Mark of the Erios

Chapter 5: Red Marks

Pryton did not move, the saddle just dangling in his hand, as he took a deep breath. I stand Frenasia up and walk her to the edge of the field, Pry hooks on his saddle, Hound shaking it into place. He picks up his pace when Hound gets comfortable mounting the dragon. He walks Hound over to where Frenasia and I stand, but before he shoots up in the air he gives me one long look.

"When we stop for rest, I need to speak with you."

Hound pounced into the air leaving us in the dirt leaving no time for me to respond. Frenasia doesn't hesitate before joining him following close behind.

Trying not to seem concerned I smile into the sky, Frenasia pulling herself next to Hound. Pry completely avoids my gaze, working with the saddle. Ignoring him for my own mental health, Frenasia and I set course away from him and toward the castle. Her wings beat strongly in the night sky, the clouds falling beneath us.

She moves us forward, grumbles of happiness when she pushes forward, her wing beating her faster. We race against Hound, laughs between us when he can't get up to her speed even with the smaller body.

I cut right trying to cut them off, but instead of the empty night air the rainbow dragons surround us, screeches of warning halting our movements in the air.

Stellars.

The dragons hover around us, one moving above and below. Our new height would be easy to evade them, but now we have something underneath us to stop us in our tracks. Srogray gives a smile, his handsome face looking between the two of us before glaring at Pry.

"Good evening riders! I hope your visit to the market was a profitable on. I have to say, however, I don't appreciate being lied to." Srogray yells out, his dragon snorting in the air between us.

"And what pray tell, could we have lied about?" I yell back, Pryton's face going cold, whiter than the stars that twinkle next to his head.

"Let me rephrase, good evening, Royal Highness."

A loud laugh bellows from the lower part of my stomach, my jaw setting in a hard line, "I'm sorry, Srogray you are looking in a very wrong place if you think he's the prince."

Srogray looks directly at Pry, smirks, "How do you live with yourself? Lying to such a beautiful woman. Go on, Pry, tell her." His voice cuts through the air like blades stabbing at my head. My mind tries to block the truth, the truth that I have been ignoring since this trip began. All the hints line up, the conversations, the evasions.

Srogray speaks again not waiting on Pry to respond, "The Royal family owes the Stellars a large sum of money for saving their necks when the Kingdom of Laress attacked about a month ago. I am here to collect. Rather get it now than have to deal with your kind again."

Pry runs his hand through his hair, the moments from our journey start to click together; Pryton speaking with Jonvi earlier at the castle in such beautiful attire, the fox smelling his Royalty, and his extreme fear of snakes.

My head snaps to Pryton or Damien whoever the fuck he is with such a melting glare I see him visibly flinch. His family has personally caused all my pain and suffering. His entire family caused my father to die and leave my mother in manic depression that continually ruined not only her life, but mine.

The Everything finally has the balls to look at me, his guilt evident on his perfect face, "Krys, I am so sor-"

"Shut the fuck up Prince Damien. Give him his money, at least he's an honest man."

The plate breaks off the dragon's chest and floats over to the Prince, without much thought he drops everything he has in gold on the plate nodding his head once to send it back.