Chapter 6

New characters appearing in this chapter:

Barchanaus

Leader of the Light Blue Dragon Clan, created Al and Alva as Familiars

Kildarcsh

Leader of the Red Dragon Clan, Ken’s great grandfather a number of times removed

Khawlhring

Red Dragon, Maddy’s husband, father of her twins, Kennith Sweeney in his Dragon form

That evening, David and those on the Executive Committee who had gone with him went to meet with the Mayor and the City Council to explain the results, or rather, the lack of results of their meeting that day with Madailein.

“Why have you been so long in returning to report your progress?” the Mayor demanded in an angry voice.

“The Dragons were unavailable for a number of days. They would come out of the house, change into their Dragon form, and then vanish for many hours. Eventually, they would return, change back to their Human forms, and talk or laugh before returning to the house. We have no idea where they went, or what they did when there,” David told them before giving a lengthy explanation of what had occurred at their meeting that day.

“She is the only Female Dragon in existence, and she is NOT inclined to help us,” he told them on finishing his explanation.

“But what can we do?” the Mayor asked in a distraught voice.

“Nothing!” David told them in a disgusted voice. “You and we can MAKE them do nothing,” he finished.

“There has to be a way to make her agree to help us,” the Council President stated. She was someone who had been able to bribe, threaten, or blackmail her way to achieve her goals.

“Name one,” David challenged her to receive only silence in return.

There had been other guests at the meeting also, and now some of them came forward to add their suggestions to the meeting.

“The Council President is correct. There has to be a way to persuade her to help us,” their leader said. David noticed on looking at them that many of them worked for insurance companies, and others represented a number of large companies that did business in or around the city.

“What will you do?” he demanded. “Threaten to cancel her insurance. Bribe her ... with what? Money? Will you send people to shoot up her house and property, or try to attack her wards?

“Others have tried those things already. It didn’t work and those responsible have been punished by the Dragons. One is dead ... reduced to a puddle of goo by her Magic Sword. The other one is now a simpleton. He had been the strongest Magic user in the city. She used a spell to remove the use of his power for ten years,” David finished.

“But that’s murder,” one of the lawyers said. “She could be tried for that, or at least, tied up in court defending herself,” he finished in an exuberant voice.

“Or we could serve her with an injunction that would require her to help us,” another lawyer said with a large smile.

“Have any of you listened to what I said earlier?” he shouted at them in an angry voice. “They are DRAGONS. They live behind wards that none of us can penetrate. Inside of those wards is another one that even male Dragons can’t penetrate. What will the police do? Sit outside of her wards for the next ten years waiting for them to come out. They can disappear and go anywhere they want. You can’t stop them or make them do anything,” he reminded them, before a smile crossed his lips.

“Also, what will happen if you upset her?” he asked in a quiet but more wicked voice. “You have already seen what one Dragon is capable of. Imagine what two upset and angry Dragons could do if they came after those who aggravated them?” he finished with a large grin.

Those present just shuddered considering what he had said and remembering the video and the destruction the Green Dragon had caused. David and those with him vanished following that.

Two days after the Ley Line Wizards visit, more visitors arrived. They passed right through the property wards, but were stopped by the Nesting Ward when it activated. We were alerted to their arrival by the alarm sounded by the Nesting Ward.

“Dragons!” Al told me. “A lot of Dragons.”

Mandara also shook Itself nearly out of Its scabbard to alert us.

“Dragons, Mistress. Major Dragons and some of their young,” It told me in my mind.

“We have Major Dragons visiting,” I told Ken.

“Major Dragons, as in old Dragons?” he asked.

“It would appear so, according to Mandara,” I told him to a look of alarm from him.

“Are we ready to face Major Dragons?” he asked, a bit unsure.

“As much as we ever will be,” I told him, before adding, “let’s go out and see what they want.” I picked up Mandara on the way out after returning It to Its scabbard. I didn’t want any accidents or to antagonize our visitors. We also didn’t change into our Dragon forms when we left the house and walked down to the driveway entrance instead of transferring.

As we approached them, we could see what appeared to be two older oriental men, each with three younger men behind them. The older men didn’t appear to be happy at all by being stopped. We hadn’t even reached them, when the one on the right addressed us in a loud voice. It was too loud for the old man that he appeared to be.

“How dare you bar us from entering. Where did you get this ward and how could you cast it?” he demanded.

“This is the Nesting Ward. I cast it a couple of weeks ago,” I told him. I thought that he was the Dragon that the Guardian had introduced me to, and who had been here to create Ken’s Familiar. I wasn’t afraid to look him in the eyes now, and he noticed this with a shocked expression. The other old man then spoke to the first one.

“Remember, that a Female must be pregnant or have young to cast the Nesting spell,” he reminded him to an even more shocked look from him.

“You have eggs?” he asked in a quieter voice.

“Eggs? No, but I have been told that I am pregnant with twin daughters,” I informed both of them. Again, there were shocked looks on not just the older men’s faces, but also on the younger men’s faces.

“How can you be pregnant?” the first one asked.

“Why by my husband, of course. We drained the Lines several times upsetting the Wizards,” I told them. They had paid little attention so far, but that didn’t last.

“Husband?” they asked in indignation. “You are a Dragon. Why would you have a husband?”

“I may be a Dragon, but I am also a human woman. Humans get married, especially when they are having children,” I reminded them.

“Not always,” they both said with a Dragon grin.

“Who is this man?” the first one demanded then before looking at Kennith closely. “He is a Dragon?” he said in surprise.

“Yes, I am a Dragon, a Red Dragon,” Ken acknowledged to a surprised look from the second old man.

“How can that be? You would have needed to learn more Magic than most of my offspring are able to,” the second old man said.

“And why would an offspring of mine stay with a Red Dragon?” the first one demanded.

“Because we are Humans as well as Dragons, and your old feuds mean nothing to us,” I told the two of them.

“How dare you speak to us like that?” both of them demanded before changing into their normal Dragon forms. Almost instantly, they were forty plus feet tall and they roared a Dragon roar, sending sound waves bouncing both ways up and down the road and causing the trees and bushes to shake and bend.

The younger men had all retreated upon hearing what they said. It was just as well that they had, as both Dragons swished their long tails in anger. They would have, at least, knocked them over if not knocking them out with their tails.

While they were doing this, I gripped Ken’s hand, and both of us changed into our Dragon forms and went to forty-feet-tall each. The elevator ride was very quick this time.

“I am BARCHANAUS, leader of the Light Blue Clan,” the first old man roared in his Dragon voice, but only in Gaelic. Even so, trees and bushes up and down the road shook again in response to the acoustic waves generated by his pronouncement.

“And I am KILDARCSH, leader of the Red Dragon Clan,” the second old man roared also in his Dragon voice, setting the trees and bushes shaking again. Both of their groups of offspring had backed up even further and into the road. Fortunately, traffic was very light this time of the day. The younger men were covering their ears with their hands, also. All six of them looked ready to pass out even so.

I glared at all them for a few seconds before answering them.

“I am TINTAGLIA, the first Female Dragon in 4,000 years to be with young,” I roared at them, setting as much acoustic vibrations loose as the other two had, much to their shock. Ken followed me.

“I am KHAWLHRING, the Red Dragon, husband of TINTAGLIA, and father of her twins,” he roared, creating acoustic waves just as I had.

Both of the other Dragons just stared at us. Their offspring had been knocked out behind them on hearing our names.

“But how?” Barchanaus demanded almost in a whisper. “How can you know your names, and not be affected even a little by our names?” he asked in just as quiet a voice.

“We have been full Dragons for several weeks now. We can fly and transfer into our Dragon forms without the help of Mandara now,” I told them to another surprised look from them.

“You have Mandara? How did you find It? It has been lost for nearly 4,000 years,” Kildarcsh asked.

“I acquired it when I went to the Demon-lands to rescue my Familiar after he had been kidnapped. The minor Demons had it on the wall behind the bar in one of their saloons. It called to me,” I told them.