12-21-2009, 08:26 AM
AUTHOR: Hey guys, the Champion of Iceland here.
I wrote this one-shot about 2 years ago and posted it on FA, then recently remembered it and decided to show it here as well. Its sort of...dark/romance thingie kind of story, dunno how else to explain it XD.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoy it.
.............................................
“Go to the ‘start’ menu at the bottom left corner, click on it, then select ‘restart’,” Marcus said for the third time, trying his best in keeping a level tone. A pity the fellow on the other line did not appreciate his effort, “No! Don’t log off! That’s-“ Marcus closed his eyes and silently counted to ten as he was told it was too late, “….how’s this whole mess started in the first place.”
The guy in the other line, whose name Marcus hadn’t even bothered to remember, started rambling hotly how it was his fault, that he swore Marcus had said him to log off, but the Human wasn’t even listening. Sure, not all calls were like these, some lasted only a few seconds, while a few special cases such as these could stretch for over an hour, sometimes making Marcus wonder if such dense people truly existed, or if they were pulling a prank on him.
I really need to find another job, he thought for the tenth time this day as the caller was now threatening to sue him, blaming him that he couldn’t access his office computer to get some files for a really important meeting, working home as a Technical Consultant isn’t like I thought it would be.
He took a deep breath and was about to explain to the caller that he had been recording the whole conversation which was admissible to court, when he glanced at the clock and started when he saw it was passed six pm.
“I’m sorry sir, but my working time has just ended and if you are still having trouble tomorrow with your computer I can be reached between 10AM to five pm, thank you,” he quickly said and ended the call before the client could answer. Standing up and giving himself some well needed stretch, he then hurried towards the kitchen.
God, I hope dinner will be ready before she gets home.
……………………………….
As it turned out, he was still in the kitchen when the front door opened. No sooner was it slammed closed when heavy footsteps were heard making their way towards him.
Ten minutes, I just needed ten more freaking minutes, Marcus thought with dread as he watched the windows vibrate with each step closer, a sign telling him she was NOT in a good mood.
And in walked a terrible beauty.
Aleztra was of average height for a Dragoness, standing at eight feet tall, not counting the curved horns. Blood red scales rippled in muscle with each tiny movement she made, her powerful arms nearly thicker then Marcus’ waist. Her great wings were folded around her and her raven black hair was unkempt as usual, making her look like she had been hit by lightning. She had the body of someone who bodybuilding was the only true calling in life, giving her a figure that would have easily made everyone mistake her for a male, if it weren’t for the ample bosom beneath her t-shirt.
Instead of entering the kitchen, though, she made her way to the living room where she slumped on the sofa (specially made for Dragons) and switched on the tv. Marcus hovered uncertain from the kitchen door, wondering if he should finish dinner or go to her. Even from where he was standing he could see she was brooding more then usual, and yet, going against his better judgement, he went to the living room, hoping for some kind of normal conversation for a change.
As he came closer, he saw she was still in her gym clothes, making him wonder if she had changed or showered at all after her today’s workout. The answer was provided when he was hit by the smell of sweat and musk so strong, he had to blink repeatedly to hold back the tears.
This just isn’t normal, he thought not for the first time, the next tournament is only eight months away, yet she’s been at it like its next week.
Even Marcus knew that kind of workout Aleztra had been putting herself through wasn’t healthy for her, that she was forcing far too much work on her body, dragon or no dragon. He wanted to talk to her about it, voice his concern for her, but he just didn’t know how to start.
The fact she still hadn’t so much as acknowledged his presence in the living room didn’t help, either.
“When’s dinner?” She suddenly growled, not so much as giving him a glance, and the Human’s heart beat faster as he tried to keep an outside calm.
“Ten minutes, give or take,” he said with an ease he didn’t feel. Aleztra didn’t say anything, her yellow/orange eyes fixed on the tv. But suddenly she was up and marching towards Marcus, who completely froze in terror as several hundred pounds of muscle advanced upon him and-
-walked right passed him, either not noticing her ‘lover’s’ sudden fright or not caring, as she went to the bathroom and shut the door. It wasn’t until the shower was heard that Marcus remembered how to breathe. Taking a deep breath and shaking badly, he found himself sitting on Aleztra’s sofa, the large furniture making him look like a toddler. He would have stayed there for a while to recover, but the sofa only served as a reminder of the owner, so he instead stood up with hurry and went to the kitchen to finish dinner.
……………………….
The two barely exchanged a word as they ate, the latest episode of The Shield the only thing breaking the silence. As Aleztra finished of her second serving, she all but carelessly dropped the plate on the floor and stretched herself across her sofa, while Marcus, sitting in his own chair some distance away, wasn’t even half-finished with his first dish.
“So, Ez,” Marcus finally spoke during a commercial break, “did anything happen at the gym today?” A bit of a stupid question, but since she had spent the whole day there, there really wasn’t much of anything else to ask.
“Don and Murph broke up,” Aleztra finally said after a few seconds of silence.
“What, again?” Marcus replied, not in the least surprised. Watching those two guys was like watching a soap opera, “That’s what, third time in two months?”
“Fourth, if you count what happens outside the gym,” the Dragoness stated as she used one of her claws to pick at her razor sharp teeth, “What that Wolf sees in that runty Fox I’ll never know.”
“Some might ask you the same thing about me,” Marcus said jokingly as the show resumed, giving her an opening for something nice to say, smile, or anything.
Aleztra just nodded, if she too had been having the same thought.
That action alone hurt deeper then any punch or kick could ever make, and Marcus’ hand turned white from the tight grip on the fork.
Neither spoke to each other for the rest of the evening.
………………………….
The curtains had been pulled away from the large window and the light from the full moon gave Aleztra’s sweaty body an almost mystic glow as the room shuddered from the great Dragoness. Again and again she pressed on the bed, lifting herself slightly up before nearly bringing her whole weight down. She kept at it for a good time, a near in-audible grunt escaping from her tightly clenched lips with each thrust. As climax came closer, she went harder and faster, the end of the bed slowly forming yet another dent in the wall, ‘til she arched her head back and nearly roared as her body shook with orgasm. She stayed like that as she caught her breath, before rolling off Marcus to her side of the bed, her back against the Human.
His mouth was nearly filled with blood from biting his lips too hard and his teeth ached from clenching so tightly, but it had been the only way from not screaming as Aleztra….
Calling it ‘making love’ weren’t the right words, it was too of a delicate description to fit with what had just happened.
No. She fucked him. Plain and simple.
Marcus took deep breaths to calm himself, nearly every rib in his chest screaming in protest as he did so, along with every single part and muscle of his body. He would have passed out right then and there, if weren’t from an all too familiar stinging sensation coming from his sweaty back. Swallowing the blood in his mouth, he slowly raised himself up and the pain in his body intensified tenfold, but did his best to ignore it as he wobbly stood up.
As he shakily made his way out of the room, deep snores came from the massive shape of Aleztra.
…………………….
His eyes stung as he switched on the bathroom lights and when he saw his naked form in the mirror, a part of him wished he had left the switch alone. His somewhat skinny body was covered in old cuts and bruises, and new ones were already forming from having non-stop sex with an a aggressive Dragoness for nearly forty-minutes. But tonight’s worst were revealed when Marcus inspected his back to the mirror, revealing that, once again, Aleztra had forgotten her sharp claws in the heat of the moment. It wasn’t the first time this had happened, and it most definitely wouldn’t be the last, either.
With a practised ease, Marcus pulled out the first-aid kit and went to work.
Just so you know, it wasn’t always like this. There was a time when she actually made the attempt of trying to at least be careful, but those days are long gone. And when we first met, nearly three years ago at Brad’s gym, she did posses that kind of dominating streak about her, but that was nothing compared to what she’s like today. Her body, too, was different. True, she had a muscled, powerful build, but at the time it was slim enough to be feminine. Not that this whole ‘relationship’ is focused on physical attraction, but….
You know, I’ve lost count over how many times I’ve tried to recall just how exactly the two of us started out. All I know is that one day I’m simply going to my usual gym, the next I bump into the gym’s latest member, exchange some words, and soon enough I have a red-scaled Dragoness for a girlfriend.
And less then two weeks later, she has moved into my place.
Marcus bit hard into his wet towel as he cleaned his wounds. For agonizing moments, it felt like his back was on fire, and fresh tears escaped from his tightly clenched eyes as his body shook from the pain.
Red-scaled Dragons are known for their tempers and are one of the most territorial species of dragons, though to be fair I did know of some from the University who don’t deserve such description.
But Aleztra? True, at the start of our relationship she did have one nasty temper, though she managed to keep it in check just barely. Most of the time. I did learn one thing quickly from her regarding red-scales; the need to have a, shall we say, Alpha, in any kind of relationship, and the only way to earn that was to be the stronger of the two. Of course, I’m Human, and the both of us did agree on not having that rule apply to us, but….
Aleztra could be teasing at times, playfully reminding me of which one of us was the strongest, and more often then not the so-called teasing came very, very close in being mean, almost cruel, but she always managed to stop at the last moment.
So why did I persist? Why didn’t I end it, as I now clearly should have? I have my reasons, which I will not disclose at this time, but know this; as time progressed, things slowly changed. Aleztra changed. She slowly gained more control of her temper, she became more considerate of her superior strength to mine and most important of all, she let me grow closer to her.
I have a memory of us two, a memory that I still treasure today and always will, no matter what. It happened on Hollywood Hill here in L.A., she had flown me there after a wild night in town. We lay on the grass, the dark sky full of stars and I pressed myself up to her for warmth. She positioned herself so her head would rest on my chest and we stayed like that for what felt like eternity as I slowly and gently ran my fingers through her hair, and then she looked into my eyes and gave me a special kind of smile you’ll only see once in a lifetime, and then she pulled me closer, her great wings wrapped around us as we rested in each other’s arms. But it was that look in her eyes as she smiled that is forever burned into my memories; she somehow showed me just a fraction of her soul, but it was enough to see that she had never ever shown it to anyone, to let someone grow so close to her, and that she was so happy that I stuck around for so long, despite her flaws. I also thought I saw something else, just a glimpse, but it was something…painful. Dark.
I suppose I should have done something then, though at the time I didn’t know what exactly it was that I thought I’d had seen. But even so, if I had tried, then maybe, just maybe, what transpired nearly two years ago may not have happened at all.
…………………………………
As Aleztra slowly read the letter, dark smoke slowly trickled out of her nostrils and she looked like she was about to spew fire at any moment. Instead, she let out a near ear-shattering roar as she punched her fist through the hotel room’s wall.
“Those bastards!” she howled as she made another hole on the wall, “Disqualified! Banned for a year! Those fucks!”
Marcus could only watch in disbelief at an eight foot tall Dragoness acting like a spoiled brat, “And what the hell did you expect, Ez? You bit your opponent in the neck! You’re lucky you didn’t kill her!”
The young Human didn’t so much as blink as Aleztra stormed up to him, the danger before him never even registering to his mind as the enraged Dragoness loomed over him.
“I was to win the first place! I was so close, it was supposed to mine! Mine!” she nearly screamed hysterically at Marcus, her eyes were open once more, showing an old wound, pain, if not fear in there as well, something that had been buried deep within her soul for a very long time. Under any other circumstances Marcus would have acted differently, but this time he let his temper get the better of him.
“Will you listen to yourself?!? You’re worried about some goddamned fighting tournament when you just nearly ended someone’s life! What the hell is wrong with you!? You-“ his next words froze in his throat as he now saw something far different in his love’s eyes.
A second later, her fist connected to his head.
………………………………….
Marcus placed everything back in the first-aid kit after treating his wounds, then sat on the toilet-seat, slowly gathering his courage to go back to the bedroom.
I suffered a dislocated jaw and two broken teeth. If she had hit me just a bit harder, she would have snapped my neck.
As I said before, over the course of our relationship a new, different Aleztra was slowly coming out, a side of her she had probably never dared to let anyone see.
The moment her fist connected to my face, that person died.
She didn’t even phone an ambulance after hitting me, just stormed out of our hotel-room in Miami. The police soon arrived only because a tenant next door had heard her smash through the walls and had called the authority.
And when we got back to L.A., things only got worse.
She completely threw herself into bodybuilding, from morning to night and more then once I’ve had a sneaky suspicion she’s taking steroids, or whatever Dragons use as one. What control she had of her temper gained throughout our relationship, completely vanished in a single day, replaced by a completely different person. And when she takes out her frustration on me, even when I’ve done nothing, its either with her fists or in bed. I still can’t decide which is worse.
When it’s with her fists, she doesn’t lose control and beats me with a force that would have killed me months ago. No, she does it…coldly, with precision. She hits me for pain, not hurt. Even so, there have been….exceptions. Those times have become more frequent ever since Ez picked up drinking now and then. Sometimes she goes away in the middle of the night and comes back in the morning, reeking of alcohol. One time, she mistook her side of the bed and passed out right on top of me. I just barely managed to wriggle me out before suffocating.
And, sometimes, when she’s drunk, she’s not on top of me just to pass out.
Five months ago I lost my job at the game company because I was spending too much time at the hospital. They had no choice but to let me go, not that I blame them. I soon started this on-line technical support. I charge by the minute and the business is up and down. It pays the bills and puts food on our table, but just barely. I need to find myself a proper job, and fast, but that’s the least of my worries.
Taking a deep breath, Marcus stood up and left the bathroom, slowly and silently, he made his way to the bedroom.
After last Christmas, when I ended up at the hospital with a broken arm and several fractured ribs (I still think the bed got the worst of it), I had an odd hunch and did a little internet search about Ez’s father, Kratos. I knew he, too, had fought in tournaments and been a champion more then once, though she had never really talked about her father. What I found about him chilled me to the bone.
Kratos “The Bloody” had more then earned his nickname, as he was infamous for his brutality in tournaments. He had been banned for life in over dozens countries, been arrested multiple times after fights and I even stumbled on old news paper clips about tournaments in the criminal underworld, where the fights were to the death, and Ez’ father had been named more then once in being affiliated in those fights. And if the old news clips were just half-right, Kratos had been the champion in those fights more times then the legal ones.
But the icing on the top was a news article that dated nearly ten years ago. A sting operation against the mafia in New York had arrested several individuals who had a hand in things such as smuggling, narcotics and illegal fights, to name but a few, and several more were being hunted, including Kratos. A day before the big trial, the Dragon turns himself in without a fuss. Three hours later, the main and only witness to the whole thing was found dead in his ‘safe’ house, his back broken as he had been bend over, his head shoved up his own ass.
Cause of death: Suffocation.
Twenty-four hours later, the case was dropped. Lack of evidence. And soon after that, Kratos seemed to just vanish, or he just was no longer news worthy. Maybe he just moved into another country or even retired. Or he could be dead. Wherever he may be, that’s not the point.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot. Kratos was no father model, and I did stumble on two pictures of him and another who was without a doubt Aleztra. Now, I’m no psychiatrist, nor did I study pathological behaviour at the University, but…I think….I think, and I pray to God everyday that I’m wrong, but I think that Ez is now treating me the same way her father treated her. It just makes sense, it explains so much.
Her own father. Her own, Goddamned father.
Or maybe that’s just an excuse I’ve made for myself, to give this all a tragic, dramatic event that might someday be over. That it might be fixed. Because leaving her will only bring a far much worse pain back. The kind of pain that makes me endure with what Ez puts me through, rather then face it again.
The pain of being alone.
Marcus slowly eased himself back into bed, and Aleztra didn’t so much as stir as the Human took a deep breath and let sleep slowly come. But just as he was about to pass out, hot breath hit his face and, startled, he opened his eyes and was greeted with Ez’s face less then in inch away from him.
“Ready for round two?” she asked sweetly. Not waiting for an answer, she grabed his wrists in a tight grip, almost to their breaking point, causing the Human to scream in pain as the great Dragoness positioned herself on top of him.
Soon, the room began to shudder once more.
I wrote this one-shot about 2 years ago and posted it on FA, then recently remembered it and decided to show it here as well. Its sort of...dark/romance thingie kind of story, dunno how else to explain it XD.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoy it.
.............................................
“Go to the ‘start’ menu at the bottom left corner, click on it, then select ‘restart’,” Marcus said for the third time, trying his best in keeping a level tone. A pity the fellow on the other line did not appreciate his effort, “No! Don’t log off! That’s-“ Marcus closed his eyes and silently counted to ten as he was told it was too late, “….how’s this whole mess started in the first place.”
The guy in the other line, whose name Marcus hadn’t even bothered to remember, started rambling hotly how it was his fault, that he swore Marcus had said him to log off, but the Human wasn’t even listening. Sure, not all calls were like these, some lasted only a few seconds, while a few special cases such as these could stretch for over an hour, sometimes making Marcus wonder if such dense people truly existed, or if they were pulling a prank on him.
I really need to find another job, he thought for the tenth time this day as the caller was now threatening to sue him, blaming him that he couldn’t access his office computer to get some files for a really important meeting, working home as a Technical Consultant isn’t like I thought it would be.
He took a deep breath and was about to explain to the caller that he had been recording the whole conversation which was admissible to court, when he glanced at the clock and started when he saw it was passed six pm.
“I’m sorry sir, but my working time has just ended and if you are still having trouble tomorrow with your computer I can be reached between 10AM to five pm, thank you,” he quickly said and ended the call before the client could answer. Standing up and giving himself some well needed stretch, he then hurried towards the kitchen.
God, I hope dinner will be ready before she gets home.
……………………………….
As it turned out, he was still in the kitchen when the front door opened. No sooner was it slammed closed when heavy footsteps were heard making their way towards him.
Ten minutes, I just needed ten more freaking minutes, Marcus thought with dread as he watched the windows vibrate with each step closer, a sign telling him she was NOT in a good mood.
And in walked a terrible beauty.
Aleztra was of average height for a Dragoness, standing at eight feet tall, not counting the curved horns. Blood red scales rippled in muscle with each tiny movement she made, her powerful arms nearly thicker then Marcus’ waist. Her great wings were folded around her and her raven black hair was unkempt as usual, making her look like she had been hit by lightning. She had the body of someone who bodybuilding was the only true calling in life, giving her a figure that would have easily made everyone mistake her for a male, if it weren’t for the ample bosom beneath her t-shirt.
Instead of entering the kitchen, though, she made her way to the living room where she slumped on the sofa (specially made for Dragons) and switched on the tv. Marcus hovered uncertain from the kitchen door, wondering if he should finish dinner or go to her. Even from where he was standing he could see she was brooding more then usual, and yet, going against his better judgement, he went to the living room, hoping for some kind of normal conversation for a change.
As he came closer, he saw she was still in her gym clothes, making him wonder if she had changed or showered at all after her today’s workout. The answer was provided when he was hit by the smell of sweat and musk so strong, he had to blink repeatedly to hold back the tears.
This just isn’t normal, he thought not for the first time, the next tournament is only eight months away, yet she’s been at it like its next week.
Even Marcus knew that kind of workout Aleztra had been putting herself through wasn’t healthy for her, that she was forcing far too much work on her body, dragon or no dragon. He wanted to talk to her about it, voice his concern for her, but he just didn’t know how to start.
The fact she still hadn’t so much as acknowledged his presence in the living room didn’t help, either.
“When’s dinner?” She suddenly growled, not so much as giving him a glance, and the Human’s heart beat faster as he tried to keep an outside calm.
“Ten minutes, give or take,” he said with an ease he didn’t feel. Aleztra didn’t say anything, her yellow/orange eyes fixed on the tv. But suddenly she was up and marching towards Marcus, who completely froze in terror as several hundred pounds of muscle advanced upon him and-
-walked right passed him, either not noticing her ‘lover’s’ sudden fright or not caring, as she went to the bathroom and shut the door. It wasn’t until the shower was heard that Marcus remembered how to breathe. Taking a deep breath and shaking badly, he found himself sitting on Aleztra’s sofa, the large furniture making him look like a toddler. He would have stayed there for a while to recover, but the sofa only served as a reminder of the owner, so he instead stood up with hurry and went to the kitchen to finish dinner.
……………………….
The two barely exchanged a word as they ate, the latest episode of The Shield the only thing breaking the silence. As Aleztra finished of her second serving, she all but carelessly dropped the plate on the floor and stretched herself across her sofa, while Marcus, sitting in his own chair some distance away, wasn’t even half-finished with his first dish.
“So, Ez,” Marcus finally spoke during a commercial break, “did anything happen at the gym today?” A bit of a stupid question, but since she had spent the whole day there, there really wasn’t much of anything else to ask.
“Don and Murph broke up,” Aleztra finally said after a few seconds of silence.
“What, again?” Marcus replied, not in the least surprised. Watching those two guys was like watching a soap opera, “That’s what, third time in two months?”
“Fourth, if you count what happens outside the gym,” the Dragoness stated as she used one of her claws to pick at her razor sharp teeth, “What that Wolf sees in that runty Fox I’ll never know.”
“Some might ask you the same thing about me,” Marcus said jokingly as the show resumed, giving her an opening for something nice to say, smile, or anything.
Aleztra just nodded, if she too had been having the same thought.
That action alone hurt deeper then any punch or kick could ever make, and Marcus’ hand turned white from the tight grip on the fork.
Neither spoke to each other for the rest of the evening.
………………………….
The curtains had been pulled away from the large window and the light from the full moon gave Aleztra’s sweaty body an almost mystic glow as the room shuddered from the great Dragoness. Again and again she pressed on the bed, lifting herself slightly up before nearly bringing her whole weight down. She kept at it for a good time, a near in-audible grunt escaping from her tightly clenched lips with each thrust. As climax came closer, she went harder and faster, the end of the bed slowly forming yet another dent in the wall, ‘til she arched her head back and nearly roared as her body shook with orgasm. She stayed like that as she caught her breath, before rolling off Marcus to her side of the bed, her back against the Human.
His mouth was nearly filled with blood from biting his lips too hard and his teeth ached from clenching so tightly, but it had been the only way from not screaming as Aleztra….
Calling it ‘making love’ weren’t the right words, it was too of a delicate description to fit with what had just happened.
No. She fucked him. Plain and simple.
Marcus took deep breaths to calm himself, nearly every rib in his chest screaming in protest as he did so, along with every single part and muscle of his body. He would have passed out right then and there, if weren’t from an all too familiar stinging sensation coming from his sweaty back. Swallowing the blood in his mouth, he slowly raised himself up and the pain in his body intensified tenfold, but did his best to ignore it as he wobbly stood up.
As he shakily made his way out of the room, deep snores came from the massive shape of Aleztra.
…………………….
His eyes stung as he switched on the bathroom lights and when he saw his naked form in the mirror, a part of him wished he had left the switch alone. His somewhat skinny body was covered in old cuts and bruises, and new ones were already forming from having non-stop sex with an a aggressive Dragoness for nearly forty-minutes. But tonight’s worst were revealed when Marcus inspected his back to the mirror, revealing that, once again, Aleztra had forgotten her sharp claws in the heat of the moment. It wasn’t the first time this had happened, and it most definitely wouldn’t be the last, either.
With a practised ease, Marcus pulled out the first-aid kit and went to work.
Just so you know, it wasn’t always like this. There was a time when she actually made the attempt of trying to at least be careful, but those days are long gone. And when we first met, nearly three years ago at Brad’s gym, she did posses that kind of dominating streak about her, but that was nothing compared to what she’s like today. Her body, too, was different. True, she had a muscled, powerful build, but at the time it was slim enough to be feminine. Not that this whole ‘relationship’ is focused on physical attraction, but….
You know, I’ve lost count over how many times I’ve tried to recall just how exactly the two of us started out. All I know is that one day I’m simply going to my usual gym, the next I bump into the gym’s latest member, exchange some words, and soon enough I have a red-scaled Dragoness for a girlfriend.
And less then two weeks later, she has moved into my place.
Marcus bit hard into his wet towel as he cleaned his wounds. For agonizing moments, it felt like his back was on fire, and fresh tears escaped from his tightly clenched eyes as his body shook from the pain.
Red-scaled Dragons are known for their tempers and are one of the most territorial species of dragons, though to be fair I did know of some from the University who don’t deserve such description.
But Aleztra? True, at the start of our relationship she did have one nasty temper, though she managed to keep it in check just barely. Most of the time. I did learn one thing quickly from her regarding red-scales; the need to have a, shall we say, Alpha, in any kind of relationship, and the only way to earn that was to be the stronger of the two. Of course, I’m Human, and the both of us did agree on not having that rule apply to us, but….
Aleztra could be teasing at times, playfully reminding me of which one of us was the strongest, and more often then not the so-called teasing came very, very close in being mean, almost cruel, but she always managed to stop at the last moment.
So why did I persist? Why didn’t I end it, as I now clearly should have? I have my reasons, which I will not disclose at this time, but know this; as time progressed, things slowly changed. Aleztra changed. She slowly gained more control of her temper, she became more considerate of her superior strength to mine and most important of all, she let me grow closer to her.
I have a memory of us two, a memory that I still treasure today and always will, no matter what. It happened on Hollywood Hill here in L.A., she had flown me there after a wild night in town. We lay on the grass, the dark sky full of stars and I pressed myself up to her for warmth. She positioned herself so her head would rest on my chest and we stayed like that for what felt like eternity as I slowly and gently ran my fingers through her hair, and then she looked into my eyes and gave me a special kind of smile you’ll only see once in a lifetime, and then she pulled me closer, her great wings wrapped around us as we rested in each other’s arms. But it was that look in her eyes as she smiled that is forever burned into my memories; she somehow showed me just a fraction of her soul, but it was enough to see that she had never ever shown it to anyone, to let someone grow so close to her, and that she was so happy that I stuck around for so long, despite her flaws. I also thought I saw something else, just a glimpse, but it was something…painful. Dark.
I suppose I should have done something then, though at the time I didn’t know what exactly it was that I thought I’d had seen. But even so, if I had tried, then maybe, just maybe, what transpired nearly two years ago may not have happened at all.
…………………………………
As Aleztra slowly read the letter, dark smoke slowly trickled out of her nostrils and she looked like she was about to spew fire at any moment. Instead, she let out a near ear-shattering roar as she punched her fist through the hotel room’s wall.
“Those bastards!” she howled as she made another hole on the wall, “Disqualified! Banned for a year! Those fucks!”
Marcus could only watch in disbelief at an eight foot tall Dragoness acting like a spoiled brat, “And what the hell did you expect, Ez? You bit your opponent in the neck! You’re lucky you didn’t kill her!”
The young Human didn’t so much as blink as Aleztra stormed up to him, the danger before him never even registering to his mind as the enraged Dragoness loomed over him.
“I was to win the first place! I was so close, it was supposed to mine! Mine!” she nearly screamed hysterically at Marcus, her eyes were open once more, showing an old wound, pain, if not fear in there as well, something that had been buried deep within her soul for a very long time. Under any other circumstances Marcus would have acted differently, but this time he let his temper get the better of him.
“Will you listen to yourself?!? You’re worried about some goddamned fighting tournament when you just nearly ended someone’s life! What the hell is wrong with you!? You-“ his next words froze in his throat as he now saw something far different in his love’s eyes.
A second later, her fist connected to his head.
………………………………….
Marcus placed everything back in the first-aid kit after treating his wounds, then sat on the toilet-seat, slowly gathering his courage to go back to the bedroom.
I suffered a dislocated jaw and two broken teeth. If she had hit me just a bit harder, she would have snapped my neck.
As I said before, over the course of our relationship a new, different Aleztra was slowly coming out, a side of her she had probably never dared to let anyone see.
The moment her fist connected to my face, that person died.
She didn’t even phone an ambulance after hitting me, just stormed out of our hotel-room in Miami. The police soon arrived only because a tenant next door had heard her smash through the walls and had called the authority.
And when we got back to L.A., things only got worse.
She completely threw herself into bodybuilding, from morning to night and more then once I’ve had a sneaky suspicion she’s taking steroids, or whatever Dragons use as one. What control she had of her temper gained throughout our relationship, completely vanished in a single day, replaced by a completely different person. And when she takes out her frustration on me, even when I’ve done nothing, its either with her fists or in bed. I still can’t decide which is worse.
When it’s with her fists, she doesn’t lose control and beats me with a force that would have killed me months ago. No, she does it…coldly, with precision. She hits me for pain, not hurt. Even so, there have been….exceptions. Those times have become more frequent ever since Ez picked up drinking now and then. Sometimes she goes away in the middle of the night and comes back in the morning, reeking of alcohol. One time, she mistook her side of the bed and passed out right on top of me. I just barely managed to wriggle me out before suffocating.
And, sometimes, when she’s drunk, she’s not on top of me just to pass out.
Five months ago I lost my job at the game company because I was spending too much time at the hospital. They had no choice but to let me go, not that I blame them. I soon started this on-line technical support. I charge by the minute and the business is up and down. It pays the bills and puts food on our table, but just barely. I need to find myself a proper job, and fast, but that’s the least of my worries.
Taking a deep breath, Marcus stood up and left the bathroom, slowly and silently, he made his way to the bedroom.
After last Christmas, when I ended up at the hospital with a broken arm and several fractured ribs (I still think the bed got the worst of it), I had an odd hunch and did a little internet search about Ez’s father, Kratos. I knew he, too, had fought in tournaments and been a champion more then once, though she had never really talked about her father. What I found about him chilled me to the bone.
Kratos “The Bloody” had more then earned his nickname, as he was infamous for his brutality in tournaments. He had been banned for life in over dozens countries, been arrested multiple times after fights and I even stumbled on old news paper clips about tournaments in the criminal underworld, where the fights were to the death, and Ez’ father had been named more then once in being affiliated in those fights. And if the old news clips were just half-right, Kratos had been the champion in those fights more times then the legal ones.
But the icing on the top was a news article that dated nearly ten years ago. A sting operation against the mafia in New York had arrested several individuals who had a hand in things such as smuggling, narcotics and illegal fights, to name but a few, and several more were being hunted, including Kratos. A day before the big trial, the Dragon turns himself in without a fuss. Three hours later, the main and only witness to the whole thing was found dead in his ‘safe’ house, his back broken as he had been bend over, his head shoved up his own ass.
Cause of death: Suffocation.
Twenty-four hours later, the case was dropped. Lack of evidence. And soon after that, Kratos seemed to just vanish, or he just was no longer news worthy. Maybe he just moved into another country or even retired. Or he could be dead. Wherever he may be, that’s not the point.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot. Kratos was no father model, and I did stumble on two pictures of him and another who was without a doubt Aleztra. Now, I’m no psychiatrist, nor did I study pathological behaviour at the University, but…I think….I think, and I pray to God everyday that I’m wrong, but I think that Ez is now treating me the same way her father treated her. It just makes sense, it explains so much.
Her own father. Her own, Goddamned father.
Or maybe that’s just an excuse I’ve made for myself, to give this all a tragic, dramatic event that might someday be over. That it might be fixed. Because leaving her will only bring a far much worse pain back. The kind of pain that makes me endure with what Ez puts me through, rather then face it again.
The pain of being alone.
Marcus slowly eased himself back into bed, and Aleztra didn’t so much as stir as the Human took a deep breath and let sleep slowly come. But just as he was about to pass out, hot breath hit his face and, startled, he opened his eyes and was greeted with Ez’s face less then in inch away from him.
“Ready for round two?” she asked sweetly. Not waiting for an answer, she grabed his wrists in a tight grip, almost to their breaking point, causing the Human to scream in pain as the great Dragoness positioned herself on top of him.
Soon, the room began to shudder once more.
