Legend of the Inero Dragon (8 page)

"I need a haven," he said at last.

"Maybe she's insecure?"
Jason suggested. Matt had wondered the same thing. Jason continued
his thought:
I didn't realize it until I
got out on my own.

To each their own. I like being close to my
family.

Hopefully, he struck a nerve with that
comment. Jason was starting to sound ungrateful toward his kin.

"Why would she be insecure?" Matt wondered.
"She should be honored. I didn't have to pick her."

"Don't tell her that," Jason replied with a
smirk.

"Why not? It's true."

"She won't understand."

Matt shrugged then noticed the ground below
them getting closer. "We're landing now. Hold on. It can be a
doozy."

The sudden downward movement always threw
Matt slightly off-balance. He clutched to the dark scales even
firmer than before. He knew he was probably overreacting. After
all, his father and other relatives accompanying them on the ride
acted as though nothing was happening. Even Jason seemed unfazed,
and it was his first time flying. Matt closed his eyes, taking
deep, slow breaths until they landed a few minutes later.

Jason didn't say anything. He simply placed a
hand on Matt's back for a moment before gathering both of their
things. Matt took his time getting down, not wanting to rush his
shaky legs. Jason was staring at the island where the Dragon
Council was being held. Matt had done the same thing his first time
there.

The island was lush and full of trees so
tall, they seemed to block the sky. Back home, all of the trees
were artificial and not nearly as tall. Opposite to the desert land
of Inero, the Council Island was surrounded by ocean. The sight of
so much water in one place was a rare one to behold for them
both.

Matt took his things from his brother then
motioned for him to follow. Their father was busy talking with the
Terran dragon who had transported them. Matt gave the creature a
grateful nod and noticed Jason gawking.

The Terran dragons were enormous, by far the
largest of all the species. They were a dark, dull brown with
thick, large scales appearing like plate armor. Some had massive
spikes protruding from their backs, while others were smooth. They
were ugly creatures and they knew it. They did not have the
graceful, long snake bodies of the Oceina. Nor were they beautiful
to behold like the Aero—who were more S-shaped, with an impressive
wingspan and a more 'traditional' dragon appearance. Even the
Inero, who had smaller bodies, were more pleasing to the eye.

The dragon who had transported them had small
spikes along his tail and adorning his wings like hooks. He laid
down on the ground, resting from the long journey. He blended in
with the ground, looking like an enormous boulder.

Matthias gave Jason's arm a small tug. "They
don't like to be looked at. The Terran are defensive over their
appearance. It's okay. I did the same thing. Just try to be more
conscious of it in the future."

His brother nodded, following him toward the
apartments where they would be sleeping. Each tribe had its own
complex to house in. The Inero building was the largest of them all
as well as the most luxurious.

"Father said I have time to give you a tour.
If you'd rather sleep, that's all right too. Dinner won't be for
another four or five hours depending on when the boat lands. The
meetings start early tomorrow, so don't stay up too late." Matt
explained as they walked through the lush, maroon hallways to their
room. The halls were adorned in gold trimming with the most soft,
plush carpeting he'd ever felt in his life. Candelabra-shaped
electric lights decorated the walls.

They were staying in the suite next to their
father's, the second most impressive room in the unit. They had
their own kitchen and living room. Each of them also had a separate
bedroom, shower, and appropriate furniture, which was a lot better
than the rooms their other brothers, uncles, and cousins were
staying in. Most rooms held four to six men, had one bathroom for
the entire group, and a sitting area to lounge in. As excited as
Matt was to spend time alone with his brother, he was also ready to
enjoy his much-needed privacy.

As the two of them stepped into the main
room, Jason stopped in the doorway, his eyes opened wide. Matt
moved past him to put his things in one of the bedrooms. The rooms
were identical, so he didn't feel the need to discuss who would go
where. Jason watched him, his eyes narrowing.

"I'll explore on my own," Jason said at last.
"I'm too excited to sleep but I know you're probably tired."

Matt nodded. "The island isn't big so I doubt
you'll get lost. Besides, there are signs everywhere."

"I noticed. I'm going to put my things away,
then let Gwen know I got here okay. I'll see you at dinner."

Matt gave his brother a dismissive wave then
went into his room. Guilt filled his gut at the realization that he
should at least tell Kat he had arrived in one piece. He didn't
want her to think he wanted to chat if he did though.

I'm here,
he thought.
I just thought
you should know.

With a sigh, he laid on his bed, blocking
everything from his mind.

Chapter
Fifteen

"I'm tired of being sick," Kat grumbled to no
one in particular. She may have been surrounded by other women,
most close to her age, but none of them were interested in anything
she had to say. Such was the life at the pool. The women gathered
to gossip and flaunt their perfect lives. Sometimes they pretended,
but most wouldn't give Kat the time of day.

Annoyed, she left the small group by the side
of the water in search of Gwen.
She
would care. She wasn't
an easy woman to find, though. She didn't mingle in any of the
groups near the water, nor was she by the gazebo where the ladies
usually ate.

She finally found Gwen sitting on the grass
with a book, leaning against a tree. Next to her, also with a book,
was Navi, the wife of the Great Dragon Lord of the Inero. Kat had
seen the two of them together, making brief conversation, but she
didn't realize they were close friends.

Forcing a smile on her face, she walked over.
"Gwen, hi!"

"Hello," Gwen said. She read for a moment,
turned the page of her book, then closed it. Setting it into her
lap, she looked up at Kat.

"Miss Navi," Kat said, bowing. "What are you
both up to?"

"Reading," Gwen said. Kat couldn't tell if
she should leave them alone or engage them further.

Navi finally spoke. "How are you today,
Katarina? Well, I hope?"

"A little under the weather. I have been for
a couple of weeks. Matt calls it the transition? Which is where I
start taking on the dragon DNA so we can have kids. He was able to
take care of me earlier. Now he's not here and I feel a little
worse. I'm sure you understand," she said, giving Navi a hopeful
smile. She wanted to bond with her so badly. She needed a friend
and a mentor, someone to care because she felt so alone.

Navi returned the smile, but it seemed forced
to Kat. "I didn't experience much of a transition. I don't recall
going through it at all. It happened over a long period of time.
Months, I would imagine."

"But you're married to the lord of dragon
kind. I would think your transition would be the most intense of
all."

"He only rules the Inero, actually," Navi
clarified. "The transition isn't amplified based on power, but
love. Strong emotional bonds heighten the progress and force of the
dragon magic. Sometimes it can be fatal if not done properly."

Kat nodded. She didn't know what to say in
reply. Was Navi implying that Matt didn't love her enough? Or,
maybe, the reason she still felt so sick was because he did love
her so much? She'd ask him the next chance she had. He was so busy
at the conference, she felt bad interrupting him—no matter how much
she may miss him. Still, she was determined not to cling to him too
much.

The women were all quiet again. The other two
women were nothing like any of the others Kat had met. They weren't
interested in only talking about their men, which was nice. It left
her at a loss of what else she should talk about. Not to mention
the strange vibe she got from both, suggesting she was only being
annoying. She couldn't shake the feeling. And that, on top of Matt
being gone, left her feeling isolated.

After a long and awkward
pause, Kat finally gave a small wave, searching for any excuse she
could come up with to leave. "I'll see you later, I guess. I'm
going to try and eat."
Or
something.

She walked away, heading back toward the main
gate. She needed to go back to her room, lie down, and be alone.
More rest might help her feel less moody as well. As she rushed
through the courtyard, Kat ran straight into another woman.
Expecting some kind of an outburst, Kat sprang back, wincing.

"I'm so sorry," she started, and was about to
pour out a lengthy apology when the woman held up her hand.

"You're fine. I was coming to you actually,"
she said.

Kat looked at her up and down, frowning. "You
were?"

It didn't make sense. The woman was in her
late thirties, early forties. Most of the older women didn't have
interest in the younger ones. What did the tall, dark-haired, curvy
beauty want with Kat?

"Yes, I saw you talking with Miss Navi and
noticed you are upset," she said. "She's cold to everyone. Don't
take it personally. She thinks she's better than everyone else
because she's Lord Inero's flavor of the week. I suppose it's been
a year, but regardless, she is still only a flavor. He will find
another soon. She isn't anything more special than you." The women
smiled at Kat, and she couldn't help but do the same.

"I heard they were in love," Kat said.

The woman shook her head. "No. When I was
married to Lynx, it was love. I am the first wife. Someday he'll
forgive me for my mistakes and return to me." She paused, looking
Kat over. "You are wed to his son Matthias, yes?"

"Yes, how did you know? We haven't met
before."

"I pay attention to the lives of those
important to me. I'm Lenora," she said, grabbing Kat's hand,
pulling her close for a hug. "It is a pleasure."

"Katarina. It's good to meet you too."

"You poor thing," Lenora said, tilting her
head. "You must be so confused and lonely. You'd think your
sister-in-law would befriend you. Or the stepmother who loves them
so. Although, she doesn't care for them like I do. They may not be
my sons, but I love them as if they were. I see why Lynx is so
enamored with them. Still, it's sad and shameful of her. Do they
care about your feelings at all?"

Kat wondered if Lenora could read her mind.
She had said everything Kat was feeling on the inside. She didn't
understand why Navi and Gwen wouldn't be her friends.

"I don't know. I think so?"

Lenora laughed. She closed her eyes,
clutching her stomach. "You are so adorable. No wonder he likes you
the most. Tell me how you're doing. Tell me everything."

And so she did. Kat poured out everything,
from her joys over becoming an Elite, to her feelings for Matt, to
how she felt from her transition. It felt so nice to be able to
finally unload everything and get her thoughts together. Especially
because she felt like Lenora actually listened to her.

"You poor thing," She stroked a few strands
of Kat's hair. "Stay close to me. I will teach you everything you
need to know."

Chapter
Sixteen

"I am in need of your assistance with my
nation. Our resources are low, poisoned even. As you will see when
we go over the reports, things are not well." Lynx addressed the
Dragon Council calmly. He didn't show any distress. It amazed Jason
because anyone else would be a mess.

"Things have been like this for some time,"
Lynx continued. "For so long, I have been trying to deal with the
problem on my own. I am ashamed to admit this disaster, this plague
that is causing my people to suffer. My pride did not want me to
call upon your help today. Still, I know it would be unwise of me
continue to live in denial. My nation is suffering.

"It started with the food. We are not growing
enough to meet the demands of our population. The farms have been
working five times as hard to feed the people. We do not have
enough livestock to go around. To make matters worse, the water is
unclean. The humans especially are becoming ill, and the vegetation
is not growing into healthy produce. As you know, my country is
mostly made up of desert. The plant life is especially valuable to
my people."

He stopped, and the council hall resonated
with complete silence. Jason had noticed an abundance of side
chatter coming from the stadium chairs behind him earlier. In that
moment, he barely heard anyone breathing. He glanced to Matt, who
sat on his left and on their father's right side. Matt did not look
shocked in the slightest.

Lynx let his words settle on everyone in the
room before continuing. "I ask you to please do the right thing and
help me care for my people."

Jason couldn't listen to his father beg. He
leaned forward, resting his head on his hand, and frowned. How did
he have no idea any of this was happening? He couldn't believe it,
nor did he want to. He'd never seen any evidence before of such a
problem even existing.

Everyone who lived in the city seemed well
cared for. No one was starving or suffering, not in the ways his
father claimed. There were the occasional poor toward the
outskirts, but they were only struggling to pay bills, not dying.
Could he be referring to the countryside?

Gwen didn't look like she had been starving
when he first met her. Thin, yes, but not deathly so. Unless she
hid it from him under her loose jeans and comfortably sized
T-shirts. She refused to wear anything formfitting and trendy like
the rest of the women. He certainly had never seen her naked, so he
couldn't rely on his eyes to tell him the truth.