Dragon Riders of Etrea—Chapter 31

It took them two days to get back to the dragon’s lair. 

After suffering such grevious wounds, both Rasud and Henrik were left weak. A good night’s sleep helped; Tossyth was gracious enough to stand watch over them. Henrik tore off his blood-soaked clothes and to his surprise, Anslie laid with him on his bedroll. She didn’t say anything about it and he didn’t ask her.

They kept their horses at an easy pace the first day. The poor animals had been terrified the entire fight, doubly so when the dragon arrived. They wanted to run anytime the great beast showed up, so Tossyth had to stay away from their party.

That night Anslie once again slept next to Henrik. He wanted to ask her why; there was something in the way she looked at him. Equal parts admiration and fear. Henrik didn’t like seeing fear in a woman’s eyes; it just sat wrong with him. He asked her about it and she promised she would tell him once they got back home. After that, she surprised him by kissing him.

The next night, Anslie slept next to him much the same. She was a peaceful sleeper, not tossing or turning. She stripped down to a long shirt that covered her to the tops of her thighs and laid her head on Henrik’s shoulder. Her pale breasts were full and round, with soft pink nipples that just showed through the fabric. He couldn’t help his body’s reaction to her stunning beauty.

Anslie noticed it, though. She looked down at his crotch for a moment before speaking. “Not yet,” was all she said.

She rode Tossyth while Henrik, Rasud, and Shel stayed on their horses. When they entered the foothills, Henrik finally began to feel like this adventure was coming to an end.

“This is going to sound strange,” Henrik said as he rode next to Rasud. “But the dragons are somehow linked to my temper, I think.”

“You said dragons,” Rasud replied. “Plural.”

“I’m not sure,” Henrik said. “There is something about the egg. If I touch it, it feels like something trying to enter my mind. It’s the same feeling I got when I went into a rage the other night.”

“Please don’t ever do that again,” Shel said. She didn’t meet his eyes. “You should have died, Henrik. I have seen many men take wounds in battle, but I have never seen anyone take as many blades as you and keep fighting. It’s not normal. Twice I’ve seen you do this, now.”

“My friend Henrik is far from normal,” Rasud said with some of his old charm, but he eyed Henrik warily. “Are you okay, though?”

“I’m fine now,” Henrik replied. “Anslie said she would explain more when we got back to the dragon’s lair.”

“I’m curious what’s going on,” Rasud said. “Your temper has gotten worse since we came out here.”

Henrik just watched the horizon. He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t understand it either.

They finally arrived at the mountain later that day. Their horses navigated the path up the draw and Henrik waited with the others on the plateau in front of the dragon’s cave. It dawned on him that the dragon would scare the horses away.

As if thinking of her called her near, Tossyth flew overhead. Henrik looked up and saw Anslie pointing with her sword. He followed her eyes and saw a cut in the towering stone walls surrounding them.

“This way,” Henrik said, steering his horse towards the gap.

Shel and Rasud followed him past the cave. Henrik passed through the narrow path in the mountain walls, just wide enough for him on a horse. Twenty feet later, he entered paradise.

That was the only word for it. Their horses stepped onto a field of low grass and clover that spread two hundred feet in front of him, possibly more. A small stone house had been built against the mountain to his left, with a large garden next to it. A small waterfall fell into a shallow pool, then ran off in a small, crystal-clear stream through the center of the land. Several fruit trees flanked the garden.

“By the gods, is that an apple tree?” Rasud asked. His eyes widened in excitement. “Shel, you are not going to believe how delicious these things are.”

Moments later, Anslie walked through the narrow gap in the mountain. She held her breastplate in one hand as she walked toward the house. Henrik met her eyes and she pointed toward the house.

After untacking the horses, they let them roam free. The horses were grateful for the grass and clover. Rasud pulled Shel toward the trees, practically tripping with excitement.

“They are! Apple trees! Oh, you are in for a treat, my dear.”

Anslie motioned for Henrik to follow her into the house.

It was a simple cottage, with everything having a purpose. Henrik sat in a chair, and Anslie poured him a drink. Henrik accepted the clay cup and took a sip.

“What is this?” he asked.

“It’s from the apples,” she replied. “It’s called cider.” She poured herself a cup, then sat in a chair next to Henrik. She hesitated for a moment, then reached out and took his massive hand in hers.

“Are you ready to tell me what’s going on?” Henrik asked.

“Yes,” she said, choosing her words carefully. “I’m not even sure where to start, so I’ll give you a bit of history. We have three dragons, and as I told you before, they are as old as time itself. They have watched the land change over countless centuries. Every so often, a girl is born and something about her is special. The dragons sense it immediately, and once we are old enough, they call us.”

“Wait,” Henrik said. “Are you saying Tossyth called you to her when you became a woman?”

Anslie nodded. “I am from Peralta, originally. I felt her call when I was fifteen, and left everything behind. I took what food and water I could carry and walked straight here.”

“How did you make it?” Henrik said. “Even I would struggle on a journey like that.”

“Tossyth gave me strength,” she replied. “But the truth is sometimes the women don’t make it. The dragon’s don’t always have someone bound to them.”

“You keep saying women,” Henrik said. 

“Yes, that’s because women bond with dragons,” Anslie said. “Only women.” She took a sip of her drink and looked over at Henrik. “Except you, and that’s the problem.”

Henrik frowned and stared at her for a moment. “I felt something enter my mind when I touched the dragon egg,” he said.

Anslie sighed. “Tossyth is good. “So are Annasta and Cazeth. Emyss, however….”

Henrik waited for her to finish. “Who is Emyss?”

“I’m sure word has reached your ears of what happened to the city of Peralta.”

Henrik nodded. “They say one of the snow dragons woke and attacked the city. He melted stone and set buildings aflame, killing tens of thousands of people.”

Anslie looked at him for a moment. “That’s Emyss. There is something you need to understand about the snow dragons, Henrik. They aren’t necessarily evil by nature, but they aren’t good. They’re chaotic, violent, and strong, often overpowering. Your temper?”

Henrik sighed. “Yes, I know. It’s a problem.”

“That comes from a snow dragon,” she said. “From the egg, actually.”

Henrik blinked. “Wait. I started to have problems with my temper around ten years ago.”

“Dragon souls come before the egg,” Anslie said. “When the dragon’s soul was born, that was when you started to have problems with your temper. As you grew older, the dragon’s soul became stronger. Your temper grew worse. Now that the egg has been laid, your temper has probably been borderline out of control.”

Henrik paused, then nodded. He didn’t like admitting to losing control, but the truth was important here.

Anslie took a deep breath. “There are three of us. Myself, Isobel, and Meriel. All of us are bound to our dragons. We have to make sure you follow the right path.”

“What?” Henrik asked. “I’m sorry Anslie, but I’m not following you.”

“No, I’m sorry,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s a lot, I know.” She paused and took another drink of her cider as if afraid to talk. “The snow dragons are born from our dragons. Our dragons are female; the snow dragons are male. They are often angry and violent; when they bind with a man, they will overpower your mind and completely dominate you.”

“No,” Henrik said. “No one controls me except me.”

“I don’t think you understand the willpower of a dragon,” she said. “And how rare this is. A snow dragon is only born once every thousand or so years. I wish they were never born.”

“So this Emyss is a thousand years old or more? What is so bad about them? Is it just their aggressive nature?” Henrik asked.

Anslie looked haunted as she watched Henrik. “Women are creators, men are destroyers. It’s the same with dragons. The dragon that destroyed the city of Peralta was a snow dragon. Tossyth laid an egg, and within it is another snow dragon. And that snow dragon has chosen you to bind its soul to.”

Henrik frowned. “So, what does that mean for me?”

“Imagine if your temper flared all day,” she said. “That is the usual fate of a man that finds himself bound to a snow dragon. You will become incredibly powerful, and if history repeats itself, you will become a tyrant.”

Henrik stared at her. A tyrant? “No,” he said. 

“Your only hope is if we can save you,” Anslie said. She reached out and placed her hand on his arm. “All three of us. We are yours, now. We are what stands between you and the possible destruction of all the land. Tossyth tells me you are the strongest she has ever met. That could be incredibly good, or equally as bad.”

“This keeps getting deeper, and I’m still not following everything,” Henrik said.

“I’m sorry, there’s just so much to tell,” Anslie said, squeezing his arm. “Are you a good man, Henrik? I believe you are. But deep down, are you? Do you believe in compassion? Kindness? Charity?”

Henrik nodded. “I make my living stealing and I’ve put my share of men into the ground. But I give money to an orphanage every month and I try to help when I can.”

Anslie sighed. “The problem is that there is already a snow dragon. Emyss is old, not as old as my girl but more than two thousand years old. He is old, bitter, and angry. There is something about snow dragons you should know; there can be only one in the land.”

Henrik thought about that. The egg supposedly contained another snow dragon. “So, will this Emyss come for the egg?”

Anslie nodded. “Once it hatches, Emyss will sense its presence. It might take him some time to find the young dragon—months, even years if we’re lucky—but he will come for him and try to kill him. Snow dragons won’t allow another snow dragon to be anywhere near them. They are fiercely territorial and will stop at nothing to kill another snow dragon. Sometimes the other dragon will simply leave, but it must travel far away, far enough that the two will never again meet.”

“And this is what my soul is bound to?” Henrik asked.

“Now you start to see part of the problem,” Anslie said. “Emyss will kill your dragon, and then he will bind himself to you. I don’t think you understand how that will affect you—your temper will be absolutely out of control. You and Emyss will raze the land, and no one will be able to stop you.”

“Not even your dragon?” Henrik asked. 

Anslie sighed, then shook her head. “Snow dragons are special. Only they can breathe fire. They are the strongest, but also the rarest of dragons. And the most dangerous.” She looked at Henrik again. “You will either become a tyrant and a destroyer of nations, or a great champion and defender of what is right. But as I said, if history repeats itself, you will become a tyrant. You will be the death of us all. It has been a long time since a snow dragon has bound himself to a man, and you are especially powerful. This egg is possibly the most powerful snow dragon ever born.”

Henrik thought on that for a moment. It wasn’t every day that a man learned he might end the world. “What can I do?”

“Stay strong,” she said. “You survived wounds that would have killed anyone else. I believe in you, Henrik.” She took a deep breath, then looked at him again, but this time differently. There was warmth in her gaze. “Have you ever known the love of a woman, Henrik?”

Henrik couldn’t help but chuckle. “Hundreds of times.”

Anslie shook her head. “I don’t mean the warmth between a woman’s thighs. Has a woman ever loved you?”

Henrik frowned. He couldn’t remember any time that had ever happened. “My mother, but I was torn from her grasp when I was young. I generally avoid trying to develop feelings for anyone.”

Anslie set her cup down on a nearby table, then sat still for a moment. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then stood and walked over to Henrik. “It is up to us, the dragon riders, to keep you from becoming a tyrant. We have to make sure you know what love is.”

And then, surprising Henrik, she crawled onto his lap, her knees on each side of his hips. Many times he had experienced a woman in that same position, but this time it was different.

Anslie looked down at him, her bright blue eyes staring into his black ones. “We have to learn to love each other, Henrik. If we don’t, all of humanity is doomed. No one will be able to stop you.” She paused for a moment, then leaned down and kissed him.

Henrik was surprised, but recovered quickly. Anslie’s blonde hair fell around them, encapsulating them. Her lips were incredibly soft, as was her tongue. There was a certain hesitation in her actions, as if she knew what to do, but had never done it.

She pulled back for a moment, looking down at Henrik’s body. “I’m sorry if I’m rushing things,” she said. “I want to, but I’ve never….” She reached down and pulled at the laces on the front of his pants.

Henrik tore at his pants, breaking one of the laces in his attempt to get them off as quickly as possible. Anslie slid off him and stood, unlacing her own. She began pushing them over her hips, then looked at him for a moment. She turned to the side and peeled them over her impressively round bottom. Henrik just stared. He had been with many women, but had never even seen a woman as beautiful as Anslie. It was no wonder the dragon chose her. She was perfect.

She bent over as she pushed her pants down to her ankles, then kicked them off. One pant leg caught on her foot and she tripped, but Henrik reached out and caught her. They both laughed, but she blushed to her hairline.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I just—I want to make sure—”

“It’s okay,” Henrik said. “Take a deep breath and relax.”

He reached out for her and Anslie slipped her hand into his. Still sitting on the large chair, he pulled her to him. She straddled him again, her hot wetness pressing against his erection. Henrik grabbed the bottom edge of her shirt and helped her pull it over her head.

Her breasts were perfectly pear-shaped, each topped with a pink nipple. Henrik reached out and grabbed onto them, but Anslie grabbed onto his shirt.

Together they practically tore off Henrik’s shirt. Anslie sat there for a moment, staring at him while her fingers traced over the scars crossing his chest. Her face looked incredibly sad as she moved her finger across a thick line that went across his ribs.

“So much pain,” she whispered. “How can you stand it all?”

Henrik shrugged. “That’s just been my life. I’ve never known anything else.”

Anslie shook her head. “No. From now on, you shall know peace. Peace, love, and happiness.” She reached down and held his head against her chest, not quite realizing that she was pressing Henrik’s face against her rather substantial breasts.

Henrik just smiled and enjoyed it.

“I will be good to you,” Anslie said, still holding him. “We all will. You have my word.” She looked down at him again, giving him that same thoughtful look she did so often. After another pause, she bent down and kissed him.

Henrik’s hands went to her slender waist, then slid down to the curves of her hips. He held her in place for a moment, then let one hand trail around to the front of her. His first finger gently slid past the fine hair between her legs and rubbed against her soft folds. She was surprisingly warm and wet already.

“Please,” she said against his lips. “I’m ready.”

Henrik licked his fingers, then rubbed the saliva on the head of his erection. Anslie lifted herself up and Henrik aligned himself with her. She sank down on him with her eyes closed, working her hips up and down, taking a little bit more each time.

Henrik knew this was her first time, so he went slowly. His hands moved up to her full breasts and he gently squeezed them, then pinched her nipples as he thrust his hips upward.

Anslie finally took his full length and sat there for a moment, her round bottom resting on his lap. She took a deep breath, her eyes closed, then leaned forward to kiss him.

Henrik met her kiss with one of his own, gentle, while his hands roamed her body. Her tongue pressed against his and his hands gripped her waist, sliding her up and down his full length. She let out a soft moan against his mouth, then leaned her forehead against his. She looked down and watched Henrik’s swollen shaft penetrating her.

“I never knew it was like this,” she said breathily. She leaned forward and kissed him again, then straightened up.

Henrik leaned forward and kissed his way up the side of one of her breasts, then focused on her nipple. Anslie worked her hips up and down while Henrik licked around her areola, then gently bit her nipple. Anslie gasped, but pressed her chest against him. Henrik brought both hands up and grabbed onto her large breasts, squeezing them as he took turns sucking on each nipple.

Whatever Anslie lacked in experience she more than made up for with enthusiasm. While Henrik sucked on her nipples she picked up the pace, and was soon riding him hard and fast. She reached down and grabbed onto him, holding his head tightly against her breasts.

“Oh, please don’t stop,” she said, bouncing up and down on his lap.

Henrik kept his mouth on her breasts and let his hands move down to her ass, which he grabbed tightly. Using his grip on that perfect bottom of hers, he moved her up and down hard and fast, giving her his full length each time.

“Oh!” Anslie cried out, almost as if she couldn’t contain herself. “Oh, Henrik!”

It had been nearly two weeks since Henrik had been with anyone, so he found himself racing close to the finish. His fingers dug into her round ass cheeks and he roared like a wild animal as he shot his seed deep inside her. Anslie moaned with him, working her hips up and down, eager to finish him off properly.

“Oh, by the gods that was amazing,” she said, sitting on his lap with him still inside her. She leaned forward and kissed him, her hand against his stubbly jaw.

Henrik had no words. Being inside her was like being inside pure happiness. It was somehow pleasing not just to his body, but to his mind.

Anslie finally broke their kiss and held his face against her chest again. Henrik decided that was his new favorite place to be.

“Just relax,” she said quietly. “Relax and let me learn to care for you. I will teach you love no matter what it takes.”

Henrik just smiled and wrapped his arms around her. There was peace within her embrace, in a way he had never before experienced. 

According to Anslie, there were two more women, dragon riders, that would also be treating him this way. He had never navigated love with a woman before, much less with three, but he’d figure it out. The fate of the world depended on it, she said. That was enough to stress a man out, but he just focused on the angel within his arms.

“Oh, these apples are amazing!” Rasud shouted from outside.

The end