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Legend of Spyro: Gifted Curse

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CHAPTER 2

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Black scales slithered out the front door, hips swaying with both the encumbering load in her belly and her own little jaunty mental tune she was humming to herself. Cynder stretched and yawned wide in the sunlight, purring to herself as it warmed her dark scales. Spreading her wings, she inhaled deeply, catching a cool summer smell wafting up from the land below, and a hint of her beloved's earlier trek towards the Temple. Gazing at the trees and mushrooms of the garden in the distance, she smiled to herself dreamily as she thought of Spyro. The love and light of her life, the one who had dredged her up from despair and showed her the beauty of life that she had only ever dared to dream about. Humming louder to herself, she craned her neck around to smile fondly at her heavy belly, swollen quite round with his warm essence, the eggs cradled in that liquid heat.

"Should we get daddy a delicious dinner tonight?" she asked, nosing at her belly as if expecting a response from the six little heartbeats within. "Yeah, let's go get daddy something to eat. Something tasty and filling." Looking up at the sky, she mentally added_Gotta refill those sexy balls, after all~_ She shivered with lustful glee at the mental image of his studly, pendulous jewels, one of her all-time favorite sights. Licking her lips with a devious grin, she purred to herself at the cascade of naughty thoughts and memories. The pleasant pressure of her bloated womb stuffed with his seed only served to keep her aroused, even as she spread her wings and awkwardly glided down off their home island to the forests below. Even after an entire year of near-constantly being round with his cream, she still had not yet gotten used to the change in her center of balance when flying.

Alighting amidst the trees bordering the Swamp and the terrestrial remnants of the Mushroom Forest, she gazed at the wispy, colorful curls of magical power rising up from the fractured crust and cradling the floating islands above. Within the scar of the world, other pieces floated, sitting in a sea of etheric power become manifest. It was a beautiful thing to behold, and a perfect hunting ground, for creatures came seeking the ether's blessing of energy and food. Plants blossomed and practically exploded with vitality around the edge of the powerful lake of planetary energy, and with that came some changed critters that made for excellent eating. Cynder was feeling in the mood for some crustaceans, and made a leisurely camp behind some berry shrubs, from which she could watch the ether lake and casually snack at the same time. Some flying fish leapt out of the fluid power, flapping rapidly and looping through the air to catch glittering bugs before plunging back under the surface. They were tasty, but hardly worth a meal, especially with her limited mobility. As she lay there in the shade, she idly charged up some of her Wind power, keeping it on the tip of her tongue while her tail lazily stroked at her ruby-red netherscales, tickling her hidden nub at the apex of her slit. Even with the pleasure trickling from her loins through her core, she kept a hunter's sharp eye on her surroundings, scanning the lake in regular patterns for telltale irregularities.

As she started rubbing her sensitive vulva a little faster with the curve of her tail, she saw it. An eyestalk peeking up out of the foggy swirling fluid manifestation, then some rippling from below. She diddled herself a little faster at the prospect. That was a big eye. And that meant a nice large critter to feast on. Biting her lip as she spread her slit over her tail curve and started grinding her sensitive flesh on her silky soft scales, she zeroed in on the disturbance, keeping her muzzle expertly aligned with her line of sight. A small charge of her poison and fear powers mingled with the air bolt she was holding steady, not enough to envenom her prey and ruin the meat, but enough to stun it. Her scales rubbed against her swelling clitoris and she had to fight a moan bubbling in her throat, partly imagining it was Spyro's dexterous tongue. Maybe she should convince him to eat her out again, it had been at least a few days since their last serious oral play.

Just on the cusp of orgasm, her prey lunged up and snapped at a flying fish. Pleasure crashed over her and Cynder cried out in blissful ecstasy, loosing that dart of charged etheric power. As she bucked and convulsed on the ground, mashing her tail against her pulsing, gushing sex and thoroughly wetting the grass under herself with her geyser of feminine fluid, the crab similarly squirmed and flailed as the air bolt punctured its shell right between its eyestalks and the fear and poison overloaded its system, killing it in one clean shot while disabling it. Panting and purring in afterglow, Cynder shakily stretched and shook herself off, then watched as the rocky shell started snapping and cracking loudly. Jumping into the air from her hiding spot, she flew over the lake and used the hook in her tailblade to neatly grab one of the crab's huge legs, towing it to shore. It was a buoyant thing indeed, practically floating in the air despite its massive size, nearly one and a half times her own. Humming to herself and still abuzz with pleasure, she set about using her tailblade and wingblades to pry the stone shell apart at the fractures of its death, sloughing off the much heavier thicker armor portions for now and casting them into the power lake. They would feed others and allow them to grow, hopefully to a similar size. There was practically no end to these beasts, which made her wonder in the back of her mind just how deep this lake actually was. As its life force ebbed from its body it became heavier, but not so quickly as to lift off as she removed the shell fragments.

Satisfied with her work, the ebony mother-to-be swayed her hips and bobbed her head as she wordlessly sang her little tune, dragging the floating carcass with her tail over to her and Spyro's terran "kitchen". It was more of an outdoor grilling area, paved with colorful flat stones overlaid with a protective crystal layer, easy to clean, and mostly sheltered beneath a woven umbrella of bark strips and wide-bladed grasses. A low-lying stone counter, perfectly rounded by Spyro's power, served as the central preparation area. While their claws, fangs, and in her case, tailblades, were often more than enough, Spyro had gotten an assortment of other culinary implements crafted for dragon paws, for more precise work, and Cynder set about cracking open the protective metal cases stored under the round table, procuring a few wrist-braced knives and tongs. With how tired Spyro was after their successive all-nighters, she felt he should have a fancy meal for once. After all, she was the one responsible for goading him into repeatedly draining those sexy testicles of his into her, not that he ever put up a resistance. With as much of his essence as she had swelling her belly, she felt it was the least she could do right now with her gravid state. Still bopping to her mental orchestration, the umbral femme set about fully removing the carapace, revealing several gleaming white translucent chunks of deliciously aromatic meat all connected with powerful, chewy tendons and ligaments under the close-fit rocky and crystal layers. A few choice chunks of carapace, she set aside for later, using the knives and tongs to carve up the meat into more manageable sections and getting rid of the undesirable cartilage and ligaments. A few, she kept intact by design, grinning to herself. They had only just recently finished their house, but they'd been living in this area for the last two and a half years, and Cynder wondered smugly to herself if anyone else knew the culinary secrets she'd discovered for these creatures all on her own. She was quite proud of the dish she had in mind.

Some firebreath to get the grill going, some aromatic smoky woods amidst the charcoal, and some careful arrangement across the fine wire mesh grilling racks, and capping it off with the lid Spyro had forged himself. Smoke gently streamed from under the lip of the lid and Cynder licked her lips and grinned to herself. This crab was so big, there was enough for two days' worth of meals from it for the eight of them. She giggled and smiled at her belly again. It was so weird, yet wonderful, the mental note of having little lives growing in her belly and partaking of the meal. Or...were they? She didn't know for sure how eggs worked yet, that was why the Matron was stopping by.

Oh...right. The Matron. Cynder's smile faded a bit. She should really prepare some food for her as well. Well, there went plans for additional meals, unless she could catch another crab, but once one had been caught the others shied up for a few days.

Come to think of it...should she dress up? Not that the Guardians bothered to get dressed, but she had seen a number of dragons in Warfang wearing clothing, if only to protect their gender parts. Or was it just to hide them? She never understood the need that some Dragons and most Furs had for clothing that covered their assets. Nonetheless, she wondered if it was necessary to be more presentable? But the Matron was going to be checking her anyway and making sure she, as a female, was fit for the eggs she was bearing. Perhaps clothes would be unnecessary. Why bother anyway? The Guardians didn't bother hiding their balls or sheaths, Spyro certainly never bothered either except with armor in combat, it seemed quite the moot point.

"Mmmmm..." she murred to herself at the recurring mental image of her mate's hefty sack and luscious orbs. Shaking her head with a giggle, she wandered into the forest to rustle up some other tasty things for her planned dish. "Spyro's gonna love this when he gets back...hope everything's alright, he came back pretty grumpy last time."

It was a nice day for a stroll in the forest, even for foraging as she was. Taking her time to look around carefully, she resumed her self-pleasure, curling her tail against her vulva scales and letting her walking motions rub the sinuous appendage against herself. She hummed in pleasure, taking a perverse delight in so casually and openly masturbating without a care in the world. She could cum and gush to her heart's content without bothering anyone or even really having to deal with the wet mess. A deserved naughty indulgence after so much hell in her life. Pulling up a few tubers here and there, picking some berries, she held it all within her shadow power, using her own shadow as a sort of basket to suspend her prizes. It was so convenient, especially since she could continue rubbing herself without fear of dropping or scattering her goodies if her orgasm was stronger than expected. Which, the first one was as she accidentally pressed against her swollen button a bit too hard, gasping out and moaning lewdly to the sky as her hips bucked on autopilot and another veritable geyser of female nectar spurted in thick waves all over the grass under her. Leaving her tail clenched hotdogging between her labial scales, she shuddered and panted for a bit, hazy with ecstasy, then shook herself off with a little smug grin as she continued her casual pleasure forage. Every step and shift of her hips rubbed her scales against her aching, needy sex, making her pant lightly and bite her lip or give a huff or moan as the pleasure built up slowly once more. How she hoped that perhaps Spyro would follow her scent, sneak up on her, and casually shove his entire cock into her in one strong thrust... but for now, as she gathered some more fruits for their spicy seeds, her tail would have to suffice. Gathering some bark off a trimmed branch, she sniffed at it and smiled at the mellow, tangy scent. A few shaves of the fresh layer under the bark would give some tasty fiber and a nice, almost citrus slightly sour tone to the sweets and salts she's gathered so far. Pausing to diddle her tail against her clit again, she wiggled her hips and purred in satisfaction.

After probably three more delightful climaxes and quite a few more finds, she found herself back at the grilling station. A mortar and pestle saw some dry seeds and leaves crushed into a finer powder, which she mixed with a little mushroom sap-oil to create a basting sauce. Pulling the smoker lid up, she ducked away from the billow of gathered smoke, then smelled deeply and practically drooled. The smoke and crab scents on their own were to die for, but this was only the start. With quick, precise flicks of her tail, she slitted the meat lengthwise, then quickly spooned some of the spiced basting oil into the slits and covered it back up, hearing a wonderful sizzle starting up under the lid. With her tail and wings, she diced up the rest of her finds and seasoned them quite liberally, setting some portions aside and tossing the rest in with some more basting oil and setting that under the smoker lid as well. The meat that didn't yet fit onto the grill, she set about prepping to kill time waiting for the main meal to finish. It would take most of the day, but she found herself enjoying these fruits of her experimental labors. All these recipes were her own, after Spyro had taught her about the edibles of the local land. If only she had some Dreadwing wings to crisp up...thin, crunchy skin with a beautiful golden grease, Dreadwing wingskins practically cooked themselves, but after the war most of them had fled to parts unknown with the remnant Ape armies. When the rest of the meats and vegetables were prepared and waiting for their turn to cook, Cynder set to the remnant shell pieces, taking a hammer and chisel and carefully cracking them apart. What she was after often laid close to the crystalline layer of the carapace adjacent to the flesh and muscle, between that layer and the rocky shell Here and there, she found pieces of it and grinned. Just a few flecks here and there, but the glimmering pale gold was unmistakable. Spyro's earth powers made this so much easier, but there was an odd satisfaction in mining it herself, just like these recipes.

Gathering all the gold flecks in a small bowl, she covered it and set it aside, then reclined by the table to watch the smoker and listen to the sizzling oiled meat inside, rubbing her rotund belly and feeling her lover's cream squishing about under her touch. Whenever she moved, she could feel the eggs slowly roll with gravity. It was an odd sensation, and had been her first indication of her pregnancy. Cynder couldn't help another loving gaze at herself, wishing she had vision to see the eggs inside herself. Spyro's count of six was on the agenda for the Matron to verify, though the black-scaled expectant mother blushed to herself at the possibly inevitable question of how her mate had counted them in the first place. That had definitely been an interesting night of maneuvering and assuming different positions for him to try (in vain) to swivel his shaft around in her depths to accurately numerate their brood. She blushed with naughty satisfaction at the memory of that night. Most of their lovemaking was passionate, but that had been one of the awkward yet fun nights full of laughing and jokes while they casually fucked and experimented. The exploratory nights were always a treat with Spyro. She counted herself lucky to have found such a blessed male...in more ways than one.

Doubts were not beyond her, however, and she did have some questions of her own. The prime example being whether or not Spyro's productivity was normal, or his sheer endowment in general. She distinctly remembered the first surprised, slightly aghast looks from the Guardians when they'd seen her so swollen with cum she looked ready to pop several clutches at once. She and Spyro had both been nervous about those looks. But the Guardians hadn't told them anything, only that they should ideally keep their mateship "duties" as private as they could manage. She knew they were uncomfortable about the topic of sex and sexuality, but she felt a bit saddened that no one had told her about these things...that she'd only found out about sex through Malefor's horrible nightly taunting and lusting from the void in her dreams. And, of course, the obscenely nonchalant Apes in general, often engaged in masturbation or... "fraternal pleasures", as they'd crudely described it, when they weren't off ravaging the lands. Her first positive sexual experience had been giving her virginity to Spyro after they'd survived the Core.

And what an experience that had been... She tittered fondly at the memory, once more stroking her vulval scales with her tail as she sought out her little pleasure nub. Their first time had been so shy and awkward, and she'd been so uncharacteristically giggly and antsy that it had taken several hours for them to calm themselves enough to even seriously attempt penetration, even after a good hour or so of exploring each others' sexes and flinching and laughing at the smallest touches or licks. And then he'd accidentally pushed his dick into her butt. Oh the look on his face, especially at her giggly, half-serious teasing to keep going. He'd been so adorably mortified. Sighing happily, she rolled onto her back and stared at the sky above, resting her horns against the smooth crystal flooring top as she let her imagination and memory wander back to those first times. Maybe now she could get him to try it again...one of her guilty fantasies was the twinge of unusual pleasure from that first penetration attempt. Spyro had been so gentle and so...overly proper, in a way, fidgety over things needing to be just right, especially for her. His sole focus on her wellbeing was endearing and was the primary reason she'd so easily overcome her own fears for that first night.

Hindsight had her feeling a twinge guilty and sad for not letting him ejaculate inside her that night, or any night for three years...but it made her smile nonetheless as he'd so perfectly controlled himself for her remnant fears until that final night when he returned to her and she asked him to fully claim her as his mate. That night, he'd finally broken her final barrier of fear, and she could be with him wholly, and it had made such a difference for them. She felt more alive that night than ever before, and the night after that, and so on to the present day as she continued to rub and knead her belly. Purring to herself as she rubbed her tail in her slit again, and shifted his load around in her hungry womb, she closed her eyes to bask in the moment. Openly masturbating without a care in the world and full of her beloved's very essence...what more could she want right then?

Other than some delicious food, of course, but good things come to those who wait.

In more ways than one, she snickered to herself as she slowly caressed her clit again with her smooth scales. Craning her neck up, she smiled again at her belly, another perverse thrill racing through her at the combined pregnancy and cum inflation.

It had been a while since she had last been able to see her own vagina. She kept herself so full of Spyro's seed, she rarely got to see herself between her legs thanks to the bulging swell of pleasure in her core. Not that she couldn't reach herself, far from it with her dexterous tail and her fairly lanky legs, but it seemed funny to her that in the last year, Spyro had seen more of her undertail than she had. Much to his immense pleasure, she mentally added to herself with a grin at how eager he usually was to dive into her muff and spear her with his tongue. His lusts had almost redoubled after she started letting him ejaculate in her. He'd admitted that her cum-swollen figure, the almost pregnant look, was so incredibly sexy to him that it almost hurt, and his oral ministrations on her had nearly tripled in frequency since then.

Cynder clapped her paws to her mouth and squealed, bucking up off the floor as she climaxed yet again, gushing an arc of her juices up over her tail to splatter all over the floor beyond. Panting and shaking, erratically thrusting her hips with the pleasurable aftershocks, she finally flopped and panted with a silly grin plastered across her open muzzle, eyes glazed as she finally started feeling exhausted from her self-pleasuring. Shakily rolling over, having to try several times to get to her own feet, she stretched again and took a deep breath to settle her nerves against the post-pleasure bone-deep warmth and haziness of relaxation. Now wasn't the time to zonk out with sex. Checking the crab meat again, she grinned at the light char and flipped the pieces over to let them char evenly, taking a power with her paw and rearranging the coals and wood pieces, tossing a few more in to keep the smoke fresh and aromatic. The veggies were simmering and steaming with the smoke, and looked ready to eat as it was, but not quite ready yet.

She still had half the day left.

As evening fell, some stoneware covered dishes kept their meals nicely contained and hot, ready to eat when her mate arrived. She couldn't help snacking on the bits of meat she was preserving for later, though. Chewing thoughtfully on the roasted and smoked crustacean meat, she failed to hear the wingbeats behind her as she continued to grind spices with a roller. Tapping her tail on the floor, she kept humming her little impromptu tunes to herself with a grin.

"Excuse me?" came an older voice behind her, Cynder starting and whipping around, almost knocking over her work. "Apologies! Are you the Lady Cynder?" The figure before her was, indeed, a Matron dragoness, grayed and a little shaky, with hips still wide from possibly many a clutch. She had long, gray crests flowing down the back of her neck, interlaced and pinned with a jewel at the end. What element she was, or had been, Cynder couldn't tell, but she exuded experience, and the black dragoness found herself dipping her head in respect to the elder.

"Yes, I'm Cynder, are you the Matron the Guardians told me about?"

"Yes, dearie, I am. I was told to find you at your home, but I followed my nose instead."

"Oh! I'm sorry! Had I known you'd be arriving today I- I thought you were coming tomorrow at the earliest!"

"It's quite fine, love, I may be rattling bones but I can still fly as well as ever!" She fanned her wings and winced as a joint audibly popped. "A-ta, too fast there."

"Are you hungry after your flight? The food's not ready yet but I do have some snacks here..."

"Oh don't you worry about me, dear, I'm quite fine. One benefit of old age is you don't need to eat as much! I had a veritable feast before I arrived, so I'm still a bit too full from it. But, thank you for the offer, love, I do appreciate the sentiment." As kind as her words were, Cynder couldn't help feeling a piercing gaze from those graying eyes. She was already being evaluated and couldn't get a read at all on the Matron. Or was it just her usual cautious nature around newcomers? It was so hard to tell sometimes. She naturally expected negativity from those she didn't know.

"So...um. One moment, let me get some light going."

"Take your time, sweetheart, the less rush for the physical, the better off you'll be, especially in your condition."

A few torch posts rimmed the cooking area, and Cynder got some oiled wood bunches loaded into them and lit, casting a warm orange light over the kitchen area. She suddenly felt very self-conscious about the dried splatter of her fem-cum across part of the crystal flooring, hoping the old Matron wouldn't notice it. "So how do we start all this?" she asked nervously, feeling her tail subconsciously cinch down a bit at the base.

"It's quite simple, and it may be embarrassing but it's all perfectly normal, dear. First I have to ask you about your mate, and your fun you have together. Or by yourself, it seems today."

Cynder's eyes nearly bugged out of her skull and she coughed with a heavy blush. "Y-you...could tell...?"

"Oh hun, nothing you say can surprise me, believe me, I've seen it all. Perhaps done it all too," she added with a little cackle to herself. "Your scent is screaming with needful pheromones and the area is positively soaked with your need. Your mate might pick up on it a bit if he returns soon enough, but this old nose knows. Comes with the job, and so far signs show you to be a very healthful young lady."

"So the...um...m-masturbation is normal?"

"Perfectly! In fact I'd be worried if a gravid 'ness wasn't pleasuring herself in the absence of her mate. All sorts of problems it could indicate, none of them good for the babies."

The sheer normalcy she gave off for the topic had Cynder relaxing more quickly than she'd expected. She was so used to the prudish paws-off attitude from the Guardians. "Um...well...yeah. Spyro and I are...very active, I guess?"

"How many times per day do you two usually have sex?"

The bluntness made her blush and clam up a bit again, shifting nervously on her paws. "U-um...maybe...six times a day when he's home? Wait, does that include...um...y'know...with mouths...?"

A very knowing smirk and nod told her the Matron knew exactly what was in her mind. "A bit more than usual, but to be expected for a young couple so madly in love." Her gaze turned to Cynder's very round belly. "Although, dear, I am surprised to see you so far along already. I was told you'd only recently gotten pregnant."

And here it is, Cynder mentally cringed as her throat seized up. "U-um...well...yeah. That's true."

"Reeeaalllyyy..." the older dragoness trailed off as she started walking around Cynder, giving her a good look all over. "Mmmm...tail up, please, hun." Cynder shakily raised her tail, feeling her gut churn nervously as she practically felt that piercing gaze analyzing her where only Spyro had been so far. "Yes, a very healthful young lady indeed, but your belly is...interesting..." She pressed her paw against it, testing more and more firmly and feeling it squish under her toes. "Dear me, young lady, if I may ask do you see other males too?"

"N-no! Certainly not! Spyro is my one and only!" she barked defensively, but the old lady still smiled at her as she came back around front.

"Then please explain how your belly is so round yet I feel no eggs?" When Cynder blushed and faltered, she added "It's alright if you've been with other males. I can't even begin to count how many young ladies have had quite a number of suitors for casual fun."

"Is that...normal?"

"Oh yes...at least by biological standards. Societal is...flimsy and wildly variant depending on cultures. But a needy body is a needy body, and there's no shame in friends pleasing each other."

"Um...well...all this is Spyro's. I was...kinda curious about that, actually."

"So all of that...is your mate's semen."

"Uh...yeah. And we were having sex all night too. Kinda feel bad about it because he didn't get any sleep."

Her smile was fading to a very deeply thoughtful look that Cynder, again, couldn't read. This old crone was superb at not letting her thoughts bleed into her body language or facial expression. It wasn't a bad look, but it did have the expectant mother a bit nervous as she had no experience with this sort of attention. "Very, very interesting indeed." Padding up closer, she reached up and gently held Cynder by the chin, studying her face closely and turning her head slowly side to side, then moving around beside her again and feeling around the black girl's hips and thighs, pressing as deep as she dared to feel Cynder's bone structure. "Lay down on your back for me, then, please."

Hesitantly, she rolled carefully onto her back, wings splayed for stability, resisting the urge to coil her tail over her vulval scales, resting her paws on her burgeoned middle. The Matron felt around her tailbase and the insides of her thighs, again only feeling out her bone structure, though the pressure to some spots was an uncomfortable tickle that almost had her reflexively squirm or kick. Finally, she came around to feel at Cynder's belly, pressing around on her more firmly now that the volume of seed was more stabilized by gravity. "One...two..." she counted softly, Cynder blushing as she felt her eggs being moved around a little. "Three...four...five...six..." The old one's brow furrowed and Cynder felt another one being handled through her belly. "Ah...a seventh, but a dud."

"So Spyro was right..." Cynder muttered, then froze and shied up.

"Spyro...counted them? I hope he was gentle with his paws."

"Uh...he uh...he didn't...um..." She hid her face in her paws. "Notwithhispaws..." she squeaked, the old one's eyed widening.

"Oh my...dare I ask how tall your mate is?"

"Um! Well, he's uh...just a tad bit taller than I am?"

A squint was her reply. "And, about how long is his penis then?"

"Uuuhhh....well, from...actually, I don't really know how to reference it unless my belly wasn't so big."

"Have you seen another male's erection for comparison?"

"Uh...only the Guardians by accident but...don't think they were full size but...um...well...Spyro's is...much, much longer...."

"I see. But you say he counted them and arrived at six."

"Y-yeah."

"He must be very gifted, but it's also quite unusual for a dragoness to be able to take a male's penis through her cervix. Not impossible, but...not common either."

"Is that...good or bad?" Cynder asked, propping herself up a bit with concern in her voice.

"As long as you are careful not to bump or stir the eggs too much with your mate's penis, there shouldn't be a problem."

"Oh good then...but we've been doing it like that ever since we first started having sex. Or well...a little after."

"Yes, adjustment. I would be very concerned for your womb's ability to hold eggs if he could penetrate your cervix on your virgin try. Alright, up you get dear."

Carefully pivoting again, Cynder managed to more gracefully sweep up onto her paws this time. "Is that it?"

"For now, yes, though if you are both amenable to it, I would like to see him mount you and observe his length and production myself. Not that I don't believe you, but there are some factors to your physical health that I would need to observe directly during the act."

The prospect of an audience was harrowing, yet also sent a perverse thrill down her spine, similar to the one that had happened when Volteer had caught them during climax. "I...would...have to run that past him."

"Of course, dear. I am glad that you are not answering for him, communication is also a big part of a relationship and a healthy environment for rearing your hatchlings." Scratching an itch on her side, she smiled at Cynder again. "I am also curious of your genetic background. The Guardians tell me you have multiple elements, similar to your mate. May I see them?"

"Uh...sure, I guess. But some of them are...not really elements. They...um..."

"Are magical scarring upon your etherics, yes. You are not the first I've seen with an affliction, though to have multiple elemental manifestations from it is indeed rare."

Cynder breathed a small tongue of fire, then huffed a ball of air and caught it between her paws, squeezing it and making it hiss and whine. Turning away towards a more open area nearby she hunkered and exhaled hard, making a powerful Fear scream blast, then following it with some shadow breath that also generated squirming tendrils from her shadow. Finally, she followed it up by breathing acid on a large slab of leftover stone, dissolving large pockets in it. "So that's it. Five elements. Spyro has literally everything 'cuz he's purple."

"And you had these elements well before meeting him, yes?"

"Yeah?"

"All good. Hmmm...black scales...but fire and wind...I will resist the urge to pry into your...past, dear, as much as I wish to know your primary manifestation, I feel that answer might not be feasible."

"I'd...yeah...rather not, please..."

"All good," she repeated with a nod. "Do you know when your mate will be back?"

"No, just that the Guardians called for him. He could be back tonight, which I hope for with all this food getting ready...though he could also come back tomorrow or in a few days. Usually he lets me know unless it's an urgent rescue or something like that."

More nodding and grinning. "He is courteous to let you know. Many males simply wander and do their own thing."

"Is that normal?"

The Matron canted her head. "My dear, you are asking that quite a bit. Is everything alright?"

At that, the black dragoness felt herself clamming up again. "I...well, I'd like to think it is..."

"He's not abusing you is he?"

"No! No of course not! Spyro's the best thing to happen to me! In fact he puts me ahead of himself so much I kinda wish he'd take more time for himself, really. All he's done is look to my wellbeing. It's...it's his earnest honesty and love that helped pull me out of myself and see the good in the world. He's everything to me, he's been almost too good to be true yet four years of waking up to him and his smile...it's been the best four years of my life."

"Then why do you ask if things are normal?"

"Well, I mean...you've heard of my past, surely. I didn't exactly get to grow up, and neither did Spyro. I was...well...you know. And Spyro was brought up by dragonflies until he met Ignitus and found out he's really a dragon, so neither of us have had normal lives other than just seeing each other and the Guardians...and then all that craziness with the Eternal Night and Spyro petrifying us in crystal for three years to protect us from the mountain's collapse, and then the Destroyer War and...then yeah, becoming mates. It's only in the last four years after the war that we've been exposed to others our age but...that's mostly been Spyro. I don't...feel comfortable going out around others..."

A paw on her shoulder brought her out of her monologue. "It's all right, dear. I understand. I've seen worse shut-ins who thought being raped was normal. But you seem to have a natural sense of normalcy despite your past, no doubt due to your mate's influence and the Guardians' guidance."

"I guess so."

"I know so. Don't be too hard on yourself. The past is a horrible hurdle that many stumble on, but all that matters is that you try. And you've overcome so much of your own. Be proud! Your children will need it."

"Thanks..." she whispered with another blush.

"You should branch out a bit and gain some friends if you can. Time with your mate is wonderful, but a social network of support, if you can find it, can be a wellspring in dark times...be they worldly or personal, and sometimes not even a mate, a dear love, can help, for they may be too close. A word of wisdom to consider."

"I...have been a bit lonely...b-but you said that mating with friends is normal, right? Why...why do I feel it to be wrong to mate with anyone else besides Spyro?"

"Because your heart is devoted to him, and there's no shame in that either! That's a powerful trait you both share. Some would be jealous of that reciprocated bond. But don't get too caught up in whether or not something is normal. The only time it becomes a problem is when it inhibits your ability to take care of yourself, your mate, or your children." Even with the encouragement, Cynder could feel her still studying her intently. What the devil was she looking for? "If you don't mind, would I be able to stay the night in your place? If not, I can ask the Guardians, but it is getting very late."

Indeed, it felt as if it were already midnight, Cynder only now noticing the nightsong of birds and frogs and insects. "I...well. I should ask Spyro, but I think I can answer for him there, he has a fault of trying to help everyone with every need so he'd be fine with it too."

"Good of you to know your mate so well, though yes, I do agree that is a bit of a fault. We may need to get him to not stretch himself so thin."

"Well, after we started having sex so much he's been learning to prioritize rather than throw himself headlong at any needed help...it's progress, I suppose."

"That is good, though I do hope his motivation is not simply enjoying the intimacy with you."

"That's probably part of it, but...I think...it's more that he wants to make sure I'm taken care of first. He's always been of the mind that one's mate and family should be highest priority."

"That's very good, as naive as his upbringing may have been. He has a good heart, it sounds like."

"That he does..." Cynder trailed off with a small dreamy grin. "Oh, right, we should get to the house?"

"Only if your business down here is taken care of. I'd hate to see you lose all this preparation, as much dalliance as we've already gone through."

"Thanks, ma'am. Yeah, I should start closing all this down and get stuff put away at least. I was hoping Spyro would-" She paused, then sniffed the air, turning towards the general direction of the Temple. "I...think he's heading back right now actually."

"Splendid! But I shall give you two some space to discuss first, in case he's had a hard day."

"Thank you. I'll get this stuff squared away."

As she finished her spice grinding, wingbeats nearby betrayed her mate's arrival. He came plodding into view, looking very worn-out and ragged. "Hey..." he croaked.

"Spyro!" Cynder squeaked, nearly dropping the meat she was finishing salting. Bounding over, she nuzzled all over at him, the purple dragon pressing his face against her shoulder. "Spyro what happened, are you okay? You look horrible!"

"Dun wanna talk bout it ri now..." he mumbled against her. Sitting back, Cynder held her forelegs out to him and he just pressed his face to the top of her belly, the black dragoness tenting her wings over him as she hugged his head to her middle. Off to the side from the torch shadows, the Matron keenly watched them, silent as the grave she may as well have been proverbially skirting. Gradually, Cynder's attentions settled him enough that he sat up and nuzzled her face, Cynder holding his chin and pressing her nose to his.

"You'll tell me when you can, right?" she whispered, to which he nodded. "Okay. Just breathe, Spyro. Relax. It's you and me now." He looked like he'd been crying all day and it made her insides twist with pity. Hugging him close, they folded wings together and she gently rocked him side to side, until at last he pulled away to sigh heavily and shiver.

"Sorry...just...a lot of stuff got dumped on me and...I can't handle it right now. Lots of...possible stuff that's being looked into. But I can't say more than that because...it's not my place to say unless it's confirmed. I don't know enough to explain any of it so...but it's...I don't..."

"Shhhh." She pulled him into a kiss, then lifted his forelegs by his elbows and laid his paws on her belly, the purple dragon unable to resist groping her gently. "Just let it go for now. Just have the night with me, okay?"

"I'll...try..." he sniffled, rubbing his eyes. "You smell like you've been masturbating."

"Is it that obvious?" she asked with a coy grin, licking his nose. He couldn't help a small shaky smile.

"Yeah...it is."

Letting his groping paws wander down to her thighs and butt, she purred as he leaned in and started to groom her neck, then leaned away and laid her paws on his chest. "Let's save the grooming and fun for after you get something in your stomach. I made something for you."

"It smells amazing, Cyn...is it that crab meat again? That thing you do with the vegetable stuffing?"

"How'd you know?" she asked, sauntering over to the smoker and swaying her hips in invitation. The purple male couldn't take his eyes off her even with his depression, giving another small smile as she winked at him over her shoulder and lifted the lid off the grill with a beautiful plume of smoke, revealing dinner. Logs of crab leg stuffed in the scoring slit with roasted vegetables and covered in a sweet berry sauce, with a side of a steamed "salad mash" of leaves and veggie shavings mixed with generous chunks of crab body meat and a few of the choice tasty organs, piled in an edible basket of oiled and broiled flatleaved grass, crisped to perfection and generously dusted with seasonings. Spyro padded over and inhaled deeply, then paused when he saw three helpings. Cynder's, of course was fairly large, but there was a smaller third meal on the side as well.

"Are we...expecting someone?" he asked.

"Actually, she's already here." Taking the meals over to the central prep table, she breathed fire across the top to sterilize it, then set the plates down carefully, still graceful while walking on her hind legs even with the forward weight in her belly. "Spyro, this is the Matron we were told to expect." The older lady stepped forward from the shadows and he dipped his head to her.

"I'm...sorry...I'm not in a presentable state right now..." he started, but she smiled and shook her head.

"It's all right, dear. As I've told Cynder, I've seen it all. I'm here to observe you for her health and physical exam."

"Alright...I...guess you'll be needing a room at our place since it's so late."

Cynder frowned a little, but nodded. "Yes. I had planned to ask you that after you'd eaten but...that was on the docket."

"It's fine. We do have the guest room."

"Only if you're completely fine with it, dear. If you are in an emotional state where you need some time just with her for a night or two, I'm perfectly able to wait at the Temple as well. I just need to observe a few things and I'll be on my way."

"Let's eat before we talk about those," Cynder interjected with a blush that went unseen in the torchlight.