Page 13 of Galadon (Dragon’s Breath #8)

Galadon

Nothing annoyed me more than being amongst a large crowd of dragons, many of which stared my way with a mixture of fear and awe in their gazes. I’d been forced to participate in the Dragomas games a few months ago and made it abundantly clear I could best the lot of them at any competition. The few who had their doubts didn’t any longer.

Now, we stood in a large open field that could accommodate the nearly two thousand members of the toriq who’d chosen to attend. Only the border guards and those with very young hatchlings stayed in their dens. Dragons from four years old to nearly a thousand gathered, with only an opening at the center reserved for the elders. About two-thirds were in beast form because they couldn’t shift, but the rest chose to stand as humans.

Only a dozen names would be called, and I’d already heard half of them. Most of those were members I didn’t find suitable, though no one asked me. Three were pure dragons that made excellent warriors, but they wouldn’t deal fairly with humans. The fourth couldn’t shift either, but he was too peaceable and didn’t have the necessary confidence of a leader.

I hated the fifth—a shifter—because he was cruel, underhanded, and among the few who’d insulted me behind my back. He was also good at keeping his brothers close to him, so I hadn’t had the chance to fight him one-on-one. The three of them together were a formidable team.

With the sixth, Felienne couldn’t take human form, and most members of the toriq liked her, but she lacked any battle skills and didn’t even participate in the war. All of them were chosen because they came from respected families. They just weren’t a good fit. While I didn’t come from one of the long-respected Faegud lineages, my fighting skills, powers, and having a healer for a mother made me a good candidate, whether I liked it or not.

“Lorcan!” the elder male called next.

Hildegard’s son nodded at him, acknowledging the nomination. He was the first they’d named that I felt deserved the job and would do well at it. Of course, his mother’s guidance and becoming a father had helped since he wasn’t always the responsible type.

The shifter looked at his list again. “Telarion!”

“For Zorya’s sake,” Lorcan cursed under his breath.

I ground my teeth. Of all the candidates, Telarion was the worst. He had a terrible attitude, behaved like a bully, and thought highly of himself. His confidence and fighting skills in human and beast form, along with a fierce father who died trying to protect the last pendragon, were his only merits. The toriq would be miserable under his leadership, though.

“You can defeat him,” I said without looking at him.

Lorcan sighed. “In a fair fight, it would be close, but he is devious and known for using underhanded tactics.”

I’d only seen the male in passing, and we’d fought near each other on the battlefield, so I agreed he would be fierce. It was one of the reasons Telarion hadn’t died in the war, even when the odds were against them near the end.

“Nayeli,” the elder called.

I searched the crowd until I spotted the shifter. She was among the few females in the Faegud who had extensive warrior training and fought valiantly in the war. I didn’t know her well, but I couldn’t think of any faults against her. As I recalled, Hildegard had groomed her to be strong and confident.

Lorcan leaned a fraction closer to me. “It shouldn’t be a problem for me to defeat her, but I wouldn’t be upset if she won. She’d be good for our toriq.”

At least that made two candidates worthy of the nomination.

“Galadon!” the elder shouted.

A hush fell over the crowd as everyone turned to look at me. I stiffened, but now was not the time to argue about it. That would only delay the naming ceremony. I dipped my head in acknowledgment, and the elder returned his gaze to the list.

Two more names were called. One was a pure dragon female who’d been a close friend of Hildegard’s and tough as any I’d met. The other was a shifter male who’d shown strong leadership skills during the war, holding his section of the line against overwhelming odds. It was going to be an interesting contest.

The shifter elder scanned the crowd and then cracked a smile. “That is all the candidates for the bitkal. They have two weeks to prepare themselves, and then we shall hold the contest to see who is strongest. Anyone who wishes to forfeit their nomination should let me know now, but otherwise, it’s time for the feast!”

I stood still, waiting for the worst of the crowd to disperse. Dragons and humans rambled past me on their way to the other end of the field, where servants roasted meat over open fires, and rows of tables were already laden with prepared foods. They’d be quickly distracted by a rare large meal. Through the winter, they’d had to ration meat at the jakhal because so many animals were slaughtered for the massive army that stayed and fought in their territory. The population would require a few years to renew its numbers, and they needed to give them that time. I’d volunteered some of my livestock for the cause as well, but I still had healthy numbers.

Lorcan remained beside me as Faegud split past us. “Are we going to eat?”

“I need to decline my nomination,” I said, gazing at the elder who remained on the field.

He gave me a sharp look. “Don’t. Not today.”

“Why?” I growled. “I have no interest in leading.”

“Perhaps, but if you fight at least two rounds, it would elevate your status and allow me to appoint you to a key position if I won,” he argued.

I lifted my brows. “You think I want that?”

“What do you think will happen if one of the others wins? They might not keep my mother’s deal with you and cut you from the toriq or cause trouble for you. At least two of the names called are known to cheat, but it would be much harder to do against you with your battle skills,” he argued.

Cheaters infuriated me more than anything, and I let out a low growl at the thought.

He smiled and cocked his head. “I could put you in charge of the southern border guard and let you choose who you want for it, as well as which routes they are assigned. It hasn’t escaped me how you don’t like anyone getting close to a certain stretch of your lands, but what if you had more control so you didn’t have to worry during times you’re away?”

I mulled that over and agreed he had a valid point. It was exhausting trying to protect my territory alone, and I’d done it for far too long. There were a few members of the Faegud who’d earned a certain level of respect and had the potential to earn my trust—difficult as it was to give. With my mother on my land now, I needed more help to keep her safe.

“Very well,” I said, working my jaw. “I will fight two duels to narrow the candidates, but I will forfeit after that.”

Lorcan’s shoulders eased. “Thank you. That is all I ask.”

“Then let’s go eat.” I spun on my heels. “I’m hungry.”

My stride was swift as I caught up to the crowd descending on the feast. I barreled my way through dragons and humans, with most dodging out of my path. Lorcan stayed close behind me to take advantage of the opening. I didn’t hesitate to use the power of fear that exuded from me to reach a table, grab a large empty trencher, and begin filling it with my favorite foods.

It was hard to say why I wanted to stay and eat. One side of me needed to rush back to my land, but the other part wished to stay away for longer. Perhaps I was annoyed at fate for forcing me to defend some foreign artifact that had nothing to do with me and ruined the life I could have had without it. The damn thing could wait a while, as far as I was concerned.

Already, the sun rode low in the sky. My mother had encouraged me to take my time returning and swore she’d be fine. I would take her at her word since there were four strong shifters to help keep watch.

After filling our trenchers to overflowing, Lorcan and I wandered to a stone bench and took seats. Neither of us said anything as we enjoyed succulent ribs, turkey legs, corn on the cob, and some strange potato and egg mixture served cold that the humans loved to prepare at every feast. I’d found I liked it well enough to eat occasionally.

Lorcan lifted his face to catch the rays of the dying sun. “It’s the beginning of May now. I’m glad the nights aren’t as cold anymore, and I can go without a jacket.”

He was making small talk, which amused me. The shifter usually didn’t bother.

“The nights began warming weeks ago in my land, but I’m farther south,” I replied, deciding to play this game. My mother was helping me get better at saying more than was necessary.

“Ah, yes. Your land is closer to the Gulf of Dragons, which I’ve heard helps.” He set his empty trencher on the bench next to him. “The humans have studied these things far better than us.”

I finished chewing my last bite of food, enjoying the satisfaction of an overfull stomach. “I’d say I like it better warmer, but the heat and humidity will become irritating in a couple of months. That has been one of the downsides of returning to Earth. Kederrawien stayed close to the same temperatures all the time without all the moist air.”

“True, but it was also quite boring, and food resources were scarce. It’s a wonder we survived as long as we did before coming back,” Lorcan said, shaking his head.

“Our kind may have survived, but dragons as a race are smaller and weaker than we were before. That place nearly ruined us. I recall from my youth that the elder dragons were far larger and lived longer before, but the lack of sustenance killed them off the fastest, and the lack of resources resulted in the rest of us failing to grow to our full potential.”

We needn’t discuss that I’d fared better than most due to that artifact apparently enriching my land. As for the rest of my kind, I wondered if it would be a permanent change for them or if the hatchlings born on Earth would grow to larger sizes with proper nutrition. Since it hadn’t been quite seven years, it was too early to tell.

Lorcan patted my back. “You’re not so bad once you relax and stop scowling so much. How about we go to that human tavern? When I saw you last, you mentioned that you wanted to have drinks after the ceremony.”

I had said that, which was strange for me, but it still sounded appealing. “It would be good to see the place you speak of so often for myself.”

Would I catch any lingering scent of Rayna? I was likely a fool for even thinking it.

We handed our empty trenchers to a passing servant and headed toward the inner jakhal, following a stone pathway. Lorcan led me to a two-story structure constructed with a mixture of stone and wood that had a sloped roof. Only one window was on the bottom floor on the side we passed, but the upper floor had several visible.

We entered the dim tavern where oil lamps provided most of the light, especially as darkness fell upon the Earth. There were only a few people inside since most humans, shifters, and dragons remained at the feast. A bar stood at the back with only one patron sitting at it. Everyone else had taken one of the dozen small round tables that dotted the room—all the furniture rendered fireproof so it would be safe from burning.

I pointed at a place in the far corner, preferring a little privacy since I suspected it would get crowded later. “Let’s take that one.”

He nodded, and we headed that way.

After we took our seats, a female with dark brown hair pulled into a high ponytail came to take our order. She nervously smiled at me. “What will you be having?”

“Let’s start with mead,” Lorcan suggested.

I shook my head. If I was going to drink—a thing I rarely did because it weakened my control—then I would do it right. “No, I want alefire.”

The male shifter grinned. “Are you trying to compete with Rayna and see if you can handle more than her?”

“I ain’t never seen a woman drink like she did and still walk straight,” the waitress said with a glint in her eyes. “She spent half that time cursing the entire male gender and may have mentioned a name…Galadon, I think.”

“That would be him,” Lorcan said, pointing at me.

I glared at him.

The waitress looked me up and down, seemingly less daunted than before. “No wonder she was upset. Getting rejected by you would upset any woman, if I’m being blunt.”

Apparently, she wasn’t as scared of me as most others. It happened now and then.

“It’s none of your concern,” I replied, done with their ridiculous conversation. All I wanted to do was drink and forget the slayer, not discuss her at length.

“Fair enough.” The woman took a step back at my expression. “I’ll be back with your drinks in a minute.”

“Must you frighten everyone?” Lorcan asked, sighing. “She was doing fine until you spoke to her in your threatening voice.”

“Avoid speaking of the slayer, and I promise to relax,” I said, giving him a challenging look.

“Very well. That’s a deal.”

The waitress came back with our drinks, and I finished mine in less than a minute, handing it back to her for more. Lightness filled my head. I was going to drink until I forgot my own name and all my problems. It couldn’t hurt to do it this once while my land was protected and I had no other obligations.

We finished two more within an hour before slowing down.

“So, I’ve wanted to ask you for some time,” Lorcan said, swaying a little in his seat. “Is it true that females have visited your territory to try sleeping with the infamous lone shifter?”

I chuckled and took another gulp of my drink, hardly feeling the burn of it going down my throat at this point. “Yes. Over a dozen from your toriq and many others from among the pure dragons have tried, but I turned most of them away.”

“How did you choose?” he asked, lifting a brow.

I gave him a crooked smile. “If I was in a foul mood—which, to be fair, is often—then I usually scared them off with a boisterous roar. Sometimes, they were appealing enough, and I was in the mood, so I granted them entry. One of yours stayed for about a month before I caught her tampering with the herbs I use to prevent conception, so I had to send her away.”

At any other time, it would have shocked me that I was admitting these things to him. I never talked about myself or my past if I could help it. A lot of alefire apparently loosened my tongue. It probably didn’t help that I rarely drank since it affected my ability to protect my territory.

“What?” Lorcan’s eyes rounded, and he leaned forward. “Who was it from our toriq? When was this?”

I leaned forward, vision swaying.

“Felienne. It was about two centuries ago.”

The male shifter laughed. “She’s always sought more power. Years ago, before Aidan and Bailey became full mates, Felienne tried to tempt him, but he wouldn’t have anything to do with her. He was already growing feelings for the slayer by then, I suspect.”

I winced at the word slayer , though he hadn’t brought up the one I forbade.

He caught it and gave me an apologetic look. We drained our mugs again, gesturing for more as we did so. The next would be our fifth, but I doubted even that would be enough to rid myself of thoughts I wished to avoid.

“What about the others? Who else was granted the rare permission to visit your bed?” Lorcan asked, wisely shifting the conversation back to safe ground. For as much alefire as we’d had, he still managed conversation reasonably well.

“Felienne was the only shifter I agreed to bed. The other three were pure dragon females who showed up now and then when the mood struck them. They expected nothing from me except pleasure, which suited me perfectly.”

Lorcan’s eyes rounded. “You mean to tell me you’ve only bedded one female in human form? I mean, I do it as a dragon now and then, but I prefer it in this body.”

He gestured down at himself.

“Yes, only the recent one.”

I’d never even gotten the urge to try it before, but with her, I couldn’t imagine it another way, even if there were a choice. Her body was perfect as it was. Before joining the Taugud, I rarely took human form except when I needed more dexterity for projects on my land or dealt with someone not in dragon form. It had just been safer and more comfortable that way.

I rubbed my face, realizing I was thinking of her again. “Need to get her out of my head.”

“You’re the one who brought her up, so now you have to drink more,” Lorcan said with a gleam in his eyes.

I grunted. “Your choice of topics was going to lead to it.”

“Fair enough. We both drink.”

The room began to spin as I gulped down half my mug. That was better but still not enough to fully dull my thoughts. “It’s just as well. I have no intention of slowing down until I’m certain I’ll regret this night when I wake tomorrow.”

Lorcan laughed. “That’s the best way to forget any difficult female.”

I couldn’t argue there. For the next couple of hours, we managed three more tankards until midnight approached. I only knew because someone mentioned the time while passing by our table. My inner clock had lost its way.

Standing, I swayed on my feet and had to grab the back of my chair. “It’s time for me to find a bed.”

The waitress appeared as if from thin air, but then again, I couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of me at that point. “Come, you two. We have empty rooms upstairs that you can use since I doubt either of you can make it any farther.”

We staggered behind her as she led the way to a back stairwell, just managing not to fall on anyone. Thankfully, there was a rail to grasp while we climbed the steps, but I swore the building must have doubled in height by the time we reached the top. She stopped at the first door to open it and waved Lorcan inside.

“Night…to ya both,” he slurred, before shutting it in our faces.

She led me to the next room. “This one’s yours.”

It was dark inside, but I spotted the direction of the bed before she shut the door behind me. Once I’d locked it, I stumbled until I hit the mattress and fell face-first into it. To my surprise, I caught the faint scent of Rayna. The sheets were clean, but no one had stayed in here since her visit, so hers was the most recent. I was too drunk to be annoyed that it comforted me to sleep on the same bed as her.

Normally, I preferred to sleep in my dragon form, but there was no way I could shift now. Instead, I used my magic to send my clothing and boots to shiggara, unwilling to have anything tight on my skin while I slept.

As my eyes drifted shut, a vision came to me. It was Rayna asleep on a cot in that tower of hers. She looked so peaceful until four people broke through the door. She jumped up and grabbed her sword, but one man splashed a vial of liquid at her face before she could attack.

The slayer slumped to the floor in seconds, unmoving. Her horse kicked one of the humans, which I’d since made out enough details to be certain they were all Kandoran. That person gripped their chest where the hooves had struck and collapsed to the ground. The same person who threw a vial at Rayna tossed another one at the stallion. Onyx made a strange sound before his head sagged, and he swayed on his feet. He was too large to be fully knocked out, but he was weak and compliant now.

It finally occurred to me that this was no nightmare but rather something that would happen very soon. Through my drunken haze, terror gripped me as one man lifted Rayna into his arms and carried her limp form outside, with her loose hair falling in waves beneath her. She appeared so helpless. The vision skipped forward to her somewhere else, lying on the ground with all her limbs chained to sturdy stakes so she couldn’t move. A Kandoran man stood over her with a knife.

I desperately wanted to reach through the vision to help her, but I could only watch. This event hadn’t even happened yet, but it would within the hour if my muddled senses were accurate, long before I could get there—even at top speed.

Also, Rayna had ordered me not to save her again.

She’d been emphatic about it, so I had no doubt she meant it. Unfortunately, I couldn't lift a finger at this point, even if I wanted to ignore that promise. The last tankard of alefire was taking effect, dulling my mind and pulling me into a deep sleep.