Wild Wastes Omnibus

by Randi Darren

  “You can come over here, or I can go over there, Lizard. Which do you prefer?” Vince asked.

  “I’ll kill you,” growled the Dragon.

  “Well get on with it then, Lizard. Waiting for ya right here. Unless you’re a coward? I’ll give you ten seconds before I start heading for your nest again.”

  The Dragon lifted its head up on its sinuous neck.

  Taking in a strong breath, its chest began to expand.

  Vince fed a tiny trickle of mana into the shield in his hand and waited.

  Leaning its head down, the Dragon breathed an ocean of fire all over Vince.

  Unimaginable heat spread out around him. Over and around the shield.

  Then the fire bath ended and Vince released the shield, letting it fall idle again. Channeling his magic into the device, he began to refill it.

  As the heat waves, fire, and smoke of burnt grass cleared, Vince could see the Dragon.

  It looked pleased with itself, as if it had just cooked Vince alive.

  “That all ya got, Lizard?” Vince asked. “I mean, I think you scorched my hair. Probably fried the mites and creepy crawlies in my clothes, but that’s about it.

  “You done? That makes it my turn, doesn’t it?”

  Whipping its head back, the Dragon clearly prepared another breath of fire.

  Vince activated the shield again.

  The wave of fire lasted much longer this time, and Vince started to feel like a roasted chicken due to the heat alone.

  Yet that wasn’t enough to actually cause him any undue harm.

  When the fire died away, Vince tucked the shield into the small pouch and took out another one. He wasn’t sure how much was left in it and he didn’t have time to try and recharge it.

  “All out of gas now?” Vince asked, taking several steps forward through the burning grass.

  Surprise was clearly written in the Dragon’s eyes.

  It lifted up a clawed arm and slashed at Vince as he came closer.

  Dancing to one side while flicking his blade out, Vince dodged the massive attack entirely.

  With a loud crack, a Dragon’s talon went tumbling and bouncing away.

  Taking several steps away from Vince, the Dragon looked at its missing claw.

  “Just now realize you’re outmatched, Lizard? Come here then, so I can beat you to death,” Vince said, marching onward.

  The Dragon hopped backward with a pump of its wings. Getting at least thirty feet between itself and Vince.

  “Pfah, whatever. Run away, chicken.”

  Vince started to walk backward towards the nest. The Dragon could fight him, or Vince could get to the nest.

  One or the other.

  “I am no chicken!” roared the Dragon at him.

  “Uh huh, says the giant flying chicken that just flapped away. Bgok, bgok.”

  Panting with what felt like rage to Vince, the Dragon charged at him.

  Rolling forward and low, Vince brought his sword over his head.

  He heard a long series of cracking, popping noises as he went. Bits and pieces of things falling all around him until the Dragon cleared him.

  Standing up immediately, Vince looked to the ground.

  Shattered and broken white teardrop-shaped tiles littered the ground.

  Turning to face him after it passed, the Dragon looked down at itself and froze.

  The underpart of its belly was full of white scales instead of the black everywhere else.

  Except the scales weren’t immaculate anymore.

  A long line of broken scales ran from the midpoint of its chest all the way down to its tail.

  “Come on back here, Lizard. I’ll give you another tickle. That was just a warm up,” Vince said, walking toward the Dragon again, since it was standing in the same path as the nest.

  Lowering itself close to the ground, the Dragon began to slowly back away from Vince. Nearly at the same pace Vince was advancing.

  “That all you got? Sooner or later you’re going to have to let me into your nest or fight me again,” Vince said.

  The Dragon shifted its weight around, then took in a huge gasping breath again.

  Perfect timing, Lizard. All I needed was an opening.

  Lunging forward, Vince drove his sword right up into the Dragon’s gut.

  Plunging into Dragon flesh, the blade only stopped when it hit the cross guard.

  Shrieking and blowing out a breath of fire into the sky, the Dragon squirmed off the blade and stumbled backward.

  The wound was probably more painful than life threatening, unfortunately.

  I think I missed everything in there.

  Unbelievable.

  Screwed up the entry point at the last second.

  “Sorry about that—come on back here, Lizard. I’ll make the next one quick and take your head off if you let me.

  “If you don’t let me make it quick, I’m going to beat you to an inch of your life, pull your beating heart out of your chest, and eat it while you watch.

  “Then I’m going to fuck a Dryad on your cooling corpse. And when it’s all said and done, I’m going to take a shit in your opened chest, putting your heart right back where it belongs,” Vince said, the anger he was tightly holding on to threatening to run away from him.

  He wanted to kill every Dragon he met. Every single one.

  Kill them and eat their hearts.

  The Dragon was moving away from him quickly, one clawed hand pressed to the wound in its belly.

  “You, what are you?” it asked, its rumbling voice grating on Vince’s ears.

  “I’m a human. One who is going to eat your heart raw.”

  Tripping over its own trail, the Dragon crashed down to its stomach.

  Flashing forward, Vince was on it in a second.

  Before he could land the strike, the Dragon’s head moved to one side.

  Lashing out with a kick at it as it passed, he felt a satisfying thump.

  The Dragon’s head twisted over on itself with the impact of the strike.

  Clearly dazed, the Dragon’s eyes were partially dilated and looked lost.

  Leaping at its head, Vince managed to catch it around the bottom part of its jaw.

  Placing the edge of his blade on its throat, he drew back his shoulder.

  “Wait!” said the Dragon under Vince. It thrashed to one side, forcing Vince to hold on instead of sawing through its neck. “Wait!”

  “Lie still already, Lizard,” Vince said as he clenched his left hand into its jaw for stability.

  “I’ll swear on my Dragon’s Word to you in service! Wait, wait!” the Dragon said, pleading now.

  “Don’t want a Dragon, I just want your heart, and your gold,” Vince said, getting a stable grip on the thrashing monster now.

  “I have no gold! They took it!” the Dragon said quickly.

  Pausing just before he whipped his sword through the Dragon’s flesh, Vince stilled.

  “Swear to tell me the truth on your Dragon’s Word, and that you’ll no longer resist me,” Vince said.

  “I swear it. On my Dragon’s Word. To tell you the truth and stop resisting you,” the Dragon said, not even hesitating. “Now could you get off me?”

  The same sensation that had washed over him when he’d dealt with Heint happened again.

  “No. Because I haven’t decided if you’re living through this,” Vince said. Wedging the tip of his blade under a scale, he leaned on the hilt until the Lizard groaned. “Who took your gold?”

  “Lizardmen, Humans, and some Elves. They had two Red Dragons with them. I killed one, but the female managed to drive me off. The male damaged my wing. Its why I fought you on the ground. It isn’t fully healed yet,” the Dragon said.

  “The Tri-lliance? Were they all wearing uniforms? Different ones than the humans nearby?” Vince asked.

  He wasn’t sure if they were all wearing the same uniform, and he wasn’t going to bet on it.

  “Yes! They attacked me. I killed many
, and one of their Dragons. They took my gold after chasing me off. I was resting to heal so I could chase them down and take it back.

  “It’s my gold! Mine!” the Dragon said in a loud voice.

  “No, it’s my gold now,” Vince said. “I came for it, and I’m going to get it. Now, be a good Dragon and die for me.”

  “Wait, no! I can be an ally to you! A good one!”

  “Don’t need an ally.”

  “A soldier than. I’m well versed in combat and—”

  “Don’t need that either. I have lots of those. Need to eat Dragon hearts.”

  “I’ll-I’ll be your damned pet, alright? Your mount, even! I’ll give myself over to you completely. Everything.

  “Just… let me live. They took my pride and my gold. I can’t die without it,” the Dragon said, pain and fear evident in its voice.

  “Why is gold so important to you? The other Dragons don’t seem to value it the same way you do.” Vince asked.

  The red haze in his head was starting to fade. His thoughts were starting to track down the curious answers the Dragon was giving.

  “I’m a black. They’re just reds. I need no clan. They have to hunt in packs. And even then, they lack,” said the black Dragon in a condescending tone.

  “I’ve killed four of their number now. And eaten two,” Vince said. “And perhaps a black Dragon now as well.”

  “Perhaps? Only perhaps? I could be of service. Enough of a service that you could release me on your death? I’d serve you your entire life.”

  Hah. A pet black Dragon as long as I live.

  Actually, that could be rather useful. Very useful.

  “Fine. Swear to be my pet. My mount. That you’ll give your everything to me. That you’ll not betray me on any level.

  “On your Dragon’s Word, until I die,” Vince said, putting both hands on the hilt of his sword.

  He was prepared to drive the sword home the moment the Dragon declined his request.

  “I swear to all of that on my Dragon’s Word. I swear it. I swear it,” the Dragon said. “I swear it.”

  Surprised, Vince sat there.

  So desperate it repeated itself in triplicate. Or is that some sort of formal binding?

  “Fine. I accept your servitude,” Vince said, pulling his sword out of the Dragon’s neck.

  Getting off its upside-down jaw, Vince sheathed his blade.

  “Alright. Now. Which way did they come from, and did you figure out which way they went?” Vince asked.

  Rolling its head over, the Dragon eyed Vince warily. Then it slowly got down on its belly, clearly favoring the wound Vince had given it.

  It watched him sullenly.

  “From the east, and they left to the northeast. They’re easy enough to follow by scent. Providing they don’t split off into smaller groups,” the Dragon said.

  Vince nodded at that, then looked back to the brushes he’d come from.

  Lifting a hand, he waved in that direction and then gestured towards himself.

  Inviting his people over.

  “You call your retainers?” the Dragon asked.

  “A few wives, my brother’s soldiers, and some of my own soldiers. Nothing out of the ordinary,” Vince said.

  “Wives? Plural?”

  “Yes. I have… I don’t remember. Something over ten wives, and fifty or so bound concubine Dryads.”

  “So many wives… what are you that would gain you so many? Are they all human?”

  “The lord and master of Yosemite. And no, they’re not. I have five Elves now, three Dryads, a Gnome, Beastkin, a Dragonnewt, Orc, and a soldier ant.”

  “A Dragonnewt?” asked the Dragon, a note of awe and shock in its voice.

  “Yes. I subdued her Dragoness as well as her Human side,” Vince said, not quite enjoying talking about Ramona while she was still missing.

  Looking back over his shoulder, Vince saw everyone heading his way.

  “You said you had many Dryads as well. That is equally abnormal. Are you the center of their grove?”

  “Yes, in a manner of speaking.”

  “In what manner?”

  “You’re just full of questions, aren’t you?”

  “It would be best if I learned these things now. Your life may be short, but I’ll not shirk my duty.”

  Vince snorted at that and then grinned, looking the Dragon dead in the eye.

  “I’m their grove. All of their seeds are in me. My Gnome warlock of a wife told me, and my Dryad grove-mistress confirmed it—it’s unlikely I’ll die. Ever.

  “Unless I die to violence. They’re fairly certain I won’t even age.”

  The Dragon didn’t respond. In fact, Vince couldn’t even hear it breathing.

  “Congratulations. You’re bound for as long as you live, Dragon. Because it’s likely you’ll die of old age before I do.

  “Do you have a name, by the way? Or should I keep calling you Dragon and Lizard.”

  Letting out a shuddering breath, the Dragon sighed, closing its eyes.

  “You swindled me.”

  “I did. But your alternative was to be lunch. I think you picked the better choice of the two.

  “Name?”

  “Taylor. My… my human name is Taylor.”

  “Taylor, how long will it take you to recover from your injuries?”

  “For my wing, it’ll be a while. I’m honestly not quite sure.

  “But it’ll heal eventually. For the wound you gave me, several hours, no more than that.”

  “Anything I can do to speed that wing up? I’d rather mount you and be quit of this place. This entire situation.

  “Healing magic, perhaps?”

  “No. There is nothing you can do to speed it up. Magic of that nature simply doesn’t work on Dragons.

  “I heal much quicker than a Dragonnewt would. But it does take time.”

  Ramona didn’t mention that her wing would have healed eventually in time.

  Then again, that might have taken years, and no one could really say they had years to heal a wound like that.

  “Red wants to know why you haven’t killed it,” Red asked, coming up beside him.

  Her tail lazily curled around his waist as she tipped her head into his chest.

  “Because the Dragon, whose name is Taylor, is my pet now. He swore to be my pet, my mount, and devote his entire self to me, until I die. On their Dragon’s Word,” Vince said.

  “That seemed more impressive in the end than tearing out his heart and eating it.”

  “Red disagrees. Hearts taste good. Elf hearts are the tastiest,” Red said.

  Her head turned, tracking Caroline, who came up on the other side of Vince.

  “Charming,” Caroline said, eying Red in return.

  “Red would never eat the Elves of Yosemite. Elves of Verix were who Red ate.”

  “I remember the night we bound Red to you,” Blue said.

  Her tone fell with the last word, and Vince couldn’t help but think of Karya and Green.

  “Anyways. Taylor here has sworn to me.

  “The problem, though, is that the Tri-lliance already came through, took the gold, and departed with it.”

  “Hm. That’s certainly a problem. We have any idea what they want to do with it?” Steve asked, walking up to the Dragon and peering at it.

  “No. Other than gold is quite valuable to the Tri-lliance as well, it would seem. They lost a Dragon taking it.”

  “If it were me,” Steve said. “I’d be looking to load it up onto a boat as quickly as possible and get it back to the home country. Army and war be damned. If I could send back chests upon chests of gold and still complete my duty, I’d mark that one down as ‘exceptional’ on the year-end metrics.”

  Vince frowned in thought and then nodded his head.

  “Yeah. That makes sense. Take the gold, send it back home, get back to the war. That gold would pay for itself instantly and become the means to fund yet another war, I imagine.”

&nbs
p; Taylor grunted, pulling away from Steve when he got too close.

  “Do not touch me, human. And you should know this now, Vince of Yosemite,” Taylor said.

  In a rapid shifting of flesh and bone, the Dragon vanished. It became a young woman now standing in front of him.

  She had black hair, black eyes, and straight black horns that came out from her hairline and swept backward.

  Wearing not a stitch of clothing, she was naked as the day she was born.

  She had scales all over her body in the same places Ramona did, though they were all black.

  Vince gave her the once-over without intending to do so.

  Her frame had no fat on it whatsoever. Her hips and chest were wider than Caroline’s, but not by a terribly large amount.

  Other than those two aspects, she was very similar to an Elf in her looks and build.

  Slim, sharp, and pretty, with that strange exotic grace to her.

  “I am Taylor. Know me, since it seems I am bound to you for a long time,” said the woman, with a snarl on her pretty face.

  Chapter 20

  Vince looked at the fork in the road.

  To his eyes, it was clear both paths had been taken. At the same time, even.

  A large amount of boot prints and wagon wheels were visible in the dirt and grass. Weeks after the army had gone through.

  “Red cannot smell anything recent,” said the Beastkin, sniffing near the ground. She was on all fours, moving around between both paths.

  “Nor do I,” Taylor said, her large scaled head floating over the same space Red was working.

  A matter of seconds later, Taylor reverted to her human body. “In either form. It seems as if they passed by a very long time ago.”

  The left fork led further east and deeper into the East’s capital, Baltimore.

  To the right, Vince didn’t know. From what he could tell, it veered sharply southeast.

  “What do you want to do?” Steve asked, looking to Vince.

  “I’m not really sure. Realistically… I want to go down both paths, but we’re already so few in number,” Vince said. Running his hand back and forth over his chin, he thought on what he wanted to do.

  “Easy. Take me, the Dragon, Eva, and Red,” Julia said. “Send Steve and the rest in the other direction. Our suit radios go pretty far. They’re fairly upgraded. We also carry portable beacons that can increase the range significantly.