Draconess

My Venatores and I stand together on the top of my Moon Tower, the best place to overlook the city, which was covered in dense steam, warning of the siege to come. It was minutes from nightfall.

Zarcar had already set the army into their positions to guard Swendula, while the front line would primarily be my Venatores.

We all look up to see Lixar flying back in his black dragon, flying around us within the clouds but not landing.

Swendula to Uldaya is rising steam, Torrent is already preparing to fight with his army and Varkinya, her own Venatores is reuniting, Lixar reports.

I notice how quiet the others go around me, especially Rey at my right, dressed in suit pants but no top, his skin is still burned from the garlic wounds, but he chooses to ignore it.

“Why does a second Venatores matter?” I ask, “It’s good, we have help. Varkinya is my ally,” I state proudly to Rey, Zarcar, Andoll and Asmodeus.

“That’s not the problem. It’s the size of the attack, it’s impossible to win,” Andoll explains, quite calmly, while sitting cross legged by the edge of the flat stone top of my tower, gazing into the thick steam.

“Asmodeus?” Rey questions our newest member, who is comfortable in winding cloth like me, “How is Lucifer able to summon so many at once? It is more than an act of war if he’s attempting to flood us completely.”

“He wants Chyronex, so it’s a promise he’s made the demons. It’s all over when she comes to him,” Asmodeus knows, Rey is intrigued and Zarcar is infuriated.

“The only way to win will be if we slaughter him?” Zarcar asks, trying to figure it out.

“Only if she can –” As confirms.

“Of course I can,” I hiss now, feeling my bonds to war rearing, “You’ll all listen to me, but before I speak, if you have something positive to add, speak now. We need to reassure each other.”

“I will flank you at all times,” Andoll jumps up and stands behind me, arms spread, “Your shield.”

I will be your eyes, Lixar suggests from the sky, I am the best warrior here, Zarcar scowls at that, they will not expect me to stay so high that I’m out of the attack, as an observer.

“I’ll do as much killing as I possibly can,” Zarcar unsheathes his sword, “As a soldier – not a Mystifyer.”

“Why?” I murmur.

“To protect the army from an impossible siege,” Zarcar is passionately protective of Swendula’s armed forces, and I can appreciate that, “To protect our home, Chyronex.”

“I will go with you, and the crazy bitch,” Asmodeus makes a deep promise to me and Andoll, and I just hope I remember not to say his stupid name while in the battle.

“I am a barer of Hellfire, not the Ash of Eden – so there is nothing I can do except hope for the best,” Rey is peeved, he’s glaring right through me.

“You will do nothing?” I ask him, lowering my tone.

“Nothing,” Rey agrees, his tone dripping venom, “Since you are so arrogant and refuse to let go of aspirations of Empress – you will prove that you are such a goddess in battle without my help. If you die, if the city dies… I don’t care, it’ll be your city that dies.”

Andoll hisses under my arm up at Rey, while the rest of them go uncomfortably silent.

This was my chance.

“I will be slaying Lucifer back into Hell,” I keep my hands on my hips as I approach Rey, and he scowls down at me but he does listen, “I will be defending my city and in return, I’ll be Empress, you will be the moody shit of a King, since they all love you so much,” I narrow my eyes, “For now I’ll prove you wrong.”

“What is your plan, Draconess?” Zarcar interrupts, as the earth shakes – and we all feel the rumble of the splitting earth. The sun descends and now the battle is moments from beginning.

I hold my finger up to my lips and I silence Zarcar.

Until the end, I farewell him as I turn and mist into my Dragon.

Andoll follows me with her Split Soul, firing up into her two horse sized Dragons.

Asmodeus had optional access to his Centaur form, and would use it as he saw fit.

It was time to find the Devil, and kill him to secure my reign over Uldaya – the official term of all the land.

I knew that meant my fate would be to run into Torrent.

I just wondered where his true Venatores loyalties lay, with Queen Varkinya –

– or Empress Chyronex.

****

The battle is in steam surrounded by crunchy demons – and it’s almost fun at first! There are so many Andoll and I get to each, especially on the battle field, my fire roasting the enemy, while Andoll butchers them by tearing them in two with her Split Souls.

My food, my, my! Andoll often steals my kills and goes crazy with her movements, she is alight with blood lustful energy in war.

You are lucky these demons are lowly, Asmodeus fights around us, as a Centaur, he holds a flaming blue sword – which he uses to banish the demons immobile, while we slaughter.

Lucifer wants me to find him sooner, I state correctly.

Careful, Draconess, Asmodeus chuckles deeply – his humour worries me. I don’t take it as encouragement, but a promise that the fight will be difficult – if not almost impossible.

But this is what I was made for.

To keep Hell out of this realm!

The next wave comes, Asmodeus is excited – it’s his own kind.

Centaurs.

I watch as they prance forward out of the thick steam, they all bare flaming arrows, which are targeted at me. As they chant together, they release together, “…adolebitque est draco…!”

I know my fire won’t stop the arrows, so I take off into the air. My wings are strong and help me move faster.

Lixar? You’ve been so quiet, I call to him, as the arrows wiz past and they miss me by a few inches.

I fly up higher, calling to him.

I don’t see him.

Or hear from him.

I decide to fly higher, near the grey clouds, hoping perhaps that is where he waits.

Careful, Draconess, this time it is Zarcar warning me, just like As.

Why? I hiss.

The sky is a high place to fall from.

Too late.

Lixar isn’t here, instead I spot him flying lower – simply distracted with throwing flame at some of the more difficult opponents. Horses with wings; undead Pegasus.

They’re pretty things, but they distract me from the grey cloud ‘Dragon’ coming for me, eyes shining.

Chyronex, my new whore.

That voice is horrible!

The cloud rushes to surround me and breathing it in is a spell of disorientation – or a lack of air.

I don’t know what’s up and down, but I am already descending in a straight fall, plummeting and light headed; my body shifts from Dragon to priestess.

I will catch you, Andoll promises – but even as I hear it, I hear her scream of rage on the battle field as she’s promptly surrounded and cut off with another flood of demons from the earth.

I can barely see as my vision dances with specks of light, but my fall is being softened by false strong arms around me.

I’m being cradled to a hot chest, while I look up in confusion at the red eyes of ‘Zarcar’ – with hair billowing back.

The devil is pretending to be my lover again, to confuse me.

“Time to say goodnight now,” the King of Hemon smiles down at me, standing in the field, protected from all angles as he lays me down on the ground.

I can’t move, I reach out to the real Zarcar.

You’re in shock, move before he kills you, Zarcar begs me.

I watch as two things come close to my face, as I’m laid out on the Devil’s knees.

His mouth, toward mine, and a dagger, pressing gently to my throat.

I reach up out of pure adrenalin, and I clasp my palms around his wrist, trying to pull back.

“No, no!” I whimper out, feeling small, feeling as if all my powers are gone for the moment.

How is he able to drain me so?

The King of Hemon is looking at my feeble attempt to stop him slitting my throat – smiling with adoration – when he’s torn back from me, screaming in a shocking rage as Varkinya hauls him off.

Her braids are flying back while her hands are covered in yellow Draconess flame. It seems to protect her from Lucifer’s draining sting. She shoves a fist through his face and knees his chin, spitting into the eye of the Devil.

I lie on the ground, grinning with the help.

“Up!” Torrent scares the shit out of me as he appears behind, hauling me up with his hands under my elbows.

As we stand, Torrent and I watch Varkinya fight the Devil, protected by her flames, while Torrent growls in my ear, “I saved my city from the attack and gained my Ash of Eden – I can end this now if you wish to see a quick end to it.”

I turn back to Torrent, my hand on his cheek.

“You don’t have to this time,” I whisper with a forced smile, “Let Varkinya and me ravage him.”

“If you wish it, go, more of you need to prove yourselves as vital protectors of this realm, so go!” Torrent scowls at me and shoves me forward.

Andoll, Torrent and Asmodeus soon surround me to hold back the army from the centre field, so that Varkinya and I have the space to battle the Devil.

Stepping through pools of black demon blood, we see each others eyes and we know.

Friends.

We are not enemies.

Varkinya throws me the dagger she stole from the Devil, while she’s jumped upon his shoulders, gauging at his eyes.

I notice the Devil seems to be enjoying this, even as he screams and his true form peaks through – two red horns and a skull for a face.

“You’re really ugly, ew!” I scream out, laughing as I jump in and try to stab him through the chest.

The King of Hemon burns off Varkinya, his Hellfire burning her thighs.

She falls off – and her screams are loud, but now the Devil changes appearance again before my second strike can land.

He shifts into Salt.

Dayarexna.

I know it’s an illusion, it’s just that – I’m helplessly entranced, with shame and guilt.

It doesn’t seem to be him – but the soul she sacrificed.

I do believe it’s Salt.

“Help me, I am his slave for eternity,” Salt, a child, holds her hand out toward me, her body covered in wounds, her eyes hollow, “I just wanted to be like you, Chyronex, please,” she is so sincere. It’s just like her. She’s so small. She’s so tiny. She’s so hurt.

“KILL HER!” Varkinya screams out as she’s overrun with more demons, clawing out of the earth.

Kill Dayarexna and I’ll leave you alone for a hundred years, the devil whispers in my head, I’m bored of the small whore anyway.

So it really is her.

“Salt?” I whisper as I stare down at her form, as she starts to tremble, covered in scraps of hide from animals as her only clothes, her face contorted, “Do you wish to die…?”

“No, don’t, d-don’t help me,” Salt starts to claw at her own throat, trying to kill herself. She is too weak to succeed, however.

That’s what I want to do to you, Draconess, break you just like that, the Devil tells me, excited with lust for my demise.

Chyronex, Lixar sounds so faint, but I do hear him, the steam is toxic, to all, you’re in a trance, whatever the hell you see isn’t real. Move it!

Lixar lies, to help me to do it.

It’s Salt. I know it’s her and I can’t kill her again, I admit defeat.

Even the most cruel part of me can’t see a reality where I take my role as Empress, by slaughtering a child who sacrificed herself to be like me again.

A moon priestess.

A slave.

A wh –

“Chyronex!” Relief.

I hear My Keeper’s loud drawl coming for me.

I turn around, numb, as Zarcar is approaching, covered in a few major wounds, his shoulder shredded through, but he walks with grace. I focus on him as he stands behind me, and places his long sword in my open palm.

Half is held by him, half by me, as he clasps tight around the weapon.

Without another word, Zarcar lifts the sword and drops it heavy.

Right through Salt’s neck.

And she dissolves – into lying steam.

Oh it… it wasn’t her… it was… an… it was an illusion... obviously.

But I still fell for it.

Oops.

“Stupid,” Zarcar laughs as he holds my hand with the sword, “Your heart. Is stupid.”

I spin around, pulling from his grip – as everything around us simmers off, away into Hell.

I am in shock but I am truly relieved.

Every enemy turns to steam, and the ground shakes as it stitches back together.

Sealed.

Varkinya is leaning into Torrent, the unharmed army is coming forward, cheering, the ground shaking from their boots. Andoll’s head soon dives into Zarcar’s shin, to hold onto his knee.

“Warlord!” she screeches.

Lixar lands from the sky and snorts smoke toward us while rolling his Dragon eyes.

Rey is on the rooftop, miles away, crossing his arms over his arrogant chest.

Asmodeus shades next to the King, so Rey can mount and come to the field swiftly.

“We did what a Venatores does, we work together,” Zarcar tells me, quite literally shining with victory from his deep dark eyes, while I feel like a dumb naked slave or something, or a war trophy… or something.

I cross my arms over my tits and narrow my eyes at Zar, while Asmodeus and Rey teleport next to us.

“I’m only a little impressed,” Rey jumps down, glaring at all of us. He tries to appear upset, but he’s really truly relieved as well.

“My King is right here,” Andoll speaks over her shoulder at Rey, then turns her face into Zarcar again, shy.

“…bitch,” Rey and I hiss quietly at the same time.

“My brother is the new King of Swendula,” Torrent defends Zarcar – while the army cheers for his name.

“Zarcar! Zarcar! Zarcar!” three times, as if he’s just been sworn in.

Zarcar himself is not flustered, but he is impatient.

He holds up his hand, to silence his army.

Rey watches him carefully.

“Rey?” Zarcar blinks at him, good naturedly.

“You’re the only one I wouldn’t give a shit about if you overtake my throne, due to real popularity,” Rey scowls, “You smart fucker. You planned this for years. You want to be King? You certainly look like one. Take it then, my good friend, fuck you, just take it… you deserve it,” Rey shrugs, he doesn’t care so much as one might think.

Zarcar beams.

“There is no such thing as King without his Queen!” Zarcar boasts loudly, enough for the army to hear.

Even Asmodeus smirks.

I smile and blush a bit, while Zarcar grabs a handful of Andoll’s hair and lifts her up, “THE QUEEN!” he props her over his shoulders, and she holds up her hands, silent with victory – and blushing mad red.

Now I wish I could sink into the ground.

Rey stares at me, shaking his head, condescending, still annoyed with me for this mornings anticts.

“Fuck you,” I whisper at Rey, annoyed.

“Lixar,” Zarcar turns to Lix in his Dragon form, as he shifts over.

“Do I get to be the shit bowl changer for your bedchamber?” Lixar jokes and bows to Zarcar once in our circle.

“Hoist her up,” Zarcar points at me.

Torrent walks behind me, snarling in my ear.

“Silentium,” Tor silences me as he leans down to grab my thigh.

What the –

Lixar rounds me and kisses my left titty, as he leans down to grab the other thigh.

As they hoist me up, a hand under my feet, I am then able to stand up on their shoulders. One foot on each.

Although my tongue is silent, I am now randomly standing straight, hands on hips, as I look into the army and I hope I’m not declared some kind of whore.

Venatores whore, or slave queen.

Or trophy.

“YOUR SILENT EMPRESS!” Zarcar declares, “EMPRESS CHRYONEX!”

Oh.

Better.

The army cheers, but it’s still only half-hearted, as only for Zar do they bother to give real admiration. Biased much.

Andoll jumps up on Zarcar’s shoulders, from sitting to standing, to imprint the change, she turns to me, eyes focused on me as she launches for me – smacking me down directly into the ground.

This is a tall height to fall from.

The breath is knocked so hard out of me, and I think I’ve broken my back as she squeezes me to death, screeching her happiness until she starts to cry.

“So what the hell am I then?” Rey asks Zarcar.

“Prince?” Zarcar shrugs, “So if I die, you’re King again.”

“Whatever, it’ll do,” Rey rolls his eyes and stands back, while Zarcar comes to stand over me.

“It is a good ending, isn’t it?” Zarcar asks me, a little expressionless as he reads me.

“I want to have a bath, in water, and go to bed, in my Moon tower,” I whisper up to him, breaking through Torrent’s temporary curse of silence.

“AYE!” Andoll jumps up, “I’ll fetch the slaves to fill it with water!” she tries to run off, but Asmodeus scoops her up and tugs her along.

“With me,” as he rumbles, Andoll giggles suspiciously like a little kid, and can’t stop blushing.

“I’m with a horse-man everyone!” Andoll waves us off, explaining herself, still embarrassed.

“Is Asmodeus her boyfriend?” Zarcar asks, confused.

“Wouldn’t you know it,” I’m helped up by Lixar, who hugs me from behind possessively, while my back still aches.

He squeezes my tits, while Zarcar glares at Lix, and Rey looks ready to blow with his frustration while staring at me.

“Fuck you,” Rey immediately swoops in on me, dragging his fangs through my neck and piercing my throat – drinking while I scream. He sucks out my blood, rough for a little bit, then he pulls out, a lethal smile showing his delight at revenge, “How do you like to be tortured, Chyronex?”

“There. That’ll be your extra speciality,” Zarcar pulls Rey back, before he goes for me again, “Her new Keeper.”

“No,” I blurt and I shake my head in denial.

“Yes,” Zarcar doesn’t budge.

“You’re not joking?” I whisper, while my neck runs red, and Zarcar holds up a hand to heal it with a small spell.

“You’ll learn quick I don’t joke as a King,” Zarcar is serious.

Rey is pleased with this announcement. Smugly so.

“Goodnight,” Varkinya blows me a kiss and then kisses Torrent’s cheek.

“Viperae,” Torrent dismisses me with one word, turning to leave with his own love.

“Bye!” I wave them off, then focus on the new King, “You know what I think –?” I rant off to Zarcar.

“Silentium,” Zarcar puts a finger to my lips, “Silence. Empress.”

“Why silent, Zar?” Lixar asks for me, pretending to be ignorant.

“Why the hell do you think? She talks shit all the time,” Zarcar now wrenches me away from Lixar. Zarcar pulls me in front of him, cupping my face to kiss my forehead then my nose and then my lips, “Mine,” Zar pulls back, glowering, “Mine.”

“What does an Empress do?” Lixar scoots over to wrench me from Zarcar, and puts an arm around my shoulders again. Stealing me twice.

“Nothing,” Zarcar laughs, “She looks pretty – at my feet.”

“I think she should have a purpose,” Lixar smiles for me.

I smile too.

Yes. I think I should.

“She does,” Zarcar slow half blinks as he focuses on me, “She is a Moon Priestess – it’s the only job she qualifies for,” I nod. I like that, “She’s also a whore, but –” it’s truth but still… Rey and Lixar and Zarcar… all start chuckling.

Good naturedly, I’d hope.

They should be careful though.

Because I held their hearts.

“Speak now, what do you want?” Zarcar allows me my tongue again.

“I demand ribbons be a legal thing for all women to wear, if they wish it, and only then will I agree to be an Empress, argh, how annoying,” I flick my hair over my shoulder, and press my palm into Lixar’s face, shoving him off me.

“Fine,” Zarcar agrees, “Anything else?”

“No, I only ever wanted my tower and my ribbons,” I shake my head, “And my Warlord… and my freedom,” I just needed to slip that in there, under my breath.

Zarcar pretends to consider it, smirks, and then turns to boom orders to his army to retreat and return to Swendula, “HOME IS CALLING!”

Yup! Because we won!

The rest of the Venatores heads off, Lixar decides to consult Rey – while I am left with Zarcar.

I hold my hands behind my back, smiling for him as he stalks around me and scoops me up, holding me close to his chest as he walks.

“I can’t grant you your freedom, cutie,” Zarcar rumbles down to me.

“Why not?!” I ask, confused.

“Because you hold my heart,” Zarcar stares straight ahead to the Swendula gates, “You’re needed or I’ll die.”

I slap his chest twice, “I gave it back.”

“I’m going to fuck your throat dry for doing that,” Zarcar chuckles, but he means it, “You’re in trouble.”

“You’re not my Keeper anymore,” I huff out, annoyed.

“No, I’m just your King,” Zarcar frowns, “Now you must obey, or it’s treason.”

“Huh –”

“Don’t worry, Chyronex, you’ll get used to it,” Zarcar is smug, as the moonlight shines down on my skin, granting me some extra power to spell.

“I love you a little bit,” I admit, biting my bottom lip.

“Good girl,” Zarcar smiles down at me, warm.

“Now I’m wet,” I pout.

Zarcar continues to stalk forward, the moonlight barely lighting his black pitless eyes, as he says without much emotion, because it’s pretty obvious, and known, “I know you are, Chyronex, you’re always wet for me.”

“Hmmm….” I hum.

Well, I wasn’t going to deny that.

It was just a boring truth.

The END of Volume 2, Next up is Volume 3, set 100 years into the future!