Dragons of Asgard

by Logan Jacobs

  within a day.”

  “That quickly?” the elf woman asked, and her white eyebrows pinched

  together in disbelief.

  “It’s true,” I vouched for Kas. “I got injured just a couple of days ago,

  and it healed me completely by the next morning.”

  “These gashes were fairly large, though.” Kas frowned. “I’d say give it

  twenty-four hours just to be safe, but then you should be good as new.”

  “I’m sorry,” Asta sighed, and she looked at Kas and me. “I have put a

  damper on our travels for now.”

  “There’s no need to apologize,” I laughed. “You did nothing wrong.”

  “He’s right,” Kas agreed. “Twenty-four hours is barely any time at all.

  Besides, I don’t think we’d want to go back into that one.”

  Kas gestured to the portal that led to Jotunheim, and I shuddered just

  thinking about it. Not only was it freezing in there, but we’d only just arrived

  when we were greeted by a monstrous snow leopard bent on eating us for

  dinner. I’d always thought Jotunheim would be my favorite of all the worlds,

  but now I wasn’t so sure. It was a harsh environment, and if we were to go

  back, we’d definitely need to prepare with some protection spells and warmer clothes. Plus, Blar was not a fan of the cold weather.

  “Since we’re laid up for the day, let’s head back to my house,” I

  suggested, and I looked up at the midday sky. We still had time to get cleaned

  up and get some things done before nightfall.

  “Alright,” Kas agreed. “I would love a bath.”

  “A bath sounds wonderful,” Asta said with an eager nod.

  “Hm,” Kas hummed, and she looked down at Asta. “Are you able to

  walk?”

  “I can try,” the elf girl replied, but she bit her lip and looked uncertain.

  “Here,” I offered, and I crouched down next to her. “Climb onto my

  back.”

  “Are you sure?” she asked.

  “Hop on,” I chuckled.

  Asta wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled herself up so she

  could wrap her legs around my hips. I stood up with her attached to me and

  realized just how incredibly light she was.

  I could sense the heat of her body around mine, and it made my heart

  quicken, but I pushed the feeling down and headed back toward home. I

  wasn’t completely sure what to make of that kiss yet, but for the moment, I’d

  focus on letting her heal before I broached the subject.

  Blar walked on one side of me, and Kas was on the other as we made

  our way back to my house. As we broke through the tree line that led to my

  home, Blar took off running excitedly, and I heard Asta gasp into my ear.

  “This is where you live?” she asked.

  “Yes,” I said, and I was proud of my home and all I’d done to make it.

  “He built it himself,” Kas bragged for me.

  “It’s beautiful,” Asta whispered. “I really love it.”

  “Thank you,” I said, and I set her down on the bench outside my

  house.

  “I’ll draw you a bath,” Kas offered as she headed for the door.

  “Are you sure?” Asta asked with a frown. “You wished to bathe before

  I did.”

  “It’s no problem,” Kas chuckled over her shoulder. “While you’re in

  the bath, Rath and I can grab some fresh fruits and vegetables for dinner.”

  “Thank you,” the elf girl said as Kas disappeared into the house.

  “So, what do you think of Kas now?” I questioned as I sat down next

  to Asta and watched Blar whiz around the yard. He’d only been to our home

  a few times, but he still recognized it was his, and that made me smile.

  “She is not at all what I expected,” Asta admitted, and she pursed her plush, pink lips together. “I think I judged her too hastily.”

  “I thought you were starting to like her,” I chuckled.

  “She is very kind,” the white-haired woman mused, and her voice was

  filled with admiration.

  “Neither of us even knew there was any sort of conflict between your

  people,” I said. “I’d like to hear about it sometime now that you know Kas

  isn’t all bad.”

  “I would be glad to tell you,” the elf replied, and she looked up at me

  through bright white eyelashes.

  The sight of her was enough to make my stomach jump again, and I

  remembered the kiss we shared and nearly pulled her in for another, but I

  stopped myself and instead stood up and stretched.

  “Well, first I’m going to grab some things for dinner,” I said. “Is there

  anything in particular you like?”

  “I’d love some fresh fruit,” she answered, and she smiled widely.

  “You got it,” I chuckled.

  “Rath,” Kas called from the door, and I turned around to see what she

  wanted. “Could you bring Asta inside? I’ll help her get into the tub, but it

  would be easier if you carried her.”

  “Of course,” I responded.

  I picked up the elf girl, but this time I just scooped her up with one

  hand under her knees and the other under her shoulders. She looked up at me

  from my arms, and I ignored the warm feeling of desire that overcame me as

  I walked her into my house.

  “Thanks,” Kas said as I set Asta down near the tub.

  I turned to walk away, but I stopped at the doorway to look back at the

  two of them. When I glanced back, though, I saw Kas undoing the corset at

  Asta’s back, so I looked away sheepishly and hurried outside.

  Then I grabbed a basket from the pile of them I kept by my door and

  walked over to the garden to fill it and clear my mind.

  Blar came up to me then as I picked fresh cabbage, carrots, tomatoes,

  squash, and a few other things. He sat down next to the basket and stared at

  me curiously.

  “Alright,” I chuckled after a moment, and I set a small tomato down in

  front of him.

  He licked his little lips before he took a bite out of the red fruit, and

  then he nodded happily as he took another.

  I finished gathering the vegetables, and I brought the basket back up to

  the house, dropped it off, and grabbed another one to fill with fresh fruit. I’d

  thought Kas would come out to help me, but it seemed she and Asta had gotten to talking, since I could hear their laughs when I dropped the basket by

  the door. It didn’t bother me, though. I was used to gathering things from the

  garden myself, and I was happy the two beautiful women were getting along.

  After I finished gathering the food, I started a fire outside. It was late

  afternoon by now, and I needed some time to get dinner prepared. Not only

  did I not want to rush the girls, but it was also incredibly nice outside, so I

  figured we could eat outdoors. The sun was low on the horizon, but it still

  cast the world in a warm, yellow glow, and there was a slight breeze that

  made the evening incredibly pleasant.

  I cooked over the fire with Blar next to me, and after a while, the girls

  came out. They were both freshly bathed, with long wet locks that hung down

  their backs. Neither of them had on the same clothes as they’d worn before,

  though, now they each wore one of my tunics. Kas was wrapped up in a pale-

  yellow colored one that complimented her strawberry blonde curls, and Asta

  wore
a deep blue one that was a stark contrast against her white hair, but in a

  way that only made her look more beautiful. Both tunics were large on the

  women, but I had to smile at them wearing my clothes.

  It was adorable. And very sexy.

  “I hope you don’t mind we threw these on,” Kas said as she helped

  Asta over to the seats around the fire.

  “Not at all,” I replied. “Do you need any help?”

  “No, we’re good,” the blonde assured me. She had Asta’s arm over her

  shoulders, and the elf girl slowly hopped along toward the seats.

  “It sounded like you two were getting along well in there,” I said with

  a playful smile after they both were seated.

  “We were.” Asta nodded. “I’m very impressed with both of you.”

  “You’ve been quite helpful since you arrived, too,” I assured her.

  “Kas said the same thing,” the elf laughed. “But I truly am impressed,

  especially by you Rath.”

  “Why by me?” I asked, and my eyebrows pinched together in

  confusion. “Kas is the magical one.”

  “She told me she gets her magic from you, and I’ve never seen anyone

  be able to command a dragon,” Asta said as she stared at me seriously.

  “Never?” I asked.

  “Never.” She shook her head.

  “I didn’t realize,” I said, and I pursed my lips.

  “In my home world, I heard rumors about those who have tried,” Asta

  said softly, and she looked up at me through bright white eyelashes. “They

  have always failed, though. The dragons do not listen to them. Travelers have

  come and tried to take dragons for themselves as well, but they die in the

  process.”

  “They try and take them?” Kas asked. “What do they want with

  them?”

  “Some want to own them,” Asta answered as she shrugged. “Others

  want to put them on display in their own worlds, but dragons are sacred

  creatures, and they are not to be kept in cages.”

  “That’s awful,” I said with a frown. I’d never thought about that

  before, but Asta’s world did have quite a few dragons, so I guess it made

  sense some people would try to take advantage of that. In Asgard, we’d heard

  nobody had seen a dragon in centuries, but I was slowly learning the worlds

  were much larger than I thought, and there was a lot I didn’t know.

  “It is,” the elf agreed. “It is part of the reason I was skeptical when I

  met the two of you.”

  “You thought we stole Blar?” Kas asked.

  “I wasn’t sure where you got him,” Asta said with a shake of her head.

  “But I wanted to be sure he was safe. I thought for sure he would attack you

  at some point, but then I saw the way he listens to you, and how you two are

  with each other. It’s obvious there is a very deep magical connection there.”

  “Thank you,” I replied, and I looked down at Blar and smiled.

  “I am confused as to one thing, though,” Asta said, and she cocked her

  head to the side.

  “What’s that?” I asked.

  “When we first met, you said you had him disguised as a dog to

  everyone else,” she said.

  “That’s right,” Kas agreed.

  “I was suspicious of it, then, but now I just wonder why?” the elf

  wondered.

  “Dragons aren’t common here like they are in your land,” I explained.

  “Even in my home, they are elusive,” Asta corrected.

  “Right,” I said, “but in Asgard dragons have been banished for

  centuries.”

  “Banished?” the elf woman asked, and her yellow eyes looked back

  and forth between Kas and me.

  “It’s true.” Kas nodded.

  We explained to the elf the theories about why dragons were banished,

  and she listened intently. The more I spoke about it, though, the more I

  realized how strange the whole thing was.

  “So, you have him enchanted as a way to hide him in plain sight,” Asta

  said.

  “Yeah,” I agreed.

  “But… how will you continue to hide him?” the elf woman asked.

  “Surely, you’ve noticed he grows by the day.”

  “I have,” I sighed and looked down at Blar. When he first hatched, he

  was only as long as my forearm, but now he was triple that length. We

  wouldn’t be able to conceal him forever.

  “Maybe it’s time to go to the council,” Kas suggested quietly.

  “I think you may be right,” I agreed. I wasn’t sure if I was ready for

  that risk, but now that we knew where the portals were, we could always run

  if things went south. I wouldn’t let the council take Blar away, but no matter

  their response, we had options, and that thought gave me comfort. They could

  try and punish me if they wanted, but they’d have to catch me first.

  “Asta and I will come with you, too,” Kas offered as she lifted her

  chin. “Right, Asta?”

  “Of course,” the white-haired woman agreed with a nod.

  “Actually,” I said, and I pursed my lips, “I don’t think Asta should

  come with us.”

  “Why not?” Kas asked, but then her eyes widened with realization.

  “Oh.”

  “What is it?” Asta wondered as she glanced between the two of us.

  “Am I not welcome here?”

  “Travelers are welcome in Asgard,” I explained, “but typically they

  use the Bifrost to get here, so right now there’s no record of your arrival.”

  “This is a problem?” she asked, and she frowned in confusion.

  “Yes,” I sighed. “It could bring up questions as to how you got here,

  and right now we want to keep the portals a secret.”

  “I didn’t realize not everyone here knew about the portals,” Asta

  mused.

  “That makes sense,” I chuckled. “You would have no reason to. But if

  the council decides something we don’t agree with, then having the portals

  available to us would be extremely useful.”

  “You think we might have to run?” Kas murmured, and her violet eyes

  darkened with worry.

  “Possibly,” I said with a nod. “Which is why I’m willing to go to the

  council myself. I don’t want to put you or Asta at risk. If I have to leave, that

  doesn’t mean you do, too.”

  “Of course, it does,” Kas protested. “We’re soul bonded. I want to be

  with you.”

  “What about your father?” I asked.

  “We’re sorcerers,” the beautiful blonde laughed. “We’ll figure out a

  way to see each other.”

  “I’d also like to remain with you,” Asta spoke up. “You’ve saved my

  life more than once now, but more than that, I feel you have a great destiny in

  your future, Rath, and I would be honored to witness it.”

  “Thank you,” I said, and I smiled at both of the gorgeous women in

  front of me. I was grateful to have both of them with me at that moment, and

  for the journey to come. I didn’t know what the council would say, but I’d

  find out soon enough.

  “So, we’re going with you to the council,” Kas confirmed.

  “Yes.” I nodded. I was still hesitant about Asta coming along, and Kas

  could sense that, but then she raised an eyebrow at me.

  “You’re bringing a dragon in to see them,” the blonde snort
ed. “I doubt

  they’ll be concerned about a traveler.”

  “That’s a good point,” I conceded with a laugh. “We’ll go first thing in

  the morning.”

  “Alright,” the sorceress agreed.

  I looked down at Blar, then, and he gave me a small nod as he leaned

  his head against my leg. I knew he was trying to comfort me, and it did a

  little bit, but I was still nervous about the whole thing. Still, my little dragon

  knew I’d protect him, and I refused to let him down.

  I dished up dinner for everyone, and we all ate quietly. The sun set as we ate, and I admired the beautiful multicolored sky. It spread out in a canvas

  of pinks, purples, greens, and oranges until it turned to a dark sky filled with

  stars.

  After dinner, I stretched out and decided I wanted a bath myself, so I

  headed inside. Blar came with me, and he laid down on the bed while I filled

  the tub with hot water. Once it was full, I stripped off my clothes, sunk down

  into the water, closed my eyes, and let out a sigh of relief. The warmth felt

  amazing on my sore muscles, and I sunk down even further into the water.

  Suddenly, a huge splash made me jolt upright, and I looked down to

  see Blar had jumped into the tub with me.

  “What are you doing?” I laughed.

  The little dragon swam around for a second, and then he paddled up to

  my chest and laid there, with part of him in the water and part of him out of

  it.

  “Do you want to be clean for your big debut tomorrow?” I snickered,

  and Blar closed his eyes and turned his head to the side so I could wash him.

  So, I chuckled and did as he wanted. The little lizard had so much personality

  I often forgot he wasn’t an Aesir, but a reptile who could grow to be as large

  as a village.

  And he was such a good boy.

  As I washed his little body, I hoped that day didn’t come too soon. I

  would miss him being so small. It already seemed like it would be too soon

  that he would no longer be able to ride on my shoulders. As much as I

  couldn’t wait to see how large he could grow, I knew I’d miss being able to

  scratch under his chin with just one finger.

  They girls had already fallen asleep by the time I got out of the bath, so

  I just grabbed some blankets from inside, stoked the fire a bit more, and laid

  down beside them. It was a beautiful, clear night, so I saw no reason we had