#Dragon shifter

[puppyaulait]

Fantasy AU winter wonderland

[fiendishfables]

Hello! Can I plz request Lucifer (Hazbin Hotel) x reader where he meets the reader and is attracted to her but after he sees her transform into a beautiful Light Fury dragon (How To Train Your Dragon) he's like: they have to be mine.

pairing: Lucifer Morningstar x Female! Lightfury Shifter! Reader

summary: ʏᴏᴜ ɢᴇᴛ ꜱᴛᴜᴄᴋ ɪɴ ʜᴇʟʟ ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ᴇxᴛᴇʀᴍɪɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴅᴀʏ; ᴡʜᴇɴ ʟᴜᴄɪꜰᴇʀ ᴄᴏᴍᴇꜱ ᴛᴏ ʜᴇʟᴘ ʜɪꜱ ᴅᴀᴜɢʜᴛᴇʀ ʀᴇʙᴜɪʟᴅ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀᴍᴀɢᴇꜱ ꜱᴜꜰꜰᴇʀᴇᴅ ᴅᴜᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴀᴅᴀᴍ ᴀɴᴅ ʜɪꜱ ɢᴏᴏɴꜱ, ʜᴇ ʀᴇᴄᴏɢɴɪᴢᴇꜱ ʏᴏᴜ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ʜɪꜱ ᴅᴀʏꜱ ɪɴ ʜᴇᴀᴠᴇɴ. ʜᴇ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴋɴᴏᴡꜱ ᴏɴᴇ ᴘᴇʀꜱᴏɴ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀʙɪʟɪᴛʏ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴜʀɴ ɪɴᴛᴏ ꜱᴜᴄʜ ᴀ ᴍᴀɢɴɪꜰɪᴄᴇɴᴛ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ…

warnings: cursing, slight angst, fluff, Lucifer + reader are secretly in love and are complete dorks about it

words: 6k+

a/n: I saw this request and immediately got to work; I love HTTYD, so I hope you enjoy its inclusion in this fanfic. I was thinking about adding 1-2 more parts to this; just let me know in the replies if you guys even want a second part to this; wanna give y'all what you want. Thanks again, anon, for requesting this! ^_____^

A Dragon's Vow

(Part 1?)

Lucifer had been standing in the lobby of the Hazbin Hotel, speaking with his daughter, Charlie, when he first met you. He had come by the morning after extermination to check on her, as well as the other residents of her hotel (for whom he didn't particularly care for, in all honesty; especially not that Alastor fellow).

They had been speaking about renovations to the hotel after the events that took place prior and during the extermination. The hotel had suffered many damages to both its interior and exterior; damages that normally would take one a while to fix if they weren't in Hell. He promised Charlie his help with fixing whatever needed fixing.

And that's when he first saw you.

Everyone was gathered in the hotel lobby, residents and all. His eyes had begun scanning around all the potential bodies that would be helping with the reconstruction of his daughter's life-long dream of a project, when he had spotted a head of pure white hair in the group's mass. He squinted his eyes, as he couldn't remember seeing such a color that stood out as much as it did, but when he saw your face it was all over for him.

You were absolutely stunning.

Your hair had to have been a result of your transformation into the afterlife. He had never known any being to have such a pure color for hair while still being alive. At least, not naturally.

Your body, from what he could see, appeared to be dusted with white glitter markings, highlighting your already beautiful skin. The light coming through the broken windows of the hotel seemed to gravitate towards your figure, as if sensing the need to accentuate how unique your presence actually was.

In Lucifer's mind, it was almost like looking straight at an angel.

Only was he shaken from his thoughts when he finally noticed the pair of snapping fingers that had been in-front of his face for who knows how long. They belonged to his daughter.

"Dad!" Charlie exclaimed, continuing the snap of her fingers in-front of his eyes until he finally gathered his bearings with a blink, turning to look at her.

"Huh- oh, did you need something dear?" He asked, blinking his eyes slowly, like a toad who'd been sitting on a log all day without interaction. Charlie gave a sigh and put her hands together as she then tried again to reach her father with words.

"I said," She began, a smile creeping its way up onto her face, "Dad, I would like you to meet our newest resident to the Hotel! Her name is Y/N! And, Y/N, this is my dad, Lucifer!"

Then, "I just wanted to introduce you both since we will all be spending lots of time together, trying to rebuild the hotel! I want everyone to get along!"

It was just then that he had realized that you were now also standing in-front of him, alongside his daughter. Your beautifully colored eyes were pinning him under their gaze. Your sparkling skin looked even more enticing up close. It really made him wonder what sort of hybrid you must've been to be able to adorn such a naturally beautiful look. Your eyes had looked at Charlie with such a softness, before turning their now piercing daggers onto him.

Wait...did his daughter say...Y/N?

That had to be a coincidence, he was sure. Such a familiar name, it was just making him think of those he used to know.

Yet, the leap of his heart in his ribcage didn't fail to go unnoticed.

He wasn't given much time to delve deeper into his confused thoughts, because he was already being pushed slightly closer towards you, as a means to encourage him to introduce himself instead of just standing there like an oaf, he assumed was Charlie's idea behind it all.

A goofy grin overtook his face as he took a step forward on his own accord, without any help from his daughter. He was going to nail this 'introduction'. Or so he thought.

As he began the simple motion of extending his arm for a polite handshake, he was surprised to see that, once he re-opened his eyes after a blink, you were no longer standing in-front of him.

Rather, in your place now stood a white, glittery colored dragon, lips pulled back in a snarl, baring your teeth, snout wrinkling with the motion.

Lucifer hardly had any time to react, let alone back up, before you let out an earth-rumbling roar; the sound caused him to instinctively reach a hand up to steady his top hat atop his head, to make sure it wasn't blown off by the force of your bellowing sound. He shut his eyes against the harsh gust of wind that suddenly swept past his face following the noise; the complaints and confused murmurs of the other hotel residents were barely audible as he was the one experiencing this head-on. More to the face than head, but same thing for him.

Once the whirlwind of noise had stopped, he opened his eyes just in time to see you turn tail and flee, going up the main stairs and off to one side of the staircase, disappearing deeper into the hotel. No one went after you. He supposed from that reaction he got just from trying to shake your hand, that was what you most preferred.

In that moment, he realized that Charlie was once again trying to tell him something, but his eyes were still trained on the last spot you'd been.

"Heh...sorry, Dad." Charlie said, rubbing the back of her neck with her big, awkward smile that he knew so well; she got it from him. "I-I forgot to mention that she's still a bit skittish. She was pretty banged up when we first found her during extermination. I've noticed that she doesn't seem to want to be touched or even remotely looked at for too long, for that matter. I shouldn't have pushed her or you, I'm so sor-"

"Charlie, it's fine." Lucifer assured, finally turning his body towards his daughter as they talked, leaning on his cane nonchalantly. "New sinners always need time to warm up to things down here! I can...always say 'hi' later." He assured, giving her a big grin of his own.

His eyes found themselves instinctually looking back over at the stairs and railing, then down the dark hallway where you had disappeared deeper into the hotel. A soft glimmer lit his eyes.

So it was true. He had thought you looked a little familiar...maybe a bit too familiar when he first laid eyes on you. The white hair might have been what threw him off to start, but there was no mistaking it now. The Lightfury form was a dead giveaway for anyone who knew you personally.

It was you.

Y/N. His acquaintance; the person who had tried to help him rebel against God, prior to his falling. Always he had wondered what had happened to you, being his helper in his schemes, after he fell. What had God done to you? Were you punished as well? He had never known and still didn't, for that matter.

At the time he had hoped, even though it was selfish to wish and he knew it, that you too, would be cast from the clouds and bound to join him in the afterlife down in the various cities of Hell.

What he had gathered from your sudden appearance here, at his daughter's Hotel, told him that you were most likely still living in Heaven, and probably against your will. Whether you were still an angel or not, he didn't know.

All he knew was that you weren't where you were supposed to be.

But he was determined to find out why you were here, and how on Earth you were still managing to be as beautiful as the last day he laid eyes on you.

Whilst everyone else was out helping with fixing hotel damages, Lucifer had snuck back into the hotel; he was searching for you, to put it plainly. You had caught his interest earlier, and he just wanted to apologize to you for being so forward and making you uncomfortable enough to scurry away like you had. He was also terrified that he had already made a horrible impression on such a beautiful woman, which whom used to work right alongside him back when they both spent their days in Heaven. He had lost you once; he couldn't afford for that to happen again, especially not when he could help it.

He practically skipped up the stairs two at a time to the second floor of the hotel, as that was where he had watched you disappear an hour or so ago. He assumed that meant your room was somewhere nearby.

It surely didn't take him too long to find your room. The side of the door exposed to the hallway had some unique-looking, luminescent vines hanging down from the top of it; some tiny glowing crystal shards were embedded into the wood of the doorframe.

Lucifer stood outside that door for a good five minutes. He swallowed many times, as if trying to physically push the nerves back into his body.

What was he supposed to say? What should he do? How should he act? Would you even let him near you? Did you remember him at all? Did you...hate him?

He remembered receiving some pretty angry sounding letters from you when he fell from Heaven. Claiming to him about how the angels, as your side of the punishment, had started using you for tests to try and better understand your hybrid anatomy; forcing you into executing angels who refused to follow the rules with your plasma blasts. He had then sent a letter back, asking why they didn't cast you out like they did him. You told him it was because the angels deemed you 'too valuable' to just be thrown down into 'that wasteland', as they put it.

Lucifer shook his head. He was still stalling. You were just on the other side of this door, someone who he used to call his partner in crime; his friend. He sighed, straightened his outfit whilst taking a deep breath, then knocked a total of three times.

He waited patiently, tapping his foot outside the door silently, mentally willing for you to open the door and possibly (hopefully) greet him with open arms.

But like all the other things pertaining to your complicated relationship status, he knew that was amongst the many things that was very unlikely.

He raised his fist to knock again but there was no need. The door opened a crack. He stiffened in surprise, moving his head to peer into the small crack the sudden opening provided. A soft glow could be seen within the room but besides that, the interior was shrouded in darkness. Although you yourself had not physically come to the door to let him in, he took this as an invitation rather than a deterrent. Stepping inside, wincing at the small creak of the door on its hinges, he shut it behind him without so much as a sound.

Lucifer looked around, taking in the interior design of your room. The half shrouded in blacks and greys looked like any of the other hotel rooms. It held a fancy, well-kept king sized bed; a nicely crafted wooden desk with a chair, a small carpet under it additionally to avoid scratching the floors; a large dresser; a decent sized standing mirror beside the bed; a small nightstand on either side of said bed.

The other half of your room was a totally different story completely.

And he had to admit, it was pretty amazing.

The second half was an expanse of forest-like figures. It held high rocks that seemed to stretch to the endless ceiling of the room, while the original half of your room had a short-stopped ceiling just high enough for five-star comfort. Said rocks held many various colored crystals on them, each which glowed a slightly different color than its neighbor, each bearing that welcoming yet cautioning signal to any beholder.

The wooden floor gave way to a grassy texture; the grass was glowing lightly, looking more like an expansive patch of algae rather than everyday grass. He could tell it was most likely very soft though, as it swayed lightly, subtly, as if a draft were coming through from somewhere not visible to the naked eye. There was even a little pond in the distance he could see!

As he thought to himself more and more, he realized that he did know what this stuff was. Landscape one would see in The Hidden World. In your Heaven days, the both of you would sit around for hours and swap stories with one another, going all the way back to the times when you were alive and what life was like for you. You always spoke to him about The Hidden World; the homeland and birthplace of all the dragons of your kind. From what you had told him about it, he had deemed it pretty amazing in his mind. He remembered you speaking about the glowing necessities, the luminescent markings on dragons, the crystals you sometimes liked to collect, and the overall peaceful atmosphere. He was able to get a general image in his mind of all the things pertaining to the homeland that you mentioned; looking at this area of your room now, he told himself it was probably safe to assume that this whole area was a resemblance of where you come from. He felt as if he could almost puff his chest out in pride for remembering something so important to you. Of course, he had to stay humble now if he wanted any chance of getting you to talk with him once again; maybe not like old times, but a greeting would be nice, surely.

You had said that The Hidden World was truly a place that you felt peace for the first time in your life whilst you were alive. Then you had proceeded to tell him after that, that he now provided that same feeling for you. That sense of safety. Security. Belonging.

As he made his way across the normal part of the room to get to the additional beauty, that's when he noticed you there. You were, hanging from a bare tree by the tail, it looked like. Your beautiful, white wings were wrapped around yourself except for a tiny crack in their merging.

And in this crack between your wings, was a thin-slitted pupiled eye staring straight at him.

The sight caused him to freeze in his tracks, with one foot now in the glowing, algae-like grass. He gave a nervous smile your way, which only caused you to narrow said eye further and uncurl your wings. Like the most skilled acrobatic, he watched as you unfurled your long, slender dragon body; walking along the branch, you then jumped down to the grass below.

Your eyes were still slits as you approached him now, slowly, cautiously. Almost as if he were the prey and you the predator. Honestly, that's how Lucifer felt right now.

But then, instead of pouncing, you just stopped and stared at him. Your long, elegant tail lashed slowly, barley touching the grass as it swayed freely, yet with a controlled fashion. Eyes still narrowed, you let out a snort of annoyance, rolling your eyes, before tossing your head in an irritated gesture and finally coming to sit on the grass, still a ways away from him.

"...You're ruining my grass..." You huffed, narrowed eyes taking him in, raking over him as if you could pick him up and toss him out of your proximity with just a gaze.

He blinked at your dragon form, confused. Then he looked down, seeing how one of his shoes was sunken slightly into the delicate, glowing grass. He gave a sheepish smile, quickly removing his foot and placing it back on the hardwood, rubbing his neck with a nervous chuckle. Although he knew there was a human soul beneath the dragon you were currently transformed into, he also knew that you could probably reach him in a faster time than he could scream. So, he wanted to try and keep you happy, especially if it meant you would keep talking to him, even if in a condescending tone. And especially since he didn't know your current feelings towards him.

"Sorry, I-"

"Save it. I don't want to hear your excuses, Lucifer. Don't you think you've given enough of those already these past hundred years?"

He looked up at you, eyes shining with a little bit of hurt. That might be the first time you had ever used his full name since he first met you. He was so used to you calling him Luci.

Lucifer just...didn't sound right. Not coming from you.

"I-"

"Then, you come in here and trample my grass; the same grass of my homeland; the grass my ancestors before me walked on!"

"I-its just grass, darling-"

Your head snapped in his direction quite violently due to the nickname and his response. Your body stood up on its own accord and began slowly stalking over to him.

"Just...grass? Just GRASS?! I was born on said grass-"

You continued walking towards him, pupils back to those dangerous slits that signaled your current emotional state; upset and angry. You kept rambling to him about the grass and its importance to your true home. You got so close to him to the point that he had to start taking steps backward, until there was no room left to do so. He was at the door to your room, back pressed roughly to it as your dragon form prowled closer to him, flat snout right in-front of his face; he could practically feel the hot air being emitted from your nostrils. By this time, you were nearing the end of your rant.

"and at the end of the day-" You let out a hiss, baring your teeth. "...it really is just grass."

Your face relaxed almost immediately. Your wrinkled snout became smooth again, the luminescent glows from the vines on the door making it sparkle lightly. Your bared teeth dropped their snarl, turning your dragon lips into a sly smirk. You turned tail and lazily sauntered back to the grassy expanse of glowing vegetation. Doing a few circles in one spot you then decided to lay down on your side, eyes never leaving his. Almost as if you were taunting him to draw nearer.

"I- oh. Wait, what? W-What-"

Lucifer sighed and awkwardly leaned on his cane, rubbing his temples. He knew you to be intimidating back then but holy shit, now? Now thinking about it, he never really had experienced your fury head on before. He hoped he never had to.

Seemingly sensing his hesitation, you sighed.

"Oh for fucks sake, Lucifer. I was kidding. You of all people should know how dramatic I like to be."

Seeing as he still didn't move a muscle, as if wanting to respect your personal space and not get any closer if you really didn't want him to, your cylinder-shaped ears flattened against your head, an almost worried look overtaking your features.

As if he didn't believe you were real.

"Am I really that scary?"

As soon as that question left your lips, he was by your side. Having teleported, it made you jump a little when he so suddenly appeared by your side on the grass, sitting cross-legged.

You let your muscles relax once again, letting out a silent breath. You offered him a toothy, cute dragon smile. He gave you his big, signature grin right back.

"No, no, no. You're one of the most beautiful dragons I have ever seen! Absolutely no one can compare to your beauty, light one!"

With the way he spoke, as if he was presenting a speech, it made you let out a huff and a snort, which was also the dragon equivalent of a laugh in most cases. It also made your heart thump rapidly in your chest, hearing him use the nickname he often used for you back when you both resided above the clouds together.

Light one.

You figured it was only fair to change back into your human body, since it had been so long since you had seen one another in person, that he deserved to talk with you face-to-face and not to the face of a dragon, no matter how much he claimed you were beautiful both ways.

In a span of seconds, there was no longer a large dragon sitting beside Lucifer in the grass, but rather another individual, just as himself. Your legs were crossed just as his were, mimicking his body language. The two of you sat in silence for a long while, although throughout it all you could feel his eyes on you. With how quick he was to reassure you of your beauty, you knew he must be dying to ask you a bunch of questions; catch up on all that you had missed of one another's life since his falling and sparse letters in between.

You sighed and folded your hands in your lap, looking at your soft, glitter-dusted skin. It was hard to think of things to say when you really need not say anything at all. The silence, for you at least, said all that words could not and so much more beyond that limitation.

"Look, Luci, I-"

A sudden force knocked you onto your side, arms wrapping around you in the span of a second, squeezing you tightly. You yelped in surprise, although it was quite obvious the only person it could be.

"Oh my goodness, it really is you!" Lucifer exclaimed happily, eyes shut tight as he buried his face into your neck as your hug proceeded. "I knew it! Oh, I knew it as soon as you transformed back in the lobby- when you called me Luci just now. Oh my gosh, it really is you!"

He sounded exactly like a little kid might on Christmas, just getting their first train set, with many more to come after that within the following years. Alongside that excitement usually followed laughter, and oh was that universal sound flowing in the room at this moment.

You were both hugging and laughing to your hearts content after you had gotten over the initial shock of him bowling you over. For a little man, he surely had strength, that was for certain. Yet you knew best that he was not to be underestimated.

"Shit- yes, yes, it's me, I promise! I know the looks a bit new, but its me!" You said, trying to speak coherently through his own rambling and excitement of having finally found his friend after so long. The person who had been by his side through all his rights and wrongs whilst in Heaven. His wingwoman. His ride or die.

The person whom he had loved since first glance, but was too much of a coward to ever admit it. He always knew you deserved better.

"I-I'm sorry, I just...I can't believe you're really here! After...after all this time. Oh, Y/N...how I've missed you..."

Lucifers voice had dropped to a whisper at this point. You had to strain your ears to hear him, but made sure you did. You always heard him, whether he thought so or not.

"I've missed you too, Luci...really. I'm so sorry we got separated. I should've fought harder for your safety, I should've tried harder to convince the council, I-"

A finger found its way to your lips, shushing you with one, quick motion.

"Stop. Just...stop." Lucifer said, brows furrowed, a sad look overtaking his features as he sighed, eyes closed. "It was my fault for even convincing you to help me in the first place. I should've just kept you out of it."

He sniffled softly, turning his body away from yours a bit, not wanting you to see how emotional he was getting. He could still remember the way you cried his name as you got a front-row seat to watching him fall, courtesy of Adam.

Adam. That son of a bitch. He could only imagine the cruel and unusual punishments the sadistic man had thrown at you in return for helping the Devil himself (although he hadn't had that role back then just yet).

"What have they done to you...you know, since I left? They knew we had a good connection. I can only imagine the things they did to you as a result of helping me. I know you said they refuse to kill you or cast you out..." He muttered, now having his knees up to his chest, his chin resting on top of them.

You frowned, mainly in pity for him, watching him seem to curl up into himself like this. You had been thinking about all the ways the separation had been hurting you all these years, but now you had come to realize that you hadn't done much thinking about how it was affecting Lucifer. You figured that, since his fall, he had been doing just dandy down in Hell with his wife, Lilith. God, you hated that woman, or at least you had when they had decided to cast Lilith down into Hell with Lucifer instead of you. Many nights you had cried yourself to sleep, wishing so desperately that you could be down in this wasteland with him, comforting him about the recent events. You knew Lilith most likely wasn't doing it, and even if she was, you knew you could do better. He was your truest friend. You knew him both inside and out. Better than anyone.

"Its not of importance what they did and still do to me, Luci-"

"Yes it is! It's very important!" He burst out, making you raise an eyebrow. "It was supposed to be my job to protect you from any harm that came our way, remember? Remember what I said? I-I promised to always protect you from danger, to keep you safe, and I couldn't even do that without messing up!"

He threw his hands up, exasperated, using a gloved hand to cover his eyes and rub them. You gave him a soft, sad smile, one you were not sure if he saw, but knew he could sense. He was being way too hard on himself, you knew.

You had made the choice to help him, and wouldn't change a thing about that decision.

"Lucifer..." You spoke lightly, as if speaking to a scared animal. In a way, you were. "None of what happened to me is your fault. None of what is still happening to me is your fault. If someone has to take the fault, it should be me. I knew what I was potentially getting myself into when I agreed to help you. Those possible consequences never mattered to me."

You had to look away from him for a split second, some tears falling from your eyes as you blinked, then onto the lush grass beneath both your bodies. A deep breath inflated your chest before you allowed yourself to continue talking.

"All that ever mattered to me..." You began again, voice shaky as you maintained your composure, "...was the fact that I was getting to help my closest friend. The first person in Heaven who welcomed me, took me in with open wings. The first person to ever hug me. The first person to show me how unique and special I was, as well as my abilities and hybrid form. The first person who...didn't look at me like I was some sort of monster, due to the fact that I could transform into a dragon."

This seemed to shock him, for he raised his head to stare at you once again, cheeks lightly tear stained.

"People thought you a monster?" He asked, eyes wide and confused. "Why? H-How-"

You shrugged and picked at the grass beneath you with a finger.

"People tend to be scared of the things they don't understand, Luci. Things they've never seen before, such as a hybrid like myself. Even angels get scared sometimes, believe it or not."

Lucifer was at a loss for words. The angels had seen you as a monster when you first appeared at their gates? Someone as beautiful, majestic, and powerful as you? He truly couldn't believe that. He made a silent promise to himself in that very moment to give Adam a little extra punch for treating you like that upon your first visit to Heaven. You had never told him, either. Or, at least you hadn't had the time to before he fell.

"Apparently." Lucifer grumbled, whilst rolling his eyes. "Damn idiots never know what the hell they're talking about..."

At this, you raised both your eyebrows, and couldn't help the small giggle that left your lips at his protective nature. After all of this time not seeing one another, he was still as protective over you as the first day you met. It was refreshing to see that some things really never did change when it came to the King of Hell. Since the day he became so.

He perked up as you began to giggle, a shot of red flashing across his features from embarrassment. Then, despite himself, he too began to chuckle.

The steady rhythm of his heart made itself well known in his ears as the two of you continued to laugh together, just like old times in the clouds.

Although when you were together it felt like no time had passed at all, you both were aware that that was far from the truth.

You had some catching up to do.

The hellish sun beat down on the Hazbin Hotel. All the other residents, including Charlie, were outside helping to rebuild and design a new look for the previously destroyed hotel.

You and Lucifer had finally come out from your room after chatting it up for what had to have been over an hour. It was nice, now knowing the truth behind some of the things that had happened to him, and you were sure he felt the same about the things pertaining to you. He had promised you he would deliver quite the ruthless punch to Adam's groin when he saw him next, due to the things he had put you through after his falling. This had made you roll your eyes, but the idea wasn't dismissed. You'd allow it. Maybe even a couple times. Especially if it meant you got to see Lucifer happy.

Now, both of you were currently outside with everyone else, helping to rebuild the structure of his daughters hotel. You were in the form of your Lightfury, whilst Lucifer was standing proudly on your back as you flew laps around the perimeter of the hotel, giving him range to shoot blasts of magic, where building parts would then materialize before ones eyes.

You craned your neck around to look at the little man on your back, who was already looking down at you, smiling like the dork you knew him to be. This was almost like the perfect moment, especially after the deep conversation you both had back in the hotel room-

"DAD! No riding my residents, please! I'm glad you're making friends though! Proud of you! I just don't think we have the insurance to cover an injury yet!"

Charlie's voice cut through the atmosphere like a knife, causing both of you to startle and look down at her. She had a finger pointed up at you both, an adoring smile on her face; following it were the rest of the residents eyes. You both were now the spotlight of attention.

Your smooth-skinned dragon face had a bit of a red tint to it now because of the princess's words, and you didn't even have to look at Lucifer to be able to say that he looked the same. His daughter didn't even know how deep the history went between you both; she didn't even know you two knew one another prior to this. Nor did she really need to know. It could be you and Lucifers little secret. Something just for the two of you.

You snorted at her words, managing to screw your face into an extremely unamused expression quick enough to hide the blush, making sure to keep flapping your wings so you wouldn't falter in your hovering.

"Dear, you may just find yourself jealous because I have a dragon and you lack one! You see this beauty? Extraordinary! Such a great species too, infact-"

You managed to look even more annoyed than you felt, as Lucifer continued to take it upon himself to deliver a little speech on your back whilst you were just hovering there, explaining his good fortune to have found a friend in you once again and now being able to get free rides. But, no one seemed to tell him that you were the one steering this ship.

In the span of a millisecond, you had tipped your body to the side, sending him sliding off your back and plummeting towards the ground, following with him yelping in both surprise and momentary fear. You snorted in amusement and instantly tucked your wings and went into a dive, following right after him.

The wind whistled past your sensitive ears as you were now falling right beside him. You looked at him with your wide, cat-like eyes, a curious coo escaping your throat as he just smirked at you, putting his hands behind his head as you both fell through the air, as if in some sort of movie. You then narrowed your sharp eyes and struck him playfully in the chest with a paw, sending him spinning off balance and crashing into some nearby bushes.

Quick to steady yourself, you quickly turned around midair and swooped just low enough to snag Charlie from off the ground, holding her in your arms, before letting her climb onto your back and sitting comfortably. Her smile was wide and cheerful, making you laugh as you shot back up into the air.

"Woo-hoo!" Charlie hollered, holding onto your neck by wrapping both her arms around its thick expanse as you warbled in response, showing off your toothy dragon grin as you flapped your wings vigorously, taking both you and the daughter of Hell off into the surrounding city.

Lucifer sat up in the mas of bushes, spitting out some leaves and rubbing the side of his head. He could've used his wings to slow his fall but he figured if it made you smile, he would get a little banged up. He still had that same grin plastered to his face.

He couldn't even be annoyed as he picked off thorns from his suit and top hat, watching with a soft sparkle in his eyes as his two favorite girls flew away together into the sunset.

Upon Charlie finding and helping you on extermination day, which had been only yesterday, you had now become an official resident of the Hotel. You kept telling yourself it was temporary until you were able to go back up to Heaven, but the more time you spent under the clouds and the feet of those still alive and walking, the more you came to realize that this place felt more like a home than the one you came from originally.

Lucifer had promised to wait for you in Hell after he fell, even for all eternity if that's how long it took for your pure soul to deserve damnation.

In return, you had promised never to truly leave him. To never abandon. To never relinquish your connection. And you would hold that promise, through and through.

It was your vow.

[mayakern]

leave a comment if YOUR soul bonded liege lord has ever broken your heart 🙄🙄🙄

[teratosfavouritesnack]

Your dragon husband is torn by grief when you die in childbirth. He weeps on your lifeless body, his tears washing away the blood from your skin and healing your flesh... but they can't heal you back to life.

No, you're dead. You won't ever come back to him. He knows he should scorch your body, to set your spirit free, to let you to roam forever into the skies.... But he doesn't have the strength to part from his most treasured possession. You were more beautiful and precious to him than the most valuable gem he has ever owned. He must keep you. He's too selfish to let you go.

He covers your bare body with the finest jewels and the richest fabrics so you can shine brighter than any star in the sky. So that his son, the one you were so strong to give birth to before passing away, can see you, marvel at your eternal beauty and grow up strong and resilient and kind and beautiful just like you were.

🪷. You can leave me a tip on ko-fi if you want to support me

[monstersholygrail]

omg dragon up next??? can't wait 🤤

im a sucker for dragons. there seems to be a shocking lack of dragon fic on this site

Yessss. I went through a lot of choices and options for what kind of monster the Headhunter in the Choose your own adventure series would be. And they all made rational sense in my mind. But I just really wanted to make sure to include a dragon into this series somewhere

Plus, with dragons taking treasure and hoarding it all, I feel like a Headhunter would be a perfect job for them. So it works out well too

I’m glad you’re excited and enjoy dragons! I love dragons so freaking much. I hope everyone comes to enjoy Headhunter Dragon as much as I do. He’s been fun to write

And I agree! There’s a painful lack of dragon fics here. I have a handful of dragon fics myself. They’re a blast mess around with. One of my favorite fics I’ve written is a dragon bf!

[0h0possum]

A Codywan and How to Train Your Dragon crossover that turned into a the Mandalorians factions are dragons AU, because I can never just do something simple and for the heck of it.

If you’re not interested the AU lore, leave now or suffer my rambling lol.

Basically, the idea is that Mandalorians started as a race that could shift into dragons. The Mand’alor line and those of most influence were notably ‘Fury’s (for example Mand’alor Tarre Viszla was a Nightfury and so is his generational line). But over time most Mandolorians who could shift were killed off or just lost the ability as more non-shifter Mandolorians married in. Eventually only a few of the Fury’s were around, and when Mandalore split most chose factions lead by the remaining Fury lines. AKA: the New Mandalorians/Lightfury’s, the Haat Mando'ade or True Mandalorians/Duskfury’s, and the Kyr’tsad or Death Watch/Nightfury’s.

Basically this also helps explain (in my head) why Mandalorians would follow Death Watch (terrorists) or the New Mandalorians (Intense Pacifist). It’s because they see those lines that can still shift as chosen leaders or a physical embodiment of the Ka’ra’s will.

How is Obi-Wan a shifter though? Well in this AU he’s the son of Tor Viszla. Long story short, early on when Obi-Wan was born he displayed being force sensitive, and Obi-WAN’s mom (Tor’s wife??? Idk it’s not important to the story) basically went ‘Aw hell naw’ and tried to drown Obi-Wan. Only to be stopped by a traveling Jedi who stole Obi-Wan and saved him. Totally unaware that this baby was Mandalorian, the son one of the biggest Mandalorian factions, AND also one of the last few existing Mandalorian dragon shifters. (Also Obi-Wan’s mom doesn’t want to admit that she lost Obi-Wan to a Jedi and just tells Tor that he was force sensitive and she succeeded in drowning him).

Maybe I’ll get into it later but basically Obi-Wan grows up as normal in the Temple, but obviously at some point he shifts and has the biggest panic of his life. But with help from friends (Quinlan, Garen, Siri, and Bant) he figures out shifting (enough to control it) and helps keep it a secret (Mandalorians and Jedi still don’t have best relations and Obi-Wan is paranoid about being kicked out of the Order anyways *cough cough Brandomeer cough cough Melinda/Daan*). To be clear, Obi-Wan isn’t like ashamed of what he is. He just doesn’t want the judgments of coming from CLEAR Mandalorian roots, and Death Watch at that. Plus he kinda just decides to not think about how he’s pretty much definitely related to well known terrorist Tar and Pre Viszla, because then he doesn’t have to address it. Besides he’s happy as a Jedi.

Anyways, NOW CODY-

So without getting to detailed (mission failed lol) all the clones ARE shifters (Duskfury’s just like Jango Fett), but they have it suppressed by the Kaminoans (probably part of their chips? I haven’t thought it fully out yet). BUT THINGS HAPPEN, probably Cody and Obi-Wan get stranded alone somewhere for a long time and Cody gets his chipped fucked up somehow, and now he’s shifting into a dragon???? And scaring the shit out of both him and Obi-Wan. But Obi-Wan exposes himself as a dragon shifter as well to comfort Cody and show that he will keep his secret. Plus he clearly understands him. (At this point they both are under the impression the clones aren’t shifters, and think Cody is just an outlier and “late bloomer” so to speak). Cue them learning how to be dragons together and be comfortable in their other form.

And eventually they get rescued and find out somehow all the clones are shifters, and therefore find the chips and discover Palpatine’s plan, SO THE GALAXY IS SAVED!

(Additionally the clones get rights and go to form their own society/group (Obi-Wan comes with to be with other dragons, but mostly to be with Cody), and they form an alliance with the New Mandalorians and accidentally unit Mandalore purely by the three Fury types (Nightfury/Obi-Wan, Duskfury/Cody, Lightfury/Satine) being around each other lol.

[1234mockingjay]

Dragon shifter bloodline.

Part 2.

Name:Daenaera

Age:14

Siblings:Edrurya,Daomion,

Monterys

Parents:Erinnon and Setera

Lover:Iedar

Kids:¡¿None yet?!

Serve:¡¿No one yet?!

Team:Green(secretly an Black)

Name:Edrurya

Age:7

Sibling(s):Monterys,Daenaera,Daomion

Parents:Erinnon and Karia

Lover:¡¿None yet?!

Kids:¡¿None yet?!

Serve:¡¿None yet?!

Team:Green

Name:Daomion

Age:13

Sibling(s):Monterys,Daenaera,

Edrurya

Parents:Erinnon and Setera

Lover:¡¿None yet?!

Kids:¡¿None yet?!

Serve:¡¿No one yet?!

Team:Green

150 years later

Name:(Y/N)

Age:21-29 in GOT

Sibling(s):¡¿None?!

Parents:Baelon and ¿¡Unknown?!

Lover:¡¿Unable to say now?!

Kids:¡¿Unable to say now?!

Serve:Daenerys Targaryen

[neonstardustart]

The dragon king 🐲

The result of the poll I did a few days back! I had a lot of fun with this dude.

Of course, I had to have a spicy version, which can be seen on Twitter.

[existentialgaybirdnerd]

Half Dragon pt. 1

Dragons were real.

Dragons were real and one was coming at them at high speeds over a mountain area and towards where their forest peters off into clear grasslands.

Johnny was having a hard time getting his head on straight after that particular revelation as Ghost shoves him and the other two in their group further away from the forests at a sprint.

His head is reeling, but not too much that he doesn’t question the sanity of his LT as they book it away from what could be the only cover in a 20-klick radius as the hulking red western dragon gets closer to them.

The group of four notice they’re approaching a large hole in the ground rapidly, skidding to a stop one by one before they can fall into the cavern below.

Ghost puts a heavy hand on Johnny’s shoulder and leans past the rest of them to inspect the hole, catching his breath and humming in consideration then looking back at the still rapidly approaching dragon.

“What are we doing now? Waiting to be charred? Let’s shoot the damn thing!” The words have barely left Price’s mouth as he brought his gun up to aim at the dragon before he lets out a squeak of panic as his lieutenant grabs him and Gaz in either arm, barreling them into Soap and dropping them 30 meters below and into an underground lake.

Out of instinct they all point their toes towards the water and find themselves slightly dazed and submerged. As Gaz and Price struggle away from Ghost and try to resurface, he drags them back down and shakes his head. He reaches into a pocket on his tac vest and hands Price a rebreather, then reaches into a pocket on Johnny’s tac vest and points it between the man and Gaz, handing it off to Gaz when he hesitantly reaches out.

Ghost looks up to the top of the cavern they dropped into, noting the bright red dragon staring down almost in consideration, most likely in anger. His mask moves around his face due to the currents of the lake and he takes it off so he can keep an eye on the dragon above them, hair floating freely around his head.

Johnny prods him and offers the rebreather when he looks back at him. With a shake of his head, Simon looks towards Price and Gaz, holding a thumbs up and tilting his head in question. At Price’s angry nod and Gaz’s more subdued one, he nods to himself and starts looking around the water, looking for obvious ways out they can take should the dragon stay there for long.

With another prod from Johnny, who holds out the rebreather in his hand with a concerned look that intensifies the more Simon goes without air as the dragon takes its time examining the area, Simon grabs it and puts it over Johnny’s face and shakes his head.

Seeing no way out that isn’t up, Simon looks back at the top of the cavern, estimating them to have been underwater for a good 10 minutes at that point.

When he sees nothing above them but the hole they jumped from, Simon grabs Johnny’s hand and points Price and Gaz up to the surface, taking Johnny with him as he rises in the water.

Price and Gaz get there before him, having been in a higher position from trying to resurface earlier, so only he and Johnny hear the underwater whooshing that sounds from deep within the lake.

Simon pushes Johnny to the surface ahead of him and tries to see beyond the darkness of the water to try and see what’s making the sound.

A shrill whistle pierces the water, a note louder than humans can make. Simon covers his ears in pain, almost gasping with it before reregistering the water surrounding him. He kicks to surface while still looking for the sound, seeing something large with blue scales circling the edges of the lake.

With a gasp, he surfaces, coughing in surprise as his ears throb in pain and Johnny’s voice booms next to him asking him if he’s alright at the same time that Price calls him a numpty and threatens bodily harm if he ever tosses them down a hole again.

“He’s bleeding” is uttered by Gaz, looking less dazed and a little more murderous but altogether concerned. It stops Price in his tracks as he notes the blood leaking from Simon’s ears while Johnny manhandles his head to see closer.

“I’m fine, we have to get out of the water now” is spluttered in indignance as Simon grabs Johnny around his waist and starts dragging them through the water towards a surprisingly green shoreline.

“The hell do you mean we gotta leave? You dropped us in the drink!” Price practically yells, swimming alongside Simon as Johnny wriggles out and starts swimming on his own.

“There’s another, an amphithere I think.”

“A fucking what?”

“Another dragon. Mostly docile, but we could have pissed it off getting into it’s territory, move faster.”

A splash sounds behind them as they pick up the pace, swimming as quickly to shore as they can with their gear weighing them down.

Another, closer splash patters them with water as they reach the shore, another shrill whistle sounding with less noise as a massive, scaled head with golden eyes surfaces 10 meters from them and stares.

 Gaz and Johnny don’t take this well and collapse into each other, Price staring in disbelief as Simon stands between the three and the giant reptile.

“What did you say this thing was again?”

With a snort and a wring of his mask, breaking his staring contest with the thing, Simon responds “amphithere, Two-winged dragon variation with no legs. Giant snake with wings basically. They’re the water variant of dragons.

Johnny throws the rebreather still in his hand at him, knocking him on the head with it and gets up. “Why the fuck do you know this? Better question: why did you thrown us down a Cavern? Even better question: Why aren’t you freaking out about the bloody dragons?” He’s heaving for breath by the time he’s done, obviously holding back plenty of words and questions.

Looking back to the scaled head resting on the surface of the water, Simon apparently deems it safe as he turns his back to it and picks up the rebreather, grabbing the other from Price’s limb hand as the man watches Gaz try to get the water off of himself as much as possible from his position on the ground, looking calm if not a slight bit confused.

“What? You don’t believe in dragons?” is apparently the wrong answer as genuine confusion floods Simon’s eyes while Johnny gets into his space in anger.

“That answers nothing, and I’m a grown man, dragons haven’t been real since I was 13 until today. So please, for the long of God, explain.”

With a glance between the dragon on the lake and Johnny, Simon turns to the dragon and beckons it over. “Come on, you might as well help me explain since I don’t know everything anyway.”

Before anyone can get angry at the nonresponse and for the fact that he seemed to be talking to an ancient and (until today) fake animal, a chuckle sound booms through the cavern, shaking them where they stood and causing ripples from the head of the dragon to the shore.

The dragon starts moving towards them, scales turning iridescent as they emerge from the water, and body shrinking as they get closer.

With a hum of surprise, Simon watches as the dragon turns into a human as it gets to shore, covered in shiny blue toga with white and gold beads hanging from the edges.

The chuckle is repeated from the now human-shaped dragon, a now smooth tenor rather than the ear rattling bass it was as a dragon. “I apologize for scaring you, I thought you might have gotten injured in the fall. The spiky one does make a point; how do you know about us?”

Shifting in discomfort as all eyes turn to him, Simon wrings the mask in his hands once more. “Went to Scottland a lot as a kid, got left alone for long enough to stumble upon a wyvern nest and made friends with the pups for a few weeks while the Sires taught dragon life.”

With an exclamation and obvious worry, the dragon approaches him and starts examining him, lifting his arms and inspecting what it could. “You approached wyverns as a pup? You’re lucky it wasn’t a Drago nest. It is lucky you are alive as is. Although, being one of us, I guess they must have thought you were abandoned.”

Before Simon can respond, Gaz approaches and looks at the dragon in confusion and frustration. “How about we talk this through in chronological order, yeah? I think we all have more than a few questions we’re dying to ask and you two are losing us.”

The dragon blinks at him and smiles, displaying a row of sharp teeth and blue gums. “I don’t have much time, so I’ll condense it.”

Johnny waves a hand to get their attention. “Not much time?”

Simon snorts as the dragon smiles again. “I’m the guard of the water in this area, there are tunnels deep under the lake that lead to something bigger, I should only be here to make sure nothing is going to harm the lake or what surrounds it.”

The other three nod as Simon and the dragon exchange a glance. The dragon gestures to Simon to go first in their discussion.

Clearing his throat, Simon takes a seat on the soil of the shore, gesturing for the others to do the same as he sorts his thoughts. “A drago is what we were just chased by. They’re commonly known as western dragons with four legs and two wings, they’re the fire variation of dragons.”

Johnny opens his mouth only to stop his question when Simon raises a palm to him. “Ask later, if this one needs to get back soon, we should make this fast.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it” Simon clears his throat again, then nods to himself. “Dragos frequent volcanoes or fire-prone areas such as forests, but they don’t set fire to anything unless it’s burn season and the forest needs it to grow. They’re violent and quick to aggression, as you saw, but they’re also very passionate. Amphitheres are the water dragons, like I told you, They frequent underground lakes and water spaces underneath or within the ocean. They can be rough and mean, icy in a way, and they would surely drown you if you cross them, but they’re more of a ‘go with the flow’ species than anything, really laid back.”

Simon glances at the dragon and receives a nod, choosing to continue. “Wyverns are earth dragons, most commonly know by the other variations as tunnelers due to making large tunnels and caverns such as this one. You can tell it was made by wyverns because of the hints of claw marks along the rocks in the walls. They have two hind legs and two wings which can be used as arms in a way. They’re the most common type depicted in movies and shows such as Smaug from Lord of the Rings. Wyverns stand their ground and are generally stubborn as a mule. If you suggest they do something that won’t help them, they point blank refuse to even try it.

“Then there’s the Celestials, eastern dragons with no wings and four legs, most other dragons call them airheads and it’s kind of for a good reason. They’re the air variation-“

Gaz leans over and whispers “only Ghost, master of all four dragon elements, can stop the fire nation” to Soap, who holds back his laughter at the unimpressed stare Simon pins Gaz with as he looks back to him.

With a roll of his eyes and a huff of humor, Simon keeps explaining. “The Celestials are the air variation, they’re personable and ready to choose whatever path will help the most, flowing more easily than the Amphitheres and agreeing far too easily in an argument. There are half-dragon shifters, but I don’t know much about them, apparently they’re abandoned by their parents pretty often because they live about 3/4ths the life of a dragon and aren’t the strongest at birth.”

Johnny raises his hand once Simon’s words peter off. At his nod, he locks his hands together in a show of nerves. “They said- I’m sorry, what’s your name? I’m Soap, they are Gaz, Price, and Ghost.” Johnny turns the attention to the dragon, waving at those he introduced.

Shifting in the soil and grabbing a bit of fabric to play with, the dragon nods at each introduction, then holds a hand to their chest. “I am Amphitrite, it is wonderful to meet you.”

Simon seems to startle at the name, turning to Amphitrite and tilting his head a bit. “Amphitrite? Like the Greek goddess?”

Perking up, Amphitrite nods “you know the legends too! My mother had high hopes for me.” They turn to the other three and look at Soap expectantly “you were about to ask a question?”

Looking at Simon and then back at Amphitrite, Soap decides to bite the bullet on what he’d been thinking about the whole time, “you said Ghost is one of you when he said he spent time with the earth dragons, but he’s human as far as I know, so what did you mean?”

A shocked look crosses Amphitrite’s face and they turn to Simon in confusion. “You did not tell them?”

Confusion reflecting Amphitrite’s, Simon shakes his head. “I don’t know what you think I am or what I should have told them, but I was wondering that same thing. You said ‘one of us’ when I’m just human.”

Confusion morphs to horror on Amphitrite’s face, they grab Simon’s hand in a way that seems to be trying for comfort. “You don’t know? I had assumed you knew.” A contemplative look crosses their face. “I guess it would make sense. You should not be about right now, and yet you are. I’m so sorry, your parents-“

Simon takes his hand back. “I’m human, trust me. My dad got us DNA checks when we were born because he was a paranoid bastard, I’m his, and he was human, so was my mother.”

Amphitrite looks sad now, bringing a hand to their face to rub at their eyes. “You father must have been- it makes no sense otherwise. Yes, you must be half-dragon, I can smell the ice in your veins.”

Looking between them in confusion at the exchange, Price leans forward and catches their attention. “You said he shouldn’t be out right now. Why?”

Amphitrite blanches, looking towards the lake and then locking eyes with Simon, whose emotions have morphed to anger over the course of the conversation with them, eyebrows stitched in a glare. “You’re 33 in human years, yes? Almost 34?”

Anger is joined by fear and confusion as Simon shoots into a standing position, towering over the rest of the group. He only opens his mouth before Price is interrupting him “How on Earth would you know that? You don’t know him or any of us for that matter.”

Amphitrite shakes their head and stands slowly, turning their body to face Simon, waiting for his body language to settle into something softer than the fight or flight he seemed in second ago. “All half-dragons and dragon shifters get their first shift at their 34th human birthday. Dragons age significantly slower than humans, shifters less so, but 34 years for a human is the equivalent as one year as a dragon, even if the physical body does not reflect it like a pure dragon’s would. You must have noticed that you really haven’t physically aged for a few years now?”

Simon stares at them in shock while the other three on the ground get up and stand behind him. Johnny puts a hand on his shoulder to support and steady him, he’s the first to question this. ”We don’t mean to keep questioning you, but you said on his 34th birthday. He shouldn’t be out in case he shifts? What did you mean?”

Amphitrite looks towards the lake again, bouncing from one foot to the other, then nods to themself and turns back to look at the team. “First shifts hurt, they change and evolve you. I was out of commission from doing anything until a month after my 34th birthday. There’s five basic steps to it, and it hurts but there’s no real way to get past it without the pain.”

Simon takes his now mostly dry skull mask and fiddles with it as if to put it on, the others shifting around him and giving each other concerned looks.

Price takes a step forward “His birthday is in two weeks, and we won’t be getting retrieved for a while after it unless there’s a major injury. Do you have any clue of a place we can safely have him ride it out?”

Simon looks at his captain in bafflement, leaning more into Johnny’s touch on his shoulder as Price asks the meaningful questions Simon would have never thought of himself.

Amphitrite’s response is hesitant, a pair of coordinates to a house within 100 klicks and easy to get to, something new shifters are taken to when they’re about to turn 34 and completely out of Drago territory.

Gaz puts a hand on Simon’s shoulder as well as Simon and Price exchange an unknown look, choosing instead to ask one last question before Amphitrite jumps out of their skin like they look like they’re going to “What are the five basic steps? Last one, I promise.”

This brings the two superior officers’ attention back to the conversation as Amphitrite smiles at the last part of what Gaz said. They grab a stick and start to draw numbers in the soil. “Ok, so number one is fangs. It’s always the first and no one can understand why, they others tend to shift depending on person, but I’m assuming you’ll go in order. So for fangs, you’ll lose your human canines to make room for sharper and stronger fangs, they’re good for ripping, but they won’t be much longer than what you’ve already got so you don’t have to worry about looking like a vampire.”

Johnny looks them in the eye and brings a hand up to Simon’s face, pulling his left top lip back to reveal what looks like a vampire fang, shocking them into losing grip on the stick as Simon pulls away to snap at him with his teeth, gaining a chuckle and a fake gasp of offense.

Amphitrite goes back to the list, griping the stick harder to keep it in their grasp. “Ok cool, so fangs aren’t really a thing you’re worried about. Step two is claws-” They flash their sharpened nails at the group, black tipped nails ominous and deadly looking. “- you won’t lose your nails or anything like that, but it will feel like your nails are being pulled because they will start to grow and harden quickly, there’s really nothing you can do for the pain other than wait about a day for them to be done.

“Third is wings. Since you’re an Amphithere, you’re going to get some, but not in human form as you can tell. What will happen is your back is going to be excruciating for a while-“ they turn to show their back, iridescent blue-green wings tattooed there “-and you will get these sort of tattoo-like markings. You’re going to be in more and more pain for every step, so this one isn’t the worst but it definitely is worse than actually getting a tattoo there. The wings are useless in human form other than being pretty, but they’re super useful in dragon form.

“Fourth is lungs”

Looks of concern and horror are passed around the men’s faces.

“Don’t worry, you won’t die from it, but it will probably feel like torture? I’m sorry about that. You’re a water dragon, we’re meant to breath water and we can hold our breathes a long time, that’s why you were able to stay submerged so much earlier. Your lungs will expand, and gills will appear on your neck. You’ll need to keep wet washcloths on these as they develop, but there’s never been a death during a transformation, so you’ll be fine, I promise. They’ll close and seemingly disappear when you’re not submerged in water or choosing to use them.

“Fifth will be the hardest part, it will start your first transformation. You need to be fully submerged for it, trust yourself to feel when you need to be submerged. It will feel like your skin is peeling off, and the water helps abate that. Again, there’s never been a death, even for those who don’t submerge, but I would highly suggest you do so. The house you’re going to have a very large pool. Large enough for my dragon body to fit in it, and I’m not a yearling like you will be. Any other questions?”

At the stunned headshaking from the soldiers before them, Amphitrite bids them farewell, points to a path in the wall 20 meters away that none of them noticed that will take them back to the forest area, and goes towards the lake, running and jumping into it, transforming as they hit the water.

Ghost puts his mask back on while the others sit stunned, swiping the list of five out of the soil and shaking his head as if to organize his thoughts with an earthquake.

Price takes stock of his boys and the things they have on them, checking his packs and guns for any residual water logging, and turns to Ghost. “We’re gonna talk about you throwing us down a cavern later. But it worked in our favor so not until you’re not on the verge of… all that.”

A snort escapes from Johnny and Gaz as Ghost nods. They head towards the path, planning how to do their mission quickly to get to the location they were given in good time.

Here's part 2!

[m-jelly]

OH MY GOODNESS

The dragon hybrid Levi was sooooo good I read it like 20 times, and I was wondering if you can make one we’re the reader is very pregnant and dragon Levi is soooooo protective, and maybe they would live in a nest or a cave of some sort, and pregnant reader decides to take a bath in the water fall near there nest and some wild animal or men who are like scavengers of something try to kidnap her or eat her and dragon Levi swoops in

I’m so sorry that was sooo much lmao, you don’t have to write I just thought it was a good idea

Just changing this a little bit anon, hope you don't mind.

@ladycheesington <3

Most precious treasures

Levi x fem reader

Hybrid Levi, dragon Levi, pregnant reader, romance, fluff, married, drama, reader is attacked, Levi to the rescue, mentions of blood.

You leave Levi to sleep in your large bed in the castle on the mountain to go to a little shop. Your maid and a knight join you to keep you safe while making the trip to the town, but your carriage is attacked. You try to fight back, but you have to be careful because you're pregnant. When you think it is too late, your husband comes swooping in and saves you.

@ladycheesington @levisbrat25 @nyxiieluna @li-anne @galactict3a @youre-ackermine @thebobaprincess @2moth-anon2 @cypidity @notgoodforlife @demonsimp6 @nbinairyn

You placed a few loving kisses on Levi's face as he lightly slept in your massive bed. The two of you had explored each other's bodies all night, so Levi was a little tired and so were you but you wanted to go shopping to get him a gift. The deep sleepy growl that came from Levi was electrifying to you.

He lifted his head a little and gazed at you. "My precious gem, good morning."

"Morning."

He reached over and massaged your thigh. "I thought I exhausted you."

You hummed a laugh. "You did, but I have pregnant lady energy."

He kissed your six month belly. "You're incredible."

"Thank you. Anyway, I'm off out now."

He gave you puppy dog eyes. "You're leaving me?"

You slipped out of bed before he dragged you back in. "I'm just going shopping for a bit, that's all. I will take my maid and a knight with me."

He pouted a little. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too."

He reached over and touched your necklace. "Good, you have this still."

You blushed. "Of course."

He nodded and kissed you. "If anything happens, just bite down on this."

"Promise!" You hurried to the door and waved. "Love you!"

"I love you too. I'll keep the bed warm for us."

You blew him a kiss. "Perfect."

The castle was lively with the staff moving around and preparing it for a baby. It was sweet how excited the staff were to welcome a little life into the castle and so they were babyproofing everything. A lot of people were scared of Levi's castle on the mountain, but after you entered his life people softened to him and asked him for help and let him help.

You climbed into your carriage and sat opposite your maid. "What a lovely day. The winter air is crisp and the fog is so light."

Cali, your maid, looked out the carriage with a gentle smile. "It's so lovely."

You rubbed your belly as your baby moved. "Mm."

"Everything okay?"

You nodded. "They're moving a lot." You looked at Cali. "I'll be okay. I think they're just excited." You fell off the seat when something slammed into the carriage. "Ow."

Cali helped you to sit on the floor before leaning out the window. "Sir George?" She gasped when she saw him fighting bandits. "Sir George!"

You grabbed Cali and yanked her inside just as a sword slammed against the window. "Careful!"

The carriage filled with Cali's screams and the smell of blood and mud. Hearts raced as the carriage moved faster down the path until it felt like no one was in control and the horses were just blindly running. A loud thud from boots was heard on the carriage followed by walking and another thud.

The carriage came to a stop and the only thing you could hear was boots moving in mud and your racing heart. With a shaky hand, you reached up and grabbed your necklace. You raised the stone and went to bite down, but the door was yanked open and a bandit with a scar-covered face grinned at you.

The man grabbed you and yanked you out of the carriage as Cali screamed for you. "This one will be worth a lot of money fellas! She's pregnant too." He threw you to the ground. "Seeing the markings on her carriage, it seems she's fucking a dragon man. Her baby is a mix! We're fucking rich!"

You glared at him. "You're all fucked."

He laughed. "What you gonna do? You're weak."

You lifted your necklace and smirked. "My husband will rip you to pieces." You bit down on the stone causing a burst of magic.

The bandit stumbled backwards. "Shit. You stupid bitch!"

You crawled backwards as he stormed towards you. "He'll rip you apart! My husband is the dragon lord Levi Ackerman."

He raised his sword in the air. "You're lying! He would never love another!" His eyes widened when the top of his arm holding the sword dropped to the floor in front of him. He lowered his arm down to see it'd been cut clean off. He held the end near the cut before screaming. "My arm!"

Levi flew past and sliced the bandit's neck clean open. He landed and snarled at the bandits left as blood flowed out of the leader's neck. "My precious gem? Close your eyes for me."

You covered your eyes. "Yes, Levi." You focused on your baby moving in you instead of the screams and cries of your husband killing people. A gentle touch on your hands covering your eyes made you flinch a little, but you then recognised the tough. "Levi."

Levi pulled your hands away and grinned. "Hello, my precious gem. Shall we go home?"

"Yes, please. Are Sir George and Cali okay?"

He cupped your face and kissed you. "Yes, they're okay and I will take them to the castle. I must take you first." He scooped you up into his arms. "Hold on tightly."

You squealed as Levi flew fast to the castle. "So fast."

He flew onto the balcony of your room and carried you inside. He sat you on the bed and kissed your forehead. "I'll be right back, my love."

"Okay." You waited for him to fly off before removing your clothes and climbing into the always full and hot pool bath. "Mm." You scrubbed the dirt, blood and aches away. "Better."

"Love?" Levi hurried around the bedroom. "Loooove?"

"In the bath!"

He raced into the bathroom and sighed. "I was worried."

You leaned on the side of the pool. "Sorry, but I needed to clean. Did you get Cali and Sir George?"

He stripped fully and climbed into the water. "They are here and being tended to." He wrapped his arms around you. "I'm so sorry you were attacked on my lands."

"It's okay." You reached up and gripped his arm. "You can't get rid of all bad people. Plus, I'm sure they were ventured into your land because they heard there were dragons taking lovers here."

He kissed your neck. "Possibly. Our love story is well known."

You hummed a laugh. "It is."

"Are you and the baby safe? Are you both well?"

"Yes." You closed your eyes and relaxed against Levi. "I'm perfectly fine thanks to you." You turned your head. "I love you."

"I love you too." He kissed you and purred against your lips. "I'll always protect you and come running."

You smirked. "You're gonna keep my locked up here for a few days, aren't you?"

He smirked a little. "Maybe."

[shaymacmorran]

Another work in progress from my upcoming monster romance coloring book. ❤️

[booksofavo]

The Books of Avo: Chapter 1.1

An LGBT, 1920s-inspired fantasy story.

Website | Webtoons | Audiobook

Continue Reading on our Website or Webtoons !

[junoniadoesart]

Colored headshot concepts for the MC of that original dragon universe I talked about awhile back (the one with Tiamat), now with the placeholder name Dragons of the Deep.

So far I have it that the MC’s adoptive name is Fontaine Anouilh and her birth name is Tabni Lāsimu. She eventually winds up going by Fontaine Lāsimu.

Top left corner is based on one of those singing bass toys that I thought looked cool, not a real fish. Top right is based on mahi-mahi/dolphinfish. Bottom left is based on yellow-winged flying fish. Bottom right is based on sailfish. Right now I’m leaning sailfish or mahi.

Fontaine’s design overall (I do have a fullbody sketch done even if it’s a little out of date) is based on flying fish and marlin in terms of her wing shape, fins, lil nose, etc, with the classic four-legged dragon body plan.

[my-pjo-stuff]

Pjo but they’re all dragons

OK BUT PJO BUT THEIR DRAGON SHIFTERS. Like demigods naturally being able to shift forms into dragons, the sort of dragon they are depending on their godly parent. so children of Poseidon being able to shift into blue dragons who can quickly travel through water for example. Or children of Athena shifting into white or grey dragons who can turn invisible and stuff. So this will have BIG inspiration from those SBI hybrid instinct fics (listen 2020 was weird for all of us, I don't support or claim ANY of the current behaviors of the CCs)- but I think this would also cause some tension in camp. Dragons tend to be pretty territorial, so taking a bunk or a thing from another demigod is a BIG no-no. I also think they'd have a pretty steadfast hierarchy based on strenght. At the beginning of TLT that definitely would see Luke at the very top. I think Hermes kids would be either white or baby blue dragons, with Luke being baby blue. They are fast flyers and have an easier time maneuvering. The issues with the Hermes cabin would be a lot faster shown since the crowding causes issues with the instincts of the demigods. Luke betraying camp would be a HUGE shock since he was firmly rooted within the camp. Dragons are also possessive of each other and who they consider to be within their family- so Luke leaving would be a HUGE thing. Especially for Annabeth, her instincts would all but scream at her to go after him. Just imagine all the cool air battles we could have with the campers being able to shift into dragons though. Since I take inspo from SBI fics here I'm gonna go with the campers having to shift forms now and then to keep healthy. Thus camp would probably have special areas for demigods to relax in their dragon form. The form ofc would reflect their human age. Personally I'm going to go with a demigod's dragon form reaching full maturity when the demigod turns 25- since that's the age everything in the body and brain if fully developed for a human. Just imagine younger campers, just finding out about and growing into their dragon forms playing around among the older campers in that area. The dragon form would also be a good way to find out who one's godly parent is, as they vary. Unfortunately, it isn't the same as claiming, meaning the demigods still have to be in the Hermes cabin as officially "unclaimed"- despite knowing their godly parent. This would only serve to fuel the hatred for the gods.

It also makes getting to the camp much more important, as demigods need to shift once they discover their dragon form (usually with 12-13). While shifting in the normal world is possible, a demigod needs to train as to not cause too much collateral damage doing it. Older campers usually teach younger campers with their dragon form, aswell as teaching them how to fly and take care of their scales etc. The younger also tend to stay with the older campers to play, as their instinct demand of them to "stay with their group" to remain protected. (This just serves as an excuse to have bby dragon Annabeth nap together with Luke. Luke having his head laid over her smaller form as he exhales small puffs of warm air to keep Annabeth warm since younger dragons tend to cool out faster when standing still in cooler weather)

[itsrainingtheblues]

installemnt number 2 of my 'Batman Is A Dragon?!?!' series😁

Timmy meets Nightwing!!!

[jackiezenauthor]

Maria's fairytale ending

Context that led to the creation of this story here

Thank you @laurasimonsdaughter for the inspiration and support.

Special thanks to my two fairy friends who endured through proofreading and editing with me, blessing us all with precious advice such as cutting off the suspension points that I so much love dropping everywhere in my writing.

Story and art by Jackie Zen (me)

Trigger warning:

people and a dragon getting very hurt at some point

no nsfw

magic and sorcery

author liberties (tried to stick to russian fairytale lore as much as possible but I'm not sure about the bird)

Maria’s fairytale ending

„This was the first completed sculpture that this artist ever made.” he explained, pointing at a crude representation of maybe a bear, maybe a pig? Maria walked around, trying to figure it out. „And the first piece of my own hoard” he said proudly. He went on explaining about the stone itself, the complicated nature of sculpting in it and how young and absolutely confused the artist was when he offered an entire silver coin for it.

She watched him over the little statue’s pedestal. He was just as handsome as the first day she’d seen him, across the fire lake conjured for her and her brother’s safety. Unlike the Bear King, this man could have easily flown over the flames on his own. She was certain now that he knew the fire was an illusion. But he hadn’t... he’d just kept showing up every time she’d walk around the banks, trying to strike up conversation from afar...

In truth, that had been the wiser choice. Aside from his dashing human looks, his true shape, and the one he could fly in, sported a rather intimidating bouquet of heads. Each overflowed with fangs and horns, each able to spit some terrifying element, from fire to what looked like acid... Her heart would have abdicated, no question, if he’d just plopped right there, on her side of the bank, from the very start.

„Am I going in too much detail?” he paused, noticing her glance.

She had indeed lost focus for a second, but that was because he’d mentioned minerals and tools that she’d never heard of before. She already had a mental note to hit his library and look them up later.

A man-sized statue with many hands framed him from behind, sculpted so skillfully that she found herself expecting it to come to life at any moment. The sculptor’s name under it was the same as for the little nondescript animal they had been looking at.

„No, just enjoying the view...” she smiled. „I knew that your kind loved collecting things, but I had no idea how much meaning each of them holds...”

„Let me know when you tire, however...” he grinned, his back just a bit straighter, reaching for her waist. „I hear that your kind is rather short on patience...”

„You’re one to talk...” she scoffed, playfully. „This would have been maybe a day’s wait, at most, if you just waited for my brother to return...” she brazenly moved her hand in his general direction.

If she were anywhere but here, it would have been seen as outrageously improper. Instead, as soon as she started acting and speaking appropriately for her upbringing and gender, he’d started fretting about her health, as if she was hallucinating thanks to some illness. She was getting used to speaking her mind clearly, as of late. Saved her from being fed all the questionably healthy concoctions he kept bringing in, and she was starting to enjoy it too. 

„I still don’t get why I’m supposed to ask anyone other than you...” he snorted, gently brushing the edge of her chin. “It’s not like I’m marrying your bother.” he rolled his eyes ever so slightly…

„Still not married...” she giggled, putting her palm between their lips, as he leaned over to steal a kiss.

He’d been growing rather impatient in the past few days. While he did put up with her human traditions, it wasn’t without grumbling. In truth, she was starting to have second thoughts about keeping up with this too. After all, even with Ivan’s blessing, what priest or church would even agree to marry her to a dragon to begin with? Would money really make a difference? Despite being the Tsar, not ever her uncle would be caught alive publicly blessing a union like theirs…

Her brother was supposed to have arrived by now, she’d even left him a note... a bit rushed, true, but still... What was he doing?

The dragon kissed the line between her fingers and her palm instead, his breath warming the little space between them, making her question all human rites and traditions, and her own sanity along with them, as their eyes inevitably met. Her heart challenged the spirits of thunder, deafening against her ears.

“You really should wear more rings…” he purred.

She found herself questioning whether that thing called ‘virtue’ was really worth keeping… it was becoming harder and harder to remember what that word even meant, lately…

A loud knock restored sovereignty to her head… not without her heart kicking and screaming about it first.

“What is it?” he asked, his voice oscillating between pleasant and annoyed.

“There is a matter requiring your attention, at the gates…” a servants voice broke through the closed doors, just as Maria slipped out of his arms, straightening her dress.

Nobody was allowed in his hoard room without explicit permission which, according to the maids, had never been given. Everyone was supposed to speak clearly too, however, which was a bigger challenge for the newest hires, of which, currently, there was just one.

“Dmitry?” he sighed, heading for the doors.

“My liege!” the soldier bowed as he stepped out.

“Speak!” he commanded. “Use all of your words!”

Dmitry dared a glance towards Maria, who was just about to reach the door as well: if this matter required him to leave the room, visiting was clearly done for today.

“It shouldn’t take long…” the dragon turned as he noticed her approach as well. “You can look around some more if you want, tell me if you have any favorites.” he smiled sweetly, trying her heart again. “Maria, my love, all that is mine, is also yours…” he added before she could argue, her name sounding magical in his voice.

“We’re not married yet…” Maria sighed, irked at how she still had no name to call him by. It was so odd, referring to him as ‘the dragon’, but it was impossible for her human throat and mouth to reproduce the sound that he declared as his name. Despite his excitement at having her choose a name herself, she just couldn’t think of any that did him justice… All the names she could think were simply… not good enough.

He grumbled something about human customs again. As far as he was concerned, the entire event had already happened, when he asked her for a bridge to reach and marry her, and she cast said bridge. He’d even brought up crossing that bridge on his own two human feet, as if the sturdiness of her magic hold somehow matched her resolve. And she had to admit, she’d never cast anything as sturdy in her life before.

For a construction cast entirely out of a towel, it not only held, but it could have easily been mistaken for something built under the Tsar’s architects. If only she could brag to anyone about it too… Other than her nanny, who had taught her the basics and was still at the Tsar’s castle, nobody cared to listen… especially not Ivan.

The dragon had been the first man in her life not needing to be babied about her magical abilities. Even with her own brother, she had to give a nearby ox a voice and make it claim to be doing all the saving and the conjuring. If he would have thought even for a second that it was her casting, he’d have just surrendered to the Bear King right away…

Ivan never saw her as anything but a dainty little sister who needed protection against the entire world. Had he not gone out to hunt every other day, she might have ended up locked in the hut in the middle of the lake for God knew how long… Every time, she’d wait until he left before unlocking her room and going out exploring, up until the dog started wagging its tail, anticipating his return… Heaven forbid, him ever catching her talking to a man, too, even with the acre of lake between them… She was grateful for the care, but it really was too much, sometimes… Maybe, now that she was marrying a dragon, he’d finally get the peace to focus on his own duties as a prince.

“There is a man at the gates.” the soldier spoke again as the dragon motioned him to. “He is rather angry about something, or someone, being stolen from him… He’s also rambling about some dog?”

Maria perked up. This had to be Ivan.

“About time!” the dragon cheered up as well! “Let him in, treat him with most care, make sure his room is cleaned again and have the cook fire up the ovens and crack open the barrels, he knows which! We’re celebrating tonight!”

“He looks rather… hostile…” the soldier said, conflicted.

“Ah, yes… I’ve left room for some misunderstandings, apparently…” the dragon laughed drily.

“Let me talk to him first…” Maria offered. “I’m sure that he’ll calm down once he knows I’m safe and well.”

“Of course, my love. I’m sure you’re eager to catch up with him too. I will apologize for the matter with the key myself, however. It had been rather unnecessary of me to do that, indeed…” he nodded, then paused for a second before turning to the guard again. “Did he bring the dog along?”

He hadn’t…

That made for one less thing to fret over as they headed for the castle yard, to greet their long-awaited guest. They started with almost a skip in their step, but it gradually wore off as the reality of the situation dawned on them… There was plenty to regret, on both ends, about how they’ve left that hut in the middle of the lake… Hopefully, Ivan would be willing to listen…

…

He wasn’t.

As they stepped outside, the atmosphere crashed hard on them. Not only was Ivan refusing all hospitality, but he kept his sword unsheathed, glaring at whomever would dare even shift their weight towards him. His expression only changed once he noticed Maria, but even then, it was short lived, as his eyes fell on the dragon.

He wasted no time before rushing him with his sword.

“I don’t think this is helping…” Maria held onto the dragon on pure instinct as he grabbed her and jumped away from Ivan’s slicing blade. “Let me go to him! He won’t harm me.”

“You go to him once his sword is sheathed and no earlier.” the dragon hissed, moving once again away from Ivan’s reach. “I have never seen a reasonable man behave this way, and I will not risk your life like that.”

The guards moved to block her brother, but he shook them off easily: he was a skilled swordsman, after all. It did give the dragon time to shift, however, and carry her to what he considered safety, which, in typical dragon fashion, was a tower… all the way in the southern garden.

“Throw this at him!” she handed him her handkerchief as he went to face her brother once more. She had no time to explain what it would do. A cry of pain let them know that Ivan had started hurting the people in his way, and the dragon took off in a rush.

She watched him fly away, his seven heads bumping into each other, as if having a disagreement, which they probably did… It was something that she had yet to wrap her only head around: how he could function as one person, in human shape, and seven minds, as a dragon. They all seemed to agree that they liked her, but she wasn’t sure if they also agreed on how to show it. How many of those minds were willing to capture Ivan unharmed? Could he even be captured when he became like this?

Ah, if only she could wield a sword!

‘Swords are men’s toys…’ her nanny used to laugh. ‘They go around, waving them around at the world, as if they bring anything but fear and pain…’

She could feel them both right now… the fear, and the pain… her heart ached as the dragon… her dragon roared and her brother bellowed. She couldn’t see a thing from the tower: the entire castle fenced her view like an overbearing mother hen. Here too…

Every single moment of her life, she’d been nothing but someone to protect, to care for, to keep away from any possible harm. Whether it was her brother, her cousins, her servants, and now, her dragon too…

Not even her nanny would leave her be, even when she’d insisted to learn at least protective spells… All she was willing to teach her was how to animate and change animals and objects, to various stages between illusion and reality.

When she’d summoned that lake, it had been the greatest day of her life, and it was still hard to remember how exactly had she done it, in fact… All she remembered was how tired and absolutely done with being chased around she was, especially as the ox under her spell started wearing thin, under the relentless Bear King’s pursuit.

Her dragon roared again. No, that was not a roar. He sounded hurt…

Of course, the fight was not fair. He was trying to capture Ivan without harming him, while Ivan had no reason to restrain himself, at all. There was no way that this would end up well… She had to go down there now!

The trap door under her feet unlocked easily enough, but it still took some time. It led into another room, closed with yet another trap door… if this was how this entire tower was, it would take too long to leave it. She had to find another way, and fast.

There was straw and rope in the second room… it would do. She grabbed a few handfuls of each and got to working as fast as her fingers could keep up. Blood stained the straw as she worked the ties tight and the rope cut through her skin, but she paid it no mind: if anything, it seemed to help the enchantment entwine faster along.

Another pained growl resonated through the castle yard…

“Come on…” she urged the little straw doll, blowing some of her own life into it. She’d have to slay a couple of rabbits to get it back later, but they had plenty of those around the place…

The enchantment caught and the doll flapped its straw and rope wings, pushing its head placeholder ahead, as if trying to screech. No sound came out, since there was no mouth, and the doll turned its faceless head towards her in a mute complaint.

“I’ll finish you later, with emeralds for eyes and steel for a beak!” she promised. “I’ll even make your wings out of leather and your feet of iron!” she added, as the doll seemed to consider her offer.

It accepted, flapping its wings and rising to the air outside the window. She had to climb the sill to reach it, but she was planning to leave that way all the same…

The distance to the ground seemed thrice as large, now that it was right under her feet. She took a deep breath.

“There’s nobody else who can finish you, so you better make sure I reach the ground unharmed!” she warned, before letting go of the windowsill and grabbing entirely on the doll.

A building crashed in the distance, horses neighing in distress…

She jumped, her fingers digging deep within the straw. She really, really, really should have thought about putting something sturdier in it and even some handles…

She cried in regret and terror as the doll threatened to come apart under her weight, way, way, way too high above the ground.

Flames burst alive under her fingers, setting the doll ablaze, and her hands with it. That was the last thing she needed right now. She prayed to any gods or spirits that might be listening, tears sizzling against the burning flesh, straw and rope, as she started plummeting towards the ground with increasing speed. Her fingers wanted to let go, but her mind forced them gripping for as long as possible, fighting for survival.

There was no telling, with the terror and pain, how long she’d been in the air, by the time her dragon slid backwards into view, avoiding a raging Ivan once more. She realized too late that she was screaming aloud, as her dragon turned all seven heads towards her, mirroring her despair.

He shouldn’t have. The cost for looking away from his opponent was too steep.

Seeing nothing but his target, Ivan closed the distance between them and sliced through the nearest head, cutting it clean off. It didn’t even have time to understand what was going on as it tumbled to the ground, under the horrified eyes of Maria and the six remaining heads. It tried to scream as pain registered at last, but there were no lungs to carry any sound.

“NO!” she yelled, but her voice didn’t carry either, a dull screech filling the air around her instead, fire licking at her face like flapping wings, as she found herself turned in the air and dropped right where she wanted: between her brother and her dragon.

The fire didn’t burn any longer. She barely had any time to register letting go of a flame shaped vaguely like a bird, before her eyes landed on her brother, who watched her, not with recognition, but measuring, as if assessing whether she was an obstacle or not.

“STOP THIS INSTANT, IVAN!” she yelled.

He barely spared her another glance before rushing her dragon once more… of course…

Cold realization dawned on her as she pulled off her one ring, waiting for him to stop in his track just for a moment. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust her abilities, or that he was protective of her. He didn’t listen nor see her… ever. Her voice carried, he always nodded when she spoke and seemed to hear her words, looked her way, but he never listened to her. Nobody did, not even her dragon… although at least he saw her.

“HALT!” she commanded, throwing her ring at him. It hit the ground instead of his body, but it was close enough for the enchantment to work anyway, wrapping around his legs and throwing him entirely off balance, a loud, bony sound telling of a chin hitting the ground and teeth crushing against each other.

“YOU TOO!” she barked as the dragon, who was coiling to strike, overcome with pain and anger. “Did you even TRY to use that handkerchief I gave you?” she glared, her arms to her hips. To his credit, all remaining heads froze in their track, looking sheepish. Half of them were still angry, the other half were throwing her bewildered glances. Neither dared say a thing. She didn’t risk looking at the seventh head, lest her anger gave way to sorrow.

She stomped to her brother before he could come out of the falling daze, stepping on his wrist as he was still gripping the sword, ready to swing it once more.

“It’s all about these blasted things with you, every time!” she pressed her weight on her foot until he finally let go and she could remove the cursed sword out of his reach. “Weapons, fighting, hunting… never talking, never listening… Here! All yours!” she threw it to the bird-shaped flame as it hovered nearby, faceless but eager, like a puppy waiting by their master’s table. “Steel for your beak and leather for your feathers.”

The bird caught the sword with its body and soon enough, it’s screech went sharp and painfully vibrant. She’d expected it to store it, but it could build itself up instead… That was unheard of, but she wasn’t going to complain now…

“Give me iron!” the bird spoke. “Give me emeralds! And more leather!”

“I will, as promised!” she nodded, stepping on Ivan’s back and reaching for the remainder of his weapons.

He tried to shake her off, as she used the dagger to cut off his sheathe belt and his quiver.

“Halt! Yee of ears that do not hear!” the bird screeched and Ivan moved to cover his ears instead of fighting her off. No… he touched them, as if trying to see if they were still there.

“Did you take it?” Maria glared at the bird. It was hard to say if it noticed anything other than her tone, with just a beak on its face. “His hearing?”

“What use does he make of it anyway?” the bird cawed coldly.

“Return it!” she commanded.

“As you wish…” the bird scoffed.

“Unhand me, wench! What have you done to my sister?” Ivan sneered from under her knee, as his hearing returned without a sign, not even a glimmer of magic.

“I have always been your sister, you oaf!” Maria pulled at the hair in the back of his head in anger, like she always did, since they were kids. Only now it wasn’t about a biscuit he wouldn’t share, so she pulled a lot harder, until some hair snapped under her grip.

“No… you can’t be!” he sounded outraged, but unsure.

“Here! A bonus! Use them for your nest or something…” she threw her earrings and the entire quiver, brimming with arrows, at the bird, watching its wings spread wider as it consumed everything. “That fence is made of iron. Take its gate…” she pointed. She’d handle the apologies later.

“My sister… she would never…” Ivan almost sounded as wailing.

“Right, your dainty and demure sister…” she hissed, stepping off him after making double sure that he had no more weapons. “Maybe you should have thought of me before trying to kill my boyfriend…”

She dared look at the fallen head at last, her heart breaking loudly in her ears.

“I can help, master!” the bird hopped by her, pushing its head under her arm, like a puppy, looking to comfort her, watching her with many eyes made of more gems than just the emeralds from her earrings. Ivan must have hidden his gem stash in the quiver again. “Give me one more part of you, and I will bring you the Water of Life and the Water of Death before you know it!”

She looked at the bird. It was smart… too smart for a doll made of straw and rope, even if she counted the blood too… Whatever was animating it, it was no longer her life behind it, but something old and knowledgeable… She wondered what the cost for its name would be…

“Would an arm do?” she asked, looking at her hands, deaf to the chorus of protests that the dragon’s heads broke into, at her words. Ugly scars stretched all across, halfway up to the elbows, as if she’d burned not just a few minutes, but many years ago. She didn’t need both of them to cast, and she could always build herself a replacement, with enough time and dedication…

“You already gave me your blood, flesh and tears…” the bird said. “And I have no need for your bones. Steel and iron are better.” it cackled proudly.

The dragon almost lost it when she moved the negotiation to her eyes, tongue, ears…

“You’d give your eyes for that?” Ivan was outraged.

“That is your brother-in-law, so I’d watch my tongue if I were you!” Maria was livid. “What were you even thinking? Coming into someone’s house and…” she swallowed, unable to finish the sentence. “If you were raised in a cave, you’d still have better manners than this!” she took her handkerchief as a concerned dragon head reached over her shoulder, gently.

“Give me your hair.” the bird said, its many eyes measuring her with sharp intelligence. “A strand is enough…”

“We’re fine…” the dragon head on her shoulder said carefully, swallowing often as to avoid blowing ice on her while it spoke. “There’s still six of us…”

“It must be a long journey, and I’d rather you return faster than later.” Maria ignored it, untying her hair. The iron pins, that the maids had so carefully put in it this morning, became food for the bird too, since she wouldn’t be needing any for a while ahead… “Take it…” she held most of it out for the bird to cut it, with its new sharp steel beak.

It didn’t wait for a second invitation, taking off with the hair without another word. Whatever she had brought to life, it knew what it was doing.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Are you both sure that this is enough?” she asked the bird as it returned with two heads on its body: one carrying the Water of Life in its beak, the other, the Water of Death.

“You just wait a little longer, master… It would have worked it I just brought a single drop, even.” the head who brought the Water of Death spoke proudly as the other one just nodded, focusing on not swallowing their delivery.

They had realigned the head to the neck, but it seemed to be taking forever. The other six heads dozed in a semblance of patience on the floor, his tail slapping against the ground like a mildly annoyed cat.

“Where is your belligerent sibling?” the idle head asked, looking around the hallway.

A couple of days had passed since the fight, and the place was going through repairs already. Her dragon was getting rather hissy about not being allowed to turn to human, but if he did, the now reattaching neck would have disappeared entirely, according to the head maid, who seemed more knowledgeable about dragons than even the dragon himself.

“On his way home.” she said, checking the head for the twentieth time. “I’ve had a talk with my uncle and we agreed that Ivan’s not to touch any weapons again until he learns manners.”

“The Tsar agreed?” the bird’s many eyes glinted with interest.

“Of course.” Maria stood tall. “Hard to disagree with a sorceress who can put a curse on your bloodline at any time, since she carries it around within herself… especially after she set fire to your entire garden from three kingdoms away.”

“But nobody can cast fire that far…” the bird leaned its head, looking intrigued.

“You know that, and I know that… my uncle doesn’t…” she winked. “Alright… bring the Water of Life!” she rushed the bird closer, the other heads popping up from the floor like flowers in spring.

“How will you know if the Tsar keeps his word?” the birds second head spoke as soon as the Water of Life spilled over the lifeless head.

“The same way that I set his garden on fire…” she grinned mysteriously, looking at the nearby mirror. Her nanny’s face reflected on its surface for just a moment, a proud smirk blooming in her cheeks as she went on with her daily royal servant chores.

The bird’s many eyes blinked, looking her over with growing amusement, a laughter erupting from its burning body as the two heads rejoined into one.  

“I answered you out of a whim.” it said, wiping at its many eyelids as if it had teared up. “But it looks like I’ll be having the time of my life, in your service, Sorceress Maria.” it leaned into a deep bow. Its iron feet clinked against the stone floor as it took off, cackling as it circled around the hall in merry acrobatics.

“That was quite a nap I took…” the head next to her spoke, blinking drowsily as it moved against her arm for the first time in days.

“You would have napped long and hard if my canary wasn’t here to help…” she kissed his forehead.

“Me next!” said one head.

“Me next!” the others echoed in turn.

“Hmm… Canary…” the bird mused, flying over the heads as Maria took turns, kissing each and every forehead. “I like that! I’ll be that!” it chirped right by her ear, landing as the cutest fire-orange Canary that she had ever seen.

It’s eyes were black and beady, like one of her nanny’s expertly made dolls, but if you didn’t look too closely, you could easily mistake it for a regular bird.

“Well, find yourself somewhere else to perch… This shoulder, along with its owner, has a lot of catching up to do with one, very impatient dragon…” her dashing human-shaped dragon chased it away, pulling Maria to his arms. He’d waited as much as his last dragon forehead getting kissed before turning, no more.

“Isn’t impatience something of my kind?” she teased, moving her arms around his neck. A thin line stretched right across his right collarbone, almost invisible.

“I can admit when I’m proven wrong…” he huffed against her lips, hovering, just about to touch them with his own, but not quite.

She closed the distance, their noses bumping into each other. She chuckled with him, but didn’t pull away, tilting her head just enough to avoid repeating the impact. His lips were just as soft as she’d imagined, and she indulged in exploring their every corner. She wasn’t sure what else to do, but by the amused look in his eyes, it was clear that it this wasn’t quite it.

“I didn’t get your brother’s blessing” he teased, pulling away.

“Ah, it’s not like you’re marrying my brother too…” she rolled her eyes, ever so slightly.

And they lived happily ever after…

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Thank you for reading all the way through my little story. I hope you enjoyed it!

This is the first story that I ever made public, so I am a little nervous.

If you have any suggestions or know any guides that could help my writing improve, please feel free to let me know.