Greatness 7, Flying Fox 3, Fruit Bat 7

Greatness

There are few things as unpleasant and awful as your first hangover.

The morning after our wedding and coronation, I found myself with a wing over my head, barely keeping the first rays of sunshine (and the start of a terrible headache) at bay. I tried not to move, keeping my eyes closed and hoping sleep could take me back.

I remembered the night before - Xero's proposal to Batty, our coronation, a lot of drinking and dancing. It wasn't the first time I had alcohol, but it was the first time I ever partied that hard before. Nightwings hadn't been known for such festivities since the days of Darkstalker, and I had no idea that I was such a lightweight. Between Fox handing me cup after cup of palm wine, and just feeling so happy and free, I found myself dancing atop tables and making a fool of myself before Maggy collected me and took me back to my room. I might've made a few drunken passes and kisses at her, but she just held sang me to sleep. She told me later, "I couldn't have done anything with you that night. If I'm going to mate with someone, I want them to remember it in the morning."

I felt the wing start to pull away, the light starting to seep in. The subtle throbbing in my head became louder and more insistent, and my stomach threatened to turn. My talons curled around the edge, holding it even as they started to tug.

"Come on, my sweetling," Maggy whispered, "It's morning. It's time to get up."

"Mmmph," I groaned, "Nooo... Sunlight baaaaad..."

She gave a sweet, tired giggle, and I flicked my ears back as I heard her tail moving around the room, reaching for something.

"Here," She said, shoving a cup into my free paw, "This'll make you feel better."

"How would you know?" I whispered.

"Because I was once young and foolish and had never drunk palm wine before," She teased, kissing my cheek, "I don't remember the exact process, you'd have to ask Batty, but the tomato and willow extract apparently helps."

I sighed, taking a gulp, and nearly spat out the sour willow taste. Three or four sips later, I finished the foul concoction. Stomach calming and head throbbing subsiding, I risked opening my eyes. Majestic was smiling at me, purple scales complimented with yellow, a single claw brushing my nose.

"Feeling better?" She asked.

"Ugh," I groaned, "I guess so? Remind me never to do that again."

"Sounds good, My Queen." Maggy pecked my cheek, pulling her wing from my claws.

"Hmm? What was that?" I teased, holding her in place, "I didn't quite catch that."

The Rainwing sighed, lifting my chin as she pressed her lips to mine. Gentle, loving, sincere, complimented with the scent of mango and palm - a lover's kiss is the best cure for hangovers out there. By the time we pulled back to breathe, I'd completely forgotten about my headache and stomach pain. I rested my head against her frill, listening to her breathe. Majestic started to stand up, and I struggled to my feet, leaning against her for support.

"Do you remember what we talked about last night?" Maggy asked, "About being the Apprentice to the Voice?"

I blinked, going through our conversations the night before. "...Maybe?"

"You know Xero wants you to feel included, right?" She said, sitting me on the bed, "And not just because you're a Queen. You proved yourself with the Skywing negotiations. Grandy's seen your progress every day, and she wouldn't have approved the appointment if she didn't think you were ready."

"No no, I get it," I replied, rubbing my forehead, "And I'm thankful, really. It's just still a lot to take in."

Maggy sighed, rubbing her frill idly. "Well, I hope you can get yourself ready soon. Grandy came in while you were sleeping. Queen Scarlet made a request to meet with Xero before she returns home, so they'll both be in the Jade Mountains today. You and Batty will be running things while they're out."

I looked up at her, not sure I heard her right. "We're in charge today?"

"Yep. Think you feel up for it?"

I sighed, leaning into the pile of pillows on my bed. "Yeah," I said, nodding. "In for a haunch, in for a carcass, I'll do it. But I'll need access to Grandeur's papers, and whatever else I'll need to take care of."

"Of course. I'll be sure to get you all set up. I hope you can speedread, we need to get started within the hour."

"Thank you," I placed my wing over her back, pulling her into another hug, "You really are the best friend a girl could ask for."

"Of course, my lovely little Nessy," The Rainwing chuckled, returning the hug, "Just make sure to thank Xero tonight, when he returns. This was his idea, after all."

"Oh, I can think of LOTS of ways to thank him," I said, waggling my eyebrows.

Majestic laughed. "Spirits, sometimes I think we're hornier than Fox and Grandy in their early years." She started to get up, paused, and asked, "You know Fox and Grandeur are a couple again, right?"

"I mean, I had a feeling," I admitted, "But I thought he was with a drake now?"

"Fox is with them both, now. I think we might've convinced them to try the throuple route like us. I've been thinking about inviting them over one night to have some fun together. Gecko's not really into 'nesses, but Grandy's at least open to it, and I would love to see if I could get Fox and Xero together."

"Maggy!" I exclaimed, leaning back in shock.

"What?" She asked almost innocently, her scales turning yellow and pink, "I know Fox would be up for it. Grandy told me the first thing he did when he saw Xero was do his sexy little lightshow, and our king didn't get insulted or grossed out. I bet he'd be willing to try it out if all three of us asked him nicely - he's very easy to persuade once we start putting on the charm."

"But... But..." I stammered, trying to process this. You wouldn't believe it, but Nightwings can blush really easily.

"Oh come on, Nessy! Two drakes can be as sexy as two dragonesses. You and I and Batty have put on little shows for our husband, so what's the harm in having him return the favor?" Majestic smirked, her eyes becoming dreamy. "Our two favorite drakes, cuddling up in bed, nuzzling and kissing each other and comparing-"

"Three Moons, Maggy!" I cut her off, not wanting to get pulled down whatever fantasy she was imagining. Spirits knew if she kept at it, she'd get us both worked up, and we'd be late for my first day on my new job. "Didn't you say you were getting me the papers?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes, of course. I'll be right back." She got up and left, leaving me shaking my head. Rainwings are so ridiculous, I thought, Xero would never agree to that. Flying Fox is handsome and charming, sure, but he's not his type. Xero wouldn't want to share a bed with a smaller, more experienced drake. He wouldn't be interested in letting those talented claws and that flexible tail work his body after a stressful day. He wouldn't want to use his larger frame to hold his friend down, having him completely at his mercy. He wouldn't want to trail his strong, dexterous claws down the lines of shifting rainbow scales, from his nose and neck down his chest and belly and-

I caught myself, growling in annoyance. Damn it, Maggy. I grabbed another mug of that tomato-willow concoction, wondering what headache-inducing things I'd come across that day...

Flying Fox

"I can't believe it! Xero's Trio is official!" Gecko was practically skipping around the treehouse as I did my morning stretches. "This is so awesome! Isn't this awesome?!"

"It is," I agreed, arching my back, "But don't forget how awesome you were last night. You should've seen Xero's eyes light up when you started singing. Your cover of Rio really sold that dance they had up there." His green scales turn proud yellow and gold, as he held himself a little taller.

"I hope Nessy's alright, " I mused, lifting my chest up, "Poor girl had to be carried back to her room. If I'd known she was a lightweight, I would've just gotten her beer."

"Yeah, she-" Gecko started, but stopped as he looked at me. "Are you posing for an art class today?"

"I always do stretches when I wake up," I told him, "Helps keep me limber. You'd know this if you didn't sleep in an extra hour."

"If I knew you'd put on a little show for me, maybe I would," He said, his cute little smirk practically audible to my ears. Shaking my head, I went to "downward dog", with my forelegs out, head down and rear up. I think I felt a shoulder click, and hoped no one heard it. Nothing makes you look older than your body making odd sounds when you move.

"Okay, now you're just messing with me." I looked back, and saw him staring at my rump, his frill turning a flirty pink.

"Hmm?" I teased, "Oh, no that's just a standard move. This is me messing with you." I raised my tail, my backend swaying left and right playfully. His pink frill became darker, spreading across his face and throat.

"And here I thought you were the mature one," He said, coming closer, "But then you do things like this, you dirty old drake." I felt his paw grab my tail and give it a quick, hard tug. The surprised, happy yelp that came out of my mouth wasn't at all dignified, and hardly dragonlike. Little tidbit for any non-Rainwing readers out there: Don't go pulling a Rainwing stranger's tail, and talk to your partner before trying it out. They may be strong, but our tails are also pretty sensitive. Only our closest friends and partners get to tug us.

In my case, the number of dragons who had that privilege could be counted on one paw, and two of them were in that very room.

"Can you two stop being thirsty for each other for five minutes?" Grandeur complained, putting on her earrings and neckband in the mirror without looking at us, "Gecko, let him do his morning warmup. Fox, stop leading him on. You have just as much to do today as I do."

"Oh?" Gecko asked, releasing me, "Like what?"

As I stood up, shaking off those delightful jitters, Grandeur explained, "Scarlet is going to leave tomorrow, and she's asked to have an audience with Xero today. Since we're both going to be in the Jade Mountains much of the day, Fruit Bat and Greatness are going to be in charge. Since Majestic will be assisting them, Fox here will be accompanying them as their bodyguard while they go through their responsibilities."

She turned to face us, and I saw that she was wearing the silver neckband and earrings of the new ranking system created by Xero and Maggy. Her color denoted that she was a General in the Rainwing Army, just below the golden colors of Xero and his consorts in absolute authority. She handed me my jewelry, their blue color denoting my rank as Captain - two ranks below Grandy, commanding a Regiment of 256 soldiers. I handed them to Gecko, who had the honor of putting them on me.

"I like how these match your scales," He complimented, taking a step back to take me in, "Did the Trio have you in mind when they picked the colors?"

"Why do you keep calling them that?" I asked, "They're our Queens, not some cute shipping name in your ballads."

"Fruit Bat and Greatness are Queens. Majestic, as awesome and amazing as she is, is still only a Bodyguard. But Xero picked all three of them as his mates, so that makes them his Trio."

"Why not call them 'consorts'? He 'consorts' with them for advice and having a family."

"Yeah, but 'consorts' sounds really formal and stuffy. And before you ask, no, I'd never just refer to our King's lovers as his 'egg mamas' in any of my songs. I just think 'Xero's Trio' rhymes and is both casual and respectful enough to call them-"

"Gecko," Grandeur interrupted, placing a wing on his back, "Don't you have classes to teach today?"

The young drake flashed pink and green as he remembered. "Crap, you're right!" He craned his neck around mine, and did the same with Grandy. "See you tonight!" He shouted, as he took flight, heading out into the jungle.

"Sometimes I wonder why you chose that kid out of everyone in this jungle," She sighed, as we watched him go.

"Honestly, even at his worst he reminds me of how I used to be," I told her, "If just way more talented. Besides, I know you love him too."

"Against my better judgement, I do. If only because he makes you as happy as you make me."

"You both make me happy." I offered her a smile, and she smiled back. Unspoken, unprompted, we leaned in and kissed each other like we were in our twenties again. If Xero was the luckiest drake in the world, I had to be the second most lucky - I had a former queen as a childhood sweetheart and girlfriend, and I had the best singer in the jungle as a boyfriend. They were both amazing dragons, and both were cool sharing me. What more could a guy ask for?

After we said our goodbyes, we both went to the Palace - Grandy went to find Xero, while I went to find Nessy. I found her with Majestic outside her room, adorned in golden earrings and the crowns marking them as Xero's consorts. The Nightwing looking flustered and annoyed while her bodyguard stood beside her. As I approached, Nessy's eyes widened, and Maggy just smirked at her.

"Hey there, ladies," I greeted them with a quick bow, "I'll be accompanying you as you go through your duties today. Are we ready to go?"

"Oh, um, yes," Greatness stammered, glancing between Majestic and me. She took a breath, and quickly added, "S-sorry, my head's a little achy from last night. I'm ready to go, now, if you are."

"Of course," I nodded, following behind the Apprentice Voice. We went outside, and as she looked at the scrap of paper that had written the day's agenda, I looked over at Maggy.

"What's that all about?" I whispered, leaning close so Greatness wouldn't hear.

"Just girl talk, don't worry about it," She whispered back, giving me a playful wink, "But out of curiosity, do you still think Xero's attractive?"

I blinked, surprised that one of our King's mates would ask that (though considering it was Maggy, I shouldn't have been surprised). If Nessy or Batty or even Xero himself had asked me that, I might've been more ambiguous or "circumspect" as Gecko would say, if only so as not to make things awkward. But because I was already so close with Maggy, I whispered, "Oh yeah, definitely. He's a good-looking drake, and now I know him I get why you three fell for him. He's smart, he's sweet, he's funny, he's the whole package. You're all lucky to have him." I tilted my head curiously at her. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, just something I might be planning for a rainy day," She giggled to herself. I smiled and shrugged. Some readers might think it's kind of sleazy or skanky that the King's bodyguard would be trying to arrange swinging sessions the day after they got officially married. But you have to remember that we Rainwings were more loose and open about relationships - Majestic and I went way back, and while Grandy and I had plenty of "parties" during her reign, there was also a lot of banter and teasing where we debated whether certain dragons would be fun to invite. Just because she was "testing the waters" - as the Seawings might say - didn't mean she was serious about it.

If they wanted to have some fun, all they needed to do was ask.

We stepped out of the Palace accompanied by two Royal Guards, themselves trained by Radiant and equipped with RFCs. Wearing red armbands with gold stripes, they followed behind us a dragon-length away, and passing dragons gave us all a wide berth. None of us paid them mind - I helped train them back in the Army days, and they'd all build a rapport with the Queens over the past few weeks.

We walked down the street to one of the dozen or so construction projects that dotted The Village. My home had grown rapidly in those early weeks and months. Before Xero found us, we had a couple hundred dragons that called the place home full-time, with an additional hundred that came and went as they pleased. Now - after he created the Army, the Council, and all the other various institutions and workshops and farms we worked in - the place swelled to two thousand. One in five Rainwings now called this place home. To keep things organized, Xero authorized a massive construction project to completely renovate the settlement, turning it into his vision of the ideal "City of Tomorrow".

As we approached one, the foredragon in charge greeted us. "Your Majesties," He said, bowing his head, "What brings you here today?"

"The usual," Greatness said, waving a paw to let him know he could raise his head. "Inspecting the building, checking on the enrollment list."

"And her other majesty?" he asked politely, referring to Grandeur.

"Busy elsewhere," Greatness said, not missing a beat. Majestic remained silent, opting to let the Nightwing take the lead. It made sense to me. Xero trusted her. Grandeur trusted her. We were here to support her, but she still had to fly on her own. "If you'd show me the construction, Coconut?"

"Yes, nothing new there," He said, bringing us over to a chest-high wall of stone slabs that had been fitted together, ashlar-style. "We give the SkyWings in the mountains fruit, they give us rock. They'll even dress it if we give them extra, although we can do it now, too, with those tools Xero showed us." Coconut nodded over to where a few enterprising RainWings were shaping a rock into a proper block for the wall. "Then it's just a simple matter of measuring the blocks and lining them up to fit along one side before wrapping around and repeating it until we get to the height that we want." Coconut pointed to a string that had been tied between two trees to either side of the building, about four times the height of a dragon.

"And the roof?" Greatness asked, to be thorough.

"Put through holes at the top, SandWing style," He said, "A crosshatching pattern, and then we lay stones on top. Six trees will go through it."

"What about the rain?" I asked, noticing the obvious problem, "I mean, I like the eco-friendly architectural style, but we're in a rainforest, after all. We can't go mopping the floor every day."

"Oh, that's simple," The foreman explained, "The area around the trees are still soil, we just build short barriers to keep any water from spilling out. The trees are pretty absorbent, so we don't have to worry about any flooding."

"Excellent," Greatness said with a nod, "And the enrollment?"

"Lots of excitement for the academy," Coconut said, pulling out a scroll from under a work table, "Half of them are convinced reading will give them animus powers, and the other half just thinks it'll make them smart. We're up to about a thousand now," he concluded, handing her the scroll.

It took me a second to realize that this particular building was supposed to be Xero's new school. Well, one of several, anyway, but definitely the biggest and most prestigious, when it was finished. Rainwings didn't exactly have the best reputation when it came to things like education. We weren't dumb, obviously, but in the years after Grandeur abdicated - and the years leading up to it, honestly - we just stopped caring about things. Outside of the rotating table of Queens, Gecko and myself, sometimes I wondered if anyone in our Tribe still knew how to read. If Xero's big plans for our kingdom were to succeed, the next generation would have to crash-course through several years of learning and apprenticeship.

Which also meant these schools were gonna be packed.

"Alright, looks good," Greatness said, handing the scroll back, "Carry on with your work, I'll be back in two weeks to inspect the roof."

"Your Majesties," Coconut said with a bow, before turning to his work.

"Nicely done," Maggy complimented, as we started walking out, "You nailed it."

"Yeah," I agreed, "You handled your first bit of official business well. Grandy and Xero would be pleased."

The Nightwing looked downright giddy, alternating between skipping and doing a little happy dance as we walked. We made a few more stops, checking out the construction work around the new council hall, the extensions of the Palace and the barracks. The wooden structures were being replaced with stone, built in a mix of Sandwing, Rainwing and Nightwing styles - a reflection of the King's personal interests, and the growing "cosmopolitan" nature of our kingdom. There was one part of the Palace, however, that confused the hell out of me.

"Why're we building a volcano next to the Palace?" I pointed to the vaguely ominous shape that almost seemed to grow out of Xero's home like a tumor. It was a tall, conical structure made from carved obsidian, sticking out like a sore thumb in a setting where everything else was green or pink or brown. I didn't need to be a mindreader to know who this was for.

Greatness looked briefly embarrassed, before standing a little taller and more confident. "That's my quarter," She explained, "Xero let us decorate or design additions to the Palace. I wanted something to show my dragonets what home was like - the good parts, anyway. It's silly, I know, but-"

"Just because something's silly," Maggy interjected, "Doesn't mean it's dumb. I think it completes the look, just like you complete us." She placed her wing over the Nightwing's back, and Nessy leaned in, nuzzling her in a PDA that was just plain adorable.

"Easy there, you two," I teased, "Hold off on all that kissy-kissy stuff until after the meeting."

The Nightwing turned and blinked at me. "Meeting?" She asked, "What meeting?"

"The Naming Committee, sweetheart," Maggy explained, "Don't you remember? We're having a working luncheon with Batty and the consultants over what we're gonna name The Village."

"Oh? Ah, yes, now I remember," The Nightwing said, sounding almost disappointed, "That should be easy enough. Just listening to a bunch of dragons throw out names - It sounds almost boring."

Maggy and I both raised our eyebrows at that. We didn't need our scales to change color to know we were thinking the same thought.

"Oh don't worry, Your Highness," I said, smiling devilishly, "I know just the thing to make this a lot more fun…"

Fruit Bat

Even after having spent so many hours attending various meetings and conferences, I couldn't help but feel a little nervous as I sat down on Xero's spot at the table. I'm not the most social or outgoing Rainwing - even after meeting Xero, I felt more comfortable working in my garden or in a workshop than in front of a crowd of dragons. Even with just a dozen dragons in one room - three of which were close friends or lovers - I had to focus mentally shoving all my nerves and fear into my tail, so only those scales would turn white, and no one would notice.

I'm Queen now, I told myself, A True Queen. These are my subjects. If Xero and Grandy cam do this, I can too.

I think I was able to look confident and in charge to everyone there, but I must've turned a neon yellow when Flying Fox arrived with my sister-wives. I know that sounds like such a weird title for who were my best friends, implying crude and archaic practices from before The Scorching, but I believed I was just as married to them as I was to Xero, and what else would you call a band of female friends but a "sisterhood"?

"Hey, everyone," Fox greeted, placing a large bucket filled with bottles and fruit on the table, "Hope you haven't started without us. We brought some snacks and drinks to make this more fun."

Normally Xero kept food and drink for after meetings, and I was inclined to tell him off for bringing alcohol to an official meeting. But as our guests cheered and eagerly started grabbing from the bucket, I remembered these dragons had gone through hellish conditions to get here, and I didn't have the heart to stop them as they dug in.

"Alright," I began, nodding with a smile as our guests settled their stomachs, "I do hereby call this committee for the renaming of The Village to order. I open the room up to any and all suggestions."

"What do you guys think about Xerosylvania?" One of our consulting architects - a Sandwing drake named Algiers - suggested, "It literally means 'Xero's Woods'. It's simple, and reflects the importance of the king and his adoptive kingdom." There were general sounds of approval around the table, and Nessy nodded as she wrote it in the list of names.

"A good start," Maggy complimented, "Anyone else?"

"What about… Xerophilia?" Another Sandwing - a 'ness named Sahel - suggested, looking bashfully (yet also seductively) between Maggy and Nessy and myself. Her dark eyes twinkled as she added, "In my brief time here, it's clear that both the kingdom and its king - and queens - have a lot of love to share."

"We all have our share of adoring fans," Maggy giggled, giving the guest a playful smirk, "Though Our King has his paws full with running the kingdom and becoming a father. Perhaps once everything has settled down, we might be able to persuade him to take a more direct approach with the needs of his subjects."

"I look forward to it." Sahel raised her fin and gave us each a seductive, smirking simmer. Ripples of pink flickered through Maggy's neck, and Nessy's cheeks looked flushed as she smiled and looked back down at her notes. She even went so far as to shoot me a wink, as if to say "I look forward to knowing you better the most".

The flirtation had no effect on me, however. Before I met Xero, I never really gave much thought to things like romance and mating. My dragonethood was hampered by my incident with the corpse flower, so it wasn't like I had many friends I could experiment with growing up. But even as I grew up, I never felt the level of connection or interest to do more than lounge together with strangers during sun-time. Before my future husband's arrival, I'd contented myself with just spending the rest of my life alone, focusing on my garden and my studies.

Xerophilous and Majestic showed me how good it felt to be in love, to be intimate with another dragon. They brought me out of my shell in ways that no one had ever before, and made both a Queen and a mother. I was even starting to feel that connection with Greatness, having joined me for sun-time a couple times since we made amends. I knew I was capable of being "playful", but I wasn't nearly as much as Maggy, let alone most Rainwings. Why was that?

"I think Pusat Ibu would be good," A Rainwing drake named Macaw prompted, "It translates into 'Center Town' in the old dialects. We don't have a direct translation of Xero's suggestion of 'Centrum', but this comes pretty close in the Rainwing tongue."

As the committee argued the pros and cons of the name, I pondered where my interests truly lay. Did I like other males? I tried to picture Macaw and Algiers with me, cuddling up to me during suntime, paws and wings exploring my sides. Despite taking my imagination as far as it would go without turning magenta, I felt nothing towards them. Not repulsion, but no attraction either.

"Perkem might be a good name," Another Rainwing 'ness named Opulence added, "Xero also suggested 'Evolution' as a name, and that's another way of saying it."

"Perkem sounds too much like 'perky'," A Nightwing drake named Truthseeker pointed out, "I doubt the King wants his capital named anything too cutesy. Might I suggest Lanjut instead? I believe it means 'Next' in one of your dialects."

The conversation continued, and my mind wandered again. Were females more my thing? Maggy was able to get me just as worked up as Xero could (sometimes even moreso, having the advantage of experience). I pictured Sahel and Opulence now, massaging my neck and back as I laid between them like I would with my partners. I felt myself wanting a massage, but again, no flickers of heat or interest stirred in me. How strange.

"I think Afovoany would be a good name," A Nightwing 'ness named Dawnhunter stated, "It translates to 'Middle', which is also close to center." More mutterings of agreement. I thought that was a bad name, personally - "Ah-foh-voan-nee" doesn't roll off the tongue.

"You know what'd be great, though?" A Skywing drake named Cirrus suggested, "Renivohitra. It means 'Capital City' in the Rainwing tongue, right? Yeah it's a little bland, but it works. Everyone would get it." There some murmurs of discontent there - the name sounded a little weird, especially since it was from an older dialect.

Could it be that I had to know someone well enough to let myself feel that part of me? Again, Xero and Maggy knew me better than literally anyone in the entire world. I had his eggs, for goodness' sake! I was getting more and more used to Nessy every day, and it wasn't that long ago all four of us were cuddling together in sun-time, thinking up hatchling names and enjoying each other's presence. They all made me feel... happy. Giddy, even. I trusted them all, loved them all, would risk my life to save theirs if I had to. We were mates, and they were all mine just as much as we were his.

Was that it, then? Was my arousal tied to my bonds with others? Or could it be because Xero was the lynchpin between us? After all, I'd known Maggy all my life, but it wasn't until Xero came around and showed an interest in us both that things became more serious. Neither of us knew who any of these dragons were, so perhaps they didn't register a reaction because they didn't have that "approval"?

By this time, the palm wine was flowing freely among us all, and the room became cacophonous with chatting and laughing. Even I had taken a cup (though I'd yet to finish it). Nessy's glass was half-empty, her focus on keeping the meeting on track keeping her from overdoing it like last night. Maggy was on her second cup, her wing over the Nightwing, their tails intertwined under the table. Fox was on his third I believe, laughing boisterously as yellow starbursts decorated his blue body.

That thought struck a chord with me. Majestic had a few flings with him and Grandeur before, in the days when she was Queen. She told me some of the juicy details, one night when it was just us. My mind started to picture those nights, my bodyguard snuggling up with the old couple. It seemed... pretty cute, honestly. Not exactly titillating, but it got more of a reaction from me than thinking of strangers. But then I replaced Maggy with myself. I thought of Grandeur wrapping her strong arms around me, Fox lavishing my neck with playful kisses. I imagined them whispering sweet-nothings in my ears as our tails intertwined, and then...

Oh my.

It's a good thing my scales are naturally pink, otherwise everyone might've been asking uncomfortable questions. Fortunately, everyone was too busy drinking and having fun to notice any change in me. I took a moment to gather myself, focus those colors and thoughts down into my tail as a sort of mental palate cleanser. Once I'd settled down, I tried again. I imagined the last scene, but this time Xero was there, watching from his throne. Would he approve of the scene? Would he be... interested? I picture him smiling, his tail swaying gently behind him, as our advisors cuddled up with me. I imagined him rumbling deeply, as he sometimes did waking up from a deep, restful sleep. Then the scene changed, positions shifted, and I felt his warmth on my back as the seasoned Rainwing kissed my frill.

Oh Spirits.

It was at that moment that I realized what my interests truly were.

"What we need is something simple, yet powerful," Maggy stated, "Something that blends the old with the new, like... Kotatengah. 'The Middle City'."

"Ko-ta-ten-gah," I repeated, mulling over every syllable. Yes, it did have power to it. "I think Xero would like that name very much. Perhaps-"

"What about Xero McXero Face?!" Someone - I legitimately don't remember who - shouted out.

"Yeah!" One of the Skywings agreed, looking downright sloshed, "Xero McXero Face sounds awesome!"

"Xero McXero Face!" A chant started up among the rest of the committee, "Xero McXero Face! Xero McXero Face!"

Drunk cultists, the lot of them.

Then Flying Fox crawled on top of the table, his legs looking wobbly, and I had to bury my face in my paws. "I got the best name out of all o' youse!" He declared, his scales bouncing between yellow and his natural blue, "We should call this place... Village McVillage Face!" The Rainwings cheered, and everyone else made vague noises between approval and confusion.

Had I really just been fantasizing about this drunken fool?

A/N: This chapter ended up a lot more horny than I first imagined it as. Still, I'm happy with how things turned out, fleshing out everyone's personalities and thought processes. And yes, it seems like everyone's got the shipping goggles for Xero and Fox (especially his wives). Will anything come of it, though? Stay tuned to find out!