Raven and the Dragon

Meeting Morax

Nicodemus

I soar high over the Rockies as I head back to my cave. The beautiful woman nestled safely in my left claw stirs and moans. Morax makes a sympathetic whine as we see our home in the distance. Black wings flap to get us there sooner as I want to tend her wound.

For days I have been following her. Morax insists that she is the one, our mate. He knew it was her the other day when we spotted her standing next to the falls. Her red hair was like a beacon in the distance. And her scent is the heavenly marriage of figs and honey. My dragon Morax was over the moon the first time he knew she was the one.

My claw feet touch down on the cold stone of the cave I call home. Morax carries her into the cave and gently lies her onto my bed made of furs and other materials I have gathered over the years. My home is humble but warm and cozy. I have a makeshift kitchen with the dried meat of my many kills and food from my mountaintop garden. I shift back into my human form and pull on a pair of shorts to cover my manhood. I then grab a rag for her head wound.

She moans in her sleep as I gently dab the wound on her head to clean up the blood. I say a word in the ancient language of the dragon to heal her. The bleeding stops, but she remains asleep. I gently stroke her pale cheek and admire her beauty. I had been watching from a distance in town as she walked around with that smelly wolf.

“Raven,” I whisper, as that was the name I had heard the wolf call her. “You don’t look like a Raven,” I gently muse as I caress her cheek. Her eyes flutter open for a brief second, and I catch a pair of eyes the color of the finest emerald staring at me before closing again. She wears a pair of tan pants, a grey button-up shirt, and hiking boots on her feet. “Sleep,” I whisper and rise from the bed.

I go to my little kitchen and slice fresh meat from a deer I killed yesterday. I throw it into my cauldron with potatoes, onions, and parsnips, then stir in some water and herbs. I keep an eye on my beautiful mate. She snuggles into my bed and smiles in her sleep. I wonder what she is dreaming about.

‘Us,’ Morax muses in my head.

I roll my eyes and turn my attention back to the stew. I stir the pot and open my mouth to breathe fire onto the coals. The smell of smoke fills the cave as I sit on the recliner I took from an abandoned cabin. I pick up one of my books and thumb through while waiting for her to wake up.

It’s several long hours before she finally begins to stir. “Mom,” She mumbles first. I am standing by the fire, stirring the stew as she groans. I look over, and Raven is holding her head while sitting on the bed. “Where?” She mutters. “Hello?” She calls out, and I step toward her.

Her eyes widen as I approach her. I know I appear intimidating at my six foot seven height with my large muscled arms and long black hair. “Who the f**k are you?” She pulls away from me and hugs her knees.

I reach for her, “I’m-“

She smacks my hand away, “Get back,” She hisses.

Sighing, I pull my hand away.

“Where the f**k am I?” She looks around. “Is this a cave?” She hisses and touches her head, “What happened?”

I kneel next to the bed as she babbles. “This a cave,” I respond.

“Why am I in a cave?” She looks around. “Is this your home?”

I nod, “Yes.”

“Why?”

I chuckle, “You have so many questions, Raven.”

Her eyes narrow, “How do you know my name-“ She pauses. “Wait, you are the guy that has been following me. Where is Jesse?”

I shudder when she mentions the wolf. “Dead,” I respond.

“Wait, Claude,” She screeches. “You aren’t working for Claude Moonstone, are you?”

“No, I don’t know, Claude,” I state.

She presses her lips together, “Why were you following me?”

I stand up and walk over to the fire and stir the stew.

“Hey! Answer me,” She screams from the bed. “Why were you following me? Why am I in this cave?”

‘She is feisty like mother was,’ Morax snickers.

“Mother would like her,” I muse sadly. My mother hasn’t spoken to me since I was banished. I scoop some stew into a wooden bowl and carry it toward Raven. She is staring at me with those sparkling emeralds. “Are you hungry?”

She eyes the soup I am presenting to her. “What is that?”

“Venison stew,” I say.

She shrugs and takes the bowl. “There isn’t any-“

“There is just meat and vegetables in it,” I tell her. “I have no reason to poison you, Raven.”

“So, I take it you heard my name when you were stalking me,” she says as she takes a sip of stew. “This is good.”

I rise to my feet to grab myself some stew. I pull my chair towards the bed.

Raven eyes me as we eat stew. “Do you live here alone?”

“Sort of,” I mumble. “Sometimes I get bats or the occasional bobcat.”

“What is your name?” She asks, seeming to grow more comfortable in my presence.

“Nicodemus,” I responod.

“Nicode-“ She shakes her head, “Nicodemus.”

I nod, “You can call me Nico if you wish.”

Raven is silent for a few moments while she finishes the stew. “So, why did you bring me here?”

“You were hurt,” I gesture to her forehead. The wound has closed, and only a small bruise remains. “So, I brought you here to heal.”

“Oh,” She touches her head, “I don’t feel anything.”

‘I do good work,’ Morax snorts.

Raven hands me her empty bowl, “So since I am okay, can I go now?” She crawls off the bed and stumbles. I catch her in my arms, and tingles spread through my body as she brushes against my bare skin. She stares at me wide-eyed. “What?” Shaking her head, she wanders towards the cave entrance, pulling a phone from her pocket, “s**t, it’s broken,” she grumbles.

I hear her gasp when she gets to the mouth of the cave. I stand silently behind her. The cave is high in the mountains, and flying is the only way to get to it. There is a sheer cliff dropping thousands of feet below us.

Raven looks at me, “How the hell did we get up here?” She looks over the edge.

I fold my arms as she paces the entrance looking for an escape. Morax whines in my head as he doesn’t want her to leave. He is already very attached to our red-headed mate. Raven pulls a stone from her pocket. It’s polished obsidian, and I know it can be used to communicate among witches and their lot.

“Dammit, why isn’t this working?” She says as she keeps repeating the name Merlyn.

‘That name sounds familiar,’ Morax states.

“Grandpa, please,” She pleads with the stone. “Why isn’t this working?” She cries, and I listen as she says a few more spells. “What? Nothing is working.” She turns to me. “Are you a wizard?”

“No,” I respond as I step toward the cliff and look down.

“What happened to my powers?” She looks distressed, and it hurts to see her like that.

‘I am suppressing her powers,’ Morax states. My dragon knew she was a witch the moment we spotted her.

“They are being suppressed,” I respond.

“Why?” Raven yells.

I say nothing and walk back into the cave, “Come inside, and we’ll talk.”

“No! I want to go home,” She stomps her foot.

I turn to her, “I thought you were out here exploring the world,” I shrug.

Raven’s lip quivers, “True, but I don’t want to be trapped in this stupid cave. Why are you keeping me here?”

“You were injured,” I tell her.

“I’m fine,” She screams. “Let me go!” she cries.

“I can’t do that, Raven,” I respond and walk back into the cave. Raven remains on the cliff's edge, looking for a way to leave. I sit on my chair and wait.

She finally slinks in after some time and flops on the bed.

“Do you want some more stew?” I ask her.

Raven glares at me and says nothing. She folds her arms, “I’m not talking to you until you let me go.”

I take a deep breath and stand up. I pick up the discarded bowls and carry them to my makeshift sink. I have a large bucket for the water I fetch from a lake. I clean the bowls and set them on the little shelf I made. I have many items I found in abandoned cabins and campsites. I try not to steal unless I really have to. I make a little bit of money by selling polished rocks and jewelry.

“Dad,” I hear Raven call out while holding the stone in her hands. “Dad, why aren’t you responding?” She stands and runs to the opening of the cave. “Dad!”

I finish my cleaning and sit in the chair again. I watch Raven pace at the cave entrance again while trying to use the stone to call her family. I feel a little bad for keeping her here, but Morax would be angry if I let her go.

‘She is mine,’ He snarls.

Raven walks toward me, “Take me back to Telluride,” She folds her arms and glares at me.

“No,” I reply.

“Why?!” She stomps her foot. “You son of a b***h, let me the go!” Her voice echoes through the cave.

“I can’t let you go,” I look away from her.

“Why?!” She repeats.

“Morax won’t let me,” I explain.

“Who the f**k is Morax?” she yells, causing my dragon to snarl.

‘Let me show her,’ He grumbles.

She gasps as my eyes turn orange as I let Morax forward a little bit, “You, you are a-“

“Dragon,” I smirk and rise to my feet, and she backs away.

“What does a dragon want with me?” She cries as I slowly push her backward until we hit the wall. She squeaks as the rock pokes her.

I reach out to caress her cheek, and she slaps my hand away. Morax snarls in my head. “Love,” I mention.

She narrows her eyes at me, “What?”

I take a deep breath, “You are familiar with werewolves, no doubt, right?” I start to explain.

“My mother is a werewolf,” She sneers and folds her arms while avoiding my gaze.

“Anyways, wolves have their mates, and so do dragons,” I grin.

Raven stares at me with understanding, “Are you saying that I am-“

“You are my mate,” I confess with a smile. “And I have been waiting many years for you.”