A Big Shiny Blue Marble Ch. 36

***I was filling in the blanks for the story tags and I began to laugh at all of the wildlife I was putting in. I'm sure I'm missing somebody in this, I just don't know who it might be.

~smirk~ I'll see if I can add a roadrunner later on.

Anyway, Yuan seeks to build her empire, shall we say. It's something which the old-style dragons are a little famous for. We all make some sort of declaration to ourselves at some point in our lives that, as much as we might love our parents, there are things that we'd do differently. Yuan's mother was fine being alone in her old age. Yuan wants others around her and she's willing to give quite a lot for that. 0_o

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Book of the Dragon Part 11

The troll looked toward Yuan after a moment as Copper got off and seeing Yuan standing there with her mouth open and trying to recover, she took the troll's hand, "Come on," she said, "there's somebody that I want you to meet. This is –"

"Yuan," the troll said quietly in her deep voice.

Copper stared as Luddy came nearer to Yuan and began to bow, but she ended it by standing on all fours in the way of trolls and bowing her head. "I am Lyudmila Potter. I seek to live in your service."

Luddy and Copper had been friends forever and so she knew what she thought that she was looking at. Female trolls never bow to anyone but their...

And even that didn't happen very often.

"Luddy," she whispered, "Luddy, have you been- "

It had the tone of a serious question and the troll nodded, "I've been tamed, Copper. His name is Sheth. I've been watching as a pair of dragons mated and lived in my cave together for the past couple of weeks and I learned their names. I wanted to meet them so much, but, ... "

She sighed, "Well I'm a troll, you know? A lot of folks faint or run when I try to meet them. You know how it is, Copper."

The Dwarf nodded, "Yeah, I know. But what happened?"

"Today, Yuan left. I didn't know why at first, but Sheth explained it to me later. She was going to meet you and a lost demon-girl. Give me a minute here."

The troll moved forward slowly and bowed deeper, holding the bow, "It is an honor to meet you, Yuan. I met your male today, and he has taken me as his pet. He said that it was not wrong to mate with him this way. I came to meet you and, I hope it is alright..." She stopped there, feeling foolish to continue in front of her friend.

"It's fine," Yuan smiled warmly, "I know what you think that you need to say and it's not necessary. These are not the old days and none of us are old. The honor here is mine. May I call you Luddy?"

The troll nodded with a shy smile, "You may. I came to see you and, well, even in a blizzard, a troll like me can hear Copper's machine a long way off in the snow. It's not loud if it's idling like this, but I know the sound. I came because I wanted to meet you and ... "

She hung her head, so Yuan stepped forward. "Look at me, Luddy."

Luddy looked up slowly and Yuan reached for her face to touch her cheek, "Are you a full troll? I do not think so since you look a little small for your kind."

Luddy shook her head, "I'm very small for what I am. My father was Copper's half-uncle, – a dwarf, so she and I are related in a way, but we didn't know until we were in our teens. But I'm enough of a troll to know, ..."

"To want," Yuan smiled, and there was no smugness in her face or her tone. "Dragons have the same want toward trolls. I never thought that I would see one and here you come to ask for service. It is my honor to accept."

Luddy nodded and bowed again, "Thank you. My mother told me the same thing, that trolls and dragons have always been together. I'm enough of a troll to know that I need to serve a dragon. You are the other male. I have seen you. Can you love me too?"

Copper knew quite a bit about trolls, or the sort that Luddy's mother was, but this was new. If she knew old man Potter at all well, then there was bound to be blood and murder here in the worst way and if Sieglinde Potter was the least bit upset by any of this, well it would be far worse then. She was about to speak up to warn Yuan when the dragon smiled.

"You must have family here somewhere, no? I will need to go to speak with someone before we begin, I am sure."

Luddy shook her head, "No. I've just come from seeing my mom. I was pregnant a while ago and I was careful to keep it quiet when I lost the baby as well. I was sure that she never heard, but she knew somehow. She knows everything. She knew that there were dragons here before I even opened my mouth. Once I told her about you, she laughed at the ceiling and said that she was happy that I'd finally found someone for me – if I was accepted. Then she told me what I had to say. Have I said it, then?"

Yuan smiled warmly and touched one of Luddy's braids, "You have said all that needs saying in the old ways. I can love you easily, Luddy. I am happy to have a beauty such as you."

Seeing the expression on Yuan's face as she looked at her and said that she could love her, Luddy actually sighed out loud.

Lyudmila Potter was a young female in her twenties and her dwarf heritage helped her in many ways. She wasn't as large as a house, for one thing, and she wasn't covered with the hard horn scales that most of her kind wore. She had a few, but mostly they were where they might be needed, on her shoulders, elbows and knees – and not too many, either. Another thing which helped Luddy was her cleanliness and the total lack of the stink which many trolls were infamous for having. Luddy had always been aware of her lack of the sort of looks which even a homely human girl could count on, so she'd always done what she could to improve her chances to meet people, since it was what she longed to do. The sad part to her was that none of it had helped very much.

She had a bit of a short neck, but not overly so, and certainly not as short as most trolls. She was thin for a troll as well and quite shapely. Her breasts weren't large – well again, for a troll. They were perfect on her and were covered to a great extent by her long mane – or they would be, but Luddy liked braids. Her long deep brown mane was braided to keep it from getting matted and catching on things that she passed by, and at the sides and the front, she wore thin little ones which bore little gems that she'd braided in.

She was naked but for some charms which she wore on her horns and as thongs around her huge biceps and thighs. Her thatch of pubic hair covered her modesty well, looking like a hanging patch of vines and moss, but that was the way that troll-girls are in many cases.

Her skin was the gray color of old bark without the roughness because she was quite smooth to the touch – that smoothness being another trait that had come from her father though her skin tone came from her mother. Her face, though it was striking for its array of sharp teeth when she showed them, was lovely in a way, framed as it was by the long down-turned horns on her head.

Like this, hopeful to be taken into the service of a living dragon, and just as hopeful for the love of both dragons, she was a gentle giant.

But when she was angered, whole sections of the landscape could fly for the way that she could rip out trees or lift boulders and throw them with amazing accuracy.

Yuan stepped forward to close the distance, "Sheth is not the kind who would use anyone," she said, "If he loved with you, then it was meant, because that is my Sheth. I know him. I can also say that you are accepted, Luddy. I have never seen a more lovely troll-girl – not even in all of the pictures in all of the books that I have seen. Was it done before or after?"

"I just knew, Yuan," Luddy said, "as soon as I saw you both, I knew that I wanted this. I just didn't know how to say hello. The old times are gone and I could see that Sheth is a different sort of dragon somehow. But we bumped into each other in the cavern and we stared at each other, me growing wet and him growing hard as we stared. I asked while I still had the chance to even speak. He's very handsome. I didn't know much of how it was supposed to go, but he smiled at me and asked me right then. I was so happy that I started to cry, but he kissed my tears away and hugged me.

I said yes and he took me then and there. Afterwards, he asked me to find you to ask as well, but he said that he loves me and I know that dragons do not lie. I have been running even since, looking for you."

Copper was more than a little shocked and wondered if her friend had lost her marbles. It hadn't been all that long since her last misadventure. Yuan knew what Copper was thinking. "It is different between trolls and us and it is settled in an instant. Both of our kinds need each other and to find a willing troll and one so beautiful..." She turned to the troll again.

"He loved you well?" Yuan asked and Luddy nodded with a shy smile.

"Because of something which happened to me, I have been keeping to myself – even more than my usual way. But to see one like him and to know what you both are, I wanted him so much for how he made me feel better. It is good to find dragons if you are what I am. For the first time, I know my place in the world, since he was kind enough to take me as his pet right away."

Yuan chuckled as she nodded, "Then you know how it feels to be helpless when he smiles. You should know that if it was done after you offered yourself, then you are accepted by me as well. I would accept you anyway, because it was Sheth, but I can say that you are so lovely and I hear much in your voice as you speak. I accept you, Luddy." She put her arms at the sides of the troll's neck and, carefully maneuvering herself past the troll's tusks, she kissed her for a moment. The troll-girl's groan seemed to come from everywhere in the snow-covered forest around them.

"So, you're a pet now?" Copper asked afterward, "How does it feel?"

"Pretty good," Luddy replied quietly, "Sorry about all of that, but if I belong to her and the other one, then I had to say it. Momma told me I had to. Nobody in my family has had a dragon to serve for longer than anybody can remember, but Momma knows how it has to go. I serve and I get taken care of and somebody loves me."

"Really?" Copper had a clue here, but the way that her friend said it and the tone of her voice, ...

Luddy looked down, "Copper, I know I'm not pretty to most folks, ok? We used to always bitch and hate all of the other girls, the human ones who could get a boyfriend with a look. Well, that was a long time ago and, ... well, you grew up and got a lot prettier.

Me, I just got bigger. If I don't keep moving, I just sit like the rest of my family and get mean. I'd also grow a lot of moss from doing that, so I like to stay active. It hurts like hell to pull moss off once it's settled on and starts to grow."

She looked off into the woods for a moment, "I never meet anyone. The only time I did, I believed every word he fed me and look what happened. If these dragons want me, well, I'm in, Copper. The dragon that I fucked with wasn't huge or anything, but he was awesome to me, and I've seen this one when she's not a beautiful dragon-girl like she's showing now. To have somebody like that, well I'd give a lot, you know? And unless they've changed a lot from long ago, when a dragon fucks you, it's like a charm, and they never ever fuck you over, either. They like me and how I look. Dragons and trolls never lie to each other. Our kinds go back a long way. Do you know what that feels like to me, Copper? That somebody likes the way that I look?"

"I understand, Luddy, I think I even know just what you mean," she dwarf grinned, "Come on. If we hang around out here much longer, we'll just have to clean everything off all over again. Shake that snow off yourself, and I'll get out your seat pad."

The ramp whined down until it was right on the trailer hitch for the fuel tank that Copper was towing to make as much room for Luddy as possible. Simmit saw Yuan come in, followed by Copper and then she stared with her mouth open as the troll climbed aboard slowly, watching to make sure that she didn't damage anything.

The vehicle had been designed to transport humans into and out of battle and support them there. Humans could enter and exit easily and the taller ones had to duck a bit to do that. Well Simmit could almost fly in and out and it wasn't an issue for Copper at all. Yuan had to watch her horns, but that was about it.

Luddy, well, ... it took a bit of doing.

She eased herself down on the seat pad that Copper kept on board for her and she looked around. The introductions were made to Simmit, and after about a couple of minutes, Simmit was smiling and chatting with Luddy, and the troll thought that she was wonderful and so animated, but the ice-breakers were the boys.

They'd been on the floor plating when the ramp whined down. When Luddy struggled in, they'd stood with their jaws on the floor and kept looking uncertainly toward their mother and the others, but in moments, they were all over Luddy as though the troll was a living playground. It was a bit of a moment for Luddy, seeing who it was that they looked a little bit like, but the moment passed and she got over it. She liked these two for who they were, not who'd fathered them.

"I don't really understand it, "Yuan smiled, "I thought they were brave when they decided about me, but it took them a little while. With Luddy, ..."

Copper grinned as she climbed onto the driver's seat, "People freak out when they see Luddy, a lot of them, but that's from something stupid in their heads. Little kids don't have that. Little kids have always loved Luddy."

Luddy sat and heard of what had happened, looking at her friend with a bit of wonder. "So you're together?" she asked, "This is a little different for you, isn't it, Copper?"

"Yeah," the dwarf sighed, "but it's not as though I had any choice, Luddy. Simmit got within three feet of me and though I fought like hell – "

She turned her head to see Simmit smirking at her.

"Yeah, it's different," she said, "and I don't give a rat's ass what anybody thinks. I'm happy with Simmit so far. We just need to figure it out some more."

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They'd arrived at the cavern entrance long after dark. Copper knew the place since she'd been there many times. With everyone out and ready to head for the entrance, Copper hit a hidden button and the ramp whined up until it was closed. She pulled a padlock from the pocket of her coveralls and locked it.

"Shouldn't you have turned it off?" Yuan asked, "You've left it running."

"Copper's got mostly a full tank back there," Luddy said as she turned, looking a little silly with the small demons on her shoulders, "It's a diesel. You shut one of them off in weather this cold, and you'll be waiting til spring to get it started again. Diesels don't like the cold."

"Neither do diesel drivers," Copper scowled as she tried to walk in Luddy's deep and large footprints, "Besides, it hardly uses anything to idle all week."

Sheth was quite obviously happy as they all tramped inside, and he had a full meal cooked and ready, right down to little pieces already cut up for the little demons – who took to him instantly.

When the boys had tired from running around with Sheth, they crawled into the soft bed that he'd prepared and were asleep in minutes and the serious discussions began. Luddy was amazed and very pleased to learn that Simmit and Copper would stay – until the spring, Yuan said, but they disagreed then.

"Nope," Copper said, "You gave us your part of it in the my tank out there this afternoon. Simmit and me, we've been talking between us and we want to be pets too. You said to wait until we'd met Sheth. Well we've met him and we all like each other. She's happy and I'm happy too. This'll work, Yuan.

I only want one thing and I hope it's not a big deal, but I still want to hunt the bastard who makes a hobby out of lying and breaking hearts. I'm not too far off the trail to where he lives and I just want one good chance to put one of my high-speed flying dildos up his ass for once."

"High-speed, ... " Yuan looked mystified.

Copper laughed, "That chain gun out there? I can send my love his way three times a second – at about three times faster than sound. The little beauties I can give him don't even slow down much for the first 2 miles and when they get where they're going," she grinned, "high explosive incendiary to add just a little heartburn."

She nodded with pride, "Hell of a way to reach out and touch somebody."

The story of it was related and then Yuan looked around. With the single exception of herself, this demon had affected all of their lives to some degree, and none of them in a happy way.

"I think that it was a slightly mistaken idea," she said, "but I was sent to kill demons. I gave not found one yet who needs killing, I may as well kill one of them and call it done." She looked at Copper, "You may have your hunt."

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Lost in the pile of furs where they were to sleep, Copper felt a little trepidation and wished that she had a manual for this. She could build up a 27 ton armored fighting vehicle and keep it running in top form and why?

Because she had a manual. Loads of them actually.

She wanted to do this well for Simmit and worried about it a little, ...

Well, a little was all that she'd been allowed to worry, really. As soon as they were in the bed, the demon disappeared, flowing under and through all of the furs like rats in a used clothing bin. Copper felt those small hands everywhere on her body in light touches and gliding caresses. It was wonderful, but Copper felt a little useless.

Simmit materialized before her out of the furs with a pelt over one eye and a concerned look, "What is wrong, Copper?"

"I don't know where to start or what I ought to do first or anything. I want to make you happy."

Simmit stood up, "I am happy. Let's go to the pool. The water is so warm and you need to stop thinking."

Simmit was right, the dwarf decided, this wasn't something to stress over. She just wished that she knew what she was doing.

In the warm water, Copper learned a few things at least. Simmit loved to sit with her, right on her thigh if possible, trading little caresses and kisses. The demon could talk about anything like that and still do that, touching Copper's breasts as she leaned against her. Copper felt Simmit take her hand and guide it to her one of her own little breasts and it didn't take long to see that finesse wasn't all that necessary, but warm intent was. Simmit told her not to worry, and then she looked a little hopeful.

"Here is soap," she smiled, handing the dwarf an ancient and cracked bar that she's gotten from somewhere. "Please wash me?"

Copper sat like a statue with the bar in her hand and stared as Simmit rose slowly out of the water to stand facing away from her, looking back with the softest look and smile.

Copper stared at Simmit's thin flanks and watched that tail flick once or twice and she just began. It brought them closer and the simple act served as the platform for several of Copper's epiphanies in little time.

Being the detail-oriented and methodical sort of half-dwarf girl that she was, Copper began to catalog these in her mind.

1) Simmit needed to be held. Right, she thought; that one shouldn't have been a brain-buster to figure out, but the dwarf filed it for later.

2) Simmit would reward you with the sweetest little giggles and squeals if you soaped up her toes and ran your fingers between them a couple at a time. She suddenly knew those sounds. Her kids made the same ones if you got them going when you played with them.

3) Wet or dry, Simmit smelled so good, anywhere on her from about one quarter inch away or less. Preferably less.