New Legacy

Ch.26

What a day. I just spent the whole day helping prospective Riders find my children who resonate with them. That isn’t even going into the clusterfuck that happened around midday.

Out of the hundreds of wargs eager to try when they understood that my eggs weren’t racist due to a stupid ancient pact, only 12 of them had the potential to Bond. Then there were the 7 other prospects already selected whose partners had hatched for them today.

Then, around midday, a few loyal Dûrgrimst Ingeitum soldiers died in the process of defending us from a bold public assassination attempt by Dûrgrimst Az Sweldn rak Anhûin. Those daft anti-Rider/Dragon grudge-mongers actually tried to kill us all in a sudden tide of red-robed assassins with cursed daggers and crossbows with cursed bolts. The only reason we weren’t dead was because of the many Ingeitum soldiers standing ready and the power of our spells.

One of the potential Riders, a unicorn, died in the assault though. My unborn child wailed in agony and I worried she may die, but the Bond hadn’t been set and Glaedr told me that while she may take a long time to hatch now, she will still Bond to someone eventually. I still could not have held back from slaughtering the monster who took my daughter’s potential other half from her had I known beforehand.

All in all, I was tired, sad and frustrated. Without Hrothgar here, Hvedra couldn’t declare Az Sweldn rak Anhûin to be traitors, but she could declare that they were to be arrested for suspected involvement in the attempted mass murder of allies and members of other clans.

Fucking. Politics.

“Hmph, my namesake’s soul is being mean about me being a gushy girl.” Kalameet huffed, now in a foul mood. Copernicus was patting the gem in her head with an annoyed look when she entered the Dragonhold and sat in the chair opposite me at the carved dining area. I was alone since I needed time to myself while Roran had to act in his role as a member of Clan Ingeitum and Katrina was learning with the other fresh Riders under Oromis and Glaedr.

“No, don’t start.” I groaned and covered my eyes where I was pressing my chin and chest into the table.

“I see I’m not the only one having a shit day.” Kalameet muttered and put Copernicus on the table. “How about we share? I’ve been told sharing problems with a friend makes them not so bad.” I looked up at Kalameet to see she was clearly uncomfortable, fidgety, but Coby nuzzled her hand and she pet him like he was a cat. This calmed her down and she smiled at my son.

“I don’t really want to talk about it. People died because of bigots with ancient grudges. It’s over and done with now. What’s bothering you?” I asked with a mixture of resignation and understanding as she rubbed her third ‘eye’.

“It’s Kalameet.” Kalameet said and I gave her a flat look. “The soul of an ancient dragon from the Age of Gray. She had some unique mutations, magic and was almost feral. She was even prouder of being a ‘True Dragon’ than others that were found from that era. I’ve had her talking in my head since I was barely a year hatched.”

“Okay, so it’s like an Eldunari in your head?” I asked and she scrunched her brows under her so-called eye. “Okay, you need to learn it anyway. Dragons here have something we call an Eldunari, our Heart-of-Hearts in our chests. It houses our souls, minds, magic, life, et cetera. It literally is us. Without it, we’re essentially broadcasting our mind and magic into an otherwise empty vessel. If said vessel perishes without the Eldunari within it? Trapped as a stone, forever.”

“Shit, yeah. Kinda? It isn’t my soul though.” Kalameet tapped the gem with a snarl. “The old bitch doesn’t like that I’m behaving like a weakling. It isn't a weakness to indulge in happiness.”

“Why would she think that?” I couldn’t imagine any sane person believing happiness was a bad thing. Not even legit anti-human practices from religions or spiritualists were that bad. They just sought happiness in their own extreme ways.

“She lived in war. About as many as our dragon teacher has lived in years. She saw all her hatchlings smashed, mates killed, hunted much of her adult life and slain by a Knight as nothing but a challenge. She has given me advice on combat since I could walk.” Kalameet sighed and buried her eyes in her palms. “Even though I was born into an era of unprecedented peace, I was driven to be a warrior from birth. She’s driving me nuts and I think it’s part of why my superiors sent me away.”

“To somewhere that peace is a distant past and a hopeful future, but is violent right now. You’ll be able to get your fangs blooded, don’t worry about that.” I still feared for what is to come. With the changes we’ve made, what will Sombra order Murtagh to do to my sister and Roran’s brother? What will happen in Gil’ead when it comes time for the elks to invade from the north? How will Sombra move now? Will he actually take to the field, or stay hidden behind his soldiers and wards like the craven coward the canon Galbatorix had?

“I’m also scared of her ‘sharing’ her power. If she felt I was about to die, she would force her power into me, turning me into what she was in her heyday. It’s happened before, I destroyed a whole town because bigots were throwing bricks at my friend and I.” Kalameet rubbed her ‘eye’. “I was shunned by everyone besides the temple priests after that.”

“Wait, temple, priests?” I asked for clarification, because she didn’t seem pious.

“I am a daughter of Urta; the Goddess of Fertility. I was not directly raised by her, but by the priests of the church I was Conceived in. I was from the last group of children brought to life on that world for a festival celebrating it achieving self-sufficiency and growing beyond being a colony, but no one wished to take me in because they could sense Kalameet’s endless wrath.” Kalameet leaned down and nuzzled Copernicus, who was keening at his Rider.

“The more I learn about your universe, the less I want to visit.” It’s obviously ruled by extremely questionably moral people if not outright Corrupt. Whoa, for some reason, just thinking that felt like a serious way to get killed.

“It’s not that bad. People like Elric stop most Corruption and the gods are sure to listen to our worries. Really, I had an anomalous childhood.” Kalameet said in some understanding of what I was thinking.

“Alright, so while you’re giving me your life story, what else do you feel like telling me?’ I rested my cheeks on my palms and my elbows on the table. While I genuinely didn’t care much about her past, it felt good to hear it right now. My own worries lessened as she vented.

“Technically, I’m a private in the army, but I’m officially just a desk jockey for the-oo, can’t tell you the name. Um...extra-planar exploration and study, we’re basically glorified scouts. We, uh, scout other dimensions to learn new magics and technologies. The only reason I’m in this job is because there are no wars across the Empire right now.” Kalameet sighed and smooched Coby’s head. “Like I said: unprecedented peace.”

“Well, I know a lot from Elric, but he wasn’t much about current events in your universe. Why is your universe experiencing unprecedented peace and why do you both act like it’s a bad thing?” I questioned seriously and Kalameet pointed at her forehead gem.

“I told you why it messes with me. People like Elric are just battle junkies who can’t live without some form of conflict. As for the why? We just came out of the Clone Wars and the Droid Uprising. There’s not even rebel cells left because both of the main fighting forces were either indoctrinated into following orders or programmed to.” Kalameet casually informed me.

I gawked at Kalameet in a mixture of awe, shock and disgust. I mean, sure, I can see how that would do it, but that was literally a whole significant portion of Star Wars. Just how fucked up is her universe?! “I’m not going to dwell on that.” The less I consider that mess coming here, the better.

“I don’t either. I was born shortly after the conflicts ended. It did result in the Kaminoans having intense restrictions placed on their science and culture as well as reaffirming Sapient Rights laws for synthetics and clones alike, but I don’t want to get too into all of that.” Kalameet rounded off as she pet Coby and I hummed in mild interest. I do love History, but not now.

“I’d like to know more later. Elric didn’t mention much of any of that.” Elric seems to only answer what he was asked and I didn’t think to probe him on recent history, only on defining characteristics of his people’s culture.

“Well, considering how much I enjoyed being a better-than-thou bitch before, I guess I could brush up on some of my history. Not your history you old bitch!” Kalameet tapped her third eye and I huffed before shaking my head.

“Okay, I’m done hearing about your universe for now. Even if I never go there, it’s always too soon.” That place was a massive science-fantasy/fiction clusterfuck I wanted nothing to do with beyond their visitors here and learning about some of their history sometime later.

“Yeah, I do like the simple life here.” Kalameet agreed while she stretched her arms up and leaned back in her seat, which thrust her large DD-cup breasts forward to strain against her futuristic shirt and Coby eagerly climbed into her cleavage, which made his Rider giggle. “Thanks, no one really talked to me about this stuff. Ever, even Elric avoids it.” Hey, wait, her breasts are usually twice that size!

“Hold on, do you have uh…” I pinched the area around my nipples on my tunic and Kalameet blushed slightly with a grin.

“Yep. I’m Urta’s direct daughter, so I have huge tits. I keep them down with enchanted piercings to fit into some of my clothes that I outgrew several years ago. Would you believe I was an F-cup before I was 14?” Kalameet tugged on her T-shirt that was emblazoned with some alien logo across her bust. “This was my favorite shirt when I was thirteen! Urta and Wiatr’s children bloom early and big. The size I’ve been most of the time is actually my usual comfort range.”

“That’s a little unfair.” I huffed with an envious grope of my breasts as Kalameet laughed.

“Eh, I wouldn’t mind showing off to you. You may not like me much, but you’re the kind of gal I’d like to get to know.” Kalameet winked at me and I blushed in surprise.

“R-really? W-well, it’s not that I dislike you, you just rub me the wrong way. It’s...nice to get to know you without your hubris tainting it.” Prideful windbags are high on my list of disliked people. It’s why I find it hard to like Oromis and Glaedr. Just because they’re my Masters in training doesn’t mean I have to like them as people.

“That Hubris is mostly this cunt.” Kalameet huffed with a point at her forehead. “I’m a bitch because I’m afraid of turning into her.” She then froze and snarled. “Instead, I just had the lightbulb go off in my brain telling me I fell into her ways anyway.”

“Well, so long as you grow as a person, then that makes you better than her.” I kindly insisted and this time it was her turn to blush, turning her black scales as red as her eyes.

“Th-thanks, I guess…” Kalameet scratched her cheek and then cleared her throat. “S-so. I’ve told you my life story, more-or-less. Who are you? Who is the pretty pearly princess?”

“Ha! Princess? Please, I’d sooner moon royalty than become a princess.” I hate politics~!

🥚

Kalameet is an okay girl. I could call her a friend at least. I don’t know about more than that though. Maybe if she keeps improving and growing as a person, she’ll be on my radar. While I love Katrina, her heart is mostly Roran’s and I understand that. Roran did too. He loved me at least as much as Katrina, but he understood that while Katrina and I do love one another, our connection wasn’t as deep as mine and his, or his and hers.

So, then...I guess maybe I should try dating Kalameet? I mean, nobody else has approached me besides Spike and while he’s a great mate, he’s...immature. He and I parted knowing that while we may certainly make more beautiful babies together, we didn’t have the same interests. Sure, he’s smart, but that’s because he’s bonded to the genius that is Twilight. He doesn’t care about science and all that, he just does it because he loves his Rider like a good partner.

Kalameet wasn’t the brainy type either, but unlike him who was driven primarily by his instincts, her potential affection for me was entirely decided by her own interests in me as a person. I appreciated that. “Okay, everyone! All aboard the Krono Cruise!” Kalameet playfully declared and her other giant dragon friend huffed before using a wing as a ramp to let us pull the carriages up onto his back.

“Don’t forget that once this is done, we’re even.” Krono grumbled and Kalameet flew to his massive head to whisper into his earhole. “Grr, fine. I owe you a lemon shandy then.” Krono groused and Kalameet flew back to hover by my head.

“Eh, I loved my teenage years and early years in the service. I was a bit of a smuggler before Cocoa found me and put me on my path here. Krono is a guy I helped get out of a scandal, so he owes me big.” Kalameet clarified without needing to. While I had wondered why he was willing to help, at least now I know it wasn’t because of sexual favors. Kala doesn’t come across as a slut to me.

“It is good to keep potential contacts in good standing even if they are unsavory.” Oromis commented with his stoic and practical manner while Kalameet neared my face with Copernicus halfway in her basketball-bosom’s cleavage and keening happily at me.

“Hello little one. Are you having fun?” I cooed at my son and nuzzled him against Kala’s breasts.

“He’s so fucking adorable, Shimmer. Your whelps are just precious.” Kalameet said with a coo at my son and I purred with approval over her choice of words.

“Ahem!” I looked down to see Roran and Katrina, the latter clearly jealous of the attention I was giving Kalameet. I connected with her mind, which was still fresh and unguarded, to open my mind and share my thoughts. She looked a bit sad, but smiled in understanding. “We’re still getting married, but you can have a mistress or mate. I can’t hog you to myself when I already have Roran.”

“Huh? What’re you going on about?” Kala blushed at understanding Katrina was talking about her and I. “W-we’re friends! Right now that is! We haven’t done anything!” Heh, she looks so cute when she’s flustered.

“Careful, Kala. I might get the wrong ideas about your intentions for me.” I winked and she sputtered, possibly at my nickname for her being a much softer one than her full name.

“Flirt later, get on the alien dragon’s back now.” Glaedr chided me and I glared at him before obeying after Roran and Katrina climbed onto my saddle with Kalameet joining them tentatively.

Our caravan was an extra two carts since it was safer to nestle the carts between the Ancient Dragon’s spines than it was to have individual people clinging to them the whole flight. I and Glaedr would remain our birth forms and nestle between spines ourselves to be prepared to defend should flying enemies decide for some reason to assault the flying mountain.

“I am disappointed that Orik had not returned from Du Weldenvarden yet.” Roran commented and I crooned sadly. I had hoped to see our friend before heading there ourselves, but considering the land travel, it was quite possible Orik was still heading south along the river.

“Hopefully Krono will be willing to let us stop on the way. Since he’s Hrothgar’s nephew, he has more say than his fiancee in claiming injustices wrought on his clan. The sooner he knows about the attempt on our lives, the better.” Katrina suggested, since she was Ingeitum by intent to wed Roran, she still needed to be aware of the politics involved. Gah, politics!

“That would be wise. It might also be best to test him with Shimmer’s eggs as well. With this new Order coming to form, it would be best to have experienced politicians included to help us organize.” Oromis agreed and I turned my head around on my long serpentine neck to see that Kala was looking down at Katrina’s ass where it was pronounced by her seat on my saddle.

“She has a nice ass, doesn’t she?” I spoke to her privately and Kala looked up at me with a nod.

“Yeah, she does.” Kala then blushed and hoped nobody realized what she was talking about. “Uh, I mean, yeah! I’ll go tell Krono he can forget the shandy and do an extra stop along the way.” Kala quickly got up and flew up to Krono’s head while Katrina was faintly blushing with a smirk up at me.

“She was looking at my rear, wasn’t she?” Katrina snickered when I nodded at her. “While I’m okay with having fun, my heart belongs to Roran. So long as she doesn’t mistreat you, I approve of her.”

“Thank you. I don’t know if she’ll become the one I love as deeply as you and Roran love each other, but if I don’t try to find someone for me, then I’ll never know.” I wasn’t about to leave this relationship, I was only trying to see if I could find that ‘one’ if that made sense.

“Young fools rush in.” Glaedr sagely warned me and I rolled my eyes. I’m not some hormone-driven teenager. I’m a hormone-fueled adult, thank you very much.

“All that I am worried about is getting everything to Du Weldenvarden. The attack by those fetchers really has me on edge.” Roran admitted and I had to agree. I’d felt safe in Tronjheim, but now I don’t think I can call this place home again until those rage-blind murderers are disposed of. Maybe Roran’s plans for a new warg city in the Spine is for the best.

“Okay, he’s agreed. I just won’t be getting any citrusy booze later.” Kala sat back down behind Katrina and squeaked when the mare leaned back against her and smooshed Coby into her storage. “W-what are you doing?”

“You have such big cushions, I just wanted a soft backrest.” Katrina playfully smiled behind her and I laughed at Kala’s astounded and flustered expression before Kronos took off and we all held on to our secured ropes that provided Glaedr and I clawholds and wrapped the spokes of the carriage wheels to spines to keep them pinned to the giant stone dragon’s back.

The mountain of a dragon flew north and I could only hope that the Hadarac Desert had managed to keep Sombra’s minions from being able to set up any ambushes.