The sense of peace and belonging that surrounded her in Lucy’s treasury made Felicity reluctant to leave. A smidgen of her trepidation might also be due to the more arduous journey to Atlas. Flying would provide the only enjoyable part.
The depths at which the entire island sank is what concerned her.
Would her and Maeze’s bodies adapt to the pressures of the water? She had no notion whether Rykert and Felix had gone this deep either. Maybe that would have been a viable question to ask before they embarked on this. And they still needed to rise to the surface.
She frowned at Rykert. He must have read her thoughts, or guessed. “We will leave here now. There is land not far from Atlas where we can spend the night. Then in the morning we shall be fresh to dive.”
“That answers one pertinent question. Have you and Felix ever gone as deep as Atlas?”
Rykert and Felix stared at each other. Felix pursed his lips. His scales pulled. “Not this deep, no. But we have gone close to nine hundred and fifty feet before. It did not seem to be a problem.”
A shrugging dragon always amused her and with Felix’s bright yellow scales it proved even better. “That is reassuring.” She looked to Rykert. “You experienced no problems?”
“My body adjusted, just as it always does. So did Felix’s. We went slow and steady and took a break.”
Ah. “You were sensible about the dive.”
“We were. Unfortunately, we did not locate a treasure during that dive.” Rykert glanced at Felix.
“It is there. We simply could not locate it.” Disgruntlement lined Felix’s statement. He huffed and a burst of dragonfyre nearly charred Rykert’s trouser hem.
Neither male seemed bothered by this. One could always tell when a pair like this had been together a long time. She hoped she and Maeze reached that point as well. Affection rose for her dragon, who bumped her with her scaly blue head.
“We should go before it grows dark. Making camp in the dark is not enjoyable.” Rykert herded them all to the exit. They entered the pool and soon landed on the sea ledge. Still no sign of that octopus Rykert had mentioned for which she breathed a little easier.
They headed for the surface. None of them hurried as that had proved to be catastrophic in the past.
At the surface they again made certain no one was about. The fading light was in their favor.
It took mere seconds for the dragons to burst from the waves and soon they were airborne again. Felicity raised her temperature to dry her clothes. The higher body temp also helped in the chilly altitudes they flew.
She kept watch with Rykert as the dragons soared in the direction Rykert pointed. Felix knew of the place Rykert had mentioned and they headed there now.
They would need to find food and make a temporary camp. Neither would take long.
Once they settled, Felicity was surprised that they did so on the edge of a town. “Really? We are going to spend the night in a town?”
“Yes. It is much nicer to have a real bed and someone else to make our dinner. Felix and Maeze can bunk down in a nearby cave and hunt for their meals.”
Maeze’s tail moved in a way that indicated she relished the idea of hunting. She had taken to it as a hatchling and had become a very adept hunter.
“I could hunt for us while Maeze makes the cave cozy.” Felix offered but Maeze snorted. The dragonfyre didn’t harm him, a fellow dragon.
“Maeze is probably a better hunter than you.” Felicity said this as delicately as possible.
Rykert laughed. “She is right. You have never been that great a hunter. Your yellow scales give you away every time.”
“I am an accomplished hunter and I enjoy it.” Maeze preened ever so slightly.
“Oh good. I shall see to the cave then.” Which Felicity took to mean Felix would drive out anything they did not wish to share the space with and make certain they had a water source nearby.
They left the dragons who appeared eager to bunk down for the night. Dragons enjoyed adventures but they also needed more sleep than an Aasguard. Without their chaperons, Felicity struggled to know what to do with herself. Her rumbling stomach offered an obvious direction.
Rykert reached for her hand, something an Aasguard should never do, and headed into town. The sleepy town appeared perfect for their needs. He made for a pub with a flapping wooden sign and she spotted that they also had rooms for rent.
Her sack was waterproof, something all Aasguards made certain of during training and maintained. Their money and change of clothing would be dry. Both of them had retrieved their bags before saying goodnight to the dragons.
Now she reveled in holding Rykert’s hand as they headed for the pub.
A few minutes later they had secured rooms and were seated at a table in the corner awaiting supper. The looks they received contained interested respect. If people recognized their Aasguard status they tended to be welcoming. An Aasguard always defended a town if in residence.
If they did not recognize their Aasguard status they did read that she and Rykert were high warriors and not to be bothered. A drunk might miss the signs, but their buddies typically hustled them out of the establishment.
No one approached but she expected that. These people had also come to enjoy the evening meal. They likely intended to find their beds soon after as well. The sun had gone down by now and many must be local or they had secured a room in the pub.
The management soon placed steaming platters in front of them. She and Rykert enjoyed the fare and their conversation.
And Felicity realized she would enjoy living this way for years to come. Not beholden to anyone. With a purpose ahead of them but looking out for others in a manner that would benefit many—not a single family. She appreciated the casualness of their new life and the way the man across the table looked at her.
Yes, she anticipated wonderful years ahead of them. Provided tomorrow went well.
‡‡
The next morning Rykert took to the stairs, pack in hand to reconvene with Felicity. She had already left her room so he missed her upstairs. Perhaps that was for the better. He had been reluctant to part ways last night but it had been the right decision. They both knew right now was too soon.
He stole a kiss and thought she appreciated their quick embrace last evening and this morning.
Now he took in her violet eyes and gleaming dark hair and could not believe his luck in his mate. This woman epitomized everything he wanted in a wife and companion. Felix might be cheerful and fun but he was a dragon. They required treasure and naps.
On the other hand, Felicity was his kind, boasted his exact same skills, yet brought a femininity that had been missing for all of his days. She completed the parts of his life that had been lacking. His lessened emotions all these years had blinded him to this fact.
In the wake of these emerging emotions he could appreciate things all over again as he never had before. He traced a quick caress across her cheek as other guests dotted the dining area. They ordered breakfast and it arrived before the dawn.
“Are you nervous about our travels today?” He sipped coffee and waited for her response.
“Yes and no.” She set her own mug down. “I am looking forward to seeing Atlas and determining whether it will work for us, but I am also concerned about the trip down.” Pleats formed across her forehead.
“What is concerning you?”
“We need to consider how often we will need to visit the treasury. Depending on how bad the trip is, we could dread all visits to the treasury. Something we might need to do regularly.”
She had yet to pick up her fork.
“Did the trip to Lucy’s treasury last evening bother you?”
“It did not. It is a different world, there under the sea.”
“It is. Felix and I enjoy the water. This treasury we are planning to form is going to be massive. Having to traverse through the depths of an ocean seems like an excellent deterrent to even the most determined of thieves.”
“You are not thinking about humans so much.” She searched his face, but in the same manner as her, he gave little away.
“One portal has been opened. There are plenty of creatures who are as vicious as desampus. Or more so. But there are others who are more like humans, only who live far longer. What those beings all have in common is they all require funds.”
“Our hope is that sinking as far down as we can is not an option for them. The depth is very much in our favor.” She finally picked up her fork which meant he was free to do so as well.
“That is my thought. It might be that Atlas is too far. We can determine that today.” It did not take long to finish breakfast. They had a place to be so they finished, paid their tab, and left.
Felix greeted them as they approached the cave.
“Have you eaten?” Rykert struggled to determine if his dragon was hungry.
“Yes. Maeze went out to get a feel of the place. She said she likes to do that.” Felix glanced at Felicity but Rykert could tell the night had not gone as well as the dragon might have wished. Rykert clapped a hand to his shoulder as Felicity nodded and headed unerringly in the direction Maeze had taken.
He waited until she was out of earshot. “It is the first night. We cannot entertain high expectations.”
“I am a failure as a male dragon.” Felix huffed out a huge gust of dragonfyre.
“Easy, you might set the place on fire and no one wants that.” Rykert squeezed the shoulder muscle under his hand. “Keep in mind that Maeze is new to life. She is not experienced, we know next to nothing about females, and here we now have two of them.”
Felix brightened. “So I can still redeem myself?”
“I am certain you can. Right now we have to impress these womenfolk that we not only know how to get to Atlas, but that we can actually get them there safely today.”
“Oh right.” Felix’s deflation eased. “It will behoove us to get everyone safely there and back.”
“That is the idea. We still have a chance to impress the women.” Although he could sympathize with Felix. “Remember females are different. They need time.”
Felix pondered that. “I hope so. I thought Maeze liked me.”
“She does. That is clear. However, she has not yet reached two years old.”
The scales on Felix’s cheeks deepened. “I forget about that. She is quite young.”
“My guess is she is not ready to be mated because she still has a lot of living to do first. Which she is doing with us. Felicity has some reservations and they are valid. But they are with us, so let us do what we are supposed to do and have faith that everything will fall into place when it is supposed to.”
“I can see where that is the proper course.” Felix straightened his shoulders, but his tail swished. “Living as long as we have can rather be a burden.”
“Yes, it certainly can.” By then Maeze and Felicity returned and indicated they were ready to meet the day.
He exchanged a look with Felix before climbing aboard. They did have an awaiting adventure and the outcome remained a mystery. One could not have an adventure unless they took the first step.
Or in their case, until they reached the heights of the sky, then the depths of the sea.