“That fast? How far is the city from here?” Starla asked.
Zanke grinned. “You made it quite a distance from the palace. Wilkon’s dragon had to fly him to the city.”
“His dragon? You have dragons for pets?” Starla gave Zanke a confused look. The files she had studied about Brevona mentioned magic and gods and goddesses, but there wasn’t a single entry about dragons, or about little people.
“They are not pets. The dragons are our friends. Wilkon saved his dragon from two of Nimera’s soldiers when it was just a baby.”
“Interesting.” Starla was intrigued. She had read some of Earth’s old lore concerning dragons. They were thought to be fierce and dangerous creatures, not friendly to humans.
They followed Zanke through the forest until they came to a pristine pool. A waterfall cascaded into it from the mountain beyond. It was a beautiful scene. The water was crystalline. One could clearly see the bottom. Small, colorful fish darted through it. Ferns and exotic colorful flowers surrounded the basin. A small bank of silvery sand led to the water.
Without hesitation, Starla took off what was left of her dress, her sandals, the bracelets, earrings, hair ornament, and the necklace. She ran into the icy water and squealed, but quickly got used to it. David followed her in. Neither of them noticed Zanke picking up their clothing, taking them to the edge of the forest, and setting fire to the pile, until Starla surfaced, spluttering. “He’s burning our clothes.”
“Good. He’s smart. Getting rid of Earthly evidence.”
Her face heated up under his penetrating gaze. His eyes were focused on her face, then her body.
“Even without makeup you’re incredibly lovely,” David complimented.
His comment brought back the memory of his cock in her mouth. She felt the blood rush to her cheeks. She had to be as red as the blooms on the shore. All she wanted was to forget about that horrible episode in her life. The torture of getting poked, prodded, examined, brainwashed, and whatever the scientists had done to her, was nothing compared to her ordeal with the slimy pig. But that one moment, when David had entered her mouth, would remain with her forever. His action had created a tumult within her body and had her almost forget the lump of filth behind her. The rest she wished she could erase permanently.
“Your hair is black.” David brushed a strand away from her face.
“Yes. The woman in wardrobe sprayed it with something that turned it blue and blonde,” she whispered.
“I like it better this way.”
The flapping of wings sounded above them. Starla was amazed as she watched a beautiful reddish-gold dragon land on the pebbles just beyond the beach. Wilkon slid down the dragon’s leg holding a large parcel. He brought it to Zanke who set the bundle on the sand. His wife appeared from the forest carrying a pile of towels.
Starla almost burst out laughing at their size, but she contained her mirth. They were nothing more than hand towels. She dried herself the best she could. The sun would dry her hair fast enough.
Zanke opened the parcel. “I hope the clothes will fit you.”
As always, Starla’s nakedness didn’t bother her at first. She was used to being naked in front of male and female eyes. But now, noticing David’s gaze on her, she began to feel self-conscious. And not just that, her skin felt as if it was on fire and an unfamiliar yearning had her body almost shaking. Was this desire? She glanced at him briefly and quickly averted her eyes. He was magnificent in his naked splendor, and she ached to touch him.
“We haven’t had any sleep. Before we continue our journey, maybe we should rest for a bit,” he suggested while dressing in the clothing Zanke had given him.
Starla shook herself from her musings and pulled on the skirt and tunic provided. The clothes were big on her, but it didn’t matter. Except for the missing ridges on their foreheads, they would almost blend in with the Brevonians.
Zanke wrinkled his brows and waved his hand toward the village. “Our homes are too small for you, but you are welcome to rest on the grass. I will ask Nomana to lay out blankets for you to sleep on.”
“Thank you.” David brushed his fingers through his hair, slicking the wet locks back. “We have been on the run all night with barely a moment to rest.”
“Before we sleep, I must remove our implants.” Starla touched her wrist where the scientists had placed the tiny capsule filled with poison. “We aren’t sure, but they could contain tracking devices.”
Zanke shook his head. “Wait until tomorrow. If what you said is true and the microchip has poison in it, you could damage it, and the poison would spread through your body anyway. You need a doctor to do this.”
David agreed. “He’s right. Neither you nor I have medical skills beyond dressing a wound. If it’s true, we could still kill ourselves.”
“Do not be concerned about a tracking device. We will know if a stranger approaches our village.” Wilkon smiled at them. “When you are ready to leave, I will ask my dragon to fly you far away from the cities, so you can travel in peace.”
“Come with us.” Zanke motioned them to follow him. “You can rest today and continue your journey tomorrow. We will study the map to find the best route for your escape while you are resting. The king’s soldiers would not harm you, but the king would inform your Earth leaders that you were found.”
Starla was amused at the makeshift bed the women had readied for them. Many small blankets were spread out on the grass and a bunch of tiny pillows. “One of those would fill a hollow tooth,” she whispered in English.
“Yeah. And the blankets would maybe keep one foot warm. But from what we experienced last night, the weather is mild at night.”
Starla settled on the makeshift bed. David lay next to her, the heat radiating from his body warming her much better than a blanket ever could. She squirmed a little at the fire suddenly invading her body, the need to turn around and crawl into his arms tormenting her, keeping her awake. How she longed to feel his lips on hers.
Dawn had barely broken when the little people began bustling about. The dragon arrived, landing just on the outskirts of the village. To Starla’s surprise, another, much larger, beautiful golden dragon, accompanied him and landed beside him. She wondered if the smaller one was either a female or still young.
Wilkon came out and ran to the small dragon. He patted him on the nose, seemed to speak to him, and then the dragon took off again. Only the golden dragon stayed behind.
Zanke approached them. “The dragons are early. We have not made breakfast yet. You need to go with the gold dragon,” he said.
“This one is a friend, too?” David asked.
“Yes. Sometimes other dragons accompany the young one, probably to check out if everything is safe. Do not worry. He will not hurt you.”
“How does he know where to take us?” Starla wondered.
“It is strange, but the dragons seem to understand what we tell them. We discussed your escape route and told him. He is waiting. You need to go with him.”
“How can you tell if it’s a male or female?” David asked.
“We can’t. We automatically call them he. Since they can’t talk, they haven’t informed us any different.”
Starla looked at Zanke. “Thank you so much for everything you have done for us. We are forever grateful. In the future, I would like to reward you somehow, but right now that’s impossible. We have nothing.”
Zanke smiled. “Actually, there is. We burned your clothing, but not the jewelry or silver belt. May we have those?”
Starla suppressed a shudder. She didn’t want anything that reminded her of Nimera and the mission. “Please... keep them. Though I don’t think they are worth much.”
“We will melt the metal and set the stones in jewelry for our women. Please visit us when you are settled and let us know how you are doing?”
“Here are the swords and weapons I promised you.” He gestured at a pile of weapons laid out on t
he grass.
“Thank you so much. We will meet again.” Starla took David’s hand, and after picking out a sword and a phaser, they approached the dragon. She had watched the previous day how Wilkon climbed on his dragon, so she did the same, followed closely by David.
“I hope we’re doing the right thing,” David muttered as he sat behind Starla at the base of the dragon’s neck.
“Tell me about it.” She clutched the scales tightly as the dragon began to ascend.
Soon, they flew high above Brevona. At first, Starla hardly dared look down, but then she felt firmly seated and safe and gazed down at the distant scenery. The planet was beautiful from above. A myriad of bright colors flashed below as the dragon gained speed, making her a little dizzy.
“I wonder where he’s taking us,” David yelled to make himself heard over the wind whistling around them.
“Who knows. All I know is I’d like to feel solid ground beneath my feet again,” she yelled over her shoulder.
The dragon flew very fast. It didn’t take long before he began to plunge downward toward a mountain range. When he flew lower, Starla caught sight of a large rock platform jutting out from one of the peaks. His descent slowed and then he landed. She slid down the shiny scales to the dragon’s leg, then onto the plateau.
“Phew, that was quite an experience.” Starla stood on shaky legs.
The fast drop had left her feeling disoriented. She studied the area while gaining her bearings. Not far from the plateau she saw houses, smoke spiraling from chimneys, a street, and men who looked as if they were getting ready to go to work.
“I hope you enjoyed your flight,” a deep voice said.
Startled, Starla turned toward the speaker. To her surprise, the dragon was gone, and in its place stood a very tall man. He looked to be in his mid-twenties and was dressed in tight, black leather pants, high boots, and a body-hugging shirt. He was also incredibly handsome. And very tall. He easily dwarfed David. The man’s hair was auburn, long, and tied back. His eyes were an unusual color, gold with green flecks. He didn’t have the ridges on his forehead that she had seen on native Brevonians. He looked like an ordinary man, except he was almost a giant.
“Where did you come from? Who are you, and where are we now?” David stepped between her and the newcomer, his hand resting on the knife at his belt.
The man raised a brow, amusement flashing in his eyes. “I just brought you here. You are with the dragon people now. No one will find you here.”
Starla moved to stand beside David. “I didn’t see you on the dragon. The dragons belong to you? They’re your pets?”
The man laughed heartily. “Hardly. I am that dragon. We have the ability to shift from dragon to man. My name is Edrian. And you are Starla and David from Earth. You two saved the royal family from execution.”
Stunned, she looked at him closer. Tiny scales dotted his forehead and temples. “News travels fast and far.”
Dragon shifters? Really? It couldn’t be real. Such things only happened in paranormal books and fairytales, books they were not allowed to read, but she had read articles about fictional writing.
“Follow me. My mother has breakfast ready.”
Starla muttered under her breath as they followed. “We’ve gone from Lilliput to Giantsville.”
The man burst out laughing. “Giants? We are tall, yes, but hardly giants.”
Damn. They must have enhanced hearing.
“Yes, and we can read your mind, too. Please, enter.” Edrian opened the door to quite a large house. “Mother, we have guests,” he called out as they entered.
Starla stepped into a very large room. It was comfortably furnished, and she thought this would be what a real home looked like with toys strewn here and there, pillows scattered on two large couches, some kind of craft project on a coffee table, and lots of pictures on the walls. At the far end stood a long wooden table. A teenage girl bustled around it setting plates and utensils on the shiny top. A woman came through a door carrying a large tray with steaming bowls on it. A young boy followed her carrying a large wooden plank with what looked like a huge chunk of roasted meat on it.
“Please, take a chair,” Edrian offered while pulling out a chair and sitting.
Within a minute, the table was surrounded by young people. The woman came back from what Starla presumed to be the kitchen and joined them. She noticed they all had the tiny scales on their faces.
We’re in dragon land. Surely I’m dreaming all this?
“Your father will be late. We will not wait for him, or the food will get cold. Edrian, please introduce your guests before you bless our food?” the mother said.
“Starla, David, this is my mother, Bidiana. Mother, meet Starla and David from the planet Earth. Beside me is my little brother, Gurana. The twins opposite you are Zenkos and Kozan, and beside them, my sister, Gana.”
Starla’s stomach suddenly growled loudly causing giggles around the table.
“Someone is very hungry,” David commented.
Edrian had just asked them to join hands for the blessing when the front door opened and closed, and a very tall man joined them.
“This is my father, Timyt,” Edrian said as the man sat at the head of the table. He quickly introduced Starla and David.
Like his son, he had long hair except his was black and he had brownish eyes.
Starla suppressed a giggle when out of the corner of her eye she saw Gurana reach across the table to grab a sweet bun.
Bidiana popped his hand before he could steal it. “Blessing first, Gurana.”
“But Mother... I’m starving.” He rubbed his stomach when it produced a loud rumble.
Bidiana looked at Timyt. “Let us please say the blessing before our growing son withers away to nothing.”
Timyt chuckled and held up his hands. “Goddess of the harvest and game, thank you for providing the sustenance we are about to consume, and please bless the hands that prepared it.” After the blessing was completed he turned his attention back to Starla and David.
“You are the two everyone is talking about.” Timyt gave them a broad smile. “You saved the royal family. The king needs to be informed that you are with us.”
“No, Father. No one must know they are here.” Edrian warned Timyt.
“But surely the king—”
“They are in grave danger from their own people,” Edrian went on to explain, then asked Starla and David to tell their story.
“Nevertheless, the king must know. He will not tell anyone. You are welcome to be our guests for however long you need, but I think you need to be far away from here. Mind you, no one ever comes to our village. The cliff is unscalable. But just in case, it would be better for you if we relocate you.”
“We appreciate your help, sir.” David tapped his fingers on the table. “But we have no means, no clothing, so no way to support ourselves.”
“I have friends that own a farm near a town quite far from here. I will ask if they have work for you. Their staff have cottages on the farm. We will help you with clothing and funds to start you off.” Timyt helped himself to a chunk of meat.
“Before we do anything, Zanke spoke of microchips filled with poison, implanted into their wrists. Our doctor needs to remove them,” Edrian pointed out. “This kind of technology could also give their people a means to track them.”
“Yes. Take them to Doctor Hacha after breakfast and instruct him to take the implants to our science building. It will be interesting to see what our scientists find when analyzing them.” Timyt took a drink from his glass and set it on the table.
Bidiana had been quiet during most of the conversation. Finally, she placed her fork on her plate and studied Starla and David a moment. “Your story is quite astonishing, that your planet allows experimentation on babies and children. It is monstrous enough to experiment on animals and humans, let alone on innocents. And to train you as assassins? Can your soldiers not
take care of the dangerous criminals on your planet?”
“Soldiers only fight wars. Criminals are dealt with differently. What the Institute is doing is barbaric.” Starla thought about her fellow trainees... about Twelve. God, she hoped her scribble inside Twelve’s hand had been legible.
“Starla and I want to stop the scientists’ research and experimentations. We don’t know how yet, but we will come up with a plan. The Institute must be destroyed.” David helped himself to another slice of freshly baked bread.
Starla wiped her mouth with a napkin. She had lost her appetite. Worry for the others was foremost in her mind. “Doctors Schmidt and Schultz are beasts. If anyone should be assassinated, it is those two.”
Chapter Six
“Sit down for God’s sake,” Schmidt snapped at Schultz, who paced back and forth in his office. “You’re freaking out over nothing. What the hell can Two and Four do?”
Fire blazed from Schultz’s eyes when he turned and stared at him. “Plenty. They can talk.”
Schmidt brushed his fingers through his hair and shook his head. “Fuck, John, they’re on an alien planet and on the run.”
“They’re also the first ones not to activate the microchips. Why?” Schultz resumed pacing. “All they’ve been told and know is that it’ll wipe their memory of the mission.”
“And how many have we sent out so far? About nineteen?”
“Yes, but those missions were here on Earth, and all but Two and Four activated their chips and were found dead at the scene of the crime. Case solved. No questions asked.” Schultz finally sank onto his office chair behind his desk.
“Look, their mission was a success. The general is dead. Who cares if Two and Four are on the run on an alien planet. Who the hell could they talk to that could harm our cause?”
“We have our spies there. Right now, the king and queen are grateful to Two and Four for saving them and their children from certain death. They are looking for them so they can reward them. But if they find them, they’ll certainly ask questions.” Schultz closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, then let out a deep breath as if to calm himself. “The Institute and the work we do here would no longer be a secret. Don’t forget, we’ve begun recruiting young men to turn into enhanced and engineered soldiers so we can take over Brevona. All plans would be thwarted. It was bad enough that Nimera turned rogue and we had to eliminate him. You can be so downright stupid at times.”
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