A Dragon’s Tale

Everyone emerged from their cover and cautiously converged on the cave's mouth. He staggered slightly, still feeling lightheaded. Fortunately, the wound in his side seemed to have closed enough that it wasn't bleeding much anymore. Bracing himself, Ethan called his spear to his hand and readied it as they slowly entered with him in the lead.

It was really more of a tunnel than a cave and looked man-made. The tunnel turned at an abrupt ninety-degree angle about twenty feet inside. He leaned up against the inside of the bend, partially for the support and partially to peek around the corner.

About thirty more feet into the tunnel, it opened into a large circular room about thirty feet in diameter and twenty feet tall. In the center of the room was a large ring standing vertically with a wooden ramp leading up to it. About ten feet in front of that and off to one side was a short, thick, wooden podium.

Gonorran was standing in front of it with his hand touching it. Beside him, the other guard lay dead. Ethan assumed he'd been murdered so the necromancer could replenish his mana.

Ethan stared at the large ring.

It was about ten feet wide on the inside and fourteen on the outside. The ring had a shallow wooden ramp leading up to it, so he couldn't see the bottom eighteen inches of empty space in the center of the ring.

All around the side of the ring facing him were strange symbols; he counted thirty-nine. Seven Large gemstones were embedded into the ring at equidistance points, but they were arranged as if there was an eighth one that was out of sight below the ramp. Five of the seven gemstones were glowing brightly, the other two were dark.

As he watched, another gemstone slowly lit up and then flashed.

It was the portal; Gonorran was charging the portal.

Speaking of, the necromancer saw him and directed a powerful air-ram at him, Ethan moved, but the force didn't diminish much in the confines of the tunnel. They were all pushed backwards, but not physically thrown.

Ethan dropped to all fours to reduce his frontal area and stalked forward, ready to kill this bastard. About ten seconds later, Gonorran launched another air-ram, blowing them back again.

As he rounded the corner, he saw the necromancer's plan.

The portal had already opened. It looked like a pool of water with the wind blowing over it as it undulated and rippled. Gonorran was backing towards it, firing air-rams at regular intervals to keep them back.

As Ethan advanced, he saw the lower right gem slowly fade and then go out. Then the middle right gem faded and went out. Then the upper right gem. They were slowly dimming and going out in a counter-clockwise sequence, each one taking about five seconds.

If the gems lighting up had been him charging the portal, then...

"The damn thing is closing; we need to get in there." Ethan yelled and tried to advance, but the necromancer's air-rams kept blasting him -- and everyone else -- backwards.

There were only two gems left; ten seconds.

They still couldn't get close.

Alana fired an arrow, but it went badly off target as the next air-ram buffeted them.

One gem left; five seconds.

Gonorran looked at the gem, then at them, then fired a massive air-ram and leapt through the portal. Everyone was thrown backwards and by the time they'd disentangled themselves from each other and were ready to rush forward, the portal's appearance had changed.

The rippling on the surface abruptly stopped and the membrane separated from the ring. It appeared to start flowing inwards and circling like water down a drain. He stumbled forward, but in mere seconds it had swirled away into nothingness, again like water going down a drain.

The portal was closed.

Gonorran was gone.

Ethan let himself fall to the floor of the tunnel clutching his side. He hadn't even made it into the cavernous portal room. Rachel similarly slid down against the cave wall opposite him. They both groaned, almost in unison.

"Are you guys okay?" Alana asked in alarm.

"Just peachy." He grunted as he focused on healing his side.

"Could you be a dear and fetch Taloni?" Rachel asked through gritted teeth. "I'm almost out of mana and--" She grimaced and took a sharp intake of breath as she moved her arm.

"Of course." Alana said and took off sprinting.

"Go with her and guard them." Ethan said to Serif and Raklan.

Moments later, he and Rachel were alone in the cave. The redhead grimaced and then quietly moaned in pain. The outside shoulder of her left arm was red and looked angry and swollen. There were blisters forming and he could see it was a serious burn. The fact that she still felt pain was good though. That meant it was only a second-degree burn, not a third-degree burn, which would mean irreparable damage and that the nerve endings had been destroyed.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Uh-huh." She said while shaking her head. She looked like she was in terrible pain.

"I'm sorry." He said hanging his head. "I shouldn't have lost my temper like that. If I would've kept a lid on it -- on the dragon -- then maybe we could've--"

"Stop apologizing." She groaned. "I almost did what you did after hearing..." She shook her head. "Yeah, it probably would've been better to have a plan of attack instead of going off like that, but it's water under the bridge. Besides--" She nodded to his still bleeding side. "--seems like you're paying as much as I am."

He nodded but wasn't sure he agreed because she groaned again.

Trying to distract her from the pain, he observed. "Those air-rams are very useful. How come you didn't use them against me when we met? Or fought in Beth's room?"

She screwed up her face and took a few deep breaths. "I don't think I really wanted to hurt you; that was the ring, not me." She got a slightly mischievous look despite the obvious pain. "If I wanted to hurt you, you'd be dead."

She winked, then winced.

He chuckled, then also winced as the motion hurt his side.

He continued healing his side for the next few minutes before Taloni and Alana returned. The instant he saw the Fey, he knew something was wrong. She only glanced at him, and there was something approaching trepidation in her eyes when she looked at him.

He supposed he shouldn't blame her.

He was covered in blood, most of it not his own. His hands, feet, and mouth were covered, and the rest of him was splattered with the blood of the men he'd killed. He wasn't sure he regretted it given their crimes, but the look on Taloni's face was heartbreaking.

The Fey focused on Rachel first, healing her head and then working on her arm.

"Well, that's all I can do." She said with a slight flutter of her wings. "Burn wounds are different than cuts and other injuries. I can heal them, but I can't instantly regrow the damaged skin. I'm sorry, but it needs to re-grow naturally." She looked at Rachel apologetically.

"No that's good." Rachel said as she moved her arm. It clearly still hurt, but much less. The blisters were gone and so was most of the redness. However, it was still far pinker than the rest of her fair skin and it would certainly leave a scar. Maybe not an obvious one, but it would definitely leave one.

"Thank you. Now you might want to check on your husband." The redhead said, casting a knowing look in his direction. Then she turned to Alana. "Come on, let's set some people free." The two women left, leaving him alone with Taloni.

The Fey got up slowly and turned to face him. She approached in much the same manner as you would a wild animal you weren't sure about. Her steps were slow and hesitant.

It was heartbreaking.

"I won't hurt you Taloni; I promise I never will." He said.

"I know." She whispered, her gaze filled with both adoration and trepidation.

She bit her lip and stepped closer so she could look at his wound. He had mostly healed it by now, but she finished healing it and his wing. She seemed very reluctant to touch him, which he understood with all the blood, but it seemed to be something more.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

She looked very conflicted. She trembled slightly as she knelt there, seemingly riveted to the spot. He checked their bond and could feel relief and heartfelt love mixed with apprehension and anxiety. They were all jumbled up in a swirl of powerful emotion like a turbulent tempest on the open ocean.

"I... um, I need to... to..." She glanced towards the entrance of the cave. "I should check on the slaves; make sure they're okay."

She didn't meet his eye.

"Okay." He nodded, deciding not to push. "But when you're ready to talk, let me know."

She nodded in return and made to leave. Before turning the corner, she looked back at him and gave him a small but genuine smile. "I'm glad you're okay."

Then she was gone.

Ethan closed his eyes and rested his head against the cool stone of the tunnel's wall. He had certainly made a mess of things. Gonorran was gone, but now he was on Earth. Or at least, he assumed that's where the portal led. He wasn't too worried because Earth had guns. A few well-placed shots would finish the necromancer off, no matter how powerful he was. It took time to heal wounds and he highly doubted that the necromancer's leather armor would stop bullets.

Still, he felt some responsibility to find Gonorran.

He sat in the cave for another minute and then pulled himself to his feet. He ached almost everywhere. Magical healing closed wounds, but it didn't do much for the aches and pains they left behind.

He looked at his blood-covered hands and feet, realizing he would need to get cleaned up before he wanted anyone -- especially Taloni -- to see him again. He vaguely remembered seeing a stream to the south while approaching in the Argo and decided to visit it before doing anything else.

* * *

Taloni left the cave feeling conflicted. On the one hand, she truly and dearly loved Ethan. He was the best man she had ever met and she couldn't believe Illuminar had blessed her so much that he was her husband. She was truly grateful for that.

On the other hand...

She shuddered as she recalled the emotions that had come over their bond. She couldn't even comprehend someone being that full of rage and fury. Those words weren't even strong enough to describe what she'd felt from him. There wasn't a word in either the common tongue or the Fey tongue that would describe it.

Not one.

If she hadn't felt it herself, she wouldn't have believed it. Just thinking about it she wanted to curl up in a ball and hide again. She couldn't though; people were counting on her.

She spotted Alana and Rachel near where the two women were in the pillory. She walked over to see if either of them needed healing. That was something she could do; that she could help with. It would also be a welcome distraction from thinking about earlier.

She shuddered again.

Rachel pulled out the pins holding the iron shackle down and let the two women up. They both stumbled and nearly fell to the ground, even though Alana and Rachel helped lower them. There was an awning above them to keep them out of the direct sun, but otherwise they were completely out in the open. Judging from their looks, they had been that way for some time.

Rachel and Alana helped them to the ground and the Fey placed a hand on the older, slightly overweight one.

"Hello." She said kindly. "My name is Taloni and I'm going to take care of you."

The older woman burst into tears and encircled the tiny Fey in a hug. She sobbed onto her shoulder for nearly a minute while Taloni did her best to support her. It wasn't easy given her weight. She had never seen anyone except the richest men and women get this way, because only they could afford that much food. Maybe the woman was royalty, or a Lord's wife?

The woman adjusted her hands and they brushed the tops of Taloni's wings. She pulled back; cheeks wet and her face full of gratitude and curiosity.

"What are...?" She looked behind the Fey, who turned and fluttered her wings so the woman could see them better.

"They're my wings."

"But how...? What are you?" The woman rubbed her eyes, trying to clear them of tears.

"I'm a Fey of course." She replied. "Haven't you heard of us?"

The woman shook her head in wonder. "Only in fairy tales."

"I am not a fairy." Taloni felt herself getting hot under the proverbial collar. "Please don't compare me to those... those..." She suppressed a growl; Ethan must be wearing off on her.

"Oh, okay. I didn't realize... Okay." The woman said. After a moment, she spoke again. "My name is Marge."

"Well Marge, let me heal you." Taloni replied and then put her hand on the woman's shoulder. Most of her wounds were superficial so she was able to heal them quickly. As she closed a cut on Marge's arm, the woman's mouth fell open.

"That's... is that magic?" She breathed.

Taloni nodded. "Your wounds weren't serious, so you should be perfectly fine."

Marge nodded, mouth still agape.

"I'm going to help your friend now, okay?" The Fey said and Marge nodded mutely.

The other girl was much younger and slimmer. She looked to be about twenty and would've been very pretty if she hadn't been in such a sorry state. She had black lines from some kind of makeup around her eyes which trailed down her cheeks.

Taloni knelt down in front of her, her heart going out to her.

"Can you help me too?" The girl asked.

Taloni nodded with a smile. "And I will."

The younger girl's wounds were even less severe than Marge's, but the Fey suspected the mental trauma was worse. The girl seemed slightly shell-shocked and kept staring off into space.

"All done." Taloni said when she'd finished. "How do you feel?"

"Was that a dragon?" The girl asked, apparently not registering the question.

"That was Ethan. He's my husband." She glanced at Alana, who'd raised her eyebrow with an amused expression. "Well, he's our husband."

"Husband?" The younger girl looked at the Fey teen and then shrank back with fear in her eyes. "That... that thing is your husband?" She lowered her voice. "Did you see what it...?" She seemed to lose her nerve and fall silent.

Taloni didn't know what to say.

"What's your name?" Alana asked as she too knelt down in front of the shell-shocked girl.

"Sally, it's Sally." She managed to say, though it looked difficult.

"I know seeing him like that is..." She shook her head. "Well, it's hard. But remember why he was that way. He couldn't stand to see those children locked up and sold... or worse. He lost his temper and yes he can be brutal, but I've never seen him direct that temper at anyone who didn't deserve it. He's a good man."

Sally clearly didn't believe her.

Taloni did.

She remembered the tiny glimpse of Ethan that she had gotten when they bonded. She didn't remember any specifics, but she knew he was a good man. The Fey couldn't deny that she was a little scared of him right now, but she knew he wouldn't hurt her. Ever. That didn't completely allay the anxiety she felt, but it went a long way towards making her feel better.