Chapter 9: Red Dragon's Baby

Truthfully Hiryuu had never expected to fall in love with the dark haired woman that was the cousin to his Ryokuryuu warrior Shuten. Like her cousin, she had a wild free spirit that couldn't be chained down. She cursed like a sailor, made the noble women of the court blush when she went on triads and could get the council in an uproar with a single sentence. She was his Asami, she commanded his attention from the first moment he met her on the battlefield on the day that his brothers had given their powers to his warriors. He swore she'd be his downfall, but all she ever did was raise him up higher as she defended him and his policies from the council and the lords of the court.

When he had confessed his love to her, she had laughed at him and told him he'd be dumb not to love her. She helped him perfect his swordsmanship, all the while bringing the household of the palace into order. She had a green thumb, whatever that meant, and brought all of the dying trees and flowering bushes back to life in the multiple gardens that were around the palace. She was very religious but wasn't against cursing at a priest when they were in the wrong.

He was currently pacing back and forth in the front room beyond their bed chambers as she screamed and moaned in pain. After they had married, he had been worried that perhaps they would not have children. It took them four years to conceive, but she had lost their first. It took another full year for them to conceive again. She had kept quiet about her pregnancy, not wanting to jinx it she had said. It wasn't until she was halfway along that she finally told him about the pregnancy, though he kind of suspected she was a month earlier.

Another scream had him pausing in his movements as a series of curses left the birth chamber. He grinned as he heard those words being directed towards the midwife. Another series of curses, this time directed at him, and she was screaming once more as pain radiated down her spine and was felt by ever muscle in her body as she tried to push out his child.

To the side near the open door he saw Shuten and Guen training with each other in the open courtyard near the gardens as Abi and Zeno waited by the open door to his shared chambers with his lovely wife.

Another scream ripped through the room causing both Abi and Zeno to look towards the screen that separated the front room from the royal bed chamber. Both Shuten and Guen stopped their fight in order to wait with bated breath as a pause came in between the screaming.

A baby's cry filled the room.

In mere moments Hiryuu found his arms filled with a red screaming baby. What was he suppose to do now? He wasn't sure what the child wanted and the midwife had vanished to tend to Asami. Turning fear filled eyes to his warriors, Shuten was the first to burst out laughing at his pure look of fear and confusion. Slapping his king on the back he continued in a laughing tone. "Congratulations, you're a dad!"

"A boy from what I can see." Abi said with a smile.

"They say it's luck if you have a son first. " Guen stated as he joined Shuten in his laughter.

Zeno was covering his ears from the child's cries. "Why is he screaming like that?" he asked.

Abi looked at the youngest of their group with mirth in his eyes. "Baby's always do." he said as he walked over to the pile of rags and blankets and helped his king bundle the child up in clean warm blankets before giving him back to the red haired king.

"What's his name going to be?" Shuten inquired, quite curious of the events that were occurring.

"Yak-shi." Hiryuu answered. He then looked at his warriors. "So when can I expect this from any of you?" Sputters were his answers from them.

"I'm too damn young for kids!" Shuten yelled gaining glares as the baby, who had quieted, suddenly began crying again.

"You think you're young." Zeno said with a glare. "I'm younger than you!"

"You don't need kids Zeno." Guen said jokingly.

"Can you imagine that?" Shuten countered. "His wife would be chasin' after the kids in one direction and this wild thing in the other." Laughter was met by Zeno's pout before he joined them in laughing because he could see it too. He was SO not ready to be a dad.

Everybody soon quieted as the watched Hiryuu bounce the newborn prince in his arms. The babe instantly calming, a single hand grasping his father's finger and the utter look of love in Hiryuu's eyes had everyone watching in awe as the former red dragon Kami looked at his son with such love and devotion that it took ones breath away.

In the heavens above, the brothers looked down as the first dragon child was born amongst men. The child would grow to have his mother's looks and spirit, but would have his father's looks and tolerance for human mistakes. He would be the first of many to come in a line that would survive for many eons to come.

M-Angel: Yay, I'm almost finished with this story too!

Asami - Morning beauty