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Scales and Honor: Swirling Storm

Chapter 26

"You gotsta wake up silly." A small sounding voice called to Ramakox from the back void that stretched out before him.

"Ugh." Ramakox groaned, his body still sore as he shifted on the soft grass. _Grass?_He opened his eyes in an instant, finding that he no longer was outside in the pouring rain, lying on the broken cobblestone street gasping for breath. Instead he was sprawled out in a bright green field that seemed to stretch as far as he could see. The only break of it seemed to be faint mountains in the distance that only licked the vast clear blue sky above. The brilliant cerulean was more bright then he had ever remembered, staring at it almost brought with it pain to his silver spheres. He quickly averted his gaze away from the bright sky and the burning sun hanging ever so carefully overhead and bringing warmth to his scales. He settled his head down onto the grass, wiggling his tail as he did so. He delighted in the smell of lilacs that were wafting along in the slight breeze. He closed his eyes and let out a small sigh of relief.

"Finally...I thought you was going to sleep forever."

He felt a small paw touch the top of his snout causing him to bolt open his eyes once more. He caught the faint smell of a cold night ever so close to him. More surprising then the smell was who the paw belonged too. For before him was none other then the small black wrymling with bright green eyes and black scales that he remembered from all those years ago.

"You've been so lazy...You remind me of father." Infinity smirked, flicking her little spade tail against the grass.

"Infinity.." He gasped, barely finding the words as he stared at her in utter amazement. He flipped over onto his stomach in almost an instant, confusion wrapping itself around his mind and pulling tight. "H-how...How is it that you are here? I remember being back in Eastcliff...The rain..." He started to grumble as the fight flashed before his eyes and he remembered the painful details. "And..getting hit by that arrow....and watching Jandar shot by those _other_arrows." He flicked his tail, worry starting to replace his confusion as he replayed the horrific memory before him. He felt his scales twitch as he remembered the mortal's pained expression and gasp of surprise.

"I'm not sure.." Infinity brushed up against him with a little purr. "It's never really anything but sunny here....I was kinda bored until you showed up."

"Am....am I dead?" he asked softly, thinking of no other explanation to what it could be. "Is this some sort of in between realm?" He hung his head as Infinity crept closer and nuzzled his scales with her snout. "I'm....I'm sorry for failing you Infinity...Your capture has plagued me ever so much since that Lich snatched you away." His eyes began to mist as he stared down at the little wrymling that had not ceased her joyous smile.

"It's okay..." She rolled her eyes with a little smirk. "You're not dead either silly..Cause I know your part of the brave and strong dragons you told me about."

"Yes...But I am rather foolish at times." he smirked, nuzzling her with a smile whine. "If I'm not dead....Where am I?"

"Get the dragon some air! I think he's breathing again!" Shouted Milalee from all directions, her voice making the very plains quake with each word.

"I...Dunno." Infinity shrugged, wiggling her tail slightly before bursting into a thousand dots of black and white.

"What?" he shouted, panic suddenly striking his chest as his breaths started to come quicker, and a heat suddenly found it's way into his torso , like it was a stove set a flame. "Infinity!" he roared out, head swerving from side to side, hoping that this was some cruel joke. He could not have lost her again. "Infinity!" his voice echoed across the empty space, getting no response to ease his mind as colors started to blend together, like an artist had tossed all his paints onto his easel at the same time.

"Who is Infinity?" Came Fremra's voice of concern, it sounded like if it were just right beside his head.

Ramakox fell to the grass, no longer soft but hard and smooth beneath his paws. "Grraaaaaaah!" he screamed out as an intense burning sensation suddenly exploded from his chest and made his entire body tremble in pain.

"Is he going to be alright?" Jandar's voice parted the pain only briefly as another jolt of the scale trembling feeling spiked through his wing right at the joint.

Ramakox instantly recoiled on himself with another pained cry, and weak flick of his tail.

"He'll be fine lad...Just got ta get ta spike out! It really did a number to em. Not ta mention dat fancy arrow of that.." Came Stonebeard through sea of murmuring voices.

"Stonebeard!"

"Sorry, getting back to it....Best Grit yet teeth Swirlin Storm..I tink it tends ta help."

Ramakox did not reply, and only let out a near quiet whimper as he felt pain was all that he could experience. Even his breaths grew painful as air flooded into his lungs. That's right...the fight....the fall...the spike...The...."Graaaaah!" his body quaked as the metal spike in his wing was suddenly yanked out of him.

"Quick! Heal it, deres lots o blood!"

Fremra practically sang to him, her paws gliding over his scales and putting an end to the intense pain that had been coursing through him. He felt it fade away into nothing with each tender stroke of her digits. The wound then start to close itself shut and stitch itself back together. The sensation felt utterly alien, but welcome to his exhausted mind. He was left gasping as he focused on the dull ache now in his chest, and how his vision had started to come back into focus. From the multicolored haze came the dark blues, greys, teals, red, every single color that had been present in that street suddenly taking shape before his eyes.

"Graaah!" He gasped, thumping his tail as a ring of concerned looking mortals and Fremra suddenly appeared from the hazy fog.

"He's awake!" Jandar shouted, the look of concern melting away from everyone's faces in a near instant.

He let out a surprised meep when Fremra suddenly nosed him, her breaths coming quickly as she nuzzled him like it had been decades since she had last seen him.

"I just knew you would pull through my Radiant Sapphire..You are the strongest." She whined, her voice sounding as though she had been crying not too long ago.

"Bravest and strongest." Ramakox saw Infinity among them, waddling by mortal legs unseen with a smile on her little snout. She looked to him with a wagging tail, and gestured to Jandar.

He ignored the little wrymling, knowing she must be an illusion to his rattled mind. He pushed back against Fremra's affectionate nuzzles with a groan as he felt a soreness flood his senses. "W-What happened to me that had you looking so worried?" He smiled weakly, trying to hide the terror that he had felt. His eyes narrowed in on Jandar, who was standing with large eyes and two holes in his leather armor, but lacking any wounds. "And...how...Jandar..I saw you take those arrows...How is it?"

"Healing magic Storm." The half dragon laughed weakly. "We had enough adventurers with us. I didn't go a whole minute with those things sticking out of my chest. Some crafty gnomes pulled the bastards out and worked their magic. Good as new!" he poked the wound with a finger, his eyes instantly flinching for a moment. "Scratch that...still a little tender."

"I told ya it might take awhile!" Came a little women that hardly stood up to Jandar's waist from behind his son. She had a wrinkled brow and was clearly a gnome dressed in simple robes of silver and green. "It was a deep cut, and I didn't have my _good_healing spells left. You were lucky I _even_had the small ones left mister!"

"Then you have my thanks little gnome." Ramakox chuckled with a weak groan escaping his sore snout. "For making sure that my son survived the night." He turned his head to see that the fires that had dotted all the building had all been drowned away by the nights rain. The storm clouds from above had even started to clear up to reveal the star filled sky. However the dark sea was starting to be cast away by warm rays starting to crest over the mountains in the distance, signaling the sun's arrival and the start of a new day. "It's the next day?" He turned back to Fremra who had just pulled her nuzzling snout away from his neck. "It could not have been _that_long." He gulped as he saw her stare at him once more with worried eyes that drifted downward at his chest.

"It took the rest of the night to get you up and about...That arrow she used...It was a powerful magical curse...Mixed with a very potent poison. It..." She looked weakly back towards all the mortals gathered around them. "It took everything I...and they had to just hold off the force that threatened to take you from us.."

"I...died?" The blue dragon gasped, turning his head to the others with a flick of his tail.

"Not..exactly...but you were very well on the edge of it for hours." Fremra quickly pressed herself against him once more with a soft whine. "There were moments that I thought we _had_lost you my Radiant Sapphire."

"The...what was that arrow?" He pushed back, mind picturing that blackened thing that caused such misfortune to his aching body. He gave Fremra an affectionate lick across her muzzle before gently pushing her away so that he could take a look at the impact point of that cursed object. He expected the thing to be glowing an eerie green, or leaking blood. It seemed fitting of whatever magic had worked over him so well and left him in such a vulnerable state. "It..was horrible...I could not breathe...Speak,,,Everything went dark." His words came slowly as he traced the black lines that had spread out over his dark blue scales. They did not hurt to the touch, but he could feel his heart begin to beat quicker as he continued to stare at the wicked little rivers.

"It..It was an arrow of dragon slaying." Jandar rose up a white cloth, plucking out the blackened arrow. It looked just like any other arrow, complete with black feathers. However on the thing's cursed surface were engraved golden runes. "They are also called black arrows...and you can guess..They are used to kill dragons...They are old magic, mixed with potent poisons. They pop around the globe from time to time as adventurers loot them from old tombs. I don't think anyone can even make them anymore...The fact the Lund had one." Jandar settled the cloth and arrow on the ground, glaring at it with a look of hatred. "It is terribly amazing."

"Great." Ramakox snorted, flicking the vile thing away with a talon. "The best dragon hunter in Sethera needed a legendary arrow of dragon slaying to bring me down? Part of me feels honored she needed to resort to that at all." He wrinkled his snout, already picturing the woman getting away on her swift gryphon. He drummed his talons against the stone in irritation, trying to grumble away or twitch the ache out of his bones. "So I was hit by this dragon slaying arrow yet live." He gestured to the chest wound with a hiss. " Doesn't quite live up to it's name does it?"

"That's the thing." Fremra replied with a low voice, her frills drooping on either side of her head. "We only slowed it down and held it back...We could not cure you of whatever poison or curse has ensnared you."

"So..." Ramakox ran a claw over his chest, swallowing down a lump that had formed in his throat. "It will eventually..." He looked back down to the blackened thing that had caused all this trouble. He winced as a phantom pain rippled through him and made the dragon shiver. "Die from the arrow." He spat out, the words tasting vile to his tongue.

To be victorious over so much and then end up dead anyway? Ridiculous...Preposterous...That would not be fair...Not in the slightest._He looked away out to the rising sun, Fremra's words swirling inside of him like his namesake. He let out a groan, clutching the wound with a small gasp as he flicked his tail. No....It's just that you didn't try ha-" he looked back to his dragoness, the words stalling from his throat as he saw her worried filled eyes that were on the verge of leaking tears. _Of course she tried all she could. He gazed to the mortals who had remained silent but looked to him with just as concerned faces as the dragoness he loved. They all tried their hardest. "Oh." he sighed, hanging his head as he shifted his body slightly. "What of the red hand and their hunters? What happened to them?" He let loose a low growl with his next words. "And did they get away?"

"They ran away...Far away as they could from us." Fremra hissed, wrinkling her snout. "I would have pursued them and cut into little ribbons if not for your grievous wound." She let out a quick low whine before nuzzling him affectionately. Her touch brought a flash of pleasure that fought back the aching soreness and worry that had gripped his heart so.

"The hunters got away as well." Jandar sighed, placing a claw to his scaled shoulder. "I don't think they stuck around to see that you pulled through with healing magic. They seemed much too eager to flee with their lives.

"Not afta da thrashin we gave em!" Stonebeard shouted, punching his fist into the air and summoning forth a "Hell ya!" from the crowd of adventurers.

"Yes..Yes.." Ramakox looked away, trying to hide the smirk that was threatening to work it's way to his snout despite the bad news. He found himself looking to the burned out skeletons that used to be homes, building that were nearly crumbling away and holding on by a thread. He could feel the guilt boiling up inside of him as he looked to bodies lining the cobblestone streets. It made his scales start to itch something awful, and he fought the sensation with the next snort of his lungs.

"This was the hand storm..." Jandar said soothingly. "Not your fault in the slightest. We can't choose who hates us, and how far they are willing to go to hurt us."

"No...But I could not have been so brazen. I still feel like it was....Bringing this all down upon you mortal's heads." He snapped his jaw shut, grumbling to himself as he averted his gaze and once more stared to the the half-dragon. "So my wounds..What is to be done about it? Is their really nothing that can be done?" He asked, words fading as he looked to the bright sun's rays that seemed to be slowly bringing life to the destroyed town. "And....if you only stalled it...How long..do I have left?" The thought made him sick, like dying should have been to anyone. But he was a dragon, would live forever if given the chance. To be struck down at the age of 479? That would almost be an injustice, some rule against nature. He glanced back to the others as no reply came to ease his troubled mind. The wound on his chest began to itch, so he brushed the aching thing gently with his claws. Even that sensation however sent a slight tremor of pain through his limbs that made his tail flick. He pulled the claw away slowly, hiding his pain with a cough. He didn't want to appear weak right now anyway. _Enough of that was on full display last night._He drummed his talons against the stone as he looked to all the worn and weary faces of the mortals covered in scratches and dirt. The ones that had fought bravely to defend not only his town and her peoples, but the family that he held dear. He imagined himself thrashing on the ground with his next breath as they all struggled for hours, never leaving his side the entire time of his suffering.

Despite the display of vulnerability he was touched, no dragon could ask for more loyalty then what was displayed last night. "All of you." he cleared his throat as he settled down onto his haunches. "I would like to honestly, from the bottom of my heart and on my very scales thank you for the deeds that you displayed last night in protecting Eastcliff...and the lives of her citizens and dragons." He started to grumble as he pictured the scores of dead that littered the street. Cultist, adventure. And townsfolk all sprawled out together on the ruined streets in a grisly display of blood and violence. "I will never forget the courage that you and the fallen have displayed, and will see to it that none of you are forgotten around these parts. Each one of them and yourselves should look to yourselves as heroes...To be sung about and remembered fondly in tales." He ended his heartfelt speech with a gently tap of his claw against the stone, and flick of his tail.

"Well ya heard da dragon!" Stonebeard smiled after a moment of stunned silence wafted over the crowd. "All ya weak wristed, dress wearin sissies are heroes it seems!" The dwarf put on a big smile as he held his stomach with a hearty laugh. "I suppose I could have a drink or two in ya names." Ramakox watched as Milalee strode over to playfully punch the dwarf on the shoulder.

"Or four you loud mouthed bastard." She laughed, fondly gazing up to Ramakox.

"Or..Four of course!" The dwarf's face started to turn a red as he laughed some more. "I could even drink to da Swirlin Storm! I bet I could even drink him under da table if given da chance!"

Ramakox weakly grinned as cheers and shouts of thanks spread around the collected mortals like a wild flame in a dry field. They were soon all recounting the evening's activities and heroics displayed by them and their fallen kin. "So what can be done?" he turned back to Jandar as he lowered his sore wing and with a groan pulled the half-dragon closer to him without another word. Fremra joined him by sliding ever closer, and pressing her warm scales against his own with a soft purr escaping her lips. "I need to know if anything can be done my wonderful mortal...Or that I am to reside myself to the fate of death...even if it pains me to admit it." He snorted, narrowing his eyes as his anger started to rise up as he pictured that smug Lund woman's face.

Jandar took a deep breath, running his hands across his snout as his wings fluttered softly. The half-dragon looked down, his tail swishing behind him as he started to pace and mumble to himself in unintelligible words.

"Jandar?" Ramakox asked after several minutes of listening to his son ramble on and on about what to do. The mortal had even backtracked in thought several times as he started to drum his little claws against his blue scaled snout. "Jandar?" he rose his voice, his chest starting to ache like a sword had been plunged into it. "Grah..." he grit his teeth and involuntarily recoiled on himself while he grasped at the blackened wound. "I'm fine...I'm fine." he gasped, pushing away Fremra's concerned snout with a quick nose of his own. "Jandar." His voice started to strain as he pushed the pain from his mind. "I need to know if you have any ideas...We can return to my cave and see if I have any books on the subject...You can ask around town...Perhaps one of these adventurers knows something more about these dragon slaying arrows."

Jandar held up a claw to his snout, stiffing his words as the man shot his head up with a grin. "The mistress of the wood!" he exclaimed, practically leaping for joy. "The mistress of the wood! How did I not think of her?" Jandar returned his claw to his head as his breath seemed to come faster, his smile not having faded. "Stupid Jandar...She should have been the _first_person to think of."

"Mistress of the wood?" Ramakox thumped his tail, tilting his head to the side as he tried to pluck from the depths of his mind whom this person was. He was certain that Jandar had told him such a story once over the years. _Curse this mind of mine. Forgetting knowledge that I should have known._He wrinkled his snout as he gave a quick annoyed snort at his apparent ignorance. He turned his head to Fremra, hoping that perhaps she knew something. But she had the same look of confusion that must have been reflected in his eyes as well. "I know you may have mentioned her..But who is this person?"

"An old witch that we met years ago to the far west. It would be past the city of Wallowdale. We managed to find an item that had been plundered from her domain by a group of elven thieves. Trust me was a hassle at finding the bloody bastards...See cause they decided to hold up.."

"Jandar." The blue dragon groaned, nosing his mortal gently. "I do love stories but I believe every second is now precious." He gestured to the wound. "And we best use our time wisely."

"Of course." Jandar rubbed the back of his neck with a weakened chuckle. "Anyway...Our reward was one favor from this lady."

"A favor?" What could she offer us that we need? You are both competent spell casters and _you_could not cleanse me of this accursed poison. Why should this "Mistress of the wood." Be any different?" he looked away with a snort and quick series of claw clacks against the stone as he drummed his talons slightly in irritation.

"Because my dearest Storm. She claimed that with all her knowledge of ancient magic and spells. That she could with a mere wave of her hand cure any wound or ailment from the victim." Jandar replied matter of factly, sticking one of his digits right against the blue's snout, "Caught your attention did I now?"

*

Ramakox beat his wings steadily against the cool air. White billowing clouds pushed away from his membranes with each flap of his mighty wings against the sky. He gazed out to the vast blue that stretched on for as far as the eye could see, the brilliant cerulean brighter then he had ever pictured it. Far below them were the mountains of the silver highlands, stretching up like the bottom jaw of a dragon with the peaks being the tips of the creature's teeth. The stony brown and grey surfaces were broken up with great trees of oak and pine. The green quilt being broken up by rivers, rock beds, and other various tors as they traveled to see this mysterious "Mistress of the wood." They had been traveling for several weeks now to find this miracle worker of a witch. The days and nights had started to blend together to the weary dragon as he continued the journey. Every so often during this time the pain in his chest would flare up, and what had started as a small itching sensation had evolved into something that made him clench his teeth each time it did so. He would feel his limbs tremble and quake until the sensation passed, often lasting for several minutes at a time. He would be left gaping in agony to the point that he could do very little but focus on Fremra's tail through the sky. Jandar and her were not his only companions on this little trek of theirs, for Stonebeard and Milalee had come along as well with their pegasi. It was kind of hard for the dragon to turn away such help, especially during the rests they had to take and they would offer kind and encouraging words, and in Stonebeard's case, offer healing magic.

The stops that had been only several times a day for a quick rest and food were starting to become more and more frequent as Ramakox could feel the ache and soreness lingering in his limbs dragging them down. During these times it was up to Stonebeard and Fremra to work their magic and help him cope with the arrow's lingering effects. He would settle down onto his side, often in soft grass as they would combine the divine magic from the dwarf and the nature magic of the dragoness. He would watch as their glowing appendages would glide over his fine scales, their touch bringing a brief reprieve to the pain. They described to him numerous times when he would ask that they were strengthening the spells in place that were holding the dragon slaying curse at bay. He would snort each time and trace the wound that had spread to the rest of his body. Where his scales were lighter and blue and dark navy they now were segmented with little sickly black lines that spread to every limb, tail, wings, it was like every scale was partially black in it's own twisted way. He did not admit it to his companions during their healing, but it troubled him greatly with each inch that his curse spread.

Ramakox had even started to wonder if he would even survive the journey to find this witch. I just have to right? Would be ill fitting of a story if the hero died on his way to be healed from the thing that plagued him so. The blue dragon would have loved to carry his son through the sky, but the wound had weakened him greatly and he did not want to put the mortal he cared for at risk. _Besides...There will be plenty of time for flying when I am healed from this wound._These words had often found their way to his mind during the nights as he would recline with Fremra held ever so close to his body while he would watch the flames of their firelight dance away into the night. The captivating red orange serpents so delightful as he nuzzled his dragoness and almost forgot that he was cursed for death.

As they neared their destination Jandar kept insisting that it was. "Any day now Storm." The half-dragon glanced out to the landscape below, the signs of civilization slowly fading away. From where it used to be hills covered with little huts, houses, and whole collection of dwellings came forests, rocks, rivers and lakes. With each passing hour they dwindled, until nothing remained , not even a hint that mortal kind had even ventured out this far. Or at least had not having large enough structures that the blue dragon could notice. He supposed that their could be some crafty hermit that had built their house into a tree or something, or that there was an unspoiled civilization that lay underneath the ground, unaware that two dragons were above them.

It was on the fourth week of their travel that finally Fremra angled a wing and descended without another word towards a vast lake among a forest of gigantic trees. As they neared, it occurred to him that each trunk was roughly the size of ten lesser ones, and that the large things stood at least five times his own great height. Such beauty from the damp air teasing his scales to the sweet smell of earth and leaves that were almost lost to the next clench of his teeth as the wound reminded him it was there. Like it was some child wanting attention and he the worn out parent. A child that is going to kill me. He winced, paws touching down among the soft grass and feeling relief work it's way through his body. It was if he had been traveling for days non stop, and his body just wanted to slump down and drift off into sleep. That's how it will be.._He groaned, fighting the urge with a slight growl. _To simply close my eyes and then pass from the world. He took another step, his eyes looking passed the concerned looking mortals and dragoness to the crystal clear waters of the lake close by.

"Y-You took us to a lake to rest?" he grumbled in irritation as he pulled himself towards the source that would provide the dragon with a nice refreshing drink. "I thought you said we would be heading to some mystical woman that could heal me...It seems that we are always_closer_ but never there." He stopped for a moment, turning to Jandar with a sigh. "You did not become lost did you?"

"No..This is the place." Jandar strode passed him with crossed arms and his head held high. "The last time I saw her she was by this very lake." Jandar unfolded his arm and gestured to the waters lapping at the grounds edge. "She said that if we ever wanted to get our favors all we had to do would be to come back and we would be able to find her."

"Doesn't look like she is here though." Fremra replied flatly, slinking over to the water's edge and dipping in one of her fore paws. "I could go search underwater.." The dragoness' eyes watched the small ripples as they spread out across the water's surface, her frills twitching slightly. "Perhaps this illusive Mistress of the woods is hiding under there? Or perhaps going for a refreshing swim? It is what I would be doing."

"Yes.." Ramakox chuckled slightly. "But not everyone loves the water as must as you do my Sea Lilly." He let out a groan as he took his place beside her, and with a pained gasp laid down onto his side by the water's edge.

"Not very much ta look at." Stonebeard scoffed, pulling out his darkened leather water skin and taking a swig. "Always preferred stone to all dis green anyway." he looked to Milalee with a raised brow.

"Simply because you had your head in the ground." The elven women nudged passed him playfully before striding over to join the dragons by the water.

Ramakox sighed as he sat in silence, only listening to the beating of his steady heart and the chirps of some sort of bird in the distance. If he were not on the verge of death he might have thought all of this was relaxing. He ran a claw through the sand, the coarse stuff easily parting for his sharpened digits until thick lines were drawn through the surface. "Jandar...We spoke of time being of the essence. Where is your mistress of the wood? And if she turned out to be the Emerald Lady in disguise I might actually die of surprise." He smirked, turning back to the half-dragon to hide his growing worry in his chest.

Jandar only offered him a shrug. "I don't know now Storm. You know as much as I do now, and I have done all that was tasked of me to get this favor." He spread his arms wide and waved towards the lake. "She said to bloody come here...and here we are...and no witch." Jandar's arms fell with his head as he let out a heavy, defeated sigh. "I did not mean to waste the time we have left Storm....Or get your hopes up and dash them...I honestl-"

"Never you mind then." He nosed the mortal with a slight grumble. "We will find another way then." He stretched a wing around the mortal, fighting the urge to groan that was building inside of him and threatening to spill forth like a burst dam.

"Something is here." Fremra picked her head up so quickly that Milalee took a step back in surprise, letting out a gasp. "I can feel it in the water." The dragoness turned to the lake and licked her nose once. "I can even taste it in the air...This place has powerful magic...Ancient magic...Natural magic."

"Wonderful." Ramakox brushed the wound, fighting off the concerned stares once more as he could almost feel the black lines spreading throughout his body. "At least we have the right place...Now we just need to summon her." He snorted, drumming his talons against the sand. It slightly irritated him that it was not accompanied by the usual clacks he was used to. So he tapped his tail and wracked his mind for something..There must have been plenty of stories that had passwords, phrases, or other various commands that heroes would use to summon forth things like faeries or other mystical beings. Perhaps this would not be any different...Although saying something in this witch's natural tongue might work...If we knew what that was. He looked to Jandar's claws, then quickly back to his own. Or perhaps a certain spell would be required...Any spell to alert this witch that she had visitors that needed tending to...Sick dragons that needed tending to...Let's just hope she is more accepting of guests than the Emerald Lady. He snorted as he pictured that smug green dragoness with her glowing purple eyes staring at him from beyond the trees.

I will not die you vile thing...I will live on..."Grah!: He winced, the pain spiking up and being too much for him to hold in as he recoiled and collapsed onto the ground as a pathetic pile.

"Ramakox!" Jandar and Fremra shouted in unison, their habit of calling him his title lost for the moment in their touching concern.

"I'm..Fine.." He gasped, lying through his teeth as the heat pulsated through him and started to make his vision turn fuzzy, "Nothing..to..." His words got lower and softer as the other's concerned cries started to fade away till only a loud ringing noise was in his ears.

"Quickly! Strengthen the spells! He saw Fremra shout out, quickly shoving a paw to his chest joined by Stonebeard's rough hands.

The blue dragon felt the mind shattering pain start to fade away with their quickened glances and glowing hands. It felt like a blanket had been wrapped around him and was snuggling close with it's warmth. He let out a sigh as his vision started to come back into focus, and his heart started to slow back down to a normal pace.

"Thank the gods above." Jandar wiped the tip of his head with the back his claw. "Thought we might have..."

"Takes more to kill me than that." The blue dragon smirked as a cough wound it's way to his chest and made him spasm as stars burst in his vision. Although the pain had receded he was left gasping on air as his breaths became ragged. He turned his head towards the others who had fallen silent as they stared at him with large concerned eyes. "I'm fine..So honestly..No more worrying about me like I'm some hatchling ." He grumbled, pushing himself to all fours with a snort. "Best we find this mistress of the wood anyway."

As if his words were the final key to some ancient ritual the waters of the lake parted in a near instant. The sound of it's rustling drew his attention and made him stare in wonderment as he watched a figure rise from the clear depths, water falling off her dark brown skin that looked exactly like the bark of a tree. The pointy eared woman stood on top of the water, her dull green hair looking like it was made from moss. She waited there for a moment or two, as if this was a common occurrence for one such as she. The wood elf glanced to them with her emerald eyes, the air around her almost seeming to shimmer.

"I have heard you all speak...Is it I that you seek an audience with?" The woman spoke clearly and flatly, her voice sounding more like the wind wafting through leaves then anything else. She seemed to glide over towards them without moving a muscle, the water not even parting or moving as she passed casually by.

"Y-yes..It is I..Jandar the traveling mage that has sought you out o Mistress of the wood." The half-dragon found his voice, taking a quick bow before the curious elven maiden.

"So that I can see Jandar the scaled once human. It would appear that you have sought me out to use the favor that I bestowed to you?" Her spheres stared straight at the mortal, ignoring everything else as everyone shifted positions and gave the mysterious woman a wide berth.

"Yes I have, and I brought the mighty Swirling Storm to use my favor for me...For it is he that is in need of it more then I."

Ramakox made sure to hold his head up and swell his chest, fighting the soreness that made his bones ache. Let the little wood elf get a good look of his draconic body.

The mistress of the wood shot her attention to him in a jerking movement that truly looked alien to the dragon and had him wrinkle his snout. "That I can see once human." The woman suddenly shifted from the water to the sand beneath their feet. She glided through it just as easily as the water, and still the ground showed no sign of her presence.

"Hey." He went to snap as without a word she suddenly pushed a hand to his scaled chest. Her touch was rough, and felt like he was being caressed by the bark of a tree. He grit his teeth as she rubbed the wound that had blackened his scales and brought such agony into his life. He could feel the anxiety rise in his chest with each pass that the elven lady made against his strong scales. The sensation made his scales itch as he fought the urge to pull away with a snort.

"You have experienced quite the magical attack. One that threatens to kill you where you stand."

Great it seems as though the wood elves have the same talent of being blunt as some high elves in the stories. "Yes..That I have little elf. I have fought the greatest hunter of my kind and was struck with an arrow of dragon slaying. Some call it the black arrow..It has a curse that as you said will eventually make me succumb to death's embrace. We need your abilities to heal the wound...So that is why we are here...and the favor that I ask of you." He lowered his head with sigh escaping his scaled lips. "For like most beings I do not wish to die."

The wood-elf paused, her hair seemed to rustle like little bugs were crawling underneath the mossy surface. "You misinterpreted me Jandar...Yes these waters can be used to heal the injured..But to heal such a grievous wound such as this..." She rubbed her hand softly against his scales, causing the blue dragon to gasp once more. "Sorry dragon." She retracted her hand and jerked her head to Jandar, ignoring Fremra's brief defensive growl. "For this wound that the dragon possesses if beyond my power to treat and cure."

Ramakox felt his heart sink to a new low as he hung his head, Fremra quickly brushing her head underneath his own in a gesture of comfort. He nuzzled back against her as she let out a small near silent whine. He pushed back against her harder, unable to find the words. What good was lying about it not being a big deal now?

"But.." The elf spoke up, head raising as her eyes drifted from her guests to the surrounding wood that had seemed to go quiet. "The spirit of these woods could have cured the curse that ails you...If you had just gotten here sooner." The wood elf jerked her head back to Ramakox, a slight crack filling the air and making his scales shiver.

"We got here as quickly as our wings could carry us!" He snapped at her, pounding a paw aggressively against the ground and scattering the sand in every direction "I can not have have come all this way to trip at the end!"

"That does seem to be the way things go for you isn't it?" Infinity suddenly poker her little snout our from behind the woman, and offering the blue dragon a large tooth filled grin.

Ramakox blinked rapidly, casting the image of the wrymling from his vision with a quick snort.

"I'm afraid great dragon that the cursed arrow has progressed much too far inside of you. It's blackened tendrils go far deeper then just on the scales. They pierce their way through your heart and line your very insides with their ill intentions. There is no longer a cure for what afflicts you now. Come tomorrow you will perish from this earth."

"T-Tomorrow?" Fremra gasped, pushing up against him harder as she coiled her body around him.

"Well if dis ain't a load of goblin spittle!" Stonebeard shouted, "We'll go find another healer dis ones obviously too far wooden ta be any help. See? What did I tell ya, nothing ever good came from trees."

"Shush Stonebeard." Ramakox snapped, the loud mouthed dwarf instantly silencing with a quick muttering of the word. "Dragons.." The blue dragon softened his voice, and adjusted his view to the silent wooden elf.

"There has to be something. We can't have journeyed this far only to fail now." Jandar said quickly with a gulp, his voice starting to crack.

The mistress of the wood turned to him in silent contemplation. She held her gaze for quite some time before shifting her eyes to each one of them in turn. "I can speak with you Jandar....Alone of course...If you want to help that dragon..But as I repeat myself, there is no cure to be found here now..It is far too late for the dragon before me..I'm truly sorry that one of you has to die. The world can be a cruel and unforgiving place at times. Even to the mighty dragons that spend their lives being the protectors of many villages." The wood-elf glided over to him, once more placing her hand onto his scaled chest. "This is for the pain dragon." She mumbled, her touch suddenly bringing warmth to his aching chest. In a single moment everything melted away, not a single trace of pain to lick at his nerves.

"Thanks for that enchantment." He snorted, not even the promise of no pain easing his mind. Ramakox looked away with narrowed eyes, trying to brush away the dreadful feeling as he pictured smashing something, anything to take his mind off the bad news as Fremra continued to nuzzle him with her soft pained whimpers. _I'm sorry that I won't be here for much longer my Sea Lilly._He pulled back against her, the despair forming a pit in his stomach and causing a small whimper to escape his own maw.

"I'll be right back then." Jandar patted the blue's scaled shoulder, the mortal's words almost lost by the affectionate caress of the anxiety driven dragoness.

"You best be back then." Ramakox sighed with a flick of his tail. "There is much to discuss about...after."

"Agreed." the half-dragon grabbed the wood-elves hand when she held it out and offered it to him without a sound. Together they walked out into the center of the lake, the mortal's boots not even pushing passed the water's surface. It was like the sloshing liquid was a solid to him. Jandar turned to them, offering the dragon pair a brief wave before the lake swallowed he and the elven woman like a tasty morsel. The tops of their heads quickly falling below the surface, and towards the watery depths.

"Well all right den." Stonebeard crossed his arms, "What do we do now? Just sit around all doom and gloom?" The dwarf instantly shut his mouth once again when the blue dragon shot him another glare. "Well alright den." The dwarf slung off his leather pack to the ground and started to unbutton the pocket's buttons. "Lass..Milalee...Come here and help me out...Maybe I can summon us up some food with the reagents I got. It might not be the tastiest of stuff but it will manage to do. Maybe I can even summon up some steak?"

Milalee simply nodded and quickly had unpacked an assortment of various items, parchment that looked to be crumbled and ancient, books with wax signets pressed to their covers, and glass potions with red sloshing liquid inside.

While the mortals tended to their own devices, Ramakox laid down upon the sand, letting Fremra nuzzle and caress him with tender strokes and purrs. He pressed back into her warmth, as his worry tried to cast away the joy she brought him. "I'm thankful for the time that we managed to share." he rose a claw to caress the underside of her snout with tender care. He gazed into her purple spheres that had started to take on the same luster as shining amethysts. They were already misting and on the verge of tears as he lost himself within her eyes. "I would not trade an instant that I shared with you my Sea Lilly. I'm sorry things turned out the way they did." He pushed his snout against hers, her cries soon filling the air as she pulled against him trembling.

"Thank you for being my Radiant Sapphire that I could lean on Ramakox. I know we met and I threatened to rip your pretty face." She laughed weakly, a tear already starting it's descent down her face. "But you would have made an excellent father to our wrymlings." She pulled away from him with tears now cascading down her face as she sobbed uncontrollably. She moved in swiftly towards his snout and offering him a quick kiss on his lips.

Ramakox kissed back with a snort, managing to fight off another cough and ripple of pain radiating from his heart. "I love you my dearest Fremra..." He broke the kiss with a soft trill. "And thank you for the kind words in my darkest hours.and...if you don't mind." He let out a sigh, looking to the lake his son had ventured into with that mysterious woman. "I would like for you to be with me at the end. He realized this may have been a tall order to ask about, for it was not usually something people wanted to remember. "If you think you can stand it...I would understand if yo-"

She silenced him with another kiss, pulling back as more tears joined the others in running down her pebbly cheeks. "Of course I will be by your side till the end Rammy." she chuckled weakly, her voice threatening to break again as she was reduced to pained sobs that hung in the air and made Ramakox press his scales against her own.

"Thank you." Was all the blue dragon could manage as he tried to not think about what awaited him on the other side. He wrapped his neck around hers and held her close as both of the dragons trembled and shook in the other's grasp. Both of them cried and sobbed, not wanting the day to continue. For they knew the pain that was soon to follow in it's wake. So they sat side by side, staring at the water that looked so peaceful. They were pressed up against one another with his wing wrapped around her, and her tail intertwined with his own. To any passerby that might gaze upon the large dragons, they might have thought something romantic was going on. The last thing to grace their mind would be that they were readying themselves for death. It was quite some time before the water started to churn once more. The calm liquid soon started to ripple violently, as a swarm of bubbles suddenly rose from the surface at an alarming speed.

From the bubbling surface sprung Jandar and the mistress of the wood. They shot out from the surface like rapidly growing weeds. The first thing he noted was despite being submerged within the enchanted lake, the mage's clothes were perfectly dry. Not a single drop of water could be seen on their surface, and they seemed to be as dry as when the mortal entered the lake. Jandar was holding something in his two claws, clutching it close to his chest with his snout down. The wood elf meanwhile was gesturing to the others, moments before she started to glide back towards them in that eerie sort of fashion. She guided Jandar right to the land's edge, before returned to her position at the center...and sinking once more into that watery domain.

Jandar took a step from the water to the sand. Looking up with a surprised expression coming to his snout like he had just come from a daze. The mortal looked around briefly, his wings flicking every so often as he took a deep breath. "I suppose I am back then." the man opened up one of his pouches and casually stashed what was in his claws inside without a word. "What did I miss during my time inside the witches den?"

"She lives down under da water?" Stonebeard called back, pulling out a thin piece of parchment that seemed to have been covered in dwarven runes. "I knew we couldn trust her! Underwater homes are worse then trees!"

"Did you find anything else out?' Ramakox blurted out, ignoring the dwarves comments as the man went back to what looked like constructing a fire. "Did you find a way to somehow stop the spreading of this curse?" He raised a brow, sounding more hopeful then he had intended to. Silence soon washed over them as Ramakox watched the mortal shift his weight uncomfortably from side to side, raising a hand to caress the blue dragon's cheek.

"There is no cure Storm." The man said, his voice lowering and nearly cracking. "She explained all that to me at the bottom of the lake. She suggested we enjoy the time that we had left while we could. This is where our story ends."

"N....No..I refuse..to.." Ramakox drifted his eyes to the gathered mortals and dragoness, smacking his tail on the ground. "That can....You must have...." he snorted, words failing him as he hung his head. "So what did she give you then that you stashed in your pouch without a word? You think I would miss that one little detail?"

"That was an amulet she gave me. A little token for coming here as it were." Jandar patted the pouch with a frown. "And before you ask..No the amulet cannot heal you...That was literally my first question when she handed it to me down there." Jandar wrapped his arms around the dragon's snout as Fremra nuzzled him again, causing a surprised meep to escape his mouth. "I...don't want to lose you either Storm...but..I see no other way now.." Jandar's eyes started to leak tears as the man pressed his little snout against the dragon's much larger one. "I'm sorry I failed you Storm...I'm sorry."

"You did not fail me little one." Ramakox licked the mortals face with a groan. "If anything this was all my fault once more..Only fitting that I be put an end too because of my fame and spreading of my name."

"Hey!" Jandar smacked him gently on the snout, caressing the underside so that he was staring back into those silver eyes of the mortal. "We already talked about the blaming of all of this." The once human's eyes started to mist as his arm trembled. "It is both of our faults." Jandar's voice cracked, wiping his eyes with a sleeve of his robe with a sniff. "So don't go taking sole blame like you usually do."

"Fine." Ramakox snorted, nosing the half-dragon in his scaled chest. "I think.." the blue dragon let out a sigh, pushing against the mortal when the man wrapped his arms around his snout. "I would like to spend the last moments that I have with the ones that I love the most." He opened one of his eyes to look at Stonebeard and Milalee who were putting on the finishing touches of their fire. "And Stonebeard and Milalee are free to stay awhile as well."

"Thank ya dragon." Stonebeard replied, starting to rifle through his stuff again. "Don't ya worry ya scaled arse about food fer da night. I'll get something summoned up really mighty quick. It might not be just as good as a freshly killed animal to ya..But I think I can get some meat and other things that we might want to sample as da night goes on inta wee hours of da night." Stonebeard gave a wink, pulling our a metal tankard with the symbol of a green wagon painted onto it's surface. "Found it! Can't very well have a good time without me tankard!"

So it was that they got the fire roaring and crackling away with loose logs from smaller trees and twigs. Stonebeard was true to his word, summoning up a whole banquet it seemed of any food that the dragon had requested. There was goose almost cooked to perfection, the juices running down the blue dragon's happy snout each time that he chomped down into the sweet tasting meat. He had to remind himself several times as he sampled this, some beef, and even venison that all of it was summoned forth out from nothing. Although as he chomped away, ignoring the worry he could not tell the difference between the real thing. With the plethora of steaming foods there was also fruit, vegetable, bread, and even barrels of dwarven ale. Even the dragon's had managed to get large cups in which to lap away at the dark frothing surface of the bitter tasting liquid. Although it had started out bitter the drink played with the taste buds and made the dragon give out a satisfied gasp as he drained his current tankard with a grin and a burp.

Ramakox sat around, sharing words with the ones that had made his life so full of wonder these past few years. Jandar would tell the others with a smile of all the little adventurers that he had over the time, going all the way back to when he was training with the blue dragon when he was just a lad. Several times he would share things that had Ramakox nudging him playfully and telling him to watch it. He had to nose him one time especially as the once human had told a story where the blue dragon had put on over sized woman's garments and pranced around his cave pausing in front of his mirrors.

"That never happened!" The blue dragon laughed as the others quickly joined in, Fremra shooting him a sly grin as the sun began to sink down below the horizon.

"I knew something like that happened! I thought you were joking!" She nudged him playfully, before sliding her head underneath his with a pleasurable purr escaping her maw. "Never knew that you liked woman's clothing that much." She smiled, closing her eyes in content.

"You know me." he chucked, caressing the back of her neck with his own. He closed his eyes as well, her touch casting away the ache lurking deep inside of him. "Can't resist just flaunting how good I look in them around."

"You tink dats great." Stonebeard set his tankard onto the ground, ripping off a piece of summonsed up boar. "Listen to da tale that I weave for ya tonight. Ya will tink it's from a master story teller ya will."

"Do go on." Ramakox chuckled with a groan, nudging Fremra one last time before shifting his focus to the red faced mortal. Who by the looks of his little fidgeting was eager to share the tale. "What tale do you speak of that will leave me so flabbergasted?"

"I tell ya of the tale about an ole dwarvin lass. Who had a mighty strong kick." The bearded man gave a quick wink. "An if ya were a mortal with a set o stones ya best watch out. She had da best boots for kicken such things."

"Really now?" The dragon chuckled, already picturing the scores of men that must have fallen prey to this feisty dwarven woman if she had inspired such a tale in her name.

"Aye I speak da truth. She even had a pair o boots enchanted to help her along with this power of hers. They say she could even kick dragon's hard enough that they would fall over, just as if they had the items of which I speak. They called dem the stone kickers. They ere dese big brown boots, with small metal plates on da tip. Dey even had runes engraved inta da surface o dem. You can be sure it twas the last thing males felt when they tasseled wit dis lass."

Ramakox nudged Fremra, and wiggling the tail that she had intertwined with his own. "Sounds awfully like this woman that was heading north towards the royal marsh roughly two hundred years ago. She even threatened to kick me in the balls for suggesting that she looked healthy and well fed!" The blue dragon remembered the woman's olive skin, and green eyes as she had shot him such daggers that he was afraid they might pierce his blue hide at the time. "Although the woman in question was a human Stonebeard...Not a human as you say."

"Human, dwarf...It doesn't matter. The story is still da same." Stonebeard waved him off casually as the sun finally sank below the trees and allowed the fire to lighten the area with it's warm glow to full effect. "Her name was the fierce Mirelle if I recall."

"I think that green dragon in the marsh would have gotten more then he bargained for huh?" Jandar laughed, taking a swig from his own drink. "Course when I met him he looked no worse for wear."

"Maybe the dragon ate her if she tried to kick him?" Milalee leaned back onto the sand with a slight groan.

"He didn't seem the type to just eat someone. If anything he would have probably captured her and told her stories." The half-dragon looked to Ramakox with a grin. "I think you two would have been friends if you had left to go meet him."

"Had enough to worry about over the years." Ramakox looked up to the night sky, gazing out to the sparkling stars above. "Didn't need to meet every dragon that lives in Sethera." He gazed out in silence for a moment or two before Fremra was nudging at him, and running her snout close to his own.

"You know...Since you are not in pain." The dragoness licked the edge of his snout with a whisper. "We could always get away and share each other's pleasure."

Ramakox chuckled, kissing her quickly with a pleased rumble. "That I think would wonders my sweet. Experience all the joys of life." He pushed himself to all fours and wrapping a wing around the alluring dragoness with a rumble. "I think we will be going for a flight." He eyed Fremra with a grin. "Might be a bumpy one."

"Oh get ta fuckin already!" Stonebeard laughed, raising his tankard once more. The thing was once again filled, as it's contents sloshed around and spilled down the side. "I can tell da others more stories ta pass da time...Now there was this other woman..."

Ramakox padded away with the feisty ness, who had just nipped at his neck playfully. He growled in the back of his throat as he pressed against her and strode out away from the camp with quickened pace. They eventually broke into a run, avoiding the larger trunks and racing through the forest floor. Flora would pass them by quickly as their claws dug up the ground beneath their claws. It was not long before they were far from the camp and he found himself tackled to the ground and a tongue finding it's way down his throat.

Ramakox snorted in delight as the two smacked and kissed away. Their tails tapping softly almost in unison as they held each other delightfully close together. His maleness eventually parted through his scales and rose into the air dripping it's musky liquid. The kissing eventually found it's way down towards his dragonhood, that nesses tongue working wonders over his ridged member. He was left gasping as she flicked away at it, gulping down any pre that bubbled it's way to his throbbing tip. From her ministrations she eventually positioned her moist slit over him, and her depths parting for his length like it was made to be there. When she had hilted him, she ground her scales against him with a lewd grin and lick against his snout.

The two mated passionately, he rocking into her and making her cry out into the night as his length delved into her and hit just the right parts to make her sequel. He was in utter bliss the entire time as her moist confines caressed his member and milked him for every drop of his essence that he was willing to pump into her. He was left gasping and groaning as she clenched and pushed back against him, until his knot had spread her lips, and locked them together with a loud roar escaping his maw. After that they went at it again and again, rocking into each other with little gasps and moans of intense pleasure. Losing track of time they changed positions many times, until it was that she had drained every single drop of cum from him. He collapsed with a smile next to her, kissing her gently. She snuggled against him, wrapping a wing around him as her purrs made him laugh. They were like that for a time, close together and looking up at the stars while they laid on their backs. Ramakox tried to not think that come tomorrow he would be high up there with the dragons of old.

"Thank you...I needed to experience that before my time came." he sighed, nudging her gently with his head. "You were wonderful as always my Sea Lilly. Practically milked me dry!"

"Mmmhmmm." She nuzzled him back, thumping her tail on the ground gently. "We should probably get back to others. We may have kept them waiting for longer then intended. " She laughed, letting out a pleasured groan. "Not that I am really complaining. You felt wonderful Rammy."

Ramakox pushed himself to all fours with a groan, ripping himself away from the touch of the warm dragoness. It was as she said, they could not stay here for the rest of the night. He stretched like a cat, a yawn finding it's way to his maw as he wiggled his tail and kneaded the ground. "Well come on then." he gestured to Fremra with a slight angle of his neck before bounding off in the direction of the mortals with his next quickened breath. He dared her to catch him once more as he sprinted through the forest like a wrymling all those years ago. He let out a small trill when he heard her give chase and easily close the distance between the two. The pair raced and nudged against one another as they passed tree after tree, until they could see the glow of the fire in the distance. With a small groan the blue dragon slowed his pace to a trot, and gave a quick snort to settle his racing heart.

It was as if the all the pleasure he had just faded away with his next step, his mind reminding him that he was set for death. He paused, a grumble working its way up his scaled throat as he turned to the dragoness who had not left his side. Her actions now seemed strange to him. Blinded by the prospect of her nethers. He scolded himself as her gaze met his. "Whats the matter?" he asked straight to the point as they came to a stop.

"Matter with what?" she replied with a quick tilt of her head.

"Don't play coy with me Fremra, you certainly know what....Why seduce me..and mate with me when you know that I am bound to die?" He took a soft step towards her, refolding his wings against his back.

"Am I not allowed to enjoy the last night I have with you?" Her voice cracked, "Am I not allowed to share pleasure with my mate?" She nudged him gently with a soft whine that made her words strike him right to his core, and making him feel like an arse.

"Of course you are." he wrapped his wings and neck around her, stroking the dragoness softly as she began to sniff and shake. Of course that's what she wanted.. He hugged her tighter, whispering little noises like he was a mother dragon and she was an upset wrymling.

"B-besides." The teal ness looked up to him once more, wiping away the rest of her tears. "I am on the verge of my heat...I thought that if there was a chance to have eggs with you I'd take it." She nuzzled him softly, pushing her warm scales against his cheek, "The last chance I'll ever get."

"Oh." he said letting out a long sigh as he held her quivering form. "Then I hope that it takes my Sea Lilly, and that many wrymlings that bear our scales."

"One can only hope." she hugged him one last time before pulling back and righting herself to all fours. "Shall we?" she gestured to the fire in the distance flickering away against the dark trees. "So that they don't think we are still passionately mating in the distance."

"Oh I doubt they think that." he rumbled softly as they resumed their careful strides. "There is no moaning ness to fill the air with her sounds. Trust me, there is not a single soul for miles around that did not know that you had just been mating."

"And I loved every second of it." She laughed, licking his nose softly with her slippery eel of a tongue. The air glowed a warm orange as her membranes slightly lit up. Ramakox nudged her affectionately and wrapped his neck once more around her for brief moment as they came into the clearing with the fire.

"There dey are!" Stonebeard laughed, clasping his hands together the second he saw them. He was holding a small stick towards the fire that had a little white puff thrust upon it. The elf and dwarf greeted them with waves and giggles, Jandar being to interested in whatever he was holding in his claws. The half-dragon simply stared at it, and gave the two dragons a quick wave.

"Have fun?" Milalee asked with an odd smile. She must have realized the awkwardness in what had transpired.

"Nothing wrong with enjoying life. Even on my last night of it." He grumbled, settling down in the sand with his body coiled around Jandar and Fremra pressed up against him. "Besides....We wanted to try for wrymlings if you must know."

"Oooooo. I bet they will be very strong and brave." The elf pulled back her stick, prodding the little white thing with a finger before deciding it was ready and popping the thing into her mouth. "Mmmmmmm." Milalee moaned, her ears practically splaying. "What did you call these things?" She gulped down the last of her sticky treat, turning to Stonebeard with a raised brow.

"We call them tasty pillows." the dwarf laughed, his own mouth full of the white goeyness.

Ramakox shifted his attention to the mortal he called his son. Despite the apparent good cheer being tossed around by the elf and dwarf, the half dragon seemed to be sitting like a statue in silence simply staring intently at the silver amulet in his claws. The flames reflected in the surface of the little thing ever so slightly as the mortal did not move a single muscle.

"What is on your mind little one?" He asked, his voice all growly for a moment as the man let out a sigh.

"This is strange is it not?" The half-dragon clenched his claws tight around the amulet, turning back to Ramakox with narrowed eyes. "That we are just sitting around talking and acting like tomorrow isn't going to be your end. It...just is several types of awful." The half-dragon's arms fell to his side as the dragon's heart ached despite the wood-elve's claim.

"It's because that is how I asked it to be." The dragon grumbled, shaking his head slightly and making his scales clink softly. "Would you rather my last hours of life be all tears and crying noises?" He tilted his head to the side as he snaked his snout closer to the mortal who had looked slightly away. "I would rather my last moments be filled with the sounds of my loved ones, and my last moments be warm and full o the life that I wanted to have."

"Put yourself in my scales Ramakox." Jandar carefully set a claw onto the blue dragon's snout with a sigh. "What would you be doing right now if our situation were reversed?"

"You mean to say if you were dying instead of I?" The blue dragon wrinkled his snout, already picturing Jandar gasping for breath, grasping at the air as he thrashed violently trying to draw breath. "That is not the case." Ramakox shook his head, scattering the image from his mind. "So there is no point in talking about it."

"You avoided the question my dragon. Why hide from such thoughts now? You perish tomorrow, at least humor me."

"Fine." Ramakox snorted, "I would be besides myself with worry..But I would respect your wished my little human...It would be hard.." He kneaded the ground with his claws as an itch returned to his scales. "But I would manage.....For you." He nuzzled Fremra as she took that moment to slide her head under his chin and tickle him with a soft rumbling purr. "So can you enjoy yourself for one night Jandar? Let tomorrow be the day filled with tears." he nosed the human gently, sighing as the man grabbed his snout into a chest hug. "Let tonight be filled with smiles, good cheer, and all the tales of the good times."

The once human pulled back, opening his claw and glancing down to the amulet with a slight frown. "I can do that Storm.." The mortal chuckled softly, lightly smacking the blue dragon's snout. "So did you two have fun?" His chuckles soon turned into a hearty laugh as Fremra let out a cackle and licked the half-dragon's face.

"Of course we did..Hopefully we get a clutch out of it...You'll be a big brother of all things." the teal ness cooed, pressing more against Ramakox and intertwining her tail with his own.

"Brother eh?" Jandar crossed his arms with a grin as Ramakox pulled his head back with a snort.

"But of course..I have said this before Jandar. You are not my blood in any shape or form." He looked down to the mortal with a warm heard and a smile. "But I consider you my son regardless."

"So what will you call them when they hatch?" the mortal shot back with a grin.

"Now isn't that certainly a good question." Fremra turned to Ramakox with a slight lick across his snout. "Any thoughts on the subject my Radiant Sapphire?"

"Hmmm." The dragon drummed his claws against the sand, picturing a strong female dragoness with his eyes and Fremra's frills. "Achaaz...I think that will do nicely for the first dragoness....What do you think?"

"Sounds perfect." Fremra smiled, practically releasing a trill as a smile dominated her maw. She rose her claw to her face next, starting to drum her own digits one by one as she wrinkled up her snout. "Now we have to think about six others I think."

"Six?" Ramakox gasped, poking the dragoness playfully with a talon. "Did not think I was so virile."

"My own mother had a clutch of seven." The ness laughed, "I better prepare if I happen to take after her in that regard.

They continued to bounce names of one another as the blue dragon pictured all the scampering little feet, the wagging tails, and the fluttering wings as he told them story after story. He felt the ache find his heard again as he realized he would never get that chance now. His offspring would grow up without him, and only hear about him through the words of his mate and his son that spoke of all his greatness. He kneaded the ground once more and changed the subject when they had the seven different names selected. Some where male, others female. They had picked the perfect mix of both so that the dragoness had a bunch to choose from if the time came. He brought up more stories, even dragging Stormbeard and Milalee into the tellings, if only to distract his now troubled mind from the sour thoughts.

After another joyous story about a dwarf punching an undead mummy in the jaw Jandar suddenly broke up the laughter. "What do think happens when you die?" He looked around to the laughing dragons and mortals.

"Now isn't that an odd question." Ramakox grumbled, "Especially after such a delightful story such as that."

"I know..Just was on the mind is all...Especially since...Well." Jandar rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry for bringing it up...You can tell me just in private if you want."

"No that is alright Jandar..it is fresh on the mind." Ramakox looked up to the stars, flicking his tail gently on the ground. "I have said that the stars above contain what is believed to be all the souls of lost dragons looking down upon us. That they sit up there in their lofty positions gazing down to watch our actions from time to time."

"What of mortals?"

"Well that depends on the god I suppose." The dragon wrinkled his snout. "Stonebeard for instance would most likely see his god of Thor when he died, and be spirited off into his realm. Much can be said for most different mortals. Each one gathered jealously by the god that created them."

"Can they ever cross realms?" Jandar looked to Stonebeard, who shrugged.

"I do not know." Ramakox sighed. "But I hope that they can...Not wishing you to die so soon. But it would be nice when you do die to be able to visit you from time to time up there." Ramakox's words turned soft as he gazed up to the twinkling lights once more. He felt the itch beneath his scales make him scratch and grumble at the prospect of what it would be like up there. He felt himself shiver as he tried to picture something fitting of a dragon afterlife, but shook his head trying to bring himself back to the here and now."

"That..Would be nice." Jandar said just as softly, looking down the amulet held within his claws. The man let out a heavy sigh as he looked to Milalee and Stonebeard once more. "Can I have a moment alone with my dragons? I just want to have some words with them that I think should only really grace their ears."

"Should I have ta worry about you doing the nasty with the dragons now?" Stonebeard burped, taking a swig of his tankard.

"That's his father you bearded twit!" Milalee, punched him playfully, helping the clearly inebriated dwarf stand.

"I...I think I may have had a wee bit too much." The dwarf laughed, stumbling and forcing the elf to help guide him out of the clearing.

"Let us know if you need anything!" Milalee laughed, quickly moving to catch the cleric who had nearly stumbled onto his face when she had turned to talk.

The once human sat in silence as Ramakox and he watched the others leave. The man's tail twitched slightly before he lowered his head and stared down at the silver amulet clutched in his claws. "Oh Ramakox." The man sighed, taking his other hand and placing it gently onto the blue dragon;s snout.

"Oh what?" he closed his eyes as the tender touch started to turn into gentle scratches that made him rumble and place his head into the mortal's lap. His tail wiggled as the man's little talons worked his scales, knowing the exact places to touch to make the blue dragon purr.

"Where has all the time gone." Jandar ran a fingertip around one of Ramakox's eyes, his tail thumping softly on the grass. "Just yesterday it seemed like you were an angel, descending from the heavens to pluck me from that broken caravan upon the road." The mortal worked his way back to the underside of the blue dragon;s head, making his tail twitch involuntarily. "And look at us now...Time certainly flies doesn't it?"

"Hey." Fremra nosed the mortal, pushing her snout into his lap as well with a growly rumble. "If you are giving out scratches and rubs then I demand to get some." She licked the mortal's face tenderly until he set the amulet down and placed his other hand on her and began to scratch her scales as well. "Much better." She cooed, intertwining her tail with Ramakox's own as she started to lightly purr. The sounds filling the air and bringing a sense of serenity to the blue dragon's mind.

"Just wish we had more time....This is not the way things were supposed to ho." The mortal trailed off as he stared to the dancing red-orange flames flames, and continuing his diligent ministrations to the two dragons.

"Everyone wants more time." Ramakox grumbled, pulling back from those delightful touches to raised his head and look to the mortal that had given him so much over the years. "This is a luxury that is never guaranteed." He narrowed his eyes with a snort, already hating the words forming in his throat. "Let;s just hope that they never forget the tale of the Swirling Storm."

Jandar did not reply, continuing to caress Fremra's snout as he picked the amulet from his side. The mortal's silvered eyes rose the little metal thing to his vision, before adjusting his gaze from Ramakox then back to the amulet several times.

"I'm proud of you my little mortal. You have changed so much since we first met. Who would have thought you would have turned out to be a powerful mage?" He chuckled weakly, nosing at the half-dragon. "Or that you would be scaled and have wings?"

"I know." The man said dryly, looking back to the dragon with a look of deep thought. "You certainly knew the first part." The mortal gulped, clenching at the silvered item in his hands. "Ever had a big choice to make that there is no going back from?" The mortal's eyes seemed to be filled with curiosity as he stared back into Ramakox's own. It was like the mortal was looking for some long lost item that was contained lurking beneath his spheres.

"Certainly." Ramakox shifted his weight, stretching out his limbs with a yawn. "You and I have done it over the years...Some I regret..." Ramakox remembered leaving Imzel that one night, and the ritual when Jandar was but a boy. The blue dragon shook his head with a low growl escaping his maw. "While others...For instance...Finding you...Are some of my fondest memories lurking inside of mind."

"You would have made an excellent father." Jandar laughed weakly, his eyes starting to mist before he returned his gaze to the amulet. "It's a shame that even immortal beings can be brought low by an arrow such as that."

"Don't remind me." Ramakox spat out, irritation building in his chest like a fire. "I already loath the injustice of it...I would rather like to enjoy my evening."

"What...What if you didn't have all evening?"

"What?" Ramakox snapped his attention towards the mortal and away from the fire his eyes had been drifting towards. "I think an explanation if in order after saying something like that." the words rolled off the tongue, the implications making his nerves taste ice once again. "Why would you say something like that?"

"Because..." Jandar gulped as Fremra opened one of her eyes, pulled her head away and gave him an inquisitive look. "The wood-elf lied to you to ease your mind. She figured if you knew it was coming it would damper the evening...Best for you to die in your sleep."

Ramakox snorted in disbelief, feeling the cold sensation work it's way deeper into his scales.Surely what the man had said was a fallacy...But why would he lie? Jandar wouldn't want to hurt me anymore then I am. The dragon grumbled and drummed his talons against the ground. That only leaves one explanation for Jandar's words...That he is telling the truth. The thought made a knot form in the dragon's stomach. He wrinkled his snout and grumbled away like he always did. "Surely you jest Jandar..That this is some mortal prank meant to get under my.." He shut his snout as the mortal ran a hand tenderly up his face when he lowered it down. "No...I suppose not...I would not get that lucky I suppose." He sighed, all the warmth being sucked out of him and only feeling the icy cold working it's way steadily towards his heart.

"How long does he have left?" Fremra's words were lace with concern and worry, Ramakox could already see that her eyes were starting to mist as her forelimbs trembled. Ramakox pushed against to try and help her troubled mind, but it was no use. The dragoness pushed her head into his chest and shivered away.

"She said that you would most likely pass in your sleep tonight." The man pointed to the black wound on the dragon's scaled chest. "That the arrow's magic had finally wound itself so deep into you. That you made it here at all is a miracle in of itself." Jandar cupped the underside of the dragon's head, letting out a sigh. "That's when her enchantment would do the most good. When the poison finally took you...You would feel no pain..Not anything. One second you the Mighty Swirling Storm would be here....and the next..." The once human hung his head, unable to finish the sentence as he quivered and let out a small sob. "And....leaving us to go on." Tears cascaded down his scaled cheeks, the agony shining through his words. Fremra was the first one to place her snout next to the mortal, and let out a low pained whine.

The blue dragon spread his wings wide with his next breath. He could not have the two individuals he cared about most being in such pain and sorrow. He wrapped them both up with his warm membranes, and nosed at the trembling mortal and quivering dragoness. "I know this isn't the best...Trust me..When I say that I despise everything about this outcome with every fiber of my being." he growled. "But.." He let out a sigh, pressing his face against both of them. "I will always be your hearts." He gestured up to the dark sea above them with all the brilliant lights. "If you ever want to know where I will be....I will be up there....Watching over both of you and being the proudest dragon anyone has ever known." he felt his cheeks warm up as his own eyes started to waver and grow moist. "It will be okay." He whispered, lying to them if only to soothe their little pained cries. "It will be okay."

"Thank you Storm." Jandar poked his snout with a claw. The mortal rose up the silvered amulet, his eyes once more drifting between the little object and the armored dragon. The half-dragon's gaze lingered there longer then the blue dragon would have liked. The once human's seeming obsession summoning forth a wave of concern.

"Is everything alright Jandar?" Fremra spoke first, wiping more of her tears away with a forelimb. "What has you so transfixed?"

"Just thinking is all." Jandar tore his head away to touch the two dragon's snouts once more, and start his soothing strokes along the smooth surface. "Thinking about an important choice."The mortal sighed, his head falling as his digits squeezed the blue dragon and Fremra's noses. "One that would impact everything."

"And what choice would that be?" Ramakox rumbled, a slight hint of curiosity working it's way into his troubled mind. "What lies in store for Jandar the traveling mage when I am long gone? Do tell me little Jandar" He nosed at the half-dragon once more, groaning when the man not smile, chuckle, or even giggle at the display like he usually did. "You used to giggle at those...It's alright..I understand...The night...The wound.."

"It's not that." Jandar turned to Fremra, his scales shivering slightly. "Before you die storm...I would like to ask of you a favor." The mortal patted the dragon's nose with a gulp. "Nothing too hard I assure you."

A favor? What could I possibly give you? "I'll humor you....But if you want my hoard you will have to share it with Fremra here....But you _are_welcome to it my little human." Ramakox smiled, licking the blue scaled mortal across his face and giving a pleased rumble as the man scratched his chin. "Anything you ask of me shall be yours...You have earned that right I think." He pulled his head back to stare warmly into the mortal's eyes. "It's the least I can do for the man that has given me such joy in my lifetime.

Jandar gulped again, seemingly words failing him as he continued to stare and caress the underside of Ramakox's jaw. "Okay good." he finally said after a pregnant pause and some affectionately nuzzling from Fremra, who seemed determined to not be left out. "Then I am going to have you hold this amulet and say some word with me. It will help facilitate things."

"Words?" Ramakox asked, raising a scaled eye ridge. "I thought there was no cure for what ails me? Is that little trinket that you have going to cure me?"

"She said there was no cure...That part is true." Jandar sighed. "Think of this as a amulet of memory. I would like to hold onto it and see the image of you from time to time...It would be nice to have at least some sort of image or smell to hold onto after you....are gone."

"I suppose." Ramakox grumbled, his slight hopes of being cured suddenly being dashed more easily that leaves being cast about in a windstorm. "What is required of me to say?"

"Here." Jandar held up his hand, the appendage quivering slightly as the mortal's breaths began to pick up pace. It looked like he was greatly worried about something.

"Jandar..You look positively skittish." Ramakox grabbed hold of the amulet with a slight snort. He licked the mortal across the face, rumbling in approval as the man's worried movements ceased. "There...now what are the words that are required to activate this little amulet of remembrance?"

"I love you Ramakox." The half-dragon smiled, looking up with nervous eyes and quickened breath. "And would like to thank you for everything that you gave me in life."

"You are most welcome little Jandar." The dragon felt his eyes start to moisten up again. "No cease your pleasing words before you have me crying as well."

"Okay..." Jandar took a deep breath, and rubbing his thumb over the amulet's surface. He spoke twisted sounding words, very much like the whispering of the trees it seemed.

Ramakox mimicked the sounds without another thought, returning the man's tone just as well. He closed his eyes briefly, letting a large breath fill his lungs and make the insides tingle in delight. Then something started to happen that he did not expect. The cold that had been eating away at him suddenly started to fade away. In fact he could feel the rest of his body start to warm up, right at his chest. It felt like a sudden weight had suddenly been lifted from him. With a sudden burst of energy he shot up onto all fours. Everything seemed to be more intense. The smells around him of dragon and sturdy oak. The sounds of crickets in the distance chirping away. Even the stars above seemed to be brighter. "What...what was this?" Ramakox roared out in happiness, when he looked down. For it was like the horrid thing that had covered his body had vanished. For all that remained were his armored scales, looking practically pristine and new. It was as if the last few weeks of sickness had not even happened. "I'm cured! I'm cured!" He roared out in glee, unable to contain his happiness as he nuzzled Fremra something awful. Though the teal dragoness was frozen in place, not even looking to him as he nudges against her.

What luck! Ramakox closed his eyes, feeling all the worry and despair that plagued him melt away. His mind not even registering that she was not joining him in his display of happiness. It was not until he felt her suddenly move forward like a loosed arrow, and Jandar let out a pained cry that he opened his eyes.

"Jandar!" The teal dragoness screamed into the night, no doubt startling everyone within miles The dragoness clutched at the mortal that had gone to stand and stumbled into her arms, letting out a groan.

"Whats the matter? The man obviously had too much to drink." He dragged himself closer with a soft chuckle, "Come on Jandar, tell her that..." That's when she turned him slightly over in her paws and Ramakox saw something that he wished he hadn't. For it drove a spear right into his heart and twisted. It made all that good cheer fall away, and his mind shatter like glass. For his mortal's scales, the ones that were a constant reminder of the ritual were now blackened and sickly looking. The same exact coloration that had been on Ramakox's own thanks to the arrow. He felt his words catch in his throat as it was like he was tossed into the coldest of blizzards. He stared in shock as Fremra fussed over the half-dragon who weakly raised a trembling claw to her snout.

"What have you done?" Ramakox roared, his voice nearly cracking as he lowered his snout towards the now gasping man His eyes traced every sickly looking smooth scale that lined the man's face, and felt his own body tremble. "Jandar...what have you done?" He looked to Fremra, desperately trying to find anything that could help.

"I took....Your curse...into me...The amulet.." Jandar groaned, as he released a ragged cough that struck Ramakox to his core.

No..no....no...no..Not like this please....not like this.."Stonebeard!" The dragon belted out to the heavens, the loudest that he had ever shouted anything. "Stonebeard we need you!" Surely he and Fremra could stall whatever had been done right? Long enough to put it back?He was not a full dragon...Surely there was a chance?.

"He...won't be able to help.." Jandar replied, letting loose another hoarse and pain filled cough.

Fremra said not a word, holding a glowing paw to the man's forehead, her limbs trembling as a small sob escaped her lips and brought tears to Ramakox's eyes.

"Why did you do this." He cried out, ripping into the earth through clenched teeth. "I was ready to die! This was my punishment, not yours! Why?....Why you stupid little human?" Ramakox tore his sight away from the fading human towards the trees. "Stonebeard!" he screamed out again as his throat started to hurt at the sheer intensity. There was no way that the two mortals had not heard his desperate pleas.

"Fremra." Jandar said, looking like he was fighting off the pain that Ramakox knew all too well over the last few weeks. "Wyrmlings..Grah.." Jandar gasped loudly, clutching his sides and making Ramakox snap back to him and push against him with a pain filled wine.

"Jandar....no.." Ramakox said weakly, despair wrapping it's way around his heart.

"This way.." The once human groaned loudly, looking like he was fighting for his life at this point. The noises he made cut deep into the blue dragon's hide like the sharpest of blades. "The story of Swirling Storm does not die." The half-dragon caressed Fremra and Ramakox's snouts. 'That way, he is not done away with by a lucky hunter with a magical arrow."

This can't be real.._Ramakox nosed the mortal as seconds started to feel like an eternity._No father should experience this..This is all a trick being played on me by my mind right? Just like the vision of Infinity that I saw running around..."But this isn't what I wanted," Ramakox said, fighting off the sobs building up in his scaled throat. "I was ready to die.." Please...Don't let this happen. Ramakox blinked, the tears coming from his eyes a he pleaded to anyone that would listen to save his son.

Gods above...anyone..please...I can't bear to watch him die....Not like this...

"You should not die because of me Jandar." He cried, clenching his teeth through blurry eyes.

"Do you remember the story of the dragon who would not be stopped by anything? Always overcoming what was put in his path?" Jandar leaned back into Fremra's scales, smiling as if he were fondling remembering it, his breaths getting slower.

"How could I forget?" He curled around him, pressing his body against the mortal he loved. "It was the first story I ever told you..The night I found you." Ramakox sobbed, a despair filled cry as if seemed no god was coming to his rescue, no diving intervention to shield him from what was to come. This wasn't a dream that he could wake from with a relieved heart. His body trembled like a scared child, he was going to witness his die in his arms and not be able to do a thing about it.

"You're the dragon in that story Storm....I give my life to you so that you may continue on." Jandar rubbed the sobbing blue's snout, the touch breaking Ramakox's heart as he watched the light slowly start to fade in the man's silver eyes. "What is one mortal life....When you can save the immortal dragon from death? Now you can have those wrymlings...and continue on....Touch many more others in your lifespan."

"But this..." Ramakox pulled against the mortal, closing his eyes as the tears continued to flow down his pebbly cheeks like a river.

"No one will ever forget the Swirling Storm..." Jandar's voice started to fade as his breaths slowed down to the point that Ramakox was not sure the man was even taking them. "I love you Fremra...Storm.."

"I love you too my sweet gift from Bahamut." Fremra sobbed softly, wrapping a wing around them both and licked Jandar one last time.

"I will never forget you Jandar...my son." Ramakox cried, watching the man that had come into his life and given him so much take his final breath. The steady thumping of his heart stopped dead in it's tracks. The blue dragon felt everything fade a way as pain coursed through his heart worse then anything he thought ever could. He shivered and shook, crying into the air as he held Fremra and the corpse of his son tight. "Oh Jandar..." he sobbed softly before raising his head to the heavens and letting loose a deafening pained roar of anguish into the night. It shook every tree, rattled every bush, and startled every living thing within miles around. He held it for several gut wrenching moments, eventually joined by Fremra to form a symphony of despair. When they stopped he was left gasping as he nuzzled the teal dragoness with fresh tears. He felt his limbs ache, his heart throb in pain. The rest of him felt numb as he tried to adjust to the horrible nightmare that he had just experienced. For Jandar...his beloved son lay dead in his claws, and he fell to the ground sobbing, and wishing that he were dead instead.