by K. E. Young
Our footsteps echoed in the dim hallways occasionally punctuated by Mero's quiet oaths. Perhaps shifting to his dragon form had helped less than he hoped. The warrior glanced at me and kept his mouth shut.
I was a little angry. Getting away from the distraction of the conversation had brought the bit about the zithel to mind and I was not happy.
I waited until we were alone with the door shut. "Zithel. Explain."
"My love…" His voice withered as he saw the expression in my eyes.
The same rage I had experienced so many times in childhood simmered. "Mero, I will make this as clear to you as I can. I have never allowed anyone to make me less. Even as a small child. My Uncle told me tales of when I was still in diapers standing up to adults. I would challenge anyone and I refused to back down. Neither my inner demon nor I would allow it. Now I know that my inner demon is my dragon soul but that changes nothing." I paused for a long moment to let that soak in. "Now, explain."
I could feel a thread of fear coming from him. "Zithel are a small venomous lizard. Hunters able to take down prey two or three times their size and vicious enough that they hunt even when their bellies are full. Their skins take on the colors around them so they're difficult to spot. Most consider them a dangerous pest to be eliminated." His voice trailed off again as he realized he wasn't helping his case.
Geran's concerns about Mero's motives trailed through my head and my anger increased. He compares me to the local equivalent of a weasel or a wolverine and I was stupid enough to consider it a compliment? It hurt. My dragon shifted, restless.
Mero's eyes widened and he lurched towards me. "No! No. That's not what I meant Kendra! I like zithels. They have much to commend them. It's such a small creature. It should be weak and preyed upon but it's not. Even the largest carnivores respect it. When I was a boy, I was out hunting one day when I watched a zithel take down a tika. A karis came upon him and thought to take it away from him. As soon as it spotted the zithel it backed away. They have fascinated me ever since. I don't hate them, Kendra, I respect them. There is much in them that I admire."
I focused on him and felt my dragon peering out through my eyes. It told me wordlessly that Mero was sincere. My ire ebbed.
"You remind me of them in a way, so fierce and brave. Zithels don't back down either. To the court, you look like you should be weak and you're not."
He grasped my shoulders. "While the native people of this world hate the zithel, we dragonkin never have. Our dragons like their spirit. We sometimes call them 'little dragons'. Please, I never meant it as an insult. Remember, Dantalion has never lived in Drakken. He had spent all these years since the Goddess brought him in Therys, living among soldiers. Most of those soldiers are native to this world and hold their values. Please, I never meant to hurt you."
I leaned against him as the last shreds of anger fizzled away. A misunderstanding. Echoes of Uncle Todd calling me Little Dragon rang in my ears. Maybe I could be a zithel.
I had been right. The bond helps to deal with misunderstanding, but it wasn't perfect. Our own assumptions and ignorance sabotage its efforts. "Ignorance is a demon. It does it's best to spoil everything doesn't it?"
Mero relaxed and hugged me tightly. "Yes, it does. It's extremely good at it too."
"I have a lot to learn and not enough time to do it."
"Yes. I am here for you, Kendra, as you are here for me. We two are so different from each other, but our shortcomings complement each other's strengths. Together we are better and stronger than we ever were apart, and there is nothing we can't do. Neither one of us is alone anymore."
As much as I liked Mero holding me, I had something I needed to do. I disengaged with reluctance. Grasping his hand, I pulled him into the dressing room where the chest still sat.
I knelt in front of the chest, opened it, and extracted my grandfather's bracelets. Both were Navajo silver with turquoise, one in a heavy sandcast design studded with three large turquoises and the other a simpler band covered with thumbnail sized cabochons. The simpler one was more polished and refined, but it didn't feel right so I tucked it back in the chest.
I fumbled at the hem of my Sari to find a bit of silk bare of beading and embroidery and did my best to polish the bracelet. A servant or a jeweler could do a much better job, but I didn't want to wait. "I hope this fits," I muttered as I stood.
Facing Mero, I held out my hand for his. Mero's voice from two nights ago was still clear in memory so I didn't need to search for words. "Mero, you are my choice. I would share my soul and my life with you alone. I give you this bracelet as a promise of what will be. A promise of the bond we share." I slipped the bracelet onto his wrist with a quiet sigh of relief. It fit as if made for him.
Looking up again into Mero's eyes, I couldn't help but notice they matched the turquoise.
Chapter 13
Day 8: 46th Day of Sanctuary, 3866
There were no sexual shenanigans that night, I was just too tuckered out and rather intimidated by having to interview people for jobs I knew nothing about. I didn't even know what jobs needed to be filled. Despite my misgivings, I slept hard and felt relatively well rested when Mero roused me the next morning. We spent a while just cuddling before getting up. After that, the morning was mostly a repeat of the last time I had spent the night with him. Right down to losing track of which way my tunic went because I was paying too much attention to his dressing. Fortunately, he didn't dislocate his knee this time although I think I want a sturdier table. This one squeaks.
Mero and I had slept late, so breakfast was rushed. I had barely begun when Anis informed me that the artist had arrived. Mero and I wolfed down a good half a bowl apiece of the oatmeal stuff and hurried out to the front lawn. Mero reminded me of what I had learned the previous day about changing. In essence, his advice was remember what it felt like to change, what it felt like to be a dragon, and how to call my dragon. And don't forget my clothes.
The day was sunnier than the previous day, but not cloudless and the day was chill enough I wished I had a sweater. I walked out to the middle of the lawn and, after making note of all I was wearing, focused on my dragon. It was a lot easier than I remembered it being.
This time around, I tried out some of the equipment. I loved my tail! I could practically tie knots in that thing and it was sensitive enough I could tickle Mero with it, much to the servants' amusement. The wings were much bigger than I expected and I'm not sure yet how to process the sensations I get from them. They're surprisingly sensitive, much like the skin between your toes.
While I was trying out the wings Mero shifted to his dragon form, snuck up behind me and shot a spark at my butt. I whipped around, trumpeting my surprise, and leapt at him, knocking him over. My tail whipped around his legs and I clamped my jaws around his muzzle. I did not like being hit with a cattle prod, even if said cattle prod was my fiancé.
This was when I found out that, first, I should have remembered that he also had a tail and second, the undersides of a dragon's wings, like human armpits, can be extremely ticklish. Things devolved from there for a few minutes. The servants thought it was all hilarious if alarming. When seventy-foot dragons wrestle like puppies, you keep your distance just out of self-preservation. The artist was frantically scribbling, trying to get it all.
I finally just told Mero, in my head, that I did not appreciate the jolt and next time I'd aim for the family jewels. He was suitably contrite and we spent a few minutes nuzzling, our tails entwined. The artist was still scribbling away. After some few minutes, he recalled why he was there and directed me to take a pose like the one on my pendant. I felt silly but I did it with the help of a few nudges from Mero to get me in the right position.
As the artist worked, a group of warriors gathered. At my wordless question, Mero just said, "interviews." I looked them over as best I could without being able to move my head. That's when I noticed that the world was significantly sharper and more colorful than I remembered it being and th
e people had visible auras. Wow. Auras were real! I did not expect that.
"Um. Mero… I'm seeing auras around people. Is that normal?"
His chuckle sounded in my head. "Yes. Sorry. I forgot to mention that bit. Dragons can see the spirits of others, or perhaps it's the soul itself. No one can say for sure. With a little practice, you'll be able to call on it in your human form too. That's why people say it's a bad idea to lie to a dragonkin. A dragonkin can tell when you lie to them."
Well, that was useful although… "That could make politics and diplomacy harder."
Mero's mind voice sparkled with mischief. "You learn to tell the truth creatively and word things with great care."
It made me wonder. Didn't someone mention that Sebas came from Drakkeni stock? "Um, Mero? Has anyone ever tested Sebas for a dragon soul?"
Mero rubbed his muzzle behind my ear. "I had wondered the same thing so I checked him myself. Only one soul. He's just very, very smart and very, very sneaky."
Several of them were familiar from the household dining tables. Aside from those wearing Mero's colors, I saw uniforms bearing the colors of Geran and two other dragon lords and several of Harad's guardsmen. Most were unfamiliar warriors not wearing uniforms. In addition, about a dozen others were obviously not warriors, including one fellow I did not like the look of at all.
To my delight, one of those in guardsman uniform was my old friend, Tani, from the trip to the city. I waved the tip of my tail at her and she waved back with a grin. I told Mero I wanted her. "Good choice. She's capable, solid, honest, and intelligent. Just the kind of person you need."
"So who is that fellow with the green tunic and black pants? There's something about him I don't like and I don't want him around, but I don't feel comfortable turning my back on him either. His aura is… dull."
"He looks familiar, but I can't place him. I'll see what I can find out. Meanwhile, why don't I give the good news to Tani and have her do a quick survey of the hopefuls here? Help get things sorted out for you. Maybe she'll know about our mystery man too."
"Sounds good, I'm stuck wasting my time here until this yahoo finishes his grand masterpiece."
"I don't know what a 'yahoo' is but don't be too hard on him. He really is very good, and the sketches he's doing now aren't just for the crest design. He'll be doing a proper portrait too and if he can get the sketches and the colored illustration correct now, you won't have to model for it later. Less wasted time."
The news appalled me. A portrait? "Oh, good grief! Why?"
"You are, or will be soon, a member of the Drakken Imperial family. You are also a nakairu. They'll want your likeness for the gallery in the Imperial palace and this fellow is better than the stuffed ushayru they had doing it at court the last I checked. There will also be a memory stone recording for the archives, but that will have to wait. Personally, I want them to know how lucky I am in being mated to the most beautiful dragonlord alive."
I wondered what an ushayru was. It didn't sound very nice. "Laying it on thick aren't you? And why can't we use these memory stones right now?"
Mero laughed. "You've forgotten that you are the only female dragonlord in existence, haven't you? I think you're considerably prettier than Geran or I and we both have quite attractive dragon forms. Don't worry. The sitting for the portrait of your human side can wait until later, but we needed the likeness of the dragon for your sigil." He took on a calculating mien.
"I'll tell you what, when the artist says he's done, you can change back and we'll spar for a couple minutes before tackling the interviews. It will work off some of your frustration and give the candidates some idea of what you expect from them."
"As for the memory stones…" He sighed. "It takes time to grow the crystals and all of our earth mages have been focused on the war with the Arboren for the last thirty years. They've made no new crystals in the past fifteen years so there's a shortage. The new ones won't be ready for another two or three years."
I thought his plan was a grand idea and gave his hair a quick pet with my tail as he changed back and headed towards Tani. For her part, Tani looked happy at the news and she and Mero discussed things for several minutes before she cut the guard emblem off her tunic and Mero tied the green ribbon a servant handed him around her upper arm. She then addressed the crowd asking them to form up by proposed role, warriors to one side, and other roles to the other. While they did that, she got writing materials from a servant and then questioned the non-warriors, making notes. She could write! Yes! I knew she was intelligent from my time with her during the journey to the city but she kicked herself to the top of the list of candidates for being my new housemaster.
Mystery man was the last one she questioned. She then gathered up her notes and walked over. "Thank you for considering me! I've wanted a place with a household like this for some time, but spots open so seldom it's almost impossible." She lowered her voice. "Lord Cassettis mentioned that you have suspicions about that last fellow, but I'm not sure why. He seems nice enough.
"He seems a perfect fit for a house master, reading, writing, arithmetic, experience with managing staff and inventory…" I gave a small but vigorous shake of my head and tapped her chest with my tail. "Oh, surely not, my lady. I'm not qualified for a job like that!" I snorted, tapped her head, and nodded. She was smart and trustworthy, that's all she needed. She looked embarrassed but pleased.
Clearing her throat, she continued her report. "The High Lord announced that you would be Minister of Education at breakfast. Word has made it as far as the town and there are several scholars and clerks among the candidates, there's also a journeyman healer that seems quite pleasant, and few servants. I'll ask Housekeeper Ilatis if they're reliable and efficient. I'm not sure what I should do now other than that.
Thinking for a moment, I growled out Koris' name. It's difficult to speak when you're a dragon. Your tongue just doesn't move the way it does on a human and the vocal chords are wrong. My attempts annoyed the artist, but I got the point across. Tani nodded and left, looking for Koris. I figured that if nothing else, he could tell her more about the job and they would have to learn to work together anyway.
Mero returned a few minutes later, and shifted to dragon form so we could talk mind to mind. "Well, I found out who he is, a fellow by the name of Padjet. He's an assassin and spy for hire. I have a file on him, that's why he looked familiar. I've tasked a man with tracking down whose gold he's taking. Meanwhile, what can I do to help?"
"I have an idea on who he's working for. I'd wager it's Nurian and he wants to get in where he can keep track of us and maybe get some good information. Also, potentially take us out if we get in Nurian's way, which we will."
"You may be right. We work on that presumption. So, do we lead him on or pass him over?"
"I don't want him close. With the chaos of forming one household and then joining it to another, there's too much range for him to cause trouble. Even if we watch him closely, he'll still have too much opportunity. Besides, he makes my skin crawl… in either form. Is there any way we can be sure that there aren't any others slipped in?"
"I can have Harad give them a good look. He's particularly good at determining people's motivations. It's one of his special talents. He says it's a visual thing, he can see their moods and emotions, their motivations, their general… goodness? I'm sure he can explain it better."
"Is this like the colored auras I'm seeing around people?"
"Maybe. I don't know. Most dragonkin can tell if someone is lying or not, but Harad takes it considerably farther. That's part of why Geran chose him to head up the guard. If anyone can tell if there's anyone you need to worry about, it's him."
He peered at me with curiosity. "The auras you see have color? That's different. I don't see colors in the aura, just movement. It's stifled when a person lies. Maybe it's because you're imperial."
It was something to think about later. Meanwhile, the work was piling up and I was stuck being ornamental. His help
would be welcome.
"Having Harad take a look would be wonderful. As for what you can do to help, I need to evaluate the skills of the warriors. Maybe Harad can help with that too. The artist is taking his own bloody sweet time. I can watch you guys put them through their paces, determine which ones are worthwhile, and which aren't. Just do whatever you would with candidates for your own household."
"That would work. I'll have Dantalion help too. That way we each have a breather. I'll get it put together. Where's Tani?"
"I sent her to Koris. I thought she needed to learn how to be a housemaster and he was the logical choice. Besides, I expect there's a lot happening that she could help with. How long does it take to learn to talk in dragon form so people can understand? I could barely make one word understandable to her, his name."
Mero chuckled. "Dragons aren't built for talking. That you could get even make that much clear enough for her to understand is surprising. I've never heard of a talking dragon, it's the biggest drawback of the form. Maybe you'll be the first. Singing, however, is possible. Not the words, but the music. You should hear Dantalion's dragon sing. It gives me chills every time I hear it. Well, I'll go gather Dantalion and Harad and we'll weed out the warriors for you." He nuzzled me a moment and then shifted back to human, patted my leg and loped off while Padjet watched.
While I waited for Mero to return with the guys, I watched the rest of the candidates and tried to determine what I could from them. The warriors were pretty much what I expected with one exception. He was dark haired and slender rather than heavily muscled like many of the others and moved like a weasel, bouncy yet fluid. I wanted to see what he could do. I knew I would like him and I hadn't even met him yet. My dragon liked him too, which I found interesting since she showed no interest in any of the others except for Padjet.
The non-warrior candidates were more interesting overall. Since I didn't know who was what, I had to guess. One fellow caught my attention. He was quiet and calm, listening to two of the others argue some point and occasionally shaking his head as if he couldn't understand why they bothered. He said nothing but it was clear he was critical of their logic.
