CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
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The Dog-Lord's eyes flared as he saw Yoshiko being chased by a dozen armored men, each intending to drag the stumbling girl back. Fools! he thought angrily. If even one of them so much as scratches her...
With a growl, he yanked on the reins, and the dragon roared. Its long tail snapped out like a whip, smashing over the ground behind Yoshiko. The ground split open with a flash of light, and the humans were thrown back like so many flimsy broken toys.
Yoshiko had been thrown to her knees by the blast. But after a glance back, she staggered up and ran again to the Dog-Lord. The fiery-eyed dragon he was riding on was staring at her in a hungry sort of way, but he seemed to have it firmly under control. And he was leaning down, holding out one of his hands to her.
Yoshiko raised her own hand as she rushed toward him.
"Stop her! The demon's bewitched her!" her father shouted.
"YOSHIKO!" Strong hands grabbed Yoshiko's cloaked shoulders from behind. It was Samadu, trying to pull her back. "Yoshiko! Quickly, it isn't safe-"
"Let me go!" Yoshiko cried.
"Yoshiko-"
Yoshiko threw off her cloak, leaving it in Samadu's hands. Samadu threw it down and ran after her again, reaching for the girl and almost touching her-
The Dog-Lord growled more loudly this time. "Whelp," he whispered under his breath.
He pointed at the young man, and something long and glowing shot out from his hand like a whip. It smashed into Samadu, throwing him backwards to the ground with a pained howl.
Yoshiko was tempted to go back and see if he was seriously hurt, but she knew that it would be stupid. She ran to the Dog-Lord's side, and he swept her up onto the dragon's back in front of him. He hugged her tightly for a moment -- Yoshiko noticed that he wasn't wearing his spiked breastplate -- then glared down at the injured nobleman on the ground.
"Try to touch my wife again, boy," the Dog-Lord said in a low voice, but loudly enough that Samadu could hear, "and I'll rip you apart so fast, you won't have time to scream."
Samadu stared at the Dog-Lord in shock. Then he slowly looked to Yoshiko. "W-wife...?" he whispered.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. Then she looked away.
"Now go back, pup," the Dog-Lord said tightly. "You've upset her enough. Don't make me any angrier than I already am." He grabbed the reins with his free hand and snapped them over the dragon's long neck. It rumbled and began to rise again.
"Open fire!" one of the men shouted.
A hail of arrows arced over them as the dragon began to run into the sky again. Yoshiko gasped as the Dog-Lord quickly wrapped a cloak over her, even covering her head. Arrows bounced off it as if it were armor, and clattered uselessly to the ground.
Yoshiko stayed still until the sound of shouting faded, then shrugged off the cloak.
For a moment, the view made her dizzy. The clouds were swirling under them as the dragon climbed higher into the sky. And the towering trees and sprawling palace had dwindled away to almost nothing. A gust of wind blew more clouds under them, and Yoshiko's old home vanished. She looked away.
"Are you all right?" the Dog-Lord asked quietly.
"Yes," Yoshiko said, resting her head against his chest. She tried to keep her loneliness out of her voice. "I just wish... I wish it didn't have to be this way. I wish -- I'm not sorry I chose to come, but I wish... I hadn't had to part with them like I did."
The Dog-Lord slipped his free arm around her waist. "So do I," he said softly.
TO BE CONTINUED
.
The Dog-Lord's eyes flared as he saw Yoshiko being chased by a dozen armored men, each intending to drag the stumbling girl back. Fools! he thought angrily. If even one of them so much as scratches her...
With a growl, he yanked on the reins, and the dragon roared. Its long tail snapped out like a whip, smashing over the ground behind Yoshiko. The ground split open with a flash of light, and the humans were thrown back like so many flimsy broken toys.
Yoshiko had been thrown to her knees by the blast. But after a glance back, she staggered up and ran again to the Dog-Lord. The fiery-eyed dragon he was riding on was staring at her in a hungry sort of way, but he seemed to have it firmly under control. And he was leaning down, holding out one of his hands to her.
Yoshiko raised her own hand as she rushed toward him.
"Stop her! The demon's bewitched her!" her father shouted.
"YOSHIKO!" Strong hands grabbed Yoshiko's cloaked shoulders from behind. It was Samadu, trying to pull her back. "Yoshiko! Quickly, it isn't safe-"
"Let me go!" Yoshiko cried.
"Yoshiko-"
Yoshiko threw off her cloak, leaving it in Samadu's hands. Samadu threw it down and ran after her again, reaching for the girl and almost touching her-
The Dog-Lord growled more loudly this time. "Whelp," he whispered under his breath.
He pointed at the young man, and something long and glowing shot out from his hand like a whip. It smashed into Samadu, throwing him backwards to the ground with a pained howl.
Yoshiko was tempted to go back and see if he was seriously hurt, but she knew that it would be stupid. She ran to the Dog-Lord's side, and he swept her up onto the dragon's back in front of him. He hugged her tightly for a moment -- Yoshiko noticed that he wasn't wearing his spiked breastplate -- then glared down at the injured nobleman on the ground.
"Try to touch my wife again, boy," the Dog-Lord said in a low voice, but loudly enough that Samadu could hear, "and I'll rip you apart so fast, you won't have time to scream."
Samadu stared at the Dog-Lord in shock. Then he slowly looked to Yoshiko. "W-wife...?" he whispered.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. Then she looked away.
"Now go back, pup," the Dog-Lord said tightly. "You've upset her enough. Don't make me any angrier than I already am." He grabbed the reins with his free hand and snapped them over the dragon's long neck. It rumbled and began to rise again.
"Open fire!" one of the men shouted.
A hail of arrows arced over them as the dragon began to run into the sky again. Yoshiko gasped as the Dog-Lord quickly wrapped a cloak over her, even covering her head. Arrows bounced off it as if it were armor, and clattered uselessly to the ground.
Yoshiko stayed still until the sound of shouting faded, then shrugged off the cloak.
For a moment, the view made her dizzy. The clouds were swirling under them as the dragon climbed higher into the sky. And the towering trees and sprawling palace had dwindled away to almost nothing. A gust of wind blew more clouds under them, and Yoshiko's old home vanished. She looked away.
"Are you all right?" the Dog-Lord asked quietly.
"Yes," Yoshiko said, resting her head against his chest. She tried to keep her loneliness out of her voice. "I just wish... I wish it didn't have to be this way. I wish -- I'm not sorry I chose to come, but I wish... I hadn't had to part with them like I did."
The Dog-Lord slipped his free arm around her waist. "So do I," he said softly.
TO BE CONTINUED