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And chapter six. Once again, I hope you enjoy it.

As always, comments are appreciated and requested.

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Continued from 'A Task Begun"...

"Hello, Skye." I said, nodding to my best friend. In his dragon form, his scales were shaped like elongated diamonds and were the many, ever changing hues of the daily sky. You could spend a whole day staring into one of his scales and never see the same color in it, which, of course, was where his name came from. It was always great to see him, since he had been the one to introduce me to the furry community, though he usually let me know ahead of time before he just showed up on my doorstep. Of course, since the DnD game a couple weeks ago, things had been changing among the awakened dragons, as human customs were abandoned and draconian ones took their places.

"Hello Argil." He replied, seeming a little nervous and I stepped aside to allow him to enter my family's house. My parents had been some of the more recent dragons to rise and believe me, they weren't easy to convince. It took hours to even get them to believe what they were seeing wasn't a hoax when my brother (now called Nixarian), Scarlon and I had confronted them as dragons, and more than a day after that of answering questions to get them to allow me to awaken them. Of course, when they were finally dragons, they loved it, but still it had been a chore. As it turned out, the silver in my brother and I's scales came from my father, who glittered like a gilded mirror in the sunlight. My mother was completely white, looking almost like a wisp of cloud. When Skye was seated in the living room, I realized he looked very agitated, more agitated than he had ever been. "I hope you don't mind me coming over unannounced like this. I wanted to talk to you about something...that is, if you aren't busy...If you are, I can come back another time..."

"For heavens sake, will you relax Skye?" I asked, sitting down opposite him and lounging back in the chair. He laughed nervously at my statement and took a deep breath to steady his nerves. "What is so important?"

"It is about Beryl and I." He stated, his cheeks flushing red with embarrassment. I had first introduced them when I had convinced him to join my DnD group about a year ago and he had always seemed very taken with her. Katiya had always been friendly enough to him and I had always got a sense that she liked him, though to the best of my knowledge had hadn't made a move. But since he had become a dragon, his confidence had increased a great deal and at that thought, a suspicion suddenly came into my mind and I let a small smile come onto my lips.

"What about her?" I asked, and he smiled nervously, looking down.

"We have been sort of...involved for a while now, since before we were dragons. But when you awoke our true selves, things developed quickly. Well, to make a long story short, we want to become mates." He stated, his liquid blue eyes looking up at me with an expectant expression on his face.

"You don't need my permission." I stated, looking at him in surprise. "Go for it."

"See that's the thing, we have tried everything we can think of," he stated, "but nothing has changed. Ever since we got serious, we have had this terrible apprehension about being with each other. We finally asked your mate what was wrong and she explained exactly what was going on. The bond that forms between mates is not a natural thing. In most dragons, it begins to form on its own, but it requires something more to make it stick, so to speak. In order to solidify the bond, we need someone who is powerful enough to help us. We need a Dragon Lord."

I was speechless at that pronouncement. I had always assumed that the bond that made Scarlon and I mates was a normal, everyday thing among our kind. I had never had a reason to think otherwise. But somehow, when my best friend came out with it, it made a strange kind of sense. I had long since accepted that being a Dragon Lord made me the leader of our race, but it hadn't occurred to me just how much responsibility that carried with it. If I didn't like a match between two dragons, for whatever reason, I could deny them the bond. But that thought was so repugnant, I wondered how anyone could possibly do that. To be denied the right to be with the one you loved was just...unthinkable. At once, I nodded.

"Skye, if you and your intended meet me at the mountain where my mate waited so long, in one week's time, I will gladly make the bond permanent." He nodded in relief, leaping to his feet and running out of the house in his hurry to tell his mate the news. As soon as he was gone, I cast out for my mate with my mind. If I was going to start sanctioning mate bonds, I needed to learn what would be required in the process, something I was sure Scarlon would know...

***

A week later, when I stood on the cleared space before the tunnel entrance at the mountain, I looked down at the spot at my feet where my life had changed forever and couldn't help but smile. The earth was no longer churned up, but I would never forget the spot. School would be starting again in ten days, but that no longer mattered to me, nor did the opinions of the humans that went there. All that mattered to me now were the concerns of my ever-growing race, and that brought to mind another thought that concerned me. Soon after my meeting with Skye, with my mate's help, I had searched the world, casting my consciousness around it, seeking the other dragon-touched.

Spreading my mind out that far made it difficult to tell anything specific about anyone, but the mind of a dragon-touched was more powerful than that of a normal human, a quality that required only the briefest brush to detect. Most were near enough to the mountain where Scarlon had waited, dwelling in the state of Colorado or near enough, drawn there by their instincts, but there were many who dwelt elsewhere, who had ignored the call of their dragon blood. This presented a problem for me, since I couldn't very well just disappear to go and find them, not without a lot of awkward questions being asked. It was hard enough already to keep our people secret with so many of our kind around. The most mundane minded human would begin to feel the difference that having dragons in the world made if we hid for much longer. And, though most of the others seemed to have missed it, Scarlon and I seemed to share a feeling like a cloud on the horizon, a threatening sensation that was growing more and more pronounced as time passed.

Looking up once again, I smiled, seeing the pair coming out of the trees down slope a ways, hand in hand. Fortunately, this happy day I could put such matters out of my mind. When Scarlon had explained what was required for strengthening the mate bond, I had been surprised to learn that it was almost like a human wedding ceremony, more significant and binding it was true, but similar nonetheless. When my friends climbed the last slope, I nodded in greeting then led the way inside the mountain, letting the cliff door close behind us. When we were standing in the great cavern beneath the mountain once more, I summoned magic lights that flitted up to the ceiling, bringing a light like that of the sun into the huge room. Then, I moved apart from the others, transforming into my true form, taking care to set my clothing aside this time. When I was myself again, I turned to look a Skye and Beryl, finding them chuckling quietly, looking at the melted stone that marked the place where my mate and I had first had sex as ferals, obviously guessing the cause of the melt. Clearing my throat to get their attention, the two of them quickly came over and stood before me, Skye to my left, Beryl to my right.

"When dragons mate, they mate for all time. So has it been since a time before the lesser beings appeared on the earth. Two vessels joined, two hearts beating in harmony with a single soul." I stated, speaking in the ancient tongue of the dragons, a language that humans had originally named 'Dragonic'. As I spoke, I used my front talons to scratch curving, sinuous forms into the stone before us, a picture taking shape. It was intricate and nearly impossible to describe if you had no dragon sight, for my magic flooded it, writhing around the carved lines, painting a mesmerizing image on the ground. But three bare spots remained in the carved lines, two of equal size on either side of the third, larger one. When I had finished the carving, I turned first to the left, addressing my best friend. "Skye, oldest friend and comrade, you have proven your worthiness in your steadfast dedication and friendship. If you are willing to take your place in a mate bond with this dragoness, then place your paw in the circle of joining." The smaller blue dragon didn't hesitate as he placed his clawed hand within the left hand open area, and his right in the left side of the larger one, his posture lowering almost into a bow as he did so. Then, bowing his head so low his chin was almost on the floor, he folded his wings tight to his body, the gesture one of submission, but not to me.

With Skye bowed forward into position, I turned to Beryl, continuing the ancient rite that my mate had taught me. "Beryl, true hearted friend, you have but to choose. If you are willing to take your place within a bond of mating with this dragon who stands bowed beside you, place your paw in the circle of joining." An arm clad in pale green scales pressed down in the right hand spot with equal eagerness as her love, her body assuming the same position as his, their eyes locked. With both dragons bowed before me, I reared up on my hind legs, gently resting a powerful forepaw on the bowed heads of my friends. "So it is decided. Heart to heart, soul to soul and body to body, the bond is forged. And with the power of old, I bind it with unbreakable cords."

Tapping the wellspring of magic that flowed in me, I channeled it into my friends, seeking the bond that linked them. And when I found it, I poured my strength into it, forging it like iron into steel. When it was done, I smiled broadly, withdrawing from my friends, and lifting my paws from their heads. The moment my paws left them, they raised their heads, rising from the bow and stepping close to one another. Beryl's green scaled head rubbed gently against Skye's chin, a gesture I recognized from when my mate and I were first together in our true forms and I grinned to myself. I might as well not have been there at all, for all the notice they would pay to me now. Transforming into my anthro form, I gathered up my clothes and headed for the passage leading out, dispelling all but one of the magic lights as I left. When I stood in the sunlight once more, I resealed the cavern and began the process of heading back to what humans rather arrogantly called 'civilization', unable to stop grinning. My friends would come back when they were ready, however long that would be...

***

In the coming weeks, two more pairs requested my aid in becoming mates and I performed the ceremony for them as well. As it turned out, one of those pairs had presented a solution to the very problem I had been considering. Eodred, an older, deep blue dragon with creamy scales on his belly, and Koyia, his violet scaled mate, were friends of mine from out of state, and I had awoken them when they had come to Colorado on vacation. They had offered their help in locating the dragon-touched who resided out of my reach, an offer I was more than happy to accept. They left just before school started up again and I had thought that things would be finally settling down a bit. Silly me.

When the month of September was in full swing, I began to notice a change coming over my mate. See, when I had gone back to school, my days had started to take on an unusual, but very satisfying pattern. The instant that school was out, I would go somewhere private, cloak myself in magic and fly home as fast as I could. When I got in the door, my lovely mate would be on hand to greet me in a very enthusiastic way, usually ending with me repeating the treatment with my tongue that she had so enjoyed our first night as ferals. I usually only barely had time to get ready after that before I had to go off to my dojo, then it was back home to hurry through my homework so I could spend the rest of the evening enjoying myself with my mate, only to get up in the wee hours of morning to do it all over again. The weekends were usually spent hunting for more of the dragon-touched, or else fulfilling my role as a Dragon Lord. It was a very busy schedule, but one that was supremely enjoyable.

But anyway, as September was ending, I noticed my mate start to act a little odd. For one thing, her moods seemed to be getting a little brittle, with little things seeming to make her irritated. Thankfully, the shift was so small that only I would have noticed it, our bond making it obvious. And then, one day, our afternoon interludes changed, becoming no less loving, but not as passionate. Instead of our usual escapades, we would snuggle up tight, holding one another close. I didn't mind, since even being around my mate was an event of utmost joy to me, but it did cause me to wonder what had changed. What was more, I noticed that she seemed to be putting on weight. It wasn't much, just a slight bulging around her middle. If she had been a human, and not a dragon, I would have said she should have cut down on the pizza, since our diet was hardly healthy these days, but I was smart enough not to say a word about it to her. But one night, when we were spending the evening listening to music, snuggled up in our anthro forms in my bed because I had the night off from the dojo, I decided to ask her about it.

"Pyre," I began, edging into the subject sideways in case she got touchy. At the sound of her secret name, she looked up at me from her position on my chest. "Is there something bothering you?"

"Why do you ask?" She answered, snuggling in closer.

"I have noticed that you have been very...well, moody, lately; distracted and moody." I explained, stroking her back with my claw tips. "I was just wondering if there was something the matter."

"No, there is nothing wrong." She said and something in her voice told me that, while what she said was the truth, she was leaving something out. "I just have been feeling out of sorts recently."

"Can dragons even get sick?" I asked, and she chuckled. "I thought our magic kept us healthy."

"It does. And I didn't say I was getting sick. " She answered and rewrapped her arms around me. "Its nothing to worry about, my love."

Unable to find a way to phrase further questions in a good way, I decided not to pursue the matter any further. However, I resolved to keep a closer eye on her, in case it really was something to worry about. Over the next couple of months, she got even more distracted than she had been, the thickening around her midsection getting more and more pronounced. Though my instincts had no specifics for me, and I got the feeling that it was something I shouldn't worry about, I worried anyway. I was still human enough not to rely wholly on instinct and my human knowledge had nothing to compare it to. But then, out of the blue, things changed once more. The fall recess from school was coming up, three days around Thanksgiving, not counting the weekend, and we had originally planned to fly out to a place where Eodred and Koyia had been gathering the stray dragon-touched, so I could awaken them all at once. But as I was preparing to leave on the last day of school, Scarlon dropped a bomb on me.

"Alabaster," she whispered, holding me close. "I can't come with you this time."

"What?" I asked, feeling like she had just kicked me in the nuts. We hadn't spent so much as a day apart since our joining as mates and I couldn't understand why she wouldn't come with me now. "Why?"

"I have something to do." She answered, releasing me from her tight hug. "Don't worry, I just need some time alone. I will be at the dragon mountain when you return."

"But..." I started to say and she put a clawed finger to my lips.

"I know love." She said, knowing exactly what I was going to say. "But we won't get another opportunity to awaken so many again for who knows how long. You can't let something like this get in the way. I promise, it will be alright."

In the end, even the most eloquent begging and pleading my silvertongue could come up with wouldn't sway her and I had no choice but to go. A Dragon Lord I might be, but the commands of my mate still took precedence in my heart. So, I left, flying off eastward, and began the task in earnest, despite the ache in my heart. It felt like someone had forcibly ripped my heart out of my chest, and then stomped on it. Though I had my hands full over the next few days awakening dragons, and then training them to use magic responsibly, all I wanted was to be in the cave in the wilderness, snuggled up with the one I loved most. While I was gone, the first winter storm came and went, leaving the world cold, and that certainly didn't help my mood. By the time I was flying back home, I was in a foul mood, tempted to lash out at anything that had the guts to annoy me. Unfortunately, even with me being invisible, only the wind was so foolish, whipping into my face in a stinging gale that left frost forming on my jaw spikes like icicles. So, with my mood as black as the night sky above me, I flew back west into the bitter cold...

***

Juno sat with his legs crossed in the lotus position, his thoughts under tight control as he meditated. Unfortunately, the trance was not helping him deal with the problem that had been bothering him for months now, ever since his star pupil had beaten him. He had been proud of the kid, at least at first, proud because no one had been able to beat him in a very long time. But then, that very thought had begun to disturb him. The reason why he hadn't been beaten in many, many years was that, being a dragon hunter, he had access to magic, and used it often to boost his skills. In the first weeks after the fight, he had thought that finally, he had found another human with the talent, for only one who had magic could have possibly matched him, to say nothing of beating him. But then a suspicion had worked its way into his mind, an insidious thought that had taken root in his subconscious, undermining every reasonable explanation he had come up with to dismiss it. It had taken him more than thirty years of daily practice to get to the level of proficiency with magic that he had achieved, thirty long years. And this sixteen year old had more magic ability than him? Unlikely.

At first he had tried to convince himself that maybe his student was just naturally talented, naturally gifted in magic. It wasn't that big of a stretch, after all, Juno's father had been exceptionally talented in that regard. But then, he had remembered the reason that his brother had called him in to the lab the second time, and, like the pieces of a horrid jigsaw puzzle, events started to click into place. His star student had always been tough, one of the very few who hadn't even come close to breaking during their test. But if he had had access to magic then, Juno would have been able to sense it on him, to sense him using it. But there had been nothing. It didn't take a genius to make the connection between a youth with sudden, miraculous skill in magic and a story that told exactly how magic was accessed. Add to that the fact that the trace had told them that the author of that story had been from their area...

Juno shook his head. It couldn't be him, it just couldn't. The boy couldn't be a dragon. It wasn't possible. But the answer was there, staring him in the face, contradicting his desire for his guess to be false. But the real problem was that, if he knew that he was a dragon, Juno was bound by the family oath to tell his brother about it. And yet, he had almost managed to convince himself that it wasn't true. Though he wasn't supposed to pick favorites, he had to admit that he liked the kid. Even as a white belt, he had stood out from all the other beginners. And as he had climbed the ranks, he had displayed an unusual gift for the martial arts, and a tenacity that Juno had never seen before. It had been the reason Juno had taken him under his wing, trained him in things he shouldn't have learned until he was higher ranked. And though their ranks and ages should have made it impossible, they had become friends.

A moment later, his musings were broken by three sets of footsteps on the hard wood floor outside the room where he knelt. Two of them were girded in heavy boots, the kind loved by soldiers. The third set sounded like dress shoes, and Juno's heart sank into his feet. The booted footsteps stopped outside and he finally opened his eyes, looking towards the hall. He found himself looking up at Jason, who stood before him with his hands posted to his hips, glowering down at his younger brother. The older hunter's eyes were glowing with the power of magic and Juno couldn't resist meeting them. Despite his precautions to shield himself, Juno felt his brother's gaze bore into him, the mental probe twisting past his defenses like a snake, jabbing roughly at his thoughts. Focusing his will, Juno forced the probe aside, walling off his thoughts as his father had taught him to do. For a moment, the wills of the two brothers strove against each other and then, the martial artist won the contest, his mental training superior to his brother's.

"Why brother, wherever have you been?" Jason asked, his singsong voice making an attempt to be as pleasant as honey, but only ending up sounding as foul as poison. "I have asked that you join me in the lab several times in the last few weeks and yet you continue to avoid me. Why ever would that be?"

"I have been busy." Juno stated evasively, trying to anticipate his brother's actions. But his answer only made Jason's smile twist into a snarl.

"Don't lie to me Juno. You know I hate it when you lie." He stated and then grabbed his brother's shirt with one arm, lifting him off his feet. Juno could see the magic flaring behind his brother's eyes as he held him in the air effortlessly. Though Juno was physically stronger than his brother, he could not match him in magic. There were techniques in the martial disciplines he knew that would allow him to break Jason's grip, magic strength or no, but then what? He was bound by his familial oath to obey his brother, the elder member of their family. All Jason had to do was invoke the oath and Juno would tell him anything he wanted, do anything he was ordered to do. "You know something brother and you don't want to tell me what it is, do you? Tell me now or so help me..." Though he left the threat unfinished, Juno could imagine the rest of the sentence. Setting his jaw in irritation, he finally answered.

"Three months ago, I was beaten in a no rules match." Juno stated, intending to say no more, but his brother shook him slightly until he continued. "The student that beat me was only a boy. He used magic, magic much more powerful than any I have ever seen. There can only be one explanation for that kind of strength in one so young."

"He is a dragon." Jason stated, nodding in satisfaction before setting his brother on his feet. "That may be the final clue we need. Come along brother, we have real work to do." With that he strode out of the dojo, the soldiers he had brought with him hustling Juno along between them...