The Reincarnated Dragon Slayer by D.A. Sanford - HTML preview

Sorra Healer Protector

The dragon slayer’s error

“All hail the great dragon slayer Duke Clive Montague.”

That is the cheer that the crowds yell as he returns to his domain. He now has added another great dragon to his list of kills. With all those kills he has risen from just an adventurer to be famous.

This is how it should be. He deserves it. He knows that he was born for the fame. The peasants would not be living if it was not for his, and his only, heroic actions in defending them from those monsters.

Only he would know that they are not that fierce. At least compared to him. He would completely eliminate all of them himself. Then, those toadies that think they control the kingdom will finally bow and make him the grand emperor of the entire world.

Clive knew that there were those out there that envied him. Once he was emperor, he would rout out each and everyone. They would be disposed of in various manners.

If you haven’t guessed by now, Duke Clive Montague, is an egotistical bastard. In this world, the only hunted dragons were those who had gone rogue. The duke had eliminated three of them as his first kills and had convinced the population that none of them could be trusted. All would end up going rogue so they should be eliminated.

The decree went out that he was right and that he was given the sole and absolute authority to hunt them. Hunt them he did and the dragon population has dropped to a level that, as a species, they were all but extinct.

Dragons, with their long life, did not reproduce as often. Their numbers have now dropped to a point that they would never come back. That did not stop the duke.

He was warned, by those he thought envied him, that he was single handedly destroying a peaceful race that had the wisdom of the ages. He was upsetting the balance of the world. The duke was now so powerful that those who told him that were also going extinct.

Every time he returned to his castle, he had a scribe waiting. He dictated the heroic tales to the scribe. He needed to make sure that his history was permanently made part of his world’s lore. It needed to be, he was only a step or two from that dream of becoming emperor.

The duke received word that the last dragons have been located. They appear to have gathered and are just waiting.

In his mind he knows that they have resigned themselves to their fate and were waiting for him to put them out of their misery. There were the last ten and he had their location.

He decided it was time.

He rode to their location. The duke wanted it to be known that he and he alone destroyed the last ten. He ordered all the men that came with him to stand down and watch. If he needed them, he would signal but don’t expect it. Only he was able to do it.

“All of you could not take down even one if I was not with you.”

He charged in at the first. The dragons did not follow his script. He was going to fight one on one. Ego led him to believe that they would attack one at a time. Wrong. They descended on him.

Being in trouble, he signaled the others.

The others looked at him. One of the others sarcastically asks the second,

“Does that look like the signal he said he would give?”

“Nope” is all the second said as he turned the group and rode away. They had just seen the duke slide down the throat of one of the dragons.

The god of fate

The duke finds himself in a white void. It’s without any reference to judge any dimensions or size. All he knows is that someone was going to regret interfering with his latest and greatest conquest.

He hears someone or something laugh as he sees a figure appear.

“Latest and greatest conquest? Think hard. Isn’t there a memory of sliding down the throat and ending in that dragon’s stomach? You’re dead and I am the god of fate.”

I am totally pissed and demand that she put me back. “My troupes are coming into the battle. I will win.”

The she laughs again. “You have such a distorted view of your old life. Those troupes watched as that dragon swallowed you whole. You did not have anyone loyal with that ego. They were there for the money. You told them that you could handle it alone.”

Now it gets serious as she tells me “You have no idea of what you have done. You have doomed your world to being totally destroyed. Those dragons held the other species in check. Without them it was a total world war. All the races were reduced to unsustainable levels and your planet’s sentient life died. Only the animals and plants have survived, just barely.”

“They weren’t important. They had no role with the exception of bolstering my public stature.”

“Enough of that attitude!”

I am frozen in place.

The god of fate calls out for the Watcher to come. She asks her to take me to that planet she uses for her problem children.

“I’ll send him alone. I need to talk to you about something.”

She sends me to a burned planet that it devoid of any life. I was there for years, alone, hungry, thirsty. There was nothing to sate my hunger and thirst but I did not die. I only suffered. After that long time, I was back in the room and there was only the god of fate.

“I hope you enjoyed, what did she call it, oh yes, did you enjoy your vacation? She told me that she now was going to use your now vacant world as a refuge for rescued goblin slaves. You are being assigned an important task that will right your past mistakes. On another world, there is a being that is in need of your aspirations. Someone that is destined to rule. The one you will take over for has just been injured badly. That spirit has expired. If you don’t jump in, that future of being a king will be lost. You have a choice. Do you want to be a king or just fade out?”

To be a king, that is almost as good. I am destined to rule. It does not matter if it is my world or someone else’s. I make like I am pondering. I can rebuild my fame. I will reclaim those accolades. After all, this is the god of fate and this is my fate, to rule. I’m better than all the rest. Why is she laughing so hard.

She says, “I haven’t had this much fun in ages. You are an idiot. Don’t you know by now.

To the gods, you have no private thoughts. I have decided, you really need this new life.”

With that I am in the dark. I can feel my heart beat, my breathing. I panic, I can’t be back in that dragon’s stomach. He hears a soft but worried voice saying a strange word over and over again.

“Zarco, Zarco please wake for me. My son please come back to us. Kron come quick his eyelids look like he is waking.”

It is very hard but I try and slowly my eyes start to open. There is a woman with hope in her eyes and a man behind her. They are a good looking couple. They must be my parents in this world.

“Son, can you see your mother and me?”

My eyes are clearing up and I see something that I never expected. Those two had wings. Smaller but they looked like dragon wings. What the hell is going on. I don’t even have a sword.

“Who the hell and what the hell are you two?” I say to them.

The woman started to cry but the man reminded her that the healer told them that he was beaten so bad that there may be some memory loss. The man then looks at me.

“We are your parents. You are our son Zarco. You got yourself into trouble and were beaten so bad that the healer said at one point that she thought you died but moments later you started to breathe again.”

“Why the hell do you both have wings? Why are you calling me Zarco, I’m Duke Clive Montaque famous dragon slayer.”

The female leaves the room crying.

“If you were not beaten so bad, I would be remiss if I did not beat you to a pulp. That is the worst thing you could have said. Dragon slayer. That attitude of yours, along with that perverse imagination is what got you beaten. If you weren’t our only son and this world’s only heir I would throw you out.” And he leaves.

I try to move but it hurts really bad. Another woman enters the room. She is human.

Finally, someone that will recognize me. She looks me over and then starts to talk to me.

“Your parents were warned that your mind could be affected. I’m going to try to get you back by telling you what happened.” She places her hand on my head and I hear her in my mind.

“Did you like your vacation?”

Oh shit, I think and know that this is the one that was with the god of fate.

“I knew that this was going to happen so I decided to visit. The man is your father Kron the second, king of the dragons. He is a full blooded dragon and can change into a half humanoid. The female is your mother Lila, she also is a full blood. You are their son Zarco. You are a full blood also and the heir apparent. You were beaten badly due to your ego, your position and most of all you started it. You now have his past memories.

You will treat them with respect. I will not let you destroy the future of this planet like you did with your own world. I’m now going to heal you completely. I do this so you can get your wise ass whooped by your father while he teaches you respect. You will find out.

Now you will only call yourself by Zarco. You will remember every aspect of your old life but you will have to learn how to live on the other side.”

With that, she shouts “High heal” loud enough for the couple to come in. My pain is gone and I feel good.

My parents are now here. She tells them that she did not want to use it if he was not going to make it. “That would have given you false hope. Now that he is awake, I healed his body. I was able to get him to remember.”

She then addresses me, “Zarco, just remember, this is the only time I will cast that on you. The next time, and there will be a next time, if you don’t straighten out that attitude.”

She looks at Kron, “Don’t beat him too hard. I know dragons are a tough lot but only enough to beat some sense in him. You may want to start teaching him some of that dragon warrior skills that you are famous for. That would be a constructive correction.”

“Lila, he should eat something. You know how raw bloody meat helps your kind to recuperate. Make sure he eats some at every meal. Kron you may need to help with that.” She laughs as she sees that Kron gets her point.

She gets up, pats me on the head and walks out with my parents.

Later, I am treated to a plate of bloody meat. My father is the one that is feeding me. He seems to be enjoying the fact that, since he made the point to bring in the butcher knife, just in case he had to cut, the pieces, I hated each bite, even though, evidently my dragon self liked the taste.

Adjusting to his fate

I don’t like this. I killed dragons but now I am one. WTF! I’m still repulsed by them but I cannot let them know how I feel. That is how I got beaten up. Now I am being threatened by none other than the son of the founder, my father, Kron the second, king of the dragons.

Since I am physically recovered, my father is starting to teach me their style of fighting.

The dragons I have fought were nothing like this. They were animals. I am being shown tactics in their full form but in the humanoid form, he is showing me weapons and hand to hand fighting.

He is very pleased when I, to him, show a talent for the sword and archery. What he did not know was my hidden history. There is only one problem. He is not going easy. When I complained, he told me that, in battle, my opponent would not go easy. They would go for the kill. I felt that thought. For some reason it hurt. I knew that he was right.

Day after day, the first thing I did was combat. The last thing of the day is combat. I am finding that slowly that it is becoming natural. Slowly there is a feeling creeping into my mind that I feel comfortable in this body. I have acquired the taste for that bloody raw meat.

I find I have an uneasy feeling. Am I slipping into this life? Am I fading and the dragon is winning? At least the feeling is not the sensation of sliding down a throat. I must say that there are certain advantages that come with this life. Oh shit, I am!

Training, then lessons. The dragon matriarch has come to educate him. She, for some reason, is just as hard on him as his father is. He can’t help himself, his thoughts. For over three hundred years old, she is very attractive but she’s a dragon.

I try to keep my human side but find that I am losing the battle, especially when I fly.

That sensation of being in the air. The freedom, the elation of escaping the ground, escaping gravity, it cannot be described in words. It must be felt to be understood.

The training is progressing. My father is starting to, when he thinks I don’t see him, smile. Then the day happened. I was able to penetrate his defenses. Just once, but it felt good.

“That was excellent. You are the first to be able to touch me with the sword. Zarco, my son, you may just make it. Now maybe I need to step up our sessions. I have been going easy on you.”

“Easy on me, father, on this end, it did not feel like it. I usually get my ass handed to me in a basket. I only got lucky. You are just too good. I got lucky.”

“Luck had nothing to do with it. You fight like you have been doing it all your life and then some. You are a natural. The only thing you need is to remember that we fight to protect our family. We fight to keep the peace. I have never gone into a fight for the fun

of it. That is perverse. That will get you killed. I can see some of that emerging in you.

You need to get that under control or you will find yourself dead. That would kill your mother and I will not allow that.”

With those words, he came at me. That man is fierce.

In this world there are many races. We once ruled the whole world but my grandfather let the other races have their own rule and we stepped back. Once we did that, the human species started to become self inflated. They saw all others as inferior.

My thinking, I have finally seen exactly what I used to be. Self inflated. Only the top of the food chain was where I wanted to be. I killed for the fun of it. I killed for my own benefit not others. The images of all those I killed flash in my mind. Those images have to become my reminder of what evil truly is.

That man needed to be eaten. Yes, in that world I saw them as animals but isn’t that what these humans see? The dragons of my old world did not change into humanoid form or did they. Maybe they refused to let the lowly humans see that.

I have flown to an area that I find that I could be alone with all my thoughts. It’s a large area. With some work, I have told myself that I want to make my palace here. Here is where I can start righting all those wrongs I have committed.

Today is the day that I let Duke Clive Montague die. I choose to keep his skills. I choose to remember all his deeds, as a reminder to try my best as penitence towards those I wronged.

This area is large enough to have a dragon community. I fly around and find that the area is devoid of human life. They will eventually come so I need to start making my claim to this land. This will be my kingdom when the throne is passed to me.

Clearing the soil until I hit the solid bedrock, I start to lay down the stones that will be my palace.

Later that day, I get back and find the matriarch waiting. She has instructed everyone that she needed to be alone with me. She looks at me and silently indicated that I am to follow her to the meeting hall. It is empty and all the doors are closed. I feel that there is another here besides the two of us.

“You may never tell anyone of this.” The matriarch tells me. “Today you have turned that corner. Today you laid more than the foundation of your castle, you have put a gravestone on the duke.”

“How did you know?” I’m confused but a figure appears beside the matriarch. I instantly know who it is and I take to the knee. This time I am not arrogant as I was before.

“Stand up.” The watcher says. “Zarco, this is the day that you have now started to become the leader that you need to be. I will only tell you that those stones you put in place have started a dynasty that will eclipse any of those petty expectations that the duke had. There is one goal for you. Learn everything that you can. Be virtuous and have a respect for everyone. I am going to tell you that the history of this world will record you as one of the founders of the future peace. Your seed will produce someone so special that he will, with a brother and sister, forever put this world as a place of peace. A world that everyone is family.”

The matriarch now says, “You are the only one that knows that I know of this ethereal.

She has shown that past that you had. That the soul of Zarco had departed and yours replaced his. She also has shown me the two worlds of the future. That is why I was so hard on you. Mark my words. I will not let up on you. As you yourself have come to the conclusion that you need to make up for your past life, I am to help you. To that end, you will include a sanctuary for matriarchs in that palace. I and my successors will use that as our base.”

I again take to the knee before the two. “Thank you for this opportunity to see exactly what a fool, a deadly fool, I was and what I can and will become. I only ask that, if I stray from this path, you take something and hit me in the head to get my attention. I now have a thick skull so it may take a tree trunk or two to get my attention.”

We all laugh.

Then the matriarch just gives me a stern look, crosses her arms and taps her foot. The Watcher tells the matriarch,

“That is better than anything you could hit him with. Look at his face.”

She is right. I’m thinking that a tree trunk would be less threatening.

The Watcher leaves and the two of us come out. There waiting, is both my father and mother along with most of the staff.

The Matriarch announces, “I have confirmed that this young one, Zarco, son of Kron the second and Kron the founder, is the true and only heir to the throne. He has, today, broken ground and lain the foundation of his kingdom. Kron, it is your obligation to train him well. Teach him those skills in the combat arts but now more important is the need to impart your wisdom to him. He needs to be taught the leadership, the heart of the dragon. Make him a fighter but also a friend. Strong but compassionate. He and his children will be facing tough times. Lila, you also have a task that is far more important.

It will be you and I that seek out the mate he will rule with. That choice will determine the future of this world. That choice will determine the difference between a burned up world, devoid of any life or one of a paradise.”

She finishes with, “Today, I declare that Zarco is now and forever a full dragon.”

My palace

After the edict from the matriarch, my father is having me shadow him as he goes through his duties. This is, of course, after my daily morning beatings. He is now going at full strength. I’m sore every day but I am grateful. I need this.

All the things that a leader needs to do is my greatest surprise. Who ever invented paperwork needs to be eaten. Over all, that is only a small part. The general welfare is his main obligation. For the really first time, I see the incredible weight he is carrying.

Minor to major disputes, items of general concern and such. The biggest thing that he has on his plate is the slave traffic. The dragon community has not had anyone taken but the other species have not fared well. It is mainly the humans that buy those unfortunate ones but it is usually the orc race that does the abductions.

“Son, the only thing we can do is to make sure that in our territories, the slavers are subject to gravity. We take them up to the cloud level, then drop them. They make a wonderful sound when they hit. We try to make sure that the slaves are freed.”

“Father, how do you deal with those that have nowhere to go?”

“I allow them to settle in my land. That is how some of the villages have started. Know this, if you allow them to settle, they are to understand that they come under our justice system. Minor offences are settled by them but ones that concern the peace, you must rule on.”

There were a lot of hard lessons like this. Sometimes the battle lessons are easier on the mind. Hard truths injure the soul.

He has done one thing. I am given ample time to go to my land.

“Build for the ages. Built it strong. Your palace is destined for greatness. Make it befit your destiny. I know that this castle is old. My father built it as a fortress. There are many modifications that are needed but this is the founder’s castle. I will this to the people as a memorial to the past. Your palace needs to look towards the future.”

I now take months away to build. Others have offered to help but I thank them and tell them that I need to lay every stone. Every stone is important but every stone is just that, stone. It is only when they are put in their proper place that they no longer are stone, they are a fortress. I feel that I need to make sure that they are where they need to be.

Little by little the whole area is being filled with buildings. My palace is taking the most time. I have invited my parents to see but my father is the one that says that they will come when it is finished.

“We will need to see it then so we can know where to place caretakers while you go on your flight.”

All this building does not signal that I am an adult. That is the traditional yearlong solo flight. That flight is so I can find myself. For now, I build.

While there, building, I hear the cries of people crossing my land. I fly to see a dozen chained people. There are humans and orcs herding them. Slavers. I have not been noticed. I quickly fly to my parents.

“I need help” I tell my father. “I have spotted slavers on my land and I could have handled them myself but that would put the captured people in danger. There are six slavers. May I have a few of your guards help me?”

With out a word, he goes off and returns with a dozen guards.

“These are yours. I will be going but only as a guard. Your land, your rule. It is now time for you to step up into the role of heir. Prove to me that you are worthy of that title.”

We fly.

It was easy to find the slavers. Forcing people to walk is slow. I had explained, before we left that I wanted the slavers picked up and brought to my palace. Unfinished as it is, the dungeon was the first part that was built. I wanted the captured people brought to the palace grounds. I have completed several buildings. They can rest up there.

We swoop in. I grab the leader while my father and four others grab the other slavers. A short flight with our six criminals. They were screaming all the way.

They were locked up and we waited the short time for the people to come. In the meantime, my father commented that he did like what I have done.

“Very sturdy construction. The stones themselves seem to be proud. I can see why you call it your palace. It is very strong but has the feel of a grand estate rather than a military fortress. Your mother will want me to make changes to our home.”

It was a good friendly talk. I felt that this was the first real conversation that I have had that was man to man, rather than the usual father to son. That moment was not the last but the slaves are showing up.

Let loose, they were scared. I am not a great cook, so I talk to them.

“I am Zarco and this is my father, Kron. This is my land and I will not tolerate anyone that is in the slave trade. For now, rest up, you are under my protection. We will talk after the trial of those six. I have supplies here but I can burn water. Can anyone of you cook?”

Some of the women tell me that they will cook.

“I don’t know how long it has been since you last had a good meal so, please feel free to cook a lot for yourselves, none for those six. After that, I will bring those up and I will ask for your account. After we hear from all of you, my father is the king, so he will rule.”

At that point, my father steps up to me. In an almost subservient tone, he addresses both me and those people.

“This is your land, it is your rule. This will be your first step on your long road. Listen and judge wisely.” Turning to the people, “This is my son and the heir to the kingdom. He is owner of this land. He is building this palace and estate with his own hands. This is his rule. I will be just an observer.”

With that, the food was prepared and each could take as much as they wanted. I sat and ate the bowl I was presented. It was then I realized that it felt like this is the time for me to start that quest that the penitence is requiring of me.

Finished with the meals, the six were brought forward. They were bound in the ropes they bound their prisoners in. One by one, the people recounted what happened. There was murders of husbands, sons and drivers. Humiliation, beating and rape of some.

They all said just about the same. By the end of their testimony, I already knew what I was going to do.

Now my father stood before me. “As lord of this land, it is your responsibility to pass judgement on these six. What say you?”

“They are all guilty of the most heinous crimes anyone could commit. My sentence is death.”

“So be it. As judge, it is your responsibility to carry out the first execution.”

I knew that this was the rule. It was to make sure that your judgement was respected as final. I change into full dragon and take the leader up to the clouds. I see my father joining me with one of the others. All the slavers are now here. They all are begging and crying. My fellow dragons are looking at me. I let go and I hear the scream. The others waited for me to give the signal, which I do.

Once back on the ground, my father addresses all.

“I ask you all, is there anyone here that thinks that the sentence was unjust?”

There was almost all saying it was just. One of the women said.

“It was unjust. They only had the terror of their brief time falling. It was over too quick but the just portion is that they will no longer be a threat.”

Now for my final ruling. “All of you have suffered. If you would like to go back to your homes, we will make sure that you get back safely. For those who do not have a place to go, I offer employment here in my palace. That offer comes with the knowledge that you would be under our laws and our protection.”

All said the same thing. They had had their men killed by those slavers. They would like to stay here. I accepted them and my father granted them the dragon protection.

He explained that I needed to go on the years flight after I finished the building. There will be a dragon presence here at all times. When I return, I will gather my subordinates.

He then said that no one here is going to be bonded to this place. If at some time in the future they wanted to leave, they could. All accepted that.

Then my father and some of the dragons left. There were five that expressed that they would like to be my firsts. He granted them their leave. Then told them to, one by one, come back and gather their possessions.

It took almost another five years to complete my palace and grounds. My mother wants to move in. She says that they will look over the palace when I am gone but father over rules her.

“You may visit from time to time but this is his home.”

From the great hall to the throne room, to the living spaces, this is a palace in every sense. I know my flight is next. I’ll miss it but what is a year out of a dragon’s life. My parents are middle aged if you compared them to other specie’s life spans.

Other species life spans. I will find out just how important that time is.

Heros have no ego

Now that my palace has been finished, it is time for my year of flight. This is the time that I am required, as a dragon, to explore this world. I am to meet up with other dragon communities but I must travel alone. This is so a dragon feels what it is to be truly by one’s self.

I am being trained to rule. To rule is to be alone, even in a crowd or a family. It is also the time to miss family. A time to appreciate the family interactions. A time to be lonely.

It’s the time to find the real you.

During my travels, I do need to spend time with the other dragon communities. Each community, I am just Zarco. Not the heir to the throne. All the communities know who I am but they know that I’m not to be given any preferential treatment. I don’t want any.

The first few months were basically sightseeing. Then my first challenge.

As I am flying over an area, I hear a weak sobbing. On closer look I can see a small child lying on the ground. She looks like she is lost and hungry. I land close to her but change into my humanoid form.

I now see that she is very frail. She looks like she has been lost for a while. I approach her and find that she is of the canid race.

“Are you lost?” I ask.

All she can do is groan. I break out some of my food and start a good fire. Wrapping her in my blanket, I sit her by the fire to warm up and give her a bowl of soup. She attacks it like a wild animal. I make her another bowl.

“Please eat slower. I’ll let you have more in a little while. Now, I’m Zarco. May I ask your name?”

“Mira” she says between mouths full.

“Mira, nice name. How long have you been lost?”

She hangs her head as she says, “I’m not lost. My father threw me out. There were too many mouths so, he got rid of me.”

I cringe, how can someone dispose of a living being, let alone one of your children?

This is the first thing that I need to correct.

“I am a dragon. I will carry you to the next of our communities. There I will ask them for help to find you a good home. Do you want to come fly with me?”

“You won’t drop me?” She has a worried tone to the question.

“Never, on my honor.”

She is now sleepy, but it is of a good kind, so we camp here for the night. I again feel anger rising up. She is so helpless. When I have a child, that child will feel the effects this child is having on me.

In the morning, I make a seat cage that I can carry in my full dragon form. The thing that surprises me is that Mira is delighted to see me in my full dragon form. She is getting the biggest thrill sitting in her special seat and watching the world pass below her.

All she could talk about when we stopped for the night is the wonderful things she saw on our flight. It is good to see her excited. We eat and talk. Then she says something I did not expect.

“Can I stay with you and be your daughter? I have had more fun in this one day than I have ever had.”

“I’m on a one year travel. The goal is to travel alone but if you are willing, I would love to have you with me. We will need to ask the next dragon village’s chief for a ruling on it. If he says no, then I will return with you to my home and have you stay there in my parent’s care. Will you be okay with that?”

“I want to go with you but staying with your parents will be fine. I’ll miss you, daddy.”

I’m hooked. The love for this child I have is overwhelming. I hug her and say to her that she is now my daughter and my family.

By the end of the second day of flying, we reach the next community. Much to my amazement, the matriarch is there. She comes over as I land an greets us.

“Leave you alone and you pick up a pretty young lady.”

“This is Mira, my new daughter. We are now family. She would like to travel with me for these last eight months. Mira, this is the matriarch of the dragons. She is the spiritual ruler of all dragons.”

The matriarch kneels down and asks Mira,

“Is it true that you want to be Zarco’s daughter?”

“Yes, matriarch.” She answers strongly.

The matriarch stands and announces to the gathered crowd that she officially recognizes Mira as my daughter and is now a member of the dragon community.

“We now need to go to the chief.”

In a very formal setting, my now daughter and I sit before the judgement table. The chief is in the middle seat. The matriarch is on the right and the chief’s second is on the left.

The chief is the first to speak.

“Before us is something that has never come up during the one year flight to adulthood.

The matriarch has ruled that the female child had petitioned to be this male’s daughter.

He has accepted and matriarch, I would like you to present this petition.”

She starts. “I have found that there is a true parent child bond that has, in the very short time, grown strong. They are petitioning to let her go on his flight. I have granted to parent child relation. I feel that, with that bond, he is truly now an adult.”

Now the chief is thinking. This has nothing to do with his being the heir but it is something that he will need to word properly. It will impact the future concerning the flight. He now speaks.

“First, we also recognize this father daughter relation. The matriarch feels that he is now an adult. That being the case, we will fly to his parent’s home. The matriarch, Zarco, Mira, myself and a contingent of my community, will go and present this petition to the parents for final ruling. It is my opinion that the flight is to be the passage to adulthood.

This is accomplished by this man’s action, his compassion and love. I feel that the remainder of the year will only cause hardship. This is the issue that we will ask for their ruling on this.”

He continues, “Zarco, that is a good seat you made for your daughter but my craftsmen will be making you a fitting seat for the heir’s daughter. We will be hosting you for a week while that is being made and we prepare for the trip. Matriarch, would you be so kind as to escort his daughter to our seamstress. His daughter needs to be attired in the wardrobe befitting her new station.”

Mira is confused. She asks me, “What are they talking about?”

I address the gathering. “I have not told her about myself. Mira, I am the son of the dragon king and the next in line for the throne. With the matriarch acknowledging that you are my daughter, you now are a princess. You only have the clothes that I found you in. Those will be thrown out and you will be dressed as the princess you are and always will be.”

Then a thought hits me.

“Mira, do you know how to get back to where you used to be living before that person threw you out?”

She answers yes but I assure her that it is not to return her.

“Matriarch, Chief, I would like to make a short detour on out flight to my parent’s home.

Once we are ready to go, I want to go to her former home and show her mother that she is alive and adopted. I want to have a talk with that man who threw her out like trash. I want to show him that the old saying is correct. What you may think is trash is another man’s treasure.”

I then pick her up into a hug.

My proposal is approved

The week was wonderful, especially to see life being so enjoyed by my daughter. You can tell that she has now come to grips with her new position but has the humble knowledge that only comes from someone that has been treated as trash and does not want to treat others like she was.

During the week, I had a constant fashion show. She is living a dream that she could have never dreamed. I now can never imagine not having her in my life.

We are now ready to leave. It should take a week to get home. That is the direct route with only that slight detour. Mira’s new carriage is wonderful. It straps to my back. There are padded seats for her with enough space to carry her new luggage. It is comfortable.

The matriarch said that she will ride with Mira.

We now know the area that she is from. We will land so the whole area will see us. The direction was in the direct path to my parents. She was dumped in the direction away from the dragon community. We needed to pass over it anyways.

I can only imagine the panic in that village when the sky overhead was filled with dragons. I landed and the carriage was removed from my back. I then went into my humanoid form and walked into the village with my princess daughter hand in hand.

All the residents are watching the parade as Mira leads me to her former home. The panic in her former father’s eyes as we all line up outside the house. Her old parents come out. The father looks at her then us. A combination of bravado and fear is the best way to describe him.

“Thank you for finding my daughter. Her mother and I were worried.”

I ignore him and talk to her mother. “I stopped here to show you that my daughter is now in a loving environment and safe. After today, you will have regular visits by a dragon to inform you of my daughters’ accomplishments.”

The father interrupts me

“What do you mean, your daughter?”

I get up into his face as I ask the matriarch to explain who I am.

“You have interrupted the heir to the dragon kingdom. Prince Zarco. Son of King Kron the second. We dragons have acknowledged that your castaway, Mira, is now Prince Zarco’s daughter.”

He is now quaking. I start to talk again. I am so close to him that one of my inhales draws his air away from him.

“I came here to see how you would react. If you had reacted like you made a mistake, we would have offered help but now, mother, bring out all your children.”

She does. There are four boys. They look like their mother, not so well fed. He has not missed a meal.

I look at them then look back to him. The rage, fight back the rage.

“How can you stand there and see their condition. Chief, I ask that you take him with us.”

I look at the villagers, “This mother and children are now under our protection. Chief, please make sure that these people have a credit line at the store. The store owner will be paid by me as a tribute to my daughter.”

The mother tells me that she would really like to return to her home town. Her parents want her there. She will take the stage home. It arrives in two days. I give her my travel change, ten large gold.

“This will get you home and a living expense. Know this, if I ever hear that you are back with this man, I will take it a personal offense. Chief, on your way back please make sure that she has gotten off safely.”

“Mira, would you like to say anything to your mother?”

She does. “Mother, I love you but you let him throw me out like garbage. Right now, I don’t like you but I forgive you. Daddy, can we leave now?”

I take her hand and we all walk away.

Her father was being carried by a dragon at the back of the flight group. Half way through that day, he wiggled too much and caused the older dragon to lose his grip.

Mira never asked, for the rest of her life, what happened to him. There was a smile on her face that night as she leaned on me.

It was almost a week but my parent’s home came into view. They had someone come out to us to ask our intension but when he saw me, I sent him back with the message that we needed an official audience at the king’s earliest convenience.

A royal decision

We land and my mother and father come out. They look concerned but went into shock when they saw me with that carriage on my dragon back. Their jaws dropped when the matriarch came out and when I took Mira’s hand. We walked over to them.

The matriarch announces, “It is with great pleasure, that I announce to you both that I have approved of the adoption of Mira, a foundling, to her now father Zarco. You now have a granddaughter. Granddaughter, introduce yourself to your grandparents.”

It is obvious that she had instructed Mira on how to act and speak to them.

Mira walks to them with confidence. She grabs the edges of her dress, curtsies and then says.

“It is with humility I ask that you accept me as your granddaughter. I was cast out and almost died but I was rescued by my father, your son. He is my life, he is my father. I love him. I ask again, please accept me.”

My mother scoops her up into a tight hug. “I always wanted a daughter, but a granddaughter is better.”

Now the matriarch and chief request a hearing and it is granted. That was immediately held. My mother would not give up Mira and Mira looked pleased. She never had grandparents.

The matriarch and chief laid out their case. They said that this was a decision that only my parents could decide. They told them of how I found Mira, my petition to have her come with me. Their decision on the fact that the year was to make them adults. Then they told of the village. How I was insulted by the reaction of the father. What I did for the mother and what Mira told her.

“We feel that it would be too dangerous for her to travel with him for the remainder of the year. We feel that he is an adult by his actions. We feel that the remainder of the year would not make him more of an adult. As his parents, it would be your decision. If you send him back to the travel, we insist that you take care of Mira. If you decide that he is an adult, I will reside in his palace to see to the observance of adoption. I will be there to oversee her education in our ways.”

My father now steps out of his role as father and into the king’s role.

“It has been tradition that the year fulfilled made someone an adult. I have known in my seven hundred years, more than enough ones that came back and still act like children but have seen children that are more adult than those who have hundreds of years under their feet. As king, I rule that from now on, if anyone displays this much adult behavior and proper thinking, that person has completed their journey.”

“Now as a father” he turns to me “I welcome you as an adult. You took to flight a young man but in a short time became an adult. Son I am so proud of you. Now you have

brought your mother and I, a wonderful granddaughter. I just hope that your mother lets me hold her once in a while. I also hope that you have made extra rooms at your palace. Your mother will be there constantly.”

He asks all of those who traveled with me to stay. Tomorrow there will be a celebration of adulthood and a new child in our family.

It was only when my mother, the matriarch and Mira left, the chief and I filled my father in on the accident with the father.

“He was almost fat while the wife and the sons were showing evidence of being underfed. The mother wanted to go to her parents. I really did not want him to go after her. He would have. I wanted him to be tried here but he wiggled too much.”

“With what you have explained, accidents do happen. Chief, please make sure you give your people a talk on lifting safely.”

We catch up with the women. One look and I know that my mother is in love. So is Mira.

Now I notice that Mira has a ring and a necklace.

“Mother, please don’t empty the country’s treasury. I haven’t finished the vault. Mira, you do look pretty with those. You will need to take good care of them. Now matriarch, I would like her to take the weapons training and also horsemanship. She needs to ride since she can’t fly”

“Men” she says “Those things can wait. Right now, she needs to be able to read and write. We will teach her in the basics of our, now her society rules. Don’t worry. You may not know this, but one of the greatest warriors will be training her.”

She looks at my mother. “She will make sure that her lovely granddaughter is more than able to take care of herself and others. We will be at your palace and Mira will be spending time here. Her travel will be with a dragon protector. We protect our own. Now go, we women will talk.”

I guess I’ve been told. I hang my head then go to leave. Mira comes over and hugs me.

“Don’t worry daddy, I’ll be with you always but I need to get to know my grandmother.”

My day is rescued.

As time goes by

Mira, I loved that child. She grew in knowledge and age. Before I knew it, she was a young woman. Now the matriarch had stepped down, she had fallen in love and had her first child. The time had come, Mira also fell in love.

In my parent’s castle, there was a canid working as a baker. Mira was spending more and more time at her grandparents.

One day, I received a message from her, asking me to please come to the castle. Mira did not say what she wanted me there for but she is my daughter so I could not refuse. I left to go to her.

My mother and Mira came out to greet me as I landed. Then they led me to the meeting room. There was my father sitting in his chair. My mother took the seat beside him and asked me to sit in the chair that was on the other side of my father. Something is up but I was not expecting what came next. No father does.

Mira comes in. She is accompanied by a very nervous young man. Mira introduces him as Jarid. She says that he is here to ask me something. It hits me like a ton of stone.

Looking at Jarid.

“What is it that you want to ask me that the king and queen could not answer?”

I could tell that this is his moment. I could see that, at this moment, he straightened up and became strong. It was plain to see that he had a rehearsed speech but had just thrown it away.

“Your daughter and I have fallen in love. We want to get married. My family owns a thriving bakery and wants me to come home to take it over. That home is very far from here. We do not want to be separated. Sir may I have your permission to marry your daughter?”

I look at the two of them and then to my parents.

“I ask you, my parents, of what character is this man?”

My father speaks first. “He has been an excellent worker. He gives more than he is paid for. He is of sound character.”

My mother tells me that they are deeply in love with each other. It is true love.

I now turn to my daughter. “Please explain to me why I should approve?”

“Father, you have been the guiding light in my life. You are my rescuer and have brought me up to know what is right, what is wrong and my early life taught me what is evil. Jarid his only kind to me. I can tell that he loves me for me. Not because of my father’s status. I love him and as much as I know that it would hurt you deeply, if you don’t approve, I will still go with him as his wife.”

“Seeing your resolve. Even to the point that you would still go with him if I did not approve, I know that you truly love him deeply. Jarid, I approve this marriage but with a warning. If you ever make her cry anything but happy tears, I’ll fly so high and let you fall. I’ll laugh at you all the way down until you splatter into a blob of unrecognizable goo.”

“Father, mother, we will have the ceremony at my palace. I will need your assistance in decorating my great hall. Mother, will you do that and bring anyone you need? Father, I need you to assist me with anything I need to do?”

They heartily agree. I turn back to Jarid.

“This will be in strict accordance with the dragon tradition. Mira knows but you may not.

The matriarch will be called. She will talk to the both of you separately. If she approves, there will be a feast. After a few hours, you will be ushered into a side room where the matriarch will witness to consummation. She will then announce the marriage or that there was no consummation. You have now been granted permission to marry my daughter. She is a princess of the dragons. She must be married in our tradition. You must now answer, before me, do you accept our tradition and conditions?”

He does accept. My parents send a messenger to deliver the request to the matriarch.

It was a few days until the matriarch arrived at the palace. By that time, the great hall room and the side room have been decorated. My mother is a miracle worker. I have prepared a special gift for her and her staff. I have had special necklaces made for each.

Ready for the matriarch’s inspection. She is allowing her assistant to do the initial inspection. She is a young dragon around my age.

Azael has captured my vision. She is the most beautiful dragon that I have seen. That fact has not escaped the matriarch. She is casting me a sly smile. That smile brought to mind the fact that she has to have been brought into the Watcher’s circle.

When it was time for the interviews of the couple, the matriarch interviewed both my daughter and Jarid but assigned Azael to talk to me about the marriage of my daughter.

She is a nice person to talk to. All she did was to ask how Mira came to be my daughter.

About my feelings on her moving away. Then she hit me with the big one.

How do you feel about the differences in life spans?

I really have never thought about that. I have to let the question sink in. Then I voice my thoughts.

“I have never given it a thought. That is a very hard question. In comparison, they both have a short life. Before I even start to show my age, they will just be dust. Being so far away, visits will be measured in years between. Each time I would see them they would be older and older while I stay the same.”

I have to stop for a moment.

“Mira is and always will be the light of my life. I cherish the time I have had with her but, like our race, I have left my parents to start a new life. It will be hard to lose her to age but that is our lot. Dragon children die, you never get over it but you live on. Seven or eight hundred years from now she will still be alive in here.”

I point to my heart and head.

“Eventually, I will become a family tale. A myth. In that eight hundred years, who knows.

Maybe she will come back into my life. Maybe she will be a dragon this time and marry a future son. Does that answer your question? That made me think. Yes, I’m okay with this marriage. She will have happy memories and a peaceful death at an old age but she will still be my little girl. That’s enough of that.”

I get up. I need to fly. In the air, my tears of future sorrow evaporate as they fall from my eyes. In those future years, no one will ever replace her.

The wedding went off without a hitch and was certified by the matriarch. Jarid and Mira went to their new home. Dragons live a long life. Mira did and I received the news that she passed at the age of seventy with her children and grandchildren at her side.

I completed that remaining eight months of solo flight. I stopped at their grave and left tears. I still remember and visit her. I have become local lore. I guess that her children have moved away because there are no other markers other than the granite one that I made and installed. On it is her tale of how she became the dragon king Zarco’s daughter.

A chance encounter

It has been a number of years since Mira passed. I have been in a down mood since. I perform my duties. Funny, my mother is just as melancholy as I am but now, despite being seven hundred and having many years left, she has lost her spirit. Father and I both know that it is just a matter of time. Once a dragon goes this way, almost nothing can stop the inevitable decline.

The matriarch, with Azael are almost residents of the castle. The only good thing is that I am talking to Azael more and more. I find that my spirit is coming back. She was the first to look me in the eyes and tell me,

“Mira would be very disappointed in you right now. The way you are acting, she is going to give you a stern lecture when you both reunite in the final life. Now, you’re coming with me. We are going to fly to her grave and I want you to tell her what is in that hard heart of yours. The matriarch has approved.”

She is always one to throw me a curve.

“I am leaving the matriarch’s service. I love you and we are going to be married and the first girl, we will name Mira in her honor.”

What just happened? My brain cells are self-destructing. I look at her, she is very serious.

“Well! What is your answer? I just proposed to you. I know that we both have feelings for each other.”

Azael did not wait. She took my hand and dragged me to where my mother was laying.

Both the matriarch and father were there. She drags me to my mother.

“Would you please instruct this befuddled man child of yours how to answer a simple question. I have asked him to marry me and he is struck dumb.”

Did someone just spike my mother’s water. She sits up with a returned vigor. Looks at Azael then me and then the matriarch.

“This better not be a joke! Matriarch what is this about?”

My father is just as dumb struck as I am.

The matriarch says, “Azael has talked about this for quite a few years now. To tell the truth, I finally told her that if she did not take the position and tell Zarco what he was going to do, it would never happen. No this is not a joke. I will answer for Zarco.”

She stands in front of me. Gives me the look that will back down even the bravest. She pokes me in the chest as she says,

“In three days, we will have a feast and you will mate with Azael. You are a perfect match. You drag your feet anymore, there will be no queen to take over for your mother.

Now Lila, get off that lounge and start decorating. Get the kitchen to start the feast prep.”

There are three ladies leaving the room and two bewildered men standing with their jaws on the ground.

“I guess I should congratulate you son on your upcoming marriage.”

I only can say “What the fuck just happened? Well, at least mom has some life left in her. Father, I think we both need to retreat to my palace and hit my bar room for a few days.”

We both took off. In the morning, there is a guard there that looks as if he had stared the devil in the eyes.

“I have been instructed to get the both of you, the queen’s exact words, even if I had to tie you both up and drag you there. Sorry sirs, I have a wife and she wants me home in one piece. Would you please come with me, otherwise I just will have to keep on flying away.”

My father tells him not to worry, we will save his marriage. We will return and accept my son’s fate. Very generous of you father but remember, they want the both of us.

They were right, I do find that I love Azael and wanted this but I did not have the backbone to ask first. I guess I’m getting married. At least, it looks like it is happening here. We will go to the palace the next day and work out the small stuff. Why is the small stuff so large?

We come back to a chaotic scene. A major battle is being waged. The enemy is none other than the two of us. Mother is now very full of energy.

“Why did the two of you take off. Don’t you know that some decisions need to be made by you.”

One of the biggest mistakes in your life, gentlemen, is to make a remark that you think is funny. It will always be received as sarcastic. I learned this lesson when I made the casual remark.

“You women seemed to be making all my decision for me.”

With that my father took the only way a valiant warrior can take, he ran as fast as he could to his bedroom and locked himself in. That is one door that needs to be replaced.

Mother is strong.

I had my wedding outfit fitting. It turns out to be green per Azael’s wishes. When I commented, people can get testy. I was corrected. The color is Fern.

Now I find that the anticipation is excruciating. My mind has not gotten a wrap around this whole situation. I will be married in a few days. I really did not get a chance to even court. That will have to come after. Backwards but.

She is very attractive with a good head on her shoulders. It took a lot of courage to confront me the way she did. The matriarch is right, we will make a good pair. Now however, I have sent a formal request that we have a private dinner tonight and just talk.

“I have always found you very attractive from that first time we met. There was a big difference than others I had met, I felt that you had an inner beauty, one thing I need to tell you, when you were yelling at me, you said that our first girl would be named Mira.

That will not happen. We will call her something else. Calling her Mira would put an undue burden to live up to someone who is dead. Still, after we are certified, I would like to go to Mira’s grave to tell her.”

Azael agreed with me. “That was to snap you out of your funk. I know that I came on strong but it was the time. It would have been far more years until you worked up the courage to ask me.”

“It is funny that you say that. My mother once told me that she was the one to propose because she was tired of waiting. I guess that it is something I have inherited.”

There was more casual talk and then it was time to sleep. Tomorrow was the big day.

We dragons love the pomp. From emergence of the wings, tenth year, coming of age, return from the year, marriage and of course the celebration of a finished life. Of all of these, the marriage celebration is the most festive.

The grand entrance of the male, the greater entrance of the female and the solemn entrance of the matriarch. There we stand, we each make a statement to our prospective mate, then ask our question.

“Azael, I have worshiped you from afar. You are so beautiful, but I see a more beautiful inner you. I have hesitated too long. My life without you is no life. Will you please be my life’s partner, will you be my mate?”

Azael answers that she will. Then she asks me,

“Zarco, from the first time I saw you on the occasion of Mira’s marriage, I knew that this day would happen. I was in love at the sight of you. It has taken many years but it now seems like moments. We are destined to be together. Will you please be my life’s partner, will you be my mate?”

I answer that I will.

“As the matriarch, I announce that I find these two compatibles and are ready for their certification. Let the feast begin.”

I have seen other marriage feasts and know the tradition of our plates. I’m very glad that all we need to do is take a bite then push the meager amount of food around. Even the one bite is too much. I’m a dragon, we are fierce, brave in battle, why am I so terrified?

The two hours have passed.

“It is now time for the certification. Zarco, Azael. Now is your final time, your final chance, are you both willing to be certified?”

We both answer yes and we follow her to the side room. As per the instructions, we each go to separate changing rooms where we get out of our wedding finery and only put on the robes.

Reentering the room, we stand before the matriarch.

“You now are ready. The only thing I will say is enjoy yourself. There is no time limit. Be kind and enjoy. Please give me your robes.”

We do just that. What a sight to behold. She is all mine. Why did I wait?

What was a romantic session that seemed like it went for eternity was over too soon.

The matriarch smiles at the both of us. “Get cleaned and dressed. Then come out.”

With that, she leaves us. We get dressed. I have the empty scabbard and she has the sword. Hand in hand we leave the side room.

The matriarch is formal as we enter the room.

“It is my honor to announce that I have certified this couple as mated for life.”

Azael kneels before me and offers up her sword.

“I give you this sword. Protect our family.”

Taking it, I place it in the scabbard and offer my hand. She takes it and stands beside me. Now Azael’s father stands before me and hands me a money bag.

“In this bag is my daughter’s dowery, twenty large golds. This dowery is not for Zarco but so that Azael is not a burden on Zarco’s family.”

After all the congratulating messages, we return to the side room. There is a cart with food and wine. It was a night of enjoyment, exploring each other alone with each other. We never knew when all the guests left. We were too distracted.

In the morning, after all the inquiries as to our health by my parents and the matriarch, we ate and then flew to Mira’s grave to tell her of our wedding.

A very pleasing side note, her grave never is left unattended. When we get there, we find the usual. It is well groomed and has flowers blooming. A few people pass by and bow to us.

Chaotic bliss

Marriage is bliss. That is the general common comment. I have had years of watching my parents. There is a certain percentage of just that, pure bliss but the rest is a combination of light to heavy combat. The other saying is that the making up is also bliss.

New wife in my palace. I try to get her to remember that I have lived here for over a hundred years but her remarks hurt when we came out of the bedroom the next morning after we returned from Mira’s grave.

She was really looking around. Pointing out this and tisking at that. “This is a typical bachelor hovel. First of all, that bar of yours, those nude paintings have to go. There needs to be curtains.”

She continues to point out things that I thought fit nicely into the decor. The biggest hit was that she was surprised that Mira put up with it for so long.

“I wanted to say something to you at her wedding but it wasn’t my place. Now it is. I’m having both my mother and yours come over and stay with us for a while. The three of us women need to do a total makeover. Zarco, our palace is a handsome building but it does lack appeal. It lacks the royal presence that it will need when you ascend to the throne. Don’t get me started on that great hall and side room. We need wood and windows.”

I carefully remark as not to get myself into too much trouble.

“I can see where you are coming from. It needs to reflect you as well as me. I will insist that I have a small room that I can retreat to. Can I have a nude there if it is private?”

“I’ll allow it only if it is me hanging there. I’ll have to send out a request for a female painter.”

I like that, unexpected but nice. She sees the smile on my face. Then she hits me.

“That room and the dungeon are going to be left to you. The rest is mine.”

With that, a legion descended on my sanctuary. The only smart thing was to fly around to see what I can hunt to provide a palatial meal for those who came to rend my home apart and remake it. Azael is strong willed. That is part of the reason I love her.

I get back with a boar and a deer. The kitchen staff is delighted and prepared an amazing supper for us all. On this occasion, I insisted that all the staff, including the kitchen join us for the meal.

At our meal, I tell my beloved mate that she has my blessing on whatever she wants to do with the decorations. Not that my blessing meant much.

“As long as you don’t start moving walls, I’m okay with what you do. All the walls are support. Move one, the whole collapses.” I deliberately exaggerated but I did not want them to gut this place.”

“It is spacious enough but it took ugly to the extreme.” She does not mince words.

After a while, most rooms were no longer recognizable. There was a feminine touch everywhere. I hate poofy pillows on the chairs. She even had most of my comfortable chairs given away. They still had a few hundred years left in them.

“The people of the dragons now have pieces that they treasure. Live with it.”

Here and now, I need to state that this banter is not hostile. I love her and she needs to make this our home, not just a palace. That does not exempt me from having a few words of disagreement.

Every day I go somewhere. I have been told to. When I offer a suggestion or comment I am summarily dismissed and told to go out and hunt. This lasted almost three weeks until both my father and father-in-law came to my rescue.

They both came to see what has been done. Both look at me and then at the palace.

My father speaks to the women.

“This is truly a royal palace. I see a completed home. You are now fussing. It is my decree that it is enough. I would feel more royal in this place than I do in my castle. Any more and I would have to throw my son and daughter out and claim it as my own. I can’t be shamed. This is done.”

The three know that he really meant what he said. Any more and it would shame his home. They bowed and said “As you wish.”

My father-in-law said it best. “I miss my wife and I am taking her back in the morning.”

My father then voiced the same. It already is too formal for my taste but a content mate is a happy life. All will stay the night and we will have another feast with everyone. We three men go out and hunt.

After the whirlwind died down, Azael still putters with different areas. To distract her, we started to go places together. It was on one of those flights that we came across another group of slavers. They seem to be entering my territory more and more frequently.

This time they had a group of mixed species but mostly goblins and then mostly female.

The slavers see us and try to get the slaves to run. I don’t need to say anything to Azael. She has a look that even I would run from if it was directed at me.

She swoops down then ascends with the leader. I land and, in my dragon, form I stop all in their tracks.

“How dare you enter my domain with your insidious trade.”

As I am talking Azael grabs another and disappears into the sky. I continue as one by one the slavers go into the sky until there are no more. Now she lands and we take our humanoid form.

She tells the captured that they are free. “We will take you to our homè. It is within a day’s walk from here. My love, would you please go back and gather food for these people and alert the staff to make rooms ready for them.”

I fly away to do that. While I am gone, she tells them that once at our home, they can give our staff their information and we will contact your relatives to come and get them.

If they had nowhere to go, they would be hired to work at our palace. However, they would be able to leave anytime they wanted to go.

A few of the goblin women told her that they were pregnant but did not want to return to their tribes. Azael told them that they are welcome to stay with us. When they were due, we would have midwives there to help them.

One goblin step forward, “I am my tribe’s midwife. I also do not want to go back to those males. There are only a rare few male goblins that have manners. Those are the children from a cast out sex slave of a human. If these women want to stay, I stay.”

When we released them from their bondage, the male goblins ran away leaving the rest of the group behind. We ate, then set off.

It was as twilight gave ownership of the time of day to night, we arrived at the palace.

My mate showed them to our bath. This is the one that Azael had me make that was a wash station for many to sit and clean themselves, then soak in the communal tub.

All came out with robes on and sat at the table for an ample meal.

“I will excuse myself so you women can talk amongst yourselves. Azael, I’ll be in my study. When you are done and these are settled in their rooms, come get me and we will go to our bed.”

In the morning, we found that all the goblins wanted to be employed at the palace. Most of the others would like us to contact their relatives. They agree with the relative coming here, not a proxy. That way, we are sure that they are not just being abducted again.

It took almost a month to get those back to where they belong. The strangest thing was with the goblin women. One day there was a goblin male that showed up at our gate. I went out to talk with him. I could tell that he was different, slightly.

He had a look like he was more here. His talk was more coherent than ordinary males.

“I am here because you may have my mother with you.”

He is being calm so I tell him that I will go inside and have the women look out a window to see their reaction. He reluctantly agrees. The women take turns looking at the male

until one starts to cry. “That’s my son!” and she comes running out. Once the reunion has calmed down, we come inside, we sit and talk.

It turns out that he was out hunting when the slavers attacked. He was devastated that his mother was taken. She was once a sex slave who was thrown out in the woods when she became pregnant with the human’s baby. That was him.

“I was sick with the thought that she was taken. Then I heard from some people traveling to their home that they were from the group that was taken but they were saved by the dragon owners of this area. Thank you for rescuing my mother. Even when we were in a tribe, I was always defending her from the other males.”

She tells her son that she has found the safety that she has always sought. “Even though I am a paid worker here, I feel like I am home, I’m finally safe. You need to find that place that you always wanted. That place that you said was your dream.”

I ask him, “What dream was that?”

“I want to find the goblin children of humans. It is my dream that after two or three hundred years, the old goblins will be just a memory. I dream that we will be people, not expendable puke bag slaves.”

There is both pride and despair in his voice. You can tell that there is that hope that he can change his world but sadness that it will take longer than his life.

“A great dream, but I can see that you have the determination needed. I started building this palace by digging a foundation. Rock by rock, I made this. I forget the exact time it took because it was built between my lessons. You must remember, you are talking about a foundation. The people you find will pass on their knowledge. This is an almost god like quest. I admire you. Know this, your mother, as well as all the females we rescued, will live a full, safe comfortable life here as long as they want to stay. Even when they get old and infirmed, they will be welcome here and taken good care of. Your mother and the others are family.”

Azael asks him to stay for a few days so he can see that we are sincere about what we have said. He talks with other staff and finds that we are true to our word. They tell him that they have it good here.

After a few days, he thanks us. “I now can feel good that my mother is in a good safe spot. I thank you for that.”

He is very astonished. My father is visiting. He has heard of the son’s mission.

“I have heard of your noble mission and would like to back you on this.” My father tells him as he hands him a coin and a purse. “This coin proves that you are under the king’s protection. Any trouble, show this to any dragon and they will protect you and get word to me.”

The goblin is now giving the coin a look, then us. He is not registering what he is thinking. I jump in to clarify the confusion.

“I thought it was explained to you but it is my fault. I will reintroduce us. My father is Kron the second, king of the dragons and I am his son and heir. That coin, the king just gave you is proof of royal protection. That means, anytime your show the coin, it is the king telling them to help you. The purse is funding. You must know, as a caution, abuse of the coin is an insult to the king.”

He is able to grab the meaning of the coin. He sets it back on the table.

“I am not worthy of this honor.”

The king tells him, “If you were not worthy, then I’m a poor judge of character so I need to abdicate. You are worthy. Pick up the coin. Your aspiration will change this world. Pick up the coin and be proud. I have only given out three of these coins in my seven hundred year reign as king.”

He picks up the coin and presses it to his chest. He barely can say thank you.

I tell him, “Anytime you want to visit, you are welcome. Just show up and be welcomed.”

We are interrupted by Azael. “I thought you should know, a goblin boy has been born to one of the rescued women. She would like to have you come to see him and she wants to ask you a question.”

Azael leads the three of us to the room where the new mother is. She thanks me for her being safe. Then she has me hold the baby. He is small but very cute. She then asks her question.

“Would you mind if I named him after you and ask you to be his mentor?”

“I am very honored.” I now look at the baby and announce to the gathered. “I name this boy Zarco. May his life be filled with wonder and may he live with honor. He is now under my protection.”

She is grinning ear to ear. “Thank you sire.”

The other goblins crowd in to see the boy. All are infatuated. We men leave. As I leave, I look back. Azael is holding the baby and I get startled by her look. I swear it is the look of love and longing.

A fact known only to dragons. There comes a time that the female decides that she wants a child. Whether it is a conscious or subconscious thought she triggers her cycle.

I see a look that I only read about. She and I need to talk.

The day wound down. In the morning mother and son said their good byes. Things calmed down. Now is the time.

“Azael, my mate, I noticed your look when you were holding the baby. Do you want one for yourself?”

She is, for the first time since our first mating, is very shy and appears to be thinking of a way to convince me that she wanted to have a child. I threw her thought process into burn out.

Weeks earlier, my father came over to my palace and he had a very tired look to him.

We sat in my study. We sat and he sipped at his drink.

“Father, I can see something is bothering you. It’s just us two. Why don’t you unload on me. I’ll listen and won’t talk unless you ask a question.”

He looks like he is weighing something of great importance. Then he speaks.

“Do you remember when you almost died when you were young? I was so angry with you. You were so arrogant that I could not even condemn the person who beat you up.

Then when you woke, you seemed like you were hiding something. It seemed like you hated what we are. I took it out on you during our training. You showed a skill that you never had. Little by little you changed before my eyes. It was when you appeared before me with your daughter Mira and asked us to accept her that all the animosity that I felt, drained away. The person you were was not that boy that woke up. Before me was a man. Later while you and your mother were suffering, I also was suffering. Then Azael came to you. You are now a strong couple. You have this grand palace.”

He took a great sigh, then got almost silent. He spoke in a whisper.

“I’m so very tired. Almost losing your mother took its toll. I don’t know how much longer we have. I need to abdicate and have you ascended to the throne. The only thing stopping me is that you don’t have your heir. I do not want to come as ordering you to produce an heir but that is our law. Unless I die or get killed, I can’t rest.”

He then looks at me, takes another sip. He has gone silent so I now speak.

“I have been thinking that it is time for us to have a child. I have seen some signs with the goblin’s that are pregnant. She’ll look at them and puts her hand on her belly. I do think that she is ready to conceive. I will have a talk with her to see how she feels.”

My father looks up. “If she gets pregnant, I will announce that I am stepping down. I hate to pass this burden, but I need to be with your mother.”

We talked for a while longer, then he made an excuse and flew off. As we shook, he had the face that showed that even though he felt a little better by telling me what he said, he now had a look that said he was sorry for what he was going to do. All he said as he went to fly,

“I hate being old.”

“My mate, my darling, I need to tell you something. I feel that we need to have children.

Seeing you with the baby, I feel that you will make a wonderful mother. You will have to put up with me spoiling the children. What do you say, want to give me a son or daughter? Want to give me an heir?”

She is in tears. She takes my hands and says,

“My mate, my liege, I have been in turmoil on how to say this, I’m already pregnant with your child. I am around two months. I was worried because I did not ask you first.”

Not saying a thing, I hug her so tightly. Kiss her deeply and say thank you. I am excited.

I am sending a messenger to your parents to have them come to the castle tomorrow.

We fly in the morning and we will announce this to them.

In the morning, we fly to the castle. Her parents hadn’t arrived yet. Azael was with my mother and I was with my father. I ask him not to mention our talk. He looked confused but said he would do that.

“You will need a scribe. Let’s have this meeting in the throne room.”

The in laws arrive and we are in the throne room. The scribe is there. Both my parents and hers were seated. We stood before them. “On this day Azael would like to speak to her parents in full view of your majesties. “

Azael steps to her parents, holding hands with both, she says to them

“Mother, Father I am pregnant. About two months.”

There was silence for almost a minute. Both mother’s grabs hold of her and act like they were teenagers again. I’m getting handshakes and back pats from the fathers. When the excitement dies down, my father tells all of us to sit.

“Scribe is to come over and record all of this.”

The scribe had already recorded the words and scene of the announcement.

“This is a great day. Our world will now have an heir. I hereby announce that in two months, I will be abdicating the thrown and appointing my son as king. I wish to spent my life with my mate. Zarco has shown to have the compassion and the presence to assume the role as king. His mate is already fitting to be his queen.

“Zarco stand before me. Do you accept the role of king.”

I kneel and bow as I say “I do your majesty.”

“Azael stand before the queen.”

The queen then asks her the same.

“Do you accept the role of queen? And will you support your king. Please do not kneel.”

Azael says “I do my queen.”

Now the king announces, “In two months, we will have the coronation at Zarco’s palace.

At that time this castle will have ceased to be capital. Starting tomorrow, the palace shall be in transition. Government offices will be transferring there.”

He stops and tells the scribe to go and have the proclamation prepared. “What I need to say is private and not for the record.”

When the scribe leaves, he sits down. We all could see that tired man that I saw. He looks at my mother then says, “My wonderful queen, my Lila, faithful mate of all these years, I am tired and old. I want to spend what little time we have left with you. I don’t need to ask but I will, will you be satisfied with just being a mate to this old dragon?”

She hugs him and says “Yes you old fool.” And she cries on his shoulder.

He then turns to Azael’s parents and thanks them for giving this world Azael.

“Tomorrow, we will be living at the palace to start the transition. I will not teach you how to be king. You already have the qualifications but you need to make it your own. You need to be like the goblin man I gave the coin to. Change the world.”

Transition

From the day that my father announced that he was stepping down as king and naming me as his successor, my palace has been a mad house.

First both of my parents have moved in with us for the transition of the offices at my father’s castle to my palace. Both Azael and my mother are having fits. Rooms that they redesigned are being gutted. There is a throne room being made in what was our dining hall. Side rooms just off of it are in the process of conversion for the different offices.

The library will be the home of the archives.

It is the chaos that they are having a problem with.

That leads to the second problem. Pregnancy mood swings. One minute a shy demure woman and without the slightest hint of a trigger, that woman turns into the most foul mouthed, bitter tempered, mean, vindictive dragon that causes all work to stop and those workers have to run for their lives. That is my sweet Azael’s life.

When the dragon is raging, my mother grabs both of us and puts us in our bed room.

Mother gives me only one order. “Distract Azael. She needs to work off some tension.”

I ask the gods not to let her kill me before I get a chance to see our child.

After several hours, she is now relaxed while I am not able to get out of bed. Meanwhile my father just smiles and tells me to suck it up. “Every male goes through this.” Then I get dragged to another meeting.

My kitchen staff, I can’t take their knives away, tools of their trade. Chefs are a testy lot.

The castle staff have come here to teach my chefs how to cook. It is a known fact; we dragons are a prideful lot but no comparison to one seasoned culinary expert being told that they are doing their dish totally wrong by an invader in their domain.

Fights are breaking out that can be heard at any time of the day, you can hear the fights, even outside the palace walls. Finally, I stepped in and found that I had inferior taste buds.

I had each of the chefs make the same dish and had them serve my parents, Azael and myself portions of each for a blind comparison. The difference in taste was negligible.

Only the plate presentation was different. My parents picked my chef, without knowing it, Azel picked ours also. I told both chefs that both dishes were wonderful. To which I get disgruntled looks.

Time to king up. “Both staffs are equally qualified. This is a new regime, new ruler. I thank the castle staff for sharing their recipes but going forward, we will be presenting a new look. I thank both of the staffs but there is only room, in even the most spacious kitchen, for one head chef.

“Castle kitchen staff, please go home and treat the time off as a vacation. I will pay your salary for the remainder of the time. Enjoy the time off.”

They are gone and the sweet Azael thanks me for my kingly judgment. “Now would you please send all the others packing.”

I just as sweetly say that the others have to stay. Now the other Azael appears and we are in urgent need of stress relief.

Half way there, the matriarch is here. She tells us that she now needs to see to the coronation decor. I need to rehearse, and she had to see to the royal tailor’s work.

When do I get a say. I really would like to grab the crown and put it on. Let my parents go home and get on with it.

Time is a fickle master. It places the future constantly just out of our reach but when that anticipated event is now here, it seems like it arrived as an expressed delivery.

All of the palace modifications are done and the office workers have arranged them back to the castle configuration. Archives are placed, rooms finished. The thrown room looks elegant but has an air of authority. The two thrones are done and in place.

Everything looks as if it was always meant to be there.

The coronation was days away but I have a feast for all the workers in the now royal hall.

The royal attire has been made and fitted properly. Azael’s however has folds buttoned in. As her pregnancy progresses, she can loosen a few buttons to accommodate the baby’s growth.

The day before, all the guests are arriving. I had the staff add to all the invitations that the king and queen have been residing at the palace and the custom of arriving before the royals, not after, is suspended for this event.

Between the rooms in the palace and all the out buildings there was more than enough space for the guests and their retinue.

With a reconciliation, the castle chefs have returned, at our chef’s request, to help with the banquet preparations and service. It was a royal event that only has happened once before, hundreds of years in the past. It was with a great honor that the castle chefs accepted.

I had my doubts about myself. For some reason, in the deep recesses of my mind, I could feel the duke’s personality. He was thinking, finally I will have the power. Grovel at my greatness.

I haven’t thought about the duke for centuries. Why now? I resolved that by saying to myself that it is good that there is some part of the duke left in here. Whatever he thinks, I have to do the opposite. I will not revert to that idiot. True power is being compassionate but also being just when needed.

That morning has arrived. The chaos has returned. I’m going to rule over the dragon world but today, I am not. Orders are being given. The matriarch has taken on the task of making sure everything is on schedule. She will correct anyone no matter what station that one occupies.

Now, the time has arrived. The king and queen are in the throne room and are seated in the new thrones. The herald announces the matriarch and after she takes her place facing the doors with her back to the king, the herald announces our entrance.

The matriarch, in a commanding voice, shouts, “Halt! Who goes there?”

“I am Zarco and my mate is Azael.”

“For what purpose do you enter this throne room?”

“For the purpose of serving and defending our dragon world. We answer the king’s summons.”

“Advance and be recognized.”

We come forward and stop before her. She turns and addresses the king.

“For what reason have you summoned these two?”

“I hereby abdicate the throne and name Zarco as my successor.”

My mother speaks “I now name Azael as my successor.”

The matriarch now tells them that they must leave the thrones and sit in the vacant common chairs in the front row.

“Zarco, son of Kron the second, son of Kron the first. Do you accept this decree?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Take the throne and sit. Azael, do you accept this decree?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Take the queens throne but do not sit.”

The matriarch now takes the crown. As she takes her place in front of me, she asks as she holds the crown in front of me.

“Do you swear that you will only act in the best interest of your kingdom?”

“I swear.”

She raises the crown over my head.

“Do you swear that you will protect our dragon world even if it costs your life?”

“I swear.”

“Do you swear to judge fairly with compassion and with the final decisions that must be made?”

“I swear.”

She places the crown on my head.

“I now certify that you, Zarco, are the king of the dragons. All hail the king.”

As I look over the crowd cheering, I see an old man and an old woman smiling at me.

Their look frightens me.

The matriarch stands before Azael with the queen’s crown.

“Azael, as mate of the king, do you swear to support your king in all matters?”

“I swear.”

“Sit in the queens chair.”

The matriarch holds the crown over her head.

“Do you swear to have an heir to this throne and raise him with understanding and with the discipline that child will need?”

“I swear.”

The queen’s crown is placed on Azael’s head.

“I now certify that Azael, mate of king Zarco, is now the queen of the dragons. All hail the queen.”

The cheers resound.

I look down and see that my parents are being escorted out. They are now citizens only.

No longer needing to present the strong face, they both are letting go. No spring in their step, just slowly walking out. They are being led, with the respect they deserve, to the reception hall. They already told us that they will not be in the reception line.

As we sit, one by one, each guest comes before us and bows first to the matriarch then to us. It is going on so long, that my butt is sore. I notice that the queen is also in discomfort. I hold up my hand, stopping the line.

“Matriarch, would you please have an aide take the queen to her chamber. Her condition is such that she needs to rest.”

The matriarch has Azael escorted away. I thank her and have the line start again. After all have returned to their seats. The matriarch tells them to stand. The royal guard enters the hall and we are escorted out. I however did something not in the order of things. As I stand, I hold out my arm.

“Matriarch, would you be so kind as to allow me to escort you out?”

She is astonished but she places her hand on my arm. As we walk out, everyone is bowing.

Life

Now that I am king, life is beautiful. What am I, nuts. This is work. There is nothing glamorous with being king. There are the petty things that should be handled locally.

Territory disputes, budgets, proposed law modification and the requests for funding.

There is only one thing that touches my heart, the cast outs. I make sure that our orphanages are funded. I have renamed it as the Mira fund. She still lives in my heart especially that I will reunite with her in the final life.

I have people trying to garnish favor.

I need to get some advice from my father. I tell Azael and then sneak out, and fly to the castle. When I ask him, he laughs.

“I’m not going to tell you. I’ll listen until you find what you need. What is your problem?”

“I haven’t had a moments peace. There are so many things that I have to do. Everyone is demanding my time. There is so much that needs to be done I feel that I am neglecting Azael when she needs me the most.”

My father stops me there with pearls of lessons learned.

“Let me stop you right there. Azael does not need you at this moment. Your mother is over there checking on her but also giving her space to just be alone. I got too clingy when she was pregnant with you. I almost got bitten in two. Your mate will come to you if she needs anything. Now back to your problem.”

He goes silent. I’m getting frustrated. Finally, I reach my tipping point.

“Father, I need help. Why are you just smiling?”

“I’m smiling because you just solved your own problem.”

It caused me to look at him like he was senile. “What do you mean I solved my problem? I said I need help.”

Have you ever had a moment that you realize that you really are slow on the uptake. My father just folds his arms and smiles. I look at him and then the fog of confusion started to clear. I really felt like a fool.

Now my father clears everything up.

“When I started as king, your grandfather did the same thing. I tried to do everything like you are doing. I went to him and he did just what I did. I ranted, like you did and finally I got angry but came to the same conclusion. You need help. The king needs to know that he does not need to do everything. Get people that you trust, then delegate. My greatest advice, make time to do things for Azael that make her happy. You and only you will know what that is.”

He was right. I found that there were people in those fields that I needed help with and put them in charge of the day to day. I now have time to be with my mate.

Azael is getting close. Now that I have time, I have made her comfortable. Foot and shoulder rubs, favorite meals. In other words, pampering. I do know when to back off because my mother pushes me away.

There came the day. I receive a summons. The words that will send everything I know in a tailspin. I have been told that Azael is in labor. I come to our living area and find that it is an organized military area.

I wanted to go into see Azael but was cut off. I was ushered into the parlor. My father was already there. I was told to stay there.

“The birth is women’s domain only. Men are not allowed. You wait here and we will come to get you after she gives birth.”

My father tells me to sit. He hands me a drink, then says.

“There are things that you need to get prepared for. You need to have your people work up the announcement. The emergence of the wing’s celebration. All those things that are related to the birth. It is the male’s right to name the baby. What name have you chosen?”

That portion has been foremost on my mind. I have a feeling that this child will be someone of importance.

“The midwife has said that all indications are that it is a boy. She said that she has had a message from the gods. Going on that, I want to name the baby after great grandfather Draco. He gave us grandfather Kron. I don’t know where this feeling comes from but he will reign for a long time and his successor will be the new progenitor.

Greater than Kron.”

Deep down Kron knows exactly who he is getting the feelings from. So long ago he also had those feelings about divine intervention. The capper is that the matriarch has arrived. She is coming from Azael’s room.

“Everything is going fine. Soon that baby will be born. I have been visited by the gods and have been told that you, Zarco, already know his name.”

“Yes, I do. I will name him Draco.”

“That is his name. The gods told me that it was Draco. King Zarco, please come with me. Kron please follow.”

I’m in a haze as I walk into the room. Azael tells me, “Come hold your son.”

He is handsome, I already feel far above the clouds. The others come in. I don’t want to give him up and I will not until the matriarch asks her question.

“As father of this baby, what do you name him?”

“I name him Draco and the dragon’s worlds heir.”

Now my mother snatches Draco from my arms. She shows him to my father.

“My grandfather will watch over him.” He smiles.

The matriarch now tells us that everyone must leave with the exception of the king and queen. “The staff will now come as the public representatives.”

Then she goes off the record.

“The rescued goblins are dying to see the baby.”

After all, in the palace have had their chance to see Draco, they all leave to let us have some time. Azael is tired but she is nursing Draco. I tell her that I love her and thank her for making my life complete.

The nurse maid comes in and gets the baby ready for bed. I tell Azael that she has had a long day and needs to rest.

Everything went well. There were high level visitors which just happened to have marriage contracts. I met Azael through the adoption of Mira. I tell them that it would not be until at least his first birthday. Azael adds that there would have to be a clause that, if they did not like each other, they would be able to cancel the engagement.

This was the emergence of the wing’s celebration. Finally, I told them that at the fifth birthday, those who want to see if their daughter was compatible, they were to bring that daughter. We would let the children play under the observation of the nanny. The one that Draco liked the most would be the one that got the contract.

Draco’s wings emerged on time at two months. Around the sixth month he had his first flight. His formative years were almost textbook. By the age of five, he was a good but rambunctious child. He was not full of himself, like I was.

He had a few children in the palace to play with, goblins, felids and such. They were his friends but one stood out. There is a cook whose wife is one of our maids. We allow staff to bring them and we have the nanny look after the bunch. Draco is always with their daughter, Zoe. Right now, she is just one of his friends, one of the gangs, but they are almost always holding hands.

One day, shortly before his fifth birthday, my parents were here to visit and spoil their grandson. They would always bring cake. It was always large enough to share with the other children. This time was different.

Draco and the others would always come over and thank them after they ate. Draco came to us with Zoe in hand. The two stood before us. “Dada, mama, Zoe and I just got married. She is my best friend. We like each other so we are now married.”

They both bow and run off.

“I think that we need to talk with her parents.”

The party invitations have not gone out. There hasn’t even been an announcement of it.

The original statement about his fifth birthday was that he would pick, not us. We have seen this developing for years. We call her parents to the sitting room.

When they came, you could see on their faces that they thought they were in trouble.

They feared they were going to be dismissed. My parents were there with us. We stand as they enter.

“Please sit down. First of all, I can see that you are worried. This is not a dismissal or problem.” I tell them. “Can I get you something to drink?” The mother asks for water so Azael gets water for all and serves Zoe’s parents.

After we all have our water, I take on my parent persona not the kings.

“I had decreed that at my son’s fifth birthday there would be a gathering of children and whomever he liked, we would offer an engagement contract to those parents.”

Azael puts a paper on the table then says, “This morning, after thanking our parents for the cake, my son brought your daughter, hand in hand, and announced that they were married. He said that they were best friends.”

I then said, “We have seen that, over the years, they have been pretty much inseparable. His mother and I now wish to ask you both, would you be willing to enter into an engagement contract?”

They are stunned. To go from the feeling that they were going to lose their jobs to having their daughter offered the position of being married to the next king. You could almost hear the gears grinding in their heads.

My parents tell us that we should give them some time to discuss it but Zoe’s father stops us. He says.

“We have noticed that our daughter and your son got along well. It appeared that this was her first crush and your sons also. We never could have imagined this. We are not nobles, just commoners. How can our daughter marry the king’s son?”

Azael was quick to answer. She reached and took his hand in hers.

“What makes you think I was a noble. I also am from a commoner family. That does not matter in our dragon royalty. Only the heir must be of the king. If they get married, when Draco takes the king’s throne, she will then be crowned queen. What do you say? There is an escape clause in this contract that says she can back out of this without shame or repercussions. Right now, as far as they are concerned, we don’t have to worry but we need to start to talk to both about what this means.”

Zoe’s mother asks, “Can we bring them in and explain this to them. Even though they are only five, they should have a say?”

I have one of the staff go and have the two children come here.

When they come in, they also have the, we’re in trouble look. A good time to put on my king persona. I motion for them to sit and give them a glass of berry juice.

“Draco, you brought it to our attention that both you and Zoe were married. Zoe, have you asked your parents about this?”

She is frightened so I drop the king and say gently, “Sorry for scaring you, we just want to know if you have talked to your mom and dad about this. If not tell them now.”

Zoe tells them, proudly that she is married to Draco because they are best friends and will spend the rest of their lives together.

Her father points to the paper. “This is an official paper that says that you want to be together forever. If we sign this, you and Draco will be engaged. Draco is going to be the next king when his father decides to stop being the king. At that time, you would become queen.”

Then Azael talks to Draco. “Son, do you want Zoe to be your queen some day? If you want her to be your future mate, both your father and I will sigh this paper.”

He looks at Zoe. You can tell that he is not seeing this as a game. He tells us that he wants her as his mate. We sign the contract. After we sign, Zoe’s mother then asks her the same question. She answers the same.

Azael and I look at her parents and say that we are satisfied. They tell us that it is a great honor and they sign.

“Draco and Zoe, you are now officially engaged. At the age of eighteen, we will have your official wedding. Now I caution both of you, being king and queen is not a superior position, The king and queen serve the people. If we find that you are acting in such a way as to be superior, which ever parent catches you first can discipline either. Now each of you go and play with your friends. You can tell them about this.”

They leave. We can tell that it is as real as five year olds can be. It is my father that says, “Why don’t you start having them help the staff as a pair. Simple things at first.

Maybe helping the caretaker of the grounds clean the fallen leaves. That would be a good group task. All the children helping. That way they don’t see the two being special.”

We do that. The nanny tells them that it is a lesson on helping others. All the parents are excited to see them take it to heart. They start to seem like an army of helpers. They just know where and when they are needed. Draco and Zoe emerge as leaders but not tyrants, just leaders.

Inevitable events

For the second year in a row, we are having the celebration of life. Last year Azael lost her parents to age. Like most elderly dragons, her father went followed by her mother a few months later.

It was on a bright warm spring day that a messenger arrived. He gave me the news.

The maid went to wake them for breakfast. She had a cart. My mother had taken to bed and my father was seated always by her side. When they went in, they found both had passed. It appeared that my mother went first and moments later he went with her.

Never to be apart again.

The two of us went immediately and we had the nanny watch Draco, Upon arrival at the castle, we went to their room. They were left there so we could wish them a happy journey. On the table by the bed was a paper. I picked it up and broke down.

“Son, I’m sorry but I can’t live without her. After she died, she stood by me and told me that I could go with her. I write this in haste just to let you know that we are proud of your family. We leave now with smiles on our faces. She is so young”

That is where his hand stopped.

We had the celebration of life for them and they were lain, side by side in the dragon cemetery next to my grandparents. They both were almost nine hundred years old. I was sad but happy in what he briefly wrote. He said mom was very young and they left together. I tell Azael that I hope that we go the same way. Deep down, I knew that there’s life after death. The memory of the duke came in but it was not unpleasant. It was affirmation but he told me that we would now go to the final life. The eternal one where everyone is waiting. My Mira.

The duke said that this was his final appearance. “It is time for me to fade away. You are the last one and will be the one to live in that final world.” Just like that, all the memories of the duke faded out. As if he never existed.

The old generation has now passed making way for the future. As it should. Keep the memories alive but keep them as memories. How did my father say it? I will not tell you how to be king. Make It your own. That is how the future should be.

Our dragon world goes on. More and more, people are moving into the surrounding areas. Some encroach on the boarders of our domains. As long as they are peaceful, we have no problem. There have been some that outright defy our land our rule.

They are openly supporting the use of slaves and allow slavers to enter into those villages. We have to take a stand, either we rule these grounds or we don’t. I authorize and lead the raid. We surround that town, in my full form I land and confront the humans.

“This is our land and you have brought your filth into it. Those slaves here are now under our care and are free. You humans that have condoned, no you have embraced this. The slaver leader and his minions are now being transported to my palace for judgement. The remainder of you, leave my lands now. Your homes and possessions are being burned to the ground. Leave my lands in the same condition you let slaves come in. Leave with only the clothes on your back.”

People are in shock as they see their village being put to the torch. They flee and go straight to the human leaders with complaints that omit the slave issue. The human king sends an envoy to me. He is a very pompous man and stood before me.

“You maliciously destroyed a peaceful settlement and forced the people to flee. We demand that you make reparations and cede that land to them.”

I rest my elbow on the arm of my throne and have that closed fist against my cheek.

With disgust, I listen as he goes on and on about how we overstepped our bounds. I have heard enough and stop him.

“So, your king is intimating that we do not own our lands. Then your king has declared he owns us. That is a declaration of war. Dragons send the word.”

The man is now shaking in his boots.

“That is not what we are saying.”

I stop him. “They were on my land. By being on my land, which they did not ask permission to do, those innocent people allowed slavers to take up residence and allowed the slavers to traffic on my land. I will not tolerate that. We have peaceful villages, that they asked to be able to settle, that know our laws and abide with them.

You go back and tell that human, if I see a single soldier even on the boarder of any dragon land, we will defend ourselves. You humans asked to be able to rule yourselves.

Kron gave that to you and this is the best you can do. There may come a day that we may have to take back ownership of this world. Now get out of my lands.”

I have a dragon escort fly over them as they leave. When the envoy leaves my throne room, I tell him that if he deviates from the path out, he and his whole party will be dropped from the clouds for insulting my authority.

As expected, we see a small contingent of military types on the boarder. They are in line with one of the settlements. I land in that settlement and find that they have been gathered and there was that envoy spouting hatred. He was telling them that I was going to kill them. Burn them out and all sorts of unimaginable horrors.

He catches a glimpse of me and yells they’re here to kill you. I see that the people of the village are waving to me. I come over and that envoy tries to flee. The villagers seized him.

The village chief approaches me.

“King Zarco, welcome. We had this one come in and tell us that we needed to invite his troops to the village so they could defend us from the dragon terror. We know you better than to listen to him. The only reason we did not chase him off was we saw your people flying over back and forth. We knew that you would be here. When he came here and had us gather, we stayed here to keep him here.”

“Thank you chief. We will relieve you of this man. I know that your village and the others are here with our permission and under our protection. I will have the other villages warned of these invaders.”

I now face the envoy. “I told you what I would do if even one soldier showed up on my boarder. You being in my lands have declared war on the dragons. I find you guilty of espionage and trying to insight revolt. I sentence you to death.”

Changing back to full dragon, I grab him and fly over to the troupes so they can hear him yell for them to shoot me. I am high enough with my archers so that their arrows would not reach.

I yell to them.

“This man invaded my lands and tried to insight revolt. I give you one chance turn and leave. Your arrows will not reach us but ours will. We will not harm you if you leave but I order you to watch. I am king Zarco, I have found him to be guilty and sentence him to death.”

Grabbing him, I fly him above the clouds and drop him then dive quickly so I could see him pass me and my archers then hit the ground.

“Leave now and tell your king that this is what awaits him if he challenges me again.”

The next encounter was when I was informed that there were four humans that have set up a camp on our boarder. They have a white flag and have made it known that they were there.

I land and boldly walk up to them.

“You are under a white flag so we will respect it only if you honor it. Now what do you want?”

There was a younger man who had the air of being royalty or a want to be steps forward in introduces himself as duke Francis Gorden. Duke, a word that now leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

“I’m here to apologize to you for the person that was sent. He acted on his own after the king told him to go back to you and negotiate. He acted on his own by bringing those troupes with him.”

It may just be me but I am detecting a condescending tone to his apology. I let him continue.

“We realize that you are a king and he was on your land but we would have liked to have him come back so we could judge him.”

With that, I have had enough.

“First lose that attitude. I have been alive for a few hundred years, I have been king for years. I am the King Zarco and king of all the dragons. I am the grandson of the one that gave you humans the right to govern yourselves. I don’t care what you think. I demand the respect of a duke to a king.

Second, don’t you dare try to word talk me into letting you have a toe hold in my kingdom. That man was on my land so he was subject to my judgement.

Now, unless you are here to offer me reparations for the invasion of my lands by that criminal, we’re done here.”

He turns to his others and said, “Just as I thought, let’s leave. You can’t deal with animals.”

Now I am enraged, “I now declare that I am annexing this whole land. You have insulted not only me but my entire race. I will let you leave.”

There is a shadow that passes over them. It is my archers returning from the direction they came from. The captain landed and told me that their mission was successful then they reformed on the ground facing the four.

“You displayed the white flag but you showed you have no honor. My archers have come from the troupes you had miles away. You may leave now. Never return. I recommend that you cover your noses when you meet your secret army. Their dead bodies will be stinking by then. I will not entertain any representative of your king except the king himself. I know he will not show but if he sends anyone else, they die.”

I fly off.

Long years later, there is a single man here at my palace. Hat in hand he tells me that the old king has died. The new king has wanted to renew good relations with the dragon community. He has a letter that says there is a party that will embark, if he returns safely, with one hundred large gold as reparation for all the trouble his reign caused his lands.

“There is no need for reparations. Only actions will due. Live in peace we will. Make it known that slavers will not be tolerated. Let everyone know that the penalty is being dropped from the clouds. I will gladly work in partnership with your kingdom. That partnership will be worked on. It is called trust.”

The man said that it was understandable.

Zarco lived to see his son marry. Draco and Zoe were traveling when he got the word that Zarco had come down with an infection that was very rare to dragons and they needed to return to the palace quickly.

Zarco never trusted the human government until his death. His dying words to his son was to remember that the way humans were going, their rulers don’t care for their people. Only power and amassing wealth matter to them. It may be in your reign that the dragons will need to retake the rule of the whole world.

Shortly after they returned Zarco, king of the dragons succumbed to that infection. The matriarch at the celebration of life announced that Draco was the heir apparent and would be crowned king after a respectable time. He would have all the powers of the king from this day forward.

After two months Draco was crowned king and Zoe the queen. Azael stayed in the palace and was revered as queen mother. She involved herself in the matters of the orphaned children in their domain and was known to visit the children often.

The new reign

It was shortly after the ascension to king that the matriarch sat down with the king and queen. The matriarch with a very sad look said to them,

“I have a means to know that you king Draco will reign for almost eight hundred years but you queen will remain baren until the latter end of your life. You will have no miscarriages but you just will not conceive. This is the will of the gods. There is a timing to this. This is a hard thing to tell such a young couple but be comforted.

Draco, you are going to have battles with all races that try to assert power over the dragons. Some would like to eliminate us all together. They will not succeed only due to your training. You will finish what your father started long ago when you were just babes walking hand in hand. There is an entity, a god, that loves the children. Even though they will not be your blood children, the children of the dragon soldiers will form into armies of defenders. They will seem to just know when there is sadness and they will vanquish it in their own way.

Zoe, it is your responsibility to support those children’s army. You will be known to them only as mama Zoe. Even when grown, they will only know you as just that, mama Zoe.

It will be a privilege that you, yourself will insist on. By the time you do conceive, you will already have hundreds of children. But know this, the child that you have will be extremely vital to the future survival of this world. Without that child, this world will burn.”

We are stunned. It was Zoe that put it in prospective.

“If it is the gods will that this is our future so, be it. Draco that only means that we can have more fun. I still will be mama to hundreds.”

I say to her, “As long as you know that we will be together, I’m happy.”

The matriarch begs leave because they were showing signs of wanting to have fun.

There were times over the centuries, the kings came to claim his lands. Small wars, slavers, criminals and murders. Draco over time became known by two things. A hero for defending family as well as the innocent. For those who were on the other side of decency, he was known as the sky harbinger of death. Sword, bow. unarmed and yes, he had fire.

Zoe was very passionate with the children. She gave them all the love she had. All did see her as their second mother. She noticed that all would run to anyone that was sad and would group hug. When an old one of the house hold would be in danger, the young ones would get that old one to the safety of the adults and the older children would protect the young ones long enough for them to complete the task of getting the person to safety.

They would be sounding the alarm all the way.

She started calling the two groups by the names of healers and protectors. Zoe made a sash with emblems for each. Healers had the dragon crest with a halo and the protectors had the same dragon crest but with crossed swords. Each child cherishes their sash. There came a time that some of the elder soldiers jokingly griped that they wanted sashes because all but the elders had sashes.

There came the time that Zoe was over seven hundred years old and started to feel sick. She had called for a healer. Call it coincidence the healer was one of the original children’s army who stayed a healer at the children’s time of choosing to graduate to protector. She went on to study and actually became a healer.

The matriarch was making her final tour and was handing her position to her aide Martha. The matriarch was there when the healer pronounces that Zoe was pregnant.

All the palace was in awe. Draco came in when he heard the good news.

They remembered what was long ago told to them by a long gone predecessor of this matriarch told them. It was joyous news. The matriarch had all the visitors leave including Martha.

“What I have to say is for these two only. Everyone else leave. Martha, you stand on the other side of the door as prevention of someone listening to what I have to say.”

She waited until the door was closed. The matriarch walked around looking for any sign of eavesdropping and found none.

“I know that the gods have instructed you of this but they have also visited each of the matriarchs from your grandfather Kron’s time. It is my time to give you the reminder and warnings.

Your child will go on to be the mother of the new progenitor. The one that will finally and permanently bring this world to true peace under one dragon rule. Draco there will be resistance to this and you will need to help defend her child. Zoe, it will be your task to rear her to be strong, she will need it. Ensure that she knows that family is first. You must protect her as all costs.

Without her, Sorra, this world will parish. There will be no others. The world will be consumed in fire until there is no living thing left, no life down to the soil and water.

Draco, you will hand the kingdom to that child she will bear.

You are not to mention this to anyone especially Martha. She will not have the contact with the gods that we have. She also is a key player in the future.”

She gave us more information than we have ever had. It will be a girl named Sorra, sky flier in dragon old language.

One last thing she told us as she was ready to leave.

“Zoe, in your ancestor’s past, one of your grandmothers was a human. Sorra will be a halfling. She will also be loved by the people in the palace. Keep celebrations to the palace. We dragons are also prejudiced. Some may not look on her kindly but know this, she will find her true love and join with a human that will have many wives. They will welcome her with open hands and hearts. She will be a sister to them.”

Zoe went full term and our baby girl, Sorra was born, she is very beautiful. Everyone in the palace is enthralled but as predicted by the former matriarch, there are some that cannot accept Sorra as a princess. She is a sub dragon. Not worthy.

On her wing emergence, there were no requests for engagements. The families of the palace staff and the guards showed up at all her parties. She never knew or did she ever see any malas. All she saw was that her parents cared, they saw a happy girl and that is all they cared about.

It was on an occasion when Draco was out fighting., that Zoe and Sorra went into a village on their land. It was a village that was a very mixed community. All races including dragons. There was a dress maker there and a pretty ten year old wanted to see the world. She rarely got out of the palace.

Nether the two women or the few guards with them heard the murmuring of a few of the male dragons. They were excited to have new dresses. The guards knew that there were no threats. This was their land.

They came out of the dress shop with their new wardrobe in hand. It was Zoe that caught, out of the corner of her eyes, a dragon male rapidly closing in on Sorra. He started yelling that the abomination must die. The guards did not have the chance to react but Zoe pushed Sorra out of the way in the nick of time. She, Zoe, the queen dragon was fatally run through by a stunned male. The guards pounced and subdued the dragon. Sorra was pleading for her mother to wake but it was too late.

As Zoe crossed over, she was greeted by both sets of parents and the watcher. The Watcher told her that she had fulfilled her destiny. Sorra will now go on to be a tough willed woman that she needs to be. She will marry and be loved. With a man that your husband will encounter she will find her true happiness. Rest now mother of the world.

In the morning you will wake and find that you are young again. You will be in the home that you will share with Draco for eternity.

By the time Draco got the word, there was a battle going on. He desperately wanted to go home. Total rage grabbed hold of him. He yelled at the top of his lungs,

“ALL DRAGONS, GET OUT OF MY WAY! SOME BASTARD JUST KILLED MY WIFE! I NEED TO END THIS NOW! “

All of them got out from in front of him and he burnt every one of the enemies along with all vegetation.

“HOME” he shouted and they flew. All of the army had tears in their eyes as they flew.

Even the ones that did not have sashes wept openly for their mama Zoe.

Draco pushed on and what would have been a day and a half flight was only eight long hard hours. All the way, his thoughts were on the fact that the man was aiming for Sorra and Zoe protected her. The other thought was that they had the dragon in the dungeon.

By the time he got back, Sorra was on him and crying her eyes out. She knew that her mother saved her. She knew what death was. She already misses her.

He was informed that they had already taken care of her and she is in our room at peace.

“Sorra, let’s go and say goodbye to mom.”

The hardest thing was that even in death she was still beautiful. Sorra thanked her between sobs. I thanked her for saving Sorra and for putting up with me for so long.

I was tired. But everyone knew what I needed to do.

Little did they know that the rage in me needed to go.

There in his cell, the dragon knew what was going to happen as soon as he heard the jail keys being inserted into the outer door lock. I came in and just stared at him.

The prisoner evidently thought his reason would bail him out.

“I never intended to harm the queen; I had to rid the kingdom of the abomination girl. It was for the kingdom.”

“Bring that patriot out and tie him spread eagle on the table. Put a ball gag in his mouth.

It is the queen he murdered and attempted to murder my daughter. A simple death is not in his future.”

He was strapped down and I first severed his wings. I have to watch myself. This is personal, but I had to control my impulses. I had only the bleeding areas hit with an iron that I heated red hot.

I had his horns cut off along with his thumbs. It was then when the bleeding was staunched, I told the guards to let the army look after him. I had a sign hung around his neck. Queen killer.

“Tell them I sanction anything but not a quick kill, not a drop and not where Sorra can see or hear. After, I want his heart. Then have a proclamation that his family is not to be touched unless they spout his filth. Get him out of my sight, I have a mate to morn and bury in the morning.”

I went to our room and wept at our loss. A woman who many called her mom.

In the morning, I told Sorra that she did not have to attend the burial.

“I need to daddy. She is the one that twice gave me life. Once in birth and once in death.”

“I am so proud of the both of you.”

We come out and the now adult children of the sash are lined up in the halls and the streets. The firsts, wearing their original sash pinned to their uniform come out of our room carrying Zoe on a sheet covered board. Her head is on her pillow and she is tucked in under her blanket.

They were protecting her. The original healers that stayed healers then went into private life were there and they were hugging both of us as we walked through the grounds to a carriage. They placed her body in the carriage. They read my mind. This was a special one. Mira’s. I changed to my full form. They put it on me and helped Sorra into the seat next to where her mother lain.

It was a short flight to the dragon cemetery. I touched down, even though I wished that Sorra, Zoe and I could just fly until I decided to dive to the ground but I remembered what the matriarch said about Sorra and the world.

They helped Sorra down, removed Zoe and unstrapped the carriage. No surprise, Martha was now the matriarch. She has been for quite a few years. We gather beside the grave.

“A life cut short by evil. No one knows what fate will happen when things like this happen. Know one thing, this woman made the ultimate statement as to what family is.

Her action showed that family is worth dying for. She gave her life so a family member could live. We will have the celebration of life this time next week. Now is the time that the family says good bye.”

Sorra and I step forward. We had said our personal good byes earlier. Sorra just said thank you. I told her that I would see her later. Enjoy the rest. We stepped away and her other children said their goodbyes to their second mother. When all was done, I stepped forward, kissed her one last time. Whispered to her and then pulled the folded over portion of her blanket over her face.

The matriarch now says,

‘We now send this body to the earth where we all will go one day. She looks at the both of us and says one day when your body joins this one where ever it is laid, you will wake in the final world, young again and be forever with your departed love ones. Now watch and be record of her bodies rest.”

Zoe is lowered into the grave and each throws a hand full of dirt in. That started with Sorra and myself, then the matriarch followed by all the others there. Then we left. Later Mira’s carriage was returned to its resting place. I wish that the next use is for happiness not sadness. My wish came true one day in a small village named Beall.

After Sorra went to her room, a soldier of the children’s army brought me a box inside was a still warm heart. There was a note saying that he managed to stay alive until just now.

“Bring this to that village with a warning. Zoe was my wife. Sorra is my child and the last of my family. I will burn down that village with everyone in it if a hair on her head is touched or a derogatory remark is made.”

Justin Martin

It’s not easy being a widower, let alone raising a daughter who is now entering her teens. She is starting to show signs of being interested in the males but she is not liking her choices.

All races have their prejudices. Dragons, even though a noble race, have their own, shall we say values. Dragon newts are considered inferior to dragons. A weak abomination that is to be tolerated because they did have some dragon in them. They are mostly, expendable.

Being daughter of the king, Sorra is treated by our staff as Sorra. A person of noble blood. A princess. Outside of the palace, never in the kings hearing range, there were remarks.

“Thank the gods. The heir to the kingdom will only go to the male full dragon. Draco should marry again and have a son.”

“Zarco should have known that Zoe’s parents had human in their background. After all they were cooks.”

Remarks like that still made their way to Draco. They hurt him. People did not know what a loving child she is. He doted on her. She did not show it but it hurt. The royal children are always under an engagement contract. Until one is signed, there is almost a frenzied war with the contract as the goal.

There has been not a one since her birth. She plays with the staff children. Thankfully they don’t see a difference but when there is a state function that involves dragon families, she is alone and usually wanders off to the staff.

She now is mostly alone with her books.

Draco was out on a routine flight when I spotted a lone human fighting a group of bandits. He was barely holding his own. Draco hated these bandit gangs. He knew that their goal was to rob but they mainly liked the wagons. They kill but they also take slaves, especially the women. This is why he went out on patrols.

He decided that this is a valiant man but he was solo and about to be over run. He swooped down and snatched two in his claws. They exploded when they hit the ground.

He grabbed others with the same results. The body is not meant to withstand the impact with the ground when dropped from cloud height.

Dragon logic. If dropped from that height, the gods will save those who are innocent.

Since a dragon must see a person in the act to be justified in this punishment, all explode.

The man finished off the last bandit and Draco landed. He changed into his humanoid form and approached the man.

The man bows and says, “I thank you for you saving me. I thought that I would be killed but I was going to take as many with me.”

He puts out his hand and tells me that his name is Justin Martin, from the Beall area. I take his hand and tell him, “I’m called Draco.”

I deliberately left my lineage out but Justin immediately took to the knee.

“King Draco, I am just a humble adventurer. It is a great debt I owe your majesty for saving me.”

“Get up. You seem like a decent man, an excellent warrior. It was my honor to help. We are close to my palace. I extend to you an invitation to come to my palace and rest. I want you to drop all this formality and talk like a fellow warrior. I would like to hear about your adventures.”

I feel something about this man. He has a different feeling to him. He feels like he is a virtuous person that also has respect for others. I tell him where the palace is and that I needed to fly back or my people would get worried.

“I’ll alert the guards that you will be coming, if you are willing.”

Justin tells him that he is more than willing. “I know where it is but I, out of respect, have not approached.”

I fly back and tell them to let him in. It would be towards night fall when he gets here.

Sure enough it was an hour before nightfall when Jusitn arrives. My guards escort him to me. Along the way, a certain female spots him and tags along. She sees that he is an adventurer and ask him to tell her tales of his exploits.

“After dinner, I would like to hear about the things you have encountered, harrowing battles and such. I vary rarely get outside these palace walls.”

He tells her that he would be delighted.

The three of them are eating a wonderful meal. In deference to Justin, the meat is rare.

Usually, they have it warmed. I could see that there was something different with my fourteen year old daughter. She is staring at him constantly. She is actually holding a conversation with someone other than me. I get a twinge when she asks him how old is he.

“I’m nineteen. I inherited my parent’s manor outside of the village of Beall. I have been an adventurer since I was fourteen.”

There was a spark in her eyes that I have not seen before. Could this be? He is a well built human and through his tales and through his fight I am getting a respect for him.

We are in the sitting parlor. I have my usual chair, Sorra, on the other hand has guided Justin to the sofa and is hanging on every word of the tales he is telling. He started with the heroics of my rescuing him from a certain death by the hands nefarious nare do wells. He is telling her that, only through the superior strength of her father, he is able to be here.

I get up from my chair, go over to a box on the mantle. I take a royal coin out and give it to Justin. Sorra knows what it is and before I could say anything she explains that the coin is a symbol that you have royal protection.

“Father must like you.”

I do but I now know that she has her first crush. I have mixed emotions. I am slightly sad that I am no longer the center of her universe but happy to see her on that cliff’s edge and she is starting to jump. To fly on her own.

“Justin, you are staying the night at least but if you can, I would like to have you stay a little longer. I want to get to know you. I may need your help in the future as a liaison between the dragons and humans.”

He stays for three days. Sorra is showing him around the palace, or should I say parading him around. Right now, I get the feeling that he sees her, for the lack of a better term, as a little sister. I’m fine with that but I get a deep down feeling, a voice in my head that says he is the one. I see him treating her not as a dragon newt but as a young lady.

Over the years, Justin has returned to the palace. I have had him help with the roving gangs. There is a gang leader, Evertt Ratten, that has multiple gangs. Some of them have the audacity to try to take up trade in my territory. We fight together. I truly now consider him as a very close friend.

I fly over an area and I now have his smell memorized. I don’t have to see him but when I get that smell, I need to stop and make sure that he is on his way to the palace even if he was not planning.

I do that because I enjoy his company. We now have a friendly relation that I never truly had with others. I always invite him, especially since my daughter is so in love with him, her eighteen year old heart cannot stand even a month without him coming.

She has come with me to his manor many a time but I have forbidden her to go there alone. It would be a scandal.

The matriarch comes here frequently to make sure I am raising Sorra right. She always tells me that Sorra is very important. She tells me that she doesn’t know why she feels that way but she tells me that her future mate is known to me.

“There is a voice in my head,” the matriarch says. “Be it intuition or a divine revelation, I don’t know but her mate is here now in this realm. I know that you know him.”

She confuses me when she says “He is now in his full and final form. It is your duty as king to find him. He will have a familiar smell but it will be also slightly different. He is Sorra’s ultimate mate. You will find him on your next patrol. Be advised, do not reveal to him or Sorra what I have told you. The two will produce your heir.”

I am flying and it is after nightfall. I am close to my palace and looking forward to seeing Sorra, when I catch that familiar smell, Justin. There is something different about his smell. It is a hint of an entirely different thing that I can’t identify. Something or somewhere that never existed on this world. I spot a camp fire and land just outside the light of the fire.

“Attention in the camp, okay to come in? I have no hostile intention.”

“Drako, is that you?”

"Yes, it is.”

“Then come on in, you old fire fart!”

As I enter the camp fire light, I am in my humanoid form. There in the camp is Justin but now he is with a felid butler. There are also two women with him that are close to him. A felid and a goblin.

“I was flying over on my way home when I thought I smelt something familiar although a kinda funky smell.”

Author’s note.

This is where you pick up the story in my book “My cats take me to the next world” book 1 chapter 5 “The healer and the sick village.”

I wanted to write about the dragon side of this series.

There are quite a few partial stories that I don’t know how to finish as standalone stories. This supplemental tale is just one of those that puts an interesting twist to the first chapter of this book. It is at the end because it is background on where some players originated. Enjoy.

Supplemental tale

I have had very elaborate dreams in the past. Every so often, I become aware of things happening. This night was something that I really did not expect.

All my dreams, I see through my eyes. No matter where I look, I see the scene. I’m in a room, like a doctor’s waiting room. There are a lot of people in there waiting. Beside me on the end table are various magazines. I get the urge to sort them but I hear a noise behind me and I quickly turn my head.

“Cut!” a person starts yelling “How in the hell did you not react and swing the set? This word cannot get out. Shut off the dream exit. I have to take this to upper management.

In all our history, this has never happened.”

Suddenly, I am aware that this is now the physical world. I’m on one of the most elaborate sound stages there is. Besides the scene of the doctor’s office, I now see a darkened area. People looking stunned. There are lights, ladders and all the other behind the scene things that you do not see when you are watching a movie. The last words the man yells, “Randy, look after him! Don’t let him wander by himself!” Then he storms off.

Randy comes over, “I would bet that he has a coronary before the boss is done with him. Within limitations, I’ll answer questions you may have but your first will be, what the hell is this? Am I right? The easiest way to explain is that all dreams are just movie sets that we stage. The dreamer is never to see behind the scene. That noise was not in the script. This is the first time this has ever happened.”

“So, what is going to happen to me? I have an important meeting in the morning.” I then realize that I have had dreams when I have fallen asleep in my chair. They have seemed very long but in real time it was only a few minutes.

“Time does not exist in our dream realm. You could be in here for years but it is only a few minutes in your world. Now, how about we go to the canteen and get something to eat. Since you are stuck here, you will be able to taste, smell and read.”

He takes me on the tram that runs the whole lot. We pass a lot and there are all the cars that I have fixed and or driven. I’m now livid and ask Randy. “Why did you always take all those vintage cars that I owned so that I came out to find them gone? And why couldn’t I just take another?”

“Those medals that your father brought home from the brass mill for you, you took them to class that time and the kid that sat next to you stole them and would not give them back. Deep down, it still affects you. You have morals so you could not steal another.”

The slow tram is passing area after area of neatly rowed lines of used items. There was an untold long row of what looked like the old Studebaker president cars. Instead of fixing them they were picking. I look at him.

He just asks, “Where did those parts for those old cars you made come from. They are given a list of the parts you will need for your dream. That beetle build that you dreamed over four days, shame you only got to drive it once. That director is driving it.”

He thinks about it. “You know, that is the only one that was truly stolen.”

We finally arrive at the canteen. The smell is wonderful. Randy gets the burger and fries special. I get the same. It is the best food that I have ever tasted. There is a question that I feel that I must ask.

“I have had dreams in the past that were as real as this feels. The air was fresh. The weather was warm and the sky was a beautiful shade of blue. There was a green pasture that looked like it was freshly mowed. The water that flowed in the stream was cold and refreshing, how did you do that, when most every dream, there is no taste or smell?”

Randy looks at me, then looks around to make sure no one was paying attention. He leans in, then whispers,

“Those weren’t ours. The only way you would have seen them was if you accidently saw the final life’s world. Those who are not at their time are given the suggestion that they needed to get out or they would stay forever.”

As we are sitting and talking, I notice that there are a lot of eyes on me and people are whispering. Many a head are turning away when my eyes meet theirs. There are a few exceptions. Giving me the extra looks are a few young ladies. I suddenly recognize them. They are the ones that I had wonderful dreams about. I wave and mouth “Thank you.”

Randy is keeping me close. He is not alarmed in the least when his phone goes off and he has a text. It is telling him that he needs to bring me to the chief’s office.

“It seems that they want us. They have made a decision and want to discuss it with you.”

I figure that it has been the craziest dream that I have ever had but finally we can get to the end. I have things I need to do in the morning. “Let’s go and get this over with. I want to get out of here.”

In the office the chief says, “We dismissed the director. It seems that for some unknown reason, he was tormenting you by stealing your cars while you were occupied. There is a limit of only three times. There is also that week he had the VW restoration sequence, only to steal it once you finished. There are plenty of finished ones on the lot that he could have taken with our permission but he had to have yours. We are looking into his

apparent grudge with you. We looked at the footage, he was the one to make the noise.”

Stopping him right there, “I don’t care about any of this. When are you going to let me wake up?”

“That’s the biggest problem. We can’t return you. He had a clandestine dream run on your butler. He checked on you and found you dead. That butler knew you had direct cremation. Your body is gone. You cannot return.”

It is a good thing that I am sitting. “I thought that time flowed differently here. Faster.

How could it be?”

I was reminded that time does not apply here. Now what is going to happen to that director?”

“That’s the problem. Since something happened in your world, he can’t and won’t be charged. The only thing we could do is to fire him. He will not be able to work on this side.”

I’m shaking my head. “So now, I have someone, in this realm, that already has a grudge against me, that went so far as to cause my death in my world, is now no longer employable. Is there a penalty for killing me in this realm? Let me guess, they get banished to another world.”

“Did Randy tell you? Yes, we send them to another world.”

Now I get a very bad feeling, “It better not be where I think you’re going to say. You send them to the world that I came from.”

“We do. That way we can tailor their dreams for torment.”

“That’s in the future, this is now. He dragged me here, had my body cremated and he walks free until he kills me here. All he gets in return is nightmares. What if I get to him first? Will you then send me back and I’ll have the nightmares? Sounds good, where does he live?”

“You do not understand the complexity of the situation. You would not be sent to your original world. You, not being a citizen, would be exiled from our realm to another planet but it would be a primitive world. From what I understand, it is now ruled by dragons.

Not a very hospitable place.”

I have to think and choose my words before I ask my next question. “Once I have thought about it, I ask what would happen if, when in the course of defending myself, the person attacking me is killed?”

The chief answers

“If you are truly defending yourself, you are allowed to do what you need to do. Let’s put that aside for now. What are we going to do with you? This realm is entirely devoted to

dreams. Each species controls their own dream content. You will most likely be working here in some capacity.”

I feel that he is trying to distract me from my train of inquiry. Things are getting very weird here. Of course it would. It’s the dream world. Another thought hits me.

“If he kills me here, what happens to me then?”

“As you were told, this is the first time that this has happened. I would surmise that it still would be that dragon world. I just do not know. I now have to go to the world headquarters for a global crisis meeting about you and how to correct this.”

“Tell them for me, if I am stuck here with someone that I don’t know who has this hatred of me that he would go to such lengths to get me here. I’ll do what I have to do and then take my chances with a dragon.”

He calls Randy in.

“Let him shadow you for the rest of the day then check with personnel. They will give him his dorm room assignment. You have a temporary director for the afternoon schedule. Make damn sure he does not wander off.”

The manager gives him a copy of the afternoon dream script and then Randy starts to leave. Reluctantly I follow but my mind is weighing my options.

Randy hands me the script. It seems that someone is getting a war dream. It sounds like it is a nightmare. It starts me thinking. His job is prop master.

He now goes to the specific area that has the war material. Each area has a floating large cart. I see that most of the workers there are wearing those vests that have a lot of pockets. I mention to him

“If I am to be your assistant for a while, could I have one of those vests. All I have is these dream clothes and they don’t have pockets.”

“Come this way. Why don’t you push that cart for me.”

He led me to the clothing area and got me a complete set of fatigues. All have pockets.

He also hands me a vest. He tells me that no one really cares so I can just change right here. The cleaning crew will send my clothes to that department. I change. He was right. No one gave me a second look, I now blended in.

“You look the part. Do you want to participate in the dream? I see no reason that you couldn’t be a background character.”

With out even waiting for an answer, he hands me some grenades, a side arm with real bullets and an automatic assault rifle. He continues to get the items needed and then we go to the set. He talks with the director and comes back to me.

“He said that it is okay for you to do a background character.”

Randy goes over what I am to do during the dream. “You will not be one of the ones that is killed in this dream. Those parts go to the androids since we always use live rounds.

You can shoot any of the opposing androids but study this picture. This is the dreamer.

He does not get killed. He is reliving a past battle he was in. All his platoon will be killed but he survives without a scratch.”

I take my place and the director gives the signal that the dreamer is there. I see a man appear and the battle rages. Those on his side are completely androids. They will not be using live ammunition. Only our side.

I start taking out the opposing army and I am hitting each of my targets when the unexpected happened. I hear the sound of a bullet as it flew past me. There was a scream behind me and the dreamer disappeared. Some one of the crew was wounded.

They start yelling at Randy.

“How in the hell did a live gun get in the hands of an android? I need to see that android and that weapon.”

The dream is always recorded to review with the different live actors. They review the footage and were able to focus on the exact android. A collective gasp is what I heard.

There on the screen was the fired director.

Looking at him, I recognize him. “That is Rodger Simms, grown but that is Rodger.” I turn to Randy and then to the director, “He was that boy that was sitting next to me. He was the one that stole those medals from me.”

I ask them about how did he go from a child in my world to the director of my dreams.

They brought up his dossier on their system. It turns out that he was on his way home that same day the he stole from me, he dropped one while crossing the street. He did not see the car that struck him. He was picking up his prize. Rodger was aged and given a job here in the dream land. He was given the knowledge of being a director.

Directors go over the list of dreamers and can choose which ones they would like to handle. Rodger’s list had six others but the last one he chose was me. I look at the earth time date and it was the time that I got my driver’s license. Cars.

I’m floored. “Rodger got killed by a car while picking up a medal that he stole from me.

He must be blaming me for his death. He was tormenting me by stealing my dream cars. Why did he bring me here?”

A horrible thought occurred to me. I throw out a question.

“How do you come up with the dreams? Can you see the persons real life? You don’t have to answer. I can see by the looks on your faces. Don’t you have any screening on who takes on who’s dreams? This is how he manipulated my butler to have my body taken away and cremated so I would be stuck here. Now he has tried to kill me. What are you going to do.”

I suddenly look at Randy. He is looking very worried.

“You.” I exclaim as I point to Randy. “You were the one that had the script, you were the one that suggested I be in the battle dream. You’re working with him. He told you to watch me. He did not expect to be fired. While I was with the chief. You must have been contacted by him. Was it him that suggested I be put into the dream. You’re the prop manager. You son of a bitch.”

The security grabs Randy as he tries to run. Now he is angry. “He was my older brother.

If you had not brought those medals into school that day, he would not have been killed.

He will kill you and we will both laugh as we piss on your grave.”

Security takes him away. I was told that he was immediately sent to my world but as an animal. A cat. He would have to go through that life with the knowledge that he was a human once. His owner is a 73 year old widower.

While the commotion that Randy was causing was going on, I slipped the side arm into my many pockets along with an ample supply of ammunition and a few grenades.

I now told them that it was not safe for me to be here. “I’m taking the split window deluxe car I restored in my dream and I will go out on my own. Use the radio to tell me when you have captured him.”

I run off dressed as I was. The real security here is pitiful. I was able to go back to the war prop area and get more ammunition for the assault rifle. Then, remembering the location of my stolen cars, I found that deluxe. The key was still in it and it started right up. The gas gage was on three quarters but as soon as I put it in gear, the tank showed full. It’s dream land.

With the food that I took, I drove off the lot. No gate, no security. I saw the address where he lives. Again, dream land, I seem to know exactly how to get there. I hear over the radio the chief’s voice.

“You need to come back here. You don’t know what you are getting yourself into. The person who shot at you did not hit you so this will not be self defense.”

I yell at the radio that I did not care. “He killed me in my world and tried to in this world.”

Slowly, I drove to the home. There was my VW in the driveway. I approached the house on foot. As he came out of the house with some belongings. I pulled the trigger and emptied the clip into him.

Suddenly, I was engulfed in a white light. I heard a voice talking to me from a smoky figure.

“A wrong righted. In a wrong way but I find it justified.”

The figure coalesces into a beautiful young lady and she continues.

“Unfortunately, you did not handle it in the proper way so I have to send you to that dragon world.”

I tell her that I really did not care. “That bastard killed me in my real life and then tried to in that dream world. I’ll accept that dragon world.”

She chuckles in such a way that I feel my own ass pucker. She has something she is going to pull.

“You are correct. Just for the record, this is my realm. You have absolutely no private thoughts and yes, I do my research. You were not the person who caused Rodger to die, he did. He forcibly brought you to that dream world. You were wronged but you also killed him in his world. You are going to that dragon world. You will be the son of the first progenitor. Kron. You will be born with the knowledge of what has transpired. You will have a son. He will be arrogant and then will be beaten to death. Rodger will be put into another body on another world. He will not know anything about what he did to you and what you did to him. He will have a self inflated ego as a dragon slayer. That man will be eaten by a dragon. He will then enter your son’s body. You must teach him what is right and wrong. You must train him hard or he will not change. The two of you will go on to greatness. Together you both will spawn a new world.

I start to fade out.

Suddenly, I find myself standing next to a bed with a beaten teen laying there. I know the woman sitting there holding his hand is my wife. We are dragons but the three of us are in a humanoid form. I see my son start to wake. He shows all the signs of confusion.

The healer comes in and says he will be fine. All he needs now is some bloody raw meat.

Remembering what that entity said, I had great delight shoving that raw bloody meat down his maw.

I think, wait until I start training you and I smile at him as I stuff another piece into his mouth.

Table of content

The dragon slayer’s error

The god of fate

Adjusting to his fate

My palace

Heros have no ego

My proposal is approved

A royal decision

As time goes by

A chance encounter

Chaotic bliss

Transition

Life

Inevitable events

The new reign