By: Texas-SaberFox

Danae cuddled against Eragon holding him like he was going to disappear if she let go. She gave him a loving nuzzle on his neck. It’s almost that time of year. I know we agree to try for our first clutch this year but having an unhatched clutch while constantly moving isn’t a good idea. Maybe Dayon will take us in and we can hatch our kids there?

Danae already knew that he would be a protective father because of what happened to his little brother, but she worried he’d become too protective. She set that thought and worry aside for now, they’ll have to talk about it when they make camp for the night. This year or the next, it would be a solid bet they’re children will be a well protected rambunctious bunch and she smiled thinking about their future family.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard the cabin door open. She turned to rest her chin on her arm and saw Wilson walk in then giving her a wide eye stare before blinking rapidly shaking his head.

(Okay, that happened.) Danae heard him quietly mutter in English under his breath. Afterwards he speaks in broken draconic. “You threw up?”

Threw up? Does he… no, it’s a mispronunciation. Danae mused to herself. “Better. Two not threw. No, Eragon is still sleeping.” Danae said. Wilson nodded letting her know he got the gist of it.

“Meal ready.” Wilson said, but with his thick accent it took a moment or two to understand him. Danae replied with a nod and Wilson left the cabin shutting the door behind him.

Danae extracted herself from Eragon before giving him a little shake. His eyes opened ever so slowly and gave her a smile that made her heart flutter.

“Morning sugar plum.” He said rolling on to his back as Danae moved to sit on his lap and bent over giving him another nuzzle with an amused grin.

“Morning you goofball. Come on, it’s time to get up.” She said getting off of him and gave a seductive pose which rewarded her with a suggestive growl. “What, you like what you see handsome?”

“Damn right I do.” She heard Eragon say as he got up. “Come on honey, let’s get something to eat.”

“Now you are speaking my language. Unless you want me for breakfast?” Danae teased as they walked to the door of the cabin.

“Hey, don’t tempt me. I just might take you up on that offer. Though I don’t think everyone else would appreciate it.” Eragon shot back as Danae gave him a cheeky smile. She let the moment die off he was right, everyone else really wouldn’t appreciate them having sex in the cabin. Which reminded her of something she needed to ask him.

“Eragon, honey. Later on today we need to have a flight together and talk about something?” Danae asked as he held the door open for her. Stepping down the steps she did her best to keep her wings from fluttering in worry. Would we have the ability to talk today? The last few days we would pack up right after breakfast and travel for the rest of the day.

“Aww, sure. I’d love to, what would you like to talk about?” He gave her a slit tilt of the head at her question. She moved her arms around him to not only keep up their playful teasing but to also keep her anxiety from showing.

“I… you’ll find out when we fly.” Danae moved her muzzle to his ear and gave it some loving nibbles.

“Okay, okay, you bloody tease.” Eragon affectionately said before chuckling as he twitched his ear out of her mouth.

“Hey, look who’s finally up. Saved you some breakfast.” Zasta said, approaching them with two bowls. Danae could see in her bowl more of that brown grain the humans called brown rice topped with powdered eggs and the grilled deer belly they made for dinner last night.

“Hmm, another (rice) bowl this morning. Zasta, how long do we have to eat before we start moving again?” Eragon asked before taking a bite of the meal.

“We’re not traveling today. Jasper said they needed to work on their crossbows and train.” Zasta answered.

“Really? Well, I guess we can use today as training day too?” Danae proposed.

“We could play chase?” Danae looked towards Eragon at his suggestion..

“Eragon, honey, as much fun as it would be to chase you between the branches of the heaven oak. I think this might be the perfect day to spend some time alone and have that talk I was telling you about.” Danae turned her head to Zasta when she began chuckling with a knowing smile.

“Danae, you don’t need to be so cryptic about you and Eragon flying off to have sex.” Zasta said with an amused tone. Danae stared down at the ground scratching it with her talons.

“Come on Eragon and I are flying off to make an important decision.” Danae said, completely flustered. She was serious about them having the decision, but she also knew that sex would most likely be involved somehow.

“Okay, okay, no matter what you two wind up doing, you should eat something before you go.” Zasta said before walking off to see what the humans were up to.

“What are you smirking at, lover boy?” Danae questioned with narrow eyes and mock anger. Her earlier anxiety long forgotten with their teasing banter.

“Easy, I was smirking at how adorable you are when you’re flustered.” Eragon answered with a purring undertone in his voice.

“Sure, sure, everyone believes you, including me.” Danae balked with amusement and moved her muzzle to his ear, taking a loving nip at it with a suggestive growl before whispering. “I bet you were just thinking about all the things you’ll do to me with that little dagger of yours, perv.”

“Oh, me a perv? You’re the one thinking about my little dagger all the time.” Eragon teased before slowly dragging his fangs across the soft part of her neck. Danae let out a low pur her body shuddering in delight. She was thankful for the distraction from her troubling thoughts but now she needed to sheath in her overactive libido before she dragged him back into the cabin to breed her until she’s a hot purring mess.

“No, No, I wouldn’t think of such a thing. I’m a goooood giiiirl.” Danae mocked playfully, placing a hand over her heart. Eragon chuckled with a knowing smile.

“Sure, sure, everyone believes you, including me.” Eragon quoted her with an amused grin.

“My own words, used against me. How dare you? You must be punished.” Danae teased as she nuzzled him.

“Oh, and what are you going to do to punish me?” Eragon asked as Danae’s evil smile appeared.

“I’ll think of something cuddle bug.” She stopped nuzzling and pulled away grabbing her spoon. “Let’s eat, I’m starving.”

---

After breakfast Raphael watched the dragonette couple leap into the air, their wings beating hard for altitude as he heard footsteps coming up beside him. “Magnificent creatures the dragonettes are, aren’t they?”

He turned to the former pilot who was watching the flying dragonettes with a painful longing in his eyes. Raphael could almost see the tears forming and he couldn’t have that. “Yes, yes they are and I’m sure you’d snag yourself a dragonette girlfriend and finally lose your virginity you fucken scaly.”

Raphael saw Nick smirking as he chuckled. “Ah, yes I’m so lonely that I could die… maybe, we all might need to because the last time I checked your sister is the only human woman here and I don’t think you want to unlock your inner redneck.”

“I’m a Texan redneck, not some sweet home Alabama wannabe hick.” Raphael said with an amused smile.

“Hmm, what’s the difference sir redneck?” Nick said, smiling and chuckling.

“Easy, Texas rednecks would want to ride their cousin, the sweet home Alabama freaks would want to ride their sister.” Raphael answered with a jovial giggle.

“Oh? Does that mean you considered riding your cousin before?” Nick chuckled out.

“Naw, I’m not redneck enough to want to do that. Besides, my nearest cousin would have been in Japan. How do you know about that stereotype anyway? You’re a chair force virgin who’s never had a girlfriend.” Raphael asked with a raised eyebrow.

“That’s the mighty chair force to you, and trust me, the chair force has its own fair share of inbred degenerates.” Nick replied

“Aww, I see. Well come on, let’s get everything out and ready to go.” Raphael patted Nick on the shoulder.

“Did you manage to meet your cousin before the war?” Nick asked, while in lock step with Raphael.

“No, the war started before I could, and the ones that made it off the island were in San Diego when it was hit by a neutron bomb.” Raphael’s voice became a void of any emotion.

“Damn, that’s fucked up.” Nick said, concerned for Raphael.

“It is what it is.” Raphael said, mentaly drained and not really wanting to talk about it. Raphael and his sister never met their cousins in person, but it didn’t mean they never knew them. The internet and VR chats allowed them to communicate and interact with their cousins; He missed them.

“Well, shit man… Sorry.” Nick said dejectedly as they reached the trailer.

“It’s okay. I moved on.” Raphael said as he undid the trailer hatch and opened the door. They spent the next few minutes in silence as they began unloading the equipment they would need for the day.

---

Zasta helped Carla and Wilson set up what she could only guess were targets. What else could a plate in the shape of a person painted white be other than a target.

“Why does this target stand weigh the same as a suit of armor?” Zasta huffed carrying the heavy and awkward to carry target stand. Why are all of these targets made out of steel!? First, it destroys the arrow head upon impact, second, it doesn’t show where you hit it with an arrow, lastly, it’s a waste of perfectly good steel!

“Zasta.” She heard Wilson trying to get her attention pulling her out of her thoughts. When she looked at him he waved her over. Guess that’s where the target is going.

When she reached him, he began to help her set up this target like the rest. After it was set up she looked at the other eight targets, each a meter apart from one another. I wonder why they’re setting up the targets this way? Fucking hell, I wish Danae and Eragon stayed to help. This would have gone so much faster.

(WILSON, ZASTA THAT’S GOOD! GET OVER HERE WE’RE ABOUT TO GO HOT!!) Zasta’s head moved over her shoulder to where Jasper’s voice called out to them from a fair distance behind them. Zasta relished in the disturbed look on Jasper’s face before he waved them over.

(Fucking hell that’s going to take a while to get used to.) Zasta heard Wilson say in his native language. She didn’t need to understand what he said to hear the tone of exacerbation. She chuckled at his tone and turned to him with a shit-eating grin, Wilson took a moment before understanding dawned on him.

(Oh, you scaly little shit you did it on purpose.) She heard Wilson chuckle out as he lightly punched her shoulder. Zasta gave his shoulder a little push in return, her smile growing wider to a full toothy grin as they walked back to Jasper.

When they reached Jasper he was screwing a weird looking cylinder on the end of the enchanted crossbows they all carried. That was when she laid her eyes on two of the biggest weapons she had ever seen. They were the size of a light ballista that would have been mounted on a dragon with an enormous spyglass attached to the top. You’ve gotta be kidding me, do they have enchanted ballistae as well!?

Zasta looked at the smaller of the two larger weapons, one was made with glistening blued metal and fine wood. It was a beautiful piece of art in and of itself, and it mesmerized her how something could be so beautiful yet be so dangerous. However, it had black on it and she really hoped it wasn’t cursed.

The other was tan and far bigger than the other one and it certainly wasn’t as elegant as the smaller ballista by a long margin, but it was the longest weapon jasper has carried out with the biggest spyglass out of the lot of them to boot.

Either way she was excited to see the humans enchanted crossbows in action instead of finding the gory aftermath. Remembering the Delerions pulpted heart and lungs. She wondered what kind of magic would have done that.

---

Eragon and Danae flew loosely beside each other enjoying the freedom of the open sky with some lazy mindless flying but where close enough to talk if needed.

“Eragon.” Hearing his name, he turned to look at Danae. “I found a place to land, follow me down.”

“I’m right behind you.” Eragon said before shadowing his wife in making a lazy wide left turn slowly corkscrewing down into a small forest clearing. He landed with a softly slow jog behind Danae. Approaching her, he noticed her wings start to flutter. He became worried because it was a sign she was nervous about something and it was bothering her.

“What’s wrong Danae?” Eragon asked softly, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“I’m… uh.” Danae answered with a sigh as her ears went a little slack and she laid a hand on top of his . “Eragon, can I ask you something?”

“What would you like to ask?” Eragon responded, as he tilted his head with the left ear going slack and laying it on top of his shoulder with the other pointing straight up giving him a dopey look. This gave him a small amused smile and he saw her ears slowly moving up.

“Eragon, I…” He saw Danae sigh heavily and close her eyes. Moments later she looked at him. She was still nervous but he could see determination in her eyes. “Eragon, with everything that’s going on. Losing our home, Losing almost everyone we care about, constantly on the move with an uncertain future ahead of us. Do you still wish to try for our first clutch this year?”

Aww, shit I haven’t even thought about it. Eragon felt a peg of shame, one of the most important decisions in their life and he hasn’t even paid it any thought. Well, he figured that there’s no time like the present. “I really haven’t thought about it.”

“Oh, well then, it’s a good thing I thought about it, hmm?” Danae asked with a heavy lilt of sarcasm.

“Aye, indeed. Well a part of me most definitely wants to, but as you said our future is currently uncertain… yea, if we can find a safe place to stay before or by summer time I would still like for us to try for our first clutch this year. Though… Danae my snow apple what about you? Do you still want to try for a clutch this year?” Eragon asked and she gave him a small head tilt as her eyes constricted to slits. After a few intense moments of consideration he saw her smile.

“Well yes, I still would like to have our first clutch this year.” Danae said before she moved her arms around her and she gave him the most loving nuzzle she could, a nuzzle he more than happily obliged. When they pulled apart he felt her start to softly nibble on his ear causing an involuntary gasp.

“Catch me and breed me, Lover.” Danae said with a seductive lustful lelt, as he felt her tail taking his feet out from underneath him. He fell to the ground as she ran off with her wings out.

“You’re so on my snowflower!” he yells out getting off the ground sprinting after her, beating his wings hard as the chase begins.

---

Zasta stood beside Jasper, he spent a little bit of time adjusting the cradle he had one of the limbless enchanted ballistae resting in.

She looked back at Deucelot. Where the kids were seated on Nick looking out the window, she could only see Faulkner sitting on Nick’s shoulders. She turned back to see Jasper open an interesting green metal box that hinged open. She really wondered why they were so infatuated with the color of the dishonest. Inside the box were several long brass cylinders with… what are their bolts made from; that doesn’t look like steel? I think that might be lead. Hmm, maybe the bolts are made out of solid brass with a steel head but that would be too heavy to fly very far?

She watched him set three of the brass body bolts on the table. Then he looked up at her and started pointing things out.

“(Hammer)” He pointed at the hammer shaped object on the side of the enchanted ballista which made sense to her because it does somewhat resemble a hammer. He moved the hammer back a little bit with an audible click.

“(Half Cock)” She heard him calling out pointing at the position the hammer was at now. She wondered how the hammer was staying there but with that click it might be something mechanical. She knows a few people in the engineering guild who would have creamed themselves over these ballistae… Well, now she thought about it. They would creamed themselves over everything the humans have.

“(Lever)” he moved the (lever) down which opened the back of the ballista bolt rail. That was when she noticed that it had two (triggers).

Why does it have two triggers, does it do more enchantments other than fire magic? Zasta’s head tilted, she was soaring thru questions about the purpose of the second trigger. He inserted one brass cylinder into the back of the bolt rail before moving the lever up and closing the back of the bolt rail. Her heart raced with excitement. This would be the first time seeing one of these enchanted weapons at work rather than seeing the aftermath of its use. The only enchanted weapon like this she remembered seeing was the enchanted bow in the family’s armory months before flying away from home.

“Eyes and Ears Hot!” Jasper said as he moved some weird green things over his ears. Zasta looked down at the weird cloudy white putty they had molded to her ears when she was done helping Wilson setting up the targets. Placing them into her ears they muffled the forest however, she really didn’t know why they needed them they didn’t sound that loud last night. She saw Jasper move the hammer until it stopped with a just barely audible click. He took a breath and pulled the rear trigger. She saw his face become emotionless as he focused down the spy glass. At the bottom of his breath he touched the front trigger.

BANG-DING!

Zasta damn near jumped out of her skin as she heard and felt the ballista’s concussive blast. Giving her the understanding now as to why they needed the earplug. The rawr would have been deafening.”BY THE GODS! That thing is fucking loud!”

She began to hear laughter going around through her muffled hearing. Zasta turned to face the humans giving them a glare that would have melted steel, but much to her dismay none of them seemed particularly melted.

“(Yes it’s funny, but not that funny.) Zasta, okay?” She looked up at Jasper and nodded. He turns back around moving the hammer back to half-cock then lowered the lever to open the back of the bolt rail ejecting the brass cylinder out the back. The bolt rail and the brass cylinder trailing a few wisps of smoke. She scrunched up her face for a moment when an acrid smell hit her nose.

Wait, is the brass cylinder enchanted? Curiosity getting the better of her, Zasta moved to touch the brass cylinder when her hand was stopped by Jasper’s surprisingly strong grip.

“No Zasta, hot.” Jasper said in a warning tone letting go of her hand when she withdrew it. She activated her magic now curious about what he just said. The brass cylinder was a bright gray similar to the bolt rail and it intrigued her to see a handprint where he held the wood. He loaded one of the unused dark-gray brass cylinders into the ballista before repeating his actions with the lever and hammer.

This time when Jasper touched off the trigger of the ballista she barely had the time to see it much less fully process it. Out of the dual white fuzzy haze a bright burning white streak lanced out down range like a lightning breath attack from a blue dragon. The white streak struck the metal gong then disintegrated into many tiny burning white flakes and vaporized clouds of particles. Leaving a small lighter white dot where the bolt destroyed itself on the gong.

Perhaps the brass cylinders are enchanted not the limbless crossbows and ballista but, why; Not even the royal guard would waste money like that? Zasta’s jaw dropped at the sudden realization before something else finally dawned on her as she blinked away her magic sight. The cylinders have an acrid smell to them after Jasper pulls the trigger. It kinda smells like flash powder. Maybe, They’re not mages and use alchemy to propel the bolts; if that’s the case then their weapons aren’t enchanted?

Zasta was wrenched out of her thoughts by yet another concussive roar. At that moment, she made up her mind. If these human weapons aren’t enchanted then she’s going to learn how to use these crossbows and beat the humans at their own game and become the most dangerous huntress in the world.