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Author's infos Gender: Female Age: 25 Location: Somewhere in my head |
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Author's Note: Soooooo.... Since it was such a success and was able to really help me get the story edited, I thought I'd surprise you all with just a little more. It's my carrot on a stick! C'mon, folks, this way, this way, that's right, help me make a better book, just for you all! ^.^ Anyways, as before, PLEASE point out mistakes, every tiny spelling error, grammar errors, even if I get paragraphs wrong, whatever. Details to add, details to leave out. I happen to like my sex scenes, so most of them will stay. I mean, these are humans 7,000 years in the future, they are just as much of a bunch of fuckin horn dogs as we are! So =P and enjoy. I mean it this time, last posting! And before you ask, I dunno when it will be published. Time frame is some time next year. I'm typing like a mad man. [Chapter 6] Spring moved on into a mild summer. Sre doned the new cowl she had made. It covered the top of her shoulders and up her neck with a small hood attached. It was a tough but soft fabric, mostly a light amber color, but with some light blue embroideries on it. Black had decided his work with Sre was done, heading back into the deep woods. He was a solitary type of person. But he had been kind enough to make sure Sre could make it on her own. Before he left, he offered her a long knife. It had a bone handle, and had obviously been made by an expert. Squatting down, Sre ran her hands over the young crop she had planted. Behind her, Hero let out a loud, "AH-Ah!" He flapped his large wings. They had grown the fastest of any part of him. He was now able to look over the cabin. His legs had grown long and thin, his massive chest protruding out when he walked, giving him a regal bearing. His ebon horns curved around his mighty crown, and the spikes along his neck had grown long and treacherous. But Sre had no trouble climbing onto his back between his wings and riding him as he took her to check all her traps. Each of his steps were careful, methodical, making certain he moved silently through the forest despite his size. He had discovered his presence was less than desired by just about everyone else, so he moved with such care that he would leave barely a print. He stopped by each of her traps, watching her kill whatever small animal had caught itself and reset each trap. She tossed each creature onto his back. He liked to pretend that they were too heavy, letting out a groan of effort with every little animal she tossed onto him. "Oh, shush, silly!" She chided him, trying to hide her giggles. He let out a strange sound, an attempt to immitate her laughter. As they headed toward the long road that led through the hills to another town, Hero stopped to let Sre go ahead and make sure the road was clear for him to cross. The road had been built alongside a ravine. Sre walked along the road, watching the ravine down below in case there was any prey down there. She could neither see nor hear Hero above the road where he walked amongst the trees and brush, but she knew he was there. He was always nearby. The creaking of a heavily laden wagon caught Sre's attention. She looked up along the road to see a giant green beast amble toward her. She had heard of the flightless Tunk'tas. They were the only dragons unable to fly, with nothing but stubs where wings would have been at some point. Due to their flightlessness, they had evolved the toughest armor of any of the dragons. As the Tunk'ta grew closer, Sre could see the long tusks and the thick plating on its head. They were known for bashing their head to fight with each other. But since they were usually docile and unable to fly, they were owned by the peasant folk, the only dragons allowed to the general populace. Closer still and Sre could see the beast, just slightly smaller than Hero though much thicker and muscular, was harnessed to a large wagon. The Tunk'ta lumbered toward Sre, letting out a groan as the driver pulled on the riens. Sre blushed when she saw who it was that drove the cart. "Well, hello there! Haven't seen you in awhile!" Jasper smiled down at her. "Haven't had a need to go into town." Sre shifted, turning to look up at the Tunk'ta. Its beady black eye stared at her with unusual interest. "I see. I like your hood. Aren't you warm?" "Not too much. I spend most of my time in the shade of the trees." Sre glanced around, hoping Hero stayed hidden. "I suppose that's true. Black does a lot of that as well. Speaking of whom, is he around?" Jasper looked about. "Uh, no, he went back into the woods. He comes and goes whenever he feels like it." She was still awfully nervous considering she'd never had anyone outright flirt with her before. Sre reached to pat the Tunk'ta on its shoulder. The beast turned its head and snorted at her. "I suppose that's the life of a hunter. Ha, looks like Randel likes you." Jasper hopped down from his seat, patting the beast's haunches. "I raised him from a hatchling. Better than a dog. Smarter, too. But I don't suppose a dragon would be much good for hunting. A bit too big and loud." A hint of a smile crossed Sre's face. She could sense Hero's piercing eyes in the brush. So could the Tunk'ta. It snorted and stomped its thick paws, designed for digging into the ground. They were the only omnivorous dragon. "Oh, here!" Jasper reached into a large bag in the wagon and offered Sre a loaf of bread wrapped in paper. "I made that just for you." Sre glanced up at him, giggling nervously. "I doubt that, but thank you." She took the loaf. "So, uh, where are you headed?" "Oh, just over the hills. Father sends me to Addortsfort at least twice a summer. It's bigger and we can usually get a better price for our goods. Think you'd like to join me?" He offered her a charming grin. With a shy smile, Sre shook her head. "I can't. I don't like to leave my traps for long." "Right. I understand." Jasper nodded. He knew he was being politely rejected. "Well, I'll be back in a few days. Maybe you'll come visit me in town?" Sre bit her lip, unable to help the little smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Maybe." With a sweeping bow, Jasper hoisted himself back into his seat. "Then you give me something to look forward to! Good day to you, Huntress Sre." With that, he snapped the reins, clicking his tongue. Randel groaned as he leaned forward, the wagon creaking along. Sre waved as he past. She watched him until he vanished around the bend in the road. And no sooner had he vanished than she felt Hero's hot breath snort on her. She glared up at him. "What? I can't have friends? Oh, I know, if you could talk you'd say the same thing Black said about him, wouldn't you? You damn reptiles think you're so smart...." Sre continued to grumble as she made her way down a spot where the ravine wall wasn't so steep. Hero's lips peeled back in a mocking grin as he followed after her. ************************************************************************* The week passed slowly. The heat was broken at last by a heavy downpour. For today, Sre decided to stay inside. She stared out the window, knowing that Hero had flown off to find shelter. The hills nearby were riddled with caves, and Black had told Hero how to find a few that were big enough for him. Though he hated to leave his mother, he didn't like being wet. She let out a bored sigh. Her thoughts often went to Roscrow. Hugging her knees to her chest, she let herself get lost in memory, remembering the time they had spent together. A smile crept across her face, remembering his boyish demeanor when he was alone with her. He had all the responsiblity to be a commander, but there was nothing he liked better than just being careless and childlike. Standing, Sre decided to do a bit of cleaning up. She swept the floor and dusted everything, standing on the covered porch to beat the dust off the fur rugs she had placed all over the hard, cold wooden floor. She had lots of jars of various spices and herbs along the shelves and a few books to keep her company. She really did miss having someone around she could talk to. As the sun went down, Sre finished her chores and got ready for bed. As she undressed, she looked at herself in the mirror. She looked so much different than when she had first slept in this house. She was lean, but it was from hard work, not starvation. She had decided to cut her long hair off, finding that it was cooler and easier to care for while it was short. The back was spiky and she liked playing with it, though her bangs still reached her chin, long enough for her to tuck behind her ears when she needed to. Now that it was short, it was horribly unruly, sticking up all over the place. She ran her thin, calloused fingers through her hair slowly. Her fingers looked like they were used a lot, her hands much stronger than they used to be. Every part of her was stronger, muscular from her hunts and farming. She let her hand travel down her neck, over the offensive collar, and down her pale chest. Her finger tips lightly caressed a breast, which were now large enough to be noticeable through her shirts. They were firm and tight, the nipples perking in the cool air. The fire was nothing but coals now. Slowly, Sre's fingertips circled an erect nipple. It had been long since she had felt the touch of another human, at least a pleasurable one. She knew Jasper was flirting with her, wanted to touch her, and she had no doubt that he would be kind and gentle with her. But she couldn't shake the thought that if anyone found out about her collar, they would suddenly change and try to enslave her again. Not to mention what Hero would do if he came home and noticed what was going on. He'd have a fit! Her other hand traveled down her lean, toned belly. She hesitated when she reached the little area of hair at the apex of her thighs. She'd touched herself before, having been alone for a little under a year, but she always felt awkward. She quickly sat on the bed before she got too carried away. Her fingers touched everywhere, slipping over her throbbing bud. She gave a little whimper, feeling the pleasure rush up into her belly. Her other hand pinched a perked nipple, twisting it gently. She lay back onto the bed as her fingers moved a little faster, imagining it was the long strong fingers of Roscrow, remembering how he had touched her. She moaned quietly as she felt the pleasure well up inside her lower belly, under her bellybutton. Her hips jerked upwards, coming up to meet her fingers. She rubbed desperately, trying to get to release. When she got to the point that her clit couldn't take anymore, she slipped her fingers into her hot, wet slit. Her juices quickly covered her fingers, getting all over her thighs. Her palm continued to rub the hardened bud as she pumped her fingers in and out, reaching deeply for that wondrous spot inside her. She continued to play her breast, her moans getting louder and more urgent as she reached bliss. She felt herself get extremely hot, like her skin was on fire. She felt her muscles twitch and spasm, her back arching up, her hips grinding hard. She let out a long moan, shivering as the bliss flowed up through her entire body. She continued to rub lightly, trying to make the feeling last for as long as she could. At last, her muscles relaxed and the intense pleasure faded, leaving exhaustion in its wake. Panting, Sre curled up under her blankets and furs, enjoying the pleasant quiet of her mind that always occurred afterwards. She decided she had more than enough woodland goods and furs to make a trip into town. Besides, Jasper was probably home by now. And it wasn't like Roscrow was ever going to find her out here, if he even cared to return for her, if he even remembered her. She knew a man as powerful, handsome, and kind as the commander would have more than enough suiters. The fond memories she had of him were probably all she would have of him. Yes, she'd go into town in the morning just to sell her goods and surprise Jasper with a visit. When the morning came, it was overcast but dry. She got up with the faint sunlight that managed to squeeze through the clouds. She got about getting all of her things ready, the many herbs and furs and other body parts that Black had told her to keep. Derikel would know who to sell such things to. Sre looked up when she heard wingbeats. She pulled up the hood of her cowl as leaves and debris were thrown up by Hero's wings. He landed with surprisingly little noise, folding his wings and trotting toward his mother. "Ah-Ah!" he exclaimed happily. His voice had deepened quite a bit. "Hello to you, too, son." She reached up and patted his nose. He had to curve his long neck for her to reach him now. "I'm going to go into town today. Maybe you can give me a ride?" Snorting, Hero leaned forward, offering his back for her to toss her things on. Once that was done, she hoisted herself onto his back, holding onto a long spine to balance herself as he stood up and turned, heading through the woods. With his long strides he was able to make his way to the town by midday. Stopping about half a mile from town, he leaned down for Sre to slide off. Tossing the goods over her shoulder, she patted his shoulder. "Now you stay out of sight. I'll be coming home tonight. I'll see you later." After nearly being knocked over by Hero's affectionate nuzzle, Sre headed into town. She looked around at all the people bustling about. Each one nodded to her with a "G'day, m'lady." At first, she found it strange until she noticed that everyone did it to everyone else. It was just as Black had said, everyone in this town was friendly. Smiling and nodding back to folks, Sre made her way to the Groggy Dragon. As soon as she was through the door, Derikel looked up from his place behind the bar. A huge smile was nearly lost in his great grey beard. "Sre! Been a long while! Do come over here and let's take a look at what you have!" As Derikel was going through the items, Sre heard a commotion above the small band that was playing with a fidle and a lute. Sre felt the hairs on her neck stand up, hearing the sound of two drunken men come up behind her. She jumped when one of the men slammed a mug on the bar. "Hey! Barkeep! More ale!" Sre glanced at the two. One was tall with muscles bulging out of his clothes. His friend was shorter and leaner, with a beaked nose and a moustache. She turned away, using the hood of her cowl to avoid their gaze as Derikel scowled but went to fetch them more brew. The shorter man turned his attention to Sre. "Well, what've we here? Whatcha hidin' under that hood, there, eh? Pretty girl like you shouldn't be hidin' nothin'." He reached out to grab her hood. Sre leapt back, the knife Black had given her flashing in the light. She glared up at the two men. "That is none of your business!" The tall muscular man chuckled. "Ohho! The kitten has claws! Hey Jacob, be careful, you might get a scratch!" Jacob grinned. "Now, now, no need to get all uppity." "That's enough you two! I'm more than happy to serve you all the ale in the world until you drown, but I won't stand for you harassing my other customers. I'm going to have to ask you both to leave!" Derikel growled, his voice firm. Sneering down at the dwarf, the two picked themselves up and left the tavern. Derikel let out a sigh. "Those Terran cousins are the terrors of this town. Dunno what happened with them. You'll want to be careful. But here, I'll take the furs. These bits and the herbs you can take to the old croon, Galdwin, on the other side of town. She runs a mage shop." Sre thanked Derikel before heading out. She made her way through town, making sure to avoid the market row, wanting to surprise Jasper. She found the small shop easily enough. Slipping in, she had an eerie sense in the shop, like something was out of place. She suddenly jumped in her skin when a crow cawed loudly at her side. "Banshee! Hush! You always scare my customers!" There was much bumping and rustling as an old, hunchback woman hobbled into view. She peered up at Sre. "Oh my. Lots of power. Powerful bloodline, yes indeed." Then she looked down at the items Sre had in her hand. "Oh! Razja hooves and lulsia skulls! Witchwort, blain blossom and corpse vine! Come here, my dear! I've been awfully low in these things! So wonderful you brought them." The old woman hobbled to the desk. Confused, Sre drew closer, placing the items on the desk. "What do you mean by a 'powerful bloodline?'" The old woman looked up at her. "Just what I said. You're the most powerful person to ever walk through those doors, most certainly. Most powerful of the bloodline, most intune with all that it means to be of the Crest. All that power can't stay pent up forever. Gonna start coming out soon, my thinks." She rumbled as she picked through the items she had. "Very nice, very nice. I think this should be enough for your troubles." She held out a hand with some coins. Sre accepted. She knew she wasn't going to make a fortune on them. She tried to think of the question that was on her tongue, but found that whatever it was that felt out of place was blocking her thoughts. She heard the old lady speak again as she hobbled away. "You have a fine day, my dear. Now scurry along, I believe the baker boy goes home soon!" Confused, Sre was about to ask how the woman knew. The crow let out a sudden shrill caw, making Sre jump and turn. By the time she turned back, the old woman had shuffled off deeper into her store. Pursing her lips, Sre decided it wasn't worth the fuss. Maybe she had seen them together the first time she'd been in town. Now Sre hurried for the market. As she came around the corner, she noticed Jasper trying to make a sale to an older couple. Smiling, Sre hid away, stalking through the crowd and using the shop stalls to cover her approach. Jasper had just waved fairwell to the couple who stopped to buy some bread. He busied himself with wiping off the stand. "Have anything you made especially for me today?" Jasper jumped, turning to look at Sre. "Oh, you scared me! You're a very good hunter, sneaking up on me like that!" Taking a deep breath, Jasper turned, snatching something out of the display hutch. He offered a sweet cream filling pastry. "Just so happens I was saving exactly this one for you." Sre giggled at his charming grin. She took the pastry, nibbling on it. "That leaves me to wonder why I startled you if you knew I was coming." Jasper laughed. "There are some things even I can't foresee." "So you have magical powers, do you?" Sre teased innocently. "For sure. For one, I have excellent powers of perception." With that, he reached out, gently pushing Sre's hood back to show her hair. "You cut off your hair." "You don't like it?" "It's not about whether I like it or not. It's not your hair I'm interested in." She couldn't help but blush at that. "I'm glad you came by today, though. It's been really slow. I was about to close shop. I... was wondering if you'd like to come to my house for dinner? I make a real spicy fried chicken." Sre bit her lip again. She couldn't help but look away as she thought about it. "I... I guess I could stay for dinner. But then I have to leave. I need to get home by the morning." "That's fine. You just wait here. And this time no sneaking off! I'll finish cleaning up and closing shop." He started to pack the few goods he hadn't sold into a backpack. "I could help...." Jasper held up his hand. "No, no. That's fine. I won't be long. Just gotta sweep and wipe things down." Sre ate her pastry, looking around at the other vendors and craftsmen who were closing their shops and stands for the evening. She finished her treat as Jasper completed his chores, slinging the satchel over his back. "If we hurry, we can watch the sun set over the hills. It's really very beautiful." Together, they walked out of town, heading for the field of tall blonde wheat. Next to the wheat were fields of corns, potatoes, and various other crops. Reaching the small road that led out to Jasper's house, he stopped and pointed up to the sky. "See, the red moon is out. It tends to make the sky a little pinker." "Wow, it really is beautiful. I don't usually get to see it from all the trees." Sre stared up in fascination. "I see something a lot more beautiful...." Sre blushed brightly at Jasper's compliment. He smiled, knowing she was still nervous. "You don't get a lot of compliments, do you?" "No, not really. I kind of live alone in the woods." "Why don't you come and live in town?" Jasper had started toward the house slowly. Sre followed after him. "Uh, I dunno. It's not really my thing." She shrugged, hoping he'd leave it at that. Luckily, he wasn't thick. He dropped the subject. As they drew closer, Sre could hear the few cows out behind the house, the gentle cluck of the chickens. Coming to the front of the house, Sre was surprised to see the Tunk'ta laying in front of the porch of the house. It groaned when it saw Jasper, rolling over with much creaking and thumping. Jasper laughed, coming over to rub the dragon's belly. "Hey big guy. Ya miss me? I bet you did. You always miss me, every day!" "He's your best friend, isn't he?" Sre smiled, her thoughts drifting to Hero. "Oh yeah. I remember being there when he hatched. He was so tiny. Raised him by hand. It's like bonding with a dragon is more profound than any other relationship you can ever have. Not that other relationships aren't possible, they really are...." Sre giggled as he tried to explain himself. "I get it, really I do." "Jasper? Who's out there with you?" Sre heard Jasper's father call out from inside the house. Motioning to Sre, Jasper stepped up onto the porch and entered. "I brought a guest home for dinner. Hopefully you won't bore her while I get dinner ready." "Oh, well hello, m'lady." Jasper's father was well aged, his belly round and his head bald. But he had the same kind eyes as his son. "I'm Barron. And you are?" "Sre, sir." She smiled, offering her hand. Barron took it and kissed the back of it, to which she blushed again. "If you're warm, you can remove your cowl...." Sre reached up and felt the hood, making certain it was hiding her collar. "Um, no, it's alright, sir. I'm not all that warm. You could say I'm a bit of a cold blood." She hoped that would be a good enough explaination. Barron nodded. "That's just fine. Oh, please sit. I hope you'll forgive me for not getting up for you. I have many injuries that never bothered me in my youth, but they sure caught up to me now!" Patiently, politely, Sre listened to Barron tell her of his years in the ground army, of his many injuries, and of how he had met Jasper's mother. Jasper continued to tell him to stop bothering Sre, but she didn't think it was so bothersome. Supper was excellent, filled with laughter and interesting tales. Jasper spoke of how Randel, his Tunk'ta, had thought himself to be a flying dragon and made attempts at leaping off the roof when he was young. At one point he had landed on a chicken, another attempt landed him on a passerby. "Thank you for dinner. It was very delicious." Sre smiled at Jasper as he walked her to the door. He stood in the doorway, leaning on the frame. "Think you'd come back for seconds? Even with my father?" He rolled his eyes a bit. "I think I'd come back for thirds. I think your father is very nice. At least you grew up with one." She nodded, hoping he'd have a little more respect for his father. "Oh, well now you're actually telling me something about yourself. So you didn't have a dad?" Jasper bowed forward to show he was interested. Instead, Sre leaned over, feathering a kiss onto his cheek. She then spun away, stepping down off the porch before half turning to look back at him. "That's all for another time. You have a good night." "It'd be a better night if you stayed!" he called after her. All he got was the sound of Sre's giggles as she melted into the night. He shook his head with a smile. He was about to go inside when he heard Randel snort at him, letting out a mocking grumble. Jasper glared at his dragon. "Hey now, you keep your nose out of my business!" Randel let out a chuckling sound before standing up and lumbering over toward the barn. [Chapter 7] Sre decided to visit town more often. She would leave early morning, climbing onto Hero's back and having him trot to about a half mile from the beginnings of the farm fields, walking the rest of the way. Derikel was always happy to see her, offering her a meal and even a hot shower now and then. She would come into the Groggy Dragon to read the local newspaper. She had very quickly discovered that in her escape over a year ago, she had ended up in the neighboring country of Mardarow. There were always bulletins about soldiers needed for a ground army, the fear of Sadgos'Lak causing the government to try and swell their ranks. They didn't have a lot of dragons, in fact, as far as Sre had heard, they had only a few thousand compared to the hundred thousand of their neighbors. There was much talk of Mardarow possibly merging with their neighboring country of Szuporu. Putting down the paper, Sre smiled at Derikel. "Lots of talk, lately." "Nah. There's always been talk. Since the great house of Morthar fell, there has always been talk." He busied himself with cleaning some glasses. "But tonight will be the festival! It's harvest time, when the red moon passes before the white. It's known as the Night of the Dragon. Used to be that the zan Morthar family would ride their dragons to all the towns and offer a prayer of bounty. They were good times." The dwarf nodded absently. "zan Morthar? I've only heard of uld Morthar." Sre's curiousity was perked by this. "Ah, they are the oldest of them, direct decendants of the faternal twins, Sandra and Tolvar uld Morthar. Tolvar had many children, but Sandra only had two. Tolvar's children spread wide and far and declared their own nations. In order to tell each family of Tamer apart, they changed their middle names. But Sandra's decendants didn't. They stayed in Szuporu, the first nation. They were known for keeping the bloodline pure, on occassion breeding back into their own line with other Morthar families, you know, sixth cousins kind of thing. But due to this, it's said they were the most powerful, having the purest blood. "Their younger brother, though, he vanished into a small, inhospitible land where no one else wanted to live. It was said he learned to control dragons not from the magic that his siblings did to make the Control Crystal, but by his strength and cruelty. He didn't bond to any one dragon, but to many and would force them to submit to his will on threat of pain and agony. His dragons were twisted messes, often deformed from the strength of his magic which he exerted on them while in the eggs." "That's awful! I always thought the Tamers were kind and generous and ruled with wisdom." Sre couldn't help but feel disgusted by this mysterious younger brother. "And they most certainly did! For over a thousand generations! And then... poof! They started dying. Their dragons would go first. Then they would either kill themselves, or be found dead from some other cause. I have heard rumors that they were all assassinated, that the dar Morthar family has started to make themselves known to the world again, that they want to take over and be the only Tamers left. It's only been a rumor, but if it's true, it will spell a dark time for this world. "But, as I said, just a rumor. You should go enjoy your evening! I know the baker boy will want a dance with you," he chuckled, giving her a knowing wink. Blushing, Sre thanked Derikel and slipped off the stool, heading out toward the market row. Everything was closing early. The streets were lined with festival lights, bright cloths, and children covered in face paints ran about underfoot. People were talking loudly, heading out toward the fields, carrying all kind of goods, tables and chairs for people to sit on. It was a full scale town event, everyone was out for this. Sre peered through the crowd but couldn't find Jasper. She asked a few people, but no one had seen him after he'd closed shop. Slowly, Sre followed the crowd, figuring that she'd eventually find him. He might have run home to help his father considering the poor old man could barely walk. As the sun started going down, bards began to play their music. The giant bonfire was lit, several smaller ones also lighting up the cool evening air. People started to dance to the lively music, girls hooking elbows and dancing together while the younger boys shuffled their feet, too shy to ask for a dance. Older folks paired up, the men bowing deeply, offering their arms for the women to take if they fancied to dance. Derikel had rolled out massive barrels of his own brew, which was certainly going fast. There was a great feast laid out on the largest table with plates waiting for folks to pick up and help themselves. All the food was donated to the occassion and just about everyone in town had made something. Sre had no idea where to start, but she picked up a few things that looked good and sat at a clear spot at the eating tables. She laughed at the jesters, entertained by the magicians and the various bards, singers, luters, and other musically inclined individuals. Derikal brought her a mug of his brew, offering her a wink before vanishing into the crowd. A cheer went up when Sre heard a loud chuckling sound, not quite human. Lumbering into view, Sre recognized Randel. He had been dressed up, long flowing, colorful cloths and flags hanging off his body, a collar of flowers ringing his neck. On his back, Jasper waved to everyone below. With a grunt, Randel lowered himself to the ground, letting his master dismount. No sooner had Jasper gotten off than all the children in town swarmed Randel, trying to get rides or swinging fake swords at the mighty beast, who felt none of the whacks and smacks and tugs of the children through his armor plated scales. He was infinitely patient and didn't move too fast, stepping with care to ensure he didn't hurt anyone. "I'm glad you're here! I was worried you might miss it." Jasper slid into the seat beside her. "Enjoying yourself?" Sre smiled. "Much more now." "Yeah, what can I say, I'm the life of the party!" They both laughed. Jasper wasted no time grabbing himself some food and brew, watching the festivities going on around them. One bard took the stage, singing a tale of the heroic Mazek zan Morthar holding off an entire dragon wing by his very will alone, a rare feat even for a Tamer. Soon enough the music picked up the beat again. Jasper suddenly leapt to his feet, bowing before Sre, offering his arm. "Would the pretty lady honor me with a dance?" Quickly taking another sip of her ale, Sre took his arm, squealing as he swept her out into the open, hooking her elbow with his. She didn't know the steps to their dance, but that didn't seem to matter. They both laughed as she stumbled around, spinning themselves out to the outskirts of the party. Finally dizzy, Sre stumbled, leaning up against the doorway of a shop, panting as she giggled with Jasper. He could barely keep his feet, nearly falling into Sre. She held him up, both of them laughing even as they tried to catch their breaths. Jasper stood up straight, smiling down on Sre. He was only a few centimeters taller than she so it wasn't much of a stretch for him to lean down, his lips hesitantly touching hers. Sre's heart fluttered in her chest, tasting the sweet ale on his mouth. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was the noise, the excitement of the moment, or just a lapse in judgement, but for a minute Sre forgot everything. She felt his warm hands cradle her face, his body pressed against hers in the dark doorway. She forgot everything that had come before, knew only that she was tired of being alone, that she wanted to feel the touch of another human being. She clung to his jacket, standing on her toes to recipricate his kiss. But she couldn't forget for long, not when his hands moved down her face and along her neck, his fingers running over the metal collar. He suddenly broke the kiss, pulling the cowl down, looking at the collar. It shined dully in the light of the fires. She saw the look of surprise on his face. "Sre...." In a sudden panic, Sre tore away from him, nearly tripping in her desperation to escape. She heard him call after her, but she didn't stop. The only thing on her mind was to never return to slavery. Even if it meant that she had to get Hero and her things and find another town far away from here. No matter what it took, she'd never go back to that life. The eerie light that the overlapping moons gave off made the shadows weave and move in an odd fashion. Sre found herself running through the gently waving corn stalks, tripping in the mud of the irrigation troughs between each row of stalks. She fell to her knees, feeling tears in her eyes. She couldn't tell if they were from the sudden sharp pain in her ankle or the ache in her heart. Either way they blurred her vision. She could hear the sound of the festival in the distance now, dull and muted by the gentle breeze rustling the leaves of the corn around her. She let out a gentle sob, trying to stand up, but her ankle rolled, unable to hold her weight. She fell forward again, a pair of boots in her vision. Gasping, Sre looked up. She felt her heart pound in her chest from fear. Towering over her was the taller of the Terran cousins. Beside him emerged the other. They both grinned down at her. "What's the matter, girl? Did you hurt yourself? Or are you sad someone figured out your little secret?" Jacob suddenly grabbed Sre's hair, jerking her head back as he pulled down the cowl to expose her collar. She let out a cry in pain. In an act of desperation, Sre pulled her knife from her boot. Jacob yelped when she swiped the blade at his face, slashing him across the face. He jerked back, his hand letting go of her to place over his wound. Kneeling on the leg with her bad ankle, Sre reared back, glaring up at the tall man, her knife ready to stab at him if he got close enough. But the attack didn't come from him. She had only a heartbeat to notice that a lanky, weak looking little man stood behind her, striking her across the face with the handle of some kind of farm tool when she turned to face him. She was knocked off balance, her grip loosening on her knife. Her brain swam in her head, her vision blurry. She reached for her knife, only to feel the tall man step on her wrist, making her let out a cry. Thinking fast, she leaned forward and sank her teeth into the man's shin. He screeched in pain, jumping away. Sre was about to snatch her knife when the new skinny man leapt over her, grabbing it and pointing it in front of her face. "You're nothing but a slave! You don't have any right to refuse us!" he snarled at her, striking her across the face with the back of his hand. Now Sre could taste blood in her mouth. "Get your hands off her!" Sre couldn't tell how she felt at that moment. There was both relief, fear, and panic rushing through her at hearing Jasper's voice. The skinny man turned, brandishing Sre's knife. "You better mind your own business, baker boy! It's three against one here. I think the odds are in our favor." The other two men came to his side. "Well, in that case, I'll just even the odds. Isn't that right, Randel?" The massive, armored, tusked head of the Tunk'ta reared up over the corn stalks. He smirked at the sudden expressions of disbelief on the three men. Randel peeled back his thick lips, showing an impressively terrifying row of predatory teeth. "Randel. Send them home to daddy." The three men screamed and turned tail when Randel let out an ear shattering roar, his head tucking down as he charged forward, bulldozing a path through the corn as he galloped after the three, chasing them all the way back to their house. Once they were out of sight, Jasper knelt down to Sre, helping her up. "Are you alright? Oh gods, your bleeding. Here, can you stand?" Sre whimpered when he tried to pull her to her feet. He drew her arm around his shoulders, his other helping brace her body to his. "Just lean on me. I'll take you to my house and get you cleaned up." He slowly started forward, helping her hobble back to his house which wasn't very far. As soon as they were through the door, Jasper sat Sre in a chair, turning on the lights and filling up a bowl of cool water. He found a rag and hurried back to her, pulling another chair close to her. He leaned forward, gently dabbing at the blood coming from her nose. "You shouldn't have run off. There was no reason for it." When Sre didn't meet his gaze, he sighed, gently turning her head to look at him. "I don't know what kind of life you lived before, I don't even know where you came from, but in Mardarow, they haven't legalized slavery. You've been living with this thing around your neck all this time when you didn't have to." Sre closed her eyes, feeling tears trickle down her bruising cheek. "I-I just never wanted to go back to that life. I got scared...." Jasper put a finger to her lips. "There's no need to justify it. I'm just glad you're alright. I had to run back to get Randel, make sure I had enough leverage to make those Terrans regret ever laying a hand on you." He stroked her hair, making her smile wanly. "Jasper? What's going.... By the gods, Sre! What happened to you, child?" Barron hobbled into the dining room. "Dad, please, not now...." "Shut it, you!" Barron fixed his son with a fatherly glare. "What happened, Sre? Who did that to you?" Barron fell into the other chair, holding Sre's hand. "It was the Terran boys. They caught her alone in the corn fields. Randel's making sure they make it home tonight. Once Papa Terran sees what his boys have done, I don't think they'll be bothering anyone for a long time." Jasper continued to clean Sre's face, gentle around the darkening bruise on her cheek and her swelling lip. "That's fine by me. Whatever were you doing out there alone, Sre? Oh here, let's get that off before you get any blood on it." Barron reached for Sre's cowl, making her cringe. "Sre," Jasper's quiet voice was soothing, "it's ok. No one here is going to hurt you." After a moment of contemplation, Sre pulled off her cowl. Barron pursed his lips. "Somehow I figured that was the case. We should have a chat with Derikel in the morning. He used to be a metalsmith. He should be able to get that off, and if he can't he would know someone who could. There's no reason to be worried here, child. You're among friends." Somehow, those last words struck a nerve. Sre let out a sob, feeling the hot tears run down her face. She clung to Jasper when she felt his strong arms wrap around her. She'd never had friends, never had anyone who would stick up for her. Everything that was happening in her life now was so different from how she had grown up, and it all started with a little kindness that a talon commander had shown her. Her thoughts wandered to Roscrow as the hot water of the shower washed over her. She leaned her forehead against the shower wall, balancing on her good leg. She had always had a high tolerance to pain, the dull aching of her sprained ankle hardly even a concern to her. She closed her eyes, feeling the water trickle over her skin. The gentle knock at the door startled her from her thoughts. "Sre? Are you ok in there? Need any help? I promise I won't look." Sre couldn't help but smile at Jasper's humorous tone. She turned off the water, hopping out of the shower. "I think I can manage, thank you." "Well, um, I figured with how late it is, and that you would have a hard time walking through the woods and whatnot, you can have my bed. And since your clothes are so dirty, I, uh, I brought you one of my long tunics." Sre's smile got bigger despite the pain in her face. He was trying so hard. Wrapping a large fluffy towel around her, she hobbled over to the door, opening it a peek. "Thank you. You're too kind." "Yeah, I get that a lot. Truth is, I don't know how to be a jerk." He smiled at her, holding up the light blue tunic for her. She reached out to take it, their hands touching. She saw him gulp. After she'd dried off and gotten dressed, she hobbled down the hall, finding that Jasper had tossed a bunch of furs and blankets on the ground beside his large bed. He was sitting in the middle of the pile, writing something in a small leatherbound book. When he heard her, he looked up. She blushed under his scrutiny. "Um, oh, here!" He jumped up, coming over to help Sre hop to the bed. He leaned over her to help sit her on the edge of the bed. Before he could pull away, Sre's hand touched his face, drawing him down to her. The touch of his lips, so soft, so careful, so genuine, sent a flutter through her chest. Gradually, Sre left his lips, her mouth feathering kisses over his cheek to whisper in his ear. "You don't have to sleep on the floor." The look in his eyes made her heart quicken. He slowly knelt down between her legs. His bed wasn't very tall so he could look her in the eyes as he touched her face. She leaned her head into his hand. "Are you sure?" His voice was hushed, unsure. For a moment, Sre thought about her actions. She thought of the promise Roscrow had made her over a year ago. But when she lifted her gaze to meet his, there was no doubt left. She kissed him softly, letting him gain his courage. It didn't take him long to let his passion show, his tongue skirting her mouth, tasting a hint of the sweet mead Barron had given Sre to help with the pain. Her thighs tightened around him, pulling him close to her body. She could still feel her heart pounding, but it only added to the moment, her fingers burying themselves in his hair. She felt his hands run up her legs, caressing her thighs, pushing the long tunic up her smooth legs. He leaned forward, his grip on her legs helping to push her higher up on the bed as he moved over her, gently laying her on her back. They were already both panting, their hands touching everywhere, exploring each other. Sre tugged at Jasper's shirt, sitting up as he pulled the clothing off. Her lips started at his navel, traveling up his lean belly. His body was nothing like Roscrow's, not hard and unforgiving, not hairless and scarred. But he felt what she did all the same, his eyes hazy as he watched her kiss him all over. She pulled at the strings of his leggings, freeing the hard, throbbing length within. She heard a soft moan leave his lips when she ran her tongue over his gender. But he stopped her going any further than that. He leaned over, resting his forehead against hers. "You don't have to. I don't know if you were trained, but you don't have to please me if you don't want to." Sre's blue eyes met his brown ones. She tilted her head up, kissing him, replying quietly, "I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to." That was the end of his hesitation. He kissed Sre, holding her up under the weight of his passion. He grunted a bit as he kicked off the tight pants, leaning back over Sre, covering her with his body. Her thighs held him tightly, her hips jerking up to help him enter her body. She gasped, feeling him slide into her moist recesses, stretching her pleasantly. She could hear his deep breath, feel his body shudder a little at feeling how tight she was. She let out a soft moan with the sensation of his hips moving, piercing deeply into her. It didn't take them long to come up with a rhythem, moving in unison, their bodies burning, sensitive to every tiny touch, every kiss, nip, and scratch. Sre held her sounds in check, letting out just enough to drive Jasper on. Tonight, Sre let go of all her fears, all her doubts about her life. She let herself feel everything, everything she'd been holding back out of fear of being discovered. She'd been discovered and it had led not to the pain she had be expecting, but to a whole different kind of world, one she had always hoped existed but had never thought she'd experience. Tucked tightly under the covers, feeling Jasper's body shift behind her in his sleep, she looked up to the window, smiling at the moons that stared down at them. **************************************************************************** In the morning, Sre woke up alone. She stretched, wincing at the pain of her face. The swelling had gone down but the bruising was very livid. She got up slowly, testing the stablity of her ankle. She found she was able to limp to the bathroom. After she'd relieved herself, she heard elevated voices coming from the dining room where the front door was. Curious, she limped out. "It's not my boy's dragon's fault. If you'd keep your boys under control, the whole incident wouldn't have happened!" Barron growled angrily at a big, muscular older man standing in the doorway. She was just able to spy one of the men that had assaulted her the previous night. "I'm telling you, father, it was unprovoked! He just sicked his dragon on us! Attacked Jacob, too. We were just talking to this girl lost in the corn field...." "Talking?!" Sre limped forward, her voice full of anger. "I would hardly call this talking!" She pointed to her face. Jasper came to her side, offering to help her stand. He had only his leggings on, obviously having been woken up by the arrival of the Terran sire. The older Terran looked at her, his eyes resting on her collar. He was about to say something but it was like Barron could read his mind. "She's from one of the neighboring nations. We just found out about it last night. No doubt your boys thought they could take advantage of her situation." "I swear, father, we were going to bring her home to get her collar off...." "Enough!" The older Terran turned, looking down on his boys. "Get back to the house. I'll deal with you three when I'm done here!" His grey eyes were dark in his anger. Whimpering, his boys slinked back toward their own home. The father Terran turned back to Sre, bowing to her. "I apologize for their behavior. It won't ever happen again. If there's anything I can do, just let me know. If they ever bother you again, I encourage you to let me know and I'll take some skin off their backs. I do hope you have a good day." Again he bowed, nodding to Barron before turning and leaving. Barron closed the door after him. He turned back, quickly hobbling over to the stove to avoid encroaching on Sre and Jasper. She leaned her head against his bare chest, closing her eyes to feel him kiss the top of her head. "I'm sorry that woke you up. We were trying to keep our voices down." She smiled. "I don't think that was what woke me up." The smell of food made her stomach rumble in response. Jasper grunted, helping her over to the table. He laid the food out on the table, taking his seat at the table. Barron glanced between them as they tried to avoid eye contact. A grin slowly split his face. "You two should stop trying so hard. I'm old and crippled, not blind and dumb." He started into his food. Jasper rolled his eyes, but Sre only giggled. As they ate, Jasper smiled at her. "So, you said something about not having a father and that I should respect mine." Barron guffawed. "She's got a wise head on her shoulders. You'd do well to listen, my boy!" Sre smiled, looking down at her food. "I had a father. But he died when I was 7. My mother died before I was old enough to remember her." "I'm sorry." Jasper looked back at his plate but didn't feel like eating. "It's not your fault. I guess that's just some people's lot in life. I lived on the street until I was 11. Then I was able to talk the local tavern owner into letting me stay there for free and have a meal every night as long as I worked for him. When I turned 19, he tried to convince me it was part of my job to sleep with him. So I left. But I had nothing so I went back to ask for mercy when he told me that he expected me to pay him back for all the years he let me stay there. Since I had no money, he...." "You don't have to continue." Barron reached out and took Sre's hand when she paused. She gave him a wan smile. "The important thing is you're here now. However you got away, none of that matters. He can't touch you in this nation." Jasper touched her arm. Once they had finished with their breakfast, Jasper presented Sre with her cleaned clothing. He closed the door to his room, watching her change. "Who's 'Roscrow?'" Sre suddenly went ridged. She turned and looked at him in surprise. Jasper shurgged. "You said his name in your sleep. You don't have to tell me. I know you have a painful past...." Sre limped over to him and put her fingers to his lips. She couldn't meet his gaze. "He was the only thing in my life that didn't hurt then." No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't raise her voice above a whisper. Jasper took Sre's hands, squeezing them gently. "I'm not a thick headed jerk. It's ok if you still love him. I really wasn't expecting what happened between us last night. I mean, I had hoped, but I wasn't ever going to ask it of you." "It's not that. There's a lot that happened between he and I. He was part of the reason I got free. But he was the commander of a talon. I can't expect anything to come of that." She let out a sigh. She felt Jasper's arms wrap around her. "Well, maybe he cared about you, too, but he couldn't show it, not when he had to lead his troops into battle. It was something my father said. He told me the story of how I almost wasn't born. He had to go to war, and so he told my mother not to wait for him because he didn't want her to bear the pain of waiting for his return which may not have come. After almost 2 years, he came home to find she had a lover. But she left the guy the minute she heard my dad was back. Apparently he was none too happy and tried to kill my dad." He kissed the top of her head. "Maybe I'm just the filler until he gets back." Sre glared at him. "That's not a good way to think of yourself. I don't think of you as a filler." A mischievous grin split his face suddenly. "So you're saying I didn't fill you up last night?" Sre's expression made him laugh. She swiped at him, making him hold up his arms in defense. But she couldn't help to giggle at him. Once Sre and Jasper were dressed, he took her into town. They passed by the festival area, picking their way through people who were still out cold from all the drinking. They found Derikel among them. He grunted when he felt Jasper's hard prod. It took several for the dwarf to open his eyes, peering around drowsily. The moment he laid his eyes on Sre's face, it was like he was instantly awake and sober. "Sre! By gods, what happened to you?" Jasper shushed him. "We can explain later. Can we talk in private?" Derikel picked himself up, looking around at everyone else. "Oh sure, sure. Come with me. We can go into the inn. This mess can get cleaned up later." Leading them through town, Derikel pulled out his keys, grumbling to himself as he went through them. He let out an exclaimation when he found the right key, hurrying over to the door of the tavern. When there were no guests he kept the place locked up. Motioning for the two to enter, he closed the door behind them. "So what's been going on? I'm guessing that happened during the night." "The Terrans attacked her. But luckily I wasn't far behind." Jasper squeezed Sre's hand, glancing at her. "So that why you ran off with Randel so fast. I knew those Terrans would be trouble," Derikel growled. "Glad you taught them a lesson. Now what was it you wanted to talk about?" Jasper nodded to Sre. Reaching up, she pulled the cowl off. The moment his eyes focused on her collar, his expression became pained. "You poor child. You've been carrying that around for a long time. Come here, sit. Lemme take a closer look." Sre sat before him, letting him scrutinize the wretched thing. Finally, he nodded. "I can take that off. Just gotta go downstairs and find my jaws. You two stay here. I'll be right back!" He scurried to his cellar, thumping heavily down the narrow stairs. When he was out of sight, Sre smiled up at Jasper. Her heart was fluttering with excitement. Jasper leaned over and gave her a kiss. "Ahem." They jumped. Derikel stood there with what looked like a massive gnarled pair of shears and small handheld torch. He motioned for Jasper to stand out of the way. "I have to warm it up so it'll take to the cutting. I'll try not to burn you." "A burn would be less scarring than what this thing has done to my life," Sre said as she leaned her head forward. Derikel thought a moment. "Well, let's put it this way. I want to make sure not to leave a memory of this." With that, he switched on the torch, putting it to the collar. She felt it heat up immediately. She clenched her jaw, making certain that no matter how hot it got, she wouldn't cry out, not like she had when it had been wielded on. Just when she thought it was going to start burning, Derikel put the torch aside and placed the shears against the thing. With much groaning and cracking from the metal and grunting from the dwarf, the most satisfying sound in the world rang loudly in Sre's ears, even though it was nothing more than a dull clink. With that, the collar fell to the ground. Sre sat in the chair, staring down at it. No one moved. No one spoke. After a few moments, Sre slowly let her hand reach up to touch her throat. Her skin was smoother where the foul thing had rested, but that was the only reminder that it had ever been there at all. She abruptly turned, throwing her arms around the dwarf's neck. Startled for just a moment, Derikel patted her shoulder. "There, there child." "How can I ever thank you?" Sre felt tears of joy in her eyes. Derikel smiled bashfully, waving his hand. "Oh, there's no need. It's a service I was all too happy to provide. Now, you two go out and enjoy your day together." He shooed them out the door. Sre had the biggest smile on her face as she took Jasper's hand, limping down the street with him. They eventually made it back to the area where the party had been held. People were starting to pick themselves up. Today was a day of no work. After so much booze and fun, no one felt like doing anything too fast or too hard. So people picked things up little by little, everyone telling each other stories of what other folks had done while drunk, people laughing at each other and themselves. "Jasper!" He jumped to hear his name so loudly proclaimed. Looking over, he smiled at his friend. "Sre, this is Larndo. He's a good friend." He introduced them briefly. Larndo was about Jasper's age, shorter, but much more thickly built, with very dark skin. However, he had a massive smile, great white teeth. His smile melted at seeing Sre's face. But the explaination was short. Jasper left out any mention of what had just transpired, much to Sre's relief. Larndo smiled again. "Oh, well you two vanished so fast, you never got to have the final dance!" Sre glanced up at Jasper in question. He let out a nervous laugh. "Oh, yeah, well, um, you know, with what happened...." Larndo clapped his broad hand across Jasper's back, making him cough. "Now, now, don't be bashful! Hey, you guys! Tune up a nice one! Jasper and his friend here never got to do the last dance!" A violinist, a luter, and a guitarist smiled, all too willing to play a little something. Jasper let out a groan as they started a slow tune. The violinist was a woman, her voice clear and gentle as she sang. People cheered them on. Sre looked around in confusion. Before she could ask though, Jasper moved slowly, taking both her hands and placing them around his neck. His hands held her around the waist, helping her to stand on her injured ankle. "Just follow my lead. It's not hard." He started to take some steps. After a few falters, Sre picked up on the steps quickly. She blushed as people smiled, quietly cheering them. "Everyone is watching us." "It's tradition. When two people like each other, they have a slow dance at the end of the festivities. It's the last song," he whispered in her ear as he led her around slowly. She smiled, leaning her head against his chest, letting herself get lost in the gentle sway and small steps. People muttered around them, but it was quiet compared to the music. After a few minutes, Jasper tilted his head to her ear again. "And then the man is suppose to offer the woman a flower and a kiss. But since I don't have a flower on me...." Looking up at him, she smiled, feeling his lips touch hers tenderly. A little cheer went up around them. Sre blushed brightly, giggling nervously as people clapped. Someone yelled over the voices of everyone else. People turned to look at who was talking. A man was pointing toward the tree line far past the Terran fields. People squinted, trying to figure out what was coming toward them. "Is that... Black? He's running on all fours! He is really hauling ass!" Jasper shielded his eyes from the bright sun. Sre peeked around everyone, squinting. Sure enough, it was Black galloping on all fours toward the town. He didn't even get all the way to the crowd of people. Stopping in the middle of a lykish field, he stood, noticing people were looking at him. He turned and pointed to the sky from where he had come from, roaring something at the crowd. "Did he just say 'dragons?'" People murmured amongst themselves. A terrible feeling crept over Sre. Her whole body felt cold. She could feel something, something she couldn't quite understand much less explain. She could feel the heartbeat of another creature, the thoughts of malice that the beast knew it was about to inflict. She knew these things before anyone saw the massive wings that threw long shadows over the crowd. She could sense each breath of the two dragons that came over the treeline, heading straight for the town. The screams of the people around her forced Sre back to reality. She saw the red and black flag of Sadgos'Lak. The brown mottled dragon was the first to swoop down, making everyone scatter. Jasper pulled Sre into a doorway, shielding her with his body. The rush of air was both deafening and suffocating. Next came the green dragon, but this time the swoop was with claws extended. It grabbed at the roof of a nearby house, causing the building to cave in. Sre could hear people inside screaming. Sre peered around Jasper, watching in horror as the brown dragon landed, its tail whipping about without care, knocking people over, smashing into store fronts. It let out a snarl as it reached out, snapping at people as they fled before it. The man on its back urged it on, sending his dragon into a frenzy. It leapt forward, pouncing into a small crowd. It crushed a man under its paw, reaching down and ending his screams with its teeth. The green dragon continued to swoop down, circling the town, herding people toward the center. All the while, Sre could hear the screams of people, but much worse than that, she could hear the malicious laughter of the dragonriders. They delighted in the fear they were causing. Sre suddenly pushed against Jasper. He grabbed her in a panic. "You can't go out there! They'll kill you!" "We can't stand here! We can't let them all die!" Sre struggled against him. "We can't do anything! We don't have spear guns. We don't have any weapons to fight them!" Jasper's face was twisted in pain and shame. She looked up at him, knowing he was hurting to hear all the terrible sounds going on behind him. She pushed Jasper out of her way, going out into the street. "Stop attacking us!" she screamed, hoping the rider might have some kind of sensiblity if someone would stand up to him. Jasper grabbed her arm and pulled her back into hiding before the rider could see who had yelled. She suddenly heard the brown dragon let out a groan. It backed away from the crowd of people, rearing its head. It flapped its wings, thrashing about in uncertainity. The rider was struggling to keep control of his beast. He yelled at it, jerking the reins, using the foot tappers along the dragon's sides to try and relay commands. Still the dragon backed away from the people, its groans growing louder. Up in the air the green dragon fluttered, suddenly becoming unresponsive. It spun in tight circles, looking to be lost. Even as the rider yelled in the Ancient Tongue, his dragon merely groaned, twisting this way and that in the air, not sure what it was doing. People were starting to gape in disbelief, not sure if they should be afraid or laugh. Finally, Sre shook Jasper off, rushing out of their hiding spot despite Jasper calling to her to stay hidden. She ran for the crowd, calling to them to run into the trees while the dragons were distracted. She didn't know why they seemed so suddenly confused, but she figured it was good time for people to escape. Sure enough, it didn't take long for people to start fleeing into the woods. Sre somehow knew that whatever had had the dragons so distracted was wearing off. The green one started making small dives, trying to drive people back into town. Sre waved to Jasper, motioning for him to follow. He hurried after her as they all ran for the treeline where they could scatter and be safe from the beasts. The trees there were too close for them to swoop down. Ignoring the pain in her ankle, Sre ran after everyone else. As she looked up, watching the green dragon dive and ascend over and over, she didn't know why she thought of Hero. She wanted him to be there. He had always made the bad things go away. She wanted to go home, make sure he was safe, make sure these dragons hadn't hurt him. Jasper let out a scream. The brown dragon had chased after everyone. Its paw wrapped around his waist, lifting him into the air. He struggled against the giant animal, terror gripping him as the dragon opened its mouth. But a shrill shriek came out of the beast's maw. It suddenly dropped him, its whole body getting shoved sideways. Sre ran back to Jasper, helping him. Glancing up, she watched in amazement as Randel dug his tusks deeper into the War dragon's flank. It screamed again, turning to snap at the Tunk'ta. Randel grunted, lifting his head, his strength greater than the War's. With a mighty heave, Randel managed to toss the dragon onto its side. The War dragon screamed, struggling to try and regain its feet. Its rider yelled commands at the top of his lungs. Dispite its thrashing, the War dragon's claws had no effect on Randel's thick, overlapping scales. He even rolled himself into a tight ball, all his limbs tucked against his body, when the green dragon swooped down, landing on top of him, its talons trying to get into his flesh. They only scrabbled harmlessly against that amazing armor. Not even when the other dragon gained its feet back did he budge, letting them waste their energy on trying to get at him. Randel's distraction had given everyone time to flee into the trees. People were scattered far enough that there was no chance of getting them all back together. Jasper stopped at the treeline, turning to watch with fear as the War dragons soon got bored with his Tunk'ta. Just as they turned their attention away, Randel unfurled, charging the green dragon. It let out a scream, feeling his sharp tusks pierce its side. The twinge of a speargun caused Jasper to scream. Sre gasped, her hand covering her mouth. Randel let out a groan, collapsing to the ground. Sre's grip on Jasper's hand tightened, bracing herself as he tried to run back to his dragon. He was calling out to his Tunk'ta, tear streaks on his face. Now the War dragons turned their attention back to the people. They lunged forward, snapping the smaller trees. They roared, swiping out at the people around them. Their roars of challenge were drowned out by another. Huge black wings flapped up behind the green War dragon. Sre couldn't even make a sound, watching Hero land on the dragon's back, all his claws sinking into the beast. It screamed, rearing back, trying to back out of the trees to clear ground where it could manuever. Hero's teeth flashed, his head striking downward like a snake, biting into the dragon's neck. Again it cried out in pain, wriggling around under him to try and dislodge him. But Hero hung on. He suddenly struck out again, grabbing the dragon's crown. He twisted his head, forcing the dragon under him to also twist its head. It was so off balanced that it fell to its side, legs thrashing. Hero leapt away from this dragon. He turned in midleap, landing lightly on his feet facing his other opponent. The brown dragon roared, much bigger and older than Hero. But there was no fear in him. Hero did not know fear, knew only that his mother was trouble. He knew people that his mother cared about were in trouble. It was all he needed to know. He let out his own roar, issuing a challenge to the massive beast. With a snarl, the brown dragon charged Hero. Growling, Hero rushed forward in response. Unlike the War dragon's stouter legs, Hero's stilts offered him long, light strides, making it a very simple thing for him to leap to the side before coming in contact with the War dragon. He whipped around, using his longer tail to lash at the dragon's front legs, causing it to cry out in surprise and trip, falling nose first into the ground right before the Tunk'ta's body. Before the brown dragon could rise, Randel suddenly reared up. With an angry roar, he used his strong, thick front legs to crush the War dragon's skull with a sick crunch. By now, the green dragon had gained its feet. The rider jerked the reins, trying to get his beast to turn tail and fly away. But as soon as it opened its wings, Hero rushed it, leaping high. He had slightly misjudged his lunge, his claws scrabbling for the dragon's head. Instead, the beast reared back, its crown catching Hero's back legs, causing him to flip and land on his back with a groan. Now the green dragon reared, jaw agape, ready to go in for the killing blow. The air around them shimmered with sudden heat. Hero's lips pulled back, his jaws opening as a white hot stream of flame exploded from his maw. The War dragon couldn't even scream. Its lungs had been burnt from the inside. Its eyes had melted from their sockets. As it fell over, the fire spread fast over its fuzzy scales, faster than its rider could unhook himself from the saddle. He screamed as the fire engulfed him. But even his cries ended abruptly. Now, only Randel and Hero were left. Randel lowered his head, snorting, ready to charge this stranger. Hero stood there, his back arched, wings raised and tilted forward, his neck curved, ready to strike. The two dragons stared each other down. "Hero!" Sre came limping out of the forest. She hurried to her dragon's side. "Randel! You're alive!" Jasper rushed to his Tunk'ta. He rubbed Randel's forehead, trying to calm him. "It's ok, buddy. It's alright. I think that one is a friend. Calm down." Slowly, Randel seemed to relax, his attention turning to his owner. Sre patted Hero's nose, standing before him fearlessly. "Hero, that's enough! Calm down. Fighting is over. You were amazing." She then threw her arms around his muzzle, kissing him between the eyes. "I don't know how I could have ever doubted. You aren't just my hero. You saved everyone!" With a curious groan, Hero peered down at Sre. He nudged her, sniffing her carefully. She scratched at his nose. "I'm alright. A lot of things happened last night. But everything is ok. We don't have to hide anymore. Neither of us." "You're just full of surprises. Where did you get him?" Jasper stared up at Hero. The dragon suddenly noticed that there were people coming out of the forest all around him, staring up at him in awe. He drew back his head, laying his chin against his throat, his massive chest plates jutting out. He was the most inspiring, majestic looking beast. Sre shook her head. "That's another story for another time. We need to get everyone back to town and get things cleaned up." Nodding in agreement, Jasper turned, calling into the woods for people to start emerging. Carefully, Hero leaned forward, offering Sre his back. She clambered up onto him, letting him stride slowly back toward the devasted town. [Chapter 8] The townsfolk already got around to rebuilding. They buried their dead and even the dragonriders. A messenger on a horse was sent out to contact the Mardarow government to tell them about the attack. Nobody knew what to do about the remaining dragon body. The other had burned to ash, leaving only bits of bone. Somehow, Sre felt that despite their actions, the dragons required honoring. She asked Hero to burn the other body, bowing her head in a little prayer. Randel had turned out to be just fine. The cruel looking spear had lodged itself between two of his massive back plates, just barely scraping him. With much heaving, Jasper was able to pull it out. He held it up for Sre to see its razor sharp point with its many backward facing spines. "These things are viscious. I was sure it had gone through his scales. If they had hit him straight on, he'd be dead. Luckily, they got him at an angle." Jasper pushed the spring loaded button on the back of the arm length spear which resulted in all the spines retracting back into the shaft. She shuddered, trying to banish any thoughts of the agony such a thing could inflict. She looked up at Hero who snorted, peering down on Randel curiously. He'd never met another dragon before. He had only had a glimpse of Randel the one day so long ago. Now, he was nose to nose with the Tunk'ta. Randel was just as interested in him. He had only ever been around others of his own kind. He sniffed Hero in return. "Maybe they'll be friends?" Jasper came over to squeeze Sre's hand. "I think so." No sooner had she said it than Hero leapt back, his body arched, but this time the front end of his body was lower than the hindquarters. His tail thrashed in the air. Randel grunted, charging Hero. Nimbly, Hero leapt to the side, landing with surprising care. He made barely a sound despite his size. Randel turned, charging after Hero again. And again, Hero dodged him, taking on that posture. He then turned, running over to the trees to snap off a large branch as big as Sre was. He rushed back over to Randel, shaking the branch in his mouth. He lowered it down for Randel, mocking the shorter dragon. The Tunk'ta, though, just trotted along, changing his direction each time Hero would leap out of his way, shaking the branch again and lowering it as if he was about to let Randel have it. People were laughing at their antics. The two dragons didn't even seem to notice that they were being watched. But Hero soon seemed to get bored of the game of keep away. He dropped the branch, sitting on his haunches to scratch his side. Before he knew it, Randel had picked up the branch and turned, trotting off with it. The look of wonder and disbelief on Hero's face caused people to howl with laughter. He leapt to his paws, prancing alongside Randel, trying to snap at the branch. Each time, the Tunk'ta would jerk his head, Hero's jaws snapping in empty air. Finally, he let out a whimper, sitting down. He had the most pitiful look on his face. He laid down, resting his head on his handlike paws. Randel turned, trotting back over to his new friend. He grunted, shaking the branch in front of Hero, mocking him the same way Hero had mocked him. Hero sneered, letting out a huff. "That'll teach you to play fair!" Sre called out, laughing at Hero's expression of injustice. "So how did you get him? And what kind of dragon is he?" Jasper looked at Sre. "Remember how I said the talon commander was part of the reason I got free? Leaving Hero was the part he played. One of the females in his talon laid her eggs in the woods. I guess they missed him. He must've rolled off into the bushes. I took care of him in the egg. When he hatched, he had no mercy for anyone that laid a hand on me." Sre turned away from the playing dragons, offering to help carry supplies to one of the buildings in repair. "Surprising you kept him hidden all this time. You know if the army ever finds out you have a War dragon, they'll take him?" Jasper followed her, carrying some planks of wood. "He's not a War dragon. He's a hybrid. I guess the only surviving one. He's got Spindle in him. That's why he can breathe fire. I guess the Szopuro government has been trying to breed fire breathing War dragons. Just straight up cross breeds aren't strong enough, so they were breeding in more War to strengthen the Spindle." "Nasty combo. I've heard of cross breeding Tunk'tas with Scouters, trying to make the Scouters tougher, but somehow that's totally different." Jasper leaned the planks of wood against the side of the building. Sre nodded, turning back to watch as the dragons continued playing out in the field. The War dragons had already crushed the harvest so there wasn't much complaint about the two giants roughhousing out there. It was better they were away from the buildings anyways. When night came, everyone was exhausted. Jasper helped Sre back to his place. It had been untouched in the attack, as the other five houses on the outskirts had been. Limping in, Sre was all too happy to sink into a chair. Jasper made a simple meal, relating the events to his father who had been hiding in the house, watching the attack helplessly. He looked at Sre with surprise. "You had that beast hiding out there in the woods all this time? What else are you hiding? Are you a sorceress, too?" he jested. Sre smiled. "I don't think so. Maybe I am. Sometimes weird things happen to me." "Yeah, like my son," Barron guffawed, teasing Jasper who grumbled. After dinner, they went and checked on their dragons. The two beasts were fast asleep, having played all day after the fight. Hero was sprawled out on his back on top of Randel, who lay on his belly with all four limbs sticking out. They both snored in their complete exhaustion. Jasper and Sre snickered together as they went back into the house. "Those two will be fine outside. I'm sure Hero is fine with sleeping in the open. Randel normally sleeps in the barn with the cows, but looks like he wouldn't wake up if an army marched through here." "Keep that to yourself. We don't need anymore military showing up here." Sre limped to Jasper's room. "Good point," Jasper smirked. He sat down on the edge of the bed, reaching out to snag Sre's hands. She squealed as he drew her into his lap, kissing her tenderly. He then looked into her eyes. "You were amazing today. Much braver than I was. But I guess you have to be with what you've gone through in your life." "I think you did fine. You were willing to go back for your dragon. That was brave and selfless." She wrapped her arms around his neck, looking into his eyes. She leaned forward, resting her head on his shoulder. He held her close, rocking gently. She didn't know how she felt about everything lately. She was overjoyed that she was finally officially free, and that Hero no longer had to live in hiding. But thoughts of Roscrow still plagued her. Even as she lay in bed beside Jasper, feeling his fingers lightly caress her arm, she could close her eyes and feel Roscrow's touch. With a sigh, she turned onto her stomach. The night was warm so only her legs were covered by the thick furs. Jasper's attention was caught by the tattoo on Sre's back. He ran his fingers over it. "Have you had this all your life?" She looked up at him, frowning with a shrug. "Yeah. No one knows what it is. I guess one of my parents must have been a dragonrider who fled from their own government for whatever reason right after I was born." "That's not just any normal dragonrider crest. That's special. You were someone very important." He turned, showing her his back. Between his shoulderblades he had a crest made of black ink like hers, but inside a solid border was a spear and sword crossed. It was very simple. "Those who have either been, or are decedants of, foot soldiers get these. And I've seen Rider crests. I've even seen a few Master crests. Yours, though, it's something different." Sre felt him shudder under the gentle touch of her fingers as she touched his crest. "Not even the commander knew what family it was from. He said he thought it was a lost Master family." She looked into Jasper's eyes when he turned. He laced his finger with hers. "Maybe you are." Jasper let out a nervous laugh. "I won't be beheaded for sleeping with a Dragon Master, will I?" Sre giggled, suddenly pushing him back, stradling his hip. "No, but you might be ordered to sleep with the Dragon Master more often," she said seductively, leaning forward to kiss him, grinding her opening against his rapidly hardening length. "I think I might be ok with that," Jasper rumbled, his voice husky with arousal. A moan left him when he felt Sre's teeth against his neck. She gently nipped along his throat, feathering kisses over his collarbone, continuing her little bites over his chest. He breathed heavily under her, leaning his head back. She continued down his body, her tongue running down his belly, tracing the more subtle lines of his muscles. He looked down at her, moaning again when her hot tongue ran up the side of his throbbing length. He squirmed when her lips closed around him, drawing him into her mouth. He suddenly reached down, pulling Sre away from his aching member. "Oh no. I won't let you do that. You spent too much of your life pleasuring men and not having it returned." Sre giggled at him. "I was only a slave for a year." "That's too long." Sre suddenly gasped when she felt his finger touch her intimately, finding their way into her hot opening. She leaned back, feeling his strong fingers reach deeply into her heat, his thumb finding her throbbing bud. He continued to finger her until he could feel her inner muscles start tightening around his fingers. She let out another gasp when she felt his fingers move, immediately followed by his length burying itself into the moist heat of her body. He jerked his hips up, feeling her walls clamp around him, drawing him deeper into her. With expertise, Sre rode him, keeping a steady pace in time his own thrusts, her soft moans urging him on. Each wave of estacy left Sre shivering, leaning over Jasper, panting. He smiled, running his fingers through her hair, reveling in the sensation of her sharp shudders. She struggled to keep her sounds quiet, not wanting to disturb Barron who slept in the room across from them. She could feel Jasper's hands caress her, his fingers tweaking her tight nipples, his short nails digging into her flesh. She reciprocated his scratches, making him groan in pleasure. He suddenly sat up, pulling Sre down onto his length, burying deeply into her as he bit the side of her neck, leaving her shivering, letting out an uncontrolled moan. Spent, they curled up under his thinnest sheet, comfortable in each others arms. Sre had a light smile on her face as she felt Jasper caress her skin. This was the kind of life she'd dreamed of, simple and unexciting, somewhere she could grow old, somewhere to have a family of her own. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't see herself in this house with Jasper. All of her children had the glowing black eyes she knew from just one man. Every image that went through her dreams were of him. She tried to ban him from her thoughts, but she could see him as clearly as if he stood in front of her when she closed her eyes. When the morning came at last, Sre turned to find Jasper smiling at her. "What?" She squirmed to be nestled comfortably against his body. "You were restless last night." He gave her a kiss. "Dreams." She left it at that. After breakfast, they went outside to find that the dragons were back to roughhousing. Randel's sheer overwhelming strength kept Hero unbalanced. Not to mention his thick scales prevented any retaliation. After watching the dragons play for a bit, Sre and Jasper went into town, offering their help with the continuing repair work. The whole town worked together, getting the less damaged buildings done first as they needed the least amount of work and they could get people back under a roof faster. With so many hands, the town was already starting to look like nothing had ever happened. The Groggy Dragon was fixed quickly, all the rooms full with those who were waiting for their homes to get rebuilt. Derikel offered food to those who worked for next to nothing in cost and nothing at all to those who were homeless. The days passed with nothing exciting happening. Life very quickly returned to normal. The townspeople had accepted Hero as they had Randel. Hero had no trouble integrating into the new life. He very quickly discovered he liked this life much better after Jasper brought home the unsold baked goods. Bread very quickly became his favorite. He would do any trick Jasper asked of him just for a single slice of bread. After the week had passed, the town looked almost untouched, just one house left to be rebuilt. Jasper was teaching Sre how to help with the baking. She learned fast, finding a relaxing pleasure in the simplicity of a baker's life. She assisted in the harvesting of the wheat which was a little late after all the week's excitement. At night, she felt herself get lost in the sensation of being held, snuggled close to Jasper's body. There was little else she could ever ask for. When morning came, though, there was something amiss. Sre could feel it when she walked into town. People avoided her gaze. She looked about curiously, not sure what was going on. Jasper noticed it as well, setting down the heavy bag of flour at his stand. "You might want to go to Derikel's and find out what's going on," he whispered to her, giving her a quick kiss on her forehead. Following his suggestion, Sre hurried to the Groggy Dragon. The moment she entered, Derikel grabbed a hold of her arm. She stifled a cry of alarm as he pulled her into the kitchen. He turned, holding up the newspaper that had come in during the evening with the horse messenger that had finally returned from his run to the governement center. It took a moment for Sre's eyes to focus on the letters. As she read, her eyes widened. "Please tell me this isn't you!" Derikel's voice was hushed. "Everyone in town has read this! There's talk." Sre reached out and snatched the paper, reading the article on the side of the front page. "Wanted. For the theft of Szopuro government property in the form of a War dragon. Female human, may go by the name of 'Sre.' Reward for information leading to her capture." Her heart pounded in her chest, bile rising into her throat. She gulped drily, trying to breathe. She looked up at Derikel in a panic. "I swear, I didn't steal him. They left him behind. I raised him." Her voice cracked. Derikel patted her shoulder. "I believe you, child. And honestly, I don't think anyone in this town doesn't believe you. But it means you're in very deep trouble. See, look here. Mardarow finally signed a pact with Szopuro. That means they can come across the border and find you. I hate to say it, but you may want to go back to where you were in the woods and hide. I know I don't want to see them catching you or Hero. You two saved this town." Tears in her eyes, Sre nodded. She knew Derikel was right. If she vanished back into the woods then she could save herself and Hero from going through the heartache of being taken from each other. Slowly, she stood, handing the paper back to Derikel. "Sre!" She heard Jasper's voice out in the tavern. He called for her again, his voice sounding panicked. With a sob, Sre threw herself into his arms. He held her tightly, ignoring the people around them. "I just read the paper. I won't let them find you." He kissed the top of her head. "We can go somewhere else, somewhere they won't find us." Sre looked up at him in surprise. "You... you would leave your father? And your home?" He cradled her head in his hands, looking into her eyes. "I'd go to the ends of the earth for you." "Are you kidding?" They both jumped when they heard Larndo's voice near them. "What makes you think either of you are going anywhere? Everyone in this town is family. You and Hero saved our lives." Larndo stood up, coming over to stand beside them. He glared around at all those in the tavern. "If any of you think to turn her in just because of the stupid rule that only the government can own the flying dragons, then you need to rethink your loyalties! Jasper has been part of our town forever! And Sre, she had the bright idea for everyone to run into the woods while those dragons were distracted. I didn't see any of you folks even moving! And Hero? Well, there might not be a town without him! You think she just up and stole a dragon like that? You think either of them deserve to be sent to the mercies of the army? You want to see Jasper miserable? Or even worse, to have him missing! It'd be like a part of our family was gone!" As he spoke, people were nodding in agreement. The longer he ranted, the louder became their agreement. By the time he was done, everyone in the tavern was standing, holding their cups up to Sre and Jasper. Sre felt new tears in her eyes as the folks around her praised her, promising their silence. In just the short time she had been here, the town had become her home. And the people had come to adore her, amused by the shy relationship she and Jasper had. Just as Larndo had said, the town was a large family and no one was going to come and steal one of their family members. Larndo's words soon traveled outside so that by the time Sre and Jasper got out of the building, people were patting Sre, telling her that she was safe here, none of them would tell. When the night finally came, Sre sank into bed. Jasper knelt beside the bed, laying his head next to Sre's. She smiled at him. "I never thought I'd ever find a place like this." He reached out and gently caressed her cheek. "I never thought I'd meet someone like you. Life is a dark road lit up only after we pass the events in our lives." She grunted, shaking her head, still smiling. Jasper then pulled the paper out of his back pocket. The wanted bulletins had been torn out of each one, burned in the fire at the Groggy Dragon. He pointed to another article. "Look here. Says that Sadgos'Lak had attacked our government center. They'd barely held them off, but for some reason the attacking dragons got spooked, supposedly, that there were many of the Sadgos'Lak dragons that had scattered. Reports have been coming in from everywhere that towns are being destroyed. We were lucky. Luckier still that the messenger omitted mention of Hero." Sre turned away. She didn't want to think about all the death the war was causing. She didn't want to think about what they would do if they ever caught Hero. He was not a War dragon. Plus he was young. He had instincts but no skills. The only reason he had defeated the two older dragons was the element of surprise. At least that's what she wanted to believe. She didn't want to think of her hatchling as a creature bred for nothing but the battle. But no matter how hard she tried, her dreams were plagued with images of that little fiery ember grown into a blazing black beast, eyes that could pierce into a person as effectively as a speargun. ************************************************************************** The days carried on. The chill of autumn was in the air. All the crops had been harvested and put away. People were getting ready for the coming of winter. The furs Derikel had stockpiled were now in high demand, but he never charged anything outragous. Just before the first rain, Sre heard loud exclamations go through the crowd. She glanced up to see that Black had returned, carrying a load of furs. She smiled, running up to him. "Black! You've come back. I was worried after the dragon attack." Black cocked his head, looking down at her in curiousity. "I came to warn. Went back for the little dragon. Hero wasss a sssurprissse. Sssurprisssed you are here. No more collar?" "Apparently slavery isn't legal here," Sre explained in a hushed tone. Not that she really cared, but it was something she didn't like remembering. Black nodded. "Good to know. I do not pay attention to human lawsss. They make little sssenssse. You are well?" A grin split Sre face. "Very well." Black reached out and patted her on the head. Sre didn't know much about the interactions or emotions of Sarlykiens, but she liked to imagine he was showing her that he was very happy for her. "Then I am glad for you. Humansss live too short to be unhappy." With that, he strode off toward the inn. When Sre returned to Jasper's side, he smiled at her. "Well? What did he say?" "I think he's happy." Sre bent to take care of the small batch of pastries that were finished in the wood fired oven. She gave a little gasp when she felt Jasper bump her rear end with his hips. She turned to glare at him, but he gave her a playful grin. "Oops." He chuckled, whispering in her ear, "I like that. I'll rmember that position for later." With that, he went back to what he was doing, sweeping the area around the booth. Sre couldn't help but blush brightly, leaving her eager for the evening. When the evening finally did come, the clouds that had been building all day finally opened up and dumped their burden. The two raced home, giggling the whole way. By the time they were spent and exhausted, curled together under the covers, the rain had lessened to a steady drizzle. Outside, Hero and Randel curled up together in the barn. Sre had told Hero not to eat the cows, which he found odd. Laying his head on top of his friend, Hero found he couldn't sleep. Something was bugging him. Finally, he stood up, looking off into the distance. He snorted, seeing a horse with a rider trot down the road. They headed for the road that led out of town. something told Hero that whoever that was did not have friendly intentions. He stepped out to get closer to the person, possibly even scare the human, when Randel grunted at him. He turned, looking at his friend. The Tunk'ta motioned with his head for Hero to return. With a sigh, Hero decided it was best to leave the human alone. He didn't want to anger his mother. Curling up beside Randel again, he drapped his wing over the other dragon, sharing each other's warmth. [Chapter 9] When the morning came, it was still drizzling. The air was chilly, the rain almost freezing. Jasper looked out the window before quickly returning under the bed sheets with Sre. "I think we can skip work today," he stated, laying on his back. Sre drew herself onto his chest, kissing his skin. "I think that's just fine. I don't really feel like leaving bed anyways." Jasper grinned. "So would you like me to bring you breakfast in bed?" She giggled. "Maybe." Once they were both full, Jasper held Sre close as they read a book. She read a little faster than he did, her mind wandering between pages. She didn't know if it was just her imagination, but she could swear there was something not quite right. She could feel the mind of a creature nearby, a powerful beast in angry agony. It was hungry, lost, injured. She could sense the wingbeats long before Jasper sat up, an expression of fear on his face. He looked at Sre. "Oh gods. I think its another dragon! Quick, we gotta make sure the people know!" Jerked out of the sensations, Sre leapt out of bed, throwing on her thick clothing. They hurried out of the room. Barron was already looking out the window. He pointed outside. "Look! It's another War dragon! It's got a Sadgos'Lak flag! Where are you going?" "We gotta make sure people can get to safety. Stay here, dad!" Jasper closed the door behind them. A massive red brute, so old that his ebon horns had curled around his crest, fusing together and coming to a sharp point behind his head, had landed in the empty field. With an angry roar, it charged toward the town. A few people had braved the elements outside. Sre and Jasper could hear them screaming as they ran, trying to find cover. The dragon let out a series of shrill roars as if it was pain. Sre could see it was limping. It snapped at the people, but it didn't bother going amongst the buildings. It was much too big to fit between the houses. Instead, it turned around, honking and hissing as it limped around the town, sticking its head among the buildings, snapping at anyone who moved. As Sre got closer, she could see the dragon had no rider. She suddenly grabbed Jasper's hand, stopping him. When he turned to her, she pointed at the beast. "No rider! It's injured." Sre couldn't help but feel sorry for the brute. She had heard that it wasn't just humans that went insane if they lost their dragons. The beasts would become suicidal if their riders were lost or go totally feral and aggressive, forgetting that they were once the most prized and loved thing to a person. Before Jasper could say anything, black wings flapped above them, an angry roar challenging the huge monster. Hero landed near the red beast. Turning, the War dragon charged Hero. Haughty and naive, Hero dodged the beast. But unlike the two dragons he had fought, this one was wise with its advanced years. It was heavily scarred, showing it had lived through many battles. As soon as Hero left the ground to leap out of its way, the red brute jerked its hips, bashing its thick tail against Hero's side. With a sound of surprise, Hero was thrown into the mud. Now the dragon turned toward him, his mouth agape, ready to bite down. But the moment the air felt hot, the red reared up onto his hind legs, jutting his chest out. Hero's stream of fire struck the thick belly scales, unable to harm the brute. The fire that licked around the tougher scales were instantly put out by the water the fuzzy scales retained. Hero had never known fear until that moment. He had never known his fire to not work. He whimpered now, trying to scrabble away from the giant easily thrice his size. The red came down, his talons sinking into Hero. He let out a screech of pain, turning to scratch at the beast's face. "Leave him alone!" The red's head jerked toward Sre. She stood near them, tears in her eyes, hidden by the rain. She was soaked, shivering, but she had no concern for herself. She couldn't explain how she could possibly know, but the pain of the red was overwhelming. He was lost without his rider. He had no one to care for his wounded leg. No one to feed him, no one to offer him a reassuring pat. He was blinded by his grief, angry at the world for stealing the only thing he had ever lived for. The War dragon peeled back his lips, turning toward Sre. He could have easily swallowed her whole. But she had no fear of him. She felt only sympathy. Her words were soothing, calm, as she walked toward him. She didn't hear Jasper, didn't pay any heed to the people who were gathering in awe. "I know you hurt. You were with your rider since you hatched. You are so angry you couldn't save him or her. People all around you are afraid of you. They attack you or run away. Your rider is no longer here to care for you." Sre lifted up her arm, her hand outstretched. She stood directly under the brute now, the warmth of his mighty breaths rushing down at her. The cold rain stung her eyes but she didn't care. "You don't have to be afraid anymore. You are among friends here." If they had not seen it with their own eyes, no one in the town would have believed what happened next. With a pained groan, the massive red lowered his head, moaning when he felt Sre's hand. It was like he cried, his whimpers choked. She stroked his muzzle, looking deeply into his massive golden eye. She could see his pain there, see his soul was broken. She smiled at him, caressing his thick eye ridge. "Do not fear. Your rider waits for you on the other side," she said, her voice just above a whisper. Slowly, carefully, the red beast laid down before Sre. He laid his head beside her, gradually closing his eyes as she continued to pet him, her touch the most soothing thing in the world, her love and respect consoling him to his last shuddering breath. She bowed her head, saying a little prayer to help him find his rider in the afterlife. Hero haltingly strode toward his mother, each of his steps careful. So lost had he been in his desire to defend, his instinct to fight, that he had missed the suffering of his opponent. He had only cared to show off in his youthful arrogance. But he felt the tempering sympathy of his mother, so pure and genuine. He sat down beside her, feeling ashamed of himself for thinking himself so mighty. He lifted a wing, holding it over her to protect her from the rain. Sre looked up at him, smiling. "You did what you thought you needed to do, Hero. It's alright. You couldn't have known he was just waiting for someone to tell him it was ok to move on and meet his rider in the next life." She patted Hero's shoulder reassuringly. Now Sre heard the gentle murmurings of the townsfolk. They had drawn closer, their eyes wide in disbelief and awe. She turned looking at their faces. At first she didn't comprehend the mutter that went through the crowd. "Morthar." "Tamer." Jasper came out of the crowd, standing before her. "What are they saying, Jasper?" She didn't understand, drawing closer to him. Jasper opened his mouth, but it was like his voice had fled. When he felt her cold fingers lace with his, he almost seemed to want to pull away. Finally, in a choked whisper, he spoke, unable to look her in the eyes. "You're a Tamer. You're a Morthar." He had to gulp hard, trying to get the lump out of his throat. Sre blinked, not sure she understood. She looked around, noticing that no one wanted to look up at her. She looked back to Jasper. "I don't think...." "I should have guessed. Your crest was too different from any other. Those dragons that were attacking, they were responding to your words, that's why they were so distracted. You having Hero. All of it makes sense." Slowly, Jasper knelt down before Sre. In disbelief, she looked up, watching as people followed his lead. They all knelt before her, muttering the same thing over and over. "Morthar. Tamer." Shaking her head, Sre pulled Jasper's arm to try to get him to stand. "I'm not a Tamer! I... I'm not a Tamer...." Her memories flooded her. Everything from the dreams she had had all her life to when she had first laid eyes on Fire Flower before her breeding, even how the dragons had grown restless when she was in the barn being molested by the three soldiers. She shook her head, not wanting to believe any of it. She wanted her simple life, quiet and uneventful, children to nurture and raise. She suddenly felt light headed. Too much was happening for her to comprehend. She was freezing and soaked, unable to feel her limbs by now. She didn't even feel it when Hero reached out with his handlike paw, catching her before she could collapse. He didn't understand what was going on, but he had to fight the urge to breathe his fire, incinerate everyone standing there, especially when Jasper stood and came to hold her. He lifted her up, turning to tell everyone to go home, that things would be settled later. Now was not the time to do anything drastic. Hero walked slowly beside Jasper, his wing outstretched, offering protection from the driving rain only for his mother's sake. The human male didn't speak to him, too lost in his own mind. But they went home. With a shudder, Hero trotted back into the barn, shaking off. Randel grunted at him, looking him over. Letting out a whimper, Hero sat at the doorway to the barn, keeping watch to ensure no one else came near the house. It didn't take long for Sre to wake. Jasper was sitting beside her on the side of the bed. He had stripped her of her cold, soaked clothes, putting her in one of his long tunics and wrapping her up tightly. He had also changed into dry clothes. Sitting up, Sre looked at him, hoping that she had just been dreaming. But when he didn't meet her gaze when she touched his shoulder, she knew she had not been dreaming. "Why didn't you tell me you were a Tamer? Was it all some kind of farce, showing up here with a collar like you were a slave?" He sounded like he had just been betrayed but was trying to keep his temper. Sre squirmed over to him, laying her head against his back. Her voice was hushed. "I didn't know. My father died when I was young. He never spoke my last name. He never told anyone his own last name. He told me to hide my crest, that if someone would see it they would wish me harm. He died without ever telling me about my life or my past. I can barely remember my mother. Sometimes when I think back that far, I see a white dragon. But it never made any sense to me." Jasper let his head fall into his hands. "So you really had no clue? And no one ever noticed?" Sre shook her head, her cheek still against her back. "I would have been happy to have never known who I was." Jasper grunted as if he wanted to laugh. "I'm sure. This kind of complicates things." "Why?" Sre couldn't fathom how this knowledge would change anything. Jasper turned, taking Sre's cold hands. Smiling wanly, he placed her hands together, rubbing his over hers to warm them up. "Tamers and peasants don't exactly tend to get together. You know, us simple folk are just too simple for their liking." Sre reached up and touched Jasper's face, forcing him to look into her eyes. "I don't care what happened in the past. I don't have much of one, so why should I care? I've been happier since I've met you than almost any other time in my life. I think that's all that should matter, not whether I can talk to dragons or not." Smiling, Jasper touched her hair. "I know you've been happy. But I also know I'm not the one you want to be with. You talk a lot in your sleep," he said when she cocked her head. "You would be much happier where you can make a difference, I think. The world is in chaos because all the other Tamers have died. You could call for the nations to stop fighting. You could save millions of lives, just by saying it doesn't please you. That's where you need to be. And maybe he'll be there." Sre leaned her head into his hand. "I don't feel like ruling the world tonight." Jasper felt her forehead. "You were out in the cold too long. You're starting to run a fever. Just lay down. I'll bring you some tea and soup." He tucked her tightly under the thick blankets and furs. When he returned, he helped her up to drink the tea and feed her the soup. Once she was done, he left her to rest. She could hear Jasper and Barron talk quietly out in the kitchen. She knew they were trying to figure out what to do with this knowledge. A Tamer was living in their house and had been for the last couple of months. Their quiet voices blended with the pitter-patter of the gentle rain outside. In the silence of her sleep, Sre could hear a voice call to her. It was the purest, most silvery voice she'd ever heard. It called out in a whisper, waking her. Groggily, Sre looked around. She peered up at the window. A gorgeous blue eye stared down at her. It seemed to glow as if divine, almost translucent. Again she heard her name being called as the most profoundly blue eye moved away. In a trance, Sre walked past Jasper's sleeping form on the floor. She found her way outside. It was almost dawn, the sky grey. The rain had stopped, a light mist rising up from the ground. Before her, seeming to rise up out of the mist, a dragon of the most pristine white looked back at her. It was immense, almost bigger than the red brute who's body had been left out in the field. It glowed brightly but the light didn't hurt Sre's eyes. The dragon turned, slowly walking away. Mesmorized, Sre couldn't stop herself. She stepped down off the porch, the cold sensation of the wet grass lost on her. She followed the wonderous beast. It slowly came to sit beside the giant War dragon's body. It reached out a powerful paw, the talons sharp, deadly, angelic. It laid that paw on the brute's head, gently stroking him. The ghostly angel of a dragon peered down at Sre. "My dearest, Sre." Its mouth did not move when it spoke, but Sre could hear it as a bell, as a whisper, as the purely feminine. "There is no need to fear your destiny. You lead with the purest of hearts. This is proof of that. Look at the joy you have brought." Sre turned when the dragon nodded behind her. Rising up out of the mist was the very beast that lay dead before her. He raised his head, letting out a honk of bliss. He trotted without a sound over the damp ground, lowering his head to a tall woman, her helm tucked under her arm, her jerkin made of the same red scales as her dragon. She smiled, reaching out to stroke her best friend. Sre could feel hot tears run down her face, noticing the red beast was actually youthful, no scars, no injuries. Together, the two walked out toward the woods, their ghostly images getting lost in the mist from which they had seemed to come from. She turned back to the white dragon. Its eyes were full of love. "I gave myself for you because I knew yours was a destiny that could not be denied. All that has happened to you has happened for a reason. For all the pain you have known you can feel for others. And for that, you will be the greatest ruler this world has ever seen. Do not fear your destiny. Do not shy from the coming days. Defend. Conquer. And above all, my dearest Sre, remain pure of heart." Getting up, the dragon started off toward the woods. As she watched, Sre could swear she saw her father. He waved to her, turning to pat his dragon, walking away. They were soon lost to the fog. She suddenly became aware of her name being called. This time, she knew it was real. Jasper was running to her. He threw a heavy blanket around her shivering shoulders. "What the hell are you doing out here? C'mon, we gotta get you back inside before you really catch your death." "The dragon was talking..." she muttered, too weak to think straight. She let herself be guided back to the house. Jasper put her in front of the fire. He made another cup of tea, making her drink it. When she was finally warmed up enough, he took her back to bed. She was asleep before he could even lay her out. Tucking her in tight, he leaned forward and offered her a gentle kiss on the forehead. ********************************************************************** A few days past, Sre regaining her strength. She asked Hero to go out and burn the body of the red War dragon. She walked out with him, standing back. Even from the distance she stood, she could feel the heat of his body, the air shimmering around him before he opened his mouth, the fire coming out white. She stood and watched the red burn away. Pulling her cloak around herself despite the fact that the days had warmed up again for the last time before winter hit, she turned to stare out toward the woods, remembering the strange vision she had had. A small crowd of people had come out to watch the cremation. They murmurred amongst themselves, still uncertain about Sre's ability to speak to a feral dragon. With a sigh, she turned and looked at them. The folks quickly bowed their heads. For some reason, that angered Sre. "Why?" she cried out to them. "Why would you bow to me? I'm just a person. Just like you. I spoke to a dragon. Does that make me somehow evil so that you're afraid to look me in the eyes?" One of the townsfolk looked up at her in surprise. "No. It means you're a Tamer. They rule over us. They're above us." Sre snorted. "I'm above no one. I bleed the same. I cry the same. I just spent the last few days in bed with a fever, same as any of you. If I truly am a Tamer as you all think then...." Her words were cut off by a screeching sound in the distance. "More dragons!" someone yelled. Sure enough, a dragon appeared over the trees. People started to run back to town to get everyone out to the woods. Sre peered up at this dragon, realizing the flag was not of the enemy nation. She was about to call to people when she noticed another dragon coming in fast on the friendly dragon's tail. It reached out, grabbing the dragoness, her horns glittering ivory in the sun. Screeching, she tried to turn in the air, snapping at the smaller male. A second enemy dragon, this one older than the small young male, drew up fast from behind. He reached out his talons, falling against the female's rump. Her wings fluttered, trying to stay airborne, but she couldn't hold the weight of both males. They let her go just as she hit the ground, hovering above her as her legs buckled under her, causing her to fall forward. The smaller male came to land behind the female, but her tail thrashed violently, whipping him across the face before he had touched down. He was sent sprawling to the earth with a screech. Gaining back her paws, the irridacent dragoness turned, roaring up at the hovering male. The rider of the older male was yelling something at the rider of the dragoness, but Sre couldn't make it out. Whatever he had said made the female's rider pull out a speargun. The older male's rider pulled out his own speargun, yelling out again as the smaller male came bounding back to join the standoff. With a hiss, Hero couldn't hold back any longer. His instincts were overwhelming. Sre yelled at him, causing him to falter. He wanted to obey her but he didn't yet know restaint. He ran for the smaller male, thinking him an easier target. He galloped at full speed, snarling as he drew closer. Every hair stood on end on Sre's body. The twinge of the speargun was deafening despite its distance. She could do nothing but watch the spear fly out. She couldn't even comprehend the eerie scream of Hero's pain, his whole body shoved sideways by the force of the impact, throwing him to the ground. If it wasn't for someone suddenly grabbing her, holding her back, she would have run out there as all hell broke lose. Suddenly unarmed, the rider of the hovering male let out a cry which was drowned by his own dragon's scream. The spear embedded into his chest, causing him to flutter, grasping the thing with his paws. He couldn't stay in the air, falling to the ground. The smaller male let out a roar, turning to flee when the female pounced him, dragging him to the ground with her paws. She went to snap at the young male's neck when the rider started screaming something. Whatever it was, the rider of the dragoness made her slowly back away. While all this went on, Sre couldn't take her eyes off Hero. He had struggled to crawl away from the fighting. She could see blood leaking from his nostrils as his lung filled with blood. Finally, he turned, his handlike paw gripping the spear. He had seen the spear that had struck Randel get removed. His fingers struggled, clamping down on the spring loaded button at the end. He groaned, feeling the spikes retract out of his body. With a cry, he ripped the thing from his body, whimpering in agony. Feeling his breathing getting shallow, he arched his neck, opening his maw to let out a small stream of fire onto the wound. It licked his scales, causing the bleeding to stop. Choking with pain, Hero let his head fall to the ground. His eyes flicked around in fear, wanting to see his mother. He knew he should have obeyed her. When he saw her, he let out a whimper, seeing the tears streaming down her face. With a choked voice, he muttered quietly. "Ah-Ah... safe...." Sre fell to her knees when she saw Hero's eyes roll back into his head, his nictating membrane slipping up, his breathing stop. She let her face fall into her hands, suffocating with her sobs. She didn't see the exchange between the irridacent dragoness' rider and the small male's rider, didn't hear the female's rider yell, "You're too damn young for war! Go home, boy! I'll kill you when you and your hatchling grow up!" The young rider saluted the older man, spurring his small dragon to take to the sky, winging away with all due hast. Sre felt light headed from the lack of air, or maybe it was that her grief was so great. She didn't know, didn't care. She couldn't hold on to her consciousness, her whole reality shattered around her. She felt darkness reach out and take her away from the agony in her whole body. It was a soothing darkness, one that she wouldn't have expected with the events that had just unfolded. It was reassuring, full of gentle mutterings and a relaxing touch. She could hear Jasper's voice, low but angry, arguing with another voice that seemed so familiar, like something from a distant dream. In her dreams, which were not so distant, a serpent slithered through the gears of slowly ticking clock. A pillar of dragons spiraled over her head, the sky black and full of lightening. She heard the snake hiss, watched as the gears of the clock slowed further, choked with blood. War is coming. Your powers awaken. Know the dead. Know the living. The gears groaned to a halt. The dragons above her started to fall like little toys all around her. *************************************************************************************** Gradually, she could feel the world come back to her once it had gone quiet. Her eyes fluttered open. She found it was dark, no light in the room. When she turned her head, she could see the thin line of the red moon outside the crack of the curtains. With a start, Sre remembered the happenings of earlier. She struggled to untangle herself from her blankets, lunging out of bed. She didn't even stop to get her shoes on. Throwing open the door, she bounded down the stairs of the Groggy Dragon. She didn't acknowledge the people sitting downstairs at the bar exclaim loudly. With a mad purpose she ran out into the dark field, nearly tripping a few times. She could see by the half of the white moon Hero's black gleaming body. With a sob, she threw herself against his unmmoving body, cold and lifeless. She curled up against his massive chest plate, caressing the long arm that had attempted to reach out for her before he had slipped away. Tears blurred her eyes, leaving her blind to the world. She heard a rustle and a groan. Looking up, the gleaming ivory horns and bright blue eyes reminded her so much of the white dragon that her father had owned. The dragoness let out a calming trill, her eyes full of compassion. With another sob, Sre crawled around Hero's body, curling up against the female's chest. With infinite care, the beautiful creature wrapped her paws around Sre in a protective embrace, continuing in her purring sound. "Why? Why do I have to suffer? Why do I have to suffer to make a good ruler? I'd rather be a happy ruler. Why?" she sobbed, looking up to the majestic animal that stared down at her. "Sre?" At first she didn't realize someone was calling her name gently. She only knew someone was there because the dragon let out a soft murmur of greeting, still holding Sre tenderly against her warmth. Sre hadn't noticed she was shivering, but the dragoness certainly had. Someone knelt down beside her, a hand touching her hair, pulling it away from her face. When she looked up, familiar grey eyes stared back at her. "Sre? Do you remember me? Kelvin zud Nulzak?" His face was like something out of a dream. He looked just as he had when Sre saw him last, his moustache, dark brown hair that always seemed unkempt, his face older than his years. With a sob, she suddenly threw her arms around him. He was nearly knocked off balance, startled by her sudden attachment to his neck. He carefully patted her head, not quite sure what else to do. "There, there, child, er, m'lady. Everything's going to be alright." Choking, Sre could barely gasp out, "He's dead!" Kelvin gently took her arms, unwrapping them from his neck. "Your dragon? He's not dead. He's badly wounded, but not dead. Beaut wouldn't be here keeping him warm if he was dead." Sre looked up at him with red, puffy eyes. He had to resist the urge to just hold her. "He's got Spindle in him. It's a natural adaptation, " he explained quietly. "When they get fatally injured, they caturize the wound and then shut off their bodies. He's just in a very deep sleep, letting his body heal before the wound could actually kill him. He'll wake up in a couple of days when his lung has healed and the blood has drained out." "He's not dead?" Sre squeaked, trying to speak through a swollen, dry throat. Kelvin shook his head. "No, just sleeping. C'mon, let's get you inside before you catch a fever." He helped her up, walking with her back to the inn. "When we get inside, we can talk more. We don't want to disturb the people at this hour." Sre mumbled an agreement, her thoughts fluttering in her head. Hero wasn't dead. He was just sleeping. She told that to herself over and over as Kelvin opened the door to the inn for her, letting her in. "Sre! Here, bring her over here. I got a pan of hot water ready for her feet. Just sit her here." She could hear Derikel fussing about her, her mind slowly coming to terms with reality. She let out a sigh when she felt hot water pour over her freezing feet. A heavy blanket was draped over her shoulder. She noticed Jasper's hand brush back her hair out of her eyes. He placed her socks and boots down next to her for when her feet were warmed up. She looked up when Kelvin pulled a chair up next to her, sitting down to look at her closely. "You've changed a lot. Not the skinny little slave girl I remembered." Sre's blue eyes flicked to him. He looked away. "A lot more spirit now, too. I almost didn't recognize you. Good thing your friend here told me about all the things that had had happened since you got here. Roscrow would have killed me if I'd've let you slip through my fingers." Sre's attention suddenly perked. "Roscrow? He... He's been looking for me?" Kelvin smiled. "Like a mad man. He got a week of leave to go home. First thing he did was go to the library and look for your crest. You can't even imagine the uproar that went through the government when he came rushing into a Council of the Masters, claiming he'd found a Tamer! And not just any Tamer, Sre, you're an uld Morthar. You are as noble as they come. Your father was Bladen uld Morthar, the most fearsome warrior in battle and apparently a very gentle soul at home. He took a peasant woman as his wife, no matter what anyone said. That was your mother, Maralin. And then they just up and vanished right after his dragon died. No one had ever known what happened. They figured he'd gone mad and took you and your mother somewhere to commit suicide. "And now here you are! And from what these two have told me, you actually spoke to a dragon without a rider. That'll show the Masters that you aren't an imposter. Apparently a bunch of those popped up, claiming to be unclaimed offspring of the Morthars. None of them have been able to control a dragon." Sre listened quietly. When he paused, she looked up to him. "If you knew I was a Tamer, why did you put out a wanted article? I was so scared you'd come and take Hero from me." Chortling, Kelvin replied, "It was the only way we could think up to find you without bringing attention to the fact that you were an uld Morthar. I mean, imagine if we had put out an article that said 'We found the last uld Morthar, but she ran off into the wilds and now we can't find her. If anyone can find her, let us know. She's got a fire breathing dragon, so try not to piss her off, please.'" Quietly, Sre giggled. "I guess that makes sense." "Well, that's how I found you. Some guy named Jacob Terran showed up and said he knew where you were. Had a nasty scar on his face." Sre glanced up at Jasper. He had the hint of a smile. "I think it's best if any more talk waited until morning. The water's gone cold, and I think we're all tired." Kelvin started as if this was a novel idea. "Oh, yes, we'll definitely finish in the morning. I can help m'lady...." "Thank you, but I can help myself." She pulled her feet from the cool water, letting the droplets fall back into the pan. She gently toweled off her feet, standing up and turning for the stairs. Without another word or even a glance, she ascended to her room. She quietly closed the door, hearing the three men downstairs start talking in hushed tones. Apparently Jasper was aruging with Kelvin over something about her but at that moment she didn't care. She looked out the window, seeing Hero's still form out in the field. Beside him, Beaut was enormous, but she was tender with him, her wing draped over him, her body angled around him to keep him warm. Placing her forehead against the cold glass, Sre wanted nothing more than to close her aching, bloodshot eyes. Maybe she'd close them just for a moment. [Chapter 10] Opening her eyes was a chore. Voices out in the hall brought Sre gradually back from a restless sleep. She rolled to her feet with a hushed groan, dragging herself to the shower room. She cleaned herself up, washing her face and hands, running her fingers through her tangled hair. She had kept it fairly groomed, but with all the events of late it stuck up in every direction. She thought she looked like the walking dead. She certainly felt like it. Her whole life had suddenly shattered around her. She'd gone from slave to the last uld Morthar in under 2 years. Her dragon could breathe fire, pretend to die, and understand just about every word she could say. She'd seen the dead. What was there possibly left in the whole world to shatter her desires for a quiet life? The voices outside got louder. With a sigh, Sre headed for the door. She was going to find out why those two were arguing and put an end to it, by the gods! If she was so powerful in stature then they would obey her and just get along. She threw open the door, her angry words dying in her throat. Her head tilted back, her eyes locked with his glowing black ones. Hearts thumped so hard that neither could move for a moment, paralyzed by the power of the rush of blood. Sre moved first, her arms reaching up and wrapping around Roscrow's neck. His back was forced to curve down for a second in surprise, but it didn't take a heartbeat for his arms to wrap around her, lifting her up off her feet. "You're here!" It was all Sre could think to say. "Of course I am. I came as soon as Kelvin sent a Scouter back to Academy saying he thought he found you." Slowly, he set Sre back to her feet. He stroked her hair, looking into her eyes. "You've changed so much. I think I might be able to pass you on the street and not recognize you. You cut your hair." He brushed it out of her face, trying to get it all to lay flat. "You don't like it?" She couldn't get the grin off her face. "I like you for more than your hair. I wouldn't have flown all this way or spent the last 6 months hunting for you just over a haircut." He cradled her head in his hands as if he was afraid to let go. She clung to his wrists, definitely afraid to let go. They heard Kelvin clear his throat. "Sir. Remember what your father said." It was like a switch got tripped in him. He stood up straight, letting his hands fall to his sides. His eyes avoided hers. She looked between them, not understanding what was going on. "What was said?" With a soft sigh, Roscrow spoke quietly. "My bloodline is not allowed to mingle with the Tamers. We are to pledge our lives and defend with everything we have, but we are never allowed to be with an uld Morthar." She swore she could hear his heart breaking in his monotone explaination. Glancing between the two men, Sre pursed her lips, grabbing Roscrow's hand and wrenching him into the room behind her. If he'd've resisted at all, she never would have been able to move him, but he went willingly though surprised. With a glare at Kelvin, Sre slammed the door shut. She turned to Roscrow, crossing her arms. "You search for me for 6 months and now that you found me you actually have the nerve to get cold with me?" She saw his jaw twitch. "I don't make the rules...." "No, but apparently I do. But apparantly that wouldn't matter to you because you'd listen to daddy, let him tell you what to do." She saw his eyes narrow, his jaw clench, but he still refused to meet her gaze. "Huh, well, that tells me a lot. Last time we slept together, I could have sworn you had a pair of balls, but now I guess I was mistaken...." She felt his fingers tangle themselves into her hair, her head jerked back, her body wrenched forcibly against his. He glared down at her, his eyes blazing with something other than anger. It made her knees weak. "You think I lack balls? I think I might need to remind you." His lips slanted over hers, the force of his lust making her quiver all over. He held her close, holding her head against his chest when he was finished stealing her breath. She closed her eyes, listening to his heart thumping under his soft dragonscale jerkin, each of his deep breaths. She could hear his voice rumble in her head with her ear against him. "My father won't like it, but if you choose me, then he won't have much to say, and neither will I. Guess I'll just have to suck it up." Sre giggled, looking up at him. "Seems like my voice is law, so I can always just make it a law that you have to be with me." She could see he was fighting a big stupid grin as his face twitched, his voice cracking as he tried to keep it serious. "What would be the punishment if I said no?" With a grin that stretched from ear to ear, Sre couldn't help but laugh. "You'll get chained to my bed!" Finally he couldn't resist his amusement any longer, a big dumb grin splitting his face. "Dunno if I can deal with that. Guess I'll just have to agree to all your demands then." A mischievious look came across Sre's expression. She pulled away, crossing her arms. "Well, in that case, I want you to accompany me in the shower to scrub my back!" She started heading for the shower room. She heard his angerless growl behind her, gasping when she was plucked off her feet. He dropped her squirming body onto the bed, grabbing her wrists and holding them above her head as he covered her with his immoveable mass. She let out a soft moan when his teeth scrapped along her throat, the hot rumble in her ear causing her whole body to shiver. "I have only one request." "Oh?" she breathed. "I'll follow your orders to the death of me, but I get to make the demands in the bedroom." He grinned when an aroused shudder went through her. She tilted her face up, her lips against his pointed ear. "Yes, Sir." Her whisper was all it took. Their clothing were all but ripped off their bodies. Their hands couldn't hold still, exploring, touching, caressing, finding every little spot that caused a gasp, moan, or growl out of each other. Their mouths followed the example of their hands, biting, nipping, kissing, licking flesh as it became exposed. Sre moaned loudly when Roscrow bit her neck. He let out a primal growl of male truimph when he felt her hips jerk up against him. When he slipped into her moist heat, he couldn't help a shudder from running up his spine. Her limbs wrapped around him, pulling him deeper into her body. It felt like they were melting into each other, the heat of their bodies leaving them both slick with sweat. His movements were sharp and purposeful, letting out a light growl everytime he felt her body shiver against him, her primal moans and sobs so uncontrolable. Kissing her deeply, he felt like he couldn't get enough of her, drinking her sounds of wanton bliss like they were the sweetest wine. She dug her nails into his flesh, feeling every bit of his pounding member inside her. His large hands cupped her breasts, squeezing and caressing, rolling the nipples when they budded up under his palms like he couldn't get enough of her flesh into his hands. Panting, Sre could feel his muscles strain above her, hear the dark groan deep in his chest. A warmth spread up into her belly, causing her to shudder. He collapsed atop her, his breathing labored, all his muscles quivering. Sre held him tightly against her body, breathing in his scent, putting every sensation of his body intertwined with hers to memory. With a heavy breath, Roscrow finally withdrew from her, rolling onto his back for a moment. Sre snuggled up against his side. He turned, propping himself up on his elbow, leaning his head against his knuckles. The look in his dark eyes made her body squirm against his. He smiled, his large hand caressing down her chest and along her lean belly. "I think that now we'll need to take a shower. Hopefully the innkeeper won't mind the mess we've made." His voice was husky, deeper than usual. His eyes were heavily lidded, shining with his amusement at her constant squirming with his gentle touches. "Or we can just lay here and talk about what's happened since we saw each other last," she said, her voice hushed. "Shower first, my dear. Then I'd be happy to tell you anything and everything." He kissed her, rolling over her and onto the floor. He chuckled when she let out a whine of protest at his lips leaving hers. He rushed to the shower when she jumped to her feet, chasing after him, laughing at her. Under the warm spray of water, Sre let herself get lost in Roscrow's strong embrace, feeling his heart pound next to her ear. She didn't care that soon they would have to leave this place. Soon, she would be taken back to where her home should have been. She would learn the things she didn't know. She would call to the nations to stop fighting. But right now, she could close her eyes and imagine that the whole world was perfect, that they had their own house somewhere far away from all the cares of the planet. She felt Roscrow shift, felt him move to grab a soap rock. He gently ran it over her skin, holding her up as she relaxed into his touch. He smiled, kissing the top of her head. "So what happened to you after I left?" he asked in a quiet voice, not wanting to break the mood. "Well, there was this drakon, she showed up that night and told me she found an egg. In the morning she got real mean with Jeboc. I honestly thought she'd rip his head off. But she left. I kept the egg hidden for about two months. Then one night, Hero just... popped out of his egg." "You named him 'Hero?'" Roscrow asked in a mocking tone. "Well yeah. He saved me several times. Right after he hatched, I guess he didn't like Jeboc and just outright killed him. I don't think he even realized what he'd done. I know I was shocked." Roscrow snorted. "Too bad he beat me to it. Once I found your crest in the library, I got permission from the Masters to go get you. The whole way there I fantasized about which manner I would kill him in, whether slow and agonizing or just lop of his head on my way into the building, then sweep you off your feet and take you where you belong. Was a little bit of a buzz kill when I discovered he was already dead and you were gone. I did enjoy tormenting those two women who'd taken over the place, had them so scared they swore they'd never take slaves of their own ever." He chuckled in the memory. Sre smiled. "Well, after that, we traveled around the woods. He discovered the ocean," she giggled, remembering Hero as a hatchling. "Sometimes he'd be gone all day and when he'd fly home I could smell the seaweed on him. But we traveled around, not really sure where we were going. Some hunters found me in the woods. They tried to hurt me, but I guess Hero heard me screaming from the beach because he came running back, just exploding into fire. All the seaweed on him caught flame. He looked like some kind of flaming demon. We had to run to escape the fire he started." Roscrow nodded, listening to her intently. They were done with their shower, getting out and rubbing off with the big fluffy towels. "We saw that area from where we were skirting the border, trying to see if we could find you in the woods anywhere. There was a long stretch of forest that was black and charred. It's how we figured out you must be in Mardarow. When we got back to the Academy we told the Masters. Even though most of them doubt you are who I say you are, they decided it was a good excuse to start negotiating with Mardarow for a pact against Sadgos'Lak." Sre looked up at him as they started trying to find their clothes, scattered all over the floor. "What I don't get is why no one knew my crest, not even you?" Roscrow gave a shrug. "They keep it secret. Very few people know what the Tamer crest looks like. And only an uld Morthar crest has words on it. It's to help prevent imposters from putting on themselves and going around to towns, claiming to be who they're not to get people to do what they say. Some people even show up with fake crests that they put on themselves thinking it's what the Tamer crest should look like. I had to go through a very old book of all the known crests. Yours was in the very back, the very last one." Pulling his jerkin over his head, he reached out and touched Sre's face, causing her to glance up into his eyes. "You can't even imagine how my heart leapt when I discovered it." Smiling, Sre laid her hand over his for a moment. She sat down on the edge of the bed, leaning against him when he sat beside her, holding her close. "After that, I met this very old man. He died within the hour of meeting him. He called me a 'Lady of the Crest,' and though he was very nice, he didn't seem all there. We ended up staying in his house over winter. If it wasn't for Black, I don't think I would have made it through. "Black is a Sarlykien," Sre added when Roscrow looked at her quizzically. "He showed up one day in early winter and started to teach me how to survive. Everything from hunting and fishing to making and using weapons, how to fight, and how to make clothes. He showed me this town, introduced me to Derikel, the innkeeper, and kind of off handedly to Jasper." She blushed, suddenly thinking she might have wanted to not reveal so much. Roscrow raised a brow at her. "Is that the young man that Kelvin was arguing with when I came in? Kelvin told me he's a baker boy and yet thinks himself to be a general." Sre had to giggle. "He was just worried about me. When he wants to, he can really set his foot down. His father was a ground soldier." "Even so, Kelvin's been tempted to put him in his place. Though something tells me you wouldn't appreciate that...." Roscrow hurriedly added at the glower she gave him, her blue eyes darkening in her anger. "He's been nothing but kind to me. He saved me from the Terrans when they thought to take advantage of the fact that I still had my collar, and he helped with getting it off. He took me in, treated me like I was the greatest thing on this planet, and...." She paused, not sure if she should continue. "Let me guess. He was your lover?" Roscrow raised a brow. She blushed under his mocking stare. "I'm sure you had one," she retorted, afraid he might get jealous. Shrugging, Roscrow looked around the room. "A few." He nervously scratched his neck, glancing sidelong at Sre. She glared at him. "Guess I should warn you... I've a bit of a reputation. But that's not important right now!" He grinned, trying to change the subject. "I'm sure Kelvin can keep his temper." A sharp rap on the door made Sre jump. Roscrow stood, adjusting his armor and swordbelt as he went to the door. Kelvin stood, his face red with anger. "I swear, sir, you might want to take my weapons from me before I kill the boy. Thinks he knows better than a soldier." Roscrow guffawed, patting his friend on the shoulder. "What are you two arguing about now?" "He thinks that the Sadgos'Lak soldier we captured should be allowed to kill himself as he's been saying he would like to...." "What?" Sre suddenly leapt to her feet. Kelvin coughed nervously, mumbling, "He also was saying Sre shouldn't know about it because she's sensitive to the pain of others. His words, not mine, m'lady." Sre crossed her arms, glaring at Kelvin. "Where are you keeping this soldier?" "He's tied up in the cellar. We were going to take him back to Academy for questioning, m'lady...." Sre brushed past them. She headed down the stairs, ignoring both men as they tried to call her back. She even ignored Jasper, who leapt to his feet when he saw her coming. When she headed for the cellar, Jasper turned and glared at Kelvin who sneered back him. Roscrow glanced between them, his voice a rumble. "Don't make me wed you two so you can argue like a real married couple." Both men turned and looked up at him incredulously, almost making him smile. Throwing open the cellar door, Sre descended down into the cool darkness. She flipped on the light, her eyes focusing on the long form of a middle aged man laying on his side on the ground. He had a straight nose, a narrow jaw and high cheek bones, thin lips. He might have been handsome if his face wasn't so twisted in hatred and grief. His hazel eyes stared up at Sre with a murderous rage. He struggled up to a kneeling position as his hands were bound tightly behind his back, his ankles also bound together to prevent him from getting up. Slowly, Sre descended the rest of the stairs, her eyes unable to leave his. She didn't know how, but she could see into him through those eyes, see his turmoil, his agony, his broken soul. He'd lost his dragon and a part of his spirit was missing. There was no greater pain for a human to bear than the loss of one's soul, one's reason for existance, one's very faith in everything. In taking his dragon, he had been stripped of everything. She could see there was nothing left for him to care for, he had no other family, nothing to keep him in this world. Behind her, Roscrow and Kelvin came down the stairs. The soldier flicked his gaze from hers, glaring up at them. "I've already told you, there's nothing left for you to do to me. You took my dragon, you can't possibly torture me any more." "What was his name?" The man turned his eyes back to Sre at her gentle voice. "What?" "Your dragon. What was his name?" There was nothing but sympathy in her voice. "Why would you care, bitch?" he snarled, his face twisted in grief, thinking she mocked him. Roscrow stepped forward, his hand raised to strike the man. There was nothing more powerful than the soft touch of Sre's hand against his arm. He slowly lowered it, glancing at her in uncertainity, but her eyes had not left the soldier. With a sneer, Roscrow growled at the man. "Don't speak that way to a Tamer, scum." Sre held up her hand, stopping anymore remarks of anger. Slowly, she knelt before the soldier. "What was his name?" Her voice was patient, kind. The soldier opened and closed his mouth a few times, finally gasping out, "Singer. He... he would hum... hum like he was singing." Certainly he didn't mean to, but tears dripped down his cheeks, memories flooding him of his best friend. He felt Sre's touch, her palm laying against his forehead. She didn't know what she was doing, but she somehow knew this needed to be done. The man looked up into her eyes with surprise. "I know your pain. I've felt such loss. And it's not your fault. Singer will wait for all eternity for you. He won't ever leave this world until you join him. He will wait patiently for your time." He could feel her reach out and touch his soul, feel a warm light reach into his mind. There was a gentle glow that emanated from his pupils. He could feel the calming sensation that his dragon's humming used to cause him. Without understanding how, he could hear the sound in every fiber of his being, flowing through him like a gentle wave of love. Sre put her arms around the soldier as he leaned his head to her shoulder, his shoulders quivering with his sobs. She ran her hand over his short cropped brown hair, just letting him cry. His soul would never be whole, but at least it could be cauterized by compassion. She waited patiently for his weeping to slow. She ignored the two men that stood behind her, ignored their uncomfortable shifting. To them, this was an enemy. To Sre, he was a man who had just lost his whole world. Finally, she felt his strength return to him. She slowly got up, pulling her bone handle knife from her boot, walking around the soldier. She cut through his bonds, her eyes warning Roscrow and Kelvin to stay quiet with a quick flick. Once he was untied, the man turned on one knee, taking Sre's hand in his, placing his forehead against the back of her hand. His voice shook. "I, Markus les Rowand, pledge my life to you, m'lady, and what remains of my soul." Gently, Sre touched the top of his head. "I accept your pledge. Now rise. I think you've been down here long enough. I'm sure you could use a hot meal, a shower, and a good night's sleep." She offered a steady hand for Markus to rise. Kelvin and Roscrow parted as he marched up the stairs, ignoring them. Roscrow caught Sre's arm as she passed, looking up at Markus. "Are you sure that's wise to just let him go? He's Sadgos'Lak...." "Sides don't matter when you lose your dragon. I showed him the compassion he deserved, what you two failed to feel for him. He won't be leaving." She continued out of the cellar. Glancing at each other, the two men shrugged, following suit. Sre asked Derikel to feed Markus. The dwarf nodded, having heard what had gone on. He got busy making food. Jasper came up to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You were amazing. A true uld Morthar. I think the world will be a better place from now on." Looking into his eyes, Sre smiled. "I don't know about that. There's too much for just me to do in this world. Too many nations are fighting, too many people suffering. But knowing someone has faith in me helps me stay strong under it all." She placed her hand over his. "Everyone here has faith in you, Sre. Let that be your strength." He smiled at her. "And you have your commander back," he added in a hushed tone. Sre glanced at him before turning her eyes away, feeling ashamed. "I'm sorry...." "I knew it wasn't going to last. The very first night, I knew when you muttered his name it wasn't going to last, and I was ok with that. I'm just glad he found you. No matter what, I want you to be happy. And I'll always be your friend." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, smiling at her. He then flashed his teeth in amusement. "I never thought I'd ever be friends with a Tamer." Giggling quietly, Sre turned, tilting up her head to feather a kiss on his cheek. "When I get the world under control, I'll be sure to send for you. I think a Tamer is nothing without her own personal baker." He chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm sure Randel would love to be around more dragons. I think he'll miss his friend." "I'm sure you've got things to do. Don't worry, I won't leave without saying goodbye. If I see no one else before I leave, I'll make sure I see you." She touched his face, feeling the warmth of his hand as he placed it over hers. "I'm counting on that. I'll have something special just for you." With that, he turned, glaring at Kelvin but nodding with respect to Roscrow as he headed out the door. "Ok, just for that, I won't kill him," Kelvin mumbled, causing Roscrow to burst into laughter. Kelvin shrugged. "Boy knows how to make a graceful exit. Gotta give him credit." He spoke loud enough for only Roscrow to hear. "I don't care what happened between them while I wasn't around," he responded just as quietly. "I'm just glad she has friends and that everything has turned out the way it has. The life she's had since we last saw her has obviously made her stronger. I was kind of afraid of having to bring a terrified, starved slave girl back to Academy. Now she not only looks the part, but I think she can feel it, as well." Sre only glanced at the two friends, touching Markus on the shoulder. He had dug into his food, all but inhaling it. He glanced up at her. She could see the deep gratitude in his eyes. "Do you feel better?" He nodded. "Much. Thank you, m'lady." She smiled at him. "Please, call me Sre. "Derikel, could you give him the key for the room at the end of the hall? He needs rest. We won't be going anywhere until Hero wakes up." "Is that your dragon?" Markus asked. "Yes," she nodded. "He's part Spindle. According to them, Spindles pretend to die when they're injured. I think they're right. I can feel him getting stronger." "I'm sorry, m'lady. I didn't know...." She held up her hand. "In the heat of battle, bad things happen. I plan to end the fighting and the suffering. It's not fair to dragon or rider." Markus bowed his head humbly. "I will do whatever you ask of me to help bring about such a world." "For now, there's not much you can do without rest." She held up the key Derikel had placed on the counter. "Go up, get a shower, clean yourself up, get some sleep, and when you and Hero have regained your strengths, we'll go. And I don't care what or even if you have any 'information,' that doesn't matter to me. I'll make sure no one tries to interrogate you when we get there." "Where have you been all these years when we needed a leader like you?" His tone was not accusing, more like a relieved sigh. Smiling, Sre placed the key in his hand. "It's a very long story." With that, she turned away, going to speak to the other two soldiers, leaving Markus to go upstairs and rest. |
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