"Björn? You're home?"
He spun around and smiled wide, his mother Libelle walking out of the house in his direction. Wearing a simple beige colored dress, she strummed her fingers through her hair to comb out knots. His mother was still as young and beautiful as he first remembered her, her body stopped aging when she joined with his father.
The immortality of dragons caused mortals to awe at their forms. Even now standing beside his mother, they looked to be around the same age. Instead, she was nearing fifty and did not look a day over twenty. Her elvish blood was also a part she could thank for her young looks.
The golden color of her wavy hair, her bronzed skin from spending days in the sun, her tropical oceanic eyes that swirled with mystical colors. Her form of beauty that was treasured by artists and caused many royals envy.
Björn lifted his arms and hugged his dearest mother close, kissing her cheek and sighed. "It has been a long time mother, it is good to see you."
Libelle chuckled, "It has not been that long. Only a few months."
He groaned, "It has been far too long. I miss the peace of home."
Raynor and Gala screamed as loud as they could possibly cry out, startling Bjorn and his sister while their mother simply looked at the tears streaming down the youngest siblings faces while they ran towards their mother. Their arms were spread open, expecting a comforting hug.
"Sure, a peaceful home." Libelle smiled and winked. She knelt down at her children's side, wrapping her arms around them. "What is it? What made you two cry?"
Raynor held up what looked like a writhing worm. "The lizard's tail came off!"
Gala wiped her tears clumsily with the back of her hand, "Will our tails do that? I don't want to lose my tail!"
Björn laughed, "Twins, no your tails will not fall off!"
"But the lizard's tail did!"
Libelle was smiling, trying to not laugh unlike Björn. "No darlings, your tail will not fall off like that lizard's tail. You are dragons, and unlike you: that is something a small creature will do to save its life."
Björn still couldn't contain his laughter, clutching his stomach at the scene. The twins ran screaming in sheer terror because they pulled a skinks tail off. It was such an innocent yet amusing reaction. Something he dearly missed while spending months on the front lines with Edinburgh's army.
"It will grow back darlings," Libelle said softly. "-a lizard like that will shed its tail in the eyes of danger and then grow it back with time."
Raynor's teary eyes beamed brightly, "Really? It will grow back?"
"Yes it will."
Gala squealed, tearing the wriggling tail from her brother's hand. "We have to find it to watch its tail grow back!"
Their moods lifted, and with tears only partially dried, the two darted back into the garden in search of the tailless skink. Libelle giggled, "Those two keep this house anything but peaceful."
Björn inhaled deeply, trying to settle his laughter and catch his breath. His lungs were on fire from the sudden outburst, and even the corners of his eyes were wet. "I can see that. It's only been a few months but last time I saw them, they hardly spoke."
Libelle gave him a look of mock horror, "Now they never stop."
They continued to walk in the gardens, Astrid soon strolling with them through the grounds. His mother and sister each held one of his hands, and their conversation was one more political than he cared for. However, his family was curious of his recent endeavors, so he would fulfill their curiosity.
"How have the men been fairing?" Astrid asked.
Björn shrugged, "The men Edinburgh has supplied me with are highly skilled, and with my instruction they are only getting better. They will soon be an even greater force to be reckoned with, and I doubt any army of man would want to challenge them at all."
"They're that good?" Libelle said unsure, "It has been just over twenty years, however I remember those men being unruly brutes who used their status as military folk to rape and pillage."
Björn squeezed his mother's hand, her life before his father had scarred her and many other elven folk. "None of my men are like that." He said so to comfort her. "They follow orders, and if they don't: they're sent to a chopping block."
Astrid giggled, "That's harsh. The men must fear you."
"No, they respect me. I've worked my way through the positions of the army, gaining their favor as I did so. I've proven myself to them countless times, time and time again. If they are sent to the block, they truly did something disastrous."
Libelle sighed, "If you say so. I am curious of how the war is going? Edinburgh has been warring with the Breck's, correct?"
"Aye, however I do believe Edinburgh no longer has to fear the Breck's, they met quite an unfortunate demise this week."
"What happened?" Astrid asked.
"The Brecks had been attacking the mainland for a few seasons now, trying to take control of the shore and moving more inland. When our troops stormed their camps, looks like word was sent to the lords of Breck and they sent a large army to retaliate." Björn smirked. "Let's just say many men will not be returning home to their wives."
"The dragon kin that fight with you? How do they fair?"
Björn smiled at his mother's question, her heart was pure in the worry for their kin. After experiencing the first half of her life stuck in battle with both man and dragon, she had gained a great deal of knowledge in war. She knew how dragons could be killed, and she knew when they were surrounded by mad men wielding swords: they were in danger.
"They are well mother. I sent them away for the time being, those boys want to become men. They want to try to find their lifemate's, and I won't stop them."
She smiled softly, and it made Björn think again. His mother cared for the dragons deeply, bound by soul to the first dragon ever birthed: they became her family.
Libelle grew up in an era when the war between man and dragon was at its peak. She was trapped in an even more uncomfortable spot, not only because she was an elf, but because she was born as a slayer. A mortal being born with the soul of a dragon who had committed foul deeds in their lifetime. Like killing their own kin.
She was forced into a position of slavery, even though it was quite the lavish one. Becoming a sword for hire, she was forced to save the people of the land from dragons, by taking the scaled beasts life. It was by these acts that his father and mother came to know one another.
A mortal slayer who hated mankind more than she despised the dragons. She would always tell him, men lie, cheat, and are cruel. Dragons are honest, and always have been. They do not act out on emotion or desire for more power. They never wanted to conquer the world, men want that. Men would use myself, or any dragon's power to accomplish that.
The stories Libelle would tell him of her adventures made him envious, he wanted great adventures himself. He wanted to be known as someone other than Eskil and Libelle's son. The story of how the two met, how they came together and ended the war between man and dragon was one of legend.
A simple event, changed the entire lands course of action.
After binding their souls to one another, Eskil soared down to the large castle that was nestled into the heart of Edinburgh. Striking fear into all those who dwelled there. Man knew of Eskil, they thought he could not be killed. Their fear made them useless, causing them to cower at his arrival.
However when Libelle climbed off his back, and he shifted into the form of a mortal, their fear was replaced with blind hostility directed at the female slayer. It wasn't until the king of Edinburgh exited his castle, confronting the citizens and demanding their silence: did they still.
They came to an agreement with Edinburgh first, declaring peace between their races. The dragons followed Eskil's order for peace completely, they had desired peace just as much as their prince did. It was something the gods had wanted as well, however they refused to intervene in the affairs of mortals. Never again.