Please see introduction for disclaimer regarding this work.

Chapter Four

Love, Blood, and Memories

"This is the last place we have to search, sir. Look, you can see where something hit the ground here," a voice was saying. Both dragons stood, glancing about.

"Very good," another voice said. Fou-Lu's eyes narrowed, and he quickly changed into his half-dragon form.

"Yom," Fou-Lu hissed, meeting Yahla's eyes. She, already a hybrid dragon, nodded, and the spark in her eyes was dangerous.

There were more voices, orders given, and the sound of tramping feet as soldiers approached. "As of this time they wilt be surrounding us." Still unrecovered, the effort to change had staggered him, and Yahla sent a bit of her energy his way. He straightened up immediately, and turned just in time to face Yom and several of his men as they entered the room.

The small mortal bowed. "Greetings, Your Majesty." The emperor glared daggers at him. "And who is your lovely companion?" The human's eye roamed over her slender limbs and lingered at her hips and the curve of her breasts. "Does she have a name?"

"Her name is Yahla, and she hath a tongue and knoweth the use of it!" Fou-Lu's wife snapped, her tail lashing. "Wert thou wise, thou wouldst speak directly unto her!"

Yom bowed again, before looking back at her lecherously, much as the soldiers behind him were doing. To Fou-Lu, it seemed as though every eye in the room was fixed solely on his wife. He started scowling at the interlopers.

"My apologies, Lady. I had thought you but a mere vision of loveliness created by the emperor to entertain himself." The man smiled unattractively. "Provided you do not interfere with my mission, perhaps we could get to know each other later, yes?"

Yahla's eyes glittered angrily, but she smiled and ran a hand over the exposed curve of her hip before resting it splayed on her thigh. Her other hand swept up to brush an errant strand of hair behind a pointed ear. "Thou findest mine form attractive, then?"

"Very much so," Yom breathed, not even trying to hide a leer. He and the rest of the mortals present stayed fixed upon her as she reversed the path of her hand, sliding it up to caress her own breast.

The others watched with fascination as she teased at the soft flesh before holding it in the palm of her hand. Her claws drew tiny rivulets of blood as she pressed them inwards. Tenderly, she drew her hand up to her mouth, licking clean blood-slicked fingers. The tiny puncture wounds healed as they watched, though a smear of blood still remained about her lips.

"A shame," she said softly, her smile sharp-edged. "That I be neither interested nor available." Yahla pressed her hand (slick with spit and blood) into Fou-Lu's, entwining her clawed fingers with his. "A shame, indeed, that as thou seemest the one who hath perpetrated mine husband's injures, thy death is needful." Uncoiling herself like a snake from her languid posture, the empress stalked forward, threat and power in her every move. Yom backed up involuntarily and his soldiers took up defensive positions.

Fou-Lu smiled, walking a few steps behind his wife to guard her back. She was not a weak-willed and simple creature like many human females seemed to be. Instead, she was a fierce warrior, as well as undeniably feminine.

"Dread me, mortals," she purred, as faces lost their lewdness and grew nervous and frightened. "Thou knowest not how wroth I be…nor the extent of mine ire."

"I warn you now, My Lady," Yom said. "Move away from His Majesty. You can find another mate, but you won't be coming back to life again."

She shook her head. "Dragons mate for life. Should I allow thee to slay mine mate, I wouldst be alone in mine antiquity."

"Yom."

The mortal, who had been focused on Yahla, looked behind her to meet Fou-Lu's gaze.

"Hath any being e'er told thee, foolish one," the dragon said, smiling cruelly. "Thou shouldst not incur the wrath of dragons, for thou art but small…and savory…"

Yom appeared to have regained a measure of his composure. "As much as I'm sure you'd love to eat me, Your Majesties, I'm afraid I can't allow it."

"Oh? How doth thou propose to stop us?" Yahla asked. "Mayhap thou hast prepared to face a dragon, but art thou prepared for two?"

"Without as doubt," the summoner proclaimed confidently, starting into a complex series of gestures. However, he never finished summoning, for a vice-like clawed hand caught him around the neck and slammed him into the floor. The human's head split open under the impact, spraying Yom's shocked soldiers with blood and brains.

When Fou-Lu released Yom's corpse, he turned to find his wife already disposing of the Imperial soldiers. Several of the mortal dead hardly looked human at all, while for others there was no sign of that which had killed them. 'Tis a foul affray…and doubtless 'twould be improper to force mine lovely wife to do all the work…

He joined in, as the soldiers Yom had stationed to surround them rushed in to try and stop the sudden deterioration of circumstances. Mortal men fell with spines snapped and flesh frozen to their bones. Claws proved effective against unprotected skin, and a touch of death traveled among them that dropped them like stones.

A mortal bearing a two handed sword charged at Fou-Lu with abandon, intent on spearing him with several feet of steel blade. The dragon sidestepped, then broke the man's neck barehanded. Yahla was progressing similarly, and soon the last of the mortal soldiers had either fled or perished.

Covered in blood that was not his own, Fou-Lu regained a mortal form, back in the tatted and torn remains of his once-royal outfit. He expected Yahla to stay in her half-dragon form, and she didn't surprise him.

Untouched and covered in the blood of their enemies, Yahla grinned ferally at him. "Doth thou still wish to tryst, beloved mine?"

"Little space is left for such," he replied, gesturing to the corpses littering the interior of the building. "And I wouldst we were to cleanse ourselves er we take our pleasure."

"Thou wert ever a speaker of wisdom," the goddess conceded. "Thereto, I prefer thee more in thine other form, and thou lookst not to have the energy to assume it once more."

"And what doth thou findst unappealing about mine mortal form?" Fou-Lu asked playfully.

"'Tis mortal," Yahla replied airly. "And the thought of loving a mortal doth not appeal unto me."

"I hadst thought thee fond of mortals," he commented in good humor as they proceeded out of doors, both intending to find a stream of river in which to bathe.

"I be fond of the creatures, but I wouldst not they interfere in mine love life," she said, making Fou-Lu laugh. "What is thy mirth? I be in earnest!"
"Unwitting was any offense, 'twas thy turn of phrase that brought mine laughter." Fou-Lu stepped out beyond the range of the building, feet padding softly through the undergrowth.

Yahla walked after him, blood drying against her skin, turning the green coppery. "Worry not. Mine offense is vain, and not in seriousness. I merely jest with thee."

"I knowst. Hast I not the right to do so as well?" the dragon said, smiling. "Come, mine senses tell me of a spring a ways beyond."

After several minutes of walking, they did indeed come across water. A trickling spring had collected in a depression between several trees, forming a wide and calm pool of water. Cress and reeds grew along the bank, forming a break in the usual undergrowth.

Fou-Lu knelt and swirled his hand through the water, smiling. "Let us bathe anon, and then we mayest find pleasure in each other's company."

Yahla submerged herself immediately, the water coming up to her chest when she stood. Fou-Lu waded in after her, shedding the tattered remains of his clothes. He was taller, the water falling just below his rib cage.

"I shalt wash thy back if thou wilt wash mine," he suggested.

She complied, and they spent some time scrubbing the blood off of each other, turning the water red.

Fou-Lu scoured the last of the gore off one of her wings as the goddess finished rinsing out her hair. He lost hold of the appendage he was working on when she turned and dunked him. A firm hand rubbed at his scalp as he spluttered.

"Thine hair…'tis a mess," Yahla scolded, pinning her lover in the water. It wouldn't harm him. He was of water, and unable to drown. Of course, it would still be uncomfortable if he filled his lungs with liquid. "Didst thou not yet wash it?"

"It doth not wish to be clean," he grumbled, trying to free himself.

Yahla frowned. "What I wouldst not give for a bar of soap. At last she let him go, apparently satisfied with her handiwork. Fou-Lu glowered at her, rubbing his sore head, and she smiled sweetly back at him.

I hadst forgotten her fondness for doing that… "I be not an invalid," he protested. "I canst wash mine own hair."

She sniffed. "Thou ne'er dost a proper job of it."

Exasperated, and a bit wetter than he had planned, Fou-Lu climbed from the water, collecting the shreds of his clothing on the way. He examined them, disgruntled and with a touch of distaste. "I wouldst I knew how I wilt find a new array of clothes in the heart of the wilderness."

Yahla had finished, and followed him up onto the bank. "Abandon them. Clothing is a human concept, and 'tis more pleasing to see thee without."

Fou-Lu sighed ruefully. "I knewst thou wouldst say that." He kissed her as she pressed the length of her wet body against his.

"Canst thou not take thine other form?" she murmured against his lips. "'Tis a fairer match when both our forms are of a semblance."

"Indeed," came his reply. "Why dost thou not turn thyself human, then?"

"Well, I suppose…" Her wings melted into her back, skin lightening and shedding its scales. Claws sucked back into her fingertips. Then they continued as they had left off.

They made love there on the bank, in the form of mortals. Lips brushed over scented skin, moving to caress tender spots and leave moist trails over pink bodies. Limbs twisted and tangled, bodies molding against each other. Roaming freely, soft hands stroked and teased, raising gooseflesh and pleasured noises.

At last, they lay sprawled against each other, murmuring sweet endearments into pointed ears.

"Mine love for thee hath ne'er waned," Fou-Lu whispered, stroking her cheek. The goddess sighed and rubbed her head into his shoulder.

"I love thee, Fou-Lu," she said back, smiling.

"I hadst guessed that when thou near killed thyself to save me," he said affectionately.

"How couldst I not?" she asked. "'Twas thee that gavest me purpose and saved mine life when I wert but new summoned to this earth."

"'Twas but what any gentle creature wouldth do," the emperor dismissed, wrapping his arms about her waist.

"I thinkest I hast loved thee since that moment," she said after a while. "Lorn and bewildered as I wert, 'twas thou that wert mine saving grace."

Fou-Lu did not argue, holding her until she drifted to sleep. Her breathing went soft and deep, muscles going limp against him. Smiling, the emperor brushed her cheek (a familiar gesture) and thought back to the first time he had met her. She had been a different creature then, terrified and vulnerable…

A smile at his lips, he fell asleep, dreaming of past events.

The emperor frowned ominously at the messenger before him. "We believest we told them to halt their experiment in that line."

The messenger gulped. "Aye, milord, but 'twould seem they be going against Your Majesty's word."

Fou-Lu shifted his weight back onto his right foot, his arms crossing at his chest as he half-lidded his eyes thoughtfully. "So be it. A chance was given unto them. It seemeth they have refused it." He looked back up at the man, causing the mortal to become somewhat nervous. All humans seemest nervous in mine presence… I wouldst wonder at the reason, he thought, amusing himself. "Call up the squad of our troops. We wilt deal with this personally…"

"Yes God-Emperor," bowing, the messenger went to his errand, leaving the dragon to stand alone.

He was Fou-Lu, god and self-proclaimed emperor. Summoned into the world by the prayers of mortals and a spell cast by the very ancestors of the humans who were now giving him trouble, Fou-Lu was in the process of forging the nations of the world into a single entity he called the Empire. The spell that had been used to call him had proved flawed, and instead of a whole god, they had gotten half of one. Him. Fou-Lu. Had he not been half of the incredibly powerful Yorae dragon, he would have been powerless. As it was, he was equal to many of the other gods in most ways. Well aware of the problems that could and had gone wrong with the spell, he had outlawed any to cast it.

Recently, a group of scientist had been fiddling with it, and though he had given them and ultimatum, it seemed they had chosen to use the spell.

He had to delay longer that he liked for the soldiers to be ready. With his power, he did not truly need them, but it was good to be prepared.

It was a large, scientific-looking place, decorations seemingly left out of the design. Fou-Lu strode directly inside, his soldiers spreading out behind him. His face was a mask.

The maids and servants who worked about the place were quickly secured by the guards, who would keep them from interfering. His entourage smaller by a good number, the emperor confidently worked his way through halls and passages into the inner room, where experiments were conducted.

They were close to their destination, and a droning chant could be heard. Fou-Lu narrowed his eyes when the sound stopped, signifying the completion of the spell. He stepped up his pace, turning it into a run when screams and roars sounded. The door to the room had been locked, and he broke it down with his shoulder, hearing his guards clatter after him. The view that came to his eyes brought him to a halt. One of the guards ran into his back, then stepped back, apologizing franticly.

The scientists were cowering in the back of the room. It seemed the idiots had been unsatisfied with summoning only one god, and had tried for two. They both wore not a stitch of clothing, not that a god would care. The female god, who looked humanoid in appearance, was presently impaled on the claws of the much larger male. The male god looked nothing like a human, standing nearly four times the female's size and a dozen times thicker. The claws of the creature's right hand had pierced the female clean through, going in one side and protruding half a foot out the other. Upon seeing Fou-Lu's entrance, the male roared and shook the female off his claws, launching her body across the room. The goddess hit the far wall and slid down it, leaving tracks of blood on the stone.

Fou-Lu eyed the other male god warily. It was obvious that this one was insane, but strong. He would have to proceed with caution.

Destroying the scientists who had summoned the beast with a wave of ice, the god emperor changed his form, ascending to a full dragon. The soldiers behind him gasped as all humanoid features melted away and the newly formed dragon roared. Fou-Lu would have smile, had he had a mouth equipped for such things. Most of the soldiers had never seen him use his power.

The other god returned the challenge, and Fou-Lu darted forwards to engage it in combat.

The battle had proved more difficult that he had expected, and the emperor was forced to use several of his most powerful attacks repeatedly before he subdued his opponent. At last, the other god died, a nearly unheard of thing. Fortunately, this god had been new to the earth, and not as firmly anchored to it.

The dragon took back his humanoid form as the other died, falling lifeless to the ground. The emperor turned to find his subjects staring at him with awe, some of them prostrating themselves on the ground. He ignored them for the moment, and walked over to the female's body, intending to give her a decent burial.

He fully expected her to be dead. Wounds struck by another god could kill even an old and powerful deity, and were terribly hard to heal. It was a shame…the female proved to be good looking and white haired, her looks a near-perfect foil for his own. He started to lift the body in his arms, but stopped when it cried out. Surprised, Fou-Lu found himself staring into the golden eyes of a confused and terrified goddess. Their staring contest did not last long. The heavily bleeding wounds took their toll, and the dragoness passed out.

The emperor swore. "Inform the medic he is needed and send him hither," he ordered one of the men, who scrambled to obey.

After a moment of waiting, the field doctor arrived, cursing. Fou-Lu looked for the medical pack that usually accompanied the man, and frowned when he didn't find it.

"Where art thine instruments?" he demanded as the mortal crouched next to the female's body.

The medic scowled, looking disgusted with himself. "I didst not think they wouldst be needed. 'Twould be thee that did the fighting, and thou rarely need the aid of one such as I."

"Thou didst not bring them with thee?" he said incredulously.

"They art back at the palace. Which is a pity, as it means I be lacking a needle and thread, or e'en bandages, which is what is needed most as of now."

Fou-Lu looked at him, then back at the body. 'Tis for the best… He slowly removed his shirts and started ripping the cloth into strips as every mortal in the room looked at him incredulously. The dragon, his bare chest shining dully, shoved the pile of silk over to the mortal healer. "Makest use of these." Then he stood, leaving the doctor to his work. He would have helped, but he was no healer, and he had expended too much magic to heal such wounds.

"Um…Milord?" the leader of the soldiers asked tremulously, apparently feeling it was somehow inappropriate for their ruler to go around half dressed.

"Yes?" the god asked absently, watching the doctor work.

"Mayest we give thee a shirt or somesuch?" the mortal blurted finally.

Fou-Lu had to laugh.

Minutes later, clothes in one of the soldier's spare shirts for the sake of the humans, Fou-Lu knelt next to the unidentified goddess, watching the medic tie the last of the silk bandages in place.

"There," the doctor said with satisfaction, sitting back. "'Tis the best that can be done without better supplies."

"She canst be moved?" he asked cautiously, feeling uncomfortable in his borrowed shirt. It was of a rough fabric, certainly not silk, and chaffed his skin.

"Verily so, Milord," the doctor replied. "Though 'twould be wise to get her to another doctor as soon as possible."

Nodding slightly, the dragon lifted her heavily bandaged form in his arms, supporting her weight against his chest. Some of her blood stained his clothes and borrowed shirt, and he turned to look at the soldier's captain. "We shalt return to our palace. Accompany us, but leave a score of thy soldiers to clean up this foul mess." Then, he turned his gaze to the guard who had loaned him the shirt. "Our apologies for thy garment, soldier," he said rather sheepishly, "But we needs must carry this maiden to Chedo, regardless of bloodstains."

The soldier, a young fellow who had been the only one near Fou-Lu's size, blushed and ducked his head. Several of the older soldiers grinned.

Soon they were on the road again, the emperor carrying the body the whole way, in spite of tentative offers of help from his subjects. Once they reached Chedo, the soldiers and spare shirt were returned to their barracks, while Fou-Lu retired to his rooms, ordering the best physician in the city to attend his chambers.

The human in question was Tal-Durn, a mortal who was considered eccentric to his race but perfectly sensible to Fou-Lu. Perhaps Tal-Durn was a bit out of society, but then, so was he, and they both believed humans impossible to understand. It was rather ironic, seeing as Tal-Durn had chosen and occupation that required him to work with and on humans. In past conversation, the doctor had said that he understood how and why every part of the human body worked, except the brain.

The doctor arrived promptly after Fou-Lu's summons. He had no reason not to, as he was one of the emperor's two human friends. The other was a military officer by the name of Mir-Heu.

Tal-Durn arrived weighed down by all his medical apparatus. The small mortal could barely be seen under it all. Fou-Lu helped him carry it inside (something he would do for only two humans) before pointing the medic over towards the patient.

Fou-Lu's rooms were elaborate, as befitted an emperor. Personally, he could care less. In the center of the room was his massive bed, the only thing in the room he was actually fond of. The infirm goddess had been placed upon it, blood notwithstanding.

Tal-Durn whistle when he saw her. "This one is no human, I takest it?" Fou-Lu nodded, watching as Tal-Durn removed the bandages and set to work. The human grinned as he inspected the loose covering. "Doth mine eye decieveth me, do I recognize thy shirt?" After cleaning out the wounds, the doctor started to sew them up, his needle and thread darting through tiny stitches and knots. After he had tied off the last thread, Tal-Durn rewrapped the wounds in fresh bandages and injected her with an antibiotic. Then, he looked up at Fou-Lu. "'Tis little I canst guarantee," the human admitted. "Ne'er before hast I worked upon any immortal."

After briefly discussing a few things, the doctor left, taking his things with him, and Fou-Lu sat down on the edge of the bed. He sat and stared at her for a while. It was getting late, he was tired, and a stranger was sleeping in his bed. While he could have her moved, Tal-Durn had recommended against it, least she break a stitch. He could also ask his subjects to bring up a cot, but he was too tired to do so. Instead, he lay down on the bed, still shirtless. It wasn't like he'd be pressed up against her in the night, as the bed was large enough to hold a family of five. He shrugged off his pants, boots, and gloves, and kicked them off the corner of the bed. He could pick them up again in the morning, and if not, one of the maids would.

He was a dragon, and as such slept in the nude. If not for mortals, he probably would have gone about naked. Silk was his compromise. It was soft and light, and practically like wearing nothing at all, which was the desired effect. Were his bed partner to waken, she would hopefully not mind his state of dress. After all, she was a dragon, too.

Fou-Lu drifted to sleep, and spent the night dreaming of his unborn half…