Dragon Vòlkan

Chapite Nef (9)

Pi gwo trezò dragon an

(the greatest treasure of the Dragon)

Long ago, the dragon had taken to the caves as his home, but now he preferred the openness, saving the caves and tunnels to store his most priceless things that could not afford to be weathered away by time and exposure. He could not follow her into the tunnels, but put his head down them and then met her at the next opening. He had been happy to give them to the elf months ago but now was starting to wonder if it had been the right choice.

Yet seeing them now he knew he had made the right choice: she had polished every suit of armor, golden statue, glittering emerald and ruby. The cave also smelled differently; it was as if a fresh lavender field was growing within its walls; he knew she loved lavender, only he was not sure how she had gotten it to smell so delightful! It was so much like her. Inside his emotions were at war with one another he should have been angry as he had displayed outside for her, yet inside all he could think of was the tender things about her that made him happy.

The caves smelt differently as they descended deeper. The dragon noticed she had added enchanted phosphorescent toadstools and lily flowers All along the cave walls. It has been growing warmer as spring was changing to summer. So, she had also enchanted a cool breeze along the walls so that her home did not overheat.

It was deep inside her things next to her bed that fluffy colorful cobwebs hid something away near her bed. The sweet scent of golden elvish blood coated the air so strongly here the dragon recoiled. He began to pry at the webbing with the gentle folds of his wings by the clawed tips.

Soon the greatest treasure of his long-life time glittered away at him. He sniffed them each: they were clear shelled dragon eggs. He could see the growing embryos inside. They each shined like stars brighter than their mother. One was silver and gold from what he could see. Little wings shrouded most of the body away from him. The other two he could see very well. They had all the features of Violette. One was ultramarine, just like him with golden wings flapping around to stretch. The last was green with bits of violet. If he had to predict, he expected they had Violette’s eyes. He thought for a moment on how none of his other children had ever been a brighter blue than he, he had always supposed it was because of the muddied blood due to the polymorph potions. This was not a close imitation, however altogether something else.

They had wings and were covered in scales. Yet, they had been the most beautiful of his children. They each looked like ancient dragon gods. The dragon knew this was different; he had not deeply loved any of the other dragon maidens more than his treasure. She had been the only one of them all to challenge him, to try to make him change. Only she had shown him how warm in his chest mercy could make him feel. He pondered this out loud for her.

“The babies have made you give away so much; you are full of an instinct to protect them and others, I see now why a mother and child so easily fooled you, but it does not explain the flowers.” he muttered.

She buried her face in her hands sobbing a little. “There was a half elf. She is sick, perhaps my kindness and compassion is taken advantage of by others like the sorceress who pretended to be the mother. I was given things in return for all I gave away.” He nearly went to her yet she was curled up now clearly very upset. “You gained love and trust from the town and I gained dragon speech, I have potions brewing to possibly make me a dragon … I learned about this island and where the people come from.”

With a soft sigh her whole body shook. The eggs could hear so now had begun to glow hot red as upset as she was. He considered all she had said and shifted around. “Please, I cannot go home now. I am tainted, no longer pure as I was. I have made a blue dragon my mate; I have told you many times that the clerics of my world are not allowed to mate if they want the future that I’ve wished for. I have given up everything and have nowhere to go kill me swiftly but let them live.”

“I cherish you too much to truly kill you but I am deeply wounded. You did not let me soothe you when you had the eggs. I was very generous but you went beyond it and transgressed.”

The elf’s head dipped in shame as her silver hair shrouded her like a blanket. “You cherish my value, not me.”

“It is not true!” His voice thundered as perpetual moisture dripped from the walls. His voice shook like she had never heard before. He was full of passion and rage but it wasn’t the kind of rage he had had earlier; it was the kind of rage that comes from being deeply wounded out of mistrust.

“No that is not true, you are like none of the others. No one ever challenged me or cared about me enough to make me think of others. No one has taught me lessons of warmth in my body that you give me. No one since I was a hatchling could get me to cry. Yet for you I have cried twice the first time was when you plunged into the water and I thought I had lost you forever but the second time was when you locked yourself away here for weeks and had these eggs without me and I thought perhaps maybe you no longer loved me and only wanted to give my treasure away.”

Her violet orbs met him; it was like the world around them stopped. It was overwhelming when she spoke. It was in Elvish but he understood most of it. He had been studying it since she had come to be with him and was getting quite good. (Other than the occasional mixed-up words being based on gender every now and again.)

“Boundless treasure means nothing to me; gold coins have no value. Yes, I like all of the luxurious things that make my life smell good and are pretty but I can’t take any of those things with me when I die after a few hundred years what I can take with me is the actions that I took to help those around me and save lives, I promise I will not take your treasure without asking you again and we will consult together on whether it is a sorceress or someone who truly needs help… please… forgive me, my Sun.”

Soon the dragon was wrapping his tail around her with his snake-like tongue flicking back and forth. It took a long time of kissing and nuzzles from the dragon to get her to calm herself.

Her smell of lavender filled the air and for a while it was calm for now the eggs had gone back to their usual bright glow instead of the red tint. They too seemed to be soothed by the agreement. Violette had never understood love or had felt it deeply before now. She cleared a space for him, and he wrapped himself around her as she wrapped around and cradled the eggs. They slept soundly.