Page 2 of Enchanter of Dragons
“It is no trouble at all.” Jaega scooped Fersen into a cradle hold. He was careful to make sure the jacket preserved Fersen’s modesty.
The suddenness of being so high in the air made Fersen give a startled yelp as he instinctively steadied himself by wrapping his arms around Jaega’s neck. “What are you doing?”
“The castle is not in a state that is safe for a barefoot person to walk. Therefore, I will carry you back to camp.”
Fersen’s cheeks burned with embarrassment. “You don’t have to do that.”
Jaega walked out of the room, carrying Fersen as if he weighed nothing. “Based on the scars under your manacles, you have been held captive for quite some time. That would make it difficult for you to endure the long walk, even if the conditions were ideal.”
Fersen’s cheeks burned with shame. He had spent months in the captivity of King Decius, a scorpion shifter who had kidnapped him to use as a personal sex slave. Every day, he had prayed for death, but somehow, he had found unexpected freedom instead.
As if sensing Fersen’s upset, Jaega hugged him a little tighter. “You are safe now. That foul creature can never hurt you again.” There was something soothing about Jaega’s deep, rumbling voice. He was a man who was meant to be feared, but Fersen felt safe in his strong arms.
When they rounded the corner, Fersen gasped at the scene of bloody carnage. Lifeless bodies were strewn everywhere, cut down by Jaega’s army. The violence made Fersen’s stomach turn. It reminded him of things he saw in his childhood that were best left forgotten. He would have thrown up if he hadn’t been starved for days. Once Decius caught wind that Valzerna’s army was coming for him, he’d abandoned Fersen.
The sight of warfare was more than he had been prepared to handle. It made him feel pathetic to hide his face against Jaega’s broad chest, but he did it anyway. He couldn’t help but breathe in deep. Underneath the smell of blood and death that clung to Jaega, he smelled like a burning campfire in the woods. It was a comforting scent that relaxed Fersen on a primal level, despite all his worries.
Jaega gave him a soothing pat. “Good. It is better if you do not look. Civilians like you are not meant to see the aftermath of a battlefield.”
Fersen didn’t bother explaining it wasn’t the first war he had been witness to. “How did it come to this?”
Jaega continued making his way through the winding maze of the castle hallways. “King Decius attacked the neighboring kingdom of Elyenbell, intent on taking it over as part of Shadron’s lands. As Valzerna has a treaty with Elyenbell and a stronger army, it was our duty to defend them.”
Fersen did his best not to look at all the dead bodies. “What happens now?”
“Since King Decius had no children, his next living relative is his uncle, Prince Balbinus, who will take the throne. My brother has dealt with the prince in the past and assures me that this will be the best thing for the good people of Shadron.”
“The good people of Shadron?” The phrase surprised Fersen. “You don’t hate them?”
Jaega shook his head. “There are very few people in this world whom I hate. And rest assured, those few I have hated in the past earned that hatred and paid the consequences with their lives. But the citizens of Shadron have no control over who their king is. They were suffering from his tyrannical reign, so I only feel pity for their burdens.”
The question was out of Fersen’s mouth before he could stop it. “Why are you so kind?” Everything about Jaega screamed dangerous warrior. He was the tallest shifter Fersen had ever seen, with a broad chest and massive muscles. His fiery orange hair and amber eyes made him look like a deadly predator. But under all of that, there was an unmistakable gentleness that didn’t make sense to Fersen.
Jaega chuckled, causing Fersen to blush hard. “I cannot blame you for expecting me to be the harsh warlord my oldest brother is known to be. While I am a fierce warrior, I am also compassionate. I will never be the kind of person who can stand by and do nothing while bad things happen to good people.”
Fersen didn’t want to admire Jaega, but it was hard not to be impressed. He was about to respond when they exited the castle. It was the first time since he had been kidnapped that Fersen had felt sunlight on his skin. He looked up at the beautiful blue sky with tears in his eyes, hardly able to believe that he had finally won his freedom after so many months of misery. He had almost given up hope of ever seeing the sun again. The majesty of it promised everything would be okay now that his captor was dead.
Fersen was startled from his thoughts when enormous dragon wings sprouted from Jaega’s back. The edges burned with an orange fire that matched the swirling color in his once amber eyes. The bright glow and color shift signified his dragon was in control, which sparked Fersen’s fears. But despite being scared, the sight of magnificent dragon wings up close awed him.
With a powerful flap, Jaega launched them into the air. He flew them high above the treetops and away from the hell Fersen had been trapped in for far too long. It gave Fersen an exhilarating rush as they soared through the sky. “How can you partially shift? I didn’t think that was possible!”
“It took a great deal of practice to master, but it has proven an invaluable skill.”
Fersen dared to look down at the world below them. Instead of terrifying him, it was thrilling to see everything looking so small beneath them. It made his problems feel a million miles away. But his body shivered as the air breezed by them while they flew.
The military camp came into view. The sprawling mass of thousands of tents made Fersen’s jaw drop when he realized the scale of the assault on Shadron Castle. It astounded Fersen that Jaega oversaw all those people.
Jaega landed outside of one of the largest tents in the camp, then carried Fersen inside it.
Fersen had expected a bare-bones accommodation, but it was furnished nicer than his own house. There was a small office set up, with maps and papers neatly organized on a large desk. In the center, there were four wooden seats around a fire pit, which burned with the same orange dragon fire that rimmed Jaega’s wings.
Off to the side, there was an enormous bed that looked cozy and inviting. Fersen couldn’t help but long to sleep in it. After months on the uncomfortable straw mattress, it would be like heaven to rest in a nice bed. It certainly was better than the simple military cot he had expected to see.
There was a door off the bedroom, giving Fersen a glimpse of what appeared to be a bathroom. It boggled his mind that the general would have that in a tent in the middle of the forest on lands so far from his home.
Jaega set Fersen down, careful not to move away until he was steady on his feet. His wings disappeared.
Fersen startled at the sight of an elderly dragon shifter in a well-tailored suit, who appeared as if out of thin air.
