The Shadow OF The Dragon - Chapter Six

Chapter Six

"...and when two lost souls find each other, there a long extinguished fire rekindles... they kiss and suddenly the world is still with the weeping of the beauty of it....."

Zion Court, deep within Sleeping Lady


King Octarius wasn't having a good day. He'd lost $50 when he'd ventured out into the human world earlier in the day to indulge in one of his guilty pleasures; pool and karaoke. He was usually pretty good but today something was off. Now in his rooms he was still tinkering around on his own table and still not having any luck. Oh he was winning but something was amiss. The table itself was something most pool players would gapingly drool over. It had a dark red surface and sleek dark cherry rails with clawed wrought iron heels and deep pockets that were fringed in gold. It was smooth and the rails sung with the speed of the activity of the balls scattering about after the break. The balls were now ricocheting around the table dizzyingly and the 8-ball nearly fell into one of the side pockets. "Damn that side pocket is gonna be the death of me." he said to his opponent standing on the other side of the table leaning against the wall disinteresting. Octarius was not an exceptionally tall man only about 5'8, short by fae standards. But height wasn't everything, after all he was the only living true descendant of Dagda and Danu and since he hadn't been born in this particular Sidh he was the only "Royal" able to come and go as he pleased between the faeire world and the mortal world. He was lean and muscular. His head was bald, a major attraction to the various females he chose to flirt with. He had blue eyes that were set and slight crinkles around them were the only thing that betrayed his great age. He wore glasses and sported a stylish graying Van Dyke goatee. He wouldn't look like a royal to the "others" as he was dressed in khaki cargo shorts and a button down white t-shirt under a Hawaiian shirt, sleeves rolled up. To complete the tropical look he had flip flops on his feet. Generally he was an extremely mirthful man but tonight he was highly annoyed.

"Perhaps I might finally beat you tonight old man." said Nix teasingly. "At least this way I won't have to loose more money to you."

He was leaning on the wall near the table, hands atop his pool stick, watching with great pleasure as his father frustratingly missed his next shot.

"You know I could banish you to some kind of hell if you don't get that nasty smug smile off you face Nix." said his father jokingly as Nix took a shot and missed on purpose.

"Nah you'd be lost without me giving you the ability to win." retorted Nix with a laugh "Where would you be without me to help you break up the monotony of your days?"

"Probably strangling your brother in your stead. I swear a man don't know whether he is cursed or blessed to have twins the likes of you and Ayden. But with you two I must say cursed, definitely cursed." he growled missing another shot.

"Speaking of my dead beat brother. Have you heard what he's gotten into now?" he said putting his stick back into the rack next to the table. He was bored and felt like stirring the pot with his dad.








His father cursed aloud as he scratched. "Damn it keep your big mouth shut for a minute so I can finish kicking your ass" and with that he connected smartly with the 8-ball sinking it and keeping the cue ball from a narrow escape of one of the tables six pockets.

Nix obliged until his father made the shot and went on to say "Not only has he found the Egg, which by the way hatched earlier today. He found the next Chosen. You'll never guess who."

His father dropped his prized pool stick in shock. "Are you sure it is the Chosen? You're not pulling an old man's leg again are you?"

"Nope deadly serious. It is Elzbeth's child. Apparently quite by mistake she literally stumbled upon the thing last night walking home through the field I carried her across the day she was born. She picked it up, it hatched and promptly called her "Mommy". And now she knows that her cat is actually her dear old da."

"You gotta be kidding me, that's why my luck left me. Everything is changed now isn't it. How'd she take the news of who she is, is she willing to take the throne, and goddess help us what are we to do about your lovely wife?" he said reminding Nix of the gravity of their situation.

"Whoa slow down and keep your knickers from getting in a bunch pops. I don't know. Last I linked with Ayden she was still thinking all of the things that happened today were hallucinations. She seems to think Ayden happens to be some kind of walking wet dream and she insists on calling him "hottie". Now that is funny as hell." he said laughing. He wasn't jealous of his brother, but everyone knew that Ayden didn't exactly appreciate women as Nix did. Seriousness returned to his face though when thinking of his treacherous wife. Damn Arys all to hell anyway.

His father let out a loud laugh "She actually had the gall to call him "Hottie"? How'd Ayden take that one? God I'd have paid a king's ransom to see his face." he said now rolling in laughter.

"Yeah it is kind of funny isn't it?" Nix said remembering the comedy of the situation. His brother had serious boundary issues. He was drop dead gorgeous but because all the women in the realm and the mortal world seemed drawn to touch him he had serious phobias where women were concerned. Nix never had that problem and his resolution had always been the more the merrier, except when it came to Elzbeth. The thought of her sobered him to silence.

"So when ya gonna go get a gander at the girl yourself Nix. After all you are the person who saved her life. Don't ya think you owe it to yourself to at least take a peak?" said Octarius in a tone Nix recognized as the "old matchmaker" tone. He even crinkled his eyes with mirth at the thought. Egad gods help him if his father ever turned those skills on him.

Nix smiled at this knowing his father was the greatest matchmaker ever. He chalked Octarius's matchmaking up to the fact that he had always wanted everyone as blissfully happy as he had been with his now deceased wife Mauve. Nix shook his head remembering how his parents had acted like randy teenagers all through his childhood and teenage years. From what he understood of court rumor the pair only had gotten worse with age. God forbid he should ever feel like that for anyone again. He was actually thankful that Arys allowed him some "playing" room. The loss of his mother had been a heart rending loss for the brothers but their father had never fully recovered from it. Even as he looked now he saw that little hint of sadness in his father. It was one of those there and gone moments. Besides Nix thought I am immune and never going to love anyone ever again. Period end of story.

Nix replied half-heartedly pointing at his beloved father "Now don't you even think about it old man."





Octarius gave him that old "who me?" innocent look and both men burst out laughing. Maybe it was gonna be a good day after all he thought.


Zenith Sidh ........

Arys was in a fowl mood. Nix had been gone all day and she was more than a little bored. She still awaited Rackus's findings. Gods where was everyone tonight. Arys was not an ugly woman, in fact very far from it. She was short but she was model thin and it was said no other woman could rival her beauty. She was dressed in a splendid display of woven spider silk in a glittering black and silver, her long raven locks were high atop her head surrounded by a glistening bejeweled crown. Her silvery spiders eyes seemed to radiate the boredom and evil in her. With boredom brought other interests and pursuits. Her infidelity was well known in the sidh as was her husbands. It was not a well kept secret that though they were wed, there was no great love between them. For it was a false marriage and only Arys new the depths of that betrayal. Curse the gods that her child had been born a stone. Well at least she still had a crown. With that thought pleasing her greatly she smiled and contemplated on what glittering lord ling she would take to her bed tonight. Hell why stop at one, she thought, she wouldn't let Nix have all the fun........


Palmer, Alaska...............


"So, let me get this straight." Leoness said gulping. "My mother was a faeire princess. You" she said pointing at the cat " were a Guardian and are my dad reincarnated, and this thing in my lap is a dragon? And because it keeps calling me "Beautiful Momma" I am it's Chosen and ruler of some faerie sidh?" she said still sitting and softly stroking the newborn wyrmling, which seemed to please it.

"Yes" replied all three magickal beings at once in response to the question.

"Can I just say no and give up the being ruler part and give someone else the dragon and in return get a really cool gift, like say a car?" Well since she was thinking big why not she thought hopefully. It was always a car she prayed to the goddess for and dreamed of since she didn't have one. Cabs and buses and walking got old especially at 20 below in the Alaskan winters. Maybe this was her big chance to get one cheap or totally free. She never really dreamed too big after all she was just a normal everyday nobody, well at least she'd always thought so.

"Why do you think you are a nobody?" inquired Ayden as if he'd read her mind.

"Oh lord the hottie can hear what I'm thinking now?" said Leoness blushing prettily.

"I don't intrude purposely but when you are broadcasting your thoughts I can't help but cringe at the shout. It is one of my magickal gifts. I am a telepath." said Ayden proudly.

"And you dad what cool things can you do?" she inquired.

"Me? I'm just a plain old cat. I can lick myself anywhere I please and not hack up a fur ball. Other than that, nothing in this form my dear. I must have pissed off a God really good to get relegated to a cat's body in the afterlife" replied her father mournfully.









"What about this dragon? He or She isn't going to burn the house down while I'm at work or anything crazy like that is it?" she asked.

"He or She? Humph, Mez a him!" retorted the dragon with a stomp and his snout in the air giving a disdainful sniff. He then curled up into her lap forming a tight ball, nose to tail, clearly offended.

"Shamus you can explain the dragon to Leoness, after all it is your specialty. I am off to the Zion Court and my father to figure out exactly what our next action should be. However, I have arranged for another to guard her well tonight." he said with a knowing smile to Shamus. "And please Leoness do not go anywhere without one of us. There are others who, when they hear of what has happened here, would not be so kind and understanding with you." With that a knock was heard at her door.

Leoness started to get up but Ayden stilled her and said "I will get it, it is probably Nix reporting for duty."

At that name Shamus started to growl and Ayden said "Now Shamus who else could be trusted at this point to care for the girl in my absence, eh? After all it was him who rescued her to begin with. He made the solemn oath to Elzbeth to always care for her. He will gladly watch over her and make sure no harm comes to her"

Shamus didn't like this but there was not to be done about it, after all he was but a humble cat. At least Leoness hadn't had him neutered and declawed like she'd threatened to do after finding another new sweater shredded the previous week. He shuddered at the thought. He was just a little jealous but not really. He had to be thankful to Nix after all and it wasn't Nix's fault that he had been duped by Arys so long ago. With that Ayden opened the door to greet his older brother.

"Greetings Nix. How badly did he beat you this time?" he said referring to their father and his pool playing while giving his brother a great bear hug.

"Not too bad, he's a little off today for obvious reasons." replied Nix stepping into the room.

Leoness could only stare at Nix in shock. Her jaw hit the floor and did a double take. "There's two you?"

Taking a second look however she was stunned. Somewhere deep inside a memory gained strength. Here was the man she had dreamed of since she was a child. Her knight in shining armor that she could never fully touch. Obviously it must have been a memory from the day she was born. "I must leave you now little one, but I will always be nearby" started ringing in her ears and that face, a little older, but definitely the face she had dreamed of for so long.

"I know you. I remember you telling me you had to leave me and that you would always be nearby." she stuttered breathlessly staring at the dream come true.

If Leoness was shocked, Nix was absolutely stunned. It was his Elzbeth sitting there before him, no a clearer image. Except for the red hair it was all Elzbeth sitting on the floor with the dragon in her lap. He was absolutely rocked to the core with the memory of his beloved. And that voice! Goddess it was as if Elzbeth had spoken to him from beyond the grave. Need and want rushed through him so uncontrolled he was at a loss for words. Regaining his composure as fast as he could he knelt on the ground on bended knee and took her hand in his and gently, ever so gently kissed it and in a voice Leoness had only dreamt of said "Lord Nix at your service milady."







Leoness just continued to stare at the man mouth gaping wide open. At his touch a warmth gently caressed her and she suddenly felt like a school girl in the throes of her first crush. Goddess but he was good to see in the flesh. He had ashy brown hair that was gently touched by grey and it fell elegantly about his neck. His eyes were of the palest gray blue she'd ever seen. And that face, while it appeared to be hard and chiseled in granite it had softness hidden around his slightly crinkled eyes. While his brother was wearing soft colors, Nix was wearing brilliant reds and oranges and had shiny black boots upon his feet. My God he was real and he was here in her home and he was kissing her hand. She started giggling at the outrageousness of the situation.

In a strangled voice "I think I spoke too soon about that hairball. I must need to go outside and eat some grass." said Shamus. Good lord if he hadn't seen it for himself he'd never have believed Nix on bended knee bowing to anyone. It simply wasn't done by the man.

Shaking herself back to reality she managed "Lord Nix a pleasure to have you in my home and a great thank you for your kindness to me and my mother in her final hours. I understand I owe my life to you."

Nix acknowledged this gracefully and sat down on the floor across from her. "Well now that you are here, I might as well head home to report to dear old dad." stated Ayden and with a flourish he swept from the room and left leaving Leoness, Nix the cat and the dragon alone smirking to himself.

"Hello Nix, long time and all that." said Shamus.

"And hello to you too Shamus" he said acknowledging the cat. "I'm glad you finally got to tell your story and that you have met your daughter. I only wish it were under different circumstances." he said regretfully.

"Ah lad dinna be worried about it, eh? I too owe you a debt I can never repay. You saved her m'boy and at least my Elzbeth did not die in vain or alone. You saved us all with your usual quick thinking and reason." said Shamus in deep earnest.

"Yes well." he said not knowing how to take the compliment. " Arys damn her soul forever, was appeased by it and she had no reason to believe other than that the babe had died along with Elzbeth. I only wish that I had known her plotting sooner so that I could have saved you all before any of your deaths had to happen." said Nix in a voice smooth as silk and with true regret.

"She had us all fooled, boyo. You can't blame yourself for following through what was natural. Arys for all her evil is quite a beautiful woman. Anyway it's alright my being a cat, life really taint too awful. I live a life of luxury I never had before and have gotten to live with my girl here and parent her without her ever knowing I was one.' he said mirthfully looking up at his daughter.

Leoness and Nix locked eyes again and it was as if all time stood still. He looked at her as a memory of a great love and she looked at him as a memory from a dream. "You really do look and sound just like her, except for that hair." he said aloud not even thinking.

"I wouldn't know, I have never seen what either of my parents looked like. I am being told I resemble her by my father and now you but I wish..." she said breaking off the thought.









"Someday I promise you it will be safe to take you into the court. There are many portraits of her there, and of your father. But for now since that is quite impossible, I think I might have something you can appreciate." with that he withdrew a tiny picture from a

pocket from inside his vest and handed it to her. "It isn't much but it is all I have of her at the moment. She gave it to me the day she chose me as her champion as a sign of her favor." he laughed enjoying the memory of that day so long ago. "She told me to always keep it near my heart as that is where she kept me. Silly little superstition, but I never failed in that one promise." he said handing it to her.

The object was no bigger than two inches and at first Leoness thought she was looking ay herself in a mirror. But then she shook her head no because she didn't have that sparkling silver hair. She realized she was finally seeing her mother. This realization made the gift she held the most precious gift she'd ever received. Her eyes started to water and she began to shed tears of grief for a mother she had never known.

"Now now my bonnie Ness, there will be more stories to wipe away those big tears of yours. More than plenty stories that will wipe away those fat tears and replace them with laughter. But there will be time for that later." said Shamus placing a paw on her arm trying to console her the only way he could.

"Yes lots of stories." agreed Nix trying to break up the grief he too felt. "But for now we must get you to work. I can't stay as the two ravens sitting outside at this very moment are Arys's henchmen Gunther and Rufius, the two dumbest louts ever in the history of the sidh. I am far too recognizable to them. But Shamus isn’t and what's a cat's favorite thing to do but chase away dumb birds."

"Ah I quite agree Nix. I like the way you think laddie. But the necklace...? If they see her without it, even dummies can figure what's up."

"Agreed. With them hanging around in raven form, someone they do not know approaching this place will go unnoticed. As it happens I know the perfect person to help abet us in this situation." said Nix smartly and with a sheepish batting of his gorgeous eyelashes.

"Oh lord I don't even want to hear this do I?" said Shamus mournfully.

"Nope." Nix said with one of his more mischievous grins.