The Dragon Rebellion (M-Preg)

Chapter Twenty-Five: Olive Branch

Kincaid was tired, but what else was new?

He pressed and rubbed his fingers around his eyes, trying and failing to keep the tension there from worsening. Lot of good that did him. It only served to make the pain more prominent, a cruel reminder that he was stalling.

What has reality come to when the great Kincaid al Reyr, undefeated General of the Naerian Army, cowers at the idea of confronting a insignificant little redrya?

Even thinking it felt wrong. Like some forbidden fruit plucked and bitten, what had promised to be sweet was surprisingly bitter.

His inner turmoil had reached a breaking point. On one hand, there was his sense of pride, his honor as the Naerian general, and his duty to protect his kind. On the other, there was the undeniable truth that Reid held the key to understanding the humans and perhaps even the mysterious anomalies with the lack of hatchings that threatened them all.

But it was more than that. It was the strange emotions that Reid had awakened within him, emotions that he had never known before. He had been a warrior, a commander, a leader, and he had prided himself on his unwavering resolve, his stoic demeanor. Yet, here he was wavering, showing weakness, succumbing to emotions foreign to his kind. It was as preposterous as it was perplexing.

Kincaid clenched his fists, his internal battle raging on. He had to admit that he had been avoiding Reid, avoiding the unfamiliar feelings that Reid had stirred within him. It was a dangerous distraction, one that he couldn't afford in these dire times. And now with his resolve to play nice? All of it was too much to swallow.

Not to mention the biggest problem of all. That power...it was unmistakable. Reid could manipulate Gemma crystals. Perhaps a result of the Change, Kincaid did not know. What he did know was that it presented the largest problem because now that he knew he could harm the Naerian, Kincaid believed without a doubt, he could and would do it again.

There were other complications associated with that as well. Like the potential for the human to escape confinement. Kincaid was confident he would not be able to get passed the Guards he had outside, but there was always that chance. Someone could slip, underestimate him as Kincaid had done, and that would be the end.

Another complication was the possibility that Reid would be able to sense the Gemma farm. If he touched the source, he could follow it's trail, it's flow, back to the core.

And he could lead others to it...

Kincaid was getting ahead of himself. There was no guarantee that this was even true, however, he remained cautious, thinking of a plan for the worst case scenario.

With a heavy sigh, Kincaid knew what he had to do. He had to swallow his pride, his sense of honor, and confront Reid. He had to learn more about the humans, about their genetic habits and makeup, and assess just how much the human knew about Gemma Crystals. It was the only way to save his people, to protect the Naerians he had sworn to defend.

Taking a deep breath, Kincaid steeled himself for what lay ahead. He had to put aside his reservations, his internal struggle, and focus on the task at hand. With determined resolve, he turned and headed towards the bed chamber where Reid was chained up, ready to face the human and the unknown future that awaited them both.

Each step was heavy, dragging his limbs along like they were chained. Every inch forward was foreboding. Still, he carried on.

When he reached the inner rooms of his chambers, he gave a slight nod to the Guard posted outside before stepping in.