Breathing Fire (Drakonian Chronicles Book 1) Read online

  Ladon just shook his head and shrugged. Leaning back in his seat, he closed his eyes to try and catch an hour or two of sleep before they landed. Maybe he would be in a better mood after a nap.

  12

  The air was balmy when the trio stepped off the plane. They had landed on the small private airstrip that Ladon had built when he bought Wakahisa Island. The island itself was quite small, barely three miles long by two miles wide. On the east end, a single mountain rose to the sky. The side facing the rest of the island slopped gently down into a lush forest. The side of the mountain facing the sea was a sheer cliff that looked as if god had cut the island from another piece of land. No person had lived on the island for generations, which was why people questioned what a wealthy man would want with such a primitive place. Ladon had convinced them that he was wanting to build a secluded vacation home on the island, which seemed to satisfy them enough to complete the transaction.

  If it had just been Ladon and Ryuu, they would have simply transformed once their plane had left for the mainland and flown up to the entrance of the library that was hidden on the cliff side of Wakahisa Mountain. But with Alexis in tow they were going to have to hike and climb to get to the dragon library.

  Ladon wondered if the trek would be too physically demanding for Alexis, since many parts required someone who was an experienced rock climber to scale. He needn’t have worried. Alexis seemed to blossom under the adverse conditions. Her cheeks glowed from the physical activity, making her even more beautiful. She did this little jig every time she made it through a particularly difficult area. Her smile rivaled the sun.

  It was during one of those moments when Ladon watched her joy at completing a task that he had the sudden revelation of just how much she had lost in the last few years. She was meant to be exploring the wilds, not locked up in some office. He knew that the blame for her downfall could be laid at his feet. He may not have the specifics of what happened, but he did enough digging to hear the rumors about her “mental breakdown” where she hallucinated about dragons, aliens and statues that weren’t there. She actually saw a dragon…him, and he was an alien. She wasn’t hallucinating. Of course, relating her experience to others who weren’t there sounded like fantasy.

  If nothing else, Ladon wanted to make right the things that had gone wrong in Alexis Carmichael’s life because of him. That thought startled him. He wasn’t known for being too concerned with others. Ryuu was the closest thing he had to a friend, and that relationship worked only because the other dragon was as solitary and self-sufficient as Ladon. But even with the thought being out of character for Ladon, he was strangely comfortable with it. He wanted to make Alexis’s life better, even if it meant sacrifices in his own.

  Ladon continued staring up at Alexis during this earth-shattering revelation until Ryuu elbowed him with a pointed look. The black dragon passed the red one to stand beside Alexis at the summit. Ladon seriously considered pushing his friend off the cliff. After all, it wouldn’t kill him, the bastard could fly.

  13

  The sun was setting when the trio finally could rappel down the cliff to the hidden opening of the library. Ladon drew Alexis off to one side, away from Ryuu. This may be Ryuu’s library, but Ladon found he wanted to show Alexis its wonders himself.

  As the evening sun reached the horizon, it was at the perfect level to reach the first in a series of mirrors strategically placed around the interior. For a few minutes, the entire library was revealed in a blaze of golden light.

  Alexis gasped at the sheer enormity of the structure within. It seemed to take up the entire mountain.

  Ladon laid his hands on Alexis’s shoulders and leaned in to whisper in her ear. “In ancient times that flash of light was the indication to the handmaidens within to activate the nano machines to illuminate the various crystals that provided evening light.” Ladon pointed at a carved crystal near the entrance. “These are sun stones that would glow to light the interior. A similar idea to your light bulb, I believe. They didn’t want to use torches or oil lamps here. Too many of the manuscripts were made of fragile paper and vellum; many were one-of-a-kind works of art. The dragons had enough worries that the young dragons would lose control of their element and do damage. They certainly wanted to keep the number of flames to a minimum. So the library is filled with crystals infused with bioluminescent nano machines.” He chuckled.

  Alexis couldn’t help it; she smiled. In her mind’s eye, she could see rambunctious young men with what seemed like magical powers running amok.

  “Needless to say, the handmaidens had their hands full,” Ryuu joined the pair. “Unfortunately without the handmaidens, the energy in these crystals has long since faded.” The black dragon went to an alcove where he and Ladon had stashed electric lanterns and some flashlights. “Ladon says that a small crew will be here to wire some lights through the complex. Until then, we will use these. We did put lights and a generator in a couple of the sleeping quarters on the level above this one. Let’s go get settled in and get some sleep so we can start in the morning.”

  Alexis was about to protest that she wanted to get started right away and that sleep could wait. But when she opened her mouth, a yawn slipped out and she had to concede that perhaps she was more tired than she thought.

  *****

  Everywhere they turned made Alexis more and more excited for the project. The library had been literally carved from the mountain. Ryuu pointed out great works of art as they passed pillars and walls. He explained how the original dragons had used the various elemental nano machines to help create the maze of tunnels, and as the generations passed, new dragons continued the construction until the entire mountain was one giant facility of knowledge.

  Both Ryuu and Ladon described how dragons would travel from all over the universe to deposit what they had learned here. Ryuu talked of the numerous scholars and royalty that had requested information from the dragon library. He talked about the cherished handmaidens who maintained this place as well as the monastery that once house hundreds of human monk scholars.

  Alexis gleaned from their conversations that dragons were often worshipped as deities, which only made sense considering their long lifespans and transformative abilities. They spoke of many positive things that occurred in their shared past. In fact, many of the various mythologies could trace their roots to the Drako presence. However, Alexis knew that there was never light without shadow. Nostalgia painted the past with rose-colored glasses; even humans did that. After all, how many people wished to ‘live in simpler times’? It made Alexis wonder if the answers to what happened to the dragons lay more in the shadows of history rather than its glory.

  She made a mental note to see what she could find about dragon conflicts, but first she needed something clarified.

  “Both you and Ladon have referenced these nano machines as the source of many of your magical-seeming abilities. In my world, that refers to a tiny machine.”

  Ladon spoke up, “It is the same for us in a way.”

  Alexis raised a questioning brow and waited for Ladon to continue.

  “Our nano machines are created at almost the atomic level. Over the course of our world’s history they developed a symbiotic relationship with our people.”

  Ryuu interrupted, “Our early history was lost, so no one really knows where the nano machines came from. They were obviously something created by someone, but since they are self-replicating and mostly self-sustaining, they act almost like living creatures. We do not know how to create them any longer. They just are, so to speak.”

  “If you can’t create them then how do you get them?”

  “Every person on Drako has nano machines within their body. The strength and capability of the machines correlates to the strength of the individual. We can send some of the machines out for a brief time, which allows us to glean knowledge and analyze people and things around us, but if those machines do not return to us after a certain time they shut down, essentially b
ecoming inert dust,” Ladon continued.

  “Fascinating…I assume that the nano machines have something to do with your longevity?”

  “Yes, they help repair vital cells and speed recovery after injury.”

  “If I was a biologist or an engineer I would love to get my hands on you.”

  Ryuu shrugged, “At your present level of technology, your scientists wouldn’t find the nano machines. You are just barely delving into the world at the atomic level. Our DNA wouldn’t even raise too many questions. The warriors stationed here interbred with many of the local inhabitants, so while certain traits may seem rare, they will still be present in population at large.”

  “I suppose that is where the myth of shapeshifters in many cultures came from.”

  “That I can’t say.” Ryuu looked thoughtful. “As far as I know, only a pureblood Drako has been able to shift. Can you shift, Alexis?”

  Alexis took a step back, eyes wide, “Why on earth would you ask me that?”

  Alexis’s eyes darted back and forth between the two men. Ladon had suddenly become interested in the carved column next to him.

  “Ladon, what did you tell Ryuu?” Alexis’s eyes narrowed

  14

  Ladon watched Alexis as she pulled on a pair of soft white gloves. Carefully, she reached into a stack of papyrus to extract a scroll. She worked nonstop for going on ten hours. Ladon had only been able to pull her away long enough to scarf down a sandwich a few hours ago.

  She had handled the discovery of having an alien ancestor surprisingly well. But Ladon was learning that nothing should surprise him about Alexis Carmichael.

  Ryuu had gone off to another level of the library, leaving Alexis to sort through numerous clay barrels filled with Greek and Egyptian text. It seemed that at least for a time after Ryuu had fallen into stasis that the library continued to be used. The entire room Alexis was sorting through was deposited after his slumber, according to Ryuu.

  Ladon was very aware of the fact that he was finally alone with the woman who had haunted his thoughts and dreams for the past five years. He couldn’t help but stare at her. She fascinated him, and he was highly annoyed that he did not appear to have the same effect on her. She had gone about her business without a single glance in his direction.

  This couldn’t go on any longer or he was going to go mad.

  *****

  Alexis translated the same line of hieroglyphs at least six times. The hair on the back on her neck stood up and she knew that he was staring at her once again. It was disconcerting how she seemed to know exactly where in the room Ladon was. She really wished he would go somewhere else so she could do her job.

  The silent watching was irritating her last nerve.

  “I would think that a race advanced enough would have at least had some sort of computerized cataloging system for this….” Alexis waved a hand in the general direction of the piles of scrolls.

  She saw Ladon lip curl slightly in an upward direction. “You would have to ask Ryuu about that. He’s the scholar. I was just a soldier stationed here.”

  “A soldier?” Alexis questioned.

  Ladon straightened from the pillar he had reclined against. His eyes fixed on Alexis and he stalked forward. Alexis had the fleeting thought that he reminded her of the great jungle cats that had stalked her dig when she was an intern in the Amazon.

  “To be precise, I was a hunter.” Ladon advanced on Alexis as she unconsciously retreated until her back was against a wall. “And know this, Ms. Carmichael…my prey never eluded me for long. I always got my prize.”

  Alexis cleared her throat. “And what exactly did you hunt?”

  “Every race has its fair share of a criminal element.” Ladon shrugged. “With our physical strength and technology, we could not let them run amok, especially among less developed races.”

  Alexis put the papyrus she was working on aside and propped her chin up with one hand. She studied Ladon for a moment. If she hadn’t seen him shift into a dragon for herself, she would have believed he was just a very handsome human male. It would have been easy for any of his species to blend in and take advantage of ancient Earth societies.

  “Why did your people come here?”

  “That is a rather complicated question.” Ladon ran a hand through his short hair, causing it to stand up in disheveled spikes.

  “I’ve got time.”

  Ladon hooked the toe of his boot on the leg of a nearby stool and pulled it closer. He sat down and absently traced the pattern on the leather binding of a Greek scroll in front of him. “The people of Drakos were natural-born explorers. I suppose that is a side effect of the freedom of flight. You always want to see what it beyond the next horizon. This wanderlust naturally extended to the stars. We befriended many advanced species and studied a few not so advanced.”

  “So Earth was a science experiment?”

  Ladon laughed, “Actually it was more of a vacation resort. Earth’s solar system was basically the midway point between the known universes of my time. So, the Drakos council decided to create a way station here. Surprisingly, it was discovered that we were genetically compatible with the native population, so we took an active role in the development of your society.”

  Alexis straightened up, stretching a back made stiff from sitting on backless stools. “I always wondered why every single culture, no matter how primitive or advance, had dragons in their mythology. I never did buy the idea of it being a genetic memory from our early evolution days when we were snack food for predators.”

  “We colonized this planet after you had reached the homo sapien level of evolution.”

  Alexis reached across the table and laid her hand over Ladon’s. The contact felt like an electrical current shot up her arm. She was about to ask him if he felt it too when he pulled his hand free from hers and stood up.

  As Ladon walked through the chamber door, he casually tossed over his shoulder, “I’ll let you get back to work. I know you have a lot to do.”

  She did have a lot to get done. But having Ladon retreat while informing her of the fact hurt, and Alexis wasn’t prepared to examine why just yet.

  *****

  Damn the man! Alexis tossed and turned, but it was no use. She couldn’t sleep. She punched her pillow, briefly wishing it was Ladon’s face. She groaned and buried her face in her pillow. She didn’t understand him. He abandoned her and ruined her career then waltzed back into her life like nothing happened again. He ran hot and cold. Sometimes she got the feeling that he had thought about her as much over the years as she thought about him, but then he would shove her away like he hated her.

  God, if it wasn’t for the fact that this was the opportunity of the lifetime for a scholar, even if she couldn’t publish her findings, she would just walk away. She sure didn’t need the stress of dealing with a surly-assed dragon. But she couldn’t fool herself…she may not need him, but she wanted him. She had never reacted to a man on such a visceral level, like she did with Ladon.

  Alexis flopped on her back. Ryuu had put her into a room that had a window that overlooked the sea. The salty breeze was cooling on her fevered skin. She turned her head to stare out at the clear, starry sky. She found constellations and recalled the myths surrounding them. She used to do that as a child when she felt overwhelmed by life. She and her father used to lay out in an open field in the bed of his truck and star gaze. It was just a hobby for a working man who barely finished high school, but those stories and the bright twinkling stars were where her love of the past first developed. So even after she had lost him to an accident at the drilling site when she had been a teen, Alexis still took comfort in stars and stories.

  She rolled over, hugging her pillow as she watched the night sky. The moon was bright and full tonight. With a groan, she crawled out of bed. She wasn’t going to get any sleep tonight so she might as well get up. She walked to the window and looked out over the vast sea. It made her feel small and insignificant, which in her prese
nt state just made her feel depressed.

  She was meditating on the moon’s reflection sparkling on the waves of the sea when a shadow passed across the sky. Alexis looked up to see a huge winged creature cross the moon’s light. A dragon…Ryuu or Ladon must be out flying.

  She rested her chin on her hands and watched. Despite the monstrous size, the dragon was graceful in flight. It turned and dived, skimming across the ocean waves, only to suddenly shoot into the sky with a slight adjustment of wing. It was a beautiful dance and she was the first human to see it in thousands of years.

  That alone was worth the trip.

  15

  It had been two weeks, and the only one making discoveries was Alexis. She had always wondered why dragons were the only mythological creature to appear in every culture on Earth. Her colleagues argued that dragons were a genetic memory that mashed together numerous predatory features from when their ancestors were still hunted as prey. Alexis discovered that there had been numerous dragon settlements like the one she dug up in Wales all over the world. She wasn’t the first archeologist to discover these places either.

  “Did you know that King Tut’s tomb was actually a dragon’s home like yours Ladon?” Alexis didn’t even look up from the manuscript she was examining when she spoke.

  “Actually I did. Apep was a friend of mine. I used to visit there often.”

  “Apep? The Egyptian god of chaos?”

  Ladon became quiet and laid down the scroll he was examining. Alexis looked up at him. He was staring off in the distance with such a lonely look that it made her heart ache.

  “Did something happen to him?”

  “It is an old tale…a tale the seems to play out too often in the life of a dragon.”

  Alexis carefully rolled the old papyrus and set it aside. She cocked her head and waited.