Crimson Rebirth

Part 42

 There was never a room that had made Gene feel quite so small.

 Columns stretched higher than any she had ever seen before, kept in perfect condition to help support the ceiling that seemed like it was in the sky. Balconies of similar stone to the columns lined the walls, different tiers that seemed to be made to support as many dragons as necessary. The walls were carefully decorated with swinging tails and wings in mind, actually painted rather than having paintings or tapestries hung. From the high ceiling, chandeliers lit with magelight gave the entire room light, enough that one could see everything, without feeling like it was too bright.

 "Wow....." Gene breathed, her eyes wide. It was a conscious reminder to keep her mouth from gaping like a fish, though her eyes practically did that for her. All in all, she figured she was one of the smallest things in the room, even with Kaiju beside her.

 Kaiju grumbled and rolled his shoulders back. He turned to her and asked, "Would you be offended if I took Dragon Shape? The Elders have a beef with taking human forms for talks like this..."

 "Not at all." Gene said with a smile. "Don't want to upset them more than necessary, yes?"

 Kaiju nodded. He shifted to a smaller version of his form, more average of size to the Chromatic and Metallics as they were smaller than his normally large shape. He combed through his beard with his talons, trying to look as upkept as possible. As the double doors opened, the first to stride in was the great Crim, Jesk.

 It was safe to say this Dragon carried himself with a sense of pretentious pride; his spines rose and flared the moment he strode in...

 Almost as if he owned the castle.

 Genevieve watched the new arrival with veiled eyes, her back straight as her grandmother had drilled her on for so many years. Judging from the way Jeskargir walked into the room, she could take a couple of guesses as to his personality. And it was one she knew she would not like in the least.

 The rest of the Dragons filed in. The Black and the White kept their heads low, since they were smaller than the others. Slaíorne snaked about the halls, tongue flicking for new smells. The crocodilian green Dragon eyed Genevieve, rumbling in some regard, or perhaps regarding her as if another potential meal. The Blue paid little mind to the rest, picking on the cold White Dragon due to their difference of climate.

 Children. Gene regarded, watching them all from lowered eyelashes. She remained still, even as gazes periodically flickered to her.

 The only time that changed was when the green Dragon stared a little too hard, and her unnatural eyes, those emerald, gold-flecked eyes, found their's. She was not a meal, and that same stare told the Dragon as much.

 Kaiju thrummed at Slaoìrne, and the green Dragon backed away.

 The Metallics followed after. Lusitania strode in with all her golden glory, tendrils about her muzzle with wise eyes peering through to Genevieve. She gave a slight nod of her head and moved aside for old man Silver, a Bronze named Barron, and then Turynmis and Brysalia. The last was a copper Dragon, Koven, who held Turyn in complete gossip.

 Gene smiled warmly at Lusitania, giving the brilliant golden dragon a return nod of her own.

 "Are they always like this?" She asked Kaiju quietly, watching as each dragon got settled, to a degree. Those who wished to be settled, anyway. Those who were enthralled with gossip, or teasing, or arguing already, not so much.

 Kaiju nodded at her. He nosed her gently; she didn't have to be afraid of them. He was here with her; he'd keep her safe.

 "Let's begin with business," he declared.

 "As per the norm," Slaoírne rattled at Jesk, "Your marauding merchants intrude onto my territory for goods that we don't offer."

 "The Green's Turf have wider territory," Jesk sneered, "Yet it is you who do not make efforts to set up towns to ensure that bordering."

 Gene watched quietly, though in her stomach she knew that it was already going to delve into an argument.

 If anything, she was seeing parallels with the assembled dragons and what happened when the Clan and Coven leaders in Zenia finally got together....

 However, unlike that time, she didn't know enough about the situation, opting to remain quiet. Watch, observe, learn.

 Slaoírne and Jesk bared fangs at each other, while Vutha, the Black Dragon, simply rested a large paw over his severely jagged jaws. He was tired of these squabbles, and even the White was not keen on having any part of the talks. Maybe perhaps, it wasn't that he wanted to make an opinion as more maybe he didn't have one. He was smaller than the Crim, after all.

 Gene listened to their "displays of strength" which sounded more and more like small children squabbling over a toy, and finding it to grate on her nerves.

 Best behavior. She tried to remind herself, but even then, couldn't stop the words coming from her mouth as she addressed both Jesk and Slaoírne. "Are you two done yet? This clearly isn't solving anything, and only, frankly, seeming to annoy those around you more than anything else."

 Her voice was sharp, as though she truly were dealing with misbehaving children.

 However, the moment her scolding sounded in the halls, both Slaoírne and Jesk glared daggers at the woman. They slithered close and snarled at her.

 "Not your affair, peasant!" They hissed.

 It was Kaiju's turn to scold; he snapped his jowls dangerously close to their faces, raising his wings about him to remind them who was the bigger of the lot. He lowered his head to Gene, noting, "Be careful with your words dear...they're older than they look."

 She bit her lower lip to keep her retort to herself. If there was ONE thing that was known to test her temper, it was when those who should be adults acted like little kids.

 After mastering her voice and face(though perhaps not her eyes, they always managed to elude her in the past), she looked up at Kaiju and innocently responded. "Yes love."

 With a raised brow, the meeting continued, Genevieve silently watching, as Dragon after dragon spoke, no one else yelling at each other, no other 'display of strength'.

 Perhaps... Perhaps they were behaving for the red head, perhaps Kaiju's reminder of his size compared to their's was enough to put them in their place.

 Or perhaps, it was something else, something that neither Dragon nor Witch knew they possessed, or what went through the minds of the other Dragons.

 Perhaps, perhaps this was the beginning of a new era for the Dragons, one without too much fighting.