Mated to the Dragon

Chapter 15

Thundering rumble of horses in flight. Banded together in an all out spree across the burning sands of a scorching plane. Dust cloud bellowed behind the riders, racing toward the Tower of Love or Doom. Nostrils flaring with winded mane, neck and neck lashings to get the beasts to spurt into a lead ahead of the others. To win the Valentine Day Challenge.

"Yah!" Yelled out loudly from polished armor. Slapping the reigns wildly encouraging his steed to give its all. Forearms grasp from a shoulder to shoulder shove only fueled a competitive fury. Elbow jabs and unbalanced brush between the lot. The sound of steel against steel as a sword was drawn.

Black leather with metal chest and back plates wheedled, its blade wildly over a dark demon black horse. Crashing into steel shielded covers from unjust strikes. Again and again the sword struck those near enough to feel it's weight.

The blade swung wide crashing into the shining helmet of Razl. Unknowing it's approach and caught off guard he fell from his horse with a thud in the hot gritty sand. Bouncing several times then body rolled into a still as dead, stop.

"Hold me," she sighed. Long silken blonde hair laid against his bare shoulder. Holding love in a lovers embrace. Heart pounding strongly from a release of passion's grasp. Nestled into one another in stillness. Absorbed in an aroma of endorphins. The after math of rapid serps to calm spent tightened muscles release.

Heavy breaths rest as the two held each other in the night's silence. Small stir of legs sensual brushes ignite finger twirls. For this was the last time he had laid this still and recalled its presence.

Opened eyes slowly to a blistering brightness. His ears ringing and head pounding in irregular tone. The feel of warmth of wetness ran down his neck. He knew it was blood. But his boiling blood of love and vengeance was even hotter. His slow rise clanked from weighted metals clash.

His unbalanced stand was taxing with pain. His hands instinctive cupped his helmet and slowly removed it's dented pressure from his skull. Tossing it effortlessly away into the dust, the world of safety discarded. This Man swayed, standing in the sun with a burning desire for victory. Left behind, watching the trail of dust getting thinner.

A slight whistle summoned a white and gray steed. 'Powdered with age and wisdom' his father told him when he had given him his blessing into the world of manhood. His quest for love began that day. That day he first mounted the Ghost Horse to seek the realm of his dreams wishes. The bread crumb trail that led him to the Challenge.

A grip at base mane and slung to higher perch. Razl regained his strength by grasping his dream in hand and heel tapping the horse in the gut, to go. Yelling in pain and charge while thrusting his arms in setting his steed's pace of haste.

Rhythm of hoofs pawing for more and more in drum beating time. Lowered into a ride across winds of fate and destiny. Razl raged as a spear through a stream of dust that raised in his wake across blistering sands. Pursuit of a challenge that may lead him to his own doom. But love guides him like a flower to the sun.

"My soul has never felt like this before," Razl proclaimed.

"Oh," she questioned. "And how might that be?" Her smile was golden lip pale. Biting her bottom lip seem to be a habit when her thoughts were ... in depth. And her eyes lowered only to glance up again. Curling up into herself, drawing another inward. Into her realm, into her wishes. Her eyes were two pools of desire when she moved her curves sensually in innocence of her jest.

"I feel flush ... yet strangely and wickedly stronger. Bolder perhaps. I instinctively wish to grasp you lightly and embrace your sweetness." Razl said solemnly.

"Well, that's encouraging. I too seem to feel ...drawn to your ... confidence." She slighted.

"Confidence?" Razl questioned. His eyes locked on an enchanting allure of a desert flower for the first time.

"Yes confidence, when I saw you ride up on that smoke colored horse. I knew you were not a man from this valley. You seem to ride a bit higher in the saddle. Perhaps you haven't yet encountered my father’s men." She said in boldness. Swirling like an adolescent around the tent poles at the market.

That was the first time Razl met Salandra. His heart has kept his mind tangle ever since. He should have fled this part of the country right then. But his passion kept him in hopes of another encounter. Just like his hopes are now to reach the towers hemp before those who are already way ahead of him.

"Ya," Lashing furiously at the flanks of the ghost white horse to encourage it's full gallop. The horses ahead were strung and scattered. The lead horse barely seen through the path of trailing warrior dreamers. All in pursuit of victory or death in a scramble to be the first to retrieve the contents of the cube of passion from the shroom of the tower and only that person can ask the princess for her hand. Only the victor of the Valentine Day challenge can be heir to the thrown. To wed lock Salandra was to marry the land.

"Ya," the white horse's head bobbed feverishly to meet it's master's demands. Plowing the soft hot sand in over turned sprays of dust, sand and salt. Sweat streamed in mingled blood causing burning that fueled life to come alive.

"Ya," Razl raged as the canyon grew smaller. Yells and shrills sounded in echoed valley bends. The rock emerged from a jagged floor, sand no more. The leaps of faith to scale the canyon was a puzzle of heights. Razl passed a Horse laid slain from a miss guided leap. Tightening his grip on the Ghost horse's mane.

"Can your horse jump?" She asked as she come from under the girth of the white Horse's neck.

"Well, if it's not the flower of beauty, I've been looking for you." Razl claimed shyly.

"Oh? ... What business have you in the land of the barren?" She asked while stroking lightly along the silken neck of the Ghost Horse's mane. Her hooded veil fell to her shoulders and her hair flowed like silk in a light erotic breeze. Her smile was entrancing and her eyes sparkled with mischief.

"You don't wait for an answer before you ask another question?" Razl teased.

"Do you have a wife?" She asked boldly and gazed with an inquisitive ear. The silence was long enough that giggles broke out between the two and sparked the union of their shared souls. Times of enjoyment that were as brief as a gust of wind.

"Ya," Razl yelled as another granite stone plane was triumph. Horses and men lay in crevices snorting and screaming in last of life surges. Ghost horse leaped and the sound of scraping hoofs grasps echoed as footing became a life and death step in this pursuit. Uneasy prances and sure footed gates slowed the pace.

The lead horse and handful of participants scaled the canyon into the suns blaze again. Razl released the reigns tightness and allowed the Ghost Horse free judgment of the last jumps leap. Outreached and stretched with full muscle taught the horse soared over the edge and sprinted into the race with overwhelming speed.

Passing a bay with a bearded jest, sweat beads flying from brow of misbelief. Darting into a competitive state racing behind and beside two more love seekers. Armed and grit teeth bared. A wild swing of ball and chain dodged by Razl's quick maneuver. A kick hard at hips settled brace knocked rider from his riding perch. De-saddled and tumbling behind in regret.

"Ah," a sharp whack across his back's armor reminded him of the other danger that rode to close for comfort. Kicking the white steeds flanks to leave dust clouds grit in the face of this rider. Braced for the speeding trot, face in the wind.

"Are you uncomfortable?" She asked with a wicked sly grin. Inches from Razl's face. Nose to nose breathing upon each others flesh from nearness. Halted in a gaze of deeply iris pools, entranced.

"My Heart races as if I were of fear. But I fear you not. I adore your beauty and your charming way of smiling at life." Razl rebutted.

"Would you kiss me ..." Razl leaned forward and kissed her deeply. Her mouth opened receptive of his thrust of passion. Retracting with a grin. Slowly rising. "... I was going to say, even though you could have your head removed for such an act." She finished.

"I would risk the challenges of the seven oceans for a taste of your lips," Razl boasted.

"No, there is only one challenge ...The Valentine Day Challenge. The Annual chance for seekers of my Father's domain and my love. The one time a year my stomach knots up and I feel as though I'm facing a raging tornado."

"Ya," Razl blared as the Horse dove into the valley of thorn and vine. The sticker laid limbs swirled in every direction. Fingers of points and thorn in a thousand directions along the slightly beat trail.

Scratched in deeply driven bites at exposed flesh. Splicing open skin in any brush along the thin path. Shielding the burning sun in flickers from tall reaching branches. Driving thorns into flesh like needles then knife sliced away as passing. The Ghost Horse's whinny from red blood trails over smoke white. The twists and turns into the maze of pricking vine was engulfing.

"Whack," the sharp pain of steel drove to bone in Razl's left shoulder. Horse to horse rares with Black leather steel vested villain sliced through the air yet again. Swishing sounds echoed as horses found footing and the sword crashed into Razl's armor.

The fall was cushioned by unconsciousness, never knowing his head bounced several times as he landed in a prickled cactus bed. Face down in thorn vine flooring, swallowed in the land in the beating sun. Embraced by thorn and vine.

"Ouch," Salandra jerked her hand from the rose. Her finger darted between her lips, sucking as if sucking the pain away. Razl took her finger from her mouth and pulled lightly till she submitted to follow his jest. Putting her finger up and into the hot sun. Curiously she watched the blood pool up and dry in a mushroom shape. Her entrancment seem to take her mind off the pain and into a more curious state.

"The Sun heals life as well as it's ability to shrivel the existence out of it." Her arm outward with his. Bringing her closer to his strong chest. His scent overwhelmed her thoughts. Her lips pressed to his on their own accord. Salandra was as surprised as Razl.

"I would take a prick from a thorn to dance a kiss on your lips." She said smileless. Serious and deep eyed, she leaned in and kissed him again only this time she wanted it. She pressed her self into Razl with more than a hold. It was a lovers grasping passion in a short spurt. Razl's eye's closed as he absorbed her tantalizing feasting.