museboxofmuses | DRAGON AU

DRAGON AU

Prometheus hibernated a lot.

There wasn't much else to do, as a hermit-dragon. He couldn't venture out into the world in case some intrepid 'adventurer' wanted to slay him for bragging rights or his hide, he couldn't mingle with other dragons because he was one of Nidhogg's brood (a fact which was why he couldn't socialise with any Ishgardians because spears inevitably got involved in those conversations, he knew, he still had the scar on his hindquarters from his last naive attempt), and he knew absolutely no one else, knew nothing about the world or its new continents or civilisations, so hibernating it was.

But even then, sleeping got dull.

Prometheus sighed deeply, drawing his wings tighter about himself. Perhaps it was because he spent so much time sleeping, but his draconic body evolved to have furred wings - which was nice, it was very warm, even if they did shed some strange, fluffy black motes from time to time (he soon learned that these motes were highly toxic to mortals, probably from his subconscious desire to be left alone slipping into this body's maturing evolution). The downy undercoat of his wings was shed often and thickly enough that he even had a little nest, in a cave warmed by geothermic means, in the high mountains of Coethas. It was cosy, safe, and isolated.

It was also boring and devoid of anything. Prometheus came here... fuck, centuries? Or millennia? He couldn't remember. A long while, just after the war between Ishgard and the dragons kicked off in earnest. He flew here as a dragonnet, and slept and slept and slept, with miserable waking moments in between where he went to stretch his wings, eat a bear or something, and crawled back in his warm, soft cave to sleep some more.

He was avoiding reality, he knew. He didn't understand why he woke up in the form of a dragon - an alien species, not native to their star, how the hell did the reincarnation cycle mess up that badly!? - what happened to Amaurot, why the geography was completely different and... where Hades and Hythlodaeus were. He remembered, in the early days of his life, he would cry out through the Lifestream to hear nothing back, and was slowly accepting that, maybe, it was just him. Alone.

No Hades. No Hythlodaeus. Just him and his cave.

He exhaled heavily, flexing his claws as his body sluggishly roused from its latest bout of hibernation. His stomach was an empty pit of starvation, so he had to eat something calorie dense before dozing back off again. The only thing was, it took ages for his body to fully 'wake up'. Spending centuries practically in a coma made his limbs lock up, and it took a while for the aether flowing through his body to regain strength and feeling in them again. Not that he was in any rush...

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Hythlodaeus considered his words before he spoke, simply smoothing his hands over Prometheus’ broad back. “I said t before but I don’t know if it sunk in, Prometheus. You and I are shards. Our souls have been shattered. Hades... Hades is whole. Do you understand the implications of that?”

Every time Hythlodaeus went searching in his memory it felt like he was drowning. He saw pieces of Hades’ memories, some ten thousand years of irrelevant nonsense playing house to weakly hold together his friends’ crumbling sanity.

Prometheus was silent.

He understood perfectly well, he felt. He wasn't blind or stupid. He saw the way Hades acted around Hythlodaeus - the simulacrum, he meant - and how he acted with him. The way he'd stare at him with an admittedly unnerving intensity like Prometheus was the most precious thing to exist. The amount of times Hades left him alone could be counted on one hand, and that was including now, and Prometheus had an uneasy feeling that if he indicated he wanted the Steppe burnt to the ground, Hades would probably do it without hesitation.

Hades was unstable. He was also hiding shit. Probably something to do with that other presence tangled with his aether like a parasite. Prometheus did not want to rock that boat. Not until he figured things out on his end and had a viable exit plan, if he needed it.

"...let's not talk about that right now," Prometheus said, his tone final, "We've got a few decades or centuries until we have to worry about it." He hoped.

By then his slow trot brought them close to where they left the Qestir. He could see them in the distance... with some food, from the looks of it. Good.

"...Alright," he said, not promising that he wouldn't find out what was going on on his own. Or if he could at least remember properly...

Hythlodaeus dismounted and stayed back. Hades must have figured that any interactions at this moment would have no negative consequences for him. Hades had changed over all of this time, hadn't he? When did he become such an ambitious sweet-talker? Hades from Amaurot would have rather just napped, but took responsibilities begrudgingly... Hythlodaeus being the only one who wanted to do less of what others wanted from him.

"Is that an offering for you?" he asked, watching them finally settle the carcass on the ground and back away. "Also, uh... sorry for being so rude about it earlier. Having a baby is a big deal, even if you're a dragon now."

Prometheus let out a pleased, trilling noise when the Qestir set down a very large mammoth-type creature (it required over thirteen of them to haul it over here!) and unfurled his wing arms to get a better grip of his meal.

"Thank you!" he called out to the reverantly bowing Xaela, "I got rid of the vicious beasts for you too."

Very apparently by all the blood slicking his dark scales, but Prometheus didn't really know that.

He dug into his meal, savouring it. Hm, this tasted a lot better than the animals Hades summoned for him. Maybe because it was hard-earned? Well, 'hard-earned', but it wasn't like hunting fish in a barrel, like his other meals had been on the island.

"Mm? Oh, don't worry about it," Prometheus said easily, pausing to lick his snout clean, "I'm still... kinda trying to wrap my head round it myself. I didn't think, uh, you know, me and Hades would be compatible because... different species. I don't think it's quite sunk in yet."

Hythlodaeus crossed his arms and closed his eyes to think about it. Everything right now was weird, but at least... Hades seemed to know what he was doing. Hythlodaeus, coming down from the intense chemical highs from all the aether and being brought back and... He finally started to feel inside of his own body. His stomach growled, and he felt a little cold in spite of the robe that Hades dressed him in.

One of the Questir noticed his expression and brought him a bit of dried meat to eat. Hythlodaeus simply watched this dragon with Prometheus' soul and memories devour a mammoth.

Hythlodaeus tried to create a cup of tea, but all it did was cause the air to fizzle a bit. "I suppose we're just have to wait for Hades to... Oh?" He pointed off behind them in the direction of the Dawn Throne. Hades was returning, the light that filtered through the membranes on his huge wings shimmered dazzling light to the landscape below.

Hades definitely knew how to make an entrance. He circled just to slow down a bit before landing down before them.

"Come, they're piling hay into the aviary for us to make our nest," Hades said, licking some blood off of Prometheus' mouth. Ah, gross. "The people of the steppe welcome their Gods as guests," he said. Hades looked over what they brought back for him. "...Have you eaten too much to fly? I can carry you."

Prometheus watched Hades make his dramatic entrance, letting out a quiet snort of amusement when his lover trotted over to him, feeling absolutely pleased with himself, and licked his snout clean. Oh! That felt rather nice... Prometheus crooned happily.

"I can fly, I'm not that heavy," he said, though he had eaten a lot. He'll probably get indigestion, but their destination wasn't far so he could deal. The more important thing was...

"You can carry the rest of my meal," he decided, bumping his snout against Hades's and nuzzling before moving away with a cheeky flick of his tail, "Make sure not to drop any of it, though! Remember, I'm eating for two!"

With that delivered, Prometheus stopped by Hythlodaeus and bent his forelegs, much like before so he could get on, "You ready to fly on the back of a dragon, Hyth?"

“Must I? I can get you another... You can just leave this for the scavengers,” he said looking the thing over. “The offal will spill out besides,” he said, scrunching his snout. But if that’s what Prometheus wanted.... Hades conjured a broad piece of cloth that he dragged the mammoth onto.

“That sounds wonderful,” Hythlodaeus said, his smile slowly spreading. He scrambled onto his back, finding a way to get seated right. He held on firmly, unsure of what to expect from his.

Hades took off with the load, needing to flap his wings much harder to stay aloft.

Okay, Prometheus had to admit it: he found a bit of a thrill watching Hades eager to fulfill his desires with minimal fussing. All these... centuries? Millennia? However much time had passed, and Prometheus still had him wrapped around his little finger. He purred low in his throat, not bothering to hide his pleased smugness thrumming through his soul, and took wing once Hythlodaeus was comfortably seated.

Ignoring his uncomfortably fully belly and how flying was going to give him cramps very soon, Prometheus drew level with Hades.

"So, where's this aviary?" he asked him, "It must house large birds if we're able to nest there!"

“The Dawn Throne, that’s where they keep the yol, and they are big,” he said gesturing with his head. Hades led him to the open area with all the yol. Yellow clad Auri people were rushing to and fro, gathering things their gods may appreciate.

“Oh yes, for your human glamour I may... tweak you a bit. As a warning.”

Hades landed, transforming himself into his best approximation of Azim. His horns, though black, shone with intricate gilding. His clothing, finely woven and intricate, showed off his handsome body— it was entirely open on the sides like the ceremonial, antiquated clothes seen on some of the older statues. He snapped his fingers once Hythlodaeus dismounted, squishing Prometheus into the form of an Auri woman carrying a child. He was still certainly recognizable as Prometheus in the face, but Hades was committed to this but of flash and pomp.

He conjured a beautiful dress, both iridescent and translucent to hang on his form.

“My Nhaama requires a place to bear our child.”

Prometheus was sort of expecting the glamour this time, so he suppressed his shudder at the latex bodysuit sensation of being squished into an unfamiliar form. He plucked a little at his dress, exchanging a look with Hythlodaeus as Hades ran his theatrics to the hilt.

Hades was really getting into this God thing, huh?

Maybe he knows he can just laze about even more with worshippers serving him hand and foot, he thought wryly, stepping up beside Hades with a short swish of his tail.

"A bit of tweaking, mm?" He murmured softly as a few yellow robed Xaela looked at him in awe, keeping their conversation private (it was in Amaurotine anyway), "What about Hyth? Can he be our official, I don't know, babysitter? But with a fancy title."

“I would introduce you to our midwife,” Hades said gesturing to Hythlodaeus while he was definitely not expecting to get any attention that moment. Hunched over some feathers and crouching with his robe hitched up. Hythlodaeus fought the urge to point at himself with a stupid look to make Hades look like an asshole.

Hythlodaeus stood and bowed awkwardly, realizing he knew absolutely no local customs. He sure hoped they bowed here, he was just guessing.

Hades smiled warmly at all who were in attendance. “Thank you for your generosity. You all may be dismissed.” The people filed out, leaving just them and the birds.

The yol all looked down from their perches curiously at their new roommates. One of them bravely hopped down to investigate Prom.

"Oh, look at you, beautiful!" Prometheus crooned, instantly gravitating towards the towering yol. In his female Xaela form, the bird practically dwarfed him, but Prometheus didn't let that deter him as he held up his hand expectantly, knowing without a doubt that the bird would come to him. Birds loved him - they always loved him! Even as a dragon, they loved him.

And this time was no exception.

With a warble, the yol ducked down and let Prometheus pet its beak.

"Hades, Hyth, look!" he gasped, turning to his two friends with a happy smile that just made his entire face light up, his soul a warm ball of sunshine, "Look, it likes me!"

“Of course it does,” Hades said with a warm look on his face. Ah, Prometheus’ soul was glowing. He came up behind him and wrapped his arms around his shoulders, placing his head on top of Prometheus’.

The bird made a chirp and stepped back, then noticing the pregnancy. It crowed to the other yol, and they all hopped down to investigate. Intelligent birds that they were, they were able to deduce what was going on. All that fresh hay... they kept it clean but usually only brought that much bearing material during egg-laying season. The yol chirped at each other and got to work, moving the hay around, weaving and bending it with their beaks.

Prometheus watched in genuine amazement as the yol all worked to craft a nest - for him? Well, Hades had made it a little obvious that he was carrying, but to think these beautiful creatures would do something so lovely for him!

He leaned back slightly, against Hades's body, and decided that yes, this was definitely the best choice to stay here. Elidibus and Lahabrea would be able to find them, easily, but they'll be less inclined to scold them for basically 'eloping' in front of all these people in case of interference. Not that Prometheus wanted them to go away or leave them be but... well, something kept itching his scales wrong whenever they visited. He couldn't put his finger on it...

"Well, there we go, you don't have to do any work at all to build our nest," Prometheus said, teasingly nudging his elbow against Hades's stomach, "Was this your plan all along, lazybones?"

"I wouldn't put it past him," Hythlodaeus said, stepping up beside them to watch the yol get to work... then turned to Hades and said, "Midwife, really?"

If Elidibus or Lahabrea showed up in the next several weeks, Hades had no qualms about dodging them entirely. He did his duties, damn it.

“You know I could make you a nest with barely any effort,” Hades said crossing his arms. “But I thought you’d enjoy the yol. Also probably a better nest, since I’m an architect and not a bird.”

And Hythlodaeus’ smart comment... He was still reeling that it was really him. What had he done, exactly?

“If I let them think you were anything other than a midwife, they would make your life hell. And you would influence a culture beyond recognition,” not that he was necessarily wholly against that. But...

"But I don't know anything about midwifery," Hythlodaeus groaned, "Well, nothing but the generic basics from Mentor Metis's reproduction lecture..."

"I wouldn't worry, Hyth, dragons are pretty good at managing their own pregnancies," Prometheus said, leaning over to pat his friend on the shoulder before straightening up again. He watched the yol hard at work, one hand resting on the small bump of his stomach. It was part of the glamour, and dragons didn't really 'show', unless they were carrying a huge clutch. Prometheus idly wondered how this pregnancy would go, considering it was a cross-species conception. Would it be a hybrid? Infertile and plagued with health deficiencies? Or would it be a seamless blending of two species who were entirely different yet also the same?

"Hmm..." Prometheus stowed those thoughts for later, "Where's Hyth gonna sleep? In the nest with us?"

“I suppose wherever he wants to sleep. They have beds and barracks here, but I should warn you about the guards here, so to speak. They belong to a tribe called the Buduga, comprised solely of men that they have captured as children or adults. So you may not want to stray too close... Although they have little use for someone so deficient in combat.”

Hades was annoyed, a little, but in the way where he was enjoying it more than he wasn’t.

“Prometheus should be fine laying his egg. I will be able to care for it and sustain it once it is laid,” he said. Hades did idly worry about this child considering his last son. He stuffed that idea down low. He’d grieved enough for now.

Prometheus coughed over a laugh at Hythlodaeus's small flutter of indignation at 'deficient in combat' - even if it was true. Hythlodaeus wasn't a very combative person in general, and even with the powers of Creation, probably wouldn't put up much of a fight against one of these mortals. He was a bigger pacifist than Prometheus was - or, rather, a true pacifist.

"W-Well, as our official 'midwife', I don't mind Hyth cosying up with us," Prometheus said, recalling those long bygone days where the three of them would nap together, "Uh, except on days where, y'know, we wanna..."

Hythlodaeus sighed fondly, "It's alright, Prom. As cosy as this nest is looking, I'm more eager to lie down on a proper bed," he admitted, casting a knowing look Prometheus's way, "Speaking of, I should try and see if I can claim one. Being raised from the dead is exhausting, oddly enough."

With that, Hythlodaeus gave them a tired wave as he ambled off back towards the main bulk of the Xaela settlement, leaving Prom and Hades alone in their new nest.

Hades cast a worried look at his back. He hoped that he truly would be okay. He still couldn’t believe that he’d done that. He would have to try it again, but later. “He’ll be alright,” he said, running a hand through his hair.

“Shall I release you from your glamour?” Hades circled round to face him, placing a hand on his scaled cheek. “The nest should be ready soon... I can entertain you in the meantime.”

"Mm, yes please," Prometheus murmured, nuzzling into Hades's hand, "The glamour's feeling a bit... tight."

He wanted to stretch out and laze about to digest his meal - the leftovers still politely waiting in the corner for him to return to once he got hungry again - and maybe curl around Hades. It was probably because of the pregnancy, but since his week long heat, he found himself becoming increasingly tactile, wanting to curl up, or snuggle with, or just touch Hades more and more.

Hades released the glamour with a poof of smoke and stepped back to prevent being squished.

“I can show you some dances,” Hades said with a seductive undercurrent. Since he was already wearing just golden jewelry, thinly spun silk with obvious clasps and ties.... “I’ve learned several mingling with the inhabitants.”

Hades likewise wanted only to touch and entertain Prometheus. He couldn’t get enough of him. He was high off the chemical sensations in his own brain that he hadn’t experienced in thousands of lifetimes.

Prometheus groaned in relief when he was back to dragon form, splaying out on his belly and resting his head on his forelimbs as he eyed Hades with open interest. Dances, eh? He recalled Hades never being interested in such an 'energy intensive, sweaty activity', and made a low, churring noise of curiosity.

"I'm sure you have," he said, shifting to rest a little more on his side, stretching his hindlegs out a little, his tail lazily thumping the ground, "Did you learn any sexy ones, though?"

“Of course I have,” he said with a low, seductive laugh. Sure, he’d never before done much dancing, and if he could choose between napping and activity he’d usually pick napping... but these primitive cultures went absolutely insane for dancing. It was such a surefire way to charm others that he couldn’t avoid it.

“We aren’t doing partnered dance, so the only interesting ones are the sexy ones.” He snapped his fingers, conjuring uptempo music out of the air. Hades’ posture corrected as he began feeling the music out with his hips. The gold chains and ornaments bobbed counter to his movements, the silk conforming to his body as a breeze picked up.

He moved into a dance far before the time of the people here that stuck out to him based on it’s sheer sensuality. Thousands of years ago, when he’d first tried again to take a partner... to see if they could live in harmony. He’d fucked them a mere week after joining their clan.

Now, normally, dragons wouldn't find anything attractive about a mortal's form or how it moved. They were attracted to the soul and, of course, to draconic characteristics like lustrous scales and powerful hindquarters and beautiful patterns, things like that. But Prometheus wasn't a normal dragon, still retained his appreciation for a humanoid form (Hades's, specifically) and was transfixed by the sensual, swaying movements, the glitter of gold from shifting jewellery and the flutter of too-thin silk.

A glimpse of his inner thigh there, a near glimpse of Hades's privates from beneath the silk, the arch of his back and strong movements of his legs, mm, yes, Prometheus very much liked it.

He let out a noisy breath, nostrils flaring as he shifted slightly, his interest becoming very obvious when his sheath opened slightly, the very tip of his cock protruding as his tail started to rhythmically pat the ground, almost like the wagging of a very pleased, happy dog.

Hades snapped his fingers, swapping the music to match the beats of Prometheus’ tail. He approached, all wiggling hips as he placed a hand on Prometheus’ hind quarters. He turned, bracing himself against this creature so much larger than himself to offer his best solution to a lap dance for an animal with no lap. He turned, moving towards Prometheus’ head once he saw his cock peeking out with some satisfaction.

Hades pressed a hand against his snout, then pulling it back in a gentle caress. As his movements brought him further away, he began to unclasp portions, allowing them to dangle freely. The first part he lost was the cloth just barely covering his chest as it was no longer clasped to his necklace. It hung down between his legs. He teased the sash around his waist before briefly offering Prometheus a peek at his half-hardened cock.

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