by Eric Vall
With that in mind, I glanced over my shoulder at Ravi and the dryads.
“Step back,” I growled.
“Oooh,” Polina gasped and clapped her hands, “sexy badass time?”
I smirked. “Sexy badass time.”
The dryads giggled like mad, and Ravi cracked a smile as they retreated a dozen yards.
“What’s going on?” Chidi demanded. “Where are they going?”
“They’re just giving me some room,” I replied as I faced the cheetahs again, “and I think you should, too.”
Chidi scowled up at me and planted his feet in the dirt, but Imani merely looked curious as she walked backward across the prairie toward the palace.
Then I took a deep breath and let my transformation flow over me.
The cheetahs of House Jubatus screamed in fear and alarm as I shifted into my dragon body, and even Chidi scrambled back now that I towered several stories over him.
I growled deep in my chest and arched my long neck down until I was eye to eye with the stubborn male cheetah.
“Understand,” I snarled at him and bared my massive fangs, “I could raze Tikal to the ground in an instant. If I chose to, I could reduce House Jubatus to rubble and ruin, and your people would be nothing more than a memory. Lady Fortune is on your side, though, because I don’t want to do this. All I want is to return Tikal to its former glory and strengthen the relationship between this once great city and the crown of Rahma. Will you help me accomplish this, Chidi of House Jubatus, or will you continue to stand in my way?”
“I-I-I--” Chidi stammered as he trembled and stared up at me with wide, terrified eyes.
I snorted, and a ring of smoke encircled the cheetah’s head. He coughed and sputtered as he staggered back, and then he fell on his ass.
I was about to repeat my question when movement caught my eye, and I looked up to see Imani approaching us. The female cheetah came to stand between Chidi and me, and she looked up into my enormous scaled maw without an ounce of fear in her eyes.
“House Jubatus has never been a grand house,” Imani began. “In the past, we were the servants of House Oel. We cleaned their streets, cooked their meals, and were sent to fight at The Breach in their stead. After the revolution, we thought things would be different, but we were wrong. With the city fractured, divided, and at odds, trade quickly died. Then our traditions and culture fell to the wayside as we merely struggled to survive. My brother Chax is a good man, and he has more experience leading our House than I do, but even he could not see past his hatred of Houses Onca and Oel. However, I am not my brother. I dream of the peaceful Tikal that you speak of.”
“So, what is your answer, Lady Imani?” I rumbled.
The female cheetah stared up at me for a long moment, and then a smile spread across her face.
“House Jubatus will defer to your judgment,” she declared, “Lord Evan, Dragon Guardian of Hatra. We will do as you see fit, and I will release House Onca’s advisors, as long as you help me retrieve my brother safely from House Oel.”
I bared my fangs and grinned. “Now, that’s what I like to hear.”
Chapter 14
“House Oel’s ancestral seat is located in the largest pyramid situated on the northern desert dunes,” Lady Imani explained as she arched her neck to look up into my dragon face. “It is a stepped palace topped with gold, and there are crimson red accents painted along the sides. That is where you will find Lord Kinba.”
“Got it.” I nodded. “Big pyramid, red and gold. Shouldn’t be too hard to find.”
“Would you like me to fly ahead to scout again, Lord Evan?” Ravi asked as she stepped up beside me with an eager smile.
“Nah,” I smirked down at the phoenix, “I have something else in mind.”
“I wish you well on your journey, Lord Evan of Hatra.” Imani bowed her head at me before she looked up and met my eye. “Be wary of House Oel. They are not like House Jubatus or House Onca. They will most likely attack you rather than listen to what you have to say.”
“Don’t worry,” I assured the cheetah Demi-Human, “this isn’t my first rodeo.”
“I see … ” Imani frowned in confusion, but she didn’t question me.
“I’ll bring your brother back,” I promised, “and I trust that when I return, you’ll hold up your end of the bargain?”
“Yes,” the cheetah agreed, “once Lord Chax has been returned to House Jubatus, I will release House Onca’s advisors.”
“Good,” I snorted a plume of smoke, “then we shouldn’t have any problems. I’ll come back by the day’s end.”
By the position of the sun, I could tell it was still early morning, so that should give me plenty of time to travel to House Oel, make them see reason, and return with Lord Chax in my care.
“Then I shall look forward to your return, Lord Evan.” Imani smiled slightly, and her spotted and ringed tail flicked back and forth behind her.
“Until then, Lady Imani.” I dipped my head to the female cheetah, sneered at Chidi, who was still cowering a dozen yards away, and turned back to my party.
“What is your plan, Lord Evan?” Trina asked as she and her sisters crowded around my scaled foreleg eagerly. “Are we going back for Milady and Laika?”
“No,” I shook my head, “I don’t want to waste any time. The quicker we get House Oel to release Lord Chax, the quicker Imani will let go of Jai’s advisors, and then the jaguar will hopefully see reason and return Lord Kinba’s daughter. Then we can figure out how we’re going to unite this city once again.”
“So many namessss,” Polina moaned dramatically and collapsed against my leg, “it’s so boring trying to keep track of everything.”
“But it definitely wasn’t boring seeing you make that cheetah man cry,” Marina snickered.
“Oh, no, I loved that,” Trina breathed with wide eyes. “It made me so wet to see him cower before you, Lord Evan.”
“I kind of agree,” Ravi muttered as she kicked at the dirt, but her pale cheeks were flushed a sweet pink.
“Well,” I chuckled, “then you’re going to love what I have planned next. Hop on, ladies.”
“Wait,” Polina gasped and gaped up at me, “you want us to ride you? Right now?”
“I won’t say no,” Trina added with a worried frown, “but I don’t think you will fit, Lord Evan.”
“Inside of us, she means,” Marina supplied helpfully.
“I don’t think he’s talking about that kind of riding,” Ravi laughed, but she flushed darker with embarrassment.
“At least not for right now,” I snickered and winked at the dryads. “But Ravi’s right, I meant for the four of you to climb onto my back.”
“Ohhhhhhh, that makes more sense.” Trina nodded.
“Are we flying somewhere, Lord Evan?” Marina asked.
“We are,” I replied.
“But what about the super sneaky stealth mission?” Polina questioned.
“I don’t think it’s necessary anymore,” I told them. “With Alyona, Laika, and Nike watching House Onca, and with House Jubatus terrified and agreeing to work with me, their prisoners should be safe. That just leaves House Oel, and if I’m being honest, I’m kind of tired of the whole diplomacy thing. I can be diplomatic once Tikal swears fealty to the crown again. Until then … well, I am a dragon after all, and dragons thrive on fear.”
“Yayyyy!” Polina cheered as she danced around in a circle. “More sexy badass time.”
“Ooh, do you think Lord Evan will make more kitty people cry?” Trina gasped.
“I hope so!” Marina sighed and listed against my leg.
“Well, let’s go find out,” I snickered and lowered myself to the ground so the women could climb onto my back.
Ravi clambered up first since she’d ridden me before, and then the phoenix showed the dryad sisters how to use my spikes and scales like a rock-climbing wall.
“Wow, you are very big from up here!” Polina shouted while everyone sett
led along my spine. “I feel like I can see all of Tikal.”
“You haven’t seen anything yet,” I snorted. “Now, hold on tight!”
I felt the women grab onto my spikes, and when everyone was situated, I crouched low to the ground and spread out my wings.
The cheetah Demi-Humans of House Jubatus gasped and muttered again as my ebony wings spread out across the field, and I smirked as I launched into the air. I flapped rapidly to gain altitude, and my wings buffeted the prairie below with enough wind that the grasses were swaying like I was a tornado. Then I finally wheeled above House Jubatus and turned to face the northwest.
The early morning sun felt nice and warm on my scales as I ascended into the sky, and I could hear the dryads squealing with awe and delight behind me. Since it was the sisters’ first ride, I decided to show off a little, and I glided and rolled across the sky in intricate maneuvers.
“This is amazing, Lord Evan!” one of the dryads screamed over the howl of the wind.
I was about to roar something back in reply when a glint of gold caught my eye from below. I swooped a little lower and focused on the area I’d seen the flash of gold in, and I realized we’d already traversed all of Tikal. The desert dunes of the northwest spread out below us, and the ancestral seat of House Oel was like a beacon of gold and crimson against the sands.
The structure was an incredibly tall stepped pyramid like Imani had said, and I could see the vast differences between the Houses and their ancestral seats. While House Onca’s and Jubatus’ palaces had been grand, House Oel’s pyramid was more akin to the Lunar Palace with how ornate it was.
It was very apparent House Oel used to be the wealthiest in all of Tikal, and a growl rumbled in my chest when I recalled Jai’s and Imani’s stories of oppression.
House Oel might have ruled unchecked in the past, but their reign of terror had come to an end.
Now, it was time for the era of the Dragon.
“Hold on!” I roared to the women on my back, and then I tucked my wings and dove toward the pyramid.
The wind screeched in my ears as we descended, and the ground rushed up to meet us. We were falling pretty fast, so the rest of Oel’s section of the city was little more than a blur, but I thought I caught a flash of something a moment before a voice screamed in my head.
Evan, watch out! Miraya the spirit-sword warned.
I barrel rolled to the left immediately, and a bolt of flames flared past me an instant later.
So, House Oel had fire magic. Which meant they had mages.
Well, this could be a little more difficult than I’d first thought, but it was nothing I couldn’t handle.
“Brace yourselves!” I roared up again to my passengers, and then I rocketed toward the ground at breakneck speeds.
More bolts of magic streaked through the sky, but interestingly enough they were only fire-based attacks. House Oel’s aim also wasn’t quite up to par, and I was easily able to avoid every single column of flames.
Finally, when I was close enough to the ground, I snapped open my wings and slammed into the dirt with the force of a meteor.
“Enough!” I bellowed, and the ground trembled at the sound of my voice. “I come on behalf of King Rodion.”
There was a beat of silence as the sand settled around me, and my eyes darted across the dunes. I’d landed directly in front of House Oel’s temple, and what looked like a dozen warriors were fanned out in front of the steps. Some held spears and other melee weapons, while others merely held their hands out toward me, so I knew these were the mages.
Finally, one man stepped forward. He was a lion Demi-Human like the rest, dressed in a gold and ivory robe, and a gold circlet sat on his brow. His skin was the color of roasted chestnuts, and his eyes were a burnished orangish-brown. He held no weapons, but he also didn’t look like a mage, so I predicted that this was Lord Kinba, leader of House Oel.
“Lord Kinba, I presume,” I growled at the lion. “Lay down your weapons and tell your mages to back off.”
“And who are you to order me or my people around, dragon?” Kinba sneered.
“I am Lord Evan of Hatra el Shamash,” I snarled, “and as I said, I come on behalf of King Rodion.”
“Rodion is no king of ours,” the lion Demi-Human spat. “So, you, dragon, are invading our territory. And the punishment for this … is death.”
With that, Kinba sharply flicked his tail, and his men lifted their weapons and arms again.
“You’re making a mistake,” I laughed as I braced myself along the ground.
Kinba merely bared his teeth and flicked his tail again, and then a barrage of magical attacks and arrows shot straight toward us.
Well, if it was a fight this stubborn bastard wanted, then I’d fucking give him a fight.
I immediately summoned up my power over stone, and then the ground before us split open with a thunderous crack. A wall of rock shot into the air in the next instant, and it rose just in time to intercept the torrent of flames and projectiles. The wall shuddered in front of us, but it still held, and I used this opportunity to plan my next move.
“Can we help you, Lord Evan?” one of the dryads shouted.
I was about to decline, but then an idea formed in my head.
“Yes, actually!” I roared back. “Ravi, since you’re impervious to fire, I want you to draw the mages’ attention, but watch out for any arrows. Dryads, see if you can find any roots under the sand to tie down these bastards!”
“Yes, Lord Evan!” the four women cried out simultaneously, and a moment later, an orange phoenix shot past me and soared over my stone wall.
The moment Ravi was clear, I sent out a wave of my power, and the wall tipped forward and crashed into the ground with a resounding thud. The warriors of House Oel scattered as dust and sand rose into the air, but then I opened my maw and unleashed a wad of webbing.
The white netting shot through the air and descended upon the lion Demi-Humans, and they cried out in alarm as they were trapped against the sands. Some of the fire mages reacted quickly, though, and they began to burn the webs away with flames.
While the warriors were preoccupied with my webs, I summoned my stone power again and opened a pit beneath them. Sand collapsed into the trench with the sound of rushing water, and lions screamed as they were buried up to their necks.
Half of Lord Kinba’s men were now either trapped under my webs or in the sands, so my eyes scanned the battlefield for the lead lion.
Ravi was swooping by overhead and strafing the remaining warriors with blue flames, and the dryads had managed to extract dry roots from beneath the desert sands to wrap around a batch of fighters, but I still couldn’t find the circlet wearing bastard.
“Kinba!” I roared. “Call off your men and face me, and this can all end! I only want to talk.”
“I will never submit to a tyrant!” the lion Demi-Human shouted out from somewhere in the chaos.
I tracked the voice toward the pyramid steps, and I finally spotted Kinba. I thought the fucker would be cowering behind his men, but I was surprised to find him armed with a large, black bow and arrow.
And he was tracking Ravi’s phoenix form as she swooped and dove through the sky.
What the fuck was with these guys going after my phoenix?
Rage spiraled through me, and before I could even think of what to do, words flashed across my vision.
Predation: Activated
Skill: Ground, earthquake.
Oh, fuck yeah. House Oel was in for it now.
I threw back my head and bellowed my rage at the skies, and then I lifted my right foreleg and slammed it into the ground.
Instantly, the earth shuddered like it was going to come apart at the seams. Lion Demi-Humans cried out in alarm as they lost their balance and were pitched into the sands, but I only had eyes for one lion in particular.
My shockwave had crashed into Lord Kinba just as he’d loosed his arrow, but my attack had thrown off his aim, and the
projectile went wide and flew nowhere close to Ravi. The lion Demi-Human staggered as the ground continued to quake beneath him, and his bow fell out of his hands as he pinwheeled his arms to stay on his feet.
That’s when I pounced.
I launched myself across the battlefield in one fell swoop, and some arrows and fireballs pinged harmlessly across my underbelly.
Lord Kinba looked up in alarm as I rocketed toward him, but there was nothing he could do to escape my enormous, and enraged, form.
I slammed down on the pyramid steps with Kinba between my clawed forelegs, and then I sent out another earthquake shockwave as I bared down on the lion. The pyramid in front of me jolted, groaned, and shuddered, and I knew if I kept this up, the entire structure would collapse.
I had half a mind to let it, too, but I was getting tired of this bullshit, so I opened my maw and let out another ear-shattering roar straight into Lord Kinba’s face.
“I said enough!” I thundered.
The entire battle came to a screeching halt, and the only sounds were the residual crackle of flames and shaking of the earth.
Lord Kinba stared up at me with bulging eyes, and his ears were plastered to his head. I could tell he was trying to glare at me, but as his pyramid continued to rattle with the aftershocks of my power, he couldn’t quite manage it.
“Call your men off,” I snarled in his face. “If you don’t, I’ll sink you and House Oel into the sands to be forgotten by history.”
Kinba’s lip curled like he was trying to sneer at me.
“Think I’m joking?” I growled. “Fine, you can be barbequed first.”
I opened my maw and let flames gather at the back of my throat.
“Alright!” Kinba cried out in a strained voice, and he turned his head away in terror. “Men, stand down!”
I glanced over my shoulder and watched the lion Demi-Humans throw down their weapons. Some did so reluctantly, like they honestly thought they could take me on with a fucking spear, while others cast away their arms like all they wanted was to collapse to their knees and prostrate themselves before me.
As they should.
I turned back to Kinba and snorted a plume of smoke into his face. “Good. I’m glad to see you have some intelligence and reason in that stubborn fucking head of yours.”
