With minor editing, here is what I wrote last October. I can see at least two good questions that aren't answered in this short piece that would be fun to explore.
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| A sort of dragon ying yang. Found at www.clker.com |
Our heroine had no idea how she’d gotten to where she was. Or that is to say, she did know how she had gotten there...but she didn’t understand how things had gone so wrong.
Jasmine had met who she thought was a kindly old lady and had attended a party. Little did she know that the grandmotherly new neighbor was the ringleader of an underground movement to eradicate all supernatural creatures, let alone that she would witness the demise of a dragon whose powers would be transferred to Jasmine herself.
However, the dragon’s fate did give her an idea.
With a trembling voice Jasmine said “I swear to serve and obey her.”
Jasmine barely saw the faces of those who shook her hands, those who had thought that she had given her oath to the old lady. In truth, Jasmine had been looking at a picture of the queen dragon when she uttered those words, and it was the queen dragon who she spoke them for.
…
When was the last time a human had served the dragons? Though she racked her memory, Jasmine couldn’t recall ever hearing of a person who had done so. She wasn’t entirely certain that she would enjoy her life among dragons, but she figured it would be better than what the alternatives had been.
It had been a surprise to find that she could turn herself into a dragon now, but that made it easier for her to find the dragons. She had escaped her kidnappers by telling them that she wanted to stretch her wings and also to see what the stars looked like above the clouds. They had wanted someone to go with her, but she insisted that she needed time to herself to think. And why would they distrust her? They thought her oath had been given to their ringleader.
…
“Explain yourself, human.” The queen said this in a growl.
Jasmine’s eyes widened. “How...how do you know I’m a human?”
“Because we know your kind, and we know that when you take our powers you can assume the shape of the one who is sacrificed. And we knew the minute that Joudin was killed in this manner. Did you really think to come before us, into our midst, in his form, and that none of us would suspect anything?”
Oops. This wasn’t going quite as planned. Still, at least they were demanding explanations rather than just killing her outright.
“I am not part of that group. Well...” Jasmine cleared her throat as a chorus of growls began around her, “They did kill a dragon, Joudin, for me...” Her voice trembled again, which was unusual for her. Then again, it’s difficult to not be shaken by a cave full of angry dragons. She continued, “And they demanded an oath of fealty. I did swear an oath, but it was to you, queen dragon, not them. The wording I used was ambiguous enough that they thought the oath was sworn to them when in fact it was not.”
It is very difficult to surprise a dragon. Even when unexpected things happen they usually just take it in stride. Yet Jasmine had surprised them.
After a few minutes of thought, the queen dragon said “It is all very well for you to say that you have sworn to serve me. Let me hear you make the oath again, to me, and this time let there be no ambiguity.”
“I swear to serve you, queen dragon, and however your successor may be.”
Jasmine said this quietly, and yet her voice seemed to thunder in the quiet cavern. Where there had been growls just minutes before all the dragons were now quiet, shocked at what had just happened.
…
“And here is a chamber where you may sleep. Call it your bedroom, if you like. You should find clothes of some sort on the drawers. I think. Anyways, other humans have been here before you.” Turin, the dragon who had been assigned the task of showing her around, was grumpy. The first thing he had done in his role of guide was to order her to change back into a human. The second thing he did was be exceedingly surprised.
“They sacrificed a male dragon for a woman!?”
Jasmine had suspected that she had the body of a male dragon, but she had not been certain of it. Neither did she know whether it was usual or unusual. Turin had informed her quite emphatically that it was not usual, and then he laughed at her when she asked if there was any place that she could get clothes.
Now she asked, “May I have a little privacy? At least until I get dressed?” Jasmine had had no idea that dragons could roll their eyes, but Turin certainly seemed to do so.
“Very well. But what does it matter? I’ve already seen you naked, walking all the way from the queen’s cavern to here. And if it’s so important, why didn’t you bring your clothes with you?”
“Because bringing my clothes when I left them to come here might have made them suspicious about my intentions.” There were clothes in the drawers all right, but they were men’s clothes. All too big, and no bras.
First the body of a male dragon, and now the clothes. Was the universe trying to tell her something?
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