Bonds of Fire

  ~

  Drekken stood by the edge of the wood and surveyed the ravine up which they had travelled. Four days since they had set out up into the mountains and no sign of any pursuers did not mean he could let his guard down, but it did mean he was a little happier letting the group relax in the shelter of the trees at the head of the valley. He turned to see Keril tumble over her own feet as she played chase with Renar and he had to smile. The hatchlings were holding up surprisingly well, Renar leading their little group, and Drekken admired their resilience.

  Liittle D, as well, was growing stronger each day feeding on Drekken's magic. Cradling the sling with his left arm was now a habitual position and the child's presence in his magic and his mind had become a comfort on the difficult journey. His reactions were still baffling him at times, and he was coming to the conclusion that Yakov had only been half teasing about his hormones, but, hormone influence or not, of one thing he was very sure, the baby in his care had become worth more to him than life itself.

  D was restless, turning around in her carrier and clicking to herself from time to time. It was behaviour Malachi had assured him was a good sign, but it also normally signified something and Drekken only realised what it was when Yakov walked over to him, hooked a hand under his arm and, pulling him towards the others, told him, "Lunch time."

  He was hungry.

  Drekken let himself be led, still also vaguely conflicted by his reaction to Yakov. There had been no safe haven opportunity for a repeat of their encounter in the cavern, but sexual attraction was only part of a developing set of emotions that Drekken harboured for the young empath. Yakov was an open book, his honesty almost verging on naiveté, but it made him endearing and Drekken could understand what had drawn Malachi to protecting him. He caught himself smiling again as Yakov dragged him down in front of their lunch and then leant against him as he reached for some frugelberries.

  Malachi raised an eyebrow from the other side of the food he had laid out, but he was smiling and Drekken just rolled his eyes. Yakov remained oblivious to the silent moment the two other men shared and busied himself by passing out food to the dragons and stuffing his own face with the sweet berries.

  Malachi had proved himself to be a proficient hunter with Drekken's side arm and there was cold pheasant from the night before as well as nuts and berries for lunch. When his mouth wasn't full, Yakov did enough talking for all of them, and so Drekken just nodded his thanks to Malachi as he took a mixture of the three foods. However, he did not get a chance to pass any of them to his mouth, because D's head appeared from inside her sling and she chirruped at him and then sniffed the air.

  "You want some?" he chuckled as the baby strained her neck to see what was in his hand and then lowered his lunch for her inspection, adding, "You won't like it."

  A wisp of tongue flicked out at a flugelberry, but very quickly D then reared back and made a hissing noise.

  "You don't approve then," Drekken concluded with a snort and, almost as though she were old enough to understand him, Baby D snorted back and then clicked her distaste up at him.

  Drekken responded this time by rolling air over his tongue and trilling quietly at the baby. Almost instantly, she lifted her head up and trilled gently back at him and Drekken felt his magic rise. He lowered his face to the little dragon and nuzzled the side of her head, varying the pitch of his sound and enjoying the waves it generated in his connection to his charge. However, when he raised his head again, he found he was being viewed with surprise by his companions.

  "Where did you learn to dragon sing?" Malachi asked.

  Drekken grinned at the impressed looks in both youths' faces and replied, "My mother taught me, I think she secretly wanted me to follow in her footsteps."

  "Your mother?" Malachi checked, clearly dubious. "There are only perfect-bonded Dragon Singers and immortals can't have children."

  "I have 3 mothers, two dragons and one human, I was adopted when I was two," Drekken explained, realising he had never mentioned his history before.

  "So you’re an orphan, like us?" Yakov sounded almost pleased at the connection.

  Drekken nodded, tossed some berries into his mouth and then replied a little messily, "My birth mother was a flier and my father was personal assistant to Orin, one of my dragon mothers. She and her bondmates adopted me after my parents were killed in the Tarang Quake."

  "But that was only six years ago," Yakov looked confused, "and you're what, thirtyish, not eight."

  Alarm sliced down Drekken's spine as he realised there was something else he had not mentioned and he saw Malachi's face go cold with shock.

  "He doesn't mean that quake, 'Ako," Malachi replied and Drekken's heart fell at the sound of disquiet in the youth's voice; there was a reason he didn't discuss his past much.

  "But the last one was…" Yakov's face went from cheerful to wide-eyed shock and he murmured the last few words, "nearly four hundred years ago."

  "You’re not 'a' Drekken, you're 'the' Drekken, aren't you?" Malachi almost accused and then revealed he knew his history with, "General of the First Rank, Defeater of the Illosian Empire."

  "I don't use those titles," Drekken responded, but his words sounded lame compared to the barriers that had suddenly gone up between him and his new friends and, not for the first time, he hated the baggage that came with the rare perfect dragon bond that, rather than extending his life by decades, had extended it indefinitely.

  "Your dragon is Yeni Miri," Malachi continued.

  Yet, he did not get a chance to list Miri's titles, because Yakov let out a gasp of horror, stood up and ran for the trees. Malachi immediately moved to stand, but Drekken was faster. He did not want the revelation to destroy the friendships that had been growing and he held up his hand to Malachi and began to move off after Yakov. He hoped Malachi had understood, because the empath did not follow and he concentrated on his fleeing companion.

  It would have been dangerous to call out, even with no sign of the Feras nearby, but Drekken discovered that rocky canyon wall had done the job of stopping Yakov in his tracks when he caught up with the youth.

  "Yakov, what's wrong?" Drekken began, coming to a cautious halt a few feet away.

  The youth looked like a startled rabbit, panic in his eyes and he scanned the area quickly.

  "You run, I'll follow you, and I'm faster than you," Drekken warned quickly, not wanting to risk another chase.

  Yakov backed up against the rock wall, his distress obvious and Drekken tried again more softly, "Tell me what is wrong, Yakov."

  "You're one of The Chosen," Yakov began, his voice trembling.

  Silence; Drekken could see more behind Yakov's pained expression and so he waited.

  "You deserve respect and honour."

  "I've never been much for that," Drekken forced a smile as his own emotions did somersaults in response to Yakov's panic. "That's the reason I lead a squadron now and not an army, couldn't deal with the politics."

  "But, but," Yakov stammered, "you're important and revered and I'm a nobody and I, and I…"

  Drekken didn't want to hear any more.

  "I'm not a god," he snapped, uncomfortable and prickling with embarrassment.

  Yakov dropped his gaze then, close to tears and Drekken moved. He shifted Baby D's sling to his side, walked quickly up to Yakov and pulled him into an embrace. Yakov went rigid, but Drekken held him with one arm and lifted his chin with the other until he was looking into the young man's terrified features.

  "I shouldn't have been so forward," Yakov sounded like he was trying to apologise and for the first time Drekken could see clearly the insecurities that life had handed the youth.

  Yakov tried to look away again and so Drekken took hold of both sides of his face and held him still. Looking directly into Yakov's fear, Drekken found an honest smile this time as he replied, "You are one of the most beautiful people I have ever met."

  Yakov stilled then, the flight response draining out of him und
er Drekken's steady gaze. There was still insecurity left and Drekken wanted to answer that.

  "May I kiss you?" he requested.

  Yakov opened his mouth, but nothing came out and only when Drekken dropped his hands to the youth's shoulders was he given the ghost of a nod. Slowly then, he pushed Yakov's shoulders back against the rock face and lowered his face in. He brushed his lips lightly against Yakov's, enjoying the start of pleasure the touch sent down his spine and then he brought back the memory of that first kiss to the front of his mind. It was still a heady recollection and he let it run through his body like a physical thing. Yakov shivered, breath tight; Drekken knew he had been sensed and so he waited again. It took only a few seconds and then Yakov pushed back. The youth was shivering and his press of lips felt desperate, so Drekken took the response calmly, forcing his movements to be slow and deliberate.

  Drekken rubbed his whole body against Yakov's and ran his palms down Yakov's sides as he opened his mouth and flicked his tongue at the lips touching his own. Yakov's trembles had made the youth feel out of control, but at his invitation, Drekken discovered that Yakov had had himself on a tight rein, because suddenly he was enveloped in his slender companion. Yakov's arms ran round him, pulling him even closer and one leg hooked around his hip and buttocks, practically climbing him. The weight he had to take barely registered for his augmented body, but the need that went with Yakov's touch flooded Drekken with the urge to protect that had been growing in him since meeting the empaths. The feeling was as potent as the sexual attraction Yakov's handsome face and fine body generated in him and Drekken could not control his own shivers.