A Smash and Run Job?

Bad enough that he'd only be a second husband to "his" Astra. He didn't want to have to share Astra with that former mutt as well!

Synizn Dronocis

I look around the caverns, comparing what I see with what I remember from the few visits I'd to that one shame of my family line. Oh, I remember it still so clearly, that hidden fact. In the world and dragon society I'd come from, it was considered gauche for dragons to form up in the old fashion familial units of olden time....no, the popular thing there was to let the parents lay the eggs, donate them to the State, and let the Nation of Dragons raise the children. Tiamat's blood! What a travesty that was, now that I look back on it. But at the time when I was of a more draconian frame of mind (before first becoming a were-bear and then a demifox), and what made perfect sense then....what seemed normal and natural then seems alien now.

I'd come across the fact that I had a brother from a clutch of eggs I'd come from, and had excitedly gone out to greet my brother, Minestus, who'd expressed a desire to meet me.

Was a pleasant enough meeting, initially, until we started discussing human beings. I'd been influenced by one of Sato's allies in my upbringing while he'd....

.....

I don't want to talk about it. It's too painful, even now. Just say that whatever developing brotherly love (yes, dragons have that) we might have had for each other quickly turned to bitter anger....and finally hatred.

"Okay," Astra 9 says firmly--interrupting my train of thought--as she gets her bearings, "Remember what the plan is here. Off to the Caves of the Witch of the White House. It's not an elegant, subtle approach, but it's past time for that, alas."

"Sort of a smash and run job," Joan sighs, "Can't say I'm exactly thrilled with that, but what's left now, with it being so late in the game here? Indeed, there is that fear....."

"Don't...say it," the Astra of this realm says tightly, "With everything else, I want my husband....my first husband alive and well. No queering of the luck there, Joan."

Amongst the things the adventurers hoped to accomplish here

"Perish the thought," Fred says gently, taking her hand in his, "I and the others do not want that!"

The plan was to rescue Sir JH from the dragon who was swiping other Freds and transforming them into loyal draconian warrior slaves amongst other things. That was the plan and it had to be done quickly. Who knows how long JH (as well as that unfortunate Fred struggling futilely against Frozh....a prisoner in her own body) had before it was too late. I close my mouth before I can blurt out a reminder that it may be too late as it stands.

While it could be true, it's not something a good person would do. Rough as my manners can be at times still, I rather don't want to do that. I don't want to upset this Astra, who's clearly distraught.

Oh, I can see a slight flush and what I feel is the beginning of a flush of desire within her eyes as she looks at "her" Fred (who'd nearly driven himself insane stuffing all the knowledge he could about Doctor Who to capture this Astra's heart). While a relationship is in the making here (I firmly now believe that it's a sign of something like fate, with all those Fred/Astra couples about), it's not to say that she's ready to just write off Sir JH.

No, that's not how it works. By my now defunct Hoard, I've learned enough of that from my Lord and Lady on that front. Good thing, considering. Didn't leave me totally shocked when my former student.....

"Let's get going, shall we?" Andrea whispers softly to me, leaning in closely and whispering softly into my fox ear. My heart rate goes up a notch at her mere proximity. Like my other former apprentice, Solomon, I too find myself sharing a quest....as a first "date."

Quiet invigorating and....exciting....really....

Goddess, I'm not used to this. It doesn't work this way for dragons. But....I am not a dragon any more, but a demifox.

So, this demifox and a demifox vixen who's cornered me reach into various large extra-dimensional bags on our belts and pull out magical carpets.

.....

If I was a dragon still, I'd fly the lot of them to this cave of theirs. But while slower, magical carpet rides will be much better than walking....or even riding by horse!

And so they are soon off....

1. Change of scene and a bit later......at a world called Nantucket Earth, a bit before a special wedding there.....

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