Dealing with Dragons (Glob!) [M]

[DragonSong]

"Oh."

Yeah. That was very different from the story she'd been told.

"Well, that's...I'm sorry?" she offered a little lamely. "I didn't realize- I've never heard of a dragon being forced like that. I honestly didn't think anyone would have the spine to try it."

[DaGlobster]

"Well they'd been hunting me for the dragon knights for a while. They feared my power, wanted to wield it instead of fear it."

He frowned a bit.

"I'll never like what I did for my freedom, but it's what I had to do."

[DragonSong]

"I...can understand that." She sighed and sipped at her drink. "To be honest, I've always been afraid of you lot," she said, gesturing to him with her free hand. "I mean, I've seen riders and dragons with this deep, intense bond, but then there are others...and I can't help thinking, what happens when the dragons figure out how small we really are?"

[DaGlobster]

"Oh, we're perfectly aware," Merradin said, shooting her a sympathetic smirk.

"But us dragons have no quarrel with you. We're content with lazing in our hoards and trimming the fat off the edges of mankind. Sure, if we wanted, we could sink our teeth into the juicy meat, but if the humans go, then who'll make the treasure we collect?"

[DragonSong]

The color drained from her face and she cleared her throat awakardly. "Yes, well...I suppose that's a good point," she murmured.

After another moment of silence, she asked, "So then...why did you help me? If humans are just treasure making pests, why bother saving one lone girl?"

[DaGlobster]

"Because I'm not like the others," Merradin said, nodding his head proudly.

"I've spent a lot of time among humans, watching them, conversing with them, drinking with them," he said, smirking at his last few words.

"As I've sated my curiosity over the centuries, I learned that humans, save for outwards appearances, are just like us dragons. Some are kind, some are evil. Humans can be powerful, weak, rich, poor..."

he trailed off to take a sip.

"You'd be surprised just how similar we are."

[DragonSong]

Elora nursed her drink, mulling that over. "I suppose that makes sense." She blinked, suddenly having a little trouble keeping her eyes open.

"Where do you get stuff like this?" she asked, nodding to her glass.

[DaGlobster]

"I buy it," Merradin said plainly, and he took a heartier sip.

He looked as if he  was about to say something else, but then he took a quick sniff of the air, and nodded.

"Dinner's ready," he said, and he stood from the ground.

"Need a hand?"

[DragonSong]

"Oh. Yeah, thanks." She took his hand and got to her feet. "Whoa."

The world tilted slightly, then righted itself again. She frowned at the glass in her hand. "Okay. Maybe I shouldn't be drinking this if all I've had to eat in the last few days is two apples," she muttered.

[DaGlobster]

"Hrm, I'm tempted to agree," Merradin said, and he laughed softly.

Maybe you should save the rest of it for dinner," he said, and he darted into the kitchen to serve the food up into some plates.

"Please, take a seat!" he called from the kitchen.

Elora might find it interesting to have a dragon of all things serve her some dinner, but in all actuality, Merradin kind of enjoyed it! It wasn't often that he had guests, after all, and even then, any dragonesses he brought over were usually more interested in his hoard than sticking around for dinner.

[DragonSong]

"Er, thanks." She took a seat cautiously and tied to keep her still damp hair out of her face. Curious about the sheer...oddness of the situation, she asked slowly, "Do you entertain guests...like me often? Humans?"

[DaGlobster]

"Hm? Oh, no, not often. I don't even entertain guest that often in general," Merradin said. He came out of the kithen bearing two plates, which contained a generous helping of perfectly slow-cooked buffalo steak and potatoes, and set one down in front of Elora and then at the seat next to her. Much like his house, the dining table was small, but exquisite.

He spoke as he went back to get the stew.

"You're the first guest I've had in five years. I entertain the ones I do get, though. It's always nice to have some company."

He set the stew down at their places and sat down in his seat.

"I think I really outdid myself this time."

[DragonSong]

"It, ah, all looks delicious," Elora said, sincere if a little befuddled. "I...hope you won't take this the wrong way, but I wouldn't have thought a dragon would be a cook."

[DaGlobster]

Merradin chuckled, and cut a piece of steak with a knife before delicately sticking a fork in it.

"You wouldn't be wrong. Dragons just eat their meat raw, or char it to a crisp," he said, and shuddered at the thought.

"Once I picked up cooking from humans, I never looked back."

[DragonSong]

"Huh." She picked at er own meal and her eyes widened a bit. "Wow! This is really good."

Well- that and she was starving. She supposed that could be a factor in how she thought the food tasted, but she had a feeling it would have been quite delicious on its own.

[DaGlobster]

"Thank you!"

Merradin smiled at her, happy to see his cooking was up to snuff.

"I think I'm going to take a bath after dinner," he said, sipping from his wine before following it down with a spoonful of stew.

[DragonSong]

"Ah, right." She tilted her head. "Is there somewhere I should- I mean, I don't want to invade your privacy, but this space is very..." She waved a hand. "Open."

A little shrug. "Maybe I should just wait in here for you to finish?"

[DaGlobster]

"Hardly! I don't mind," Merradin said, and why would he? If she could see what he looked like beneath the blue velvet robe that he wore around his home, perhaps she'd understand his confidence.

"Bodies are bodies. You may roam the house as you will," he said, pausing between sentences to eat.

[DragonSong]

"Errr...alright then."

A week ago she probably wouldn't have thought much differently than him. Her eyes flicked down at herself and she frowned.

She'd never been ashamed of her body before. Almost more than anything else Dehak had done to her, she was slowly realizing that shame, that instinctive fear, was what she found truly unforgivable.

At least, that's how it felt looking back on it.

[DaGlobster]

Merradin gave her a sidelong smile as he continued to eat.

"I suppose you'll be wanting to return to your people as soon as possible?"