Draconess

Lixar is rewarded a room next to the library in the Moon Tower to reside within. I know because… well… I watch him from the outside of the tower… Holden was on a lunch break… so I got away with scaling the outside. I was peeping on my captor’s cousin by edging up to the window, clasping onto strong vines, half way up the tower.

Lixar had been escorted into this guest room, fully furnished and freshly cleaned. He sits on a single bed, his hand upon an old chest they had delivered to him. Personal belongings… I assumed.

I watch him as he contemplates opening it… but after twenty minutes pass, Lix can’t make himself do it. He sighs dramatically and glances up to see me watching him with narrowed eyes.

“…I’ve sensed you spying on me the last half hour,” Lix growls.

“Rey said you eat people,” I mention from outside, holding onto a vine, I lean in further and then jump through the opening. I sit back on the stone ledge and cross my legs under me.

I’m wearing my silver outfit now, transparent… my silver ribbons along the souls of my feet. My usual attire.

“Well,” Lixar tilts his head and goes silent when he sees how visible my tits are. He looks… uncomfortable… and then assesses me up and down.

“How old are you?” I ask.

“How old are you?” he fires back.

“19 winters,” I hope for the trade to work.

“290 winters,” Lixar explains back, “By the look of surprise on your face I assume Zarcar never told you he was 290 winters as well.”

“Impossible –”

“Impos- ?” Lixar scoffs loudly, “A demon Dragon lives inside us, I eat people, Rey’s immortal, Andoll’s a Split Soul… how is it impossible, Chyronex?” Lixar grasps onto a rude attitude I don’t expect to hear.

I thought he had liked me, generally. Now I get the sense that he is growing to hate me too, just like his cousin.

“What does a Venatores do?” I ask.

“We hunt… if Zarcar has not told you any of this by now…” Lix trails off, becoming more enraged at the thought of Zar.

“What happened between you two?” I blurt out.

I was desperate for answers and I was sick of being in the dark. Lix was so free with his speech, so I intended to take advantage of it.

“Zar and me? We were taken hostage by Rey as children, straight from Zarcar’s eldest brother’s protection; Torrent. He has been held at bay since we’ve been taken. Rey, back then… a bastard demon’s son, was nobody… but he was powerful and angry… he harbours a kind of fury I’ve never seen before,” Lixar explains.

“Why are you telling me all this? Zarcar keeps secrets… you… you share knowledge. Freely!” I smile, hoping he smiles back. He doesn’t.

Lixar looks me up and down again, trying not to scoff twice.

“…no wonder,” he eventually murmurs, “You speak like a babe fresh out of the womb. What’s this, what’s that – do you truly know nothing?”

“You are being needlessly rude to me!” I snarl back.

“Did my cousin stick his cock in you?” Lixar asks, raising a brow, “I wouldn’t put it past a young Draconess to get caught up in some Mystifying cock,” when I gasp, Lixar coughs and rasps out, “Don’t blind yourself, kid.”

“You need to bathe and somebody to eat before you talk to me about who I am… you don’t even know me,” I hate him!

Lixar was so damn mean!

At least Zarcar had manners… kind of.

“I’ll train you when I’m back to full strength,” Lixar changes topic, “For now… just don’t get in my way, Slave Queen. And please… don’t go out of your way to talk to me until I’m ready… and prepared… to teach a naïve… strange thing, like you.”

“Don’t belittle me! Now tell me, Zarcar is my Keeper, he is teaching me to bow to Rey… so what are you going to teach me?” I wonder aloud.

“How not to be completely useless for what you are,” Lix smirks when my cheeks blush bright red instantly.

“Have a great day,” I pounce up and jump backwards, instinctively grabbing the vine before I fall.

“We’ll work on your insults too!” Lix calls out as I climb up the building.

“You look like a tooth pick!” I yell back down at him.

He laughs but I could have sworn he whispers mentally back… not for long I won’t be.

That night, while reading in my Library of Green on the bottom level, I hold a book I’ve taken from the actual library level, about healing herbs.

I’m down on the ground level as I’m actually a little eager to welcome Zarcar late at night. And to avoid Lix at all costs.

When Zarcar finally enters the Moon Tower, he is brooding under his black robe and I can see his downturned lips.

“What is wrong, lover?” I call out nonchalantly while reclining on a marble curved bench.

Zarcar approaches me directly, speeding up, he snatches the book out of my hand, checking I’m not reading up on spells. He grumbles under his breath, a growl emanating from his throat as he throws the book back at me and starts pacing up and down.

“Well, fine then,” I snap, “I certainly won’t be your lover tonight.”

“Or for the next two months,” Zarcar snarls out, his back to me as he pauses, thinks and then his black robe swirls as faces me, pushing his hood back, “I have been instructed to scout…” he shuts his mouth, wondering how much he should tell me, “I won’t be back for two whole Moons –”

“What is the matter-?”

“If you leave this tower,” Zarcar starts off, too animated. He shuts his mouth and tries to breathe, almost panting with aggression, “Chyronex… sweetheart… if you leave this tower without my protection – you will be vulnerable to Rey. I cannot foresee what he will request of you while I am gone, unable to teach you.”

“But Lix –”

“Will only teach you to fight,” Zarcar snarls, “Not to obey.”

“How is that terrible?” I throw the book at him and Zarcar grabs it mid-air, throwing it aside violently.

“If you so much as raise your voice at our King,” Zarcar warns me, raising a finger, “How he’d choose to punish you, I cannot influence… stop… nor could I intervene if it came to that.”

“I have no idea what you speak of!” I stand up to face him.

“…and why are you in that attire again…?” Zarcar’s tone drops an octave and then he closes his eyes, shaking off his jealousy, he gets back on track, “You don’t understand, Chyronex. You don’t understand how much your existence is valued. You must be protected. You must live. You must… stay out of danger. Promise me… please… promise me you’ll stay in this tower for two months – and when I return I will beg the King to allow you free roaming rights around Swendula – while supervised.”

“I see the distress it causes you… I will stay, it doesn’t bother me,” I force the words out, knowing once he is gone, I can do whatever I –

“Do not risk it,” Zarcar hones in on my true intentions, “Do not risk…” Zarcar closes his eyes, “…he’s calling me…”

My warlord and captor turns from me, striding away… before turning to me with black eyes that have darkened to an abyss. If that was even possible.

“What is it?” I whisper.

“I have been summoned to leave at midnight, which is now,” Zarcar growls out through gritted teeth, “When I return, if you’re still alive but I find out you ventured out of here foolishly… even one try, sweetheart – I will personally punish you until you see, smell, taste and crave only to obey. I would rather not completely debase you to the levels I can attain if need be… when it’s a lesson that can be avoided. Do not disobey me. Do not.”

I open my mouth but Zarcar turns from me, in the furious state he is in… he strides to the spiral stair case and ascends.

I quietly wait for him to come back down, after fetching my book and petting the pages, saying a little spell to bind some loose pages a little tighter.

I eventually see Zarcar trudge back down the steps, a knapsack full, his black robe tied at the front.

“Any last warnings?” I try to ask it kindly - I know he is still angry - but my question comes out tight and strained.

“…if the King visits you…” Zarcar gulps, “Do everything he says and treat every moment as if it may be your last.”

My captor turns from me and stalks for the exit, as if him leaving quickly will ensure a speedier return.

“Farewell and safe travels,” I murmur it under my breath, while my whole body is bathed in moonlight.

I send out my spell toward him, knowing he’ll feel his spine itch.

Zarcar pauses as it floods over him, but then continues on his way.

My luck spell… he might need it… and the fact he – so stubborn and immovable on his teachings – thought so too? Was truly a little terrifying.