Akasha and Sydney turned to watch us catch up, soft smiles and giggles on their lips.   

“Decided to join us?” Akasha said with a teasing smile. She reached out and grabbed my belt, pulling me against her. She slid her arms around my waist and grabbed my ass, pulling my body flush with hers. I blushed and kissed her forehead softly.  

“Miss me?” I asked with my lips on her skin. I could feel her soft nod while Sydney giggled. I turned and saw Anton watching us, then he turned and scanned the landscape around us. Trees hugged the landscape around us as the trail snaked through the valley up into the hills.  

We continued up the trail, my arm around Akasha’s waist as she leaned against me. Sydney and Anton were behind us, whispering. We reached the split in the trail and took Mirror Lake Old Carriage trail heading more north. The trail wound through the trees. There was a soft breeze that tangled with Sydney and Akasha’s hair. The trees around us were alive with birds of all varieties, sitting, watching us.   

We continued up the trail, approaching Mirror Lake. We stopped gazing at the perfect mirrored reflection of Half Dome in the lake. It was breathtaking.  

Akasha shrugged off her pack and started to saunter towards the lake. She pulled her top off and dropped it behind her, wearing only her sports bra and her shorts.  

“Akasha? What are you doing?” I asked, suspicious and amused. Not sure what to do  

“What does it look like?” she asked, amusement in her voice.  

“Looks like you are about to strip, in public, and skinny dip in that lake. With a crowd of people coming up behind us.”  

Akasha turned to face us, her eyes glowing softly. “I am the Lady of these lands. They shall be honored to behold me in all my glorious beauty.”  

“Oh... okay,” I said, dropped my pack, and started to walk towards her, pulling my shirt off. Akasha laughed. I heard Sydney’s soft laugh behind me. I could hear Anton’s embarrassed intake of breath.  

“You... won’t try to stop me?” Akasha said, her lips curving into a smile.  

“No. I couldn’t stop you if I wanted to.”  

“Oh,” Akasha laughed, musically. “I suppose that’s true. I was only kidding.”  

She walked towards me, scooped up her shirt, and slipped it back on. Then she walked to me and wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tightly.  

“Would you really have joined me?” she said softly, huskily.  

“Oh yeah,” I laughed as she pressed her body flush with mine.  

“Maybe next time, then,” Akasha said in a husky voice with a suggestive wink.  

I laughed as she stepped past me and shouldered her pack back on. I picked up my shirt, put it on, and joined them. I picked up my backpack and slid the straps over my shoulders. Akasha took my hand in hers as we continued north past the lake. She turned and pointed back at the view of Half Dome. We turned and took another look at it, admiringly, then turned and kept heading north.  

We followed the paved trail around the northern edge of the Lake, then took the dirt path that branched off heading north and east. This stretch was labeled Mirror Lake Loop and wound around the northern edge of Mirror Lake. The trail met up with Snow Creek Trail, and we turned west to head up into the hills.  

The trail inclined sharply as we climbed the ridge towards North Dome. The trees thinned out. Akasha and I walked side-by-side, together as we hiked along. I could hear Sydney breathing hard behind us with Anton by her side. We paused at a small lookout and turned to look back down into the Tenaya Valley. We could see the house from where we stood, and Mirror Lake, and the thin crowd of people making their way to the lake. Sydney doubled over as she caught up, panting hard. Anton put a hand on one of her shoulders while I put my hand on the other. Sydney laughed softly as she stood, taking both our hands to steady herself.  

“Fuck you guys and your goddamn Dragon stamina,” Sydney coughed out between her hard breaths. “That is so not fair.”  

“We could go slower,” I said softly. Akasha laughed softly and shook her head.  

“No,” Akasha said as she walked over and stood in front of Sydney, placing her hands on Sydney’s hips. “You need to get in shape. We’ll do this every day until you can make it to the top without a break.”  

“Fuck,” Sydney cursed under her breath. She smiled weakly and nodded. “Fine. Can’t complain about the view though.”  

I walked over and draped an arm across Sydney’s shoulders. She slid one arm around my waist and leaned into me.  

“It is a spectacular view. Though the view from the top of North Dome is even better.” I turned to Sydney and gestured up the trail. “Come on. Let’s go.”  

Sydney sighed and nodded. “Okay.”  

Akasha bounced up the trail to walk with Anton while Sydney and I walked together. I took Sydney’s hand in mine. She squeezed my fingers as she watched the trail.  

“Are you okay with this?” I asked as we trudged along.  

“Yeah,” Sydney nodded. I could hear the bit of humor in her voice. “I am. The view is amazing, and the company is the best.”  

She squeezed my hand.  

“Were you and Anton having a good chat?” I asked.  

Sydney laughed. “Yeah. We were discussing applications of rune magic. He thinks I must have had a dragon ancestor somewhere in the distant past. He’s never seen someone with runes like the ones I carved. He wants to sit down later and go over them in more detail at some point. I’m a little nervous about letting him inspect my body like that. Will you stay with me while he does that?”  

“Yeah, of course,” I answered with a smile. Sydney blushed as she smiled back. We continued up the trail. It was growing steeper as we climbed up into the hills around the Tenaya Valley. The trail continued to wind higher up into the mountains.  

“My lord?” Anton’s voice held just enough of an edge to it that I turned to look up the trail at him. He was standing at a slight rise, looking back and down at Sydney and me. His expression was concerned. I took Sydney’s hand in mine and closed the distance. Akasha stood at Anton’s side, relaxed, curious. No sign that anything was wrong.  

As I crested the ridge, I saw why Anton was concerned. The trail ahead was covered with snakes of all sizes. There were gopher snakes, kingsnakes, garter snakes, and more rattlesnakes than I could count.   

“Is this... normal?” Anton asked. I turned to him, smiled, and put a hand on his shoulder reassuringly.  

“I’m not sure what normal is, Anton.” I walked past him to Akasha.  

I took Akasha’s hand in mine and walked towards the snakes. They pulled back, making room for us on the trail. Anton and Sydney waited a half step behind us. Akasha and I knelt before the first couple of snakes and put our hands out towards them.   

“Good morning, friends,” Akasha said in a soft musical voice. The snakes slithered closer, sliding along her hands, butting against her outstretched fingers. Some curled around her feet, gently nuzzling her shoes. Others came closer to my hand, sliding along my skin. We crouched there for several minutes, letting the snakes come closer, nuzzling against us and smelling us. Then they slowly cleared from the trail. They stayed close, watching us, flicking their tongues as we stood and walked by them.   

Sydney and Anton followed close behind us. The snakes didn’t seem interested in them, moving off as they passed. We continued along the trail through the rest of the morning. By lunch time, we were nearing the peak of North Dome. We sat on a series of large rocks not far from the peak and pulled snacks and sandwiches from our backpacks. The view was spectacular.   

After we finished eating, we walked down the last bit of the trail to the peak and looked out over the Tenaya Valley. We could see the house from there, too, as well as the town of Yosemite Valley. We stood there, feeling the wind blow across us as we looked out over the valley.   

Then we headed back along North Dome Trail, backtracking the way we had come, then southwest, towards Yosemite Falls. The trail stayed high in the hills. The view to the south was fantastic. We passed other hikers from time to time. There were short greetings, polite nods as we passed folks on the trail.   

It was mid-afternoon by the time we got to Yosemite Falls. The waterfall was gorgeous. The view was breathtaking. We lingered there for a good half-hour watching the water cascade over the falls. Then we went back to Snow Creek Trail and kept heading west and north, then south towards Eagle Peak.   

As we started climbing the path to Eagle Peak, the air shifted. A breeze began to blow out of the north. Something felt off. At first, it was just a prickling along my skin. Then I started to feel anxious. I could not put my finger on what it was that was bugging me. Akasha seemed nervous. Her eyes were glancing around us more than usual. There was a slight tremor in her jaw, as if she were looking for something. We got to the top of Eagle Peak and stood there, looking south into the wilderness of Yosemite. We could see the Merced River cutting through the canyon below us.   

Akasha came up and stood next to my side, her hand sliding into mine. Her fingers curling tightly around mine. The light was already failing. The sun had slipped below the horizon.   

“Can you feel it?” she asked, her voice low. I nodded.   

“What is it?” I asked her while trying not to grind my teeth.  

She turned to me, her eyes showing more white around the edges than usual. “It feels like something bad is about to happen.”  

I closed my eyes, went to that place in my mind where I could sense the living things around us. I felt Akasha against me, Sydney behind me. The solid boulder that was Anton. I pulled back, zoomed out until the field I looked at was like a massive map of the land around us. So many rocks and boulders were strewn everywhere. There was one, far to the south of us, that cried out to me. I winced and fell back into myself.   

Akasha’s grip on my hand was hard as steel. Her eyes glowed softly as she met my gaze.  

“There is something out there, in pain,” I said softly.  

“I felt it,” she whispered. I took off my backpack and set it on the ground by Sydney’s feet. She furrowed her brow, confused.  

“Akasha and I have to go,” I said. Anton started to step forward, but I held up a hand to stop him. “No, stay with Sydney. Please.”  

Anton nodded as he put an arm over Sydney’s shoulders. She leaned into him, watching us. Akasha took off her backpack and set it next to mine. She turned to me and put one hand in mine. We walked together to the edge of the peak, looking down at the valley below.   

“Don’t question it,” Akasha said quietly. “Just do it.”  

I nodded because her words both made sense, and did not. I needed to get to where something was in pain, and I needed to be there now. I needed to fly. I closed my eyes and felt the back of my shirt start to tear. The sound of shredding fabric filled the night. I heard Sydney gasp softly. The cool air brushed across my chest and back.   

I opened my eyes and looked down at Akasha, saw the wings unfurled from her back. Massive, dark, leathery wings. They unfurled and stretched behind her. I could feel mine doing the same. We released our hands and took a step back at the same time. I bent my knees, crouching, feeling the muscles in my legs bunching, curled tight like springs. Those massive wings at my back tensed. I leapt straight up into the sky, the wings beating around me, rocketing me skyward.   

Goosebumps rippled down my arms as the wind screamed across my skin. The roar of it filled my ears as I turned south and dove and flapped and shot through the sky. I looked to my right and saw Akasha near me. I banked, spun, and looped around her as she did the same. Then we flapped those massive wings and shot to the south.   

The ground hurtled past us below. The dark did nothing to dim my view of things. Every detail was razor sharp. Ahead, I could see lights. A clearing. Flashlights. A roar of a beast in pain. Frightened voices growing louder.   

We saw the small clearing by a grove of trees. Akasha and I circled it once, then dropped into it where we could still see them through the trees, but they would not see us approaching from the east. The wind still blew out of the north, masking our scent from them.   

I felt my wings fold back into my back. My shirt was entirely gone, but the cool night air felt good on my skin as I turned to look at Akasha. Her wings had folded back into a cloak that she pulled around her. For a moment, I saw her bare chest as she flicked her gaze at me—a soft smile as she closed the cloak around her neck, covering her bare chest. I felt a surge of arousal but stuffed it deep. She nodded towards the clearing ahead, where the flashlights danced in the dark, and rough voices argued.  

“What the fuck are you doing, Frank? Put the goddamn shotgun down!” one voice said loudly.  

“Can’t just leave it in that trap like that,” another answered. There was the unmistakable cocking of a shotgun. The noise was loud and harsh in the night.  

“Put it out of its misery,” said the same gravelly voice.  

“We can’t just shoot a grizzly, dude,” the first answered.  

“What are you going to do? Walk over and kiss its paw while you open the trap?” said the third with an edge.  

“Tranquilizers, asshole. Put the shotgun down!” the first voice said, louder. 

“Whoa,” I said, my voice carrying in the night air as I stepped into the clearing. Four flashlights turn to me. I put my hands up in the air as I saw a shotgun and three tranquilizer guns pointed in my direction. There was a massive grizzly bear stuck in a bear trap, not ten feet from the four men. It roared in pain as it tried to pull its leg free from the trap.   

The men were dressed in ranger outfits. I recognized the national park logos on their jackets.   

“Who the fuck are you?” said the fourth man. He was in his twenties. His dark hair was cut short—his skin dark with the genetics of something native, possibly Hispanic.   

“Edgar,” I answered. Something flickered through the fourth man’s eyes. The other three stared blankly at me. I nodded to my left. “And the Lady Akasha.” She stepped into the light. The fourth man’s eyes widened, and he lowered his weapon. The grizzly roared at them, then turned towards us, and I saw the pleading look in its eyes. I could feel its pain and anger. I gestured soothingly to the bear, and it quieted.  

“What the fuck...” I recognized the first voice as he turned his flashlight back to the bear that was now settling down onto the ground, no longer trying to free itself.   

“Not your party, Edgar and Akasha,” the third voice said. His eyes were grey, hard, and cold. He tightened the grip on his shotgun, keeping it pointed at my chest. He was middle-aged. His hair was dark and greying under his cap—there were scars on his neck and cheek.   

“Lady Akasha,” I corrected him.  

The man scoffed, snickered, “Right.”  

“I think you men have done enough for tonight,” I said softly as I stepped towards them. The fourth man pointed his rifle at the ground and turned to the second, who did not seem sure what to do. As Akasha strolled towards the bear and held her hands out, the second man yelled, ”Stop! That’s a wounded grizzly...”  

When she got close enough, the bear raised on his haunches and licked her hands.  

“You can’t just...” the first man started, then stared at the bear licking her hands. Then it nuzzled her gently.   

“We ain’t leavin’ without that bear,” the third said as he stared at me. The first man looked from Akasha to me, then the fourth. He lowered his weapon.   

“Frank,” the second man said as he slung his weapon over his shoulder, clicking the safety back in place. “What are you doing?”  

Frank glared at me, not moving his eyes. He took a slow step back to keep out of arm’s reach of me. I stopped moving and watched him.   

“We ain’t leaving without that bear,” Frank growled.  

“Yes,” I said, softly, “you are.”  

I saw his eyes flinch and his finger start to curl. I moved. Everything slowed down around me. I stepped sideways and put my left hand on the underside of the barrel and knocked upward. It roared in his hands. The thunderclap was deafening. I turned towards the weapon, my right elbow catching the butt of the shotgun. My right hand grabbed the stock as I turned around, and my...