A Dragon's Tale Ch. 34

Sarah did so, not believing that this was happening to her.

Maybe Gabriella had been right.

She said that after the worst moment of Sarah's life that everything would change for her. The moments between when she'd attacked Ethan and he'd talked to her had been the worst of her life, so maybe it was going to get better now? She had met the prophet of Illuminar, though he hadn't been able to help with her problem. And now she'd met the wonderful Lady Ekthros.

She smiled.

* * *

"Wait, you want me to do what?" Ethan shook his head, sure he'd misunderstood.

"Kill me with lightning like you did in The Arena, then bring me back." Kendra replied, shifting her weight from one foot to another. "On the way to Arcanum, I remembered from your story that dying broke your bond with Beth, and thought it could do the same with me."

"That's brilliant." Rachel said from behind him.

"I agree, O wise redhead." He replied, wishing he'd thought of that before. He let out a sigh of relief; hopefully, all these damn cravings from his dragon side would be history soon. Beside him, Taloni looked highly amused and was suppressing laughter.

"What?" Ethan and Kendra asked at the same time, then glanced at each other at the same time.

The Fey girl giggled. "I'm so glad you two got married."

"We didn't get married; we bonded." Ethan said. "There's a big difference."

"Not according to Gabriella." Beth interjected.

"And not according to the elves, or the Fey." Taloni added. "You two are married if you ask an angel."

"Fortunately, I have everything we need for a divorce." Ethan said as he summoned his hammer.

"A divorce without contestation." Kendra nodded.

"So..." Taloni got a sly smile on her face. "...are you admitting that you're married because you can't get a divorce without being married?"

"No." He and Kendra said at the same time.

Everyone except the 'couple' burst out laughing.

He and Kendra shared a look, and she cracked the first real smile that he'd ever seen on her. It was a slightly embarrassed smile, but she seemed genuinely amused.

She had a nice smile.

He wasn't sure why it was such a nice smile. Objectively speaking, her smile wasn't really any different than his other wives, or really any woman. However, something about it seemed very significant and just... just nice. She had a 'girl next door' quality about her despite her former profession; or perhaps because of her former profession? Anyway, her smile was exactly that. It was the kind of 'embarrassed but amused and pleased' smile you could imagine a 'girl next door' getting. It was homey and so normal.

It looked good on her.

"What?" Kendra asked as his gaze lingered.

"Nothing." He shook his head. "You ready?"

"Give me a second, I'm psyching myself up for the whole mouth-to-mouth thing." She shuddered and appeared to dry heave once.

"I can do that if you don't want Ethan to." Selene volunteered, then added with a wink. "I don't blame you; dragon breath."

"Okay, ready to die?" He said in the cheesiest way he could.

Selene chuckled.

"It won't work." Taloni said, though she seemed to be thinking out loud.

"Why not?" Ethan asked. "It worked once before."

"Yes, but it won't this time." The Fey replied, then turned to Kendra. "When you two are all done trying and failing, I'd love to talk to you for a moment."

The delightful honey-blonde skipped up to Ethan, gave him a peck on the cheek, and then skipped towards the quarterdeck.

"What's got her so happy?" Ethan asked.

"Beats me." Kendra shrugged.

He turned to her. "Ready?"

"Go for it." She nodded and braced herself.

"It'll take a second to charge it." He said.

She nodded, then cocked her head to one side. "Speaking of, are you ever going to tell me how you got enough mana to enchant your claw to cut off Rachel's collar while we were captured?"

"When I bond to someone, they become like gold when they're around me." He replied, not sure why he was telling her this. "With Rachel, Taloni, and you all there, I got a lot of mana."

"You're kidding me." Her jaw dropped.

"Nope." He replied, then realized something. "I have no idea why I just told you that. I probably should've kept that to myself."

Kendra shrugged. "I'm certainly not going to tell anyone."

"I know." He replied almost automatically, before realizing that it was actually true. He trusted her not to share it with anyone. He wasn't sure when that had happened, but it had.

Strange.

His hammer hit full charge. "You ready?"

"Loose." She nodded.

He chuckled as he realized that 'loose' was the command to shoot a volley of arrows, and thus was roughly equivalent to 'shoot' on Earth.

He did.

CRACK!

"Shit!" Kendra said as the bolt hit her square in the chest. She clutched her hands over her chest. "God damn it! That fucking hurt!" She didn't seem to be swearing at him though, just swearing because it hurt.

"I told you!" Taloni called from the quarterdeck.

They ignored her.

"Again?" Kendra asked as she removed a hand from her chest, and he guessed she'd been healing what was probably a pretty bad singe. Her shirt now had two holes in it, the first being from the fight in the Arena. He guessed that her clothes were enchanted to be self-repairing and thus she only had the one set. However, apparently self-repairing didn't work when the cloth had been vaporized.

"Sure, but let me try something else." He said, and then started pulling the charge directly from Kendra, from the area around her heart. That worked much better for targeting lightning strikes accurately.

"Okay, here comes round two." He said as he raised his hammed, and she nodded.

CRACK!

"God damn it, fucking OW!" The dragon huntress clapped her hand to chest again, right over her heart where the bolt had struck true.

She still wasn't dead.

"Holy shit that stings." The raven-haired woman said after a minute. There were now three small holes singed through her shirt.

"It's not working." He said confused. "It should be working."

"Yeah, no shit Sherlock." Selene frowned as she stepped closer to Kendra. "Where's the exit path?"

"There wouldn't be one with that strike." Ethan said. "However, that might be an idea. If we can get her to the ground it might be easier to ensure proper grounding."

"I'm game." Kendra said.

Selene shook her head with a smile. "I've never helped commit a temporary murder before."

"Me either." He said wryly, then turned to the quarterdeck. "Taloni, put the Argo down; we need to get to the ground for this next attempt."

"Yes master, but it still won't work." The Fey called back as the Argo began a slow descent.

"How do you know?" Kendra called.

"I just do."

Ethan and Kendra looked at each other and shrugged.

She couldn't possibly be right...

...could she?

* * *

"That's all the measurements I need."

"Thank you so much." Sarah replied as Mr. Mesavil finished.

"Now, you just need to pick the style." He said as he pulled out a large book full of drawings of different dresses and styles.

There were so many options that Sarah didn't know how to choose between them. He had drawings of so many designs and a few examples in the shop, but the options were overwhelming. After looking for only a few minutes, her head was spinning.

"I don't know what to pick." She finally said to Lady Ekthros.

The older woman took a step back and looked her up and down slowly. "There's something you learn when you have a lot of coin to spend; less is more. A simple, elegant dress that fits perfectly will look better than one bedecked with jewels. It's better not to gild the lily."

"Gild the lily?" Sarah asked. "I'm not sure I've heard that expression before."

"It's from my..." She paused. "It's a saying from my homeworld. It means to pile extravagance on something which is already beautiful, and needs no improvement. In fact, 'gilding the lily' often means the thing suffers from the 'improvement' rather than looking better."

Sarah swallowed. "You... you think I'm..." She couldn't bring herself to say 'beautiful' out loud.

"Of course dear." Lady Ekthros said kindly. "You just need something to showcase the beauty that's already there."

The older woman flipped through the book of drawings while the innkeeper's daughter tried to stop from crying happy tears. Someone thought she was beautiful? No one had told her that since her problem had manifested, and she couldn't believe how nice it was to hear again.

"How about this one?" The auburn-haired woman asked.

Sarah looked at the picture and smiled. "That's really pretty."

"It is, and I think it would work wonderfully with your neckline." Lady Ekthros said. "Now, fabrics."

Looking at all the fabrics that Mr. Mesavil had was thoroughly enjoyable. There were so many options that she felt completely out of her depth. Fortunately, Lady Ekthros was there and so incredibly helpful.

"Yes, this will do nicely." She said holding up some silk.

"But, I'll feel like I'm naked if I wear that." Sarah protested. The sample in her hand conformed to every curve of her fingers, and on her body would've made everything show.

"We can add some lining to prevent that, but trust me; there's nothing like the feel of silk on your skin." Lady Ekthros said.

Mr. Mesavil brought out a sample of silk with some lining that gave it a bit of shape and would prevent everything from showing.

"It does feel really nice." Sarah admitted once she'd confirmed that it wouldn't show everything.

"Then we'll go with that." Lady Ekthros announced, then turn to the tailor. "How much."

He told her, and Sarah's jaw dropped at the sum.

"I'll pay up front now." The auburn haired woman said, fishing out a coin purse.

"Thank you milady." Mr. Mesavil said with a slight bow.

"But that's too much!" Sarah exclaimed. She'd never even heard of someone paying so much for a dress, even a wedding dress.

"Nonsense, a girl only gets married once." Lady Ekthros said dismissively.

"But for the cost of this dress, the inn could--" She stopped as Mr. Mesavil's eyes bugged out, and she could tell that he suddenly recognized her. The mention of the inn had probably jogged his memory.

"You're Festus' girl." Mr. Mesavil said as he slowly backed away.

"I am." She nodded and her shoulders slumped.

"I'm afraid I can't make this dress milady." The elderly tailor said fearfully. He handed her the slip of parchment with the measurements. "You'll have to go somewhere else, and I must ask you to leave."

Lady Ekthros gave him an icy glare, and the man wilted under it, averting his eyes and looking down.

"Sarah, we're leaving." She said, looking at the man with all the warmth of a mid-winter blizzard.

The two women left the tailor's shop, the younger one feeling terrible, though slightly grateful to Lady Ekthros for defending her. They went to the carriage and sat in it, and the auburn-haired woman seemed to be getting control of herself. She had clenched her hand into a fist more than once.

"Sarah, there will always be people who judge without knowing you." She finally said. "Fuck them; don't listen to a word they say, and concentrate on those who won't judge you."

Sarah nodded.

"Have you ever met anyone like that?" Lady Ekthros asked

"You." The girl said, the pain from the tailor still fresh, plus she didn't feel like she should say that she'd met Ethan.

"Anyone else?"

Sarah's mind immediately went to Ethan and his wives. They had been so nice to her despite seeing her problem on full display. She couldn't stop a tiny smile from creeping onto her face; Ethan had been nice to herbecause of her problem. He really was incredibly nice.

"Ah, I seem some young fellow has caught your eye." Lady Ekthros said with a sly smile. "Who is he?"

"He's..." She bit her lip. "He's not my betrothed." She finally admitted. "Therefore it doesn't matter; I belong to Rindrin now, and I shouldn't even think of him."

"You donot belong to anyone." The older woman said firmly. "You are your own person and can marry whoever you damn well please... and it sounds like this fellow 'pleases' you." She said with a twinkle in her eye.

Sarah blushed, feeling alarmed. "No! I've never... uh... been uh, 'pleased' before. He was just so... well he was so nice when he found out."

Lady Ekthros leaned in. "Judging by your expression, this was recent too. When did you meet him?"

"Um..." She hesitated, not wanting to reveal that Ethan had been at the inn, especially to one of Lord Delmar's advisors. "It was um..."

"Oh, very recent." The older woman had a bit of glee on her face, though why she couldn't tell. Maybe she was just happy for her?

"How recent though? Last week?" The older woman pressed

Sarah hesitated a moment.

"Oh, even more recent; you just met him. I'll bet it wasn't more than a day or two ago, was it?"

The girl hesitated, then nodded.

"What's his name?" Lady Ekthros asked with the air of a girl trying to pry some juicy gossip out one of her girlfriends.

"He's um... Uh..." Sarah wasn't sure she should say. I mean, Lady Ekthros did work for Lord Delmar and obviously was pretty sharp. If she gave his name, she would assuredly put two-and-two together.

"You don't want to tell me his name?" The older woman asked raising her eyebrow. "Why ever could that be? Surely you know that I wouldn't say anything to your father or Rindrin, right?"

She nodded.

"Then it must be..." The auburn-haired woman cocked her head to one side. "Hmm... if you know that I wouldn't tell your secret and yet you still don't want to tell me his name, then I must know him too. However, who would we both know..."

She paused for a moment, tapped her foot on the carriage floor, and then gave Sarah a piercing look. "Could it be... nah, it couldn't be." She shook her head, then paused. "Although, you've mentioned him several times so maybe..."

Sarah looked down guiltily.

"It is." Lady Ekthros said. "You met Ethan, the 'prophet of Illuminar'; didn't you?"

Sarah froze.

The older woman chuckled. "Don't even try to deny it; you're a terrible liar. When did you meet him?"

"Yesterday." Sarah admitted. "But he left, and I don't know where he went."

"Sarah, I just told you that you're a terrible liar. Youdo know where he went, but you certainly don't need to tell me. I would like to meet him, but you don't owe me anything."

Sarah wanted to disagree and say that she did owe the auburn-haired woman something, but didn't for some reason. She certainly wasn't going to tell her where the Argo was going.

"What was he like?" The older woman asked, and she sounded... concerned?

Hmm.

Strange.

"He was really nice." She finally replied. "I um, I kind of lost it while he was around and attacked him, but he forgave me. He said he didn't know how to get rid of my problem, but that he would try to figure it out."

"Ah. Hmm... Okay." She nodded, but again Sarah got the sense that something was off; like the older woman knew something that she wasn't sharing.

"Um, Lady Ekthros." Sarah started tentatively.

"Yes?"

"Um, you sound like... I mean, it seems like you know more than... um, more about Ethan that is... um, it seems like you know more about him than you are saying?"

The older woman's lips pursed slightly as she looked at the girl. "I probably shouldn't be gossiping, especially since it's technically privileged information anyway."

"Oh, okay." Sarah looked down as her heart drooped a bit. She understood, but would still like to know more.

"Just promise me this: if you meet him again, be careful." Lady Ekthros said with what looked like deep concern. "He's... well, just promise me you'll be careful around him, okay?"

"Okay." Sarah replied, and she got the distinct impression that Lady Ekthros knew a lot more than she was letting on. For some reason, the innkeeper's daughter got the distinct impression that the older woman had good reason to be concerned about Ethan, and that in turn concerned Sarah.

Her mind drifted back to what the lady had said earlier, quoting the Book of Light when it talked about servants of Saidow dressing as angels of light. That passage went on to say that they did this to mislead faithful followers of Illuminar. But that wasn't Ethan. It definitely wasn't. There was just no possible way that Ethan could be like that. He had been so kind and caring; so nice and understanding.

There was just no way that Ethanwasn't a servant of Illuminar.

No conceivable way in the world.

Not Ethan...

...right?

* * *

"Holy shit!" Kendra breathed as another lightning bolt slammed into her chest. She clapped her hand of her chest reflexively and started healing the wound.

"It's not working; why isn't it working?" Ethan growled to no one in particular.

"God damn it." The dragon huntress hissed as she finished healing the latest lightning strike from Ethan's hammer. She looked down at the slightly sad state of her blouse. He'd hit her a half dozen times by now, and while each strike only vaporized a small portion of her shirt, they added up. His accuracy was good, and thus she was showing a bit more of her chest through the holey shirt that she would ordinarily have liked.

"Okay; it's time to pull out the big guns." Ethan growled as he stalked towards the Argo.

Fifteen minutes later, he pointed his hammer at her again. "Ready?"

"Ready." Kendra said as she leaned back.

She was in a slightly precarious position, with her feet up on some dry wood, her hands balancing herself, and her back resting on the pommel of her sword. Ethan was about to rest his hammer against her chest right over her heart to ensure a good hit. Directly opposite the hammer was the pommel of her sword, whose point was firmly embedded in the ground. Ethan had wet the ground slightly, saying that would help. She didn't understand how, but Selene had also thought it was a good idea, so the raven-haired woman went with it.

"You ready Selene?" He asked the Brazilian woman, and Kendra was glad that she could do the 'mouth to mouth' thing instead of Ethan himself.

"Yup." She replied.

"Okay, here goes nothing." He said. He dipped the head of his hammer in a nearby bucket of water and then touched the dripping head to the skin directly over her heart, the holey shirt now making that possible.

CRACK.

"Fuck!" Kendra hissed as a sharp searing pain shot through her chest. She clutched her hand to her chest and started healing the wound as she jumped off the crazy setup.

"You don't look dead to me." Ethan said with a scowl.

"What the hell?" Selene exclaimed. "That should've worked."

"Unless the lightning stopping her heart in The Arena was a freak accident." Ethan pointed out. "I've shocked a lot of people since then and no one else's heart has stopped. I don't know how it all works, and I don't exactly trust TV to get it right."

Kendra glanced up at the Argo's quarterdeck where Taloni was.

Could the Fey have been right?

"Maybe it's a timing thing?" Ethan said after a moment. "I mean, maybe the shock has to hit at a certain part of the heartbeat cycle to stop it?"

"I have no idea." Selene replied.

"Me either, and I'm out of ideas too." He scowled, almost growled.

"You're saying that we're stuck being bonded." Kendra said.

"Yeah, seems like it. Shit." Ethan let out a low growl, though it wasn't directed at her. He grabbed the lumber on which she had been standing, turned, and walked towards the rope ladder leading back up to the Argo.

"None taken." Kendra said under her breath. She fully understood why he didn't want to be bonded to her, but he was being a bit more dragonish about it. She jerked her sword out of the ground, wiped it off, and then returned it to its scabbard.