Page 54 of Kingdom of Rot & Ruin
Eventually, he did just that.
Shava let out a grunt as we were thrown onto the dusty ground, Zariah finally relinquishing his hold on me. As I moved away from the massive dragon, I saw why.
We were on top of a mountain overlooking the vast desert. Off in the distance was the city, a glimmering jewelas the bare sun glinted off the surface of the dome. I marveled again at the feeling of the sun on my skin. It was hot. It was wonderful.
Shava stared open mouthed between me, Zariah, and the massive landscape laid out before her.
I couldn’t help it; I grinned. “Surprise?”
I wasn’t sure what I expected: perhaps for her to cry in gratitude or relief, or even maybe to fawn over the large, yet seemingly docile, dragon. Perhaps she’d offer herself to me in thanks? It was something the kitchen girls would do.
She screamed like a warrior in battle and lunged for my eyes.
How much damage could a skinny mud girl possibly do?
Zariah snorted with amusement as he watched Shava have a go at me, punching my stomach, cheek, and getting a good shot at my temple before he pulled us apart with his claws.
I spat out blood and glared. Shava kept fighting and writhing like a possessed creature, forcing Zariah to compress his claws around her until all the air squeezed from her lungs.
Shava gasped for air, pounding on Zariah’s claws frantically.
“I think she gets the point,” I bit out sourly, holding my aching stomach. Gods, she packed a punch worse than B and all of his goonies combined. And she knew where to hit.
Zariah huffed, but opened his claws. Shava spilled out onto the hot sand, jumping to her feet in the blink of an eye.
“You. What have you done? What is this?”
She spun around in a circle, as if expecting an attack.
Irritating, since I was the one currently bleeding.
“Shava, I’d like to introduce you to Zariah.” I coughed and gave a grand flourish, but the effect was lost on her as Iwas still clutching my stomach in pain. She stared at the dragon and me like we were crazy.
And just when she thought things couldn’t get weirder, Zariah shifted back into the young prince, albeit naked.
Shava squawked and jumped back.
“Who’re you?” she demanded.
Zariah stood straight, a good head shorter than I, but not caring in the slightest he was naked. He ignored Shava in favor of me.
But I stared at her.
“That’s the prince,” I said dumbly. “You don’t know who the prince is?”
Shava shot me a withering look. “Yes, because I’ve been to courtso many timesgrowing up. And lately I’ve been too busy trying not to die to be introduced to royalty.”
Sassy. I liked it.
Zariah tugged on my robe. “I want to make a deal with you,” he began.
Oh? Interesting.
“I didn’t kill you,” he continued. “I didn’t kill your friend. Now you need to do something for me,” Zariah intoned, his soft, pre-pubescent voice deadly serious.
Well, at least he was asking. He could simply transform into his dragon form and scorch me if I didn’t do what he said.
Because you were friends. Friends asked things of each other, not demand. Zariah thinks you are friends.
