Dragon Born Series: Book 1: Mia

Chapter 8: The Chaos

(Mia’s POV)

“What the f**k just happened?” My body is burning up and sparks are flowing throughout. I look at my hand and there’s a dark chocolate hand wrapped around my wrist. It's holding on tight, I squirm in an attempt to free my hand and run but to no avail. 

“Who are you? Why have you touched me?”, came a voice made of velvet and had my inner core melting. 

“I-I-I...I just came to warn you.”, I manage to stutter out.

“Warn me about what exactly?”, he questioned without releasing my wrist. However, before I could answer him, chaos broke out inside the tent. 

I looked up from his hand to see Dameon stroming in through the entrance of the tent and transforming into a half-bull, half-man creature. He started to roar and throw people from the benches. The crowd is now screaming and running from the demons that followed him. He is killing those that have tried to stop him. I turn to run but I’m yanked back into a very strong chest. Arms are suddenly around me holding me and protecting me. “Who is this man, why is he protecting me? We need to run. We need to get out of here. s**t!! Al is going to torture me if he finds out.” He has my head buried into him. I feel so safe here but I need to get away. I try to push him away but a bright flash of white light envelopes us instead.

(Ghari’s POV)

The performers bring out a large cage with all sorts of large were-creatures. I can tell from their auras that these so-called animals are actually shifters. I believe something is off though. They are not free to shift and they are starting to lose their human side. I can’t believe Cahir was right all along. I really hoped this was not the case. At this time, we can’t do anything for them so we sit here and watch. I can tell that some form of dark magic is at play. The crowd doesn’t seem to notice any foul play. I guess being a high-ranking dragon gives me the power to see beyond the illusion of this type of magic. Just like the tent where Alincdor conducted business from, this tent was also enchanted to appear somewhat grand and alluring. It wasn’t as grand as the other tent but it did the job of setting the mood for the show. It wowed and drew you into all the beautiful creatures. 

The crowd was another thing to be concerned with. It was mostly made up of males. Some were high-ranking and some questionable creatures and others were of low-ranking status. They didn’t seem to be interested in the show but more in the performers. The performers were mostly female and dressed very revealingly. I noticed they were all young too. No one except the host was over 22. The males were mostly talking to each other and there was a demon walking around collecting something from them. I wasn’t sure if it was coins or some type of token.

Sparks suddenly shot through my arm and down to my inner core. I quickly and swiftly turned in the direction of the touch and grabbed a small wrist.        

“Why have you touched me?” I ask and then a wonderfully delightful scent hits me. It was warm pineapple with brown sugar. What is this scent? I want to hold on to it and never let go. I was so intoxicated instantly that I almost lost all my senses.

A voice that seems to filter down from the heavens brings me out of my head. “To-to-to...warn you.” The gorgeous flawless female before me then hides her face by looking down and away from me.

I have this feeling to lift her face back up to me and stare into her eyes forever but before I can act or even question further I hear screams erupt from the crowd and my Black Knight yells, “Prince Ghari! Run!”

The tent is in chaos and my instinct is to protect this delicious creature before me. I yank her arm towards my chest and wrap my arms protectively around her. I extend my dragon wings and shield us from whatever may come our way. I look back at Kerwyn and see he is fighting a minotaur. “Why is there a minotaur attacking us and this crowd. It appears to be of a demonic nature. s**t! I need to get us to safety but how?”

I brace for impact seeing the minotaur coming right for us but the attack never comes. A flash of bright white light takes over the entire tent and blinds us all. 

(Ker’s POV)

I am high-ranking in the dragon lands but I don’t have the same sight as Prince Ghari. I can sense something is not right with this show or these creatures. My dragon, Heilong, is restless and trying to claw out my skin. He didn’t like the presence of Sir Moritzio either. I tried to warn the prince of this but he dismissed me, saying he understood but we had a duty to find the truth about this show.  

He agrees with Sir Moritzio to pay the show’s fee and go watch the performance. The jester’s try to make light of the atmosphere but I’m still unsettled by the whole show. As the animals come out and do their part, I can definitely sense some sort of magic being used on them and around them. I think Ghari can feel it too or even see it because he stirs uncomfortably in the seat next to me. I turn to him to see why he is so uncomfortable, only to see a figure draped in an oversized cloak speaking to him.  

I stand to go assist him and maybe defend him when a very large menacing minotaur storms into the tent and starts wreaking havoc on the crowd. My first instinct is to protect the Prince and I yell for him to run.  

I’m suddenly attacked by one of the demonic minotaurs. I use my ice powers to erect an ice wall in hopes to give the prince time to get away from the chaos. I then send ice daggers towards the minotaur. I see Cahir and Micthell fighting off more minotaurs.  “What the actual f**k is going on here. I knew this place was all wrong. They are coming for us and we don’t even know why.”

I  manage to fight off two more minotaurs and freeze a moment to look for the prince. I can’t see him anywhere and then a bright white light blinds me and the tent disappears. 

(Cahir’s POV)

I stood outside Alincdor’s tent. That meeting was horrible and my dragon, Rhys, was beyond pissed and ready to tear that human’s head right off. I can’t pinpoint exactly why but just the sound of his voice and all the lies he spits out were enough for me to kill him on the spot. Luckily my brother could sense how angry I was getting and had me come outside. Mitch had come with me to ensure I didn’t do anything stupid and for my protection. Mitch is my Black Night even though he is of elf decent. His skills with a bow and arrow are top notch and no elf in any of the kingdoms can match him. I’m grateful for his loyalty and friendship. If not for him I’m sure I would have lost my temper with the wrong kind and ended up dead or imprisoned. 

Mitch points out that the carriage driver is not waiting with the carriage and asks me what we want to do when the time comes to leave.

“I guess the bastard expects us to drive ourselves. We could ask one of the staff here if they know how to drive it, if not I guess you could drive us.”

He just shrugged his shoulders and we stood in silence waiting for Ghari and Ker to come out. It wasn’t long before they stepped through the tent. It was hard to read Ghari’s expression but I could tell he was not comfortable or happy with any of this. Sir Moritzio led us back to the main tent and had us pay the fee to enter and watch the show. 

I whisper to Ghari, “Why are we going to watch the show? Shouldn’t we just round them all up and question them ourselves?

“I think it best to let them show us what they do first and then we can talk to them after the show.”, He responds and walks into the main tent.

I feel uneasy about all this but I follow him. We take our seats near the front of the center stage. That familiar feeling I had the first time I saw the show comes back full strength. Rhys is clawing to get out. My scales even start to form on my hands. It takes most of my strength to calm him down and settle. 

The show is pretty much the same as it was before. The shifter animals are doing their tricks when the crowd suddenly erupts into chaos. A large roaring minotaur is charging right for us. Mitchell takes out his weapon, which I had no idea he even had with him and begins firing rapidly. I see that one of his arrows lands right between the eyes of the minotaur, this brings my thoughts to the present and I turn to get the hell out of the tent. I know I could wipe them out with just one swipe of my dragon’s tail but I don’t want to put the crowd in more danger. 

“We need to get out of the tent then I can take care of them! Have them follow us!”I shout to Mitch as I use my firepower to create a way out through the tent wall.   

As I reach the wall, I hear a horrible noise from behind me. I look to see that Mitch and Ker have killed yet another minotaur but they just keep coming. Ker builds an ice wall and Mitch runs to my side. I know Ker is going for my brother, so Mitch and I make our way outside. Once outside we turn to see a bright white light flash inside the tent and then we are all gone. 

“What the f**k just happened?! Where is everyone?!”

“Second Prince, are you hurt?”, he asks while looking me over.

“Stop!! I’m fine. Focus! Where are we?!”, I slap his hands away from me.

“I don’t know, Prince Cahir. I did sense that magic was used and now it appears we are in the Dwarf’s Forest.”

I take a breath to calm myself and look around us and realize he is correct. We are deep into the forest. In the distance I see what looks like a cabin with torches lit and smoke, indicating that maybe someone was living there. Mitch and I decided to go check it out. Hopefully, they can help us.