The End

Azula

“As Nox said, the curse on your body and soul is lifted. Try opening your eyes my little wife.” Said my mate… and I tried again.

I opened my eyes, but I was high in the air…. But my feet were on the ground.

“I never thought I’d see another blood dragon.” Said Lord Nox.

[Oh shut it. Are you alright Azula?] Asked Drozo. He was a dragon….

I sat all the way up, looking at my claws… I felt my snout…. [Ah!] I breathed a little fire. [AH!] I yelled. I had wings. I flapped them, losing my balance a bit for doing so, but he was right there to catch me.

He laughed. “That will take some getting used to dear.” He grinned. “Is there anything you want to do…?” Drozo asked as if he knew I did….

I did want something… [To fly…] I admitted sheepishly.

“Then try to fly.” He encouraged gently.

“… I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Said Yulanya.

“Don’t be a prude.” He complained. “Jump and flap your wings… the rest should come naturally, and if it doesn’t, I’ll catch you.”

I felt my legs under me… I could feel the wind on my scales… I was the same color as Drozo… and I jumped high in the air…. I flapped my wings to go higher, but also as I went higher, I went forward….

But the ground below was beautiful.

“Enjoy the festivities. We’ll be back in a half hour or so.” Drozo said blocking out the sky above me, then he flew a little above me… Both my wings outstretched was One of his, though it felt so right to be with him this way…

[Wow…] I said silently…. But now it made me Really wonder…. who Were my parents? Since they were likely dead, I would probably never know… but I Did know one thing…. This was Amazing…

The wind under wings was nothing I’d ever felt…. I’d seen up here through his abilities, but it was nothing like my own…

[Landing is going to be too hard for a new flyer.] he said grabbing my sides gently. I stopped flapping…. I was getting tired, and he caught on to that before I realized.

He held me in his claws like the bride I was, holding me close to his heart. “This really is a joyus day.” He said flying above the jungle now.

“Where are we going?’ I asked.

“I don’t know.” He said in common. “Also you said that in common.”

“I didn’t even realize…” I said looking up at him. He smiled lightly. I could tell the expressions he made So much better now…

And his scent… it was More than Just power… you could smell his rank too… his rank was King…. Protector…. And mine was Queen, Nurturer…

“Would you like to see the ocean?” He asked.

“Yes.” I said swiftly.

“I’m going to let you go, and you can practice landing here…. I am right here with you.” He said softly. “Once I release you, spread both your wings and flap backwards to slow down. As you do that, flex your claws forward.” He said letting go.

We’d gotten to the ocean so quickly… but the way down was Too Fast!

“Ah!” I screamed panicking, falling a bit before doing what he said… I did slow down… but the landing wasn’t that graceful. I face planted in the sand, but he had me by the sides. He swooped down to help me, so I didn’t hurt myself.

“Not bad for a first landing. No blood.” He said shifting instantly. “To do this, you basically imagine yourself as a mortal form.”

I did that too… I noticed though that now my hair was a blood red as well… and I was naked. He grabbed me from behind and walked to the water with me.

The ocean was so clear I could see the bottom and the fish swim…the sun sparkled and dappled on the surface, and below I could see the flow of the waves. Out beyond, all the way to the horizon was water… It truly was a sight to behold…I could smell the salt and fresh seaweed since the tide was high…

The water was also warm since we were in the tropics. I hummed at the feel of my mate gently rub my belly.

“I don’t know why I wondered here with you… but it feels right.” He said suddenly.

“I want to be wherever you are.” I said happily.

“The same goes for me my most lovely… if you would have stayed human… be it a mortal who was cursed, or a dragon as you are now… know that I don’t care. All I care about is that I have You…” he said kissing me softly on the top of the head. “Let me make a fire for driftwood, and lay down some banana leaves to sit on.” He said pulling away from me.

I watched him make a bonfire and lay down leaves for me to sit on… he also stepped into said fire to dry off, and gently lead me to it to test it.

“If you feel any discomfort, let me know.” He said leading me to the fire.

It was warm, but there was no discomfort or burning… I dried off and we sat on the leaves. I rested my head on his chest.

I was suddenly tired…and I took a small nap on his chest.

-----Drozo-----

I roasted some fish for her so that when she awoke, I could see Nox in the distance. He used Rainath to find me. I could see even in the distance that my brother was hesitant to come near, since he knew I was hiving bonding time with my mate… she was so fresh to the shift.

So new… her scales were still soft.. She scented as if it were her first set…. Well she’d been stuffed in a mortal visage her entire life. To my understanding, she was even born mortal…. So it probably Was.

“Brother may we approach?” Asked Rainath shifting immediately. My instincts to protect her were high and he knew it.

“Yes brother.” I motioned him to sit in the sand. He shimmied on pants and tossed me a pair. I let them sit next to my leaf blanket. I could shake the sand off and put them on later.

He aptly sat with Nox, and we all shared a silent moment, if not for the waves.

“I found her parents. They were regular mortals.” Said Nox.

“Are they alive?” I asked sitting a little straighter.

“No. They died during a rebellion in the coal mines not too far from here.” Nox passed me the files.

They were human. A Cris and Fran Fletcher. They were slaves in the mines…. Though they died because they listened to the local elves. They were crushed… as most were back then, but since her daughter had such strange eyes, the dragons that found her took her to the orphanage.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking.” I said glaring at the paper…

“The ‘curse’ was what changed her to be like you.” Said Nox. “You’re the Only born blood dragon. Even in the old times, you were the Only…but now you have a mate. One who will make you blood drakes.”

“…That’s in the Far future friend. I would not ask anything of her, other than her love.” I said firmly.

I don’t want whelps again until I’m at least two or three thousand. Or rather, whenever she felt ready. There was no rush… I literally had thousands of children.

“I figured that much.” He said shaking his head with a smile..

“I know. Go enjoy your life. Stop worrying about me.” I said firmly.

“Trust me I will, but Before I go back to my kingdom, I wanted you to know that you did right by the realm this time… and for it she was rewarded.” Said Nox.

“Yes, and her reward is mine as well… it pained me to know that I could do nothing for her… but now with peace, and prosperity in all the kingdoms…. I think I can retire for a bit. Not forever, just a few decades with Azula… Just a moment….” I almost laughed at the notion.

“No… we are the Keepers…. We don’t get breaks as much as I would love to be home with my husband…” He sighed. “Anway. I’m off to be with him. See you at the wedding.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” I told him. He flew off, likely for the view, and that he didn’t want to share how tired he really was.

I was as well… but not by much. It’s hard keeping the world from being overrun by undead… harder still to protect everyone who’s so soft and vulnerable…. But I was happy…

My mate was free… my family was a good one, and should we decide to have a family many breeding seasons from now, I wouldn’t mind a whelp from my dearest beloved.

She made me slow down being how she was… it made me aware of who I was and of her frailty…. And of her feelings. I don’t know if I would have rightly changed how I needed if everything was just handed to me…

But in my hands was the blood red hair of my queen… one I still felt I did not deserve, and I would treat with care…

----The End---

NOW the book is finished. I didn’t want to leave the loose end of what she was. I thought it good that she be a red dragon as well, being born in a black dragon dominated area. I figure her curse being lifted is what Made her what she is now, beforehand she was cursed because of the partner she would get.

She forced Drozakrahth to Slow Down and Actually Be the husband he needed to be.

It was also So fun writing about another realm king.