FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Alrighty, the next chapter of the Knights of juno is finally complete.

This is actually a very special chapter for me. More than two years ago, I submitted my first story to this site, and it was the very first in this tale. I would like to think that I have improved since then, and if all the comments I have recieved over the years mean anything, I have.

It seems fitting to me that I round out my first 100 stories with a chapter in the same story as my first. So, here it is, story number 100. I hope you enjoy it.

As always, comments are appreciated and requested.

---

Continued from 'A Brace of New Problems...'

Malcolm sat still, staring out into the wild blue skies, looking down towards the clouds that swirled about the foot of the great mountain that was his home. Like all the Knights of Juno, Malcolm was indifferent to the frigid temperatures that existed at this incredible height, the unconcern bred into them by a lifetime of living this high. But still, the dark skinned man was troubled as he never had been before. He drew in a deep breath and watched a group of young dragonlings flying around below him under the supervision of an older dragon, his thoughts elsewhere. A week had passed since the day when he had comforted Turquoise and neither knight nor dragon had so much as mentioned the incident. When she had woken up the next morning, the pretty dragon had seemed to recover instantly from whatever had been bothering her and since then she had been back to her normal self, or at least it seemed that she had. Malcolm wasn't so sure. The wild swirl of emotions that he had felt within her didn't seem like something that would vanish overnight. But that wasn't why he was troubled. The reason why he could found here today, sitting on the lip of the lowest entrance to the Aerie, alone in the cold air, was that while she seemed to have recovered, he hadn't. It was funny, he had been the one lending comfort to her and now, he was the one who was troubled, as if they had switched places somehow. But he couldn't very well turn to her for comfort about what troubled him, as she had turned to him.

The truth of the matter was that he was still worried about his dragon companion, her odd behavior not sitting right with him. Worse, he didn't know who he could go to for advice on the subject. Whenever he got up his courage to ask one of the elders about it, he got a feeling of sudden reluctance so strong that he never followed through. He got the feeling that he had intruded into something either very private or very sacred when he had held Turquoise when she had been so upset, and felt her cling to him in reply. He knew somehow that even though it had felt right to try and comfort her, and even though it had seemed to help her recover, that it had also been wrong somehow. And even more confusing to him, was how it had made him feel to do it.

Though he felt sure that it had been somehow wrong, he could not deny that he had felt a sort of giddy gratification when he had comforted her; the same sort of feeling one got when opening a much anticipated gift. It was a feeling he had not understood, and truth be told, still did not. But it wasn't that that was troubling him, no, it was something more serious, something that he was feeling even as he sat there. What was really troubling was that now he kept finding himself wishing he could do it again. There was no denying it. It had felt very good to have her lying against him, their arms around each other.

Sighing to himself, he looked once again on the endless clouds far below him, his eyes catching brief flashes of light within their fluffy boundaries. It looked like a storm was brewing down there, which was oddly appropriate, considering one was raging full force within him. His was a storm of emotion and confusion and no matter what he did, he couldn't ever seem to calm it. And it wasn't like his subconscious was helping him at all. It never failed. Every time he had fallen asleep in the last week, he had dreamed of her. At first, the dreams had been like their everyday encounters, events that were almost memories of things they had done over the years they had known each other. But of late, they had become more and more fantasy-like. But the most disturbing one of all had happened last night and he hesitated to think about it now, fearing what it might mean. He had dreamed that Turquoise and he were out in the wilds somewhere, obviously camping out. They had been sitting together beside a warm fire, Turquoise in her hybrid form, and that had been pleasant enough.

But then, the dream had started to turn from one of comfort into something else entirely. The fire had seemed to have burned low, filling their camp with a dim orange glow, throwing odd shadows around the clearing. While the shadows danced like spirits, Turquoise had shifted over closer to him, and that too had been alright. After all, closeness between knight and dragon was nothing new. But then, she had laid her scaly hand on top of his own, gripping it gently and he had turned towards her in surprise at the intimate gesture, only to find that the Turquoise he had been sitting with was gone. In her place was another Turquoise, one that, in the dim light of the coals, was so alluring and seductive in form that he couldn't look away from her. He had felt a familiar stirring deep down inside as he had stared at her. And then, as if in response to some signal, she had drawn him close to her, the movement for some reason irresistible. Then, the seductive creature had kissed him. The kiss had been deep and passionate, a kiss of barely contained primal desire. And Malcolm had felt himself return the kiss eagerly, holding her tight against him, unwilling to let her go, as if afraid that she would vanish if he did.

Malcolm had woken up then with a jerk to find the sheets of his bed twisted around him like an intricate knot, a cold sweat standing out on his skin. Though the dream had ended there, he could well guess what would have happened next if he had remained in dreamland. A cold shudder ran through him as he went over it again in his head, taking care to close off the mental link he shared with his mount. The last thing he wanted was for her to see that. And, when he had examined the dream sequence once again, he at last brought his mind to bear on the source of his confusion. He knew deep down that the dream and Turquoise's odd behavior had been linked somehow, but he hadn't the slightest idea how that was remotely possible. And, as he thought about everything that had happened in the last week, his mind began to draw connections between details, connections that made him uncomfortable even to ponder.

When he had felt Turquoise's raw emotions in her nest, that odd day, one of the strongest emotions had been a feeling of loneliness, of longing. That, and the fact that she had seemed to feel better after she had spent the rest of that day and the following night asleep in his arms made his mind draw the one conclusion that he didn't want to accept. Either his closeness had satisfied that feeling of loneliness, or, and this was the part he was afraid of, the feeling of longing had been for him. And then, there were the dreams, dreams that seemed to mean that he longed for her in some way too. He tried to tell himself that the obvious conclusion wasn't true, that it couldn't be true. After all, she was a dragon and he was a human. He brought to bear all the logic he could to drive back the crushing weight of that realization. But the thin shield that was his logic collapsed quickly, as if even he knew deep down that he was wrong. And even as he tried to deny it, he knew that it was futile to try. And then, suddenly, another voice came into his head, undermining the last of the foundation of his shield, a voice that sounded like his own, but not quite, more like an echo.

'But what about Karen and Twilight?' it asked. 'They are a dragon and human pair who have found their soulmate in each other, and they are happier than any other couple our age is.'

'But Turquoise and I are different,' Malcolm tried to argue. 'Karen and Twilight have always been closer than any other pair, from the moment I met them. While Turquoise and I are closer friends than many, we're nowhere near that close. I like her as a friend, but I can't feel like that about her.'

'Why not?' The voice demanded.

'Because it isn't right!!' he replied vehemently and then suddenly, he realized what he was doing. 'Oh great. That is just great. On top of everything else, now I am going nuts. I shouldn't even be arguing with you. You're me.'

'If I'm you, then why are you being so defensive?' the traitorous mental voice asked, then continued without waiting for him to reply. 'You know I am right don't you? And what about the dream you dreamed last night?'

"Shut up." Malcolm whispered, taking his head in his hands and shaking it side to side, trying to dislodge the traitorous voice. "Just shut up."

'Oh that helps a lot.' The voice taunted. 'Sit there and talk to yourself. That makes you look real sane doesn't it?'

'Grrr.' Malcolm growled, 'This is my head, and I am in charge. I want quiet, so pipe down.'

'Yes, sahib.' The voice replied sarcastically, 'But this isn't over yet.'

'Who the hell asked your opinion in the first place?' Malcolm asked the voice, irritated at its superior attitude.

'You did, oh brilliant one.' It replied, giving the title a mocking sound. 'It isn't my fault you can't figure this out by yourself.'

'Will you shut up?!' Malcolm thought, almost yelling inside his head. The voice was silent for a few moments and he heaved a vexed sigh, thinking for a moment that he had finally gotten rid of it.

'You do realize that you just yelled at yourself, don't you?' The voice asked coyly, dashing his hopes. Sighing and hanging his head, Malcolm didn't bother replying, instead turning his mind back to the confusing emotions that still swirled within him. 'You know, if you really want to figure this out, you could always go to someone other than the elders.'

'I take it you have someone in mind?' Malcolm replied scathingly.

'Two people actually.' The voice replied, seeming to be indifferent to his tone. 'Karen and Twilight.'

'No.' Malcolm stated with finality, even before the voice had finished Twilight's name. 'I am not bringing them into this.'

'And why not, if you're so smart?' The voice mocked. Malcolm ignored the voice, hoping that if he didn't reply, it would go away. But the voice was insistent. 'Who would know what you are going through better than them? How many other human and dragon mate pairs do you know?' For a few moments longer, Malcolm tried to ignore the suggestion, but the logic of it was unassailable. Finally, he heaved a reluctant sigh.

'None.' He said, resigning himself to hearing the sarcastic voice's jibes for the rest of the day.

'Exactly.' It said. 'So what are you waiting for?'

'Nothing at all.' Malcolm replied, annoyed. But, as he rose to his feet, he felt the crushing weight ease slightly, as if deciding to seek out his friends had released some of it.

'See, you should listen to me more often.' The voice teased.

'Oh, will you be quiet?' Malcolm asked. More laughter filled his head and he sighed, starting the long journey down into the mountain to the officer's quarters...

***

Malcolm walked into the meal hall, looking around for Karen and Twilight. They were nowhere to be seen and Malcolm was starting to feel a little bit worried. Karen, as a Knight Lieutenant, had different quarters and duties from the rest of the knights. She and Twilight both had duty shifts in the knighthood's command center, as well as duties in the armory and machine shop assigned to their wing. He had already checked all those places, as well as Twilight's nest in the Aerie and Karen's quarters, but they hadn't been anywhere. Grumbling quietly to himself, Malcolm stood for a moment, trying to decide where to go next. At first, he had considered reaching out to them with his mind, but he knew that would be an exercise in futility. Without Turquoise's help, he couldn't reach very far with his telepathic magic and he was not going to bring her into this if he could avoid it. Troubled, he didn't even hear a voice calling his name at first.

"Hey, Malcolm!" The voice called again and he looked up, startled. Shiriki was sitting at a table across the room with his dragon and their new flight mates, waving at him. All four had trays before them on the table and they appeared to be in the middle of eating. Malcolm returned the other knight's wave and headed that way, threading his way through the many tables that occupied the hall.

"What's up?" Shiriki asked when he was near enough.

"Have any of you seen Karen or Twilight today?" he asked, returning the nod of the others seated at the table. Shiriki and Shrike, his copper scaled dragon, had struck up an easy friendship with Kelsie and Thorin, the new members of their flight. Many veteran knights and their dragons tended to keep a slight distance between themselves and the new members of flights, but that was only because flights were almost like families. Most flights, especially those composed of young knights and dragons, had trained together since they were children, and knew each other very well as a result. It took some time for new members to be integrated into such a group. But Shiriki and Shrike had not even tried to distance themselves, welcoming them warmly instead. "I can't seem to find them anywhere."

"We passed them on our way down from the Aerie this morning." Kelsie replied helpfully. "They said they were going to go out flying for a bit, but they have the late duty shift in the command center tonight, so they can't stay out too late."

"They should be back by now actually." Shrike commented around a mouthful of his food. The dragon swallowed the mouthful before continuing. "If they aren't in the mountain, I would look up at the summit. They like to sit up there sometimes."

"'kay, thanks." Malcolm said, waving goodbye to the quartet and walking back out of the hall. He hadn't even considered looking up there. There were no stairs leading up to the summit, so one normally either had to climb up the sheer and smooth sides of the mountain peak, a near impossible task, or fly on dragon back to get up there. But since he didn't want Turquoise to be privy to their discussion, at least for now, then he really had only one other option. Smiling, he closed his eyes, tapping into his magic and picturing the top of the mountain as clearly as he could within his mind.

This was a spell that all knights learned fairly early in their training, since they needed to be able to get around the mountain quickly in an emergency. However, the caster needed to take great care when using this particular spell. If he didn't, he could very well end up inside an object, an almost always fatal occurrence. Fortunately, his destination this time was almost entirely free of obstructions. Smiling, he brought forth the magic and felt the familiar, oddly cold tingling sensation on his skin as his body was sheathed by the power. Then, all at once, he felt the sun shine on his face and he shivered as the frigid air of the mountain top suddenly replaced the warm air of the mountain's interior. Opening his eyes once more, Malcolm found that he had ended up right where he had wanted to; in the air a few inches off the surface of the summit, the highest point on Earth. The last of the magic faded and the knight settled to the stones, looking around for any sign of his two friends. They weren't where he could see them immediately, but Malcolm felt sure that they were up here.

Keeping a sharp eye out, he walked slowly around the top of the mountain, peering down at the ledges and boulders that ended the slight slopes that lined the flattened summit. There were certainly plenty of places to sit up here, and with good reason. Many of the younger dragons, under the tutelage of Nixarian, the dragonlord's brother, came up here sometimes to snipe with railguns at targets conjured up on the slopes below. It was good practice for them, but today, the place was clear and empty, or so it seemed at first. Just when he was despairing of ever finding his quarry, he stepped over the last rise and there, on the ledge at the bottom of the slope, were two figures, one clad in black scales, another in a jumpsuit of an identical pattern.

It was obviously Twilight and Karen because they were sitting very close together, and the dragon had his arm around the human, who had rested her head on his shoulder. They were as silent and still as he had been earlier down in the Aerie, and as Malcolm slowly walked down the slope towards them, the same feeling he had gotten when he had found Turquoise curled up in her nest welled up inside. Some inner instinct was trying to warn him off, trying to make him stop his steady stride. By the time he was halfway down the slope, the feeling was so strong that he stopped, his hand reflexively creeping towards the hilt of his sword despite his best efforts to stop it. Something was odd here, very odd. Steeling himself, he pushed forward, approaching the pair slowly. When he was close enough for them to hear him, Twilight turned back to look at him over his shoulder, watching him with inscrutable eyes. Malcolm slowed down instantly, resisting the temptation to take his sword in hand.

The look on the dark-scaled dragon's face was surprising. Though it held no threat within it, it had a foreboding quality that made Malcolm wary. The look was one that was utterly serious, a brooding sort of quality in it. But, as Malcolm continued down the slope towards them, Twilight nodded to him in acknowledgement before turning back. Malcolm smiled nervously as the dragon turned back to the vista spread out before their feet. Malcolm stopped walking when he was standing on the edge of the ledge as well, feeling that he was so far out of his element here that it would be a miracle if he was able to make sense of anything that he learned. And yet, he pushed on anyway, resigned to seeing his effort through.

"Hi." He said lamely and the pair both murmured quiet replies. That, and the fact that neither so much as looked in his direction, did not bode well for having a simple conversation. "Do you mind if I sit down?"

Neither of them made any reply, but he assumed that since they had not protested, they didn't mind. Seating himself a short distance from the pair on Karen's side of the embrace, the dark skinned knight looked out to see what they might be looking at. The storm he had seen earlier was still down there, though it appeared to be dissipating, but other than that, there was nothing to see. The trio sat in silence for a while, Malcolm trying to find a way to phrase the question he wanted to ask so it didn't give away what he thought it meant. The dark pair that sat beside him were silent as well, but, judging from the distant look they both had, they were carrying on a silent conversation within their minds, a conversation he obviously was not invited too. Finally, after a few more moments, he gave up trying to phrase the question better and cleared his throat before speaking.

"I need to ask you guys something." He finally said, delaying the moment when he would have to ask the fateful question. The pair didn't seem to have heard him at first, for they didn't so much as twitch, but then, Karen turned her head and looked at him for the first time since he had sat down. But when he saw the look on her face, his question suddenly left his head altogether. Karen's eyes were red, and tears had streaked her face. But it was the look within those silver orbs that gave him pause. She looked haunted, fearful, but more than that, her face looked bleak, as if she was without hope. And yet...deep in her eyes, almost hidden beneath everything else, there was a spark of another emotion. It seemed to be of an indescribable joy, and the contradiction of the two looks made Malcolm forget his own troubles, at least for the moment. The haunted look was hidden almost instantly behind a mask of control that was almost draconian in appearance, but the brief glimpse had been enough. "Karen, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing." She replied, shaking her head and wiping at her nose with the back of her hand. "Really, I am fine."

"Karen, how long have we known each other?" Malcolm asked reprovingly. "I know you well enough to know that you are certainly not fine. What is it?"

"I..." she began, seeming to be on the verge of replying truthfully, then she shook her head, her eyes closing in resignation. "I can't tell you. Not yet." She said, looking back at him with her silvery eyes, and then prompted him to continue. "You said you wanted to ask us something?" For a moment, Malcolm was silent, wondering whether to pursue the matter further, but the irritating voice cleared its throat in his head and he sighed, not wishing to listen to another sarcastic jibe from whatever it was that lived in him.

"It's about you guys actually." He said and Twilight nodded for him to continue. "I was wondering what it was like when you guys realized you were in love."

"How do you mean?" Twilight asked, frowning at the odd question.

"Well, I mean, how did you know you loved each other?" he asked, and the pair seemed to consider for a while before they spoke. "What did it feel like, you know, in here?" Malcolm continued, tapping his chest over his heart with one knuckle. The pair were silent for a little while, both contemplating their answer, and then Karen finally spoke.

"It is hard to describe." She stated, looking at her lover for a moment. "For me, it was like..." she paused again, waving her hand through the air as she groped for the right word for the feeling. "A flock of butterflies had been set loose in my chest whenever I thought about him. I guess the surest sign that I loved him was when he smiled at me. It made me blush, and I got a warm sensation in my heart whenever I saw him."

"As for me," Twilight said, drawing Karen still closer to his side. "I knew I loved her when the slightest touch from her kindled a fire within me. I couldn't even brush up against her without my body burning on the inside." Malcolm nodded thoughtfully and looked back out over the vastness of the mountain slopes, knowing in his heart that he had his answer, though he was still loath to admit it, even within the most private recesses of his mind. But, already, his mind was drawing more connections between events, and he knew that sometime he would have to admit the truth, as odd as it was. After a moment, he realized that both Karen and Twilight were looking at him curiously.

"Why do you ask?" Karen inquired, a most seeing look in her silver hued eyes. Malcolm was silent for a moment, considering his reply carefully. He could tell them, and doubtless, they wouldn't think it odd, considering their own relationship. But, on the other hand, considering the way he had reacted when they had told him the first time, he didn't think it would be right to tell them just yet, especially when he didn't want to believe it himself.

"I don't think I can tell you that." He finally replied, getting to his feet once more. "Thanks for answering my question though. I have some thinking to do, so if you will excuse me."

With that, the knight bowed to his commander and started walking back towards the summit, where he could work his magic without the distraction of the sheer drop at his feet. As he walked away, he could almost feel an odd tension in the air, like electricity crackling angrily between them, but it was a sensation that he knew he wasn't imagining. It was emanating from the minds of his two friends, and since he knew them so well, their tension touched him, pressing into his own consciousness. He had taken all of three steps up the slope towards the top when he could hear the outburst coming. It was like listening to a dam fail. First, there was a trickle of water through a crack, and then the roaring of a deluge as it burst forth from its bonds. He lifted his foot to take the next step, and it was upon him. The words that Karen spoke came with a rush of emotions into his mind, and for the second time in a week, he was assaulted by the swirling emotions of someone he cared about.

"Malcolm!!" Karen called and the dark-skinned knight turned back to see her staring at him with that haunted look in her eyes once more. Bracing himself, Malcolm waited for the next words, knowing that they would be surprising. But despite his preparations, the weight of the simple statement of two words rolled over him like a tsunami. "I'm pregnant."

Malcolm felt his jaw drop open in surprise, but he made no attempt to shut it. For a wild moment, he thought that he might have misheard what she had said, but, seeing the frightened look on her face, he knew he had not. He was so surprised that he forgot to maintain the barrier between himself and his mount. Her mind touched his own, and sensing the emotions that now swirled within him, a swirl that his own confusing feelings were rising to join, she instantly tapped her own magic and appeared up the slope from him, looking around for her rider. She was in her hybrid form once more and she must have been in the gym when their minds touched, for her scales held the faint sheen of moisture that tended to cling to dragons when they walked in that space. Concerned, she walked down the hill to where Malcolm was standing, speaking as she walked.

"Where have you been?" she asked, looking at him with concern. "I have been trying to contact you for over an hour. Don't shut me out like that." When Malcolm didn't reply, or even acknowledge her presence, she reached out and touched her shoulder gently, making him jump. "Hey, Malcolm. Are you okay?" The dreadlocked knight finally closed his mouth and swallowed nervously, unable to give voice to the terrible and wonderful secret that Karen had just shared with him. Confused, Turquoise looked at Karen and Twilight, and saw the look on their faces, then spoke again. "What is wrong with everyone?"

"I'm with child." Karen said again without preamble and it was Turquoise's turn to be struck dumb. The female dragon stood beside her rider on the slope, staring at their friends with surprise, a look that was a virtual mirror of his own and Malcolm was even more surprised to feel a brief wisp of a new emotion coming from her before a wall suddenly slid up between them. She stared in silence at them for a moment before she seized Malcolm's hand and guided him back to the edge of the ledge, dragging him down beside her as she sat down. Karen was looking at them sheepishly and Twilight looked down as well, his scales taking on an odd reddish reflection as he blushed.

"You wanna run that by me again?" Turquoise asked and Karen smiled nervously.

"I am pregnant." She said again, leaning against Twilight for support. The dark scaled dragon pulled her closer in reply and they sat waiting for their friend's reaction.

At first, Malcolm hadn't known what to think, the swirl of unguarded emotion having demolished his reasoning mind. And then, as they sat together beside the young couple, he felt the two halves of his mind roar into life again, their emotions conflicting, truly opposite one another. The rational part of his mind, the part that came from his human instincts, was appalled and disgusted at the very idea that a human and a dragon had conceived a child. And, then there was the part of him that came from the magic that flooded his veins. It was filled with joy for the couple, and, as he listened to them both, the magic side of him began to beat down the rational part of his mind, forcing it back into its corner. And suddenly, he felt another feeling within his mind, and it was so odd that he thought that at first, it couldn't have been from him at all. He felt a sudden instinct to protect his friends, protect them from anyone and anything that would harm them. And, the more he thought about it, the more he agreed with both of these feelings. This was a blessing, a miracle really. He couldn't have been happier for his friends. The other voice, the rational one, tried once again to assert itself, to voice its opposition to his feelings, saying that it was an abomination, but he ignored it.

"Congratulations!!" he finally cried, giving both of the surprised warriors a warm hug. Turquoise grinned and added her own congratulations before joining in the embrace. "I am so happy for you."

"Thank you." Karen said, a relieved smile coming to her lips. It was clear that both she had Twilight had thought that they would be angry or at the very least disgusted with them; certainly anything but happy. But, even though they both smiled, their faces were glum still. When Malcolm and his dragon broke the embrace, Karen spoke again. "But what are we going to do? If the knighthood finds out, and they will eventually, we will be in a lot of trouble. You will be too, just for knowing about it."

"That is a good point." Malcolm agreed, looking at them thoughtfully, for he at last knew what they had been discussing in silence when he had arrived. What were they going to do? The knighthood would be angry, there could be little doubt about that, but that was nothing compared to what the dragons might do. It had been Argil and his mate that had decreed that mating between dragon and human was forbidden. Doubtless, the Dragonlord, the most powerful dragon that still lived, would be furious. Frowning, Malcolm tried to think it through, but there were so many unanswered questions that it was hard to make any progress. After all, to the best of his knowledge, this sort of thing had never happened before. Granted, long ago, dragons had taken human form and had had offspring with humans, but that had been entirely different. This was a dragon in dragon form mating with a human. Finally, he thought of something he could ask to break the lingering silence. "How long have you known?"

"About a week for sure, but I have felt out of sorts for months now." Karen answered, looking troubled. "I still don't know what we will do."

"I don't know either." Malcolm said and the two dragons nodded in agreement. After a moment of silence, he finally started peaking again, laying out his thoughts so the rest of the quartet, the only ones as yet privy to this incredible secret, could work through them as well. "Well, for now, I can think of a few things you can do. First off, when you start to show, you should use your magic to hide it, and you should try and avoid any activity that would make you drop your illusion."

"Good idea." Karen stated and Turquoise nodded in agreement.

"I don't know what we can do other than that for the moment." Turquoise agreed. "I mean there is so much we don't know. For instance, will the baby be born in an egg, or will it be live-born, like humans are?"

"And how long will you be pregnant?" Malcolm continued, picking up his dragons' thought train and going along with it. "I know humans take about nine months, but dragons carry the eggs until they are ready to be laid and then it takes another few months for them to hatch, doesn't it?"

"Four months and eight months, respectively." Turquoise confirmed, "Give or take a week or so."

"We have thought of that." Twilight replied. "And the truth is, we have no idea what will happen. We don't even know what the child will look like."

"Another good point." Karen agreed. "And even if we manage to hide this from everybody until the day comes, I don't know how on earth we are going to be able to raise our child without suspicion."

"I don't know either." Malcolm said, the grim weight of the problems the couple shared settling in his heart as well. His own problems suddenly seemed insignificant by comparison.

"And whatever happens," Turquoise said, "You will have our full support." Malcolm nodded in agreement, not giving a second thought to that fact that Turquoise once again had his hand in hers.

"Thank you." The future parents said with identical relieved smiles, looking once more like a pair of dragons, not a dragon and his human rider. The quartet turned and looked out on the rolling plains far below them, silently seeking inspiration in the endless landscape. After a few silent moments, Malcolm spoke up again, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"You know, Malcolm wouldn't be a bad name for a half-dragon." He said and the others laughed...