Okay, I'm kind of combining this one with your above request for a fantasy world in future times.
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"Oh you have got to be kidding me," Krissa said, ripping both hands through her black thatch of spiky hair. "You have got to be flippin' kidding me! A half dragon!"
Lyle shrugged his bared, flesh-colored shoulders, rustling his midnight blue wings. Not just wings, but also a tail twitching nervously from where it was coiled on the bed. He looked abashed, even a little scared, but right now, it wasn't doing squat to cool Krissa's temper.
"Why the hell didn't you tell me!" Krissa snapped, and took small pleasure in the way Lyle flinched. She wasn't usually the type of captain who enjoyed watching her crew squirm, but when it came to her crew keeping vital information from her, then she would make them squirm until they were a writhing pile of flesh and bone on the floor.
One of her crew being a half-dragon was vital information.
"I'm sorry, Okay?" Lyle said lamely. "But - I just - I didn't know how you'd, you know, take it</>." He looked up at her, half-cringing, half-imploring. "You know?"
And, okay, Krissa couldn't argue that. Not really. Not entirely. Times may have changed but views on dragon-kind, for the most part, haven't. Sure you had your human/dragon colonies on planets like Axiam and Saturn Two that've worked out pretty well thus far, but you also had your dragon slayers, wanna-be star knights with something to prove, and the more ancient races still baring a couple of grudges. Races like Elves, three of which who happened to share space with Lyle.
Krissa huffed a frustrated breath, still annoyed but now because Lyle had put her in a bad spot. She hated secrets, but neither could she fault Lyle for keeping this one. She also couldn't stop herself from being mildly impressed. Lyle had hid his lineage well, his wings strapped down tight against his body using a complicated harness, his tail wrapped around his waist, and all of it kept out of sight using layers of clothes and a long-coat, making the kid look bigger than he actually was. Had Lyle not passed out forcing Krissa to carry him to his cabin to rest, she might have never found out.
Without his coat and clothes, dressed in only his trousers, Lyle looked helpless and pathetic. He was a lean kid, but lean going on skinny. Not a surprise with the rations cut down to mostly vegetables. Dragons needed meat to survive, even half-human, half-dragons.
"I don't like secrets, Lyle," Krissa said coolly.
Lyle seemed to shrink into himself, not contrite but resigned to his fate.
"I know," he said quietly.
Krissa rolled her eyes. "But, considering the circumstances, I'll let this one slide. But just this one."
It was like flipping a switch, Lyle perking up, sitting up and fanning his wings a little. Krissa half-expected him to start wagging his tail. Lords, he was such a pup!
"It's also to stay between us. If Elium, Alsum and Jya find out, they won't hesitate to skin you alive."
Lyle gave a sickly laugh. "Yeah, kind of par for the course between me and elves."
Krissa chuffed and shook her head. It was a good thing she liked the kid, and wasn't the kind of captain to boot someone off just because of what species they were, or Lyle would have been hauled by his tail to the nearest escape pod. DNA didn't matter. The kind of being they were did, and Lyle had risked his life three times, now, having their backs.
Krissa handed Lyle his harness. "Get dressed," she said. She didn't like that he would have to continue to hide - his secret wouldn't last forever - but they would cross that space gate when they came to it. For now, for Lyle's own safety, his lineage would have to stay hidden.
"we'll be making planet fall in ten," she said. "Titan 4. They have a really mean steak buffet in Titan city, and I want you packed with meat until you can't take it anymore."
Lyle stiffened his spine and saluted her. "Yes, ma'am."
Krissa rolled her eyes and shook her head for the second time. Lords, the people she hired for her crew...
no subject
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"Oh you have got to be kidding me," Krissa said, ripping both hands through her black thatch of spiky hair. "You have got to be flippin' kidding me! A half dragon!"
Lyle shrugged his bared, flesh-colored shoulders, rustling his midnight blue wings. Not just wings, but also a tail twitching nervously from where it was coiled on the bed. He looked abashed, even a little scared, but right now, it wasn't doing squat to cool Krissa's temper.
"Why the hell didn't you tell me!" Krissa snapped, and took small pleasure in the way Lyle flinched. She wasn't usually the type of captain who enjoyed watching her crew squirm, but when it came to her crew keeping vital information from her, then she would make them squirm until they were a writhing pile of flesh and bone on the floor.
One of her crew being a half-dragon was vital information.
"I'm sorry, Okay?" Lyle said lamely. "But - I just - I didn't know how you'd, you know, take it</>." He looked up at her, half-cringing, half-imploring. "You know?"
And, okay, Krissa couldn't argue that. Not really. Not entirely. Times may have changed but views on dragon-kind, for the most part, haven't. Sure you had your human/dragon colonies on planets like Axiam and Saturn Two that've worked out pretty well thus far, but you also had your dragon slayers, wanna-be star knights with something to prove, and the more ancient races still baring a couple of grudges. Races like Elves, three of which who happened to share space with Lyle.
Krissa huffed a frustrated breath, still annoyed but now because Lyle had put her in a bad spot. She hated secrets, but neither could she fault Lyle for keeping this one. She also couldn't stop herself from being mildly impressed. Lyle had hid his lineage well, his wings strapped down tight against his body using a complicated harness, his tail wrapped around his waist, and all of it kept out of sight using layers of clothes and a long-coat, making the kid look bigger than he actually was. Had Lyle not passed out forcing Krissa to carry him to his cabin to rest, she might have never found out.
Without his coat and clothes, dressed in only his trousers, Lyle looked helpless and pathetic. He was a lean kid, but lean going on skinny. Not a surprise with the rations cut down to mostly vegetables. Dragons needed meat to survive, even half-human, half-dragons.
"I don't like secrets, Lyle," Krissa said coolly.
Lyle seemed to shrink into himself, not contrite but resigned to his fate.
"I know," he said quietly.
Krissa rolled her eyes. "But, considering the circumstances, I'll let this one slide. But just this one."
It was like flipping a switch, Lyle perking up, sitting up and fanning his wings a little. Krissa half-expected him to start wagging his tail. Lords, he was such a pup!
"It's also to stay between us. If Elium, Alsum and Jya find out, they won't hesitate to skin you alive."
Lyle gave a sickly laugh. "Yeah, kind of par for the course between me and elves."
Krissa chuffed and shook her head. It was a good thing she liked the kid, and wasn't the kind of captain to boot someone off just because of what species they were, or Lyle would have been hauled by his tail to the nearest escape pod. DNA didn't matter. The kind of being they were did, and Lyle had risked his life three times, now, having their backs.
Krissa handed Lyle his harness. "Get dressed," she said. She didn't like that he would have to continue to hide - his secret wouldn't last forever - but they would cross that space gate when they came to it. For now, for Lyle's own safety, his lineage would have to stay hidden.
"we'll be making planet fall in ten," she said. "Titan 4. They have a really mean steak buffet in Titan city, and I want you packed with meat until you can't take it anymore."
Lyle stiffened his spine and saluted her. "Yes, ma'am."
Krissa rolled her eyes and shook her head for the second time. Lords, the people she hired for her crew...
The End