Episode One Hundred and Forty-Six: Dragon Tastes
“This is good, it reminds me of when you roast an animal…” His voice trailed off as he realized he was about to say something probably impolite, and he changed his wording. “It’s very good, and an easy preparation.”
He added a few more pieces of bacon to his plate, and Indigo nodded.
I smirked to myself, glad that I’d found another to convert to loving breakfast foods. I cut into my waffle again and crunched down on a perfect bite, with both butter and syrup. My eyes drifted over to Indigo more than once, though it didn’t look like anything had changed with her from her time away with the dragons.
Thankfully, she hadn’t gotten any bigger. As it was, the big bowl for her dumpling soup could just barely hold her if she swam in tight circles.
It didn’t take long for everyone to finish eating, though I noticed the Cat remained very quiet throughout the entire meal. He didn’t even stare at Lord Bennit during that time.
“Can I get you some dragon tea?” I asked, as everyone finished up the last bites.
“That would be lovely,” replied Lord Bennit.
The Cat blinked a few times in my direction, but again didn’t comment.
I left everyone behind in the kitchen as I headed to the front of the shop. The tea canisters lined the wall behind the counter, and I pulled down the one with the dragon tag. Using the electric kettle, it didn’t take long before it beeped at the correct temperature listed on the label.
Indigo flew through the air and landed on the wooden counter, with several chirps of joy.
“I show grandpa my cave!” Then she launched herself into the air again, heading across the shop without a care.
Footsteps behind me alerted me to Lord Bennit coming to the front.
He chuckled at Indigo’s flying speed.
“I’m not sure you can fit in her hideaway,” I whispered, not wanting to burst Indigo's happiness bubble. “It’s Indigo-sized.”
“I can take care of that,” he replied. Then I felt a blast of a cool wind and his form shimmered. One second, he looked like he always did with white hair and generally human features. Then, he became a dragon.
Yet, small.
Bigger than Indigo, and even the Cat, but not much more than that. Bright blue shimmery scales covered him, and pure white eyes stared at me as he landed on the counter with a thud. His wings were tipped with silver ridges, and after only a moment he jumped into the air with another burst of a cool breeze, before racing after the young book dragon.
Stolen from NovelFire, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
“Can all dragons become Indigo sized?” I asked myself, as I filled the metal ball with tea.
“Dragons do what they want,” said the Cat as he leaped on the counter. “It helps that he is a particularly powerful dragon.”
I scratched the Cat’s ears and he sat down right next to me, rubbing his head on my arm.
“How are you doing this morning?”
He blinked, and his green eyes glowed brightly for a moment.
“I am unsettled.” Each word came out slowly, like he didn’t want to say them, but he made himself.
“Go on.”
“They said to enjoy the holiday.”
It took only a second for the words to sink in, and for me to understand what the Cat meant. Then I smiled brightly.
“That’s amazing news! You can relax for today, and not worry about work at all.” I picked him up and snuggled him close before putting him down.
“You just need to suffer the company of dragons,” I joked.
He nodded slowly from where I put him down on the counter.
A timer went off for the tea, and mentally I thanked Betty. I’d forgotten to set one for the dragon tea. I removed the metal ball and emptied out the tea before moving the mug to the center of the counter.
It’d stay warm, based on my prior experience.
Then I started making some more coffee for me and the Cat. A second round of loveliness sounded perfect. I pulled out his teacup with flowers on it and set it nearby, while I steamed the milk with a bit of heavy cream mixed in, sticking with the maple theme.
The Cat watched me make his latte, a little more relaxed than before.
“Why does it worry you that they told you to relax?” I finally asked, trying to understand his point of view a little better.
“They never speak. Never, in centuries. Only through the book do I receive directions…”
“You mean, besides when they use power on you,” I added, a little anger creeping into my voice.
“Don’t tempt them,” whispered the Cat in a choking voice, his tail flicking behind him.
“Enjoy this, and try to relax.” I finished up the lattes and pointed at his. My mug sat nice and warm within my hands. The first sip warmed all of me, and I couldn’t help but smile.
A smaller part of me wondered about the Fates, and the Cat’s fear of them. All I knew was that they existed, and dragons ignored them. Fey Lords as well, though they could get punished by them. I guessed dragons probably could too, though I hadn’t heard about anything like that.
Others had spoken about them in a reverent tone, almost like they were gods of some type. They were also the Cat’s keepers, and the ones that needed to agree to give him his freedom. That meant they were entities that could be interacted with, more like the ancient gods and goddesses from Greece or Rome on my world.
“You are very relaxed for needing to entertain the dragon until the Elder joins us.”
The Cat’s words caused me to chuckle. It didn’t help that he was completely right.
“I don’t have a clue. Usually, we all lounge around on the solstice after breakfast, then snack on cookies and hot chocolate until we decide to do presents. Dinner was normally right in the middle of the afternoon, then relaxing until the town's celebration started as the sun went down.”
I moved back to Betty and steamed some additional milk for a hot chocolate for Indigo, only enough to fill a teacup. I knew what I’d put in her stocking, and didn’t want her to overload on too much sugar.
“What’s for dinner?” asked the Cat, after lapping at his drink.
I paused with my lips parted before I snapped them shut. I thought about the stocking, presents, and the tree, along with decorating the living room upstairs, but not dinner. It had never been a thing I’d ever had to think about, and now I realized I’d forgotten.
“Well…”