{"sf1_id":832217,"sf2_id":null,"title":"Five Dragons: TLoP: Chapter 9: Shadows on the Horizon","author":"Lorddaventry","words":11170,"posted_at":"2015-03-18T20:46:00.000Z","tags":["Clean","Dragoness","Fantasy","Feral","Five Dragons Storyline","Friendship","Human","Kissing","Love","Magic","Romance","Story Series"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/832217-five-dragons-tlop-chapter-9-shadows-on-the-horizon","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/view/832217","image_url":"https://www.sofurryfiles.com/std/thumb?page=832217\u0026ext=.jpg","description":"","content":"                                                                      Five Dragons: TLoP: Chapter 9: Shadows\non the Horizon\n\nWith Kyndle at his side he walked through the Whisper-Wood, still in search of\nAnsem. Completely aimless they wandered through the thicket. On a narrow stream\nthey stopped for a short break. He placed the heavy backpack on the ground,\nholding his drinking tube in the flowing water and filled it again. Then he\nstuffed it in the backpack and sat down in the shade under a tree near the\nshore, where he leaned his back.\n \nKyndle stood next to him and plunged her snout into the weak flow. With a quick\nmovement, she waved her head elegantly upwards, what threw a wet splashes on\nRoland. The cool water hit its target and brought a slight smile on his face.\nRoland tried to look at her serious, but failed at their innocent-looking view.\nHe looked at the bright sparkle of her deep blue eyes and saw the turquoise touch\nin it.\nThe orange-red female slowly came closer to him and cooed softly. With eyes\nhalf closed, she looked at her partner. Roland returned her gesture, holding\nout a hand to her cheek. A warm smile on his mouth when Kyndle more against his\ntouch refused. Both put lovely the forehead at each other and listened to the\nquiet hum of their bodies. The female lay quietly purring beside him and rubbed\nher forehead gently on his, what, by the weak vibrations of her humming\nincreased contact additionally embellished.\n \n\"I hope we find this Ansem before sunset.\" He thought to himself.\n\"Otherwise we have to go back and look for a bed in Ascom.\" He mused\non. He let his fingers shut down the neck shed over her head and made her a\nfaint purring, his other arm he laid on her back. \"In hindsight, but it\nwould be wiser to pitch a camp in the forest than to go back to these\npeople.\" He thought as he listened to her gentle hum. Kyndle snuggled up\nto him more and lay down on his legs. The head placed on his chest, she purred\nsoftly and held alone enjoying her eyes closed.\nHeat Sensing his partner, began his thoughts voice to be quieter. The ambient\nsound came more and more into the background until they all fell silent after\nall. Only her gentle breathing and their emotional closeness were present. His\ndragoness holding in his arms, their souls joined together. Her heartbeat was\nhis and his was hers. In a daze they lay in the shade under the tree, the\nsensual contact alone enjoying.\nHowever, he quickly came to a head when he heard strange noises. It sounded\nlike someone whistling a tune. Surprised sought his views from the wider\nstream. Shortly thereafter, he recognized a person who stood down the river a\nlonger piece on the shore and seemingly threw something into the water. Curious\nRoland stood up and tried to discern what the person drove there. Kyndle gave a\nfaint \"Meep\" of herself as he pulled away from the loving embrace,\nbut she heard the strange sounds also.\n \nAlong the stream course both slowly walked toward the person. The melody\nsounded dreamy to Roland, it seemed, as if he would know it. But even stranger\nwas, that the unknown man threw a large block of wood into the water, waited\nuntil it lightly drifted away, pulled it out on a rope again, and then threw it\nagain. Roland skeptical pursued a while the strange spectacle and raised his\neyebrows in surprise. \"Why is he doing so?\" He asked himself\nmentally. Kyndle sat next to him and snorted, shaking her head in the direction\nof the stranger.\nThe wood ejected again, then noticed the man the two spectators who watched him\nskeptically. Suddenly ceased to be melodious whistling and the man saw Roland\nwith big eyes directly. For a long moment he stood there motionless. Startled,\nhe jumped quickly panicked and pulled his block of wood from the creek. The\nthing holding hands, in a hurry he began to run away, but made an unexpected\nstop and turned back to Roland and his female dragon.\nA little confused, they both looked at the man, who was coming now going on\nthey completely calm and upright. His earlier so panicked gaze was now calm and\nhis eyes were on the creek. He threw his Chump forward into the water. He then\njoined together with hands held to the front and moving them apart in front of\nhim. The wood in the stream cracked loudly and began to get bigger. It was\ngetting longer, until it finally formed a stable wooden bridge. Surprised\nRoland looked to the magical spectacle. The man stood with a straight face on\nthe other side. His expression quickly turned to an unsafe behavior. Paranoid\nmore around his eyes until he finally saw a man and a female dragon. Startled,\nhe resumed his legs in the hand and walked quickly away.\n \nRoland glanced to Kyndle, which also looked at him. \"That had to be him!\"\nhe thought confident in himself. Kyndle gave an affirmative \"Churr\"\nby herself. Both nodded at each other before they crossed the wooden bridge and\ntook up the pursuit of the man.\n\"He's still pretty nimble on his feet. For an old man.\" he gasped,\npanting in front of it. With quick steps Roland followed the man, but did not\nget closer to him. Kyndle gave a playful \"Meep\" of herself and increased\nease with their pace. And after just a few moments she had caught up. A\nchildish giggle came from the man who suddenly stopped, turned around and a\nflat hand held up. A defining \"STOP!\" followed his gesture. The dragoness\npushed all the legs into the ground before she almost bumped into him. The hand\nin front of her viewing, she snorted strongly against it and looked at the old\nman a little confused.\nThe stranger drew back\nhis arm and looked at the female dragon with a crazy look in his eyes. His right\neyelid twitched it. \"And Bye!\" He shouted and snapped simultaneously\nwith both hands. With a resounding bang a dense cloud of smoke arose around\nhim. Roland had just caught up, when the fog dissipated and the man was gone.\nKyndle sniffed curiously into the air, but the smell of the stranger had\ndisappeared with the smoke screen.\n \nThoughtful, Roland rub the back of his head and let his gaze wander around\nfrantically. \"Where is he gone?\" He asked aloud. The female closed\nher eyes and concentrated on her surroundings. But she could not hear any other\nsounds and no foreign odors were in the air. Opened the eyes again, she watched\nas a solitary leaf floating on the floor. The strange thing was that it was\ngreen and not brown like the rest. Surprised, she lifted her eyes to the\ntreetop high. Roland walked beside her and threw his attention turned upward.\nHe put his hand on her back and looked between the branches.\nA faint shadow was visible behind the dense canopy. Kyndle looked with an awakened\nview to her partner. Roland smiled at her as the bright flash of her deep blue\neyes met him. The turquoise shimmering touch in it, while a soft cooing came\nout of her body. Confident he nodded to his female dragon.\nKyndle closed once her eyes and took a deep breath. Targeting the tribe, she\nunleashed a small flame shock in her throat and sent it to the destination. The\nwood creaked loudly at the enormous heat. Insidiously infiltrated the flames up\nthe trunk. With folded arms Roland watched as the fire climbed the tree. In the\ntree crown is nervous movements became noticeable, accompanied by a faint hectic\nwhimper.\n \nThe movements were increasingly clear, until finally with a faint crackling\nbroke a branch and let fall an older man to the ground. Kyndle stood before the\nburning tree and spread her dark wings. She swung several times their wing\nmembranes forward and let the flames go up in smoke. Then she turned to the man,\nwho now sat on the ground in front of Roland.\nSlightly shaky he sat on the ass and jerked his head slightly, his eyes went\nback and forth frantically. Roland knelt down to him and put a hand on his\nshoulder. Something startled the man jerked his head between his shoulders.\n\"Mister Mankey!\" He said loudly and looked confused at Kyndle. The\nfemale shook snorting her head and looked at him questioningly with obliquely\ndown the face of. Roland grabbed him by the upper arms and set him on his feet.\n\"Calm down, we'll do nothing to you.\" He tried to calm him down.\n\"No, no! We have no spoons.\" said the man and looked absent-minded on\nthe floor as he scratched the back of his head.\nConfused Roland threw his eyes to Kyndle, which looked at him with half-closed\neyes and gave a faint \"Chirp\" of herself. A slow shake of her head\nshe wishes to add. Roland took a left off and turned back to the man. \"Are\nyou Ansem?\" He asked straight out. The man's gaze widened abruptly and he\nlet his mouth wide open.\n \nThe next moment he stood upright and looked now entirely left. Proudly he\nlooked at Roland. \"Ansem, Archmage of the three towers. At your service.\"\nhe said determining and made a slightly stooped gesture. Roland looked\nsurprised at the man. \"The guy really is ticking not right!\" He\nthought to himself. Kyndle tilted her head to the side and gave an affirmative\n\"Churr\" of what their partner elicited a weak smile.\n\"Why do ye fled from before us?\" Roland wanted to know. Ansem looked\nat him skeptically. \"Fled? No. You have followed me.\" He argued.\n\"What do you want from me?\" He asked seriously. \"I need your\nhelp to prepare a medium.\" Said Roland, looking at him hopefully.\nThoughtful more Ansems look to the side and slightly raised his eyebrows\ntogether. Turned back to Roland, he began to smile slightly. He held out a red\nsheet and looked at him seriously. \"Follow the path to the house.\" He\nsaid and put the sheet in Roland's hand. Skeptical he took it from him and\nlooked into his eyes slightly overwhelmed. \"I'll be there waiting for you.\"\nAdded Ansem on and cast his gaze back to the floor.\n \nNervously he jerked his head and stared confused again into heaven. Roland saw\nagain this crazy glint in his eyes as before. Bent approached Ansem Roland.\n\"Mister Mankey says, the scale belongs to the hand.\" He whispered to\nhim. Confused Roland looked at the man who was between the trees. \"The\nequation takes two.\" Ansem said to himself, and jerked his head to the\nright. \"No, no spoons, otherwise the plate is overflowing.\" He\nmuttered to himself further. Slightly nervous he scurried back and forth until\nit finally disappeared behind a trunk.\nRoland stood speechless, staring at the man behind, the red leaf in his hand\nholding. \"Wait a minute!\" He thought aloud to himself. \"How am I\nso find a house in the woods?\" He called Ansem behind and the sheet held\nthis high. But there was no answer. Thoughtfully, he looked at it more closely.\nIt did not come from the trees here. The form was too long. Before his face, it\nlit up unexpectedly, whereupon he let it fall frightened. Kyndle heard his low\ngroan and looked at him in surprise. A weak \"Chirp\" she added her\nquestioning look. Roland looked slightly embarrassed. \"Nothing\nhappened.\" He spoke softly and turned to the burning leaf to. The female\ncooed satisfied and closed her eyes briefly before she also looked at the\nlittle flame on the ground.\n \nCurious, she sniffed the burning leaf. Suddenly the flame moving on the ground.\nShe quickly walked several times around the circle, leaving a thin luminous\ntrail. Both amazed watching the nimble fire. Shortly thereafter, the small\nflame darted into the woods and went behind after this shimmering track.\nConfident Roland looked at his female dragon. \"Who is there first!\"\nhe said demanding, winked at her once and ran hastily behind the flame. Kyndle\nlet herself not say this twice and sprinted with a cheerful \"Meep\"\nalso on the track.\nBreathing heavily, he\nmoved between the tribes through. His backpack, with the not exactly light\nobjects in it, did not made it really easier. Kyndle however, made some elegant\nleaps past him and held him while teasing the tip of the tongue out. \"Just\nyou wait.\" He thought to himself, trying to increase his pace, but could\nnot. The tracer made a sharp right turn, which took Kyndle with ease. She\njumped out of the sprint out to a tree and pushed vigorously against it. Roland\ntried similar. He grabbed a low branch and swung his weight so the bend without\nsacrificing a lot of speed.\n \nBefore him was a small clearing to recognize in which the little flame wandered\nin circles. Kyndle stopped in front of the thin ring of fire. Roland also\nwanted to slow his speed. His left shoe slid forward, however, causing him off\nbalance. The heavy backpack brought enough force with around Roland forward to\nlet tilt. Inwardly, he was getting ready to land unceremoniously in the dirt,\nand closed his eyes. However, the expected impact came not. Surprised, he\nopened his eyes and saw the small flame that still moved in circles in front of\nhim. The views reflected back, he looked Kyndle. She had bitten into the\nbackpack and holding it, as starting from landing in the dirt. Strong pulled\nhim back and then left on the pocket. With a bright twinkle in her deep blue\neyes she saw her partner easier. Roland looked into the shimmering turquoise\nbreath and smiled gratefully. He stroked with a hand over her nose and gave her\na quick kiss on. \"The next time you wear the backpack.\" He said\nteasingly and winked at her once. The female cooed softly and then snorted him\nstrongly with eyes closed.\n \nRoland looked only at times on the small clearing. Nothing was visible. No\nhouse, no cave, not even a hole was here. A little confused, he turned to the\ncircular flame. With a loud bang the little light fizzled, leaving only a faint\nshimmering circle on the floor. Both jumped, startled at the loud noise.\nInterrogative they looked at each other.\nThe area within the circle began to change. From the earthy forest floor\nsuddenly a gravel surface was visible. Roland looked skeptical the surface.\n\"Hmm.\" He muttered under his breath and made a bold move on. As he\nstood in the circle, this widened a bit, which is also enlarged the gravel\nsurface. \"Aha!\" He was confident of himself and looked at his\nskeptical-looking female dragon. \"Come over. Stand beside me.\" He\nsaid to her, beckoning her to him. Kyndle easily lifted her head and took a\ntiny step right in front. \"Do not worry, you'll be fine. I promise.\" He\nassured her, smiling warmly at his female dragon. Unsure she sniffed once at\nthe shimmering ring and made tentative first steps on to Roland. Besides\nreached him she snuggled close to him and rested her head on his chest.\n \n\"Kyndle?\" She heard his quiet voice. \"You can open your eyes\nagain.\" Roland said calmly and she felt his hand gently stroked her cheek.\nShe slowly opened her eyes and looked more a small idyllic cottage in the\nwoods. She stood with Roland on a wide gravel in front of the small building.\nIn addition, a large shelter was erected, under which there was an oven. He saw\nthose which are used in the forging very similar. Only this was a good bit\nsmaller and there were no traces of soot on it. Either this was just cleaned or\nif it is not used as a forge. A small garden was on the other side of the\nhouse, in which many different herbs and berries were.\nThe door of the house was not locked. It got even a piece of wide open. Both\nwere curious about it. Roland pushed it slightly and with a faint squeak the\ndoor fell open. Surprised, they looked at the room. This could not be messier.\nLow metal stood placed in the large room. The crystalline peaks shone weakly\nand donated some light. The shimmer moved smoothly from green to blue to red to\nyellow. Then it began all over again.\n \nGarments, pillows and all sorts of odds and ends lying around chaotically\ndistributed as if a hurricane raged. Kyndle sniffed excited by the many strange\nthings. Roland took meanwhile the furniture in inspection.\nA round table was upside down on the floor, four chairs were to be placed on\nthe table legs, each with a plate on the seat. Behind it was apparently the\nkitchen. A stove, beside a large sink. In addition, there was an open line,\nwater ran out of it in the basin. Strange thing was, that the water from the\nbasin flowed up into the line. On the stove stood a large pot in which there\nwas some soup-like. The plate was cold, but boiled the liquid slightly to\nhimself.\n\"How is that possible?\" Roland asked himself in thought and looked\nconfused at the ceiling. A large carpet was out and directly above him was a\nbed. \"I think we better wait outside.\" He said to Kyndle and walked\nback to the entrance.\nNo sooner had he reached the door, it felt close. Behind the entrance Ansem\ncame to light, in the eyes came up with a slight shrug him. \"Not here, not\nhere.\" He stammered, shaking hands in front of him. Then he straightened\nup and looked left to Roland. \"Ask him yet?\" He said quietly,\npointing a finger at him. Surprised saw Roland to the Archmage and took a\nbreath to answer. But in that moment more Ansems look back frantically to the\nside. \"Why?\" He interjected with a more panting voice, and looked\nwith a scowl to Roland. \"He's not from here.\" He further argued.\n \nAnsem straightened up slightly and looked nervously around the room. His hands\nalso began to tremble. \"Where only, where are they?\" He asked, almost\npanicked and went looking around the room.\nKyndle got away with not too much. She was completely absorbed even in exploring\nthe hut. One of the closets was not closed, and she could her curious look in\nhis inner throwing. With a soft playful \"Meep\" she pulled the object\nout therein and introduced it to the ground, where she sniffed the same\nwhimsical it.\nThe female had found a stuffed animal, which looked like a dragon. With sloping\ndown the head she looked into the small round button eyes and gave a welcoming\ntreatment \"Chirp\" of herself.\nRoland heard her sounds\nand saw the little stuffed dragon in front of her. Ansem turned his searching\ngaze on it also. \"Ah!\" He announced loudly from and stormed on to\nKyndle. This took a more aggressive attitude and demonstrated her slitted\npupils, as this man approached her. Surprised, the more her attitude but a\nconfused look when Ansem grabbed the stuffed animal and went back to Roland.\n \nThe archmage stroked the stuffed dragon's head. \"Mister Mankey.\" He\nsaid to him and lifted him to his face. \"Have you seen them?\" He\nasked, looking desperately into the little button eyes.\nSkeptical Roland watched the whole thing and did not quite know what to make of\nit. Kyndle now stood next to him again and could not let go her gaze of the\nstuffed toy.\nRoland realized how Ansems eyes changed again. The desperate trembling again a\nmore serene shine. Surprised Ansem raised an eyebrow and created the dragon on\nthe dresser next to him. Gazing at Roland and Kyndle he held up his hands.\n\"Excuse the mess.\" He began quietly. \"My roommates are not the\nneatest.\" He added with a grin. Short, but his gaze quickly to the side\nand he screwed his face into a scowl. \"The fool keeps order, the genius\ncontrols the chaos.\" He was panting with a big grin on its own. He closed\nhis eyes, took a deep breath and shook his head once. Soon he had recovered and\nsaw Roland again with his left eye.\nSkeptical, he looked at Roland and Kyndle. Ansem raised a hand. \"I know\nwhat you think.\" He began. \"But that's not, why you are here, right?\"\nhe asked, looking at the young man seriously. \"Yes.\" Roland was\nhesitant response. \"Aaros told me, you would be able to help me prepare a\nmedium.\" He explained.\n \n\"Aaros?\" Ansem was amazed by himself and let his gaze fall to the\nside thoughtfully. \"From where I've since Hector's death not heard.\"\nHe added with a smile. Frantic, but his views on the other side. \"That was\na firework!\" He said, panting and with trembling eyelids. Shortly\nthereafter, he looked back at Roland left. \"I'm still giving him guilty,\nso I'm in.\" He said and nodded slightly, his eyes closed. When he opened\nhis eyes again, turned his face to the contrary. The eyebrows pulled together and\nsinister saw Ansem to Roland. \"I do not.\" Gasped the magician. Then his\nattention more to the side again. \"Why not?\" He asked calmly. Put the\nscowl again he took a deep breath. \"I'm hungry. And as long as the other\nnot finished the soup gets stays that way!\" Bleated Ansem before himself.\nRoland stood speechless in front of him and looked a bit around the room. He\nwatched Kyndle which again slowly approached the little stuffed dragon.\n\"Hey!\" He hissed at her. She sent him a bright twinkle out her deep\nblue eyes. With a happy cooing, Kyndle lifted her head on the dresser and\ngrabbed the stuffed animal. She lay down on the floor and placed it between her\nforelegs, where she gently rubbed her face on it. Her soft cooing gave Roland a\nslight smile.\n \nAnsem was still busy with himself. Slightly bent, he walked beside Kyndle which\nsnuggled peacefully with the stuffed animal. \"Mister Mankey like\nyou.\" He said, looking slightly smirking at the dragoness. Kyndle cooed\nhappily continue and snorted at the man once. Raised his head suddenly began to\nsniff Ansem in the air. \"They're here!\" He was relieved of himself.\nThe air pulling through his nose, he approached Roland. Before him he stopped\nand sniffed on. Roland pulled his head back slightly and looked at the man\nskeptically. \"Yes, they're here.\" He spoke again. \"Who is\nhere?\" Roland asked confused. \"Hey!\" Roland was surprised by him\nas Ansem abruptly snatched the backpack.\nHe set it on the floor and looked curiously therein. \"What are you trying?\"\nInquired Roland after. Ansem raised determining an index finger.\n\"Shhh!\" He hissed quickly. \"Otherwise they flee again.\" He\nadded, looking shaky on. With a nervous twitch in his eyes, he pulled the\nonions and the carrot out of the bag. \"There they are.\" He said\nrelieved and walked with the things to the stove. \"So, uhm ...\"\nstammered Roland clumsy to himself as Ansem walked past him.\n \nQuickly the vegetables are chopped up and landed in the pot. Ansem took a step\nback from the stove and opened the door below the cooking surface. Once inhaled\ndeeply, he closed his eyes briefly. He held up a hand to the side and flicked\nout loud with his fingers.\nA cute \"Meep!\" was heard. The small stuffed dragon jumped out of\nKyndles hug and ran to Ansem. With questioning eyes, she watched the stuffed\nanimal and followed him curiously. The little dragon put his front paws on the\ndoor and gave a flame burst in the oven. Roland winced as the stuffed sparked\nthe oven and did not want to know how this was now possible. Ansem barely\nreacted as if it were the most normal thing in the world. The fire was burning\nbrightly and the magician closed the door abruptly. He patted the stuffed\nanimal commended on his head and it stood motionless again. Kyndle looked long at\nit obliquely with head held, before she grab it back with a soft cooing and\nthus secretly withdrew.\nRoland watched her smile and then turned back to Ansem, who poked whistling\nmerrily in the soup. He stood next to him on the stove and looked at the pot\ncontents. The small bubbles that rose up before nor had suddenly disappeared.\nLike the soup would not boil. Ansem interrupted his whistling abruptly shrugged\nand startled when he saw Roland beside him.\n \n\"I am in too.\" he said a little nervous. His face darkened again.\n\"Eat first, then making!\" He gasped. Eases breathing from Roland.\n\"Then would indeed now all agree.\" He thought to himself. \"But you\ntake also a plate?\" Asked him Ansem. \"Why not.\" Roland replied\nwith a shrug.\nIt took a long time into the country, while Roland spooned a bowl of soup with\nAnsem. Although the stock looked pretty thin, he was tired after a portion of\nit, as after a last meal. He tried meanwhile to learn more about the history of\nthe magician, but he block every question more or less from him. After the\nunsuccessful questions and answers they came out of the hut.\n\"I suppose you have\neverything necessary for it?\" Asked the Archmage when they arrived on the\ngravel yard. Confident Roland nodded and took the backpack in hand. Kyndle took\na few steps from the small house and took a quick look at the little stuffed\ndragon back. A happy \"chirp\" she added the strong snort and then\nturned to Roland.\n\"Over here.\" Said the Archmage, pointing to a table under the shelter\nnext to the house. Roland slowly walked toward it and began to pick up the\nstuff from the backpack. Side by side he put the things on the table. A stoned\ngargoyle, a leather glove, a small bag with obsidian shards, a bottle of dragon\nessence and a larger, round gemstone.\n \nChecking, Ansem looked at the raised items. \"Everything seems to be\nthere.\" He said calmly. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Opened\nhis eyes, his scowl was present again. Skeptical he saw the things at once and\nstopped at the gemstone. With a faint gasp he lifted him up. Holding it on with\nforefinger and thumb he turned it slowly before his eyes. \"Not\neverything.\" He was panting from him and threw the stone at the table\ndown. Easily startled Roland made a step toward him. \"What the....\"\nHis words broke off when he saw the stone break apart.\n\"Was finally not a gem.\" He thought aloud in and looked disappointed\nthe pieces on the table to. Ansems scowl gave way to him. \"With glass it\ndoes not work.\" He whispered with a faint, sinister grin. Roland threw\nKyndle to a slightly sad look. \"What do we do now?\" He asked her. The\nfemale looked at him with a wet look and gave with half-closed eyes a soft\ncooing of herself before she tilted her head slightly to the side.\nRoland lowered his head dejectedly. \"Then we can forget the whole\nthing.\" He sighed loudly. Ansem turned to him and looked at him calmly.\n\"I would not say that.\" Said the magician quiet. \"There are\nother ways to a suitable catalyst.\" \"And what?\" Roland asked in\nsurprise. \"I doubt that a gemstone so easily falls out of nowhere.\"\n \nAnsem began to smile, looking to the female dragon. \"A scale of a guardian\ndragon.\" He replied. Roland looked Kyndle also. \"But she is not a\nguardian dragon.\" Roland threw an insecure. Kyndle held her head slightly\ntilted to one side and gave a questioning \"Chirp\" of herself. With\nbig eyes she looked at the Archmage.\n\"This aura she can not hide.\" He said seriously. \"She is the\ndirect descendant of Kyleth, which was struck down by the Hunters.\" He\nexplained. In his dilated pupils Roland saw a faint glint and was sure to see a\nslight smile on his lips. \"But you're right in one way.\" He continued\nas this shimmer had subsided. \"A guardian herself she is not, but she has\nbecome a part of their gift.\" Thoughtful lowered the female her head and\nlooked away. Deep inside, she knew that Ansem was telling the truth.\nRoland watched his partner as she slowly lay down on the floor and looked\ncompletely absent. He walked up to her. \"Kyndle?\" He said quietly.\nBut no response came from her. A faint whimper came from her throat as her head\njerked slightly. Comforting he kept a hand on her forehead and ran the other\nover her neck. No sooner had he touched her scales, flooded Kyndles thought his\nconsciousness.\n \nIn Kyndles memories blurred some images appeared. They lay further back than\ntheir first meeting. Roland saw the impressions so clearly before him as they\nwould just pass up. He moved like a ghost in the memories through and watched\nit as a silent, invisible witness.\n......\nRoland was standing in a hall. In the ceiling was a round window that let fall\na wide floodlight on a stone pedestal. In the glass, a metallic icon was\nembedded, which cast a shadow on the ground. Before the base was a large mosaic\npattern on the floor that formed the shape of a dragon. Five silver brazier\nstood symmetrically arranged around the podium. Magnificent tapestries hung\nfrom the walls. On the orange-red fabric, a great symbol was embroidered with\nblue threads. Roland looked at the characters and found, that it was the same with\nthe window and the one on his right hand back.\nThe room itself, he recognized also. He looked at the stone base and slowly\nwalked toward it. \"Here was the dragon egg, from which Kyndle had hatched.\"\nHe thought to himself. The chamber was different than he remembered. No cobwebs\nor weathered wall carpets. No dust and debris covered the ground. The place\nexuded a warmth. No doubt he was inhabited. He walked around the base and\nlooked at the many passages leading from the room. In front of a tall, wide\nentrance he stopped short. \"From this passage I came.\" He thought,\nand put his hand on the wall. \"After I came back to me.\" Shortly\nthereafter, he walked to the next.\n \nSuddenly a fighter in a splendid armor entered the room in piece. With a\nsophisticated shield he came from one of the corridors and pulled out a\ntattered cloak behind him. Slightly bent, he moved breathing heavily. He just\nwalked by Roland passed to the socket. Roland recognized the armor. It was the\nwarrior, who had once spoken in a dream to him. And he was also there, as the\nother Kyndle was published.\nThree arrows stuck in the shoulder of the warrior and from the visor of his\nhelmet dripped blood. Breathing heavily, he wore a large oval object with him.\nIt had an orange-red color and glistened slightly as he stepped into the light\nwith it. Painfully he sighed, as he put it on the pedestal. He let the shield\nto the ground traps and fell on his knees, coughing. \"They are already\ninside!\" He gasped, his head lowered to the base. \"The last line has\nfallen! I have failed, mistress. Not long, and they overrun us.\" Cramped\nshaking the man and gave a small sob.\n\"You have not\nfailed.\" Fulfilled a soft female voice the room. \"Everything happens\nas it is predetermined by fate.\" The voice came from the high gear where\nRoland stood last. Her sound brought peace of mind with it. Two deep blue dragon\neyes are shining out of the shadows. A light sheen of turquoise burned therein.\nA powerful paw with sharp black claws came out of the darkness into the light.\nDark orange-red scales enveloped the dragoness and gave her a faint glow in the\nbeam. Big black horns adorned her head like a crown. Dark gray scales covering\nher chest and the abdomen. Her long wings, also with dark gray membranes she\nheld folded on the back. Light blue lines go right, by her eyes starting, her\nlong neck down and spread out in interwoven patterns on their flanks. At the\nend of her long, powerful tail there was a black, bony tip. It looked like a\ndark blade, on which shimmered on some light blue icons. On her forehead was a\ngolden tiara that wrapped itself around her horns. A large oval gem glowed with\nan orange-red color from the socket. Among burned the same symbol, as Roland's\nright hand back.\n \nShe slowly lowered her head to the fighter. The jewel in her head jewelry\nflashed briefly with a bright glow. She nudged gently against his helmet and\nsnorted at him sharply. The arrows in his shoulder fell to the ground and he\nslowly sat up again. \"Then it will really come, as you have predicted\nit?\" Asked the fighters breathing hard, raised his shield back up and put\nit closer to the base.\nThe dragoness saw with a slightly sad look to the egg on the pedestal.\n\"Even if it hurts me to leave my child back alone, so I add myself to the\ncourse of destiny.\" She slowly lowered her head. Her gaze fell into\nRoland's face, as she would see him. In her blue eyes looking back, a strange\nfeeling came over him. \"She will not be alone for long.\" He heard her\nsoft voice in his head before her gaze moved on. With long strides the great\ndragoness went beyond the base across the corridor to, from which came the\nfighter. A faint light began at the end of the path to shimmer and the faint\necho of voices echoed out. One last look, she threw back to the egg, as a\nsingle tear flowed from her eyes.\n \n\"Keep them from this chamber away, at all cost!\" Commanded the dragoness\nbefore she closed her eyes and a menacing growl brought forth. Lonely, her\ngrief fell to the ground, while her eyes opened slowly. The pupils narrowed\ndrawn together, she rushed hissing out into the corridor, where shortly\nafterwards panicked screams of people were heard.\nRoland turned to the remaining fighter. This was before the transition, drew\nhis sword and held it straight up in front of him. \"For Kyleth!\" He\nsaid loudly and swung his blade with great force to the front. The weapon began\nto glow bright blue and sent with his swing a shock wave through the corridor.\nThe ceiling began to collapse and blocked the way with countless ruins.\nWith the remaining inputs, the same thing happened. Only one passage he left\nopen. Breathing heavily, he stopped in front of the pedestal stand. \"That\nshould keep them away.\" He said to himself. Surprised, but he turned to\none of the tapestries. Loud percussive noises coming through the fabric. With a\ngroundbreaking cracking joined a long spear through the carpet and put that\nbehind them are in dividend door free.\n \n\"No!\" Was the fighter of and walked hurriedly approached the door,\npocketed his sword and grabbed the tip of the spear. Flipped him, he heaved it\ninto the hole from which he had come back. A painful groan came from the other\nside, as it disappeared in the opening. The knock on left after instantaneous.\n\"Line forming! And creates the battering ram over here! \"Echoed in an\naggressive voice. The fighter drew his sword, raised his shield back up off the\nfloor and stood ready to fight in front of the door.\nDirected the sign on the door began a shimmering blue rune on the wood to\nshine. He tightened his grip on his weapon and raised his eyes demanding to the\nentrance. \"You will need more than a battering ram.\" Gasped his voice\nfrom the visor of his helmet. Just at that moment the door opened and he rushed\nahead with the sign outside. No sooner had he left the room, fell the door with\na bang close again. The blue rune on it shone bright and framed the whole input\nin this magical light until it was getting weaker and finally died out\ncompletely. Quiet the tapestry fell again over the entrance.\n \nSounds of battle broke in from the outside, which were gradually getting\nquieter.\nStanding alone in the room Roland looked at the egg down. Suddenly broke the\nround window in the ceiling and the shards clattered on the floor. A deafening\nroar echoed through the air and Roland dropped to his knees, kept thereby\nprotecting his ears. The enormous sound wave hurt like pinpricks, directly into\nthe skull. The ground trembled slightly and the light from the ceiling became\nreddish. And then, all was quiet.\nAn unnatural calm was in the air. Roland knelt beside the base and slowly took\nhis hands from his ears. In tears, he looked at the egg, which moved slightly.\nIn his mind he knew what had just happened.\nTime began to run faster. The beam moved again, and again over the mosaic\npattern, the base and him away. The colors of the tapestries faded increasingly\nuntil dissolved substances slowly. Roland could see the cobwebs and the dust\nlayer on the bottom grow.\nUntil one day, the light beam was stand, a boy walked out of the last open\npassage into the room. Wounded, drew this his right leg behind him. Roland was\nstill kneeling next to the socket and recognized his younger self. With faint\nsobs and a wet look he watched again, his first meeting with Kyndle.\n \nSuddenly the light cone began to flicker and he was pulled away. The picture was\ngetting darker and disappeared completely in the void.\n......\nHe took a deep breath and fell backwards to the ground, when he came to\nhimself. He looked around, confused. He sat on the seat next to gravel Kyndle,\nwhile Ansem was looking at him questioningly. The female looked at him with a\nwet look and sent a short sparkle of her blue eyes to him. Quiet cooing, she\nrested her forehead on his and helped him to organize his thoughts.\nThere were only a few seconds have passed. But Roland, it seemed as if he had\nbeen away for much longer.\n\"Then Kyleth was so her mother?\" Roland asked the magician as he\nstraightened up. \"Without a doubt.\" Ansem replied calmly.\n\"But.\" Roland began quietly, watching his female dragon. \"How\ndid that happen?\" He began uncertainly, looking slightly sad to Kyndle.\n\"Why did her mother die?\" Thoughtful more Ansems glance to side.\n\"I do not know, who threw the first stone.\" He began. \"Just that,\nthat the Guardian Alliance ended it bloody.\" A dark veil fell over his\neyes as his voice was grim. \"The hunter wars have not only toppled the\nhunter guild in disgrace.\" Breathing heavily, the shadow disappeared in\nhis eyes and Ansems relaxed view could be seen again.\n \n\"Ok.\" He said, shaking his head. \"Let's continue. Catalyst, I\nmean dragon scale. \"He added. Roland put these impressions once aside and\nfocused on his current task. \"But I cannot take one from her so easy.\"\nHer eyes half closed, the female looked at him cooing.\n\"No no. Removal is not nice.\" Ansem said shakily, waving his face to\nthe side. A frown placed he looked at Roland. \"Is not that like you pluck\nfeathers from a chicken.\" He breathed on. Eyes closed the magician took a\ndeep breath. Reassured, he opened his eyes and was again perfectly at ease.\n\"It will be painful for her, even if she would give it voluntarily.\"\nHe said determining and watched the female dragon.\nKyndle briefly pulled her head back on his words. Her partner viewing, she\nwalked up to him and poked her nose against his. With a bright twinkle in her\ndeep blue eyes she made a gesture with nodding her head. Roland looked into the\nshimmering turquoise border and held a hand to her cheek, what drew her a soft\ncooing. \"Are you sure?\" He asked softly. \"Churr\" was the\nfemale response and snuggled closer to her partner. Roland closed his arms around\nher and held her close. \"Thank you.\" He whispered to her.\n \nBoth were startled easily, as Ansem loud clapping his hands together.\n\"Then let's start with it.\" He spoke loudly and turned to the table\nwith the objects.\nThe magician opened an elongated box on the table and reached inside. A sharp\nmetal chisel and a hammer he took out, what he put on the plate next to him.\nPut his hand back into the box he still pulled out another object. Between the\nforefinger and thumb he held a ring, which was made of a green crystal.\nRoland stood beside him and looked at the ready set tool. \"Do I do\nanything?\" He asked in surprise and raised both eyebrows. Ansem briefly\nlooked straight ahead before he turned his to him. \"Yes.\" He replied\ncurtly and a nervous twitch in his eyes. Scowled quickly lay back in his face.\n\"Do not stand in the way.\" Gasped the magician quietly and turned\nback to his work area.\nWith slightly twisted face, Roland nodded slowly and took a step away from the\ntable. Somewhat disappointed, he sat down next to Kyndle on the floor. Quiet\ncooing she leaned against his shoulder, put one of her wings around him and\ntogether they watched Ansem in his work.\n \nHe put the frozen gargoyle in front of him and positioned the cutting edge of\nthe chisel on his forehead. With its quiet whistling he raised the hammer and\nlet him peppy fall on his tool. A loud crack formed a long crack on the small\nstatue. After a further blow to the figure broke apart and left a pile of\nashes.\nRegardless threw Ansem the gargoyle halves of the table, wiped the black powder\nin a metal mold and set them aside. Then he took the bag of obsidian shards in\nhis hand. Slowly he turned it over and poured the contents on the table. How\nbroken glass rattled the small fragments on the disk. The magician grabbed the\nmortar and threw in some selected splinters. With the ram he edited the\nmaterial until it was crushed to a fine powder. With a careful eye he looked at\nthe ingredient. A silent nod later he threw it to the ashes into the bowl.\nHe put the ring on his finger and walked to the tray to the oven under the\nshelter. Ansem opened the door and pushed into the metal bowl. Clenched his\nfist, he breathed out calmly as the crystal began to glow. He let his fingers\napart and over his palm burned a green flame. Open the lower door he threw the\ngreen fire in the stove and closed the door quickly. Controlling he looked up\nat the little chimney and waited until the first columns of smoke leaked. A\nsoft crackling was heard from inside.\n \nAnsem took a deep breath and the lights dimmed his ring slowly. \"Now we\nwait a little while.\" He spoke calmly and threw Roland requesting a\nglance. The magician pulled a soft cloth from the box on the table and handed\nit to him. \"For the last step I need the scale.\" He said softly, glancing\nto the orange-red female.\nRoland took the handkerchief and looked his dragoness warm in the sparkling\nblue eyes. \"Do you want this still?\" He asked her and put a hand to\nher cheek. Kyndle closed her eyes and cooed softly at his touch. A gentle\n\"Churr\" she wishes to add.\nKyndle took a step back\nfrom him, lay down, her back turned to him on the floor and placed her right\npaw on her chest. The selected scale lay on the border, where the dark gray color\nbegan on her breast and underside, near her heart. One of her sharp claws, she\npressed a chest scale and drove down firmly below the rim. Easy twitching she\ntilted her head to the side as her body began to send unpleasant signals.\nRoland felt a weak pull on his chest and knew exactly what this meant. He took\na big step on his dragoness, but in his mind he felt her refusal clearly. With\na dismissive snort she underlined this. Roland looked stunned for a moment, but\ndid not want to leave her alone here, kneeling, with averted face behind her.\nWith eyes closed, he put his hand on her back and tried it in the spirit noted.\n \nKyndle snorted softly cooing out, as she felt Roland's hand. Grateful for his\npresence she took a deep breath. Confident drove her claw further under the\nscale and began to dissolve slowly from her skin. Painfully she closed her eyes\nand let out a small whimper. She felt shortly after a faint tremor of her\npartner.\nRoland kept a deep breath and placed his other hand on his chest. Squinting he\nbreathed frantically in and out. He felt her pain as if it were his own. Kyndle\npaused, suddenly the murmur of her silent stinging in his chest. Roland could\nsee clearly in his mind. His dragoness sealed herself just from him, to spare\nhim the pain. Protest echoed his thoughts vote against her mental wall.\n\"You do not have to do this alone! I'm with you!\"\nBut she did not budge. With a soft whimper she put her claw back below the\nscale. Her skin underneath ripped open and warm blood ran from the painful\nwound. A single tear stole from her clenched eyelids.\nHeavy snorting she pulled once more at the scale slightly dissolved, as another\nstrong wave of pain surged through her slightly trembling body. Lifted her lips\nshe showed with a weak growl her sharp teeth, while she moved on to the scale.\nThe blood ran down her chest and dyed her beautiful body with the dark red\nclay.\n \nRoland's heart tore it in half, literally, when he had to stand idly by, as his\nKyndle suffer pain.\nThe ears laid back menacingly, she gave a faint hiss of herself. With a final\ntug tore off her skin and the scale dissolved completely. With the intense wave\nof pain also her mental wall collapsed. Roland felt a sharp pain just yet. Then\nthere was an unpleasant tingling sensation in his chest. Kyndle let her head\nhard snorting fall to the ground and breathed with long kicks on and off.\nComforting he stroked her neck and gently squeezed the soft cloth to her\nbleeding wound. Scary she breathed, as she felt the fabric on her injured skin.\nThe female lifted her head up at him and looked at him with a wet look. With\nhis free hand he brushed the tears from her face and looked into the sparkling\nturquoise touch of her deep blue eyes. \"Why did you only excluded\nme?\" He asked in a whisper and looked at her warm. Kyndle gave a faint\n\"Chirp\" from her and licked slowly over his mouth. Roland smiled\nbriefly before both lovingly placed her lips over each other. He felt her soft\npurr and her heartbeat under the soft cloth. Ended the loving kiss, he gently\nstroked her on the nose and looked deep into her blue eyes. The sparkling\nturquoise touch viewing, he rested his forehead on hers. \"Do that never\nagain.\" He whispered slightly sad to her and pulled her over to his body.\nHolding her in his arms he listened to her low hum and held the soft cloth\ngently pressed on her wound. Purring, she rubbed her nose against his and\nenjoyed his reassuring presence.\n \n......\n....meanwhile in Ironwing....\nWith a serious look she stared out the window, holding the hand thoughtfully to\nher chin. A tense atmosphere reigned in the room, and gave the impression, that\nit would hold on. On the table behind her was an open letter, which was sent by\na dragon rider.\n\"I will take the necessary steps for that.\" Said Aaros left and cast\na skeptical eye to Torben, who was standing next to him. \"And yet\nsomething!\" Interrupted Catherine his steps outside. With attention, the\nmagician turned and looked at her with his bleary eyes. \"Not a word to\nRoland. He should know nothing of it, until I think it is right.\" For a\nlong moment he saw her in silence, as his right eye twitched briefly.\nWordlessly, he nodded to her and left the office. Torben was slightly nervous\nin the room. \"You can go now.\" She said, but cast the decisive eyes\nstill out of the window. With inward relief, he made the first steps towards\nthe door.\n\"Oh.\" Came her voice again and he stopped in front of the entrance.\n\"If you and Tim again should hold a drinking game the next time, then\nmakes it into the barracks, where I do not have to see the mess.\" With\nnarrowed eyes he lowered his face, his smile but could not resist when he space\nthe left.\n \nIn Catherine's face showed just a weak smile before returning it gave way to a\ntense expression. \"Shadows on the horizon.\" She murmured softly to\nherself.\n......\n.... back In the Whispering Wood ....\nAnsem raised the bloody\nscale up from the floor and looked with a raised eyebrow over to the couple.\n\"Hmm.\" He was thoughtful of himself and went back with a nervous\ntwitch in his eyes to the table.\nPeaceful whistling he cleaned the scale of the skin remains and the blood.\nRoland pulled away slowly from her and threw a skeptical eye to the magician.\n\"Let's hope, that it was worth it.\" He said softly, stroking his\nfemale dragon on the back. \"Ohh, it will.\" Ansem gasped and held the\norange-red dragon scale before his face into the sunlight. The slight shine on\nviewing he chuckled softly to himself.\nShortly thereafter, the magician put the scale next to the glove and the bottle\nwith dragon essence, turned to Roland and his female dragon on and walked\nslowly toward both. Thoughtfully, he looked at the quietly cooing female dragon.\n\"Your imprinting is powerful, when you share so many feelings.\" He\nbegan seriously. \"Be careful, others could exploit this as a\nweakness.\"\n \nRoland threw Kyndle a long look, looking into this bright sparkle, which was\nintended for him. His warm eye contact retorting she purred softly and looked\nat him with half-closed view. He had never seen her compound as a weakness.\nMuch more, she gave him support. He never had the feeling of being alone, she\nis always at his side. Whether physically or mentally. And he did not want to\nchange before this fact something.\n\"Yeah, okay.\" He replied somewhat uncertain and looked questioningly to\nAnsem. The mage looked at him skeptically. \"Hmm.\" He gave a shrug of\nand walked back to the stove.\nHe quickly moved to the top door and threw a hard look in the reddish glowing\nbowl. A bright blue glow was visible in it. Confident he nodded to the bowl.\n\"Then we can start immediately.\" He spoke calmly and clapped his\nhands together.\n\"I have not done that since an eternity.\" He said softly to himself\nand grabbed the bottle with the dragon essence. \"But, will go wrong.\"\nWith closed eyes, collected Ansem his concentration and took a deep breath. His\ncrystal ring began to shine again in the greenish light. The magician held up\nhis hands open. The bright blue glowing contents of the bowl flew in a flowing\nmotion through the air and circled the tight, trembling man. The leather glove\nand Kyndles dragonscale also floated to him. Ansem took the little bottle in\nhis hand and poured the contents down in one gulp. A little cramped he fell to\nhis knees and exhaled heavily. Both hands he swung in a circular motion over\nhis face. The left top and right bottom. In between, floated the leather glove\nand slowly turned around its axis.\n \nThe light blue liquid snaked around the man and began to rotate around the\nglove. The light grew more slowly and the material transferred to the leather.\nNow the glove shimmered with this bright blue glow, seemed almost liquid.\nKyndles scale dived into the back of the glove and he began to spin faster.\nAnsems ring shone brightly. He had noticed his mouth and his eyes began to glow\nwhite. Shortly afterwards jumped a massive shock wave with a bang over the\nplace.\nProtectively, Kyndle threw her wings over Roland and held him close to her body.\nWith a slight ringing in his ears Roland, opened his eyes and saw two beautiful\nblue dragon eyes. Thanking ran his hand over her forehead and he was smiling in\nthe bright flash of her blue sapphires. Slightly out of breath, he stood up and\nlooked around the place.\nAnsem sat on the gravel yard and chuckled to himself. \"Master, as always.\"\nHe said with a slightly shaky voice and looked at the now scaled glove hovering\nweightlessly in front of his face. Exhausted, he let himself fall on his back and\nlet out a breath left. \"Still got it in skill.\" He gasped softly as\nthe match went out of his green glow ring.\n \n\"My medium?\" Roland thought to himself as he stared transfixed at the\ndragon glove. Reluctantly, he reached for it. He pulled on the gloves and\nballed his hand into a fist slowly. Astonished, he stated that he felt like a\nsecond skin. As if it were a part of him. He looked at the orange-red scales on\nit and took a deep breath as he raced a strong shudder through the body. As a\nreflex, the scales presented on dorsum of the hand and slowly lay down again.\n\"Wow.\" He thought surprising in itself. Kyndle snuggled close to him\nand rubbed her head against his cooing. Eyes closed, he put a hand on her cheek\nand pressed her more in. In his mind he could feel it clearly. She was now a\nlittle more a part of him.\nWith a satisfied grin Ansem stood up and bowed his head with a nervous twitch\nin his eyes, his head to one side. Creeping his gaze and a weak gasp darkened came\nout of his mouth. Roland's hand viewing he took a step toward him. \"The\nfirst moment is always ...\" he paused and stared at him silently. Slightly\nnervous replied Roland eye contact. \"Magical!\" He added slowly, and\nset out on the table.\n \nTaking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and slight twitching abated. He calmly\npulled the ring from his finger and put it back in the box. Both hands resting\non the plate he breathed exhausted in and out, head slightly down. With his\nhand he rubbed his neck as he turned to Roland and his female dragon. A faint\nsmile grew on his mouth when he saw the two.\nPeacefully cooing, Kyndle was with her back over Roland's legs. Holding her in\nhis arms, he rubbed his nose against the female's, accompanied by the gentle\nhum of her body. Eyes closed, she enjoyed the small pats of her partner. Use\nlight pressure, Rolands finger drove across the covert of the cloth body on her\nchest. A faint but pleasant tingling sensation ran through her body. Roland\nfelt that impression as well and pulled her close to him some more.\nAnsems smile faded\nslowly again, as he raised his eyes. \"Take care for her.\" He spoke\nsoftly.\nRoland heard his whispering words and turned to him. However, he opened his\neyes just stared at a tree and sat with Kyndle in the arm on earthy forest\nfloor. The cottage, the gravel yard and the shelter were disappeared, just like\nAnsem. Like they had never been there. Marvels at Roland looked around. The\nglove on his left hand viewing, he put his thoughtful frown. \"Then it can\ngo home now. Aaros has certainly planed still a lot ......\"\n \nHis thoughts voice broke off, as Kyndles tongue stroked his neck. The eyes half\nclosed, he looked his dragoness deep into her eyes. The bright spark in the\nturquoise edge of her bright blue eyes, flashed at him. He felt the faint\nvibration of her purring and ran with his hand over her neck. Eyes closed they\nput lovely each other's lips together and shared a sensual tongue touch.\nSome time the two stayed mutually viewing in the clearing. The forehead closely\nplaced together they listened to the gentle rhythm of the other. Brightly shone\nthe spark of their imprint between their amorous glances back and forth.\n......\nAfter only a few hours, Kyndle and Roland were on the road, in the direction to\nIronwing. From a distance, they saw the tower of the property. Confident\nsmiling, Roland sat on his horse, Kyndle was standing beside him and nestled\nher head against his leg zoom. He had deleted his hand over her forehead while\nhe looked at the property. On a hill behind, he spotted two people. Clad in\nblack coats they stood there, one looked at the property, the other to Roland.\nSurprised Roland turned short to Kyndle. \"Do you see that?\" He asked,\npointing with one hand to the hill. Confused, he put his brow as he found\nsurprised that the two shadows were gone. Like they had never been there.\n \nA cold shiver flew over his back, as if he would be observed for some shadows.\nThe moment shaken off quickly, he gave his mount spurs and rode swiftly in the\ndirection property. With an awakened \"Chirp\" Kyndle jumped into the air\nand followed her partner with a few wing beats.\nThrough the gate, and arrived at the stables, he gave the horse to Timmy, who\nfirst absent staring at the sky. He twisted his face slightly when he saw Roland's\nglove, and disappeared with the horse in the stable, as Kyndle also joined\nthem.\nRoland saw his dragoness short in the eyes and then turned to Timmy. But was\nsurprised to find that he was already gone. A shrug later, he set out with\nKyndle to the barracks. When the two arrived at the training ground, they were\nalready waiting for Aaros. Carefully scrutinized the magician Rolands medium.\n\"So you've found Ansem?\" He asked. \"More or less.\" Replied\nRoland with a faint smile.\nThoughtfully, he looked at the orange-red scales on Roland's hand back. Then\nhis attention more to Kyndles hidden area on the chest. \"I thought the\nlist would be complete?\" Aaros threw a surprise. \"Me too.\" Replied\nRoland and saw his dragoness warm. \"The first catalyst, however,\nunexpectedly turned out to be wrong.\" He put an arm around her neck and gently\nstroked the cloth on her healing wound. \"Kyndle was so generous, to help\nout.\" A bright sparkle came from her gleaming eyes to him, while he held\nthese beautiful sight upright.\n \nFor a quick moment he saw again the picture of her, right as she tore out the\nscale. The moment shaken off quickly, he turned back to his teacher.\nWith a long nod, Aaros took note of it. \"Shall we?\" He asked with\nraised eyebrows and waved Roland on the square in front of the straw dolls.\nRoland was on the line, from which he had normal point shot with the bow and\nstared at the training dummy. Aaros was standing with arms folded next to him.\nKyndle lay down under a tree nearby in the shade. Her elegant body covered with\nher wings, she watched all curious.\n\"First, you pull of the glove.\" Demanded Aaros determining.\n\"Hmm? Why that?\" Inquired Roland curiously. \"I want you, to\nnotice the difference.\" He said.\nSomewhat uncertain Roland pulled the medium of his hand and looked forward to\nconcentrating the doll. \"Let's try with something simple. A fireball.\"\nSaid Aaros left. Roland closed his eyes and breathed in and out calmly. He\nturned his left palm open at the top, as a faint crackling was heard. With a\nlow noise, a small orange-red flame kindled on his hand. Gazing upon the straw\nface, he joined his hand forward and threw the ball flame on his goal.\n \nWhen the fire reached the doll he winked at the flame with a strong exhalation.\nA loud bang enveloped the doll with the intense heat and turned it to ashes.\nNoticeably exhausted, Roland took a ponderous. \"Not bad.\" Added Aaros\npraise and saw his pupils to smile. \"Now with the medium again. The same\nway.\" He demanded. Roland pulled on the glove and balled his hand into a\nfist. With its expiration, the orange-red scales featured on dorsum of the hand\nand slowly lay down again afterwards.\nAgain he breathed with closed eyes and turned his left hand open at the top. A\nbright flame blazed vigorously over his hand. Astonished, he watched the fire\nthat was burning now much more intense. Kyndle threw her look too astonished to\nher partner. With the same motion he hurled the fireball to the second doll. A\nwink later slammed the ball and cremated the figure a workout with a blinding\ninferno.\nAaros narrowed his eyes\nslightly as he watched the spectacle. Confident he looked at his disciples and\nnodded to him with praise. Roland looked surprised at his medium, looked at it\ncarefully, as the scales lifted with his breathing and fell. \"I was not\nmore concentrated than before.\" Roland was amazed by himself. \"And\nyet ....\" \"I'm surprised what your medium brings about.\" Interrupted\nAaros. Thoughtfully, he looked to Kyndle and began to smile slightly as he\nlooked at the female dragon. \"A special friend you have there.\" Added\nthe magician, and turned back to Roland.\n \nThis also looked at the female dragon. \"That's right.\" He thought\naloud in himself. \"My special imprint-partner.\"\nWith his thought she looked over at him and sent a bright spark from the\nturquoise color of her deep blue eyes. Roland followed the smiling sparkle and\nwalked slowly toward her. The soft cooing of her hearing he approached her,\nalways keeping the line of sight. Roland knelt down to her and ran his hand\ndown her neck, what drew her a faint purr. But before he could say anything she\nyawned him with wide open mouth in the face.\nRoland smiled after the next, soft cooing and stroking his female dragon on the\nforehead. She closed her eyes as she felt his hand on her scales. The look of\nher sparkling sapphires directed into his eyes, she purred happily to herself.\n\"You have a long day behind you.\" Roland said softly. \"Go in our\nroom and get some rest.\" He added. She gently nudged him with her nose\nagainst his chin and ran quickly with her tongue over his lips. With\nhalf-closed eyes, she stood up and gave him a love, sparkling look. Roland was\nkneeling on the floor and saw his partner smiling behind, followed her graceful\nmovements until she disappeared behind the hedge.\n \nWith a soft cooing, the orange-red-dragoness walked to the entrance of the main\nhouse. She paused and listened into the air. Sound effects of magical training\nechoed against her ears. With a soft \"Chirp\" she sat down in front of\nthe door and knocked with her tail tip against the input. Shortly thereafter,\nthe door was raised by Sasha, who looked at her in surprise and remained\nsomething hanging on the reddish stained cloth on her chest.\nWith an awakened \"Meep\" the female dragon walked past him and looked\nat the old man with half-closed eyes. \"Also.\" he said soberly and\nclosed the door behind her back. \"Does the lady need help with this?\"\nSasha asked mainly when he turned to her and tapped with a finger on his chest.\nKyndle paused and looked up at the stained cloth on her chest down. With wide\neyes she looked at the man. With a soft \"Chirp\" and a slow,\nhead-waving gesture she answered him.\nSasha nodded, eyes closed once and made with hands held onto his back slightly\nstooped posture. \"Of course.\" He spoke softly and withdrew.\n \nWith another wide-open yawning, the dragoness entered the room and walked\nacross the carpet in the room. Before the mirrored door of the closet, she\nstopped and tugged at the towel around her chest. Quiet cooing she laid the\ncloth on the floor and looked at herself in the mirror. Skeptical looked at the\nmere site of her beautiful shed dress. Slowly her eyes more about it, while an\nunpleasant shiver shot up through her body. Partly she winced when her high\ncame the memory of the stabbing pain waves again. The moment shaken off quickly\nshe turned to the bed and walked slowly toward it.\nAs always, she first sniffed curiously at the sheet, was looking for Rolands\nsmell before she jumped on the bed. In their joint nest. Closely wrapped in the\nblanket she purred happily to herself as she listened to her quiet heartbeat.\nThe picture of her partner as he holds her in his arms and the front sight on\ntheir specifies the inner eye, she dozed peacefully into the land of dreams.\nAfter a few hours Roland trudged up the stairs, exhausted, on the way to his\nroom. He quietly opened the door and moved as quietly as possible in the room.\n \n......\n... Meanwhile, in a remote, dark place ... ..\nWith a low, sinister chuckle looked a slightly stooped man, wrapped in a\nblood-red robe, in a large mirror. In the floating surface, the building of the\nIronwing property could be seen. A threatening, purple sparkle gleaming from\nthe empty eye sockets of his silver mask. With his bony fingers he stroked the\nimage. Behind him stood two people. Dressed in black coats, they looked out of\nthe shadows of their hoods also to the mirror.\nBetween the two unknowns hovered a ghostly figure. She wore a gray robe with\nsix different symbols on it. Still, this also looked at the image of Ironwing.\n\"The shadow grows ... ..\" gasped the man quietly. \"... And is\nalready on the horizon ...\" he continued with a cold laugh.\n","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/811085-five-dragons-tlop-chapter-8-a-long-list.json"}