Dragons Are Demanding (Book 1)Complete

19.) A Tempting Proposal

When Cerastes awoke it was dark. He was unsure whether a full day had passed or if he had woken before the night had passed.

He dressed himself and thought it would have been quicker if he had brought his own servants to dress him.
The thought reminded him of how his oldest brother had killed one of his personal servants for brushing her hand against his horns while she was dressing him.

The servants here must believe I would eat them. While they might be used to waiting on him they never actually touched him.
He rang the bell on the bedside table.

The door immediately opened and a servant came in carrying a cup of water that was so large it made his hands seem small in comparison. Cerastes also heard fast steps running away down the hall but payed it no mind.

"How long have I slept?" Cerastes asked taking the cup and drinking heavily.

"Ah. A full day." The servant replied with his head bowed. Cerastes turned his head and thought this one must be new. He  had had to ask how long he had slept.

"Have my meal prepared I'll be going out." He ordered placing the cup back in the young man's hands.

"Yes, Millord." The servant said backing out of the room with the empty cup.

Downstairs the meal was already on the table. The second servant must have ran ahead.

It was beef stew with potatoes. The bowl which would seem massive infront of human seemed normal infront of Cerastes. He stood at seven feet tall and his shoulders were broad.

He ate his meal quickly, scratching the bowl with his sharp claws as he downed the bowls contents.

Now that he was full it was time to go to work.

There was only one name on his list. D'zarren.

D'zarrens place had already been ransacked from the looks of the inside but Cerastes could still smell his scent strongly. A guard walked behind Cerastes as he ducked through the door and smelled about the room.

He walked around the room stomping as he went. Untill he went behind the overturned desk and pushed it back to it's original place. As he stomped the sound was hollow. He grabbed at the floor and ripped up the panel to expose the hole beneath.

What a find, Cerastes thought. There were several different scents. An unidentified female and a male that was D'zarren. He followed the scent with his guard in tow. It was dark and cramped but Cerastes could see just fine. The tunnel was a tight squeeze for his size.

The guard behind him carried a small lantern, to prevent Cerastes from leaving his sight.

After walking for several minutes the tunnel finally opened up and there was a door above them. The guard blew out the light in his lantern to prevent it from giving away their position.

Listening quietly, Cerastes heard one set of footsteps above him.  With one hand he popped the lid off its frame and jumped up to the floor above.

The man man turned in suprize to see a giant clawed man standing in his room. He turned pale.

"You are D'zarren." Cerastes stated, hovering over the older looking man. He grabbed the man and took a deep breath to smell of him.

"D'zarren you have failed to pay your debt and will be condemned In the streets for running."

"Wait I can explain! This is just a missunderstanding" D'zarren exclaimed dragging his feet.

Cerastes ignored his plea and looked for a door to the outside that didnt lead through tight tunnels.

"I can pay! I was just trying to find a profitable buyer!" D'zarren  begged.

Cerastes found a handle on the wall and pulled. It lead to what he suspected was the inside of a tavern. He began dragging D'zarren out of the room. With the guard behind them.

"I have a magic tool!" D'zarren yelled.

This stopped Cerastes and his guard in their tracks.

"I'll give it to you! Please clear my debt!" D'zarren said trying to pry his arm out of Cerastes's grip. "Its just in that room! in the box on the desk, take it."

Cerastes looked at the dark haired guard and the guard returned to the room
He returned holding a small wooden box and handed it to Cerastes.

Opening the box, Cerastes saw a clear red crystal. He began to reach down to grab it.

"Dont touch it!" D'zarren warned.

Cerastes glared at the man on the floor. "Who are you to command me?!."

"I meant no disrespect, but the tool has some..peculiarities." D'zarren explained. Holding up his hands in a defensive gesture.

"Peculiarities?" Cerastes asked.

"It only works once. It can find anyone or anything. But you have to have a clear idea of what you want when you touch it. It can even bind things to you. It's worth my freedom many times over."

"That is peculiar." Cerastes said looking more closely. "Tell me everything you know."

"Theres a villiage, In the east mountains that guard them. it comes from there. They use it to find and bind mates that cant leave them. That's how they grow their population."

"How does it work?" Cerastes asked.

"You have to think very carefully of what you want. When you find what your looking for the stone breaks. If your looking for a person, each pair takes a piece and eats it. The mate cant leave them after it's done is what I heard." D'zarren said.

"Well that definitely is something. If it works, I'll let you go free." Cerastes snapped his fingers and the guard knocked D'zarren out cold. The guard then picked up the man and carried him out side the tavern.

"Go on ahead." Cerastes ordered the guard. The man picked up D'zarren by rolling over his leg. Then pulling him up to carry him on his shoulders. Before jogging off into the night.

Cerastes stood outside the red tavern and looked at the magic tool. Anything I want?

What do i want.
Wings.
To have been born with normal coloring.
Those were not things he could find.

My uncle?

He had been gone on a journey for a long time. looking for a solution to the decline of their kind.

He could wait to use the tool and give it to his uncle when he returned. For his favorite person it would be a good gift. But how could you picture a solution when you dont know what it is.

He could use it to find his uncle but father says it's normal for him to go off on long journeys. He will come home when hes ready.

What els did he want?

Prestige, respect, for his clan to acknowledge his presence.
He began to get irritated.
All the things he wanted weren't something he could just find on the street.

If he had an offspring he could have all of that but there were few dragonesses and all of their partners were arranged at birth.

Not even his brothers who were born without weakness had spouses. He who was born with a weakness from a clan with only five male members did not have any prospects.

I want someone who not only would but could bear me a child.

A shock went through him. If there was even a small possibility, wouldnt trying be worth it?
It would cost me nothing.

But if it works I could gain everything. If it works.

He cleared his mind of everything but that single desire and picked up the crystal.