Chapter 2: Serenity.

Sage was a man of effortless elegance who had only reached his thirtieth summer this year. He was built tall and lean, with a body moulded for fighting and for loving. His staff was in arm's reach as I ducked into his tent.

In the dim light of the tent, it was hard to tell where he hailed from. His skin reminded me of the topaz stones we had once 'found' in a guarded carriage on the way to the capitol, rich and warm while his eyes were a disconcerting gold-speckled green. High set cheek bones made his face sharp and severe, with a wide mouth that rarely smiled.

With a body and face like that, growing up as an abandoned child was never going to be happy story. He had told me freely about the woman that adopted him. Maybe, he had wanted to gain my trust by disclosing it, or he wanted to show me that there was no shame in sharing the darkness from my past.

His adoptive mother had been like Miss Pretty. He had been too beautiful to be just trained as a thug, so they showed him the ways of the courtesan while also training him ruthlessly as an assassin. He was the child trained to kill.

It made me sick when he told me, and I spent days afterwards thinking about what kind of person would pay for the services of a boy who had no choice in the life he lived. He was too young to have his innocence stripped so ruthlessly like that. They had thought him how to read and to write, how to ride a horse and wield a weapon but for everything that they taught him, the debt he owed to them grew larger.

For retaliating, they punished him. Only – it couldn't be lasting because that would damage the merchandise.

He never told us how he escaped – that memory was locked tight. Afterwards everything led to us. He turned his skill to the criminal trade of robbery and assassination where he was the boss. The Rainier band of thieves and assassins headed by the man everyone knew in the criminal underworld as The Sage, were feared, despised and for some, loved.

Everyone of us had our own stories but we had melded together into a misshapen machine that served our own ruthless purpose.

A half smile formed as he turned towards me. He was dressed impeccably as he always was in a thick woollen tunic of gold and emerald. Rings adorned his long fingers, but he still wore the rough, scuffed boots I had bought for him months ago in a market stall because I thought he would like them.

"Blue," He motioned with an elegant wave of his hand, his gold rings flashing in the candlelight. Grimacing, I sunk into the seat at the centre of his chair. He had a makeshift table – just a broken old thing he managed to haul around with him. Sage always exuded an air of pristine elegance, even sitting in a tent in the countryside with me.

I had earned a name for myself in Anene. Blue had morphed into Bluetail because of the tattoo on my arm but it was nothing compared to Sage's name which was whispered through the criminal underworld with fearful reverence.

Sage sat after I did. His days as a courtesan had never truly left him. He sat with a tilt to his body that to any man or woman would read to be inviting.

I pulled off my gloves as I reached for the candied dates that he always had on his little table. "Sage- I swear whatever my brothers said about my actions today were most likely completely true but I..."

"Blue," He raised a hand, and I fell silent immediately. With pursed lips, I cast a look over the tent. Everything about the camp was situated to protect Sage. My brothers and I kept him at our centre. He was our brain, our bones – he kept us upright and told us what to do. Without him we would be nothing. "Did I not give you a job?"

"You did." Gods this was his lecturing voice.

He looked over me, from the high collar of my tunic and down to where my sleeves had risen to expose long healed, white scars that contrasted to heavily against my tanned skin. His lips tightened as he spotted them. "I should be annoyed that you didn't follow my instructions, Blue but strangely, it worked for the better. Red's scouting trip noted another small band of men who bear the sigil of our great Lycan King."

My temper flashed with my rising grin. "Do we have contracts on them?"

"Your bloodlust is concerning, but no. We cannot afford to approach Adderlann and have the King's men directly on our tail. Especially when we don't know why they're here." Sage met my eye, his face stern and unrelenting.

"They could be hunting us!" My blood chilled. "Or Seren!"

Sage shook his head. "If these men wanted to capture a dragon, they would need far, far more men. Especially since Seren has grown so large."

"But what if they are, Sage? I say we deal with them before they get to us!" I said hotly, before adding to Seren. "Everything happens for a reasons. Lord Adderlann pales in comparison to these men. What if they're hunting you?"

"Everything happens for a reason? You cannot use that excuse every time you do something reckless." Seren sang. "You cannot excuse idiocy all the time."

"You agreed with me about not dealing with Adderlann today!"

"Have you ever tried flying into a mile-thick stone wall?" She asked sweetly.

"I cannot fly."

She went on as if I hadn't spoken. "I imagine it would be exactly like arguing with you when you have your mind set on something."

"I would admit that I am stubborn –"

"Mountains are stubborn. You are impossible."

"Oh hush. You think you sound wise because you're a dragon but in truth you are nothing but a fire-breathing lizard." I tried to focus back in on Sage, who by now, was well used to our antics. My brothers knew that Seren and I had somehow forged a mental bond so strong that I knew it could never be severed. It relayed her thoughts and emotions to me, like she was another page to my consciousness that I could just turn over and read.

Sage cocked a dark brow as a thundering snarl shook the camp. "It is never wise to antagonise a dragon. But, never mind that. We are moving camp tomorrow, away from the King's men and heading for Leishe."

"We should check that these men aren't here for Seren. We can't ignore the risk that Seren and I pose to your camp, Sage! I keep my ear to the rumour mill, just as you do. There is talk of a person who has been spotted on the back of a dragon. A dragon Rider for gods sake!"

"Enough!" He raised a jewelled hand. "You and Seren belong to this family. We took you when both of you were nothing but skin and bones. We trained you, kept you alive but you both also gave back to us tenfold. Every man out there would die for both of you. Know that"

I stared at him, shocked by the fervour of his outburst. He sat forward with his fingers pressed to his mouth, his eyes lowering to the table.

"You're worried." I said quietly.

Sage glanced up at me. "I am apprehensive. There has been movement around Anene. Our King has sent out soldiers to the border and they haven't returned. They're looking for something or someone. There has also been talk of the same border towns being ravaged and burned to the ground. These are dangerous times, Lilia."

Lilia.

Worry clogged my throat. It was a cold and familiar feeling that I always managed to just shove down. Sage always maintained a cool exterior – his ability to just remain calm in all situations was one reason why the underworld listened to him. He only ever confided in his most trusted, but even to see him worry meant it was serious.

"Emilio," I used his birth-name as I leaned forward to clasp a hand in both of mine. He flinched at the touch and the sound of his real name. "We have faced challenges before, haven't we? Whatever will unfold will be nothing compared to what we have faced before in life. Leishe is our base and we have each other and gods be damned if any one of our brothers lets something happen to another."

Sage – Emilio- gave me a blooming smile that made the dregs of my worry vanish. "In these moments, you seem to shed that fearsome reputation that has befallen you, Lilia. Who knew you could be so kind?"

"You're my brother." I said simply. "My brothers and Seren are the only ones to have earned my kindness."

"And I will not fail again." Grief cut deep and swift, sinking its claws into my throat as it rose to be expelled.

"I am here to make sure that doesn't happen again," Seren shared my grief. It always poured over into her and she bore the burden without complaint. Maybe she knew I couldn't do it alone- my back would have broken by now.

Sage drew away his hands. "I want you to ride into town in the morning. Find out the names of the soldiers and see what they look like. Do not engage with them. I just want to know who they are the perhaps our informants can shed some light."

"If you're worried, why don't you send one of the men?"

Sage scoffed. "I am not swaddling you, Blue. You are stronger and smarter than that. Besides, they are more likely to notice a man following them, than a woman."

"I will ride out before dawn and be back before even Beryl wakes." I stood, nabbing a few more candied dates.

"I doubt he ever sleeps." Unfolding himself, Sage stood. He watched me intently for a moment, smiling when I grumbled and left. Beryl's attention flickered to me as I approached.

"I bet Sage wasn't even angry with you."

Grinning, I sat down beside him and stretched out my legs. "You would win that bet, Beryl."

Beryl handed me a leg of rabbit gingerly, while Ash plopped down on the other side of me. "Sage always scolds me. Why does Blue get away with everything?"

"Because I batter my beautiful lashes and men just fall at my feet." I bit into my rabbit leg, my grin widening as Ash's face twisted into a grimace at the sight of the juices dripping down my chin.

"What lies are you spilling now?" Our attention snapped up simultaneously when another figure stumbled from the tent, blearily rubbing at his eyes. Red's tunic was skewed and his feet were bare as he sat down opposite us with a roaring yawn.

Red was the name given to him for his blazing cheeks and his short temper and that once, he had flaming hair before he sheared it all off.

"Red," I grinned at him.

"Blue." He snorted, casting me a look from beneath his light brows. "Did you get in trouble again?"

"When isn't Blue in trouble?" Ash muttered good-naturedly.

Red glanced towards him, before grinning wide to reveal a mouth full of blocky teeth, including the black gap where one tooth had been torn out by a vicious punch. He held out his hand and I smacked it, the sound ringing over the groan that emanated from Beryl.

"Children..."

"Eh? Don't call me a child, old man!" Red perked instantly, his temper flaring.

"Old man? Would you like to give you a black eye again?" Beryl replied calmly, reaching for his staff. "I may be old, but I am still quicker than you."

Glowering, Red touched the bump in his nose. "Keep your eyes open, old man. "

Seren slunk around the tents noiselessly. A tough muscled tail was held stiff behind her, trying not to upend the tents. Already her warmth wafted towards us, along with the curls of smoke that trickled from her maw.

"Don't mind me, boys," Seren's tough lids cracked open. "I'm napping here tonight."

"I am not a boy. I am a man." Ash grumbled.

"Again, children." Beryl sighed. He reached into his buckskin pack, withdrawing his lute and a small flask of whiskey. He handed me the flask first before strumming a few notes that echoed over the crackling fire. "I heard a song in Rander the other day. Would you like to hear it?"

"You're going to sing it anyway," Ash pointed out, as Red said, "Everything in Rander is shite. This song is going to be shite too."

"Oh hush," I handed the flask to Red after I took a long drink, shuddering at the burning taste. "Never say no to one of Beryl's songs."

The older man smiled. "Thank you, Blue."

The other two just rolled their eyes as Beryl began his warbling. Sage's head popped out from his tent curiously and Seren's eyes closed contentedly at the music. Rising, I nabbed one of Ash's hands and then Red's to hoist them into a dance with me. Giving a bellowing laugh, I was swept into a dizzying circle by Red.

My head tipped back, my heavy hair swinging as I laughed over the sound of Beryl's music. Seren's hum filled the night and even Sage emerged fully and lent his soft voice to the music.

Still, Seren kept a slitted eye on the darkened horizon protectively.

∦

Later that night, I stumbled over to sit beside Seren. The gentle swell of her chest seemed to call out to me, inviting me to warmth like a moth to flame. She didn't flinch as I careened against her, snuggling tight into her shoulder and drawing my knees tight to my chest.

"You're drunk." She didn't look away from the land shrouded in dark.

Her eyes were glittering gems of solid blue- the kind of shifting colour that I imagined the sea to look like. They were solemn tonight and devoid of mischief. Above the sky had become dull as clouds pulled tight over the blazing stars and the moon that she and I loved watching so much.

"Do not puke on me. I will never rid the smell from my scales."

I snorted. "Yes, you would, you vain lizard."

Her chest rumbled in a short snarl, her fangs peeking out wickedly. I smiled gently, knotting my fingers together as the peace of night enveloped us. Distantly, the lights of Rander flickered and I wondered if it would be another town that caught fire because of an ignorant torch curfew.

Beyond that, the land rolled and dipped for miles. Seren tried to sleep during the day and was content to hunt and watch over us during the night. When we got further into the wilderness, she spent the days by my side, or I was on her back in the skies. I took issue with the thought that someone might spot and hunt her, but she wondered how anyone could catch a dragon.

"We've been together for five years." My cheek was pressed against her scales, hard like armour and a coloured a deep, beautiful blue.

"Five long years." Seren sighed.

"We've had our share of adventures, haven't we?" I mused.

"We've had a share of me saving you from your own recklessness." A muscled tail swept up and around me.

I smiled. "I love you too, Seren."

She just snorted, sending a plume of smoke up into the cloudy sky.

∦

'Don't cry, little girl' Low and amused, the voice broke over the sounds of my sobbing. Air hitched in my throat as I bent over the broken body of my mother, glaring up at the armoured man who looked down at me.

"You killed her!" A sob broke again, my body shuddering as he released something in his hand and let it swing. My eyes riveted on the three-pronged whip swinging beside him, the chain clenched tight in a gloved fist.

"That I did." He stepped towards me. "But don't worry – you're going to join her."

He swung and as it struck, the memory of the agony of that blow woke me up. I jack-knifed on my bed-roll, my chest heaving and my hands shaking as I brought them over my face. I tugged at the neck of my tunic, pressing the pads of my fingers against the raised scarring that tore through my neck, down my right arm and the side of chest.

It was just a dream. An old and terrible one, but I had become desensitised to it over the years. It was the same old story – my mother had been too kind for her own good. Lady Merek wouldn't abandon a village being plundered by a band of particularly violent raiders. She was a fighter, but that man had been too much for her and he butchered her. And me for that matter, but I had a rattle of breath in my lungs when the survivors found me.

The cold air of pre-dawn greeted me as I left the confines of my tent. It was crisp enough to fill my lungs and expel the dregs of my bad dream. A figure sat by the dead fire, barely glancing up as I walked towards him.

Grey was a shadow in our camp, flitting through with a soft smile or short word. When his face turned towards me, I caught sight of his face.

His face was always an assortment of bruises. The newest one had turned his cheek and eye an ugly deep purple. He was the tinkerer of our group; his deft fingers were quicker than the rest to pick a lock, to gather ingredients that would make explosions for distractions or tearing through gates. While Red was the angry one, Grey's anger stirred deeper for the wrongs he had suffered in his life and couldn't get rid of.

I ruffled his dark hair as he handed me a slip of parchment "Sage's orders. He wants you back before the afternoon, Blue."

"No breakfast?"

Grey shook his head. Soft, light blue eyes rose to meet mine, a wry smile curling his lips. I loved it when Grey smiled- he tended to slip too much into his own mind, to think about things he couldn't ever change. "Beryl will make you something when you return."

Grey dodged when I went to nip the point of his ears. Grey was a half-blood Elf, abandoned as a child for being too sickly. No one would think that now- his adoptive father had worked him to the bone, and he had shot up into a beast of a man.

"You never joined us last night." I said softly.

"I was thinking." Grey looked away. "I like thinking when its night-time."

"You can talk to us you know. To me," I urged. "If there is something bothering you..."

"-Not all of us have a dragon whose basically your soul-mate." Grey stood, the old anger stirring.

I frowned. "Are you jealous of Seren and I?"

I had to crane my neck to look at him. Grey's eyes were a glittering blue, his sharp face severe. Something lately must have unravelled him – he never got angry around us. He always sought a fight somewhere else. "Of course, I am, Blue! I want to be able to sail through the skies and have someone who understands me completely."

"Seren would bring you flying!"

Grey scoffed. "Seren is yours! And you are hers. I want –"He let out a frustrated snarl, like an animal bursting through the confines of his flesh. "I want to feel what you feel with Seren with my own dragon. I feel like I'm made for something more. I love you all, but I feel like I am stuck and I am missing something."

I lay a hand on his arm, feeling the steel of his muscles. "Eric..."

"No." He stepped back, trying to push down his anger. "This isn't a situation where you use my birth-name. I will see you later, Blue. Seren left earlier to go hunting."

And then, just like that, Grey's anger was gone, and he motioned to my dress. "That's a nice dress."

"A girl can like a nice dress and fight." I saddled Storm with a sniff. "I will see you later Grey. And don't think that this conversation is over."

I kicked my heels into Storm's side and she kicked off, her hooves kicking into the ground. I felt like I shouldn't have left Grey there to stew but we had weeks on the open road and I could prod him relentlessly. I wished sometimes that we found another dragon hatchling that Grey could claim as his own, but would a bond even root like it had between Seren and I? Could Grey's problems even be solved by having a dragon as a companion? A soul-mate?

Sage's parchment was tucked into my breast pocket and my cloak streamed out behind me as Storm ran. When she slowed, my cheeks were flushed, and she was breathing heavily. I let her walk at her own pace, drawing my thick hair back into a binder with my fingers.

The gates were absent of guards when I approached, so I left Storm by the tying-wall with a quick glance towards the young chubby faced boy guarding the horses who had been left there.

Impressive horses. Gleaming coats – strong legs. Horses built for endurance. The King's emblem was sown into the corner of the saddle.

"Who owns these horses?" I asked, glancing down at the boy.

"King's soldiers." The boy sank into the wall. "Came last night. Didn't bother to rent a stable stall."

"So, they're leaving quickly?" I mused. I tossed the boy a generous helping of coins. I had learned quickly that it was always useful to have the invisible ones on your side. "Make sure nothing happens to my horse."

I sunk into the morning crowd of the town. Where would I hide if I were the King's men? That was a stupid question. They weren't trying to hide. I followed the crowds to the market and no one glanced twice at the woman weaving her way through the crowd, with her collar buttoned up to her chin. No one could notice the scars – they were too obvious and would draw attention.

When we got to Leishe, I wouldn't have to hide them as much. While Sage presided over us, the Rainier band of thieves were far reaching and deadly. We were the main core, but Leishe was where we made our home. My room there was overburdened with the clothes I loved, jewellery I had purchased from my earnings and even Seren had been built a room where she could stay hidden and comfortable during our stay.

I looked up absently as a man passed me by swiftly. His face was visible for only a moment – young, defined and familiar. Dark blue eyes – dark blonde hair.

I stopped in the crowd, my heart thudding violently in my chest.

"Luca?"

∦

Comment and vote if you so wish. What do you think of this new version, and how Azure's name has been changed. I think Seren suits her more because of the effect she has on Lilia's life.

Until next time - Saoigreen.