Starcrossed 2: Lineage

Chapter 4: 'But I just un-packed.'

Dragonbane was stunned. "I'm sorry, I don't think I heard that right. Did you just say that you're her mother?"

Demona was still smiling from seeing her only daughter for the first ime in years. "That's right."

Our hero was, for lack of a better word, not convinced. "Yeah right. Listen lady, I know you've probably had a rough night, what with the almost getting dissembolwed and all, but I'm no sucker. Any nightfury with her years about her can waltz in and claim tobe Narissa's mother in an attempt to mooch off my better nature."

She gave him a bit of a glare. "Your point?"

He became a bit angry, but kept his calm. "My better nature has a very short fuse."

Demona rolled her eyes. "So what do you want me to do? Get down on my knees and beg you to believe me? Should I recount every cold dark sleepless night I had contemplating whether or not I could have done something to keep her from being taken from me? Do you want me to tell you about the way my heart filled with pride as I helped her through all of her firsts? Her first words, her first steps, her first flight, even the first time she opened those beautiful blue eyes of hers. I will not be denied this opportunity!"

Dragonbane wasn't pleased with the response. "Listen here you old hag! This is my home, that is my bride and I will not be swayed just because you have a bit of a fit. If you're so sure of yourself, then answer a few questions only a mother would now."

She didn't like being talked down to, but for her daughter. "Fine, ask away."

He was firm. "What's her favorite kind of fish?"

Demona didn't even need to think. "Male, Icelandic cod, during their mating season. It gives her a little buzz."

Dragonbane was impressed. "Correct, next question. What is her biggest weakness?"

Once more, not even a thought. "She's ticklish, especially under her left front fore-arm. Always a challenge bathing her."

He was more surprised, frankly because he didn't even know about the under arm thing. "Uh...right. Last question, what size mirror does she use to check her reflection?"

Demona smiled. "Trick question. Narissa doesn't check her reflection, because last time she did, she looked into her own eyes for too long and got a headache."

Dragonbane was stunned. "Wow, I guess you were telling the truth. Heh, kind of makes that whole hag thing kind of awkward doesn't it?"

She glared at him. "Not funny."

He didn't blame her. "Right...How bout we wake her up. I'm sure she'll want to see you." He approached with the utmost care. "Narissa...Narissa sweet-heart, wake up." She curled up tighter, a sign that she didn't want to be disturbed. "Come on baby, there's someone here you have to..." He was cut off when she unconsciously slapped him with her tail. Dragonbane didn't get mad. "Okay then." His solution was to pick her up and toss her in a snow-bank.

Narissa immediately jumped into the air with a little yelp and clung to the roof of the cave entrance. She looked down and saw her beloved standing in the arc-way, giving her a little salute and a smile. She gave him a little 'I'm mad at you' look and dropped from the ceiling. She curled around him and looked him right in the eyes with that same look. "Care o tell me what's so important?"

He rolled his eyes at the agitation, then pointed a thumb over his shoulder to the nightfury waiting in the nice warm cave. "You have a visitor."

She was surprised. "Oh...Why didn't you say so, I love company."

Dragonbane started to lead her over to Demona. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just make your peace and be done with it. She's making me feel a bit punchy."

Narissa didn't pay his attitude any mind. She approached their guest with a friendly smile. "Hello, welcome to our home. I'm..." She stopped when she saw Demona. Narissa recognized her, but wasn't sure. Once she caught the scent however. "M-mom? Is that you?"

Demona smiled and nodded. "Yes, Narissa. It's me baby."

Narissa was on the virge of tears. "M-mommy."

Demona got emotional too. "Rissy, oh my sweet little angel! I finally found you."

The two shared a warm moment. Nuzzling, warm smiles, tears, the works. Dragonbane gave a little smile and brushed a tear from his own eye. Then he did his best to compose himself and gave himself a little pep talk. "Steady D.B. You're tough, you're strong, you're a blood-thirsty animal." He blew his nose into a near-by rag. "Oh, this is just too precious."

Albeit our hero had a bit of a weak moment there, but after that he went outside and smashed a rock with his skull. Narissa and Demona spent hours catching up with eachother about what's been going on. Dragonbane didn't get a chance to speak a lot, but he listened.

He did feel the urge to interject at one little bit of information. "Whoah, whoah, whoah. Hold on a sec. You're mate did what now?"

Demona seemed a bit shamed. "Yes...as my daughter informed you, her birth left me unable to have anymore children. Since Marik needed a son to carry out the blood-line, he...I mean we decided that it would be best for the clan if he picked from the other females, so he could continue his legacy."

Narissa couldn't believe her ears.(Again, just guessing on the whole ear thing, if they have them then we leave it alone, if not, please tell so I don't make that mistake again.) "Mom, you just let him take whichever female he wanted?"

Dragonbane spoke his peace. "The nerve of him. A man goes for a woman, it should be because he loves her, not for the want of an heir."

Demona, surprisingly spoke in her mate's defense. "Now, don't get him wrong. Marik loves me and I love him, but...we had to think of what was best for the others. They need a strong leader and those of Marik's blood-line have always kept us safe. He got his son, thirteen times over."

Narissa was shocked. "I have thirteen half-brothers?"

Demona added in. "and four half-sisters. They were all born within the same year." She smiled. "They had wonderful lives, in fact the eldest girl has a young one of her own to look after."

Narissa couldn't resist. "Awwww."

Dragonbane caught her on this. "Remember our discussion." He got smacked upside the head. "Ow. So, Demona, anything interesting been going on at home."

She seemed a bit troubled with that question. "It's...rather grim. You see, Marik saw it fit to try and keep members of his high council alive as long as he could. He had it decreed, that the organs of those claimed by death in the prime of their life would be transplanted into a high council member who needed it."

Narissa went a little pale. "That's...that's monstrous."

Dragonbane nodded his head. "Forgive me for speaking ill of your mate Demona, but Marik sounds like quite the disturbed individual."

Demona shook her head. "He wasn't always," She smiled a little. "I remember when we first met. He was so kind and gentle. He had this kind of air about him that put everyone near him in a good mood." She was sad again. "Now...now he's just...dark. Like something died in him a long time ago. I remember the day he changed. it was about a week after we learned I was expecting. He said he had business to attend to. He was gone for about a day, but when he came back, he just...wasn't the same. I think something died in him during that trip."

Narissa felt her mother's sorrow. "I'm sure it had to be something big."

Demona seemed more disgusted now. "But nothing can excuse what I fear he's doing. There have been deaths throughout our homeland. Some fiend called The Harvester. I suppose he's a nightfury turned boneknapper. He wears the armor of bones and picks out targets, slaughters them, then takes an organ. We've never found out what he was doing with them, but...one night I saw Marik in some sort of discussion with him."

Dragonbane nodded his head. "Yep, I haven't even met the guy and I already hate him."

Narissa glared. "Be nice."

Demona put up a hand in protest. "It's quite all right dear. Marik seems to be getting worse and worse, especially after that storm came through and took you away from us."

Our hero was a bit blind sided at that last part. "Storm?"

Demona nodded. "Yes, a terrible storm came through one night and swept our poor Narissa off to who knows where. I thought she would have told you by now, seeing as you two are...so close."

Narissa seemed to panic a little. "Uh...yeah, I told him about it, but it was so long ago, he probably forgot some of the details."

Demona smiled sweetly and shook her head. "It doesn't matter now. I've found you at last. Maybe if you come back home, you can help set things right."

Dragonbane's eyes went wide. "Pardon us, Demona. I need a word with my ever-loving, queen of the night."

Demona gave a little laugh as Dragonbane dragged Narissa by the tail into another room. "Oh, how cute, you even have little pet names for eachother. Ah, that takes me back."

Dragonbane and Narissa left Demona to her memories. Our hero dragged his beloved back into the bed chamber and tossed her back into the nest she made. He got in with her and kept his voice low so their guest wouldn't hear. "Short and simple. No."

Narissa gave him an agitated look. "Really? You're really gonna just say no and leave it at that?"

He nodded. "See, we're on the same page, so let's get our story straight for not going."

She rolled her eyes. "Cute, but let's get serious for a moment. This is big, give me one good reason that we can't go."

Dragonbane got a little miffed. "I'll give you three good reasons. One' we just got settled into our new home and I really don't want to get all packed up again for a trip to 'Odin knows where'. Two, you're father. You 'member, the stuck up, dark, power mad, lunatic, who slept around just to get a son, who authorized the stripping of corpses for parts just so he could keep his buddies alive, who tried to kill you when you were little and liedabout it on top of that. Three, they're currently being terrorized by some organ stealing ghoul, who you know I'm gonna have to fight and I really don't want to get into another epic struggle to the death. I still got some weird crick in my neck from when I beat the snot out of Blight. So to sum it all up for ya, not gonna happen, negatory, not a chance in helheim, capital N capital O and my personal favorite, man falling off a cliff, NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Narissa gave him a look that seemed to say,'seriously?' Then she closed her eyes and began to whimper. "I haven't seen my mother in twenty years. After so long of living outside and cut off on a life I had to forge on my own, I finally have a chance to go back and regain all that I lost and you say no. Wouldn't you give anything to be able to see you're parents again? ...sniff...and it hurts me...as you're wife, who loves you with every fiber of my being, that you won't even give it a second thought. I just thought that I could count on that kind and gentle soul that hides behind the rage and the greed and the coldness, to show himself and help me through this." She started sobbing.

Dragonbane had this sad look about him. "Ohhh, Narissa." He put his arms around her neck and gave her a big hug, gently stroking the top of her head to comfort her. The two snuggled and a little smile showed on the sad dragon's face. Our hero spoke sweetly to her. "Hey, you know how we're in love?"

She looked up at him with sad eyes and a smile. "Yeah?"

He smirked a little evily. "That means I know when you're really crying, and when your faking it!"

Narissa went wide eyed from the realisation that her plan back fired. "Then she seemed to get really, really mad. "Alright you smart mouthed little punk! I am not letting this pass me by. I finally have a chance to reconnect with my old life and face my father after what he did and I am not going to miss it because you're worried about about un-packing!" she grabbed him by the throat and pinned him against a wall. "Do I make myself clear?"

Dragonbane hadn't seen her this mad since,...well...he never saw her this mad. "Heh, well...when you put it that way."

Demona was getting a bit bored and (like mother like daughter) was admiring her claws. Then Dragonbane, looking pale as a ghost, and Narissa re-entered the room. "Well," She said. "Will you come back with me?"

Narissa glanced at her man and he simply spoke with as much urgency as possible. "I'll get the armor and my supplies."