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A Certain Kind of Bond

A Dinotopia story by Croco Chilton

(All characters, including those based on other stories and RPs, are © to their respective owners)

A sigh came from the lone man standing atop the platform as he looked over the great city below him. To some, Joseph Hallaway was a legend among men as he reached up and brushed a gloved hand over his face, the scar underneath his left eye a reminder of the struggles that he had endured up to that point. He, who was better known as "Croco" for his affinity toward certain crocodilian species, was the subject of many legends. . .that he was cast upon the land apart from time known as Dinotopia by a metal bird capable of flight without moving its wings. That he was so courageous and kind hearted to jump from a moving sauropod to contest a feral raptor pack setting in on a young injured Tyrannosaurus rex. And as he cast his ocean blue eyes out toward what was now identified as the great city of Chandara, he could not help but to think of how fortunate he was to be alive, even after his life was permanently altered fifteen years earlier.

"Some day..." he said to himself as he began to walk toward the holding area of the flight tower, where his partner in flight, a prime example of Quetzalcoatlus skybax dubbed 'Speedwing' was being attended to. He had his wings tucked into his body while the human attendant removed the saddle secured to his back, head turned to see the human working on him with a curious gait. It was like he and Croco were meant for each other, as both were broad and strong individuals who took great pride in their abilities to fly through the most adverse conditions that their island home could conjure. Because of this, Croco was wary of those that he left his partner with, but the holding paddocks atop the fifteen-story tower were more than adequate. There were spare straps and cording hung on the walls, ready if a rider needed a repair to the saddle harnessing or the saddle itself as a young man was tending to. Nearby, another man was preparing an ointment made from aloe, rosemary and calendula to use on a skybax that was constantly preening and picking at her wings while the wingmaster, an older woman with a long, braided ponytail paced about while keeping an eye on things.

She smiled when she saw Croco; when she met him, he was still a brash and sometimes reckless young man. Now that he was into the middle portion of his fourth decade of life, he had tempered into one of the finest Skybax pilots of recent history. "Breathe deep," she said simply, "and how have the winds fared, Captain?" Croco had become known as "Captain Hallaway" or sometimes just "Captain Croco" for his skill and willingness to instruct new or inexperienced riders.

"Seek peace, Luka. All is calm, except for a little bit of a front over the northwest. Nothing of note, though there will be more fliers in that area for sure." Luka, who was of eastern European descent, had all the gray hairs and wrinkles that were associated with the wisdom of a long life. For a dodgy and dangerous profession, people like Luka were certainly a rare breed as she moved over to where Speedwing was, a whistle from Croco causing him to lift his head and respond with a high, rising trill.

"I see." She was a full foot shorter than Croco, and probably weighed half as much, but Luka was one of those that could hold her own if placed in a precarious spot as she looked up at him. "Any other news...from Waterfall City or Sauropolis?"

"Not that I know of."

"Are you sure? I hear the High Ambassador's supposed to be here in Chandara for her annual meeting with Emperor Zhun." Hearing that brightened Croco's mood, for the ambassador was a close personal friend of his and one of his greatest mentors during his time on Dinotopia, and Luka knew it. "I thought that would be a welcome thing to hear."

"It's been far too long since I've seen her," said Croco, "If it wasn't for her, then I wouldn't be the man I am today. Every time I see her, I feel as if I owe her everything that I am and more."

Luka reached up and patted him on the shoulder. "We are all connected to each other through one avenue or another. Oblak and I were inseparable for the better part of the forty years we were together. Now that he is no longer here, I know that I can still touch the lives of my fellow fliers." She then looked over at Speedwing and watched him preen, then turned to the man preparing the ointment. "Gregor, do you have enough?"

"There should be enough for five skybaxes aside from Starstreaker and Speedwing here, Master. We are good."

Croco gave a nod to Gregor, who by comparison to Luka was a polar opposite. Whereas the old wingmaster was short and lean to the point of almost appearing malnourished, Gregor was a tall, strapping lad whose strength could be told just by looking at him. He also looked as if he could hold his own in the dinner hall as the swell of his gut gave him a portly appearance, but it looked well enough on him to get away with. Being far too heavy for flight, Gregor instead focused his attention on herbal remedies and was seen as a reputable healer throughout Chandara and much of the southern and eastern parts of Dinotopia. Many would say that a visit from 'The Fat Medicine Man' was as good as buying life itself, though he passed off his great talents as being an honor to have been blessed with in the Dinotopian spirit of humility.

"Take care of Speedy while I am in the city," Croco instructed Gregor, who ran his fingers through the goatee that he had accumulated. "I have heard great things of you and Luka, and you have my full trust with my life partner." Then he turned to the great pterosaur, who crooned softly as if to tell him not to leave. "I know, I know. . .you know I will be back. I'll miss you too." He reached up to caress Speedwing's beak when he set it on his shoulder, looking him in the eye. "Tú...agus mé...beidh dteagmháil leis an spéir arís..." He had learned the Old Gaelic tongue from an old Irish man that was the descendant of a crewman from the original crew that settled in Surat in the early 1600's. Such a claim would have been viewed as preposterous in the outside, but Croco had come to learn that all things are possible in Dinotopia. After all, he could vividly recall the girl and the Deinonychus that found him washed ashore after all this time while the dolphins frolicked in the nearby waters. He spoke again to the skybax before leaving to descend the spiral stairs leading down to the street. "You and I...will touch the sky again. Mark my words, Speedy..." He gave his beak a light kiss before finally stepping away.

Once down on the street, and with his helmet and goggles in the care of those on the flight tower, Croco began his trek through the streets of Chandara. He enjoyed the contrast in architecture from the Romanesque pillars of Waterfall City and Sauropolis to the Eastern-inspired buildings that filled the city as he stopped to say hello to passersby and give them news of the happenings throughout the island. Since it was just past midday, the thought of a quick lunch was starting to set in when a young woman with flowing auburn hair saw the gaze around and guessed correctly that the pilot was looking for someplace to eat. After checking to see if she had adequate payment for two, she introduced herself as Sabrina Clearwater and invited him to an establishment that many of the locals frequented called the 'Dragonfly Inn'. The menu was written in the standard and Chandaran Transitional alphabets, though Croco and Sabrina each took the standard menus. Sabrina decided to order her favorite dish there, which was a stew made of squash, zucchini and quinoa in a hearty vegetable broth, and was able to convince Croco to try it for himself. From the smile on his face and the way he dipped the complimentary bread into the bowl, it was a safe assumption that he enjoyed it, and much to the delight of the native Chandaran as well.

Though it was safe to say that Croco had found himself a new friend, Sabrina could not stay with him as she had business to tend to at her house. However, she did point him in the direction of an inn run by a former Skybax rider who was forced into an early retirement after an accident during a training session. The innkeeper, a man named Rory, recognized Croco's red apprentice's uniform and put him up in a room free of charge. As for the inn, it was very much a standard inn with the ground floor set aside for larger saurians, while the upper two floors were mostly occupied by humans and smaller dinosaurs. Inside, Croco found a standard nest bed that could easily hold him, and a table and chair with reading lights on each side of it. The main light hung over the central portion of the room, ready to be turned on or off at a moments' notice, while a pair of towels sat on the bed. A relieved Croco took one of the towels and made his way back down to Rory's quarters, where the gruff ex-flier greeted him with a smile. The only thing that was gruff about Rory was the full beard that he had grown over the years, though he took great care to keep it managed.

"These...towels on my bed--" Croco started, but Rory knew where he was going with it immediately.

"Bathing quarters are down the main hall, then a right and a left and it should be right there. Ain't nothin' like the grand bathhouses in the center of the city, but it's enough to clean you up after a couple days in the saddle." Croco nodded and thanked him as he heard the bells ringing to let him know there was someone up front that needed his attention.

He wandered down the hall, making the turns as necessary and came up to a sign that simply read, "Bathing Hall". Once inside, there was a door marked for males and one for females, while a larger archway led straight to the main bathing chamber for saurians to use. Croco peeked through the archway and gave a nod of approval; it was very much like the bathhouse he frequently patronized in Waterfall City, though on a much smaller scale as he entered the male changing room. Slowly stripping out of his uniform and folding the white cotton shirt he wore, he set them in a cubby hole just above the stone bench that was integrated into the wall. The cubby was large enough to hold his boots and the pants he wore as well, as he removed those and set them inside. Since his time on Dinotopia, Croco had completely lost the little bit of paunch he had in his belly, while at the same time building the muscle in his arms, chest and stomach from the constant climbing and work he did back in the skybax roosts in Canyon City and the main rookery at Pteros. The result was a man who, upon first guess, weighed about ten pounds less than the 200 pounds found on his driver's license, now long lost at the bottom of the sea, but also had a statuesque body and the strength to go along with it.

In his fully nude state, he was able to find a pair of bathing trunks that fit him well enough and made his way out into the main chamber, bypassing a small room on his right with a blue archway. That led to the "Cold Chamber" as it was marked, where a basin of colder water that was able to fit five humans was situated. It was mainly the humans that used the cooling baths, while the dinosaurs mostly stuck to the main chamber that looked large enough to hold even the largest of sauropods. In truth, the tepidarium looked as if it could comfortably hold a dinosaur the size of a mature Triceratops while still being able to accommodate several human patrons at the same time as well. So did the slightly smaller 'Thermal Chamber', where the hot baths were located, with frescoes lining the walls depicting scenes of everyday Dinotopian life and a few of the festivals that were held every year in each hall.

Croco slipped himself into the warmwater pool first, submerging briefly before popping up to look around to see if anyone else was in the hall. There was not another soul to be found, and so he took his time in making sure that he was accustomed to the water before proceeding to the thermal baths for a little bit. The effect that it had was like that of sitting in a sauna, which was one of his favorite pasttimes to begin with back where he grew up in the upstate area of New York. But he only lasted a few minutes as he just wanted to feel the invigoration that he always got before slipping back out into the main tepidarium, as he noted doorways at the end of the room, which were more than likely private bathing rooms for those who would rather keep their modesty intact.

As Croco stepped out, he heard a voice and froze where he stood.

"Hello? Is there anyone in here?"

The man turned to find the source of the voice. It was that of a small quadrupedal saurian about the size of a pig, though it came up to Croco's waist when presenting itself to him. The saurian appeared to be some sort of ceratopsian as judged by the beak it had for a mouth and the two horns jutting out from either side of its head, and the half-dome frill that swept up over its head. A smile formed on his face when he realized that this individual was a representative of none other than Protoceratops multilinguos, an evolution of the ancestors to the great ceratopsians and master of languages throughout the land. He could also tell that this individual was a female, as she lacked the distinct nose bump that males of the species possessed.

But he was shocked to see the saurian rear up on her hind legs like a defiant stallion, and let out an excited, high-pitched squawk upon sight of him.

"Croco!" The squeaky voice was a familiar one, and it didn't take long for him to put a name to said voice as its owner bound toward him in a reserved gallop.

"Castra..." He held his arms out for Castra, and she reared up again in order to embrace him with a nuzzle into his chest. "Luka at the Skybax Tower said that you were gonna be here."

"Send her my regards when you leave," she told him as she dropped back to all fours again. Ambassador Castra was the premier translator and saurian diplomat on the face of the entire island; whenever a critical matter came up in Waterfall City or Sauropolis, or if an important convoy needed to cross the treacherous Rainy Basin, she was the first to be called. But she was kindhearted soul who between missions had a love of her secondary profession, which was that of teacher at the Haven of Muses, where she was considered the equivalent of an elementary school teacher as she handled children and hatchlings of a young age. Her face told of wisdom, while her emerald eyes followed everything like those of a curious child on a mid-afternoon foray into the forest. She was a stout dinosaur, typical of many ceratopsians, but she carried it with pride as she paced slowly toward the back of the hall while looking back at Croco. "What brings you to Chandara?"

Croco thought about it for a moment as he followed the slow swish-swish of Castra's tail. "The new apprentices are visiting the ruins of Ebulon for the first time and I was needed to show them around and to run the jousting matches." Air jousting was a sport that served as the epitome of machismo among Skybax riders; the strongest and bravest riders excelled and pride was on the line with every pass. But Castra felt like there was no place for the event, and especially at the Dinosaur Olympics held every year in the village of Cornucopia.

"Such savagery," she muttered, which drew a protest from Croco.

"Given the accounts from Master Denison, we have not lost a rider to a jousting accident since the turn of last century. That's over one hundred years! If it was unsafe, then we wouldn't practice it."

"But it goes against all that we are--"

"It is an ageless tradition that is as old as the art of riding a skybax, Castra. I know that you are one, and have always been one to uphold traditions that are as old as time itself..." Castra's mouth gaped a bit, as she knew that he had her number there. But at the same time, her frill began turning a bright shade of red as she lowered it and sighed.

"You. . .you got me there." She nodded toward one of the arches in the back, covered by a curtain, then back to Croco. "I will give you that. Now, care to help wash me?"

It was a request that could not be passed up, mainly for the fact that Castra could not really reach many of the areas on her body due to her build and quadrupedal body. But the washing of dinosaurs was also seen as a social bonding event as well, as well as a token of appreciation of the ancient wisdom that they willingly passed on. For that, Croco gave a smile and made his way toward the curtain, holding it open and gesturing to his companion. "Ladies first." The private chamber was like a miniature tepidarium in itself as Castra strode forward, while Croco was not too far behind as he slid a screen in front of the doorway.

Once settled, Croco looked around and was able to find a decorative urn filled with a sweet oil and a pair of scrubbing brushes as Castra sauntered into the warm water. She let out a relieved exhalation as the man retrieved the supplies and set them at the lip of the pool. Looking down at the saurian, Croco could not help but to feel a sense of longing coming over him, and as he started to gently brush over Castra's back, he closed his eyes and began to imagine her as a woman. He saw her...a strawberry blonde woman with a generous curve to her hips and some paunch, but not enough to deter the attraction that he saw in her. And he had dreams about this woman ever since Castra entered his life...perhaps it was telling him something?

But as he opened his eyes, he could see the look of bliss in Castra's eyes as a low churring sound originated from the Protoceratops. He moved over the length of her tail, taking his time while his eyes drifted over every inch of her pebbled hide, a rich salmon pink color over her back and the majority of her face that transitioned to a golden yellow over her belly and undertail, and up her chin. The feeling of the rough, yet supple hide on his bare hand caused him to gasp. . .he was not supposed to feel this way about a creature that was not human. Sure he could pass it off as being a platonic gesture to a friend, and maybe he could get away with it. Certain as he was, a smile came over Croco's face as he worked back over her flanks and below, scrubbing her soft belly as she cooed happily.

"So when are you going to obtain your Master Rider status?" asked Castra, trying to divert the subject.

It worked like a charm on him. "I am next in line and should begin my training for that soon enough. If all works out, I should be in my Master colors by this time next year. But I know that the road for that will be long and hard, and it could very easily take two or three, maybe four." Castra gave him a curt nod as he scrubbed under her chin, which she lifted to make easier for him as she closed her eyes, the saurian in absolute bliss the entire time.

When Croco felt that he had done an adequate job, he set the brush down by the oil, but a clicking of Castra's beak brought him to attention.

"But that's that," he said. The hint of a mischievous smirk began to form on her face as she flicked her tail upward and stomped the step in front of her.

"You may think so, but you missed under my tail," she told him. It was a common request, but more often done with individuals of the same gender as the dinosaur as the fraternization between humans and saurians was seen as being highly taboo. And given the way that Castra waved her tail in front of the relatively young man, it could be left to interpretation as Croco reached for the brush and began to brush his way from the tip forward on her. He made sure to wash around the appendage as much as he could before it thickened toward the root, and even a bit further near her cloacal vent. She churred and shuffled on her feet to get in a nice stance for him to finish the cleaning, gasping and huffing sharply when the bristles touched the inner portions.

As much as Croco battled to resist the urges and feelings inside him, he soon realized that he was fighting a fight he could not win. He set the brush down at the side and slowly pushed off the bathing trunks he was wearing, folding and setting them near the rest of the items while moving toward Castra. She saw him in his state of nudity and turned to face him properly, then nudged his stomach and squawked softly up at him.

"It's a pity that you humans feel the need to cover yourselves in threads and leathers," she told him, the saurian's tongue licking over the edges of her beak, "I find the bare body of a man to be a most beautiful thing, and especially one that looks so strong and virile.

"Why, thank you, Castra," Croco responded, "I do not think of myself as ideal, but I sure try and--what are you doing?" Castra came at him with her mouth open, fishing out his member and slowly lapping over it to the best of her abilities. He closed his eyes and groaned, the sudden sensation of a wet tongue on his penis quickly bringing it to full erection as he reached out to caress her frill. "Oh, that's nice...ohh, Castra. . .I didn't think you would want this from me."

She removed his member from her mouth and nudged him there. "Tripe and twaddle!" Croco was stunned. How could not only a dinosaur, but the High Ambassador herself be interested in him in a sexual manner? He was still having difficulties with the thought behind it as Castra went back to work on him, slowly lapping around the head of his cock while drawing it around her beak to avoid a potentially painful and dangerous situation for him. A couple more laps was all it took before she felt like she was ready for him and pulled away. "I sometimes wish you were a Protoceratops like me. I think you would make for a great and dedicated teacher and translator, not to mention a life partner one could only dream about."

Croco could not help but to blush a little bit as he rose and Castra exited the pool and instantly made a beeline for the edge of the pool. Once there, she hiked her tail up and presented her vent to him, with an eager squawk leaving her mouth in anticipation of his next move. From there, he reached out with one hand and began to caress around the outer edges, drawing a sharp breath from her as she exhaled and drew in slowly, pushing back to encourage him further. The push was taken as an invitation, and soon Croco slipped a finger into Castra as she raised her head up and whimpered softly. Croco stopped momentarily, but a reassuring crooning from his companion was enough for him to regain his confidence and begin to slowly push the finger in and out of her. "Mmmm. . .you're nice and slick, Cassie," he murmured, reverting to the pet name that she was accustomed to giving people to call her. Castra produced a soft moan as she gave the digits inside of her a gentle squeeze.

"Ohh, Croco..." she gasped out, feeling her body preparing itself for union as she stamped her forefeet on the marble tiling, "I know we're really not supposed to join together like this. . .but I feel like it's so right! Why breathe together. . .when we can be together. . .two, connected..." At that point, Croco removed his finger from her vent and shook it in the water while Castra slowly sauntered away with her tail up in the air, looking for a place that she could present herself. Looking down in the water, she spied the end of the seat, which wrapped around the far end of the bathing pool and moved over to the water's edge, carefully positioning herself to where all he would have to do is rise and move in on her as she stamped again.

The resistance broken fully, Croco was guided by an instinct that even a cultured and sophisticated race like the humans could never deny - that of breeding instinct. It knew no bounds of land, creed, color or culture, and it knew not of any taboos, imposed or unspoken. And it crossed the bounds of species or even class as Croco stood up on the ledge and rubbed the swollen glans of his penis against Castra's moistened vent. . .mammal to reptile, man to dinosaur, just needing that one bit of inspiration to make the union complete. All it took was the split-second for the airman to push his hips forward, seating himself within the warm confines of his saurian partner, and the union was confirmed by a sharp squawk and a shudder.

They both knew what they wanted, and they both knew what the other wanted. And it wasn't long before Croco grunted and started to thrust into Castra, quickly building up a steady rhythm inside of her while she crooned and bleated in time. She wiggled her tail against his chest while holding firm, feeling the strokes and closing her eyes while the sensations poured through her body. Croco was more focused on keeping the rhythm, taking in plentiful breaths while holding onto Castra's hind legs for stability, and she responded by squeezing her vent around his member lightly with each thrust.

"Ohh--oh, Croco!" she crooned, closing her eyes and losing herself in the sensations, "This feels so. . .good...you feel so good!" It didn't take her long before she started stamping again, wanting the man to give her more, and to give it to her with increased strength and pace. "Take me. . .good and strong...!"

"Oh, with pleasure, Cassie," he huffed out, and began to drive himself into her with his thrusts. She stamped both front feet in unison and squealed, bearing down on him in the hope that she could get him to release himself within her quickly. The tactic appeared to work as intended as Croco began thrusting wildly with the full brunt of his power behind him, but he slowed down again to her chagrin. "You feel so good as well, Castra," Croco whispered, reverting back to her actual name as he began the buildup again amidst the erghk--erghk--erghk sounds Castra made with each thrust, content to let things happen as they would.

But even with that it wouldn't take long for Croco to start thrusting hard again, and the resulting cries from Castra meant that she was getting close to her own euphoric peak as well. It was either going to end horribly or spectacularly at this point, and the man was already beyond the brink as he held on for dear life while driving into the saurian's vent frantically. It would be Castra to succumb first as she squealed sharply, which turned into a deep bellow as she began clenching and spasming hard around the erection about to explode inside of her. Almost instantly, Croco closed his eyes and pushed in as far as he could go while moaning just about as loudly as the first waves of his seed began pouring into his ceratopsian lover, both human and saurian twitching and shaking while they pressed close to each. With life in the skies and at the side of his skybax, it was rare that Croco got the chance to release himself, and Castra was able to experience that firsthand as several heavy gushers went off inside of her before he slipped out and bent breathlessly over the side of the pool, while Castra kept her tail raised high as a thick stream of seed leaked from her quivering vent.

Both were thoroughly worn out as Croco slumped back into the pool, his chest and torso dripping in perspiration while Castra slowly turned and started making her way over to the stairs leading down. While she was not a very good swimmer, she was able to at least paddle over to where Croco was sitting and lean in to nuzzle, then give his cheek a light peck with her beak.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you," she crooned excitedly, "That was so wonderful!" All Croco could muster was a wide grin on his face as he wrapped his arms around Castra's neck and leaned in to give her a kiss on the curve of her frill in return.

"Yes, yes it was. . .the feeling was like that of any human that I have ever been with, and more with some." This made Castra blush over her frill as they held the embrace while slowly getting their bearings back after a rough and wild ride, and one that they would love to go on again if the circumstances allowed for it.

Castra slid herself out of the pool and allowed Croco the chance to wash himself off, though when he looked down, he realized that he had forgotten the soap. Luckily it wasn't that far to the shelves where there was a bar ready, and he waited for her to turn away before dashing over to retrieve it, having shed his trunks while she wasn't looking. Castra turned back to see him slipping back into the water and shook her head in disbelief.

"You didn't have to make that into a race," she squawked as he started to lather up, knowing that the water in the private bathing pools was rotated with water from the nearby Zhengtao River to keep them fresh.

"But Castra, I-" he started, but was cut off by a disdainful saurian.

"Humans..." she wistfully sighed while going over to the supply pantry and rearing up on her hind legs again, this time to fetch a soft-bristled brush as Croco continued to apply the pleasantly-scented soap to his arms and down his legs. It was a feat to keep himself concealed, but he managed somehow before Castra got back to him with the brush, handle firmly planted within her beak. "Need help with your back?"

How could he resist, the man thought to himself as he turned around and backed up to grab the brush, wetting and lathering it for Castra. She then took it back in her mouth and began to slowly rub over his shoulders in small circles, bringing a pleasured sigh from him. "You look like you could use a good massage, Croco," churred Castra, "The Grand Bathhouse in the central section of the city has a good masseur that'll do wonders!"

"Thanks." Croco took the brush and finished the lower portion of his back before submerging to his neck. "If I have anything to barter, I'll have to look him up."

"Oh, don't worry! There are certain groups that he waves the fee for. . .members of the court, rickshaw runners, cart pullers, and Skybax riders. If you think it is fair to pay him, then he will graciously accept your donations. But it is not required." He was impressed by Castra's knowledge of the city and the services its citizens provided as he rose again to look for his towel as he felt that his time in the pool. He had left it in his room, but he wasn't worried as he slipped his trunks back on and rose out of the water. He asked Castra if she she needed to be oiled, to which she declined and told him not to worry about it as she made her way back out toward the main tepidarium with Croco not too far behind.

Once back into public space, Croco felt that it was necessary to spend a couple minutes in the Cold Chamber to seal his pores, while Castra told him that she would have a surprise waiting for him upstairs. Hearing this, he rolled his shoulders and gave her a smile and a hug, though he was now curious as to what this surprise was as he slipped from the cold water and made a dash for the changing room. It didn't take him too long to dry off and slip back into his flier's uniform, though it was still in need of a washing and would have to have that taken care of at some point. Perhaps Castra knew of someone that could help him out with that as well, he thought to himself as he slipped the red vest on and proceeded to exit the bathing hall for some much needed rest.

Once into the main atrium, he was surprised to hear Rory's voice calling out to him from the reception area. "Captain Hallaway! Come quick!" Surprised to hear himself addressed as 'Captain', he hurried himself over to where the elder was and inquired what he wanted, to which he gave him a pat on the shoulder. "I have decided to give you a different room, as the one I gave you originally is far too inferior."

"But I just needed a room," he told him, to which Rory chuckled and beckoned him toward the staircase.

"You did, and I obliged. It so happens that a better room just came up and like I said, anything for a man of the sky. Come!" He led Croco up the stairs to the second floor, then led him down a corridor that had numerous paintings and other pieces of art before coming to a stop in front of one of the rooms at the end of the hall. "209 is where you will be staying now. Just let me know if you need anything or come down and get me in the front. I hope your new room is of your liking."

He opened the door and slowly stepped inside. For one, the room was about twice the size of the original, and it had a rest-couch for a small or medium quadruped in the corner as well. The bed was larger, and in front of it was a chest for placing items in, which he utilized instantly as he took off his boots and vest to put inside. He was about to remove his shirt when he heard a voice.

"Nice, is it not?"

A startled Croco jumped back and openly cursed, a particularly bad habit he had from the Outer World that never completely left him. "What the hell?!?" Looking around, he could not find the source of the voice and was beginning to think that Rory had not left him. With a roll of his shoulders, he went back to the chest, only to find the same small, stout Protoceratops that he was just in the bathing hall with not too long ago. "Castra? This is your doing?"

"Yes indeed! This was the room I was given, but I would rather be with you tonight before you go back to your duties." A sweet gesture, Croco thought to himself as he decided that he was dressed down as much as he wanted to be for the night and slipped into the nest bed with a soft sigh. The things that he had done that day and night left for some very pleasant thoughts and the possibility of some good dreams as he heard the bed creaking and found Castra trying to pull herself in with him. He opened his mouth to say something, but the old, cheerful saurian beat him to the punch. "After all, as hard to believe, you are still the first and only Dolphinback that I have taught, trained, mentored and had the privilege of watching blossom into a Dinotopian, and a fine one at that. Whenever I think of you, Joseph Hallaway, I think of the very best things about our home." It was rare for someone to call him by his birth name, but Croco could feel a smile coming onto his face as he nestled himself up against Castra, and letting an arm settle around her.

"I. . .cannot help but to think the same about you as well. I feel blessed to have someone like you as a big part of my life. . .even if it sounds like I'm talking to a creaky wheelbarrow sometimes. You're one of the best friends a guy could have, Castra." She gave a nod as she started to coo, letting a forelimb drape over Croco's shoulder in return to his gesture of affection.

Soon, human and saurian drifted off to sleep, awaiting to face the challenges and adventures of the new day.

© Croco Chilton - 12/12