From Human to Dragon to God

by Eric Vall

  We traipsed up the mountain for about twenty minutes until I saw a patch of flat ground that jutted out from the side of the mountain and faced my spiritual sea.

  “This is it,” I murmured as I walked out onto the crest and sat down.

  Miraya followed and sat at my side while I focused on the water below me and the grass underneath me. I put my hands down and ran my fingers through the blades, and it seemed like I could feel every single one. Then I pushed my fingers into the soil and felt the individual grains as they ran down my hands and back to the ground.

  The water in my spiritual sea rose up onto the beach, and I watched as the tide grew closer to the edge of the grass. I dug my fingers deeper into the soil and called to the water, and the sea climbed further up the sand until the waves lapped at the mossy green grass.

  I sensed them touch briefly, and I pulled at the water as though I held it with reins. The water suddenly pushed with a fury across the sand and soaked the bottom of the mountain, and I sighed as I felt the connection. My spiritual sea had grasped onto the terra magic. I couldn’t explain how, but I knew I’d brought the magic to my spiritual sea, and I was ready to use it.

  “I did it,” I breathed.

  “Yes, I can feel the magic growing,” Miraya agreed as a small breeze lifted her white hair from her shoulders.

  “I’ll put it to the test tomorrow.” I grinned, stood, and reached out a hand to pull the spirit up with me.

  We returned down the mountain to the beach, and I took one long look at my spiritual sea. It was comforting to see the moonlight reflecting off the water’s calm surface.

  “I’ll see you again soon,” I promised Miraya.

  “I know.” The spirit winked.

  I smiled back at her and returned to my physical form.

  The moon was full and bright when I opened my eyes back at the farms, and I stood up and brushed off my trousers. I exhaled deeply and felt a sense of relief that I’d been able to figure out the terra magic on my own.

  I was starting to get the hang of all this magic in Inati.

  I began the walk back to the castle, and when I arrived, I pushed open the doors and made my way to the infirmary to check on Alyona before I went to bed. I peeked in the room, heard a light snore, and smiled. At least she wasn’t in another coma. She was getting stronger.

  I turned and headed to my chambers, and as soon as I saw the bed, my body reacted with a yawn. Then I slipped off my boots and crawled into bed.

  It seemed like only minutes had passed when I heard the morning bell. No warning bells this time, though, so I couldn’t complain too much.

  I pulled my boots on and walked to the infirmary again, and when I entered the sunlit room, Finn was laughing heartily at something Alyona had said.

  “Oh, good morning, my love!” she called out when she saw me.

  “Feeling better?” I asked as I raised my eyebrows at her chipper attitude.

  “So much!” The princess grinned and slid off the side of the bed.

  “Lady Alyona seems to have made a full recovery,” Finn informed me.

  “Thank you for your help,” I said to the physician. “It seems we need to start keeping some of your teas on hand. She’s never recovered so well before.”

  “Oh!” Finn blushed. “Anything I can do for the future king and queen of Rahma.”

  I chuckled and reached my hand out to Alyona. She slipped her fingers in between mine, and we left the medical wing to meet up with the rest of our group.

  When we entered the dining hall, Alyona was greeted with cheers and hugs. Ravi, Aaliyah, and the dryads had already begun eating breakfast, but they stopped to check on the princess, and I smiled at the way my women doted on each other.

  “Where are Nike and Laika?” I asked as I realized the two were missing.

  “Oh, they went with River early this morning,” Trina replied.

  “Something about a map and finding the bastards,” Marina supplied.

  “I don’t envy those poor fools,” Polina giggled. “Lady Laika is not kind when she is angry.”

  Ah, they went to prepare for our other mission. That was probably for the best. We didn’t need a ton of people to find the fairies, and too many people might scare them anyway.

  I gestured to Alyona to get some food, and I filled a plate as well. I hoped it wouldn’t take long to find the Solas, but things didn’t always seem to go as planned.

  When everyone had gotten their fill, we set out for the forest. We walked out the gates of Lumin and headed for the trees ahead, and it wasn’t long before we were under the canopy of the forest.

  “Did you figure out your terra magic, Lord Evan?” Polina asked as she peered up at me with emerald eyes.

  “Yeah,” I confirmed. “I haven’t used it yet, but I can figure it out.”

  “The most important thing for magic related to nature is being connected,” Trina advised.

  “Yes, connection to the Green Mother is essential,” Marina agreed with a serious nod.

  “Very essential,” Polina agreed.

  “Okay, well, let’s find those fairies,” I chuckled.

  I watched as the sisters held their hands out with their fingers spread, just like they’d taught me with the water magic. I copied the movement, and it was like my hands received all the information from the land around me. Somehow, I knew there was a pack of moles about a half mile ahead of us, and the tree to my right needed water.

  “Whoa,” I mumbled as I took in all the information with wide eyes.

  I mentally sorted through the waves of knowledge, so I would know what was relevant to our search right now.

  Suddenly, I felt it.

  “There!” Marina cried out.

  “It’s not far,” Polina gasped.

  I guessed the dryads had felt it, too. The feeling was like a halo of light that emitted a glow unlike anything I’d ever known. It came from a spot about a quarter of a mile from where we stood, and I pointed in the direction of the glow.

  “This way,” I directed.

  The group followed my lead as we combed through the shrubs and flowers to get to the spot, but when we reached it, I looked around in confusion.

  “I know it’s here somewhere,” I said with a furrowed brow.

  “They’re disguising their village with magic, remember?” Trina giggled before she spun in a circle and seemed to address the air. “We mean you no harm, fairies. We only want to talk.”

  All of the sudden, it looked like someone had lifted a curtain, and the glow became visible and blinding. A moment later, I was stunned as the light faded and revealed a small city built into the trees and plants. It stretched as far as I could see into the woods, and three fairies stepped into our view.

  One stood with her hands on her hips and glared at us.

  “How did you find us?” she demanded in a high-pitched voice.

  The Solas were larger than I expected, and each one stood about three feet tall. Though the most surprising trait about them was their wings. The Solas’ wings draped the ground and reached nearly five feet high. They looked delicate, like they were made of lace, and the intricate designs appeared to be unique to each fairy. The fairies wore long white dresses that pooled at their feet, and tiny crowns of flowers wrapped around their heads.

  “Magic.” I shrugged. “Can we come in?”

  “Not you, dragon,” the Sola replied with a shudder. “We’ll talk to the Divine Maiden and the phoenix in our village. We can accept their purity.”

  I frowned as I turned to Alyona and Ravi.

  “We’ll be fine,” Alyona soothed me as she and Ravi stepped forward to enter the city. “Solas are harmless creatures.”

  The dryads nodded in agreement, and I relented.

  “We’ll be right here,” I said firmly.

  “And we’ll be back before you know it.” Alyona planted a kiss on my cheek and followed the Solas into a door cut into one of the enormous trees.

  Then the magic curt
ain dropped again, and I couldn’t see anything.

  It seemed like ages when the glow returned and the two finally stepped back out of the tree’s door with two of the Solas in tow, but I didn’t see the one who refused to let me into the village.

  “Lord Evan, I’d like you to meet Blue and Penelope,” Alyona introduced the two fairies who followed her. “Blue is in charge of the guardians, and Penelope is the leader of the Solas.”

  “It is an honor, Lord Evan,” Blue spoke in a low voice as she grasped my forearm. The fairy’s cobalt hair was wrapped around her head in a tight coil, and her grip on my arm was firm. She smiled to reveal perfect, white teeth before she took a step back behind her leader.

  “I apologize for the awkward reception,” Penelope said, and her voice radiated through the trees. “We don’t get many guests, and we’re very particular about who is allowed to enter the village.”

  “I see that,” I chuckled. “So, did Alyona and Ravi explain why we’re here?”

  The Solas’ leader ran her hands through her white hair and stared at me with bright, blue eyes. She stood straight and had a commanding presence, despite her tiny stature.

  “Yes,” Penelope answered. “Though I am confused as to why the queen sent you. It was her last messenger who told us our services were no longer needed.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked with a frown.

  “The centaur who came to see us a few months ago said the queen wanted to relieve us of our duties as guards of Lumin,” the Sola explained. “He said we were no longer necessary.”

  “Cesar,” I growled.

  “Yes! That was his name.” Blue nodded her head. “I couldn’t remember his name, but I knew I’d seen him with the queen before. That’s why we believed she’d sent him.”

  “It seems we were fooled,” Penelope muttered, and a tiny scowl crossed her face. “I don’t like being made to look like a fool.”

  “No one thinks you’re a fool,” I consoled her. “Cesar betrayed everyone by giving Mona’s oldest son Archer to the Green Glass Sect so they could try to sacrifice him to the Breach.”

  “He did?” Blue gasped. “How could he betray his queen like that?”

  “We think he was already a member of the Sect when he was allowed into Lumin,” I told them. “We’ll find out more when we talk to him later.”

  “Good,” Penelope said with a nod. “Now, the queen would like us to return to our posts?”

  “Yes,” I confirmed. “She said you were not only guards for the city, but you were also her connection to the outside world, and she’s been feeling pretty vulnerable.”

  “I can certainly understand that,” Penelope sighed and looked down. “I didn’t like leaving our duty, and we will be happy to return to it. Blue, I need you to go ahead and reassign the posts.”

  “Of course, ma’am,” Blue responded with a salute and turned back to go into the city.

  Well, that was the easiest mission we’d had so far.

  “That’s fantastic!” Trina squealed.

  “The queen will be so thrilled!” Marina added.

  “Everyone will be happy!” Polina cheered.

  “I’d like to be part of the questioning of your prisoner as well,” Penelope said as a flash of anger passed through her blue eyes. “I may be of some, ah, assistance.”

  I opened my mouth to ask for more details, but then I decided against it. The leader of the Solas was pissed about Cesar, so whatever she wanted to do with him, I’d be fine with it.

  “So, when can we tell the queen to expect to see your people?” I changed the subject.

  “We will return to our posts by the morning,” Penelope replied. “Some will be covered tonight, but we don’t have all of the fairies available right this second.”

  “Understandable,” I conceded with a chuckle. “I’m sure you all have things to do.”

  “The princess was right, Lord Evan.” Penelope stared at me with a surprised expression. “You are not the same kind of angry dragon we’ve dealt with before. When the centaurs first needed our help, they were under attack on a regular basis. My grandfather is the one who created the spell to disguise our city, so we wouldn’t get attacked, too.”

  “I’m sorry you had to hide,” I muttered. “Apparently, my predecessors were assholes.”

  “Oh!” Penelope seemed shocked again, and then she burst into laughter. “They most certainly were assholes, but you are not.”

  “Nope,” I laughed. “At least, I’m not to the good guys.”

  “Fair enough,” the Sola giggled. “I’m glad to have met you, Lord Evan.”

  “Likewise,” I said to the fairy.

  “I’m sure we’ll meet again very soon,” she said as she hinted at Cesar’s interrogation.

  “It should be quite the event,” I agreed with a dark grin. “We’ll go let the queen know your people will be returning soon. Please, let me know if we can do anything for you.”

  “I will do that,” Penelope replied and bowed to me.

  We waved to the Sola and turned back toward Lumin. I contemplated if I should tell Mona what Penelope said about Cesar, but I decided against it. She didn’t need more on her plate right now, and it wasn’t like his punishment would change.

  “You seemed to get along well with their leader,” Aaliyah said as she jogged up next to me and matched my step.

  “I think so,” I said with a shrug. “You’ve been quiet.”

  “Oh, I’m just missing you,” the lioness replied with a coy smile. “I wish you could have put me to bed.”

  I remembered the lion-girl and three dryads had gone to the bath house together before bed, and I wished I could have joined them. Alas, a dragon lord’s work is never done.

  Then Alyona walked faster to catch up with us and linked her fingers through mine, and she got added to my mental movie.

  “I think we should take the rest of the day off,” I suggested to two of my lovers and wrapped an arm around Aaliyah’s shoulders.

  “That’s a great idea, my love,” Alyona murmured against my shirt.

  “We can surely entertain ourselves for a while, right?” Aaliyah purred as she toyed with the strings on my trousers.

  “We fucking better,” I growled as I pictured both of the women on top of me, and I sped up the pace back to Lumin.

  The three of us would be entertained all damn day.

  Chapter 12

  The next morning, I awoke before the bells rang through the city, and I blinked a few times to see the princess and the lioness curled into each of my sides.

  Alyona’s porcelain skin glistened in the pinkish glow of the rising sun, and the beams of light reflected off her stark white hair. The blanket was pulled tightly up to her chin, but I could feel all of her naked body pressed against my skin underneath the covers. Her leg was thrown over mine, and I ran my hand up her bare thigh as I turned to my other side where Aaliyah purred softly in her sleep.

  The lion Demi-Human’s bronze body was barely covered with the blanket, and I took advantage to drag my gaze over her muscular form. Her full breasts were covered in goosebumps, and her pert nipples stuck out as she rubbed her torso against my ribs in her sleep. Even unconscious, my lovers’ bodies reacted to mine, and my body reacted to theirs as my arousal began to make its morning appearance.

  I ran my hand over the lioness’ dimpled skin to start another round with my women, but then a knock sounded at the door, and I groaned at the interruption.

  Aaliyah’s orange eyes sprang open at the noise, and Alyona blinked and stretched her arms out.

  “What’s going on?” the princess mumbled.

  “Someone’s at the door?” Aaliyah sounded confused as she searched the room in her half-asleep state.

  “Who is it?” I called out with a sigh.

  “It’s Nike,” the noble’s voice rang through the door. “The queen wants to see us.”

  “Of course,” I whispered to myself before I answered Nike. “Give us five.”
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br />   “Five what?” the other man questioned, and I could almost see Nike’s puzzled face through the door.

  “Ah, minutes,” I chuckled.

  “Right,” Nike replied as he stepped away from the door.

  “Looks like it’s time for another eventful day,” Alyona giggled as she looked up at me with her violet eyes.

  “I wanted a different kind of event,” I growled, and I pressed my lips to hers as I curled my arm around her body to pull her in closer.

  “You are insatiable,” Aaliyah laughed as she dragged a clawed finger down my bare chest. “I only wish there were more hours in the day, so we could keep feeding your appetite.”

  “Oh, me, too,” I agreed with a vigorous nod. My arousal stood at attention and lifted the blanket as I imagined ignoring my duties, staying in bed with my beautiful lovers all day, and repeating the activities of last night …

  “Come on,” Alyona encouraged as she slid her feet off the bed. Her naked form stood before me until she slipped her violet robes on, tied the white belt around her waist, and slid her feet into her white shoes.

  “Fine, fine,” Aaliyah grumbled as she rolled over to get up as well.

  I watched the lioness unfold and stretch her long body to wake up. Then she grabbed her crimson robe from the floor and slipped it on. She preferred to go barefoot, but she braided her long, blonde hair back away from her face.

  I growled at the sight of clothes on my previously naked women, but I dressed quickly and yanked open the bedroom door.

  Nike stood a few feet away and leaned against the opposite stone wall with his arms crossed casually over his chest. He looked like one of those old cowboy drawings, and I chuckled to myself as I pictured him with a cowboy hat and a piece of wheat grass hanging from his mouth.

  If I couldn’t make love to my women, I’d at least make jokes to myself.

  “Sorry for the intrusion.” Nike winced and brushed some wayward strands of black hair away from his eyes. “The queen sent River to bang on my door about fifteen minutes ago, but I told him I’d rather wake you myself.”