*I am Trina, a Red Jewelled war horse who once served, and hated, Hekatah. I was burnt in a fire while wearing heavy battle armour for the amusement of her and Hekatah's court, for the punishment of not running fast enough whilst training.* Trina's left leg extended as she bowed, making her Red battle armour glisten.
Who ever Hekatah was, she better hope she isn't alive right now.
I hissed and Trina backed up a bit.
*I wish to serve you, your Greatness.* she backed a bit more, and then took two steps forward.
*It is every Kindred's dream to met a Great One. But not so many do. I wish to serve you, if that is your wish.* she sounded determined.
*Yes, but I am half a Great One. And many Kindred met me every day.* Okay. So the last one was a bit of a lie – Kindred tend to stay clear of me.
Apparently I'm 'unclean' being half a Great One.
At least they do what ever I ask of them, no questions ask.
*But at least they don't burst out what I am in public.* I told her.
She bowed again.
Ugh – enough with the bowing. She must have felt that because she stopped mid way and stood up again.
*If your Greatness will not take this the wrong way, but I had scouted the area for other Kindred and Blood, and I have not found anything with a pulse. Also, we are having a linked conversation that I have made so only we can hear it. Your Greatness is still a Great One, because she still has the Great One's form, smell and sounds.*
There was a small silence.
She's good.
*Okay. Fine. You can serve me, but on three conditions. First, enough with the bowing.*
Trina nodded her head.
*Second, my names Larea, not 'Great One' or 'Your Greatness'*
She pulled her leg up and hit the floor with her hoof twice.
*Yes Larea.*
*Thirdly, you are a free Kindred as well as my acquaintance, and I want you to treat me with equal treatment as everyone else. You are also aloud to go off when ever you want and do what ever you want, as if you were living a normal life.*
She nodded.
There was a small silence before she trotted up to my talon, which I had forgotten was open.
While I lifted her up she asked, *Why?*
I pushed her in the cave and pulled my self up.
The whole cave turned dark as the trees branched covered the entrance again, but there were bits of light flecked here and there from the sun set light that was able to get through.
Trust someone to ask that question.
*Because I want to lead a normal life too. I don't want you to hate me and I'm not going to hurt you; I need you to trust me and the best way to do that is to treat you like I treat everyone else, just your closer to me.*
Literally, she was the closet moving thing in miles around.
I felt her nod in the Darkness.
I leaned upwards and blew fire into a giant crack on the right side of the cave.
Suddenly, the whole cave lit up as 6 fires on each side of the cave were lit. The cave was a hand dug tunnel made by me, which could fit two and a half dragons in here comfortably.
It was nine stories high and had furniture everywhere at the end of the cave – five beds against a wall, seven chairs around four tables, cartons of food and water and also a bathroom of to the side.
The front of the hand made cave was for a Dragon to lie on – hay everywhere.
Thankfully, I never have to go to the toilet much as a Dragon, so the hay was clean and messy.
There was about one thousand and three hay bundles stacked in the side on the cave at the entrance.
Demon dead only eat, or more like drink, blood.
*Settle down.*
Pain hit my abdomen again.
*We're going to be here for a few days.* I winced and lay down.
I think I can out-sleep it.
*Is there anything you want me to get you or do?* Trina asked, moving up to me.
She sniffed my nose and when I didn't answer, she stamped her foot.
*I'm thinking.* I groaned.
Not really. I'm trying to sleep.
But I might as well answer her or I'll probably get bitten. Which didn't hurt, it just was…unconfutable…
…for her.
Let's see.
If I was at the Keep and saw...oh I don't know…Jaenelle turn into a Dragon, which I had to admit she probably could do because she's Witch, then I would track her down.
To talk to her.
Or something.
I also could use some healing brews, but they don't work if I'm a Dragon, so I could just get her to do something useful for her.
*Okay.* I said slowly as not to hurt myself,*I need you do go outside and head towards the keep. Use this webs-* I motioned towards the webs in the corner of the room *- to keep other Kindred at bay. To do that you have to get one, and tell the web a message that will tell all the Kindred to head away from here.*
I watched her walk over to the table were I spun thousands of different webs in my spare time.
She took the one that glowed when she walked next to it and placed it in front of her.
*Do not come forwards. A Great One lives here and asks that you don't lead the Blood to her home. This is your excuse: a herd of wild Kindred horse has passed through and mixed up all the scents.* She nickered.
She looked up at me with her hallow eyes.
*Why did you nicker?* I asked.
*It's something we Kindred to show that we are not lying…it's like what Blood call a lie test, I think. If you lie whilst you nicker, then all Kindred can tell.*
I nodded and the same pain grabbed at my abdomen.
Grad.
Twist.
Burn.
I groaned.
*Go eleven miles from one side of this cave's entrance and do a semi circle until you come eleven miles on the other side, the whole time so think in your mind what you told the web.*
Does she even have a brain?
I don't want to ask.
*Yes Larea.*
She crossed to the entrance and just before she jumped I grabbed her leg in-between two of my dagger claws.
*Oh and Trina?* I asked.
She turned her horse head to look at me, the web in her mouth.
I let go of her leg and passed her a bag of coins with another claw.
I attached it to her staddle and smiled.
*Go eat something – sheep, cow, mutton. I don't know. What ever you want.*
She frowned.
*What are the coins for?*
*Drop three of them where ever you eat your prey – if you eat a farmers animal, that will pay for two more; if there is a poor person that comes along, that will feed them for a month; if a robber picks up the coins, then we saved someone from losing their purse; and if one of the Blood that's following me finds it then that'll distract them long enough for the message to sink into the Kindred.*
I hope.
