A Dragon's Tale Ch. 42

She shook her head.

"You're incredibly driven, sharp as a tack, and think quickly on your feet too." Ethan continued. "You could've become one hell of a Lawyer, doctor, or even a politician, but you didn't pick that either."

She shook her head again.

"Instead, you took a job where you knew you'd be perennially underpaid, underappreciated, and would even have your life put in danger because you wanted to help people, didn't you?"

She hesitated, but seemed reluctant to confirm what Ethan already knew to be true.

"And I have a sneaking suspicion that the reason you train so hard isn't for your own benefit, but so you can help others who need it when the opportunity arises. That's the reason, isn't it?"

"Um..." She waggled her head. "I do it partially for me; I enjoy it."

He raised his eyebrow. "I'm sure you do, but that's not the main reason. Is it?"

She hesitated, then shook her head.

"You primarily train that hard so you can help other people if the need arises, don't you?"

She hesitated a bit longer, then nodded sheepishly.

"That's pretty damn impressive, because I see how you train." Ethan said. "I see how relentless you are. That speaks volumes about how much you care about helping others."

"It does." Alana added, and the rest of his wives all agreed.

"Look Selene, I can't comment on some of what you've said, but I will say this: you're an incredible woman and we're lucky to have you on the Argo for however long you're here."

"That's what we all were saying the day Kendra got her dress!" Taloni beamed.

"We were." Kendra agreed, and everyone else voiced their agreement too.

Selene stared.

"Look, it's great that you now have a unique skill that's incredibly useful." Ethan said. "I'm sure it'll help a lot, especially when dealing with SmithBond on Earth. But even if you had never gotten that talent, I for one am still glad you're here. You're a valuable member of this crew, and please don't ever doubt that."

The caramel haired beauty swallowed hard and blinked several times. Her eyes appeared to get a bit watery as she smiled. "Thank you, all of you. I don't know how to say... that is, I'm not sure how to describe what this means to me."

"It's okay, we can tell." Taloni grinned at her, then called loudly. "Group hug!"

His wives converged on her as one, wrapping her in a large group hug. Selene looked uncomfortable and embarrassed, but there was a big smile on her face too.

"Oh!" Beth exclaimed as the group hug broke. "I wonder if you could connect to our group chat right now since you're telepathic."

"I bet she could!" Tee said just as excitedly as her wings fluttered quickly.

"I can try." Selene replied a bit too quickly.

Apparently she didn't mind a change of topic.

* * *

*Am I doing this right?* Selene thought towards what she was pretty sure was the right place.

*Yes!* Beth and Taloni thought back at the same time.

*You're coming through loud and clear.* Ethan replied to the group chat. *Well that was fast, though being psychic probably helps. Hey, is this anything like using Cerebro?"

*Very funny.* Selene replied at the reference to the machine which enhanced Professor X's psychic powers.

The other ladies looked confused for a moment.

"What's Cerebro?" Beth asked.

The Brazilian woman explained the concept, and the blonde looked at her strangely. "Your world is so strange. You make up the most fantastical stories instead of focusing on more real things."

Selene didn't point out the Ten Kingdom's obsession with Illuminar and then spoke aloud. "Different strokes for different folks."

"Well, I suppose we could've waited to bond then." Ethan pointed out, then shrugged. "Still, I imagine this is going to make a huge difference when you go to Earth to deal with the portal and Gonorran."

"Yeah, I was thinking that too." The caramel haired beauty nodded. "For the first time, I feel like I might actually have a chance."

"Good, I'd hate to see something happen to you." He replied.

"That makes two of us." Selene nodded.

"More than just two." Alana said significantly.

"Thank you." Selene replied, doing her best to keep her emotions at bay.

She still could barely believe that they all thought so well of her. She'd had no idea. None whatsoever. In hindsight though, they had always included her while planning things, even sometimes when it didn't make sense to. She just hadn't known how much Ethan and his wives valued her.

It felt good.

She felt like some invisible weight had been lifted off her shoulders; like the clouds had parted and bathed her in cheerful sunlight. She felt like she could like climb Mount Everest or go toe-to-toe with Serif. She hadn't realized how much she had slipped into something resembling depression until she was starting to climb out of it.

She took a deep breath and let it out, a smile on her face.

"I really appreciate you all saying something." She finally said. "I've been--"

"Captain." Anthiel called down the stairs from the weather deck. "You have a visitor."

Ethan hesitated, looking at Selene.

"Go." She said. "Whoever it is might need help."

He gave her a long look, then a small smile appeared on his face. It was subtle, but there and she heard his mental voice coming directly to her. *Selene, I meant what I said before.*

*Oh?*

*Youare drop dead gorgeous, but the most attractive thing about you isn't your body or face; it's yourheart.* He looked at her with a lopsided grin. *You care more about helping others than anyone I've ever met, including my other wives. That's a rare quality, and it makes you anything but a -- how did you put it? -- a cookie-cutter, dime-a-doze, 'type A' personality.*

The caramel haired beauty felt her throat get slightly tight as her eyes got a bit watery.

He continued. *You're the kind of person who would take a bullet for a complete stranger. I don't think you realize how rare that is, or how unique it makes you. You might disguise your desire to help others behind a 'type A' personality mask, but the mask isn't who you are.*

*It isn't?* Her voice would've cracked if she was speaking aloud.

He shook his head. *It's just a mask you wear, seemingly on purpose, and it conceals the very best part of an incredible woman.*

She blinked.

She could feel a warmth in her chest that lightened her heart even further as she tried not to screw up her face and cry right there on the spot. He understood her. How did he understand her so well? Was it the bonding? Could it be anything else? He knew. He knew something about her that she'd never really told anyone, something that no one -- perhaps not even her dad -- knew about her.

He understood.

How did he understand?

*You're serious?* She finally replied.

*I am.* He nodded, then smiled and inclined his head towards the top of the stairs. "Come on."

She managed to get control of herself as she followed him up the stairs, though perhaps it was just the mask slipping back into place. His wives came too, and they discovered that the rain had finally stopped, leaving everything a bit of a soggy mess. The boards of the Argo's decking were still a bit slick so she watched her step.

Standing on the Argo near the gangplank was a man and a woman who looked like they were a couple. He was wearing what she'd come to recognize as the robes of a Luminar, and she was dressed in what looked like 'Sunday best' clothes. Apparently in Ivernia that meant no patches or frayed edges.

They were both standing up very straight with near perfect posture. Neither had a single hair out of place, but they didn't seem to be overly concerned with appearances either. He had thick, short sideburns that came down and stopped short of where his moustache would be if he'd had one. She had her hair loose, but there were no stray strands of hair, as if none dared to step out of line.

"Prophet of Illuminar, you do us great honor with your visit." He said with a deep and respectful bow. "I apologize for not visiting you earlier, but I only just became aware of your presence minutes ago."

Somehow, Selene believed him.

He looked like the sort of fellow who was that prim and proper all the time, and was ready to rush out the door because he always looked like this.

"Uh, thanks." Ethan replied, then ran his hand over the top of his head, where his hair would be if he were human. "What can I do for you?"

"It would give me great honor if you would visit our humble chapel for services tomorrow morning at daybreak." The man replied. "It is short notice, but I would be beyond honored if you would give the homily."

*Homily?* Ethan asked the group chat.

Selene heard this, and still wasn't sure what to make of it.

It was weird.

Convenient, but weird.

*The teaching Master. The Luminar usually teaches for 15-30 minutes during service.*

Ethan addressed the couple. "Um, I definitely won't teach, but I guess I could come..." He looked at his wives. "Ladies?"

"I would love to." Alana had a grin on her face. "I haven't been able to attend service in... in far too long."

"I'd love to also." Beth smiled. "I've missed that since living on the Argo."

"Oh could we Master?!" Taloni was nearly bouncing on the balls of her feet and her wings were fluttering like mad. "I haven't been to service since the Luminar at the mine moved away years ago."

"I wouldn't object." Rachel said.

"I'm very much in favor." Kendra added.

Ethan looked at Selene. "How about it? Interested?"

"Not really, but it could be entertaining." She shrugged.

The man's wife looked at her. "I take it you haven't been enlightened to the marvelous, manifold wisdom and riches of the glorious and holy God of Light?"

"Sorry, no." The caramel haired beauty shook her head.

The woman gave her a look that wouldn't have been out of place on a mother who was consoling her child as she spoke. "Illuminar accepts all sinners who repent and commit themselves to a holy life. I hope you will soon count yourself among his faithful."

The Brazilian woman made a non-committal grunt, a strategy with she'd long ago adopted when dealing with Bible thumpers. She figured it would work equally as well with Book-of-Light-thumpers.

"Please come to the morning service." The man looked at Ethan. "You and your six wives are welcome--"

"Five." Selene interrupted. "He's only got five; I'm not married to him, just traveling on the same ship."

"Oh, my deepest apologies." He said with another bow that could've come from a teaching manual on how to bow properly. "However, it would be our greatest honor to have you attend."

"I guess we'll see you there." Ethan replied.

"I am most grateful." He bowed. "And I know my flock will be grateful to have you among them. Word of the righteous deeds you're done in the name of Illuminar -- blessed be He -- has reached our ears, and we glorify the God of light for His benevolent response to our unworthy supplications."

"Uh... you're welcome?" Ethan replied, looking a bit like a fish out of water.

"Until the morrow, I shall bid you adieu Prophet of--"

The man stopped as a loud sound came from the distance, in the direction of the mine's entrance.

It was a horn.

A loud horn.

Suddenly the man looked worried as he clasped his hands together and looked up to heaven. "Oh Illuminar -- blessed be You -- please protect your flock from this orc attack."

"ORCS!!!" A guard on top of the walls called, and then began ringing an alarm bell.

"No time like the present." Ethan muttered, then Selene saw his armor activate. It flew from the armor-stack on his back to cover his body, and he reached down to pat the weapons he'd just summoned to his side; all three of them.

"Be careful Master." Taloni's wings fluttered as she grimaced.

"I will be; you all stay on the ship." He replied.

Selene wanted to object, but he didn't give her a chance. Moments later he'd sprung into the air, wings extending as he sped towards the mine's entrance.

* * *

Ethan looked at his destination, which was coming up fast.

The entrance to Dotmier Mine was relatively large and set into the side of the rocky hill, though with the rocky overhang you couldn't see into the mine. Perhaps ten feet above the top of the mine's entrance was a small plateau. The ends curved down at perhaps a 45 degree angle around the mine's entrance, so you could scramble up or down. The tree line of the hills stopped maybe a dozen yards from the drop-off over the mine's entrance. The trees weren't terribly large, and there was a lot of bushes in the tree line.

It was from these bushes that Ethan got his first good look at an orc from among the dozen or so that had appeared.

They were tall and powerfully muscled. The shortest looked to be about six feet, and the tallest nearly seven feet. All of them were wearing relatively little in the way of clothing. They had boots, shorts, and a sort of vest on their chests with a large imprint of a hand in red paint; at least he hoped it was paint. All of the clothing was made of leather, and some of it looked fur-lined. Their green skin looked thick and tough, and they had small tusks sticking up out of their mouths.

They didn't look stupid or unintelligent though.

Quite the contrary in fact.

He got the sense that while they might not excel at astrophysics, they were at least as smart as the average man, and likely far more cunning.

Nearly all were carrying strung longbows, each taller than its owner. They carried the arrows in quivers attached to their hips and the arrows looked to be several feet long and over 1/2 inch thick. Additionally, many orcs had one-handed axes stuffed through their leather belts, though a few had larger two handed axes.

Coming from the mine was a large group of men, each carrying a large, thick shield on his back. The moment the alarm had sounded, they took off running towards town, which meant their backs were protected by the shields. The orcs drew their bows and launched a volley of arrows at their prey. The shields stopped most of the arrows, but not all.

Two men fell, their shields having been pierced by the monstrous arrows from the incredibly powerful warbows.

No one stopped to help them.

The orcs quickly drew new arrows and Ethan was sure a couple more men might fall to them. He needed to draw their attention, and there was one thing that drew attention better than anything else.

He roared.

He opened his mouth and let loose the thunderous noise in full force. For most men, it froze them in their tracks. Ethan had seen men completely lose the will to fight from just hearing it, never mind having a dragon flying at you at full speed.

The orcs didn't flinch.

They merely changed targets.

Suddenly, he wished that the shields the king of the wood elves had given him had a summoning spell on them. He waited until the last second -- after the arrows had been released but before they'd gotten too close -- before tucking his wings and diving.

The world slowed and an orcish arrow hit a gap in his tail armor, piercing deep into his tail.

He only had a split second to react as he realized that his "spider-sense" enchantment had just triggered. It worked. It gave him almost no warning -- maybe a quarter of a second -- but with his enhanced reflexes it was just barely enough to alter the location of his tail so the arrow slammed into the armor instead of a gap.

Wham!

He hissed as the massive arrow hit.

Fuck that hurt!

He landed on the ground and began running flat out on all fours at the orcs. They were grouped fairly close together in a rough line, and a single grenade could've taken out half of them. That's when he remembered that in his haste to intervene, he'd forgotten his grenades too.

Fuck!

Some of the orcs reached for another arrow, then stopped. He was too close. The orcs seemed to relish this though, and wide grins split their faces as they all drew they axes, though one had a long sword; probably taken from a soldier or something. He charged towards the left side of the line, knowing that he'd find himself surrounded if he charged the middle of it.

Ethan waited until he was about twenty yards distant, then leapt in the air, drawing his javelin in dagger mode as he did. He pulled it back, and waited until the last second to extend it before whipping it out as fast and hard as possible. The orc he'd aimed at didn't have a chance to dodge, even his less than perfectly aimed throw. It punched through his shoulder like it wasn't even there and buried itself up to the grip. The orc dropped his axe, that arm no longer useful.

Ethan threw his war hammer at the orc's head and it went down; definitely dazed, but probably not dead.

As he landed, he drew his dragon steel sword and then for the first time truly realized what he was in for.

The orcs weren't just big.

They were HUGE.

Ethan himself was about 5" 8".

The smallest orc had at least six inches on him and probably outweighed him by double; all of it muscle, sinew, and bone. These orcs looked much like human body builders.

He wastiny compared to them.

And they knew it.

They started moving forward. They weren't charging like reckless berserkers, but moving to encircle him. Knowing it was a bad idea to let that happen, he attacked the end of the line. The orc seemed to light up when this happened, hefting a long wooden club instead of an axe. It was about four feet long and maybe two inches thick. That suited Ethan just fine, as the higher mass would make the weapon easier to predict.

The orc swung at him. It was a level swing with plenty of power, but not like a baseball player would swing. This orc had his hands spread further apart than that, and didn't over-swing very much at all.

But it was enough.

Ethan ducked down under the swing, angling his war sword so the club hit the flat of his blade at an angle, deflecting it up. Before the orc could reposition it for defense, Ethan whipped his much faster weapon around and down, slicing through both of the orc's arms in a single stroke. It was the first time that he had ever cut anything living with his dragon steel blade and he couldn't have been more pleased with the result.

It cut like a hot knife through butter.

He didn't have time to celebrate his success because the other ten orcs were closing fast. He turned to face them, lowering his sword into a low guard. The other orcs halted their approach, obviously having seen what he'd done to two of their compatriots in only a few seconds.

Ethan took this opportunity to call his hammer back to his hand and start charging it. Other than to show Talven and Selma that he could use lightning, he hadn't used the new dragon steel head for lightning before. He had decided to go for a targeted shot at the largest and most powerful looking orc to make sure he sent a message.

He felt very much like the underdog looking at the ten remaining orcs forming a semi-circle around him.

They absolutely TOWERED over him.

It was like facing a bunch of pro NFL linebackers in a fight. Actually, these guys were taller than that. It was like facing a bunch of professional basketball players who were built like linebackers. Some of the larger ones might've been 300+ pounds of pure bone, muscle, and sinew. He wasn't able to see over most of theirshoulders, and he would've fit under the armpit of more than one of them... and they were built like linebackers.

Frankly, it was terrifying.

One of the orcs gestured at the largest orc, and then said something in a language he assumed was orcish. It was a bit guttural, but had a flowing quality to it and reminded him a bit of the Klingon language from Star Trek. The largest orc took a step forward, raising his axe and clearly preparing to attack. Ethan responded by lifting his hammer and releasing the charge he'd been building.