by N. A. Hydes
He put his arm around her shoulders. “If you have sex with me, it will bond us. If you die, I die. If I die, you die. Wyverns, my line of dragon, we rarely bond for life, not in true mating. We have two ways of reproducing. One way would be for the female to lay eggs and the male to fertilize the eggs. That is what I am, a hatchling. But our children will be born as human.”
She touched his hair. “Blond. If I were going to choose a color for your hair, it wouldn’t have been blond.”
He smiled and put his arm around her waist. “Let me show you the dragon cabin.”
Before they walked in, she turned to look at him. “You were the first of six suitors that I said ‘maybe’ to. All the others ‘no’. But there was something about you, I couldn’t say ‘no.’ I wonder if I just knew it was you?”
To her father’s amazement, the next day, Maud agreed to marry Barry. A week later, they went to a church and signed their names in a book. Barry signed with a big X.
Maud and Barry agreed to take Foster’s last name since Foster seemed to make furniture.
Their life was peaceful.
One spring day, Barry in Wyvern form stood on his back legs to his full height. Maud, shocked to find her husband as a dragon, took two steps back, but not in fear. He allowed his fully developed wings to spread out.
Maud gasped. “May I touch them?” She moved towards him slowly with her hands stretched out. He fell onto all fours and turned his back towards her. Barry nudged with his head, indicating to get on.
She caressed his right wing, and it tingled slightly, as if getting tickled, but he held steady. As a practice, she did not get on his back often. But this day felt right.
She straightened her dress as much as she could, but her knees were still showing. Maud reached around his neck. As soon as he knew she was secure, he took to the air.
It was exhilarating to fly. Barry could hear Maud’s breath catching when he first took off, but then he heard giggles of pure joy. He drifted between clouds and down into a spiral, all the while aware of her positioning. He flew her for an hour or more.
He was desperately looking for something, and finally, he found the perfect field. Off in the corner of the woods, far away from Mordiford, was a meadow covered by Maud’s favorite flowers.
He landed softly in the flowers. The trees in the area dropped pollen that looked like snow. The trees blocked the sun’s heat.
Maud’s feet landed softly. “This is lovely.”
Human, Barry thought as the warmth and the tingling grabbed his body.
Even after years of marriage to Maud, he could feel his heart in his chest beating faster. “Do you regret our true mating?” he asked. He knew the answer. He just enjoyed hearing her say it.
“Never,” she responded, melding her body into his.
For his response, he removed her dress.
Barry closed his eyes and leaned into her hand as she rubbed the side of his face. She touched his hair, pulling his slightly curly hair straight and allowing it to bounce back.
She smiled. “Blond, the blond still surprises me.” She started laughing. He opened his eyes and stared into hers. She didn’t budge, but he felt the hand touching his hair tremble. He took his hand and put it on hers. He pulled her head towards his for a kiss. She responded, kissing him back with just as much passion.
He wasn’t sure if it was her or him that pulled them onto the ground; he only knew he was on his back, and she was on top of him, still embraced in a kiss. A soft layer of moss grew under the dark cover of trees, making a natural bed for them.
When Maud pulled back, Barry froze, entranced by the look of his wife above him. He promised himself, no matter how long he lived, he wouldn’t forget this moment. Maud’s black hair, straight and thick with a hint of some color he assumed was purple, fell across her face and over her lips. Her dark brown eyes were peering into his with intent and purpose. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips puffy and red from their kissing, and her breathing erratic, erotic. Her breasts were firm and round, her hips covered with a layer of fat.
Barry would never forget this.
46
Introduction
Someone was trying to open Jennifer’s eyelids. She swatted at the person, but her hand went through the air.
“Come on, Jennifer,” a male voice said. “It’s Christmas Day. We didn’t celebrate Christmas in the fourteen hundreds, so this should be fun.” She recognized the voice, the accent, even the musky smell in the room. It belonged to Barry, Maud’s dragon.
Jennifer jumped out of bed as fast as she could, her heart racing, and looked around the room. She looked for something she could grab to use as a weapon. No one was with her, but the smell lingered.
She exhaled the breath she had been holding. Her crazy dreams had become so real she was hallucinating.
“No, your dreams are not crazy,” Barry said from behind her left shoulder. She turned towards the voice. There was Barry. He was maybe 6’1”, so he wasn’t that much taller than her. Barry was skinny, with wavy blond hair and blue-green eyes. He was wearing blue jeans, cowboy boots, and a Pink Floyd t-shirt.
“I like the clothing of this era better. And the music is amazing,” Barry responded to Jennifer’s thoughts.
“How?” Jennifer asked, trembling, walking backward until she tripped on her bed and fell onto the mattress.
“Well, as I told you, you’re not human.” He moved to sit beside her. He put his arm around her, and she felt the pressure. “You made it! I’m glad to say you made it through your last dream without me. From now on, it’s you and me, dragon girl! I will help you understand the ways of dragons.” He moved his arm off her shoulder and put his pointer finger to his chin. “Though you could have chosen better.”
“The ways of dragons? This isn’t real. This can’t be real.”
“Oh, Jennifer, that’s not the way you talk to your grandpappy, is it?” He kissed her cheek and stood up to stand in front of her. “Trust me; you’ve made it to perfection. Humans are so,” he paused. “What is the word? Dull.” He turned his hand over. “Unfortunately for you, you’re not a pure Wyvern.” He moved to be in front of her, making Jennifer’s breath catch. “You’re a combination of different dragons. It makes you not very perfect.”
He scrunched his face together and sucked in his cheeks, making a fish face as he thought. Releasing his muscles, he continued, “I’ll forgive you for not being pure and all. Oh, you have a word for it, mutt.” He stood up. “Jennifer is a mutt, Jennifer is a mutt,” he sang.
When Jennifer didn’t respond, Barry lost interest in the song. “But me being here, that does not mean the dreams are over. From looking into your mind, you’ve got two more dragons you are related to, so you have quite a few dreams left. You are descended from an ancient or prime dragon named River, and Jormungant, a sea serpent.
“Wyverns, you could think of us as overgrown salamanders with large heads, sharp teeth, and wings,” Barry said this in a mocking tone. He put his hands together and looked to the ceiling. “However, we are so much more. Jormungant. I mentioned he is a sea serpent. And River, the son of the King of Dragons.”
In Jennifer’s mind, she saw a short man with white hair and a long beard. She recognized him from the dream she’d had after she attacked the bear.
“I guess to be related to him makes you a Primal Dragon,” Barry continued.
“A Primal Dragon?” Jennifer asked.
“The first dragons, you might want to call them. In my time, they lived in what is modern-day China. We, I, descended from the second wave of dragons, from a dragon named Earth. The King Dragon, now, he is a neat fellow. He is a fire-type dragon, a rare type of dragon. His wife prefers rivers or coastlines, but she is an air dragon.”
Jennifer saw realistic images that were more like memories. A coast with the water lapping her feet. She could smell the salt and feel the tide. A mountain jetting upward, capped with snow. Fresh air surrounded her, and the cold touched her nose.
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br /> Next, Jennifer imagined a cave inside a dead volcano. The orange was so bright Jennifer had to squint, and the smell of sulfur and extreme heat was overpowering.
The images occurred so fast Jennifer’s breath caught in her throat. She felt as if someone had hit her in the chest.
“Oh, don’t worry, Jennifer, you’ll get used to the second sight, if you want to call it that. How about dragon vision? That sounds like the TV shows you spend a lot of time watching.” He smiled smugly. “I’m hungry,” he said. “That’s a feeling I haven’t had in a long time.” Jennifer’s stomach growled in response. “I think I want an apple,” he said and patted Jennifer’s belly.
He sat back down. “Until you, I’d only heard of stories of the Primals.” Jennifer looked at Barry, confused. “Oh, you know, River and the King. I had memories of the family that existed. But I never formally met them. You, though, you contain all their memories.”
“In my mind?” Jennifer asked.
“Yes, your mind. The dreams will continue until you meet all your dragon ancestors that mated humans.” He sat on his knees on the floor in front of her. “Don’t worry, the dreams won’t be like before, where you seemed to live each life. They will be more like dreams.
“Let’s start your lessons. I need you to think,” Barry said. “Think of your ancestors.”
Jennifer thought, but nothing happened.
“No,” Barry said. “No, think hard. Close your eyes.”
Jennifer closed her eyes and thought of a Wyvern. She thought of Barry and his purple and blue body. Instantly, Jennifer could see Barry’s mother. She wasn’t purple but a strange brown color, and she was large, huge–like a small house. The Wyvern mother carefully picked a spot to make a nest. She could sense it was her time to lay her eggs.
Next, Jennifer made out Barry’s father, a younger Wyvern. He didn’t know the female who had laid the eggs. He knew the egg field was nearby, and he was searching. The festival of the Wyverns was in full cycle.
“Wyverns had festivals,” Jennifer said. “They were mating festivals.”
“I wouldn’t use the term mating. Mates make one weak,” Barry answered. “And you noticed her color. Wyverns are color blind. Sorry, all we see are browns and yellows. I’m not sure why you see me in purple. And I’m no longer color blind. I see all the colors you see. Something to think about another day.” He paused and then commanded, “Continue.”
The Wyvern’s code consisted of an eye for an eye. Wyverns had territories. Other than designated festival times, crossing the territorial line was to risk your life or challenge another Wyvern. Wyverns seldom mated. It was too risky to give your heart. Instead, they used the festivals to build a nest, leave a scent, and allow the male to fertilize the eggs.
They left the eggs on their own to hatch and grow up. Only the strongest Wyverns would continue the Wyvern line.
Beowulf was a Wyvern story, almost like a fairy tale, used to teach and discipline children. Not in person, but in their ‘dragon vision.’ The mother Wyvern gave birth to a son, whom she loved enough to kill or die for. It was an example of why Wyverns didn’t give birth but laid eggs. According to the Beowulf Wyvern story, love, for anyone other than oneself, would be Wyverns’ downfall.
And humans equated to a food delicacy.
Festivals were like wild parties. They would feast on livestock and humans. If a fight broke out, it was to the death. Sometimes Wyverns would issue dares, which lead to Wyverns taking on human form and making mischief.
“I can remember.” Jennifer smiled as memories of past festivals played in front of her eyes. She cleared the images and looked up at Barry. “What does this mean?”
“Good things, little dragon, good things. The sooner I can teach you to fight, the sooner I can make sure we are protected. After all, you are all I have. All that is left of my Maud,” he added sadly.
Images of Maud filled Jennifer’s mind. She saw Maud standing in the woods in front of the cottage, her long, straight, raven-black hair down past her waist, a smile on her lips, and a twinkle in her brown eyes.
“I don’t know why the druid witch told our son Maud had blue eyes. Her eyes were very brown.” Barry said. Jennifer didn’t remind him he was color blind.
“Come, show me Christmas.” Barry intentionally changed the subject. He stood and offered his hand to Jennifer. Jennifer took his substantial hand.
“And what will my family say of you?” Jennifer asked.
“Unfortunately, I am a product of your imagination. Dragons live forever. In my case, only in their descendants’ minds. They won’t be able to see me or hear me. I’m here more as a guide.”
It occurred to Jennifer that as far as she knew, none of her dragon ancestors lived very long at all, but she didn’t question ‘dragons live forever.’ Jennifer opened her bedroom door, and the smell of Barry wafted past her hair—fall leaves and an outdoor fire.
She could hear the clatter of pots and pans, and her father and mother talking about the best way to cook some dish. She could listen to her brother watching TV. Jennifer could hear the downstairs conversations as if she were in the room, and silently she wondered if it was something she could always do.
“It’s not normal for a human,” Barry whispered in her right ear, sending a chill up her back. “But you’re not human anymore.”
Jennifer turned to look at Barry, but he wasn’t visible anywhere around.
“Listen,” he whispered in her left ear. Jennifer focused all her attention on hearing. She could hear each foot as it touched the carpet. She could hear birds outside. “Pretty good. Now feel the woodland creatures. Remember what it was like for me. I could feel them, their essence.”
“Their essence?” Jennifer asked. “Sounds kind of out there.”
“Humans have five senses,” Barry said. “But dragons have other senses. One is to feel creatures when they get close to you. It’s almost like gravity. Gravity is something all around you, so common, and you forget it is something amazing and defines who you are. Close your eyes and feel the essence of animals.”
Jennifer stopped walking, closed her eyes, and tried to listen to the essence. She scrunched her eyebrows up, trying to be tenser. She felt nothing unusual for an extended time. And then, out of nowhere, there was a bird. A simple bird was flying in front of the sun, and she could tell it was flying east and that it was hungry.
“It’s a bird of prey,” she said in surprise.
Randy stood at the end of the hall. “What’s a bird of prey, Sis?” he asked, taking a bite of some stolen turkey.
“Nothing, just thinking,” Jennifer answered. She could hear Barry’s laughter.
“Don’t answer me out loud when you are in a group. I can hear your thoughts,” Barry warned.
Randy sniffed the air and looked at Jennifer with a puzzled look. “Do you smell it?” he asked.
“Smell what?”
“I don’t know. It smells like a campfire, and in a way, it smells like woods in the fall, kind of musky. You know, the rotting leaf smell.”
“Um, maybe,” Jennifer answered, surprised.
“Oh well,” he said and took the last bite of turkey. “That movie you watch every year is about to come on.”
“It’s A Wonderful Life?” Jennifer asked.
“Yeah, the ‘lasso the moon’ movie. Anyway, thought you’d like to know.”
“Thanks.” She stood in the hall as her brother walked away.
“If I have all these above-average human senses, how did my brother sneak up on me?” Jennifer asked.
“You were intently listening to the bird. You need to learn to stay aware of your surroundings.” Barry materialized in front of Jennifer, starting as a faint outline and slowly thickening in. “I saw this in one of your memories. It was in a movie you watched on a sci-fi channel. I think I like it.” He straightened the brown polo shirt he was now wearing over a pair of slacks. “I found this outfit in your imagination, as well. It looked more festive.” He
paused for a second. “Your brother could smell me. That is very interesting, indeed.” He sniffed the air. “And I don’t smell like rotting leaves.”
“Why didn’t you tell me they could smell you?” Jennifer asked.
“I didn’t know they could smell me. You are the first human-born dragon in all of your ancestors’ history. I have nothing to go on. But your brother could also have the potential to go dragon.” Barry yawned. “You can search your ancestors’ memories, but you are the first. I guess some stuff we will have to figure out on our own.” He started vanishing.
Jennifer walked down the hall and into the kitchen. The room was one of the largest and most modern places in the house. Jennifer’s mother had insisted on combining several areas into a colossal kitchen, complete with a large window currently lit by the morning sun. The countertops were expensive granite, the floors a tumbled and sealed marble. It was the only room her parents had updated since moving in. The rest of the house sported the same carpet and paint as on the day of their arrival. The house was kept clean, sometimes with a lot of clutter, but everything outside the kitchen looked outdated and worn out.
The morning sun hit a glass vase of yellow tulips, causing rainbows to form on the wall behind.
Jennifer’s mother was stirring something over the stove.
“Good thing you are here,” Jennifer’s mother said. “I have some green beans that need some work.” She grabbed two buckets, one empty and one full of green beans. “Start breaking the beans.”
There was a small TV mounted on the wall. Jennifer grabbed the remote to find her channel. “I just remembered It’s a Wonderful Life is on TV. I can’t break tradition.” She began dividing the green beans and throwing the string away.
“Jennifer,” Randy called. “Your cell phone is ringing, and it says it is Matt.”
“Bring it here.” Jennifer put the green bean in her hand back down and walked over to her brother.
She slid her finger across the screen. “Hello.”
“Hey,” Matt sounded far away.
