Tradition is the key word when it comes to your family. It is something that affects your daily life, hell, it even messes with some of the most minute things of your day. Having grown up in relative solitude and isolation most of your life, even the things you do to escape ‘family tradition’ have become tradition.
The Hearthway Forest is a massive nature reserve, and one your family has cared for since your ancestors. And it is because of these ancestors you carry on the routine and, yes, the traditions they created. It is also because of them you have some fae in your blood, a little nymph, a dash of naiad, and a hint of satyr from your father’s side. You're basically a mythical creature mutt with none of the bonuses.
For ages your family has protected and watched over the Hearthway Forest, like forest rangers in a sense, but ordained from a higher power. What that power is, you’re not too sure, but it is one that tasks you with protecting the forest and it’s mostly hidden inhabitants from the rapidly changing world.
“I have to go into Hearthway Hollow,” your brother, Stelios, said. “Do you need anything?”
“Don’t fall in love with a werewolf, that’s all I ask,” you murmured as you scrolled through a shopping site.
Stelios leaned over your shoulder to see what you were looking at and chuckled. “You know how mama feels about cosmetics.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t get mama’s eyelashes, so I have to make due.” You huffed.
Stelios stood up and adjusted his cap. “So, you don’t need anything in town?”
You continued perusing makeup as Stelios went to the front of the cabin and retrieved a set of keys. “The usual I guess, if you feel like bringing something like that back,” you murmured.
Stelios looked out the window. “Uh oh.”
You hid the website you were looking at and stood up from your desk. “Oh crap, it’s him again,” you grumbled. “What the hell is happening now?”
Hearthway Hollow was part of the forest, but it was you and your family’s least liked part of it. For the most part the growing town was self governing, self regulating. But because it was a town full of shedding, hunting, giant werewolves, there were issues that you all took umbrance with.
The man who walked in was the so-called prince of Hearthway Hollow, you would beg to argue, considering there was a royal family of naga deep into the woods. Adam came in, looking chipper and smiling, but you could sense his nerves like sugar crystals in the air. It wasn’t that Adam was a bad person, in fact you would like him more if he agreed the werewolf traditions could be updated. But he was genuinely sweet, and he tried his hardest to keep peace between the two worlds that Hearthway had.
“Oh, god, what now, Adam?” You sighed as you walked around your desk.
“Oh hello,” Adam laughed anxiously. “Uhm…”
“Uhmm?” Stelios laughed. “What have your werewolves done now?”
Adam looked up in offense. “Nothing! It’s nothing my town has done, but it’s something from your forest!”
You and Stelios traded looks. “Okay, so what is it? Naga’s in the lake again? Did a troll steals a grill again?”
“No,” Adam huffed. “It was something…bigger. And yes, it stole quite a few things in town!”
“Bigger?” You asked. “How much bigger?”
“I’m not too sure about that. Only a few people in town have seen glimpses of it. But they all say it went back into the forest after it took things.” Adam pulled out his phone, showing a picture from outside a restaurant where a huge chunk of concrete is ripped up.
“That is where the Jolly Burger bee used to stand.” he said with a look of indignation. He then turned to another image where there was a metal pole that bent slightly over a parking lot. “And that is where the Hearthway Market place moose sign used to be.”
“Something is stealing Hollow iconography?” Stelios asked.
“We’re also prepping for Halloween, and for the past few weeks people have been reporting that decorations and lights have been going missing.” Adam said as he put his phone anyway. “It’s like some giant moth is stealing anything that lights up.”
Stelios leaned over to you. “Do we know any giant moths?”
You sighed heavily. “No. But I know someone close enough to it,” you grumbled.
Adam gave you a hopeful look. “You do?”
You pouted a bit, tapping your foot against the hardwood flooring. “He’s been in hibernation for a long time. I don’t think I’ve seen him since the sixties.”
Adam’s eyes widened a bit more. “How old are you?”
You smirked at him. “Rude, young man. But never you mind. I know who to talk to. Make a list of everything that was taken and I will see what I can do.”
Adam nodded, but he still looked confused. “Well, what do you think it is?”
You sighed. “A dragon.”
“A what?” Adam balked.
Stelios then sputtered as he tried to keep his laughter in check. “Her ex.” He snickered and you shoved him.
“Oh,” Adam’s mouth opened slightly.
“I’m familiar with this dragon,” you huffed. “The forest has a few, but most have been sleeping until a-” You stopped. “Ancient lore and prophecy, you’d be bored with it.”
You knew Adam would not be, but you barely had the time to deal with this issue, let alone explaining the generations of lore and prophecy your family took care of.
“I’ll go talk to Rigard and see what I can do about the stolen items. But he has an affinity for lights and sparkly things, so you may have to make a trade with him.”
Adam grimaced but he nodded. “Fine, all talk to the council and the elders. I’m sure we can pull together some sort of wish list as a town.”
“You do that. I’ll go up to where Rigard last was today,” you assure Adam as you walk him out the door. You then huff and take one of the four wheeler keys from beside the door.
Stelios chuckled behind you. “Tell Rigard I said hello.”
“Bite yourself,” you huffed as you left. You went to the vehicle shed and got your four wheeler. You then peeled out into the woods, going far beyond the usual path and into what your family called the ‘rich earth’ territory. The air grew dense with the incense of dark earth, slick pine needles, and the breath of creatures far more ancient than your family.
Rigard had been a close ally of one of your nymph ancestors. He had been severely wounded and came into Hearthway to heal. Your family, particularly you and Stelios, were charged with looking after him. Over time, the two of you grew close, very, very close.
You arrived at where he had built his cave, which had sunken in during his decades of slumber. Now, it had risen back up from the ground and you could hear music playing from inside.
You walked up to the entrance, peering inside and indeed seeing lights flashing and changing colors from within.
“Rigard,” you called out.
The music turned off.
“Come out here,” you spoke loudly.
You took a few steps back when you heard a laugh from inside. It rumbled deeply from within, and came out like a soft breath towards the entrance.
“I know that voice,” Rigard chuckled. “I heard it often in my dreams.”
Your cheeks warmed slightly. “I’ve had some complaints against you, Rigard. I have one myself.”
“Is it because I haven’t come to see you?” He stepped out of his cave, the frills around his face stretching out as he came into the sun. His bright red eyes glimmered like rubies as he looked down upon you.
You stood with your hands upon your hips. “Yes, for a start. But also, you’ve been stealing from Hearthway Hollow.”
He shifted, turning his great head in the direction of the town. “Is that what they are calling it now? It was just a lumber mill when I went to sleep.”
“It’s a lot now,” you huffed. “But you need to give back the things you’ve stolen.”
Rigard chuckled, settling down onto the leaves before his door. Of course he hadn’t changed much, but he did look freshly shredded. His scales were gleaming and glowing, looking like fresh pearls with speckles and streaks of garnet.
“I’m trying to make a hospitable nest,” he replied.
You simply arched a brow at him.
“For when I did come to see you.” Rigard laid a clawed hand over his bowed out chest. “I was preparing myself for company.”
You smiled slightly. “Were you?”
“You were first on my list, of course you were.” He lowered his head down to you. “My former mate is always first upon my mind.”
“You told me to move on.”
Rigard nodded. “That I did,” he sighed. “And did you? Do you have a sprawling, screaming family of your own?”
You sighed. “I moved on, a few times actually. But nothing stuck. So no screaming family to speak of aside from the one I already had.”
Rigard hummed in his throat. “Too bad, I had a small hope you’d be happy and thriving when I awoke.”
You scoffed. “Who says I’m not?”
He smirked. “I’m glad to hear that.” he then tilted his head back towards his cave. “Would you like to come inside and see how I’ve spiffed up the place?”
You sighed. “Sure, why not? I have to find out what’s been stolen anyways.”
His cave was warm and filled with light, stuffed to the brim with light up Halloween decor and the Hearthway Hollow signs Adam had mentioned, as well as a picnic table. Towards the back was a bed made of moss, creeping thyme, and ivy vines.
“Make yourself at home.” Rigard slithered inside, coiling behind the larger lights and decor, sweeping down into a stream within the cave, then placing himself inside his bed.
You took a seat at the picnic table, making a mental note of all the things inside that you figured were probably stolen.
“Amazing how much has changed,” Rigard sighed.
“It’s been sixty years.” You turned around to face him.
His eyes widened slightly, appearing more brown in the golden glow of his home. “Really? Sixty?” He clicked his tongue. “What have you been up to?”
You shrugged. “Same thing I was sixty years ago. Just have nicer things to do it.”
“Ah, the family tradition. Protecting the Hearthway Forrest and all the beasts inside,” Rigard chuckled. “I see the werewolf population has gotten quite large.”
“Don’t get me started,” you grunted.
“Aside from that, surely there must be more change in your life than you are letting on.” He tilted his head to the side and his frills fell back. “Come on, if Hearthway Hollow can go from a meager lumber mill to a sprawling empire, then you must have something new to tell me.”
“Thanks to this invention called the internet I have a few more hobbies,” you murmured. “I do photography now. Sometimes I dabble in makeup.” You thought for a long hard while. “There’s this thing called fan fiction now, where fans of like a TV show or movie or something write about it and-” You started feeling dumb. “I write,” you decided to say it simply.
“Ah, a writer now,” he chuckled. “Have you written any great works?”
You had written some ‘gay’ works but nothing great. “Just for fun,” you replied.
Rigard lowered his head down towards you. “And you’re not dating anyone at the moment?”
You pouted. “Not that it’s any of your business, no. Not in a while anyways,” you grumbled.
“Hmm,” he sighed.
“What does that mean?” You lifted your chin up.
“I was having myself a look back on a very fond memory,” he replied. “Something warm for me, and quite wet.”
You arched your brows at him. “Really?”
He laughed. “You must think back on us from time to time too. You never once thought of me when you needed the memory most?”
“I came here to confront you about stealing Halloween decorations, not the flirt and talk about past trysts,” you chuckled.
“You can always change what you are doing.” Rigard came up close to you. “You don’t have to be a forest guardian right now.” He flicked a pin on your jacket.
You smirked, taking your jacket off and laying it over the picnic table. “Of course I thought about you. I missed you like crazy.”
Rigard bowed his head back down. “I am sorry I didn’t come to you right away when I woke. Everything was such a mess here, I wanted to make sure you would be comfortable when you visited.”
“I wouldn’t have cared. I would have just been happy to see you,” you huffed.
Rigard patted the top of your head. “I know, but I wanted to impress you after so much time. I figured I would have to put in effort.”
“Effort?” You smirked. “Effort for what?”
Rigard shrugged, looking away from you. “In case I needed to…woo you again.”
“No one says woo in this day and age,” you laughed. You stood up from the table and approached Rigard. You stroked your hands down his scales, which felt smoother and slicker than you remembered them. The pure white with splotches of bright red had always made him stand out amongst the other dragons in the Hearthway Forest.
A low purr like rumble grew in his neck as you touched him. “What do they say?”
“Lots of different things, I don’t have time to get into how intricate and strange the modern dating scene is.” You smiled up at him. “It’s nice to be around someone I’m comfortable with. That’s what matters to me.”
“Would that be me?” Rigiard grinned.
You think for a moment to tease him. “Yes. I believe you are.”
Rigard nuzzled up against your cheek, purring gently then placing his hand upon your shoulder. You remembered this touch very well, you hadn’t forgotten a moment with Rigard. When he had to slumber it took you a long while to get over him.
“Do you have some time before you must return to your duties?” Rigard breathed softly against your ear. “Perhaps we can get reaccuanited the old fashioned way.”
You licked your lips, biting the lower one as you considered it. “How old fashioned?”
Rigard chuckled. “The oldest fashion imaginable.”
You smiled to yourself. It had been a while, not just with Rigard, but in general. “Well, since you’re back. I suppose we should celebrate.”
His low moan in your ear made the hair on your neck stand on end. He lifted you up, cupping your rear in his hand. He kissed you, licking over your lips then pressing in close. You met each touch, placing your hands along his sharp jaw.
One of his fingers went between your thighs, rubbing between them to the mound that was growing warmer with each second. You could remember evenings before he went to slumber when you two would fill the cave with deep breathing and loud moans. The memory of it made you wet.
“It’s been so long, I may burst,” he growled.
“Mmm, I know.” You slipped from his palm and removed your clothes. You turned around and Rigard kissed down your back. He bit at your skin, nibbling and taking his time. His tongue slithered over your rear and you squealed in excitement.
“It’s been a long time, but I remember what you like. Hopefully it is still what you want.” Rigard cupped your rear in his hand again, kneading it while your legs opened slightly.
Rigard’s long body began to twist around, coiling around you then squeezing in. His scales pressed against your skin, and he curved his body between your thighs. He lifted you up, sliding you back so you rested against his bowed out chest. It was just like old times.
“You still feel as soft and supple as I remember.” He rubbed his body back and forth against you so your loins left a shining wet spot on his scales.
You breathed out and moaned. “Is that all you plan to do?” You jabbed.
“Far from.” His body shifted again and you felt something poke against your rear. It grew out, slipping along your thigh then popping out between your legs. The blood red shafts glistening before you, throbbing and oozing from the flattened tip. One was larger than the other, bulging in the middle. The second was smaller and much more curved with a bulge at the base.
“I forgot how big they were.” You stroked the big one in your hand and Rigard moaned into your ear.
“I can’t wait to feel you around me again,” he growled.
You inched forward, raising your hips slightly so the little one poked against you. It rubbed against your clit then slipped inside. It was a stretch, but one you had been waiting for, for so long. A flustered gasp escaped your lips and Rigard growled loudly.
“That’s it,” he moaned. “You’ve never felt so good.”
You bit your lip, whimpering as Rigard began thrusting inside you. He went inside deep, hitting that pleasurable spot inside that made your toes curl. You let out a whimper, and once he heard that, Rigard started driving harder. His body coiled tighter around you, holding you aloft while he drove his cock into you. The other one rubbed against you, squeezed by your thighs.
“I’ll burst,” he whined. “So long…I’ll burst.”
You were already seeing evidence of that. The bigger cock was already beginning to release a thick golden slime from the tip. Inside you were feeling warmer too, and his pulse was growing through your veins. You were losing your breath, shivering with each thrust inside.
“Almost,” he growled. “Oh gods, almost.” His hands clasped around you, grabbing your chest where you felt sensitive.
You whimpered loudly, succumbing to the heat he was thrusting inside you. The golden heat poured over you as well, warming your skin and making it glow from the Halloween lights all around you.
You laid in the cool nest, singing softly as Rigard left small kisses all over your face. He was smugly satisfied, but it was a face you were happy to see. You sat up and stretched, and flakes of real gold fell from your skin.
“Like old times,” Rigard purred.
“Yeah.” You touched your cheek then smiled softly. “I still have to take back all you’ve stolen. But I told Adam he could trade so you could have some lights.”
Rigard grinned. “I would have been happy to just take you.”
You kissed him softly before leaving the nest. “I have to get back. But I can come back when office hours are over.” You found your pants and put them on first.
“I’ll be much more of a gentleman now that I have got this out of my system.” He rose up and hugged you from behind. “I’m so happy to see you.”
You smiled and kissed his claws. “I missed you too.”