We reached the summit and Onyx gently landed on an outcropping in front of a rather unremarkable cave. She shifted back into her human form after setting me down gently. It was cold this high up, but the sun was shining without a cloud in the sky and kept me from shivering. Still, I was happy to duck inside the cave’s entrance without any delay. My eyes slowly adjusted to the lighting and I saw that within the cave, there was a long walkway with a drop off on either side. At the far end of the walkway, rivers flowed from deeper in the cave and cascaded down to the chasm below it. The pools of water below shimmered, small spheres glowing with pink and blue light scattered along the bottom of the pool. The walkway was covered in soft moss and crystals grew in undulating patterns along the sides of the walkway, forming a railing of sorts. Pillars of crystal held more spheres to provide soft light and the roof of the cave was covered in another form of moss, this one giving off a blue luminescence.

Onyx let me take in the sight at my own pace, gently leading me along as I turned my head from side to side, trying to see everything at once. We crossed the walkway and reached a wall, the rivers on the sides running parallel to the wall with their sources flowing from small openings. The wall contained an arched opening with a stone door covered in delicate silver patterns of leaves and flowers blocking the view deeper in the cave. Onyx shaped some of her mana into glyphs and pressed the glyphs into specific points on the door. It opened with a soft rumble.

We continued to the room beyond which was a cozy room carved from the rock of the mountain. More moss carpeted the floor of the cave while stalactites with glowspheres embedded in them provided lighting from above. There was a kitchen on one side of the room with an oven carved into the wall and a sink filled with dishes set into a counter topped with slate. I do not know why the kitchen caught my attention first but I did muse to myself that getting plumbing working must have been a challenge. The center of the room was dominated by a slightly sunken pit filled with pillows and blankets of all kinds while the side opposite the kitchen contained shelves filled with books. Directly opposite the entrance, there was a hallway that led deeper into the cave, with branching paths that curved out of reach.


Onyx gently nudged me towards the pit. “Make yourself comfortable. My home is open to you and you may go wherever you wish. However, before I give you the grand tour of the rest of the lair, I thought I might make lunch and then we can have a nice chat.” She looked oddly nervous, her eyes searching my face for something but I couldn’t quite guess what she was looking for. I flashed her a smile. My stomach groaned quietly at the mention of food.

“Lunch would be wonderful, thank you. Your home is beautiful, at least what I’ve seen thus far.”  Onyx practically glowed with joy, a satisfied smile on her face. She went over to the kitchen while I removed my sandals and set my pack down. I walked over to the book shelves, impressed with the selection. Books on various disciplines of magic, encyclopedias for lands I had never heard of, books on gardening and metallurgy, and a surprisingly well stocked section of what looked to be stories of all sorts of women. Love stories, adventure stories, thrillers, and horror. The unifying feature being that they centered on women. I recognized a few of the titles, Maple had copies back in the town library and I had even read a few. I blushed when I realized that a lot of the common titles were the ones about women falling in love with each other and some of them were quite detailed indeed. Maple had always teased me for how much I had enjoyed those but I found them far more interesting than the other stories about handsome men saving princesses and ladies.

Onyx called to me as she bustled around the kitchen, opening hidden panels in the wall to retrieve ingredients within. One of the recesses was even covered in frost and condensation. “You are more than welcome to read any of the books that catch your interest. I don’t have any particular system, just return it to the section you found it when you are done. Ah, I forgot to ask: any food you don’t like that I should know about?” She seemed nervous again, clearly wanting to form a good impression.

“I’m not a picky eater, Maple always encouraged me to be a little adventurous with food. We actually get together at least once a month to cook together. I always look forward to that.”

Onyx smiled, a dreamy expression in her eyes. “Maple always was an incredible cook. She taught me, y’know? When we started adventuring together. I’ll never forget the first night I had cooking duty and I tried to use pyromancy to sear some steaks and scorched the outside with the inside still raw. She was so mad! ‘How the hell did you ever get your adventurer certification if you can’t even handle camp cooking!’ But she was kind and patient with me under all that bluster and before long I became a pretty good cook. Not nearly as good as her though.”

She gathered some rather large eggs and some onions and mushrooms and set them on the counter. I noticed that part of the counter had a metal plate embedded into it, slightly raised from the surface. Onyx sent motes of flame mana into little crystals around the plate which began to heat up while she chopped the veggies and mixed the eggs. It was fascinating to watch her work, her movements sure and practiced and so similar to how Maple cooked. I found a comfortable spot in the relaxing pit to watch, surprised at how soft the cushions were. I suppose dragons are partial to their comforts like the rest of us.

In no time at all, she had some very tasty omelettes made and sliced up some bread. I had to stifle a giggle when I watched her use her flame breath to toast the slices. Something about watching a dragon, a being feared far and wide, happily puttering around like a domestic housewife was incredibly amusing. Wait, domestic housewife didn’t really fit. Feral housewife. I couldn’t contain a little giggle over that. I did have to wonder just where she got all of her ingredients. Pondering that caused the mental image of Onyx, wearing a flowing dress that contrasted sharply with her toned physique, merrily going from stall to stall in a market as she shopped for the weekly meals. That image sent me into another fit of giggling.

I let out a comfortable sigh as she handed me the plate and took her own spot in the pit. I don’t know exactly what it was about being around her but I felt safe and comfortable, like I could just let down my guard and enjoy the moment. We ate in companionable silence, our attention fixated on the food at hand. And it was delicious. She was lying about not being as good as Maple. This was easily one of the best meals I’d ever eaten. There was a low table in the center of the pit and we set our plates down at nearly the same moment. Onyx sat back with a contented groan and stretched out before getting comfortable along the wall of the pit, her eyes on me as I did the same.

“So, now that we are nice and full, how about we have a chat? I’m sure you have many questions and we have all the time in the world to discuss.”

I nodded. “It is difficult to decide where to begin...but I am very curious to know what you know about Teara. I’ve tried for years, decades even, to find details about her but nobody seems to know much at all. And I’m still waiting to hear about how she apparently created dragons.”

Onyx waved a hand and the lights in the room dimmed to a comfortable low glow. “Well, there is a reason you wouldn’t find much about Teara. I mentioned before that she is the goddess of freedom and chaos. She stands apart from the rest of the pantheon. The pantheon are all divinities that Felgran either created or uplifted over the eons, their purposes assigned by him and each serving their place in his Great Design. He grants them domains and they are empowered by worshippers within those domains. A system that has worked fairly well for ages. Teara on the other hand, raised herself to divinity. I’ve heard that even Felgran is not entirely sure how she managed to do so and she herself is rather coy about it, when I’ve asked her about it.” She paused while my eyes nearly popped out of my skull at the implication that she just has casual chats with my goddess. She continued a moment later. “Teara serves as a sort of release for Felgran’s design. She is outside of his authority and planning but her presence allows others who don’t fit in to have a place of their own. Felgran seems to understand and even approve of this, which is why the rest of the pantheon can’t entirely ignore her or refuse to respect her.”

“Teara favors and shelters those who are misfits and outcasts. She approves of people charting their own paths and living in ways that fulfill them. It is with that in mind that you can understand how and why she created the first dragon.” Onyx raised a finger and a steady stream of fog filled the air above the table. I watched as shapes and colors painted the fog as she spoke, the images corresponding with her story. “Long ago there was a woman born in a city by the sea. Unfortunately for her, her parents mistook her for a boy. She spent her youth trying to convince them and the others around her that she was a woman, but they were set in their ways and decided they knew her better than she knew herself. They treated her cruelly when she asserted her identity and she suffered for years. Her rage grew and grew and the goddess took note of her.”

Onyx’s expression grew cold and strained as she described the woman’s pain. The fog showed the cruel people shearing the woman’s hair and destroying the beautiful things she clung to. I felt a deep discomfort at the scenes but could not look away.

“Teara praised her for her resilience and her strength in staying true to herself. The woman glared at the goddess and said that she needed no praise, for what good was that to her? She demanded a boon from the goddess, saying that if Teara truly stood for freedom then she should help the woman to be free to live and not just survive. The goddess was pleased.

‘You are right to mock my praise and demand my support. I see that empty words will not aid you, for your will is iron and your determination blazes like the sun. You need no platitudes to cling to. So, I will grant you the boon you seek. I will grant you a form that suits your power and will shield you against those who would see you broken. Wings to soar to lands of your choosing, talons to carve your path, and scales to armor and adorn you, so that all are forced to recognize your majesty.’ The goddess was true to her word and Luna the First Dragon took to the skies. Her tormentors pleaded with her, trying to excuse their crimes with empty claims that they only cared about her. She repaid their cruelty with fire and fang. When it was done, she perched at the highest point of the city by the sea, alone. For all had been complicit in her suffering. When her rage was spent, she found new aspects to her gift and took on a human form once more, only now her form was as radiant as her soul. Teara walked beside her and asked Luna if she felt empty now that her justice was served.” The fog showed a tall woman standing above a shattered city, ashes on her face and her long hair streaming behind her in the breeze. She stood clad only in her skin and scales, her horns jagged and worn, her tail curled around her leg. Another woman stood next to her, looking thoughtful.

“Luna answered the goddess: ‘I am content with my works. Now I am free of the cage and can truly begin to live.’ The goddess was pleased and told Luna that she and others like her would always be favored by Teara and that the gift was hers to share. For there would always be those who would force others into the prisons of their designs and dragons would remind them of the frailty of cages. Luna made the shattered remnants of her home into her lair and it is said that she created beautiful gardens and monuments with the peace she had claimed. In time, others were blessed with Teara’s gift, some who were gifted by dragons, some by the goddess, and some who were born of dragons. Never many, for those suited for Teara’s gift were rare and most were content within gilded cages. But dragons endure and remind the world of the frailty of order.” Onyx finished her story as the fog showed the image of a dragon in flight, free to soar the skies. I sat quietly as the fog vanished and the lights grew brighter.

I licked my lips, my throat suddenly dry as I struggled to ask the questions that burned in my mind. “You said that Luna’s parents and neighbors mistook her for a boy. How is such a thing possible? Wouldn’t it have been obvious?”

Onyx tilted her head curiously before understanding glittered in her eyes. “Ah, I forget that Rivermist is a bit of a backwater. I’m a little surprised that Maple never talked about this with you. For most people, the form that bodies take determine one’s nature and they never question if there are other possibilities. For Luna, and myself, our bodies didn’t match the shape of our souls. In other lands, people like me are recognized for who we are and it is accepted when we declare ourselves. In some cultures, we are even worshipped as signs of the infinite mystery of the world. But in other lands, including the one you live in, our existence is unknown or purposefully denied. People take comfort in believing they know how the world functions and that everything fits into well defined roles. Anything that reveals the lie is treated with scorn and ridicule. Teara’s gift is meant to try to shelter those whose fire would otherwise be smothered.”

My mind reeled as I tried to process what she was saying. I had always assumed that one was born a man or a woman and there was no question. The idea that there could be people who stood apart from that idea, whose natures and gender could be something else...my mind pulled away from trying to follow that concept further, like a child recoiling from a fire after burning their hand. And Onyx said that she was like Luna? My confusion grew. How could anyone mistake a woman like Onyx for being anything other than what she was: a beautiful and powerful woman.


She watched me with a thoughtful expression though I barely registered her presence anymore. My thoughts were racing out of control and my awareness closed in around me until I wasn’t even sure if I was breathing. I felt like there was something, deep in my mind, that stirred at her words but I couldn’t find it. It danced out of my reach. My chest ached as a tight knot formed there, my emotions blazing out of control. I felt gentle hands take hold of me and lift me.

“Sarric, it is ok. You’ve gone through a lot but I’ve got you. Take your time and rest, nobody will hurt you here.” Her tone was soft and warm, covering me like a blanket. I felt myself calm as my thoughts quieted and I felt sleep begin to take me. I clung to her like a child and she hummed a little song. The song followed me as I fell into dreams.


My dreams were fragmented and hazy, memories of my youth surrounding me like bubbles. But the memories were off, the colors all washed out and the emotions dulled. Muffled sounds reached my ears but I had to strain to understand the words. The voices of the boys I grew up with, the hunters they became, mocking me for not being like them. I pleaded with them, trying to make them understand that I was trying and I didn’t know why I was different. I got better at hiding, at acting the part they wanted but it wasn’t enough. Eventually the dreams ceased and I knew only darkness.

I woke slowly, covered in soft blankets and surrounded by comfortable pillows. My dreams faded quickly from memory, leaving me with only a sense of unease like a splinter in my mind. My body felt well rested but my mind felt drained like I had cried for hours, though I hadn’t done so since I was a child. I looked around the room, taking in my surroundings. I was in a bedroom, that much was clear, the walls covered in soft tapestries showing tranquil forests. More glowspheres hung from the ceiling, their light nearly extinguished. I imbued my eyes with magic and saw runes on their surface that would determine how bright they glowed. I sent some mana to the spheres and the room grew bright and cheerful. I saw a chair by the door with some clothes set out on it, my own clothes from my pack, and a note.

“It has been a day since we arrived at the lair, you’ve been catching up on your sleep. I hope you don’t mind me searching through your pack for the clothes, but I figured you would want something clean and comfortable when you awoke. The door across the hall from you leads to a bathroom, feel free to wash up and see me when you are ready. -Onyx”

I felt a tired smile as I read. It was a bit funny that I had ever been frightened of her, she was a big softy. Even Maple was rougher with me than Onyx. It was a fascinating contradiction from what I had thought dragons were like.

I gathered up my change of clothes and crossed the hall to the bathroom. It was fancier than I was used to, there was a sink that once again made me wonder how she got running water working, a mirror--


There was a bathtub that had glowspheres embedded in it and a strange spout coming out of the wall above it. I fiddled with the glowspheres in the ceiling, turning them way down low and the ones in the tub just up high enough for me to see. When the lighting was just right, I stripped down and activated another glyph near the strange spigot. Water streamed out from it and I grasped its purpose finally. I fiddled with some of the smaller glyphs, figuring out that they controlled temperature. When I had it just the right degree of hot, I stepped in and quickly washed off all the grime from travel. A recess in the wall contained soaps that smelled absolutely divine, like flowers in bloom after a rain. I lingered a bit longer than I normally did when washing up, enjoying the feel of the soft soap on my skin and the dull beat of the water falling on me. My mind wandered and I found myself wondering why I had such a strong reaction to Onyx’s story. A vague sense of unease had settled in as she was speaking and it had yet to go away. Or maybe it had been there all along?

Something about it felt familiar but I couldn’t imagine how. Surely if I had felt such things before, I would have noticed it. Maybe I just felt sympathy for Luna’s pain before she was able to be free? My thoughts turned to imagining what it must have been like to soar the skies for the first time, to feel the sun on scales, and to know that you could go wherever you wished. I envied her and Onyx as well. Onyx had said that the goddess’ gift could be shared...no there was no way I could ask her about something like that. Surely that was the sort of thing that had to be earned and only important people could receive such a gift. And I wasn’t important. Just a nobody priest from a backwater. Yeah Sarric, stop the daydreaming and be realistic.

I activated the glyph again to shut the water off with a regretful sigh and looked around the bathroom again. I spotted some towels that turned out to be incredibly soft and I was able to dry myself off easily enough. I hurried and put on my clothes, happy to be covered up once more. The hunters might tease me for my vestments but they were some of the comfiest clothes I owned and I always felt better when wearing them.

I marvelled at the sophistication that I had seen in Onyx’s lair as I went to leave the bathroom. It isn’t like Rivermist didn’t have plumbing and such but those were reserved for bathhouses and other public buildings. Having them in your own home? Stories of dragons enjoying luxury weren’t as far fetched as Onyx had made it sound it seems. I would have to ask her about that later.

I wandered through the halls trying to find where my host was. I was stunned once more at how much plant life was growing within her lair. Cave flowers and soft mosses and walls covered in ivy were everywhere. Maple had always had a way with plants and it seemed her former lover shared that enthusiasm. In many ways, the lair felt like home. My unease faded a bit as I wandered though it didn’t vanish completely. I found my way back to the entrance of the lair but saw no sign of Onyx there. Turning back to the hallways, I followed them until my skin tingled with the feel of magic being worked. Tuning my vision, I was able to see those motes of mana I had noticed around Onyx before but now they were streaming towards the end of the hallway, through the first wooden door I had seen in the lair. It too was covered in soft ivy vines with leaves tinged silver. I hesitated before opening the door, worried I was interrupting something important but I remembered that she wanted me to treat this place as my home and told myself that she would have warned me if there was danger.


The sight that greeted me took my breath away. The door opened into a large cavern that had large crystalline spheres embedded in the ceiling. They weren’t glowspheres, they were transparent crystals that light streamed through. The cavern was filled with all manner of plants, like a subterranean nursery. And a good many of the plants were strange, their leaves shimmering like metal. Some were bushes that had what looked like gemstone berries glimmering among their fronds. A few trees grew near the rear of the cavern, their white bark threaded through with veins of obsidian and slate.

My host stood in the center of the cavern, by a spring that was clearly the source of the streams I had seen elsewhere. She was singing softly to herself in those velvety tones I had heard before but without the deep rumble that was present at the battle. This was Onyx in the act of creation, not destruction. She had threaded flowers through her hair and she was wearing only a bra and sarong with some shorts. Combined with her draconic features, she looked like some primal nature spirit. Her muscles glittered with the sweat of exertion though I could tell that it was from complex magical workings and not some other form of exercise. My magical vision was still active and I could see the threads of mana pulsing in the plant life and the ambient mana gathering into starburst motes of life energy.


Onyx finished her work with a happy sigh and I saw a small bed of flowers in front of her that soaked up the magic she had been shaping. She grinned as she saw me staring and beckoned me closer.

“I’m glad you are finally awake. I was a little worried when you were asleep for so long but you’ve been through a lot lately and some rest seemed like a good idea.” She paused, looking at me closely in a way that made me feel like she could see right into my mind. “Sarric...are you alright? I promised Maple that I would take care of you and I’m here if you need anything at all.”

I gave a half hearted smile and shrugged. “I’m alright I think. It is just a lot to take in. One day I’m living my nice quiet life and the next I’m meeting you and finding out about Teara and also things about Maple I never knew and.” I paused and caught my breath, halting my rambling long enough to collect myself. “Well I think it is just a lot to process. Still, you said we have a week or so before the hunters make their way back out here, right? I’m looking forward to spending that time here. This place already feels like home, especially with how kind you’ve been to me.”
Onyx beamed at me and pulled me into a hug, though she paused to make sure I was ok with it. She was warm and bigger than me, so I felt enveloped in a blanket of scale and muscle. And sweat. I laughed a little as I pushed away. “I just finished washing up and you are getting your sweat all over me.” I smirked to make it clear I was kidding.

She looked embarrassed as she scratched the back of her head. “Sorry about that, Sarric. I get lost in my work sometimes and forget how much exertion it takes!” She flashed me a cheesy grin. “But come! Let me show you what I’ve been working on. I think you’ll like this little project.”

She walked me through the nursery and explained that she was trying to find ways to grow plants underground that normally required far more sunlight. “Those crystals in the ceiling are actually long tubes that go all the way to the surface. They are hidden in the rocks but they gather in sunlight and direct that down here to the cavern. I’m still tinkering with the exact amount I need combined with magical assistance but as you can see, the results are promising! I was also very fortunate to find this spring as it is perfect for my project. It has just enough minerals in it to make it perfect for the magic I’m developing.”

I looked at her in confusion and then around to the oddly metallic plants.

“Noticed that, did you? I’m trying to find ways to blend earth and plants, to grow metals and gems for when I need them. I trade such things for supplies I need and I’m hoping to perfect the process to share with others.”

I muttered that this felt like a rather strange hobby for a dragon. She got a good laugh out of that.

“What did you think we would do with all this time on our hands? Dragons are effectively immortal, we stay healthy no matter how old we get and unless something strikes us down, we just keep on living. Most of us find hobbies to interest us or simply enjoy all the things life has to offer. Personally, I tend to spend my time with magical experiments, catching up on my reading and cooking, and sometimes just travelling around the land, seeing what new things there are.”

I tried to imagine what it would be like to live like that, to be free to pursue whatever whim or fancy without having to worry about my next meal or shelter. “Wouldn’t that get boring after so long?”

Onyx looked thoughtful at that but shook her head. “I’ve met a few dragons who eventually got tired and decided to spend their time resting away until the world changed enough to interest them again. Still others, a very small group, will decide that they’ve lived enough and find a place to rest eternally. But for me and most others I’ve talked to or heard of, we are so happy to finally be ourselves that each day is a joy to be savored. No matter which path we take, Teara watches over us and when we pass, she greets us as an old friend. Some choose to be reborn, others to dwell in her divine domain, still others seek oblivion. Teara respects our choices and only wishes for us to have the chance to choose.”

She sighed. “The goddess would like for all to have those chances but Felgran has his own thoughts on the shape of the world. They sometimes clash but over the ages they’ve settled into a compromise. Felgran doesn’t interfere with Teara’s children and we are discouraged from interfering too much. Though a little chaos here and there to shake up the order is not always unwelcome, no matter how Felgran’s priesthood might grumble about it.”

I looked away to listen as she spoke, letting my eyes wander over her garden. I was pleased to finally be learning more about my goddess and to find that her nature was exactly what had drawn me to her priesthood in the first place. My eyes caught on something about the flowers she had been working on and I focused on them. They were white lilies of a variety I was familiar with, Maple was fond of them. But in the center of each flower there was a green gemstone. A peridot. Which was also Maple’s favorite stone.

I gave Onyx a wicked smile as she noticed where my attention had gone. “Little projects huh? Like growing a certain someone’s favorite flower and gem?”

She blushed deeply, her usual confidence fading as she chuckled softly. “Listen...Maple was my first love. I...well I still care about her deeply and I may have moved my lair here to see if she might be interested in maybe dating again. I’m growing these flowers while I try to find the right way to ask her. Do you think she’ll like them?”

I grinned. “I think she will love them. She always did have a soft spot for mushy romantic stuff like this. And it might be nice to see her with someone, she hasn’t really dated anyone in all the time I’ve known her.”

Deep down I envied Onyx. Not because I wanted to date Maple, that would be weird. But there was just something about relationships between women that I found mesmerizing. There were a few lesbian couples in town and I had always been oddly jealous when I saw them together. The hunters sometimes talked about them too but I could tell that when they spoke excitedly of those couples, their interest was very different from my own. I had read many stories depicting lesbian love trying to figure out what it was that drew me so but I could never figure out what it was.

“Onyx, can I…” I hesitated, I had spoken before I realized the thoughts that had bubbled to the surface. “Can I ask you a bit about what you meant when you said that you and Luna were alike? That is if that is something you can talk to me about.”

She gave me a knowing look and her face grew serious but not angry. “I would be happy to, Sa--priest. Let me wash up and change into something more suitable.”