Chapter Five

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Chapter Five

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Mirelle screamed. She hated it because she knew how much satisfaction the foul beast must have taken from her scream, but she could not stop herself. She’d been frightened enough of the idea of flying to try and run back to the trees, where he couldn’t just snatch her in the sky. But to actually be yanked from the earth, hoisted aloft by a remnant of some ancient, wicked breed, from a time best forgotten? Now she knew why maidens had once been so terrified of being abducted by such beasts. It wasn’t the lewd tasks the dragon had in mind, nor even the prospect of becoming his dinner. Being eaten would be terrible, to be certain, but at least she wouldn’t be so…so…

High.

So quickly.

She panicked the moment he grabbed her, fighting in instinctive struggle against the creature. Her stomach lurched so sharply Mirelle was sure she’d left it in the marsh. Then the visceral panic that made her fight against his paws shifted into a spiraling terror when she looked down and saw the earth spinning away beneath her feet. In no time at all they were twice the height of the tallest trees, and then they were double that. Higher and higher, and suddenly all she could think about was falling.

Mirelle clutched the dragon’s forelegs so tightly her arms cramped, and still she squeezed them tighter. She didn’t even try to stop her second scream, but at least she was able to add her feelings too it. In that moment, she wasn’t sure she’d ever hated anyone quite as much as she hated that scaly son of a bitch. Smug, arrogant, sexist. She could deal with that. And in hindsight, his earlier tantrum had been as exhilarating as it had been terrifying. But this? This was just horrifying.

“Calm down, Girl.” The curled his neck to peer down at her. “You’ve gone all pale. You’d better not vomit on me.”

“Down!” Mirelle squeaked, her arms trembling. “Down! Please!”

“We’re barely at altitude as it is. The air’s not even cold yet.”

“Down!” Mirelle tightened her grip even further, till the dragon’s scales left impressions in her skin.

“Stop squeezing, you’re cutting off the circulation to my paws.” Revaramek lifted his head again. “I’d better watch where I’m going before I crashed into another house.”

“AAAAAAAAH!” Mirelle clamped her eyes shut.

“I probably shouldn’t say crash.”

Without opening her eyes, Mirelle shook her head, her messy black curls flying everywhere in the wind.

“Now. Which way to your filthy hovel? Hmm? Hello? Girl?” The dragon shifted again and Mirelle’s dug her fingernails in. “Are your eyes closed? You’re going to have to open them if I need directions.”

“Nearest…village!”

“Very well, but don’t blame me if we end up in the wrong place. You really should open your eyes, though. I promise I won’t drop you.”

“P-p-promise?”

“Of course!” The dragon growled rumbling laughter. “If I drop you, how am I to annul my truce violation? Hell, dropping you now would be an even bigger violation. Then they’d send someone even more obnoxious to come out and ruin my day.”

“Not! Funny!” Mirelle lifted a hand to swat the dragon’s foreleg, only to realize what she was doing to wrap it around his limb again.

“Made you angry, didn’t it? And wouldn’t you rather be angry than scared?” The dragon laughed again. His body rolled at he beat his wings. “You’re safe, girl. I won’t drop you. Just take a few deep breaths. We’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Mirelle did as the dragon advised. She took a few slow breaths, filling her lungs with air that felt surprisingly cool for such a warm day. After the fourth such breath, she relaxed enough to realize just how secure the dragon’s grip felt. He had both forelegs around her middle, holding her braced against the plates protecting his chest. If anything, his hold was a little to firm. For the first time she noticed her ribs were aching, but she was not about to ask him to relax his grip.

She did, however, relax her own grip. If his paws went numb, how was he going to feel her slipping in time to catch her? Oh, god, why did she think of that? She grit her teeth, a wave of roiling nausea rolled through her belly. She swallowed a few times, willing the sensation to pass. She needed something else to focus on. Maybe the dragon was right, and she should open her eyes.

Not wanting to see the ground rushing by beneath her, Mirelle lifted a trembling hand, and pressed it to her face. She tilted her head down, cracked her eyes open, and peered beneath her fingers at the dragon’s front legs. She used her fingers to block out the blur of water and trees far below, and instead, forced herself to study Revaramek’s scale patterns.

The scales across the back of the dragon’s forepaw were small, almost pebbly. For the first time, she noticed some of the fine details. His fingers were curled against her, obscuring the webbing between them. There was no sign of the dragon’s black claws. They must have been retractable, like an oversized tomcat. The thought made her giggle, a nice distraction from her situation. Mirelle also realized that the dragon had a thumb, not that unlike her own. Despite walking on all fours, it looked as though he could also use his front paws just like hands.

No wonder the scaly bastard picked her up so easily.

Plating protected the front of the dragon’s leg. The broad green scales and their copper stripes reminded her of the belly of a snake. Getting a little more daring, Mirelle twisted her head to look at the dragon’s chest behind her. She made sure to keep the view of the ground blocked out. Heavy, natural emerald armor protected the dragon’s heart and lungs, but the plating there was less evenly segmented than it was across his legs. The plates melted away into more traditional scales across his throat, and down over his belly. Best she could, she glanced along his underbelly. Seemed the scales there grew finer and finer towards his male bits.

As the dragon flew, his breathing caused his armored chest and rise and fall against her. Mirelle turned her head and closed her eyes again, pressing her ear to him. The even whoosh of his breathing, and the loud, steady thump of the dragon’s heartbeat filled her head. That wasn’t so bad. For a few minutes, she focused on the sound of the dragon’s heart, of his breath, and with it her terror ebbed, her nausea faded.

At least until the dragon banked into a sharp, descending spiral. Then her stomach pressed itself against her spine, and her organs rolled back and forth around it. Her eyes flew open, and the world greeted her with a horrific swirl of twisting colors. Mirelle dug her nails into the dragon’s limb again, screaming.

“AAAAAAAAAAH! We’re crashing!”

“What?” Without breaking from his descent spiral, the dragon glanced under her again. “What are you on about? We’re not crashing, we’re landing. You made it sound as if I wouldn’t be welcomed in your town till you’ve smoothed things over, so I thought it best I land in a pasture outside-”

“Please look where you’re going!”

“-Your town. The fact it’s filled with sheep has nothing to do with the fact I chose it. I don’t suppose you’re very good at rolling upon impact, are you?”

“WHAT?!” Mirelle couldn’t stop herself from looking down. A wide, grassy pasture spun beneath them. The grass looked soft, but not that soft. The sight made her stomach churn. “What impact?!”

“It’s just occurred to me I’ve never actually tried to land while carrying anyone this way before. So, I’m spiraling to bleed off speed, and then, I don’t know, you could jump?”

“No!”

“It’s worth a thought, anyway. We’re not even that high-”

“NO! NO!” Mirelle panted, nearly hyperventilating. She clasped the dragon’s forelegs as tightly as she could. No way in hell she was letting him drop her. “NOOOOOO!”

“Alright, alright, Gods, you’re obnoxious when you fly.”

“Just land!”

“I’m trying!” Revaramek hoisted her up higher against his chest, and Mirelle let out a squeak, clinging to him. “You’re not making it easy. I’m going to have to land on my hind legs, then set you down. And I’ll have you know, landing on my hind legs is quite awkward!”

“LAAAAAAAAND!”

“Fine!” Revaramek shouted back at her, then gave a furious snort. “I hope you like bumpy landings, you bossy wench!”

Mirelle kept her eyes screwed shut as Revaramek landed. When he touched down on his hind paws, the impact jolted her in his grasp. She gasped, and the dragon jumped, beating his wings. The wing beats sounded frantic, air gusted and swirled around her before his hind paws touched down again. He hopped, each movement jarring her before he finally came to a stop, wobbling.

“There! I hope you’re happy.” The dragon grunted, his balance swaying as he stood reared up on his hind legs. “Think I strained my hip.”

“Just…shut up!” Mirelle opened her eyes, saw the ground in reach, and eased down from his grasp. Her feet were numb, and she couldn’t feel the earth beneath them. Her knees wobbled, and she clutched at the dragon’s foreleg, belly lurching. “Ugh…I need…a moment.”

“Make it a swift one!” The dragon shifted his weight, still standing on his hind paws so Mirelle could cling to his foreleg. “This would have been so much easier if you’d just jumped!” He spread his back legs, rebalancing. “It’s unnatural for us to stand like this for long, you know. It makes me ache.”

Mirelle’s anger returned in a flash, nausea be damned. “I’ll make you ache!” Mirelle lashed her boot out between the dragon’s hind legs, aiming for the foul beast’s testicles.

“AAAWWWWWHHHH!” Revaramek’s bronze eyes popped out, and this time the dragon crumpled in an instant. Mirelle stumbled out of the way as the creature toppled over, forepaws immediately cupping his battered pride. The dragon crashed down onto the meadow, his tail coiling and twisted as he curled up into a scaly ball. “Oooohhrrrrrrhhhhh!

“Bullseye.” Mirelle folded her arms, smirking. She savored her small victory despite the fact the swift movement worsened the churning of her stomach.

“Uuuuurrrrrrrrrnnnnnhhhh!” Still curled, the dragon writhed a little, his wings stretched, beat the air a few times, and then draped across the grass. “Oooh! Ooh how-”

“How they ache? Yes, I remembered you’d said that before, so thank you for the reminder.” She nudged his scaled shoulder with her boot, grinning. “And I warned you not to snatch me up like that! But you did it anyway, so I hope they are aching! In fact I…” Mirelle trailed off. Her tongue felt like it was sinking, and her belly was rising up to meet it. She swallowed, trying to stave it off. “In fact, I should have-Hrrk!”

A dry heave threatened to end her little victory celebration. The after effects of the flight had caught up with her. She gulped a few times, then turned and walked a few paces away from the dragon. “If you’ll excuse me…I feel as if I’m going to vomit.”

“Awwrrrrhhhh.” She heard the dragon rolling around behind her, scales and wings flattening grass. “That…makes…two of us.”

Mirelle smirked again. It was the little things that-

And then she vomited.