Dragon Emperor 18, page 25
“You didn’t!” the queen gasped and covered her mouth.
“Well, I only agreed with Denali,” I chuckled.
Isi nearly choked on her apple as she looked over at Tawa, who nodded his head and grimaced.
“Yes, my outspoken daughter informed the Goddess of the Unrevealed that she wasn’t as nice as the God of Punishment,” he muttered. “Luckily, Lord Evan agreed with her and took the focus from Denali, or I’m afraid her threat to strike someone down may have been followed through.”
“Done!” Alyona called out.
Kiona held up a piece of parchment paper with a triumphant smile, and the two magical ladies walked over to join us.
“What do you need for it?” I asked. “Bones of a chicken? Skin of a super rare fish?”
“None of that,” Alyona giggled. “We only need to channel Nokomis’ power with the blessing of a leader of the land.”
“Well, that’s easy enough,” Isi said with a smile. “How do we bless it?”
“We’ll start the spell, and when I look at you, you’ll say, ‘I bestow it,’” Alyona explained. “Can you do that?”
“Of course,” the queen replied with a regal lift of her shoulders.
“Great.” My wife smiled and turned to Nokomis. “For you, I’ll just need you to stand behind Lady Kiona with your hands on her shoulders. She will access your power through physical contact.”
“Easy enough,” Nokomis agreed as she positioned herself behind Kiona.
Then Alyona walked to stand in front of Kiona and kneeled down with the parchment between them.
“Are you ready, little one?” she asked in a soft voice.
“Ready,” Kiona said with a nod.
“Then let’s begin.” Alyona closed her eyes and took Kiona’s hands as they began to chant the spell together.
“North, south, east, and west, guardian of life and land so blessed,” they intoned. “Heart of hearts, soul of souls, protect Odrein from danger’s tolls.”
Suddenly, a blast of brilliant blue light burst from their hands and erupted in every direction around us. It blew past me like a gust of cool air, and it disappeared past the walls of the castle. Then the air stood still again, and Alyona and Kiona opened their eyes with delighted smiles.
“We did it!” Kiona gasped as she hugged Alyona. “We did the spell! The barrier is up!”
“Great job, Lady Kiona,” I said with a smile. “You’re a quick study. I think you’re a natural.”
“Thank you, Evan,” she replied and blushed a bright red. “I’m very grateful for all of you. The voice told me you could help, but I wasn’t so sure then. I’m glad I listened.”
“Who was the voice anyway?” I wondered.
“I don’t know,” Kiona said with a shrug.
Her own spirit guide, Miraya answered. She doesn’t have a Noble Sword, but many things can bring a spirit guide to someone who needs it.
“Well, I have it on good authority it was your spirit guide,” I echoed. “So, I think you’ll be in pretty good hands even after we leave.”
“Oh, that reminds me!” Alyona jumped up and grabbed Kiona’s hand. “Let me show you the mirror messaging before we leave.”
The magical duo returned to the table to go over their communication spell, and Nokomis still stood in the same place with a dazed look on her face.
“Are you okay?” I asked softly as I stepped closer to her. “You look lost.”
“I am, a little,” she admitted. “I know you said I could go wherever you go, but I’ve always come back home when I leave for an adventure. If I go now, then it’s for good. And I’ve never been anywhere without my brother.”
She looked wistfully over my shoulder at Tawa, who stood with his parents, Nike, and the rest of my lovers as they discussed the barrier and new laws.
“It doesn’t have to be for good,” I pointed out and lifted her chin to look at me. “And it’s not like you’d never talk to him again. We have many ways to communicate, and Alyona can make a portal whenever she wants. If you miss them, you can come visit.”
“It’s that easy?” Nokomis asked as she peered into my eyes.
“Yes,” I confirmed. “You can send one of my messenger dragons if you just want to check in, or you can portal home if you want that. I’ll never keep you from your family. I only want to add to it.”
“And the others will welcome me?” she wondered with an uncertain grimace.
“Can’t you feel their love already?” I chuckled. “They can’t wait to meet you. Listen to the soul bridges. They love you without having even seen you yet. I think they’d probably want to fight me if I don’t at least bring you to meet them.”
“I-I honestly can’t imagine letting you leave without me,” she whispered.
“Then don’t,” I said and pulled her in for a warm kiss.
The snow leopard Demi-Human gasped against my mouth but then seemed to melt against me as she pressed her lips to mine. I kept my hands in G-rated places since Kiona was in the room, and when we finally pulled apart, I realized every eye in the room was on us.
My lovers looked thrilled at the PDA, but the royals were in complete shock as they stared at us with open mouths and eyes so wide, I could see the whites around their irises.
“My daughter, what is going on here?” Tecumseh finally asked.
“Father, Mother, I’m in love with Lord Evan,” Nokomis declared as she slid her hand down to mine and squeezed. “I’m leaving with him, but he promised he would help me come back to visit whenever I want or if you need me.”
“B-But what about…” Isi trailed off as she looked at Alyona with bewilderment.
“We welcome her into our family with open arms,” my wife filled in as she stepped forward and took Nokomis’ other hand. “She has become a sister of the heart, and we all love her.”
“Koko, are you serious?” Tawa asked in a hushed voice.
“I know it’s hard to think about not being together all the time,” Nokomis said softly. “We’ve always been together, Tawa, but this is real love. I didn’t get that before, but I have the chance now. I can’t possibly let it go. You understand, right?”
“I understand love,” he countered with a frown. “But is that how Lord Evan feels about you and his wife?”
“And all my women,” I added. “I love them all equally, and they love me and each other. It’s a bond not many people understand, so I know you might not get it, but I promise it’s real.”
“You love… several women like this?” Tawa asked and looked over at Skye, Isabella, Rebecca, Ravi, and Alyona, who all nodded their confirmations. “And you all love him?”
“With all our hearts,” Rebecca answered without hesitation.
“I suppose if the love is real, I can understand that,” Tawa murmured with a glance at his still-shocked parents. “I would never let Imala go without me.”
“Exactly,” Nokomis said and smiled. “You love her like I love Lord Evan, and I’m going with him. I know you’ll take care of Odrein.”
“Of course,” he agreed before he stepped forward to pull her into a hug. “I hope this makes you happy. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you smile so much.”
“It’s been a long time since someone made me smile this way,” Nokomis replied in a soft voice.
“I suppose that’s it, then,” Tecumseh declared as he swept the room with his gaze.
“I’ll miss you, my daughter,” Isi said and choked back a sob.
“Oh, Mother, I’ll come visit,” Nokomis promised. “We just have to finish this mission first. It’s more important than anything else.”
“I know,” the queen whispered as they hugged. “And you’re the perfect person to help Lord Evan finish it. Go kill that Demon King bastard.”
“No mercy,” Nokomis agreed with a grin.
We all shook hands and hugged our goodbyes, but Alyona saved Kiona for last. She pulled the little Demi-Human to the side, and they were both in tears as they prepared for our departure. I knew Alyona already cared deeply for the tiny shaman, and it hurt her heart to leave Kiona behind, but it was for the best to let Kiona shine in her new role. She was already gifted in her magic, and her power would only grow as she learned more.
Not to mention, she had to stay and maintain the barrier spell to help keep Narsglow safe. And something told me the royals would be giving other mages a chance to show their abilities to use good magic as well. Odrein would be better off with good, knowledgeable mages ready to learn more about their power and how to protect their people.
Once Alyona was finished talking to Kiona, the little shaman squeezed her so tightly, Alyona looked like she might burst. Then they let go, and Alyona led us out the front door to the courtyard without another word.
She opened the portal to Hatra, and I caught a glimpse of the warm, sandy ground ahead.
“Oh, gods, yessss,” I groaned and turned to Nokomis. “Get ready to not need that big ass coat.”
“I’m ready,” she giggled as she squeezed my hand.
We all waved to the royal family and then followed Alyona through the portal into our home city. We stepped into Hatra, and I took a breath of the arid wind and warm sunlight.
Much better than Inati’s version of the North Pole.
Then I realized the city was teeming with activity. People of all kinds rushed past us with little more than a “good afternoon, my lord” before they continued about their business.
“Odd,” I murmured. “Normally, people are way more excited to see me.”
“Oh, no, are you alright, my lord?” Rebecca teased. “Should I massage your pride?”
“Maybe a little.” I stuck out my tongue and laughed. “I’m just surprised to see so much going on. We haven’t been gone that long, right?”
“Only a week,” Alyona agreed. “Something is certainly happening.”
“Well, let’s get to the Lunar Palace and find out,” I decided.
We meandered through the busy streets of Hatra to the castle, and I was both surprised and pumped to see my father standing out front talking to two dragons. He looked completely baffled as he listened to them tell a story that involved a lot of hand movements, and he tugged on his bushy red tail as he listened.
Then Ruslan seemed to notice our arrival, and he turned toward us with a wide grin. He held up a finger to pause their conversation before he rushed down the sidewalk to greet us.
“My son has returned!” he declared and squeezed me into a hug. “How was Odrein? Did you-- oh! I see you found someone.”
My father eyed Nokomis, who had shed her fur coat with the rest of us and now stood in a leather crop top and skintight leather pants with the Noble Sword hanging from her belt. The coat had hidden her spotted tail, and it now swayed freely behind her as she looked at Ruslan with an amused smile.
“Is this your father, my lord?” she asked.
“I am,” Ruslan replied proudly. “And you are?”
“Nokomis of Narsglow,” she answered with a small curtsy. “It’s a pleasure to meet you… ah, sir.”
“Ruslan,” he filled in. “And you are a Noble of the Sword? Which one, might I ask?”
“The Sword of Mercy,” Nokomis said and smiled.
“Alright, alright, stop staring, Pops,” I laughed. “Now, tell me what’s going on here.”
I jerked my head toward the dragons in front of the Lunar Palace, and Ruslan’s smile quickly faded.
“Ah, yes, we must discuss this,” he said in a solemn voice.
I motioned for everyone else to wait as I followed Ruslan over to the dragons. They had a familial resemblance with the same slender build and pale-yellow scales on their forearms. They shared the same straw-colored hair and bright blue eyes, but they both looked worn down, like they’d spent weeks walking across the desert to get here, though that seemed unlikely since they could have flown.
Something else must have been the culprit for their exhaustion.
“Is this Lord Evan?” the one on the right asked with a cautious glance at me.
“Yes, he’s the one who sent the message,” Ruslan confirmed. “Lord Evan, these brothers are Mikhail and Angelos. You might have guessed they are also dragons.”
“I gathered that,” I agreed with a grim smile. “You two look like you need a hot meal and a bed. Have you had a chance to rest since you arrived?”
“No, my lord.” Mikhail shook his head and frowned.
“Why not?” I asked with a confused look at Ruslan.
“They insisted on waiting for you,” he explained. “I wouldn’t keep them from what they need, son.”
“Of course not,” I said. “We will make sure you have what you need. Let’s have Forsythe prepare a meal. I’m starving anyway. He can make enough for these two, and we’ll sit down and discuss how they can be part of Hatra. Do you two have any skills?”
“We do, my lord, but there’s a reason we waited for you,” Angelos replied and wrung his hands in front of him.
“I’m often gone for weeks at a time,” I said and arched a curious eyebrow. “I don’t think you would want to wait weeks without a meal, brothers. You look starved.”
“We wanted to speak with you before we rested,” Mikhail insisted. “It is of the utmost importance.”
“You have my attention,” I said. “What do I need to know?”
“We have come from Afur,” Angelos answered as he wiped the sweat from his brow and left a streak of dirt across his forehead. “We received your message, though we still flew with caution. You said the Sage is dead?”
“Yes,” I confirmed with a nod. “My dragon mate beheaded him here with this very blade.”
I gestured to the Sword of Healing in my scabbard, and they both nodded approvingly.
“This is a great relief, my lord,” Mikhail said. “But the Sage was not the only enemy of our kind.”
“What do you mean?” I demanded.
“We are not from Afur,” he explained carefully. “We are from Rahma, but many years ago, a group of men took us captive. We were already hiding from the Sage, and they took advantage of our fear.”
“They preyed on our worries of fighting or flying away,” his brother added and furrowed his brow with anger. “They didn’t kill us, and we figured that was better than the Sage, who had already promised death to all of us.”
“But they were just as bad,” Mikhail continued. “They forced us to do their bidding, which usually meant destroying their enemies with our fire.”
“If we refused, we were tortured,” Angelos said as he lifted his shirt to reveal numerous scars across his belly.
The pink lines criss-crossed nearly his entire torso, and I growled at the thought of someone hurting one of my brothers. The familiar fiery rage rumbled in my chest, and I clenched my fists as I listened to them continue.
“When we received your message, we felt hope for the first time in years,” Mikhail explained with a half-smile. “We knew if we got away from our captors, we’d be safer than with them, instead of worrying about the Sage killing us.”
“So, we waited a few days to plan, and then we escaped,” Angelos sighed. “I have never appreciated the open skies more than I did this morning.”
“I know that feeling,” I said and smiled, though my heart pounded in my chest. “You are welcome to stay here as long as you like. It sounds like I have a slight detour on my mission I need to take care of.”
The blond-haired dragons looked at each other with disbelief before they turned back toward me.
“But they killed dozens of people who stood in their way,” Mikhail said and lowered his head. “And we helped them.”
“Under threat of torture and death,” I grunted. “I do not hold you responsible for these deaths. Who are these people?”
“We only ever heard one name,” Mikhail replied. “The guy who ran the place, everyone called him Kocin.”
“Then that’s whose head I’ll be removing,” I snarled. “Where can I find him?”
“That’s not everything, my lord,” Angelos said with a grimace. “There’s something else you need to know.”
“Well, what is it?” I demanded.
I wanted nothing more than to take off into the skies, find this Kocin guy, and rip his head from his shoulders. Anything else they told me would likely just add fuel to my fire.
“We weren’t the only dragons being held in Afur,” Mikhail nearly whispered.
And then my fire raged over the edge.
No one fucked with my brothers.
End of Book 18
End Notes
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Copyright © 2021 by Eric Vall
Vall, Eric, Dragon Emperor 18
