Okay, MAJOR IMPORTANT READY-THINGY! Chapters will be slowing down to maybe one a week, hear? Because school starts tomorrow, thus causing my spare time to self-destruct. And since I also have a job, role-play, and take art classes, you'll understand if this ends up on the back burner for a little while. HOWEVER! I am NOT waiting till next summer to finish this, like I did last year. The story will go on. And trust me, I have a lot more to go.
Please see introduction for disclaimer regarding this work.
Chapter Thirty Six
Male Posturing
Darnik stepped out onto the deck, the sun hitting him like a physical blow. He stood blinking, his eyes feeling as though they were going to blister. At last, he managed to adjust and see his surroundings as more than a blur of blinding light. The deck was mainly unoccupied, except for the soldiers stationed at intervals along the railing. They ignored his presence, focused on watching the surrounding desert for any threat. The same scene repeated itself on the other two sandfliers cruising in their vehicle's wake. At the far side of the deck stood Ryu, still in conversation with Won-Qu and A-Tun. The way the strange creatures deferred to the blue-haired dragon was an unnerving reminder of the powers dragons were said to control. The windian caught a bit of their conversation; the name Fou-Lu was mentioned more than once.
All three turned to look at him as he walked to stand confrontationally in front of Ryu. Dragon or not, no one messed with his cousin. "Ryu, can I have a word with you?"
The dragon regarded him a moment with his unnaturally blue eyes before nodding. "Alright. What is it."
"Could you send them away first?" He eyed the massive creatures uneasily, remembering the carnage they had produced upon arrival. Ryu obliged without protest or suspicion, sending the animals below deck. His confidence bolstered by their departure, Darnik continued more sharply. "What game are you playing with my cousin, dragon?"
The dragon blinked behind the fringe of his vivid blue hair, surprised. "None that I was aware of."
"What do you want to call it, then?" Darnik snapped, aggravated by the dragon's serene attitude. "Nobody messes with my cousin! You've hurt her, you bastard! Do you like trampling little girl's hearts?"
He was fairly certain he saw the dragon wince before glancing away. Ryu explained softly, his eyes lowered, "I don't want to hurt her…that's why this can't go any farther. I'm expecting an encounter in the next few months that I'm not sure I'll survive…and I won't leave Nina a widow."
The explanation made Darnik lose some of his confrontational attitude. He frowned, reasoning, "The emperor…you don't expect to live through meeting him. What, he's going to kill you for bringing his wife home?" Or perhaps his earlier musings about the god-emperor being displeased by the added competition of another god had not been so far off.
Ryu shook his head, smiling wryly. "It's more complicated than that."
"Well, if you change your mind, you and Elena could have a double wedding." Ryu shuddered slightly. Seeing as the dragon wasn't going to be anymore forthcoming, Darnik demanded, "Tell me this…do you love her?" If not, he intended to get downright violent. No overgrown lizard was going to tell him his cousin wasn't "good" enough for him.
"Yes," the dragon replied without hesitation. The sincerity in his voice was unmistakable. "Of course I do."
Somewhat mollified but still protective of his cousin's heart, Darnik threatened, "You better, or I'll beat the hell out of you."
"I don't think you could, honestly," Ryu stated seriously, clearly unconcerned by the possibility. Darnik knew he couldn't seriously do so, as well. He'd been an incompetent fighter next to Yahla, who hadn't even used her powers. Ryu would probably wipe the floor with him without breaking a sweat.
"I'll settle for doing it by proxy," the windian retaliated grimly, trying to keep a smile from twitching loose. "I'll wait for Yahla to get better, then tell her you said her husband was gay."
Ryu laughed. "I'll keep that in mind." There was a pause as both males contemplated the response the dragoness would have to such a statement. "What's she like?"
Darnik raised an eyebrow, an expression he suspected he had picked up from Yahla somewhere along the line. "Who, Her Divinity?"
"Yeah," confirmed the blue-haired youth, his curiosity clear in his eyes. Darnik could understand that…he had, after all, asked Nina similar questions about Ryu.
Darnik shrugged and gave a brief overview of the dragoness. "Kind of snippy, sort of sarcastic. Doesn't let you know what she's feeling or thinking. Mysterious and secretive. Likes to stir things up. Unashamed and could use a few more scruples. Endearingly arrogant. You know the drill. Pretty much about the opposite of my coz." Nina was talkative and kind, never one to joke at another's expense. She was modest and somewhat shy and perhaps a little too demure for her own good. Yahla was none of that. She was only spoke when she had something meaningful to say and was perfectly willing to smack people around to get her way.
"Somehow I'm not surprised," Ryu mused, rousing the windian's curiosity. He disregarded it in order to continue his description.
"Still, they're both great people. When I first learned what Yahla was…well, it scared the crap out of me." He still wasn't quite sure what to make of it. "But by now, I'd die for either one of them. So don't you hurt Yahla, either."
Ryu sighed and murmured, "Somehow, I think someone's going to get hurt no matter what I do."
What does he mean by that? "Then I'll be beating your ass either way, dragon boy," the mortal replied tauntingly, grinning as the dragon replied in like.
Ryu smiled mischievously, responding, "You're on, birdbrain."
"Birdbrain, huh?" he retorted, enjoying himself. "At least my hair isn't blue!"
"What's wrong with blue?" the dragon demanded mock-angrily, running a hand through his spiky mane.
"Dude!" the windian exclaimed dramatically, "It's blue! It's weird! And all those spikes make you look like you electrocuted yourself as a kid!"
The dragon countered jibingly, "So says the vasectomy poster-child. You look like you're wearing an albino muskrat." He added after a contemplative pause, "A dead, albino muskrat."
Admittedly, the weeks in the desert spent soaking in his own sweat hadn't helped his hair any. "Hey! Do know how long it's been since I've had a bath?!"
"I can smell pretty well from over here, actually," Ryu commented nonchalantly, grinning as the mortal huffed at him.
"Bastard! Moron!" Actually, this was a lot of fun. He hadn't had an insult contest in years, since that last one that had ended so disastrously. His parents had babbled something about maintaining the family reputation and grounded him for a year.
The godling tsked reproachfully, "You shouldn't insult other people's mothers after what yours did!"
Damn…I think he's winning…"Parasitic pond scum!" he riposted, trying to gain ground through originality.
The dragon's repartee was more original than his was, unfortunately. "Cranio-rectally inverted idiot!" Darnik made a note to remember that particular insult. It was certainly an elegant way to call someone a butthead.
"Incompetent sheepsucker!" He rallied for a second, but was once again defeated by Ryu's comeback.
"We can't all be as good at it as you!" Ryu shrugged dismissively.
"Nardless imbecile!" A bead of sweat ran down into Darnik's eye and he rubbed it away with the back of his hand. His opponent wasn't showing any signs of discomfort at all. Stupid fire dragon…he has an unfair advantage!
"When did you first have your epiphany of stupid?" the dragon asked quizzically, raising his eyebrows mockingly at the windian.
Darnik retorted forcefully, "Met you!"
They both turned at a noise behind them, to see Princess Nina standing on deck, staring at the two grinning males, who blinked innocently back at her. She shook her head and turned to go back down the stairs. "Boys are weird."
