Barely able to move, passion building in his veins, Hadofi could only stand there stunned into silence. His salty-wood sweaty scent drifted through the ether, unnoticed by him, thick and heavy in the cold night air of the cave mouth. As Diadlerin stepped forward, ducking gracefully under a support beam in the ceiling, her sultry voice massaged his ears.
"When Hebe came to me in the dream, she revealed the gods have given you the power to conceive with any of the humanoid races of Keltur." Her hand rose onto his chest, and she could feel his hammering heart through the thin fabric. "Our child would be strong with magic, Dominus, and grow to be leader of our tribe." Her words were sweet, and it was not that he did not want to. He did. As she leaned in to kiss him softly, the divine shield activated, preventing their lips from touching. "Why do you do this!" she protested, as if it were a spell Hadofi had summoned. He wondered how best to explain the drunk skill selection process and the absurd restrictions he had taken on many of his skills in order to gain power.
"It is not by choice, Diadlerin," he said softly, cupping her face with his hand. "I am blessed by the gods, that is true, but I am also cursed by them. I cannot be intimate with someone who is not my sworn companion."
"Then I will be your companion, if you would have me, Dominus," she pleaded. "I will do whatever you ask of me."
"It is not that easy," he explained solemnly. "There must be a contract, with your family members agreeing. I must make you a necklace with a precious stone. You must cast soul read on me. There is a six-hour ritual. It is very complicated and hard to explain. Everyone involved must know the conditions and think about their answer for two days before they can agree. Once we complete the ritual and you place the collar – err, necklace – around your neck, it cannot be removed. You would be bound to me and no other."
"Yes! I would have that! My family would agree, I swear it."
"If, after all is explained and revealed, you would still be my companion, I will make you the necklace and draft the contract. But it will take time, and it will certainly not be done tonight. You are very beautiful, but please, put your dress back on, and let me explain it in detail."
Over the next couple hours Diadlerin agreed to have her soul read, and Hadofi made note of the average-sized sapphire that would be required for her collar. He made a list of all the things he would need, from parchment and ink to having his soul read by her and her family. Hadofi made it clear that she would not be his only companion, that he would have many and that she would have to share him with them. She had no issues with him having many companions, and promised to be devoted and loyal to him always. They talked long into the night, laughing, cuddling, and from time to time the divine shield would interrupt Diadlerin's wandering hand.
In the morning, the guards were back outside the cabin, waiting to escort the two of them to the village after breakfast. Hadofi placed the required materials for Diadlerin's necklace into the magic box for processing. He summoned a group of golems to work while he was gone and collected his things. The trip would take longer than his polymorph or fly spell would last, so he would have to recast something. Fly was the easiest spell to cast, and could be done quickly if in free fall. So he would start out in his polymorphed form and cast fly when that spell ended. Diadlerin suggested that when they got close to the village, he polymorph back into his eagle form for a grand entrance. Hadofi liked the idea, the new form and being able to fit in.
They launched from the ledge into the crisp winter air. Vast mountain landscapes unfolded below them: jagged peaks cloaked in fresh snow, dark pine forests clinging to steep slopes, their sharp green scent rising on updrafts to mix with the clean bite of ice and stone. Wind tugged at his wings as he soared beside Diadlerin, the cold stinging his face while the salty-wood musk of his body lingered in the slipstream behind him. The flight stretched long enough that he recast fly twice, each time dropping briefly into free fall before he reactive the spell again.
The village was positioned high on a mountain cliff, similar to Hadofi's cave, except it was just a series of wide ledges carved into the rock face. Since everyone could fly, there were no paths to tie the ledges together. They all welcomed him as the dragon slayer, especially the children, who darted around him on small wings, begging him to touch their heads for a blessing. They lived mostly in mud huts reinforced with woven branches and open-air nests lined with soft furs. Sizzling dragon steaks hissed over outdoor barbecues, fat dripping into coals and sending up plumes of savory smoke that carried the rich, charred aroma across the ledges. Playful children laughed and chased each other between huts, their high voices echoing off stone walls. It was all very overwhelming for him. He was a major celebrity, and even when all the welcomes were done and he sat to discuss matters with the village elders, it seemed half the village was just staring at him. Of the ninety souls that lived there, most were children and fighting men. There were some elderly and some women, but it seemed as though women in the tribe were highly prized and protected. The women were expected to mate with many different men to increase the gene pool within the limit of females available. Every few years other tribes would visit, bringing laughter and new faces amid the endless wind and snow.
Diadlerin leaned close, her breath warm against his ear. "I loved the tale you told me last night. Tell it again. The children will never forget." Before he could protest, she raised her voice. "The dragon slayer will share how he felled the steel dragon of the mountain and the black dragon of the swamp!"
A hush fell, then erupted into excited cheers. Children crowded in tight circles around the low stone platform where Hadofi sat with the elders. Even the guards lowered their halberds to listen. A lean young bard with a small lute slung across his back slipped to the edge of the crowd, quill already scratching parchment, eyes bright. He murmured to himself, "The Saga of the Dragon Slayer begins..."
Hadofi cleared his throat, feeling the weight of every wide-eyed stare. He started with the steel dragon's roar shaking the cavern, the way its scales had sparked like struck flint when his spells struck true. He described the black dragon's acid spray melting stone, the creature's final bellow muffled in mud. He played up the close calls, the sweat and strain, the moment he thought the steel beast would crush him under one claw. The children gasped at every twist, clutched each other during the danger, cheered when he struck the killing blows. Diadlerin watched him with quiet pride, her fingers tightening briefly on his arm as though she could not quite believe he was real. The bard scribbled furiously, already humming a melody under his breath, turning raw battle into verse.
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Hadofi had cast a spell of comprehend languages, so he could understand everyone, and even then some of the elderly were hard to understand. He pretended he did not hear some of the things being said, since they were too embarrassing. Young girls competed with each other for the right to be an offering of gratitude to the dragon slayer. Children danced and sang songs, men stood guard out of habit for dragons that were dead. A few women cooked the dragon steaks, while Hadofi sat and talked business with the elders and Diadlerin. She introduced the chief and his wife, as well as her master, the head shaman of the tribe. They each offered him gifts, from bear pelts to more books, herbs and alchemy. He looked forward to reading them, but he had not even been able to review all the other books they had given him. What Hadofi was really after though was magic items, and if someone knew the location of the green dragon's lair. The master shaman went off to arrange the magic items for viewing after the celebrations were over, and Diadlerin introduced Hadofi to Helk, their lead hunter. Helk did not know the location of the chamber where the dragon slept, but he knew the general area. As their strongest warrior, he volunteered to show Hadofi the way, as well as help him defeat the dragon. Not that he needed the help, the warrior jested. Hadofi accepted his invitation warmly. Any help was greatly appreciated.
The magic items the tribe had were not of much use in regard to helping him build up his cave defenses or for killing a dragon. But they insisted that he accept one as a reward for all that he had done for them. He felt bad though. They did not have a lot, and he was only defending himself from being killed. It was not like they had asked him to do these things, well except maybe the green dragon. He ended up picking something he knew they did not need: Elven Boots. They would allow him to walk quietly under even the worst conditions. Perhaps they would even let him sneak up on a dragon. Diadlerin was very excited to introduce her parents and eagerly brought all the required items Hadofi needed for the ritual. He agreed to explain to them all the details of their daughter becoming his companion and he ended up spending a lot longer visiting the tribe than he expected. He was invited to stay for dinner and he accepted on one condition. Hadofi insisted the elders try some of his meals. He took out some rabbit stew and raspberry wine, far more tender than tough dragon meat. Laughing and dancing stretched into the night and Hadofi tried to leave, but they insisted that he stay for the night. He declined forcefully, or else they would not let up. He really enjoyed the quiet of the cabin in the cave, but he thanked them for their hospitality and generous gifts. Diadlerin wanted to come with him, but he knew how frustrating that would be for the both of them, and he had to be firm with her too.
"Soon, when the contracts are written and ready for signing, when your necklace is finished, and when the required two days of contemplation are over, I will send for you. Until then, you must wait." He kissed Diadlerin tenderly on the forehead and gave her a warm hug, and then flew off under the power of his own wings.
The flight home felt longer than the journey out. The raspberry wine still hummed in his blood, warm and fuzzy, loosening his wings so that he drifted left and right instead of cutting a straight line through the dark winter sky. Pine scent rose stronger now that the sun had set, mingling with the sharp chill that bit his cheeks and made his eyes water. Stars wheeled above the jagged peaks, cold and distant, while below the snowfields glowed faintly under moonlight. Twice he dipped too low, wings faltering, until two giant eagles flanked him without a word. Their massive shadows steadied his course, broad wings nudging him gently back on track whenever he veered. He muttered thanks into the wind, grateful for the silent escort.
When the familiar cave mouth finally appeared, the eagles peeled away with a low cry and vanished into the night. Hadofi landed clumsily on the ledge, boots scraping stone, then staggered deeper inside. The air turned warmer the further he went, carrying the faint smell of old smoke and stone. He summoned the cabin deep within the cavern, its familiar wooden walls appearing in a soft glow of magic. Outside he set two fire-trap spells at the entrance: simple glyphs etched into the cavern floor that would ignite anything that crossed them. The runes pulsed once, then faded to near-invisibility. Satisfied, he collapsed onto the bed without even removing his boots, the day's wine and wingbeats pulling him under almost instantly.
Sleep took him fast, but the dream came even faster.
Badb appeared before him in this new cabin. But the smile from her face was gone, the playful fire in her eyes extinguished. Tears streamed down her cheeks, silver trails gleaming in the moonlight, and her voice cracked when she spoke.
"Forgive me," she whimpered, dropping to her knees on the cold stone. "I never wanted to hurt you. Please, Hadofi. Please forgive me."
Her hands reached for him, trembling. The air around her carried the faint, familiar scent of midnight flowers, but it was undercut by something bitter, something broken. She looked small, fragile, nothing like the fierce messenger who had once pinned him to the ground and laughed.
"The goddess lied, and I unknowingly spread that lie..." The tears like rain just kept falling. "Your Mars never found a new lover, Hadofi... Three young thugs pushed her in front of a bus... She died."
The words hit him like a truck. He struggled to breathe. All he could do was watch as Badb wept, begging for forgiveness into the quiet darkness.
