Chapter 25

Grounds, Rogue Rider Mansion, Beverly Hills, California, United States

The scowl that Emperor shot at Lunis gave Gen an idea. She laughed, enjoying the flare of annoyance she suddenly felt in her dragon.

"So you don't like jokes, do you?" she asked the purple dragon who, strangely enough, towered over Lunis. That was saying something because he was massive and known for his super-size, especially on the night of a full moon.

But Gen reasoned that as the emperor of all dragons, hers had to be the most impressive in size and just about everything else—like skill. They'd have to get into that soon since all she knew about Emperor's skills was that he was telepathic and psychic, but with limitations. There just hadn't been much time for that kind of sharing.

"I don't like bad jokes," he seethed, looking between Gen and Lunis. "I thought you'd outgrow that childish behavior."

The blue dragon shrugged, rolling over on the grass and scratching his back on the ground. "And I thought that after six hundred years in a shell, you'd be more fun. I guess some things never change."

"I like your jokes," Gen said, laughing at Lunis' playful behavior.

"You can have him then," Sophia teased. "He's had all his shots and is neutered."

Lunis rolled over and sprang to his feet, growling at his rider. "I am not!"

She giggled, obviously enjoying the game. "Of course you aren't. Just like no one can have you because you're not up for adoption."

Gen admired the camaraderie between Sophia and Lunis. It was a fun dynamic and she suddenly wondered if she and Emperor would ever have that. Studying the purple dragon, she didn't think so since he looked as high and mighty as a peacock in mating season, strutting through the henhouse.

"I heard that," Emperor said, glaring at Gen.

"Good," she shot back, before glancing at Lunis, motioning between the dragons. "So you really all know each other? Like always and since the beginning, even before hatching? How is that?"

"It's the chi of the dragon," Lunis explained. "Our consciousnesses are all intertwined. You're a part of it in a way now. You've probably noticed that your senses have all heightened. That's a component of it."

"Unfortunately, it doesn't make us any taller," Sophia joked, her blue eyes dazzling in the California sunlight.

"That's fine." Gen shrugged. "I'm used to being short."

"You're much shorter than I thought you'd be," Emperor said, gazing down at her.

"Well, you're not the runt that I thought you'd be, but you're smellier," Gen chimed.

"I am not!" Emperor boomed.

"Have you bathed since the hatching?" Gen asked, a mock look of seriousness on her face. "You'd been in there…well, forever."

Sophia giggled, affectionately looking up at Lunis. "Remember when we first got to know each other. They remind me of us."

"They really do," Lunis said with a smile. "How many times did I threaten to eat you?"

"Since this morning or do you mean the beginning?" she asked.

"Some things don't go away," Lunis replied, looking up to the sky. "But it looks like a few Rogue Riders are returning. That will be a good way to orient you two into this place. Just don't learn any bad habits from them."

"And don't shake their hands," Sophia said as three dragons with riders appeared from a portal in the sky and dove down toward the ground in their direction. "They usually don't wash."

"Oh, and don't be intimidated by them," Lunis said. "They aren't as well-behaved as the Dragon Elite."

Sophia smirked at Lunis. "Have you met our girl? She's already threatened to put her dragon in a headlock."

The blue dragon nodded. "And my money is actually on Gen."

Although at the Gullington, Gen had seen many a dragon, but as she studied the three flying down toward them, she noticed that these moved differently. Their riders held themselves strangely. It wasn't even something that Gen could put into words. It was more of an attitude that rider and dragon gave off, even from the distance.

There was a smaller white dragon, a bright red one, and then the largest of the three was a vibrant green. They flew in perfect formation, an impressive display of grace and speed as they descended toward the Earth. In unison, the majestic beasts landed a short distance away, and then slowed to a fluid trot before halting right before Gen and the others.

As if they'd practiced it, all three of the magnificent creatures bowed low, their heads down and kneeling on their front legs—showing their respect to Emperor. The riders on their backs looked around at each other, like not understanding what was happening.

Sophia stepped forward, extending an arm to the giant purple dragon. "Riders, it is my honor to introduce to you the last dragon to ever hatch. Your dragons already know him and therefore they are showing their respect. This is Emperor, the ruler over all dragons."

"Oh!" a woman on the back of the white dragon yelped, her large brown eyes wide. She ducked her head, tucking her chin into her chest. "Someone should have told us."

"It was a secret," her dragon replied, lifting his own head and regaining his normal height. "There are some things we don't share with our riders. And some things that we do not know, like who the rider is who has bonded to our ruler."

Sophia smiled at Gen, holding out a presenting arm to her now. "This is Genevieve Beaufont, but you will call her Gen. She came through a time gate from the 15th century and is now here for good. She was a Founder of the House of Fourteen, a woman from the medieval era and now the rider to the emperor of dragons and the newest addition to the Rogue Riders."

If Gen expected a greeting like what her dragon got, then she'd be sorely disappointed. The dragonriders, the female and the other two both male, simply slid off the side of their dragons and landed on their feet, looking at her like she was a housefly they needed to swat out.

"Hey, Gwen," the woman said.

"Hey, you look alright for being so old," one of the men said.

Then the other simply stood, looking at her, a measured glare in his eyes as he appraised her from where he stood, next to his bright green dragon.

"Looks like we have another entitled Beaufont to deal with," the woman said, glaring at the other men.

"I bet this Genevieve has brought the plague with her," the rider next to the red dragon said, speaking again.

You're going to have to teach them to respect you,Emperor said in her head. They feel the competition and don't want it. But you have to force your rule upon them.

Well, it's not easy for some of us,Gen replied silently to him. Some of us are named Emperor and all the dragons know them. And some of us go by a less conventional name and are meeting everyone for the first time.

Just exert your dominance,Emperor implored. Don't allow them to bully you. That's why you are my rider. No man could ever ride me because he couldn't stand up to the challenges you've seen. Use that. Be that. Shove their faces in mud.

Gen smiled to herself as she took a step forward and Emperor lowered his head so she could stroke it like she owned him—although no rider could ever own their dragon. "I am Gen Beaufont, and you will call me that and you will not show any disrespect to me."

Then in a total act of faith, Gen withdrew Bellumferrum, not knowing what it would become. Instantly, she made her intention known to the object. Before her eyes, the cube glowed brightly and morphed in her hands into a plasma whip. Gen had never seen or heard of the bright, glowing object but Bellumferrum told her what it was at once. It had transformed into something sturdy and strong and she instinctively knew what to do with it.

If the weapon surprised Gen, then she covered it fast and as soon as the whip materialized fully, she brought it back and then around her head, slashing it through the air. With a crack, the whip shot through the space. Thankfully the riders were quick to dart away from its trajectory. Thankfully Sophia and Lunis weren't in the territory where it hit the ground. And thankfully Gen used the whip like an expert, ricocheting it through the air before pulling it back over her shoulder again and then forward once more.

It made a loud snapping sound, like a bolt of lightning through the air, followed by a bright light. Everything happened so quickly, but having leveled the playing field, Gen slowed her movements, stilling suddenly and staring at the three dragonriders before her. Two of the three cowered, shielding themselves behind their dragons.

"Do not ever call me by the name in which I used to found the House of Fourteen and do not ever refer to me as old or you will pay. My name is Gen, and I'm not old. I'm just medieval."

"Y-Y-Yeah, yeah, you got it," the man with the red dragon stuttered, nodding eagerly, a total look of fear in his eyes.

"O-O-Of course," the woman stammered, standing tensely behind her dragon.

"Yes, totally," the man with the green dragon stated, not having budged from his stoic place, but looking very entertained by this display.