A brace of new problems
#9 of The Knights of Juno
Alrighty, as a treat for my readers, for being patient for such a long time, I have prepared the following for your enjoyment. I am submitted a grand total of ten chapters all at once, at least one for each of the active story lines I have going, plus a new request.
As such, this is the next chapter of the Knights of Juno. I hope you enjoy it.
As always, comments are appreciated and requested.
Continued from "Soulbound..."
Malcolm raised his sword back into fighting position, pushing a sweat drenched dreadlock out of his face. His raven headed opponent grinned at him and set back, her blade in her back hand, held horizontally, its point at the level of her eye, pointed at Malcolm's heart. Her silver eyes betrayed nothing of what she was thinking, nothing at all, despite the fact that she was sweating as much as he was. Since they had agreed not to use magic in this duel, trying to divine her intent was like trying to understand the intentions of a stone. Taking a deep breath to quiet his nerves, the dark skinned knight shifted his weight slightly, taking pressure off of his sore leg. The pair had been dueling for the better part of an hour already, the temperature controls in the chamber turned up to make it even more draining than usual.
It had been two months since the knighthood had returned from Europe, and the pair had been so busy now that they were veterans that they had had very little free time. Now that they had a day off once again, they had decided to duel each other while their dragons watched. The paired riders and dragons were in a room just off the cavernous main training area, the small chamber small enough that the dragons took on their hybrid forms to give them more room. The chamber had been designed with padded floors and walls to prevent injuries, although they only worked about half the time; hardly surprising considering what it was used for. Usually, the chamber was used for advanced hand to hand combat training, the kind that was too dangerous for anyone but the most advanced students to learn, but it had been unoccupied that day, luckily enough.
Returning Karen's grin, Malcolm stepped forward, slashing high with his sword in a feint before spinning around and going low to strike his commander in the legs. Nonplussed, Karen avoided the feint and leapt above the strike, her own sword coming down in a slash at Malcolm's unprotected back. He rolled forward on his shoulder, coming to his feet beyond her and spinning quickly, intercepting another strike with his blade as it came down like lightning at him, the clang of metal echoing in the chamber as the swords met. They had turned the lights way down, so the work out room was more like a cavern than anything else, though the high heat and soft flooring was unlike any natural cave. The only true lights in the chamber anymore were the eyes of the watching dragons, but both knights were so strong that each time their blades clashed, there was brief flash of light as sparks flew. Malcolm lashed out with a low hook kick, catching Karen behind the knee with his heel. But instead of going down like she should have, she moved with the strike, her flexible body bending back in the air as her leg went up, her sword suddenly stabbing underneath her torso as she twisted, hopping a little as she swapped legs, the movement recalling a snake uncoiling more than a human moving. Malcolm danced back, avoiding the graceful strike, then suddenly hopped into range, his blade stabbing forward with the speed of a lightning strike. Karen parried and repositioned once more, her blade between them. Despite their equal experience, Malcolm was getting the worst of this friendly duel. Already, his body was sore all over the place from strikes Karen had delivered as their duel had carried on.
Thankfully, they were both showing signs of tiring, so at least he was providing a challenge for her. Sweat was staining their rider jumpsuits, though with hers it was hard to tell in the dim light. Their hair was damp and sticking to them, but Karen didn't seem bothered in the slightest by it. She was still ever composed, and Malcolm looked for an opening in her defenses to exploit. The pair circled each other like predators, weapons towards one another. In that too Malcolm was at a slight disadvantage. His blade was shaped like a European broadsword, while hers was more katana like. The curve of her blade gave her the advantage in this kind of fight, allowing for more graceful arcs and swift returns, while his was more suited to the heavy handed strikes that could be found in actual combat. And then, Malcolm saw his opening. Dashing forward quickly, he swiped with a two handed blow of his sword, the blade passing through her guard quickly. He had intended the strike to bash aside her blade, allowing him to end the duel with a quick return strike while her sword was out of position. And, at first, it looked like it would work. But then, suddenly Karen was in motion, her movements possessing even more grace than usual, and suddenly, Malcolm was moving past her, his strike giving him more momentum than he had expected. And then, the pair froze in place, unmoving.
Malcolm's face was frozen in a mask of surprise, for Karen's long black blade was against his neck, its cool length somewhat soothing against his skin. Malcolm stared along the black blade, looking on his friend's face. Her visage was a mask of concentration, and her slivery eyes held an almost reptilian look of triumph in them. The pair held that pose for a moment longer, then the two knights stepped apart, Karen pulling her blade back from his neck. Malcolm bowed to her, then the pair re-sheathed their blades and Malcolm grinned tiredly at her, rolling his neck to release some of the tension. She returned the grin and they embraced each other.
"Thanks for the duel." Karen said as they released each other. "It was fun."
"You are most welcome." Malcolm replied, still smiling at her. "One of these days I am going to beat you, I swear it."
"I am sure you will." Karen stated, her tone neutral. As they walked back towards where their companions waited, Malcolm looked at her again. The memory of the look in her eyes when they had ended their duel stood out in his mind. For a moment, just before they separated, she had looked so strange. For that instant, he had thought he was looking at a dragon in human form. It had been something in the eyes, an inhuman, almost reptilian quality. It had vanished the next instant, gone so quickly he had thought that he had imagined it. But now, as they walked back to their companions, he wasn't so sure. How she was moving even now was different as well. It was a kind of sinuous motion in her footsteps, recalling the movements of a dragon. It was hardly to be seen, but unmistakable now that he had noticed it. Those two things together made him wonder just what was going on with her. When she reached Twilight, she embraced him, the pair sharing a kiss. Malcolm smiled and turned back to Turquoise. Ever since they had confided in Malcolm and his dragon, Karen and Twilight had been openly showing their affection when they were all together like that. It still made Malcolm a little jealous, since he still had feelings for Karen, but it no longer bothered him as it once had. Turquoise on the other hand was watching them out of the corner of her eye, her expression unreadable. She had been acting a little funny for a couple of weeks now and Malcolm was starting to worry about her. Still, she was a dragon, and they tended to act strangely from time to time.
'Maybe all my friends are just insane.' Malcolm thought wryly, opening his mind to his mount.
'Maybe.' Turquoise replied, her tone light and joking, returning her gaze to him. But despite the light tone of her mental voice, he sensed a tension within her, like a string stretched taut. From the thoughts they shared, he knew that she approved of Twilight and Karen's relationship, and he had thought at first that they felt the same way about it. But the way she had been acting recently made him wonder if they really did or not. Shrugging off the feeling, Malcolm waved his hand at the wall, using his magic to lower the temperature back to more normal levels.
"Hey, lets go to the hot springs." Malcolm called, turning to the lovers behind him.
"Oooo, good idea." Twilight replied and something in his demeanor made Malcolm look closer at the dragon. He looked the same and his voice was the same, but there was something about the way he had said that that was not normal. Shaking his head once more, Malcolm led the way out and into the training center. The quartet passed dozens of aspirants and young dragons of all ages who were training with everything from bare hands to swords. As they continued along the room's edge, Malcolm's gaze fell on two rows of young students, all of whom were no more than eight or nine years old. They were performing a kata and he took a moment to remember the days he had spent doing that very form, over and over again until the movements were ingrained in his muscles and he could do it in his sleep. It seemed so long ago, and yet it couldn't have been more than a few years. 'All things are relative', he reminded himself.
'We have come a long way since then.' Turquoise agreed, her tone wistful. Malcolm smiled and nodded, returning his gaze forward once more. It was a surprisingly short journey up to the Aerie and it took only a few moments more from there to get to the cave with the knighthood's hot spring. When they got into the vast underground room, Malcolm grinned. The hall was a marvel, only the dragon's considerable magic keeping it intact. The huge chamber beneath the earth was unlit save by the glow of molten stone. Pools of magma sat side by side with pools of hot spring water so both races could enjoy it fully. The room was, for once, empty and the quartet made their way towards the far edge of the room. When they had reached their favorite pool, Malcolm slid into the steaming water and sighed as the heat relaxed away his aches. Karen followed him into the water, and then, to his surprise, so did Twilight, the dragon shifting into his hybrid form once more. The dragons usually went into the neighboring pool of lava, but this was a special day. Since the place was empty, Karen and her dragon sat side by side in the water, an arm around each other. Turquoise, not wanting to be the only one not in the water, transformed as well and slid into the pool, seating herself near to her rider. As they sat in the water and relaxed, soaking up the heat, Malcolm looked across at Karen and noticed once more the odd look in her eyes. Finally, he could stand it no longer, and spoke.
"Karen, are you alright?" He asked. His friend looked surprised and cocked her head to the side.
"I feel fine." She replied sharing a glance with Twilight. "Why do you ask?"
"It's your eyes." he said, beginning to feel nervous under their intense combined stare. "They seem different somehow."
"I don't think they have changed." Karen replied, leaning back against Twilight's arm once more. At that moment, as he looked at them side by side, he again got the disconcerting feeling that he was looking at two dragons, not a dragon and his rider. Shaking his head, Malcolm let the subject rest for the moment, not wanting to press his friends. Instead, he allowed Turquoise to change the subject, his dragon sensing his discomfort. For a while, he sat back and simply listened to the conversation, letting his sore muscles relax, then he drew in a deep breath and sank beneath the surface of the water, rinsing out his hair and then rising back up. Feeling refreshed, he lay back and let his troubled thoughts fade away. Here with his friends, all the mysteries didn't seem to matter...
***
Karen lay on cold stone, the world around her dark, even to her enchanted eyesight. She did not know how she came to be there, or why she was there at all. Sitting up, she reached out to both sides, trying to touch the walls beside her, but she found nothing but air. For a moment, panic seized her, then she remembered her magic. And yet, as she reached for it, she realized she could not feel it within her. And in that moment, she reached out for her love with her mind, seeking the comforting touch of his mind. But that was not there either. She was alone, wholly and truly alone. And that scared her. For the first time in her life, she was without her love. But, even as she felt fear, a light came into her world, driving back the darkness. Hungrily she looked upon the light, grateful for its presence. Moving forward toward it, as if it was her salvation from her fear and terror, she realized that she was in a cave. That in it self did not frighten her, because she had lived in caves her whole life; granted, they had been airy and filled with light, but still, she had never known fear like that before.
And, as she made her way forward towards the light in the cavern, she realized that it had a shape. The closer she got to it, the more clearly it defined itself, until at last she realized what it was. It was a dragon in hybrid form, or so she thought at first. In fact, from a distance, it looked like Twilight, for its scales were black. And yet, as she came closer, she realized it could not be him, if only because of its outline. It was far too shapely to be a male. And, as she came closer, she realized that though the light came from the shape before her, it also shone upon it. And its sable scales reflected the light brightly, but not pale white like the light that shone upon it, but violet, the same hue as the scales of her lover's belly when he was in his true form. And then, as she stopped a few strides away from the creature, she realized that it was not quite as dragons appeared in their hybrid forms. A few details were out of place and she knew that whatever this thing was, it was not a dragon, at least not wholly. For one thing, it had hair, long flowing raven locks that caught the light just right, defined clearly in the pale glow. But they were not wholly human either, their length seeming to be made of countless minute scales. And then, the creature opened its eyes and Karen gasped.
Its eyes were a strange hybrid between reptilian and human forms, the look strange and oddly appealing to her. But far more startling was that they were silver, the exact hue that looked back at her from the mirror every morning. And then, the odd being looked in her eyes, causing a shiver to run down her back. The eyes were so alike to her own that it made her quake with fear and anticipation of something she did not understand. As she stared at the odd creature, the being raised its hands from its sides, gently resting them on its belly. After a moment, it held them out towards her in a welcoming gesture, and they were human shaped, lacking the claws of a dragon, but covered in ultra fine scales of sable and violet. Karen hesitated to take the hands of the being before her, but as she did so, a glow began to shine from the creature's belly, as if a star had been sparked into being there. And suddenly, heat began to build within Karen's body, as if a fire had kindled within her. Within moments, her own body began to glow, sharing the light this odd being gave off, and then, the same star-like glow began within her own belly...
***
Karen awoke from the dream with a start, gasping. The sheets of her bed were twisted around her as if she had been writhing in her sleep and she was covered in cold sweat. Shivering, she leaned back in the near darkness, supported by her hands. Normally, she would have dismissed the dream as nothing more than her mind dreaming a draconian dream, had she not had the very same dream before. The first time she had had it was on the night immediately following the one where she and Twilight had blended their souls. Since then, twice more it had disturbed her from sleep and she couldn't imagine what had prompted the odd dream. It had bothered her for some time, but nothing like this. Her heart was pounding in her chest as if she had been running for miles without pause. Shaking her head to clear it, she felt Twilight reach out with his mind toward her, her distress shared by her soulbond. His calm mind exuded serenity from within her, and her body rapidly calmed. But, even his calm presence within her soul could not calm her racing mind. Though she herself put little faith in the magic nature of the dreams knights and dragons experienced, she could not put this one out of her mind. She knew somehow that it was trying to tell her something, something she could not comprehend. And apparently, it was getting more insistent by the moment. Finally, unable to rest, she kicked herself free of the sheets and swung her legs out of bed.
She could feel Twilight's worry for her from his place in the dragon's Aerie, far above her in the mountain. Since they had been bonded, they did not so much speak in words with their minds, but rather with emotions and images, tendrils of pure thought. It was a form of communication that conveyed so much more than words ever could, even between knights and their companion dragons. He had been woken by her distress and, desiring more than just his distant thoughts, she stood from her bed. Quickly clothing herself in a clean jumpsuit, she walked out of her dark chambers and into the corridors of the mountain. It was the middle of the night, and the halls were almost empty, most knights asleep or on watch. She passed a few knights on her way to the central staircase, insomniacs who slept little, or else veteran knights who found all the rest they needed in the magic flowing in their veins. The latter group of knights was rare, as few ever made so serious a choice. Using magic as your sole sustenance was a measure that once done, could not be undone, one that also had a cost. For the most part, they remained silent, rarely speaking a word. They usually had few friends, since their glowing eyes were a bit unsettling, and they rarely seemed to like being in the company of anyone save their dragon companions.
As Karen walked up through the core of the mountain, she pondered the dream once more, trying to divine what it might have meant, and making about as much headway as she ever had, which is to say, none. Frustrated and unsettled, she strode confidently out into the Aerie, the chill air caressing her and walked along in silence, passing the openings to many nests before she finally found the one she wanted. Within, Twilight lay, his violet eyes like two points of light within the darkness. Smiling at last, Karen walked into the nest, her enchanted sight picking out the outline of her love from the surrounding blackness with ease. Twilight lifted his head and kissed her full on the lips, his actions hidden by the darkness. Karen returned the kiss gratefully, hugging his neck once more. When they broke the kiss, Karen walked to her dragon's side and he obligingly shifted position, allowing her to lay down on his tail, against his side. When she had settled herself, he draped a velvet soft wing over her and laid his head beside her. Lying there, with her dragon curled all around her, Karen found peace from her troubling thoughts and felt herself drifting off once again. Finally, breathing deep the unmistakable and infinitely comforting odor of her lover's body, she fell asleep once more...
***
Karen sat on a high ledge, just below the summit of the Dragon Mountain, dangling her feet out over the precipice, wholly unconcerned that she was several miles above the earth. Twilight sat beside her in his hybrid form, the ledge not large enough for him to be in his true form. The young knight lieutenant was humming softly to herself, smiling as the radiant sunlight warmed her, despite the height. It was a week after she had walked into the Aerie to sleep with Twilight, and the dream had not disturbed her again. However, a strange change had been worked within her. Since that night, she had found it impossible to sleep anywhere else. Her bed in her chambers did not seem to be half as comfortable as her love's scales were. And, she had found that without the scent of her love near her, she felt unsettled, as if the world wasn't as it should have been. Finally, they had taken to spending all the time they could together. Very few were the occasions when they were forced to be apart. Perhaps it was the beautiful weather, with a cloudless blue sky above them and the vibrant green of summer clinging to the mountain slopes around them, but out here, Karen felt like she was at peace. However, despite the pleasant weather, and the peaceful sensation that welled up within her, she felt troubled. In truth, she felt as though she had forgotten something important, but what it was, she couldn't guess.
"Good morning, you two." A pleasant voice said from behind them. Karen jumped, looking around in surprise. She had thought that they had the summit to themselves. Standing on the slight slope behind them was Scarlon, the beautiful red and gold dragoness that was the mate of Argil. She was the eldest and wisest of all the dragons, thousands upon thousands of years old. Despite that, she still seemed as young and vital as Karen herself. She was in her hybrid form as well and her scales were positively radiant in the sunlight. "May I join you?"
"Of course ma'am." Karen said, scooting over to make room for her, inadvertently pressing against her mate's side. He made no move to stop her and she didn't think anything of it, allowing the elder dragoness enough room to sit down.
"Please, call me Scarlon." She replied, smiling at them. For a moment, the trio sat in silence, enjoying the sunshine and Karen thought at first that it was coincidence only that Scarlon had joined them. But when the dragon woman spoke again, that thought was quashed. "I have noticed you now sleep in the Aerie, young knight."
"Oh, umm..." Karen said, biting her lip and suddenly wondering if there was something wrong with that. It hadn't even occurred to her to think that she might be breaking the rules. "I...was having trouble sleeping."
"Don't worry, child." Scarlon replied. Karen bristled a little at being called a child, when clearly she was an adult, but the dragoness wasn't done speaking. "You have done nothing wrong. It is just rare for a knight to be comfortable enough to sleep up in the dragon nests. What bothers you so that you cannot sleep without your companion nearby?"
"I have been having strange dreams." Karen said, surprised at how easy it was to talk to Scarlon, this paragon of wisdom and knowledge, the last remnant of the ancient dragon race. And, it occurred to her then that all humans, even knights as old as Mikael and Tamerin, were as children to her. "Well, just the one dream actually. It frightens me, and it keeps coming back. But it doesn't come to me when I sleep with Twilight."
"That is interesting." Scarlon said, looking at Karen with an odd look in her sapphire eyes. "What about this dream scares you?"
"I don't know." Karen answered truthfully, frowning a little. "I feel as though it is trying to tell me something, but what it is trying to say, I don't know." After a moment's pause, Karen finally asked the question that she had wondered about since she had first had the dream. "Do true visions ever come in dreams?"
"On occasion they do, yes." Scarlon replied, an odd look in her clear eyes. "Tell me of this dream, perhaps I can divine its purpose." And then, though she had never related the dream to anyone besides Twilight, who shared her soul, she began to describe the dream. And, as she spoke, she became aware that she was describing it with more detail than she had ever done even with herself, as if the elder's presence had redefined it, making it as clear as crystal. When she finished, Scarlon sat in silence, her eyes a mystery that revealed nothing of what she thought. Finally, after a minute or so, the red dragon spoke. "That is a strange dream indeed. Even I don't know what it means," When she said this, Karen imagined she caught a twinkle in the dragon's blue eyes, "But I do not think it is any cause for alarm. I am sure that the meaning will become clearer in time." Karen nodded, turning her gaze away from the unsettling eyes of the elder dragon. Whatever Scarlon said, Karen got the unnerving feeling that she did indeed know what the dream was about, and that it was something either dangerous or wonderful, though she knew it would do no good to pursue the matter any further if the elder didn't want to. Feeling a little unsettled once more, she rose to her feet and bowed to her.
"I am sorry to leave so abruptly, but Twilight and I have some work to finish." Karen said, feeling Twilight rise beside her, and repeat the bow. "Thank you for all your help."
"You are welcome young one." She replied, returning the bow and looking out on the world once more. Karen and Twilight moved off, back up the slope to the summit, where there was enough room for him to take on his true form. Unnoticed by either of the young lovers, Scarlon watched them go out of the corner of her eye, a knowing smile coming to her lips...
***
Malcolm hurried up the long spiral staircase, slipping into the gaps between others on the stairs. He was panting from his haste, though he did not slow down at all as he rose higher and higher within the mountain. Instead, he tapped his magic to strengthen his muscles, allowing him to run even faster. The knight was in such a hurry because he and Turquoise were supposed to supervise a class of young aspirants as they practiced their marksmanship that morning, but Turquoise hadn't shown up. When he had reached out to her mind, seeking the reason, he had run into a wall of will holding back barely concealed emotions. He had passed on his duty to another knight and dragon that happened to be in the area, and he had begun the long sprint up to the Aerie. Turquoise had been acting more and more strangely lately, becoming more and more moody, despite how much she had acted as if she was fine. She had been concealing her thoughts from him more and more often as well, seeming to be keeping him at a distance, which she had never done before. He was worried about her, more so since he didn't think he had done anything to upset her. He had asked her on several occasions what was wrong, but she had insisted that nothing was every time.
Finally, his lungs burning and his muscles starting to lock up, he paused in his run, the golden ring marking the barrier between the free, cold air of the mountain top, and the constant, comfortable conditions within the mountain just above him. Drawing in a deep breath, he stretched for a moment before going on, the pause the only rest he allowed himself. A couple of young knights fresh from their knighting ceremony dodged to the side out of his way as he continued to run upwards, and then, finally, he stood at the entrance to the Aerie. Drawing in a deep breath, he walked quickly to one of the paths leading up to the higher levels of nests, trying to appear calm. The last thing he wanted to do now was start a panic by sprinting through the Aerie.
Finally, after about a minute of walking along the winding path, he found his companion's nest and peered cautiously inside. At first, he thought it was empty, which was disappointing, until he noticed a shape against the far wall. Slowly, though his instincts told him to back away, he walked into the nest, wary. When he got closer to the back of the nest, he realized what the shape was. It was Turquoise in her hybrid form, the dragoness curled up tightly with her back to the opening. Her pretty scales were dusty, as if she had been lying in the same position for a long time. She was quivering slightly and as he approached, he detected a change in her distinctive scent. Each dragon's scent was unique to them, and the Knights grew to recognize their companion's easily. It could be no doubt that it was her, but her scent had changed. That only happened when a dragon was feeling some extreme emotion. Malcolm halted a few paces away from her and licked his lips nervously before speaking at last.
"Turquoise?" he whispered, trying to see her face. She made no response, but a shiver seemed to wash through her when he spoke her name. "Are you alright?" Again, no response, but when he came closer to her, he realized what she was doing. She was crying. Stunned, he knelt behind her and reached out a hand slowly, not at all certain that he should interfere. Finally, he rested his hand on her scaled arm. She shivered once again at his touch, and he was surprised at how she felt. Her scales had always been warm, as all dragons are, but now, they seemed to be burning, as if she had a fever. Gently shaking her, he spoke again, more urgently this time. "Turquoise, what's wrong?"
His companion mumbled something unintelligible, but she did turn over slightly, uncurling from the pose she had been lying in. Her scales were streaked with her tears, and her crystalline green eyes were red and distant. She looked so miserable that it tore Malcolm's heart to see her like that. But he was at a loss at what to do. He had never seen or even heard of a dragon being in such a state, but now that he saw her, he felt compelled to do anything he could to help her, as little as that may be. Malcolm shifted over so he was sitting back against the wall beside her, then ever so gently, he drew her closer so her head and shoulders were in his lap. She did not seem even to notice, whispering quietly in dragonic, tears still trailing from her eyes. Quietly, he shushed her, stroking her arm soothingly, and at last she seemed to notice what he was doing, gradually calming. Her tears dried up and she finally looked up at him, her eyes focusing, though she didn't speak at first.
"What is wrong Turquoise?" he asked again, speaking quietly and continuing to stroke her scales.
"I don't think you can understand." She finally answered, her voice weakened by her tears.
"Then maybe I should go get your mother or someone else who would..." Malcolm suggested, supremely uncomfortable with the situation. Looking away from her tear stained face, he started to rise, but to his surprise, Turquoise suddenly grabbed his arm. He looked back down and saw in his dragon's eyes a look of such utter and complete vulnerability that he froze in place.
"Please stay." She said, her voice a whispered plea, and, when he looked into her eyes, he felt emotions suddenly swirl into his mind as she reached out for him with her thoughts. Within the swirl of emotion, he felt sadness and longing, and to his surprise, fear too. Nodding, he settled back against the stone wall, nearly overwhelmed by the assault of emotions that, without a context, were too strong to wholly understand. When he had settled again, Turquoise shifted position as well, turning over, laying her head against his chest and curling against his side, clinging to him fiercely. Surprised, Malcolm tentatively put his arms around her, holding her to him. She was still shivering, but when he held her to him, the shivers quieted to no more than a faint trembling. They sat like that for a few minutes in silence, Turquoise mumbling a few phrases in the unintelligible language of the dragons once more. And then, Malcolm felt a calm descend over his dragon's mind, the wild swirl of emotions stilling. Slowly, Turquoise drifted off to sleep, huddled against him. For a few moments, Malcolm contemplated leaving, but then, an amazing realization came to him. He was actually quite comfortable sitting like that, holding his mount as she lay against him.
He had thought, on the few occasions he had let his mind wander into that territory, that he would be uncomfortable in such a position. After all, Turquoise was a female, and a very pretty one at that. What's more, in her hybrid form, she was shaped just enough like a human woman to make him feel that it was indecent to see her without clothing. And yet, despite all that, he was comfortable. It made him feel good to be able to comfort her like this, to be her support when she needed him. And, as he sat there in the dimly lit nest, acutely aware of every breath she took as she lay against him, he wondered at last what had come over him.
When he had felt how upset his dragon was, all he had wanted to do was run to her aid. It was a desire that went past even what a knight should feel for his dragon. It had been so intense an urge that he had run off there and then, possessing just enough control to pass on his duties to another before he did so. Then he had pushed himself harder than he ever had inside the mountain to reach her faster, running so fast he had strained his body nearly to breaking point. As he lay back, idly tracing his hands over Turquoise's smooth scales, outlining the individual scales, he pondered the feeling. This was a side of himself he had never known existed. And, as Turquoise slept on in his arms, he realized that he was okay with it, whatever it was...
***
Hot water cascaded down from the shower head, steam trailing from it swiftly, filling the air with water. Karen welcomed the heat that filled her, a giddy sensation that defied description. It felt so good after a high altitude flight. But more welcome even than that were the black scaled arms that enveloped her, holding her close. Twilight was standing within the water with her, the pair cuddling beneath the hot stream of water, pressing their naked bodies together, washing each other gently, each reaching places the other could not. It was a sensual experience that both had loved for some time, and though before it had aroused them to no end, often resulting in a quickie right there in the shower, this time, it seemed enough for both of them just to have each other so close, holding each other. It was a measure of how much their relationship had changed. At first, they had had sex at every opportunity they could get, lustily mating many times. But gradually, their desires had shifted. While they both still desired each other greatly, they desired more the closeness of their bodies, the simple joy of knowing they were close.
Sighing with slight disappointment, Karen switched off the water, climbing from the shower stall and onto the textured floor of the bathroom. Even though they both wished they could stay in the shower longer, they had to get out eventually. Her mate followed her a moment later, breathing a sigh of relaxation into the steamy air. The hot shower had felt good for him too, better than it had in quite a while. Twilight grinned at her in the mirror, his scales glossy in the wake of the washing they had done. Since they now slept together each night, he had come down with her today to enjoy this intimate moment in the shower. And then, as she returned her gaze to her own reflection, its magic infused surface free of moisture, she cocked her head to the side.
It wasn't until that moment that she had realized that she looked different. It was hardly noticeable, and at first, she thought it was nothing more than that that had changed since they had told each other their secret names, but that didn't seem to be the case. The first of those changes she had noticed was that her eyes were changing shape slightly, taking on a more reptilian cast. Then she had noticed that her senses were sharpening, and though it had taken her a while to notice it, she had found that she had a noticeable scent now. But this was different. It was a fresh vitality in her flesh, something that she had not noticed before, almost a glow. Twilight came up from behind her and caressed her, his dark scaled arms contrasting sharply with her pale skin in the mirror.
Karen shivered as he kissed her neck and she noticed it again, a slight change in her body as it moved. And then, as Twilight's hands passed lower down, under her belly button, he suddenly froze, his eyes opening wider, his magic instincts leaping into his mind. For a moment, he gently caressed the spot with both hands, then at once, the pair gasped as one, eyes opening wide as they came to the same realization at the same moment. Apprehensive, Karen turned around, facing her soulmate. Sudden fear filled both human and dragon eyes as they looked at each other.
"Is it possible?" Karen whispered, odd emotions rising within her.
"I don't know." Twilight replied, the same emotions stirring in him. "Wouldn't there be signs, some kind of warning?" When he said this, Karen suddenly realized the important thing she had forgotten.
"Twilight, I haven't had my period the last two months!!" Karen said, distressed. "Since we joined, I had almost forgotten I was still human. It didn't even occur to me that it hadn't happened."
"Then you are..." Twilight said, unable to complete the thought out loud. Karen nodded, on the verge of tears. Twilight drew her to him and held her, trying to keep her from crying. But this gentle motion caused her to cry anyway. Neither spoke anymore; it was not needed. Both knew that the troubles their relationship had caused, the troubles that they had thought were over with when they had told their friends about it, had returned full force, blasting past their old mark, reaching into realms of difficulty they didn't know how to prepare for. They simply stood, holding each other, seeking solace in each other, but knowing that the supposedly impossible was not only possible, it had happened. Karen was pregnant...