The chieftain snorted. "Goad me and you'll see, weredragon. I would gladly slay you."
Jeid growled and raised his fists, and Oritan reached for a spear. Laira stepped between the two before they could come to blows. She pushed Jeid back and stared up at Oritan, her chin raised.
"You will fight because you want my rocs," she said. "You remember my eyes, and I remember your words. You all but begged Zerra to wed your daughter, a pretty thing with long black locks. You spoke of a noble marriage, a merging of two tribes. No doubt you planned to slay Zerra—perhaps a knife in the back, perhaps poison in the cup—and become ruler of both pteros and rocs, a single chieftain with a great horde. Zerra saw through your trickery." She took a step closer to the throne and placed her hand on Oritan's knee. "I offer you a better deal. You will have your marriage, and you will become chieftain of two tribes." She took a deep breath, steeling herself. "I will marry you."
Jeid gave a strangled sound halfway between choking and snarling. Laira placed a hand against his chest, holding him back, and did not remove her eyes from the chieftain upon his throne.
Oritan stared back at her, his eyes hard, betraying nothing. But she knew what he was thinking. She could see it in the tension of his body, the twitch of his lips.
He pities me but he craves me. And he craves my rocs even more.
"Laira, this isn't the way," Jeid began. "I—"
She hushed him with a finger to his lips, then turned back toward Oritan. "Speak, chieftain! If I join my tribe to yours, will you fight with us against the demon host?"
Slowly, Oritan leaned back in his seat. He spoke in a low voice. "In Leatherwing Tribe, a chieftain must only marry the greatest female warriors. After my first wife died in battle, I sought others to wed, but they all failed the test." He stared at her, eyes narrowed and blazing. "If you pass the test, Laira of Goldtusk, we will wed. And we will fight together."
Cold sweat trickled down Laira's back, and she gulped down a lump. "A test?"
The chieftain rose to his feet. He stepped to the edge of the pillar, stared down into the cavern, and shouted. His voice echoed through the chasm.
"A bride will be tested!" He raised his fist. "Open the pit! Release the Beast of Bride's Blood."
Tribesmen cheered below, and the chamber swam around Laira. She glanced at Jeid, winced, and clutched the hilt of her sword.
TANIN
Two dragons flew over the sea, landed on the dark beach under the stars, and beheld the ruined city of Eteer.
His claws in the sand, Tanin turned to look at Issari. She stood before him, her alabaster scales gleaming in the moonlight, and firelight glowed between her teeth. The white dragon's eyes shone damply as they gazed upon the walls of her city. They had landed a mark away, too far for any guards on the walls to see them.
"Home," Issari whispered and lowered her head. "A place of ruin, of darkness, of evil."
Tanin folded his wings around him. Smoke wafted from his nostrils. "A place we will rededicate."
She looked at him, eyes moist. He could see the sea reflected in those orbs, the waves crested with moonlit foam. "But not tonight. Not in the darkness, for fear of that city's new queen still chills me. In the light I will feel brave again. Will you stay with me here, Tanin, on the beach outside my home? For one last night—you and me in the darkness, safe from the horrors of the world?"
He nodded and nuzzled her with his snout. "Of course."
They released their magic and sat in the sand, humans again, facing the sea. A path of moonlight spread into the horizon, and the waves whispered, their crests silver. The stars shone above and the city festered to their east; tonight Tanin pushed that city out of his mind, staring only at the waves.
Issari wriggled closer to him, place a hand on his thigh, and leaned against him. He slung his arm around her.
"I used to come here sometimes as a child." She stared ahead into the water. "With Sena. I miss him so badly. I miss those days—before the war, before all this happened. I wish I could go back, to be a girl again."
The breeze blew, warm and salty. Tanin placed his hand upon hers. "You know what I wish for?"
She looked at him, the stars reflected in her eyes. "What?"
"A nice, big, roasted slab of ham." He smacked his lips. "And some hot bread rolls and butter. I haven't had bread in many days; damn hard to find in the north."
She smiled hesitantly. "Bread and ham? Not me. I miss roasted pine nuts mixed with leeks and wild mushrooms. I miss the fine wines of southern vineyards. I miss honey cakes thick with almonds and pistachios." She placed a hand on her belly. "I miss that feeling of being full, lounging by a fireplace, and dreaming."
He raised his eyebrows. "Well, look at the fancy princess. Your tastes are far too fine. How could you tolerate a lowly barbarian like me?"
Her smile widened, and she kissed his stubbly cheek. "Part of the terrors of war, I suppose."
He rummaged in his pack and produced a wineskin—their last one. He uncorked it, took a sip, and handed it to her. "It's not fine wine like you're used to. Simple grapes from some riverside farmer, but it'll soothe us tonight. One last night."
She drank and they passed the skin back and forth. Tomorrow they would have nothing more to drink. Tomorrow they might die. Tomorrow the fate of the world would be sealed. Tonight they simply sat, drinking, watching the waves, scared in the dark. Tanin ran his fingers slowly over hers, again and again, and looked at her in the night. She was still facing the sea, and he admired her moonlit cheek, the dark braid that hung across her shoulder, and the strength he saw in her, a quiet strength like a slender oak sapling rising from the ash of a burnt forest.
He found himself thinking back to Ciana, the woman he had loved in his youth, so many years ago in the village of Oldforge. He had kissed Ciana in the fields, vowed to forever love her. And once she had learned his secret, learned that he was Vir Requis, she had screamed. Called for her father to kill him. Became a huntress of dragons herself. For so many years, the pain of that day had clawed at Tanin—the day he'd been banished, the day Ciana had shattered his soul, the day Zerra had murdered his mother.
But now I've found something new to live for, he thought, holding Issari's hand. For Requiem . . . and for you, Issari.
She saw him staring, turned toward him, and looked at him. Her lips parted slightly, and he caressed her cheek, marveling at how soft it was, at how pure she seemed, a doll in a world of demons. He kissed that cheek, and she smiled softly. Her lashes tickled his face. He held her hand, and he kissed her ear, a little peck, and she placed her arms around him. His lips brushed across her neck, moving upward, hesitating, and though he had fought armies of demons and rocs, now Tanin was afraid, nervous, awkward. She turned her head slightly toward his, trembling in his arms, and his lips brushed the corner of her mouth. She met his gaze, and her green eyes were so large, and he leaned forward and kissed her lips. Fast as the waves washing over the shore, she melted into his kiss, their mouths open, their tongues moving together.
The waves whispered, and they kissed for a long time, and their hands grasped at each other, desperate, exploring, and all the pain Tanin had lived through these past few years—all the hopes and dreams and nightmares—emerged now, needing relief, needing her, Issari, a woman he loved. Her hands slid under his shirt, and he helped her, pulling it over his head, and she pressed herself back up against him, kissing him. He reached under her tunic, feeling the soft skin beneath, and she helped him remove her garment and tossed it aside. She gazed at him with those huge eyes, and he pulled her onto his lap, and she buried her hands in his hair, her head tossed back. He kissed the declivity below her neck, moving his lips downward, kissing her chest, then back up again to her lips.
I love you, Issari, he thought. I've loved you since the moment I saw you. I will love you forever.
They spread their cloaks upon the sand, then lay down upon them, pulling off their last items of clothing. Her body was slim and silver in the
moonlight. Tanin had bedded women before, villagers he had met on his wanderings—quick, cold encounters that had left him feeling more lonely than ever. With Issari it felt warm, real, and so pure he never wanted it to end. She moaned beneath him, eyes closed, mouth open, and their naked bodies moved together. She cried out and dug her fingers into his back, and he let himself flow into her until he lay still. He kissed the tip of her nose, then lay beside her. She nestled in his arms, nuzzling his cheek.
He looked up at the stars. They shone down, not just the Draco constellation but millions of others. The music of the waves played, and from where he lay, he couldn't see the city of demons. He could see only beauty, feel only warmth.
I don't know if I'll die tomorrow or if I'll live another fifty years. But I know this: Whatever happens, this is the best moment of my life. This is the best moment of life I can have. I'm happier than I've ever been, perhaps more than I'll ever be. This is magic—no less than becoming a dragon—and I will cling to this memory forever, even if all the world burns and all our kingdoms fall to ruin.
She fell asleep in his arms, her head on his chest. He lay awake for a long time, stroking her hair and watching the stars.
DORVIN
"Bloody bull bullocks!" Dorvin blasted out flame and whipped his tail. "You two are duller than my grandmother's cold dead corpse. Why aren't you singing with me?"
Flying across the sky with his sister and that mammoth's bottom Maev, he tossed back his head, cleared his throat, and launched back into his song. The lyrics—telling the tale of a hearty lass whose father tossed her into the river, only for her ample bosom to keep her afloat—did not seem to amuse his companions. His sister, a lavender dragon, glared at him. Maev, a green beast, banked toward him and thumped her tail against his cheek.
"Be silent!" said the flying mammoth posterior, eyes flashing. "I'll cut out your tongue next time. Your song's disgusting, and demons could hear you for marks."
He growled and blasted sparks of fire her way. "Good! I like rude songs; keeps things interesting. And I like when demons can hear me. I'd prefer a straight fight to this dull flight with two lumps of airborne shite."
Maev flicked her tail again, slamming it against his flank. "Be silent or the only thing you'll be fighting is worms in your grave."
Dorvin watched the green beast fly off, wincing at the pain of her blows. Damn creature. He grumbled under his breath. He had to admit Maev wasn't bad-looking, at least not in human form. Her hair was long and golden, her body was fit, and her face was pretty enough—at least when she wasn't thrusting out her bottom lip, haughtily raising her chin, and glaring at everything that moved. If you removed the tattoos on her arms, cleaned the mud off her, and maybe removed that old buffalo hide she always wore, she could be a fetching woman.
"It's too bad she's got the personality of rhinoceros snot," he muttered.
They kept flying westward. The sky was blue. The land was green. A few distant hills rose in the north. The same thing mark after mark. His two fellow dragons flew silently. Dorvin couldn't take it anymore. They had been flying like this for days now, and he was bored senseless. Why had he ever agreed to this mission? He could have gone north with Jeid! Surely the north had some demons in it. He could have gone south with Issari and Tanin; Eteer was the land of demons, surely full of many interesting creatures to vanquish. Instead he had agreed to fly here, seeking more dragons, a decision he was quickly regretting. Even if he did find other Vir Requis, they'd probably be just as stiff as Alina and Maev.
"Oi, girls!" He flew closer to them. "All right, no singing. How about some jokes instead? What do you call a woman who's got a small head and a big arse? Huh? Anyone?" He winked. "Maev, you'd know wouldn't you?"
Alina only rolled her eyes, but Maev fumed. Showering flame, the green dragon roared and shot toward him, claws lashing. Dorvin braced for impact, and the two dragons crashed together. Scales cracked and their horns locked. Maev's fire flowed over him, and Dorvin shut his eyes against the heat. His scales expanded and one cracked with a blast of pain. He growled, shoved Maev off, and barreled into her, snapping at her, trying to bite through her scales. The two dragons spun in the sky, wings beating madly.
"Good!" Dorvin laughed. "Now this flight's a little more interesting."
Growling, she grabbed his horns and began tugging him down. They tumbled through the sky, the ground spinning beneath them.
"I warned you!" she shouted. "I'll cut your tongue out now."
He laughed. "You can have my tongue if you just give me a kiss."
She twisted his neck, drove her weight against him, and they plunged downward. Dorvin winced and beat his wings, struggling to slow his fall. He managed to free himself from under Maev, soar a few feet, and avoid the ground, only for her to grab his tail and tug him back down. They slammed onto a hilltop, shattering a fallen log and digging ruts into the earth. Dorvin groaned, and when he struggled to rise, Maev clobbered him so hard with her tail she knocked out his magic. He fell onto the hill, a human again, groaning.
The green dragon placed a foot against his chest, pinning him down. She panted, her tongue lolling, and blasted smoke down onto him. He reached up, grabbed that lolling tongue in his hand, and tugged it down hard.
"Looks like it's your tongue that's about to get lost!"
Maev yowled and released her magic. She slammed into him in human form, growling, and pinned him down. "Stupid boy. I used to wrestle men twice your side for a living. Now I'll show you the meaning of pain."
Her tattoos coiled across her arms. She raised her fist, prepared to slam it into his face.
"Maev, no!"
Lavender wings fluttered, and Alina landed upon the hill. She resumed human form and grabbed Maev's wrist, holding her fist back.
"Let go of me, Alina," Maev said softly, staring down at Dorvin. "The boy needs to learn a lesson."
Lying beneath her, Dorvin managed to grin. "Teach me. Let's see how hard you cry once I—"
Growls sounded to their side.
They froze.
Dorvin bit his lip. "Maev, is that your stomach growling?"
She leaped off him, drew her sword, and stared down the hill. Standing beside her, Alina gasped and took a step back. Dorvin struggled to his feet, rubbed his sore shoulders, and stared downhill with them. He raised his eyebrows.
"Well, bloody stars." He cracked his neck. "Some entertainment at last."
A pack of hairless wolves crept up the hill, foaming at the mouth. Each was large as a bear, and warty, spiked tails hung between their legs, dragging along the ground. Human limbs grew from their backs like fins, twitching like antennae. Dorvin counted six of them.
"Bet I can kill them without becoming a dragon," he said to Maev and hefted his spear.
She spat and raised her short, leaf-shaped sword. "Bet I can kill all six."
Face pale, Alina took a step back and raised her staff. "Stars of Requiem, protect your children, shine your light upon—"
Dorvin did not wait to hear the rest of her prayer. He flashed Maev a grin and burst into a run, racing downhill toward the wolves. They howled and ran up toward him, kicking up dust. Dorvin leaped onto a boulder, vaulted off its top, and tossed his spear from midair. The projectile flew and sank into a wolf's neck. The creature yowled and fell, and Dorvin unstrapped his second spear off his back.
"That's one, Maev!"
She was still running downhill, her hair streaming in the wind. Two wolves reached her, snapping their teeth. Maev dropped to slide downhill on her backside, moving between a wolf's legs. She thrust up her blade, driving the sword through its jaw and into its head. The second animal pounced. Maev leaped onto the corpse of the wolf she had killed, hurtled herself into the air, and slammed into the second demon. Her blade drove into naked, warty flesh, and the creature snapped its teeth, whimpered, and fell dead too.
"Two, Dorvin!" she shouted back. "With no dragon magic."
"Get shagged!" he cried toward her. He was about to
hurtle more insults when two more wolves slammed into him, knocking him down. He grunted as claws slashed his tunic. His blood dripped. He swung his spear, slamming its shaft against one wolf's head. He leaped to his feet and thrust the weapon, but a wolf grabbed the spear between its jaws and yanked it free. The two demons circled him, hissing. The human arms growing from their backs twitched, their hands opening and closing. Foam filled the beasts' mouths, oozing down to the ground. Weaponless, Dorvin reached down, grabbed a stone, and tossed it. The rock hit one wolf's head, only enraging the creature. It pounced, and Dorvin winced but refused to summon his magic, to let Maev win.
He roared and leaped toward the wolf, fists flying.
Before the two could slam together, the demonic canine yowled. Dragon teeth drove into its flanks, tugged it up, and tossed it aside. A spiked tail slammed down, crushing the second demon.
"Stars damn it, Alina!" Dorvin shouted. "I had them."
The lavender dragon hissed at the two wounded demons. Both creatures tried to drag themselves forward, to attack again. Alina torched them with a blast of flame. She turned back toward Dorvin and glared.
"You were going to die just to prove some point to Maev." She released her magic and slapped him. "Oaf of a brother!"
Dorvin rubbed his sore cheek, glaring at the druid. "I could have had them."
Laughter sounded behind. Dorvin spun around to see Maev trudging uphill, a mocking smile on her lips and blood on her hands. She pointed behind her where lay the corpses of three demon wolves.
"Well, well," she said. "Looks like I killed three demons, Alina killed two, and you, Dorvin?" She pretended to count on her fingers. "Oh my. Only one kill for you."
Both of Dorvin's cheeks burned now. He grabbed one of his fallen spears and thrust it into a corpse. "Both of Alina's were mine! I wounded the damn things before she torched them."
Maev nodded and patted his cheek. "Wounded, not killed." She mussed his hair. "Better luck next time, Dung Beetle."
"Go to the Abyss, Mammoth Arse."
Requiem's Hope (Dawn of Dragons) Page 7
