What a grueling week I have had. I was awarded the late shift two days in a row, and when I tried to cut out ten minutes early, I was stopped at the door and made to stay. I need to run quieter.
Also, my laptop is doing this wonderful thing where the mouse moves on its own and causes the computer to FREAK THE HELL OUT.
So yeah, getting this chapter done took two days, and a whole lot of curse words.
The days following Chase's declaration of hosting the Winter Solstice were filled with scampering felines and servants hurrying to get the palace pristine and the food prepared.
Even Lan-Ying was caught up in the rush and excitement.
Chase, however, had little to do with the actual planning, caring little for any sort of social gathering despite his status as the host. Therefore, it fell to her to guide the servants and address any issues. It gave her a taste of the responsibilities that would be expected of her as the mate of the master.
After their vigorous mating and reassurances that Wuya is the most terrible of wenches, Chase explained what exactly would change with her newfound title.
" As before, your training will not be any easier. However, you have grown strong enough to lessen your training with me and begin to train with others, or even by yourself if you so desire." He said, stroking her spine.
Lan-Ying almost felt herself purr in pleasure.
" You will also take responsibilities within the palace. Act as an authority figure when I am away."
The blue dragon raised an eyebrow.
" And when will you start bringing me along on these excursions of yours?" she pondered.
Chase rose, lifting his mate with him.
" Soon, little dragon." was all he promised.
Afterwards, they left to their separate locations to begin the preparations.
Since then, Chase had been busy organizing his affairs so that he would have the whole night free, while Lan-Ying oversaw everything else.
The only responsibility that Chase had was to invite the guests, seeing as Lan-Ying did not know any except Jack and Wuya.
While she did not object to seeing the funny human boy again, since his whole body screamed, " not threatening", the blue dragon had no intention of spending any more time with the heinous witch than absolutely necessary.
The night before the solstice ball, Lan-Ying had been training by herself in one of the smaller, bare rooms. She had hoped to gain a serious level of control over her fire capabilities, but every time she tried, she lacked something, leading the flames to either snuff out or spin out of control and engulf everything around it.
More than once, she pondered that having the delicate control fingers allowed would be beneficial, but lingering on that would only lead her down the dark path she was on before.
And she was stronger than that.
Coiling into a relaxed posture, Lan-Ying breathed in deeply, letting the warm air of the room curl into her lungs and fill her mind with ease.
After feeling less pressure on herself, she wanted to give it one more attempt before retiring for the day. She was so anxious about tomorrow night that dinner held no appeal for her, so after a quick dip in the springs, she intended on heading into bed.
Her plans were interrupted by the pounding on the door to the room. The Heylin dragon rolled her eyes, knowing that only one creature in the palace knocked like that.
" Come in, Jor." she yelled out, lifting herself from the ground and moving to stand on her hind legs.
The Viking warrior strode into the room with almost a bounce in his step, his body humming in excitement.
" My little dragon! Or shall I start calling you ' my lady'?" the man said in his boisterous voice.
Lan-Ying smiled slightly, still embarrassed at the other occupants of the palace's reaction to her elevated status.
The newer felines were now skittish around her, like at any moment she would terrorize them. The older generals, sans Mao and Stein, treated her with aloof respect. She assumed that she had not yet earned their admiration, which was fine with her. She would rather not be treated with false kindness.
" Whatever you wish to call me would be fine, Jor. What is it?" she replied.
The man did not say anything to her question, just approached her quickly.
Lan-Ying braced herself, thinking this was a spur of the moment sparring session, but instead let out an embarrassing squeak as she was lifted high into the air and over the man's shoulders.
" Njord! What are you doing?!" she yelled, her sharp teeth snapping in irritation.
" Taking you to a surprise!"
Seeing that it did nothing to calm her aggravation, he added,
" From the master."
Lan-Ying snapped her head to glare at the large warrior.
" And he said it was required to carry me through the hallways in such a humiliating manner?" she asked, tapping her claws on his back in impatience.
The man laughed in response.
" No, this was my pleasure."
The rest of the way was spent with Lan-Ying accepting her position and uncomfortably waving at the felines and servants they passed, and Stein humming happily as they made their way to her and Chase's private quarters.
Upon reaching their grand doors, the dragon was placed back onto her feet, where she attempted to go in. A pair of strong arms, however, stopped that.
" Close your eyes, little one." Stein said with a smile.
The female huffed but did as she was asked.
Being lead blindly into the room, Lan-Ying did not know what she was in for. ' Surprise' for Chase could mean anything from spontaneous training to a weird new dinner dish that she smiled and ate (no matter if it had eyes and was blinking at her).
After placing her in the center of the room, Stein moved away from her.
The sound of something tinkling like chimes came to her ears, and curiosity was burning at her.
" Okay. You may look now."
She slowly peeked open her eyes and took in what was in front of her.
The burly man in front of her held up what was possibly the most delicate and beautiful work of metal she had ever seen.
It was a mass of connecting golden chains, which twisted into circles and loops. The way the man held it seemed as if it was something to be revered.
Stein motioned her to come closer, and she approached him slowly, never taking her eyes from the glimmering chain.
Freezing in place, she did not even breathe as the large man proceeded to dress her with the cool metal.
Weaving her limbs through it, it felt like she had been made to wear it.
The general finished dressing her by placing the end upon her head like a crown, with a lone piece of jade hanging down between her eyes.
Stepping aside, he allowed her to approach the mirror and gaze at herself.
Saying nothing, she just turned and observed the way her scales and the gold shimmered in the dim light of the room.
It made her feel beautiful and rare.
Turning to Stein, she smiled with watery eyes.
" How do I look?"
The fearsome warrior puffed his chest in pride.
" Like an Empress."
Chase stood over the table in his war room, assessing the movement of his army in the east. With the recent acquiring of a strong navel fleet, he had to opportunity to expand his territories across the sea.
After giving instruction to some of his officers, he watched as they left him alone.
He began writing physical orders to the troops, as a knock interrupted his solitude.
The looming figure in the doorway signaled his general's presence.
The Heylin waved him in before finishing his writing.
The silence overtook the two until the pen was set down. Chase folded his hands in front of his face and stared down Stein.
" Njord. I am dispensing you to the east aboard the imperial vessels. I expect you know what to do from there, and will be delivering news of success within two weeks." he said.
The large man nodded, face serious. Bowing low, he waited to be dismissed so he could make arrangements.
When nothing happened, he rose slightly, peeking at the emperor.
" Sire?"
Chase stood up, moving around his general's large mass to close the door.
" How did your assignment go?" he asked, trying (and failing) to not look interested.
If Stein were a less intelligent man, he would have let out a chuckle. Instead, he maintained his straight face.
" The lady was most moved by your gift. She relays that she is eager to show you tomorrow night."
Chase looked relieved.
" If I may sir, the lady is quite striking in it."
Chase felt his temper flare at the thought of another man seeing his mate as beautiful, but chose to ignore the feeling.
"Yet," the man continued," I do hold some concerns."
The emperor was wise enough to allow his solider to speak.
" The young dragon is smart and strong. In the privacy of your domain, you are a fierce couple. But I worry about the reaction of the Heylins. They are neither kind nor gentle. The slightest mistake could lead to her downfall, and I fear, yours."
The air grew thick with tension.
"General Stein. Have you ever known me to be unwise?" Chase responded.
The man shook his head in the negative.
" Then I trust you to follow my lead without question."
" Love, sire, leads us to make unwise decisions. Clouds our judgment. I do not wish to question you. Only to assure myself that you are confident, not for just your sake, but hers also." The man claimed.
This turned out to be ill advised, as the general found himself hanging in the air, clutched in his masters hands by his throat.
" Let this be a warning, then, to not question my rule. My decision stands, and I would ask that you not speak of love like it had enveloped my senses. Mating is not love." Chase then dropped the man to the floor.
The man slowly returned to his feet before bowing and exiting the room.
Chase caught the whispered muses of the Viking as he made his exit.
" Yes, men often become jealous and drape gold over random creatures."
Lan-Ying paced nervously in her room as she heard the sounds of guest arriving downstairs.
She had been mentally preparing all night for the event, but now here she was, wearing Chase's gift, looking every bit the beautiful Heylin dragon that she was about to be introduced as, and feeling as if the world would swallow her whole.
She was hoping to see Mao or Stein before the event, if only to calm her nerves, but Chase had mentioned that they were to be away on missions for a while, before instructing her to wait for him in their room.
The female did not know how to act. She was excited, nervous and almost drunk on the anticipation of the night.
Stopping her movements and taking a deep breath, she finally managed to calm herself when Chase walked in through the doors.
Lan-Ying took a moment to appreciate her new mate's appearance.
He had put his long mane into a slick braid down his back and chosen to wear a new armor face. It was a deep green with golden dragons etched into the breastplate. Wearing match silk pants and golden boots, he had elected to relinquish his usual armored gloves and instead wore long golden gloves that shimmered in the light.
The female dragon purred at him, then stretching in front for him to get his first look at her appearance.
His eyes roamed all over her body and it felt like flames licking at her skin.
" I am tempted to forgo the even and keep us locked in this room to prevent any other eyes from this sight." he complimented before holding out his arm for her to take.
Standing on two legs, she moved to stand next to him.
" I would agree to the terms if I hadn't overseen this event myself. Are you ready, my lord?" she replied in her most formal tone, which Mao had graciously taught her.
Chase smirked at her.
" Yes, my lady." he replied before leading her down into the grand ballroom.
Down below, the highest-ranking members of the Heylin alliance socialize.
Panda Bubba causally conversed with the mermaid Ashley, who had submersed herself in the large fountain Lan-Ying had place specifically for her.
Jack managed to annoy every guess within the first few minutes and was now in isolation in the corner by threat of Wuya (who was sulking and ignoring Hannibal Bean).
All had quieted down as a large cheetah entered through the grand staircase.
It shifted from the graceful savannah feline to a slender female in African warrior wear. With multiple piercings and tattoos, she was a fierce sight to behold.
" My respected gentlemen and ladies. It is my personal honor to announce His majesty Emperor Chase Young, and his mate, the elegantly ferocious Lan-Ying, Dragon of the Heylin."
The room grew so quiet that the only sound was the slight clicking of claws and boots against the floor as the guests of honor entered.
No one said anything until, to no one's surprise; the silence was broken by a loud whistling and clapping from the corner.
" Chase! My man! Congratulations" Jack said, running up and bowing quickly before grasping Lan-Ying's clawed hand and kissing it with a smile.
" Sorry about the last time we saw each other. I didn't know you were a girl or involved with Chase like that." the human boy said with a sheepish grin that was so charming, Lan-Ying could not help but giggle.
Chase rolled his eyes before casting the boy aside and walking into the crowd, actions speaking louder than words as his hand wrapped around the blue dragon's waist.
As the attendees began to socialize with the couple, asking who she was and dug into her background with as much subtly as they could manage, Lan-Ying found herself genuinely enjoying herself.
The people at the event, though odd and obviously with a cruel streak were entertaining and interesting. They were the first characters she had met in a long while that were not cats, and she was eager to learn more about their world.
After a long while, the two were separated, and Lan-Ying found herself enjoying her time with the wicked mermaid, who warded off Wuya like a charm.
She found the aquatic based female to be funny and charming, full of mean little jokes and snips that clued the dragon in on other guests of the night.
" Tubbimara looks so innocent, but he actually has a thing for tiny girls with large butts." she whispered with a shark-like grin. Looking at the female dragon, she clicked her tongue.
" You are lucky to have a body like that, something that only appeals to one man." she said
Lan-Ying knew by now that it was an underhanded jab, but felt not anger, only mild amusement.
" Yes, Wuya already alerted me that my single-form limitation was going to cause Chase to lose interest quickly." she replied causal, earning a scoff from the mermaid.
" Please, that creature is more hot air than actual woman. Still, any man could get bored easily. I hope you are keeping things interesting." Ashley said, looking at said man across the room.
" Interesting how?" Lan-Ying questioned.
The girl flipped in the water to turn towards the Heylin dragon completely.
" You know, throw in a surprise. Keep him guessing."
The conversation drifted from there onto more mundane topics, but Lan-Ying pondered on the words.
How was it possible to surprise a man like Chase?
Before long, the female dragon found herself dismissing her presence from Panda Bubba to take in some fresh air on the patio.
Stepping out into the darkness, Lan-Ying took a lung full of the cold air and let herself lean against the outer wall for support.
The whole night, starting from the bedroom, her body had felt like it was bursting from the inside out. At first, she chalked it down to the usual reaction she had to Chase being near by and giving her that look that promised carnal pleasure later. However, as the night wore on, she began to feel more uncomfortable and queasy.
She had hoped that the cold air would help cool her down, but instead, it just made her dizzy.
Footsteps approached and Lan-Ying felt herself prepare to snare for them to leave.
" Hey Lan!" yelled out a voice.
The dragon relaxed, turning to look at the painted human.
" Jack." she managed to say, panting heavily.
The human boy responded by leaning over her, worry etched on his easy to read face.
" You alright? You are looking a little rough for wear. Should I get Chase?" he asked, preparing to back away. Her claws shot out to stop him.
" Please." she said, finally falling to the cold, stone ground, her eyes wide with panic.
" Don't leave me alone. I don't want to be alone.," she said quietly.
Jack did not hesitate. Sitting down crossed legged; he gently lifted her form onto his lap and stroked her hot scales in comfort.
Lan-Ying let out a breath that was supposed to be a chuckle.
" You are good at this." she wheezed.
Jack smiled at her.
" I have had sick cats before. Are you sure I shouldn't do something?" he asked.
A jolt of pain overtook her body and she tried to stretch, but the golden chains prevented it, causing her to strain against it, turning the jewelry into a cage.
" Get . . . this . . .. OFF" she screeched, struggling in his lap.
Jack, in a rushed panic, took out a small laser and tried to cut the thicker parts of the golden outfit, before accidently burning her, resulting in a groan from the sick dragon.
Eventually, he resorted into tearing at it, ripping apart the small chains until they were little more than a ruined pile on the ground.
Lan-Ying managed to roll away from the human and continued her struggle.
Jack watched in horror as her body began to twist and shape. Shorter paws stretched into graceful fingers, inky black hair began to sprout from her skull and glimmering blue scales melted together into pale skin, glowing in the light of the moon.
After the change seemed to be finished, Jack slowly approached the collapsed form.
Her hair covered a large portion of her body, hiding any movement and Jack had to be sure she was okay and alive, half in concern over her, half in concern over the fact the Chase would murder him slowly if his mate was dead and the human just watched.
Gently, he grasped the pale shoulder of the now-human girl. Her skin was burning to the touch, and he could still hear her labored breath.
Jack shifted her so she leaned against him and he tried his damn best not to loom over her nude body, even taking off his coat and wrapping it around her.
Finally, he brushed her long, thick hair away from her face, and almost dropped her to the ground in shock.
Staring at him was the face that haunted his puberty-induced wet dreams. It was the face that loomed over him multiple times in smug victory and mocking laughter when he tried to extort a date from her.
Jack wondered if what he had seen was some latent side effects of all the magic his body had endured over the years, and Lan-Ying was inside the ballroom while the Xiaolin dragon had somehow ended up naked on the balcony. After all, weirder things had happened before.
That theory was put to rest when the girl cracked open her eyes, revealing the same glowing turquoise eyes, with narrow silted pupils that graced the Heylin dragon, not the Xiaolin monk.
The face was Kimiko Tohomiko. The eyes were Lan-Ying.
Jack was completely confused.
And the situation became worse at the arrival of the Heylin warrior in the archway, scanning for his missing mate.
When his golden eyes landed on the pair, the world stood still.
Before Jack could even blink, they were some how whisked to Chases' private room, where the bare girl was placed delicately on to the bed.
Jack felt awkward watching as Chase stroked the girl's face gently, pushed her hair away and placing a kiss to the crown of her head.
The girl twitched, looking at the man with clouded eyes before collapsing into the darkness again.
Once Chase assured that the girl was sleeping peacefully, wrapped in the fine silk sheets of the bed, he turned his attention to the bewildered human, eyes flashing with hidden rage.
" Jack Spicer. Let's talk."
Welcome back, Kimiko.
Sort of.
So until my laptop gets its shit together, I am not sure how much writing I can get done.
But if you remain patient with me, I promise a lemon soon.
So, read, review and enjoy :)