The Old Dragon of the Mountain's Christmas (Dragon Lords of Valdier #9)
Read The Old Dragon of the Mountain's Christmas (Dragon Lords of Valdier #9) Online
Authors: S.E. Smith
Tags: #Paranormal, #Romance, #Fantasy, #Dragon
The Old Dragon’s Christmas:
Dragon Lords of Valdier Book 9
By S. E. Smith
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank my husband Steve for believing in me and being proud enough of me to give me the courage to follow my dream. I would also like to give a special thank you to my sister and best friend, Linda, who not only encouraged me to write, but who also read the manuscript. Also to my other friends who believe in me: Julie, Jackie, Lisa, Sally, Elizabeth (Beth) and Narelle. The girls that keep me going!
—S. E. Smith
To Dulcie and Jose – for showing that love has no age limits.
WARNING
—Em's EORD
Synopsis
Born prematurely, Christoff wasn’t as big or as strong as his older brother or the other younglings in the village. Unable to fit in, he does the best he can, helping his father and mother on their farm. His life changes when the mountain near their farm awakens. Believing he is the only one who can quiet it, he retreats to the mountain to watch over the village that shunned him.
A hermit for centuries, he dreams of the day he can move on to his next life; a life that he hopes will give him a chance of finding his true mate. He knows his time has come when the mountain begins to tremble again. What he doesn’t expect is a group of younglings who suddenly appear in the hopes of saving a thing called Christmas. When the mountain erupts, he never expects to awaken on a strange planet light years away, or to meet an unusual woman who sees beneath his deformity to the warrior hidden within.
Can the love of a special woman and her family heal Christoff’s tortured soul? Find out what happens when the Goddess Aikaterina gives The Old Dragon his very own special Christmas.
Author’s Note:
For those who have not read the Dragon Lords of Valdier, here is a little background.
The Valdier are dragon shifters who have a golden symbiot, yes, symbiot, just the way I want them to be called as they are characters in themselves. The Valdier consist of three parts: the dragon, the man/woman, and their symbiot companion. They are friends with the Curizan (a species able to harness the energy around them) and the Sarafin Warriors (a cat shifting species). The following is a character relationship for those new to the series:
Zoran Reykill, Leader of the Valdier
mated to
Abby Tanner: one son: Zohar
Mandra Reykill
mated to
Ariel Hamm: one son: Jabir
Kelan Reykill
mated to
Trisha Grove: one son: Bálint
Trelon Reykill
mated to
Cara Truman: twin daughters: Amber and Jade
Creon Reykill
mated to
Carmen Walker: twin daughters: Spring and Phoenix
Paul Grove
true mate
to Morian Reykill
Cree and Calo Aryeh (Twin Dragons)
true mate
to Melina Franklin: one daughter: Hope.
Vox d’Rojah: King of the Sarafin Warriors
mated to
Riley St. Claire: one son: Roam.
Viper d'Rojah
mated to
Tina St. Claire
Asim
mated to
Pearl St. Claire
Ha’ven Ha’darra, Prince of the Curizan
mated to
Emma Watson:
one
daughter: Alice.
Aikaterina: Unknown species; accepted as a Goddess to the Valdier, she is the oldest and most powerful of her kind.
Arilla and Arosa: Unknown species, still young for their kind, they are twins and thought to be Goddesses.
Christoff aka The Old Dragon of the Mountain
mated to
Edna Grey: daughter, Shelly, from previous marriage, son-in-law, Jack, granddaughter, Crystal.
Author’s Note:
I hope you enjoyed Christoff and Edna’s story. I didn’t plan to write it, it just came. I knew once I started, I had to finish it. I think I have laughed and cried more through this story than I have any of my others. They were good tears. If you are like me, you’ll need a box of tissues for this one!
Contents
Several centuries before:
Christoff ignored the other young boys and girls in the village as he hurried through it. Several of them stopped, pointed, and laughed at him. He was almost half their size, even though he was the same age. He had been born early and never quite caught up with the others.
“Lemar, wait!” Christoff called out to his older brother.
Lemar grimaced as he glanced over his shoulder at Christoff. “Go home!” He ordered.
“But, father told me to help you bring home the items he needs to fix the irrigation system,” Christoff said.
Lemar stopped and angrily turned on his heel to face Christoff. Christoff was used to his older brother being angry at him. It still bothered him, but he tried not to show it. If he did, Lemar would only be meaner to him.
“Go home, Christoff,” Lemar replied cruelly. “I don’t want to be seen with you.”
“But,” Christoff started to argue.
He swallowed when Lemar shoved him backwards hard enough to make him fall down. Looking up at his older brother, he tried not to show him how much it hurt. In the background, he heard more snickering and name calling from the other younglings in the village.
“I said go home,” Lemar snapped. “You are making a laughing stock out of yourself. I don’t want the others thinking I am like you – weak, unfit to be a warrior.”
“I’m not weak,” Christoff protested. “I help around the farm while you chase the females.”
Christoff winced when he saw the rage flash through Lemar’s eyes. His dragon and symbiot sensed that his brother was about to lose control again. Christoff released his dragon when he saw his brother shifting. His symbiot formed a thin layer of armor around him. It, like him and his dragon, was smaller and weaker than most of the other young boys.
He rolled to his feet seconds before Lemar struck out at him. The blow hurt as it caught him across the chest, knocking the wind out of him. He knew there would be no way to defeat his brother. The only thing he could do was try to protect himself as much as possible from the beating he was about to receive.
Lemar! Father told me to come help, please, do not be angry,
he murmured as he tried to calm his brother when he struck him again, this time across his left arm.
You never listen! You are weak and useless, Christoff! You shouldn’t even be alive,
Lemar growled as he struck Christoff again with his tail, leaving a long line of welts across Christoff’s back.
I do listen,
Christoff defended.
I listen to mother and father. They don’t think I am weak and useless.
Christoff winced as Lemar swung out with his tail and caught him across the jaw. The force of the blow spun him around. A hoarse cried escaped him when Lemar grabbed one of his deformed wings with his sharp teeth and bit down.
His dragon reacted, wrapping his tail around Lemar’s left ankle and pulling on it at the same time as he threw himself backwards to ease the pain. The combination knocked both dragons off their feet. Christoff immediately rolled when he felt Lemar release his wing in an effort to protect his back. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he struggled to break free and shakily stood up.
He twisted in fear when Lemar grabbed his leg and kicked out at his brother. A howl of pain escaped him when Lemar sank his sharp claws into his calf. Christoff felt a wave of panic when his leg buckled under him, causing him to fall to the ground again.
Lemar took advantage of his weakness to roll on top of him. The sharp claws that had been in his calf a moment ago, now dug into his throat, cutting off his air supply. He struggled weakly to push Lemar off, but it was no use. His brother outweighed him by almost three to one.
Christoff felt certain that Lemar wasn’t going to stop this time. His older brother was embarrassed by him, he knew that, but he never expected him to take his frustration and embarrassment so far as to kill him. Struggling to draw in a breath of air, he gazed up at hatred burning in Lemar’s eyes.
No, this time his brother would not stop,
Christoff thought in resignation as black spots began to darken his vision. Perhaps, Lemar was right. Perhaps, it would have been better if he had died as an infant.
“Lemar, stop!” One of the elder warriors ordered. “Release your brother now.”
Christoff didn’t think Lemar would have followed the elder’s command if it wasn’t for the fact the man’s symbiot was snarling at him. Lemar glared down at him one last time before he released him and jerked away, shifting back to his two-legged form as he stepped back from Christoff’s limp form.
“He shouldn’t be alive,” Lemar growled angrily, waving his hand. “He’s weak, pathetic! He cannot protect our village and he’ll never be good enough to find a mate.”
“I know, but it is not your place to kill him,” the elder stated. “It is your father’s place.”
Christoff shifted and rolled until he was sitting up. He wiped at the tears on his cheeks in frustration. He knew Lemar hated him even more when he cried.
“I help father,” Christoff defended, rubbing his nose against his arm. “I work hard.”
The elder turned to look down at Christoff in disgust. “You will never be fit to be a warrior, youngling. You think you help your parents, but they give you chores not even fit for a female.”
Christoff wiped at his face again as more tears escaped when the crowd of villagers chuckled and nodded their heads in agreement. He rose unsteadily to his feet. Clenching his fists at his side, he lifted his head. His father and mother knew that he was not weak. Every day they told him how much he was a gift to them. He worked hard out in the fields beside them while Lemar came to the village to wrestle with the other boys and flirt with the females. He was growing stronger each day. Yes, his wings may never let him fly, but he could still turn into a dragon and fight. His father was teaching him how to and one day, he would beat Lemar and show his older brother that he could defend the village if necessary.
“That is not true,” Christoff whispered, staring at the Elder with his head held high. “The bread you eat comes from our fields. I work beside my father and mother to plant, care for, and harvest it. I am not weak!”
The male’s eyes narrowed in warning. “Watch your tone with me, boy, or I will finish what your brother started,” the elder snarled. “Get what you came for and return home. I will talk with your father about the disruptions that happened today.”
Christoff wanted to protest, but both his dragon and his symbiot pressed on him to remain quiet. Turning clumsily on his heel, he ignored the laughter as he made his way to the iron shop. He would get the parts his father needed and return home. He knew that Lemar would not be back until after dark.
“You should have killed him, Lemar,” one of the young girls said just loud enough for him to hear. “You are so strong. I can’t believe you have a brother like Christoff.”
Christoff ignored the wave of pain at the hurtful words. He would show everyone that he was strong and when he did, the Goddess would look down on him and make him, his dragon, and his symbiot whole.
*.*.*
Two months later:
Christoff wiped the sweat from his brow and smiled at his mother. She was carrying a bucket of water for him and his dad. She stumbled under the heavy weight when the ground trembled. Dropping the hoe he was using to clear some of the weeds, he rushed over to help her.
“Here, let me,” he said, gently taking the bucket from her.
“Where’s Lemar?” She asked, looking around with a frown. “He was supposed to be helping you.”
Christoff shrugged his shoulders. Since that day in the village, he had avoided Lemar as much as possible. It wasn’t that difficult. His brother seldom did anything around the farm any more. Lemar preferred to spend his time in the village.
“The mountain is rumbling more than usual,” he said instead before bending to pick up the ladle and scooping up some water.
“Christoff,” his father called over, staring up at the mountain. “Get the tools and head back to the house. My dragon is warning me that we must leave.”
“But, the crops are almost ready,” Christoff protested, looking at the field of golden grain. “Surely it will stop again.”
Christoff watched as his father hurried down the row toward them. There was a look of determination and… fear in his father’s eyes. The determination he had seen before, but the fear – that was new. He had never seen his father afraid of anything. His father wrapped his arm around his mother’s waist and began pulling her toward the house.
“Come, we must go to the village,” Tallon said in an urgent voice.
“Christoff,” his mother called, looking over her shoulder.
“I’m coming, mother,” Christoff said, grabbing the bucket and dumping the water out on the ground. He turned and started following them before he released a curse. He had forgotten the hoe. “Go! I’ll be right there.”
Christoff turned and hurried back to grab the hoe he had dropped. He stumbled and fell to one knee when the ground shook violently under his feet. Scrambling, he looked up at the mountain that bordered the northwest corner of the valley. A steady stream of smoke was pouring from the top of it and a light rain of ash began drifting down over the valley, covering it in a gray-colored film.
Swallowing down his fear, he turned and hurried back through the field. He fell several more times before he cleared the edge leading down to the house. His symbiot appeared out of the field, looking wildly around for him.
Mountain angry,
his dragon hissed.
Smell danger.
I know,
Christoff said, glancing over his shoulder when he heard a low rumble.
Father feels it as well.
Christoff was almost to the house when a loud explosion shook the valley. The force of the blast sent him sprawling on the ground. He glanced up to see a huge rock, the size of a full grown warrior, falling through the air before it disappeared through the roof of his home. Christoff blinked, watching as his older brother staggered out of the burning house.
“Father! Mother!” Christoff yelled, trying to stand. “Father!” He cried again in fear and confusion.
“Christoff!” Tallon called out from near the barn.
He turned to see his father slowly rising to his feet with his mother’s help. Blood ran down one side of his face and he had a long, thin piece of wood embedded in his left thigh. Christoff’s dazed gaze moved from a destroyed section of the barn back to his father.
“Your symbiot,” Christoff whispered. “Where is it?”
“I sent it to the village this morning with a load of grain,” Tallon muttered in pain. “It is coming.”
“Father! Mother! We have to leave,” Lemar shouted, raising a hand to his head and shaking it as he staggered toward them.
All around them, small and mid-size rocks fell, littering the ground like raindrops. Christoff winced when several larger pieces hit him on the head. He raised his hand to touch a spot near his temple, surprised when he felt a warm dampness.
“Christoff, you’re bleeding,” his mother cried in dismay, staggering under the weight of her mate.
“Mother, we have to go,” Lemar said in a harsh voice, reaching out to grab her arm when she stepped toward Christoff.
“We have to help him,” Tallon grimaced, glancing at his oldest son. “You and I can carry him together.”
“Leave him,” Lemar demanded, glancing at Christoff with anger. “If he cannot fly, let him run.”
“Lemar,” their mother whispered in distress. “You know Christoff cannot fly. Help your father carry him. I will follow with his symbiot.”
“No! He shouldn’t have lived! Let the Goddess take him. He is weak,” Lemar argued as his symbiot created a cover over him when the hot ash began to ignite small fires. “You have always protected him. Now it is time to protect yourself. Come with me.”
“No!” Tasmay cried, pulling her arm away. “You have always treated Christoff as if he was unworthy, when in truth, it is
you
that is unworthy. No warrior would leave someone who is weaker behind,” she whispered as a line of dirty tears coursed down her cheeks. “We need your help, Lemar. Please.”
Lemar’s face twisted as Tallon turned to stare at him. Christoff was about to tell his parents that Lemar was right, that maybe this was the Goddess’ way of telling him that he shouldn’t have lived when another explosion, this one larger than before knocked them all to the ground. Christoff’s face reflected his fear when he saw the ground opening across the valley and heading toward them.
“Fly!” Lemar shouted in terror as he shifted.
“Lemar!” Tallon roared in pain, turning as his oldest son rose into the ash-filled sky. “Lemar!”
“Father,” Christoff said in a quiet voice filled with resignation. “Go. Take mother and go. Lemar and the others are right. If I cannot survive on my own, it is the Goddess’ way of showing that I am too weak.”
Tallon turned to look at his youngest son’s face. He saw the acceptance that he would not make it. Refusing to believe that any boy with so much heart was not also a powerful warrior, he shifted despite the shaft of wood in his upper thigh.