Monster Girl Islands 14 Chapter 1

“We’re almost ready to head out, Draco Rex!” the auburn-haired deer-woman, Jemma, called up from the bow of The Dragon Queen as I stood on the rocky cliffs above her.

Our quartermaster and her dragon, Tirian, had decided to go down and do a quick inventory of our supplies before we headed home.

Meanwhile, the rest of us stood on the very bottom of the mountainous island, surrounded by the Council of Dragons and the five lethal bird-women we had met on our journey.

This is quite exciting, Benjamin, Bungal, the fat dragon, noted. The next time there is a meeting of the Council, the two of us can come out here together. It will be the perfect social experience, my friend. Just two strong, eligible beasts out on the open sea… Nothing but each other’s company and the crystal-blue waves to enjoy… I truly think it will bring out the best in us.

The bone dragon let out a dry, annoyed huff, followed by a soft grumble.

“Yes, I’ll tell him,” Atrix the massive rock dragon chuckled. “Bungal… Benjamin Whitfield may now be a member of this Council, but your term ended quite some time ago. When the next meeting comes around, I’m afraid he will be the only one who is needed.”

I see. Bungal nodded, though his eyebrows were twisted upward in an expression of hurt. Perhaps I could just be a silent observer, and Benjamin’s transport? There is no use in bringing the entire ship out here to--

“Bungal,” Atris sighed. “Your time on the Council has come and gone, my friend. Perhaps you will be chosen as a representative next cycle, but for now, Malrun represents the fire dragons.”

The red-scaled firebreather took a few lumbering steps forward before he twisted his head toward Bungal and let out a slight growl. As he did so, smoke billowed out of both his nostrils, and Bungal took a giant step back.

I say, the fat dragon gasped. No need to be so rude about it.

“I, for one, can’t wait for my first official meeting as a member of the Council,” I admitted with a smile. “What the hell do you guys even talk about during these things, anyways?”

“Strategies for seclusion,” Atrix explained. “Along with potential battle strategies, cycle reports of new births and deaths, new member initiations… Outside of that, it could just be about whatever we get to talking about. This cycle’s meeting took a very unexpected turn, for example, but it was probably one of the most entertaining meetings we’ve ever had.”

“So, we have to wait an entire season cycle before we see you again?” the blue-haired warrior Sela asked. “There may be a lot that happens in between then and now. What if the orcs decide to launch an all-out war against us in that time?”

“Then we’ll crush their skulls into dust!” the overzealous, heavily pregnant Coonag, Malak declared.

“When it comes to those dastardly green men, do not hesitate to contact us,” the rock dragon mumbled. “We wish to see them eliminated, as well, and we will gladly assist however we can.”

How will we contact you, though? Swaer asked from his perch on Batari’s shoulder. You’re all going to be spread out across the world.

“The Council has actually already deliberated on that, little one.” Atrix smiled down at the wind dragon from atop his rocky neck. “Ethala? Do you wish to introduce yourself?”

One of the smaller dragons of the group, the one with deep maroon scales whose spine seemed to show through the green flesh on its back, scuttled forward and gave us a smirk. The bright white spines that rested behind the dragon’s ears and on its chin were nearly crystal-esque under the rays of the sun, and I couldn’t help but chuckle at how much they made it look like an old dude with a white beard. The dragon was only about the size of a labrador, but the firm, twisted scowl on its face told me it meant business.

However, the scowl slowly turned to a warm smile when the dragon looked around at all of us, and then it let out a few happy chuffs before it glanced in my direction and began to hum. The creature’s curved, maroon wings lowered down flat against its back as it made the joyful noise, and soon it walked over and rubbed its head up against my leg.

She really likes you, dear one, George said with a smirk.

“This is Ethala,” Atrix explained. “She is the representative of the sparrow dragons, who hails all the way from the floating isles.”

“Why is she suddenly all touchy feely?” I questioned. “I thought you dragons were cautious of anyone who wasn’t your own?”

“I never knew a dragon could actually be so loving,” the Aviar leader, Nevar, scoffed.

“You are one of our own, Benjamin Whitfield,” the rock dragon confirmed. “That argument was put to rest when you slayed fifteen snowpouncers. The Council has agreed to send a ‘live-in’ representative back with you, my friend. She will act as your point of contact with the Council in the coming season cycle, and she will also be a guide to help you find Seashuna the living island.”

“The gigadragon…” Jonas trailed off, with his eyes wide and full of wonder.

It was almost like looking at a kid who had just walked into the Magic Kingdom for the first time.

“There is only one thing left to do, then,” Atrix explained. “Ethala? Do you wish to choose your bondmate?”

“Bondmate?” Mira gasped. “You’re actually going to let one of your Council members bond with us?”

“Don’t make me regret my decision,” the rock dragon warned. “I still do not believe in the concept of a dragon being subservient to a humanoid, for any reason whatsoever. That said, I have seen how you treat your dragons. You treat them as if they are members of your own clan, as if they were your equals. And, if we wish for you to communicate with her, she must form the dragonbond with someone on your crew.”

“Not me, unfortunately.” Mira shook her head. “I’m already bonded.”

“I am, as well,” Batari said as she patted the head of the fuzzy wind dragon on her shoulder.

“What about the older man?” Atrix suggested as he nodded to Jonas. “He seems to be wise, and he seems to know much about the world of dragons.”

“I’m afraid I am not eligible,” Jonas sighed. “Dragonkin can only bond with water dragons. Unless they bear the child of the Draco Rex, of course.”

“And he definitely doesn’t have that going for him!” I laughed and slapped the soothsayer on the back.

“How about the woman with the fur-covered tail?” Atrix suggested.

“Yeahhhhhh,” Malak trailed off. “No offense, but I was saving myself for a dragon that was more… big? Strong? Powerful?”

“Ethala is very powerful,” the rock dragon argued. “Though she does have quite a timid personality. Perhaps she would not be the ideal bondmate for you.”

“What about Zerandrie?” Valea, the beautiful naturalist Spindrel woman, offered. “I think she would be adorable with Ethala as her bondmate.”

“Me?” Zerandrie gasped at the sudden shift in attention. “I-I’m not--”

The frail butterfly-woman’s eyes drifted to the ground as she turned beet red and began to stutter over her words.

“Yes, you are, my dear.” Valea grinned. “I’ve been reading your auras ever since you came out of that room with Ben. Congratulations, my dear… You will soon be the mother of a dragonkin child.”

“What?” The redhead’s eyes grew wide, but a smile twinged up her thin lips. “Y-You think I’m pregnant?”

“I know you’re pregnant,” the Spindrel woman confirmed as she placed her hands on her hips. “I’ve never read an aura wrong in my life, you know.”

“Ben?” Zerandrie looked over at me with her jaw on the floor.

“You’re pregnant!” I cheered as I ran over, scooped the slender woman up in my arms, and lifted her Dirty Dancing style. “We’re gonna be parents, Zerandrie!”

“I can’t believe it,” the butterfly-woman cackled as her yellow wings flapped happily. “It all happened so quickly. Well… uhhh… not the sex part. That was long and… ahh… satisfying. Ohhh, eeek!”

I lowered the blushing Morpho woman down to the ground and then kissed her passionately, but after a few seconds of sharing the love, Atrix’s booming voice let out a loud, awkward cough. We pulled away from each other, giggled playfully, and then turned back to the Council.

“Sorry,” I chuckled. “We’re just excited, that’s all.”

“It’s alright.” Atrix nodded. “We just did not wish to witness your attempt for child number two.”

“We’re pretty open about our passion in dragonkin society,” I explained. “But we’re not quite that open.”

Ethala wandered over to Zerandrie and I cautiously, like a puppy investigating a new person in their house. Then the sparrow dragon reached out her stubby snout and sniffed at us a few times before she took a few steps toward Zerandrie.

“It’s alright, little girl,” Zerandrie whispered as she stepped forward and stuck out her hand. “I won’t hurt you.”

Ethala tilted her head to the side and opened her eyes wide. Then the dragon took another step forward and placed the top of her head against Zerandrie’s open palm. The sparrow dragon looked up at Zerandrie with her small, round yellow eyes, and the butterfly-woman seemed to melt from the cuteness.

Eat your heart out, Toothless.

“I believe Ethala has chosen her bondmate,” Atrix mused.

The sparrow dragon took a few steps backward before she raised her head high, and the muscles on her back began to spasm. Ethala’s body shuddered for a moment before she leaned her neck forward, opened her mouth, and spat out a maroon-colored stone onto the ground.

“It’s so beautiful…” Zerandrie purred as she picked up the stone and cupped it in both of her hands. “Is this for me?”

Ethala let out a snort as she looked up at the Morpho woman.

“You must swallow it,” Mira explained. “And then the bond between you and the sparrow dragon will be completed.”

Zerandrie hesitated for a moment as she looked down at the stone in her possession. It was nearly the size of both her hands put together, and I was sure she was wondering how she was going to actually get that thing in her stomach. Finally, though, the redhead took a deep breath and raised the stone to her mouth, and we all watched with bated breath as Zerandrie opened her lips wide, slid the maroon morsel onto her tongue, and then gulped it down with an uncomfortable swallow. Her face fell into a grimace, and her wings shuddered as the stone passed through her gullet.

All the while, Ethala just stood there with a tilted head and a smirk on her dark red face.

“Did-- did it work?” Zerandrie shuddered as she patted her belly.

You tell me, a fruity, feminine voice echoed through my head. I can feel your thoughts, Zerandrie. Can you feel mine?

“Yes!” the butterfly-woman gasped. “Is that you, Ethala?”

At your service. Ethala bowed. I know I am not the largest or strongest member of the Council, but I will do my best to guide you toward your new home.

“Don’t let her fool you,” Atrix chuckled. “Ethala is one of our more humble members, but she is just as deadly as myself or Bungal.”

“I can’t wait to see her in action,” I admitted. “Welcome to the crew, Ethala.”

I am glad to be here, Benjamin Whitfield, Ethala said. Especially now that I have been bonded with this sweet, lovely flower of a woman.

“Stop it,” Zerandrie giggled. “You’re gonna make me blush.”

“That usually doesn’t take much,” Kwah snickered as she elbowed her sister.

“Indeed.” Nevar frowned. “I appreciate all these new developments in your journey, Draco Rex, but there is still one thing pressing on the minds of the Aviars…”

“Really?” Kwah scoffed as she turned to her sister and shot her a dirty glare. “We’ve talked about this, Nevar. Are we really going to do this in front of everybody else?”

“Ohhhhh, boy.” The green-haired bird-woman, Teeka, whistled.

“Get ready for a show,” Maca laughed under her breath.

“I simply wanted to run the idea past everyone, and get their opinion.” Nevar shrugged. “It’s what a good Feathered Monarch would do.”

“Noooooo.” Kwah shook her head furiously, and her brownish-tan wings puffed out from her sides. “A good Feathered Monarch would keep these sorts of issues private. Maybe it’s a good thing I’m leaving, since our styles always seem to clash.”

A collective hush swept over the five Aviar women, and Kwah’s eyes went wide as she realized her Freudian slip.

“You’re leaving us, Kwah?” Nacut demanded with a frown. “Why? After all we’ve been through together?”

“It’s nothing personal,” Kwah explained. “It’s just that… I am the first pregnant Aviar in a long time. I want to be able to continue our heritage, and I worry raising a child on this island is too dangerous. Then there’s the fact that I don’t want this to be the last Aviar child born, either. You’ve said it yourself many times, Nacut. Our species simply cannot continue if we remain here, even if this has been our home for several generations.”

“So, I’m guessing this means the other half of our leadership is against the idea?” Maca asked as she turned to Nevar and placed a hand on her hip.

“This island has been the home of the Aviars since the dawn of time,” Nevar argued. “I agree our prospects look grim if we stay here, but our forefathers would be mortified if they knew we were even considering leaving the island.”

“Our forefathers don’t care,” Kwah scoffed and folded her arms across her chest. “Because they are all dead.”

“Kwah!” Nevar gasped. “Do not speak of the dead in that way!”

“What?” The tan-haired woman just shrugged. “It’s true. Besides, our forefathers had no idea we would end up in this situation. If it was a choice between saving the Aviar species and sticking with tradition, I’m sure they would choose option one every single time.”

“If it helps any,” Batari offered. “My friends and I were very scared to leave our home island, as well. Much like the Aviars, the Cero people had dwelled on that island for several hundred season cycles. Yet, here I am. My loyalty to Ben and my desire to be a mother outweighed everything else. Even our sacred traditions.”

“Scandalous,” Nevar huffed under her breath.

“Hey, I have an idea!” Maca proclaimed as she clapped her hands together. “Since our leaders are torn, why don’t we put it to a vote?”

“Oh, no.” The raven-haired Aviar hung her head. “That never bodes well for my case.”

“Don’t think like that, Nevar,” Maca chuckled. “I don’t know what any of my friends here are thinking. You could easily win this one!”

“Alright,” Nevar said with a roll of her eyes. “Everybody who wishes to remain on the island, raise their hand.”

Nevar raised her right hand high in the sky, but the rest of the Aviars all kept them down, and the Feathered Monarch frowned deeply as her brown eyes looked over her subjects with fervor.

My word, Bungal noted. It appears Nevar has been outvoted!

“Any abstentions?” Nevar asked in a broken tone, but she was met with nothing but shaking heads. “Okay… Who wants to leave the island and go with the Draco Rex?”

All four of the Aviar women raised their hands, and I couldn’t help but smirk at the scene.

Of course they wanted to come back to the dragonkin island with me. I was going to offer them a fresh start with a new, safe place to live and warm, fresh food on the table every single day. Plus, they would no longer have to indulge in just each other’s company. There would be plenty of new friends for them to make, and plenty of new adventures for them to go on. Plus, Kwah was right…

If they came back with me, I’d eagerly impregnate each and every one of them.

A huge sacrifice, but I was willing to make it.

“It looks like it’s settled, then,” Kwah retorted with a smug smile. “We go back with Ben. Are you ladies ready to head out to the open sea?”

“Not really,” Teeka admitted. “But you know me, always willing to try anything once.”

“Have you even asked the Draco Rex?” Nevar demanded in one last hail-mary attempt.

“She doesn’t have to,” I clarified. “You are all welcome to come home with my friends and me. There’s plenty of room on our island right now, and I’m sure there will be even more when we get to Seashuna.”

“There will be,” Atrix confirmed. “Seashuna is quite literally ten times the size of the island we are standing on right now, and that is a rough estimate.”

“That sounds like plenty of room, then.” I smiled at the rock dragon. “Thank you for letting Ethala join our crew, and thank you for giving us a chance to prove ourselves.”

“I’ll second that notion,” Jonas chuckled. “Thank you for not executing us on the spot.”

“If it makes you feel any better,” Atris mused, “I am now glad I did not. You have done something not many have done before, Benjamin Whitfield… You have shocked the Council of Dragons with your bravery, ingenuity, and pure talent. We have never quite seen a council member like you before, and we shall probably never see one again.”

“Thank you.” I bowed slightly. “I can’t even put into words what that means to me.”

“The ship is ready, guys!” Jemma’s voice called out. “Hop on whenever you want to head back home!”

“I think that’s our cue to leave,” I said as I looked over the Council one last time. “Thank you, guys.”

“Thank you, Benjamin Whitfield.” Atrix nodded. “And please, whenever you decide to finally launch an assault against the ugly green men, let us know. The Council will be there.”

“We will,” I confirmed. “When that happens, we’re gonna need all the help we can possibly get.”

“Until next time, then.” Atrix smiled.

Farewell, my loyal statesmen! Bungal declared before he sprang up into the air, caught himself on his wings, and zipped out over the water.

The rest of the crew said our goodbyes to the Council before we climbed down the side of the mountain onto The Dragon Queen.

Nevar was the last one to make the descent, and she stood at the top of the cliff and stared up at the rocky mountain for several minutes. Finally, she took a deep breath, popped out her dark wings, and fell backward. The bird-woman allowed herself to free-fall for a few feet before she spread out her feathered appendages and used them to glide down onto the deck of our ship.

“Alright, crew…” I called out to everyone aboard the vessel. “Let’s make haste! Strike the anchor, drop the sails, and let’s go home!”

My crew let out a happy cheer, but then they quickly got to work. In no time flat, the combined efforts of Sela, Batari, Swear, and George had raised our anchor off the seafloor, and then the dirty white sails fell from their masts. The sails caught the wind instantly, and The Dragon Queen lurched forward as we were pulled forward.

We were off.

The Aviar women all stood at the ship’s stern and gazed longingly at their island. It was still massive from afar, but after nearly an hour of sailing, it shrunk down until it was nothing more than a pinprick out on the horizon.

Once their homeland was out of sight, all five of the bird-women turned around and sat down on the ship, cross-legged. There they remained for the next leg of the trip, which was much smoother sailing than I would have expected.

The water around us was as blue as crystal, and the waves it gave us only came up in small, choppy thrashes. Compared to the voyage out here, this was a piece of cake.

Unfortunately, the smooth sailing didn’t last very long.

Ben? Tirian said via our dragonbond. I’ve got some bad news for you… Look off to the west.

What the fuck was it now? Another sea serpent? A giant crab-wolf mixture?

When I actually saw what was on the horizon, I froze, and my heart fell into my knees as I tensed up and swallowed a massive gulp.

There were seven flying figures of various sizes and shapes, and they all had massive leathery wings and a scaly, elongated body.

Dragons.

The dead giveaway, though, was the largest of the bunch.

A massive dragon with golden scales that glistened in the sunlight.

“It can’t be…” I breathed.

M-Mom? Tirian blubbered. Is that really my mom, Ben?

It had to be. She looked exactly like I remembered her, and she was traveling with seven other dragons. There were seven remaining dragons in Tirian and Bungal’s clan, so it only made sense this would be them.

What really made me shit a brick, though, was the creature following them.

Behind the seven dragons was an even larger beast. Its body was long and legless, like a snake, with bright green scales. Multiple dark red feathers jutted out across its body and down its back, and atop its head was a bony, crown-shaped growth.

The creature snarled as it chased after the firebreathers, and the fire dragons glanced back over their shoulders with a panicked expression.

I recognized this thing from the Council of Dragons. It was a feathered dragon.

And, by the looks of it, the creature wasn’t exactly a friendly face.