“Wait, wait!” She scooted backward with one hand raised to shield herself. “Give me a minute to think about it.”
I lowered the axe and waited as her eyes took in her surroundings, me, my axe, and the enormous ice dragon hovering above her. I could see her doing the mental math as she calculated her chances of not being eaten alive. Clearly, she knew just how much Arieste hated Riamod, and she didn’t take long to decide which was her best option.
“Fine,” she said, and there was an extra edge of heat to her voice. “I’ll submit.” Her eyes went from me to the dragon and back again. “Do you have some magic words you want me to say, some vow of fealty?”
“I want your word that you will not betray me or try to harm my allies,” I said as I tapped my axe on the ground.
“Also tell her that she needs to let you fuck her,” Nyvea urged, but I ignored her.
“Sure, no problem,” she replied in a flippant tone. “You have my word I won’t do any of that bad stuff to you.”
“Betray me, and I’ll feed you to her.” I thrust my chin toward Arieste, and the ice dragon bared her teeth in a wicked grin. “Or, I’ll turn you over to the people of Whitespire and tell them who you really are.”
This got her attention. Panic tinged her expression, and real fear filled her eyes. It didn’t take an active imagination to know what the humans would do to Riamod in human form.
“But I’m not going to force you into slavery. All I ask is that you help me fulfill my quest and teach me how to use the fire magic.”
“Use…the magic?” the woman asked, and her eyes narrowed.
I tapped into the fiery power coursing through my tattoos. It took effort to keep the magic from bursting out of me, but I managed to keep it to just a trickle, enough to make a small flame sprout from my hands.
“I have your magic, and it’s in my power to return it to you. Just like I did with her.” I pointed again to Arieste. The woman’s eyes went to the ice dragon, and the calculating look returned.
“She serves you?” the redhead asked as she turned back to me.
“Yessss,” the ice dragon rumbled.
“Alright,” the woman who had once been a fire dragon said after a moment more of consideration. “I will teach you how to use my fire magic.” A teasing smile toyed at her lips. “And, perhaps, for a handsome man like you, a few more useful things.”
“Ooh, we’re going to have fun with her,” Nyvea purred.
Chapter Seventeen
Arieste didn’t like the fact that I was letting the woman live, and her lips curled back to reveal massive dragon fangs.
“What’s your name? Or is it Riamod?” I asked the woman quickly as I shot a glare up at the ice dragon.
“Irenya is my given name,” she said, and her voice took on a little purr, sort of like Nyvea’s tone when she was trying to be seductive.
“Well, Irenya, as you can imagine, Arieste here is less than happy with my decision. I’m sure she’d welcome any excuse to bite your head off while I’m busy searching the cave.”
The woman’s tanned skin went a shade paler as she looked up at the dragon.
“If I were you,” I told her with a grin, “I’d avoid doing anything she might interpret as a threat.” I winked up at Arieste. “Somehow, I think just breathing the wrong way could end up being misinterpreted.”
Arieste let out a snuffling sound, which I interpreted as dragon laughter.
“What are you searching the cave for?” Irenya asked.
“Your hoard,” I told her. “Fire weapons, or anything magical we can use to fight the rest of the dragons.”
“Look back there for an archway next to the altar,” Irenya said, and lifted her arm to point a delicate finger in the direction of the now-lightless red stone. She shot a glance up at Arieste. “Just…don’t take too long.”
“Watch her,” I told the ice dragon. “Bite her if she makes the wrong move.”
“With pleasure,” Arieste snarled.
I grinned and turned and strode toward the altar. Sure enough, a few yards to the right and hidden by a large stone pillar was an archway that led down a short tunnel of volcanic rock. The tunnel ran up a gentle slope for twenty yards, then ended in a cavernous room of stone walls that rose up to a domed ceiling.
I gasped at the sight of all the gold, gemstones, and treasures piled there. The fire dragon’s hoard was easily twice as large as Arieste’s had been, and far more organized. Coins spilled out of chests lining the eastern wall of the cavern, and bags of gemstones of all colors were stacked beside them. A crude stone shelf had been used to store dozens of swords, spears, shields, and an assortment of other weapons. Hope surged in me as I saw magical gemstones of white, red, blue, green, and even amber set into the weapons. There was enough to arm all the Gray Hunters and even some of the White Guard. For the first time, humans had a real chance of defeating the dragons.
“Barodan wishes to speak with you through the altar,” Nyvea told me. There was an edge of tension in her voice as if her master’s summons made her uneasy.
I made my way back up the tunnel toward the altar. The red stone that once glowed was as inert as the surrounding mountain. But when I followed Nyvea’s instructions and pressed her amulet against the altar, I felt a massive surge of power flowing into me. It wasn’t like the fire or ice magic, but the same feeling I got when I used the Mark of the Guardian.
HERO OF EARTH, Barodan thundered in my mind, YOU HAVE DONE WELL IN YOUR MISSION. TWO OF THE ALTARS HAVE GONE DARK.
“You were right about Nyvea,” I told him. “She was an awesome guide and companion.”
INDEED, BUT TELL ME WHY I SENSE THE MAGIC OF FIRE AND ICE WITHIN YOU? I INSTRUCTED YOU TO KILL THE DRAGONS. HAD YOU DONE SO, THE POWER WOULD HAVE RESTORED ME, AND I WOULD BE FREE TO DEAL WITH THEM MYSELF. NOW THAT YOU HAVE THE MAGIC, I AM STILL TOO WEAK TO EXERT MY WILL ON AGREON.
“Oh?” I felt my forehead wrinkle in confusion. “When you gave me the tattoos, I thought that meant you wanted me to use the magic powers.”
THE TATTOOS WOULD HAVE BEEN ACTIVATED WHEN YOU DESTROYED THE DRAGONS. WHEN THEIR POWER WAS RELEASED FROM THEIR MORTAL FORMS, YOU WOULD HAVE RECEIVED A MEASURE OF IT FOR YOURSELF, EVEN AS I WAS GIVEN THE POWER NEEDED TO RETURN TO AGREON. BUT YOU HAVE NOT GIVEN ME ENOUGH. IT WILL TAKE ME MANY MORE DECADES TO BE RESTORED AT THIS RATE.
I sensed the Silent Guardian’s displeasure rumbling through my mind, and it took all my willpower not to let the instinctive fear overwhelm me. It wasn’t every day I did something to piss off a celestial being.
BUT IT IS ENOUGH FOR NOW, Barodan said, and I felt relief coursing through me. I AM PATIENT. I HAVE AN ABUNDANCE OF TIME. THOUGH IT WILL TAKE DECADES, THE DESTRUCTION OF THESE TWO DRAGONS HAVE GIVEN ME ENOUGH POWER TO BEGIN MY RESTORATION OF AGREON.
“Well, that’s awesome,” I said. “So, you’ll be able to deal with the dragons yourself, then?”
INDEED. AND NOW, ETHAN DEPAOLO OF EARTH, THE TIME HAS COME FOR ME TO SEND YOU HOME.
The words hit me like a blow to the gut. Since the first moment I’d come to Agreon, I’d wanted to find a way to get home. I’d accepted Barodan’s quest to slay the dragons in exchange for him sending me back to Earth.
But now, faced with the choice, I found myself reluctant to leave. I had come to enjoy the life here on Iriador. Back in Chicago, I would be alone, a man with few friends and no family. Here, I had Arieste, Nyvea, Sir Galfred, Adath, even King Obragar. I had a mission to keep me going. The people of Whitespire needed me in a way the people of Chicago never would.
“And if I don’t want to go home yet?” I asked Barodan. “If I wanted to stay and help the humans on this world? Could you send me after I killed a few more dragons and set the people of Whitespire free?”
HMMM, Barodan rumbled. YOU WISH TO REMAIN, MAN OF EARTH?
Until that moment, I hadn’t realized the truth: I liked this world and everything it had to offer. The decision was clear.
“Yes,” I said, the
n added, “for now. Just a while longer.” I had just found magical abilities, and there was no way I wanted to give them up so soon after unlocking my fire power. Together with the help of Arieste and Nyvea, and maybe even one day Irenya, I could use these abilities to destroy the dragons and their minions.
Then I would bring peace to the realm of men. I couldn’t turn my back on them yet. They needed me. They needed a hero, and that was who I was.
VERY WELL, Barodan said, and I heard a hard edge to his voice. BUT HEED MY WORDS, HERO OF EARTH. SLAY THE DRAGONS, BUT DO NOT TAKE THE POWER FOR YOURSELF. IT IS TOO DANGEROUS AND TOO MUCH FOR YOUR MORTAL FLESH TO CONTAIN. DESTROY THE ALTARS AND SEND ME THE POWER I NEED TO BE RESTORED TO AGREON. WITH YOUR HELP, I WILL BE FREE TO DEAL WITH THE DRAGONS AND BRING PEACE TO THE REALM OF MEN.
“That sounds fair,” I said. “Once I’m done, you can send me home, right?”
AS LONG AS YOU GIVE ME THE POWER INSTEAD OF TAKING IT FOR YOURSELF, IT WILL BE POSSIBLE.
“Great! It’s a deal.”
THE POWER IS NOT YOURS, Barodan said with such force my head ached. MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE AND RESIST ITS ALLURE.
“You got it,” I said with a grin. “Destroy the altars, give you the power.”
The connection with Barodan snapped, and I staggered backward, dizzy.
“He didn’t seem happy,” Nyvea said in a tight voice.
“Yeah, he’s kinda pissed I took the power for myself instead of giving it to him.” I lifted the amulet and held it up before my face to stare into the stone. “You were the one who told me to use the gemstones to take the power rather than destroying the altar. Why?”
“Because you need to slay the dragons,” she purred.
“Sure, but if I gave Barodan the power, he could just come and wipe out the dragons for me.” I gave the amulet a hard glare. “Tell me the truth, Nyvea.”
There was silence for a long moment. Finally, when she spoke, it was in a quiet voice.
“Barodan summoned you to this world but failed to give you the tools you needed to complete his quest. There was no way you could have done what he asked, so I made the decision to help you unlock your powers. If you had destroyed the altar, the power would all have gone to Barodan, with hardly any for you. But when you close the loop by pressing the gemstones to the altar, the power goes into you.”
“But I thought you served Barodan,” I said, confused. “Why—”
“Fuck Barodan,” Nyvea said, and there was real anger in her voice. “He is not worthy of my service. He was the one who imprisoned me in this gemstone, yet he expects me to lick his boots and be grateful for the opportunity. He would never have set me free, no matter what I did. But you,” her voice took on that silky, seductive tone again, “you are worth serving. You’re not just handsome and strong, but you’re brave and kind and heroic. You should take all the power for yourself, since you will use it to help your fellow humans. You are a true hero, Ethan, and one day I hope you will realize that I am worth more to you free of this amulet. I can wait until then. As long as I am with you and not someone unworthy, I am content.”
Nyvea’s words filled me with a warmth that seemed stronger than the lava in the mountain. She had chosen me over a super-powered being, the protector of Agreon. It felt pretty awesome, but I guessed she was just buttering me up, and I knew it would take me a bit of time to understand her true goals.
As well as the true goals of Barodan. Yeah, the guy had said he wanted to save this world from the dragons, and the winged serpents did seem to be causing terrible strife in this land, but I’d be a fool to think he wasn’t trying to play some longer game.
I would save this world, but I wasn’t going to be some powerful being’s pawn.
“I’m glad I stayed, then,” I told her as I slung the chain around my neck. “I’d miss you if I left you behind.”
“I’m right here, handsome,” she purred, and it felt like the gemstone shifted to nestle between my pecs. “Right where I want to be. Well, I’d rather be a flesh and blood woman, so that we could make love to each other for endless hours, but I am content to wait until you feel it is appropriate for you to release me.”
“I’ll think about it,” I said. “Honestly, Nyvea, I’m not sure that I trust you.”
“I understand. This is all very new to you. I am not angry that you wish to wait. I would if I was in your position. I will just continue to remind you that I have your back, Ethan. I care for you, and your mission. I serve you over Barodan and only want you to be successful at gathering the power you deserve. I’m not sure why these dragons are turning into women after you steal their power, but I think you should continue to take the altars in this fashion.”
“Barodan said he might not be able to send me back through,” I said.
“Of course he would say that,” she said with a light laugh. “What is the one thing gods fear?”
“Other gods?” I asked.
“Yessss,” she purred. “Think of how powerful you were with one of your tattoos lit with magic. What happens when all of them are? You might not need Barodan’s magic to send you back to your world. You might not need anyone. You’ll have all the powers of the dragons, and a harem of beautiful sorcerer women you can shapeshift into dragons. All will kneel before you. Think of all the help you could bring people if you ruled this world. Won’t it be wonderful?”
“Yeah,” I said as I thought about the inequalities I’d seen in the city. Maybe Nyvea’s words were starting to go to my head, but I really did want to help people. What better way than being a benevolent ruler?
I pushed the thoughts out of my head quickly. I didn’t want to give into the fantasy right now. I had a lot of work to do first, and I didn’t want to leave the women alone for too long, or Arieste might just decide that Irenya looked at her wrong.
I returned to the treasure trove and grabbed an arm full of gem-encrusted magical weapons. Then I strode out of the alcove and back across the rock-strewn ground toward Arieste and Irenya. The dark-haired woman had sat up, and she was busy straightening her dress while she pretended not to notice the sixty-foot dragon looming over her. Arieste’s eyes were fixed on the woman with a hate-filled glare, and her long tongue passed over her lips.
“Good to see everyone’s still alive,” I said as I set the weapons down on the ground. Their two heads whipped toward me, and I spared them both a grin.
“Not to complain,” Irenya said with a mischievous smile, “but the heat in here is doing terrible things to my hair. Any plans to get us out of here?”
“I will bear us,” Arieste rumbled. Her pale blue eyes locked onto mine. “Let me keep the power a little while longer, and I will bring us safely back to Whitespire far faster than we could manage on horseback.”
Hesitation surged through me, and I considered her suggestion. I had given Arieste the ice power out of desperation, but we were no longer in danger. I knew Irenya’s fire powers kept her from feeling the heat just like me, and Arieste had enough ice magic to stay cool. The smart thing to do would be to take back the ice magic rather than risk keeping her in her dragon form much longer.
She had done nothing to earn my distrust, but I knew how I’d feel if someone tried to take the magic away from me, even though I’d only had it for a few short days. I’d seen the eagerness burning in her eyes as she held out her hands for the gemstone, and her words as I transformed her into the dragon.
After a moment of careful consideration, I nodded. Her plan was the best way out of here. I had no idea where the horses were, and the sooner we returned to Whitespire with the weapons from the dragon’s hoard, the better. There was no telling when the next dragon attack would come after the other dragons on Iriador found out Riamod and Frosdar were both destroyed.
“Very well,” I said and met the creature’s icy blue eyes. “I’m trusting you. I’m going to go gather another load of weapons for the king, you both wait here.”
They both nodded, and I turned to walk back into the deeper
part of the mountain cave.
“You seemed to have conquered the ice dragon’s heart,” Nyvea whispered as I strode down the tunnel toward the dragon’s hoard again. “I suspected her feelings for you, but this confirms it. She did as you asked and didn’t destroy her enemy. Now she has offered to carry you back to the city. This is a good turn of events, and I’m glad you followed my advice and turned her into your sex slave.”
“You actually told me to kill her,” I replied to Nyvea as I fought against a smile and filled my arms with magical weapons.
“Oh, I supposed I did,” Nyvea sighed. “It just goes to show that you intrinsically know what you should do. I am proud of you, Ethan.”
“You are just feeding my ego now,” I said as I used my belt to wrap the weapons into a second bundle.
“I am telling the truth,” Nyvea said. “How many other men do you know that have defeated two dragons and taken their power?”
“Fair enough,” I chuckled as I walked back to the two women. Once I made it there, I tied the two bundles of weapons between a pair of Arieste’s back spikes with strips of cloth from my cloak.
Arieste danced away as I went to help Irenya onto her back. “She rides in my claws,” the dragon rumbled and raised huge talons toward the woman.
“No,” I told the ice dragon with a shake of my head. “She is no longer Riamod. Your enmity with the red dragon dies here. You both serve me, or I’ll be done with you.”
Irenya’s cheek muscles tightened at my words, but her amber eyes revealed nothing. Arieste rumbled in displeasure but didn’t move away when I helped Irenya onto her back. I settled the redheaded woman between Arieste’s spines and took a seat in front of her.
“Hold on to me,” I told her. “There are no seatbelts on this ride.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Seatb—”
Her words were cut off as Arieste crouched and leaped high into the air. The white dragon’s wings beat as she fought to gain altitude, and I felt Irenya’s body press back against mine as we flew straight up toward the mouth of the mountain. The redhead didn’t move away from my chest. Instead, she wiggled until she settled into a comfortable position. I was keenly aware of her rounded butt and curved back against my body, and the smoky scent of her hair filled my nostrils.
Dragon Slayer: A Pulp Fantasy Harem Adventure Page 24
