The Choice (Part 2)

As it turned out, what the necromancer had warned could happen as a side effect did happen. Oh, the scream that Belinda gives off are entertaining enough to the black hearted beast as her form twists and grows into new and different configurations. It was heart warming for the dragoness to see the result of her handiwork, that the summoned spirit of her love (through the ashes) had taken over the transformed woman . . . the main part of it, anyway. However \Belinda has the bad taste of sticking around! The blob of flesh had fissioned off and the smaller “blob” still had the poor woman’s soul within.

Even though she, as a dragon, had no real head for necromancy she had HOPED that wouldn't have happened. But the necromancer had stated that "cookbooking" the spell work herself was the best way to go about it. Ties of blood would have been best, but in this case ties of "matehood" would have to suffice.

Without concrete form the blob of proto-flesh just needed a few magical commands to give it some kind of form, but honestly the dragoness just wanted to be RID of Belinda!

So that’s where the giantesses come in…

After calming down the female giants turned gryphons down somewhat by reminding them that as having Braveheart (who's still asnooze in a corner over yonder) as their familiar, it naturally grants them some mystical abilities. Including the ability to assume the shape and abilities of a gryphon, as it turned out.

"Though I'd suggest that you be most careful about using that new ability of yours there," the dragoness says softly, trying to repress a snicker at yet another failed attempt to return fully to normal by the giants.

This time around they'd managed to become more humanoid (last time had produced giant sized humanoid gryphons), but they'd had feathers for instead of hair. Exotic looking but not what they'd been after, alas.

"Those forms you'd assumed I could smell . . . were coming into season," the dragoness warned sternly. That one causes the giantesses to snap around and gape at her.

"Yes . . . come into season around your friend their and next thing you know when you come back to your senses you'll have a clutch of little gryphons begging for food from their new mother," the female dragon answers the unspoken question. "IF you come back to your senses. I DO suggest that when you get the chance to seek out a competent magic user to teach you the ends and outs of your new powers to avoid such . . . things. Gaining control of such abilities will bring your seasons under control."

And trying to never again ever using those abilities will backfire, the dragoness adds to herself, shaking her head slightly. Magical abilities such as theirs HAD to be utilized or would (at the least convenient times) take matters into their own hands and utilize themselves.

Could be kind of awkward in the middle of conversation talking with another giant, only to have a gryphoness their instead....

. . .

Nevermind, wasn't the dragon's problem and she'd given out enough free advice today as it stood.

The giantesses finally manage to pull themselves together (and shiver a bit at how . . . seductive that other form had been, somehow) and are about to start asking questions (politely . . .their weapons seem to have gone missing). The dragoness beats them to the punch.

"You both pleased and surprised me, in the end," the female dragon begins. "Pardon the . . . sharp tongue I had there. Wasn't quiet . . . myself awhile ago."

The giantesses DO note that they no longer seem to sense an air of . . . desperation around the dragon here. Before, they'd been somewhat to disoriented to notice it but now that they look...

"Please be seated and have some tea while I explain," she continues. "I at least answer Hilda's question before we part company. Within reason, of course."

An appropriately scaled table for the giant and dragon appear before them. Not wishing to further push their luck the giantesses hesitantly take up the tea (seeing no way at bowing out without insulting what had been up to this point a VERY touch dragoness), and are surprised at how GOOD it is.

"You've completed your contract most admirably so you shall be rewarded admirably," the dragoness begins, a large treasure chest of golden coins before them suddenly. "When we part your equipment will be returned by the way.

"But anyway, you've been paid and word of your good service shall be spread--by ME--through the network. Getting a second job shall be much easier this time around for both of you, if you feel a need."

Just why the giantesses were after work the female dragon no longer wished to pry into here. What she'd seen had been . . . most enlightening. Amusing even in a sense, but in another . . . disturbing.

Remind me never to visit that deranged lunatic in the Southern Caverns, the dragoness shuddered. It had becomes a playground for a mad thing, that. .. .

She had gathered enough to not know who exactly the giantesses had been, before. However, enough had been taken to know that lingering stain of their past as humans had remained . . . . Enough memories had been unlocked (and then lost again) to realize that "the Oracle" was quiet insane, now.

Stratch him off the next tea time get together, shall we? the female dragon sighs, then gets back to business at hand.

"I cannot say the same about your employer nor that human woman that Hilda suddenly took interest in," the dragoness says tartly, swirling her tea before downing it in one gulp.

Questions as to how the dragoness should know at least one of their names are unasked. The dragoness had obviously been eavesdropping magically for quiet some time before now so such details must have come up...

"The merchant did not take his task seriously enough in my opinion and continually made poor choices," the dragon begins, gesturing to a magical image of Barnabas which appears before them. "He was SO lax, in fact, as to almost cost my mate from ever being able to be at my side EVER again. . . . No, I'm not please with this one at all."

"Nor should you considering that he lied to you about me being able to transform you both"

Barnabas' image vanishes and an image of the chained woman appears before them. The giantesses look at the dragoness, who's smiling inside at having revealed that to them.

Obviously, they weren't sure whether or not to believe her but at least that was out in the open . . . and the giantesses were less likely to make a choice here in a moment out of any feelings of obligation and duty to their employer for being square with them. He hadn't been, you know.

"This one is a dragon slayer," the dragoness sneers, deciding to quiet being cute and lay her cards on the table (as it were). Nothing more would be gained by it after this was done, she felt. It would take a small miracle to find this new lair of hers, you see. "She nearly managed to permanently take away my mate and had the bad taste of not attempting to find me to give ME a mercy blow after that. Not like I could have resisted back then."

Had hit her like a hammer blow, paralyzing her. Obviously Belinda (in the dragoness' mind) had to be knowledgable enough to know to kill the mate of the dragon you slay. The signs were all about the old lair so she MUST have known . . . and in malice ignored the fact. Leaving the female dragon to die from emotional and psychic backlash. Cruel.

But as it was Belinda, while good with weapons and having . . . adequate training as a slayer had been . .. DARN luck at slaying a dragon of the class she'd slain. Had made the rookie mistake of failing to notice the signs. Burnt the corpse and gathered up her trophies (grisly though they were) and left behind an enraged dragoness behind. Who Belinda had the bad luck of leaving behind and it being able to recover.

"If for whatever reason you should have to kill one of my kind made sure not to do the same as she did," the dragoness growled at the giant females. "Do not leave the mate alive because if you do not give the mercy blow then PRAY to whatever gods and goddess you may believe in. The mate sure as hellfire won't have any upon YOU.

"As I didn't have upon her," the dragoness whispered, looking again at the image of Belinda. "But I have no real use for her now. Questions of blood have been answered in as far as what she owed me. In as far as her late husband."

A pregnant silence filled the room, and then . . .

"In as far as her . . . .late children?" Gilda says softly, aghast. She has no real love for human beings but to slay children . . . was outside of what a vendetta should entail, surely.

"Not that," the dragoness blinks, surprised at the idea. "Oh, I gaurantee that they shall be raised apart and free from that vile woman! To grow into a people who are more . . . enlightened than their mother, rest assured. Safe."

No mention that she'd be doing their raising (and as dragons at that) were made. Was not the giants' business. But that said the giants . . . figured that probably they'd better drop this line of questioning and just believe the dragoness in as far as she denied slaying the young ones. They could live with it but if they pushed the envelope "living" wasn't a likely outcome.

They might be able to take her, but . . . why go and bother? They're getting paid and getting a step closer to being able to afford to go down where they must in their quest for knowledge, right?

But . . .why was the dragoness telling them this, in the end?

Soon enough, the female dragon gets down and tells the giants what she wants of them. The dragon wanted them to decide on which of the two people the dragon had talked of here would leave this place relatively intact.

If Barnabas was chosen, he'd be returned to normal and he'd probably invest his payment from the dragoness into his business or something else . . . merchants do.

If Barnabas was NOT chosen by the giants, then the hedonistic creature he'd become would probably squander the payment on wine and all sorts of things . . . IF he could grasp the concept of money any more, that is. Some satyrs were only up to chasing nymphs and all that.

If the dragon slayer Belinda--the dragoness finally gave a name to the chained woman--then she would be released into the giantess' care . . . to do what with her as they wished. She wouldn't go untransformed, though. Whatever support she could perhaps get back in her old kingdom would be pretty much annulled since she wasn't human (and obviously mad). She'd make a rather fetching brown haired, purple eyed elfin lass, however. Maybe make a lucky elfin man a fine husband. Whatever the case, she'd be out of the dragon's hair for elves were rare (and never trusted by humans).

If Belinda wasn't chosen, then she'd become an empty headed nymph in some distant forest glade.

Either way, her debt to the druids was going to be paid in full. Either way the giants (and their pet grypon) were going to be teleported back outside and ONE of the two unwanted "guests" of the dragoness was going to be driven OFF magically while the other stayed behind (to talk or whatever the giantesses wished to do).

Once the decision was made, the dragoness washed her hands on the entire affair. She had things to do. A mate to nurse back to health after the ordeal of being resurrected. A bunch of unhatched dragonlet darlings she looked forward to seeing.

Things like that, but first a decision was to be made . . .

1. And the decision is. . . .

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