Wyvern's Trim and other stories

by Nix Whittaker

  Faisal answered before she could add anything, “It means I will be able to use my arm like I used to.”

  The Baron whistled apparently impressed but he added a sceptical, “Well, that is good but what about…”

  Faisal shook his head. “We will work on that next.”

  The Baron looked sad for a moment and said, “She is human, she won’t care that her husband can’t fly.”

  That caught her attention. “Wait, what did you say? Husband?”

  The Baron nodded. “Ah, I see. We have this problem a lot with miscommunication between humans and dragons. Okay, let us go back a few steps.

  “My great grandfather explained this to me when I was a boy. Dragons don’t come from earth. They are the wrong shape. Think of all the animals on this planet. You have things with four limbs or eight but the ones with six well they aren’t the same. They are bugs with their bones on the outside and not on the inside like a dragon. Dragons come from another…”

  He looked at Faisal who said, “Plane. Here but not here.”

  The Baron shrugged and said, “Another Plane. It is a lot like earth but not our earth. There they are the dominant creature and there are lots of things with six legs. Well, their world was somehow destroyed so the dragons found a way to come to this plane but something wasn’t right. Because they are not native to this world they aren’t completely in it.”

  The dragon motioned with his hand to indicate the different planes. “We are out of phase.”

  The Baron waved off his explanation. “Whatever that means. To come completely into this plane they have to link their life force.”

  Faisal added helpfully, “Cells.”

  The Baron huffed. “She won’t know what a cell is. I don’t know what a cell is. Well, they have to link themselves to a native creature. This was discovered almost entirely by accident. But it meant that the dragons now need humans so they negotiated and it was agreed that this link or bond could only be done with a spouse.

  “Since the dragons are very literal they ask for a woman’s hand. As in her hand in marriage. And if the woman gives her hands then the dragon can bond with her and by dragon law they are married as well as with human law. The bonding is done through the hands as that is symbolic to humans and to the dragons. A common trait between what is essentially alien rites.

  “Faisal here has an issue. He doesn’t have both hands and it seems that he can’t marry in the same way that dragons usually do. So he has taken on your mark to show he would have bonded with you if he could. Some of the dragons might argue with that but the real question is did it work?”

  He looked at Faisal. He bowed his head. “I am more in phase but not quite. It seems the branding isn’t the only part of the bonding. Exactly as I argued.”

  The Baron nodded and turned back to her. “Faisal was the oldest son to his father. Not many dragon families managed to come through to this plane. There is one here in Europe and another in the Middle East and some in Africa and one in the new continent.

  “There used to be one in Russia but the family was wiped out about a thousand years ago. The dragons can’t breed with each other here. To have children they have to return to their plane and breed there but it is extremely dangerous as their planet is almost uninhabitable.

  “Well, Faisal was disowned by his family. They said that the chances of him having children were almost impossible as he would not risk going back to his own plane and even if he did he would not be considered a suitable mate by any dragon here or there. The only way for him to have children is with a human and they thought without the arm he wouldn’t be able to do that.

  “Faisal tried to argue with the dragon council that he did not need both arms to bond and it seems he is right. Even if the flesh or dragon form don’t work time will probably drag him into this plane completely and he will be able to have children with you.”

  Callisto was a little stunned by what the Baron was telling her. “So you are saying I’m married to him because I gave him my hands?”

  The Baron motioned to Faisal as he said, “Yes. Plus the brand. When you finally finish bonding you will have brands as well. It is said the more compatible a couple is the more extensive the brands. These couples seem to have more children as well.

  “Maybe it isn’t about being in phase or not but a matter of degrees. My great grandfather didn’t really explain it much as it wouldn’t really matter to me. Very few of the dragon kin actually marry back into the dragon blood.”

  Confused she asked for clarification, “But what is this all about being in collections?”

  The Baron actually grinned. “Ah, yes. Well, dragons are hoarders but I don’t think any human can truly understand a dragon’s connection to his collection. It isn’t an insult. There is a reciprocal nature to a dragon’s horde. They are made by what they have and they add to what they have.

  “It was from before. The dragons were offered women to stop raiding. Mostly they just ate the woman until they came across one that was rather interesting. She told stories. Had them in stitches apparently. After that they started collecting interesting women. To see if they could have a woman more interesting than what others had.

  “It was one of these women that managed to bond to one of the dragons and pull him into this plane. The dragons still like to collect interesting women to bond with as that is their nature. The more interesting the better according to them.”

  Callisto added his own thought. “You were playing match maker. You didn’t even warn me.”

  The Baron shrugged not in the least apologetic. “He could offer you more than you could have gotten from any other man so no harm.”

  Faisal seemed to agree with this. “Women tend to marry. Are you saying I am not acceptable?”

  She sighed. That argument she had with on that first day made a lot more sense. She had complained about being owned so he had shown faith in making him her possession so when the bonding or marriage completely came into being she would be his equal.

  He had been here for over a week and had been letting her order him around and she knew now that was to show her that he was good husband material.

  Faisal was definitely different from any other man she had met before.

  Callistor said, “I don’t like the surprise. The not having a choice.”

  The Baron shrugged. “He’ll probably argue that. You gave him your hand with no coercion or force. They will never take a woman against her will. Most woman are practical creatures. Are you saying you are not?”

  She growled at the Baron. Women did not hold a very respectable role in society unless they were married and mothers. She had thrown her reputation away when she had gone to work as a tinker.

  If she had been pretty she might have worried about marriage but she had always thought she would not have that role. So having fulfilling work had been all she could have hoped for.

  She looked at Faisal. “Are you going to make me give up work?”

  He frowned. “Why would I do that? You are interesting because of what you do.”

  He had a point. She started cleaning up. The glove would need to dry and treated before she could put it on his arm but it was pretty much finished.

  She hadn’t realised that the Baron had wandered off until he yelped and said “Bloody hell those freaked me out.”

  He was looking at the spiders.

  She sighed and went over to deal with the lord. “They aren’t poisonous.”

  The Baron backed away as he said, “I don’t particular care. I just hate those things they give me the creeps. Why do you have them?”

  She looked at the spiders. They were interesting creatures. “Their webs are what I make the skin out of.”

  Faisal said from behind her to the Baron, “You don’t have to stay.”

  The Baron chuckled half-heartedly. “I get the message. You want to be left alone with your lady.”

  Faisal showed him out.

  When he came back in she said, �
��I’m not ready for sex.”

  His eyes were warm. “I was aware of that. Have I pressured you?”

  She sighed as she answered, “No. Now tell me what you two were talking about when you said about flesh and dragon form.”

  He looked at her for a long moment then said, “The first to bond was when a dragon rescued one of the women in his collection. A dragon is not a pack beast so we don’t often carry people but we will carry our mates. Back in our world we mate by entwining our bodies during flight. Apparently our minds see the covering and carrying of a woman as the same as mating. This might not work as I am not able to fly.”

  Surprised she said a little sharply, “What?”

  He motioned with his clockwork arm. “The arm that is missing in this form is actually my wing in my other form.”

  That explained a lot. The project he wanted her to work on was to build him a new wing. “Ah that is the other project you want me to do. I don’t know if I can get the joints right. Your friend is better than I.”

  He shrugged. “That is alright. I have already sent a message for her to come here. The two of you can make a wing for me.”

  She frowned. “That will be difficult to carry around.”

  He shook his head. “We can carry what we like in the other space.”

  He proved this by pulling something out of thin air. It was a necklace. He motioned to her and she stepped forward.

  He turned her around and put the necklace around her. “This I had an artist make over five hundred years ago. He had just made the crown jewels for the Ming dynasty. The stones go with your eyes. You may have this.”

  She turned her head to look at him over her shoulde., “I thought a dragon never gives up something from his collection.”

  “We will for our mates.” He said nonchalantly.

  Her hand caressed the necklace that was already heating up now that it was against her skin. “You really do see me as your wife.”

  “Yes.”

  She was actually surprised that she was pleased by the single word answer.

  She asked, “What about the flesh.”

  His hand lightly touched her hair as he said, “It is considered that since the bonding happens because of the dragon mating ritual that this could be duplicated in a human mating ritual. But I have not heard of this working.”

  She gulped. “You mean to say that we might bond while we having sex.”

  He stepped back to make it clear that he wasn’t asking for sex at the moment as he said, “Yes. But dragons have copulated with humans before and the bonding hasn’t happened. I am not sure if it would work.”

  She waved that off. “Well, it is moot as I am not ready for sex.”

  He raised an eyebrow and asked, “What would make you ready?”

  She blushed. This felt a lot like their argument on the first day they had met.

  She stammered. “I… well I…”

  She let out a long breath and said, “I don’t like things that I don’t know anything about. So I think we would need to talk.”

  “Also do.” He said in a warm voice. She blushed and shook her head but he added, “Little things at first. So you can get used to them.”

  She sighed. Actually that made sense and asked, “Like what?”

  His eyes were directed at her lips as he said, “Kisses. We will start with that then touching. When you are comfortable with that we can decide what else we wish to do.”

  She wrinkled her nose as she thought. “Okay kisses and touching. I can handle that.”

  Callisto placed a heavy case of steel on the floor at the back of the barn. She was getting ready to go get another when she heard a commotion outside. She went to the door of the barn.

  It was Faisal.

  He was talking to someone but his tone told her that he was not amused with whoever it was.

  “I will not ask again. What is your name?”

  Her heart stuttered as she heard her father’s voice. “It don’t matter. I’m here to see my daughter. She has a place round about here. Maybe you have heard of her. I heard she was tinker like my wife’s brother. Her name is Callisto. You heard of her?”

  Her hands tightened into fists as she listened to Faisal say, “If you are her father then why do you not know of her exact address?”

  She moved enough so she could see outside but not give away that she was there. Her father was dressed as a soldier. That might be why no one had questioned him.

  The Empire’s army worked as a policing force as well as the military arm of the Empire. He tried to step past Faisal but he stepped sideways forcing her father to take a step back or to walk straight into a dragon.

  Her father was cocky but she didn’t think even he wanted to get into a fight with a dragon. “She moves a lot. I don’t remember every address she has.”

  Faisal rumbled. “I think you lie. Are you the one that taught her to fear men?”

  Her father went red with rage. “How dare you insinuate that…”

  He couldn’t get out any more as he sputtered with anger. Faisal tilted his head to the side as he watched her father.

  Callisto wondered if she should go outside and deal with it all but she was curious to see what Faisal would do.

  “I think you should leave. I do not believe your daughter wishes you to be here. If she did she would have given you her address.” Faisal said.

  Her father’s face scrunched up. “And are you going to make me?”

  Faisal’s voice sounded strange as he uttered the simple, “Yes.”

  She realised quickly that the reason it sounded strange was because Faisal was no longer human shaped.

  Her view of the whole courtyard outside her barn was taken up by the scaly skin of a dragon.

  Faisal’s voice rumbled from a deep chest. “Run little man.”

  He must have as Faisal huffed a small laugh. Callisto thought this might be the time to deal with all this.

  She stepped into the courtyard and said, “Faisal.”

  He turned his head to look at her. He was massive. The courtyard wasn’t large and he took up the entire space. He had more scars on his body as a dragon than he did as a human.

  He brought his face close to her and huffed out some warm air. The air ruffled her hair that had escaped her braid.

  She said, “While you are big like this could you move some boxes of metal for me.”

  His eyes warmed and his eyes went half lidded. She wondered for a moment if she had insulted him. But then she had been ordering him around for the last few weeks.

  He turned carefully in the courtyard so he didn’t damage anything.

  She asked, “Can you be a bit smaller to fit into the barn?”

  Instead of making himself smaller he reached out a large clawed hand to her and picked her up. Pulling her up against his chest.

  He stomped towards her barn and he must have been changing as he walked as when he stepped into the barn he was fully human and also very naked.

  He still hadn’t let her go and held her close against his chest.

  She huffed and said, “Faisal can you put me down?”

  “In a moment.”

  “And did you have to be naked. I mean… where are your clothes?”

  “They are still in the other place. I am naked because it will be easier for you to touch me.”

  “Wait, what do you mean? I’m… Faisal what are you exactly expecting from me.”

  “Nothing.”

  He took her to her bed and laid her down. He settled himself next to her and kissed her. She was nervous as she had never had a naked man next to her.

  He continued to kiss her as he took her hand placed it on his chest. He then turned to caressing any exposed skin. She sighed and gave in. He really did have beautiful skin and the scars just made it more interesting.

  He stopped suddenly and looked at her with his golden eyes. “What are these?” He growled.

  Callisto had known he would find them when he had brough
t in here. She sighed and closed her eyes. “Well, they appear to be brands.”

  They had appeared in her sleep some days before but she hadn’t mentioned it to the arrogant dragon. He traced his fingers over the delicate lines. He brought his lips down to kiss her skin. His voice was deep as he said, “Mine.”

  Callisto pulled him up so she could kiss and said, “No, mine.”

  Hidden Treasure

  Ash scampered through the passage ways in the walls of the old Basilica. They had once been secret she supposed, otherwise why hide them in the walls. But they were now common thoroughfares for the servants and the orphan children who lived there. There were several entrances into the labyrinth below. The priests believed there was only one and had that protected night and day.