I have one thing to say, drunk Magnus.

~Angel~

MINE.

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Rayne followed Kara through the roots and vines riddling the grasses of the former front yard. She left the still recovering Magnus to lay on his back and try to move occasionally. Was he trying to fight unconsciousness? She didn't know. At this moment she was happy he was alive but not very happy with him. Her newly learned secret father was like a constant buzz in her brain and for some reason his comment earlier really rubbed her fur the wrong way.

So for a little while he could be in pain by himself while Rayne tried to figure out this situation with Kara and Harper. Where had he come from? Just appeared out of thin air?

She almost stepped on it, the Night's Orchid Kara had dropped at some point when her battle with the skunk witch began. Rayne picked up the very intact but worn looking plant and headed quickly inside behind Kara.

Something had happened to the bed—or was happening to it, half of it was in pieces along the floor. Rayne frowned, stepping around them carefully and watching as Harper gently set the skunk atop the small table.

“Harper,” Kara said in an ordering voice, moving around the limp blood witch set atop her table. “After I've wiped her memory, you need to take her out and dump her somewhere, keep her asleep until you're far away from here. Wilderness would be best, more believable for her to be out there than in anything like civilization.”

Harper simply nodded at her, seeming absorbed in every little thing she was doing. Pouring and mixing strange plants and powders, Kara moved with precision before placing everything in a bowl and downing the potion. She made a strangled noise and coughed as she downed it, obviously it wasn't the best tasting potion. She pulled her silver knife and sliced a small cut across the skunk's arm, placing her already cut paw against it. No blood seeped from either wound as far as Rayne could see, but she knew something had begun when Kara's body jerked and her head fell forward. It took several minutes as Kara held her eyes closed, a sudden burst of strange orange light ignited between the wounds and Kara's blind eyes opened back to the world around her.

“Its done,” she stated in a collected tone, taking a step back and looking at her now healed wound. “Harper.”

“Yes, Lady Kara,” he muttered warmly, scooting around her and picking up the unconscious skunk.

The door burst open and a very awake and nude Magnus towered just outside the door frame, making Rayne pause slightly and Harper stand awkwardly to wait to pass through with the witch.

“You just LEFT ME?!” Magnus roared, pointing an accusing finger at Rayne. How could he think he could be mad at her?! After what he said! “Outside to ROT?!”

“You were breathing and groaning in pain,” Rayne answered calmly, crossing her arms and holding her head up. “I figured you were fine on your own out there, being a dragon and all.”

Magnus stomped inside and glowered over her, trying to look as angry and intimidating as possible but Rayne had gotten used to his stares and stayed droll and unfazed.

“I just saved you from being blown sky high,” He decided to remind her. With the doorway open, Harper the white wolf eagerly left the awkward growing situation, the skunk witch slung over his shoulders as he closed the door quietly behind him. “You could have been a LITTLE MORE concerned over your injured mate!”

Another emotional wave hit her, suddenly fear and guilt surfaced as if she were releasing air. She touched her chest before she wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him like wild vines, eyes large and threatening to shed tears.

“I'm sorry!” She wailed, Magnus grunting in surprise at her sudden affections. “I was mad and upset at you! I didn't mean to leave out there! You could have DIED! I'll never do it again!”

Magnus hugged her around her ribs, rubbing her back to try to soothe her.

“Its alright,” he almost sighed.

“ITS NOT ALRIGHT!” She out cried, feeling the world crashing down around her. “Witches and—and Knights—and dragons are trying to kill us! We're NEVER ALRIGHT!”

Kara appeared beside them, letting Magnus release Rayne—or Rayne release her grip around Magnus. Kara held out a warm cup of tea for Rayne smiling sympathetically at her.

“Here, this might make you feel better,” Kara responded as she traded the Night's Orchid for the cup of tea. “Then we'll look at your paw, and get things started right for this meeting.”

“Thank you,” Rayne sobbed, holding the cup carefully in both paws and sniffling, deciding to take a deep sip. It tasted like honey, and lemon perhaps? But the tea itself was a deep brown and had several other scents to it. Kara nodded to Rayne to encourage her to drink it all as she offered Magnus a silver chalice full of something.

“What's this then?” He murmured at Kara, still very guarded and not even willing to hold onto the glass before the witch informed him of the answer.

“Wine,” Kara responded in a calm and slightly pleasant manner. “Its a red, I think you might need it at the moment.”

Magnus hadn't even finished his breath before he downed the wine-filled chalice, giving Kara the vessel back as Rayne felt her emotional outburst wain. The tigress blinked a few times, drinking the last bit of tea and for the first time in a month her head felt crisp and clear.

“Better?” Kara asked as she handed Magnus another glassful of wine.

“Much, thank you,” Rayne said in a relieved tone, Kara looked almost pleased and proud for a moment, before looking over Rayne's paw.

“I might send a few brew bags of that home with you,” Kara suggested as Rayne wiped her free paw along her eyes to clear them of water.

“And some bottles of wine, that would do some good,” Magnus added as he simply grabbed the bottle Kara had been pouring from, taking a large swig.

***********************************************************************

With the bed half destroyed—Mangus thought better than to ask, secretly fearing the answer—he chose to stand and watch the witch who helped save his mate's life and simultaneously had her mood swings under control. The witch had Rayne sit atop the table the skunk witch had recently vacated.

Magnus knew spellwork when he saw it appear, knowing his mother's own handiwork helped him react and quickly to the blood circle that had formed near them prior. An interesting attack, he was glad he had taken the brunt of it and not his mortal. He never knew that a blood witch could charge others blood with magic, but now he would take extra care.

The wine the witch had was very tasty, but hadn't effected him, pity. One bottle was nothing compared to a dragon his size, but it made him feel far warmer than he thought he should feel. He was a fire dragon after all, most boisterous heats that had mortals running were like a cool breeze to him. Still, the bottle now empty had him wondering where he could find more as the females seemed busy.

“Getting bigger,” the witch murmured as she let Rayne strip off her shirt. “Three months and it looks more than that.”

“How much more?” Rayne asked, tilting her head slightly, which for some reason made Magnus all the more aware of the fact she no longer wore her shirt. Wait...was he naked? Yes, he was. He reigned his more carnal thoughts in and decided to wander away from his topless mate. Best not do anything too drastic in front of—the witch.

“Not much, just a few weeks I would say,” the witch answered. “It won't suddenly expand and put you in labor any time soon.”

Magnus tripped over—must have been one of the pieces of the be—why was the bed in ruins again? He thought it best not to ask and chose to ignore it. He was choosing, not anything else.

“Magnus?” Rayne's silky voice called to him, turning his body back around as if she had enchanted him—when had she gotten topless? “Are you alright?”

“M-me?” Magnus inquired, of course regally and not full of slurs. “I'm—wonderful.”

Rayne's eyes expanded like he'd said the wrong thing. Had he? Wait, what had he said again?

“I think the wine got to him,” The witch murmured as if he couldn't hear. How could the wine get to him? There wasn't any left! He checked the bottle for good measure. Nope, definitely empty. “I put an incantation on it to make it a bit stronger, so one glass could help him relax. I wasn't expecting him to drink the whole bottle—but there you have it.”

“Pfffft,” Magnus waved a paw at her and nearly hit himself in the cheek. “Your incan—hoo—seooons have no effect on me! Because...because I...am a dragon.”

The witch looked at him with a raised brow before answering,

“Riiight...”

Good, she understood. He was the dragon here, the dragon-fearing witch would just have to get used to his overall wonderful presence.

“I would like more of this—wine,” he ordered, lifting the bottle up to share what he wished with them. Sometimes mortals needed the extra help in understanding what he wanted. He shook the bottle as well, showing its emptiness.

“I think that's a bad idea,” Rayne said in a slow way, making him growl. He wasn't a youngling! He could take what he wanted! But how to find it...

Magnus spun around slowly, watching the world lurch to one side and found his footing a bit more wobbly than usual.

“Is there more wine over here?” Mangus inquired as he moved down onto his knees carefully, looking under the pieces of wood and even peering under the bed frame.

“No, dragon,” the witch answered, her voice a sort of distant, plugged sound. “I don't keep wine under the bed.”

He sat down abruptly, his legs felt good but his head and body wanted to stop moving for a bit. That was his choice, yes.

“What would that wine've tasted like?” Rayne asked quietly behind him. His ears, though seemingly plugged with something, twisted towards the voice but his body was just a little to wobbly to turn back around. Besides scooting on his rump was not very dragon-like.

“It tastes very good,” the witch answered. “But the potency—probably the same as shield polisher or fire oil.”

Mmmm...Fire oil sounded tasty. Fire—and oil—maybe not. His stomach sort of protested the oil part of that thought.

“He looks alright, and so do you,” the witch stated in a very pleasant tone. He who? He Magnus? Of course he was alright! A little witch wine was nothing to a dragon of his caliber!

There was a long pause of silence, or was it short but felt long?

“He—who?” Rayne asked in a sort of quiet voice, her worried or surprised tone.

“...What did I say?” the witch questioned. Was SHE drunk? No, he didn't think so.

“HE...HE looks alright...” Rayne repeated as a harsher statement. Another long silence. Magnus was fearing he was going to fall over soon, wobbling was turning into swaying.

“Piss on trees...” The witch muttered, “I'm usually damn careful about that...”

“...Its—a he?” Rayne asked.

What's a he? She knew very well Magnus was a he, and gods damned well better appreciate it.

“...I usually ask if the mother and father want to be surprised—and keep the secret if they wish it,” The blind witch said in a sort of anxious manner. “I think—this is a first for me to blurt out the big news so soon...I'm sorry—I can wipe your memory of the event if you wanted to be surprised—”

“No, more more—playing in my memories today,” Rayne answered quickly.

“Who'ssaa—he now?” Magnus managed to asked without sounding intoxicated, he knew how to trick others into thinking he was fine, he knew that. “I'mma he...you talllking about me?”

He closed his eyes for a moment to make the room stop spinning, when he felt the paws on his shoulders he opened them to a clear Rayne and a fuzzy everything else. He smiled at her, he couldn't help it.

“Hullo,” he greeted her when she smiled back at him, pulling her onto his lap and leaning into her furred chest and his own scale. “You are alright.”

“I'm alright,” Rayne answered him, “Do you remember the baby?”

The baby...the hatchling? His hatchling? Of course he did, she was carrying his hatchling. He took in a deep breath of her scent before looking up at her, his chin resting on her collar bone.

“My hatch—ling...yessss...yyyyou are my mate and having—gh my hatch—ling...” he muttered as his warm smile plastered itself on his mouth without him asking. He wrapped his arms tightly around her middle and pressed her bumping belly into his own ribs, feeling very content all of a sudden.

“Your hatchling,” Rayne said in a ginger manner, looking into his eyes and helping him concentrate on her own. “Is a boy.”

He pouted in thought, his hatchling...hatchling...was a...male? His expression changed to sharp awareness and understanding of those words. His hatchling was a male.

“We—are having-gh...a male?” he questioned for clarification. Rayne nodded, unable to stop herself from beginning to grin. Magnus let out a loud laugh he wasn't aware he could make, “SWEET FIRE GODS OF HEAT AND FLAME!”

But then there was blackness. He would have to enjoy that fact at a later time.

***********************************************************************

“Lord Bywren,” his servant whispered behind him. Lord Bywren turned to acknowledge the mouse, raising a scowl on his face. “The—the slayer has arrived, M'lord.”

“Very good, send him in and be off with you,” Lord Bywren growled and shooed the mouse off. He moved around the head table and sat in the seat of power his good King had given him, looking over the court room before him filled with shining yellow, blue and white tiles and tall, slender arched windows. Immaculate, for the time being.

The large double doors opened and as if on cue a large cloud passed over the sun's normal light. The room became a darker shadow's haven as a long, lithe figure was lit up by the dim light coming through the eastern windows. He had blackened sleek fur and long, pointed ears like a wolf only much larger. His muzzle was funnel-like although appeared canine in nature, eyes light brown as his garb spoke of his slaying. The chest plate he bore was not of metal, but appeared to be a dragon's guard scale, as his shoulders, arms and elongated feet bore further guard scales but each appeared to be a slightly different shape and color. There were at least five dragons atop his body, not counting the dragon tooth daggers strapped to either side of his hips.

Behind him trailed two black and tan creatures, wider bodies and head and small, squat ears. They bore more dragon scaled armor across their bodies, seeming to look similar to a badger but not the same.

“Welcome,” Lord Bywren greeted with a large grin, offering them the stools across the table to sit so they could speak. “I am glad I caught you before you headed back to the desert lands.”

“You best be glad,” the canine-like slayer said in a subdued way, his muzzle barely moving to speak. “A dragon that's already killed four of your knights? Sounds like a good one to me.”

Lord Bywren kept his anger in check, the black furred slayer obviously just as edgy about being in a Lord's house as he was.

“Please, I am only looking for help,” Lord Bywren offered with his best mimicry of a genuine smile. “And I don't wish the beast to plague my lands any longer. Is it true, you slayed the red demon dragon of the north?”

“Demon she were,” the slayer mumbled, looking to his right and one of the other strange creatures stepped forward, pulling a sword from the scabbard at his hip and presenting a yellow-tipped brown sword the length of Lord Bywren's favorite long-blade to the slayer. “Easy enough kill, though the blade's what I wanted. Hers was lobbed off by something, had to take her horn to make my newest sword.”

He stroked his large but lengthy fingers along the shining polished blade, before handing it back to his counterpart and focusing on Lord Bywren.

“I hear its a white fire breathing bull you've been having problems with.”

“In the Morio forest, far east of here,” Lord Bywren waved his paws and another mouse servant scurried up beside him, offering a well-drawn and cut cow's hide map. The slayer stepped forward to look over where Lord Bywren was pointing. “You will walk through a little town called Sagewynd, head south on the roadway and it will take you to the edge of the forest.”

“We best be off then,” the slayer's eyes narrowed, turning abruptly around.

“Sir—did you not want to discuss payment?” Lord Bywren frowned, letting the mouse servant roll the map back up and scurry away.

The slayer stopped his trek between his counterparts, before tossing over his shoulder,

“I get the body, that be mine by right of killing it. All I want.”

“By all means,” the Lord offered up, not wanting the retched thing anyway. The slayer bowed his head a bit before beginning to continue his stalking walk towards the doors. “One other thing.”

Lord Bywren watched the canine's thin tail swish back and forth as he was forced to stop yet again, something about the way the slayer turned back around making him fear for his life.

“Yes, M'lord,” the slayer smiled with the grin of a snake.

“There is a girl, a grey tigress somewhere in the woods,” Lord Bywren stated. “She needs to be dealt with, she will most likely protect the dragon.”

“Well,” the slayer raised a brow. “She gets in meh way, she'll be taken care of. Is that everything?”

“I believe so,” Lord Bywren answered, leaning back in his seat.

“I'll send you a scale, to let you know its been done,” the slayer added, before turning back around and letting his larger companions follow him out. The doors closed and Lord Bywren smiled. He would finally worry a little less tonight.