The Shadow Of The Dragon - Chapter Four

Chapter Four

"When I first knew of you, I wanted you. When I first felt you, I needed you. When I first heard you, I cried for you. When I first held you, I loved you........"

Palmer, Alaska

Leoness awoke from a deep sleep in the late afternoon. She looked at the clock on her wall and cringed. "Oops missed a meeting...." she said looking at Ash. Oh well she would have to make the next one in 40 minutes to fulfill her personal requirement of a meeting before work. She sat up and gave a loud stretch and yawn. God she hadn't slept that long in days it seemed. Looking out the windows she noticed it was a beautifully clear early evening and that the snow was loosing it's wintery grip on the mountains. Ah finally warmer air was arriving. Soon the Alaskan summer, a few short months, would be upon this sleepy little town.

Leoness looked down to Ash and was petting him when she noticed a flash of silver under her stilled curled up cat. "What the......oh Ash tell me you didn't break the thing...I just found it last night..." she said lifting the cat off her new found treasure. My goodness how Ash could find anything shiny if given the chance. Slowly she inspected the necklace and decided there had been no damage done. Carefully she placed the necklace about her neck as she got up and dashed to her bathroom for a quick shower. 20 minutes later she was dressed and dragged a brush through her wet unruly curls. As she ran out the door, she hastily tied a bandana to cover her blood red curls.

A gust of frigid cold air slammed her back inside long enough to grab a coat and scarf and as she walked back outdoors she heard a a soft pop followed by soft clinking of the link remnants of the new necklace falling to the ground. "Figures!" she said as she looked up at the sky. She stooped down to pick up the gem when two things happened at once; One she felt a sudden jolt of electricity charge through her making the hairs on the back of her neck rise and then the gem from the necklace cracked in two spilling forth a bright light that blinded her. When her vision recovered, spotty at best, the ground was scorched where the gem had laid. In it's place was a large chunky crystal object that resembled an egg? The crystal that sat before her was roughly the size of a baskeball. The surface of the object was pock marked, rought and crystaline in appearance. The center seemed to contain a blue liquid flowing of it's own accord. Curiousity gripping her she reached out to pick it up but withdrew her hands quickly as the object was as cold as ice. "Damn" she muttered and dug for the mittens in her coat, only coming up with one.

"Crap it's always the left one I end up with" she swore aloud for no one to here. With great thinking on her part and with bad luck as always following her, she unwrapped the scarf from around her neck and offered a "brrrrrr" as a sudden gust of icy wind hit her neck. Carefully she cradled the crystal that she now knew was ice and said "Why do I feel like I'm gonna get yelled at for missing my meeting eh?." she said to the crystal. "Vie's gonna thump me extra hard for this one" she thought and she reluctantly headed back indoors quickly before any of her various neighbors and friends had a chance to descend upon her doorstep. "Looky at what I found Ash." she said to the cat who met her with the "Back so soon?" look. At the sight of the object in her hands Ash let out a loud hiss and he streaked from the room to cower under her bed, his favorite hiding spot.









"Scardy pants! You should have been born a chicken, silly cat." she laughed. About this time the object in her hands started to tremble and a fissure appeared in it's sleek surface. "Crap" said Leoness in shock as she dropped the object on her carpetted floor. She was about to pick it back up when another very curious thing happened. The crystal/egg started to rock back and forth and more fissures and cracks formed. "Good God what was about to be born?" she thought with hypnotic facination and, to be honest, just a hint of fear. With her luck it would be something extremely creepy and very hungry. "Oh what garbage Leoness, there is no such thing as mythincal creatures popping out of eggs in real life" But having been raised at one time by a staunch Irish family, and by the blood of her ancestors singing to her, superstitions and faerie tales took hold. Cold dread forming a hard knot in her belly, she refused to let fear master her ever again and she knealt on the ground watching the rocking crystal. Suddenly all movement stopped and a large chunk seperated itself from the rest of the egg. Curiousity again getting the better of her she pulled the loosened shard away discovereing to her horror a silver gray tail moving fitfully as though struggleing. "Holy shit" she yelped falling backwards on her behind and in the bedroom a fierce yowl was issued forth from under her bed. With eyes scrunched tightly closed Leoness prayed "Ok I am not going crazy yet God so would you please clear my vision and tell me I am really just dreaming all of this?" as if in answer to her silent prayer, her vision got sharper and she slowly opened first one and then the other eye. She looked upward saying "Ok if you can do that, a Mitsubishi Spyder would be a nice gesture don't you think? she asked again.

She realized that the egg now had a head popping out one side and a tail on the other. "Oh my God this can't be happening. It just can't be....a dragon?" As the hatchling continued to break out of the rest of the egg it rolled clumsily to it's side and started kicking like a turtle caught on it's back. Leoness laughed at this and the dragon finally righted itself and sneezed in her face. "Great, wonder if Dragon babies carry the flu?" she pondered. Shaking it's head no as if it understood her completely, Leoness surveyed the creature before her in wonder. It was tiny, about the same size as Ash only coverd in tiny diamond like scales that sparkled in rainbow like hues of silvery gray. Nubbley horns crowned the top of it's head while a delicate frill of skin was suspended on tiny black tipped spines down it's back to the tip of it's tail. Wings, batlike in appearance, tipped with two tiny curving fingers sprouted from it's back almost the same size as the creature itself. The wings were a marbleing of silver and the creature's scales seemed to bleed into one metalic sheen. "Well aren't you a cute little thing?" she complimented the dragon as she heard yet another hiss from her bedroom. "Oh shut up in there you coward, you just missed the coolest thing ya big baby." she again taunted her cat. Cautiously she picked up the new born and as she studied it's face, she was amazed to see it shed a tear. "Don't cry little one, I'm here for you and will take care of you. I know what it's like to not have a momma." she said compassionately. Astonishment grew to confussion as the tear grew, falling from the dragon's cheek and pooling in her hand. It then instantly hardened to a jewelstone the size of a fifty cent piece.

"Beautiful Momma!" the dragon spoke clear as a bell and with that Leoness fainted from the shock of hearing a dragon speak.

When Leoness regained conciousness her cat was prowling back and forth in front of her clearly aggitated and it was then for the second time that day an animal spoke to her "I tried to tell you not to touch the damn thing, I mean I really really tried to tell you not to touch it, but what did you do? Did you listen to me? Uh that would be a big fat nooooo. So what did you do? You went and did it anyway." sneered the cat in a snarky well educated Irish voice.

"Oh my god, this really cant be happening. Did you just TALK?" Leoness said to Ash.









"Well of course he talked to you. We always knew Shamus would find a way back to you. How do you think he got to the pound right in time for you to adopt? He is afterall your father, what kind of man deserts his daughter leaving her to face the world alone?" said a velvety timbre from her doorway.

At this Leoness looked up and saw him..."Oh my God, it's the "Mystery Hottie" from the bar." she stammered in shock.


Zenith Sidh

Arys growled to herself, waiting for the summoning of her bound demon to work.

"You called, "Keeper"?" said a rather raspy unpleasant voice coming from the bowl just as she added another drop of her will to the demon's summoning. This she knew caused the demon pain, great pain. And this of course, caused her great pleasure.

"I need information Rackus. It has come to my attention that the necklace I have been seeking for so long, has again reappeared. Only it was "seen" by someone "human". Yes, yes I know that is supposed to be impossible. More astonighing is the fact that, this "human" also was able to touch it. Oh and should I mention Ayden was lurking in the same vicinity?" she taunted.

"Fascinating....and this concerns me how?" replied the demon in a bored tone. How he hated this woman and the bonds that kept him tied to her. He always did her bidding but was slow to do anything that in any way helped the bitch.

"It concerns you because it concerns me, and my will is yours until such a time as I see fit to release you." she said angrily rubbing her finger and wedding band that kept him bound to her. "I need to know who this human is. Obviously there must be fae blood in her to have been able to even see the thing, much less touch it?" she screeched demandingly.

"Yes my "keeper", anything you wish my "keeper." he drolled only half seriously in a monotoned voice.

"Now do as you are told, and do it quickly." she said as she added yet another drop of her will to the bowl causing a tightening to the leash that bound him to her. This caused even more pain to the demon, "Lest you forget what it is like to incur my wrath again Rackus."

A hiss issued forth from the bowl "As you wish Arys" and then the demon vanished without being dismissed.

The enraged Queen let out a blood curdleing sound of frustration and angrily slapped the scrying bowl off the table before her onto the stone floor beneath, the ingredients being sucked up hungrily by the sidhthen stone.















Palmer, Alaska

Leoness stared at her "mystery man" leaning against her wall in the hallway with shock and wonder. Now that she could see him clearly she noticed he was taller than she'd originally thought, even taller than her own 5'10. Up close he was even more gorgeous than she had realized. He was sporting ears that were delicately defined to a fine tip. His face was finely sculpted with high cheek bones. He had eyes that were slightly slanted like a cat's and shimmered a molten swirl of amber. He had a slightly dark complexion under the gotee and lips that looked way too kissable. He was wearing doeskin breeches, dyed a deep black, a laced emerald green shirt and a heavy overthrown vest matching the breeches. His soft leather boots were worn in and comfortable looking but still the craftsmanship was a sight to behold. The laces on the shirt opened enough for her to see a smattering of fine wisps of dark hair. Instead of looking at his finely honed warriors body that was perfectly displayed for her she was noticing his clothing. "What the hell is wrong with me." she thought. "I'm looking at his clothes instead of the rest of him, my dreams must be getting weirder." she mused. Looking up at his face she noticed one of his thick brows was arched in her general direction.

"Hottie?" he queried looking at the handsome woman sitting on the floor. She had blood-red curly hair which fell to her waist. Eyes the purest color of hazel he'd ever seen and a cute pert little nose. There was an adorable smattering of freckles across her nose and checks and a defiant point to her chin. Delicate and fine boned as most of the fae in the Zenith Sidh, yet there were pieces of her father in her too. The eyes were pure Shamus, but the freckles were all her mothers. She wore a pair of ratty and tattered jeans and a bright fuschia tshirt that read "Alaska Girls Kick Ass" over her decent sized chest. On her feet were a pair of crusty old brown boots with some kind of fir on them. On her arms and hands were so many bracelets and rings he couldnt begin to count them all.

Leoness at least had the curteousy to blush at his inspection of her appearance and answered "Well I figured I was already in some kind of delussional dream and when I pinch myself and wake up you'll be gone, so I might as well add some fuel to the fire and look my fill. Hell I might even kiss you." she answered back teasingly with a sheepish grin.

Stepping fully into the room with a predatory lope, like a caged animal tasting it's first freedom he introduced himself "I am the eldest son of the 12th house of the Zion court. I am called Lord and named Ayden. I am at your service" he said with a sweeping bow.

Not exactly knowing how to reply and slightly embarassed by her second-hand appearance, Leoness offered her hand to him and said "Uh...hi? I'm Leoness." she said shakily.

Ayden stopped and contemplated the hand before he bent to one knee and finally took her hand in his and ever so gently lifted it to his lips and softly kissed her knuckles. "We'll talk about that kiss later shall we." he said mirroring her laughter. "But first we must tend to the wyrmling." With that he bent over and picked up the now sleeping creature. "I assume you know what this is" he said taking a seat on the floor next to her.

Leoness shook her head and said "Uh a dragon?" hazarding a guess. "Either that or a really colorful lizzard, or maybe a hallucination from all that coffee I drank last night, or I know since I am dreaming, I can change it into a purple colored bird if I just shut my eyes and blink a few times. Or wait what about that Mitzubishi Spyder I asked for, yeah that would be way cooler, don't ya think?" she went on.









"Why do you keep saying you are dreaming or hallucinating? Does this feel like a hallucination to you?" he said and quickly and very brotherly kissed her on the nose.

Leoness was stunned that this gorgeous hunk of man was in her home much less kissing her, albeit like a brother. She was speechless, which was an impossible task for most, if not all people. Recovering quickly she said "Well hell it can't be a dream, cause if it were a dream I'd have had a mind numbing kiss and we'd have of course followed nature and had mind numbing sex that would have rocked instead of that make believe thing you just did. Hell even in my dreams I can't get any sex." she moaned raising her fists in the air.

Ayden chuckled gently "While I find this whole tirade of your halluciantions and dreams highly amusing, that is not the matter at hand. Obviously this tender young creature is a dragon. Not just any dragon. The mount of the Zenith Court itself, and you are his Chosen."

"You keep going on about Zion and Zenith Courts, dragons and Chosen. You are an incredibly hot, although a little pointy eared, Adonis of a man, and I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about."

"You know Adonis wasn't really all that good looking as you humans make him out to be. That was just Fae Glamour to hide a balding pot bellied old man." he retorted

At this she gasped "You knew Adonis?"

"Well this is all well and good you two." said another voice from behind her. "You said you would tell her, Ayden, and that you could handle it. Obviously the girl isn't comprehending the magnitude of her situation. She thinks she is dreaming and let me tell you she can dream really really big." said her cat. "Why just last week she was telling me....."

"Ok that's enough out of you Ash, I mean Shamus, I mean dad? Wait a minute I'm talking to my cat, God I really must be nuts this time."

"It's not like it's any other day of the week. You always come in greeting me like I'm some dumb animal." retorted the cat

"Hey that's not nice, I feed you, I play with you, I even bring you fresh catnip that I steal out of the neighbor's garden. Hmf, what a cat you are you ungrateful cur.....I mean Dad. "she smiled sweetly blinking her eyes smartly still not believeing anything that was happening.

"Enough already, you two can get aquainted better later. We must deal with the dragon first." Ayden said reminding Shamus and Leoness of his visit.

"Hey how did you know where I live and about the dragon hottie?" she asked of Ayden

"Ayden, my name is Ayden and I've only been following you for what seems like eternity."

"Oh really, fine two weeks is an eternity to you?" she said sarcastically

"Actually it's more like 45 years" he replied. "The day you were born, I was entrusted with your care. I have always been around throughout your life, I just let you "see" the real me recently.






You remember that boy back in elementary school, you know the one, with the "ugly" glasses I believe is what you called them? Or the dog you had at your last foster home? What about that crotchedy old man who lived next door to you who always complained about people walking on his yard? And then there was the robin that used to nest outside your window and sing you awake every morning. All me" he said for her disbelieving ears.

"Yeah at the crack of dawn." she complained. Oh my god how'd he know all those things? Realizing it might all just be true she spat out the words "Holy shit, you mean I really am not dreaming? Like this is really happening?" Crap did those words really just fly out of her mouth?

"Yes, my daughter, it really is happening to ya darlin'. I'm sorry me darlin' but your world just got a whole lot more complicated indeed." replied her cat, her father.