by Randi Darren
“She pulled back and created a new line as she started to work at driving them back again.”
That’s… very Petra-like thinking right there. And not wrong either.
“Right. We’ll start with Arandas then. After, we move south,” Vince said. “Now, what’s going on with Red? All of a sudden there, she had brown eyes.”
“Yes… well,” Leila said, looking to the Beastkin.
Red was crouched low next to Taylor, speaking in soft tones with the Dragon.
“Her curse is probably going to break any day now. It’s likely she’ll get back whatever memories she still lacks, and she’ll be who she used to be.
“Or at least know entirely who she used to be.”
“And her choice, as you put it?”
“She could easily put a curse back on herself. I could do it, even, especially since she wants it.
“The only problem is that it comes at a cost.”
“Most curses do,” Vince said.
Taylor started laughing at something Red said, and nodded her head.
“This cost is rather problematic for her, given that it was already wildly outside expectations,” Leila said, grinning at him.
“Out with it then,” Vince said.
“Fine. Once more, your rather virile seed has shown its power.
“Red is pregnant. Much to the surprise of all. Most especially Mouth and Blue.”
“I thought that wasn’t possible,” Vince said after a moment of shocked silence.
“So we thought. I personally think it’s due to the vast weakening of the curse, and simply the act of having sex. You transfer a significant amount of energy into her, you know.
“Well, it’s done. I can re-curse her, but it’d possibly lose the pregnancy. I have no idea on what the odds are either.”
“Ok… why not just do it after the birth? Can you put the curse on hold? Bring Red back afterward?”
“She’d be whoever she is after she re-integrates herself by then. Maybe Red, maybe not. Maybe someone else entirely.
“To her, it’s like two different lives battling for dominance in her head. Both are her.”
Vince sighed and shook his head.
“Whatever she chooses, all we can do is support her. Now… how about we wander over back to Arandas and blow the place up,” Vince said.
“I figured you’d say that,” Leila said with a light snicker.
It sounded positively strange, considering they were talking about killing thousands.
It didn’t take long for them to find a point to set up at.
They were staring at the corner of the outer walls, one cannister of bound and magicked Dragon soul in hand.
“You certain? Once I do this, I can’t put it back. And there’s no guarantee others won’t try to imitate what I’ve done here,” Leila said.
“Can’t put the genie back in the bottle, eh?” Vince said with a smirk.
“No. I can’t. And once this activates, everyone in that city is as good as dead.
“Men, women, children—everyone,” Leila said, stressing the sentence.
“Yeah. I know. Except that this is war, and I cannot even begin to imagine what the Tri-lliance would do to our own cities given the chance.
“And so, I’ll be the evil one and strike at them before they can truly strike at me,” he said.
Leila shrugged and launched the spell she’d been building.
The cannister shot off like a shell fired from an artillery piece.
“It’s screaming. The soul,” Taylor said softly. “I can hear it.”
“Yes, well. It’s bound for all eternity to be hungry and feed from the landscape. Until it runs out of a food source and becomes nothing,” Leila said in an unconcerned tone.
“Red thinks you might need to reconnect with the living,” Red said.
“The living? Hmph.
“The Tri-lliance aren’t the living. I’ll not forgive them. Petra and Green were my friends. I spoke with them. Often,” Leila said in a bitter voice. “And they took them from me. I confided in them. Told them everything. They gave me advice.
“The best advice. The right advice. And they took them from me.”
Leila sniffled and wiped at her eyes with her fingers.
“So no, I’ll not care if I wipe them all off the face of the map. I’ll not care at all as their souls are devoured and turned into nothing.
“I’ll cheer, and look forward to detonating two more,” said the Warlock.
Red sighed and then hugged Leila around the shoulders.
“I think this isn’t healthy for you,” Red said, resting her cheek on top of Leila’s head. “And I’m here for you to talk to. Alright? Red is here.”
So strange. It really sounds like two people now.
Then the cannister hit the wall.
A giant, glowing Dragon appeared above the impact site.
There was a roar as it immediately began to drain the life and mana from everything nearby.
Then the screams started. They grew louder… and louder.
And louder.
Until it sounded like the entire city was screaming at the same time.
Chapter 35
Taylor turned away from the castle as the white, billowy Dragon roared, its voice hollow and echoing.
Moving over to Vince, she pulled his head down to the height of her shoulders.
Vince could practically feel her eyes boring into the top of his head.
Using her fingertips, she began to lightly touch his scalp. It was a strange thing, as if she were testing the skin there.
But only one particular spot.
Her face came in closer and he could feel her breath wash over his head and neck. The sound of her sniffing him reached his ears.
A second later, he could feel her lips and tongue nibbling at that same spot she’d been inspecting.
This again?
“Ah… I see,” Leila said. “It’s curious to see it done in human form though.”
“See what done?” Vince asked, not fighting Taylor.
“Scale grooming. That’s what she’s doing,” said the Warlock. “Dragons aren’t big on expressing emotions. They have a real hard time of it.
“About the only thing they’ll do to show tenderness or care is scale grooming. Where one Dragon inspects the other for damaged or broken scales. Then removes any they find so new ones can grow in more quickly.”
“I don’t have scales, Taylor,” Vince said.
“Quiet,” responded the Dragon, going back to her work.
“I’d say leave her to it,” Leila said. “I think watching a Dragon’s soul turned into a weapon may have shaken her a bit. If she seeks comfort in grooming you, that’s a small thing.”
“And how are you such a font of lore?” Vince asked.
“Books. Traveling. My master. Lots of things.
“Now, since that city is being turned into a graveyard, what do you want to do?”
“Plan our next attack, I suppose. We’ll need to find another city or two we can detonate those in.
“I’d really prefer if we could find a stretch of land to turn into a wasteland. A barrier the Tri-lliance couldn’t cross,” Vince said.
Taylor lifted his chin up as she worked down from the back of his head towards his forehead.
Her eyes were focused on his hairline, her fingers gently picking at his skin there.
“We’ll need to head further south then. My master once said there was only one way in and out of the Tri-lliance southern areas. If we can find it, that might work, no?” Leila asked.
“Suppose we will at that. I figure we sneak into the possible target and scope it out. See if it’s worth it, and if it’ll work to create a barrier.
“Then blow it up.”
“Red thinks this isn’t fighting or hunting, but doesn’t care either,” Red said. “If they hadn’t attacked Bringer, he wouldn’t have brought them death.”
Except the next city probably
won’t even know we’re there if we do this right, will it?
Taylor leaned in close, her lips nibbling at his eyebrow, followed up by her tongue.
It slithered through his eyebrow, seemingly hunting down anything that might be wrong.
Such a strange life I lead.
***
Vince passed three silvers to the guard and then ushered Red and Leila past.
Silver had recently become a bit more usable since an economy had been developing in the Wastes.
Mostly due to Yosemite.
Vince had listened to the conversation the guard had with the previous traveler and figured out the right amount to bribe him with.
Wouldn’t do to bribe him with too much—then he’d be suspicious.
“We should get an inn,” Leila said, floating along beside Vince.
“Red would agree,” said the Beastkin. “I’d like to sleep in a bed, if I could. I smell terrible.”
Red shook her head fiercely, her eyes flickering before the red glow died away for several seconds.
“No. Red does not smell. Red is Red. Red smells like the world. Red does not smell. Red does…” Her voice trailed off as she seemed to battle with herself.
Slowly, the red glow came back to her eyes, but it was much diminished.
They just looked like a strange brown color now.
Guess we won’t have to hide her eyes very much.
“Leila…” Red said, her voice catching. “Red thinks she’s going to lose.”
“Yes… it seems as if your curse will break tonight or tomorrow night,” Leila agreed.
“Inn it is,” Vince said, making a choice. Not bothering to wait for a response from either woman, he turned toward a building with an inn sign attached to the front.
Poor Taylor. Can’t hide those horns, and she gets to sleep out in the wild by herself.
Then again, who wants to mess with a black Dragon?
Moving straight to the counter after he entered, Vince nodded at the innkeep.
A bald, middle-aged man with brown eyes and a weak chin.
“Silver a night for a room,” said the man. “You get two meals with it for one person. Extra meals cost a copper each per person.”
Vince pulled a Tri-lliance gold coin from his vest and set it down on the counter.
“I’ll pay for more as I need to. For now, show me my room and send me three of whatever it is you’re serving right now,” Vince said, setting his hand casually behind the sword at his hip.
The innkeep glanced down at the weapon, took the coin, and ducked his head to Vince.
“Course. This way,” said the man.
Leila and Red followed close behind the innkeeper while Vince trailed along further back.
There were several people in the attached common room that might be worth asking a few questions.
Lost in his thoughts, Vince was surprised when the door closed behind him and he was alone with Leila and Red.
“What do you want to do, Red?” Leila asked.
The Beastkin went and sat down on the bed, her hands pressed to her stomach.
“Red doesn’t know,” murmured the Beastkin. Her head lifted up and she looked to Vince. “What should I do, Bringer? Red wants to be Red, but Red likes the idea of children, too.”
“Can’t answer that for you,” Vince said honestly. “That’s something you have to decide. What I can tell you, though… is that I’ll support you no matter what choice you make.”
“You wouldn’t hate Red if she risked our child to remain Red?”
“No.”
“You wouldn’t hate Red if she wasn’t Red anymore?”
“I’m sure whoever you became would still have Red in there. Just in a different way.”
Red bit her lips, her eyes flaring brightly for a second as if she were battling something internally.
Her head turned to Leila.
“Red wants to be Red. Please help Red remain Red,” she said to the Warlock.
Leila sighed with a smile and looked to Vince.
“That means it’s up to you to find a suitable location for our party favor.
“Preferably something with life around it, so it can immediately feed. The more the better.
“Like a neighborhood or a school.”
She really does hate them.
“Got it. I’ll go do that while you handle this,” Vince said, turning toward the door. Taking a final glance over his shoulder, he smiled at Red. “See you later, Red.”
Nodding at him, she gave him a feral smile, showing her canines.
“Red will feed from you tonight. The renewed curse will surely need to be fed after it’s settled.
“After that, you could mount the Gnome if you like,” Red said definitively.
Opening the door quickly, Vince stepped out into the hallway. Closing it behind him with a click, he moved back toward the common room.
But as he wandered down, he decided not to bother with it right now.
He had to find a place to bury the cannister.
Stepping out onto the street, he was immediately struck again by its semblance to Vegas.
Pre-Yosemite Vegas, that was.
Opening his mind, Vince started to idly comb the thoughts of everyone nearby as he walked aimlessly down the street.
Most everyone was concerned with the war. In one way or another, it was the prevailing thought and the only subject on anyone’s mind.
Whether it was being drafted or buying food before prices went up.
For some, the biggest thought was just heading further south, since Yosemite’s army had been reported in the north—in the north and targeting everything that could assist the Tri-lliance.
Even going so far as to completely decimate the city of Arandas.
People didn’t speak of it on the street, but they’d all heard of it in the pubs.
In their cups.
Arandas had been wiped out, and a Cursed red Dragon now lived there, eating anyone who came close.
Support for the war in the north was rapidly drying up.
Then Vince found a mind sealed up.
Closed and shielded.
Locking on to the single mind in the thousands that were open, Vince homed in on it.
As he got closer, he saw the mind’s owner.
It was Seville.
He stood at the corner of a building in front of an alleyway. Talking with several other people in soft tones.
Seville? How’d you manage to get all the way down here? Last I saw, you were hundreds of miles away.
Turning away from Seville and moving into a small booth selling street wares, Vince did his best to act like he wasn’t anyone special.
He even went so far as to drop the shielding over his mind, just in case Seville was able to notice him in the same way.
Looking over small carved figures, Vince did his best to keep his focus on Seville without being obvious.
With a dismissive gesture, the small group disbanded and Seville walked into the building he’d been standing in front of.
Vince picked up a small figurine and handed over the asking price without haggling. Pocketing it without even seeing what it was he’d bought, he walked as nonchalantly as he could manage toward the door Seville had vanished into.
Trying the handle and finding it unlocked, Vince opened the door and stepped inside.
Only to find Seville sitting at a table.
When the door clicked shut, Vince had already drawn his pistol and pointed it at the man.
“Vince?” asked the older man, his hands half raised. “What in the blazes—”
“You have about five seconds to tell me why I shouldn’t pull the trigger. You’ll be my first Tri-lliance kill today,” Vince said, his finger stroking the trigger lightly.
He wouldn’t mind much if it accidentally discharged as he waited for the other man to talk.
“I’m not working for the Tri-lliance, to start with,” Seville said. “I work for a third party.
A neutral party. We have no vested interest in who rules here.”
“Then why go to such lengths to break kingdoms? To go so far as to assassinate Richard?
“I don’t believe you.”
“Wait!” Seville cried as Vince started to pull the trigger. “Ok, yes, I did kill Richard. It’s the truth, though. My mission is just to destabilize the entire region.
“To bring the world to its knees. That’s it. We don’t care who is in charge.
“You destroying Arandas only helped us. I wouldn’t stop you from fighting the Tri-lliance to a standstill.”
“That makes even less sense. You sound like a terrible villain in one of my mother’s old books,” Vince said, shaking his head.
“But it’s the truth. My mission is to destabilize the world. That’s it.”
“Why, though?”
Seville took a slow breath, as if contemplating how to answer.
“You have the stink of Dragon magic on you. Multiple Dragon bonds,” Seville said. “If you swear on their Dragon Word that you’ll let me go today, I’ll answer you. On my own Dragon Word do I swear it.”
On his own? Does that mean he’s a Dragon, too? Why would it stink to him?
“Then I do swear on my Dragon’s Word,” Vince said, letting the pistol fall at his side. “If what you tell me is reasonable, answers my question, and isn’t a non-answer.”
Seville blinked once, then nodded his head. “Then it is so sworn.”
The familiar tingle of Dragon magic settled over Vince.
“Our goal is to expose the guardian of your world. Expose them—and kill them. If this world were to fall to absolute chaos, even more than it has previously, we have reason to believe they’d intervene.
“They have before. We’re sure they would again,” Seville said. “Now… can I go?”
Vince frowned at that. It made no sense.
“Where do you plan on going?”
“Home. Away from here. I won’t be returning.”
“Then go already.”
“May I reach into a pocket? What I need is there.”
Lifting the pistol, Vince nodded.
“Sure, just do it slowly.”
Seville reached into a pocket with one hand and produced a small, glowing piece of card stock.
