Master Maker

Chapter 26 - Mandrake

I could feel my body being rocked slightly, I opened my eyes enough to see the moonlight shining through the trees, I closed my eyes again before opening them and weakly moving my head to the side. I could see under his chin but not his face, I turned my head to the other side, taking note of a huge tree that looked like a bomb had hit it. it was split down the middle and then spit again making it lay in four pieces. My sight went back into darkness but I could hear talking, none of the voices were familiar to me though. The rocking stopped and that seemed to be my body cue to completely shut down.

I opened my eyes to the glow of a fire, the open sky above me. My eyes darted from star to star as I scanned the dark sky above me. Siting up slowly I found myself in the middle of what looked like a camp, three me were to my left and another 4 were to the right, not giving much space for me to move without waking anyone up. I frowned as I tried to stand to get to my feet, each time I moved the blanket or maybe it was fur? I honestly didn’t care I just wanted to get away., whatever I had been put down on was making a small noise, which had the men stir in their own sleep. a whooshing noise sounded as I tried to move again. Looking up I caught the outline of Draco against the night sky. I stood up fully trying to make as little movement as was possible in this situation. Draco circled back this time a bit lower, then again, getting lower and lower with each backtrack that he made. I reached up, intending on giving him something to snatch as he got closer and closer to me.

A rope went flying and caught him around the neck just as someone grabbed me from behind I fought back kicking and punching. Watching as more men circled us and roped Draco down holding him to the ground as he roared in anger, his wings flapped violently before they too were secured.

“Fire” I shouted as I head-butted the guy holding me back. The back of my head connected with his jaw and he let out a shout before he let go of me, his hands cradling his jaw. I took a chance and ran towards Draco, the men that had him surrounded had scattered as the fire burst from Draco, cascading around him creating a wall of fire, I ran up a log and jumped over a second of the fire, barely clearing it, a few of the men followed suit running after me and shouting at me to get back. I stopped touching Draco’s leg,

“again” I yelled as I pulled a knife from my boot, Draco let a burst of fire erupt again as I tried to cut him free, I had managed to get his wing free when I was pulled down off him and held me against a huge body, my hand with the knife in was pinned to my back

“retie and close that f*****g mouth” the man shouted before clamping his hand over my mouth. I struggled in his arms, my shouts muffled by his huge hand as I watch my door dragon being tied back down and a rope wrapped around his mouth clamping it shut.

I was dragged back to the camp area, moving and trying to break free, I had somehow managed to get the guy’s hand off my mouth.

“ow, you f*****g b***h let go” I sank my teeth down into his hand, he let go of me but two more surrounded me I stood there with my knife up in my hand keeping my eyes on both of them

“For f**k sakes, you actually made me bleed.

Then the big guy put his hand near his mouth sucking the spot where my teeth had broken skin.

“what do you want?” I snapped looking at the men moving in on me as the whole camp seemed to circle me.

“Jesus woman” the big guy complained again “we were just trying to save you” he stood in front of me looking at his hand

“the f**k, have you got in that mouth anyway?” he shook his hand before looking at me

“What do you want?” I repeated, “you said you were trying to save me?” I said looking from one man to another

“the blue beast,” one of the men said “the thing nearly carried you off” I stood up straight

“the dragon is mine” I snapped “and if he is no threat to me, so release him” the men started to whisper and look towards the big guy who had now figured must be the one in charge, I stood up straight as he looked at Draco

“how is that creature yours?” he said pointing his ax at it, “I have never seen one that big. I thought back to the dragon that I had been face to face with when I had her baby with me. Trying to compare the sizes. I shook my head and looked at the big guy.

“his name is Draco, now let him go”

“he will attack us again?” the guy said crossing his arms over his chest

“only if I tell him to,” I said sharply, the big guy eyed me for a second before giving an order with a wave of his hand, he then extended his hand out to me, I looked at it and then looked back to Draco. They were cutting him free but the rope was still around his mouth making him s***h his head around. The big guy made a face and I ran towards Draco, as soon as he saw me, he stilled. Placing his huge head in my hands, I could barely put my arms around his snout, I hadn’t realized how big he had gotten since the last time I had seen him, he had doubled in size, easily. I cut the ropes carefully and pulled the rope from his snout. Kissing the end of it. I heard a rumbling sound coming from him as the big guy made came up behind me.

“shhh,” I cooed “the big ugly man didn’t mean it,” I said in a mocking voice. I heard him scoff but I calmed Draco down, he stood straight up looking at the men gathered behind me. Then he sat down with a thud. Laying his head down directly behind me, then huffed as the men visibly relaxed.

“now what the f**k” I asked turning around and looking at the big guy, my hands on my hips as I looked up at his towering figure

“We thought you need some help, you got pretty bashed up by that werewolf, been trying to hunt that ting down for months, and it got taken out by a little girl,” he said looking back at his men, I guess the last bit of his statement was at them and not so much at me. I crossed my arms over my chest, a few mean gawked at me, it wasn’t until I looked down did I realized that in the scuff that my skirt had torn and only my breastplate was still on. I moved my arms and settled for hand on hips, and a death stare. The big guy noticed my movement and took off his jacket? At least that what I thought it was, the thing was huge. And draped it over my shoulders, a huff came from behind me, Draco’s yellow eyes focused on the man that had just touched me.  The big guy raised his hands and Draco went back to sleeping behind me. I looked at him with one brow raised and figured I should at least find out what the hell his name was.

I closed the jacket around my body and then stuck out my hand

“Lilith,” I said he grasped my wrist with his hand, not at all what I was expecting which made me gasp. Whiiiiich made Draco look at him again, this time his huge head lifted slightly. I turned back and touched my free hand to the end of his snout he, relaxed again but this time he didn’t close his eyes, keeping his gaze on the big guy.

“Mandrake,” the big guy said proudly his chest inflating as he spoke like I should have known about him. His chest deflated and he let go of my arm,

“surly you have heard about me?” he said, it was obvious that he disappointed at the fact that I had no idea who he was he grumbled something about all the woman knowing him, which made me raise a brow at him again. he shooed the men back to whatever they doing and left me with Draco. I leaned back against Draco’s snout, looking up the sky as he fell asleep again, breathing deeply through and out his nostrils. Mandrake returned a few seconds later holding a small bowl of something in one hand and another bigger one on the other hand.

“it’s not much,” he said handing it to me “but it is warm” he sat down on the ground, getting comfortable as he looked up at the sky

“Ay” he whispered “Odin has been kind to us today,” he said looking back at me

I sat down on the ground keeping my back against Draco, he raised the bowl at me and then put it to his lips and took a loud sip. Holding the bowl to my lips I took a small sip, it was a broth of some sort, but it was indeed warm. I took a bigger sip, suddenly looking up. Mandrake was staring at me with an unreadable mask

“We need your help,” he said darkly, “never seen a person move the way you do, you would be a huge help with getting something that was taken away”

“and that was?” I said more to the broth than to him, he took another loud slurp from the bowl

“My daughter,” he said looking down at the ground, she was taken a few nights ago, the only problem is the creature lives in a cave, too small for my men to pass through let alone me, with your small body and snake-like movements you should get in no problem”

“and the creature that dwells in there will just let me take her?”

“that’s the thing, the creature doesn’t harm woman, so it shouldn’t see you as a threat it would most probably hide from you” he downed the contents of the bowl and tossed it aside, I leaned forward looking at him with a dead expression on my face

“what’s going to stop it from taking her again,” I asked my voice low and gruff

“well with my men standing outside the cave along with your beast” Draco made a weird noise that indicated that he didn’t appreciate being called a beast. Mandrake raised his hands

“sorry” he muttered “your dragon’s fire is the best against this creature, it will be destroyed. I looked down at the bowl in my hands, placing it on the ground