Page 20 of The Arrival of the Dragons

The reporters were acting as if this was a game! Hadn’t what happened at the Gash shown them that Dragons fighting over the city was dangerous atbest, and likely to be deadly too? He could almost hear Rose’s voice in his head saying, “It happened to people in the Below, and you know that no one cares about the people who live there.” And, it seemed that was true. Memories were short, or so it seemed.

All of the reporters had returned to the park, despite threat of arrest--though it didn’t appear that the police chief was going to arrest them quite at that minute--and were filming avidly. Many had approached Eldoron and the Gold Dragon was posing for the cameras.

But soon all cameras were focused on the Black Dragon as Raziel landed with a boom about fifty feet away. More grass was torn up, and Caden winced. If he and Iolaire hadn’t come to the park none of this would have happened. The reporters scuttled backwards as Raziel approached Eldoron, tail swinging and eyes narrowed menacingly. Iolaire hooted softly, indicating that it would not have wanted to have such a look given to it. Caden agreed.

The Black Dragon circled the Gold Dragon with slow, powerful, deliberate strides. Raziel never took those sulfurous red eyes off of Eldoron. For its part, Eldoron fussed with its wings and cleaned a pristine part of its scales with its tongue, trying for all the world to seem unconcerned. But one thing that Caden noticed was that Eldoron did not look into Raziel’s eyes. In fact, it lowered its head when Raziel stopped directly in front of it and stared. This show of submission defused the situation.

“Tensions have abruptly abated as Eldoron showed proper respect to Raziel,” one of the reporters said into the camera. “Oh, look, they’re shifting!”

Both Raziel and Eldoron disappeared in a moment and two men were standing there on the ripped up grass. Tezcacoatl was a handsome man with dark copper skin and long black hair that hung in a sheet to his mid-back. He had golden brown eyes that were alight with intelligence and humor. He was beaming at the cameras, at Valerius and, most especially, at Iolaire. Iolaire shuffled their feet and drew their tail, rather cat-like, around their feet.

The whole park was now lit up by the camera lights as reporters swarmed around Valerius and Tezcacoatl. It was still amusing to Caden to watch Valerius be on camera nude and yet seem as comfortable and kingly as if he were dressed in silk and leather. Tezcacoatl was making poses so that his magnificent physique was shown off to its best. Reporters began to shout questions at them both.

“Dragon King Valerius, you’ve had two other Dragons fly overyourcapital city, how do you feel about that?” a female reporter with red hair asked.

Valerius stared at her so long without answering that the microphone she’d thrust towards him started to wobble a little bit. Tezcacoatl saved her as he threw one arm around Valerius’ shoulders, beaming. He was over a head shorter than Valerius and built more stockily, but he managed to yank Valerius towards him in this one-armed hug.

His sunny, Mexican accent made him seem even more charming as he said, “I am certain that Valerius is quite annoyed with me! But how could I help myself from flying over his magnificent city? Especially when the newest member of our tribe has arrived!”

Tezcacoatl pointed at Iolaire and all the cameras swung over to the White Dragon. Iolaire blinked as the lights blasted into its eyes and drew hid its head in one wing, which made it, evidently, appear shy. There were audible “awwwwwws” that had Iolaire hiding even more.

The police chief chuckled. “You’re a little too big to hide, Iolaire.”

“Iolaire doesn’t like media attention. It likespeople’sattention,” Tilly said loyally and kissed Iolaire’s neck.

Iolaire chirped at her words and the kiss.

“This is your first time in Reach in many years, Dragon King Tezcacoatl. How does it feel to be back?” a male reporter with a quivering mustache asked.

“Most excellent!” Tezcacoatl put a large hand against his chest. “Though I always miss my magnificent Mexico City!”

“This will be the first time that all of the Dragon Shifters will be in one place since the war,” a dark-haired female reporter with cheeks as pale as milk stated. “Will you be speaking of the threats to this world from expansionist policies like Dragon Queen Mei’s?”

Valerius stated simply, “Nothing is off the table.”

“And what of the growing unrest with Humans First all over the world? Why haven’t you met before now to discuss that?” the reporter pressed.

“Merely because we are not physically in the same place, dear lady,” Tezcacoatl said, “does not mean we do not speak regularly.”

“Will all the Dragon Shifters be on the Shifter Council that you’ve started, King Valerius?” another reporter shouted.

“That is still in its planning stages,” Valerius answered.

“Did you have any fears in coming here, King Tezcacoatl, considering the bombings that have taken place in Reach?” another reporter shouted from the back. “Not for yourself, obviously, but for your human attendants.”

Caden remembered that, unlike many Dragon Shifters, all of Tezcacoatl’s attendants were human. They also all came from poor families. He paid for everything for them and their relatives including schooling, room and board and anything one could imagine.

Tezcacoatl, who had not let go of Valerius, despite Valerius just standing there like a piece of stone, squeezed him again and said, “Absolutely not! I have great faith in Valerius and his very brave Claw and the police!” His expression hardened somewhat as he added, “To those of you who are choosing violent methods to support your cause, know that you are doing more damage to the people you claim to care for than those who do not share your position! And for those of you who feel disenfranchised and left out, know that you are not alone! But violence where innocents are maimed, injured or even killed is not the answer!”

Caden felt a tiny bit of liking Tezcacoatl for those words. Though they were a little ironic considering what he did to those mine owners. But then again the mine owners hadnotbeen innocent like the people in the square or even those at the Humans First meeting.

Based upon the questions so far, Caden was beginning to relax. There was nothing about him or mating or anything crazy like that in the questions or answers. In fact, he felt quite ignored, which was good. But then he heard the next question and realized he’d let his guard down too soon.

“So are you here to court Iolaire as well, Dragon King Tezcacoatl? After all, Dragon King Illarion has made his typical bold statements that Iolaire is his mate,” another female reporter--this one with a bob of blonde hair--asked the visiting Gold Dragon King.

Caden saw the tension spread through Valerius as this question was asked. Caden tried to touch his mind, but it was locked very tight.

Oh, boy, he’s so mad at us, Iolaire!

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