Demigod

by Sam Ryder

  “We’ll have to work on your mounting technique,” Vrill said.

  “I love it when you talk dirty,” I said, though I was breathless already just from the knowledge that I was actually on top of a freaking dragon. It was like a nerdy Dungeons and Dragons fantasy made real. And yet it was nothing compared to—

  Holy shit holy fuck holy motherfucking shit! Though the obscenities poured through my mind, nothing came out of my mouth except a gasp as we shot into the air, the dragon launching itself upward as I’d seen it do from a safe position on the ground numerous times. It was like the world’s greatest rollercoasters joined together into one insane amusement park ride for only the most daring of thrill seekers.

  The ground became tiny in an instant and I felt the pressure building quickly in my ears. I swallowed and forced myself to yawn and my ears popped, relieving some of the pressure. The dragon stopped his ascent, giving me the feeling of weightlessness for a split second before he dove for the ground, causing my stomach to fly into my chest and then throat, the air rushing around me. I pressed my knees tight into the sides of the dragon to keep from flying off and I screamed. Loudly. The dragon swooped down and then rose again, curling right and then left.

  Vrill was whooping behind me with a girlishness that belied her true maturity. “What do I hold onto?” I shouted as the dragon rose and fell twice more, almost causing my teeth to bite off the tip of my tongue.

  “Me!” Vrill shouted back, somehow managing to stand up and climb over me to sit in front, between my legs. I didn’t need further urging, wrapping my arms around her and holding tight just as the dragon shot straight up in a vertical climb. I felt gravity trying to drag me back to the ground, but I held onto Vrill and she somehow held firm to the dragon. The dragon’s path curled back further, beyond vertical.

  Oh no you didn’t, I thought. But yes, he did.

  He did a full backwards loop, turning us upside down and giving me a clear view of what Vrill was hanging onto—a spike on the back of Mrizandr’s neck. My stomach dropped again and we shot downward, finally stabilizing and heading westward in a steady line.

  “That was…” I said, searching for the word. “…awesome.”

  Vrill laughed, releasing the neck spike with one hand to reach up and grab one of my hands, squeezing. “I told you this was the only way to travel. He was just having a bit of fun.”

  Indeed. Fun. That was one thing to call it. Now that the dragon had settled into a steadier flight path, it was remarkably calm up here. It reminded me of the time I went parasailing when on a cruise in the Caribbean. It was like that, only I was riding on a twenty-ton flying dragon. “Yeah, fun,” I said.

  “Admit it, were you fearful?” Vrill asked, craning her head back to look at me upside down.

  “No, not fearful,” I said. “Scared shitless actually.”

  She crinkled her nose. “I have not heard that human expression. Shitless? As in, you were so fearful your excrement disappeared? Or it vacated your anal cavity?

  Oh boy. “Uh, I never really thought about the mechanics of where the shit went. It just means very, very scared.”

  “You humans are a queer race.”

  “True, some of us are queer, but most are straight. There are those of us like you who are bi too.”

  Now I’d really befuddled her. “Are you…straight?”

  “As an arrow,” I said.

  “But your body bends.”

  “It’s not meant to be taken literally.”

  “Then what does it mean?”

  I kissed her lips, allowing myself to linger a little and enjoy the pause in this wonderful conversation. In fact, the vast majority of my conversations with Vrill were wonderful. She was so eager to learn about humans. When we finally separated, I said, “It refers to sexuality. Men who are attracted to men and women who are attracted to women are sometimes referred to as queer, though it might not be the most appropriate term.”

  “You mean like Beatrice?”

  “Yes, but don’t call her that.” I was surprised Vrill was aware of Beat’s sexual preferences at all, but maybe I shouldn’t have been. She was an observant woman.

  “And you are only attracted to women?”

  I coughed. “Uh, yeah. Correct.”

  “So that would make me…bi? Because I’m attracted to both men and women?”

  “You’re a quick study. Yes, you would be bisexual. At least, I think. You and Darcy were…intimate?” She’d alluded to it several times but it was worth confirming.

  She stiffened. Hearing Darcy’s name always seemed to do that to her. She took a deep breath, then another. “Yes, we were everything to each other.”

  I nodded. I’d expected nothing less, else Vrill wouldn’t harbor such anger toward Eve and the Three. “Tell me about her.”

  “She was the first person who seemed to understand the insides of me as much as the outsides. I could say two words and she would understand the thousands of unspoken words behind them. She was an optimist, always believing in the Three’s cause and that we would find a way to recover their hearts. She believed in fate and thought that Eve bringing her from Earth to Tor was part of her one true path. A path she believed led her to me.”

  “She sounds like a romantic,” I said.

  “Oh, she was, very much so. She was also a cougar when it came to sex. Her fingers could always find the right spot and left me quivering and unable to walk.”

  Hearing about her lesbian sexual encounters was a major turn on, but I tried not to dwell on it. “Cougar?” I chuckled. “On Earth that means an older lady trying to attract younger men.”

  Vrill crinkled up her nose. “Old? No, she was twenty in Earth years. She said back on Earth she wasn’t legally permitted to partake of strong drinks. I found that law to be very strange considering she also said that almost everyone did anyway.”

  “In some countries she would’ve been able to partake earlier. Each country makes their own laws. But yes, in the United States she’d have to find someone of age to buy the…strong drinks…for her. Was she bisexual?” Yes, the last question was my man-brain fantasizing, which I knew was completely wrong considering poor Darcy had passed away, killed by monsters on one of the goddesses’ kamikaze Seeker missions.

  “I believe so? She spoke of a husband back on Earth but said intercourse with me was nothing like it was with him. That made me laugh and she asked me why. I told her of course it wasn’t because I didn’t have a penis. That made her laugh. We laughed a lot together.”

  “Sounds like it. Laughter is important on every planet, but even more valuable on Tor.”

  “I don’t want to talk about Tor. Tell me more about Earth.”

  “What do you want to know?”

  “Anything. Let’s play a game. You tell me something about Earth and humans, and I’ll tell you whether or not I already know about it.”

  “I’m game,” I said.

  “What? No, I want to play a game. You are not the game.”

  I reminded myself I needed to adjust my thinking again when I was around Vrill. Speak in more plain, literal terms. “Sorry, that was a human expression meaning that I am willing to play.”

  “Humans are queer folk,” she said again.

  “You already said that. Okay, so we were just talking about laughter. Humans like to laugh, a lot. We even have people called comedians whose job it is to make other humans laugh. They perform at comedy clubs and on TV.”

  “Ooh, I know about TV!” Vrill said excitedly. This was the youthful exuberant side of her I loved to see come out. “But the comb-ee-dee-uns thing is new to me,” she added, sounding out the word syllable by syllable. “Tell me more.”

  “Uh, well, we have these things called restaurants—”

  “Places to eat food and talk!” Vrill said. “Next!”

  She was really into the game. Given how close she’d been with Darcy, she might be harder to stump than I thought.

  I went for something more obscure. �
�Millions of years ago, Earth was inhabited by these giant creatures called dinosaurs.”

  “Dine-oh-sores?” she said.

  I knew I had her. “Correct. Darcy never told you that?”

  She shook her head, eyes wide with interest. “What are these creatures? What happened to them? Did humans kill them off, make them extinct?”

  I chuckled again. “Humans weren’t around back then. All we have are fossils and bones to tell us about them. People called archeologists dig dinosaur bones up and put them back together in places called museums.”

  “I’ve heard of museums. Darcy used to visit them. She said there were paintings of nude men and women. Sounded like one of our sex dens back on Lri Ayem. She also told me about nude beaches. I told her all our beaches were nude. Who would want to get their clothing wet and sandy?”

  This time she had me. Because it was a really good point. “Humans are more…modest than your kind. It is generally considered inappropriate to show one’s genitals to another in public.”

  “Don’t all human men have penises? And all women have breasts and vaginas?”

  “Well, yes, but—”

  “Then what’s the big deal? You have nude beaches, so some people must think it’s okay.”

  True. Of course, most of the nude beaches were in Europe. Americans were simply more prudish by nature. Except for the girls in Girls Gone Wild. And those working in the porn industry. I tried to explain: “On Earth we have every extreme. There are more than seven billion humans and it grows every year. People speak different languages and have different customs and traditions depending on where they are born and grow up. And people disagree about everything, from politics to food to sex. I guess humans like to argue a little too much.”

  “I knew some of that, but not all of it,” Vrill said. “The Lri Ay are not numerous. Our world is dangerous and our population has been on the decline for years. There is something wrong on our world, because our rates of pregnancy have shrunk substantially despite how frequently we engage in sexual activity. My people cannot figure out the root cause.”

  “That’s awful,” I said. “Have you ever been pregnant?”

  She shook her head, and I could tell by her expression that this truth had been hard on her. “I long to procreate. I tried with multiple males on many occasions, even when I wasn’t in need of rejuvenation. We tried so many positions I lost count.”

  It was liberating hearing a woman be so open about her sexuality. After all, it was a natural and necessary part of life. Still, it was terrible the females on her planet were having reproductive issues. If they couldn’t solve the problem, it could mean the end of her race, which would be a travesty. I vowed that once this was over I would try to help her people any way I could. Hell, maybe the Three goddesses could use their power to help her. They certainly owed her.

  “Thank you for sharing all of this with me. It means a lot.”

  “You’re welcome, Sam. You have been a bright light in my darkest of times. I have tried to remain optimistic as Darcy taught me to be, but it’s been hard the last year without her. Without anyone.”

  I held her tightly, nuzzling my face into her neck. Kissing her. She melted into my touch and for a few minutes, we found peace. Until she said, “We are close now. The first tribe we will meet with is near. I chose the ones who will be the most difficult to convince first.”

  Oh crap. Maybe we should’ve talked strategy before we set off. It would’ve been nice to get an easy win under the belt, though I could understand her desire to tackle the toughest opposition first. If we could persuade this tribe to ally themselves with us, perhaps the rest would follow suit.

  “I thought you said they would be receptive because they’re on the frontlines.”

  “Receptive, yes, but they hate the Three as much as I do.”

  Great. “What do you know about them?”

  “They call themselves the Creed. They occupy an area closer to the Morgoss’ stronghold than any other tribe. They wear it like a badge of honor. Some have been known to give into madness and hand themselves over to the Morgoss, to be used or killed as the demon overlords see fit.”

  “That’s…sickening,” I said.

  “Yes. Even more so because I know what it’s like to be used and abused by the Morgoss. Which is why I might be able to explain the truth to them. I have to try. I don’t want anyone to have to go through what I did.”

  From where I was sitting, Vrill was a goddamn saint. Not that she would understand what that meant. “You are…something special,” I said.

  Once more, she looked back at me. “That is a good thing on Earth? A compliment?”

  “Yes, it is a compliment,” I confirmed.

  “Then thank you.” There was a short pause and then she said, “There!” pointing at the ground, where we could just make out forms moving across the terrain, as small as ants. Although they looked to be moving slowly, I knew from experience in airplanes watching cars at street level that they were really moving quite fast.

  “Are they riding something?” I asked, leaning forward to get a better look past Mrizandr’s bulky form.

  “The Creed have been known to capture lesser monsters and tame them,” Vrill said.

  Huh. Just like we were thinking of doing. So it could be done, even without the use of primordial ooze. Speaking of which…I tapped the pouch resting on my hip, hanging from the strap angled across my chest. It contained various supplies, including a flask of freshly spat goddess ooze provided by Airiel as a precaution in the event Vrill or I were injured on our mission.

  “Mrizandr,” Vrill said, her voice low and soothing. “Down.”

  The dragon released a shriek and began to descend in slow swooping circles, a far cry from his rapid dives when he was “playing.” I was about to warn Vrill and the beast to not land too close to the tribe members, but it was unnecessary—Mrizandr was experienced enough to know that most creatures would not be instantly friendly to him. Instead, he eased down to the unforgiving ground several miles from where we could see the dust kicked up by their monster steeds.

  I sat still for a few moments, my head spinning as my body adjusted to being back on the ground and not moving. “What sort of monsters do the Creed capture?” I asked. I knew of few of Tor’s monsters that could survive during the daylight hours. One particularly nasty one I could think of were the demon horde known as the Maluk’ori. But they were small, freakish creatures that you wouldn’t be able to tame—they were far too clever for that—or ride.

  “They are called galuts,” Vrill said. “Darcy used to say they were similar to your Earthly horses, except twice as large and with fangs instead of normal teeth. Also, they are scaly like lizards and have spikes on portions of their body. The Creed build wooden platforms above the spikes to ride on.”

  “Inventive,” I said. The Creed sounded smart, except for the part about how they lived closer to the monster-infested mountains than any of the other tribes. “Mrizandr will wait here?”

  “Mrizandr will return here,” Vrill said. “After he hunts. Don’t worry, he will stay close. If we need him, he’ll be there.”

  “Great. Thanks, big guy.” I patted the dragon’s back and he snorted out a jet of flame, turning to look at me with one of his fathomless eyes. “Uh, was that a good response or a bad one?”

  Vrill shrugged. “Interpret it how you will,” she said, which was exceptionally unhelpful. She slid gracefully from the dragon’s back, landing, as usual, on her feet. I, somewhat more awkwardly, tried to mimic her dismount, but was forced to drop a hand to the ground to prevent myself from falling forward flat on my face.

  “Not bad,” Vrill said. “You’ll get used to it.” I’d take the compliment from her any day.

  After we each shouldered one of the bags filled with artifacts, we set off across the flat, hard plains in the direction of the dust clouds, which were beginning to settle back to the ground. Which meant the riders had stopped. Soon our targets became vis
ible, and we could tell they were turned in our direction, just staring. I raised a hand in the air, hoping they would get the message: We come in peace. If I had a white flag, I would’ve waved it, although I’m not sure whether the signal would translate here. Unless, of course, they had humans in their fold. “Hey, which races is the Creed made up of?” I asked.

  “Like most of the tribes, a mix,” Vrill said. “But I would say they are fifty percent human. There are some felines from Protos, some Oceanians. A few lions and lionesses, last I heard. No Lri Ay as far as I know.”

  “How many in total?”

  “A few dozen?” Vrill said. “The number changes. Some die during the Black or of natural causes. They gain members occasionally from other tribes or if someone escapes the Three.”

  I grinned, preparing myself for this. Even if they only had two dozen left, that would double our own force in one fell swoop. “Males or females?”

  “The Creed are known to be a tribe that thrives on battle. So mostly males. But the few that are females are the vicious type, prone to bloodlust and violence.”

  That was less good. Yes, we needed Warriors, but the Creed didn’t sound like the type of folks who would fit in well with our own group. Still, beggars couldn’t be choosers, not when our very lives depended on it.

  The staring Creed members suddenly unfroze themselves, once more kicking up dust as they charged in our direction. “Uhhh,” I said. “Should we be worried?”

  Vrill gave a who-the-fuck-knows expression and said, “They are unpredictable. But my guess is that they will not try to harm us. They saw that we arrived on dragonback, which is probably why they hung back for so long. They were likely debating how to handle us. It seems they’ve made a decision.”

  You could say that again. There was no point in us continuing to walk toward the riders, because they were closing the gap swiftly now, the dust continuing to swirl in their wake. I squinted to get a better look at their steeds, which were unnaturally white, with black veins visible through their skin. Strangely, the look reminded me of my own black veins. And Vrill had said they had fangs… “How did you say these monsters were created?” I asked.