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The musk of mating wafted in the air and tangled with the scents of flowers and incense. Warm, erotic feelings of arousal ebbed and flowed, uncontrollable and irresistible. Soft moans, coos, groans, and chirrs drifted from room to room as desires were fulfilled. Lust brimmed, peaking, with eyes glazed and half-closed, the need to feel release building with each and every second that passed.

Blade craved it all.

His golden eyes traced the form of a feral dragon dancer in front of him as he lay back on a bed, legs spread open shamelessly with a hard, pink member jutting between them. The male dancer wore a silken, lacey outfit that covered his scales in a way that left Blade wanting to pull all of his clothes off. It concealed just enough to leave his imagination swirling with possible ideas while he stared at the bulge between the dragon's haunches that would sometimes come into view as his hips flaunted and swayed in his sexy dance around a metal pole. It was something he would often see the two-legs do when he visited brothels such as this, but never had he thought a feral like him could move in such a seductive dance.

His scales were a soft green color all around, and where they were bare Blade could see white colorations striping and speckling his hide. A black vest hugged his chest while a transparent cloth squeezed around his balls and sheath. Long, black socks stretched up his muscular legs and attached to his underwear. Gloves covered his forearms in the same fashion, latched on his vest in frilly laces. Wearing lingerie covered his nakedness from view, yet it had a better affect to arouse Blade than if the dragon didn't wear anything at all.

Blade idly touched himself as he enjoyed watching the smooth, erotic dancing. He groped his own orbs and sometimes stroked his flesh, basking in the tingling sensations of arousal coursing through him. The dragon stretched up the pole and pressed his nethers against it, rolling his hips and grinding against the metal. That wonderful, plump bulge squished and rubbed against the pole, and Blade's eyes could hardly break away from it as a lusty rumble filled his throat.

Then, the green dragon twirled around it so that his rump was facing Blade. His soft-blue eyes looked back at the feathered dragon as he took a step around the pole and pressed his hind end against it, his tail curling around the metal. It slid up the pole until his tail was lifted out of the way to expose that bulge again. The dragon rubbed against the pole and spread his legs apart for Blade, so his golden eyes could stare beneath that thick tail.

Seeing that made Blade want to mount him right then and there.

"Come here," he cooed and shifted to sit upright against the back of the bed, his tail swishing excitedly while his cock was hard and twitching between his spread legs. He left his golden-feathered underbelly exposed that split his black-feathered hide down the middle.

It was just the two of them in a private room together inside a brothel. Blade paid for a deluxe package, and he expected to enjoy every bit of it with his lover for the night. He had enough of watching and desired to feel, touch, and explore his lover for the night.

The sea-green male smiled and sauntered over to the feathered dragon, his hips bouncing with each step. Climbing onto the bed with him, he straddled Blade's lap as their warm bodies pressed together. Blade purred and grabbed his rump with both of his paws, pulling his hips closer and letting that bulge rub against his erect cock.

"Rwwrrrr, what's your name, cutie?" he asked and nuzzled and kissed his neck. The cloth of the drake's silk underwear slid against his sensitive flesh.

The dragon cooed and exposed his neck to him as he eagerly rolled his hips into Blade. "Simeon," he answered. "But you can call me Simmy, handsome."

"Mine's Blade," he said and huffed a warm breath against Simmy's neck and groped his taught haunches with his paws, squeezing them and kneading them as they moved. He spread his thighs apart and rubbed a paw under the thick base of his tail, lifting it as he sensually touched him. He heard him gasp and groan next to Blade's ear as his digits pushed against his pucker through his cloth.

"How long have you worked here?" Blade continued to dote Simmy's neck with affectionate licks while suckling on his tender scales. His cock was growing and pushing against Blade's as it stretched his underwear, their hips grinding together.

Simmy's paws wrapped around Blade's neck and sifted through his soft feathers. "A few years now." His body was in constant motion, almost dancing in Blade's lap as his hips rolled, twisted, gyrated, and pressed into him. Blade's hard length throbbed and pushed against that growing bulge, his breaths short.

I wonder if I could ever get Renjee to learn this, he fantasized. That bird does have a sexy body too...

"Gwwrrllll... Have you always preferred males?" Blade asked with a trill. As he grabbed Simmy's rump, he pulled the drake against his body to fit him like a puzzle piece and let their nethers grind firmly together.

"Mmmnnngh, yes," he replied, groaning. "What about you?"

Blade's soft paws rubbed down Simmy's thighs and felt the chord connecting his clothes. "Always," he purred and unhooked each lace before his paws returned to Simmy's backside. He slipped a paw under his cloth and groped beneath his tail, teasing a digit around the dragon's bare tailhole.

"Ooohh! And I--mmm--take it that you're a top?"

Blade grinned toothily and nodded as he pulled his muzzle away from Simmy's neck. He nuzzled his snout and looked down between his legs to see his cock's form molded against his lingerie, its fleshy color almost visible through the transparent, black silk.

Simmy sucked in a deep breath as Blade's paw squeezed it. He kneaded into his flesh, enjoying his reactions. A wet spot darkened the cloth where his tip was, and Blade could smell Simmy's musky scent filling his nostrils. He rumbled and slipped a claw beneath the underwear and tugged it over his cock so Blade could see his exposed flesh. He was just as large as Blade was, but it was smooth without any ridges past his tapering head.

"You like what you see?" Simmy cooed. His gentle touched caressed Blade's head as he stared at his naked spire.

Blade didn't answer him and instead lowered his muzzle until he could lick the green's cock, slathering his wet tongue over his tip to taste his pre. It had a delicate and mild flavor, and it clung to his tongue. Simmy moaned and grabbed some of his feathers.

"Aaahh, Blade!"

Simmy's flesh slipped into Blade's inviting maw, pushing past his lips and sliding into a hot, blissful orifice. Blade swirled his tongue around his tip and tenderly suckled on his rod as half of it rested in his maw. Simmy's paws stroked through Blade's golden mane of feathers as his pleasure spilled from his lips in soft moans.

Blade loved to give pleasure almost as much as receive it, and he was hardly a stranger to giving blowjobs. As he sucked on Simmy's cock, his paws rubbed around his rump, squeezing and kneading into his scaly muscles. He was used to feeling feathers as soft as his own, but the hard, smooth feeling of scales was something he greatly enjoyed.

One paw would rub down Simmy's thigh and the other would snake under his tail. Then, he finally slipped his paw under his lingerie and pressed firmly against his tailhole, and he would feel Simmy's cock throb and twitch with delight in his suckling maw. He rubbed circles around it and sometimes threatened to push a digit inside.

"Ooohhh, that feels amazing," Simmy moaned.

Gently bobbing his head, Blade let Simmy's flesh slide in and out of his mouth. He licked up the dragon's pre with his tongue and sucked on his tapered tip to coax more out, enjoying the mild, slimy flavor. The paw that was groping Simmy's tailhole pulled around front before dipping beneath his underwear and taking his stones in his soft paw and rolling them around.

"Mmmmm," he rumbled. "You're really good at that..." Simeon petted Blade between his horns and gently rolled his hips to help slide his length in and out.

Blade groaned and flexed his toes. Arousal thrummed in the back of his skull, Simmy's scent and flavor rousing lustful desires inside him. He thought about letting Simmy finish in his maw, but he had better things planned. Slowly, Blade pulled his muzzle away from his twitching cock and licked his lips as he raised his head up.

"Bend over the bed, cutie," he instructed while squeezing Simmy's orbs. "Let me get under that tail."

A grin curled Simmy's lips as he nodded and climbed out of Blade's lap. "Rwwrr, you know just the right words to get a drake going."

He hopped off the bed with Blade following in tow and laid his front end against it. Chirring, Blade stepped up behind him as he spread his haunches apart and lifted his tail high, an eager invitation to be mounted. The black stockings squeezed around his muscular legs and covered all the way down to his hind paws. Grabbing the drake's underwear, Blade tugged it down his thick hind legs and exposed his eager rump, orbs drooping beneath a tight pucker.

Then, he pushed right up against his naked rump and slid his cock around his haunches as his weight shifted over Simmy to mount him. Blade's chest fit perfectly between his wings. He hooked a forepaw around the base of Simmy's neck and grabbed the bed sheets with the other as he pushed under that thick tail and prodded for his soft tailhole.

"Just relax, sweetheart," Blade said gently. "I don't ever leave my partner unsatisfied."

"Mmmm, I have no doubts about that."

When he found purchase, Blade gently pushed inside, feeling that tight pucker stretch around his tapered tip before his flesh slid into a warm, soft passage. A lewd groan escaped Simmy's lips as his muscles clenched around Blade's penetrating cock. It nestled in deeper and deeper until he bottomed out and grinded against him.

"Mmmmmm, you're tighter than I thought you'd be," Blade cooed as he enjoyed having Simmy around his cock. He was soft and warm on the inside, just like Renjee.

"I don't get many big, feral studs like you... Rwwwrrrrrllll, but you can be as rough as you want to be, handsome. I can take it."

"I'll have to take you up on that offer, sweetie," he whispered and licked behind Simmy's ear.

Blade moaned softly into Simmy's ear and rolled his hips into him. His flesh rubbed against Simmy's smooth, enveloping walls without sliding very far in or out until Blade worked himself into humping him. He pulled almost all the way out until he thrust hard back inside, and Simmy clenched tighter than before.

"Ooh, Blade! That's it..." Simmy moaned encouragingly.

With a lusty huff, Blade kept thrusting forcefully back into Simmy's tight passage. His cock slipped inside each time and spread his soft walls apart that squeezed around him. When he pulled out, his ridges tugged on Simmy's muscles and rubbed against his pucker.

"Aaahh, you like that?"

Blade imagined that he was grinding against Simmy's prostate each time he thrust in. He could almost feel the trembling pleasure that would course through his loins when that swollen nub was rubbed by a hard cock. It had been so long since Blade felt something like that, but he couldn't deny that he loved the sensations stimulating his flesh just as much.

The clenches of Simmy's muscles were in time with the throbs of his flesh bobbing beneath him. Blade wished he could play with it more and feel it in his paw, but instead he wrapped his arms around Simmy's torso and pulled himself forward into the green dragon to secure his mount.

"Y-yessss... faster! Ooohh!" Simmy moaned. He rocked with Blade's hard thrusts that gained speed. Their hips slapped together as their grunts, growls, and groans harmonized.

Pleasure welled inside Blade's loins. Pre oozed from his cock and made his penetration slicker so he could take Simmy easier. He was glad to hear Simmy's pleasured moans, letting him know that he was enjoying it as much as Blade was. His balls patted against Simmy's rump as he humped hard and fast. He shoved the green's body into the creaking bed and slammed into him repeatedly.

The walls in the brothel looked thin, so Blade imagined that whoever was next to them could hear their rough, feral mating, and he liked the idea of that. He voiced his pleasure next to Simmy's ears as he rutted him. With each thrust his pleasure grew, and so did Simmy's. He could hear it in his pleasured grunts and moans that became louder and more frequent.

Blade loved having such a warm, soft, eager body to thrust into. It reminded him of the many times he had mated his gryphon friend, Renjee, and how he always loved to be on bottom and take Blade's cock inside him. It wasn't very often that Blade got to experience the pleasures of being the submissive one anymore, but he had quite grown to enjoy dominating his partners.

"A-aaahhwrrrrr! I'm... I-I'm about to cum!" Simmy cried out in the throes of his ecstasy. His body was nearly limp beneath Blade as he pounded against it. He was lucky to have a bed to lie on or he might have fallen over.

"Ooohh, sensitive, huh?" Blade moaned along with him and kept steadily rocking against him. His hind legs were trembling from the pleasure and exertion, but he was close too. There was hardly any resistance as his length slipped in and out of Simmy's tailhole.

Then, Simmy moaned out to Blade as he came, his muscles rapidly clenching and pulsating around his cock as he spilled his seed into the bed. Blade groaned and enjoyed the tight squeezes as he humped Simmy through the peak of bliss.

"Mmmm, that's it, cutie," Blade cooed. "Almost there..."

Warmth flushed Blade's face as he heard and felt Simmy cumming. He was happy that he enjoyed their mating and that he could experience the pinnacle of pleasure with him. Now, all he had to do was focus on finishing himself. So, he slowed down and rolled his hips into Simmy, letting his cock grind against the green's hot passage. His hard thrusts were replaced by a tender grinding and humping that made Blade's toes curl.

Simmy panted and groaned as his sensitive flesh was rubbed and stretched by Blade's slick cock. Being an experienced worker, he knew it was his job to get Blade to cum, so he pushed back into his soft lap and swiveled his hips, and Blade's orbs squished against him.

"C'mon, handsome," Simmy cooed. "Cum inside me..."

Blade huffed and reached a forepaw back to grab Simmy's rump and pull into it, humping faster. The other paw pushed Simmy into the bed and made him submit to Blade as he made thrust after thrust while his arousal grew and balled up inside his loins, threatening to spill over at any moment. He moaned loudly and eagerly slapped against Simmy for another few seconds until he doubled over and wrapped his arms around the green's torso to pull himself snugly against his rump to bury his cock in the tight, soft tailhole. His crest of feathers flared open once he breached that final wave of bliss.

Blade winced and bucked as he growled with pleasure and reached his orgasm. He stopped thrusting and pushed his cock as deep as it would go while it throbbed and spewed thick strands of his gooey seed inside Simmy. His flesh thickened, pulsing against Simmy's tight, drenched walls that squeezed his flesh.

"Oooohhh, yes, Blade... Mmmmm..."

Pleasure flowed through Blade like a river; his feathers stood on end and his body shuddered with pure ecstasy. He rode out his orgasm with heavy breaths bathing the back of Simmy's neck. After Blade had emptied his orbs inside Simmy and filled him with his seed, he let the warm, relaxing afterglow wash over him.

Pulling out with a wet squelch, Blade rumbled deep in his throat. "How did you like that, cutie? Ever felt a cock like that before?"

Simmy bared a coy smile back at him and shook his head. "Those ridges of yours felt amazing," he answered. "Could hardly think straight when you started humping me."

They crawled back onto the bed together, with Blade lying on his back and wrapping the green dragon in a soft embrace.

"You're irresistible," Blade cooed and licked along Simmy's cheek. The green dragon fit perfectly against his soft body, and Blade closed his hind legs over his rump as he pulled him into a closer embrace. Their half-aroused members rubbed together between their legs.

"I can say the same about you, handsome," Simmy cooed back. "Haven't had such a pleasurable experience like that in a long time."

"I'm glad to be of service!" Blade chuckled and curled his tail around Simmy's. "You're not so bad yourself."

"Mmmmm..." Simmy smiled widely before planting a kiss on Blade's lips. It was a quick, affectionate kiss that made Blade's heart leap in his chest. He thought about Renjee and his gut knotted. Blade hadn't been separated from the gryphon for longer than a whole day in a long time, and he worried about him. He was most likely alone, in an enormous city some leagues away from here.

But he let those worries fall from him and held the back of Simmy's head and pulled his muzzle closer. Warm emotions flowed through him as he kissed Simmy back and mouthed over his lips. A soft groan escaped the green's maw before he delved into a passionate kiss with Blade, tongues twining and curling with mouths locking.

Blade had only ever kissed Renjee once like this, and before that it was his mate, Akir, whom he loved more than anyone else in the world. What made him share this moment with a dragon he had just met? Why was he kissing Simmy like he would kiss Akir? No one could ever replace Akir. He didn't love Simmy...

Yet, in spite of his mixed emotions, Blade continued to lock maws with Simmy, and their kiss took a lustful turn. Hips rolled together and hard cocks rubbed together. Their bodies were in constant motion of paws caressing, bodies grinding, and twined tails swaying together. Soft pants escaped their kiss after moans vibrated their throats.

Blade rolled Simmy onto his back and let his lust drive him. He pressed between the green's legs and had warmth envelop him again as he slipped inside. He pushed and pulled, ebbing and flowing, rocking their bodies together against the bed. Their muzzles brushed together as they shared breaths. It was so smooth and relaxing, both dragons embraced by warm emotions.

For a second time, Blade took Simmy and shared his pleasure. Ecstasy brimmed in the back of his skull. Bliss showered him with wonderful, tingling feelings. He made thrust after thrust until it all overflowed and they reached the pinnacle of pure pleasure together.

Afterward, they resumed their intimate cuddling and eventually fell asleep in each other's embrace.

Only a few hours later, Blade stirred awake and realized that he needed to leave before the sunrise.

"Will you... come back?" Simmy asked. He looked hopeful, and it made Blade's chest ache to realize he may never see Simmy again.

"I don't think I can promise that... but I will try." He gave the green dragon a soft smile and a lick on the nose before uncurling from around him. If he could take Simmy with him... No, he didn't want anyone else getting caught up in his mess of a life.

It was a hard goodbye, and Blade was reluctant to leave, but he told Simmy that he hoped to visit him again before he returned to the West.

With that, Blade took off toward the north under a blanket of fading stars, leaving the river town behind to fly toward his old city just before the break of dawn.

The bright orange sun touched the darkened world again and brought it back to life with its warmth. It peeked over the sea and cast long shadows behind the city that Blade had once called home. Dreadful memories crawled under his feathers like festering bugs, and each and every single one of them he carried as a burden. It made it difficult for him to continue flying in that direction, and for a moment he thought he'd turn back.

Will I ever forget this pain?

His heart ached like an open wound, a relentless, stinging pain that seized his throat and made it hard to swallow. The city was all too familiar; it seemed as if nothing had changed, and yet it felt like a century had passed since he last set foot here. In his memories, he could still see his mate flying above the rooftops or standing in the sandy streets. Some of them felt so real that he would have tumbled out of the sky after him.

Gods, why must I suffer like this...

Blade hurried to Renjee, the only soul in this god-forsaken city that could save him from himself. He flew over buildings he recognized, where he could recall the inside and outside from memory. But there was a foggy haze over some of the details: fragments missing from the decade he spent away. And in some areas, his memory was black, lacking.

He touched down outside Talia's house, his old friend that had passed before he could return. The news had been heartbreaking, despite having prepared himself for it. She would have been the only thing in this city that he still cared about... beside his daughter.

Blade grimaced and pushed the door open. Everything and everyone in this city was just a reminder of the mistakes he had made.

"Renjee?" he called out. He turned the corner and peeked into the room he and Renjee had been sleeping in before, but the gryphon wasn't there curled up in the bedding. "What could you possibly be doing this early in the morning?" Blade wondered aloud as he finished searching the rest of the small house to find nothing.

It wasn't like Renjee to be awake at this time. None of the shops would be open in the market yet, so Blade wondered what he would be up to.

He lay on their bedding and rested his head on his paws, waiting for the gryphon to return. The gryphon's scent clung to the furs and pillows, settling Blade's nerves so he could relax. Drowsiness settled in, so he decided to nap while he waited.

But when he woke up several hours later, Renjee was still missing. A tight knot formed in his gut; it wasn't like Renjee to disappear like that. He didn't know the city very well either, so Blade started to worry. Pacing through the house, his mind teemed with horrific possibilities.

Maybe Renjee was dead, his corpse in some alleyway Blade would never find. Maybe someone had kidnapped him and tortured him. Maybe he stuck his beak too close to the palace and the guards beat him into a bloody mess or took him away. Maybe Blade would never ever see him again.

And it would all be my fault for bringing him here...

Blade pinched his eyes shut and let out a long sigh. After a few steady breaths, he tried to relax, but that gnawing, troublesome sensation prickled beneath his feathers. He wanted to believe Renjee was perfectly okay--safe--but he knew by gut instinct that something was amiss.

Next to the door dust had been kicked up and swept away. Upon closer inspection, it looked like a short scuffle had taken place. A few scrapes from claws marred the stone. It was obvious that something had transpired here, and now he was left wondering who, what, when, and why?

Then, Blade caught a single silver feather next to a cabinet. It didn't look like a normal feather: it was larger than that, like it belonged to a feathered crest. Had it not been silver, he would have assumed it was his missing from the back of his neck... but it was silver and didn't belong to either him or Renjee.

Whoever it belonged to must have been the culprit. And if they laid a single paw on Renjee, I will rip them apart.

Blade slammed the door shut on his way out and thrust himself into the midday sky, with heat beating down on him. Normally, he avoided going out in public in case the wrong people would recognize him, but now there were worrisome matters gripping his chest like a vise.

He searched everywhere he could, flying over every district but the palace district. After that had been unsuccessful, he took to the streets and swiftly padded around the districts. The city was so large that he felt like he didn't make a dent before the sun set again. Determined, he continued to search through the night, his heart racing and hurting as vivid pictures of Renjee beaten and bloodied crawled into his mind. And sometimes, memories of Akir's corpse flooded him. He blinked away tears and hurried to his next destination.

The moon reached its peak in the sky before Blade finally returned to Talia's home. Cold air nipped him under his feathers and set a haunting chill in his bones. He had hoped that Renjee would be home when he returned, and then he almost expected to find his dead body at the doorway...

Blade growled and shook his head clear. Renjee is fine. He is perfectly fine. He is just lost and needs to find his way home. He did want to explore a little, and maybe he flew out of the city. I'll look there tomorrow.

He closed the door behind him and nearly stepped on a piece of paper at his feet. He gulped and quickly picked it up, staring at the runes inked into the paper. Frustration held him. In spite of trying to teach himself to read, he still couldn't make out what this note said. He only understood a few words, and it wasn't nearly enough to give him the slightest understanding of the message.

That same troubling feeling slithered under his feathers. Renjee didn't know how to read or write either, so this couldn't have been a note from him. Had he been kidnapped after all? Is this a ransom letter? Or perhaps it was a letter from the palace stating that he had been imprisoned or injured or worse...

Please, no more... please...

Blade sealed his eyes tightly shut so he wouldn't cry. I should have never come back. We should have found our money through other means.

But he knew it wasn't entirely about resupplying their money; he wanted to secretly check on his daughter--and also supply her and Vespera with another gift of gold and jewels. It was something he wanted to do every decade, and already he was four years late.

Asha is about fourteen years old now... Last I saw her, she was just a little hatchling. Our little hatchling...

Glancing into the other room, he saw that the two satchels were still there, full of treasure. Then, he stared at the letter again and clenched his teeth.

I won't continue sniveling like a whelp... Tomorrow, I act. I'll find someone to read this, who sent this letter, and I'll find Renjee.

Faint memories of blood and gore ached in the back of his mind. It was the first and last time he had ever killed--he never wanted to do it again. But if someone harmed Renjee, he wasn't sure if he could control himself. Back then he was an unleashed monster; there was nothing anyone could have said or done to have stopped him unless they killed him. If Renjee was in trouble, he would do anything to save him... And Blade knew without a shadow of doubt that he would kill again--for Renjee's sake.

Sleep was hard to find that night, and he woke up only several hours later at the crack of dawn. He tried to think of somewhere to go with someone that could read this note to him, and he decided to simply prowl the streets of the two-leg district in search of someone that could read. To the first person he found willing to even talk to Blade, he gave them a gold coin and heard the message:

We have your daughter and your friend. If you ever want to see them again, you will meet me three days from now in the center of the palace district when the sun is at its highest. Come join the festivities. Cordially, High Bishop Alexander.

Anger, rage, panic, and desperation grasped Blade by the heart and clenched it between icy claws. All the blood drained from his face as he stared blankly ahead. The two-leg that read the letter gave him a look of sympathy but left in a hurry. He didn't start moving until he caught his breath and felt his heart pounding like a hammer to an anvil.

They have my daughter... That silver feather... Asha...

All those many years ago, the reason he had left the city and his daughter behind was so that she wouldn't get caught up in his mistakes, so that she would live a happy life without any consequence. The moment he returned was the moment he threw away and wasted the last fourteen years of his life.

He knew nothing of the humans and their political system, but whoever this Alexander was sounded like a very important person. And an important person in the human society meant terrible news for any feral; they wouldn't associate themselves with beasts unless it was to mock, humiliate, punish, or kill them. From the sounds of it, it looked like Alexander would be doing all four of them at once.

Whoever he was, it was someone that remembered Blade after all of these years... Someone Blade had affected during his rage-induced massacre, most likely. Word must have spread to him somehow that Blade had been sighted. After Blade paid off most of the guards, someone must have squealed.

Three days from now would be the start of the Sun Festival. That day and the following few days, the sun would rise the earliest in the morning and set the latest in the evening. At the center of the palace district was where they handed out punishments in public. Hangings, lashings, and fights to the death happened there: the worst, most brutal sentences.

And his lover and daughter would both be there.

The fact that tears weren't spilling from Blade's eyes either meant that he had already cried his heart out or that the rage building inside him was so intense that he was losing sense of himself. He took a deep breath, unclenched his teeth and claws, and let it out. He closed his eyes and tried to stay standing on his trembling legs, but there was no way he could sit still for any longer.

I have to save them. I have to save Renjee and Asha.

But this time, he would think carefully about his actions. He would assess the situation and every possibility, and he would seek help. Turning to the feral district, he flew to Vespera.

He landed at the second story platform and gulped before hastily knocking on the door. He wondered if she had changed at all since he last saw her, and the last time he saw her was before Akir had died--a little over fifteen years ago.

The door creaked open, and out came a brown muzzle and soon two deep-blue eyes that stared at Blade questioningly.

"Hello?"

Then it occurred to Blade that Vespera could have moved homes after all these years. "I'm looking for a dragoness named Vespera?" he asked hopefully. Maybe this dragon would know where she was?

The door opened wider, and an old dragon glanced around. "I don't know who yer talkin' about."

Blade frowned and gave a short sigh. He asked a few more questions in hopes of getting an answer to help him, but the old dragon was of no use to him. Flying away from that stretch of housing, Blade searched for any sign of jet-black scales with silvery markings. At this point, his only hope of finding her was by searching around the district. There wasn't anyone he could talk to or ask unless he questioned random strangers.

The more exposed he was during the day, the more likely it was that he would be found by Alexander and his men. He felt safe flying around in the feral district, but his appearance was far too unique to go unnoticed. Still, he remained vigilant. Time was his enemy, and he needed an ally fast.

Resting for a moment, Blade landed in the heart of the feral district and lay next to a fountain. He remembered the days when he and Akir would stop here for a while and relax together, and as he looked around, he saw that very little had changed. It made him wish Akir was there beside him. Casting a hopeful glance to his side, he was quickly disappointed and left with a cold, lonely feeling.

He sighed and nestled his head between his paws. He pinched his eyes shut and clenched his paws. Renjee... if anything happens to you...

After a while, Blade was ready to continue searching for Vespera again. He had hoped she would show up here by chance, but he couldn't be wasting any more precious time.

As he stood up, he noticed a young, red dragon glaring at him from across the street with an intensity that startled him. He took a step back and pinned his ears. Was he was working for Alexander?

And then the red dragon bared his fangs and charged Blade. "YOU!"

Blade didn't want to fight his own kind... He couldn't bring himself to strike the charging dragon, so he tried to jump away, but he caught him, and they both went tumbling to the ground. Blade yelped and rolled before kicking the dragon away and clambering back to his paws.

The dragon growled vehemently and tried to tackle him again with claws outstretched. Blade dodged the next few swipes and then rammed into him with a shoulder to knock him back. He could have pounced afterward as the dragon staggered, but he instead looked for a way out of this fight. Too many people were watching--too many eyes. He glanced around and leapt backward to avoid more attacks, and he tried to call out to the dragon to stop, but he was leaving Blade with no choice.

At the next opportunity, Blade roared and sprang upon the red dragon. He was bigger and much stronger, so he soon pinned him down. But a paw caught the side of his muzzle and claws sliced him; warm blood came trickling out of his fresh wound. Blade winced and hissed as he struck back, but he was blocked and attacked again. The dragon scrambled on his back and kicked Blade in the stomach, where his claws dug in and cut him open. Blade landed a blow on the red's snout and left him with three separate gouges.

It was a flurry of attacks; some landed, others were blocked, and most missed just barely. The dragon was constantly trying to slip free from Blade while he persistently shut down every opportunity he had.

The longer their fight continued, the more Blade pressed his advantage of being on top. He pinned the dragon down beneath him and went for his throat, catching it between his teeth. He didn't bite as hard as he could, but his sharp fangs sank into his neck. The warm, metallic taste of blood filled his maw and leaked around his lips as the dragon cried out and kicked harder.

He managed to get both of his hinds under Blade and throw him off, sending Blade rolling through the dust and sand away before he moved to his feet and stood his ground again.

Both of them were panting and bleeding, and splatters of their blood marked the ground around them.

"Where is she!?" the dragon growled and stepped closer. In spite of his youth, the way he stared down Blade was admittedly intimidating.

But Blade had been in far too many fights to let an ego scare him. He circled to the side, ready to make a move at any moment. "I don't know who you are or what you want!"

Whatever the red dragon was after, he was desperate; Blade saw that. He felt that once before too. For a moment, he saw himself in the dragon as he was that night fourteen years ago... It was haunting, like a ghost come to repay him for his sins.

_"I know you have he_r!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. Fierce rage lit his eyes that stared daggers into Blade's soul. He recognized all too well what the red dragon was feeling: the sheer anger and determination.

"I will rip you apart and send you through the Seven Hells if you do not tell me right now what you did with Asha!" he roared.

Blade froze. His face softened and he took a step back out of his crouched position. He scrutinized the red dragon before him and wondered who he was and how he knew his daughter.

"I-I don't have her..."

"LIAR!" he roared and attacked Blade again. Blade didn't have any time to react as sharp teeth and claws aimed for him, and he caught the brunt of the attack and fell onto his side as the red pinned him down. He yelped and hissed with pain before backhanding the dragon sharply across the muzzle. It was hard enough to daze him and give Blade the chance to kick him off and throw him to the ground.

"Stop!" he demanded and held a paw to his bleeding muzzle. "Stop this and I will tell you."

The dragon shook his head and regained his composure. As they both climbed back up, Blade wasn't sure if he would be attacked again or not. The dragon hadn't softened in the slightest and looked intent on harming Blade in any way he could.

"Tell me now."

Blade shook his head and glanced at the crowd around them. It wasn't rare that ferals would fight each other, and Blade remembered always being eager to watch a fight when he was younger. A few times, he had watched Akir fight, and he would always win.

"Do you have a place where we can talk and bandage ourselves?"

He glared at Blade and gave one firm nod. Without another word, he turned tail and hobbled away, expecting Blade to follow. Blade clutched a wound and followed him, his cuts aching and burning.

Blood soaked Blade's feathers where he was sliced. It was more evident where crimson stained his golden feathers, and he soon realized that some of it wasn't his own. The dragon in front of him was dripping a trail of blood; splatters would fall into the dirt every so often, and when Blade looked behind them, he could distinctly see a trail. Hoping to help disguise it, he dragged his tail along in the dirt and tried to cover it. It didn't look like anyone was following them, and before long the wind would blow the sand around and cover their tracks.

The red dragon led Blade to a house about the same size as what his old home used to be, but in a much nicer area. They stepped inside and closed the door. As the dragon searched the house for something to use as bandages, Blade stood and looked around.

"What's your name?" he asked. He wondered who he was to Asha. With the amount of emotion he showed, she was obviously very important to him.

The dragon ignored him and pulled out a sheet of linen from a storage box. He sliced pieces of it and made makeshift bandages for the both of them. Blade grabbed a few and dabbed the blood away from his snout and his other cuts, quickly dirtying the first few pieces of cloth before he wetted another two with their water supply and scrubbed his wounds clean. He wrapped one around his forearm where he caught a couple blows, and then one around his neck. Otherwise, he couldn't do much for his snout or stomach with the cloth that was left. Everything hurt, but he knew he would be fine.

"Where is Asha?" the red hissed as he wrapped a bandage around his neck.

Blade pinned his ears and sat down on his hind end. "She's... I'm not sure. She's been taken as a prisoner."

He studied the dragon closely and looked him up and down. He looked half the age Blade was, so he would have been about his daughter's age. Was he a friend to her or more than that? A brother?

He hissed and slashed the air in front of Blade. "This is YOUR fault," he accused with the jab of his claw. "YOU got her into trouble and YOU are the only reason that she is in this situation. I should kill you now and take them your head so she'll be freed!"

Blade winced. "I know... I can't feel any worse about it. I would give myself to them, but I know they would do horrible things to her before they killed me..." Blade's stomach turned and felt like someone was squeezing it with needles. He couldn't bring himself to look at the dragon anymore, let alone see the unbridled rage in his eyes. "I'll never be able to make things right, but I have to save her before it's too late."

"You aren't going to do anything!" he growled. "You are going to leave this place and stay where you belong: nowhere near her. She doesn't want you in her life. She doesn't need you in her life. I will save her myself." He was pacing circles around Blade now; it seemed like he would attack him again at any moment.

Blade contemplated that. She would be better off without me... I would probably make things worse if I tried to rescue her, but I can't abandon her again. I can't let her go. As long as I draw breath, I will fight for her.

"You need my help," Blade stated. "And I need yours. She is in serious danger. I believe they plan on executing her at the height of the festival: three days from now. They want to draw me out... It could be worse than just an execution."

For a moment, Blade saw fear replace the anger in his eyes, but his rage would not be quelled.

"This is your fault. This is absolutely your fault. You abandon her and suddenly decide you want to come back, and then you get her caught up in your problems."

"I KNOW IT'S MY FAULT!" Blade roared and quickly stood up in a flurry of feathers. He wanted to break everything in sight and smash anything smash-able, and right now the red dragon was looking like his first victim. "I don't need YOU to tell me that!"

But Blade clutched his chest and calmed himself down. His heart was racing and his adrenaline was pumping. The dragon was frozen in front of him.

"I know it's my fault," he repeated, softer. He took a heavy breath and closed his eyes. "I only want what's best for her. I never wanted to leave her. I wanted to watch my daughter grow up." Blade clenched his teeth and held back tears. "I wanted to be her father."

The red dragon looked at him with contempt, but his anger abated as he relaxed. "If you promise to leave as soon as she is back in my arms, then we can help each other."

Blade nodded. "I'm sorry."

He frowned at Blade. He had stopped pacing and calmed down considerably, but Blade saw the hatred pouring out of him. "Apology not accepted."

Blade sighed and looked away. "You are her mate?"

He nodded once.

A small smile curled Blade's lips. He was happy his daughter had found someone, even if he was a complete ass.

"I could tell. I once felt the same as you do. I loved my mate dearly; I cherished every moment I spent with him. And when I lost him, when I could no longer tell him how much I loved him, that was when I lost myself... when I made terrible mistakes that I deeply regret."

Blade dug his claws into the floor in a futile attempt to hold his tears back, but they were soon streaming down his cheeks. The dragon sat down, staring at Blade, listening.

"Don't make the same mistakes I did. You at least have a chance to save her... And I do too. I'm hopeful for you two. If you have the same passion I did, then I'm confident that you love her like I loved my mate, and that is enough for me to rest easy about letting my daughter go."

"I don't need your blessing," he stated.

"No, and I have no right to give it... But I'm glad you're in her life. We'll save her; I promise," Blade said. "Then I'll leave you two in peace."

The red dragon looked at him thoughtfully, the black, pebbly scales on his face furrowed. He had lost most of his anger and appeared to be more agreeable than before.

"Terrin."

Blade gave him a quizzical look.

"My name is Terrin," he said. "I'm not sorry, and I hate your guts, but I do need your help, whether I want it or not."

Blade bared a gentle smile and nodded. "Let's stop wasting time and devise a plan, then."