A Dragon’s Tale

Ethan realized that he was completely spoiled. His wives hadn't come to bed yet so he was alone in bed and didn't like it. He hadn't been married to them for a whole week yet and he already missed Alana in bed with him, not to mention Taloni. He looked out the large glass-block window that spanned the entire rear of the captain's cabin. The night sky was now truly dark.

He yawned before remembering that one of his wives might be here. "Beth, are you there?" He asked the room. There was several seconds pause, then:

Tap, tap.

"You're always around when I ask. Do you tend to spend your time around me?"

Tap, tap.

"You saved me a couple times when Kendra attacked and I'm sure that was you who helped Rachel earlier, right?"

Tap, tap.

"Hmm, you're becoming like our guardian angel." He chuckled. No response from Beth though, which made sense as he hadn't asked a yes or no question.

"Looking forward to having a body and talking again?"

Tap, tap. The taps were harder and faster like she was excited.

"Me too. What are you going to do first?"

He felt a gentle tap on his lips and then a gentle tap between his legs.

"Mmm; yes." He mused. "Sounds amazing."

Tap, tap.

"I hope we can bring you back by tomorrow night." He mused aloud. "We just need to find someone to do the transfusion. But if Hailey doesn't know anyone it might take longer."

Tap.

"Yeah, I don't want that either. I might be able to find someone in a hospital? But they would ask a lot of questions... kind of like you." He smiled widely, then added with an impish grin and a wink. "I miss your questions, even if you were annoying with them."

There was a moment's pause, then he felt something invisible poke him in the side.

"Ah!" He jumped and then laughed. "Even when you can't talk and can barely touch you are a delightful woman, you know that?"

No answer.

"You are." He stated matter-of-factly. He was going to say more, but Alana entered the captain's cabin at that moment, closing the door behind her. She took in his rather odd posture and raised her eyebrow.

"Beth." He said, but didn't offer a further explanation in case the occasionally devious wood elf suggested that Beth launch an all-out poking assault on him; a poking assault that he would be defenseless against. He wouldn't put it past her, past either of them.

Alana shrugged and walked over to the bed, grabbing the bottom of her dress to pull it off as she did so. However, she stopped before it had risen past mid-thigh.

"Well don't stop on my account." He winked.

"I'm just thinking Taloni will be in soon." The wood elf frowned slightly. "I'm pretty sure she'd be a little uncomfortable if I were naked. She's really not in the right frame of mind for that right now."

"Fair enough." He sighed as he undressed her with his eyes. "Well, come here anyway."

She smiled and climbed into his arms. He liked having her there; it just felt right. She relaxed into him and he gave her a tight hug which she returned. He ran his hands through her hair, but something felt slightly off about her chocolate-brown tresses.

"Sit up and turn around." He said.

"Why?" She asked as she complied.

There was a tiny sliver of her hair on the left side which ended abruptly at about shoulder height, unlike the rest of her hair which fell to mid-back. He looked closer at the ends and a few of them had curled from heat.

"Gonorran." He said. "One of his fireballs hit your hair."

"I know." She turned to look at him. "We were very lucky."

"You aren't kidding." He replied fervently. "I got stabbed, his fireball nearly hit your face, and I think Rachel's shoulder will scar. Maybe not badly, but I think it will."

She nodded. "Yeah."

"I vote we completely avoid necromancers from now on."

"Amen." She said fervently. "I'm sure Rachel would agree too."

"You two seem to be getting very close lately." He observed.

She squirmed slightly. "We're not that close. I mean, we're just friends and all; nothing more."

"That's what I meant." He said confused. "What did you think I meant?"

"Uh..." She started to say, but was interrupted when the door to the captain's cabin opened.

It was Taloni.

She looked a little nervous, more than a little shy, and yet relieved at seeing him too. She bit her lip, stepped through the door then closed it behind her. She took a few slow steps into the small room, which put her beside the bed. She got a tiny flicker of a smile when she saw them snuggling there.

"Hi." Ethan said.

"Hi." The Fey replied with an embarrassed smile. There was definitely awkward tension in the air.

"Can I...?" She gestured to the bed.

He grinned widely. "Absolutely."

He and Alana disentangled themselves to make room for her. The bed was about the dimensions of a king-sized mattress on Earth. There was room for the three of them, but none could exactly spread out. This hadn't been a problem before as both women were always snuggled up against him.

Taloni slid into the bed and lay down close to him, but not quite touching. She lay on her side with her head on the pillow and looked up at him with wide eyes. She had beautiful eyes. They were the prettiest lilac color and she looked so tiny and vulnerable.

He laid down on his side facing her and she looked into his eyes for nearly a minute, as if searching for something.

He gave her a gentle smile. "Are you okay?"

She hesitated, then nodded slowly. "You really scared me earlier."

"I know, I'm sorry."

*May I say something?* Alana asked telepathically.

*Of course.* He replied.

He felt the bed shift slightly as she moved and then felt her head rest tenderly on his shoulder.

"I know the emotions were horrible, but it seems something more than that is bothering you." The wood elf observed. "You still seem nervous now; why?"

Taloni averted her eyes for a moment before looking back at him. When she did, she somehow looked even smaller and more vulnerable. "I..." She started to say, but seemed to lose her nerve.

"Take your time; I'm not going anywhere." He said encouragingly.

She took a few breaths and blinked her stunning lilac eyes as her honey-blonde hair framed her face perfectly. She was a vision of perfection, made even lovelier by the vulnerability on her face.

"Some of the miners at the camp had tempers, and sometimes their wives... well they..." She seemed to falter.

"They paid the price?" Ethan offered.

She nodded.

"Ethan isn't like that." Alana said. "Someone grazed me with an arrow the day we met and he got so mad that he charged a dozen armed men because of it. When we left Gralden he only lost it when one of the pirates hurt me. When we arrived in Arcanum, he only let the dragon out after someone hurt Beth."

"So, you only lose your temper when you want to protect people?" The Fey asked.

"Not all the time." He admitted. "But often." He glanced back at Alana. "There was that one time in Lord Borden's vault."

"What happened?" Taloni asked wide-eyed.

"I got between him and a lot of gold." The wood elf said. "I got between a dragon and a lot of gold, but he didn't lay a finger on me."

"Really?"

"Really." Alana replied, then added. "He just couldn't do it. He even raised his arm like he was going to maul me, but he just couldn't hurt me."

Taloni seemed to relax after hearing that.

Some of the tension drained away and she looked calmer. Her wings fluttered a little as a contented smile crept onto her face. Most of the apprehension had drained from their bond too. She closed her eyes and just smiled for a moment before sighing softly.

"I'm glad." She said after opening her eyes. She looked at the distance between them and then back into his eyes. "May I snuggle with you master?"

"Always." He nodded, feeling much better now that she was. He opened his arms and she rolled into them, spooning so he was the big spoon. He pulled her tighter into his chest and gave her a gentle squeeze.

"I would never let anything bad happen to you." He whispered into her ear.

She made a noise that was some combination of a sigh, a giggle, and a squeal as she wiggled herself closer to him. It seemed like only a minute later that her breathing changed as she slipped off to sleep.

*I'm glad she's feeling better.* Alana thought to him as she kissed his shoulder.

*Me too.* He said. *The only downside is I just have one set of arms, and they're occupied; I can't hold you too.*

Alana peeked up over his shoulder and looked at the sleeping Fey. She reached down and brushed a lock of golden blonde hair out of her face and tucked it behind the sleeping teen's ear. The Fey teen sighed softly as she did so and the wood elf got a look of supreme happiness on her face.

*I don't mind, but you owe me those big strong arms tomorrow night.* She winked.

He smiled back. *Deal.*

* * *

Kendra could've sworn she'd laid down to sleep only moments ago. She thought she was headed for blissful rest or perhaps a few dreams, but now found herself standing in her tiny, canoe-sized airship. She frowned.

That was strange; she was sure she had fallen asleep

Shrugging, she decided to go below decks and started down the winding marble staircase leading to the lower deck of her canoe-sized airship. As she stepped off the winding staircase, she glanced to her right into the ballroom. It only made sense to have a ballroom on her tiny airship; it helped to break up the monotony of long journeys.

She slipped into the ballroom, being careful not to bump the door guards. They looked like owls from the neck up and were twisting their heads all around. She watched the rows and rows of women dancing in their long flowing gowns and sighed. It had been too long since she had been dancing.

She sat down on a nearby bench and watched for several minutes, envious of the women who had partners.

She didn't have one.

Many men came up to her, but they always asked the girl sitting next to her to dance. Funny, she never realized that was a girl sitting next to her until a man asked the girl to dance.

Finally, the dragon that she'd been hunting -- Ethan -- came up to her. He was all smiles and she couldn't help but notice that he looked dashing in his suit. She didn't think dragons wore suits but apparently this one did, which was one more thing that made him different.

"May I have this dance?" He asked with a toothy grin.

"It would be my pleasure." She agreed and took his scale-covered hand.

He led her onto the dance floor as everyone arranged themselves in two long lines; ladies on the right, gentlemen on the left. The music started and all the men bowed to their partners while all the women curtsied. That's when Kendra realized she was wearing a flowing ball gown the likes of which she'd never seen before.

As one, the couples started moving. Ethan was quite light on his feet, which was good because her soft shoes would've provided no protection against his claws.

"I didn't know dragons could dance." Kendra observed as they did a do-si-do.

"I didn't know dragon hunters danced with dragons." He countered with a chuckle, taking her hand and swinging her, then leading her off into a lady's chain.

"I'd rather be dancing than hunting." She said and felt herself genuinely smile for the first time in ages.

"Oh?"

"Absolutely." She said as he swung her again. "Dance was part of our training so we could blend in anywhere. It was the only part of my training that I truly enjoyed."

"Interesting." He replied as all four in their sub-group put their hands in the center, each one grabbing the wrist of the one in front of them to form a right-hand star. They then all walked forward, turning together in a circle.

"Indeed it was." She agreed. The star then reversed directions as everyone switched hands and turned the other way.

"Why did you start dragon hunting?" He asked as they ended the turn facing a new couple, with them having moved up the line a bit.

"When I was a child. They recruited from an orphanage and I don't remember being asked. I went from always starving and cold to getting hot meals and a warm bed after intense training every day. I never complained."

"That does sound like an improvement." He said as they held hands, stepped close together, then apart, and then swung.

"It was." She nodded fervently. Surprisingly, she found his closeness when they swung comforting.

She didn't know why.

They chatted idly for the entire dance. By the end, Kendra was feeling happier than she ever had. Or at least, happier than she ever remembered feeling. As the music wound down, he bowed to her and she curtsied in response.

"Thank you so much for asking me to dance." She said as he led her off the floor.

"It was my pleasure." He said.

"Hi you two." A pleasant voice said. It was the wood elf in the green dress, who had walked up holding a bundle of blankets that could only contain a baby.

"Hi." Kendra greeted her like they were old friends, then leaned in to see the sleeping face of a newborn baby girl carefully swaddled in the blankets.

"Do you want to hold her?" The wood elf asked.

"Oh, I don't... I don't think I should."

"Nonsense; you'll be wonderful with her." The chocolate-haired elf replied. She adjusted the baby and carefully handed her over.

Not knowing what else to do, Kendra took the little bundle of joy. The baby was clearly asleep but had worked one of her arms free of the swaddling and was gently rubbing her nose and mouth in an adorable way.

"Hi there. Hi." Kendra whispered to the baby. "What's her name?" She looked up... but everyone was gone.

She was completely alone in the ballroom.

She looked around, starting to panic. She had no idea how to take care of a baby. None. She looked around frantically but she was truly alone. Holding the baby protectively with one arm, she rushed to the door, opened it, and ran through.

But instead of the corridor she remembered, now she was on a battlefield.

A massive battlefield.

The entire ground was covered with dead bodies from several different factions in the Ten Kingdoms. The stench of blood and death was thick in the air. Most of the bodies had been slain with weapons, but many bore scorch marks from spells and the foul odor of charred flesh was also in the air. Many different battle standards were lying on the ground or stuck in the earth. Most were ripped or torn.

There was no one living in sight.

Fires -- probably from the mages -- were scattered all around the battlefield, giving off small amounts of smoke that covered the entire area. Their red, flickering light and the omnipresent smoke in the fading light of the twilight sky gave the entire area an otherworldly reddish glow... and not in a good way. It seemed like blood and smoke filled the air.

Something truly awful had happened here.

In the distance, she heard the sound of steel ringing against steel. She turned around to see two dragons fighting, each attacking the other with a ferocity she'd never before seen.

One dragon was steel gray.

The other was black as night.

The steel-gray dragon was wielding a shield and a gleaming sword that seemed to shine with an inner light. The black dragon was answering with a mace and shield. They were both moving so fast that she had trouble keeping her eyes on their movements.

She clutched the baby tighter as she realized what terrible danger the infant was in if the gray dragon lost.

"Keep the baby safe Kendra." She heard a somber but melodious voice say from behind her.

She whipped around to see a woman who was wearing robes of the purest white. Despite the bloodiness of the battlefield, there wasn't a single speck of dirt or blood on her pristine, shining clothes. She seemed to shine brightly, but with the warmth of a flickering candle.

"Protect the baby Kendra; keep her safe." The luminous woman said again.

Kendra heard a growl behind her and turned.

The gray dragon had been wounded -- though not fatally -- and he had fallen to the earth. The black dragon turned and started charging towards Kendra and the baby. She turned and fled, clutching the baby tightly as her heart pounded in her chest.

She wasn't fast enough.

She could hear the black dragon gaining on her as she ran for all she was worth, clutching the baby tightly to herself the whole time. She chanced a glance behind her and saw the black dragon was nearly upon them and swinging its weapon in a powerful overhand strike. She dove to the side and curled herself around the baby to protect the infant as best as she could.

She hit the ground and heard the dragon roar. She turned to see it raise its mace and prepare for a vicious downward blow that would surely kill them both. She used her body to shield the infant and clenched her eyes shut.

The hammer whistled through the air as it swung down...

* * *

"Aah!" Kendra yelled as she sat bolt upright in her airship, her eyes flying open.

Her heart was pounding in her chest. She was panting as if she'd just run a marathon and was nearly drenched in cold sweat. She was clutching her travel pack tightly to her chest as if it was the infant she'd been so desperately protecting.

Her hands were shaking.

Her breathing was short and ragged.

It took a few moments for her to get her bearings.

"It's okay, you're okay." She told herself. She took a few deep, calming breaths and tried to still her racing heart. "It was just a dream."

After a few moments, her body seemed to realize that she wasn't running or fighting for her life and it slowly calmed down. Her breathing returned to normal along with her heartbeat, and her hands stopped shaking.

"What in Saidow's lair was that?" She said thinking back to the dream. Dancing with a dragon? Fighting to save their baby like she was the most important thing in the world?

Kendra shook her head and shuddered.

It was still in the pre-dawn hours. The sky had just barely begun to lighten in the east and there was still a slight chill in the late summer air. She pulled out her enchanted spyglass and scanned the horizon to make sure the dragon's airship was still berthed near the slaver's camp. It was, though they had removed the gangplank and risen another fifty feet in the air to prevent anyone from boarding at night.

Smart.

Satisfied that her quarry hadn't escaped, Kendra laid back down and pondered the dream. It certainly hadn't felt like a normal dream. Well, perhaps the first part with the dancing was. She often dreamed of dancing and realized with a sigh that she couldn't remember the last time she'd done it in the waking world.

But dancing with a dragon?

Strangely, she had quite enjoyed the experience and the conversation that had flowed naturally between them. She couldn't remember opening up that easily to anyone before. Of course, that was only in a dream. She wouldn't even consider opening up like that to the dragon in real life.

And then there was their daughter.

The baby had been so cute. Kendra had never been a 'baby person' but had to admit that little bundle of joy felt amazing in her arms. She felt sorry for the girl because of her parentage, but otherwise...

She closed her eyes and tried to remember every detail. She lay there thinking about her desperate attempts to save the baby and the strange luminous woman who had instructed her to do so. Something about that seemed significant, but she didn't know what.

That was her last though before she drifted back to sleep.

* * *

Ethan took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he looked at the large wooden ring that housed the unopened portal.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Alana agreed with him.

They stood just inside the small cavern which housed the portal. Taloni, Rachel, Hailey, Anthiel, the two women from Earth, and all the kids were standing behind him. Everyone had eaten a hurried breakfast and now they were ready to leave.

Or as ready as they could be.

"Okay, here's the plan." He said turning to face them. "Rachel will show Anthiel and Taloni how to open the portal. Once it's open, I'll go through it first to make sure it's safe and Gonorran isn't around. If the coast looks clear, I'll let Alana know and she'll let everyone else know. If she says to go, then run through the portal because I'm not sure how long it will stay open. Rachel says it would take the better part of a day for Taloni and Anthiel to replenish their mana enough to open it again, so rush through as soon as Alana gives the word. Everyone understand?"

There was a general murmur of agreement.

"Then let's get to it." He said.

Rachel led Anthiel and Taloni over to the control podium and started showing them how it worked. It seemed as simple as pushing your mana into the large orange gemstone embedded in the center of the control podium. At least, it was that simple to open a portal. Rachel had said there was no way she would risk trying to alter the portal's endpoint.

He noticed Hailey standing a little away from the others. She had her arms crossed as if cold, but it wasn't cold in the cavern.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

She nodded. "Just nervous. I've been dreaming about this day for years. Now that it's here, I just..." She glanced at the portal. "What if everything has changed?"

"I'm sure some things have changed." He replied. "You've been gone a while and it would be silly to think that everything stayed the same. But we'll be with you every step of the way."

"Still?"

"Yes." He nodded. "We take care of our friends."

"Thank you. I don't know what I would've done without you; all of you."

"You're welcome."

She looked at the portal. "I'm half expecting this thing to open into a military base under the Cheyenne Mountains. It looks like the Goa'uld might come through at any moment."

He chuckled at the Stargate SG1 reference, though he had to admit the resemblance was striking. There were plenty of differences between the portal and SG1's Stargate, and also between the portal's control podium and SG1's DHD -- dial home device -- but they were definitely similar.

It almost made him wonder...

"Maybe the resemblance isn't accidental, but causal." He mused.

"Come again?" Hailey asked.

"Well, Earth has plenty of stories filled with magic. Perhaps Earth once had mages and one of them created a portal like this which someone found? That would certainly explain the resemblance."

"That sounds farfetched." Hailey replied.

"Does it?" He asked. "I've definitely met other people on this world who came from Earth, or at least visited there." He then explained about Luminar Kossel quoting Star Wars and Kendra's friend who had a quote from Pulp Fiction memorized.

"Interesting." She made a thoughtful sound. "So, you think the US government has some top-secret portal and that was the inspiration for the Stargate movie and series?"

"Maybe?" He shrugged. "I have no idea. I'm just thinking out loud. Besides, there's no magic on Earth now anyway, so how would they charge a portal to open it? "

"Good point." The willowy woman replied.

"We're ready." Rachel called.

Ethan walked over to Anthiel, Rachel, and Taloni; who were all standing near the control podium. He looked at the Fey teen and smiled.

*You can hear me right?* He said telepathically.

*I can.* she replied the same way, then she grinned. *I like this; it's like our own private conversation in a room full of people.*

*I know, right?* He gave her a hug and then kissed her forehead. *I love you, and I'll be back as soon as possible.*

She squeezed him tightly. *I love you too master. Be careful and hurry back.*

*I will.* He nodded and then walked to the head of the ramp.

"You might not want to stand so close while the portal is forming." Rachel said from the base of the ramp where everyone else was standing. "It might be dangerous."

"Good point." He said, remembering how the portal on Stargate SG1 had a tendency to vaporize everything in front of it when it opened. He walked to the bottom of the ramp, picked up his spear and hammer, and waited.

"Okay ladies, give it all you've got." Rachel instructed.

Taloni and Anthiel placed their hands on the large orange gemstone on the control podium. They got looks of intense concentration and then looked at the large ring that would contain the portal.

It worked.

The gemstone on the lower left slowly lit up and then flashed slightly.

"Chevron one encoded." Hailey whispered to Ethan.

He chuckled at the Stargate SG1 reference.

It took about a minute for the Fey and the high elf to fully charge all seven gemstones around the edge of the ring. When they had, all seven flashed at the same moment, and then something that looked like opaque water started flowing from the inside of the ring toward the open center. It moved like honey or maple syrup; slowly and like it was very thick. In seconds it had met in the center, forming a membrane and then began to relax and undulate like water in the wind.

The membrane was like the surface of water as it reflected the sun. Or perhaps like oil left out on a flat surface. Like the portal stone Elder Goman had given him, it undulated and moved liked water in a slight breeze, reflecting the colors of the rainbow like soap bubbles. At the same time though, it was a subtle thing; easy to miss with just a glance; again like the rainbow colors in a bubble.

"Portal's open." Rachel called. "You better get going."

He took a deep breath and tightened his grip on his weapons. Then -- hoping that Gonorran wasn't waiting for him on the other side -- he ran up the ramp and jumped through the portal to Earth.

(End of chapter 17)

Note: This chapter began on day 53 of Ethan's life in the Ten Kingdoms and ended on day 54.