Chapter 16
Maxxus
Maxxus split the weredragon soldiers into groups. He was sending them in all directions to search for Josie, paying particular attention to the snow for footprints. He was going north, the direction the child had seen the man go. Shockingly, he and his men had not gotten out of the city or switched to dragon form when the man in question appeared out of nowhere.
"I see the child did his duty and you received my message," the filthy old man announced. "Are you going to do as I demanded? I have changed my mind. I want more. Give me a place on the council and a home in the sky. I have no desire to return to my wretched village."
"You will get nothing of the sort, old man. I should kill you where you stand," Maxxus declared.
"Surely, you were not thinking you could find her and ignore my wants? I have taken her where she cannot be discovered before she freezes. You see, I did not leave her with a fire for warmth, and she is human, so she cannot start one with dragon fire. Trust me; she is in no condition to leave and find firewood. I did not even have to tie her up to come here."
As the man rambled, Maxxus caught Hesher's eye and twirled a finger in the air, signaling for the weredragons to take to the sky and begin the search while he dealt with the kidnapper. Hesher relayed his plan to take the direction Maxxus had chosen for himself.
"What did you do to her?" Maxxus growled, grabbing the man by the throat.
"I did nothing. You are the one who got her in this condition," the man cackled. "It is your baby tearing her apart. I doubt that either will be alive soon if you do not let go and give me what I wish."
Maxxus desperately wanted to rip him apart, but he dared not. What if he had found a way to hide Josie where she could not be found in time? He shook the hideous old man, tightening the grip on his throat. "We will simply follow your footprints, you fool. I do not need your guidance."
The man's eyes widened from pain and fear, but he managed to mumble, "Footprints? I flew. There will be none."
"You are lying. Your eyes say differently; the fire behind them is gone. You cannot transform. You will die soon without the cure Josie discovered. She alone holds the key to your future. If she dies, the formula dies with her," Maxxus lied.
"If that is true, then we are all dead," the man hissed.
Above him, Maxxus caught sight of a dragon. It dipped closer, letting him know they had found the footprints. He was tired of wasting time on the old man. Transforming where he stood, his claws closed around the man's neck, ending his life. He had no regrets, as the sentence for treason was death by hanging. He had simply cut the wait time.
Joining the messenger, Maxxus flew north. The tracks were hard to see in the dark and quickly vanishing in a fresh snowfall. However, Hesher and his group had been ahead of him and had a clearer path to focus on. His heart lifted when he saw dragons were stationed along the trail, their bright colors guiding him to his beloved. If not for a glowing yellow one, he would never have seen the tiny cave, covered in thick, ice-frosted, leafless vines.
Inside, a man once more, he gagged on the stench. Hesher had lit a fire, and the heat accentuated the rotting smell. Josie's screams shook him to the core, and he focused on reaching her. She was in Hesher's arms, shaking uncontrollably and screaming. The commander was doing all he could to warm her freezing form and ease her pain. Her hands and face were tinged blue. Her eyelashes were frosted. Hesher's face was grim.
Dropping to his knees and adding his warmth, Maxxus dared ask, "Can we get her back to Daer in time?"
"No, her pains have not ceased since my arrival. The child will be born here. Take her and continue warming her. I will find something to melt snow in, so we can wash her and the baby. I will move the filth away and toss it in the fire. Clean dirt is better than these filthy blankets," Hesher replied.
"Send for the hovercraft. We will need it to transport them home. Have them bring blankets for both and wrappings for my child. Do you have a knife? I will need it to cut the cord."
Hesher answered, "I do not carry one, but I will see if someone else does. Then, I will stand by the door and keep the fire burning. Josie will want privacy."
"No, my friend. I cannot do this alone. At this point, I do not imagine Josie cares what you witness. Help me save her as she has saved our world."
Hesher nodded, though the idea was embarrassing. The queen deserved to be honored. Perhaps aiding in the birth was honoring her: saving the heir along with her. "I will return with the knife," he replied.
The cave was warming; icicles dripped from the entrance. Josie had stopped shaking and seemed to calm slightly in Maxxus's embrace. "All will be well, my love," he whispered near her ear. "You are safe. No one can harm you or our child now. I will protect you with my life. Forgive my foolishness and pride. I love you."
"Sssorrry, fforr secret," she stammered through the pain.
"Let it go. We both made mistakes, so let us waste no more precious minutes on regrets. Focus on the future. We are having a baby, one who will be loved as no other child ever has. It will grow up in paradise, thanks to you, my dragon savior."
Josie screamed as Maxxus felt her belly ripple in a contraction. "I need to push. It's coming," she moaned. "It's too early. It will be too small! Oh, please, don't let it die."
"Our baby is strong like its mother. It will not only survive; it will thrive. I have to lay you down and remove the leggings. I will put them beneath you, to keep you off the dirty floor. Will you allow it?"
"I can't lay flat. It hurts worse. Prop me against the wall, so I can push against it." As he did so, she added, "This isn't how it was supposed to be! We should be in a warm, clean room with Daer to bring the baby out."
"Nothing in my life has gone according to plan, yet it has worked out for the better. I found you and now I will be a father. Neither was expected. Erase your fear and rejoice in the new life you are bringing forth."
Hesher returned, keeping his eyes on the ceiling to give Josie as much privacy as the tiny space allowed. He handed Maxxus a knife and began throwing trash from the floor into the fire. A shiver went down his spine when Josie let out another scream, and Maxxus yelled, "Push harder!"
