Jakon barely managed not to gasp. That roar shook everything. Even the whole mountain. To the very core.

Just the wind, it carried the stink of serpent now. Enough to sour his appetite. Even for mom’s coming corned beef sandwiches. Fresh or reheated.

No doubt the delicious reward for defending Dirlop Mountain.

Because curled on the top spire of a peak … a scarlet dragon. Several times bigger than a war stallion. Wings out wide and endless times more fierce than any other beast he ever saw.

A dragon that glared their way.

No.

At Frostine a few paces away from Jakon.

“Master?” Frostine said, and la-sighed again, “Oh vell, vee must fight now. I shall try to card you, instead of outright killing you. Vill you do zee same for me? Please? I am quite worth the carding, no?”

“No promises,” Jakon said, and charged.

Clearing the paces between them quickly.

“Figures,” Frostine said, “Vile to zee end.”

And shattered into icy snow? Snow that smelled of fresh fox?

Jakon growled. “Running away? Figures. Coward to the end.”

BOOM!

Right behind him. A furry back smashed into his.

Hard.

Shoving him forward several paces. The smell of vaporized iron?

Jakon turned around. “Saphira?”

Saphira was on her knees. Gasping.

“Frostine,” Saphira said, “can. telejump. More than lightning. Hurry. My sisters. They—”

Puff!

Back into his deck.

And only few paces away Frostine looked as shocked as he was himself.

No. No more hesitating.

He charged. Quick. Careful.

A swing. Up at her head.

Frostine vanished again.

But Jakon continued his swing. Swinging up above his head.

CRACKLE!

Lightning crackled into his sword. Absorbed by it.

Powering him up better than any bout of R&R. His body burned with energy. Energy he’d need to save. Save for taking down more than just this vixen witch.

For taking down that dragon too.

A dragon that roared again.

But only watched?

“FROSTINE!” the dragon said, “DO NOT FAIL ME AGAIN!”

“Again?” Frostine said, and the fear in her face as she looked at her Dragon Lord, so genuine Jakon almost felt sorry for her.

Almost.

(No wonder Azura preferred being a carded monster girl.)

(Scarlet too.)

But Jakon didn’t hesitate. In that instant of distraction he struck. Slashing through her chest armor.

Frostine yelped. Stumbled back.

She struck back with lightning. Lightning that went wild. Got absorbed by his sword. Boosted his power for the next strike.

Through her chest.

She coughed up blood. “To fail twice …”

“I should let you die,” Jakon said, “But a promise is a promise, even by a half dwarf.”

He slipped out an empty card. It transformed into a dagger and he stabbed her with it.

Frostine tried to speak, but only coughed up more blood. Didn’t get carded either.

Yet.

So Jakon twisted both blades. Loud wet cracks came from her chest. Forcing more blood up out of her mouth.

Then Frostine exploded into ice and lightning?

“What the …” Jakon said.

A sinister giggle came from behind him.

“To zeenk,” Frostine said, “you almost had me.”

Jakon turned. But too late.

Freezing blades sliced around his back. His side as he turned. Faced Frostine. Stumbling backwards.

His back roasting with electric. Shocking him full of lightning. Jolted him. Shuttering. Uncontrollably.

He fell on his ass. Crawled backwards.

His blade lost. A few paces away. Too far to reach.

And Frostine loomed over him. Her claw extenders bloody.

With his blood.

“Now your turn,” Frostine said, “to die—”

An arrow sprouted from her eye. Red feathered with a green shaft?

Frostine yowled. Just as another arrow sprouted form her other eye.

She snarled. “Not like thees!”

But Jakon already had another empty card out. Transformed it to a dagger.

A dagger he plunged into her chest.

Twisted hard and sharp.

That loud wet crack. She coughed up blood.

“No … I …” Frostine said.

“Lost,” Jakon said, “Accept your fate and—”

“Vee die together!” Frostine said and crackle?

Her claw extenders. Overcharged with blue lightning!

And Jakon was too close to retreat.

Frostine slashed at him.

When another arrow sprouted down through her throat. Forced her to gurgle. Stumble back.

And the most gorgeous girl Jakon ever saw jumped down at the vixen witch. Despite that suggestively stretchy minidress with minimum coverage, so minimum her waist-long sky-blue hair covered more, yet the gorgeous girl managed to gracefully land both her low-heeled boots right on the ends of both those red-feathered arrows. Shoving them both deep into the vixen’s eyes.

CRUNCH!

The arrows got shoved deep into the vixen’s head. Right into her brain.

PUFF!

Frostine was carded.

But also tripped up the gorgeous blue-haired girl.

Till Jakon lunged. Caught her.

And wow, was she so soft and warm, yet … delicate. She even gasped. Blushed at his arms. Her eyes were as wide as the sky and just as sky blue. Just like her hair. Sky blue. Her warm breath even smelled a good bit rosy.

Like a rosy mead? Was she drunk?

She even smiled nervously at him.

“Thanks …” she said, meekly.

“I should be thanking you,” Jakon said, “For feathering that vixen at the perfect moment.”

“Not perfect,” the gorgeous girl said, “Or you wouldn’t of been hurt. Here … I have something. For your … bleeding.”

From between her big breasts, from out of a pink, very cheek-warmingly visible bra she slipped out a glass vial of red liquid something. She popped the cap off, and poured it quickly into his mouth and … WOW.

So rosy good and—ack! Throating burningly bad.

And very, very alcoholic.

But Jakon refused to cough. A dwarf had to stay strong.

Instead, he smiled back at the gorgeous girl.

“Wonderful,” he said, “My back … feels better too.”

And it did. Like the wounds were knitting together by themselves. A touch itchy, but nothing compared to the pain early. This potion was even better the potions of the hedgewitch healer Jakon and his mom’s students often went to after serious enough injuries. Only serious injuries because her healing was too expensive for the more minor injuries, but she did heal their scars, whether they wanted them healed or not.

The gorgeous girl smiled again. Even more.

“I …” she said, and gulped.

Her breathe. It must be making him drunk too.

No. Drunker. That potion did a real clobbering on him.

But Jakon still stroked her soft cheek. Guided her strawberry lips toward his. She didn’t resist at all. No. She let him guide her to him.

Let him kiss her. Wet and warm.

Her gasp. “I …”

“A reward,” Jakon said, “for saving me twice.”

The girl gulped. “I’m … Sky. You’re?”

“Jakon. At your service.”

Sky took a deep breathe. “I … I came here to … to train in … in.”

But kissed him back. Just as warm and wet.

“A little love,” she said, “after battle, won’t hurt, right?”

“Right,” Jakon said, “might even help.”

They both laughed. Undressing each other. Awkwardly nervous but … they embraced. Giggled at each other. In a playful way. Too embarrassed for words. For now.

Naked and yet, the girl pressed herself against him. So warm and soft. She panted quiet and so, so cutely. Her breasts against his chest so heart-thumpingly great. Her touch everywhere was so soft and gentle. He never imagined it would be like this. Like a glove of sensual bliss was over him, especially down there. He even grabbed her behind. And helped. With the pumping. The quiet pants. And the joy.

Even to the sweaty climax.

She sighed. Pressing her ample chest against his strong one even snugger. Her cheeks were very, very red. Embarrassed red.

“Oh no,” she said, “I’m still drunk. From the rose mead. And the battle … I never … fought a real battle. And …”

Jakon kissed her again. “No worries. A dwarf never kisses and tells.”

She giggled. Kissed him back as wet and warm as he ever longed for in a kiss. Dreamed of. Better than any kiss in a dime dreadful even.

“And an elf,” she said, “never lets a first love escape unscathed.”

Elf … his heart stopped.

Her ears even … oh no, like super-soft thin daggers, from straight out of the sides of her head … she.

She was an elf girl?!