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Time passed and I fell into a routine. Artos would leave in the morning and return in the afternoon most days. Sometimes he would work with one of his devices, other times he would simply talk to me. At one point he brought some toys in for me to play with and discovered that I would play catch with him after a fashion.

At the time it was very difficult for me to overcome the instinct to pounce on the ball. As I came to have more energy and practice, I grew more skilled at it. Artos seemed to enjoy it and I believe that is the reason that I enjoyed playing with the ball as well.

I would play with the other toys from time to time, though I was not certain of what the point was, or even what they were supposed to do. Again, it seemed to please Artos that I did so.

Phaegus would come by occasionally with Ren beside him. The first few times I would hide from him, but soon I grew used to his occasional presence, if not comfortable with it. He had not tried to harm me since that first time and Artos seemed to be fine with his presence and so I trusted Artos not to allow harm to befall me.

Jerim, Artos' brother, also stopped to see how I was doing. I was leery of him as well, remembering him capturing me, but it was hard to stay so. Jerim was so upbeat and cheerful that even as uncertain as I was I grew to be relaxed around him. He also enjoyed playing with me, though the one time he tried to wrestle with me a bit it scared me into Artos' arms, much to Artos' startlement.

The one person I never cared to see was Duke Grimal. When I heard him coming or detected his scent, I would hide on the other side of the bed or go into the closet if it were open. I tried to stay out of his sight as much as I could. Every time he saw me he would glare at me and ask Artos if I had caused any trouble, as if just looking for a chance to have me removed. Sometimes Artos would become rather heated with his father concerning me and those times frightened me more than any.

I was coming to understand that Duke Grimal was in charge and that if he ordered Artos to abandon me that Artos would be required to do so. I could not precisely determine their relationship I... you will find out about my parents later. I do not wish to write of it now.

I knew whatever their relationship was that Artos wanted to please Duke Grimal as much as I wished to please him and it frightened me that his desire to do so could result in me being abandoned.

Even now, I fear abandonment some days.

I know you would never do so Artos. It is an old fear and not easy to overcome.

It had been several weeks at least, perhaps even a month and a half, and Artos was busy working on one of his little projects. Sometimes he would get so wrapped up in them he would forget to eat or to attend to whatever it was Duke Grimal wished of him which usually resulted in Artos being yelled at and me ducking away.

Generally, Artos would get lunch or dinner for the both of us before he started tinkering, but for some reason today he did not. Breakfast had also been light that morning and so I was quite hungry. I did not wish to disturb Artos but I was also quite nervous about becoming so hungry. It had, after all, not been so very long ago that I was nearly starving.

I decided that if I stood next to him and watched him that perhaps he would notice me and get us something to eat, however he was far too engrossed in what he was doing. I touched his leg a few times and he smiled down at me, patted me on the head, and continued on with what he was doing. "Go play, Dracius."

I sighed and tried to play with the toys for a bit but I was far too hungry. My stomach was starting to hurt.

I went back to the chair and touched his leg again, whimpering, and he looked at me. "Go on, Dracius. We can play later; I'm busy."

I was starting to get very frustrated.

Finally, I tapped his leg. "Artos. Hun-gry," I said.

"Yes, Dracius, we will get something soon," he said absently then looked down at me in surprise. "What did you say?"

"Hungry," I repeated, trying to pronounce the word correctly, as I had heard them say it.

He just stared, stunned. "You can talk!"

Artos stared down at me in surprise for quite some time and I took a few steps back from him, lowering my head slightly, starting to feel anxious. Should I not have spoken? Was it something that only humans were supposed to do? But how else was I to tell him that I was hungry? I looked up at Artos uncertainly, my tail swishing gently.

"You can talk," Artos said softly, looking at me with an amazed expression. I ducked my head and chirred, still uncertain if I had done something wrong. Artos shook his head as if coming out of a day dream.

"That's amazing, Dracius!" He paused and looked at me. "You've done nothing wrong, Dracius, you're just fine," he said, trying to sooth me. "I'm just surprised; I had no idea you could speak." He continued to watch me. "You...spoke didn't you? It wasn't just in my head?"

He seemed to be waiting for me to respond. "Talk," I finally mustered.

"That's just," he broke off and shook his head. "I should get us some food; you said you were hungry. Stay put, I will be right back, okay?"

I said nothing and he left to get food for the both of us. I wandered around the room a little, wondering what had gotten into me that I had spoken and still a little worried that it was going to get me into some sort of trouble. He had seemed so surprised by it.

It has been asked of me several times as to why I had not spoken before. I really have no answer, save that I did not understand language that well and that there never seemed to be a reason to. It was just something that occurred; I really had little control over it.

At that time I had said very little in my native tongue as well and had anyone heard it they most likely would not have recognized it for what it was. Phaegus is utterly fascinated that I have a native language and yet no memories of ever hearing or learning it.

The door opened and Artos came in with a tray full of food. I lifted my head and sniffed involuntarily, my stomach growling. Artos sat the food down on the table and started to sit my plate down on the floor as he had done in the past and stopped. "It just doesn't seem right to put it down there anymore, Dracius. Would you like to sit at the table with me?"

I cocked my head, considering the chair for a moment, then walked over and carefully climbed into it. It was still too big for me and not entirely comfortable as there was no place to put my tail. Artos watched me, frowning, and I drew back a little wondering what I did wrong. "It's not you, Dracius, we just need to get you a chair with a place for your tail and wings and that will also put you at the right height. I will see what's available and if there's nothing that will work, I will have one made."

"Thank y-you?" I said, wondering if those were the right words.

"You're welcome, Dracius," Artos said, grinning at me.

We finished our food and I set about to grooming myself as I usually did. Artos watched for a moment. "Dracius, would you prefer to take a bath?"

I cocked my head. "Bath?" The word was not familiar to me.

"It's a tub of water that you wash in. You would probably find it easier to clean yourself."

The idea was confusing to me; I had always cleaned myself like this. Artos seemed to think his way to be better and though I was leery of it, I wanted to please him. "Yes."

"Okay then! We just need to take you down the hall to the private baths and you can wash up there."

I looked at the door with alarm. "No!"

He looked startled. "Why not? What's wrong?"

I just shook my head and backed away from the door. There were other humans out there, humans that would harm me if they saw me. Artos had surely kept me hidden for a reason.

"You're scared of going out aren't you?" Artos asked me softly and I nodded, looking at him with a pleading expression. He sighed. "Dracius, I won't let anyone hurt you, ever. I promise. I know people chased you before but they won't do that anymore, not here. Let me go and make sure there's no one in the baths and the hall is clear and then we can get you down unseen, ok?"

I trembled but nodded. One part of me longed to trust him, and I did trust him, but I'd been chased and scared away of places so many times it was very difficult. Could even Artos keep people from chasing me, from trying to hurt me? He seemed so strong and commanding and yet I couldn't quite bring myself to believe it.

After a moment he came back into the room. "Ok, Dracius, I checked and there's no one in there and the hall is clear. You'll be fine, no one will see you." I chirred nervously again and shook my head still not wanting to go out that door into the unknown. This place was safe. He sighed again. "Would you like it if I carried you?I could put part of my cloak over you like I did when we came in, though you're bit bigger now."

I looked at the door warily for a moment and then lifted my arms to Artos. He smiled and pulled me up into his arms and I immediately wrapped my tail around his waist and ducked my head against his shoulder, shivering. He patted me on the back between my wings and picked up his cloak from where it was hanging near the door, covering me with it. We were out the door and down the hall to the baths before I could even protest.

He sat me down and I called out quietly in my nervousness, looking around the room, rustling my wings. I drew closer to Artos, still fearing the unknown location. Looking around I could see a large pool that was steaming on the far end with steps leading down to the shallow end. The walls were covered in green colored tiles and windows sat high up on the walls allowed sunlight into the room, along with oil lamps that were set against the wall, currently unlit.

"Easy now, Dracius, you're fine," Artos said to me in a soothing litany that he had become his habit. "Come, lets get you into the bath so you can get yourself clean. I'll even bathe with you and help you if you like."

He carefully nudged me towards the water and I took a few hesitant steps towards it. I had only been in the water a few times, mostly to try to swim across creeks and small rivers to try to escape people chasing me and a few times in a lake to try to grab the fish. I looked up at Artos and he smiled down at me reassuringly.

A few more steps into the water and instinct took over. I swam out a short ways and then back to Artos, enjoying the feeling of the water flowing around me, the feeling of driving myself through the water with my tail and legs. I wondered at myself and why I had not trusted Artos in the first place. He laughed as I splashed about in the water, feeling carefree and happy for one of the only times in my life that I could remember.

"Come here, Dracius, lets get you cleaned up a bit," Artos called and I happily swam over to him. He held out a bar of soap and I took it curiously, uncertain of what it was. Sniffing at it, it smelled nice enough. I looked at Artos questioningly.

Artos has told me that he learned my body language and cues rapidly, though I would still surprise him in those early days. I still surprise him now and again, though he generally knows what I'm thinking and how I'm feeling by simply looking at me. I am fortunate that most cannot read me so easily.

"It's soap, Dracius, you use it to clean yourself," Artos said. "Dunk it in the water and rub it over yourself."

"Soap," I muttered, repeating the word to myself so I would remember it. I did as he told me, rubbing the soap over me and watching in amazement as a lather formed. Artos hesitantly reached out with a brush and started to gently scrub my hide which felt wonderful. I found myself utterly relaxing and thrumming in contentment. Artos laughed and set about to washing me, scratching in the spots that he had discovered that I liked.

"Ok, go rinse off, Dracius," Artos said, gesturing to the farther end of the pool. I rumbled in disappointment that he was finished but swam out and rinsed myself off as he requested. I swam back to the steps and climbed out. Artos stood there with a large towel to dry me off with and I was a little nervous at first with him wrapping it around me but soon discovered that I enjoyed the feeling of being dried as well.

It was quite something, feeling all of these new sensations, feeling someone else's touch upon me without ill intent.

Artos bundled me up and carried me down the hall to his rooms once more. He set me down next to the bed and I looked around warily for a moment before deciding that no one else had come into Artos' room.

"Well, do you like bathing, my friend?" Artos asked, smiling at me.

"Yes," I said in my halting way. It took some time before I became more fluid with the sounds of the human language. Even now I have an accent though most say that I am easily understood.

"Good! We can bath you as often as you like."

I flinched and looked up at him with misgiving. I enjoyed bathing very much but I still didn't want to be exposed so, going down the hall where anyone could see me. He frowned at my look. "What's wrong, Dracius?"

I mulled over how to tell him, but no words really came to me. I just whimpered softly and looked up at him. He sighed. "You're still frightened about going out of the room aren't you? Dracius, I promise you again that no one is going to try to hurt you here. You're safe with me, my friend."

"Yes, Artos," I said, wanting him not to worry and wondering why in the world I cared at the time. He grinned at me and scratched me behind the ears a little.

"I have to go attend to some things, Dracius. I'll be back later on with some food." I nodded, another thing that I had observed Artos do to agree with someone and he smiled again. "I'll be back soon."

That night I had one of my first nightmares.

As I have mentioned before, I dream very seldom or at least do not remember them. Phaegus actually had to explain the concept to me, outside of the nightmares I had never experienced a dream. I do, or did, have nightmares upon occasion. As you would expect, they are of being chased and caught or of my friends turning on me.

I will not describe them further. I beg you not ask.

I awoke, roaring in fear, struggling to escape. I felt a hand on me and lashed out in fear, my claws striking against something. Someone yelled in pain and I threw myself off the bed in desperation, trying to get to the closet.

"Dracius! Stop!" Artos yelled.

I froze, recognizing his voice. I looked around the room wildly until I saw him getting out of bed, holding his arm. I ran towards him, arms up, wanting to be picked up and protected and then froze at the sight of blood on his arm, blood drawn by my claws.

He was clutching his arm grimacing in pain and yet still looking down at me with concern. Even though I had harmed him he was still worried about me. I did not at all understand this or understand what I was to do.

"Easy, Dracius, you're just fine," he said soothingly.

"Hurt you," I said, barely able to get the words out. I started to shake.

"I'm fine, Dracius, you were just scared. I'm not hurt bad."

"Blood!"

"Yes, I'm bleeding, but it's not bad, Dracius. Please don't worry; it's nothing that a few bandages won't fix."

The sound of his voice, the gentle assurances, and the feel of his hand stroking my back calmed me. I leaned in towards him and closed my eyes, shuddering. Things probably would have been fine until the guards burst through the door.

Three guards burst through the door, one with sword drawn, the other with spears. Artos' head snapped around, looking at the guards in astonishment, unsettling me from where I was resting in his lap. I scrambled to the end of the oversized bed, looking at the guards in fright.

"What the hell? Get it!" the guard in the center shouted and the two armed with spears started towards me. I shrilled in fear and dove off the bed, hitting the ground and springing forward towards the closet door.

I grabbed the latch, pulling against it, and scrabbled my hind claws again the door, trying to gain purchase, to get the door open so I could hide myself away in the only place I knew.

"Stop!" Artos yelled, "Leave him alone!"

I managed to get the latch to open and started tugging frantically. The guards, heedless of Artos orders, advanced on me and I ducked back from the door as they cornered me between the wall and the doorway. My heart was pounding so hard that I thought it would burst from my chest.

I could never remember a time that I had been so frightened, not even when Artos and his men caught me, not even the time I was grazed by a crossbow bolt. I crouched down, ducking my head, trying to appear submissive, hoping that they would leave me alone.

"Damn you get away from him!" Artos roared. He stood and walked over, still holding his bleeding arm, and pushed his way between the guards and myself. I wanted to be closer to him but was unable to move in my terror. "Leave him be!"

"Lord Artos, what is it? You're bleeding! It attacked you!" one of the guards said and jabbed a spear in my direction. I squealed in fear and ducked my head behind my wing.

"It was an accident and things are fine, or they were until all of you barged in!" Artos said angrily. "You've about scared him to death! Stand down and get out of here, now!"

"But Lord Artos, your arm," the sergeant said, glaring at me.

"I told you it was an accident, now go!"

The guards looked nervously at each other and then at me, then both filed out. The sergeant looked as if he wanted to say something further but the look of fury on Artos face convince him otherwise. With one last glare at me, he left the room, shutting the door behind him.

I don't care to recall these times, but Artos, Phaegus, and others insist that it is important that I do so. They tell me that people need to know about me and my history. I am not convinced of this and it seems and invasion to continue, but Artos tells me that I should. I will try.

Even after the guards left I couldn't force myself to uncurl or take my head out from my wing. Artos was talking to me in a soft voice, trying to reassure me, but I could not move, could not think very well, my mind was overruled by the terror I had just suffered. I could tell that Artos was growing more upset by my fear, asking me if I was hurt, but I just could not move.

He carefully reached out and patted me on the back and I cried out, but something seemed to recede, my heart slowed, and the ability to think rationally started to come back. "Easy, Dracius, just rest; I'm going to bandage my arm and give you some space, okay my friend?" he said in a soothing voice.

I lowered my wing and watched him as he bandaged his arm, wondering at just how badly he was hurt, how bad I had hurt this person who seemed to care for me. Each time he grimaced in pain it hit me like a hammer blow. He finished and looked up at me and smiled. Even now I can remember my confusion at why he would smile at me after I had hurt him.

I finally stood and shook myself, shaking out my wings and refolding them to my back, and carefully approached him, looking at him sidelong as I approached, something I find myself doing when I am frightened. He smiled again and held out a hand to me, and I found myself putting my cheek into his hand. I have always done that with Artos and a few others. Artos looked surprised by the gesture, but carefully stroked my cheek anyway.

"Are you okay, Dracius?" I considered what to say and then simply nodded to him. He continued to pet me for a while. "Well my friend, it's still very early morning. I think perhaps we should get some more sleep. Would you like to lay down with me?

I looked at his arm for a long moment and then back up at him, still not able to shake what I had done. He patted me on the head. "It will be fine, Dracius. It was just a nightmare, that was all, and you lashed out in fear. It's not like you tried to hurt me on purpose."

I huffed a small sigh and nodded, then clambered up into the bed. Artos lay down at patted at the space beside him. I looked at it nervously for a moment. I had been sleeping down near his feet but now he wanted me closer? I patted again and I carefully crawled over and lay myself down.

"There you go, Dracius," he said gently. "Just sleep, my friend. We will get breakfast in the morning and things will seem better."

I nodded then yawned as he ran his hands over my head. Soon I was asleep.

I awoke that morning to find Artos gone which scared me a bit. Normally if he were to get up it would wake me immediately. That I had slept through it was unnerving. If he could get out of bed without waking me what would happen to me if one of those guards snuck in? Would I wake up or would I be killed before I could come to my senses? I pulled my mind away from those thoughts and climbed down from the bed.

I didn't have too much time to fret over where Artos had gone. He came back into the room carrying a platter full of bacon, sausage, bread, eggs, and other things that I had no names for. I was quite nearly drooling at the smell and walked over to him, ears perked, eyes wide. He grinned down at me. "Breakfast, Dracius!"

I smiled up at him. "Hungry!"

He laughed. "I'm sure you are. Here, hop on up and lets get you fed." He held out a hand to help me into the chair and I hesitated just briefly before taking it and letting him help pull me up. Artos made up a plate of food for me and handed it over, then watched in fasciation as I started to eat, snapping things up in my jaws, using my hands, and so on.

I noticed him watching and stopped but he smiled at me. "It's okay, Dracius. Though I think I'm going to have to teach you some table manners before having you eat with anyone else about."

I froze. "No."

"What do you mean, Dracius?"

"No others! No one! Hurt!"

"Dracius, not everyone wants to hurt you and I would never allow it anyway," he said, trying to calm me.

I shook my head, looking down. He wanted me to be with others and I wanted to please him, but I was so terrified of the thought.