A Life with a Dragon?

I'd get up, if I could...

Mai lay on her bed well into the morning, not a usual occurrence for her nowadays, but then her recent days had become different for her once again.

The dragon had come up from downstairs during the night, again, lured by the 'more comfy bed', and as the girl had been behaving herself recently, Mai had let it slide, since she had previously only curled up down beside her legs.

This time Lygawa held her arm firmly with both of hers, as well as having wrapped her tail around a leg too, sleeping soundly in the mild bedroom, but also trapping Mai in place, and making it impossible to escape, or even reach the curtains to let the sunlight in.

She was surprisingly heavy for having a summarily sized body, but Mai guessed all that mass of her 'true form' had to partly go somewhere.

Maybe it takes active effort to reduce her weight, as I've seen her jump about as light as a feather...

Lazing about was a nice little change, but it was probably getting near midday, so this couldn't continue any longer.

Mai finally rolled over to face the sleeping dragon, and lightly pinching the little nose closed, seemed the least intrusive way to wake her.

Then a hand reached up and slapped Mai across her face.

Lygawa's eyes shot wide open in surprise from the loud sound, before she immediately released Mai and bounded backward off the beds side, leading to a heavy thud on the floorboards below.

Only her horned head returned a moment later, but was buried deep into the sheets.

"I am so terribly sorry, please, please forgive me!"

Mai was still partly in shock too, touching her face while the dragon-girl trembled and repented.

It didn't hurt that much, but it sure sounded like it should have...

"I honestly didn't mean to! Please, please don't kick me out..."

Lygawa had actual tears in her bright green eyes as she pleaded.

"I don't want to start over again..."

Start over... again...? What is she talking about...?

Mai got up and rolled her legs off the bed, still in her comfy blue pyjamas, putting aside the only slight sting to her cheek, while Lygawa watched her warily from the floor.

She looked down softly to the sorry creature and asked her a big and overdue question.

"Why are you still here?"

The dragon sagged low, so Mai quickly clarified.

"- I mean being here all the time, hanging around this village; surely you've somewhere else to go?"

The dragon grimaced, but answered.

"You'd think so, but no..."

She looked to the recently abandoned sheets and continued.

"We get shooed from our nests, and are forced to make it on our own for some time..."

She looked even more upset, but kept explaining herself.

"But it's hard being all by yourself... and scary too sometimes..."

So she's lonely... I get that...

"It's how the elders sort the strong from the lesser, amongst our kind... but it sucks."

She returned her watery sights back to Mai, wriggling around to bow low to her feet.

"So please don't make me move along. I like it here, and I want to stay here... with you... If you'll still have me..."

Mai stayed quiet, thinking seriously over the pleading request.

"But I understand if you want me gone..."

Apparently her silence was taken the wrong way.

"Who wants you to leave?"

Lygawa looked back up with a flicker of hope in her light eyes.

"Huh? You don't?"

"Of course not."

Mai patted the silver haired girl between the little horns.

"You're too good a company not to have around, and you've made my life... more interesting at least."

She shuffled closer to put her head on Mai's knee.

"Thank-you, thank-you... I promise to be good, yes, and do whatever you ask of me!"

Mai then took her hands lightly, and razed both women to their feet, as Lygawa snuffled and fought back some more tears from forming.

"Alright. Now, what's say we get some food together, okay?"

"Okay."

"Ta-da!"

Lygawa swirled around before Mai in the kitchen, after their meal was done.

"...What?"

She didn't seem any different, and still wore the same light-grey dress as always.

"I solved my balance problem, yes..."

She slightly pouted, but indeed seemed quite fine on just her feet now.

"Oh yes I see..."

"But then - you don't!"

She gave a cheeky grin.

Something unseen wrapped around Mai's wrist, gently squeezing her.

Huh... oh, she's made it invisible... clever girl...

"I'm impressed..."

"So now I may travel about amongst you at my will!"

She took a proud pose, releasing Mai's arm, and then danced about with excitement.

"So shall we make introductions throughout the village, yes?"

Mai was still a little hesitant about releasing the flighty dragon amongst the simple villagers, but as she'd agreed to let her stay on, for the foreseeable future, it was the polite thing to do.

Lygawa wasted no time, broadcasting her name to everyone they happened upon, telling how she was a good friend of Mai's and would be staying in their pleasant village for a while. So word, and the pair, got about, eventually bringing Brian and his wife Emma to make a slightly formal greeting.

"Miss Lygawa... I would like to warmly welcome you to our little township. If there is anything you desire, please feel free to ask."

Brian offered his big hand to the undercover dragon, who accepted it gladly, with a sharp grin.

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."

As the latest resident made introductions to the chief's wife, Brian had a quick word with Mai too.

"My offer stands for you as well..."

What would make a difference... actually, after this morning's incident...

"A new bed might be a good idea."

"That can be done in a jiffy; I'll have it delivered to your place within the hour."

Mai nodded with appreciation, but her attention was drawn back to the others in conversation, that had delved into a peculiar warning.

"Best take care now, troubles are about you know."

Emma was quite in touch with all the gossip that came and went around here.

"Oh?"

"Apparently rumor has it that a dangerous dragon has been spotted nearby..."

"No... You don't say..."

Lygawa looked away to the sky.

If only you knew how right you were...

Mai couldn't help but smile to herself.

"Now don't go scaring off our newest addition, my dear."

"They need to know... though the chances are slim that you'll see one in our quaint valley."

"True. There's nothing here that would draw a creature like that into town!"

The married couple laughed aloud at the unlikelihood, while the younger two remained quiet, as they glanced at the other.

"We'll be seeing you about then ladies."

The group split in half and went their separate ways.

Returning home, the pair found several of 'Brian's usual gang' already offloading the new furniture item by their door, and although a little shuffling was needed, the new bed was placed on the opposite wall from Mai's own, and then everyone was treated with some newly baked cookies, for all their troubles.

With the bed delivered, the helpers departed, and Mai decided the next creation, she had currently cooking in the oven, required a little something more, so she took a quick walk to get exactly what she needed.

Going out by the smaller gardens, slightly upstream and away from the houses, where the better berries grew, Mai went out by herself, content that leaving the dragon to supervise the oven's contents seemed a fairly safe decision.

Almost there by the small private path; Mai noticed her surroundings suddenly got darker, which seemed odd on such a fine day, so looking up Mai was very surprised to see a large object overhead - rapidly getting closer from right above.