by Logan Jacobs
Nima, as the lone wolf, had the advantage.
She snuck onto the field, but drew no attention at all to herself. Instead, she patiently waited and watched for a few minutes.
We may not have been able to hear what was said down below, but we could tell from the red-head’s body language when she figured out where the first piece of shell was buried.
“Do you think she knows they have both pieces?” Nerissa breathed, and her aquamarine eyes were glued to the game below.
“No idea.” I shook my head. “If she leaves now, without it, that’s going to suck.”
I almost wanted to run down there and tell her about the second piece myself, but of course, I refrained.
Even spectating seemed just as fun as the game itself, so I watched as Nima tucked the piece of shell inside her shirt and began to back away slowly from its burial ground.
“She does not know there is a second piece,” Jemma murmured.
It didn’t matter, though, because right at that moment, one of Talise’s healers in training turned around. Her name was Anora, and she had the most beautiful sky-blue skin, sunflower yellow eyes and scales, and flowing light green hair that she always let fall loose around her thin shoulders. She spotted Nima, and then saw the pile of dug up dirt at her feet.
“She has the shell!” Anora yelled.
Instantly, the twenty-five guards spun around and descended on Nima. She backpedaled for one second, then quickly spun around and raced off in the direction of her camp.
With twenty-five enemies at her back.
“She should have brought backup,” Ainsley groaned.
Just then, a roar rose up from the jungle, and for a long moment, we could see nothing but the rustling of trees. The only sounds we had to go off were cries and yells, but between the two separate battles, it was pretty damn hard to tell who screamed what.
“They must have the other piece!” Sela gasped, and she launched to her feet so she could press up against the railing of the tower.
The rest of us followed suit, and my heart pounded in my chest with the heat of the excitement. I didn’t even have a specific team I wanted to win, but the pulsating pressure of the game had gotten the best of me. It was like when I went to a bar to watch a football game and was surrounded by all sorts of jeering and cheering fans. I didn’t even care who won, mostly. I just loved the action.
Down below, Nima raced toward the forest as she artfully dodged spears and rocks that were thrown her way and kept the shell piece cradled in her arms.
“She only has the one piece,” Talise cried out. “Even if she makes it to the forest, Theora’s team has an advantage.”
Then, as if Talise herself had called them from the jungle, Theora’s team emerged.
And in the hands of the black-haired woman was a shiny, glowing piece of bright blue water dragon shell.
“Oh, shit, this just got so fucking real!” I hollered.
Sweat started to bead on my brow due to a combination of the hot afternoon sun and the rising tensions, but I wiped it off quickly as I watched.
Nima and Theora were on absolute opposite paths. Theora and her crew had decided to head through the village and attempt to lose their enemies as they ducked and weaved through various houses, but Nima had circled behind the palace.
They were locked. It seemed as if each team would lose a piece of shell at the same time they gained one.
Until Anora emerged from the fields and raced into the center of the village, where she met Theora head on. I couldn’t hear their quiet conversation, but it took only a split second for Theora to hand the shell off to Anora and then wave her team back toward the jungle.
Now, Nima was caught. Half of the enemy team started to race through the village to cut her off, while the other half was at her back.
It only took another five minutes for Nima to run headlong into the remainder of Theora’s team and realize she was stuck.
“Shitballs!” Mira borrowed one of my favorite phrases. At that point, none of us really cared who won either way. We rooted for all of them at once, simply excited by the action.
Nima was stuck between the two sides of Theora’s team like a baseball player in a pickle between the second and third basemen.
For a moment, the red-head froze as she tried to decide her best move. Then Theora came forward, and it was clear from her body language and outstretched hand that she urged Nima to just give up the dragon shell piece.
But, with a wicked grin, the redhead shook her head, and one foot suddenly lashed out and knocked Theora’s legs out from under her. Nima ducked and rolled under the legs of two of her enemies, and she managed to dodge a blow from a fourth.
She was right at the edge of the jungle now, so close it was possible she could get the shell to her team.
Brenna charged forward, right on Nima’s heels, and then the two disappeared behind the tree line.
A heavy silence fell. The war cries had died down, and no one said a single word as we all stared hard at the spot where Nima and Brenna disappeared. Many of Brenna’s teammates dashed into the trees to help her, but we had no idea who still had the shell.
“What do you think happened?” Jemma breathed, and her chartreuse eyes were wide as they stared at the same spot we all did.
“I don’t--”
But before Sela could finish her sentence, Brenna emerged from the tree line, with her hands in the air as she displayed a piece of brilliant blue shell in victory.
“Yes!” Ainsley and Jemma hollered out, more in excitement that there was now a winner than anything.
“Go Brenna!” Mira called down from the guard tower.
The brunette deer woman turned her head and flashed us a brilliant smile.
“Let’s get down there!” I urged.
Quickly, we all scrambled down from the guard tower and raced toward the fields, where Brenna’s team stood proudly with their three pieces of shell all lined up.
“You won!” I cried out, and I grabbed Theora and Brenna in a massive hug.
Within seconds, I was surrounded by a swath of fifty victorious women, who pinned me in a sweaty, victorious hug.
“I suppose you are stuck with me for a second journey, Ben,” Theora murmured excitedly into my ear, and her green eyes gleamed with delight.
“I’ll happily be stuck with you any day.” I grinned back at her.
The other two groups emerged from their home bases and joined us on the field, and they all congratulated the winners with the grace and poise I would expect. The losing teams were clearly disappointed they would not accompany me on my next journey, but there were no hard feelings.
Besides, I knew this would hardly be the last time I needed to gather the women and sail to another island. There would be plenty of opportunities for everyone to have an adventure in the years to come.
We all took the rest of the night off from any strenuous activities. Instead, we enjoyed a nice, warm meal from Hali’s kitchen, complete with coconut bread and freshly smoked boar meat, and then spent our last night together around a large bonfire late into the night.
I joined Ainsley in her room after the festivities died down, and the two of us fell asleep curled up next to one another, with her tiny little bump cradled between us.
The next morning, everyone was up early as we prepared to set sail. Ainsley and I emerged from her room, and we promptly ran into Jonas and Mira, who each carried a small bag of their necessities with them as they headed toward the palace doors.
“I am so excited.” Jonas grinned. “I think the last time I felt this electrified was when Hali was born, many years ago.”
“I’m glad,” I laughed.
“Are you ready to be without us?” Mira asked Ainsley.
The strawberry blonde moved closer to me as we walked and shook her head.
“Not in the slightest,” she responded. “But I am ready to hear all of the stories the two of you will no doubt have when you return.”
“We’ll probably have a bunch of new citizens, too,” Mira laughed.
“That as well.” Ainsley nodded, and a small smile crossed her face.
By the time the sun had risen fully, we were all on the beach ready to take the rowboats out to the orc ship. The first groups started to row out, while Mira, Jemma, Sela, and I turned to say our goodbyes. I hugged each one of my kids, and I gave a warm kiss to each one of my women.
“Come back to us unharmed, alright?” Talise asked seriously as I kissed her goodbye.
“Of course, I will,” I promised.
“Daddy, remember what I said about the fire,” Marella murmured as she hugged me tightly. “Just be careful, alright?”
“I promise, kiddo,” I told her.
Meanwhile, Jonas wrapped his two granddaughters up in warm, tight hugs.
“Be careful, Grandfather,” Hali said. “If you do not come back to us, I will bring you back to life to kill you myself.”
“I do not think you need to worry about that, my child,” Jonas laughed. “But I promise you all the same I will return.”
“Where’s George?” I asked as I looked around for my dragon.
“I have not seen him this morning,” Nerissa replied with a furrowed brow. “Perhaps he has grown weary of the sad goodbyes.”
“Maybe,” I sighed. I wanted to hear his dragon hum one last time before I left, but I’d have to hold onto the memory for now.
We were the last group to board the rowboats. We waved as we drifted over the smooth water, then secured the boats to the orc ship and climbed aboard.
Just as before, the women on the sails climbed the poles and were ready to unfurl the canvas as Mira took the wheel, and Anora and Brenna hauled the anchor aboard.
We all waved as the ship pulled further away from the shore and started to turn toward the east, where our destination was.
Just as we pulled out of our little alcove completely, though, a giant splash sent a wave of water over the starboard side.
You did not think you could go without me a second time, did you, dear one? George asked in my head.
“What?” I laughed.
I rushed over to the side of the ship to see my brilliant blue water dragon as he dipped and swam alongside our vessel, like a miniature whale. He turned his giant face up to me, grinned, and then dipped further down into the water.
Seconds later, he erupted from the ocean, flipped over twice in the air, and then landed on the deck of the ship with a giant boom. The women shrieked as he doused them in chilly ocean water, but I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Are you ready for this adventure, my friend?” I asked.
Absolutely, Draco Rex, George replied.
The dragon was a third of the size of the ship, but he settled onto the upper deck, just behind Mira, where he would be out of the way as we sailed on toward the island.
Now, our adventure could truly begin.
Chapter Three
If the map was accurate, our destination island looked like it would be a few days’ journey away. For the first day, the dragonkin women got their bearings on the ship, thanks to the help of Jemma and her fellow women. Since they were old pros at this, they helped Sela, Anora, and the rest of the women get acquainted with the basics of sailing such a large vessel.
The dragon women picked it up quickly, and within a few hours, we had a smooth journey. The sea around us was placid and calm, but I didn’t let that fool me for one moment. I remembered how calm it had been when we sailed from Jemma’s island back home, and then how that nasty storm had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and blown us completely off course.
The last thing I needed was a repeat of that.
What I would have liked to see again was another orc ship. My soul just itched to chase one down on the high seas and destroy the bastards.
To my absolute dismay, though, I was not faced with a single orc ship the entirety of the first day.
During the middle of the afternoon, I was at the wheel, with my eyes laser focused on the clear ocean in front of us, when Mira came up next to me.
“You look as if you are expecting danger, my king,” the jade-haired warrior chuckled.
“Not danger,” I replied as I stretched out in the warm, midday sun. “But I would like to run into one of those damned orc ships. I bet we could do some seriously fatal damage now that we’re old pros with those cannons.”
“I would love that,” Mira replied hungrily, and I could tell she relished every word as it rolled off her tongue, which only endeared her to me even more. The warrior’s bloodlust rivaled mine where the orcs were concerned, especially since she’d come with me to the deer women’s island and seen the destruction the monsters wreaked worldwide.
“We could take them down in a couple blows,” I told her, “but we’d let them think they could get away. Let them try to sail far from us, only to pop back up and completely eviscerate them when they least expect it.”
“Blow a hole straight through the captain’s cabin.” She nodded.
The two of us stared out over the ocean and willed an orc ship to magically appear on the horizon, ripe for fighting.
Unfortunately, no such thing happened. The ocean was still just as clear as the skies, save for the occasional fish that jumped or whale that surfaced to spout a great gust of sea water high into the air.
“Marella had another vision,” I murmured quietly to Mira, and I made sure to keep my voice low enough so no one else would overhear our conversation.
I didn’t have to worry, though. The women who were awake and on deck were busy rushing around to look at the sights all around them and pointing out different fish and sea creatures.
“I take it from your tone she did not see us stumble upon a store of weapons and destroying the orc island?” Mira rightfully guessed.
“Not exactly.” I shook my head. “She saw fire on the ocean.”
“What?” Mira gasped, and she turned her wide gold eyes on me. “But that is impossible. Fire cannot survive on the water.”
“Yeah, I had the exact same thought,” I sighed. “She doesn’t get it, either. She just knows what she saw. And she saw fire, on the water. Then she had some sort of feeling that told her I was near it, but she can’t quite tell what it means. Jonas says she’s still a little too young, and sometimes her visions won’t make much sense until the events actually happen.”
“Do you think you are the one that sets the fires?” the warrior wondered.
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “I doubt it. That’s not exactly a skill I picked up in the Coast Guard. But I suppose at this point, anything’s possible.”
“Very interesting,” Mira mused with a furrowed brow.
We didn’t have much more of a chance to ruminate on the possibilities of Marella’s vision because behind us, George snorted himself half awake, and then rolled over so far his massive, softy belly smashed Mira and me against the wheel.
With my face pressed up against the smooth wood, and my lungs burning for air, I tried to get my dragon companion’s attention.
“George,” I squeezed out.
“Dragon, let us up,” Mira ordered, just as breathlessly.
George, though, wasn’t exactly what I would call a morning dragon. Or an after-nap dragon, for that matter. The large creature always took way too long to wake up, and that time was only amplified while I was squished up against the wheel of my ship, barely able to breathe.
In his half-awake state, George sucked in a huge breath, let it out in a sigh, and then snuggled down closer to the deck of the ship.
And in the process, I was pretty sure I heard one of my ribs crack.
“George, you’re suffocating me!” I tried again.
When the dragon still didn’t respond, I managed to twist my hand around, grab a large hunk of his midsection, and pinch.
Hard.
Yeoow! George screeched in my head.
The massive dragon burst straight up into the air, flipped over
the rail of the ship, and landed in the water behind us with so much force a massive wave washed over the side and soaked Mira and me to the bone.
“George, my goodness!” Jemma giggled from the deck below.
Mira and I sucked in a few calming breaths before we rushed over to the railing to peer down at the ocean below.
That is not the nicest way to wake up a dragon, dear one, George grumbled.
The water dragon treaded the water below us, with his face turned upward and the deepest annoyance in his eyes.
“Hey, it was either that or lose the ability to breath,” I called down to him.
George shook his head at Mira and me, then dove down to the depths of the ocean. He went down so far he completely disappeared from sight in the dark waters below.
Thirty seconds later, my dragon resurfaced with one of the pink dolphins in his massive jaws.
My post nap snack, he huffed with pride before he performed another flip and launched himself out of the water.
Mira and I quickly dashed away from the rail and back into the safe zone, where we wouldn’t get squashed.
Of course, the safe zone did not mean the no splash zone, and we were soaked by another torrent of icy seawater.
“If Nixie had come, I do not think she would have soaked us so,” Mira growled.
George said nothing, but the look in his eyes was as good as a shrug.
The dolphin like creature he held in his jaws was still partially alive, and it yipped and struggled halfheartedly for a brief moment. Quickly, though, George put the creature out of its misery. He tilted his head backward, threw it into the air, and opened his jaws wide.
The sea creature landed in his mouth and slipped down his throat easily, the way a sardine slips down a seagull’s throat. I watched as the tail gave one last weak slap before it was sucked inside and chomped to bits by George’s fangs.
