Freja woke up in a cold sweat, shooting upright in the bed. Her breath came in rapid pants as she worked to calm down. Taking in her surroundings she remembered having been led back to the inn by Zarek.
The day was here. The time had finally come to take back the castle and restore Zarek to his rightful place; the throne. Much of the gathered arm buzzed with excitement for the day’s tasks. Taking back the throne was going to be bloody and some would die but it was a cause many had sworn themselves to help accomplish. A good bulk of the army would be a distraction, taking out the forces that guarded the walls and manned the many areas in the scenario of a siege. Murder holes and machicolations were at the top of the list to get access to. Zarek drew upon the few loyal guards to him for this mission. They were our inside men and would clear the areas of combatants for safe passage. The sun was high in the sky when Zarek and Freja rounded the troops and began the day, Zarek leading the forefront, sword at the ready. Outside the walls at the front gate we waited until we heard th
Everyone in Crikeria knows the story of the child who killed the elder draco. One cold winters' night, when the people of the quiet Midland village lay dormant in their beds, the elder draco attacked. Men woke from their slumbers to fight the beast while women hid indoors holding children to their breast. None could kill the giant beast who spat fire, setting the small village aflame, the wooden structures ripe to feed the flames. As the men retreated, a lone girl stood before the beast, wielding her father's sword.The child was but ten and three, not yet a woman, but already a warrior at heart.The child's father had been a celebrated slayer of dracos and had taught his young daughter how to fight.The villagers could only watch as the great black beast approached the small child, it's yellow eyes focused on her.Right before their eyes, this child fought with the courage of an entire legio
Freja held her horn of warm mead in her hands, the drink chasing the chill from her skin and bones brought on by the harsh winter outside. Her furs and cloak was dusted with half melted snow, soaked against her skin beneath. She was sure she'd catch ill if she didn't find a warm bed to sleep for the night. Men and women filled the hall with their laughter, drunken songs, and tales.In the center of the great hall roared a large fire where a sow was slowly being turned by a young lad no older than eight, his youthful face covered in dirt. Some people huddled together in groups at tables while others, like her, sat alone. Toward the back of the hall, cooks prepared the meals that the tavern sold while the servants brought out dishes to the tables.For weeks Freja hadn't seen this much vibrancy and warmth. She kept to herself as she traveled; a true lone wolf. Keeping ties with people wasn't something she was skilled at, p
Zarek had been following his would-be mate for miles, keeping his distance so she wouldn’t see him.His would-be mate wasn’t just a potential partner but a warrior.She was strong and courageous, having took on a dragon by herself. She was so much more than he had anticipated.He had only thought that she may be a meek shy little thing like his mother had been before she became pregnant with him.Most human women were terrified of male dragons.Male dragons were known to be territorial when it came to their women and rough with them, wielding their strength against the weaker sex. Human women avoided dragon folk, sticking to their human villages where they could claim or be claimed by a human male.This woman was different.She stood her ground and fought to slay the creatu
Freja and Zarek were leaving the tavern when they heard a scream pierce the air, the sound coming from behind the building.Freja pinpointed the location of the feminine scream and ran towards the source.Her feet flew over the ground as she ran at full speed to the backside of the two story tavern they had just left.Above the first floor was where the tavern’s owner and family resided, the stairwell coming into view once Zarek and Freja rounded the corner of the wooden building.Before them lay quite the scene.On the second floor balcony a young woman about Freja’s age leaned over the banister holding on to the tiny clawed hand of an infant dragon. Her other arm was held in a sling leaving her free arm to struggle to pull the youngling back to safety.The infant creature made whimpering noises like
Tauric paced about the room, his anxiety and fear permeating the air. A non-human could easily smell the absolute wreck his emotions were in if they were to walk by in the hall. Moments ago, he had been mapping out villages on the King’s map, a map that had been intricately drawn of the Crikerian kingdom. Hours after he had chased out Zarek, the rightful King, he had called forth the Royal Council to devise plans on annexing human territories. The Royal Council was the King’s most trusted advisors, having lived for centuries, who provided much needed sage advice. He was finally able to do what Zarek had failed to do all of these years and grow the size of Crikeria so the dragonkin could have the territory they needed! Glee filled his heart. Feeli
“I’m sorry, my lady and gent, but there is only one room left available. For your troubles, I’ll add in vouchers for a free meal at the tavern down the row. My brother runs the place.” Explained the woman behind the desk at the inn that Zarek and Freja stood in. Due to an incoming blizzard, together they had decided it was better to rent rooms for the night rather than sleep under the stars. Zarek wanted to keep going but Freja had grown used to having him as a companion, coming to enjoy his company. After giving Zarek puppy eyes and pleading as sweetly as she could, he gave in. She didn’t like keeping up relationships with other people, but he was different somehow. There wasn’t an explanation she could think of, so she chose to go with the flow for once. This man was like a drug to her senses and she couldn’t get enough. After a brief arg
Zarek’s father had been a cruel man.He had wielded his power with an iron fist and demanded submission from his subjects.The people who lived in Crikeria, Dragonkin, feared his father. They submitted out of fear of retaliation with a loss of their land.Land was important to his people.They needed to roam.His father knew this and used it to his advantage.Growing up, Zarek only remembered cruelty from his father. Many times he had been kicked or beaten until he could do nothing but lay in pain for days while his mother and nanny tended his blistered skin.Zarek was an only child since his mother had multiple miscarriages.The stress she endured, thanks to the cruelty of his father, was too much and caused her body to reject the pregnancies.