Chapter 84

The Dragon Queen, Rizantona, stirred in her sleep. The deep cave was comfortably warm, opening as it did from the caldera of Mt. Fuji, its tunnels leading deeply into the core of the mountain, where the fires of the earth kept it nice and toasty. It was a perfect place to incubate the egg that held her coming child.

She tucked the egg closer to her belly and dozed. Ryuujin, the Dragon King and the father of that child, was in her favor right now. She permitted him to come and look, and sometimes even coddle the egg while she flew. Dragons were naturally touchy, and a mother nurturing an egg was fierce in defending it, but both sexes were competent, protective parents. Even Rizantona had to admit Ryuujin was a good father to their daughter, Renko. The egg rocked of its own accord, but Rizantona tucked it firmly under her. She slipped still deeper into sleep, not noticing a cloud of light moving down the tunnel.