The Time Tournament (Order of the Dragon #1)

CHAPTER 29

Killian

“Mother, why did you accept Father as your betrothed?”

“I tried to run away, my son. I truly did. But my heart always led me back to him.”

“But you knew marrying him meant becoming a Sacred Goddess. Weren’t you afraid of dying?”

“I was. Then I realized I’d rather spend a day in the hands of the man I loved and die, than none at all.”

August 1430

T he little human finally listened and sat down, but at a greater distance than usual. This was odd, given the number of times we had sparred in close physical contact without any issues. Her cheeks were flushed, which wasn’t surprising considering the August heat. However, her avoiding my eyes was unexpected. Before, she would glare defensively every time I spoke to her, but now she intentionally looked the other way.

Deep in her thoughts, she didn’t notice my gaze on her. Truth be told, it was the first time I actually saw her. Until now, she had been just a nuisance my father placed on a predestined pedestal. But now... something was different. What had changed between us?

The scenery played its part—the greenery, the rays of light, the lake’s gentle waves. Somehow, she blended well with it all. She seemed almost like a creature of the forest, melding effortlessly with the surroundings––like a nymph. I wasn’t sure how mortals cared for themselves in such places. Then again, she was a time traveler.

“Did you live in the woods before?” I asked.

“I did. I lived in these woods for a year after I time-traveled. Even though I don’t recognize them now, I knew them well back then.”

“That explains it.”

“What?” She looked into my eyes and quickly withdrew. I wanted to tease her even more.

“How you fit just right into the scenery,” I said, searching for her gaze.

“I do?” She smiled shyly but kept her eyes pinned to the ground. Where was the defiant dragon rider I knew from before ?

“I have a question,” she said. “You don’t remember anything from last night?”

A realization struck me. “Did you follow my order to keep your distance? Did I still harm you?” I asked. Was that why she was acting so strangely?

“Yes, I followed your order. I only returned when you calmed down and were sound asleep.” She bit her lip.

“Then what did I do?”

“It’s not so much what you did, but what you said.”

“What did I say?”

She stayed silent but still couldn’t come up with an answer.

“Whatever it was, it’s best to forget it. It wasn’t me talking—it was the poison.”

“And none of it could have come from you?”

Was she worried I didn’t respect her as a rider because she was human? Was this about the Time Tournament? “Anything I said that made you doubt your commander, consider it annulled. You’ve been a rider in my Fire Legion for almost a year. You’ve earned my respect and trust as a rider. Hence, you have my full approval to compete in the tournament even as a human.”

Her shoulders relaxed, but a shadow of sadness lingered in her eyes.

“Now that that’s settled, are you ready for a swim?” I asked. “I want to take a dip unless you want to go first.”

“I’m not sure,” she said, but I saw her eyes spark at the thought.

“If you’re shy of your commander, I’ll turn around,” I said, starting to shed my clothes.

“I’ll keep my undergarment,” she said, doing the same. Left only in her white tunic, she undid her braids.

“Suit yourself,” I said, diving headfirst into the water. The splash reached her, but she didn’t flinch. She always enjoyed a challenge. I hadn’t given her enough credit for it.

She went underwater and swam further from me, as if I imposed some kind of danger. When she reemerged, she slicked her hair back and didn’t notice how the cloth clung to her breasts, revealing her nipples. I leaned back and simply admired her blissful ignorance.

She then restricted my view by swimming toward me. “Why are you not swimming?” she asked.

“I’m enjoying the view.”

“I never took you for someone who loves nature,” she said as she began swimming on her back.

“Oh, you can’t even imagine.” I smirked.

When she realized where my eyes were lingering, she quickly ended my visual feasting.

“I think I’m going to dry off before the sun sets,” she said, but her demeanor hinted at other reasons.

“Of course,” I said, but we both knew she wanted to dry her tunic while I was still in the water. The closeness between us had become... complicated.

“Can you turn around? I’d rather you not see me naked,” she said.

“You have my word,” I said. But what kind of a man would I be if I didn’t look? She emerged from the lake, exposing her body little by little. Her luscious hair covered half her back, but that didn’t hide the sway of her curves. Nothing could. She was an attractive woman. Her back, her ass, her slender legs—why hadn’t I noticed it before? Her body, still covered in bruises and scars from all the training, looked strong yet fragile, diaphanous even. She seemed like someone you’d want to burn the world to keep her safe, but she would get mad because she didn’t burn it herself. An irritating woman. A stunningly irritating woman.

“Did you peek?”

“Of course not.”

“I knew you were a gentleman, like a chivalrous knight.”

“Then you don’t know me very well. Those who are, tend to miss out on all the good parts.” I hissed under my breath, as there was a massive problem hiding in the water.

“When are you coming out?” she asked, covering herself with her leather jacket.

“In a minute,” I said. “I have to cool down,” I growled.

Strange how my body reacted all of a sudden. I had been in mourning for a year without any issues, but a small poisonous arrow had ripped me from my everyday life and forced a change of perspective on me.

I needed to return to my old life—not just as a grieving son and dutiful militant. Then again, mixing affairs within the Fire Legion, especially before the Time Tournament, would be a mistake. Still, looking at her trying to hopelessly hide her breasts did things to me I didn’t want to accept.

Eventually, we both found a version of comfort around the fire. I noticed she still wore the black cloth around her neck. “Do you still wear that cloth?” I asked.

“It’s not a cloth, it’s a choker. Actually, it’s fine. Yes, it’s a cloth. And yes, I still wear it. I never take it off.”

“Someone must’ve hurt you badly for you to cling to it so much.”

Pain sketched on her face. “Yes, I was hurt badly. It took me years to realize just how much. But what hurts more is that they were my friends.”

“That’s why I don’t have any.”

“Not everyone can be like you.”

“Not everyone can be like you ,” I said.

“What do you mean?” She looked at me in confusion.

“Don’t you see? You started as the weakest link and now you’re a dignified member of the Fire Legion. Even yesterday, under great pressure, you made the right choices.”

“I had to prove them… I guess I succeeded because of them.” Her face soured.

“Don’t give those who hurt you the claim of forging your strength. You did that all by yourself.”

She inhaled and sighed deeply revealing the swell of her breasts.

“Enough talk, it’s time to rest,” I said. “I’ll stay awake and keep guard for a while.”

She covered herself with the uniform and turned to the side. She and I both knew that wild animals would never risk approaching me. As for other threats, my senses would alert me immediately. So any lurking danger, even at a great distance, would be tackled accordingly.

Rider Costin drifted off quickly after I assured her I was in charge. At least, I had her trust and respect as her commander. And for now, that mattered most. Even though she passed her training successfully, I still wasn’t sure she could pull off the tournament. Of course, I told her otherwise. I had to. And I trusted she would do her best. But was her best enough? Compared to our training, fighting against other element-wielding riders had only a few differences. However, I feared those differences could crush her, and that couldn’t be taught by anyone. She had to be there, to face danger at arm’s length and react according to her fighting instincts—the ones we continued to carve every day.

Serving kings, even the wise ones, was one thing. Survival was another. She had yet to find out what survival meant in our world. I still believed the Fates sent her as dragon fodder or a cautionary tale. There was no way she could live to tell the tale. We would be lucky to see her live through one game.

Thoughts of defeat plagued my mind until sleep took over. I woke up at sunrise and tested my injured shoulder. It felt much better. My healing ability did its job. I woke Elena and said, “Rider Costin, we must fly. If we leave now, we’ll reach the Keep by noon.”

“What?” She rubbed her sleepy eyelids.

“Get up, soldier,” I commanded, and she immediately followed suit. “My shoulder has healed, and we can head to the Keep by air. Are you listening? ”

“Yes, Commander,” she said with a groggy voice.

“Very well,” I said.

Rider Costin put on her clothes and followed me as I took off mine. She, as usual, kept her gaze to the side. I handed her my shirt and breeches, turned around, and transformed. Once in my dragon form, I landed next to her, and as soon as she jumped on me, we flew home.