Fuse by E.L. Todd

Seven

Cora braidedher hair then placed it over one shoulder. The strands had grown long in the past year, and she hadn’t had a chance to cut it. Now she wasn’t sure when she’d be given the opportunity.

Flare sat by the water, but his eye was on her the entire time. Are you ready to talk?

Cora had ignored him the night before. She’d made her own campsite a small distance away and turned her back to him, shutting him out completely. Flare had respected her privacy and didn’t pry.

But now that the sun had risen, things were different.

“No.”

Flare had the unnatural ability not to blink. He could stare for an hour straight without needing to close his eyes. It was something Cora had noticed the moment they met. I’m here to listen if you change your mind.

“Thanks.” She didn’t feel like opening up to anyone, especially a dragon. “Where do we go now?”

We?

“Yes. We.”

I don’t remember agreeing to that.

“We’re both on the run from the same hunters. Doesn’t it make sense to stick together?”

I have a much higher bounty on my head than you do. Honestly, you’re safer without me.

“Maybe. Maybe not.”

There is no maybe. He stood up to his full height then expanded his chest as he took a deep breath.

“Why are they hunting you?”

Flare purposely ignored her.

“Maybe if you told me your cause, it would change things.”

What makes you think I have a cause?

Cora didn’t have all the facts, but she was smart enough to piece things together. “Two of the king’s men are hunting you. You must be a slave on the run. You mentioned there were other dragons, so they must be in the king’s possession. And if that’s the case, we must free them. And then we must overthrow the king and give the land back to the creatures it truly belongs to.”

He regarded her coolly, not giving anything away. You think I want to overthrow the king?

“In a nutshell.”

And you want to help me?

“I have nothing else to do.”

He shook his large head. Boredom isn’t a good reason.

“It’s not the reason. I need to figure out how to kill the fiends that haunt me. If I don’t, they’ll hunt me forever. And since I can’t kill them, the only way I can get rid of them is by getting rid of their master. So, you and I have the same interest.”

And the safety of the dragons means nothing to you?

“Of course it does. Now that I’ve met one in the flesh, I realize just how incredible they are.”

If dragons could smile, Flare would be showing all of his teeth.

“So, what do you say?”

Flare left the riverbank then walked to her place under the tree. What are your skills?

“I’m an archer. I’m a fighter. And I’m a blacksmith.”

You forge weapons?

“I’ve been doing it for years.”

That’s interesting.

“I’m smart and athletic.”

True.

“And contrary to your belief, I’m very intelligent.”

Not so sure about that one.

“I’m a great ally. I think we could work well together.”

Flare shifted his body, his bright scales reflecting every wave of light. Despite his ferocity, he was beautiful in a deadly way. The road will be dangerous.

“I know.”

And I can’t guarantee your safety.

“I know that too.”

Then we have a deal.

“Perfect. But I have one condition.”

Oh really?

“You need to trust me.”

That is something that only comes with time, not demand.

“You need to tell me where you were, how you escaped, and everything else that’s relevant. You can’t expect me to help you and keep me in the dark at the same time.” That should be enough to convince him to open up. They both had their own secrets that they needed to guard, but they couldn’t hide from each other forever.

Flare arched his back like he was stretching. His mass of muscle moved fluidly, like waves in the ocean. He possessed enormous power and strength, but he also carried elegance like a crane in a meadow. The dragon was more than just a formidable beast. He was a living work of art. You’re right.

“That’s a sentence you’ll be saying a lot more often.”

He gave a playful snort. Don’t push it.

* * *

They headed east, going the opposite direction of where Vax was located.

Cora walked beside the dragon, moving through the meadow and approaching the first line of trees. “Will you be able to make it through the forest?”

Yes.

“The branches won’t scratch you?”

His heavy feet pounded against the earth with every step. My scales are not only brilliant, but also impervious. He held his head high in pride, keeping his body perfectly rigid as if he were modeling for an unseen painter.

Cora was always taken aback by Flare’s responses. Most of the time, he was cool and collected, but anytime his scales were mentioned, he insisted on their beauty and brilliance. Sometimes it seemed like he was two different people; one was vain and the other humble. “So…you’re going to head into the forest?”

Yes.

They reached the line of trees then migrated through the trunks under the canopy. The trees were tall, but Flare still had to keep his head down as he traversed the brush. “So, how did you come here? Did you escape from High Castle?” Flare had agreed to answer her questions, but she was still unsure if he actually would.

Yes. I escaped from High Castle. He remained behind her, following her lead.

“How did you escape?”

I waited until the watchmen were asleep. Then I walked out.

Could a dragon just walk out of a castle? “And then what?”

King Lux sent the Shamans to retrieve me. I flew to the mountains, but they remained close on my tail. When they unleashed that fireball, it damaged my wing and forced me to crash. That’s when we crossed paths.

“How did the Shamans keep up with you to begin with?” She’d never seen a dragon fly, but she could only assume they were incredibly quick.

They flew as well.

“What? They rode their own dragons?”

No. They have flying steeds of their own. They’re like horses but…sinister.

That disgusted her more than the creatures themselves. “Gross…”

Unnatural.

“That was why they came to my village. They wanted to know if anyone had seen you nearby.”

Probably.

“What’s High Castle like?”

Exactly how you would imagine. It’s guarded by high walls, the guards all look the same in their armor and weapons, and the inside is drab like a winter afternoon. Slaves wait on the higher officials, and prostitutes are passed around like a communal bottle of wine. It’s depressing, to say the least.

One thing caught her attention specifically. “They have slaves?”

Yes.

“A lot of slaves?”

The biggest commodity of Anastille is free labor. They’re shuttled around between King Lux and the two stewards.

“Are the prostitutes slaves as well?” That disturbed her most of all.

Yes.

She looked at the forest floor and watched her boots crunch against the dirt.

Flare glanced at her in his peripheral vision. I’m sorry if that disturbs you, but you’ll have to get over it.

“I’m not disturbed.”

You’re clearly affected by it.

“Are you saying my compassion and empathy make me weak?”

No. I’m saying your fear does.

“Fear doesn’t make someone weak. Without fear, there’s no such thing as bravery. What you do when you’re scared defines you. It gives your actions meaning. So, don’t sit there and judge me with your dragon eyes.”

I don’t judge anyone.

“It sure seems like it.”

When Flare fell silent, she knew she’d bested him. She didn’t gloat, but it gave her satisfaction. “Did you leave a lover behind?”

Flare faced her while he continued to walk forward. I don’t understand your question.

“It’s pretty simple. Did you leave someone you love behind? Another dragon?”

He faced the trail once more. No. I don’t have a lover.

“Are you close to the other dragons?”

No, not necessarily. But that doesn’t make a difference. They shouldn’t be used for King Lux’s gain. Did you leave a lover behind?

Cora struggled to follow his sudden change in subject. “No. In fact, I was trying to get rid of them most of the time. I didn’t participate in any of the marriage lotteries, and now that I’m one of the last women to remain unmarried in the village, the pressure has increased tenfold. Dorian even pressured me into it.”

Marriage lottery?

“It’s a stupid tradition. Women place a number on their chest, and the men draw numbers from a hat. Whatever number they pull, they dance with that woman. At the end of the lottery, the men choose a wife from the selection of women they danced with. It’s the most barbaric thing I’ve ever heard of.”

Flare didn’t have facial reactions like a human, but his eyes shifted and moved, depending on what he was thinking. It’s strange, indeed.

“It’s idiotic. Why can’t two people just fall in love and decide to get married? They force women into the lottery at such a young age that they have no idea what they’re doing.”

How young?

“Sixteen.”

Then you managed to avoid the lottery for a long time.

“I refused to participate, but the town gossip started to increase. People called me manly because I was an unmarried blacksmith. It’s just not natural to them. I almost considered it because Dorian wanted me to. A part of me is glad the Shamans are after me. It’s better than being forced into a marriage.”

What’s so bad about it?

“What’s so bad about it? Are you kidding—”

The question wasn’t meant as a challenge. I’m only curious.

She held her tongue and calmed down before she spoke. “I would be tied to this man forever, and he would boss me around like a dog. He would make all decisions for me and force me to stay home all day and have ten of his children. And I would be married to a man I didn’t love. That would be the worst part.”

And that’s important to you?

“Absolutely. Isn’t that the point of marriage?”

Yes and no.

“Okay, you need to stop saying that. That’s not a real answer.”

Actually, it’s a very accurate answer. Marriage is a tool to unite two families together, combining their assets and titles. Marrying someone you actually like is simply a bonus.

“You don’t really believe that, right?”

Do I believe in it? No. But I don’t deny how the world really works.

“How do the dragons do it?”

Marriage doesn’t exist. Dragons stay together as long as they wish, sometimes having hatchlings, and when the love runs its course, they go their separate ways.

“Dragons don’t stay together forever?”

Sometimes. But it’s extremely rare.

“Why?”

Remember, dragons are immortal. To spend eternity with someone is an enormous commitment.

Cora never thought about it that way. “Have you ever been in love?”

His face was blank all over again. You ask a lot of personal questions.

“I’m just curious. You don’t have to answer.”

Perhaps in Vax it’s okay to ask whatever you wish, but outside that village, it’s very rude to ask such things. You should learn that now.

“I didn’t mean to be rude. I thought we were friends.”

Flare fell silent, his eyes scanning the trees in front of them.

“I apologize.” She didn’t want to make her relationship with Flare tense. After all, he was the only friend she had at the moment.

No.

Now things had become worse. “You don’t accept my apology?”

No. I’ve never been in love.

She smiled. “Thanks for sharing.”

What about you?

“Never. The boys in my village aren’t exactly my type.”

What is your type?

She shrugged. “I don’t know. But I’ll know when I see him.”

* * *

They rested against the trunks of two tall trees. The forest had grown dark, and every once in a while, an owl would hoot into the night. Flare rested on the dirt, his chin sitting on his claws. Cora leaned against the trunk of a tree, a blanket covering her.

“What was it like before the humans came?”

Flare opened one eye, and the luminescence of the color glowed in the darkness. You ask that like I was there.

“Weren’t you?”

He closed his eye again. Why are you so determined to discover my age?

“Because it’s fascinating. The idea of living for so long, experiencing so many generations, is incredible.”

Perhaps I take it for granted, but it’s not that fascinating.

“So, what was it like?”

He chuckled slightly. The history of the dragons is common knowledge, so I’ll share that with you. That doesn’t mean I was alive at that point.

“I’ll take it.”

The dragons didn’t have rules or laws like the humans do. We simply didn’t infiltrate each other’s minds without explicit permission. While we value treasure, gold, and jewels, there was no such thing as stealing. If a dragon has to resort to such measures, then he’s not a true dragon.

“How so?”

Dragons are hunters. We find our own treasures, not steal them. That is our way.

Cora nodded in interest.

They lived freely among one another, either in the mountains or the forests. When the humans came, everything changed. They had to congregate and decide what to do with the new species.

“Why didn’t they just send them away?”

At that time, dragons weren’t the ferocious beasts they’re considered to be now. They were trusting and ignorant. Since they were peaceful, they assumed other species were the same way. They’d been coexisting with the elves and the dwarves for so long, they didn’t see why it would be different with humans. But they were wrong.

She hugged her knees to her chest.

The king of the elves, Tiberius Riverglade, told the dragons it was a bad idea to allow the humans to infiltrate the land. Unfortunately, the dragons did it anyway. And then their race was completely annihilated. The only dragons that survived were the ones who fused.

“Combined with a human?”

Yes.

“What happened to the other dragons?”

The ones who refused to fuse were killed.

She swallowed the lump in her throat. Pain burned deep inside her. The dragons opened their lands to strangers, and the second they turned their backs, they were stabbed in the dark. It was enough to make anyone sick. “The other dragons voluntarily fused?”

No. King Lux broke in to their minds and gained control. Basically, he forced them to do it. Once the dragon was a prisoner, they were forced to do the same to others, breaking down their own kin to be enslaved by the human race. Death was preferable to the torture, but they weren’t even given that option. It was the worst possible existence anyone could ever imagine.

“Oh…”

Flare opened his eyes and stared into the distant trees. He took a deep breath, his entire body rising with the effort. The sadness in the simple action was paramount to every living thing in the glade.

“I’m sorry.” She couldn’t begin to understand the sorrow in Flare’s heart.

He took another deep breath, combating his emotions.

Cora wished she could say something to cheer him up.

His breathing continued until a gleam formed in his eyes. A glossy haze spread over his irises until it was a heavy drop. The weight of the water became too burdensome then dripped down his scaly cheeks.

The sight broke her heart. “Flare…” She crossed the glade then went to his side. She brushed her hand down the bridge of his nose, comforting him in the only way she knew how. It wasn’t clear if he could feel her ministrations through the hard scales, but she did it anyway. “I’m sorry.” She had already uttered those words, but she wanted to say them again.

Don’t apologize.

“I wish I could fix this.” Seeing an enormous beast give in to his grief was heartbreaking.

Nothing can repair the evil inflicted on the dragons. Even eternity isn’t long enough for the humans to make up for what they did. All we can do is free those that are left and hope that will be enough.

* * *

“What do we do first?” They left the forest and ventured down the opposite side of the mountain. They were approaching Polox, the circular city located at the coastline. The local harbor was full of ships with tall, white sails. The second they crested the top of the horizon, they could sense the sea salt in the air.

I need to speak to someone.

“Who?”

I have a friend in the neighboring city.

“A dragon?” She couldn’t keep the excitement out of her voice. Now that she knew one dragon, she’d become obsessed with the species.

No.

“Oh.” She didn’t hide her disappointment. “Then why are we at Polox?”

You need a sword.

“I have a short blade.”

That’s not good enough.

“Well, I’m not trained in the sword, so it’ll be pretty useless to give me one.”

I assumed you were intelligent enough to figure it out.He gave her a pointed stare.

“I am. I just don’t think it’s necessary to risk getting caught for a sword.”

It won’t be any normal sword. In fact, the sword will be unlike any other.

That caught her attention. Blacksmithing was her biggest passion in life. She was always working on the next big weapon to sell. The more creative she got, the higher the price. “Go on.”

I will give you three of my scales to forge your weapon. Mixed with platinum ore, your sword will be sharper than anything known to man. It’ll also be lighter than air and easy to wield. Enemies before you will flee, and the ones who stay won’t have a chance against your power.

Her jaw immediately hung loose. “Whoa…what?”

Flare stared at her without blinking.

“You’re going to give me your scales?”

There’s no other element in the world as strong.

“But…I can’t take your scales.” That was absurd. Dragons prized their scales, claws, and teeth more than anything else according to the stories she’d heard. To let them be mutilated from their hide was unthinkable. “Absolutely not.”

You aren’t taking them. I’m giving them to you.

“Even then…I can’t do it.”

You don’t want a powerful weapon?

“Of course, but not at that cost. I’ll have to cut them from your hide and injure you. It would be a crime.”

Not when I’m allowing you to do it.

The gesture wasn’t lost on her. The fact that he was even considering this indicated he trusted her to a certain degree. Dragons prized their vanity above everything else, and the fact that he was willing to damage his was extraordinary. “Why?”

If we’re going to continue this journey together, you need some real protection. Your flimsy arrows and dagger aren’t going to accomplish anything. I would give you enough scales to make armor, but I can’t spare that much at the moment.

“Dragon armor?” She couldn’t wrap her head around that one.

Yes.

She took a step back and rubbed her temple. She was getting too much information at once. “Your wing isn’t even healed yet.”

So?

“And then you’re going to walk around with more wounds? Am I the only one who thinks this is preposterous?”

Don’t forget how powerful dragons are. Pain doesn’t affect me the way it affects you.

“Even then…”

He released an irritated snort. We’re losing time. Do as I command, and let’s move on.

He’d just said the wrong thing. “Back up, buddy. Just because you want something doesn’t mean you get it. I get that you’re a powerful dragon and everything, but that doesn’t mean you are allowed to boss me around.”

Irritation burned in his eyes. You’re the most peculiar human I’ve come across. If I made this offer to anyone else, they would take it without thinking twice about it.

“Because they’re assholes.”

He cocked his head slightly.

“I don’t want to mutilate you and strip you for parts. I actually care about you.”

His eyes softened in a way they never had before.

“Can we do this some other way? Will your scales naturally fall off when new ones grow?”

Yes, but that could take a hundred years.

“Oh…”

If you remove my scales, you can heal the wounds with the plant you harvested and eliminate the scars. The pain is irrelevant to me. I only care about the appearance.

Of course that’s all he cares about. “I’m still unsure…”

I insist. The better weapon you have, the more likely you are to stay alive. And I need you to stay alive.

“Wait…are you actually admitting you need me?”

His ears folded in hostility. Are we going to do this or not?

Over the course of a few weeks, the number of insults directed at her had decreased substantially. Instead of putting her down or making derisive comments, he complimented her. Perhaps she’d proved herself a worthy companion to a magical dragon, and if so, it was an astounding accomplishment. “Let’s do it.”