Chapter 20

“Boren! What a pleasure!” a tall, firmly built dragon with short, braided hair and a scarred face greeted Boren and Bortrad in the main hall of the high priestess’ tree.

It was General Boon, who had arrived in Florishside on the dawn. Boren knew him quite well; despite Boon being a few years older, they attended the same military camp and were rivals for years.

When the war began, Boren was sent with the army to the northern territories, while Boon, whose strong suit was tactics rather than fighting, stayed in the capital to assist the king himself in strategy building. Yet, just like Boren, he gained valuable experience in the northern territories. Boon and his army were establishing new laws and peace after Boren’s army left for the south. Now, out of anyone else, he became Boren’s reinforcement.

“I heard about your wound,” Boon said, seating himself regally on a hastily constructed throne made of stones and branches in the now deserted hall. “I hope you’re healing well.” The armour he still wore differed from Boren’s. Boon had short and long metal spikes covering his shoulders, a skirt-like metal net on his hips, and his helmet, lying next to the throne, was decorated with black metal horns, prompting Boren to think that turning the helmet into an additional weapon was quite a good idea, though he himself wouldn't choose to make it to be so easily grabbed or taken off.

“All good,” Boren replied, frowning. He didn’t appreciate that Boon was taking up so much space for himself when his army and the elves had to sleep under an open sky. “Welcome to Florishside, and thank you for joining my army.”

“Your army?” Boon’s lips widened into a mischievous smile. “Boren, there’s barely anything left of your army.”

“It was a difficult battle.”

“It was elves!” Boon stood up from his throne, making heavy metal clattering sounds as he headed closer to Boren. “You lost to elves, Boren. It even sounds ridiculous.”

“The worst thing in battle is to underestimate your enemy,” Boren ground his teeth.

The smile on Boon’s face widened. “Don’t worry, I don’t give them more credit than they deserve.” He slowly began to pace around Boren as if estimating the strength left in his body. “You still look sick, Boren. Why don’t you go rest, and I’ll take care of the elves. I’ll let the king know about your efforts and collaboration.”

“I’m fine,” Boren had to make an effort to stay calm. “The City of a Rising Star has good protection. We managed to make a breach, which cost us a lot of time and effort. We have to hurry before it’s fixed.”

“The protection, right.” Boon snapped his fingers, and an elven woman brought him a glass that she immediately filled with wine. “I already heard about it. The fence and bugs,”

Boren frowned even tighter. “Don’t make it sound easier than it is.”

“But I’m not.” Boon leisurely sat back on the throne and took a sip of the wine. “Did it ever occur to you why the elves from the other side of the fence never got sick? Unlike your dragons?” He paused, clearly expecting Boren to reply, but Boren remained silent, knowing that anything he said could lead to his execution. “Did it ever occur to you to send elves to demolish the fence?”

Boren, knowing where Boon was heading, stayed silent for a while, pondering if he could steer him in a different direction. However, his mind was still dizzy from the medicine, and he hardly had any power after the recent defeat. “The elves would never fight against each other,” he said carefully.

These words seemed to excite Boon; a glint of anticipation flickered in his eyes as he leaned forward, smirking predatorily. “And who said I’ll ask them to? They’re elves, Boren. Open your eyes. They were born to become perfect slaves.”

For a moment, the main hall plunged into a heavy silence. No one dared to say a thing, except for Boon, who soon continued. “Don’t you see it, Boren? They’re like clay. Just kill a few of them, and they’ll become as obedient as your little whore.”

The veins on Boren’s neck pulsed with rage as he clenched his jaw to the point of pain.

“Anyway, you don’t have to worry about it. I’ll take the city within a few days. You’ll see,” Boon paused. “Just don’t get in my way, and we'll both return to the capital as heroes.”

“You have to leave!” The conversation between Boren and Boon didn't unfold as he had expected. The moment he left the hall, Boren rushed to his room, finding Arlena still sleeping after their passionate night. “Come on!” Boren harshly pulled the thin blanket from her still-sleepy body and used it as a sack, tossing in a few pieces of her clothes.

“I’ll bring some food and find an escort,” Borden’s voice also sounded in the room as Arlena sat on the bed in bewilderment.

“What’s happening?” she asked, rubbing her eyes.

“No escort!” Boren ignored Arlena and addressed Borden instead. “I can’t trust anyone right now. Just find food.”

“Boren, the woods are dangerous.”

“She’s going to be fine. She grew up here.”

Borden nodded and left them alone in the room.

Arlena couldn’t hold back any longer and touched Boren’s hand. “What’s going on?” she asked him firmly.

“I’m sorry,” he paused and touched her face gently. “But you have to leave for the mountains tonight. Take as many elves with you as you can and find the resistance camp.” He paused for a second. “Find Arden and your father. You’ll be safe with them.”

“What are you talking about? I don’t want to leave.”

“Listen to me.” He sat next to her and looked Arlena deeply in the eyes. “I’m sorry, but you have to. Boon… the reinforcement will change things around here, and I don’t want you to be around. So please, leave. I’ll find you after everything is over.”

“No, Boren,” her eyes filled with tears. “You can’t do that again. You can’t ask that of me. Whatever is coming, we can face it together. Just please don’t send me away!”

“I’m sorry.” Boren wiped her tears and kissed her passionately. “I’m sorry…”

“Please…” Arlena continued to plead as he kissed the tears on her face. Boren also felt the urge to cry, but he found himself unable to remember how to shed tears. Instead, his fingers gently caressed her wet cheeks and neck, savouring the fleeting moments of vulnerability that he couldn't allow himself to experience.If only he could turn into that salty water and become a part of her, so he wouldn’t ever lose her again. “I’m sorry,” Boren repeated and pressed her closer to him. “I promise I’ll find you, just stay safe until then.” His hands slipped under her dress, embracing her waist. Arlena’s skin felt hot, and her muscles were still relaxed after the deep sleep. She felt like butter in his palms.

For minutes, Boren caressed her skin under the dress greedily, as if it were the last time he would ever touch her. His fingers hungrily explored her curves while his mouth tried to remember the taste of her lips.

“Please...” she continued to plead with him in vain. “Please…” Arlena sat on his lap and tangled her fingers in his hair. “Please, don’t send me away…” She slipped her tongue into his mouth, and immediately the fear and pain stepped aside, giving space to uncontrollable passion. The kisses, one by one, pushed her closer and closer to him. Their breathing became heavier, and finally, Boren lifted her up to lay her on a stone-made table by the window.

The chilling stone gave Arlena shivers. She used the moment while Boren paused to look at her, as he liked to do during their time alone, and reached for the skirt of her nightgown to pull it up.

“No,” Boren stopped her softly. He laid his palm on her cheek and caressed her gently. “We don’t have time for it. You should talk to the elves, tell them to be ready to leave after sundown.”

“But what will I tell them? It’s our home.”

“Tell them that they’ll be hunted by the dragons if they don’t leave,” Boren decided to ease the truth. In his eyes, Arlena was way too innocent to understand the concept of slavery, and at that moment, looking into her eyes, he made a decision that he’d rather die than let her ever experience it.

“But why would dragons do that? We haven’t done anything bad to them,” she raised to sit at the table.

Boren was still standing next to her, right between her spread legs on the table, slowly caressing her hips with the tips of his fingers. “It’s hard to explain, but right now, all elves are dragons' enemies. Just listen to me, please. You have to leave.”

“Alright…” her voice darkened with deep sadness. Arlena gently pushed Boren away and hopped off the table. “If you want this,” she said barely audible.

“I don’t want this, Arlena.” He could understand her frustration, but being perceived as a villain when he was trying to help her didn’t help him stay calm.

“I know,” she said quietly, placing more clothes into the sack that Boren made out of the blanket. Then she looked at him, eyes full of tears again. “I hope we’ll meet again someday.”

She talked to every elven family that was still staying in the village, prioritizing the ones with children and women as Boren told her. Some of them listened to her and agreed to leave, but others turned out to be even more stubborn than Arlena herself. It was their home—the place where they grew up, where their ancestors lived. Leaving right now, for some elves, meant betraying their heritage. Even if she promised them they could come back after some time, the elves refused to leave their ground no matter what.

“Are you ready?” Boren adjusted the wrinkles on her clothes. The wood that night was chilly, and Boren placed his heavy cloak on her shoulders, making Arlena slightly stagger under the weight.

“Too many elves have stayed,” she said anxiously.

“It’s their choice.”

“But not mine, isn't it?” she said sadly. “Why can’t I choose to stay?”

“Because we already discussed it. You have to be safe,” Boren replied impatiently.

“But why? It’s my safety!”

“Arlena!”

“Boren! I want to stay!” She leaned closer to see his eyes in the darkness of the night. “It’s my life! My choice!”

“No, it’s not!” he growled roughly, then hesitated before he took a deep breath to calm down. The last thing Boren wanted was to yell at her in what could become their last moment together. “It is your life,” he said more gently, petting her head as if she were a clueless child. “But if you lose it, I won’t bear the world without you. If you don’t care about your safety, think about mine. Please. I beg you, Arlena. Do that for me.”

“You're so cruel,” she whimpered.