Chapter
1
Life
in Evania is hard for humans. Harpies to the North, Dragonoids to
the South, hostel forest beasts all over and violent aquatic
creatures in all major bodies of water make even a simple trip to the
next town a hellish nightmare. People don’t travel much, leaving
the towns mostly cut off from one another.
There
is a hierarchy in Evania. Humans are on the bottom. They are the
weakest physically and have the least amount of defense. The forest
beasts are next. They are the least civilized and can easily be the
most brutal. The sea-dwellers use tricks to lure in victims then
drag them under and drown them, putting them next on the list.
Harpies rule the North with their vice grip and Dragonoids are
undisputed rulers of the South. The two are hated enemies and rarely
cross their set borders. Dragonoids are easily more powerful than
the Harpies, however.
Dragonoids
come in many forms. Water, fire, earth, air, lightening and dozens
of other incredible breeds are scattered all across the South. Many
stay to themselves, some interbreed, others form small groups, but
none are to be taken lightly. Dragonoids are shaped like people, but
have large clawed hands, taloned feet, huge wings, sharp fangs,
unique horns, strong tails and powerful builds. They easily dominate
a land in which all creatures could be considered hostel and
dangerous.
Though
the towns are never directly attacked, venturing outside the huge
wooden walls would be considered suicide. No one leaves the safety
of the walls on their own, instead traveling in groups of at least
thirty to get to the next town. Everything on the outside could kill
a human, and most everything wants to.
At
least, that’s the belief.
Phillip
Pirrup, a boy no older than 15 with shoulder-length blonde hair
unique to the area, would say otherwise.
Fifty
days in a row now he’d sneaked out of the wall on his own and gone
to the river, a task that even the bravest in their village would
call suicide. Yet, every day he sneaked out and every day he
returned, unharmed, not a single person wiser to what he was doing.
Sometimes
he’d happen across a small family of forest creatures. He’d
watch them, undetected, and think that they were much like any human
family. They cared for one another like humans did and also like
humans would defend family with their lives.
“They’re
just like us really,” He’d
tried to explain so many times, “They
aren’t blood thirsty, they’re just as scared of us as we are of
them.”
But
no one ever listened.
--
It
was on day sixty-three that Phillip was met with an interesting
sight. A large Dragonoid, a type which he’d only ever seen in
books, was resting against a tree. He looked to be sleeping, but the
blood that covered his body and the ragged wounds it leaked from made
Phillip fear otherwise.
He
sneaked a little closer, ducking behind other trees as he went, until
he was standing mere feet away from the intimidating beast.
The
Dragonoid looked young, not much older than himself, but that meant
little. Though he looked only to be in his twenty’s, he could have
easily been in his fifties or more. The skin on his face, upper
arms, upper legs and torso was slightly tanned, but the flesh around
his lower legs and arms turn black as it neared his clawed hands and
feet. His hair was just as black, matching the skin and his bat-like
wings, and two huge twisted gray horns protruded from the sides of
his skull, twisting backward and forming large circles on either
side, the ends pointing forward with sharp tips. His black tail was
long and looked to be very strong on its own.
A
Night Fang, named for its color and ferocity, one of the rarest and
most dangerous breeds. They did not bother to stalk prey like many
dragons because they were strong enough to simply swoop down and take
it by surprise. Often they would lift the helpless meal to
dangerously high altitudes and drop them, allowing them to fall to
their deaths. They were strong both physically and mentally,
allowing them to think clearly and rationally even in the heat of
battle. No one in their right mind attacked a Night Fang, much less
approached one.
Blood
covered his forehead and naked torso. A large gash near his hair
line and a huge hole in his upper chest and shoulder were the likely
culprits.
Phillip
lightly gnawed his lip. Should he leave it be to potentially die, or
follow his own advice and help the beast?
Well,
he already knew he couldn’t simply walk away.
He
removed his shirt, which was a simple white cotton button up, and
began tearing it into strips.
It
took some time, but eventually he had a nice pile. He left some with
the sleeping dragon and took some to the river that he knew was not
far away to wet them. He quickly did so and returned.
He
began with the torso, figuring the more severe wounds would need
tending first. He wiped away the blood from around the wounds and
dressed them as best he could, paying particular attention to the
right shoulder where the gash was deepest. He packed some fabric
against it and tied a longer piece around it to keep the wad there.
There was little he could do for the chest but place some fabric
against it.
Using
dampened cloth he wiped blood from the dragon’s forehead then with
dry cloth wrapped the gash there.
He
sat back and smiled at his work, glad that the dragon had not awoken.
The wounds were mostly wrapped now and hopefully they would heal
well enough.
He
picked the damp rag back up and wiped away excess blood from the
torso that he had neglected earlier. Once that rag was too red to
work well any longer he picked up another and moved to clean the
face.
He
froze.
Two
blood red eyes with slit pupils bore into his with a strange
intensity. Though they were fierce they held no anger nor fear nor
hatred. They simply stared into him, as though curious to see his
next move.
Phillip
was too frightened to move for several seconds, wondering if this
dragon would kill him for being so close. He eventually settled back
on his knees, hands resting on his legs.
They
stared at one another, waiting for the other to make a move first.
Phillip
calmed, realizing that perhaps today would not be the day he died.
Movement caught his attention and he looked down.
The
dragon’s long tail twisted and lifted, coming slowly toward him.
The short but sharp spines on it made him more than a little nervous.
He
gasped when suddenly the tail shoved him backward onto his back. He
looked back up at the dragon, but its facial expression had not
changed.
Was
that an act of aggression or pure curiosity?
A
loud whistle caught their attention. Phillip realized that it was
the alert whistle from the village. Had something happened? Had they
noticed his absence? Had someone else been hurt?
He
scooted away from the dragon and slowly stood, neither taking their
eyes off the other, the dragon unmoving.
Phillip
wondered if he should back away or turn his back on the dragon. He
eventually decided to turn away, figuring that to be the more
trusting move. The dragon had not killed him then, why would it do
so when he turned his back?
He
did not run but he did go quickly back to the village and back
through the wall in his usual place, relieved that he had lived
through such an intense experience.
Once
he sneaked back in he went to the gates where a commotion had drawn
out everyone from the village. A group that had gone out earlier had
come back, minus a few members.
“We
were attacked by a Night Fang!” One of the men proclaimed. Phillip
bit his lip, worry gripping his chest.
“He
was in the river where we went to cross! He surely would have killed
us all had we not attacked. We lost three, but his wounds were
extensive. I can only hope he wandered off to die.”
The
crowd was abuzz with words of mourning for the lost men and words of
praise and hope for the supposed death of the dragon.
Phillip
said nothing, deciding to keep his mouth shut for now.
Chapter
2
For
the next two years Phillip told anyone who would listen his theory
that Dragonoids and other creatures were simply misunderstood.
“Haven’t
you ever noticed that they only attack us when we enter their
territory and then only when we’re a threat? They don’t kill
children, only adults that pose a threat. They have families like us
and like us they only want to protect them, to survive.”
Though
he made good arguments, he went mostly ignored.
“Phillip,”
His mother would say, “You must stop this. One young man cannot
change the minds of the mass. You’re going to anger the wrong
people one day.”
He
knew she was right, but it never slowed him down.
He
really should have listened.
“Heretic!”
Someone shouted when he was roughly shoved to the ground. He looked
up at his attacker, but said nothing.
“Your
lies are scaring people and confusing the children.” The man above
him claimed, “And, quite frankly, we’re sick of listening to you.
Stop this nonsense, Phillip.”
“No,
father, I will not.” Phillip replied, glaring up at the man who’d
raised him, “The way we view them is completely unfair!”
“And
how would you know this? Have you ever even seen
a real dragon?” William snapped, irritated at his sons inherited
stubbornness.
“Yes,
I have.” Phillip replied, “I’ve been sneaking into the forest
almost every day for over two years.”
A
collective gasp sounded from the small crowd that had formed around
them.
“You
lie.” William hissed.
“It’s
true. I even saved a dragon’s life once.” Phillip continued,
though he realized he should have shut his mouth several sentenced
previous, “Do you remember the Night Fang two years ago? I found
him and patched his wounds. We looked each other in the eye and he
never even made a move to kill me.”
There
was a long silence, then William sighed, “You leave me no choice.
Such lies are going to get people hurt. Pick him up.” He commanded
two men close by.
They
each grabbed one arm and forced the blonde to his feet.
“Take
him to the gates.”
It
did not take long to cross the small village to the large gates in
the wall. They slowly opened until the forest beyond was visible.
“If
you think those monsters are so peaceful and loving, then you should
be fine living with them.” William proclaimed, looking away.
Phillip
said nothing as he was forcefully shoved outside the village walls.
He stared at the forest beyond for only a short time before he walked
away, listening as the gates were closed behind him, but refusing to
look back.
--
The
sun setting beyond the horizon was a breathtaking sight. Phillip sat
quietly with his feet in the river, unsure of what he was going to
do. Though surviving during the day had become easy enough, he was
unsure of how he was going to spend the night, much less the rest of
his life out here.
He
could gather berries easily enough, and knew which ones were safe and
which ones deadly, but one could only survive on berries alone for so
long and he had no way of hunting.
He
sighed and pulled his feet out of the water, allowing them time to
dry before putting his shoes back on.
He
stood and began walking. He had no destination in mind since he’d
never gone past the river like this before. He could only hope that
he wandered into an abandoned cave or other sheltered area to sleep
in.
--
Phillip
got little sleep during the night. He took refuge in a tree, but the
forest sounds kept him awake. He attempted sleep throughout the
morning as well, but it was no use.
In
the afternoon he tiredly climbed down and began walking again. Food
was first on the agenda. He knew what to look for, but not where to
find it.
He
found a bush full of blackberry’s within an hour. He only managed
to pick and eat about a handful, however, when an enraged snarl
caught his attention.
He
yelped and dove out of the way just as a Centaur went charging
through, exploding the bush. He quickly got to his feet and bolted,
realizing that he’d unknowingly wandered into the beast’s
territory.
He
ran as hard and fast as he could, but he could hear the four legged
creature gaining fast. He made a quick right, feeling the Centaur
rush past behind him and into some trees. He was glad they couldn’t
change directions too fast.
He
regained his speed and soon he was out of the tree line. He mentally
cursed his luck. The Centaur would be able to run much faster and
see him easier out in the open like this.
It
wasn’t much further until he had to dodge again, the Centaur
charging past.
This
time, however, Phillip could not stand again. He was too weak from
lack of food, sleep and running so hard. He sat on the ground and
breathed heavily, chest clenching when the forest beast stopped and
turned around.
The
Centaur snarled and stomped then let out a loud cry before charging
at him again.
Phillip
didn’t bother moving. It was over; he was as good as dead. All he
could do was watch in horror as the beast came barreling toward him.
Suddenly
a large shadow flew over them and a large black figure landed roughly
between them, shaking the ground and forcing the Centaur to a stop.
The
figure stood upright and stretched its massive black wings, letting
out a snarl that made the other beast back up.
The
Centaur huffed and snarled and stomped around in anger, attempting to
fake-out the interrupting fiend.
The
dragon, however, was having none of it. He took a huge step forward,
making the ground tremble again, and let out a ferocious roar.
The
Centaur stomped around some more, attempting intimidation, but it did
not last. He backed up and bolted into the forest, leaving the two
in the open.
The
Dragonoid turned toward the blonde. Phillip felt a mix of fear,
relief and surprise at the two familiar red eyes gazing down at him.
The Night Fang towered over him. There was a scar across his chest
and right shoulder that Phillip knew he had wrapped two years before.
Once
again the two found their eyes locked, neither moving.
Phillip
swallowed roughly before finally speaking in a soft voice, “Thank
you… For saving my life.”
The
dragon’s expression did not change, making Phillip wonder if it
ever did. He took a step toward the blonde, dagger-like claws on his
reptilian feet leaving deep impressions in the ground.
Phillip
stayed put as the dragon moved closer and stopped a few feet away. A
familiar tail snaked forward and wrapped itself around his torso,
picking him up. He was surprised that the tail alone could lift him
with such ease. Though the base of the tail was very long and thick
it slowly got thinner as it near the tip, the last three feet of it
only about an inch thick and lacking the spines that the larger
section had. It resembled a whip and was probably used like one.
The entire tail itself was about eight or more feet long, which was
likely how tall the dragon himself was.
The
dragon pulled him closer until he could wrap his arms around the
small body and hold him.
Phillip
blushed at the close contact, thoughts of a potential romance
swimming in his head. Was the dragon interested in him like that?
It
was when the wings unfolded themselves that he realized the real
reason why he was being held.
“Hey
wait!” He attempted, but it was too late. The dragon bent his
knees and pushed up, the wings forcing air down at the same time, and
they were rocketing up.
Phillip
yelped and wrapped his arms around the male’s neck, closing his
eyes and holding on for dear life as they left the safety of the
ground.
It
was only when he felt them level out that he opened his eyes and
looked over his shoulder. He held his hair out of his eyes as he
gazed down, the wind rushing past them making it impossible to hear
anything but a steady roar.
The
ground was far below them, but the sight was beautiful. The
different shades of green clashed with spots of blue and brown and
herds of creatures left various other colors on the land. He looked
toward the horizon and was amazed at how far he could see. The sight
of a village in the distance brought some sadness, but he swallowed
it.
They
landed sooner than he wanted. They were in a very small clearing
outside of a cave system in a cliff. He could hear the roar of a
waterfall nearby, but was unable to see it.
The
dragon did not drop him, but instead carried him inside a large
cavern and sat him down in a pile of animal furs next to the wall.
Phillip guessed this to be a nest.
Phillip
wondered if he should say something, or more accurately what he
should say, but before anything came to mind the dragon turned and
left the cave.
“Wait!”
Phillip called, getting to his feet, “Where are you going?” He
quickly jogged toward the dark beast.
“Stay.”
Came a harsh command. The deep, booming voice made Phillip jump and
stop in his tracks.
Without
looking back, the dragon took to the sky once again.
Phillip
sighed and watched him fade out of sight. He looked back into the
cave, wondering why the dragon had simply dumped him here, and
noticed that it was actually deeper than he’d first thought.
Why
not explore a little?
He
walked further in and noticed the walls grew smaller as he
progressed, though not by much. It eventually grew too dark to see
anything, so he felt his way along the wall, which twisted and turned
creating a winding tunnel.
After
several minutes of walking, Phillip stumbled on something and nearly
fell. He cursed his luck and felt for the wall, which he’d sadly
lost touch of. He decided that he’d gone far enough, at least for
now, and should probably get out before getting lost. Maybe he could
come back later with a torch and explore further.
He
found the wall and stood properly, his foot bumping whatever it was
he had tripped over. Irritated, he picked it up, intent on throwing
it in the opposite direction. The object was a smooth, strange
material that was about the size of Phillip’s head but was oddly
light. He turned it in his hands, trying to figure out what it was,
if he could. He felt two holes very close to each other and a third
under and between them. Under that was something that formed several
straight ridges.
Phillip
froze, coming to a gruesome realization.
Eye
sockets, nose hole, and teeth. A skull. A human
skull.
He
shrieked, throwing the skull in the opposite direction and quickly
bolting, his hand on the wall. He could only hope he was running out
and not further in.
Very
soon he saw light and was thrilled that the trip out had taken much
less time than the trip in.
He
stopped just inside the cave walls, leaning against the opening to
catch his breath, his mind racing.
Was
he going to get eaten? Had he really been so wrong about dragons?
Should he leave and take his chances out there? Or, stay and take his
chances here?
He
groaned, terrified and unsure of what to do. He looked around, as
though the surrounding area would give him some sort of idea, and
immediately regretted it.
The
ground outside the cave along the wall and even a bit on the inside
was covered with bones. From the skulls he could see, most looked to
be animal or even dragon.
He
was almost certainly going to die.
He
pushed himself off the wall and made to run, but a shadow stopped
him. Not even a second later, he jumped and yelped as something
landed with a loud “Boom!” just outside the cave. He covered his
mouth and backed into the cave, looking down at the Centaur from
earlier laying in a twisted heap on the ground before him. Within
seconds, the Night Fang landed much more gracefully beside his fallen
prey.
Phillip
failed to realize that he was still backing up until he tripped and
fell backward into the nest. He quickly sat himself up and found
that the little stunt had gained the dragon’s attention.
For
the third time, they locked eyes.
Phillip
whimpered and pulled his legs in, unconsciously curling into himself.
The
dragon broke contact and turned back to his prey.
The
blonde watched in horror as the winged beast bent down and easily
ripped off one of the dead creature’s legs. He groaned as the
dragon stood and came toward him, leg clutched tightly in his clawed
hand.
The
mangled limb was shoved toward his face. Phillip gagged a little and
covered his mouth, looking away with a groan, “Oh, sick!”
He
was surprised when the dragon backed down, letting the leg fall to
his side. He gave Phillip an almost confused yet suspicious
expression before turning away and again leaving the cave. He
dropped the leg outside on top of the body and continued into the
surrounding forest.
Phillip
saw the opportunity and took it.
He
jumped out of the nest and ran out of the cave and into the forest in
a different direction than the dragon.
He
decided his chances out here, where he’d already survived one
night, were much greater than with a creature that wanted to eat him.
He
slowed quickly; tired from all the running he’d been doing that
day, and began paying more attention to his surroundings. He looked
for flora that was eatable while also listening for dangerous fauna.
He
found another blackberry bush and quickly picked and ate several
before moving on. He needed to get as far away as possible as
quickly but safely as possible. The dragon would likely come
looking.
A
sudden rustling made him pause to listen. He slowly began back
tracking as it drew nearer.
He
slipped behind and tree and pressed himself silently against it as a
centycore slowly lumbered by.
Just
perfect. He’d rather take his chances back with the dragon then be
mauled to death by a centycore.
Everything
was going well until a rat scampered across his feet, making him let
out a little yelp of surprise. That caught the large beast’s
attention very quickly and just as fast Phillip was forced to make a
decision.
Let
himself be killed and end this awful cycle, or run for his life?
His
feet made the decision for him, it seemed, and very soon he was
racing through the forest again, an irrational centycore on his tail.
He
was shocked how quickly he somehow ended up back by the cave. The
dragon was nowhere in sight, but Phillip ran into the cave anyway.
He stopped when he realized he was no longer being followed and
peered out.
The
centycore had stopped and was sniffing around. It seemed to be aware
that it was now invading a dragon’s home and was obviously
unwilling to go further. It began backing away, but from the trees
came a loud snarl and suddenly something whip-like wrapped itself
around the single antler on the centycore’s head. Before the
creature could react, it was jerked violently in one quick motion.
Phillip could hear the snapping of the bones in its neck and likely
several in its spine. The creature dropped instantly and did not
move.
The
dragon stepped out from the tree line, arms loaded with wood, and
sent Phillip a glare. The blonde whimpered and cowered against the
wall, expecting to be slain at any moment.
That
moment did not come, however. Instead, the dragon simply dropped the
wood into a pile close to the cave entrance and with a quick spit of
fire set it ablaze in blue flame.
Phillip
watched as the Night Fang used his tail to pick the leg from earlier
up and hold it over the flames, rotating it when needed. The act
surprised Phillip, since he was well aware of the fact that dragons
did not have any need to cook their food, nor did they go through the
trouble. Their bodies were perfectly capable of digesting it safely
as it was.
Once
the dragon seemed satisfied with the amount of cooking, he carried it
into the cave and presented it to the blonde.
Phillip
cringed, slightly disgusted at many factors of his meal, but forced a
small smile, “Um, thank you, I suppose.”
The
dragon set the leg down in front of him and returned to the carcass,
sitting down to begin his own meal.
Phillip
picked at the leg in silence. He ate small pieces and found them to
be very good, but he still could not get passed the fact that the
meat had not been cleaned nor skinned nor many other factors. He ate
slowly and eventually filled his belly for the first time in over
twenty-four hours.
Leaving
the leg he quietly stood and went to the nest, climbing in and laying
down. The dragon had devoured a good portion of the carcass and
still seemed to be feasting on it, so it was unlikely that Phillip
was going to become a meal anytime soon.
He
looked out toward the sky and guessed that the sun would be setting
within two to three hours. He hoped he was able to sleep better this
night than he had the previous one.
He
watched the dragon eat for a while longer before the creature stood
and dragged the carcass toward the piles of bones outside the cave.
He left it close to the rest of them and went to the body of the
centycore. He did not drag this one to the pile, however, but
instead grabbed it and flew off to dispose of it elsewhere.
He
wasn’t gone especially long, and when he returned he kicked the
fire out and wandered into the cave, eyeing the blonde.
More
silent eye contact.
“Thank
you for everything.” Phillip finally spoke up, voice barely above
an exhausted whisper. He felt as though he could pass out any
minute.
The
dragon reached up and gripped his right shoulder where the scar was
darkest.
Phillip
smiled slightly, glad that he was remembered, “I’m Phillip.”
“Damien.”
Came the voice again. It wasn’t especially deep, but it
reverberated off the walls and sounded louder than it likely was.
“It’s
nice to meet you finally.” Phillip said, attempting a little humor.
Damien’s blank expressions did not change, however, so he moved
on, “May I ask you a question?”
“Yes.”
“Are
you going to eat me?”
The
blonde was shocked when Damien’s expression finally did change. A
mix of shock, confusion and disgust all appeared then disappeared
rapidly, his face going blank again, “Of course not. Why would you
think that?”
“Sorry,”
He apologized, “I just found some bones in the back and scared
myself, I suppose.”
Damien
shrugged, “I wasn’t the first creature to live here. There’s
lots of shit back there that is not mine.”
“That’s
good to hear then.”
Damien
quietly climbed into the nest beside the human and propped himself up
against the rim. Phillip was a little surprised that it was large
enough to fit them both with plenty of personal space.
“I
don’t want to sound rude,” Phillip spoke, “But don’t you have
things to be doing? To survive out here?”
“Not
really.” Damien replied, “When you’re at the top of the food
chain and there’s plenty of potential meals literally living all
around you, there’s no need to worry about that all the time. It’s
a little boring, actually.”
Phillip
hummed in response, unsure of what to say.
It
was Damien who broke the silence next, “So, why?”
“Why
what?” He looked over at the dragon next to him.
Damien
lifted his hand and lightly ran his claws over the discolored skin on
his shoulder.
“Oh,”
Phillip replied, understanding, “I don’t really know. It just
seemed like the right thing to do.”
“I
could have killed you. You had no way of knowing whether or not I
would.”
“I
know. But, I’ve always believed that dragonoids are far more
complex than people think. That they aren’t just blood-thirsty
beasts. I stuck to my beliefs.”
“Good
thing you were right then.”
Phillip
chuckled and let his eyes slipped closed.
God,
he was so tired.
--
When
Phillip opened his eyes again he was startled to find it was
completely dark. Had he really fallen asleep?
A
rumbling beside him drew his attention. He turned to find Damien
fast asleep next to him, the rumbling coming from his chest and
likely caused by deep breathing.
It
was incredibly warm in the nest, another surprise, though a pleasant
one. It took several seconds for him to figure out that it was once
again Damien. Dragons put off an incredible amount of body heat.
Phillip
smiled tiredly and shifted to get comfortable, letting his eyes
slipped closed again.
Chapter
3
Phillip
yawned, stretched and sat up, feeling a little sore from the nest but
more rested than he had been the previous day.
Odd
noises from outside caught his attention. He stood and stepped out
of the nest, heading for the mouth of the cave.
The
sunlight was bright and warm. He paused for a moment to enjoy it
before going to explore the noise.
He
followed the sound to the left of the entrance and walked along the
piles of bones. Just passed the tree line he found Damien. The
large dragon did not seem to notice him as he continued quietly
digging with his large, clawed foot.
“What’re
you doing?” Phillip asked, coming closer to get a better look. The
hole was huge and deep.
“Cleaning.”
Damien clarified.
Phillip
gave him a skeptical look. His legs were covered in dirt and mud.
“It looks more like you’re simply getting dirty.”
“I’ll
wash off later. I’m burying bones.”
“Oh,”
Phillip replied dumbly, “Is there any way I could help?”
“No.”
“Are
you sure? I could help you carry bones over I’m sure.”
“No.
Bones are full of bacteria. If you get cut, you’ll die.”
Damien stopped his digging and stepped back, seemingly satisfied with
the size. He walked back toward the cave and Phillip followed
quietly.
The
blonde plopped down in a patch of thick, green grass under the sun
and lay on his stomach, watching Damien drag arm loads of bones away
from the cave and to the hole.
He
lightly bit his lip.
Because
of their wings dragons could not wear shirts, leaving their often
muscular torsos exposed. Phillip knew he was staring, but he
couldn’t be bothered to stop. Damien was very muscular, but not
too much so. Watching him work, the way the muscles moved and the
ease in which he was able to lift objects Phillip knew would be far
too heavy for any human, was mesmerizing.
Phillip
sighed. A question had been picking at his mind for the past several
minutes, but he was unsure of how to voice it.
He
stood up and walked over to Damien, who was coming back from dumping
bones in the hole.
“Damien?”
The
dragon stopped in his tracks, giving the blonde his full attention.
“Isn’t
there something I could do to earn my keep?”
“…Earn
your keep?”
“Yes.”
Phillip said slowly, “I… I don’t know what you’re thinking,
Damien. I hate to assume things. Did you plan on allowing me to
stay, or were you just letting me stay a night?”
“An
eye for an eye, Phillip. You saved my life, I’m saving yours.”
“But,
it’s not an even trade.” Phillip replied, “I hardly think a few
strips of cotton saved your life and you’ve already saved mine more
than once. I owe you.”
Damien
snorted, “No, we’re even.” He went back to gathering bones.
Phillip
persisted, “You didn’t really answer the question. Do I need to
leave soon?”
“I
did answer the question, you just failed to understand. A few strips
of cotton did not save my life, but your actions did.”
Phillip
followed him as he made a trip to the hole, “You’re right, I
don’t understand. Please elaborate?”
Damien
sighed and dropped the arm load into the hole, “The wounds would
have healed, but my attitude would not have. Being attacked like
that made me angry and bitter, emotions Night Fangs are prone to and
have a hard time getting rid of. The fact that you, a human, helped
me, relieved some of that bitterness, I guess. I was planning on
burning the village once I felt better, as my species is naturally
very vengeful, but I’d say that your actions saved the lives of
your people.”
Phillip
paused for a while, unsure of what to say, “…I really did that?”
Damien
nodded, going back to the cave, “Yes. I’m not going to make you
leave because that would just endanger your life again. What would
be the point in saving you if you were just killed later?”
The
blonde followed, “That’s thoughtful of you.”
Damien
shrugged.
“You
said you were attacked. I was told that you attacked and killed our
people.”
Damien
scoffed, “Bullshit. Humans are too jumpy for their own good. They
attacked me
because they assumed I would attack first, which I wouldn’t have.
I only killed them in defense.”
Phillip
was stunned, though not as much as he would have expected himself to
be, “I had no idea…”
“That’s
not a surprise.” Damien bent down and began rearranging several
skulls that he’d left. They looked almost human, save for the
horns that sprouted from the sides.
Dragon
skulls.
“Did
you kill them?” Phillip asked.
“Yes.”
Damien replied, “They picked a fight they couldn’t win. I keep
the skulls of my best kills.”
Phillip
hummed in response, examining the differences in the horns on each
skull.
“Would
you like to go to the river?” Damien asked once he was finished.
“What
about the hole?”
“I’ll
bury it later. Come on, I’m hungry.”
Phillip
followed the dragon to the river, which was in the opposite direction
that Damien had dug the hole. The sound of the waterfall became
louder until finally the river came into view. He guessed they were
around one hundred feet from the cave.
“This
is beautiful.” Phillip commented, stopping by the water’s edge.
It was wider here than in other areas where he had crossed and deeper
too. The waterfall was a good distance into the cliff and very tall.
“Your
village is about three miles upstream.” Damien explained.
“Wow,
that’s closer than I thought…” Phillip replied, mood dropping
slightly.
“I
can take you back anytime.” Damien offered.
“Oh,
no… I was kicked out for scaring people. It’s not okay to defend
dragons, apparently.”
Damien
seemed surprised, but it was hard to tell with his mostly blank
expression, “In that case, you’re free to stay as long as you
like.”
“Thank
you very much.” Phillip said with a large smile.
Damien
waded out into the water, the current washing dirt from his legs.
Phillip
kicked his shoes and socks off and tested the water. It was a little
chilly, but not so much that he wouldn’t get in. He rid himself of
his clothes and got in. He sat down on his knees in the water,
making it come up to his stomach, and began washing himself off. He
splashed water on his arms and face and rubbed off layers of dirt and
sweat that had built up over the past two days.
Afterward,
he shifted to sit on his rump, the rocks lightly poking him, and laid
back to rinse his hair and back.
When
he sat back up he was completely wet. He rang his hair out and
sighed, feeling much better.
Then
he realized that Damien was staring right at him.
Phillip
blushed and shifted self-consciously, “Um…?”
“You
look malnourished.” Damien said.
“Excuse
me?”
“You
need to eat more. You’re too thin.” Damien’s tail snaked out
of the water and poked the blonde in the stomach, making him squeak,
“And too soft.”
“I’ll
keep that in mind.” Phillip replied, wrapping his arms around
himself.
“Do
you like fish?”
Phillip
brightened, “Oh yes, I love fish.”
“Good.”
Damien turned away and went further out. His shorts dipped into the
water as he went out, but he didn’t seem to care. He stared hard
into the water and suddenly jerked, lifting his leg up and pulling
his foot out a few seconds later. Clutched in his talons was a large
salmon. He gripped it in his hands and threw it over his shoulder,
where it landed on the bank several feet from the water’s edge.
The
process continued until ten salmon lay on the bank. Damien walked
out of the water and into the surrounding woods, coming back minutes
later with wood. He dropped it into a good pile and set it ablaze
with a quick spit of fire.
“You’re
doing that for me, aren’t you?” Phillip asked meekly.
Damien
nodded, “I forgot yesterday. Humans don’t do well when they eat
uncooked meat.”
“Thank
you.” Phillip smiled.
Damien
stuck two of the fish on sticks and positioned them over the fire.
Phillip
climbed out and sat down on a rock, letting himself dry in the warm
sunlight.
He
noticed Damien’s eyes on him again, but said nothing.
--
Phillip
came to realize that Damien’s statement about his life being on the
boring side was pretty accurate. In fact, there simply wasn’t much
to do aside from hunt, and Damien was the one to do so, leaving
Phillip simply feeling useless.
When
he wasn’t hunting, Damien was prone to taking naps in the shade, a
habit which Phillip quickly took to as well. He often found himself
lying on his back; head propped against Damien’s hip while the
dragon leaned against a tree and slumbered. The odd rumbling that he
emitted in his sleep was somewhere between a purr and a growl, or a
strange mixture of both, and put Phillip to sleep rather quickly.
When they didn’t feel like napping small talk was made, mostly on
Phillip’s side. He told stories of village life while Damien
listened, hardly making any comments. The dragon rarely talked about
himself.
Phillip
stopped bothering to keep track of the days. It’s not like it
mattered out in the wild anyway. Sometimes he wondered about the
people he’d been forced to leave, but it was a subject he tried not
to think about.
It
was strange how Damien could seem to sense when his mood dropped.
The dragon wasn’t especially keen on humor, but his attempts to
cheer the blonde up were thoughtful nonetheless. He’d make a witty
observation about something, or tell a story from his past that was
humorous in some way, or even attempt a corny joke once in a while.
None of the jokes or stories were especially funny, but Phillip
always laughed because they were coming from Damien, which in itself
was amusing.
Phillip
liked to think that Damien did not like to get especially far from
him, which seemed to be true since the dragon only ever left to go
hunt and always kept the blonde within his sight otherwise. He never
went to bed before the blonde either and his naps were longer when
Phillip napped with him.
He
knew that the possibility of Damien being interested in him like that
was really just wishful thinking on his part. Dragons and most other
creatures often chose a mate based on how well they could reproduce
and bear strong offspring together. Since there was no way two males
could produce children together, Phillip knew his chances were
basically zero. If anything, Damien likely saw him as a companion to
keep him company and qualm his boredom.
Phillip
wished he’d been able to gain access to better books when he was in
the village. He’d read everything their small library had to offer
on dragons, but most of it he knew to be biased and inaccurate, and
even then there simply wasn’t much information overall. Being in
the wild was like being in a whole other culture in itself, and he
was grossly unacknowledged on it.
--
Phillip
woke with a start, kicking himself awake from another nightmare. He
could not recollect it, but it hadn’t seemed like it was that bad.
He stretched and sat up, taking a deep breath of the morning air.
Beside
him, Damien was still asleep, which was odd since he almost always
got up before the human.
The
blonde did not want to wake him, but he was also incredibly thirsty.
He swallowed a few times, trying to rid his throat of the dryness
that had settled in overnight, but it was no use.
They’d
made the short trip to the river a hundred times and nothing had ever
happened. It wouldn’t hurt to go alone just this once, right?
Besides, once Damien woke up that would likely be the first place he
checked, so he wouldn’t even be alone for very long.
He
quietly climbed out of the nest and sneaked out of the cave. Damien
did not stir.
Phillip
relaxed a little and walked along the base of the cliff to the river.
He
smiled when it came into view. The water was a light blue close to
the shore, but toward the middle it quickly turned dark where its
depth increased.
He
squatted on the edge and dipped his cupped hands into the cool water,
bringing up a palm full and lifting it to his mouth. The water
rushing down his parched throat was a wonderful sensation and he
happily dipped a few more times before standing.
He
looked out at the water and guessed that he’d been gone around five
or so minutes now. Damien would likely wake soon and come looking.
He
turned to head back and stopped in his tracks when he saw the tree
line. The hairs on the back of his neck stood upright as he stared
hard at a tree trunk. He wasn’t sure what was off about it, if
anything, but Damien had told him before that his instincts could
tell him much more than he was aware of and to always
listen.
It
hit him soon enough that the trunk was oddly distorted in such a way
that it almost appeared as though there were a large piece of glass
in front of it. The image was clear, but it was shaped just slightly
off.
Phillip
wracked his brain, trying to come up with a reason for this, when the
trunk moved and became normal again, but the trunks next to it
shifted to odd angles.
The
blonde’s heart nearly stopped when he realized exactly how much
danger he was in.
He
was staring right at an Abeo Dragon.
They
were illusionists. Their wings acted much like a chameleon, but
better; they could change color, create strange patterns, or even
blend in to make themselves nearly invisible. Only the wings and
tail could do this, however, so the Abeo was likely crouching beneath
them to hide himself. Abeos preferred to stalk their prey when
possible, or, when dealing with humans, to charm them into putting
down their defenses. Abeos had perfected the art of deceit in both
physical form and personality wise.
Phillip
took a slow breath. The dragon would not attack him when he was
staring right at it. All he had to do was slowly back his way to the
cave. As long as the Abeo was in his line of sight, he would be
fine.
He
slowly backed toward the cliff, eyes never wavering from the
distorted trunks. He breathed a small sigh of the relief when he
felt his back touch the wall of dirt and he slowly began pulling
himself along it.
He
gasped when the shape suddenly darted toward him, stopping just
beside a tree that was far too close for comfort.
Phillip
whimpered and made the mistake of glancing along the cliff toward the
cave. It was barely for a second, but when he looked back the Abeo
was suddenly on him, its clawed hands pressed against the cliff above
his head. Two honey-colored eyes stared into his own and a pair of
curved horns jutted out of a head of blonde hair. A pair of huge
orange wings blocked out the sun.
The
Abeo grinned down at him, “A little far from your village, aren’t
you?”
Phillip
whimpered, his heart pounding so loud he was sure the dragon could
hear it, “I… I was kicked out.”
“Oh?
Why on earth would they kick out someone as… frail
as you, hm?”
“They
didn’t like… That I didn’t agree with their beliefs.”
“Really
now?
How interesting. You know what else is interesting? Well, the
closest village is about three miles away, assuming that’s yours,
so I’m just thinking… How did you get this far, blondie?”
Phillip
saw a small chance for survival and took it, “A dragon took me in,
the one that lives in the cave just a little ways from here,
actually.”
The
Abeo quirked an eyebrow, but his grin never wavered, “Oh really?
You mean the Night Fang? Damien?”
Phillip
quickly nodded, hope rising.
The
Abeo chuckled and shook his head, clicking his tongue tut
tut tut,
“Don’t try to deceive me, little human. I’m no fool; in fact I
make people into fools.” He leaned in a little closer, “Know how
I know you’re lying? Damien is no generous softy. He’s a Night
Fang, after all, and I’m sure you already know how violent they can
be. Damien’s a real ass on top of that, but don’t go telling him
I said that, okay? He’d hit me for sure.” He chuckled at his
little joke, the sound crushing Phillip’s hopes.
Suddenly,
something long and black came swooping out of nowhere and struck the
Abeo on the head, right between the horns. The dragon yelped loudly
and grabbed its head, backing away.
Phillip
slipped out of the dragon’s reach and was relieved to see Damien
giving the Abeo a hard glare, his tail coming back to rest at his
side. He quickly ran to him and stood against him, secretly thrilled
when the Night Fang put his arm protectively across his small
shoulders.
The
Abeo spat and cursed and shook his head several times before finally
looking up with a glare of his own, “Why did you fucking hit me!?”
His charm seemed to be gone.
“Because
you called me an ass.” Damien replied, “And, because where the
hell have you been? I haven’t seen you in a fucking month and I
have shit that needs to be seen to.”
“Fuck
you!” The Abeo spat, still angry, “Do you know how many creatures
have their hands out to me? Whining to me about shit they need?” He
made a face and his voice took a mocking tone, “Kenneth
I need this, Kenneth
I need that! Kenneth
dear
do you think you could go get me this crazy bullshit I don’t really
need and is ridiculously hard to find so I can bitch at you later
when you can’t find it?” His shoulders dropped and his face
became irritated, “I’ve been fucking busy as shit, okay? It’s
like no one can fucking think for themselves anymore or at least do
without a bunch of fancy bullshit that’s completely unnecessary.”
He huffed, crossing his arms, “Now, are you seriously looking after
that human? Because I got about four orders I could use him for that
would make my life immensely easier.”
Damien
growled and pulled Phillip closer, “No. Go find another human if
you need one so badly.”
“Yeah,
but see, here’s the thing,” He shifted his weight to one foot and
held his arms out in an explanatory manner, “The orders are really
specific and he kinda works for all of them. I’d probably have to
use two or three other humans in his place unless I just happened to
find another one just like him, so maybe you could just fork him over
and I’ll find you a different pet?”
Damien
stiffened, another growl leaving his throat, this one more dangerous,
“Absolutely not,
Kenny. He is far more valuable to me than a simple pet and if you
harm one hair on his head I
will kill you.”
The words made Phillip’s heart flutter.
Kenny
held his arms up in defeat, the skin on his lower forearms was
thicker and a dark orange color, “Okay, okay, you win. Jeez.”
Behind
him something suddenly rose from the water, creating a loud splash. A
blonde sat in the middle of the stream now, water running down his
smooth, light blue skin. Where his ears should have been were fins
and the horns on his head had grown out backward, pointing toward his
neck with a slight curve. He looked at the group with large, dark
blue eyes that seemed to lack pupils. His voice was soft and light
when he spoke, “Is that the boy from the village you told me about
last year?”
“Yeah.”
Damien replied.
The
blonde smiled and lifted his webbed hands from the water, clapping
them with glee, “I’m so glad!”
“Wait,
wait, what?” Kenny looked between them, “What the fuck did I
miss?”
“Don’t
worry about it.” Damien grunted, “Now, about my orders.”
Kenny
rolled his eyes, “Can’t I get a break for like, two fucking
minutes? Or a day, really? I’ve been flying all over the place
for the past month. I didn’t stop by to see my best friend just to
get sent back to work.”
“But,
Kenny,” The dragon in the water called innocently, “You’ve been
loafing around for two days now.”
“Thanks,
babe.” Kenny grumbled.
The
blonde giggled and stood up out of the water. There was a long fin
that ran from the base of his neck all the way down his back to the
tip of his mermaid-like tail. There were two fins on the sides of
his lower legs. He slowly walked toward the shore, stumbling a
little as he came closer.
Kenny
immediately went to the water and held out his hand for the shorter
dragon to take. The act surprised Phillip, since Abeo’s were
supposedly near-emotionless and were thought to only look out for
themselves, but then he realized that that ‘fact’ was likely
biased and completely incorrect.
The
blue dragon giggled as he walked clumsily toward them, Kenny’s arm
across his shoulder and their other hands connected. “I’m not as
graceful on land as I am in the water.” He said as the duo stopped
in front of them. He held out his hand to Phillip with a kind smile,
“I’m Leopold, but you can call me Butters if you like, or Leo, I
don’t care which.”
“I’m
Phillip. It’s nice to meet you.” Phillip replied with his own
smile, taking the offered hand.
“Likewise!”
--
Phillip
learned very quickly that Butters was indeed much less graceful on
land then the water. He swam with the most elegance that Phillip had
ever seen, as though he and the water were one perfect entity. On
land however, he tripped and stumbled more often than not and seemed
to be unable to keep his balance even when standing still. Kenny was
always by his side out of the water, which was the only thing keeping
the water dragon on his feet.
The
two made a cute pair.
“Winter
is going to be here soon.” Butter observed the next morning as he
lay on his belly just below the water.
Phillip
could hear Kenny talking just downstream where he and Damien were
catching fish. He sat his clothes aside and carefully stepped into
the water, “I completely forgot about that…” He sat down next
to his new friend, “I suppose I’ll need some winter clothes.”
“I’ll
have Kenny get you some.” Butters said with a smile.
Phillip
gave him a skeptical look, “I’m not sure he would want to do that
for me.”
“Nonsense!
He’s a little rough around the edges, but he’s a total softy at
heart. I’m sure he could find you something nice.”
“I
suppose you two are close then?”
Butters
nodded and pushed himself up, resting on his knees instead. He
lifted a hand to a necklace made of beautiful shells, pearls, and
other gems, “He made this for me four years ago. We’ve been
mates ever since.”
Phillip
smiled, “I’m very happy for you.” He paused a moment, unsure if
he should voice his thoughts, “…I… Have a question… If you
don’t mind.”
“Of
course not. You can ask me anything.”
“Well…
I was just always under the impression that dragons chose mates based
on how well they reproduced together. I didn’t think they would
choose a mate of the same sex.”
“Well,
Kenny understands that kind of stuff better than I do, actually.
But, I know that the dragon you choose to spend the rest of your life
with isn’t necessarily the one you reproduce with. Actually, Kenny
has several offspring from different females, but he loves
me. That’s not too strange, right?”
“I
suppose not… It’s just a lot different than what humans do.”
Butters
giggled, “I could understand why it would be an adjustment for you,
being out here. It’s wonderful that Damien took you in… Speaking
of which…?” He leaned forward, eyes implying more than he’d
spoken.
Phillip
blushed, “Oh, yes. He’s been just wonderful. There’s no way I
would have survived so long without him.”
“How
long have you been out here?”
“Oh,
um…” Phillip paused, thinking, “… I think about three weeks?”
“He’s
been taking good care of you then. You’re not dead, after all.”
They both laughed, but the joke made Phillip a little uncomfortable.
An almost sly look made its way onto the dragon’s face, “So, are
you two…?”
Phillip
blushed darkly, “Oh, no! We’re not mates…”
“Well,
I know
that.”
Butters giggled, “I mean are you two pairing off?”
“Um…
Is that like dating?”
“I
don’t know? What’s dating?”
Phillip
shook his head, “Never mind. I don’t think we’re pairing off.
I… I guess I’d like to… But I’m not sure how he feels about
me.”
“Really?
Because it seems like he’s already picked you.”
Phillip
was about to ask what he meant by that, but the other two dragons
walked up the river carrying a basket of fish, Kenny chatting
rapidly.
Damien
dropped the basket and went to the forest for firewood. Kenny took
two of the fish and walked into the river, plopping down a few feet
from shore, successfully soaking himself. Butters giggled and swam
to him, coming to rest beside his mate. They each took a fish and
bit into it, the scales and bones crunching and splitting between
their powerful jaws.
Phillip
shuddered at the gruesome sight and turned away.
Damien
came back with wood and dropped it in a pile, a spit of fire igniting
it in mere seconds. Phillip smiled and stood up from the water,
going to the rock were he’d taken to sunning himself dry.
Damien’s
blood-red eyes were on him immediately.
“Winter’s
coming soon.” Phillip said, covering himself as best he could
without making it look
like he was doing so.
Damien
looked away, his eyes on Kenny now, “You can get him winter
clothing, right?”
“’Course.
I can get anything you need me to. He’s going to need blankets
too, or he’ll freeze to death out here.”
“Right,
thanks.” Damien replied, jamming a couple fish onto sticks and
positioning them over the fire.
“Thank
you, Kenny.” Phillip spoke up. The Abeo dragon turned to him and
smiled, “Sure thing, Pipsqueak. Any friend of Damien’s is a
friend of mine.”
Phillip
made a face, “Pipsqueak?”
“Yeah,”
The smile turned into a mischievous grin, “You’re tiny, a real
Pipsqueak.”
“I’m
not that
tiny.”
“You’re
pretty small…” Damien said, looking him over, “Pipsqueak seems
pretty accurate.”
“Kinda
long for a nickname though.” Kenny mused, “How about just Pip?”
“That
works.”
“Excuse
me,” Phillip spoke up, “But don’t I get a say in this?”
“No.”
Damien and Kenny answered in unison, settling the matter.
Phillip
huffed and crossed his arms, though he was secretly a little giddy at
having his own nickname.
Chapter
4
Phillip
was a little surprised that the thick coat fit him so perfectly and
that the shoes were his exact size. Kenny had soared off before he
could give him any of his sizes, but had returned within two days
with an assortment of clothing choices, all of which fit him.
“How
did you know my size?” He asked, shrugging the coat off and setting
it beside the nest.
“I
didn’t.” Kenny clarified, “Well, not in that sense anyway.
Abeo’s have a photographic memory, so I just knew what would fit
you and what wouldn’t.”
“That’s
incredible…”
Kenny
shrugged, “How do you think we make such excellent Order Masters?
We remember everything exactly, so it’s hard to screw up the job.”
“Did
you get my order too?” Damien spoke up. Kenny nodded, grinning,
and began digging through the large basket he used to carry the
orders, “Of course. I wouldn’t leave out something so…
Special.” He lifted a cloth bag from the basket.
Damien
growled and snatched it from him, “Hush. You don’t breathe a
word of this to anyone. Not yet.”
“Yeah,
yeah, gotcha. My lips are sealed.” He made a motion as though he
was zipping his lips.
“Good.”
“May
I ask what it is?” Phillip spoke up from the side of the nest.
“You
may not.” Damien replied shortly, turning away from them and
disappearing into the tunnel at the back of the cave. He’d done it
several times since Phillip had been there, but he refused to take
the blonde with him through it, claiming it was a “dragon’s
secret.”
The
boy’s feelings were hurt by the reply. He turned to Kenny,
“Another dragon’s secret?”
“Mmmfmfns.”
Kenny mumbled, lips still tightly sealed together, “Mnfhns! Mhmhn!”
He flailed, as though he was actually distraught that his lips were
stuck.
Phillip
giggled, finding the act amusing.
Kenny
smiled and reached up, unzipping his mouth. “Yeah, you could call
it that.” He said, “I’d just tell you, but he’d hurt me real
bad for sure.”
“Well,
I certainly wouldn’t want that to happen.”
“Good
to know. Do you want to come back to the river with me? I’m sure
Butter’s is getting lonely all by himself.” Kenny offered.
The
human shook his head, “No, thank you. I’m going to sort through
what you so kindly brought for me. I may come down a little later
though.”
“Mkay.
See ya later.” He waved as he turned away and left the cave.
Once
he was gone, Pip set to work sorting through the assortment of coats,
pants, blankets, and other items that would keep him alive through
the winter.
--
Hours
later Phillip began to worry when Damien did not reappear from the
tunnel. He considered searching for him, but decided he didn’t
want to risk the dragon becoming angry with him, so he settled for
walking to the river instead.
He
sat down on the water’s edge and put his feet in the water, smiling
when Butter’s swam up to him.
“I
was wondering when you’d come by.” He said, voice angelic.
“I
had to look through what Kenny was so kind to bring me.” Pip
replied with a smile, “Speaking of which, where is he?”
“Hunting,
I think. He took off about ten minutes ago. Where’s Damien?”
“Hiding
out for some reason. He took a satchel that Kenny brought back with
him and went through the tunnel at the back of the cave. That was
hours ago and I haven’t seen hide nor hair of him.”
“What
was in the satchel?”
Pip
shrugged, “He wouldn’t tell me.”
“That’s
interesting…” Butters paused, as though thinking, then suddenly
he was grinning, a glint in his eye, “Have you two paired off yet?”
Pip
sighed, “I don’t know what that means.”
“Well,
it really seems like you have.”
“Why?”
Butters
hummed and rolled onto his back, swimming in little circles in front
of his friend, “See, most dragons aren’t really herd creatures;
they don’t like company. There are a few exceptions, but Night
Fang’s aren’t one of them. They like a lot of space so most of
them don’t ever choose a mate and they rarely reproduce, which is
why there are so few of them. I just think the fact that he’s let
you stay with him for three weeks means he must really like you.”
“Well,
I did save his life.” Pip explained, “He said that since I saved
his that he would save mine, and by letting me stay he’s keeping me
alive. I can’t exactly go back to my village, after all.”
Butters
rolled back over and swam back to him, “I think it’s more than
that though. Kenny and I have known him for years and he treats you
better than us, not that I’m complaining or anything. He hunts for
you, cooks your food for you, takes care of you, he’s protective of
you… That’s not the Damien I know. He’s more selfish than
that. I really think… He’s picked you.”
“But,
what does that mean?
Picked me for what?”
Butter’s
opened his mouth to reply, then quickly shut it. A panicked looked
crossed his face before he quickly disappeared beneath the water.
It
was only then that Pip felt and heard the footsteps and looked over
his shoulder.
Damien
walked out from the tree line and continued toward him, a neutral
expression on his face, “There you are.”
“Um…
Yes.” The blonde offered a smile.
“I
got worried when you weren’t in the cave. I don’t like having
you out of my sight for long.” He stopped next to the human and sat
down.
“You
were hiding out for the better part of the day.” Pip explained, a
light blush dusting his cheeks.
“Was
I? I didn’t know it had been that long. I apologize.” He looked
around, “Where are the other two? You’re not here by yourself,
are you?”
“No.
Butter’s is diving and Kenny is hunting, I believe.”
Damien
frowned, “It’s not safe for you to be unguarded out here. You’re
fine if you’re in the cave, but you should never be alone at the
river.”
“But,
I’m not alone.” Pip clarified. He jumped a little in surprise
when he felt the tail wrap around his waist, holding him firmly but
comfortably.
“I
know, but you did come here by yourself once and you were nearly
killed.” Damien looked down at him, eyes intense.
“Sorry…”
Pip apologized, looking away.
“It’s
alright, but don’t do it again.”
“I
won’t, I promise.” He looked back up and gave Damien a sweet
smile. It took a few seconds, but eventually Damien gave his own
small smile in return.
The
two sat in silence, staring out at the water.
Phillip
felt eyes on him again and looked back up. Damien was staring down
at him, an almost worried look on his face.
“What?”
Damien
slowly lifted his hand and gently pushed Pip’s shoulder with the
back of it, easily moving the small human. The action only seemed to
worsen his mood and he let the hand drop back to the ground, “It
just… scares me how… fragile you are.”
The
words surprised Pip, “… I’m… I’m not that
fragile. I can take care of myself just fine.”
“I
know, but it doesn’t stop me from worrying. I could hurt you so
easily without even meaning to…”
“Well,
yes, I suppose you could… But I’d forgive you.” He offered a
smile.
Damien,
however, did not let up, “You have no idea how badly I could hurt
you, Phillip, and that scares me more than anything.”
Pip
was taken aback by his words. They were a little frightening, to say
the least, and it didn’t help that he also found it strange that
Damien was opening up about such things. He hardly talked in the
weeks before, and now he wanted to share all his thoughts?
“Damien,
is something wrong?” The blonde asked, “Why are you suddenly
telling me this? I’ve been out here three weeks and you haven’t
hurt me at all thus far, why do you think that will change?”
Damien
regarded him for several seconds before replying, “…Never mind.
It’s not important right now. Are you hungry? I’ll go get you
something if you’d like.”
“No,
I’m not. I want to talk about this. Why are you acting like this
so suddenly? Can’t you tell me, please?”
“No,
I can’t, and you’d be smart to drop the subject.” Damien
snapped, standing, “I’m sure Kenny will bring you something when
you’re hungry. If you need me, I’ll be in the cave.”
“Hiding
out in back, I presume?” Pip replied bitterly, crossing his arms as
the tail left him.
“Yes.”
Damien growled back before taking his leave.
Once
he was gone, Pip let out a little huff of anger, clenching his teeth.
Butters
resurfaced seconds later, looking up at him, “Are you alright?”
“… No.
No, I’m not.”
The
water dragon pulled himself out of the water and sat beside his
friend, putting an arm across his shoulders. “What’s wrong?”
He asked softly, a kind tone in his voice.
“He
just… Starts going on about how he’s worried about me, and when I
ask him why, he gets snappish and leaves. I’m just… Hurt, I
guess. Hurt and confused.”
“It’ll
be okay,” Butters soothed, “Damien’s never been one to express
his feelings, so I’m sure he’s just awkward and unsure of how to
go about it. He may not know why he’s feeling what he is himself.”
“Maybe.”
Phillip muttered, looking down at his lap, “I know you won’t
think me stupid for saying this, so I’ll get it out. I actually
really like him, and I suppose I would like it very much if we were
mates. I just can’t tell how he feels about me, so I’m afraid of
getting my hopes up, only to have them crushed. He’s always
reacted so neutrally to everything that I never thought he was
interested. That, and before meeting you I was under the impression
that dragon’s mated based on reproduction value, which I did not
have to him since I’m male.”
Butters
hummed lightly and squeezed Pip’s shoulders, “All I can offer is
what I explained earlier. At the very least he’s taken a liking to
you and I can’t see him ever turning you away. He obviously cares
about you.”
“Yeah,
I suppose there’s that at least.”
A
loud thumping behind them signaled the arrival of the Abeo dragon,
who dropped off a large deer he’d snagged. “Who’s hungry?” He
called.
Phillip
sighed and stood up, helping the graceless water dragon to his feet
as well and assisting him as they made their way toward the meal.
--
Later
that night Phillip climbed into the nest alone. He’d grown used to
the Night Fang’s impressive body heat, so he had to get a blanket
before he was comfortable enough to fall asleep in the empty nest.
Chapter
5
The
next morning when Phillip awoke he found himself curled up against
Damien’s side, the dragon still sleeping deeply. He carefully
pushed himself up and stretched, letting out a long yawn before
climbing out of the nest.
He
shivered at the chill in the air and pulled a coat on. Winter was
definitely closing in, which would mean no more dips in the river to
wash off.
Maybe
he should ask Kenny to get him a large pot that he could use to heat
up water to bathe in… Would that be asking too much?
A
cold wind blew through the cave, making the blonde shiver again. He
considered heading to the river, but decided he didn’t want to go
to simply sit on the bank shivering. Instead, he shed the coat and
crawled back into the nest, figuring it wouldn’t hurt to relax
awhile longer. He pulled the blanket over himself and curled a
little closer to the warm dragon next to him.
Damien
made a noise when Phillip accidentally brushed him and reached out,
gripping the blonde with a clawed hand. Pip let out a surprised
squeak when Damien pulled him against him, wrapping his other arm
around the thin body.
Phillip
relaxed and laid his head down on a powerful chest, loving the warmth
surrounding him.
He
rested his eyes and listened to the dragon’s deep, even breathing
and loud, rhythmic heartbeat.
Paradise.
Damien
suddenly shifted and groaned, squeezing the blonde against him. A
hand came up from behind Phillip and he could feel claws slowly and
gently running through his hair.
“Are
you awake?” Phillip nearly whispered, enjoying the sensation.
“No.”
Came Damien’s deep, rumbling voice, “Go back to sleep.”
Pip
giggled at the answer and moved his hand to rest on Damien’s chest.
His fingers brushed rough skin and the blonde realized that it was
the scar on the dragon’s chest. He lifted his head slightly to
look at the discolored skin. It spanned from Damien’s chest to his
right shoulder, marking nearly the exact area that the wound had been
years previous.
“It
must’ve hurt so much…” Phillip muttered without realizing it.
Damien hummed, gently grabbing the human’s thin wrist, “It did,
but it was much better after you tended to it.”
The
way Damien’s hand easily wrapped his wrist was interesting to Pip.
The dragon’s hands were huge, making his wrist look even smaller
than it actually was.
“I
didn’t really do that much,” Pip replied, “I didn’t even have
proper bandages, I just used my shirt.”
“That
was thoughtful of you.”
“I
guess.” He rested his head back on the dragon’s chest and smiled
when he felt claws running through his hair again. They seemed to
move slowly and carefully, as though Damien was afraid that if he
moved any less cautiously he would tear through the blonde’s soft
flesh. He very easily could.
“Phillip?”
Damien’s chest rumbled when he spoke.
“Hm?”
The blonde lifted his head slightly to look at the alpha male.
“I
made something for you.” He shifted enough to reach to his right
and gently lifted something from the side of the nest.
They
both sat up and Damien presented his hand. Draped delicately across
his palm was a necklace made of string and wire. The thick, black
string was the main part of the necklace and hanging off of it with
wires were various gems, shells, and a tooth. In the center was a
small wad of cloth tightly wrapped around the string and secured with
one wire. It was a faded white, but had a large maroon stain across
most of it.
“You
made that? For me?” Phillip asked, blush spreading across his
features.
Damien
nodded, “Is it okay? Should I try again?”
“No,
it’s beautiful!” Pip replied excitedly.
“You
like it then?”
“I
love it!”
Damien
gave a small smile, “May I put it on you?”
Phillip
nodded and turned around. The necklace was gently slipped around his
neck and he could feel Damien sealing it together in the back. He
turned back around a lifted a hand to investigate each item, “These
gems are amazing. Where did you get them?”
“I
have a stash in the tunnel… I’ll show you, if you like.”
“I’d
love to see them.” Phillip smiled at him, then turned his attention
back to the necklace, “These shells are from the river, I assume?”
“Yeah.
There’s one from here and one from where the river comes closest
to your village.”
Phillip
was surprised at that, “Why?”
“Because
that’s I’m supposed to do…?” Damien gave him an odd look, as
though he thought perhaps Phillip was joking with him.
“Oh,
right.” Pip replied dumbly, “What’s this tooth from?”
“The
Centaur. I cleaned it well.”
“Oh,
good.” It was a little gross, but still thoughtful. “What’s
this cloth from?”
“It’s
your shirt, from the day we met. It has my blood on it.”
“How…
Sweet.” Phillip smiled, though it was slightly forced. He couldn’t
help being a little freaked out at what was wrapped around his neck,
but it didn’t bother him too much because it was surprising
thoughtful.
“Sorry,
I know it’s a little gross for you,” Damien apologized, “But,
it had the most value and since other creatures will be able to smell
it, it will keep you safe.”
“Thank
you so much.” Phillip smiled brightly, “This is wonderful!”
Damien
smiled in return, “I’m happy you like it.”
Pip
squeaked when the larger male pulled him against him and nuzzled his
head. The sudden increase in attention as of late surprised and
confused Pip, but he wasn’t complaining. He relaxed into the
warmth and let Damien hold him tight. He felt tiny and fragile in
comparison to the large and powerful dragon, but he found himself
enjoying the way he felt protected.
“So,
the answer is ‘yes,’ then?” Damien rumbled.
“Hm?”
The blonde hummed, looking up at the dragon, “Yes to what?”
Damien
moved away from him, looking down, a mix of confusion and irritation
on his face, “What do you mean ‘yes to what?’ I made you a
necklace. The question should be obvious.”
“Oh,
well, I’m not education on dragon customs, Damien. I don’t know
what the question is.” Phillip replied apologetically.
Damien
looked down at him silently for several seconds, looking almost hurt,
“… It’s not important. Forget I said anything. Are you
hungry?”
“Damien,
I’m sorry. You could just ask…”
The
dragon stood and stepped out of the nest, “I’ll go find us
breakfast.”
“Damien,
wait, please!” Pip called, but it was no use. Damien ignored him
and took flight.
Phillip
whimpered, resisting the sudden urge to cry, and quickly climbed out
of the nest. He put his shoes and a coat on and left the cave,
heading hastily to the river.
He
stopped just past the tree line and blushed madly. Kenny and Butters
were in the river, wrapped in each others arms and kissing deeply.
He backed up, planning on leaving the two to their own devices, but
they parted and Butter’s spotted him.
“Hi,
Pip!” He called.
“Hello,”
Phillip replied, “I didn’t mean to intrude, sorry. I’ll come
back later.”
“Oh,
nonsense.” Butters smiled and moved away from Kenny, “We’re not
busy.”
“Kay,
well, that’s up for debate…” Kenny grumbled irritably,
following his mate toward the shore.
Phillip
smiled and walked to the river, setting down on the bank. Kenny sat
down in the water close to him, while Butter’s rested on his
stomach.
There
was more sunlight here than around the cave and Pip found himself
feeling a little over heated. He opened the coat, but did not remove
it.
Butter’s
suddenly gasped and squealed loudly, making the other two jump in
surprise. He came out of the water like a bullet and tackled
Phillip, sending them both to the ground.
“Oh
my gosh! I’m so happy for you!” Butters squealed and giggled with
joy, squeezing his friend tightly.
“Um,
what?” Phillip grunted, finding it a little difficult to breath.
Butters
released him and they both sat up. The water dragon was smiling like
an idiot as he poked a finger at the human, “I knew it I knew it I
knew it! I was right!”
He laughed.
“I’m
both surprised and not surprised at the same time.” Kenny said,
“It’s a really strange conflict of emotions.”
“I’m
just confused.” Pip spoke up, “Right about what?”
“Right
about what?” Butters giggled, leaning forward, “He made
you the necklace!
How can it not
be obvious?”
Pip
looked away sadly, “What’s almost exactly what Damien said…”
Butters’
face fell, “What? You mean… You didn’t say yes?”
“I
couldn’t. I don’t know what the question is. He wouldn’t tell
me either, he just said not to worry about it and left.”
“Oh…
Oh gosh, I’m so sorry.” Butters whimpered, placing his hand
against his mouth, “He let you keep the necklace though, so there’s
still hope…”
“Well
I can’t do much if I don’t know what the question
is.” Phillip grumbled.
Butters
slipped back into the water as Kenny spoke, “I don’t know how
human customs work, but dragon’s give each other items to show
affection. Not just any old junk or even the most priceless gem,
either. The item has to have sentimental value. The more the item
means to the dragon the more valuable it is, obviously. When a
dragon wants to court a mate, they make a necklace with items of
sentimental value. Gems are to make the necklace more appealing to
the eye. The receiving dragon can either accept or reject the
necklace. If they accept, the necklace is made to be near-permanent.
It doesn’t come off unless you rip it off. This is because
dragon’s mate for life, unless the mate dies, then the living
dragon may court again. The gems are also all eventually replaced
with sentimental items from the two dragons’ lives together and
once they are gone you can simply add more items. If the receiving
dragon rejects the necklace, the courting dragon may either give up
and court another, or make a new necklace and try again. Courting
can last anywhere from one day to many years.”
Kenny’s
explanation suddenly made everything a lot clearer.
The
cloth from the day they met, the tooth of the Centaur that brought
them together again, and shells from their homes.
“He…
Wants me as a mate?” Pip asked, dumbfounded.
“Looks
like it.” Butters grinned.
“I
suggest you head back and formerly accept or reject the offer before
he comes barking at me for advice. You’re a lot easier to give
advice to than him.”
“Right…
Thank you. Thank you so much!” Phillip quickly stood and jogged
back to the cave.
Damien
was not there, which wasn’t surprising, though it still upset
Phillip. He told himself that Damien was simply out hunting, but he
couldn’t help but worry that the dragon wouldn’t return.
He
sat in the nest and waited, thinking over what he could say. Should
be apologize for not knowing? Just flat out say yes? Maybe he should
try some kind of humor? No, that was a dumb thought.
A
large shadow drew his attention. He could hear a creature screaming
high above the cave, the sound slowly growing louder. Phillip barely
jumped when a deer landed with a sickening thud just outside the
cave, the screams silenced.
Damien
landed seconds later. He lit the fire pit before picking up the deer
and hanging it in a tree by its hind legs. With a quick swipe of his
razor sharp claws the deer’s neck burst open and blood poured out
onto the ground.
Phillip
quietly climbed out of the nest and trotted toward the dragon.
“Damien?”
The
dragon’s attention was immediately on him. Red eyes narrowed on
the necklace before looking back up at his face, expression
expectant.
Pip
shifted, unsure of how to voice his feelings, “I… I went to the
river.”
Damien
gave him an irritated look, “Didn’t I tell you yesterday not to
do that? It’s dangerous on your own.”
“Well
I had
to talk to someone after you left like that! Besides, I have the
necklace. You said the smell would help protect me.”
“Right,
right, the necklace,” Damien muttered, looking away, “How could I
forget about that.”
It was more of a sarcastic remark than a question.
“Damien…
I talked to Leo and Kenny. They told me what the necklace is for…
And, if the question is still open…” Pip lightly bit his lip,
anxiety eating at his stomach, “The answer is yes…”
Damien
stared down at him, obviously surprised, but seemingly wary “…You
don’t have to accept out of pity.”
“I’m
not.
I want
to be your mate. You can ask me all you want, the answer will always
be yes.”
There
was a long moment of silence in which the two simply stared at one
another; Pip hopeful and Damien unsure.
Finally,
the dragon spoke, voice low, “Phillip… Will you be my mate?”
Pip
smiled brightly, “Yes! Nothing would make me happier!”
A
real smile spread over Damien’s face as he reached out and gently
gripped the blonde’s shoulders. The smile was beautiful, Pip
thought, his heart hammering in his chest as the dragon leaned
closer.
Their
lips connected.
Pip
felt as though he were on Cloud 9 as he wrapped his arms around
Damien’s neck.
The
kiss was a little sloppy, it being their first time, but it was deep
and passionate and so perfect.
He heard Damien let out a noise like a growl before suddenly his
feet left the ground and the kiss was broken. He squeaked as Damien
lifted him into a comfortable position in his arms.
Pip
tightened his grip around the dragon’s neck, looking down at the
ground far below him, “Put me down!”
“Why?”
“It’s
so high,” Pip squeaked, “What if you drop me?”
“I
won’t drop you,” Damien reassured with a gentle smile, “I
promise.”
“Okay…”
Phillip replied, feeling a little better. He did feel safe in the
dragon’s strong arms and he doubted that he seemed very heavy.
“You’re
so beautiful…” Damien murmured.
The
blonde’s face heated up, “I’m glad you think so…”
“I
know so. It’s a fact, not an opinion.” He lightly brushed their
lips together, “May I bed you tonight?”
“W-what?”
Phillip asked, too caught up in everything to understand what Damien
had meant.
“May
I bed you? Make you my mate… physically.”
“Oh!”
Pip’s face went bright red, “Um…”
“I
apologize,” The dragon said sincerely, “I don’t mean to
pressure you into something you’re not ready for.”
“Oh,
no, it’s fine! I… Yes, I would like it very much of maybe we
could… Mate. Tonight.” Pip replied shyly, face keeping its pink
hue.
Damien
smiled and pressed their lips together in another kiss just as
wonderful as the first.
--
“It’s
so cold!” Pip shuddered as he climbed into the nest and pulled the
blanket around himself. He listened as Damien kicked the fire out
and wandered into the cave with him.
Outside,
the sun was sitting on the horizon. The slowly sinking sunlight took
its warmth with it, leaving the air chilly and the ground cold.
Damien
climbed into the nest beside him, bringing with him his natural
warmth. He leaned down and gently kissed the blonde’s temple,
“Perhaps I could warm you up?”
Pip
blushed, remembering their short discussion hours previous, “I
would be okay with that…”
The
dragon grinned and shifted to hover on all fours above the blonde.
He began placing gentle kisses along a smooth neck, being careful not
to get his horns too close to a pretty face.
The
blonde sighed at the treatment and shivered when his blanket was
suddenly pulled away, exposing him to the cold. He wasn’t cold for
long, however, as he felt Damien’s warmth radiating from him.
Damien
suddenly stopped and sat back slightly, looking down at his hands
with a frown. Pip looked as well at the two large hands resting on
his hips. Each finger was tipped with a black claw at least two
inches in length and very sharp.
“We
can’t do this.” Damien suddenly proclaimed, looking away in
shame.
“Why
not?” Pip protested, reaching down to rest his hand on top of one
of Damien’s.
“I’m
going to hurt you. You’re soft and fragile and I’m nothing but
sharp edges.”
“That’s
not true… You have a soft heart.”
“Yeah,
well, that doesn’t mean shit when my hands are nothing but talons.”
Damien replied bitterly.
“Damien…”
Pip gently reached up and gripped one of the large horns growing from
the dragon’s head, pulling him down, “I trust you. I want to do
this.” He pulled him into a kiss.
The
alpha male immediately responded, deepening the kiss.
When
they parted Phillip smiled. “Here,” He sat up slightly, “I’ll
help you get started.” He unbuttoned his shirt and slipped it off,
feeling only slightly embarrassed. The necklace felt strange against
his skin, but he loved being able to feel it there. He laid back
before gently grabbing one of Damien’s hands and holding it against
his chest.
The
dragon gazed down at him adoringly, “I couldn’t live with myself
if I hurt you…”
“You
won’t hurt me.” Pip reassured with a smile.
Damien
relented. He gently ran the back of his hands down the thin torso,
making the blonde shudder. Very carefully he slipped clawed fingers
under the rim of Pip’s pants and slowly slid them off.
Pip
shivered as his body was completely exposed to the slight breeze in
the cave. He blushed when he noticed Damien gazing down at him, lust
obvious in his eyes.
He
could practically feel
the dragon’s desperate need for him.
Two
powerful arms suddenly picked up his small hips and lifted them off
the ground. Pip whimpered when he could feel Damien’s breath
brushing against his erect member. His breath caught in his throat
when Damien’s tongue slowly ran along the length, tasting him. His
hands clenched the fur below him and he let out a little gasp when
the dragon took him in his mouth and gave a gentle suck.
“Damien.”
Pip whimpered as the dragon bobbed his head, licking and sucking.
The
dragon ceased his torture all too soon and instead made his way
lower, lightly nuzzling Pip’s ass. The blonde gasped and jerked
when he felt a tongue gently lick his entrance.
“W-Wait,
don’t…” He pleaded weakly, skin bright red in embarrassment. He
let out a strangled yelp when the prodding tongue suddenly slipped
through the tight ring of muscles, gently loosening them. Pip
shuddered at the foreign intrusion, his toes curling. It seemed a
bit gross, but he couldn’t say that it didn’t feel wonderful.
Once
he was finished, Damien gently sat the blonde’s hip’s back down.
He instead focused his attention back on kissing and sucking on the
human’s neck and torso.
Pip
sighed and whimpered at the attention, resting a hand in black hair
as the dragon slowly worked his way down his torso. He paid gentle
attention to each nipple and focused hard on a spot on the collar
bone that made the blonde moan.
“You’re
going to have to stretch yourself.” Damien muttered against Pip’s
stomach, giving his belly button a lick before coming back up to
capture the blonde’s lips in a heated kiss.
When
they parted Pip sat himself up slightly and began to lick and suck on
his own fingers. He watched Damien remove his pants with little
difficulty.
Once
they were both finished with their own tasks Pip reached down and
gently rubbed at his entrance. It was still wet with Damien’s
saliva. Damien’s full attention was on him, making him feel both
excited and embarrassed at the same time. His eyes fell on the
dragon’s impressive manhood and he couldn’t help but worry that
it wouldn’t fit.
It
was definitely going to hurt.
He
gasped when he slipped the first finger inside himself and a shiver
ran up his spine when he saw “little” Damien twitch in response.
He worked the finger inside of himself before adding a second. It
hurt slightly, but he didn’t show it. He gently scissored them and
stretched his hole, keeping his eyes on Damien the entire time.
The
dragon was gazing down at him hungrily, obviously enjoying the show.
His member was leaking pre-cum, making it glisten in the low light.
“I
have an idea.” Damien suddenly proclaimed, “Don’t take your
fingers out.”
“Okay.”
Pip whispered, waiting obediently. He watched as Damien reached down
and grabbed his tail, pressing the tip against the puckered entrance.
The blonde faltered, “Damien? I’m not sure about this.”
He
was either ignored or unheard because the tail was suddenly inside
him. He yelped at the sudden pain, which thankfully subsided
quickly. He removed his fingers to grip fur instead as the tail
slowly thrust into him.
“Is
this okay?” Damien asked. Pip nodded, relaxing around the
intrusion. He laid back and allowed himself to enjoy the odd
sensation.
He
nearly choked and his hips spasmed when the tail brushed something
inside him.
“Fuck,”
Damien grunted, obviously aroused, “Do that again.”
“You
did that.” Pip explained, “Do it again.”
He
felt the tail explore the area until suddenly his hips went wild
again and he threw his head back to let out a moan.
“Wow.”
Damien breathed, shivering. The tail continuously prodded that spot,
making the blonde’s back arch as his moans grew louder. Damien
couldn’t seem to get enough of the reaction.
Finally
he relented and the tail was gone, leaving Phillip feeling slightly
empty.
“Are
you ready?” Damien asked, gently picking up Pip’s hips.
“Yeah…”
Pip whimpered, looking down at the scene.
It
would be a miracle if that fit inside him, he thought.
“Relax…”
Damien pressed the tip against the blonde’s tight entrance. He
slowly increased the pressure until the entrance yielded and he
slowly slid inside, spreading the tight walls.
The
pre-cum made the intrusion feel strange and slimy, but it slid in
smoothly.
“Stop.”
Pip whimpered, pulling away slightly in pain.
“Sorry.”
Damien muttered, halting his advance.
Pip
took a few deep breaths, willing himself to relax. The pain slowly
subsided until it was just a dull ache, “Okay, go.”
“Are
you sure?”
“Yeah.”
“I
don’t want to hurt you. We can stop.”
“Please,
I don’t want to…”
“Okay…”
Damien continued at a slow pace.
Pip
bit his lip as the pain returned, but he decided to ignore it.
Damien
ceased his movement again sometime later, “Okay, I’m in.”
“Wow…”
The blonde whimpered. Though it hurt, he couldn’t help but feel
incredibly full, complete.
He was glad that it had fit.
“Does
it still hurt?”
“Yeah,
a little…”
“We
can still stop.”
“No,
I want this…”
Damien
grunted. He began placing kisses across the blonde’s perfect face,
neck, and collar. Pip wrapped his arms around the dragon’s neck
and hummed in contentment at the attention.
It
was several minutes later before he gave the command to move.
Damien
slowly pulled out before gently pushing back in. The sensation made
Pip squirm, but it didn’t hurt.
“You
alright?”
“Yeah,
don’t stop…”
The
dragon slowly increased the speed of his thrusts, being careful not
to cut the blonde with his claws or be too rough.
Pip
couldn’t help but look down at the scene. He shuddered in arousal
as he watched the thick piece of meat work its way in and out of him,
making his abdomen move.
Over
a period of several minutes the thrusts slowly increased in speed and
power.
Pip
arched into the thrusts slightly, hands clenched in fur. “F-faster…”
He breathed.
Damien
sped up, “Good?”
“Yeah.”
“Yeah?”
“God,
so good…” Pip whimpered, panting. He couldn’t believe how
amazing the large member felt inside him. Every few thrusts rubbed
against that spot inside him, making him squeak louder in pleasure.
He spread his legs more to allow Damien in deeper, if possible.
“Yeah,
me too…” Damien panted, “Fuck, so tight…” He gripped the
blonde’s hips a little tighter, thrusting just slightly harder.
The noises coming from the beautiful blonde below him made shivers
run up his spine.
Pip
grunted and gasped, gripping Damien’s wrists in need. He loved how
powerful
and hot
each
thrust felt deep inside him, wracking his insides with pleasure. “Oh,
god, Damien… God! Ooohhh…” He panted and rolled his hips into
the thrusts, shaking with pleasure.
“Fuck!”
Damien hissed. He suddenly paused, repositioned himself, and began
thrusting again, much harder and faster than before.
“Oh,
GOD!” Pip screamed, hips jerking with explosions of pleasure from
each well-placed and harder thrust, “DAMIEN!”
Damien
was panting and growling above him, completely lost in the pleasure.
He’d gone into primal mode and there was no going back.
“I’m
so close!” Pip squealed, “I’m gonna come!”
“Fuck,
me too!” Damien snarled.
Phillip
felt the dragon suddenly spasm slightly and his thrusts became wild.
He shuddered and pushed himself in as deep as he could go. Suddenly
Pip’s back shot off the nest of fur when Damien’s member was
suddenly vibrating
inside him, forcing him to an incredible climax. Just as he was
coming down, Damien gave another hard thrust and his member spasmed
harshly again, making the blonde see stars. This cycle continued
several times until finally Damien relaxed and stopped moving,
finally allowing Pip to breathe again.
The
two panted loudly, trying to regain some sort of sense.
“What…
Happened…?” Pip panted, completely limp and unmoving.
“Huh?”
Damien panted back, mind slightly fogged.
“It…
vibrated…”
“Yours
doesn’t?”
“No!”
“Oh…
I don’t know…”
Pip
sighed, breathing and heartbeat finally coming close to normal again,
“That was amazing…”
“I’m
glad it was good for you too… I was afraid I would hurt you…”
The
blonde reached up and pulled the dragon down for a kiss. It didn’t
last long, as both were still having some breathing trouble, but
Damien gently nuzzled him when they parted, “You’re so perfect…”
“I
love you, Damien.”
“I
love you too.” He gave the blonde a gentle peck before sitting up.
His member easily slid out, making the small blonde shudder.
Pip
felt empty without it inside him, but he was content again when the
dragon laid down next to him and pulled him into his arms. He rested
his head on a muscular torso and fell asleep in a matter of seconds.
Chapter
6
The
sunlight streaming down from the sky warmed Phillip’s skin. He
sighed and relaxed in the soft green grass just outside his home,
basking in the warmth of spring.
The
snow from winter had melted, bringing water to the plants and the
river flowed stronger and wider than before from the melted ice.
“I
love spring.” Pip commented, leaning his head on his mates arm.
Damien
hummed in response, wrapping his tail around a thin waist, “The
river should warm back up within a month. Kenny and Leo will wander
back once it does.”
The
two had left before the ice set in. Butters couldn’t stay in cold
water, so the two had traveled to the ocean for winter.
“I
can’t wait to see them again.” Pip said with a smile. He missed
his two close friends.
“Do
you want to go for a walk?” Damien asked, climbing to his feet.
“Oh
yes, I’d love to!” Pip took the hand that was offered to him and
was pulled to his feet with ease.
The
couple set off into the forest side-by-side, Damien’s tail still
keeping a firm grip on the blonde’s hips.
The
forest was alive with sounds. Pip could hear birds singing high
above them and small critters scurried across the ground. It was
peaceful and serene. The dragon’s steps were slow to allow him to
keep up.
“It’s
so beautiful out here.” Phillip commented, gripping Damien’s
hand, “It was always a little sad to me that I was the only one in
the village who could see it.”
“Do
you ever miss them? The villagers?”
“I
miss my mother.” Pip replied, “But, that’s really about it.”
“I’m
sorry.” Damien said sincerely, giving the blonde’s hand a gentle
squeeze.
“Don’t
be,” Pip said with a smile, “I’m much happier here with you
than I ever was there.”
Damien
halted, forcing to the blonde to stop as well. He put a hand on
either small shoulder and leaned down, “I love you, Pipsqueak.”
Pip
didn’t have time to reply before a pair of lips was pressed
passionately to his. He melted into the warmth and love behind the
act and wrapped his arms around the dragon’s neck.
The
kiss ended and they embraced instead. Damien’s arms circled him in
a loving, strong, and protective hold, face buried in blonde hair.
Pip nuzzled his chest and allowed himself to be held. He chuckled
when he felt Damien’s hardness pressing into his stomach. He ran a
hand down and lightly rubbed it, thrilled when he heard the dragon
let out a rumbling groan.
“May
I make love to you?” Damien whispered, squeezing the blonde just a
bit tighter.
“Here?”
“Yes.”
Pip
blushed, “Yes, I think I’d like that.”
He
was on his back seconds later, the dragon pushing his shirt up to get
at the pale flesh beneath it. He licked, nipped and sucked every
inch of skin he could reach, making the blonde squirm in pleasure.
Damien
suddenly stopped his torture and looked into the forest, frozen.
“…Damien?”
Pip questioned meekly.
“Hush.”
He commanded, eyes scanning the trees. He was stiff and unmoving as
he silently listened.
Pip
listened as well, but couldn't hear anything. The forest was silent;
no birds singing or insects buzzing or critters scurring.
It
took several seconds for the realization to sink in.
Dead
silence.
Damien
suddenly let out a snarl that frightened Phillip as he climbed to his
feet. He pulled the blonde up and stood defensively in front of him.
“Damien?”
Pip tried again. This time he was silenced when a large beast
stumbled out of the forest.
It
was clearly a draganoid, but it walked on all fours rather than just
on its back feet, making it seem more primal and terrifying. The
incredibly large wings that jutted out of its back were pink with
black on the tips and were slightly opened. The base of its
incredibly long tail was also pink, but quickly turned to black, its
hands and feet following the same color scheme. Its horns were two
long, twisted, black spirals that jutted from its head of brown hair
and pointed toward its back. It wasn’t particularly muscular, more
on the thin side really, but its legs and torso seemed abnormally
long. Its skin was sickly pale and had an almost green tint to it.
It
turned in their direction, milky eyes on the blonde, and let out a
freakish, strangled snarl, as though there were water or muck in its
throat and lungs. Its bared teeth were long, pointed, and oddly
pink, the gums black. It tilted its head awkwardly.
“Run.”
Damien commanded, “The cave is directly behind you. When you get
there, go through the tunnel like I showed you and don’t come out
until I come for you.”
“But-!”
“Don’t
argue.” Damien snarled, “Please
just run.” He sounded desperate.
Pip
wanted to argue, but the foreign dragon let out a high-pitched shriek
and stood, towering over even Damien by at least foot.
Phillip
bolted. He heard the two dragon’s suddenly clash in a sickening
crash of claws and teeth.
Even
after he cleared the forest and got into the cave, he could still
hear the two screaming and snarling and smacking into trees, likely
tearing each other apart.
Only
one was going to walk away from that fight.
Pip
whimpered and curled under a blanket in the nest. He knew he was
disobeying orders, but he couldn’t bring himself to go into the
tunnel. For one, it was a little frightening back there alone, and
two he felt as though he would be completely abandoning his mate.
The
ruckus didn’t continue for too much longer. There was a scream and
a sickening “pop!” that echoed through the forest, followed by
dead silence.
Not
even the forest creatures were making a sound. It was almost
deafening.
Phillip
became ill when several minutes ticked by with no sign from Damien.
Even the wildlife slowly began making noise again. The blonde reached
down and gripped his necklace, curling into himself further as he
felt tears slowly make their way forth.
He
quietly sobbed as another several minutes ticked by. Still nothing
from Damien.
A
sudden thudding made him go silent. He listened silently, fearing
the worst.
Footsteps.
He couldn’t tell if they belonged to Damien, or that beast who had
attacked them.
Something
heavy was dropped just outside the cave, making the blonde flinch.
He
heard it enter the cave and mess around with the blankets next to the
nest. He silently berated himself for not going into the tunnel as
Damien had instructed.
“…Phillip?”
The
blonde gasped and sat up, throwing the blanket off in the process.
Damien
stared down at him, torso drenched in blood.
“Damien!”
Pip sobbed, scrambling to stand. He stared at the blood in horror.
“I
should have gone to the river first.” Damien said, looking down at
himself, “But I was worried about you so I came back. I’m fine,
I promise.”
Pips
sobs turned to sniffles as he calmed himself. Damien gently gripped
his shoulders and leaned down, connecting them in a gentle kiss.
“Come
on,” He said after they’d parted, “Come with me to the river.”
“O-okay.”
Pip whimpered, stepping out of the nest.
He
followed Damien outside and toward the fire pit. He gasped and
stopped when he saw the head lying on the ground beside the pit, “Why
do you have that?”
“Because
I have to dispose of it properly.” He spit a blue flame, igniting
the head in a blaze of fire.
“What
do you mean?”
“Come
on.” He turned away from the flaming head and began walking toward
the river, the blonde following close behind.
“What
was wrong with it?” Pip asked.
“He
was sick. It’s a disease a lot like rabies, but the infected
become more mindless and violent and they don’t foam at the mouth.
It’s spread from dragon to dragon through saliva, but humans can
catch it with just a cut.”
“Is
that why you sent me away so quickly?”
“Yes.
I couldn’t risk you catching it. There isn’t a cure. Within a
few days you would have turned on me and I would be forced to either
put you down or catch it myself, and I don’t think I could have put
you down.”
The
statement made Pip’s heart flutter, “What about you? You’re
hurt. Are you going to get sick?”
“No.
I have a better immune system than you. These are only scratches;
they will do nothing. He didn’t bite me so I’ll be fine.”
“But,
won’t there be more? Will they attack us again?”
“It’s
a rare disease, so I doubt we’ll see any infected for a long while.
We’re safe now.”
They
stopped on the bank of the river. Damien didn’t bother to remove
his shorts before he stepped in. The water was still chilly. He sat
himself down in the water and began washing off as Pip took a seat on
the bank next to him.
“What
took you so long to get back?”
“I
had to retrace his trail to make sure he hadn’t bitten anyone
else.” Damien explained as he washed the blood off, revealing deep
cuts all across is torso, “I found his nest. He killed his mate.”
“My
god, that’s awful…”
“They
had an egg. Well, two eggs. One was smashed, but the other was
still intact.”
“What
did you do with it?”
“I
brought it back, of course. I’m going to cook it for you.”
“What?!”
Pip yelled, standing, “You can’t just eat someone else’s
child!”
“I’m
not. It’s an egg.”
“That
doesn’t mean it’s not a life! It’s going to hatch!”
“But…
They’re good.” Damien defended weakly.
“You
are not
going to cook that egg!” Pip said sternly, hands on his hips.
“Fine,
I’ll just get rid of it then.” Damien relented.
“No!
You can’t just kill
it!”
“Then
what the hell do you want me to do with it?” Damien growled,
becoming irritated, “We can’t just keep the damn thing.”
“And
why not?”
“What?”
“Why
can’t we just keep it? We could raise it like our own.”
“Absolutely
not.”
Damien snapped, “Night Fang’s don’t even raise their own young,
why would I raise someone else’s?” He stood from the water and
shook himself off as best he could before stepping out.
“You
don’t want to raise a child with me? Don’t want to be parents?”
Pip whimpered, hurt.
“No.”
Damien said sternly, “I have no
desire for offspring.” He headed back toward the cave.
“But…
Why not?” Pip asked, following close behind.
“Do
I need
a reason? I hate children, it’s as simple as that.”
“You’re
not even going to give it a chance?”
Pip pleaded, threading his fingers together in a pleading gesture.
“No.
If you don’t want it to be eaten, then I’m throwing it into the
river.”
“Please!
Just give it a couple days, think it over!”
“Absolutely
not,
Phillip!”
The
cave came into view. Pip ran past the dragon and into the cave,
heading for the pile of blankets he suspected contained the egg.
He
was right.
It
was large, heavy, smooth, and pink. He held it against his chest and
got into the nest, wrapping a blanket around it for warmth and
holding it protectively.
“Phillip,”
Damien snapped, “Do not
test me.”
“Just
give it a chance!” Pip begged, “Please, I’ve always
wanted children but I assumed I could never have any because of my
preference for males. Please,
we would be great
parents,
I just know it!”
“Phillip,
raising another dragon’s offspring is completely
unnatural. My own parents didn’t even raise me; Night Fang’s
bury their eggs to hatch and survive on their own. Why
would I go against my natural instincts of not
raising a child?”
“Please,
Damien, I know
you could be a wonderful father! I understand if you're afraid,
because you were raised on your own, but you could give it the love
your parents never-”
“YOU
SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH!” Damien roared, terrifying the blonde,
“FINE! You can keep
the goddamn egg! But don’t you fucking dare
lecture me! You don’t know a damn
think about me so don’t act like you know everything!”
He turned and stomped away, taking flight.
Pip
whimpered and began to cry at his mates harsh words. Never had he
been so heartless toward him. He quietly pulled the egg a little
tighter against him and laid down, waiting for Damien’s return.
--
It
was dusk when the Night Fang finally reappeared.
Pip
lay silently in the nest, not having moved since the fight. He
didn’t say a word when Damien entered the cave.
“Are
you hungry?” Damien asked, voice at a near whisper.
“No.”
He was starving.
“Are
you going to give me the egg?”
“No.”
“So
be it.” He climbed into the nest and lay facing away from the small
human.
No
more words were exchanged; the silence tore at Pip’s heart.
--
For
three days, the silence continued. Damien brought him food when he
felt like it and Pip forced himself to eat. They didn’t speak and
once evening came around they slept facing away from one another.
It
was on the fourth night that Pip finally snapped. He threw the
blanket off and sat up, facing his mate, “Fine! You win, okay?!”
Damien
sat up and looked at him.
“If
you hate it so much then just take it!” He roughly shoved the egg
into the dragon’s arms, “Kill it, eat it, whatever! Do what you
want! I don’t care! But I don’t want to know!” He threw himself
back down and pulled the blanket over his head, curling himself into
a ball.
Damien
paused, a little stunned. He reached out to place a hand on his mate,
“… Phillip, you know it’s for the-”
“Don’t!”
Pip snapped, “Don’t lecture me! I don’t want to talk to you
right now.”
He
listened as Damien slowly left the nest and exited the cave, taking
flight. He whimpered and sniffled before finally he began to
silently cry, the tears streaming freely.
All
he’d wanted was a chance
to raise a child. He knew they would have made wonderful parents.
It would have been perfect; him and Damien and their baby. A happy
family.
He
quietly cried and felt sorry for himself, knowing full well an
opportunity like that would never come again. And, even if it did,
Damien would be quick to crush it.
Pip
guessed that Damien had taken the egg and disposed of it somewhere
far off, since it took quite some time for him to return.
He
heard the large creature land outside and stomp into the cave.
“Fine,
you know what?! You
win, alright?!” Damien snapped, “You
win! You can keep
the damn egg!”
Pip
sniffled and sat up, the blanket falling to his legs, “Huh?”
Damien
shoved the egg back into his hands, “You were right, okay?! I have
family issues! Are you happy
now?!” He climbed into the nest and lay down, pulling the blonde
into his arms, “Starting tomorrow this stupid fight never happened.
Now go to sleep.”
Pip
squirmed a little closer, holding the egg between them and nuzzling
Damien’s neck, “Thank you, Damien.”
“Don’t
mention it.”
“I
love you.”
“I
love you too, babe…” He kissed soft blonde hair, “So much.”
Phillip
relaxed into the warmth and let his mind rest. Finally at ease, he
was able to fall asleep soundly in his mate’s arms.
Chapter
7
A
month ticked by with no change in the egg's status. Phillip grew
worried, but Damien gently reassured him that dragon eggs could take
anywhere from a month to a year to hatch, depending on the species.
Since they had no idea how far along the egg was already, they had no
way of accurately predicting when it would hatch.
“What
species will it be?” Phillip had asked the morning after their
fight.
Damien
had paused, eyes staring into nothing for several seconds as he
thought it over, “Well, now that I think about it...” He became
quiet, eyes falling on the bundle in Pip's arms. His brows furrowed,
as though something were worrying him.
“What's
wrong?”
“Um...
Nothing. It will probably be fine... I'm not sure of it's species.
I know the father was a Rosebud dragon and the mother was a Flash
dragon, so I'm not sure if it'll be a combination of both or one or
the other. Dragon's don't interbreed very often...”
“What
do you mean 'it will probably be fine'?”
Damien
had given him a soft smile, “Don't worry about it. Are you
hungry?”
He
hadn't been hungry, but he dropped the matter anyway. No sense in
starting another fight.
But,
after a month with no changes, he began to worry again.
Damien
was catching up with Kenny up river, the duo having come back the
previous night, leaving the two blondes by the waterfall on their
own.
“Leo?”
Phillip asked during a break in their conversation.
“Yes,
Pip?”
“Do
you know how long it would take for a Rose or Flash dragon egg to
hatch?” Perhaps this egg would take a hatch time in the middle of
those two.
Butters
titled his head, lifting himself out of the water to sit on the bank
beside his friend, “Why?”
“Well...”
Pip looked down at the egg in his arms, which was protectively
covered in a small blanket, only the top peaking out, “Damien told
me that those were it's parent's species.”
“Oh...”
Butters looked down at it, worried expression making it's way onto
his pretty face.
“What's
wrong?”
“Oh,
nothing! Haha.” He gave a weak giggle, “Um, let's see... I
believe Rose dragon eggs take about four months to hatch, while Flash
dragons can take as long as a year.”
“Oh...”
Pip's mood dropped. He'd gotten his answer, but the thought of
waiting so much longer was saddening. He liked taking care of the
egg fine, but desperately wanted to meet the creature inside. His
child.
“But,
it doesn't have to take that long!” Butters reassured, “Besides,
maybe it was already several months old when you picked it up.”
“Maybe...”
The
Serpent-waist dragon gave a soft smile, “Don't worry, I'm sure
you'll have your own little bundle of joy in no time.”
“I
sure hope so. I've always wanted a child.”
Butter's
face faltered slightly, and for a moment he looked as though he might
say something, but whatever it was he dismissed it, “I'm sure you'd
be a great dad.”
---
It
would be another month before anything changed. Phillip sat in the
nest, egg in his lap, watching Damien start the fire to cook
breakfast, when a crackling noise caught his attention. He loosened
his grip on the egg to get a better look at it, and was thrilled when
it moved slightly, the noise continuing.
“Damien!”
His
shout immediately had the dragon's attention. He quickly crossed the
distance between them to hover over the blonde.
“I
think it's hatching!” Pip gasped excitedly.
“Put
it down and leave it alone.” Damien instructed.
Pip
gave him a confused look, “Shouldn't we help it?”
“Absolutely
not. If it's not strong enough to get out of the egg on it's own,
then it won't be strong enough to survive out here on it's own.”
“But,
it won't be alone,” The blonde protested, “We'll take care of
it.”
“No,
Phillip. I understand if that's how humans work, but that doesn't
cut it out here. We can't shelter it it's whole life. Then it won't
be strong enough to take care of a family of it's own, you
understand? Leave it alone. It'll get out on it's own.”
Phillip
looked like he might argue, but the set up the egg against the side
of the nest, “May I at least sit with it?”
“Of
course, that's fine, but don't help it, alright? It's important that
it does this on it's own and in it's own time. Interfering could
damage the child within.”
“Alright...”
Pip got comfortable and watched over the egg as Damien continued with
breakfast.
---
Several
hours later, the sun was sitting behind the horizon and the group of
four gathered outside the cave for a small celebration.
Pip
and Butters sat outside on the grass, making light conversation while
Damien and Kenny hovered over the egg. Phillip watched them, finding
it amusing how two dragons, creatures said to be heartless brutes,
could pay so much attention to a simple little egg.
The
two stood and looked at one another, their mutual expressions of
dread making Pip's stomach drop.
Damien
gave a nod toward the two blonde's, directing the Abeo dragon toward
them.
Kenny
left the cave and grinned as he neared them, “Hey, beautiful!”
“Hi,
Kenny.” Butter's giggled.
The
Abeo knelt beside him, giving him a sweet peck on the cheek.
Pip
looked back at Damien, who was looking at the ground, expression
torn. He was about to get up and go to his mate, when the whispering
caught his attention.
He
looked in time to see Kenny move away from where he'd obviously been
whispering something in the water dragon's ear. Butters seemed
confused and upset, but Kenny gave him a quick peck on the lips and
stood, “Love ya, gorgeous.”
“Oh,
um, I love you too.” He smiled back.
Kenny
turned around and went back into the cave.
Pip's
lips barely had time to form a question before Butter's was talking
excitedly, “Hey! I'm feeling a little dry... It's a beautiful
night, will you walk me back to the river and sit with me for
awhile?”
“Oh,
um... But, what about the egg...?”
Butter's
seemed to falter slightly, “Uh, well it probably won't hatch for
awhile longer... We won't miss anything. Please?” His eyes were
oddly pleading, as though begging Pip to just go with it.
The
human paused, curiosity and fear tearing at his chest.
Was
something wrong with the egg?
He
looked back at the two standing just inside the cave, talking
quietly, expressions solemn.
Everyone
was in the loop but him.
But,
surely Damien had a good reason for that?
“...
Yes, I'll walk you to the river.” He found himself saying.
All
he could do was trust in his mate.
---
Over
an hour of sitting by the river later, Kenny came walking up.
“Hey!
There you two are.” He stopped by the water's edge, smile in place,
“You can head back to the cave now, Phillip. Thanks for taking
care of Butters for me.”
“Of
course.” Pip said with a smile of his own as he stood.
They
waved him off as he walked back through the forest, pace increasing
as he got closer to his home.
He
cleared the trees and was glad to see Damien sitting in the nest,
holding something in his arms. The blonde trotted up to him with a
small smile, the dragon looking up at him as he entered.
Something
was off.
The
dragon seemed... worn, tired... guilty looking.
“Damien?”
“I
have something for you. Come here.”
The
blonde stepped closer, taking a seat on the rim of the nest. Damien
gave a soft smile and handed him the bundle in his arms.
Pip
took it carefully, finding it to be lighter than the egg. He shifted
it more comfortably in his arms before lightly pulling at the folds
of the blanket.
He
gasped when he pulled a fold back to reveal a serene face with a head
of brown hair.
“It's
a boy.” Damien said, moving to sit next to his mate.
Pip
didn't say anything. He pulled the bundle closer and cradled it
lovingly.
“We
agreed on Koenraad, right?” Damien asked, putting a clawed hand on
his mate's shoulder.
“Yes,
yes of course...” Pip mumbled, finally snapping out of his daze,
“I'm sorry... He's just... I love him so much...” He choked
slightly, but swallowed it and placed a gentle kiss on his son's
forehead.
“I
love him too. And I love you.” Damien said, pressing a kiss to the
blonde's temple, “Come on, it's been a long day. Why don't we lay
down?”
Phillip
nodded, following his mate into the nest and into their usual
position, plus one member.
Damien
rested on his back, with Phillip against his side, head on his
shoulder, and now a bundle of joy laying on his stomach.
Pip
gave a small laugh, “We have a baby...”
“Are
you scared?” Damien whispered.
“A
little, I suppose... Excited mostly. I want to be a good father.”
“You
will be.” He gently ran his hand through soft blonde hair, “Now,
rest, okay? We'll start fresh in the morning.”
“Will
Koen be okay?”
“Yes,
he'll probably sleep fine for the next couple of hours, so rest as
much as you can because we'll probably be up a few times before
sunrise.”
“Okay...”
Pip giggled, “I love you, Damien. So much.”
“I
love you too, Phillip.”
Koen
woke up twice during the night, but both times Damien attended to
him, which was a little surprising to Phillip since in the beginning
the dragon was so completely against a child.
“Damien?”
He whispered the first time their son began to cry, “May I help?”
“No.”
Damien replied, voice soft as he rocked the child, “I don't think
you'll want to be the one to feed him.” He stood and stepped out
of the nest.
“Why
not? What do baby dragons eat?”
“Insects,
mostly. And small rodents, but I'd need to chew them first.”
“Oh...”
The blonde shuddered at the thought, “Well, thank you for doing
this then...”
“Yeah.
Go back to sleep, okay?” Damien called as he left the cave to
search for food.
Phillip
obeyed without protest.
--
The
next morning Koen woke them bright and early, his ear-piercing wail
echoing in the cave. Damien grumbled a little as he sat up and
gently cradled the boy, “I liked the egg a lot better...” He
complained, though there was no malice in his voice so he very likely
could have been joking.
It
was hard to tell sometimes.
“Is
there any way I could help?” Pip asked as he too got up.
“I
guess you could try to catch insects if you wanted, but most of them
around here have stingers so I don't think it would be a grand idea.”
“Probably
not...”
Still,
he followed his mate outside the cave and stood back as Damien
quietly used his large feet to easily capture bugs off the forest
floor.
“Damien?”
“Yes,
love?”
“I
was just wondering... How did you take care of yourself when you were
this helpless?”
Damien
paused, stiffening slightly, “Well...” He quietly caught another
insect, an over-grown centipede, and lifted it high enough to grasp
with his clawed hands. Pip gagged slightly when he brought the
struggling bug to his mouth and bit the head off before holding the
squirming body over their sons face.
“I
wasn't this small when I was born.” Damien explained, slowly
feeding Koen the centipede, “Koen is several days premature. It
takes about a week for a dragon to completely hatch, because in that
time its slowly outgrowing the egg.”
“Oh...
Then, why did he hatch within one day?”
Damien
cringed and released the centipede as Koen finished chewing it, “I
guess... You're going to find out eventually... Why we sent you away
last night. I know you know we did it on purpose, it wasn't just
Butters wanting to go to the river.” He paused to wipe away some
fallen legs and guts from Koen's mouth, “The thing is, I really
should have gotten rid of the egg from the start, or at the very
least forced it from you when I realized it was interbreed.”
“But,
why?” Pip muttered, “That shouldn't make a difference on how we
feel about him.”
“It
doesn't, but it does change him. Most dragons don't interbreed
because the offspring almost always suffers from some kind of serious
defect.”
“So,
then... Is Koen...?”
“I
don't know yet. I have no idea what kind of physical or mental
ailments he might suffer from in the future, but, as for last night,
well...” He turned away, heading back for the cave, “Come on.
You're not going to like this, but you should know.”
Phillip
whimpered, dread gripping at his chest, as he followed his mate back
into the cave and took a seat on the rim of the nest.
--
“Hey,
Kenny, come here.” Damien called to his friend, leading him into
the cave. The duo squatted by the nest, “Does this look right to
you?”
The
Abeo dragon examined the egg closely, then made a face, “It's
cracking in two places.”
“Right.
That just seems... off to me. You're way more educated in this than
I am, any ideas?”
“Well...”
Kenny titled his head, “It could be one of three things. The
dragon is too large for the egg already, its positioned incorrectly,
or its twins. All of which aren't really too big of a deal, so it
should hatch normally. But...”
“But...?”
“But,
you've already told me it's interbreed. So, it's more likely secret
option number four; something is going horribly wrong in there and
the dragon will probably die before it hatches.”
“Fuck.
I was afraid you'd say that... Is there anything we can do?”
“I
can only think of one option. We have to take it out of the egg.
The only downside is I don't know what kind of shape it's in already.
The chances of it looking like a normal dragon are pretty slim.
It'll be a miracle if it's not mutated or something else equally
horrible.”
“Fuck....”
Damien breathed. He glanced over his shoulder at the pretty blonde
sitting outside in the grass. “Okay... Go talk to Butters. Get
him to get Phillip out of here. We're busting this thing open.”
“You
know if I'm wrong that will probably kill it.”
“I
know. But, you and I both know this thing only has a snowflake's
chance in a fire-pit anyway.” He stood, his friend following suit.
He nudged his head toward the blondes and Kenny was quick to walk out
to them.
“Hey,
beautiful!” He heard his friend call to his mate.
Damien
stared silently at the ground.
Phillip
would be devastated if the child died, he knew that. But, he also
knew the chances of it even living past the first month were
virtually zero. If it died tonight, it would only spare everyone a
very painful month of watching it die slowly.
If
it died, he could find Pip another egg. One that wasn't interbred.
Hell, he'd even seek out a female Night Fang and produce his own if
he fucking had to.
He
hoped he wouldn't have to. Though dragons bred with other dragons
besides their mates on a regular basis, he was fairly certain this
was actually frowned upon in human culture and he didn't really want
to put Phillip through that.
He
also didn't really want to have to mate with some bitch he barely
even knew.
Footsteps
brought him out of his thoughts.
Kenny
gave him an apologetic look.
The
two waited until their mates had gone off before squatting back down
by the nest.
“What
are we going to do then?” Kenny asked, staring at the egg.
“Break
it open?” Damien offered, reaching out and taking the delicate
object in his arms. He pushed a claw into one of the cracks and
began chipping away at it.
Several
minutes later, the contents of the egg lay on the ground, pieces all
around it.
Kenny
looked away.
Damien
stared at it, surprised at how much it was hurting him to see it like
that. It wasn't even his child, but...
But,
at some point, he realized, he'd began to love it like his own.
So,
seeing it, them, on
the ground in a messed up heap, tore at his chest.
One
of them, a boy, looked healthy, but the other was a shriveled mess
attached to him at the shoulder. Both were breathing.
“What
now?” Kenny asked, turning back.
“We
have to separate them. There's no way they'll survive like this.”
“That
will probably kill them.”
“This
will kill them.”
“Yeah,
yeah... How are we going to separate them though?”
Damien
stared at them, his children, and realized that there would be no
saving both. The smaller one, a female he realized painfully, was
too malformed to possibly survive.
“We'll
have to take off a large portion of her where they're connected.
That might save him. Otherwise, he'd lose too much skin for it to
heal and he'd bleed out.”
“Right,
okay, so-”
He
didn't get to finish his question, because Damien was already blowing
fire onto his hand. Within seconds, his claws burned bright red.
“I-I
can't.” Kenny muttered, looking away.
Damien
said nothing. He held the two tiny bodies down with his left hand as
his right came down and dug into skin.
The
two began shrieking immediately, the noise hurting the Night Fang's
ears and chest, but he didn't stop.
It
was over in seconds. The two were split and their wounds burned
closed. The boy looked fine aside from the burn on his shoulder
blade, but the girl was missing a large portion of her arm. She
would not survive the night.
The
two adults wordlessly wrapped the infants in blankets and sat against
the nest, Damien holding them both close.
He
stared down at his two children, Koenraad and Kassidy, the names that
he and Phillip had agreed on weeks before, and quietly tried to shush
their cries.
They
continued wailing for several minutes, until finally they seemed to
calm. They fell into silence like the adults and Damien listened to
their soft breathing.
His
heart lurched and clenched when he heard the dual breaths become
mono. In his arms, Koen seemed to be sleeping soundly, but
Kassidy...
His
baby girl was completely unmoving. No eye flutters, no dream-fueled
twitches, no chest movements.
The
choked sob escaped before he could catch it, but he was quick to
swallow any more. He knew Kenny would never blame him for crying,
but he simply couldn't allow himself to. He had to be strong for
Phillip. Had to finish this so his mate wouldn't have to witness it.
“Do
you want me to go?” He heard Kenny whisper.
“No.
Help me bury her and clean up. I don't want him to know about this.
Not yet.”
“Of
course, bro. Just tell me what to do.” The tone was serious,
solemn. It was odd for someone so carefree and happy-go-lucky as
Kenny.
The
two stood. Damien gestured toward his son, “Will you hold Koen for
me?”
“Of
course.” The Abeo carefully took the child from his closest friend.
“I
know where I want to take her. Just follow.”
“Sure
thing.”
Damien
led him out to a clearing several feet within the forest. He got
onto his knees in the middle and gently set his daughter down.
“This
is a nice spot.” Kenny commented, unconsciously rocking Koen.
“This
is where we met their father.” Damien explained.
It
just sort of felt right. For her to be here, where he fell. Sort of
an ending where it had started.
He
used his front claws to dig into the earth. It didn't take him long
to dig a relatively deep hole where no other creatures could get at
her.
He
wrapped her up tightly in the blanket and eased her in, taking his
time. Once she was in her final resting place, he silently began
covering the hole back up.
He
had to swallow several times to keep himself calm.
Once
he was finished they headed back to the cave to clean. It didn't
take much longer to pick up all the egg shell pieces and wipe up the
blood and other fluids from the cave floor. They tossed everything
into the fire and watched it all burn up before kicking out the
flames.
Then
the two took a seat on the edge of the nest again.
“Do
you want me to go get Phillip?” Kenny asked after a few minutes of
silence.
“Not
yet.” Damien responded in a low voice, “I just need a few
minutes.” He held Koen against him. It was incredible to see that
tiny, fragile bundle cradled carefully in his arms. He was weary of
his claws.
“So...”
He said, trying to bring himself out of his stupor, “You and
Butters are uncles now. Hope you're ready for the task.”
“I
was born ready.” Kenny grinned, “I'm pretty psyched to have an
awesome little nephew. I can only hope that he continues to be my
awesome little nephew for years to come...”
“Me
too... I don't think I could handle going through this a second
time...”
Within
five minutes he sent Kenny off to the river with a heart-felt thanks.
He
wondered what he was going to tell Phillip. He could probably get
away with saying nothing for awhile, maybe a day or two, but he knew
once his mate saw their son's shoulder blade he would start asking
questions. Should he tell the truth or make something up? Would it
be better to lie and keep him in the dark so he wouldn't get hurt or
risk causing him pain because he deserved to know what happened?
He
wasn't sure.
He
felt a presence and looked up.
His
mate was standing just inside the cave, a small smile gracing his
beautiful features.
Damien
suddenly felt a lot better. He was still hurting and tired, but he'd
been given new strength.
Phillip
was here now. He could do this. He could be a good father to his
son and move on past his daughters untimely death.
“Damien?”
His voice was like that of an angel. It brought Damien out of his
thoughts.
“I
have something for you. Come here.” He carefully handed their
child over when Pip took a seat on the rim of the nest.
He
watched as the blonde carefully pulled back the blanket and let out a
small gasp.
“It's
a boy.” He explained, moving to sit next to the love of his life.
Pip
didn't say anything. He stared down at the bundle in his arms,
clearly transfixed.
It
was a beautiful sight.
“We
agreed on Koenraad, right?” Damien asked, putting a clawed hand on
his mate's shoulder.
“Yes,
yes of course...” Pip mumbled, “I'm sorry... He's just... I love
him so much...” He sounded choked up.
“I
love him too. And I love you.” Damien said, gently kissing his
mate's temple. His smell was intoxicating. “Come on, it's been a
long day. Why don't we lay down?”
He
was pleased when Phillip gave a small nod and followed him in. They
lay down together, the three of them, a family.
Pip
let out a small laugh, “We have a baby...”
“Are
you scared?” Damien whispered. He was terrified himself.
“A
little, I suppose... Excited mostly. I want to be a good father.”
“You
will be.” He gently ran his hand through soft blonde hair, “Now,
rest, okay? We'll start fresh in the morning.”
“Will
Koen be okay?”
“Yes,
he'll probably sleep fine for the next couple of hours, so rest as
much as you can because we'll probably be up a few times before
sunrise.” Damien replied. He could only hope he was telling the
truth and Koen would actually survive the night.
“Okay...”
Pip giggled, “I love you, Damien. So much.”
“I
love you too, Phillip.”
--
“I'm
sorry, I couldn't-” Damien's voice wavered, “I should have just
gotten rid of the egg in the first place... So you wouldn't have to
go through this.”
“Damien,
don't say that...” Phillip spoke softly. He gently took their son
into his arms before taking a seat in his mates lap. Strong arms
wrapped themselves around him immediately, holding him close. “Even
though maybe it would have hurt less to get rid of it from the start,
I would have always wondered about it, you know? What the child
would have been like, if we would have been good parents... It hurts
to lose her, but at least we know we did everything we could, right?
There's no guilt or shame in that. And, even if Koen passes, we can
take comfort in knowing that we did all we could for him. That we at
the very least gave him a fighting chance. I think that's worth
something.” Pip explained, resting his head on Damien's shoulder
as he gently cradled his child.
“I
suppose you're right.” Damien muttered, burying his face in Pip's
shoulder, “I just hate the pain.”
The
sudden dampness on his shoulder surprised the blonde, but he didn't
say anything about it. It wasn't that upsetting either, oddly
enough, seeing Damien, someone whom he'd originally thought to be so
emotionless, crack like this. Instead, it was comforting. A relief.
Like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He didn't
have to worry or wonder anymore over whether or not his mate truly
cared about their child.
Damien
did care. Damien could love.
Pip
said not a word as he lovingly kissed his mate's neck in an attempt
to comfort and allowed himself to be held.
Chapter
8
The
first month was the hardest, while also being the most amazing. The
two new parents were constantly worried whether their child would
make it through the night, but each day was like a mini adventure.
Phillip
was perhaps the most amazed. He hadn't realized that dragons grew so
quickly. Koen was crawling within days and by the end of the week he
was on his feet, keeping the adults on watch constantly. He was
always smiling, and seemed hell-bent on exploring as much as
possible. Damien kept his tail wrapped around his son's tiny waist
almost constantly, seeing as that was the only full-proof way of
keeping him within a close distance.
The
wound on his tiny shoulder had healed quickly enough, but there was a
permanent scar there that the two would likely have to explain to him
once he was old enough.
They
weren't looking forward to it.
It
would take three weeks before he could speak coherently, and boy did
he have a lot to talk about. Everything he picked up was simply
amazing and he just had to show everyone and tell them all about it.
He could bring you the same rock three times and still have an
incredible story to tell about it.
He
was the perfect child, really. Well-mannered and kind, and
surprisingly sturdy as well. He could fall flat on his face, hit his
knee on a rock, or run head first into a tree, and he'd just shake it
off and keep moving.
It
always scared Phillip when he hurt himself, but he never missed a
beat.
In
a month he held the appearance of a one-year-old. He'd developed
tiny wings on his back, pink like his father's, and little nubs
formed on his head where his horns would grow in. His claws were
small but sharp and his tail seemed too long for his body.
“He's
growing so fast...” Phillip commented one morning as they watched
him sleep.
“You
have to mature quickly out here,” Damien explained, “The faster
you grow, the better chance you have of survival. He'll be full
grown within a year, I'd guess.”
“Only
a year?”
Damien
nodded, “But, until he attempts to start a family of his own, he'll
likely stick around here for awhile. Rosebud dragons are more likely
to form groups than a lot of other species.”
His
growth remained steady for the next few months; aging about a year or
two every month. At six months old Damien began trying to teach him
to fly with little success. It was worrisome.
“I'm
not sure that he'll be able to fly, honestly.” Damien told his
mate, “Spark dragons are excellent fliers, but Rose dragons stick
to the ground most of their lives. I have no idea how this is going
to effect him.”
Thankfully,
after weeks of almost constant practicing, Koen finally took to the
air. After that, there was almost no getting him down. He flew in
circles over the cave and the river and rarely walked anywhere, even
short distances. He was a good flier, but his landings were never
very graceful.
At
eight months old Damien began teaching him to hunt as best he could.
It didn't go so well. Night Fangs could simply grab a meal in the
middle of flight, then let it drop to the ground to kill it, but Rose
and Spark dragons weren't strong enough fliers to do that, so they
stalked their prey. So, the task ended up falling to Kenny to teach
Koen to stalk, which he seemed very pleased to be a part of.
Phillip
was saddened at first that he would have such a small impact in his
sons life, until he realized that he could teach him human customs as
well. He could educate his son on anything and everything he could
remember from spending hours reading and learning in school.
It
was a good balance, he realized. Koen had Damien to teach him to
fight and hunt and to wrestle with and he had Phillip to teach him
math and manners and to converse with on any topic.
It
all worked out.
In
little more than a year it felt a little odd to Phillip to call Koen
his child, because Koen now towered over him and appeared older, in
his early twenties, the same as Damien. His pink and black wings had
grown to a monstrous twenty-feet across and his tail finally matched
his body. He was incredibly tall too, standing a head taller than
even Damien, and his horns spiraled backward to point behind him.
His soft brown hair was always messy and his eyes held a kindness
that was odd in a dragon. He was oddly lanky, it seemed, but he was
still very powerful in his own right. He'd become incredibly fast in
the sky as well, and agile, but he was never able to get the landing
down.
But,
Rose dragons were ridiculously strong in defense, so every time he
came crashing to the ground, he'd jump back up and brush it off like
he hadn't hit solid dirt at 30 miles per hour, a grin in place every
time.
Koen
was a little naïve, and pretty-much graceless, but he had a good
heart and a sweet smile and the fact that he had even survived the
first month of life was more than the two parents could have hoped
for.
--
Phillip
was sitting outside, listening to the wild-life and the wind rustling
through the trees as he cut up vegetables, when he heard the familiar
sound of a certain someone making a rather graceless entrance.
“Wait,
shit-” Koen grunted a fraction of a second before he became
intimately acquainted with the ground. Again.
Man,
this landing nonsense was friggin' hard.
He
stood and shook himself off, completely oblivious to the fact that a
landing that had been nothing to him would have killed a human. He
grinned and dropped to all-fours, keeping low to the ground as he
stalked up behind the blonde.
“Your
big entrance makes it hard to be sneaky, you know.” Pip spoke,
keeping his eyes on his task.
Koen
chuckled and quickly closed the distance between them, laying down
next to him, “Hi, mom.”
Mom.
He had taken to calling Phillip that pretty early on. It didn't
bother him, however. It was easier to figure out who he was talking
to rather than just calling them both 'dad.'
“Good
morning, Koenraad.”
“Whatcha
making?”
“Stew.”
He smiled. Kenny had been kind enough to find him a pot and some
seeds. He'd grown himself a small garden and was excited to finally
be able to cook something. He was growing a little tired of berries
and meat.
“Stew?
What's that?”
“Well,
there's a lot of different kinds, but the one I'm making is mostly
vegetables. I think you'll like it.”
“Sounds
great!” Koen smiled, getting back onto all-fours, “Where's dad?”
“I
think he went to the river.”
“Okay.
See you at lunch.” He trotted a few feet away before extending his
wings and pushing himself away from the ground. He was in the air in
seconds and a few flaps shot him high above the cave system.
But,
he did not go to the river. Instead, he shot off in the opposite
direction, following the cliff several miles away to a separate,
smaller cave system.
It
took him only seconds to get there. After all, he could break one or
even two hundred miles per hour with minor difficulty.
He
found a small entrance near the middle of the wall of dirt that was
mostly covered by a branch hanging over it. He'd found the place on
accident mostly, but he preferred to think it was luck, or, even
better, destiny.
He
slowed as best he could, which was difficult in all honesty. The
only reason he was able to fly was because he could create a lot of
momentum, making slowing and landing a little tough.
So,
as usual, he went crashing through the greenery and into the small
cave, rolling across the floor and coming to an upside-down stop when
his back met the wall.
It
barely hurt.
“Wow.
As graceful as ever I see.” A rough voice commented, “You know,
you're not exactly winning any contests like that.”
“Why
would I enter a contest?” Koen asked as he rolled himself over and
shook off.
“That
wasn't even the point. Fuck,
you're stupid.”
Koen didn't bother
with a response. He stayed on all-fours, his dual joints allowing
him to easily walk on his hands and feet at the same time, and
slinked over to the nest. The cave wasn't very deep nor very tall,
leaving him unable to stand, but it was decently wide so there was a
good deal of space.
It
was dark on the inside, exactly like the occupant liked it. No
direct sunlight could get in through the branch covering the
entrance, but some reflected light from outside allowed the cave to
be dimly lit.
Koen
stopped short of the nest, knowing full well he'd get screamed at for
stepping in. Instead, he rested against the edge, grinning at the
occupant, “How was your day?”
He
received a look in return, “Are you joking? You've been here all
damn day. You left for five fucking minutes to go check on your
mommy and daddy then you immediately came swooping back in. My day
has not changed that much in five fucking minutes. I haven't even
fucking moved from this spot. Why would I? Do you see how fucking
sunny it is outside? I want no part of that.”
“Oh...
Right.” Koen barely faltered, “Do you want to come to lunch?”
Another
one of those looks, “Did I
not just explain that I wasn't going outside? Further more, how well
do you think it would go over with your parents for you to drag me
down there for lunch?” He sat up, voice taking a mocking tone,
“Hey mom, hey dad, this my friend I brought over for lunch. He's
just a harpie, your biggest enemy, no big deal lets eat.” He fell
back against the nest, “Yeah. It'll be spectacular I'm sure.”
“Right... I
forgot...”
“You
know, for someone who has a tendency to remember fucking everything,
you sure do 'forget' that little fact a lot.”
“Well, it's just
that I like you so I don't really notice that you're any different...
and I guess I assume others won't either... You're not my enemy,
you're my friend.”
“We aren't
friends.”
“I
think we're friends.”
“Yeah, well, your
thought processes have never been great, so I'm not putting much
weight on them.”
“Oh...” Koen
sagged a little. His friend certainly had a way with cutting words.
They'd been hanging out for over a week, but the harshness never
decreased. He knew he shouldn't let himself be spoken down-to like
that, but he just couldn't seem to stay away.
He looked up at his
friend.
White. So much
white. His skin was pale, his claws were a washed-out pink that was
barely noticeable, his hair was a shimmery, silky white, and his
feathered wings gleamed like pearls when light hit them. The one
thing that really stood out was his amazingly violet right eye, which
held a strange coldness that was evident in his voice too. His left
eye was covered by his hair and he'd thrown a huge fit when Koen
asked to see it.
He was an albino
harpie.
“Hey, Rori?”
“What,
Koen?”
“Do you maybe want
me to bring you something? Like, food? Since you can't go outside?”
Rorick shrugged, his
slender yet slightly toned shoulders rolling with ease, “Whatever.
I'm sure you couldn't hurt for the practice.”
“Okay. I'll be
right back, then.” Koen replied, heading for the mouth of the cave.
“I eagerly await
your return.”
It was hard to tell
when he was being sarcastic or not.
Koen
slipped past the branch and pushed himself off the edge, wings
unfolding on instinct. He flapped a few times, trying to keep
himself steady as he headed for the ground a few dozen feet below.
Even
at such a short distance, his landing was less than stellar.
His
wings seemed to stop working properly, causing him to just drop the
last ten feet. He attempted to land on his feet, but ended up on his
chest instead. As always, he got up and shook himself off. He
remained on all-fours, as he usually did (he didn't mind being high
up when he was in the air, but for whatever reason it sort of freaked
him out how high off the ground he was when he stood upright), and
headed through the trees, senses searching out a potential meal.
--
Half
an hour later, Koen proudly dragged a small deer back into the hole
in the cliff, presenting it to Rori like a treasure.
“Well,
aren't you just a wonderful provider?” Rori said with a sarcastic
roll to his voice as he stepped out of the nest. He had to bend
slightly due to the low ceiling, but not too much. He sat on his
knees to begin consuming the meal.
“I
don't think I'm so bad.”
“That's
what I just said.” Rori
snapped around a mouth full of bloody meat.
“Oh...” Koen
replied dumbly, laying down and rolling onto his back.
They sat in silence
as Rori finished his meal.
As usual, Koen ended
up with clean-up duty. He dragged the corpse out and let it fall to
the ground below, where a small pile of bones was building up.
He'd need to clear
that soon. He didn't want anyone snooping around and figuring out
Rori was here. That would be dangerous.
“Walk me to the
river.” Rori instructed and Koen was all too happy to oblige.
Rori quickly took
flight, gorgeous wings gleaming beautifully in the sunlight, and
landed with grace on the ground below, quickly ducking into some
shade to avoid the sun's burning rays.
Koen elected to just
jump and allow himself to fall to the ground. Attempting to fly
would yield the same results anyway.
The ground shook and
a puff of dust surrounded him as he made contact, but he simply
pushed himself up and shook it off.
Rori
was giving him the look
again.
“What?” Koen
asked as he walked over and extended a wing for his friend to walk
under.
The Albino seemed so
small compared to him. Rori was at least a foot shorter, though Koen
towered over everyone anyway, and was on the thin side. His long
claws on his hands and feet were obviously very sharp though, so Koen
had no doubt the outsider could hold his own around here fine.
“You remind me of
a boulder.” Rori commented, keeping close to him to stay out of the
sun.
“A boulder?”
“Yeah. You're
big, dumb, and invulnerable. The only difference is the boulder
doesn't say stupid shit.”
Koen laughed loudly
at the comment, “That's so true!”
Rori looked up at
him, a slightly irritated look on his face, “Aren't you fazed by
anything?”
Koen shrugged, “I
guess I just don't upset easily. My mom raised me to be a happy
person, and that's how I am. I enjoy life.”
“I should start
keeping a list of stupid shit that comes out of your mouth.”
Koen laughed again,
“That would be pretty neat. We could look back and laugh.”
“Uuugh,
nothing is going to
faze you, is it?”
“Heh, nope.”
“Whatever...”
It didn't take long
to reach the river, which Koen was fairly certain was the same river
that ran close to his cave, just further downstream.
Rori waded up to his
knees, pants dampening, and Koen stayed with him all the while,
making sure the Albino's sensitive skin wouldn't be directly exposed
to the sunlight. The smaller male squatted and began washing
himself, staining the river red from the remnants of his meal.
Koen listened to the
forest and scanned the surrounding area, on alert for potential
danger. After all, Rori was a harpie, an enemy to the dragon. Even
though Koen could care less about that fact, any other dragon would
likely attack to kill in a moments notice.
“Aren't you ever
afraid you'll be attacked?” Koen asked.
“Terrified.”
Rorick admitted, rubbing water on his face, “Why do you think I
drag you around all the time? Anything that'll want to attack me
will catch your scent more than mine.”
“Oh. That's
pretty smart.”
“Duh.” Rori
stood and shook himself off. “Come on, let's head back. This
sunlight is killing me.”
--
After seeing Rori to
his cave, Koen spread his wings and took flight, headed back to his
own home.
He landed, of
course, on his face, as usual, but quickly hopped up and shook it
off.
“You need to work
on that.” He heard his father lightly scold, “A dragon that lands
on his face isn't a very intimidating one.”
“Well,
maybe I don't want to
be intimidating.” Koen replied, trotting toward the older dragon.
Damien was standing
outside the cave, bones in his arms. In the middle of cleaning, it
seemed.
“That kind of
mentality is going to get you killed out here.”
“Nah.” Koenraad
shrugged, “I'm invulnerable. Like a boulder.”
Damien looked at
him, quirking an eyebrow, “A boulder?”
“Yeah.” He
grinned and nodded vigorously.
“Uh-huh...”
Damien gave him a worried look before getting back to carrying bones
to a hole somewhere off in the forest.
Koen decided to
pitch in and grabbed a few himself, standing at his full height with
an arm load. He quickly followed his father, “Hey, dad?”
“Yes,
boulder-boy?”
“Heheheh... Um, I
was just thinking... You've never really told me about courting?”
Damien stopped and
dropped his load into the hole, “What brought that on?”
“Nothing...” He
imitated the Night Fang, releasing the bones, “I've just been
hanging out with someone a lot and, I mean I'm not really thinking
about courting him or anything right now, he might be mate material
but I just don't really know yet you know, but anyway it just got me
thinking that we haven't really talked about it.”
“Oh.” Damien
replied lamely, “Well... Alright. We can talk tonight I guess...
Just remember, choosing a mate is pretty serious. You're with them
for life, so don't take it lightly.”
“I won't, I
promise. I don't think Rori likes me like that anyway so it's not a
big deal.”
“Rori, huh?”
Damien smirked slightly, “Sounds girly.”
“Oh...” Koen
mentally smacked himself for letting a name slip, “Well, it's
Rorick, actually... And he's anything but girly, heh.”
“What kind of
dragon is he?”
Oh shit.
“Um, you know I'm
not sure...” Koen stuttered out, looking away, “He's, um, he's
albino, so he looks like a Frost dragon, but I think he might
actually be a Wind? It's kind of hard to tell...”
Why
had he said anything to begin
with???
Damien eyed him
suspiciously, but dropped it, “Alright... Come on; Pip is probably
almost done with that stew-whatever he's cooking.”
“Awesome! I'm
starving.” Koen grinned widely and dropped again to his hands and
feet, smoothly trotting through the forest and back to the cave.
--
“Enjoy lunch?”
Rori drolled when Koen came tumbling in.
“Uh, yeah...”
Koen grunted, rolling onto his hands and feet, “Mom made something
called 'stew.' It was like water but had vegetables and stuff in
it...”
“I know what stew
is. It's delicious.”
“Oh, you've had
it?”
“When I lived in
the North, I went on more than one village raid. Human food is
a-mazing.”
“Oh...” He
wasn't sure what to say to that.
“How does your mom
know how to cook it anyway?”
“Oh, well, my mom
is human, actually....”
“What?” Rori
said disbelievingly, “How is that...? Your father is a Rosebud,
right?”
“Well, no... He's
a Night Fang. I'm adopted.”
“I... wasn't aware
that dragons adopted.”
“They don't,
usually, but, you know, humans do, so... Yeah. Here I am.”
“Well, aren't you
just a special little snowflake?”
“You look more
like the snowflake...”
“Hey!” Rori
snapped, rolling over to glare at the dragon, “Shut your dumb face,
boulder-boy.”
Koen laughed and
laid down next to the nest, “My dad called me that earlier when I
told him I was invulnerable like a boulder.”
“You're dad sounds
like a cool guy then.” Rori replied, rolling onto his back to stare
at the ceiling.
“Yeah, he is...
Hey, snowflake?”
“Yes, BB?”
Koen grinned, giddy
over their little nicknames, “How do Harpies court?”
“What?”
“How does a Harpie
attract a mate?”
“Oh... We don't
really do that.”
“You don't have
mates?”
“It's kind of an
every-man-for-himself, kind of thing. There's a lot of rape.”
“Oh...”
“Yeah...”
“Is that why you
left?”
“...Um, yeah... I
don't have any natural camouflage, so I'm kind of an easy target, you
know?”
“Oh...”
“How do dragons
get mates?”
“Uh, I don't
really know... It's not something that's come up for me yet exactly.”
“Really?” He
peered over the nest to look at the dragon, “How old are you?”
“A year.”
“Wow. Are you
full grown?”
“Yes.”
“Wow... We don't
really grow that fast. It takes about four years for us to reach
adulthood.”
“How old are you?”
“Seven.”
“Cool.” Koen
grinned and sat up, looking at his friend, “How long have you lived
in the South anyway?”
“I've been here
about two years, I think?”
“Wow, how have you
been surviving without me?”
“Psshh.” Rori
rolled his eyes, “Please. I'm a natural-born survivor. This place
is way easy to live in.”
“That's good... I
worry about you sometimes, you know? Can you hold your own against a
dragon?”
“I don't know, you
tell me.” Rori smirked.
“All
I remember about our first encounter is crashing in here on
accident and suddenly there were
feathers and claws in my face, then I fell out and ran.”
Rori laughed loudly.
“It's not funny!
I was scared for my life! I had no idea what was happening!”
“I guess I can
hold my own then!” Rori called through his laughter.
“You're kind of an
ass.” Koen grinned.
“You still come
around though.” Rori replied, calming down.
“Because we're
friends.”
“Harpies don't
have friends.”
“Well, you do
now.”
The albino looked at
him, contemplating. “... I guess I don't really get a choice, do
I?”
“Nope.” Koen
smiled.
“Alright. You
win. Friends.”
“Best friends??”
He asked excitedly.
“Sure, why not.”
--
“I'll see you
tomorrow, Rori.” Koen bid as he pushed himself off the floor.
“I look forward to
your bright, shinning face being the first fucking thing I see in the
morning.” Rori remarked sarcastically, giving him a small wave.
“Bye.” The
Rosebud dragon called as he trotted from the cave.
He pushed himself
off the edge of the entrance and opened his wings, catching air and
flapping. He was quickly elevated above the forest and headed toward
his own cave. In the distance the sun was sinking below the horizon.
Hues of pinks and purples filled the sky.
He wished Rori could
see it.
Not like he'd care
anyway, though.
Koen worked his
wings and pushed himself to go faster. He could smell the waterfall
in the distance; almost see it too.
Almost home.
Faster.
The waterfall was in
sight.
Faster.
There was the
clearing. So close.
Faster-
Waitwaitwaitshit
no not faster!
He threw his wings
open wide in an attempt to slow himself, but it was too late.
He hit the ground
and flipped and rolled for several more feet until he finally came to
a halt on his back.
He pushed himself up
and stood, dusting himself off. He looked up and found that he'd
gained the attention of the four sitting outside. Phillip and Leo
were staring at him, slightly worried, Damien had his face covered
with one hand, as though embarrassed, while Kenny laughed loudly.
“Uh, hey.” He
called lamely, walking toward the group.
“You alright?”
Pip asked, patting the ground next to him.
Koen grinned and
plopped down beside his mother, “Yeah, I'm good.”
“Don't you think
you should work on that?” Damien asked, eyeing him irritably.
The boy shrugged,
“I'll learn eventually... Probably.”
His father sighed,
looking away from him and starting up a conversation with his uncle
Kenny.
It hurt a little.
He honestly couldn't help his inability to land; it hurt to think his
father would be disappointed in him for it.
He laid down,
resting his head in his mother's lap and curling up slightly. He
felt soft hands gently running through his hair.
“Are you alright,
sweet heart?” Pip asked.
At least he knew his
mother could never be disappointed in him.
“Yeah, I'm fine.”
He lied. His mood was shot.
He wished he could
fly back and hang out with Rori more. Rori didn't judge him. He
picked at him, sure, but he didn't judge him.
“Maybe you should
head to bed? You've been out all day.”
“Will you tuck me
in?” He didn't care if 'that's not how dragons do it' or that it
'wasn't intimidating.' He could really use some positive attention.
“Of course, sweet
heart.” Pip lightly ruffled his hair before gently lifting his
head so he could stand.
Koen rolled onto all
fours, following his beloved mother into the cave. He climbed into
the nest, which he had been told used to be much smaller before
Damien had had to make some adjustments for him, and laid down. Pip
climbed in with him and pulled his head into his lap, those hands in
his hair again, soothing.
“Momma?”
“Yes?”
“What are Harpies
like?”
The blonde gave him
a quizzical look, “Why do you ask?”
“Just curious...”
It was a lie. He wanted to gauge how his parents felt about harpies
before possibly introducing Rori to them.
“Well, I don't
know. I've never met one.”
“But, what do you
think they're like?”
Pip gave a small
shrug, “Most everyone seems to agree that they're nasty, violent,
and cruel creatures. But, most everyone also said the same of
dragons, and you can see how accurate that was.”
“Has dad ever met
one?”
“He's mentioned
meeting a few. He doesn't seem to care much for them, from what I've
gathered. Most dragons don't.”
“Why not? What if
they're not really that bad?”
“Why are you
pressing this so much?”
“Just curious.”
Pip eyed him
suspiciously, but continued anyway, “I don't know why. Dragons and
harpies have had a long standing feud that's gone on longer than
anyone could care to remember. It just always has been. I don't
know the reason behind it. You'd have to ask your father that.”
“I can't.” Koen
muttered, curling into himself.
“Why not?”
“Because he-... I
just can't.”
“Koenraad,” Pip
called gently, “You know you can talk to me about anything, right?”
“I know... I'd
like to go to sleep now though, if you don't mind.”
A sigh, “Alright.
I'll listen when you're ready. Goodnight, sweet heart.”
The blonde leaned
down and have his son a gentle kiss on the forehead.
“I love you,
momma.”
“I love you too,
darling.”
Koen grinned and
lifted his head to allow his mother to stand. Once Pip had quietly
exited the cave he rolled over and got comfortable, closing his eyes.
There was very
little chance of him going to sleep anytime soon, however. His
thoughts were clouded with worry and hypothetical situations in which
Rori and Damien met.
They didn't end
well.
Anxiety gnawed at
his stomach, leaving an awful ache.
What would his
father say if he found out he was friends with a harpie? Would he be
disappointed? Would he hate him? Would he disown him?
He became incredibly
ill as he envisioned his father glaring at him, spitting out words of
hatred.
'I
should have left your egg to rot.'
He curled tightly
into himself, letting out a pathetic whimper as the tears began to
slide out.
--
