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Despite the fact that Kai had come into existence thousands of years earlier, he felt like a dragonling the first time he met the Pure Ones’ legendary General. There was a palpable aura around the male. Somehow, Kai knew that he’d seen and experienced more than anyone else could comprehend.
“I will not starve,” Kai growled, growing impatient with the coddling.
He was a grown-ass man. An earth dragon besides. He’d existed for untold millennia. He could take care of himself. (Though he admitted to himself that the modern world more often than not confounded him.)
“You know where to find Goya if you need anything,” Ere persisted.
Kai snorted.
“I see him every damn day training the new recruits, so yeah, I know where to find him.”
Ere scrunched his nose.
“Well, no need to get your hackles up. I’m only trying to help. Last time we went on a trip, you slept the entire time and lost a third of your weight from starvation!”
Kai rolled his eyes. The sky dragon was such a drama queen.
“It’s called hibernation,” he pointed out. “We earth dragons tend to do that. And it was only a few kilos off my human form. Not like I was wasting away. Don’t exaggerate.”
“But—”
“Just go,” Kai huffed, pushing Ere along, until he and Sorin stood at the edge of a cliff, Ben beside them with a backpack slung over one shoulder.
The three of them were traveling to New York City the old-fashioned way—by the winged sort of flying, dragon and phoenix style. Ben, a seasoned dragon rider now, would ride with Ere in his black dragon form. The rest of their entourage, Tal, Ishtar (AKA Mama Bear), Inanna and Gabriel, would travel by plane.
Leaving Kai relatively alone in the mountains with only a few acquaintances.
Well, the Tiger King was more than an acquaintance.
Kai couldn’t believe at first when he was reunited with Goya. The giant white tiger had still been a cub when Kai had been given to the Beasts of earth to aid them in the Goddesses’ wars. They’d grown up together. Goya was as much his brother as Ere was.
“You know,” Ere said, still stalling, “there are many more appealing females in the Big Apple than out here in the boondocks. You should get out more. Meet people. Women don’t bite, you know. I don’t like seeing you lonely.”
“I’m not,” Kai denied automatically.
“But… you get this look in your eyes sometimes,” Ere said. “It makes me sad.”
He looked morosely at Kai with those big turquoise eyes as if to demonstrate.
“I have everything I need,” Kai assured him with a toothy grin.
“Now get your ass out of here.”
With that, he gave Ere a powerful shove, sending the man tumbling right over the cliff in a freefall.
“Take care, Kai,” Ben said with a two fingered salute before he dove after Ere, followed closely by Sorin.
As the three figures disappeared into a swathe of clouds, Kai kept looking until a massive black dragon and a golden phoenix emerged through the mists, the dragon carrying Ben on his back. The mated pair roared together in farewell, casting one last look behind them, then soared higher into the skies with graceful flaps of their gigantic wings.
Soon, they were mere specks in the distance, leaving Kai entirely alone.
He stood there a while, looking after them, feeling…something.
It had been strange to come “home” with Ere and Sorin upon leaving the Celestial Palace.
First, by virtue of leaving at all. Kai had been distantly shocked that he wasn’t put back in the crystal prison that kept him paralyzed but aware for an untold duration until he was released into the world again.
Was the Jade Emperor done with him? Were his services no longer required?
