Drake lit down at edge of the mountain in New Hampshire, where mountain climbers dare not go. He went into the cave, avoiding the traps that his father had set for unwary travelers. There was a new body there, and Drake shook his head. This was protected land, and there were enough “Keep Out” and “Unsafe for climbing” signs that should deter most people. However, there were always some die hards who had to see what was in the cave, and ventured forth into it to fall into a pit of spikes or get decapitated by falling stalactites.
He arrived at the edge of his parent’s home, and placed his forehead against a certain rock. The wall parted, and he slid inside before it slammed shut on his tail. He went down the long hall, built for dragons five times his size, the ancient dragons like his grandfather. His father was beginning to get that big, with the collection he was amassing.
He went into the great hall, where a fountain and Chinese garden were to his left, and the TV area to his right. He went down the long hallway to his brother and sister, but they were asleep, and he knew better than to wake them.
He smiled. “They must be playing human,” he said, as he went back to the great hall.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Drake walked into the dojo, hearing gentle music through the speakers. He glanced at the clock – it was still morning, so she was probably working with the elderly residents with tai chi. He quietly and slowly made his way to the classroom.
There, he saw his mother walking around the classroom full of older men and women, practicing the different moves in tai chi. He sat away from the group, watching them. When the music finished, they all stood and bowed to her, and she to them. Then she saw Drake.
“Drake!” she said, and hugged him tightly, kissing him on both cheeks. “You’re home for the summer?”
“A little while, maymay,” he said.
“Come have some tea with me.”
The tea was a ritual that he knew well, and was always a prelude to serious discussion. He took the service himself, preparing, brewing and serving in silence as his mother had always taught him. The first cup was the culmination of the ceremony, and subsequent cups meant it was time to talk.
“Your sister tells me you’ve been seeing a man.”
Drake said, “Yes. Yes, he is a good man, maymay.”
“Your father was worried that you would procreate with a female human. He’s happy to hear that you are attracted to the male species.”
Drake smiled, “I’m glad. Though the humans are strange – they find being attracted to the same gender is strange.”
“Yes, humans are odd about that. Yet we have no strange compunctions about that.” She sipped the tea thoughtfully. “We should like to meet this man.”
“I know,” Drake said. “I was going to bring him here, but…humans meet parents when they’re serious about each other.”
“Are you serious about him?”
“Possibly both of them.”
She stopped drinking. “Both of them?”
“There’s another man. He’s a mage. But he is not a full mage. He’s not sealed.”
She studied Drake. “It is your duty to protect him, then.”
“He’s trying to get a fam–”
“That does not matter. Fate is fate. You have to protect him until he is sealed and then you are free. Do you love him?”
“I…That’s a strong word, maymay.”
She laughed, “You have lived among the humans for too long if you think that. Think with your dragon-heart. Do you love him?”
His dragon-heart meant that he would give up things for him, give up some of his power and ability for him. His dragon-heart felt more than caring, more than mere acquaintance. If he could, he would spend his life with him, connected as not only as a bedmate, but as a good, trusted, close friend.
“Both of them,” Drake said again.
“Sui Bian.” Then she started in Chinese, “Blue, I won’t give you the lecture your father will. Your father will not think it good to have more than one lover at a time. But, believe me, he shouldn’t talk.” She smiled.
“Father’s had lovers?” Drake blinked.
“So have I, as humans, both male and female.” She put a hand on Drake’s arm. “You’re old enough to hear this from us, not from the humans that have tried to destroy our home with their lies and coming forward with what we had done with other loves. We are dragons, and we live as dragons among the humans. We have a different culture.”
“I don’t feel bad,” Drake said. “Or guilty.”
“Good, because then the humans have gotten their nails into you, and that means we should not have you stay there any more.” She put a hand on Drake’s chest. “Think with this, don’t go native.”
“Yes, maymay,” he said, and drank some more tea.