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The forest is still and quiet. It's air is suffocating, and it's trees are so alarmingly close together that they threaten to swallow up anyone inside. Elin can now understand why they call it the 'Forest of Madness'. This peculiar atmosphere and the looming trees overhead would be enough to make any mortal go mad. In the distance, he heard the faint howling of wolves. He needed to move.

In a fit of panic, Elin had teleported here after the scout Dragons had approached him for a closer look. Elin wasn't so normally skittish, but seeing others of his kind in the flesh that made him lower his guard, and he was quick to erect it when he realised he might be in trouble, or perhaps even in danger. Perhaps that other Dragon was right. Perhaps he should belong with his own kind, especially if he wanted to be safe. He sounded nice enough.

No. He had to find his father. Though that, in itself, was a challenge. The sheer amount of land he had to cover to search for him felt like a weight on his shoulders that was immovable. It wasn't that he didn't know who he was, but he had teleported on a whim, and no had no idea where his hometown was in the entirety of Orbath. All he knew was that they were surrounded by forests, so he must be in Reliquim. He at least knew Adplagam was nothing but sand.

Elin weaved his way through the trees, his slender, silver coloured body easily twisting around the densely packed trees. He wasn't particularly tall for a Dragon, which made it all the more easier to fit through: being only 16 certainly helped to squeeze through tight passages. His wings occasionally snagged on a branch or two, but it was thankfully easy to remedy.

His mind still coursed with questions that he didn't have the answers to. Why were all the other Dragons on one isle? Furthermore, why was the only one who wasn't? He didn't blame his father, of course: that silly old Goat was an honorable man-- well, Beastkin-- who had been raising him since he was just a hatchling. Though he lacked knowledge of his own species, his father had helped him come into his own and helped him train his magic and his mind. Even when his Father was working the fields until his hands were raw, he always had time for him. Elin felt a twisting in his stomach, an unfamiliar sensation that made him stop and take a breath. He guessed he must be panicking.

Landmarks. That was the best bet, but he could do nothing whilst stuck within this forest. His eyes scanned above him to see that the majority of the sun was blocked out by the overwhelming amount of leaves. Thought the light was dim, it had been enough to illuminate his path thus far. He just prayed he was at least going the right way. He could easily teleport, but he was ultimately tired. He had made two large jumps in a short space of time, and that had made his movements sluggish and his calculations sub-par.

Teleportation was a skill he knew took a great deal of strength and it wasn't something that every Magician could accomplish, but it wasn't something he could do without thinking. Despite appearing easy, Elin had to factor in his weight, the distance travelled, air currents, and so on. It wasn't so much 'teleporting', as moving incredibly fast over a long distance. Any added weight that was unaccounted for would make the jump shorter. He had to factor in the right amount of magic: any more or any less would throw him off course.

His father always said he'd been smart for his age, but Elin knew he was being stupid now. The day had started off so simple: his Father had been tending to the fields, as he always had, and Elin had had the bright idea to go exploring. His Father forbade it, and they got into a heated argument. In his childish fury, Elin had teleported away, but his anger had only amplified his magic, and his emotion-driven mind had put too much into it. His jump had been too far, and he'd found himself lost. It was then that the scouts found him.

He had been walking for what felt like hours, but had only been minutes in reality. The sea of trees seemed to almost be never-ending, but he eventually saw something in the distance: a thinning of trees, leading either to a clearing, or perhaps to the very outskirts of the forest itself. Filled with a small sliver of hope, Elin picked up the pace, moving from a casual trot into a slow canter. As he drew closer, he blew a sigh of relief. He could just about see the rolling fields beyond the trees. He was in the clear.

From his left, he heard a twig snap underfoot, and he halted, dipping his body low. His attentive earholes listened and his head twisted left and right, his eyes darting around. At first, he couldn't see anything, but he knew something was here. After a few moments of searching, he spotted something out of the ordinary, and his gaze centered on a thin scrap of cloth poking out from the side of a tree, or rather, behind it.

Elin knew what that meant, of course: there was a person here. That realisation brung both a sigh of relief, and also a growing wariness. His father had been rather particular on how Elin should live his life: in solitude. The two of them had lived far, far away from any other people, and his upbringing had lead Elin to be wary of anyone else. When he had often probed his Father on why he should avoid people, the answer had been simple: People were afraid of Dragons, and fear made them do stupid things.

Slowly, Elin stepped back, his eyes shooting over towards the edge of the forest, barely 10 or 20 metres away. When his head turned back to the tree, he found eyes staring out at him from behind it, watching him. When their gaze met, the head snapped back behind the tree. His father had been right: people were scared of him. Elin didn't consider himself to be scary: he was barely 3 metres tall, for one. It wasn't as if he could crush them underfoot.

Regardless, Elin was definitely nervous, and he thought it best to go before things got out of hand. As his father's words echoed in his mind, he turned, making his way through the trees ahead, his eyes on the prize: the rolling fields beyond. He heard a snapping of twigs behind him again and briefly glanced back to see the person following him, yet still remaining behind trees, out of sight. Surely the person knew that Elin could see him. Their eyes had met, after all.

With a deep sigh through his nostrils, Elin stopped near the outskirts of the forest and turned to face his would-be stalker, swallowing his nerves.

"I know you're there. I'm no fool." Elin spoke, but his voice clearly wavered, betraying the fear that had already settled itself into his gut. There was a moment of eerie silence as the wind blew through the trees, idly carrying a leaf or two with it, before the figure finally stepped out from behind the tree.

Much like Elin, it was only a child. He looked barely older than 12, and his features were slim and lithe, like someone who hadn't gotten enough to eat. It's body was covered in a thick collection of brown and black fur, and it's blue eyes looked Elin up and down. The child's hands fidgeted and played with the hem of a basic, nearing ragged tunic. They looked just about as nervous as Elin was.

"...You're one of those Dragons, aren't you?" The child asked, and Elin knew he was a man from his tone. That didn't make him feel any more at ease.

"Yes." He answered with all the pride he could muster, which was little. The boy standing opposite him widened his eyes for a moment at the confirmation.

"I've never seen one o' your kind before." He tossed the statement out without a thought, and Elin furrowed his eye-ridges, expressing a frown in the best possible sense.

"Well, now you have." The young Dragon replied rather simply, and the child standing opposite him earnestly nodded, agreeing with him. Their gaze met for a few moments, before both of them could no longer hold it, and their eyes dropped away to stare at the ground.

"I'm Cam. Uh, short for Cambrant, but everyone just calls me Cam, 'coz it's easier." The boy introduced himself in the most roundabout way, his nerves causing him to speak a little too much. The fidgeting of his hands never seemed to cease, either, and Elin shuffled awkwardly on his feet.

"...I'm Elin." He eventually introduced himself back, after what had felt like an eternity of silence. After that was yet another wave of a similar silence, where the two of them didn't seem to know what to say.

"Are you from the Isle?" Cam asked rather abruptly, and Elin snapped his head up, immediately cautious.

"How do you know about this Isle?" Elin pressed for information, swallowing his nerves down despite it all. If he knew more, he might be on better footing. Cam seemed surprised by his sudden question and he rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, uh, everyone knows about it. They say that they live on the Isle 'coz the King told 'em so, you see," Cam began, watching Elin's expression. "They also say it's for our protection that they stay there, 'coz they hurt people."

Elin lowered his gaze and mulled that information over, if only for a brief moment. It made sense, he supposed: he obviously wasn't the only Dragon around, and those who had come after him were a lot larger than he had expected other Dragons to be. It was no wonder that his Father said people were scared of them, especially if they were that huge! He glanced up against to see Cam watching him, the boy's eyes alight with curiosity.

"...I'm not from the Isle. I didn't even know it existed, until today." Elin admitted, and Cam's eyes widened in surprise. He stepped a little closer, but Elin quickly drew back, betraying his confident stance for the obvious fear that he felt. Cam seemed surprised at that, as well, and he drew himself back.

"You're not very old, are you?" Cam guessed, and Elin shook his head. "Older than me, though. I can tell."

Elin didn't quite know what to say to that, or why Cam had wanted to say that in particular. Mortals were peculiar, that was for sure. He glanced back towards the fields behind him and then anxiously looked over at Cam, who was staring at him with a sense of wonder. He didn't seem that afraid: apprehensive, perhaps, but mostly just curious about the species. Elin could relate: he was just about as keenly inquisitive about everything too.

"Look, I must get going, I...I have to find my father, and I fear the journey will be a long one." Elin tried his best to dip out of the conversation, and he took a step back, turning his head. In the distance, he could see something: a small, thin row of houses, as well as a tall structure with a roof. He could see people standing atop the structure and looking out over the plains. He could hear what sounded like shouting, and saw some people begin to run out from the small town and up the hill towards them.

"Oh, that's my papa, and...some of the guard." Cam seemed to realise what the problem was, and Elin had too. The young Dragon began to panic a little, feeling it rise up into his throat, threatening to bubble out. He wildly took a step back and frantically glanced around him for a place to hide. There was none, and even if he wanted to hide, they'd find him.

He'd have to teleport, despite how weary he felt. He willed the magic inside him to come through, and reached out to it, grasping it in metaphorical hands. His handling of the magic was clumsy in his panic. He tried to shape it into what he wanted, but it kept loosening in his 'grip'. Magic was a fine art, and concentration was necessary to make it happen. If a magician couldn't concentrate well enough, then the magic would just crumble every time he tried to shape it.

"Wait, they wont hurt you! Please!" Cam seemed to sense he was going to leave, and he stepped forwards, placing a hand on the Dragon's neck. Just as those fingers touched Elin's slightly smooth silver scales, Elin managed to get a firm grasp on his magic and molded it into the appropriate shape. He visualised where he wanted to go, and the magic took him. Only, he hadn't anticipated a passenger.

He had wanted to teleport his way to the bridges between Adplagam and Reliquim. Even though he was having difficulty remembering where he used to live, he had already taken to the air before and picked out major landmarks that he could remember with ease. However, teleportation was a fine art: he hadn't taken into any any added weight, and the teleportation suffered as a result.

When they reappeared, they were over the ocean. Not anticipating a sudden drop, Elin let out a roar of surprise and began to plummet. He twisted and turned his head to see the young canine boy falling alongside him. They were a considerable distance above the water, but it wouldn't be long now before they hit the surface. The impact would damage them severely, and that subsequent injury would make it hard to swim.

This had suddenly become a matter of life and death, and Elin was terrified.

After the initial shock, Elin's instincts finally kicked in and his wings unfurled and twisted, catching the wind and slowing his descent. That was his first mistake, as he saw the canine plummeting without him. He knew this was his fault. He had to help.

He angled his wings and body downwards and let gravity take him again. The wind whipped around his body as he tucked in his arms and legs, curling his wings around his body until he was shooting towards the water like a bullet. He began to pick up speed and, soon enough, he was making his way closer and closer to Cam, who was holding his hands out for him.

He'd have to do multiple things at once. Whilst he soared down towards the young boy, he reached out to the magic inside him agian, and visualised the bridge once more, this time taking into account the extra passenger. He imagined the two of them standing by the bridge, and that was enough for his mind to connect the dots and mold the magic appropriately.

Cam was inches away. The Dragon reached out, pushing his head forwards and biting his teeth down on the boy's tunic, letting the magic loose. They vanished just before they hit the water.

Unfortunately, their momentum carried with them as they reappeared, but it was thankfully horizontal, rather than vertical. They sailed forwards a few metres, before landing in a heap, rolling over several times. Elin instinctively wrapped himself around the canine and allowed himself to bounce and bound about for a few seconds, before they finally teetered to a halt. Elin felt pangs of pain spreading throughout his body: he had hit himself pretty hard when they landed.

Eventually, he squinted open his eyes and relaxed himself, moving his arms and wings from around Cam, who rolled out from his scaly cocoon, his breathing heavy and his eyes wild. Elin was surely that the boy was aware of the near-death experience the two of them just had. To be fair, both of them were shaken, but Elin imagined that Cam was a little more terrified than he was.

The two of them didn't move, or speak, for quite some time. Elin took a moment to look around him whilst he caught his breath, and silently cursed to himself. They were nowhere near where he had planned: it looked as if the calculations were a little more intricate than he thought. They weren't in the water, at least. Dry land was always rather nice. Elin guessed he might get more used to taking along a passenger if he practised: after all, it had usually only been him so far.

"That was..." Cam began, but trailed off, not even knowing what to say. He leant back completely and stared up at the blue skies overhead, his chest heaving. He was glad it was over: part of him were exhilarated, whilst the other had been utterly terrified. Elin rolled over and slowly teetered to his feet. His back legs ached, and his wings were bruised, but he'd survive.

"You shouldn't have touched me," Elin snapped, before he faltered, lowering his gaze. "I'm sorry. I put you in danger, and I shouldn't have."

Cam looked over at him and beamed from cheek to cheek. Elin was surprised at his sudden grin: hadn't the child been afraid of him before?

"I-It was fun!" Cam assured him, and Elin now realised that the boy was only acting happy in order to make the Dragon feel better. Elin sighed through his nostrils and shook his head.

"I should go. I need to find someone." The Dragon quickly remarked as he looked around him. They seemed to be in the middle of a field, and he could see the main trade route down the hill from where they were sitting, or standing, as the case may be. Elin wanted to avoid any contact with sort of civilisation. He considered taking to the skies, but the considerable ache in his wings was not going to make it easy.

"Wait," Cam began, stepping forward with a worried expression. "I...can't you take me home?"

"I don't know. Magic is difficult: I haven't got my bearings for taking people yet." Elin had to be honest, and he could see the brief flicker of dismay in the boy's face, and that was enough to make him feel considerably guilty. He'd take him back home, if he was able.

"Besides," The Dragon continued. "You shouldn't have held on in the first place."

"I didn't know you were going to do that! I didn't even know Dragons could do that..." Cam exclaimed, and then quietly added as an afterthought. He raised his head to see the Dragon's quizzical expression, and he stepped forwards again. Elin was immediately nervous and stepped back from him, keeping them at a level distance from one-another.

"...Are you scared?" Cam asked with a quizzical expression, the canine taking a step back. He seemed to be anxious of upsetting the Dragon, presumably because of the uncertainty of how Elin might react. At least, that's what the Dragon thought, anyway. Elin cast his gaze away and didn't say anything, unsure how to respond. An awkward silence crept between them, creating a thick air of tension that both of them seemed too apprehensive to break.

"W-Well," Cam finally spoke, although it took some courage. "If you can't get me home, can I least go with you, for now? I don't know where we are, and I don't wanna get lost."

Elin realised at that moment that he was in a bit of a bind with the boy. He was torn between a variety of emotions and feelings, the main two being self-preservation and guilt. Half of him wanted to turn and run and find his home, leaving the boy behind, but the other half of him scolded his selfishness and firmly reminded him that it was his fault the poor boy was lost in the first place, much like he was. The two had a lot more in common than he realised.

"Alright." Elin sighed hard through his nostrils, and Cam seemed pleased, if a little worried. He stepped closer, and Elin didn't back off this time, his gaze regarding the child for a moment and looking him up and down.

"Does this mean I can ride on your back?" Cam asked, a cheeky grin spreading across his face. Elin snorted.

"Absolutely not. I'm not a horse." He turned and indignantly began in on a small trot. It was only in that moment that he fully took in his surroundings.

There wasn't a whole lot around them. The field was obviously tilled, but Elin couldn't see a farm nearby. It wasn't until they made their way up a nearby hill that he finally saw a barn and a small farmhouse that sat on the other side. For the most part, it appeared empty, but a well-groomed field such as this was bound to have it's owner nearby. Fearful that he'd be spotted, Elin decided to divert his attention to nearby places they could camp out and hide, but all he could see for leagues were rolling plains and a few hills. He anxiously paced for a moment as Cam stared at the view, apparently content to feel the warm breeze on his face.

"We need to keep moving, but we need to be discreet. I can't be discreet if there's nowhere to hide." Elin warned the cub, who peered around, shielding his eyes from the sun.

"Why don't we just fly?" The boy questioned, and Elin glared over at him.

"My wings hurt from the fall. Plus, I don't want to be spotted..." He pointedly remarked, peering up above him, half-expecting to find Dragons circling overhead. Thankfully, the skies were crystal clear.

"Spotted? By who?" Cam, however, was out of the loop, and wanted answers. Elin didn't even deign him with a response, for the time being, and began heading back down the hill. His eyes darted across his surrounding, picking up some notable landmarks: firstly, there was a well-worn, wide dirt path that ran along the outskirts of the field. Elin's best guess was that it was a frequently used trade route, and he briefly remembered his father teaching him about the ways of Men. He wanted to avoid it if possible, if only because he didn't want to be seen. Casting one quick glance at the sky informed him that following the trade route would take him either West or East, depending on his choice of direction. Whatever he chose, he knew that either way would inevitably lead to the edge of the island. His father had been fond of showing him maps, but without one to study in front of him, he lacked the necessary knowledge to return home.

Anxiously, Elin cantered towards the fences that lined the field's property, and easily vaulted it, glancing left and right along the trade route to make sure no carts were coming. He impatiently waited for Cam to catch up and watched with utter disbelief as the cub tried his best to hoist himself over the fence.

"I got it, I got it..." The child was almost there, but Elin grew impatient. He reached forwards with his head and bit down on the back of the boy's tunic, hoisting him up with little effort. The black and brown canine wiggled in the air for a moment, before dusting himself down when he was set on his feet, his face twisted into a childish pout. Elin ignored it.

Elin turned his head to scan his surroundings once more, and he blew a sigh of relief. The road stretched for miles, and his keen eyesight told him that there wasn't a cart in sight. With that, he could relax somewhat, and his shoulders unclenched. He crossed the path and strode further into the empty plains beyond, observing that the plains sloped downwards after several metres from the road.

It was then that he realised they were effectively on the edge of the island anyway. It looked as if he had panicked in his teleportation and only succeeded in landing them just on the 'shore', as it were. The hill slopped into a sudden drop, and Elin could easily see the sea below them. They had to be at least hundreds of metres above the water, with a sheer rock face all around.

"Woah." Cam remarked, peered over the edge. Elin instinctively turned his head and pushed against Cam's stomach, forcing him back a little. The cub was momentarily bewildered.

"Careful. You'll slip." The Dragon muttered, casting his gaze again over the dark grey rockface. Most of it had been eroded by the sea splashing up against it, leaving a strange streak of grey that came from the bottom that turned into a muddy brown as it drew closer towards the edge of the cliff.

"Oi. You see that?" Cam had moved around to Elin's other side and pointed in wonder towards a section of the rock. Elin squinted and bowed his head a little to get a better look, and he surprised to see what appeared to be some sort of cave, gouged in the side of the cliff. It was down towards the bottom, but high up enough to avoid the water coming in. Or, at least, most of it.

"That'll do." Elin muttered, and raised his head. Cam frowned at him for a moment, then quickly shrank away as the Dragon's head drew closer. Elin snapped his teeth once more around Cam's tunic, and leaped off the edge.

Cam screamed something inaudible as they plumetted straight down, the water drawing ever closer. He could feel the weight of the Dragon above him and the warmth of his belly, but he was also keenly aware of the whipping wind around his face and the sight of the water closing in on them, barely metres away.

Then, suddenly, a force wrenched at his back and almost all the air was shot out of his lungs. His eyes bulged in surprise as the water below them suddenly pulled back, like a creature fearing for it's life. It was only after a few moments, and the accompaniment of the vast shade that suddenly obscured the glittering surface below, that Cam realised it was them moving away from the water, not the other way around. He craned his neck up and his eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the Dragon's vast wings spread apart, blocking out the sun. He was filled with a sense of awe and wonder.

Additionally, he realised that his tunic wasn't throttling him to death, and that was also because of Elin. The Dragon had caught him mid-fall, and his scaled front paws, more like hands than feet, were curled tightly around the cub's upper arms. Cam wriggled a little and felt his stomach twist at the sight of the drop beneath him, but he swallowed his nerves and watched as Elin swooped them further down, gliding his way towards the cave beneath them.

Elin was an excellent flier, that much was obvious: as a Dragon, he had a natural ability to be dexterous in the air. Even the harsh winds of the cliff face couldn't stop him, and he effortlessly floated down towards the cave, dropping Cam just at the entrance and landing beside him without so much as a hiccup. The ground beneath them was wet, and Cam let out a strangled grunt of frustration. The boy had landed on his knees, so his leggings were soaked.

"Ya could have been more careful!" Cam exclaimed in annoyance, dusting himself down and shooting Elin a withering glare. The Dragon was unamused.

"I'd like to see you try to fly." Elin remarked with a hint of childishness in his tone, and Cam grunted in reponse.

"If only!" Cam added in his reply. Elin simply shook his head and made his way further into the cave, with Cam quickly following him. The cub lost his temper rather quickly as tehey delved further into the dark. After a few moments, Elin could feel a hand tugging on the webbing of his wings.

"...Oh, right." Elin quickly realised the boy was a little afraid of the Dark. Elin could already see well enough, but he had overlooked the lack of eyesight in both Men and Beastkin. He raised one of his hands and clenched his scaled fingers together, before slowly unwrapping them. A light bloomed in his palm like a flower and fluttered to the cave's ceiling, leaving behind a trail of glittering lights. Once it touched the rock, it sailed forwards on it's own, showing the path ahead with the bright, glittering dust. The strangely narrow path beyond was easily illuminated.

"Peculiar." Elin remarked, slowly trotting his way fowards, with Cam anxiously following behind him. Cam might have been just a scared little 12 year old, but he was keenly empathetic: he could feel Elin's fear too, even if it were slight.

"What is it?" The boy spoke up, and Elin let out a strange hum from his throat.

"A narrow passageway such as this...it was definitely not made by natural means. Someone built this." He remarked tentatively. Thankfully, the two soon found out what it was.

The passage ahead suddenly rounded out into a large chamber. As the two entered the room, the fluttering flower of light made a beeline for a strange, crystalline structure that hung from the ceiling, and it absorbed itself into it. The crystal shone with a brilliance and light up the entire chamber. Elin frowned at the sight before him.

The biggest thing that stuck was out a roughly 4 metre wide pool that sat directly in the centre of the room, it's water still, yet somehow still fresh. On either side of the chamber were various tables and chairs, but there were no books or scrolls of any kind. At the far end sent a large bookcase, but it's shelves were empty. A handful of rusty chamber pots sat in the corner, clean. The cobwebs hanging between them told Elin that they hadn't been touched for some time.

"...Strange," Elin muttered. "Well, whoever had used this before clearly does not use it anymore. We might as well stay here for a while to rest, and then move later."

"I'll agree to that." Cam replied, striding past Elin. The Dragon's eyes widened in surprise when the boy started pulling off his tunic, tossing it onto one of the wooden tables. He was already starting to peel off his leggings when Elin cleared his throat and averted his gaze. The Dragon hadn't expecting the boy to randomly strip. He'd been taught some manners, at least: don't look at people whilst they undress.

"What are you doing?" The Dragon asked quietly, feeling a flush of embarrassment rise to his face. His scales made it impossible to blush, but it didn't stop him from acting like some girlish handmaiden.

"What?" Cam was confused. "There's water 'ere, and I'm a bit dirty."

"I know, but..." Elin trailed off. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense, although the strangeness of the water definitely confused him. The circumfrence of the pool was perfectly circular, and it was deep enough for men of mostly average stature. Was it used as a bathing pool, or something else entirely?

Before he could speak about his worries, he heard the gentle splashing of water, and he turned to see Cam already sinking into the pool, running the cool water over his body. The surface thankfully obscured any parts that Elin didn't want to see, but he couldn't stop the images from crawling to the front of his mind, making him momentarily uncomfortable. Simply looking at the strewn clothes on the table made it worse.

"Are you gonna bathe, or what?" Cam remarked, and Elin blinked over at him, clearing his throat and awkwardly looking away.

"I...it's a little difficult to bathe on my own. I can't reach certain parts of my hide." The Dragon foolishly admitted, realising it was a sign of weakness.

"I'll help ya," Cam grinned, his childlike innocence practically radiating around the room. "I help wash my Sis' all the time."

Elin paused for a moment and there was a strange tension that filled the air, before he finally resigned to the idea. Being a small-ish Dragon in situations like these definitely had it perks. As he slid into the water, it became clear there was room for both of them, and Elin was glad: he didn't want to hog it all, as much as he could have liked to.

The water was strangely relaxing. Elin was always a Dragon who was a fan of a good soak, and his father even had a bath made to accommodate his size, although it often went under construction every few years. The young Dragon fondly remembered a time when he had relaxed in water for so long that some of his scales had started to peel away. His father had scolded him, reminding him he wasn't a Water Dragon, and Elin had apologise. The two had laughed about it, of course. Elin felt that twisting in his stomach again that made his mouth go dry.

"So, which bits need cleaning?" Cam asked, getting onto his knees in the water, the surface coming up just above his stomach. Elin craned his head to regard him for a moment, before glancing towards his flank.

"We lack the proper tools, but it's primarily my hide and the base of my tail. The rest I can reach on my own." He assured him, and Cam shuffled across the rock bottom of the pool, making his way over. Elin felt a bit uncomfortable with the cub so close to his hind quarters, but he tried to swallow his nerves.

"Oh. Yeah, I see some..." Cam muttered, and Elin felt the boy's fingers digging into the fine, narrow spaces between his scales, or at least attempting to. Usually, Elin's father would use a brush to get in between his scales, but fingernails and claws would have to do for the time being.

Cam was startlingly meticulous, making sure to every every groove as he went. Elin began to wonder a little more about the boy: he knew where he lived, but what kind of life had he lead so far? What kind of work did he do? Did he have any friends? The more he thought about the young boy that was out of his element, the more he felt guilty about taking him away form his home, even if it were by accident. If only he were more or a natural at Teleportation than he thought he was...

"Woah, you have a butt too?!" Cam exclaimed in surprise, and in the moment, Elin realised his mind had wandered too far. He had been waiting patiently for Cam to delve a little too deep, if only to inevitably tell him to back off, but he had zoned out and wasn't paying attention. He turned his head to see Cam's hand wedged under his tail, lifting it up to reveal the hidden areas beneath.

"T-That's none of your business!" Elin pushed his tail down and Cam quickly snapped his hand back, for fear of getting it caught against the rock. He looked at Elin with an expression of bewilderment, and the Dragon averted his gaze. In truth, Elin didn't know why he was so anxious about it himself: perhaps it was his own child-like nerves, and the fact he knew little about the boy to begin with.

"Are you scared, or something?" The cub quietly asked, and Elin shifted, sitting a little more upright in the water. His chest rose above the surface and he raised his head up.

"No, it's just..." He didn't quite know how to explain it. "It's not something that people should openly discuss."

"I was just curious, s'all..." Cam muttered, looking down at his hands. Elin could practically feel the shame radiating off of him. He knew what it was like to feel curious himself, so he was familiar with the feeling. He sighed through his nose and bottle his anxiety. Perhaps this was a bad idea, but he didn't want his travelling companion to be upset, especially if they were going to be spending quite some time together.

"Well, I...it's not your conventional..." Elin didn't quite know how to describe it, but Cam looked up at him with a peculiar expression that he couldn't quite place. The cub's eyes darted along the Dragon's body and Elin sighed.

Slowly, he raised himself up in the water, standing on all fours. He carefully turned, making sure not to go too fast and splash the water everywhere, until he was facing away from the cub in a precarious position. He spaced his hind legs a little and lowered his front torso, relaxing himself onto his front elbows against the edge of the pool. For the most part, he stood roughly up to Cam's shoulders, so in his particular position, the cub had complete view of his underside. For a Dragon, it was a particularly vulnerable spot: the scales were softer and more plush. He was potentially risking himself for the boy's benefit.

Cam stared up at the Dragon's private parts, partially nervous, and partially curious. He could see just about everything: hidden between the creases of the Dragon's inner thighs and the base of his tail sat a tender, almost invisible tailhole. It wasn't until Cam reached up and pushed the Dragon's tail up that it became more noticable: the tender silver scales gay way to pink flesh that curled inwards into a tight orifice. Cam's eyes darted further down and he saw the thin line of a slit, it's outline traced with the same pink flesh. It was barely visible against the silver scales, but in that particular light, Cam could see it.

"Are you a girl?" The boy asked with a naivity that knew no bounds, and he reached up, tracing his finger along the entrance to the slit. He felt the Dragon visibly quiver, and quickly withdrew his hand, wondering if he's accidentally injured him.

"No," Elin's voice was shaky, much to Cam's surprise. "It's a, uh...Father called it a 'cloaca', but he said it was 'fake' because I have the other...well, you know."

Elin was nervous. He didn't particularly want to talk about his private parts, but Cam was eager to learn about them as if it were the most normal thing in the world. Elin felt as if he were being inspected, but he couldn't help but be a little excited: that touch against his slit that made his scales tingle with a peculiar sensation he wasn't used to, or had never really felt before. The only time he could ever remember feeling like that was then he grazed himself against the grass at once point when he was younger. It had brought about the same sensation, but the uncertainty of what it meant had scared him into never trying it again. Elin might be adventurous in some respects, but he was definitely cowardly in others.

"So...you've seen mine, but..." Elin bent his head to stare at Cam from between his legs, and the boy blinked back at him. "What about yours?"

"Mine? Oh!" Cam immediately stood in the water and revealed himself without question, and Elin found himself quickly adjusting and moving so he could get a better look. It was easier when you were looking at someone else's privates, for sure.

His eyes centered on the canine boy's crotch, and he frowned. It was nothing like his, for sure: there was a fluffy black object that sat up against the boy's pelvis, with a small sack swinging beneath it.

"My Papa taught me all abou' this, too," Cam explained, tucking a hand under the sack and cupping it in his small palm. "These are 'balls', or somethin': Papa says 'It's what makes a man a man'. And this is a, uh, 'sheath'. Kinda like a sword, you know? Apparently something comes out, but Papa says I'm too young for that."

Cam was talking too much again. Elin guessed he was just as nervous as the Dragon had been, but the Draconic Beast definitely felt a little more at ease now that they had broken the ice, at least in regards to their nudity. He didn't have to worry about looking now: he'd seen it all before, as it were.

"Ah, well..." Elin cleared his throat and pulled back. "That's fair enough. I was a little surprised at first, but now that you explain it all...well, I suppose different species have different...'tools'."

Cam grinned toothily up at the Dragon, apparently amused by the way he spoke, or perhaps the way he referred to the cub's genitalia. The Dragon cast his gaze away and idly scratched his chest with a hand, before he looked down at the boy.

"We should finish up. I'll check the entrance to see how things are faring and what the time is, and we'll plan out next move."

The Dragon stepped out of the pool, pressing his hands and feet against the pool rock's surface as he went, with water dripping everywhere. Cam clambered out and stood there in the nude, lightly shivering from the cold.

"W-Wait," The boy began, before Elin could go swanning off again. "What about towels? Or thing to dry ourselves with?"

"Oh, right." Elin replied, once again unused to the idea of having company that he had to account for. He stared over at Cam with an intense gaze and muttered something under his breath. For a moment, the cub was perplexed, wondering if the Dragon was mad at him, but then he felt a strange warmth spreading throughout his body. He looked down at his feet to see the faint glow of a runic circle underneath him. The glowing light was mesmerising, for sure, but the thing that captivated him most was the moisture that so readily steamed off his fur, as if he were basking in the sun. His eyes widened in delight and he giggled, clearly quite plased with Elin's grasp of magic.

"Wow!" He cried out, impressed. "I wish I could do magic like you, Mr. Elin. You're really good!"

"Ah, well," Elin looked a little bashful at being given so much praise. "I-It's just a basic warming spell. Nothing to fawn over. I'll be right back."

The Dragon turned and strode back down the pathway, his eyes making it easy to see where he was going. Behind him, the illumination of the room reminded him of what to come back to, and his new goal: get Cam home. Elin didn't want to admit it, but he'd grown fond of the child already: he was easy-going, and he wasn't judgemental. Even if he were a little clumsy, there was something endearing about him. Elin knew he had to get him home: not for the Dragon's own sake, but because the boy deserved it. He'd done no wrong, after all.

The only thing that worried him was whether other Dragons were already hot on his heels.