“Oh, don’t worry! I will buy them all!” Illarion grinned. “My dogs love to rip the Black Dragon’s wings off! That pleases me for some reason.”
Valerius scowled at the Green Dragon King. “I am wondering why I missed you, Illarion.”
“Because I am your best man! And your best friend! And the best of the best in all things!” Illarion’s grin grew brighter.
“So you keep telling me,” Valerius murmured, then he focused on Caden, “Now that I’ve found you, Caden. I’m not letting you go.”
“And you don’t have to. I’ll do the fitting with you,” Caden sighed.
“Good.” Valerius looked relieved. “It is the only thing making Anwar happy with Fadel…” He grimaced and did not finish the sentence.
Feeling a stab of guilt, Caden quickly said, “Of course. What are clothes, after all? I mean nobody cares about clothes. And if he wants us to wear fuschia… Well, that’s fine. Right? Right.”
“Don’t worry,” Illarion said with a laugh. “Raziel will make a huge pyre out of them at the end of the wedding and set them on fire. That’s when the real party will begin!”
Caden wondered if he would survive until then.
Characteristics
After making sure a customer got a Green Dragon plushie, the Green Dragon plushie bin was replenished, and that Illarion had paid for his two dozen green plushies, Valerius, Caden, Illarion and the dogs, Vanya and Viski, all piled into an SUV that Valerius had parked out back of the Emporium. Valerius was driving with Caden in the passenger seat and Illarion with the borzoi wolfhounds in the back.
Except the dogs didn’t stay there.
“Oomphf! Get off!” Valerius growled as either Vanya and Viski–he could not tell them apart–wiggled through the two front seats and then stepped on his crotch in its urge to stick its head out of the window. “Illarion! Call your animal back!”
“What? Why? Vanya likes being in the front seat so she can see everything,” Illarion said.
“But I cannot see anything! And I am the one driving unless Vanya has a driver’s license that I don’t know about,” Valerius pointed out.
“I let her up there all the time with me,” Illarion sounded offended. “You can see over her back. Just push her bottom down so she sits on your lap.”
“Really? You allow all of this and drive? Along with the crotch-stepping?!” Valerius sounded strangled as Viski joined Vanya and both managed to stomp on his crotch. Repeatedly.
There was a pregnant silence and then Illarion whispered, “Good dogs.”
“ILLARION!” Valerius shouted.
Caden snickered. Valerius shot him a “traitor” look. Caden laughed more.
“Vanya, Viski, come!” Illarion commanded.
The borzois stomped back over Valerius’ crotch and slithered through the seats to get in the back with Illarion. They panted happily.
The Green Dragon King murmured endearments to the dogs along with, “No being in the front seat, no crotch-stepping, no driving the car. Valerius is no fun, is he? No, he is not.”
Valerius turned on the ignition while Caden rocked in the passenger seat laughing so hard his eyes were tearing.
“You wouldn’t be laughing if it had been your crotch stomped on, Caden!” Valerius growled.
Caden just laughed harder until he was hiccuping. Illarion reached up and patted Caden’s back until Caden got ahold of himself. Valerius found himself smiling despite himself.
The sunlight beamed down upon them as he threaded the car through the busy streets of the Mid on their way to High Reach. People were eating ice cream. Others had hands ladened with shopping bags. Still others were seated outside at the cafes, bars and restaurants eating, drinking and laughing. There was a celebratory air as people crowded into Reach to be part of his and Caden’s wedding festivities in three days.
While not everyone would be able to be at the ceremony itself, it would be broadcast to everyone, including on large screens in Dragon Strike Square. Free food and drinks would be available to the people afterwards to help celebrate. The whole of Reach from High Reach to the Below would be in on the celebration. So the city was filling up fast with every hotel room occupied and many spare rooms rented out. It made the driving very slow going as the sidewalks were crushed with people so some wandered out into the streets themselves. On the day of the wedding, there would be no driving in the Mid. Every area would be a pedestrian zone.
“I think you’ve been spotted, Illarion,” Caden said.
Valerius noted people’s eyes widening as they caught sight of the SUV. Some stopped dead in their tracks to start taking photos and videos. While the windows were tinted, Illarion had cranked down his to allow Vanya and Viski to stick their heads out and he was revealed. There were cries of delight.
