I am Dragon (Dragon Fires Rising Book 2) Marc Secchia (most read books .TXT) 📖

making for the southerly tip of the small but rugged mountain range that formed the spine of this island. They passed the lantern lights of seven towns along the way – more than Dragon had expected, although they were individually quite small. In general, each was the heart of a single Lord’s domain. Here and there, they saw the pinprick lights of tiny hamlets. Indeed, there were so many thousands of small islands and reefs offshore, the Sankir was telling Azania, it was a standing joke that every Human owned their private island. At least one palm tree and a strip of beach. She tugged his leg about inviting him to her private beach – the whole of T’nagru.

Just missing the water.

Charielle the copper Dragoness joined them in the sky, seeking news. Three homing pigeons had been destroyed that she knew of; Aria related developments in Zunityne and what they had learned before her dam left again. They would keep the line until after dawn, by which time they hoped to have good news.

At last, they saw rising ahead the silhouettes of the mountains one hundred and twenty miles northwest of Zunityne, and to their right paws and hands, a gleaming silver bay. The Lumis Ocean put on its most glorious show. Dragon ached to immerse himself in the phosphorescent gleam. He pictured a midnight swim with Aria. How romantic. Even Azania must be impressed by the sappy sonnets of his Dragon hearts.

The Cobalt Dragoness brought them in for a landing on a wide white strip of beach fringed with tall, tufty palm trees heavy with a fine crop of coconuts.

Dragon sniffed the air. “Humans nearby?”

The Sankir said, “How do you smell them upwind?”

“You Humans have your own very special reek,” he suggested, elbowing the man in a comradely fashion. Dumped him in the sand. “Ah, sorry.”

“Save it for someone else,” he growled, coming back with a shove of his own.

Dragon lurched toward the water, and decided that was a good idea. Salt. Yum! “Join me?” The Human leader walked to the water’s edge with him while Azania helped one of the Rangers to redo a bandage. He said, “Just between us males, I scented earlier that you might indeed have someone special. Am I right in thinking this person might be up at Gazaram’s fortress?”

He laughed curtly, “Is much hidden from you?”

“I sense emotional states, sometimes. Call it a Dragon sense.”

“Much more to you than just the lumpy muscles, isn’t there?” he said, wading into the shallow, lapping surf. Lowering his voice, he added, “I’m afraid you and Azania read me all too well. I must be an open scroll to you both – aye, she is Gazaram’s bondservant, and … special, to me. I have four times tried to buy her back. No chance.”

“This bond is a kind of indentured slavery?”

“As good as.”

“So, shall we just kidnap her for you and be done with?” He rubbed his paws in simulated glee. “I have experience with kidnapping damsels in distress. I can highly recommend it.”

“Azania claims she kidnapped you.”

“Close enough. I was a hopeless, lonely sack of misery when she came into my life, kidnapped my Dragon hearts, and with her inexplicable feminine wiles helped me change into what you see today. Brown Dragon to white. A runaway weakling to a creature who is … more – one who crossed an ocean, and has hope for the future. Those are not inconsiderable achievements.”

Sankir said, “What I hope for would be … inappropriate.”

“How so?”

“She is twenty-three. I am thirty-seven.”

Dragon shrugged. “Age gap? Pah! Don’t be ridiculous. Is that all?”

“No. There’s a story. When she was six and I had just entered the King’s service, I was stationed up here for a few years. Chanize – that’s her name – had an accident while she was exploring out on the reef. She stepped on something called a Hybraki Stonefish. Both feet. The poison is slow-acting but invariably lethal. I saw her in trouble as the tide was rising, swam out there, and brought her back. The surgeon had to amputate both legs at the knee to stop the poison from spreading. She lived.”

Taking a deep breath, he said steadily, “When she stepped on that fish, she knew she’d lose her legs. She begged me to leave her out on the reef, to let her die. But I had to be the hero. I brought her back and gave her over to the surgeon. Her feet were already turning black. Chanize said she’s happy to be alive and that she’s always been grateful to me …”

“So, I’m not great with Human emotions.” Dragon put his forepaw around the man’s shoulders and squeezed gently. “Help me to understand. Am I hearing that you feel torn between guilt and a sense that any feelings she might profess for you would be clouded by obligation?”

“Aye … aye! Can’t believe I’m having this conversation with a Dragon.”

He wiped his eyes.

Dragon felt the same, although his weak eyes failed to leak. “Have you spoken with Chanize about these things?”

“No! I can’t! Well, physically I can’t, because Gazaram keeps her under lock and key. She’s one of the finest seamstresses in the kingdom and so her contract is profitable. Amazingly –” how bitterly the word rang in the night air “– she has not managed to pay off her debt as yet. I smell a rat. And obviously, she can’t just run away. One needs the use of legs for that. Look, most of all, I just want her away from Gazaram. He’s misusing her and that is wrong.”

“Right you are.” He squeezed the man’s solid shoulders one more time. So much bigger than his Princess! “Leave it with this Dragon. May I inform Aria and Azania?”

“Perhaps that would be best. My judgement might be clouded.”

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