Page 116 of The Exiled Dragon

“All right, sheesh.”

“What now?” My mother stepped forward. “Apollo said he would fly over and find out the lay of the land. Thousands of years ago it was desolate, but now the trees have taken root and overflowed the tops of the walls. There may be dangers we will miss if we go in on foot.” Osirus rubbed his chin.

“What do you think, Black Dragon?” My mouth went to open until I felt a burning fire in my chest, different from the fire in my belly. It grew warm at first until a bright light radiated from my heart and the mark Odessa had left on me. My Dragon took over, letting out a mighty cry of triumph.

The crowd had gathered, watching the light protruding from my chest, lighting the way in front of me. My head reared back, feeling the warmth of love and passion from it. Overwhelming emotion flooded my body. It was of hope and love. Odessa was calling to me; she was pulling my Dragon inside the walls, begging me to save her.

“I’m going NOW!” I growled. Pushing off the ground, I lifted myself up the wall with one swipe of my wings. Landing on top of the wall, I gazed inside. Large trees, hanging vines, and darkness surrounded the area except for one small clearing. There, not but twenty lengths of large trees, stood a desolate cottage with smoke blowing from the chimney.

Branches covered the roof along with other dead trees and stumps surrounding the cabin. Above, it would look like nothing more than just a wood pile. My claws gripped the stoned wall, hearing the high pitch-scraping. Not one soul stood around the cottage. It could very well be a trap.

The hollers and screams from the side of the wall I left were deafening, begging for me to come back over the wall. This wasn’t about my safety. It was about my mate, the mate I was supposed to take care of and protect. She was my female, my love, and my mate.

Gliding off the wall, I trotted to the cabin. Strange noises of branches breaking and grunting from the forest gripped my Dragon’s attention to be watchful but did not deter my mission. If there were a genuine threat, we would dispose of it properly.

Approaching the cabin, the inside was dark and devoid of all life. Our bond no longer pulled me into the cabin, but deeper into the dark forest. My nostrils flared with smoke, feeling a presence behind me. As my neck turned to find the enemy, I was met by none other than a green creature.

Standing at my height in human form, green with lower teeth, fangs protruded upwards. He had long black hair that was tight at the base of his relatively bald head. Face clear of any beard, his eyes large and almond-shaped with thick heavy brows. His clothes were like mine, with leather pants and bindings around his arms. He held a club over his shoulder. He showed no anger or emotion on his face, just stared at me a half-length of my Dragon’s body away. “That’s mine,” he grunted, pointing his finger to the cabin. “Don’t think you’d fit, anyway.” I snorted, my bond pulling me into the forest. Ignoring him, I slithered away from the cabin and trekked deeper.

“What are you lookin’ for? You can’t be an actual Dragon. They left ages ago.”

“I am a real Dragon!” I snapped, turning my head around to face him. My tongue slithered between my teeth to get a smell. Lumbering closer to him, my teeth shown in an act of dominance.

“Meant nothing by it.” He backed away, putting his one available hand in front of him. “I’m just trying to figure out what you are. We let Vampires in here not too long ago, and they are nothing but trouble. We’ve been trying to hunt them out.”

“What are you?” I growled, puffing out my chest. I had never seen a creature like this. Could this possibly be an Ogre that Osirus had warned us about? This being said, this creature was ready to be rid of the Vampires. Maybe we could use their help instead of shunning them away.

My father flew on top of the wall ledge, his claws sinking into the moss gathered on the landing. Mother wasn’t far behind as she landed on the ground before him. Osirus went through the enchantment, followed by Amora and Nicholas.

The creature in front of me turned to see the commotion, letting out a heavy breath. “More disturbances,” he whispered to himself. He finally turned to me to answer my long-awaited question.

“I’m Sugha, son of Eman… an Orc.”

Chapter Sixty-Eight

Odessa

“Let’shurry.Idon’twant to waste time.” Morgana grabbed a bag from the doorway. The clinking of bottles inside had my stomach churning. What the heckers was going to happen to me now? A frightening chill of a hand landed on my shoulder, and the churning in my stomach now gravitated toward a full upheave of my lunch.

“Relax lovely. She is just going to get started with the unbinding. It will only hurt for a moment, and the rest of our days will be spent in bliss.”

“No!” I shouted back. My Dragon was seething. I felt her anger filter through my frustration of helplessness as the Witch tried to help me from the bed. “I will not. I don’t want this!” Struggling against the Witch, she slapped me across the face, the sting going straight to my eye as I felt a drop of blood drip down from my tear duct from her witchy claws.

Duke Mortus grabbed her by the upper arm, slinging her across the room. “How dare you!” he hissed. His fangs descended further down his lips, baring them at her. She only chuckled, standing up from the wooden floor.

“If you think that hurt her, wait until the unbinding occurs. I’m only getting her warmed up.” Duke Mortus pressed his lips together, forming a thin line of dissatisfaction.

“Numb her the best you can,” he grunted, pulling me up. Leading me to the chair, I wrestled my arm, trying to get away from his grip, only to be met by sharp nails digging into my skin.

“My patience is thin, Odessa. I get anxious when I don’t get what I want and have waited long enough! I suggest you behave.” The hiss was directed towards me. My heart sunk to the bottom of my stomach, but my Dragon wasn’t having any of it. A growl ripped through my throat, and fangs protruded from my mouth.

“A strong one. This will be interesting.” Morgana chuckled to herself, opening a screwed-lid container containing a foul smell. Covering my nose, I was forced into the chair. Mortus tied the ropes to my thighs, legs, and hands at inhuman speed.

“Last chance, let me go,” I snapped. Mortus took the back of his hand, petting my cheek. I ripped my face away as he frowned.

“This bond won’t do. Are you ready?” Morgana didn’t say a word, her mumbling and chanting as she held the salve between her fingers, glowed with a red tint.

“Pull her dress to the side so I may see her mark.” Her eyes narrowed, looking at the deep black tattoo on my shoulder. Shaking her head, she placed the salve on my mark. Acid on my skin would have felt better than this. Letting out a growl, my Dragon thrashed inside me. I jerked away the best I could, but the bindings around my chest proved too strong.

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