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Windbloom

510 AD

Natsuki rode the great warhorse up the grassy hillside, enjoying the whip of the wind in her face and the thundering beat of her stallion's hooves. Reaching the top, she drew rein, bringing her mount to a dancing halt.

Overhead, the moon rode the cloudess sky, serene as a goddess againts the stars. Behind her, Windbloom. For a moment, Natsuki allowed herself to think about the century since Mashiro left them. Just as the alien witch had warned, she'd spent decades at war.

Then the queens consort's vision had told her it was time to leave. They'd been among the humans for a century, after all, and their failure to age was beginning to raise questions they had no intention of answering. They needed a haven where they'd be safe from their mortal charges.

So as Mashiro had taught them, the witches created magical doorways and brought the Magekind here. Here to this twin earth.

She'd been told it was located in something called the Suishouguu - the home of Mashiro, and the source of the Magekind's power. One could draw magic here as easily as drawing breath.

And the Magekind weren't the only ones doing so, either. Though this version of Earth was oddly empty of humans, there were plenty of magical creatures here - unicorns, dragons, etc.

Unfortunately, there were also the beasts the knights had named Slaves. Long-legged and reptilian, with a mouthful of huge teeth and entirely too much cunning, they resembled a cross between a wolf and a crocodile, with the personality to match. Packs of them roamed the forests, killing unicorns, griffins, and even dragons, if they could take one unawares. Natsuki, like the rest of the knights, had come to view killing them as a service to the rest of the planet's magical inhabitants.

She was almost bored enough to go Slave hunting now. But she'd have to be suicidal as well to take on a pack alone, so she paused, trying to decide wether to return to Windbloom.

Roooooarrrrr!

The sound rolled over the trees, deep and throaty, ringing with rage. It was answered by a dozen high-pitched barks Natsuki knew all too well.

A pack of Slaves had cornered something.

Frowning, she set her heels to her horse's ribs and sent the beast thundering down the hill toward the source of the combat. It wasn't hard to follow. Between those furious roars and the Slave's shrill baying, the noise was deafening. She rounded a stand of trees and drew rein in suprise.

As she'd thought, a pack of the vicious reptiles had cornered a victim, but it was not one Natsuki would ever have expected.

It was a dragon.

Blue scales shimmering in the moonlight, the great beast breathed a plume of glowing magic at the nearest of the Slaves. The monster fell back, yelping as it burned in magical fire. The dragon tried to move in for the kill, but two more of the Slaves darted forward to sink their crocodile teeth in its haunches. With a roar, the dragon reared, swiped at them, and tried to throw itself skyward. A ripped and bleeding left wing flopped, broken, and the dragon fell back to earth.

Natsuki winced in involuntary pity. Powerful as the dragon was, it wouldn't have a chance againts a pack of Slaves, especially maimed.

The Slaves - hunched, massive, covered in great armored plates - surged forward, howling. Blood flew as their teeth scored the dragon's gleaming hide.

Before she had time to think better of it, Natsuki drew her sword and dug her blunted spurs into her warhorse's side. Screaming its challenge, the well-trained stallion bounded into a full charge.

One of the Slaves saw them coming and tried to leap away, but Natsuki swung her blade in a furious overhand shop. The creature's head went flying.

Another Slave snapped at Natsuki's warhorse, but she twisted in her saddle and drove the bloody sword into its chest. The monster choked and tumbled backward, twitching in death.

The dragon's long tail caught another Slave in the ribs and batted it off into the dark like a child's ball. As the dragon struck at a forth with flashing teeth, Natsuki hacked a fifth in two.

Apperantly that was too much for the surviving Slaves. With a mass yowl, the survivors broke in all directions and fled.

Leaving Natsuki alone with the dragon.

Panting, bloody, the creature turned and looked down at her, plainly puzzled. Its head was the size of her entire body, and its handlike forepaws were tipped with claws the length of her belt knife.

It could swallow her in one bite.

Well, that was stupid, Natsuki realized. Like an idiot she'd gone and saved something that could eat her.

Spurring her stallion, she tried to rein aside as the dragon opened its great jaws.

Too late.

A tide of shimmering magic rolled over her. The horse reared with a scream of equine terror, and Natsuki cursed as magic burned across her skin.

The dragon hissed. Halfway through, the hiss became words. "...spell should translate our words for each other."

Natsuki's fear drained away into astonishment. Her jaw gaped as she stared up at the great beast studying her with such interest. Nobody told her dragons were intelligent.

She retained just enough wit not to say so, however. Clearing her throat, she managed, "Your spell worked."

"Good," the dragon said, examining her with lively interest. "My name is Nina. And it seems you just saved my life."

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