us with hostile curiosity as we made our way to the other side
of the village. Those who recognized me nodded in silent greeting when I looked their ways, and I returned the gesture as Dragir ignored them all.
I couldn’t remember which hut was Rhys’ since they all looked the same aside from the large, central structure, but I could tell we were getting close now, because the sound of Rhys and his wife Aliasa yelling at each other was hard to mistake.
Dragir led us around a series of huts to the proper structure without any trouble, and the elf let out a remorseless chuckle as he paused to listen in for a moment. Then he trotted up the log steps to rap on the arched entrance, and when the door flew open a moment later, the silver-haired elf smiled in a friendly way I’d never seen before.
“Good evening,” Dragir said way too casually for Nalnora.
Rhys’ features fell into a firm glower the second he registered who we were, though, and I was a little surprised to see his green braids in such a disarray while his wife continued arguing and knocking chairs over behind him.
“Get out of my village,” Rhys growled.
“Oh, uh… ” I tried. “We’re actually here about the alliance we made earlier. We’re getting ready to--”
“Leave,” Rhys cut in.
“Your House owes Mason your allegiance,” Dragir reminded the green-haired elf. “House Fehryn does not dishonor their vows.”
The taut muscle in Rhys’ jaw twitched. “We owe Mason our allegiance. Not you.”
“Excuse his childish behavior,” Dragir sighed as he glanced my way. “This is a tense time for Rhys. His wife is expecting a child.”
“No shit?” I said with a grin. “Damn, that’s awesome! Congratulat--”
The door slammed in my face before I got any further, and then the argument inside exploded at full volume.
“Did I say something wrong?” I muttered.
Dragir shrugged. “He is too sensitive about the topic.”
“Why?” I asked. “I got the impression he was proud of having a son.”
“Yes, that is because Rali is his child,” Dragir said with a shit-eating grin. “This child happens to be mine.”
Chapter 7
I grabbed Dragir by his cloak and dragged him away from Rhys’ house, but despite the shattering of wood taking place in there, the elf just chuckled as I hauled him into the jungle with Markus jogging to keep up with us.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I hissed when I finally released Dragir.
“What?” the elf snorted.
“Did you come along just to piss off Rhys?”
“Not only to piss off Rhys,” Dragir replied. “I planned to move beyond that so we could discuss important matters. If we are to fight side-by-side, then he must stop this childishness and stand in the same room as me, no?”
“Okay, but couldn’t you have waited until after this war to impregnate the wife of my only other ally in Nalnora?” I asked.
“I did not do it on purpose,” Dragir assured me. “Aliasa did it on purpose, but… that is not the same thing. She demands so much sex from me, and I just give her what she wants. Tell me you would not do the same if a woman like her demanded it so often.”
I scanned the trees around us while I recalled the meaty ass and tigerish grin of Rhys’ headstrong wife, and Markus shifted uncomfortably as he pretended to be extremely interested in the fern beside him. Dragir looked hostile when I met his gaze again, though.
“Stop thinking about it,” the silver-haired elf growled.
“Are you even allowed to be possessive of another man’s woman?” I shot back.
“Of course, I am,” Dragir scoffed. “I am the father of her next child.”
“You don’t--” I took a deep breath rather than get roped into this conversation. “Look, House Fehryn’s cooperation is vital to this plan, so we are getting through that door. I will discuss everything while you do not taunt Rhys, and above all, no one is hitting on his wife again until the Master is dead. Deal?”
“I do not hit on Aliasa,” Dragir clarified. “The woman pines for me. I cannot help that I please her infinitely more than her own husband. That is his problem, not mine.”
Markus sent me a bewildered look over Dragir’s shoulder, and I nodded to myself.
“That is the last thing you’re allowed to say this evening,” I informed the elf.
Then I brushed a giant frond aside on my way back to Rhys’ hut, and Markus sidestepped Dragir to hurry after me.
“Your allies are confusing,” the mage muttered under his breath.
“Elven morals are confusing,” I corrected, “but while we’re on the topic, I want you to be prepared to hide under the table for this if necessary, alright? The last time these two had a disagreement, Rhys cut Dragir’s hand off.”
“What?” Markus blurted.
“It was over some of my weapons,” I clarified, “so I really appreciate the dedication, but still… ”
Markus halted rather than follow me up the log steps of the hut, but when I looked back and sent him a pointed look, the mage slowly joined me while Dragir shuffled out of the jungle without any haste.
Then I knocked on the door and cleared my throat.
“Rhys?” I called above the screaming Elvish. “I understand you’re kind of busy, but it is important we handle this tonight, otherwise your village will be wiped out.”
The screaming stopped while Rhys crossed the hut in three furious strides, and he wrenched the door open with a dagger in hand.
“You would threaten my House after all I have done for--”
“Not me,” I quickly told the elf. “It’s the Master. He’s got three tunnels just north of here, and he’s going to send his army through them, so if we don’t set up a counter-attack fast, there will be nothing we can do to protect anyone in Nalnora.”
“And to be clear,” Dragir added as he came up behind me, “I believe it was Mason and I who did so much for your House, rather than the other way around.”
“Rhys fought for your House, too,” I sighed.
“Yes, and I will never do so again,” Rhys spat.
Then Aliasa chucked a broken chair leg at her husband’s back, and as Rhys’ amber eyes narrowed into livid slits, I shoved past him and entered the house.
“Aliasa, if you could postpone this… uh… ” I trailed off as Rhys’ wife bit her plush bottom lip at me, and the sheen of sweat she had beading on her ample breasts drew my eyes like a magnet.
The elven woman had her deep purple hair in a tousled nest on top of her head, but while she raked her vibrant orange eyes over me, she undid the nest and let it all cascade down.
Now, she just looked like a freshly fucked, elven porn star, and I swiftly turned around before I could ogle her exotic curves or the way the torchlight turned her cinnamon skin to an even tastier hue.
“Rhys, get in here,” I ordered.
“Yes, join us,” Dragir chuckled as he forced himself into the hut as well.
“Who is the pale boy?” Rhys growled.
Then I saw Markus beginning to back down the log steps, and he looked ready to piss himself while Rhys advanced with his dagger still in hand.
“He’s an Ignis Mage,” I quickly lied, and Rhys froze on the spot. “Better not threaten him too much, he’s got a short temper. Markus, come on in, but remember what I said about lighting my allies on fire, alright? The last one didn’t stop screaming for five minutes.”
“Y-Yeah, okay,” Markus stammered.
Rhys leapt aside to let Markus pass, and the mage gave me a bug-eyed look as he stiffly entered the small hut. Then he got his first glimpse of Aliasa, though, and I could practically see all of his concerns melting away as his expression went hazy.
“You brought me so many treats,” Aliasa purred, and her accent paired with her velvety tone made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
“They are not here for you,” Rhys growled. “Go out into the village. We have important matters to discuss.”
“No,” Aliasa chuckled. “I prefer the
view in here.”
Then I felt the woman’s hands trailing down my back, and I whipped around to catch her wrists.
“It would be so much better if you didn’t do that,” I told her with as firm a tone as I could manage.
Unfortunately, this only made Aliasa’s breasts swell as she pressed herself closer to me, and before I could do the smart thing and release her wrists, the elven woman caught my bottom lip in her teeth.
Then she kissed me so thoroughly, heat shot through my veins and made my grip tighten on her, and even though my conscience was turning into a minefield, I couldn’t do anything but let her have her way right in front of Rhys and Dragir.
When I finally resurfaced, the room was silent aside from the crackling of the torches, and Aliasa looked just as pleased with herself as she was with me. It was unbelievable to me that two of the most volatile men I’d met in this realm were wrapped around this woman’s finger, but as I caught the depraved look in her serpentine eyes, I could understand their dilemma.
She reminded me a little bit of Nulena minus the terror factor, and I had a feeling she’d actually be a lot easier to handle than the deadly Tenebrae Mage.
Despite the fact I’d handled more challenging women, Aliasa’s tigerish grin kept me rooted to the spot right now, and even knowing Rhys still had his dagger in hand didn’t pull my head out of my ass. I just stayed there with Aliasa’s wrists shackled in my hands, and I warred against my inclination to keep kissing her as she tilted her chin up for more.
Then Markus loudly cleared his throat, and I remembered the hundreds of mages, ogres, and dwarves who were relying on me.
So, I abruptly released the intoxicating woman, and when I turned back to the others, I realized I would probably die tonight, and it wouldn’t even be over one of my own women.
“Godsdamnit,” I sighed. “Can we all agree that this whole circumstance is fucked up and move on?”
“Gladly,” Dragir growled. “Aliasa, come to me.”
“Aliasa, get over here!” Rhys bellowed a second later.
“No, you will come over here,” Dragir countered, but the tigerish woman stayed planted at my side, and instead of obeying anyone, she slid her hand along my belt and tucked herself under my arm.