This little short story is a fanfic dedicated to  chakatsnowrose 's Land of Dragons setting and world, coming up in my imagination after queen Vanelme took part in a random dream I had which I told Snow about. One word took the other, and before I know of it, the story came to life!

None of what's taking place he should be considered canon unless Snow at one point deems it so, its just me playing around in another writer's setting WITH permission

Original story by  lphogan

Setting and characters courtesy of  chakatsnowrose

Korben courtesy of  kanrodstavoyan

The Earl of Heidamhull and his people courtesy of  lphogan

Royal thumbnail art by JB and used with  chakatsnowrose 's permission

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The Queen’s Ship
By Hogan

In the setting twilight the closed carriage scrambled down the road leading down and away from the castle from which the Kingdom of Celuudinas was ruled far and wide. Currently the mighty castle itself was filled with dignitaries from near and afar, from all the fiefdoms, baronies and townships where the king’s banner flew, gathered here for a banquet to the King’s and Queen’s honor.

This carriage however, had left the castle and the banquet early, and one may think the most logical reason for this was to beat the rush of everyone leaving at the same time when the king called the banquet off later in the evening… at least, that’s what the guards at the gate had theorized as it passed them, running across the drawbridge.

The driver though, a tall lanky hare, heard the guard’s comments as he drove by, his sharp ears picking of their voices even over the creaking noise of the carriage’s wheels, and he shook his head, grinning to himself. He knew that the real reason, was for his passengers to get away from, what they considered, the cramped confines of the mighty halls of the castle, the annoying snobby nobles, dignitaries and all the protocols of such an event, as well as the distasted royal family, before a certain one of them would have spilled more than wine at the feast…

Inside the carriage the Earl of Hidamhull sat fuming. He was annoyed, angry and irritable and definitely not looking forward to 20 miles of the bumpy road. Still, it was however, considered a good trade compared to for what he’d been through at this “feast” he’d been summoned to… not that it made him like the ride by any means, it was just slightly better than being at the castle.

“Give me a good boat under my boots and the waves of the sea hitting the planks any time!” he growled, smashing his fisted hand into the side of the carriage with a force that send a crashing sound through the vehicle and had the hare driver looking back in worry of them having thrown a wheel.

The large white-haired grizzly sitting on the bench opposite the growling Earl, looked at his liege and nodded confirming: “Ay, that is the only way to travel! The king’s demand for you to attend this… gilded feast inland, was an affront to our people!”

The Earl looked up, anger burning in his eyes at the mentioning of King Lorutho, who’s subject the Earl, when all came down to it, was, much to his hate-filled dismay.

“Oh yes, the ‘King’… ordering us around like common peasants, just because we have been a vassal state since… some of my ancestors, may the Gilded Hall guide them to glorious battles in the afterlife, made some very wrong dispositions…” the Earl’s sneer was apparent. Teeth barred in a snarl he continued.

“And the so called ‘nobility’ of his… looking down on us because we stick to the olden ways and harness the strength of steel and the power of the wind at our might… oh, they will laugh no longer when we unleash it on them!” A furious smile crept along his jaw as he fisted his hand.

“Ay, we got a pretty good measurements of the strengths and weaknesses of their fleets from listening to their bragging during the feast. It was easy to spur them in that direction once they had cheered up from the drinks provided at the banquet, just as predicted…” the old Grizzly nodded solemnly.

“… and combined with what our spies have found out about their ports and armaments, we know precisely what their capabilities are…” the young doe looked out from her place next to the grizzly, her petite form almost completely lost in the shadows of the big old bear. She looked at a set of papers on the wooden block she carried in her hand, on which she had been busy working with an ink-dotted pen, a difficult task here in the bumping carriage.

“Good!” The Earl exclaimed, hitting his palm with a fist. “It’s time for us to show the king and his noble cohorts what we, ‘savages’, of the North are capable off!” he growled, eyes flashing as his hand crushed the armrest of the carriage’s seat. “It will show the queen…“ His voice drifted off as he sat staring into the void…

“What about the queen?” The doe asked, tearing her eyes away from her papers to look enquiringly at her liege, a bit of surprise edging into her voice.

At his own mentioning of the queen, righteous anger seemed to seep from the face of the angry bear, his jaw relaxing and his muzzle even resorting to a resemblance of a smile as he thought back to his meeting with her majesty earlier at the banquet.

He had been standing at the buffet table, looking at the various hors d’oeuvres and rare plates from all corners of the kingdom, not feeling hungry at all but rather trying to contain his seeding anger under the guise of trying to choose his food. They’d only been here a couple of hours, and he was already closed to snap and grab one foppy noble or another, preferably two at the same time, around their necks and throw them out the window, guards or king be damned!

He was just eyeing a delicate dinner knife on the table, wondering if it would be able to reach all the way in to the heart of an extremely portly baron with the most grating voice he’d ever lend ears to, when suddenly a soft cheery female voice sounded from behind him: “Ah! There you are my dear Earl!”

The bear flinched, and his brow furrowed further in anger and annoyance, He whirled around with an insult on his lips to send any foppish noblewoman scrambling and crying back to her husband, her ears reduced to blistered flesh by his callous remarks, then he stopped in his tracks.

The person standing behind him was no mere noblewoman engaging for sport, spot or tryst as he’d gotten accustomed to from these southern pheasants. It was none other than the queen herself, and though he had not laid his own eyes on her before, as she had not been there when he grudgingly gave his required courties to the king upon his arrival for the banquet together with his dignitaries, but from all he’d heard about her, there was no mistaking this to be her.

She was a lovely purple doe whose bosom was only dwarfed by her pregnant stomach, which by means of magic was the size of a dinghy and made the Earl more embarrassed than angry over the fact that she had been able to sneak in on him while he was seething in righteous anger. It was, however, her smile that caught the bear’s eyes the most, the sincere honest smile she sent him, only further highlighted by her bright round purple eyes looking at him sideways around her bulging belly as she slid gracefully up to the table.

Seeing her made his despise for the nobility, and the royalty especially, rise up, just to deflate and succumb to the power of her smile. Much to his surprise he found himself actually smiling back, even slightly bending his head in respect, then for his ears to hear the shockingly “my queen” escape he lips.

The queen’s smile brightened even more at the sight of his courtesy as she stopped up next to him.

“I was looking for you when I heard you were attending the banquet my dear Earl. I’ve heard so many stories about your lands up North, but so little in detail, so I hoped you wouldn’t mind telling me about it and your people?”

Her bright sincere and honest smile and spirit melted for a time away the last of the Earl’s reluctance and enmity towards the despised royalty. He reached out and took a goblet from the table.

“Well, mylady, we are and old people of old traditions…”

The Earl’s mind slowly drifted back to the present, returning from the short time he’d spent in the queen’s company before she was called away and he had to reluctantly return to the hobnobbing with delinquent nobles, once again making him fight to keep back a seething anger, but the memory remained…

“Ay, the queen, Queen Vanelme…. She was walking the size of a knarr but she carried herself with the grace of a longboat” the Earl exclaimed, the smile on his muzzle spreading, his tense expression loosening up.

This sudden change in their liege’s demeanor didn’t go unnoticed by his two advisors who looked questioningly at each other, before both turning their eyes back to the now smiling brown bear.

“What do you mean my liege?” the whitehaired grizzly finally asked, tilting his head confused.

The Earl looked dreamingly out the window towards the distant horizon “She carries the lineage of her entire kingdom in her belly through the graze of her goddess” he shook his head, smiling to himself. “And she carries it with such pose, such style, such beauty… such a magnificent vessel she is!“.

The grizzly, who’d known his liege for a score of years and more, had never heard such passion in the voice of the Earl, except when describing a new sleek and strong longboat being set into the waters. He looked worriedly at the doe who, with the same expression, leafed through her pieces of paper.

“I… think they are called Cirrusstones sire…” she finally hesitated, then looked up from the papers, finger underscoring a particular note.

The Earl kept on for a moment looking out into the void before her voice registered with him, then he blinked twice and brought his head fully back to the present. “What are you talking about?” he growled.

The doe checked her notes, then looked back up with a confirming nod: “I’m saying they are called Cirrusstones… the gems that’s sewn into the queen’s dress, helping her make her – ahem- sizeable front carryable”.

“As well as other parts of her… with such grace…” the bear mumbled to himself, though the ears of the two others strained to try and hear his words. For a moment the bear seemed to be lost in thoughts again, the mental gears and cogs inside of his head evidently churning and his eyes occasionally flickering, then he turned to the doe: “Where did you learn this piece of information, is it trustworthy?” he enquired suddenly, his eyes crossing as he looked at her.

The doe, momentarily taken aback by his direct question flinched… “I… overheard the king’s dressmaker talk to a maid he was having a tryst with while I was scouring the servant quarters for information as requested by my sire…” she looked at the Earl for confirmation.

The bear looked her into her large eyes for a few heartbeats, then sat back in his seat with a wide smile. “You always have been good at finding out such interesting little nuggets of information my dear Jodie” the Earl grinned, then turned towards the Grizzly.

“Have you heard about these stones before Wolfson? You are my oldest advisor, if any has, it will be you”.

“Hmm… actually I have sire. They are small gems that are quite rare and in high demand, but not usually traded or used outside nobility and royalty…” the old grizzly snorted then looked questioningly at the younger bear, curious to see where this was leading.

“Well, that hasn’t stopped us before when we wanted something…” The Earl sat back again contemplating. He seemed lost in thought as time passed and the carriage scrambled ahead, his two advisors keeping their questioning eyes trained on him all the time.

Finally, he looked up at them “Wolfson, Jodie. When we get back, I want every scout we have in the countryside as well as every crew on sea to start looking for those stones and bring us news about their whereabouts, and then I want you…” He looked at the doe “…to acquire as many as possible, by almost any means necessary… you’ll be the judge of the risks and rewards!”

“I’ll get onto it immediately!” the doe smiled, pulling up tubes of papers and starting to write and compare notes in earnest.

“What about me sire?” the grizzly grumbled, feeling out of the loop and the action.

“You, my old friend, is to gather all the best shipwrights in the earldom and bring them to me!” the bear grinned, reaching over and slapping the larger bear comradely on the shoulder.

“I shall make it happen my liege, but… what about the plans for conquering the seas of the kingdom and force the king to reckon with us and give us the respect we are due?” he looked questioningly at the Earl.

“Oh, that plan is not fully off the table yet…” the Earl grinned wickedly. “But first we’ll have a queen we need to reckon with, and we’ll see from there…”

***

It was more than a year later and early in spring, when the flustered guard came running into the throne room of the castle. The captain of the guard quickly reached out and stopped him, then received a hurried whispered explanation in return from the frantic guard. The captain’s eyes went wide, and he looked first at the guard, then at the king on his throne, then back again at the guard who only nodded his head.

The captain looked at the gates to the throne room, then at the guard again. Shaking his head he stepped aside and waved the guard onwards to the raised dais where the king and queen currently resided, the dragon king having taken questions from various dignitaries for hours, and him now resting against his chair’s armrest, whispering to his blushing wife next to him.

The guard stopped at the lowest step, took a moment to steady himself by taking a deep breath and to get on with delivering his message.

“My lord, the Earl of Heidamhull has just moored his ship at the castle and requests your presence!”

The king looked at the guard, his eyes crossing and his face a mask of disbelief.

“Moored? Ship? Preposterous! We are 20 miles from the sea!? Where is he? What is he up to?” he sputtered, shaking his head, wondering if the guards’ ration of rum had been too high lately.

The guard looked sheepishly around, not quite sure how to answer his liege.

“He is… still on his ship… anchored… at the Eastern Tower” he hesitated, feeling very small looking up against the white dragon towering in the throne above him.

“WHAT?” King Lorutho boomed, getting to his feet and looking down at the guard who felt himself crumble under the king’s scrutinizing stare. “Are you pulling my tail soldier?”

“No, I wouldn’t dare!” The guard looked up, shocked: “My liege, you… better come see for yourself!”

“That I will!” the king rumbled, then turning to his queen.

“Excuse me my dear, I seem to have to go and have a look at some hallucinating guardspersons”.

Queen Vanelme slid off the low bed that served as her throne, her huge pregnant front sliding along to hover just above the steps leading down to the floor of the king’s hall. “I’ll come with you dear, I could do with some exercise and… these hallucinations do sound entertaining.” Her sweet and melodious voice calmed her husband, who nodded acknowledging before taking her hand. He then nodded towards the fidgeting guard to show them the way.

***

Following the agitated guard, the king and queen emerged from the staircase and out onto the landing on the top of the Eastern Tower. The tower was not the highest in the castle, but it was almost twice as wide as the next tower over, providing a stable platform for the ballista and other engines of defense, placed along the low wall at the edge of the platform, pointing in all directions. For this reason, the staircase inside the tower was much wider than usual with a tilted floor instead of steps, allowing for two horses to walk side by side pulling up new machinery or allowing for old to be removed. This, of course, had made it easy for the queen to traverse it and walk herself to the top of the tower without any extra help of magic, and she did wonder if that perhaps had been part of the Earl’s planning when he choose to moor his ship at this particular tower?

Because… yes, it WAS a ship that lay moored up against the tower’s parapets. A shining longship of the kind still favored by some of the most Northern parts of the Kingdom, like the Earl of Heidamhull’s earldom. It wasn’t the largest one she’d seen, but it would have been a beauty on any bout of water if one were to judge… except, now it was up here, floating almost a hundred feet up in the air, its sail rolled up on the mast and no supports other than the lines holding it to the parapet.

Three scores of the castle’s guards were already on the platform when the royal couple entered, eyeing the ship uneasily, arms at ready. Their stares were matched by the ship’s crew, a dozen hearty bears who, although they were all nonchalantly leaning against the railing of the ship, feigning ignorance of the armed soldiers, were all armored and showed to have both weapons and shields within easy reach.

When the king and queen stepped out of the gate to the staircase, the corporal of the guards breathed a sigh of relief, glad to have the king himself take over and make senses of this strange happening. He quickly ordered the guards to stand aside for the royal couple, saluting the dragon as King Lorutho strode by, his eyes on the strange sight, followed by the queen at his side.

Spotting the pregnant belly of the queen tower the assembled soldiers who parted in front of it, followed by the tall draconic king walking towards the ship, movement suddenly took place on the ship floating in the air alongside the parapet. A gangplank was pulled from the hold and thrown out to bridge the gap between the ship and the tower’s wall. It was secured in place by two steady bear warriors as the Earl, wearing the finery of his station he was last seen at the castle’s banquet the year before, stepped up and walked the plank with a proud haughty expression, never withstanding there were a 100 feet of air below his feet.

He jumped off the plank and landed on the stone platform in front of the royal couple who stopped and looked at him with questioning expressions. Behing them the corporal and his guards stepped up, weapons in hand as they eyed the bear and his armed crew worriedly.

“Earl! What is the meaning of this!?” The king’s voice was curious but demanding.

The Earl shot the king a look of loathing, then bowed his head in his direction, though only as far as proper protocol demanded “My King…”, then he turned his attention to the queen, a bright smile appearing along his square jaw. “My queen!”

Anger flashed in the king’s eyes over this slight and an angry retort on his lips, then he looked first at the Earl and then at his wife and got on better thoughts. Stepping backwards he waved off the corporal who was about to draw steel to defend his regent’s honor, deciding to see how this situation would be played out without his interference.

The queen watched surprised out of the corner of her eye how her husband stepped away, leaving her alone with the bear. Believing he knew what he was doing, she turned her attention and charm to the proud smiling Earl of Heidamhull.

“Well, hello my dear Earl, it has been all too long since we have last seen you in these halls?” she gave him a sincere honest smile as she did fondly remember the short time they had spend together at the banquet the year before.

The Earl bowed deeply, his hand almost sweeping the floor. “At last, my queen, I am sorry, but I have been busy back in my own home region for a good some time.”

The queen chuckled merrily “Does this busyness have something to do with what’s currently parked at my tower my good Earl?”

“Beauty AND brain!” The Earl beamed. “Indeed it is… and if you would let me show you… “ he held out his hand gallantly and she took it with a smile, letting him lead her to the castle’s parapets where she turned sideways to get a better look at the ship hanging in thin air, making a mockery of the laws of physics.

As she’d noted first out It was an elegant ship, long, sleek and majestic, exactly as the northern ships she’d seen in harbour down the coast when visiting with her husband, though just more so. Also this one was brand new, with planks still shining from the oiling and the tar between the planks still looking and smelling fresh.

She caught the look at some of the bear’s onboard while she let her eyes run across the magnificent vessel, blushing as they seem to point at her and whisper amongst themselves, to instantly straighten up and avert their eyes when the Earl issued a threatening growl.

Her starry eyes were filled with curiosity when she turned to the bear in speaking who’s scowl towards his crew turned back to a smile when he faced the queen. “What do you say mylady?” he grinned, flourished his hand towards the ship.

“It is a beautiful thing my dear Earl, but how, a flying ship… that’s the first time I have ever heard… it IS the first flying ship I know off?” the queen looked at the ship in wonder.

“It IS the first of its kind!” If the Earls smile had gotten any larger his head would have fallen off… “Build by my people, the best shipwrights in the North… in the world!” He proudly beamed. Then he looked at the queen, a sheepish smile running along his muzzle.

“And… with your majesty’s permission, she shall be known as ‘Vanelme of the skies’!”

The queen gasped “Oh my, my…“ she chuckled blushingly, “You do have our permission… and thanks my dear Earl, it is… quite an honor!” She looked past the beaming bear at the ship again, her eyes suddenly having caught small glistering spots along the railing of the ship, like if small gemstones had been masterfully encased and embedded into the woodwork itself.

“Oh, my indeed… my behind has become airborne” she mumbled shocked to herself as she recognized the shine of Cirrusstones and caught the implications of where the Earl has gotten his inspiration from.

The Earl caught her look and winked conspicuously to her.

“This ship shall sail the skies and forever show the might and skill of the North as well as carry the name of the queen to the far reaches of kingdom!” he proclaimed, then bowing again to take the queen’s hand in his and kiss it lightly.

“I bid your leave your majesty! I am, and ever be, thank full for you!”

He bowed gratefully to the queen, then straightened up and nodded to the king before jumping onboard the ship and yell orders to the crew in the harsh language spoken in his region of the kingdom. Moments later the ropes and plank were pulled back, and the ship slowly drifted away from the parapets.

Once clear of the stone foundation, the red and white sail of the ship were lowered to catch the wind, and soon the ship sped away from the castle much faster than any wagon was able to travel.

***

The queen looked at the flying ship disappearing in the distance, its sleek form catching the setting sun and the sail blowing overheard, showing of its colors to the world below it.

“What have I done…” she mumbled, shaking her head both in amusement and worry.

“You, my dear…“, King Lorutho stepped up behind the queen and put his arm lovingly around her. She turned her head and looked up towards him to catch the smile he sent her, then he gave her a quick loving kiss before continuing “… have gained yourself a loyal follower out of one of our most unruly vassals.”

“And…“, he added, “you have given him and his people something to show off that, at least according to my spies, doesn’t include throwing the whole shipping of the North into turmoil, but might actually improve on trade in general, for the net benefit of the whole kingdom…”

The queen looked surprised at him, then turned her eyes back to the flying ship fast becoming a dot against the backdrop of the horizon, then she turned back to look at her love and liege with a wondering expression.

“But what exactly did I do?”

The king kissed her neck, then leaned his head in to rest against hers.

“You did what you excel at my love, being your kind self…”

***

In the near future…

The battle had been long and ruthless. Now, King Lorutho walked the halls of the castle along with his Captain at Arms, circumventing dropped masonry and people receiving medical attention or, in too many cases, the last prayers. At one point they stopped as a row of volunteers came rushing past carrying buckets with fire and sand, heading for the fires still smoldering in the main hall where some of the roof had caved in.

The king and his captain exited the main building into the courtyard where more people were feverishly digging after survivors in the remains of the collapsed North Tower which had partly crushed the stables. The king wanted nothing more than to stop and help them, lending all his powers to assist the valiant work, but he had already taxed himself in the battle and had currently more pressing and urgent matters to attend to. He hurried up a cracked and slippery staircase leading to the upper parapet which was littered with the remains of the second catapult armament, as well as several of its engineers and defenders.

“My liege, what are we doing here? Shouldn’t we see to the defense of the queen? I could...” the captain clutched his wounded side, hurrying to keep up with the king’s pace.

“We have no defenses left captain! What’s not in the infirmary is scouring the castle for remaining attackers. You don’t have the men to spare!” the king’s stern voice held more than an inkling of anger when he turned to his captain who, despite the king’s eyes boring into him, didn’t flinch.

“But the queen only has her maid to defend her, and she’s still weak after… I must insist she’s properly protected!” the man’s tired voice caved over, showing the strain he had been under.

The king turned and put his hands on the captain’s shoulder, looking him straight in the eyes with a solemn expression.

“Your protectiveness of the queen does you honor Captain, and yes! Though Yula makes up for half a battalion in defensiveness, she is wounded too. I would have seen to her defense myself, but I need to set after the attackers least they get too far away. But rest assured that I have sent for help!”

“Called for help? Who? From where?“ The captain was perplexed “All surrounding forces have been swept up in the attack, there’s no one who can get here fast en…” a heavy shadow fell over them both, causing the king to flash a brief smile as he nodded to himself while watching the captain’s expression.

The captain turned to see a sleek longboat, of the kind the Northen vassals primarily used, glide gracefully through the air propelled by its mighty sail, to slide up against the walls of the upper parapet, some forty five feet above ground below. As soon as it hung still in the air, grappling hooks were launched from the deck to grab hold at the broken parapet and moor the ship, with several armored shapes moving up behind the railing of ship, the weak setting sun glistering in polished weapons of steel.

The captain, fearing another attack coming, reached for his sword and moved protectively in front of the king while the few soldiers digging through the debris nearby, although exhausted themselves, grabbed their halberds and moved in too, ready to fight again in the kings and the castle’s defense.

They stopped as the king raised his hand and put a hand on the captain’s shoulder.

“No, stand down men. They are here at my request”.

There was the sound of a solid ‘thud’ as a heavy form jumped the railing of the ship to land heavily at the stone flooring of the upper parapet, to rise himself to his full height. This time the Earl of Heidamhull had come to the castle not decked in finery, but carrying a heavy double layered mail. To his left arm was strapped a wooden buckler carrying his clan crest of the noble raven and over his shoulder a large and shiny battle axe was strapped.

Ignoring the armed halberdiers, he walked straight up to the king, looking him square in the eyes without knowhowing, courtyseing or anything. “REQUEST? You have the nerve to COMMAND me to come here?” he growled, teeth barring. “Seems like you have already had the party and didn’t fare too well” he snorted, looking over the damaged castle.

The king looked unflinching at the bear, then shook his head: “The battle is not fully over, but too many have fallen, even the queen has been wounded…”.

The bear’s stern visage immediately softened and became worried.

“The queen is hurt?” he looked enquiringly at the king who nodded I return.

“She lies resting but needs protection…” Lorothu looked at the bear, not commanding, not pleading, just stating facts.

“And that is what she shall get!” the bear growled, pulling his battle axe off his back and waving it in the air.

“Men, to me! We got a queen to guard!”

With a cry of battle, ten bears, clad in armor of fine chain and carrying heavy axes and shields, vaulted the railing of the ship and landed on the wall parapet, quickly striding towards their Earl who waved his axe in the air as he joined into their battle cry. He turned and started to run towards the tower entrance to the royal galleries, his hird of warriors following him with hefted weapons, to fight and die at his command should need be.

The king and his captain looked after them as they disappeared through the broken portal to the royal halls.

“I imagine few would be able to reach the queen with the Earl and his men to protect her. And should they manage, I’m sure it will be only by crawling over a long line of corpses leading to that fallen bear who would give the last drop of his blood to defend the queen, and even then they would have to step lightly…” the king noted wryly. He allowed himself a dry smile, almost hoping somebody would test the Earl’s determination in the queen’s defense, and pay the consequences.

The captain, having noticed the determination in the bear’s voice, nodded acknowledging.

The king’s expression again got determinated, and he turned towards the parapet and the skies beyond.

“The queen is as safe as I can make her, now it is time to take our revenge to our enemies!”

“Korben!” he yelled as he shed his torn and bloody cloak, spreading his wings.

A small soft ‘meow’ sounded from one of the upper windows in the tower and suddenly a small golden bundle vaulted the windowsill to land on the parapet. Getting up on its four feet, undeterred by the impact, the golden-hued cat licked its bloody paws and whiskers, then looked up at the king, its eyes shining with inner fire and anger.

“The queen is protected, the castle is secure, it’s time to give chase to our enemies and bring them our revenge. Are you with me?” The king tested his wings, then looked down at the golden kitten.

The cat nodded, then spat something fleshy out its mouth and gave a snarl that had more akin to what you would expect from a mountain lion than a small house kitten. The king nodded, then turned and ran towards the edge of the parapet, his wings unfolding in full as he leapt out and set them flapping, gaining in height.

The cat looked after him, then started running towards the edge too. As it ran it started to become a blur, its shape enlarging, large wings unfolding until a majestic golden dragon, larger than even the king, leapt off the parapet. Wings beating as he caught up with his majesty, the two of them headed out to deal justice to those who had hurt their loved ones.