Dragon's Claim: Dragons of Rur

by Shea Malloy

  The human female’s skin is cold. I’m uncertain how long she could have been lying here. I press my fingers to her neck, waiting for a sign of life. A faint, unsteady beat pulses against my fingertips.

  I meet Xia’s anxious, tear-filled gaze.

  “She is alive.”

  “She’s alive,” Xia repeats, her voice thick with relief. “Thank the goddess.”

  The sky grows darker. Despite the foreboding view, in it I see Kahafura’s gift to me amid the unpleasant circumstances.

  It is her friend who brought her here to me.

  And it is her friend who will make her stay.

  “She needs medical attention. There are medics where I live. Come with me and let them save your friend’s life.”

  7

  Xia

  —

  Adan cuts through the air, the expanse of perpetual white zooming by beneath us.

  Although it’s exhilarating to ride a dragon, fear of falling quells my enjoyment.

  That’s a long way down.

  Not only do I have to keep my balance, I have to hold Tess too. My arms strain to keep her in place against Adan. She’s still unconscious, her arms bobbing idly as we fly. I’m consumed by guilt all over again, knowing that it’s because of me why she’s hurt. If Tess dies, I think that would be ‘the straw that broke the camel’s back’ as my dad liked to say when things went from shitty to Absolutely Fucking Shitty.

  If she was in Seca that meant she had turned back after all. It meant she’d come looking for me. How can I live with myself knowing she died because I was too stubborn? That the last words we exchanged with each other were angry, hurtful ones?

  Please, Tess.

  Please don’t die.

  Please don’t leave like everyone else.

  I can’t have another person die because of me.

  The mountains in Seca are all large, but the one rising up out of the snow in the distance put all the others to shame in size. It’s gargantuan. Domineering. I’m terrified just looking at it as if it has the ability to move and strike me down from perch atop Adan.

  As we get closer, I see the ravine dividing it into two. The mountainside is steep and dotted with numerous gaps. Entrances. People crawl along the side like ants on an anthill.

  Adan lands on a ledge that leads into one of those gaps. I struggle to climb down off of him with Tess. My years of hefting heavy coils of wire finally pays off. As soon as I have Tess, Adan shifts and swoops Tess from me up into his big, strong arms.

  A momentary spike of jealousy hits me out of nowhere. Like someone running up and punching me right in the boobs. Just… WHAM! Fist to tits. There one moment gone the next. It leaves me reeling, seesawing between confusion and irritation.

  What the fuck.

  This is stupid.

  Tess is hurt and Adan is strong enough to carry her.

  Adan holding Tess like that should not bother me.

  It doesn’t bother me.

  At all.

  “This way,” Adan says.

  He leads me into the mountain. The entrance carries us into a small, empty room made of stone. Then Adan hurries through a tunnel. It’s so dark I have to drag my hands along the rough stone walls to keep my balance. It’s not as cold here as the room we left behind. As a matter of fact, the further we go, the warmer it gets. By the time we’re out of the tunnel, I’m sweating under the heavy furs Adan wrapped around me.

  Following Adan’s hurried footsteps, I cast my gaze about wildly, taking in everything. It’s not as dark as the tunnel, but its gloomy in here. The only light source are torches along the wall and firepits on the floors.

  On the outside, this mountain is nothing short of threatening. It’s jagged, steep exterior would give anyone the impression it’s the same roughness within. However, inside, it’s as evenly constructed and designed as the Andrak, with walkways, stairways, and rooms. All made out of stone and running along the sides forming a circular gap in the center. Peering over a railing, I look down into a pool of water with steam rising from its surface.

  Secan people mill about, eyeing us curiously as we pass. They bow respectfully when they see Adan. I’m so accustomed to the usual disdain from Andrasari people, that I’m a little uncertain how to react when some greet me with smiles.

  “Get one of the medics,” Adan orders a Secan male who approaches us. Dressed in a leather jerkin and pants, and armed with a spear, I assume he’s a guard. He bows then marches off quickly to fulfil Adan’s demand.

  Huh. So evidently Adan’s an important person around here.

  I don’t ponder the thought for too long. My attention is solely on Tess when Adan enters one of the rooms and lays her down on a bed made of thick, soft furs.

  Then he reaches for the buttons on Tess’ coveralls and starts to undo them.

  “What are you doing?” My voice is higher than it should be.

  “She has been lying in the cold for some time and might have developed sickness,” he explains. “We have to remove her clothing and wrap her up to restore her heat.”

  “Oh. Right. Good idea.”

  Together we quickly remove Tess’ clothing. Once she’s naked, Adan retrieves more furs and wraps Tess up entirely. She looks like a swaddled baby with just her face visible.

  A Secan male with greying hair and dressed in a beige calf-length tunic pushes aside the covering to the room’s entrance. Adan stands when he enters and the Secan bows in respect toward Adan before greeting me with a nod.

  “Ta Konai, how can I help?”

  What?

  What?

  Konai?

  Adan’s the Konai of Seca?

  My act of treachery by sleeping with a draki is suddenly magnified tenfold. If I had a mirror, I wouldn’t be surprised to see my eyebrows touching my hairline. My mouth works to form words but I don’t know what to say. For some reason, I feel betrayed. Here I’d believed him to be some random, generous Secan male I’d boned while I was at a low point, soon to be forgotten once I continued on my journey.

  But who can forget fucking a High Prince… of a whole damn region?

  Get it together, Xia. Focus on Tess.

  Adan glances at me then indicates Tess as he speaks.

  “From a cursory inspection I believe the human was attacked by a cuhi,” Adan says. “Though perhaps your experienced eye might discover otherwise, Medic Olhun.”

  Nodding, Medic Olhun approaches Tess and sinks to his knees beside her, setting his bag down as well. As he begins to unwrap the covering keeping her warm, Tess groans and blinks her eyes open.

  I’m by her side in seconds. Her gaze is unfocused, her features twisted in pain.

  “Tess, it’s me. It’s Xia.”

  “Xia… you’re… you’re alive… thank the god—” Then she gasps out and shivers violently. “It’s cold… it’s cold… ”

  Tears prick the backs of my eyes but I don’t want to shed them. I’m tired of crying. I’m tired of feeling so helpless and hopeless. This is my fault. All my fault. I was mean to her and chased her away and she got hurt.

  “This is good,” says the medic.

  “How is it good? She’s in pain.”

  “Yes, but the cold is leaving. Her body fights it from its system.”

  We all wait in tense silence until Tess’ shivering subsides. Then her eyes droop as she falls unconscious again.

  The medic returns to his task, quickly uncovering her from the furs. He inspects her injuries, frowning at the deep bite marks on her arm and leg. They look even nastier than before, a blackness spreading out around the edges where the skin is broken.

  The medic looks over his shoulder at Adan and nods.

  “You are correct, ta Konai,” he says with dismay. “We will need a fresh, warm sac to save her.”

  Adan nods silently, turning to leave.

  “You and your friend are safe here, Xia. I will return soon.”

  I stand quickly. “Where are you going?”

  Despite
the residual anger leftover that he didn’t disclose his identity, I’m still immensely grateful for all that he’s done. I would be dead if it wasn’t for him. Tess would be dead if it wasn’t for him. While I’ve been a useless puddle of tears, blaming myself for Tess’ demise, he’s been strong, capable, and proactive.

  “To get the antidote to save your friend.”

  8

  Adan

  —

  The antidote is to save a life.

  Yet that is not the whole truth why I’ve volunteered to retrieve it. I know this. If it were, I would have sent one of the guards to do the work. After all, it is not a hard task for a draki to kill.

  No. I want to win even more favour with Xia. I like the way she looked at me before I left, her gaze filled with gratitude. As if I am her saviour and protector from absolute despair. Using the mission to foster this perspective is perhaps selfish when her friend’s life remains in question.

  Though not entirely so. I’m doing this to spare Xia from the misery of losing her friend because I sense Xia has lost much already. I also want the human female called Tess to live because I am grateful to her. She brought Xia to me.

  I retrieve my spear from my den, then remember I will have no need of the weapon. Now that I am in control of my dragon once more, defeating a cuhi will be a simple endeavour.

  Heading to one of the entrances to Vyaka, I shift and take to the skies. The storm is close. I must be quick if I’m to fly to and from Yohai’s border with Seca.

  I fly toward the caves where the cuhi usually inhabit and land at its mouth. It doesn’t take long for one of the four-legged beast with shaggy, grey fur to manifest. It growls at me, its hackles raised, ears flattened, its long teeth bared. It’s threatened by my size and the fact that I am encroaching on its territory. I’m about to burn it alive with my fire when I remember the medic’s instructions to return the sac inside in its stomach warm. I suppose he did not mean charred.

  So I let the creature come near and when it leaps to attack, I swipe at it. It crashes to the ground but rises up onto its feet immediately, shaking off the brunt of its fall. It charges again, snarling and snapping. This time, my swipe is sure. I sink my claws into its neck, killing it instantly.

  Retrieving the cuhi’s body, I take to the skies again with it and return to Vyaka just as the storm breaks. I carry the dead monster to the medic and Xia recoils from the sight of it.

  “Is that the thing that attacked Tess?”

  “One of its kind.”

  “What do you need it for?”

  “There is a sac inside its stomach that contains the antidote to its poisonous bite.”

  I instruct Xia to place folded cloth on the floor then I set the cuhi down. Using the medic’s blade, I gut the beast and sink my hands elbow deep into its wet, warm innards. Xia’s upper lip curl in disgust but she doesn’t look away.

  “I was perhaps seven or eight enur the first time I saw my toha do this to save the life of an Unshifted Secan,” I say as I search for the sac by touch. “I almost gave up the meal I’d eaten. My brother ran away in tears, screaming.”

  I don’t usually speak about Dwen, but I feel compelled to share the memory with Xia.

  Her shoulders relax, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Don’t be surprised if I follow your brother’s example. I don’t know how much longer I can watch.”

  I find the sac and free it from the beast’s body. Slipping my hands from the cuhi, I set the sac in a bowl and Xia hands it to Medic Olhun.

  Xia’s friend lay naked on the fur. She is tall and of a slim build. An attractive female, no doubt, but her beauty pales in comparison to Xia’s in my eyes. Wiping the cuhi’s blood from my hands, I’m aware my purpose is fulfilled and I should go about my usual business. I am not ready to leave Xia’s presence yet but my duties as Konai demands my attention elsewhere.

  “I will return later,” I tell her as I gather up the body of the cuhi. It will add to the food stores. The beast is not a common meat to eat, but it will not be wasted.

  She opens her mouth to speak, but is distracted when Medic Olhun presses a syringe to the sac then transfers the dark liquid inside to her friend.

  I leave and head down to the kitchens. While there, I have one of the workers prepare something for Xia and her friend to eat and send it to them.

  Much of my duties as Konai is nothing but dull work. It has taken me time to adjust to this fact as most of my life has been spent in battle or training for battle. The adventures of last night and this morning leave me distracted for most of the day. Now that I am no longer in Xia’s presence, the amazement of discovering she is my asafura begin to drown under the voices of doubt.

  The voices that remind me of who I am and what I did to get here.

  That as much as she is mine, my actions from the past is proof of my true character and therefore nullifies my right to have her.

  Night has fallen by the time I visit Xia. She leans against the wall, her eyelids drooping from exhaustion. Her eyes spring open when I draw closer.

  “You are tired. You should not fight it. Rest.”

  She doesn’t respond right away. Rubbing her eyes and her face, she sits up straight, meeting my gaze.

  “Why do you care?” she asks suddenly. “Why do you care if I’m tired or if Tess lives? Why have you gone through so much trouble to help us?”

  Because you are my mate and I want nothing else than to please you.

  But I cannot say that. We still know so little of each other despite what we’ve already been through today. She will not accept it if I tell her she is my asafura.

  “Should there be a reason?”

  “Yes.” She purses her lips. “We’re humans and you’re a rur draki. Not just any rur draki, either. You’re a Konai.” She breathes deeply, shaking her head. “Why didn’t you tell me that sooner?”

  “I didn’t consider it would be important for you to know,” I say. “What would have changed if I’d told you?”

  “I definitely wouldn’t have… done… what we did last night.” She rubs her lips together. “Now I can’t decide whether to hold onto this secret until my dying breath or write a tell-all book about my explicit adventures in Seca with their royalty.”

  I smile. “Then I’m not at all apologetic I didn’t disclose my identity.”

  She stands, hugging herself. In the quiet, she stares at her friend where she is still asleep. Neatly wrapped bandages cover her friend’s arms.

  “The Andrasari never cared about humans,” she says quietly. “We were like ants under their feet. Whether we lived or died after they stepped on us were none of their concern.”

  “The Andrasari and my people have been at war for several enur as well. They are not famous for their open-mindedness or fairness. However their new Konai shows promise.”

  She comes closer, her eyes dark and glittering.

  “Thank you, Adan,” she says. “Thanks for all that you’ve done.” She smiles tentatively. “I hope you don’t mind putting up with us a little longer. The medic says that Tess will not be able to walk for a while.”

  “I don’t mind.”

  It’s exactly what I wanted.

  She sighs tiredly. “I do want to rest but I’d love a bath first.”

  “Come.” I grasp her arm, eager to touch her again, and guide her further into the den where the pool of heated water sits. Steam rises invitingly from its surface.

  “Kahafura’s tits, that looks amazing right now,” she says in excitement.

  I chuckle. “Your creativity extends beyond male parts to curses too.”

  “Put ‘tits’ in front of anything and say it in surprise… and there you go. Perfectly good swear.” She nods at the pool. “Where is the water coming from?”

  “The pool at the bottom. The heart of Vyaka.” I say. “There are channels built into it serving as a water source to all the dens here.”

  “Vyaka.” She enunciates the word slowly. “Is that the name of this moun
tain?”

  “Yes. Yndirravyaka. We are in the largest of the two.”

  She nods, her gaze fixed on the pool as she reaches a hand to the buttons on her clothing.

  She unbuttons the first few then stops and looks up at me. She bites her lip as if in consideration before she resumes unbuttoning the strange grey suit she wears. Then she drops her hands at her sides.

  Through the gap in the unbuttoned front of her suit, the curve of her bare breast and sternum tantalizes me.

  I drag my gaze up to hers as the air between us thickens. She licks her lower lip. I wish it were my tongue tasting them.

  It can be my tongue tasting her.

  I step toward her, and almost imperceptibly she leans in closer to me.

  Shouts outside the den interrupts us, stealing our attention. My people calling for me.

  Xia frowns. “What’s going on?”

  “Don’t concern yourself. Bathe then rest.”

  She nods quietly and I hurry outside. I am accosted by a guard immediately, his visible terror dampening my arousal and driving away all thoughts of having Xia beneath me from my head.

  “Ta Konai, there is more,” he says. “Three more drakila found dead.”

  9

  Xia

  —

  When I wake up, Tess is still asleep.

  She’s been out for a long time now, waking up occasionally for a brief period before falling back into the darkness.

  At one point, her skin got incredibly hot and she began to sweat. Medic Olhun came by and said that it was the poison from the cuhi leaving her body. That it was a good thing.

  It seems only the painful ordeals for Tess are good signs in Medic Olhun’s books. Honestly, he has the typical look of an evil character in those shows I’d watch on a console at the Andrak. Thick, bushy eye-brows, thin moustache and dark-grey eyes that gleams with intelligence or insanity. Or both. In dark amusement to pass the time, I envision he’s actually an evil medic who secretly enjoys watching his patients suffer.

  I’m relieved Tess seems to be healing, but my worry for her persists. She has nightmares. Awful ones. She’ll cry out and begin to shake, kick and slap at some invisible enemy only she can see. The only thing that calms her is if I hold her and retell silly stories of past events from when we were living in the Andrak. Some of these stories hurt me probably as much as the monsters in her nightmares because they contain my dad. Memories of him when was alive and happy and there for me.