Chapter 15

The following characters reappear from previous stories:

Madailein Kavanagh (Maddy)

Former Earth Witch, Dragon Queen of the West, Irish, 5’-6’’ tall (1.67 meters), 140 pounds (64 kg), 38DD-25-37, 60 years old, alabaster skin, long, lustrous black hair, violet eyes, some freckles, beautiful, Magic user, she is a Light Blue Dragon

Deirdre Kavanagh

Maddy’s youngest daughter, 5’-6’’ tall (1.68 meters), 120 pounds (55 kg), 16 years old, long, lustrous black hair, violet eyes, alabaster skin, some freckles, very strong Talent

Carry and Casey

Dallas’ Daughters, 5’-7’’ tall (1.70 meters), 130 pounds (59 kg), 20 years of age, 34C-22-34, alabaster skin, medium length lustrous black hair, violet eyes, some freckles, already Dragons

Eilean and Evelyn

Doreen’s Daughters, 5’-7’’ tall (1.70 meters), 132 pounds (60 kg), 20 years old, 34C-22-34, alabaster skin, medium length lustrous black hair, violet eyes, some freckles, already Dragons

Jorani Sweeney

Dragon Queen of the East, Craig’s wife, 5’-2’’ tall (1.58 meters), 121 pounds (55 kg), 34C-22-34, 35 years old, long black hair, brown eyes, very good looking, she is a Turquoise Dragon

Craig Sweeney

Male Dragon, Maddy and Ken’s son, 5’-11’’ tall (1.80 meters), 175 pounds (79 kg), 37 years old, brown hair, violet eyes, very handsome, he is a Red Dragon

Maly (Blossom)

Craig and Jorani’s first daughter, 5’-4’’ tall (1.62 meters) 118 pounds (53 kg) 16 years old, long black hair, violet eyes, very cute

Daeva (Angel)

Craig and Jorani’s second daughter, 5’-4’’ tall (1.62 meters) 118 pounds (53 kg) 16 years old, long black hair, violet eyes, very cute

Botum (Princess)

Craig and Jorani’s third daughter, 5’-4’’ tall (1.62 meters) 118 pounds (53 kg) 16 years old, long black hair, violet eyes, very cute

Dallas Kavanagh

Maddy and Ken’s first daughter, Doreen’s twin, 5’-7’’ tall (1.70 meters), 137 pounds (62 kg), 36D-24-36, 38 years of age, alabaster skin, long, lustrous black hair, violet eyes, some freckles, beautiful, Magic user, she is a Light Blue Dragon

Doreen Kavanagh

Maddy and Ken’s second daughter, Dallas’s twin, 5’-7’’ tall (1.70 meters), 136 pounds (61.5 kg), 36D-24-36, 38 years of age, alabaster skin, long, lustrous black hair, violet eyes, some freckles, beautiful, Magic user, She is a Light Blue Dragon

Keith

Doreen’s husband, 5’-11’’ tall (1.80 meters), 175 pounds (79 kg), 42 years old, light brown hair, Blue eyes, rather handsome, he is a Light Red Dragon

Steve

Dallas’s husband, Ben’s son, 5’-11’’ tall (1.80 meters), 170 pounds (77 kg), 41 years old, black hair, dark eyes, broad shoulders, very good looking, he is a Dark Blue Dragon

Yuryi still has the Narrative

Following breakfast that morning at the hotel, we were ready to set out. Having already checked the wards on the room, I pulled out the maps that I had downloaded at home from Google on the Internet. The sheets showed several ways to reach the Queen’s property. Most of the routes were by secondary or back roads, which is a sure way to get lost if you aren’t familiar with them.

“We need some directions from a local, a knowledgeable local,” I told Yvonne, as we exited the hotel to get our rental car. Fortunately for us, there was a police car parked in the parking lot near where we had eaten last night.

“Excuse me, officer,” I said approaching the patrol car. “I’m a stranger here and could some advice.”

“What are you looking for, sir?” he asked.

“I need to visit the Dragon Queen on a business matter. I have these maps, but they all show using back roads which it is too easy to become lost on,” I told him showing him the map sheets. After looking at them for a time, he smiled.

“Yes, these are all back ways and are fine if you are familiar with them. Since you aren’t, here is how to proceed. Take the four lane out front and go about a mile and a quarter. Stay in the inside lane, as you will need to turn left when you reach the red light at Main Street. Turn onto Main Street. You will know it, as the two main roads through town cross there. It is called Athens Highway in some places and Atlanta Road in other places, but it is all the same road. Go about eight and a half miles, and you’ll come to another town. There will be a Home Depot and a Walmart,” he told me before holding up the last sheet of paper.

“Take the road indicated on this sheet. You’ll need to make a left turn across traffic to get on it, and in about two and a half miles or so, you’ll come to the Dragon Queen’s property, and good luck,” he told me with a smile.

Even at this time of the morning, traffic was heavy in this area. Following his instructions, we managed to make our way to the second town. We even managed to find the correct road, as there were several other vehicles making that turn.

It was easy to tell when we had reached the Dragon Queen’s area, as the number of strong wards around several of the houses there could be felt for some distance before reaching them. I turned left onto a small parking area and stopped the car.

“Is this her estate?” Yvonne asked when I had parked the car. She had been rather quiet on the trip.

“If this isn’t the right place, there are some really powerful people living near her,” I told her.

As we approached the wards around the property, a new and even more powerful ward appeared, and it was obvious that I wasn’t going to get through it, as I could have the other property wards. We stopped and waited to see what would happen.

Meanwhile, in the Queen’s residence, a light was flashing and an alarm was sounding.

“A Dragon has arrived in the parking area. A very old Dragon but not an original Dragon,” Deirdre was telling her mother, the Dragon Queen.

“How old?” Maddy asked.

“At least as old as Nick from the way he feels. He also has someone with him. I can’t really tell just who or what she is though,” Deirdre told her mother.

“By all means then, let’s go out and greet them,” Maddy told her before both of them vanished to reappear inside the Nesting Ward.

Two women appeared suddenly inside the major ward. One was older and the other one was much younger. They appeared to be mother and daughter, as they resembled each other closely.

“Who are you and why are you here?” the older woman demanded.

“My name is Yuryi Lawristan, and this is my future wife, Yvonne Strupinski. We are here to see the Dragon Queen,” I told her.

“You are, are you? Why should she see you?” the woman asked.

“I thought she might be interested in meeting someone who has been a Dragon for 1250 years or so,” I told her to a shocked look from her.

“Do you claim to be that old?” she asked in an interested voice, while the younger woman was fairly excited.

“Yes, would it offend you to see my Dragon?” I asked.

“No, what is his name?” she replied.

“My name is Kekarnyek,” I told her in Gaelic. There wasn’t the slightest sign that it had affected either of them at all. As I changed into my Dragon form at the twelve-foot-tall level, there was a gasp from the older woman on seeing me.

“Yes,” she said. “I would be very interested in talking to another Brown Dragon. They seem to be few and far between. Return to your Human form, and I will lead you through the Nesting Ward,” she told me, but her daughter also had a question.

“Who or what is your friend? She has only a small Talent and a little bit of Magic,” the daughter asked.

“I’m not sure. She is a financial consultant, but I have no idea of what else she is,” I told them.

The older woman, who was apparently Madailein Kavanagh, the Dragon Queen herself, stepped through the Nesting Ward and took my hand when I had returned to my Human form.

“Male Dragons are unable to pass through the Nesting Ward by themselves. They must be assisted by a Female Dragon. Deirdre will assist your friend through the Perimeter ward,” she told me as we passed through the Nesting Ward. While I had no trouble with the perimeter wards, anyone short of being a near-Dragon wouldn’t be able to pass through them.

“Come up to the house, and we’ll talk,” the Queen told me, as we walked towards the early 1900’s house that I could see. I was surprised by how small and ordinary it appeared.

“You actually live here?” I asked in disbelief.

“My family has owned and lived here for something over 150 plus years,” she told me.

“And you don’t find it confining?” I asked. “My own house in Duluth is much larger, yet it seemed small when my previous wife and I had our children and grandchildren there. Now it only seems a bit too large,” I told her.

“WE don’t feel the need for a larger residence. We have the Nest in Stone Mountain for any formal gatherings,” she told me. “The Queen’s Reception Hall is large enough to accommodate a thousand full size Dragons,” she added with a smile. I was more than a little surprised on hearing this.

The front door opened automatically as we approached it, and we all passed through it. On entering the house, I was delighted to see that there were two parlors just as I had at home.

“Let’s use the large parlor. I may need to summon others depending on what you tell me,” the Queen told us.

“Tell us about yourself and your friend,” she directed, once we were seated.

“As I said outside, I was born in 802 AD in the North Caucasus Mountains. My mother was...” I began but was interrupted.

“You’re sure of that date?” the Queen asked somewhat skeptically.

“As closely as I have been able to discover through research, and the information that my teacher, Khizir, gave me as a young man, that is the most accurate date I have been able to confirm,” I told her. “It also fits in with other things that occurred in my life, as you will see as I continue,” I told her.

“Alright, but first tell us when you first transformed into your Dragon form,” she asked.

“That was the next thing I was going to cover,” I told her and continued with a somewhat condensed version of the history of my life. There were several other interruptions for clarification of various points, but eventually I reached the present situation and fell silent.

“So, you want to get married here in Georgia. Why?” she asked. I explained about the laws in Minnesota.

“I take it that you don’t have a birth certificate that anyone would believe,” she said with a smile.

“The last one that I have is from a hundred and thirty some years ago. They are much more difficult to forge today. Also, the love of my life, Gretchen, died 42 years ago. We were married for 64 years. No one would believe that I am that old, let alone how old I really am,” I told her.

“Alright, we can arrange for you to be married here. You mentioned that you were Baptized as a Christian some thousand years ago. Do either of you want a church wedding?” she asked. I turned to look at Yvonne.

“Zack and I were married in a church. Look at how that turned out,” Yvonne told her.

“How did it turn out?” the Queen asked. Yvonne explained how her marriage had ended and about her two grown daughters. The Queen said little until she was finished.