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Some peace and quiet.

I'm quite happy that I'm finally back home in Sol, after what had happened in the caves. What a day it's been, I quietly thought to myself, as I say my goodbyes with my friends old and new. Katrina returns to her family to prepare dinner for the younger siblings, Loren's back to his "project" he doesn't talk about, and Reed goes back to...well, whatever the hell Reed does. As for myself, I make haste rapidly home, to the worried glance of my father.

"You're home rather late, son." He states sharply over his shoulder, whilst enjoying his meal. "You're usually back before I've finished supper. Your stew is cold."

"I know, and I am sorry." I say with all honesty. I head over to the rack above the fireplace, and place my shortsword in properly within its sheath. "I was exploring the local caves with Katrina a-"

Father drops his spoon rather abruptly, turning to face me proper. There's a hint of disdain in his expression. "The caves? You know going there is forbidden, what if one of the king's guard saw you?"

"I'm fine, father, really. We simply explored, er..." I wanted to exclude the part with the dragoness. Even with my dad's knowledge of their kind, he'd still react rather poorly to my telling him one had used me as a sex toy, let alone exists in the caves near Sol. "sadly, we didn't...find anything...interesting." I was a horrible liar. He can tell there was something I'm not telling him, and he gave me...the look. That look that he always gives people when he knows they're lying to him. No one knows why, but there's nary a soul that can lie to him for that very reason. I certainly can't.

I finally break down, and look a little embarrassed. "A-alright...we saw some interesting, er...fauna inside. It didn't hurt us, thankfully." Not entirely the truth, but not a lie, either. That's something I could manage, at least.

His look remains for a second, but it seems he's alright with the answer for now. "I suppose so. Well, finish your stew, and head to bed. Next daybreak, your master is asking you work double-time at the forge. He's upset you didn't arrive today."

"Oh gods, I forgot!" The Blacksmith! How could I have forgetten about that? I only go there and train under the master every day, I should've known by now. The rest of the night is filled with long silence, as my father writes in his journal, and I finish my stew. It's lumpy and very hard to swallow, but that's my mistake for having returned late, I suppose. I retreat to the comforts of my bed, surrounded by baubles and souvenirs of my many adventures throughout my former nomadic life. How distant those places, those people feel...I've left behind many good people in my life. A thought to leave in the past, I say to myself. Then finally, driftingly, I take rest.

---

Perhaps...perhaps...

I can't shake the dragoness' words from my head. No matter how hard I try, my mind always returns to her. So many questions left unanswered, it makes me feel uneasy. I wake up with a shudder, in the middle of the night. An idea creeps into my head...

No. You're not going back there.

But it's a once in a lifetime opportunity!

A 'once in a lifetime opportunity' with fangs, claws, and can breath damn FIRE.

How often does one get to talk to a dragon, let alone see one?

_Plenty of people! Want to know where they are? DEAD. _

I haven't let that sort of thing stop me before.

This isn't like usual! This is a dragon, we're talking giant predator here! And what about father?

What about him? He won't know if I don't tell him.

It's not that simple.

Isn't It?

This goes on for quite sometime, debating with myself over the merits of returning to the cave. I don't even know her name! I want to know so much about her, it aches at me. But at the very least, her name, of all things, that's what I want to know! And if I don't try now, who's to say I'll ever be able to go again? The fact I may never get to speak to her again if I don't take a chance finally sets my mind straight.

I'm going. There's no stopping me.

---

The blackest night you can imagine. Even the twin moons can't fully-illuminate the streets of Sol, everything so quiet, so calm. I set out under the guise of this dark, away from prying eyes, towards the city gates. The guards are at watch, unfortunately, and I can't allow them to know of my presence. Luckily, I know a way around the gates, across a small alley. It takes some climbing, but I make my way over the wall, landing safely on the grassy plains below.

Some time passes, weaving through trees and thistle, avoiding notice of the occasional guard sprawled across the forest, before finally reaching the cave. I make use of a small flame signet I once acquired in my nomadic travels, and use it to light my torch. Then, I traveled in deeper, deeper, and deeper still, until I came across the very same markings that marked her territory.

This is a bad idea, I kept thinking to myself. But if I don't do it, I'll never set my mind at ease.

Slowly, I inched towards the large, foreboding figure. I dare not wake her, but I've not come so far now to just give up! I sheepishly call out towards the sleeping dragoness. "Uh...h-hello!"

My voice echoes throughout the cavern, which is met by the stirring and rumbling of the dragoness. Her piercing, yellow eyes finally open, focusing in on me with a look of surprise and slight perturbation. she rises to her feet, towering above me, and speaks to me through my mind as before.

You are either the bravest human I know of, or the most foolish to have returned here, _The dragoness thumps through my head. _Pray thee, to what do I owe this...interruption?

You can do this, Jarrod, I kept saying over and over through my head. The dragoness could easily know what I was thinking, and it shows, her expression turning much more amused than annoyed at this point. "I...I want to ask you things. A-about yourself, if you were, ah, not to mind."

What followed next surprises me; she starts to simulate the same amount of shock I have on my own face, apparently what I had said taking her by surprise. Really now? You...want to just talk?

"Well, yes, I would. Is that a problem, madam?" I'm trying to be as casual as I possibly can to her in the hopes of not offending the intimidating creature. So far, it appears to be working, but I don't want to take any chances on the matter.

No creature has ever asked me that before. She rests herself once more, bringing her face to meet me at eye level. You would wish to speak, even after before? Even if I look like...this?

"The only thing to ever scare me was my mother when she's angry." I chuckle a little at my witty little joke, whilst the dragoness just...continues to stare, as if I'm the strangest sight she ever did see.

That's...remarkable. She seems genuinely impressed with me, to the point that she almost looks like she's smiling. I would...love to talk. What would be the first thing you want to know?

"Your name." I state matter-of-factly. It's a better thing to start with than any, I had imagined. "Please, I've come quite far to know."

Her look of surprise never fades away, pondering to herself. Ah, my name...it's been so long. She takes her time before finally speaking. My name is Tana, human. I remember yours being Jarrod?

I nod. "Tana. Such a lovely name." Perhaps it was a trick of the eyes, but I could, ever so slightly, see the scales of her face turn a darker shade red. Was I actually hitting it off with a dragon?

Thank you. Your name befits you as well, I would say. a strong name, powerful one. I can't imagine her meaning that. I'm nothing if not nowhere near strong.

I point towards her...opening, and she lets out a bemused rumbling. Ahaha, ah, that. My apologies, Jarrod. I've been without a mate for so long, I would dare say I've become rather restless. It makes sense, I think to myself. I haven't seen another one of her kind lurking the caves, so that would explain her using me, and her cloaca dripping with steaming-hot juices even now. I try to avoid making any further mention towards her sexual parts, instead returning to the conversation at hand.

"A mate?"

Why yes. Our kind are rather drawn to the need to mate, it being not only a display of intimacy, but as a social symbol. Those who were not mated after their 3rd mating cycle were deemed as outcasts by others of our kind.

"Damn. And I thought people nowadays were pressured into sex a little heavily."

It isn't so much the concept of mating itself why we are pushed so strongly. We knew of our race's need to continue, and those who did not take part were considered heathens to others of us. Nowso more than ever.

I, against my better judgement, address the elephant in the room:

"...Whatever exactly happened to your mate?"

Her look slowly fades to one of grimace. She seems angry, hurt. Your kind happened.

I look to the ground. I should have seen that one coming. She continues, a slowly furrowing, scaly brow. There was once a time, long before you lived, when we were accepted as equals to the other races. Whilst many did still fear us, we were also respected members of everyday life. We would aid economies, raise cities, overthrow tyrants, our kind was a prosperous and benevolent sort. Then... Tana catches herself for a moment, as if she dared not say it.

"Then what, Tana?" I ask gently.

Then...Hra'Kul came. Just saying the name makes Tana shiver. Hra'Kul believed that we were wasting our potential, as dragons, aiding the races. He believed we were better than them, born to subject the other races to our rule. He garnered support by the most downtrodden of us, and surged onward to lay waste to the assembled lands.

That name...Hra'Kul. I remember having heard it before on my family's travels. Some locals would occasionally speak of this name and some ungodly tragedy, gaining the reactions of those around them, generally fear or disdain. The idea of a power-hungry dragon doesn't seem like a very foreign concept to me.

Tana continues. Hra'Kul and his conquest for power didn't go without consequence. The races were scared, afraid, thinking we turned upon them. Then your kind, the humans, came forth with the founding of the Vanguard, a group whose sole purpose was to find and kill any dragons in this world. The other races, out of fear of us, whole-heartedly agreed. On that day onward, a century would pass, as_ many of us were slaughtered on the streets, innocent dragons who were prosecuted by those they had helped to prosper._

Damn. I knew it was bad, but not this much. I stroke at her scales, the plated skin smooth to the touch, despite the rough-looking texture of them. I go to speak, but Tana isn't quite done venting yet. So you want to know what happened? The Vanguard swept in, and murdered my mate without mercy, without trial. They destroyed my eggs, every single one of them, some even laughing as they killed my children._ Tana's now visibly shedding a tear, sweeping down her face. I never even knew dragons could cry. I fled, into the deepest recesses of these caves, where even those humans dared not enter. There, I hid, for how long, I do not know, but I hid, as the lands were purged of my kind. They think me dead, but here I remain, one of the last of my kind. That's what happened to my mate, my very race. Hra'Kul may have been the one to spark this madness, but it was_ your kind, in the end, that turned upon us.

I remain silent for the longest. This was a heavy burden to rest upon my head, my ancestors' slaughtering of Tana's race. I stroke at her face, wiping away her single tear. "I...I'm so sorry. I never knew it was so hard for you. I never would have brought something so heart-wrenching to light on purpose."

Her sadness abates, albeit slightly, as she nuzzles against my hand. It's alright, Jarrod. You haven't done anything wrong. I'm simply...stuck in the past. In the pain.

I simply continue to stroke at her scales, enjoying the nice, quiet moment with the dragoness. She's no monster, merely a victim of higher powers. All she truly needs is a friend. And I intend to be that friend to her. "Tana, I would never hurt you. You are a beautiful creature."

Tana smiles, her massive tail swinging back and forth. Hearing those words comforts me, Jarrod. Thank you.

---

We spend what feels like hours gone by talking, just talking about anything and everything. Of me, of her, we simply pass the time in each other's company. I enjoy every single minute of it, talking with such a majestic, intelligent creature, and her, in turn, enjoying, for the first time in centuries, the company of another. After some time, I finally begin to say my goodbyes to Tana. "I thank you for your hospitality, wise Tana, but I must take my leave."

Tana, looking happier than ever, lets out a cooing sound, a big, wet lick of my person with her snake-like tongue to follow. Please, visit me again. It's been so long since I've been in the presence of one I can call...a friend.

"I promise you, I shall." With that, I leave the caves where I came out, back out into the long, winding forest. The twin moons still bright above, I make my way through the many trees and riverbanks back to Sol, miraculously evading the city guard again. Thankfully, when I return home, father is still asleep, and I quickly take off my traveling gear to make haste to sleep myself. It would take some getting used to, having a dragon for a best friend. But of course, in Valora, stranger things have happened. I lazily drift off into sleep, enjoying the serenity of the night.

Some peace and quiet.