Time ceased to have meaning as I stood there, held and loved. I had been fearing and eagerly anticipating this moment for days. Now that it was here, I could do nothing but bask in it. Finally, we separated, only for me to be surprised as Maple reached up and pulled Onyx in for a very passionate kiss.

Onyx spluttered in surprise before melting into Maple’s embrace, a dreamy expression settling on her face. Maple looked happily satisfied as she pulled away. “It has been far too long, darling. I was beginning to wonder when you would visit me, instead of just leaving letters for me to read.”

The ebon scaled dragon blushed deeply and turned her head to the side. “I...well...you see the thing is...let’s go inside and we can talk more.” She ducked into the doorway and made her way further into the house, Maple following with a wry grin and me bringing up the rear as I wondered what was going on. Didn’t Onyx say they had broken up?

Before long we were seated around the table, warm mugs of tea at hand. Onyx stared at hers, trying not to meet Maple’s eyes as she worked through what she wished to say.

“I wanted to see you, truly. But...I thought you needed space still. When we ended things, I was unsure how you felt about me, and I was worried that showing up on your doorstep would be rude of me. I’m only here today because Valora needed the support.” She nodded towards me.

“Valora...Valora. What a beautiful name...I’m glad you finally found it.” Maple gave me a warm smile and grabbed my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. I looked at my mug while a silly grin formed on my face, my quiet joy bubbling to the surface. Maple turned back to Onyx. “I don’t know what you mean about ending things? I’ve been waiting here all this time for you to come see me. I figured you would do so when you were ready. After all, I was the one who wanted to retire for a bit, I’m sure your adventures kept you busy.”

Onyx looked even more confused now. “But you said, back when we spent that night with the Amaranth Hive, that you needed to go far away. I thought you broke up with me? Although now that I think about it, my memories of that night are hazy.”

Maple laughed until tears flowed down her face. She composed herself, wiping the tears away with a lingering giggle. “Oh my goodness, you must have consumed more of their honey than I thought.” She turned to me with a wicked grin. “Amaranth Hive is home to bee women who tend to produce intoxicating honey from their...well.” She motioned to her chest with a mischievous smirk. I felt my face get hot as I realized what she was implying from their time in the Hive. “Those girls do like to party, and I should have known that Onyx consumed more honey than I did.”

The dragon in question shifted in her seat, her face also glowing with embarrassment. “So wait...you didn’t break up with me? You were just waiting here for me to show up? I feel so absurd.” She buried her face in her hands.

Maple chuckled again. “Not to worry dear. I got my wish and had a lovely time in this town, helping the locals and having a little peace and quiet compared to my adventuring days. I was a little annoyed at you, it’s true, but when you live as long as we do then what consequence is a few decades? Not to mention, being here and raising Valora has been a joy.” I turned in my seat, a question rising from the back of my mind. I had always avoided asking how exactly Maple viewed our relationship. She was a mother to me, I knew that, but I had always worried that calling her that would be presumptuous and she would be angry with me. But with my newfound confidence, I felt ready.

“Do...do you really mean that, Mother?” The word I had wished to use for so long escaped me in a whisper. I hesitantly brought my gaze up to look at Maple. Her gentle expression was exactly what I needed to see.

“Oh Valora, I couldn’t ask for a better daughter. I only regret that I was unaware of the struggles you were facing and making you feel like you had to face them alone. Seeing you here with Onyx, happier than I’ve ever seen you, it brings me great joy. How could I not be happy? The two most important women to me are sitting at my table, safe and sound.”

The tears flowed freely down my face once more as it sank in that I had two wonderful mothers who cared for me and who now knew the real me that I had locked away for so long. The joy was a comforting warmth in my chest as I sat and listened to Onyx and Maple catch up on all the years they had spent apart. Onyx was no longer shy now that she knew Maple still loved her, and she told her stories with incredible enthusiasm.

Hours passed and finally we told Maple what had happened with the hunters. Her face filled with horror as I described the full extent of what they had done to me over the years and her expression changed to grim satisfaction as I told of their final fate.

“I always knew the hunters were rotten; I was unaware of the full extent of their evils. I don’t know how the town will take this, but I say good riddance.” I was taken aback by the intensity of my mother’s rage but reminded myself that she had been once known far and wide for how she handled wicked men.

Her words reminded me that the hour was growing late and I had asked for the townsfolk to gather in the square so I could tell them what I had done. Onyx and Maple nodded when I told them it was time and the three of us made our way to the square.

We found Tomas, the mayor, in the town square. A small crowd had gathered but people were still filtering in as they finished their daily work. Tomas looked confused when he looked at me, his brow furrowed in confusion as he tried to place who I was. He glanced up at Maple, looked startled at Onyx as he took in her horns and scales, and then looked back at me with the same expression, as if he just noticed my own horns and scales. I flashed him a toothy grin, fangs on prominent display. He looked over his shoulder at the crowd gathering, a small group among them that was composed of the wealthiest members of town, all looking quite angry. He looked back at us and pulled us off to the side.

He looked at me and hissed quietly. “Sarric? Is that you? Becky told me to gather up the townsfolk to explain some things. I didn’t really understand what all she was going on about, something about you wanting to be a girl now? Where are the hunters at? Are they behind you or did something happen?”

I leaned in close and whispered back to him. “It’s...a long story Tomas. I don’t just want to be a girl, I am one. The name is Valora now, not Sarric.” My voice was even and gentle as I explained but grew harsher as I continued. “As for the hunters? I remember our long discussions in the temple about their wicked actions and how they were a blight on this town. I remember how we prayed for something to turn them from their cruelty and deceit. We both longed to do something about them but feared the fate of the town if we did.” I had grown angrier and angrier as I spoke, sparks of lightning arcing off my face and hands. I took a deep, shuddering breath as Onyx put her hand on my shoulder.

“I killed them, Tomas. I killed every last one of them. They showed up at the dragon’s lair, ready to kill a woman who had shown me kindness beyond my wildest dreams. I tried to reason with them, to talk. They mocked me, threatened me, joked about how they would have their fun with my new form. You’ve seen how they’ve acted before, here in town. They were worse in the wilderness. I heard their plans and something just...snapped. I had been afraid of them for so long but in the end they could do nothing to me. I struck them down. Every bruise on an abused lover, every field they emptied to satisfy their hunger, all the injustices they had done to their victims; I repaid. I had kept a tally in my mind, for who else could judge them but the one who had to heal the harm and comfort the hurting? They are dead, Tomas. And we are better for it.”

His face was pale and still. I could not even tell if he was breathing, for a moment. Finally he shook himself and met my eyes. “I...I think I understand, Valora. I just never thought this day would come. Most of the townsfolk will understand too, I think. Given time. The Smiths and the Ackertons are already angry and will be angrier still. You know how close their ties were with the Order.” He sighed, half relieved and half trembling in fear. “You’ve been through enough, my friend. Give me some time to relay things to the crowd and perhaps a day to smooth things over. Come to my office tomorrow and we can discuss our options for the future. And Valora-” He hesitated.

I tilted my head but waited for him to continue. His mouth worked in silent machinations, opening and closing and twisting with no indication as to what he wished to say. Finally, he looked away from me, towards his feet, and spoke. “I would like to know how you achieved this wondrous transformation. I would very much like to know if… it could be done again.” He met my eyes again and I saw a look of such incredible longing that I recognized like it was my own. I grabbed his shoulders and drew him into a hug, whispering in his ear. “Of course, my friend. I understand.”

I watched him go, a sad smile on my face. I pulled a pair of cloaks out of my bag and handed one to Onyx, gesturing for her to cover up a bit so we could listen quietly to see how the crowd handled the news. She understood quickly and in moments we had both disguised our more noticeable aspects. Maple of course was fine as she was.

Tomas relayed the news to the townsfolk with the skill of a lifelong leader. He started with news of the hunters but was evasive as to the cause of their deaths. He cited a desire to speak with the families of the fallen and give them a chance to grieve in peace. This did little to placate the families he spoke of before, the ones with ties to the Order but who were often left untouched by their predation. I flinched as the shouting grew louder and louder but finally they stormed off, fuming and muttering about how they would get to the bottom of things.

The mayor continued after they left and spoke about the changes I had gone through and that he would be working with me to find new ways to defend the town and address our food issues, now that the hunters were gone. The crowd seemed a bit confused regarding the details of my gender but a few of the folks I was closest to talked about how it was my business and they were just glad to see me back. Becky actually spoke loudly about how much happier and livelier I was when we met. This went far in placating the rest of the townsfolk. I stepped out at this point and revealed my draconic aspects. There was a brief moment of panic but these were sturdy mountain folk and they waited to hear me out.

“I know many of you are confused. I left you as Sarric the priest and I return to you as Valora, priestess of Teara and blessed by her gift. I learned much about my goddess in my time away from you and I am very excited to share that knowledge with you all. But it is important to tell you that the dragon we were sent to hunt meant us no harm. She never did. She was trying to reach me. Onyx is the one I have to thank for teaching me about my goddess and about myself. It is because of her that I can stand before you now, truly myself in ways I never could have imagined.”

I paused, letting the crowd process my words. A few seemed very uneasy as they took in my changes but most were pragmatic and even a bit curious when I spoke of Teara. I continued.

“There is more she is willing to teach me and she has spoken of ways to address our monster problem as well as our food shortages. I ask for your patience and understanding while we work with our mayor to make life better for all of us. A new day is coming to Rivermist and I am filled with joy to see it with all of you.” As I finished speaking, I bowed slightly and walked away with the sound of cheers filling my ears.

That wasn’t the end of it, of course. I spent time with Onyx and Maple, learning the fundamentals of ambient mana spellcraft, how the flow of mana in an area aligned with natural systems, and how monsters formed of stagnant mana to energize it once more. How energized mana could be utilized to grow wondrous crops and other useful flora. Onyx even told me that energized regions of magic were largely responsible for the tales of fanciful dragon lairs, the floating islands and crystalline caverns and strange creatures that were as bizarre as monsters but were not prone to the blood rages that monsters fell under.
I was a diligent student, taking in all things she had to teach me. Maple pitched in here and there but while her knowledge was vast, she was rusty and had maintained a low profile for so long that even she found Onyx’s lessons a valuable refresher.

I met with Tomas as well and we spent long nights talking with each other, reconnecting in ways that simply were not possible before. The mayor asked me many questions about my gender, about the other concepts Onyx had spoken of as queer culture, and we shared stories back and forth about our struggles to fit in with the roles we had been assigned. Tomas expressed a desire for a transformation like mine, but felt nervous about the draconic gift specifically. A few conversations with Onyx revealed that there were other paths to obtaining a form more suitable to one’s nature, but that many of the methods relied on ambient magic techniques I had yet to learn and took longer than the dragon gift. Tomas was patient and willing to wait as I worked on my lessons and we built up new structures in town.

Mana could be energized by a mage like myself and doing so was second nature for dragons, but to truly energize a region as large as Rivermist and its holdings, we set up stone and crystal waystones that would draw in the flows of mana and weave them into energized flows that anyone with a bit of magical training could use to infuse the land or amplify their magic without having to learn the more advanced techniques of doing it personally.

Months passed. Onyx, Maple, and I went on frequent patrols with some volunteers from town to cull the monster population and prevent them from overrunning the town. We found that many of the numbers the hunters had claimed were vastly exaggerated and what remained was simple enough for us to deal with. The more pressing issue was our food supplies, but with the new magical flows we found the land yielded far more and we were able to supplement our stores with fruits and vegetables that could only grow in energized environments. Onyx was greatly pleased with the quickness with which the locals adapted to her methods.

Without the hunters blighting my existence, I found more time to spread understanding of Teara and her precepts, as well as connecting more with the people I counseled than I ever had before. It was like I had been trying to speak to them from a distance and now the distance was gone and we could converse comfortably. The hunter sympathizers had grown more and more frustrated over time as they could not find proof of what had happened. It was no real secret that Onyx and I had been involved in their deaths but Tomas refused to act unless the sympathizers could scrounge up anything more. In the end, they left the town, saying they would go to the Duke and have him strike down the ‘wicked wyrms’ that had blighted Rivermist. There was concern for a time after they left but in the end the town decided that the Duke had done little for them besides taking taxes. Rivermist had been independent before the Duke was exiled to these lands, and with a bit of work at the mountain pass by Onyx and I, Rivermist was sealed to his forces and independent once more.

It felt a little surreal to resume my life after all the incredible things I had gone through, but the joy I had discovered with embracing my identity never really faded away. Each day was an exciting new experience. Together with my mothers and the townsfolk, I was ready for anything. They say dragons are territorial, prone to carving out domains and defending them furiously. I think I now understood the source of those stories. This was my home. It was mine. And anyone who wanted to take it from me would discover the truth behind the legends.

                                                                                      Even hatchlings have fangs. 

Vyria_Durav

Thank you so much for reading, everyone! Shout outs to pynkbites, Hadassah, Lacy, and Devi for help with the writing! Update April 2022: Hatchling is now available for purchase in both ebook and paperback formats! https://t.co/S5BHT2u0Q3 Please consider purchasing the book to support me as a writer! You can also support me on my patreon and get access to new chapters of my ongoing works early.  https://t.co/av3vxlu9S7