Dragon Emperor 11: From Human to Dragon to God

by Eric Vall

  “Ahhh,” she sighed happily. “I’ve missed my true form.”

  “I understand completely,” I chuckled as I began my own transformation.

  While Valerra’s scales were deep red, mine were black as night with a hint of violet when the sun hit them. As I shifted, I could feel my tail and wings sprout out from my skin, followed by the spikes along my spine that gave my riders the perfect handle while I soared through the sky. When my transformation was complete, I nodded to Alyona, Naomi, and Laika, who hopped onto my back with matching smiles.

  I could feel their thighs tighten against my scales, and the sensation of their warm bodies on my back was enough to send a shiver down my spine. I wondered, and not for the first time, what it would be like to take one of my lovers while in my true dragon form. It would have to be Valerra while she was in hers, and I imagined the amount of my dragon seed would be enough for dozens of more eggs.

  Focus, Evan.

  I shook my head and then turned to Valerra, and she was still grinning as she kicked up sand and took off into the sky.

  “Hold on,” I advised my three lovers on my back, and they gripped my spikes as I spread my wings and lifted us above the palace.

  I looked around for Valerra and realized she’d taken a loop over the city. A few of the citizens pointed up at her red body flying overhead, and she smiled down at the people. Her wings flapped lazily as she cut through the wind with ease, and then she came and hovered next to me.

  “Ready when you are,” she called out.

  “This way,” I said as I gestured with my foreleg toward the city of Lexavo.

  Then we flew over the city walls and into the warm desert sky.

  This was one of my favorite parts of being a dragon. I’d loved flying from the moment I figured out how to do it, and seeing this world from up here was breathtaking. I soared higher, so the clouds left cool droplets of water on my scales, and the women on my back giggled as they spread their arms and enjoyed the ride. Even Valerra flew up into the clouds, spun torpedo-style with her legs out, and left trails of white powder in her wake.

  It felt like we reached Lexavo much more quickly than I’d realized, and I almost flew over the city before I noticed where we were.

  “Down there!” I called out to Valerra, who nodded with a slightly disappointed look on her face.

  We changed course to descend closer to the city gates, and I looked for the magical box.

  “The trap is gone,” Alyona observed as she leaned closer to my head. “Where did it go?”

  “I’m not sure,” I replied over my shoulder. “Let’s find out.”

  I flew closer to the ground and landed with a soft thud, and Valerra plopped down next to me. She shifted into her human body as my other three women slid from my back to the sand, and then I took my human form and brushed the sand from my hands. When I was ready, I looked up at the guard tower and waved at the Lexavo guard in green armor, and he waved back and then opened the large iron gates.

  As we strolled into the industrial city, Samuel strode down the path to meet us.

  “Good afternoon, Lord Evan!” the army leader said as he gripped my forearm. “Lord Torrin was preparing to send word to you.”

  “About what?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “Follow me,” Samuel chuckled.

  He led us down the stone road to the metal castle and gestured for us to walk inside, and Lord Torrin stood in the great hall with Lady Meadow at his side.

  “Lord Evan!” the old man declared with a grin. “We’re glad you’ve come.”

  “What’s going on?” I wondered. “And where’s the trap we built?”

  “Oh, you’ll want to see for yourself,” Torrin replied. “Right this way.”

  The father and son duo sauntered down the hallway toward the vault, and I looked at my women who shared my curiosity before we followed them further into the castle.

  Chapter 14

  Lord Torrin took a sharp left down a dim hallway and stopped in front of a door where two warriors stood guard.

  “My lord,” one of them greeted him in a low voice. Then he lifted the torch that hung next to him and handed it to his leader.

  “You may allow Lord Evan and his companions to enter with us,” Torrin announced as he opened the door and stepped into a dark room.

  As we followed the old man inside, his torch lit the space, and I could see the iron cell his smith had created pressed up against the far wall.

  “It worked?” I asked as we approached the metal box.

  “Indeed,” Torrin chuckled and rapped on the iron side with his knuckles. “Have a look for yourself.”

  The loud sound echoed throughout the room, and I could hear groans and feet shuffling from inside. So, I strode the last few feet to the cell and peered in through the opening on one side.

  Inside the small prison, I could just make out three men wearing the same brown robes Milo and Sila’s father had worn. I couldn’t pick out their features in the dark cell, but I could practically feel their hatred emanating off them in waves as they turned to glare at me.

  “Well, look at that,” I snickered. “More dumbass thieves getting exactly what they deserve.”

  “Who are you?” one of the men hissed. “You know nothing.”

  “I am Lord Evan of Hatra,” I thundered, and the cell vibrated with the echo of my voice. “I know enough about people like you.”

  “You serve the king,” another man spat out. “We serve our own leader.”

  “The mage?” I raised an eyebrow.

  “You don’t even know his name,” the first bandit scoffed. “He is Lovandier, and his power is mighty.”

  “Well, he was Lovandier,” I snorted. “Now, he and his power are dead and burned to ashes.”

  The three men gasped and began to shout over each other.

  “You lie!”

  “He cannot be dead!”

  “Silence!” Torrin roared and banged into the side of the cell again. “Your leader is dead! You have no power here.”

  “We should have waited,” one of the men hissed to the others. “He said he’d be back soon! Once he had the egg, we would have been rich.”

  “So, you heard the stories and thought you’d give it a try?” I chuckled. “Idiots.”

  “Everyone said only one dragon remained in the city,” the first man mumbled. “And it wasn’t you.”

  “Well, I have a new story you can tell,” I snarled in a deep voice. “Anyone who comes to Hatra for my egg will be burned alive, and their ashes will be tossed into the wind.”

  “If we’d gone with him to Hatra, we could have won both battles,” he muttered. “But we thought we could get the treasure while he got the egg.”

  “You tried to continue your attack without a mage?” I laughed. “After you’d already had your asses kicked by a dragon and the soldiers? You’re either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid, and I don’t think thieves have an ounce of bravery in them.”

  “Would cowards continue the difficult task their leader set without him?” the second man huffed. “He would have been pleased with our ability to return with the treasure.”

  “Well, sure,” I agreed. “If he wasn’t dead, which he was by the time you got caught, soooo I think his pleasure would have been a bit limited.”

  Valerra snorted a laugh, and even Alyona, Laika, and Naomi covered smiles.

  “Is there anything else you need from them?” Torrin asked as he tapped the metal side of the cage.

  “Not them,” I replied before I turned to the princess. “Can you do the spell while they’re inside?”

  “Yes,” she confirmed. “It won’t duplicate them.”

  “Duplicate?” The old man’s white eyebrows shot up in surprise.

  “We’re going to set up the same traps in other cities with thief issues,” I explained. “Maybe it will help them, too. At the very least, I hope it deters bandits from attacking innocent people.”

  Torrin nodded
as Alyona and Naomi walked toward the cell, and the princess pulled a sheet of paper from her spatial storage. Then the two women knelt down in front of the prison and placed their hands on the metal side.

  “Um, your paper is blank,” I whispered to Alyona.

  “Yes, it is,” she giggled. “Just watch.”

  I stepped back, though my curiosity was on high alert, and the two magical women began to whisper the words of their spell. The sides of the prison began to vibrate, and the men inside freaked out as the walls shook around them. Then a high-pitched screech filled the room as the metal appeared to peel apart from the top down until six gray squares hung in the air.

  “What--” Lord Torrin stumbled over his questions. “How?”

  Alyona set the blank paper on the floor between her and Naomi, and they each put their other hands on the page. Within seconds, the metal that had peeled away from the prison floated down, and the paper absorbed the squares. By the time the women stopped saying the spell, a perfect replica of the prison appeared on the page as though someone had printed a photograph onto it.

  “Done,” Alyona sighed as she and Naomi stood up, and the princess folded the sheet of paper and placed it back inside her spatial storage.

  “Wow,” Valerra breathed, and Laika nodded in agreement.

  “Awesome.” I grinned.

  “What should we do with the prisoners, Lord Evan?” Torrin asked as I stepped closer to the door.

  “Whatever you want,” I replied with a shrug. “It’s your city, but I do have one request.”

  “Oh?” The old man’s face wrinkled in surprise.

  “You’ve now seen how Princess Alyona and I take care of our people,” I began. “And we will need our people to support us and the crown. For now, that means King Rodion, though it will be us in the future. So, we need to secure your allegiance to the crown.”

  “You already have it, dear dragon,” Torrin replied with a smile. “King Rodion placed his faith in you, and you have proven yourself quite worthy to Rahma. I have no doubt you will become a great leader for our people, and I am happy to pledge Lexavo’s allegiance.”

  “Thank you, my lord.” Alyona dipped into a curtsy and looked at me with hinting eyes.

  “Oh,” I mumbled and then lowered my head into a bow. “If you don’t mind, I have one possibly odd question.”

  “Please, go ahead,” the leader said.

  “Why is everyone here human?” I wondered.

  “Oh!” Torrin laughed as he led us out of the room and past the guards. “You are very direct, Lord Evan.”

  “Yeah, it tends to make things easier,” I said with a half-smile.

  “Well, to be frank, the rest of Rahma hated Lexavo for many decades after the choices my father made,” Torrin explained as he pursed his lips. “And they had a good reason, since many of their ancestors had been victims of his bloodthirsty conquests. However, it is that hatred which prevents anyone from moving to our city and, ah, expanding our horizons.”

  “Which is also why you haven’t had anyone to introduce magic into your bloodlines,” Alyona murmured. “I see now.”

  “So, is that something you want to change?” I asked. “Do you want other species of people to move here?”

  “I’m open to anyone who wishes to contribute to the city and enjoy its beauties,” he replied with a benevolent smile.

  “Then we will make sure to spread the word on our travels,” I said. “We will be leaving Hatra soon, but if you need anything, please feel free to reach out to my people in the city.”

  “Thank you, Lord Evan.” Torrin stopped at the door that would lead us out of the castle and grabbed my hand in a firm shake. “I hope to see you again.”

  “I’m sure we’ll make our way back around.” I smirked.

  “It was a pleasure to meet you, Lady Meadow,” Alyona said as she grasped the older woman’s gloved hand.

  “And you, Princess Alyona,” Meadow responded with a dainty smile.

  The rest of my women waved goodbye, and we followed Samuel out of the castle and back down the road to the gates.

  “We’ll be happy to handle the bandits.” The warrior grinned before he reached for my forearm. “Thank you again, Lord Evan.”

  “My pleasure,” I chuckled and gripped his arm. “See you around.”

  Samuel nodded and then waved to the guards in the tower. The gates creaked open, and we walked outside to the sand. As Valerra and I transformed into our dragon bodies, I heard Samuel’s sharp breath and offered him a fangy grin before my lovers climbed onto my back. Then I nodded to Valerra, and we took flight.

  This time, we flew slower and enjoyed the warm air as it flowed over our bodies, and I watched Valerra fly with her eyes mostly closed as she soaked up the sun and wind. Her wings moved in a perfect cadence with mine, and she seemed to feel my stare. After a few moments, her golden eyes fluttered open, and she cocked her head toward me and stuck out her tongue.

  “I have something you can do with that!” I shouted over the wind.

  “And perhaps I will!” Valerra fired back with a devilish grin before she sped up and flew the last mile to Hatra in a hurry.

  Oh, shit.

  I picked up the pace and soared behind her. We landed on the road in front of the Lunar Palace, and my lovers hopped down as Valerra shifted into her human form. I watched her hips sway back and forth while she walked toward the palace, and then I transformed as well.

  “My lord?” Naomi grabbed my sleeve as we headed inside.

  “Yeah?” I turned to see the lizard mage’s face was contorted with worry. “What’s wrong?”

  “Are you sure we should leave Valerra here when we go back to Kana?” she asked and chewed on her bottom lip. “I don’t want anything to happen to her.”

  “The Crimson Dragon is a fearsome warrior,” Laika answered before I could respond. “But I understand your concern.”

  “Let’s talk to her together,” I suggested. “I think you’ll feel better.”

  Naomi nodded, and she followed Laika and I into the palace. Then we turned and took the hall toward the bedrooms, while Alyona headed for the great hall where Ruslan and Julia waited. They could update my parents, and I could see what exactly my dragon mate wanted to do with her tongue after I calmed down Naomi.

  “Where are my eggs?” Valerra demanded in a voice that echoed down the hall.

  “They’re in the vault,” Aaliyah assured her. “We can’t get in there because of the dragon only spell. I went to check on them and got sent to the gates.”

  “So, we decided to guard the staircase,” Miraya finished. “I swear to you, the only ones who have even entered your chambers were Eleanor and Emily. They went to tidy up before dinner.”

  “Well, good,” Valerra replied and then faltered. “T-Thank you. I was… less worried with you here.”

  “We’re happy to care for them,” the lioness said with a fangy grin. “We’re family.”

  Valerra nodded before she charged upstairs to her room, and Miraya and Aaliyah brushed past us into the hall.

  “She seems to be upset already,” Naomi murmured and bit her bottom lip.

  “It’ll be fine,” I chuckled.

  So, I led Laika and Naomi up the stairs into Valerra’s room, and the lady dragon whirled around in surprise.

  “What are you doing?” she demanded.

  “Naomi is worried about you staying here,” I explained.

  “Oh,” Valerra sighed as her face softened, but then she straightened her spine and lifted her chin. “I’ve survived over three millennia in this world, sister, including a death curse. I’ll be fine.”

  “But people are attacking for the eggs,” Naomi insisted as she wrung her hands. “You could always come with us, so we can all protect you.”

  “Dragon eggs are hard enough to hatch when they’re in one place,” my dragon mate advised her. “Trust me, I’ve waited a long time for my sister’s egg to hatch, and it won’t happen if I’m moving around.
Not to mention the difficulty that would ensue if the eggs did hatch while we were out fighting a battle.”

  “Baby dragons would be a bit difficult to control while fighting hordes of demons,” Laika agreed, and her steely gray eyes peered at Naomi with kindness.

  “I understand,” Naomi replied with a sigh. “I just want us all together. This kind of love is so new to me, and I want all of us to be together with Lord Evan.”

  “And we will be together,” I promised. “As soon as we’ve solved these issues that plague Rahma, we will all be together again. And don’t forget, we can come visit Valerra before then, too.”

  “Just don’t take so long next time,” Valerra growled as she crossed her arms over her chest.

  “Or what?” I raised a sardonic eyebrow.

  “Or I’ll give you a most severe tongue lashing,” she answered.

  “How about you give me one now?” I felt my blood rush south as all three women looked at me with unveiled desire.

  Valerra was the first to move, and she crossed the room in four strides before she dropped down in front of me and yanked my trousers to the floor with a growl.

  My cock sprang free in her face, and the dragon stuck out her tongue before she dragged it along my shaft.

  “Fuuuuck,” I groaned as a shiver rippled down my spine before I turned to Laika and Naomi.

  I grabbed them each around the waist and pulled their bodies against mine, and I turned and pressed my lips against Naomi’s as Laika dragged her clawed fingers down my back. Then Valerra took my entire cock into her mouth and shoved it to the back of her throat. I groaned into the lizard’s mouth while my dragon lover pumped my dick in and out, and then I turned to face Laika and plunged my tongue past the wolf-warrior’s parted lips.

  “Evannnn,” she moaned as I grabbed her leather-bound ass and squeezed.

  Naomi trailed more kisses across my jaw and down my throat while Valerra continued to suck and lick on my arousal.

  “There are way too many clothes on you three,” I murmured and tugged on Laika’s tunic and Naomi’s belt.