Dragon Nest

Chapter 2

"Hey sweetie, oh, you're the best," she said, sitting up against the headboard and turning the bedside lamp on. She reached for her coffee. Sweeping her long black hair away from her face, she looked up with a yawn, and he watched her sleepy blue eyes focus on him. "Did you sleep ok?"

"Yeah.... I had the dream again, though," he admitted. "Anyway, I'll go get started with Jethry. It should be a quick milking this morning, he left a few of the cows in with the calves last night."

"Well at least the dream doesn't make you tired," Susan said, frowning slightly at the thought of the recurring Ether dream. She'd tried countless times to reason it out, but still couldn't fully explain its existence. "So, breakfast at seven?" she asked. "That gives me plenty of time to check the plants and get ready for work, with time left over."

"Sure." Chris got up to head for the door then paused, "Want me to bring any milk up to the house?"

"I think we're okay for today; some eggs would be nice for breakfast though, don't you think?"

He nodded and strolled off out the door and downstairs.

Susan sighed, sipping at her coffee. They had such a good thing going. She wasn't his real mother, but she might as well have been. They had slipped into the roles so easily. Now, he was finished with high school and would be leaving the nest. She'd given him a basic education about the secret magical world he belonged to, but couldn't teach him magic; not while his dragon lay dormant, locked away. The heart of the conundrum centered around her awareness that she knew so little and yet had experienced the two worlds and their myriad dangers to her most beloved charge. Thus even though she didn't know much about dragons, she also couldn't trust anyone else to teach him.

It would break her heart if anything happened to her boy. "Pffft, hardly a boy anymore," she muttered under her breath. Her mind wandered as she sipped from the steaming cup. In the last year he had really bulked up ... they had even had to get him all new clothes. He ran some mornings and did exercises ... the farm work was the catalyst, no? Chopping wood, feeding out hay bales, lifting vats of milk ... had turned her boy into a fit, tall, broad-shouldered, handsome young man. It made her wonder if this stage marked his 'coming of age'; perhaps his unlocking would occur any day now.

The thought of the release of his dragon sent shivers down her spine. It would be a confusing and dangerous time, yet she was excited. Chris would likely become a whole new person, and she wanted to be there to watch, as the new young man came forth.Would he leave? Would he let me stay with him? Maybe he'd even let me use his powers to aid in magic?The thought of what that might involve made her blush, so she put it aside. Whatever happened, she would be losing her son. Susan finished her coffee and dressed. He was so sweet to bring coffee every morning before going to work. They had fallen into this routine only recently; it had happened all of a sudden one day last year ... he'd just shown up, cup in hand at her door that first morning, and had stuck to it every morning since then.

It was still dark out; she would check on the outside garden later. Yawning, she made her way down to the basement. Keying in the code for the basement door, she was hit by a wonderful floral fragrance once it opened. "They're actually flowering!" she twittered to herself excitedly.

Susan loved plants: they gave her almost everything she needed for her magic, were wonderful fun to grow, and made her a decent profit on top of her job as a lab technician. The entire space within the large basement had been transformed into a high-tech hydroponics system. Stopping first to check the pumps and filters at one end of the room, she then grabbed a basket and moved out under the lights.

She grew whatever took her fancy or was useful, including some of the rarer magical species. The one that had flowered overnight was a 'Night Heart' that she had grown from seed; its flowers could be harvested for use in powerful sleeping draughts and anaesthetic compounds. Humming happily to herself she picked a few flowers to dry, and then a few more to keep fresh from which to make a tincture, before doing the rounds to check the other plants. Her work complete, she headed upstairs and outside into the early morning sunlight to work in her garden, glad that it was summer.

***

Chris was glad it was summer, too. Laramie was bitterly cold in winter. Set on an alpine plateau, there was snow on the ground much of the year. At the moment though, he was comfortable in just his overalls. The herd of 40 cows cycled through the milking machines, kept happy with portions of hay. It was almost 6:30 am by the time Jethry silently showed up. Chris sensed him. Turning his head he acknowledged the old man watching him from the gate. "What took you so long this morning; you sleep in?" Chris jibed.

"Must have," Jethry replied cheekily. After all, old age had some advantages ... although, as a Werecat he wasn't really aging. "Besides, you've got everything in hand," he said, nodding in the direction of the cows. "Are you going to school today? If you've got time, there's some thistles coming up in the Western bull field."

"I'm going to school; there aren't classes, but Annabel will be there. They have some sort of event for leavers all day. I'll take a look at the thistles when I get back," he said as he unhooked a cow and let her out.

"Ah, to be young, to be young," Jethry smirked good naturedly. "That girl has you wrapped around her finger." He liked to tease Chris a little sometimes; it was fun to watch him get flustered.

Chris blushed a little but managed to think up a retort within a respectable timeframe. "I do okay. Besides, being with Annabel beats grubbing thistles all day or hanging around with a lecherous old tomcat."

"Hey, I'm not that old," Jethry retorted. As to Chris's other accusation, he couldn't deny it. They stayed companionably silent for a bit as Chris got another cow hooked up.

Trying to be thoughtful, Jethry waxed serious. "Chris, be careful with her. She's a sweet girl but once your dragon comes out, things will be different. She's only a human and our world is all or nothing."

"I know Jethry," Chris replied, looking up at the Werecat. "I've thought about it quite a bit. When I didn't go dragon last year, it kind of messed up our plans. Susan and I thought that by now we would have moved to Denver for my training and to get protection 'til I could fend for myself. Now it feels like I'm just waiting around for it to happen. I don't know what to do with myself and honestly I didn't think things would ever get this serious with Annabel." He paused for a moment to push up a loose milking cup. "Besides, at the end of the summer Annabel will be going away to Denver to get her chef's qualification." He found it a little ironic that he would be the one being left behind.

"I'm sorry about that, Chris. Probably for the best, though. Besides, you belong with your own kind," Jethry said quietly.It's pretty brutal for humans in our world,he thought to himself. He'd seen all sorts of mistreatment of humans in his younger days as a wandering tom. Things had gotten better in recent years as humans advanced and bloomed, to the point where they now actually presented a real threat to Beings. In direct proportion to their advanced development, care was increasingly required to keep them oblivious. Ironically, many long-lived Beings maintained the old stigmas; humans were still considered livestock, or property by some.

Jethry's last comment raised Chris' hackles a bit. "At the moment she is my own kind. Besides, what does that even matter?"

"It matters more than it should," Jethry said. "You aren't human Chris, even though you appear to be. Who knows what will happen when your dragon comes out? It could be very dangerous for her." Jethry didn't like what he was saying but it was important to pursue the subject; he was the closest thing the boy had had to a father over the years.

Chris simmered quietly for a moment, digesting the good sense in the Werecat's warnings but hating that it made sense at all. He liked Annabel a lot ... loved her, perhaps. "I know that Jethry," he said, his words followed by a frustrated sigh. "At least we have this summer before she goes away."

"Hunh!" Jethry grunted jovially before breaking into a tune, "Summer loving, had me a blast...."

"Gawd, make it stop!" Chris laughed, glad that Jethry had switched back to his humorous side.

"Just promise you won't knock her up with a baby dragon or something," Jethry joked.

"I ... we aren't ... haven't...!" Chris sputtered before realising Jethry was now laughing heartily at him, leaning against the gate for support. "Awww, screw you, ya dried-up old fart. You're just jealous," Chris joked self-consciously, his face on fire.

"Sounds like there's not that much to be jealous about. I thought you two had been at it for months the way you reek of each other," wheezed out Jethry as he recovered from his belly-aching laughter.

"Soon enough, my furry friend," Chris retorted, chuckling now.

"Bold words. I'll expect details," Jethry said, accompanied by a wiggle of his scraggly eyebrows.

"Yuk yuk yuk! Old man, you need to learn to use the Internet so your frustration doesn't overflow. Besides, I thought Susan said you and Ms. Ashford had a thing? And what about one of the Stevens girls?" Chris laughed as Jethry's face contorted into an expression of comical sorrow. The Stevens were a family of Werecats, the only other such Beings in the local area. They weren't aware of Chris's situation, thinking he was Susan's non-magical human son.

"Nah, that old tart's cats didn't like me, and none of the Stevens pride girls are interested in an old creeper like me." He paused. "So. The Internet, you say...?"

"I've said too much," Chris chuckled, standing up from checking a cow's teat. "I'm pretty much done here and all you're doing is standing around. You can finish up."

"See you tonight then," Jethry said. He watched Chris make his way to the chicken coop and then back to the house. He smiled. Chris was hard working, quick, and good-natured.If anything,the old tomcat thought, he could use a bit more backbone; but the dragon would take care of that.

Mid-thought, Jethry froze. Suddenly experiencing an epiphany: he envisioned Chris, mature, looking a man and mostly acting like one.If he was still a virgin ...Well, maybe when one 'comes of age'.... That was certainly one way Chris's father's spell could be interpreted, by Jethry at least. Susan needed to know about his theory.

***

Breakfast was delicious if uneventful. Chris followed it up with a shower, giving himself the aforementioned grooming, then changed into his usual school outfit of black jeans, t-shirt, and black boots. His short blond hair did whatever it felt like. A hoodie went into his pack but was unlikely to see use; it would be warm today. He looked forward to the possibility of Annabel wearing a dress, deciding to text her and ask.

He got a reply to his text, just as he and Susan had loaded themselves into her Subaru wagon at 7:40 am.

"Just for you babe. X...."

He grinned stupidly, then sobered quickly. Susan had seen his expression and asked what the text was about. He ducked the question with a shrug and a little mumble. She wasn't fooled, giving her son a smirk and a playful poke in the ribs before he started the car, the grin back on his face.

They drove in silence for a bit before Susan spoke up. "So, what are you going to do this summer, now that school's over?"

"I don't know Mom, I know we talked about me going to college ... but there's no point if I might have to drop out halfway through." He paused for a moment, then let the rest of his train of thought come rushing out. "And I thought about becoming a sheriff a few years ago, remember? But, like you said, the same thing applies. Everything is moot till the dragon comes out. I guess I'll just get on with my life, do some stuff I enjoy, and get a job till this all gets resolved. Besides, for Annabel and I, this summer is our last time together, unless we want to try long-distance. We're going to make it count."