by Eric Vall
“Oh, Lord Evan.” Polina covered her mouth with her hand.
“We’re so sorry!” Marina cried.
“Don’t worry about it.” I waved off their apologies. “I’m pretty sure there are more of them in the burrow. Let’s flush the bastards out.”
“Yeah!” Trina cheered. “The burrow didn’t feel very big when I found it earlier. Do you want me to double check it?”
“For sure,” I agreed. “Let’s see how much room they have down there.”
Trina dropped to her knees by the hole and laid her hands on the soil around it. Then her sisters lowered themselves next to her and put their hands on top of hers.
“I agree,” Marina said and pointed east. “I don’t think it’s very big at all. Maybe another twenty yards that way.”
“Perfect.” I smirked. “Let’s see if I can warm things up without the flames.”
I took a big breath and imagined the fire in my belly being contained by a small funnel that only allowed the heat to escape. Then I pictured the heat waves and breathed the fiery air directly into the burrow.
Within seconds, about a dozen Green Glass Sect members were scurrying out of the hole to escape the oven-like conditions of the burrow, and the Demi-Humans from the various houses attacked without mercy. Each kill was followed by a cheer from the surrounding warriors, and while I was happy to see the different kinds of Demi-Humans getting along, I still needed one of the Sect members alive.
“Hold!” I called out, but the Demi-Humans continued their systematic slaughter of the remaining Sect assassins. It seemed their emotions and adrenaline were too high to listen.
I watched a cheetah warrior grab the last traitor by the arms as a lion sliced him from sternum to pelvis, but I sent out my healing power to heal the gash and keep the enemy alive for a little while longer.
“I said hold!” I roared across the group. “He’s mine!”
Instantly, the mobbing warriors dropped their heads and stepped away from the Sect member. Then I stepped to the center of the group and shot webs at the traitor to hold him to the jungle floor.
“Let’s try this again,” I snarled as I stepped up directly in front of the captive man. “Who are you?”
“No one,” he mumbled and avoided my stare.
“Oh, then you don’t care about living?” My voice dripped with sarcasm as I used my phoenix magic to form a fiery spear, and then I touched the spear to his cheek.
The skin started to redden, and the assassin writhed in pain, but he didn’t cry out.
“Who are you?” I repeated and dug my spear of flames harder into his flesh.
“Sebastian,” the assassin spat out when the skin on his cheek started to blister.
“There’s a solid answer,” I sneered as I waved the fire spear in front of his face. “I have no patience for your Sect anymore. First, you attacked my people, and now you’ve attacked my princess.”
“Your princess?” Sebastian laughed. “The Divine Maiden means nothing anymore. Once the Breach is finally opened all the way, she will be another nameless victim of the demons who will take over Rahma.”
“Then why try to kill her?” I growled.
“Just following orders,” Sebastian replied with a shrug.
“Orders from who?” I demanded.
“Why should I tell you that?” Sebastian cackled, and it turned into a heaving cough.
I hadn’t healed the gash on his torso entirely, and now blood was starting to stain his pale and chapped lips.
“I assume you want to live?” I raised a brow and traded my spear for my sword. Then I touched the Sword of Hatra to his chest. “Now, where is your tattoo?”
“I bet I could find it,” Aaliyah murmured as she licked the blood from her fully extended claws.
“You … you know about our tattoos?” Sebastian asked with wide eyes.
“What, Olivier didn’t tell you?” I smirked. “I’ve burned a couple off, and he’s sent assassins to the ones I didn’t and tried to kill them. I can’t believe he’s not sharing all this with the Sect.”
“You can take it off?” Sebastian’s nostrils flared. “He said no one can remove it.”
“I’ll show you what I can do if you show me your mark,” I bargained, and I used my sword to release the webs that trapped him.
Sebastian stood up and brushed off his robes, and he kept a careful eye on Aaliyah, who really did look like she would skin him at any moment. Then he untied his robe and lowered one side to reveal a large green leaf tattooed on his left shoulder.
“Don’t move,” I ordered as I lifted Miraya and touched the blade to the tattoo. I called on the sword’s healing, and it warmed to the touch as Miraya’s power and my power removed the tattoo on Sebastian’s shoulder. The green marking flaked away like ash, and then I stepped back.
“Is it done?” the man asked with his eyes closed.
“It’s gone,” I confirmed. “Now, back to my question. Who gave you the order to kill the princess?”
“Why would I tell you now?” Sebastian snorted as he sat back down on the jungle floor, and a cock-sure smirk spread across his face. “The Sect can’t kill me with a quick spell, you want answers and don’t want to kill me. You have nothing now.”
“You little mongrel,” Aaliyah growled and grabbed Sebastian by the front of his robe. Then she lifted him up and planted him against one of the palm trees.
“What are you going to do to me?” Sebastian kept laughing with a crazed look in his eyes. “You can’t kill me, or you find out nothing.”
“Oh, no, dear Sebastian,” Aaliyah cooed, ran a claw down his cheek, and drew a thin line of blood. “I don’t want to kill you. I just want to make you wish you were dead, and then the dragon lord can heal you so I can do it again. And again. And again.”
Sebastian stopped laughing as Aaliyah spoke, and he looked around nervously. All of the Demi-Humans, the dryads, and the rest of the small army that had gathered in the clearing were staring at him with hungry eyes. They all wanted a piece of the Green Glass Sect, and he was the only one here still living.
I shot my webs at him again and stuck his hands and feet to the tree. I didn’t used to be the torture type. Hell, I used to be an EMT, but now I was a dragon and these assholes had come for my women. So, if Aaliyah wanted to gut the guy over and over again, I wasn’t going to stop her like I had the Blue Tree Guild before.
Sebastian thought he was clever, but we had already outsmarted him. He was in the middle of a group of warriors who hated him, and there was no way any of them would let him escape with his life.
“Even if I didn’t touch you, do you think any of these warriors would let you go after you tried to ruin our city?” Aaliyah gestured to the dozens of Demi-Humans who watched her circle him.
I smirked as Sebastian’s face fell from smug to defeated. He would probably still fight us because the Sect members were taught to fight, but he knew he couldn’t win.
“Are you ready to answer the dragon’s question yet?” Aaliyah asked as she carefully untied the rest of Sebastian’s robes to reveal his bare chest.
“I have no reason to help any of you,” Sebastian replied and turned his face away from her.
“Well, this is about to be very uncomfortable for you, then,” she laughed lazily and drew two fingers across his chest from nipple to nipple.
Sebastian grunted but didn’t yell as two thick lines of blood dripped down his chest. He wouldn’t give up easily, but that didn’t seem to bother Aaliyah.
“You’re very tough,” she murmured, and she used the same two claws to draw another set of lines down the middle of his torso and form a T. This time, she dug a little deeper, and the blood poured out more quickly.
The assassin groaned when her claws dug in between his ribs, and his face grew pale. I didn’t want him to lose too much blood, but I wanted him to feel the pain as long as possible. I decided to just keep a status check open on him, so I could watch for internal bleeding or anything tha
t would kill him quickly. He didn’t deserve a quick death.
“You see, Mr. Sebastian.” Aaliyah took a step back and paced back and forth in front of him as she spoke. “I’m not too fond of anyone who comes in and fucks with my people.”
The lions roared and pumped their fists, and even a few of the other cats bared their teeth or grinned at her statement.
“You guys hate each other,” Sebastian breathed in disbelief. “Why do you care if we poison the jaguars’ river?”
“We don’t hate the jaguars, nor do we hate the cheetahs,” Aaliyah huffed.
“Guess you guys weren’t paying too much attention to why the princess and I came here, huh?” I sneered. “You thought we were on vacation?”
“Olivier said--” Sebastian stopped himself and looked away from me.
“Olivier said what?” I pressed.
Sebastian shook his head and avoided my gaze.
Aaliyah growled and swung her open hand into his leg. Her claws stabbed into his thigh, and blood gushed out in waves.
Sebastian howled, and I checked his status.
Classification: Human.
Condition: Lacerations, damaged femoral artery, concussion.
Priority: Immediate healing required.
Status: Critically injured.
Aaliyah got his femoral artery with that one, so I reached out with my power and healed just the artery. He could still deal with the other stab wounds she left on him.
The lioness looked at me sternly when she saw the glitter residue fall on Sebastian’s leg.
“I had to,” I muttered with a shrug. “You almost killed him. I only healed the deadly wound, don’t worry.”
“Ah.” Aaliyah nodded. “Should I stop?”
“Nope,” I laughed. “I’ll make sure he stays alive, and you make sure he tells us what we need to know.”
“Sounds like good teamwork!” Aaliyah chuckled and turned back to Sebastian. “Lucky for you, Lord Evan just saved your life. Don’t you feel lucky?”
Sebastian spat on the ground at her feet, and several lions sprang forward and growled, ready to tear into the traitor.
“Stop, that’s exactly what he wants.” I waved them back. “If one of you kills him now, we stop asking questions. Right, Sebastian?”
He looked at the ground and didn’t respond.
The lions glanced at each other and stepped back to reform the circle around us.
“Yeah, I’m not stupid.” I cocked my head to one side. “Did Olivier tell you that, too? He just thinks I’m some big, dumb dragon that he can keep sending people to attack? Did he tell you how many of those attempted attackers are still alive?”
“Wait, we aren’t the first?” Sebastian finally spoke and lifted his head to stare at me in bewilderment.
“The first to attack my group?” I laughed in surprise. “Not at all. Not even the second or third. How do you think I knew about the tattoos?”
Sebastian looked down again and grunted, and I could tell he was getting more and more frustrated. We could torture him some more, but getting him pissed off at Olivier and the rest of the Green Glass Sect seemed to be working pretty well, too.
“So, Olivier gave the order to kill Alyona, right?” I asserted.
Sebastian pursed his lips but nodded once.
“But he tells you that she’s not important and will be killed once the Breach is opened fully, right?” I continued.
Sebastian nodded again slowly.
“So, why would it matter if she was killed before it opens if she’s not important?” I concluded.
“She can stop it,” Aaliyah gasped.
Sebastian’s eyes darted over to the lioness as she connected the dots out loud, and the dryad sisters and the other Demi-Humans inhaled sharply and started murmuring to each other.
“We have to protect the princess at all costs,” Polina declared with a furrowed brow.
“Nothing can happen to her,” a jaguar agreed.
“She will save Rahma.” A cheetah solemnly nodded.
“I-I have no idea i-if that’s true,” Sebastian stammered.
“Of course, you don’t.” Aaliyah smirked. “Olivier probably wouldn’t tell you anything because he sent you on a suicide mission.”
“No, he told me stuff!” Sebastian argued. “He told me about the Dandelion Gates!”
Jackpot.
“Does that mean anything to you?” I asked Aaliyah.
“Nope,” she answered and took a step toward him.
“Wait, no, stop!” Sebastian cried out. “He always called it one of the steps. I don’t know any of the steps after that, but he called Dandelion Gates one of them.”
My mind ran over all the information we’d gathered so far, and I wondered what these gates were a step to.
“One other thing,” I started. “What do you know about the nexus spell?”
“Shit,” Sebastian muttered and looked down. “I’m not a mage.”
“I can see that,” I said as my eyes narrowed. “I want to know what you know.”
“I know the mages have been studying it,” Sebastian answered without looking up. “I don’t know what it does, but I know it’s real dark magic. Like, really dark.”
“That’s what I needed.” I nodded to Aaliyah and stepped back.
“Wait, I told you what you wanted to know!” Sebastian cried.
“And I made sure you lived through that,” I confirmed. “Now, if the citizens of Tikal want to exact their own revenge, who am I to stop them?”
The Demi-Humans slowly walked toward the man as he hung helplessly from the tree trunk. Old EMT Evan felt bad about the situation since Sebastian wasn’t going to survive it, but dragon Evan gave no fucks. This guy was a coward. If we didn’t kill him, Olivier certainly would, I had no doubt about that. At least if the cats killed him, they would shred him quickly.
I walked away from the clearing and ignored Sebastian’s screams and pleas for help. Then I summoned a messenger dragon to send to my bride.
“Jungle is clear,” I reported. “Let’s meet at the river.”
The small silver dragon nodded and disappeared toward House Onca.
The dryad sisters, Nike, and Laika joined me in silence, and we walked back to the path that would lead to the river. Now that the jungle was safe, I wanted to finish cleansing the water. The sooner we got rid of the curse, the sooner I could stop worrying so much about Alyona’s safety.
I wanted to tell Alyona everything we’d learned. I knew she probably wasn’t happy with me still, but I’d been right. The Sect would go after her because she was a defense against the Breach that they didn’t know how to stop, and for whatever crazy reason, they actually wanted the Breach to open up completely to the world.
We walked the path to the same place Alyona and Ravi had tried to use their cure before.
“I know you’re figuring out our next moves,” Nike began as we stopped near the water, “but I’m thinking we should move on soon.”
“Yeah,” I agreed with a nod. “The Green Glass Sect is clearly only after us, so there’s no reason to keep putting Tikal’s people at risk. Once we get this river curse purified, we shouldn’t need to stay here anyway.”
“Ah.” Nike dipped his head. “Which is why you told them to go ahead and come here.”
“They’re already annoyed with me for this morning, so I might as well let them have their way and do the ritual.” I smirked.
Nike chuckled as Alyona and Ravi walked into the clearing, and surprisingly, Alyona hurried over to me and threw her arms around my neck.
Well, at least she wasn’t as pissed at me.
“Thank the gods,” she murmured in my ear. “I saw the flare from the palace, and we’ve been waiting to hear that you’re alright.”
“Of course, I am,” I said as I nuzzled my face into her hair. “I’m the big, badass dragon, remember?”
Alyona giggled and looked up at me with tears in her eyes.
“What’s wrong?�
�� I asked with immediate concern.
“I’m sorry about this morning,” she said sadly. “I wanted so badly to help that I didn’t want to listen to your reasoning.”
“It’s okay.” I was surprised since I hadn’t even told her what Sebastian had said yet. “I’m glad you didn’t come, though. The Sect member we caught basically told us the Sect wants you dead because you can stop the Breach.”
Alyona and Ravi gasped.
“It’s true, milady,” Laika offered. “I heard it myself. He didn’t realize what he was figuring out at first, but Olivier wants you dead, and he doesn’t want anyone to know why.”
“I have no idea how to stop the Breach,” Alyona breathed, and her delicate brow furrowed in confusion. “If I did, it would already be done.”
“Well, do the Dandelion Gates mean anything to you?” I asked.
“I’ve heard of them,” Alyona mused. “They’re actually just north of Lumin.”
“That’s our next stop,” Nike confirmed what I was thinking. “We should go check it out while we’re there.”
“I agree,” I said with a nod. “In the meantime, let’s get this ritual thing done, so House Onca can have some clean water again.”
“Okay, everyone stand back.” Ravi motioned the group to take a few steps away from the river.
Everyone except the phoenix and Alyona backed away from the water and stood closer to the trees.
Then Alyona and Ravi stood on the riverbank, faced each other, and held both hands while they started chanting. The water darkened immediately, as if the strength of the spell brought it to the surface. The whirlpools were again visible, while the water rushed past them in waves and reflected the sunlight with a purple sheen. The wind picked up speed and turned cold, and I felt a shiver roll down my spine as I watched the women fight to complete the ritual.
Suddenly, Alyona and Ravi began to glow with a white light. The light shot out in all directions, and it struck the water and trees around us. We all ducked, but the light eventually focused on the water and shot into it. The river reflected the pure light in every direction as the whirlpools slowed down, and the waves stopped crashing against the riverbanks. The air around the river grew warm and humid like the rest of the jungle again, and the river water returned to its original blue.
