Dragon Bound

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Chapter Nine

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For the first time when given the choice to go back to the stables or stay in Jason’s quarters, Lune had opted to stay in Jason’s rooms. This wasn’t because he was more comfortable as a human. It was simply the powerful need to be with the both of them. He had fallen asleep, cocooned between both men on the large oak four poster bed.

He had apparently needed the skin-on-skin contact because he had slept deeply right up until the sun rose the next morning. Damon was snoring behind him, the dragon’s powerful forearm heavy over Lune’s waist. Jason was taking deep slow breaths, his nose inches from Lune’s. Lune took the opportunity to stare at the human who had captured him nearly a month ago. Relaxed and peaceful, he reflected how young Jason looked. The hardness of his features was gone as the early sun glinted off his bronze hair.

He took those early hours to wonder about everything that had transpired since he had fled his birthing grounds. What would he have done in the mountains by himself? Lune had looked at the occasional filly but the idea of fighting and ruling a harem didn’t call to him the same way he had seen it call to his older half-brothers.

Dragons only a year or two older than Lune usually had at least one filly with them. Perhaps if he had found a filly with a quiet nature like himself, he would have been content to explore the snowy world with her at his side. He had never been given the chance though.

He thought of how happy he would be if it were Damon with him, Jason’s voice in his ears and the snow in his eyes and found that thought to be far more satisfying.

‘Your thinking is so loud,’ Jason rumbled, sleepy eyes opening.

‘Sorry,’ Lune whispered. Damon snored on.

‘Everything alright?’ Jason mumbled, blinking slowly at him.

‘Mmm,’ Lune said. He reached up a hand and gently brushed back several strands of auburn hair from Jason’s face. His cheeks were getting rough with stubble.

‘How long have you been awake?’ the rider asked, pressing a kiss to his open palm.

‘An hour, maybe more. I generally rise with the sun,’ Lune commented with a shy smile. Jason gave an inelegant snort.

‘Wonderful. Ah well, perhaps having an early riser will help Damon with his laziness. Doubt it though.’ Jason yawned, his jaw cracking. Lune attempted to wriggle out from the massive arm that held him captive. Damon growled in his sleep and squeezed so tight Lune let out a squeak. Jason grinned.

‘Just have a lie in. I’ll boil the pot and make us some tea,’ the rider said, leaving the white dragon to his warm prison. Lune grumbled but laid his head back down on the downy pillows. Humans certainly knew how to make a comfortable nest. Now that he had spent time in one of their squishy fragile bodies, he understood why they needed to have so many layers to their bedding.

As Damon shifted in his sleep, Lune was reminded of the terrifying night before. The king had called Damon his mate. Lune bit his lip. Damon had yet to try and breed with Lune. Would that change now the king had declared their bond so openly? Lune was conflicted about that.

He felt an odd sought of anticipation, desire, fear, and trepidation. He also felt a little indignant. There was the assumption that Damon would proposition as his mate and Lune would accept him without question. He thought of Damon’s hard muscles, massive sleek black wings and powerful crested neck and horns. He was strong, he would protect Lune, wanted to protect Lune. Perhaps he would accept him… but not without making the ebony dragon work for it.

‘Don’t look so worried. I won’t let anything happen to you,’ Jason murmured from the fireplace. Lune stared up at him, but he didn’t see any deceit in the rider’s face. He had to trust Jason.

By the time Damon was awake, Lune was fed up with lying down and promptly dashed up from under Damon’s arm the moment the black dragon stirred. Jason smiled and passed him a small mug of tea. Lune sipped carefully. He was slowly getting used to the different temperatures that human ate their food. He hadn’t burnt himself in a while. Damon stretched, joints popping.

‘Did you want me to order food?’ Damon grumbled as he scratched absently.

Jason shook his head. ‘No.’

Damon frowned. ‘No?’ Lune glanced up at the man. Jason had become rather still. His tea was abandoned beside him.

‘We will wait until after we come back to eat,’ Jason said, sounding oddly withdrawn. Lune frowned.

‘Come back?’ Damon challenged from somewhere behind them. The rider sighed.

‘Yes. Damon, you are going to help Gabe this morning. The squires are starting to return with their new riding dragons, and he needs the extra muscle to work the forge,’ Jason said steadily. Lune could feel Damon’s distrust. The link between the two was buzzing in the back of his mind.

‘He has all the muscle he could ever need,’ Damon sneered.

‘You will do as you’re told,’ Jason said, an edge to his voice now. Lune shifted. There was something Jason wasn’t saying. Both dragons glanced at each other. Lune put down his cup and started to edge back towards the ebony dragon.

Quick as a snake, Jason’s hand whipped out and grabbed Lune’s forearm, startling him. Damon was on his feet proper in an instant.

‘Put on some clothes on and go Damon,’ Jason growled. Damon glared at his master. Lune looked from one to the other, startled.

‘Where are you taking him?’ Damon took one step forward and stopped as the collar about his throat glowed blue. Damon’s eyes widened. It had been a long time since Jason had needed to use magic to bend the ebony dragon to his will. Master and servant glared at each other, Lune nervously shifting between them.

‘Go,’ Jason said.

Damon snarled, showing sharp white teeth before turning and grabbing his pile of clothes. He dressed without even looking at the white dragon before charging from the room, slamming the heavy door with a resounding slam. Jason sighed.

‘Come on. Get changed,’ Jason murmured. Lune skittishly backed away from him but put on the fresh clothing. He hadn’t seen Jason take control of Damon before. The rider rubbed at his own eyes, already feeling the strain of the tasks to come. They weren’t off to a good start. He rose and grabbed for a shirt.

‘Come,’ he muttered. Lune followed several paces behind as they stepped out into the corridor. Jason grabbed him by the arm again to pull him along a little faster.

‘I thought the best thing to do would be to introduce you to a few strike dragons before we see about you meeting the other riding dragons.’ Lune thought this was probably a good idea. He was also curious about the other strike dragons and what they would be like. What he could not help but notice was how tight Jason’s facial features were or how strong a grip Jason had on his upper arm as the rider led him down the muggy stone corridors.

‘Why couldn’t Damon come with us?’ Lune asked, nearly stumbling as he tried to keep up with Jason’s long stride.

‘Damon isn’t thrilled about any of this. I don’t think it would be wise to bring him in case he starts something,’ Jason muttered. Lune frowned, not really understanding what the rider meant.

‘Start something?’ Lune repeated. Jason sighed and then stopped.

‘Why would he start something?’ He pulled his arm free of Jason’s grip though he suspected the larger man let him go.

He stopped so suddenly that Lune ran up the back of him. The taller man turned around and his expression was so grim, Lune felt the first tremors of uncertain fear.

‘I won’t lie to you, Lune. This isn’t going to be easy,’ Jason said.

Lune frowned. ‘I realize that,’ he said, perplexed. Jason stared at him a long minute and continued walking down the corridor, the heels of his heavy boots echoing in the empty hall. These passages they traversed seemed to be older than the stables. The brickwork was denser, colder, and stacked in larger slabs. The flames in the torches seemed to burn almost feebly in the cold wet air. Lune shivered. They turned down two more corridors and came to a halt in front of a large door.

‘Stand back. Don’t touch anything until I invite you,’ Jason warned. Lune just nodded. Jason snapped his fingers and the lock on the heavy door snapped open with a clank of metal. Inside it was dark but Lune could hear creatures moving. There was the clack of claws, hissing and scrapping of something sharp against stone. The rider stepped in and lit several of the torches with a wave of his hands.

There were three dragons inside, all small. The smallest was the size of a bulky hound, the largest was little taller than a young pony. Lune’s voice caught in his throat. They were all disfigured.

All of the dragons Lune had seen bore the marks of past battles. Even Damon, even Jason himself had faint marks of old arrow wounds, scars from sharp blades or claws. But nothing he had seen came close to the sorry state of the beasts in front of him. The largest was worst off. It was missing a large piece of its head crest, several claws and its scales down its left leg were all flawed and pointed any which way, as though the animal had been skinned and the hide had not grown back correctly. The second dragon was hissing through several missing teeth, its throat making a horrible gurgling sound. Spines were missing from its back and tail.

The smallest of the dragon seemed to be in better condition, but its eyes rolled and darted in every direction and there was a distinct cut above one eye as though the beast had taken a hard beating to the head. Jason nodded slowly and Lune crossed into the room, a hard lump in his throat. He expected... something but the three just stared up at him.

They were more instinct than true sentience. Truthfully, they were dulled, stupid even. He saw no recognition in their eyes, no companionship or kinship. They just blinked at him with feral contempt.

‘I don’t understand,’ Lune choked.

‘I know. I’m sorry,’ Jason murmured.

‘Why are they down here by themselves? Why don’t they recognise me? What’s wrong with them?’ The words came out as a sob.

The smallest dragon gave a hiss and came forward, but Jason raised a hand and the beast stopped.

‘I told you that the knights do not consider strike dragons of the same calibre as riding dragons. They are usually simpler creatures,’ Jason explained.

‘They aren’t! You’ve done something to them!’ Lune shouted. He was shaking. Jason reached for him, but he wrenched backwards. ‘Don’t touch me! Would you leave me here? Is that why we are here?’

‘No, gods no!’ Jason said, his face aghast.

‘You should. I’m a strike dragon now,’ Lune sobbed. The three animals shifted uneasily. They didn’t seem to comprehend the argument. That only fuelled the rage and pain inside Lune.

‘I can’t understand you humans! You won’t be satisfied until the world bows at your feet. You’re all completely mad! I thought I could do this.’ Lune shouted, drawing back towards the door. Jason followed, his hands out.

‘I thought I could, but I can’t. I won’t ever serve you or your blood king.’ Lune turned on his heel and fled the dark room. The creeping, slithering, hissing noises of the strike dragons followed him out.

‘Lune!’ Jason shouted his name.

His feet slapped the cobblestones. Lune drew in breath, his lungs burning, his eyes burning, his ears burning. He actually made it to the stairs before his body froze. The corridor had become dark, the only torches were several metres behind. It didn’t matter though. The glowing blue of his collar lit everything around him. Lune gave a weak sob, his chest heaving.

‘I’m sorry,’ Jason whispered as he came up behind him.

‘I hate you.’

‘Lune-’

‘All of you,’ he rasped.

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It was a slow silent, painful journey back up into the daylight. Jason headed for the forge, feeling like a man walking to the gallows. He was painfully aware of Lune’s pale complexion, stiff posture, wet cheeks, and bloodshot eyes. He wanted to reach out, but the dragon only flinched at his touch and snapped at him. Worse, he could feel the pain and misery across their link and knew that Damon would be in a state when they finally found him.

He didn’t have to wait long.

As they reached the forge it got warmer. The smell of hot leather, burning wood, coal and sweat settled thick in the air to coat the back of the throat. Damon came striding towards them and Lune dashed out from Jason’s side and lunged for the other male. Damon, his bare chest streaked with soot and sweat, scooped up the shaking dragon.

‘Where did you take him?’ Damon snarled. Jason just shook his head.

Damon growled, eyes flashing. Gabe moved out from behind one of the many work benches.

‘Take him to get some water, he looks pale as death,’ Gabe barked. Damon sneered at the older man. He didn’t appreciate being ordered about by anyone who wasn’t the king or Jason. He did as he was told though, gently pulling the trembling youth over to a running waterspout.

‘What happened? I thought you were making progress with the youngling,’ Gabe growled as Jason sagged against a pillar.

‘I took him to see the older strike team,’ he said. From over the other side of the forge he heard Damon’s foul-mouthed curse and knew Lune was telling him what had happened.

‘What! Why!? You know those beasts were damaged beyond healing in the war,’ Gabe snapped.

‘There wasn’t any point in putting it off. What would be the use? To train him, have him combat ready and then show him what their lives were like would have been far worse. I couldn’t pretend to him that all was well with the world. The truth is we categorise dragons. I cannot pretend for him that we don’t act with prejudice,’ Jason sighed. Gabe looked thoughtful as he tugged off heavy stained gloves.

‘True. Surely you expected such a reaction then?’ Gabe grunted. He took out a small hip flask and unscrewed the cap. He took a drink and passed it to Jason. Jason swallowed down the burning liquid and grimaced.

‘I did. He says he hates me,’ Jason muttered.

The forge master snorted. ‘Hardly. I doubt that creature has the capacity for something as violent as hate. Give him time. If anything, at least this little tiff will bond him closer with Damon.’ Jason watched as Damon held Lune close. He could feel the rage pouring across their link.

‘I’m not sure how to get past this,’ he admitted quietly.

The stablemaster shook his head. ‘Yes, you do. You only have five months. I know you want to care for him, but the truth is if you want to keep him then you need to break him in. You know damn well that he needs to be trained whether he wants to be or not. A firm hand need not be a cruel one, but his feelings don’t matter. He is your dragon. It’s time he understood that fully. Make your choice Jason or be ready to hand him over to the king.’ Gabe gave the rider a hard look. Without waiting for a reply, he pulled his leather gloves back on and headed back to the forge.

Jason stood in the blistering oppressive heat of the forge room. His eyes never left his two dragons. Lune’s stubbornness was arguably worse than Damon’s. Jason would have to be greater than the two. He couldn’t count on Damon’s help. Not really. Not if he would have the two become mates. He took a deep breath, the air dry in his lungs.

Gabe was right and Jason would not hand his dragon over to the king.

‘Damon, Lune, come.’ Damon’s head twisted to face him, but his growl turned to an expression of shock as the collar about his throat glowed. They were both forced to move forward. He stared at the grim expression of his rider and knew in that moment, that things were about to change.

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END

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