The Dragon King, Book 1

Chapter 7. Lucky me...

Ronin seems overwhelmed as he drives the wagon through the forest, all the while Edgar prattles on, in his ear, about how Ronin revealed his royal title and matters of the heart. Ronin stops the wagon and steps off.

What are you doing? Indrim asks, watching on.

Ronin steps over to a tree and begins banging his head against it. SHUT UP EDGAR, YOU'RE DRIVING ME INSANE! He says out loud.

Hey, you're the one who revealed he was a King. Edgar snaps back. Don't take it out on me.

The tree breaks under the force of Ronin's impacts and falls with a thud.

Is my Father lecturing you? Indrim asks.

Something like that, he just keeps going on and on about my royal title.

Indrim blushes. Yeah, he used to lecture me to the point I wanted to bang my head through a wall, a few times.

Edgar sits huddled in a corner of his mind, crying. She can be so mean, sometimes. He says as he sniffs back tears.

Ronin laughs with blood starting to run down his face. Well, I guess we have that in common now.

Indrim can't help but laugh at Ronin's cheerful yet odd behavior.

They both continue on till they reach the edge of the forest.

What happened there? Indrim points to a pile of wolf bodies.

Oh, I killed them last night, when you went to bed. I suspected they were familiars, possibly sent here to report on our whereabouts.

Well, that is one less problem for anyone else coming through here.

Not only that, if they come to investigate, they will be delayed a bit figuring out that we passed through.

I thought we were going to meet them head-on. Edgar questions.

All in due time, my plan is in motion. Ronin responds in his head.

It is odd to keep talking to you like this. Indrim says.

What do you mean?

I mean you're not my father, but you have taken his form. I don't know, it's just unusual to hear his voice when it's not him.

I could fix that if you want. Edgar says calmly

How so? Ronin asks silently.

I could just change our form to better suit you rather than us keep using my form.

You could have said that back when we were tied up. Ronin says annoyed.

Well, do you want to or not?

Hold on. Ronin responds in his head. Indrim, would it help if Edgar changed our form to match me instead of him? He asks.

I suppose that would make it easier.

Do it. Ronin says to Edgar.

A great cloud of smoke covers Ronin as his body begins to shift and change. His long black beard and mustache reseed back into his skin, the jawline Edgar has flexes inward, His arms and skin begin looking younger, and his hair shortens to its original length. All the while Indrim looks on in amazement at how different this man was from her father.

Finally done, Ronin turns to looks at Indrim with a smile. I hope this helps, Princess.

Indrim can do nothing but stare in silence at the man who not set beside her. She thinks to herself how he might actually be a king in his world and if so would he ever be able to separate from her father.