Whips cracked and bit into his already bleeding flesh. His knuckles were white as his hands gripped the iron chains that bound him. Every strike he gritted his teeth together. Why were they doing this to him? He could not answer. To be freed was all he desired.
“Enough!” the Commander shouted. He walked over to the tenderized piece of meat. “Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Did you not think I would find out, Captain?” his heavy Dridden voice inquired.
“I… didn’t… do… anything… Sir…!” Marin labored saying, each word stinging his lungs.
The big man punched Marin in the cheek, “Bullshit! Do not lie to me!”
“Since when… have I lied to you? I always followed your orders, I always did what you wanted, even if I disagreed with it!” tears rolled down his face. “You took me in, Sir, when no one wanted me. I love you like my father- you are my father.”
“I know!” the Commander held back his tears, “I know…son. That’s why it pangs me to see you like this.” The burly man knelt in front of his broken son and stared into his eyes, “If you didn’t do it, then who did?”
“Infinity…” Marin rasped before passing out.

Marin woke up to his skin being knitted by a healer. He groaned as he tried to move.
“Not yet, Sir, try not to move.” A familiar voice spoke.
“Seyra?!” he turned onto his back quickly to see the beautiful medic.
The woman chuckled, “You are lucky I was finished. Good morning, Captain.”
Marin pulled the blond woman to him and gave her a long kiss. Seyra was surprised but liked it. She slid her tongue into his mouth. He gladly accepted her tongue and let his play in her mouth. He rolled her onto the bed and got on top of her. Looking into her eyes, he saw the desire and hunger in her for him. Unzipping the front of her uniform unleashed her big, firm breast he so loved. She let loose a soft moan as he sucked on her hard nipples. He felt her hand on his stiff member slowly stroking it. He pulled down the rest of her white uniform down past her hips. Marin had to smile when he saw her lovely glistening pussy.
Seyra urged him on to lick her by pushing on his head. “It’s been too long, Marin!”
Hearing her plea made him further excited. Her hands pushed him deeper into her once he started licking her. She bucked her hips as he fingered her deeply and nibbled on her erect clit. Moans escaped her while she thrashed wildly on the bed. “Yes!”
He could feel and hear her tight cunt sucking on his fingers. He passionately kissed around her swollen lips.
“God! I need you in me so bad!” she moaned.
Slipping his fingers out of her, he positioned himself between her legs, lifting them up on his shoulders. He held her hips and drove his cock deep into her burning love hole. He had to groan at how tight she felt. The look in her immaculate blue eyes made him only love her more.
“Yes, Marin! Oh, I love you so much!” she cried.
He thrust deep and slowly into her. He held her close for a long kiss. Her legs wrapped around him, not wanting this moment to end.
“Fuck!” Marin exclaimed. An explosion shook the room.
Seyra moaned when he pulled out of her. Sadness filled her eyes.
Marin gave her a long kiss. “I’m sorry, honey.”
“It’s okay.” she lied and began getting dressed.
A second explosion wracked the room.
“What the hell is happening?” Marin opened the wooden door and saw fellow Dridden soldiers running down the halls. He stopped a Sergeant, “Report.”
“Sir, a dragon is attacking the castle!”
“Marin!” he heard Seyra’s voice echo.
*******
“Marin!” Kimi called to him.
He snapped out of his daze when he was tackled to the ground. The bronze dragon sank her claws into the red earth beside him.
“What the hell man?!” she shouted over a roar. He saw the concern in her eyes. “You’re no use to me dead!”
Marin gently pushed her aside, “Sorry. I don’t know what happened…” They ducked down when the bronze tail swung over their heads.
“Go kill that damn thing!” she ordered.
As he got to his feet, he saw Andrew throwing his fireballs at the dragon, which did nothing. Alexia and Candace fired their arrows at the dragon’s tough hide, which also did nothing. He went into action. With his sword in hand he charged up the dragon’s side, running the blade deep into its flesh. It swiped at him and he dodged, cutting off the dragon’s hand. For its final move, the dragon reared back, exposing its glowing heart which Marin pierced. A long roar echoed through the canyon and the beast finally collapsed on the ground.
“Nice work, Marin.” Andrew complimented and smacked his back.
“Hardly any work. That was just a baby.”
“A baby?!” Kimi asked hysterically, “What the fuck does an adult look like?!”
A loud crash sounded above them on the canyon ridge, a shadow loomed over them and blocked out the sun, momma came to her child’s rescue.
“You just had to ask.” Was the last remark Andrew made as they all ran into the sanctuary of the cave.

Marin fell to his knees, soaked in blood and perspiration. He breathed hard. “I… killed it… It’s dead.” He informed everyone in the cave.
The sun began setting down in the west. Nights in the desert got cold, fast. Andrew sat at the front of the wagon slightly dozing off. Kimi sat beside Marin with his head in her lap. She ran her fingers through his ash gray hair.
“Mmm… Seyra…” he mumbled softly in his sleep.
“Shh,” she hushed him, “sleep. You did a lot today. You saved us all.”
“But… I couldn’t save the one I loved… I couldn’t save you, Seyra- my darling wife.” he whispered. A tear rolled down his cheek.
Kimi sighed and covered his face with the mourning mask he always wore. The black mask hid his emotions and marital tattoo. She looked down at his blade with disgust. Looking out through the back opening, she saw the mouth of the canyon growing smaller as they climbed the Eillan Hills. A sad full moon illuminated the barren landscape, just three more days until they were out of this forsaken desert.
Candace grabbed hold of the reigns as Andrew slumped over in his slumber. She draped a cover over him. The four days of being in the desert burned red on his face.
********
Andrew relaxed as his body inched into the hot spring. The day’s troubles melted off him like the ice on his beard. Steam floated off him and he watched the brilliant stars in the heavens. After a long day of hunting, they finally killed the giant luestan that had eluded them for weeks. Its thick hide would warm him for years to come, since he dealt the finally blow, he got to keep the fur, tusks, and trunk of the beast. Right now, the master craftsman was fashioning a mighty spear for him out of a tusk; the second, third, and fourth tusk were to hold up his new home that will be protected by the brown hide of the beast.
Red Rock billowed with dark, ominous smoke. Every time the volcano stirred his heart stopped. One hundred year intervals are too short. The time for it to awaken drew near. For now, it coughed up its thick smoke—for now.
A slap on his shoulder made him turn away from the heavens and into the eyes of his younger brother, Tymmothy.
“How are you?” the younger huntsman asked.
“I feel as if I was dragged by an angry luestan.”
Tymmothy chuckled, “That is because you were.”
“Really? I thought it was your wife.” Andrew jeered.
“Fuck you!”
The two bothers sat in the hot springs with their lower bodies submerged. All through the night they talked about their childhood and parents. Almost a hundred years have passed since they died, burned alive by Red Rock’s viscous lava.
The Hedeli, the people of the Frozen Isles, age much slower than regular Humans and live far longer. It has been rumored that the Hedeli are not even Humans. Those rumors would be true.

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