Omnixius
patreon
DKP 8-19 A family?
🕑 Added 2022-07-15 19:42:47 +0000 UTCRose walked with her head down, struggling to grasp what her mother had said. Nothing made sense in this mad dream, and it was starting to make her doubt her beliefs. Surely Solesta had been their champion, trying to save dragon kind from the corruption that was the human taint? Why would the dragons who preexisted the humans for hundreds of thousands of years suddenly need them to progress?
“It doesn't make any sense,” She said to herself as she stormed past the house, not wanting to stop and be entangled in another conversation. Instead, she headed for the distant far edge of the valley where she could see a cave beside a waterfall.
What troubled her the most was the knowledge that her sister had come home to try and kill her mother. Even more confusing was that her sister had one of the black spears. As far as Rose knew, those only came from her master. Did that mean her sister discovered the master and his order of dragons long before she did? Why hadn't anyone told her then? Maybe her mother was lying, trying to cloud her judgment and throw doubt on her beliefs. Surely that had to be it but then why was it working? Where was the protections of Solesta to guard her heart?
“This is all a trap to twist me to their perverse ways,” Rose growled. “I will not be broken! I will last the two days and go free or prove they are liars.” She was convinced they would never let her go free, especially after her mother made that terrible offer. Why would she say Rose could kill her? Why would she lay down her life just to prove a point? It had to be another part of the trick, a taunt to try and weaken her resolve. Rose was going to wake up in that cell where her mother would come to torment her for years to come.
She raged at that thought while trudging across the valley, slowly drawing closer to the cave. She hoped to curl up inside and feel like a dragon should again. As the din of the falls began to drown out her thoughts, she spread her mighty wings and took to the air, flying to the lip of the cave before slipping inside. She sighed to discover she was too large for the tunnel, so she changed to her human form and wandered naked inside.
The tunnel snaked and turned for a good distance before finally opening into a wide chamber. This was clearly a dragon's lair, as natural caves didn't appear like this. She was just about to change back when she noticed blue scales curled around something at the far side and realized she was not alone.
“Whose their?” she called, her voice echoing in the vast chamber.
“Rose?” Lilly called as her blue eyes pierced the darkness. “What are you doing here? I thought you were walking with ?”
“I,” Rose began as her frustration mounted. “I needed someplace to be alone to think.”
“Oh, and you thought the cave would be a good place,” Lilly agreed with a nod. “I will leave you if you want me to.”
“Why are you here?” Rose asked as she cursed her luck. “Shouldn’t you be pretending to be a human?”
“You still don't understand,” Lilly said and shifted slightly. “I am still a dragon, and I want to be in this form to spend time sleeping in my cave. But, if you want to know why I am here, come closer. I will show you.”
Rose detected a hint of excitement in Lilly’s voice and approached cautiously as Lilly loomed above, her dragon eyes watching every step. When she was just a few steps from those blue scales, Lilly shifted, lifting her tail and wing away to reveal a blue egg.
“An egg?” Rose said in confusion.
“It's my egg,” Lilly replied. “My daughter, waiting to be born. I like to come here to be with it and dream of the day she will be running wild.”
“Your calling came already?” Rose balked as the idea was impossible. Lilly was far too young to have had her call, and even so, what dragon did she mate with? She supposed it had to be the black dragon they called Shadros, he could have done it, but she was still too young.
“My calling hasn’t come yet,” Lilly countered. “This is my child with Gersius.”
Rose had to rethink those words a dozen times as somehow it didn't make the least bit of sense. Did Lilly just say she had a child with Gersius, the human? It couldn't possibly be the case, and she stumbled over the thought, trying to figure out what Lilly had meant.
“You look confused,” Lilly suggested and lowered her head. “So let me explain it to you. I bred with Gersius, and he got me pregnant. This is our egg, the first child of a human and a dragon.”
“No!” Rose shouted angrily, her voice echoing from the walls. “We both know that's impossible! Humans and dragons cannot breed!” She pointed an accusing finger at Lilly as if to prove her point, but Lilly shook her head and let her fume a minute.
“I know we can't breed, so I asked Balisha for a special blessing to allow it. She granted the blessing, and this is the result,” Lilly said.
“You have bred with a human?” Rose said while staggering back. “This is what started the first war and caused all those deaths. You have done the very same thing that all those dragons died to prevent. How could you do this to us?” She watched as Lilly blinked, the look on her face one of simple consideration. She wasn't moved at all by the idea that she had cursed their kind to another bloody war, setting them on the path to destruction.
“I think you are looking at this all wrong,” Lilly finally said and lowered her snout to gaze at the egg. “This egg isn't a curse to our kind; it is a blessing. It means our two species can know the love of family, raising children to fill and bless the home. The fact that it is an egg proves the dragon blood is dominant and that the child will be a dragon.”
“The child will be an abomination, not belonging to dragon or man,” Rose insisted. “What you have done is not only selfish but a sin against she who sleeps.”
“Is it now?” Lilly asked. “If she was so against it, why did she allow it?”
“She didn't allow it. Balisha did it out of her own selfish needs!” Rose shouted.
“I think you need to spend more time learning about the divines,” Lilly countered. “The humans believe the divines can't do anything the earth mother doesn't allow. She rules over them and sets the terms of their power. If Balisha can grant me this blessing, then that means the earth mother is in agreement.”
“You are twisting the truth to make it fit your lie,” Rose insisted. She was unwilling to believe that anything Lilly had just said could be true. That would mean the first dragon war was fought in vain and all those deaths wasted. It would also mean that Balisha was well within her rights to grant such a blessing and that Solesta had been wrong.
“You are refusing to accept the truth because it doesn't fit your worldview,” Lilly countered. “The proof is right here,” she added and gestured to the egg. “The blessing was granted, and this is the child of a human and a dragon.”
Rose turned away, shaking her head as her thoughts became confused. Did the egg mean what Lilly said? Were the divines bound by the earth mother's rules, and thus such a blessing was proof she approved? Of course, it couldn't be because of the implications for Solesta, but how else could she deny it?
“Rose,” Lilly called. “Why don't you stop thinking about it, and let's share this moment another way.
“How?” Rose asked without looking back.
“Well,” Lilly began. “I know you don't like these concepts, but in human terms, I am married to your mother, making you part of my family. So that means this egg is effectively your sister.”
“My sister?” Rose repeated as the idea hit a nerve. She thought of her dead sister and the strange mystery of how she came to possess that spear. She turned just enough to see Lilly gazing at her and then looked at the egg. Was Lilly right? Was this egg part of her family?
“Come over here and touch it,” Lilly called. “Say hello to your sister.”
“How do you know it is female?” Rose asked as she turned to face Lilly.
“You don't understand the divine or their power because you are too proud to accept that you need them. I, too, felt that way for a long time, but Gersius helped me see the truth. Now I know the touch of that power and the secrets it can show me. I have been sent visions as well as dreams of my child. I always see a pretty little girl with long blue hair, and I know in my heart that it's her.”
Rose could detect love and a sense of sadness in Lilly’s voice as she described the scenes. She felt compelled to approach the egg and stopped short as Lilly sniffed at it.
“Go ahead,” Lilly urged. “Touch it.”
“Do you feel no urge to protect it?” Rose asked. “Another dragon has invaded your lair and approached a female guarding her egg. Why have you not torn me to shreds?”
“Because I consider you my family,” Lilly replied. “That means you are welcome in every part of my home and life. You will always be greeted with a smile and invited to share in my happiness.”
“How can you be happy like this?” Rose pressed. “You prance around in human clothes, mating with their males and behaving as they do.”
“First of all, I only mate with a few of them,” Lilly corrected. “Secondly, I do take time to be like I am now. No matter what I do, I will always be a dragon, and like any dragon, I need some time alone to sleep in a cave and feed on the magic metals.”
Rose still found it hard to believe she was standing before a female dragon and her egg. If this situation had been reversed, she would have attacked instantly and driven Lilly from her home. However, she could detect no hostility in Lilly's voice, so she looked at the egg and slowly fell to her knees. The rough stone was not agreeable to human knees, but she adjusted her position and reached out a hand.
“It's cold,” Rose said as she slid her palm over the egg.
“That’s because I am an ice dragon,” Lilly replied. “Though I suppose that since Gersius is a fire, it could have been red.”
“So he is a dragon?” Rose asked as she looked up.
“Not in the sense that we understand dragons,” Lilly corrected. “You have to understand the way the binding works and how strong our love is.” Lilly went on to explain how they were all bound to each other. She explained that a dragon's solus was powerful and that power leeched over the binding to the humans. It was slowly altering them, making them more and more dragon-like with every passing day. She admitted to not knowing just how far the process would go, but it was possible that one day the human might be gone, and only a full dragon would remain.
“But then there would be no reason to prevent humans and dragons from knowing this love you speak of,” Rose said. “If the result is another full dragon.”
“We have been trying to explain that to you since you got here,” Lilly replied. “Look at the egg you're touching. We mated as humans, but the product was a dragon egg. No matter how you choose to look at it, the dragon nature dominates, and everything we touch becomes more like us, not like a human.”
“But you aren’t completely sure?” Rose asked. “What if they grow no closer to being a dragon than they are now?”
“I admit we don't know,” Lilly agreed. “But if I had to guess based on what we have already seen, then one-day Gersius will look so much like a dragon you won't be able to tell he didn't start that way.”
Rose looked down at the egg she was still touching and tried to consider what Lilly had just said. Was the power of a dragon so immense that binding a human to it slowly changed the human into one of them? That thought seemed absurd if not for the fact that she had already seen Gersius's dragon form. It wasn't quite a dragon, but it wasn't human either. It was something in between, a stage in the process of slowly becoming a brother of the scale.
“No, this can’t be right,” Rose said and stood up. “I don’t understand how any of this can be.”
“That's because dragons can't feel the emotions necessary to understand it,” Lilly said. “You have no idea how happy your mother and I are to be a part of this family. You can't know it because you can't feel it, and that lack of understanding is holding you back from your true potential.”
“But how do I come to understand it then?” Rose asked defiantly. She was tired of these games where they spoke about things that made no sense. Life was so much simpler as a dragon, and right now, she wished she could be alone in her lair.
“There is only one way you can come to understand it,” Lilly said and moved her head to stare into Rose's eyes. “You have to be bound to a human who loves you.”
Rose felt her heart stop at the horrifying thought. To give a rodent absolute authority over her being was abhorrent. Yet her mother had done just that, giving away her power and solus to another. None of it made any sense, but somehow it had given Lilly and her mother a deeper insight that they now embraced.
“I couldn't do that,” Rose stammered. “I can't stomach the idea of breeding with a human male.”
“It doesn't have to be a male,” Lilly said as she tilted her head. “If it makes you feel better, we could pair you up with a woman.”
“A woman?” rose balked. “No, this is rodent nonsense.”
“Rose, a woman can love you every bit as strongly as a man. So you will be able to feel the emotions you need to understand the things that are confusing,” Lilly insisted.
“I don’t need this,” Rose countered and stood up. “I am a dragon.”
“So am I,” Lilly said. “But I am much happier than you because I can feel the full range of emotions you were meant to feel.”
Rose wanted to lash back, but she couldn't think of a way to do so, that wasn't a lie. In truth, she thought Lilly and her mother were happier than she had ever known a dragon to be. They spoke with a different power to their voice, smiling and laughing as if everything were a joy. When was the last time she had heard a dragon laugh except to mock a rival? When had she known a dragon to smile for the pure joy of it?
“I have an idea,” Lilly said as she intruded on Roses's jumbled thoughts. “Take your dragon form.”
“But this is your cave,” Rose insisted, knowing that her presence was already intrusive.
“Just take your dragon form,” Lilly insisted.
Rose wasn't sure what this was supposed to prove, but she stalked a safe distance away and began the transformation. In moments she was a red dragon, larger than Lilly but not quite her mother's stature. Lilly then asked her to do the strangest thing. She wanted Rose to curl up and create a protective circle around the egg. Rose thought the idea was utter foolishness as this wasn’t her egg to protect, but Lilly reminded her that it was technically her sister.
Rose slowly paced around the smaller blue dragon and clumsily settled in. Lilly laughed at how far away she was, so she got up and leaned into Roses's body, pressing firmly before laying down.
“What are you doing?” Rose asked.
“Sharing love with you,” Lilly replied. “You see, humans can share love with just a touch, a kind word, even in how they look at you. We are snuggling together to protect the egg and talk like family would.”
“And you don’t feel the least bit threatened that a larger dragon is in your lair while you have an egg?” Rose asked.
“I told you. You are family, and I love you,” Lilly replied as she lifted her head and then, to Rose's utter shock, licked at her cheek.
“What? What was that?” Rose asked in alarm as she raised her long neck to carry her head out of Lilly's reach.
“Just a kiss on the cheek,” Lilly replied. “To show you just how much I love you.”
“Why would you love me?” Rose asked. “I was there to ensure you fell into that trap and would have taken you to our master. He would not have shown you the least bit of mercy for your crimes, and by now, you would be pregnant with a brood.”
“Pregnant?” Lilly asked. “what are you talking about?”
“You were to be captured if possible and then used to provide broods until you had replaced all the dragons that had died so far,” Rose admitted. “There are several males that are looking forward to breeding you.”
“They are planning to rape me?” Lilly said in alarm. “And you are fine with this?”
“It made sense when he explained it,” Rose replied but looked away in shame. “But now that I have met you, I don’t know why I ever thought it was acceptable.”
“You are a dragon,” Lilly protested. “How did anyone explain the repeated rape of another dragon, and it was acceptable?”
“I don't know!” Rose shouted. “Something has clouded my mind, but now I feel different. I feel like I am seeing things as they really are for the first time.”
Lilly smiled and nestled into Rose more tightly, looking down at the egg as Rose felt the inner turmoil.
“I know why you are feeling this way,” Lilly said. “I want to tell you, but I am afraid you will be upset.”
Rose looked down at the smaller blue and wondered what could be the reason and why Lilly was afraid she knew the truth. Lilly sighed and looked up, then explained how she had prayed to Balisha to shield Rose from Solesta's curse. She was now free of the goddess's influence but only for as long as the dream lasted. Once they left the dream, Rose would no longer be protected, and all these new feelings would be gone.
“So I am only seeing things clearly because Solesta’s blessing is being blocked?” Rose asked.
“Rose,” Lilly called. “Think about what is happening right now. I am calling you by a name you hate, and yet you aren't getting upset. You are in another dragon's lair as family, not an intruder. You are snuggled up to another dragon, sharing what you are feeling without shame. Ask yourself honestly, would you have tolerated any of this a day ago?”
Rose thought over everything Lilly had just said and realized she was right. She would have flown into a rage at the mere suggestion of being this close to Lilly, let alone the kiss. She couldn't justify any of her behavior except to say that something had changed. She didn't feel the anger anymore, nor did she care that it wasn't dragon-like. Something inside was still imploring her that this was wrong somehow, but she couldn't explain why.
“I am so confused,” Rose admitted and looked up. “You are not what I was led to believe you are.”
“Can I share a secret with you?” Lilly asked as Rose tried to come to terms with the chaos in her heart. “I have been desperately searching for a way to save the dragons. I don't want another dragon to die in this pointless conflict, but I don't know how to stop it. I can't give up the love I have found, and your master demands I do. So, I have been thinking, what if I went west and spoke to the Doan directly?”
“What?” Rose said and twisted her head down to glare at Lilly. “Why would you do something so risky?”
“Because I am hoping to convince them that we don’t have to fight,” Lilly said. “You told us before that the Doan respect dragons, so maybe they will pause to listen to me.”
“You would risk your life to end this war to save a few dragons?” Rose asked in shock. She didn't understand why Lilly would take such a massive risk nor how Lilly could persuade them.
“I would do anything to save the dragons,” Lilly replied. “When I started down this path, I had no idea it would make the wars worse. I didn't realize the dragons were involved and that you would hate me for my choices.”
“You didn’t know?” Rose balked. “How could you not have known?”
“How could I have known?” Lilly asked in return. “The first I know of any trouble with dragons was when one flew into my valley and attacked me. He broke my arms and wings then left me to crawl in the dirt while he stole my hoard.”
“He did what!” Rose shouted. “We were told you and that human attacked him, and he managed to drive you off and escape.” She didn't know why but she believed Lilly's version of the story was the truth. She looked down at Lilly to see something most un dragon-like as a tear rolled down the little blue dragon's cheek.
“No,” Lilly said and looked down as tears began to flow. “Gersius showed up maybe ten minutes later. He found me crawling in the dirt, crying for my mother to save me. I was so frightened, and he was stunned to see me in that condition. He ran to my side and offered to heal me, begging me to help him save his people.”
“And you accepted because you had to,” Rose said as she looked away. “We caused you two to come together. We fulfilled the prophecy with our own careless acts.”
“He took such good care of me,” Lilly continued. “He helped me overcome my fear and restored my confidence in myself. He protected me as we traveled, hoping his order could restore my wings, but when we got to a nearby city, his brothers turned on us. They did terrible things to Gersius, hideous, torturous things to try and get him to tell them my true name. But he promised me he would never reveal it, and despite the suffering, he kept his word. He never told them, and they made him pay for it.”
Rose was in silent shock as Lilly recounted the horrible events of Whiteford and what happened to her wings. She was particularly angry that they had chained Lilly with magical restraints and intended to force her to be a mount. How could she justify why this was done? How could anyone say Lilly deserved this fate, especially when she didn't know? The thoughts made her dizzy and added to the confusion pilling up as she struggled to clear her head.
“I can’t listen to anymore,” Rose said and got up. “I need to be alone to think.”
“I can leave,” Lilly offered as Rose headed off.
“No, I will make use of the room you set aside for me,” the red insisted. “I just need to be at peace.”
Rose had to change to the human form once again and hurried out of the cave. She changed back to her dragon shape and flew into the ever-sunny light of the dream. No matter how long they stayed here, it would always be daylight, but she didn't care. She flew over the house and headed for the distant end of the valley where there were supposed to be trees. To her surprise, there was only one tree tucked away in the corner, its branches reaching high into the sky. She settled beside it and curled into a ball while trying to block out the thoughts that raged inside.
She lay there with her head on the ground for hours while her gaze looked over the mountain tops. There was a magical peace to this place, and she understood why her mother wanted to come here. It seemed so far away from the conflict raging in the far west. Rose had been a part of that chaos, but for once in her life, she didn't want to go back.
After what seemed like hours, she changed into her human form and walked across the grassy field, making her way back to the house. She didn't see any of the others, but maybe that was for the best. Right now, she didn't want to have to explain herself or what was going on in her head. As she reached the back patio, she found all three women sitting around a low fire and sipping tea.
Her mother looked up and smiled slightly before setting her cup down and inviting her to join them.
“I would rather go to my room,” Rose replied. “I am not prepared to debate my beliefs anymore.”
“Then don't,” Sarah urged. “Sit down, have a cup of tea, and listen to us talk. You don't have to say anything.”
Thayle got up to stand beside Sarah; offering Rose the bench to herself. As rose came into the garden, Lilly giggled to see the woman was still naked.
“While I approve of her appearance, we should probably get her dressed before Gersius see’s her,” Thayle said.
Sarah reached up and slapped Thayle in the rear, calling her a minx and reminding her that Rose was her daughter. Thayle laughed and rubbed her butt with a hint of surprise.
“I kinda liked that,” Thayle said. “I hope you plan to discipline us like that more often.”
“If having your rear smacked is going to keep you in line, then yes,” Sarah scolded.
“What are you doing?” Rose asked as she sat down.
“Playing,” Thayle replied. “As Sarah is the eldest dragon of the family, she is in charge of Lilly and I. She keeps us in line and helps guide us through our struggles.”
“We go to Sarah with all our problems,” Lilly added as she set her tea down. “She is like a mother to us.”
“And as your actual mother, I think you need to wear something,” Sarah pointed out. She closed her eyes and concentrated, and suddenly rose was dressed in a simple cream dress with a tan top.
“I still don’t understand how you can so affect me in the dream,” Rose said as she looked down to see her new outfit.
“You get used to it,” Thayle laughed and moved to sit with Lilly in a chair. The two squirmed as Thayle tried to squeeze in, laughing and pushing as they played.
“Move over,” Thayle insisted.
“There isn't enough room for your big hips,” Lilly countered.
“My hips aren’t that big!” Thayle countered.
“Girls,” Sarah quipped to get their attention. “Why don't you move to the bigger chair?” She pointed at the one right next to them that was wide enough to seat two, and they dutifully got up and took a seat together.
“Thankfully, I have one good daughter,” Sarah said and offered rose a tea.
“We’re good, most of the time,” Lilly protested with a smile.
“Hmm,” Sarah replied and showed Rose how to hold the cup before instructing her on sipping tea.
“You’re going to love it,” Lilly exclaimed and reached for her own cup.
Rose held the dark amber drink up and noted the brown stick that poked out. She took a few sniffs of the contents and had to admit it had a pleasing aroma. Carefully she lifted it to her lips and practiced taking a sip as the warm flavored liquid coated her tongue. She tasted something she never dreamed existed and looked up in shock as the others smiled.
“It's called cinnamon,” Sarah explained. “The stick in your drink is a cinnamon stick, and it flavors the rest of the tea giving it that spicy kick.”
“This is a human thing?” Rose asked as she lowered her cup.
“Yes,” Sarah replied with a nod. “Humans have hundreds of varieties of tea.”
“I would bet it's more like thousands,” Thayle added. “Every culture has its own teas or tea-like drinks.”
“Go ahead and drink some more,” Sarah urged and turned back the girls. “Now, where were we?”
“You were telling us we can’t track mud in the house,” Lilly said.
“Right,” Sarah said. “And no animals, young lady.”
“Oh, I just like to keep them for a little bit,” Lilly protested.
“You can't bring home everything you find scurrying about in the streets,” Sarah insisted. “I am in charge of this home, and I want it kept clean.”
“Gersius would let me have an animal,” Lilly said with a smug smile.
“Our husband will side with me, and you know it,” Sarah quipped. “If you want to test it, why don't we ask him to come out here and see who he agrees with.”
Lilly frowned as Thayle burst out laughing and put an arm around the frustrated dragon. She comforted Lilly and assured her that there would be animals in the forest for her to play with.
“So long as they stay in the forest,” Sarah said before taking a sip.
“What forest?” Rose dared to ask. “All I saw was a single tree.”
“It's growing in the real world,” Thayle replied. “I planted it and used the power of my goddess mixed with the love of my dragon wives to cause it to grow quickly. In less than a year, it will grow as if it had been there a hundred years.”
“A pity the Doan can’t do such things,” Rose said. “So much of their land is grassland or scrub. They have only a few trees that grow in the rocks.”
“Well, let me teach you about Ulustrah and become one of her priestesses,” Thayle said. “Then get a Doan man to fall in love with you, and then you can use the power of his love to boost your blessing and grow a forest of your own.”
“I know you mean well,” Rose replied and looked down at her tea. “But I still can’t stomach the idea of mating again, let alone with a human.”
“It takes some understanding,” Sarah agreed. “But I don’t want you to wander down this road again today. You have had enough to think about already.”
“Do you think you might like to learn about a divine, though?” Lilly asked.
“I couldn’t,” Rose replied. “I am a dragon. I have no need of any divine except Solesta.”
“Let’s not direct all our attention on Rose,” Sarah cautioned. “I would rather talk about this idea that you two should share the same room.”
“Why not?” Thayle asked. “I don’t need a whole room to myself.”
“The point was to ensure you each had your own private space,” Sarah pointed out. “As a dragon, I understand that sometimes you just need to be alone.”
That remark touched rose as it made her mother seem like a dragon again. As the group discussed the arrangement, Rose couldn't help but feel like she was missing something. Obviously, her mother was in charge, and the other two would honor her wishes. Her mother was also approaching this human way of existing from a very dragon point of view. She still valued that isolation and privacy and wanted to ensure the two women had the same options.
“I can always go to my cave to be alone,” Lilly said. “And Thayle will have a temple.”
“That’s a good point,” Thayle agreed. “I will have plenty of alone time when I kneel to pray in the temple.”
“No, I still think you need your own rooms,” Sarah said firmly. “I don't care if you sleep together in one of them, but you need your own space.”
“Yes, mother,” Thayle and Lilly sighed.
Rose was struck by that as well. The two women were Sarah's place as the eldest and more powerful dragon. They might live like humans, but it was done with a dragon's sensibilities and method of organization. It was fascinating to watch, and Lilly and Thayle leaned into one another and smiled. There was that happiness Lilly spoke about, a sort of being that Rose had never seen in a dragon before. She tried to understand why she would even be concerned, but something inside made her wish she could know that happiness too.
“Where is that man?” Sarah asked and looked at the house. “Husband, do you plan to hide inside all day?”
“I don't think he can hear you,” Lilly said and used the bind to send a silent message. A moment later, the back door opened, and Gersius stepped out with a large mug of frothy beer.
“When did we get beer?” Thayle asked in surprise.
“He made me add three kegs of it to the kitchen,” Sarah said as her eyes narrowed. “Have you done nothing but drink all day?”
“I have not,” Gersius protested and walked past her to sit in the other large chair at her right. “But if you must know, I have sampled all three flavors.”
“This is our future,” Thayle laughed.
“Maybe he needs a little discipline,” Sarah said as she glared at him.
“I am not drinking to excess,” Gersius said and set his mug aside. “But if you must know, I have been walking about the house, and I think we should make some changes.”
“Changes to what?” Sarah asked with a raised brow.
“I believe we need a cellar, and we should add room at the end of the hall so that we can have a tub,” Gersius replied.
“Oh, a tub!” Lilly said excitedly. “I love taking baths!”
“You love being in the bath so Thayle can pounce on you,” Sarah corrected.
“That’s what you take baths for, isn’t it?” Lilly asked with a playful smile as Thayle laughed again.
Sarah took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. “What am I going to do with them?”
“I suggest we make the tub big enough for all of us to use at once,” Gersius suggested.
“I like that idea,” Thayle agreed. “Then I can pounce on all of you at once.”
“Must we talk like this in front of Rose?” Sarah said to remind them they weren’t alone.
“Rose is a mature woman who has raised a brood of her own,” Thayle insisted. “I am sure she can handle a family conversation.”
“Mature or not, she isn’t comfortable with the human way of doing things,” Sarah replied and turned to Rose. “I hope that didn’t upset you.”
“I am not upset, but I don’t understand what you mean by bath?” Rose said.
“You don’t know what a bath is?” Lilly asked.
“Did you before I showed you?” Thayle asked
“I guess not,” Lilly replied and twisted. “I knew how to bathe myself the way a dragon would, but not the way you humans do.”
“How do humans do it?” Rose asked, her curiosity perked. She recalled seeing a human standing in a river once, but surely that couldn't be it.
“Hmm. Maybe it would be better to show her,” Sarah suggested as she smiled at Rose. “Let me make the change to the house, and then Rose can learn what a nice hot bath is like.”
Rose wasn't sure if she should be alarmed by this suggestion or not, but judging by the looks on the women's faces, this was something important. She sipped from her tea, tasting the pleasing flavor of this substance called cinnamon, and wondered what was in store for her next.
Comments
thank you
Sam4005
Nice chapy
