Dragon Hunter

Chapter 16: The Art of War

Just as the attacks, frost, fire, and lightning, hit the ledge, Cooper felt somebody grab the pack on his back. Then he was being yanked into the cave they had traveled through, flames licking at his booted feet. And when those flames were gone, he was in absolute darkness.

For a brief second or two, he thought his rescuer had left him there as he felt no other presence in the dark besides his own. Then hands were lightly moving over him.

"Are you hurt?" a woman's voice quietly asked and Cooper was surprised that it belonged not to Vannea, nor Alia.

"Beyond singed boot tips, I'm good," he replied. And grunted in surprise and with the strength of it when he was suddenly pulled into a tight embrace.

"Thank the Goddess!" she whispered into his ear with something close to a sob of relief.

Cooper grew thoughtful at that. Relieved that she saved the Dragon Hunter? Because that made sense, in light of everything that was happening. Surely it couldn't be anything more than ...

Then he sucked in a quick breath through his nostrils in surprise when her lips, salty and wet with her tears, were desperately and passionately pressed against his. So powerful was the kiss, much like he had with Alia, Cooper found himself pulling this dark elf woman into his arms and returning the kiss, earning himself a quiet moan of pleasure deep in her throat.

So absolute was the darkness, and so consuming the kiss, the big human wasn't sure how long they were there, in whatever space the dark elf woman had managed to pull them into. Only when they finally came up for air, he was holding her up by his hands under her buttocks, she was braced in a high position with her knees holding onto his waist, and she cradled his head in both her arms as her ragged breath spilled warmly over his face.

"What ... what the hell just happened?" he hoarsely demanded to know.

"The blood fire," was her equally hoarse reply, made with her lips brushing against his. "It ignites when souls resonate."

Cooper grimaced then carefully eased the woman down, doing his best to ignore how good it felt to have her body against his as she reluctantly descended.

"No disrespect, lady ..." he began as soon as her feet were on the ground.

"Valkriss," she whispered against his throat before gently kissing it.

"Uh, Valkriss. No disrespect, but I don't have time for resonance and blood fire. There are dragons to kill."

Just then the darkness parted with a swirl of motion and red light. Then Alia and another Guardian were pulling the two of them into the organic light of the cavern.

"Cooper! Valkriss!" the Guardian commander exclaimed with no little relief. "Thank the Goddess! You're both safe!"

"I have Valkriss to thank for that," Cooper quickly replied, gesturing to the black leather-clad Guardian who had come out of the darkness with him. So sudden was their extraction, she didn't have time to replace her mask and, with a silent groan of resignation, the big human saw that, while a little younger looking than Alia, Valkriss was as beautiful as the other two revealed dark elf women were. Because why not? They were in the frickin' Garden, after all! He was starting to doubt the possibility of finding an ugly elf here, dark or otherwise, even existed!

"She pulled me into the shadow portal just as the attacks were washing over the overlook. A second longer and I would've been frozen ash."

Several sets of eyes swung onto the suddenly abashed Valkriss.

"Well done, Valkriss," Alia said with a nod. "You've saved the Noriquien people's greatest hope for ending this war against the Empire."

Valkriss quickly bowed her head.