Return of a Queen

The old dragon Lanhuo[1] aka the Ancient One, chortled with delight at his grandson's disgruntled expression.

"Pfft ... serves those old fogies right – did you see them getting their knickers in a knot?" he asked cheekily.

Honestly calling those elders old, shouldn't you look closer at yourself, Xinglong thought.

Lanhuo was one of the few dragons that had loved being in his human form and had spent thousands of years traveling all over Doha. He had loved hanging out in the human realm when he was younger and had picked up some of their strange idioms, which drove most dragons crazy when talking to him as most of the things he said made no sense.

Only Xinglong and his family understood half what the old guy said, although Xinglong was really confused how humans could get their underwear in a knot, and what knotted underwear had to do with the elders, but from past experience he knew not to question his grandfather, it would lead to hours of explanations which would leave him just as confused.

"So you felt it?" Xinglong asked.

"Hmm," Lanhuo confirmed.

"Did your magic awaken as well?"

"Yep."

"Gods, so it is real," Xinglong has suspected, but hearing his grandfather's confirmation his knees started to tremble.

"Oh yes sonny boy it is 100% real," Lanhuo said his voice filled with delight.

"But how?" Xinglong asked his voice filled with disbelief.

"Who knows, who cares, but you have to find her!" Lanhuo shrugged.

"Oh and just how am I suppose to do that, with your son off gallivanting around the world?" Xinglong said throwing his grandfather an aggrieved look.

"Knowing those two, they will be on their way back as we speak," Lanhuo said, optimism tinging his voice.

"It must be a trap," Xinglong started firmly.

Laughing at how suspicious his grandson was, Lanhuo weaved a small sphere of magic, as the silver ball floated in between them, Xinglong jaw dropped, unconsciously he reached out to touch the magic sphere, even before he touched it, he could feel the life energy emanating from the ball, he quickly withdrew is paw.

Normally earth magic had various hues of brown, the only magic that had glowed silver was magic weaved by silver dragons.

"By all gods' it is true," Xinglong whispered, his voice shaking. Finally, he believed. Somehow. Somewhere. There was a silver dragon — and not just any silver dragon but a queen, a silver queen dragon had returned to Doha.

Seeing his unflappable grandson trembling, Lanhuo burst out laughing.

"Yes, I never believed I would ever see a day when silver dragons would once more walk among us on Doha, and not just any silver dragon but a queen."

His old eye's misted, just thinking of the miracle that he had lived to see. A queen walked on Doha, the dying dragon race was saved.

"Its a gift from the gods," Lanhuo said reverently, "they have forgiven us for our hubris, and sent this young queen to save us."

"Xinglong, you must find her, and protect her. As shadow dragons, we can finally fulfill our real purpose and protect our queen."

The shock had stolen Xinglong tongue, all he could do was nod numbly still staring at the silver sphere glowing brightly in front of him.

Lanhuo starred out the huge bay windows at the brilliant blue sky, dotted with fluffy white clouds.

"To think that I may live to see a queen's mating flight," he whispered wistfully.

Xinglong jerked at his grandfather's words, he hadn't even thought that far ahead, he had been so caught up in wrapping his mind around the fact that a silver queen walked on Doha. A true queen's mating flight, he thought in wonder.

He had grown up with tales about the ancient mating flights, but since the last silver queen death and her young daughter disappearance just before the sundering there hadn't been a queen's mating flight among the dragon flights [2] since then.

Shaking his head, Xinglong stopped daydreaming, now was not the time. They had to find their queen first.

"What about the elders of the dragon sects, what are we going to tell them?" Xinglong asked his grandfather seriously.

"Nothing!" Lanhuo stated firmly.

Shaking his head at the stubborn old man, "they deserve to know," Xinglong said quietly.

"No, not now. She is still young, she is just coming into her power. Those power hungry old farts will try to control her." Lanhuo hissed venomously.

"When she is stronger and can inherit the ancient queens' power, only then can we announce her arrival to the rest of the dragon flights."

"Grandfa—"

"I said no, Xinglong. Have you forgotten the past? It was those ancient sects filthy elders who conspired to control the last queen and allowed that monster to capture her, to force her to breed with him, that black dragon bastard tried to rape her, forcing her to blow her dantian. And now you want to tell those descendants of those bastards...y..y-ou-" Lanhuo spluttered his face flushed with rage.

Xinglong sighed tiredly, "it wasn't his fault, he was controlled by that slave contract those elders forced," he and his grandfather always had the same argument.

"Then he should have blown himself, before laying a hand on her," Lanhuo stated merciless.

"It will forever be our shame as shadow dragons that we allowed them to lay a finger on her," Lanhuo stated shamefully, his chin trembling from his suppressed emotions.

Pointing a shaking talon at Xinglong, Lanhuo said: "But now the gods have forgiven us for our hubris, and you will have a chance to redeem our honor."

"I can not guard a queen on my own," Xinglong declared, he knew that he was a powerful dragon, but Xinglong wasn't conceited, he would never assume that he alone was powerful enough to guard a young queen.

"Hah, of course not, you will take your brothers and sisters, the five of you will form her primary quintet," Lanhuo said direct and to the point, his tone indicating that he would brook no argument.

"W..w-hat?" Xinglong stuttered, please gods, tell me I am dreaming he prayed. His grandfather had to be senile thinking that he would take his sisters with him, gods, just the thought of carting those two troublemakers around with him — had him shivering in terror.

Just as Xinglong was about to abandon all pride and kneel to beg his grandfather for mercy, the massive doors to the throne room, slammed open.

"Father, Son!" a jovial voice cried out.

Xinglong swung around swiftly, surprised to see his father and mother standing in the doorway.

"Mother, Father. Umm you here already," Xinglong said startled at the sudden appearance of his parents.

Whoa, so grandfather was right, Xinglong thought, they must have teleported directly to the dragon domain as soon as they felt the young queen's magic.

"Haha, of course, dear son and father really you shouldn't have made the trip just to welcome us home," Laolong said with forced cheerfulness.

Xinglong could see that while his father was acting all cheerful, his smile and laughter was forced. There was a deadly serious look in his eyes.

"Oh! Regent Xinglong knew that you were returning today?" Elder Shanshe [4] of the bronze dragon sect asked.

Yulong [5], Xinglong mother turned to look at Elder Shanshe.

"Didn't that child tell you?" she asked.

"Umm no my queen," Elder Shanshe said, while his voice betrayed none of his suppressed his emotions, a faint disdainful look flashed through his eyes.

"Ah, naughty boy," Laolong chuckled, but a quick ruthless look cross his eyes, he had caught Elder Shanshe's disrespectful look at his beloved wife.

"I guess he didn't want to ruin the surprise."

"Ah my Lord, what surprise?" Elder Caoya [6] of the green dragon asked curiously.

'Why that I and your QUEEN will be returning today, it's about time for me to take back the reins, while we are grateful that our son graciously ruled in our name, it's about time to return home. Don't you think so Elder Coayo, Elder Shanshe?" Laolong asked, stressing Yulong position.

Ever since the dragonesses had been suppressed by their families, many male dragons had become disdainful of their high position in dragon society. Some even going so far as to voice their belief that males dragons were superior, and shouldn't have to bow down to females.

"Ah, oh um that's good, yes very good," Elder Shanshe said with forced cheerfulness. While Elder Coaya bobbed his head in agreement.

Most of the elders were distressed that their king was returning, they had spent a lot of effort trying to undermine Xinglong, and siphon as much power away from him and the royal palace as they could, now with the returned of Laolong and Yulong, all their efforts would be undermined.

"Mmm," Laolong murmured.

"Well then you should all run along now, we will, of course, be holding a feast in a couple of days to announce my return," Laolong ordered.

"Hee hee, of course, welcome home my Lord, my Queen," Elder Shanshe mumbled, concealing his bitterness, he bowed slightly, then turned and left.

The other elders quickly offered their salutations, before they too left.

Once everyone had left, Laolong closed the massive doors.

"F*cking sycophants," he muttered.

--

Notes

[1] Lanhuo - Blue Throat.

[2] A flight of dragons – the collective name for dragons.

[3] Laolong – Tiger Dragon

[4] Shanshe – Mountain Snake

[5] Yulong – Rain Dragon

[6] Caoya – Grass Teeth