Page 4 of Riding My Dragons

My excitement turned to squirms and flinches as I saw how this thing was actually fought.The two dragon men charged and collided with hard slams of the big, plated scales of their chests against each other, and impacts that I almost thought I could hear over the shouts of the people around me.Their goal was to knock each other down so that one could pin the other.And I actually bit my finger to keep from shouting at the way the two of them thrashed and pounded with their tails against each other’s chest, neck, sides, and legs.To be sure they were both well trained and were used to this kind of punishment, but as a girl sitting there watching, all I could think was, Damn, that’s got to hurt!

They continued thrashing and pounding, and I kept flinching at every blow, until they locked together with arms andnecks pushing against each other.Sucking on my lower lip, I almost thought I could feel the beating, sliding, and pressing of Larcombe’s surly scales and muscles against the noble dragon-ness of Elliot, and I smiled a little bit at the way I was making Larcombe “the enemy,” as if I were a real fan.And perhaps I was Elliot’s fan after all.He’d already been my hero once.I saw Larcombe knock Elliot down, and I let out a gasp and stood up in my seat as the opponent lowered himself against Elliot’s body and held him down!This time I screamed, “Get him, Elliot!Get him!”

Elliot managed to push Larcombe off him, and the two of them stepped back from each other for a moment before charging again.The sight of Larcombe knocking down Elliot a second time and putting himself down hard atop my champion practically made me squeal.But once again Elliot rallied, sending Larcombe reeling back and away.Elliot got back on his feet, and the two of them wheeled around the arena with curling, twitching tails, until they slammed into each other one more time–and this time Elliot got the better of his challenger.He sent Larcombe sprawling down onto his stomach and hurled himself down across the folded wings of his adversary.Larcombe struggled, lifting and twisting his neck, furiously whipping his tail–but Elliot had him!I could tell Larcombe wasn’t getting up!Out of my seat, I jumped up and down, clapping, cheering, screaming for Elliot.The referee counted to ten.Larcombe stayed down with Elliot on top of him the whole time!I waved my arms in the air, shouting and shrieking with vicarious triumph!Elliot was the winner!

_______________

Elliot lived the way you’d expect of a champion athlete.His loft apartment looked like the home of a gorgeous and successful young man.Even though there was no povertyon Tellus because of the abundance that the Ambience had brought, I could still tell that Elliot’s quality of life was above a generous average.The tall, broad open space of the apartment looked like a place where a dragon could spread his wings if he wanted.He had abstract art paintings on the walls and luxurious-looking furniture upholstered in dark suede with area rugs on the hardwood floors.At one end of the combined living and dining area was a window that took up a whole wall and gave a panoramic view of Pendrake City at sunset, with Scaler people in dragon bodies swooping around and Ambience-powered vehicles moving in orderly lines through the air.

After a dinner that Elliot ordered for us, we went and stood at the window, in front of which was a long suede sofa.Standing next to him and looking out at the city, I thought about some things he’d told me while we ate.

“Well,” I said, “even if some of your relatives don’t always approve of some of the company you keep, they should at least be proud of how well you’ve done in your sports.”I frowned slightly.“I already said that, didn’t I?”

”That’s okay,” said Elliot.“It’s true.And like I said before, luckily my parents never actually bought into that.It’s just the way some of my mother’s folks were raised with and taught.They’re kind of orthodox.Some people make a break with how they were brought up.With what you’re studying, you should appreciate that.”He looked over and down at me, his eyes darting to one side as he tried to remember: “What was your major again?”

”Applied Science and Engineering,” I said.

”Right.Well, I can guess some people in science don’t think like their families, do they?”

”Depends on what their families tried to teach them, like you said.”

”Well, I never accepted that old idea about Scalers being the superior species because we have more than one body.It caused too much trouble, got too many people killed, and too much destroyed.You’d think people would grow out of that kind of thinking.People have learned so much better since then, but ideas like that just hang on.”

”They certainly do,” I replied, thinking of some things back home.“People learn so much, but it’s like they unlearn so little.”

Elliot nodded and smiled, understanding perfectly.“There!That!My mother’s folks, some of them could unlearn a thing or two.”

Lord, what a smile he had.The city lights and the stars overhead were sparkling outside, but Elliot’s smile was so much more dazzling.

“You should hear the way some of them talk about humans,” said Elliot.“Or maybe you shouldn’t.”He put on superior, condescending voices for me.“They can’t help themselves.It isn’t their fault that they have just one shape.Having to be in just that one body all the time must be so limiting.That’s just the way they were made; they’re not as fortunate as we are.”He watched me for my reaction.I smiled a polite, bashful kind of smile, and my face felt warm; I must have been blushing.I looked back and forth between him and the view outside.The sympathy on his handsome face was a much better sight.

“Think of living in a world full of people that you see as ‘less’ than you are,” Elliot said.“It’s like Byron said in his speech.How many bodies you have isn’t as important as who you are, what’s in your heart.Don’t you think?”

Softly, I replied, “I think so.”

I felt a sudden warmth against my hand.I looked down and found Elliot brushing one hand against mine.It senta warm little thrill through me.I looked up from our touching hands into his gentle smile.

“You’re nice,” said Elliot.

As he took my hand in his, thrilling me a little more, I replied, “So are you.”

I turned from the window to face him, feeling as if I could just float up into his dark eyes and get lost in them.He pulled me closer to him.Now I was against his torso, with the hard and sculpted muscles under his tight-fitting top.My heartbeat quickened a little.I wondered if he could feel it.Elliot showed me how he felt by leaning down and letting his lips find mine–just a soft touch at first, which startled me with a sudden delight.Oh my God, a reaction raced through my mind, he’s kissing me!

Reflexively, I brought up my arms against his fantastic chest, and he kissed me a little more fully, letting his lips enfold mine and tentatively licking just the tip of his tongue into my mouth.Now the reaction spun around in my head.This is really happening!He’s really kissing me!

Elliot put his arms around me.I felt the warmth of his strong hands on my back, and he kissed me more intently.Our lips slid together, and I found myself sliding my arms around him to return his embrace.I couldn’t believe the feeling that came through that kiss–a feeling of being wanted, of being desired.And not by just any man, but by the most physically incredible man I’d ever seen.It felt so unreal–no, not just unreal.This was better than any reality I had ever known.

The kiss went on, making my head and my senses spin with wonder, until Elliot slipped out of it and left me gazing up at him with dizzy joy.Smiling at me with all the feelings that he’d put into that kiss, he moved his arms from around me and grasped the lower part of his top–and pulled his top up and out of his tight trousers.I watched him with widening eyesand a deep inhale as he pulled his top over his pecs and abs and slipped his arms out of his sleeves and dropped the shirt to the floor.Now Elliot’s chest, the hairy and awesomely muscled chest of a super-hero, was fully exposed.All I could do was gulp.

He dropped his shirt and pulled me close again, and this time there was nothing tentative about his kiss.He kissed me deeply, letting his lips play against mine, flicking his tongue in and out of my mouth.He encircled me with his arms.His strong, grasping hands moved up and down my back.And I returned the embrace, returning his kiss, feeling and clutching the powerful muscles of his own back, surprising myself with my response to him.I seemed to be becoming someone I didn’t recognize, giving myself into this feeling.Who was I now?This willing object of a dragon man’s desire–was I still Jenna Callaway?

The question stabbed through my mind like a bolt of lightning.Gasping with shock–amazement, but shock–I suddenly pulled back from the kiss.Letting my lips leave his and taking myself out of his arms, I felt as if I were shrinking back into a small, safe space, where I didn’t necessarily want to be.But I had to let my thoughts catch up with the rest of me.Bewildered at myself, I looked into Elliot’s eyes and found him as perplexed as I was.

He shook his head at me.“Is something wrong?Did I do something…?”

“No, no, no,” I said, anxiously running a hand through my hair.“It’s not you; no, you didn’t do anything.It’s…I wasn’t…I mean…”

“Jenna, if you didn’t want me to, it’s all right to…”

---