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Prologue: Journal of Sir Heins Elwin

Day 42 of Autumn, Year 812

I cannot write of anything but my concern for Eris. Every night she has been eating less for a week now. She does not sleep, she guards my room as each night as though she is terrified something might try to claim my life while I sleep.

I convinced the renowned Doctor Monteblanc to move up my appointment after Eris collapsed from exhaustion yesterday. A dragon does not need as much rest as a man, but never have I seen her like this. What ails you, Eris? If only you could speak and tell me the cause of this nightmarish condition that has overtaken you.

I can hardly sleep myself lately. Is there something threatening my life? Is she trying to warn me of some danger?

There is no egg in my room. Thrice I have checked at the consul of my fellow dragon tamers. 'T'is normal for a dragon to guard her egg with such diligence. Have you checked the closet? My Delphi once hid two within!' My brothers I have torn every cloth from my room asunder and left no nook or cranny unchecked. There is no egg for her to guard. I even allowed her to inspect my room- prove to her that t'was safe that I sleep there. She sought no egg, she revealed no answer. She looked at me with a sorrow that ached my very heart. As if death were all but certain.

Doctor Monteblanc will have an answer. He must. I am going mad, and Eris is growing thin and weaker with each day.

Chapter 1: The Squeamish Tamer

"Sir Heins, you are well enough to travel?" The voice of the young stablehand was like nails on a chalkboard for Heins as he fastened his cloak and secured his backpack. It had been another night with hardly a wink of sleep.

'No. I feel as though my head is an egg with the yolk swirling every time I move. I hate the sun, I hate these boots, and I hate your voice' The thought nearly crossed his lips, but complaints would do him no good. "I am not at my best. But I must know what vexes Eris. She is my partner, her life is as my own." With a somber expression, Heins looked towards the silver dragon who watched him unblinkingly. Her amethyst eyes were tired and filled with the same sorrow he had seen the past several nights already.

'Eris... Please tell me what ails you.' The silent plea received silence in answer. "Eris. As one." Despite her clear exhaustion, the command was heeded before he'd even finished speaking it. Eris was at his side, and her traveling packs were filled with enough rations for the both of them affixed to her before the two began their journey to the city.

Heins looked towards the skies, hoping God may give him an answer, but the only thing the clouds above told him was that it would not likely rain today, and that their journey would be fortunate enough to have occasional shade from the sun's heat. "As one. Eris." Eris pressed in closer, alert and tense, scanning the horizon for threats. There were none.

Heins exhaled a heavy sigh. "Sorry Eris... Force of habit. I worry about you." He spoke as they walked through the countryside. The fields had been harvested, and there was little to worry of bandits along such a well maintained road. He could speak freely, even if he knew Eris understood only a handful of words. His hand rested against the dragon's head as they traveled and he voiced his concerns, asking her questions about their adventures, their meals, their home. Anything that might give him a hint as to the cause of her malady.

"You didn't bury an egg under the house did you?" He asked suddenly. No, There was no doubt he would have seen some sign of burrowing, and never had he heard of dragons doing such. He would have to put his faith in the doctor to answer his questions

The apothecary was quiet, peaceful, and smelled faintly of lavender. Thin hides covered the windows, allowing in only a dim light that gave it an almost eerie feel as Hein sat and awaited the esteemed scholar.

"Helps with the dragons and relaxing." The nasally voice of the woman at the front desk answered the question he hadn't asked. "Lavender calms em down says Master Monteblanc. They don't like bright lights either you know. Well you should know if you've any sense-"

"Celica that is enough. Please come in, Sir Heins." The familiar, ever exasperated voice of the doctor was a welcome sound as Monteblanc's hand lifted the drapery that covered the entryway in to the exam room.

"As-" Eris was at his side already. "That's my girl... We'll find our answers here." He assured his partner as he lead her through the opening, and let the drapery fall closed behind them.

A muttering of arcane magicks and a practiced gesture of the doctor's hand weaved the spell that would ensure nothing said within the room could be heard by any outside of it, just as he always did when Heins or any of his patients visited. "To say that your letters were frantic would be an understatement, Sir Heins. I know that dragon tamers can be overly cautious when it comes to their partners, but you spoke as if she were at death's door." Monteblanc's voice was stern, reprimanding as he looked over Eris with a scrutinizing gaze. "I would never have agreed to arrange such a sudden visit if not for something... I don't have an answer for." His voice trailed off as he stepped around Eris. "She is growing thin."

"As I said. She barely eats anymore. She hardly had a bite of her dinner last night. I hear her stomach growling. I know she hungers, but she will not eat. Why, Master Scholar?" Heins' voice was quivering as he spoke, the man sounded nearly on the verge of tears with worry; the sleepless nights he'd endured had done him no favors to his rational demeanor either. "There is no egg anywhere. I swear I cannot count how many times I looked. She does not seek one either." He added, desperate to tell the doctor anything that might aid in his evaluation.

"And she guards your room? That is the oddity..."

"Like a sentry. Without rest u-until she collapsed." Heins' breathing was growing rapid. Why didn't the doctor have an answer? He was the expert. The undisputed Master Scholar of all things dragon in the region. None on the continent knew more than he. He had tended to every wound and illness Eris had ever encountered since she hatched, and he always had the answer. Why didn't he have an answer?

"What has she been eating?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary. Boar- t'is her favorite I think. We have had it several times and she has never had problem with it... Master Scholar?" Heins realized that the doctor had stopped very suddenly while he spoke, and was now looking at him with an uncomfortably intense stare as he moved his hand across his chest in the form of a cross, lips moving in a silent prayer as if to ward off some evil.

"Sir Heins..." Monteblanc took a deep breath as he spoke. "You -must- answer me honestly now. You said 'we' have had it. Have you. Shared your meal with her?" His voice was flat and professional, but there was an odd tension in the room.

"W-well it seems you have discovered a poor habit of mine." Heins chuckled, but his laughter seemed to evaporate in the barren silence of the office. "I know t'is not proper to give a dragon your scraps, lest they learn to sup with humans and spurn their own meals, b-but she-..." He could no longer continue speaking. The doctor's expression had turned from concern, to shock, to full on dread in just the few seconds that Heins had been speaking, and when Monteblanc managed to regain his composure enough to speak again, it was with a shaking voice of restrained anger, like a parent would use for scolding a child.

"P-pray tell... Sir Heins. Why is it that 'Do not share your meal with your dragon' is in. Chapter. ONE. of Dragon Husbandry and Care? Do you know naught of dragon husbandry?" Monteblanc was trying to maintain his composure, but it was clear it was a losing battle.

"Dragon Husbandry?" Heins' face grimaced as he shook his head and furrowed his brow. "Nay, not a thing. Such topics make me.... Uncomfortable. T'is Eris' business whom she- ... That is all it is? Master Scholar you could have saved me a trip if you had simply replied 'T'is the season and Eris is of age to find herself a suitor.' I have been worried sick over this?" A wave of relief washed over Heins as he knelt down and cupped his hands around Eris' head, rubbing her cheeks in his palms and lightly scratching behind her jaw.

Despite her exhaustion Eris practically melted in to his touch, pressing against his hands as Heins laughed mirthfully and gave her gentle affectionate scratches behind her horns and along her neck. "There's my girl~ Well aren't you just the most affectionate thing now that we've found the cure for your ailment. What is the cost of your consultation Master Scholar? Whatever the cost, it is worth it to see Eris happy once more." Heins laughed again as he nearly fell to his back from the pressure of Eris pressing her head against him. "P-please sir. Tell me soon, I do believe Eris wishes us to find her a suitor today."

Monteblanc did not share his patient's enthusiasm. When Heins caught sight of the doctor's face, it was difficult to make out the emotions with how red his face had become. His mouth moved as if to speak, but no words came out, his hands reached towards the sky, clenching and unclenching as if resisting the urge to strangle someone. And when their gazes met, it was abundantly clear who his fury was for. Monteblanc turned and started frantically going through one of the cabinets that lined the walls of the exam room until he withdrew a waterskin sealed with wax and marked with white paints to indicate its purpose. For the doctor it was clear what it was, but as he forced it in to Heins' hands, there was hardly an explanation given. "Drink- Eris. GIVE. To her. NOW" He couldn't speak, he paced around the room throwing his hands up in the air, silently cursing and fuming with anger.

Heins had seen the doctor frustrated, offended or irate. But this was unlike anything he had ever witnessed. "Eris." He broke the seal on the waterskin, a pungent aroma emanating forth as he lifted it to his partner's muzzle and tilted it until the contents were emptied. "She's already got her appetite back too? Normally Eris hates medicine. Anything that smells strongly. Eris?" Within seconds the sleeping draught took effect, and Eris landed with a thud on the ground, sleeping deeply as Heins looked towards Monteblanc for an answer. "What is the meaning-"

"Are you a dimwit, daft, or dracophile?! Stimulating seven of the thirteen nodes?!" Monteblanc screamed his accusations. All professional mannerism was gone and the doctor was livid! "It's CHAPTER ONE! CHAPTER ONE! Fifteen pages! Care you naught for Eris?! It makes you UNCOMFORTABLE?! Seek you to turn my apothecary in to a brothel?!" Again the doctor paced around the office, throwing his hands in to the air and shaking them as he stared at the ceiling, silently pleading that God might tell him what he had done to deserve this punishment.

"I am none of the three and you will rescind those accusations." Heins spoke sternly, a hand resting on the hilt of his sword as warning, such insults to his honor would not be tolerated even from a man of such renown. The gesture was either ignored, or missed entirely as the doctor continued his furious pacing, silent aside from the occasional repetition of 'It's chapter one! Should I have it on the cover?' 'Uncomfortable' in a mocking tone.

It took several seconds, but eventually the doctor regained enough of his composure to take hold of a textbook from the shelf and passed it to Heins. "Chage pun Chapper ten." Silence for several seconds followed. "...Chapter. One. Page ten. Or twelve. Somewhere there abouts." He managed to speak. His voice was calmer, resigned and tired now as he rubbed his temples with thumb and forefinger. While Heins opened the tome, Monteblanc gathered several leaves and powders to prepare tea to try and calm himself

Heins was beyond confused at the doctor's behavior, but it was clear he wasn't going to get any answers from him like this, so he opened up the tome and flipped past all the basics that every dragon tamer knew until he found the passage he was looking for. Page 9, but he wasn't about to correct the doctor on it. "An aspiring tamer must be sure that they not get in the habit of sharing meals with their partner. Not only will you have to explain to family and friends why there is a dragon begging for scraps like a common mongrel at the dinner table, but dragon courtship involves potential mates sharing their meals with one another, the details of which will be covered in more detail in chapter seven." As he spoke the passage aloud, it took a moment for the meaning of the words to sink in. The serious, thankfully calmer expression of Doctor Monteblanc held fast from across the table as they sat.

"... So when I shared dinner with her."

Monteblanc nodded. He had not yet found his voice again, sipping from his tea as his expression softened. The anger had flared, and now faded completely. Now there was a somber look about him that seemed more fitting for a funeral than a doctor's visit.

"N-nay that cannot be it. T'is not right, but many times before I have given her scraps from my meal and she has never thought such or behaved as this." Heins followed up, desperately hoping that there was another answer as he looked to the sleeping dragon at his feet. She thought of him as her mate? It couldn't be.

"Before... The season." Monteblanc finally spoke again. His throat hurt, his head throbbed, the tea helped with both, but it was anything but instantaneous relief. "A tamer should -never- share their meals with their dragon... Because we cannot tell exactly when the season starts. Sometimes it is late in summer. Sometimes not until winter. For all we have learned, we know little of why or when it starts or stops." He elaborated as he again moved his free hand across his chest, muttering another prayer and remaining silent for several seconds before speaking again. "Dragons... Do not communicate verbally so much- as I am sure you know. I have studied them my entire life, since I could read, and before that; my teacher read to me of dragons. I could tell you what hundreds of different combinations of wing flicks and tail twitches mean." It sounded almost boastful, but he continued with a solemn sigh. "There is no statement more clear than intention to mate. When it is time for a dragon to choose his mate, he brings her a fresh kill as offering- not always fresh, but the fresher the better. He splits it and presents her with half. If she accepts at that time, with this action, sharing their meal is an oath to share their life, Sir Heins."

"N-no." He didn't want to believe it. His blood felt like ice, his hand rested atop Eris' head while she slept, she looked so peaceful, so happy sleeping against him. Against her husband? 'This is why you haven't been eating? You think I seek to claim you?' His hand gently caressed the sleeping dragon's head as he looked up to the master scholar for guidance.

"Sir Heins..." He repeated, taking a deep breath with another prayer against the evil he was forced to speak. "F-for a week now you said? ... For a week. You have told Eris every night that you wish you be her mate... And she has accepted." He took another breath, refilling his tea as he struggled to find the words. "She guards your door. Nay. She stays up all night, wondering why her husband w-will not. C-consummate the marriage. You have told her it is your intention, but every night you- That is to say, you have given her expectations." He looked upon the sleeping dragon with pity. 'I am so sorry your partner is an idiot. You deserve better. I am so very sorry.' Silently the doctor begged forgiveness from the sleeping dragon.

"I can find her a proper partner." Heins spoke hopefully. "You have dragons here? Surely one of them- or one of the wild? I will find one that Eris will approve of if it takes me a lifetime." The doctor did not respond at first. He did not smile or show any hope for the plan.

"Sir Heins. Eris is not some bitch in heat ready to raise her tail to satisfy her instinctual desires... She is a dragon. They are proud, intelligent creatures, and they mate for life. Do you understand now? Even if it was not your intention. You told her that you wanted to be her life partner, and she accepted. In her mind, the two of you are already sworn to one another." Monteblanc shook his head. He would have to tell him, but even now he struggled to find the words.

"You speak Dragon. You said so yourself. They are intelligent creatures. How do I fix this?" Heins stared at the doctor who refused to meet his gaze. There had to be an answer.

"No... I cannot. We cannot. There are not words by voice or action to explain to a dragon that you accidentally swore your love to her for all eternity. Half a dozen times." Monteblanc's hands trembled. Again his tea was emptied long before the medicinal effects could serve their purpose. But no medicine could ease the ache in his heart for what he was about to say. "I have studied dragons my entire life. I carry the knowledge of those who spent their lives studying dragons before me. If there is a tome on the life and behavior of dragons, I have either read it, or more likely, I am the author. I say this not to boast, but so that when you hear my words; you know they are the words of one with lifetimes of knowledge... The most merciful thing you can do"

"No. I shall not consider it."

"There will be no suffering."

"Silence. Eris is my partner."

"Her last memories will be of being held by the one she loves."

"I am not going to murder my partner." Tears were streaming from Heins' eyes as he looked down at Eris. How could death be the most merciful thing?

"Heins." Honorifics were gone. It was not a scholar speaking to a tamer anymore. More like a man speaking to a boy whose pet was to be put down. "The other option is far more cruel. You could show your disdain. Refuse to eat with her anymore and she will know very clearly that you do not wish to be her partner- Do not feel hopeful." He warned quickly, seeing a glint in Heins' eyes. "It does not happen often, but there are times when a male will abandon his mate like this... She stops eating first."

Heins looked towards Eris, wiping the tears from his eyes as guilt racked his conscience. She was already growing thin, was it truly too late?

"Then she refuses to even get up. Or perhaps the lack of food robs her of the strength to do so. It is a slow, miserable death where one can only imagine the suffering she would go through. Please. Heins. Don't put Eris through that. Now she is happy. She believes she is with her mate, and dreams of being held by the one she loves. There is no happiness for her beyond this point."

A cold, deafening silence lingered in the apothecary. How could this be the best answer? "... Is there not another-"

"No." The answer was absolute even as the doctor motioned and prayed against the most sinful, unspoken depravity that neither of them dared speak aloud. "You would be branded a heretic. That. Sin. Is one the church would forgive only after it was purged from your earthly body with fire. Do not consider it an option, you would damn both yourself and Eris' body and souls, do you understand?" He was considering it. Monteblanc knew it, despite the warning. With a heavy sigh he stood and again moved to his cabinet, withdrawing a carefully wrapped bundle of dried leaves, and a small black vial marked with a skull with countless seals ensuring the contents could not escape. "I give you my word. It is painless and peaceful." There was a long pause, Heins didn't react; but he must have heard him. "Then take these leaves. One each night will keep her from- acting on her instincts. It will render her sickly and uncomfortable. She will not be able to fight, she will struggle to walk. But... It will give you a few days to say goodbye. Share your meals. Her favorites every night. Tell her that you love her. Let her believe that she has found her husband and home."

Eris began to stair as droplets peppered her muzzle. Warm rain? Her head felt heavy and her mind was cloudy, but she felt the warmth of her husband holding her. His scent comforted her. She was safe with him. She could sleep a bit longer still.

The protective ward faded as doctor and patient left the exam room once Eris had fully wakened from her nap, she looked a little better from the brief rest, but it was clear she recognized and was discomforted by her husband's troubles- whatever they were.

"Nay. We can talk of payment on your next visit. You have more important things to concern yourself with." Monteblanc didn't want to figure the cost of the time spent. The sleeping draught. The leaves. Heins had refused to take the euthanizing tonic. Refused to even touch it. As the tamer and his partner stepped out from the apothecary, a heavy pit weighed in both doctor and tamer's stomach as they parted ways.

Eris looked up at her husband, wondering why he looked so distraught as they started their way home. 'Not tonight either I guess... What have I done wrong, my love?'

Chapter 2: Avarice and Ego

"Eris..." She pressed against his side before he finished speaking. It made sense now. It all made sense. He could see in her somber expression the truth to the doctor's words. It wasn't fear for his life that had her looking so grim. It was confusion and sorrow. Even now she was trying her best to prove herself to him; her every behavior now clearly said 'Look, I am worthy, please accept me.' "That's my girl..." He murmured out as he stroked her head.

A sharp stinging pain in his shoulder broke the trance he was in. An arrow had lodged in to his flesh. His armor had kept it from being a fatal wound but just barely. Poachers. With arrows made to puncture mail and dragonhide alike.

"Idiots we need her ali-" The earth shook as a roar erupted with intensity enough that it could deafen, and even Heins was briefly frozen in fear by the anger he felt in it. Never had he heard Eris make such a sound.

Never had someone wounded Eris' husband. She had failed to protect him, and the guilt of her failure fueled her rage as she launched herself towards the dragon thief who dared harm her husband. She was vaguely aware of the arrows that were lodged in her body already, but she felt nothing of pain now. The two halves of what had once been a dragon thief hadn't even hit the ground before Eris turned her bloody fangs towards the next scavenger meal. One of her wings extended outwards as she ran, catching an arrows in the delicate leathery membrane that tore open. It didn't matter. If she never flew again. If she lost every drop of blood. She would never let another hurt her husband.

"Eris! AS ONE" The command was law, and even in her rage, Eris obeyed, joining Heins' side as the two faced the remaining poachers who had already begun their retreat after the ambush failed to kill the tamer, or disable his dragon. "We fight as one." Heins stated sternly as reminder as he gripped his sword and lead the attack.

The number of people who can with honesty claim to have fought an enraged dragon and survived to speak of it are few in number. So few, that many believe it has not reached even the double digits. Most do not believe it has even reached single digits. While many tavern goer and scholar alike might theorize on the exact number; not one poacher would be added to that number today.

"What is wrong with you?" Heins spoke as he tended to Eris' wounds once the last poacher had fallen, and the two settled down to apply restorative. He already knew the answer as he applied the medicinal tinctures that hastened her recovery, her wounds slowly closing up as he delicately and cautiously applied it. "E-Eris your wing. You would go that far?" The damage to her wing was relatively minor; but dragons sought to defend their wings nearly as closely as their hearts. Yet she had used it to shield him from an arrow that might not have even hit.

"You would give up your flight just to ensure I not get even a scratch, is that it?" He exhaled a sigh, and felt a warmth against his cheek as Eris pressed her head against his own. "I know..." He murmured out as he brought a hand to his cheek, wiping some of the blood that had smeared from a wound on his partner's cheek. "Eris... My life as a tamer is tied to you. We fight As One. We travel As One. Your life is my life." She looked to be listening intently, but how much she understood, he couldn't guess. He looked again at the cut on her face where an arrow had grazed her, yet still managed to leave a nasty gash.

"Eris." He spoke slowly and determinedly as he brushed his finger across the wound. His gaze never left hers as he spoke, lifting a dagger towards his own face and drawing a line across his cheek with a smooth motion while Eris stared in shock, horror as blood seeped from her husband's flesh. "Heins." He spoke his own name, and then hers; touching his wound, and then her own. "My life... Is your life... As one." He repeated, dipping his head down and softly kissing her cheek. A moment later, to his surprise, he felt Eris' muzzle touching his cheek. Did she truly understand? "As one." he again repeated, and he swore she nodded. For a moment he forgot his worries, his trip to the apothecary, for now he felt a closeness with his partner that made him forget everything bad that haunted them. For just a few fleeting seconds, he felt as carefree as when he was a child playing with his newly hatched dragon in the field without a care in the world.

"We're taking a detour home Eris... I need some fresh air." Heins stated aloud as he looked back at the city in the distance. She was close at his side as they walked, and he couldn't shake the feeling of how similar it felt to how couples would walk together. As the two stepped off the path that would lead them home, and towards the wilderness. Heins looked back towards the city, to the towers of the church that stood high above all the other buildings. There was no doubt about it, every step was delivering him further from the church and its teachings.

Chapter 3: Descent

For hours they walked. Sometimes in silence, sometimes with Heins speaking to Eris. He talked fondly of their early adventures together. Of the first time he looked upon her as she hatched. When he was given his license and made an official tamer. Never was he happier than during times like this; just him and his partner traveling the world. He didn't even think about time, or how long they had been walking, which direction they were going. No. None of that mattered to a tamer, Eris would always know how to bring them home no matter how lost they might get.

As the sun started to set, Heins realized they needed to set up camp for the night. There were plenty enough caves to claim a temporary respite in- if they were not inhabited already.

"Eris." She knew what he expected. She stepped in to the cave, her eyes effortlessly piercing the darkness as she explored with sight, scent, and sound. Empty. She returned a moment later, looked up at him, and stepped in to the cave again to show him it was indeed safe. "That's my girl." He praised as he rubbed her head and started setting up a campfire and a bedroll. No poachers would be out this far, and there was no beast in these woods that would dare approach a dragon. Heins felt confident enough that it was safe, that he removed his armor and left only his sleep clothes, and his sword on his person as he unpacked their dried rations. "No. We will not eat rations after all this. We have been through too much. We deserve a fresh meal."

*Thud*

The boar never heard the footsteps, never caught his scent, perhaps it never even heard the twang of the arrow before it landed true. It was slain flawlessly, and Heins proudly dragged his fresh kill back to the campsite.

'He will offer her a fresh kill. Share the meal and they share their life.' The doctor's words rang in his head and reminded him of the grim truth. "No. Eris is not some dumb animal. She is my partner, a dragon. He said so himself. She is not some. Dog in heat. She's a smart girl. She'll understand it was a mistake." As he dragged their dinner towards the light of the campfire he prayed silently 'Please understand, Eris.'

Eris hated guard duty. Even more than normal she HATED being commanded to stay now while her husband hunted. But she would prove herself. She would endure his command even if she HATED it.

"Eris! Dinner is ready!" Heins called out, trying to sound enthusiastic. 'Please understand.' He repeated the silent prayer over again countless times as Eris emerged from the cave and towards him. "Look Eris. Fresh boar, your favorite!" 'Please understand. Please Eris.'

Heins had several cuts of meat for himself, and several feet away was the rest of the boar. Eris's meal. Separate.

'Please Eris...' Heins could see the confusion in her eyes. 'Eris please eat.' She looked from the boar, to Heins

Eris looked to her husband for an explanation.

"C'mon Eris, Eat up. It's your favorite."

"Please Eris... Eat. A bite."

Eris stepped towards her husband. She took another step towards him.

"E-Eris this is my food. Yours is over there. Please... Please eat."

"Eris? ... Eris you have to eat." He could see the sorrow in her eyes as she turned from him and stepped away.

"Eris come back. Please just eat." Heins' pleas were ignored as Eris stepped in to the cave, deep enough that she wouldn't be seen, and collapsed. "Eris... I would give my life for you if only I could fix this."

Chapter 4: Eris

The thoughts consumed her as Eris curled up against the stone. She pressed against the rock, hoping it would swallow her up and end her misery. 'Heins... My love. My partner, my husband-'

'What did I do wrong?' She tried to think of something, anything. They had been together since she was born. They had been on countless missions together, sometimes they triumphed, sometimes they failed, but throughout it all, they were as one. 'As one... I have tried so hard to learn your words, my love. You have no tail to twist, no wings to arch, your eyes say so little, and you hide your scents with perfumed waters. I am trying my best to learn your words... As one. I thought I knew... It means we are together. As warriors, as family, and you told me now as husband and wife.' Eris' thoughts swirled in her head as she tried to understand why her husband hated her so.

"Eris?" Heins' voice echoed through the cave, his voice stung and she tried to clench her wings tighter around herself.

"Eris!"

'Please go away. Please, my love. Hearing your voice brings me such joy, Joy that I am not deserving of. I am not fit to be your wife, your dragon- no, I am not a dragon even. I am just a scavenger's feast. That is my only purpose now.'

A warm hand stroked along her head. 'Stop it. Please. You don't know how happy you make me when you touch me. How my heart soars when you speak my name. Please do not remind me of the joys I do not deserve.'

"Eat ^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^ Eris" So many of his words were nonsense.

The scent of blood and fresh meat caused her stomach to sting painfully, he had brought the boar to her, but she knew he would not share it with her. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten.

'I'm not hungry. Go away' Silence followed for several seconds. 'I'm really hungry... But I don't deserve it. Please my love... Remove you hand from my head and leave. Don't leave me. Hold me. Tell me it's okay. Get that food out of here. Unless you want to- Go away!'

"Calm Eris ^^^ ^^^ ^^^ Eat."

'No.'

Eris was so hungry, so tired, so frustrated and confused and overwhelmed that she didn't move from her spot. She hoped that her husband would move, she hoped he would stay. She didn't know what she hoped for now, but the smell of the boar was like torture to her, and knowing that her husband had eaten...

She sniffed the air. The scent was strong. But it came only from the boar. Her husband's hands had the scent, but not his mouth. She listened... 'Your stomach is growling. You're very hungry. Eat.'

Finally. Slowly Eris lifted her head to look upon her husband's face, squinting as she did so. Of course he'd brought a torch, his eyesight was terrible. 'I'm not eating.' She had made up her mind and refused to even look at the sliced meats before her. For several minutes the two sat in silence.

'You have to eat! You're hungry. Don't try to lie to me. I can hear your stomach. I can smell the acid on your breath! You haven't eaten at all today!' She glared at her husband, if he understood even a little bit of her communications, he would recognize what she was saying. 'You -will- eat. You have a life ahead of you. You are not scavenger feast like I am.' Her claws effortlessly passed through the boar flesh as she carved out a large slab of the finest meat for her husband. 'There. Separate. EAT. HUSBAND.'

Heins looked at the slab of raw boar Eris and dropped in front of him before she backed away to her corner of the cave again, trying to hide the fact that she was still watching him. He had seen her pout before, but this was something else.

"No."

'No?!' The growls and frustrated sounds Eris made had no human translation in any language beyond 'Sounds of hormonal frustration and exasperation.' Eris' tantrum lasted for several minutes, but throughout it all, Heins remained stoic and unmoving. He would not leave her.

"As one."

'What do you mean. AS ONE? I'm at your side. There is no danger. I am at your side. I never want to leave your side. Isn't that what it means?' She looked up from her pouting tantrum, eyes widening at the sight before her.

_\_

Dragon Courtship Basics- A Brief Summary by Master Scholar Monteblanc DeSainte Coquille.

There are many ways in which a male can ask a female to be his mate. The basics covered in these texts however remain the same no matter the species or region: He brings her dinner while she is in heat.

This gesture is the male's way of promising to provide for her while she is carrying his egg. Think of it like going on a date, but the man says 'I have enough money in my account so that you will be able to eat like this every night during your pregnancy'

...The analogy isn't perfect, of course. But I assure you it is much more romantic to a dragon.

Now the biggest most confident dragons will throw their kill in front of the female, tear off half for themselves; and that is that. In dragon terms, it is the simplest proposal

A dragon who is less confident, or believes he must try harder to win his potential mate's affection will carry the meal to her, and stay beside her as they eat together. This is more formal, something like

Some males- desperate ones admittedly, will go even further. Not only will he bring her the meal, he will give her the finest pieces- sometimes even feeding her them like a servant, begging her for her approval. Would be the most generous way to describe how such an act would be 'translated' in dragon terms.

///

Heins was knelt before her, holding the cut of meat in both hands like it was some ritualistic offering to a pagan god. He didn't know the first bit about dragon husbandry. He still hadn't even read chapter one. But he hoped that what he learned was enough. "Eat. As one."

'What are you- ... You understand me?' Eris felt a pain in her heart as she stepped forwards. 'Do not lie to me, husband... Husband?' She took another step, as Heins looked up and met her gaze, he recognized the fear and trepidation in her eyes. He spoke words that were mostly nonsense, but the emotion in them was clear. 'You regret so much... I get it, but do you know? Are you sure?' Cautiously Eris pressed her mouth against the meat and she felt her heart soar as Heins did the same.

"As one." Heins stated, biting in to the raw flesh and consuming it.

'As one! Husband!' Eris devoured the meat. 'I was so hungry!' She tore through the boar with a hunger unlike anything she'd ever felt. 'Husband is Husband!' She ate and swallowed with unrestrained joy in her heart with her husband eating beside her.

'...Humans burn their food before eating it don't they?' The realization came to her only after they had both eaten every scrap of flesh from the boar. The raw flesh tasted disgusting to Heins, and with every bite he wondered if he would suffer horrible consequences for it. But he swore many years ago that he would give even his life for Eris, and tonight he had reaffirmed to himself, and to her; that he would sacrifice anything for her, be it his health or-

Heins looked towards the opening of the cave, the horizon showed only glints of sunset remaining. But from this angle, he could see naught of the church or its towers. Truly he had strayed too far, and never again would he be able to look upon them for comfort after tonight. But he had made his choice.

Chapter 5: As One

Dawn glinted at the edges of the cave. The sunrise wasn't visible, but it was illuminating the forest already. Despite still having no sleep, Eris was happier than she ever had been as she curled around her beloved.

"Dawn ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ No. No. No Sleep ^^^ ^^^" He was complaining about the sunrise. That much was clear. Or perhaps that he didn't sleep.

'I did that.' Eris thought proudly to herself. Even knowing that her husband was grumpy and miserable, she took pride in it. 'I did that~' She thought to herself as she looked at the gashes on her husband's shoulders. 'I did that!' Pride unlike anything she'd ever felt. Every mark proved that he was hers. He had no claws to mark her as his own, so that was unfortunate, but she had been marked since birth as his, so that was enough.

"Sunlight ^^^ ^^^^ Sleep I Sleep Sleep." Eris was fairly certain that even in the human tongue, whatever her husband was saying was nonsensical and delirious.

'Say the word my love, and I will destroy the sun itself if it vexes you.' She pressed her muzzle against his cheek and let out a low, rumbling growl 'I love you.'

"Yes. I love you too."

'....? Husband. I love you'

"^^^ ^^^ I love you too."

'You understand? You hear me? You see me?' There was some grumbling from her husband as he started to roll over, trying to escape any sources of illumination so that he could finally get some sleep. 'No. Maybe not. But maybe you understand... I loooove you.'

"I love you too! Sleep Eris!"

'Husband loves me~'

"SLEEP ERIS!"

Chapter 6: Grim Dawn

The apothecary was peaceful, silent; but a heavy air hung over the building as Monteblanc ran his finger across the seals of the black vial he knew he would be forced to use today. "It's been three days, Heins...Tell me you have not let your fear stop you from giving Eris the peaceful end she deserves. The longer you wait. The worse her frustration and sadness will grow." The doctor muttered to himself. Part of him hoped that Heins wouldn't show up, euthanizing any creature was a horrible task, but a dragon? One who had done no wrong? Again he drew his hand over his chest in a cross, silently praying for forgiveness for his awful duty.

"Hey doctor!" Celica's voice rang out- followed by a clatter as the chair Monteblanc had been sitting on was knocked to the ground by the force of his sudden arisal before his head peered out from the drapery to the waiting room.

"... Where is he?" He asked his receptionist, who held a thin envelope between two fingers, passing it to the doctor.

"My guess is he's gone to ask for a loan. This letter feels mighty thin. I'd wager my next paycheck that it's naught but an IOU, swearing that he'll have the money soon." Celica smirked as she passed the sealed envelope to the doctor. Even as she acted aloof, her eyes were upon it as Doctor Monteblanc broke the wax seal and opened it up.

Within there was a single note. No explanation, no request, nothing but a number and the bank that would pay the amount promised. "This isn't..." Monteblanc stared at the bank note for several seconds, running the numbers countless times. It was far more than the cost of any service he might provide, even with the most generous tip. Then a cold chill of realization washed over him. "N-no. N-no that cannot be."

The note fell to the floor and Monteblanc backed away as if it carried some horrible curse. Celica's eyes were upon it immediately, though she didn't understand why the doctor seemed so horrified by it. "If'n you don't want it, Master Scholar Doctor Sir, I'll be happy to take it for you."

"I must leave immediately." Monteblanc stammered out as he returned to the exam room, gathering the vile tonic he'd prepared, as well as several scrolls, restoratives, and travel supplies for his voyage. Perhaps it was not too late to save Heins' soul. Eris' life was no doubt forfeit, but that cowardly fool didn't have to damn both of them to Hell! "I'm making a house call."

"The Great Lord Sir Scholar whatever-it-is Monteblanc? T'is never been heard of... Though for that amount I'd be convinced I suppose." Celica shrugged her shoulders as she realized something. Without a doctor at the apothecary, she didn't really need to be there either. And if he didn't say anything... She was getting the rest of the day off.

He should take the note and write an affidative to the church immediately. Tell them what Heins was planning- or God forbid, what he might have already done. He could not redeem the note, t'would be accepting a bribe for his silence! That was clearly what it was, a payment from Heins that he forget everything they discussed. "You damn fool they -will- know regardless. There are signs!" He muttered to himself as threw on his cloak and prepared to step out the exit.

Something bothered Doctor Monteblanc though that froze his departure. He didn't realize it at first, but the amount on the note was... oddly specific. It was why he thought it was for a service plus tip at first. He closed his eyes and exhaled a heavy sigh as the meaning of the note became clear to him. More than just an amount of currency, it said 'I give you everything I have so that I may spare Eris an undue death.' There was now no doubt in his mind that the amount on the note was exactly how much Heins had to his name. For several seconds he stood in silence at the entryway, while Celica nervously shifted at her post. The sooner the doctor was gone, the sooner she could slip out early.

"I need... a few more things." Doctor Monteblanc finally spoke aloud, turning back towards the exam room, and adding a few pouches to his pack, and preserved claw of a rare beast. "I travel south to treat Eris. Should any question my absence." He explained to Celica before stepping out of the apothecary and rushing towards the carriage service to request an urgent transport.

"Of course, Doctor; I'll be..." The doctor was long gone before she even finished speaking. Celica stepped out from behind the counter, knelt down, and picked up the bank note that had been completely forgotten by her boss. "T'would be a fine number of meals and rent for the rest of the this year and next..." She pondered as she waved the note in front of her face before she exhaled the heaviest of sighs. "If'n I weren't the most honest gal in the realm." She muttered to herself as she stepped in to the exam room and tucked the note safely in one of the doctor's textbooks for safe keeping. In truth, it was only knowing that she would never get away with the theft that kept her so honest. But it certainly did not keep her at her station while the doctor was gone. The apothecary was locked and warded; and Celica was off to enjoy a afternoon on the town.

Chapter 7: Conspirators

Even with every possible expedition paid for the carriage could not be fast enough. Nor could Monteblanc risk revealing the true urgency of his mission, lest suspicions be raised in the town. Eris was direly ill, and Heins had paid a hefty sum to summon the doctor to his doorstep rather than risk attempting to transport the dragon. That was the lie he spoke to any who asked, a half-truth he hoped. 'Surely he wouldn't. Heins I know she is your partner but life is not more important than your very soul!' Again and again the doctor prayed, crossing his heart and begging that he was not too late, though the truth was already known to him, he did not wish to believe it.

"I know not how long I will be. It may be an hour, it may be a day." 'God above please let it be an hour. Let Heins listen to reason. I will administer the euthanasia, Eris will be at peace, and Heins' body and soul will be spared.' He dismissed the carriage and made his way to the edge of the small town where Heins lived separate from the other villagers where Eris had an abundance of space to call her territory without risk to any curious of ignorant sorts.

A simple wooden fence bordered the wide fields of Heins' land. Not to keep people out, or dragon in; only to clearly mark what was Eris' territory. Signs and pictograms marked the fence from every side, giving ample warning to any would be intruders that their lives would be forfeit if they approached unwelcome. "Here I walk and here I travel. On my boots are dirt and gravel. I walk in peace and make my-self known, as I enter the dragon's home." He repeated the rhyme as he stepped past the gate and approached Heins' home, speaking loudly enough that there would be no doubt to the dragon within that he was announcing his presence, and was not attempting to sneak in.

"Ah Eris!" The visage of the dragon peered out from a window as she climbed out and stalked forwards, her claws tore the earth up with each step, fury in her eyes and flames flickering behind her teeth as she glared at the doctor.

"Eris you remember me, don't you? I tended to your broken leg when you were a hatchling." Monteblanc spoke, making broad gestures as he did.

Eris' wings were outstretched and she was lifting her head back. Her meaning and warnings were clear to the scholar.

"I've brought you some fresh boar."

"I know you're scared. But truly I mean you no harm." Monteblanc truly showed no fear as he spoke and gestured to Eris to show his good intentions. Eris recognized many of the gestures, he spoke remarkably well for a human, his meaning was clear.

Eris' expression softened as she looked forwards. Her eyes relaxed, as happiness filled her mind. She was safe with her husband. There was no danger, nothing to worry about. Vaguely she was aware of a hand brushing against her head, but she thought nothing of it, nothing but of how peaceful and relaxed she felt.

Eris' will was strong, but the subtle spell woven in to Monteblanc's words and actions completely outmatched Eris' mental defenses against the master of dragon studies. The magical trance would last only a few minutes, but it would be enough for Monteblanc to enlist Heins' aid in diverting the fury of a dragon who had been deceived.

Monteblanc didn't even bother knocking. There wasn't time, and based on how defensive Eris was, he knew Heins was home. Somewhere in there, and refusing to come outside. The door pushed open with some effort, and a little magical motivation to unfasten the bolt. "Sir Heins! I come unarmed, and by myself. It is not the church come to purge your body. Not yet at least. Speak to me quickly!" He demanded in to the simple peaceful looking home. 'I am too late' He realized it the moment the door had opened. There were claw marks on the walls and bannisters. Not just the normal ones all dragon tamers had on their furniture; they were markings of the most severe warnings a dragon could give to any intruders. For Monteblanc, the markings had clear meaning:

"I am here." Heins' voice was weak, ashamed, and exhausted. He knew there would be no hiding the truth from Monteblanc, and it was only a small relief to him that it was the scholar, and not a high inquisitor at his door. "It is all I have. Master Scholar. Truly it is everything." His words were pleading as he stepped forth in to the light, his sleep clothes were hastily thrown on, looking as if he'd been kept prisoner several days with how ragged and scarred he was. "Please understand Master-"

"Where is your coat? Your shirt, anything with your scent." Monteblanc interrupted as he forced his way in and threw open the nearest closet, grabbing hold of Heins' traveling cloak and wrapping it around his body, and then taking hold of shirt from a pile of clothes yet to be laundered.

"You- that is filthy-" Heins' confusion had never been higher, was it the sleepless nights, the exhaustion, or just the eccentric nature of a dragon scholar? He didn't know, and it hurt his head to try and figure it out. "Where is Eris?" He suddenly asked, though looking out the front door, he saw her still staring forwards. "Entranced?"

"Yes entranced. And when she snaps out of it any moment, she will be -very- upset about it. You must tell her that I am not an enemy as quickly as you can. Afterwards I will show her your scent upon me. Even with your command, a dragon will not allow another in to her home if they are not recognized as family when she is in season. With your scent, it should be enough" Monteblanc explained as he stepped towards one of the corners of the house, hiding from sight to give Heins as much time as possible. It was a risky gambit. He had other methods of defending himself from Eris, but none that he wanted to resort to immediately.

Eris blinked a few times as her thoughts cleared. What had been- Magic. And she had fallen for it! Worse, there was an intruder where her husband...

A roar erupted from the dragon as she followed the scent, darting in to the house. All debt she may have owed the wound mender were banished from her mind. He would burn. He would die. Nothing would stop her.

"Eris. As one."

Nothing except that. She was at his side in an instant. Above all else, she was her husband's, and would never refuse him anything.

"Monteblanc is not an enemy. He is welcome in our home." Heins spoke with authority, clearly. Certain that Eris knew enough of his words that she would understand his meaning.

Eris stood dutifully at Heins' side, revealing nothing of whether she understood his statements, or whether she was just temporarily placated, waiting for a chance to strike as she looked upon Monteblanc.

"...Odd." Monteblanc's voice escaped him as he looked over Eris. His eyes watching every twitch of her muscles, the subtle shift of her tail as it tapped against the ground. Her wings resting at her sides. "You do not wish to take my scent?" He asked the dragon, moving his arm towards her. He had thought it would be a necessity, if he had Heins' scent, it would put her at ease. but all hostility from the dragon was gone.

Eris looked at the offered arm, then up to her husband and back to Monteblanc again.

"Ahh I see. He has said that I am not a threat, and thus it is absolute truth." Monteblanc understood the gestures. At least... he thought he did. But what she was 'saying' didn't match any dragon behavior ever recorded. "Heins this is... You are familiar with cognitive disobedience of course."

"When a dragon disobeys their partner because they sense something he cannot. Yes." Heins replied as he looked from Monteblanc to Eris, oblivious to the communication exchanged between them. "Have you concerns that Eris may harm you despite my wishes?"

"No quite the contrary... She should have insisted on taking my scent." Monteblanc took a step forwards, Eris took a step back. "Very... Interesting. Indeed. I am not a threat. Nor am I a friend. She allows my presence, but she doesn't trust me. That is what she says." He roughly translated the subtle cues he'd picked up on in her words and actions.

"She said all that without a word?" Heins asked incredulously as he looked to Eris, who looked back up at him, waiting for a command.

"Dragons speak far more than most humans realize... And that, Heins; is why I am here. Do you realize that in the few minutes I have been in your home, Eris has given full confession of your sins nearly a dozen times? She is very proud of herself. Nearly every action includes some form of 'And with my mate' as part of it. Some more subtle than others, but even an apprentice dragon scholar would recognize the truth of your sins within moments of seeing you together- and not just from the scars- though they are a red flag that tamers and the clergy will be familiar with." Monteblanc explains as he looks to Eris again. "Yes yes. You did that, didn't you?" Eris held her head up proudly.

"So I cover the scars and teach Eris not to ...'speak' so much?" Heins asked, hoping that Monteblanc had not just come to mock him for an inescapable fate.

With a chuckle and a sigh, Monteblanc shook his head. "Cover the scars? You have not noticed already? What happens when you put a shirt on?"

"She... Does not like that. Even the one I wear now was hardly tolerable to her, and it is so old and threadbare, it would hardly serve as a rag." Heins explains, looking towards Eris. It almost felt like he could understand her response. 'Yup, I'll rip off anything else'

"Eris will not allow you to hide them during the season. Once it is over, she will be more reasonable, but those scars are your wedding ring... And your execution warrant should another see them. Observe. This is how every guardsman, inquisitor, and even some mercenary will detect a suspected heretic, be they dragon tamer, trader, or scholar." Monteblanc looked from Eris, to Heins, and then reached forwards to touch a hand against one of the scars. "Hmmmm that's an interesting wound. Where did you get that?" He spoke aloud, as one might address a traveler on the road.

Eris lifted herself up, placing a foreleg on to the table and dragged her claw across it, leaving a deep mark in the wood.

"You did that, hrmmmph!" Monteblanc grunted out, and Eris replied with a similar grumph, proud of herself. "And with that, your execution would be assured. Curious dragons touch the scars to ask if they are claimed; their mate will immediately respond 'yes he is mine' by showing that their claw mark matches the one on the dragon. Thus, all it takes is a touch to know if one has... sinned. But your life may yet be saved."

"And Eris." Heins added, recognizing how Monteblanc had omitted her name from his promised absolution.

"It is still an option. And truly sincerely, is still the best option."

"T'was never an option at all, and I would die before allowing you to harm her." Anger filled Heins' voice at the very suggestion, and he felt Eris growing tense beside him.

"Now now, no need for threats." Monteblanc stated as he looked to Eris, who had grown so used to humans being unable to understand her, or respond to her in a way she understood; was visibly discomforted by his reply. "I empathize with your plight, Sir Heins. Eris truly has done nothing wrong. She doesn't deserve to be punished for your-" Stupidity, unforgivable ignorance, recklessness, squeamish childlike discomfort with learning even the basics of dragon courtship. "Your... limited understanding." He found the least offensive words he could, that still made clear that all of this was due to Heins refusing to do his study. "I will even teach you a few things to 'speak' to her more clearly. There is something I wish to test of Eris' cognitive disobedience though. She has been reacting to your instructions, both verbal and non-verbal in a way I've never seen."

"I fear I cannot assist much in that. Eris has never disobeyed, even before... A week ago." Heins stated with pride in his voice as he rested his hand on Eris' head, thumb gently curling behind one of her horns and lightly scratching.

"You're telling her that it's time to mate again, when you do that. Sir Heins."

Heins withdrew his hand from Eris' head with a sharp gasp. "Beg your pardon!?" Even Heins recognized the disappointed look in Eris' expression the moment his hand pulled away.

"Take a seat. We are going over Chapter Seven in its entirety tonight. It is high time you realize what you have been saying to your wife." Monteblanc chuckled, even as he drew a cross against his chest and whispered a prayer.

Chapter 8: Chapter 7

"EUGH. Master Scholar this- put it away at once!" Heins shielded his eyes from the detailed diagram in the textbook of the draconic reproductive systems. "Eris is a girl, if you have forgotten, surely I do not need to be exposed to... the male parts. How has the church allowed such disgusting depictions in such grotesque detail?"

"You will look. And you will learn. The time for coddling your discomfort is over, Heins. You will understand your... Eris" Despite his words, Monteblanc was nearly as uncomfortable with the situation as Heins. Not because of the highly detailed illustration of an engorged dragon phallus that took up an entire page of the textbook, but because he knew that by teaching Heins, he was becoming complacent in their unforgiveable sin. "The ridges along the outer edge stimulate the cloaca, causing blood to flow to the area and increase sensitivity as the male grabs her by the head to stimulate nodes 3 through 7 with his claws."

"Master Scholar please. You are certainly going above and beyond what I need to know." Heins attempted to plead with the scholar, but if there was anyone in the entire world who could protect him and Eris; it was surely him, and despite the contents of his stomach escaping him twice, the lesson continued without any breaks.

The review carried on in to the night until Heins' head struck the table for the third time. "Please... I must sleep. How do I tell her I have a headache. What is draconic for 'Not tonight?'" Heins' voice was slurred, he was beyond exhausted. He couldn't remember the last time he'd gotten a full night's rest.

"Tell her I am a friend." Monteblanc instructed.

"Eris. Doctor Friend. Good friend." He patted Monteblanc's head for emphasis. It made sense in his sleep deprived mind.

"Eris." Monteblanc spoke, and for the first time, Eris looked up at him, peace in her expression. "Truly? With just his word you trust me that much?"

"What she said?" Heins was hardly conscious at this point, drifting between sleep and waking

"Your word is law. Absolute. You could tell her that water was earth, and she would be able to walk upon it. She says- Or close enough to that. But I digress, with your words, she trusts me enough that I may speak to her for you... So long as you do not stimulate

"Do-no stimflate thirteen nodes no pleasure nodes touch. Please must rest."

"Eris." The doctor again stated, placing a hand against her hand, and a finger upon Heins' face. "I know you see his eyes. You hear his breath. You know he needs rest." There was a brief pause as Eris looked from Heins, to Monteblanc and back. "I know you are starting a family. But the father needs sleep. He is human." Monteblanc reminds her, pinched Heins' cheek like one's grandmother might do, to remind Eris that he was fleshy and soft. "For tonight. Rest." Monteblanc spoke with broad gestures, using his cape as a dragon's wing to make his point as clear as possible

"Sleep?" Heins asked hopefully, unable to muster the strength to say any more.

"To bed. Sleep." Monteblanc confirmed. Heins started to rise from his chair, but soon realized that Monteblanc had still been speaking to Eris, who effortlessly hoisted Heins to her back, and brought him to their bed.

"I love you too. Sleep."

Chapter 9: A Friendly Chat

"You did that."

Eris beamed with pride, though it quickly faded as she waited for her husband to wake.

"It's not something for you to be proud of, Eris. Your markings have taken his strength. Your family growing has taken his stamina. His body needs rest to heal." Monteblanc explained in a stern tone, though he lacked the vocabulary to thoroughly explain all the details about why a human needed more sleep.

<...My husband still sleeps.> Her gestures and vocalizations were clearly frustrated, impatient.

A chuckle escaped the doctor as he patted Eris' head, and prepared a meal for each of them, making sure to keep their food separate as his mind wandered. "If only I could study all these changes in behavior... I wonder if she would even share a meal with me if Heins commanded it..." He thought aloud. Smart enough not to make the gestures that would give away what he was saying to Eris who watched him intently. Not with suspicion anymore, now she watched him because in all her life, she had never met a human who could communicate so easily with her, and she carefully read each gesture he made. It was nice to have someone to talk to.

Eris looked towards the horizon, to the bedroom where Heins slept, and to the doctor.

"No. I think not." Monteblanc lifted an arm high, rotated it once in a full circle before lifting it straight up again. "Tomorrow Lunch. Yes." He paused for a moment. He was guessing, he wasn't a human doctor, nor were there any records of such activities or how they'd affect a human. "Hmm, there is not a good word for 'maybe'. Wake up soon, Heins. I do not wish to answer to your wife if she calls me a liar tomorrow.

Eris shone with pride, she was like a school girl with her first crush, and wanted to sing it to the heavens so that all would know her love for her husband. But that was what Monteblanc feared most. And there were no translations to draconic that would describe the complexities of the church, heretics, and the penalties for what they had done.

"The herbs in my pack? They are for wound mending."

"There are many dangers. Tomorrow and tomorrow's tomorrow many times. I have wound mendings for tomorrow's tomorrow." His arm was starting to ache. Talking with dragons was always a chore, but Eris was the chattiest dragon he'd ever met. Likely because Heins had declared him a friend, and as such, Eris was comfortable around him. "I will make the wound mendings now. Go to your husband and sleep." 'I miss my apothecary. No one bothered me there...'

Monteblanc's head sank as he started to withdraw the herbs and his tools to prepare the medicines he would need for his deception. 'I never should have shown her that I know how to speak to dragons...'

Chapter 10: The Plan

A sound like hiccups eventually woke Heins from his rest after nearly a full day's sleep. His body ached, his head was swimming, but it was still far better than he had felt in days. Every movement caused his joints to creak and pop; and he was reminded of a tale of a man who'd slept for forty years as he struggled to rise from his bed.

Hrrrf. Hrrf Hrruf? Hrrrf. Hrrrf. The sounds were repetitive like a metronome; Heins recognized them, it was the noise Eris made when she wanted attention and was being ignored.

Slowly Heins rose from his bed and donned the few scraps of clothes he was allowed to wear, and stepped out from his bedroom and in to the common area where he saw Monteblanc sitting at the table, focusing on crushing seeds in to a fine powder with several vials of different liquids. "Master Scholar?" He spoke aloud, but Monteblanc didn't even look up from his work. Eris was at his side again the moment he stepped from the bedroom, affectionately pressing her head against his side, and pushing her face in to the palm of his hand to seek affection. "Yes I love you too. You really missed me that much while I slept? How long have I been asleep?" He asked the doctor. Again there was only silence as reply until Heins stepped closer, feeling a fine powder coating his feet, and realizing that he'd stepped on to a line of some alchemical powder that Monteblanc had carefully set out across the floor.

Finally Monteblanc looked up. "Ah you're awake." He paused for a moment and brought finger and thumb to his ears, plucking out some wax with a bit of effort. "Eris has been.... Very talkative while you slept." He noticed the concerned look on Heins' face, and the disturbed powder on the floor. "Osaka root. Harmless to humans, but very unpleasant for dragons. The fine powder gets between their scales and irritates them to no end- itching powder for dragons. I could not risk Eris disturbing my work." He explained as he gestured to the dragon who was visibly offended by the precautions.

"What has she been saying?" Heins asked as he sat down with far more effort than a man of his age should have required.

"She says One of the few verbal things dragons say to get attention, so that they may speak with their body language. She has been trying to get my attention for..." He looked to the hourglass he'd set up on the table. "...I did not expect she would continue for over an hour. But we must discuss your plans for the next month. You cannot show yourself in public with those markings, and you cannot cover them until the season is over. It would be a week at most before someone comes to check on you and inquires as to why you've been neglecting your duties as a tamer."

"I had planned to visit the clinic and claim illness." Heins explained. Though the hole in that plan was obvious now that he knew he couldn't be seen publicly. "You have a plan more suitable?" Heins inquired, looking towards Eris who was increasingly impatient now that her husband was finally awake, yet had crossed the barrier of scratchy nastiness.

"Indeed I do. Your markings are distinct, but there is a clinic nearby where a young, inexperienced cleric may mistake them for something else. With some modifications." Monteblanc explained as he patted his traveling pouch that sat nearby. "I have brought with me a preserved claw of a Couatl. Have you encountered one before?"

"The demon cat? Nay, not in person. But I know of them from my studies." Heins spoke, trying to recall the details of the beast. "Stalkers, felines, and with claws laden with rot and disease that can infect man and beast alike with just a scratch... Your plan is to give me a sickness that I may stay home and not draw suspicion then."

"Something of the sort, yes. The claw I possess has long since been cleansed of any disease or danger. We will use it to mark your flesh, disguise your markings to make them look as though you were attacked by the Couatl. I will also tell you -exactly- what symptoms you must say to the cleric, so that he recognizes without doubt that you have been 'infected'. With any luck, and if God has not forsaken us entirely; you will be banished from the town to quarantine at home immediately until your recovery." Monteblanc explains, passing a parchment with the symptoms to Heins, and allowing a small smile to his lips. While he rather hated it when patients would attempt to lie to him, a part of him felt very proud of his plan. "The tonic I am preparing now will give you the physical symptoms, and I have already written a full report on Eris' condition, who is suffering the same malady as you. As such, both of you will be avoided until long after her season has passed. After which, she will... probably.... allow you to cover your wounds with your normal clothes and armor once more." Eris had already surprised him with her behaviors several times, as such he was cautious about his assumptions.

"Very well. I see no issue with the plan, far better than saying I have a month long cold." Heins stated with equal parts humor and discomfort as he reviewed the list of symptoms he would have to memorize. "And your tonic will... Give me these symptoms." His stomach was starting to turn at the list, blisters and bowel 'unreliability' were some of the worst offenders.

"Temporarily. Yes. Far less severe than the real thing. And vastly preferable to the stake and flame I should think. However, I will need to be returning to my apothecary today. Your absence for a month may be acceptable, but even being away this long has no doubt started to raise concerns for my patients. Take this claw, I will instruct you where to make the marks." Monteblanc explained as he reached in to his pouch and withdrew the wicked looking black claw.

'It is a deadly poison, it reeks of death! We must be away from it my love! It is drenched in death and poison! Please we must destroy it or leave immediately!' Eris looked like she was having a full blown panic attack the moment the claw was withdrawn from the pouch. Flames flickered behind her teeth, terror in her eyes as she crossed the barrier despite how awful the itch was to put herself between Heins and the doctor, desperately trying to push him away as she looked from him, to the claw and back, begging for permission to incinerate it even if Monteblanc would be harmed as well.

"Eris what has- Master Scholar what is she- Eris please!" Heins was pushed backwards, away from the table and towards the exit of the home by the panicked dragon.

"I do not know. She is terrified of it, that is clear. She says Death. Fear. Run away. You probably don't need me to tell you that she hates it, and either wants to destroy it, or flee from it. You are sure she has never seen a Couatl?" Monteblanc explained as he tried to read Eris' actions, but she was far too frantic to explain, only her fear was understandable. Slowly and cautiously Monteblanc put the claw back in to his pouch, and made wide gestures as he spoke so that Eris could understand even in her panicked state. "Gone. Danger is gone. Safety. With mate. Safety." He tried to reassure her even as she stood protectively around Heins near the exit.

Heins looked to Eris, recognizing the pleading motion in her eyes. He had never seen her so terrified, even on the battlefield. "I've been with her for her entire life. Never have we encountered one. I do not think she likes this plan, Master Scholar... What else have you in your pack? Mayhaps another scent that might offend or frighten her so?" He inquired, looking towards the scholar's traveling bag where the claw was now safely hidden away.

"Nothing that would offend her so... Hmmm. No seal is perfect." He muttered to himself, and with great caution he grabbed the bottom of his pack and slowly tilted it until the contents started to spill out on to the floor, as if he was suddenly afraid to even reach his hand in it. Several carefully wrapped and labeled herbs, a number of restorative potions, and even a few magical scrolls fell out; and finally that small black vial followed.

"You brought THAT here?" Heins exclaimed, trying to calm Eris whose claws were threatening to turn the door to splinters with her desperate attempts to tell Heins to open it so that they could leave. "Of course she is terrified! I can't believe you still consider it an option!"

Monteblanc cautiously lifted the vial, looking it over as he felt its weight. "I considered it your salvation before I arrived. However... t'is empty. But the seal holds." An odd riddle at first, until he tilted it, carefully inspecting the seals and found a thin slit. It had been pierced by a deadly sharp instrument. It didn't take long for Monteblanc to put the pieces together. "While I traveled, perhaps. The Couatl's claw pierced the seals, and soaked up the tonic in to the grooves that would normally home the Couatl's own poison. Demon cat indeed. Even after its death, the claw seeks to kill. And if not for Eris; it likely would have succeeded."

"Master Scholar put it away! The door is- Eris please calm. You are safe. Danger gone. Safe." He tried to mimic the motions he'd seen Monteblanc perform, and though it was much more effective, he could still feel Eris' heart racing as he held her to try and calm her nerves.

"Please take her to your room. I will clean this mess up and ensure not a drop remains." Monteblanc assured as he prepared to sterilize everything that might have even touched the euthanizing tonic and cleanse the air of its scent.

"This way, Eris. Safety. Safety with m-mate." Heins guided the nervous dragon towards the bedroom and gently stroked her head to calm her, while Eris pressed against her husband and curled tightly, protectively around them as if they'd just escaped an encounter with the reaper itself.

It was several hours before Monteblanc had finished cleaning and sterilizing. Again he had put wax in his ears as he worked once he could no longer pretend not to hear the sounds coming from the bedroom that had him praying for forgiveness for even hearing the noises within. 'Twenty to thirty days... Heins I know not if your soul will be spared; but if you do not learn to control Eris during this time, I fear your body will be broken long before your soul is judged.'

Eventually the cleansing was completed, and to Heins' relief, Monteblanc said nothing of what happened behind the door of his bedroom. Soon the two made their way towards the exit. Heins carried a cloak, but knew he could not don it until he was out of sight from Eris. "Guard, Eris. I shall be back soon."

Eris pressed against her husband, looking up at him with pleading eyes

"...I doubt you need me to translate that." Monteblanc chuckled as he lifted his traveling pack to his back and stepped out of the home. "I will visit the city's hall of tamers tomorrow to inquire as to your 'illness'. Already I risk far too much to protect you and Eris. If you fail to convince the cleric, or anyone recognizes your deception, I will report that you stole my supplies and acted entirely on your own." He warned sternly, leaning down and rubbing Eris' head before unwrapping and presenting her with a piece of boar flesh, seasoned with herbs that Eris had picked as her favorites. After which, he handed Heins several more wrapped treats of the same. "It is the least I can do to thank her. If I had so much as pricked that claw-"

"Think naught of it, Master Scholar. I know what awaits Eris and I both if I should fail. These symptoms- horrible as they are, are a blessing far beyond what I deserve. May Saint Mathias guide your journey home." Heins gave a polite bow, marking the cross against his chest as he again commanded Eris to guard the home as the two humans left her there.

They walked together only until they reached the fence that marked the boundaries of Eris' territory, Heins' land where their paths diverged. "Saint Mathias The Dragon Speaker... Greatest Dragon Tamer in the history books." Monteblanc mused aloud as he turned to make his way towards the carriage service. "You know... The way Ares followed his commands without question is very similar to how Eris responds to you now. Ares never did claim a mate either... not any dragon, according to the history books at least." It was borderline blasphemy to even suggest that there may be correlation, but Monteblanc said nothing more of it as he left Heins, and made his way towards the carriage service. In his pack were two reports now. One which claimed Eris was sickly with Couatl venom and would need weekly treatment and inspection. And another that reported he'd been attacked by a desperate dragon tamer gone rogue.

Chapter 11: Victory

"Please... Doctor. I cannot" Heins doubled over, coughing followed by a splatter that covered the floor near the entrance to the clinic. Monteblanc's tonic was perhaps too effective. "B-blisters... We fought-" How could he even list off the symptoms in this state. He couldn't even look up at the young cleric who was frozen in fear and horror at the sight.

"Y-you fought what- Pray tell Sir Tamer. What did you fight?" His voice quivered as he spoke, fearful to even touch the man who'd come to his clinic. It looked almost like he was plagued, but he had claw marks all over him!

"Couatl-" Heins barely choked the word out as he fell to the ground, clutching his stomach and tugging his cloak to show the deep gashes in his shoulder. The pain was far worse than Monteblanc had implied, though even worse was the humiliation as the worst of the symptoms made itself known by sound and smell. "Face burns... Skin peels. My eyes are acid."

"C-Couatl!?" The demon cat and its poison were well known, the claw marks were clear; but so rare was it to hear of the beast, and for it to dare attack a tamer and his dragon was unheard of! But the evidence was there, and the cleric stepped back, slamming the door to the apothecary as if frightful to even be exposed to the sickly man.

'...Did it work too well? Master Monteblanc said he would at least give me tonic that would aid my stomach.' Heins' thoughts swirled in his head as he lay helpless on the ground, trying to ignore the humiliating state he was in. To his relief, however, the door opened again after a minute had passed. Even as his head throbbed, he heard muttered prayers, and felt the warmth of healing magics washing over him, attempting to cleanse his body of poisons that did not in truth exist. "I-it still burns." Heins choked out

"T-truly it is a demon..." The cleric's voice shook as he tried again to cast a healing spell and again it seemed to have no effect, the venom must be awful indeed. "N-nay sir, I fear I lack the strength to purge it completely. I swear the worst shall pass within a few days however. Take this..." With shaking hand he placed two vials of curatives a short distance from Heins. It was said that the Couatl's venom was so potent, that it could infect if one even came in to contact with the wounds of one who had been struck by the beast. "P-please sir... Once you are able to walk again. Make haste to your home and do not leave it until the poison is purged from your system." The cleric instructed, eager to see Heins gone from his doorstep. He muttered several prayers for protection of himself and for Heins, sweat trickling from his brow as he questioned whether this was truly the path he wished to pursue in life.

"T-thank-" The gratitude was unfinished as his stomach again rose to disrupt his words. There was several seconds of silence as the cleric stood at the door, uncertain of what else to do for the sickly man.

"T-there is a stream... To wash and help with the fever." The foul stench coming from Heins was worse than the sight of him, which was wretched. "M-may Saint... Mathias. Guide your path." He'd forgotten the name of the saint that tamers followed for a moment in his shock, but after those words, he stepped back and slowly closed the door. He slumped to the ground, clutching his chest and the holy symbol against it as he repeated a prayer several times to ward against evil. "A Couatl... I've been in charged with this clinic less than a year and there is a Couatl now. N-nay. He must have slain it. He must have. A dragon's breath alone would send it back to Hell where it belongs."

'This is what success looks like.' Heins thought to himself as he lay collapsed in the dirt. Vomit drying against his cheeks, face as red and blistered as a greasy tanner's apprentice, and pants that would never be washed enough to be considered clean again. 'Victory.' His stomach churned, and tried to expel the contents again, but there was nothing left any more.

After several minutes, Heins found the strength to get back to his feet and collected the potions he'd been given. He hadn't remembered to ask the cleric to write a doctor's note, and his panicked expression and inexperience made him nervous that he might forget; but he thought it would be more suspicious if he were to knock again and demand it. He stumbled a bit as he stood, and made a weak effort to wash the dirt where he'd lain, splashing it with some water from his waterskin, and doing little more than making it muddy and worse before he headed towards the stream mentioned. He waited until he was far from the clinic, certainly out of sight as he withdrew a vial from his pack and swallowed the contents that would help purge the effects of Monteblanc's first potion.

Eris had been alone hardly five minutes before she was bored out of her mind. 'UGH! Is that stupid wound-mender a friend or enemy? He is a friend, my beloved said so. Even if he brought poison in to our den... He also gave me those really wonderful snacks though.' Eris' mind wandered as she stepped through each room of the home several times, and then crawled out the window to 'patrol' around her territory. She found naught be a rat-snack threatening her home, and it wasn't nearly as tasty as what Monteblanc had given her. 'Come home soon, my love. You do not need to bring the wound-mender with you. Though I like talking to him. Maybe he can come back. Maybe he can teach you how to talk. Maybe the Wound-Mender is friend. Of course he is, my husband said so.'

Chapter 12: Mathias The Dragon Speaker

The drake's voice echoed throughout the caverns, cackling with a malice like which I had never heard. Akin to a hyena whose mouth was filled with the most deadly acid and laughed at our every attempt to track it down.

I heard its taunting cries as Ares and I scoured the cave for the source.

I heard her roar and saw her flames illuminate the cavern as Ares fell to the ground, the tendons of her hindlegs slashed by the vile monster. But in that moment, with the light of Ares' fire, I saw the beast plain and plunged my sword in to its breast as it took a foul inhale and unleashed its acidic breath upon us.

Even with arcane wards and divine blessing, my shield and armor melted as the acidic fumes washed over us, I knew at once that if I did not strike, we would both be melted in to naught but a soup for the beast, but I could not both defend and attack.

"ARES! AS ONE!" And with that she was at my side. Despite her injuries we fought as one. Blessed Ares heeded my command though we both knew the risk, what it may cost her. Her wing shielded us both from the acidic fluids, but it was like trying to stop a monsoon with a sheepskin. It melted beneath the fumes nearly as quickly as she lifted it. But that was all the time I needed to withdraw my holy dagger blessed by High Inquisitor Chalcene herself, and plunged it through the drake's throat, pinning its jaw to its head and ending its deathly breath.

The cries it made shook the entire cavern as it writhed and slashed. Its claws were razors and its tail a syringe that would mean death for either of us, should it strike true. But as Ares protected us with her wing, now I protected us with what remained of my shield and tattered armor until the drake lay motionless, its mad cackling silenced forever.

It was over. I thought for sure it was the end for both of us as well. I poured every restorative I had on Ares in hopes that she might live, if I could not. But her wounds were too deep, as were my own. There was nothing more for us to do other than meet the afterlife with pride, our mission complete, and the town saved from the poison drake that had plagued it for months.

The voice boomed in my head, though I saw none nearby. "Who goes there? Ares. We are not done yet!" I bellowed as I looked for any sign of attack.

As the voice spoke, my traveling pack burned in holy fire that engulfed my armor and yes- even my clothes. I was naked as the day I was born. But as the fires washed over Ares and myself, I realized they did not burn. Nay, they closed our fatal wounds and granted us opportunity to survive. Survival was not given freely, however. We were still injured. Ares could not walk, she could hardly stand. With naught but my hands, and a claw I tore from the poison drake, I had to hunt and provide for us both.

The fact that I have penned this account, no doubt makes it clear, reader; that I was successful. But believe my words when I write, that over that next month I experienced the most intense challenges ever faced by man. Ares' hunger was far greater than I had anticipated. Without the tinctures to close her wounds, her body needed more food than ever. Day after day I was forced to provide for her, and for myself; but as the days passed, I began to truly earn the title of Dragon Speaker. Her words became clear to me as if they were spoken in common.

By the time we stepped from that cave, I could speak to her just as easily as I speak to any of you. To this day I know not who saved us. I will not blaspheme by writing down 'The One' I think it was. But there is no doubt in my mind, nor in any other who bare witness, that I command Ares with the same authority as a king.

Heins closed the book and looked to Eris. She didn't understand most of the words, but she seemed to like how similar her name was to Ares- or at least she liked hearing her name spoken by Heins. "I suppose I see some similarity... One month's time isolation. But I doubt I shall be able to speak to Eris so fluently in just two more weeks' time."

"BAH. T'was not divine intervention that granted him such speech. My mentor- one of many I suppose, taught him over the course of years how to communicate with dragons. And now I know why the old coot hated that story. It's all rubbish! The good 'Saint' spent a month in the mountains like it was a whore house!" Monteblanc grumbled as he sat back and drank from his tea.

It had been a week since their last meeting. The plan had gone almost flawlessly- aside from a panic in the city when rumor spread of a Couatl on the loose. Now Monteblanc had a weekly obligation to visit Heins for a full day to 'inspect' Eris' condition and write a report to the tamer's guild as to her recovery.

"He was stark naked, covered in scars as he emerged from that cave. Does that sound even a wee bit familiar, hmm? Dragon Speaker indeed. Dragon Fu-"

"Monteblanc please! Say not such terrible things. We do not know anything for certain... Though I admit it is... Odd. A poison drake retreating to a cavern like that when none had been seen in the area." Heins acknowledged as he stroked gently along Eris' head as she lay across the floor, tail occasionally thumping as she rested.

"I dare say his poison drake was your Couatl. He knew. He absolutely knew and he said naught of it to me. I was his most trusted pupil and he never even hinted as such. He had to have known." Monteblanc muttered as he put quill to parchment and wrote out something Heins could not see.

"When shall we be allowed to leave our quarantine. Eris is going mad being cooped up. She wants to fly, she wants to hunt." Heins finally asked what he'd been wanting to know for days, and even Eris lifted her head as they both looked at the doctor, expecting an answer.

"I will write that you are to be allowed to leave once a day at midnight- don't give me that look. You're both poisoned, remember? Can't risk you spilling a drop of your tainted blood on to the townsfolk or livestock." Monteblanc explained as he continued to write. "However. I will -only- give you this permission, should you pass a quiz. You have had a week with naught to do but study. Surely you are prepared."

Heins froze up. It felt like he was in grade school all over again. "A pop quiz... Pray tell me that you've developed a sense of humor since our last encounter. T'is Chapter seven, isn't it? I have tried to force myself to review it as instructed, but it is disgusting." A smile curled at the doctor's mouth, but it was not a comforting one.

"You will have thirty minutes to answer ten questions. If you've been paying even a little bit of attention these past weeks, or these past thirty-five years. They will easy to answer." Monteblanc stated as he laid out the parchment across the table, dipped in quill in ink, and then passed it to Heins.

1. What is Eris' Favourite Color?

2. Where does she feel safest?

3. Which season is she most excited for?

4. What claw is her favored one?

5. What is her favorite food? - Heins if you don't know this. I am taking Eris away and raising her myself.

6. What material is her favorite for clothing?

7. And for bedding?

8. What is her favorite flower or herb scent

9. How does one tell a dragon that they are appreciated, and respected?

10. What makes Eris happy?

"Master Scholar..."

"No speaking. Answer each question to the best of your ability. If you do not know the answer, think about what that says about you and Eris. Do you know her at all?" Monteblanc's accusation stung far more than any insult.

It was true. As he looked at the parchment, he wasn't sure he could answer even half the questions accurately. He looked at Eris with shame in his eyes as he brought the quill to the parchment- only to have Monteblanc take it away before he'd written a single answer. "It has not been five minutes, much less thirty!"

"Nay. It was a test, but not one of quill and ink. Heins, you clearly know Eris the warrior. I wager you could tell me precisely how quickly she reacts, where her hide is thickest and weakest, and even the strength of her fire." Monteblanc carefully lay out the parchment across the table so they both could look upon it again. "But you know naught of Eris the dragon, Eris your partner. These questions are similar to what my old mentor once told me. That Mathias and Ares were so close that Mathias knew exactly how many scales were on her, and could tell you what her favorite one was." He stood up and lifted his traveling pack to his shoulders again, rotating his arms and doing some light stretches as he headed towards the exit. "Your quarantine remains as it was. I will return in a week to check on you both again." Monteblanc's voice was stern, but there was undeniably care in it as he opened the front door.

Monteblanc paused at the door, turning to look to Eris, watching her closely as he gestured for her to speak more.

Monteblanc gestured his reply, trying to ask complex questions in simple terms with what he knew.

There were no words or sounds between them, but it was clear they were speaking in a way that Heins couldn't understand.

Monteblanc nodded his head, and gestured to the horizon. "When the sun is gone. You may hunt. Heins, your wife speaks very highly of you. For her, I will adjust your quarantine to allow you both to leave once a night. But the rest of the time must be spent studying what is important. Not my texts, or Mathias' ...Unreliable accounts of adventure. Let Eris teach you how to be a true Dragon Speaker. Not like Mathias. How dare he claim she called him 'Master' of all the disgusting ego ridden tripe..."

"Master Scholar, before you go... A favored claw? That cannot be real." Heins inquired as he looked at the parchment.

"T'is quite real. Though perhaps unfair to ask one who is not a scholar. It is the one she uses only to mark you. You might see her gnaw at it sometime. It has grooves and shape different from all the others so that the mark she leaves on her mate will be distinct from any other." Monteblanc explained. "Usually in the middle so that it doesn't get damaged by battle."

"She has been giving me the middle finger? I should have known." Heins chuckled to himself as he rested his hand on Eris' head.

"Do not speak as if you have not given her your finger, Sir Heins."

There was a silence between them as Heins' face turned pink. Surely the esteemed scholar had not just made such a vulgar joke. But the smile curling at the edge of his lips made it clear that he knew exactly what he'd said. "T-that is disgusting, Monteblanc!"

The two shared a hearty laugh until Monteblanc exited and closed the door behind him so that the two patients might have time to rest and recover from their terrible malady. It was deception, it was criminal, the sentence would be death if they were ever discovered; but it was the right thing to do, to protect them. He knew it in his heart; and if it made Mathias a saint, surely it could not be all bad.

Chapter 13: Freedom

The door to Heins' home opened for the first time in a week. Despite the relatively short time, Monteblanc was surprised by how he was greeted.

The broad gestures made by Heins were crude, shaky, but far beyond what he'd expected.

"Very impressive indeed... I have a few little critiques, but I dare say that were you speaking to a dragon, they would feel only slightly confused, and very welcome to your den." Monteblanc chuckled as he entered the home, taking a deep breath and smiling. "You know her favorite scents, that much is clear. Tell me what else you have learned."

"Everything. Master Scholar. Eris and I have been speaking non-stop since you left. Never would I have guessed she had so much to say. Mayhaps I am not yet fluent, but we know each other well enough that I believe we can end our quarantine. A miraculously quick recovery. If Mathias could say divine intervention saved him from poison drake, surely our recovering a week early would not raise any eyebrows." Heins laughed as he spoke, welcoming the scholar in to his home like an old friend, and preparing some hot water while Monteblanc took out his tea leaves.

Eris poked her head out from the bedroom and stepped out to join her husband's side with her head resting against his shoulder.

"If the two of you get any more lovey-dovey, I believe your quarantine will be extended, not reduced." Monteblanc chuckled as he rubbed his head and waited for his tea to steep. "There is also the matter of your attire. You are still not allowed to wear a shirt or cape that might hide your markings I see."

"And I never will again. I promised Eris as much." Heins stated as he rested his arm around Eris' head, holding her close against him.

"Love and good intentions are no shield against swords and spears, Heins. You must conceal your markings or you will be executed. This is not something that can be avoided. Eris will be more understanding in a week's time or so." Monteblanc spoke with a stern pragmatisim.

"Nay- that is to say we negotiated a deal. Go on. Test for yourself." Heins offered, taking a step towards Monteblanc and leaning forwards.

Monteblanc paused, looking to Eris, who already seemed displeased. Despite that, he reached forwards and let his fingers brush against the markings on Heins' shoulder. "Interesting scar you have there. Where'd you get that?" He asked, tapping it a few times as he watched Eris for reaction.

She was visibly pouting, and avoiding looking at the two, but she had refrained from giving any obvious indication that the markings were hers.

"You are not claimed?" Monteblanc continued. It wasn't something that was likely to happen, but he wasn't taking chances.

Eris' anger was palpable, but still she showed only her fangs, and made no motion to display the claw that had marked Heins.

"T'is enough, is it not? We agreed that I would never again hide her marks, if she would not react when someone touches them." Heins explained as he kissed Eris' head.

Monteblanc chuckled as he leaned back and looked up at the ceiling, contemplative. "It is true that you have vastly surpassed my expectations. But as we speak of quarantine- have you caught something? You have been sniffling a great deal."

"Eris taught me that as well, Master Scholar. To say 'and' 'or' among a few others with my breaths. Though I am sure I have much to practice still, I was hoping you might give me some pointers on it." Heins stated with a smile as he sat at the table across from Monteblanc, holding Eris' head against his chest as he stroked her affectionately.

"I dare say Eris has pulled a prank on you- or the sickness really has addled your mind. Dragons have no words for conjunctions such as those. T'is true that draconic is a broad language, but they use only simple phrases like 'Lake grass flower tree' to describe the pond in your back yard." The scholar chuckled out as he sipped his tea and gestured to Eris.

Eris scowled at the wound-mender, though her husband's gentle caress helped soothe her.

"Nay I am quite certain. Truly and sincerely. Once you start looking closely, I am sure you will see it too." Heins insisted as he gestured to Eris.

"Let me ask her something then... Using this method you have learned. I think I can very easily tell if there is any truth to it. Eris. Hrrrf."

Eris watched him carefully.

He lifted a pouch from his pack, dipping his fingers in to withdraw a pinch of the powdered osaka root to ensure she knew exactly what he meant.

"Now. That is how you ask a dragon her preference about something. However; if what you say is correct; we could ask..." Monteblanc gave the largest, deepest inhale to make absolutely sure his meaning was clear.

"If she- ...Hmmm that is interesting. Interesting indeed.

"You... really might be on to something, Heins. I have never seen anything like this in all my years talking to dragons." Monteblanc mused aloud as he looked to Eris and smiled.

"Exhale, for 'and' Master Scholar." It felt strange to be the one teaching Monteblanc something. "But your eyes are far keener than mine, I cannot believe you simply didn't notice this for so many years. Perhaps it is something not all dragons know?" Heins suggested as he rewarded Eris with a piece of lightly seasoned boar.

"Indeed... None of the dragons I have spoken to and learned from have talked quite like Eris, if I am to be honest. She never stops talking, to put it nicely. Yet in my studies, dragons speak only as much as necessary, not wanting to waste the time and energy on unnecessary exertions." Monteblanc closed his eyes to ponder for a moment while sipping his tea.

"Eris! Monteblanc is our friend. Be kind to him." There was a brief pause as Heins realized the doctor's eyes had been closed, so he hadn't see what Eris had said, but the doctor's gaze made it clear he wanted to know. "She said... Because of your attitude. The dragons probably avoid talking to you much."

Eris corrected.

Monteblanc couldn't help the smile that crossed his lips as he chuckled and reached forwards to give Eris' head a few firm pats. "If only all my patients were as honest as Eris, I would have the easiest job in the world." He mused aloud as he pondered with a serene smile, then chuckled again. "You know... I believe she is correct. I do not pay much heed to niceties towards humans, and most of them hardly speak to me. I give even fewer social niceties towards my research subjects I suppose... Perhaps if I were kinder to them, rather than demanding they answer my questions I might get more extensive responses."

For several hours the three of them sat and chatted. Heins for once was the one teaching Monteblanc, as they reviewed structure, compared notes and findings; and by the time the sun began to set, and Monteblanc was ready to depart, all three of them had learned a great deal about how to communicate.

"One last thing, Heins. Look towards who you are talking to. The tail indicates who she is talking about. If you do not point at anyone, it is assumed that you are talking about the one you are talking to. I do not believe you meant to call me your wife as often as you did, unless I have greatly misunderstood your intentions. Husband." The old scholar was chuckling at his joke even as he stepped towards border of Heins' property. Part of him wanted to keep them in quarantine just so that he could continue his visits; but it was clear that Heins had truly taken great care to understand his wife, and they both wanted to be able to get out and explore again. "As for the quarantine... give it a few days for the paperwork to go through. If I try to insist it be rushed, it will look suspicious; so try to be patient. And please Heins. For your sake, and Eris... Don't take any stupid risks. I'm far too deeply involved now to claim that I didn't know, anymore. If you let your ego get the better of you, we will all burn."

It was a somber note to depart on, but Monteblanc's pragmatic nature made him a valuable ally and friend.

_As Monteblanc had promised, the quarantine was lifted, and soon Eris and Heins were back in the fields, forests, and mountains; taking on missions and handing in bounties with an efficiency unmatched, and coordination never seen by the other tamers. Within just a few months, there were already rumors going around that there may be a new Dragon Speaker named for the first time in over a century.

Heins lost count of how many times guards and strangers touched his shoulder and asked about his scars. It would sometimes only be ten feet from one guard post before a member of the clergy approached with practically the same practiced line to ask about them. Each time Heins laughed it off and explained about how it had been a couatl that nearly got him. There was often suspicion, but Eris did not react, and that was proof enough that Heins was innocent- if not insane, to refuse to armor a part of his body that was most vulnerable to fatal attacks. 'Nay it makes it easier in battle. I know precisely where they will aim for each time.' And while it sounded crazy, none could deny that Heins and Eris were a sight to behold on the battlefield. They moved without speaking, as if they could read each others' minds, or danced in some intricate ballet of combat._

Epilogue: Day 26 Winter, Year 835 Treatment Ward of the Capital's Church

"Truly this must be my deathbed if Saint Heins the Dragonhide has come to see me." Monteblanc chuckled out as he lay staring upwards, head turning only enough to see his old friend. "Still no shirt. You look more like a savage than a saint."

"I turned down the title of Saint, as you must be aware. Saint Doctor Master Scholar Professor Philosopher Dragon Eye Monteblanc. I swear I shall pass out if I try to speak all the titles they have given you." Heins chuckled as he rested his hand against Monteblanc's, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Monte

Eris

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Monte

Heins

Monte

Heins

Monte

Heins

<....>

Heins

Monte

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Eris

Heins

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Monte

Monteblanc started coughing suddenly, bringing a hand to his mouth as he sputtered and coughed. "The damn light burns my eyes. Eris. Give me your wing for shade."

Once he was hidden by the silver dragon's wing, Monteblanc spoke quickly.

"Excuse me sir. Could you please ask Eris to lower her wing? Saint Monteblanc's condition is delicate, and we must be able to keep him under close watch." One of the clerics explained. There was no deception in his voice or behavior, it was clear that he at least, believed that was the reason that the three had to speak without concealment.

"Of course. Eris, listen to what the doctor said. And lower your wing." Heins instructs.

And with that, Eris lowered her wing, and Monteblanc smiled, relieved that they understood him.

Monte

Heins

Eris Eris' excitement was radiating from her, despite the deception, she was shaking with excitement. Finally after so long, what they had thought was impossible had happened.

Heins

_Monte

Eris_

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Eris

Despite the playful banter shared between them. There was a warmth among the three who had truly become close as family. Monteblanc drifted off to sleep in the middle of their conversation before his food even arrived. Eris and Heins departed soon after to let the old scholar rest, joking about how much happier he'd be to have some alone time with the delivery man- even if it meant that Monteblanc would be responsible for an entire feast of boar by himself, they doubted he would complain. Not more than he usually did at least.

Standing far against the back of the church, head bowed in prayer; so motionless and stoic that he was nigh invisible with how effortlessly he blended in to the background stood High Inquisitor Chalcene. Though his eyes appeared closed, and his lips moved as if praying, he had watched the group carefully from the moment they'd arrived.

'Old Dragon Eye noticed, it seems. Indeed his name is well earned. But it matters little. Eris carries an egg from Heins... What took the church hundreds of years, they accomplished by mistake.'

The inquisitor finished his prayer, and stepped deeper in to the church, down in to the catacombs where the winding paths would ensure any would-be grave robbers end up lost long before they found anything of value. But even more valuable than the treasures of the deceased, were the skeletal remains that when manipulated properly, would open passage to the church's dragon chamber where they studied and experimented on dragons in secret.

'No doubt Heins' attempt was far easier with a willing partner... I wonder if she will birth an abomination as we did so many times. Or if Eris being in good health and willing; will give Seraphim a little brother or sister...' He furrowed his brow as he recalled his greatest failure. 'Nearly twenty years wasted on that bitch. She would have been perfect. Golden wings on a human and otherworldly eyes of pure emerald. She was so close to perfect! A voice that could command man or beast, and effortlessly gifted in magic both divine and arcane... With her, we could have truly proven the church's divine authority. With an angel, none would deny we are God's destined leaders of the country That I am.' He took a deep breath as he walked over to the remains of what had once been the dragon breeding pen. Empty now, abandoned after Seraphim's escape had caused the other leaders of the clergy to demand an end to it. But the outlines of blood and sweat still marked where the gold dragon had once lay until she died. 'If you hadn't told her everything before your death. Seraphim would still be under my control... Now God knows where she's gone. And with a voice that simply tell people what to believe, no one's word can be trusted anymore.

'But maybe... Heins can be convinced to assist in her retrieval. Once his child is born in to the world, he will do anything to avoid its existence being made public. I cannot find you yet, Seraphim. But perhaps it takes a half-dragon to find a half-dragon.