Chapter 49 Bonus: Prima Draconis 3

“So…” Tiamat was the first to break the awkward silence that had settled over the table. The prospect of seeing her firstborn again for the first time in a century was enough for her to reshuffle her tendrils to deliver a dragon body to the top of her ziggurat before dinner time. “Have you been well, my love?”

“Fine, I suppose,” Kishar sniffed at the clay pot of tea set out for it. It had shrunken its form down well enough to make room for the mortals that would be joining them tonight. It considered taking a human form again, but… it would be just as uncomfortable as a dragon form. It had somehow been the first to arrive as well, much to its discomfort. It always tried to avoid being alone with its mother these days. “You?”

Tiamat bent her head down to take a sip from her own tea, and raised her head anew. “Kishar… I…” She seemed unsure how to proceed. So many conversations before had gone nowhere. Every time the two met, it seemed the next stretch of time before seeing each other would be longer. “I think we should speak honestly with one another. I can tell that… you are unhappy.”

The first dragon’s eyes rose up to meet hers, twin orbs as blue as the sky, showing care and concern that still felt alien, after their first few meetings. Tiamat had truly reinvented herself. If Kishar had not been there for the process, it might have believed it to be a lie. “What of it?”

“I want to help you!” She seemed truly desperate. Guilt even tinged the link as she spoke. “I don’t know… I… you are my child. I only want you to be happy.”

Her child… this much was true, it supposed. They shared blood. Some serpents viewed Ninazu as their father in the past. It had never quite subscribed to that notion when it had been Nintinugga. “Perhaps it is because I am the only member of this family who is not your child of my own free will.” It didn’t know where the words had come from. Its entire body tensed as the thought crossed the link. That never should have-

“I-” Tiamat seemed devastated by the stray thought. Already, tears were welling up in her eyes as she considered the true depths of its pain. “I had thought you and I- you no longer seem to fear me, as you once did…”

Guilt, once again. How had Kishar found yet new ways to feel like the black sheep who caused nothing but harm? “I do not fear you, mother. I know you would never harm me.” Not anymore, at least. “Perhaps… perhaps this is why I am able to share this feeling with you now.” Another lie. It knew full well that it was not a sign of trust, but a tried and true slip up. By Ninazu’s- No. It would be Tiamat’s tail now, wouldn’t it? By Tiamat’s tail, it just made everything worse.

“Kishar…” The deity rose from her end of the table and offered a wing hug. The first dragon made no move to accept. The two hung there for an awkward moment, neither sure how to proceed without causing further harm. 

“Grandma! Sire!” Fortunately, Shanu would be there to rescue them from the awkward moment. The smaller feathered dragon came down upon the stones of the top of the Ziggurat with three mortals in tow upon his saddle. Tirath foremost, with Etirili following up, and finally a bookish looking sparrow.

“Kishar!” The snow leopard leapt down and ran up to hug the first dragon, cutting through the tense moment as if it weren’t there. The first-sparked snow leopard had grown close to Disaeite in the early months of her training, and had become the very first dragon rider, though not the first rider. Riders were a much older tradition, which Tiamat had seen fit to revive. Kishar had meant to choose a rider for itself, but never quite got the chance, as the freeze began too soon after. “Disaeite should be coming soon. Her chosen wasn’t in the class she was supposed to be in, so she’s looking around. But it has been too long, old friend! I hope you are well…”

“As well as I can, Etirili,” it bent its neck down over the snow leopard protectively, but kept its eyes locked on the nervous looking sparrow keeping close to Shanu. Its eyes flit up to its son, and inquired “can he speak with dragons yet?”

“Sure can, Sire!” Shanu puffed himself up, and gently nudged his son. The sparrow seemed as if he might explode out of his feathers at the contact, seemingly too nervous to engage in the conversation before not only the first dragon, but Tiamat herself. “Well… he can normally. Nervous sort.” He flashed a smile, and shapeshifted down to his giraffe form, before leading Jesh to the table. “Jesh, I’d like you to meet the dragon who sired me, Kishar.”

“I-it’s um- honor- you are- I am-” He seemed completely unable to string a thought together in front of the legendary figures before him. Kishar was beginning to see a resemblance to Shanu, when it had first found him in the wilderness. The boy had started out afraid to talk to other humans, let alone dragons or Tiamat. 

“It is quite a pleasure to meet you,” Kishar shifted down to its human form, and took the hand of the beastfolk before him. “I promise, I am nothing but excited to meet my future grandson.”

“Indeed, and my great grandson,” Tiamat added. She seemed to have swapped down to a human form as well, in hopes of aiding the poor boy’s nerves. 

“In fact~” Shanu stepped around the two, and pulled his sire in closer, before digging into his pocket. “Grandsire here got you a little something special, to welcome you to the family!” He then slapped the golden pendant down onto the sparrow’s open palm. 

The sparrow managed to stop himself shaking just long enough to unfurl the chain and stare in wonder at the little golden dragon hanging from the end. “Ah! an Aurjeule! A golden charm! Like the early post-freeze protective medallions of old!”

“See! Told you, Sire, this kid’s sharp. Knows three mostly dead languages!” He patted his sire’s shoulder as the dragon-to-be showed off his knowledge of the ancient times.

A subtle smile of pride managed to grace Kishar’s lips. “That is right, Jesh, and do you know how to activate the power of the charm?” It tentatively reached out a hand to demonstrate. 

“I- I have read, but I would appreciate a demonstration from one who lived in those times!” The sparrow held the pendant back out toward his grandsire. 

Kishar accepted with a grateful nod, and began the brief ritual. First, it kissed it to its lips, “to infuse it with your voice, to call for aid, then raised it above itself, “now, here, you would speak the name of the dragon you desire the protection of. Some people would wear as many as twelve of these, one for each of the original twelve. In your case, I believe your father would be most appropriate.” Then, it lowered the pendant to its breast, above its heart, “a prayer to Tiamat, so she will alert the dragon to your plea.” Finally, it pressed the charm to its forehead, “and finally, to attune it to your mind and soul, and make it yours.” 

Satisfied with its demonstration, it passed the pendant back, and watched as Jesh completed the ritual perfectly, speaking his father’s name as instructed. “Thank you! I still- wow. Me, a dragon. In just a few weeks,” he stammered, a nervous laugh forcing its way into the mix. “It’s almost too much to believe…”

“Hey, kid, you’ll do great.” Shanu pulled the boy in tight. “You’ve got the best dad and grandsire you could ask for to help you through-” 

The moment was interrupted by a horrified shriek. All heads turned to the snow leopard, standing slightly apart from the rest. Terror and grief painted her every feature, and she quivered as she delivered the message. “Disaeite cannot find our chosen! But there is the scent of a serpent in her room in the academy!”

There had been little time to prepare. Disaeite was already following the trail ahead of the rest, and communicating back to Kishar and Shanu as they flew in pursuit. The serpent had to have been there recently, the smell was strong. It had left an hour earlier at best. Kishar wished more than anything that Takilnak could join them for this hunt, but he was still on the far side of Fell Lake from where the scent led. He would be a few hours behind their hunt at best. 

It seemed the serpent had a penchant for sailing. The scent had led Disaeite to the docks, and after much questioning, found someone who saw a cobrafolk dragging a large heavy looking sack onto a boat, and sailed off toward the south east. The trio of dragons were now flying low along the surf on the lake, searching for another trace of the scent. Disaeite had gone much further south, Shanu was along the south east, and Kishar straight east. Etirili had chosen to ride along with the first dragon for now, as Disaeite had gone too far ahead. Tirath had insisted on staying behind for now, and keeping a close eye on Jesh, in case the serpent tried something again. 

However, it was catching the scent now. That was definitely a… no. Oh no no no. Not her. Anyone but her. Kishar had hoped and done anything but prayed that Ninmada would be one to fall in the war to some other dragon’s claw. Kishar couldn’t stand the thought of meeting its old mentor like this.

“Do you have something, Kishar?” Etirili leaned down over its vision, sitting comfortably atop its head, and using a pair of great feathers as handholds as it flew. 

“Y-yes. I believe so.” Unwilling to elaborate further, Kishar angled left, and moved into a slight northern tilt, careful to veil its thoughts against its sister’s rider. “Tell Disaeite that I have the trail. I’m going to follow it.”

“Right. She wants to be sure you won’t engage directly until she’s there.” The snow leopard ducked her head lower as Kishar pumped its wings harder and gained altitude. “You know better than anyone that a serpent is not to be trifled with.”

“...Right.” Kishar had its doubts. If it was Ninmada… then maybe she could be reasoned with? She had always taught it to value logic above all else. Perhaps… perhaps Kishar could offer to turn Ninmada into a dragon. Tiamat had spared one serpent, maybe another was possible? It had to be. It had no other choices it could think of. 

… But Etirili was with it. If it tried having this conversation with her here… 

It needed to get rid of her. 

“I’m so sorry, Etirili, I hope I can explain this one day…” It began a barrel roll. 

“Sorry for- KISHAR WHAT THE-” She managed to hold on to the feathers partway through the roll, and was hanging on for dear life as the maneuver reached its climax… and then Kishar shapeshifted. Her hands grasped at air for a moment, before meeting purchase on the shapeshifed dragon’s hair, both now in freefall. “WHAT THE HELL, KISHAR! TURN BACK! YOU CAN’T TAKE OFF FROM WATER! You’ll be SOAKED!”

“I know, and I’m sorry!” It shapeshifted again, this time into an anthronoid mamba, and kicked the rider away from it before shifting back to its draconic form and catching itself in the air moments before hitting the water. It could at least sense that Etirili had gotten off the spell to protect herself from the fall. It would have so much explaining to do later… if Tiamat even allowed it. Maybe this would be just be another secret it would have to live with, and never be allowed to reveal. 

It raced over the shore soon after, flying with such speed that it left a wake behind it, and brought waves crashing up and over the beach. It was flying so low that the trees bent and groaned beneath it as the wind it swept up pushed them to their brink. The scent was stronger now. It was close. 

The trail lead it up into a colossal fjord, growing more and more noticeable as Kishar flew. It could even see the snake tracks. Ninmada had to have left those on purpose. She wanted to be found. Maybe she could even be reasoned with!

The fjord came to an abrupt end, with sheer cliffs in every direction. The smell was so strong now, it knew that it was right on top of its old mentor. Its heart was pounding with with equal hope and panic. At last, perhaps it would finally have someone it could trust, and would understand it! It could let the secret out! It could be itself again!

It came crashing down into a stream at the head of the canyon, fed by multiple small waterfalls cascading down their sides. There was a possible path up, one which could only feasibly be climbed by a serpent. She’d chosen this location well. To anyone else but Kishar, this would seem like she was trapped. Once it was landed, it quickly changed to its human form, and began trying to hike up the slope, boots splashing through the running water. Kishar cast its mind out, sensing a familiar consciousness hiding in the cliffside, though she had cloaked her location well. It couldn’t pin her down. “Ninmada! Wait! Let’s talk!”

The response was swift. Kishar could sense that the serpent was taken off guard by its presence. A speck of movement above caught its eye: a human face. “Nintinugga? How… you were not among the eleven survivors. We took you for one of the serpents to die in the impact. Where have you been?”

Hearing that name after so long… it felt strange. Not wrong… but not right, either. It was as if Kishar was no longer that person, but desperately wished it could be again, at least to someone.“It is…” It hesitated. What the hell was it doing? If Disaeite or Shanu got here now… no. It had to push forwards. “I can fill you in, but first I must know why you took the student from the academy.”

A hiss loud enough to rattle off the canyon walls was the immediate answer. “What are you, some sort of lapdog for the Turmoil Witch?”

“It’s a serious question, Ninmada. We have little time. Please.” It continued its march up the side, beginning to grab onto rocks and climb the rocky walls around it as the pitch changed too far. “I believe there’s a way for everyone to come out of this happy, but we need to be honest with one another.”

A scoff was the initial response, but a rope was tossed down to it. “I intend to take the girl hostage, and once a dragon arrives, I can demand an audience with Tiamat so I can request amnesty. I never wanted… you know as well as I that I did not want to follow that order. Perhaps she will see the right of it, and spare me.”

“… And what if the dragon merely tries to kill you after you’ve handed the girl over?” The former serpent wondered at the wisdom of its old mentor’s plan anew. This seemed… far too straightforward.

“Then I’ll fight back, and either I’ll be dead or the dragon is. It’s not like I’m really living these days anyway.” Ah. That was a logic that Kishar was, unfortunately, quiet familiar with. As it finally reached the edge of the cliffside, Ninmada lowered a hand for her old pupil as it finally reached the edge of the cliff-side, and pulled it up. “You… your scent…”

“Yes, Ninmada. I…” These words were going to be difficult to share, even if it need not utter them with its voice. “I am a dragon. I have been, for millennia. If anyone can arrange for amnesty it’s me. All I need do is offer you my blood, and you can be one too.”

The serpent before it seemed to mull over the words for a moment, before something seemed to click. “It was you…” Malice tinted her voice. She turned back towards her old pupil, eyes like daggers, and pupils just as sharp. 

“Wh-what?” Kishar stumbled back, nearly going over the edge as it did. 

“You! You were the traitor! We always wondered how Tiamat knew where to find Father! It. Was. You!” She erupted out into her serpent form again, and Kishar was launched backwards off of the edge. It barely took its dragon form in time to avoid being dashed upon the rocks below. 

“Wait! Wait! I- Ninmada I-” It struggled to right itself, and make distance again. Ninmada was far older than it, already well over three thousand years old when the freeze had begun. Its colossal coils seemed to fill the entire fjord. It was easily fifty percent longer than Kishar’s from nose to tip, even if she lacked the same bulk as a dragon. The traitor among traitors felt as if all it could see was coils.

“Silence! How could I have trained such a-” she was cut off by a blast of fire. Shanu had arrived.

“Get away from it!” The younger dragon roared, and continued raining fire upon the enraged serpent. It thrashed and snapped, and the younger dragon barely dodged the first few attempts to rip it from the air. “Sire! What are you doing? We have to take it on together!”

Kishar felt paralyzed. The last thing it wanted was for its son to face down another serpent, let alone its old mentor. Shanu wouldn’t be any match for her. It wasn’t sure if it was a match for her itself. “S-Shanu, run!”

“What is this?” The colossal cobra continued its assault on the sky, realizing that its old student was too paralyzed to fight back. “Is this someone-” SNAP. “Special to you?” Her strike had landed true. Her fangs had sunk in deep, and claimed enough purchase to yank the younger dragon from the sky. “You know, there were serpents we lost in the war who were special to me too, Nintinugga.” She chuckled darkly, and pulled the smaller dragon into her coils, tightening and squeezing the life out of it.

“S-sire!” Shanu grunted under the strain as he was slowly crushed. “What- who is Nintinugga?”

“OH!” The sacred beast cackled, easing its grip enough to let Shanu breathe. “Oh this is rich! Not even the other dragons know who you were, do they?” She brought her fangs down again on the smaller dragon, injecting it with her freezing venom once again, before uncoiling and flinging him at her former pupil. “Keep him, for as long as he lasts. You’ve been plenty informative, Nintinugga!” 

Kishar rushed to catch its son as he was flung its way, barely wrapping its wings around him and stopping him from falling further down the cliffs of the fjord. While it was busy checking on him, Nimada made her escape, up and over the same paths it had identified earlier. 

“Sire… what… what is she talking about?” Shanu could barely move. The ice was already beginning to crystallize in its veins. One bite, it may have survived, but two… “Why did she call you Nintinugga? That’s…”

“A serpent’s name…” Kishar sobbed, and wrapped its wings tighter around its son, shielding it from the world outside. “I… I cannot apologize enough. I wish I could have told you. I love you so much, Shanu. You are- you are my everything. You are the one thing I feel as if I have done right, in my long, long life… it is my greatest regret I isolated myself from you in those mountains,” it choked, and buried its face into its son’s feathers, staining them with tears, and smearing blood upon its own face. “I’ve made so many mistakes… I- I should have died so long ago.”

Shanu gasped, and groaned in agony as more ice crystals began shooting out from under his scales. The fire in a dragon’s blood could slow it, or beat it back in many cases, but this was too great a dose. “Sire… I…” He shuddered and coughed, blood spewing from his mouth, frozen and slush-like. “That does explain some things… If you truly have been suffering under this lie for so long, I’m in a good position to take it to my grave.”

“Don’t joke like that!” Kishar pulled him tighter, to the point where its son gasped in pain again, and it was forced to let off. “You’re going to- you’ll make it through this! I- I cannot-”

“Sire,” the word was spoken so softly through their link, but the tenderness, and desperation of the word was enough to give the first dragon pause. “Please. I have long watched you suffer in secrecy. Tell me.” Through his death throes, Shanu managed to raise his head, and bump horns against his sire’s once again, before collapsing limp, breathing ragged.

Sobs racked the ancient dragon, and it coiled itself around its dying child, cradling him gently against its belly. “It is true. I was a serpent. I sold out Ninazu to Tiamat. He was in hiding, and it was because of me that she knew where to find him, and was able to end him. She promised to make me something else. I thought… I thought she meant a mortal. I wanted nothing more than to disappear into the world and never be seen again, to be nobody, but…” 

The memory was so painful, it struggled to put it into words. How could it ever explain to another dragon the kind of terror that Tiamat instilled in it, as a young serpent, and dragon? Most knew her as a gentle maternal figure with a slight temper at worst. “Tiamat had other ideas. She… purged the ice from me. It was agonizing, and I have continuously suffered since. There has not been a day gone by where I have felt at ease in my own flesh, or soul. I am wrong, in every sense of the word. I am a murderous serpent just as the rest of them. I am a traitor among traitors. I am a liar. I am no Aurora of Refuge. My name is better forgotten from history…” 

“N-no!” Shanu turned his head to stare his sire down in the eye, every last ounce of strength poured into the glare. “Even if those things about you are true, you have changed! You are not that serpent any more! You’re an inspiration to all of us!”

“I… oh how I wish that were true, Shanu.” Kishar looked away, unable to look at its own son. It was becoming blinded by the tears. How could it ever truly encapsulate the atrocities it had committed in its tenure during the freeze? “I only hope you can forgive me, Shanu. You deserve better than I…” 

It waited for a response. None came. It couldn’t bear to check. Instead it laid there, curled around its only child, as the world came closing in around it. It didn’t know what sort of punishment Tiamat might have for it, after a catastrophe like this. Not only had it dropped its sister’s rider into the lake for privacy, it had let the serpent escape, gotten its son killed, and revealed the greatest secret of dragon kind to one of their worst enemies. 

For the first time in millennia, Kishar feared for itself.