Nia: Beginnings

"Oh yes I remember that one, you are right there were three mages there. A witch joined in from the crowd, they had a small duel of sorts to see who could get the biggest wow. They all four recently went and did the capital fourth why it was the best fireworks show ever. I'm told we all missed out, the two hundredth anniversary fireworks show had twenty witches, mages, and warlocks in Washington. We all get into the hoopla of the nation, before you ask we do not live very long except vampires. Vampires tend to live until they get tired of it and go for a walk during the day. Spontaneous human combustion, lit cigarette in the bed, those are vampires tired of it."

"How does one become a vampire?" Ed chuckles and stands up.

"I need to get you two dressed and downstairs there is a car waiting. In answer, Bram Stoker had one thing right, well a few but mostly becoming a vampire. He should know he was a vampire, he killed himself he was old by the time he wrote the book. I'm told everyone thought he would stay on writing he was working on more books and one day just killed himself."

Sam and I get up we edge around Ed and make for the dresser. Well Sam makes for the dresser I go for my remaining suitcase. Ed watches for a second then turns around apologizing, Sam turns pink. I'm pulling white lace panties up into position when it occurs to me.

"Sam did you and Ed at some point in the past?" Sam turns to me and turns scarlet, all the answer I needed.

"Yes, it was right after I broke up with my two year boyfriend in high school, I was ready to give my virginity to him and I find him in bed with Susan. Ed was there for me, I cried into his shoulder half the night and well I don't know I guess it was a get back at my ex. I enjoyed it with Ed, he was very attentive but he was seeing his wife at the time. We agreed to never again, Ed watches me at times I know he does. He likes my body, he likes me, I would like to but he's married you know the whole holy matrimony thing. Now I god it almost sounds like I want to do it with an animal but I want to see. No offense Ed you just well you have horns and hoofed feet." Ed laughs and turns around, Sam and I gasp his cock is no longer in the sheath it's good sized.

"What she said, I want to but I am loyal to my wife I never told her about that night. I don't find offense in the animal comment we look like animals, besides the trolls. Most of us are just regular people, even the swamp and forest ogres are regular people they just have short tempers. Are you really going to wear green?" Sam looks at me I had grabbed up my short silk green dress.

"You betcha I wore red yesterday it was more of a slut wear, if I am sitting in attendance for anything needing a car sent I need to look a little more professional. Besides this dress matches my eyes and its fun to really shove I'm Irish into people's face sometimes." Ed laughs and shakes his head.

"The Seelie Court will ask for you to visit in no time wearing that. I think they would anyway, flaming red hair and green eyes or not you are our ticket to not be hidden. Nia, do you know how far away Greene had to be to go back to human?" I shake my head.

"All I know was he was not in my sight. We should test that if it's going to be a problem." I close my eyes and put my hands over them.

"You can look now." Sam says I do and see Ed like I saw him at the airport and in his car last night.

A strange thought comes to me, supposing if I try and see him the way he really is. I look at Ed and think he should look like his real self not the spell and poof he's back to ogre. Ed looks at himself when Sam gasps then up at me.

"What did you do?"

"All I did was think what if I wanted to see your real self and then poof there you are out of the spell." Ed looks down then excuses himself.

Sam takes me into her bathroom where I find her makeup. While she goes I work on dolling myself up. She does not have green rouge she has a brown which works for what I want to do. I have pink eyeshadow and dark red lipstick making my eyes really stand out. I go while Sam dolls herself up when we exit the bathroom Ed is there back in his human look looking nervous. I dart back into the bathroom and grab up the lipstick I used.

We head for the car we get stopped by Sam's parents. They hug us both and tell us to be careful. The car waiting for us is a congress limo it's got government plates and a secret service man leaning on it the driver trying hard to not yell at him. As we get closer he gets off the car, the driver scurries over and rubs it down where he had been. The door held open for us we climb in minus Ed he's heading for his car. Senator Greene is sitting in the limo when we get in.

"Morning Nia hello Sam nice to meet you." He holds his hand out and Sam shakes it.

"Can we stop for something to eat I just woke up to an ogre standing at the foot of the bed." Senator Greene laughs and knocks on the window behind him.

"Yes Senator?" The driver asks the secret service man just looks back at us.

"Harold we are going to stop for food, where would you two ladies like?" I look at Sam she shrugs.

"Burger King would be nice. I'd say McDonalds but the breakfast menu is closing up and their regular food is bland." Senator Greene chuckles and leans forward.

"Would Wendy's be fine? I stop at Burger King often I'm in the mood for good chicken." I nod so he gives the order for Wendy's when the window closes he leans forward again. "Now Nia, Ed told me you can shut off the spell we use. I'm not asking you to do it now but later when we get to the press conference. I did some midnight dealings and got a new motion approved and sent up to the white house. You are going to reveal us to the press, as many as I can get. We won't do dragons or minotaurs, they are scary we all know it. I have gotten a centaur, a troll obviously, an ogre Ed is going to help Sam's parents know already and three other members of congress, two trolls, a swamp ogre, and a goblin. Don't worry goblins are just ugly and smaller than I am. The president was shocked to say the least I only asked him to listen to the basic outcry and decide if there is merit to letting us stay out." I look at Sam, her eyes are wide mine to.

"You realize if people freak you are turned into an animal and can no longer be a Senator." Senator Greene nods.

"There are more of us than you think we are a good portion of congress and the senate. We have friends the motion may not get signed but there would never be a motion passed that would turn us into animals that can be hunted. We have you to offer up as a security blanket, you can't be spelled, you can't be hypnotized and you can break our spell. Our magic users are very talented away from you I can get a new look and voice and end up back on congress in a few years." I nod and look at him for a second.

"I was going to retire and try and have kids with Ben after last night." Senator Greene nods.

"I know he will be here later for the press conference. I'm not saying why this is something you and he need to discuss." I look at Sam, she's as surprised as I am then a thought comes to me.

"Is Sam here a fantasy creature?" Sam squeaks and shakes her head.

"No she is not, she is here for you to have something normal to cling to, some of the things I am going to show are worse than last night. The second thing that attacked you was a flesh golem. I did not know he had that much control flesh golems are very hard to control they are not made and then ordered when you want they are constantly under your control or fall apart. Sometimes they attack their creator if they lose control. The one last night I do not know, it could have been attacking him or he regained control and was asking for help."

We stop our conversation there to order from Wendy's. Sam and I go with Senator Greene and get chicken sandwiches. I get a frosty along with the coke the secret service man had to run back Sam wanted a frosty as well after seeing mine. We just eat for a bit then a thought occurs to me and I ask.

"I think before we do the press conference I need to know how many different fantasy creatures are left." Senator Greene nods and smiles at me.

"I was going to tell you later but now is just as good. I figured it would be best if you fielded questions on us, you are the safety blanket. Now, I am a field troll, we are not very big we eat meat but not people. We are in many respects a bit like a dog, at least until we learned to talk and all that alongside humans. I love salads don't get me wrong but I need to have meat. There is one other kind of troll remaining we can't get them to use a spell they won't even talk. Bridge trolls there are not very many left and none in America. They need a stone bridge so they are only in Europe they eat the lichen you see. The classic troll as you told it to me last night is dead, there are none left unless they figured out how to be nice and got a witch to help without telling." I nod then open my mouth.

"This might be good to know, you said you learned to talk and everything with humans, how long ago was that?"

"We are not certain magic does not let you see the past or future, despite the many fortune tellers saying otherwise. Our history that far back is verbal only, humans did not learn to write until after they started living together in villages, field trolls are almost human looking we just went with them. Some think we are the missing link we mated with humans when they weren't and created humans who then mated with the previous version and created the first part of the variety you see today. Others think we joined with humans later when they were human or at least moving toward it and helped it along. No way to tell for sure unless we get very lucky."

"I know there are two kinds of ogre, is there any other ogre types?" I get a shaken head for the question.

"Only two ogre types, goblins on the other hand have a few types, there are forest goblins, they are shorter then my fellow Senator being outed. They are very at home in forests, most of the park rangers are forest goblins they like to dig for grubs. Don't ask one over for dinner they have rather bad food wishes. There are plains goblins you will meet one later today and hobgoblins. Hobgoblins are confusing no one knows where they came from, they are at home in the forest and plain, they are tall like ogres. They have small horns on their heads, and there is the myth that they are magically combined ogre and goblin. It is theorized that they are native to Russia and China, plenty of forest and plain there. We've tried mating an ogre and a goblin, did not give us a child. Before you ask, we can not mate between ourselves, we can mate with our own or human nothing else. We don't know why we can mate with humans and get human."

"What about fairies? I know enough of my Irish to know what the Seelie Court is Ed mentioned them asking to see me at some point." I get a sigh for the question.

"They already called, before you ask we all know a person to call in each country to get information if we need. They want you to not say anything about fairies until they speak with you. Ireland is not as forgiving a country you see and some of the fairies are a bit on the mischief side." I giggle Senator Greene chuckles. "Well alright most are now eat your frosty it's melting, no more questions I'm going to keep going." I nod at him. "Now Ed told you that we do not live long lives except vampires which is questionable on the life part. There is one exception, the sphinx." Sam and I squeak at the mention of the sphinx.

"We have to meet the sphinx." Sam says getting a chuckle from Senator Greene.

"You will he is moving this way as we speak. It will take him a long while to get here, he is not good at travel unless he walks and can not fly. I've spoken with him, very smart man I get the feeling he is afraid of heights." I giggle and hold up my hand.

"I am afraid of heights myself if I had looked over the edge of that high rise last night I would have either fallen out or ran for the elevator. I fly and I hate to, usually I stare at my lap while we take off. Sam did not help on this last flight, it was her first so I'm trying to keep her calm then I glance out and a stewardess had to come by and pull our attention to her." Senator Greene laughs so hard he has to hold himself.

"Be sure and share that with the sphinx when he gets here. He loves good laughs. Now moving on, we talked dragons and fairies, there are minotaurs but they are scary, taller than an ogre. In fact minotaurs are how we killed off the forest trolls, they really like big axes, there are certain things in the myths they got spot on. We use them as a sort of security and police we also do not want to show them. There are werecreatures not just wolves there are leopards and tigers, they chose to not show themselves their changing is not exactly pleasant looking. You can mention them and of course your video has aired so the entire world is abuzz and wanting to ask how we did the werewolf and the zombie. They are not tied to the moon they can change when they want we do not know why they can change. They and the magic users are the only ones that do not need the spell."

"You mentioned cockatrice are real, what about the rest, basilisk and manticore. There was another one I don't recall offhand."

"Oh yes basilisk are still around, they are very affectionate rather cat like if a cat is long and lizard. Manticores died out a long while ago, their mating habits were like a spider or preying mantis, the male is killed after mating. Humans did mount a hunt for them entirely the manticore fault they were very territorial, humans were food and a rival to them. Let's see elves and dwarves, elves are as far as we know entirely with the Seelie Court now. Means no speaking on elves, dwarves well dwarves are hard to find. They figured out how to dig into a mountain range and stay hidden if anyone knows where, they are not sharing. The last dwarf seen was fifty years ago and not a peep since. Common thinking is they died out stuck away in the mountains. Gnomes haven't been seen in forever, we think the Germans built cities on gnome cities or their hunting ground. Gnomes were very secretive they never really spoke to anyone."

"Banshees?"

"Oh heavens, banshees are nothing more than drunken Irish talk. No offense but one guy dies of fright with heavy wind creating a scream and all of a sudden banshees are everywhere. It did have a good use the wives could get their husband home earlier." I giggle and nod.

"I figured as much but still best to ask. I don't think being immune to magic would help on a screamer." The window comes down.

"Senator we are here." The window goes back up.

We get out of the limo next to a big tent I look around not really sure where we are. We aren't in New York somewhere north of it I think as we go into the tent. Inside it is lit up well with a few people moving about setting up more lights. Sam gasps next to me, I look at her then where she is looking and gasp myself.

Basking under one of the lights is for lack of a better name, a dragon. It is half curled with a claw sitting atop the other arm. The claw itself is impressive perhaps four inches long curved a little, four of them in all. The head is well dragon like, somewhat cat like with a slight protruding nose, some whiskers that are thicker than a cats sticking out around the nose. The eyes are emerald and predatory far forward and look just like a cats with the slit. The nostrils are farther apart than a cat's nostrils, more like an alligator. The entire body is scaled not like a snakes or fishes these are longer and golden brown.

"You can come closer if you wish, I won't bite I'll try and not twitch." The head has come up and is looking at us the voice is Kelsey Grammer's.

"Are you Kelsey Grammer?" I just had to ask it sounds just like him, Senator Greene and the dragon laugh.

"I'm Twitch, I had a different name but I have a nervous twitch that tends to be painful. I'm also female we all have this voice. Before you ask dragons do not appear human, we got a different spell we look like a wolf. Some of us changed it to be a big dog and sit defense on ranches and farms. Even small we can take on a wolf and they taste good. The owner never cares if there is a wolf carcass just off his land."

"Well this is nice I wanted to ask how dragons mate." Twitch laughs, this time sounding more like rain on a tin roof.

"That was a giggle it just sounds different. As for mating, we can only mate with dragons, and we do it like a lizard. I'm going into heat why I am bronze I'm normally a very lovely green like your dress." Sam moves closer to Twitch and goes around her.

"Oh wings, do your wings work?" Twitch giggles again and stretches out.

Sam steps back to give her room and I see why. The wings are large along with Twitch. The wings themselves spread out then go up perhaps five feet long. Twitch's body is a little longer, perhaps six feet from nose to tail. The tip of the tail is spread out looking a little like shortened tail feathers. Twitch stands on four feet, or claws I suppose is more accurate, the back claws are just like the front, four sticking out in front and one in the back.

"Twitch, Senator Greene mentioned that you all love D&D and play it together. Looking at your claws it looks like you could hold dice to throw." Twitch lets out a breath and shakes her head.

"The claws are too long to pick up the dice and our hands are not hands, they are just connecting the claw fingers with the leg." She opens her mouth wide showing a row of sharp teeth. "Sorry for the yawn we are better at night time, I'm hoping to attract a male if one does not come along I will just go looking. I only have one or two heats left in me."

"I did not know you get a limited number of them. How long do dragons live?"

"We live as long as humans, well little longer we live up to around one hundred years, we are like humans though, limited time for mating. I am thirty, we have our first heat at fifteen then every five years until we are forty, we don't always at forty. Our young progress slower, the first five years we stay with mom and eat with her." I shake my head.

"Faster our young stay with mom and dad for eighteen years then maybe move out." Twitch laughs and nods at me.

"Yes you are right I was speaking more in reference to some of us, cockatrices are full size in three months. Basilisks are six months trolls never actually make it to full size so we are better." Senator Greene groans and shakes a finger at Twitch.

"Twitch I told you that joke is very old and not funny. I can't help it if Gary patterned trolls after the bad ones. I never say the same about you, I could you know." Twitch smacks the ground and stands up on two claws swaying a little.

"Greene don't go there, I keep saying it because your face is amusing when I do. I would like to be forty feet even twenty feet would be nice I want to be able to fly still." That puts an idea in my head.

"If you can sit down like a person there are small planes that make it look like you are flying." Twitch looks over at me, Senator Greene does to smiling.

"We never thought of that, does not help dragons appear as wolves but still you are right. Twitch if I promise a mate will you stay here?" Twitch nods and drops down to walk over to a chair then sits in it.

I walk over to go around her with her tail sticking out the back of the metal folding chair. Senator Green is talking on a cell phone Twitch is sitting twisting her head to look at me, one claw moving in a spastic twitch.

"The planes I've seen would have to take off the back of the seat to let you sit like that. Can you perhaps move the tail between your legs or stick to the side?" Twitch shakes her head.