Chapter 37: Are all the dragons so chaotic?
Dragon’s Roar Valley
At the valley’s entrance, a wooden sign from the Church now stood, detailing the current situation. Unauthorized entry was prohibited, except for hunters and loggers, who needed permits from both the Church and Londe’s authorities.
For Londe, losing access to the valley’s minerals was a blow, but its timber and wildlife offered jobs and better lives for nearby residents. Previously, Lucia’s presence had deterred workers, but the announcement drew hunters and woodcutters from surrounding villages.
A woman with long red hair and a black dress approached the entrance. Her stunning beauty was offset by violet eyes radiating haughty disdain, as if all around her were beneath notice.
A Church guard noticed her and stepped forward. “Miss, you don’t look like you’re here to work.”
“I’m here to sightsee,” she replied, her voice soft and fragrant.
“Could you tell me what’s happened? It feels different from before.”
Hearing she was a tourist, the guard muttered inwardly. Who’d risk their life to tour a dragon’s valley? And the scenery isn’t even that great.
He explained, “This place used to house a dragon, but things have changed. The dragon and the Hero have gone adventuring…”
“Oh?”
Her calm reaction surprised the guard, reinforcing his guess—she must be some noble heiress, unfazed by shocking news.
“So, the valley’s dragon-free now?”
“Yes.”
“And you’re guarding it because…?”
Sighing, he explained the fear of mineral theft.
She smirked. “Not quite her style, but interesting.”
Looking at the guard, she asked, “Can I take a look inside?”
“That… might not be possible. Entry requires a joint Church-Londe permit. If we let you in and something happened, we’d be responsible.”
She nodded, understanding a mere guard couldn’t decide. She pulled a faintly scented gold coin from her satchel, offering it.
The guard stepped back, waving his hands. “I’m with the Papal Guard. Taking bribes is a grave sin. Please don’t make this hard…”
She paused, recalling his Church attire and their strict ways. Retracting the coin, she tossed him a short dagger. “If you can’t take money, consider this a thank-you gift.”
Ignoring his protests, she turned and left.
Back to Lucia and Fratina
“Friends, huh…”
Fratina’s question stirred memories in Lucia, names and vague figures surfacing. One solidified.
“I have a friend, another dragon like me. Unlike me, she loves traveling. Every fifty or sixty years, she stays at my place for a while.”
“Fratina, remember the room I gave you?”
“Yes,” Fratina nodded.
“That was for her. The other rooms were empty, and I didn’t want to bother fixing them up, so I gave you hers.”
Fratina froze.
No wonder the room had fine clothes and lavish decor—it was for another dragon?
So… the clothes she wore in the cave were that dragon’s?
Her heart raced. She looked at Lucia. “Lord Lucia, if I may… is that dragon… your lover?”
A wardrobe full of women’s clothes meant the dragon was female, and Lucia was supposedly male.
This fit the stereotype of dragons: territorial, with only one per region, viewing intruders as threats. For mating, opposite-sex dragons might live together periodically…
It matched Lucia’s story.
The female dragon traveled when not in “season,” returning to Lucia when the time came for… that.
Fratina’s cheeks flushed at the thought.
Unbeknownst to her, dragons lacked a mating season. Like humans, their desires were constant or absent, not cyclical.
But Fratina couldn’t bring herself to ask.
Hearing the question, Lucia paused, then laughed and shook her head. “Not a lover, just a good friend. She keeps a room for me at her place, but I don’t like moving, so I rarely go.”
Not lovers… just friends…
Fratina’s mind spiraled.
Right, dragons live so long—why bind themselves to marriage? Maybe they don’t even have the concept. When the mood strikes, any opposite-sex dragon nearby will do…
Her worldview began to crumble.
Lucia, unaware of Fratina’s turmoil, spoke nostalgically. “Her personality’s a bit odd, but overall, she’s great.”
She’s praising her! They must have that kind of relationship!* Fratina ranted inwardly.
She didn’t notice that, imagining Lucia with a partner, her usual composure was slipping away.