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The last part of the known world stood at his feet as Timat looked out over the restless waves of the ocean. The day was beautiful. The sky was a vibrant sapphire that seemed to stretch out endlessly over the waves and the sun was just mild enough to be comfortable, but not yet harsh enough that he would need to bundle up. The sound of birds were calling to each other just within ear shot and the peaceful movements of the ocean could almost lure him into a state of reflective relaxation. Almost that is, if it hadn't been laden with burned timber that was being pushed up against the shore. And if the air hadn't been scented thickly with the harsh scent of smoke and burned hair. It made him want to gag, but all he could do was stare out at the ocean and pretend he couldn't see it. He had already seen the horror that waited for him in the town of Sunside.

He seethed at the Emperor's commands to come in charge of the army to defend the Empire. He wasn't a fool soldier to be sent tramping off to war no matter what the moldering old man thought about him. He hadn't even been sent to one of the decent towns that could boast the luxuries that he was used to. He was lucky that this place gave him the chance to even get a drink in the pub. The pub was burning behind him from the attack that had come swiftly in the night and destroyed what had been his one comfort. This was not the way that people should behave, this was not the way civilized people behaved! How could he be expected to sit here and nominally command them when he heartily wished them to the bottom of the ocean. He had been used to a small amount of respect, but the men under his 'command' didn't even give him the respect they gave one another!

He had come here with a train of rough soldier who had dared make mock of the fact he preferred a litter rather than straddling the great hulk of a horse they had tried to foist upon them. The men were a sore spot that he kept pressing on no matter how it ached. They didn't obey him more than they had too. His orders were often 'forgotten' or over ruled by the generals. So what if he wanted a pair of them to draw him a hot bath and see that he had a proper meal. They should be honored to serve him! It was he that had captured dragons when no one else could, he was the one in charge of this camp no matter how they felt. It was a far better use of their time then polishing their damned armor and growling complaints about him. He knew those complaints were echoed in the small village. He just wanted things to be a certain way, why couldn't they see the right of it?

"MAGE!! MAGE TIMAT!" The voice was high pitched and he winced at the cracked note before he turned to see a grubbily dressed boy scrambling over the rocks coming towards him from the ruined town. "Gen'ral wants ya."

"Is that so?" He lifted a brow in annoyance before he looked at the smoldering homes.

"Yessir, he's up at the square wit' the prisoners. Wants ya there fer the execution." The boy was panting as he came closer and Timat noticed with amusement that his eyes were bright with excitement. An execution was at least great sport for him.

"Well then, let's not keep them waiting hmm?" He shifted his smoke permeated robes around him before picking his way along the shore.

The attack had come out of no where in the earliest part of the morning. They hadn't been prepared when the ships pulled onto the shore and the warriors had attacked, but they had still fought them back. Even unprepared the army of the Empire was larger than the pitiful band of barbarians that had come tearing into village. Timat had kept well away from the battle itself, instead he had watched from a high point in the window as men had come screaming and roaring down the streets. He had never had the stomach for battle, it was disgusting and barbaric. It was made worse by the fact some of the soldier were women and they wielded their swords with an ease that he found repulsive. They were handsome women one and all, but the sight of them in full form chased away any breath of desire he might have had about them.

The sun had started to rise when the army had forced the raiders back to their boats, though it was not without its own cost. The town was almost ruined by a blaze that ran from building to building. Even the mage had been forced to emerge from his hiding as the flames licked at the inn. The sight of the blood coating the streets and the bodies that lay torn and broken had nearly made him retch. He had made his way to the shore just in time to see the ships set off and so avoided the unpleasant details of those that were cleaning up after the battle. The screams of the wounded had chased him all the way down to the edge of the shore. As he returned he could hear them muted into whimpers and rough curses as those that were lucky enough to live were patched up.

The center of the town was framed by two good buildings that only had a few darkened spots from the fire and two smoldering ruins. It was here that they had gathered a handful of men they had managed to capture and it was here he found a new level of disgust for the soldiers. Already six of the men had been slain by the simple act of beheading them and a young man was shoving the prizes onto spikes. He wrinkled his nose in disgust as he passed by the rows of soldiers and watched as the ax flashed and fell with a meaty thunk into the wood. He had a moment of annoyance that they had started without him. Was he not the Emperor's voice? It was his verdict that should have condemned the men, not the general!

"Ahh there ya are, we'd thought we'd find ya under a bed or table mage." The general turned his head and flashed his worn teeth towards him in what was supposed to be a friendly grin. Timat felt the heat run along his ears as a few soldiers laughed at the jest.

"Hardly. I had thought you would have allowed the Emperor's chosen representative time to condemn these prisoners rather than extending your authority where you have none." He kept his voice civil even when he wanted to yell.

"Well now, I'm sure ya won't care much about them when ya see what we got here." The man gestured with one hand a large brawny older man that was tied and laying on his side in the dirt.

"An old man, how very brave of you, General. Tell me, did you need your entire army to capture this one?" He sneered.

The mage looked over the elder with a measure of disdain at his rough beard and the sweat that caked his face and left black streaks along his cheeks and arms. There was blood showing on the corner of his mouth and one eye was swollen shut. It looked as if he had put up a good fight, though Timat didn't pretend to be a master on such matters. He was bound with more ropes then his unfortunate fellows. His arms were bound at the elbow all the way down to his hands while his legs were forced back at an uncomfortable looking angle so his lower leg pushed against the backs of his upper thighs. Yet all of that was second to the sight of the hands with the fingers that were missing from both. All that remained were scars that had created calloused mounds. Even as he saw that telling mark his eyes looked up into the defiant orbs.

"So, Baen. I have heard quite a lot about you." He almost purred the words as his mind began to run a mile a minute. The leader of the Braan's! For this alone he would find himself given more than simple gold as a reward. He met the defiant face with a grin on his own, like a cat who had gotten into the cream. "I think we're ready to pack up, General." The meaty thunk of the axe could be heard behind him as if punctuating his words. Life had suddenly turned very very good.

++++

Lashane twisted herself against the collar that was wrapped around her neck and felt it clamp down harder against her throat. Each time she struggled against it she was forced to gape her jaws just to wheeze in a breath, but that was better than laying here. Anything was better than being forced to lay here and feel the contractions that rippled over her painfully full stomach. She choked on her scream of pain as the muscles squeezed down and she gave her head a jerk backwards. It was hard enough that she felt her scales tear beneath the collar before she was forced to relax again. Damn Timat, damn him to all the hells in all the world for this. How had he mistaken her for a simple beast? It was obvious she was more than that!

She mentally cursed herself for ever thinking that this would be the better option. She had been so ashamed at her own failure to complete her task, and worse, that she had been reduced to this form and trapped in it she had not wanted to be found out. She was paying the price now, a price that was far higher than any she could ever imagine. Her stomach tensed and relaxed as the cold never seemed to release her from its hold. Her body was cold enough in this icy prison, the forced ice from the wyvern had only added to that torture. The forced labor made her try to curl her body forward as she mentally screamed out her pain as the heavy cannon ball inside of her was shoved up against her cervix. Her own body was her enemy as she struggled to stop the pressure that her muscles forced on her.

They locked down and drew against the iron ball until it started to pry open the ring of her cervix with just as much pain as she had felt when it had first been placed inside of her. She sucked in a ragged breath before crying it out as it strained her muscles open wider. The muscles themselves pulled around it heedless of her desires as they were forced into a round circle. It was almost to the point of breaking and tearing the muscle before she clenched down and it spilled outwards into the tender expanse of her passage. The weight travelled through her as her body squeezed and pushed at it while her haunches spread open awkwardly to make room. She finally stopped struggling against the bonds of the collar as she rocked her hips slightly and felt the ball pushing up against her inner walls and then splayed her vent open.

They movements of her own body helped relieve her of the ball. She rocked her hips up with a shrieking cry as her opening for a moment was held open around it. Her muscles squeezed and pushed before a final buck of her lower body freed it of her passage. The orb fell free with a clack and crack as the weight of it hit against the ground and shattered some of the ice near her leg. The feel of being empty and a wash of relief was short lived as already the second orb was position itself to follow the burning trail of pain its fellow went through. She clamped her jaws together and only became aware of something other than her own dread at the sound of a snort and hiss. She snapped her eyes open to see the Wyvern nosing and pushing the cannon ball with his nose.

+++++

The beast watched Lashane with a sense of vindication and pleasure as she writhed and pain against the ice and rock she was trapped against. Her body movements were vaguely obscene as she arched her hips upwards and he reared back on his hind legs to tilt his head to one side to consider her. She didn't seem to notice him as she was trapped in her own world, but that suited him just fine. His mind tried to put together his thoughts, he tried to order them as he knew they should be, but the edges were frayed and missing. His memories had holes and gapes in them that he couldn't sort out so he had to jam them together. He had had a mate once. He could remember her and the egg laying as a time of joy and triumph.

It was fitting that this one should feel the pain that she had felt at having her eggs lost. Perhaps in another life he would have been stirred to mercy or remorse, but not today. Today there was nothing left in him but bitterness. He had control of this as nothing else in his life. He dropped back down to his wings and legs as he paced at her haunches and watched as she rocked herself up harder and shrieked out before a glimpse of darkness could be seen crowning from her. He hissed softly under his breath at the color, and his tongue flickered out. What would he do when she had rid herself of the eggs? She was at his mercy. How would it feel to take that soft under throat in his jaws and taste the hot rush of life blood running over his tongue again.

One of her wings started to bat at the air as he watched her body struggle to expel the egg. The other wing was wrong, broken and at a strange angle. She was as ground bound as himself. The thought pleased him in a strange twisted way as he felt the pulse of her pain filled thoughts. They lapped against the edge of his mind like an erotic spice that made him push against her mind for more. They were the mindless and wordless thoughts of an animal that knew she was trapped. Curiously he felt not loss or sadness in her and he tried to find a way to penetrate her mind to find more. The idea was distracted by the sudden lurch and clack as the orb dropped from her folds and hit against the ground. He swiveled his attention from her to peer down at it with a snort as his muzzle touched the edge of it.

Her scent spiced his muzzle as he drew it in and gave the ball a nudge. It wasn't an egg. It was hard and foreign. He moved a hind paw up to rest over it and drug his claws against the surface to hear them screech as they scored against the metal. It was fake. It wasn't a real egg. Had the creatures that held him captive here found out about his past? Did they do this to torment him with ideas of his revenge? They mocked him with it! This female wasn't gravid, she was tossed in here to tease him and once again yank what little sour pleasure he could from life away from him. His eyes rose up to meet the writhing dragonesses gaze before her head jerked back and she cried out again. Another contraction rolled through her body.

+++++

Lashane couldn't fathom the mind of the wyvern. It was as if it were a jar of random thoughts. She could barely communicate with him! She heard the sudden clatter as the beast used his foot to shove the cannon ball over the edge of the rocks to tumble down the incline. He snarled and the spines along his neck rose up aggressively. Another time, another life, he might have been beautiful in his fury. His body was a thing made of ice and snow, the spines a clear crystal color as if they had been formed by icicles. Not now, all she could feel was terror and then pain as the second orb pushed its way through her body. The torturous march of time slowed as she felt her abused cervix forced to open up wider as her stomach clamped down.

She rolled slightly and ended up on her back until she felt her broken wing shift beneath her. The ends of the bone scraped against each other and for a moment her vision went black as she screamed out in pain. Her entire body tensed up and it was enough to force the orb through her cervix and into her passage. The tearing pain of it scraping past the tender ring of flesh made her eyes tear up as she opened her jaws to their fullest and panted in swift shallow breaths. She could barely draw one in as she felt the different texture of the orb inside of her. It was rough but more oblong as she felt another contraction ripple through her and automatically pushed around it. Her own passage started to slicken with lubricant to try and pass it more easily.

There was nothing easy in what she was doing. Even as she felt the humiliation of wetness rolling down against her tail she was disgorging the egg from inside of her. She could feel it spreading her outer lips and the scales of her vent were forced over each other. Her hips rose upwards and she nearly managed another push before a rush of movement was felt at her hindquarters. Her eyes snapped open as the Wyvern rushed her with his wings out spread. The teeth flashed, but didn't go for her throat. Instead the head struck down in a single swift movement that reminded her of a bird to her loins and the chill breath rushed over her folds. It was so cold it burned. The already sensitive muscles forced to endure a new sensation entirely.

The former mage tried to jerk her hips back, but the beast was there with one large foot paw pushing down against her swollen stomach. The feel of it brought a tear rolling down her scales as the next orb was shoved up against her cervix. The pressure forced it to pop part way through before she was ready. She thought she had endured the pain of egg laying before, this was infinitely worse. She felt sure the muscles had been torn as the orb rested inside of them and kept them forcibly spread. The wyvern's tongue dragged wetly over her folds before she felt it slipping around the egg that was almost out of her. She tried to draw back a hind leg, but the moment she did she dropped it and hissed out.

The motion had forced the orb in her cervix to give under the pressure of her egg chamber and it slipped out inside of her. The beasts teeth scraped against the shell of the egg still caught just inside of her before the slippery tongue ran along her strained muscles. He almost daintily gripped the egg and pulled his head backwards with a lewd wet noise. She winced at the sound and watched as he balanced the egg carefully in his maw. His jaws were stretched wide as he stared at her with something like triumph in his eyes before he rolled his head back and let the slippery thing roll down his jaws and bulge his throat open as he swallowed. The act so mimicked Sithen and her shadowed memories of her first meeting that her stomach clenched down in fear.

++++

The Wyvern's anger and disappoint was abated the moment he saw that flash of mottled grey and white between her folds. The slightly rough textured egg emerged from the female's body in answer to what he wanted. His head jerked upwards and he made a lunge towards her. If she pushed it out it would break and that ended so much of what he wanted from her. He let one paw shove down against her belly scales as his muzzle dropped to explore the orb. The scent of the female flooded his muzzle as he ran his tongue against the edges of the shell. It wasn't quite hard yet. In a week or two it would have been viable and able to be laid, but not now. Now it was infertile from his forced freezing of it and it would never know what might have been.

As she thrashed and cried out he meticulously worked his tongue around the portion of the egg that had crowned. The rough texture of it let him get a reasonable grip before he let his teeth sink in against it. He ignored her frantic sounds and movements as his world narrowed down to the delicate shifting of his jaws to keep the egg whole. His teeth almost penetrated it, but not quite, it was just enough to make sure he had a firm hold on it before he pulled his head backwards. The female's muscles clung around it as his neck took the weight and felt the thin shell dimple around his fangs and threaten to break. His tongue tensed and held it firmly in place while he tipped his head backwards. A whole and entire dragon's egg was his prize.

It was chilled, but he could still feel the warmth that radiated from inside of it. He was fully able to sense heat no matter how small. He tipped his head further back and let it roll over his tongue as he closed his mouth around it. The warmth was just enough to be pleasant. It filled his maw before he worked his throat muscles and let it travel down along the long curve of his neck. His skin drew taut around it as he worked the muscles to pull it all the way down. The warmth from it started to spread as it dropped into his stomach. It wasn't unpleasant, it was far too faint for it to make him react negatively to it. The warmth though lingered behind and made him shift his paw restlessly until he shoved harder against her stomach. The sound of her angry vocalizations filled the air as he watched another metal curve push out between her folds.

++++

Lashane tried to clench her jaws shut to stop the sounds that were coming from her. She wanted to push them away and not give the beast the satisfaction, but the foot that shoved down against her was forcing another orb to tear through her cervix before she was ready. She had thought that the early labor was terrifying and painful, but this was worse. It wasn't pushed through her body, it was torn through it. The metal ball spread her outer lips open with a wet dribble that ran along her haunches before the pushing of the foot made the pressure too great and she let out a silent cry as it forced itself from her to fall to the ground. Her folds felt achingly abused, the burned and felt hot despite the cold around her.

How much punishment could her body take? When would it be too much? When would she find her vision darkening and her consciousness being released on the wind? She found out that it could take a lot as her body spread open again and this time she could feel the oblong shape of the second egg. The wyvern was all too eager to help her expel it as she felt the cold breath panting against her a second before the icy tongue wriggled it's way along the edges of her folds. She tried to thrash as he seemed to take his time and it forced her to feel the heavy cannon ball holding her open deeper along her channel. Did he savor it? Was he simply trying to make the moment last? What did he want?! The thoughts flashed through her in a panic before the head jerked back and the egg came from her with a lewd popping sound.

He watched her with a frightening intensity before his head lifted skyward and started to let the egg slide down his throat. It was only as he started to work it down his throat that she was able to force the third cannon ball out of her cervix. The muscles weakly responded to her bodies commands. It was as if she were barely able to control that. They flexed and spasmed as ever so slowly the metal ball slid down her passage. The feel of the metal that ran through her made her twist her hips slightly only to feel the foot shoving harder against her empty egg chamber. It finally blossomed her passage open as she gave a weak hiss of pain. Her vision was starting to grey around the edges as the pain pulsed along her body with each slow beat of her heart.

She arched her hips and used her tail to push them up as she gave one last pressured clench of her canal and felt the cannon ball push from her and roll along her tail. The clatter of it hitting the ground was followed by a disappointed snort from the beast that loomed above her. Everything hurt. Her heart beat hurt, her stomach hurt, her abused passage hurt, her wing hurt. She felt herself growing giddy as the pain began to recede somewhat. She felt light and airy as she tried to focus her eyes on the looming white form that snuffled at her. Was she dying? Was this how it was going to end? An ignoble death after being beaten and humiliated in an animal's pen?

A roar like the ocean started to fill her ears as she felt her body sag against the rocks. Her eyes felt heavy, so very heavy. All she wanted was to sleep. To sleep or to die, at the moment she couldn't decide if she cared. She drew in a breath before hissing it out. Her last sight that of the Wyvern spreading his wings and looming over her broken and pain wracked body. If this was death..it didn't seem so very bad. Her last thought chased her down into the darkness.

++++

The Wyvern felt the warmth of the pair of eggs in his stomach radiating through his entire body. He preferred the cold and ice, but warmth started his sluggish blood pumping through him. It was just enough to remind him of other times and other days. He tried to grasp those memories as he watched the female gasp and hiss. Her body was shaking and trembling as she seemed to lose her battle to stay awake. He tilted his head to one side as he considered her writhing against the ground. Her taste was still rich on his tongue as well as her scent in his nose. He blinked his eyes mildly while her eyes lost focus and the color in them leaked away into a deep murky grey.

For a moment he thought she had been too abused and died there on the ice. She went limp and her head was hanging at an odd angle, but her chest still rose and fell, albeit shallowly. He folded his wings against his side as he let his eyes wander over her form. She was a young dragoness, young and able to be controlled if he was able to keep her under his claws. A thought blossomed in his mind and his jaws parted open in a broad smile as the thought appealed to him. Why shouldn't he use her for his pleasure? She as empty and trapped in here with him. He should enjoy what he had while he had it. He loomed over her as they slits of her eyes closed entirely and felt himself stirring with a spike of desire to have her.

He twisted his head to the side to clasp the chain in his jaws before he gave a sharp tug that rattled it free of the rocks that it had been caught on. It fell down to land beside her while he rumbled deep in his chest to himself. Let her sleep, let her rest. She would awaken soon enough and then he would perhaps try to replace the eggs he had taken. If not, he would simply enjoy that lithe young body for as long as he could keep her. He lowered his head to sink his fangs against her shoulder and neck before giving a harsh tug that started to drag her body along the ice. He would push her near to the magical boundary where some of the heat leaked in and let her warm and awaken. The thought of what he would to do her after made him curl his toes against the ice. His vent bulged as he made his slow way to the edge of the compound. The first good day the mad wyvern had had in years.

== = =

Sithen watched the boats coming back to the rocky island with a mildly annoyed snort at the lurching and unsteady way they made along the channel that would let them navigate the rocks safely. Men. Men were not master's of any element save their ability to create. They could not fly, they could barely run and on the sea they looked as if they were half drowned prey in their logs that they floated around in. He stretched a little while he contemplated the bobbing blot in the distance and idly wondered how easy it would be to leap up into the sky and take the boat down to smash in the rocks. They wouldn't even be able to raise their weapons in time to stop him if he decided to attack. It would at least show them some respect for him.

Lately he had grown bored of their constant bickering and summons for when they attacked the main land. It seemed as if all he ever did was fly between his island and the cities of the Empire. How much longer would Baen make him sit here with these damnable people? He knew somewhere in the heart of that land his daughter was waiting for him. It was a constant yearning that pulled at his heart and soul until it ate even at his dreams. Sometimes it depressed him into sullen moods that took him to the highest peak to avoid the smelly humans that pestered him. At other times it made him urge them on in subtle ways. That was a new talent he had found the most useful with his association of these creatures. They weren't as deaf and dumb as he had assumed.

The large drake found that some could almost hear him and while they might not hear his words, he could 'lean' on them with his mind influence them. Baen was the easiest of all of them to contact, but he had a will that even Sithen acknowledged as worthy when it came to being influenced. The others though were ripe for the plucking. Today was one such day. As he laid out on the rocky shore he felt the minds around him bustling as if they were an ant colony and he sent his own urgency out like a scent on the air. It perfumed their movements so that they hurried to and fro on their duties. It made them more nervous and jumpy as he bled out his own emotions to them. The pitiful creatures would have gone mad to touch his mind in truth.

He turned his head to watch an older woman laboring under a net of fish with a trio of others that had started to travel the long road to death. How many years had she seen? She only had a pitiful handful of decades before she was too miserable and ancient to care about the life around her. How could they have any real emotions in that time? True, he knew they had the flare of passions, he had felt it all over with the young people, but they lacked real depth. His own emotions seemed an ocean when compared to the trickle of their stream. Still, some were worth his time. He had several that were showing the proper respect for who and what he was. One in particular was a new comer and she seemed to revel in being allowed to oil his scales and sharpen his claws.

Sithen let out a breath that blew the sand in front of him. They were interesting pets, but no, they were not his own kind. His mind longed for his daughters and each beat of his heart made him yearn that much more for her. Baen had said soon they would stab into the soft underbelly of the Empire, but it had been weeks since he had last told him that. Perhaps he should remind that old man just who he was dealing with. He was not a creature to be lied to or held back when he wished to go forth. He commanded these people, he allowed Baen to give the orders, but this was his army. He watched the boat come into shore and stood up with a groan as his bones cracked slightly. He flicked his eyes over those that emerged from it impatiently as he looked for the broad chested old warrior.

"Taken!" The words came to his ears on the wind and his interest was suddenly sharpened. "Army...fires...second ship all hands lost..."

The fragments of speech were enough for him to step forward with a low snarl in his throat. It wasn't just the speech that gave him knowledge, but the frantic thoughts that accompanied them. They flavored the winds weakly, but strong enough he knew something had gone wrong with the raid. Who had taken what was his? He bristled as two leggers scattered away from him as he approached the ship with his wings slightly spread to either side of his body. It wasn't the anger at having his comrades taken, it was more akin to the knowledge that someone had taken HIS territory, HIS property. The man speaking shrank back as his large head loomed over them and he curled his lips back to show his serrated white teeth before a hiss dribbled past them. Stupid creatures. Didn't they realize he wasn't coming to eat them? When he wanted to eat them, they'd know it! He turned his head impatiently to look for Baen, at least that man would make some level of sense.

"Baen's been taken!" He swung his head down as an echo of what those words meant came to him. "They took the other ship down, and they've become prisoners!"

"What are we going to do? Who's second in command?" One of the younger set asked impatiently, his thoughts pulsed with eagerness. A young male who wanted to be Leader.

"I am!" One of the older males.

He listened to them argue for a few moments before he gave his head a rough shake and stepped away from them. Were they so obsessed with their own personal gain they didn't see what they had truly lost? He looked up at the sky for a moment and bristled to himself. They would be like leaderless deer with no buck old enough to seize control. With luck they might survive, but they wouldn't flourish without experienced leader ship. Another feeling was grudgingly felt deep inside of him. Baen. He would miss the man if he was gone. True he was only human, but he showed the drake proper respect and had a firmer grasp on exactly what Sithen was then the rest of them. He pushed that thought away with a snarl, he was doing this to get his daughter back, not because he cared for the man! Care for a human! It was laughable.

The babbling of the young warriors irritated him until he finally swung his head around and gaped his jaws to roar out over the ocean. The sound echoed through the island as his chest vibrated with the noise and silenced the humans as they lifted hands to their ears. He let the sound rise up higher just as he spread his wings and snapped them down to catch the wind. His hind legs shoved off as sand went spraying all over while he took to the air. It had only happened a few hours ago, if he could catch them before they killed the old warrior or go inland he could free the man who could give him victory. He left the rabble behind as he arrowed low over the ocean and his mind narrowed down to a fine point seeking out the unpracticed thoughts of the barbarian warrior.

++++

Timat had never believed in destiny or fate, but today was a fine day to believe in it! He leaned back to look at his prisoner with a smile wreathing his face while the army started to pack up their belongings. He would leave half here to guard the coast and help rebuild the village and the other half would come with him to the capital so that he could present Baen to the Emperor. He had of course told the General he should stay here to take care of the military matters. He had phrased it as a request, but the order was there. He wouldn't risk having his glory reduced by the man trying to take responsibility for the capture. Yes, it was all so perfect that he felt as if he should be able to purr. Hylar knew more then he let on. He had obviously figured out the mage would succeed.

"Scum." The hoarse voice made him turn to the man that was loaded onto the rough cart. He raised his brow a little bit.

"That is a matter of opinion." He pointed out mildly, unable to stop the smile from spreading on his face.

Even the sight of the dismembered heads shoved onto the carts four corners didn't detract from his victory. The scent was pungent, but perhaps a visible reminder of how his fellows had died would keep the barbarian in order. Or it would make him feel at him. The mage almost snickered at that thought. The man smelled so thickly of various things that it was repugnant to be near him, but necessary. He didn't want one of the soldiers to kill him in a fit of revenge for a lost comrade. This man needed to be judged by one person alone. He knew it was the right choice when the first hour he had taken up this position several men had grumbled and jostled the cart trying to get their own revenge in with blows.

"It won't die with me." The man spit out onto the ground a strand of pink spittle. It wasn't surprising he was bleeding in his mouth, Timat suspected he had lost a few teeth in the tussle.

"What won't die?" He drawled mildly.

"My people." The voice was rough as the man tried to sit up in the cart awkwardly. "They won't stop. Our gods have-"

"Your 'gods' are dead, old man. That beast you have is nothing more than animal." He allowed himself a slow smile, "I know, the Emperor owns one. So either your gods have sent you nothing, or they have subjugated themselves to Hylar. Either way your rebellion is at an end."

"Her." The man barked out a rough laugh and then winced as if it hurt. "You...you took her. He's lookin' for her, always...looking. He wants her back."

"He who?" The mage shifted as some more soldiers came to strap down packs, they were almost ready to leave, good.

"Sithen. You took her, an' he'll get her back. He breaths and lives fer your blood." The warrior laughed again, the rough laughter sounded thick as if he might have punctured a lung. "Don't you know? Our gods let you take her. It gave him...strength to come down to kill you. All of you. Unless we are granted freedom."

"Your gods." Timat ignored the uncomfortable clenching in his stomach. "Your gods are dead. Accept it and perhaps you'll be given an honorable death. That beast is just a trained animal. You'll see."

"He's..your death. Your death and her freedom is all that gives him life. Our gods are not dead, they are waking again.." The man wheezed slightly as the cart lurched forward. It was time to leave and Timat turned without another word to clamber onto the too large horse he had been offered. He wouldn't chance leaving the prisoner alone. Something's were better left taken care of yourself.

The man was mad. He believed an animal was spear heading his way into the empire for revenge. He had seen the female, she wasn't any more intelligent then the horse he rode. Perhaps they were using her scent though to lure him on. He idly wondered if it would work on the female to keep her in line. Where would he get a males scent though? He could worry about those problems when it came time to reach home. The wyvern should have broken her down by then and then he could make his own attempt at training her. Once he had her tamed down, it would be so very easy to lure Sithen into a trap and force him into accepting a harness and reins. Timat clucked his mount forward with his heart as light as his spirit. Home and civilization again!

Afterwards he could never remember what had happened first. If it was the shriek of terrified horses or the sound of thunder cracking over head. All he knew was one moment he was starting to exit the village and the next chaos erupted around him. His horse reared up with a scream of terror before he fell back over the haunches. The ground was rough under him as he landed badly and moved to grip the edges of a burned building to haul himself up as he got the first look at what was causing the chaos around him. There in the sky above him was a grey shape tearing through the sky and his roar deafened the world as he dropped faster and faster. The mage gripped his ears and crouched down as the shape was growing rapidly larger.

The skies were the same clear blue as they had been when he stood at the shore. Not even a wisp of clouds could be seen. There was no cover for the storm grey beast as he dropped down, only the fact he came with the sun at his back made it hard to see him. Yet all could hear him. The horses screamed and bolted from under their riders. Their forms milled and then stampeded down the streets of the broken city. He tried to make himself small as he realized that the animal wasn't trying to dive on any of the animals, it was coming straight over him. Baen's words echoed back to him and he drew in a shuddering breath of fear. He would not meet his end here! He would not! Not at the talons of an animal that didn't have the wit to know it should be extinct!

He could see arrows flying and falling back to the earth rather than hitting their target. The beast didn't seem to care they were trying to shoot him down. Timat looked down to find Baen sitting up in the cart and his bound hands lifted as high as he could as if in supplication to the animal descending on them. Did he think his gods were going to come for him? Was he offering himself up as food? The look of bliss and ecstasy on the hardened features almost made him forget the beast until wind hammered around him from wings that churned through the air. The shadow wrapped over all of them as the great dragon dropped down back winged just above the cart that held the barbarian leader. The massive claws tore through the earth as the mage was spared none of the details of the creature Baen thought of as his gods' avatar.

Even terrified he could see it was glorious in his wrath. The massive body rippled with muscles and definition that the female had lacked. Every inch of the beast was covered in fine grey scales that caught the light and revealed darker and lighter patches along him. His mane was up as he hovered right over the barbarian leader. He posed as if he should have been outlined on a shield with his wings beating to support the fact his forelegs were still up in the air. The long tail lashed along the ground before it dropped downwards. All the mage could think was a silent plea to whatever gods existed that it not see him. That it would not turn his head and find him so close and so vulnerable. His mind shut down until he couldn't even formulate the will to try and run and hide.

The great grey forepaws wrapped around the cart and dug into the wood as it pulled it up towards his stomach. For a moment he let out a breath of relief before the wedge shaped head turned to him. The eyes swirled in vibrant gold, red and molten orange while the pupil pinned down and then flared open as it seemed to focus on him. The anger in them wasn't the simple outrage of a dumb beast, it was a living pulsating rage that made him scramble back in the ashes and ruin of the house behind him. The gaze was threatening to draw him in. It was if they were commanding him, sucking him deeper into a place he never wanted to know existed. He was falling. Falling. The jaws parted and a venomous hiss dribbled from between the lips a heart beat before the beast leapt back into the sky with the cart gripped tightly in its front legs.

The moment was broken as soon as the gaze turned away from him and he sagged against the burnt timber. His breathing came in great shuddering gasps as he squeezed his eyes shut. The rage filled eyes seemed seared into his mind even when he closed them. The look in them had promised his death. He opened his eyes as he felt a rush of cold run through him. He had seen his death on that animal's face. Baen had been right. He looked up into the empty sky and then down to the ground where claws had churned up the earth. It had only taken a handful of minutes, and already it seemed a dream. The only thing that remained were the tracks in the dirt made by the creatures paws and his own certainty that the dragon meant his death.

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