bedeviled & beyond 04 - bedeviled & belittled by sam cheever Page A

the center of hundreds of smaller caves, and stopped, hovering in midair, as the largest pair of red dragons I’d ever seen converged on the entrance to the Queen’s caves and blocked our approach.
    What followed was a harsh, guttural exchange in the dragons’ natural language, which I didn’t understand.
    To me it just sounded like a series of barks, coughs, and roars.
    I got the gist of it though. Basically the guards said, “Halt, who goes there?” and Glynus responded, “Get the hell out of my way or my mother halfling will kick your fat asses.”
    When two enormous pairs of sparkling black eyes focused on me, filled with malevolence, I decided a quick foray into Glynus’ beady brain was in order. What did you say to them, Glynus?
    I simply reminded them that you were the legendary dragon fighter.
    Glynus’ mother, the Queen had anointed me the dragon fighter. I never really figured out why. I’m thinking she needed an extra warrior at the time so she created one. Frunkin' wonderful , I responded. The two giant reds were eyeing me as if they’d like to be the ones to end the legend of the dragon fighter...by ending the dragon fighter.
    The one on the right flipped a wing in my direction and demanded something in its guttural tones. Glynus responded in kind, her elegant snout swinging back and forth in a negative head movement.
    At least that I understood.
    She puffed herself up, lifting her wings aggressively, and barked some more orders at the two guards.
    They responded by flinging fire at us.
    Glynus dropped ten feet in the air to avoid the flames. Apparently forgetting me. I suddenly found myself airborne, without a dragon between my thighs, and looking at a wall of flame.
    I screamed as the fire touched my skin and then gasped as a hard, muscular arm snaked around my waist and yanked me backward, against an equally hard chest. I looked down and saw a thick, muscular thigh, clad in stretchy black material, and beneath it, red scales.
    Somebody else was joyriding on a dragon. And from what I could see of him he was yummy. I tipped my head to try to get a glimpse of him, but the red moved restlessly beneath us and I almost slid off. My Settling sparked as a broad hand spread across my midsection, holding me firmly against his body.
    A deep voice rumbled against my ear. “Sit still, woman.” Then he raised his voice and addressed the dragon guards. His words were unintelligible, spoken in the guttural dragon language, but the results were obvious. The two dragons dipped their snouts and lifted their wings, immediately clearing the cavern entrance.
    Glynus suddenly surged up in front of us. Her beautiful eyes sparking with anger. Return my dragon fighter to me immediately!
    An impossibly deep rumble started under my ear and I realized it was laughter. You’ve been careless with her, Princess. I was merely saving her from being toasted alive before crashing painfully to the rocks below.
    One of Glynus’ thick legs slammed downward, as if she were stomping her foot. I recognized the movement. I’d seen it hundreds of times over the two years she lived with me. If your stupid guards had not attacked I would not have had to take evasive maneuvers, Dragon Slayer.
    I peaked an eyebrow. Dragon...Slayer? I was immediately jealous. His title sounded scarier than mine. I tried to crank around and look at him again and finally managed, though I was basically hanging over his arm and out into nothingness to accomplish it.
    As I looked up at him, my rescuer looked down at me, grinning. “Hello, Dragon Fighter.” My Settling roared. I clenched my thighs together in self-defense and tried to force a disinterested look onto my face.
    In my current state that amounted to wiping drool from my chin.
    “Hello, Dragon Slayer.”
    He grinned and I think I came on the spot. His mouth was wide, with a full, bite-able lower lip, and filled with perfect white teeth. His canines were slightly enlarged, like a Royal’s, and his