Dragon Emperor 3_Human to Dragon to God

by Eric Vall

  “No limit has been discovered as of yet,” the king replied, and the gleam in his eyes only grew brighter.

  “Damn,” I whistled lowly as I thought about the harpy-demon invasion into the nearby mine. “I can definitely understand why you’ve been keeping it out of everyone’s hands. That’s an ultimate weapon right there.”

  “Use it wisely,” King Rodion intoned, and his eyes darkened with seriousness.

  “Don’t worry, I will,” I promised. There was no way I was going to let something as powerful as the orichalum fall out of my hands.

  “Am I right to assume you plan on having Alyona do the enchanting?” King Rodion continued without skipping a beat.

  “Yeah, that’s what I was thinking of doing,” I replied. “She is the only one capable of it.”

  “Good.” King Rodion nodded in approval. “I will have scrolls and tomes sent for her use. I know my daughter will appreciate having her library. She was unable to take the majority of it with her when she left the Cave of One Thousand Sages.”

  “The aqueducts will be the first to receive these upgrades,” I explained. “The walls we can defend just fine, but the aqueducts are the lifeblood of this city, and they will not fall again.”

  “Of course.” A shadow passed behind King Rodion’s eyes, but it disappeared quickly. “What else?”

  “The farms,” I said, and then I turned to Ruslan, since he would know the numbers better than me. “How are we on food?”

  “There’s enough food stored for a few months, maybe a year,” Ruslan answered as he pulled forward a stack of papers that hadn’t been spread out, “but only if the population remains under a thousand. Our storehouses aren’t infinite.”

  “And that isn’t good enough,” I said through gritted teeth. “Our city is going to grow again, and we need to be able to provide our own nourishment, since we can’t depend on anyone for trade yet.”

  “We’ve been able to survive off what we’ve grown,” Ruslan continued in the same serious tone, “and the Blue Tree Guild has brought their own stores of food to supplement ours. We won’t have to ration for a long while, but disaster can strike at any moment.”

  “An issue is how to expand the farms,” I started, and then the words just tumbled out as I went on about the ideas bouncing around in my head. “We can use the land between the inner and outer walls of the city, but once I rebuild the outer walls, the guards would be stretched even thinner. There’s also the issue of the plants not receiving enough light due to being in the wall’s shadows. If I knock down buildings in the city to make space for farms, that’s less living space we’d have for the future.”

  “A sound point.” King Rodion glanced between the papers on the table and narrowed his eyes in thought. “Your current farms are within the city, correct?”

  “Yeah, in former buildings,” I said with a nod. “Farming like that was fine in the past, but it won’t work in the future.”

  “Did the Hatra in the past not have farms between the walls?” King Rodion hummed in thought as he tapped his fingers on the table. “If I remember correctly, Hatra’s vassal villages provided sustenance as well.”

  “The land between the walls isn’t bad,” Ruslan explained quickly. “We’d be able to grow there easily.”

  “And vassal villages would only be helpful in the future,” I mused with a shake of my head. “We should only focus on Hatra and the immediate areas for the time being.”

  “True.” King Rodion folded his hands in front of him and nodded. “I will ensure the architects have knowledge of such things. Between you and the architects, I’m certain a solution will be found for this issue.”

  “What about deserts?” I asked suddenly. “Can you ensure they know about building on sandy foundations?”

  “Are you perhaps thinking about expansion into the desert?” the king inquired as he lifted one pale eyebrow in amusement.

  “I want to see if bringing the aqueducts into the desert would be viable,” I explained this new idea to the two men in front of me, “if we mine there in the future, we’d have to have bases there to protect the mines and for the workers to live. This would be a long term project, we wouldn’t start on anything soon, but it would be good to already have an idea of what to do and how to do it.”

  “You’ve thought so far ahead.” Pride gleamed in King Rodion’s eyes before it faded, and he sighed as he stood. “But now I must take my leave and give my goodbyes to my daughter. If you have need of something, Alyona will be able to reach me.”

  “We’ll see you off,” Ruslan and I said in unison as we both stood up at the same moment.

  I blinked and glanced at Ruslan in confusion for a moment. He was just as bemused as I was, and when I turned to look at the king, he was smiling behind his sleeve.

  “There is no need.” King Rodion waved us off with a smile. “You have much work to do, and I’m eager to see what you will accomplish with Hatra and how much the city will grow under your guidance.”

  “You have my word that Hatra will become the crown jewel of Rahma,” I promised the king as I sat back down. “Hatra will be the most beautiful city you’ve ever seen when you return.”

  Chapter 3

  An hour after the king departed, I paced in front of the Elders of my adopted family as my mind churned through ideas of how to make Hatra great again.

  “We should hold a town hall meeting,” I declared suddenly.

  There was a moment of silence as the three Elders looked at each other with confusion evident in their eyes. Moskal tilted his head to the side and glanced over at Ruslan, and the fox shrugged his shoulders before he nudged at Julia with his elbow.

  “You want to hold a what?” Julia blinked as she set down her fan on the table between us.

  “A town hall meeting,” I repeated to the three elders and sat down at the table. “It’s pretty much where the people of an area can talk to their leaders, they find out what’s happening right from the horse’s mouth, and they can even bring up any concerns. I’m thinking this would be a good habit for us to get into. Right now, our population is manageable, and everyone has a pretty good relationship.”

  “True, the people of Hatra have managed to maintain a friendship with the bandits,” Moskal began as he leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. “The bandits living with us now hasn’t changed that friendship at all, and they’ve fallen into step with us quite quickly. And the clans of the Blue Tree Guild are disciplined, so no fights between the two factions have broken out at all.”

  “But that doesn’t mean something won’t happen in the future.” I tapped an absentminded rhythm against the table as I thought about Hatra’s growth. “These three groups were brought together by necessity and survival. In the future, people who come here won’t have that same bond holding them to Hatra. There’ll be differences they won’t know how to settle, and arguments might escalate into something deadly.”

  “Just thinking of such an eventuality is enough to give me a headache,” Julia muttered as she rubbed the bridge of her nose and let out a small sigh.

  “That’s why I want to have that openness between us and our people,” I shrugged as I leaned back in my seat, “to keep us accessible, just like we are now and how you guys were in the past. With that, even when the city grows bigger and things begin to change, they’ll know we’re right here and still the same people they knew us as before. People who want the best for Hatra no matter what.”

  “Where should we have this town hall meeting then?” Ruslan mimicked my action as he leaned back in his own chair. “Summer is fast approaching, and the heat during the day will be unfathomable. Having it outside would be uncomfortable for everyone involved.”

  I frowned at that. We needed a space where everyone would be able to fit. The airship of the Blue Tree Guild was a possibility, but we needed something distinctly Hatra in order to accentuate the symbolism of it being for the people of Hatra and the good of the city.

  Wait
a moment.

  We had the perfect space for that. It was cool and provided shelter from the heat of the day, it was large enough to accommodate the growing population, and it was even a symbol of the city.

  “What about the archives then?” I asked as I glanced up, and excitement filled my voice. “The open space right at the entrance is large enough to fit everyone, and it’s cool in there.”

  “That could work,” Moskal agreed as he slipped his hands into his sleeves. “We could have word spread during the evening meal, and we’d be able to hold the meeting come morning.”

  “Tomorrow would work best.” I nodded and glanced down at the papers strewn in front of us.“We’d be able to get almost everything in one go, well, or most of it at least.”

  “Then we shall spread the word,” Ruslan said as he stood up and offered his arm to Julia. “You should get some rest.”

  “I’ll stay here for a bit to look over some plans.” I shook my head and pointed at the papers spread out in front of me. “I want to make sure I have everything ready and haven’t missed a thing.”

  “Spoken like a true lord,” Julia mused with a smile.

  I grinned back as the three of them departed, and then I set to work. By the time I realized hours had passed, it was already dark outside the building. In fact, I could sense that it was only a few hours before dawn.

  With a yawn, I cast out my senses all around me and noticed Alyona wasn’t inside of the temporary palace. In fact, she was still deep down inside of the underground library. She wasn’t alone either, Laika was down there with her.

  I was more than a little curious what they were doing down there, and I wondered if Alyona had gotten a chance to speak with her father before he left. So, I sleepily made my way to the underground archives.

  Thankfully, my years in medical school and as an EMT made it easy for me to function on autopilot. My body knew the route to the underground library, and my mind knew exactly where in the subterranean maze they were.

  My mind and power led me to one of the hallways lined with doors that led to study rooms. I stopped in front of a door that had silver engravings, and I could tell Laika and Alyona were in this room.

  I opened the door, and beyond stacks and stacks of books were my two lovers asleep on a large couch. Laika was half seated, and stretched out with her head on Laika’s lap was Alyona. They made a serene image, as if they were a painting and not two living beings.

  I took a step into the room, and Laika’s eyes snapped open as the wolf Demi-Human blinked slowly up at me.

  “Hey, how’s it going in here?” I smirked at her as I stepped toward the large couch. “The two of you look pretty comfy.”

  “She only just fell asleep.” Laika murmured as she glanced at the princess in her lap.

  “Really?” I looked around at all the books strewn around the room. “Has she been up this entire time looking at books?”

  “Evan?” Alyona stirred and slowly opened her eyes. “It’s late, come to bed.”

  “This isn’t a bed,” I replied softly as I walked over to the couch. “You’re in the library.”

  “Oh,” was all Alyona said as she sat up.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked as I sat down next to her. “You seem pretty tired.”

  “I need to keep researching,” Alyona murmured as she ran her fingers through her hair. “I haven’t found the right link to what befell those harpies yet. But I will, I have to.”

  Laika met my eyes over Alyona and shook her head. She mouthed ‘father’ to me, and I nodded.

  “Did you get to say goodbye to your father before he left?” I placed my hand on Alyona’s back and pushed soothing, healing energy through to her. “He said he was going to have some of your things brought to you.”

  “His Eminence’s time is precious,” Alyona whispered back to me, “he has more important things that need his attention.”

  “Alyona, this is your father we’re talking about.” I frowned at her reaction and glanced back at a wincing Laika. “You’re obviously important to him.”

  “I didn’t say I wasn’t important to him,” Alyona countered easily as she leaned back against me, “just that he has many burdens on his shoulders. I have no right to be so selfish as to demand his time.”

  I didn’t know what to say to her at the moment, since she was right about the fact that her father carried the weight of the entire world on his shoulders. He couldn’t be distracted for even a moment, or disaster could strike, perhaps even the fires of the apocalypse would rain down on the world of Inati.

  But I could make her a promise.

  “Alyona,” I began as I tilted her head so she’d look at me, “I will never turn you away. It doesn’t matter where I’m at or what’s happening, if you want me by your side, I will be there.”

  “And when he is not able to,” Laika added solemnly, “I will be there in his place.”

  “Thank you,” Alyona replied, and her voice was thick with emotion. “Thank you, both of you.”

  We spent the night quietly together amongst the pile of books and on the soft pillows of the couch in the study room. The three of us dozed off in each other’s arms, and it felt like I had just closed my eyes when I felt someone shake my shoulder.

  “Huh?” I mumbled as I blearily opened my eyes.

  “Shhh,” Laika’s voice replied, and I finally focused on her shadow form hunched over me.

  The Demi-Human looked bright-eyed as she crouched beside the sofa I was reclined on, and she pressed a slender finger against her mouth. Then she nodded slightly downward, and I glanced in that direction to find Alyona curled up and fast asleep on my chest. She weighed practically nothing, and in my hazy mind I’d mistaken her for a warm blanket.

  “What time is it?” I mouthed to Laika.

  “Not yet dawn,” she breathed in my ear. “I thought you might like to get some breakfast before the town hall meeting begins. We have almost an hour.”

  I nodded silently as I slipped my hands beneath Alyona’s head and started to wiggle out from underneath her. Part of me wanted to wake her up so she could join us for breakfast, but I knew how hard she’d been pushing herself by combing through the archives and searching for answers about the harpies. She deserved some rest, and since I knew she wasn’t the best at looking out for herself, I’d do it for her. I bet Laika was of the same mind since she had been so careful just to wake only me.

  I slid Alyona into the warm spot my body vacated on the couch, and she furrowed her brow as she settled. I froze and hoped I hadn’t woken her, but her face finally smoothed out, and she sighed in her sleep. I smiled and pulled a blanket up to cover her, and then I feathered a light kiss into her hair.

  Laika was standing right behind me when I straightened up, and she gave me a silent nod before she turned and headed toward the door. I trailed after her waving bushy tail, and I made sure to shut the door quietly behind me.

  “Morning,” I said in a normal volume once we reached the end of the hall and started to climb the staircase out of the underground archives.

  “Good morning,” Laika replied with a quick smile. “Sleep well?”

  “Yes and no,” I chuckled as I rubbed a crick in my neck. “Yes because any night I spend between you and Alyona is amazing. But I don’t think that couch was made with a dragon in mind.”

  “Or three people,” Laika laughed.

  “That too.” I grinned, and my eyes drifted down toward Laika’s still waving tail. The tip of it brushed against my wrist, and her fur was as soft as silk. I reached out without thinking and ran my hand over the appendage, and Laika paused on the step above me as a shiver raced down her spine.

  “Well, hopefully breakfast will make up for your sore back,” she teased as she glanced over her shoulder, but I saw more than playfulness in her eyes.

  “I know something that will definitely take my mind off it,” I said and ran my hand up her tail again. This time, I continued past the base and trailed my fingers ov
er the soft curve of her ass, before I latched onto her hip and pulled her against me.

  “Evan,” Laika chided, but I could see the tinge of red on her cheeks, and her hands on my chest weren’t exactly pushing me away.

  “Laika,” I teased as I dipped my head and ran my tongue over her thundering pulse.

  “The town hall meeting will start soon,” she said as I shifted to pin her against the wall of the stairwell. “People will be arriving … ” She trailed off with a moan as I pressed my erection against her pelvis and hitched her leg over my hip.

  “And?” I whispered in her ear.

  “What about breakfast?” she asked in a husky voice, but her arms were already wrapped around my neck.

  “I see something far more delicious right in front of me,” I growled before I ducked my head and devoured her mouth with my own.

  The Demi-Human’s tongue swirled around mine, and her sharp canines nipped at my lower lip as she bucked her hips against me. I could already feel the heat radiating between her legs, and I delved a hand down between us to stroke her through her pants. She was already soaking wet, and an aroused snarl slipped past my lips as I tore my mouth away from hers to attack her neck once more.

  As I left a trail of nipping kisses along her throat and collarbone, I hoisted her farther up the wall and wedged my thigh beneath her. Laika dangled in the air, held up only by my leg, but the way she moaned and threw back her head told me she was fine with it. So, I shoved the waistband of her pants down around her thighs, and I wasted no time in zeroing in on her wet, hot pussy.

  Her pussy lips were already slick with her own juices, and I ran my finger up her slit before I settled it over her throbbing clit.

  “Evan!” Laika gasped, and her airy voice echoed down the staircase.

  “Shhh,” I teased as I started painting slow circles over her clit. “Didn’t you say people would be arriving soon?”

  Laika bit her lower lip until it turned red, and the tendons in her neck stood out in the effort she was exercising to remain quiet.