Chapter Twenty-one

Soren always felt more comfortable on a battlefield than in a village or city. Dragons tended to be more solitary creatures and large crowds never suited their tempers. Of course, all of that changed when his father became the general of the West Imperial Army. At that point, all dragons gathered in the West Empire's capital city to be near their leader. Just the memory of being surrounded by so many people was enough to disgust him. 

No, if he had to be near a large number of humans, he preferred for it to be a violent, bloody occasion. At least then he could take out his aggravations without having to worry about being reprimanded by anyone. 

But even now, standing among the soldiers and knights who have served under him for years, he can't seem to quiet the swirling thoughts in his mind. He hasn't been able to peacefully think of the task at hand without thinking of that little human. After he had his audience with that bothersome man who called himself an emperor, he immediately got to work setting up camp at the battlefront. Things had been bloody from the start, and yet all he could think about while slaughtering the humans from the other side of the mountains was if his human was safe. It had distracted him to the point where his underlings were starting to question if he was still fit to serve. Of course, all of them were too scared to vocalize such suspicions, but he could see it in their eyes. So, after carefully thinking it over, Soren came to the conclusion that his mind would return to normal if she were at least near. 

Now, as he paced the inside of his tent, all he could think about was if she had made the journey safely. If she liked her accommodations. He specifically told Avery that he wanted her to be comfortable. The little runt had given him updates through their trip from up north and as far as Soren could tell, she had been fine. Though she was an idiot for not bringing any food or supplies. When Soren heard that, he nearly set the camp on fire. Luckily, the nagging elf had been keeping an eye on her from the forest and gave her the supplies she needed. It sickened Soren to ask him for assistance, but what could he have done from the south?

Soren growled with frustration, stopping his pacing long enough to run his hands roughly through his hair. Where the hell was Avery? Suddenly, Soren's chest started burning. It wasn't an unpleasant sensation, and it actually helped to ease his impatience. Unlike humans, mythical creatures had their marks of fate on different parts of the body. Soren's was on the left part of his chest, right over his heart. It burned any time he was near the little human. Its burning now meant that she was near. 

Soren took a deep breath and stilled his pacing, trying to appear calm. Moments later, Avery requested permission to enter his tent. Soren granted it. 

Walking in, Avery Wellsworth fisted his hand over his heart and bowed his head in a salute. "Greetings, General Bludborne. Lieutenant Avery Wellsworth reporting for duty."

Soren scoffed at the formal greeting, one he was not used to receiving from this young knight. Well, young to him, anyway. "At ease. I appreciate the respect, but it's unusual to receive it from you, pipsqueak."

Avery's face twisted in annoyance. "Sir, that was ten years ago... Can we please move on?"

Soren chuckled. To some, his laugh was intimidating, but Avery was used to it and didn't even flinch anymore. "Ten years may seem like a long time to you, but to me, it feels like barely a week has passed. You will always be the little runt that followed me around the palace, begging me to teach you." Soren lost himself in the memory for a moment, a rare occurrence. Shaking the thoughts from his head, he turned his attention back to the task at hand. "Now, report. Did you deliver the asset safely?"

Avery gazed at his general curiously. "Yes, sir. Amelia has been sent to the Third Regiment, as requested. She should be getting situated by now." Avery hesitated.

"What's wrong, then," Soren asked, his patience already worn thin. He didn't have time to beat around the bush, as the humans would say. 

Avery shifted his weight, the closest to fidgeting as he would get. "Well, sir, I hope you know that I would never question your decisions but... I have a hard time why you requested us to bring a healer from such a remote area. Even if she is talented, something about her is unsettling."

Soren growled softly, a warning to the Lieutenant to be careful of how he spoke. "How does she unsettle you, runt?"

"Her eyes, sir. And the way she carries herself. Something about her set all of my knights on edge."

Soren thought back to the two times he had looked into those eyes. Both times, they had been filled with an odd mix of terror and resignation. Almost like she accepted that she may die. He could see why a human would be unsettled by those eyes. But to him, they were beautiful and oddly familiar. 

Soren froze. Did he just think that little human was beautiful? He groaned to himself. The strings of fate were starting to pull tightly around him now that he'd met her. He would need to be careful of how he proceeded. 

With a sigh, he turned his attention back to Avery. "Listen, for this is a lesson you will need to learn as a leader. Everyone has a story to tell, their own experiences that shape who they are. Just because someone has gone through things that have changed the way they carry themselves, does not mean they deserve to be shunned." Soren shook his head. "I thought you, of all people, would understand that."

Avery had a pained look on his face, the scolding bringing him back to a part of his childhood that he'd rather forget. "Sir, that is not what I meant when I said that her eyes unsettle me. Have you not seen her?"

His words confused Soren. "What do you mean, then? Speak plainly."

"She looks greatly like Lord Eric, sir. Her eyes are just like his. It is such a unique color that seeing them outside of that family is unheard of."

Soren shook his head. "Impossible. You must be mistaken. Eric never married and is a recluse. I doubt he'd have a bastard child." His thoughts turned to the man in question. It was quite a scandal when he renounced his place as the first prince of the empire. But he'd always had his head in the right space. He'd never have a child that he wouldn't have claimed. Besides, Soren hoped more than anything that his little human wasn't related to that family. He scowled at the thought of being tied to the imperials in such a way. He was already obligated to serve as commander of their armies, but if he were fated with one of their heirs, then that damned emperor would use it as an excuse to keep him in the capital. 

No, that can't be the case. Avery must be wrong. Despite his conviction, though, doubt crept in. He would need to look for himself before making the final judgment. Turning back to Avery, he said, "Keep an eye on her for now. Dismissed."

Avery bowed in another salute and left Soren to his thoughts.