Omnixius
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DKP 5-18 Astrikar's broken promise
🕑 Added 2020-06-05 18:10:52 +0000 UTC
Gersius hammered at the forge, his brow sweating as he beat the glowing metal. Of the woman of Ulustrah who joined his fledgling order, only five had chosen to switch to Astikar. Despite the announcement that Sarah would train them personally, the turnout hadn't been very good. The women didn't want to bend a knee and sing praises to Astikar, a divine they despised. All in all, Sarah had twenty-one recruits, nine of which came from the women in the militia. It was a tiny force, but a good start in the change that needed to happen.
Lengwin was stepping up to be the leader he needed to be. If he was going to do anything about the shame in the order, he needed to start now and not when they took Calathen. He was hard at work building a structure of his own, a rival order of Astikar with bishops and the like appointed to their duties. He led regular services to sing to the god and ask him for his guidance in these troubling times. It was a pleasant change, and it was having its effects.
He beat the metal again and put it back in the fire. Lilly was unhappy that her army looked like everybody else. She wanted Balisha's forces to have their own style and colors that would set them apart from the others. This was no small task considering all the armor and weapons they had in supply were from the fallen raven guards.
He took the metal out and began to beat it again, flattening out into a sheet before folding it over. He beat it back into a block and returned it to the fire and wiped his brow to soften for the final blows. None of that armor was light enough for the women and would all have to be heavily adapted. Many of them came with armor from the order of Ulustrah, but Thayle wanted that armor back. She didn't have enough to equip even half her forces now, and when the injured women began to walk again, that problem would compound. This meant that armor had to be crafted, and that would take time they didn't have.
It all became a terrible balancing act. Get to Calathen as fast as he could before more damage was done, but slow down so his army could train, equip, and gather food. He called a halt on the march two hours early to order the forges lit to begin shaping new armor.
All around him, men worked to shape glowing metal into thinner plates. The army only had two small mobile forges, so additional ones were constructed out of fieldstone to give them more room to work. A hundred men were out collecting wood and piling it into wagons to feed the hungry fires and keep the metal hot. Dozens more were splinting logs already collected and running with buckets to refill water and oil.
If there was going to be any armor for Balisha's army, it would have to be made on the march. Lilly wanted the armor to match Thayle's as closely as possible, particularly the fine scales on her stomach. The work would require fine leather and thousands of small, carefully crafted scale plates. These would have to be painstakingly attached to a supple leather to form such armor. There was some leather in supply but not enough for a hundred suites, let alone the near three hundred he needed. New leather would take too long to make, meaning they would have to go out of their way to reach a city and buy more. Lilly suggested flying into them to get the materials, but that meant taking risks. If they landed in a city hostile to their cause, they could find themselves quickly overwhelmed in a fight.
His option was a light plate, made with thin sections and only one shoulder. They would have the single piece breastplate, like Thayle, with a stomach of scales, but the arms and legs would be cloth with metal plates strapped over them. This would give them flexibility of movement, but would not be near as protective as Thayle's full armor. When they had more time to get proper materials, they could begin to modify the armor, but that was not going to happen any time soon.
He went back to his work, thinning the metal into a final plate, to be used in the armors construction.
“So here is where our husband is,” Thayle said as she arrived with Lilly.
He looked up at the two most beautiful women in his world. Thayle smiled at him with her soft pale skin and exotic angled eyes. Her lips were red and full, and her face glowed with love, framed by hair so dark it made the night look bright. Beside her was Lilly, the tall and thin flower of his heart. Her face was soft and delicate with eyes, so blue, the skies themselves were jealous. Her hair was a silver-blue and fell in a straight wash down her back to her rear. They were both in soft dresses today, looking like two women about to go to a garden party.
“Are you making our armor?” Lilly asked.
“I am trying to, but the work is hard and takes a long time,” he said as he wiped his brow again, leaving a line of soot.
“When are you coming to the tent?” Lilly asked as she and Thayle moved closer.
“I will come when I have finished a few more pieces,” he replied as he turned to face his wives.
Thayle smiled at him, then made a funny face and put a hand over her nose.
“Oh, pew!” she cried. “You’re not coming near me until you take a bath.”
“I have been working at the fire for hours,” he laughed. “It is very hot.”
“Augh!” she cried and stepped back. “When are you going to be more like Lilly and stop sweating?”
“Have you stopped?” he asked.
“No, but I don’t sweat as easily now. I am hoping it will go away altogether.”
He laughed as Lilly stepped closer and took a good long sniff at him.
“Hmm,” she hummed and stepped close enough to sniff all over him.
“Lilly, what are you doing?” Thayle asked.
“He smells so good,” Lilly sighed.
“He stinks and isn't welcome in our bed until he takes a bath,” Thayle decreed.
Lilly took another deep breath and then looked into his eyes. She always looked so happy now, her face smiling from morning to night. He loved to look into those pools of blue and drown in their waters. He felt his heart beat faster to see her so close and wanted to take her then and there.
“I like how he smells,” Lilly said, her breath caressing his skin with the coldness that was her nature.
“Then you two can sleep in the landing tent,” Thayle said as she folded her arms.
Lilly laughed and stepped back, her face still smiling.
“Are you hot?” she asked.
He nodded his head, not sure why she would ask such a silly thing.
“Then let me cool you off with a kiss,” she said and blew, her breath coming out as frost that washed over his skin, chilling him instantly. The cold couldn't harm him, and her breath was refreshing in many ways. He closed his eyes to enjoy it's embrace as she giggled and stepped away.
“Don’t keep us waiting too long,” Lilly called as they walked off. “I want you to help chase that dream away.”
He waved and went back to his work with a smile on his face. What man had any right to claim such women as wives?
The hammering came to an end when the moon was high in the sky. The camp needed the sleep, and Gersius needed his bath. He wasn't surprised to find three buckets of water waiting in the room next to a bench. Faint wisps of steam rose from the water heated by blessed stones resting inside.
He undressed and sat down to wash but had barely picked up a washcloth when Lilly walked in. She locked his eyes and glided across the tent to stand before him. Neither of them said a word, her gaze saying all that needed to be said. Her hands went up, and the laces of her dress came apart. It fell away, exposing the wrap at her chest, and she wiggled to push the dress over her waist, leaving it in a bundle on the floor. She walked toward him now, picking up her hair as she closed to turn her back to him.
He reached up and pulled the laces of her chest wrap open, freeing her breasts with a relieved sigh. She cast the wrap aside and turned back to take the washcloth from his hand. She picked up a bucket and set it on the bench beside him with a smile. She then proceeded to wash him, carefully wiping him down then rubbing his skin with soap. She walked around him, her delicate hands like silk across his skin. She never said a word, her love communicated in her every touch, and gentle caress. She took another bucket and poured it into a basin that she rested on a stand behind him. She then pulled his head back, dipping his hair into the water to soak it. Delicate fingers ran through his hair, rubbing his scalp as she worked the dirt away. More soap went into her hands, and she worked this all through his hair, careful of his face. He closed his eyes, breathing in a sigh of absolute happiness as his wife caressed away his worries.
She used a rag to wipe his face and couldn't resist a few kisses as she worked around his lips. Her smile was warm and compassionate as she continued to work and love him. She emptied the basin outside and came back to fill it with the last bucket. This time the basin went under his feet, and she knelt before him to rub his soles with soap and water, the sensation heightening his relaxation.
He never saw her come in, but a second pair of hands came to his shoulders as Thayle began to rub with hot scented oils. She was a master of message, and her hands could soothe away even the most stubborn pains. She worked all down his back, focusing on his neck and shoulders, where the stress was always worst. She too couldn't resist kisses, and he felt her soft lips on his neck and back as she worked.
When he was thoroughly cleaned, they stood before him naked and smiling. Each woman took a hand and guided him up, taking him ever closer to the bed. When at last they arrived, the women shared a kiss, before Thayle stepped aside to guide Lilly down to lay on her back.
Lilly looked up with her innocent eyes and chewed at her lower lip. He wanted to laugh to see her try and look so innocent as he climbed in between her legs. Thayle's hands were on his back as he settled over his dragon wife. She put her arms around his shoulders and started to breathe deeper as the moment to make love finally came.
Lilly loved to kiss and to hold on tight whenever their bodies were one. She did so now, clinging to him as if he might escape before her love was complete, and sharing every breath he took. They made love for many long minutes in total silence; their voices lost in an endless kiss. The long silence was finally broken when she had to take her mouth away to gasp deeply as her back arched.
“I love you!” she cried, her hands digging at his shoulders as her body shook in pleasure.
“I love you too, my beautiful ice dragon,” he whispered back.
She looked up with a quivering smile as tears came to her eyes. It was common for Lilly to cry when they made love; her heart still unable to accept that she had been saved from the life she once lived. She was a dragon, but she loved and was loved and knew passions no other dragon dreamed of.
Her body could take no more and tumbled over its breaking point as her legs shook of their own accord. Thayle was there as always to kiss her and drown out her cries of passion, lest somebody hear. Through the kiss, she also shared the sensation of Lilly's climax as if it was her own. He went on her body, heaving for breath, but she began to tap at his arm.
“Stop,” she pleaded. “Make love to my Thayle now.”
He looked to Thayle, and she silently nodded her consent. Unlike Lilly, Thayle was human and had to be careful when they made love or risk becoming pregnant. Tonight she signaled it was safe and moved to the side of the bed. She motioned for him to come and lay down so she could sit astride. He felt sad to leave the love that was Lilly panting to one side but was quickly overcome by a lover of another kind. Thayle was a hungry lover who relished the pleasure of sex. She wasted no time in joining their bodies and began the slow dance of making love to him.
Her eyes were full of desire and passion, never once looking away. She expertly worked her body as his hands came up her stomach to cup her breasts. She locked his hands there with her own, clutching them tightly and making him squeeze. Her body moved like a work of art, flowing in rippling waves as her lips started to part. Her breathing was a series of shallow pants punctuated with low moans as she grew closer to the fire building inside. She took a hand away from her chest and reached out for Lilly. The two women joined hands so Lilly could experience it all as if it were her. Lilly began to moan as Thayle picked up the pace, her hips rising higher to increase the depth of each thrust.
Across the bind, the two women were alive with passion. Gersius was awash in an ocean of flowing love that poured out of his wives. There was no room for war or pain as he was swept away to another place where only he and his wives existed to share their love unrestrained.
Lilly covered her mouth with her free hand as the pleasure became intense. Thayle was breathing hard, her body now racing to the finish she wanted. He, too, felt the end approaching, and her completion would push across the bind and bring him with. She knew this as well and smiled as they both neared the end of their labors. Her back arched as she squeezed Lilly's hand, the moment finally upon her. Her pleasure raced across the bind and overwhelmed him. He barely contained himself with Lilly earlier but lost the battle when Thayle growled and threw back her head. He joined her in the moment, their bodies echoing the pleasure back and forth as he gave up his gift. Her hips came down, and she ground into him to take his offering deep inside.
She tried to keep going, but the sensation was overwhelming and instead collapsed to his chest, heaving for breath. Lilly, too was a panting wreck, forced to go with them by holding hands. All three of them lay there, the heat of their bodies shared between them. Lilly crawled in closer, so he wrapped her in an arm and held them both tight.
He closed his eyes more content than he believed he had the right to be. He almost laughed to think of what gift Astikar meant to give him that could have possibly been greater than his wives.
Sarah sat alone in the dark of the night, staring up at the sky. She heard the sound of their passions and decided to take a long walk to be alone with her thoughts. Images replayed in her mind of the dream and Gersius's desperate desire to save his wife. She witnessed a human express such a strong emotion for a dragon that the dream changed around them. He took her back to a place where their love was first expressed, and there he broke the calling.
Sarah jumped in alarm as a pain welled up inside. Something happened to her eyes, so she wiped at one to find they were wet. She couldn't believe what she was seeing and staggered to her feet, staring at the drop of water dangling from her fingertip.
Her chest heaved with a deep breath as she steadied her self. She was a dragon of great power and age; she was above all this foolishness and emotion. Her steps were erratic as she tried to clear her head, stumbling through the night, searching for an answer that her pain.
Her arms wrapped around as she hugged herself to get control. This human form was fragile and weak; she gave up so much of her glory just to go among these rodents. What did Balisha want with this? What good could having a form that could mingle with humans possibly be?
Her stomach heaved again, and her eyes were wet once more. She doubled over gritting her teeth as she fought the sensation welling up inside. Something was missing that was supposed to be there. Something had gone wrong and left her… She couldn't think of the right word to finish her thought. She felt out of control and uncertain about everything wondering for the first time if Solesta was right. Surely dragons were not meant to be so conflicted, torn apart by something they couldn't understand.
She began to rock as the pain inside welled up, tearing at her like a beast trying to escape. She let out a cry as the battle was lost, and her eyes began to leak. She fell to her knees as a new feeling came over her, and Sutherisa, the mighty ancient dragon, finally learned how to cry.
“What is wrong with me?” she sobbed. “Why am I the outcast? Why am I last?” She waited for an answer as the wind blew gently, rustling the grass that appeared as black waves of water in the night.
“Why is she so happy?” Sarah cried. “She is too young, with no hoard and no understanding of her history. She is a fraction of the dragon I am. Why is she the one you have all rewarded?”
She shook her head to clear her thoughts. Lilly had no reward that she wanted. Lilly’s reward was the relationship she shared with her humans. No, she wanted nothing to do with that, and yet trying to deny it only made the pain worse.
She slammed a fist into the ground, angry at herself for this shameful breakdown. Never in her long years had she done anything so disgraceful, and yet the tears kept coming. She struggled to wipe her face dry, but the effort was futile. Her mind went back again to the moment a human reached a hand out to a dragon, and the dream changed around them. No human in history had even been able to do that. Strong emotions created things, yes, but never did the dream alter like that. Lilly's emotions had only managed to create phantom lovers, but his feelings for her were like a god shaping a world. When he saw his wife in danger, he did what only a powerful dragon could do and altered the dream itself to save her.
Sarah wiped at her eyes frantically, trying to piece together why that one moment haunted her so. What did it matter what he felt? Humans were always too emotional, prone to irrational acts born out of this love they cherished. But then what of the dragon who turned around and begged to show them where her lair was. No dragon would ever show a human where its home was. The thought was absurd, yet, Lilly looked right into her eyes and said she wanted to show them because she loved them. Sarah tried to be rational, Gersius already knew, so showing him was not special, but Thayle had no idea where it was.
Sarah tried to get up but stumbled back to her knees, the pain inside rising again. It was all she could do to contain herself when Gersius offered to give Lilly gold to rebuild her hoard, and she rejected it. Instead, she leaped into his arms and pulled in Thayle, crying that her treasures were already here. Did that mean Lilly treasured her humans more than gold? The thought was inconceivable, yet she showed no sign of hesitation or remorse, crying as she clung to them.
Sarah doubled over and started to take deep breaths. She needed a way to clear her head and get free of this pain. What was missing? What had gone so wrong that left her like this? Why did she feel so… Alone?
She had finally found the word that escaped her and couldn't come to terms with the truth. For thousands of years, she lived alone and happy, but now, after seeing Lilly, the thought was terrifying. True, she was trapped in the temple with Numidel, but she slept most of that away. Now that she thought about it, most of her life was spent in that temple waiting for her time to come.
She knelt there in silence, staring at the ground and wondering why purpose there was to her sacrifice? All those years, and what glory did she awaken to? If there hadn't been two dragon knights, she wouldn't have a use at all, but there was no reason Lilly couldn't carry them both. She certainly did so now, and could easily do so in the future. No, her sacrifice was in vain, and that temple a prison that served no purpose but to keep her free from the curse.
“Astikar, why have you not called me to greater things?” she pleaded. “I did as you asked and waited for the time to come. Why is Gersius not my dragon knight?” There was no answer, of course, but she never expected one. The divines could no longer answer so directly, a punishment for the fall of the world.
She was left to find her own answers and to understand what was eating her up inside. All she could do was admit the truth that she was lonely. Lilly had shown her another way of life filled with happiness and purpose, where Gersius and Thayle made sure she was never alone. Now Sarah looked at that life with envy and hated what she was.
Her tears dried up as she sat idle there in the dark waves of grass. There was no point in denying it any longer; she would need help to overcome this barrier. She simply didn't understand these emotions that came so easily to Lilly and made her who she was.
A thought hatched in her mind, and she remembered seeing Gersius at the forges that day. She had a sword that needed mending and a good man to help her with it. Maybe she could spend some time with him and learn something more? Certainly, he was the key to them, the source of the emotions that filled the two wives? Time alone with him might give her some insight into how not to be alone.
Time would be short, the army would march in the morning, but he was always up early, well before the sun. If she prepared everything now, it would be ready and waiting for him, and then they could talk.
The sun was still an hour below the horizon when Gersius crept out of bed. Lilly woke up for just a moment, and he carefully handed her to Thayle as the two eagerly embraced. They were asleep again before he was dressed and went out into the meeting tent.
The tent's interior was dark and full of shadows. Gersius didn't like to use the dragon sight, preferring the peace and comfort the darkness brought. There would be no comfort now as he needed neither dragon or aura sight to see her. Sarah's red eyes of fire shone in the darkness as she watched him enter the room. They followed him as he went to the table and poured himself a drink. He could feel them boring into his skull as he swallowed the water and finally turned to address her.
“Is there something I can do for you?” he asked.
“Did I see you at the forges earlier?” she asked her voice flat and emotionless.
Gersius nodded and took another drink. “I was working to help make the armor for Lilly’s new army.”
“Isn’t that your army as well?” Sarah asked.
“All of the forces here follow me,” Gersius replied. “It means a lot to Lilly to have her own soldiers, so I call them hers. It is a simple concession to make her happy.”
“You are far more capable of leading soldiers into battle. Have you no desire to assert your rank over her?”
“I will lead them when the fighting comes. Until then, they are Lilly’s.”
“Hmm,” Sarah said as she folded her arms. “I need your assistance with a task.”
“I am more than willing to help.”
“Good, come here,” she said in a commanding voice.
Gersius set his cup aside and took a step closer. Something felt amiss about this situation as if Sarah was not herself. She was being strange, almost intentionally distant as trying to hide something. He studied her as he approached, dressed in a simple red gown tied at the waist, her feet bare, and her hair pulled back as always. Her face was emotionless, giving him no insight into her motives. As he got close enough for the aura sight he saw, pain, and confusion with a flashing over her head as if to make a choice.
“Stand right here,” she said as she pointed to her feet. “Now, don't move until I tell you.”
“What are you doing?” he asked, growing more concerned.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath that filled her lungs with air. When her eyes opened, they blazed even brighter, and she held out a single hand. She blew, the tent lighting up from the fire that raced from her mouth to her hand. Gersius felt the searing heat and thought to step back but remembered her words to stand still. When the blowing ceased, her cupped hand cradled a flame that danced and wavered.
“This is my gift, the flame of my blood,” she said. “I give it now to you that you might share in my power.” She held out her hand as if offering him to take the flame, but he hesitated.
“What am I supposed to do?” he asked.
“You put your hand over mine and absorb the flame into you,” she said, her voice emotionless and cold.
Gersius carefully lifted his hand and then quickly put it in hers. He felt burning for only a moment, and then the flame was gone.
“Good, now come with me. I have need of your services,” she said before turning to leave the tent.
He watched her go a moment and thought to wake Thayle and Lilly. Something about this situation felt off, and far from the nature of Sarah. He looked to the doorway that would lead to his wives, but Sarah called out after him.
“Hurry, we haven’t much time,” she said.
Gersius shook his head and ran after her, uncertain what her purpose was or why she needed him.
Where are we going?” he asked as he walked after her into the darkness.
“We are going to my forge,” she said. “It is time I repaired the falcon's blade.”
“I thought you said you needed a dragon forge to do that?”
“Indeed,” she replied. “And thus, I have built one.”
They came over a hill, and he saw a strange mound. Sarah led the way, taking him to a pile of stone that stood five times his height. They looked like slabs hewn from a mountain and carefully arranged to make a towering structure.
“These stones look shaped?” he said as she walked around the side. “Where did you get them?”
“A dragon's claws can cut stone as easily as your sword can cut flesh,” Sarah said. “It is how we dig our caves and make proper homes.”
“You dig out your caves?”
“Did you think we wandered the land looking for natural caves to hide in?” she scoffed. “Most caves are to narrow or too wet. We prefer to dig into the sides of mountains, well above the water line to create a dry lair.”
He shook his head as she led him around the far side to where a table of stone lay beside an anvil. On the table was the falcon's blade in all its corroded glory. Next to it were a dozen coins of shining metal and a set of smiths tools, apron, and gloves.
“The sword is made from a rare alloy that this world has long forgotten. The coins are made of the same alloy and will be used to mend the blade.”
“Where did you get them?” Gersius asked.
“From my hoard,” Sarah replied. “Now stop asking questions and listen. The alloy will only melt at a very high temperature, so I will be needed to keep the fires hot. You will have to do the work, melt the coins over the blade and hammer them in. Make sure you work them into the corroded pits and fill them.”
“That will make an inferior weapon,” Gersius said. “The metal will be poorly bonded unless you fold it and hammer it flat.”
“This isn't iron or steel were working with,” Sarah argued. “Besides, the pitting is shallow; I only wish to use the coins to fill them.”
“And then what? You will have a sword with clumps of metal melted to the side.”
Sarah let out an exasperated sigh and pointed to a sharpening wheel. “We will polish and sharpen it.”
Gersius looked at the wheel made from a stone he was not familiar with. He ran his hand across it to feel it's fine grit and then looked at the powerful crank behind it. Most of the wood looked fresh and roughly cut as if built an hour ago. He imagined that if her claws could cut stone, wood was certainly no problem.
“What stone is this?”
“Obellite,” she replied. “One of the strongest stones in the world, and found at vast depths. Only a dragon of great power can cut through it and even then only with great effort.”
“Why do we need such a strong stone?”
“Because sharpening a blade that is stronger than stone is difficult,” Sarah growled. “Now, are your questions done?”
Gersius was skeptical, but she looked at him with blazing eyes and a sternness of face that made him relent. “I will do what you ask,” he said at last.
“Good, then I will begin the fire,” she said and walked away.
Gersius paced around the small work area, shaking his head and looking for a bellows.
“Hey, there is no...” His words caught in his throat as he looked up just in time to see black smoke crawling across her bare skin. A moment later, a ball of swirling smoke engulfed her and grew to titanic size. The sound of wind racing through trees filled his ears, and then a flash like lighting turned the dark morning to noon for just a moment.
The ground shook as the towering form of Sarah strode around the side of the work area, her long neck reaching high into the sky.
“We have no bellows to fan the fire,” Gersius pointed out.
“I am your bellows,” Sarah said and started to take a deep breath.
The world around him became bright as the sun as she blew into an arched opening on the side of the forge. He looked through the window that faced him and saw it was packed with wood carefully arranged in a crossing pattern. Her fire rolled about the insides rapidly, turning the wood black and causing it to split and pop. She took another breath and blasted the chamber again, her breath bringing the fire inside even hotter. He was struck by the air blowing out of the furnace, its heat should have cooked away his skin, but he felt unharmed. A third blast of Sarah's fire and the furnace began to glow white in places. Logs started to collapse and tumble down, forming a layer of coals that glowed with a vicious heat. Again she breathed, and burning wood rained down, piling up until it was as high as the window.
“You have your coals, now put on the apron and melt the metal,” Sarah said. “I will keep the fire hot for you, and my blessing will protect you from the heat. Be careful, though; it is only protection. You can still be burned if the fire is hot enough.”
Gersius carefully placed the coins over the worst areas of the sword and put the blade into the coals. Sarah gave another mighty blast of her fire, creating a vortex of flames inside that no forge in camp could hope to match. A wind blew from the window on his end, carrying with it embers and smoke. He could feel the breeze that was dangerously hot, but tolerable with her gift.
Sarah blew again, and the fire raged inside, forming a pillar of flames that spiraled up white-hot and dancing. Gersius felt some concern for Sarah now. She was using her breath over and over; something Lilly said she should never do.
“Lilly said it was dangerous to keep using her breath in this way,” he said. “She said it weakens her.”
“Indeed, it does,” Sarah said and took another inhale. She blasted the forge again the coals going white, and the metal starting to darken.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked. “It is only a sword.”
“Do you think I did all this work in vain?” Sarah asked. “That sword is a symbol of the past when dragons and men cooperated. I would like to see that past restored, and the sword will be the first step.”
“But at what cost to your strength?” he asked.
“Why would it matter to you if I was weaker?”
Gersius looked up into her blazing red eyes as smoke curled from her nostrils.
“Because I care about you,” he said. “You are a mighty dragon, and I would never wish you to be seen otherwise.”
“I will decide how others see me,” Sarah said. “Now, check the metal, the forge should be hot enough.”
Gersius put on the gloves and took a caliper to pull the metal from the coals. The coins had deformed and flattened over a blade that glowed with orange light. He quickly set it down on the anvil and began the work of hammering the metals together to fill the corrosion and make the sword whole again. Every blow caused a shower of sparks as bits of the coins blasted away. He put all his strength behind the blows to be sure the pits were fully penetrated while the metal was soft enough. When the metal was too cool to keep working, he returned it to the fire, and Sarah blew again, causing the furnace to roar like a thousand horses charging.
Again and again, he worked the metal and reheated it, each time Sarah blasting the furnace with her fire and keeping it hot. When at last the coins were gone and the metal hammered as well as he could make it, he held it up for Sarah to inspect. Sarah sounded ragged, her voice weak as she urged him to put it back in one final time.
“The metal is bonded, you have no cause to heat it again, you will only injure yourself.”
“What do you care?” Sarah asked between deep breaths.
“I care because you are a blessing to this camp, and the order of Astikar.”
“Not blessing enough to be called on first, that honor fell to your wife.”
Gersius heard this comment many times now, and he looked up at Sarah with heavy brows.
“Why does it matter to you who was first?” he asked.
“It matters because I am the elders and wisest dragon,” she seethed.
Gersius shook his head at her as his patience began to wear thin. Sarah may be cooperating with them, but she held on to a grudge that centered on her position in relation to Lilly. “You are hung up on this first business, and you are jealous of Lilly being the one chosen to be my dragon.”
Her eyes narrowed at him as she glared right back at her.
“I am a dragon, little human, and you would be wise not to speak to me like that.”
“Or what?” he demanded. “You will kill me? Will you fly away and abandon the cause?”
“I didn’t call you out here to harass me!”
“You need to be harassed. You are angry inside over something I can not understand. I wish I could bind you so that I could look into your heart and see what was really bothering you.”
Sarah laughed and raised her head. “You? Bind me?” She laughed as the ridiculous thought floated about her mind. “You think I would ever tell you my true name?”
“Lilly did,” he replied. “And you are jealous of it.”
“I am not!” Sarah snapped. “I am the one who came to aid you in rescuing her remember?”
“Yeah, you helped us with the dream because you saw a dragon in danger, but you reminded us how our relationship was to blame. You are all about dragons and the proper order and place of things. You struggle to understand anything that does not follow your ridged systems.”
“I told you that you had the right to call her your wife!” Sarah shouted. “I can not deny what I saw in the dream.”
“But you still think the relationship is flawed.”
“You are a bold man,” she growled. “Do not mistake me for that gentle dragon. I will not tolerate your insolence.”
“Then go, this is my army and my campaign,” he replied. “You are here to aid me not stand over me and brood about how things are not the way you want them. If you can not accept that, then maybe we know why you were not first.”
She snarled and slammed the ground with a powerful claw, causing him to stumble in the shock. Her eyes flared with glowing light as her breath raced in anger.
Gersius stood firm, glaring back up at her as smoke began to billow across her skin. A moment later, she was engulfed in a cloud that swirled about her form, roaring like the fire beside him. A flash of light later and she raced out of the cloud to glare at him face to face.
“How dare you talk to me like that!” she said, pointing a finger in his face. “I agreed to be imprisoned for thousands of years to be called when they needed me! I was promised a place of glory when the time came only to be left behind when the first dragon night appeared. Now a second has come, and I am cast aside again for a dragon a fraction of my glory and power.”
“You have a high opinion of yourself,” Gersius pointed out.
“Do not mock me!” she roared, standing an arms reach from him. Her nostrils flared, and her mouth pressed into a tight line as her face took on the very picture of rage. Her hair fell about her body framing her bare breasts that hung in the air right before him.
“Perhaps we should discuss this when you are more prepared,” he said, his eyes sweeping over her.
“I am more than prepared to match you!” she growled. “You are the one who isn’t ready to face me! I asked you for your help, not your insults!”
“You want my help?” he asked, nodding his head. “Put your clothes back on!”
Sarah froze and looked down at herself, realizing that in her rage, she had run at him without dressing. Her face went red enough to match her hair as her mouth trembled.
“You vile man!” she cried and clutched her arms over herself. “Turn your head away!”
Gersius blew out a whistle and turned about smiling as he heard her run across the field to get her gown.
He folded his arms and waited until she stalked back and slammed a foot on the ground.
“You could have told me sooner!”
He turned about to see her properly dressed and nodded his agreement. “I could have, but I chose not to.”
“And what is that supposed to mean?” she demanded.
“It means you should get dressed before you come to shout at me,” he replied.
Sarah shook and stamped a foot again before pointing at him. “I deserve the most prominent position. I made the sacrifices and paid all the prices.”
“Really?” Gersius asked. “And how did any of that prepare you to be my dragon?”
“What do you mean, your dragon?” Sarah barked. “I would work with you, of course, but don't you dare think to refer to me as yours!”
Gersius nodded again and took a moment to toss over a thought. “How would we have worked together? You are so focused on the glory of being the dragon of the dragon knight. You do realize I would be on your back, giving you orders?”
“Numidel has already made me aware of that,” she replied and turned away. “I admit I hadn’t seen it that way, but I would still have received great glory. I would have been of much greater aid.”
“And how would you have aided me?” he asked. “Lilly can offer me things you cannot. She was willing to learn and grow and be more than just my dragon. When I set her free, she came back to me and asked to be bound again. She bowed her head and made me her leader, her lover, and her husband. I am willing to bet you, and I would have argued over every step of this journey, bickering on every decision I make.
“I would offer my counsel,” Sarah replied. “And hope you had the wisdom to accept it.”
“You would have fought me tooth and nail,” he replied. “This right here would be an everyday occurrence, and a burden to my shoulders.”
“I would not have been such a burden to you,” she said, her voice dripping with anger.
“Would you submit to me?” Gersius asked. “Would you offer me comfort when I was hurting? Would you share your pain and your fears with me? Would you seek to help me deal with mine?”
“How could I do any of that?” Sarah asked.
“Lilly does all of it,” he said. “So let me ask it again, what would you do for me, Sarah? What role would you play other than to carry me on your back?”
She looked about as if lost and then turned to step away.
“I thought all you would need was my presence and strength,” she said. “I would fight at your side and aid you in battle.”
“Not all battles are fought with swords, and your strength can’t overcome all obstacles,” Gersius said. “Lilly and Thayle have helped me through many challenges because they made a heart connection to me. They were willing to give me themselves and all they could offer to aid me.”
Sarah shook her head with her back to him. “I hadn't considered you would need such things from me,” she said. “Perhaps this is why I am last because I am only good for one thing.”
“You are not only good for one thing,” Gersius said. “But you have a very narrow focus. You want power and glory for yourself and your god.”
“And what is it you want?” Sarah asked.
“I want happiness for myself and those around me,” Gersius said. “That includes you.”
She turned around to look at him; her mouth still pressed into a thin line and her eyes looking pained.
“I would like to finish the sword now,” she said.
Gersius let out a sigh and nodded. “What do we need to do next?”
“We have to sharpen the blade. I need you to work the crank and spin the wheel for me,” Sarah said.
“We have no water to cool the blade,” he pointed out.
“We can't cool it,” Sarah said. “The metal will be too strong; we must sharpen it while it is still hot.”
Gersius watched with a raised brow as Sarah walked to the furnace. She reached in with a bare hand and snatched the glowing metal from the fire before carrying it back to the wheel.
“Give me the apron and turn the crank for me, please,” she said with a defeated sigh.
Gersius quickly went around the back and began to turn the crank. He watched as Sarah set the sword on the anvil and put the apron on to protect her dress. She then took the blade up in both hands and pressed the glowing metal to the wheel.
“You don’t feel that at all?” he asked.
“I am a red,” Sarah replied as she inspected the edge. “Fire cannot harm me.”
He nodded and focused on spinning the wheel at an even speed as she worked away at the blade. She returned it to the coals a few times to keep it hot and give him a break as they spoke about her issue with Lilly.
“You must understand, we dragons have an order of things. The eldest always rules over the younger, and positions of power are decided on by the twelve oldest. I am ten times her age,” she said with a shake of her head. “That I am placed beneath Lilly is an insult to all I know. It would mean so much more if she knew her history and power, but she doesn't even know that. From my perspective, she has no right to hold the title of first to be called to your side.”
He was grateful she was speaking calmly and listened to her point of view. It was clear this order of place by age and power was important to dragons, even Lilly spoke of such things and bowed her head to Sarah out of respect.
“You know, Lilly respects you greatly,” he said. “She speaks about you with a great deal of reverence and wants to spend time with you. She wants you to teach her all the things she doesn't know.”
Sarah checked the blade and pressed it back to the wheel with a nod. “I know she doesn't mean any harm. She was called, and she answered, it isn't her fault, but that doesn't take the sting away. I was promised that went the time came, I would be called to honor. Now, I am just another dragon; even Shadros was called before me.”
“You will carry Thayle, she is a dragon knight and every bit my equal,” Gersius pointed out.
“But the world was expecting you,” Sarah said. “They may call her dragon knight, but you will be seen as the one they expected. The dragon you ride on will have the most honor.”
Gersius could see her point of view and realized that just carrying him would mean a lot to her.
“I will talk to my wives about switching then,” Gersius said. “Lilly can carry Thayle, and you can carry me.”
Sarah looked up from her work and stared into his eyes.
“You would do that for me?” she asked.
“I told you, I care about you. Lilly and Thayle care about you. If it makes you happy, we will talk about it and let you know.”
“I would appreciate that,” Sarah said, her voice suddenly strained.
Gersius sighed and continued to turn the wheel as Sarah ground away the rough spots.
“I will need to do the rest of this by hand,” She said as she looked over the blade. “It will be slow going, but a little oil, a little fire, and a whole lot of polishing, and this blade will look good as new.”
“I didn’t know you were such an accomplished smith,” he said.
She smiled and looked up at him. “I didn’t know you were either. You hammered the metal in well without deforming the blade.”
He nodded and looked to the sky to see the sun rising free of the horizon.
“I need to return to camp. I must begin preparing for the march.”
“I understand,” Sarah said. “Thank you for helping me.”
“It is my pleasure,” he said with a nod of his head. “I would like to be of such help to you in the future.”
She looked at him with blazing eyes and nodded back. “If I find I need the help of a man, you will be the one I call.”
With a nod, he left, his mind spinning with confusion over what had just happened. All he knew for sure was he needed to talk to Lilly and Thayle.
Comments
WhiteRabbit
for a hundred suites -> suits in the armors -> armor's touch, and -> touch and master of message -> massage why purpose-> what elders and wisest-> eldest your ridged -> rigid first dragon night-> knight
