Ever
#2 of Dartanian and the Dragon
Dartanian's chest rose and fell in low, shallow breaths, the dragon's hand glowing with ancient and powerful magic as he placed the taloned, clawed paw on top of the smaller creature as he stared at the human, keeping him anchored against the tug of death.
It was ridiculous. He'd owned a hundred humans prior to this one. He'd been close to a few of them. This was... this was just madness. His tail lashed, knocking over a pile of gold, and he turned to stare at the horded pile. He picked up a priceless artifact and threw it angrily. ~It's ridiculous!~ he bellowed, to nobody in particular. Dartanian had fallen into a coma a week short of his two hundredth birthday. Just, one morning, he didn't wake. The dragon could keep him alive, but... he couldn't fix what was so far gone.
The dragon glared at the piles of gold, then closed his eyes and curled his tail around himself, picking up the human's body in his arms and holding him close... he wept, as he had done many times since he'd woken to find his slave in this state. He'd run the gamut of emotions in the two weeks he'd raged against the tug of mortality.
As a pile of artifacts settled further, falling over onto itself, it seemed to him that he could hear an echo of one of the things he'd told the human... ~You can spend the rest of your life with me, but I can't do the same.~ It sounded like such a cheap joke in his ears now. With all his magic, he'd kept humans alive much longer.
~What can I do?~ He asked the ceiling, looking up, knowing no answer would come. Except one did. Out of the pile of artifacts, a round mirror had rolled out, like a wheel from the wreckage of a vehicle. It rattled to a stop at his feet.
~No.~ he whispered, staring at it. But he knew that wasn't what he said in his heart. He'd collected it many centuries ago... it belonged to a powerful magician in the age of chivalry, one who'd lived a long time by sacrificing the lives of others to prolong their own.
The inkling of an idea occurred to him.
He shook his head. No. Dartanian wouldn't forgive him for doing that... He'd even convinced him that livestock was a better meal than humans... but the idea tugged at him. He looked down at the body of the slave who'd become his lover oh so many long days ago... half a heartbeat for him... but the mortal had made him live those days, instead of just marking them.
He picked up the mirror in his shaking hand. He didn't know how to use it properly, but such artifacts usually took care of the minor details, once you asked them for something... He stared in to it, tears welling up in his eyes as he took that unthinkable mental leap.
He had a way to save his boy now, but at what cost?
Two hundred years of service... and love? What cost had been applied to that? In the grand balance... he was owing.
He recalled the original user of the mirror had to use many human lives to extend her own just a little... he closed his eyes, and weighed the years they'd had together. What cost? One he was willing to pay.
He reached into the pile, and pulled out a sword. His hand shook, and he stared at the small blade, to him barely a toothpick... but it was sharp enough, for one who knew where to cut.
He lifted the boy and the round mirror easily, the light rippling oddly on it's surface. The dragon smiled as he took a last stroll through the large den, pausing in the computer room to tap out a message on the computer, the keyboard functioning on it's own as he input characters at high speed... then he walked to the bedroom, where he changed form, settling the mirror, placed it at his feet, and put Dartanian opposite.
He sat in lotus position, and held the idea of what he intended in his mind. The mirror showed an image that was blurred by his tears as he reached over and stroked his once slave's face, whispering aloud for the first time since he was an infant, his voice cracking.
"Please..."
He sliced. Everything went white.
Everything went black.
* * *
Dartanian woke. His eyes felt gummy, but otherwise he felt better than he had in years. He yawned softly and blinked himself awake, staring at the ceiling with a smile before reaching out to put his hand on his partner's sleeping form, smiling as he rested his hand on his chest, puzzled for a moment as he looked over at the mirror and the rather large broadsword. "Love?"
The dragon didn't stir, and Dartanian stared in the mirror, black hair greeting him where he was used to silver. "Odd mirror." he said, looking at his young reflection for a moment before paying more attention to the human form that shared the bed with him. He reached over and flicked the dragon's forehead.
"Ow!" The white haired one exclaimed, sitting up with a wince as he rubbed his forehead. Dartanian smiled. "Morning, sleepy head, what's with the shiny stuff?" He asked, pointing to the mirror. The once dragon blinked a little, and stared at Dartanian for a long time without answering, the human getting more and more puzzled.
The dragon laughed, tears in his eyes, and Dartanian blinked again, puzzled, the boy whispering. "Master, why are you using your mouth? And why does that mirror show me looking young?"
The white haired being reached over and squeezed Dartanian's shoulder, tears flooding his eyes as he finally managed to stop laughing, his voice clearing. "D.. don't worry about it, love... Call it a birthday present... for both of us." He got out of bed, pulling Dartanian to his feet. "It worked... come, I'll tell you over breakfast."
"Alright, Sir... would you like a cow this morning?"
"Perhaps... something lighter."
***
And they lived happily ever after.