I opened my eyes at a rumbling growl that vibrated my bones. Kyanite had me wrapped up in his wings and held to his chest. "Kyanite.." I croked. He looked down at me. "I'm thirsty."

He smiled opening his wings and grabbing the water skin that sat nearby. I took it sipping it slowly. "My gem do you feel better?" I nodded still sipping at the water. "I'm so sorry Reina I thought you would be safe..."

"Hush Kyanite. I was safe. You can't protect me from getting ill."

He sighed stroking my face with his rough finger. "No.. but I thought the Blue Dragons would know what to do."

I chuckled. "That's why we still need people like Eric. We have all these people living close together in the home volcano. That is how I got sick. I expect there will be more people ill soon living like that."

He grumbled his upset. "Reina my dear. I am sorry I pulled you from your nest." I smiled at Silver Eelder as she took my hand.

"Under the circumstances, I don't mind."

"You mite. There is a man who needs judgement. You are a Gold Dragon, this comes under your duties. We can put it off if you can not..."

I shifted in Kyanite's arms. "I feel better for now. So when is this person coming?"

She sighed. "Sooner than I would like. I am looking for some clothing for you." My body shuddered with a morph as she spoke.

Kyanite put his hand on the blanket to rub my side. I gasped as it hurt. He rumbled more displeasure. I took his hand moving it to my chest which didn't hurt. "What about the attack on Duha?"

"She will probably be fighting right now, if not on her way here." I sighed. Good that means we are moving on to the next part of the plan. 

"My gem... where do you want to be once you are done here?" Kyanite asked softly.

I smiled stroking his face. "I want to go home to my nest. Then I want to sleep." He put his head against my chest and I stroked his scaled cheeks. "Things will be alright Kyanite. You're so fast that you got me here in less time than normal." He opened those beautiful amber eyes and growled. "You did everything right." He pressed his head into me slightly and I giggled. "My big strong Dragon is guarding his hoard with his strong wings and claws so sharp they can tear down mountains."

I saw the look in his eyes change. "You believe that?" I nodded and he lifted his head. "I cried... those tears belong to you."

"They say Dragon tears are the most precious things. Dragons do not weep for anyone. If a Dragon gifts you their tears you, that makes you special."

"When a Dragon cries those tears are made into a peace for that person to wear and that brings them much luck." Silver Elder said smiling.

I smiled touching the Ruby at my neck. "I already have something that brings me luck. A Ruby so beautiful it calls the ancients to watch over me." Kyanite almost purred his happiness at me.

"I would tell you two to get a room but you both know you have work to do before you can do that."

Kyanite smiled. "It is alright mother. I can wait until we get back to our nest. Then I'm going to spread the hoard over the floor and make a Dragon hide for my gem." Silver Eelder laughed and swished her tail.

"What is a Dragon hide?" I asked frowning.

Silver Elder turned and left the room to the smithy. "A Dragon hide is a special place for the most precious gem in the hoard. In this case, it is you. I will make you the most comfortable place to rest and bring our children into the world."

I smiled at the thought of a comfortable place to rest. "Kyanite.. I can't wait to be at home. But I need something, my dear." He looked panicked and his eyes made a quick search of my body. "I'm fine Kyanite. I need to be comfortable..."

"You don't want to wear clothes." I nodded. "And I can hold you in the right way to keep you out of pain." Again I nodded and he sighed rubbing my chest fur with his hand. "You need me to hold you and keep you safe."

I ran my claws over his scales and sighed. "That's exactly what I need."

 Kyanite continued to rub my chest as I started to fall asleep. Our moment of peace was disturbed when Kyros opened the door from the smithy. "The man is here. He's being moved to the keep. We haven't found you anything to wear."

Kyanite stood shifting me gently in his arms. "She doesn't need them. She is decent in her blanket and more comfortable. Let's get there before him."

Kyros walked out with Kyanite following close behind him. He squeezed through the door of the smithy in his bulky Dargaon form. Once outside I squeaked panicking seeing the sky above me being so open. Kyanite's wings wrapped around me blocking my view of everything but a small bit of sky. I steadied my breathing and calmed down. "I've got you, Reina." Kyanite whispered.

I bobbed up and down as he walked but I never felt safer or in less pain. "Why did you squeak Reina?" Kyros asked.

"I don't like being outside at the moment."

"Ahh.... sorry. Silver Eelder requested this be done in the keep."

I chuckled. "I can hardly deal with this in your home. It's bad enough that I'm going to be doing this in my blanket."

Kyros laughed and it echoed around the large room in the keep. "Is she alright Kyanite?" Silver elder asked.

I felt Kyanite sit on the floor. His wings moved out of my view but still covered me enough to hide my body in the blanket and I smiled at Kyanite's mother. "I'm fine. Just being outside is not good at the moment."

She grumbled. "I will get you a troop transport so you can feel enclosed."

"Thank you honoured mother."

She came over to me and knelt taking my hands. "You have earned the right to call me a mother. I will arrange your transport home after you have spoken to the human." She said.

"Thank you... mother." She growled happily then stopped smiling as she watched the door.

Kyanite continued to rub my chest as he sat waiting for what was coming next. I felt a pain in my lower back and shifted to try and get rid of it. The pain eased as the door came open. It revealed a tall Black Dragon carrying a naked man in a cage. He stopped in front of me and placed it down.

 "Reina of the Dragon Fire. Duha of the nightwolf pack sent this man to you for justice. His known crimes are rape and abuse of several women, the complete destruction of Katja of the night wolf pack's village and the capture and torture of Duha wolf of the battlefield."

I felt bile rise into my mouth as flashes of the pile of burnt bodies came to my mind. "He did that?" I asked sitting up more and ignoring the pain that returned throbbing in my lower back. Kyanite had to grip the blanket to stop it from falling off me. "You did that to all those people in that village?" The man flinched at my harsh words. He stayed quiet crouched in that cage. "Speak!" I shouted at him.

The doors opened again and a small group of people walked in. Duha and Katja headed the group of people. Duha and Katja were covered in blood. It stained them even where they had tried to wipe it away. I schooled my features as they stopped in front of me. "Reina of the Dragon fire, I sent this man to you for your judgment. His father admitted that he led a troop of soldiers to Katja's village. He lies to those in charge to have me whipped while in his care. I also know he hurt all these women in some way." Duha said as she got closer.

Thanks to whatever stuff Eric gave me the smell of blood on the pair didn't make me want to vomit. "I see. Do you have anything to say in your defence?" I asked turning to the man.

The man stared at Duha. "Fucking whore!" He spat at Duha who smiled at him.

"Kyanite what does Dragon law say we should do?" I asked him in his native language.

His smile told me the man wouldn't like what he was about to say. "For hurting a woman in the way he did he would be stripped of his colour... I don't know how you would do that to a human. For being a military man that killed the innocent that calls for a very harsh punishment. The Dragon that did that would be stripped of colour and strapped to a rock under the burning sun to sear their unprotected skin."

"Remove their colour... scales?"

Kyanite nodded. "I say you take his manhood." Duha growled. The man stared at Duha as she spoke in the common tung.

"That would stop him doing it again." Kyanite said rubbing my back.

I looked at the women behind him. "What would you wish to happen with him?"

Katja had translated for them and they spoke quietly with Katja now I had asked them. "These women wish to leave this to you." Katja said walking away from them.

The door opened once more as Topaz walked in. He came straight to her side as she stopped next to Duha. "I agree with Mum. He can't hurt anyone else. He does have children in this group of women. They don't want them so I say make him have them." Topaz put his hand on her shoulder unable to keep from touching her any longer.

"I don't think I could do that to those children. If the woman doesn't want them there are provisions for this. As for his punishment..." I looked to Silver Elder. She looked like she wanted to kill him. "Elder, do you have anything to add?"

She was glaring at the men in the cage. "This human sickens me, Reina. I would rid the world of his light."

I smiled. "In that case, we will do what you think Duha then he will be..." I started as a small woman walked out of the group.

She stopped in front of me and bowed. "Excuse me, Reina of the Dragon fire, I was rescued with Duha by Katja."

I smiled shifting on Kyanite's lap as the pain came back. This time the pain lasted longer and throbbed more. "What do you need?" I said ignoring my pain.

"He took my life from me, my confidence. In that army, I was only above the children in rank. I started a business cleaning the clothes and sheets of the Dragon's home after I was rescued as I couldn't bear the looks I got from other humans who knew what he had done. If you took away his ability to hurt a woman I will take him as an unpaid worker. He could pay back his debt to this world that way." Her voice was soft and wavered with her nerves.

"Is it you I have to thank for my bed smelling like flowers?" She nodded. "Then I agree, altho I think we should show people what his punishmet is to discurage others fom doing this. Topaz is there a Blue Dragon that can do what we need?"

He shook his head. "All my brethren will not do this. However, they can stand present while a Black Dragon does the deed. We have no problem making sure he lives through the consequences of his actions."

The Black Dragon that had waited patiently through this whole thing smiled. I didn't think he knew the common tung. "Then it's decided. Black Dragon would you be happy with carrying out this task?"

His smile grew. "I would be honoured to carry out your justice, Reina of the Dragon Fire. When I have done this thing I shall then hang him in his cage untill this good woman needs him to work." He picked up the cage and walked away with the man screaming that we couldn't do this.

I smiled as the door shut off his mindless screaming. "This amuses you, Reina?" The woman in front of me asked.

"It amuses me that he thinks his dad's rank matters to us. He has not seen what fair justice is. No one is above justice, not even me." 

The woman in front of me bowed to me again. "Excuse me, Reina of the Dragon fire, I must find a Dragon back. The sheets won't wash themselves."

"I'm taking a troop transport. You can come with me."

She nodded. "I will wait at the gate then." I smiled at her.

She left with the rest of the people Duha and Katja had come in with. "Are you well Reina?" Topaz asked coming over.

"I'm fine just a pain in my back."

Kyanite flinched to move his hand but stopped when Topaz got there first. He probed my back and I squeaked when he found where it hurt. He smiled. "That's where you hurt earlier. According to Eric, this has nothing to do with why you were ill." He stood smiling at me. "Are you on your way home?"

I nodded. "Good. I will travel with you in case it gets worse."

His smile and words hit me with the realization of what that pain meant for me. "Oh dear." I whispered starting to shake.

Kyanite pulled me into his chest. His wings came around me making my fear and shaking stop. He stood shifting me so I was comfortable in his arms. "Let's go home." Kyanite said to everyone.

"Let's." Topaz said from further away than he had been.