Page 112 of The Last Slayer
Kenji hove into view with his depleted guard of wyverns. “Are you all right?” he asked, looking at my head injury. He himself was drenched in blood but seemed unharmed.
“I think so. Just a little bruising and bleeding.”
He nodded in satisfaction. “Improves the character.”
“How did you learn to sing like that?” Ramiel said.
I unconsciously put a hand to my chest. “It wasn’t me. It was Leh’s voice.” I took a deep breath, looking down to search for my dragonhold. “Can we enter Eastvale now?”
The area wasn’t an undeveloped patch of land, not inside the barrier. It boasted a vast stretch of lush green valleys, cliffs and rivers, some now running red with freshly spilled blood. In the center I saw a large, semi-spherical gray structure. No dragon went near it.
I didn’t know what to think of the building. I hoped it wasn’t Eastvale. It looked like half a brain.
Ramiel and Kenji let out a series of shrill whistles. The battle formation around us transformed into a processional one, albeit with sentries posted in case of a follow-up attack.
And just like that, my first battle as a dragonlady was over.
***
The wyverns of Besade and Higashiro hovered above us in the pelting gray sky. The ground units had gathered around. God, did they reek. But then so did I. We all needed hot showers, pronto.
Ramiel, Kenji and I stood in front of the gray…thing…that was supposedly my dragonhold. It looked imposing from this angle, at least ten stories high. I ran my hand over the wall. It was cold, hard and unresponsive, not even a tingle of magic coming through. I didn’t see anything that looked like a keyhole…not that I had a key. I took a several step back and stared up at it. Now what?
Since I’d turned twenty-seven, two wyrms had attacked me, and I had nearly been killed by Nathanael twice. My mother had put her life on the line trying to protect me from him. Nahemah had tried to take my heartstone, almost killed me, and I’d slain her fairy dragon as well as her agent—although admittedly Andersen had been unintentional. If that wasn’t enough, I’d had to give up my comfortable mortal life. And all for this unresponsive gray thing? For a frickin’ bunker?
I ran up to it and slapped my palm against the wall. “Let me in!” The rain was still beating down hard, and I didn’t appreciate being stuck outside. Damn it, I wanted hot baths and food for everyone.
When there was no answer, I took a step back and glared at it. Nobody was inside? Hello? Was I about to inherit a dragonhold that was not only ugly but deserted as well? I kicked the thing, and the wyvern on my armor squeaked.
“I don’t want to hear it,” I snapped. The dragon slunk away toward my back with its head lowered.
I was about to apologize to my armor when something in my peripheral vision caught my attention. The wall shimmered and started flaking off like old paint. Chunks of the structure disappeared, melting away like ice on a hot desert rock. Maybe I’d kicked it too hard or something. I wondered if the dragonhold was getting angry. We probably outnumbered whatever was inside Eastvale, but I didn’t want to fight anyone who was supposed to be playing for my team.
The last layer of the wall vanished, revealing a small group of Gorgons on the other side. Their serpentine hair coiled and twisted, thousands of tiny red eyes focused on me. Thank god they didn’t turn me into stone. One of them opened her mouth, revealing needle-sharp teeth and a triple-forked tongue.
I did my best to keep my expression neutral. It was almost as bad as my meeting with Leh, although in a completely different way.
“Welcome, Lady Ashera.” The Gorgon knelt. “I am Vera, Protectoress of Eastvale.”
The rest followed suit. Their light golden armor clinked as they sank to the ground. I let out the breath I’d been holding. This was more like it.
“Thank you,” I said. Maybe they looked that horrific because Eastvale had been masterless. Dragonladies provide magic to sustain everyone under their protection, as well as the holds themselves.
Vera peered at me. Her eyes had horizontal bars for pupils, like a goat’s. “Do our looks offend you, milady?”
Was she kidding? Her tone was so flat I wasn’t sure what to make of her question. “Ah…of course not.”
Amusement lightened her expression, turning her skin the color of fresh ashes. She rose to her feet, and the rest followed.
It was time to take control of the situation. I stepped forward. “I want to know why you didn’t come help me during the battle.” As the protectors of Eastvale they could’ve done some serious damage to Nathanael and Semangelaf and their dragons.
Vera looked puzzled. “You didn’t command it, milady.”
“How could I command it when I wasn’t even here?”
“You could not.” The other Gorgons nodded in agreement.
“Then you should have come to help.”
