Wrath of the Dragon 2, page 6
“It would be incredibly dangerous.” Nisha nodded. “I was trapped by a king, and I could barely muster the strength to move.”
“Okay.” I shrugged. “Then who do you think is cleaning the water?”
“It could be loads of things,” Cyra said. “Maybe some sort of witch is doing it.”
“Why would they do it in secret?” I asked. “And why wouldn’t they clean up all the water in the land if they had that power?”
“So many questions,” Cyra sighed. “I know I’m a superior being, Ryan, but I don’t have all the answers.”
There was a cheer as two women got up and started to drunkenly dance, and the small rainbow-winged creatures spun around in the air. A few more customers came in, and the tavern began to fill up.
“Let’s see if anyone here knows about the demon lair,” I said.
I made my way over to the crocodile-man who leaned against the bar, and I gave him a friendly smile as his yellow eyes caught mine.
“Hi,” I said. “Enjoying the party?”
The croc-man gave a curt nod as he sipped his beer and turned his gaze back to the dancing and music.
“I’m actually looking for someone,” I said. “It’s a long story, but we need to find out where the Demon King is.”
The music suddenly stopped, and I looked over to see the two dancing women had stopped mid-twirl to look at me.
It was like one of those Wild West movies where a stranger walks into the bar and the locals all stop in their tracks. Except I was pretty sure I was the least strange person here.
“Um,” Cyra whispered. “That was really smooth, great job.”
Nisha gave the croc-man a polite smile and raised an eyebrow as the entire bar continued to stare us down.
“What do you want to know that for?” the barmaid asked, but her smile was gone. Her eyes flickered up and down my body as if she was expecting me to pull out a weapon.
“I’m a Savior,” I said confidently. “We just need to know where the demon lair is so we can help anyone that’s been hurt nearby. We’re trying to condense our search, since we’ve finished combing the outskirts.”
There were a bunch of awkward glances as people shuffled uncomfortably. The man who had been playing music lowered his lute, and the flying creatures fluttered back down onto the tables.
“You mustn’t,” one of the tiny beings squeaked. “You cannot go looking for the king. He is rumored to be the most vicious out of all the Demon Kings in Dracoria!”
There was a murmur of agreement throughout the bar, and the angels shuffled their cloaks to make sure their wings were concealed.
“Well, we have to go there,” I said.
There were more whispers amongst the crowd, and I could feel the stares of everyone in the bar as they looked me up and down. Even though they were celebrating what they thought was the work of an angel, I didn’t want to give away who it was we were trying to help. That could lead them to figuring out who Cyra and Nisha were, and I wasn’t convinced they would act well. It was possible for them to be excited when it seemed like an angel was helping them, but they could react differently to two celestial beings just strolling into their land.
Cyra and Nisha must have been on the same wavelength because they kept quiet as everyone spoke.
“Who is so important you would fight the king?” an old man growled.
“My sister,” I lied. “She was taken by the demons, and I reckon they’ve brought her back to their headquarters, wherever that is.”
That seemed to satisfy a few of the locals, and some people just shook their heads and turned back to their drinks, but the heavy silence remained. The barmaid sighed sadly, and the crocodile-man cradled his beer as he cleared his throat.
“It may be the island,” he said in a raspy voice.
The whole bar glanced over at him, and his yellow eyes stayed on his drink.
“I’ve heard about this island.” I nodded. “A sprite in the last Shore said it’s the source of the fishing troubles.”
“That’s right.” The croc-man nodded. “I used to live out that way. I saw them swarm the place and got out just in time.”
He looked sadly into his cup, and I figured there were other croc-people who did not get so lucky.
“How many demons are on it?” I asked.
“Hard to say.” The croc-man shrugged. “I reckon it could be close to a hundred. And that isn’t even counting all the ones swimming around the sea.”
“Fuck,” I sighed. “That could be it, then. Has anyone seen the king moving about on the island?”
“You can’t see inside it,” the croc-man said. “There’s a cliff wall around the perimeter that forms a bowl shape. It could be hiding the king. I don’t know for sure, though.”
“Well, thanks,” I said. “That’s a good place to start, at least.”
“I’m sorry about your sister,” the barmaid said. “But you young things shouldn’t be going out looking for that big bastard. You might have some good muscles on you, but you have no idea how dangerous he is.”
“He’ll tear you limb from limb!” one of the small beings squeaked.
“Even the small ones are deadly,” the croc-man agreed. “I barely got out alive when they took over the island.”
He lifted up his shirt and showed me three deep talon wounds across his scaly belly.
“That looks painful,” I said. “I’m sorry you went through that. Is there anyone else left on the island, other than the demons?”
“Probably nobody alive,” the barmaid said, and then she leaned over to pat the crocodile-man’s shoulder. “Sorry, Barney.”
My mind was racing with thoughts of the island, and I didn’t even fully process how normal a name the bizarre crocodile-man had.
“I tried to help my friends,” Barney said. “It all just happened so fast.”
The crocodile-man sat down on a barstool, and the barmaid filled his cup back up with beer. I recognized the pain in the scaly man’s voice. Another poor creature whose life had been torn apart by the pieces of shit that had taken over the land.
“I’m sure you did all you could to help,” I said quietly. “It’s not your fault that demons are evil bastards.”
The crocodile-man gave me a weak smile and then pulled out some playing cards from his pocket. He gestured to the barmaid, and she nodded as he began to deal.
I turned back to the angels, and the crowd slowly began to talk again as the lute player picked up his instrument.
“What do you think?” Cyra asked as she glanced over her shoulder.
“It seems like it could be the right place,” I said. “I think we should go and check it out. What about you, Nisha?”
The night angel nodded silently and fluttered her silver eyes at me.
“I agree,” she said quietly. “We should go if there is any chance it will help our sister.”
“We might be able to help everyone else, too,” I said. “If we can destroy their island, maybe the fishing will get better again. Look how happy they all are from just a few feet of clean river water.”
My overwhelming instinct to help people had kicked into full force, and I knew I had to do something for the people of the Water Lands.
Our mission was to save Brooke, but I knew I could help others in the process. We’d proven as much during our quest in the Night Lands.
It looked like we would have to go back out to the sea. I had a demon-infested island to destroy.
Chapter 5
It was getting dark outside, and the tavern customers started to filter out and head home. The music ended as the lute player packed up, and the candles started to get shorter.
“We should find somewhere to stay the night,” I said as I looked out at the dimming sky. “I don’t think sailing over that sea in the dead of night is a good idea.”
“Maybe not for you.” Nisha smiled. “I would be just fine. If only you had my powers…”
The night angel leaned against the bar and shot me a sultry look as I struggled for words. I had no idea if she was hinting at what I thought she might be hinting at. I couldn’t help glancing down at her petite frame as her cloak opened slightly, and her silver eyes met mine as she grinned.
“You want somewhere to sleep?” the barmaid asked, and her words yanked me back to reality.
“Yes, actually,” I said. “Have you got a spare room?”
“There’s two upstairs.” She nodded as she dried a glass. “They’re not anything impressive, but we used to use them for travelers visiting the lands. Don’t get any of those these days, though. Not with that bloody lava keeping us in and the whole world out.”
“That’s awesome.” I smiled. “Thanks. We would love to use them.”
She nodded and headed out from the bar to collect used glasses.
“Is there any food left?” Barney asked hopefully as he drained his glass. “I could use a warm meal if you’ve got some to spare.”
“There’s still a few servings.” The barmaid smiled. “Savior lad, would you like some, too? And you lovely ladies?”
“I would love some food,” I said eagerly.
“None for us, thanks.” Cyra smiled. “We ate earlier.”
“Are you sure?” The barmaid frowned. “You’re already so skinny, no need to skip meals!”
“We’re full,” Nisha said. “Thank you, though.”
The barmaid nodded and hurried off through a door behind the bar with her hands full of dirty glasses. Almost everyone had left the tavern as the sun set, and only Barney the croc-man and two of the small winged beings remained.
“I think they’re Puddle Pixies,” Cyra whispered as she saw me looking.
“I met a Moon Pixie,” I said. “He was a hell of a lot bigger than they are.”
“Species vary all over the place.” The fire angel shrugged. “Just like those furry things from Earth that people keep in their houses.”
“Dogs?” I grinned. “Yeah, that’s true.”
One of the pixies glanced our way and waved.
“Come join us for dinner,” it squeaked. “The more, the merrier.”
I headed over to the table where the pixies sat, and Barney shuffled over to join us. We each grabbed a seat, and one of the pixies belched loudly.
“I’m Flutter,” the tiny being said. “This is Bumble.”
The other winged creature nodded at me and took a sip from its tiny cup. It was hard to tell what gender the beings were, but by their voices, I figured Flutter was female and Bumble was male.
The barmaid came back out with a tray full of steaming bowls and placed one in front of me and Barney. She even had tiny bowls for the Puddle Pixies, with bite-sized portions in each. Then she gave us a bottle of light-colored wine with a glass for each of us.
“Some waterfall wine,” she said. “From back when we had those lovely falls.”
“Thank you.” I smiled. “Do you want to join us?”
“No thanks, honey,” she sighed. “I’ve got some cleaning up to do before I turn in for the night. I’ll leave you the key so you can lock yourselves in when this lot finally stumbles home.”
She pulled a rusty key from her apron pocket and placed it on the table before she hurried off to the back room.
I looked down at my bowl to see a pile of white fish meat next to a few small potatoes and carrots. The pixies started to wolf down their meals, and Barney groaned with happiness as he chewed. I took a bite of the fish and was amazed at how fresh it tasted. The vegetables were less exciting to eat, but I could see why this land was famous for its seafood.
Cyra poured everyone a glass of the waterfall wine, and I took a small sip. It was very light and fruity tasting, and it paired perfectly with the meal.
The angels drank their wine as the rest of us ate, and it felt good to be refueled with an actual hot meal. I had been surviving off baked goods from the Night Lands for a while, and I never thought I would be so grateful for mediocre vegetables.
“So, do you all stay near here?” I asked as I scraped my bowl for the last bits of fish.
“Now I do.” Barney nodded. “Got a little place next door. It’s not the same as home, but it’s nice to be near the tavern.”
“We’ve always lived here,” Flutter said. “This has never been a one species Shore.”
“Do you miss the sea?” Nisha asked as her silver eyes studied Barney.
“Every day,” the croc-man said. “It was nice of everyone to let me stay here, but I know a few folk are still wary of me. They think I’m going to sneak in at night and gobble up their kids or something.”
“I’m sure nobody thinks that,” Nisha said.
“They do.” Barney shrugged. “I miss the quiet of the sea. It was busy but peaceful at the same time. You could always drift off by yourself if you wanted to. I miss my family, too.”
The scaly man poked a carrot around his bowl, and the Puddle Pixies stroked his arm kindly.
“I’m sorry,” Nisha said gently. “When we get to the island, I’ll tear the innards out of any demon I get my hands on and smear their blood over the land.”
The whole table turned to look at the night angel, and I raised an eyebrow as she elegantly sipped her wine. Cyra shrugged and nodded as if she was used to that kind of talk from her friend, and I figured Nisha had a dark side to her that I hadn’t quite seen yet.
The night angel really was fascinating, and I was quickly realizing her calm energy did not make her shy and retiring. She tucked a strand of inky hair behind her ear and shot me a smile that made my stomach flip.
“So,” I said as I cleared my throat. “Tomorrow we’re going to head back down to the sea. We’re going to need to get access to a boat.”
“You’ll have to be very careful,” Bumble said. “The demons attack if you go too far out to sea. I don’t know how you’ll manage.”
“We could use Captain Wilton’s boat,” Cyra suggested. “If he’ll let us.”
“We’ll need him to sail it, too,” I said. “I didn’t even know how to sail back on Ear… uh, I don’t know how to sail a boat.”
Cyra snorted at my stumble, but nobody else seemed to have noticed it as they enjoyed their wine.
“We still have some money,” Cyra said. “We can pay him a few golds to take us out.”
“I better be off,” Barney said as he drained his glass. “It’s getting late.”
“Us, too.” Flutter nodded. “It was nice to meet you, though, and I hope you find your sister.”
“Thanks.” I smiled. “Good night.”
The creatures made their way out into the night, and I was left in the tavern with my two beautiful angel companions.
“I’m thinking I can use my dragon form,” I said. “If the island is surrounded by cliffs, then I can fight with my powers. Nobody will see me.”
“The demons will.” Cyra grinned. “Right before you breathe fire into their ugly faces.”
“Shall we head upstairs, then?” I asked. “I know you two don’t need much rest, but I certainly do after that flight over the lava fields.”
“I want to stay down here a while longer,” Nisha said as she looked out of the window. “The night is my favorite time. I love the darkness.”
“Sure,” I chuckled as I got to my feet. “If you go out, then please be careful.”
“Nobody will see me if I go out.” Nisha smiled. “Night powers, remember?”
“I’ll go up with you, Ryan,” Cyra said. “Someone should keep you company.”
She stood up and ran a finger down my chest, and then she shot me a sultry look with her golden eyes. I glanced down at her impressive cleavage below her cloak buckle, and I suddenly wanted nothing more than to pull her up the stairs. Part of me wished Nisha wanted to come with us, too, but the fire angel was more than enough to satisfy my wildest desires.
“Goodnight,” Nisha said. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Night, Nisha,” I said. “Can you lock the door behind you if you head out? I don’t want the tavern getting robbed after we’ve been trusted with it.”
“Of course,” the night angel said as she picked up the rusty key.
I took Cyra’s hand, and we hurried over to the staircase that sat in the back corner of the room. I raced up the dark wooden steps, and Cyra giggled as I pulled her up after me.
On the landing there were three doors, two bedrooms, and one small bathroom. I pulled the fire angel into the room with the slightly bigger bed and closed the door behind us.
There was a neatly made bed next to a narrow window and a chest of drawers against the opposite wall. The floors were dark hardwood, and the wallpaper was a peeling light-blue color. There was a single painting of a fishing boat on a stormy sea, and the moonlight illuminated the room.
Cyra grinned as I grabbed her waist, and she leaned into me for a passionate kiss. I could feel her amazing breasts press up against me as our lips met, and I unbuckled her cloak so I could get a better view.
“Someone’s excited,” Cyra purred as she ran a hand over the crotch of my pants.
My cock was already getting hard, and her touch made me groan.
“Of course, I am.” I grinned. “I get to fuck the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. I’m surprised I actually made it up the stairs without tearing your clothes off.”
The angel giggled, and I slowly ran my hands up her waist and grabbed handfuls of her tits over her golden dress.
“You’re wearing too much clothing,” I said. “Get this off.”
The angel locked eyes with me as she slowly lowered the straps over her shoulders and wiggled out of her dress to expose her perfect body. The moonlight shone on her curves, and her golden freckles sparkled. I took a moment to just admire her perfect tits and the beautiful pussy that was barely covered by a wisp of blonde hair. Her long legs were just begging to be opened, and I groaned as she bit her bottom lip at me.
Then I quickly pulled off my boots, and Cyra eagerly helped me undress until we both stood naked in the middle of the room.
“Mmm,” the angel said as she looked down at my erection. “Ryan, I can’t wait to feel you inside me again.”
