Azralie: Part One

A Fortunate Meeting?

Lupus Fidelius the Third (Male Wolf Dragon hybrid) Played by WolvineDragon

Azronicle Azura Strongclaw (Male Rock aligned EbonyStriker) Played by KillJoyRule

A dragon flew in the dark night looking for a place to rest. He had spent thousands of years on this earth and roamed the world as it changed thinking he had seen everything it had to offer, but little did he know he was going to see something new today. Landing as the weather got bad he shifted forms into a large human-sized dragon anthro before heading into a warm cave to rest.

--

Leaving the damnable sleet of the northern climes behind, I entered the cave. It was deeper than I had expected from what I had seen from above, at least twenty yards before turning around a bend, and I could feel a slight draft. "Excellent," I thought. "No smoky scales tonight!" I unloaded my pack: setting up my bedroll, stove, roots and herbs, a pot to catch some of that damn sleet for water, and my satellite computer hookup. I started my login routines, then headed back outside and my carried in prize for the night... a fourteen point buck I had to carry through the weather, well worth it.

I quickly dressed the carcass, flinging the unusable bits to the other predators well down the side of the mountain and saving the rack of course. I then put the pot on for some nice hearty venison stew. I chuckled morosely to myself, thinking that I should be making this delicacy for a group in a high end restaurant and not in a cave in the middle of nowhere, on the run from those I used to receive such high compliments from.

As I busied myself on the computer, I found the usual political backstabbing lying and underhanded dealings that I had gotten dealt with. No, I wouldn't call myself anything close to a politician. I wouldn't insult myself in that manner. I made the mistake of saving someone's life, someone who happened to have powerful people after them. I checked my sources around the internet, and found no sightings of their activity in the region I was in... yet. Sighing, I cut the connection, put some mellow Jazz on the speakers and cut power to the screen. As I got up, I was reminded of yet another task I had to complete before I could partake of my upcoming feast.

One unique trait of my shifting ability is that while I was able to shift from a beautiful furred western dragon into a more humanoid form is that I retain the clothing I was wearing before I shifted from the humanoid form. This was especially useful in the less tolerant cultures present on the planet. I dressed fairly moderately; wearing a bomber jacket over a loose fitting sweater, jeans, boots, and a diaper. Yes, I wear a diaper. While I could get into boring details into why, I'll suffice to say a... injury forced me into them and I grew to love them even after I needed them less physically.

The task I mentioned was the diaper was very wet, and not from the weather either. A change was in order. I pulled out my changing supplies, stripped down, moved my bowels and disposed of the waste down the mountain, cleaned up and diapered back up. By then, the cave was rather warm from the stove and another heat coming from further in. I settled down on my bedroll and prepared to enjoy some stew.

--

I was an EbonyStriker. The last of my breed known to.... well actually now that I thought about it I was far from known. I was the last of my species, not even myths stretched so far back to when we were common. Our race had lost its numbers in several wars before the annoying human race exploded across the world. They annoyed me thoroughly but that's beside the point. My main form had nice light blue scales with red soul stones growing along it on several parts of my body looking very much like I had gems lining me. I would be considered by the humans oh what was that word... they liked big words they had no use for. Ahh! Biologically immortal. Our death was only limited by how long we avoided getting skewered on a pretty rock as decoration. We retained many of our features like this including our lovely shards. Walking down the cave a bit I took a deep whiff of the air. "Well interesting. Been a while since I've smelled that. Fur dragons don't usually hang around here." I said to myself quietly walking calmly into the room where he sat.

--

Finally, my stew was ready. With the Jazz music playing, the view of the storm outside the cave, and the taste of the stew in my mouth I couldn't help but feel contented for the first time in weeks. Finally perhaps I could relax and just enjoy a meal. I sat there, taking small bites and slurping quite noisily at my food enjoying the occasional lightning flash through the sleet as the storm started to move on and night began to replace the gloomy day. "Time to get a fire going," I thought, "though it should be darker in here already, odd." I turned around and gasped, hand dropping to my wrist mounted crossbow.

In front of me was quite the sight. I first noticed what looked like several lights, then as my eyes adjusted, a Fur with gems glowing on him? Her? I couldn't tell from where I was... I could see some nasty looking spikes though, and I knew they were probably here first. Best to speak first and hope they are friendly.

"Uh, hello? I hope you speak English... I apologize if I disturbed you, I needed some shelter from the storm. It was turning rather nasty out there, and I'd hate to get sick this far from civilization. I... I've made some excellent venison stew, if you don't mind sharing a bowl!" I stammered out as this curious creature continued staring at me... and my diaper! I realized I neglected to put on proper clothing and almost made a beeline for the cave exit, cold and wet weather or not. While bolting off, I noticed a familiar warmth at my crotch... of course. I had to wet myself, while in front of a potential hostile and while wearing nothing but my diaper and my crossbow. No longer feeling content, starting to feel rather panicky, and my body starts to try to shift involuntarily... its literal fight or flight response.

--

"Calm your claws young one, the only thing you'll do is cause a ruckus." I said, looking away from the shifting form and scratching my claws along the wall near me, causing sparks to light a fire on a brush pile beneath me and warming the cave further. I simply rest along the side of the wall my feet crossed as I wait for the fur dragon to chill out. I was no threat at the moment. "Now please stop shifting before you cause the unstable roof above us to fall. There's an air pocket up there." I did not feel the need to explain how I knew this. The fact that he was wearing a diaper doesn't faze me either.

--

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing thoughts. Those claws looked impressive! At least this man speaks English and is willing to speak to me, and seems peaceful enough. "Sorry. It has been a rough... long time. I get a little jumpy. And no. I am not young by any definition of the word, despite my appearances. I wear this out of necessity and because I enjoy them. I don't mean to be a showoff though, so please accept my apologies." I hastily donned my now-dry traveling gear, and squatted down a safe distance from this curious figure. "My name is Lupus, most recently from the southwest reformed USA. May I inquire who, and what, you are? I must admit I have never seen anything quite so striking in my many years, though the thought of gem studded beings tickles my racial memories..."

--

"Oh, you're young. You just don't realize it. I'm older than your race, almost everything is young to me. As for what I am? EbonyStriker. Very old breed of dragon. The very first breed in fact. I see you're a fur dragon, I'm just surprised to see one this far out. Your kind don't frequent these areas. Now as for your offering of stew I think I'll pass. I don't eat what others do. And don't feel embarrassed about your diapers I couldn't care less about that, they are quite fine with me." I spread my wings and lay down. "The names Azronicle."

--

A feeling of honor, dread, remorse, and pity washed over me hearing this ancient creature speak. I wanted to feel affronted at being called young again but couldn't. This must be, if not the last, one of the very few remaining of his kind. The memories of my kind came back to me. EbonyStrikers were known as honorable, if somewhat plucky individuals. They were considered forefathers of most dragonkind though they never ruled an empire of their own. They were more the moral guiding hand behind the ones that did rise to true greatness. They were also whispered as the ones to bring down the corrupt ones in decisive and direct fashion. I imagined Azronicle must have been even more a target than I ever imagined I ever was. I bowed deeply to cover the feelings that must have been washing over my face.

"It is an honor to meet you sir. I now remember the stories of your kind, and am glad to finally meet one in person. I feel obligated to say we may be in danger, as I have been fleeing some rather dangerous powers since sticking my paw in the wrong place recently. I've had a few close calls," gesturing to a scar along my silver furred left cheek and forearm, "but have been lucky so far."

A feeling of foreboding washed over me, my hackles rising. I noticed your red gems glowing brighter as well. "Is there another exit to this ca-" The proximity sensors I set outside the entrance started sounding as a blinding light went off just inside the entrance and a concussion knocked me to my back, a perfect view to see cracks starting to spread across the ceiling.

--

"Don't bow I'm just a dragon not a god. And I'm here for that reason. Do you think someone as unusual as me runs into other dragons for no reason?" I had already knew we were being converged upon. I started to shift just before the concussion blast, the roof cracking and groaning. My wings grew giant first as I braced them along the whole roof holding it up. I reached a single paw of mine grabbing his chest, the normally deadly claws cradling him carefully in them and pulling him to me just as I roared, the gems on me growing bright before something strange happened. The roof and everything grew still around us as I walked out of cave with him. Only my wings changed but soon the stillness broke. Gunshots were heard, several large machineguns mounted on vehicles shot at us, most of their rounds bouncing harmlessly off my scales as I took flight. Once we were out of reach of the enemy, I looked down at him in my claws as I shifted full into my true form. "You hurt?"

--

Damn, that hurt. They must have realized there was more than one high priority target to bring in the big guns... "Ugh" I managed to groan out, "can you get my pack? Evidence... how'd you stop the rocks? Tired... shit, bleeding. They got my side. First aid kit, vest pocket, tail feels tingly." I cough a bit. "You alright?" I noticed some blood on your scales a well, a shattered gem, genuine concern in your eyes.

--

"Your stuff is in my other claw. Let's get you somewhere safe and I'm fine. I've been hurt much worse this is just a few scratches. The blood is from simple bruising my scales are too hard for bullets. I flew us to a small outcropping a few miles away, somewhere safe before letting him down and shifting back to my anthro form and tending to his wounds. I bandaged him and grimaced. I had a feeling he wouldn't make it in the end. "Stay with me." I said.

--

Rough ride aside, I felt rather cozy next to this elder dragon. I could complain, I suffered a high caliber gunshot to the side, got pummeled with I don't know how many rocks from a cave ceiling, and carried across who know who knows how many miles of empty sky to doubtful safety, but I just felt safer. I looked at Azronicle, watching him scan the night sky. I saw the gem on his chest had already repaired itself, it must not have been as damaged as I thought earlier.

He was truly a magnificent creature in his dragon form, his gems tuned to a muted glow in the night and the starlight reflecting off his scales. My own fur shimmered silver with gold streaks around the bandage he had applied to my wound, my diaper needing a change from all the turmoil. I shifted, feeling more than just wetness, and blushed. I tried to get up to change myself and groaned, falling back onto my back.

"Az..." I manage to mumble out before he is already over me like a mother hen, concern on his features. How did I ever think he was going to harm me? I see his nose twitch as he realizes what the problem is, momentary natural disgust from the scent in his eyes before compassion overrules it.

--

"You're wounded badly. I'll try my best to help little one." I rubbed his muzzle softly before pulling down his pants carefully so as to not hurt him and undoing the diapers tapes humming gently to myself. Quickly replacing a new one and powdering your behind and tapering him back up. It became quite obvious by how quickly and expertly I changed it that he was not the first time I had done this.

"Don't worry little one I'll do everything in my ability to save you." I leant down kissing his cheek and washing the blood from his fur with a wet rag.

--

"Do that much?" I asked, with a half grin and a groan. The bandage was sopping wet. "I should have healed already... did you get the slug out?" My mind was getting fuzzy again, probably the painkillers. "On the computer, kinda dear anybody letter. Password is bogus, capital "b" and "s". Information you'll need about the people chasing us. Need to sleep." I laid my head against his leg, nuzzling against him and drift off with a contented sigh.

--

I nuzzled him lightly and changed his bandages. "I got the slug out. It was laced with poison..." I said watching him drift off. Looking at the computer I entered the password for the file and read all of the info. Several pages where about an illegal Dragon trade and some more gruesome.... Something about testing on dragons... terrible testing that left them disfigured and dead by the end of it. It sickened me to see the file and I couldn't look any longer shutting the laptop. I get right next to him and hear his faint heartbeat.

--

I had fitful dreams. I was in an alley, minding my business when another dragon came bursting out of a door down the way, the sound of alarms and weapons fire following him out. He was wearing what looked like a prison uniform, but with wires and medical equipment hanging out of it. He was also badly misshapen, as if someone had interrupted his transformation partway. He had a few human fingers on his forepaws and human feet instead of hindpaws, and his tail was missing! He turned, sprayed a cloud of acid into the doorway he just barged out of, and ran my direction. I just stood there looking stupid.

"For the love of all that's holy, mate, RUN!" He called at me, "there are more of those bastards coming, and you'd make a fine specimen for 'em!" I start to run towards him as I see him trying to shift to full dragon. Only one wing forms, the other is a useless lump of flesh. "What happened to you?" I asked, covering his mutilated body with a wing, half carrying him further from the door and around a corner. "No time for that lad. Can you carry me? Seems they got what they wanted outta this one, one less dragon in the sky." It looked like the man was about to crack, I quickly shifted, scooped him up and flew for safety. "Whatever they did to you, they will pay. I promise." I called to the unconscious form in my claws.

///shift///

I was in the third safe house Russ and I had fled to since I had unwittingly rescued him from the organization known only as "Purity." The bastards had ties everywhere. It was impossible to stay safe for long, make friends for long, and to trust anyone implicitly. They had their hands in every government we ran afoul of, and every surviving religion we tried to shelter in. Their motto was peace through Purity. Their goal was power through subjugation, slaughter, slavery and outright dominance. Only "Pure" humans deserved to rule as the inheritance of the world had passed to them, they claimed. The elder races, to which they had much more colorful names, deserved to die off. Until such occurred, they were not to breed, and were to serve the pure race as slaves. Purity was already rewriting historical and religious texts to make it always be the "right and proper" way to act, and resistance was beginning to falter. Russ came back in the door, wrapped in the local attire, hiding his deformities. "Eva is dead. I wasn't able to rescue her, but they weren't able to indoctrinate her either. She put up a good fight before they killed her." I sighed, "Another good person lost to this damn conflict. Were you able to get the intel at least? Was her death in vain?" He tossed over a chip. "Her death will never be worth it, Lou. I know I dragged you into this, and I'm sorry. I can't do this anymore mate, there's too much blood on my hands, too many bad dreams. I need to disappear for real. Live in a hole for a century or two."

I sighed. "I understand, man. You know they won't stop looking for you, you got a spaceship or something? Room for two?" I chuckled. "Either way, best of luck to you. I'd say keep in touch, but don't. I hope I don't see you in the news. May whatever gods are left out there watch over you." With that, the last friend I ever knew walked out the door. I saw him on the news not two days later, not caught by the Purity but he may as well have been. A mob caught him, saw his deformities and ripped him limb from limb. Purity actually gained favor from it, saying it was proof that the impure needed to be cleansed from the world. "Russ, may your spirit find peace, and your wings find clear skies evermore."

///shift///

I tried going solo against the Purity after the loss of Russ, collecting evidence, original unaltered copies of historical and religious texts and distributing them to the various remaining resistance cells and media outlets. Amazingly enough, it worked. It was slow going, over the course of several decades, but Purity was now relegated to the status of radical extremists with connections instead of a world power. The downside was my face was now number one on every bounty hunter board. I was never a solitary type, needing some sort of social interaction, and that's when they caught me.

"Amber, hi!" I called over to the gorgeous werefox at the bar. "Slow night?" I sauntered over, feeling at home. I only visited here a few times each decade, but I felt it was infrequent enough to be safe. An alarmed look, her eyes darting over to the side as all the warning I got before I was knocked from my feet and everything went black.

I woke strapped to a gurney in an armored transport vehicle. I tried to move, and couldn't. I tried to shift, and immediately felt such incredible pain I let out an earsplitting shriek. The rifle butt to the head was nothing compared to it. A pale face behind a dust mask bent over my face, "I'm sure that felt exquisite, eh? Wonderful little drug we've developed... makes mutts like you stick to more pure forms. Easier to manage, eh?" I tried to reply, to find a muzzle over my jaws. I growled instead. The "doctor" laughed. "Aw... poor little draggy can't speak, eh? Sorry about that. I'd rather keep my eyebrows un-singed today. You've made quite the name for yourself Lupus Fidelius the Third, eh? What, do you think you are royalty or something?" He moved down my body and I felt a sharp jab in my lower belly, another syringe or a small blade. "You are nothing but a mutt," he continued, "and not even housebroken at that, you will soon discover. You are responsible for the filth of your kind," another sharp jab. I gasp out and growl, feeling a warm sensation spreading around my nethers, "spreading around the world again. That is unacceptable. You will be put on trial. You will be humiliated. You will be punished. You will admit you are wrong, for the world to see." More pain, more monologue, it starts to fade to black... then the world rocks. Shouting, a different pain, heat. I am dragged out of the vehicle. Different uniforms, medics, blackness. A base, a hospital.

//shift//

More uniforms, diapers, fighting, running, fleeing, flying, hiding...

//shift//

Hunting, hiding, meeting a fascinating dragon with strange gems growing as part of his hide. Being attacked yet again, then feeling safe for the first time I can remember. Feeling like I am floating, greyness, hearing my name being called from a distance.

I woke up to see a gorgeous sunrise barely peeking over a mist strewn valley, and a more gorgeous face looking down at me. I was confused why I saw tears running down from the eyes, dripping onto my fur. "Az...?" I whisper. "Oh Lupus... you have gone through much for one so young. Your dreams were so powerful, I couldn't block them out." He took a shaky breath, "I see why you say you are not young, no matter how many years you have, little one. You have my respect." He touched his nose to mine, rubbing snouts. "Your time is short. The poison from the bullet will not be cleansed from your system. You will die." I closed my eyes, reflecting. I had a good life overall, up to the Purity. I would be glad to be rid of the evil that plagued me. "I am glad." I stated. Azronicle gasped, "Don't you ever say that! You are a magnificent creature, who has committed great deeds, and does not deserve to die on a lonely mountain!"

"I am old, no matter what you say. I have lived a very full life, and endured much pain. I'd rather die on a lovely mountainside beside the most beautiful creature I've ever seen than live another year as I have." I started crying, smiling sweetly as well. "What?" I asked as he suddenly pulled back, a thoughtful, somewhat apprehensive look on his face.

"There is something... What would you say if you could start again? Live life all over again? You would essentially be the same person, have the same personality, color traits and such but be reborn?" Azronicle was now speaking quite quickly, pacing back and forth. I was having trouble keeping up. "What are you talking about? Reborn? But you said you aren't a god!"

"No, I am not a god! Don't ever think that!" The ground trembled, and I shrank back. "Sorry... the creation of life is within any mortal's grasp, as is the saving of one's life. Something EbonyStrikers have the ability to combine, and has not been done in millennia, is essentially take the essence of a life as the body dies and place it into an egg, forming a new life. The core of who you are survives, some memories remain. I will try to strip the painful ones if you desire, though they shape who you are and I advise against it. The process overall will dull them at least. You would no longer be a wolfdragon. My best guess is you would be a mix between an EbonyStriker and a wolfdragon. It has been so long since this has been done outside purebloods, the records are faint memories. There is a chance it will fail, and your soul will join Russ and Eva. You don't have much time, pup. Will you do it?"

I hesitated. The lure of joining my friends was very strong. The lure of living anew with this new friend was strong as well, and I felt a tug. I felt the strength within me fade. "Yes... I trust you, my Az..." I whispered as my head hit the bedroll.

--

I held him as I watched his life fade. He was such a brave being and I had to everything in my power to save him. Cutting my wrist with a claw, a thick purple blood fell down to the ground. Instead of splattering against the ground it formed into a brilliant hard purple shell. I healed my wrist, stopping the bleeding before I looked at him, my gems glowing brighter and brighter as the egg glows in sympathy. Soon I know the deed is done before picking up the egg and cradling it. I placed a paw softly on his old body and it starts forming a crystal tomb around it, leaving it permanently preserved.

Standing up, I began the flight home with my claws safely cradling the egg and my mind deep in thought. I would help the ones fighting, but for now my place was keeping this youngling safe. Plus, I mused, he would make an adorable hatchy. I chuckled at that thought. After several hours of flying I reach a giant mountain. Pressing my paw along an apparently seamless wall, I pushed a door open before heading in and shutting it. Inside was a grand place the size of a mansion. Surrounding a giant pool in the middle were several tiers of rooms. Hallways lined the walls, and a mine led down into the crust of the world. Almost everything was decorated with gems. I made my way to a fireplace next to a couch and TV. Wrapping the egg in blankets and placing it softly near the fireplace I lay down on the couch, soon falling asleep.