I Became Part of the Dragon's Hoard

Bery cracked open a shell. "Oh, this one is pretty big. Can we eat it?"

Valerie looked at the small round and squishy creature inside. "You can eat that. These mussels are said to bring happiness."

The dragoness looked off towards a nearby large rock, her eyes narrowing. "You can stop hiding already."

Bery gasped, looking towards the spot. A woman came from out of the darkness, blue robes covering her frame. She grinned at the kitten and Valerie, her sharp fangs displayed.

"Oh, it seems I've been discovered. What to do?" A small flick of the vampire's wrist was enough for the dragon to pounce.

Valerie vanished from next to Bery in the blink of an eye.

The next second Bery opened her eyes, the dragoness held the vampire by the skull. She pressed the back of the vampire's head against the large rock.

"You will regret moving like that. Do you have any last words?"

The vampire's crimson orbs widened. She reached for a satchel on her side, pulling out a black dagger.

"I see," Valerie said, her grip tightening, until blood began pouring from the vampire's skull.

"Okay, okay!" The vampire yelled. "That hurts! I get it! I was wrong!"

Valerie let go of the woman, watching her fall to her knees. "You are lucky that I won't explode your head in front of my kitten's eyes."

The vampire held her head, the wounds stitching themselves together slowly. "I'm sorry. I don't want to die."

Valerie sighed. "Why would you do something like that?"

"I thought...I didn't realize you'd be so strong."

"That's the problem with younger vampires. You haven't experienced something like this, but I can demonstrate it more clearly if you want."

"More clearly?" The vampiress asked, shaking her head rapidly. "I've experienced it clear enough!"

Bery ran over to her dragoness, looking into her fiery eyes. "I don't even understand what's happened here! Did you have a reason to attack her?"

"Of course I did. She reached towards her weapon. She planned to attack you."

"I did no such thing!" The vampire yelled. "I mean...I did, but there is more to it. I figured that you would move in to protect her. We have a policy of not harming innocents."

"Is that so?" Valerie asked, her eyes flicking to a glowing orb at the vampire's side. "I suppose you got that by not harming people as well? Maybe I should kill you after all?"

The vampire waved her arms, flailing them around helplessly. She reached for the orb on her side and threw it towards the dragoness. "Here! You can have it. I only stole from someone. I didn't kill him."

Valerie caught it and held it up in the moonlight. "What is someone like you doing so far south anyways? I thought that you weren't supposed to interfere in this continent? Have the progenitors changed their minds? Should I prepare to cut the head off a vicious snake?"

The vampire shook her head, shrinking below the dragon's gaze. "No, please don't do anything like that. I am acting alone, I swear."

Bery looked pleadingly between the dragon and the vampire. "I think she's telling the truth. Even if she tried to attack us…"

Valerie sighed, petting Bery's head lovingly. "Would you like a pearl, kitten?"

Bery looked at the beautiful white orb in Valerie's hand. "I have no use for something like this. Rather, shouldn't we have her return it to its owner? Didn't she say it was stolen?"

"I'm right here, you know," the vampire said helplessly.

Valerie smiled at the vampire deviously. "That's right. This is far more amusing as a punishment for you. Imagine you have to look at the person you stole from in the eyes. Oh, so embarrassing…"

The vampire's cheeks heated, and she leapt to her feet. "You can't be serious!"

Valerie lit a vivid red flame on each of her finger tips. "It's either that, or you get to be erased."

"I will gladly do it!"

"More importantly," Bery said, "we don't even know who you are. I'm Bery, and this is Valerie. What's your name?"

The vampire's eyes widened again. "I'm Elanore. I don't have a family name."

"Elanore," Bery said with a smile. "It's wrong to steal stuff, Elanore. I've seen how hard these Granchins work over here."

"Right...I'm sorry," Elanore said deflated.

"It's not me that you have to apologize to," Bery said, looking towards the pearl still in Valerie's fingers.

"Can't you two hand it to him, and I can be on my way?"

"That won't work. It has to be given by the one who stole it, or there is little meaning."

Elanore sighed a long breath. "I understand. I should have not even come down to this beach."

Valerie nodded. "You will regret crossing my path. If you are lucky, they might let you be a prisoner here."

"A prisoner? I can't be a prisoner! I'd rather you killed me in that case."

Valerie chuckled. "You won't become a prisoner. I just wanted to pay you back for scaring my kitten. By the way, if you harm a single hair on her head, I will not settle for your life. Do you understand?"

Elanore nodded profusely. "I get it already! So lets just give it back."

"Everyone is already sleeping. It's too late for you to give it back tonight. You'll be stuck here in the meantime."

"How did I end up like this?" Elanore moaned.

Bery handed Elanore a shell. "There, there, it's only until daylight." The kitten yawned, looking back towards her dragon. "Are we going to get her a room in the same place?"

"She doesn't have to stay in that hotel. It's expensive…"

"It's fine," Elanore said, "I've brought quite a lot of coin with me for something like this. If it's just one night, I can stay there."

"Good," Bery said with a smile. The kitten stretched her arms and legs. "I think it's a great time to start heading back."

///

When they got to the hotel room, Valerie pulled Bery into her lap. "Kitten, I know you don't want people to die, but some people are…"

"I know. I've met some trashy people. I lived in a human town, you know? There were all kinds of people. Some would try to hit on me at the bar."

Valerie curled her arms around Bery possessively. "Do tell me more about these people."

Bery giggled. "What would you do if I did?"

"Naturally, I wouldn't do anything kitten…"

"You wouldn't?" Bery asked with a tilt of her head.

"I wouldn't."

"Hmm," Bery intoned, deciding to change the subject back to their vampire friend. "I don't really think she's a bad person, even if she's a thief."

"People will do anything to save their lives. She put on an act in order for me to lower my guard. Though, there is no chance of her ever harming you."

"What would you do if that did happen?"

"It was like I said before. Her life would not serve as worthy compensation. I would cut the head off their serpent for allowing this one to roam down here."

Bery's heart pounded in her chest. Even if Valerie said something so terrifying, it made the kitten feel warm inside. The fact that her life had become worthy enough for that made her feel conflicted. She was happy that her dragon loved her so much, but she also wanted to chastise her dragon for not valuing other lives more.

In the end, Bery could only wrap her arms around Valerie and kiss her cheek. "Still, I am very glad that you care for me so deeply. I don't think that Elanore will try to do anything like that."

Valerie ran her fingers through Bery's hair and kissed the kitten's forehead. The vibrations of Bery's purrs warmed the dragon's heart. "You are changing me in unexpected ways, Bery."

Bery looked up into Valerie's eyes, surprised to hear her name. She'd gotten so used to being called kitten now from those pretty lips, but hearing her name stirred butterflies inside of her stomach. Bery's ears wiggled, and she leaned into her dragon's embrace.

"How am I changing you?"

"You've softened my heart and my claws. I want to protect you, but being a vicious dragon will only make you sad. I have to worry about protecting your gorgeous exterior and that big heart you have on the inside. If I only had to worry about your body, then it would be much easier. We could live in peace forever in my mountain. I would destroy anyone that came close, and I could hold you to me."

Bery's purrs ramped up even louder. "I am so glad that you think so much about me. I wish I could make it easier for you somehow."

"There is a way," the dragon said, pulling stray hairs out of Bery's face.

"There is?"

The dragon nodded, producing a fire on her fingertip. "You just have to learn magic yourself. Become someone strong enough that no ordinary person could hope to stand against you."