Gabriel remembered when he had fought a dozen dragons at once. It might have been thirteen or fourteen, but he didn’t like to brag too much. Every one of them was an easy fight. Sure his armor had gotten bruised, his body dirty and he couldn’t speak or breathe fire for a week but all in all it was a fixed fight. He had demolished all of them before they returned fire.
Finally, Gabriel remembered when he was a human. He fought in a war with over a million men. The sound of clashing swords could be heard halfway across the world. Every castle, inn, and home on earth had its doors locked tight and its residents praying in fear. Gabriel had been forced to fight. His mother was taken the prisoner, and he was told the only way to earn her freedom was to fight to protect the king.
Gabriel fought as a human with a sword, a shield and a suit of armor. Halfway through the war in the middle of a sunny day, the enemy army became aware that Gabriel was the strongest man who had opposed them. They sent a hundred men to surround Gabriel, making certain he would die. Gabriel roared and swears to this day the noise that came out of his throat was dragon not human. A hundred arrows buried themselves deep in Gabriel’s body. From his legs to his head arrows could be seen sticking out. Several swords and axes slashed at him as he fell to the ground.
Gabriel had no idea what happened next. He was looking up at the sky, and it was nighttime. It was peaceful and quiet. He heard quiet, beautiful birds chirping around him and a stream several yards behind him. He felt a soft forest floor of grass on his butt and legs. But something felt different there, especially his ass. It felt like he had a heavyweight lance protruding from his ass. He put his hand down to feel his ass and make sure, and he felt a tail. A long, muscular tail covered in spikes. He felt a spike, and if his hand weren't made of rock hard scales, he would surely have cut himself. He held his hand up to his face, and in the moonlight, he could just make it out. He was a dragon.
Gabriel quickly accepted this sudden transformation and had used it to his advantage ever since. There were so many benefits to being a powerful monster. First, he couldn’t die. Or rather nothing external could kill him. He figured he would eventually die due to old age or the dragon equivalent, but after a thousand years, he still felt less than a hundred.
The girls loved him, and I mean loved him. The second they saw him their clothes might as well have been halfway off. Gabriel couldn’t count the number of times he walked over to a beautiful woman and with few words they ended up in his bedroom. Gabriel had no complaints there. Third, he would never go hungry, he would never be homeless. He had plenty of experience with those two less than pleasurable conditions, and he didn’t plan to go back.
The enemy army was attacking everyone and everywhere from time to time. For the most part, they were planning their attacks at the furthest place from Gabriel’s last known location. Every inn in every town immediately offered Gabriel a free bed with as much food as he wanted. They knew with Gabriel the dragon in their town no one could hurt them. All in all, Gabriel liked being a dragon shifter. It wasn’t a bad life.
Gabriel’s only complaint was that women were not looking for a long-term, meaningful relationship with a monster like him no matter how sexy he might be. The few girls who did he had met in the Sanctuary of Fools. One or two of them were the most beautiful girls he had ever seen, but when he got close, he saw they were lunatics. Their minds just didn’t function with the order. Gabriel knew beauty was not worth a relationship with a fool, so he flew elsewhere and remained lonely. He only had one friend, and he decided he would see him tonight.
Chapter Three
“Where’s Jack?” Gabriel suddenly asked Tom after spending a few minutes alone deep in thought.
“So you’ve lost Jack again have you?” Tom teased.
“He’s not an easy man to keep track of,” Gabriel said. “I know he went alone on a misadventure in the forest somewhere.”
“Indeed he is not. He returned from the woods last night. I gave him a room here. He’s at the local fighting championship. Do you know what time it is?” Tom asked.
“Three to sundown,” Gabriel said.
“He’s about to fight within the hour then. You’d better hurry if you want to catch him.” Tom said.
Gabriel removed thirty pieces of gold from his pocket and slapped them on the wooden bar.
“Thank you, Tom! I’ll need a room for the night as well.”
“Your welcome Sir Gabriel. Always at your service and always a pleasure.” Tom said with a deep bow.
Gabriel hurried out of the inn. He navigated the dirty streets to the town’s arena. It wasn’t a proper stadium like the Arena of Descent in the north. It had no walls, just a four ropes forming a square the fighter’s stood inside. Gabriel heard cheers and screams and jogged past a couple of houses to make sure he would arrive in time to watch the fight. Gabriel saw the arena. No more than a hundred men dressed in shabby clothes stood around the arena.
Gabriel said, “Excuse me, gentlemen. My friend is fighting. Can you please step aside so I can watch.”
“Why don’t you shove it up your… oh! Gabriel. Of course, of course. You can stand right here.” The man said, changing his choice of words mid-sentence as he turned around and noticed the greatest warrior on earth.
He bowed and said, “What brings you here Sir Gabriel?”
“Just cheering on an old friend,” Gabriel said with a smile.
Gabriel looked at the two opponents in the shabby makeshift arena. One was his friend. He was a giant bear. Thirteen feet tall and over a thousand pounds. His opponent stood seven feet tall and weighed a solid four hundred. His huge muscles made him look like a good match for a giant grizzly bear. Gabriel knew better. This bear would swat him aside with one paw like he was a bumblebee and the fight would be over.
“Does anyone want to bet?” Gabriel asked.
“Maybe? How do you want to beat on?” A few spectators next to him asked.
“I’ll bet a hundred pieces of gold on the human. The bear is going to lose.” Gabriel said.
“You’re on! Hell yeah! Let’s do it. You have yourself a deal, my friend!”
About ten people accepted Gabriel’s bet. He shook hands with all of them, and they watched the bear and the giant man with childish glee in their eyes. They were all waiting to watch the bear demolish the giant human.
“You are one crazy pig's shit!” The man who made room for Gabriel to stand next to him said. “What in the hell makes you think that human can beat a giant bear?” He asked.
“Well, for one thing, it’s a giant human,” Gabriel said calmly.
“It’s a giant bear!” Gabriel’s new friend responded.
“We’ll just have to watch and see,” Gabriel said.
“Indeed we will. Please tell me you’re good for the money when you lose.” He said seriously.
Gabriel simply rattled his pockets full of gold coins. The man seemed content with that answer he turned back to the arena to watch the match begin.
“Ladies and gentlemen!” A silly and pompous looking man shouted. “Today you are going to witness a glorious event. We have Derek the Destroyer fighting against… Bear MAN!”
The audience grew wild with great shouts and cheers of ecstasy at the words Bear Man! Apparently, they hadn’t seen him fight before. Gabriel wasn’t surprised. “Bear Man” who Gabriel knew only as Jack always kept to himself. He was introspective, quiet and lonely. He was also a coward.
“Hold on a minute ladies and gentleman!” The pompous announcer shouted.
A young man had walked over to him from the judge's table and whispered in his ears.
Gabriel had fought in this area for over a decade. He had been born in this city. He knew the rules of this particular arena better than any man alive. Unless he was very much mistaken he was about to make a lot of money and a lot of enemies in the process but he was a dragon. The worst his enemies could do to him would be to give him the finger, spit, and curse.
“I’m so sorry lad
ies and gentlemen, but I’ve just been informed of a little misunderstanding in the rules here at our small arena. I must speak with one of the combatants.” He walked over to Bear Man with a look of horror on his face. He said a few things and Bear Man stood on all fours and roared at the man.
The man said, “Now really. There’s no need for that.” Then he ran as fast as he could to the judge's table. A few people laughed. Bear man shapeshifted and became Gabriel’s best and only friend, Jack. Jack looked physically unremarkable. He was five feet nine inches tall. He had no muscles or even fat on him whatsoever. He couldn’t have weighed over one hundred and forty pounds. He looked like he hadn’t had a decent meal in a week. Gabriel decided that must be why he randomly entered the arena in the first place. He didn’t look scared, but he didn’t look scary either. He seemed like a man prepared to accept his fate.
“Let’s go to war!” The pompous announcer yelled safely behind the judges’ booth.
Jack took a few slow steps toward his opponent. He held his hands up in two fists in front of his face. His opponent ran up to him and threw powerful punches. Jack ducked and dodged and threw punches of his own. He landed about three. His punches were so fast, and his arms were so small his massive opponent didn’t see that coming. To be fair, he probably wasn’t trying to see them coming because Jack looked so innocuous and unfortunately he was that innocuous.
Jack’s three punches did nothing to his giant enemy who threw punch after punch until he knocked Jack to the ground. His opponent jumped on top of him and began punching Jack in the face. Jack covered his face for a minute and moved his head back and forth to avoid the incoming strikes. After a moment a judge shouted, “That’s enough.”
Jack’s fierce opponent threw one final punch and then stood up from the mud. He raised both hands into the air in a sign of victory. Jack stood up much more quickly than Gabriel would’ve expected. He seemed to be in good shape. The judges yelled that Derek the Destroyer was the victor and would win the prize. Jack ran over to the judge's table and accepted his second place consolation prize. Ten pieces of gold. He scooped up the neat, gleaming stack of coins and ran out of the arena. He ducked under the rope not ten feet from Gabriel and moved swiftly through the town. Gabriel smiled and chased after him.
Chapter Four
As horrible as he was fighting Jack was an excellent runner. Gabriel lost him in the distance and the crowds a couple of times. Gabriel guessed Jack probably went right into Tom’s bar the Dump. Gabriel went back into the Dump and saw Jack wasn’t there. Tom did say Jack had slept there so this was as likely a place as any for Gabriel to find him, so he decided to wait.
Hey, Tom!” He called across the bar to Tom. “Bring me a dozen beers, a dozen wheels of cheese, a bottle of whiskey, three bottles of mead and the biggest goose you have!”
“Right away, Sir Gabriel!” Tom called back with childlike glee.
No one had ever ordered that much. Or at least ordered that much and actually paid for it all like he trusted Gabriel too. Tom walked down the stairs in the back room. He locked two doors carefully and walked into the cellar. He gathered Sir Gabriel’s order.
“Help me. Please. I’ll do anything. My father is wealthy!” A scared voice shouted.
“Shut the fuck up, bitch. Sir Gabriel just made a big order.” Tom replied.
“Oh, Sir Gabriel? I heard he’s really handsome.” The woman prisoner said fondly.
“You’ll get fifty lashes tonight for that!” Tom swore angrily, and you should consider yourself lucky if I don’t give you something even worse.”
“Why are you doing this to me?” The woman shouted hysterically.
Tom turned to look at her slowly and stared into her eyes. With a big smile, he said, “For fun.”
Tom began to laugh maniacally, and he walked up the wooden stairs with a tray of Sir Gabriel’s food and drinks. He would be coming back in a minute to get more. Maybe he would show that bitch what’s right for her. Maybe he wouldn’t. He was in control, he had the power, and that was all that mattered to him.
The woman said, “I should’ve never left the Sanctuary of Fools. At least I was treated right in that prison.”
Her bright blue eyes shone with tears. Her long blond hair hadn’t been brushed in days, and she could really use a shower. She hated Tom, the innkeeper. She desperately planned exactly how she would kill him. Plunging a blade into his fat, old neck made her smile and laugh. She laughed maniacally as Tom came back down the stairs.
“What the hell are you laughing about a whore?” Tom demanded.
“Nothing, Sir Tom. I wasn’t.” She said looking at the floor.
“You were, and you get lashes for lying you cunt!” Tom said.
“How dare you!” She yelled.
Tom just laughed. “Cunt. Cunt. Cunt. CUNT!”
“HOW DARE YOU TOM! PLEASE, SOMEBODY, HELP ME!” She shouted as loud as she could.
The sadistic pig innkeeper was enjoying himself too much. He continued to chant loudly, “CUNT! CUNT! CUNT, CUNT CUNT, CUNT! CUNT! CUNT! CUNT! CUNT! CUNT!”
He walked over to the tied up blond woman and lifted up her skirt. He pulled down his pants as she screamed in terror. Tom continued to laugh hysterically.
“HELP ME! HELP ME! HELP ME!” She screamed.
Tom laughed one last time when a knife appeared in his neck. He fell to the ground and blood dripped from his neck and onto the floor. Gabriel walked over to the girl and said, “Are you, okay sweetie. I’m so sorry about that you got a little blood on your face.” He licked his finger and gently rubbed Tom’s blood off of her face.
“Oh my God. You saved me, Gabriel!” She said.
Gabriel didn’t bother responded to the fact that a woman knew him, everyone did.
“You’re welcome dear, anytime. I’d hate to see a woman abused by an old creep like that.”
“Thank you so much, Gabriel. You know, we’ve met before.” She said with a smile.
“Really? Where?” Gabriel asked.
“Oh… I don’t know… at the Sanctuary of Fools!” She reminded him.
Gabriel looked into her beautiful eyes. That was right! He had met a couple of beautiful women in the Sanctuary of Fools, and this was one of them. He tried to remember her name, but it wouldn’t come to him. He remembered the other beautiful girl, Sarah. He remembered the male lunatics locked up there: Connor, Eddie, Thomas, Ben, and John. He remembered a couple other girls and all the people who owned and operated the prison for crazy people.
“I’m so sorry to miss. I remember your beautiful face, but I forgot your name.” He said candidly.
“My name is Hilaria. I was named so because I love to laugh.” She said with a sweet smile.
“I can see that,” Gabriel said with a smile. “It’s nice to officially meet you, again.” He shook her hand gently. “I have to go back upstairs. Let me take you. You’re safe now.”
“No. Wait. I’m scared.” She said.
“There’s nothing to be scared of you are with me,” Gabriel said with a smile.
“You’re sweet Gabriel. Come here.” She whispered.
“Okay,” Gabriel said. He took a step closer to her and was no more than a foot away from her beautiful eyes. She looked up into his dark green eyes and smiled. “You are so handsome.” She said. She put her hands on the back of his head and pulled him forward. They kissed each other. Gabriel tasted her saliva and felt her legs against his. His dick started to get hard. He grabbed her ass and massaged it gently.
“You are so sweet and gentle,” Hilaria said. “Do you want to fuck me?” She asked. She violently pulled down her pants and leaned over a barrel.
Gabriel didn’t wait for any more invitations. He took a step forward and slowly put his dick inside her vagina. He leaned forward until he could feel the back of her vaginal wall with the tip of his penis.
“Oh my God that feels so good.” She said with a decadent smile. “Fuck me, Gabriel.”
Gabriel started slowly
at first. He thrust his hips forward and backward and listened to her moans of pleasure he felt her body shake and attempted to decipher what made her feel the most pleasure.
Just when he thought his efforts were fruitless, she said, “Right THERE!” Gabriel fucked her right there.
“Harder. Faster.” She whispered. Gabriel started to fuck her right there.
“Oh yes. Oh yes. Oh yeah, Gabriel. Fuck me, baby. Yes. Yes. YES. OH YEEEAH! FUCK ME! OH MY GOD YES!” Hilaria whispered, moaned and screamed in ecstasy.
She had an orgasm and slowly quieting down as Gabriel slowly stopped fucking her.
He looked into her eyes with his dick still inside of her and said, “How was it?”
She turned her head and smiled at him. She said, “Fucking awesome!”
Gabriel pulled his dick out of her beautiful, wet cunt and helped her put her pants back on. He leads her up the stairs and saw his best friend Jack sitting alone.
He said to Hilaria, “I see my old friend. I’m going to spend the night with him. Why don’t you come see me tonight? I’m in the first room on the left at the top of the stairs.”
“Okay!” She said brightly, “Have fun.” She walked out the door of the inn and enjoyed her newfound freedom and fresh air.
Gabriel turned back to his sick friend. Jack was looking at the floor and covering his head with his hands. Gabriel decided to surprise him. Jack looked up from his despair.
“Gabriel! How long has it been?”
“Not long enough,” Gabriel replied. “I see you still haven’t learned how to fight in human form.” Gabriel grinned as he mocked his best friend.
“I know. I’m sorry.” Jack said defeated.
One Little Letter_A Bad Boy, Second Chance Romance Page 27