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"With eastern Kentereal overrun by the first ever orc army to mass on Seleborian soil, the populous turned to the magi of the Circle of Five to push back the tide of the war. However, though the Coral Tower managed to defend the capital successfully, the Amber Tower was not as lucky, falling to skilled magic users within the ranks of the invading forces.

Realizing that the Circle of Five alone would not be able to fight the horde, the authorities of the Five Kingdoms banded together, reestablishing the Alliance of Light for the first time since the Battle of the Bloodstorm. Still, it took two years of heavy fighting to push the Shadowspawn completely out of Kentereal and back into the Curndor Mountains from whence they came. With the foul creatures in retreat, the Alliance and the Circle of Five decided to pursue and to destroy them once and for all.

However, that was when the war became even more brutal, with the Shadowspawn attacking the columns of humans in surprise attacks before their numbers dissolved back into the mad maze that was the Curndor Mountains. Still, the human forces persisted and after a further three years they managed to reach the great Black Fortress that we would later learn was called Juinkarr.

Setting up the siege was difficult, but eventually the humans managed to surround the Black Fortress. At first, it seemed that the war would soon be over, as months went by without the appearance of any relief force. Even from within the Black Fortress, very little seemed to happen to attempt to break free of the siege. The orcs, trolls, goblins and remaining human traitors seemed content to merely defend the fortress's walls from the regular attacks launched by the Alliance.

Then one day, HE burst from the fortress. The greatest of Shadowspawn ever to be seen on Selebore. The reptilian creature was just bigger than a large horse, with sharp fangs and talons that could rip through anything save the strongest of plat-email. He flew on great leathery wings, much like those of a Bloodbat and with the unnatural ability to produce a searing flame from his mouth, he ripped effortlessly through the ranks of the humans.

Hundreds must have died that day within the span of only a few minutes and the siege seemed lost. That is, until Garath Strongarm rose to challenge the beast. As Captain of the Arthulle Royal Guard, Garath was the greatest swordsman of his time and bards would sing for centuries afterwards about the duel between man and beast that day. Still, even Garath would prove no match for the beast and with a mighty strike of his claws the Shadowspawn delivered the fatal blow. Garath fell, his great sword broken and useless by his side. But as the monster stood over the dying human, leaning down to gloat about his victory, he did not see Garath reach for his dagger. With his dying strength, Garath Strongarm plunged his dagger into the creature's chest, there where the scales in the crook of the shoulder were less durable. The monster screamed in pain and took to flight in a desperate attempt to escape, but it was too late. Only minutes later, the great beast fell from the sky, never to rise again.

That day, the greatest of men and beasts died together on the battlefield of Juinkarr. That day, despite being slain, humanity learned to fear the greatest of Shadowspawn: dragons."

• Surviving extract from the memoirs of the First Orc War by an unknown soldier of Kentereal.

###

'Careful!' Gahntuar thought to himself as he allowed himself to place his weight fully on the foremost front-paw. Satisfied that he was stable, he stepped with his hind-paw into the exact same spot his front-paw had been only a short while ago. The feral deer he was stalking had not yet detected his presence, intent on sniffing at a wet stalagmite as it was. It was a great buck, its antlers extending wide over its head and its coat gleaming healthily in the pale blue light of a patch of Illuminar Fungus close by. It was clear to him that the deer was in the prime of his life and in perfect health. If he was to bolt before Gahntuar was ready, he doubted that he would be able to catch this prey, but if he was able to bring it down the animal would provide him with a great feast indeed.

It was strange to see the animal here, this deep inside the bowels of the Catarrum Mountains. The buck most probably came into this cavern in search of shade and water, and like the dragon that was stalking it, had gotten lost here. But what exactly the cervine was doing this deep into the Greater Thirstland was beyond Gahntuar. Then again, right now he couldn't care less about such trivial matters. It felt as if he had not had a proper meal in days, maybe even weeks and he wasn't about to fail this hunt because he couldn't keep his concentration on the prey that had so graciously wandered across his path.

Something suddenly startled the deer and he whipped his head around to stare directly at the stalking dragon. For a tense moment they both remained frozen in time, not daring to move, not even breathe for fear of being noticed. Yet, luck was on the predator's side, as the cervine returned his attention to the cavern floor. Gahntuar suppressed a sigh of relief and shot a quick thanks towards his now deceased sire for the dark scales that helped to hide him in the gloomy corridor. He risked another careful step forward, and another when the buck licked at an itch on its one hind hoof. Only two more and he would be able to pounce on his prey before the buck had time to react.

With a smirk, he realized that it would already be difficult for the buck to escape him now, and with some effort he had to fight off the mental praises of himself. True, he had always been a great hunter, but now he had truly outdone himself. Despite the dark offering him some cover, it wasn't good hunting conditions. There was enough ambient light around to any keen-eyed prey to have noticed him by now and more importantly, there was no air movement to blow his scent away, so the buck must have picked up the presence of a predator nearby. Yet, he had executed this hunt perfectly as his prey remained oblivious, stepping forward to start nibbling on the glowing mushrooms. Soon the dragon would be feasting ... He could almost taste the metallic pang of warm blood on his tongue after such a long forced fasting. It was almost too good to be true!

It was ... too good to be true!

The realization hit him like an avalanche! With a sinking heart he crouched where he was, truly looking at the buck in front of him. And now that he was properly focusing on what he saw, he could see the truth: The buck had not left any hoof print in the soft sand, and despite being nibbled on, the mushrooms in front of him weren't moving at all.

Despite what it seemed, there was no deer in front of him.

With a loud curse in his native language that came out as a bark, he stood up and prowled snarling past the cervine. A real creature would have bolted from him as soon as he broke his cover, but the illusion next to him didn't even flinch. For a moment he considered smacking the infuriating thing, but he withheld himself. Interacting with the sprites is what had gotten himself in this mess in the first place, and the more he acknowledged them, the deeper he would sink into the mind trap. If he had only considered his actions before he had followed young ...

"Gahntuar?" a small voice suddenly asked behind him. "Are you okay?"

"Fuck you!" Gahntuar snarled in common at the wall beside him as his heart shriveled at the innocent question. "You've got me properly trapped already; why do you torture me still?"

"Gahntuar?" the voice asked again, with all the innocence of youth and surprisingly oblivious to the dragon's foul language. "Who are you talking to?"

Gahntuar steeled himself, and taking a deep breath to steady himself, he started to walk away from the horror behind him. However, it wasn't leaving him alone that easily.

"Gahntuar! I'm scared!" the voice whined pitifully. Despite himself, Gahntuar twisted his sinuous neck around to see what he knew would be there. The buck was gone as if it never was, and in its place sat a young elven child. The girl was probably five or so, dressed in a silken night gown of pale blue that looked much to light for the cool air of the cavern. "The baddies are coming;"

True enough, the almost feral sound of Orcish speech drifted vaguely down the tunnel from which he had stalked the fake deer only moments before. Gahntuar glanced in that direction before he could catch himself and for a moment he wondered if real orcs had stumbled their way into this accursed place.

"They hurt mommy and daddy, and they want to hurt me!" the young child sniffed, drawing the dragon's attention back to the sprite. Acting upon his previous thoughts, the young elven child now wore a woolen jersey of darker blue over her night gown. "I don't want them to hurt me!" she sniffled.

"They won't hurt you, young one!" Gahntuar said before he could catch himself. He cringed as he realized what he had done "No, I ... I mean .. leave me ... leave ... I mean ... don't " he started to sputter, but already he could feel the snare close around his consciousness.

"D-don't ... "

The voices of the orcs drifted down the white corridor of the Eydelvise palace, the private retreat of the elven High Lord of Ealyndore. What were orcs doing this deep inside elven territory? How had they even managed to get into the palace itself?

"Don't ..." Gahntuar found himself saying again, but then frowned at himself. Don't what?

"Gahntuar! I'm scared!" he heard young Erendile whimper behind him. He turned to see she was hiding under her bed, clutching a stuffed dragon that resembled himself actually, that is ignoring the bulbous head, puffy wings and swollen tail and legs that came with being a cuddle toy.

"Don't worry, princess!" he snarled, stepping between her and the now closed bedroom door. "You are safe with me! I won't let them hurt you!"

'I hope!' he added worriedly to himself as the sounds of fierce battle drifted through the closed door. How had they managed to get a force this large inside the Ealyndore forests? How many were there?

Before he could contemplate the situation any further the door burst open as a great fireball crashed into it, sending heavy splinters flying into the room. Gahntuar flinched instinctively away from the debris even though his thick scales will protect him. But in that time three of the dark-green humanoids have entered the room, spreading out around the defending dragon. Gahntuar snarled at them defiantly, a gesture the three attackers returned in kind. For a tense moment they challenged each other to make the first move, but niether side daring to break their defensive stance and go onto the offensive. Then, a movement from the door drew Gahntuar's attention. Three more orcs had appeared there and without hesitating more, he spat fire-oil at the newcomers.

The doorframe burst into fire and the three orcs there screamed as the deadly flames engulfed them. They fled, screaming and burning down the hall they had came from. But that distraction was exactly what the original three had been waiting for. Gahntuar whipped his head back in time to see the first was already upon him. He barely managed to avoid the axe that was swung at his long neck and had to backtrack further as a second orc came at him. He bumped into the bed frame and Erendile shrieked in terror as the bed shifted above her.

Before he could recover, the third orc was on him and he screamed in pain as the broad head of the axe slammed into his shoulder. But the orc was unable to pull his weapon away in time to avoid Gahntuar's lunge and the dragon backhanded the creature across the room. Luckily, the wound was superficial as the tough keratin of his scales absorbed most of the force, but it was serious enough that he couldn't put his full weight on his left front-paw anymore, giving his attackers a much needed weak point. The other two rushed at him from opposite sides.

"I WILL NOT LET THIS HAPPEN AGAIN!" Gahntuar roared, not exactly sure what he meant by that. He pushed through the pain in his shoulder, hitting the one orc across the chest with his wounded fore-paw. He felt the chain-mail that the attacker was waring tear under his assault and his claws dig into the ribcage before the force of his swipe yanked the attacker off his feet. That orc also went flying across the room to crash into the opposite wall. This time the orc left a bloody smear on the wall and Gahntuar knew that one wont be standing up again. But there was no time to celebrate as the remaining orc swung at his neck again. This time, Gahntuar was just too late to avoid the blow. He felt the axe strike him on the right side, but the blade found no purchase against the scales and glanced off the dragon, leaving a spot Gahntuar knew would leave a nasty bruise.

Still, luck was on his side as the ineffective blow left his attacker off balance for a second. Gahntuar reacted immediately, snapping his head forward and clamping his jaws around the orc's shoulders. The orc yelped in terror, dropping his axe to hit at the dragon's jaws, but Gahntuar bit down hard, sinking his teeth into the unprotected neck region. With a slight twist and sharp pull, he ripped the attacker's head from his body. As the headless corpse dropped, Gahntuar turned in time to see the last orc had regained its composure and was already rushing at him. The dragon's balance was off and he couldn't defend the incoming attack, so he did the only thing he could think of: He spat the foul head that was still in his mouth at the last orc. It ducked the gruesome projectile easily, but the slight distraction was all Gahntuar needed. With his prehensile tail, he grabbed the orc around the waist and hurled it out the window. It plummeted to the ground three stories below amidst splintered glass, shrieking all the way down.

Gahntuar breathed raggedly, glaring this way and that for the next attack, when someone suddenly clamped unto his healthy front-leg. With a snarl he lashed out, but saw in time that it was only Erendile, who had abandoned her hiding spot and came to hide by his side. She was crying non-stop now, pressing her face into the softer scales in the crook of his shoulder.

"Hush now, little one!" he crooned, the pain in his left shoulder forgotten as if it had never been. "They are gone now. We are safe!"

He leaned down onto his side and with his tail, he gently pulled Erendile in against his chest to give her a reassuring hug. He gently nuzzled at her, and she looked up at him. "Stop crying, dear one. We are safe!"

She smiled bravely through her tears, confident and safe in her dragon's embrace.

In the gloom of the cavern lit only by occasional patches of glowing mushrooms, lay a desperately thin dragon. The solitary creature lay there curled in around himself, hugging his own tail to his chest and muttering to himself over and over. "They are gone now; We are safe! We are safe!"

***

Gahntuar was particularly moody an unknown time later when he finally managed to break free of the snare. It was baffling how the same trick caught him over and over again. Yet it seemed as if it was getting harder and harder to ignore the temptations of this place. He snorted at the thought, half expecting a puff of smoke to curl from his nostrils as it usually does whenever he was upset. But nothing came; his fire-oil glands had stopped producing the flammable liquid a day or two ago due to malnutrition, instead creating a too watery urine-like liquid that would spray uselessly in front of him and leave him with a foul taste on his tongue ... or was it last week that he had lost the ability to spit fire ... or the week before that? The tunnels and caverns of this place all looked nearly the same, going on and on and on; the light from the glowing mushrooms remained the same, day in and day out. And with the regular snares causing him to loose time, he had no idea how long he had been stuck here, wandering the endless tunnels from cavern to cavern.

Or was even that an illusion? Was the inside of the mind trap really tunnels upon tunnels leading to caverns that were nearly alike? Or was it actually just a small cave, and he was laying here, thinking he was wondering endlessly with the escape only a few steps away? He snorted again and tried to push the philosophical arguments away from him. He had contemplated this before and it had not helped him in the slightest.

"Gahntuar!" he heard Erendile call for him again, a hint of terror coloring her voice. "Help! They are coming!"

"Fuck off!" he called back at the walls around him. He would never have addressed the real Erendile like that, so he hoped that it would help him avoid the snare. In truth, he had intended the rebuke towards the mind trap and it seemed to have worked.

"Gahntuar, help me!" Erendile called again, but her voice was slightly muffled. Gahntuar took a deep breath to steady himself and resolutely ignoring the call for help, walked on into the next cavern. He glanced around at the usual stalagmites and stalactites and of course the intervals of patches of glowing mushrooms that gave just enough light to see by. His attention was drawn to a small pool of crystal clear water in one corner and he quickly stepped over to drink. The water at least he was sure was real as it would leave the rocks wet where ever it splashed, and it remained even when his attention was distracted by something else. That is, he hoped it was real, or he would die of thirst before long.

He drank deeply and gratefully, stilling the hunger pains for a time longer. A movement off to his right caught his attention and he glanced over to see the infuriating buck sprite again, coming down from between the stalagmites to drink as well, careful of predators yet blissfully ignorant of the dragon mere yards away. He was hungry and wanted something to eat, so the mind trap gave him the illusion of something to eat! He snarled at the memory of the times when he had fallen for that snare as well; eating until he felt close to bursting, only to realize he hadn't had anything to eat for days when he finally broke out of the snare. Or was that weeks he had been going hungry?

"You know what I truly want?" he muttered at the empty cavern, lowering his head to drink a little more. "To find the way out of here!"

That, apparently, was one wish this place refused to grant, fake or not. The caverns around him remained unchanged, the usual stalagmites and stalactites that once fascinated him so, the erie blue light from the mushrooms, the flicker of torchlight against the far wall ...

The, the what?

Gahntuar blinked and stepped forward to get a better look at the flicker of unnatural light. Then, as he recognized it, he felt a cold ball of nerves form in his gut. He had been here before, several times in fact. And it was only vaguely pleasant if he managed to get away without being noticed. Yet, somehow, he always managed to find his way back here. Gahntuar started to sneak back towards the tunnel he came from, but snorted in surprise when he realized that he had actually done the exact opposite, crawling towards a sudden boisterous laugh that pulled him forwards. Against his better judgment and despite knowing what he would see, he sneaked a peak around the corner.

There, in the deepest part of the cavern, lay several great heaps of golden coins and gems and elegant parade armor and weapons, and other trinkets the use of which Gahntuar could not even start to fathom. The great horde sparkled in the firelight of torches that were placed in extravagant dragon-bone brackets at regular intervals on the suddenly smooth walls of a grand palace. And seated amidst his recently won treasure sat Garath the Dreadblade on a throne of solid gold. Calling himself now Lord Dreadblade, the human sat behind a great Elderwood table decked with probably the greatest feast the human mind could conjure; Steamed vegetables glazed with honey and great roasts of beef, lamb and pork; large pitchers of the best dark ale and in one corner a large brandy-and-raisin fruit cake.

On either side of Garath sat various men Gahntuar could not identify, laughing and joking with Lord Dreadblade as they feasted and leered and even groped at the human females that were dutifully serving them, scantly clad in nearly see-through thin silk that left very little of their shapely bodies to the imagination. Garath himself sat in the center of the attention, rudely stuffing his maw with the various delicious foods as if he was busy starving to death, every once in a while cheering to one man or another that sang his praises.

Despite his hunger, Gahntuar wasn't worried that the sight of the feast would trap him like the sprite of Erendile had done. True, he may prefer meat from a fresh kill, but he had come to enjoy the luxuries of civil cuisine as well. However, he knew that this snare held no threat to him for it was not meant for him, but the frail skeleton of a man that called himself now Lord Dreadblade. Unlike the treasure, the food and the company, the human was in fact truly there. He was also a victim to this horrid place, but unlike the dragon, the weak-minded human has never broken from his snare to realize what danger he truly was in. Instead, he was feasting himself to death amidst admiring friends and the greatest treasure one man has ever possessed.

This snare wasn't dangerous to Gahntuar. True, it was a very powerful snare, tricking all of his senses in an attempt to convince him that the feast was real. But unlike many other dragons, he had no desire for treasure and the idea of drunken feasting for the rest of his life did not appeal to him. No, this snare wasn't dangerous to him at all.

But the man was. Despite his poor health, Garath the Dreadblade was still a capable warrior and dangerous dragonslayer. When Gahntuar had first met Garath, the human had attacked him to 'Slay the dragon and claim its ill begotten horde of treasure'! Gahntuar had underestimated the human's skills then and had it not been for the illusions of the mind trap, the dragon might have died that day. Indeed, mounted on the wall behind Garath right now, was the stuffed head of Gahntuar himself smirking down at the revelry of the feasting humans.

The real Gahntuar snarled silently at the human. How is killing a dragon and claiming its treasure for oneself any better than attacking a caravan and claiming its cargo? Truly, he doubted any other species, the sly dragons included, has perfected the art of plastering the evilest of deeds over with good motives, even if those motives are dubious at best. Like liberating a treasure from a monster in the name of greed. Just don't call it greed and you'll be okay.

Preposterous!

Gahntuar snorted at the hypocrisy, and to his horror the soft sound cut clearly through the dull murmur of Garath's mind-snare. For an endless second, the stunned human and dragon locked gazes.

"Guards!" Garath suddenly shrieked. Despite his frail body, he jumped up from his seat with the agility of a skilled dragonslayer and pointed a finger at Gahntuar. He didn't seem to notice that the great feast had gone, table and servants and all; nor that his companions were suddenly clad in the best of military gear. "The spawn of the black demon has come for vengeance! Defend the castle!"

As one man, the mass of companions charged at Gahntuar, yelling a battle cry of "For Lord Dreadblade!". Though he knew there was only one severely weakened human in front of him now, he was of still sound enough mind not to be confident in his own abilities anymore. He may look in proper health to himself right now, but during their previous encounter the human had bested him with surprising ease. Best to remain scarce around that one. So Gahntuar did the smart thing; he turned and fled.

The companions rounded the corner after him, but as soon as they were out of the direct line of sight of Garath, the companions flickered out of existence. For a tense moment Gahntuar waited, but Garath himself never chased after him; he was a lord now after all. Gahntuar risked a sigh of relief, but then groaned as he heard Erendile calling to him once more. Steeling himself, Gahntuar turned back to the tunnels. Another movement caught his attention and to his amusement he saw it was the companions returning already to their lord, accompanying a cart that was carrying a sprite of himself, gagged and bound, helpless against the powerful humans that flanked him.

The pleased voice of Garath drifted towards him, but what exactly he said was lost on the dragon. For a moment he wondered what the humans were going to do with the sprite, but decided against risking another peek; Best not to repeat getting caught again.

Truly smiling to himself for the first time in who-knows-how-long, he left the dragonslayer to his dream of fame and fortune.

***

"Gahntuar, they are coming back!" Erendile whispered, bravely trying to hide her fear. She crouched next to the broad chest of her self appointed dragon protector as he lay defeated on the dusty floor in a darkened corner of the caverns. Erendile was pressing herself firmly against the inner crook of his right foreleg in a vain hope for comfort and Gahntuar was thankful that she was avoiding the side where the orc axe had struck true only hours before ... or was that days ago already ... or ... or had he even been wounded?

He shook his head weakly to clear his head. Of course he wasn't wounded! That had only been a mind-snare! Hadn't it?

The current snare that was closing in around his tired mind was much more powerful than any he had experienced before. He could actually feel Erendile huddle in against his chest for protection, hear her whimpering softly to herself, smell the fear in her youthful scent. Again he could sense the band of orc raiders that was hunting them nearby, and even a lone straggling survivor of the guards limping away on the far side of the cavern.

It took all of his willpower not to lean down to nuzzle Erendile reassuringly. He needed to get up; he needed to keep moving, he needed to get away from this snare before it took him one last time. Somehow, he could feel that if he became completely lost in the illusion again, he would not have the strength to break free this time. He would die protecting a fake Erendile. Then again, he would be happy, somewhat. Was it such a bad thing to die while having your greatest wish fulfilled? Even if that fulfillment is but a lie, you would never know the difference.

As the illusion of a garden started to sprout around him, the thought of Garath flashed through his mind. The thought of the once powerful human who could take on dragons, reduced to a skeleton wrapped in leather whilst feasting non-stop was enough for him to summon just enough strength to push the snare away a little. The illusion faded somewhat before it could snap into place over his eyes. The sprite of Erendile, however, still remained huddled against him for comfort and protection. She, and strangely enough, the straggler on the other side of the cavern remained firm to his mind.

For a moment, the humanoid figure against the far wall drew his attention, but he forced himself to ignore it, least the nondescript guard pulled him back into the snare. With a low grown he sat up into a sitting position, ignoring the complaints of Erendile as she fell over unexpectedly. The guard also startled at the sudden movement, staggering a little as he tried to catch a glimpse of whatever had rustled in the deep shadows. As he fell, he grabbed at the cavern wall for support but ended up ripping a patch of glowing fungus from their roots before falling hard onto his backside.

"Hullo?" the guard called. "Is anyone real there?" Gritting his teeth in an attempt to ignore the guard, Gahntuar started to slowly rise onto all four paws to start walking again. It seemed that if he kept focusing on something real, the snares had more difficulty to trap him again.

Then the realization hit him: The guard had interacted with the cavern! He had torn a patch of glowing mushrooms from their roots! The guard wasn't an illusion! Gahntuar dared to turn back towards the guards and to look properly at him. And then he noticed that the figure was not a guard indeed, nor even an elf. But another human.

Curiously, Gahntuar sat down again to study the human. Something real to focus on usually helped dispel the mind-snares, and for now the appearance of this new human was truly a heaven-send. And even better, this human didn't appear to be another dragonslayer. Rather he looked like an adventurer ... or a pilgrim ... or at least someone just wandering from town to town in search of something. He was dressed in a rather drab set of clothes that was worn from overuse over a long time, yet it didn't look like he had been caught in the mind trap for very long as he appeared still healthy. He carried a heavy looking backpack with what appeared to be a mat rolled up in a bundle on the top of it.

His movements as he started to rise to his feet again, however, appeared tired; like someone who had traveled far in search of something and was about to give up on ever finding it.

Gahntuar rumbled to himself in thought as he considered the new development. Though this human had the look of one who could take care of himself in a difficult situation, it was obvious that he was no trained warrior. As real prey, the newcomer would be able to sustain the dragon for a while longer ... but Gahntuar gagged at the thought. Like most dragons he may have eaten a sentient being once or twice in his younger days. And though some dragons never stopped the practice, the thought of eating something he could have a conversation with revolted him now. No, even now that his life may depend on it, he doubted he would be able to feed on the human.

On the other claw, he seemed surprisingly lucid. 'Is someone real there?' the human had asked when the dragon had moved. So this human have already experienced a snare or two and had somehow realized what they were and even managed to break free of them. Unlike Garath, he may not be too lost in the mind trap to be approachable yet, and if his theory about focusing on something real was correct, he suspected that together they will have a better time at defeating the snares when the illusions start to walk again. Maybe even escape the mind-trap entirely. In deed, now with something real to focus on, Gahntuar could feel the current mind-snare ease up on his consciousness.

But ... how would the new human react to a dragon strolling up to him? He had never had a good experience with humans before, and he doubted that this human would react differently towards him. Normally he would just keep out of the creatures' way ... yet, could he afford to let this opportunity go by unused? Then again, could he afford a confrontation with this new human?

With a snort he made up his mind. For now, it might be best to just keep an eye on the human, and plan on how to approach him from there. He got up, feeling a little life return to his body and mind, and started to follow the new human.

"Gahntuar!" a panicy voice suddenly wailed, causing the dragon and the stranger alike to jump in fright. But though the sprite sat between his front paws, the voice sounded a distance away. "Please Gahntuar, don't leave me!" Finding it easier than it had been in a long while to ignore the sprite, Gahntuar stepped over the young elven girl and started to follow the stranger.

***

Merec startled once more at the sound of something large sneaking after him, but as usual he couldn't see anything when he looked. The lighting created by the strange fungus that grew scattered haphazardly across the cavern was barely enough for him not to bump into something at every step, yet somehow it could create shadows that he swore were deeper than anywhere else. The creature that he thought had been following him for the past five minutes (or thirty) had fallen silent when he turned, making the tired human doubt if there was ever anything to begin with.

"Stupid cave;" Merec muttered under his breath, and he turned to continue. He had only entered the cavern to find some shade and water, and to escape the worst of the Great Thirstland noon sun. He was just going to rest in the cavern mouth for two hours or so until the heat broke; He was definitely not planning on exploring it; he wasn't prepared for it anyway. Yet, he had barely settled when he thought he heard Sherinah call out to him from deeper within the cave.

He sniffed irritably as he tried to dispel the memory, without much success.

He knew the girl he once thought he would marry couldn't possibly be here in the Thirstland. But then again, knowing her she might have followed him on his self appointed quest ... so he had to make sure. Just a quick look, no harm done. Right? But one moment he was within the cavern mouth, the next, completely lost.

And then, things just started to go downhill from there.

Visions started to lead him astray. Absurd visions where his hopes and dreams were thrown at him, mocking him for wishing what he knew could not be. Usually these visions were just small things he would catch glimpses of, yet which he knew to be impossible; For instance Sherinah dressed in the finest wedding gown he had ever seen, that despite the fact that she had already been wed to the baker's son. He saw his father promising to take him on a hunting trip this summer, though he had already passed away several years before. He saw his mother, suddenly healthy and happy again, calling out to him to come help his uncle on the farm his father once owned. He saw a great treasure, forgotten through time and enough to pay off the debt on the farm, rebuild the old barn and maybe buy some farm horses again. He saw first a bard, then a quester and finally a Magus who for a time was sufficiently impressed with him to take him on as an apprentice.

He even saw other things, desires he thought he had buried deep within the darkest recesses of his heart, never to be acknowledged to have even existed. Yet this place seized on those secrets, using them to humiliate him. His best friend had professed his love for him. An influential nobleman came to proclaim him as his long lost son, and promised to take him away with him. And worst, he could swear he caught glimpses of several magical creatures eying him curiously and a little lustfully; gryphons, unicorns, and even a dragon or two.

Then, there were things he saw that downright worried him. There was some dragon stalking him, obviously not meaning to be friendly, though that was most likely another illusion. The most worrying of all was the skeletal remains of several civil creatures of all shapes he had come across. It was obvious, even to him, that they had perished long ago when they were obviously unable to escape the maze of tunnels. Several times he had wondered to himself why he ever thought Sherinah was in the cave to begin with. Why would she only reveal herself to him now after weeks of travel, or what was she doing inside the cave, or even how had she entered said cave before he had even reached it? Yet now it was too late to lament his decision to follow her voice.

Suddenly, he caught another shadow of the dragon behind him and closing his eyes with a sigh, he forced himself to ignore the image. He knew from experience now to avoid the illusions as much as possible. Though he was still too nervous to approach the images that gave form to the more darker of his desires, he had found himself working what seemed like a whole day at a time on the farm that had somehow become his, or practicing to grasp enough of the magical energies to cast a simple spell. Only for the illusion to disappear like mist and to leave him feeling hollow.

Once satisfied the dragon behind him had evaporated like the other illusions before, he continued to walk down the narrow tunnel that seemed to just go on and on and on. How he wished he could find his way out of this horrible place. Or maybe for now, just a nice spot to set up camp once more for the night. Or at least he felt tired enough to assume it was ...

As if by magic, he turned a final corner and to his utter surprise he saw it!

An oasis, hidden deep within the mountain. Large holes high up in the side of the cavern allowed enough sunlight to enter to sustain a beautiful sight of ferns and small shrubs that grew around a crystal clear pool of water. Gratefully, Merec dropped down to his knees at the water's edge and scooping water with cupped hands, drank long and deep from the wonderfully cold water. Though it had a dusty taste from the minerals that grew the great stalagmites where a little stream fed the pool, the water tasted great to the parched human.

Once he had thoroughly drowned his thirst, Merec glanced around at the oasis. He noticed the red light of dusk through the caverns high above, and though those ways out were much too high for him to reach, the sight of the open sky was uplifting to behold after the long hours he had been wondering lost within the caverns; at least he thought it was hours, but somehow it felt as if it should have been longer then that. Either way, this would be the perfect place to set up camp for the night, he thought as he slung the pack from his back. Get something to eat, and a little bit of rest, and he would be ready to face the demands from the caverns behind him once more.

With practiced efficiency and speed, he started to set up camp. Quickly he unrolled his bedding and retrieved the supplies needed to prepare the night's dinner. With a sigh, he noticed that he was already running short on food. When he got out of this maddening maze of tunnels, he would need to return to the town of Tornshire to restock before returning to the Thirstland. With an even deeper sigh he realized that his coin was also running low. How long had he been traveling the Greater Thirstlands? Could it be that he was already too late? With a growl to himself he tossed the too light purse back into the bag and tighten the buckle firmly in place. Worrying about failing will only distract him unnecessarily.

Once his gear was sorted out, he started to gather some of the dead branches for a small fire; not a large bonfire, mind. He just needed one big enough to heat up the dried trail-dinner he had selected for tonight. Then, as he broke off a dead branch to carry off to the fireplace, he thought his heart skipped a beat. Hidden in a shady patch behind the shrubs just like he had been told, grew a cluster of Goron-tail Mushrooms.

***

Gahntuar remained crouched in the darkened corner, curiously watching the human set up camp for the night. Was it night? He had lost track of time long ago, but the human surely seemed convinced about it. Especially with ...

The dragon looked up at the red dusk sky through the gaps in the side of the cavern. For a moment, the sight of the open sky and the wonderfully fluffy clouds had ignited a spark of excitement within him, and he had nearly broken cover to make his escape. But something held him back; there was something wrong about the whole scene in front of him, something he couldn't quite place. Yet that feeling was enough to convince him that all of this was only another mind-snare; and a strong one at that. Strong enough to almost have caught him as well, even though he wasn't the intended target. It wasn't surprising then that the oasis was a mind-snare; from his limited encounters with the Elves of Ealyndore, he knew it to be a good sight to camp for the night, a base need of the human at this moment ...

A sudden yell of delight pulled Gahntuar from his contemplation and to his surprise he saw the human rummaging in the leaf-litter behind a small shrub. Moments later he emerged with what the dragon recognized as an armful of large, fan-shaped, Goron-tail Mushrooms. Gahntuar snorted softly to himself as realization set in; those mushrooms were the real mind-snare and the oasis only a means to an end. This was a powerful mind-snare with several layers indeed.

The sound of the dragon's snort carried over the cavern clearly in the silence, and for a moment, the human stopped to stare in his direction again. Around him, the oasis and the gaps to the open sky wavered, but he didn't seem to notice. Then, satisfied that he was still indeed alone, the human returned to his camp to carefully deposit his prise into his backpack.

Gahntuar considered the scene in front of him. If those were indeed supposed to be Goron-tail Mushrooms he could guess something of the human's motivations. Again, from the elves he believed that Goron-tails were a highly sought-after medicinal plant, used for treating deep wounds or serious burns and an especially important ingredient in medicines used to combat bacterial infections such as skinrot or the deadly coughing fever. However, those fungi were extremely rare and only grew hidden deep within the valleys of the Greater Thirstlands. Thus they were very expensive. This human were either going to make a fortune selling them, or more plausibly, judging by the barely insufficient gear he had with him, he needed them but was too poor to buy it himself.

'Interesting human' the dragon mused to himself. Though he had not known the elves for very long, he had found their company enjoyable and after the attack on Eydelvise Palace he had missed them. The humans he had met were all greedy or so self-righteous that they had tried to kill him on the flimsiest of excuses. This one seemed to be more level-headed and again he contemplated walking down to introduce himself. Together, they stood a better chance at dispelling the mind-snares and at the very least they wouldn't be alone in this accursed place. But could he trust the human not to freak out at the sight of a dragon? Like his elven friends had been that first time.

Then, almost as if taking the memory of the elves as a queue, the mind-snare that had trapped him so many times before, sprung again.

"Gahntuar, don't leave me!" Erendile suddenly said as she appeared next to him, hugged his one foreleg for comfort. The sudden voice made him jump and he let out a surprised snarl. The human by the oasis had finished building a small fire and was busy filling a small pot by the pool when he nearly fell into the water at Erendile's sudden voice.

"Hullo?" the human called as he whirled about, trying to see who it was that spoke.

Gahntuar had to grind his teeth as he fought off the mind-snare. He couldn't afford to be fighting orcs, at least not before he knew what the human would be thinking of his presence. The human! He knew the human was real and so he tried to focus all of his attention on the creature. And sure enough he felt the snare start to slip.

"Who is there?" the human called, still clutching the pot as if preparing to throw it at whomever it was that appeared. "Show yourself!"

Again, as if on queue, the question caused the human's mind-snare to shift slightly, and both human and dragon became aware of something rustling between the ferns.

Something large.

***

Merec whirled about again as the ferns behind him rustled, spilling most of the water he had fetched unto the dusty cavern floor in the process. Yet he was barely aware of it, all his attention was focused on where he had thought he had heard the leaves rustle.

"Hullo?" he called again, sounding unsure and clutching the pot he was holding tighter as if it could strengthen his courage. Whatever it was, it sounded large. Could it possibly be a ...

Merec yelped in fright and nearly stumbled back in surprise when the ferns rustled once more, only to part and reveal the large head of a golden dragon. The dragon turned his gaze upon Merec immediately, and his maw split slightly in what it obviously hoped was a friendly smile.

"Peace, human!" the dragon rumbled in a gravelly voice. "I mean you no harm; unless" the dragon suddenly added a little more humorously "you want to throw me with ... that?"

Merec stared at the dragon in disbelief for a moment before realizing that he was holding his pot aloft, ready to hurl it at the dragon. Though, other than distract the great predator, he wasn't sure what he would hope to achieve; the pot was created specially from a light metal for travelers. The dragon would barely feel its impact!

"I ..." Merec started to say, feeling rather foolish as he lowered his pot again, realizing for the first time he had spilled the last of his water onto his side. However, he paid the wet clothing that was already cooling against his skin little mind. Instead the dragon in front of him occupied all of his attention. He had always wanted to meet a dragon, and live to tell the tale of it of course! But how does the saying go? Be careful what you wish for? Here he was finally standing face to face with a real dragon, but he found himself completely at the dragon's mercy; Now the prospect didn't seem so alluring anymore.

"I ..." he muttered again, glancing about him. He wasn't sure what to do; if the dragon decided to pounce, there was nowhere for him to hide and the dragon would be on top of him before he could even reach the dark safety of the tunnels behind him.

"I guess you hear this often," he found himself saying "but I don't think I'm going to be tasty!"

The dragon started to chuckle at that, a deep coughing sound that reverberated throughout the cavern.

"Oh?" it asked, clearly amused. "Don't you think I should be the judge of that?"

"N-No, I'm sure I won't be very palatable;" Merec replied, starting to inch away, back to the illusion of safety behind him. "A lifetime of hard work you know, and a long journey behind me; I'll be tough and tasting of travel rations!"

The dragon laughed again. "Pity;" it smirked. "But to be honest, if I were to eat you, I'll be missing out on something I ... hunger for more than ... well ... tough meat that tastes of travel rations!"

"Which is?" Merec asked before he could catch himself.

"Why," the dragon rumbled amused "Company, of course. It has been a long while since I have had the pleasure of anyone's company."

"Company?" Merec asked surprised. "What about other dragons?"

"No, I haven't seen another dragon in decades;" the dragon sighed, its demeanor wilting for a moment. "As far as I know, I'm the last dragon in the Catarrum Mountains, not that we were ever that many here." the dragon admitted with a sigh.

"I am sorry;" Merec apologized, truly sorry for breaking the dragon's mood. The dragon looked at him for a moment, then gave a weak smile.

"It's okay;" it replied, putting up a brave face with a weak smile. "Dragons are solitary creatures, so the loneliness is not that hard on me. Though," it added as the gloomy mood seemed to drop from the dragon. It started to stand up, "I will never let an opportunity for ... companionship pass by unattended!"

The dragon smiled even broader, sharp fangs starting to show and a sudden light in his eyes gave his true, less than innocent intentions away. Merec felt his heart start to beat faster, but not from fear of becoming this great creatures next meal. He had thought he had suppressed these unnatural desires a long time ago, but now that the opportunity arose he found them breaking free of their dark prison. He tried to take deep breaths and to clear his mind, but the dragon spoke again, breaking his mental discipline.

"I am going to step out from among these ferns now; So don't be frightened!" the dragon announced, and started walking forward. Merec took a slight step back as the dragon emerged fully from the foliage. It was a beautiful creature; smaller then Merec had thought that a dragon should be, it was about the size and build of a Clydesdale. Two great pearlescent horns rose from its heavy brows and a reddish frill ran from between them all the way down the back of his serpentine neck and spine to end close to the large spade-like growth at the tip of its tail. Two great wings were folded neatly against its sides, red webbing showing from between the surprisingly thin golden wing-fingers.

"Let's make a deal then, shall we?" the dragon asked as it sat down on the other side of Merec's fire, which was somehow still burning high. "I won't hurt you if you won't hurt me. Deal?"

Merec stared in amazement at the magnificent creature, the words not registering for a moment. Then, as the dragon settled down completely, the human caught a glimpse of bright red jutting from between the creatures muscular thighs. Only for a moment though before it was blocked once more by the dragon's body as it ... he lay down comfortably on his stomach.

"Saw something you liked?" the dragon rumbled and Merec suddenly realized that he was staring.

"S-sure!" Merec answered, but when the dragon started to warble delightedly to himself, the human realized that the dragon might be assuming he was answering the second question. So, ignoring the sudden heat in his face, he elaborated. "I-I mean I'll accept your truce."

"Good." The dragon smirked, seemingly ignoring the human's slip. "So, my name is Aurum! What may yours be, may I ask?"

"I ... am called Merec;" the human replied surprised. In the years he was learning about the 'secrets of life', when he had allowed himself to fantasize about more carnal things, he had often imagined himself meeting up with a golden male dragon called 'Aurum'. Not the most imaginative of names, he had admitted at the time, since it was simply the old tongue for 'gold'. What were the chances of actually meeting a real golden dragon called 'Aurum'?

"So ... Merec;" Aurum replied, testing the human's name on his tongue, "what are you doing in my lair?"

"I - I didn't mean to intrude;" Merec started to stumble over his words in an attempt to appease the undoubtedly upset dragon. But Aurum only lifted a single sharp talon to silence the stammering human.

"I am not accusing you of trespassing;" the dragon interrupted. "It is obvious that you are not one of those dragonslayers from the capital. It looks more likely that you have traveled a long way and merely stumbled upon my lair. So, I was just curious."

"I..." Merec started to mumble, shyly looking down at the pot he was still clutching in his hands. Then, with a firmer voice he spoke up. "I came here, looking for Goron-tail Mushrooms for my sick mother, but got lost in the tunnels back there."

"You came in through the tunnels?" Aurum asked surprised, and for a moment Merec thought he was actually a little impressed. "Those tunnels can be dangerous. There is some curse on them; I don't know what it is, but I stay well clear of it."

"Well, I couldn't come in through your skylights, now could I?" Merec said, and to his surprise he found himself smirking at the dragon. The dragon started to chuckle again.

"I guess not!" Aurum agreed, returning the human's smirk. But then he became serious again. "But seriously, how did you plan to leave here? Go back through the tunnels? You have done well to come this far, but I wouldn't risk traversing that place a second time."

"Truthfully, I haven't thought that far yet." Merec admitted, deflating a bit. "Right now, I just wanted to get a good night's rest. But I didn't think I had much of a choice other than to brave the tunnels again."

"Well," the dragon hummed to himself for a second or so, as if in thought. Then, with a very predatory gleam in his eyes, he leaned towards Merec. "We could make another deal?"

Merec could see through Aurum's act. It was obvious that he had planned to guide the conversation in this direction from the start, and judging by the flash from before, the human had a suspicion as to what the deal could entail. And to his shock, he felt himself grow nervous with excitement.

"Wh-what deal would that be?" he asked, still trying to play innocent.

Aurum's smile broadened even wider to something Merec might have mistaken for a snarl.

"If you keep me company for the night, I'll fly you up to those entrances up there. Then you won't have to risk the tunnels again."

"C-company?" Merec asked, fighting down the fluttering nerves in his gut. Was his darkest desires really going to become a reality or was he forcing his own interpretation onto the conversation? He really wanted to say yes, but then he also didn't want to upset the dragon with his carnal thoughts. "Aren't I keeping you company already?"

"You humans can be so ... tactful, it's a wonder you can catch hints at all!" Aurum smirked. "I'll be blunt then."

Without warning the dragon rolled over to display his underside to the human. As if to make sure the human understood his intentions, Aurum ran the side of a claw along the underside of his angry-red erection that glistened invitingly in the still bright firelight.

"I want to fuck you!" Aurum purred.

"I ... " Merec started to say, but his words faltered. He wanted this badly, but he also wanted to do what was right. "Are you sure ...?"

"Don't you dare of even thinking of some excuse;" the dragon snarled in mock irritation. "I know humans like to pretend to be abstinent, but I can smell the desire on you even from here!"

"I ... I've always wanted to ... have sex with a dragon!" Merec admitted shyly, stepping closer to the sprawling dragon as his resolve broke.

***

Gahntuar stared bug-eyed at the scene in front of him, his eyes growing wider as the events unfolded.

He had finally been convinced that he could safely approach the human (Merec, was it?) when the human's mind-snare conjured up a friendly dragon. True, the dragon looked rather funny, like a picture drawn by someone who had heard a description of a dragon from someone who knew someone who had briefly glimpsed a dragon far-off. But it wasn't important what the human perceived a dragon to look like, it was how he accepted the presence of the dragon. And since the two were talking peacefully, it was clear the human was fine with being in the company of a dragon as long as said dragon remained civil.

But just as he resolved to step forward into the light of the campfire, he was stopped in his tracks when the fake dragon rolled over to display his penis to the human. Out of sheer instinct, his one wing flicked out to cover the view from young Erendile, but for once the infuriating sprite had disappeared completely. Instead, the dragon's attention was completely captured by the absurdity in front of him.

Homosexual activities was nothing new to him, in fact he had had several male mates before, both dominant and submissive towards him. But this was new: True, he had heard rumors that, despite the legendary importance that humans and other bipeds attached to abstinence, the creatures were as lustful beings as any of the intelligent quadruped creatures. Some rumors even stated that there existed some individuals whose desires were orientated rather ... off target. Not that dragons and gryphons and the like were more pure when it came to sexual pleasures though.

He had always thought those rumors were created by feral creatures jealous about the power granted to the bipeds despite their natural weaknesses. Or as a way to demote them from their lofty moral heights to be the same as the quadrupeds. He had never had any reason to suspect it to be true, and the time he spend with the elves only reinforced this idea in his mind.

And now ... now all of these notions were dashed by what he was witnessing. As the human leaned down over the dragon-sprite's lap to lick at the rigid flesh of his penis, there was no question that the human he was spying on had a deep sexual desire towards dragons.

For himself, Gahntuar had never before even considered the possibility of mating with anything bipedal. He had considered mounting a gryphon before, but he never knew any who would tolerate his presence long enough. But now that he was confronted with the possibility of a bipedal lover, he felt his loins warming up.

In the mind-snare in front of him, the human had already removed his clothing and was struggling to climb on top of the sprawling dragon-sprite. But try as he might, the human couldn't get onto the scaly stomach since the golden dragon wasn't real. However, drunk with desire and the magical allure of the mind-trap, the human initially failed to notice this inconsistency.

Eventually, some thought must have occurred to the human as the dragon-sprite suddenly took charge of the situation. Quickly, he rolled over again and with a gentle paw, guided the human to present himself like a female in heat. Then without wasting time, the golden dragon easily stepped over the prone human.

Gahntuar swallowed in a vain attempt to moisten his strangely dry mouth as the golden dragon started to make small mating thrusts. A sudden jerk of his own painfully hard erection brought him back to his senses and he purposefully looked away from the odd copulating pair. Yet his gaze was inevitably drawn back to the two by the water. The golden dragon had by now fallen into a comfortable rhythm and when he leaned down to lick affectionately between the human's shoulder blades, Gahntuar was shocked to feel a stab of jealousy towards the sprite.

'I ... I should turn around and ... and leave the horny human to his desires;' Gahntuar thought to himself. He turned his head away again, but made no other move to stand up and walk away. Instead he just sat there, listening to the passionate grunts of the golden dragon-sprite.

It wasn't long before Gahntuar found himself looking back at the show again, finally giving in to the temptation to reach a tentative claw down to his groin.

***

Merec grunted as Aurum's rhythm started to falter. The dragon above him was thrusting with considerable strength by now and Merec wasn't sure exactly how he was able to take the dragon's abuse, let alone enjoy it as much as he was. Then, the inevitable happened. With a powerful roar, Aurum pushed forward one final time and Merec could feel a gentle warmth start to radiate from his abdomen.

Merec felt Aurum's breath blow warmly across his back before the dragon licked once more across his back. Then, after a last few weak thrusts, he pulled himself from the human's bowels, releasing a parting jet of dragon cum to splat against the human's thigh. He held himself for only a moment before he collapsed unceremoniously onto the cavern floor nearly crushing his smaller mate in the process.

Merec smiled at the thought. 'His mate!'

Carefully he stood up, surprised that his legs weren't wobbly in the least. He felt the thick stream of dragon cum cooling against the inside of his thigh. Curiously he gathered some with a finger and brought it to his mouth. The taste was sweeter than he had expected and he gathered some more, glancing back to the dragon's loins wondering if he could get more straight from the source. However, the dragon's penis had already retreated back into his protective slit.

Still, his smile only broadened when the dragon gave a contented sigh as his breathing started to calm down again.

"Thank you so very much!" he rumbled happily, turning his head to smile at Merec. "I did not realize how much I needed that!"

"I'm glad I could have helped." Merec replied, walking over to curl up against Aurum's chest when the dragon invited him with an outstretched foreleg. "But to be honest, it was a dream come true for me as well!"

"I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it as well." Aurum said dreamily, hugging the human against himself and closing a protective wing around him. Then, Aurum's mood seemed to drop slightly. "I wish you didn't have to go tomorrow morning, though;"

"I wouldn't mind staying a while longer," Merec admitted, stroking at the fine scales in the crook of the dragon's shoulder. "But I need to get the medicinal mushrooms back home as soon as possible."

"What if I carried you to at least the edge of the Thirstlands?" Aurum asked hopefully. "It should be about a week's trek to reach Tornshire. You could spend five days here and make up two in the process."

Merec laughed delighted at the suggestion. "How can I say no to a proposal like that?" he smirked, letting a giggle slip as Aurum gave him an affectionate lick.

"It is settled then!" Aurum rumbled happily, before suddenly giving a great yawn. "But for now, let us rest!" he added when the yawn was over, laying his head back down with a smirk. "We'll need every bit we can get for the coming days."

As if on queue, a deep wariness crashed into Merec. Somehow, it felt as if he had gone for days without sleep and with the prospect of real rest now in front of him, he found himself unable to keep his eyes open.

Despite the fact that he still had to eat something, despite his responsible mind telling him to dose the fire that somehow was still burning strongly, despite the fact that he thought he saw another black dragon approach the two of them, Merec lost the fight to stay conscious and blissful sleep closed in around him.

***

Merec awoke with a start. For a moment he was confused as to why he was lying naked on the dusty rock floor. Then, with the rumbling breath of a great creature sleeping next to him, the adventure of the previous night came back to him.

One of his most secret fantasies had come true: He had actually fucked a dragon. A real, living dragon! With a smirk he sat up and stretched lazily. Despite being very hungry, he hadn't felt this good in days.

Merec glanced around for his supplies and found last night's dinner still waiting for him next to the still burning fire. For a moment he wondered how the fire could still be burning, but then assumed that Aurum must have tended it so that he wouldn't get cold. Dismissing the oddity, he stood up to retrieve his food.

At his movement, the dragon next to him startled awake with a rather amusing snort.

"Good morning;" Merec called cheerfully over his shoulder, grabbing the paper wrapped portion of traveling rations he had meant to eat the previous night and immediately took a bite as he turned back towards the dragon. "I'm sorry to have wo ... woken ... you;"

The words died on Merec's tongue as he noticed that the dragon that had been sleeping next to him wasn't Aurum at all. Instead it was a dark grayish-green dragon who was blearily looking around confused, rubbing sleep from his eyes with the knuckle of a stubby wing-claw. The stranger was obviously badly undernourished, its facial features seemingly sunken and gaunt and its overall demeanor exhausted; Yet the dragon was not yet dangerously thin and still managed to give off an aura of strength and grace.

A little worried, Merec glanced around and found the golden dragon laying off to one side, still snoring softly.

"Um ... who ... who are you?" Merec asked worriedly, turning his attention back to the gray dragon who seemed to have recalled where he was. The stranger appeared to be a different species of dragon altogether. Where Aurum was built strong and heavy, the slightly smaller newcomer was a lot more slender ... and ... graceful? The stranger's horns and brow were also not as heavy, and except for a crest the newcomer did not sport as extensive a frill as Aurum, making Merec suddenly wonder if this dragon might actually be female.

"Good ... good morning;" the strange dragon replied in a clearly masculine voice, his greeting interrupted by a fierce yawn. "I'm Gahntuar; and I believe you are called Merec?"

"How did you ...?" Merec started to ask but Gahntuar interrupted him.

"I heard when you told Goldie over there," Gahntuar replied, and just as the human's eyes widened in realization he added a little shamefully "Yes, I watched the two of you pretend to mate."

The dragon spoke with a heavy accent, drawling out his s-es as hisses and his r-es sounded more like growls. Yet he spoke the common tongue clearly enough and with practiced ease that Merec could understand him without trouble.

Merec himself was at a loss for words. This dragon had spied on him and Aurum and just decided to waltz in as if nothing had happened? Finally he managed to stutter out a question.

"W-why?"

Gahntuar's frills flattened in shame, but he remained resolved to talk to the human.

"I was following you for at least an hour yesterday." he admitted not looking at Merec. "At first I stayed in the shadows because I didn't know what you would think of a dragon just walking up to you. When you talked to Goldie over there, I knew I could approach you without fearing you would freak out. But then the two of you started to mate and I just ..." Gahntuar lowered his head in shame "... I couldn't stop looking. I ... I liked what I saw ... By the time I finally tried to approach you, you had fallen asleep already."

"And you wanted to join us?" Merec questioned surprised. "Shouldn't you ask Aurum?" Almost on queue, a golden dragon snout nuzzled into the small of Merec's back. Merec yelped in surprise, he had not even noticed when the golden dragon had woken up, let alone walked over to join the two of them.

"Who?" Gahntuar asked a little confused. "Oh, you mean Goldy here?"

Merec gasped at the sudden condescending sneer in Gahntuar voice at the mention of the golden dragon.

"This is his lair ..." Merec started to say, hoping to defuse the situation before the two dragons started to fight. He had started to imagine watching the two dragons mate up close, but if they were to fight it could be very dangerous.

"I don't know how to break this to you gently, so I'll just be blunt." Gahntuar suddenly said, determinately ignoring the golden dragon just as Aurum was apparently ignoring him. "I'm the only dragon here. Goldie doesn't exist."

"What do you mean?" Merec asked confused as Aurum snaked his head around to sensually lick at his chest.

"Exactly what I said." Gahntuar replied. "This dragon and his lair is just a mind-snare ... an illusion."

Gahntuar snorted in surprise as Aurum's snout dipped unashamed into Merec's lap to nuzzle the human's genitals, successfully encouraging him to an erection even though the human was trying to push the golden head away.

"Wait a bit, Aurum..." Merec begged, but the golden dragon would have none of it.

"Come on, Merec!" Aurum almost whined. "Stop playing hard to get and join me and Gahntuar in some fun time!"

"You know Gahntuar?" Merec asked surprised.

"Sure, we see each other regularly!" Aurum chirped excitedly.

"I thought you said you haven't seen another dragon in years;" Merec asked. Aurum pulled his head back in surprise, opening and closing his mouth as if trying to say something, but no sound came from the stunned dragon. Then to Merec's horror, the golden dragon seemed to waiver for a moment, as if he was looking at the creature through a heatwave.

Something suddenly clicked in Merec's mind. He had completely forgotten about the illusions he had seen in the tunnels the day before. What if Gahntuar was right? But then again, what if both dragons were illusions.

"How do I know you are real?" he asked, turning to the darker dragon. Gahntuar wasn't upset with the question, in fact he rumbled in approval as he held a single claw up for the human to see. Then, with unnecessary theater, he lowered it to the cavern floor and drew a simple line in a patch of the soft dust.

"I can interact with the cavern," he stated triumphantly. "Goldy there cannot!"

Merec turned to look at Aurum again. The golden dragon had taken a step back, appearing almost fearful, and Merec noticed that indeed he left no marks in the thick dust. As the thought occurred to the human, Aurum disintegrated in a puff of smoke that immediately disappointed to leave no trace of the dragon, taking the entire lush lair and even the cavern entrances high above them with it. The only things that remained were Gahntuar, the pool of water and Merec's possessions scattered in a half setup camp. Even all traces of the fire was gone, the pot sitting in a seemingly random spot by itself.

"The mushrooms!" Merec suddenly realized. Ignoring the dragon's worried call, he rushed over to his backpack and flung it open to find the important mushrooms also gone. Defeated, he slumped where he sat, vaguely aware that he had started to shiver. The heat from the fire had also been an illusion and had Gahntuar not lain down next to him while he slept, he would probably have frozen to death. Already he felt cold to the bone and did not resist when a gentle paw pulled him in tight against a warm scaly chest.

"I'm so sorry;" Gahntuar whispered, leaning down to comfort the human who seemed to have lost hope.

"What is this place?" Merec finally managed to asked, barely fighting back a frustrated sob.

"This is the Cave of Wonders." Gahntuar replied softly. When Merec snorted at the name, the dragon added "Not a very apt name for one of three known Mind-traps, I agree."

"What is a Mind-trap?" Merec asked a little uninterested, but clutching gratefully at the warm forelegs that were folded protective around him.

"You don't know?" Gahntuar asked surprised, but quickly relented. "Then again it is probably not that strange that you don't know." He nuzzled Merec again before nipping idly at his hair as if he was grooming a frightened hatchling. He was silent for a moment before finally explaining.

"No one knows what a Mind-trap is exactly." Gahntuar finally said when he sensed that Merec had calmed down enough. "We are not even sure if it is a magical chink or an actual living entity. What we do know is that it traps creatures with illusions or sprites or mind-snares to create a specific emotional response that the Mind-trap uses to bind its victims to itself. Or to feed upon.

"For instance, Valley of Terror shows its victims their worst fears and convinces them to crawl into a hole and hide; while the Swamp of Dispare shows its victims all of their regrets and convinces them to just give up hope. The Cave of Wonders is probably the most dangerous, showing its victims everything they had ever desired and convinces them that they can only be happy here."

"How do someone escape a Mind-trap?" Merec asked worriedly, fighting a rising panic. "For you to know about it, someone must have escaped, right?"

Gahntuar shook his head. "I'm not sure how to escape." he admitted. "Ordueal was the first to escape a Mind-trap seven hundred years ago, and even she wasn't sure how she did it. She guessed that she was able to deny all emotional connections to the Mind-trap."

"So we can get out by denying all desires?" Merec asked hopefully. "Doesn't sound that difficult ..."

Again, Gahntuar shook his head. "The cave will only find something else you want. There will always be something you want."

"Like what?"

"I haven't eaten since I became trapped here!" Gahntuar admitted, glancing towards the water again. To Merec's utter astonishment, he saw a magnificent buck standing by the water, drinking without a care as if there wasn't a dragon close by. Gahntuar snorted and looked away. "Do you know how many times I've feasted on the flesh of that sprite that looks like a buck?" he snarled and started to lick at Merec's neck with a single-minded determination.

"You're not going to eat me, right?" Merec suddenly asked worried. Gahntuar stopped his licking and blinked at the human in surprise before bursting out laughing.

"No, I won't do that!" he managed to say eventually. Then "I'm sorry I didn't mean to scare you like that. Focusing on something real, like you sitting between my forelegs, help to dispel the mind-snares."

"So if we stay together, we will be able to escape?" Merec asked hopefully, but Gahntuar shook his head once more.

"It is our best chance, but it is not for certain." he admitted.

"But," Merec gasped, having to fight back a surge of panic again. "I have to get out, I have to return home."

On queue, he heard his mother's voice call to him from somewhere in the cavern. Gahntuar reacted immediately, squeezing Merec tight enough for his claws to pierce his skin.

"Don't listen to it!" he snarled at the human. "Ignore it; focus on me, I'm real!"

Merec obeyed the dragon, pressing a hand hard against the thick scales on the dragon's chest and concentrating on them; their rough texture, their surprising warmth, the rise and fall of the dragon's chest as he breathed. His mother's voice became less clear with each intake of breath until all was quiet again.

"Thank you." Merec whispered as Gahntuar loosened his grip on the human's shoulder. "You've saved my life several times now; I don't know how I can repay you."

"You are welcome." the dragon smiled, letting Merec go. "But don't worry about owing me a debt: I was slipping into a powerful mind-snare when I first saw you; one I was sure I wouldn't have been able to escape again. So it is actually you who saved me first. Now, I suggest that you pack up so that we can get going; we will most definitely not escape if we keep sitting around here!"

"You're right." Merec admitted. He was no longer dangerously cold and could start to gather up his things. "What brought you here, though?" he asked curiously as he started to gather his scattered clothes.

"Solitude," Gahntuar admitted.

"How so?"

"I was close friends with an elven noble family who lived in my old territory," Gahntuar admitted, surprised to be revealed to talk about it. It hurt to think about it, but now that he had started to speak of it, it didn't want to stop. "Then some ten years ago, they were attacked; the whole family died and what wasn't carried off was burnt. And I ..." He hung his head in shame. "... I did nothing to help. I was away, courting and mating another dragon while they ... were ..."

Merec looked up, sad for the dragon's sake and a little awkward at being naked during such a somber moment. But when the dragon gave a loud sad sniff, Merec couldn't help but rush over to the dragon, giving his neck a reassuring hug.

"It wasn't your fault." Merec said as Gahntuar returned the hug. "You weren't their guard dog and there was no way for you to have known what would have happened."

"But I just wish I ... I could have ... done ... some-thing ..." Gahntuar started to say but then faltered. When his demeanor changed from sad to alert, Merec looked around worriedly. There, in the entrance to the cavern stood a seemingly young, handsome elven lord. Though he was dressed in elegant robes meant to entertain guests, he was holding a great curved sword in one hand that was smeared in black orcish blood. The lord himself was bleeding from a deep cut on his one shoulder as well as a second small cut above one eye. A frightened, young elvish girl hid behind him, peering nervously around his waist and clutching a stuffed black dragon to her chest. She seemed to brighten considerably when she saw them however.

"Gahntuar! I'm so glad I found you!" the lord called. Merec knew he could not speak elvish, but somehow he could understand what the elf was saying. He had barely started to process what he was seeing, before he realized that this was Gahntuar's mind-snare. Most likely that dangerous one he had just spoken of.

"Gahntuar!" the human spoke worriedly to the dragon as Gahntuar released him to stand up again. But when the dragon did not aknowledged him, Merec called out to him more desperately. "Gahntuar! It's not real!"

A finely manicured garden started to sprout around them as Gahntuar started to approach the wounded elf, and Merec became aware of a far off din of a battle floating down the cavern tunnel. To his surprise, Merec found himself dressed in fine ceremonial armor, sword already drawn and ready to defend ... whatever. He did not know what as this wasn't his mind-snare. Yet it was powerful enough to warp his appearance for the dragon's benefit.

"They have forced open the southern gate and are streaming onto the estate grounds as we speak !" the lord said worriedly. "The eastern gate is also under severe pressure and we cannot hold them for long!"

"Gahntuar, I'm scared!" the young elf whimpered.

"Gahntuar!" Merec called again, even more desperately, dropping the sword which disintegrated into smoke before it had fallen even a foot. With his now free hand, he tried to hit the dragon's haunch in an attempt to get the dragon to focus on him.

"Merec!" Gahntuar suddenly ordered calmly, his voice taking on a dangerous seriousness and a look of determination glistening in his eyes. "Take Erendile and head ..."

"It's not real!" Merec called again, hitting Gahntuar on the wing membranes where he thought the dragon would be most sensitive. But Gahntuar continued without pause as if not realizing the human was hitting him.

"... for the western gate. Protect her with your life! I will find ..."

"I'm so sorry about this!" Merec whimpered more to himself though he was addressing the hallucinating dragon. There was one spot he was sure that was more sensitive then even the dragon's wings, one that he was sure would shock the dragon out of any mind-snare. Bunching his fingers together in something the resembled a spearhead, he ducked below the dragon's stomach and thrust his hand up at the dragon's groin. His hand found the lips of the dragon's penile slit easily and to his utter surprise, his fingers slipped with ease deep into the almost searingly hot flesh.

Gahntuar roared out in shock at the unexpected violation of his flesh and tried to yank his hips up and away from the unwelcome intruder. But the awkward movement caused him to stumble slightly. Instead of pulling the fingers free, Gahntuar staggered slightly and ended up pushing Merec's hand in even deeper, all the way to the wrist.

Shocked himself at the course events had taken, Merec tried to pull his hand free, but the dragon that was looming over him had clamped down with muscles Merec never even expected existed, to trap the human's hand in the pocket of flesh. He had only wanted to tickle the inside of the dragon's slit with the first digits of his fingers, not his entire hand! Yet despite his worry, a rather big part of his mind marveled at the feel of the soft flesh around him and the firmness of the shaft in his hand. Merec could feel the distinct, sharp glans of Gahntuar's penis slick against his palm and the rest of the shaft disappearing deeper into the dragon's body. For a moment he wanted to push in deeper, to find the root of the dragon...

"If it was anyone else who dared to do that," a deep growl suddenly brought him back to the present. "I would have bitten him in half!"

Merec looked over his shoulder to see Gahntuar looking back at him from beyond a lifted foreleg. The dragon's expression was unreadable and Merec suddenly remembered that this was an untamed, dangerous predator whose genitals he had just fisted.

"I ... I'm so sorry!" Merec gasped, giving his arm another powerful yank to escape the dragon's slit, but still his hand did not budge. "You ... you did not react to anything else and I didn't mean to push my hand in so deep and ..."

Gahntuar sat down, pulling Merec down into a crouch between his haunches. He laid his upraised fore-paw on the human's shoulders and with surprising gentleness, rubbed the human soothingly.

"My mind-snares has been growing stronger lately; You did what you had to, to break it." he replied with a slight purr to his voice. "So you still have my thanks."

"So, you'll let me go?" Merec asked, though he hoped the dragon wasn't going to. Yet he gave another experimental tug, trying to ignore his own growing erection that was undoubtedly in full view of the dragon.

"No!" Gahntuar replied without missing a beat. His penis gave an involuntary jerk within its pouch and if anything the grip on Merec's hand became firmer. Without thinking, Merec slid his fingers along the side of the firm flesh in his grasp, earning an approving rumble from Gahntuar.

Then it hit Merec: The dragon's penis wasn't firming up even though he was effectively stroking the dragon. Despite not flagging, Gahntuar was already rock hard.

"Why is that?" Merec asked carefully, fighting back the same butterflies in his stomach he had suffered when Aurum suggested they have sex.

"How many times do you think I had the opportunity to feel someone massage the inside of my slit?" the dragon asked.

"Without being bitten in half?" Merec asked with a grin. Gahntuar rumbled in amusement.

"Fair enough!" he agreed, leaning down to sniff again at Merec's hair.

"I have heard rumors of bipeds willing to mate with ferals;" Gahntuar suddenly added, placing a gentle lick across Merec's hair. "I've never believed it, never even considered trying to find out if it was true. But now I've met you;" another lick across Merec's cheek as the human turned to look at him "and I find myself desiring you. I wanted to wait a bit before asking you, but now is as good a time as any, I guess. Will ... will you do with me as you had done with that golden sprite dragon?"

Merec looked up at the pleading eyes of the dragon that loomed over him, seeing the uncertainty of what he was doing but also the burning lust for the smaller creature flicker in his eyes. He didn't even have to think about it, the answer was clear. Yet he didn't answer immediately, not in words at least.

Merec merely smirked at the horny creature that towered above him and turned his attention back to the dragon's groin. Gently caressing the dragon's haunch with his free hand, he brought his face close to where his arm disappeared in between the small scales, inhaling the strong musk that emanated from the slit. He hadn't noticed the aroma before he put his nose this close to the dragon's groin, but now that he had smelled it, he found the earthy scent surprisingly alluring.

The warm breath upon his slit and the gentle squirming the human's trapped fingers could manage on his sensitive flesh turned out to be too much for Gahntuar. With an undignified, needy whine he lost the battle with his instincts and his penis started to spill from him, finally pushing Merec's hand free as well.

Merec cradled Ganhtuar's penis with his now freed hand as the rigid flesh slipped from the dragon. Lifting it to his lips, he ran his tongue experimentally across the slick surface. The strength of the musk had increased noticeably as the dragon flagged, but it still was nothing compared to the rich flavor that exploded onto his tongue. In fact, the taste overwhelmed Merec for a moment and he had to pull back for a breath.

As he gathered courage for another lick, he gently ran the fingers of his other hand over Gahntuar's penis, exploring the little bumps and ridges along the length of the shaft. It astonished him how much more detailed Gahntuar was than Aurum had been. On all his senses. And was that the beginning of a knot forming at the base of the dragon's shaft?

With renewed determination, Merec leaned in to run his tongue over the slick surface. Again the taste exploded on his tongue but this time he was ready for the strong, slightly bitter taste. It wasn't an unpleasant taste, only strong and soon enough he found himself relishing it as he teased and nibbled at the sensitive flesh with his tongue and lips.

Gahntuar groaned above him and Merec was pulled from his devotion when he felt the warm splatter of precum hit his cheek. Grinning to himself as he wiped at the wetness covering nearly half of his face, the human eagerly engulfed the head of the dragon's penis. He hummed delightedly when another squirt of surprisingly sweet precum hit his tongue and if his lips weren't being stretched around the thick shaft he would have grinned at Gahntuar's delighted gasp.

Sadly, he could barely fit a third of the length before the sharp tip started to pierce into his throat and, not being accustomed to the sensation, he started to gag on it. But Gahntuar had lost himself for a moment to the incredible feeling of the human's mouth. With a needy whine, he trapped Merec's head with a fore-paw and started to push his haunches forward in an attempt to penetrate deeper into the wonderfully undulating throat. A desperate moan in protest and a sharp slap against his shaft brought his attention back to the human's plight and he immediately eased up.

"Oh, I am so sorry!" he rumbled worriedly and allowed Merec to pull off, but the human only backed away until the part of the shaft he could fit rested comfortably in his mouth. As soon as he was comfortable, Merec started to suck on the dragon, rubbing his tongue at the underside of the shaft as far as he could reach and massaging the rigid flesh with his hands where he could not.

Gahntuar squawked in delight and his hips tensed as he fought the urge to start thrusting again. The sensation was wonderful and for a moment he regretted not seeking the truth to the rumors of bipeds mating with ferals earlier. Then Merec squeezed the base of his shaft where his knot was just starting to form and all thought fled his mind. With a lustful gasp, he bucked his hips and forced his gland into the human's throat again.

He quickly realized what he had done and pulled back when the human gaged again. This time, Merec pulled all the way off, coughing a little as the penis popped from his mouth.

"I am so sorry!" Gahntuar repeated as he reached down to nuzzle the distressed human.

"It's okay!" Merec smirked when he had caught his breath. "I wanted to mate with a dragon. If I wanted a puppet I'd have stayed with the sprite!" he added jokingly.

"Still ... I don't want to hurt you" Gahntuar replied, though he rumbled approvingly at how Merec still accepted him.

"You're doing fine!" Merec reassured him, reaching down again to take the tip once more in his mouth. But before his lips reached the dragon's penis, Gahntuar stopped him with a nuzzle.

"Wait, I ... I want to mate you." Gahntuar growled lustily as Merec looked up at him. "But I'm not sure if you will be able to handle my strength and judging by my earlier actions, I don't think I'll be able to hold myself back."

"I have an idea ..." Merec replied with a smile. "But first some preparation."

With that he spat into his palm and worked the slime across the dragon's penis to slick it up again. Since he had licked the natural lubricant off, he needed to do this twice more before he was satisfied. As soon as he was done, he started to climb onto the dragon's lap, but despite the rough scales he couldn't find proper hand holds to lift himself up.

"Let me help you." Gahntuar rumbled lustily when he noticed what the human was trying to do. He grabbed Merec around the waist and easily lifted him up.

"Thanks!" Merec whispered as he planted his feet in the stifle of the dragon's legs, a little shy that he couldn't get onto the dragon's lap on his own. Yet he didn't dwell on it. Without hesitation, he grabbed the hard penis and guided it towards his anus. Once aligned he quickly started to squat down.

The sharp glans immediately found its mark and easily popped inside the human's rectum. Merec cried out at the unexpected stab of pain, but he was drowned out by Gahntuar's growl of pleasure. The great scaled fingers around him flexed and the scaled haunches tensed as the dragon fought the instinct to thrust up deeper into his new lover.

After waiting a second, Merec descended lower, pushing just a little more dick into his anus than he had been able to take into his mouth. But soon enough the penis became too much for him again and he had to stop to get accustomed once more.

"Take ... take your time!" Gahntuar reassured him, panting with the desire to start thrusting into the wonderfully tight body.

"Thank you, just ... just give me a minute." Merec gasped, clutching to the dragon's arms as he focused on relaxing his anus. His wildest dream was coming true and he was determined to see it through. Tentatively, he extended his knees to rise up off the dragon's dick before lowering himself onto it again. To his surprise, the movement actually helped ease the pain and carefully he repeated the motion. Gahntuar growled excitedly, nuzzling Merec and licking at his face as the human started to pick up speed. The hot pain was ebbing away quickly, replaced by the pleasurable grinding of flesh into his rectum and soon Merec was confident enough to attempt lowering himself even lower onto the dragon's shaft. Without breaking the rhythm he had created, he was delighted when little by little, more of the shaft started to disappear into him. To his surprise, the dragon's glans hit something in his rectum and Merec gasped in delight. With the next pass, Gahntuar's penis rubbed again against that special spot and soon enough, Merec's own erection started to dribble precum.

Gahntuar was by now whimpering continuously with delight. He could never have thought an orientation like this where he was both the male and submissive counterpart could even work, nor that fucking a human could feel this good. The grinding of the human in his lap was sending him quickly towards the edge, yet it remained just out of reach. As great as it was, his instincts screamed at him to do something, yet he dared not out of fear of hurting his smaller mate. Then, as Merec descended once again, Gahntuar's instincts won out and he bucked his hips up.

The sudden movement caused Merec's one foot to slip from the dragon's stifle out past the scaly haunch and, despite being held by the dragon's forepaws, the human crashed with all of his weight onto the dragon's penis. The rigid flesh speared deep into the human and he slid down all the way until his anus came to rest against the large knot, which by now was too large to fit past the sphincter. Both cried out in surprise and a little discomfort at the sudden penetration.

"I am so sorry!" Gahntuar cried out, horrified at loosing control yet again, but Merec only smirked up at him once the initial shock wore off.

"It's okay, I'm okay!" he calmed the worried dragon. "It doesn't hurt anymore at all."

"You sure?" Gahntuar asked, nuzzling Merec worriedly. Yet the human seemed to be truly okay despite being nearly hilted.

"Yeah," Merec confirmed, easing his other foot off the dragon's leg and letting it dangle off on the other side of the dragon's haunch. "I think we loosened me enough for you to fit." He was silent for a while, getting comfortable in the dragon's lap before he looked up at Gahntuar again. "I ... I think you should take control from here on."

"Are you sure?" Gahntuar asked alarmed, yet he was unable to keep the excitement from his voice.

"Well, you are already as deep in as you can go!" Merec smirked, much to the dragon's embarrassment. "Just, be gentle."

"Let me know if I'm being too rough with you!" Gahntuar relented a little eagerly with a affectionate lick to the human's face. He firmed up his grip on his smaller mate before he started to hump up with small careful movements. Yet small as the actions were, Gahntuar found to his delight that they satisfied his instincts well enough and he was able to keep his composure even as the pleasure spiked much quicker than expected. He even dared to risk stronger and larger thrusts until he had achieved a comfortable rhythm. However, barely a minute had passed before he reached his limit and with a deafening roar, the extacy of release crashed into him.

Merec gasped as the dragon released his almost searingly hot cum deep within him. The heat was much more intense than he could ever have imagined, yet it was not painfully so and his gasp turned into a delighted moan as the heat spread.

For several seconds, Gahntuar tensed around Merec, before he relaxed.

"Wow!" the dragon wheezed, still clutching to the human. "That was ..."

"... wow!" Merec agreed, leaning forward to rest against the heaving chest of the dragon. He was still speared by the dragon's rock hard penis, yet he did not make a move to escape. Instead he ground his anus against the hard bulbous knot that had failed to enter him, idly wondering if he could take it next time.

"Thank you!" Gahntuar grinned as he reached down to nuzzle Merec again affectionately.

"You are most welcome," Merec replied with a smirk as he reached up to stroke the soft leathery scales at the dragon's throat. "Though it should be me who is thanking you; I'm the one who had wanted to do something like this for a long time."

"But, you didn't cum..." Gahntuar muttered as he stroked the human's still hard erection with a large thumb.

"Maybe not, but that is a problem for later." Merec smiled as he relaxed in the dragon's grip and allowed the big reptile to fondle him. "This is a dream come true, so right now I'm as happy as can be!"

"You are too kind, but I'm not going to leave you hanging!" Gahntuar grinned. With that decided, Gahntuar pulled his still hard penis from Merec without warning, releasing a sudden gush of spent semen as he did so. He gently laid his human down in front of him, and before the human could even protest, he had darted his snout in to start lapping at the human's anus to clean it. He made quick work of the mess he had made, his tongue gliding eventually towards the human's groin with long but eager strokes.

"I ... I'm not ... oh ... going to ... ah ...last!" Merec yelped between pleasured gasps and moans as the tongue started to lap at his penis. Hearing this, Gahntuar eagerly curled his tongue around the human's entire shaft and pulled it into his mouth. But it proved to be to much for the human who came with a grunt just as the wet lips closed around him. Gahntuar eagerly sucked the human dry, releasing him only when he was sure the human was spent.

"You were much closer than you had me believe!" he mock accused Merec with a grin after he had made quite a show of swallowing his salty treat.

"Sorry;" Merec muttered dreamily, the goofy grin making it obvious that he was not really that sorry.

"Right!" Gahntuar chuckled, lying down next to the prone human. "I have no problem with pleasuring you as well." he sighed contently, but with a hint of seriousness in his voice that belied his relaxed mood.

Gahntuar started lapping again at the human, as if he was a little hatchling in need of cleaning. The euphoric sense of afterglow was slowly fading and being replaced by a sense of comradeship and belonging he had not felt since the destruction of the elven mansion.

"I know; I just ... I've wanted to meet a dragon who was willing to mate with me for a long time now, even though I didn't always admitted it to myself." Merec started to explain as he allowed the impromptu tongue bath. He was going to smell of dragon breath for a while to come, yet he had no desire to even attempt to care about it. "I guess, since I actually got what I wanted, I didn't want to spoil the moment by pushing my luck."

"Even at the expense of your own desires?" Gahntuar questioned, then chuckled to himself. "You really are something special! I wish I had met you a long time ago."

"Was the sex that great?" Merec teased and Gahntuar replied only with an indignant huff. "Sorry?" Merec apologized, but was unable to hide the smirk he bore.

"The sex was awesome;" Gahntuar admitted with a contented sigh, as he pulled his new companion and mate against his chest and curled protectively around him. "But I like you for being you, even though we've barely met. You are the first human not to see me as some monster that has to be killed or driven off, or a resource to be harvested, but as another creature capable of emotions. Thank you for that!"

"You're welcome." Merec sighed, snuggling contented against his dragon's chest.

However, Gahntuar's mood had soured. It was a shame that the first kind human he had ever met was doomed to die in these forsaken tunnels. It was unfair to him; the only thing he had done to deserve a fate like this was to be willing to risk the unknown to save his ailing dame. And in the dragon's opinion, the entire world could be better if there were more like him.

Trying to dispel the sudden wave of melancholy, Gahntuar contented himself in sniffing again at the human that was already nearly asleep again. He could smell the sweat and grime from weeks of hard travel on him. Judging from what he knew of bipeds, the strong smell would probably be bothering the human, but he found it rather endearing. He smirked triumphantly when he detected his own scent that had started to cling to him. There was no hiding the fact that they were mates. He could actually smell the dry, sandy scent of the desert from outside ...

Gahntuar suddenly blinked. He could smell the desert? He had not smelled the desert since becoming trapped here! Suddenly alert, he raised his head to sniff at the air once more. Yes, he could clearly smell the outside wafting from the tunnel were he had watch Merec and the golden sprite mate.

For a moment, the scent wavered as he thought he could hear the golden dragon behind him. With a vicious shake of his head, he cleared his mind and cast all of his attention to the scent of freedom.

"What's wrong?" Merec asked, having woken up from his daze when the dragon shook himself.

"We ... need to go!" Gahntuar replied a little hesitantly. Quickly he rolled onto his belly, lowering his head low and raising a fore-paw for the human to climb onto his shoulders. For a moment he realized that he would be allowing Merec to ride him like a horse, but he quickly dismissed the thought, instead refocusing his attention on the scent of desert air that was already failing. They couldn't waste time, not now. "Get on, quickly."

"Gahntuar, it's not real!" Merec started to say as he got to his feet as well, not sure exactly what it was that had spooked the dragon.

"Please, trust me on this!" Gahntuar begged, the urgency in his voice catching Merec off guard.

"S-sure!" Merec agreed after a short hesitation. "J-just let me gather my things ..."

"No time!" Gahntuar snarled desperately. He had almost lost the scent again to the musty fragrance of the glowing mushrooms that grew in the tunnels. If the human wasn't going to listen, he would pick the smaller creature up in his jaws and carrying him all the way.

"Okay, okay!" Merec conceded when he noticed the dragon wasn't going to relent and somehow realized what the larger creature was contemplating. Quickly, he scrambled up the offered foreleg to settle himself on the dragon's shoulders, his naked legs dangling down either side of the strong neck.

"What is wrong?" he asked again once he was settled.

"I can smell the outside! It is faint but still there;" Gahntuar admitted as he started to scrape the human's things together.

"How do you know it is not another mind-snare?" Merec voiced the fear they both shared, but Gahntuar didn't answer as he tried to pick as much of Merec's possessions up as possible. Then again, the dragon didn't need to answer. Could they afford to assume it was just a mind-snare?

"Gahntuar!" the shrill, terrified voice broke the almost oppressive silence, making both human and dragon jump with fright. "Help! They are here!"

Gahntuar didn't hesitate after that. He bolted like a racehorse from the gate as soon as he heard the voice, running blindly down the tunnel he had scented the desert air before. He ignored the shape of a young elven girl that suddenly loomed up in his way, he ignored the startled yelp from his new charge on his shoulders or the scattering of camping gear he had to leave behind. Instead he focused with all of his mental strength on the scent of dry air that had almost disappeared completely.

And on following it.

***

"We have pushed them to their breaking point, my liege!" General Albert Thornsworth reported as he came to stand next to a great map that was spread open atop a large desk that was made from solid Elderwood. An expensive piece of furniture that would be the centerpiece of any official meeting room. Yet here, in the opulent palace of the Great Lord Garath Dreadblade the Undefeatable, the True Emperor over all Kingdoms and Nations, it was merely another table.

"They have gathered together for a last stand here, in the Turundorth Valley." General Jolmes Grosaldar continued, also leaning in to indicate the remote valley on the map with a gauntleted finger. "They think we'll have a difficult time pursuing them to this last haven, but in fact we can reach the valley easily via these three passes. It will also be easy to set up balista stations at these five points to fight off any counter attack they may try to muster, as well as to hem them in for the final slaughter. Their last haven will actually be a death trap for them."

The Great Lord Dreadblade the Undefeatable, the True Emperor over all Kingdoms and Nations, and soon to be the Ultimate Doom of Dragons, slapped the naked buttock of one of the whores in his extensive harem in a signal for her to get off his lap. She merely giggled and ungulated her hips slightly as she leaned over to nibble at his earlobe. Lord Dreadblade grunted amused at the defiant actions of the wench; he would like to fuck her right here in front of his greatest generals, just to show them that he wasn't nearly as old as he seemed. It was merely more wrinkles on his hands and face, and by now completely white hair. Nothing more than show. But he couldn't, he had more important issues to see to first.

"Not now, ... um ... my dear!" he mock scolded her, only a little embarrassed that he had no idea what her name was. She pouted slightly, but complied with his command without another hesitation. As soon as he was free from her weight, he smoothed out his fine silken robe and reached for the goblet of wine that was always kept full by a faithful servant. Who the servant was or how he did it without being seen, Lord Dreadblade could never phantom. Not that he truly cared for that matter.

He drank deeply before slamming the goblet down with enough forced to splash wine across the map. With a loud belch and a drunken giggle that was shared by his generals, he wiped the spilled wine from the map. It did not even leave a stain; great paper that! Only the best for Lord Dreadblade.

"How ... how many of the scaled ... bastards had gathered there?" he asked, grabbing a chicken drumstick that was dripping with honey-and-mustard sauce as he peered at the spot General Grosaldar was still indicating. In the almost forty years since he had defeated the vile Gahntuar the Blacksoul, he had successfully united all the nations under him and led a very successful campaign against the dragons. Now, after nearly seven hundred years of tormenting civilization, they were at the cusp of eliminating the monsters once and for all. After this victory, there won't be another breeding thunder of dragons left and the last individuals will wither away, lonely and isolated from one another. If only they had known that dragons tend to group together to protect their eggs and their young long ago, this victory would not have remained so illusive for so long. It was the knowledge of the breeding grounds that had ultimately proven to be the dragons' true downfall.

"About sixty adult dragons, with just over a hundred hatchlings and whelps!" prince Drake Dreadblade said crisply. "Pretty much all the surviving dragons! They won't be able to recover from the slaughter we are going to visit upon them."

The heir to the Dreadblade empire was truly a son to be proud of: Though strong and handsome, he had a strong sense of justice and duty towards the citizens of the empire. Therefore he pursued the dragons with even more zealousness than his father.

The Great Lord Dreadblade the Undefeatable, the True Emperor over all Kingdoms and Nations, and soon to be the Ultimate Doom of Dragons, laughed delightedly at that. He grabbed his goblet of wine that had somehow been refilled and lifted it towards the stuffed head of the vile Gahntuar the Blacksoul, where it grinned down at the human from above the fireplace.

"So, how does it feel ..." Lord Dreadblade asked the dead dragon in a mock salute "to know that the treasure you ... sat you're worthless arse on for so long ... was responsible for the destruction of your species?" He giggled drunkenly at the irony and took another deep sip of wine. "I guess it is not as ... bad as the knowledge that ... it was your traitorous ... son who truly condemned all dragons! Well, if it is ... any consolation ... he also got ... what he deserved!" Lord Dreadblade chortled as he indicated with his goblet towards another stuffed head of a smaller black dragon he had come to call Groveller.

The spawn of the vile Gahntuar the Blacksoul had dared to attack The Great Lord Dreadblade the Undefeatable, the True Emperor over all Kingdoms and Nations, and soon to be the Ultimate Doom of Dragons in an idiotic attempt at unjust vengeance. However, the whelp was nothing compared to his sire, who was actually the last truly challenging dragon the dragonslayer had fought. The pathetic thing was captured and forced to be Lord Dreadblade's pet for two years, until the great lord grew bored with his pet dragon and put it down. Not that the worthless creature had accepted his fate with any dignity; he had begged for mercy he was not due and even promised his undying loyalty if his life was spared. Eventually he revealed the existence of the breeding grounds, but even that was not enough to save his life.

"You must be ... real proud of your son!" Lord Dreadblade sneered sarcastically as he turned back to the larger dragon head. "I know I am ... of ... of ... mine?"

Lord Dreadblade's tirade at the stuffed head faltered at a sudden commotion behind him. He turned and saw, to his utter surprise, another black dragon running headlong at him, already clutching some unlucky soul in its jaws. How the large creature had managed to get into the palace was beyond him, but there was no doubt that they were under attack.

"To arms!" Lord Dreadblade shrieked in what he definitely would not call a cowardly voice as the dragon skidded to a halt in the middle of the room. Then, in that short moment it took the dragon to orient himself, Lord Dreadblade felt ice grip his heart and he actually sobered up. Somehow, yet another spawn of the vile Gahntuar the Blacksoul had survived and had come for unjust vengeance. But as their eyes met for a brief second, Lord Dreadblade realized with growing horror that this offspring was more akin to his sire than his nest-mate had been so many years ago. So much so that the old dragonslayer would have believed it if someone had said that it was Gahntuar himself, come back from the dead.

"What the hell?" a completely unknown voice suddenly asked and for the first time, Lord Dreadblade noticed the completely naked man who sat on top of the terrible creature as if it was a mere horse. And to add to this, the bundle clutched in the dragon's mouth turned out to be nothing more than the stranger's clothes. Lord Dreadblade's mind suddenly became blank as he failed to comprehend the odd couple, even as his generals and guards rushed to attack the trespassing duo as if nothing was amiss with them. Was he actually starting to go mad?

The dragon for his part made no move to attack. Instead, he merely closed his eyes as if the humans threatening his flanks weren't real and deliberately sniffed at the air, before dashing off straight at Drake Dreadblade.

"Drake!" Lord Dreadblade yelled, his mind suddenly jumping back to life. "Watch out!" But like his father, the crown prince of the Empire remained brave and steadfast against the charging dragon, even with a madman on its back. With calm determination that came only from dedicated training and years' worth of practice, he secured a great lance he had grabbed presumably from one of the guards against the ground and lowered the deadly tip at the dragon.

"Watch out for the ..." the madman shrieked just as the dragon smashed into the spearhead. But instead of the expected splash of hot dragon blood and the shrieks of a dying dragon, Lord Dreadblade witnessed the impossible. The spear disintegrated completely to smoke as soon as it touched the dragon's chest. Then as if that was not enough, the stampeding creature barreled on and the crown prince, his father's greatest pride and joy, puffed away into smoke.

Lord Dreadblade stared in horror at the dissipating wisps of smoke that had been his son as the dragon dashed at the balcony. Then, as with the crown prince just moments ago, the glass doors didn't shatter when the dragon made impact but merely disappeared into smoke, taking even the grand view with it and replacing it with a dull tunnel lit only sparsely with clumps of glowing mushrooms. Mushrooms he had only seen once, in the lair of the vile Gahntuar the Blacksoul some forty years ago.

A horrible thought suddenly occurred to him, even as the illusion of the balcony re-knitted itself. Was any of what he was seeing real? Had he maybe gone mad long ago? How long had he been living in his own imagination? Was his greatest triumph against the dragons even real?

"Andor, Goulf! With me!" Drake suddenly ordered two trusted guards. Lord Dreadblade turned to see the crown prince completely unharmed, though furious that the dragon had escaped. "Lord Grosaldar, find out where that bastard came from! I will not have any dragons barge into our home ..."

"Drake..." Lord Dreadblade whispered, already dreading what he was about to ask.

"Yes, father?" Drake asked a little stiffly.

"Are ... are you real?" Lord Dreadblade asked in a quivering voice.

"What kind of question is that?" Drake asked indignantly, yet even as he spoke Lord Dreadblade knew it was not his son standing before him. The youth's voice suddenly seemed hollow and quivering, despite him being a strong man.

No, that couldn't be his son; a man who was everything he ever wanted to be, but knew in his heart he wasn't. Then in a moment of clarity it came back to him: all the nights partying and abandoning themselves to food and drink and sex. How could he raise a perfect son like that? How could he fight a war and win like that?

A look of absolute horror suddenly crossed Drake's face before he puffed away once more into smoke. Lord Dreadblade turned his gaze to General Jolmes Grosaldar, his High Lord of Information. The same horrified look crossed the old man's face as they locked gazes. Then General Jolmes Grosaldar, who had made it his life's mission to map all the breeding grounds of the dragons and who had discovered near thirty of them, puffed out of existence.

Lord Dreadblade turned his gaze at the others around him. Andor, who had stood alone against a brood dragoness to save the life of the crown prince ... poof. Goulf, who had travelled thirty-six miles with a devastating side wound to give warning of the plight of Highwall Tower when it was attacked by dragons ... poof. Herroth, Andor's brother who had redesigned the balistas currently used against the dragons with such deadly precision ... poof.

Poof ... poof ... poof.

The faces around him disintegrated quicker than he could recognize them. Even General Albert Thornsworth, his oldest friend who he had met when he had saved his life just after defeating Gahntuar ... poof.

And it was not just the humans around him who vanished, but even the food, the furniture, the dragon trophies and the treasures puffed out of existence. Seriously, now that he actually thought about it, who but a dragon would advertise wealth like that?

Eventually, even the palace disappeared completely, leaving him in an empty cavern that resembled the old lair of the vile ... the lair of Gahntuar to such a degree that it gave Lord Dreadblade goosebumps. He caught a glimpse of himself and to his utter astonishment he was young again. He still wore the same trusty dragonslayers' gear he had worn on the day of his now famous battle with the black dragon ... or did that great battle even take place? What had been real and what wishful thinking somehow made to be perceived as real? How could he know? Was the dragon even real?

In an isolated patch of dirt in front of him, he noticed a single track of the dragon that had just rushed past him and down some corridor to who knows where. It was the only thing that remained of the entire forty-year-long illusion, and it persisted until he reached out to it with a suddenly gauntleted hand to wiped it from existence himself. Yes, he guessed, Gahntuar most probably was the only real thing here and what was more, he was still alive. But in the rocky cave with only scattered patches of dirt capable of leaving tracks, he doubted he could follow the dragon.

He was utterly alone.

As the realization hit him, he also became aware of being terribly hungry and thirsty ... and tired! He was truly weary to the bone! And so, the Great Lord Garath Dreadblade the Undefeatable, the True Emperor over all Kingdoms and Nations, and soon to be oh shut up! None of those things had ever been real! Garath, the Fool collapsed to the rocky floor, utterly defeated ... by himself.

***

"Gahntuar!" the blood chilling shriek of the now familiar lost elven girl ripped through the tunnels, pursuing the fleeing dragon as he ran at top speed down the dimly lit tunnel. A rank of heavily armed orcs tried to bar his way in an attempt to stop him from ... what? Reaching her? Escaping the slaughter? He wasn't completely sure what the mind-snare intended anymore as his view on the past had shifted.

What he was sure of, was that the mind trap was casting everything it could into this last snare in an attempt to tempt his attention away from his current goal ... escape. Though the smell of dry desert air had grown stronger as he ran, Gahntuar instinctively knew that if he lost the scent for even a moment, it would remain lost to him.

Therefore, Gahntuar wasn't going to give in to the temptation of fighting the orc horde. Instead he rushed at them with the same abandonment he had shown to the human dragonslayers he had encountered in Lord Dreadblade's castle. And as with the humans, the orc battle line disintegrated into smoke as he crashed into them, letting him pass into the next cavern with ease.

As he had done before, he skidded to a halt as soon as he burst into the cavern, intending to identify the next passage to follow immediately. However, what he saw caught him completely by surprise.

A large clump of Goron-tail mushrooms grew in one corner, and to the other side he saw a lonely log cabin with a rather dreary thatch roof. Even as he noticed it, an elderly human opened the door.

"Merec, come quickly!" the stranger called. "We need you."

However, the mind-snare fell on deaf ears, literally. After their encounter with Lord Dreadblade, Merec had closed his eyes and started to mumble 'It is not real!' over and over to himself, casting all of his trust upon the dragon. As if sensing this, the mind-snare changed right before the dragon's eyes.

The one corner of the thatch roof suddenly seemed to catch fire spontaneously. Then orcs burst from the dwelling, quickly overwhelming the lone human before rushing off down a corridor, carrying their spoils on broad shoulders. Then Gahntuar's heart skipped a beat. Slung over one of the orcs' shoulders was Erendile, flailing and screaming in absolute terror. Her gown was nearly ripped completely from her body and she was already bleeding heavily from a serious head wound.

"Gahntuar!" she screeched in a voice that broke the dragon's heart. "Help!"

He hesitated for a moment. He knew he could save her if he acted now, or she would be lost to a fate worse than death ...

"It's not real! It's not real!" Merec's mumblings from his back, brought him back to his senses. No, it wasn't real. Erendile was dead, had been dead for ten years now. His new charge was not, and he needed him now.

It was time for him to bury her ghost and move on.

Closing his eyes to the raiding party of orcs, he focused once more on the scent of desert air ... and found nothing. An icy chill gripped his chest as he tried to find the way out and failed again. He dropped the bundle of clothes he had been carrying and tried again. But all that he could scent was the musty smell of cave and a faint hint of farm and smoke as the mind-snare tried to assert itself once more.

"No no no!" he muttered as he started to twist around, looking in every direction in an attempt to find another clue as to which direction led outside.

"What's wrong?" Merec risked asking.

"I've lost the trail! I can't smell the outside anymore!" Gahntuar almost wailed with despair. How could he have allowed himself to lose their only chance at escape? Merec had depended on him and now he had disappointed the trust place in him once more. "I am so sorry, I let the damn Mind-trap get to me again!"

"It's not your fault," Merec tried to sooth the whimpering dragon. "You tried your best."

They were silent for a few seconds, lost in despair when Merec suddenly spoke up.

"I ... I think it is that way?" he sounded unsure, but still pointed in a direction. Gahntuar looked and saw that he was pointing directly at a solid wall.

"Why that way?" Gahntuar asked, a little disinterested.

"I thought I heard something like a goat that way, but I'm not sure." Merec admitted.

Gahntuar stepped closer and to his surprise he noticed that there was indeed another tunnel hidden as a shadowy patch. It seemed completely devoid of glowing mushrooms and Gahntuar felt a sense of claustrophobia even just looking at it.

"How do you know it is not another mind-snare?" Gahntuar asked, hope seeping back into him. Had he not asked the human to trust him on nothing but a whim?

Merec hesitated before answering.

"I don't, but ... I don't like goats ..."

"Good enough for me!" Gahntuar snapped, and grabbing at the pile of possessions he had dropped once more, he dashed at the dark opening just as Erendile called for help once more.

A darkness so complete it seemed as thick as molasses engulfed them, yet Gahntuar ran forward as fast as he could, heedless of the fact that the tunnel could twist and turn and he would end up bashing his head at full speed into the stone wall. He dared not stop or even to slow down for fear of what was behind him. It felt like they spent hours running down that never-ending darkness, yet barely seconds have passed before the absolute darkness was abruptly replaced by pure light. It did not grow lighter gradually, instead it was just there, blinding them with its intensity.

Blinded as he was, Gahntuar did not notice the ground fall away before there there was nothing beneath his feet to stand upon. Instinctively, he snapped his wings open, but the ground returned to him before he could catch his fall. His forelegs ended up buckling beneath his weight and he crashed to his side, his momentum rolling him over and down the steep slope. Merec was thrown from his shoulders in the fall and the two rolled downhill, coming to a stop at the bottom of the small hill, battered and bruised and blinking the sparks away.

There was a final, blood-curling scream from Erendile, then ... silence.

As they lay there, a little dazed from their tumble, Merec became the first to notice the open sky above them. It was late afternoon and the sun was already turning a shade redder.

"We ... we escaped?" he asked almost dazed. Gahntuar rolled onto his chest next to him, spitting the bundle of belongings out.

"I think we did!" he chirped excitedly. "We actually did it!"

"How can we be sure this isn't a mind-snare?" Merec asked worriedly. Gahntuar didn't reply, but indicated with a snout after a herd of wild mountain goats, fleeing for their lives and scattering rocks which rolled faster and faster downhill.

"Oh, thank you!" Merec whooped with delight and hugged Gahntuar, who returned the hug by curling his head around the human and pressing him to his chest.

"How did we manage to escape?" Merec wondered idly, not really expecting an answer.

"I don't know;" Gahntuar admitted, extracting himself from the human. He looked at the human with a tenderness that made Merec blush. "But I think it is because I realized I could do nothing for Erendile, but I could help you still. And I wanted to!" As Gahntuar pulled the bundle of human belongings closer, he frowned to himself when he noticed the sorry state his scales was in: He was no longer black, but rather a dull greenish-gray. Yet, they were free and that was that truly mattered.

"How did you hear the goats outside, when my hearing is better yet I heard nothing?" Gahntuar suddenly asked as the thought occured to him.

"Same reason I guess!" Merec answered, taking the offered bundle. "You seemed so upset at failing, I felt truly sorry for you. Not because my life depended on you, but merely because you wanted to help so desperately and had failed again."

"Make scene!" Gahntuar muttered. "For a moment, we had no desires for ourselves but for each other, hence the hold the Mind-trap had on our senses failed for that brief moment."

Gahntuar smiled down at the human, but then frowned when he saw the disappointment on the human's face.

"Something wrong?" he asked a little surprised.

"I've lost most of my stuff!" Merec muttered, holding up what was left of his belongings: a set of trousers and his backpack. All his camping gear were gone, but more importantly his water bottle and his shoes. At an indignant snort from the dragon he quickly added "Don't understand me wrong: I'm very happy we escaped and wouldn't trade our freedom for anything still left in the cave! It's just ... without them, I won't survive long enough in the Thirstlands to make it back to civilization."

"You humans!" Gahntuar chortled. "You like to pretend you are so powerful and important, yet you are probably one of the weakest creatures around!"

"Yeah-yeah." Merec muttered as he put his trousers on. He still had a spare shirt in his backpack, but his jacket was lost and the night was going to be cold. "Rub it in."

"You know;" Gahntuar continued undaunted, leaning in to whisper conspiratory. "If you want my help, all you need to do is ask!"

"You would help me?" Merec asked surprised, having figured the dragon would want to return home now that he was free of the Mind-trap.

"Of course!" Gahntuar snorted a little indignantly, and putting word to action, crouched once more for Merec to get onto his back. "Come, get on. I want to show you a place I know around here. If we leave now, we should be able to reach it before sunset!"

"Thank you so much for this!" Merec beamed as he hefted his pack onto his shoulders and climbed onto the dragon. "What is it you want to show me?"

"There is this one spring to the west were there is an abundance of Goron-tail mushrooms!" Gahntuar smirked.

"Really?" Merec asked with an almost hatchling like excitement, making Gahntuar laugh heartily.

"Hold on!" he called, before spreading his wings and with a massive jump he took flight. He couldn't help but let out a delighted roar at the feeling of air rushing around his wings. He wheeled a few times around the hillside from which they had escaped as a final display of victory over the Mind-trap before breaking away to the west, eagerly heading towards the rest of his new life.

It was not long before the two friends disappeared into the sunset.

***

In the years that followed, rumors started to spread of a cave hidden deep within the Great Thirstland. Some said that a powerful Magus lived there, while others claimed it was a great dragon. Others still was sure that no one lived there, and that the cave was filled with raw magic. Either way, it was said that if one were to find this cave, an adventurer's greatest desire would be fulfilled. However, everybody agreed that it was not worthwhile to seek the cavern out, for the price of success was always death. Yet, that failed to deter people from disappearing into the Great Thirstland on a quest to find, what is rather ironically called, 'The Cave of Wonders'.

end.