Ep9: Love at First Axe

True to Add's word, the village had made a deal with the New Order. Tagging along, he watched from the side while the church was being redone to fit the new legion. All the humans seemed on edge, but no tension seemed to boil over. There was a social gathering planned in the evening, but Lao had decided to leave early beforehand. His father turned out to have a similar, yet more permanent idea as he passed him and his family packing their belongings into a wagon. "You're leaving father?"

"It is no longer Orderite territory. As far as things are, we still have the cottage I and your grandfather made to stay in unless the woods are now unsafe…"

"I can escort you," Lao offers. "That is a good idea, but I thought you would want to stay with your people and your...kitsune tails..." A girlish scream came from inside the wagon. "Quiet lily! They aren't here...yet. Well then, you could always keep up with the horses, unless you wish to ride along."

Lao nodded and helped pack the rest of their belongings into the wagon, then helped his mom and sister up into the covered wagon. The father climbed up onto the driver's seat, grabbing the ropes attached to the horses. The wagon started moving, leaving the village to travel to their cottage in the falling sun. Everything seemed to have an orange glow to it this particular day, reflecting the rays of the light to shine no matter what material they were. Lao moved in a light jog, providing protection with his hood up and weapons concealed. Other than the movement of wheels and hooves over packed dirt, his mother and sister chatted and played away in the cabin.

The path they were taking led straight to the tavern, but if it was that easy to find it wouldn't be as much as a retreat cottage. They took a turn at a particularly tall tree, it's size and thickness stood out among the rest, not swaying in the windy day till the smallest of branches. It was the sturdiest thing for miles, and it was their first hint to change direction.

The wagon wheels cracked fallen branches as they weaved around trees, leading 90 degrees in a new general direction. Soon, all parts of civilization had left them, and they were alone in the forest. The light was dim from the overcast of trees, and the sun was almost done leaving them to the pale light of the coming moon. They stopped shortly to light the candles they have, putting four in each corner and two beside his father. With light around them, they continued, listening to the crickets in the night and smelling the incense from hot candle wax.

"Do you think it still has the supplies that you and your dad brought?" Lao asked his father. "It should, and it's right next to a nice place to fish and garden. Seeds and water to last us a lifetime."

They reached the cabin they were looking for. It looked spawned out of place with all the trees and shrubbery that surrounded it, but it was still standing. "That's weird, the door is open," the father commented, pointing at the broken lock on the door. "Oh well, it has been a while, and the locksmith's metal lasted long enough…"

The family all got down from the cabin, the four of them approaching the open door into the house. As it was built by hand, there were only two rooms in the cabin, the main room and a place to sleep in. They all went in around the same time, looking around at all the dusty-wood made things in the main room. "Honey, everything looks ransacked," his mother said while looking at the open bags of wheat. "It has claws, it was probably a boar we can hunt."

"Will you teach me how to use a gun?" the daughter asked, touching Lao's coat and being in awe at how soft it felt against her hand. "No, you're only six. Lao, can you and your sister go check the bedrooms?" Lao nodded and went with his sibling to peer inside. It was only bed frames, with bags of feathers and sheets in the corner for when the place would be finally used. Although a dark shadow was in the corner, grumbling reverberating from it. The sister noticed around the same time he did, paralyzing in fear as she watched it's chest rise and fall. "M, m…"

"Sssh." Lao coaxed the sister to his side, placing a hand on his gun and getting a bullet inside the chamber. "Do you wanna go back to mama and papa?"

"Nu uh-" her head was pressing into his side so she didn't have to look.

"Alright, but stay behind me." He slowly advanced to the shadow, it's grumbling dying down to quiet breathing. He tapped the figure's body then backed up. He saw blue eyes open up at him, blanking before going wide. "Ahhh!" The figure screamed as it started trying to fly out. It didn't take the time to remember it was inside before hitting the roof and falling back down into the frame violently.

"What was that!?" their father was in the room in a second with an ax and a candle, shining a light on what turned out to be a wyvern, dazed and with an injury to the head. Her solid light blue collar held the bra top around only the torso above the bottom of her breasts. She wore pants with a belt that barely went below the height of her cameltoe, and her wings, tail, and scales were blue-green, with her signature 3 talons on each wing, and claws on each foot. "Y-you were…you bitch!" Realizing she was the one that had invaded their hideaway, he started advancing with an ax ready to harm. Lao stopped him before he could land a hit, pushing him back away from the Wyvern. "What are you doing son!?"

"Father! Please, let's just kick her out." He struggled a bit more but held back by his son he eventually called himself down. He pushed the ax into Lao's hands and picked up his daughter. "We can't stay here now, what if she comes back?"

"I can just take her with me, she can stay at the castle. You don't have to leave your cabin, I swear on my life."

"Fine, but if she comes back and causes trouble I will haunt you from the grave. Come on dear," The three of them left the inside, waiting for him to drag the wyvern out through the only doorway in the house. Lao felt something latch onto his shoulders once they were excited, turning around to see the wyvern peering around him. "I'm really sorry…"

"I see you are…" he said, right before knocking her in the noggin with the handle of the ax. "Ow!"

"This place wasn't for you," he said coldly before hitting her again. "What if there was a family living here already?"

"I'm sorry I'm sorry! Just please stop bapping me!" he relented, the wyvern covering her head and shoulders with her wings. "Just don't kill me, I swear I'll leave…"

"Fine." He pulled her by the arm out of the cabin, shooing her off and watching her hurry away into the air. "Yeah, and don't come back!"

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With his family now settled in, he bid them farewell, hugging his father one last time before continuing his travels back to the castle. He ran into the wyvern again, curled up against one of the many trees that filled up these empty woods. "I thought I said to leave this place," he said. "I don't have nowhere to go," she responded back, staring at the ground with a lonely gaze. "I have been lost for so long, I don't know what to do now…"

"Well, it can't be here, but do you want to follow me back to the castle?" The wyvern looked up from the ground. "Really?"

"I guess. It is somewhere that isn't near the cabin." She gets up, using the tree to prop herself until she was standing on her own two feet. "Thank you, I promise I won't steal anything again!"

"You didn't….oh well."

"My name is Seian kind sir. What is yours?"

"Lao, and I don't think we're going to be together for long."

"But you seem so kind," She wrapped their arms together, pressing her side to his as she walked alongside him. "You didn't let that man use his ax on me."

"That man is my father."

"Even better!" She started nuzzling the nape of his neck, thinking that she had found someone to be with. "With you, I don't have to live alone anymore. We can do so many things together…"

"You're moving too fast, even for a mamono," he commented. He didn't show much interest at all, trying to disengage her from getting too excited about him. "Isn't there something that you would usually do first before talking of marriage?"

"No….but there is one thing that can solidify our relationship." She let go of his arm, getting in front of him and squatting over. Her tail wagged along the ground as she waited for him to do something. "I'm not having sex with you."

"Not sex. Don't you know what wyverns are best for?"

"...No?"

"Flying Lao! Wyverns used to dragons that humans flew on. We still do the same thing, but instead of pets, we are husband and wi-"

"I heard enough, but I'm fine walk-iiiiing!" Her tail slide had caught him by surprise when it slid under him, flicking up so he would be slide down onto her back. "Grab wherever you would like~"

"I…." The tail folded over onto his back from between his legs, keeping him on until his arms slid around her exposed belly. "Yes, just like that…" Her eyes looked heavy-lidded for a second, liking the feeling of his gloves patting her navel. She refocused herself and lifted off, soring up beyond the treeline rather quickly. The acceleration almost made Lao lose his grip, and caused his hood to fall off his head. He screamed out of sheer shock from how gone he was from the ground, stopping when he heard Seian's giggling. "Is this your first time being so high?" He didn't respond, getting an aching feeling that spread out from the inside of his gut. He sparsely recalled when he was younger, learning that man wasn't given wings because they were meant to repent on the ground. Seeing Seian fly close and closer to the lowest of clouds, with him kept in place by only his gloves and a tail between his legs, he was beginning to understand how true that was.

"Can you just go a bit lower?" He asked, just gripping her sides a bit tighter.

"Aaii! Oh sure! But um, I must admit…..I have no idea what direction we are going."

"What!?"

"I know, I'm sorry again, I can be a bit of a clutz…is that the castle?" She points a wing down towards their destination, Lao saying yes over and over until she turned and started gliding towards it. Now that she was done ascending, the trip actually seemed enjoyable. Slowly he sat himself up on Seian, ducking down each time the wind threatened to blow him off. "Tuck your legs in, that way you won't fall off!" She suggested. Trying it, he slid up her body and folded his legs around her waist. Sitting up now, the wind still blew in his face, but he wasn't sliding off.

"Oh my god!" he exclaimed, holding his arms up to the wind. He looked around him, seeing themselves slowly pass over the moon-lit landscape below. It was forest and farmland for miles and an amazing sight to someone that had never seen 20 feet above the ground. Slowly but surely his fear of heights disappeared. They laughed alongside each other, sightseeing until Lao finally saw the castle below them. "Oh! We're here!" he yelled over the wind. "Can you take us down?"

"Of course! Hold on!" An exciting note to that, she tucked her wings in and went into freefall, Lao going back to clutching her for dear life as their speed towards the ground. Just as he thought it would be appropriate to scream, her wings spread out again, slowing them down like parachutes as they glided to the entrance of the castle, shining with sources of light all around. Lao fell off as soon her feet finally touched the ground, grateful to be back on solid ground once more. "You look handsome without your hood on," he hears her say. Almost by instinct, he pulled it over, hiding his face from her.

"That's not fair, at least let me be able to remember it," she protested, but he didn't budge. In the game of waiting out the other, Seian broke faster, deciding to fall beside him and look at the star-filled sky. "Oh, look, it's a shooting star," she said pointing to one falling in the sky. "What do you wish for?" he asked.

"Well...no, no it's silly."

"You did bring it up…"

"Really, it's a silly dream. I could never have it…" her smile faded a little when she said that. "Can we go inside?"

Lao nodded got up, Seian stumbling up right behind him as they walked past the gates and into the castle. It had just turned night time, but it was enough for Lao to throw away his things and go to bed. Melisa's father was out god knows where, but that meant the Dhaphir wasn't far behind him, leaving him alone in his room with Seian standing by the door. "Um, Lao?"

"Yes?" he was already in his bedroom clothes, getting comfortable under the sheets by this time.

"Is there...anyway I can sleep with you?" He stared at her for a second before turning over and laying down in his bed to rest. Left waiting awkwardly, she decided the best use of the social limbo was to slowly scoot over to Lao, watching to make sure he didn't turn before quickly hopping in the bed. Seeing nothing bad happen to her, she decided to pull a piece of the blanket herself and sleep away.

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"Sir?" Lao asked him, catching him in the hallway while taking his tray of breakfast back to the kitchen.

"Yes Lao?"

"Do you...have any experience with dragons?" The armor froze up for a second as if he had not heard what his knight had said. "Sir?"

"Yes! Of course, I have my, interactions, but why do you ask?"

"Well you seemed like someone that would be experienced in them, as you have been around with monsters for longer…."

"That...makes sense. Do you need help catching one? Tending to their wounds or scales...m-marrying one?" He seemed way too interested for a casual conversation, as the voice echoing through his armor lets on.

"Getting rid of one."

"...What?"

"I invited her to the castle to keep her away from my family, but now she takes it as a sign of a relationship. I just do not see it happening, Sir." Add looked taken back. "You're not even going to give her a chance?"

"Well-"

"I don't want to hear it. Lao, your new assignment is to spend time with this lovely dragon you brought home! I will send word immediately." Add said like a disappointed mother. In the span of a conversation, Lao had now dug himself a hole. Now he will have to befriend a wyvern in it.

Lao went back grumbling to himself, going back to his room once he had dropped off his empty tray. He caught her falling back asleep, now with the full coverage of a quality blanket at her disposal. "Come on, we are going out," he said matter of factly. Her head turned, unsure if he meant it. "Together?"

"Yes, together." With assurance, she bolted into the bathroom, freshening herself up and coming back out to him, her chest heaving as if she had just run a marathon. She was completely wet from head to toe, not bothering to take off her clothes before jumping into a bath. A quick glance inside the bathrooms showed the entire space covered in droplets of water, especially the floor she stepped out onto. "W-what? Did I go too fast?"

"You still smell. Do you want to take longer?" He asked, taking off his coat and weapons. She nodded and stepped back inside, Lao rolling up the sleeves on the clothes he wore under the coat before stepping in after her. He found some soap bars and dropped them in along with a sponge, filling the tub with hot water. He started hearing her shiver while he prepared the shower. "You should take off your clothing, they are only making you colder at this point."

"I need help with that…" She held up her wings, before promptly covering herself with them again to converse heat. Lao went behind her and started undoing her top, finding buttons on the shoulders that made it possible to remove it without having to tear it by pulling over the wings. "How did you even get this on?"

"I...don't remember. I think it was with someone else.." her cheeks flushed red as he carefully undid her bra, making sure not to tug anywhere to hard and then just letting the wet bra drop down onto the floor. "May you also do...my…."

"Only the belt, then I'm leaving." He went a bit faster with the loops of the belt, pulling them out once the front part had been undone. He had turned around before the extremely short shorts had a chance to drop below her navel, but she clasped onto his arm. "I need help washing myself!"

"W-but how have you been doing it this entire time? Unless…" Seian looked away, pretending she wasn't guilty of just wading in water. Sighing, he let himself get pulled back in, watching her lower herself into the tub of hot water. "This feels nice Lao...like the bed…" He kneeled beside her, getting the floating soap and sponge to mix and scrub along her body. One by one she held out her appendages, smiling softly as he washed out the dirt and grime that had built up in the corners and crevices. The last appendage to wash was her tail that swished around underwater. She squeaked when his hand found the tip. "Please...be gentle~" she said with her mouth bitting on the skin of her winged arms.

He could practically hear how sensitive what he was holding was in her voice. Every time he attempted to scrub the end, it would flick with wild abandon and she would make a small squeal again. Eventually, the best course of action, he decided, was to hurry along and get it over with. His grip became firm enough that she couldn't wiggle away from it, and the sponge was squished against her tail. "Ahhh! I said slow! Have mercy!~" ignoring her pleas for a reprieve, he continued on until the sensitive portion shined in the candlelight. "There! May you stop squirming now?" he said, feeling bad about it. Her face was completely red, as she huffed and puffed into the water. "L-Lao?"

"Yes?"

"I think I came, " she admitted ashamedly. "P-please don't leave…"

"...well, I won't. Do you think you can do your front…" She nodded, taking the sponge between her wings to rub it on her stomach. She got about two strokes in before it slipped out like a stick of butter, landing back in the water. She picked it up between her wings again, watching it slip out again. "L-Lao, it isn't working..."

"I'll do your front for you." Scooting his seat up, he started washing the front of her body, doing literally everywhere that he could before eventually finishing with her chest. His unenthusiastic hand gave only a few good swipes of the sponge, not too fond of spending any more time with her erogenous zones they wanted. "Thank you for-" she was cut off by him scooting further up, lifting one leg out of the warm water. "You can't wash your legs, can you?"

"I can, but I wouldn't mind you doing it…" she watched patiently as he finished of the rest of his body, going through the wings and the legs like they were nothing. A final scrub down of her head and polish of her horns, and she was ready to submerge her body like a bathroom submarine. Lao left his towel out for her to use, stepping out as she continued leaving behind soap suds to float on the water surface with her series of ducking and rising.

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"Are you done changing?" he asked, waiting with a maid outside of his room. He heard fumbling around and a lot of crashing, praying that the room wasn't going to be upside down by the time she got out. It would be a lot faster to just help her, but this time, Seian assured him that the freshly dried clothing will be easy to put on. "I have a way!" she says.

The door swung open slowly, revealing her top and her shorts perfectly on. Behind her was a surprisingly lacking amount of carnage, except for the bedsheets on his bed that were caught in the crossfire. Those are gonna be a pain to put back, he thought to himself.

"All I needed was a floor and I can put in all the buttons and belts!" She said excitedly, looking proud of how she put everything on. "So where do we go next?"

"To Sir Add obviously." In truth, Lao had no idea what he was supposed to do with her. His superior seemed to be interested, so went back to Add's room and knocked on the door, taking Seian "Hello?"

"Lao is that you? Please come in, the water is fine!"

"The water?" he murmured confusedly. "Why would there be water in your room?" He got his answer as soon as he opened the door. For some reason, his captain was still fully in armor, waist-deep in a swimming-pool sized jacuzzi hot enough to steam out across the rest of the room. Beside him was one of the largest dragon humanoids he had ever seen, seeming three times his size with his scales covered in an overcoat fur akin to a bunyip's. "So, how's your day so far?" Add asked, seeming very casual despite how bizarre the scene looked. "This is my lovely husband slash dragon!"

"Hello. I am Ayzogecorid, but Addianas calls me Witness for short." He gives a neighborly wave.

Lao, speechless, struggled to take all this in at once. "So….witness is…"

"A translation from our tongue. I know, it is merely a common word but it just stuck so much with Addy here."

"Awww," He got a kiss right on the faceplate from Witness as he felt overrun with glee. "Well don't just stand there Lao! What do you need?" He moved only 2 feet from the door, Seian jogged over to the edge and sat there, dipping her feet in the water.

"I don't know what dragons like," he admitted. "If I am going to spend the day with Seian, I need help Sir."

"Well, I know my hubby loves when we exercise~" Lao stared at him with contempt. "Not that type! Although it's not off the table. I mean the normal, lewd free kind!"

"Nothing makes me happier than flying the people I care for around. Especially Add~" Witness added. Seian turned to him, holding up her wings as if to tempt Lao. "Alright then, do you want to go flying Seian?"

"Yes." she sprung up, loving the idea of taking Lao for another soar in the skies. He guided the two of them down the floors to the outside. The view was beautiful in the moonlight, but in the sun, more details could actually be seen! Seian crotched like last time and Lao shuffled up until he was nice and up against her back. With her payload secure, she took off again quickly. Lao, now having experience in flying on her, tucked his legs in, daring to look down as the rose beyond the treeline. The people he could see milling around on paths shrunk down to the size of ants, then further as their outlines blended in with the ground. His enjoyment for it was silent but plentiful.

"So, where should we go?" Seian asked, also ground-gazing as she reached the level of clouds. "Oh, what about the ta-blublurwah?"

"What's the tablurblurwah?" Lao quickly wiped away the cloud and condensation that had gotten into his mouth. "I meant Tavern. Bleh, did you know clouds tasted this weird? It tastes nothing like the water."

"You ate the clouds?" Seian said, laughing loud enough for the birds below to hear.

"Just answer the question!"

"Yes, of course! Everyday!" Lao nodded as he finished getting the small beads of water droplets off his form, the clouds they were flying through giving away to open Sun. "You know Seian? I always thought that above the clouds, there would be heaven, but there are more clouds above us…."

"Shame I can't fly up there," she said, looking up. "It's..it's too cold."

"Says the person only wearing the bare minimum….maybe if I ever get on a plane somewhere farther than three states…"

"What is a plane?"

"Oh, it's….wait what?" Lao thought about what a plane was as well, but it was like the word only appeared just to be put in a sentence. "I don't know…"

"Sometimes I don't know why I say either. I would just say random words like….bolonga!"

"Seian that's a real word."

"Oh." They both chuckled, Seian slowing down to a glide since they were chatting. "So plane isn't a real word?"

"I guess not. How about tavern?"

"Ooo, I know that one. It's the place with beer and swords right?"

"You can say that," Lao responded, patting his sword for emphasis. "Why don't we go there?"

"Of course, can you point to it?" Lao pointed to a small gathering of buildings with a tiny plume of smoke rising, Seian curving down to descend in its direction. Lao laid against Seian while the wind blew against them, thinking hard about where 'plane' came from. It obviously is a word or at least something of significance. Just earlier he swore he had mentioned a 'Leana'. He furrowed his brow, but the equivalent of fuzziness only came to mind.

Soon they landed at the Tavern, Lao hopping down instead of waiting once Seian is practically laying on the ground this time. As they went in, the boss of the Tavern checking out, tossing the keys and apron onto Lao before leaving with a grunt. "L-Lao?"

"He's upset I asked for a day off I think…" he guessed. "Do you think you can help me with serving?"

"That sounds interesting but so sudden…"

"I know, I'm surprised too." Lao taking the wyvern to the back to put the apron over her. "I think you would need this more than me."

"Aww!" She giggles as he ties the strings to it, backing up and spinning around with it on. "Do I look cute?"

"You know what? You do look cute. More nice than cute though." He could not deny how fitting it went around her, even if it was a tad oversized for the both of them. She blushed at the very first compliment he ever gave her, going around excitedly waiting for something to serve. Lao took an order ticket down and went further into the back, coming back with four drinks to put on trays. soon brought four drinks that he put on a tree. "Four fresh ones for the table in the corner," he instructed, leaving Seian to start slinging drink trays left and right. One by one they served through the afternoon rush, getting the buildup of orders down but never fulling running out. When one meal was finished and sent, another would have been written down and added to the waiting list for Lao to get to, then for Seian to serve. Lao had several lonely shifts under his belt, but it was inevitable that it wouldn't be long before the dragon girl would falter. Sure enough, in a rush to take a tray of drinks and food to some customers, the large platter slipped from her hands spilling all of the food on the ground. "Aiii! S-sorry!"

"Aye lass, you would do much better with hands," one of the customers joked. "I-I know, I'm sorry and-"

"Sheesh lad it was a joke. Really, it's alright." She nodded and bowed, getting Lao to help clean up the mess while she did the rest. She ended up spilling more trays, some of which Lao got to see as he went out of the back of the tavern to retrieve another order. She looked distraught each time this happened, but luckily for a bunch of travel-hardened people they seemed to stan being friendly often, and she would go back to going around smiling.

Finally, the two slumped down at the counter of the bar, sliding down relaxed as the last group of people went out. They had finished the afternoon rush and made a lot more money than if Lao or his boss would have worked alone. "Finally is done…"

"I spilled a lot did I?" Seian asked, still feeling guilty about the wasted food and beverages. "Of course you did, but it was your first shift," Lao responded. "How do you hold the trays?" Seian pulled one from off the table, using the arm part of her wings to each hold an end of the tray. "That looks slippery…" he commented.

"It would be easier with hands…."

"Maybe, but what if you hold it like this?" Lao lifted the tray and turned left arm sideways, placing the tray then back on her wing. Seian's eyes seemed to glower, the tray having less to slide away unless she tilted her wing on purpose. "It works so well!"

"See? Now then, lets' put some weight on it." They spent the lull before the evening rush pushing how much Seian could carry on her wings, adding more and more glasses full of beer. Eventually, they had to use two trays, then start stacking the glasses on them. Seian stayed still while Lao stood on a table to take it further, then eventually the tallest stool they could find.

The first customers started milling in but froze when they saw the two stacking away in the Tavern. "Oh, we might need to stop…"

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Effectively stuck without a mission or a bounty hunt to go on, Lao continued working with Seian, growing more fond of her every shift they managed the tavern. When they were working, Seian would drag him on a flight around the realm. A few times he had managed to fall asleep, making sure to wrap his arms around Seian's neck before falling asleep on her blue hair. One day, he woke up with his body on her front instead of her back, head nested within the crevice of her breasts. "You seemed so peaceful," she said, smiling wholesomely at him. Weirdly, he didn't even mind, nor care at all. Life was fine…

That was, until one day Lao had come back from the Tavern. His bossu wanted to chew him out about Seian, saying that they couldn't keep eating the stored meat in her off time. Seian briefly apologized before flying off early, leaving Lao to walk home. I hadn't walked in days, he realized. Was this what Sir meant?

It felt hollow without her tagging along with on the trip home, like a friend that their parents came to get early. The trip up the spiral staircase to his room was silent, but once he got to his door he heard...scribbling. Confused he opened the door, seeing Seian sitting on the floor, pencil in claw as she drew on the paper. "Oh, hi Seian," he said, pleasantly surprised as he closed the door behind him. "H-hi!" She responded. "I asked for sketching materials if you don't mind…"

"No I don't. What are you sketching?"

"Well, I wanted to draw us…" she said, holding up what she had so far. Admittedly, it was pretty incomprehensible. "H-how does it look?" she asked, a look on her face saying she knew full well how it looked.

"It's...a start," Lao responded, not wanting to her feelings. "So, talon drawing is your new thing?"

"I wouldn't need talons if I had hands, but yes, I always use them to carry things. Why not a pencil?" She kept going, Lao sitting beside her, watching her sketch out. Their shadows stretched and disappeared as day turned to night, but neither of them moved from their spot. It was as if everything had been tuned out for the sake of watching three claws stiffly move a pencil back and forth. Lao didn't notice anything until he felt a weight softly lean more against his shoulder. Seian had fallen asleep, snoozing peacefully against him. The pencil had dropped and rolled away. A quick glance outside showed that it was still in the first half of night time at least, as he couldn't see the moon yet. Her tiredness had seemed to rub off on her as he yawned. He lifted her up and laid her on the bed, climbing in next to her and falling asleep without bothering to change or anything.

Soon after that day, Add lifted his ban on going on missions, but his superior had gotten what he wanted. Lao and Seian were now at the very least close friends, as they woke up, bathed, and enjoyed their free time by each other's side. Talking became not much more than a formality; seeing each other's presence was enough communication for both sides.

"Lao?" Seian asked one day while being given another bath. "Yes Seian?"

"I tried to make a loaf of bread yesterday, but…"

"You ended up burning it since you couldn't work the dials?" she nodded. "Well, it happens. I don't think the head chef was too happy about it though."

"I just feel so...useless sometimes. I can't even give myself a bath as well as you do it…"

"Hey, you're not useless. You just have a different set of skills. Like flying and durability."

"Durability?" Lao nodded. "You are a dragon."

"Durability won't make me a wife."

"Having hands won't necessarily make you a good wife either you know," he points out. "Besides, you don't have to force yourself to cook or do all the traditional things for me. Just be yourself. It's who I gained affection for, so why change?"

"I guess you're right…" She sank deeper into the warm bath until her nose was blowing bubbles into the soapy water. Lao made sense, she knew it, but it still nagged at her how little wings could do besides flying.

She saw most of this contrast in her drawings. The materials weren't a problem; living in a castle tends to solve those problems. Every night, however, when they would come home and Seian would start to draw, her paper would end up looking no more professional than a child learning to scribble. Time gave and her talons slowly got better, but it was agonizingly slow and painful. In the middle of the night, she would slip out of the bed, adding the latest mistake to her growing pile of art. She was getting discouraged, and eventually, that discouragement seeped into everything else.

She got silent during bathtime and during their fly-arounds, Lao not necessarily talkative enough to pick up the slack. The air between the two became awkward. Whenever Lao would try to cheer her up, she would be too in her own thoughts to notice. It continued on until she finally drew something. It was simple; a little stick figure sketch of the two of them holding hands. But to see it on paper, made by her was enough to cry. "It's cute," Lao said, having watched her slowly get better with her talons. "A-are you okay, you seem to have tears in your eye…"

"O-of course-" she said, her voice sounding broken. She carefully picked up the paper with her mouth, placing the paper within his hands. "May you please hang this up?" Lao nodded and went to get some tools, coming back with a frame and a hammer. With a few knocks and a nail, it hung above their bed for them to look at every night. "At this rate, you will be a great drawer Seian," he said giving her a hug. She nuzzled his neck while he embraced her, staring past him to the drawing above. "I think this one will be my favorite, Lao."

"Mine too."

____________________________________________________________________________

The drawings started coming faster and faster. Seian was seemingly cheerful, and for another while, things were back to normal once more. "I'm heading out on a mission," Lao said, double-checking his things before leaving the room. Seian was still sitting under the covers since it was still early in the morning. "Will you be fine for a few days Seian?"

"Of course! When have I never been fine?" she joked. "One last kiss before you go?"

"Hmm...sure." he quickly ran over and pecked her on the cheek. "Will that do?"

"Oh yes, but may you do it..longer?" A bright red blush was on her face while she giggled. He giggled with her too before giving her the full kiss, then hurrying out to go attend on his mission. She waved him off up until the door had closed, leaving her in the room that was only dimly light by the early dawn. She clutched her blanket as she looked towards her lap. She knew what she must do; it was for the good of both of them, she thought.

Yes, this must be done.

____________________________________________________________________________

"Finally! A proper bounty hunt with ya!" Melisa exclaimed as they walked back to the castle. "Do you know how long it has been since I have had someone to paint the floor with blood with? Too long!"

"I'm just glad that king is safe. Mamono or not that demon was out of line. Who just stages a coup for no reason?"

"I'm all for it if it means more time to get paid with a partner. Speaking of which, I am going to go clean off the blood on my rapier. Do you want me to do your sword?"

"Sure. I'll meet up with you once you come upstairs." He tosses his sword to Melisa, who nods and turns away down another pathway while Lao continues on his way to the room. He wondered how much Seian would miss him! He certainly missed her, at least in the times he had to think about her. His thoughts were more and more about Seian the closer he got to his room until his skin was just itching to be able to cozy up with here again.

"Seian! I'm...home…." he saw a very pale Seian, coughing up blood on the floor and curled up in a ball. Beside her was a spilled vial of purple liquid that stained the carpet. "Seian!" he yelled, rushing over and crouching over her. "What happened!?"

"I….messed up dear," she said. "M-messed up? Did someone attack you? Who was it I swear I'll…"

"I-it wasn't...anyone but me."

"...what?" He had a look of fright and confusion. "But...how?"

"I….I'm sorry. I couldn't take it….I just wanted to do it...for you…" Even in her fading eyes, tears still ran down her cheek. Lao, having a realization. He checked the bottle, finding it's label on the bottom.

"I-I thought if I drank it I could grow arms, but I was...wrong…." Her wing touched Lao's cheek one last time, before she truly went limp.

"Seian? Seian wake up, please….Seian!" The door swung open, Melisa coming in concerned. "Lao, I know you are excited to see your dragon wife again, but…." he slowly turned around, his face a tear-stained mess as he held his dead wyvern close.

"Oh...I'm sorry for your loss," Melisa said, taking her hat down for him. "Are you alright?"

"...No…"

"I see," awkwardly, she sat beside him, slowly pulling him into a hug. "I'm sorry, I'm not good at grief and things."

Sniff "It's alright...no it isn't! My wife is bloody dead!" He exclaimed before crying into Melisa's shoulder.