The Crime of Protection

by Gloria Martin

  “Then what is this thing?” she asked, pointing to the unborn child inside her.

  “To be honest, Kara, I really don’t know,” he confessed. “A baby of our clan born to a human doesn’t exactly happen every day. It is forbidden, taboo, especially for a leader like me. If anyone was to find out I would be excommunicated and cut off from my tribe. I don’t even know what would happen to you; no dragon man has gotten a human woman pregnant in centuries, much before my time or even my father’s.”

  Kara sensed the worry in his voice.

  “So what do I do?” she asked. She wanted more answers, but his visit had only raised more questions in her mind.

  “Stay here, I’ll come and see you every day, I promise you. Take some time off work if you can, get plenty of rest. I’ll help you with money. We will figure something out, once we find out what we are dealing with. I’ll do as much research as I can, so we know what to expect.”

  He leaned in and kissed her passionately before continuing.

  “I really love you Kara, I won’t let anything hurt you I swear.” He rose from the bed and began pulling on his jacket that had been hung carelessly over the door handle.

  “I have to go now, but I will be back tomorrow. Please try and get some sleep, we will figure this out and it will all be fine.” He smiled reassuringly, kissing her tenderly once more before leaving.

  This had been one of the most emotionally draining days of her life. She didn’t know how to feel about the information Blaine had just revealed to her, or what to do about this baby. She lay her head down and took his advice, drifting into a deep sleep, not to wake until the next day.

  *****

  In the coming months she began to notice the changes in her body, and some of the differences in her baby became apparent. It grew at twice the rate of the average child. Due to its paranormal heritage, she avoided doctors and clinics for fear that they would notice it was somewhat different. Blaine, true to his word, was at her doorstep every morning, before she went to work; bringing her food, magazines and really anything she wanted. He kept telling her to quit, that he would look after her financially, but she wanted to keep busy, keep her mind occupied. Despite his strange existence, she was glad that he was the man who would father her baby.

  From his research, he discovered a few discerning features that their half-dragon spawn would possess. He scoured countless books in their extensive library, finding out everything that he could to report back to Kara. He had to be secretive about his search, fearing his clan would discover what he was up to. Already he had found that she would be able to feel the baby dragon’s claws from the inside of her womb, because he would develop as a dragon within her. Until he was born he could not assume his human form. It was a feature that dragon women were built to withstand – their tough skin created a barrier between the womb and the outside world. But Kara was a normal woman, so she regularly suffered sharp pains from within her. Sometimes the pain was so great she could do little other than lie still on her bed and wait for it to pass.

  “I’m so sorry,” Blaine would always say when she looked even the slightest bit uncomfortable. His companionship and undying love made up for all the aches she withstood throughout the pregnancy.

  One day that Blaine came to her, bursting through the front door his furrowed brow exposed his fear and worry.

  “What’s wrong, babe?” she asked, putting a hand to his shoulder, attempting to comfort him.

  “I found something, Kara. This baby, it could hurt you, it might even kill you. We have to do something now!” As he looked into her eyes, tears began to form at the corners of his.

  “Why? What’s happening to me?” all of a sudden her worst fears became a reality. Not only was this pregnancy even more excruciatingly painful than most, it could result in her death. If Blaine had any idea of how to save her they had to try.

  “We have to take you to the elders, at the sanctuary where I live. After this I probably won’t be welcome back, but I don’t care. I love you, Kara. I can’t live without you and they might be able to do something. We need to save you and we need to try and save our son,” he grabbed her arm, pulling her around with him. They picked what few things she needed to take with her and moments later they were out the door, on the way to the outskirts of the city.

  They arrived a few hours later, transported by his old Corvette. By this point it was dark and the moon shone through the trees above. She clasped her bag in her hand as they made their way through the back door of the garage, through the thicket and toward the house she had not been to in months, where she had first ever seen him. Once inside, they ventured through hallway after hallway, until she had completely lost her sense of where they were, or how to escape.

  It suddenly dawned on her that the dragons who lived in this old house and might not like her or the child she was carrying. If this baby didn’t kill her, perhaps they would instead.

  *****

  At the end of the final tunnel they got to a large iron door with intricate designs carved into the metal and precious gemstones scattered throughout.

  “Are you ready?” he questioned. Her fear was apparent from the expression plastered across her face. She grasped at her stomach, as if to protect the child from whatever was in the room in front of them.

  “I think so,” she replied, her voice thick with worry. With that, Blaine brought his hand to the knob of the door and knocked three times.

  A light to the left of them set alight. She could only assume this was the signal for them to enter as seconds later she found herself standing before a panel of older men and women, each dressed in a different colored long, silk gown complete with hood.

  “Who may we ask is this human you have brought before us, Sire?” said the woman at the end of the long, varnished table. Blaine looked back at Kara then addressed the board.

  “Elders of the clan, I have brought to you the mother of my first son. She carries him with her. I have disobeyed our laws, having fraternized with a human, with no sacred dragon blood coursing through her veins. But I am willing to accept whatever punishment you bestow on me, if you can just at least try to save her. I could not live with myself if I didn’t try to help this woman, whose predicament is solely caused by my actions.”

  The woman stared sternly at Blaine. The rest of the members seemed to be stunned at his confession. No word was spoken for what seemed like a long time, but another man seated at the table soon broke the silence.

  “How could you let this happen? Do you know the consequences of what you have done? Not to mention that our laws clearly state that interactions with those not of dragon blood is punishable by excommunication. We will be losing our King no less!” his words sliced through the air angrily.

  “This is indeed the punishment for the crime you have committed, King Blaine,” the first woman said.

  “But we cannot afford to lose our King, not with his duties on Earth left unfulfilled!” another member chimed in. The elders looked at each other, confused as to what to do next. Kara stood, just as baffled, reaching for Blaine’s hand to comfort her. He grasped her hand as he again addressed the elders.

  “Do to me what you will, but is there any chance we can save Kara from what this child may do to her? I have fallen in love with her and I would sooner die than let anything hurt her.”

  The despair that crossed each of their faces when his question was asked let her know that there was nothing that they could do. That was except for one; a frail older lady, seated toward the middle of the group. Her soft voice echoed through the room.

  “There is something we could try,” she began. Kara clenched her teeth in anticipation.

  “Young woman, do you know anything about your ancestry?” she addressed Kara.

  “Unfortunately, I don’t,” Kara replied. Her whisper was barely heard by the woman.

  “Please speak up next time, young woman. My hearing really isn’t what it used to be. Well, in that case, we can still find o
ut if you are related to anyone from the original Dragonborne tribe. If indeed you have their blood within you there is something I can do.”

  “The Dragonborne tribe? Who were they?” Blaine had obviously not known of this before.

  “The Dragonbornes were a tribe of humans who protected our ancestors when they still lived here on Earth,” the woman said. “As repayment for their endless sacrifices while trying to save us, the elders of those times bestowed upon the Dragonbornes the ability to be transformed into one of our clan by another dragon. This meant that they had the choice to join us on Venus, when we travelled originally from Earth. Some chose to come with us and were transformed forever, while others stayed on Earth, to continue their human lives. If this woman you have brought before us does have Dragonborne blood coursing through her veins then there will be some hope.”

  She stopped speaking. Everyone besides her was in shock.

  “Does this mean that King Blaine will not have disobeyed the law? He may continue his quest here on Earth for the good of the clan?” asked one of the men.

  “Indeed,” she replied. Kara could not believe what she had just heard, for the last few hours she had been sure her death was upon her, and now it seemed that possibly she could be saved, and Blaine could continue his rule as their King.

  “How can we find out, Esmerelda? We must do this right away. If there is any hope to save Kara we need to change her immediately, she is already five months along.” Blaine wanted to know as soon as possible. The future of him, his beloved and unborn child all rested on Kara’s heritage.

  “We must take the ancient relic and place it around her neck. If the amulet glows crimson then she is Dragonborne, if it shines with a green light then she is simply another human. If this is the case she may not live through childbirth,” Esmerelda warned.

  “And King Blaine must step down as ruler of our clan and be destined to walk forever among the humans of Earth, stripped of his powers for eternity.”

  The stakes were high. Kara felt tense.

  “Artemis, please retrieve the amulet so we can find out now. There isn’t time to waste!”

  An older gentleman rose from his seat, his royal blue robe flowing majestically behind him as he strode out of the room, only to return several minutes later carrying a piece of exquisite jewelry, which Kara found familiar somehow.

  As he brought it closer, she realized this was the exact necklace she had dreamed in the recurring dram after first meeting Blaine.

  “Are you ready?” Blaine asked, taking the amulet from Artemis’ hands gently.

  “As ready as I will ever be,” Kara replied, and with that he came towards her. He kissed her first, then their unborn child through her stomach.

  “Whatever happens Kara, know that I love you and I will always love you, and our son.”

  With that he placed the golden chain around her neck. She felt the weight of the stone pushing down on her, just as it had in the dream. Blaine closed his eyes, not being able to look at the result of the test unfolding before him. Kara on the other hand could not look away; staring down at the beautiful piece, she saw it began to flash with a bright white light.

  “It is searching for an answer,” one of the elders called from the table.

  Kara held her breath as it searched her body and soul for even an ounce of Dragonborne blood, the blood that would give her baby a chance at life, not to mention herself. The elders looked on in awe as the relic finally came to a decision about her. The pendant shone with a blinding crimson light, so bright that the surrounding walls reflected its pleasant glow. She saw Blaine’s face out of the corner of her eye; he was ecstatic. No one would die, their child would be safe and, as well as all that, Blaine could remain as King. It was the outcome that they hoped for; now all that was left to do was transform her. She couldn’t believe it, nothing good seemed to ever happen to her, but since meeting Blaine, finally everything was going right.

  “She is Dragonborne,” the stern-faced woman exclaimed.

  “She may even be the last in existence,” another man in red chimed in. This may well be true as Kara had no family that she knew of. Both of her parents had died when she was younger, and with no next of kin she was forced into an orphanage. She may finally have a chance to have a real family all her own again.

  “But how do we complete the ritual to transform her? It must be done before she reaches her due date, otherwise it may be too late for her”.

  “I must do more research on the subject before we conduct the ritual, but I believe that, on the night of a full moon, she must be taken out to a clearing in the woods, where the moonlight can shine down on her. There is an ancient text that she must recite while one of our dragons circles three times overhead, casting its shadow down upon her. Once this has been completed, she must repeat the text as the chosen dragon engulfs her in its flame. At this point she should rise from the ashes in her new dragon form. It is said to be one of the most beautiful sights, when a Dragonborne emerges for the first time as a dragon. I never thought I would live to see it.”

  “Who will be the one to volunteer their services? Keep in mind, if performed incorrectly, Kara will surely perish in a cascade of fire. It is crucial they do not fail her.” Esmerelda looked around, waiting for someone to come forward. Blaine walked slowly over to her.

  “I will do the duty, and I will not fail. If Kara will accept our help,” all eyes were on Kara once again. She didn’t see any other option, though honestly even if there was she wouldn’t have taken it. She would have her perfect family, with the man of her dreams, literally.

  “I will do it, when is the next full moon?” she asked eagerly.

  “In five nights,” Artemis spoke again.

  ‘The sooner the better,” she said. The date was set for her transformation.

  After leaving the venue, Kara and Blaine were finally alone again. He held her hand as they strode back through the winding hallways. They walked in silence, side by side, until they reached his own sleeping quarters.

  “There’s no reason we can’t share a room now. Would you like to join me in my bedroom tonight?” He gestured toward the door in front of them.

  “I’d love to,” she beamed. They could finally be a real couple, no longer hiding their love from the world. Almost an afterthought, she remembered her job. “But what about—”

  “Quit,” he said, anticipating what she would say. “You should rest, and be with me. Let me look after you now.”

  She smiled. She didn’t want to argue with that.

  He bundled her up in his arms and carried her across the threshold, laying her on his beautiful, antique four-poster bed. She looked around; she had never seen his bedroom before. It contained several pieces of varnished wooden furniture, matching the mahogany of the bed frame. The red, silken covers felt magnificent against her skin. It had been an extremely long day and all that she wanted to do was sleep. Without another word, they both crawled under the sheets and fell asleep straight away.

  There was nowhere she would rather be than curled up, safe, in his arms.

  *****

  After the meeting with the elders, Kara stayed at the house with the other dragons, where she would wait till the full moon. But the other dragons avoided her.

  “Until you undergo the change, they won’t trust you. You will be one of us soon enough, and they will realize why I love you so much,” said Blaine.

  Nevertheless, the night of the full moon came all too quickly. That night, the other dragons all wore cloaks of their individual colors. Blaine told her that the color of their robe corresponds to the color of their scales in dragon form. From looking at the assortment of shades, Kara could only imagine how beautiful they would look flying through the sky together. They surrounded her in the clearing that had been selected for the ritual to take place.

  Once everyone was in position, Blaine knelt down. His skin surged, revealing scale after scale, purple in color. His limbs extended, and fingers morphed int
o long talons. In seconds Kara saw herself face to face with the creature she had so often dreamt of. Her glorious dragon king stood forth, letting a stream of flame escape his jaws, flickering through the night sky.

  “Are you both ready?” Esmerelda asked. Blaine and Kara had been preparing for days, they were as ready as they ever could be at that moment.

  “Yes,” they replied in unison and the ceremony began.

  Kara started reciting the ancient texts, just as she had memorized them. They had spent so long ensuring she knew them back to front, because one wrong word and she would die in a shower of flame. Blaine bowed toward her, assuring her that she wouldn’t fail, and she trusted him wholeheartedly. His gigantic reptilian legs pushed his body from the ground; she continued to recite as she watched his wings catch the evening breeze, lifting him into the air. With her head directed toward the sky, he did not distract her from the task at hand.

  Her life depended on reciting the texts flawlessly.

  Everyone present looked on with baited breath as he circled overhead. His body blocked out the moon as he flew around her. Once the three loops were accomplished, he dove down, flying straight at her. She finished her words just in time as he blasted her with a fireball, surrounding her with flame. Kara was surprised as she thought that this part would be extremely painful for her, but instead the fire stroked her bare flesh, disintegrating the white, silk robe she wore for the ritual, which matched those of the elders attending. She sunk to the ground and her vision went black.

  They all watched on in shock, as the smoke cleared it revealed a pile of ashes with Kara’s charred remains perched on top. Blaine, filled with dismay, morphed back to human form, running toward the spot in the woods where she lay. Tears rolled down his cheek, thinking that she was gone forever.

  “Stand back, please. She is changing,” Esmerelda said.

  Suddenly, Kara’s body rose. Breaking through the burnt flesh a bright green wing emerged, spreading for the first time. The rest of her earthly body melted away, exposing the new dragon that had joined them. She roared, pointing her head up to the night sky, marveling at the immense power she felt as a beast. Her green scales glistened in the light of the full moon, fresh and clean. With one swift motion, she took to the air for the first time. Gliding over the tree tops, she was free.