Dragon

Dabria sat on the side of the spring and pulled her hand delicately through the water. If she had judged correctly, the man she was waiting for would come through those trees behind her, riding a horse, in exactly three minutes. She could hardly keep her heart from pounding, and she had no idea of what she was going to say when he got there. This particular mortal would be worth it though. He was big and strong, with light blond hair that was cut shorter than his ears, reminding her of a soldier mighty and strong. His eyes were the blue of the sky, and he had rather full lips. Dabria tingled at the thought of those lips kissing her, indeed she couldn't stop thinking about it and hadn't been able to since she first saw him almost three months ago.

She heard him long before he came into the small glade that he used every day to water his horse, her sense of hearing accurate enough even in its frailer form. When he came past the trees and saw her, she was delighted to hear his gasp of surprise. Dabria leapt up quickly, acting afraid of the intruder and beginning to run away, though not swiftly.

"Wait! Fair lady, do not flee.” His voice was rich and full of something that Dabria could not define. “You have nothing to fear from me. I have only come to water my horse. Please stay, I would never dream of harming you." The man hurried to reassure her, because he had never before seen someone of such beauty. Her hair fell in a vertical line almost to her knees, and it was as dark as the night. Her eyes, when she blushingly swept them up towards his own, looked like pitch and her poised lips were blood-red. Her body was definitely youthful, and looked as though it did not spend all of its time in an embroidery room. He felt his pulse quicken and his body grow hard at her thin gown that fell short of her calves exposing them to the world he struggled to remain outwardly calm.

Of course, Dabria did stay, pretending to be shy and keeping away from him. She could tell he was interested but didn't want to frighten her away. It helped to have that other-worldly beauty, but it could certainly be a nuisance in a case like this! Thinking quickly, she decided to feign interest in his horse. On any ordinary day, Dabria despised horses. Desperate circumstances called for desperate measures. When the man noticed her looking with admiration at his horse, he took the queue. "He's a gelding, and quite gentle really. I'm sure he would let you rub his nose." He moved forward a step or two as he spoke to her in a gentle tone. Moving slower than if she were a colt that he was ready to break he took her soft delicate hand, leading her towards the gentle giant.

The horse was a silly, awkward looking beast; but Dabria ignored that fact just this once and pretended to enjoy rubbing the misshapen head. She could see that the horse’s eyes had widened and in fear that if the horse broke she would lose her quarry, Dabria grabbed at the mind of the horse. The horse quieted instantly and Dabria went back to her plan of seducing the man in front of her without a second thought.

***********Seven and a half months later************

"Dabria the Dragon, you stand before this Council at this time to be judged. You planned to seduce a mortal and succeeded, thus bringing you to the attention of this counsel.” A great dragon tear fell from the terrifying yet somehow humble ruby red face of Dabria. Feeling like a whipped cub she wished she could leave the council room and just disappear, but instead held steady. Ready to face the results of her crimes and youthful folly. “You are currently with child, Dabria the Dragon do you know what you have created!? A Halfling!” Dallin threw the despicable term in her face and Dabria cringed away from his fury, literally bowing before him and bringing herself closer to the cold stone of the natural cavern that served as the impressive council room of the Dragons. “For this alone you and your unborn babe should be sentenced to death, but you have managed to seduce the High King of the mortals, a King who has no heirs other than the one in your belly! For that you deserve a penalty worse than death,” Dabria snaked an arm protectively about her belly, her body movements instantly changing from the chastised to the defensive. Even through her folly and mistakes she loved the babe growing strong within her. Dallin continued in his steady voice as if she had not switched an eyelid. “The council has deliberated long to take into account the fact that you have done so many acts punishable by death and worse among our people. However, you Dabria are our strongest sorceress, stronger even than the fey folk and we have taken this into our deliberations as well, along with the many deeds that you have provided the Dragon community along with the entire world of Dyrban over the years of your existence and we have also taken into account your chastised nature of late. Therefore this council grants you, a pardon.” Dabria looked into Dallin’s eyes at this unexpected sentencing and heard the clear bass voice ring in her head as she gazed into his black eyes <you have punished yourself enough>. It had been far too long since she had last seen Dallin and the years showed in his face as he continued, “wait! There is a catch!” Now finally Dallin stepped down from the dais and allowed another to take his place. This female dragon was one that Dabria did not know and so had probably only been on the council since her fascination with Acario, the High King, beginning four years ago, replacing Dayillinia who had been on the council since the writing of the contract.

“Since your child will be the only heir to the High King, and because we do not like to interfere with the mortals,” at this the dragon paused and looked Dabria over with a disapproving look, at least Dallin had remained neutral. Dabria wilted before the gold dragon's judging face. “The child will grow with you until its sixteenth year when it shall go to live with its father. You are excused, Dabria the Sorceress, teacher of mortals and immortals.”

They had given her back her title then, the one she had earned while in her early youth after being orphaned. Dabria did leave, waddling slightly with her added girth; she shouldn’t complain too much she still had another twenty-nine months of pregnancy to go. She smiled fondly at the thought of the new life within her, and as soon as she had left the council room she flew closer to the kingdom of the fey. Once at the borders she landed and changed to a human form. Since her pregnancy she had been staying on with some of the faerie folk that she had once taught magic to, and reducing her mass made it easier for her friends to house her, the pregnancy did not show at all in this form but Dabria could still feel the small life growing within her and she placed a protective hand on her flat belly.

Before she could move anywhere, the ground reverberated and she fell to the ground, instantly shielding her belly and her child. Looking up above her, she saw a black dragon; Dallin. Smiling up at her old friend she ran to his large muzzle and kissed him soundly on an impulse brought on mostly by her unexpected pardon. Many mortals might have found his face hideous and unappealing but Dabria had always liked the strong cut of his jaw, it made him look like the leader he truly was. Dallin responded to Dabria’s kiss by moving into a human form too quickly for her to move away and grabbed her about her waist. Dallin picked Dabria off her feet and swung her around, the kiss making them both dizzy.

“Dabs," his voice was soft when he finally released her mouth, she felt dizzy inside and out and she clung to him for balance, he did not seem to mind. "I have missed you and am glad to see you back in Dyrban, even if you caused all hell to break loose when you did. Are you feeling alright? I know my sister got terribly irritable when she was swollen with her two sons.” Dabria looked into the face of Dallin as a man; she had never seen his before. His jaw was still strong but his hair was dark and unruly. His face was too full of angles and his eyes were too big and bright for his face, and yet Dabria didn’t care. While he still held her she felt something that Acario had never been able to give to her: peace and understanding.

“I’m fine Dall; did you come to walk me home?” She disentangled herself from him quickly and shut away the new emotions that were clamoring at her heart’s door for attention.

“If you would permit me such an honor, Sorceress,” His golden eyes sparkled and snapped, just like they always had, and he awarded her a courtlier bow than any she had seen at Acario’s court.

“Dall, we were friends since the moment we were born, how could I ever refuse you?” Dabria asked him, half in jest.

"You did once,” his eyes had turned somber and Dabria’s heart broke as she recalled their youth and the way he had changed, the fights they had had and the bitter distance that had sprung up between the two old comrades.

“I was younger than, and now, well now I happen to be quite a bit wiser.” Dabria told him as she laid a hand on one of his cheeks and raised her body up on tiptoe to kiss his other cheek.