Unlikely Pairs - The Dragon Ch. 03

DISCLAIMER:

The following starts off as a slow-burn romance without any spicy action for a while. As well, this is my first time putting to words a story idea I've had for a long time, and my first foray into proper writing in general.

________________

[Early February]

=

The next few weeks after Lewis Greene had been rescued by the dragon of Naked Mountain went by quickly as he got the hang of the daily routine. The gardening work was hard, but the artist never complained about it given how it had given him a sense of stability and purpose after a lengthy period of unemployment and loss of direction. On this particular day in early February, Lewis was taking a bit of a break from his work.

Jiva was resting by the edge of the wall where Lewis had seen her go in on his first day inside of her lair, though he never brought it up with her in the days that followed. In fact, Lewis hardly ever prodded her for any kind of information after she had shared a particularly heavy memory with him; if she wanted something known, he would wait for her to tell him herself.

During this work break, the artist had scrounged up some loose pieces of paper and pencils from the bed chamber and brought them to a picnic table. He began sketching the dragon while she was lying down with her eyes closed. The artist periodically looked up from his sketch work to glance at Jiva to continue to get references for her posture and outline, at least at first. Over time, however, he began to simply look at her for longer periods and took in the view.

She really was a beautiful creature, perfectly designed as a predator of both land and sky with her lithe and toned proportions, alongside her magical abilities. Her colours blended together nicely, and Lewis made sure to try and capture the little nuances and subtle shifts in her scales across her body as he started to put some finishing touches on his drawing of her. As he looked back up from his sketch one more time, he saw that she had raised her head and was now staring him down with those golden eyes of hers; Lewis simply smiled and continued to add some more of the coloured pencils to his artwork.

Jiva got up from where she was laying and plopped herself down next to Lewis's table, creating very little thud despite her enormous size which dwarfed any whale. She peered down and inspected the artist's drawing from behind him, squinting a bit to get a closer look.

"Is that supposed to be me, Lewis?"

Lewis nodded. "It is. How'd I do?"

The artist got up from his seat and raised his drawing up to allow the dragon a better look at his artwork. It was a fairly simple sketch all things considered, mostly just getting a basic outline of her body in her previous position and filled in with different degrees of purple and blue shading to try and emulate her violet scales, as well as her blue wing membranes and back scutes. Jiva gave a bit of a nod and a soft grunt, which Lewis had come to learn was a sign of approval over his time working for the dragon.

"I like it, Lewis. It's simple, but an effective portrait of my slumber."

At this compliment, Lewis was beaming, but he tried to keep his excitement in check when he spoke. "You really think so? I dunno, it's just a quick sketch I decided to do while on a break from harvesting those watermelons." He then realized his break was up. "Oh yeah, I better get back to those."

Lewis put his drawing and pencils back on the table and attempted to head back to the garden plots to continue his work, but the dragon brought the tip of her tail down in front of him. This too had become a well-known sign that she wanted him to stop what he was doing right now and wouldn't accept any argument for otherwise.

The artist looked back towards Jiva with a bit of annoyance, though he tried to hide it somewhat. "Jiva, I'm barely even half done with this plot."

"I know. But you're hardly able to finish anything anyways." Jiva had said this plainly, simply stating the facts.

Still, the truth had stung a bit for Lewis even if he knew she meant no offence from it. He had been trying very hard to keep pace with the scale of the workload he had been tasked with, but it was clear that this job was simply too much for him to do all by himself. He turned himself around fully to face his nominal manager, though it was clear that he felt a bit of frustration at the moment. For her part, Jiva didn't pay this any mind; she certainly had a great deal of patience.

She simply waited until he relaxed before continuing on as casually as always. "It has been awhile since I've had a chance to go on a patrol flight. I wish to bring you with me."

"F-fly with you?" Lewis was understandably taken aback by Jiva's request, as flight was a very important facet of a dragon's life that they treated very seriously; dragon riding wasn't really an actual thing in their culture.

"Yes, Lewis. You will sit on my neck as I take flight. My magic will ensure you do not slip off so long as you try to maintain a grip."

Lewis was left stammering a bit. "I-I thought I was supposed to stay here, and that flying was strictly dragon-only, and that--"

"ENOUGH." Jiva's commanding voice had shaken the entire cavern and immediately shut down the artist's blabbering.

He waited on the spot like a little kid who had just been yelled at for something they did by a teacher or parent. While the dragon was a bit annoyed, she quickly recomposed herself as she began to speak in her usual softer tone.

"I did establish that early on during your stay with me, yes. You have worked diligently for me ever since then, offering no complaints that were not well-reasoned. But most importantly, you have been a good companion that has kept me entertained."

Lewis was a bit more assured now that Jiva had stopped using her rare commanding tone, but he was still left puzzled by this new development. The dragon had basically plucked him like a twig off the ground when she first rescued him, but she never offered any flights; the artist for his part never asked for them. This was what made this request particularly standout, as it had evidently come out of nowhere.

Jiva could see how this particular request had left Lewis a bit uneasy, so she decided to bring her head low to look the artist directly in the eyes up close.

"I want you to come with me for this flight because I enjoy having you around. Will you join me?"

At her admittance of wanting his company and properly asking for him to join her, Lewis resolved himself. He readjusted his gardening getup, straightened himself up a bit, and finally bore a small smile.

"Just let me change into something more appropriate, yeah?"

The dragon couldn't help but give a little chuckle at this turnaround.

-

-

-

-

Lewis was now garbed in some more proper clothing for cold weather flying. He didn't need to change clothes too often since he had remained inside of Naked Mountain for the entirety of his stay with Jiva, and his work didn't require the nicest of clothes. Luckily, there was plenty of more suitable wear in the wardrobes that the dragon had acquired in the past couple of decades in particular; lost hikers and abandoned tents were a rich source of more modern clothes. The artist settled on a simple mix of cargo pants, plain t-shirt, hiking boots, aviator jacket, and toque for his first flight.

As he looked at himself in the mirror, Jiva walked past him towards the opposite end of the bed chamber from the wall gate that led to her garden. Lewis quickly jogged up next to her, and the two of them nodded at each other. The mountain understood too, as the wall split down the middle and slid away to reveal a tunnel lit up by clusters of orange crystals similar to those that brightened up the bed chamber.

The dragon brought her head low and gestured with her eyes for the artist to climb aboard. Lewis was hesitant at first, but he relented and began to climb aboard. He tried to be careful with his steps in order to not bother her, but she didn't seem to mind and waited patiently until he had taken up a position just behind her head. The artist situated himself atop some of her scutes and wrapped his arms and legs around her neck tightly. Jiva lifted her head back up and started to stretch out her wings a bit, flexing her individual wing fingers and the membranous layer between them.

"Are you okay up there, Lewis?"

Lewis looked down at the ground, then forward to the tunnel. It had been a long while since he was so high off the ground and conscious of it, so it was a bit daunting for him. He tried to hide behind the veneer of feigned confidence, though it came out as a very obviously nervous deflection.

"Yeah yeah, I'm good! I'm just.... just great. No problems whatsoever!"

Jiva chuckled. "Very well, then."

Unlike the other times they had passed through tunnels, the end of this one began opening up before they approached it, and the light of day began pouring in. Cold air immediately began to rush in, supporting the fact that this tunnel led to the outside world of Kent Valley. The drop in temperature was felt by Lewis as his breaths became visible, prompting him to tighten his grip on Jiva. Although her body didn't give off any noticeable heat if she didn't desire any to be felt, even if physically felt from the outside, the artist felt a bit warmer when he held onto her tighter; he was feeling much more assured right now.

"Sooooo.... do you need to breathe in a bit first or--"

"LET'S GO!" The elation in Jiva's words was very evident.

Jiva immediately began sprinting down the tunnel like a big cat chasing after a hapless herbivore.

"OH GOD!" The fear was quite palpable in Lewis's screaming as his words became incoherent.

The sprint down the tunnel lasted barely a few seconds as Jiva leapt out of the opening and dove down a bit, folding her wings in on herself. She then ascended using the diving momentum and opened up her wings, maintaining a more casual glide through the skies. Lewis's screaming finally stopped once the gliding began, but his eyes remained closed and he maintained an iron grip on her body.

"Is the roller coaster over yet?!"

"You can open your eyes now, Lewis." Jiva was quite amused at the artist's utter terror.

At her insistence, Lewis opened his eyes and brought his head up to take in the view. He was in awe at how high they were, as Kent Valley looked positively tiny from where they were at. He then glanced behind them and saw that even Naked Mountain was quite small, with the opening they had exited from closing itself up; the exit was close to the mountain's peak. The artist returned his gaze forward and looked at Jiva, and he couldn't help but break out into a big smile. He was sharing an experience very few had ever had the privilege of having, and he would savour it for all it was worth.

Jiva couldn't see his expression given the way he was situated behind her head, but she could feel him relaxing his body as his initial fear gave way to the same wonder and amazement he had when the two of them first met. The excitement he displayed when they met and now when they were flying was something that was very enriching and made her feel content in a way she hadn't in a long time. She could feel the ever so slight changes in weight distribution and air resistance as she felt Lewis sit up a bit and spread his arms wide.

"I'M KING OF THE WORLD!!! WOOOOOO!!!" Lewis couldn't help but laugh with a big stupid grin at making this reference.

The reference seemed to fly over Jiva's head, though she still seemed happy with her passenger's elation. "Is that another reference to one of your movies? Perhaps we could head down and see it together!"

Lewis laughed a bit at the thought of the two of them going into the movie theatre in the town, him and a giant dragon. "Not a great idea! But it would've been a good movie for us to see together!"

As the two of them continued to soar through the sky and looped around to survey the other half of Kent Valley, Jiva began making more bold aerial moves such as big loops and barrel rolls. Lewis quickly held onto her for these parts even though he would've been safe thanks to her magic, but he was no longer afraid. Flying atop a dragon was an experience like no other, one that quickly rose to the very top of his list of life experiences, limited as those might've been for him with his unfulfilled existence prior to meeting the dragon. But most important of all was that Jiva had trusted him enough to share this experience with her, and in fact appreciated his presence as she made her rounds.

They had known each other only a short while, especially short compared to the dragon's over four centuries of living, but in this moment they were as one. Dragon and passenger, moving through the skies as naturally as the winds themselves. Lewis had never thought much for flying itself, but right now he felt more free than he ever had in his old life as any notions of managing finances, going to post-secondary school, employment rejection, and anxieties over whether a hobby of illustrations could ever be useful dissipated. This was a life that he wanted to hold onto, to cherish for all it was worth alongside the dragon that took him in.

And for Jiva, it was a different but similarly impactful moment. For so long, she had flown the skies alone as most dragons did, free of the burdens that kept other creatures of the world tethered to the ground. And unlike even fellow flyers like the birds and insects that shared the air with her, she could feasibly stay up here forever if she truly wanted. The very forces of nature would bend to her will to keep her presence masked, nothing more than a passing double-take at best from anyone watching below. But sharing this moment together with the artist had been different, a reminder of the good things that could come from the world below. He couldn't fly himself, but he could experience the joys of flying together with her despite his fragility. Perhaps it was even that very fragile nature of humans that made this first flight that much more exhilarating.

Old feelings that Jiva had not dwelled on in a long time began to resurface; some good, others bad. After a bit of deliberation, she decided to confide in Lewis some of the good.

"Lewis?"

"WOOO!!! Oh! Sorry, got caught up there! Yeah, Jiva?"

"What do you know of dragon mating rituals?"

At the mention of such an intimate concept, Lewis was left to ponder a bit. The casual manner in which Jiva brought it up told him that she simply wanted to share details and converse about the subject normally, so he tried to remain more neutral and casual himself.

"Does it have something to do with us flying around?"

"It does indeed. Dragons like I engage in elaborate mating rituals performed in flight. For example...."

Jiva suddenly ascended and began to do a vertical barrel roll, creating a small wind vortex for a brief moment that dissipated as soon she stopped and started hovering in place with her wings flapping to maintain her position. By now, Lewis had gotten used to the motions of the turbulent flight conditions, so he was simply smiling and relaxing his grip a bit while his ride began readjusting into a more leisurely glide for them to continue their conversation.

"We might do manoeuvres like that for our mating rituals."

Lewis chuckled. "Good thing you don't get dizzy flying like that."

Jiva also chuckled a bit. "Yes, quite. But for us, the ritual is not merely about physical performance like it would be for other creatures. For us, it's about.... about....."

Jiva had begun to trail off, lost in thought as talking about this returned her to these old feelings, both good and bad, more strongly than before. Lewis had taken notice, but was unsure if he should try to get her attention or not. The artist decided to try and redirect her back to the conversation, making sure to do so in a soft-spoken manner in case she was feeling emotionally vulnerable in the moment.

"Jiva? You were saying?" Lewis gently patted the side of her neck.

Jiva seemed to be snapped out of her stupor, and tried to resume normally. "Oh.... right. Yes. It's about connecting our very souls."

"Wait, dragon mating involves soul bonding?" Lewis was incredulous at the notion, even despite all of the magic he had already witnessed.

"Yes. Dragons don't form true mating pairs often due to this very fact. The flying rituals are a way to gauge the resonance of the pair's souls, whether they will truly be a good fit to form a lifelong mating pair. To rush into it without knowing better would be.... would be...."

Jiva trailed off again, but this time her breathing became heavier, and black smoke started to bellow from her mouth; Lewis also felt her hide begin to warm up. She was clearly becoming angry with whatever feelings this topic had stirred in her. In an attempt to try to calm her down, the artist laid down and hugged the sides of Jiva's neck tightly, putting his cheek against her scales and closing his eyes. It was a fool's errand trying to will a dragon to calm down, but something in him had told him to try anyway.

Incredibly, it seemed to work. Jiva's breathing became a bit softer and less ragged, and she sighed as her body temperature dropped back down to its original level.

"I.... I think this will be enough flying for today." Jiva's voice was a bit reserved, and she seemed a little regretful.

"Yeah, of course. Anything you need." Lewis spoke softly and reassuringly, not stopping his embrace.

-

-

-

-

The flight back to Naked Mountain was quiet and uneventful.

As Jiva walked back into the bed chamber from the tunnel that led outside, she lowered her head and allowed Lewis to slide off. The dragon then walked into the centre of the room and laid down, curling up with what could only be described as being a little lost in sadness.

Lewis quickly changed into clothes to sleep in and walked up to Jiva's face. He was more worried now than he ever had been in his time together with her.

"Do you.... do you wanna talk about anything?"

Jiva snorted and closed her eyes, but didn't display any annoyance or anger towards the artist. "No. I simply wish to rest right now."

Lewis glanced behind him at the bed he had slept on for his entire stay with the dragon, then looked back at Jiva. He took a deep breath in as he prepared to ask something else.

"Okay.... would you like some company?"

At this question, Jiva opened her eyes. She studied Lewis intently, her gaze a bit unreadable in her intentions. Eventually, she relaxed a bit and let out a bit of a sigh.

"Yes."

"Okay then, Jiva".

Lewis was careful to avoid stepping on Jiva's feet and legs as he snuggled himself into a nook next to her neck and left forelimb. The dragon closed her eyes first, quickly falling into a deeper slumber. The artist wasn't quite as quick to fall asleep as he stared at her head, but he eventually relented and closed his eyes, letting his body relax as his breathing slowed down.

Whatever thoughts had been troubling Jiva before were firmly gone by the time the two of them had fallen fully asleep together.