FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 19: Upheaval

"...up..."

"...Come on, wake up you..."

"There you go, open your eyes, you okay?"

Dragora looked around, being surrounded by children, but he felt they had a dark presence to them.

"Where am I? Who are all of you?" Dragora asked groggily, seeing rich dark wood paneling holding light panels on the wall while sitting up.

"You're in my school, you fell outta nowhere and just sorta plopped onto the ground. I'm Verajin, this is Shin'kai, Tresa, Foli, and Incresi." The rabbit said, pointing to the lion cub, draconian hatchling, wolf pup, and the fawn, "So who are you and where do you come from?"

"I'm Dragora and I think this is a dream..." He replied, scooting to the edge of the bed and begin standing up, leaning back on the bed as the floor mightily sighed under pressure, "didn't think I was that heavy."

"Nope you just have a heavy step. You can either try stepping lighter or just scoot on down to the ground floor to distribute weight." Shin-kai the lion cub retorted, giggling and backing up.

"What? Am I- oooh..." Dragora aired out, covering up while everyone else giggled and wrapped the light cover around himself, seeing no sign of his clothes.

He got off the bed onto all fours, knowing his heavy step would always come through if he tried tip-toeing. Dragora got down the stairs and stood up, relieved to be on the bottom floor, which looked much like the second. Walking down the hall, he was suddenly wrenched to the side by an old fox, seeming to be annoyed by the draconian's presence.

"Where are you going!? Sit down and pay attention!" The fox scolded angrily.

"But Mr. Arahano, this is the strange man that appeared out of nowhere." Verajin stated, seeing the teacher stop short and look flustered.

"That would explain the blanket, but seeing as how you look about this age anyway you're going to be put in class until we have gathered all the questions we want to ask." Arahano explained, still nudging the confused dragonkin into a class of 8 students.

The younger ones watched from the door in perplexion as Dragora sat down oddly, not wanting to let anyone see under the covers. Everyone in the class just gave an odd glance never having seen a draconian that old, further confused about the sheets.

"Today we learn the counter teleport, Trainee 1 come up please." The old fox asked in a easily audible voice and the student to the front right standing and walking over, "Please try to strike me."

The fox closed his eyes and concentrated, his body looking as if it were glitching as it was shifting around like a lightning bolt. The student swung at the target with a quick jab but was thrown off as he felt no contact and the teacher lightly grabbing his neck from behind.

"If you concentrate hard enough, shadow magic will teleport youto the same spot over and over very quickly, and once an outside force tries to interfere, it will teleport you behind that force. But only through intense concentration. Dragora, if you would try this please, I feel a great amount of magic in you and would like to see if one more attuned to shadow would accomplish it easier.

"I... I don't want to... i-it's darkness that tried to take me over before..." Dragora stuttered out, feeling fear build inside.

The fox's eyes locked onto the soul forging mark on Dragora's shoulder as he shifted uncomfortably, the kids' eyes getting ready to jump to his defense.

"Shadow magic is different from darkness, with shadow being in between arcane and temporary beneficial spells, or as people like to term it, 'support spells.' Darkness is a direct element while shadow is a group of direct effects, while they are linked, darkness could not consume you because you are not in direct contact with the element." Arahano explained walking over to Dragora slowly, reducing his voice to only within earshot of Dragora, "I know you must have realized your own error with the soul forging, but unless you push past your fear of that which you are afraid of, it's effects on you will be amplified by your mind's imagination exaggerating the power."

"Al... alright, I'll.. try..." Dragora whispered uneasily, feeling his heart pound with enough fear to make his steps falter.

He stepped up front, closing his eyes and opening them almost instantly as nightmarish images field the blank field of view. The draconian tried again, remembering the teacher's words and trying his hardest to push past the visions that were whirling around in his mind. Unbeknownst to him everyone was watching his body flicker around furiously, the teacher cautiously going up to touch him. He put a finger out and saw Dragora vanish, turning around to see him sway lightly and shake his head.

"The visions... so much death..." Dragora aired out as he fell, literally jumping out of his bed as the dream ended and paced nervously as a few tears welled up. Zerion and Slypnir were just watching him curiously, never having seen shadow magic before and were freaked out by how their mate's body was flittering around.

"There's no way that was arcane magic, and no support magic could match that..." Slypnir aired out in a perplexed manner, snapping Dragora out of his thinking.

"...Shadow magic."

"Huh?" both Slypnir and Zerion perked up.

"Shadow magic, it isn't in direct contact with darkness so it can't control me..." Dragora breathed out, resuming his pacing, tears beginning to quietly flow from his eyes.

"Dragora, please, you're not making any sense, just calm down, we're here..." Zerion stated gently, holding Dragora in his arms and feeling him loosen from a board to having to be supported.

"The dream, I know how to control shadow magic but... but the visions, they're beyond nightmare..." Dragora aired quietly, closing his eyes and not seeing any more visions.

"What's shadow magic? And it's okay, we'll always be here for you." Slypnir retorted, picking up Dragora's chin the his index finger, "Who would want to be proficient in using something like that anyway?"

"This coming from Mr. 'I want to use it all?' Zerion we should check if he's running a temperature." Dragora giggled, making light of his friend's comment.

They heard a marine whistle followed by a "all hands on di- deck!" so they gathered with the rest of the ship crew to see Vibarsi and Herfrund standing center.

"Prepare to dock, keep the ship on the ready, I want to see this thing ready to leave in the blink of an eye when I get back, got it?!" Vibarsi commanded with everyone but the default group saluting and heading off.

"I'll be in the magic hall if you need me Midnight." Farresetia said to the panther.

"Midnight I need to talk to you..." Dragora said, finally seeming able to catch his comrade alone.

"About what? I got a libido to feed-"

"If she supports Nij and he wanted to kill me for being a herm who would you side with?" Dragora interrupted, seeing Midnight instantly look serious.

"That's... an unfair question..." Midnight answered in a confused manner, feeling like he was standing on both sides of a growing fissure.

"I need an answer Midnight. That confrontation is going to happen today, I need to know who you'll choose." Dragora responded in a serious manner.

"You-you're asking me to choose between love and morals, this isn't right."

"Midni-"

"How am I supposed to know!? I love her, but I... I can't betray you..."

"Then take her to the docks this minute so you'll both be out of this, I don't want to fight you, it's why I'm talking now, but I need to confront my father." Dragora stated, seeing his friend perk up, "I don't want any fighting to happen, but..."

"You can't be too careful, alright, thank you, I... I didn't know what to choose honestly, we'll be out of here in an hour." Midnight retorted understandingly, putting his hand on Dragora's shoulder as he walked past.

Dragora gave a shiver as he remembered doing the same to Nij in the twilight plains.

Farresetia rushed off towards the king's chambers, having overheard what her mate and her lord's son were talking about. She was just as perplexed as Midnight himself was, she saw genuine love in his eyes for her but could she turn her back on the man that saved her from the gutters of her hometown? She knew Nij's hate for the third gender and would most likely strike Dragora, his own offspring down. She knew that Midnight would have to retaliate, so she stopped halfway down the hall. Dragora didn't seem like the killing person, he'd gotten dozens of opportunities in Sylphistrine, and showed more than enough that he was a person like herself and Midnight. She settled on the thought that Dragora would most likely just subdue and reason, this wasn't her or her love's affair, and they've gotten the chance to get out of the crossfire. A chance she was taking.

She went back and found Midnight just leaving the port area, and went up to him.

"Love, we should go."

"Wha- okay, I was just coming to ask if you wanted to watch the sunset and stars at the old fort-"

"I'd love to." She agreed, heading towards the main doors to the castle.

"Is there something wrong?" Midnight asked, seeing his mate look troubled.

"I overheard you and Dragora, I'm in the same position; betray my love or betray the one I've known for years; this isn't our affair and we've been given a warning to keep our hands out of it, we'd best do so." She explained, feeling Midnight, wrap his arms around her.

"I couldn't have asked for a better mate." He replied happily, feeling ever more closer to his love.

"Honey, You aren't one of Nij's elite guard are you?" Luxi called to the other platypus, Tyujia.

"Actually yes I am, nothing more polluting of our world than someone who can't decide on a gender..." She retorted, trailing off to toward the end.

Luxi heard all of it, and dropped the glass he was carrying accidentally out of shock of what he heard. He started getting his things, not planning on hurting his friend Zerion or his lover for someone he didn't really click with in the first place.

"What are you doing?" She asked, seeing him packing.

"Our views are just too different, what's wrong with herms? I'm sorry but we didn't really click anyway, seriously, do you really think a person who's both isn't a person at all!?" Luxi asked consecutively, heading for the door.

"W-wait! I didn't-"

The click of a door cut her off.

"Orrik, we should just take a nice long walk down to the park in town and stay there till tomorrow." S'kria blurted out, catching the ophidian off guard.

"Eh, what? But you alwaysss complain I walk too f-"

"I'm looking over that, let's just go; shall we?" S'kria interrupted, wanting to be clear out of range of the fight that was going to ensue at the castle.

"But it'sss cloudy out, there'sss nothing to-"

"Alright no beating round the bush. Feel the air? The tension from everyone is getting thicker as evening draws near, and soon Dragora is going to confront his father, I don't want to be in range of that battle, I'd just get in the way." S'kria explained, seeing Orrik perk up.

"That'sss right, Dragora'ss a-"

"Sorry for interrupting you, remember what Herf said about mentioning that word?"

"Alright, alright, I undersstand." Orrik replied, leaning his head on S'kria's shoulder as they walked into town.

It was evening now and everyone save a good few were at the table tonight.

"I got a report there were no casualties, where is everyone?" Nij asked curiously, seeing Dragora's, a recently prepared Herf's, Slypnir's, Zerion's, Vibarsi's, Luxi's, Midnight's, Farresetia's, S'kria's, Orrik's, as well as his personal guard Tyujia's seat all empty.

"Midnight and Farresetia are out to view the scenery, Tyujia and Luxi are on tight terms, as for the others I really don't know your majesty." Auberlinz answered quickly, always ready to serve.

Nij heard a slight roar of his name coming from the main hall, ironically not being able to see that far into the dimly lit atmosphere. He heard a group of steps approaching however, and his personal guard along the walls took positions near him. He saw Dragora come out of the darkness with Herfrund, Zerion, Slypnir, Luxi, and Vibarsi, with Dragora sporting a stoic expression that made Nij uneasy.

"Ahh, welcome back sons, glad to see none of you were harmed-"

"We need to talk." Dragora stated, setting the atmosphere to a serious one.

"About what?" Nij replied, feeling very uneasy as the tension in the air could almost be visible around his offspring.

"Why do you hate herms?"

"Because they are abominations, they're-"

"I'm a herm, and you've traveled with me. Did I at all act like what you described just then?" Dragora retorted, cutting Nij off and seeing him flinch, "That's why you abandoned me on an orphanage doorstep isn't it? Because according to you I was an 'abomination.'"

"Yes, but I'm assuming calling you the exception wouldn't settle this-"

"Did it ever occur to you I was a herm as well, or did I pass just because my femininity wasn't apparent at birth?" Herfrund replied this time, making Nij shrink into his seat, "Do you know how much it hurt, hearing you always prosecute and put down people because of their gender when I was right there to hear it, as if you were trying to teach me to hate them, to hate myself-

"Enough! A gender confused monster is no offspring of mine!" Nij flared, standing out of his seat and signaling for his guards to attack.

Dragora was at the brink of a tearful rage, restraining himself as he used shadow magic to bypass each guard. Nij caught on and looked in fear as his son's image fluttered right before one of his guards' attacks and he teleported behind them, leaving the group in the back to dispose of his elite. Nij brandished his sword in terror as his son's eyes shed tears and he kept walking forward.

Dragora wasn't even needing to concentrate, not needing to close his eyes as his pain from Nij's words materialized into shadow magic itself. Herfrund was slightly distracted in fighting, never having seen shadow magic before, but kept the guards at bay, seeing his little brother strike more fear into those around him than he himself ever could.

Nij tried swinging the sword, but the spirit of his ancestor appeared before him, holding its sword against his, and he dropped the weapon in dread. Dragora stood before him, staring into his father's eyes to let him see the pain he caused. Nij roared and swung, connecting a full force blow to Dragora's temple and flinching as he heard him drop to the ground as if he were a sack of grain.

"Dragora! You..." Zerion cried, caving in a guard's ribs and was getting ready to attack Nij when Herfrund stepped up front and walked toward his father, causing Nij to collapse from his adrenaline catching up.

Slypnir and Zerion went over to their mate's body, with Slypnir checking his vital signs and seeing he was okay and Zerion almost soccer kicking Nij before being stopped by Herfrund.

"He'll use that as a reason for revenge. He'll have many years to look on his actions, and have no reason to hate us." Herfrund stated, picking Nij up, "I'll get him to the dungeons, then I'll meet up with you guys, I hope he's okay..."

"Dragora will be, in a physical sense, I don't know how he'll take this all mentally." Slypnir replied, him being the one to carry Dragora this time as Zerion picked up the real scythe sword.

Blinded by light, Dragora shielded his eyes as he opened them up to a room full of people. He looked around, seeing Slypnir, Zerion, Herfrund, Luxi, Midnight, Farresetia, S'kria, Orrik, Auberlinz, and a bunch of other people around his bed.

"What happened? All I remember is being able to use shadow magic, and talking to Midnight about something..." Dragora muttered, closing his eyes to let them adjust through the lids.

"Perhaps it's better that way, but the matter right now is choosing a government system for Dawn..." Slypnir stated, coming over and holding his mate's hand while Zerion was already holding the other.

"Direct democracy, Auberlinz as the official until the candidates and chosen and votes are passed." Dragora replied sleepily, trying to sit up.

"Alright, but take it easy, you've been out for 3 days-"

"That can't be, I feel groggy but three days? ... Well anyway I guess I'd better stretch, so what are we doing now with Dawn under control?" Dragora asked, seeing his mates smile and look at each other in agreement.

"How would you like to see the upper world?" Zerion asked with a wide grin on his muzzle.

Dragora delved into thought for a second, remembering the sketch of the airship in his father's journal, and got up out of bed with a purpose. He walked down the hall with only shorts on and his talons tapping the floor slightly, being followed by everyone as he went straight for Nij's room. He opened the door and walked inside, first checking the night stand, then under the bed. No one really had any idea for what he was looking for until Dragora pulled a small book out from the pillow case.

"Auberlinz, how much would the materials for this ship cost?" Dragora asked, pointing to his father's most recent sketch, his airship.

"Well... I'd say about 3 cords of wood, what metal do you want?" The small draconian asked, looking at the design shrewdly, "along with 4 bolts of cloth, then the usual necessities, somewhere above 1,450 rings."

"I'll settle with cobalt steel, so does only Dawn take tyralthium rings or do the upper worlds as well?" Dragora retorted, looking to Luxi with a shy expression.

"Upper worlds take a variety of currencies, rings are just more universal, so you don't have to worry about having leftover money." Slypnir stated, looking at the sketch for himself, "Besides, I'm sure Vibarsi wouldn't mind going on a vacation."

"Well, I'd have to make sure the crew salaries are paid before we take off, which means I'd have to drop by the military office to pick up my wages for service." The avian replied, turning to the door, "I might just have enough to help with the construction of that ship, considering your services were literally invaluable at that 'battle.'"

Dragora perked up, remembering back to his mercenary days and how suppression with no casualties pay a hefty amount more. He went with Vibarsi out the castle to a tower-looking office and went inside eagerly with everyone behind them. The bird took his wage and headed toward the dock to pay his crew while Dragora went up to the desk.

"State your name and lineage."

"Dragora, son of Nijraketo."

"I really hope you're using these funds here, a perfect battle is a bank breaker." The clerk stated with wide eyes, handing over a good-sized satchel to rival Luxi's.

"Do you know where to buy ship-building supplies?" Dragora asked with a beaming grin.

"Aye, right off of the docks there's a few shops with materials. As for crafting itself, artisans are hard to find anymore." The clerk responded knowledgeably.

Dragora headed for the ports and found the shops, showing the plans for the airship to the merchants for accurate estimates. Before Vibarsi got off his ship Dragora had secured enough wood and cloth, along with all the necessary furniture and tools. He hired a cart to help carry everything to a workshop dock, where he found the shop to secure metal.

"Zerion, you think you could make an engine like this?" Dragora asked, seeing his mate looking over the plan diligently and look up in a worried manner.

"Sorry, but this is beyond me. I can make ground engine frames, but steam-magic fusion is completely out of my league, much less and airship engine." Zerion explained guiltily, handing the book back to Dragora.

"I can help with that..." They heard from behind them.

They all turned to see a young grease-covered wolf standing there with a wrench and a hammer. Dragora was a bit cautious to test if the child could build something so complicated but saw no other ways to get the engine he needed, so he showed the pup his plans and the wolf nodded understandingly. They all went to the workshop port to see Vibarsi already there, looking over the materials they left.

"I see you found an artisan for the engine, not many know the trade these days." The falcon commented, nodding to the child.

"He's an artisan?" Dragora asked in a confused manner tilting his head while looking at the kid.

"Of course, his father was the one who built my ship's steam-magic engine and that was years ago. If anyone would know how to build them, it would be the person who grew up around them." Vibarsi retorted with a smirk, going over to the child, "So how have you been, squirt?"

"It's Freyth, and I've been getting by. Each commission secures another year's worth of food on my plate so it's not bad." The pup answered confidently.

"Um, how much was this engine going to be...?" Dragora trailed off, not liking the sound of paying a year's worth of food.

"1,500 plus 250 for tool rentals." Freyth stated quickly, "That's the lowest I'm going, everyone else would start at 3,000."

Dragora cringed and looked in his satchel, not sure if he had enough. He pulled them out and started counting, an hour later hitting only 1,056. Luxi ran off to convert his currency, coming back with the remaining 694 needed to pay for the engine and Vibarsi pitched in to pay for the metal. The wolf pup ran off to rent the tools and as soon as he came back, started working on the frame while Dragora, Vibarsi, Zerion, and Herfrund were all working on the ship hull and skeleton. S'kria, Orrik, Midnight, Farresetia, Luxi, and Slypnir were off doing one errand or another from building the small furniture to getting tools to making food to even encouraging the others to work faster through seduction. It was night when everyone but Dragora, Slypnir, and Zerion were at the castle asleep. They stayed behind to continue working on what they could, eventually falling asleep cuddled next to each other in the partially finished hull.

"You really have it in to drop out nowhere nude don't you?" Dragora heard a voice call to his right, and slowly opened his eyes to find himself back in the same place he was before.

"U-um, do you have anything to cover up with?" Dragora asked sheepishly, covering himself with his hands and looking up to Verajin.

"Not right now, but we'd best get you upstairs, streaking on school grounds isn't really welcomed." The rabbit retorted, helping the draconian onto his feet and running off ahead, "I'll go clear the way."

Dragora climbed up the stairs and got on all fours, to the bed he woke up in before, hastily grabbing the sheets to wrap around himself. Verajin came back with the others that he had seen before, leading him to think this group was very close-knit and wonder what the neighborhood was like.

"Just like before, only this time you have a floral sheet." Incresi commented, giggling slightly, as Dragora took a closer look at the makeshift garment and blush.

"I can't say it's better than nothing, I'm usually the one out of clothes when I can, but I guess the teacher's gonna nab you again and he really doesn't like a natural figure..." Shin'kai suggested, turning around to start walking downstairs.

"I think we should just try securing some clothes for you." Tresa tittered, walking down behind the kit.

Dragora followed, seeing the older fox waiting at the bottom. He already knew what to do and followed the fox to the classroom and sat down near the back again, drawing eyes once more. This class was different but the reactions were the same, everyone looking at him as if he were a one-of-a-kind artifact.

"Um, hello, why are you all looking at me like this? I know the sheet's not really a trend but-"

"How did you get by?" One student asked, two rows up from the draconian.

"Get by what? I'm sorry, but I'm not from around here..." Dragora questioned, further confused.

"Most dragonkin are either put to death or imprisoned, our king considers them a threat." The same student replied, seeing the reptile flinch in uncertainty.

"Put to death...?" He trailed, thinking of Tresa and how the young draconian apparently escaped execution.

"That's enough for now, our... king's latest decisions have not been wise or popular of late. Now we will learn about how to focus senior level bolts today; yes, the notorious Shadow Bolt. Let's go outside for this lesson, as this room has seen enough freak accidents."

Dragora moved along with everyone else, but couldn't get his mind off the genocide that was so blatant before him. He could only half focus as the teacher cast a bolt that split and homed in on moving enemies, ricocheting to adjacent targets and decimating the dummies with seemingly little effort on Arahano's part.

"Student 1, your turn. Line up in order everyone; Dragora, come."

Dragora followed quietly as Arahano pulled them out of earshot of the class, observing the students for a moment before turning to the draconian.

"So, where do you come from? I'm curious to what magic comes from your realm, considering you seem to refer to this one as a dream."

"Well, I come from Dawn, or at least that's where I went to sleep last. My... father abandoned me at birth in Aerinia where I grew up at an orphanage and met my mates, Zerion and Slypnir." Dragora explained, catching the fox off guard with the city names.

"Those names, Aerinia and Dawn haven't been around in a millennium. You must know of the lost magic..."

"Huh? What do you mean lost magic, shadow magic is what's foreign-"

"So you know of arcane magic? You must teach us, at least show us an example, arcana died with those cities..."

"Slypnir is the one versed in magic, but I'll try." Dragora stated, walking back toward the group of already finished students.

"Who all could cast it?" Arahano asked upon coming back.

"All of us."

"Very good, I want Dragora to show us a spell or two now, this concept is foreign to me as well so we'll all learn; If you please."

Dragora stepped forward and decided to create an inferno on the closed-in group of dummies. He concentrated hard, feeling his hands heating up as the magic in the air materialized. A large glyph appeared below the feet of the dummies, slowly starting to rotate. The draconian threw his hands forward as he felt he had enough energy gathered up, causing the glyph to flash and a large pillar of flame shooting skyward. Arahano looked in wonder as nothing remained of the training mannequins, nor a scar on the ground from the blast.

"I'm sorry, that's all I can do for now, I feel drained and light-headed. Like I said, Slypnir's the one who does arcane magic, everything I know just comes by visions and dreams." Dragora aired out, sitting down heavily.

"That was... frightening, are there others like it?" One of the students asked as they crowded around the draconian.

"Of course, but they're called arcane for a reason. Don't charge up enough and the spell will compensate by syphoning energy from within you, leaving reckless mages looking exceedingly old. Charge it too much, however, and the spell becomes unstable, leaving it to be a wild card. Other magic falls under it as well, such as invisibility, draining life from your foe, and, one I have yet to see, implode the magic from within the person to the point of only a red mist." Dragora explained thoroughly after breathing a bit to regain composure.

"You refer to Craticrend... But there was another who's name was lost." Arahano inquired, also interested.

"I wouldn't be surprised, it's never to be used, even giving one the ability to use it was foolhardy." Dragora retorted quickly, looking at his hands and remembering one of his previous dreams, "You refer to Meteor."

The fox hastily created a sign in the air out of caution to rumors, seeing only Dragora look at him oddly.

"Merely mentioning the name is said to invoke one towards it-"

"The only thing that would invoke it is the choices we make individually, as is with every spell, if I'm supposedly an ancient then you might as well stick with the old fart that knows, aye?" The draconian interrupted, gathering giggles from the students.

Arahano couldn't help but smile faintly as he gestured everyone back inside, glancing back at the empty space where the dummies were.

Dragora stretched and got up, seeing Slypnir and Zerion sleeping peacefully on either side of him. He felt Zerion's manhood subconsciously stiff to whatever dream he was having, making Dragora giggle as he shifted around and decided to work on himself a bit more. Still in clothes, Dragora moved to a secluded spot of the workshop behind many boxes which he carefully nudged around to create a makeshift room. Undoing his shorts, he let them drop as he sat down with his legs spreadeagled on the ground warmed by the piping that ran underground. He traced his claw along what was already opened, shivering in delight and feeling himself both harden and moisten. He decided to play off a little bit, concentrating on opening his sex all the way before seeing what it was like. Dragora gasped a sharp breath in as another portion of underbelly covering him was separated, followed by two more before he felt a light trickle in which he presumed blood for doing too much too fast, and sat there for a moment to let it heal. After gaining a little bit more courage, he felt himself and to his surprise was almost done revealing his new source of pleasure. Eager with anticipation, he separated the last two sections of underbelly and let it recover for a minute before fondling himself in rapture. Feeling his shaft already semi-hard and stiffening, Dragora put his cock inside himself, flexing and jerking as the sensation caused his cock to pulse, in turn massaging his canal. As his muscles settled down Dragora already worked up a sizable puddle of pre, leaking into and out of his cunny. He worked his shaft lustily and bucked into his strokes, feeling pre sloshing inside and coming closer to his climax as Dragora's veining pillar continued to leak lubricant. Trying his best to muffle his moans and sighs, he released simultaneously, feeling the thick solution spray into his cunny as it squirted onto his throbbing shaft and hand.

"That... was amazing... I can't wait to ride Slypnir and Zerion..." Dragora panted to himself, trying to keep quiet as he used the inside of his clothes to clean himself off.

After he finished getting dressed he slipped out from behind the boxes, putting them over his mess quietly. He proceeded to go back over to his still-sleeping mates and cuddle back into where he was, falling asleep quickly from the shared body heat.

Slypnir woke up first, shifting his protrusion around like every morning, slightly shivering as he seemed to be even more sensitive. He breathed in the air, finding it heavy with Dragora's mixed scent. Shifting himself again before sitting up, Slypnir tried to resist temptation as he stretched and yawned, the hard wood not being kind to his muscles. He decided to walk around a little to warm up his legs, following an even stronger scent toward the crates. To his confusion the crates seemed tampered with and he moved one aside, shivering as Dragora's musk once again filled his nostrils. He saw a large puddle on the ground, holding back a giggle as he moved the crate back seeing Dragora had a little play time. Slypnir decided to go off to get something to eat, feeling hungry from not eating last evening. He walked toward the castle, it seeming not as far to than from. He looked to the right, seeing it was still early morning, only the farmers up tending to their crops and animals. When he arrived he was surprised to see Auberlinz stalking around, trying to remain unseen. Slypnir followed carefully, moving soundlessly among the garden where his talons didn't scratch and watching his target take a sharp right. Slypnir sulked behind a shrubbery and watched through the cover cautiously, see Auberlinz standing near a small window. He went to the corner quickly, tuning his ears onto the conversation with all his focus.

"Your highness, I had no idea-"

"Neither did I, and I don't know what to think; both my sons, I loved them dearly in the time I spent with them, and now this. Times are changing and can no longer forgive an old man's prejudices-"

"Now hold on, you know as well as I do what they did was unforgivable..."

"And look at me, my own fears of it happening again has cost me 3 lives that I hold dear!" My wife, and my instinctual fear blinded me when my sons confronted me. Now I'm rotting in a cell, and what I did to Dragora, I deserve it..." Slypnir heard Nij trail off, his words sounding somewhat croaked from a stripped throat, "He didn't deserve that, he was innocent, I saw it in his eyes, I hurt him so deeply..."

Auberlinz sat there for a few minutes more consoling Nijraketo as Slypnir slipped behind the bushes again, suspecting movement soon.

"Well I'll be here tomorrow, the town is waking and I've not long before others suspect something." Auberlinz stated gently, "I know it's hard to control your father's instincts, this generation has no idea of the traits that have been bred out..."

Slypnir watched the small draconian walk off, and he walked toward the window to talk with Dragora's father.

"...So what happened to cause your prejudice?" Slypnir asked gently, kneeling at the window to see Nij's puffy eyes dart up.

"W-What are you doing here!? Eavesdropping..."

"If you want to help Dragora recover, you need to take the first step and open up."

Silence for a few minutes, only the occasional sniffle breaking the dawn's silence.

"... I... I was raped..." Nij aired out between breathing.

"That's an understandable reason, not every day you think you're gonna get with a woman and end up being on the receiving end-"

"It wasn't like that." Nij stated, seeing slight humor in Slypnir's words, "It was before I could defend myself, before I took responsibility after my father, It was a carefree life, I was as unprepared as you could be. I hadn't even reached the age to feel a libido. I... was walking down a street when a what I assumed to be a body-building woman seized me by the arm and pulled me into a shack. I thought I was in trouble for something, but instead..."

"I understand, and it scarred you since childhood, but times change. What was it that Auberlinz mentioned about instincts being bred out?" Slypnir asked curiously, Nij seeming to struggle talking about his past.

"The old generations were more... wild so to say, loose cannons with power to match; my father was a very business-like ruler, rarely ever the father I wanted. The slightest bad news would set him off, and I know I share some of his temper, but not even a drunken sailor could match his tongue or rage." Nij explained, feeling a bit better from moving past his prejudice, "Thus I rarely ever approached him, 'twas the time before beating your youth senseless was illegal after all, and I tried to get as far away from him as possible by becoming a mercenary. Luckily they were shipping out to a front the day I gathered the courage to join so my father didn't get the chance to catch me. It was during those days I heard that my father had passed from being poisoned, by whom I still don't know, and I traveled to his funeral with Dragora and Herfrund's mother, Reftaline."

"So your father was buried at the outpost we defended?" Slypnir suggested, seeing pieces fit together.

"Yes, the whole royal family is, and that's where my sons' mother and I settled. Herfrund was had soon after, who inherited more of my father's temper than I did, and a few years later Dragora was born. As he was birthed I glanced between the legs to see what he was before the nurse announced out of sheer curiosity, and seeing him as a herm just haunted me to make an irrational decision..."

"We're constantly told to remember the past, but in the end is it really for the best at times?"

"At that time I should've forgotten the rape, but when you... feel like you can't defend yourself, it sticks with you; thus I chose to abandon him." Nij retorted feeling more tears well up in his eyes, "Reftaline was wrought with grief and... and..." Nij couldn't finish the sentence as the mourning process was never finished.

"So she didn't die from Dragora's birth, she-" Slypnir cut short, feeling his own heart tug, knowing Dragora would be better off not hearing this tidbit, and decided to go down and visit Nij more comfortably after he got some food.

Slypnir prepared a meal for two and went to the holding rooms quickly, opening Nij's cell and walking in, closing the door with his foot. He sat a plate before his mate's father and held his own, eating quickly to continue helping Nijraketo move on.