Earthly Dragons - A Record of Earth's First Kobold.

Chapter 9: Cost and Reward.


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The Next Day - A little past noon.

Janelle walks up to Liseth's quarters with her reports on the dragon's finances in proper order, only a little later than usual.

Still uncertain about where her position within the Dragon's household stands, she slept in her office, now doubling as her personal room, after their bath finally ended late that night. Love, the Dragon called her, but she's still uncertain what that fully means between them. She does feels fully devoted to her job and to the dragon who she does fully love, in the human sense of the word. Still some question about what it fully means to the Dragon, but Janelle can't deny how good it feels to be so close to her. And to be her 'Princess', as strange and ridiculous as that idea feels outside the moment, it still makes her heart flutter to think about.

But of course, when she'd woken up this morning, she'd quickly found the additional changes. The scales had spread up her right arm, changing her shoulder and creeping up her neck. It gives her a slightly lopsided appearance as she knocks and enters Liseth's quarters.

"Pardon the tardiness, ma'am. I find writing with my non-dominant hand a challenge."

Liseth'erend'oreana lets out a huge, beastly yawn. She stretches from head to tail, mm'ing. "Been a while since I slept that well... what time is it?"

She then realizes she hasn not even opened the door, chuckles to herself and goes to open it. Upon seeing Janelle, the dragon gives an approximation of a smile: "Good morning, Janelle."

Janelle bows her head at the door, "Good Morning, Liseth'erend'oreana. You do look quite well rested, if I may say so. Perhaps my tardiness is not so unwelcome?"

Liseth nods her head towards her bed... or what is really about dozen king size bed's worth of mattresses and pillows, put together in a huge pile deep enough to sink in. "Slept very well, in fact. How about you, if I may ask?"

Janelle frowns slightly. "Well enough. This is still an unfamiliar ceiling. I admit, what sleep I did get was very good, but there's still been so much on my mind that actually failing asleep was a challenge."

Liseth nods: "I understand. And I apologiz..." She pauses at the look Janelle gives her. "...er, wasn't supposed to feel sorry for that. Right."

Janelle nods. "Correct, love. But I appreciate that sentiment. It is a lot to get used to. And it continues to require more getting used to." She raises her paw, flexing the scale orange arm. "I made documentation on the additional changes, but in short, my entire right arm has changed. The paw is difficult to use... Or... It simply doesn't feel right yet."

Liseth looks over the arm. "Hmm. That is interesting." She steps closer, craning her neck to look closer. "You are definitely starting to get a bit of... kind of similar look as my scales, but a lot smaller. How do you feel?"

Janelle considers herself before answering. "Overall... I strangely feel no different? Healthwise, physically, I don't feel any different in any way I can pinpoint."

"Though, it is difficult to use my arm. It's shorter than I think it should be. And I'm not sure how to hold things in the fingers..." She flexes the stubby fingers, revealing the claws as well, "And I'm a little afraid of these."

Liseth nods. "I imagine all that will make more sense... as you change more." The dragon stretches her neck a bit. "And well, assuming your changes work like they have done before... that is, back home."

Janelle retracts the claws carefully, looking up to watch Liseth stretch. "...that's right. You said the kobolds of your world changed too. Becoming like the dragons they had become partnered with. But, I assumed they were already like... This." She gestures with her arm again. "Was the change so different for them as well?"

Liseth considers, then shakes her head. "No. Kobolds were... hmm." She looks aside, frowning. "Nothing that I have seen of the fauna on Earth that is that close. They were already a bit... dragon-like, in some ways... but mostly not. Ah, it is hard to describe."

She looks Janelle over again: "You are changing more. Like... taking a crash course to what took ages of co-living of Kobolds and Dragons to achieve, almost. I am... somewhat uncertain as to why."

Janelle clears her throat, "I may have a theory on the 'how' if not exactly the why. Or at least... If the 'how' is this bond we share... The physical changes did start after we shared a bath together. You may recall I guessed it may be an allergy at first... Or... At least that was what I told you. The changes did slow to a stop, and then we did bathe together last night and suddenly the changes started up again. Two instances does not prove anything of course, but... It is a striking coincidence."

Liseth listens, then at the end she sighs a bit. "...that makes sense, which is unfortunate. I do wonder what is it about the bath, though...?" She trails off, not having an answer.

Janelle shakes her head as well. "I cannot say. I tested all the items you used there to see if I had any kind of reaction, but no. It is either something with the water itself... with something about the two of us being in the water. I don't think I know enough about dragons, or biology, or chemistry, or... I don't know... Genetics? To be able to hazard more than a guess."

Liseth sighs, leaning her head closer to Janelle's. "Unfortunately, I do not know either. Other than it being... me being with you, and perhaps our baths are related..." She considers, somewhat afraid of the answer: "...would that change anything, for you - for us?"

Janelle looks down at her arm, flexing the fingers again. "Change anything, ma'am? Besides me? I'm not sure I understand. If you are asking if knowing the cause of these changes for certain would change my feelings towards you... no, love. Not at all."

"If we had complete proof of what was causing this, perhaps I would approach it more cautiously. Or perhaps less cautiously. Perhaps it would be best to get these changes over with as quickly as possible. I would have to think on that. Controlling the nature of the change would be appreciated."

Liseth nods, relieved. She glances towards the hallway: "Well. We can experiment... I think. Either by taking a bath more often... or delaying it. Your call."

Janelle stares a little more intensely, "I... will have to think on that. I wish I understand these changes better... but the cost is my humanity." She shivers, "A cost I will be paying eventually, yes. But saying it aloud like that..."

Liseth swallows as she looks a the small woman next to her. "I wish there was anything I could do... one way or another..."

Janelle smiles at the dragon, letting out a deep breath. She steps closer to Liseth's snout to give it a kiss. "You're here for me. It's enough, love."

Liseth blinks dumbly, several times, before managing a smile. "Eh uh huh. Er. If... if you say so... love."

Janelle rests her head against Liseth a moment, then straightens back up, "Apologies for the unprofessional behavior while I am working... but... no real excuses, ma'am." She smirks.

Liseth giggles: "Well, maybe I'll excuse you this time." She whispers: "Next time I better not catch you trying to work when you're loving me."

Janelle dips her head in acknowledgement, "I shall do my best to keep business and pleasure as separated as possible, ma'am. And... I'll consider how best to go about our bathing schedule..."

"I... I don't think I want the changes to stop... that must sound insane, but..."

Liseth tilts her head, her smile waning a bit: "...but...?"

Janelle chuckles, "I don't know. I just keep thinking about it and maybe I'm okay with this. Maybe I'm crazy, and I should run far and fast, but it feels... right. I don't understand it at all, ma'am."

Liseth considers, then pushes her snout against Janelle's shoulder. "If you are certain, who am I to stop you? I love you."

Janelle eeps at the sudden bump from Liseth's snout, turning to put her hands both against her. "I'm not certain, to be honest, but it probably will not stop me either. I love you as well."

Liseth hums, her breath certainly close enough for Janelle to feel. "Well. We just have to tread this road together, right?"

Janelle keeps her hands on Liseth, feeling her breath wash over her. "Yes, ma'am. Yes, love. And once you stop distracting me, I can even go over the business reports I put together this morning."

Liseth considers, then lightly pushes Janelle towards the mountain of a bed. "I think those reports can wait. You look like you need to rest a bit, first. To be at your best with the reports, of course."

Janelle stumbles back at the push, glancing up at the quite thick bedding and pillows, a big confused as to why her heart starting beating so much faster. "In... your bed?"

"Unless you want to sleep in the office floor on that thin mattress, of course." The dragon swallows at her own boldness, but doesn't relent. This feels like the right thing to do.

Janelle looks back at Liseth, then nods with a warm smile crossing her face. "As you say, ma'am. If... you could help me up, of course."

Liseth nods, then moves herself behind Janelle, sitting on her hind legs so she can lift the lady up to the pile of mattresses. "A-alright, here goes. Ready?"

Janelle braces herself, unsure what to expect, and nods. "I'm ready when you are."

Liseth then smirks, and uses both her paws to grab Janelle around her waist and lift her up to the mountain of mattresses almost as tall as she is. "And there we go!" The dragon then makes her own way up to the gigantic bed, grinning just a bit.

Janelle laughs aloud despite herself at the sensation of being lifted up like this once again, settling down onto the 'bed'. She keeps herself stead as Liseth settles down next to her. "Th-thank you, ma'am... I'm honestly unsure where to even start."

Liseth giggles as she lays down: "Start from just sitting down and relaxing, I hope. Big changes, I know, but..." She trails off, uncertain how to continue the thought.

Janelle nods, slowly sitting herself down, crossing her legs beneath her and taking a deep breath. Still, she laughs quietly, "I do know how to sleep, yes... I just meant that I've never slept on anything like this. Or with anyone else sharing the bed."

Liseth pauses. "Well." She hesitates, then continues. "I have not shared my bed with anyone since I was a hatchling either."

Janelle glances down at herself, still wearing her suit. "Ugh, and if I sleep in this I'll get wrinkles in it..." She blushes, not meaning to propose that she should strip in bed but also...

Liseth hums: "Well, your call I imagine. I have already seen you without clothes several times, so you do not have to think about that."

Janelle nods, looking up at Liseth. She begins to remove her suit, "I'll... just strip down to my lingerie. Hey, did kobolds on your world wear anything?"

Liseth considers for a second... "Nah. Though I don't see why not if you want to keep wearing clothes."

Janelle nods, setting her suit coat aside and unbuttoning her shirt. "I guess we'll see. They don't feel weird on my arm or anything."

She removes her shirt, revealing the extent to which the scales have spread, her entire right arm transformed, with scales down her right side and up the edge of her neck. Small patches of scales run along her back, with the first signs of more prominent bumps rising along her spine.

Liseth looks at Janelle's back and neck: "Oh... definitely further than before. You're changing at a pace, for certain..."

Janelle looks back over her shoulder, "I know... I looked over things this morning when I cataloged the changes. I don't know how far along things will go on their own now, assuming our ideas about the baths are correct." She finishes stripping down and sets her clothing aside, then lays down on her side, facing Liseth.

Liseth stares at Janelle for a second, her heart leaping a bit. Before she has not cared about human looks, clothed or otherwise, but right now something about that feels like it's changing... at least in regards to one particular human being.

"For, uh... what it is worth, you look beautiful. The scales, they... they look good on you."

Janelle blushes again, looking down at her arm. "They're still so strange to me. But, I suppose it would be rather unfair if these changes all happened and I ended up looking ugly to you, hm?"

Liseth blushes softly: "Well... all signs point to you changing because of my affection and closeness to you, so..."

Janelle nods, and after a moment she scoots closer to Liseth in the bed, "I guess if that's the case, maybe I just want to keep changing so I can get closer."

Liseth smiles and wraps a paw around Janelle: "I certainly... don't mind that."

Janelle finally relaxes again, with Liseth's paw around her, she starts drifting off. The little bit of sleep she got the night before was satisfying, but hardly enough to get any real rest. "Mmmm... made up my mind then."

Liseth smiles, lowering her head to surround Janelle with her neck and head. "Too late to change your mind, anyway. Naptime."

Janelle hums an affirmative, starting to say something else, the word 'love' standing out before she is quickly asleep in Liseth's warm embrace.

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