LOGINShare
Blood
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56[Maximus]
[Earlier that afternoon]
My eyes are heavy but I cannot sleep, even though the sun is glowing so bright that my eyes burn.
I can smell them. My heirs. They are close, to the castle walls. One of my children has produced a brood, but which one? Ona didn’t smell broody the last time I saw her. Segundus, perhaps. He has been spending a lot of time with Eleanora, the lady from the borderlands. Maybe that is why he was trying to marry her off to his brother, as a way to secure that his heirs would take the throne.
Clever. Maybe a bit too clever for Segundus.
Related chapters
Sacrificed to the Dragon Prince Little Family
[Carnelia] I wake to the sound of gentle snoring. The air is dry and crisp, but I am warm. Wrapped around me, Primus is in dragon form, his body protecting me from all sides, secure within a nest of pillows that he must have created while I was asleep. I don’t know how long I rested, but my body feels heavy with the ache of my struggle and the exhaustion of deep sleep. If I close my eyes, I can almost imagine that we are home in Ridgewood Keep, but then I remember the day before, and I know that we are far from home and far from true safety. There is a faint smell of dust and disuse that crinkles the edges of my nose as I inhale deeply. Sneezing, I feel a small shuffle to my right as my dragon protector opens a single eye. Smiling, I place a reassuring hand on his side, smooth
Sacrificed to the Dragon Prince Stella
[Ona] When we finally breathed in the fresh salt air of the West Coast, those of us who remained were tired and famished. Without sustenance, there would be no way for any of them to regain enough strength to transform or even create basic clothing. Nude and starving, they huddled together in the opening of the tunnel. When we left the laboratory three days ago, we had 7 severely injured and about 5 dozen mostly healthy drakes and drakainas. After three days of traveling through the tunnels, we have 42 survivors. We lost 20 souls on the way to freedom. As they dropped, we would say some words and, as the only dragon in full control of her powers, I would incinerate them, leaving behind no trace that they were ever in the tunnel except for a pile of ash.
Sacrificed to the Dragon Prince Silken Promises
[Eleanora] Primus has disappeared. The rumor is that he has gone insane with the news of the death of his human pet. The one he dared make a princess. When his sister not only shared the news of his beloved's demise, she poisoned his mind, if not his body, with insanity. In a fit of rage, he created his own tomb, one where he now lies trapped somewhere between the surface and eternity. Without a body, I find myself weeping over an empty grave, surrounded by the lovely courtiers who would have made up my queen's court when I officially took my place by his side as his wife. I had declared him mine before the high council, so even though our wedding had not been consummated, the bans have been read, and my body bears the marks of what should have been our wedding tattoos, a mixture of
Sacrificed to the Dragon Prince Evacuation
[Carnelia] [Dream] I am lying on a large stone terrace in a proper aerie in the top spire of a beautiful castle. It is warm here, the air smelling of tropical flowers. Between the stone pillars, beautiful birds fly within the canopy of a lush, green forest. “They are so beautiful,” a young woman with dark brown skin and a large smile looks down at me and my clutch. I am in dragon form, my body still wrapped tightly around them providing my babies with warmth as they grow a little bit larger. “Eight eggs, such a blessing!” You were one of eight too, you know.”
Sacrificed to the Dragon Prince Stolen Breath
[Segundus] “My Liege,” two knights bow before me. The one speaking is quivering with fear while the second knight remains prostrated before the throne, his head arms and chest flat against the cold, hard, slate floor.The first knight hesitates. He knows he has to deliver bad news, I can tell by the stink of fear emanating off of him and how his body collapses when he kneels before me, his head tapping the floor. “Report,” my voice is neutral, my face is blank, but I’m already seething. I am glad my queen is not here to see what will happen next, because I cannot promise I can contain my anger once whatever this worm has to say has come spilling from his lips like rancid food.
Sacrificed to the Dragon Prince Horizon
[Ona] “You cannot kill him yet,” Daax reminds me as he holds me to his chest. His scent is returning to its familiar mix of burnt caramel and sand, and I feel myself easing into his embrace. I had just seen him walk around one of our survivors as if he was a trinket on the ground and I wanted to throttle him so badly that I found it hard to force a smile onto my face as he led me to the captain’s quarters. “I can’t do this, Aegir. I want to see him twitching on the ground.” “I’ll hold him down for you,” Daax agrees. “But we need to know what he is planning. We need to know to keep our people safe.”
Sacrificed to the Dragon Prince Skyfall
[Primus] No matter what I try, I cannot keep her warm. Carnelia is shivering, her whole body shaking, and I’m not sure what I can do, other than hold her, to help calm her body. She needs food, water, and rest, things she cannot get while we are trapped inside of this secret cavern waiting for the Imperium forces to forget us. Which of course they never will. I send out a thread of thought to my mother through our bands. Through her I get a sense that our babies are safe, which is a relief, but that she is also worried about us, unable to get to us as she is. If Carnelia were just able to transform into her
Sacrificed to the Dragon Prince Long Live the King
[Segundus] The wailing of the court was loud and seemed to go on forever. Every dragon on the court was on their knees, tears streaming down their faces. Every human slave lies on the ground in deep prostration. Soon their fate would be upon them, and these moments of utter sadness. Soon they will be lighting the very funeral pyres that they will jump on gratefully in tribute to a lost, irreplaceable soul Because King Maximus Majere, ruler of Luxandra and the surrounding colonies, is dead. [The Night Before]
Latest chapter
Sacrificed to the Dragon Prince Epilogue: The One Who Was Sacrificed
[Carnelia] When I sat there, tied to that wagon almost a year ago, I had no idea how my life led me to that place. I couldn't even remember who I was or where I came from. It is amazing how much can change in such a short amount of time. When I was a hurt, angry girl, I had no idea that one day I'd wake up and be seen as the mother of a kingdom, or that my children would not only be heirs to all of Luxandra, but to the Solar Throne of the Southern Continent, a rebirth for a royal line thought long dead. Nor did I understand that my old life, and everyone who existed within it, would be nothing but ash and sour memories before the next summer blossomed. All I knew as I fought against my bindings was that in the next few minutes, my life would either end drastically or it would be changed forever. Because even if my body were not destined to die as a dragon’s meal that evening, something in me realized that the girl I had been up until that moment would die that day. There was n
Sacrificed to the Dragon Prince Stasis
[Eleanora] “Your Majesty, you shouldn’t be down here,” the small man sniveled as I entered the new lab. "This is no place for a lady." “Where else would I be?” I demand, cracking my knuckles as I stare down my nose at the human technician in charge of keeping my husband’s body from dying. “My husband is here, so I am here. I wanted an update on his condition.” “We could have written a report and sent it…” he begins to sniffle but I raise my hand and he bows low before me, his back deeply bowed as is proper. “I wanted to SEE him, you dolt,” I correct the fool shaking before me. Humans are so weak-willed and this one is weaker than most. I brought him from my family home because I can trust he will be loyal. He'd sooner tattle on himself for a perceived mistake than risk being accused by someone else. Similarly, he's the first to report when anything seems amiss. The perfect little worm to place in any apple. Because while he is telling on everyone else, he is also spying for
Sacrificed to the Dragon Prince Inferno
[Segundus] “Greetings citizens of Imperial City,” My queen and I shine brightly as the sun begins to set, our white clothes studded with diamonds so that when the spotlights shine on us, we gleam like fallen stars, fitting since our intention tonight is to make celestials fall from the heavens. “The Celestials have lorded over us for several millennia. Living in their sky throne, they control our resources, taking what they want and leaving nothing behind. Their children, the Sun Dragons, were especially notorious. They controlled the power that fueled our cities, and if we didn’t make proper payment, they would burn our cities, raid our farms, and send their blight to wipe all life from our land.” I pause to let my words settle into the hearts and minds of those gathered. A gentle hissing roar throughout the crowd assembled. My wife, Queen Eleanora, squeezes my hand in encouragement, smiling sweetly, projecting her confidence and trust. “My brother, Segundus, sought to alig
Sacrificed to the Dragon Prince A Place Amongst The Stars
[Carnelia] There is a bright glow as I close my eyes and I know that it is the last time I will ever see Cressida, that she sacrificed her spark to save me. My screams turn into howls of pain and sorrow. Cressida, the kind mother who nursed me through the birth of my babies, and accepted me into her family even when she thought I was a human. I didn’t even really get a chance to know her, and now I am mourning her, along with the loss of my mate, trapped on the other side of a gate I cannot cross. “CLOSE THE GATE!” one of my captors bellows through the entry gate as we arrive at the Northern Sky Portal, “By order of Queen Cressida. This is her final command!” The drakes at the gate go immediately to work, tapping buttons on clear surfaces lit from within with swirling and changing images of blue, red, and green. The surface beneath our feet shifts and shakes and I scream in fury as I watch the large metal iris of the portal snap shut. “How could you,” I pound the chest of m
Sacrificed to the Dragon Prince Rumors
[Segundus] “Sir,” one of my aerial knights bows before me as I ready myself for the next phase of the war. I had just sent my generals from the room and was looking over a map of Luxandra. I already have an idea of what this knight is going to say before he opens his mouth. Looking at the map, I have marked several cities that have recently been destroyed, each one a hub for an energy hub. I had them each commit to continuing the story of Skyfell, telling the untruths of how the treacherous Celestials came down to Terra, burned our cities, and stole our light. In many ways, these new attacks on major city hubs are feeding into our story, except for the unpredictable element of them being completely untrue. “Report,” I am getting irritated by all the bad news I have been receiving. My generals didn't have anything good to report from their respective lands, and the lack of resources coming into the capital was starting to make me anxious. It has become harder and harder to hide the
Sacrificed to the Dragon Prince A Dragon With Nothing To Lose
[Primus] Ever since I first saw her tied to that cart, there was something about her, something that captured my heart. Seeing her taken from me, held roughly by the hands of those trying to save her as she is taken away, screaming my name--that broke my heart. So much has happened since that fateful evening when she was left as a sacrifice at the foot of my mountain. She had fire in her then too, but it was buried deep within her, almost smothered by a lifetime of hate and abuse. Once I started to brush away the ash and soot of her previous life, she began to glow, her fire mostly directed at me, but fire nonetheless. Even when she tried to extinguish it, when the weight of the world and her sadness threatened to crush her spirit, she came back to me, her fire bright and true. Loving her has been hot and pure and never boring, never predictable, almost like flame itself. Right now, burning with rage, with righteous indignation, she is the brightest I’ve ever seen her.
Sacrificed to the Dragon Prince Last Stand
[Carnelia] The still of the morning is shattered as everyone moves into position to protect Primus, Cressida, and myself. We all drop to the ground as another beam of light shoots over our heads. “How many do we have below,” the queen bellows, commanding her men, her body rigid with fear and power. If she is afraid, it is impossible to see, her movements sure and precise. “At least a full platoon of air drakes with another half platoon of fire, My Queen.” One of the guards answers back as another shot zooms overhead. “Possibly more hidden beyond the ridge.” “Un
Sacrificed to the Dragon Prince Vile Harvest
[Segundus] My back aches as I land near Hatchery L11. It is early morning, just after dawn. Eleanora was still sleeping when I left. I have a feeling the doctor will give us auspicious news today about her health. Based on the color of her cheeks and her increased appetite, I am certain she is carrying our first clutch. I leave my small group of guards behind in a nearby town. I cannot have anyone who enters these facilities other than myself cannot leave once they enter. We cannot risk trade secrets leaking out to our competitors. I know that Elfholm is considering creating its own factories using a different breed, but as it is now with energy being one of our main exports, I do not want to give away anything that will lessen their dependency on our sources.
Sacrificed to the Dragon Prince Flash Bang Boom
[Ona] The fighting has stopped. We are vastly outnumbered. Thankfully, the Imperium soldiers on board were given orders to stun and contain us, not shoot to kill. Even so, we lost more than a handful of sun dragons to the battle that ensued. Including Daax and myself, the number of resistance fighters on the boat is down to 36. Four days ago, at the start of this adventure, we had more than 60. By the time we reached the end of the tunnel, we numbered 42. I try not to think of all the bodies we lost during the evacuation of Segundus’ lab. So many had never awakened when released from the pods--and there had been hundreds of them. Drakes, drakaina, and some little more than hatchlings. Watching them die as they took their first free breaths in decades is a memory I will torment me for all the remaining moments of my life. There were more bodies on the ground than walked out of that room. I have been fighting this battle against the Imperium for the last four decades but on
