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Anjel should have known better. He did, actually. He knew that going to his Lord's chamber and demanding answers would be a bad idea, but he had to know why. That was the question that got him into every mess in his entire life, but he had to know. Now he wished he'd never asked. His entire life was a game to them, and the sooner he won the game, the better.

The wolf was laying on the pillows, wide awake and anxious for the dragon's return. She had a bad feeling about his sudden departure--a feeling only strengthened when Anjel landed on the ledge of his lair, and collapsed into it.

Akio rushed to his side, but Anjel wasn't mortally wounded. He waved her away impatiently.

"What happened?" she pleaded, dreading for a moment that he wouldn't tell her.

Anjel looked up at her, his caramel eyes soulful and filled with pain. "I went to them to ask why I was being tested. They didn't appreciate a ghost making demands for answers to which he was not privy. When I pushed, they fired arrows." A steel-headed arrow stuck deep into his right foot, blood oozing slowly from the wound. Akio gasped when she saw it, and knew that it had to be removed instantly. Anjel quailed when she reached for it.

"It has to be cleaned, bandaged." The dragon watched her carefully. "It could become infected, and if your blood turns bad, you will probably die."

"You know about this?" he asked, leaning back on his elbows so that she might touch his foot without him seeing.

She was almost offended, but realized that dragons probably knew close to nothing about her tribe. "It is my duty as a female and as a future alpha to know how to heal my people. Dragons cannot be that different." She tenderly touched his clawed foot, judging how deep the spike had gone through. "Do you have any water?" Akio asked. "I'll also need spare cloth, and some moss if you have any."

"There is a basin in the room to the right of the pool," Anjel said, his voice thick. "Tear one of the pillows for cloth. In..." The dragon exhaled--Akio touched a sensitive spot on his foot, and he winced with the pain. "In the chest near my bed, there are several bottles. You will find whatever herbs you need in there." He lied his head back, resting on the wall behind him. Akio wasted no time.

She returned shortly with a pillow, a small clay bowl of water, and a glass bottle containing a thick green paste. "Can you heat the water for me?" she asked, placing the other objects down. Anjel sat up, nodding. Akio handed him the bowl, then began tearing the outer cloth of the pillow into strips while the dragon blew a little plume of flame into the water.

When he placed the bowl on the ground, the liquid was bubbling. Akio dropped the cloth into it and let the water do the cleansing. Now she turned her attentions to his foot, and the arrow sticking out of it. To push it through his foot would do too much damage; it had already hit a bone, but probably didn't crack it. She'd have to force it through the bones before she could pull it through. Her best bet would be to break it off, then dig the head out with her fingers.

"This is going to hurt," she warned unnecessarily. Holding the base of the arrow with one hand, and the tail with the other, she snapped it off as close to his foot as she could. Anjel hissed, but remained still. Akio took a deep breath, then stuck a finger into his wound to find the head of the arrow.

The dragon's tail whipped up into the air and hit the ground with such force that the clay bowl wobbled, a bit of its water jumping over the edge. Anjel's neck arched, his head pressing against the wall, teeth bared in a silent snarl. She knew she had to work quick. She found the sharp tip and, grabbing the widest parts with a finger and thumb, she pulled it out. Once her fingers were clear, Anjel's body relaxed marginally, the tip of his tail still flickering back and forth nervously. "Almost done," she soothed him, but she doubted he was listening.

Reaching into the bowl and grabbing a cloth, she wrung it out, ignoring the burning of the still-hot water on her palms. She began to wipe at his wound, cleaning out as much blood as she could while some was still bubbling from the open wound. Akio opened the glass bottle and shook out some of the thick paste, rubbing it onto the area surrounding the opening, before fishing out another cloth strip, and binding his foot tightly.

Once his foot was wrapped up, Akio washed her paws in the warm water, getting the blood out of her fur before it could stain. She dropped the remains into the bowl with the tainted water and set it aside before attempting conversation with Anjel.

The white dragon was relaxed now, the herbs in his homemade poultice working their magic on the pain. He looked up to her once she was in his line of sight. "Thank you," he said, barely whispering.

"I only did what was right." Akio bent and picked up the bowl, walking around his form and dumping out the water and arrow pieces into the night air.

"Don't we all?"

She turned to face him. "It's getting late. We should both get some rest." She walked to Anjel's side, looking down to him. "Can you get up?"

"I think so," he replied after a pause. Slowly, he pushed himself to his knees, and braced his hands on the wall. He lifted his left leg, putting his weight on it as he stood, then tenderly placed his right foot on the floor. "It's still sore, but I think rest will make it a bit more bearable." Anjel forced a reassured smile.

Akio made it to the pillows before him, and waited for him to get comfortable before she decided how to lay. Strangely enough, she wanted to lay close to him. Her prior fear and even anger towards him had faded, replaced by an unusual sense of security. She snuggled him unabashedly.

And Anjel could hardly believe it--her warm body against his almost made him forget about the dull throbbing pain in his foot. He lifted his arm and she rested her head on his shoulder, his hand on her side, holding her gently. At least this was safe--they would never condemn him for something they didn't know about. Akio's paw slowly made its way to rest on his stomach, her fingers splayed and she lightly rubbed the fine scaling around his bellybutton.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked suspiciously.

She sighed softly before answering. "I'm not afraid of you anymore."

Anjel's wrist bent, his rounded talons making small circles on the small of her back. "You should be," he rumbled. "I'm dangerous."

Akio laughed--it was the first time she'd been this relaxed in days. "You are not dangerous to me."

"I thought you hated me for taking you away from your tribe? Your life?"

"I'm not angry, really. You were right, Anjel." She paused after saying his name, knowing full well what effect it had on him. "It was not the life I wanted. Perhaps I will find my new life on this path. You were just doing your bidding."

Anjel squeezed her against his side, feeling the coil growing taut in his loins from her paw still idly rubbing and scritching at his middle. Of course, hearing his name in her voice was like heaven. Nobody called him by his name favorably.

"I don't think this is a good idea," he said suddenly, leaning his head back as he felt the tip of his organ find its way through the opening of his sheath. He squeezed his eyes shut, willing his body to relax, to no avail.

But Akio knew the effect she was having on him. When her paw slid suddenly down, unerringly finding the warm pink head, Anjel drew in a breath with a hiss. His erection grew faster then, bumping happily against her curious paw as she explored the newly exposed length. Finally the dragon unleashed his air in a long, low moan.

"Do you like this?" Akio asked timidly, still too shy to look down to what she was touching so familiarly. "Is it good?"

"I never want you to stop," Anjel sighed. There was no method to her touch, no knowledge. It was simply being touched that made his mind hum and his body tingle. When she wrapped her fingers around his organ, it was perfect. His hips lifted eagerly and she obliged, sliding her paw down his length to the base. "Oh Akio--" he began, halting as she released his staff and curled her fingers around his sac.

She gasped as his organ jumped suddenly, spitting a stream that made it all the way to Anjel's collar. It spurted two or three less impressive bursts, accompanied by a satisfied, drawn-out groan. Several breaths later, he looked down to her. "I'm sorry," he blurted, ashamed at how quickly her touch finished him. "It's been awhile since I've--well, to tell the truth..." The arm around Akio pulled her tighter. "Nobody's ever touched me like that before."

"Now we've both touched each other in new ways," she said, smiling timidly.

When Akio woke laying on the dragon's chest, his mighty arm around her protectively, she was not shocked. She was still filled with a secret reverence for Anjel, one that even she didn't understand. She was confused by his obvious care of her, but thankful all the same.

Anjel's chest rose and fell in a deep breath, and Akio looked up to meet his gaze. She smiled at him, and he smiled back.

He didn't allow them to relax that morning. Shortly after rising, Anjel was all about business. He gathered several things and stuffed them into a brown leather satchel, ignoring Akio's questions. The dragon eventually told her to take a bath and to rub some of his scented oils in her fur. She obeyed easily, thankful for some other distraction.

Anjel was dreading the presentation. After the previous night's events, both with Akio and with Lord Tyrran, his mind was racing to find a way to keep her here. He knew it was impossible. Grimly, he continued to pack his bag. Her constant vigilance over his preparations was only making his throat close up and so, ashamed at being choked-up over losing someone he'd only just met and had no real relationship with, he'd sent her away on some menial task. Now the silence bore into him like a dull knife.

All members of the Moonstone pack wore moonstone pendants. Anjel realized that he hadn't seen one on Akio, and this suddenly struck him as odd. Hard as he thought, he could not remember ever seeing one around her neck, even though every other member--even the pups, running around at their parents' feet--wore one.

As if summoned by his thoughts, Akio stepped back into the room. He turned to face her and, sure enough, he did not spot the amulet. He did, however, notice that instead of the sandalwood-vanilla mixture he'd used on her yesterday, she chose a more floral scent. Rosewater, he decided with a smile. Akio returned the smile, her entire being brightening at seeing the dragon make a pleasant expression. Too quickly, Anjel tore his eyes from her and continued his work.

"Why don't you wear a pendant?" he asked tentatively, tying and securing the sack.

"You noticed." Her voice was more bold. She didn't sound surprised.

"Everyone else wore one. Why would you be any different?"

Akio walked around to his side, her paws touching the fine leather of the loincloth she'd worn on her last night with her tribe. "The string snapped. A friend pulled on it and it broke." Her voice was flat, but Anjel knew it was not broken in play. "My father said that I could not wear it again until my mate replaced the string."

Her paws flipped over the loincloth, and sewn into the band was a little pocket. It just fit the oval-shaped stone, white and yellow mingling on its pearly surface. She held it in her paw, studying it. "You won't have a mate now," Anjel said suddenly.

"So I'll never wear it again." The way her voice caught at the last word made him turn towards her. Akio's paw closed on the stone, her teeth clenched in the struggle against emotion. "I'm not part of their tribe anymore, either. I have no right to wear this." She dropped it and it fell back onto the leather, sliding off at once and landing at her feet.

"Akio," Anjel started, reaching out to her, but he stopped short. It was enough to make her swiftly leave. "Let her go," he whispered to himself.

Minutes crept by as Akio pulled herself together, knowing that it would be better to face the future than to fight it. Time grew and yawned into an hour, then two, and she started wondering what was taking Anjel so long. She stood, stretching her sleeping limbs when finally he walked into the main area of his lair.

"Are you ready?" he asked, not really expecting an answer. He wore his long brown cloak again, the satchel slung securely over his neck and under an arm.

"Will you be able to land with me on your back?" Akio prompted.

"My foot is fine."

Anjel stared at her openly for several long moments before stepping towards the opening of his cave. "We should get going. I have some other errands I have to run." An errand, he reminded himself, is all she's meant to be.

He crouched down, half-spreading his wings so that she could climb on between them. She hesitated, anxiety creeping in. "Can't I wear a cloak, also?"

"Your master will give you clothes."

She squinted at the back of his horned head, wondering where the tender and shy dragon of the previous night had gone. Biting back any remark, she climbed onto him and held on tight.

The entire ride was in silence. Akio stewed about Anjel's attitude, while he fought to remind himself that this was just his job--nothing more. It could never, ever be more.

The area within the Geart Range where the dragons carved out their homes was a sight to see itself. Windows and doors peeked out of the red mountains, almost fading into their surroundings as well as Anjel's cove. As they came closer to the actual city, the streets were paved with gemstones, winking their individual reflections up at the two as they flew overhead. Abodes became more defined, more fancy. Dragons of every color imaginable were out in the sunlight, living their day.

Geart Palace--where the dragon Lords lived--towered above them all. It was amazingly carved out of the top of a mountain itself, a million little windows peeking from towers that disappeared into the clouds. Akio gawked at them as they landed, her senses overloaded with so many new experiences in the simple flight over the city. Huge doors faced the main entrance to the palace, carved wood that depicted many images that would have, under any normal circumstance, made Akio blush furiously.

Anjel crouched down and Akio slipped from his back, bare feetpaws spreading out on the glossy stone beneath them. The only way to get into any other part of the city from the palace was to fly, and many dragons were doing it. The usual hustle-and-bustle of the day went on around the two white creatures, as if they had never existed at all. Akio noticed this, as well: Anjel was the only white dragon she'd seen so far.

A blue-violet dragoness approached them. She was dwarfed in size next to any of the other dragons, but her every step was sure and she smiled as she neared Anjel. "Hello, messenger," she crooned, looking up to him with adoring eyes that made Akio's heart flutter with jealousy. "Falqon has been asking after you."

Anjel's expression was unreadable as he nodded. "Thank you, Nigh. I will be sure to see him before I go." He placed a spread talon on Akio's back, nudging her forward a step. "Once I've taken her to Tyrran, I will be given new orders. I don't expect to return by the full moon."

Nigh walked with them towards the towering doors. "She's to replace the one he lost?" The dragoness sounded skeptical.

"She'll do fine," Anjel replied flatly, and the response drew another querying gaze from Nigh. His talon pushed heavily on the doors and they opened like jaws, revealing the dimly lit room beyond.

The main doors to the palace entered directly to what could only be described as a throne room. A deep red carpet run along the length of the room, softening their steps as the doors closed behind them. Nigh did not follow. Pillars rose on either side of them, a burning torch on each, the flame a dancing copper. They would pass six pairs of these pillars before reaching the end of the red carpet, at which and upon a great stone throne sat the mighty Lord Tyrran. The red-orange building and complimenting flame reflected from his polished brown scales, and his eyes were a brilliant orange. He stared severely at the two as they approached.

Two soldiers flanked the throne, but there were several--seven that Akio counted--cloaked dragons lingering around the edges of the room. They were all silent, watching. Anjel stopped and tugged Akio to stand before him.

"Is this the wolf you've brought to us from the Moonstone pack?" Tyrran asked, leaning forward to study her. She lowered her gaze, sure that this dragon would eat her.

"Yes, my Lord."

"You may leave then, messenger. I will send a slave when I am ready to speak with you." The brown dragon's gaze did not leave Akio.

Without another word, Anjel turned and started walking away. Akio's heart began to race. Suddenly she felt abandoned, alone, and in danger. She fought to regain her self-control.

Anjel was walking very slowly, trying to put Akio behind him both physically and mentally. The sooner he forgot about her, the better for both of them. He closed his eyes and placed a talon heavily on the door.

"So it seems my messenger has brought me the daughter of an elder," Tyrran growled, a sinister smile playing along his toothy muzzle. "Pity that I don't enjoy pampered puppies." He sat up and Akio raised her gaze, staring at him in disbelief. "Take her to the guards. They will enjoy her more than I. They should have returned from Dusk by now."

Anjel froze, his jaw cramped as he held it shut tightly. His claw on the door refused to push it open, his legs no longer willing to follow his brain's order to leave the room. He wanted to turn around and fight. He wanted to...

Akio struggled as a cloaked dragon took her by the arm. He was silent as he subdued her, grabbing the paw she'd thrown at him in a fist and locking it behind her back with the arm he'd already taken hostage. She began to whimper, tried kicking the servant, but another cloak appeared and grabbed her legs. She swung her head around just in time to see Anjel push through the doors and disappear into the blinding sunlight. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

"Going to cooperate with us, missy, or do we have to be a little more persuasive?"

Akio looked up into the gray eyes of the dragon that held her arms and made a decision.

She walked through the corridor, escorted by one cloaked dragon. He held his talon lightly on her shoulder, applying pressure only when they turned a corner. Akio remained silent, reminding herself that no matter what happened, she would absolutely not cry.

Gray-eyes opened a door onto a loud and bawdry conversation. A brilliantly-colored yellow dragon was bragging about a tournament he'd almost won, tossing a golden chest plate onto a long bench at his side. Three other dragons were in the room; brown, green and golden. They were all significantly larger than Anjel.

The cloaked dragon holding Akio's arm waited for the banter to cease before announcing her. The gold dragon turned towards them first, his burning red eyes staring regally down his muzzle. Slowly, the others turned their attention to the trembling wolf and almost-invisible dragon next to her.

"Lord Tyrran's gift to you returning warriors," gray-eyes said, shoving her forward. As he released her arms, she threw her paws forward, tripping over her own feet. She caught herself on a low table scarred with arrow holes and knife carvings. A couple of the larger dragons chuckled.

"What's wrong with 'er?" the yellow dragon asked, stepping over the bench and walking around to her. Akio watched him, eyes wide with fear. "She looks well enough. Why'd ol' High 'n Mighty toss 'er to the side?"

"Reckon he did it to take another stab at the ghost, ser," the cloak replied. "Seems he'd taken a liking to her, and Tyrran wanted to teach him a lesson."

The yellow dragon laughed loudly, the green and brown joining in, but the gold dragon just stared at Akio as if he wasn't a part of the scene.

"Well, let's just see what that ghost was so fond of, eh?" the yellow rumbled, a rough claw grabbing Akio's muzzle and lifting her head up. "What's yer name, pup?"

"P-Promise of Agape," she responded, spilling out her ceremonial name for a reason that was beyond her.

"Agape, eh?" He chuckled. "What did you do with that ghost? Did he make ya suck his cock?"

Akio blushed furiously, but did not respond. She boldly stared up into the flat brown eyes stuck into his bright yellow face, silent. The cloaked dragon had left unnoticed and the door was now closed between her and freedom.

"Let's put her on the table," a deep voice suggested from behind her. A chill ran down Akio's spine as she realized that it was the golden dragon; the green and brown were seated comfortably in their smallclothes, watching as if awaiting a show.

"Good idea, Falqon." The yellow released her jaw only to pick her up like a child and place her on the table. "Now, lie down like a good little girl," he said. Akio's mind wanted to rebel, but as the four large dragons practically surrounded her now, her body complied. She turned and lied on her belly, ears flat as her head came level with the yellow dragon's crotch.

Soon, it was all she could see or smell. The reptilian stench quailed her, but beneath it was the basic male scent, the scent that spoke to her primal need. Akio took a deep breath to steady her heart, reminding herself that this was her new future, and she could either follow it through or die fighting it. She licked her dry lips, gazing up at the yellow dragon.

"Trained 'er good, ya think?" he laughed at seeing her little pink tongue, a hand working at the drawstring around his waist. A talon on her thigh woke the rest of her body, making her start back into fear.

"We'll find out," came the deeper voice of Falqon, the gold dragon. There was a scraping noise; the sound of a bench being pulled over the rough stone floor so the dragon general could sit comfortably and still inspect Akio's nether portion.

At her front, the yellow pulled out his ponderous sheath, the aroma slapping Akio's senses. She felt her body reacting, hating the almost pleasurable sensations that were throbbing through her at the sight of the pink organ stretching from the dragon's loins.

"Go on, you know what to do with it," he urged, angling it and pressing the tip against her nose. Akio whined, pulling her head back minutely. This elicited a mocking laugh from the two dragons on the sidelines.

"What's the matter, Kall, didn't ya wash up sometime last week?" the brown prodded, a wry grin plastered over his face.

"Shut yer trap," the yellow snapped. He placed a heavy claw on the back of Akio's head, pushing her forward. "Suck it, little bitch, and don't you even think about bitin'."

The tip of his organ pushed against her lips, the salty, fleshy taste sneaking in before she even opened her mouth. Akio did so slowly, taking in the warm, pulsing length. Her jaws ached; he was much larger than Anjel here, as well. More like what she'd expected a dragon to be. She hoped he wouldn't try to push it all in.

"Ahh, yes. She's warm, but not as warm as a good dragon, boys." Kall held his hand on her head, keeping her within range of his ample organ. Akio gagged as he gave a sharp thrust, forcing her jaws to pop, pushing himself down her throat. He pulled back as quickly as he'd pushed, laughing as she coughed and forced her breakfast back down her esophagus. Kall's wet organ slapped her on the nose as he angled it down again, and she hesitantly took it again, closing her eyes and pretending she was somewhere else.

A sure grip on her thighs brought her back to this world, her head bobbing to the steady rhythm of Kall's thrusts, her tongue guarding the back of her throat should he try to force his way again. The pressure on her thighs pushed them apart, and she felt her hips respond by pushing down and angling up. Falqon grinned as the wolf exposed the bits he'd been trying to get a better look at. Akio whimpered around Kall's organ when the gold dragon leaned forward and slipped his tongue between her lower lips, sliding upwards through the slit. Her heart thudded in her chest, eyes squeezed closed as she focused on that feeling.

The knowing tongue of the dragon between her thighs pushed down, finding the little kernel nestled there, slightly swollen with anticipation. Akio curled her toes as Falqon flicked at it with the tip of his tongue, reawakening her need brought on by her heat. She pushed back against his muzzle with her hips, enjoying now even the rude actions of Kall, still pushing his staff against the back of her throat.

The sound of the door opening barely registered to Akio; the only thing she noticed was the absence of the warmth between her legs. Nigh had come in, and was speaking in whispers to Falqon. Kall did not let up, his gyrations becoming erratic, and as Akio noticed his muscles tensing around his legs, he pulled back and released her head. Akio realized what was happening; she closed her eyes against the hot streams flying from the dragon's twitching member and they covered her face, dripping down onto her arms and shoulders. She sat very still, no longer feeling lascivious, but instead quite filled with disgust and overwhelmed by the urge to bathe.

"Ah, not as good as a dragon, boys, as I said before," Kall was saying. Akio wiped at her eyes, flinging the goo from her paws. "But nothin's bad after a long journey." His friends joined him in another laugh at her expense.

"I think I'll be taking her in," Falqon's voice rumbled from behind her. Akio sat up, lifting herself slowly at first, then rising with confidence after she was sure no dragon was going to stop her. She was extremely conscious of the slowly solidifying substance covering most of her face.

Nigh walked around the table to face her. The small blue dragon offered a clawed hand, not much larger than Akio's. "Come with me, sweetie, and we'll get you cleaned up," she said quietly, unheard by the busily chatting trio of dragons. Akio looked to her side and saw that Falqon was staring at her again, the way he had when she was first brought into the room. He nodded once, slowly.

No one else noticed the two leaving. Nigh did not restrain Akio at all as they walked down hallway after hallway. The dragoness watched her, a small smile playing upon her muzzle. Every once in awhile she would toss in a question amidst her habitual explaining.

"So, Akio is it?" Nigh grinned when Akio looked at her questioningly. "Anjel told me your name. It's very pretty." They pushed through a couple doors, into a dimly-lit room with three large pools of steaming water set into the delicately tiled floor. Nigh led her to the closest one and told her to get in, then disappeared behind a curtain.

Akio gratefully slipped into the bath, her fur tingling where the water soaked through. She ducked her head under, paws rubbing at her face and neck until she couldn't hold her breath any longer. When she popped back over the surface, Nigh was sitting at the edge of the pool with a small basket. "I understand," the dragoness laughed amiably. "Kall's a poor excuse for a dragon. Don't let him ruin it for all of us."

Nigh dug through her basket while Akio watched her silently. The dragoness, like herself, was nude. She wore a silver chain around her neck with a charm attached; a tiny lock. The wolf took the proffered sponge and soap, shyly asking, "Are you a slave, too?"

Laughing softly, Nigh raised a blunted claw to her chest. "Me? Goodness, no. I'm a servant, yes, but no dragons are slaves." She sighed, kicking a little in the water. "I work for Falqon because he is a good dragon. If I wished, I could leave his service for that of another. That is the biggest difference between you and I, Akio."

"Is Anjel a slave?" The scent of roses wafted from the bar of soap as she scrubbed it with the sponge, then worked the suds into her fur, imagining that she was washing herself of the experience with the yellow dragon.

Nigh leaned back on her hands, frowning. "Anjel is... unfortunate. He is a sweet thing though, isn't he?" Akio didn't answer, concentrating instead on rinsing her fur. She ducked her head under again, shaking the bubbles away before resurfacing. "Akio," Nigh began, "What is Anjel like in bed?"

Akio checked to make sure that the dragoness wasn't joking, but the look on her face was completely serious, and very curious. "Wh-what? What do you mean?"

Nigh's large blue eyes blinked once and she cocked her head, her mouth slightly open. Akio blushed. "Wait..." Nigh grinned. "You're telling me, he acted like that over losing you and you haven't even slept with him?"

The wolf abashedly shook her head. "I... we shared a bed, but--"

"Oh," the dragoness crooned, clasping her paws before her and lifting her head, a gleeful smile spreading over her muzzle. "Oh, Anjel, I had no idea..." She giggled girlishly, winking down to a confused Akio. "This is going to be fun. Come on out of there, sweetheart."

Akio climbed out of the pool, her fur dripping heavily. She resisted the urge to shake. Nigh stood, walking over to the curtain again and returning with a large, plush towel. She handed it to Akio. "Usually, you'd have some of the cloaks washing you. They're pretty much in between. Not as high as us smaller dragons, but not as low as the slaves. They'd be the grooms, cooks, and usually the messengers, but Lord Tyrran has had Anjel under his service for a long time now."

"Why is Anjel working for Tyrran? Isn't he like all the rest of the dragons?"

Nigh paused, studying Akio as the she-wolf rubbed the towel against her fur. "I guess you wouldn't know," she said finally. Akio stared, waiting for an answer. The towel was not doing much for her fur. The dragoness seemed reluctant to reply, taking her time to formulate an answer. "Well," she started, "He's a white dragon. That makes him different."

Akio surrendered to damp fur and folded the towel over her arm. Nigh saw what she was doing and showed her to place dirty towels into a wicker basket near the door. "Why does the color of his scales matter?" she asked. "I have white fur, but my tribe does not call me names or treat me differently because of it."

Opening the door leading to the hallway, Nigh shrugged. "It's older than all of us. A dragon born without color is like being born cursed. There are only a handful of them alive, now, and they all live secluded in the north." The light flooded into the dim room, but the couple were walking back into the sunlit corridor and Akio's wet fur clung to her awkwardly.

"In the north?" the wolf asked softly, self-conscious of being heard by a dragon of authority. "Why isn't Anjel living in the north--why is he here, working for Lord Tyrran?"

Nigh paused at a large door, her talons spread on its carved surface. She looked at Akio. "You know... I have no idea. I've never asked him." Her face brightened, sky-blue eyes shining as she smiled. "But you should know, Anjel's been asking to be set free, so he can go home. It's supposed to happen soon. Maybe you can ask him?"

Akio licked her lip, her pink tongue tasting the scented water from the bath. "I'd like that."