Chapter 4
"So, what did you need privacy to discuss?" Dania asked Dave once they were up in her small apartment with the door closed. The apartment was really only one room, with only a hot plate for cooking and also a very small bathroom, but that was it. The bathroom, which was very primitive and tiny with barely a few steps between the sink, the bathtub and the midden.
Dave had seen more advanced toilets in Europe, but he had to remember that San Francisco had only been founded fairly recently, so it wasn't as old as some of the European cities, which meant it didn't have many of the luxuries that older cities had.
If he remembered correctly, San Francisco had been founded in the late 1800s, 1776 if he was remembering correctly, which meant they had been around less than 125 years, which wasn't long at all really.
The technology would eventually come to places like San Francisco. It would just take time.
"Well, you were wondering why I was right there in order to help you fight off those drunks and I'll tell you if you promise to listen and not get mad at me until I'm done," Dave requested.
"Considering you probably saved my life I promise to listen, but not necessarily believe what you tell me," Dania said and Dave knew that was as good as he was going to get.
He couldn't actually blame her if she did disbelieve him, but he was knew he could convince her, especially when he transformed some part of his body as there was no way to fake that.
"I can provide proof for the tale I'm about to tell you once I'm done," Dave to her and Dania nodded.
"I'm listening," Dania said simply, and Dave knew that was his signal to begin, so he did.
He told her about how he was a prince and a dragon shifter, and had escaped his plane under his parents orders, as he was the last hope for his people. He explained all about his younger brother, Miles. He told his mate, his whole life story, basically, his history, though he did leave out a lot of it as there just wasn't time to go over the 800 years he'd been on this plane.
"I know you want proof that I'm telling you true," Dave said, slipping into the language of his plane.
"An odd way to phrase a sentence, but I still understood what you meant," Dania said
"Sorry the phrasing is how I used to speak on my plane, as it's more formal," Dave explained. "Now while I can't change all the way into my dragon form, as I'm way too big for your little apartment I can still do a demonstration."
Dania nodded and gestured for Dave to demonstrate wanting so badly to believe him, but she was having trouble doing so. She was barely making ends meet after her family had been murdered.
Yes, she was a powerful witch, which was why her family had been murdered in the first place because of their magic, but shifters and princes were a little hard to believe, especially dragon shifters.
Dragons were mythological beasts that had never really existed as far as Dania knew.
But if what Dave was saying was true, perhaps they had existed on this plane thousands of years ago. It was even possible that some of Dave's people had settled on this plane long before he was born, and that was where the legends of dragons came from.
She'd ponder that possibility later.
Dania came out of her pondering and watched as Dave transformed one of his hands into claws and also the arm transformed and had burnished black scales the same color as his hair.
"I can show you my full form later," Dave offered. "It will have to be outside though. Somewhere I am sure of complete privacy, where no one is likely to come up on us, as I give you that demonstration.
"Just transforming your right hand and arm was amazing enough," Dania finally said, as she stared at Dave's transformed arm, and then his hands where his fingers had long, wicked looking claws where his fingernails had used to be.
"You think that's impressive, then you should see me in my full dragon form," Dave told her smiling a little, as he was happy that his mate found just transforming part of his body impressive.
"We can worry about that later," Dania said practically. "I would love to see it, but if you're really that large in your other form, then this is not the place to do it."
"No, it's not, because there's a window right over there for one thing and somebody could conceivably see through the window and see me transformed," Dave said. "They might not believe what they see and might think they imagined it, but why take the risk?"
"How likely do you think that is? We are on the second floor after all," Dania pointed out.
"Probably not too likely, but caution has been my byword ever since me and others arrived on this plane," Dave said. "My brother has already made multiple attempts, through others to kill me and I don't expect that to stop until he's dead."
"Your own brother must truly be selfish to try to kill you off," Dania said, shaking her head in disbelief. "He's your blood so unless you did something truly awful to him why would he want to kill off his own brother?"
"Because there was basically, no chance he would ever have the throne so long as our parents and me were alive, as I'm the oldest," Dave explained simply. "Dragons are notoriously long lived and live for many centuries. That doesn't even cover the fact that if I were to ever have a child, then they would be next in line for the dragon throne, not Miles. Something catastrophic would have to happen for Miles to even have a small chance of ruling over my people. It's why I believe that my brother did what he did and made promises to the nobles, ones who are greedy, and selfish. Over many years he got a lot of people stirred up like the peasantry, as some of them don't appreciate their lot and would take Miles side if he promised to make them nobles or at least give them more money than they've ever seen. It finally ended several decades later with the rebels, taking the palace. I have no doubt he made promises to whoever he got on his side. To the nobles, I'm sure he told them that he would raise taxes so they would have even more money than they already do not caring of course, that would make a lot of people serfs. People who live from the land might not have much, but they still have food in their bellies and clothes on their backs. If Miles has had his way over the last nearly eight hundred years though that would have rapidly changed.
"So, your parents were basically fair and just rulers, and your brother resented the fact that he wasn't first in line for the throne," Dania summarized and Dave nodded.
"Basically, yes," Dave agreed.
"So do you think your parents are still alive?" Dania asked.
"While I sincerely hope they are it's doubtful," Dave said. "Miles wouldn't have wanted to take the risk of them escaping whatever prison he had them in, as there are plenty of people who would try a rescue, ones that are loyal to the crown. While I would like to believe they are still alive, I also have no doubt that Miles executed them, even though they are his parents. My brother has absolutely no familiar feeling for our parents or me.
"To him, I'm an impediment to what he wants and that's to rule over my kingdom with an iron fist. If I do ever manage to take back my realm it's going to take a long time to undo all the damage my brother, and those supporting him have caused.
"I would like you to be part of that whenever it happens," Dave finally told his mate. "I would like you to travel with me. I would like to give you anything you want to love and protect you."
"I can protect myself as you saw when we confronted, Buddy and his gang," Dania reminded him gently, though inside she was thrilled at the prospect.
It would be so fantastic to be able to travel to see things that others had never seen.
"Still, you're only one person and there's no way you could take on a whole gang by yourself, not even with magic," Dave said.
"So, you saw me throw that fireball at Buddy," Dania said.
"I did, from where I was positioned outside your apartment," Dave said. "I had already thought that you had to be some kind of supernatural and not just a human, since you're my mate, and there are no ordinary humans on my plane."
"So, all the people on your plane are shifters then?" Dania asked.
"We have witches too, as well as other species, there just aren't any ordinary humans," Dave corrected gently. "We had several witches that were part of the royal court, and I'm sure they're either traitors or dead now if they displayed their loyalty to my parents. Anybody that dares display loyalty to the rightful ruling family Miles will have executed I guarantee it, as he wouldn't dare leave them alive in case of a possible later betrayal. If Miles is anything, it is greedy and ambitious much like the nobles that betrayed the crown because they're the same way."
"I'm sorry you had to flee your world Dave," Dania offered. "That you had to become a refugee from your own realm and all because your brother is so greedy."
"Let's not forget, ambitious and selfish," Dave said. "Miles doesn't care what he does to the peasantry so long as he gets what he wants. He doesn't care if people starve or are executed, because they're loyal to my parents and therefore, to me. Miles doesn't care about anyone but himself, not even those that are supposedly on his side."
"So why didn't you stay behind and form a coup to take back the throne?" Dania asked.
"Because my parents ordered me to escape as they knew, I was the only hope for my people," Dave said. "Miles would've had no trouble executing me, because I am the oldest and it wouldn't have mattered that I'm his brother. As I explained earlier, there was absolutely no chance Miles would ever rule over my people, not legitimately anyway. The only way it was going to happen was the way he did it by stirring up everybody who were not content with the way things were and having a coup."
"If I hadn't been ordered to leave, I would have stayed and fought, but I've come to realize over the last 800 years that my parents were right that I was the last hope for the people of my realm. I had to live in order to take back the throne."
"So, you left because your parents ordered you to go," Dania said thoughtfully, and Dave nodded.
"I had no choice but to obey, as no one disobeyed the king not even his son and heir to the throne. When the king commanded you to do something you did it whether you wanted to or not. If I was anything, it was loyal to my parents and the realm and so I fled when ordered to do so," Dave explained.
"I'm sure your parents wanted you to live so that you could retake the throne at some point," Dania suggested. "Since you have no other siblings, other than your traitor of a brother that is, then I'm sure both your parents saw the inevitably of you fighting your brother's forces and only getting yourself killed. I mean, where would your kingdom be if you got yourself killed leaving only your brother to rule?"
"I realized that sometime ago," Dave agreed soberly. "It's just that I feel sympathy for all those that my brother is grinding under his heel. If I ever take back the throne, I might never be able to correct all the damage that he did with his excesses."
"There's nothing you can do about it at the moment, though," Dania said logically.
"No, there's not," Dave agreed looking sad. "Back to my original question though, before we part for the night. Will you agree to be my mate?"
"You do know that I'm not going to live as long as you do since while witches are notoriously long lived they don't live as long as your species apparently does," Dania said really wanting to take Dave up on his offer.
For one thing, she really liked this man, even though she had only known him for a short time as really they had only met once at the restaurant where she worked.
She felt more attracted to him than she ever had to any other man and most men would never look twice at her anyway. If any man paid attention to her at all, it wasn't in the respectful way that Dave treated her. It was to pinch her behind and call her sweetie or honey, and then to make an inappropriate offer. Not a single one of the men that had done that had offered her anything but a temporary relationship and it was clear to her that they didn't really care about her personally just the fact that she was a beautiful woman whom they would have sex with and then casually discard.
Those men didn't care if they ruined her reputation.
Dave, on the other hand, Dania could already tell would be different if she dared accept his offer.
"You see that's the thing," Dave begin to explain. "If you agree to be my mate, I'll give you my tooth and once you swallow, we'll be connected and you'll take on my longevity as well as some of my faster healing ability."
"I don't know how I can possibly swallow one of your teeth, as I think I'd choke and also that seems rather gross, I might add," Dania said making a face.
"You see that's the thing. I'll use some of my magic to turn it into a pill that you swallow," Dave explained calmly. "Once you do we'd be connected from that moment on and you would know if I was in trouble and vice versa. You could also help me heal and vice versa if either one of us is ever seriously injured because of someone that my brother hired to kill me."
"That sounds like quite the perk," Dania said looking fascinated.
"It's just the way our species has always been," Dave shrugged. "The only drawback is that whoever one of us gives their tooth to in order to extend their life or for any other reason that person will never be able to go far away from that dragon they gave them the tooth. No more than 30 or 40 miles away."
"That doesn't seem like a great distance to me," Dania said.
"It's really not. No more than three or four days walking or less riding," Dave agreed.
"So, you've never given one of your teeth to anyone so that they shared your longevity," Dania asked, and Dave shook his head.
"There was never any need," Dave said. "I only have so many teeth that I can do that with and so most dragon shifters use them sparingly. It might be a unique gift of our race, but some dragon shifters never use any of their teeth like I've just described. You will be the first for me if you would accept my offer, which means we can never be far apart."
Dave looked at his fine pocket, watch and saw how late it was.
"It is time for me to depart for the night, but we can talk more after your shift tomorrow. Just please think about my offer."
"I will," Dania promised. "It's not like I can stay around here after I shot Buddy with that fireball, as a lot of people don't like witches and there is no way that Buddy or any of his friends will keep their mouths shut. It's probably time for me to go elsewhere."
"You've never had to deal with the situation using magic before," Dave guessed and Dania shook her head.
"No, a few hours ago was the first time I've had to use my magic and it's a good thing as my mother had just begun teaching me when my home was attacked, and all my family was killed, except for me and only because I hid."
"If you want to tell me the story, you're welcome to, but not tonight, it's late," Dave offered knowing he had been at least partially right about his mate, having no family to call her own, but not because they had abandoned her or thrown her out, but because they had been murdered.
"I would love to get back at the men that murdered my family just because we had magic," Dania told him truthfully looking mournful, as she thought about her family. "We had never done anyone any harm, but still those men burst into our home and killed everyone I loved. I had always known that some people didn't like those with magic, as we were different from them, but that brought home the fact that some people deeply hated anybody who was different.
"The man that busted into my family's home that night didn't care that we had never done harm to another living soul, the fact, that we were magical was enough reason for them to hate us.
"I had always known that magical weren't always accepted, but most people just disdained and avoided us, but didn't outright seek to kill us when they learned what we were."
Here Dania started to sniffle as talking about what it happened to. her family had brought up all the old emotions of loss and grief.
She had been grief-stricken when those men had burst into her family's home and killed her parents and all of her siblings and all because they were magical."
"I promise you those men will pay for what they did to your family," Dave promised her fiercely, but also tenderly. "If you know their names, you are welcome to tell me and they will pay for what they did to your family and likely others that were like you. I know very well that they will probably never face punishment otherwise for their crimes because a lot of people don't like those with magic, including some men on the police force or in the government. I'm sure that those types of people in law-enforcement see nothing wrong with what these men are doing and so aren't interested in actually upholding the law, so that they get away with it.
"I know it's been years since it happened, but that doesn't mean that they don't deserve to pay for the murder of your family and I'm also sure many others that had magic."
"You don't have to do that. I don't want you to end up severely injured or even dead because you took them on. They could do the same thing to you that they did too my family and I don't want that. It's best to leave the past in the past," Dania told Dave suddenly worried for this man that she liked a whole lot.
"You see, that's the thing Dania," Dave told her smiling gently. "I was trained as a young dragonling on my old plane and although I haven't had to practice most of those skills in some time, I still remember them, even if they are rusty. I wouldn't have survived so long from my brother's attempts to kill me off if not for that training when I was young. I was trained as a warrior and leader of my people so that I could defend my throne from all those who would try to take it. I only left my plane originally, because my brother had too many backing him up at that time and while I could probably handle half a dozen or so at one time, even I couldn't handle 20 or 30 men at once. If I had tried I would soon have been overcome due to the odds and likely have ended up dead.
"As for the men that attacked your home, I doubt very much I'll end up facing more than one of them at a time and if that's case, it'll be easy to arrange their deaths. Those men that attacked your home do not sound like warriors, but like bullies who hate everything that is different from them. To some people, it doesn't matter if your family or other magic users had ever done anything to them to deserve retribution. They just went ahead and meted it out like it was their right to do so. Since the cops aren't going to do anything about them so long as they stick to those with magic then I guess it's up to me."
"While it's nice that you're worried about me there's no need," Dave finished. "Those men deserve to die for all the deaths they've likely been a part of, and not because the people they killed committed any crimes, but simply because they were different. Basically, they are serial killers. Since the police haven't done anything about them and won't until someone more prominent is killed or they would have back when your family was killed if not before that event. Since that's the case justice must come in another form."
"A report was filed I know that much, as the neighbors reported the men that broke into our home. If you just listen and stay quiet, you can pick up a lot," Dania added. "Most people ignore children and I wasn't even a teenager when my family was killed."
"So, what did you do once your family was no longer around to protect you?" Dave asked. "You would've been too young to have a job or to really survive on your own."
"Some of the neighbors were kind enough to see I got fed at least once a day since my family lived in a small town. I usually slept in someone's barn. It was a small farming community, where people actually looked out for each other. The cops though refused to listen and though I didn't hear them say so they probably thought that it was a good thing what those men had done.
"I know a lot of people believe that magicals are a disease that needs to be eradicated and while most people never act on what they believe, those men did and I'm sure they won't be the last to do so."
"Which is what led to those men killing your family," Dave summarized and Dania nodded. "So why didn't some family offer you house room until you were of age if they were really that kind and caring?"
"They didn't want to be caught giving me shelter, just in case. If the cops had figured out that I hadn't died along with my family word might've gotten out that I was still alive, even if that was only through gossip," Dania explained. "It was also possible that those men would've come back and found out that I was still alive and none of my neighbors wanted to be caught up in what had happened to my family. They all had families to protect so no, I couldn't really blame them for not openly letting me live with them.
"I also couldn't really blame them for not wanting to be caught up in my mess, because I can see those men killing off whoever was discovered as to having helped me survive. I was grateful for their silent, secret support and sleeping in a haystack or up in a hayloft was certainly better than the alternative. Once I hit eighteen though, I knew that secret support would end and so I made plans to head to the city after my 18th birthday. I couldn't expect them to keep supporting me forever."
Dave could easily see those men killing off anyone that had given his mate house room if they had come back so he couldn't really blame them for not taking her in. He was grateful for what the community had done, even if Dania had ended up sleeping in haystacks and haylofts until she was 18.
"I meant my offer of helping you get revenge on those men that killed your family," Dave told her finally as he rose to leave. "At least think about it."
"I will," Dania promised, as Dave finally left after Dania, had checked both sides of the hallway to make sure there was no one else around, as it wouldn't do for Dave to be caught at her home this late with no chaperone.
~~~Dave and Dania~~~