by Eric Vall
“I think you mix them together,” Aaliyah whispered as she motioned toward the food. “Like a soup.”
“Uhhh, okay,” I muttered as I scooped noodles and casserole into my bowl and then ladled the broth over the top. It looked like a mushy weird mess, and I hesitated to take the first bite.
For once, I waited for everyone else to start eating, and my women mixed all the ingredients together before they took bites. So, I followed suit and mixed mine up, though I was still unconvinced about this meal. Then Laika closed her eyes and let out a soft groan as she tasted the first bite, and Forsythe grinned as the rest of the women sighed and nodded while they ate.
Okay, it couldn’t be terrible.
So, I took a bite, and I couldn’t hold back my own sigh at the delicious combination of flavors. The casserole and pasta were amazing together, but the sweet juice made it all perfect. The concoction was tender and flavorful as it dissolved on my tongue, and I looked up to see the deer Demi-Human chef had a wide smile across his furry face.
“You approve, Lord Evan?” he asked.
“This is delicious,” I replied after I swallowed the bite. “What is it?”
“I haven’t named it anything,” Forsythe answered. “It’s one of my many unique recipes, my lord.”
“Well, I definitely like this one,” I chuckled. “Feel free to continue experimenting.”
“As you wish.” Forsythe nodded and gestured to one of the servants, who rushed forward with a jug. “Wine?”
“Noooo,” Aaliyah groaned, and Forsythe looked offended for a moment. “I don’t mean anything bad, dear Forsythe, but we, ah, felt its effects strongly this morning. My head was pounding as though it was being hit with a hammer.”
“Mine, too,” Laika added with a grimace, and the other women nodded.
“I can’t imagine why,” I laughed as all my lovers blushed. “You all had about five cups each, and that was before I left for the night.”
“Oh, my!” Forsythe gasped. “We will work diligently on a solution for this. We cannot produce a wine that leaves one feeling terrible.”
“You can make a wine without a hangover?” I raised a curious eyebrow.
“We have our ways, my lord,” the deer chuckled and lowered his head carefully, so his antlers wouldn’t hit anything. “Enjoy your lunch. Perhaps I’ll name it after you.”
“Cool,” I chuckled and took another bite.
“Thank you, Forsythe!” Laika called out with a grin.
The head chef smiled and returned to the kitchen just as Ruslan and Julia waltzed through the door to the dining hall, and my mother had a sparkle in her eyes as she peered across the room at Naomi and smiled. As they walked by her chair, Julia put her hand on her shoulder, leaned down, and kissed the lizard mage on top of her head.
Naomi’s cheeks blushed as she squeezed Julia’s hand before my parents continued down the table, and I blinked in shocked confusion.
How in the world did my mother already know, too?
“Well, we got here just in time,” my father commented as he guided Julia to her seat and looked over the meal. “This looks… interesting.”
“It’s really good,” I mumbled around a bite of the casserole creation. “Trust me, I know my food.”
“I suppose we’ll give it a try, then,” Julia chuckled as they made their plates.
They both ate a cautious first bite before they figured out it was delicious and shoveled more of the concoction into their mouths. The unnamed mixture would probably become a new favorite in the Lunar Palace.
“So, my son, as much as we love having you home, I assume it is only part of your journey?” Ruslan wondered after a few minutes. “You have more stops on your campaign, yes?”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “We have plenty more of Rahma to see before we reach the king.”
“Have you completed your task?” the fox asked, and I knew he was referring to the Celestial Triad artifacts that were currently hidden in Alyona’s spatial storage.
“No,” I admitted. “I didn’t expect to fight off an entire guild and a crazy thieving mage when we arrived, but I’ll go do it this afternoon. Then we’ll need to head back to Kana.”
“And what is your plan after that?” Julia dabbed at her mouth with a napkin.
“I think we’ll be heading north toward Atheson,” I answered. “Then it will be a straight shot east to the Mihireti Mountains from there. I believe there are a couple cities between there the king wants us to see.”
“I suppose I didn’t realize you would go all the way to one of the port cities,” my mother said with a frown.
“Is there something wrong with them?” I asked.
“I hope not,” she replied after a pause. “They’ve just been so isolated on the peninsula since the Breach took hold, we can’t be certain it’s safe there.”
“All the more reason I should go,” I countered. “If they need help, I need to help them.”
“I know,” Julia sighed. “I’m fairly certain worrying is part of my role as your mother, though.”
“Our son is brave and true,” Ruslan declared with a proud smile. “It will be fine, my love. King Rodion must be thrilled with your progress so far.”
“He’s been happy with what we’ve accomplished,” I agreed. “I just need to get this bandit issue under control, and then I’ll be happy with it, too.”
“Oh, I almost forgot to tell you,” Alyona gasped as she turned to face me. “I found something in the archives about that.”
“How to get rid of bandits?” I raised an eyebrow. “There’s a spell for everything.”
“Not exactly,” she giggled. “But you said you wanted to put one of the traps at every city to catch the thieves like we did for Lord Torrin, and I think we can use a spell to at least set them up in any city we go to. It’s not exactly every city in Rahma like you wanted, though.”
“I’m listening,” I said as I leaned forward.
“The spell is called a Duplexity,” the princess explained. “It allows us to duplicate something we’ve made, like the trap in Lexavo.”
“Even magical things?” Laika wondered.
“Yes,” Alyona confirmed, “though duplicating magic will require more power. I’ll probably need Naomi and Miraya’s help when we set each one up.”
“We would love to!” Naomi chirped.
“Absolutely,” Miraya agreed.
“So, we just do the spell at whatever city we go to?” I asked. “And then the same trap will be there for each one?”
“Exactly.” Alyona grinned.
“Could we use the spell before we create the layer of mirage magic?” Naomi wondered, and Alyona looked at her curiously. “So, we could change the mirage for whatever city we’re in and match what the local bandits have been searching for.”
“That’s brilliant!” Laika exclaimed as her gray eyes widened. “It wouldn’t make sense to have a mirage of gold treasure in a place like Baltnova because they barter for everything with goods like fish and water, so we could use something that is valuable to the city for the mirage. We could tailor the trap for each city!”
“Oh, great idea, Naomi!” Alyona encouraged the mage. “You continue to surprise me with your magical understanding. It’s quite impressive, especially being self-taught.”
“Self-taught?” Julia raised an eyebrow and glanced at Naomi. “That is indeed impressive.”
“Brilliant and beautiful,” I agreed with a smirk. “You fit right in.”
“Thank you, my lord.” Naomi’s cheeks flushed to nearly the same color as her scales as she picked up her fork and slipped another bite of the casserole into her mouth.
“We need to check on Lexavo anyway before we leave,” I said. “Do you need anything to duplicate the trap while we’re there? Bones of a chicken or something?”
“No, my love.” Alyona laughed and shook her head. “It’s a pretty basic spell, but we should probably check in with my father before we leave. We haven’t spok
en to him in a few days.”
“Good idea,” I conceded. “We can go into the great hall and call him.”
Alyona nodded, and we both rose from the table to head for the next room, while the others finished eating their lunches. After we sat down in the plush navy chairs, Alyona pulled her white jade hand mirror out from her spatial storage and murmured the spell to reach out to the king. The surface of the mirror shimmered and shifted before King Rodion’s tired face appeared in front of us. His long white hair was tied into a messy ponytail at the nape of his neck, and his skin had begun to show signs of stress and wear. An errant wrinkle broke the smooth flow of his forehead, and pale purple bags darkened the skin under his eyes.
As soon as he focused his violet eyes on the mirror, though, his face cracked into a wide smile.
“My daughter, you’re faring well in Hatra?” the king asked.
“Yes, Father,” Alyona replied with a smile. “How are things at the Breach?”
“Our situation grows more difficult, I’m afraid.” His grin faded into a grimace. “It seems some groups have decided to support the demons’ cause and fight against us. The thieves had been a small struggle, but our people seem to believe we won’t win this war and are jumping ship, if you will.”
“No!” the princess gasped and covered her open mouth. “How could they?”
“Not all our people, Your Highness,” I interjected. “We’ve secured loyalty with Kana, and later today, we will do the same with Lexavo. And we’ll continue to increase our numbers.”
“Your confidence is inspiring, Lord Evan,” Rodion said with a half-smile. “I hope you continue to produce such results. Have you hidden the… items?”
The king hesitated as he referenced the relics, and I knew he was still worried they would get into the wrong hands.
“We have them, but I defeated their spirits,” I answered with my head held high.
“You did what?” Rodion leaned forward, and I could almost feel his powerful, cold gaze peering into my soul. “Defeated their spirits?”
“Yes, sir,” I confirmed. “They tried to take over me, and I fought them in my spiritual sea. Once I captured each of them, I assimilated their abilities.”
“I’m… at a loss for words, dear dragon,” Rodion said as a look of astonishment covered his features. “I’ve never heard of such an accomplishment.”
“It wasn’t easy.” I shrugged. “But it had to be done, and it will help our cause. Not only do I have these abilities, but no one else can put them together and complete the Triad. I think the artifacts are useless to anyone else now.”
“I agree,” he said with a nod. “I imagine the only way for someone else to use them would be to kill you, and that doesn’t seem to be an issue.”
“Nah.” I smirked. “Especially not with these new abilities. They’re even more powerful than the other skills I’ve gained.”
“I’m sure they are,” the king remarked and twisted his beard with his hand. “Their magic is ancient, which also means it can be treacherous, though I’m sure you’ve figured that out by now.”
“Indeed,” I chuckled. “The magic is incredible, but I have the power under control now. I even used it to kill this mage who tried to steal my egg.”
“Ah, yes,” Rodion hummed. “Word has reached us even here about a pair of dragon mates in Hatra. I’ve done my best to quiet the rumors, but, alas, I can only do so much.”
“I appreciate it,” I replied with a smile. “We handled it. The Crimson Dragon had already taken care of a few attempts before we returned.”
“I have no doubt about that,” the king laughed and turned back to Alyona. “Your next stop is Atheson, yes?”
“Yes, Father,” Alyona answered. “However, Julia, Lord Evan’s mother, is one of the Elders of Hatra, and she worries the city has become too isolated since the Breach. Do you know of any dangers there?”
“Unfortunately, Julia is correct.” Rodion frowned. “Many of the peninsula cities have fallen out of communication with the rest of us, which is one of the reasons why I wanted you to go there. We need to ensure they will support the crown in battle if necessary. We don’t need any other turncoats to appear if the demons push through the Breach.”
“What other reasons are there?” I quirked an eyebrow at the king’s phrasing.
“Ahh, so quick,” he chuckled. “I have received word the leader of Atheson wishes to take my place as the ruler of Rahma. He has yet to issue the challenge, but his desires are known.”
“What?” I growled and clenched my fists.
“I assume he refers to the Old Edict, which allowed any leader to challenge another for their seat,” Rodion explained. “The Edict hasn’t been used for centuries, but we never officially replaced it. The rumors say his followers are loyal to him rather than to me, so it might be a challenge to sway him.”
“I suppose we were due for a challenge,” I replied with a touch of sarcasm. “Lord Vallen was more than happy to see us in Kana.”
“Ahh, the admiration of the lizard family for the dragons is quite resolute,” he said. “The dragons always played a heroic role in their fairy tales.”
That certainly explained why Vallen was squealing like a little schoolgirl when we first met. It was probably like he was meeting a celebrity.
“I believe Lord Evan and I can convince the people of Atheson to choose the right path,” Alyona declared as she lifted her chin. “We were able to reunite the people of Tikal after decades of feuding and a lack of trust in the crown.”
“This is true, my daughter,” Rodion conceded. “However, if the leader does not acquiesce, the peninsula must be removed from the rest of us.”
“You want us to cut them off?” I raised an eyebrow. “Like… physically?”
“Quite literally, yes,” the king answered. “The area is remote, but we cannot take any chances they will turn the tide of the war against us. They must honor the crown, or you must remove the entire peninsula from Rahma.”
“Father, are you certain?” Alyona asked, and I could just see a glimmer of tears in her eyes.
“Don’t worry, princess,” I reassured her. “It won’t come to that. We’ll find a way to get through to this leader. He’ll see we can take care of Rahma and his people. You said it yourself, we’ve done well so far, and Atheson will be no different.”
“I certainly hope so,” the king said. “If not, your earthquake magic should be able to handle the problem.”
“Of course, Your Highness,” I replied before Alyona could respond.
The princess was nervously shaking at the possibility, and I didn’t blame her. I didn’t want to send a chunk of land full of our people out to sea, but I didn’t want to question King Rodion, either. We just had to make sure we did what we were supposed to do and talk some sense into their leader, so we didn’t have to act on his words.
“I must return to my post,” Rodion announced after an awkward pause. “Let me know about Lexavo.”
“We will, Father,” Alyona murmured.
The king dipped his head and then shimmered away as the surface of the mirror returned to a reflection of our faces. Alyona’s cheeks were pale and her brow creased with lines of worry, but I kept my cool for her sake. I knew she was upset with what her father had told us to do, but I needed to stay strong for her. The king was incredibly wise, so he had to have a good reason for his ultimatum. I didn’t know what it was, but I was determined to figure it out.
“Let’s get ready to go to Lexavo,” I suggested, and Alyona’s head snapped up in surprise.
“Oh, right,” she mumbled, though she seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. “We need to do that.”
“Are you able to do the Duplexity spell?” I asked.
“Of course,” Alyona replied with a shake of her head before she clenched her jaw. “I’m fine.”
“You’re strong, and that’s better than just fine,” I reminded her and reached over to grab her hand. “I know we can talk
to the leader in Atheson. We’re good at what we do, princess.”
“I hope you’re right.” Her tough facade faltered for a second, but she pressed her lips into a resolute line and stood from her chair. “Let’s go.”
I nodded and kept her hand in mine as we walked back to the dining hall for the others.
“We’re getting ready to go to Lexavo,” I announced before I turned to my dragon mate. “Valerra, have you even left the city since you got here?”
“I flew over the city walls with you just yesterday,” the Crimson Dragon replied with a sarcastic smile.
“That doesn’t really count.” I smirked. “Come with us. Miraya and Aaliyah can guard the eggs with Eleanor and Emily. Plus, you know nothing can get into the egg vault.”
“Well…” Valerra started to argue and paused. “I suppose I could do that.”
“Really?” Aaliyah gasped, and her feline orange eyes widened. “We would be so happy to take care of the eggs!”
“Oh, yes,” Miraya agreed as a smile crossed her ethereal features. “It would be an honor.”
“Then it’s settled,” I declared. “Let’s fly.”
“We can fly there?” Valerra asked, and a twinge of excitement colored her question.
“Of course,” I replied with a grin. “Alyona, Laika, and Naomi can ride. We’ll get there even faster than with the airship.”
“Perfect,” Valerra purred as she hustled toward the door. “I’m ready.”
“Okay,” I chuckled. “We’ll be back soon.”
“Have fun!” Ruslan laughed as we hurried out after Valerra.
The Crimson Dragon was used to stretching her wings and flying multiple times a day before she lived in Hatra, but she no longer had to go hunt for her meals or scorch anyone who crossed her canyons, so she was clearly excited to get back up into the air.
As soon as we stepped into the afternoon sunshine, Valerra took her dragon form, and her enormous red body stretched and grew until she took up almost the entire courtyard in front of the Lunar Palace. It was easy to forget how large her dragon body was when she was in her human form, and she bared her long sharp teeth when she grinned down at me.
