A Dragon’s Tale

Ethan woke to a beautiful wood elf snuggled against him and a mess of chocolate-brown hair covering the pillow. It was the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen. She looked so peaceful as she slept. Her chest gently rose and fell with her breathing. She looked so innocent; so lovely.

The captain's cabin was still dark, but light was beginning to show in the sky. He could stay there watching her sleep forever. Unfortunately, they didn't have the time today. He reached over and gently stroked her cheek with his finger. She smiled in her sleep, sighed softly, and then turned her face toward his hand.

"Good morning beautiful." He said.

She mumbled something then snuggled back into the pillow.

He gave her a gentle squeeze. "Alana, you need to wake up."

"Was up wake why?" She mumbled.

He chuckled and gave her a gentle shake. "Come on, if we're late to The Arena we forfeit by default."

Her eyelids fluttered open revealing very sleepy but incredibly beautiful hazel eyes. Then she blinked several times and yawned. She had a slight case of morning breath and he wrinkled his nose.

"You're one to tal... ta..." she yawned again. "You're one to talk mister; your breath could kill a horse."

"Well, let's hope I'm only fighting some horses today."

She nodded fervently. "I just need to finish the hammer. I don't have much left to do so it shouldn't take long."

He nodded. "I guess we should get up then."

"I guess so."

Neither moved.

They lay there for another minute just snuggling close. She was shivering slightly, and not from the cold.

"Hey, why so scared?" he asked.

"She's a dragon hunter. I don't know what she has planned, but it can't be good. I just got you; I can't lose you."

"You won't. I promise."

Her eyes got rather watery. "I just want our little girl to have her father."

"Little girl?"

"I just have a feeling. I think it's a girl."

He nodded. "She will have her father and I'll spoil her rotten. I'm not going anywhere Alana. I'll be around to annoy you when you're old and gray."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

She nodded. "I really should finish enchanting that hammer." She gave him one last squeeze, pulled the covers back, then hopped out of bed and headed toward the door.

"Alana." He called as she was about to open it.

She turned and gave him a radiant smile. "Yes?"

"Aren't you forgetting something?" He gestured to her green dress, which was pooled on the floor where it had fallen last night. She was completely naked.

She went beet red.

"I don't mind." He said as he eyed her naked body. "But the crew might. Come to think of it, I mind too; I want you all to myself."

He let his abject lust spill over their bond as his cock rapidly inflated at the sight of the naked wood elf. She had a perfect "bedhead hairdo" and her silky hair fell in cascading waves down to just above her nipples, which had started to stand proud. She had a perfectly slim waist and legs that were impressively long for her tiny, five-foot height.

They both glanced at the window.

"If only we had time..." he said wistfully.

"After you win, we'll get really adventurous to compensate." She picked up her green dress and leaned in closer to his ear. "I hear we can do this with you behind me..."

He suppressed a chuckle at her thinking that was adventurous before saying, "Deal."

* * *

Kendra had just finished triple-checking all of her various concealed weapons when someone knocked on her door. Okay, it wasn't technically 'her door'. Falkaan had graciously allowed her to stay on his ship, the Midnight Sun, which was more comfortable than the taverns she'd grown accustomed to. Plus, it was a lot safer.

"Come in." She called.

Falkaan entered a moment later. He was wearing his usual sailor's coat and tricorn hat, plus a grimace.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"One of my spies just confirmed the dragon made an entirely new weapon for this fight in The Arena. It's enchanted, but I don't know what enchantment his minions placed on it."

She frowned. "You know I don't like variables."

"Agreed." He said. "Be prepared for anything."

She nodded. "One of these days, you'll have to tell me how you get such good Intel."

"No, I don't." He was simply stating a fact. It was another one of those cryptic things he did; never letting anyone know his deepest and most powerful tricks of the trade.

She suspected he knew some magic to get his intel, but she didn't know what spell he could possibly know. Long ago, she even suspected he could use astral projection to visit the Astral Plane to eavesdrop. But she'd discarded that notion when she learned it was a nearly impossible skill to learn. It hardly mattered how he learned things though because he had never steered her wrong before.

"Okay, keep your secrets; I trust you." She said, shaking her head.

Falkaan gave her his 'you-still-have-much-to-learn' expression and raised an eyebrow. "What was the first lesson I ever taught you?"

"Never trust anyone." She recited. He'd repeated it at least twenty times a day, every single day that he'd trained her.

"Finish it." He said.

She sighed. "Never trust anyone, especially you."

"Good. The day you forget that is the day you die. Death may not find you immediately, but it will shortly after. Never forget that."

"I won't, I just..."

She looked out the window at the vast, sprawling city that was Arcanum. Once, many years ago, she had true friends. People she could trust with her life who would never betray her no matter what. Life was a cruel teacher though, and her chosen profession had slowly stripped them away until none remained.

"I know what you mean." Falkaan put a hand on her shoulder and the lines in his face looked just a little deeper; more worn with age. "I've been living this life for decades and it wears on you. I too wish for true friends, even family. But our job left little room for trust. Sadly, once you enter this life, it never leaves you."

She nodded.

Thinking of the people she'd known who'd died because of a betrayal, she had to agree.

He locked eyes with her. "Never forget that to trust someone -- anyone -- is to invite death. In our world, only the wary survive long."

"I wish you were wrong."

"Me too Kendra. Me too."

Her mind drifted back to Luminar Kossel's prediction. He had said that Illuminar had given him a message for her. He said someone would kill her and then save her life twice; that this person would be her best chance to have a true friend. Someone she could trust and with whom she could be completely open and honest. It sounded too good to be true, which experience told her meant that it probably was.

She put that out of her mind to focus on more pressing concerns.

She had a dragon to kill.

* * *

Ethan hefted his new war hammer as he waited for The Arena portcullis to open.

Well, it wasn't entirely new.

The handle was the original one Alana had made, though she'd originally mated it to a plain steel head in Gralden. Graflex had removed the plain steel head and replaced it with the enchanted Elven steel head. Then, Alana had used her mana -- plus all the regular mana Rachel and Anthiel could spare -- to enchant the new head.

Apparently, Elven steel soaked up mana for enchanting like a sponge and could only take weaker enchantments. That was okay with him though, as there was enough 'space' to fit the one enchantment he needed.

He asked Alana to enchant it so he could use it to channel, hold, and maybe even amplify a spell he personally powered. She had delivered and now he had his ace in the hole. He'd never doubted her, but to actually hold the results in his hands was wonderful.

It weighed about two and a half pounds and felt rather like a heavy framing hammer. He'd helped friends with roofing before, and it didn't take a lot of imagination to consider how much damage it could do with a full-powered swing.

*This thing is amazing; almost as amazing as its enchantress.*

*Thank you, and promise me you'll be careful.* Came her reply, dripping with worry.

*I always am.*

The portcullis cranked upward and he walked into The Arena. As before, the seats were packed. If anything, they were even fuller. It appeared to be standing room only and more than one elbow was used to get that room.

Three hundred feet away, the other Arena portcullis door was still down. The sun was bright enough that he couldn't see into the room beyond to catch a glimpse of his opponent.

"And so it begins!" The Arena announcer thundered, his magically magnified voice booming over the vast crowd. "Our devilish dragon has returned, this time fighting another trial by combat for his slave who murdered your champion."

The whole crowd booed.

"Will the dragon escape justice a second time? Or will he finally meet his well-deserved fate?"

*Biased much?* He thought to Alana.

*I don't care, as long as you make it out alive.* She replied.

*That's the plan.*

"And now!" The announcer continued. "Since our beloved champion was murdered in cold blood by this brutal dragon's slave, we have a special treat for you today. You all know a new champion can be chosen by winning a free-for-all in The Arena. Our gracious, kind, and merciful magistrate has taken pity on the dragon. Instead of pitting him against a powerful champion, he must merely survive the free-for-all with as many or as few allies as he chooses."

There were boos from the crowd as the announcer continued. "Of course, we'll see how many are willing to ally themselves with a dragon twice accused of treachery and murder!"

The crowd cheered.

Ethan swallowed hard as the portcullis across The Arena opened and a couple dozen rough-looking men spilled out. They were all armed to the teeth and were looking pure murder in his direction. The only silver lining was that very few of them had anything resembling armor, though a couple had shields.

Behind them all stood a raven-haired woman with a triumphant smile on her face. Kendra stood perfectly relaxed, yet coiled like a serpent ready to strike. Despite the smile on her face, her eyes were as cold and dispassionate as the arctic wind and looked just as ready to kill.

The announcer bellowed out once more, "Behold, the most vicious prisoners in Arcanum, let loose this one last time for a final chance at freedom... or a gruesome death! May the best man WIN!"

All of the men plus Kendra started toward him. He could see murder in most of their eyes.

He glanced behind him to see the portcullis he'd entered through had just finished lowering. Glancing over Kendra's shoulder revealed that the one on the far side had closed too. A quick glance toward the open sky revealed his best option for escape. But if he left, Hailey would be condemned by default...

"And to ensure a fair fight, Arcanum's best archers have been stationed around The Arena to ensure this fight goes off without a hitch." The announcer said with rather more glee that Ethan thought necessary because the announcement was clearly meant for him.

He couldn't run away, outfight them, or even fly away. Kendra had outmaneuvered him handily.

Game.

Set.

Match.

She had played him like a fiddle, and he was now trapped in The Arena with a few dozen killers and a trained dragon slayer. He had the distinct impression that if he still had human palms, they would be a sweat factory. He took a deep breath and tried to ignore the blind panic that was welling up in the back of his mind.

"It'll be okay, it'll be fine." He told himself. After all, he had exactly zero experience fighting dozens of men at once and he couldn't even tap into his dragon side. Sure, he had a trick up his sleeve with his newly enchanted war hammer, but it wasn't exactly useful against this many people.

His mind went to Alana, then to the child growing in her womb. *So, about that not dying plan...*

The only reply was mortified fear coming over their bond.

He couldn't die.

Not now.

He was looking forward to an entire life with her and his child, and he would be damned before he let his daughter grow up without a father. He set his jaw, tightened his grip on his weapons, and waited.

He didn't wait long.

The thugs spread out and began jogging toward him, sparing no thought for each other. Clearly, there would be no allies to help him here. He gripped his hammer and spear a little tighter. They were his only friends in this place.

*Rachel says only a few of them will be good fighters.* Alana's voice sounded in his head; it was dripping with worry. *She says if you concentrate on quickly weeding out the weak fighters first so you don't get surrounded, you might stand a chance.*

*Now would be a really good time for my dragon side to make an appearance,* he said as he started jogging forward to meet the oncoming hoard.

*Can you...?*

*Not on command.*

He whipped his spear as fast and hard as he could toward one of the front runners. The man dived out of the way, but the spear clipped the leg of the man behind him, who didn't see it in time to dodge. He went down with a cry.

One down; over two dozen to go.

He called his spear back to his hand as he whipped his war hammer at the closest man. The man predictably dodged -- being reasonably far away -- but Ethan caught him on the return as his hammer soared back to his hand. The man fell down, but got back up almost immediately.

They were only a few yards away now.

Ethan had just enough time to whip the war hammer at someone else before shifting his stance to get a two-handed grip on his spear. The attackers seemed to flow around him like water in order to surround him. He guessed it was about thirty men. They gave him a wide berth, the closest being maybe twenty feet away.

Kendra remained outside the circle. Her walk and her expression displayed an aura of supreme confidence. Unfortunately, he completely understood why.

"Howdy fellas." He said. "I don't suppose you'd want to talk this out would you?"

No one moved.

He looked at Kendra. "What did you promise them?"

"A full pardon for the one who kills you." She smiled. "A reduced sentence for anyone who helps them... and a painful death to anyone who helps you."

"That doesn't sound like a fair fight."

"If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck."

He growled.

Kendra looked at the circle of men surrounding him. "If you move, you're dead." She locked eyes with him. "Please move."