Dragon Bound

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Chapter Seventeen

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‘Those men really dislike you,’ Lune said softly as they passed into a calmer corridor with less people. Jason smiled bitterly.

‘Kyril and Estevan? Well yes. With Estevan, the wounds are old and deep. He is a lot older than me. He coveted my father’s rank. When my father died, Estevan expected to be given the title, but the king gave it to me instead for my capture of Damon. For Kyril it’s more how I am than who. He has always believed himself the better trainer. He has more dragons in his stables than any other knight. For what little that matters,’ Jason muttered.

He didn’t look at Lune as he said this and Lune had a distinct impression that those stories were both incomplete and most likely, far more complicated. Jason didn’t seem to want to elaborate though so Lune let the conversation lapse into silence as the rider led him back to the stables.

‘I have a few things to attend to and I don’t want Damon to wake alone,’ Jason said as he opened the massive stall door. Lune stepped inside and immediately felt the shift. As a dragon he bent his muzzle down for a pat.

‘I’ll be back soon,’ Jason promised and closed the door. Lune padded over to where Damon slumbered. It was obvious the male hadn’t woken or moved. He sniffed curiously at one of the acid burns. Most of the injuries were healing well, glowing slightly in reaction to Jason’s magic. A few others had been covered with a bitter smelling poultice.

The Yoru’s breathing was deep and steady. He didn’t seem to be in pain so after getting a drink of water, Lune came back and began to groom the larger male. He was careful to stay right away from any injuries.

Damon woke sometime around mid-day to Lune still grooming him. The Yoru yawned widely, jaw creaking. He stretched, wings flexing and brushing the walls and ceiling. Lune ducked to avoid them. The black stood, gingerly testing his muscles. He was stiff and a little sore in places but felt better for the rest and medication.

The doors to the outside paddock had been opened. He turned his head and nuzzled Lune. The Kagame was unusually quiet. He returned Damon’s touch but there was no fluff to his wings or bounce to his step as they headed out into the sun. The events of the last few days had caused a lot of conflicting feelings for the newly captured dragon.

Damon did feel sorry for Lune, but he also couldn’t fight his own possessive feelings. If they had been out in the wild, Damon would have attempted to capture Lune for his harem. The young male was too rare and too lovely not to. He did understand what it felt like to be captured and displaced though his own transition had been different. Damon had been much younger than Lune was now when Jason had captured him. He and Jason had grown though their ‘teenage’ years together, butting heads. Damon hadn’t known much of the wilds of his birthplace before he was taken from them.

Damon tried to get Lune to play but the Kagame just slumped over one of the good scratchy sunning rocks and didn’t move. Snorting, Damon nosed about his neck and face. Lune swatted at him. Undeterred, Damon risked poking the little dragon. Lune’s lilac eyes narrowed to slits. He gave a warming grumble, tail starting to swish. The Yoru gave his wing an unpleasant nip. Lune bit at the bigger dragon but Damon was already out of reach. He goaded the little dragon, prodding and annoying him until finally the Kagame snapped.

Lune launched himself after Damon with a chirping bark of anger. Damon fled, flapping his wings, and knocking Lune away with the gusts as he danced around the paddock. Lune gave chase, biting at the black tail tip as it waved in his face. Around and up and down, Damon led him around their domed paddock until Lune’s anger morphed into a mulish happiness. The rather rough game of ‘tug you last’ ended abruptly when Damon turned and swept Lune to the ground with an outstretched wing.

Heaving for breath in the hot dusty afternoon, Lune wiggled as he tried to get up. Damon, it seemed, was not yet ready to let him up. Lune chirped as the larger male bent down to snuff him. His tail curled up over his belly as he recognised the mood shift in the Yoru. Damon purred, rubbing his nose down Lune’s neck, nipping gently. Lune shivered, eyes suddenly very wide.

Damon allowed him up, the white dragon rocking onto all four legs before backing away warily. Damon followed, crooning, wings mantling. The sun was bright, casting long golden threads of light on the black dragon. His scales shone handsomely. Lune could see the arrogant strength of him. His confidence was both alluring and irritating. Lune backed away until his rump hit the wall of their stall.

His tail came around protectively but he didn’t rattle his quills yet. Damon continued to purr, slowly easing himself closer, one eye on those long sharp quills in their camouflage of white and silver feathers. He wanted Lune but he didn’t want to frighten the smaller male. So, he waited, still purring that loud purr, inviting and gentle. Lune timidly reached out and licked his nose. The purring deepened.

Damon dared another stride closer. When he wasn’t rebuffed, he sidled up to the Kagame. He approached on his left, wanting to give Lune a way out back into the paddock if he became skittish. Damon had experience in mating. He had quickly discovered that a filly that felt trapped was a filly made dangerous and he doubted Lune would be any different. He nudged at the white’s throat, delighted when those soft lilac eyes closed a little and the head tilted back.

Purring low, Damon shifted. He lifted one front paw, pressing gently on Lune’s shoulder blades, encouraging him to crouch. The spike in fear and arousal turned his purr momentarily into a hungry growl. Lune’s scent was sweet. The smaller dragon’s breathing accelerated, drawing in Damon’s own musk on the hot air. Snippets of the conversation they’d had back on the mountain entered into Lune’s mind.

Lune turned his head nervously. He could see Damon’s cock peeking out of it sheath. He couldn’t tell from this angle how large or… barbed it was. Damon pressed a little harder. He wanted to mount. Lune hesitated. It was then that he heard an incredibly unpleasant sound. His looked over at his shoulder.

Kyril was standing outside the enclosure, arms crossed and his expression one of disgust and amusement. There were a few people with him. Though Lune recognised their faces he didn’t know them by name. The sight of the men effectively flattened his mood and Lune darted out from underneath Damon, his feathers fluffing out. Damon gave a low snarl of agitation but more directed at the human than Lune.

‘Boy’s dragon is such a fucking prude. If you ask me, that animal is more trouble than its worth. I’d strap it down and have it breed a few females. Start afresh with a new generation and write that one off as dog meat,’ Kyril sneered. Damon let out a roar of anger, charging at the bars.

He hit them horned crest first with a terrific impact, the metal clanging loudly. To his satisfaction, the humans leapt back. Kyril spat on the ground and stormed away. Damon turned back to Lune, but the Kagame was already slinking back into the stall, any mood he’d had for company well and truly gone.

Damon’s wings sagged.

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Jason had sat in the meeting, tight lipped and uncomfortable. They had been going around in circles for the better part of an hour. It wasn’t the entire court, thank the gods, but it was all knights on site as well as the king’s advisors. Gabe was back at the forge and Amara and Dane had left that morning.

The dawn patrol had returned with absolutely nothing interesting to report which no one could decide was a good thing or not. The atmosphere was tense and unfriendly. Even the suggestion that someone on the inside was involved had cause a silent uproar. Nothing of the sought had ever occurred in the Sun Kingdom’s history. Threats had always openly come from the outside.

At present, they were discussing the tribes. There were a few human tribes of old who rejected the idea of living in cities or taming dragons for combat and protection. These tribe lived a simple lifestyle and were nomadic. From what Jason understood there were also desert tribes in the Kingdom of Glass, but their numbers were few. Without dragons to protect them, the wilder nastier things of the lands were slowly dwindling their numbers.

‘I will send three riders to find the outskirts tribes. Take supplies with you. It is to be a peaceful meeting to find out what they have heard on the wind,’ the king murmured.

Jason had been considering volunteering just to get away from the oppressive stronghold when a rush of heat had hit him hard. He hunched in his chair, just managing to prevent a particularly filthy swear leaving his mouth. His connection with Damon often allowed rider and dragon an open link into each other’s feelings and thoughts and what Damon was feeling now was not appropriate for a bloody war meeting.

Carefully, he tried to test the newer link he shared with Lune. He wanted to make sure the younger dragon was alright. He doubted Damon would do anything sinister, but he wanted to be sure. The link was much weaker as it was still so new but what emotion he could feel was nervousness, arousal, and affection. There was some fear, but it was the sought an inexperienced mate might feel and not the kind that told him that Lune was afraid of Damon’s actions.

Jason tried to arrange his face into a neutral expression as a bubbling warmth began to coil in his belly. He was half hard in his trousers which was just ridiculous. His attempt was apparently not very good because Fredrick gave him a concerned look. He probably looked constipated.

He sat through an incredibly uncomfortable fifteen minutes, time trickling by at a mocking rate. He breathed through his mouth as his blood buzzed in his veins. Even as he tried to limit what he felt through their link, he couldn’t completely ignore the simmering arousal and thick anticipation. He tried not to squirm in his chair. He could feel his fucking heartbeat in his balls.

Just as the heat was beginning to build, it abruptly doused. The shock was so bad he actually gasped. Thankfully, at that exact moment Estevan was talking loudly about his own opinion. Never had Jason been more grateful that the fuckwit liked the sound of his own voice. Worried now as well as uncomfortable, Jason almost flew from the room the second the meeting ended. Thankfully, his erection was gone.

He had dodged behind a crowd of people to avoid a few members of his squad that looked as though they wanted to talk to him. His first and only priority at the moment was to get back to the stables and make sure his dragons were alright.

‘What happened?’ Jason barked. He was sweaty. He had run almost the entire way back to the stables, much to the shock of many servants on the way down. Damon gave a low snarl, showing off long teeth.

Nothing! Everything was going well. He was responding to me, Damon sounded sulky even in Jason’s head. And then that ass, Kyril opened his mouth and-

‘Kyril?’ Jason said, confused. ‘Kyril should have been in the meeting with me,’ he added. Come to think of it, he didn’t remember seeing the bald-headed rider in the room. What had he been doing whilst they had been conversing with the king?

‘What did he do?’ Jason snapped urgently.

Nothing. He was just walking past but he made some stupid comment, and it ruined the mood, Damon grumbled. Jason looked past his black dragon to where Lune was huddled in the corner.

‘Alright, alright. It’s done with now,’ Jason sighed. He made his way over to Lune. ‘Come now love. How about we give the both of you a nice long groom. We’ll use hot sand and everything, really make those scales shine,’ he murmured, gently stroking Lune’s muzzle. This did seem to cheer Lune up. He did love getting groomed. The Kagame gave the rider a nudge with his nose.

‘That’s it, come you two. I’ll grab George.’ Jason bridled his dragons and led them from the stall. Outside, Jason easily tracked down his squire and set to brushing down every inch of his dragons. Gabe walked past at one point and decided to help. Partly because Lune looked so dejected and Damon so grumpy but also to hear what had happened in the meeting.

Lune’s eyes slid closed in pleasure as hot rough sand was rubbed over his scales, making them gleam like diamonds. The afternoon was dwindling, the heat submitting a little as the sun was covered by a few clouds. By the time the two dragons were taken back to their stall, both were in a better mood. Jason didn’t say much, apparently contemplative.

He had decided to mention (very quietly, mind) to Gabe that Kyril had purposely missed the summons to the king’s meeting. He trusted Gabe deeply and wanted his opinion. The old rider looked thoughtful at this.

‘Keep this information to yourself laddie. For now. I’ll keep an eye on him,’ Gabe had murmured.

Food? Damon’s inquiry startled Jason out of his thoughts.

‘Yes, you big lump, I organised food. I had it brought in whilst you were dozing,’ he teased.

Good because I’m starving, Damon grumbled. Lune rolled his eyes but followed the larger male into the stall. The strong smell hit him hard in the face and Lune wrinkled his nose.

What is that!? Lune thought in disgust. It appeared to be the internal organs of several large bulls. Damon looked delighted and shoved his nose into the trough, eating with a volume that made Lune recoil. Jason shook his head.

‘Okay, you may be right. He is a bit repulsive,’ Jason muttered. Lune bobbed his head in agreement.

‘Do you want something to eat?’ Jason asked, looking up at his snowy dragon. Lune muzzle twitched as he watched something slick slide over the side of the trough.

No. No, definitely not hungry, Lune answered, oddly sickened. Lune was a neat eater, and he certainly didn’t favour intestines. Even if Jason got him his favourite trout, he wasn’t sure he had the appetite to enjoy it. Dragons didn’t always need to eat everyday so long as the diet was balanced, and they got enough meat in a sitting.

‘Alright. In that case, get some sleep. I’ll organise something first thing in the morning,’ Jason promised, reaching up to give him a pet. Lune nodded and headed over to the heated bamboo mats. He coiled around a few times to get settled. He heard Jason leave as well as Damon’s wet snort.

Once Damon had finished eating, he had attempted to cuddle with Lune. He had almost immediately been repelled with a face full of tail quills. Lune was not going to let Damon nap until he had well and truly groomed himself. Sluggish and already sleepy, Damon begrudgingly complied, washing his muzzle and front claws until his picky mate allowed him to rest beside him. Lune gave him a few sniffs and found him ‘acceptable.’ He was asleep before his head hit his claws. Lune followed him not long after.

But he didn’t stay asleep.

Lune shifted. Something had disturbed him in his sleep. At first, he wasn’t sure if he had sensed something real or just chased a feeling from his dreams. He lay still, warmed by Damon’s body and the heated stone floor. He blinked sluggishly.

The night was still heavy and close. He doubted more than a few hours had passed. As he prepared to roll over, he heard an odd rustling outside the stall door. A little more awake now, Lune lifted his head off his front claws, sniffing.

As the warm night air whistled under the door, he caught a scent he thought he recognised. It definitely wasn’t Jason or Gabe. Feeling oddly worried, Lune nudged Damon with his nose. The big black didn’t stir. There was more shuffling and the chink and rattle of something metallic. Lune stood up. He nosed at Damon, wanting the male to wake.

He didn’t.

Lune gave a warble, nipping at one of his nose horns.

Nothing.

Damon wasn’t waking. Really starting to panic now, Lune bit the Yoru lightly on the neck. The larger male didn’t even grumble. At that moment, the heavy lock on the stall door shifted and a small figure crept in. For half a moment, Lune thought it was Jason’s squire, George. It was difficult to tell in the dark, but this young man was perhaps a little taller. He held a coil of long neat chain in his hands, like a lasso.

Lune growled, lips curling back over lethal teeth. His tail whipped out in warning, the quills rattling together. In his panic and anger, he reached out along the link he shared with Jason. He felt the rider respond immediately, jerking awake from all the way in his chambers.

Lune, what’s going on? Before he could respond, the young man spoke.

‘Come on, the door is open. I came to get you out,’ Lune paused, his quill suspended.

Out?

‘Come on, you want to be free of this place, don’t you?’ the young man whispered hastily. Anxiously, Lune looked back at Damon.

‘He won’t wake,’ the human said. Instantly Lune began to growl again, his worry for Damon briefly overriding his fear and confusion.

‘Don’t worry, he’s not sick. It was just a little something to help him sleep deeply. More of the sleeping draught the healers gave him yesterday. This is your chance to leave this place!’ the teenager hissed. Lune rocked, deeply conflicted and also untrusting.

Lune stared down into the eyes of the sharp faced young man. The boy’s facial features were oddly familiar though Lune didn’t know why or from where. His dark mop of hair could not disguise the vaguely aristocratic look of his jaw and small nose. He had dark piercing eyes and Lune thought he was barely cresting his nineteenth summer.

‘Come, don’t you want to be free? Follow me, quickly. Come!’ Lune rocked on his claws, thoroughly torn. His eyes darted from the open door, to the chains, to the boy, to Damon and back to the door. He knew Jason was coming, could distantly hear the man inside his mind. How far did Jason’s control go? Would the collar work from a distance?

‘We can get the collar off you, I promise. Just do as I say,’ Something about those last words made Lune deeply wary. There was an odd hunger in the boy’s eyes. Perhaps a little crazed and greedy. Lune took half a step then another.

‘Yes, that’s it. Come,’ the boy whispered. If he got out of the stable, he could just fly straight up, never mind this weird human. He could escape. He was almost to the door when he heard Damon grunt in his sleep. Guilt crept up through his guts. He wanted Damon to come with him.

‘Come on!’ The boy was obviously nervous about his hesitation. To Lune’s shock, the boy threw the light chain, encircling Lune’s muzzle so that he couldn’t open his jaws. The boy tugged, trying to pull him out of the stable. Reactively, Lune planted his feet, shaking his head as the chain drew tight against his scales.

‘They will break you and use you! You will die in the war that is coming, do you understand? With us you can be free! You just have to follow!’ The boy barked. As the boy pulled again, Lune was struck with another familiar scent. It was blood. Old blood and bile. There were dark stains on the knees of the boy’s trousers.

‘Hey, get the fuck away from my dragon!’ The roar sent the stables into chaos. A booming bell clanged throughout the stronghold. Dragons shrieked and roared from inside their stables. The bell rang, humans were shouting. Torches were lit as Jason came pelting down the cobblestone towards them. The boy swore and let go of the chain.

‘We will come back for you,’ the boy spat, his tone dangerous. Lune backed up, the chain still swinging from his muzzle. The boy ran.

Jason shouted after him and gave chase. Gabe appeared, looking dishevelled and shirtless. Without a word he shut the door to Damon and Lune’s stall. Lune heard the click of the lock and was left standing there, trembling with the chain still wrapped around his muzzle as the riders took off after the strange boy.

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END

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