Page 10 of Dragon Compelled
“One more thing,” he says.
“Now what?”
“About Paige. I have a duty to her too, pretty boy, so if you do anything to upset her, I’ll have to cut your balls off and feed them to Bingo.”
At that, Bingo lifts his head and snarls at Mag.
It’s the first friendly gesture the hound has made toward me, so I toss Mag a smug smile. “Looks like I have an ally on my side after all.”
Mag rolls his eyes and turns his attention back to the stack of books. “Animals tend to support other animals. You pick today's winner yet?”
“Have at it.”
He grabs the top book off the closest stack. “This one’s as good as any.” He sets the book down on the floor between us and opens it to the middle. Then he straightens and faces me.
“Ready?”
“Let’s go.”
He raises his hand, flashing the dark ink of his keeper tattoo, and begins reciting words in a language I don’t know. The library responds with magic of its own, and a moment later, a swirling portal opens between us. Even after seeing it so many times, it still jolts me to know there are worlds upon worlds out there and this library has access to them all.
“Let’s just get this shit over with,” Mag says, clearly unimpressed by it all.
He gestures for me to go first. I step through the opening into whatever world awaits us, only to feel the ground already falling away beneath my feet. I barely manage to yank myself back from a cliff’s edge before I would have toppled over the side. My scrambling feet send small pebbles slipping over and disappearing into the foam, but I manage not to send myself over too. Far below me, an ocean crashes against craggy rocks, and the smell of salt lingers on the air.
Behind me, Mag arrives on solid ground, and the portal closes.
“You good?” he asks, noting the way I’m still recovering my balance.
I scowl. “Fine.”
Together, we survey the world we’ve entered.
Despite my rough arrival, the view atop the mountain where we stand is breathtaking. As far as I can see behind us, rolling hillsides dotted with wild heather give way to more hills that end with mountains rising in the distance. Below us, the ocean crashes against the high cliffs, but to my right, the hillside descends and levels onto a rocky beach where the land meets the sea lapping at its shore.
On the far end of the beach, a tiny cabin sits nestled against a mossy slope of rock. The structure is the only sign of life and still doesn’t offer any hint as to what sort of creatures make a home in this world. I keep my senses on alert as I continue to look for any sign of Hoc.
“Shit, we’re in the middle of nowhere,” Mag groans.
“Come on. There’s a cabin.”
We make our way toward it while the wind whips at our faces and clothes. The leather of my new jacket guards against the silt kicked up by the gusts. My new wardrobe is still foreign to me. The jacket is not a bad material as earthly choices go, though I do not need such protections when I’m in my dragon form.
“This place is clearly empty of settlements,” I tell Mag. “No one would notice my dragon, not once I’m above the clouds. And I can cover more ground.”
He hesitates, scanning the horizon again, but I can see the temptation to speed this up beginning to change his mind. Finally, he nods. “Fine, but hurry up. Meet me at the cabin.”
“I’ll be quick.”
Breaking off from Mag, I descend the hill until there’s a wall of rock at my back then remove my clothes, tossing them on the ground quickly. The quietness of this place unsettles me, and my dragon strains against my skin, eager to be free. Even before I’ve finished kicking off my pants, scales appear, covering my skin and offering an armor that will protect me much better than that leather ever could. Finally undressed, the transformation completes. My hands and feet become sharp with claws. Wings form against my back, and I open them wide, stretching them to work the stiffness out.
It’s been days since I shifted—a time that feels like a century after the freedom I knew in my home world. Back then, I’d been consumed with worry for our people as the orc armies encroached on our borders. Not to mention my mother’s determination to find me a wife so I could ascend the throne and take my place as rightful ruler. Wedding in order to receive my title is an archaic law and one I detested—until I arrived in the library and met Paige. Now, I would gladly make her my queen if only it meant the danger here was behind us.
Imagining a future with Paige at my side, I lift off the ground and take to the air. For a single breath, I am consumed with the feeling of being airborne. My dragon needed this far more than I knew, and the freedom it gives me is heady. Someday, I’ll bring Paige into the skies with me so I can show her what it’s like to be this free.
Long before I want to, I force myself to refocus on scouting.
The terrain below me is exactly as I noted earlier. Rolling hills covered in moss and heather, barren and empty as far as I can see. The wind is much colder up here, and while it doesn’t affect my dragon’s ability to stay warm, it tells me the climate is not a gentle one. Snow covers the mountain peaks in the distance with a narrow plume of smoke curling up from one of the crevices, but it’s too far for me to venture without Mag.
