Share

Fight or Flight

last update Last Updated: 2024-01-12 13:14:07

[Carnelia]

He is as ugly as I remember him. He glares down at me, his pock-marked face covered in soot, his clothing in charred tatters around his chest. Reaching down he pulls me up by my front.

“Where is he,” he spits in my face. “Where is your dragon?” He shakes me, rattling my teeth. “WHERE IS YOUR DRAGON!!”

Clawing at his hands, I begin to kick and scream. He shakes me again.

“Nothing to say, you stupid wench?” he continues to shout. Kicking out, I hit his groin but instead of buckling over in pain, he laughs in my face.

“Your master made sure that would never be a problem for me again,” he barks. “Decided that I needed to pay for ever touching you.” Pulling his hand back, he slaps me hard across the face, forcing me to bite my lip. “I wonder what he’s going to do once he finds out…” he slaps me again, harder this time, my head ringing, “...that you were here?” He slaps me again. “He can’t hurt us anymore, we’re already dead!”

Throwing me down to the ground, he lands on top
Locked Chapter
Continue to read this book on the APP

Related chapters

  • Sacrificed to the Dragon Prince   Protector

    [Primus] My stomach is tightening in fear and pain as I draw closer to the keep as my hand burns with the intensity of the emotion being transmitted through the ring. So much fear and anger, so much sadness. I push myself as hard as I can, making the flight in almost half the time, my instincts pushing me to veer a bit inland, towards the forest. Towards Crimson. There is a commotion in the town square. A few humans cluster in corners around the edges of the square, both fascinated by and terrified of the dragon standing in the center. There is a bloody mess at his feet, a young man dead and broken. The dragon is holding a human woman tightly around the neck as she stands almost naked before him, her fists clenched, her bright blond matted and falling around her shoulders. Carnelia. My Carnelia. Mine. Fueled by rage, I fly faster. I watch as the dragon, who I now recognize as my brother Segundus, sniffs her neck. Can he smell that she is my mate? “Get your hands

    Last Updated : 2024-01-13
  • Sacrificed to the Dragon Prince   Prima

    [Carnelia] The first time we flew together, I was terrified, screaming, and tied to a cart. The last time we flew together, we were falling, both of us injured and broken when we reached the bottom. This time we are soaring. Primus is in his usual form, a creature somewhere in between a drake and a man, holding me tightly against his chest. We are gliding on the wind as his wings hold us both aloft as we head away from Crimson and head down the coast. Whatever fear I might have felt at flying has completely disappeared as the sound of his wings and the beating of his heart so close to my own brings me peace.

    Last Updated : 2024-01-14
  • Sacrificed to the Dragon Prince   The Aerie

    [Primus] The look on her face is beyond shock. Fear. No, terror. She is terrified. To be honest, so am I. “Primus,” she sucks in her breath as she very carefully, very precisely asks, "What did you do?" She closes her eyes. “You called me “Prima” and made your servants bow to me.” “Carnelia,” I try to calm her. “It’ll be alright I..” Her deep breaths move her entire body as she wo

    Last Updated : 2024-01-15
  • Sacrificed to the Dragon Prince   Mine

    [Carnelia] “Carnelia,” he is kneeling before me, his body visibly shaking, his hand raised cradling these rings as if they are the finest treasure. Primus, the great dragon prince who kneels before no one, is down on his knees looking up at me as if I were above his reach, an empress or a goddess. His green eyes are glowing and swirling with emotion, his face so gentle, vulnerable, and full of hope. “Will you be my mate?” “Primus, I…” My voice catches as I try to collect my words. “I…” “We don’t have to complete the bond right away,” he assures me, stumbling with his phrasing as he tries to convince me, “I know yo

    Last Updated : 2024-01-16
  • Sacrificed to the Dragon Prince   Minstrel 

    [Primus] She said yes! My heart is soaring as we take to the clouds. At the same time, however, my heart is also heavy with worry. Carnelia has agreed to be my mate, but she is also unaware of how much that might mean to her with me being who I am. She has only seen a small slice of my world, a world that is not kind to humans and sees them as disposable chattel to be used and discarded at whim. Someone could kill her and all they would need to do is pay a fine, whereas if she were to strike a dragon, even in self-defense, it could be a death sentence. Going to visit my father at the Dragon High Court is inevitable. I cannot deny a direct order from the High King and not expect severe repercussions. Moreover, I am now being tasked with not only trying to cure the blight but also training others to do it as well. That means being stationed at a command post with other dragons with status and a whole contingent of dragon knights. If she came with me, she would need to stay

    Last Updated : 2024-01-17
  • Sacrificed to the Dragon Prince   Music of the Heart

    [Primus] She is sitting next to me at a small table in the Golden Spiral Tavern right by the fire, enjoying a large bowl of bison stew, laughing and clapping along with the antics of a local jester who is entertaining us all with his rendition of “The Kings Folly” a bawdy song about my father and his penchant for exotic mistresses. Everyone sings along as we get to the chorus. It is a fairly popular song in Emerald Cove, being so far from the kingdom’s capital that the chances of being whipped are slim. “Aaaaaand, they rolled

    Last Updated : 2024-01-18
  • Sacrificed to the Dragon Prince   Another Kind of Dance

    [Carnelia] He claims my lips before the crowd, and they all begin to cheer, watching as his mouth explores mine and he bends me over backward to the delight of the onlookers. It is quite a show, but not unexpected for someone who has the reputation of being an adventurous bard who spends his time traveling the world, wooing princesses and fine ladies all across the realms. Lifting me into his arms, I hold on tightly to his neck as he runs up the stairs to our room, everyone cheering behind us, pounding their glasses against the bar and tables. When we reach our suite, he pushes the door open with his hip, closes it with his foot, and sets me down gently, before t

    Last Updated : 2024-01-19
  • Sacrificed to the Dragon Prince   Just in Case

    [Carnelia] “Carnelia,” his chest is heaving. “You marked me again.” “Well you bit me first,” I smirk. “And I didn’t hear you complaining about it last night.” I try to adjust my dress from a seated position having done a poor job of lacing my corset by myself, but my fingers seem to not be working as they should, distracted as I am by his predatory gaze. Since our mating, his need for me has become ravenous and all-consuming as if one taste of me was enough to spiral him into addiction. It is a miracle he ever lets me out of bed. “Do you know what that does to me?” he pants.

    Last Updated : 2024-01-20

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

DMCA.com Protection Status