Author's note: Contains a female with a dick. Has very light implications of slightly kinky sex, but nothing extreme. All characters are over 18 years old.
I have more written on this story. My others are being edited, though they are finished on my computer. I will try to post them, and if people like this one I'll add to it here. Thanks! Enjoy!
~β’~
A shrill, piercing scream followed by a roar of pain rang through the air. We froze, facing the sound. My mount whipped around to gallop toward it without prompting. As we rounded the path, he came to a dead stop, rearing. I threw myself off him to rush to the woman lying on the ground.
Out of the trees a huge armored lioness leapt with an angry roar. The black unicorn behind me leapt between us, lowering his horn threateningly. The beast growled, circling but not daring to challenge my friend. I reached for her mind, sending images of me healing her rider.
The giant lioness laid down immediately, growling but willing to allow me to work. Turning back to the injured woman, I placed my hand on her heart and pulsed waves of energy through her. Her wounds gradually closed. The woman groaned.
I looked up to see the lion studying me. I looked back down at the woman. Tall and dark skinned, she was built strong. Her steel plated armor was pierced and torn in several places, but the marks weren't consistent with a lion, especially one this animal's size. It looked like she'd encountered someone with a sword.
'Not that a Leon would ever attack their knight.' I thought.
I stood to study the area carefully; there were scuffle marks all over the place. Splatters of blood surrounded us. But the only evidence of whatever she'd fought was a trail of footprints leading into the wilds. I considered scrying to see exactly what had transpired before dismissing the idea. I'd already spent enough magic on a knight.
Whatever almost killed her is gone. 'Where did your unit go, knight? Why did they leave you for dead?'
The evidence left by the battle didn't offer me any further insight. I couldn't even tell how many had been in her pride. When I asked the lioness, she sent me images of them waking roads alone.
'She wants to protect her pride.'
With shaking hands, I pitched camp, grabbing bread and nuts for supper. Exhausted from the magic I had performed, I set some basic wards around camp before falling fast asleep.
Movement had me awake in a second, a ball of fire in my hand. The woman I'd healed froze at the sight of me, her eyes locked on the fireball. I dispersed it, releasing the energy with a sizzle.
"Who are you? How...how am I still alive?"
"I came when I heard screams and healed you."
"Why are you still here?" There was no animosity in her question; she was honestly surprised and curious.
"Some humans don't take to magic very well; I wanted to make sure you woke up. If I'd thought you'd have survived moving you, I would have taken you to Crossing Roads instead."
"Crossing Roads? I've never heard of it."
"It's a Draconian village." I replied uneasily. "They sit on a dimensional shift."
"Oh. So only a mage can find it."
"Only we can enter or leave, too. Sometimes we bring dying humans there, so they have herbal medicine too. Are you feeling okay? No pain, dizziness, ringing in the ears? A headache? Amnesia?"
She blinked before saying "No."
I pretended not to notice where her eyes drifted as it compounded the issue. She watched in interest as I made us breakfast, took down the wards and broke camp.