The Dragon Isles: Red Dragon 2
Stupid bloody LJ character limit...
Part One here
---
Makani. It was a bright, busy city full of fascinating people from all over the world. One of the major trade centers of the north, it should have captivated Ruadh's attention from the moment he set foot on dry land. Instead, all he could see were the shadows.
True to his word, he'd gathered his things and left the ship as soon as they'd docked. Also true to his word, he hadn't so much as hinted at the things he'd learned, even when Kormiel had made not-so-subtle inquiries. He'd promised, and so he'd keep his promise.
In letter only.
It hadn't taken him long at all to get someone to point him in the direction of Captain Vinnissaen's family. After all, they owned practically the entire city. It had been almost as easy to gain entrance; humans were so easily overwhelmed by fancy clothing and a few pretty jewels. And with the bit of advice that Lord Aeynanyi's human had given him - If you act like you Belong, people will Believe that you Belong - he'd passed into the home of The Enemy.
He just had to figure out what he was actually going to do now that he'd made it inside.
They'd shown him to an ornate room that had far too much in it to be tasteful. It looked rather similar to the rooms that young dragons liked to shove all of their treasure into, thinking it looked more impressive that way. The dragons eventually grew up, but apparently humans did not, given that this was supposedly the residence of adult humans.
Humans really made no sense.
He looked up at the sound of footsteps, only barely managing to keep his expression neutral at the sight of the overweight man who entered. His clothing was just as ugly as the room, if not more so. Ruadh wondered if he tasted as bad as he looked.
"Welcome, welcome," the fat man gushed, holding out his hand to Ruadh in one of those strange human customs. "What brings you to our fine home, my Lord?"
Ruadh repressed a smirk. "I've heard that you are the person to come to if one wishes to move goods about in the north. I am somewhat disillusioned with the merchants of my home waters, and thought I'd try my luck elsewhere."
"Oh indeed," the fat man professed, "We have the finest fleet in the northern waters. No one else has ships as fast and safe as ours. No pirate dares attack our ships, for fear of our swift retribution."
It was very difficult not to snort. Swift retribution indeed. More like the man was paying off the pirates, given what he'd heard. "That is indeed pleasant news, good sir," Ruadh replied, playing 'stupid' as well as he was able. He wasn't a human, after all. "Though I wonder, my home is far to the east. Will you still be able to guarantee the safety of my goods between-"
He broke off as a certain, highly familiar voice made itself known a short distance outside the room. "What do you mean 'occupied'? He called me here, he'd better be able to see me!" Vinnissaen stormed into the room, followed by a pale-faced manservant. "Now see here you... you.... You!" He stared at Ruadh, who smiled cheerfully at the shocked man. "What are you doing here?"
The fat man frowned, turning to face the newly-arrived Vinnissaen and waving away the fluttering manservant. "Vinnissaen. You were to wait for me." His gaze flicked to Ruadh and his expression eased a bit. "You know this man, my Lord?"
Ignoring Vinnissaen's snort, Ruadh smiled. "Indeed. It was his ship that brought me to your lovely shores. A... pleasant... voyage." He brightened his smile, widening his eyes as though a thought had just occurred to him. "Do not tell me the Red Dragon is one of your ships? How wonderful!"
It was incredibly difficult not to laugh at the expression on Vinnissaen's face. The man looked as though he'd swallowed something very sour. The fat man, by contrast, seemed mildly surprised.
"I am pleased that your Lordship had a pleasant voyage," he said at last. "Praise is not usually something I hear regarding that ship."
Ruadh smiled bashfully. "Truth be told, sir, the name of the ship did influence my choice. We of the east do enjoy our legendary dragons, you know..."
Vinnissaen's lips quirked oddly. After a moment Ruadh realized he was trying not to laugh. After all, he knew what Ruadh truly was.
"Ah, I see, I see," the fat man said, smiling brightly once more. "Quite understandable, the way some people get attached to their legends. Those crazy westerners, for instance..."
Ruadh nodded sagely. "Yes, with their savage mer-folk. I do wonder what it would be like to meet one of those... though they could never be as impressive as our dragons, of course."
This time, Vinnissaen could not quite repress a strangled sound, earning himself a sharp look from the fat man and a raised hand. Before it descended, however, Ruadh interspersed himself between them, throwing an arm over Vinnissaen's shoulders.
"Now now," he chided cheerfully, "I know you'll never believe me, but I've actually seen them! Magnificent creatures. Why, it's rumored that even my treasure pales next to their own, though how that could be I do not know." He allowed a dismayed expression to cross his face. "Ah, I wonder though, will it be safe in the room I have purchased? Only a small sample, and yet its loss would be..." He trailed off, hoping the fat man took the bait.
The man did not disappoint. Not that Ruadh had had any doubts. It was amazing how easy it was to control humans through greed.
"Why my Lord, you should not be staying in an inn. Let me extend the invitation to stay here in my manor. Surely my personal guards will be able to ensure you and your treasure's safety." The man was all but purring. Vinnissaen was staring at him as though he'd lost his mind. If the fat man hadn't been looking at him, Ruadh would have winked.
"Oh thank you," Ruadh exclaimed in delight. "I feel safer already!" He could feel Vinnissaen attempting to wriggle out from underneath his arm and yanked the pretty blond closer. "Captain Vinnissaen would be happy to show me to a room, wouldn't you Vinni?" He thought he did rather well not to whimper as Vinnissaen elbowed him sharply in the ribs.
The fat man hesitated for a long moment, long enough that Ruadh started to actually get worried, but eventually greed won out. "Of course he would. Vinnissaen, get our guest settled in the east wing, then come see me."
Vinnissaen looked like he wanted to kill both of them, but merely ground out, "Of course, sir." He elbowed Ruadh one last time, then jerked himself away. "If you will follow me..."
Beaming from ear to hidden ear, Ruadh waved goodbye to the fat man before following Vinnissaen out the door and through the manor. Vinnissaen didn't say a single word the entire trip until they were safely inside a guest suite and the door was locked, then he exploded.
"What do you think you're doing?! Do you have any idea what kind of danger you're in? If he gets any inkling that you're more than you seem to be..."
Ruadh grinned and pulled the feisty blond into an embrace, wincing as Vinnissaen kicked him. "You said I had to leave your ship, and that I couldn't tell anyone what I knew. I followed your rules. You never said anything about not trying to see if I could get them to let you go."
Vinnissaen scowled darkly and kicked him again. "Let go of me you idiot lizard. You don't understand. They'll never let me go, no matter what you do. The only things they care about are money and power."
"So I could just buy you from him?" Ruadh mused, whimpering when Vinnissaen's aim turned vicious. "Owww..."
"I'm not for sale, stupid dragon. Besides, even if I was, he'd still never let me go." Vinnissaen's words filled with the sound of defeat. "I'm his prized possession."
Ruadh frowned, letting go so that he could step back and look over the pretty blond man. "Why? I mean, you're pretty, more than enough to make a dragon drool, but there are lots of pretty humans, aren't there?"
Vinnissaen laughed bitterly. "You really are an idiot, aren't you?"
"No," Ruadh corrected, "I'm a dragon. We're not any good at this sneaky secret stuff. We like playing in the waves and collecting pretty things, not making people miserable. Even Deyllgo only eats mean, nasty humans who try to hurt dragons... though he hasn't really eaten anyone for a while now..."
"Then cease this game," Vinnissaen snapped, eyes flashing briefly before filling once more with despair. "Leave, get far away from here, before he realizes what you are and traps you as well. You can't keep up your charade forever."
Ruadh smiled cheerfully. "I don't have to. I just have keep it up until I get a chance to convince him to let you go, that's all."
"He won't let me go!" Vinnissaen hissed, trembling with fury. "I keep telling you, but you're not listening! Nothing that you do will convince him otherwise!"
"Nothing?" Ruadh repeated thoughtfully. "I wonder..."
Exhaling slowly, Vinnissaen shook his head and turned away. "I warned you. I did all that I could. If you get caught, it's your own damned fault." He reached out and grasped the door handle, snarling when Ruadh's hand closed over his.
"Whatever he wants you to do," Ruadh said softly, "Don't. I'll get you free, I promise. Just give me a little bit of time..."
Vinnissaen remained silent for a long minute, then sighed quietly. "There's a dinner party tonight. Most of the family will be there. As an honored guest, you'll be invited..."
Ruadh's lips curved into a smile. "That's exactly the kind of situation I was hoping for. Tonight, then. If I fail, I'll get out of your life. But if I succeed..."
"You won't-"
Ruadh cut off the rest of Vinnissaen's words with a hard kiss, enjoying the single brief moment of surprise he got before Vinnissaen recovered and shoved him backwards. The man snarled, breathing heavily, his lips parting as though to speak before snapping shut. He yanked the door open and stormed out, slamming it behind him.
Having never been to a dinner party before, Ruadh had been hoping that it would at least provide a little bit of fun while he was waiting for the Opportune Moment. Unfortunately, Vinnissaen was seated too far away to harass, and the humans he was close enough to talk to were not at all interesting. Rather the opposite, really. The females talked about money and clothing. The males talked about money and power. Ruadh had no interest in either, unless it was pretty, and they all looked at him rather strangely when tried to steer the conversation to the aesthetic value of gemstones rather than their monetary value.
He suppressed a sigh, looking out over the array of tables and unerringly picking out a crown of shining gold amongst the sea of darker heads. If he hadn't already known Vinnissaen wasn't actually related to these people, that simple observation would give it away. Blonds were rare, generally confined to a small handful of islands in the far south. Islands that Ruadh hadn't been to yet. He wondered if he could convince Vinnissaen to show them to him once the man was free.
Hiding a snort behind his goblet, Ruadh tried not to grimace. Who was he kidding? The moment Vinnissaen could get away from him, he'd probably be gone faster than Ruadh could blink.
Though, Ruadh thought with a slight smirk, not faster than he could fly.
That happy thought buoyed him through more inane conversation and another meal course, probably making him grin like an idiot but none of his seating partners seemed to notice. Vinnissaen did, to judge from the occasional exasperated glares sent his way, but then again those could just be the normal "You're an idiot" glares. Hard to tell, with Vinnissaen.
Really, what was the man's problem? Shouldn't he be happy that such a handsome and charismatic dragon as Ruadh was interested in him? Why did he keep having to hit Ruadh? Humans really made no sense. Especially that one. If he wasn't so pretty... but he was, and that was the problem. Vinnissaen put even the finest jewels in Ruadh's collection to shame. Ruadh could definitely see why these humans wanted to keep him so badly.
Unfortunately for them, they weren't going to get to keep him. There wasn't a human alive that could out-stubborn a dragon. Well, except maybe Vinnissaen, but that was a special case.
He was so lost in contemplation of what it was that made Vinnissaen so special that it took someone calling him three times before he finally clued in. Apparently the fat man (Ruadh wasn't sure if he'd just never gotten the man's name or dismissed it as unimportant) was making a toast in his honor, a toast being a speech that seemed to go on and on and on until Ruadh was half tempted to tune him out but if he did that he might miss...
Ah, a perfect opportunity.
"Actually," Ruadh said, putting on his best 'cute, adorable, and lovable' smile that worked on everyone but Vinnissaen, "There is one thing that you could do for me..."
All murmurings around them ceased as the entire compliment of humans leaned forward to listen. Out of the corner of his eye, Ruadh could see Vinnissaen pale.
Ruadh grinned, flashing teeth. "I want you to release the Binding on my pretty Captain over there." He pointed helpfully, just in case they needed a reminder of who that was, even though there was only one human present that could be called 'pretty,' never mind Captain.
The fat man drew himself up, probably attempting to look Impressive. Privately, Ruadh thought it only made him look fatter. "I'm afraid that is out of the question." His eyes narrowed, darting briefly to Vinnissaen (who Ruadh was pleased to note glared even nastier at him than he did at Ruadh) before focusing on Ruadh. "How did you come to learn of such things, stranger?"
He wasn't calling Ruadh 'Lord' anymore. Oh well, it was about time for the charade to be over with anyway.
"I'm good at overhearing things," Ruadh said cheerfully, getting up from his chair and unbuttoning his jacket. "And I am afraid I must insist, or else..." He removed the jacket and laid it over the back of his chair.
The fat man's eyes narrowed further. "Or else what?" he sneered, drawing up a hand that was probably going to try to work some kind of magic.
Ruadh shrugged and slipped out of his pants. "Or else I eat you."
There was a moment of total silence just before he Changed, then utter chaos. Humans screaming and fleeing from the falling debris as Ruadh's dragon body broke through the ceiling and sent large blocks of masonry crashing down all around them. The dining hall had obviously not been designed to hold a full-size dragon.
The fat man shouted something that Ruadh couldn't quite make out over the shrill screams, though it didn't really matter. He scooped up the nearest family members in his claws, squeezing until they had no breath left with which to continue that horrid screeching, then lowered his nose down to the fat man's level. The man's eyes bugged and he frantically began chanting spells, only to gag as Ruadh's wind magic stripped away the air around him and he began to choke.
It really was a pity that dragon throats weren't designed for human words, or else he'd seriously be gloating right about now. He had them all right where he wanted them, and pretty soon they'd figure out the only way they were gonna live was if they did what he said (maybe he should eat one of them first? Just as an example?) and then his pretty gold Captain would be free and- OW.
Ruadh hissed as something prickled all along his body, making him twitch in response to the pain. His claws clenched reflexively, and he could hear the faint snap of bones breaking from the humans he still held there. Oops. Though that wasn't his fault. It was the fault of whatever was hurting him!
He shifted his head away from the fat man, trying to figure out where the pain was coming from. No one was shooting at him, fire couldn't harm a dragon, but to cause this kind of agony it had to be... magic?
As abruptly as it had started, the pain stopped. Ruadh blinked. The fat man, who had gotten his breath back while Ruadh had been distracted, made a kind of whimper.
"I really think you'd better do as he asks, Gurhab," Vinnissaen's chill voice announced into the silence. "He's insanely stubborn." He stood quite calmly, looking as perfect as ever, with a body lying very still at his feet.
The fat man (Gurhab? Ugh, Ruadh liked his name for the man better) swallowed and looked from Vinnissaen to Ruadh and back again, wavering. Stupid human. Couldn't it see that it was Defeated? Apparently it needed a little bit of encouragement.
Tilting his head just so, Ruadh caught the fat man up between his teeth and hoisted him into the air, biting down just enough that he could taste blood. Ugh. The man seriously needed to bathe more often. How did Deyllgo eat these on a regular basis? Maybe he roasted them first...
In his mouth, the fat man gave a rather girly scream and began babbling senselessly, the usual drivel about "no no no" and "save me" and "oh please no." It was rather amusing, though not what he wanted. He growled and shook his head a bit before lowering it down to Vinnissaen's level to remind the man what he was supposed to be doing.
There was something vaguely resembling a squeak from the vicinity of his mouth; Ruadh couldn't really blame him. If he had that chilling smile directed at him, he'd probably squeak too. Vinnissaen was entirely too good at being terrifying for someone who was under a Binding.
"Well, Gurhab?" Vinnissaen murmured quietly. "You always knew you couldn't cage me forever. My kind are meant to be free."
His kind were meant to be free? What did that mean? Was Vinnissaen a special sort of human? Why did everything have to get so complicated?
He was so absorbed in Figuring Things Out that he entirely missed what was going on down by his mouth until Vinnissaen began to glow. Or, maybe glow wasn't quite the right word. More like... Burn.
There was a smile on Vinnissaen's face for the first time since Ruadh had met him. A small smile, but a smile nonetheless. He was... changing, somehow, though the angle wasn't the best for Ruadh to observe. He tilted his head to fix the problem, drawing a startled scream from the man still trapped in his mouth. Which he totally ignored in favor of watching Vinnissaen.
The flames faded, lingering only around his hands and feet, the former having acquired small claws that reminded Ruadh of a baby dragon's. His face had changed in subtle ways that Ruadh couldn't quite define, but he looked less... human. Which he wasn't, Ruadh realized suddenly, taking in the furred, pointed ears poking out of his golden hair (the ends of which were now a red-gold and flickering in a manner somewhat reminiscent of the flames around his hands) and the fluffy golden tail twitching slowly back and forth behind him.
Okay, now he really had to be able to talk. There were too many questions he needed to ask. Ruadh spit out the distasteful fat man onto the floor and dropped his handfuls of hostages (who kind of just lay still; they might have passed out from lack of air... oh well) before Changing back into his human shape.
"You have a tail," he stated, then promptly wanted to hit himself. Why did his mouth not behave around this man?
Vinnissaen rolled his eyes. "You really are an idiot," he said calmly, walking over to and staring dispassionately down at the moaning, bleeding man who had held him captive for so long. For a long moment he held perfectly still, then his eyes flashed bright (a flickering, shimmering gold now, rather than the brown-gold of before) and the fat man erupted into flames. There wasn't even time for him to scream before there was nothing left but a pile of ash.
Ruadh blinked. "That's a neat trick. Huh." He considered, then pointed at the unconscious bodies he'd dropped. "What about them?"
Vinnissaen shrugged, shoulders rippling in a smooth, elegant manner that made Ruadh want to strip off all that bright clothing so he could observe the effect on the skin below. "You can eat them, if you want to."
"Ugh." Ruadh made a face. "No thank you. They probably don't bathe any more frequently than the fat man."
Vinnissaen's lips quirked upward ever so slightly. "Probably not," he agreed.
They regarded one another for a long moment, or maybe several long moments, before Vinnissaen broke away and strode over to what was left of the table where Ruadh had been sitting (making no noise whatsoever, and maybe this was why he was always able to sneak up on Ruadh) hunting around for a moment before turning up the pants and jacket Ruadh had been wearing earlier.
Ruadh sighed. "Do I have to?"
Vinnissaen snorted and flung them at him. "You can't walk through town naked, idiot lizard. Get dressed."
Grimacing with distaste - his clothes were all dusty - Ruadh dressed himself reluctantly before looking back up to find Vinnissaen watching him. He blinked.
"Um..."
Vinnissaen took a step forward, his features blurring, ears and tail fading. By the third step, he looked exactly like he always had, except for his eyes. Those were still that strange, flowing gold. He reached out and grabbed Ruadh's wrist, turning and yanking Ruadh along after him, through the rubble and out of the destroyed banquet hall.
"Um," Ruadh tried again, still getting ignored. "So, uh, what are you? Since you're not actually a human..."
"Do you ever shut up?" Vinnissaen demanded, not slowing down in the least as he navigated their way out of the curiously silent manor (though really, he couldn't blame them all for fleeing in terror. He was quite the impressive dragon, even if Deyllgo was still bigger).
"Umm..." Ruadh thought about that, barely noticing as he was led outside to a waiting carriage that took them through town. He hadn't thought he was particularly gregarious, not compared to some dragons, anyway, but compared to the more reserved and icy Vinnissaen...
"Sometimes?" he ventured finally, eyes widening as he took in the sight of the docks. "Hey, wait, my treasure!"
Vinnissaen scowled. "I'll send someone to fetch it back to the ship. But you need to get out of the area before they come after you. Really, that was phenomenally stupid. What were you thinking? The ones that aren't going to be after you to trap you will be trying to kill you!"
Ruadh smiled sheepishly and spread his hands. "It worked, didn't it?"
Vinnissaen stared at him in disbelief, mouth slightly agape, until he finally managed to shake it off. "You-"
He didn't get any further than that, as Ruadh closed the small space between them that the carriage allowed for and claimed his lips for a kiss. It was considerably longer than either of their prior two kisses, and even as he reluctantly broke it to figure out what the odd tingling sensation running up his arms was he wondered why Vinnissaen hadn't punched him yet.
There were red-gold flames running from Vinnissaen's hands all the way up Ruadh's arms. His scales gleamed in the light, exposed to the air by the fact that the flames had burned his jacket sleeves completely off.
"Huh..."
Vinnissaen's eyes flashed in annoyance and he scowled. "Let me guess, dragons are immune to flame."
Ruadh blinked. "Yes?"
With a deep sigh, Vinnissaen brought his hands up and shoved Ruadh off him. "Apparently I'm going to have to find some other way to keep you under control," he muttered.
"Under control?" Ruadh echoed slowly, then brightened. "Does that mean I get to come with you?"
Vinnissaen drew in a breath to reply but Ruadh didn't give him the chance, straddling his lap and taking advantage of the open mouth to take a hard, deep kiss. He was vaguely aware of the tingling that meant Vinnissaen was burning off more of his clothing (and really, hadn't they just established that such things were pointless on him?) before the man punched him hard enough to knock the wind out of him.
Ruadh picked himself up off the floor of the carriage, grinning. Eight and a half seconds. A new record.
Part One here
---
Makani. It was a bright, busy city full of fascinating people from all over the world. One of the major trade centers of the north, it should have captivated Ruadh's attention from the moment he set foot on dry land. Instead, all he could see were the shadows.
True to his word, he'd gathered his things and left the ship as soon as they'd docked. Also true to his word, he hadn't so much as hinted at the things he'd learned, even when Kormiel had made not-so-subtle inquiries. He'd promised, and so he'd keep his promise.
In letter only.
It hadn't taken him long at all to get someone to point him in the direction of Captain Vinnissaen's family. After all, they owned practically the entire city. It had been almost as easy to gain entrance; humans were so easily overwhelmed by fancy clothing and a few pretty jewels. And with the bit of advice that Lord Aeynanyi's human had given him - If you act like you Belong, people will Believe that you Belong - he'd passed into the home of The Enemy.
He just had to figure out what he was actually going to do now that he'd made it inside.
They'd shown him to an ornate room that had far too much in it to be tasteful. It looked rather similar to the rooms that young dragons liked to shove all of their treasure into, thinking it looked more impressive that way. The dragons eventually grew up, but apparently humans did not, given that this was supposedly the residence of adult humans.
Humans really made no sense.
He looked up at the sound of footsteps, only barely managing to keep his expression neutral at the sight of the overweight man who entered. His clothing was just as ugly as the room, if not more so. Ruadh wondered if he tasted as bad as he looked.
"Welcome, welcome," the fat man gushed, holding out his hand to Ruadh in one of those strange human customs. "What brings you to our fine home, my Lord?"
Ruadh repressed a smirk. "I've heard that you are the person to come to if one wishes to move goods about in the north. I am somewhat disillusioned with the merchants of my home waters, and thought I'd try my luck elsewhere."
"Oh indeed," the fat man professed, "We have the finest fleet in the northern waters. No one else has ships as fast and safe as ours. No pirate dares attack our ships, for fear of our swift retribution."
It was very difficult not to snort. Swift retribution indeed. More like the man was paying off the pirates, given what he'd heard. "That is indeed pleasant news, good sir," Ruadh replied, playing 'stupid' as well as he was able. He wasn't a human, after all. "Though I wonder, my home is far to the east. Will you still be able to guarantee the safety of my goods between-"
He broke off as a certain, highly familiar voice made itself known a short distance outside the room. "What do you mean 'occupied'? He called me here, he'd better be able to see me!" Vinnissaen stormed into the room, followed by a pale-faced manservant. "Now see here you... you.... You!" He stared at Ruadh, who smiled cheerfully at the shocked man. "What are you doing here?"
The fat man frowned, turning to face the newly-arrived Vinnissaen and waving away the fluttering manservant. "Vinnissaen. You were to wait for me." His gaze flicked to Ruadh and his expression eased a bit. "You know this man, my Lord?"
Ignoring Vinnissaen's snort, Ruadh smiled. "Indeed. It was his ship that brought me to your lovely shores. A... pleasant... voyage." He brightened his smile, widening his eyes as though a thought had just occurred to him. "Do not tell me the Red Dragon is one of your ships? How wonderful!"
It was incredibly difficult not to laugh at the expression on Vinnissaen's face. The man looked as though he'd swallowed something very sour. The fat man, by contrast, seemed mildly surprised.
"I am pleased that your Lordship had a pleasant voyage," he said at last. "Praise is not usually something I hear regarding that ship."
Ruadh smiled bashfully. "Truth be told, sir, the name of the ship did influence my choice. We of the east do enjoy our legendary dragons, you know..."
Vinnissaen's lips quirked oddly. After a moment Ruadh realized he was trying not to laugh. After all, he knew what Ruadh truly was.
"Ah, I see, I see," the fat man said, smiling brightly once more. "Quite understandable, the way some people get attached to their legends. Those crazy westerners, for instance..."
Ruadh nodded sagely. "Yes, with their savage mer-folk. I do wonder what it would be like to meet one of those... though they could never be as impressive as our dragons, of course."
This time, Vinnissaen could not quite repress a strangled sound, earning himself a sharp look from the fat man and a raised hand. Before it descended, however, Ruadh interspersed himself between them, throwing an arm over Vinnissaen's shoulders.
"Now now," he chided cheerfully, "I know you'll never believe me, but I've actually seen them! Magnificent creatures. Why, it's rumored that even my treasure pales next to their own, though how that could be I do not know." He allowed a dismayed expression to cross his face. "Ah, I wonder though, will it be safe in the room I have purchased? Only a small sample, and yet its loss would be..." He trailed off, hoping the fat man took the bait.
The man did not disappoint. Not that Ruadh had had any doubts. It was amazing how easy it was to control humans through greed.
"Why my Lord, you should not be staying in an inn. Let me extend the invitation to stay here in my manor. Surely my personal guards will be able to ensure you and your treasure's safety." The man was all but purring. Vinnissaen was staring at him as though he'd lost his mind. If the fat man hadn't been looking at him, Ruadh would have winked.
"Oh thank you," Ruadh exclaimed in delight. "I feel safer already!" He could feel Vinnissaen attempting to wriggle out from underneath his arm and yanked the pretty blond closer. "Captain Vinnissaen would be happy to show me to a room, wouldn't you Vinni?" He thought he did rather well not to whimper as Vinnissaen elbowed him sharply in the ribs.
The fat man hesitated for a long moment, long enough that Ruadh started to actually get worried, but eventually greed won out. "Of course he would. Vinnissaen, get our guest settled in the east wing, then come see me."
Vinnissaen looked like he wanted to kill both of them, but merely ground out, "Of course, sir." He elbowed Ruadh one last time, then jerked himself away. "If you will follow me..."
Beaming from ear to hidden ear, Ruadh waved goodbye to the fat man before following Vinnissaen out the door and through the manor. Vinnissaen didn't say a single word the entire trip until they were safely inside a guest suite and the door was locked, then he exploded.
"What do you think you're doing?! Do you have any idea what kind of danger you're in? If he gets any inkling that you're more than you seem to be..."
Ruadh grinned and pulled the feisty blond into an embrace, wincing as Vinnissaen kicked him. "You said I had to leave your ship, and that I couldn't tell anyone what I knew. I followed your rules. You never said anything about not trying to see if I could get them to let you go."
Vinnissaen scowled darkly and kicked him again. "Let go of me you idiot lizard. You don't understand. They'll never let me go, no matter what you do. The only things they care about are money and power."
"So I could just buy you from him?" Ruadh mused, whimpering when Vinnissaen's aim turned vicious. "Owww..."
"I'm not for sale, stupid dragon. Besides, even if I was, he'd still never let me go." Vinnissaen's words filled with the sound of defeat. "I'm his prized possession."
Ruadh frowned, letting go so that he could step back and look over the pretty blond man. "Why? I mean, you're pretty, more than enough to make a dragon drool, but there are lots of pretty humans, aren't there?"
Vinnissaen laughed bitterly. "You really are an idiot, aren't you?"
"No," Ruadh corrected, "I'm a dragon. We're not any good at this sneaky secret stuff. We like playing in the waves and collecting pretty things, not making people miserable. Even Deyllgo only eats mean, nasty humans who try to hurt dragons... though he hasn't really eaten anyone for a while now..."
"Then cease this game," Vinnissaen snapped, eyes flashing briefly before filling once more with despair. "Leave, get far away from here, before he realizes what you are and traps you as well. You can't keep up your charade forever."
Ruadh smiled cheerfully. "I don't have to. I just have keep it up until I get a chance to convince him to let you go, that's all."
"He won't let me go!" Vinnissaen hissed, trembling with fury. "I keep telling you, but you're not listening! Nothing that you do will convince him otherwise!"
"Nothing?" Ruadh repeated thoughtfully. "I wonder..."
Exhaling slowly, Vinnissaen shook his head and turned away. "I warned you. I did all that I could. If you get caught, it's your own damned fault." He reached out and grasped the door handle, snarling when Ruadh's hand closed over his.
"Whatever he wants you to do," Ruadh said softly, "Don't. I'll get you free, I promise. Just give me a little bit of time..."
Vinnissaen remained silent for a long minute, then sighed quietly. "There's a dinner party tonight. Most of the family will be there. As an honored guest, you'll be invited..."
Ruadh's lips curved into a smile. "That's exactly the kind of situation I was hoping for. Tonight, then. If I fail, I'll get out of your life. But if I succeed..."
"You won't-"
Ruadh cut off the rest of Vinnissaen's words with a hard kiss, enjoying the single brief moment of surprise he got before Vinnissaen recovered and shoved him backwards. The man snarled, breathing heavily, his lips parting as though to speak before snapping shut. He yanked the door open and stormed out, slamming it behind him.
Having never been to a dinner party before, Ruadh had been hoping that it would at least provide a little bit of fun while he was waiting for the Opportune Moment. Unfortunately, Vinnissaen was seated too far away to harass, and the humans he was close enough to talk to were not at all interesting. Rather the opposite, really. The females talked about money and clothing. The males talked about money and power. Ruadh had no interest in either, unless it was pretty, and they all looked at him rather strangely when tried to steer the conversation to the aesthetic value of gemstones rather than their monetary value.
He suppressed a sigh, looking out over the array of tables and unerringly picking out a crown of shining gold amongst the sea of darker heads. If he hadn't already known Vinnissaen wasn't actually related to these people, that simple observation would give it away. Blonds were rare, generally confined to a small handful of islands in the far south. Islands that Ruadh hadn't been to yet. He wondered if he could convince Vinnissaen to show them to him once the man was free.
Hiding a snort behind his goblet, Ruadh tried not to grimace. Who was he kidding? The moment Vinnissaen could get away from him, he'd probably be gone faster than Ruadh could blink.
Though, Ruadh thought with a slight smirk, not faster than he could fly.
That happy thought buoyed him through more inane conversation and another meal course, probably making him grin like an idiot but none of his seating partners seemed to notice. Vinnissaen did, to judge from the occasional exasperated glares sent his way, but then again those could just be the normal "You're an idiot" glares. Hard to tell, with Vinnissaen.
Really, what was the man's problem? Shouldn't he be happy that such a handsome and charismatic dragon as Ruadh was interested in him? Why did he keep having to hit Ruadh? Humans really made no sense. Especially that one. If he wasn't so pretty... but he was, and that was the problem. Vinnissaen put even the finest jewels in Ruadh's collection to shame. Ruadh could definitely see why these humans wanted to keep him so badly.
Unfortunately for them, they weren't going to get to keep him. There wasn't a human alive that could out-stubborn a dragon. Well, except maybe Vinnissaen, but that was a special case.
He was so lost in contemplation of what it was that made Vinnissaen so special that it took someone calling him three times before he finally clued in. Apparently the fat man (Ruadh wasn't sure if he'd just never gotten the man's name or dismissed it as unimportant) was making a toast in his honor, a toast being a speech that seemed to go on and on and on until Ruadh was half tempted to tune him out but if he did that he might miss...
Ah, a perfect opportunity.
"Actually," Ruadh said, putting on his best 'cute, adorable, and lovable' smile that worked on everyone but Vinnissaen, "There is one thing that you could do for me..."
All murmurings around them ceased as the entire compliment of humans leaned forward to listen. Out of the corner of his eye, Ruadh could see Vinnissaen pale.
Ruadh grinned, flashing teeth. "I want you to release the Binding on my pretty Captain over there." He pointed helpfully, just in case they needed a reminder of who that was, even though there was only one human present that could be called 'pretty,' never mind Captain.
The fat man drew himself up, probably attempting to look Impressive. Privately, Ruadh thought it only made him look fatter. "I'm afraid that is out of the question." His eyes narrowed, darting briefly to Vinnissaen (who Ruadh was pleased to note glared even nastier at him than he did at Ruadh) before focusing on Ruadh. "How did you come to learn of such things, stranger?"
He wasn't calling Ruadh 'Lord' anymore. Oh well, it was about time for the charade to be over with anyway.
"I'm good at overhearing things," Ruadh said cheerfully, getting up from his chair and unbuttoning his jacket. "And I am afraid I must insist, or else..." He removed the jacket and laid it over the back of his chair.
The fat man's eyes narrowed further. "Or else what?" he sneered, drawing up a hand that was probably going to try to work some kind of magic.
Ruadh shrugged and slipped out of his pants. "Or else I eat you."
There was a moment of total silence just before he Changed, then utter chaos. Humans screaming and fleeing from the falling debris as Ruadh's dragon body broke through the ceiling and sent large blocks of masonry crashing down all around them. The dining hall had obviously not been designed to hold a full-size dragon.
The fat man shouted something that Ruadh couldn't quite make out over the shrill screams, though it didn't really matter. He scooped up the nearest family members in his claws, squeezing until they had no breath left with which to continue that horrid screeching, then lowered his nose down to the fat man's level. The man's eyes bugged and he frantically began chanting spells, only to gag as Ruadh's wind magic stripped away the air around him and he began to choke.
It really was a pity that dragon throats weren't designed for human words, or else he'd seriously be gloating right about now. He had them all right where he wanted them, and pretty soon they'd figure out the only way they were gonna live was if they did what he said (maybe he should eat one of them first? Just as an example?) and then his pretty gold Captain would be free and- OW.
Ruadh hissed as something prickled all along his body, making him twitch in response to the pain. His claws clenched reflexively, and he could hear the faint snap of bones breaking from the humans he still held there. Oops. Though that wasn't his fault. It was the fault of whatever was hurting him!
He shifted his head away from the fat man, trying to figure out where the pain was coming from. No one was shooting at him, fire couldn't harm a dragon, but to cause this kind of agony it had to be... magic?
As abruptly as it had started, the pain stopped. Ruadh blinked. The fat man, who had gotten his breath back while Ruadh had been distracted, made a kind of whimper.
"I really think you'd better do as he asks, Gurhab," Vinnissaen's chill voice announced into the silence. "He's insanely stubborn." He stood quite calmly, looking as perfect as ever, with a body lying very still at his feet.
The fat man (Gurhab? Ugh, Ruadh liked his name for the man better) swallowed and looked from Vinnissaen to Ruadh and back again, wavering. Stupid human. Couldn't it see that it was Defeated? Apparently it needed a little bit of encouragement.
Tilting his head just so, Ruadh caught the fat man up between his teeth and hoisted him into the air, biting down just enough that he could taste blood. Ugh. The man seriously needed to bathe more often. How did Deyllgo eat these on a regular basis? Maybe he roasted them first...
In his mouth, the fat man gave a rather girly scream and began babbling senselessly, the usual drivel about "no no no" and "save me" and "oh please no." It was rather amusing, though not what he wanted. He growled and shook his head a bit before lowering it down to Vinnissaen's level to remind the man what he was supposed to be doing.
There was something vaguely resembling a squeak from the vicinity of his mouth; Ruadh couldn't really blame him. If he had that chilling smile directed at him, he'd probably squeak too. Vinnissaen was entirely too good at being terrifying for someone who was under a Binding.
"Well, Gurhab?" Vinnissaen murmured quietly. "You always knew you couldn't cage me forever. My kind are meant to be free."
His kind were meant to be free? What did that mean? Was Vinnissaen a special sort of human? Why did everything have to get so complicated?
He was so absorbed in Figuring Things Out that he entirely missed what was going on down by his mouth until Vinnissaen began to glow. Or, maybe glow wasn't quite the right word. More like... Burn.
There was a smile on Vinnissaen's face for the first time since Ruadh had met him. A small smile, but a smile nonetheless. He was... changing, somehow, though the angle wasn't the best for Ruadh to observe. He tilted his head to fix the problem, drawing a startled scream from the man still trapped in his mouth. Which he totally ignored in favor of watching Vinnissaen.
The flames faded, lingering only around his hands and feet, the former having acquired small claws that reminded Ruadh of a baby dragon's. His face had changed in subtle ways that Ruadh couldn't quite define, but he looked less... human. Which he wasn't, Ruadh realized suddenly, taking in the furred, pointed ears poking out of his golden hair (the ends of which were now a red-gold and flickering in a manner somewhat reminiscent of the flames around his hands) and the fluffy golden tail twitching slowly back and forth behind him.
Okay, now he really had to be able to talk. There were too many questions he needed to ask. Ruadh spit out the distasteful fat man onto the floor and dropped his handfuls of hostages (who kind of just lay still; they might have passed out from lack of air... oh well) before Changing back into his human shape.
"You have a tail," he stated, then promptly wanted to hit himself. Why did his mouth not behave around this man?
Vinnissaen rolled his eyes. "You really are an idiot," he said calmly, walking over to and staring dispassionately down at the moaning, bleeding man who had held him captive for so long. For a long moment he held perfectly still, then his eyes flashed bright (a flickering, shimmering gold now, rather than the brown-gold of before) and the fat man erupted into flames. There wasn't even time for him to scream before there was nothing left but a pile of ash.
Ruadh blinked. "That's a neat trick. Huh." He considered, then pointed at the unconscious bodies he'd dropped. "What about them?"
Vinnissaen shrugged, shoulders rippling in a smooth, elegant manner that made Ruadh want to strip off all that bright clothing so he could observe the effect on the skin below. "You can eat them, if you want to."
"Ugh." Ruadh made a face. "No thank you. They probably don't bathe any more frequently than the fat man."
Vinnissaen's lips quirked upward ever so slightly. "Probably not," he agreed.
They regarded one another for a long moment, or maybe several long moments, before Vinnissaen broke away and strode over to what was left of the table where Ruadh had been sitting (making no noise whatsoever, and maybe this was why he was always able to sneak up on Ruadh) hunting around for a moment before turning up the pants and jacket Ruadh had been wearing earlier.
Ruadh sighed. "Do I have to?"
Vinnissaen snorted and flung them at him. "You can't walk through town naked, idiot lizard. Get dressed."
Grimacing with distaste - his clothes were all dusty - Ruadh dressed himself reluctantly before looking back up to find Vinnissaen watching him. He blinked.
"Um..."
Vinnissaen took a step forward, his features blurring, ears and tail fading. By the third step, he looked exactly like he always had, except for his eyes. Those were still that strange, flowing gold. He reached out and grabbed Ruadh's wrist, turning and yanking Ruadh along after him, through the rubble and out of the destroyed banquet hall.
"Um," Ruadh tried again, still getting ignored. "So, uh, what are you? Since you're not actually a human..."
"Do you ever shut up?" Vinnissaen demanded, not slowing down in the least as he navigated their way out of the curiously silent manor (though really, he couldn't blame them all for fleeing in terror. He was quite the impressive dragon, even if Deyllgo was still bigger).
"Umm..." Ruadh thought about that, barely noticing as he was led outside to a waiting carriage that took them through town. He hadn't thought he was particularly gregarious, not compared to some dragons, anyway, but compared to the more reserved and icy Vinnissaen...
"Sometimes?" he ventured finally, eyes widening as he took in the sight of the docks. "Hey, wait, my treasure!"
Vinnissaen scowled. "I'll send someone to fetch it back to the ship. But you need to get out of the area before they come after you. Really, that was phenomenally stupid. What were you thinking? The ones that aren't going to be after you to trap you will be trying to kill you!"
Ruadh smiled sheepishly and spread his hands. "It worked, didn't it?"
Vinnissaen stared at him in disbelief, mouth slightly agape, until he finally managed to shake it off. "You-"
He didn't get any further than that, as Ruadh closed the small space between them that the carriage allowed for and claimed his lips for a kiss. It was considerably longer than either of their prior two kisses, and even as he reluctantly broke it to figure out what the odd tingling sensation running up his arms was he wondered why Vinnissaen hadn't punched him yet.
There were red-gold flames running from Vinnissaen's hands all the way up Ruadh's arms. His scales gleamed in the light, exposed to the air by the fact that the flames had burned his jacket sleeves completely off.
"Huh..."
Vinnissaen's eyes flashed in annoyance and he scowled. "Let me guess, dragons are immune to flame."
Ruadh blinked. "Yes?"
With a deep sigh, Vinnissaen brought his hands up and shoved Ruadh off him. "Apparently I'm going to have to find some other way to keep you under control," he muttered.
"Under control?" Ruadh echoed slowly, then brightened. "Does that mean I get to come with you?"
Vinnissaen drew in a breath to reply but Ruadh didn't give him the chance, straddling his lap and taking advantage of the open mouth to take a hard, deep kiss. He was vaguely aware of the tingling that meant Vinnissaen was burning off more of his clothing (and really, hadn't they just established that such things were pointless on him?) before the man punched him hard enough to knock the wind out of him.
Ruadh picked himself up off the floor of the carriage, grinning. Eight and a half seconds. A new record.