Dragon Guide

Chapter 8: Preparation Part 3

Merlin

I anxiously wait for Anatoly's response; the seconds seem to stretch into minutes. In reality, it took maybe fifteen seconds for him to respond to me but the gravity of the matter had me on edge. I hear the rhythmic tapping of fingers across the keyboard and finally, he responds and says " Merlin, I have three mages and eight warriors on hand, can you make do with that number from the Dragon Council? I will contact the Black Council and have them send more reinforcements too.

By the way, Angus is in your vicinity, I will have him make his way over to help you prepare for the departure. Also, you must know, among the warriors that will be coming is Aurelius. Please get along with each other, you know I would not send him your way if I had another choice but we are stretched thin as is." He waits for a response from me and all I give is a grunt. I really can't manage much more but I understand the weight of the decision he has made.

"You can expect my people to arrive by tomorrow morning before the sunrises. I know you will do just fine. Try not to kill each other at the very least, I have much use for him in the future", then he ended the call. I stood there, stupefied, I hear the cracking of thick plastic and I look down to find that I'd crushed the receiver in my hand. I throw the pieces in the garbage and quickly install a new one. I rub my hands across my forehead and I feel the veins popping up as I tense under the pressure.

I hadn't seen my brother in over twenty years, since he tried to poison me! I killed his wife as revenge since she was the one who set him up for the task. We've nearly killed each other every time we've met since. I can't let him know how I feel about Rivia if not he will try to use her against me. How I feel Rivia... how do I feel about Rivia? Do I love her or was it just the intimacy? We've never really gone all the way before but I sure do enjoy her soft, yielding body against my own firm and strapping physic. I shake my head to get rid of the thought, I best not even dwell on it, I would only put more danger in front of her and that is the last thing that I want.

The line rings and I pick up the receiver. It is the Black Council; they are sending in ten more mages and thirteen warriors to escort us along the way to our destination. I am relieved to hear that Patrick, my good friend of more than four centuries will be assigned to the party. Then worse news follows as I am informed that Karin will be one of the mages to work under Rivia.

She has been a pain, always trying to catch my attention, the b***h even tried to give me an aphrodisiac to sleep with her. I huff and laugh at the audacity, lucky for me Rivia was close and stole me away before she could get her dirty little claws on me. I smile to myself remembering that day, that was the first time she saw me naked and I could still clearly remember the way her pretty little oval face turned so red I thought she would pass out.

We've been drawn to each other ever since, sadly she was not my mate. We both have yet to find our own mate but I pray to the Gods that we never do, I want to keep her to myself until the day she is ready to leave this lifestyle and just grow old with me. I just want to stop using magic and grow old with her and wither away in each other's arms. "Ugh", I groan in frustration.

"Penny for your thought?", asks Gram from the far corner of the room. I scoff and laugh quietly to myself. " It would seem that my brother, Aurelius, is coming here to escort us to the new destination. We might have a lot of close calls on this trip. You will need to keep Rivia and Nova away from him, he might try to kill them if he knows that I care for Nova as a sister, and well Rivia, well you can guess." I rub my hands over my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose.

Rivia

As I fall into a deep meditation, submerged in the pool of blood I feel my body become weightless. When I open my eyes again, I find that I am in the same chamber but the light inside is no longer the soft warm light of the red-orange flames. Instead, the flames burn a light blue-green and the ceiling overhead is no longer there, in its place, there are open skies and I see the blurry shapes of dragons flying high above. Suddenly the sky does black and then slowly the outline of a dragon's spiny tail glide over the opening in the ceiling and the light returns to the chamber. I quickly climb to my feet and when I look down, I see my physical body laid out on the tablet, surrounded by my sleeping whelps. I look around and I see that Nova stands to watch over us carefully guarding us. I smile sweetly at her even though I know she cannot see me.

I turn towards the exit and make my way out of the cavern and into the open field. As I step, barefoot, on the ground I see little paths slithering through the high grass in the field. The whelps are playing with each other, happily as they are free to roar out in the open, no restrictions to keep them at bay. I find that they look a lot more at ease, not as restless as when they are trapped inside. This saddens me, I know they deserve to be free but I just can't let that happen. They will be captured if they are ever found by the wrong beings.

I shake off the feeling and make my way toward them, just as a gust of strong wind crashes down on me and the surrounding area, temporarily flattening the grass. I look up just in time to see the sun become blocked from my vision and a giant dragon taking its place before me. He lands just yards away from me and still the force of the air being pushed forward as he lands knocks me off my feet. The whelps take notice and scurry to my side, lining up protectively in front of me, baring fangs in a warning manner.