Daily artwork #290 // Pandora's box: The tree of Myriad fruit (Patreon)

Hey guys!

Today for something more soothing and sweet. The thane, sleeping in the royal gardens, under the tree of 40 fruit <3 Hope you enjoy! It was quite the challenge to make sure the anatomy worked to my benefit in this piece.

As usual accompanied by a lovely story by Aksan. Thank you so much for this, it's amazing every single time!

For anyone interested, you can read the story below :)

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“Here he is, the legendary ‘tower’,” Alexandria joked as she strolled out into the royal gardens, “Valiantly guarding over my library tree.”

He opened an eye to peer at the Parobial, she’d changed little since he last saw her. A little over two and a half metres, with a rainbow coat of those unique Parobial scales; large and hollow, each was filled with a different species, a different colour of bacteria. Her left leg had some new splashes of luminescent purples.

She was, as the tree behind him, a library of species. The scales, the microcosms within her form preserved tiny and diverse worlds from the farthest reaches of the archipelago to the depths of the crownlands or the volcano beneath their feet. Alexandria, like the grafted tree he rested beneath, blossoming already in its shower of a hundred different flowers, was marvellous and beautiful.

Shaking off the slumber of his afternoon nap, he looked into her Parabiol face, glad she’d kept the rich ochre markings that had defined her for so many centuries now. All the sisters were beautiful, but the familiarity that came with those markings lent an extra allure to his old friend.

“I didn’t expect you to be in the city,” he said, rolling a little and offering her a place in his arms.

Obliging, she settled in his strong embrace, laid upon the blue-green grass of the gardens. “I couldn’t let my namesake pass through The Ashlands without seeing them,” she said, and feeling the inhalation to speak cut him off, “You’re close enough.”

“I’d hope there is more to our history than similar names,” he chuckled.

“Of course there is,” she said and casually licked his arm. It wasn’t long before he enjoyed the perfume she’d marked him with, a sweet earthy scent she’d cultivated for a few centuries now. “Though I’ve heard you have a bond again?”

“I do indeed.”

“And a voice yet gentler still.” She sighed happily. “You do seem to keep getting better with age.”

“I try my best to keep improving.” He rumbled deeply and she softly nuzzled his arm. “How is your daughter?”

“Felisandra?”

“Have you had another?”

“Not yet! And no,” she tipped her head back to caution him, “I don’t need any help having one.”

“Not like I can offer that to a Parobial anyway,” he said with his deep chuckle, “I take it you heard why I’m here then?”

“Oh yes,” she said with an idle giggle, “We need a royal heir and so the father of the continent is called. How did your bond feel about it?”

“Sparky was fairly calm about the matter, actually. More concerned with the long absence than with the request itself.”

“Fair, I guess, it would be hard for a human to tempt you away,” she said with a sweet sigh, “They just aren’t the same.”

“It would be hard for any to tempt my heart away,” he smiled reassuringly, “Other things than my heart . . .”

The intricate taxonomical patterns of her tail slapped his thigh. “Unlike your host, I don’t have written permission. Though I will visit your hall next I travel to the range. See if I can’t get spoken.”

“And people say your work is what makes you unique amongst your sisters,” he jibed.

“Oh, speaking of Felisandra,” she began suddenly.

“Were we?”

“You did ask about her,” the Parobial chuckled, “Seems my tastes might be epigenetic. She’s reported the same.”

“Reported?” he asked, arching his heavy brow.

“Yes,” Alexandria said, sitting up, “Just because it’s sexual doesn’t mean we can’t be scientific about it.”

“Oh, I know that very well.”

“Exactly,” she declared with an affirmative gesture, “You saw how many notes I took. Why would my daughter be any different?”

“You could have at least asked for my input before publishing them,” he said wearily.

“And what would you have done, written a foreword?” She tipped her head and spread her hands questioningly. Sitting apart from him now she still kept her tail close, but not quite entwined, with his.

“Perhaps I could have. As is, The Queen read your works and is . . .  well . . .” he glanced at the flame guards, standing as if statues, at the archway of the garden terrace.

“Is she trying to approach this like I did?” she asked, nervously.

“Oh yes,” he grumbled, “I’ve had to explain to her, most of the methodologies in chapter three are not required for impregnating a human.”

“Would you like me to have a word perhaps?” she offered, apologetic as she hung her head.

“Might be of benefit. If she has the time to speak with you.”

“How bad is the routine of late?” Alexandria asked, the beautiful white Parobial eyes taking on the personable softness they so often lacked.

“Lots of time in court in the mornings, then napping, in theory,” he smirked, “In the afternoons, and then my early evenings are with her.”

“Is she . . .?” the rainbow dragon asked and screwed up her lips awkwardly.

“Queen Pareth is a shrewd leader, with exacting standards and an incredible focus on achieving her goals,” he said with an authoritative tone, “And taking a dozen layers of the finest silk away does little to change that.”

Alexandria chuckled into her hand quietly, “Perhaps best I let you get some more sleep then,” she said, a little sadly, “But do come find me if you get the time, I’ll almost always be at the college.”

“The College of Flora and Fauna?” he queried

“The college that I founded, yes,” she teased, “They have been polite enough to keep offices for me.” She stuck out her tongue, showing as she did the multitude of glands within her mouth that cultivated yet more samples from around Teryte.

“Respect and deference,” he said, snorting some smoke, “I wonder who taught them that.”

Shaking her head, and its strange, pronged horns, she stood and made to leave, pausing a short distance away as The Thane was already returning to his afternoon slumber. “You asked how Felisandra was.” He nodded. “She’s been out studying in The Silent Crater. All the magical fallout that your shadow caused. Really fascinating stuff actually, and she glows more than you do now. But she might be coming to visit in the next few years I think, depending where it all goes.”

“You know she’ll always find a warm welcome in my hall,” he assured her.

“I just wanted to let you know, she knows you aren’t, but she does still see you as her father, so, fair warning,” Alexandria dropped this news, and seemingly lighter for it, skipped hastily away into the palace.

Filing the revelation away for later, he settled his head once more upon his tail to rest. As his arms settled again his nose was filled with the perfumed scent of the Parobial and he sighed deeply. For a trip to come and produce a daughter, he could help but think he was ending up with far more than he’d planned.