Chapter Sixteen: Forrest Dragon Queen

“Mother?  Mother, wake up.”  Bella whispered.  “Mother, look at me, I am just like you, but I am pink!”

            Glenna opens her eyes, and almost falls out of bed, she got up too fast and had to sit again.

            “Look at you!  You my lovely Bella are a Forest Dragon.  The very first Forest Dragon to be any color other then shades of green.  But pink!  That’s a surprise.”  Glenna said excitedly.  “Cute hair, now let’s see if one of my gowns fit you.”

            “There’s no need to worry Mother, the girls nanny already has some made up, they just need fitting.”  Bella explained.

            “How would Sira know?  I was not even sure, I mean you’re not green, as a base color, like your sister.  Oh my, let’s go see Mara!  Here get dressed.”  Glenna said.

            Glenna explains to Bella that only the two of them become human, and that maybe Bella would have another magic that will appear soon, but Mara?  Her magic will be strong, due to the fact she will be first in her lineage to have it, and to pass it on down to her first born daughter.

            Small noises came from the nursery, and then they heard Missy's giggle.  Glenna quietly opened the door, and they peaked in.  Animals everywhere, birds occupied every nook and cranny in the ceiling, bunnies hopped about, squirrels chattered for Missy, making her laugh.  Mara was sound asleep.  Was Missy the one with the power?”  No Glenna looked at Mara’s face as she sleeps.”  Leona urged.  “Stop that Leona!”  Glenna said playfully.  Mara's face was concentrating, while Mara slept.  It appeared that Mara was bringing the whole forest alive with her concentration, what would she be able to do while awake and with purpose?  Glenna softly stroked her daughter’s face, and gently woke her up.

            “Wake up my beauty, I would like you to meet your sister Bella.”  Glenna whispered as Missy fell asleep.

            “What's going on?  Where did all these animals come from?”  Mara wondered.

            “From you my darling, with your magic.”  Glenna replied.  “You have some sort of power over the animals.  They have come to you, and are waiting for you to let go of them.”  Glenna stated.

            “Well they can all go home now, it’s kind of creepy.  Why would they come here?”  Mara said again.

            “You called to them while you slept, as your magic manifested within you.  You lovely Mara have control of animals within your power reach.  A little like Leona has been expanding her reach, so can you.”  Glenna explained.

            Just then Mara saw Bella.  “Ahh.....you are beautiful Bella!  Will you always be a human or will you go back to a dragon?”  Mara asked.

            “Watch this.....”  Bella stood very still, and slowly an Aura of pinks, greens, blues and purples swirled around Bella.  Through the fog of colors a dragon took shape, and Glenna almost fell to her knees.  “It’s not time to change, how are you a Dragon again?”  Glenna was shocked.

            “It’s o.k. Mother.  You, yourself said that the magic is evolutionary, it grows and becomes anew, with every legacy given over to each new daughter.  I can change at will, maybe that’s my ‘extra magic’ you were talking about?”  Bella asked.

            “Maybe, but I don’t think so, I think you are right, this is just an evolutionary thing, you still have a new magic coming.  Maybe it already has come, but you haven’t needed it yet?  Yeah, it’s possible.”  Glenna concluded.

 

            “Wow, two Forest dragons born within a month together.  Hopefully my use of being human, once in a while, has softened up the Clan Leaders dignitaries, ladies-in-waiting, etc.  So far none has demanded me to step aside.  They know the legends of Forest Dragons, but to live in the same Castle, and swear fealty..... we will have to see.”  Glenna spoke cautiously.  “Keep your animal magic under control Mara, while we ease the Royal Entourage into having a human/dragon for a Queen.

            “This is too cool Momma.  Have you done the math on Clan Saber?  Every female is some sort of magical creature, and if we worked in unison, it would be amazing.”

            “So, I just stay here all day? “ Mara asked.   

            “We’ll have Bella introduced as a ‘New  Improved’ Queen, then we will see about you, o.k. Mara?”  She checked to make sure.

 

            “It’s time your Highness,” we were notified by a Page.  Bella walked slowly to the curtained wall that opens out onto the Thrown room.  “Go as a dragon and change into a human.  I will explain the legend of the Forest Dragon to them, and then you will change, at sunset, I will join you, O.K.? “  Glenna asked.

            “Right, dragon first and ease them into it.”  Bella said, turning back into a dragon.  She really was the pinkest dragon she had ever seen.  Then to ease into it, not so good.... 

            “O.K. Bella, I will take it from here, you give me a few minutes, then come out as a human.”  Glenna said.

            “O.K., Who’s first?  Abomination, huh?  Did you say the same thing when only a few dragons stood up right?  Look at me, I am a four-legged Dragon, so are two of my daughters..... it was passed on to them through our genes.  I also have two Forest Dragon daughters, and one of those happens to be Queen.  I’m not sure yet about Missy, she’s still asleep.  So what is an abomination?  Are you afraid to evolve and change?  Will you pass on your fear to your hatchlings?  Queen Bella can reach out to so many dragons, and help them realize that too many lives are being lost through war.  We need a firm cease fire, and then come to a negotiation between them, so more dragons are not lost.”

            “Could a four-legged dragon do what Bella can?  Yes, but can any dragon do this;  Bella changed in front of the entire delegation, into the beautiful human with pink hair and pale pink skin.

            As females gasped and males stared, Bella put on her dress.  “I haven’t quite figured out how to do it clothed, but at least I got your attention naked.....right?”  Bella said.  The male dragons laughed.  “I am sorry to the females in general, but I truly do need your attention.”  Bella took over.

            “Our race as a whole, is quickly dying away.  Little to no hatchlings are birthed every year, and that is not acceptable.  Why have you stopped.  Yes the mortality rate is insane, but I will pledge one entire wing to restoration of our race.  It will become the Royal Nursery to protect and enhance dragon’s welfare.  I will need one fertilized egg from every female of breeding age.  If you are getting close to your cutoff, provide an egg anyways.  This mandate is not only for the protection of the race, but also for inspiring a new generation to join my sisters and cousins.  Also, this includes your servants, and workers, and warriors.  All classes must abide by this mandate, to provide one egg per female.  I will have my Mother choose , and pick the enormous amount of servants we will need to help.”

            Bella in her human form was just as ‘Queenly’ as in her dragon form.  The shock was wearing off, as Bella’s voice carried to the back of the Throne room.  “Just so you know..... when I breed, and have a daughter, she will be a Forest Dragons as well and will turn into a human. 

Hopefully by then our race as Dragons will no longer be on the brink of extinction.”  Bella instructed the group of servants to pass around blank cards.  These are cards that you will take with you to your Clans, and will keep a tally of eggs provided.  We will also keep record of eggs hatched.  Dragons who mated must fertilize the egg that is produced.  No one walks away from this monumental task of saving our race.”  Bella finished.

 

            Bella was accepted, and even in charge as she should be. Glenna returns to her two younger daughters.  ‘Animal control’, she never would have imagined it, and little Missy should be waking soon.  She wondered if Missy was also a Forest Dragon.  As she approached the nursery, a loud crash came from inside.  Opening the door, Glenna prepared herself for a shock.  The entire nursery was in an uproar.  A blur went passed Glenna’s eyes, and she tried to make sense of things.  Without even thinking about it, Glenna reached for a blanket, and a toy to start picking up, but the blur came across her vision again.  Glenna stopped, and rubbed her eyes.  Across the room Mara and Sira, their nanny  took cover behind a bed.  Every so often one or the other would throw a stuffed animal or balled up a blanket at the blur.  Glenna took a long look at the blur, and noticed colors;  green with pink and purple all mixed together in a small blur, racing around the room.  As the blur made a quick turn, and came towards Glenna.  Glenna shot an arm out as fast as she could, no luck at stopping it. 

            “Anyone for break-fast?”  Glenna asked slyly.  The blur slowed to a flash, and then down to a flutter. “Well my darling you too are a Forest Dragon.  The first miniature Forest Dragon ever, your magic is your speed, how appropriate, since you are so small.”  Glenna gathered Missy in her arms, and kissed her on the head.  Missy’s heart rate was normal, and so was her breathing, the speed did not faze her at all.  All three girls are Forest Dragons, Glenna wondered if breeding Forest Dragons was a part of her own magic.  She never showed one when she became an adult.  Would her next egg be a Forest Dragon?  Every egg?  This is something to talk to Ryoch about.  Also she must produce another egg for the Realm, as mandated by the Queen.

 

            Glenna lost in thought almost ran into a four-legged Dragon in the family’s corridor.  “Are you lost?”  Glenna asked.  She noticed immediately  the features of an Ancient Cave Dweller on his face.  With growing concern, she  also recognized his pink eyes, making him a berserker.  There was a familiarity about him that was beginning to scare her.  It was his colors and his bulk.....

            ”Well hello again, my beauty, where would I find my little Missy?  It’s time she came to live with Daddy.”  Glenna could not form words of warning, she could not even scream out to Ryoch, Bella, anyone.  As her eyes rolled back in a faint, there was a horrible pain in her hand, he had bit her.  The poison, I’m dying, my babies, then everything went black.