Kingdoms of Gold

26 | Noses Crunch

I sat at the edge of the training ring, watching Mirai and Gen's kids train. It was a community activity. Any child that wanted could join. Most parents dropped their kids off and went about their day.

Mirai fit in with them so well, neither sides hesitating to exploit their curiosity.

Alistar was in the weapons room with Valentino, cleaning his new collections from the fae realm. Valentino was checking out the gun stock they had, as if he didn't already know the inventory. I was sure he was prepping a few guns for Mirai.

Malachi had a group of kids, practicing hand-to-hand combat with them. A few were able to shift their hands to talons, a perfect match for Malachi as he shifted his hands to claws.

Brynjar took a spot next to Gen, the two of them constantly teasing one another. They've fought twice already this past hour, grappling on the floor.

I chose to sit at the edge, bundled in a sweater. Brynjar would send the occasional bursts of heat my way. It only helped so much. The weather was so different from where I lived—the desert. My breath was visible in the thin air.

The constant scratching of metal on metal gnawed at me until my stomach ached. I could've joined too, but I couldn't focus. The noises had me focusing on keeping my breathing even.

Clank. Clank. Clank.

It was sounded so similar to The Forest of Unbinding.

Scratch. Scratch. Scratch.

A hand rested on my shoulder, pulling me from my thoughts. Liv glanced down at me in concern. "Are you alright?"

I licked my dry lips and swallowed. "Yeah."

"Do you want to spar with me? It might help get your mind off of things." She held out a hand to me. "I hear you're pretty good with swords."

"Sure." I shucked the blankets off my shoulder, tore off Valentino's jacket. I needed to move, stay out of my head. "All out or are we holding back in front of the kids?" I'd been watching her and the others spar long enough to know they'd been holding back.

"All out. You seem like you need to blow off some steam and it's time the kids saw a real fight." She had a hand outstretched to me.

"You don't spar full out with Gen occasionally, or other dragons?" I took her hand, joints creaking from the cold.

"He says he does, but I know better. He holds back with me, intentionally or not. Doesn't want to hurt me. Same with Rune, but they're the only other dragons that can hold their own with me. I'm sure your mates are similar to my husband?" She pulled me up, my feet sliding against the concrete from the force she used.

She outmatched me in strength and mass, but was still fast. She had agility that was hard to master with brute strength. I'd have to watch my own, stay light on me feet. Her blows would be quick and deadly.

"They don't want to admit it." I knew even Alistar would only go so far with me when it came to sparing. Yes, he wouldn't hold back but he wouldn't risk hurting me either. He'd stop before things got too far. Liv wouldn't.

"They never do. Why don't we show them what a real fight looks like, make Rune and Gen's sparing look like child's play." Her grin was ruthless as she grabbed a chain, a sphere blunt hanging off the end.

They'd taken out the barbs for practice, but it still hurt like a bitch.

Long distance and heavy blunt. I was in for a hell of a time. She wasn't playing around.

I still couldn't help a grin spread my lips to match hers, blood humming in my veins. "I do believe their sparring resembles child's play without needing to compare it to ours."