CHAPTER 12: "All warfare is based on deception." -- Sun Tzu

* * *

It took most of Kendra's willpower not to tap her foot on the floor or get up and start pacing. She'd been waiting for two whole hours. Falkaan had drilled it into her head for years that you should never let personal ticks in speech or body language give away what you were thinking or feeling. He was right of course, but sometimes she wished she could just be herself and not worry about allowing her mood to show.

Alas, that wasn't possible for someone in her line of work.

She'd already memorized the entire waiting room to the Magistrate's office; every stone, every ludicrously expensive painting, and every ostentatious gold-plated bauble. She idly wondered how the commoners would react if they knew he possessed such wealth.

"Supreme Magistrate Haglath will see you now." A clerk announced, and opened the door leading to his office.

Kendra walked through it as if she was perfectly calm, while hiding the impulse to throw something. That beast might've escaped her last night, but fortunately there was more than one way to skin a dragon.

The Supreme Magistrate's office was even more ostentatious than the waiting room. She resisted the urge to curl her lip in disgust at the obscene display because since she knew exactly how immoral cowards like him obtained great wealth.

The man himself looked like he had been born with a frown on his face. The age lines around his mouth told of a thousand displeased expression that had been etched into his face through countless repetition. His hair was gray and his eyes were cold, ruthless, and calculating.

Right now though, displeasure was a mild way of describing his expression. He looked ready to rip a suit of armor apart with his bare hands. He was pacing so aggressively that Kendra might've felt sorry for the floor, if it wasn't covered in a rug that probably cost more than most people make in their lifetime.

"What do you want?" he snarled without preamble.

"To tell you who really killed your son."

The Magistrate stopped in his tracks and narrowed his eyes at her. He made a thoughtful noise low in his throat and steepled his hands together before indicating an ornate chair for her to sit in. She sat down and he followed suit, sitting in a massive chair that resembled a throne behind a large and ornate desk.

"I'm listening." He said.

Kendra told him about the events of the previous night, the 'man' flying out from his son's bedroom, how she had wounded and tracked him, and where he was now. He listened without interruption and only spoke when she'd finished.

"You're a member -- or former member -- of the emperor's personal guard." He said.

It wasn't a question.

Kendra suppressed a smile and a chuckle. Everyone always -- and incorrectly -- assumed that she'd learned her skills from those incompetent bozos, not that he needed to know the truth. It was always easier to let stupid men on a power trip assume they had figured things out themselves. It was even better to feed an idiot's ego to make him more pliable.

"You're quite perceptive."

"What's the Emperor's interest in this?"

"None, I operate autonomously and without oversight." Kendra replied. "I'm in the problem solving business Magistrate."

"Oh?"

"Perhaps I should say I'm more of a problem eliminator." she let that hang in the air for a moment before continuing. "You have a dragon problem, I have a solution."

"It's easy enough to get him for my son's murder."

"Ah, but there's no evidence, and obviously an agent of the emperor can't go on record to testify. I have a better solution."

Haglath scoffed. "So do I; a few coins in the right hands will make the beast disappear. Permanently."

"Ah, but then you wouldn't have the satisfaction of seeing it personally."

"I'm listening."

"What if I could get that beast to die in front of you with the full cooperation and power of the law, plus the popular support of the people?" Kendra let a subtle, wicked smile creep onto her face. Not too much, but enough that a clever man would notice.

On second thought, she made her smile a little less subtle. "How would you like to see that dragon ripped limp from limb before your own eyes?"

Haglath smiled wickedly.

She let her smile reach her eyes; that damn dragon was as good as dead.

* * *

Ethan awoke to discovered someone had painted the entire world purple. Wait, no that wasn't right. He shook his head and as his sleep-addled brain began functioning properly, he realized he was on the Astral Plane again. He sat up, which felt weird because his physical body remained where it was.

Alana was asleep on the bed next to his body, having finally moved enough that his cock had slipped out of her. The pure, unadulterated joy on her face when she'd told him she was pregnant was just...

There were no words.

Personally, he didn't know what to think. He had always loved children and wanted to jump for joy, but he was also on the run from one of the most powerful and ruthless men in the land. He touched Alana's shoulder with his purple-hued hand and it passed right through her. She seemed to enjoy the touch though, because she snuggled closer to him in her sleep.

"She'll be alright you know." A gentle voice said from behind him.

He whipped around to see a woman sitting on one of the stone benches that had been cut into the wall. Unlike literally everything else, she wasn't hued in purple. She was wearing clothes of the purest white. Her clothes and skin seemed to shine like the sun, but with the warmth of a flickering candle. She had the beautiful face of a young woman untouched by age, but the eyes and presence of someone ancient and full of wisdom.

Her heart-shaped face was the picture of perfect femininity and was beautifully framed by her long hair which was probably blonde, but that might've just been the light. She had a soft smile on her face that went a long way toward allaying his suspicion.

"Who are you?" he crouched low in a defensive stance. You know, just in case; he wasn't taking chances with his wife and child there.

"Don't be afraid; I would never harm you or your lovely wives."

"Wives?"

The bright woman nodded. "Haven't you married three women so far?"

"Only two, and one of them... she didn't make it."

"Ethan, that wasn't your fault." The bright woman looked directly into his eyes for a moment, and he felt something inside of him shift slightly. Suddenly, he didn't feel like her death was his fault anymore. All of his guilt about it evaporated on the spot. The sadness remained, but the shame and guilt didn't.

"Who are you?" he wondered aloud.

"My name is Gabriella and I have two messages from my Lord."

"Oh?"

"The first message from my Lord is: 'You're welcome'."

He cocked his head to one side. "Huh?"

"I was only given the message, not the meaning. As you fell asleep with your beautiful first wife--"

"Wait, Alana isn't my first wife."

"No?" She raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you bond to her shortly after arriving on this world?"

"Well yes, but we didn't get married until last night."

Gabriella gave him a smile much like a parent would give to a child who was slow to understand something. On anyone else, it would've come off as disrespectful and irritating. On her, it didn't bother him in the slightest for some reason.

"Ethan, is binding your magical essence and very soul to another person less of a commitment than saying vows?"

"Well, I guess not." He admitted. That was the same argument that Taloni used and he had to admit it was pretty convincing.

"So then, she is your first wife." Gabriella indicated the sleeping wood elf. "As to my Lord's message, He said you thanked Him for something as you fell asleep last night. He says 'You're welcome'."

He vaguely remembered giving a silent 'thank you' to whoever had brought Alana into his life, but he'd done so silently. He hadn't spoken it aloud, only thought it.

"Wait, how did he know? And your lord was responsible for that?"

"You'll have to take it up with Him." Gabriella replied. "The second message is less of a message and more an instruction, almost a prophecy if you will."

"Prophecy?" He scoffed. "You expect me to believe you can tell the future?"

Gabriella laughed. It was a kind, pleasant laugh. Ethan was sure she was laughing at him but there was no malice or disrespect in her laugh; it almost made him want to laugh with her.

"I can't tell the future silly." She said with a caring smile. "But my Lord can."

He raised his eyebrow.

She followed suit. "You can accept dragons, magic, and elves but not prophecy?"

"Well, uh, when you put it that way..."

Gabriella held up her hands as if to say "see."

"Okay, what's this prophecy?"

"Oh, it's not quite a prophecy." She corrected. "I said it was 'almost a prophecy'. Truth be told, it's more of an instruction about what my Lord wishes you to do when something happens in the future."

"Okaaaay." He said, unsure what to make of that.

"One day soon, you will fight a deadly foe and emerge victorious. However, in your victory you will leave a lighting shaped scar over their heart. Don't let them die. No matter what happens, you must not let this deadly foe die. This person will be one of your greatest allies... after they've finished trying to kill you."

"Seriously?"

"I am merely the messenger, relaying a message from my Lord. If you don't like the contents, then please take it up with Him."

"How would I do that?" He asked.

"Just tell Him; He's always listening."

Ethan took in her bright appearance amidst a sea of purple, the cryptic pronouncements, the strange prophecies, and vague references to her 'Lord'. "You're an angel, aren't you?"

Gabriella smiled. "Your English word 'angel' comes from the Greek word 'angelos' which means messenger. I certainly am a messenger, so in that sense I might be." She finished with a wink.

"You didn't answer the question."

"No, I didn't." Gabriella inclined her head to the side again, as if listening to something he couldn't hear. "It's time for you to wake Ethan; your lovely wife wishes for your attention."

He glanced behind him and could see Alana beginning to stir. He turned back to discover Gabriella was right in front of him, in his personal space.

"Enjoy this morning Ethan; there are dark days ahead." Then she placed her hand on his chest, and gently pushed. She was incredibly strong. He couldn't even resist her as she pushed him inexorably backwards into his body. He opened his mouth to speak, but was sucked into his body before he could.

* * *

Ethan opened his eyes to see an absolutely gorgeous pair of hazel ones staring back at him. Alana was laying on top of him, running her fingers across his scaled chest, tracing the outline of his well-muscled torso.

"Good morning beautiful." He said as sleep faded from his mind.

"Good morning yourself." She stared into his eyes for a moment, then rested her head on his chest and snuggled closer. "This right here; this is perfect."

"Yeah it is." He gently stroked her lovely chocolate brown hair. It was soft, silky-smooth, and the most chaotically beautiful case of bed-head he'd ever seen. Yet it didn't appear to be tangled because his fingers never caught as he ran his hands through it. He was effectively combing her hair with his hands.

"That feels nice." She sighed.

He let his fingertips trail down until they ran over the smooth skin of her naked back. "Yes it does."

She leaned up slightly and he noticed the birthmark on her left shoulder again. It was slightly larger than a quarter and a greyish-brown color; almost exactly between the color of her hair and the color of his scales. It also looked like it was covered with miniature dragon scales, though he knew from last night it was as soft as the rest of her skin.

"This is interesting." He said touching it slightly.

A slight shadow crossed her face and suddenly she looked a little self-conscious.

"I actually like it." He assured her.

"Really?" She looked hopeful.

"Absolutely." He nodded, and she seemed to relax again so he continued. "I just meant the appearance is interesting. Did you notice it looks a bit like dragon scales?"

She looked at her shoulder. "Hmm, you're right. I guess it does. I'm not the only one in my family who has it either, though it's very rare. I think it's hereditary, though only the women in my family have ever had it."

He gave her a playful smile and glanced down at her naked body. "Well, you definitely are a woman."

She looked up with a wild, sensual, and playful look in her eyes. "Would you like to have me... sir?"

"Always." He smiled. "But I still don't understand why you're calling me 'sir' all of a sudden. Not that I'm complaining."

The wood elf closed her eyes and sighed as his hands traced down lower on her back and onto her butt. She sat up, raising her arms above her head to display her naked body in all its glory.

And it was glorious.

Her breasts were impossibly perky. Though not large, they looked like they ad been chiseled out of marble by a master craftsman. Above that, her hair fell in waves that cascaded down her front and just brushed the tops of her breasts. Her slender neck flowed into a face that had a look of supreme happiness on it.

He was hard almost instantly.

"I call you sir because it seems appropriate." She said with a sigh. "And also, it turns me on... sir."

"Oh?"

She nodded and wiggled her body slightly, so that her nether lips were rested along the shaft of his cock. She started to gently rock her hips back and forth, gently stimulating both of them.

"Oh, by Illuminar that feels amazing." She let her head roll back and moaned, before looking at him. "I'm still me Ethan. I still have my own thoughts and opinions. I'll still disagree with you occasionally and I'll speak up if I think something isn't right."

She started tracing her fingers over his chest again. "But in here -- in bed -- I'm yours. I'm completely yours... sir. I swore to follow and obey you when we married, and I meant it. In bed, I'll do whatever you want, and do it gladly."

"Whatever?" he asked playfully.

"Whatever." She replied seriously. "If I didn't make this clear last night, let me do so this morning. I utterly, completely, and unreservedly give myself to you Ethan. That includes my body, for you to use and for you to enjoy in whatever way you see fit. I trust you completely and know you'd never hurt me. So Ethan, please, feel free to 'use me' however you want... sir."

He blinked. "You want that?"

She nodded as she slowly ground her nether lips harder into his cock. "Oh, in the worst way possible."

Warning bells were going off in the back of Ethan's mind. This really didn't sound like Alana at all. Despite that, he could tell through their bond that not only was she perfectly serious, but also what she was saying was making her incredibly horny.

"What happened?" he asked. "You weren't this... submissive before."

"We weren't married before." She smiled. "Besides, I'm still the same person. I'm still the same girl who gave you a piece of her mind when you ran away." She glared at him slightly. "And I'd do it again if you ever tried to run away again."

"I won't."

"Good." Her face instantly softened and her eyes became doting again. "But I don't deny that things have changed. We're married, and I vowed to follow and obey you." She got a playful expression on her face. "You wouldn't want me to lie would you?"

He chuckled. "No, I just want to make sure you're still you. I kind of like you, you know." He glanced down at his massive erection which was slowly being covered with her juices as she continued rocking.

"I can tell." She sighed. "Dear Illuminar in heaven, why did we wait this long?"

"You aren't kidding." He growled. "I'm just glad I have you now."

"You do have me." She said, then giggled slightly. "I kind of like the idea of you 'owning' me." She added, and a burst of arousal came over their bond.

"Alana, I don't want--"

"Not like that silly." She said with a smile. "I just like the idea that I belong to you, and only you. Not like I'm your property or anything, just that you... own me. Rats, that doesn't make sense at all."

His cock was aching for attention and he could feel the dragon half of him rising in approval at what she was saying.. "I kind of like that idea too, that no one else gets you but me."

"I swear, no man will ever come near me." She said fervently, then her face turned impish. "But if you marry other women..." She rocked her head back and forth as if considering.

His dragon side leapt for joy at her words. "Ride me." He commanded as his cock reached near diamond level hardness.

"Yes sir." She said as she nearly jumped up to straddle him. "It will be my pleasure... sir." There was something both reverent and playful in the way she said 'sir'. Like it was a private joke just as much as an honorific title.

She reached down and placed his cock at her entrance, which was nearly dripping wet already. Without a moment's hesitation, she slid down, spearing herself completely on his shaft in a single go. She sighed as she did so, and look of complete bliss crossed her face.

"How can this be so wonderful?" She wondered aloud as her face and their bond revealed she was radiantly, perfectly, and incandescently happy.

He growled in agreement.

"You know." She said as she began to rock her hips back and forth. "Last night, you put a baby in my womb. I'm carrying your child."

"I know." He growled as the thought made him grow even larger. He slid his hands up her flawless sides and began to explore the acres of tantalizing flesh before his eyes.

"In a few months, I'll start showing." She said as she kept a slow, steady rhythm. "Then everyone will know that I belong to you." She moaned again as her words turned her on even more. "They'll all know I spread my legs for you and let you take me. The proof -- your baby -- will be there for all the world to see."

He started gently kneading the flesh of her butt as she talked. He had a lot of self-control, but he wasn't going to last long with her talking like this. She leaned forward so her hair created a curtain around their faces. He could see her body and face, but nothing else.

"When I'm heavy with child, they'll all see that you own me, and when your other wives see it, they'll want the same."

He got the distinct impression she would never say something like that under ordinary circumstances. But now, with his cock inside her and her on the heights of pleasure, her inhibitions seemed to be down. An image of Taloni and Alana -- both quite pregnant -- came unbidden to his mind. As he luxuriated in that image, Alana started speeding up. Her hips worked faster to stimulate him as he felt her arousal increase yet again over their bond.

"Just imagine Ethan, just imagine all of your wives naked, pregnant, and lusting after you. Imagine us all in your bedroom, knowing that you're bred every one of us and we're all carrying your children."

She was working him as fast as she possibly could and her arousal at the idea rivaled his.

Knock! Knock!

Ethan growled at the door and whoever had dared to interrupt him.

"One minute." Alana called is as normal a voice as possible.

"Okay." Rachel's voice came from the other side of the door.

Then the wood elf started riding him even more vigorously as she leaned forward and whispered into his ear. "Cum inside me; let's see if we can make it twins."

He did.

Three of his balls pumped their content into her and she had a mini-orgasm as his seed hit the entrance to her womb.

She flopped onto his chest, panting slightly.

"You know that's not how twins work right?" He panted.

She shrugged and gave him a wink. "Couldn't hurt to try."

*What happened to you?* he asked telepathically. *All of a sudden you're like a sex fiend.*

Alana pecked him on the cheek, then slid off of him and retrieved her dress. *I have no idea, but I hope it never goes away. The topic used to make me uncomfortable, but now..." She glanced at the door and looked slightly sad. *It's a shame we don't have time for round three.*

Ethan sat up and flicked on his disguise gem. Alana picked up her dress -- which thanks to the self-healing enchantment had repaired itself overnight -- and pulled it over her head. It wasn't until that moment that he realized Alana hadn't been wearing a bra or underwear the entire time he'd known her. Maybe the 'sex fiend' had just been a little repressed?

"Come in." Ethan said at the door once they were both presentable.

Rachel's flame red hair was attached to a very amused and slightly uncomfortable expression as she entered. She also had a touch more red in her cheeks than normal. She looked slightly and uncharacteristically awkward as she looked at the two of them.

"Yes, we had sex and it was amazing." Alana said. "Married couples do that and there's no need to be embarrassed."

The ice broken and awkwardness somewhat allayed, Rachel nodded and then her expression turned into one of concern. "I hope you had fun because--" She stopped, seeming to notice something, then closed her eyes and the red returned to her cheeks in full force.

"Um, Alana. Your leg." Rachel said staring determinedly at the ceiling.

Ethan and his wife both looked down to see a thin line of thick, white liquid slowly making its way down her leg. She reached down, scooped it in with two fingers then -- apparently seeing nowhere else to put it -- popped it into her mouth.

*Hmm, salty.*

Ethan's eyes nearly bugged out of his head; where had this new side of her come from?

Rachel glanced at her and put two and two together. "Did you just--" she threw her hands up and closed her eyes.

"Never mind, I don't want to know." She said. After a moment she shook her head and opened her eyes. "We have a serious problem."

* * *

Beth looked at the skylight above her. The sun was clearly starting to rise. The ancient library around her was beginning to lighten as the candles in the chandelier began to fade. Despite the fact that she had been there all night, she was on her ten millionth time trying to turn a single page.

A single page!

She'd quickly learned to make a single fingertip hard, but it seemed that wasn't enough with these old pages. They were thick, stiff, and seemed to be slightly stuck together with something; probably wax or something left over from the binding process. Or maybe even someone spilling something on them. Regardless, they were reluctant to part from each other.

So she had started trying to make her forefinger and thumb solid at the same time. Once she got the hang of that she tried again.

No luck.

She needed more fingers.

So she'd spent most of the night practicing to get four fingers solid at the same time so she would have enough fingers to get the page turned while holding the page beneath it down. She'd tried the same thing a dozen times now, and it always worked until she lost her concentration. Her joy at making a little progress always made her hands intangible again, letting the page slip and destroying all her work.

"Thirtieth time's the charm." She said wryly.

She took a deep breath, said a silent prayer to Illuminar, and then tried again. She made both of her index fingers solid, then used the nails to separate the pages slightly. Then she made her thumbs solid and slipped them in and started to gently pull the pages apart.

They came just like the previous dozen times, but this time she didn't let that distract her. She stayed focused, holding the lower page down with one hand while slowly lifting the other. Inch by inch she moved the enormous pages of the book until the page was finally vertical, and the pages unstuck. She pushed a little more, and gravity took over as the page finally turned.

"I did it!" She shouted and jumped for joy, her blonde tresses flying everywhere as she made no attempt to hide her excitement.

"Well done Beth." Gabriella said clapping her hands. She was the only thing on the Astral Plane that wasn't some shade of purple. Something about her seemed to glow slightly, almost illuminating the area immediately around her.

The teen hadn't noticed her return, but she ran to her and gave her a huge hug. "Thank you so much." She said as she gave the luminous woman a tight squeeze.

"You are very welcome Beth." Gabriella said as she hugged her back. "It was my pleasure."

Beth stepped back. "So what's next?"

Gabriella raised one eyebrow as an amused expression settled on her face.

"What?" Beth asked.

Gabriella began to chuckle as she nodded toward the book on the table.

"Oh." Beth said catching on and chuckling with the other woman. "I suppose I should read it after all the trouble I went through to turn the page."

"That would make sense." Gabriella said with a wink.

Beth ran to the table and sat down, then a thought occurred to her. "Hey, how come I can walk up stairs and sit on chairs, but had to work all night to turn a single page?"

"Because this is the shallowest level of the spiritual planes." Gabriella replied. "Would you prefer my Lord arranged it so you would fall through the ground and into the earth?"

"Well, no."

"There you go." She said as if that explained everything.

"But why?" Beth asked again.

"Because my Lord willed it so."

"But that doesn't explain why."

"Doesn't it?" A mischievous look crossed the luminous woman's face. Something about the twinkle in her eye reminded Beth of when her mother was keeping a secret and enjoying it.

"Never mind." The blonde teen turned to look at the book and read the page. If she remembered correctly, the previous page was about to explain how to astral project, and had ended with "First, you must entirely--":

The next page read:

--clear your mind. For truth, I say nothing of weight is -- or can be -- accomplished with a mind clouded by the concerns of the day. Then verily, once your mind is unfettered by these trivial concerns, you must close your eyes to block out the mortal world. And as you doth accomplish this, fix your mind ever firmly on the Astral Plane. Imagine it compassing all around you, both in sight and in feel. Then imagine your body is bound with some great anchor, while your spirit doth be free and light as a bird on the wing. Then conjure in your imagination the spectacle of your spirit stepping out of your mortal, fleshly frame. Then do the same in spirit, leaving your body behind."

The page then went on at great length about the importance of accurately picturing the Astral Plane. The author seemed to believe that unless one could picture it accurately, it would be night impossible to enter it, "unless mayhaps in a dream you stumble upon a vision of such things."

"Interesting." Beth mused.

If the author was right about the necessity of accurately picturing the Astral Plane in order to enter it, she could see how it was a rare ability. For herself, she didn't think she would ever forget this damnable place as long as she lived.

"Wait a minute." She turned to Gabriella. "Why did you want me to read this page?"

"It was my Lord wanted you to read it, and you're a clever girl. You can put it together."

Beth looked around at the purple hues of the Astral Plane all around her. It couldn't be... Could it? "He wants me to come back, doesn't he?"

"If He does, it might behoove you to keep reading." Gabriella said with a twinkle in her eye.

The curious teen turned back to the book, where the last section on the page described how to return to her body after entering the Astral Plane. It read thus:

Now, to return from whence you came is a matter of simplicity itself. Merely making contact with your body while in spirit form will suffice to accomplish the task. However, you can return from a greater distance by reversing the directions implemented to enter the Astral Plane. However, the greater the distance that doth exist betwixt your spirit and body, the greater the difficulty of such a task. Tis better to return through touch, as the other method can be jarring and introduce a touch of lunar affection for a time.

"Lunar affection?" Beth looked at Gabriella.

"You know there are some who believe the moon effects men's minds and makes them behave irrationally?"

"Oh." Beth grimaced. "Yes I would rather avoid that."

"You would." Gabriella nodded. "Now come, there is one last thing that needs to be done

"Oh, what's that?"

"We need to use your new skill to save Ethan's life."

"New skill? But I'm already in the Astral plane."

Gabriella was already walking toward the door with a sly smile on her face and twinkle in her eyes. "Do try to keep up."

* * *

Alana heard and remembered every single word Rachel said to explain their current predicament. However, she wasn't giving it her full attention. Deep in her belly, she could feel that small, almost insignificant draw of mana that signaled the baby growing inside of her. It was tiny, fragile, and absolutely priceless to her.

She'd always heard her adopted mother talk about how a mother would do anything for her children. She'd never really understood what that meant until now. To feel new life growing in her womb was just...

Was just...

There were no words.

"So basically." Ethan summarized Rachel's briefing. "Hailey will be executed and I'll be held responsible for her actions because I never freed her in a legal sense."

"Yes." Rachel replied. "They won't kill you or anything though. It's likely to be a huge fine or something like that. They may even take the Argo if you can't pay."

Ethan looked at Alana and the wood elf's heart just melted. It wasn't so much him as it was the baby they'd created last night. She loved that a part of him had merged with a part of her to create life; a child. For some inexplicable reason, it really turned her on.

*Not really the time...* He thought to her.

*I know, I wasn't going to start anything it's just..." She put her hand over her womb. *I can't believe we did that together.*

*I know.* He got a huge dopy grin on his face, which was really cute to see.

"By Illuminar's name you didn't..." Rachel looked from Alana's hand on her stomach to the dopey grin on Ethan's face, then back to the wood elf. "You're not... are you?"

Grinning so widely her cheeks almost hurt, the wood elf nodded.

The redhead's mouth fell open; shock written all over her face before she squealed, jumped at Alana and gave her the biggest hug she'd ever received.

"That's amazing you two!" She said while doing her best imitation of a boa constrictor. Alana hugged her back while sending a telepathic plea for help to her husband.

"Um Rachel, she will need to breathe." He said.

"Right." The redhead stepped back to look at the brunette. "You're glowing."

"Am I?" She felt slightly sheepish, but was happy for the attention nevertheless.

"You are." Rachel said, then the expression of joy on her face faltered. "You're glowing so much that I hate to ruin it with the practical matters at hand."

"Hailey." Ethan said.

"Right." Alana pulled herself back to the present. "What are we going to do?"

"I can think of a few ideas, but--" Rachel was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Come in." Ethan said.

The door opened and Luminar Kossel entered followed by a woman with jet-black hair that she didn't recognize. The moment Ethan saw her, placed himself between his wife and the woman, bared his teeth, and growled.

"Peace beast; I won't harm you... today." The dark haired woman said with a wicked smile.

*That's the bitch who shot me.* Ethan explained

Alana suddenly wished she had her bow and arrow. The woman was neither tall nor short, thin nor muscular, pretty nor plain; she just 'was'. She was the kind of person you would see in a crowd and completely forget moments later. Her jet black hair was tied back in a ponytail and her skin was heavily tanned, but not in a bad way.

"Relax my friends." Lumiar Kossel said. "This is Kendra and she won't harm you here."

Kendra shot the Luminar a look that reminded Alana of the dirty looks Raklan gave Serif right after being put in his place.

The resemblance was uncanny.

"And you won't hurt her either." Luminar Kossel added as Ethan took a threatening step forward."

"What do you want?" The dragon growled.

"I only want to help." Kendra said with such insincerity that a two-year old wouldn't have believed her. "Your slave murdered the son of Magistrate Haglath, who is understandably..." She paused for effect. "...Upset. He's impounded your vessel and everything on it."

By the way she emphasized 'everything' to Ethan, Alana knew she meant the gold. He stiffened visibly and she could feel his dragon side rising in anger. It was controlled, but gaining in strength.

"You can either pay the fine -- which will doubtless cost every gold piece you own -- or there's another option."

"Which is?" Rachel asked, skepticism written all over her face and tone.

"Magistrate Haglath was feeling generous this morning. He will allow trial by combat in The Arena to free your slave, and will even allow you to fight in her place."

"That's... unusual." Rachel commented. Alana wasn't sure, but it almost felt like the temperature in the room dropped a few degrees.

"He had a good idea." Kendra said with a smug smile.

"But who would Ethan be fighting?" Alana asked. "The champion is dead."

"It could be anyone." Kendra replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. "If you refuse, your slave will be executed at dawn and your ship and everything on it will be sold to pay the cost of your fine. Think about it beast. Oh, and there's a reward for victory this time."

"Oh?" Ethan said.

"Yes." Kendra said with a sly smile. She started backing out of the room with a cat-that-ate-the-canary grin, like a salesman when they knew they had the sale and were just waiting for the customer to realize it.

"What's the reward?" he asked.

"It's gold, dragon." She almost whispered for effect as she backed completely out of the room, smiling even wider. "Lots, and lots of gold..." She disappeared around the corner and was gone.

One look at Ethan's emotions told Alana that he was caught hook, line, and sinker. The risk of losing his gold, plus the prospect of making a whole lot more was absolutely perfect bait. Whoever Kendra was, she knew exactly how to manipulate a dragon.

Alana considered him fighting in The Arena and rush of emotions assaulted her.

She feared for his safety of course, but it was so much more than that now. The stakes were so much higher now. She placed her hand over her womb. What if he died? Would their baby be left fatherless?

She had loved her stepfather dearly. However, she had never been able to communicate the sense of loss she felt that she had never met her real father. She didn't want her baby to suffer that pain. If Ethan fought in The Arena and was killed...

*I can take them.* Ethan thought to her, though it felt more like the dragon than her husband.

*I hope so because if you can't.* She rubbed her stomach slightly. *I don't want our baby to grow up without a father.*

"Guys, please have the conversation aloud?" Rachel asked.

"I can take them." Ethan announced confidently.

"Ah, the arrogance of youth." Luminar Kossel sighed. "Kendra has a necklace made from the teeth of dragons she has killed. You aren't the first dragon to underestimate her, nor do I expect you'll be the last."

"A necklace made from--" Rachel began.

"--dragon's teeth?" Alana felt her heart sink to somewhere around her ankles. Ethan was a decent fighter, but nowhere near good enough to fight a true dragon hunter; not if the stories were true.

"Ethan, you can't." she pleaded.

He looked conflicted, and his emotions were no less conflicted.

"My dear dragon." Luminar Kossel said. "I've rarely seen a more gifted or skilled dragon hunter than Kendra in my long life. Going up against her without an ace up your sleeve is suicide."

Alana almost asked what having an 'ace up your sleeve' meant because she'd never heard that expression before, but decided against it.

Ethan seemed to deflate slightly, and the dragon's influence over him seemed to wane. It appeared that the instinct for self-preservation occasionally overrode the lust for power, even in a dragon.

Alana felt herself relax

He wasn't going to fight; he would be okay. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. There was of course the question of how they would go anywhere without the Argo. However, she would rather worry about that than what to do if her husband died.

"What about Hailey?" Ethan said after several seconds of silence. "Didn't Kendra say she would be executed at dawn if I didn't fight?"

Alana swore.

She knew -- knew in her bones -- that Ethen would never abandon Hailey. Despite the former slave putting them in this position, she just knew there was no way he would abandon her. If she was honest with herself, the wood elf couldn't imagine abandoning her either, despite all the problems she had caused.

She looked at Ethan who was staring into space, looking a bit above his hand and flexing it as if he was holding something.

He made a thoughtful noise, then said almost absent-mindedly: "Whosoever shall hold this hammer..."

He trailed off with a pensive sound, then their bond lit up with excitement. His mood seemed to stand in stark contrast to everyone else in the room and she had no idea where his newfound high spirits came from.

He turned to her grinning widely. "I have an idea."

* * *

Beth followed Gabriella through the streets of Arcanum, growing ever more tired of the endless shades of purple that permeated everything here. Well, everything except Gabriella who shone like a beacon of white light in a sea of purple. A very tiring sea of purple. The teen was tempted to just watch Gabriella for a change of color, but didn't think that quite appropriate.

They walked for some time before a looming oval structure and its distinct arched columns directly in front of them gave her an indication. "Are we going back to The Arena?"

"We are." The other woman replied without breaking stride. "There's a short piece of a spear shaft that needs planting in the sand before the battle tomorrow morning."

"Huh?" Beth shook her head. "What will that do?"

"You'll find out in a week or two." Gabriella replied.

Beth rolled her eyes; why was she always so tight lipped?

"Because if I told you everything that's coming it would rob you of the joys of discovery." Gabriella said, seemingly replying to the teen's thoughts.

"That's not fair! You won't tell me anything and yet you're reading my mind?"

Gabriella stopped and turned to look at Beth with an amused expression. Something about her demeanor and smile made it almost impossible to stay mad at her.

"Beth, I didn't read your mind."

"Then how did you respond to my thoughts?"

"My Lord knows what you're thinking, I merely spoke as He instructed me to speak. I have no more idea of what you're thinking than you have of what I'm thinking."

Beth shook her head again and resisted the temptation to roll her eyes. "Whatever; lead on."

They walked through the walls to The Arena, through several rooms on the periphery of the structure, and finally onto The Arena's floor itself. The large oval fighting area hadn't changed. It was still a large slab of compacted sand surrounded by magnificent stone walls.

They walked to one end, where Gabriella stopped and looked around on the ground. "I know it's here somewhere... ah, there it is." The luminous woman reached down and pulled a short piece of a wood from the sand. It was about a foot long and looked like it had once been part of a spear shaft.

"Now, we need to bury this in the sand." Gabriella said.

Beth groaned as she realized how long it would take her to move enough sand to bury the stick. Given her experience with the book, she expected it would take a few days.

"Don't worry, I'll help you." Gabriella said. She walked over to what seemed to be a very specific spot in The Arena before stopping. "We'll bury it here, with only an inch sticking above the sand."

"Hmm." Beth mused as a thought struck her. "What would happen if I didn't help?" She then added hastily. "I'm going to, I'm just curious."

"There would be..." The luminous woman paused, possibly for effect. "...grave consequences. But that is always your decision. My Lord would prefer that you help, but you are always free to ignore Him. Just know that disobedience always has consequences."

"Always?" The blonde teen asked.

"Always." She nodded.

"Okay, well I'm definitely going to help." Beth said resolutely.

"Good. Now, we need to start digging right..." She paused and cocked her head to one side as if listening to something Beth could hear. "...here." She indicated a spot in the sand, and they got to work.

Beth did her very best to help, but really couldn't move very much sand with just two fingers. If she used any more, she would lose concentration and her fingers would pass right through the sand she was trying to move.

Gabriella on the other hand was far more efficient. After using the stick to break up the slightly compacted sand on the top, she used both hands to pull large amounts of sand out quickly. After only a few minutes, they had a hole almost as deep as the bit of spear shaft was tall.

Gabriella placed the stick in the hole, then turned to Beth. "Now, I need you to put a finger on top of this to keep it in place while I fill in the hole."

"But what happens when I lose concentration and it falls?"

"Then we'll fix it and try again." The luminous woman said kindly. "Don't worry; it's more important that the stick ends up on the right place than that it gets there quickly."

Beth cocked her head to one side. "You're talking about more than just this stick, aren't you?"

Gabriella gave her a mischievous smile then nodded towards the top of the stick, which she was holding in the center of the hole. Beth screwed up her concentration to make the tip of one finger solid, then rested it on the top of the stick. Immediately, Gabriella started pushing the sand they'd excavated back into the hole.

Beth was able to keep her one fingertip solid for several seconds, which was long enough that when she lost concentration, the stick stayed roughly in place.

Gabriella adjusted its position slightly. "Hold it for just a moment longer, and then we'll be nearly done."

Beth took a deep breath, concentrated on making her finger solid, and then touched the top of the stick again to hold it in place. The other woman pushed most of the rest of the sand into the hole by the time Beth lost her concentration.

"Perfect." Gabriella said, then stood up and started tamping the earth down with her foot. After a minute, the earth looked just as it had before, except for the small bit of spear shaft that poked up about an inch. She then brushed some sand around where it stuck up so it was easy to miss.

"And we're done." Gabriella said with a smile.

"That's it?"

"That's it." She confirmed. "Now, we have just one more stop before I must leave you."

"Where are you going?"

"Ah young one. No one is ever told someone else's story. I've enjoyed spending time with you immensely. I've met many of Illuminar's daughters in my travels, and you are truly among the most delightful of them."

"Thank you." Beth smiled and blushed slightly. She had always liked the title of "Illuminar's daughter" for women who followed Him. The Book of Light used it and she found it comforting for some reason.

"There's one last thing before we take our last trip together." Gabriella said. "I asked my Lord if I could share something with you."

"You did?" Beth's mouth fell open at the incredibly tight-lipped woman actually going out of her way to volunteer information.

"I did and He said I could." She nodded. "I thought you might like to know why you could barely feel Ethan's emotions, even after being bonded to him for two weeks, while Alana could after less than a week."

Beth felt her heart soar, then a lump form in her throat. What if the problem was her? What if it was something she'd done, or hadn't done?

"Can you think of anything you've seen lately that might explain it?" Gabriella hinted. "Something powerful enough to interfere with a dragon's bond?"

"Oh!" Beth said as it hit her; why hadn't she thought of that before! "Was it the curse? That dark halo that we got rid of?"

"Well done." Gabriella beamed. "It couldn't break your bond, but it did dramatically slow down how quickly it strengthened."

The human teen breathed a sigh of relief. "So, I'll be able to bond properly with Ethan when I'm alive again?"

"You will, and it will be wonderful. The bond isn't fully finalized until the bonded couple shares a bed, and the curse interfered with that final bonding moment between you two. Next time, you'll not only have the physical pleasure, but you'll also fully and truly bond to your husband."

"Really?"

She nodded. "Yes, and it will be like nothing you've ever felt. But for now, it' time to go. There's one last place you need to be."

"Will I see Ethan there?" Beth asked.

Gabriella smiled, but didn't answer her question. "Come, we have one last trip together."

* * *

Hailey felt a little better.

Not a lot better, but the immense knot in the pit of her stomach had loosened somewhat. She was still haunted by the champion's eyes and they still didn't leave her whether her eyes were open or closed. However, the effect was slightly muted.

Talking about it the previous night had helped, though certainly not completely. She hadn't touched the dry crust of bread or the pail of muddy water they'd given her. Instead, she opted for sitting on the cold stone floor of her cell, her back resting against the equally cold stone wall, staring at the opposite wall.

She had finally killed him, so why didn't she feel better?

She thought that killing him would deaden the pain of missing Jason or the loss of her baby. It didn't. Vengeance was hers and she had repaid him for his sins, but it didn't help.

Quite the opposite in fact.

Her reverie was broken by the sound of the prison cell door's lock sliding open. Alana, Rachel, and Ethan -- the latter with his disguise gem activated -- stood there, all with conflicted expressions. She stood up trying to think of something to say, but Ethan beat her to the punch.

"We have a problem Hailey. Do you know what it is?"

"No." She shook her head.

"You're still officially a slave, and that makes your owner -- me -- responsible for your actions."

"Oh." Was all she could think to say.

She hadn't thought about that when she'd left to kill the bastard. They had been so nice to her and now she'd gotten them in so much trouble. The knot in the pit of her stomach clenched tighter and she felt like she was going to throw up. Her throat suddenly felt tight and she could feel herself begin to break out in a cold sweat.

What had she done?

"I can either let you be executed at dawn and let them take the Argo to pay my fine, or fight against God-knows-what in The Arena tomorrow in trial by combat for your freedom."

Hailey sank to the floor.

She had doomed them.

Her worst fears about what might happen if she killed that bastard hadn't come close to this. The pain she felt and the devastation she'd brought upon them hit her full force and she could feel her eyes getting moist.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly. "I didn't think and I... I'm sorry."

Ethan, Rachel, and Alana all glanced at each other. Then he knelt down in her tiny cell and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I'm going to fight, and I'm going to win."

"Really?" she looked at him.

"Really." There was no cocky overconfidence in his voice. This wasn't bravado, pride, or arrogance; it was confidence.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

A knot formed in her throat.

She wanted to sink through the floor.

She had betrayed him. She had not only betrayed him but worse; she'd also put everything he owned, everyone he loved, and the man himself in danger. And yet he would still fight for her? The tears at the corners of her eyes stopped defying gravity and her attempts to hold them in, and traced wet lines down her cheek.

"I'll set you free Hailey, but I need something from you."

"Anything. Anything you need; you name it it's yours."

"I need to know where I can find some Elven steel for enchanting somewhere in the city." He said. "I need a weapon I can enchant as soon as possible."

"Um, that would be Graflex the dwarf over in the Market District. He has a shop just south of the Boar's Head Tavern on the main drag. He hates Magistrate Halglath more than I do. Tell him I sent you and what it's for, and he'll give you a good deal."

"Thank you." Ethan said, "Now, we need to hurry."

"Wait." Hailey called as he stood and turned to leave, but she didn't know what to say. Saying 'thank you' seemed woefully inadequate.

Alana slipped past Ethan and knelt in front of her with a kind smile. "We know; it's okay. You already said you're sorry and I can tell you are. We can talk more later, but time is tight and he need to hurry. Will you be okay until tomorrow?"

Hailey nodded.

After they left, Hailey resumed staring at the opposite wall of her tiny cell. It seemed impossible that someone in this God-forsaken world would be that noble. She allowed herself to hope that maybe, just possibly, she would escape with her life. She sat on the stone floor and tried to collect her thoughts. She went through several Yoga breathing exercises that Jason had taught her. Slowly, she began to calm down.

Someone knocked on the prison door then it opened.

The elderly fellow from the previous night -- who she just realized she hadn't gotten his name -- entered carrying a bowl full of disgusting looking soup and a pail of water.

"Was that your friend?" He asked. "The dragon you told me about last night?"

She nodded.

"What did he want?"

Hailey explained what he'd come for.

"Oh." He said as if he'd just understood something he'd been missing. "That explains why..."

"Why what?"

The old man frowned, then looked out the door after him. "I don't suppose you have a way to contact him, do you?"

She shook her head. "No."

He looked at her for several moments with a pensive stare. "Is he really as good as you say he is?"

She nodded yet again. "I think so."

"Good." He nodded. "Then I need to go talk to some of my fellow inmates."

"Why?"

"I'm not the only old fellow in here seeking redemption." He set down her food and water. "Your dragon friend might just be the key to helping a few old prisoners atone for past crimes, and allow us to escape this hellish life in the process."

And with that he left, leaving Hailey to wonder what he meant.

* * *

Beth was walking without paying much attention to where she was going and nearly ran into Gabriella when the other woman stopped.

"We're here." The luminous woman announced, her brilliant body standing out as the only thing on the Astral Plane that wasn't some shade of purple. She had stopped outside a nondescript two-story building in the middle of Arcanum. Something about it looked very familiar and it took Beth a moment to place it.

"No." She covered her mouth. "You can't be serious."

"Unfortunately, I am."

Beth looked up at the building from which Gabriella had freed her just over a week ago. "I don't want to go back."

"I know." Gabriella said with sincere sadness etched into her beautiful face. "I know you're scared but I promise you, no harm will befall you here. Much fear and even a little terror yes, but no harm. I swear to you on the name of Illuminar Himself -- blessed be He -- that you will be perfectly safe until you leave the Astral Plane."

Beth bit her lip and took a deep breath, trembling slightly as she did. "Do I have to?"

"Of course not. You always have a choice young one. My Lord wishes for you to return before you are missed. You can choose to disobey Him if you wish, but you forfeit His protection if you do."

"His protection?"

Gabriella nodded. "Yes. He promised to keep you safe if you listen. But advice to avoid swimming in shark infested waters does little good if it's not heeded. Follow His directions and you will be safe. Decide to go your own way, and... Well, there are consequences for swimming with sharks."

Beth considered.

The other woman definitely wasn't threatening her. On the contrary, it felt more like a plea to follow good advice than a threat. She felt safe around the luminous woman, but to see that black creature again... she shuddered.

"Beth." Gabriella put a comforting hand on her shoulder and looked her right in the eye. "Do you trust me?"

Beth stared into the other woman's eye, noticing for the first time that her eyes were golden in color. Not hazel and not light brown; golden. Then there was her appearance; she was all white and colorful while the rest of the world was purple. Beth had been suspicious for a while now, but finally worked up the courage to ask.

"You're an angel, aren't you? You work for Illuminar, don't you?"

She smiled, but otherwise ignored the question. "Remember, on the name of the Great God Illuminar -- blessed be He -- I swear to you that no harm will befall you here on the Astral Plane. The Saidow spawn will do everything its power to trick you and make you think it has you trapped. Don't believe it."

"Okay." Beth took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

Gabriella locked eyes with Beth. "Remember, Illuminar has promised to protect you here on the Astral Plane -- at least until you leave it -- no matter what. You are His, and He protects His own. No one and nothing can change that, despite what some will say. As long as you want Illuminar -- blessed be He -- with you, He will never leave you."

Beth looked at the building and remembered the shadowy figure. She shuddered. "Really?"

Gabriella smiled, but didn't answer the question and instead repeated her earlier one: "Do you trust me?"

"Yes." Beth nodded after a moment.

Gabriella's smile widened and seemed to glow brighter. "Then may Illuminar -- blessed be He -- speed you on your way."

Beth felt a slight shift inside of her and then began to slowly drift upwards as the blinding light reappeared in the sky. Like before, it didn't hurt her eyes but instead had the warmth of a flickering candle and it pulled her gently towards it.

"Farewell Beth; we shall meet again." Gabriella said, before turning and walking away.

Like before, the dark tendril wrapped itself around her ankle. Like before, it slowly stopped her upward ascent before pulling her back into the hastily constructed magical lab. This time though, it looked far more complete.

All of the boxes and packing materials were gone, replaced with more equipment. Beth didn't recognize any of it though. Much of it was complex and almost looked like the sort of equipment she'd heard Ethan describe those 'scientist' people using.

Her body was still lying in the crate and the wizard was sleeping in a nearby cot. Her neck -- well, the neck on her body -- was much improved from before. The massive gash was now merely a smallish cut. Her body was obviously still in stasis, as there was a large drop of liquid blood suspended where gravity should've pulled it down long ago.

She looked around, completely bored. It occurred to her to use Aharown to cut herself free, but the sword seemed to have disappeared. She could still feel its weight on her belt so she still had it, she just couldn't draw it.

She looked around the room, completely bored already, and muttered aloud as she floated suspended in space. "Well, here I am."

* * *

Rachel led the way to the Market District because she knew Arcanum better than the others. She didn't know it well, but her father had brought her here several times in her youth so she was more familiar.

As they walked, she did a lot of thinking.

She had been extremely excited for Ethan and Alana when they'd announced their pregnancy. On balance though -- with them on the run and Lord Delmar dogging their every step -- adding a pregnant woman to the mix seemed like a colossally dumb decision. Of course, given the way they'd been with each other since last night, she doubted they'd put any deliberate thought into it.

Glancing back at them occasionally, she felt very conflicted. On the one hand, she was happy that her friend had married her love. On the other, she was jealous. Not of Ethan -- though he was a good guy -- but just that the wood elf had someone like that.

She wanted someone like that.

For as long as she could remember, she didn't have a confidant or close friend. All the other children had been too scared of Lord Delmar to get close to her. They were polite and always included her if she asked... but only if she asked. No one ever opened up to her and no one ever got close enough for her to open up. Not until Alana anyway.

She loved having the wood elf as a friend, but she wanted to be courted by a real man. Someone strong with whom she didn't need to be strong all the time. Being independent was good, but it got lonely. She wished someone would take her by the hand occasionally.

Not Ethan, but someone.

At that moment, Alana giggled; no doubt at something Ethan had told her telepathically. Rachel wanted that closeness; that intimacy. Unfortunately, her current path in life didn't seem to allow for it.

She sighed.

"I think that's it." She announced as they passed the Boar's Head Tavern and saw a tiny sign for a blacksmith shop about a block south.

They walked to it, surprised to find it looking almost abandoned. It certainly had seen better days. The sign was faded and the chains on which it hung on were rusty. The windows were so filthy they couldn't make out much inside through them. She opened the door to discover the hinges made a creaking noise that sounded like they would fall off with much more use.

Inside of the shop wasn't much better.

Given the state of the windows, it was fairly dark with no other lights supplementing the daylight. Even in the dim light, she could see racks of weapons lining the small shop. She couldn't tell their quality in the low light though because her eyes hadn't adjusted yet.

"Hello?" Ethan called when they'd entered.

From the back of the shop, she heard the sound of someone sniffing the air loudly. "You brought dragon steel." Came a gruff voice from a back room. "You made a good decision bring it to old Graflex; there isn't another smith in a thousand miles who know how to work it properly."

A grizzled Dwarf with salt and pepper hair and an even grayer beard shuffled out from the back room. Like most dwarves, he was about four feet tall and powerfully built. This one seemed stronger than most though and he looked like he could out-wrestle an ox.

The dwarf stopped dead when he saw the three of them and narrowed his eyes. "You tell that Saidow spawn of a magistrate that I won't be cowed; even by a dragon. If he thinks different, I'll beat the shit out of him; guards or no."

"Yeah, we'll get along just fine." Ethan smiled.

The dwarf harrumphed.

"Trust me." Ethan said. "Hailey killed the Magistrate's son just after she was technically given to me as a slave."

"He freed her, but not legally." Alana interjected.

"Yeah, so now I need to fight a trial by combat in The Arena to prevent her from being executed. I need a new head made of Elven steel for my war hammer to make sure I win and Hailey survives."

The Dwarf harrumphed again. "How do I know that's not a load of dragon shit?"

"Because I relieved myself before I came." Ethan rolled his eyes.

Alana chuckled.

Graflex stared at her for a few moments. "You have the look of an enchantress."

"I am, or was. I used to grow some of the best staves for enchanting in the Ten Kingdoms."

The dwarf narrowed his eyes. "What's the best way to ensure the mana flow is consistent along the entire length of the shaft?"

"Trick question." The wood elf replied. "Because you don't want the mana to flow evenly along the entire shaft. You want it flowing just slightly better near the top to better focus the spell."

"Why is ash better than birch for enchanting?"

"It's not; but ash is more flexible which makes for a more durable staff, even when fully enchanted."

Graflex tapped his foot on the ground and steepled his fingertips together. Why are gems the only non-organic thing that can hold an enchantment?"

"First, that's like, three trick questions." Alana sighed. "Golem stone can also be enchanted. Further, only some gems can take an enchantment and only if you properly set up a resonance field inside the gem, and trap it in the facets of a properly cut gem; emphasis on properly cut. Technically, the gem doesn't take the enchantment; the magical resonance field does, and it's merely held in place by the facets of the gemstone."

The dwarf harrumphed again and mumbled something under his breath.

"What was that?" Rachel asked.

"You need this Elven steel to help Hailey?" Graflex sat down on a bench, pulled his shoe off and started scratching a couple warts on his foot.

"We do." The redheaded teen replied. "And since Magistrate Haglath is probably behind this, we could put him in his place with your help."

Graflex put his boot back on and eyed her suspiciously. "Wait. Wait. I do this and Haglath suffers?"

"Humiliations galore." Ethan said in a strange accent, which he usually only did when he was quoting from one of those strange 'movie' things from his world.

Graflex cackled, which was a strange sight on the muscle-bound, four foot tall dwarf who was built like a golem, then jumped up. "That is a noble cause. That'll be sixty-five."

Rachel fished the appropriate amount out of the Argo's money pouch -- which Ethan didn't carry because; dragon -- and paid him. Graflex took the silver and touched a few of them to his tongue, as if tasting them to see if they were genuine.

"That'll do, I've got one in the back." He harrumphed before ambling out of sight into a back room. "And you better not touch anything while I'm back here unless you're gonna pay for it!"

Ethan and Alana exchanged a glance. There was a moment's pause, then both of them stifled a laugh. Rachel rolled her eyes. The telepathic communication was getting to be annoying. Okay, not that annoying, but a little annoying. Not because she didn't like it though. On the contrary, she found herself slipping into a bit of jealousy again.

The dwarf came back with a beautifully forged new head for his war hammer. He tossed it carelessly into Ethan's arms and flopped down on a bench.

"There you go." He grunted. "Tell Hailey to drop by when she's released."

"Will do." Ethan looked at it, then held it up for Alana to see. The wood elf took it, closed her eyes, and ran her hands over the steel's surface for nearly a minute.

"It'll work." She nodded to him. "Just barely, but there's just enough space to hold all the enchantments."

"Great!" Ethan said.

"Except." She continued. "We can't install it on the Argo because we don't have the forge or proper tools. I had one of Lord Borden's smiths install the original head."

Rachel looked around at the weapons in the shop. Now that her eyes had adjusted, she could see they were certainly of good quality. She'd need a closer inspection to be sure, but he looked like a skilled smith, despite his grumpy manner.

"How much to remove the current head on my war hammer fit this onto it before dinner tonight?" Ethan asked, apparently having the same idea.

What followed was a near epic haggling session. The dragon and the dwarf both loved gold, and they both tried every trick in the book to talk the other down. Rachel wandered away bored, found a bench that didn't look too dirty, and flopped herself down to think.

It was hard with all the noise.

She shifted in her seat, which resettled her clothes and made her left shoulder itch slightly. She reached under her shirt and scratched the itch, feeling her birthmark as she did so.

It was slightly larger than one of those "quarter" things Ethan had described when explaining money from his home. It was a grayish brown and -- now that she'd seen them up close -- she realized it slightly resembled dragon scales.

It had made her feel slightly insecure in her early teen years, so she'd spent a great deal of time searching her father's records for such a birthmark. She had heard rumors about one of the noble houses among the wood elves having such a mark; but even among that house it was very rare and only afflicted the women for some reason.

For a whole day she'd been excited about the possibility of being related to one of the great houses of the wood elves, but facts had dashed that hope. It turns out, the pointy ears of an elf would carry down to the descendants for at least ten generations, and Rachel's ears were as round as they come.

She definitely wasn't related to any elves.

Still though, it seemed like an inherited trait, but there was no record of anyone in her family every having it. That made her wonder where it had come from and who she had inherited it from.

She didn't have a clue.

"As Ethan would say, penny for your thoughts?" Alana asked, breaking into her reverie.

"Okay, but I only sell them that cheap for friends and family." Rachel said with a wink as she held out a hand, palm up, as if the wood elf would pay her.

The brunette chuckled as she sat down beside her. "I'm honored."

"For what?"

"That you consider me a friend; I never really had any growing up in the forest. It was always just my parents and I. They were wonderful, but I wished I had a few sisters to keep me company. You've given me an idea what that's like."

Rachel hesitated for a moment, then gave the wood elf a hug. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She beamed as they let go, then her face turned slightly more serious. "What's wrong?"

"Is it that obvious?"

Alana raised her eyebrow.

"Fair enough." Rachel took a deep breath. "You're glowing."

"I am?"

Rachel looked at her for a moment. "Yes. Ever since this morning. I mean, right now you could outshine the bonfires on top of Illuminar's temple. In all of my nineteen summers, I've never seen a woman so happy."

Alana smiled sheepishly. "I am, but why is that bad?"

"It's not bad at all. In fact it's the opposite." She ran her hands through her flame colored hair. "I'm just a little jealous, or maybe conflicted. It's just... I don't know if it's Ethan or the baby, but you look so happy. I want that."

Alana got a mischievous smile and opened her mouth.

"No, not that." Rachel cut her off as her cheeks grew warm. "I just mean, you're so happy with Ethan and now you've got a baby on the way. I want that; the man, the baby, and most of all the happiness. But I also want..." She turned her head away to look out the window. Well, try to anyway; it was way too dirty to see much.

"You also want to be an arch mage." Alana finished.

She nodded.

"Why can't you have it all?"

Rachel frowned. "I mean, theoretically there's no reason I can't. But to become an arch mage take years and years of work and study. It might take me fifteen years or more, and by then..."

"You might be getting old for children." The wood elf finished.

Rachel nodded. "And if I try it the other way around... I just couldn't do that. Becoming an arch mage is incredibly dangerous. Even if I took every precaution possible, it's still very dangerous. Only about half the mages who get to that level even survive their first attempt, and it almost always takes more than one. I just couldn't chance leaving my kids without a mother."

"Sounds like you're caught between a rock and a hard place."

"I wasn't until this morning." She admitted. "None of the mothers I grew up around were this happy to be pregnant. Plus, none of their husbands -- or most of the suitors my father found -- made me want to get married or make a baby in the first place."

Alana got a strange glimmer in her eye. "Yeah, the making can be very fun with the right... dragon."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Yes, but I doubt you're offering to share."

Alana opened her mouth, closed it, and then got an odd look on her face. If Rachel wasn't wrong, she thought she saw a touch of pink in the wood elf's normally tanned skin. Further, she momentarily averted her eyes in what seemed to be embarrassment.

"Even if you were." Rachel continued, sparing her friend some apparent discomfort. "Ethan's a good guy, but not what I'm looking for. Plus, I've been disowned and I'm probably a wanted fugitive. That doesn't help my prospects."

"Well, there's always Raklan." Alana said with a completely deadpan expression.

Rachel blinked before chuckling and adding in a mock serious tone: "How did you know I've been nurturing a crush?"

"A woman knows." She said sagely, before her deadpan expression broke and they both laughed. They shared a moment of mirth before the wood elf continued. "I don't know what to say. If there's anything I can do to help, let me know okay?"

Rachel nodded. "I will."

Alana cocked her head to one side and stared into space for a moment, then said: "Ethan finally struck a deal. You still fun of mana and willing to lend me some?"

Rachel checked her mana. She was brim-full of regular mana, which she could donate to help the wood elf do the necessary enchanting without forming any sort of bond.

Her deep mana on the other hand...

A large portion of her deep man was still comprised of what Ethan had given her. It felt very different than the rest. It was harder and somehow more solid; denser. It was like a rock that had sunk to the bottom of a pool. She tried to move it around but -- as before -- it wouldn't budge.

It had definitely gotten smaller, but it was still nearly a quarter of her deep mana. She shrugged, happy to know it would be gone eventually. She didn't really like having a part of Ethan inside of her.

Well, okay; she didn't exactly hate it.

Ethan was a good man, but she wasn't interested. Even if he wasn't Alana's husband, he was a dragon. She wanted a man -- someone to grow old with -- not the strong, powerful dragon that Ethan was. No, that's not what she wanted. Not quite.

But then she wondered, how far off was he?

* * *

Beth floated in the middle of the room, completely bored out of her skull. It had been like this all day and the purple tones outside the window were growing darker as the sun set.

She was so bored.

There was nothing of interest in the room. Nothing. She'd spent the entire day floating suspended between the black, light-sucking tendril and the gentle pull of Illuminar's light. She'd seen everything there was to see in the room and either already knew what it was or didn't know enough for it to make sense.

She was Sooooo bored. She was just about to try sleeping again -- for the tenth unsuccessful time -- when the door opened and someone walked it.

No, something walked in.

The shadowy figure was back.

He -- or it -- was wearing a long flowing cloak that billowed like grass in the breeze or seaweed in the current. He was vaguely human shaped, but there were several bulges and irregularities under the cloak she couldn't account for. Everything about him was black. A black so deep it was more like the absence of color or staring down a bottomless shaft than any color she'd seen.

He seemed to be the opposite of Gabriella.

Where Gabriella seemed to brighten every place she walked, he seemed to suck the light and warmth from the room. A cold, clammy sensation spread through her body and she found herself fighting the inclination to panic.

She clutched her side looking for Aharown; but despite its weight still resting on her hips, she couldn't feel it at her side.

"Hello Elizabeth Borden." The shadowy figure said in a slow, breathy voice. It almost sounded like the voice was coming from a great distance off; yet also like it was inside her head. As before, it almost sounded like a small legion of people were speaking in perfect unison; yet also like only one person.

The effect still chilled her to the bone.

"Wha... What do you want?" she managed to squeak out in a small voice.

"I want your body and your soul, Elizabeth Borden." It reached out a hand toward her.

She struggled as best she could, but the tendril trapped her in place. The black phantom's hand stop mere inches from her face. She stared into the space under its hood.

There was nothing there.

It was like staring into a bottomless pit, if the pit had a face you couldn't see. It was completely empty, yet extremely revealing. She could see nothing, yet everything. She could see neither eyes, nor nose, nor mouth; but she could see its expression. There was something evil and inconceivably ancient under that hood. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound escaped.

"You may fight Elizabeth Borden; but you will never escape." It said, the slow breathy speech sending even more chills down her spine.

"I'll... I'll never... I never give you anything." She said, though it took every ounce of her willpower to get the words out.

It laughed.

The laugh felt like falling through the ice in mid-winter into a freezing lake below. It felt like her heart and soul froze in her chest. With a single laugh, it had broken her resistance like a flash-flood breaks a child's house made of sticks.

"You will comply Elizabeth Borden." It said, yet somehow it continued to chuckle at the same time. Both pitiless words and cruel laughter poured from the same empty maw beneath its hood.

"Say you will comply Elizabeth Borden." The evil laughter seemed to bore into her soul. It felt like something was cutting off her air, but she could still breathe. She gasped for breath, realizing she was on the Astral Plane and didn't need it. For some reason though, she still desperately craved it.

Still, she shook her head.

"Comply Elizabeth Borden." It said. "Your compliance will be rewarded."

She shook her head again, and the crushing weight that she couldn't feel increased; it wasn't there, but it felt like it was killing her. She could breathe, and yet she was suffocating... even though she didn't need to breathe on the Astral Plane.

"You will comply, Elizabeth Borden" it said again as the pressure reached incredible heights. "Your compliance will be rewarded. Say you will comply."

It took every ounce of willpower she possessed, but she shook her head again. She felt like she was suffocating and welcomed the deep darkness and relief of unconsciousness.

It didn't come.

She was trapped at the edge of consciousness. Neither awake nor asleep; neither conscious nor dreaming; neither alive nor dead. She was trapped.

Still the pressure increased.

"Say you will comply Elizabeth Borden. Your compliance will be rewarded."

She couldn't take it anymore. Her entire body was screaming at her, yet she didn't have a body. Every one of her senses was shrieking that she was about to die, yet she was already dead.

"You can end this if you comply Elizabeth Borden. Will you comply?"

She would; she couldn't. She shook her head again, though far more weakly this time.

"Will you comply?" The crushing force seemed to grow impossibly stronger.

There was no way she could comply; not now. Not to this. And yet...

"Will you comply?" It said. "Your compliance will be rewarded."

She couldn't. What would Ethan think? What would he do?

"You must comply Elizabeth Borden; then it will end."

She felt like the life was being crushed out of her.

"Comply Elizabeth Borden; then it will end."

The crushing force reached an apex.

"You must comply; then it ends"

It was so hard to resist...

"Will you comply?"

She wouldn't...

Couldn't...

"Yes."

The word escaped her lips without conscious thought. No; it escaped her lips despite conscious thought. Instantly, the suffocating pressure and cruel laughter ceased. Light and warmth seemed to return to the room as the creature took a step back and lowered its hand.

"Well done Elizabeth Borden." It said in his slow, breathy, spectral voice. "Your compliance will always be rewarded."

She felt tears forming at the corners of her eyes. She'd heard many terrible tales of those who had struck bargains with Saidow's minions. She'd heard of the horrible prices and cruel fates they suffered. And now, she had... she'd...

"We will continue tomorrow Elizabeth Borden. Never forget; your compliance will be rewarded."

It left the room.

Beth felt her body go limp, betraying her for the second time in as many minutes. She somehow felt worse than she had at the height of her torture. How could she do that? How could she...

What had she done?

She vaguely remembered Gabriella's promise of safety, but right here... right now... with that thing nearby...

She shivered.

* * *

Alana laid her head against Ethan's shoulder and yawed as she looked out over the Argo's deck into the Arcanum dock. Night was fast approaching and they were all gathered around the fire for dinner.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm fi... f..." She yawned. "I'm fine."

*Yes you are.* He thought to her, and she blushed. She should've been used to it by now though. He had been flirting with her shamelessly all day long. Out loud when they were alone and telepathically when others were around.

"You want the rest of them chops?" Raklan asked her.

"Go ahead." She said, stifling another yawn as the massive crewman speared them unceremoniously with his knife.

She hefted Ethan's war hammer in her hands, staring at the new head as she worked up the willpower to start enchanting it again. It was slightly larger than his previous head, which was good for what he planned to use it for. However, fully enchanting it would be difficult because the Elvin steel seem to take twice as much mana to enchant as wood, while only being half as strong as a comparable enchantment on wood.

"Hey, don't kill yourself working on that." He said. "It's important, but so are you. Plus, you're living for two now."

"I am." She touched her stomach and couldn't help but smile. "I'll be fine; I just need to finish this." She hefted the war hammer.

He gave her a kind smile and gently took it from her. "I really appreciate how much you want to help, but promise me you'll take care of yourself-- of the both of you."

"I will." She said aloud, then added telepathically. *Sir.* She made no attempt to keep her interest to herself.

"Later; you need a good night's rest after how hard you worked today."

"Okay." She leaned against him again and stifled another yawn. "I suppose I could finish it in the morning. I should have enough time."

By Alana's count, it had been one day shy of seven weeks since they had met. She couldn't believe what a huge part of her life he had become in that time. If someone had told her seven weeks ago what her life would be like right now, she wouldn't have believed them. And she was happy despite everything. Despite all the craziness, despite everything with Beth...

"What's wrong?" He asked, obviously sensing her emotions.

"I miss Beth." She sat up to look at him. "I know things were rocky between us for a while but I really do miss her. I just can't believe she's gone."

"Yeah..." He said, but trailed off.

"What?"

He switched to telepathy. *I just have this funny feeling like... I don't know. I just find it so hard to believe that she's gone. And I don't mean like I'm having a hard time coping with her death; quite the opposite in fact. I just don't really feel like she's dead. Even saying that sounds... I don't know, wrong maybe?*

*But we both saw her... I mean, we were both there.*

*I know, and that's what makes it so strange.* He frowned. *I feel like I should feel bad about her death. But I really don't feel bad because there's a part of me that just doesn't think she's dead.* He shook his head. *I know, I sound completely nuts.*

"Is there something you want to share with everyone?" Rachel asked.

Alana couldn't help but notice a touch of annoyance in her voice. Everyone else looked at her confused.

"Uh, not really." Ethan said.

Alana smiled to herself; she knew exactly how to deflect this line of questioning. "I suppose he could share, but given the topic I'm not sure you'd want to hear..." She shot Ethan a mischievous, flirtatious glance to drive the point home.

"Never mind." Rachel said, and she looked a little ashamed of herself.

"I could stand to her a little more." Raklan said.

Alana rolled her eyes, ignored him, and then turned to her husband. *Can we tell Rachel what you were thinking?*

He looked at her pensively for a few moments before nodding. He gave her a nudge and they stood up. She looked at Rachel, waited until the redhead returned the look, and then nodded her head fractionally in the direction of the quarterdeck.

"I'm sorry for that." Rachel said once the trio was more alone. "I was, uh..."

"Don't worry about it; really." Alana said, guessing at what was really going on. "In fact, I'm glad you said something." She turned to their resident dragon. "Could you explain?"

Ethan explained his thoughts about Beth. Afterward Rachel took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"I don't see how." She said while running a hand through her flame colored hair. "I mean, if someone knew exactly where and when it would happen, they could maybe... no, no even that."

She pursed her lips. "I've heard of some dark wizards that have enough power to keep a soul from joining Illuminar for a short time, but we're talking serious, almost demon level power here. And I highly doubt Saidow -- or even his minions -- have taken an interest in you."

"Let's hope not." Alana said fervently. If half the stories she'd heard were true, they were doomed if that was the case.

"I'm sorry Ethan, but I just don't see how it's possible." Rachel said.

"You're sure?" He asked.

She nodded, then shrugged. "Of course, a couple days ago I would've said a mage using lightning was impossible too. Even so, manipulating the elements is a far cry from bringing someone back from the dead, even if demons were behind it. I'm sorry."

He nodded and looked out into the sky for a few moments before speaking. "So, you think demons are real?"

The two women stared opened mouthed at him.

"What?" He held up his hands.

"You don't believe in..." Alana felt her jaw drop. "How could you not believe in demons? Who do you think does Saidow's bidding?"

"Um, actually..." he began.

Rachel got there before he did. "Oh, you don't believe in Saidow either; which means you probably don't believe in Illuminar."

Alana felt like the floor had dropped out from underneath her. How could anyone not believe in Illuminar?

"So, what God do you believe in then?" She finally asked.

"I'm not sure I believe there is a God." He replied.

"Then who created all of this?" Rachel asked, waving her hand at the city around them and remembering her conversation with Hailey a few days ago.

"The big bang theory. Our scientists think it just exploded into being."

"Only scientists could come up with something that stupid." Rachel rolled her eyes. Alana decided not to point out that the scientists had figured out lightning, which no mage ever had.

"Even if it did just 'explode into being'--" Rachel rolled her eyes again. "--who designed the plants and animals? Did they just 'explode into being' too"

"No, they evolved over time." He said, then at the confused look on their faces he added. "They changed little by little, starting from a single celled-organism."

"So, you don't think they were designed?" Alana asked.

He shook his head.

"Ethan, what's more complicated; a clock or a human?" Rachel asked like she was explaining something to a five-year-old.

"Oh, a human; by far."

"Could a clock have been created without a designer?" The flame-haired girl asked.

Ethan opened his mouth to respond, but no sound came out. He closed it and frowned. "It would take too long to explain."

Rachel shook her head and rolled her eyes again. "Scientists." She said the word with such derision that Alana thought she considered them on about the same level as pond scum.

"So I guess that would make angels real as well." Ethan mused. "That would explain the dream I had this morning."

The two women looked at him confused, so he recounted a dream he'd had this morning, involving a bright, luminous woman named Gabriella and her strange instruction.

"So, you're going to fight a deadly enemy, beat them, leave a lightning shaped scar on them, and then you can't let them die?" Alana summarized.

"Yup, that's what she said." He nodded.

"Let me get this straight;" Rachel said in a tone that reminded Alana of being dressed down by her mother. "You actually met an angel -- an actual angel -- in a dream and you're not sure they exist?"

Ethan scratched the back of his neck. "Well, when you put it that way..."

She frowned. "You're not secretly a scientist are you? Because that would explain a lot."

"No, I'm not." He chuckled. "But we've been so much shit I still have trouble believing there's a God -- or at least a good God -- orchestrating it."

"But think about it." Alana countered. "Other than Beth dying -- which you're not sure of -- has it been all bad? I know it's been hard; but we're okay. We're alive and -- I don't know about you -- but I've never been happier in my life, despite our current situation."

"You have a point." He nodded. "I still worry though. Lord Delmar is still hunting us and we have a baby on the way."

Alana hadn't really stopped to think about it much, but he had a point. She'd been too busy enjoying her new marriage and the feeling of new life growing in her womb to consider their situation and the grave peril the baby could be in.

Now that she was thinking about it, she thought she preferred ignorant bliss.

She put her hand over the baby and almost felt sick to her stomach; and it wasn't morning sickness. What if Lord Delmar found them? What would become of their baby? She thought about all the times she'd narrowly avoided death in the past seven weeks. What if she was a hair slower in the future and her baby...

"Hey." Ethan put his arm around her. "It'll be okay. We'll keep the both of you safe, no matter what."

"Promise?"

"I do." He kissed the top of her head. "Now come on; we both need some rest."

"But I need to--"

"You can finish the hammer in the morning. You said yourself you'll have time."

"Okay." She assented. For some reason, she felt better now that he'd told her to rest.

They said good night to Rachel and then he took her hand and gently led her into the captain's cabin. She slipped her dress off, marveling at how comfortable she was being completely naked in front of him. He eyed her body, abject lust pouring over their bond. She loved that; loved how her body affected him. Yet despite his arousal, she could tell other things were weighing on his mind.

She slid into the bed and he soon followed.

He reached his scaled hand out and gently cupped one of her breasts. His scales were smooth and felt amazing as he gently massaged it. He wasn't trying to turn her on though; he was simply enjoying her body.

She liked that.

"Boobies." He said with a dopey grin. "I love boobies."

She smiled.

She still felt unsettled though. With all the danger surrounding them, how could they have ever thought about bringing a baby into the mix? The wonderful high of the day slowly bled into anxiety and worry about the future. She wanted to feel safe; to feel like everything would be okay.

"Ethan." She whispered.

"Yeah?" he said, eyes and hand still on her breast.

"Could you lay on top of me?"

"Yeah, I suppose. But why?"

"I just want to feel safe."

He smiled, and then adjusted so he was on top of her. His weight was comforting and his scent calmed her. She was so much smaller than him that he covered her nearly completely. He covered both of them -- her and the baby -- completely. He would keep them safe.

She liked that.

She felt safe, warm, and cared for with him resting of top of her.

"Better?" he asked.

"Yes. Much better." She sighed. "Please make love to me."

"Your wish is my command." He said with a toothy grin.

* * *

Taloni had heard Prayla describe many times what it was like to be 'horny' -- as she called it. She thought she'd felt it once right after bonding to Ethan. But right now, she knew she was feeling it.

In fact, she felt like her whole body was alight with some strange tingling sensation that begged to be released, but she didn't know how. Prayla would know, but she couldn't get up the courage to ask for some guidance.

She'd never felt anything like this before, which was another side effect of her Fey heritage. From what she understood, Fey women were far less sexual beings until they were bonded. Even after they were, they only felt desire toward their bonded. Now that she was bonded...

She moaned slightly.

God, what was this fire running through her?

Her loins felt moist and every inch of her skin seemed like it was dancing, aching, or screaming for attention. Her breasts -- small though they were -- were screaming the loudest. She had touched her breasts before of course, but she'd never touched her breasts before. Not the way they ached to be touched right now.

She gently cupped one of them.

The sensation was foreign, or at least the pleasure from it was. She gave it a gentle squeeze and suddenly she sighed involuntarily as a pleasant sensation washed over her whole body. She gave it another squeeze and the same thing happened again.

Experimenting, she cupped her other breast and did the same. It was still amazing. Then she did both at the same time; even better. But the fabric was in the way. She slid her hands under her shirt over her bare breasts. Just touching it like this sent similar shudders through her.

She wasn't sure this was healthy, she wasn't sure it was right. Would Illuminar want her to--

She sucked in her breath as a gentle wave of pleasure rolled over her. She shuddered slightly as the pleasure filled her being with soft whispers of love and caressed her body with desire. Every part of her ached, yearned to have this burning passion stoked to its climax, though she had no idea what that would be like.

The fire in her body seemed collect from everywhere and concentrate in her loins.

She reached down, and touched the top of her nether lips. It felt good, but not amazing. She touch lower and it felt better. It didn't take long for her to find a spot that felt incredible just to touch. She pressed a single finger to it and could feel her entire body jump for joy. She rolled her finger slightly and the movement felt even better. She added another finger and started gently rubbing.

She had to bite her lip to keep from moaning loudly.

She glanced around the small shack. There was no one else here and she wasn't likely to be disturbed because everyone else was at dinner. Pulling her blankets up to hide herself in case someone walked in, she started to rub herself.

It was wonderful.

It was incredible.

She couldn't believe that her body was even capable of feeling this way.

For several minutes she rubbed in between her legs as she massaged her breasts. Her pleasure had slowly continued to build, but there didn't seem to be a way to release it. No matter how hard she rubbed and massaged, it seemed like there was a level she just couldn't reach.

In the back of her mind, she had a hunch. A strange, horrible, wonderful, agonizing, tantalizing hunch. She didn't think she would be able to reach that next level without her bonded; Ethan. She needed him, desperately needed him to get there, but he wasn't around.

He couldn't help her right now so she rubbed on in futility.

Then someone opened the door.

Taloni whipped her hands away from her loins before they saw her, lamenting the loss of sensation as several of the young ladies of the camp came in chattering away about some bit of gossip. The fire in her loins still hadn't burned itself out, but there was no way she dared to continue her rubbing with someone else around.

Resigned to not having the room to herself anymore, she rolled over and tried to sleep. It wasn't easy with the persistent itch in her loins that refused to go away. It tortured her and tantalized her with the ghosts of sensations she could feel... just not now.

Over an hour later she finally drifted off to sleep.

Her dreams were filled with images of Ethan and a large bed.

* * *

Ethan woke to a beautiful wood elf snuggled against him and 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 incredible beautiful hazel eyes. Then she blinked several times and yawned. She had a slight case of morning breath and he wrinkled his nose.

"Your one to tal... tal..." 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 "bead head" 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 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 place 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 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, Elvin 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 four pounds, but with the weight reduction spell Alana had squeezed in there, it was lighter than with the previous head. It still hit like a freight train though, because only its weight was affected; not its mass or momentum.

*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?" Ethan 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 an ebony-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 the one of 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 announcement was clearly meant for him.

He couldn't run away, outfight them, or even fly away. Kendra had won.

Game.

Set.

Match.

She had played him like 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 replied 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 litter tighter. They were his only friends in 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.

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

Ethan waited, his head on a swivel as he tried to keep everyone in sight at the same time. Now that they were closer, he could tell not all of them were eager to end his life. There were a half dozen older fellows along one side of the circle who didn't look murderous at all.

The scrape of a boot on dry ground alerted him and he whipped around.

One of the thugs had darted forward ready to impale him with a thrust. Ethan brought his spear around, knocking the sword out of the way with the back end. He continued its momentum, and brought the blade down on the man's shoulder. He was aiming for the neck, but...

The man scream in pain at the blade bit deeply into his shoulder, severing his collarbone and cutting deep into his chest. Ethan wasted no time in pulling the spear back to a ready position.

No one else moved.

The man lay bleeding out and moaning in pain. After a few moments, the pool of blood got larger, the moans quieter, and then the man stopped moving completely.

Ethan decided to seize advantage of the moment and let loose a low growl. As one, the entire circle took an involuntary step backwards.

"Now!" someone behind him quietly hissed.

Ethan whirled around, to see the half dozen older fellows had attacked the other men in the circle.

"Attack!" Kendra yelled.

As one, the circle pressed in toward Ethan. He did the only thing he could think of. Using his powerful legs and a single flap of his wings, he sailed over the older fellows and out of the kill circle.

The older fellows all backed up toward him, showing him their backs and leaving themselves completely open to attack, even though they'd doubtless seen him jump over them. They fanned out, forming a protective semi-circle around him as the rest of the thugs fanned out again.

One larger half-circle of thugs surrounded the smaller half-circle protecting Ethan.

"Hailey told me what you did for her." One of the older fellows said. He looked to be at least fifty with wispy white hair, a large bald spot, and raggedy clothes. "I'd rather die helping a good man-- err, dragon and give Magistrate Haglath the finger than help that asshole."

There was a general murmur of assent among the other older men.

"Amazing!" The announcer's voice boomed over the stadium. "Several clearly senile degenerates have chosen to help our craven dragon escape Illuminar's justice. I wouldn't want to be them when the dragon suffers defeat."

"Thank you." Ethan said to the elderly men, then looked around to take stock.

He'd taken care of two thugs, and the older fellows had managed to kill three or four in their surprise attack. That left eighteen thugs plus Kendra; versus him and his half dozen allies. The odds were now nearly 3-to-1, instead of 30-to-1. Much better, but still not great.

Then Ethan had an idea.

He whipped his spear as hard and fast as he could at a thug whose attention had wavered. The man went down as the spear buried itself in his heart, and Ethan called it back to his hand.

Seventeen left.

Ethan whipped the spear out again, this time only clipping a thug's shoulder as he tried to dodge. He reversed the spear's direction mid-air and called it back to his hand, only to throw it again as fast as he possibly could. It hit another thug squarely, and he went down.

Sixteen left.

"Attack you fools, or you'll be cut down where you stand!" Kendra yelled.

As one, the remaining thugs charged forward.

Ethan called his spear back to his hand and darted forward, placing himself at the head of the defensive line. He had three men on each side protecting his flanks as the thugs charged.

The two thugs right in front of Ethan clearly didn't know how to use their swords. They left huge holes in their defense as they cocked their blades for an attack. Ethan took full advantage, slicing the one's sword arm -- and the brachial artery it contained -- before impaling the other through the chest.

With a massive yank, he pulled his spear out of the thug's chest and spared a moment to look around. Half the older men had been cut down, but they had sold their lives dearly. Four more thugs lay on the ground, plus the two he had just dispatched.

Ten left.

Another thug appeared in front of Ethan, this one wielding a long sword and a large round shield. Ethan faked a high thrust to the face so the thug raised his shield to block, then thrust low at his legs. The thug blocked his spear with his own sword as if expecting it, then riposted. Ethan jumped back. If he'd been a hair slower he would've lost his left arm.

In hindsight, that jump backwards probably saved his life.

"Run!" the last remaining older man shouted just before he was cut down. As the older man fell, Ethan saw an unmistakable smile on his face. He looked world-weary and in a lot of pain, but despite that there was gratitude and genuine peace on his face as he fell to the ground.

He almost looked happy to die, or perhaps to have died the way he did.

Ethan leapt into the air and spread his wings, using them to glide about fifty yards away. Turning around, his eyes fell on Kendra. She wore an amused expression, almost like a parent who was observing a child at play. She hadn't raised a blade the entire time, her sword never leaving its scabbard. She seemed content to watch and direct from the rear as the remaining thugs ran forward.

The older men had killed two more before dying.

Eight left.

From the looks of them, they were all good with their weapons too. He grimaced. While Heinrich and Serif combined had spent a month training him, he knew he wasn't that good. He needed a lot more practice before he'd be capable of taking out this many men at once.

They started cautiously walking toward him.

His mind drifted to Alana and the baby growing in her womb. His resolve had never been stronger, but his hopes rarely weaker. He didn't see how he could beat them. One or two, sure. Three or four, maybe. But not eight. And certainly not a trained dragon slayer.

*Alana, I think I'm in trouble. I'm just not fast enough or good enough to beat them.*

*Then get faster.* Her voice and their bond was dripping with worry. *You're a dragon, you can enchant yourself to make yourself faster.*

*Yeah, but to make my whole body faster...* he thought about the one time he had successfully enchanted something, right before jumping out a window to leave Alana and Elder Goman behind. The knowledge had been there all along, but the amount of mana it had taken was significant, especially when he hardened the fortress in his mind...

His mind...

What if he didn't need to make his whole body faster? What if just making his brain and reflexes faster was enough?

*You have to try something.* She pleaded.

*I'll try to increase my reflexes. If I can react faster then maybe...* He trailed off thinking.

*Then do it, and forget everything I've ever tried to teach you about enchanting. For some reason it doesn't work for you. You're a dragon; go with your instincts.*

Ethan was at one end of The Arena, with the thugs closing in on him. He leapt into the air and flew to the other side of The Arena to get some space. The thugs turned and began walking toward him again. He assumed they only walked so they didn't tire themselves out.

Lucky bastards.

He closed his eyes and focused on what he wanted. He wanted his reflexes to be faster; to see attacks the moment they began instead of partway through. Like before, he felt an instinctive pull in his mind. Something deep inside of him welled up, rising the challenge of performing magic.

He grabbed about half his mana and pushed it into his head. It went slowly, but surely. He imagined the part of his brain that controlled reflexes, and imagined the mana pouring into every cell. He imagined it suffusing and utterly enveloping every single one of those cells. Unlike the leather he'd worked so hard to enchant, his own body took the mana readily, soaking it up like a sponge.

It wasn't like practicing with Alana had been.

This was easy; instinctive, intuitive.

He could do this.

He continued to pour mana into his brain, pushing more and more mana deeper and deeper into the area that control reflexes and reaction time. His cells drank it up greedily, happily. Finally, the mana he'd grabbed was depleted and his cells still weren't full. Brimming with mana yes, but not full.

Then Ethan applied his will.

He thought about Alana and their child, and what would happen to them if he died. He used that as motivation to forge his will into iron. He pressed on the cells, forcing the mana inside them to rearrange and conform to his will.

They fought him.

They fought him hard.

Some part of his dragon nature seemed to hate being pushed around this way, even by himself. It fought to keep control, to keep his dragon brain the way it was. The battle was being waged between his desire to keep Alana and his child safe versus the primal force and rage of a dragon.

The dragon never stood a chance.

In the end, his cells obeyed. They obeyed reluctantly, but they obeyed. The enchantment began to form, and then slowly solidified. Moments later, he felt it harden and become solid.

It was done.

Or at least, he hoped it was done...

And not a moment too soon either. The thugs had almost reached him and were fanning out to surround him. As usual, Kendra was behind them and looking utterly smug and self-satisfied. There was a cold fury behind her eyes wrapped in confidence and disdain. Perhaps for the first time since Ethan had become a dragon, he truly felt like he was the prey.

"Any last words?" Kendra asked.

"I thought I'd give you all one last chance to surrender." He retorted.

"Any takers?" she asked.

None of the thugs moved, and several of them spat on the ground. They gripped their weapons tighter and scowled at him.

Summoning his best 'Back to the Future 2' impression, he said, "Look fellas, we can do this the easy way or the hard way."

One of the men leapt at him.

That wasn't surprising, but the way Ethan saw it was. It was like the world slowed just slightly. Not much, but enough. Mere seconds before, he might've been too slow to parry and counterattack.

But not this time.

Ethan spun his spear around, using the buttspike to knock the thug's blade out of the way. He continued the motion, and brought the spear down sharply. The man was just a hair too slow to parry, and the sharp edge of the spear glanced off his head and came crashing down on the collarbone of his sword arm.

The thug screamed in pain, which was short lived because Ethan jerked back on the spear and then thrust forward into the man's neck. He jerked the spear back into a ready position as the thug's face was drained of color and he fell onto the ground motionless.

Seven left.

*Behind you!* Alana shouted over their bond.

He tipped his head to the side fractionally to see someone else incoming fast and silently behind him. Without her warning, he would've been a dead man. He pivoted on his front foot and brought his spear up in a full body block, which intercepted the man's sword in the nick of time.

The man himself looked stunned.

He clearly hadn't been expecting Ethan to react at all, and had over-committed to his swing. He was just slightly off balance, which -- thanks to his training -- was all Ethan needed. He spun his spear like a bowstaff and clocked the thug on the head with the butt end. The thug went down, and Ethan finished him with a butt-spike thrust to his heart.

Six left.

The half dozen remaining thugs suddenly looked trepidacious and shocked. Even Kendra had a look of mild surprise. Ethan brandished his spear and growled low in his throat.

The thugs took a collective step back.

Ethan looked around The Arena for his war hammer and spotted it right where he'd dropped it. He took a few steps to the right, which put one of the remaining thugs directly between the hammer and himself. He called it to his hand with all his might. The Warhammer swiftly and silently rocketed towards him.

It hit the unaware thug from behind, knocking him forward and off-balance. More importantly, it put his weapons out of defensive position. Ethan took advantage, and a fresh coating of blood adorned his spearhead moments later.

Five left.

The supremely confident thugs of a few minutes ago were replaced with a bunch of nervous bullies who realized they were in over their head.

"Who's next?" Ethan growled.

They looked scared and nervous, all except the one with the large round shield and a long sword. He had a gold ring through his ear and wore a sneer.

"I'll take him." He said stepping forward, and then said something in a language Ethan didn't recognize. The other thugs nodded and seemed to take encouragement from it, though they all took several steps back.

The thug with the gold ring in his ear crouched low and brought his shield up. With him crouching and the size of the shield, he was almost completely protected.

Ethan called his hammer to his hand, then made a fake thrust at the man's face to get him to raise his shield. It worked, and Ethan tossed his hammer as far over the thug's head as he could, calling it back to his hand just before it hit the ground. However, the shielded thug had stepped to the side almost as soon as he'd throw it.

His hammer missed on the return.

"Stupid dragon, you can't use the same trick repeatedly without us wising up."

Ethan was sorely tempted to use the enchantment on his hammer right then, if only to knock the smug smile off the thug's face. But he resisted. He needed to save that trick for Kendra.

The shielded thug attacked, using his large shield to keep Ethan's spear from hitting him directly. He managed to keep his spear between the thug's blade and his body, but it was a close thing for several seconds.

*Behind you!* Alana warned again.

Trusting her completely, Ethan reacted completely on instinct. The moment he did, the dragon's primal cunning flooded through his mind.

* * *

The dragon leapt in a high arc backwards away from the thug with the round shield, hitting at least ten feet at the apex of his leap. As it leapt, it twisted in mid-air until it was facing down toward another shocked thug, who craned his neck and leaned backwards slightly to follow the dragon's trajectory.

The dragon took advantage of the thug's poor footing by flipping the spear around and driving the butt spike downwards. The thug tried to parry, but since the dragon was above him, he was completely out of place. There was a slight crunch of steel piercing bone, and the thug dropped like a ton of bricks.

Four left.

The dragon landed, pulling the spear out of the thug's skull as it did so.

*Ethan, stay with me here.*

The dragon shook its head, ignoring the annoying elf in its mind. She was so delusional. She thought she was its equal, but the dragon knew better. No one was his equal, for what mortal could possibly equal a dragon?

He had toyed with these pathetic vermin long enough. He opened his mouth and let loose a terrifying roar. The earsplitting sound washed over the thugs and The Arena audience like liquid nitrogen; freezing everything in its place.

The dragon smiled and threw its spear at one thug, before calling its hammer to its hand and throwing at another. Still near paralyzed by the dragon's roar, they both reacted too slowly to defend themselves, and they fell to earth.

Two left.

The dragon felt a rush of satisfaction. Those insects had finally learned what a real dragon could do. They understood their place; or would if they still lived. They were prey, not his equals. They were rodents; insects to be toyed with... and he was getting tired of the game.

Leaving the hammer where it lay, called its spear back to its hand and went on the offensive. It ignored the thug with the large round shield and darted toward the other one. He took a flying leap forward, using his momentum and leverage on the spear to augment a powerful swing.

The thug panicked and foolishly tried to block instead of dodge or deflect. The dragon was delighted to see the fool's meager strength was nowhere near enough to block the blow. The edge of the spear hit the man's arm, opening a massive gash. But the finishing blow was the thrust that immediately followed it.

One left.

The dragon turned to face the thug with the large shield. His face was white and he trembled slightly, but he looked resolved.

Idiot.

What mere mortal could hope to survive a dragon?

The dragon considered what to do after he had dispatched this last thug. It had half a mind to tear that bitch Kendra's clothes off and take her right here in The Arena floor. It would serve her right to be fully exposed and bred in front of this crowd for daring to think she was his equal.

The dragon could think of no better -- or more fitting -- torment for her than to force this pathetic little girl -- who clearly hated dragons -- to birth one into this world; to make her give life to the majestic creatures she so clearly despised.

Oh yes, the dragon thought; she would pay.

*ETHAN!*

* * *

Ethan shook his head, Alana's voice jolting him back to his senses as his actions in the last minute caught up to him.

"What the fuck?!" he said as he remembered the thoughts which had just been running through his head replayed in slow motion. That was NOT something he wanted to do to Kendra at all.

Ever.

*Better?* Alana asked.

*Thanks, I was... thanks.*

*There's only one left plus Kendra. You can do this Ethan, and you don't need your dragon side to do it either.*

Ethan grimaced, but didn't reply. Truth was, he might be dead now if it wasn't for his draconic impulses. The dragon had cut through those men like a hot knife through butter.

He wasn't sure he could have.

He turned his attention to the last remaining thug. The man with the large round shield was cautiously advancing. His shield covered nearly his entire body and he looked determined. Ethan called his hammer back to his hand and strode forward to meet him.

He spared a glance at Kendra as they closed distance. The dragon hunter hadn't moved much since the battle began. She seemed content to watch. She made no move to attack or to defend the last remaining thug. Instead, she sat down on The Arena floor and leaned back to rest on her arms, watching and waiting.

Ethan turned his attention to the thug, who was only a few yards away by now.

"Last chance." Ethan said. "Give up now."

The shielded thug spat. "Fuck you."

Ethan dropped his hammer to get a two-handed grip on his spear, and prepared to fight.

He didn't wait long.

The thug rushed forward, using his shield to defend while his sword rained down blows on Ethan's spear shaft. Thank God Alana had enchanted it to be cut resistant; the thug's blade barely nicked it. Plus, He could see his attacks much better now with his improved reflexes.

The thug was good.

Very good.

Twice in twenty seconds, the only thing that saved Ethan was his recently enhanced reflexes. He didn't even have an opening to counter attack. His slightly improved reflexes only made a small difference, but that small difference somehow made a huge difference.

"Drop 'em now and I'll make your death quick." The thug gloated after Ethan had leapt back almost ten feet to get some space.

He panted as he finally got some breathing room. *I'm open to suggestions.*

*Never come anywhere near Arcanum ever again,* Alana replied.

*Don't worry, they'll see nothing but taillights after this.*

*What are taillights?*

*They're... nevermind.* Ethan tuned his attention to the man in front of him. He was wise to Ethan's hammer-return trick, and had assiduously avoided putting himself between the dragon and his hammer. He desperately wished his spear had some kind of small hook on the end he could use to hook the shield out of the way. Sadly, it didn't.

The thug attacked.

Ethan found himself on the defensive almost instantly. The thug used the combination of his sword and shield masterfully. He defended like a tank with the one, and attacked like a viper with the other. Ethan was forced to constantly give ground, often the only thing that saved him was the newly improved reflexes.

Then finally, he was too slow.

The thug used his shield to conceal a thrust. He saw it coming too late to block, and was forced to dive backwards to avoid it.

But he wasn't fast enough.

A sharp pain erupted in his side moments before he hit the ground, the thug's sword having opened a long shallow cut. His fall trapped his spear under him. The thug charged forward with his sword raised. The war hammer was too far away to call. Ethan started rolling, hoping beyond hope he would move quickly enough.

He didn't.

There was a brief, infinitesimally small moment where Ethan was 100% sure he was going to die. He couldn't block, parry, or dodge. The thug was in range and he was about to die. He had one thought in that instant; he pleaded with God -- he wasn't even sure God existed -- but he pleaded with Him not to leave his wife without her husband and his unborn daughter without her father. He couldn't bear the thought of hurting them that way.

Then the thug tripped.

His foot caught on a small bit of wood that was buried in the sand, with only an inch exposed. He lost his balance and his sword veered slightly off course, missing Ethan by barely an inch.

Ethan finished his roll, leapt as far away as possible, and called his spear back to his hand. He was panting, and his entire body was coursing with more adrenaline than he'd ever felt. His side ached, but the wound wasn't very serious so he ignored it. His fingers shook slightly as he resolutely stared at his opponent.

The thug reached down and yanked the bit of wood out of the sand. It was maybe a foot long and looked like it had come from a spear shaft. The thug tossed it aside and glared at him.

*Ethan, Rachel suggested using your wing's claws to hook his shield, just like you did with former champion,* Alana said. The fear surging over their bond was so great he closed the door to his mental fortress so didn't feel her emotions, but could still hear her.

*Will do, this guy is good.*

A plan now in mind, Ethan advanced on the thug. They traded blows for several moments, then Ethan lunged high to make him move his shield. With the thug's view partially blocked, Ethan reached out with his right wing. He used the bat-like claw to hook the bottom of the shield, tipping it up as he drew his spear back for a thrust to the legs.

The thug was caught completely off guard.

Ethan thrust his spear forward and deep into the man's thigh, just as the thug swung a counter attack. Even with his enhanced reflexes, he wasn't fast enough to completely dodge it.

A jet of white-hot pain shot through his left arm, thankfully missing bone and major arteries, but cutting deeply into his bicep. His left arm dropped limply to his side, blood flowing freely as his spear fell from his hands. He started healing it immediately, but it would take time.

Ethan and the thug looked at each other for a moment. The thug's leg wound was bleeding so profusely, he thought the man's femoral artery must be severed. Moments later, the thug's face drained of color, his eyes rolled back into his head, and he fell to the ground unmoving.

Zero left.

Moments later, Ethan felt something wrap around his torso. It was some kind of thin rope that wrapped completely around his chest several times. Then -- as if by magic, the two weights at the ends attracted each other and held fast. He couldn't move his arms because his upper arms were now pinned to his chest. His wings were now likewise pinned.

Kendra.

He whirled around to see the ebony haired dragon huntress sauntering toward him, a short sword in her hands. Once again, she had completely outmaneuvered him.

"Silly dragon." She chuckled wickedly. "Never take your eyes of the most dangerous foe. Those bolo are enchanted so nothing but my death or yours will release them. If you give up now, I'll make your death slightly less painful."

He growled at her. She pulled a necklace out from her under her shirt. It was made of teeth that looked very familiar.

"I once worked with someone who had this quote he said every time we killed a dragon... until one of your kind murdered him. He said it so often, I accidentally memorized it."

"I certainly didn't kill your friend."

Kendra ignored him. "As my friend said: You read the Book of Light, dragon?"

"No."

She continued quoting. "Well, there's this passage I got memorized. It sort of fits this occasion: Ezekiel 25:17. The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the Iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men."

Despite the pain and the danger, that phrasing jogged something in his brain. It took him a moment to place it. It was from the movie Pulp Fiction. Samuel L. Jackson's character quotes it to a guy they're interrogating right before he kills him.

How did Kendra's friend know...?

She smiled gleefully as she continued. "Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children."

She flourished her sword. "And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger, those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers!"

She raised it, clearly preparing to charge. "And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee!"

She charged.

Ethan took stock.

His left arms was near useless and both his arms and his wings were firmly strapped to his chest by the bolo, though he could still use the lower half of his right arm. He was exhausted; she was rested. He couldn't use his spear properly because that required both hands. Plus, his one trick with the hammer would be far more difficult to pull off now.

"Oh fuck!"

TO BE CONTINUED...

***Thank you all so much for the feedback. I can't tell you how much it means to me and it goes a long way toward keeping me writing. :) Several people have asked about Patreon; I don't have a creator account and don't intend to make one. I wrote for money once and it sucked the joy out of it. I write for fun and for the love of the craft. Fear not, I have many more chapters coming. Check my author page for updates...***