Linus Toria

Chapter 23

Lina was uncomfortable. It wasn't really Ezekiel's fault. His flying was very stable and controlled and only a few turbulences disturbed them. But whenever she wasn't flying herself she couldn't stop doubting the skill of the pilot. She saw herself as quite skilled at flying so the other was likely worse than her. Therefore she prefered flying on her own.

Unfortunately, that was out of the question in this territory. Other dragons would spot her immediately and start attacking. Ezekiel's claws digging into her midsection also didn't make the flight more pleasant. While he was actually careful not to hurt her his actions were futile because an old injury of hers had flared up during their earlier spar.

She even imagined feeling the blood trickling down her sides. But that was just her minds playing tricks on her. If she really had gotten injured to the point of bleeding externally, the dragons would have picked up the scent of blood without fail and commented on it.

Lina squirmed around in the dragon's hold and shouted over the wind: „How much further are you going to take me? You claimed this to be but a short trip and we've already been flying for more than three hours"

„Are you getting bored?", the dragon's loud voice boomed.

„No, but I still got schedules to keep and places to be", Lina reminded him.

„So you say. But I've known you for at least twenty years now and nobody ever cared about your whereabouts. What schedules could there be for you?"

„Hey! You make it sound like I'm some kind of recluse", Lina complained in mock hurt, „I do interact with others!"

„Yeah, when you have no other choice you sure do", Ezekiel snorted.

„Wasn't I just talking with Rahab when you decided to storm by? It wasn't an emergency and I talked to her by my own choice. So you're wrong"

The white wind dragon growled in response. It was a common trait for his race to be vain and loath being in the wrong. Maybe that was why they named themselves after figures appearing in the bible. But Lina knew that he was alright for a dragon and wouldn't take real offense at her comment.

Ezekiel still wanted to pay her back and nosedived towards the ground. Any other creature besides Lina might have been scared. She however was enjoying the airflow she had been missing out for so long.

Landing smoothly the dragon placed her in the middle of a small clearing. Nothing but conifers surrounded them. „Welcome to my home"

„There's nothing here", Lina noted dryly.

„You shouldn't be so focused on material things. Can't you sense the cool and fresh air?", the dragon shot back.

„I didn't know you could joke", she teased, „Small talk aside. What did you need my help with?"

„You're aware that currently tensions are high again and some incidents happened here and there...", he trailed off.

„Your point being?"

„Russia has been accepted as being dragon territory only. A week ago our borders were breached. My kind isn't very tactful and I wanted an objective opinion before starting something. And besides you I don't affiliate with many non-dragons"

„You don't affiliate with me as well. Today is the longest we ever interacted with each other", Lina reminded him.

„You gave me a good first impression", Ezekiel defended himself.

„The first time we met, you were trying to bite my head off and I kicked your ass into oblivion"

„Yes, like I said: good first impression. And I had a hunch that you wouldn't play favourites with any race. So you would make a good judge"

„Back to the main topic. What happened?"

„A small group of humans trespassed and I caught them. I wasn't not sure about their intentions and kept them in my personal dungeon ever since. The next day, a vampire asked if the presumably same group of hummans had been sighted around here. I told him 'no' because he was a douchebag. Now, I have no idea what I'm supposed to do with them. They trespassed and should be killed for that according to dragon law. But they are no dragons and I don't want to unnecessarily escalate things"

„Have you ever tried questioning them?", Lina felt like she was stating the obvious.

„No, of course not", the dragon grimaced, „Humans stink. I'd never approach them willingly"

„You mean nobody has attended to the humans for a full week?", Lina hoped she was wrong.

„Naturally, who would visit them when the stench only increases with time?"

Lina declared the dragon as a hopeless case inside her head. „Can you take me to them?" She would see if they could still be helped or if they needed somebody to put them out of their misery. Depending on the state the humans were in when they got captured they might be just fine or already dead.

„That's what I wanted you to do in the first place. Follow me" They took off down a small path leading into dense bushes. The sun light was unable to reach through and it would be difficult to tell day and night apart here. A small wooden hut appeared. It would never be able to fit the dragon. Lina gave him a quizzical stare.

In front of her eyes Ezekiel started glowing and shrunk down to the size of a labrador. The smug look he gave her didn't fit his new form and Lina had to surpress the urge to coo at him. He opened the door by throwing his weight against it and a steep stair case was revealed.

„Underground again", Lina sighed to herself and trailed behind the dragon who had almost gotten out of sight. Around 5 meters underground was a room with holding cells. They were almost all occupied.

„Keys", Lina demanded from the dragon. He was trying hard to breathe through his mouth instead of his nose and looked nauseated. „The doors aren't locked up. You can open them"

Surprised, Lina stepped towards the first cell and peered inside. At the darkest corner two figures were huddled together and didn't react at all. She felt her stomach sink. Had they already died of thirst? What a painful and cruel way to die. She pitied them.

„Hey! Leave them alone!", a man shouted at her from the next cell. Lina turned towards him while Ezekiel accompanied her. She gave him a prompting look. „State your purpose, human", he barked. Coupled with his shrunken size it was a comical situation.

The man didn't share her amusement. „Our purpose?!", he shrieked, „You were the one who locked us up here. We don't have a purpose here. We just want to leave"

„Then why would you enter his territory?", Lina interjected.

„That was an accident, I swear", a female voice joined in from another cell across the room.

„Why don't you start your explanation of what happened at the beginning?", Lina suggested and the woman complied.