The market was noisy and huge,
and intensely claustrophobic. Voices shouted in a variety of
languages, scents clouded the still air, and shoppers jostled each
other as they moved from stall to stall. Pickpockets tried to blend
in by shouting too, or being too small to see.
Morrigana stood beside her
husband-father, wondering in passing what it would be like to light
the market on fire. Not that she would; she simply wondered. Such
narrow aisles, and so many people packed together, and no protection
against dragonfire. It would be glorious.
Shalafae took her hand. He was
going as Ulrich, a new name while they waited between raising
empires. Different names, but always the Shalafae. As if people
would forget him because he's no longer Alzair, or Ulrin, or Ahlik.
He chuckled, lifting her hand
to kiss it. "Because we had better things to deal with."
The hybrid scoffed, eyes
passing over gold and diamonds and other trinkets. None of them
caught her interest, all made of materials that didn't suit them. The
sooner they got to the silver section, the sooner she might find
something she wanted.
The very idea of shopping was
unique. Dragon clans took what they wanted, as had the Shalafaes.
Gifts were given, and if they wanted something, it was claimed as
tribute. Exchanging money for goods intrigued her.
There were so many goods to
choose from. There were small stalls, big booths, and even some
enclosed shops, just on this aisle alone. Uncut gems and raw metal
were sold next to finished pieces of exquisite design. Some vendors
barked their wares at the top of their lungs, others used
refreshments to entice customers.
In the aisle, people hawked
related wares from a pack or a pole. Dresses, vests, belts, or
anything jewels might look good with. Someone had fresh sugary
pastries, and Ulrich bought her one.
"This whole place is
amazing," she said with a smile, stuffing her face. "How
does anyone get anything with all this noise though?"
"That's half the
strategy," he replied, pulling her toward a tray of armor rings.
"People are irritated by the noise, and don't want to spend the
time haggling." He lifted a moonsilver raven's skull set with
onyx eyes, and tried it on. "Plus it covers the sound of the
thieves."
Morrigana caught his warning,
and grabbed the grimy little hand that reached for the pouch on her
hip. Her money was safe, but the cutpurses and ragamuffins needed to
know that. She gave the hand a squeeze and tossed it away, all
without looking. The princess didn't even know if the thief was boy
or girl, adult or child.
Ulrich put the ring back, and
they moved into the next stall. "This is something one doesn't
always have time for when warring or running on empire." He
rested a hand on her hip as she bent to stare at minuscule gemmed
earrings. "I'm glad I have you to share it with."
She stood up, holding a tiny
pair of obsidian earrings. "I'm glad too." Morrigana gave
him a peck of a kiss, holding her find close. "They're
Takishidar symbols."
"Then you must have them."
Shalafae paid, and Morrigana put her new studs in, gleeful as any
nestling learning to fly. Who'd have thought she would find the mark
of her clan at a bazaar? Her father had things crafted for her all
the time, but this was different.
Life seemed different when one
was no longer an empress or an active assassin.
They stepped back into the
aisles, Ulrich's arm around her waist. "Even after this long
together, you still surprise me with your joy." He kissed her
neck.
Morri blushed, turning to kiss
his mouth. "I love you." She had enough memories from
Revkah to know just how rare this love of his was.
They continued to peruse, hand
in hand, giddy like any young lovers. Gawking and browsing, they
appeared as a happily married couple, not two of the most dangerous
beings in the universe.
Something squeaked, jumping to
Morrigana's arm. Sharp claws clung to her shirt, and she cried out in
surprise. Looking down, the hybrid met the glittering eyes of a
strange little creature.
play?
Empathic powers reacted to the
creature, interpreting its actions and questions. A furry face with
long feelers, and two little antlers running back from its skull were
made all the cuter by large tawny eyes. Whatever it - no, she - was,
she was adorable.
play play play
She wound around Morrigana's
arm to her neck, sinuous and loose like a ferret made of snake.
Little talons clung, assisting the creature in climbing. The woman
couldn't help but laugh and giggle, tickled by a wuffly nose.
"I apologize for my
loung," a wizened old man said, standing near them.
Ulrich bristled, hand clenching around a hilt that wasn't there.
Morrigana was too busy with the young creature to care. "She is
terribly curious."
"I've never encountered
one," Shalafae said, meeting his daughter's eyes. She grinned,
tickling the loung, eliciting helpless squeaks and chitters.
love comfort sibling
"They're a rare creature.
A new life, Dread Lord." The old man bobbed his head, wringing
his hands, recognizing the couple. Most chose to forget them as soon
as possible. "Loung live in a few isolated realms."
"How did you get one
then?" Morri asked, the loung snuzzling into her arms.
"They are from my realm. I
always keep one of my Snowdream's babies with me to remind me of
home." He reached out to touch the creature, watching Ulrich's
movements from the corner of his eye.
~I want one,~ Morri said
telepathically.
~Isn't your coterie enough
of a pet?~ he retorted, offering his hand to the curious
creature.
play smell nice yummy
She snorted mentally, running
fingers through the ruff of fur down the loung's back. ~No.
I want one of these.~ Morrigana laughed as the creature spun and
wriggled, exposing her scaly belly. ~I want dozens of them.~
Morri thought of lots of long bodies poinging and springing, their
lacy leg hairs flowing, nipping each other's feelers, sparring with
their little antlers.
"Where do I get one for
her?" Ulrich sounded resigned, though she knew he loved spoiling
her. Morri gave him a mental kiss, sniffing the loung.
The old man's eyes widened
for a brief instant, then he lowered his gaze. "I could not give
any of my lovely's children away."
"You don't have to give me
this one," Shalafae said lowly, "but you do have to tell me
where to find them so she may pick her own." His voice was
dangerous, the way he'd threatened enemies of his empire. Morri
blushed, remembering the thrill of those days.
"Is that wise, Dread
Lord?" He kept his eyes down.
Morrigana stiffened, surprised
by the insolence of the old man. "Tell us now." The loung
yelped at her growl, leaping away from the hybrid. scary no eat
"As you wish," he
said, bowing. "May you have happy hunting."
Giggling, Morri threw herself
into her husband-father's arms. "I'm gonna have a loung!"
Shalafae smiled endearingly back at her, his eyes sparkling. She knew
he lived for her smile and happiness.
They obtained the location,
suited up for mountain terrain, and left within the hour. Shalafae
controlled the travel, taking them quickly through dimensions to the
home of the loung.
"It's beautiful,"
Morri whispered, taking in the vista. Craggy mountains rose in long
chains, from horizon to horizon, covered in snow and evergreens. The
sky was a crisp blue, patches of thin clouds crossing it. "Too
cold, though," the hybrid said with a shiver.
Shalafae drew a deep breath of
the brisk air. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Morri glared in mock anger.
"You're not the scaly one."
He teased back. "We could
leave without a loung."
"Not hardly."
Morrigana sprouted wings, and threw herself into the thin air. The
sun was warm on exposed skin, but any place shaded was instantly
cold. The half-dragon shuddered from head to toe. The sooner she got
some new pets, the better.
He said they like caves.
Especially the little ones. Sharp eyes searched the mountainsides
for likely homes. The thick evergreens provided cover, and the snow
blanketed open stone. No cave in sight. Morri broadened her
search, letting her father know through their bond.
Passing over the crest of a
mountain, she studied the shadows, reaching out for loung.
There was plenty of life, but nothing like the little creatures.
Senses alerted her to danger,
and Morrigana tucked into a dive to her left. A roar came from below,
and an enormous loung burst from a snowfield. She was faster
than it, easily avoiding snarling jaws.
murder protect
Morri completed a roll, turning
her dive into a rise, slamming into the big male. They both grunted
from the force. He twisted in the air, flying without wings, hot
breath wrapping around her.
protect save kill
She most certainly didn't want
to kill him. He was a father protecting his brood, and she was
the thieving interloper. Morrigana just needed to get him down, and
out of the way until they were done.
Ulrich appeared beneath her in
a blaze of power. Dodging a swipe from the loung, she couldn't
suppress a smile. Two fathers, defending their children, both
willing to kill.
~Find the babies. I'll
distract him,~ Morri sent. She kicked the loung in the
snout, dodging another bite. He was big, four times longer than she
in dragon form, though not as large as her clanmates. In spite of his
ferocious thoughts, the hybrid had no real sense of danger from him.
Almost as if killing weren't in his nature.
Two more loung roars
echoed on the mountainside. ~Someone else is here,~ Shalafae
said, raising shields.
Before she could ask why they
weren't leaving, she felt the stranger's murderous intent. They were
close, controlling the loung, wishing death upon the
Shalafaes.
Morrigana laughed. No one could
kill the Shalafaes, even with adorably vicious creatures. The
assassin added her shields to her father's, extending her senses.
All the while she dodged and wove around the big male, heart racing
with exhilaration.
Shalafae reached out with
power, summoning their antagonist. Morri glanced down, saw the old
man from the market. She glared, hovering, angered. Then she had to
avoid an attack, keeping her mind on business.
kill kill kill Two more
loung joined, swimming through the air. But now she could tell
they weren't doing it, that the antlered creatures weren't really out
for her blood. While her father dealt with the old man, she worked on
breaking the loung free.
The former emperor was laughing
to himself. "Very good plan, using my affection for my daughter
against me. I should have listened to my instincts."
"You wouldn't have known,"
the old man hissed. "I planned for years and years."
Morrigana wove intricate loops
around the three loung, trying to use them against each other.
They were agile, more than dexterous enough to avoid mid-air
collisions. The link between them and their master was well-hidden,
obscured to her seeking senses.
The drama below continued to
play out, echoing through her father's link.
"Years are not enough,
little man. Centuries are barely long enough to out-plan me."
Shalafae's voice was low, icier than the air. Someone had dared hurt
his child, and they would suffer.
The old man laughed, the sound
rolling across the clearing. "How little you realize. Snowdream
shall end you both."
Snow creaked, trees shook, and
the three loung paused in mid-flight. Unbridled rage filled
the area, drying Morrigana's mouth. Such was the strength of emotion
that the hybrid's own bloodlust rose in response.
The entire clearing surged,
revealing what had to be Snowdream. The queen loung was twice
the size of the others, with features none other had; she had wings.
Morri hissed, staring at
Snowdream. She has drake blood. Anger rose in the hybrid,
focused on the little man who'd tried to kill them.
He laughed, clapping his hands
together, barely keeping his feet as Snowdream shook the last of the
snow from her fur and scales. "My little baby was just a
hatchling when I found her. She'd slipped through realms during some
stupid war." He glared at each of the Shalafaes. "Orphaned,
dying, she wouldn't have made it without me."
Her father crossed his arms.
"So you bred a mutation to kill us?" The old man nodded,
Snowdream looming over him. "Brilliant."
Morrigana had been distracted
by the progenitor loung. The offspring swarmed the hybrid,
biting and clawing. Her shields were strong, and she wasn"t
wounded, but she was caught in a prison of teeth. kill kill kill
Snowdream echoed their
thoughts, roaring with a tortured voice. kill them kill them kill
them all She was closer to sentience than the younger
generations, thus had a vague understanding that something was wrong.
Her reaction allowed Morrigana
to find the connection to the rest of the loung. The old man
wasn't controlling them, just their queen. If she could be freed,
they would be as well.
As soon as Morri knew it,
Ulrich knew it. While she struggled to escape, he acted.
Snowdream was slow, sluggish
from sleep. She loomed over Ulrich, snarling and threatening, but not
attacking. That delay cost her master his life.
He might be a former emperor,
but Shalafae was not impotent or weak. He hadn't survived to his age
by hesitating. While Snowdream called for murder, Shalafae lunged,
drawing his cursed sword from the aether. Black steel howled as it
plunged into the old man's heart.
Time paused as Stormbringer
devoured a soul. The loung were silent, and the sword sang in
the silence.
play?
Three loung released
Morrigana, nuzzling her, sniffling her closely. play play play
"Looks like you have your
project," Ulrich told his daughter. Morri whole heartedly
agreed.
