CHAPTER 4 MAX
I barely catch myself before I crash into a massive slab of obsidian, and angle slightly upwards to avoid it. The last-minute revision has a cost, though, and I land at a horrible slant and a terrifying speed.
The landing alarms me, and I run a quick check to make sure I’m uninjured. I switch quickly into human form, keeping nothing dragon but my razor-like claws. After all, we don’t know who’s godsdamned volcano we just landed on.
My short, dark hair and neatly groomed beard: intact. Clay-colored eyes, unburned and not otherwise damaged. I pat my defined arms with my large hands, feeling for burns or stabs, and luckily find nothing. I glance down at my warm olive skin and grunt in minor appreciation of my luck. Thank the gods I didn’t get myself killed.
After collecting myself (which is painful, by the way), I look around for Porthos and find him trying not to laugh at me from a few paces away.
“I hope, for your sake, that you’re not laughing right now,” I say, growling.
“If we weren’t in such a fix,” he says, “I would find this a lot funnier.” I roll my eyes as he smiles softly and brushes some soot from his shoulders. I check to make sure he’s uninjured, too; I scan his light skin for any slick red blood, and find none. His agile, toned body saved him this time. He’s more slender than I am. His long black hair is clear, too, curled tightly atop his head. He brushes some loose strands from his eyes and raises his eyebrows at me, exposing his narrow dark blue eyes from under his hooded eyelashes.
“Are you checking me out?” he asks.
“I’m checking you for injuries , you egomaniac.” I throw my hands up, exasperated with him.
Then the igneous rock, still radiating heat, vibrates low under us, creating thin sudden fissures that tear through the ash-covered earth. We are definitely not on friendly territory.
“ Who goes here? ” a thunderous voice booms at us, just as a massive dragon flies out of the center of the volcano and down to meet us.
“Kneel!” says Port, and I scowl. He sends a quick jet of water drops at my head, and I duck to avoid it. “Max, come on!” I roll my eyes and growl once more, but oblige. Port knows me well, and I can be myself with him. We’ve been through a lot together. It’s hard to think back of a time when we didn’t know each other. We’re two alphas alike in many ways, yet balancing each other out. But that’s just it, we’re two alphas ... kneeling ... it’s not a good position to meet someone new, but Port and I agreed beforehand, we want no trouble.
Once we’re kneeling, the dragon of the volcano, reeking of alpha strength, lands before us with a thump that shakes the entire mountain. My eyes go wide as I stare down at the ground, and I quickly school them into indifference as I look up to introduce myself.
Port beats me to it, saying (in a much lower voice than his usual timbre) “Hello, great ruler. I am Porthos, flown from far beyond this volcano seeking refuge from a dangerous foe.” I barely keep myself from cracking up at his fancy language, and he shoots a sharp glance my way as if he can sense my annoyance.
“I am Maxenthius.”
At my ... brief self-introduction, the volcano’s dragon snarls and steps forward. Port stops him in his tracks with a squeaking plea, “Great ruler! I apologize on behalf of my companion. We are weary from travel, and he is, well, a bit of a quiet fellow. We mean no offense, and certainly mean no harm.”
The dragon replies, never taking his eyes off me, “You should do the talking from here on out, then, shouldn’t you?”
I smirk softly at his snark, and he roars violently before bounding up to me.
“You dare mock me?” he yells. “In my homeland? While in peril of your own?”
Okay, I’ll admit, this dragon is terrifying. I must have accidentally shown some of my momentary panic, because he sees something in my face that seems to reassure him that I’m no threat. Or maybe he can smell it on me. I bow my head calmly, trying to emphasize, hey, I’m a cocky alpha bastard, but I’m no danger , and he gives me a subtle nod. Port watches this entire interaction with a look of utter horror and confusion.
The dragon takes a deep breath and shifts into human form, and I’m struck (and jealous) of his rugged handsomeness. It’s almost annoying, this fearsome dragon having such a characteristically attractive human form. Damn that broad chest and strong arms. I bite my tongue from launching some secretly-complimentary insult, and wait.
After a pause, the volcano’s ruler speaks. “What business have you, then, here? Why have you landed in this realm?”
“We are seeking refuge, as Port – Porthos – has mentioned. A bounty of sorts has been placed upon our heads, though we have committed no crime.”
The ruler raises an eyebrow, and smirks. “Why should I not kill you, then?”
Port’s eyes almost jump out of his head. “Great ruler–”
“–Oh, I doubt you would.” I interrupt. “You don’t seem the type. Too ... noble. I can smell that alpha honor on you.”
It seems the volcano ruler has quickly changed his opinion of me, because he throws his head back (glorious bronze hair flowing out behind his head – damn him!) and laughs raucously. Port looks at me, deeply disturbed by our sudden camaraderie, apparently. I shrug, smiling mischievously, and laugh alongside the dragon-man. I walk to Port and clap him on the shoulder, encouraging him to join the jest –and perhaps secretly relishing his terror. Port quickly forces a chuckle, and the ruler laughs even harder.
After at least a minute, the volcano’s ruler stops laughing and wipes a single tear from his eye. “Oh, that’s good,” he says. “Fine, stay, do what you will. Ground rules: do not challenge my authority, as I am the sovereign of this volcano, its guardian, its sole Alpha guardian .” Again, I hold back an eye roll, but I nod all the same. Port nods as well, much more solemn than me.
After a few minutes of negotiations, promised-favors, and ground rules, we’re let into the volcano.
“I am Corinthian,” says the man, with a strikingly confident smile, “though I suppose ‘Cory’ will suffice.”
“Oh, call me ‘Max,’ then,” I say.
Port chimes in, “Yes, just ‘Port’ will do.”
Cory looks over us once more, shaking his head. “You two seem like a troublesome bunch, but I’m intrigued nonetheless.”
“I tend to have that effect on people,” I reply.
At that, Cory shakes his head. Port presses his fingers to his forehead, seemingly exhausted with my nonsense for the day, and I grin at him. “The volcano’s shadow guardians will show you to your rooms,” Cory says. “I’ll be about.” Then, just like that, he walks off and is gone.
“Well,” I say. “Volcano life, here we come.”