Dragons Quest
Athron and Ayliah were Elder Dragons. This didn't necessarily mean they were elderly (which they were), but Athron was a bit absent minded.
No, what it meant was that Athron and Ayliah could change forms and assume Elder Dragon or Draconian (and even *human* or animal) forms when they needed or desired to.
And Athron loved Ayliah with all his heart. So much so he gave her his entire hoard of treasure save a small bit which he had saved all these centuries until he could buy her a gift.
A most wondrous gift of great beauty and rarity. When Athron brought Ayliahs gift home, he set it aside and prepared to go and perform his customary duties.
Athron was an Elder Guardian and it was his duty to patrol his world and make sure there were no great world wars amongst the myriad creatures that live there.
At least, no wars using nuclear or other wantonly destructive weapons. He made sure that ecological disasters were minimized, sudden glacial formation or destruction did not happen.
As he was preparing to go on his way, his hatchling grand nephew that he had been watching while his nephew was away appeared by his left leg and whimpered.
His grand nephew was holding his tail in his mouth and chewing on it, looking at his grand uncle with huge eyed plaintiveness. "I must go and perform my duties, Weshim." Athron said.
When Weshims expression fell, his grand uncle patted Weshims head and said "I'll be back in a few hours, my boy. And I'll bring you a present."
Seeing his grand nephew still chewing on his tail, much like seeing an infant human teething on small objects, Athron gave him an object off the hall table to chew on.
Weshim gave a happy "Nahhhmmm...mmm" and wandered off to chew on his new toy.
Athron performed his duties as thoroughly as he always did, for he was a conscientious dragon, and found all was well. Aside from a few mountain slides and forest fires, which did not really require any intervention.
This gave him time to find the perfect thing for his teething grand nephew. When he arrived home he placed the Extra Large Willy Wonka Gob Stopper and paused for a second. Something was wrong.
The Gift! Where was the Gift!?
In a panic Athron searched his home, tables, shelves, cupboards and even assumed his Elder Dragon form to check the higher shelves in the library! Nothing. He then remembered the door had been ajar when he came home.
That had happened before, either he forgot to close it, which was unlikely, or it had been blown open as he had yet to repair the faulty latch. Which brought a new rush of panic. His Grand Nephew!
But, no, there was Weshim happily chewing on his toy by the fireplace with the gleam of a few now dislodged baby fangs around him. The relief brought right on its heels an anger he had not felt in a ling while.
Someone had stolen his mates gift! The gift was of such value that whole worlds had fought wars over it. And someone had walked into his home and stolen it!
Athron assumed his Elder Dragon form and stormed out of his home in great anger.. stopping, of course, to make sure the door was secured. He had a few suspects.
His first stop was to confront Galidoff, the local Knight and would be Dragon Slayer. When he located Galidoff, he landed in front of him and with a roar demanded the return of the gift!
Galidoff fell off his horse, stood up.. and promptly started removing his armor. All of it. When he was quite naked, he took one last look at the now bemused dragon and headed for the river.
Athron roared "HOLD IT!", which made Galidoff stop and cringe, and asked, in a more normal tone, "Why are you doing that ?"
Galidoff turned, looked the dragon in the face and said "The last time you yelled at me like that you heated my armor up so much I got burned. So I am taking precautions!"
Galidoff resumed his journey for the nearby river while Athron and Galidoffs horse looked at each other with bemused expressions.
Athron realized it couldn't have been Galidoff. Not only was it against a true knights code to steal, but Galidoff would be the last person to want to cross Athron.
The next suspect, or suspects on his list were the Brothers Markinter. They were notorious thieves and robbers who had gotten into trouble for their bold thefts in the past and were wanted in several kingdoms to boot.
When he found them, they were sitting under a tree looking through their swag for the day and when Athron roared "Alright! Which one of you has it ?!?", they both dropped their swag and jumped up to cower behind the tree.
"Ha-has what ?" stammered Aenric, the younger brother. "We don't have anything.. err.. anything of yours, Do we ?" asked Bennic, the older brother. Athron felt something was up with these two and ripped the tree out of the ground and tossed it aside like a twig and asked again "Which one of you has it ?!?"
Both brothers let out a high pitched scream and clung to each other wailing loudly as Athron loomed over them. Athron paused at that.. and the sudden odor of urine from the two brothers.
Aenric stopped wailing and said to his brother, "I do believe you have soiled yourself, brother." Bennic stopped wailing and, looking down at his brothers breeks said "So have you, brother."
Both started wailing loudly again. Athron was forced to admit these sorry excuses for thieves were innocent of the crime. They may have been thieves, but were not brave enough to risk their hides for anything.
Athron told the brothers to go clean themselves up and left. He had one last place he could check. The nearby harbor city of Bay Haven. There was a tendency for valuable objects to accumulate in the magistrates coffers.
He came to the cities front gate and roared out to get the attention of the guards on the top of the wall "I would have a word with your magistrate. Someone has stolen a very valuable treasure of mine and I will overturn this town if it is not brought to me !"
The guards beat a hasty retreat and, after a lot of commotion from within, the gates opened and out came the magistrate bearing a pillow upon which rested a gleaming and shiny something. As Athron was about lecture them about theft, he saw the "treasure" on the pillow.
It was, alas, *not* the treasure he sought, He sighed and said to the magistrate, "You have nothing to fear from me. That is not the treasure I seek." As Athron turned away he heard the magistrates strained voice call out "The gold one, the *gold* one.. hurry!"
Athron launched himself skyward to forestall them and made his way home. He was feeling very depressed and wished only to recover enough to keep his unhappiness from making his mate unhappy.
When he got home he went to his living room and, not bothering to resume his Draconian form, lay down in front of the fire and contemplated the coals. Little Weshim, sensing his grand uncles state of mind came up to his front leg and looked at Athron with concern.
When his grand uncle turned his eyes to Weshim, the hatchling made a soft sound and, with a great dignity beyond his years, gently dropped the toy he ad been chewing on his grand uncles front leg as if to say "Here, you can chew on it."
When Athron looked down at Weshims chew toy, he nearly fainted. It was, of course, the very treasure he had been seeking. Quite covered in hatchling slobber, but perfectly unharmed. With a tear of relief, and a big hug for his grand nephew, Athron went to clean it up and prepare for his mates return.
He remembered to give Weshim his Gob Stopper, Extra Large, as he hurried off and Weshim took it and at the taste went round eyed and waddled away making cooing sounds. Athron cleaned his gift to Ayliah and waited for her with a smile.
When Ayliah had arrived home Athron greeted her with a great show of the charm she had come to expect from her mate of close to 5900 years. He then held out his gift and said "I have waited so long to tell you how much I love you with a gift worthy of you, my love. I think this comes close."
Ayliah beheld an exquisite diamond nearly 12cm on a side and 2cm thick with inclusions of ruby, sapphire, opal and aquamarine. The other gems had been worked into the interior of the diamond with no visible means of entry and had been carved intricately to form the image of two elder dragons on a mating flight.
Ayliah made an astonished sound of appreciation and hugged and kissed Athron whispering in his ear, "No mere bauble can express our love, dear heart. You have done that in countless ways for all the time I have known you. Thank you for that."
As they stood in their embrace a small plaintive sound was heard at their feet. It was Weshim, looking woebegone and sad looking up at them. The little hatching had crumbs of red and green and blue candy on his face, which were all that remained of the Everlasting Gob Stopper. Which had never been tested in a dragon hatchling before.
Ayliah looked at Athron and, with gentle hands, gave her gift to Weshim, who stopped chewing on his tail and happily waddled back to his place by the fire to chew and teethe in happy contentment. The two elders looked at each other and began to laugh and embraced each other once again.
To this day, the people of the land roundabout the home of Athron and Ayliah say the sight of bright rings of fire from dragons in a mating flight can be seen in the night sky and the laughter of dragons can be heard as far away as Bay Haven.
