Yudhishthira and Rekina

By: Sanura Posted on: December 31, 2007

When a young Atavian tries to aide the growth of a flower, a friendship like none known before grows.

Yudhishthira tapped his claws on the porous cavern floor, heaving a sigh of boredom. "How droll," he thought. "An entire day, not one single person coming by. No one to kill, nothing to eat, no new shiny treasures." He glanced over to the entrance of his cavern, where even his loyal wyverns were complaining of boredom.

Heaving another sigh, a plume of smoke escaped his nostrils as he rolled over. If only something interesting would happen. The harpies never came up this far anymore, and the lepers never left their caves. His only hope was for some brave adventurer to risk his lair.

Rolling over again, he paused, inhaling deeply. There, a faint scent, not the normal sulfuric smell of his cavern. What was that? Lavender and, hrm, honey! Who would be wandering his cavern with perfume on? Stretching, he raised himself up, and began smelling his way to this intruder. How unusual, everyone tried to sneak in to kill him. He'd heard no one, but that scent, it wasn't exactly sneaky. He stopped as he reached an intersection in his caves, and turned his head.

Before him stood a girl, bending over the rock floor of his caves. He watched her, curiously, as he telepathically told his wyverns not to interfere.

Rekina stretched slightly, as she reached into her basket. Just a few more dragon flowers to plant, and then she'd wait, and see if her experiment was successful. The rare flower was native to her home of Cyrene, and while it was a cold, wintry city, a group of Sylvan's had become curious to know if the flower would grow in a warmer clime. A volcanic clime. So, here she was, in Yudhishthira's lair, bent over with an aching back and hoping the dragon wouldn't notice she was there.

As she planted the last flower, she turned her head, a slight movement catching her eye. Gasping in fright, she stood quickly, as she saw the dragon standing before her. Panicked, she did the only thing she could think of. Curtseying, she stammered out, "M-m'lord Yu-yu-yudhishthira, I'm s-sorry for d-disturbing your-your peace. I mean no harm."

She gazed with fear into the huge dragon's eye, the one that gazed straight at her. He stood, silent for a moment, before saying softly, "Do not fear, girl. For now, you intrigue me. Tell me, as you mortals all seem the same to me, what's your name? Where are you from? What race are you? And why do you disturb my home?"

"My name is Rekina, m'lord. I am Atavian, and hail from Cyrene. I just came to plant the flowers, to see if they'd survive. They're dragon flowers, and rare. They're native to my home. And we're quite curious to see if they'll grow in such a warm clime. I would have asked first, but I was afraid you'd, well, attack on sight." As she finished speaking, Rekina glanced down, her eyelids closing halfway over her eyes.

Yudhishthira tilted his head, pondering a moment, before asking, "And how often do you think you'll be disturbing my peace?"

"For the next six months to a year, m'lord. I'll need to come up and check on the plants, several times a month. They should, if they're going to, start blooming in six months, but with the climate change, I figured I'd give them an additional six months."

Heaving a sigh, he turned his head and replied softly, "Very well. I'll give you your six to twelve months. You, and you alone, may traverse my caverns with safety."

Smiling brightly, she began to stammer out, "Thank you, m'lord!" when the dragon's mighty voice interrupted her.

"However, when you are done checking on your plants, you shall keep me company for awhile. My wyverns get boring after awhile. And generally, I don't stop to chit-chat. Just kill." Drolly, he gave a chuckle, as he gazed at Rekina expectantly.

Conversation? With the Yudhishthira? Drawing in a deep breath she said, "Very well, m'lord. It's better than death. Perhaps we'll both learn a few things."

He nodded his head, and then spoke with her briefly about their next visit, before dismissing her, and allowing her to leave. He gazed quietly out the cavern, to the island below him. It was the oddest things, really. He'd never treated a mortal so kindly. He must be getting soft in his age. With a sigh, he turned to his wyverns, and relayed the command to ignore Rekina, then curled his head around his body, and fell asleep.

When Rekina arrived back in Cyrene, she breathed a deep sigh of relief. She thought for sure she was dead, and her precious dragon flowers, too, when Yudhishthira had arrived. Instead, she'd managed to arrange safe passage for herself. All she had to do was keep a dragon company a couple hours a month. Shaking her head in disbelief, she wrote her report for Cyrene's Forestals, ate, and went to bed.

In the morning, she gathered her gear, and headed for Polyargos once more. At this stage, it was really more to be sure the flowers were still alive then for any progress, but it was important. If they died this early, then there was no hope for them at all.

Climbing the mountain, she wandered through the caverns, and checked her flowers. They were doing wonderfully, no ill signs from the heat at all. With a soft sigh of resignation, she made her way to Yudhishthira's lair. She stopped, taking a second glance. Did he just smile as she entered? She shook her head slightly, as she approached him.

Openly smiling this time, the great dragon greeted her. "I thought, that for our time together today, and since you can fly, we'd take a flight around the island. I haven't startled the harpies in quite some time. I'll give you a tour."

Rekina nodded her head, and stretched out her wings, lifting in flight. The dragon flew slowly beside her, as he pointed out places on the island she'd never noticed before. Flowers and trees she'd never seen before. Finally, exhausted, she begged her leave, and headed back to the main continent of Sapience.

The months passed like this, her visiting him after her checks on her plants, then going to visit him. They played chess, talked about world events, taught each other about plants, animals and other things. Some nights Rakina didn't even bother returning, just stayed, curled up next to the great dragon.

One month, after she left, Yudhishthira closed his eyes to rest. Not too long into his nap, though, he heard the loud sound of massive wings beating. Curious, as he didn't get many visitors, he looked out, and saw the great Cloud Serpent, Chenubis, hovering outside his lair. Confused, Yudhishthira beckoned his brethren in.

Chenubis, after settling his wings, got straight to the point. "What, dear friend, is going on with you? It's the talk of the Parthen Gare, and gossip for all us lesser dragons. You have gone soft! You still kill adventurers. But some, namely Atavians and Cyrenians, you give an option to! Run, or die. What happened to my bloodthirsty friend?"

Yudhishthira glanced aside, and shrugged. "Whatever keeps me calmer than normal, is my own business, friend. Perhaps I merely grow tired of the mindless bloodshed. If I can convince them not to harm me, why should I harm them? And some are innocent explorers, barely grown."

Chenubis rolled his eyes, letting out a snort of disbelief. After a few more jibes, and attempts to get his friend to talk, he flew off, towards home. Knowing there was only one course of action to find the truth, he hired a serpent to spy on Yudhishthira. Within the month, the truth of what was going on would be known.

Rekina flew quickly up the mountainside that month. She was excited. This marked the first of the months that the flowers could bloom! Though at her core, a sadness welled up inside, too, for that would mean the end of her conversations with Yudhishthira.

Fairly running into the first cavern, she sighed softly, disappointed. No flowers bloomed. Slumped, she went into the dragon's lair. Gently, Yudhishthira wrapped a wing around his new friend. As he held her gently, comforting her the best his large form would allow, he and she both remained unaware of the serpent lurking in their presence. As the dragon whispered soothingly to her, their unknown companion slinked off, reporting back to Chenubis of what he had heard and seen.

Chenubis pondered the new information, and realized there was only one way to return his friend back to the bloodthirsty dragon he was at heart. Calling to one of Yudhishthira's wyverns, one he knew cared not for the great dragon, he told him of the dragon's love for an Atavian female. Hissing in disbelief, the wyvern narrowed his eyes, and flew back to the island.

As Rekina flew away from the lair, the traitorous wyvern stooped down on her. As her back snapped in half, her scream of pain echoed through the island. Yudhishthira's head reared as he heard her cry, and his wings lifted him quickly to the air. He watched, in shock, as his wyvern guardian dropped her lifeless form to the mountainside below. Circling, he landed, ignoring what he once thought to be a friend. He gazed at her lifeless form, then lifted his eyes, watching as her soul drifted beside him.

"It seems my life is meant to end, dear Yudhishthira. I've already tried praying for Lady Maya's salvation, to no avail." She gently reached out, her ghostly hand stroking the great dragon's muzzle tenderly.

A sight unseen, the dragon began to cry, tears rolling down his cheeks as he shook his head. In their gaze, they both knew what neither had admitted before. A dragon and a mortal had fallen in love. And while she called him great, he was only a lesser dragon. He could never gain a mortal form. Nor would she want him to, for then he wouldn't be who she'd come to love.

As the dragon's tears fell to the body below, a swirling in the mists around them began. Slowly, the form of Lady Maya came to them. Tall and powerful, She towered over both of them. In a voice too soft for Her great form, she asked softly, "Rekina, I ask this of you. What would you wish for, could you have anything in this realm right now?"

Rekina gazed at Yudhishthira, and smiled softly. "Aside from life, m'Lady, I'd ask to join him. Not as a mortal with a Greater Dragon's spirit, but as an actual lesser dragon. Unable to return to mortal form."

The Goddess smiled, and held out Her hand. In it, a dragon flower bloomed. Closing Her eyes, the Goddess blew, spreading the flowers out in the air. The mist settled heavily around Yudhishthira and Rekina's body. As it dispersed, the woman's form began to shift, and in it's place now stood a dragon, scales the colours of the dragon flowers that had brought her to this island in the first place.

Yudhishthira blinked in amazement, and as his tears fell freely, leaned out to nuzzle Rekina's new form. Reaching out with her clawed arms, she caressed his cheek, and then turned to the Lady Maya. Bowing her head, she thanked the Great Mother. As the Goddess shifted out of sight, the pair of dragons rose in flight, returning to their lair.

The dragon flowers Rekina had planted bloomed, spreading out over the island like morning glory, covering every bit of earth they could. Rumour has it now, that the beautiful flower, while abundant in how much it grows, only blooms on the anniversary of Rekina's mortal death.