by Rachel Angel
Smiling, she considered what that really meant. Did she have the power to cure everyone?
Chapter 3
Feeling refreshed and invigorated, Ally and Razor took off from the rocky ledge and continued on their way toward the Dark Forests.
“Just over there,” Razor said five minutes later as a sandy knoll came into view. A scattering of tall thin trees surrounded the small sandy lot that was dotted with small thorny bushes.
Smiling, Ally looked at the enormous amount of sand. If this really worked, they’d surely have enough to kill off all the monsters.
“Think you can land okay?” Razor said. “Those little bushes can be really nasty to land in.”
“I think I got the hang of it now,” she said with pride. “I should be able to land softly without touching a bush. I could even pinpoint exactly where I’m going to lay my feet. Right….” She scanned the ground. “There,” she said, pointing slightly to her right. “Right on that slab of red rock.”
And she did. As light as a feather, she landed on her two feet right precisely where she’d planned. Elated, she applauded herself.
“You’re flying like a real pro,” Razor said, impressed.
“Now that I have the energy to keep up, there’s nothing stopping me.” She stooped down to grab a handful of sand. “There’s tons of this stuff out here. Is this the sand you were talking about?”
“Not quite.” He walked over to a shady spot where a strange looking blueish moss grew. Getting down on his knees, he peeled off the layer of moss and pointed to the soil below it. “If you want to know precisely, this is where I got that dirt to feed my roses from.”
Ally joined him, getting down on her knees and touched the soil. The texture was strange to her fingers, gritty, but leaving a film on her skin where she rubbed her fingers together.
“Wow,” Razor said, looking at her in amazement.
“What now?”
“You’re glowing again. Even more than before.”
“Do you really think the soil is responsible?”
“Looks like it. The minute you touched it, you started to glow.”
“Hmm,” she said, looking at the soil more closely. She smelled it, but could detect nothing in particular, then tasted it, spitting out the coarse particles. “What if you touch it?”
He took a fistful of sand and rubbed it between both hands. Nothing.
“So, it only affects me.” She stared at the soil. “That’s strange.”
“The important thing is that it works. Just by touching it, you’ve become stronger.”
“And the only way of transmitting that strength to others is…”
“I am feeling a little weak,” Razor said with a boyish grin.
She smiled at him and ran her fingers though his hair. “I have to admit, I do want you to be as strong as you can. Perhaps you’d even become entirely immune to the monsters’ bites.”
He leaned into her, grinning as he closed in for a kiss. “I’m certainly ready to try anything.”
Ally pushed him back until he lay in the very dirt that had energized her. Feeling more brazen than ever, she unbuckled his belt and whipped it off, then undid his pants.
With keen interest, he eyed her, waiting for her next move. She pulled out his cock, already hard and engorged with desire. Her eyes narrowed hungrily as she stood and peeled off every article of clothing.
Razor groaned. “Ah, how you’re beautiful.”
She lowered herself over her, straddling him and nudging his cock inside her. Riding him, she felt a complete lack of inhibition, a total sense of freedom and control.
As she rode him, she saw the change in him, felt the growing strength and power in him. Not only had she rid him of his parasite, but she was now transferring an incredible amount of energy to him.
They climaxed together, crying out their euphoria for the love they shared, for the power they had and for the sheer enjoyment of the moment.
“That was the most powerful thing I’ve ever felt,” Razor said when she got off him.
She looked at him playfully as she dressed. “It’s hard to believe that intimate relations are the antidote to those monsters’ bites.”
Tying his pants, he reached for his belt and stood. “For a minute there,” he said as he buckled his belt. “I thought you were going to whip me with this thing.”
Ally grinned. “Sounds like an interesting concept. Maybe next time.” She looked at the ground under the moss Razor had turned. “Now, we have a lot of work to do. Let’s put as much of this stuff in these bags.”
“Try eating some,” Razor said.
Ally grimaced. “I don’t know. It didn’t taste very good.” She brought a small handful back to her nose and sniffed. It smelled funny and unappetizing. She took a pinch between her thumb and index finger and put it in her mouth. The same strange taste as earlier filled her mouth, but the grittiness of the sand made the thought of swallowing it unappealing. “It’s not very pleasant,” she said with the sand on her tongue.”
“Maybe you can just suck the juice out of the soil and spit out the actual sand.”
Nodding, she sucked on the sand the way she remembered sucking on a sugar cube when Kate wouldn’t let her have a second piece of cake. The bittersweet oils of the sand ran down her throat and when all that was left was the dry sand, she spit it out.
“How do you feel?”
“Indestructible.” She then looked at the funny plant that was growing in the soil. Snapping off a leaf, she brought it to her lips and nibbled gingerly. “This taste a lot better than the soil. Think it will do the same?”
“I’m sure it will. It already has. Look at your skin. It’s incredible. There’s an aura around you, a mist emanating from you.
She looked down, amazed as a rainbow mist surrounded her. “Great. Let’s fill these sacks.”
As they both picked up sacks of soil and some of the leaves, Ally ate as many of the tasty leaves as she could. She wanted to ensure she had enough stored-up energy to cure all her infected princes.
Chapter 4
While it had taken them over half an hour to get to the outskirts of the Dark Forests, it took barely a minute to return. They flew through the air so fast, they nearly flew straight through the war zone.
Struggling to stay in the air, Flint caught Ally’s eye. “I’m going to go see Flint,” Ally called to Razor who followed her.
“Flint,” Ally called out.
He didn’t hear her and continued to battle.
“Flint!”
“I think he might be too far gone,” Razor said.
“I think he’s just exhausted from fighting for so many endless days.” She made a move to get closer to him, but Razor stopped her.
“I’ll go see him,” he said. “Hang here for a minute.”
She hovered where she was, confident Razor would get Flint’s attention. He flew in close, but Flint didn’t seem happy to see him.
“Hey!” Razor cried out as Flint growled at him.
His eyes red and his deathly grim grin almost cutting his face in two, Flint attacked Razor. Despite his apparent fatigue, he darted around and over Razor and grabbed his wings, holding them clamped together at Razor’s back, keeping him from flying.
Ally thought they would fall from the sky if Flint didn’t let go soon. He had a vice grip on Razor’s wings, but then Razor surprised her, and Flint. He suddenly snapped his wings free of Flint’s hold, turned onto his back in mid-air and gripped Flint by the neck.
“Can you bring him down to the ground?” Ally called out. She looked around at the ground below. “Over there,” she shouted, pointing to the left. “Just beyond that tall pine… in that shallow canyon.”
Razor easily kept Flint in a tight hold, bringing him down to earth despite Flint’s constant attempt to stay in the air.
But between Flint’s fatigue and exhaustion, and Razor’s increased power due to his moments with Ally, Flint didn’t stand a chance. He was going do
wn whether he wanted to or not.
Both dragons landed on the canyon floor with a resounding thud, and Razor quickly flipped Flint over onto his back and pinned him to the ground. It took a few moments, but Flint reluctantly relented, stopped resisting, and finally shifted tiredly back to human form. His human form, however, didn’t keep him from snarling and snapping at Razor.
“Go back to the fight, Razor,” Ally said, her tone solemn and sure.
Surprised by the order, he just looked at her as he kept a knee on Flint’s chest and his fist on Flint’s throat.
“Go.”
“What are you going to do?” Razor’s jaw tensed and his lips pressed together into a concerned line. He glanced down at Flint, who’d quickly grown weaker, so weak he could barely move, then back to Ally. “I don’t like it.”
“I know you don’t.” She read the jealousy in his eyes but knew there was no time for that. She had to do what she could to save Flint.
Ally gestured toward the sky, silently telling Razor to leave her. He nodded and stood. Every fiber of his being was tense and tight. His fists were clenched, and he stood straight, almost defiant. He resisted the idea of leaving her, but he gave her a final nod and flew up to join the battle.
Once alone in the isolated canyon, she went to Flint’s side. He lay on his back, staring at the sky with blank lifeless eyes. His lips, already deformed by the infection, were curled into an ugly grin.
She considered his weak state a good sign. He was fighting the parasite and it was draining him of his energy, but still keeping the parasite from completely taking over.
“Flint,” she called softly, hoping to reach deep inside him.
His fists clenched and his body shuddered, but he didn’t look at her. Ally knelt over him, looking into his eyes. There was a quick flicker of recognition, but no more. He simply stared into nothingness.
She leaned in closer, aware that he could pounce on her at any moment. Though temporarily weakened by the process of turning and fighting, the parasite could quickly take over.
Flint reached up with one claw-like hand and grabbed her arm, pulling her closer. The sneer on his lips was grotesque, and the foul odor that came from him was nauseating. He pulled her closer, until their faces were just inches apart.
Ally knew she had to kiss him, she had to warm him up if she was to save him. She looked at the dry, almost crisp looking lips, blackened by the parasite.
“You have to come back to me, Flint,” she whispered, and closed in to kiss him. She silently prayed it wasn’t too late. He seemed almost too far along to save.
The beast in him snarled and growled, and his fist tightened on her arm. She kissed him again, ignoring the foul odor and just thinking of the Flint she knew. The grip on her arm remained tight but had changed. It had lost its claw-like form and returned to the huge strong hand Flint had always had. The grip was no longer violent, but urgent and in need.
He no longer snarled but remained motionless and still as she kissed him. He closed his eyes while his lips regained their supple softness. The foul odor of his breath diminished.
“Ally,” he whispered.
She smiled and continued to kiss him, keeping her eyes open and cast on his. The blank stare was replaced with a loving gaze as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tightly to him.
“Ally,” he whispered again. “Oh, my Ally. The only thing worse than being taken over by this parasite was not knowing what had happened to you.” He held her tight, kissing her lips, her cheek, her ear.
His breath had regained its sweet scent and all outer signs of the parasite were gone.
“Before this parasite takes over again, I have to tell you… I love you, Ally. I know I had a strange way of showing it, fighting you so fiercely at the tournament.” He grinned. “And being beaten by you. I loved you then, and I love you even more now. Look at you.
You’re a true warrior in every sense of the word, and you’re still so angelically beautiful.”
He coughed suddenly, and Ally wondered if the parasite was regaining control. She stood and took off every stitch of clothing while he stared dumbfounded at her.
When she undid his pants, he grasped her hands. “Wow, Ally. You’re turning me on like never before, and, by God, do I want you, but I don’t think it’s safe for you. I don’t know when this thing will take over again. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Don’t worry, Flint,” she whispered as she pulled out his huge cock and gently stroked it.
“You’re…” He tilted his head to the side and looked at her curiously. Her touch was already working to cure him. “What strange powers do you have?” he said quietly as she continued to work on him.
She smiled and straddled him, easing his enormous cock inside her. He grunted, thrilled by her audacity, but concern still played on his eyes. Riding him, she kept her gaze focused on him, watching her strength and her power fill him.
And when they climaxed, their cries of passion filled the narrow canyon, and she knew the cure had been complete. She felt it in his touch, gentle but strong as he pulled her into his arms and pressed his broad, hard chest against her breasts.
His kissed her with passionate, sweet kisses that spoke of all the love he had for her.
Releasing her suddenly, he sat up and coughed, then stood as he coughed up the dying parasite. It caught fire immediately and let out a shrill cry before turning to a black crisp.
“Ew,” Flint groaned, looking at the dead parasite. “Damn, those things are ugly.”
“They are, but now you’re rid of him.”
“Thanks to you.”
In addition to saving him, she felt an additional burst of power and energy. Like with Razor, making love to Flint had boosted her power.
Chapter 5
Ally looked up to the sky. “The fight’s not over.”
Flint nodded. “Let’s get to it.” He shot up into the air.
Ally deployed her wings and joined him, quickly slicing the heads off of so many monsters. Flint and Razor fought hard, but their effectiveness was now devastating to the monsters. With one breath, they shot flames that killed dozens of monsters at a time. The heat from their fiery breaths was intense.
Seeing this new intensity, some monsters hesitated before approaching them, but they were burned to a crisp, even at a distance.
Ally remembered Queen Jade and the story the instructors of Wyvern Academy had told them; the power her fiery breath had. Razor and Flint had that power now, and Ally knew it had something to do with her. Her most intimate moments with her lovers had transformed them into a stronger form of themselves.
Remembering Queen Jade, Ally realized she had not yet seen Jasper.
“I’m going to go looking for Jasper,” she called out to Razor and Flint. They both looked at her with that knowing yet unhappy gaze.
With one forceful flap of her wings, she soared high about the battle and scanned the scene below. Razor and Flint were clearly the only dragons in the battle. Jasper was on the ground somewhere, and finding him, especially in human form would be difficult.
She glided back and forth over the land, looking for signs of him, then decided to head into town. Hopefully she’d find someone who’d seen him.
But as she flew over the countryside, she saw something flicker in the high grass below. It shined turquoise and teal, then she recognized it as a dragon scale.
Jasper, she thought. She tucked her wings in and dove to the dragon scale, pulling out her wings just in time to soften her landing. She picked up the scale, now certain that it was from Jasper.
The only question was, had it fallen from the sky as he’d flown by, or was he on the ground nearby? The answer came by way of several mixed prints in the soil beyond the grassy patch. A blend of human, monster and dragon.
What kind of fight had he had to wage all on his own? she wondered.
She followed the tracks then saw another teal dragon scale some twenty feet in front of her. She picked
it up and continued to follow the tracks.
The monster tracks ended abruptly just as she noticed an old abandoned house in the distance. The blend of human and dragon prints directed her to that old house and she followed them, certain to find Jasper.
Nearing the house, only human prints were visible. Ally walked up onto the cement porch and pushed the creaking door open.
“Jasper?” she called softly. She walked into the dusty rundown home. The floor creaked under her feet as she walked past the bare kitchen and into what was once a bedroom.
On the mattress that was set directly on the floor, Jasper lay, curled up into a tight ball.
“Jasper!” Ally went to him but stopped just short of the mattress when she saw him. “Oh, my God.”
The bulk of his being had wasted away. He was thin, gaunt and his skin had a greenish hue. Not the beautiful green of his eyes, of the gorgeous teal of his hair, or enchanting blend of the two on his dragon scales, but an ugly, deathly green.
His skin hung on his bones as if he’d been starved for weeks and he shivered as he clung to himself in an attempt to find warmth.
“Jasper,” she said softly. Her heart ached at the sight of him. He was so incredibly emaciated. “It’s Ally. Can you hear me?”
He opened his eyes, the deep sunken eyes of a dying man. Though still green, they’d lost their luster, and seemed to have little will to live. But despite it all, the deep eyes, the sunken cheeks and the dry cracked lips, Ally could see the handsome man who enchanted her so.
He forced a smile and she knew in that moment he’d be all right. She turned him over onto his back and wiped his brow with her hand. His skin was so clammy, leaving an unpleasant film on her palm.
“You’re going to be okay,” she whispered.
He shook his head. “It’s too late, Ally. I’m too far gone.” His eyes softened and he looked deeply into hers. A weak hand rose to caress her cheek, but he was too weak to caress her for long. His limp hand fell back to the mattress. “It’s so wonderful to see you, Ally. I swear, if you’re the last person I see on this earth, then I can die a happy man.”
