The Dragon King-Closed

[TheRPGuru]

It was an effort to not devour the food before him. He always had to mind himself in the presence of a lady, but as hungry as he was after a fight, he had a hard time remembering. It wasn't prefect, but he managed not to completely embarrass himself. He focused on something that she said that had piqued his interest.

Alex mentioned an obsession with the mountain. It was the first time he had ever heard anyone mention that. Of course people were always curious of his mountain, but he had never heard of anyone being pulled to it, drawn in, urged to climb the peaks to his domain. Could it be a sign?

Jack felt his pulse begin to race, and he had to fight down the hope that he suddenly felt building in his belly. Alex could be the one. She could be the one who could grant him his wish. Jack need only to not ruin it. And he need not get himself too hopeful as that would only lead to disappointment.

No, he had to keep his expectations in check. He couldn't pressure her or the chance would be lost forever. While his time was short, he still had ages in human years to work this through, and surely he had enough time to be patient with Alex.

He looked at her from across the table. Studying her features, she was rather beautiful. More so than he was used too it seemed. Was he more attracted to her for a reason, or was his mind playing hopeful tricks upon him. He smiled at her and then refocused on the food.

He had an idea then. "Would you like to go flying tonight?" He asked her with a smile. "You aren't afraid of heights are you?"

 

[Perplexia]

Alex smiled in return as he smiled to her before continuing his feast. He really was quite handsome. She hoped to be able to sketch him awake.

He then asked if she would like to go flying with him and asked if she was afraid of heights. She smiled.

"No sire, i mean Jack, I'm not afraid of heights. I've often climbed the trees to sketch what i could see." She pondered for a moment

"Nor was I afraid when I climbed the mountain and looked back to see my tiny village."

Smiling widely and getting a bit excited at the prospect of soaring through the air she said "I think I would very much like to go flying with you"

 

[TheRPGuru]

Jack smiled at her acceptance, "Wonderful, I promise not to get too crazy in flight." He teased as he led her towards his chambers. "This is also a big part of getting you to accept who and what I am. I must show you what my dragon form looks like, keep in mind that I am rather scary looking, but you are safe with me. I promise." He explained.

He took her into his chambers and led her out to the platform. Stopping her at the door he took a deep breath. "Wait here for a moment." He said backing into the center of the platform.

There was a shimmer around him, as magic swelled from his body. He grew and shifted, things sprouted out of him that would become wings and a tail and he became larger than the biggest building she had ever seen, next to the castle of course. His eyes became red like pits of molten fire, his mouth became filled with the more brutally sharp and devastating teeth one could imagine. His skin became like a black leather, with sharp armored bones plates in places around his body.

Finally he towered above her as a massive Dragon King.

Slowly he lowered his head before her, letting his chin rest upon the ground at her feet. Climb carefully onto my neck. My bone armor is sharp so be careful. His voice echoed in her mind.

 

[Perplexia]

She follow him to his chambers and listened as he told her she would have to learn to accept his true form. She waited where he told her and watched in awe as the magic started to flow around him transforming him int the majestic being he truly was.

She held her head for a moment as he spoke to her in it rather then with his mouth. Slowly she lowered her hand to touch his black leathery snout to ensure she wasn't dreaming.

"Okay" she said as a delayed response to be careful climbing upon his back. It took her some time to find the right spot in which she didn't have his spikes trying to impale her in half.

Once secure she leaned forward and touched his skin to her face and hands. It was hard and solid scales which kept him safe from his attacks. She could see some scars from battles past. It made her sad that anyone would want to injure this beautiful creature.

Sitting back up with the tightest grip of her legs and hands she could muster she said "I'm ready"

 

[TheRPGuru]

Jack could feel her being careful around him. Her weight was so light it was barely noticable to him in this form. But he could feel her tugging on his scales to get footing as she climbed on top of him. He felt her adjust herself, finding a good spot to sit and hold on, he would have smiled if he could have in this form.

Once she said she was ready, he pushed up, standing up and rising her fifteen feet into the air just from his height. He turned and faced the great expanse of sky beyond the mountain and stepped forward, each step thundered around them.

Let me know if I get to high for you. He told her. Grab tight because here we go!

He leapt forward, out into the nothingness of the clouds. His wings snapped out like massive leather sheets instantly. The rush of wind through them sounded huge as the air caught the massive dragon. He flapped his wings and they climbed into the sky, the castle disappearing beneath and behind them.

The air rushed passed them, as Jack flew, though he kept his air speed fairly slow to keep from overwhelming the girl on his back.

Wanna see what your world looks like to a bird? He asked.

 

[Perplexia]

Alex let out a gleeful laugh when they took off and flew through the air. She loved being high in the sky and observing the world below. She could stay up here forever and enjoy the wind blowing through her hair and the feeling of being free.

She had listened to his voice in her head and maintained a good grip on him. As Dragons went he was ultimately impressive, and if she didn't know it was Jack with in, on first glance she would have been terrified.

"I thought I couldn't reenter the mortal realm?" she questioned as he offered to fly her over her village. "Or is it like skimming over the top between worlds?" She held on tight to him as he continued to fly feeling how his muscles shifted beneath her through the scales.

 

[TheRPGuru]

You cannot reenter that world true. However I can fly low enough for you to see,
think of it like looking into a pond of clear water to see the world below. He explained, Here I shall show you.

The great dragon then banked deeply, the force seemed to mash her body against him tightly as gravity fought them both. He flew through the cloud, coating her in mist until they burst underneath the cover. Below her world could be seen clearly, they flew over the kingdom of Dalmasca some three hundred miles from her home village.

He gave her a tour of various places in the human world. From Dalmasca to the great plains, to the Aryd Ocean, before he circled back and lifted them back over the clouds back towards the castle.

They chatted as they flew, he made a point of pointing out landmarks and such to her so she could get the most out of the flight.

Finally they were back at the castle and Jack lowered himself back down so she could climb off of him. When he was back in human form before her he grinned, "I trust you had fun?" He asked teasingly.

 

[Perplexia]

"Got it" she said with a smile in her voice as he took her further then she had ever been outside her village. She looked in awe at the wondrous sights and landmarks he pointed out to her as they flew around the kingdom of Dalmasca, the plains and the ocean.

She had never seen so many spectacular things in her life. She was completely in awe and giddy by the time they returned back.

"Oh Yes!!!" She exclaimed to his statement of her having a good time. "I have always wanted to explore beyond the borders of the village but was told it was too dangerous.

"Oh i wanted to show you some sketches i've drawn the past few years to see what you thought. If you meet me in the trinket room i'll bring them to you." she smiled widely again

Before leaving the room she turned back and said "and Jack, Thank you for the wonderful tour, i hope we can do it again soon." with that she went to her room to retrieve the sketch books she had collected of her drawings of the mountain. Oddly each was different, some reflect a type of aura, and other were more creative like a dragon eye looking through the mountain at her.

She brought them to him in the trinket room and watched his face as he went through them.

 

[TheRPGuru]

He was pleased that Alex appeared to have really enjoyed herself. He was also pleased that she hadn't been bothered by his dragon form at all. That was an important part of this bonding. She needed to be accepting of his dragon as well as him, and she seemed to have no fear for the beast within him. There had been several girls who had run away screaming from his form and never wanted to talk with him again. Those had been heartbreaking.

Alex was just downright excited by everything. Which was a wonderful sign. She told him she wanted to show him drawing and he nodded, agreeing to meet her in the trinket room.

Jack took a seat in the trinket room waiting for Alex to come to him. His fingers played with a little knife that one girl had brought a hundred years ago as a gift. He didn't care much for the trinkets, but they did have meaning in his memory. Every trinket reminded him of the girl that brought it to him. He remembered every girl of course. He thought it would tarnish their honor if he dared to forget them.

Alex came in holding a book with pages nearly falling out of the thing. It was a sketchbook that had obviously been dearly loved. She watched with an almost childlike eager grin as he flip through the pages of images. As he neared the back of the book he could clearly see her talent's develop before his eyes, some of the drawing were magnificant.

"These are wonderful." He told her. "You've a knack for art surely."

He held up a picture that was a dragon's eye looking at the view through what was obviously Jack's mountain. "Looks like you caught my good side." He teased with a smile.

Then he rose up. "You know what. You need better supplies. I shall return in a few hours." He told her, marching out of the room to fetch her something that will truly highlight and help her abilities.

 

[Perplexia]

Alex was overjoyed that he seemed to like her drawings. Most people just commented on the amount of sketches with mountains. She figured that if anyone could appreciate them, it would be him.

She watched as he rose and said he'd be back in a few hours because she needed better supplies. Alex had thought of objecting, but it seemed so important to him that he be able to do this for her.

It did bother her that after just a short time together he was off again. But this time he'd be back in a couple hours. She was finding a bit of comradely with him and enjoyed the little bit of companionship she had with him since her arrival.

While he was away she busied herself with browsing another magic book.

 

[TheRPGuru]

Jack returned a little after dinner that evening. He carried a large sack of supplies into the trinket room, where he cleared off a table and set the items out. He had gotten her a large book of really good paper, a sack of various pens, brushes, and other drawing tools. But the crown jewel was a small bag of inks and chalks in all manners of colors.

He took a step back and looked at what he had set out of her smiling brightly. Then he spun on his heel and went to find where Alex was.

Jack found her in the garden, sitting on one of the benches with a plate of food next to her. In her lap was a pad of paper where she seemed to be trying to draw the bush across form where she sat. He watched her for a moment, smiling. She looked so wonderful, a gem of a girl.

He took a deep breath and went out to greet her. "Outdoor dining?" He asked as he approached.

 

[Perplexia]

Getting bored with the book she was reading in the trinket room she made her way to the garden with her sketchpad, and had her dinner served out there. The bush she was sketching was extremely intricate with its leaves. It was nothing she had ever seen before.

When Jack came in she was quite focused and jumped slightly when he spoke. She let out a laugh at herself.

"I was too focused and didn't hear your steps approaching" she said as an explanation.

Looking at her plate she look back up at him.

"It's probably cold, have you eaten yet?"

 

[TheRPGuru]

Jack came up to Alex, looming over her so he could see what she had put to paper. It was a really well done drawing, for what appeared to be a quick sketch. He smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. "You are quite talented." He told her.

She offered him food that she had ignored for her drawing and he shook his head. "I have not eaten, but forget that for now." He told her holding out his hand. "Come I have a surprise for you." He told her with a smile.

He took her hand and led her back to the trinket room where he opened the door to reveal all the art supplies he had gotten her. "Now you have inks and tools that will meet your talent requirements." He said proudly.

 

[Perplexia]

Alex smiled as he complimented his work. His hand on her shoulder wasn't a threatening gesture so she didn't object. Advising he had something for her he took her hand and led her to the trinket room.

She wasn't quite sure how she felt about holding hands with him, but she let it be due to his excitement at the gift he had for her.

Laid out upon the table was all the art supplies she could have ever wished for. With her parents income it was also more then she would ever be able to afford.

Her eyes widened as she looked at all the things he had brought for her. Without thinking she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged herself tightly to him. "Oh Jack, thank you so much, this is the greatest gift anyone has ever given me."

 

[TheRPGuru]

Jack smiled at Alex's response. He put his arm around her shoulders as she hugged herself against his side, thanking him. It was all part of the process. He could never have an heir if he never made the girls happy with him, made them love him. No tyrant would ever succeed. A darker dragon, or demonic overlord would just enslave the women, but Jack was no bastard. He wanted love, he wanted acceptance from his brides.

And he would never force it from them. However gifts and trinkets weren't against his rules. He liked making the women happy when he could, and the art supplies were a small thing to him. But they meant a lot to her, he could tell.

"It is just a small thing." Jack insisted. "No big trouble, but I am happy that you like it." He told her, giving her a gentle squeeze against him. "Just make sure you always catch my good side." He told her.

Jack sniffed and frowned, "My word, Alex forgive me. I smell like a horse." He let her go and took a step back. "I need to get a bath, I will leave you to your new art." He told her and smiled before walking out of the room.

 

[Perplexia]

Alex smiled. "Perhaps it is a little thing to you but it is a great deal to me Thank you again."

She rolled her eyes when he said he smelled like a horse and went off to take a shower. Gathering up the items he brought she took them out to the garden and resumed her sketch of the bush she had been working on.

When she was satisfied with that she began to do a sketch of Jack's head in Dragon form. For this she decided to work with ink to really capture the contrast and depth in his eyes and the expression. She didn't make him look like an angry dragon. She captured the majestic image that she saw when she first saw him in that form.

As she grew tired she gathered up her items and found that she was hungry having skipped dinner and made her way to the kitchen to grab something light before bed.

 

[TheRPGuru]

Luna was in the kitchen doing prep on the next day's meal. She couldn't sleep somethings and cooking helped relax her, though Veletra wouldn't let her cook when she was awake, but Veletra also went to bed early and allowed Luna time to do this. Yet Luna let out a little yelp when she saw Alex walk into the kitchen looking for food.

"Good lord. You scared me." Luna panted. "Veletra doesn't let me in here, so I sneak in when she sleeps."

Luna looked at Alex and nodded, "You hungry? I'm making a little salad, there is enough to share."

Luna divided her salad into two bowls and brought one to Alex. "So tell me, how are thing coming along?" Luna asked her as they began to eat together.

 

[Perplexia]

Alex looked at Luna with question when she asked how things were coming along. Oh she was referring to her and Jack. Somehow she just didn't feel comfortable sharing information with her. So she thanked her for the salad, and said "Fine" in response.

She knew that more then likely Luna was just trying to be friendly. Her love for Jack was written all over her face and in every word she uttered. The last thing she wanted to do was add further hurt by telling her details of their amazing ride through the sky, or the wonderful gift of art supplies he got her. Or how nice it was to hold his hand and hug him.

"isn't this hard for you?" she questioned. "To find have to give up a 20+ year relationship with a man that you love, admire and worship?" Perhaps by redirecting it and letting Luna talk about herself would be enough while she ate.

If Alex wasn't the one, and grew to love Jack as much as Luna, she knew she would die of a broken heart if she wasn't the one mate he had been searching for. The anguish it would cause him, not to mention herself would just be overwhelming. But she had agreed to try because there was so much at stake.

 

[TheRPGuru]

Luna shrugged at Alex's question. "It was in the beginning. But I knew for a long time it was going to happen." She explained. "Jack is a wonderful king, and a wonderful man....dragon...dragonman? Whatever not the point. What I did learn from him during my time as his bride was that he genuinely cares for you, not just while you share his bed, but afterwards as well. He has never given me a hard look, not once in twenty-four years. Even when it became apparent that I couldn't give him his heir, he was never mad at me, he never mistreated me, and that's all I could ask for." She explained.

"But." Luna took a deep breath. "It is hard in some ways too. Because, yes, I do love him. And knowing that you will warm his bed at night, or....well you might? I don't know, have you decided anything yet? Nevermind. It's hard for me. But I also do understand how important an heir is to him, and to the world. So if I cannot do that for him, I welcome anyone else that can."

Luna blushed and stepped away. "Whew! That's a mouthful. Enough of that talk. I heard to like to draw, that's wonderful, there are some great vistas you can see one exceptionally clear days. I bet the landscapes you can see will spark all kinds of things from you."

 

[Perplexia]

Alex smiled at the girls musing of Jack and the obvious love she had for him. She knew from speaking with Jack that he still held love in his hearts for all the woman that have come and gone in his life. It truly took someone exceptional to be able to do that.

She had no experience with love for another person with the exception of her parent and family of course. There had been no reason to torment herself with the romantic notions of any of the village boys until she knew her fate. Some of her friend had put themselves through the torture of what if they were chosen and had to leave their loves. It seemed to her as pointless.

But here she was and she had evidently made the correct decision. Luna seemingly accepted her fate and seemed to still be quite pleasant at her arrival. She hoped that she was naturally just that good of a person. Alex wasn't sure how she would manage it, but perhaps Luna had a point, time made the difference. It was something would have to inevitably happen if she couldn't produce a heir.

"Oh that sounds wonderful, I look forward to seeing the views" she said in response to her statement of her art. "I do enjoy doing landscapes"

 

[TheRPGuru]

Jack got out of the tub clean as a whistle. His body aches soothed by the hot water that would burn normal human skin. He dressed and wondered what to do for the evening. He felt like he should spend time with Alex but also didn't want to crowd her, if she wanted to zone out on drawing he should let her.

Veletra greeted him at his door with a plate of food. "You didn't eat." She said simply and thrust the platter towards him.

Jack took the plate and nodded. "Thanks." He said. "Veletra what do you think of Alex?"

Veletra paused and looked up at him. "Think? What does it matter what i think? She's another poor girl forced to live at your side due to a pointless pact." She told him. "You think that if you were meant for an heir, you'd have one by now don't you? Yet it hasn't happened. In 2000 years, you have gone through the same cycle over and over again failing every single time. How long do you expect this to go on? How many lives must you ruin?" Veletra sneered. "Don't talk to me of defending the realm, humanity can defend itself, and has been able to do so for ages without the interferance of your kind."

She looked at him and pointed to the plate. "Eat. I don't want my work waste like my life was wasted."

Jack watched her go in awe. He couldn't believe she felt that way. He knew she had been unhappy here, but never had she expressed things so candidly before. It felt like he had just been stabbed in the gut. Could she be right? Could the reason he failed to get an heir was because the universe was simply done with his kind?

He sat against the wall, and fought back tears. He was going to die.

 

[Perplexia]

Alex continued to do light conversation with Luna when Veletra came storming into the kitchen fuming about life wasted, and what a pointless pact the people of the village had made. Luna said questioned her rant and Veletra answered over how she had just given Jack a piece of her mind.

Feeling compelled and pulled like a rope attaching them she knew he needed her. Finding him sitting in tears over the painful words Veletra had launched at him with the venom and resentment she harbored in her soul.

She didn't start off by saying anything instead she sat down next to him and leaned her head against his shoulder, finding his hand she entwined her fingers with his.

"I believe and always have, that your existence is a necessity to the equilibrium of the world. I believe that everything happens for a reason, that there is a reason I was chosen, a reason that I have always been pulled to the mountain, a reason that I knew you needed me. I believe in you, and everything we endure in our lives we will overcome the obstacles to obtain our true potential"

She looked up at him and wiped a tear from his face. "You have endure more pain and heartache then any one soul should. I don't know much about life, or love, but I do know a good soul when i meet one."

 

[TheRPGuru]

Jack was shocked by Alex showing up. He didn't think she would show, how could she have known, but Veletra must have gone to the kitchen in one of her angry rants. He relaxed when Alex didn't say anything and instead just sat beside him, laying her head against his shoulder.

She explained that she didn't believe Veletra and she believed that his existence was important. Her hand came up and she brushed a tear from his face.

He sniffed, "Your words mean much." He grumbled. "But I fear that Veletra might be right. I have been through this for 2000 years, and have gotten nothing but pain from it. Falling in love over and over and over again has taken its toll upon me." He explained. "I don't know that I can go through it again."

 

[Perplexia]

Alex sighed softly before speaking again. "Then you dishonor all of those who have loved you and submitted themselves to a life with you, and have even endured watching you take another to your bed for the greater purpose of producing an heir. You will have wasted my life, for nothing."

Letting go of his hand she got up and left the room holding back her own tears. It hurt her heart to see him in such a state, But for him to give up after all this time was just a tragedy.

Now she was angry, and she went to find Veleta. "You have your right to your opinions and beliefs. You didn't want to be chosen, boo hoo. But for you to speak to him in that way after the life he has tried to provide for you is ungracious, and uncalled for. He never forced you into his bed, he's never raised his voice to you, he's honored your wishes. You are a vile creature and don't deserve a kind word again."

with that she left the dumbfounded woman and kept walking out of the castle until she couldn't walk anymoe. Dropping to her knees she wept for him.

 

[TheRPGuru]

Jack realized too late that his own sorrow had made him say words that hurt Alex and drove her away. He panicked briefly but Veletra's words echoed in his mind and the hand that he had raised to stop Alex, fell away slowly. He sighed and he retreated to his quarters to lay upon his bed and shut himself off from the world for a while.

* * * *

It was true that Alex couldn't wander far enough from the castle, or down enough into the mountains to return to her world. That didn't mean that the realm beyond the castle grounds was safe. As Alex fled the castle grounds, things in the mists watched her.

They watched.

They followed.