Annie Nicholas - Koishi

She cleared her throat. “Stuff.”

“Seems serious.” He ran a finger over the bridge of her nose. “Don’t shut me out.”

She had closed him off, but it was so hard to peel away her defensive layers. “Why–why me? I’ve seen all the beautiful women on this island and I don’t even know about those on the other side of the gate.” Her voice faltered and she dragged her gaze away from his. The pounding in her chest didn’t come from exertion. The room felt too big. All of it, the den and the volcano were too much for her to exist in.

A callused finger rubbed her chin before drawing it back up so she could meet his stare and shy smile. “You’re wonderful. Isn’t that enough?”

Leaning on her elbows, she rose until their foreheads touched. She wanted to believe him, yet she was just a woman among billions. He was the only known dragon on Earth. How could she compare to that?

She sensed his muscles go stiff like they always did when the gate called him. Their gazes met and he faded from her sight. She slapped the empty spot he’d left in the bed, still warm from his body.

The gate had terrible timing. She buried her face in the pillow and listened for the clash of metal on metal, but nothing rang in the air. Rolling her tense shoulders, she peeked over the footboard toward the doorway. What if whatever came through the gate injured him, or worse, killed her dragon?

She jerked in surprise as he stormed back through the doorway naked, his skin blistering with blush.

“That was fast. Did you eat them on sight? I didn’t hear any battle.”

Tugging on his pants, he pinned her with a glare. “Stay in here.”

Her stomach knotted. “It’s not gone?” She pulled the blanket to her neck, covering her nudity. “How dangerous are we talking?”

He stopped before exiting. “It’s the worst thing that could happen to this world.”

“What the hell is it?” Her innards cramped as they suddenly shrank in terror. All manner of monsters flashed in her mind. She scanned the room for places to hide and things she could use as a weapon.

“My mother.”

She stopped with one bare foot touching the warm stone as she prepared to arm herself. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“I’m not. Stay here.” He pursed his lips. “Uh, maybe hide under the bed.”

Raising her eyebrow, she gave him her best what-the-fuck expression.

“Her favorite bedtime snack is human, Sandra. For her, the idea of my bedding one is as appealing as someone shagging sheep is to you.” His scowl deepened. “Stay out of sight. Remember, she’s the one who trained me how to fight.”

She swallowed a lump of fear and scurried to find some appropriate clothing.

Ishi’s mother lay across the gateroom expanse. Her black scales glistened in the torchlight as she swished her tail back and forth with a whip-like snap. She didn’t look at him when he returned. “Why did you run off so quickly at my arrival?” Something on the floor held her attention.

“Because being naked around you has proven to be dangerous in the past. I still have the scars to prove it and I’d like to keep certain aspects of my anatomy unscathed.” He moved to get a better view of what she was playing with. A green arm flailed under her clawed paw. He ground his teeth. She always destroyed his things. “Did you find that here?” He pointed to what he suspected was his pet.

“Why, yes I did. You really should take better care of the gate. Goblins are nasty things.”

He crossed his arms and tried to see past the red in his vision. “Get off of him. He belongs to me.”

She lifted her foot with a grimace. “Why would you want one?”

“He’s useful.” He approached Urgle, who slowly rose to his feet. A trickle of green blood came from his nose. “Are you injured?” He knew the goblin had to ache. Ishi didn’t need a degree from a human medical school to know that, but he wanted to know if he had to send Urgle back to Outremer to seek magical healing.

Shaking his head, the goblin weaved on his feet.

“Go lie down.” Ishi clapped him on the shoulder and watched him wince. “Good boy.”

Urgle left the gateroom, sending fearful glances at the black dragon over his shoulder as he exited.

“Things must be direr than I’d thought if you’re seeking company from goblins.” She lowered her snout so they could see eye to eye. “I smell human on you. Do you have any leftovers?”

“Mother, what are you doing here?” Of all the creatures in the universe, why did she have to be the one who visited him today? She was the least tolerant of his beliefs and practices. What he saw as progressive, she saw as weak. She never did understand why the gate chose him as keeper.

Maybe part of the reason was his fondness for humans. Considering his duty was to protect a world full of them, it seemed like a job requirement.

“Can’t I just visit my only offspring?”

“You rarely have before. Why start now?” He crossed his arms and stared at her with false boredom. He hoped to draw her gaze and keep it away from the tunnel leading to his bedroom. Even he could smell Sandra from here. Fuck.

A familiar evil smile was her answer. “I noticed you have a dwarf infestation growing close to your gate. Are you interested in hiring someone to take care of it for you?”

He snorted. “Is work so sparse you have to come to me?” To his mother’s horror, he had joined armies for the glory of battle. She, on the other hand, wanted to be paid in gold and gems.

“Pa-sha.” She waved her hand in the air as if she didn’t care. “I happened to see them as I flew in this direction. You can’t expect me to ignore a business opportunity. Those things are hard to root out once they make a permanent base.” She grimaced. “You should take care of it sooner than later. They’ll smell your gold eventually and come for it.”

He hated to admit it, but she was right. Sighing, he nodded. “I know. I know.”

“They’ve already tried once, haven’t they?” She chortled and rolled on her back, clutching her stomach.

“I took care of them. If you’re hungry, I’m sure there’s still some roast dwarf around.”

Still laughing, she shook her head. “Too chewy.”

The acid in his stomach rose. Too bad human medicine didn’t work on him. He sure could use an antacid. “Let’s get on with this.” She made his blood boil.

He might be her only child, but it didn’t mean she doted on him. No way. The day he could crawl without landing on his head, she’d shoved a sword in his hand. He’d tromped across Outremer with her band of misfit mercenaries fighting for coin for decades. Then one night he’d had a drunken conversation with a knight about a thing called honor.

He’d been hooked and quit her crew the next morning to join the king’s army.

She didn’t speak to him for a hundred years. When he accepted the gate’s offer as keeper, she had come to berate him for three whole days about his life choices. As the years passed, she visited once in awhile, mostly to steal from his hoard.

What could he do to possibly piss her off enough to leave him alone for centuries again?

“I was thinking about a vacation–”

His heartburn became molten. “You’re not staying here.” The last time, she had stolen half his hoard.

“I wouldn’t inconvenience you.” She shifted to her human form, wearing her well-used armor and weapons.

Something in his heart ached at the sight. The pain seemed similar to envy, but why? He had weapons and he’d stopped using armor, since his opponents weren’t worthy. He rubbed at an ache in his chest. Was that it? He missed the thrill of fighting real warriors? To walk around in armor as if it were a second skin, his sword on his back, and the wind his only map.