Claws and Kisses

“Welcome to our tribe,” Bakari opened his arms wide, bowing his neck slightly to our guest. The bulk of the tribe stood at the edge of the forest that seperated the trees from the small huts that made up their home, staring unabashedly in shock at the messenger. Mama Baya stood proudly at Bakari’s side, never once wavering under the scrutiny of the messenger’s gaze.

It had been something of a surprise to everyone when we found out that the messenger sent was a dragon. Messengers were one of the most important people in our society and were highly respected for their job. They travelled between each village to deliver news to the others, collecting information along the way.

But for a dragon to do such? It was unheard of.

Not only was the messenger a dragon, but she was a female. Almost all of the messengers were male and strong. But from the looks of it, this female is soft, feminine, and very good looking. What reason would she have to deliver the messages of mortals?

“Thank you for your . . . kind welcome.” She replied after a moment’s hesitation. One pale, slender finger curled a lock of blonde hair, twisting it. “I suppose we have much to discuss.”

Bakari folded his wrinkled arms over his chest, bowing again. “If I may show you the way, the Common House is just down this path - “

A twinkling laugh escaped her lips. The words died on Baba’s tongue as he stared confused at the messenger dragon. She only smiled, displaying rows of dangerously sharp teeth. “There will be no need. I only came to retrieve something of mine. I’ll be out of your hair in no time.”

Baba frowned. “But . . . you bring news, no?”

“Well, I’m sure the real messenger did but I ate him a while back on the path. If you have any questions, I’m afraid you will have to wait for the next poor boy to come.”

A silence descended on the group. Rhett bristled next to me, stepping protectively in front of one of the children who clutched at his leg in terror. The female dragon scanned her cunning eyes over the assembly, and didn’t stop until her eyes rested on my brother. Her gaze was intense and heated as she looked upon him.

“In fact,” She stepped forward, her eyes never wavering from my brother. Rhett could only tense as she drew closer. “I think I have two things to retrieve from this filthy village of yours.”

My eyes darted between the dragon and my brother. There was no mistaking the lust that clouded her eyes like the dense covering of fog. While her steps were unhurried and relaxed, there was a power in the way she moved. An unspoken might that warned anyone who dared to get closer of the horrors she could wield.

It didn’t matter. I stepped forward, prepared to defend Rhett and the others. The only thing that stopped me was Rhett’s hand on my arm, stopping my descent forward. When I looked toward him in irritation - and fear - he only shook his head in a silent message. Don’t.

Mama Baya was the one to speak next, halting the dragon’s movements in turn. “What do you want with us?” Her worried eyes flew to Rhett. “What do you want with my boy?”

The dragon tilted her head, piercing Mama Baya’s eyes with her own. “My Dragon Lord grows anxious over the Hordes to the east. They have declared their hostility towards us. In a negotiation with the Eastern Horde, my Dragon Lord has promised them women and slaves in order to prevent war. I and several other dragons have been sent to collect such persons.” Her gaze glided over the tribe once more. “Willing or unwilling.”

Mama Baya jutted her chin in the air. “You cannot have my son. Or anyone in this village for that matter.”

At her bold words, the dragon cackled, turning on Mama Baya now. “You humans are infinitely amusing.” She stalked forward, teeth flashing. “But weak. Weak because you do not conquer. You do not fight. You tremble in your villages and wait for others to conquer you.”

“Enough!” Bakari stepped in front of Mama Baya, forming a wall between the two females. The dragon hissed at Baba’s actions but he remained firm in his movements. “My wife has spoken. We will not let you take our son, or any other man, woman, or child in this village. Fly home before I take extreme measures.”

Baba’s words only amused her. The she-dragon backed up so that she stood in the middle of the circle that had formed around her. The sun caught the many fine jewels that adorned her hands and neck, casting light onto the ground. Her opulence only added to powerful and frightening figure she posed.

“I’ll make a deal with you, little humans.” She fold her fingers, staring at the pristine nails in boredom. “I won’t burn this village to the ground if you willingly give me the boy. Deal?”

“You witch!” Mama Baya barreled past Bakari to march towards the dragon, who stood smirking in the middle of the crowd. “You awful, dragon witch!”

Mama Baya almost reached her but Rhett stopped her just before Mama would have slapped the dragon. She stopped once she realized her adopted son stood in front of her, trying to calm her down. “Mama, please. I’m alright. I’m right here. It’s okay, everything’s ok.”

The dragon almost look disappointed that Mama Baya hadn’t hit her. I realized that if Mama had, then the dragon would’ve had an excuse to burn down the village and take Rhett. Not that she needed a reason to do those things.

Rhett turned from Mama Baya, still keeping a consoling hand on her shoulder, to face the dragon, who now stood only a mere foot from him. He looked directly into her eyes as he spoke. “If . . . if I promise to go with you, you promise that my people won’t be hurt? That my family will remain untouched?”

Mama began sobbing behind him, pleading with him not to go. Bakari stood in silent heartbreak, not knowing what to do. And I . . . I started to shake with unshed tears. Rhett and I were a team. We had never, never had been apart. If he left me, I would be nothing. He couldn’t just leave.

The dragon smiled, knowing she’d won. “I promise, boy.”

An animalistic, wild rage rose within me. Before I could stop myself, I was hurling forward, a spare dagger gripped in hand as I rushed toward her and screamed. “No! You can’t have him!”

I’d barely made it five feet before my body was being flung through the air and launched at a nearby tree. I felt more than heard my body snap as I struck the bark of the oak, falling to the ground in a paralyzed tangle of bruises and blood. The feeling was unlike anything I’d ever felt, and eveloped my body in a crushing fire of pain.

From behind, there was a cry from Rhett as he watched me writhe in agony and hurt on the forest floor. He turned to the dragon and lunged at her, his intent clear as he unsheathed his own dagger. But before he could even as so much scratch her, he was following to the ground, unconscious.

The events that followed were almost too fast to keep track of. There was a shout from one of the villagers, followed by the screaming and wails of the rest. My people charged at the beast, ready to claw her to bits.

She smiled.

And the world exploded.

***

I woke as one would wake from a beautiful dream.

Slowly. Relaxed. Slightly confused. The smell of smoke and metal clung to the air. It was dark, but the warmth of summer kept the coldness of the night at bay. As I blinked my eyes open, I was assaulted with the feeling of something being terribly wrong. But as to what, I didn’t know.

Or at least, I didn’t know until I was fully awake and was able to witness the death and decay around me. Where once had been a vibrant and colorful village was now only ask and rubble. The fires that singed the earth had long been out. Now, all that was left were bodies.

I stood. It took me a minute, seeing as my shoulder had popped out of its socket. My body had turned blue and black from the impact of the tree. Pain, raw and unyielding, coursed through my bones. But it was nothing compared to the feeling that bloomed in my chest at the sight of my people dead around me.

Silent sobs shook me as I stepped through the remains of my home. Bodies upon bodies laid sprawled in the grass, their skin charred beyond recognition. I noticed no children or young men and women lay dead. Only the elderly and warriors who clutched spears in their fists. However, there was only one pair of corpses that I concerned myself with.

“Mama?” I dropped to the ground beside them, not really realizing who I was looking at. “Baba?”

Their arms were wrapped around each other, as if even in death they could not be separated. I gingerly touched them, trying to shake them awake. “Wake up, Mama. Wake up, wake up. Why won’t you wake up?”

They continued to sleep, not rousing in the slightest. I continued to rock and plead with them to wake up, even as I felt the sting of tears sliding down my face. “Wake up, Baba! Please wake up!”

I screamed. I screamed and screamed and screamed. I screamed until the sun rose, until my body had collapsed with exhaustion and dehydration. I screamed until even the clouds wept with my grief. I screamed until my voice was gone, until I could no longer make a sound. And even then, I laid with the people I called parents. The mother I had never known, and the father who never stopped loving me.

For three days I did not move. I laid with the dead, not quite ready to leave them. I prayed that the gods might spare me of my pain, and simply open up the earth to swallow me whole. Yet I remained alive, while my loved ones remained dead.

Hunger and thirst drove me from them, but I did not leave without promising myself that I would return. I would return and rebuild and would not stop until a palace worthy of their lives had been erected in their names. Until they would be able to rest easy, knowing they had been avenged.

And I would do exactly that.

I didn’t bother looking for Rhett. I knew he was with a certain she-dragon in a certain horde in the north. I would go and bring Rhett back home and we would rebuild together. I would kill the dragon that had taken my home from me, and dance among her ashes. I would see a brighter day in which the children taken from this place were restored to their rightful home.

I was going back to the north.

To Avel.