(c) Edited by Penn Lady
This is a copyrighted work of fiction. All rights reserved.
*
Dakota drove down the snowy lane towards her new house, returning home from her shift at the library. The drifted snow to either side glittered brightly in the moon light. Classes had resumed following the Christmas break and the many new students starting the semester were in and out of the library assessing the resources. They were getting a jump studying for the semester, researching for early assignments, or just looking for something to read. It had been a long night, but soon she would be home.
As she arrived, Dakota reflected on the vast changes that had recently occurred in her life. Her new lover, Sebastian, was a dragon who until a few months past had been human. Their intertwined paths had been equal parts harrowing and beautiful, and for all the uncanniness that came with it she wouldn't trade a moment of the wonderment.
Pushing an errant lock of blond hair out of her face, she grabbed her backpack and turned off the engine. She exited the car and dashed into the utility room out of the cold and snow. Once there, she discarded her outerwear, kicked off her snow-covered boots, went into the kitchen and fished for a book in her backpack. She smiled as she sensed Sebastian at the back door.
The back door opened and Sebastian entered with a cold draft and a small sweep of snow as Dakota turned to face him. Her smile grew broader as she took in his human form. He wasn't much taller than she was, perhaps two inches above her five six. Where Dakota was athletic, his build was lithe and he moved with a graceful ease that reminded Dakota of his dragon form.
He closed the distance between them in a few steps and enfolded Dakota in a hug, the backpack momentarily forgotten.
"I've missed you," he said.
She embraced him in return. "I missed you too."
They stood in silence for several moments just enjoying each others presence. Then Dakota turned to her backpack.
"I've got something here I want to show you," she said. Removing a large hardcover book, she turned to Sebastian while flipping through the pages. "Here it is."
She moved the book close to Sebastian, her finger resting next to a figure in a photograph. "Who does that look like to you?"
Sebastian studied the photograph. It was on old black and white picture of a group of workers, mostly Asian, gathered around their tools. The figure Dakota indicated did look familiar. A tall, regal man with his long black hair tied into a braid and a scowl on his face.
"Qiang?" he asked, surprised.
"That's what I thought," Dakota responded, moving the book back in front of herself.
"What's the book about?"
"The building of the American railroad. An engineering student came in to the library today looking for reference material for a report he was working on about the human cost of engineering."
"The human cost?" Sebastian asked.
"Yeah, you know how many people died or were terribly injured in building things like the Brooklyn Bridge, the American railroad, or some of the high rise skyscrapers when they were first going up. Stuff like that."
"I guess I can see that. But what would Qiang be doing working for the railroad?"
Dakota shrugged, returning the book to her backpack. "I don't know, but I thought we might go ask tomorrow, before the restaurant opens."
"I guess it's worth a try, but he can be tight lipped about his past."
"Well, if he says no, he says no."
*******************
They arrived at the restaurant around ten in the morning, an hour before opening. Qiang was out sweeping new fallen snow from the sidewalk. He stopped his work as the car pulled up and waved to them as they got out. He returned to his work, his back to his visitors. A Cheshire cat grin spread across Sebastian's face as he gathered up some snow and packed it in his hands.
"What are you doing?" Dakota asked.
I'm going to throw a snowball at Qiang,
he answered back mentally.
Dakota sighed and shook her head. "You want to die."
Sebastian let fly with his weapon. His aim was true, and the projectile was on what appeared to be the correct trajectory. Then in a burst of flame the snowball ceased to exist when it was about a foot away from Qiang.
"Oh, that is so not fair," Sebastian groused.
Qiang laid his broom against a low brick wall that formed a planter in front of the building.
"Perhaps," he conceded in an even, slightly amused tone as he gathered snow into his hands from the low wall. "But there are those who would say an unprovoked sneak attack is dishonorable and must be answered." He finished packing the snowball and turned to face Dakota and Sebastian. "The question now becomes, what will you do to avoid my attack." Before Sebastian could react Qiang made his return strike, hitting Sebastian square on.
"Absolutely nothing. What an interesting strategy."
Sebastian recovered quickly. "Of course you know, this means war."
Qiang raised an eyebrow. "You're kidding me, right?"
By way of reply, Sebastian began to gather more snow.
"As you wish." Qiang's tone held equal parts humor and warning as he gathered his arsenal.
Dakota took a step back, hoping not to be drawn, or impressed, into the coming battle. For all its intensity, the skirmish was short lived. Sebastian applied the tactics he learned in countless previous snow battles, but Qiang seemed to deduce his strategies rather quickly. Even so, amidst much advancing, retreating, and maneuvering, as well as copious amounts of snow exchanged by both sides, a decisive victory proved elusive.
During the exchange, however, Sebastian observed something he had never seen before. Qiang laughing. There had always been a wall between them. To Sebastian's sensibilities it was there to starkly define the differences between them. In that moment, Sebastian dared to hope there was a chance of opening a door through the wall. This more than anything made him reluctant to end the fight and so he pressed all the harder. But when a ill aimed snow ball went wide of its mark and nearly hit Dakota, both of them stopped to assess any damage.
Dakota peered around from the snow spattered book she held before her face.
