To Save The Broken Heart: Dragons, Griffons and Centaurs, Oh My! (Dragons, Griffons, and Centaurs, Oh My!)

by Margaret Taylor

  ***

  Lanni heard them coming long before they arrived and apparently so did the little guy. He rubbed her chin and purred then scrambled under her hair. His rotund little body elongated and wrapped itself into the mats of hair that a lack of bathing had caused over the last eight or nine days. She could only imagine what it smelled like and hoped the little guy didn’t take offense.

  The door opened and one of the Satyr’s cut the ropes holding her to the bunk. They dragged her topside and toward the bow where the cluster of Unicorns, including Golix and his mother waited. Cuffs dangled from the rails and they attached them to her wrists.

  Not that she was fighting them, at least not for the moment. She relaxed, ready for whatever they were going to do, still holding to the hope and theory that she’d be able to either control, or influence the ships once they were airborne.

  Several of the minions dragged a massive cauldron forward and set it behind her with a loud thunk. The contents inside sizzled and the stench wafted up her nose on the ocean breeze, causing her to sneeze.

  Golix and Mom moved in front of her while the others formed a semi-circle around the bubbling vat.

  “Begin,” Mom said in that way only mothers could.

  A low hum penetrated the air and she felt more than saw energy coalescing around the pot. It swirled and spun through the air, pulsing at it and standing the hairs of her neck on end. Or maybe that was the little guy, she had no way to tell.

  Golix’s head lifted, eyes glowing and the words he said, raced shivers down her spine.

  “Dragon’s Blood, take the night. Dragon’s Blood, give them flight.”

  Thick smoke curled between her bare feet and she did her best not to jerk away. It wasn’t easy, but she lifted her shoulders and steeled herself for whatever was coming.

  She knew Golix was powerful, he’d already proven that much since this whole crazy thing had begun, but what she didn’t expect or prepare for was the massive wave of magical energy that started at her feet and spread through her entire being.

  Right down to the cellular level…

  Unable to stop herself, she screamed, long and loud as the force crested and crashed through her muscles, bones and blood.

  When it settled, she could feel everything.

  The wind on her skin…

  The salt in the sea air…

  The molecules she drew in with each breath…

  The atoms that made up the metal of the ship…

  All of it flowed in and out of her, a force of nature she had no clue even existed.

  Golix repeated the spell and the magic coalesced to a point just under her sternum. For a heartbeat it burned, gyrating around on itself in a dizzying mass of heat. With another bellow she didn’t realize came from her, it shot away from her in forty different directions…

  ***

  Rygan watched from the shadows, wincing. He wanted to rush in and stop this, but outnumbered as he was, it would only get him killed and quickly.

  By the Gods, he should have acted when he first arrived! He should have set her free the rotation before, but he hadn’t.

  Garax was right. He was a coward.

  Swiping the tears off his cheeks for the agony in her screams, he watched the incantation work its deed, his heart heavy. When the beams tore from her chest, he clutched at his own, terrified and yet fascinated as each headed for the other ships in the fleet.

  Each hit their intended target and molded over the hull, sinking into the Rustac plating until all that remained was a faint, bluish glow.

  Lanni fell to her knees, chest heaving and her hair slipped around to cover her face. He briefly spied Tollo until he slithered further up under the tangles and disappeared.

  “Now, we fly.”

  Lanni’s faint voice drifted to his ears on the breeze. “I, I can’t…”

  Golix took a step and put a hoof under her chin, lifting it. “You can and you will.”

  Two of the Satyr’s prodded her back to her feet. She weaved, looking ready to collapse.

  He couldn’t blame her. That spell looked very painful.

  To her credit, she squared her shoulders and her hands clenched into fists. Her chest continued to heave at the air and her entire frame shook with whatever effort she was putting into doing as she was commanded.

  Nothing happened then the ship under them shuddered. It was light, like it had just bumped over a small swell in the ocean, but grew stronger until with a loud groan it began to rise out of the water.

  He swung a look to the left and right and found the other ships following suit, their blue-colored armor glowing brighter now, as if they were responding to her and her alone.

  Interim King Tyleios Cannis stood on the roof of the King’s Tower. The army of Griffon’s, Ogre’s, Centaurs and Orc’s advanced in the distance, stretching back to the horizon and he smiled widely.

  One of the Guardsmen’s booted feet thumped across the pebbles. “Sire! They are here!”

  He spun, backhanding the man, laughing wickedly as he slammed to his ass. “I can see that. Open the gates!”

  The Guard rubbed his jaw, eyes wide and confused. “What?! Sire! No! You cannot! They…”

  He kicked the man in the chin, cackling when he flopped back out cold. “I must do everything myself…”

  Heading back to the main control room on the 22nd level of the building, he strode in confidently, giving the same order.

  And got much the same reaction.

  “But, but Sire! They, will lay waste to the city!” One of the Guards protested.

  He hoped his grin looked as evil as it felt. “I know.”

  ***

  He was too late…

  Furiem watched in horror as the front gate that had guarded Bra’ka for longer than he could remember, slowly rose into the air and the horde of troops just marched right through.

  Circling around with the Roc Detachment from the Eastern Garrison, they could only listen as the Riders housed near the main gate were slaughtered in short order.

  The massive army poured through the streets, laying waste to any in their path. The citizens screamed, buildings exploded, fires raged, lighting up the darkfall.

  “We need to go!” he shouted above the wind.

  The Rider nodded and turned the mount back to the west.

  He only hoped he could find Draven and Terra…

  He gulped, for the first time in his life, truly scared at the sight coming up from behind. As the sun dipped against the horizon, the massive armada he’d left four rotations before soared towards the city.

  “Down!”

  The Rider nodded again and directed the detachment to a grove of trees just outside the defensive wall. Landing, hopefully before anyone had seen them, he could only look on helplessly as the fleet surrounded the metropolis he’d always called home. One of them separated from the rest and hovered next to the King’s Tower. It stayed there for a long while then peeled away to rejoin the flotilla.

  He jumped to the ground, shouting back a command. “Find Draven. He will be coming from the direction of Lad’ak.”

  The Rider blinked at him, clearly confused. “His Majesty is alive?”

  “And well, last I knew. Just find him.”

  Without further comment the six Roc’s lifted off again and headed south. Hopefully they would turn east when they were out of detection range…

  Scurrying through the trees, he headed for one of the secret entrances and only hoped he could do some good once he was back in the lion’s den.

  ***

  Golix took a moment to regain his strength. The flight across the continent had helped, but he still wasn’t fully recovered.

  Nothing for it though. His power was necessary.

  Pacing across the roof of the building he’d longed to control for a hundreds of Suns, the pebbles crunched under his hooves and he smiled in victory.

  It was almost his. Almost.

  Just one more thing to do to make sure it stayed
his.

  Eyeing the girl, his minions secured her in place on a thick sheet of conductive metal. Yes, she was the final piece. Never mind what he was going to put her through would eventually kill her.

  It wouldn’t matter by then.

  All his planning, all his scheming, was about to payoff.

  In a very big way.

  When she was ready, he stepped up to join the circle the others formed around her. With a long breath, he let their chanting flow over him and spoke the final words that would seal their place in history.

  “Dragon’s Blood, shield the One.”

  Lanni’s entire body stiffened, her rigid muscles arching her off the thick plate. She bellowed, the agony of it music to his ears.

  His fellow Unicorns took a single step inward, each dipping their heads to point their horns in her direction. Colored beams shot from the tips and slammed into the poor human, sending her back to the metal with a bone cracking thud.

  The various colors churned over and around her frame, twisting through parts of her body as she writhed against the cuffs holding her in place. With another tormented wail, the magic from all of them ballooned over her chest.

  It hovered for several heartbeats, coalescing in a rainbow of colors then spiraled straight up. A resounding boom shook everything in the city and he lifted his gaze to watch all his hard work finally come to fruition.

  ***

  Tyleios skidded through the door to the roof just in time to see the final stage. The thunderous clap tossed him back against it, but he didn’t care.

  Above him, like the fireworks they set off during the Festival of Suns, the sky lit up. A pulsing wave of green and red slithered across the air. It fell slowly at first then gained speed with the pull of gravity until it crashed into the ground a good three lengths from the edge of the city proper.

  He pushed off the door and around to where The Master had been working. The others were just starting to stagger back, weakened by the spell. If he was a gambling man, now would have been the time to take out the one horned devil and have everything for himself.

  But he wasn’t a gambling man and could be content ruling the city as he had been since Draven’s death.

  He bent reverently to a knee at Golix’s hooves. “Did it work, My Lord?”

  “Aye,” the Unicorn said, slightly breathless. “See for yourself.”

  Tyleios looked up as one of the Roc Detachments tried to make an escape. Several of them were summarily shot down, but two made it to the shield. Without pause they flew straight into it, no doubt thinking to just pass through.

  The barrier sparked once and with a sizzle even he could hear from this distance, the animals and their Riders burst into flames. Their death wails as they fell back to the ground would stick in his ears for many rotations to come.

  Clapping excitedly, he danced on his hooves.

  Golix sighed. “Nothing can come or go that is not coated with her spelled blood.”

  Tyleios turned back to see the human girl on the slab. With each breath, energy throbbed up the magical tether seated over her chest to the barrier high above.

  “As long as she lives, nothing can come near us.”

  ***

  Rygan’s very soul ached in the aftermath. Watching from the portal of his room, the tears flowed down his cheeks unchecked.

  This was all his fault. Every bit of it.

  If he hadn’t let his vanity rule him…if he hadn’t led Lanni into the Griffons trap…

  “Oh will you stop feeling sorry for yourself!”

  He spun, eyes wide as Garax ducked through the door.

  “How, when, what the…”

  His meaty hand grasped the links between the cuffs and with a twist, they separated. Pulling his around, he harrumphed and flipped off the metal. “Those were already unlocked.”

  Garax shrugged. “Then why did you not stop this?”

  He bent and did the same for his ankles then sank onto the bunk.

  A female Naiad he hadn’t noticed yet stood guard, half in, half out of the room. Her long blonde hair caught the light, casting her head in a slight halo. Her perfect face with its noble brow, straight nose and high cheeks set his heart to pounding and his dick to throbbing. Her long arms and equally long legs spoke of strength and determination as did the sword and shield she carried. A pristine set of battle armor covered her from head to toe and she looked more prepared to stop this than he was.

  “Maybe he is the coward you said he was,” she quipped in a low voice.

  Garax, his only friend, snorted and quirked an eyebrow.

  He scrubbed a hand down his face. “You were right. I should have, done something.”

  For that, he got another slap in the back of the head. “But you did not.”

  He rubbed the spot. “I gave her Tollo. Does that not count for something?”

  “What’s a Tollo?” the woman asked.

  Garax’s smile was slow and his green eyes twinkled brightly. “Something that might just make a difference in the end.”

  ***

  Ilthe’s had always been thought of as useless little things, more of a nuisance than anything else. But the truth was, they were highly intelligent and Tollo considered himself to be among the brightest.

  Waiting until the black beasts moved off from his new friend, he clawed his way out from the rat’s nest of hair. Curling close to her ear, he gave it a gentle lick and a soft trill.

  He would be back.

  He would not leave her to this fate.

  Darting away, he hid in the shadows and searched the hovering ships for his other friend. Sniffing, he recognized another familiar scent and with a happy purr, raced for the edge of the building.

  Launching off, his small wings unfurled from his spine and caught an updraft. Gliding across the air, he landed on the large boat they’d arrived on.

  He knew exactly what to do, the problem was going to be getting the rest of them to understand…

  Chapter Twenty-One

  The Kan’az was indeed a fast boat. As they rounded the southern-most tip of Falu, Haydn opened up the engines and with a throaty purr, they shot across the waves toward Lad’ak. He had no clue if Draven was there, but hope flared across his skin and that was enough. If he wasn’t, surely his Grandparentals would know where he had gone.

  He sat back, letting the wind whip through his long mane and sighed, watching Haydn at the controls. She was so different than the woman who’d saved him. But, if she hadn’t been there, his Blood Rage would have consumed him, burying his conscious mind deep.

  Chimera didn’t lose control that often, but when they did, there was no coming back. He’d seen one other in his long Suns and shuddered now with the memory.

  The poor man, the Alpha of the Second Pride, had mated. A rare thing, yes, but he’d often spoken of his hearts need for his woman. When she’d been killed during a trip to Gommel, the man lost himself and his Pride for a long time. He’d recovered, but was never the same. There was always just a hint of madness in his eyes, all four of them and he remembered as a kittling, being petrified to look into them, mortified that some of the madness would come his way.

  It was an odd thing, but that’s what he remembered.

  Eventually he’d stepped down as Alpha and was supposedly was hold up somewhere under the buttes of Dashta, but no one had seen him for many Suns. His son, and only heir, Tian had taken his place and was reportedly a good man. Tian was also one of the few that had mastered shifting from their true form to a humanoid. Not Neither-Born like he was, but truly humanoid, more like Draven.

  “You alright back there?”

  Haydn’s question snapped him out of the past. “Fine. How much longer?”

  Her head tilted toward the gauges. “Another couple of ticks.” She turned enough to see him, her eyes dropping toward his gut and the wound she’d left him with. The red-blue flashed with concern. “You should rest. You have been on your feet too long.”

  He was tired.
The bouncing across the rutted road out of Aydenton had been rough and might have torn a stitch or two. He wasn’t about to let her go on by herself though, she looked just as tired and worn down as he.

  How long had she been awake? Two rotations? Three? He didn’t know and that bothered him. “You should too.”

  She snorted, her long braid swishing against her back. “Someone has to drive.”

  He threw back his head and laughed. Pushing off the seat, he wrapped his arms around her and slipped one hand over hers on the throttle, easing it back. “Lad’ak will be there in the daylight.”

  She swung a look around and spun the vessel north, back toward land. “Fine. But I will feel better if we are not on open water.”

  Sound thinking and he stepped away, letting her have control again. They’d stayed within sight of land most of the way and now he could just make out the coast of Hitsani in the distance.

  “I will find us a cove. We can anchor there.”

  He didn’t comment. She obviously knew what she was doing and considering what she was, surely knew the Goblins dislike of darkfall visitors.

  She piloted across the remaining distance and slowed when they reached the craggy, high cliffs of the continent. Cruising just beyond the crashing waves, he watched the coastline for a cove or cave they could use for cover. He didn’t see a thing, but Haydn apparently did and suddenly swung the wheel hard over.

  He grabbed the back of her chair, his hearts pounded together as she revved up the engines again and powered her way through the breaking water.

  Timing it perfectly, the boat leapt a swell and landed on the other side in a hidden opening in the rocks. She swung the wheel back the other way, cutting the engines at the same time and backed them in without missing a beat.

  His hip banged into the side and he grunted. “Impressive.”

  She laughed and bounded up on the bow. Grabbing up the line, she made a quick lasso at one end and spun it over head. She swung it out in short order and it wrapped around an outcropping of rocks. Pulling it tight enough to keep them in place, she landed back near the wheel with a thud, and another smile.