^^ Toddler Forest Dragon ^^

--- Dimitri ---

Davila sniffed in my direction when I came out of the forge, and grinned. "Taught that little Dwarf a thing or two about Steel, did you?"

"A thing or three, yes. Now we're all set, and we should build a house." I nodded.

Tamil raised an eyebrow. "A House? You'll only be here a week-"

"Two weeks, actually... And then when I return from my Trade route every six months... and then when the other Giants come as Merchants? You'll want a House so they don't have to try the Inn, yeah?" I chuckled.

She shrugged. "Okay, then... but it can't be inside the Gates. You won't change your diet, and we respect that, but you will not tan Pelts inside our city walls, nor sell meat, or anything of the sort. And don't chop down any trees."

I nodded. "Oh I didn't plan to. I planned to dig a Market Village." I grinned.

Davila laughed. "TROLL MARKET!!!" She roared in excitement.

I chuckled. "Crazy woman. Yes, a Troll Market. Is there an area around the Portal that has rocks in the ground, and no water? Dry dirt?" I asked Tamil.

She shrugged. "I'm a Warrior, not a Geomancer."

"Do you have a geomancer?" I grinned, amused.

"Hmm... maybe. He's young, and rather weak, but knowledgeable, and seeing as that's what you're looking for, I think Demos will do nicely. I'll take you, and then we can check on the Chief." She nodded.

"Perfect. Safe, dump all the coins here for Oze, and return to the Carriage, but keep the security up, for now." I spoke clearly.

The safe opened its bottom, dropping the coins smoothly, and then scuttled out swiftly, as we went to find a Mage named 'Demos'.

Our search took us to a bar, to my surprise, and I grinned at Tamil. "Trying to get me Drunk and have your way with me? For shame..."

She blushed and punched my side. "Shut up. Demos is an Alcoholic."

I nodded. "Aha. And an alcoholic would be at a purveyor of Alcohol's establishment. Yes." I looked around for the drunkest person in the room, and came up empty... until I used my nose.

I hummed. "I'd no notion you had Elven Prostitutes. Yay me. And yay for Demos, I'd say." I pointed a knuckle at a closed door, which led to a hallway filled with doors. "Sixth door on the left, I'd say."

She narrowed her eyes. "We don't have-"

"Yes we do." Ran said quietly, making himself known again. He blushed at the sudden attention, and ducked his head.

She sniffed derisively. "Well that's simply-"

"Lucrative? Good Business? An Honorable Trade?" I gave her options, my eyes daring her to insult women who were just trying to make an honest living.

She frowned. "Simply disgraceful." She said firmly. "We Elves have a superior sense of Pride-"

I put my hand on her head and moved her out of my way as I walked past her, towards the door. "And your pride makes you Arrogant Snobs. Yes, I'm aware."

She growled. "I am not Arrogant, I am Proud of my heritage, and-"

"Pride means nothing if it doesn't provide an essential service for your family or village. Prostitutes do, as well as guards, bartenders, and craftsmen. So get your head out of your ass before I firmly lodge it there, and leave you like that." I said just as firmly as she had.

She shut up wisely, glaring at her shoes, and I opened the door to the hallway.

She reached to swing open the door he and his partner were behind, and I yanked her back. "Don't you dare, woman. That's not for you to embarrass him like that, or that girl." I tossed her into Davila's arms, and knocked on the door.

The sounds of pleasure stopped momentarily, and someone answered. "A-ahem, yes?"

"Demos?" I asked.

"If I owe you money-"

"My name is Dimitri the Dwarf, I'm new in town, and I'm in need of your services, sir. When you're finished here, please come by my Carriage, near the gate. You can't miss it. You'll be paid for your services, of course, provided you show up sober, and actually give me results. That's all I needed to say. I'll be leaving now, so... uh, have fun, I guess." I tapped the door again, and walked away with Davila, who set Tamil down on a bar stool.

I grinned and sat next to her, with Davila and then Ran on the left of me. "Bartender! Might I ask for a pitcher of your hardiest Honeyed Mead?" I asked the green-haired Elf.

He shrugged slowly. "You could ask... but we serve wine here, not ale."

I blinked. "Oh... and... what is Wine?" I asked.

Tamil sighed and spoke in Canaanite. "He comes from Giant Country, Emil. Give them some Mulled Wine, and me a glass of your finest Spiced Wine. Something Old... and give Ran some Cider." She added as an afterthought.

Ran perked up, glaring at his little sister. "Oi!!! I can, and will, drink mulled wine as well, Little Sister!!!"

She shrugged at the bartender, and I grinned. "Mulled Wine... I'll have to talk to the liquor-craftsmen here to learn about this..."

The elf placed a wooden mug of red liquor in front of the three of us, then a glass in front of Tamil.

Ours smelled of a fruit that had fermented, just like wheat, and sweet, instead of hardy, while hers was impossibly more sweet, but with a spiced aroma as well.

I hummed and sipped the liquid in the mug, which was much too small for my hand, and gasped, amused by the biting taste, not at all what I'd imagined. It had a rich taste, like old Honeyed Ale, but with a bitter base that allowed it to sit on the tongue, and then wash away, leaving the tongue bare for the experience again, the next taste.

"I approve! This 'Mulled Wine' is very good! Not very strong, but good, all the same. Like something weak to drink with breakfast." I nodded happily, and Davila tasted it, nodding in agreement.

The bartenders eyebrows rose slowly and steadily, until I was afraid they'd leave the man's forehead and leap off. "Weak?" He asked incredulously.

I nodded. "Yes... let me fetch something with a little more... Kick." I darted to the Carriage, and removed one of the youngest Liquors I'd brought, (around 1,000 years old,) and then was back in less than 5 minutes.

I placed the bottle on the bar, and Davila grinned. "Ooh! Faron's Reserve? 1,220 years old, Fermented from Silver Wheat... good choice."

"Silver Wheat?" The bartender asked, turning the bottle, and inspecting the seal.

"A grain we grow to feed the Golden Oxen... it bottles into a beautiful Liquor. It's one of my wares, the youngest of my selection." I nodded.

He raised an eyebrow. "Youngest at 1,220?"

"My oldest is 8,500 summers old, bottled with the first harvest of the fields around the Acropolis, won off of one of the Elders in Giant Country before I left." I nodded.

"Oh? Which elder? Ames?" Davila asked, cracking the seal thoughtlessly, and pouring herself a full tankard.

"Darres, actually... He lost a game of Cambal (Backgammon,) to me, and gave me his best bottles of the legendary Faron's Preserve, to sell or drink at my leisure." I grinned, and did the same, pouring myself a mug, after chugging the mulled wine, and then offered some to Tamil.

She sniffed it, and then reared away, coughing loudly. "My GODS that's unnaturally Potent!!! It's like inhaling Flames!!!"

I grinned. "That's how you know it's good!!! Come on, just a sip, woman." I poured a bit into a shot glass, not even filling it, and set it in front of her, tasting my own after recorking the bottle.

My tastebuds sang as the spicy, mature flavor washed away everything else, then went down my throat, where it gently burned its way to my belly, and then ignited, warming my body instantly.

A small man smelling of magic, sex, and alcohol passed behind us, and I caught his shoulder. "Demos, yes?" I asked easily.

He blinked at my voice, which he obviously recognized, and nodded. "Dimitri the... Dwarf?" He asked, confused.

"I'm a Giant, mage. Amongst my kin, I am indeed a Dwarf. It's not that confusing. Now, sit!!! Drink with me! We may begin business when we've woken from sleeping off our brains!!!" I laughed.

He smiled and sat next to me at a stool he stole from the other end of the bar. I placed a small glass in front of him, and poured him the Faron's Reserve.

"This is from Giant Country, my home... it's Faron's Reserve, 1,220 years old, and one of the most delicious liquors you'll ever taste in your entire life, I swear on my hammer." I nodded.

He blinked. "1,220? And you're drinking it?!?"

I nodded. "I've got much older, and I plan to either drink or sell that, too." I grinned.

He smelled it, and grinned. "Now that's Alcohol!!!" He chuckled, and knocked back the glass.

His face colored immediately... and then he passed out, making me flinch. "Hmph. Your Elven Drunkards are not up to Par, Tamil. "I sighed, disappointed.

She finally tossed back her half-shot, and gagged, coughing repeatedly. When she'd cleared her throat, she breathed, and winced. "Gods even breathing burns!!! That's... that's honestly the strongest, and tastiest, alcohol I've ever ingested." She chuckled.

I grinned. "That it is. More?" I asked.

---

I woke up face-to-face with a spirit in the shape of a wolf made of grass, that was sniffing my face curiously, and hummed, making it freeze.

"Hello, Forest Spirit. I mean you no harm... may I ask where I am? I confess I was heavily intoxicated last night, and I've no clue how far I wandered." I said concisely in Canaanite.

It cocked its head slowly, then sat down and responded in the same language, speaking with its mind. "You are in Canaan, still, Halfling... you were singing especially Bawdy songs until the sun rose, at which time you dove under a boulder, proclaiming 'The Sun is Evil!!!' And then fell asleep."

"And... I wound up in a meadow... how?"

"The badger who lived under that boulder summoned me, and I dragged you here, to this Meadow, about sixty strides away. It is currently the Fifth day in the Seven Day Week, and the First Week of the Second Cycle, that of Spring. You came through the portal four days ago." He snorted softly, and sniffed me again.

"Thank you, I suppose. I wouldn't want to harm a Badger for no reason... why are you sniffing me?"

"You smell of a Forest I have never seen or smelt... it interests me." He sat next to me, and tilted his head again.

"Ah, yes. I am from Giant Country, and the Portal in Giant Country is surrounded by the Great Wood, a forest that dominates our Continent, but for the patches we have conquered, and the mountains and valleys that we farm on and in. It is filled with dangerous things." I grinned.

He nodded and then sniffed the air. "Your Elf companion, the woman, approaches. She is very... angry. Or perhaps frustrated. And hungover from your alcoholic beverage. The Geomancer is actually in better shape than either of you, by the way, and your Giantess Companion is still in bed with her elf boy."

"How do you know?" I asked, confused as I could barely smell her, even now.

"I can smell them on the Elf Woman." He said simply, and disappeared.

Tamil burst into the clearing, snarling with rage at a bush that wouldn't release her. I tsk'ed at her when she went to lash out at the affectionate foliage, and she calmed herself visibly.

The bush released her reluctantly, and I approached. "Well, that was a fun night, eh?" I grinned.

She flinched and held her skull. "I've never... in my existence... had a hangover. I can't even avoid a bush! It. Is. Horrible!!!" She groaned.

I pressed a finger to her temple, and gently loosened the tightening veins and capillaries. Her headache dimmed to a dull aching sensation, and I grinned again. "Better?"

She nodded. "Thanks... now let's get back to the village. Surprised news, actually, is that Demos is completely sober for the first time in the sixteen years I've known him. Your alcohol completely reset his body."

"I know. I did it on purpose. Did you think I was the type of person to actually assist a drunkard in getting drunk when it's affecting his health to that extent? No." I shook my head.

She hummed softly as we walked. "True... I apologize. I thought you simply wanted to party with someone who would appreciate it."

"And I did. You had fun. I had fun. Demos, Davila, and Ran had fun. The patrons of the bar had fun when I shared that bottle. All good times, and some actual, measurable good came of it, which was curing Demos's Addiction." I nodded and leaned on her shoulder. "But now my neck are killing me, because a wolf spirit dragged me by it out of a Badger's den last night... or this morning."

She laughed and supported me on her shoulder. "I've known you four days, and you're simply interesting. Everything you do is interesting..." she blushed.

"Are you hinting at a Chase, dear Elf, because I wouldn't say no... and we are already in a forest." I grinned.

She blinked, then blushed brighter, and dropped me on my ass, walking ten paces... and then looking over hers shoulder, and sprinting away. I grinned and dug my feet in, darting after her.

Two hundred yards.

That's how long it takes a normal Giant to catch a very determined Giantess.

I chased that Elf for 900 Yards, and eventually realized I wasn't gaining ground, but she was sprinting with all she had... so I took a short-cut, and cut right. She was arcing that way as she ran, running a perimeter around the village, so I cut closer, and tackled her as she came into my line of sight.

We landed on my back, and I huffed for breath, flipping us and holding her down. "My gods you're fast, Tamil." I chuckled.

She grinned, also huffing for breath. "So are you... no one else would've been able to catch me."

"I would say the same, but I know a few Giants that could sprint past the both of us... Wind Giants... bastards." I shook my head in disgust at the mention of them.

She slowly wrapped her arms around my neck. "And... what now?"

I smiled and leaned closer, pressing my lips to hers tenderly, then leaning back. "Whatever you want." I said simply.

She grinned. "Ooh, that's trouble..."

I laughed and settled my hips against hers slowly, letting her feel my size, and lose a bit of her confidence. "Indeed..."

---

Something bit my nose, which I found very odd. I was sleeping with a woman in my arms... but very small... ahh, Tamil...

The thing bit me again, this time my ear, and I opened my eyes slowly.

A tiny, Kitten-Sized dragon sat in front of my face, and was warbling gently, trying to communicate, I supposed.

(^^ this, but red^^)

I focused as best I could, and found it sounded like Fire-Spirit, which was closely related to Lightning, and translated as best I could.

"You smell funny. Can has Shiny? Metal. Gold-Gold-Gold. Copper. Silver. Mine? Can has? Shiny... can has? Can has?" He gibbered on and on.

I groaned. "Mine... no can has."

He froze, tilting his head, and then narrowed his eyes dangerously, and puffed up his chest, and breathed a little puff of white flame at my face whilst roaring a delicate squeal.

I glared back, and zapped him with sparks, unfazed. "Bad Kit. Shiny's are mine. No can has." I grumbled at him.

He then began crying pitifully, and a much bigger dragon, the size of a small wolf, or a Lynx, (though the wingspan made her look even bigger,) came out of the bushes slowly, stalking towards him.

(^^ Adult Version ^^)

I hummed at her. "Your Kit? He wants my Gold. No can has."

She snorted. "He's just a kit. I don't expect you to give him everything... but a copper coin would suffice to distract him. You didn't need to spark him. You're fireproof."

I frowned. "The elf isn't."

She sniffed again, then shrugged. "Come, Kit. No can has Shiny. Not for you." She dragged the toddler dragon away by his tail.

"Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!!! Shiny!!!" He wailed and dug his claws into the dirt.

She hissed and let him go. "Fine. You're old enough. You want to go hunt him and get yourself killed, go on! I'll just sit here, ignoring you." She threatened.

He ignored her, and pounced at me, claws extended, but I caught him, and then rubbed my earrings, made of pure copper, to get them shiny, and then set him on my shoulder.

He gasped, and stared, completely entranced.

She sighed. "Kit... ah well. The Giant has many Shiny things for you to hoard. And he won't eat you... I could do worse, as a mother." She hummed thoughtfully.

I grinned. "I can keep him?"

She shrugged. "No. But he can keep you."

I laughed, and pulled a diamond out of my pocket, dragging the tiny dragon's attention to my hand, and then I dropped it into Tamil's generous cleavage for laughs, as she dressed.

He dove after it, and she squeaked, pulling him out by the tail. "Oh! A Forest Dragon! And so young!!! Aren't you adorable?!?" She cuddled him gently, careful of his fragile wings, and he ignored her, staring at the uncut diamond in his paws.

She noticed, and blinked slowly. "Is that a diamond?"

I nodded. "It is. He's mine, now. I've always wanted a dragon, but Father always said they were too big." I smirked.

She smiled. "Well, make sure you don't feed him meat. They're vegetarian. This variety likes berries and grapes." She ticked his chin gently, and plucked a bunch of blackberries from a bush within arms reach.

He glanced at it, impressing me, but wouldn't do anything about them until they were right next to his face, and he attempted, adorably, to eat them without looking away from the berry cluster.

I looked up, and the mother was gone, watching from a few large strides away, in the tree. She was camouflaged perfectly, and the only reason I could see her at all was her eyes, which were a brilliant emerald with white streaks, like a viridian star.

Despite being red, the small dragon's eyes were the same color. "And in Canaanite... green is Grün... so you should have a Canaanite name..." I sighed.

Tamil hummed. "Gruner is a popular name amongst elf men with green eyes." She suggested.

I grinned. "How do you feel about being called 'Gruner', Kit?"

He shrugged and stared at the diamond, and I noticed he'd been staring at one facet all along, as he very carefully shifted it to the next facet, and began examining it once more.

I chuckled and carried the both of them back to the carriage, a long and tiring walk, after my exertion earlier, but oh well.

I collapsed on my bed, wrapping an arm around Davila as well, who smiled in her sleep, and cuddled her little Elf closer. I fell asleep with the dragon laying on my back, curled protectively around his new diamond.