Before she could even finish greeting the dragon, Namaari found herself stopping dead in her tracks. For the most part, the day had been fairly normal, as far as peace time in Fang went. Rebuilding relations, overseeing exports, and the occasional dragon returning from the far north. Kumori’s exile was a few years back, and with it was the departure of several dragons. Even then, in the time passing, few have returned, most asking for forgiveness. Of course, with someone like Sisu managing those relations, almost all of them were welcomed back. Still, it had been a few weeks since the last arrival of an exiled dragon, so it may be likely those that did not return would never do so. The fact that any had returned in the first place was a boon in and of itself, but it’s clear the majority had made their choice.
That said, of the many dragons, Jagan was the one Namaari knew best, if only because he was the one dragon aside from Sisu herself who regularly visited Fang. It was seemingly fitting, then, that the two were blood siblings, barring the same personality if not differing in temperament. However, despite their acquaintanceship, they didn’t see each other too often, as Jagan mostly made his home at Heart. Of course, that was where Sisu and Raya lived, so Namaari understood, but part of her really wanted Jagan to stay at Fang more often. He was always so kind to her, and it was nice to have an overall positive presence by her side, especially after everything that has happened in the past decade. She supposes she could just ask him to stay, but she didn’t want to come across as imposing, and the last thing she wanted was to push someone away by being demanding. At the very least, she did have other important matters to focus on, so her mind never wandered too much.
His return now was one she didn’t quite expect, not to mention her mind was pondering other matters, so she didn’t quite get a full look at him. But it was only after he directly called her name, and she did look back at him, did she find herself a bit lost for words. It wasn’t that he looked particularly different; in fact, had Namaari been paying even the slightest bit less attention, she may not have even noticed it at all. The way his body curved and bunched up, it almost disappeared into the natural flow. And yet, seeing it now, there was no way she could fully unsee it.
Situated right in Jagan’s midsection was a defined, round belly.
Namaari was caught so off guard by this sudden change, she didn’t realize she was starring right at him, or his belly to be more exact. Or how long she was starring at him. She did eventually snap back when she heard him chuckle, bringing her attention back to his face. “Oh, that? Heh, yeah. Sorry,” Jagan remarked. “Got real hungry on the way here and kinda…gorged on a whole bunch of fish. I think some of them are still swimming around in there…”
“O-Oh! I see…” Namaari nodded, glancing up at Jagan before returning her gaze to his middle. Certainly, she has had times when she ate a bit too much, but she’s never been bloated like that before. Granted, he was a dragon, and if he swallowed them all whole…that would make sense, right?
“Oof, still a bit of movement, for sure,” he noted, wincing a tad. “Care to give it a feel?”
Her eyes widened, a small blush coming over her. It seemed a little odd to her to ask for that, but maybe it was a normal occurrence for dragons? Again, if he was able to just eat a whole load of fish like that, perhaps it wasn’t too unusual for others to do so, and for them to feel each other’s bloated bellies in response. It certainly wasn’t normal sounding from Namaari’s perspective, but then again they were two different species that have not integrated for over half a millennium. There was going to be a culture divide, and if she wanted to bridge that, she had to be willing to get in close.
Collecting herself, she reached out, and felt Jagan’s belly. It was a touch cool, soft and surprisingly fluffy. It reminded her of the times Sisu would pull her into a hug, yet still different. Her mind started to trail on the possible differences in dragon coats, before her attention was recaught by a sudden kick to her hand. However, it felt off from what she expected, not quite a fish pressing against anything, but rather…something like a foot?
Regardless, she still pulled and jumped back, mainly from surprise. As she did, Jagan started to laugh, but in a well-meaning way. “Sorry, sorry,” he replied quickly, still chuckling as he wiped a tear from his eye. “I came up with that off the cuff, and I just had to pull that one someone. You were just the first person I stumbled across.”
“So…that’s not fish in your belly?” She asked, if a bit hesitant.
“Well, yes and no,” he responded with a shrug. “I did, uh…have a few fish on the way in, but no harm there, right? Expectant father’s gotta eat, ya know?”
“Yeah, I—” she started, before the realization hit her hard. “W-Wait, wait…expectant??”
“Yep,” he nodded, a big smile on his face. “That’s what I actually am. Pregnant. Big one too, if you couldn’t tell.”
Namaari opened her mouth to speak, yet she was lost on words for a moment. “I…wha…I didn’t…um, congratulations?” She tried. “S-Sorry, I’m just…a bit surprised. I know dragons are different species and all that, but uh…didn’t know male dragons could get pregnant.”
“Not normally, no,” he went on to explain. “But with all the dragons that left with Kumori, it’s a desperate time these days. Dragon numbers are sparse, even with the ones who have returned. Plus, after five hundred years…we all agreed it’s time for a new generation to begin. I volunteered to be one of the bearers. Raya did, too, if you recall.”
Namaari nodded. “Yes, of course. Her and Sisu…they told me about this big ceremony that had and everything. You did the same?”
“More or less,” he remarked. “Raya’s a bit behind me, but she’s already about as big as me. Baby dragons typically incubate for about a year, so we were bound to catch up to one another this late in. About a month away from being due, so I think I may hang around Fang until the baby comes, long as you’re willing, of course.”
“O-Oh, of course!” She replied quickly, nodding. “All of dragonkind is welcome in Fang, after all. You are no different, Jagan.”
“Wonderful!” He grinned. “Oh, and not to cut our chat short, but there is some matter I need to discuss with others. Main reason I came here. Let’s catch up another time, yeah?”
And with that, the dragon hurried down the hall, Namaari standing by as she watched him go. As he disappeared into the halls of the palace, her mind began to churn and think, this new information really getting to her for some reason. She supposed Raya getting pregnant wasn’t that odd, even considering her partner was Sisu. If anything, her being with Sisu to have a baby made more sense, considering her nature as a dragon. Now, though, here was Jagan, a male dragon with no partner, who was pregnant himself, through apparently the same ritual as Raya took.
Namaari wasn’t exactly one for romance; perhaps, sometime down the line, for Fang’s legacy she would see to siring a heir, but at the current moment, it did not feel to be in the cards. Despite that, the idea of having a child, a new life grown within her…something about it intrigued her. Certainly, she would not be as foolish as to seek someone out just to experience this, as that would be absurd. However, a dragon child? She could easily have one herself, and get someone like Sisu or Jagan to oversee the ritual just as simply. Not to mention there is a need for a new generation of dragons, and who knows how many others are willing to tackle a year long pregnancy. Plus, assisting in such a noble goal would surely improve Fang’s standing with the other territories; not that that is her main intent, but it would certainly be a helpful byproduct.
Even with all these benefits to doing it, Namaari surprised herself with being so willing to partake in this. The fearless and bold leader of Fang such as her, pregnant? And at an extended length at that? It almost sounds absurd! Yet, the more she thought about it…the more a desire grew within her…slowly, she hovered a hand over her midsection, taking a moment to imagine it large and heavy…
Her daydream was quickly interrupted by a call from down the hall, grounding the woman once more. She started to take off, but paused for just a moment longer, looking back down the hall Jagan disappeared down. She then shook her head, and hurried off.
Surely, it was just a spur of the moment fantasy…right?
