Finally! Sorry for the wait but sometimes you have to wait for a good thing :)
Thanks to my loooovely Beta raven1493 for working with me on this again.
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I luv you all~
Now, onto the story!
Two months passed.
Smaug eased into the routine of caring for his female without much effort. He hunted for her fickle appetite and watched over her as she slept, but he was troubled. He was used to her being restless and bored during the period of time between a laying and a hatching but she seemed stricken with a listlessness he could not explain. She was lethargic, uninterested in what he had to say, and she barely had the energy to go relieve herself.
When she was awake and alert enough to carry a conversation, he guided their discussions away from the subject of their egg. He was well aware of the fearful thoughts dwelling within her and he could only assume they revolved around their egg . In truth, he wished to avoid the subject as well.
Why was the egg so small? He had never sired such a tiny egg before. His only comfort was that he could barely recollect a memory of being taunted for being the runt among his nest-mates. Perhaps this hatchling would start out being a runt as well before growing into a large, dominant male like he had.
While he had mentioned this theory to Nix in the hopes of it putting her at ease, she hadn't seemed to hear him. She hadn't replied at all, leaving him to battle his own misgivings. Was there something wrong with her? He didn't even want to consider the possibility. He finally had her. He wanted to keep her!
What would he do should her health falter? He had no talent in the healing arts. All he could do was comfort her...and he was not satisfied with that. He would need several plans to save her should it come to that. He could kidnap an elf. They were well known for their healing abilities. Perhaps he could find a witch to tend to her? No, he couldn't let any inferior being near his beloved...but what if he had no choice? Would he let her suffer if he could find help for her? Even if that help came from a snivelling human? Maybe. Maybe he would. Or maybe he would go out and destroyed everything in his path until they were the only two living beings left. Then they could die together and alone, surrounded by nothing and the world would not move on without them...and he would have no reason to move on without her.
These were all desperate thoughts, conjured in the nighttime hours when his Nix would cry out in her sleep and he would lick up the drops of blood that sometimes leaked from her eye. His heart ached for her sake, but he needed to remain strong for her. She was depending on his strength and confidence that everything would turn out alright in the end.
He often wondered if she knew most of his confidence was a front for her sake. All he truly knew for certain was that their egg was healthy for the time being. He detected no impurities, no sickness, nothing wrong. Their egg would hatch and while it may be small, he should still be healthy and full of fire.
If only he could be that certain about Nix. All she had to worry for was their egg. He had to worry for their egg and for her.
A third month passed...and Nix's torpid attitude began to dissipate.
He noticed this when he returned from a hunt. She was curled around their egg like usual but her head was up and she smiled when she saw him. In his happiness to see some life in her he had dropped his kill and loped over to nuzzle her. She returned the nuzzle then laid her head down to ignore him for the rest of the day.
After that she was more attentive. She still rarely spoke but he could sense her becoming agitated for some reason.
One evening as he rested beside her, she nudged him. As he turned his gaze on her, she purred, "I have decided that we must begin thinking of names."
He smiled. That meant she believed their hatchling would live long enough to earn a name. Perhaps she was finally regaining her strength and spirit.
"I was pondering many names from my past," she mused, "But none seem right."
Scowling slightly, he growled, "I will not have him named after one of your past males."
She snorted, "Would you become jealous of your own hatchling?"
His scowl deepened and she continued with a teasing air, "Of course you would. Should he be the last egg I ever lay he'll have to mate with me at some point just to make sure the problem isn't on your end."
"What?!"
She laughed with a nasty edge he didn't like, "It is how it would have to be. If only he were a she...then you could mate with her should I be useless."
"Nix!" he snapped, "Cease speaking this nonsense!"
"It's not nonsense if it is a possibility!"
His tail lashed as he struggled not to become too angry, "Perhaps it is a possibility. However that does not mean you must waste your energy thinking about it."
"When can I then oh thoughtful one?" she sneered.
"When it comes to pass!" he roared, abruptly lifting himself up to tower over her, "Should it happen and you are not content to stay by my side! Then you may do whatever you please with yourself and I will not be there to witness it!"
She flinched back from his rage, her scornful air crumbling into grief as she wailed and stumbled to get away from him. He snarled and leaped over her, stopping her from fleeing, "Is that not what you suggest by your words? Or are you that eager to find a way to torment me again?!"
"No!" she yelped.
"Then why can you not be content?!" he demanded, "Why must you spend your days brooding?!"
"I...I…" she shivered and started to hunch over as though to hide her face from him.
Swiftly, he moved forward and took hold of her head with his forelegs, "Tell me what continues to trouble you about our egg. Relieve me from your disheartened mood!"
Her eye flicked around, "I believe you when you say our egg will survive."
"And that causes you sadness?"
"It does not," she sighed, "I...how can you still want me by your side when my body is broken?"
"Broken?" he suddenly realized what had been troubling her and wanted to bellow in outrage at his own blindness. Of course! The egg no longer disturbed her. She was too busy fretting over her own body. He needed to put an end to this.
"My beloved. My precious jewel," he gently hissed, "Is it not uncommon for females to have problems when laying?"
"I never have!"
"But many other females have," he spoke soothingly, "That is why we males have a duty to stay by a female's side until it is clear that nothing will go wrong. You have been most fortunate that your layings have been free of ill-fortune for so long."
She opened her mouth and he smoothly continued, "You are still powerful. Your scales still armor your body. Your mind will be secure as long as you do not persist in dwelling on thoughts of your past weakness," he allowed a disgruntled growl to stir his words, "When our egg hatches do you still intend to be spending your days in silence? Do you think he will properly develop with only I as his mentor? Will you leave me to raise him alone as you lay around and do nothing?"
Her eye widened in shock and he looked away from her. She was probably so preoccupied with her own woes she hadn't even considered these things. He felt disappointed that she would so quickly forget that he was affected by this just as she was.
"Forgive me for my thoughtlessness," she leaned her head against his chest and whimpered, "I haven't felt so helpless since I lost my eye and was tied up and…"
"This is not like that," he wrapped his wings around her and frowned as he smelled the faintest hint of blood. Her eye must be beginning to bleed again...but why? Why did it have to inconveniently happen during times of emotional stress? Or...was that why it kept happening? Was it connected to her state of mind? That didn't make much sense...perhaps it was a physical symptom of her stress?
He'd have to consider it more later. For now he needed to help her realize that she was safe.
"Nix," he said, "You are not helpless here."
"I did not like the feel of control leave my body."
"It may happen again," he felt her stiffen at his words, "Next time we mate, you may experience another difficult laying."
"I don't want to!"
"And should that happen, I will be there to assist you as I did before and all will be well."
"But what if it is not well?! What if I die?!"
"I will not let that happen!" his wings tightened around her body even though his membranes were getting poked by her spikes, "You will not die."
"But-"
"No! You will not die like that!" he shoved her head back to glare into her eye, "I swear this to you and it will be so."
She didn't blink as she stared back at him. He could see her fears clouding her thoughts like a dark fog...he couldn't reach out and physically destroy them, but he could give her mind support.
Mentally he touched her, pressing his reassurance into her and filling her with him. He only intended to gently help her as he felt around her mind, banishing the shadows she had allowed to reside there for far too long...his anger building as he fully realized how strong a hold they had gotten over her. How had he not noticed them before? Many felt as though they had been there for decades!
She needed more than support. She needed to be cleansed.
Without hesitation he began blowing some of his inner fire over certain parts of her mind.
"Smaug?"
Cleansing her mind...why hadn't he thought of doing this before? Sometimes a dragon could become plagued by the shadows of their fire because of past traumas. While it was normal to feel the press of darkness from within, Smaug himself felt it at all times, there were occasions a dragon could succumb to it and then be tormented by it. The only ways to defend a mind from the shadows was with fire; whether it be the internal fire of the troubled dragon or the fire of another dragon willing to do a cleanse.
To have thought of a cleansing long before this would have saved his Nix much grief and him some trouble. His fire would destroy all that did not belong in her with ease though. His will could easily battle hers. Every thought that struggled to fight him with an argument for her to remain in her current state was ruthlessly destroyed before he attacked her with his own counterarguments.
"Smaug..."
He thrashed against all their feeble defenses, burning away whatever clumps of darkness he found then twisting himself around her before unleashing his fire over everything.
"Smaug…?"
His fire was everywhere. Everywhere he turned his fire was purifying her mind, killing every thought that did not belong, every weakness he despised, every fear holding her back!
"Smaug!"
His mind was suddenly slapped back into his own body with such force he gasped for breath.
"Brute!" Nix was glaring at him with such anger he couldn't help but wonder what he did wrong.
"I did not give you permission to run rampant through my mind like that!"
He scowled, "I was curing you of your mental ailment."
"You threatened to destroy my sanity!" she shrieked, "I was in emotional turmoil! Yes, I was ailing from it, but what gave you the right to barge into me and cleanse whatever you saw?!"
"You are my mate," he stated, "That gives me all the right I need."
"But now I can barely contain myself!" her voice rose to a screech, "My mind is filled with fire! I've been doing nothing for over three months and I didn't even realize it!"
"Then go!" he pulled his wings back from her, "Go fly!"
For a moment she stared at him in disbelief. Then she turned and started leaping away with increasing speed, "Watch our egg!"
"I shall! Fly only to the back of the mountain Nix!"
"If you insist! Do not think I'll be ready to forgive you when I get back!"
He quietly chuckled to himself, smirking and going to curl around their egg, "I won't."
The following week his Nix was more like how he remembered her to be when waiting for a hatching. Restless, impatient, and talkative.
And annoyingly persistent.
"You never finished telling me about the Cold Drake you mated with."
Smaug snorted from where he was hidden under his gold, "I never said I would."
"You did not say you never would either," she purred smugly, "Let me see, you were telling me that you were two hundred and-what was it now? Thirty-seven?"
"Two hundred and eighty-seven," he corrected, "Surely you have more interesting things to preoccupy yourself with than this rumor you said couldn't be possible since I am still alive."
"I currently have nothing more interesting than this golden one," he heard her walking over to him, "And I see no reason for you not to tell me everything."
He shifted under the gold to move away from her but she sat herself down right beside him, placing her foreleg over his neck. Most of the gold was rolling off of him at this point and he sighed, "Where is our egg?"
"Safe and warm with me," she cooed, "Now, I have been thinking. I believe that you do not wish to tell me the details either because you're embarrassed by them or they did not happen at all and you've lied to me."
"I lied," he rumbled. She tilted her head then laughed in delight, "You are embarrassed! What could have possibly happened?"
Her laughter caused him to smile but he didn't reply.
"Unbreakable one," she rubbed her head against his scales, "I promise not to mock you. I know your mating prowess is unequaled. Tell me of what is surely one of your greatest feats?"
"And it certainly was a feat," he rolled onto his side, smirking up at his Nix, "As she could not fly I was forced to carry her into the sky and repeatedly throw her higher and higher until she was at a suitable height for mating," he boasted, "Then we mated and my achievement was praised among all the drakes who witnessed the event."
She eyed him skeptically, "Though I do not doubt your capability to throw a female, why would you not wish to speak of this? What have you left unsaid?"
"I am not required to tell you anything I do not wish to, persistent one."
"I insist that you do," she purred and affectionately gnawed on one of his horns, "I am resolute and there is no one else to tell. I will also give you a story in return if you so desire."
"I feel no need to indulge in gossip."
"Then for me?" her voice begged with a sultry edge to it, "If for no other reason than to amuse me for a time, tell me your story."
"Very well," he hummed and she happily trilled and made herself comfortable on him as he spoke, "I was traveling northeast in the hopes of finding a Blue-Ice Diamond. I had heard they could be found in the more remote territories of the Cold Drakes. Northward I flew and to the East I cast my gaze, but I found nothing. Only ice and the occasional drake that would watch me from a distance yet never approach."
"Then a blizzard came upon me and I was forced to take shelter in a pathetic excuse for a hole in the ice," he frowned at the memory, "I curled up as tightly as I could but most of my body was still exposed to the storm. Most of the snow melted on contact with me but after several days I was beginning to wonder if I should try to find better cover."
"It was then that a female appeared; a small, white dragon that walked through the storm as though it were a mere breeze. I was aware of her presence long before she tried to speak to me and when she did I could not hear her voice. She tried to pull me out of the hole but her touch caused me more discomfort than the blizzard itself and I frightened her off."
"What did her touch feel like?" Nix quietly asked, "I have never felt the direct touch of a Cold Drake. I have only felt the cold of their presence."
"It felt as though there were cracks in my scales," he shuddered slightly, "Cracks that pieces of ice were stuck and melting into, only I could not warm what was melted with my heat. It would remain cold and seep into me until it touched my fire and finally evaporated."
She shivered and, after a pause, he continued, "Eventually the storm passed on. I was covered by a layer of melted snow that the cold of the blizzard had frozen solid and I had to force my way out. When I broke free my eyes were dazzled by the largest diamonds I had ever seen. After my eyes adjusted I realized they were not diamonds, but eggs."
"Apparently the hole I had been using was an empty nest and there was a full nest just some feet away from me. I cannot lie, I almost took the eggs for myself. They were exquisite to behold," he glanced at their egg and smiled slightly, "Just as our female eggs look of gold and males of copper and bronze, theirs looked like their favorite gemstone."
"Oddly enough there was neither male nor female drake to be seen. My temptation was strong, but I would not risk the lives inside their eggs with my heat. Instead I observed where I was and recognized none of it. The storm had changed the scenery too drastically. I was about to take to the skies when I noticed something moving through the snow. I could not fully tell what it was, but it looked like some animal burrowing through the snow in the direction of myself and the eggs. I watched it closely. My instincts were telling me it bore me no harm but I felt uneasy.
"It halted right beside the eggs and finally revealed itself to be a tubular parasite. The large kind that preyed upon eggs and engorged itself on the fluids within," he explained in disgust, "Though I had never seen one before, I had heard of them and knew of their eating habits so I immediately killed it. After I did I heard a female cry out to me and five Cold Drakes were running towards me."
"I prepared myself for battle but I was simultaneously stunned by their beauty. They were all females that sparkled like white and blue crystals. They shimmered and shone in the sunlight, their eyes of blue and silver. The ways they spoke was odd to me but I gathered that after I had driven off the mother of the eggs she had gone for help. She and the others had returned just in time to see me protect her eggs and now all five of them felt indebted to me."
"I said I would take a Blue-Ice Diamond as payment and one of the females claimed to have one she would give to me. As she lead me to her cave she asked me many things about myself and dragons of fire. The concept of being born of fire and of our eggs dying from a touch of cold was completely foreign to her. Then she started asking me of our mating rituals."
Nix chuckled quietly to herself and stroked his scales with her claws, "I see…"
"Yes," he smirked, "I offered to show her how we flew to mate and she watched as I demonstrated several maneuvers. While I was still in the air she asked if I could ever find her attractive enough to mate with. I replied that I already did and asked of the rituals of the Cold Drakes. She briefly explained their methods but made it clear she was far more interested in ours. Perhaps it was because she had no wings to fly with."
"She then stated that with my size and strength I could carry her into the sky. I asked why I should and she said that she would give me another diamond for my troubles. How could I refuse? I let her grab hold of my body then lifted both of us up. Though her touch caused my breath to freeze in my throat, I flew for some time and she was pleased with me. Because of her cold I often had to tell her to let go of me so I could have some relief before catching her again. She was a graceful faller and knew no fear because of her trust in my abilities."
He stopped there, his tail absently stroking the length of his mate's.
"How did you mate with her?" Nix asked, "Was it when you caught her during a fall?"
"Actually it was simply an impulse I acted on," he scowled at the stupidity of his much younger self, "I was flying higher so she could safely drop again when I was struck by the desire to mate with her. Her cold had been fighting my heat this whole time but it suddenly could not stand before my fire and I was free to release myself. I bit into her and quickly mated with her as we fell. Unfortunately I had failed to realize just how...gelid certain areas of mine would become because of this."
He felt Nix's chest jerk as she tried not to laugh and he snapped, "You are lucky I was still capable of producing clutches after that!"
She made more choked noises.
"Control yourself," he growled, "Her glacial insides infected my entire body so I could not let go of her or land. I had just enough strength to turn us so that I would not crash on top of her when we hit the ground before I felt myself begin to freeze and I lost consciousness."
Her restrained laughter stopped and he smirked, "That's better. When I awoke I was inside a small cave. I felt as though ice-water had leaked through all my scales and frozen into claws all over my body. It was incredibly painful."
"I saw the female laying at the entrance of the cave not too far off. A male drake was there, covering her with snow and blowing his icy breath over her. When he noticed me he approached and congratulated me for surviving his nest-mate's touch. Then he reproached me for afflicting her with my internal fire. It seemed she was now ill and complaining of a searing heat inside of her. I explained what had happened and he replied that he had witnessed the entire event with many others."
"To finish this tale, I survived, she survived, and I received two Blue-Ice Diamonds for my efforts. I lost them both when my hoard was raided before I came here but they were returned to me by an old acquaintance of mine several years ago."
"Oh? Who-"
"But that is besides the point. I became well-acquainted with several male Cold Drakes, learned many things, and I was forever praised for my endurance against the cold. However mating with a female of theirs is an experience I will never do again. Feeling one's fire freeze for any period of time as well as suffering a humiliating crash is more than enough to keep me away from any female Cold Drake."
He finished with a lazy stretch and tenderly nibbled Nix's shoulder, enjoying her warmth. She cooed and softly said, "I am fittingly impressed by your feat mighty one. Surely it is something I could never have endured."
He smiled and bit a little harder. Her throat vibrated with pleasure, "I shall tell you a story of Mad Erranim."
"Mad Erranim?" he mumbled, "Did she not take dwarves as pets?"
"That is correct," she pushed against him flirtatiously, "For some reason she found their presence enjoyable and always had one or two tamed males as part of her hoard. Did you ever fly with her?"
"I never desired to."
"Then you didn't hear of her demise?"
"I assume that is the story you shall relay to me."
"Have you heard of it already?"
"Not the details," he traced the outline of one of her scales with a claw, "Only that she was no more."
"Perfect," she purred, "The details are the most entertaining part. As you already know, Mad Erranim enjoyed snatching dwarves from their beds and stealing them away to stay with her until their death. Why she did this, no one was quite sure. Some thought she did it for the challenge, some claimed she made them mine for her, and others believed her merely to suffer from insanity. I always thought she was bored. She almost never flew with any males and she rarely helped with raising the hatchlings. Not to mention she barely spoke with any of us females. What else was there to do for her?"
"One day I decided to go to her. I was tired of doing nothing but laying around and wishing that you'd come back anyways so I-"
"When was this?" he glanced at her and she looked slightly chagrined, "During the first month you were clashing with the elves."
"Mm," he went back to admiring her scales, "Continue."
She sighed slightly and went on, "I went to visit her unannounced. It was late in the day when I entered her cave so the sun was creating many shadows. I slipped in among them and snuck deep into her cave," she wrinkled her snout, "It reeked of dwarven filth, but that was not the worst of it. I heard her singing."
He dragged his claws over her chest, "Is that bad?"
"Yes," she replied, "Because she was singing to a dwarf."
He roughly snorted, "Was she singing of the demise of his kin?"
"No," she lowered her voice secretively, "It was a love song."
"...what love song?"
"This one," she took in a breath and his eyes widened as she sang...
The sun is falling once again and all has come to past
My eyes, my eyes, they fade
My voice grows weary
My mind goes on as I think of you
A heart for my heart
Your gold to mine
Come to me and make me yours
My loneliness rises as the sun rides low on me
Listen, listen, I hear
Fly into the clouds
The mountains embrace our bond tonight
Her voice lilted with a subtle warble and he listened in silent appreciation. His Filianix was not known for her singing for she was not talented in that area, so she rarely sang in the past, but he had always enjoyed her soft tones on the occasion she should sing a song or riddle.
For a dragoness to be singing such a personal song of adoration and longing to dwarven filth though...he could not comprehend the meaning behind it.
"I waited for her to become silent before I revealed myself," Nix purred, "She was outraged and threatened my life, but the dwarf spoke up and told her not to harm me. Then he bowed to me and flattered me and introduced himself as her companion."
Smaug growled, "Did she have him under enchantment?"
"I suspected as much," Nix scowled, "She was said to have great talent in controlling her magic. I wish I had as such."
"I do not," he stated, "I never had need of it."
She shrugged her wings and nudged the egg snuggled into her side, "Erranim admitted to me that she loved her dwarf."
Smaug looked around his hoard, his mind working through that sentence that was stated so bluntly, "You don't say."
"She told me the whole story," she went on, sounding disgusted, "How she kidnapped dwarves for fun and made them take care of her. Then how this particular one caught her heart. It was revolting and I told her as much. She then said many strange things to me and chased me out of her cave."
"Strange things?" he asked, his mind still attempting to understand what he was being told.
"Mostly nonsense," she sniffed, "A threat about never telling any others, curses upon me, and other things that aren't important."
"Nonsense…"
"Yes, it was. However, years later something happened to her. This was after you had...left Withered Heath."
"Yes…"
"She disappeared!" she exclaimed, "One day there was a large explosion that came out of her cave and she and everything inside it was gone! No one knows what became of her, though I suspected that dwarf concocted something foul to harm her with and it backfired and killed them both."
"...she was in-love with a dwarf?"
"Yes beloved, I said that already."
He stared at her in disbelief, "She told you this?"
"She did," she frowned, "She suffered from a true perversion."
"How could…" his own revulsion towards the dwarven race made it impossible for him to even conceive any sort of emotional attachment to them other than hatred, "It must have been just an infatuation. Or she was greatly disturbed or confused."
"Or she was purely mad," Nix cuddled closer to him, "That's part of the story. No one knows the truth behind her madness. Your turn to tell me something of interest."
He scowled, "I've lost interest in exchanging tales."
"Too bad. I had a few more good ones."
"I do not doubt it," he adjusted himself so they were both on their sides and facing each other, "What else did I miss after I was driven out?"
She frowned sadly, her eye darkening, "I do not like to think of those times. Tell me who returned your diamonds to you instead."
"An old acquaintance," he said dismissively, "No creature of true importance to me."
"But you let them into your mountain," she smirked, "And I assume you let them leave unharmed."
"Mostly unharmed," he growled, "He pressed my patience and greatly overestimated his influence with me."
"A human then?"
"No, not a human," he sighed and slid himself forward to press himself to her body in desire. He was becoming uninterested in talking but he decided to elaborate for her, "It was a Cold Drake pretending to be one. The nest-mate of the female I mated with," he affectionately brushed his neck against hers, "He relayed some news, gave me my diamonds, and then irritated me until I lost my temper and drove him from my mountain."
"How fascinating," she murmured, her body softening to his and her breathing deepening, "Any other guests to tell me of?"
"A scribe who entertained me in return for my life's story," he rumbled, barely paying attention to his own words as he felt himself becoming lost in an expanse of lavender and green scales, "She lasted one week before I grew weary of her."
Nix's neck shivered as she cooed, "Delightful…"
Slowly, seductively, Smaug's tail coiled around hers, his mind stroking her with any many sensual suggestions as he could conjure, "Yes...delightful…"
Her mind responded with playful enthusiasm, teasingly touching him then retreating as though shy, "Oh...our egg…?"
"Hmm..." his eyes locked on the egg that was now behind her, "I will warm an area for him to lay while we mate."
"It would be unwise to mate in the presence of our egg," she stated and he growled in annoyance, "Hatchlings cannot hear through their shells Nix."
"Yes they can knowledgeable one."
"That is hearsay," he unwrapped himself from her and pick up their egg with his mouth before walking to some bare stone.
"But it is true," she purred, "I can remember hearing the voices of my dam and sire before I was hatched."
He hummed without comment, slamming his foot down and making a shallow cavity in the stone. Carefully he placed their egg into the small hole before blowing a gentle flame over the egg until the stone glowed red from his fire. He flicked his tongue out to test the temperature and was satisfied.
"Do you not believe me? I can even remember some of their words."
"I believe you," he headed back to her, "The stone will stay heated for a short while. I will have to make this brief."
She frowned, "Would it not be in bad taste to let our hatchling hear us?"
"It would be, my jewel," he positioned himself over her, his lust making his voice come from deep within his chest as his hunger for the female below him drove him on, "We will have to play a game of silence."
"Silence?" she smirked, "Won't that be difficult for you?"
"Perhaps," he chuckled, "I'll make do."
She smiled and snapped her teeth at him playfully. He growled in his throat and intertwined himself with her, opening his mind to her again and allowing her to frolick in his desirous thoughts. She held onto him tightly. He could smell her longing for him, he could taste it in the air, he could feel it in her quickening breaths.
He bit down into her shoulder, his nostrils flaring at the spike of arousal rising off her as she restrained a moan. With a grunt he thrust himself into her, having to muffle his own groan as heat raced through his body, starting from their connection and traveling to his mouth. The heat began to pulse in him as he roughly ground himself deeper into her molten softness.
A strangled moan snuck out of his mouth as he felt Nix jerk beneath him in her first orgasm.
He'd said he would make this brief...but now he felt himself wanting to fall into his usual game of seeing how far he could take her. Perhaps if he altered his game...yes, he knew how he could change it. How many times could he make her body climax in the short amount of time he had?
Abandoning any restraint, he swung his bulk onto hers and used his weight to his advantage as he pounded her. A whimper hissed its way from between her clenched teeth and her voice was rough as she groaned, "I knew you wou-AH!"
Her body slammed against his in another spasm and his teeth dug into her in his efforts to remain silent. Another whimper was his only warning before another convulsion caused her to arch under him. He started revolving his pelvis, his eyes rolling back into his head as all rational thought left him and his senses were flooded with his indulgence.
There was only her. Her heat. Her wanting his heat. Their combined desires urging him on.
She writhed under him as she choked out a cry. He forcibly grinded against her, her every jerk and sound causing him to delve deeper and deeper into a mental whirl of fire and lust.
By her eighth orgasm her body was shuddering. He could hear her as she panted for breath. She was saying something but the sound of his blood flowing through his veins blocked out her words…
The egg...something about the egg.
Realizing the passage of time, he braced himself before ejeculating with a roar of relief that mixed with his beloved's final cry. He allowed his body to momentarily go limp as flames leaked from his open maw. Nix's form was shivering as she struggled to breathe. He firmly nuzzled her, taking in her scent and enjoying their moment of gratification together.
She quietly cooed to him and nuzzled back weakly, her eye shut and her mind already fading into unconsciousness. He took another long sniff of her before he forced his limbs to become steady and lifted himself from her, disconnecting from both her body and her mind.
He slowly walked over to the egg as though in a daze, taking note that the stones were still acceptably warm but not for much longer. He picked it up and went back to his mate, laying beside her and placing their egg in the crook of her neck. There was no unease within him as he laid down his head and closed his eyes to rest. She would not be fertile for at least another year. There would be no more surprises coming out of her and they could both sleep in peace.
A week passed.
Smaug was curled around their egg, his body in a light sleep as his mate examined a pile of his hoard. It was customary for a female to do this so he tried not to become anxious by her thorough touching and prodding of his treasures. He knew she knew how to treat his gold, but it was instinctive of him to feel...uneasy with her constant tapping and tasting of what he owned.
"Wealthy one," Nix's voice flowed through his ears, "Why can we not create things for ourselves?"
Smaug opened an eye, "What?"
"Why were we blessed with an appreciation for all things valuable and lovely when we are not capable of creating such items ourselves?" she held up a small statue of a horse and gently tested it with her teeth before adding, "I would like to make something like this."
He lightly snorted, "We do not have need of the ability to create when we can take what we want."
"Hmm," she hummed, "Have you never felt the whim to create something of beauty for yourself? To not be dependant on the creative abilities of other species?"
"No."
She shifted her wings, "I want to create something beautiful."
With a scowl he lifted his head and gave her his full attention, gesturing to the egg that was embraced by his tail, "Together we have brought forth the life of a dragon. What could be more beautiful than that?"
She sighed, "Nothing."
"That is correct," he laid his head back down, "Besides, it is not in our nature to create."
"We have some songs that are ours," she replied, "However we do not have stories or poems to call our own. Our stories are merely experiences and nothing made up for the sake of relaying an idea. Any poems we have were taken from another race..."
"We have our riddles."
"But those do not count as having a culture."
He raised an eye ridge, "Just because we cannot reveal ourselves through artistic expression does not mean we have no culture."
"Why have none of us attempted to make something?"
"Some fooling hatchling may have at some point."
"But why does attempting such a thing make the hatchling foolish in your eyes?"
"Delightful one," he lightly hissed, "If it pesters you so then try to make something. Go to the mines, dig out some raw gold, use your fire to melt and shape it."
"Mmm...perhaps I will," she flicked her tail dismissively and announced, "I shall go flying."
He snorted out a cloud of smoke and settled himself to rest some more. Her retreating steps paused a moment and she asked, "Am I not beautiful in the air?"
"You are indeed, my lovely Nix," he smiled but did not move. She trilled happily and he heard her leave his presence.
And all was silent...mostly.
He could hear Nix's progress through his mountain...but there was something else he hadn't noticed before. It was so slight...like a small animal making its way up the outside of his mountain...surely not a threat.
He felt his mate leave the mountain...could hear her flying...her joyful roar...her landing on the side of his mountain...why did she land?
Ears suddenly alert, he could hear her voice. She was talking to someone. Something. The animal? No…?
He listened...and he couldn't make out the words...he heard her laugh...who was she talking too?!
Agitated that there was a sentient being on his mountain that was somehow bringing happiness to his female, he roared for her attention. He demanded it. He made it clear that silence was not an option for her.
She roared back in a casual, at-ease way. Not a threat then...but he did not like being trapped beside their egg while she dealt with a trespasser!
He would wait. He would be patient and wait...he would force himself to stay put, with the egg, unconcerned...unless she took too long in returning. Or if she didn't kill the trespasser. Or if he came up with any excuse to go to her. Any excuse…
Any excuse at all.
Dun dun DUN!
Thank you for reading!
Please let me know how you liked this chapter! Lots of stuff happened~
Nix has a meltdown, Smaug takes the initiative and cleanses her (I'll answer any and all questions about that if it's not clear), Nix seems recovered and full of questions! There was also the story about Smaug mating with a Cold Drake female...and the dragon/dwarf love story lol Then there was the dragon-sex, Nix questioning certain dragonly characteristics, and now who the heck is Nix talking too?!
Oh yes, there is also the opportunity for two One-shot stories about the Cold Drake 'visiting' with Smaug and the scribe who lasted a week. You guys can let me know if I should bother writing those as one-shots or not :)
So I hope you enjoyed! Luv ya 3