Megeleus (Order of the Colossus)

Megeleus is a relatively shy and reserved tea vendor, who braved the scariness of water to be with his mate Natali. After they got together, he moved business and they joined the Order of the Colossus.
== Background ==
As Megeleus sifted the tea leaves through his claws, he took a deep, long breath. Rich with herbal scents like bergamot and peppermint, the tea that had been recently shipped was one of the best crops he had ever seen. The warehouse it was currently sitting in had been in his family for generations, and he would inherit all of their empire one day.
But for now, he was just another employee, learning the ins and outs through stumbling blocks. A bell rang at the front desk. “Hello? Is anyone here?” the voice was quiet, but not meek by any stretch. It was powerful but restrained. “Coming!” In his haste Megeleus dropped tea leaves all over the wooden floorboards. Muttering a curse, he ran towards the desk.
It was her. The oracle he had gone to a week ago. Her wings were painted with what looked like glowing eyes and she had a swirl of blue paint on her back leg, combining to form an ethereal, yet frightening effect. As he drew closer, he realized they were scars. What kind of creature had wounded her so gravely, in order to have wrought this much damage? Still, he thought she was the loveliest specimen of Ridgeback he had ever seen. “I’m looking to purchase some pu-erh tea leaves, or perhaps pekoe?” she asked.
“For what purpose?” Megeleus could barely get the polite propriety out, so tongue-tied was he. “I am an oracle. They are unnecessary, but..” her voice cracked and she shrugged. “Times are hard, and customers are turned away by my lack of mysticity.”
"Jasmine tea leaves will be just the thing you’re wanting, then! They have a more aromatic scent, and are very fragrant,” he suggested. “Do you mind allowing me to see a sample?” she replied, arching her neck. The curve of it looked strangely vulnerable and he caught himself staring at her. “Oh! Of course,” he stammered.
She followed him to the back and started laughing. “What happened? It looks like a hurricane hit,” she said between giggles. “I was inspecting the tea when you rang the bell, and...well, let’s just say I encountered a rogue crate,” Megeleus began to laugh as well. “Here, I’ll help you clean up. It was my fault it happened.” She bent down and began to use her wings to sweep the leaves into his claws.
“What’s your name?” he inquired, putting a clawful of tea back into the crate. “Natali is the name I go by,” With one question, her friendliness had suddenly vanished, and she was formal again. He wanted to know why she acted so utterly alone, so badly it twisted his stomach. Natali turned her head to the side and sifted through a pile of tea leaves, tossing them at the ground. His claw slipped on them and he fell forward, forward.
His scales brushed hers, and the kiss was sweet with promise. Her eyes met his, and he saw fright. Quickly, he drew back, babbling his apologies. “I’m...s-sorry, it was an a-ccident...I d-didn’t mean to.”
“No. It was...nice to feel normal for once,” Natali said softly, rising from her crouch. “I’ll take the tea,” she continued, grabbing one crate and slapping down a pouch of treasure with so much haste it jangled. Then, she was gone. “Wait!” he called after her, running out the door.
Megeleus saw her dart beneath the ocean, and bracing himself, he leapt into the water too. It was seeping beneath his scales, his spines, and he gave himself a cursory shudder before diving after her. He saw her swim into a cave, and followed her.
“Why did you follow me? Don’t you understand I deserve to be alone?” she demanded, her own spines bristling. “But you don’t,” he protested. “Would you say the same if you knew I was Shade-touched?” the words tumbled out of her mouth.
Now he understood why she willingly acted like a pariah. He jerked away instinctively, seeing the ghost of hurt flit across her snout. “You just proved my point. I’ve been hurt far too many times and I believe it’s time you leave.” Natali busied herself with shuffling a deck of cards. “No!” he exclaimed. “Silly as it may sound, I really do think I love you.”
“What do you know of love?” she murmured, but her protests were weaker now, like a half-brewed cup of tea. “I know that it causes dragons to protect their beloved, even at the cost of their own life, love them no matter their flaws or imperfections and finally...do strange things, like this.” He leaned forward and kissed her.
And this time, she kissed back.
In the twilight of their years, he would recount the story to his mate, Natali, while sharing a glass of tea with her.
== Trivia ==
* Megeleus is a 6 digit dragon
* Gene plans: Peregrine or Trail and Thylacine
== Credits ==
* Background was written by Ladylilitu (#318564)
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Category:Lightning Dragon
Category:Ridgeback
Category:Male
Category:Trader