Sacrifice to the Dragon King-Closed.

[Perplexia]

Alexis Renfoe lived in the small village of Ardaya that prospered at the base of Mt. Olympus. She was the only daughter of the town's tailor and had inspirations to one day explore further beyond her little village. Any bit of funds that came her way she saved to hopefully one day fill her dreams of travel.

In the world in which she lived however, it was dangerous to travel beyond the visual distance of the mountain. For if you did he, The Dragon King, would not be able to see you and protect you from the many supernatural dangers that threatened the country. It had been rumored there were demons, trolls, ogres, three headed hounds, and snakes so large that their breath could knock over the largest of men.

To pay homage for his protection a pact had been made hundreds of years earlier with the village people. In exchange for his protection and their prosperity every 20 years a virgin girl between the ages of 18-22 would be sacrificed to the Dragon King It was unknown for what reason he allowed that time frame. Speculations would vary from the length he would keep his sacrifices alive, to the torture he would inflict upon them before growing board.

As every child was born their parents calculated if they would fall into the lottery that could possibly steal their child from them. It was their responsibility to ensure the child remained pure and unwed. If any attempt was made to hide their child or wed them off prior to the lottery, the parents were punished by death for altering the potential outcome of the sacrificial lottery.

What they didn’t know was once the Dragon successfully found his mate, the one that could bare his children. Their sacrifice would no longer be required. A dragon had mystical powers that could preserve the one girl that had the markers in her genetic code. To be his mate, for as long as he wished. It wasn’t a matter of mating, it was a matter of being able to successfully carry the child to term.

For as long as she could remember Alexis, or Alex as her friends called her. Had been mystified and drawn to the castle upon the mountain. There was something that registered deep within her. Of course she was terrified as well, but she had always appreciated its beauty and the way it had glimmered in the sun like diamonds. She had sketched it many times over her young 19 years. Her friends however, especially those who fell into the upcoming lottery, didn't want to discuss anything about it. Superstitions had overtaken the little village for many years.
‘If you look at it you’ll be chosen, if you talk about it you’ll be chosen, and most obscenely if you dream about it the dragon will sneak into your dreams and murder you.’

Alex had dreamt about it many times. It always amazed her how vivid it was. She would see a spectacular garden with flowers she’d only seen sketches of in books from forgein lands. The feeling she had was one of comfort instead of fear. That scared her even more. How odd was she?

A week before the festival all of the girls were gathered and taken to a holding house. They were pampered, manicured, and fitted for the finest white silk dress her father could make for them all. They even went as far as trimming their pubic hair and shaving their legs and armpits. It was an experience that was new and a memory she could carry with her. Her father certainly didn’t have the kind of money to pay for such royal treatment as some of the more elite society members did.

They stayed there until the time arose for them to walk the streets with their flower baskets. As Alex walked the streets she could hear the mothers crying for their daughters. Eventually they were brought up to the platform in the square where they all picked rocks that held numbers on the other side. They lined up in order and waited as the ritual officiate gave his speech and prepared to pick the number. Alex noticed guard on

A strong gut feeling overcame her, and she knew with absolute certainty it was going to be her that was chosen. Thanking those that could be chosen, he pulled a rock. He called her number. Some cried with relief that it wasn’t them, but she had no reaction. Stepping forward to acknowledge it was her she held out the rock to the officiate.

Alex could hear her fathers anguish as he watched his daughter escorted from the stage and placed in a man-carried cart. They adorned her with flowers on her as the men carried her cart to the giant hall. Somehow she found the strength to step off and sit on the throne at the front of the platform. The festivities began as her mind wandered. The unknown was always scary. To each tale there was always a bit of truth buried in there somewhere. The festivities continued till the sun began to rise the next morning. She had been offered the finest meal during the occasion. Although she loved a succulent ham and the fixings that went with it. She had little appetite. As they prepared her hair, and the ritual officiant gave her direct instructions of how to greet the Dragon King, and how she was to obey, Alex simply scoffed at him in her mind. She believed that respect and trust was a two way street. She had no knowledge of what may become of her when she arrived. Yet still somehow there was a small part of her that was anxious to get there that confounded her.

Saying goodbye to her father, and her friends caused her tears to flow. To her knowledge no one had ever returned. This was the last time she would see them, it overwhelmed her with somber emotions that made her tears flow freely.

At the base of the mountain, she looked back one last time. Taking a mental picture she could carry with her for as long as she lived. Loaded with trinkets and gifts to the Dragon king she began the arduous journey up the mountain path. It would take her over half a day to reach the top. Stopping only to drink, and rest she continued. Thoughts of running away had crossed her mind. But she knew that her chances of survival would be next to none. Still she argued with herself. It would be better than what is waiting for me. Shaking her head she continued to maneuver her way up the path.

Reaching the path that led to the doors caused her to pause and take in the beauty. Something inside of her whispered ‘home’. Taking a deep breath she walked to the large doors. Knocking several times with the large dragon head door knocker she waited for an answer. She trembled for a moment from the unknown causing her to lose control of her fear. Shaking it off she composed herself.

With no answer, and a moment of brevity. She opened the large ornate door. The castle just from the entry was absolutely a spectacular view. Its beauty overwhelmed her, again the voice within her spoke ‘home’. Taking a step inside the large door closed behind her with a rattling thud.

"Hello" she called out and listened as it echoed through the enormous castle.

 

[TheWorldBuilder]

Æðelnoð (Aethelnoth) - in modern English: Noble Boldness/Daring

His eyes stung as the biting wind drove hailstones into them. Blurred outlines swooped through the blizzard and he aimed his flaming breath towards the indistinct shapes. A piercing scream told him that he had struck at least one of his targets and he noted that the others moved away to circle at a more respectful distance.

Not for the first time, he considered how much he hated the mountains of the southern lands. He respected the promise he had made to his mother, when she had first told him of his royal bloodline and the circumstances of his birth, but there were occasions when the pact he had made with humanity taxed even his noble heart.

Why, oh why, would these people live in this insufferable part of the world when there were vast tracts of empty lands in the warmer climate around the equator?

He broke his musing as he noticed a dark form closing rapidly from behind his right shoulder. Pulling himself into a tight ball, he dropped unchecked for a few seconds before unfurling about 18 inches at the tip of each wing. The curved surfaces caught the wind and swept him back up in a graceful arc, directly under the belly of the scaly, black creature - which had invaded the few dimensions he was pledged to protect within the whole infinity of the universe. Anger rekindled his fire and he let the momentum of his climb carry him close, perhaps too close, before he sent intense heat against the body of his foe.

Luckily, gravity was in his favour. As it slowed his ascent, he opened his wings to their full eight foot span and beat backwards to avoid the reflected wrath of his own ire. Once the flames spent, he could see a terrible wound with charred edges burnt into the torso of his opponent. With a flicker, the creature vanished back into its native habitat, accompanied by its lesser followers.

Æðelnoð beat only his right wing until he faced back towards the village and then let the air support his glide to the ground. The elders waited at the side of the green until he landed and then cautiously approached.

“Oh master, you have our undying thanks, my Lord,” said the one dressed in the most ornate collection of robes and adornments, “what gifts can we possibly give you in exchange for our lives?”

“What kind of objects do you have for seeing the far distance?” he boomed, although he was trying to speak softly to the village's leaders.

The adorned one gazed up at Æðelnoð's face, two feet above his own. “Seeing the far distance, my Lord, is such a thing possible?” he replied with astonishment.

The wingéd visitor sighed. Another land without the technology he sought. He would go home almost empty handed again.

“A bag of the seeds of that succulent red fruit will suffice.”

Æðelstan (Aethelstane) - in modern English: Noble Rock/Stone

<KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK>

She was here already. None of the chosen had made the climb so quickly in Æðelstan's memory, although he would be the first to admit that it was beginning to fail a little after nearly 1,500 years. He made his way from his small snug at the side of the great hall towards the smaller entrance chamber as fast as his tired old legs would allow, but before he had crossed the large open space he heard the thick oaken outer door slam shut and a call from beyond the connecting arch.

“Hellooo.”

“Bugger these youngsters,” thought the old prince, “don't they have any manners?”

“Just let yourself in,” he called out, “it's not locked.” Limping through the archway, he added sarcastically, “oh, you already have.”

He knew that she must have passed adolescence to be chosen, but to his old eyes she looked even younger than the last woman who entered the castle to live with his nephew. She was a pretty one, that couldn't be denied, and slim too. Her dress hid her breasts but, to Stan's rheumy eyes, they looked small and pert. That would soften his nephew's heart straightaway. Slim, flat stomach, pert breasts; that had the physical aspects covered but did she have the intelligence which would keep the boy entranced after those moments of initial lust?

Where were those damned women? They ought to be fully aware that that day was Festival Day and they should have heard the knocking even if they were gossiping in the kitchen. Almost at the moment of his thought, the younger of his nephew's women came into the entrance hall.

"I am Æðelstan, welcome." he said to the young girl by the outer door. He indicated towards the other woman, "This is Katerina."


Edited: line wrap error.
2nd edit: minor plot change.

 

[Perplexia]

“oh, you already have.” the sarcasm was not lost on her. Rather than respond she simply let the bag she was carrying drop to the floor with a resounding thump that seemingly echoed through the chambers.
Lexi eyed the older dragon suspiciously taking in his older than expected demeanor. He stood close to 7 feet if not that, his hair salt and pepper and a stiff demeanor. The limp hadn't escaped her attention.

"I am Æðelstan, welcome." he motioned the other woman, "This is Katerina." Katerina smiled and gave a slight curtsy, Lexi did the same in response. Katerina had been the last girl to come up the mountain. "Well it's safe to assume then I'm not to be eaten." she said blankly. Having a filter was never one of those things lexi had quite mastered. Katerina let out a laugh. "I was worried about the same the first time I came through these doors. The village truly does not prepare you for what it is to be here."

Lexi looked around at the grandeur of the castle. "It's just as I dreamt" she said absent mindedly as she looked around. Hauntingly enough, it was almost down to the last detail. Katerina just ignored that statement, she had never dreamt of this place at all prior to being here. "Come" she said. "You must be tired, i remember the long walk here, as if it were yesterday. I shall show you to your room, let you get cleaned up and rest before the festival." "The festival?" she questioned. "Yes we have one to welcome the new woman every twenty years" "There's more of you?" Lexi asked a little taken back. "Yes, our oldest is 108,
“oh, you already have.” the sarcasm was not lost on her. Rather than respond she simply let the bag she was carrying drop to the floor with a resounding thump that seemingly echoed through the chambers.
Lexi eyed the older dragon suspiciously taking in his older than expected demeanor. He stood close to 7 feet if not that, his hair salt and pepper and a stiff demeanor. The limp hadn't escaped her attention.

"I am Æðelstan, welcome." he motioned the other woman, "This is Katerina." Katerina smiled and gave a slight curtsy, Lexi did the same in response. Katerina had been the last girl to come up the mountain. "Well it's safe to assume then I'm not to be eaten." she said blankly. Having a filter was never one of those things lexi had quite mastered. Katerina let out a laugh. "I was worried about the same the first time I came through these doors. The village truly does not prepare you for what it is to be here."

Lexi looked around at the grandeur of the castle. "It's just as I dreamt" she said absent mindedly as she looked around. Hauntingly enough, it was almost down to the last detail. Katerina just ignored that statement, she had never dreamt of this place at all prior to being here. "Come" she said. "You must be tired, i remember the long walk here, as if it were yesterday. I shall show you to your room, let you get cleaned up and rest before the festival." "The festival?" she questioned. "Yes we have one to welcome the new woman every twenty years" "There's more of you?" Lexi asked a little taken back. "Yes, our oldest is 108, quite amazing isn't it? Our life span isn't half that much in the village. It's one of the many benefits of being here."

"Forgive me" Lexi said looking to Æðelstan, "I'm Alexis, thank you for the welcome." She gave him a slight curtsy, and began to follow Katerina up the stairs. Lexi was taken back by the artwork that lined the walls. Her eyes came upon a portrait of Æðelnoð, and she stopped and stared. Katerina came back and stood next to Lexi admiring the portrait. There was a strength and intelligence that seemed to be captured by its artist. "Who is that?" Lexi asked feeling particularly drawn to it. "That is who you're here for his name is Æðelnoð." "Oh, i thought.." "Oh no" Katerina laughed, "That is Æðelnoð's uncle. you'll get use to his quips" she said smiling.

"What is he like?" Katerina got a bewitched doe eyed look about her as she began to speak. "He is, everything you could ever dream of or hope for." Then a look of loss crossed her features for a moment before the smile came back. "Come, lets get you to your room." Lexi nodded taking one last glance at the portrait before following her. Her room was almost as big as her entire cottage in the village. A tub awaited her, filled for her with steaming hot water. A white dress, more ornate than the one she wore had been laid out for her, along with a flower wreath for her hair.

Katerina said she'd be back in a few hours to fetch her and gave her a hug telling her how glad she was that she was here. It beguiled Lexi how she could actually feel that way. It was abundantly clear that she was head over heals for Æðelnoð. Apparently, Lexi was her replacement. But unlike her predecessors, Lexi had no desire to be here. Yes all the luxuries were nice, but she wasn't quite sure what was expected of her. If he thought she was going to be dropping her knickers for him, he had another thing coming.

 

[TheWorldBuilder]

Æðelstan

Once the women had gone up the staircase at the side of the entrance hall, towards the chambers above, Stan thought of the thousands of years which had led up to this point. He made his way across the vast expanse of the main chamber and sought the refuge of his own domain. Settling into his comfortable chair, he let his mind recall the long chain of circumstances which had led to the presence of this reluctant young woman in their midst.

Long before he and his older brother had been born, their kind ruled over the continent, guarding the mortals who walked through the many realms below. They watched over the development of many nascent civilizations, through countless wars between angels and demons, monsters and behemoths, immortals and evil beings of a power far beyond that which any mortal could comprehend. Through the ages, through the countless battles, the dragonfolk rose above all the others. They weren't just a family, they had become the Royal family.

Through the ages their power had slowly grown, their fierceness became legend and their nobility and incorruptibility became the foundation upon which a group of peace-loving tribes, who settled in the foothills of their mountain home, relied. Aeons of war took their dreadful toll and when an age of peace had finally settled only two brothers and a female cousin were left alive.

The mortals of the human world considered them ageless, only killed by combat, but such was not the case. Illness could afflict them, cold wearied them. They aged like any other living beings, though they lived far longer than any pure human could ever dream of.

Except those humans who entered into a special, a very intimate, relationship with them.

It was only through human females that they were able to reproduce. It would not be easy of course, if it were dragons would spread like a plague. It took special humans to produce offspring. Male human sperm couldn't pierce the thicker membrane of the female dragonette egg. Only a male dragon bonding with a female human could provide the
environment for the hybrid zygote to develop into one of the dragonfolk. It wasn't enough simply to bring the gametes together. The right human genetics had to match with the dragon's in order for the gestating foetus to be taken to term and brought to life. Even with that special human it would still not be so simple. A dragon was a beast of magic and in order for new life to be created there would be magical rules to follow.

How easy it would have been for dragonfolk to simply go into the villages of the humans and start taking any women that they wanted, spreading their male essence like dandelion seeds and hoping upon chance that something would sprout from that lust. No, it did not work that way. Dragon life could not flourish without love. The magic would not allow creation to be a random lottery where the purchase of a sufficient number of tickets would win a prize. Neither could the affection be forced upon she who must nurture the growing embryo for over a year. Dragons could only continue their kind by winning the true love of women who were both mortal and magical. A rare combination indeed, but dragons were creatures capable of unbounded love.

Over a thousand years ago the brothers had made a pact with the tribes below the great castle atop the mountain. Every twenty years the villagers would choose a young fertile woman from one of their settlements to come up to the castle as a potential bride. The dragons would woo the woman and hope that she would fall in love with one of them. Then, with love, they would nurture her in the hope that she was the compatible one who could give the one she chose a male heir. They even negotiated with certain human craftworkers of generations long ago to accept voluntary exile in the castle in order to make luxuries and comforts for these girls. Things like beds, tables, chairs, bathtubs, dressers and mirrors that would help put these girls at ease when chosen to live in the castle.

For generations, human generations, this cycle repeated itself. Sometimes neither brother could win the woman's heart, but even those who accepted the love the brothers gave failed to grant them what they needed for the continuation of their kind. Still they kept their word, protecting the villages below who bore no responsibility for the magic failing to take hold in those particular unions. Bride after bride, generation after generation, until the people of the village began to see it as a sacred honour to be chosen. Then, at last, a girl who had fallen in love with the older brother produced a son. The magic told them he would be bold and adventurous, so they combined that with the family name and called him Æðelnoð. Still the younger sibling was childless.

However frustrating the endless cycle seemed to be, the chosen women would always be welcomed on Festival Day by all the surviving predecessors. They would live in luxury whether they accepted a dragon's affection or not and then, if there was no heir within twenty years, they would choose a large house in the extensive grounds of the lower main and live the rest of their magically enhanced lifespan in peace. At the next celebration of the Day, they would return to the upper keep to greet the new arrival.

Stan sighed, he had never rejected nor hurt any of the women. Both his brother and he had offered them nothing but love and had cared for each one until they died of old age. His sister-in-law had never produced a sibling for his nephew, but two centuries later the youngster took up the mantle from his ageing father and so the cycle continued for another 700 years.....until now.


Æðelnoð

He wanted to rest, but today was Festival Day. In a few short hours a new girl from one of the villages would arrive at the castle and it would be sorely ill-mannered if he were not there to welcome her. He beat his wings strongly, urging his tired body ever further north. At least he had left that damnable cold behind. At this latitude the sun was almost overhead and he felt its welcome warmth on his back. There, in the distance, glittered the large, freshwater lake not an hour's flight from home. He tilted his flight slightly downwards and looked forward to a long, refreshing drink of its cool waters.

 

[Perplexia]

Lexi had been more exhausted then she thought when she climbed upon the bed and promptly fell into a slumber. She dreamt of a large beautiful garden, lights danced like little fairies as the aroma of the flowers filled her senses. In the center was a statue of a giant ornate dragon who held a woman protectively in his arm who looked up with him with unmistakable love and admiration. 'you are the one' a soft sweet semi distorted voice spoke to her as the woman in her dream turned her head to face her. 'Don't be afraid.' "Who are you? and why me?" she asked the woman.

'I am you' she said smiling. It was then Lexi could see the resemblance in the statue. 'you have dreamt of being here, you have been drawn your entire life, haven't you wondered why?' Lexi frowned at the statue. 'The magic runs through your mothers family, has skipped over times, people and names forgotten, the link never remembered. Your father's line had some a long time ago. But you, have drawn from both.' Lexi sighed at the statue. "Magic or not, I'm not dropping my knickers cause he says so." The statue laughed and turned her head back to the dragon and resumed her pose of loving admiration as she looked up at him.

Her dreamed moved on to a new scene one with fields, wildflowers and fluffy white clouds caressing the days skyline. "Oh my you're not up yet" Katerina announced in her rather cheerful voice. Lexi fluttered her lids at her waking rather slowly. "Up ya get sleepy. Time to get dressed and come down to the festival." Lexi grumbled and slowly swung her legs over the side grabbing the gown that had been laid out for her, and went behind the changing screen to put it on. "Oh so pretty" Katerina clapped enthusiastically. Motioning for Lexi to take a seat at the bench she brushed out her long light brown hair and styled it so it was up off her elongated neck, with just a couple of strands coming down over her cheeks. Placing the wreath on her head, she then pinched her cheeks to bring color to her face.

"I'm very excited for you" she said softly finishing up. "Why?" Lexi asked rather suspiciously. "well were not suppose to say much, because of free will and all that, but just know that there's nothing to fear here. And well you will eventually see why, now come we're already late." Lexi scowled and put on her sandals, and followed Katerina down the hall. Katerina then got behind her. "Go ahead" she urged softly. Harp music began to play as she took her first step down the stairs. There were woman gathered all wearing similar white gowns to what Katerina was wearing. Nice, but plain and they seemed to range in ages. In front of the women stood the Uncle she had met earlier, and the man whose portrait she had found herself drawn to in the hall. The portrait didn't do him justice, he was one of the most strikingly beautiful men she'd ever seen.

It quickly became clear why almost all the women looked at him with longing and admiration. Good gracious it was a harem of googly eyes. Lexi had to stop herself from laughing as the thought entered her mind, and quickly hid her self amused smile. Straightening out her features with much effort she continued her descension down the long staircase. When she finally reached the end, she walked a good few steps in front of the men and gave a light curtsy refusing to meet Æðelnoð's eyes. She wasn't quite sure how he managed to obtain all of these women's admiration. But she wasn't going to take any chances. The men separated making a path down the center for her, the women lined the path tossing petals at her as she walked down the line.

Ushered into the dining room a number of long tables and chairs had been placed in a semi circle with a shorter table on a platform before them. There were three chairs, and all of the tables had a banquet feast upon them. She was taken to the table on the platform and sat in the middle with the Men on each side of her. It was all a bit overwhelming and Lexi found herself picturing herself on the table with an apple in her mouth. She would have made a terrible meal, there just wasn't enough meat on her bones to fill more then one person.