Dragon Dance - MaxTul's Story

Part 40 - C-C-Choices

Giant rolled and rolled, tucking in his wings. He fucking HATED translocation! Although he had done exactly what Mum had taught him, was it his fault that people were easier to think of? Once again, he wasn't where he wanted to be. 

He hadn't gone home. He was nowhere near the Fire Dance home range. Slowly, he stood up, shaking out his wings. Admittedly, how he ended up back at the Dynasty Clutch was a bit startling... 

But so was that dragon who had helped him when he was last there. He closed his eyes. He knew he was in love. He was old enough to recognize how fast his heart beat, how the blood rushed through his veins, how his eyelids closed to hide his emotions... 

Even thinking about his name was a rush of feelings. "It's time to see what happens." Taking a deep breath, Giant unfurled his huge wings and took to the air. 

All he wanted was the world to stop for a while. He wanted to hide in the arms of a lover. He wanted to step down from being responsibility and just be young and in love.

Was that too much to ask? He wanted Aureate.

~~~~~~~~~~

Talia collapsed to her knees. "Mother, save them." She wasn't a queen right now, but a mother. She didn't give birth to Tul, but he was her son's consort. "Save them." Dragons didn't cry, they keened. It was slowly building, low in her belly. 

Empyrean had  done her crying in private, with Prime as her rock. "Snap out of it, Talia. I will." Her tail snaked out, a rare gesture of comfort. "I'll be back soon. Watch over the babies. The soldiers will help."

Talia raised her head, becoming the Queen again. "Leaving from here?"

Pyre nodded. "We don't want anyone knowing." Then, with a smirk, "BTW, daughter, Fai is causing trouble. I leave it to you."

"Mother!" Talia cried as there was a loud "pop" in her head.

~~~~~~~~~~

Primus cuddled his beloved on the wide open steppe. The chill wind blew. Their breath left trails of fog, it was that cold. "Do you want a fire?" 

"No, I'm warm." Prye tucked her tail more firmly between them. "Prime, was I wrong not to warn Talia about the bond  growing between Fai and the green envoy?" 

"Telum didn't tell us so we can interfere, Pyre. He told us so we can guide them. Fai is not old enough yet for the bond to be permanent." He curled around her even more tightly. 

"Idiots!" Pyre struggled to get free. "Is that what you thought? We are at WAR! Bonds form at any age then! I've even seen them form with infants! Even unhatched eggs!" 

Prime held her tight. "Where are you going?" 

"Only far enough to send to Talia. She needs to know. I don't care if the bond is right or wrong, but I won't loose another of my line in another war, Primus. I swore that in blood on those fucking accords." Queen Empyrean shone through. This was the dragon that lead him into battle, the one he followed.

The dragon he would die for, each and every day.

Primus uncurled from around her and bowed, his chin touching the ground. "My Queen, as it pleases you."

"Shut it," She muttered, hiding the blush flooding her body. Of course, her bonded would know. "Talia! Fai is bonded! Damn it!" She shouted, "Teach her! Fucking hell, get Telum off of sentry duty and watch that damn green!"

~~~~~~~~~~

On the Tibetan Plateau, near the Kunlun Range, two human hikers broke for camp. Seo Joon watched the sun set as Ji Woo set up the small tent. He didn't feel entirely safe out on the Mongolian plane, but Ji Woo insisted. 

"It's fine, Seo Joon. Apparently, if we pray to the dragon gods and leave good food, we will be safe." Ji Woo had been calm the whole trip. Seo Joon had been freaked out. Dragon Gods? What the fuck was that?

Laughing, Ji Woo told him about working for the strange rich dude. "I guess I shouldn't call him strange." Sighing, "He always prayed to the dragon gods before eating, similar to the Japanese saying, "Itadakimasu". 

Once again, Seo Joon crunched his nose. He loved Ji Woo with all his heart. He wouldn't have followed him all this way from South Korea on a rare ingredient hunt if he didn't? It was odd, since he was usually the more free spirited, having been in many different countries already. 

But China was different! They didn't welcome same sex couples, preferring to ignore their existence. Not to mention, they were foreigners. Didn't Ji Woo understand his tension?

"Relax, Jagiya (honey), Mr. Suppasit was very specific. That's why we traveled here..." His words trailed off. "Look, look!" Shakily he raised his hand and his index finger pointed. 

Seo Joon's eyes followed the pointing finger. They widened and as his brain registered the large body highlighted in the setting sun, he fainted. Ji Woo failed to notice, watching the shiny, green dragon fly over head.

Turning back, "I told... Seo Joon! Seo Joon!" He rushed to his lover, patting his cheeks. "Seo Joon!"

~~~~~~~~~~

Talia glared at Fai. "I don't care. YOU are a princess. YOU represent me. YOU represent the entire clutch." 

Fai was curled up in a ball on the floor, protecting her soft spots. Mum had a very wicked tail. Until Talia decided to shift into human form, Fai was not moving from this spot. She did, however keep her eyes in dragon sight, in order to catch if Mum was going to cheat and use magic.

"And the worst," The rant continued, "YOU had to fucking bond!"

Fai's head popped up. Now that was unfair. "Like I had a fucking choice? I'm outta here! Talk to me when you are ready to be reasonable. War, war, war." She mocked. "I'm not a child. I'm old enough, obviously, since I now have a mate."

With that, she popped out of the Queen's chamber. Talia roared with anger. The room shook and gravel in all the corridors showered down. The dragons in the hallway ran for cover. 

The Queen was angry. Did that BRAT think she knew how to fight? 

With ease, she followed Fai, surprising her. Talia landed directly on top of her lower half, effectively pinning her. She sunk her teeth in her neck and gently shook. "Whoops, I just killed you." Without relinquishing her neck, she continued, "You don't know anything yet, brat!"

"Half of the knowledge will kill you." With that, she got off her daughter.

She settled back on her haunches and sighed. "Do you see that healer? The one that looks at me so longingly?"

Fai shrugged. 

Talia's tail was swift. She swatting her sulking child. "I'm trying to teach you something here without preaching. It's hard, it's how my mother taught me." She sighed and started again. "My mother and I had a rocky relationship almost from the start. She had lost two dragonets and was always overprotective."

"I hated it. I understood it, but I hated it. Then the war broke out. I was in my glory. Then, I met the healer. My heart beat fast." Talia's tail curled around her protectively. "Mother told me about being bonded. How hard it would be, what it meant. And that I needed to break it."

"Why? Why would she do such a cruel thing?" Fai's heart was breaking. How had Mum lived without love for so long?

"Your grandmother was right. When your father died, I would have died too. I had friendship instead of love. My life hasn't been lonely, just different. Almost all dragons live this way. Bonded dragons are the rare ones, not the majority."

"A Queen can't afford to be bonded, Fai. I will leave you the choice. It's not solid yet. You have a chance to choose your life. Being a Queen or love. If you don't break the bond, you will have to abdicate the throne."

Talia popped from Fai's hiding place, leaving her alone to decide.