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The Arboretum
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2024-10-29 19:42:56[Primus]
I set the crystals to sing and pulled her close to me.“Thank you,” I smiled down at her.“For what?” her large golden eyes shine brightly under the lamplight.“For giving me a chance to be near you again. I…I am so sorry for how I behaved. It will never happen again. I promise you, Carnelia, I will never force you to do anything you aRelated chapters
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[Carnelia] “You jerk!” I scream at him, my dress and hair are surprisingly dry for having just rushed through a waterfall. “That was not nearly enough warning.” His large belly laugh echoes through the chamber, his body rattling me as he holds me tightly in his arms. I punch him hard in the chest and he drops me. But instead of hitting hard stone, I find myself lying on top of a soft silk cushion. Surprised, I look down to find the cushion is not alone, it has several
Sacrificed to the Dragon Prince First Kiss
[Primus]I scoop her into my arms, pulling her up to me so that our faces are at the same height. She feels so light, so small, and so very fragile. But there is nothing weak or timid about how she claims me with her body, wrapping her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist as I push her up against the wall. We are both breathing quickly, the sound of her heart beating a rapid rhythm as I take a moment to marvel at her beauty. Her sunshine hair is tousled, coming free of her simple braid, the tightly curled strands floating around her. Her cheeks are freshly flushed as she blushes, darkening to a sweet berry brown as my eyes drink her in, her tan skin warming at my touch as I place gentle kisses along her chin.Smiling at my good fortune, I begin to kiss her neck, the hollow at her throat and as she gasps, I cannot imagine a world without the sound of
Sacrificed to the Dragon Prince The Choice
[Carnelia] I didn’t think my heart would break any more until he left me, again, uncertain of his love.Rejected.I cried myself to sleep that night, cried until I ran out of tears. Curled up in my bed, I ignored the curtains as they were drawn by the maids, and ignored the breakfast left at my bedside. I was angry at Primus, but also angry at myself. I promised that I would never lead him to a place where he was unsure of his welcome, but I did. I opened myself up and then shut it all down, unable to make that final, crucial move forward.Do I want to be his mate? If I do, why can’t I commit to him? Why can’t I give my heart over to him freely, to join with him and accept his love fully?
Sacrificed to the Dragon Prince Burning Bright
[Primus] As she walks away from me, my heart begins to burn for her, to crave her. My hands are shaking as I try, and fail, to set our mating bands back on the table. I wait until I feel the door reseal behind her before I let my rage loose. I promised to let her go if she wanted to leave, but making that promise and seeing out are two very different types of torture. One is only potential pain, the other is actual, and in this moment I cannot think with the same logical brain that knew that she might someday choose to seek out her own life, to be free of me. All that is left is the part of me incapable of thinking, the animal, the beast,
Sacrificed to the Dragon Prince Curses and Consequences
[Carnelia] He didn’t even leave me a note. I expected him to say goodbye at the very least. But I haven't seen him yet. I haven't seen anyone at all. Laced in a comfortable vest and simple dress, a single bag of basic provisions in my hand, I leave my room and look for someone to show me the way out of the keep. Other than falling from the window and landing on the beach, I have never been outside these walls. I have no idea which hallway to take or which door leads to fresh air and a trail heading south. "Hello," I call, b
Sacrificed to the Dragon Prince Emerald Cove
[Primus] I transform as I land back at the keep, deciding to go through the stables to not disturb anyone. The first light of dawn is beginning to peek over the horizon and I know that very soon Carnelia will be awakened by the dancing rainbows of that first light shining through her faceted crystal windows. Wanting to avoid any awkwardness, I make plans for when she is ready to leave, hoping to stay out of her way. My heart is still quite tender, but I am sure hers is as well. I tell my servants to prepare the dapple gray, my gentlest horse, along with her tack and saddle for Carnelia. In her saddlebags, I also secret away some gold, additional clothing, and food as well as flint, a knife, and basic medical supplies. One bag will not be enough for any kind of extended journey. Part of me is hoping that she’ll change her mind and come back someday. I hope that when she finds it on her ride later this morning, she will know that I am thinking of her, that she is wanted, and she is l
Sacrificed to the Dragon Prince Fight or Flight
[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
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
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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
