by Megan Derr
From what he knew of humans, that made sense. They liked their secrets and being confusing and not saying what they meant, like bitches in a sly mood, except it was permanent.
The wolves chuckled. Barkus gestured to the door. "Shall we go before someone is sent to drag us to court by our feet?"
Ajith would drag him—he had before. The wolves laughed again as he shared that memory and offered a few of their own in return, leaving them all chuckling and teasing each other as they finally reached the main throne room.
It was not as full as Najlah had expected. On the day he and Ajith had arrived, there had barely been enough room for them to move, so noisy and smelly and ugh. He'd loathed it. Given the matter at hand, which even he could understand, despite his best efforts to avoid politics, he had expected a larger crowd.
His brother stood with Korla before the throne, slightly to the king's left. The contingent from Gormestia, seven in all, stood all the way to the king's right. The entirety of the council, two representatives for each of the thirty provinces of Restuel, as well as perhaps another fifty to sixty nobles, were arranged on either side of the room, along with ambassadors from other countries.
Najlah ignored all the staring, focused on his brother, King Wyst, and Ranteth, who looked pale and shaky and should probably still be in bed.
Reaching the steps that led up to the throne, Najlah and the wolves knelt.
"Rise," Wyst said. "Master Najlah, why am I not surprised you have already stolen my newly-arrived wolves? I heard that you were fond of one of them, but you cannot have all three."
Najlah growled.
"I know very well that when your eyes go yellow you are entirely too pleased with yourself," Wyst replied wryly.
"Majesty…" one of the Gormestia delegates said. "We have come to address a very serious matter."
Wyst glanced at the man, expression going cold. "I'm aware of the matter we are here to discuss and the gravity of it, Prince Tevra. You might recall that it was I whom you tried to assassinate, my friends who nearly died right alongside me, and my soldiers who almost died on that mountain."
"You have no proof it was Gormestia that was responsible for those attacks," Tevra said.
"We survived the attack, Highness," Barkus said. "We are living proof, and I also have these." He reached into his jacket and pulled out a small drawstring bag, tossing it to the soldier who stood beside Wyst. "Markers worn by all Gormestia soldiers so their bodies can be identified. My entire Clan, and no doubt your people, can verify there was no way I could have had those before we were attacked in the caves of the Shide. There is also a set taken from the scouts that attacked a few days after we finally got free of the caves. My men here were part of that attack. Is that sufficient proof?"
Tevra's mouth tightened as he stared at the markers Wyst pulled out of the bag and let dangle from his fingers. "Identity markers can be stolen and replaced, or even fabricated. Why should I take the word of the Lukos when everyone knows they'll do anything to get rid of whoever is on their precious mountain. I certainly will not take the word of that." He jabbed a finger at Najlah. "He looks like he wandered out of a harem."
"You will show respect!" Wyst bellowed, so abrupt and loud that the entire Gormestia party jumped, half of them crying out.
Najlah growled in confusion, looking to Barkus. What in the sands was a harem?
Barkus grinned and showed him. Najlah hissed, turned to his brother. "They think I am a horned brute, or some variation of that. Are they seriously so stupid that they think because I am small and covered in jewels and gold that I lounge about the den all day like you lazy oafs?"
"You do lounge about here all day, sand grub,” Ajith replied, giving a low, growling rumble of laughter.
Tevra and his group eyed them warily, then looked to Wyst. "Might I know what they are saying, Your Majesty?"
Wyst shrugged. "I do not understand their language, though Korla tries to teach me. They write things down when I must know them, and Ranteth can communicate via magic when he is at full strength. I admire that they are able to learn our language, even if they are unable to speak it. I'm sure you deserve it, whatever they are saying. Korla?"
"They're amused, Your Majesty." She regarded Tevra with all the imperiousness a duchess could muster. "There are three types of dragons: bitches, horned brutes, and hornless brutes. Bitches are the women, and there are usually only a few to a den—the one who is in charge, her second and third in command, and not more than four young ones who will someday make their own dens. When a bitch gives birth, all the kits are female. They fight for the dominant positions, and then the established bitch selects her favorites from the remaining. Those kits become the horned brutes, like Ajith; they guard the den and tend the females, everything from serving them food, cleaning them, sex… It is the horned brutes who are, more or less, the concubines. Any remaining kits become hornless brutes like Najlah, the fighters and hunters. So far as these two are concerned, you are not insulting them, merely accusing a fighter of being a den-keeper."
"I see," Tevra said, though his jaw was so tightly clenched Najlah did not know how he managed to speak. "Thank you for telling me."
"As to his attire," Wyst added. "You should be grateful he's wearing clothes at all. I'm surprised you are not familiar with Tahjil and its people."
"I am as acquainted with the ways of blood-drinking demons as I want to be."
Najlah hissed at him. "You'd drink blood too if you lived in the sands." Amusement washed over him from Barkus, and he turned, growling inquisitively.
"We can't drink blood the way dragons can," Barkus said. "If we tried, we'd get sick. Fascinating that it offers dragons so much nourishment."
"We have gotten off topic," Ranteth cut in quietly. "I have plenty of books on the matter for you later, Lord Shidene. I'll send them to your… to Lord Najlah's chambers for you."
Wyst grunted. "Back to the matter at hand. These identity tokens prove your men encountered mine. If that is not sufficient proof, we can take you to the caves where their bodies remain, though I do not advise you make such a dangerous journey. Now, Prince Tevra, you are free to examine the tokens here while I watch. One at a time. Lord Shidene, did you compile a list of names from these as requested?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," Barkus replied and pulled a packet of papers from his jacket. When Wyst gestured, he held it out to Tevra.
"Highness, that is every name that is on these tokens. Look them over, conduct your own inquiries, and ascertain for yourself whether or not they are guilty as we say. You already have our written reports on this matter. I will give you a month here, as my guest, to investigate the matter. When it's settled to your satisfaction we will resume this discussion. Have you any questions for Lords Shidene or Najlah?"
Tevra shook his head, clenching the papers so tightly they crumpled in his fist. "No, Your Majesty."
"Then I believe this meeting is adjourned. Lord Najlah, Lord Shidene, remain please." He turned away as one of his secretaries came up to murmur in his ear and offer papers. "I'll be right back." Standing, Wyst motioned for the secretary to follow him through a door behind the throne room, his two bodyguards close behind.
Najlah huffed but remained where he was because ignoring the order would not be worth the resulting hassle.
Barkus turned to Korla. "You understand Tahjili? That's impressive. I am fortunate to have the bond, because I do not think I would learn it well."
Korla smiled. "I was convinced it was impossible when I first started learning, but a language is a language and only takes patience and hard work. The hardest part is that they speak extremely fast."
Najlah hissed at her. "You make it sound like you speak slowly, which is not true, dear sister."
She laughed. "At least I don't speak as fast as possible on purpose simply to be difficult, Naji."
"Naji?" Barkus repeated, grinning. "Even I can tell that's meant to be cute." He laughed harder when Najlah growled at him. "So is your na
me actually Najlah, or is that simply the closest we can come?"
Conveying it was correct as far as human vocals could manage, Najlah replied, "Najlah."
Barkus tilted his head, then repeated in wolfish growls, "Naajjjla." He shook his head. "That will take practice. Is that your entire name?"
Najlah shook his head. Back home he was Najlah of Rejmarah's Den, and also known as Najlah of the Bones. He offered up memories of home to Barkus and the other wolves, showing them the place where he had lived. The color of a dragon's scales denoted where he was from in Tahjil. Black-scaled dragons lived right in the midst of the volcanoes at the center of Tahjil, and they were the deadliest of all dragons. Tahjil was simply 'Mother Fire,' and the volcanoes were called Tahjali, the Fire Daughters. The part where he lived was called the Heart Bones, Tahnak, a collection of rock and black sand that stood as a border between the volcanoes and the rest of Tahjil.
Almost as one, the wolves silently asked if his name meant anything. Najlah playfully bared his teeth. Don't all names mean something? What do yours mean?
Barkus returned the toothy smile. "Names are names, I know that. But my name more or less means 'Cry of the Sky Mountain'. Shide technically means 'sky', and Shidene is 'sky mountain'. Barkus means 'harsh cry'."
Najlah hissed in amusement. My name technically translates as 'hot ash'. My mother likes to say it's because I'm very much like ash: useful and irritating all at once." He flicked his tongue out. Ajith's name means 'volcanic glass' but there is a different way you say it that I can't remember. He huffed and growled in annoyance and looked to Korla. "How do you say it?"
"Obsidian," Korla replied and tapped the chain of the necklace she wore, a heavy black pendant that gleamed in the light, overlaid with gold roses and vines.
Wyst chuckled, drawing their attention. "I am sorry for stepping away, there was a small emergency to deal with. Learning more about dragons, Lord Shidene? "
"Trying, Your Majesty."
"Pardon, Majesty," Korla said. "I did not mean to linger."
"No worries, my dear." Wyst rose and walked down the steps to join them, his bodyguards close behind but relaxed. "It does no harm for you to hear what I wanted to say to Najlah and Lord Shidene." He turned to them. "Be on your guard, I do not like the look of that group. Sad to say the only one I trust right now is Prince Tevra. He is obnoxious and loud, but he does not strike me as a schemer. The others, however, especially that little one with the sharp green eyes—they are up to something, or I'll eat my boots. Stay in your rooms, and if you must leave them, be sure to stay as far from the Gormestians as possible. If they are going to try something, we should at least make it difficult for them."
"Yes, Majesty," Korla and the wolves chorused while Ajith and Najlah growled the same.
Dismissed, Najlah left the throne room quickly, pleased that Barkus stayed with him.
What shall we do now? Barkus asked.
Najlah halted mid-step and turned sharply around, grunting when Barkus ran into him. When did we start doing this?
Grinning, Barkus nipped his nose. Back in court. You've settled fully into the pack bond. Chief told me to break it if you wanted, but that I was otherwise allowed to leave it in place, as it seemed useful to have a dragon in our midst. At some point, though, you will have to come meet the pack. He nipped Najlah's nose again. In the summer, though, when pack lands will be free of snow.
Snow. Najlah growled and hissed.
"Oh, purple eyes mean displeasure."
Rolling his eyes, Najlah grabbed the sides of Barkus' face and leaned in to bite at his lips, drawing a bit of blood, before giving him a long, hard kiss that was enthusiastically returned.
"Not in the hallway!" Ajith snapped.
Drawing back, Najlah looked past Barkus' shoulder and snarled, "Go be irritating somewhere else, you hypocritical rock." He grabbed Barkus' arm and dragged him away before Ajith started talking again, ignoring the reprimanding growls that chased them.
When they reached his room, Najlah immediately discarded his clothes and jewelry, leaving it all in a heap by the bed before crawling into it. He rumbled in approval that someone had warmed the bedding. A moment later Barkus slid in behind him, wrapped around him. Najlah turned to do some wrapping of his own, loving the weight and warmth of being tangled up with Barkus. It was not the same as lying in a fire or enjoying the heat of the rocks back home, but the difference was a good one.
Though he still suspected his new fondness for being clingy had something to do with the Lukos.
Barkus' amusement rippled through his mind. "That is definitely a wolf thing," he mumbled sleepily against Najlah's skin.
Growling low, shifting a bit to settle more comfortably, Najlah sank into warmth and sleep.
When he woke later, it was dark and quiet, save for the warm glow and snap-crack of the fire. So what had woken him? Najlah flicked his tongue and growled when he could just barely taste blood on the air. That was no minor wound, either, not if he could smell it so sharply from a distance.
He hissed as he shifted and slithered from the bed.
"What—" Barkus broke off and sat up. "Damn." Throwing back the blankets, he climbed out of bed and shifted. Should I have Kormis and Hyde come to us?"
"Send them to protect Wyst and Ranteth."
"Not your brother?"
Najlah hissed and growled with amusement. Oh, he hoped somebody attempted to hurt Ajith, who was still angry that he had been struck down by poison, who had a wife due to give birth in a few more months. There were reasons that horned brutes were responsible for the immediate protection of the den, and nothing was more dangerous that a brute protecting a pregnant bitch.
Barkus gave a soft woof, then followed after him as Najlah darted off, following the scent of blood through the palace… and right up to the door of a room that smelled like Prince Tevra, sour-sweet like smoke from green wood. He grabbed the handle, snarling when it proved to be locked. Moving back a little ways, he turned and whipped his tail, bringing it down hard. Wood splintered, metal clanging as the handle struck the floor.
Shoving the door open, Najlah prowled inside, tail swinging back and forth, claws clicking on the hard tile floor. The smell of blood was sharp and bright, fresh and appetite-whetting. He followed it to the bed, climbed up on it, and hissed loudly at what he saw: Prince Tevra, brutally cut up, blood soaking the sheets all around him.
He was just barely breathing. Impressive that he was still alive after such a vicious attack. Prince Tevra was stronger than he looked, remarkably tenacious for a human. Najlah surged in, rapidly treating every wound with healing fluid just enough to close each one so he could move on to stabilize the next. He needs a healer. I cannot replace all the blood he has lost.
Giving a sharp bark in reply, Barkus ran off.
Najlah poured all his energy into healing Tevra's wounds, even when it began to tire him out, not stopping until the smell of fresh-flowing blood ceased. He sniffed at every wound anyway, licking away drying blood, secreting more fluid where the healing seemed too thin.
He snarled as light poured abruptly into the room, sharp and bright and irritating. Closing his eyes, Najlah drew away from Tevra and crawled down to the floor.
"Sorry," Ranteth said. "The room lights have been lit now, you should be fine."
Snorting, Najlah slowly opened his eyes again and took in Ranteth, Ajith, and Barkus.
Ranteth looked at Tevra, still and pale in his blood-soaked bed. "What happened?"
Someone attacked Prince Tevra, Najlah said to Barkus. I think they wanted to make it look like I did it, the way he was crudely cut up, with some sort of rough-edged blade. As though a dragon would kill so poorly and waste good blood. His tongue flicked out. Very good blood, for a human.
Barkus gave him a fleeting amused look, then turned to Ranteth and repeated all Najlah had said. "They must have thought Prince Tevra was dead, or would be soon. But no one else has encountered—" He broke off, and Najlah felt anger and pain
and help pour through the bond.
Belting out a roar, Najlah ran off through the halls of the palace, Barkus at his side. They burst through the open door of the king's chambers and saw Kormis bleeding and battered, but still facing down the three Gormestians who remained standing. Two others lay dead, next to Wyst's bodyguards, who unfortunately seemed to have died stopping them.
Najlah snarled and threw himself at the remaining assailants, spikes coming out, tail swinging, fury driving every movement.
The first attacker took Najlah's tail in the face. The second he gutted. The third he let live for questioning, but Najlah made certain he would not walk again. Ignoring the screaming and sobbing, Najlah prowled in close to the fallen man and nosed at his face, tasting his sweat and blood. Growling softly, he slammed the man's head into the floor, cutting off his pitiful noises.
Snarling and hissing, he padded over to where Wyst was tucked into a corner being protected by Kormis. Is His Majesty well?
Yes.
Najlah growled in approval and bid Kormis come to him, leave Barkus to guard Wyst. Using what remained of his healing fluid, Najlah repaired the worst of the damage Kormis had taken. He rumble-growled with amusement at the awe and envy that filtered through the bond. In Tahjil, there are creatures with venom that counters the healing, so if you are not careful it will only make matters worse. Mostly we use it for sealing wounds before sand and other irritants can get into them since that will kill a dragon faster than anything. He drew back, sniffing and nudging until he was content Kormis was healed, then withdrew and prowled over to Wyst.
"Thank you, all of you," Wyst said, looking first at Kormis, then Najlah and Barkus. "What in the name of the gods is going on?"
