Though all the girls were so different, they got along extremely well, and even though Eira was the newest woman to our crew, she and Asta had become quite close. The white-haired elf girl was so innocent and sweet she often didn’t understand the joking and sarcasm us Asgardians used, but something about that innocence attracted Eira to her.
The redhead found Asta’s naivete amusing at first, but I suspected she rather liked it.
After all, Eira had seen a lot of blood and gore in her time, and I figured it was nice to have someone incredibly innocent around to show her there was still a lot of good in the world.
Asta had been through a lot herself, but she never let that define her, which was one of the reasons I loved her so much. I’d seen a lot of blood and gore, too, and Asta’s bright, happy presence was a much-appreciated relief from some of the terrible things we’d gone through.
I reached up to touch the small yellow dragon on my shoulder, and the little creature let out a sweet coo and leaned into my hand. She stared at me with round pink eyes that reflected the beauty of the evening sun, and I couldn’t help but smile.
A pressure on my knee brought my attention downward, and I saw Blar now had both of his front paws on my leg and was stretching lazily. Then he smacked his lips and looked at me with pleading bright-blue eyes.
“We’re almost to camp,” I chuckled. “Then we’ll make some dinner.”
The little blue reptile was always incredibly hungry. All of the dragons were, actually, but it was a trait I attributed more to their constant growing than anything else.
Blar had already tripled in size from when he was hatched, and he was now the size of a medium-sized dog. He once could fit in my satchel, but now, he could barely fit on my shoulders.
He was only able to climb on me still because his body shape was so long and thin. His form was completely different from the other dragons that came from Asta’s homeworld, since the elven dragons had long, thin necks, large, thick bodies, and a long tail at the end.
Not only did Blar have a different body shape, but horns also protruded from his forehead, and some scales stood upright and ran down the center of his back. On top of that, Blar had the ability to create portals to different realms and even teleport himself through space.
I knew exactly where Uffe, Inger, and this new dragon were from, but I had no idea when it came to Blar. He was the first dragon I’d ever seen, probably the first Kas and Eira had seen as well since dragons were banished from Asgard many years before I was ever born.
That was a terrible situation, and though it was no fault of the dragons, they were the ones who suffered for it, and they’d continued to suffer. The dragon slave trade was rampant across all the realms, but it was terrible in Asta’s realm in particular.
Dragons were everywhere in Alfheim, and the dragon traders knew that. More were taken from this realm than from anywhere else, which was why my crew and I were here in the first place.
We’d managed to take out some of the smaller dealers, but we still hadn’t gotten to the large catch yet: the Elf King.
I recently found out I had the ability to hatch, bond, and control dragons, but even more recently, I’d discovered I could see through their eyes. One of the dragons I’d seen was in the Elf King’s dungeon, and there were many others down there with him. The poor dragon was being held hostage and tormented every single day, and the thought made my blood boil with rage.
It was my mission to save him, and all dragons. I’d put an end to this damn dragon trade if it was the last thing I did.
Luckily, I had plenty of help, and I turned to smile at my crew.
Asta, the beautiful white-haired elf girl, sat to my right on the large cart seat. She peered out ahead of us with a sweet smile on her face, and as I watched, she absentmindedly reached up to her shoulder to pet Inger, the small red female dragon she’d named.
Twin dragons were known for having powers, and Inger and Uffe were no exception. The two looked nearly identical, with both of them having bright red scales and vibrant purple eyes, but Uffe had grown to be just a little bit larger than Inger, and the little female’s features were somehow more delicate than her brother’s. I wasn’t sure a stranger would be able to tell them apart, but the girls and I most definitely could.
As much as they looked alike, though, they were completely different in both power and personality. Inger had quite an attitude, and while she and Blar were both quick to do everything, like eat their food in one minute flat, Uffe was much more contemplative. The little boy dragon chewed slowly and carefully so he could savor each bite, and he cautiously considered every move he made.
Their personalities seemed to match their powers, too. Inger’s powers were air related. The little girl had been able to fly before both Blar and Uffe, even though Blar was older than she was. Something about the air came naturally to her, and then we’d noticed she was able to manipulate the air around her to a small degree. Her powers would no doubt get stronger as she grew older, but it was
