A Dragon’s Tale

Hailey laid on the floor of her prison cell exactly where she had fallen when the guards had thrown her in.  She hadn’t gotten up or readjusted herself to be more comfortable.  In fact, she hadn’t moved at all.

She laid there with her eyes alternately screwed tightly shut and wide open.  In both positions she was trying to chase the image of the champion’s lifeless eyes from her vision. 

They wouldn’t leave.

Why wouldn’t they leave her alone?

She had been halfway across the room when he died, but she could see them. Something behind them had disappeared.  She had snuffed his life out like a candle in the wind.  That’s what she wanted, what she’d worked towards for so long; why didn’t she feel better?

Instead of feeling elated he was dead, all she felt was a void in her soul; a great emptiness.  It was like someone had taken a giant spoon and scraped out her insides.  She felt hollow, lifeless; like an empty shell. 

Why didn’t she feel better?

Those eyes, those haunting, lifeless eyes wouldn’t go away.  It was like someone glued them to the inside of her eyelids or attached them in front of her face.  Everywhere she looked -- eyes open or eyes closed -- they were there accusing her. 

What had she done?

She could feel a tear form in her eye, but she knew it wasn’t for the bastard.  Maybe it was for herself?  She thought about Jason, the baby, and everything else she had lost. 

Jason... 

What would he think of her now?  She was a cold-blooded killer and he had been... 

The tears started flowing faster and she couldn’t stop them. 

What had she done?

She tried to imagine Jason; his smile, his infectious laugh, his light and carefree personality.  But this time she couldn’t imagine him smiling at her.  Not after what she’d done.  She thought imagining his face would give her some satisfaction, some reprieve from her demons.  She was wrong.

It made them worse.

She finally understood what they meant by digging that second grave when you seek revenge: it’s because murder is the gateway to hell.  For the first time ever, she wished she could turn the clock back and be a slave again. 

There was a soft knocking on the door to the prison cell.

She ignored it.

She ignored everything. 

She heard the door swing open but didn’t move.  Someone entered and she heard the sound of sloshing water, but she still didn’t budge.  Someone nudged her with their foot, but still she remained as she was. 

Whoever had entered sighed.  ”Ah, let me guess: you’ve just killed someone in cold blood for the first time.” 

She turned.

It was an elderly fellow with gray hair, a wispy beard that probably would’ve been white if was clean, and very sad eyes.  His clothes were threadbare and judging from the chains on his feet, he was a prisoner too. 

”How did you know?” Hailey whispered.

He raised his eyebrow, then jingled the chains around his ankles.  ”You need to talk about it, right now.” 

She shook her head. 

The elderly fellow knelt down by her head.  ”Look at me.  Really look.”

She did.  He had a faraway look in his eyes.  It was the haunted, lonely look of someone who’d given up on life; of someone whose spirit had all but died, but their body soldiered on.  He looked almost empty; lifeless.  He looked like she felt.  He looked like his insides had been scraped out too. 

”Now.”  He said wearily.  ”Do you want to end up like me?” 

She shook her head. 

”I know you wish you could go back and change it.”  He spoke as if he could read her soul; as if he’d been in her position before.  ”When you realize you can’t, you’ll look for something -- anything -- you can do to make up for it.”

”Can I?” she asked.

”Not in this place.”   He shook his head and then glanced toward the city.  ”Maybe out there, who knows?  I’d give my life for a chance to make even a small difference in the world.”

He looked at her. 

She looked back. 

”Will it get better?”  She asked.

”No.”  He shook his head.  ”But in time you’ll learn to live with it.  That time will come sooner if you talk about it.”

She nodded.  ”Okay.”

* * *

”Ethan.  Hey Ethan.  Wake up sleepy head.”  Alana stroked Ethan’s scaled face as he made sleepy noises.  She marveled at how smooth his scales were no matter which direction she stroked.  They were curved and seemed to fit together so that even when her hand was going the ’wrong way’, it was still smooth. 

”Hey, wake up sleepy head.”  She whispered. 

Ethan stirred, leaned his face into her hand, and gave a soft sigh.  On a dragon, it came across as more like a low growl but without any menacing quality.  It almost sounded like a cat purring.  He blinked several times. 

She beamed at him.  ”Welcome back to the land of the living.  You should stay a while.” 

He groaned.  ”Sounds like a plan.  Where are we?” 

”Illuminar’s temple; you’re safe.”  She replied looking around at the small, but clean marble room.  It was made from the same white-ish marble as the rest of Illuminar’s temple.  Above them, a delicate lamp in the shape of a sun held several candles that gave the room a soft, almost romantic glow. 

Ethan flexed his newly healed arm and leg, moving as if to get the kinks out. 

”The healers tended your wounds and cut the arrow out of your shoulder,”

He nodded and sat up on the bed.  ”Remind me to say thank you.”

”I will.”  She bit her lip.  ”I thought I’d lost you.”

”Yeah, I thought I was a goner.”

”What happened?”  Rachel asked from behind the wood elf.

He explained about the night’s events up until he’d passed out.  They both listened intently and Alana couldn’t help but notice something.

”This Kendra person sounds eerily similar to someone we know.”  She mused.

Who?”  Ethan asked. 

”Serif.”  Rachel replied.  ”Just the way you describe her and the feeling you get from her.  Do either of you get that from him?”

Alana nodded.  ”A little, especially when Raklan gets out of hand.” 

”Hmm, I wonder--” he began to say, but the door opened and he fell silent. 

Luminar Kossel walked in with a smile on his face.  He was definitely older -- maybe late fifties or early sixties -- but also clearly in very good shape.  His balding head was covered in a small round cap and the long white robes he wore had a blazing sun on the front. 

”I hear congratulations are in order.”  He beamed. 

”For what?”  Alan said confused.

”It’s always worth celebrating a wedding.”  Luminar Kossel said as if it was self-evident.

”Who’s getting married?”  Rachel asked with a very confused look on her face.

”That would be our young dragon friend here and...” He glanced back and forth between Alana and Rachel, before settling his eyes on Rachel.  ”...I would assume you, as he’s already bonded to this lovely young woman.”  He indicated Alana before making a thoughtful sound.  ”A dragon with two wives; you don’t see that very often.” 

Ethan and Rachel glanced at each other and both started laughing.

Luminar Kossel smiled, and then joined them by chuckling.  ”Apparently I was mistaken.”  He turned to Alana.  ”Congratulations on your wedding my dear.”

”I’m not...  I mean we’re not engaged or anything.”

”And yet Illuminar asked me to come down here and perform a wedding that has apparently been long-awaited, long-delayed, and much anticipated.” 

They all stared at him. 

”You don’t want to be married?”  Luminar Kossel asked the couple.

She glanced at him and felt her cheeks get slightly warm.  ”I would, I just mean that there are... obstacles.”

”Unfortunately, yeah.”  Ethan agreed. 

”Like what obstacles?”  Luminar Kossel asked.

They briefly told him about their bonding, Beth’s death, and what Lord Borden’s reaction would be if they got married a week after Beth died.  He listened patiently until they were done. 

”I see.”  He said when they had finished.  He then turned around, closed the door to the room, and turned back to them. ”Better?”

”Huh?”  Ethan and Alana said at the exact same time. 

”I won’t tell Lord Borden and I assume you three won’t either.”  He lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper and said with a twinkle in his eye.  ”I’ll even whisper the ceremony to prevent any of Lord Borden’s devious spies -- who also happen to be priests -- from finding out.”

Everyone chuckled. 

Alana looked at Ethan, unsure what to do.  *Thoughts?* she asked telepathically.

*He makes a good point but...  Well, but nothing; he makes a good point.*

She beamed. 

”Ethan, let me ask you a question.”  Luminar Kossel said.  ”Illuminar told me that right before you came to this world, you asked for two things.  What were they?”

”Um...”  Ethan closed his eyes and cocked his head to one side as if thinking.  ”I was really upset about my life and I wanted...  I said -- I wasn’t really talking to God, just wishing out loud -- but I think I asked for a fresh start and the perfect woman for me?  Or something like that?”  He opened his eyes and shrugged. 

Luminar Kossel spread his hands, gesturing to the temple around them as if to indicate the new life he had here.  Then he pointed both hands to Alana. 

”No...  no way.”  Ethan breathed.  ”That’s impossible.” 

Luminar Kossel raised one eyebrow. 

Alana felt her heart swell as she got choked up and her eyes got watery as she looked at Ethan; her Ethan.  Her sweet, wonderful Ethan.  ”Really?  You really asked for that?”

”Yeah.”  He nodded and telepathically said to her: *How could he have known?*

*I suppose he could be a powerful psychic and he read your mind,* she replied.  *But true psychics are rare and to be that powerful...  I don’t know.*

”Alana.”  Luminar Kossel said.  ”Illuminar also mentioned you asked for two things right before you met Ethan.  What were they?” 

”Um...” it was her turn to think back.  She had just finished infusing her trees with mana for the day.  She had been hot, sticky, and she’d realized that unless something changed, she was going to be doing this for the next two hundred years, give or take.

She had sighed, looked up to the heavens -- to Illuminar -- and she’d said...  she’d said... 

”I think I asked for a family, like a really big family. I wanted some sisters and a man who...”

Her jaw dropped. 

”A man who?” Luminar Kossel prompted.

Alana’s brain seemed to have locked up.  She could feel the thoughts running through her head, but she couldn’t grab hold of them.  It wasn’t possible, and yet...  And yet...  It was just an idle wish to Illuminar.  She hadn’t lit a prayer candle, given alms, or gone to a service.  She had just let her deepest wish pour out, thinking He would never answer.

”Alana, a man who what?”  Ethan asked tentatively. 

”I wanted a man who was different than everyone else, who would be the best man I’d ever meet.” 

”You got your wish.”  Rachel said.  ”A man’s mind in a dragon’s body, who does everything he possibly can to help others, even when it costs him dearly.”

”I...  I don’t believe it.”  Alana looked at Ethan, then at Rachel.  She’d asked for sisters too. While Rachel wasn’t exactly a sister, she was certainly the closest thing Alana had ever had to having one.  Plus, she could easily see herself getting close with Taloni.

*This guy is either the real deal or the world’s greatest master manipulator and a psychic taboot.* Ethan said telepathically.  The awe in his thoughts mirrored the feelings coming over their bond. 

”It sounds like you both asked Illuminar for the deepest, most desperate desires of your heart and He answered your prayers.”  Luminar Kossel said.  ”To be sure, it didn’t look quite the way you expected, but then again, answers to prayer rarely do.”

Ethan and Alana stared at each other.

”You’re telling me that Illuminar cares enough to haul Ethan to the Ten Kingdoms from worlds away, just so he could meet Alana?” Rachel asked.

Luminar Kossel just smiled at her, and then turned to the happy couple.  ”Now, about that wedding...”

Ethan nodded and stood up. 

”Oh, here.”  Rachel pulled out the engagement braid from a pouch on her belt and handed it to Ethan.  He turned to Alana.

”Please.”   The wood elf held out her wrist as she felt like her heart would burst with happiness.

Ethan fumbled with the spell for a whole minute before he managed to magically fuse the ends of the braid together to form a single continuous braided bracelet around her wrist.  She couldn’t help but smile as she looked at it.  She was officially engaged to Ethan.

Engaged!

Her heart felt like it had inflated to fill her entire body.  If you could die of happiness, it would’ve been a funeral instead of a wedding. 

”Ethan, please take your beloved’s hands.”  Luminar Kossel said. 

Ethan’s scale-covered fingers gently grabbed hers and pulled them up.  It was insane; totally insane to even consider marrying a dragon.  The only thing that dragons loved more than imposing their will on others is power, as Drousin had both said and demonstrated countless times.

But this was Ethan.

Her Ethan.

She looked into his cat-like eyes and the sight melted her heart.  He adored her; she could see it in his gaze and feel it over their bond. 

Luminar Kossel cleared his throat. ”Do you Ethan, with full knowledge and consent; take this woman, Alana, to be your wife in the covenant of marriage?  Do you swear to keep and provide for her all of your days, committing to treat her with honor, love, and respect in all circumstances to the best of your ability, and allow only death to separate you?”

There was a moment, an infinitesimally small moment between when the Luminar finished speaking and Ethan hadn’t opened his mouth to reply where time seemed to stand still.  For that precious moment, she and Ethan stared into each other’s eyes as their hands were joined.  Words were completely inadequate to describe how they both felt.

”I do.”  He said emphatically.  ”I definitely do.”

Luminar Kossel turned to Alana.  ”Do you Alana, with full knowledge and consent, give yourself to this man -- er, dragon -- Ethan, to be his wife in the covenant of marriage?  Do you swear to follow and obey him for all of your days, committing to give yourself only to him and to treat him with honor, love, and respect in all circumstances to the best of your ability, and allow only death to separate you?”

”With all of my heart, I do.”  She said.

She had never been happier to commit to anything. 

Ever. 

”Then by the power vested in me by the Great God Illuminar -- Blessed be He -- I now pronounce you husband and wife.  Ethan, you may kiss your bride.” 

Ethan put his hand on the small of her back and tugged her forward.  Her entire front pressed up against him as he drew her close.  She was acutely aware of how small she was, and how much taller he was. She was also aware of his powerful muscles pressed up against every inch of her. 

She waited with bated breath as she remembered that she had never kissed a man before.  What if she wasn’t good at it? What if he didn’t like it and didn’t want to kiss her again?

She couldn’t meet his gaze anymore and looked down.

He touched the underside of her chin with a single finger and slowly, but firmly pulled her chin up.  She didn’t resist his gentle pull.  He traced his finger up her cheek, back towards her ear, around its pointed tips, and finally through her hair to rest his hand on the nape of her neck. His light touch sent shivers down her spine, which somehow ended in her loins. 

He was about to kiss her.

Oh God, he was about to kiss her.

Her breath caught in her throat.  Why was she this nervous?  There was no reason to be this nervous.  It was Ethan.

He pulled at the nape of her neck, drawing her face inexorably closer to his.  She didn’t resist; she couldn’t even if she wanted to.  He was strong, muscular, and held her by the back of the neck.  He was utterly in control of her, and she had just sworn to follow and obey him. 

That turned her on so much.

Why did that turn her on?

She sighed as his face inched closer, time almost seeming to slow down.  His hand drew her face ever closer to his, and she realized he wasn’t going to kiss her; he was going to make her kiss him.  She felt a familiar itch between her legs at the thought.

Their lips met, and any hesitation or reservation she felt completely disappeared.  It was wonderful.  His lips were soft but she could also feel his smooth scales around her lips.  Ethan’s tongue played with the inside of her lips and on instinct, she opened her mouth to admit it.  His forked tongue caressed the inside of her mouth and swirled over her own tongue.

It was heavenly. 

She wrapped her arms around him, pulling her body up against him as hard as possible.  She wanted to be closer, to feel more of him.  Without meaning to, she began to gently rock her hips against his, each motion sending little jolts of pleasure through her body. 

In the background, she heard Luminar Kossel say something to Rachel about leaving.  After which there was the sound of footsteps, a door opened and then it closed.  They were completely alone.

*Ethan*

*Yes?* 

*We’re newly married and completely alone in a room with a bed.*

Ethan growled; it was a low throaty growl that was dripping with primal lust; it almost made Alana begin dripping herself.  He picked her up with their mouths still pressed together and nearly threw her onto the soft bed, breaking their kiss. 

He stood over her, disguise gem off and cock out.  It was so long, and the shaft was as thick as her wrist.  Of course, she was a wood elf so her wrist wasn’t that big; but still, he was huge.  She couldn’t imagine how something so big could possibly fit inside of her, but she was determined to try. 

Ethan slid one of his claws out, reached down to put it between her breasts, and in one smooth motion sliced it down the front of her dress.  She yelped in surprise and made to cover her newly exposed breasts and pussy as the dress fell away in two halves.  She had never been so glad it was self-repairing.

”Move your hands.”  He commanded.

”Yes sir.”  She meant to say it sarcastically, but something went wrong.  Somehow, it had come out full of reverence and deep respect as she obeyed her husband.  She couldn’t figure out why, but it just felt right to address him that way.  She even liked the way it sounded rolling of her lips.

And then there was the fact that he had ordered her to remove her hands.  For some reason, the fact that he had given her a command made her want him all the more.