Dragon Lords - Book #3

Sample 1

Chapter 1

I found the beautiful cascading waterfall I'm standing in front of a week ago. Since then I've come here every single morning to wash up and relax before the start of a maddening day. When all hell sweeps through the towns, killing random people at will for the sheer fun of it.

We call them witches. They seek out young men to procreate with. Kidnapping them first, raping them second, and then slaughtering them third. The men never show up in town once taken, and it's that reason alone we all believe them to be killed. It doesn't matter if they already have a family if the witch sets her eyes on him and wants him, there's nothing anyone can do about it.

It's one of the reasons I'm safe here. Being a female who cannot create life inside her womb means no male desires to fuck me to bring an heir into this screwed up world. The witches share their lust for blood and body fluid distribution with the rest of the animals who inhabit our earth. Were creatures, dragons, witches, and ghosts care for none of the humans when they abduct us.

I thank my lucky stars daily that I will be single for the rest of my life. No way do I want to be a breeding female to a demented creature.

Each morning my mother tries to lift my spirit, which she believes is shattered because I can't carry a child according to our local shaman. On my eighteen birthday, she examined me to prepare me to marry one of our many young men in town. To my parent's horror and also the people, I'm barren.

I'm not shunned, but no longer am I allowed to mingle with any of the unmarried males or married couples.

Stripping naked, I slide into the warm summer water. Today is going to be blistering with how the heat licks at my flesh this early in the morning.

If my mother doesn't need my help baking bread and selling it, she might never see me again as I will never leave this sanctuary. Alas, I must be a good daughter and help out. If not then I might as well kill myself for being a waste of space.

A sigh breaks past my lips with the relaxation cocooning my bronze body. One of the many benefits of working in a store in the morning and selling the products out in front is my beautiful tan. I know many of the males who once used to want to marry me, loved how my fair skin would darken during the summer months. Now they ignore me completely.

This is the only peace I get during the day, and I gladly take it. Floating on my back, I stare up at the first rays of light coating the sky. It's serene here, only the sound of the forest animals and the splashing of the waterfall greets my ears.

Closing my eyes, I let the world go and surrender to nature.

Sometime later a dozen dragon roars break the calm, creating havoc within the wild. For centuries dragons have reined over our lands. Taking females and males deep into their caves high up in the mountains to breed with them as well.

I believe it's a power play. They do what they want with us, and we cannot fight back.

I've heard horror stories of human bodies being tossed from high in the sky to their death once they've provided enough offspring's for their master.

One of my uncles was taken around his eighteenth birthday. No one ever found his body or heard from him again.

It's been ingrained in my mind to fear the beasts. To turn tail and hide the moment they make themselves known.

Which is precisely what I'm doing. Swimming to the waterfall, I sneak behind it and into the tiny cave. It's big enough to hold five grown men, making it the perfect place for me to seek cover in right now.

With no light on my end, the dragons can't see me if they find this watering spot.

Or at least that is what my mind tells me.