A Curse Chapter 3: A Family Meal

This is a Flight Rising fanfiction. All rights belong to the copyright holders.

This fic was originally published HERE.

I continued to cook the mutton over the fire while looking at my family. Like all pairings in the clan, we had been granted a mound instead of a tent. We were currently on top of it since that's where our dining area was. It had been hard work to flatten part of the mound down to allow for this setup but it had been well worth it. Most days and nights, unless there was bad weather, we could eat in a peaceful environment. Though to those that didn't serve the Shadowbinder, the view wasn't worth it.

The scent of the seasoned mutton continued to hit my nose and I nearly ate it. To distract myself I looked at the various mounds in the distance but couldn't see the nesting area. Dragons from other clans sometimes came here to lay their eggs. Seitou allowed this as it garnered peace with clans that would otherwise go to war with us. A warrior never sought war, but he never ran from it either.

"Why not just eat it now?" Scourge asked.

"Dragons cook their meals if at all possible." I replied and turned my head slightly to see that she was less than a foot behind me.

"But it does no harm to us to eat raw meat."

"Don't you like cooked food?"

"I like your meals but...the joys of making a fresh kill can't be replicated by what you're doing."

I chuckled at that. Scourge was more a being of utter wilderness than a mere dragon. How could you tell the wind the importance of a name? How could you make death understand your fears of crossing that barrier? When I died the Shadowbinder wouldn't care about my achievements, she would merely care about my eternal servitude of her.

"You're right that killing my food is always more rewarding." I agreed. "But there are tastes and flavors that can only be achieved through cooking."

"So cooking is a fun game for you?" Scourge asked and I went back to looking at the mutton.

"It is and a rewarding one at that. I'm able to make you, Alex, Daenerys, and Jeor happy with my meals."

"If cooking is so fun why doesn't Daenerys usually cook?"

"Because she was a queen and queens don't tend to cook their own food. There are servants for things like that."

"Wasn't she something before she became a queen? Why not still harbor a joy of cooking from then?"

"Daenerys' time before becoming a queen was...it's not a pleasant memory for her. Even if she enjoyed cooking back then, her memories would have become tainted."

Scourge became silent as both of us thought briefly about my second wife's past. She had been beaten and abused to the point it was a miracle there had been anything left of her. Yet she had still managed to hold onto herself and briefly rule the Fire in Ice Clan.

"If my...my family hadn't attempted to kill me would cooking make sense?" Scourge asked. "Would I have liked cooking?"

"I don't know, my love." I told her. "You would have had servants your entire life so you might not have even thought of dabbling in it."

What would Scourge's life have been like if her family hadn't tried to kill her? She had stumbled into the truth of what her family had done and been quiet about the whole story. There had been details that were too painful for her to recount. She had met her birth mother and didn't care enough to kill the dragon. Yet the truth had also dug into her mind and made her question things never before asked.

"Could you take any longer?" Alex scoffed and I turned to see him place a tray of drinks onto the table.

The drinks were most likely a special mix by him. He knew that I was worried about Daenerys and would want to do his part to keep me calm. I didn't know if he'd do so because he cared or that it was a way to keep Scourge happy. I tried to figure out what the strange red liquid was but it remained a mystery.

"What are they?" Scourge asked as she made her way to the table.

"A new mix I'm trying." Alex replied proudly. "A Longneck wanted to trade and gave me some berries during the exchange. After some experimentation, I found them a fitting ingredient for a drink."

"It's a wonder Rubus didn't steal them." I said.

"That Nocturne tried. I had to make a decoy to dissuade him from getting the real things."

"Should I drink now or wait?" Scourge asked. "I don't want to appear impolite."

"It doesn't matter to me."

I put the mutton on the plates as Scourge began drinking. The meat was rare which had been hard to do. Thoughts of Daenerys' corpse had come into my mind every now and again. I couldn't live if she died and I hadn't been there to defend her.

After putting the mutton on the plates I brought them to the table. It was a balancing act to keep all four plates in my hands without sending all my hard work crashing down. I felt my tail move back and forth to help keep my balance. My tail's movements made me think back on Alex's earlier conversation with me. I didn't need to consciously think about using my tail for balance, it seemed to do on its own accord. Instincts like that were essential when morphing into a different creature.

"It's a little strong." Scourge said once she put her glass back on the table.

"So it's good?" Alex asked.

"Yes, I would say so."

I put the plates down. Scourge preferred her meat fresh hence I had made sure that the mutton was rare. I could have made it raw with slight seasoning but Alex loathed his meat uncooked. Myself...cooked or uncooked meat were equally good. Daenerys preferred cooked but didn't mind being adventurous with her food choices. Jeor would eat anything just so he could get back to work.

Just as everything was ready in the evening sun, three pairs of paws came running up the mound. I turned with a smile on my face to see our three cats. Scourge had acquired them and given the creatures to members of the clan. It was a common joke that Jeor wasn't really our son purely because he didn't have a cat. My cat Talwar was a cunning Mainecoon who was leading the others. Alex's cat Doctor was a curious Orange Tabby. Scourge's cat Name was a ferocious Calico that didn't let many become her friends.

Talwar rubbed against my leg in a clear attempt to get a treat. With a glance to my second wife, she pulled out some treats from a pouch hung around her neck. The Mainecoon scoffed at me and then went to Scourge. Once he had been given a treat, the other two started to beg Scourge for some. Over the course of the next few minutes, all three cats decided they had been given enough respect. Talwar managed to climb to my shoulder, Doctor sat in Alex's lap purring, and Name lay by Scourge's feet.

Name raised her fur as our temporary familiars approached. The Silvermane Barbtail, Psywurm, and Blueband Duelist went to the small table a few feet away from ours. I had done my best to prepare meals that would suit their diets. They bowed to us as a sign of respect of the treaty signed and waited patiently for Jeor to arrive.

"Our son is taking his time." I said as I sat down and picked up a drink.

"Jeor's research is important now more than ever." Alex reassured me. "It could be that the secret to defeating the demons is hidden in the past."

"Before you dragons invaded Sornieth there was a vast history." Psywurm scoffed. "There are things lost to time that may never be found. I believe that Jeor does have a good chance in unlocking the mysteries that can still be found."

Alex's familiar still harbored a hatred for dragons but respected the treaty more. As long as Seitou and the rest of us kept our end of the deal the Psywurm would be loyal to us. But as soon as the trust had been broken he would be our enemy. Though his time with Alex had made him see that the Beastclans and dragons weren't as different as once thought. Now if all of dragons could agree on that point...

There was a moment of silence and Daenerys' absence hurt again. She had a sword but her training was far from over. Her skill with it was enough to fight off bandits but there was so much worse on the continent. She could die on her mission and the news would reach me as her corpse began to rot. She had a true familiar which hopefully meant that the Beastclans would do everything in their power to return her home.

"Daenerys will return home, Jorah." Alex said. "She always does."

"What if this time is different, Alex?" I asked. "What if I wait and my reward is a corpse?"

"Do you suggest rushing to her aid and undoing all she has done for this clan? Unprepared she might be, but she has important work to do. You are her guardian no longer, you're one of her husbands. Your job is to wait for orders from Seitou."

"If we are to wait for orders from Seitou, why do you venture with Scourge? I don't remember him ever ordering for you to do that. And, unlike Daenerys, she is more than capable of surviving outside of the clan's help."

"You are right to be worried about Daenerys, my love." Scourge said and glared at us. "She may have become a stronger fighter over the years, but she is still weak. Yet Alex is also right as she has survived many things on her own. It is very possible that she returns from her current diplomatic mission unscarred and alive. Just enjoy this meal and calm down."

"You're right."

As we waited for Jeor to arrive, my mind wandered back to Daenerys. I loved her dearly and would gladly give up my life for her. The world was much better with her in it and my loss wouldn't mean much. She would cry and mourn but she would eventually recover and lead Sornieth to greater things. If only she decided to wear a crown once again.

Daenerys was currently on a diplomatic mission to the Maren Beastclan Ren's Revenge. Many of that clan had been scared about Yara Greyjoy. The Guardian was an imposing force of violence and cruelty to her enemies. If you were in her way there was not much to do except accept your fate. But if you were an ally she was more than loyal. Seitou had refused to become her ally purely because of how she tended to mistreat the Beastclans.

The Beastclans were drumming up support for a war against Yara. A war that, at the moment, we couldn't afford. The demons were aiming to destroy Sornieth and we didn't even know what they really were. Kali had called them demons but what if they were something else? What was their weakness? Without that critical piece of information we couldn't even begin to make a battle plan.

Seitou had decided that Yara's threat to Ren's Revenge was minimal at best. He would give the affected clan all the weapons needed to wage war against Yara but would not send any troops to fight. If the war with Yara went a short time, the loss of weapons would be of no great loss to us. The many blacksmiths we were training had been making weapons for emergencies.

Daenerys was flying into a potential war zone. At any moment the war could start and she would be forced to fight. She would fight on the side of Ren's Revenge but what if they didn't accept her? What if they considered Seitou's offer a joke and killed her to make a statement? What if she had a chance to flee the battle and the Beastclan forced her to fight?

"The war with Yara won't start before she returns." Alex reassured me again with a heavy sigh. "If the Guardian is as smart as her reputation says, she won't attack without reason. Ren's Revenge wants to kill the dragon but they also want support of their fellow Beastclans."

"War is chaos, Alex." I retorted. "There is no real order to it. It only makes sense once it's over. Then you can look at what actions lead to the outcome. You can even see very clearly what choices should have been made."

"War is chaos, you are right in that respect." Blueband Duelist said. "But it makes sense. You can't see the entire picture until it's finished, but you can see enough. You know why the Maren are such fierce warriors? Because they can hold back until it's the most opportune moment to spill blood. Yara doesn't appear interested in harassing yet another Beastclan at the moment which means all the Maren will do now is watch. They will watch and prepare for when the war starts."

"And what if Yara decides to attack before Daenerys returns to the clan?"

"If she is as special as you claim, she will return home safely. She will be drenched in her enemy's blood and prove herself a worthy ally."

The look of longing on the Serthis' face seemed like an echo of the Plaguebringer. It both scared me and reassured me that he could one day become my true familiar. At that time both of us would decide on a name for him. He had a name of his own, of course, but respect dictated no dragon to speak his name while he was my familiar.

Before I could reply the sound of Wildclaw wings whispered in the darkening skies. I looked up and it seemed that the night sky was being chased by a fish. The fish was an Orbiting Spirit that most likely had scrolls tied to it. She was swerving a lot in the sky which seemed to indicate Jeor had again tied scrolls to her. A small grin formed on my mouth.

Jeor landed gracefully a short distance beyond those currently on top of the mound. With a brief flick of his wrists the ropes untied and the scrolls made their way inside the mound. Most likely to his room where he would organize them later. Orbiting Spirit joined her fellow familiars at their table.

"Son," I said. "You took your time. Again."

"I got distracted." Jeor replied as I stood up. "With everything that is going on, you can't blame me for wanting to learn as much as possible before the war involves all of Sornieth."

I embraced my son. He had to stretch up to his full length to even get near my shoulder. After the mock battle today and worrying about Daenerys, it was good to have a moment like this. A moment of peace where someone I loved was safe. After embracing me he went to hug Alex and Scourge. When Alex took our son in his arms I saw why my second wife loved him. There was something buried deep that was worthy of love.

Due to Seitou's philosophy of showing devotion for the Shadowbinder by birthing new dragons, hardly any children were allowed to stay in the clan. Any time a hatchling was allowed to stay there had to be a reason. Axx was the result of a long term breeding project between Elfangor and Birchurawkp. Crayak and Ellimist were a rare pair that was mated before joining the clan and were eventually allowed to keep a hatchling that they named Drode.

As a celebration of myself, Daenerys, Scourge, and Alex becoming one pairing Seitou had allowed us one child. Jeor was the child myself and Scourge had to show our union. I wasn't concerned about how he looked or his abilities. I only cared about having a child and so did Scourge. After he had hatched, Alex and Daenerys were as much his parents as myself and Scourge.

"Let's have dinner, son." Alex said with a grin. "Jorah put a lot of hard work and effort into making it."

"If not for the call of the battlefield, I might very well have become a cook." I replied with a slight bow.

We all sat down at the table and looked at each other. Thank the Shadowbinder that I had been granted this family. Even if this family did include Alex. Scourge loved him and he did have his moments. He was also going to be a key figure in the fight with the demons.

"I've been researching the history of the Ravenskull Broadsword." Jeor said in between tearing into his mutton. "Which lead me to the history of the broadsword."

"Why's that interesting?" Alex asked. "I'm sorry, I just think that we should be focused solely on defeating the demons."

"My research lead me to the Ancient Broadsword. Do you know who made the Ancient Broadsword?"

"A dragon?"

"No, not a dragon. Through magic the first dragons were able to make the Ancient Broadsword into something that could be used by them."

"It's an ancient myth that there was someone before even the Beastclans." I replied as I drank more of the special drink. "But nothing has ever been proven."

"What if that lost civilization is key to defeating the demons? What if the demons were what destroyed that civilization and now they're back?"

A cold shiver went down my spine. There was much of Sornieth's history that had been lost to time. It was very possible that myths and legends could start to come true. Things that dragonkind had waved off could be the key to victory. If I could find an audience with the Shadowbinder would she tell me those secrets or were they hidden even from her?