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Zhaiothe Act 6 - Exodus ** **By Dexdor

Chapter 0

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"I'm tried, Tong... Let's just get some sleep." Zhai said. And the old shelter went silent. Angry was the storm outside, and did its best to pelt the small building with what little force it had. Aside from the storm, and the sounds of Tong getting comfortable on the other side of the room, the small dragon got what he hoped for within the settlement. But not what he'd hope for within his heart.

Zhaiothe just finished telling Tong of his past. And as he predicted, the red one was having a very hard time to sleep and settle down. His mind kept racing within the emotions he'd dealt with for so long in the darkness, and the weight over his heart never seemed to lift.

"Then that means he doesn't blame you for what happened." Tong's reply to Zhai's long story kept echoing in the dragons mind. It was something he couldn't believe, even though it was what he'd hoped for, to a degree. "You're too hard on yourself." (Am I? I can't possibly see that... But even Bartan...) His thoughts drifted from one area to another. From pieces to Zhai's story, to Tong's opinion of the things the dragon had done wrong.

Eventually, it was too much for the little one. He got up, and walked out into the storm. The guilt getting the better of him. (...If he won't leave me, then maybe I have no choice but to leave him instead. I don't deserve...) A heavy sigh came from his muzzle, something he could barely hear over the rain.

"And where do you think you're going?" Zhai looked up toward the road that the two were traveling, to find the ghost of his mate laying down on it. Zhai lowered his head, ashamed of what he'd done to the one he cherished most within this world. "Come here." Khol invited him.

Zhai still hesitated, feeling undeserving of such a thing, until Khol called to him again. He slowly came toward the much larger silver dragon, and Khol did his best to shelter him from the rain. However, it did no good. The larger dragon then gave the smaller one a lick, one that Zhaiothe could feel well. "...Khol...?" The silver one tilted his head, ears perking up a bit. "Do... Do you blame me...?"

The silver one smiled at him. "Of course not." Khol did his best to embrace the smaller one, without being able to move the world that surrounded his mate. "It was never your fault Zhai."

"But... It was me who..." The rain hid the smaller dragon's tears well. But his expression...

"You were being manipulated. It wasn't your fault. Even then, you would have never destroyed your lands if that didn't happen. I guess that's what Bartan meant by a Butterfly Effect." The smaller dragon looked at him, his Amber eyes getting a bit red. "I overheard you telling the story. And I heard what Tong had to say about it." Zhai's head sunk again, and the sliver one caught it with a paw, lifting it gently back to his soft, sapphire eyes. "No matter how you really feel about it, this wasn't your fault, Zhaiothe. And you know that even if it was, I will always forgive you." Even with a smile, Khol couldn't hide his tears. "But Tong is right. You need to forgive yourself for what happened back then. Leave the past in the past, and find your future... Our future."

Zhai put a paw on Khol's held up arm. He sighed deeply and gave the silver one a nod. Not even hearing Tong call out to him. "I'll... Try." And it made Khol's smile grow a bit. He gave him another lick, and once again, tried to shelter him. Something warm came from Khol and Zhai. And for a brief moment, it felt like the rain had stopped.

Khol whispered in Zhai's ear. "You've told me before... My tears don't fall... We've been here before... They crash around you..." Tong grabbed Zhai out of Khol's embrace. Unable to fight against it, Khol was forced to let go of him, and watched as his mate was oddly dragged back into the shelter. It made the silver one smile, knowing that Tong couldn't see him. "But it's the same for me as well, Zhaiothe... Your tears crash around me too..."

Chapter 1

The bright sun woke up Tong and the dragon sleeping to his side. Between them was a very damp blanket Tong used to cover the smaller dragon up, to prevent him catching a cold. The dragon grumbled something Tong couldn't understand, and attempted to paw his way to his feet, tangled in the wet cloth.

Tong got up, and started getting dressed. While Zhai lazily tried to go back to sleep. "I'm going out to get some breakfast for us." Tong looked at the red dragon, and said quite sternly. To him, the smaller one attempted to run out on him during the night. "I want you to stay here. Understand? I'll be back soon." Another series of grumbles came from the dragon that Tong couldn't understand. But he seen a Nod from Zhaiothe. "I'll take that as a yes then."

Tong gathered a few things and headed for the door. He opened it, and took one last look at his depressed friend. The dragon was curled up on the bed, and facing away from him. Tong took a deep breath, and closed the door behind him.

The weather was much better than it was last night. Even though the heavy amount of rain made the grounds rather soggy, the morning felt very cool and welcoming. Tong headed out into the forest, still uneasy about leaving the dragon alone.

The woods were very wet, and quite noisy. Many of the animals, especially birds, have come to get a feastful breakfast from the insects whom have recently been forced out of their homes. But birds hardly made a decent meal. Tong had to end up going quite deep into the forest to find something worthy to start their day.

Silently walking through the woods with his bow ready, Tong carefully studied his surroundings. When he spotted a rabbit hiding under a log, he took a silent breath, and aimed his shot. "I do detest such areas." The voice behind Tong startled both him and the rabbit. Tong spun around and aimed at a human that wasn't there before.

The man was wearing a fancy, white leather suit, and hardly dressed for such an area. Tong sighed at the guy, almost angrily, and withdrew his knotted arrow. "What are you doing here?"

"Is that any way to greet a colleague?" After Tong's unimpressed expression, the man scuffed. "I guess so. I'm just here to inform you that I'll be waiting in the next town, in the tavern. I understand that you've gotten him to speak, yes?"

"I have, but-"

"I'll grab the details there. I'd rather discuss them somewhere... Cleaner." The man turned around, his long black hair gave an unearthly shimmer against the shade of the tree he was next to. "Try not to make me wait too long." And the man was gone. Tong gave a heavy sigh. And proceeded to hunt again.

After getting a small buck, Tong stored the meat, and headed back to the shelter. When he opened the door, the bed they were in was empty. "Damnit. Red!" He called outside, only to hear a large thump under the bed, followed by a small whimper. As well as a few draconic cursewords.

"Why?" The red dragon hissed while rubbing the top of his head. He crawled back onto the bed.

"Sorry, I thought you... Tried to leave again." Tong relaxed, and began to prepare their breakfast.

"You told me to stay here, and I did." Zhai snorted. Still not very fond of the sun's light coming from the window.

"I was just worried about you. Do you remember taking off during the night?"

The red one sighed, and there was a hint of guilt in his eyes. "I wasn't..." He trailed off.

"You're in a bad state of mind, Little Red. I'm just concerned for you." Tong stated.

(Concerned...) The term echoed in his head. "I... Don't want to be a burden to you, Tong. And... I can't imagine what you think of me. Not after..."

"We've been over this, Red. You know how I feel, and that's why I don't want you to take off." He handed the small dragon a bowl with some of the meat inside. He gave Tong a small nod in thanks, but still couldn't look at him. "Burden is an odd choice of words as well. Is that what you really think? That you're somehow pestering me?"

"No one should need to listen to the regrets of an old king." Zhai sighed, and lit his meat strips on fire.

"I can only assume that I'm the first one you've told it to, right?" The dragon nodded. "Well, that's a good first step into recovery then." Tong smiled at him. "But I don't think any less of you, Zhai. If anything, I think more of you. That pain you feel means something. If it wasn't there, then I would be more concerned. But you can't let it take over your life."

The red one remained quiet, and so did Tong. After their meals, they packed up, and headed for the next town to the east: Tedwan. The roads were still quite wet, but they seemed to dry up pretty quickly once they started moving. It's possible the storm headed another direction after the shelter was hit.

Tong was still a bit worried about the path. More from the constant threats of Goblins and Kobolds that inhabited this area. Even though it was best to stay quiet while traveling through here, it was better to keep Zhaiothe's head from wandering too much by itself. The two made meaningless conversation, and soon enough, it lightened up Zhai's mood. However, Tong did notice that Zhai kept facing to his right, within empty space and scenery alot. "Is everything okay?" Tong ended up asking.

"Yeah. The landscape just brings back memories. It honestly looks rather... familiar." The dragon replied. "I swear I've looked at it before, but I just can't place it."

"Perhaps it's just a point of view?"

"Maybe. Either way, could we take a small break?" And Zhai started to head toward a boulder.

"What for?"

"I need to take a piss." The red one said bluntly. As he went around the corner, Zhai was surprised to see a couple of Kobolds, waiting to ambush travelers. A series of yelps and draconic phrases were uttered into the air, and Tong reached for his bow.

Several kobolds came out from cover armed with crude spears and small shields. They stood about maybe 3 1/2 - 4 feet tall, but usually were dangerous in large numbers. "What are they saying, Little Red?"

The dragon's spines flared up. "They're welcoming us into their lands at spearpoint. What do you think they're saying!?" Zhai hissed.

"Think you can speak with them?"

"Did I not mention that I was terrible with people?" Tong gave the dragon a glare, and Zhai tossed his snout. "Fine. I'll give it a shot." He took a step forward, and spoke in draconic. "What is the meaning of this?"

The kobolds chattered at each other for a bit, and one of them spoke up from the back. "Give us your shinies!" Zhai's ears went back in disamusment.

"What did they say?" Tong asked, still aiming at them.

"They want your shinies."

"Shinies?" And the dragon's wings shrugged at Tong's reply.

Zhai turned to them, once again in draconic. "This is what you're going to do. You're going to let us pass, and we'll let you live." He tried to look his most intimidating, spreading his wings, and keeping his head high.

The kobolds chattered amongst themselves again. "You will give us your shinies, then you may pass. These grounds are blessed by our-"

"Of course these grounds are blessed. I'm walking on them!" Zhai said, tossing his snout. He gave a heavy sigh, and a low whisper "Are you sure that will even work? ...Alright."

Tong still stayed focused on them, while trying to make out the conversation they were having. Eventually, the Kobolds began to slow lower their spears, while Zhaiothe made a long speech. A couple of replies came from the kobold speaker, with a few nods of agreement from the others. Eventually, Zhai ended up laying on his belly for comfort while speaking, and Tong took that as if they were no longer going to be hostile. He withdrew his shot for the time being.

The Kobolds seemed to agree with whatever Zhaiothe told them, and withdrew back into the forests. Tong studied the small dragon for a few moments, until the dragon's ears went back. "What?" the red one said.

"What on earth did you say to them?"

"I told them that they were better off becoming villagers, rather than thieves and bandits. That they should stick together, make reliable shelters, and start new lives away from stealing. Mostly because it's an unreliable source of getting by in tough times, and it turns them into enemies of just about everyone. Including themselves. They should stop doing such things, even if their 'Master' demands it, and become something much better." Tong stared at him in silence, studying him again. "What!?" Zhai hissed at him.

"That... Sounds like something Silverthorn would say."

"Probably. I only lived with him for a few hundred years." The dragon tossed his head again, and went off into the woods.

"Where are you going?"

"I still need to piss. Or do I need your permission to do that, Owner?" Tong just shook his head, smiling at him.

"I guess not. But try not to take too long. Oh, and Red?"

"Yeah?"

"Good job."

"Yeah, yeah..." Zhai relieved himself, snorting. When coming out of the woods, he gave a small nod to Khol, who was just smiling at him. He muttered "Thank you" in draconic under his breath, and the two headed to Tedwan.

The rest of the path caused them no more trouble, and they ended up reaching it before the afternoon. "Thank the Gods. I'm beat..." Zhai said, stretching as they walked through the gates. "Please tell me we're staying here tonight."

"That's what I was planning. Let's grab a room from the tavern before they're all booked. You can turn in a bit early if you like." Tong suggested. Leading the direction.

"That sounds good. I want to get something to eat first though." The dragon said. Licking his muzzle, and fluttering his restless wings. "I might want to take a short flight." Tong gave him a worried look. "Just around the town. It feels like it's been ages since I've felt good enough to fly. And well... Reflecting on my past made me realize how much I've... Missed it."

Tong gave him a heavy sigh. "I just don't want you running away-"

"I won't. I don't have anywhere to go anyway, Tong." Zhai couldn't look at Tong's face when he said that. "If you really don't trust me... It's alright. I don't have to."

A frown covered Tong's face. "It's not that I don't trust you..." Another sigh. "Alright. You can fly around a bit while I handle the rooms. Will that do?" The dragon gave a nod, with a faint smile on his face. (Sometimes, I wonder if his instincts are the age of his body or his soul.) Tong thought. "That's the building we'll be staying in. Meet me inside when you're tuckered out, and I'll have a meal prepared for you." Tong gave him a smile.

"Thank you." And the wyrmling took off.

The Tavern wasn't very busy, and the first thing Tong looked for was the man in white he met that morning. With no sign of him, Tong got a room, a meal for himself, and let the waitress know that the red dragon would order what he would like. Tong then took a seat in a booth while he waited for his meal to be prepared. With a small glance outside the window, the man in white suddenly sat on the other side of the booth. "You're late." He stated, unimpressed, with a cup of some tea in his hands.

"We got stopped by some Kobolds along the way." Tong said. Still half looking at the skies, seeing if he could see Zhai flying about. Every once in a while, he could catch the blur of red.

"Ah, yes. Those little mongrels. Pests, really. They insist in following the most powerful being they can find, and worship it like a god. Completely neglecting their true creator to begin with." Tong raised an eyebrow at him. "Regardless, I haven't come here to talk about species and their incompetence. You've heard his tale, no? Did you find what we asked for?"

Tong looked around. "Yes, and no. He was with a Silver dragon, but he never asked about his past. Let alone what he did and did not witness. The old king doesn't know anything."

"Or he does, and he didn't tell you." The man took a sip out of his cup.

"Don't you think you're being paranoid, Ortel?" Ortel scuffed at Tong's comment. "But I did what you needed from me. Now what about my side of the deal?"

Ortel set his cup down once again, keeping his eyes closed. "Very well, your mother will remain in Heaven... For now." Tong's face went cross. "But I want you to keep pressuring him. See if you can squeeze it out of him. We have reason to believe that this silver dragon was the one with Ziikrhi'd. Long before his demise, he made a little doll from one of his own spines."

"And you think that it's Khol?" Ortel looked at Tong. "The silver dragon that this King was with."

Zhai entered the room, and Tong gave him a small wave. The dragon went to a bar stool, and began talking to the waitress. Meanwhile, Ortel replied. "It's the closest thing we've got. One of Galore's subordinates claimed there was a smaller version of Ziikrhi'd that was often with him. After his self-execution, that being disappeared. It's possible that it just faded away. But if it did witness the creation of Ziikrhi'd's children, then it's possible it may know how to kill them."

"Well, I'm not sure what to tell you, sir. There's been no evidence to support that the King knows of such things. This Silver Dragon came from the far north. It was mortal, needing to eat, drink, sleep, everything a normal dragon needed to do. It even died by normal means. So if you claim that it was somehow an Immortal that has been hiding out for 400 years, I'm afraid that you're out of luck. That little red one doesn't know anything."

Ortel let out an angry sigh. "Very well. But I'll be in touch."

"Can I ask why it's so important? You're a servant of the Gods, why not just fix it?"

"First of all, I'm a servant of the Force of Reality. Not one of the pitiful Gods. Second, I can't let her know about this. It was a hiccup that was left unattended, and it will remain so until I can fix it by normal means. Authorizing such a change will have drastic backlashes, and cannot go unnoticed." Another sip out of his cup. "Not that she would want to communicate with a mortal, but don't say anything. If you do, the floor under your mother might just give out." Tong's face went cross again. "Oh, reminds me. I have a small job for you. It seems those mongrels have begun digging a sacred artifact just northeast of here. I want you to put a stop to them, and make sure it stays buried. I'll be sure to pay you well when I see you again." A heavy sigh came from Tong, and he nodded in agreement. "That's a good little puppet." And Ortel got up to leave.

Tong finished his meal in the booth. Still worried about his mother being in the middle of all this, he gathered up his strength, and returned with Zhai. The little dragon went through 3 plates of food, to Tong's surprise, and was working on a fourth. "Get enough to eat?" Tong chuckled at him.

"Almost. I've felt very hungry lately. Think I'm finally getting my appetite back." Zhai gave a smirk. "Children are amazing cooks. You have enough to pay for it, I hope." And he went back to eating.

"Don't worry about that. I still have plenty for us. Speaking of which, I got us another job."

"I got a small one too. Apparently there's been a few bandit attacks near the town, they're looking for a few more guards for nights. I told Leasli here I would tend a shift." Tong gave him that worried look again. "I'm fine Tong. It's for them anyway. It's gotta count for something, right?"

"Not if you're getting paid for it."

"I'm not getting paid_for it. I'm getting _rewarded. There's a difference." Zhai held his head high, with a large smile on his face. "I don't need the money anyway, so I can just get the Karma instead." Leasli gave Zhai an odd look. "Long story. Basically doing it for nothing." She nodded at him.

Tong sighed, and shook his head. "Are you sure about this? I might need you for this job of mine."

"I'll get a few hours of sleep in the morning, and I'll be fine. Especially after I sleep all this off."

Tong shrugged. "Alright, but if you get hungover, don't say I didn't warn you."

"Deal." And Zhai resumed eating.

After a hearty meal, and sleeping the entire afternoon away, Zhai got up to keep watch for the town. Which basically meant to him: 'Pick the highest spot he could lay comfortly, and keep an eye on both roads.' That place ended up being at the top of a small church. It was exciting at first, with the cool air reviving his sleepy mind, but soon enough, the dragon found himself quite bored. He let out a loud sigh. "Just as well, I guess. It's better that nothing happens to the town."

"Yes. Even though that might bore you." Khol's voice came beside Zhai. But this time, he didn't flinch. Instead, just leaned into his mate, who really shouldn't be able to lay on the building without it caving in. "No dramatic jumping or yelping anymore? You're no fun." Khol pushed him with his muzzle a bit.

Zhai tossed his snout and let out this low, overdramatic howl to amuse Khol, and it worked. "Happy?" Khol gave a chuckle. "Good." The red one gave the silver a lick. "Thanks for today, by the way."

"It was all you." Khol smiled at him.

"But it was your words, just coming out of my mouth."

"You still did the performance. That's gotta count for at least half." Khol squeezed the wyrmling a bit with his muzzle and bicep. "You did a good thing for them Zhai."

"It doesn't really feel like much. I mean, I just told them to get on with their lives. Do something different. That's it."

"But you have to realize that they are slaves, even to themselves. You know, Kobolds often look up to dragons to idolize and worship. They see them as Gods-"

"We might as well be." Zhai interrupted, looking proud and giving a smug smile.

"Besides that wonderful point. My point is: they often don't know enough to think outside the box, to think for themselves. They do have a hard time to come up with ideas on their own."

"So, what you're saying is that I just told them to go learn how to build shelters, make fields to farm, blankets and gear to wear and keep warm from the cold. When they really don't know how to do any of that?"

"They know a bit more than you think. They will be fine. And if one small group can make it, and really see how well they can do, perhaps... Maybe more will follow. Every long journey begins with one step." Khol said, still smiling at him. Zhai returned the smile, and gave him a lick.

"I'll take your word for it." And Zhai just enjoyed Khol's presence for a bit, staring into his eyes. "Gods I've missed you."

"I know you have. I have missed you as well... How... Are you feeling, lately?"

Zhai's head went back a bit, and really didn't know how to answer that question. "A bit tied down. But I assume it's for the best."

"I was going for: tired, hungry, worn out. But Let's go with this. What do you mean Tied Down?" Khol perked his ears up a bit.

Zhai slumped his shoulders and wings a bit. "I don't know. It feels like Tong has me on a tight leash lately. He's always worried about me getting away from him."

"Should he be?" Zhai's neck curled to an S when he looked at his mate, but thought about it for a moment. (Maybe the answer really isn't so simple...) Zhai thought to himself. "I think that look answers me." Khol smiled sadly to him, and pulled Zhai closer to his chest. "You have to realize that you've just told a friend a very long, and tragic story. One that ended with you saying you ran away and... Well... Tried to end." Khol winced, finding no easy way to describe the ending to such a horrible story. "And you also have to realize that often enough: the answer you've naturally came up with when you were not happy was to run away from it."

"Like when?" Zhai felt a little insulted by that.

"Remember your hatchplace? You were unhappy, so you ran away. Remember when I was gone? You were unhappy. Remember when you... First tried, and failed? Again; you ran away. It's just a pattern Tong followed. And well... I would've made the same conclusion." Khol gave the wyrmling a lick. "He's just worried about you, Zhai. And he has a reason to be. Especially since after you told him, you..."

"I... You're right..." Zhai gave a deep sigh. "They were all for different reasons though."

"But very similar, at the same time." Another nuzzle from Khol. "But you're strong, Zhai. You'll be okay this time."

"I'm only strong because you're with me, Khol." Zhai returned the nuzzle.

"Now, about my earlier question." Zhai tilted his head at his mate, perking his ears a bit. "How do you feel?"

"A bit hungrier lately. Maybe a bit more tired. Why?"

"I'm just thinking that my... 'weight' might have a physical impact on you." Khol said, a bit of worry shone in his eyes.

"I'm fine, Khol. I've just been a bit... Stressed, I think. It's nothing to worry about. Even if I have to sleep a bit longer, or eat a bit more, you're worth it." Zhai smiled at him.

"Okay, but I don't want you to get too comfortable with eating six plates of dinner. I don't want you getting fat on me again."

"First of all, it was only four plates. And second, I've never been fat." The wyrmling tossed his nose to the air.

"Oh? Remember that time I filled you? You got that bloated belly?" Khol teased. But at the exact same time, both dragons went very silent. Then turned purple in the ears and nostrils.

"...Were you just thinking what I...?" Zhai asked, without looking at Khol.

"...Depends."

"Are you actually able to? I mean... like this?"

Khol tilted his head, pondering. "I'm not sure." Then smiled at his mate. "Want to find out?"

"I really shouldn't on duty like this, but... I am way too curious and turned on. However, I am not taking you in any end." That made Khol chuckle, as he turned onto his back. Zhai climbed onto his mate, a bit surprised he was able to step on Khol, and licked his sheath a bit. It still tasted sweet and warm to him, just like it always did.

As Zhai lapped at his mate, a bit roughly to make up for his lack of strength from before. But not enough to do any harm to him. Khol's sheath started to swell early. He began to strongly stroke the red one's back, as Zhai focused on his long lost mate.

At the first signs of Khol's tool peaking, Zhai squeezed his tongue in the sheath. The sudden penetration made Khol gasp, and breathe loudly. His tool started to rapidly grow into Zhai's muzzle. It still tasted like it did in his memories, perhaps a bit sweeter, and Zhai savored every moment that he could hold it inside. But soon enough, it became too big for the wyrmling's muzzle to hold. Instead, he began lapping at it once again with his tongue.

Khol didn't complain, and like Zhai, was just trying to enjoy every moment of a new memory. Although, instinctively reaching for Zhai's mating parts, he was reminding that his age was still not mature enough. It made him a little sad how he was not the mature adult Khol fell in love with physically. But with enough time, he would be able to make Zhai 'See the Stars' as well.

Once again, Khol's thoughts were interrupted by Zhai's actions. Teasing and playing around with his ridges, causing the larger silver dragon to thrust a bit. Zhai had to resort to really using his paws and teeth to get a reaction out of Khol. But being cautious in not wounding him. He played roughly with Khol's spines and tip, occasionally going down for the ridges.

Every once in a while, Zhai would force himself out of his emersion and scout the roads quickly. When he seen nothing, he resumed his attention to his mate. Keeping his larger partner constantly stroked heavily, Khol's tool started to pulse. Eventually, Zhai got squirted by a bit of Khol's pre, causing him to yelp softly in surprise. He licked the pre, and it tasted so real to him. The entire thing felt so surreal, Zhai often questioned if he was still dreaming or not.

Meanwhile, Khol was lost in the sea of pleasure given by his mate. His breaths constantly became heavier and louder. Khol even started to thrust more and more, toward the wyrmling that laid on his belly. A sudden large wave caused by the sensitive ridges of his penis drove Khol contain a roar, and begin purring. The constant vibrations tickled Zhai a bit, and he couldn't hold back a smile.

Another large wave got the better of Khol once again, but he did his best to keep it inside. Not that anyone but Zhai was able to hear him, it was the idea of the thing. Over and over, Khol felt himself getting closer to another load of pre. He could even feel his Tool growing more and more with every stroke of the red one's paws. The next one pushed him too far, and Khol arched back letting out a loud roar.

The roar echoed throughout the town, and even caused the building they were on top of to shake for a moment. Suddenly, a large wave of fatigue washed over Zhai, causing him to start catching his breath. Several voices of the townsfolk started speaking to each other, trying to find out where the noise came from. Khol and Zhai didn't move for a few moments, hoping that the building wouldn't collapse suddenly.

Khol caught his breath, but lost his mood and rhythm. "Are you okay?" He asked Zhai. The wyrmling was trying to shake his head out of the sudden dizziness he felt. Seeing if he could gather his strength to keep going, to please his lost mate. He started to knit at Khol's slightly erect tool at first. "It's alright Zhai. We shouldn't go any further. Not until we understand this a bit more."

Zhaiothe sighed. But nodded in agreement. "I'm sorry. I don't know what happened."

"Neither do I, but it's not something we should worry about right now. Your health comes first. Are you still tired?" Khol asked, starting to get up.

"It feels like all my energy was suddenly drained."

Khol frowned at him. "Get some rest. I'll keep watch for you, okay?" The red one didn't like the feeling of being helpless and warn out, but he once again agreed with Khol. The silver one curled up next to him, to keep him warm against the cold midnight mountain air. And before long, the wyrmling was asleep.

As worried as he was about what just happened, Khol couldn't help but smile at him. Even though no climax was reached, he really enjoyed the session the two had. Gods how he missed him. Even in Lothranis, Khol was with a Zhaiothe, but there was something off about it all. It seemed so... Scripted. Predictable. Almost Fake. It was the one reason why he wanted to leave Lothranis and find his original mate once again.

And now he had. But he was worried about what toll he would bring to him. What weight that he put on his now much weaker mate. Some parts of him wished he could release that curse. And get back the much larger, stronger, Mountain of a Dragon he fell in love with. This curse seemed to make him so frail, it saddened Khol. He felt so guilty for having to put his mate through all this. For having to make Zhai suffer so much, and for so long just to be united with him once again. It ate away at Khol's conscience.

(Somehow, I'll fix this.) Khol thought. (Somehow I'll make up for what I've done to you, Zhai. Somehow I'll find a way for you to forgive me for everything I've put you through...) He embraced the wyrmling tightly, while it grumbled something. Khol's smile returned once again. (Perhaps this is for the best. You've taken care of me for so long. Now, once again, I can take care of you. I'll be the one that shields you from danger and threats that are not from this world.) And Khol's frown returned. He'd known Zhai for several hundred years, and he's yet to tell him that Khol was an Immortal. That he'd witnessed the birth of two Gods, at the cost of his former lover. "Perhaps it's time that I told you..." Khol whispered out loud. "But not here. When we're completely alone, I'll let you know my secrets."

Chapter 2

"Zhai? Zhai, wake up." Khol nudged the little wyrmling that laid between his arms. It grumbled something incomprehensible, and Khol smiled at him. After a few licks, the red one squirmed awake, groaning. "It's morning. It's time for you to get up, at least for a bit." Another series of grumbles. "You're shift is almost over, but you should be awake enough to at least tell them that."

After a few more nudges, Zhai started to open his eyes. The morning was still very dark, but it was lighting up slowly. the wyrmling's eyes focused on the two blue circles that was near him, only to make out Khol's eyes. Zhai smiled at them, and licked the muzzle that drove him to consciousness. "How long was I out?" he muttered.

Khol smiled at him again, just now deciphering what his mate said. "For several hours. But nothing happened. Don't worry." He began petting the wyrmling, getting him out of his more comfortable state, and therefore more awake. "Come on. Get up for a bit. Walk around me a few times so you get awake faster."

The red dragon stretched for a few minutes. Yawned several times, and shake himself awake enough to begin slow laps around his much larger mate. "I still feel tried."

"That's because you've just woke up. After you tell them about your shift, you can sleep for the rest of the day."

Zhai shook himself again, fluttering his wings a bit. "I'm not sure about the whole day. I know Tong said he found another job."

"Did he? What about?"

"I never got any details about it. Is there anything I should know about last night?" The wyrmling returned to his mate's snout. Leaning into his body once again.

"Other than the roar I slipped out that somehow nearly brought the church we're on down... Nothing. That's about the only thing that was interesting." Khol found Zhai staring at a mountain far off into the distance. It was a very large one, across a river that seemed to run along the base of it. "Zhai? Is everything okay?"

"Y-yeah." He shook his head again. "That mountain... Just looks familiar in that light." Khol looked at it for a moment as well, but nothing special stood out about it.

The silver one shrugged his wings. "Perhaps you flew by it. You came from this direction, didn't you?"

"Maybe. It was so long ago, I really didn't pay too much attention."

"So, what are you going to tell them about last night?"

The wyrmling yawned again, snapping his jaws a few times. "Probably the truth."

"The truth?" Khol curled his neck into an S, with a smile on his face. "So you're going to tell them that you gave a pawjob to your ghostly mate and nearly made them collapse the town's church?" He purred at the wyrmling.

"Perhaps not that detailed. But more it was a roar that came from our direction. I'll figure something out." Zhai gave him a smile, and a few licks. Khol returned them too. "Thank you, for staying out with me."

Khol smiled brightly at him. "You're very welcome. Let's do it again soon." He gave the smaller one a tight embrace, causing the wyrmling to squeak a bit and laugh. "Alright, go on, or else we're going to continue what we started last night."

"I would love that." The red one purred. "But I don't think I have the energy." With one last hug, the red one took off back to the tavern.

The mornings were quiet inside the building. Leasli was just starting her morning shift. "How was your night?" She asked Zhai, and he walked toward the bar.

Jumping on one of the stools, he shook his head once again. "Boring. Very boring. But I suppose it's for the better."

"Here I was sure you would've went to sleep during the night. You do look rather tired." She tended to some dishes that were nearby.

"I am, but I'll manage." The dragon yawned again.

"So, what happened last night?"

"Nothing exciting."

"Really? You didn't hear that roar?"

Zhai's ears started to turn purple. "Ah... Yes... That. That was... Me."

"Oh? I thought it sounded like something much... Bigger." She chuckled.

The dragon's ears went back. "I'm bigger than you think I am. But yes. My apologies if it disturbed you or your townsfolk."

"So you just decided to make the night interesting by roaring randomly though the night?"

"Believe me, all you really need to know is that it was me. Other details might... Well, make you uncomfortable."

Leasli chuckled again. "Okay, now I've got to know." She stopped what she was doing and intently looked at the red dragon.

Zhai tossed his head. "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you. As I said, it was a boring night. And well, my head began to drift after a few hours in. I began thinking about my Mate-"

"Your mate? Aren't you a little young to have a female already?" She teased him.

"How old do you think I am?" The dragon asked, curling his neck to an S. When he got no reply, he continued. "Anyway, I began thinking about... Her. And in many different ways. And well... Proceeded to... Tend to myself." Leasli covered her mouth trying to hide the large smile and laughter that crept up. "If you wish for me to go into details, I shall." After a motion of 'no thanks', Zhai proceeded. "Alright then. Let's just say, I got engaged into it. To the point where I couldn't hold back the roar." Her laughter made the dragon smile.

"Okay, that's not what I expected to hear first thing in the morning, but I'm glad that it wasn't anything serious. But about those details..." She leaned in closely.

"Please don't get him started." Tong said, coming down the large stairway from his room. "Because he will give you stories."

"Oh please. You enjoyed them, admit it." The wyrmling teased him. "But it's a good thing you're up."

"Why's that, Little Red?"

"Because I'm stealing your room for a few hours." Zhai headed up the stairs. "Good night."

"Good morning." Leasli teased him. And then she turned to Tong. "Is what your friend said true? Does he actually...?"

"Yes, and quite often too. I'm surprised he's not empty really." Tong smiled at the dragon's direction.

"I think it's cute that he found someone when he's so young."

"Ah, yes. Silverthorn was quite the mate for him, by the sounds of it." She gave Tong a shocked look at the past tense of that sentence. "Sadly, she's gone."

"Really? When he's just a wyrmling?"

"You seem to know your dragons well." Tong said, trying to change the subject a bit.

"They're just a small interest of mine. There used to be a friendly nest around here, but they've migrated south for a few years. I knew their children well, I used to play with them as a kid."

"Mmm. But that one there's a bit... Different. You've heard of the Crimson King, right?"

Leasli rolled her eyes while she began working again. Only to find that Tong wasn't joking. "You're kidding, aren't you? It's just a silly story."

He shook his head. "He's been aging backwards. Makes a bit more sense now, doesn't it?" She looked into space for thought. "He's been through alot. But he's somehow still alive. Trying to get back to where he was."

"But in the stories, his mate flew away. She didn't die."

"He's been alive for nearly 1100 years. They were about 600 when he was cursed. Dragons can live to be over a thousand, but... It's unlikely. He's been searching for her for a while, but he's pretty sure she's..." Tong frowned a bit. "I've just been helping him out."

"Is that why you're together? Why did you help him?"

Tong shrugged. "Because I'm the only one who would, according to him. I don't mind the company, but I'll tell you this: dragons are quite the perverts." He chuckled. "They're extremely opened, and will talk for years about their sex lives. In great detail at that."

"That explains his explanation, and his lack of whispering it." She laughed. "What can I get you this morning?"

After looking timid at the menu, Tong ordered his breakfast without it. He spent a few hours in town while he waited for Zhaiothe to wake up. And when they were both well fed and ready, they headed to the Northeast.

"So, what's this job?" Zhai asked, walking along Tong's right side. The forest path wasn't well warn, and was almost entirely uphill. The grounds were still rather soft, but a bit cold to the touch on the dragon's pads.

"Apparently Kobolds are digging up some artifact that shouldn't be touched. We're supposed to stop them and keep it buried." Tong gave a silent sigh. "I'm not going to lie, Little Red. You might not be able to talk them out of this one."

"Why do you say that? Are they possessed or something?"

"You could say that. I have the feeling that they think it's sacred, and they have very strong beliefs toward it. To the point they will probably... Die trying to defend it." Tong's words morphed into whispers of remorse.

The dragon looked at him, a bit worried. "Tong, are you asking me to kill them?" Tong didn't answer. "Alright. I just hope the pay is good. Just how powerful is this artifact?"

"I'm not sure. All I know is that we're supposed to bury it. If my client's information is right, then things might get really bad if the Kobolds learn how to use it."

"Last thing we need is more good people getting hurt." Zhai said. To Tong, his words sounded very sincere.

(Perhaps he really is trying to change for the better.) Tong thought. Which only meant what Ortel wanted him to do much harder. The half-orc didn't want to constantly remind the dragon of his lost mate, but he needed to make sure. "Little Red?" Zhai looked at him, ears lifting up a bit. "Something's been itching at me lately. About Khol." The red one tilted his head. "Are you sure he's never told you... Anything else?"

"About what exactly?"

"Where he came from." The dragon's head retreated a bit. Then he shook it side to side.

"Why? Does he sound like something you've heard of?"

"Not quite. I was... talking to Leasli, at the Tavern. She took an interest in dragons, but never heard of a Silver one."

Zhai's neck curled to an S. "What exactly did you tell her?"

"Just that she was Silver. And remained a female gender. Nothing else. Maybe the frost breath." Tong rubbed the back of his neck. "I was just thinking about that conversation you overheard with Bartan. That maybe... His previous home was somehow involved."

The dragon took a heavy breath, and his ears lowered. "I don't know any more. I never wanted to remind him of what he escaped from. It was painful to Khol, I could see it. And... I didn't want him to feel hurt."

"It's alright. Sorry." Tong remained quiet for a bit. (Maybe he really doesn't know. Ortel must just be paranoid or desperate.)

The two made it to a large opened area. They stood at the top of a small hill that seemed to overlook a large dig site. The grounds must've been nearly ten feet below ground level, and nearly a fifty by fifty feet area. Kobolds seemed to scurry inside the large hole, mostly focusing on the southeast area.

From the hill, the two could see what they've been digging at. It was a large skeleton, that looked Dragonkin. Surrounding it, seemed to be several large stones with carvings on them. Still dirty, it seemed that the stones were also buried with the dragon. "This is the artifact?" Zhai asked. "A skeleton?"

"Maybe it was something important? Perhaps something that was sealed away?" Tong suggested, getting his bow ready.

"Still seems like a very odd thing to protect." The dragon said that quite loudly. One of the Kobolds looked at the two on the hill and yelled out something in draconic. Making Zhai's neck curl to an S. When Tong looked at him for a translation "He said: The Intruders Are Here."

"Exact words?" The dragon gave him a nod. "Sounds like they were expecting us." The Kobolds began to arm themselves with decent gears. Not like the ones the two encountered before. These looked like they were given to them by someone. Specifically for defending themselves.

With a heavy sigh, Tong took a shot at one with a short sword and a shield. The arrow broke through the shield a bit, and seemed to harm the Kobold, but not enough to down it. Another shot went into its right shoulder. The thing whimpered a bit, and took cover.

Meanwhile, quite a few others started to come up in the one ramp out of the hole. Zhaiothe moved in encounter them, opening with a quick breath of flames. The bile sprayed over their shields and the ground, lingering a bit, while the dragon stood on his hind legs. He tucked his wings back, and defended himself against any attack from them.

The first pair that was close to Zhai slashed at the red dragon in a downward motion. He was able to parry one of them, with his left forepaw, but the second one ended up landing hard onto his bicep. However, not enough to pierce the scales. It looked like as if it hit Chainmail for a moment. The dragon then counter attacked, by swiping the right Kobold's shield out, and then going for a heavy body blow to the ribs with the dragon's right paw. The impact let out a large cracking sound, indicating he probably broke the rib. Using his tail as placement balance, Zhai then kicked the stricken Kobold into the others coming up the pathway.

The kobold to the dragon's left tried to come in for a stab, but it was parried as well. Slashing the weapon away, and then it's small shield, Zhai went for a right uppercut. The heavy paw gave out another loud crack, leaving it opened for a hard left hook, knocking the kobold out.

A few down below were throwing Javelins at the two intruders. A few of them nearly cut Tong, but he was able to evade them. One ended up hitting the dragon in the right side, but nothing that he couldn't shrug off. It did draw some blood though. Tong ended up focusing on the throwers. After three arrows, he ended up pinning them to the ground. They stopped moving after that.

Three more kobolds caught up with Zhaiothe. All slashing at him wildly, and desperately. A few more attacks hit the dragon's scales, but not enough to make a wound. With an angry snarl, Zhai retaliated. With a large squeeze of his fire glands, he sprayed the flaming liquid on his forearms. He then went for a heavy right hook, shattering the kobold's shield, and connecting fiercely with a loud snap. Pushing that one aside and off the path, he went for a heavy left hook on the second kobold. Breaking its sword-carrying arm and causing it to cry in pain. With the left hook lining the Kobold up, Zhai went in for a Straight, slamming the second kobold into the third. Sending them both down the hill.

With a few more arrows used, Tong took out the remaining ones before Zhai could make it down. The dragon snorted at him, but was thankful for the backup. The dragon then began to study the rocks and their symbols. Tong retrieved the arrows he used, if they were still good enough to fire once again. "Can you make out anything?" He asked the dragon.

After a long few moments of study the dragon shrugged. "Nothing. It's not draconic." He then took a step closer, to gaze at the skeleton that laid within. It was only partly uncovered, but from the size of its skull and shape, it was clear that it was indeed dragonkin. Zhai noticed more runes on the grounds between the large rocks, and when he dusted them off, a large magical spark came from the air.

The two took a step back as more sparks seemed to fill the air, forging into a large black hole above the skeleton. Within the hole was some kind of vortex of stars and streams of light that seemed to paint the inside of the portal. Then, within the portal, came a large, deafening roar that was completely unearthly. The screech disorientated the two, as something from the portal slithered out.

They were streams of velvet darkness, acting like antenni. Several of them got close to the two mortals, and started to coil around their appendages. The roar didn't let up, and the two felt frozen while the antenni gripped them with unnatural pain. With a sudden fling, the two were lifted into the air and were being carried into the portal. Zhai swore he seen an eye somewhere inside, something that almost looked draconic.

With a desperate attempt to escape, the dragon slashed at the antennas, but his claws seemed to pass through them. They were helpless to this thing, and were under its spell.

Suddenly, the antennas shattered. The roar changed into a more violent one, and the portal closed quickly. The two checked on their legs, and still felt the strange pain that came over them before, but after a while it retreated. Catching their breaths, the two got up. "What was that?" Tong asked him.

"I have no idea... But could it have been the power of the artifact?"

"No. It wasn't." A familiar voice to the dragon came from behind them. Zhai's ears perked up, then suddenly went really low, as well as his entire head. "It's been a long time Zhaiothe."

Tong turned to face a completely unexpected creature. One with large white fur that was long and wild. A polar bear's muzzle, with 4 ears. A being with six legs, and three tails. "...Bartan...?" Tong asked, not believing his eyes that the dragon was telling the truth about such a creature. Zhai let out a small whine, and started to hide behind Tong.

"Hello Tong. It's nice to finally meet you in person." Bartan said calmly. He studied Tong for a moment, and then seemed to study Zhai through Tong. "You both look safe, and not infected. That's good." Although, he was only about ten feet tall right now, Bartan seemed to still tower over the two as he approached them closer, then laid down in front of them.

"You know what that was then?" Tong asked, still looking the beast over. Then snapped out of it. "Sorry for staring."

"It's alright. I know I look quite exotic. And yes, the thing you partly seen within that storm was a Terrasque."

"Storm?" Tong asked. The dragon still trying to hid behind him.

"It was a time storm. It's a hole within reality and the universe. A Portal to a certain place or time. Why it's exit was outside of the universe... I believe it was a trap. Set for you, no less. I'm pretty sure you know what it's about Tong, but I'll talk to you about it in a moment." Bartan looked at the skeleton. "I would like a word with all of you."

"I understand. Thank you, by the way." Tong said, slightly lowering his head. He turned to Zhai. "Little Red? Aren't you going to thank Bartan for saving you?"

Bartan's attention turned back to Tong. "I didn't save you." The counterweight stated. "You know that I cannot commit large actions that affect the lives of mortals. I'm able to talk to them, perhaps do a few minor things. But saving lives, even the ones I call friends, is a big No."

"Then who...?" Tong looked at him, then to Zhai, who was looking toward the bones as well. The dragon was looking at Khol, one invisible to only the half-orc.

"Zhaiothe." Bartan called, and immediately the dragon's head shot back down, attempting to hide. "I'll start with you. Please follow me." He said softly, and lead him out of the hole. When the dragon didn't follow, Bartan called to him again, this time in a stern tone. "Zhaiothe. Now." With a small whimper, Zhai followed quite far behind the larger being.

Bartan got quite a bit ahead of the dragon on purpose. Allowing him time to prepare himself for whatever the counterweight wanted to know. Zhai's mind kept coming back to what he'd done to his country. What he'd done to Khol. And considering what Bartan did to him when Zhai got drunk and... Zhai could only expect the worst coming from Bartan.

The forest was unsettlingly quiet, and a bit dark. It almost felt like stepping into a separate space altogether. Up ahead, Zhai could see Bartan sitting in a clearing, with his back turned to him. "Come here." Bartan called to him once again. Still a bit stern.

The dragon swallowed loudly, and began taking small, slow steps towards the clearing. With each one Zhai's heart began to race faster and thump harder against his chest plates. He stood just outside of the clearing, and Bartan sat there in silence. With another faint whimper, he hesitated with his first step inside, but eventually took it.

"Is there something you want to tell me, Zhaiothe?" The dragon froze in place, even his heart skipped a beat.

After a long silence between the two, Zhai cracked his voice. "...I...I'm..." Suddenly, Bartan spun around, and snatched the wyrmling with his forelegs. The dragon yelped loudly, as he was pulled into the soft white chest fur, and held there tightly. "Oh Gods! Don't Kill Me!"

"Oh Zhai! I heard about what happened to you and I'm SO Sorry!" Bartan's voice cracked emotionally. "I know what it's like to lose your mate! I've lost Beo several times, and I know how hard it is!" Bartan could barely make out the small muffles buried in his chest. "Wait, you thought I was going to kill you?" He pulled the wyrmling out and held it up to eye level.

"Well... Last time you caught me doing something relatively bad, you threw me across a meadow! I could only expect that you were either going to kill me, or beat me senseless. Maybe even both." The dragon's ears still sulked.

Bartan pressed him against his chest again, not so tightly this time. And laid down on the ground. "I can't kill you Zhai. I just got done explaining this to Tong." He chuckled. "But seriously, I've been there. How are you holding up?" A deep sigh came from the dragon. "That says everything. It's okay. At least Khol is with you now."

"Yes. It's been more... bearable with him. But you're... seriously not mad?" Zhai looked into his brown eyes.

"Of course not. You've done nothing wrong." Zhai's head sunk a bit. "Zhai." Bartan said sternly once again. "You've done Nothing Wrong. Stop beating yourself up over it."

"I just... Should've known. I should've been more resistant to it... I should've known that Alzallion wasn't finished with their campaigns."

"It was a ruse. There was nothing you could've prepared for. As for 'Resistant', that Gem was supposed to work within a month. You made it last nearly a hundred years." Another sigh from the wyrmling. "And no. Don't slam yourself for thinking that you somehow made people suffer for so long. You have to stop doing this to yourself Zhai."

"I... Don't feel like I've gotten what I deserved."

"What is it that you think you deserve?" Bartan's question was a bit puzzling to the dragon. After another series of silence, Bartan continued. "Zhai. You've lived to see your mate rescue you just before he died. The grief was so bad, you ended up destroying your own home. You were stripped of your only pleasure before you met Khol, and you were kidnapped. Harvested for over a century and a half."

"Bartan... Please..." The dragon moaned, within his chest.

"Zhai, look at me." It took a moment for the wyrmling to get his strength, but he looked into Bartan's eyes again. "You've paid your debts. Your penance. You don't need to pay anymore. You've been forgiven by everyone but one person: Yourself. Tong is right, you are too hard on yourself. And Khol is right, you are stronger than this. But you won't be able to keep that strength if you don't leave that weight behind. Carrying around the mass of the earth will only bend your shoulders and break your ribs." Bartan stroked Zhai a bit, and lifted his chin with half a paw. "Bury it. And move on with your new blessed life."

After a few breaths, Zhai gave out a nod. A bit of silence and calmness remained in the forest, as Zhai drained himself. When he was ready, he spoke up. "You... You said you lost your mate...?"

A loud breath came from the counterweight. "Yes. When I first met him, Beo was dead. He was an outsider to the universe he was in, and the Counterweight there didn't like, nor want him in it. I asked the counterweight if I could revive Beo, escort him out of its universe, and have him as company. It agreed, and I got... really close to him. But, I was searching for a way to replace a Terrasque's need." The wyrmling tilted his head at him. "They're basically a large battery for multiple universes. They feed off of negative energy, like sorrow and pain, and convert it into separate energy that power the universes. And... When I couldn't find one within a deadline... Beo..." He took a deep breath.

"Beo volunteered to be the new one." Bartan continued. "I really shouldn't have let him. Because it infected his soul. The last gift he gave me at the time was that soul. And I tried to make a new body for it. Exactly like his old one. But that taint... No matter what I did, it poisoned whatever body I made. Regardless how much I cleansed it, that infection remained in his soul. He starved himself to death several times, so he wouldn't give into those urges that the Terrasque demanded. He suffered... So much. And I bashed myself for it."

Zhaiothe placed a small paw on the counterweight's foreleg. "But you found a way, didn't you? To keep him alive?"

Bartan nodded. "With a gift of a special friend. And the sacrifice of one of my Sons. They gifted my Husband with a Body that was able to take the infection, and convert it into energy, without causing him to change into a monster. And my son stripped away that instinct of the Terrasque. He threw it into the face of the one who demanded me to find that replacement." A deep sigh came from the large beast. "Even though I do mourn for them both, I won't let it go in vain. With Beo, I have two more sons. With Beo, I finally gave him a life that's worthy of him living and being happy. Something he was never gifted before." Bartan smiled at Zhaiothe. "I just have to be strong enough to accept it."

"And... Now it's my turn." Bartan nodded at him. "I'll do it. For Khol. For You. For Tong... And For Me. I owe it to every one of you." The counterweight held him tightly, too much at first and the wyrmling gave out a squeak. It made Bartan laugh. "Was there anything else you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Actually, there was one more thing. Zhaiothe, do you know what your name means?" The dragon shook his head. "I didn't think so. Does the name Haytre sound familiar?"

"Yes. He was a friend of my father's. But I don't remember him. I'm not sure if I seen him or not."

"Well, you're almost right. He wasn't a friend of your father's, he was your father's grandfather. Your great grandfather." Zhai curled his neck to an S. "Haytre was immortal. If he was dead; he would come back to life. If his body was destroyed; he would be reborn. He's very old, and he's actually still alive. He just isn't here any longer."

"What does this...?" The wyrmling was a bit confused.

"Zhaiothe, in ancient draconic, means: Unfading Pyre. Like a flame that cannot, or will not go out. Your grandfather, and your father never got Haytre's gift. But you have a small part of it. Remember the time when you got poisoned? You should've died several times during that night, and the next night following. But you still somehow survived. After everything you've been through, you still somehow survive. You are strong enough for this."

Bartan continued. "But I want you to keep in mind one thing: You might not be able to die by normal means. Be it blood loss, poison, etc. But if your body is destroyed... You probably won't come back. And if you die of old age, or unbirthing, It will probably be the end of you."

"So... When was I supposed to die? Do you know? I mean... If I didn't have this gift?"

"Remember when I first found you? On the road?" Zhai held his breath for a moment, and Bartan nodded. "You were clinically dead. Dehydration and Famine." Silence came over the forest once again. "I think this would be a good time to get Khol in here. Khol! Please enter."

A few moments later, the large silver dragon came in the same way Zhai did. Khol approached the wyrmling close to Bartan's chest, and gave it a lick. "Hello again, my love."

"Hello again." Zhai smiled at him, returning the lick. "Were... You the one who...?"

Khol gave him a shy nod. "That's actually what I wanted to talk to you two about." Bartan spoke up. "Khol, I understand you want to tell Zhai something in private, but I think it's best to discuss this one section together." The red dragon looked at his much larger mate with a bit of worry. Khol just laid down in front of him, and the Wyrmling came to his chest. Whatever Khol was going to tell him, it would never change how he felt towards the dragon.

Bartan sat up, his face a bit cross. "Khol, you do understand what you've done is considered illegal, correct." The silver dragon's ears went down.

"...Yes. But I wanted to-"

Bartan calmly motioned for him to stop. "I know why you've done it. You don't need to explain yourself to me. But the ones who run Lothranis... They won't be happy about it. There's a reason why the dead usually stay dead." Khol lowered his head, and Zhai did his best to embrace and comfort his mate. "But they can't find out what happened to you until you do something drastic, and get you noticed. You're invisible to those around here, for the most part. But you've also made yourself invisible to them as well. So far, they don't know. And to report you would be a violation of change, just as saving someone." The counterweight gave them a wink.

"What exactly did you do, Khol?" the wyrmling asked him.

"I... Left Lothranis to come find you here. I believe they think I'm still within it. And I've come through unnoticed."

"But in order to stay here, Khol needs an Anchor." Bartan stated.

"Yes, he's told me about the Anchor. But we're not sure what it's attached to."

"It appears to be attached to Zhaiothe's soul. And when it departs, so will you Khol. But odds are, if he goes to Momaganon... You'll end up being dragged down there as well." Zhai's head lowered. "You now carry the weight of two on you, Zhaiothe. You understand that, correct?" Bartan said sternly.

With a small breath, the wyrmling looked into the counterweight's eyes. He gave a solid nod, and strongly said "Yes."

"Good. Now this leads to what I originally wanted to talk to you two about. I'm sure you've both noticed some recent changes and effects on Zhai." The two gave each other a look.

"A little bit." Khol spoke up. "We've tried having a little bit of fun last night, and well..."

"I felt drained suddenly. I've also been sleeping more, and have a bigger appetite... And... It's felt like things take nearly twice the effort to do. My stamina seems to be vanishing quickly when I try to do some of the simplest tasks." Khol looked at Zhai a bit worried. He didn't know that part of it.

"It's no surprise really. My statement about you carrying for two wasn't a metaphor. Overall, your body is acting like it's trying to run for a wyrmling dragon, and a mature adult one. It's being overworked. And if you don't take proper care of it, you will probably only live maybe a third of your proper age." Zhai sucked in a breath.

Bartan continued. "However, with Haytre's gift you can make it last. You'll need to find something specific though, and it might be something you'll end up fearing." Khol held the wyrmling a little tighter while giving the beast a worried look. "You'll understand when you see it. But it's farther to the east from here. Discuss it with Tong later. Back to the original point; with this artifact, you will be able to help train your body for holding two dragons. It will be hard on you, and it will probably hurt you alot at first. But after a while, you'll be able to do everything normally. And Khol's actions in this plane will not completely drain you."

"Is that what it was?" Zhai asked him. "When he tries to interact with the world, he drains my energy?"

Bartan nodded. "The planet is naturally built so that the dead cannot effect it easily. It needs to be that way in order to protect itself and the people living on it. With enough energy, the dead can do some actions, but not easily with that resistance. It normally drains from the spirit itself, but with Khol's Anchor connected with you, it's been draining that first." The silver dragon lowered his head and gave a quiet sigh. "Don't worry, you'll be able to act from time to time with the world, once Zhai can get his stamina built up. You'll even be able to have your pleasure sessions with each other. I honestly recommend it, to see how large your stamina pool is." The counterweight gave a smirk. "I believe that is everything. Anymore questions?"

The dragons shook their heads. "Actually..." Zhai spoke up. "Will we see you again, Bartan?"

"Someday, yes. I'm afraid I cannot stay for long this time. But I'll come back." The beast got up, picked up the wyrmling, and got Khol to rise up so he could embrace both of them. "Stay strong, for both of you. That's an order." They gave a small chuckle, and the silver one took Zhai from the counterweight's arm. "I'll leave you two to your conversation."

"Thank you, once again, Bartan. Please be safe." Khol said.

"Give Beo my blessings." Zhai said with a smile. And Bartan nodded at him, taking his leave out of the forest. When he was out of sight the wyrmling spoke up. "What did you want to talk to me about?" With a small sigh, Khol laid back down, and let the small red one free from his grasp. Only to find him laying back into his chest. He gave a soft smile, as well as a lick, and a deep breath.

Chapter 3

"I... I know I have no right to ask you this first, but... What did Bartan mean by Haytre's Gift?" Khol started out. Still with a worried look in his blue eyes, it passed on to the Amber ones he was gazing into.

"...Remember that night that... the Army invaded? And I came home poisoned?" Zhai took a heavy swallow.

"I can't forget it. I still have nightmares about it from time to time." Khol admitted.

"I... Was supposed to die... Several times during that. You even said that I did a few times... Haytre. He was my great grandfather. Bartan and my father knew him, and Bartan said he was immortal."

Khol sucked in a breath. "He was an Immortal?"

"I don't think like a servant of the Gods. More just a being that could not die. Even if his body was destroyed, Bartan said that he would just be reborn.... It seems, I got that gift. If not just a part of it. So long as I don't die from old age, or chopped into pieces. It's how I lived after so many near death experiences."

Khol gave a deep breath. "Zhaiothe... I'm sorry."

Zhai put a small paw onto the large silver dragon's arm. "Khol, what is wrong? You can tell me."

"I'm sorry I never told you sooner. I was just... Too afraid." Khol took a small breath. The wyrmling let out a small whimper, licking at his mate. "Zhai... I was an Immortal."

Tong waited patiently outside the forest. Completely out of earshot of the conversation within it. He was just refreshing himself, looking down at the artifact that was still buried in the ground. He still couldn't get the being he seen out of his head. The eye that was within that portal seemed to have several, cat-eye slits. It was so filled with pain and rage. Sending waves of negative emotions through those antennas that grasped their legs. "It's more terrifying up close." Bartan said, coming out of the woods. He surprised Tong a bit. "Pray you never have to encounter one again. I really hope I don't."

"Aren't you a God?" Tong asked. "I thought you wouldn't fear anything."

"Most counterweights cannot feel fear. Nor any real emotion. Unless they're exposed to one of these Terrasques. There's quite a few things I do fear Tong. Losing the ones I've grown to love, for example. But you really don't know true fear until you've come face to face to a Terrasque." Tong looked at the beast with a bit of worry, as he laid down near him. "Let me paint you a little picture." Bartan said softly. "Counterweights, at their normal size, cannot fit inside their own universes. They have to reduce themselves in order to fit inside them. Terrasques eat counterweights. They can swallow them whole. I've lost a few comrades that way."

Tong slowly shook his head. "It's... Ridiculous. I never knew such things existed."

"You mustn't worry yourself over them though. If it helps, I can erase your memory of what you seen in there. What you've felt as well. It might be for the better, considering you were never supposed to in the first place." Bartan stated.

Tong went to stop him. "I want to get back to that. But can I ask you something?" After a nod, Tong continued. "You say that you're not supposed to make changes and whatnot in the lives of the Mortals. But isn't talking to them considered one?"

Bartan gave him a smile. "Yes. But there's a few things I'm able to do. Give advice and guidance for example. Even making friends, or giving pleasure to others is fine." Tong cringed at that last one. "But only if I fix any hiccups created by such things in the future. As long as I keep those ironed out, I'm free to do them. It honestly saves the forces alot of work." Tong gave a small nod, then motioned him to carry on.

"Tong, I'm worried about you. Mostly how Ortel's been taking an interest in you." The archer gave a heavy sigh. "I know he's blackmailing you. Servants of the Forces are often quite dirty that way. And with that, he can ask you to do nearly anything. Even if it's to kill your best friend." Tong's face painted with worry for a moment. "And it's happened before. Believe me. I've been forced to take out crooked servants like that before." Bartan motioned toward the skeleton in the large hole. "That storm. That was a trap. For you no less. You're a loose end he was trying to cut out. And he thinks he succeeded. So you shouldn't be bothered by him anytime soon." He leaned in closer to Tong. "Your mother is safe. Don't worry about her. But I don't want you taking anymore of these deals from other outworlders. They're devious, and will screw you over time and time again."

Tong gave a nod. "Yeah... I think I learned my lesson. Did... you tell Little Red?"

Bartan shook his head. "I don't feel I have the right to. And it's up to you if you want to tell him. But that does lead to the next subject I wanted to talk to you about. You've heard his story... Do you believe it?"

Tong looked away for a moment. "I didn't believe everything at first... But after seeing that something like you actually exists, the rest of the tale doesn't seem so high. I feel that there's some parts he's not telling me. There's sections that are just skipped over." Bartan tilted his head. "Mostly after Khol's..." Tong trailed off.

"Things like that are always painful to relive and remember. You can't blame him for not wanting to be reminded of pain."

"I know. And I can understand that. If there was something important, he would've said something about it. I worry about it once in a while."

"Do you still worry about him?" Bartan asked.

The half-orc sighed. "Yes. He doesn't really look or seem to be the person that was in his story. I can understand that pain changes people. But it feels like he's still hiding something from me... I actually worry that Red thinks he sees his mate. And that's very healthy for the noggin."

"Speaking of Khol, what do you think of him?"

Tong seemed rather surprised by the question. "Well, he seemed like a very nice person. A bit strange here and there, and a little... Obsessed with 'you know what'. But I think he changed Zhai for the better. Which is why I'm worried about him."

"And do you think that he's the one Ortel was searching for?"

Tong was quiet for a bit. "It's possible... I could actually see him being the one. But Zhaiothe's been through enough. He really doesn't need anymore taken away from him. Including his only hope."

Bartan smiled sadly at him, and nodded. "That's what I was hoping I would hear from you. I'm glad you decided not to tell him."

"I am too." Tong smiled at him. "So... Husband and Wife, huh? You swing both ways?" And Bartan let out a laugh.

A long silence covered the forest where the two dragons laid. The wyrmling could only stare into space for several minutes before he let out a loud whisper. "...Wow..." He leaned into Khol, while he let out a long contained breath. "...That makes so much more sense."

The silver dragon nervously smiled at him. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"It's alright. But... Why? You were up... There, right? Why did you come down?"

Khol sighed. "It's a long story..." After a few moments of silence, the wyrmling shoved him in the arm. "Okay, okay. I was created by a God named Ziikrhi'd. He made me from one of his spines to give him company whenever he was home. I loved him, I was made to. But when he wasn't around... I got to watch the world that the Gods created. Watching how the Children lived their lives. How they socialized, made buildings and villages. Progressed in evolution."

"How they mated to each other?" Khol let out a chuckle at Zhai's interruption. "That makes alot more sense, and isn't as creepy anymore. I always pictured you spying at them from a far, and watching them intently." Another laugh came from the two.

"No, we often used water to get us visuals on the planet. That's what I used anyway. That's where I learned so much, just studying them for years. But when Ziik was home, I tended to him. You kinda remind me of him. He was really big, like you used to be." Khol nudged the wyrmling, teasing it a bit until he got a paw to the nose. "Ziik... He was a wonderful person. He was so neutral and understanding. Bartan reminds me of him as well."

Khol swallowed. "Ziik always had this dream of making a species. One that would progress and live throughout the world we watched below. He almost obsessed over it, and tried to get the blessing from the other Gods... But they... They rejected him. They said that Ziik was too neutral, that he lacked Conviction, and needed to choose a path to follow if he were to create a species. Be it Lawful... Chaotic... Good... Or Evil. They pushed him to choose a path."

"That almost sounds like your village... What you wanted." Zhai looked at him sadly.

"I wanted it for him. I was him, to a degree. Much smaller, but... I kept telling Ziik that he didn't need to choose a path. He didn't need to discard a part of himself to please them. He would've made an amazing God. And his species would've been as amazing as dragons are." Khol gave a sad smile. "But after nearly two centuries and a half, he gave into their demands."

The silver one took a deep breath, a small tear coming out of his eye. "I watched Ziik as he literally executed himself in front of me. He pulled out two hearts from his chest, and he... Died. Those hearts morphed into two Gods, each following their own path, while Ziik's shell grew cold. I stayed with him for a thousand years, hoping somehow he would get up and embrace me once again. After that, I... Left him. I threw away my Immortal state, and decided to find my own dream... Down on earth. On my third day... I met you." He smiled at him.

"The day I tackled you down a hill?" Khol gave him a chuckle and a nod. "What were you afraid of?"

"Not many knew of my existence up there. I always stayed in the home that Ziik provided me. But I witnessed the creation of two Gods. One of them... I think has been causing alot of trouble down here. I really don't know any details. But..."

"You never wanted to go back..." Zhai finished his sentence. "I understand now. And that's what you and Bartan were talking about on his visit. He knew, didn't he?"

Khol gave a nod. "Nothing could get passed him. He knew what I was I think the moment you introduced us. I was almost afraid he would say something... I didn't want you involved with my past... I didn't want you to think any different of me. You seemed to love me for... Me. And that's all I wanted. To never be associated with the term 'Immortal' anymore. Not after what they did to Ziik."

Another deep breath. "But the world changed so much over a thousand years. I always seen it for its beauty. There's so much... bloodshed that seemed to taint it. Except in your lands. They reminded me of Ziik's home. How you seemed to protect me as well. Defend me from harm, even from myself..." A few tears rolled down Khol's neck, as he tightly embraced the wyrmling. "Thank you... So much for that Zhaiothe. For that Gift."

Zhai Smiled, almost in tears himself as he licked Khol's off his neck. "You're welcome. You're very welcome. I love you Khol, I wouldn't think any different of you. No matter where you came from. I can see why Ziikrhi'd was so fond of you. And no matter what those other two Gods created, be it Sadifruit, or the Children's ability to cook. You were his best, most beautiful creation." Khol lost himself in the red dragon's compliment, and the two stayed in the forest for a while longer. Enjoying each other's company.

"So, after Lillith told me that she checked everything twice over, and by removing the child's disease wouldn't cost anything else to happen, I agreed to do it. With my son still with family in the living room, I entered. Keep in mind, I was still getting used to emotions, and honestly, it was frustrating. So the most common one I felt was anger. Anyway, so I barked at the entire family to get the hell out of my house, and leave the kid." Bartan laughed, telling Tong the story. "I then taught my son, October, how to change effects of people, but only if he had the permission to. In the end, we saved October's friend, and by doing so, I began to have a long line of requests at my doorstep. It was a mistake that October and my Forces had to see for themselves. Honestly, it's the reason why alot of higher beings don't announce themselves. Alot of needy people keep following our every move and want us to make their lives somehow easier for them. But it doesn't work that way."

"I can understand that. People often need to change things for themselves. I've seen it. It's alright to ask for help once in a while, but..." Tong stated.

"But there's a difference between Helping people, and Doing It For Them. Just another thing many have a hard time to understand." Bartan turned his attention to the forest, seeing the two dragons exit it. "I take it went well."

"Yeah. Here I thought you would've left." Zhai replied.

"Heh, got distracted. But I'll leave you two to talk. Tong, my visits tend to be quite spacious. So if I don't see you, have a good life." Bartan smiled at him.

"It was a pleasure to meet one like you, Bartan. I hope for the best." Tong gave a friendly salute to the counterweight. And Zhai gave a large nod to say his thanks once again. Bartan's back tattoos of seven stripes floated off him and turned into white ribbons of light, and he took to the skies. "I can't believe I just met a god."

"Counterweight. They're quite a bit higher than gods." Zhai teased him. "There's a difference. But apparently he's much different than others." The two were silent for a bit. "So, are we going to get paid for... this?"

Tong sighed. "I... Don't think so. Sorry. Apparently it was some kind of trap for us."

Zhai snorted, then looked at the Artifact in the hole. "Is it weird how I don't remember what happened when we...?"

Tong looked at it as well, finding himself somewhat curious, but cold toward the area. "I can't either. But I get the feeling it was something horrible. It's probably best if we left it alone."

"Should we bury it? I mean, so nothing else gets it?" The dragon found himself mesmerized by the dragonkin skeleton. Wondering what it was, who it was. What it did in its life. And why it was... Locked away.

"I hate to say it, but I think it's best that we leave it alone." Once again, the two were silent. "Well, did Bartan give you any leads?"

Zhai broke his gaze. "Yes actually. He said that we'll find something to the east, if we keep going."

"It's a popular direction lately." Tong joked. "Alright, lets head out if you're ready."

"Yeah..." The red one looked at the skeleton once more. Took a heavy sigh, and followed his friend.

The two moved on for two days. They've stopped in at a village they came to that wasn't very big. But it was enough to at least pay for a room that night. Although, the people there seemed to be quite timid of the wyrmling, they caused no trouble for each other. The pair left early for that sake.

The weather was a bit cold, but overall kind on the travels. Every once in a while, Zhai kept looking at that large mountain to the south, unable to place where he'd seen it. "Still bothering you, huh?" Tong asked, catching Zhai taking another look behind them.

"I just don't normally forget such things. I swear I seen it before, but I just can't place it. Like a face that's been aged and warn that I cannot recognize."

"I know what it is." Tong said, with a smile on his face. It got the dragon's attention immediately, and he perked his ears up waiting for the answer. "You're getting old." Tong laughed.

The wyrmling's spines raised while his ears went back. "I'm not old!" He hissed. Slamming his tail for emphasis.

"Well, didn't you say before that your body is younger, but your mind is the same?"

Zhai's neck curled to an S. "Yes, but that's not what I meant."

"Alright then. How old would you say you are right now? How many years have you been alive?"

"Well... Okay, I'm old, but I'm not senile!" The dragon tossed his snout. "Besides, how old are you?"

"I'm not the one forgetting stuff." Tong teased him.

"Don't evade the question." Zhai snorted.

"Fine, I'm 28."

"And how long do Half-Orcs live to be?" The question caused Tong to stop in place. He just realized that he always considered himself human his entire life. It wasn't until his second day in Fiore that he found out he was a half-orc. "Tong?" The expression in his face worried the dragon.

"They... They live to be around 75..." Tong informed him, going a bit quiet. The normal human would often live to be 95, if you wanted to call that living. The dragon's heart ached a bit, knowing that they had even less time together than Zhai expected. "Let's get some lunch." Tong said, trying to break the moment. The dragon didn't oppose.

The two set up a small camp nearby. While getting ready to hunt, Tong placed his things half hidden by a nearby bush. "I've got some fish I bought from that village that should be a good add to the lunch."

"It's been eons since I've had fish. I miss it." Zhai said, licking his muzzle. "Where is it?" He started sniffing around Tong's possessions.

"Don't go digging at it right now, save it for after!"

"I just want a bite. And maybe to start cooking it early." The dragon snorted. Tong just shook his head. While digging through his things, Zhai heard a bit of a chitter from the bush. Curious, he opened it to see a small raccoon holding the small bag of fish. The wyrmling hissed at it, and the raccoon took off to the woods.

Zhai chased after it, and Tong after the dragon to ensure he didn't get lost. The three scurried for a few minutes into the woods, scraping to keep up with one another. The wyrmling nearly had the raccoon several times, but it barely escaped his claws. With one last desperate dive into a clearing, Zhai lunged at it, only to have it somehow take a sudden left turn, causing Zhai to wipe out into a bush. Tong caught up with him, almost breathless. "Taath!" the dragon cursed. "I lost it."

"Don't worry about it. It wasn't expensive." The archer said, between breaths.

"But it was Fish!" The wyrmling whined a bit. But something caught his eye. "I know this place..."

"Not this again." Tong said, rolling his eyes, but smiling. "I'm beginning to think you're imagining things."

"No, no. I know this area..." The dragon took a long look at the spacious opening in the woods. There was a few trees that seemed to cover an old, well warn path, along with several large rocks that seemed to form a small shelter. Big enough for maybe a young dragon or two. "This is where I first mounted Zi-Zi."

"Zi-Zi? That female back at your hatchplace? We're here?" Tong took a look around.

"Yes, I remember this area. We used to hide out here to get away from the Muas." Tong gave him an odd look. "Mott'lcrru Uksri Agm'nes. It was draconic for... Overbearing, or Overstrict Adults." He took a look at a large stone that seemed to be out of place. "This, however... Is new..." Zhai began to uncover the stone from the plant life that grew on it. Revealing strange markings, almost runes like the ones they seen on the Artifact.

"Red... I don't think this is a good idea." Tong said, taking a cautious stance. And just when Zhai put a small paw over the runes, they began to glow brightly. A minor yelp omitted from the dragon, followed by a might louder one when the light suddenly went very bright, blinding Tong for a few moments. When his vision came back, the dragon had vanished. "Red? Red! Zhai!" Tong called to his friend, but there was no answer.

Chapter 4

Tong called around for the red dragon a few more times, but all he got was Silence. "Damnit..." He cursed. As much as he didn't want to, his only lead was that rock. As he took a few steps closer to it, he spotted a slight shimmer at the corner of his eye. He immediately took aim at a large silver dragon in the shade, who was studying its surroundings. Not noticing the Half-Orc at all.

The dragon was quite slender, and although large for its own size, it's body wasn't at all stocky. It had a mane of long gray spines, and the top of its head lacked any horns. Tong withdrew his aim at the creature. "...Silverthorn?"

The dragon took notice to Tong's speech. Looked at him for a moment, then again at his surroundings very quickly, even underneath him. "You... Can see me?" He replied, rather surprised.

"You are, aren't you? Little Red's mate. Just like he described." Curious, he looked underneath the dragon's tail. "...Exactly how he described."

Khol let out a chuckle, as he stepped into the opening. "Yes. And you're Tong. Thank you for saving him in that settlement. It really means alot to both of us."

"You know about that?" The dragon gave him a nod. "...He has been seeing you lately, hasn't he?"

Khol gave out a guilty sigh. "You were already so worried about him. To say such a thing to you would only push that further." He smiled sadly at Tong. "Please don't think we were trying to deceive you. We just didn't want you to worry."

"But you died, didn't you? How are you...?" Tong trailed off when he seen the pain in Khol's eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to remind you of... That. It's just, this is very..."

"Unexpected. I know. I left Lothranis, Tong. I left to be with Zhaiothe. I missed him that much." Khol stated, as he laid down in the opening. "But how I'm still here without him, let alone why you can see me, it is unexplained."

"Yes. And the main thing I'm worried about is what happened to him." Khol's face said the same thing. "Can you make out these symbols? Perhaps they're in a language you've seen before?"

Khol looked at the series of runes on the rock. "They somewhat look familiar. I know I've seen a few before, but I can't tell you what they mean." Khol's ears suddenly jerked to the south. When Tong noticed it, he took aim in that direction. "...Did you hear that?"

"...Zhai? ...Zhai? ...Zhaiothe?" A strange muffled voice echoed in the red dragon's head. He fought to keep his sight focused, but it was difficult. Zhai could tell he was laying on the ground... In the grass. It was a bit cold, but it felt... Small. (Small?) The dragon thought. "...Hello? Is that you, Zhai?"

With a grunt, and a shake of his head, the red dragon's vision began to clear. He came to focus on a dark blue dragon with purple eyes. (I know those eyes...) "I know you..." He managed to get out.

"What?" The voice asked. The red one didn't realize how badly he muttered when he was just waking up.

"You... I know you..." After looking into the eyes for a bit, a series of childhood memories came flooding into his brain. So much so that it hurt. "Zi-Zi..."

"You remember me!" She said, cheerfully. She then dove into the red dragon. "I knew you would! I knew you couldn't forget me Zhai."

"But... How?" The red dragon looked at her. She looked so much more mature now. At least 600 years old. Which then begged the question, how was he able to hold her into his arms? He took a look around to find the same area where he last seen Tong. It looked... Different. Younger, maybe. And much much smaller... (Smaller? No...) Zhai then looked at his arms. As well as his own body. It was as if it reverted back to the day he got that curse. He could still feel his left shoulder ache a bit, but it felt... Strong. "My body...?"

"Yes. You've grown alot since I've last saw you. I actually didn't expect..." She trailed off.

"Zi-Zi, how did... I get here?" It was clear to him that this was no longer the same area Zhai was in with Tong. "What happened?"

She looked a bit guilty, but happy at the same time. She looked over at a large rock, that was freshly carved with a series of runes. The same rock he touched before. "I stole an old book from the elders. There was something about bringing the dead back to life, and... I really missed you."

"The dead?" Zhai looked at her, his neck curling to an S. "I wasn't Dead, Zi-Zi."

She looked at him with surprise and worry, then leaned back into his chest. "They told us you were. You father did... Hundreds of years ago." She looked at him, as Zhai held her in his arms. She was his first love, after all, even though she wasn't his current. "He said that he found you, about a day and a half's flight from here. In an area that was hit by the plague." The red one held his breath for a moment. "My father had to really talk some sense into yours about bringing you back for a Pyring. It wasn't worth the risk in bringing the plague to us... But now... You're alive? How?"

Zhai swallowed for a moment. "It's... A long story. One I really don't want to explain just yet. I can't believe that you're still alive though... After all this time, I was worried..." He said softly. She looked deep into his amber eyes, and gave him a lick on his muzzle. Zhai returned it. It changed into a few kisses, and soon they were lost into old habits.

Zi pushed Zhai onto his back, leaning up against a large tree that could barely support his neck. She kissed him, sending her tongue deeper and deeper into his muzzle. While he worked roughly on the back of her neck and her wingjoints. It felt surreal to have his old body back, and he really didn't know his own strength anymore. Within the faint dawn light, Zhai could see that Zi's body had matured and grown rather well. She was always rather big for a female. She had alot of strength in her upper body, and could almost always beat Zhai at grappling when they were wyrmlings. Granted, things were much different now. Zhai was the bigger, stronger one out of the two this time. But he didn't let his ego ruin such a moment.

At this time, Zhai just focused on what he remembered about his old friend. What she liked... The back of her neck, around the collar. When he started there, she began to moan a bit. And around the back of the shoulders. She broke the kiss, still licking him on the nose. "After all this time, you still remember..." He smiled at her, as she slowly groped him lower and lower. Starting with the neck. "Gods, you are thick now..." She said, trying to get through his hardened, enhanced scales. Zhai just let out a chuckle, as he kept his focus on her. When she came down to his fractured shoulder, he did his best to hid the pain that wailed through his body from Zi's motion. She didn't stay too long on it at least.

His biceps and chest were next, but still didn't get much of a reaction out of the red dragon. Her, however, was looking at them, amazed and in awe. Brushing her pads on some of the old scratches and scars that took place in the battles the dragon has been through in his life. Mainly that one the dragon named 'Valhalla'. As she went lower, Zi's breaths became deeper to warm Zhai's lower area. The air around them felt so cold all at once, and her breaths were heavenly.

Zi came down to Zhaiothe's swollen sheath. "I hope this time it's bigger." She teased him.

"It's big enough." He smirked at her, still stroking her thin mane, and softly around her ears. She began licking at the sensitive area, after stretching it out with her paws. Zhai let out a slight gasp, as she forced her tongue inside, feeling for the slightly growing tool that was sheathed within. The sensation was wonderful, for not feeling it for so long. It didn't take too long for Zhai to start heavily panting, and for Zi to fully erect him. She'd always been quite rough with him. Mostly because out of most of the males in their hatchplace, Zhai was the one who was always able to take the pain.

"Mmm... That is much bigger than I remember." She chuckled at him.

"That's mostly because you demanded me to mount you before my stones even dropped. Now I'm actually fully developed-" Zhai was interrupted by her sudden muzzle over his tool. Her tongue didn't do as good as a job as Khol usually did, but she really used her teeth well. Almost biting the penis, but not enough to draw blood.

She took him out for a moment. And after a few rough licks around the ridges, and hearing Zhai whimper a bit, she asked "You're still resistant to flames, yes?" After a confirmation from Zhai, she squeezed her fire glands a bit, allowing some of the bile to cover the tool. She then went back in. The bile ignited almost the instant the air touched it. And for a bit, it almost hurt the red dragon. But the overload of sudden warmth in the area sent a loud moan of pleasure from Zhai's muzzle. Breaking the silence of the woods and the morning.

A bit more rough housing sent the red one over the edge. A large load of pre was launched into Zi's muzzle. Even though the foul taste of the bile still painted her tongue, Zi could still taste the long lost friend's load. That sweet taste of sugar and cherries was something she always liked about this one. And often the reason why she milked him often when they were young. "I hope that wasn't your full load." She said, licking her muzzle and playing with the red orbs near her chest.

"Not nearly. It's just been a while for me."

"Please tell me that you've penetrated another female besides me." She chuckled, getting up, and turning around, lifting her tail for the red one.

Zhai's ears turned a little purple. "You could... say that. Yes." Remembering his little session with Senterra. As he got up, Zi taunted him a bit by wiggling her haunches a bit at him. When Zhai got closer to her, she closed her tail, to attempt to tease him again. But to her surprise, Zhai grabbed her hind legs with his forearms, and lifted her up with a yelp. Holding her legs with his elbows and biceps, his paws moved her tail aside. "Nope. You're not getting off that easy." And Zhai forced his tongue into her sex, causing her to gasp and moan.

Zi was already wet from working on the red one earlier. But she's never been helpless like this before. The blue one didn't struggle though, she did her best to stay still and enjoy Zhai's pleasure session. He often bit her lips as roughly as she did with him. And that tongue only became more forceful. It didn't take her long to start moaning loudly, and her tail to start to thump against Zhai's back.

When she was getting close to a small release, the red paws started to get closer to her tailhole, and playing with that area. Zi's breaths began to get rapid all at once, and her lips started to squeeze Zhai's tongue harder and harder, until a splash of wet sweetness came into his mouth. He took a few licks at it, and then set her down.

He licked at her back a bit, being careful of her wings while he began to mount her. She was already submissive, but just in case it was another ruse, Zhai bit her softly in the neck. Zi moaned in bliss again, and her tail lifted. Giving the red one a chance to get his lavender tool inside her. It was so warm, and for a few moments, they just enjoyed the sudden pleasure that came from the penetration.

The bliss that poured through it, caused them both to instinctively grind against each other for a bit, then Zhai proceeded to slowly exit and enter her sex. Really getting a nice feel for it from the inside. It was much tighter than he remembered, but it just showed how much the red one had grown since he left his hatchplace. Thanks to his efforts before, Zi's sex was already wet and lubricated. It was very easy to get in and out, to the point where he started to do it faster and faster.

The pleasure raged between them, and they didn't bother holding back their roars and moans. Over and over again, with every little movement, it seemed to get them closer and closer to that climax. But Zhai wanted to make it last a little bit longer. He kept stroking her over and over, trying to keep his balance. He then got his forearms over the branches of her wings, and around her forelegs. He took a few deep breaths, and then lifted her back, holding her up with the balance of his hind legs and tail.

Zi let out another blissful roar, followed by a few breaths, while Zhai suspended her up there on his 'knees' and still penetrated. He then began bouncing her up and down slightly over his mating tool, causing a few more roars of pleasure from her. And once again, her lips began to tighten its intruder. Zhai tried his best not to climax just yet, letting her enjoy her second release of the morning. After a large amount of wetness started to cover his stones, he let her down, still mounting her.

The red one took a few forceful steps closer to her haunches, letting himself get deeper and deeper inside her. Again Zi almost whined, as if it was almost too much for her. With heavy breaths, Zhai began to slam into her sex hard. Causing her to try to take a step or two forward, only to be followed immediately by Zhai once again. Harder and harder he drove into that wet pink opening. Zi's hind claws began to rake hard against the grass, as she let out a near climatic roar. It was enough for Zhai to decide to finish. He got just a bit closer, and really let himself go. Thrust after thrust, he could feel himself reach past that point of no return. All that was left was to keep going and make her-

And there it was, that last squeeze and sudden squirt all over his tool, followed by his own bombardment. Torrent after torrent, he filled her. Zhai still breathed heavily, as he worked through his entire orgasm, feeling his balls get tighter and tighter with every load shot. Until there was nothing left within them, and they clung tightly to his pelvis. A few more squirts and Zhai began to slow down. The two dragons breathing heavy against the soft grass. Already, he began to feel his tool retreat out of her, followed by the massive streams he just gave her.

Still breathing heavily, Zi did her best to lay on her side, and grab Zhai's head. She kissed him hard, as the two passed out in a blissful overload. Zhai smiled at his childhood friend, and managed to get off her before he slept. Only to be woken up by the morning light, once again.

Zi-Zi opened her eyes to a beautiful morning light that seemed to make the chilling clouds above shine with a silver lace. She found herself holding onto Zhaiothe's chest. Relief washed over her as she held him a little tighter, fearing it was somehow all just a dream. But the Gods gave her that gift for taking a risk. There was no telling what that spell really would've done. But for the first time in a very long time, she felt truly happy. Knowing that the one she truly missed was with her once again. She saved him from death.

Or did she? Her thoughts began to wander with what she was told by the large red dragon. "I wasn't Dead, Zi-Zi" he spoke before. Maybe overall Zhai's father really didn't find him, and just claimed him dead. They never got along, Zi always remembered that. It's what brought the two together in the first place. She hated her father, and Zhaiothe hated his.

Things seemed so much simpler back then. The two would often sneak off to this area away from the Muas, and just hang out. Do things that they were forbidden to do. She missed that company so. Although she was getting some of it from time to time, overall it was... Her.

Zi sighed heavily. After Zhaiothe's death, she had such a hard time to cope. She was mad at him at first, sure, but only because he left without her. However, the news about his passing ached her heart. So much, that she couldn't be alone anymore. It was only luck that she found that someone that needed her as well. And that someone was-

Zhaiothe's groans broke her train of thought. He started to half stretch, and then held onto her tightly, muttering something under his breath. "Morning Khol." And Zi sucked in a breath. (Khol? Who is Khol?) Her thoughts began to wander, until it came to a realization: He really didn't die. Perhaps he found another tribe of dragons. Perhaps he found a new life, with a new mate. Once again, her heart ached. But she felt foolish to think that Zhai would somehow come back and stay with her. Instead, he found another female to replace her. One away from the torment that these lands have been badgered with.

Zi felt a few licks on the back of her neck. And again with Zhai's muttering. "Please don't tell me that I need to plow the fields again today. They should just do it themselves."

Zi made a strange face at the odd comment. "Plow the fields? You left here to become a farmer?" Another series of groans came from the red one, as well as a gaze from his amber eyes. After a few blinks, and some time to focus, he let out a large yelp as he rolled over and on all fours. Zi couldn't help but laugh at it.

"...Zi-Zi? So that wasn't a dream..." He said, shaking his head.

"I was almost afraid of the same thing. But..." Zhaiothe gave her a bit of a confused look. "Zhai? Who is... Khol?"

The red one sucked in a breath, and lowered his head, as well as his ears. "Khol... Is my mate. Back home." He looked into the west. "My other home."

"You mean your only home." She said, giving him a sad smirk. "Remember that little promise we made?"

"We had quite a few, but yes. We were to never call this place Home. We were... To find one together." He gave a deep sigh. "Zi... I'm... Sorry I didn't take you with me."

Her neck curled to an S. "Did you just apologize?" The question made Zhai's ears turn a bit purple.

"Y-yeah. I just needed to get away from my father, but I couldn't get to you that night. I just didn't want to spend another day here. I didn't want to waste my life here."

She motioned for him to stop. "It's alright. When I first heard, I was... Angry. Very angry. But I couldn't blame you. And then... We were told that you passed. But now, you're here." Her head sank. "And I just found out you had another home. As well as another female."

Zhai double-taked at her. "Actually... Khol is male."

"Really?" A smile crept up her face. "I didn't think you thought about males that way."

"At first I didn't. He was actually so close to looking female, I thought he was. And then... Things happened." Zi chuckled at him. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing. It just gives me alot of ideas." She sighed hopefully. "I'm really glad you swing both ways. Because I have Ideas!" The blue one got up, and stretched.

The comment left Zhai a bit worried. "I, uh... Can't wait..." He swallowed loudly, and tried not to let her see his nose turning purple as well. "I guess I should've told you yesterday, about Khol."

"It's alright. Besides, now we're even." The red one looked at her. "Because I've got a mate as well."

"Oh? Who is it?"

This time, Zi turned a bit purple. "Actually..." she said shyly. "It's your sister."

A long silence kept over the forest. Zi was waiting for Zhai to process the information, and eventually, he spoke up. "You... Mated with my sister?"

"It was a long time ago. Back around when we heard of your passing. We both... were hurt by it. It's what brought us together." She looked at him sadly. "We really missed you."

"I know. And it's okay. I... Just don't want to hear stories." Zhai said. Covering his face for a moment.

"Well, too bad. Because I've got them. First, we should get something to eat."

The two took off to the west for a while. Zhai felt so good to be able to take to the skies with his old body once again. Everything felt so real, and he knew it couldn't be a dream. Although, he was worried about Khol. And he knew Khol was worried about him. Until he could find a way back, Zhai felt like he should just enjoy his time here.

The two caught a large ram, and devoured it in a large opened field. The field was full of Vanilla orchids, and their aroma filled the meadow with the pleasant sent. To the south, Zhai could see that large mountain once again. It looked so much younger than it did before. Brighter and full of life. It occurred to him just then that this was the past. There was no way Zi-Zi could live for this long and only look half that age.

The blue one stared at him for a bit. "You remember that mountain, don't you?"

Zhai gave a nod. "Yes, but I can't remember Why I remember it. It keeps eluding me."

"Really?" She tilted her head. And the red one gave a guilty nod. "Don't beat yourself over it. It was a long time ago. Beyond that is where we were going to fly away. It was the biggest obstacle in our way, and it symbolized our freedom. If we can just make it past it." Zhai looked at her with a bit of worry, and she caught herself. "And I'm talking as if we're still 35..." Zi found herself staring at the ground, and Zhai reached over to comfort her.

"I really wish I could take you to my lands. They were so beautiful, and you would've been so happy there."

"Were?" She quoted him.

Again with that guilty look. "Something... Happened to them. Something I don't wish to talk about."

"Well then. Consider this your vacation from it." She gave a nudge with her muzzle. "Now, just me being a perv, I have to ask: Have you taken this Khol in your tailhole yet?"

It's just what Zhai needed. He laughed loudly. "Gods, I've missed talking to dragons." The comment worried her, but she waited for an answer. "Yes, but only a few times."

"Really? You didn't enjoy it?"

"Oh, it was quite pleasuring, really."

"Then... You haven't been together for very long?"

"About 400 years or so."

"Then why not more often? Does it hurt? Take too long to drain it out?" Her curiosity made the red one laugh harder, and really brighten his mood.

"Actually, Khol is very odd. He actually doesn't have any stones, for example." Again, Zi made a face at the red dragon, causing him to chuckle. "But when he starts to climax, his tool grows, like a second erection. And good Gods, he releases with so much pressure and with the loads of three mature males!" She laughed at him. "I still haven't been able to take the entire thing yet. I'm worried about... Exploding."

"I seriously can't believe that. Where did he come from?"

For a small moment, he almost wanted to tell her the truth about him. But decided not to. "The far north. I didn't pry much past that. He was a Silver one with blue eyes."

"Silver?" Her neck curled into an S.

"I never seen one either, not before or after him. He's the only one I've ever seen. But he's lovely. He makes me happy." Zi smiled at him. And gave him a lick.

"Speaking of happy. There's my happiness." She looked behind them, and Zhai took a deep breath when he heard his sister land.

"Zi, what are you doing talking to my father?"

"Close, but this isn't your father." She smiled as she got up, and nuzzled her mate. Once again, Zhai took a deep breath as he got up.

"Then who...?" She froze once she seen her mother's Amber eyes. Like Zhaiothe, Lycrii'd was mostly red, but the outer edges of her wings were a deep purple. Her pawpads also got a purple tint to them, as well as the underside of her tail. However, she got her dark teal eyes from her father.

Lyc took a step toward her brother, barely being able to breath. Forcing a sad smile, Zhaiothe lowered his head a bit. "Hello sister."

"...How is...? ...Zhaiothe?" After a slight nod from the red male dragon, she dove into him, almost crying.

"Shhh... Shhh... It's okay."

"They said you were dead... They couldn't even..."

"I know. Zi already told me. But I didn't die. I didn't die." Zhai held onto his little sister tightly. In regrets, he never really felt that close to her, beyond being his little sister. But he never envied her. He never hated her. He was always good to Lyc when he could be, and so was Zi. (Those sessions together must've meant alot more to her than I thought.) The red male thought.

After a bit, he motioned Zi to come join them. And for a while, they did just that. Held each other in silence. With the three of them in tears of happiness, Zi finally spoke up. "Your sister can take three of my fingers, and sometimes my tongue."

"Ugh." Zhai tossed his snout, while the females laughed it up a bit. "I don't need to hear that." He said, laughing and whipping the tears from his eyes. "How are you holding up?"

"Barely managing. And by the sounds of things, I guess that Zi's told you... About us?" The male nodded. "I just hope there isn't any..."

"There isn't." Zhai interrupted her. "I'm just really glad you found each other. I really am."

Zi suddenly gasped. "Zhaiothe! You should tell her about Khol!" She teased him.

"Uh... Zi?"

"Oh! And the backyard details!"

"Backyard details?" Both Zhai and Lyc asked at the same time. "...Taath." Zhai cursed, now realizing what she meant. He masked himself with his paw.

"Yes! Apparently Zhai here found himself a mate. A very 'Special' one."

"Oh? Just how special is she?"

"Zi...?" Zhai said, still hiding himself.

"HE is very Special. And likes to give it to Zhaiothe in the tailhole." Zi said smiling brightly.

Zhai couldn't help but laugh, and shake his head. "You're enjoying this too much, Zi-Zi."

"Well it's no fun if you're not embarrassed by it!" She tossed her snout.

"Did you really find someone, brother?" Lyc asked seriously.

"Yes, I did. And yes, he's quite the odd one. But..." Zhai trailed off smiling, while staring into space.

"But he makes Zhai happy. Very happy." Zi finished him.

"You are a perv." The male stated.

"I know, right?" Both females stated. And for the moment they all shared a laugh. Then a bit of sorrow painted Lyc's face. The two looked at her to ask her what was wrong "Zhai, I'm really happy for you. Really. But... Can you do me one favor?"

"What's wrong?"

"If you tell mother, can you... Make your mate a female?" It was an odd request that actually seemed to fit. But Zhai suddenly understood.

"She want's grandhatchlings, doesn't she?" He asked, and Lyc, as well as Zi nodded. "I can. Thank you."

"Speaking of which, we should get back. There are alot of people who want to see you alive." Zi said. And Zhai realized that maybe his leave really did effect alot of the people here. He always felt out of place. Constantly harassed by his father... Gods, his Father. What would he say to him? He's always wanted to call him a bastard. He's always wanted to show that he was stronger than what Zhai seemed to be as a child. Maybe he could finally have that chance...

The flight there seemed cold and unwelcoming. Even the lands seemed ravaged and in pain. "What happened here?" Zhai asked. The cold air was stinging the sensitive membranes of his wings. It must've been winter season for it to be this cold.

"The lands have been dried lately. As if something has been sucking the life out of it. It's felt like we've been in a drought for the last three hundred years... But the elders say it will clear up. That it will only follow us if we try to move." Lyc explained.

"I honestly don't believe it. I think the elders are just too stubborn to leave our lands behind. In the process, they're making us all suffer, and branding anyone that suggests leaving as traitors." Zi snarled. "It makes me so mad sometimes... They even said that you deserved your death for leaving our grounds."

"She actually ended up biting that one." Lyc giggled a bit.

"I hope you kept a trophy."

"I have his right testicle." Zi laughed. The thought made Zhai cringe.

The trip felt like it took long. They landed outside the hatchgrounds first. Lyc went on ahead to find their parents. If anyone else was to meet Zhai and see what he had become, it would be them before anyone else. "You nervous?" Zi asked the red male.

Zhaiothe gave a heavy breath. "Yeah... Mostly for my father."

The blue dragon came forth and held him for a bit. "It's alright. But it's better not to make a scene. Even if it's just in front of us." Zhai gave a nod, returning the hug. "Marrii has been so broken up by your loss. She'll be heartbroken if she knew how you really felt toward her mate."

"I know..." The male said softly. "I'll compose myself for her."

"And remember that Khol is a female now." Zi smiled. Making the red one chuckle.

"Trust me, that's a bit easier than you think. He looked like a female, and the Children thought he was as well."

"Children?" Zi took a look at Zhai, a bit worried.

"...Yes... I had some in my lands. They're... Not as bad as some may think. I still don't like them too much, but Khol was rather fond of them." The blue dragon was quiet for a bit. Zhai could tell that they always made her uncomfortable. Especially after Valo's passing.

"What is this surprise you're talking about, Lycrii'd?" Zhai held his breath at the distant voice. He was trying to remain calm, but it was hard with his heart racing. The red dragon almost didn't feel ready when Lyc came through the bushes. Along with an aged purple dragon with Amber eyes. She took one look at Zhai and lost her breath.

Marrii fell to her haunches, looking as if she'd seen a ghost. "Hello... Mother." Zhaiothe said softly, and Marrii lost it. He moved up to comfort her, and she gripped him tightly.

"How is this... Possible?" She said, looking him over. Feeling his shape as if he wasn't real.

"I never died." Zhai said. That lie was getting a little bit easier to tell. "I just... moved on."

"I'm going to see if I can find father." Lyc said with a smile.

"My... How you've grown. You're no longer my little hatchling. You must be as big as your father by now." She gave a bit of a worried look when she really looked into his scars. "You've been... Fighting."

"I've had to defend my lands from the armies to the... Well, West here. I've been in quite a few scrapes, but I've managed to survive."

"It's no way to live." She said a bit worried still. But Marrii embraced her son once again. And he returned it. "What you need is to find a mate for yourself."

"I have. Her name is Kholryik." She smiled brightly at the 'her' part. "We've been trying for hatchlings, but it's been a bit difficult."

"I hope she treats you well. Where is she?"

"She's... Not here at the moment." Marrii gave him a puzzled look.

Zi spoke up. "Marrii... I stole one of the books from the elders. A spellbook. I was trying to revive Zhaiothe to see him again." Marrii sighed heavily in anger. "But instead I found him and brought him here."

"Zi... His mate must be worried sick!"

"It's alright, mother. She'll be fine. She's used to me disappearing from time to time." Zhaiothe said with a smile. When in truth, he was wondering if Khol was back with Tong. And if they were actually freaking out or not.

At this point though, Marrii was too happy to stay mad and scold Zi. She had no words for it, and once again just held her son. The silence was nothing more than her heavy breaths, fighting to hold her back tears.

Zhaiothe understood though. In truth, he's never felt ill about his mother. If anything, she was trying to protect him from the frustration of her husband toward her son. Zhai liked his mother. Cared about her the way a son should. But... he could never admit to actually loving his mother. Of course he was thankful for everything she had given him. But...

Lyc came back. And the red male knew who was following her. As Marrii moved aside with a sniff, another large red male, with alot of gray around the outskirts of his body, walked in. He held his breath at first sights of his lost son, and for a moment, there was surprise... Then a dread expression of understanding painted his face. "Hello father."

"...Son." He barely made out in a whisper. As much as the two really detested what the females there wanted them to do, the two put up with it. They came in close for a tight, halfhearted hug, that barely lasted eight seconds. "It's... Good to see you."

"I thought you'd be a bit more surprised than that, Kray'Lurr." Kray glared at Zi's comment. "But then again, I guess we all know how well you are with affection." She continued under her breath. It made Lyc hold back a giggle.

After looking at everyone in the small space, Kray spoke up sternly. "I must attend to something to the far west. I cannot stay long." He exhaled loudly. "It was good to see you, and how you've... grown, Zhaiothe. I'll see you again sometime tonight." He turned away and exited in one fluid motion.

Zhai snorted angrily. "...He was expecting Valo... Wasn't he?" Marrii looked at him with worry.

"Don't mind him. You know you two have never gotten along. He's happy to see you, he just doesn't know how to show it."

"He never did..." The male said rather coldly.

After a long silence, Zi spoke up. "Lyc's record for climaxing me is 3 minutes."

"Ugh." Zhai tossed his snout, and once again covered his eyes with his paw. Even though he was smiling underneath. Zi stroked his arm. She always seemed to know how to make his mood lighter.

"As much as I would like to go for another record, we should get the tribe to see you. And for Zi-Zi here to publicly announce that going against stealing the books of the elders can give us some nice results for a change." Lyc suggested. It made the rest of the group smile for a bit, and they moved on.

The rest of the day was busy for the Red male. He seen many old faces that have grown up. Many new faces from relatives he used to know. And the bad news of some friends that he had already lost. But the mood was kept as brightly as possible. There was no point in morning over the dead and gone.

The tribe decided to hold a celebration for his homecoming. At least, that's what they called it. It reminded Zhaiothe of the celebrations in the villages, back in his lands. It only made him uncomfortable to be the center of attention, but at least this time it was his same species.

When it was reaching dusk, Kray was still not back. Although they were going to find him, Zhai actually volunteered to retrieve him. Convincing them that if he was away, they could surprise him with whatever they had planned. When really... Zhai wanted to argue with his father. He just didn't want to do it in front of people who would probably be hurt by his words.

It took a while of flying, but eventually, he found the large red dragon in the darkness of night. Kray was laying on top of a large mountain. Zhai landed hard on the flat surface. His impact echoed loudly throughout the lands, but didn't startle the older male.

"They sent you after me, did they?" Zhai stayed silent. "And I thought I told you not to do that. It'll wreck you when you're older." Silence once again. "What." Kray snarled.

"...You're a bastard." Zhai said. Sternly.

"And you hurt alot of people with your childish escape plan. Tell me, how well did that end for you? Really? You were too young to be on your own, and you died because of it!"

"I didn't Die."

"I Was There!" Kray roared at him, finally turning around to face him. "I Found Your Body! I Felt No Pulse! No Breaths! I Held Your Limp Body In My Own Arms!" He shed a tear, one that he hoped Zhaiothe didn't see. "That Day, I Lost Valo Once Again."

"You lost him a day earlier. It was you that pushed me away, it was you that pushed me to escape!"

"Why? Because I was too hard on you? Because I wanted you to grow up strong like me? Like Valo was?"

"No, because you wanted me to BE Valo! You wanted me to fill that empty space in your now-hollow heart, and you tried to morph me! Change me so I could fit! It was because of that you were disappointed. It was because of that I hate you! It was because of that, You Lost Both Of Your Sons!" Zhai roared at him. He could feel his heart racing, pounding against his chestplates. And the heat that felt like it was held captive in there, it sent steam out of the dragon's nostrils. "You... Did This."

Kray snorted. "Yet here you are. Standing strong, as if you were something better than that wyrmling that left all those years ago. I wonder who made you into that dragon." Zhai growled at him. "You may have fooled everyone else with your story, but you can't fool me. I know what you have... And believe me when I tell you that it's no Gift. It's a Curse. Haytre became a very bitter dragon because of that. And you will as well. I sure as hell don't envy your scaly ass."

"Why? Because you think that I'll somehow live to see the end of days? The end of all dragons, and be the last one left? Live a life of loneliness and anger?" Kray looked into Zhai's eyes for a moment. "Well, you're wrong."

"That's what you say now. But it won't be when you live for ten thousand years. You won't when your mate is gone-"

"He already is!" Kray gave a disappointed sigh. "And don't you judge him! You have no right to!"

"Here your mother was expecting grandhatchlings. Just another disappointment added to your list." Kray snorted.

Zhai growled at him again. "Then stop making expectations of me. I'm dead to you, remember? It's pathetic to assume standards of the passed."

"You want to talk about Pathetic-" Kray interrupted himself as he did a double-take down the cliff. "...What is...?"

It got Zhai's attention as well. And when he walked toward the edges, he seen something he wished not to ever see again. Far below, along some of the large opened areas they sometimes used as roads or walking paths, were hundreds of little orange lights that trailed off to the far distant west. The same lights as Valhalla. "...Taath..." The dragon cursed. Kray looked at him, wanting an explanation...

Chapter 5

The morning in the hatchplace was dry, and still a bit cold. Much like the morning before. Zhai woke up between Zi-Zi and Lyc, muttering something that even he couldn't make out. It caused the others to wake up as well. After studying the two females for a bit, his ears turned a little purple. "Did... We...?"

Zi stretched out a bit, giving a big smile to her mate. "A little bit. But you only mounted me, so don't worry." Lyc giggled at Zhai's heavy sigh.

"You're usually not so embarrassed by such things, Zhai." Lyc added. Licking at his neck.

"I'm usually not. But... You're my little sister. It's kinda a borderline for me."

"Well, get used to it. Because before you go, you're going to be inside her. Willing or not." Again, Zhai's face started to turn purple. "He's grown quite a bit, hasn't he?"

"He has. Last I seen was that time I caught him playing with his morning wood. And now... Wow. He can barely fit in you."

"Ladies... please..." Zhai said covering his face with his paws.

"I can't see from here, Lyc. Does he have something for us this morning?"

"Sadly, no." A surprising yelp came from Zhai suddenly. "But I'm sure we can convince it to come out and play. It had no objection last night."

"I don't remember much of last night." Another mutter from the male.

"Too bad, because it was really nice. You were on top of me, Zhai, and I was on top of Lyc. Actually, maybe we can get Khol to come over as well. I would like to see Zhai get nailed."

"You two..." Zhai said, still under his paws. He was interrupted by his own laughter. "As much fun as that would sound. And believe me, I wouldn't mind it. I think we're a bit preoccupied at the moment." He started to stretch a bit, and made the mistake of making his stones vulnerable. Not passing the opportunity, Zi quickly grabbed the leathery red sack, causing him to yelp and whimper.

"Are you sure you can't assist us in a morning quickie?" Zi asked, rubbing his stones and sheath a bit. Trying her best to get it swollen before he could change his mind.

"I really can't. I need to check on what the elders decided." It took alot of effort to reject the proposal. "Perhaps Lycrii'd will help you instead. It should only take you a few minutes anyway."

"My paws are already cold, see?" Lyc cupped Zi with a cold paw, causing her to gasp loudly, then purr. As the two began to make out, Zhai shook his head, and left the small, draped shelter before he got erected.

The tribe was busy, and a bit chaotic. Zhai didn't expect any less really. What he and his father saw last night was Alzallion's army coming to wipe out their entire tribe. But an army that large would take about two days to get to them. Maybe three, since they never had a well warn road to travel on.

As Zhai walked through the area he once identified as Home, he kept getting greetings from many of his old friends. He felt a little sad that he couldn't even remember half their names, but at least they didn't talk long. He made his way to a larger structure, that housed their elders.

Upon walking in, Zhai was met with his father, Kray. Although the two didn't like each other, they really needed to put their issues aside and work together. "Have you come to a decision yet?"

One of the elders spoke up. He was a dark purple, with many shades of gray around his now frail body. "Yes, we're going to defend our lands against this army." Zhai growled at the answer, which was expected from the Elder. "These lands belong to our ancestors, and we must protect them at any cost."

"You're protecting a droughted land from a large army that will probably wipe out your entire tribe. You realize that, don't you?" Zhai said sternly.

"The army is large, yes. But it's not invincible. Kray here has told me you've encountered them before."

"Yes, I've taken out an army on my own, but nearly at the cost of my life. Even then, it was very drastic measures."

"Probably. But you are one dragon. We have at least sixty here that are well grown and willing to fight-"

"Well grown, perhaps, but never been trained for combat! Let alone what they're up against. And you can't train them in a day!"

"Aren't you the one who left our tribe many years ago? How could you possibly know what our kind is capable of?" Zhai snarled at the reply. He knew the answer, but didn't want to say it.

"Listen. If you fight them, you will lose. You will lose this land, and you will lose the lives of every dragon here willing to sacrifice them. Leave this dead land behind, migrate south instead. That way, you will not have to lose anything!"

"Except for our lands-"

"Your Lands Are Dead! They have been dying for the past three hundred years! There's nothing here that's worth dying for!"

"Zhaiothe!" Kray's voice stopped him.

Another growl omitted from the younger male's muzzle. "Do both then. Get those who are too old, or too frail to fight to take those who are too young to, and leave-temporally if anything. Just get them out of harm's way. It can't hurt. Then those who can fight, will stay and try."

The elder scoffed. But Kray cut in. "It wouldn't be a bad decision, elder. It's just a safe one, and we'd lose nothing in doing it."

After a deep sigh, the elder gave a nod. "I'll give the others the final word. Until then, I want you to start rallying up volunteers to stay behind. You're dismissed."

Zhai and Kray both started walking out of the shelter, the younger one's face painted with worry. "We'll be alright. Dragons are naturally strong, you know that." Kray's odd comfort wasn't completely displeasing.

"They may be Men, but they're not without weapons or defenses."

"Then you should tell us what we should need to know." Kray said sternly. "After all, you're going to lead them into battle." Zhai gave him a surprised look. He sworn that Kray would've taken that position in a heartbeat. "In their eyes, you're their miracle. In their eyes, you're their hope. You've survived them once before, and you can do it again. You, my son, are what they need."

Zhai's jaw stiffened for a moment, and he gave a faint nod. The dragon's mind started to relive what Valhalla had taught him. When he walked into a dragon who was often taking care of the sick, he asked "...Do you know what Red Clover is?"

The day went on, and so did the scouts who were constantly reporting the of the army's progress. Zhai went out with a few of them, and looked at certain landmarks as well as tactical areas they could use for their advantage. After he got a few ideas, he told the rest of his team, and they started getting the dragons organized.

When he wasn't doing that. He was giving details of the fight he was in, and the weapons they tried to use against him. Although they've heard of Red Clover, they didn't have nearly enough to cure an entire army of it. Only enough for a dragon or two at best. Zhai hated those odds... And his only hope was that they were not using poison tactics with this invasion. It was a foolish thing to hope for, but...

He then gave them information about the ballistas, and how dangerous they could be. If a dragon was hit by them, it was probably going down, and staying down. Even just talking about them, Zhai could hear their dreaded whistles in his mind.

The single day felt like three weeks to the red son. He laid on his back in the same spot he woke up that morning, exhausted. Closing his eyes, trying to get some sleep before the encounter tomorrow. The scouts often came back with progress information. Including weaponry they had with them. They counted maybe an army of three or four thousand men. And the one that Zhai himself took on was probably one thousand at max.

A deep sigh came from him. And he didn't even hear anyone enter his room. Zhai suddenly got a squeeze from his stones, which shot his eyes open and made him hiss a bit, as well as gasp. Looking up, he could see Zi there smiling at him. "Why?" He asked, making her giggle.

"Because I love to watch you squirm. It's quite adorable."

"Well, I can't tonight. I'm way too tired for such a thing-hey!" Another squeeze. "Let go of me!"

"This could be our last night with you, and you're going to say no to a three way?"

"I'm going to say no to a three way with my sister involved, yes. And last I checked you wanted me to mount her."

"Only because I want to see her get penetrated by someone else besides me." Zi tossed her snout, but let go of the red orbs. She licked at them a bit, highly amused at how they liked to jiggle, then moved onto his sheath.

"Seriously, please. Not tonight." Zhai's voice cracked with remorse, and Zi stopped. Moving up to him, and laying in his arms, he embraced her.

"...You miss him, don't you?" He gave a heavy sigh, and a large nod. "You'll see him again. Don't worry. You're too strong for this." That last sentence was replaced with Khol's voice in Zhai's head. And that ached his heart.

"I just... Worry about him. Especially when I'm not there to protect him." Zhai admitted. And Zi just licked his neck a bit.

Lyc walked in, and joined them on the other side of Zhai. He invited her in the moment he saw her. "I take it no three way tonight?" She half teased, hearing the conversation when she entered. "It's alright though. I guess people need their boarders."

"I have to ask, why?" Zhai looked at Lyc, waiting for an answer.

"Honestly...?" Her sight trailed off to Zi. "It's Zianziou. She looked up to you so much that even her descriptions of you made me want..." She trailed off. "We missed you. Alot. And I never knew it until you were gone that I loved you. More than any other male here. Zi here is still the love of my life," She smiled at Lyc. "But if I were to have a male mate... It would be you. Be it brother or not." And Lyc laid back down in Zhai's arms.

The red male sighed. "I... Half feel the same way. I feel closer to you than just my little sister. Not quite as close as Zi-Zi, but..."

"You guys realize that I'm here, right?" Zi teased. And she got two licks.

Again, Zhaiothe sighed. He looked at his sister. "You... Really want this?" That strange mix of excitement and fear fluttered in his heart when she gave him a nod. Maybe, just this once, he could make an exception. "Alright. But I'm honestly too warn out to move much. I really should save my strength. Would a Muzzlejob be enough?"

She smiled at him. "Nope. You're getting the full thing." Zhai did his best to toss his head. "Zi, get his balls."

"Wait-wait-wait, don't squee-" And he let out a loud groan. Shifting his body a bit. "You don't need to do that!" He hissed, them laughing at him.

"But it's so fun! I almost wish I had a pair of my own, but Lyc would squeeze them until they pop." Zi said, then got a lick from the other female. "But alright, no more ball torture." She patted them a few times, getting a whimper out of male. "Lyc, come here."

Both females began kissing each other just above Zhai's sheath. For a moment, they got lost in each other's lips. After they broke it, and licked each other's muzzles a few times, Zi guided Lyc's tongue to the sheath. With the two of them licking it, and Zhai closing his eyes, trying to relax a bit after a rough day, his tool began to grow inside him. Expanding that sheath, making it slowly thicken more and more with every warm lick of the female tongues.

When its peak started to peer through, Zi gave her mate a sly look and a smile. The two focused on it just a bit, then drove both of their tongues into the sheath, causing the male to gasp once again, and groan a bit in pain. "Good Gods, you two..." He muttered, but soon that pain was overwhelmed. The two soft purple tongues thrashed inside of Zhai's protection, causing his tool to grow rapidly. They did their best to keep them inside the sheath while it was being stretched out by the erecting shaft. But while trying to tend to it, little by little they freed their tongues from its protection.

The two then began taking turns between licking the tower at its base, and working with the top half in their muzzles. It seemed to be nearly every five or six slow muzzle, they would switch. Zhai couldn't even move he was so paralyzed by the pleasure of the two. Zi then let her mate take it by herself, while she started to tend to Zhai's sister.

She caught Lyc already a little bit wet from the excitement, and started licking her warm sex with her tongue. Even with the red female's mouth already occupied, she couldn't hold back the moans her mate was stimulating. Meanwhile, Zhai's breaths were getting heavy and deep. But he didn't want to let them go without. A bit far beside him, he seen Zi's haunches in arms reach. He adjusted himself a bit, grabbed her tail, and dragged her closer to him.

Zhai then began to tongue her as well. Half gnawing on her sex' lips. With a few moans from Zi, and within a few moments, a few moans from Lyc. He could only assume Zi was doing the same thing he was. It made the male smile a bit, trying to drive his attention from the pleasure he was receiving so he wouldn't release too early. But it was getting difficult, whereas Lyc was really working on his ridges. Soon enough, he couldn't concentrate to use his tongue inside Zi. Instead, he stuck three fingers inside, being mindful of the claws. It seemed to get a bigger reaction out of the blue female, as she groaned loudly when he entered her.

Although he tried to resist, Zhai ended up releasing a bit of pre into Lyc's mouth which surprised her. She pulled his shaft out of her muzzle, and began licking it a bit. "That tastes like..."

"Sugar and cherries?" Both Zhai and Zi asked at the same time, still occupied.

"...Yes actually." She said, matching the description. "It's very unique." She smiled, and began to purr from Zi's pleasure. Without moving her haunches too much, she dragged herself up to her mate's sex, still with three large fingers in it. "Here, move out one." She whispered, causing Zi's ear to almost make out what she said. But before she could decipher it any further, the blue one's lower lips got three more smaller fingers shoved inside her, causing her to whimper due to the very tight fit.

"Gods..." Zi moaned. She tried to keep her attention on her mate, but it was too overwhelming. Once again, she heard Lyc whisper something to Zhai, and could see him nod faintly. After a low count to three, the two pulled in opposite directions, lightly, stimulating Zi's sex and causing her to roar. They stopped the pull for a bit, just massaging the inside of her, and then another count to three. A second pull let a whimper of pleasure out of the blue female. This time, Zi was the one paralyzed by bliss. One more time for the count, and Zi couldn't hold it back. The sudden pull caused her to squirt forcefully into Zhai's face, catching him by surprise and causing him to yelp.

Lyc went in to lick at the blue one's wet sex, now with all paws out of it. After it was clean, she began to work on Zhai's face, laughing at it. "Your turn..." She said softly to him, and he gave a faint nod after a deep breath. Slowly, she got on top of him, feeling his tool on her far lower belly.

Zi finally got up, and was able to move once again. She leaned into her mate's lower lips, giving them a few licks while guiding her onto her brother. Giving her haunches a few pushes up, until she found Zhai's shaft. Zi muzzled it a bit, getting it wet once again, and tasting that sweetness of his. After a few strokes, she lined the two up, and slowly Lyc began to slip Zhai's tool into her wet sex. The warm tightness of each other caused the two to just stop and enjoy each other for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, Zi focused once again on those red orbs. She started playing with them once again. Not squeezing, but just lapping them, and watching the full sack jiggle with every minor movement she caused.

Lyc started to move up and down very slowly, while Zhai embraced her. Both breathing heavily and deeply. With every few grinds, the two could feel the male release a little bit inside the other. Soon enough, there was so much that it began to leak out whenever Lyc was uncovering the purple shaft. During these little windows, Zi went in for a better taste. But there was two distinct ones she was familiar with, covering that purple tower.

The red female began to move faster over the male she was on top of. Zhai was trying not to release just yet. This moment was for his sister. A gift she wanted so much from him. And he was going to make it last as long as he possibly could. He owed her that much. But it was getting straining, trying to hold back his instincts. With every up and down motion from Lyc, he was releasing a bit more into her. The massive warmth that was in that lower region was overwhelming. Not to mention Zi's actions were not helping.

Every once in a while, he could feel his sister squeeze his large shaft hard with those lower lips. He'd lost track on how many times it's happened so far, but with every constriction, Zhai was left to leak more and more into her. A sudden lick over his tailhole caused him to get pushed past the point of no return. He let out a long moan to indicate his incoming climax, and the red female got the message.

She began riding him hard. Very hard. While Zi started to play around with Zhai's tailhole, sticking a finger into it. Then Two. The male's breaths became rapid, as he was trying to hold back the massive flood that was approaching. A third, tight finger did it. His spines started to flare. He arched his back. Beat his wings against the cold ground. And his tail thrashed wildly while his shaft began to pulse rapidly. Soon, torrent after torrent began to unleash within his sister. She as well just reached her climatic end. Feeling the sudden rush of warm pressure inside her.

Zi watched the large sack intently as it began to drain in large pulses, moving closer to the male's body. Meanwhile, Lyc tried to stay on top of it and enjoy the exciting moment she'd been wanting for so long. The pressure was too overwhelming, whereas she was already so full. She was slowly pushed off of his purple, and now white, tower, while it released a few more sprays of white under her tail and haunches.

The two caught their breaths, purring at each other. Instinctively, they began to lock lips, and stroke the back of each other's necks. Zi eventually broke their immersion with her constant licking, cleaning up the mess they made with her tongue. "My turn!" She said happily. Making Zhai's eyes widen, and whimper a little bit. Lyc laughed at his sudden expression, and gave him a few licks.

"You're joking... Right?" He asked.

"Oh come on. You can take it. You're a big male." Another whimper from the male, while Lyc dismounted him.

Zhai turned to her, while Zi moved in "I'm going to need a piss bucket after this." He sighed. Again, Lyc laughed, and left the room for a moment.

"You made her really happy, you know." Zi whispered to the one she was currently on top of.

"I can see that. And it's worth the awkwardness I'll feel from now on." He gave Zi a lick, and she returned it. Lyc returned and set a large bowl in the room while the other two locked lips for a bit. She went to her mate, and kissed her once Zi released her lips embrace from the male. Though, Lyc's kiss to Zi wasn't nearly as settle. She forced her tongue into the blue female, pushing her back onto Zhai's still erect shaft. Zi moaned loudly through the kiss, and Lyc left her sex over Zhai's muzzle. He gave it a few licks, as she tended to Zi.

Zhai began working on his sister once again, with that faint smell of a females Heat buried deep in it. He could taste the sweetness of cherries still within her, how he missed it so. The two females broke their deep kiss finally, and moaned loudly, grinding a bit. The red female dismounted Zhai's muzzle, and moved to the two dragon's lower areas. "Lyc..." Zhai moaned to her, getting her attention. "I'm going to regret mentioning this, but... Hamstrings." The red female tilted her head for a moment, and then looked down at his lower area in understanding. She smiled deviously. (Yep... Regretting it.) Zhai let out a small chuckle.

The male waited for the sudden rushes of pleasure when his sister found the right areas to forcefully work. "Yes. Right there..." he said between breaths, and Zi began to ride the red male slowly. Zhai could feel the overstimulation's fading away, but he knew he wouldn't be able to last too long. By the look of it, Zi was already close anyway. He let her enjoy herself at her own pace, and just tried to endure.

"Don't forget about his tailhole either. That's what pushed him over last time."

"Why?" Zhai moaned, getting a laugh out of the two. He felt a few licks around that area, and soon a few fingers enter it. The male gasped in surprise, as he shot a bit of pre into the blue female. A series of large breaths and whimpers began to leak out of Zhai's mouth, as Zi began to ride him harder and harder.

More and more waves of pleasure crashed into Zhai, and he lost himself almost entirely in them. A few licks to his near empty sack could barely be felt, as it once again started to drain completely. Another mix of a whimper and a roar came out of him, as he reached his climax again. Zi could feel a few sprays in her, but she wasn't quite done. She kept at it, even after he released. When she finally reached hers, Zhai felt almost sick. Trying to catch his breaths, he leaned over for the bowl, but he couldn't see straight. "Zhai? Zhai? You okay?" And he passed out.

"Gods! Is he alright?" Lyc said, coming to his side, grabbing the bowl.

"I don't know, let's roll him over." It took a bit of effort, but the two got him over, and Lyc placed the bowl under his tool. After about a minute, he released as if he had no control. His breathing was abnormal for a while. But after several minutes, it normalized. He never woke back up though. "It was a night to remember at least." Zi joked.

"Yes. I just hoped we didn't push him too far." Lyc stroked him under the chin, and the male began to purr softly. She chuckled, and a soft sigh. "...I can see why you loved him so."

"Yes. He's so unlike the other males... If only he stayed, we could've both had him."

"Is there... Any possible way we could go with him? When you send him back home?" Lyc hopefully asked.

Zi-Zi's face painted with guilt for a moment. "I... Don't think there is a way to send him back. I already looked through the book..." She gave a heavy sigh as she laid next to the large red male. "I'm sorry, Zhai... I don't think I can send you home. I just... Can't find the strength to tell you..." A small tear from Zi's eye was caught by her mate's tongue. The two slept the night away in each other's arms.

Zhai woke up, hungover and dehydrated. It was still dark outside, he could tell that, but nothing else. Getting up, he could feel a few bodies leaning against him. The two females were cuddling each other in their sleep, and Zhai did his best not to disturb them.

He walked outside, to a large bowl-shaped rock that held water for the public there. Taking many laps at it, and then relieving himself in a bush privately. Zhai looked around at the darkened hatchplace where he was born.

It was so warn out. The lands were not nearly as green as he remembered. The dirt was dried and cracked. The trees all seemed to be sick, and barely surviving. He wondered what was so special about this place that the elders were willing to risk the lives of their children for.

With a deep sigh, the red male shook his head of those thoughts. It didn't matter at this point. Many of them were ready to leave, and many more of them were ready to die defending a wasteland. And they wanted Zhaiothe to lead them into battle. All because he had more experience than the rest. Like somehow he would be able to protect them.

The weight of them was piling on the more he thought about it. The only reasons why he was able to stand up to the army was because of his enhancements. The reasons why he was able to take the arrows to his scales was because of what Bartan taught him. The environment helped alot, as well as the initiative.

But the initiative is what he plans on having. That first strike, if coordinated well, will give them a huge advantage. He also assigned teams to go after something specific like Bowmen and Ballistas. Even if it's just to set them on fire and make them unusable for a time.

And then there's the fires. It was the one and only weapon they really had. Zhai himself knew how to fight in many ways. He could hold himself against the frontlines going melee, but... The others. They may know how to fight another dragon, that's about it. To fight men is something entirely different. And once again, Zhai started to worry about them...

"Stop." Lyc's voice interrupted him. "Stop thinking about it. You'll have time when it's time to move out. But right now, you need your rest. We can't have a hungover captain." He let out a painful sigh.

"It's all I can think about. That and Valhalla..." She gave him a puzzled look. "It's what I named the battle I had with them. It was the second time I almost died... And third... And forth."

She gave out a nervous chuckle. And sat beside him. "...Tell me about it." Leaning into Zhai, trying to keep him warm.

"It was unexpected. I was just doing a quick patrol in terrible weather. It was so foggy, I couldn't even see thirty feet below me. But I could make out these little lights. Orange ones. They were torches, carried by the men. At the time, they didn't notice me, so I set their rears on fire." She gave a small laugh. "After that, I went melee. Taking out unit after unit. Somewhere in there, I got stabbed down here. But it wasn't too serious. Then I heard ballistas." His scales clicked from a shiver. "I went into stealth once again, caused a distraction with a rock and found where the ballistas were kept. I set them on fire, and went in again. Eventually a poison arrow got into the sword wound. Although, at the time, I didn't know it was poisoned."

Lyc's face looked a bit worried as Zhai continued. "After a bit more fighting, I heard more ballistas. Trying the stealth tactic again, I got interrupted and was forced to take cover in a shell of a decaying mountain. I was pinned, until I started..." He didn't know how to explain this next part. He really didn't want her to know how much he hurt himself trying that berserk tactic. "The mountain was being eaten from the inside out by the weather and conditions. It left this large plate of its shell, almost suspended in the air. I took out what was holding it up, and pushed the plate on the large bridge that they were fighting on. That was the end of them. But..."

"That's where you felt the poison effects." He gave a nod.

"I don't... Want you to know the next part." She nodded, and whispered 'Okay.' Embracing him, and trying to calm his worried heart.

"Try to get some sleep, alright? Do you want to come back in?" Lyc asked her brother. He gave a deep sigh, and overlooked the place one more time. Then gave a nod.

Zhaiothe woke up from a large wave of pleasure. He moaned, a bit groggy while feeling alot of weight on his belly. He looked up and seen the bodies of both the females, a red one on his belly, and a blue on his lower legs. "Gods, you two... You realize that Khol's going to empty me when I get back. Save some for him-" He was interrupted by another wave, as well as a series of giggles.

"But we seen you all ready to go, so we decided to try doing it without waking you. Besides, your sack is full again. He'll have plenty to work with." Zi teased, and went back to Zhai's hamstrings. Lyc was intently muzzling him, trying to get him to reach a climax before he got up and pushed her off. "Work the ridges down here. It really races him."

"Don't tell her th-" Another interruption. "Fine, just finish it. I can only assume I'm late anyway-Good Gods! No Squeezing!" Zhai hissed. They kept at it until Zhai came into his sisters mouth. Which then the two started to take turns with his loads. After a few moments of rest, he spoke up "Are you done?"

"You don't want to finish us? Maybe get a second one?" Zi suggested.

"Or a third?" Lyc teased.

"Okay. Off. Off!" Zhai fought to get up, and they let him. "I appreciated it. I really do, but no. I really can't be hungover anymore than I already am. Now, there shouldn't be anything you're going to encounter when you escort the-"

"We're on the defense, Zhai." Lyc said.

"...What!? No you're not!"

"We'll be fighting beside you Zhai, we're with Exodus." Zhai tossed his snout at Zi's reply.

Another dragon poked his head in. "Zhaiothe, they're waiting for you to make a speech before we move out."

The red male groaned in frustration. "I'll be out in a moment." And he waited for him to leave. "I don't want you to in danger. Stay-"

"And you need others to watch your back. We can fight Zhai!" Lyc defended.

"You know there isn't a stronger female than me here. And Lycrii'd is the better one with flame tactics."

Zhai tossed his snout. "Fine. But you need to be careful. I'm late, I gotta run. Finish up if you wish, I got a speech I need to make up." The male exited the shelter, only to see a large crowd near the elder's living quarters. (That's going to be impossible to slip through. Plan B.)

The dragon took off to the skies and circled around. He landed on top of the Elder's stone shelter heavily, causing it to crack just a bit. Bracing to make sure it didn't collapse below him. He took a few steps to the edge, looking proud. Silence fell before the entire hatchplace as they waited for him to speak. With a deep sigh to clear his head...

_...The Stage Is Set. Their Disillusion Begins. They Tell Themselves They Can't Believe Them. They're Going To Say What They Want Them To Hear. But They Should Be Dead Now, Just Like The Rest!

The Stage Is Set. Their Panic Is Starting To Grow. We'll See No Terror In Tomorrow! They've Been Told What They Wanted To Hear. But They Should Be Dead Now, Just Like The Rest!

They'll Be Forgotten, Everything That They Are! It's Time They Stopped Pretending, They're Just Like The Rest!

Because We're Where They Want To Be, And I Can See Straight To The End! I Know That We, We Will Hold Our Own! And When The Lights Go Out You'll Know That It's All Or It's Nothing!

We. Won't. Fall! _

Every dragon in the entire hatchplace roared at once. The cry echoed throughout the lands. Every Animal, every plant, every mountain, and every man that heard it suddenly felt true fear.

(The Stage Is Set...)

Chapter 6

Dusk was beginning to settle in, while many units of dragons were hiding in the mountains above. It was very quiet and uneasy with the large army beginning to march from the distance. After checking the winds once again, Zhaiothe sent a unit to the northeast. Several dragons followed by command. "The Elders are going to hate me for this." The younger red male muttered.

"Yes, but I approve of it. So that's all that matters." Zi teased, trying to lighten the mood.

"Approve of it? It was your idea." Lyc giggled at her, giving the blue one a lick.

"It was a good idea, that's what really matters. Where did you come up with it anyway, Zi?" Zhai asked.

She was quiet for a moment, and she looked at him with a bit of guilt. "...Lyc told me about... Valhalla." The male gave out a silent sigh, and then a small nod. "I figured, since we didn't have fog..." Her ears went a bit low.

"It's alright. It might save a few of us at least." He gave her a lick, to show there was no hard feelings. He held the two close. Even though he didn't want them in danger's way, he was happy they were fighting with him. "Now, all we do is wait."

It wasn't long before the smell of burning wood began to fill the air. But it took nearly an hour for the thick smoke from the forest fires to come their way. Unlike alot of other species, Dragons could breathe easier in thick smoke. And Zi's idea of a smokescreen was a perfect advantage.

Zhai sent a couple of scouts to inform the others to strike when they heard the large crash. The smoke was still quite thick, so it was impossible to use visual signals. After a few moments of studying, Zhai could barely make out the shadows of the army below. He looked at his unit: Exodus. Zi-Zi, Lycrii'd, Kray, as well as a few older friends. They gave him a nod. Another deep breath. "...Stay with me." And he moved a bit higher up the mountain on foot.

Above them, was a large rock about the size of two full grown males. The younger red male walked up to it, placing his forepaws on it. Closing his eyes, he concentrated his breathing. Zhai thought of Khol's face, and a smile crept over his...

His mind went back to a distant memory of the two had together. That night Khol penetrated Zhai for the first time, under Bartan's watch. They were back in his spare cave, talking and waiting for Bartan to return for the night. "I always seem to keep running into roadblocks when I try to concentrate during it." Zhai explained to his mate. "I can do the enhancements easily, and the slight changes of the body. But when it comes to Arcane... I have a hard time with it."

Khol just smiled at him with a chuckle. "I did as well for a while. But I was the opposite. The body things are difficult for me. Bartan told me something though, when you were taking a Bush-break." He let out a small laugh with that, it made Zhai smile. "He quoted an old friend of his named Eman Ssel: 'In A Fogless Mind, No Mistakes Are Made.' If you're mind keeps throwing out roadblocks..." Khol gave the red one a lick. "Just know you can charge right through them."

A deep sigh came from the Large red dragon. "In A Fogless Mind..." He whispered. It caught his unit's attention. Zhai's eyes suddenly opened with a loud snort. Strength pushed through his muscular body, as he began wailing on the large boulder. Pushing it closer and closer to the edge. With one final slam at it, it flew off the cliff, and landed with a very loud crash. With another loud huff, he looked at Exodus. The sounds of faint wingbeats filled the smokey air. And they took off as well.

The six dragons dove into the gray clouds. All following the younger red one. Flying from side to side, Zhai found the shadows once again. "Carpet!" He called out in draconic for his unit. And all six began to squeeze their fire glands hard. In formation, they sprayed the grounds below them with flames. Cries from the men burning alive echoed through the lands, and not just at Exodus' area. Several units were told to carpet them in different locations. To keep them from regrouping.

With another circle around, Zhai ordered another on where they left off. After that one, he could hear the whistles of ballistas filling the air. "Evade!" He ordered them. While Zhai dove for the ground. Landing hard into a unit of men. The red male began rampaging the area defensively, using alot of the same tactics and combat style as Valhalla. Using his wings and forearms to cover from arrows. Swiping the ground with large, heavy hooks from his claws. And occasionally setting the areas on fire.

Inching closer to where he heard the ballistas, he kept moving in. When he got surrounded, his team would swoop in with another carpet of flames, burning everything around him. While reloading the second volley they fired, Zhai caught up to the siege weapons very quickly. Charging them with his horns, he disabled them, and burned as well as crushed those who controlled them.

The red male didn't stop there. His duty was the frontlines, with support from the skies, Zhai started to plow through the enemy. Reaching large fields of flames as if they were checkpoints. Hearing another set of whistles, he focused his anger in that direction. Rushing toward them. (The sooner I can take these out, the more I can save.) He thought to himself, as he pushed forward.

He ran into a few caravans that held archers inside, as well as alot of units with longspears guarding them. They all charged the large red dragon while the archers kept him busy defending himself. A few steps back, and a few dragon swimmers came from the river beside the road, spraying their flames at the men's right sides. Allowing Zhai time to bolt forward and take out the archers. "Nicely done." Zhai complimented the unit, and they gave a quick salute before diving and moving forward.

Another set of ballistas launched, as well as a few cries of dragons could be heard. Zhai cursed, and rushed forward again. While going through some of the units of men, they were really doing a number on his enhanced scales. Slowly chipping through his armor, and causing him to start feeling the stings of cold blades. But he endured. Getting a few arrows and spears stuck inside him a bit, Lyc and Zi landed to assist him on the ground. Worried, but grateful for the help, he just told them to advance to the ballistas.

Group after group, they got closer to the source of the horrible sounds that hurt their ears. Their air strikes were becoming less frequent, probably due to being out of bile. But at least they used up most of it. Another series of loud snaps and whistles came from ahead, as well as a very close sound of a dragon getting shot out, and landing near their destination. As it crashed another shot was taken, and Zhai's heart froze for a moment. "MOVE!" He shoved Zi aside, getting his block up, only to be hit very hard on the right shoulder. The blow knocked him out.

A few moments later, he could hear Lyc calling him. His mind began to focus, but he felt a tremendous amount of pain in his right shoulder. He looked at it, to only get braced by his sister. "Don't Move!" Zhai snarled a bit, mostly at the pain, but he could see Zi fighting behind Lyc. (At least she's safe.) A few sharp pains came from the right side of Zhai's neck, and he hissed. His sister picking out what seemed to be large splinters of wood. After she let go of him, she studied him a bit.

"We need to get you out of here."

"No! I'm not done yet." He growled. Looking at his arm. It was still very much intact. The armor around his shoulder was wrecked, but the shoulder was just dislocated. Not broken and barely pierced. Turns out his enhancements could take a ballista after all. "Pop it back in." He demanded.

"What? You can't be serious!" Lyc looked at him.

"Do it! I need to keep going."

"You can't fight like this. If we take you back-"

"How do you really plan on taking me back?" Zhai's question caused Lyc to admit something she didn't want to hear. The two females were strong, yes. But Zhai was much heavier than other males. Last night, they could barely roll him over. "Zi!" He called her over when she was done with a unit that moved in.

Another lash of ballistas shot through the air, high over them. Yet another dragon was hit. They all hated to hear that sound, but there wasn't anything they could do for them once they were stricken. The blue one came to Zhai's injured side. "What's it like?"

"It looks broken." Lyc said sadly.

"It's not broken. It's dislocated. Here, take it under this area." He hissed at the pain when Zi followed his instruction. "Okay, Lyc: I need you to pull on this, and then push as hard as you can. Zi, Brace the back of my shoulder here! Okay, on Three! One! Two!-" And the red male roared fiercely at the pain. "Harder!" A small series of the bones and muscles rubbing against each other made Lyc feel almost sick. In the distance, he could see another unit of men approaching. The male hissed loudly, grabbing his sisters hand, and assisted her with the push. A large pop omitted from his shoulder, and Zhai immediately, shoved Lyc out of harm's way.

It was a stupid idea, but he used his right arm as an opening swing against the unit. Taking out a few of them. The two females came in from the sides and helped him. After that unit was taken care of, Zhai payed attention to the pain in his shoulder. Moving it around, it felt... Loose to him. But it was still functional. Painful to use and step on, but he could endure it.

The two looked at him in worry, waiting orders. He could tell that they wanted him to fallback. Withdraw from the fight, but he couldn't. Not yet. "We keep pressing on. There's alot more left, and I'll... I'll be fine." Another shot from the ballistas ahead broke their worry. They looked at each other, and then charged forward.

Large units of men stood in their way, as well as carriages. Zhai relied more on his flames with the injury, and often set fire to the carriages. Then haunchtossed them without thinking about his shoulder. It hurt, like hell, but he still had the ability to use it well.

They got to the ballistas just in time, setting them ablaze before they could fire that last shot. Upon fighting in the area, Zhai's shoulder gave out, and he landed on a cold blade for a moment. He crushed the man underneath, but took the full blade in the process. Angry, he pulled it out, feeling his warmth begin to leak out. Again, the two females covered him while he took a breather. When they were done, they noticed how bad his wounds were. More snaps of ballistas, with the cries of dragons shattered through the air. Zhai's head sank. And the females knew what he was thinking. "...Withdraw... Both of you."

Zi snarled at him. "No!"

"Not without you!" Lyc added.

"It's too late. This is a fight we can't win, and I won't lose you two. Not even one of you. I'll be fine!" The females tossed their heads at that statement. Not even Zhai could believe it. "...You have a life waiting for you-"

"And so do you! You have your mate!" Zi hissed.

"He's dead!" Zhai's face scrunched up. "And... So is my home." The females just looked at him. "Go." He demanded, as he pushed passed them.

He heard them both take off, and suddenly, a large weight was lifted from his heart. After a few more deep breaths, Zhai got a second wind. He pressed forward through more men. No longer being defensive about his now worn body. It was tough, it'll somehow pull through. But soon enough, his luck ran out, and he took a longspear to the ribs. Lashing out at his attacker, he took another one to the other side. A few more to the arms. And then retaliated. Pulling the weapons out before they did more damage.

He was losing blood. He could feel it. And it wasn't going to take long for his world to turn black once again. Another unit charged at him. An angry snarl escaped Zhai's throat while he took a handful of that blood, charging it with arcane magics, and threw a large bolt of red lightning at the man in the lead. He missed it, but got the one behind him. The Lightning chained, getting the first man anyway, and ricocheted off the metal armors they were protected with. After the lightning hit them, their bodies burst into flames. Taking the entire unit out with one shot. Drained of energy, Zhai fell to the ground. "It's over..." He managed to get out. Feeling that darkness cover him once again. "I'm... Sorry, Khol..." And he lost his sight.

The voices of the females made the red male conscious once again. Still in alot of pain, he tried to breathe deep, but still got that inhale of smokey air. "He's alive. Let's see if we can get him out of here." Zhai tried to focus on who was in front of him... There was A blue one... A red one... Another Red one... A Purple... And a bright white one in the far distance behind them. "Zhai? Zhai! Stop moving! You're going to-"

"I Told You To Fallback!" He roared at them. Trying to focus again on them. They were all there. Zi. Lyc. Kray. Marrii... Marrii? His mother wasn't fighting... "Why are...?" They all just smiled sadly at him. He got up, regardless of their warnings and bracing. He pushed forward, only to find that white one gone. "Now Go!"

"We can't leave you behind! We lost you once, we're not leaving you again!" Zi said, a tear coming out of her eye.

"I'm not giving you a choice!" He looked forward once again, only to find several units of men after them. Anger flooded the dragon's mind, as he tore one of his side wounds wider. Getting a large handful of blood, he once again charged it to the point where it was glowing completely white. With an earthshaking roar, he slammed the bloody paw on the ground hard.

A gigantic beam of red and white light shot down from the sky over the units of men. They didn't even have time to scream, but the lands quaked violently. The smokey air was suddenly pushed back, revealing the night sky. And Zhai fell once again. Breathless.

"...I understand it now..." He moaned, tears beginning to fall from his arrow-scared face. "...It's not real, is it?"

"It's real."

"But it's..." He trailed off. "...A spell to bring the dead back to life..." His throat closed up. "It worked... Both ways."

"Yes."

"Was it real, though? Everything that happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"What they said... What they felt... What happened here... I was... Never here." With that admition, Zhai felt alot of the warmth fade from his body. Still staring at the ground, he could see the many footsteps of men march right through him. As if he was a ghost. "They never seen it coming..."

"...No."

The dragon's face scrunched up, trying to hold back his tears. "And... No one survived..." He choked. "...Bartan... Can you stay...? I've felt myself fade away before... I don't want to do it alone... Not again..." The red dragon got a soft lick on his neck, as well as a warm embrace as the cold started to creep up Zhai's body once again. His breaths became shallow once again, trying to hold back his tears.

...A Spell... To Bring The Dead Back To Life...

Zhai woke up in arms of silver. His breaths became really choppy, as he remembered everything like it was a terrible dream. He gave the arms a few licks, and couldn't hold back his tears. "Zhai? Zhai! Shhh, it's okay... We're here." Khols soft whispers somehow felt heavy to the small wyrmling. "Shhh, I know what you want to do, but you've been sleeping for at least a day and a half." He leaned forward and grabbed something, placing it on the ground before the red dragon. "I need you to drink first." Zhai caught his breaths for a moment, long enough to get in quite a few laps of cool water before his emotions overwhelmed him once again.

He leaned into his mate's arms and completely let go, while Khol comforted the small one. Tong was there on the other side of the campfire, and even though he was trying not to make Zhai uncomfortable, he couldn't help but listen to the dragon's weeps. During his story, Zhai stated he'd cried a few times. Tong even caught the dragon sheading a few tears. But the sounds of a dragon weeping... They were unlike anything he'd ever heard before. It was so much more different than them crying out in pain or any other emotion he'd experienced Zhai having.

The red dragon cried most of the night. Not wanting to move from the silver one's embrace. He ended up finishing the bowl of water, and half a waterskin. But eventually he got his strength back, only to step out and find the ruins of his old hatchplace. He almost lost himself again, and the other two knew it had something to do with this place.

"Shhh..." Khol soothed him once again. "Whatever happened, it was only a dream. We found you quite far south from that rock you touched. As well as a large crater near you. You remained unconscious for a long time, we were worried."

It took a few minutes for Zhai to be able to speak once again. "It was... It was my hatchplace..." And he began to tell them what the red one just experienced. Nearly half the day was gone by the time Zhai was done. Though still exhausted, he didn't want to stay there anymore. Let alone another night.

"Alright. There's a tavern not far from here. We should be able to make it within a couple of hours. Are you okay to walk?" Tong asked him. He gave a faint nod, not taking his eyes off the ground. Khol, now invisible to Tong once again, gave the wyrmling a lick, and a bit of a nudge in the right direction.

The dragon started walking slowly, but something caught his eye. A very dark, smooth rock that was in the ground. Zhai started digging at the area, getting deeper and deeper around the smooth stone. After completely unearthing it, it turned out to be a Collar. ("It Might Be Something You'll End Up Fearing...") Bartan's words echoed in his head, as the collar brought back painful memories of him being tortured. The thing was near black with a shine of blue whenever the light seemed to hit it. There were draconic runes that were carved onto it, and the dragons could feel some kind of power within.

The wyrmling took a look at Khol, his face a bit worried about what Zhai would think of the artifact. "It's up to you." He said softly. Zhai looked at the collar one last time, then directly into Khol's eyes. Without losing sight of those eyes, he placed it around his own neck, letting out a nervous breath. (With him by me, I'll never be afraid of anything.) And the three began to walk.

Chapter 7

---

Writers Note: From this point on, Zhaiothe will often speak in draconic quite randomly within conversations and such. When he does it will be translated. But the sentence will be marked with a ~ to indicate the change in language.

The weather was quite gloomy. The cool winds were blowing slightly, making the red silk curtains of the throne room dance in mesmerizing movements. The room was quiet, as the nervous servant was grooming his ill king.

("Ah, yes. The King is very ill." His wife, the Queen said. "He's been cursed with a terrible sickness. To the point where he can barely talk. From now on, I'll take on the responsibility of his country, until the Magicians develop a cure.") The servant remembered that day well. A little over a year ago, when the Queen returned from a small trip to the northwest. The next day, his royal King Adam of Comrare fell under that sickness. It was too coincidental, and there was something wrong with it all.

After he finished, the Queen sent the servant away for some refreshments. They were going to have some type of quick meeting. The servant returned to only hear a little bit of the conversation.

"It is clear that this group is after certain people. Supposedly those who have done the public and the people wrong for so many years. You can't deny that there isn't a pattern they are following." The guest said.

The servant knew this man. His name was Evins, and he was the son of King Allure, from the kingdom of Able to the southeast. King Allure was known by King Adam's father, and overall is a good man. But his son, not many liked the man. Even Adam's private opinion of him was quite crude. However... The Queen seemed to like him.

"You're paranoid, Evins. They're not some justice league, nor some rebel heroes. They're mercenaries. Hired weapons that take whatever jobs that appeal to them. The people that were hit all had enemies. And they all had wealth." The queen took a sip out of her beverage. "Honestly, being wealthy or good with your inheritance should never be considered a crime. Yet people seem to think it is."

"I agree with you for the most part. But do you remember the attack on Loriee's stronghold a few months ago? The man maybe a pig, but he didn't have much for enemies. Nor anything truly valuable. The one who stormed in was after his life, and then he was somehow convinced to spare the man, by his own hired muscle. Yet, all three seem to have disappeared after that incident. It all seems a little... Strange. Perhaps he was instead blackmailed?"

The queen was lost in the wine that seemed to circle in her glass. "It's nothing to worry about, I'm sure. Soon enough they will make a mistake and get caught. They always do." A man in a uniform, a Captain the servant believed, walked into the throne room, and bowed respectfully.

"Your majesty."

"What is it?" She asked calmly.

"We've caught another one of the rebels that has been harassing our tollbooths of late. I was informed that you wanted to see it personally?"

She gave a faint smile. "Yes. Bring them in."

The captain bowed once again, and left the room. The servant stayed back as the sounds of many guards, as well as chains dragging across the floor. When the large doors opened, the guards walked what seemed to be a willing prisoner. It was a rather large red dragon. Perhaps nearly as tall as the guard's shoulders. It was covered in many chains, and even had a muzzle over its mouth. Escorted by at least ten soldiers, with several more in the back.

Silence fell in the room, as everyone stood still. The Queen seemed to take the time to study the prisoner. He seemed to remain calm, closing his eyes. "You. You are with the rebels?" The dragon didn't answer. "How on earth did they convince a dragon to join such a petty conquest?" Again, no answer for the Queen. She turned to the Captain. "Are you sure it can even speak our language? Even with that thing on?"

"It was earlier, M'lady, and in Tradestongue." The Captain replied.

The Queen gave an annoyed sigh. "Do you have nothing to say to your enemy? Do you have anything to say at all, Dragon?"

The creature slowly opened its eyes. Still ignoring the queen, he gazed at King Adam. He was still sitting at his chair, a bit slumped. The illness had terrible effects on his body as well. He almost looked completely pale, and unaware of what was around him. "...King Adam." The creature spoke loudly. "...I wonder..." It took a deep breath. "Will it ever cross your mind, that I'm the King you'll never be?"

The guards raised their spears at the red dragon. "Watch your tongue, Beast!"

Once again, the creature was fixed on the King. "You wear a crown, but you're no King! You can't even tell what's before you!"

"Get it out of here!" The Queen ordered.

As the guards began to pull on the chains, a strange crunch sound came from its snout. It then spit out what seemed to be shards of a small vial. "Did it just poison itself?" A guard asked.

With a loud growl, the servant could see the beast's muscles thicken and flex hard. It grabbed the chain that was tying it's forelegs together, and shattered it with a single pull. The guards tried to restrain it by holding onto the many other chains that was attached to it, but it seemed to overpower them, breaking the chains one by one.

One guard took desperate measures, and tried to harm it with his spear. But he was shot by another guard in the hallway with a heavy arrow. A second one with a large sword rushed in and started slamming the guards with it.

The dragon eventually broke completely free, causing the servant to panic and leave the room. Hiding in the hallway, as he seen it climb on the chair that held Lord Adam. Standing over his defenseless body, the creature took off Adam's crown, only to wear it as his own. With a sinister smile, he half glared at the Queen. "Think about me when you're all alone, without someone to love." It unsheathed several claws with its right raised hand, and went for a execution swing.

The servant screamed in denial, expecting the sound of torn flesh. But instead, of something that shattered like glass. By this time, whatever guards were left were trying to defend the queen from the traitors. Everyone in the room stared toward the King, as the dragon jumped off the chair. A large globe, a gift from the Queen he received after that trip was broken. It was placed on top of his chair, to show how much he enjoyed the gift.

"Don't just stand there, get them!" The queen ordered. But the guards were easily taken care of. The Queen grinded her teeth at the treacherous soldiers. "Well, what are you waiting for? Are you going to kill me? Kill Lord Adam, and attempt to free this kingdom? This country will die without me. It needs me!"

"Actually, it doesn't." The dragon said, smugly. "It just needs a ruler." He Lifted his head high.

"It's rightful ruler." King Adam said, for the first time in months, he rose out of his chair by himself. He was a bit weak, but he was still able to stand on his own. The servant could not believe his eyes. "You are not my queen. Who are you, impostor?"

The Queen grunted. "It doesn't matter. Soon enough your country will fall like the rest. All that's needed now is time. You will not rule for long, human!"

"As long as I have my..." He felt the top of his head, then looked at the dragon. The dragon double taked at him for a moment. Then tossed his head. Taking off the crown with his ears back, he returned it to Adam. "...Crown. I will rule my country. Well, at that!"

"Consider your days of rule numbered then!" The Queen hissed, then disappeared in a small flash of arcane light.

"Well, that wasn't vague at all." The man with the large sword said. Throwing it over his shoulder.

"Sorry for the deception, Lord Adam. But we did it for..." The man with the large bow started to apologize, when the King motioned for him to stop.

"You've saved my country for now. But I'm worried. Has anyone found my wife?"

"Not yet, Sir. We're not sure where to look."

"Time to hit the streets again, I guess. See if anyone has reported anything suspicious." The red one said. Getting up to leave. "You can repay us by giving us a room to stay, and a few meals. It's an acceptable reward, if you ask me." His tail thumped on the floor.

"...And Sorry about him..." The archer apologized, bowing while they left.

The King looked at Evins. "Have you any information about this?"

"N-no sire. Believe me, I had no idea." He took knee.

Adam was quite for a moment. "Servant. Please escort Evins out of my kingdom. Then return to me. I have quite a lot of catching up to do."

"To Exodus!" The clash of ale mugs didn't aid to the dragon's hangover. But the group felt like the job was worthy of a celebration. They freed a good kingdom from bondage, and they wanted to enjoy their victory tonight. Doesn't mean the dragon couldn't moan about his condition to his comrades.

"I think three times is enough." The red one growled. Vibrations could be felt on those who leaned against the table. The others were sitting in chairs, but the dragon; on his haunches, with his head and throat resting on the round wooden surface. The pub they were in was a bit crowded, but at least not too noisy. There was another celebrations as well as singing from Halflings on the other side of the room that held most of the attention.

"No need to be Grumpy, Little Red." Tong smirked at him, enjoying his drink. "Besides, I warned you what would happen if you used that technique. How's your head?" The grumble answered his question, and he chuckled.

"It was a good run. And we did a great thing today." A female human said, sitting at the table with them. Her hair was long and a very dark brown that could pass as a black. Well built, and a bit less tense than she used to be with the group. Even though he'd never admit to it, Zhai was happy to see her loosen up from the Royal Knight: Lady Irone was trained to be. "And all thanks to Railley."

A much younger male, playfully motioned for her to stop. "So he checked out?" Tong asked.

"Yep. He found the captured rebels, even a few wrongly framed civilians, and we got them out with ease. He's quite the rogue." That he was. Curly, short blonde hair, and a rather small frame on that one. He might've been maybe fifteen years of age, but he turned out to be trustworthy. Honestly, the group didn't have much of a choice, let alone what to really do about sneaking into the castle. Granted, the distraction Zhai came up with helped get them in.

"Then we look forward to working with you more, Railley." Tong gave a small toast to him.

"Must you drink that in front of me?" The dragon moaned. Even if he was able to keep it down, the thought of the stuff reminded him too much of darker times. He tried not to let his mind drift back.

"Is the lizard still too young to have a hard drink?" Railley asked, almost taunting him like a child while he enjoyed his.

"Call me a lizard again, and I'll set you on fire. That way, you'll always be reminded that I'm a dragon." Zhai half hissed at him. His ears back, but the rest of his head didn't move. It hurt too much to. He didn't even look at the rogue. ~"...Well, he deserved it."

Tong just smiled and shook his head. The rest of the group was lost against the sudden statement in draconic. And even though Tong still couldn't understand it himself, he understood who he was talking to.

"I just wished there was more action on our side. I barely got started." The rather tall male said. His name was Ingkelus, and he seemed rather temperamental at times. The weapon of his choice was that greatsword. The thing was massive, and took a ridiculous amount of stamina to use. But he seemed to feed off of some hidden rage, and cared so little about his safety. As long as he kept his anger in check, he was welcomed into the group.

"How did you even sneak that thing in?" Irone asked, chuckling a bit.

"Simply put: I didn't. I just walked through the door in their uniform and they didn't stop me." The group laughed at Ingkelus' reaction, as if it was so bluntly obvious. Zhai managed a smirk, but that was about it.

"We only ran into one small hiccup on our side." Irone reported. "Our escape route had a door that was locked on both sides. Luckily we had Grinn with us." Grinn... The guy was a giant. About eight feet tall, and a body that was at least 70% muscle. He was quiet, only speaking when he felt needed to. But when he did, his words seemed to be tranquil and wise.

"That was a bit of my fault, I apologize." Railley admitted. "I never would've thought of a prison door to need two people to lock and unlock."

"Everything worked out in the end. The door was massively thick, nearly impossible to break through." Irone said.

"How did you end up getting past it?" Tong asked.

"After realizing of the second lock, I wanted to go back through the way we came in, and sneak my way to the other side of the door. Grinn here said... What was it again?" Railley asked him.

Grinn finished his drink, and spoke up. "You're thinking of a complex answer to a simple question."

"Yes, and then he just broke through the wall, reached on the other side, and snapped the lock." Irone said laughing. "It was really unexpected. But it worked out well."

The dragon had a smile over his face for a moment. It was nice to see everyone enjoying themselves after a mission went through. "So I have to ask." Railley spoke up. "Where did the name Exodus come from?"

"You'd have to ask Sire here. He's the one who started the group." Ingkelus put a heavy hand on the dragons left shoulder. Zhai cringed, but at both the question and the old wound. All of them looked at him, waiting for an answer. As it turns out, only Tong knew. But the half-orc wasn't completely comfortable telling them.

"Maybe some other time..." The dragon trailed off. "I think I'll get some air." He got up and started to leave. "Good work today though."

The table was quiet for a few moments, but eventually the conversation started to pick up again. Tong was half worried about the reaction, but he knew the dragon was never alone.

Outside, Zhai on top of a large building. Laying under the night sky. With a heavy breath, he fought back those feelings once again. "Still thinking about them?" Khol's voice always seemed soothing to him. It made the red one smile.

"...I just can't stop. Every other night I end up dreaming about them. And..." Whenever he was talking to the silver one, Zhai always spoke in draconic.

"You need to stop blaming yourself. You told me you would." Khol said softly, giving his mate a lick. "It's been 4 years since. We've been over this at least twenty times." He chuckled.

"I know... It just hurts." Zhai held the silver one's head in his arms, also giving it a few licks. "I just feel so... Guilty... What I could've given them. What I could've..."

"You couldn't have done anything differently... Zhai, I've said this before. It was an experience. An experience that was on both sides... You enjoyed your time with them, yes?" The red one gave a nod. "And they have as well. Even for those few moments. Yes, they missed you alot. But you gave them a chance to show you how much they missed you. How much they loved you..." He smiled brightly at his juvenile mate. "We'll see them again in Lothranis. I promise you that." It put a smile of Zhai's face, and the silver one nudged him a bit. "Then we can have all the awkward sex with your sister you want." That made the red one cringe, but laugh a little.

"That was such a good moment, now ruined." Khol held Zhai tightly. "And something I guess I can look forward to. Only if you're there. This time, you can mount her."

He laughed. "You've made the acception once, you can do it again." The silver one teased. "But you have to promise me you'll try to let this go."

"...Alright." Zhai agreed, with a sad smile on his face. "But I'm not telling them the story."

"Trust me, no one wants to hear it again." Again, Khol teased him. "How are you feeling?"

"A little better. Just need some water and I'll be fine."

"Fine enough for some... Fun?" The silver one looked at him deviously, eyebrows bouncing and a sinister smile on his face.

Zhai overdramatically tossed his snout. "If I must." He gave him a kiss. "But yes, I'll be fine enough for that. It's been a while since I released you, hasn't it?"

"It's been about a week and a half." Khol informed him, escorting Zhai to a nearby water source.

"Mmm, too long then." Zhai joked.

"But only if you feel you're okay with it." Khol said, concerned. After a sure nod from him, Khol gave his mate a few licks while he lapped at the water. "Gods, I can't wait for your stones to drop."

"It shouldn't be too long now. I'm not sure how to weigh karma, but I think I was about this age when I mounted Zi for the first time." Zhai said, somehow getting through that sentence without his ears turning purple from the good memory. He looked at Khol, who was staring at him intently. Again with that devious smile. (Uh oh.)

"So..." His eyes looking him over. "You can... Still function then?" (Uh Oh!)

"...Maybe?" Zhai said, his ears dropping. Khol then picked him up with his muzzle, a loud yelp coming from the red one. And carried him into a more private area.

The night held sweet dreams for the young dragon. He was back in the Lunar meadows, mid-day, having a little cuddle session with his love. His eye caught a large blanket with several types of food within arm's reach of him. While lying on his back, Khol would often pick something random with his jaws, and feed it to Zhai while he wasn't looking. He would then try to guess what it was. But the unique way they were doing it, by jaws not paws, usually lead to him getting a bit more physical and the game lead to an entirely different one.

But this time, Zhai could taste something. Other than the sweetness of his mates tongue, it tasted like... Dull metal? It was a bit strange, but the Children who made the food were strange to begin with. (Unless it was one of Khol's dishes? Bah, who cares?) The dragon thought. His mate was already lost in the red one's lips anyway.

After a little bit of tongueplay, Khol started to work his purple tongue lower and lower over Zhai's large body. He couldn't help but smile, not at all surprised where he was heading to. With one minor lick of Khol's tongue over the red king's sheath, a massive wave of pleasure knocked him out of the dream.

He could still feel laps in his lower area, and opening his eyes to the bright sun directly above the red dragon wasn't making it easier. Another massive wave made him groan. It felt like he was so close to a climax all of a sudden, and for some reason, the red one couldn't move. He felt very very heavy, but not at all tired.

Trying to concentrate between the blasts of bliss, Zhai could feel a large energy coming from the collar he wore. Panting harder and harder, while something large and... Reflective worked on his stiff tool, the red one couldn't hold back anymore. That climax was suddenly reached and he let out a large whimper that echoed through the forest they spent the night in. There wasn't much that came out, due to the dragon's age, but it was soon devoured by the large silver one. Who purred loudly at its sweet taste. "...Really?" Zhai had to ask. Though he was a bit irked about the rude awakening, mostly on the Sun's part, he couldn't help but have a large smile on his face. "I thought last night was enough."

"It was only twice, and I haven't had it for at least 500 years." Khol said, savoring the taste in his mouth. Still purring, he rested his head down on top of the young red one. The vibrations of the silver throat was tickling him. "Good morning, by the way." He had a large, satisfied smile on his muzzle.

"Good morning." Zhai began to pet his mate's snout. "You couldn't wait until I was up, could you?"

"Nope. I didn't really want to wake you anyway. You need your rest."

"Says the one who just emptied me." Again, Zhai couldn't resist smiling.

"How are you feeling? Your hangover I mean."

"It's... A little woozy right now. And I have the odd taste of metal in my mouth."

"That's expected." Zhai gave him a puzzled look. "I... Uh... Found some herbs around. 'Special' ones."

"Special ones? What were they for?"

"Mostly to get rid of your hangover, help you rehydrate and... Seed reproduction." Khol gave a guilty look. "As well... As something to keep you erect." A chuckle came from the red one.

"Whatever works, I guess."

Khol got up a bit, and marked on a nearby tree. The sudden effect felt like it took a gash in Zhai's stamina, but was quickly replenished with the Collar. "And that's six." Khol's statement made Zhai howl in surprise.

"Six what!?" The red one said, doing his best to lift his head against the odd heavy weight.

"Six releases." Khol gave him a smile, and a lick. "I've been milking you quite well over the past two hours." The young dragon gave out a whimper.

"That is not a valid use of the collar!" Zhai hissed. "And by the Gods, we're supposed to ease my body into such things. My stones still haven't dropped yet."

"But I really wanted this." Khol gave him a sad face that Zhai just could not resist. Licking Zhai's tool a few more times, he smiled again at him. "I see the Friday Ivy is still kicking in." The red one growled at him. "...Please?"

"But... Seven!? Really?" Again with the sad look in Khol's eyes. "I'm not going to be able to talk you out of this, am I?" The silver one shook his head.

"Besides, you can't move anyway. The collar is on very high at the moment." Again with that sinister smile. "You're at my mercy, young one. And Silverthorn is craving something sweet."

A deep sigh from the red one. "Fine. But last one! For at least three days!" Khol's ears dropped, but he agreed. Once again, Zhai just laid and enjoyed himself, while another one of his loved ones had their way with him.

The group returned to the same pub for breakfast. As strictly ordered a long time ago, no one was completely hung over. The dragon liked that. He detested to hear the Children whine, as hypocritical as it sounded. As for the Red one, he was only slightly hung over, being released seven times in a few hours. He felt completely drained, but after a quick bath in a nearby lake, he was quite refreshed.

The pub was quiet, and everyone was already there by the time Zhai had arrived. "Mornin' Lil Red." Tong's accent seemed very odd in the mornings. (It's like his tongue was swollen or something.) The dragon thought.

"Morning. How did everyone rest?" He tried to sound concerned. It wasn't so much that he cared That much. It was more just something Tong and Khol were pushing him to do the past couple of years. If he was going to be helping the Children, then he would have to at least pretend he cared about their well beings.

"Not bad. I've slept in better beds, but also worse." Irone replied. "You, Sire?"

"I've slept better. Was rudely awoken though, which didn't help."

"You didn't return to your room last night. What happened?" Tong asked.

"I was... Let's just say I said something I regretted, and was carried off into the woods." Although the rest of them didn't get it, Tong let out a chuckle. It was no secret to him what he and Khol were often doing in the more private areas outside the town. And the others were better off not knowing.

Railley spoke up. "Wait, your name is Sire? Why do you call yourself that?"

Before Zhai could answer, Ingkelus got to him first. "Squeaks here thinks he's the Crimson King."

"Squeaks?" Zhai hissed at him.

"Yeah, aren't you only like 10 years old? Compared in essence? That's what Tong told me." The dragon glared at Tong, who put his hands up as if to say he was sorry.

"Yes. But I'm much much older than you think-And I'm not Senile!" That last one was directed at Tong, who had a smile on his face.

"You're not senile, yet you talk to yourself in that other language of yours." Irone teased him.

"I'm not talking to-you know what? I'm going to go order food." And the dragon left the others chuckling. When he got back, the conversation had shifted a little towards business, and which way they should move out. So far, there was still no lead on the queen, however, there had been sightings of some strange orb of light that headed a bit northwest. The sighting was long ago, but there was one report it happened yesterday during the day. It was hard to see, due to it being lined up with the sun, but it was something.

"So, what's the decision Sire?" Irone asked.

"We Wait. We Eat. Then I'll see how I feel afterword. At the moment, all I can think about is food." They table they were at was quite large this time. Maybe twice the size of the one they had last night. Several people came out with their breakfast. A plate for every person, except for Grinn who had two. And four plates for Zhai. Railley looked at him oddly and the dragon caught him. "...No you can't have any." He snorted.

"You're going to eat all that?" The young human asked, surprised.

"He can. And he will." Ingkelus stated. "I wouldn't put your hand near his plates. He's nearly bitten someone's hand off trying to steal from it."

"That was an accident." Zhai said, rather calmly. It was so dry, it almost sounded like sarcasm.

"Sure it was. Except for the other two bites you gave him." Tong chuckled.

"Those were for his rudeness and his idiocy. And I apologized after." The dragon snorted.

"You told him he was lucky he wasn't set on fire. How is that an apology?" Irone laughed that time. "I still remember the look on his face."

"He deserved it." And the dragon began to eat. Everybody started to enjoy their meals, and telling stories of their strange adventures. Adventures either alone, with others, or the current group.

After the meal, Railley was quite the curious one today. "So, why do you call yourselves Exodus? I've never even heard of that word before."

They all seemed to stop and look at Zhaiothe, who was in the middle of his third plate. The dragon studied the rogue for a moment, his Amber eyes giving a hint of pain, until be blinked it away. "Perhaps now isn't the best time, Railley." Tong suggested. But the dragon motioned him to stop. Mostly because, Tong was the only one who actually knew and there was now at least 4 members since, in 4 years.

"...It was the name that I gave to my squad when I defended my hatchplace from Alzallion's army." Irone's jaw stiffened. "Exodus means: A departure of a large group of people. Often leaving something behind and looking for something new. The departure itself signifies Change. As for Leaving something behind..." The dragon took a breath. "I want to change how these countries seem to rule one another. How they seem to think and take advantage of their people, and therefore hurt them. It should never have to happen, and it should stop happening. I want your people to start leaving this corrupted way of civilization behind, and finally move forward onto something greater." He sighed. "If I can destroy most of that corruption... Maybe..." He trailed off.

The table was quiet for a bit. Most of them trying to understand what the dragon meant. As for Irone, she gave the dragon a sad look, that Railley seen in the corner of his eye. She soon masked it. After the dragon quickly finished his last plate. He spoke up once again. "We'll take a day or two to see if anything comes up. Rest, and keep an ear up. Until then, you're dismissed." And Zhai left.

Chapter 8

The day was bright and warm. And as much as the red dragon wanted to just lay in the grass and sunbathe, Zhai started his day with his forms. Ever since he got the collar, his strength has been coming back to him rather quickly. Along with that strength, and with Su Ying's teachings that he remembered well, came agility and finesse. Two things that many dragons don't have very much of.

The dragon found a rather empty area within the town to do his forms and exercises. Over the years, he grew to accept the people looking at him while he was doing it, and not breaking his concentration. Perhaps it was the way he first seen Su Ying do it, and even though the old friend of the dragon clearly noticed that Zhai was watching him, Su Ying remained dedicated to the art. Even when he was being talked to.

Although he did miss the Monk, it was one of the few friends Zhaiothe missed that didn't ache his heart. Probably due to him actually being able to get closure. And though the Forms that the dragon studied always reminded him of his old friend, it never pained him to do it. If anything he felt like Su Ying was by his side, doing them with Zhaiothe.

Among the area, the rest of Exodus was trying to relax and enjoy their day off. Ingkelus was often working out in a separate place than the dragon. He would often place weights on his large weapon, and practice wielding it. Quite often slowly and precisely, which was very unlike his combat style.

Irone was taking care of her equipment. Polishing and cleaning her longsword and shield to be ready for use in the next confrontation that awaited the squad. As well as tending to some of the areas in her armor. It relaxed her, and in doing such things put her mind at ease. Although the small snack of various fruits and cool drink only aided that zen.

Then there was Grinn, whom actually never seemed to own any equipment besides a very heavy bag that he traveled around with. It held a large item that no one had seen yet. When asked about, he only claimed it was full of mercy.

However, that item was not with large male at the time. He was actually playing with the children. Giving them rides and bringing smiles to their faces as they tried to climb him like a jungle gym. It put a smile on Tong's face, to see someone so intimidating by size and strength to care so much about children.

Railley came over to sit beside a relaxing Tong as he gazed across the plaza where everyone had gathered to enjoy the day. "You look happy." The young male stated.

"Yeah. Just watching Grinn over there. He seems to really like children, and they've grown to like him as well." Tong said.

"Yeah, he was doing that a little bit yesterday. Said something about them being our future, and they should be treated well. Even by strangers. I guess he wants all the races to just co-exist with one another." Though young, Tong really noticed a potential in the rogue. He had a gift of reading people, and seeing what really make them. "Something I think we can all agree on."

Tong gave a faint nod. "It's a dream, y'know? Everyone seems to have one, and are willing to fight for the end until they can make it happen."

Railley looked at him. "Are you referring to Sire's explanation this morning?" Tong Nodded again. "I suppose we're all fighting for something." He gazed around his new comrades, seeing if he can really see what they're fighting for. "Grinn: Children. We've already done that one." Tong looked at him for a moment, and realized what he was doing. Letting him carry on. The rogue then looked at Irone. "I want to say for Honor, maybe loyalty. It's difficult to say. She seems to really respect Sire."

"That she does. Even though she feels bad for him." Railley gave Tong a puzzled look. "I'll tell you after you do the others."

Shrugging, he continued to Ingkelus. "...I honestly want to say he's fighting for the sake of fighting. Although that doesn't sound quite right. It almost sounds... Empty."

"I don't think so. People can fight for the sake of proving themselves. They can search for the ultimate challenge. They can even try searching for a worthy opponent. It all kinda fits him, but he's the newest one besides you." Tong chuckled. "He's wild... Almost untamed, even though he kinda does look like a spoiled rich son."

The rogue smiled. He then tried to study Zhaiothe. Still doing his forms. "I never knew dragons could stand on hind legs like that."

"He's the only one I've seen that can. And actually keep his balance well, at that. What do you see in him?"

"...Well, he's already said he's fighting for the future of the lands. Fighting against the corruption and whatnot. But there's something else. I just don't know him enough to see." Tong chuckled again. "...You know, don't you?"

"I do. I do. But I can't tell you." The half-orc had a smile on his face. "You need his permission first. You get that, then I'll gladly tell you. Until then, he wanted me to keep it secret."

The rogue was quiet, as he stared at the red dragon. "...I hate secrets." Tong laughed at him. "So how did you meet these people?"

"It's a long story. You sure you want to hear them?" Tong asked.

"I've got nothing else to do. Already checked my information sources, and so far nothing but that one person that seen the light to the northwest."

"Alright then. Who first?"

Once again, Railley looked at everyone. "Her."

"Going with the lady first, eh? Alright then."

It was about 3 years ago. Me and Little Red travel alot, and eventually our attention was lead to the west once again. Do you remember the rebellion threat that was caused by Lord Tanis from Alzallion?

Railley: "Yes. I remember that a few years ago. It was going on for about a year, but suddenly stopped when he tried to coup de grace King Farrel."

Mhmm. We were there that night. Although we were only suppose to spend one night in the city, due to... Issues Red had-

Railley: "Issues?"

...You'll find out later. Anyway, I convinced him to stay one night. We were both exhausted from travels, and even though he really didn't want to stay, he caved in. Then, at the tavern we slept in, he began to talk to our host alot. Her son was stationed here, and was worried about him. Again, it took some convincing, but I talked Red into helping.

We basically signed up for some volunteer defense at the castle. They were very cautious about that division, and I can't blame them. We were able to find her son, and he was assigned at the main gate. Along with many knights.

Railley: "Including Irone."

Yes. Although we didn't really meet her for very long. But she was the one that ordered us to back to our station. And she was quite strict about it. I can't blame her for taking her job seriously, but Red...

Red was irritated almost the entire time. You know when he gets irked or angry, that mane of his tends to raise up a bit, right? That was up since the moment we set foot in the country. I was keeping a very close eye on him the entire time.

Night came, and so did that rebellion that they expected. Tanis had the castle's outer court surrounded with nearly half of Alzallion's army. And were trying to find a good breaking point in the defenses of the gates. They found one to the south, when we were stationed to the west. Word got to us that they broke through, and were heading to the main gate.

Me and Red took initiative and went to help defend it. We found a way on top of the wall, and were trying to help from there. They somehow got the second main gate opened, right before where Irone and that son were. When me and Red arrived, a rebel unit was already engaged with them.

We helped push them back. With Irone's unit struggling quite badly and several units on the way, they needed to keep the gate defended long enough to get it closed... Irone ran through to defend the gate alone.

Railley: "Alone? That's suicide!"

I know, but I remember it well. It was to protect her country, and she was willing to give everything she had. I still remember what she said. "This Body; A Sword. And This Place; A Burial Ground. Those Who Wish To Die, Come Forth!" She roared. And they started to close the gates behind her.

I was on top, but it was difficult to aim where she was. And she was too far for me to really aid her safely... Red ended up flying over the wall to defend the gate with her. He set a large firewall directly in front of the gate, and together they fought until that door was closed.

It was because of their stupid actions that Tanis' rebellion failed... We were called to the throne room, along with Irone. We were nearly knighted by him, but... This is where Red lost it.

King Farrel asked us why we aided Alzallion, and what we would like as a reward. And Little Red hissed at him. "Why did I aid your castle? My reason was to get this close to your king. So that I would thrash him and make an example of what happened to me so many years ago. To make Alzallion loose what I have lost... Your ancestor tried to invade my country, and I fought the entire army that he sent single handedly! After that embarrassing assault, he snuck in a gem that would corrupt me. Manipulate me. Turn me into a monster. I ended up killing my own mate because of your country! I ended up destroying MINE because of your country! I Did This So I Could Get This Close To Setting Your Treacherous Bloodline On Fire And Be Done With It!"

A few guards drew their weapons and moved in to defend Farrel, I even seen Irone reach for her sword. "I just got done taking out several units of your men, do you seriously think you stand a chance against me!?" Red hissed at the guards, and his attention went back to Farrel. "...But I am constantly reminded that you are not the one who did this to my kingdom. I'm reminded that you are not the same man as your ancestor was. So I ask you this: As one King to another, How do you plan on ruling your country? The same way that I was ruling mine before Alzallion took it away? Or do you plan to actually change. Make up for the sins your lands are stained with? ...As for reward, you cannot give me anything to make up for what Alzallion has done to me." Red turned around and started to leave. I could tell that he hurt Farrel with his words and his anger, but... The King eventually spoke up.

"Lady Irone?"

"Yes, my lord?" She took a knee.

"What do you think of this Dragon?" The question made Red stop in place.

"...I fear he may be speaking the truth. He volunteered and fought beside me without being asked. He saved my life, and I owe him that much in return. Even though he claims he has been wronged, I feel as though his answer to aid us was incorrect. He fought with Honor and Loyalty, not Rage and Sorrow."

"You speak highly of him then." Farrel took a deep breath. "Lady Irone. I would like you to follow this dragon." She gasped. "Red one... Crimson King, is it? I cannot make up for what my country has done to you and yours. There is nothing I can say to ease what pain you have. But you have proven to be a better King than I... A better Being than I. For that, I give you my most loyal Knight. May she aid you with such devotion as she had shown me. Lady Irone, do you take this request from your King?"

She was quiet for a moment. "Yes, I do Lord Farrel."

"Very well, from this moment on, you serve The Crimson King. Please make Alzallion a proud example of how it has changed."

"Yes my lord." She got up and saluted respectfully, to her former King and to her comrades. I looked back at Little Red who was matching eyes with the King. And even though he still detests that country, I seen a bit of forgiveness in his eyes.

Railley couldn't help but look at the dragon. "So, he actually is...?"

"His story checks out. That pain of his is real. And well... It does make sense." Tong said, also looking at the red one. "He's actually gotten a bit close to Irone. But they still have that conflict about Alzallion. Irone loves her country, and has gone off to defend and aid it before. And Red... Well, he still doesn't like it. But he won't take that away from her. He's been alive for a very long time, he knows how to not act like a child." Tong smirked.

"So, you know his real story?"

"He's told me it. Yes. And if you're willing to listen, he might tell you of a few good times he's had. But I'm warning you now: he gets very, very detailed." He chuckled. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

Railley couldn't take his eyes off the dragon. (Lost his mate, his country, even himself. All because of the greed of another country. No wonder he wants to change the world.) Zhai stretched, not even realizing he was being watched. While speaking in that other language of his, he started to walk off into the woods again. "Why does he do that?"

"Hmm?"

"That other language thing. Why does he talk to himself?"

"He's..." Tong took a sigh. "If you get his permission, I'll tell you. But I can't otherwise."

"Another secret?"

"Yes. He's got quite a few." Railley took a deep sigh. "Okay, who next?"

"...How about Ingkelus?"

The night was quite overcast, very dark as well. It was only maybe a few months ago, at Lord Loriee's stronghold to the east. We... were not terribly fond of him. But we needed the money, and he needed protection. There has been several attempts at his wealth and his life that he ended up spending most of his money trying to protect himself.

This was one of those times where Irone was not with us. There was rumors of something going on in Alzallion, and she was too worried about her country. Grinn went with her for the time being as well. To ensure she didn't travel alone, or do anything drastic again. So it was just me and the dragon.

Railley: "I swear, you two are inseparable."

I can see you thinking that. I'm one of the few people he trusts. Anyway, so we took the job. It was long, and quite boring. However, he was quite fascinated with Little Red, until he made the mistake of mentioning adopting a dragon as a pet. We were then best suited outside of his room. Mostly to avoid any fire damage.

But that night, there was alot of commotion all of a sudden. We could hear alot of fighting-

Ingkelus: "Really? Just going to skip to the end?"

Errm... How long have you been listening?

Ingkelus: "Long enough to tell me why Sire was okay with me executing the guy. You're done Tong. I'm taking over!"

The weather was dark and windy-

Tong: "I already said what the weather was like. And it's called overca-"

I don't care, this is my side of the story. And in my version it doesn't skip alot more of the interesting parts... Mostly the parts with me in it. *Clears throat* It was dark and windy when I was walking up to the gate. They had the bridge raised, and I was trying to figure out how to lower it.

Lucky for me, a caravan drove by me, heading in that direction. I did my best to keep myself hidden in the darkness. After the caravan was to be let inside the large garrison-

Tong: "Stronghold."

Whatever. They lowered the bridge, and I bolted for it. Dragging Kristine-

Railley: "Kristine?"

*Ingkelus gestures his sword.*

Tong: "You named your sword? I'm sorry, you named your Large-slab-of-metal-with-a-handle-on-it?"

Don't be mean to Kristine. You don't want to get on her bad side... Which is obviously the bladed side. Anyway, I charged at the first guard, throwing my entire weight into the swing and hearing the guy's ribs crack under that chainmail. After him, I bolted across the bridge.

When I got to the other side, running past the carriage and disturbing the horses, I rammed my shoulder hard into the guard, getting the attention of the other two watching this gate. A swing upward from left to right took care of the first one, and I moved to the second one. He took a shot at me with his crossbow, but it barely nicked my right arm. Moving with the blow, I swung Kristine around head level. It didn't decapitate the guy, sadly, but it knocked off his helmet. I kicked him to push him off his feet, and then went for the third.

The third seen me coming for him, and went to warn the others. Only to find out the door inside was locked. Roaring at him, I thrusted Kristine into the guy, impaling him and breaking the lock on the door. Causing the entire thing to swing open. I was inside, now I just needed to find Loriee.

Railley: "Why were you after him?"

*Glares at Railley for interrupting him* ...I kicked the body off of Kristine and started storming the Garr-I mean, Stronghold. There was so many people, I wasn't expecting it to be that much fun. Break down a door, several guys to beat up. Break down another door, several more guys. If there's ever a heaven, it would be an endless castle of this for me.

Tong: "Granted, I've seen you get into these rampages before. But how do you not run out of breath? Let alone stamina?"

Anger, my dear boy. Anger. And a few magic items that let me ignore pain. I've trained my entire life to keep pressing on, until my body gives out. So far, it hasn't. And what doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger.

Anyway, Loriee really went out of his way for protection. I know the guy is a scumball, but by the Gods, he was metaphorically wearing a full plate armor made of money. I ended up going into a large hallway with about ten guys with tower shields, and several Crossbowmen behind them. They got me with a few shots while I ran in, I admit that. Even still have the scars. But when I got close, I swung Kristine sideways, on this flat area here, knowing that she wouldn't be able to pierce that portable wall.

The blow was massively unexpected of the guy, and it flew him, as well as two others into the Crossbows. Knocking them down enough for me to trample over them. A few more turns down the hallway is where I found you guys. I bursted through the door, nearly hitting one of you.

Tong: "That was me. It was really close."

Yeah, and then I started fighting with Sire. It was a really enjoyable fight. But he was so nimble, he could avoid my swings, hit me a few times, and then block my other swing with his wing somehow. I've never thought of those wings to be so tough.

Tong: "They're basically shields now. He's a bit more clumsy when flying, but they're very durable."

Tell me about it. Anyway, I knew when I was almost beaten. One of the first times I've ever ran out of breath before the end of a fight. The lizard kept hitting me in pressure points I think. I just remember having a hard time to recover from them.

Even though I was vulnerable taking that breath, Sire didn't finish me off. He instead... I can't believe I'm going to say this, but... He... *shutters.*

Railley: "He what?"

...Started talking to me. Stop laughing! I felt dirty all over. "Gods, I've never seen anything so wild get so far. What did you do, put the guards to sleep?"

"Nah... They're all taken care of." I could hear some footsteps down the halls, trying to find out where I went. It wouldn't be long before they found me. And if they did, it would be over. It would've been a glorious death, I would've had no regrets. But I think he could see the worry on my face about them interfering with our duel.

When Loriee tried to get the guards attention, me and Sire both ended up telling him to shut up. It only made me like him more. "Why are you telling him to be quiet? Aren't you guarding him?"

"He said something about getting a dragon as a pet." And his neck did that creepy S thing. "It was insulting. What's your beef with him?"

I huffed at the bastard. "This idiot is a coward. He's done nothing but make the lives of this town miserable, and everytime he gets caught for it, he squeezes his way out of justice. Over and over again, he's played people and pulled their strings like puppets. I'm tired of beating up his thugs after they've battered the innocent. And I'm sick of him getting away with it everytime!"

"So your genius idea is to storm in here and execute him?" Sire snorted. "Taking the law into your own hands? What exactly will that prove?"

"That hiding behind invisible walls and spitting on others will eventually piss someone off. That they're not as safe as they claim they are, being protected by Law."

"Granted, I do agree with you for the most part. Children's form of Law is just common sense to Dragons. But they won't see his death as that. They'll just see it as survival of the fittest. You stormed in here and overpowered his guards and took him out before they could take you. Eventually, that justice is going to come back for your head-!" The guards finally found me, at least by this time I was rested enough to fight again. And to my surprise... Sire and Tong fought with me.

Tong: "You were not the bad guy, Ingkelus. If anything, you were trying to change the way things were. You were just doing it in a bad way."

...After we took care of the distraction, I turned to Loriee once again. "If the law can't do it, someone will have to."

"And you're willing to sacrifice yourself for that? Become marked for life as an assassin? Being constantly blamed that you're not helping this world for the better? Fine. Do it. Let Blood for Blood overcome you, and drown yourself in fault." Sire snorted again, and he stepped out of my way.

I took a few moments to think, and said hell with my future. My only enemy was Loriee now. And that's all that was to me. I rushed forward, jumped into the air, and slammed Kristine down hard on the bastard... Only to get her stuck in his fancy chair, just a few inches above his right shoulder.

Loriee remained quiet and terrified, as I stood there breathing. My last thoughts before doing this kept replaying in my head. (My only enemy was Loriee now... My only enemy for now was him. Tomorrow, it would be another. And then another...) The red lizard was right. This isn't the way to do this.

I pried Kristine out of the bastards chair. "Your life was nearly taken by me. And saved by dumb luck... But it's been said that death is a gift, not a punishment. You will serve justice... And in the right way." I looked over at several documents on a desk he had. Somewhere in there had to be evidence that would place him in the arms of guilt.

At this time, I thought Sire had left, until he spoke to me. "...Have you ever heard of Exodus?"

Railley looked at Tong for a bit, with a face that asked 'Is that how it really went?' "For the most part, yes. Words may have been a little different, but in a nutshell that's how we recruited Ingkelus."

"Glad to be of service." Ingkelus smirked, and went off his own way. Railley looked at the only story left.

"And Grinn? How did you manage to get him?"

Well, as you know already, Grinn doesn't really talk much. He barely talks at all really. But we did find out that he came from the far far south. That's all we really know. We found him when we traveled to the southeast of Alzallion. It was at least six months after we got Irone, and by this point, we were still looking for a name for our little group. After helping so many people, they really didn't feel comfortable calling us The Dragon and the Half-Orc Archer Guy. And then after Irone: The Dragon, The Half-Orc Archer Guy, and The Woman Who Liked To Bash People Hard In The Face... Yes, it was a mouthful.

Railley: "It seems to fit her. She does love to hit them with that shield."

Yeah, to the point she half got Red to do it as well. But we were still trying to come up with a name at the time we were visiting a village in the center south of the whole land. This village: Able'orn was quite poor in a way. They had good lands though, great for growing farms. But they've been harassed by Ogres for years.

Railley: "Ogres?"

Yes. They were large humanoid creatures nearly fifteen feet tall. Very territorial as well. The ogres have been attacking this village for a long time, and well... We eventually encountered one. At least we thought.

Railley: "Let me guess, Grinn?"

Yeah. We actually caught him kidnapping a child, when really he was just playing with them. From the stories we heard though, he half met the description. The guy must be over eight feet tall, and to us... He's very tall, he's humanoid, and well... He looked like he was harassing the town. We almost had the guy bound, until we heard the actual footsteps of a real ogre.

After releasing Grinn, we went off to defend the town. Damn those things were tough. A massive amount of strength, a ridiculous amount of vitality, and it was really hard to even get it to move away from the village. If we did end up taking it down, we didn't want it to fall on top of anything.

Red managed to get it angry by lighting the ogre's mane on fire. And he was holding up pretty well, until the thing derooted a tree and started swinging it like a club. Mostly with one hand.

Railley: "You're kidding."

I'm not. The creature was one of our hardest fights. We did our best to stand against it, but it was nearly too much for us. Eventually, one of the children from the village shot it in the eye with a sling, and got it really mad. We couldn't get its attention back on us, and the thing was going for an overhead swing on the kid. Red flew in to try to push it out of the way or snatch it, but he wasn't going to make it in time. That's when Grinn came in.

Railley: "He caught the kid?"

No. He caught the tree. He stood his ground and stopped the ogre's blow point blank. It was hard on the guy, we could tell, but we eventually took it down while Grinn held it in place for those few seconds. The kid even got away safely.

After we killed the thing, we thanked Grinn, and Red apologized. He gladly accepted the apology by giving the poor little guy a big hug, thinking he was a child. At the time, he was still maybe Four foot, five inches. Red yelped and struggled to get free, but all we could do was laugh at him.

After explaining what we do to Grinn, and where we're going, he asked if he could join us. And after talking to Red privately, he finally got the name for our little group. Exodus. But I'm not sure what Grinn said to him.

Grinn: "You're looking for a complicated answer to a simple question."

Railley: "What?"

"You're looking for a complicated answer to a simple question." Grinn repeated himself. "That's what I said to Sire. He was troubled. Something was bothering him. He talked about the group and needing a name. I asked what does he want the group to do. And he said to change world. That was the answer." Although his trades tongue wasn't the greatest, Grinn explained with a straight face.

"So, he got Exodus from 'changing the world'? I guess it kinda fits. But I still don't know where that connection came from." Railley said.

"He said it was the name of his squad when he defended his homelands." Irone said, a bit of a sad look in her eye. "It's probably to honor them. Maybe change how the battle ended... Or even the conflict itself. If I remember, Alzallion won that battle." She took a deep breath.

"It wasn't your fault, Irone." Tong said. "And he doesn't blame you. You know that."

She nodded and whispered thanks. "I think I'm going to try gathering some info again. See if anything turned up."

"I should as well." Railley said. But he was talking about something different...

The rogue started to sneak off into the woods that the dragon wandered into. He was making alot of noise, so it was easy to find him. When the young man did, Zhai was training once again, much more violently this time.

The red one was practicing his fights on several trees that were together, and one very large one that seemed to be dead. Over the years, Zhai had gotten much much better at his balance and kicks. And thanks to the collar, he could jump much higher and hit much harder as well. To the point where his strikes against the trees were actually splitting the bark on the opposite sides. The rogue studied him for a few minutes, intrigued by him.

Railley noticed that whenever the dragon stepped or landed, the dust and dirt would often move and raise a bit. As if the dragon was really really heavy. Every once in a while, the creature would stop for about three seconds max to breathe, and then go back at it. As if his stamina was replenishing very quickly. Along with the occasional sentence in his own language.

Eventually, Zhai got up to that large dead tree. He got a paw stuck inside of it, then the other. The nearly six foot creature began to deroot a very large, at least twenty foot tall tree, and slam it on the ground behind him. Near where Railley was hidden. Zhai took a few breaths, and then adjusted his collar. Causing him to sit down on his haunches, and catch his breath.

Railley looked at the tree. The thing must've been about seventy years old, no telling when it actually died. "Good Gods, dragon! How on earth did you do that?" He let out. Surprising the red one.

Zhai snorted at him, with his ears back. "...Practice. And how long have you been there?"

"Not too long. I came to ask you something." Railley kept his distance for a most part.

"What?"

"Why are you fighting?"

The red one curled his neck to an S. "It's called training. Something you should be doing as well on your days off."

"No, I mean, for Exodus." Railley smirked at him.

"I gave you that answer."

"Tong says you have another one."

"Does he now?"

"Yes." Railley's face went cross. "I don't like secrets. They ruined the last few families I had."

"That answer isn't something you need to know. And it won't affect you in any way." Zhai said, a bit sternly. There was a small silence in the forest. ~"Because he doesn't need to know. If anything it will only bring him worry."

"Again with that. Are you trying to avoid the question?"

"No. And the answer is: Get Mounted. Satisfied?" Zhai turned to leave the forest in a different direction.

"Your big secret is to... Get Mounted?" Railley gave him an odd look, not ever hearing the phrase before.

It made Zhai stop in place, having a strange look on his face. "No! I mean, forget about my hidden answer. It's not for you to worry about." And the dragon continued his way, hearing the footsteps of Railley starting to follow him, he shouted back. "And I'm going this way, alone. Unless you really want to watch a dragon masturbate in a meadow." He thumped his tail on the ground, and the sudden information halted Railley's pursuit. Feeling a bit awkward whether or not the red one was joking, he decided not to take the chance. Tong stated something about him getting 'Very detailed' earlier, and odds are that's what he meant.

Instead, the rogue returned to town. Looking into his information sources once again lead him to a still dead end. He returned to the pub in the evening, where everyone but Zhai was there still celebrating a job well done. This was the first time that Railley had seen Irone in a silk, sapphire blue dress that she wore rarely, while the others were still in their street clothes.

Tong motioned for the rogue to join them, and he did. Being saved a drink, he just enjoyed the company and conversation for a while. His other families were never really that close, and even in the thieves guild he never felt comfortable enough to stop watching his own back and enjoy himself. It was a relief, and a new lifestyle the young man could get used to.

"So, you went to talk to Little Red, did you?" Tong smiled at him.

"How did you know?" He asked after being broken out of his own thoughts.

"I seen you take off into the woods. I have to keep a close eye on the wyrmling, just an old habit." Tong took a drink. "Did you get any answers?"

"Answers to what?" Irone asked.

Railley took a deep, almost guilty sigh. "...Secrets bother me. Especially when people have been hiding them for years. It ruined every family that I've ever had, and well... I'm tired of starting over."

The group gave a small nod in understanding. "So, did you get an answer?" Ingkelus repeated Tong's question.

"...Yes and no. He almost seemed... Too hurt to give it. Much like last night."

Tong sighed. "That sounds like him."

"He said that you could tell us though, it would be easier on him." Railley always had a way with lying to others. Even though he didn't want to break their trust with him, he didn't want this group to break either. Not for something so minor as a few of their leader's secrets. "What is his other reason for Exodus? Why is he fighting?"

Tong took a deep breath, looking at the rest of the group. "Have you ever heard of a place called Lothranis?" One by one, the group shook their heads. "It's basically a Dragon's Heaven. You all know the legends of the Crimson King. That curse he was affected by was given to him by Silverthorn. His mate. She did it, because with what he had done in the past 100 years or so would probably get him thrown into Dragon's Hell. So, the worse he would do in his life, it would begin to age backwards. The better... He would grow older, and could be united with her if he can become the King he once was again."

"So, he's trying to earn his place in heaven?" Irone asked.

"...Yes. That's why he's been helping people out. That's why he's still alive, after being maybe 1150 years old."

"How did he get so young then? Did he really...?"

"He was quite... Broken from the loss of Silverthorn. And after a few hundred years of trying to drink himself away... He was captured, and tortured. Until he became a wyrmling once again. He somehow escaped, and was just drifting around until I found him. I was the one who got him on his feet. To see straight once again."

"Not to be a bastard, but why?" Ingkelus asked.

"Why not?" Tong gave a very small smile, but it was hard to keep it up after reflecting on the dragon's tale.

"So that's why he's been growing up faster as well..." Irone said her thoughts out loud.

"Alright, then why does he speak that language once in a while?" Railley took another sip out of his drink.

Another deep breath from Tong. "...A few days after I met him, he had a dream... About Silverthorn. He never told me much about it, but he said in the dream that she cleansed him. And something about an Anchor. She was in Lothranis, but she left after 500 years or so. Mostly because she missed him." Another deep breath. "Ever since then... He's been seeing her. Talking to her. He can even feel her."

"So... He's talking to her ghost?" Ingkelus half stated. "It suddenly got cold in here."

"Yeah. She's only here because Red is here. She can even interact with the world, but it's very hard on him. It drains his energy."

"That's... Kinda hard to believe. Are you sure he's just not making this up? He might just be having some sort of psychotic breakdown." Railley stated.

"He's not. I've even seen her a few times. And talked to her as well."

"What was she like?" Irone asked.

"HE is a very beautiful person. A little bit on the pervy side though." The dragon entered, snorting loudly. "If you're going to tell them one secret, you might as well tell them the whole damn thing. You're awfully talkative tonight, Tong."

"Sorry. I thought you might want to leave that part out." Zhai glared at Tong angrily. "Railley said you were okay with me telling them..."

"I specifically told that one to Get Mounted. Apparently nowadays that means Tell everyone my life story." Again, another snort. And the red one left the pub.

Tong glared at the rogue with a crossed face. He took a deep breath, but didn't say anything. Railley's guilty face said it all. Instead, Tong got up and followed the dragon outside. Hoping he didn't take off too far.

He found him near a public fountain, leaning in for a drink of water. "Red!" Tong shouted, causing Zhai to stop lapping the water, and give a deep sigh. "I'm sorry, I guess I should've confirmed it with you first." The red one motioned him to stop.

Zhai was quiet for a moment, and took a deep breath. "...It's alright, Tong." Tong gave him an odd look. "They've followed me for quite a while, they... Deserve to know."

"I only told them about Lothranis, and why you often speak with her in your tongue." The crimson one gave a faint nod. "...You know, the more people you let in, the easier this becomes to carry."

Zhai was half fighting to hold back his tears. "No one should have to carry this-"

"But they want to. It's the main reason why they ask." Tong sat with the dragon on a bench. "Remember when you hurt your shoulder. And the children were in your throne room taking care of you?" A loud exhale came from Zhai. "They were there to repay you for everything you've done. They were there, because they couldn't think of any other way to help you. Red, you've helped alot of people lately. You've even made your own traveling circus." Tong chuckled. "They want to know who you are. Why you're doing this. If they know that, they have a better reason to follow you. They have a better understanding of who you are, what you are. And because of that, they're more than just comrades now. They're friends." Tong smiled at him.

Zhai was silent, but he wasn't angry. "I... Know you're right. You usually are. It's just not..."

"Not something you're used to doing. It's not something you really enjoy doing. And I don't want to remind you of this, but... Other than Silverthorn, how many friends do you have?" The dragon gave him a sad look. "And you know that I won't be around much longer, not compared to your lifespan." His ears dropped as he lowered his head. "But that's no reason to shut them all out. You've had Su Ying, you've had Duravan, you've had Senterra, and you've had me. For someone who's been alive for over eleven hundred years... You could use a little more friends." Tong placed a heavy hand on the dragon's right shoulder. Looking up, he could see Irone walking toward them. "And I guess you can add her to that list, whether or not you'd like to admit it." Another smile, and Tong got up. He greeted Irone with a gesture saying 'He's all yours.' and she gave a friendly smile.

Looking up at the two, Zhai couldn't help but think of all the friends he's really had. And how true Tong's words were. After a deep breath, he could feel Irone sit beside him in Tong's spot. Although keeping his head down, he could still see that sapphire dress, and his mind wandered back to the first time he'd seen it.

It was a few days after the Rebellion in Alzallion, and everyone was finally done celebrating that victory over it. The taverns were finally getting less crowded the farther away they traveled from the country, and things were finally getting less tense between the Knight and the Dragon. Although he didn't want to admit it, Zhai was getting quite used to Irone's protection and company. It was a bit harder to talk to Khol with her around, but he managed somehow. "I'm just saying that she doesn't have to be a servant to you." Tong said, trying to convince Zhai to think of the woman as a bit more than just a guard. "She does her job well, yes. But she's a human being. I really think you could get to liking her if you can just put this Alzallion business behind."

Zhai snorted at him. "Do I need to remind you what that country did to me?"

"And do I need to remind you that she's not responsible for that? Just because she's proud of her country, doesn't mean she's proud of what they did several hundred years ago. She's only like 23 years old, next to no one even knows what they did way back then." He took a drink. "She's going to be following you for a while, don't force her into Ronin because you were hurt by her homeland. Try to befriend her instead. Get to know her. She actually might be pleasant company."

"I would hardly describe her company pleasant-"

"Which is the Exact thing you said about Senterra! And did you like her after a while?"

"I do not know. I was tolerant of her."

"Okay, think about her right now." Zhai tossed his snout, and he did. A small smile crept on his face when he remember seeing her be wed. "See!? Right there." Tong had a large smile on his face, and was laughing.

"Fine. I enjoyed her company after a while. I had cabin fever, I would've befriended a rock if I was alone."

Tong just shook his head smiling. "I gotta hit the can. When she comes down, I want you to try to be nice to her. Compliment her. Tell her what you really think of her-but only the positive stuff." Zhai grumbled a bit, setting his head on the table. Tong got up and headed out.

"He's right, you know." Khol said, listening in on the previous conversation.

~"Only half right. The reason why I liked Senterra was that she waited on me, and she was a good cook." Zhai grumbled.

"Ohhh... She was an amazing cook. I miss her cooking." And for a moment, Zhai did as well... He even missed her. He took a deep breath, trying not to get sorrow feelings to flood him once again. "But think about it; every friend you've ever had you started off not liking them." Khol smiled at Zhai's odd expression. "Duravan's father: You didn't like him-"

~"That's because he convinced me to let Children in my lands." The red dragon snorted.

"Duravan: you didn't like him."

~"He was the son of the guy who convinced-"

"Yeah yeah." Khol gave him a nudge. "Su Ying?"

~"Fell off a cliff and then called me a monster after I saved him."

Khol laughed. "Okay, Senterra."

Zhai gook a breath. ~"Grabbed my malehood the first night I met her. Was happy to hear that I had to piss. Manipulated me into making me purr for her in my sleep. She grabbed my balls after I dared her, and then she gave me an erection when I was about to pass out from blood loss. Not to mention she was sleeping under your wing for some reason and she blew your secret about being a male."

Khol just laughed loudly, making Zhai wonder if the other people in the pub could hear him. "She was quite fun. I liked her."

~"You wanted her to be our wife." The red one snickered. "And you wanted us to be stroked off by her."

"We both got that reward." Another nudge. "But in the end, you liked every one of those people. Actually, I'm not sure about Tong. Did he do anything bad to you?"

~"He tried to choke me with a loaf of bread." Again, Khol lost it, giving the wyrmling a few licks.

"Now, what about me?" Zhai was silent for a bit. And gave into a deep sigh. "See?"

~"Alright, you're correct. Every one of those people became friends of mine."

"And admitting it is the first step."

~"What's the second?"

"You know..." He pointed his head to the stairway, seeing Irone come down with a sapphire blue dress. The sudden look at her made the red one suck in a breath. As she looked around, gave the dragon a wave, and took a seat at the bar, Zhai couldn't take her eyes off of her. "She looks really pretty in that." Yet another nudge from Khol's muzzle. "Go. And try not to make this a disaster." He chuckled. The wyrmling gave his mate a nervous look, but then a nod.

Zhai walked up to her, and took a seat beside her. "You look... Nice." He managed to get out.

She gave him a soft smile. "I normally don't dress like this, but every once in a while it's nice to." The dragon tried not to stare at her, and being nervous, his ears started to turn purple. "Are you... Okay?" He gave a nod. "...You're blushing, aren't you?"

Zhai looked at her a bit surprised. "You... Can tell that? Have you been around dragons before?"

"No, but you did the same thing when that older woman said you were cute." She chuckled.

The dragon snorted. His ears pointing backward and his spines raised up a bit. "Dragons are not cute."

"And now you're irritated." Zhai tossed his snout and covered his face. Irone still chuckling at him a bit. "You're quite easy to read once you know the signs."

"It's a weakness. Our ears have a mind of their own." He grunted through is paw. Irone put a hand on his left shoulder, and he jerked. She looked at him for a moment. "...That shoulder... Is bad..." His ears slightly lowering.

"Sorry, I didn't know." Zhai looked away for a moment. "...I won't ask. I can only assume it had something to do with..."

A deep breath came from the red one. "It's... Alright. I need to stop blaming you for... Things." She started to carefully rub his back, making sure she didn't hurt anything else of his. "I've just been..."

"Through alot, I know." She said, with a soft smile. "At first, I didn't really believe it. But after being around you for a few days... I can." She took a breath. "I know you don't really like me being here too much-"

"It's... Not that. You just remind me..."

She gave a settle nod. "But I want you to know, I'm here to protect you. So no more bad things can happen to you. I'm here to help you, to serve you in the line of duty. So you won't have any more painful memories."

Once again, Zhai found himself trying to hold back tears. He took a deep breath. A second one. And then looked into her brown eyes. They reminded him of Bartan. Irone smiled at him a bit, and he gave a small one back. His amber eyes eventually trailed to her arm, and she started to stop, pulling the arm back. "No... Try up here." He pointed under his neck, and a bit to the side. She started to, and he began to purr softly.

Since he was a wyrmling, it wasn't terribly loud. But it felt good... To share that vulnerability with someone. Someone that was supposed to protect him. Someone he could trust.

Zhai found himself lost in those purrs once again, while Irone was petting under his chin. She caught him daydreaming and that was his punishment, to be exposed. When she tried to stop, he kept leaning into her hand, until he broke free from that instinct. Irone just laughed at him, while the dragon shook his head a little and snapped his faintly tickled jaw a few times. "What were you thinking about?" Irone asked.

"...The first time I seen you in that dress." Zhai admitted. He smiled at her, while she stroked his spines. "...I should've told you sooner. About those-"

"It was your decision to make when you wanted to. Or was supposed to be anyway." She smirked at him deviously. "Don't worry, I sic'd Ingkelus on the brat for you." The dragon chuckled.

"I just... I've had a very hard time making friends over the decades... Over the centuries... And..." She gave him a soft gesture to stop.

"You don't need to explain yourself to me. Don't worry. I'm not hurt, nor are the others. They were perfectly valid reasons to keep secret from your comrades-"

"But not my friends..." Irone gave the red one a strange look. "...Irone. I've... let you see more of me than anyone else but Tong. I... Really should've let you know what I was going through. What has been going on in this head of mine... The reason why Tong is so cautious about me is because, I am a real danger to myself at times. And I've got four guardian angels to keep me on track." She gave him a puzzled look at 'Four'. "You, Tong, Silverthorn, and Bartan." She didn't recognize the last name, but she didn't pry. "My point is... You said before that it's your job to protect me. And well... Sometimes you have to protect me from myself." Zhai took a deep breath. "I know you're strong enough to do that."

She gave him a nod as he continued "But I don't think I can share my story with someone else again. It was... Too painful to op-" She stopped him again, and he gave a small nod. He adjusted himself on the bench to lean into her more, and for a while he was quiet. ~"Oh Gods, No!"

Irone looked at his sudden outburst in draconic. She could see his ears were a deep purple, and his nose was as well when he buried his face in his paws. "What? What's wrong?" He shook his head, not looking at her. "Sire, what is wrong?"

"Trust me you don't want to know." He said half laughing. She lightly grabbed one of his ears, and he yelped. She's twisted it a few times when she was angry at him. It was her trump card in making him squeal out information. She gave him daring look, and he sighed. "Silverthorn... Silverthorn said that he thinks I can probably... fit in you..." Irone gave the dragon an odd look at first, then realized what he was talking about. She let go of his ear and got up from the bench. Looking away and covering her mouth, while Zhai groaned and laid down completely still burying himself in his paws.

"You... were not kidding about the pervert part." She managed to get out after long moments of awkward silence. She tried not to make it worse, and calm down. Until she started to hear the laughter of another behind her. When she turned around, she could see Khol laughing at one side of the bench. Occasionally leaning down and giving the red one a lick on the head. Iron stood still for a moment, really surprised by the sight.

"I'm sorry." Khol said between chuckles. "It's a little thing his previous mate used to do at his hatchplace. Whenever there was a tender or tense moment, to break it, she would say something very dirty that would, well..." Another laugh. "Do this."

"You..." She looked at the larger dragon in awe. "You are his..."

"Yes, I'm Silverthorn." He leaned close into her, and gave her a soft nuzzle in her chest. "It's nice to finally meet you, Lady Irone. I hope you don't find my mate too much trouble."

"But... How am I...?"

"I can do a few things in this world, but it can take alot of energy from him." Khol looked at Zhai, who's started to take deeper breaths, but still hasn't moved. Even his ears remained purple. "You might want to give him a few moments. I believe my comment has made him quite... Stiff." He chuckled again, nudging Zhai and teasing him.

"Only because I can't get it out of my head." The red dragon groaned. "Irone, if you want to leave, feel free to. Odds are, Silverthorn here is going to take me back into the woods and suck me dry once again." Zhai couldn't say that without laughing.

"You two are... Quite open." Irone stated, getting uncomfortable.

"Most dragons usually are. Don't be embarrassed by it. It's a wonder he hasn't said anything sooner."

"I am still a wyrmling!"

"But now you're functional. In all seriousness, if you ever want to try, we wouldn't be opposed." Khol stated, getting a reaction out of both of them and laughing again.

"I don't think about her that way!" Zhai trying to hide himself more from her.

"Yet, you are now. Means there's at least a spark in there somewhere." Khol turned to her. "But if you ever want to, you probably have to be quick. He'll grow quite fast and you'll miss your chance."

"Okay, that's enough for me." Irone said, starting to walk away. "I'm sorry Sire."

"I am too." Zhai moaned.

"...She's cute." Khol smiled in Irone's direction, and chuckling after another moan from Zhai. "So, now that you're ready, want me to take care of that Thorn?"

~"Remember our deal?" Khol's ears dropped. "But that's only for my side. I can at least stroke you off, considering we got distracted last night." Once again, Khol carried the young dragon off into the woods.

Chapter 9

The morning was cloudy, but warm once again. The dew covered the red dragon's back while he slept on his belly. For some reason, he was getting a bit of soreness from his lower area. As if something suddenly gave out, and leaving the area tender. Zhai moaned a bit, still trying to get awake. Then Khol suddenly gave a loud gasp, making the young dragon a bit more alert. "What is it? What's wrong?" He waited for a reply from his mate.

Khol's voice came from behind him. "Your stones! They finally dropped!" And Zhai got a warm tongue over that tender area. A few licks and a few yelps later, Zhai got up and looked at them.

"They feel... Tight. Much tighter than usual." He said, cupping them and feeling for the sore area that was inside his pelvis. "I wonder why they seem bigger. Almost... Bloated." Getting a bit of pain from them while he studied them. Khol was looking at his mate intently, ears getting a deep purple. But there was something else there that Zhai could see... Guilt? "What's wrong?"

"I... May have something to do with that..." The red one tilted his head. "I may have found some Night Arrow... Maybe an entire field of it... And I may have... Fed you it." Zhai's neck curled to an S "It's for seed reproduction. It's one of the many that I started to get you to eat in your sleep. Have you noticed lately that your food has been tasting alot like Black Pepper?"

The crimson one nodded. "Yeah, ever since we got to this town. I swear, they throw it on... Oh..." He shook his head. "Really? Even on my food?"

"And in your waterskin... And in your sleep..." Khol sunk his head more and more with every admition. To the point where it was flat on the ground.

Zhai buried his head in his paws as he laid on his back. "What are the side effects to it?"

"Well, a bit of heartburn. We've been over the reproduction, and maybe a bit of dry mouth."

"No heartburn, a bit of the dry mouth." The sudden mention of it made the red one thirsty. He got what he could from the dew that surrounded him. "Anything else?"

"It would often give females heat spells. Might mess with them elsewise from that." Khol inched closer to Zhai's newly acquired sack, nudging it a bit, and giving out a whimper.

The crimson one tossed his head. "Okay, fine. But be careful, it's sensitive right now. I'm not sure how well it's going to work."

"I'll find a way to make it work." Khol smiled deviously at his mate, giving his muzzle a few licks while pushing him on his back. Over and over, the silver dragon slipped his lavender tongue on the red one's head, slowly painting those red scales and making them shimmer. While working on his chin and throat, Zhai started to purr at the soft warmth that was bathing him. To the point where he started to stoke Khol's muzzle with small gropes.

The larger one started to nuzzle him and get a bit rougher with his tongue. Working the biceps, which were building up very well giving the Red body's age. It was always enough to get Khol off when Zhai flexed them, and he did just that. Getting the silver one's breaths to be deeper and deeper over the thick muscle.

Khol forced himself to move on before his violent instincts kicked in. Though it's been a long time since those urges have been fed, he would have to restrain himself from really hurting the smaller dragon. Instead, Khol moved down to the small peak in Zhai's sheath. Lapping at it softly, and placing his muzzle on its base. The vibrations from Khol's purring gave shivers to the red one, causing him to gasp a bit and that tool to slip out of its glossy red protection.

Taking a few soft laps on the large fresh orbs that were below it, they really did seem quite tense and stretched out. Khol almost wondered if it was a mistake to feed him so much, but the silver dragon just got carried away. He missed giving Zhai pleasure so much that it ached at him. When Khol found out that he could release just a few days ago, it made him so happy. To the point where he just wanted more of it, and this plump serving was exactly what he was craving.

After hearing Zhai whimper a bit from the soreness of his testicles, Khol gave a soft lick under them, causing the young dragon to gasp loudly. The silver one smiled at him, and started working on his fully erect shaft. Once again, going slow and soft, starting from the bottom, Khol slipped that wet tongue around the sheath. Another shiver came from the red one as the damp tongue coiled around his purple tower, lightly stroking those ridges and giving the younger one much deeper breaths. As Khol slipped around it faster and faster, Zhai began to moan quietly at first, until the tongue began to get rougher.

Louder and louder, the moans began to leak out of the younger dragon's muzzle. Waking the entire forest that was nearby. Khol eventually started to move up to the tip, and after a few licks, began kissing it a bit. Catching it with his lips, the red one moaned loudly and thrusted a bit, giving Khol's mouth a nice glazy sweetness of pre. While bracing the tip with his lips, the silver one lapped the tower's top with that tongue, causing the younger one to squirm a bit. Seeing if he can get one more squirt out of him before he moved on. After a few moments of that stimulating pleasure, Khol got his request. Another jolt of cherry sweetness was shot into his muzzle, and he moaned at the taste of it.

The silver one adjusted himself to be a bit more on top of the red one. Getting more room to work with, Khol started to slip the smaller tool into his muzzle. Zhai's breaths became deeper and deeper with every few inches of Khol's lips. But it wasn't long until he reached the base of the tower. A little disappointing, but the silver one was still happy to get what he could. Once again, he started to coil his tongue around the tool, and very softly use his teeth to get a reaction out of the smaller one.

With the mixture of moans, purrs, and whimpers, Khol could tell Zhai was almost at his climax. Still, the larger one keep working on it. Harder and harder where those breaths, until one large moan, followed by a series of rapid breaths. As the red one's spines began to raise, and his tail thrashed, Zhai thrusted into his mate's muzzle and a few heavy sprays were shot. Khol kept working on the red one, loving that sweet taste he longed for. A lightly satisfied purr came out of him.

After a few swallows, the silver one kept at it. Causing Zhai to breathe a bit heavier again. "Khol... Wait..." He managed to get out, but couldn't talk too much during those overstimulating waves of pleasure. Khol just gave him that sinister look again, and reached to activate the red one's collar. After a slight buzz, energy shot through the young dragon, allowing him to get his stamina back. "Khol. No more! Once is enough!" Zhai tried to demand, but the pleasure got him paralyzed. A loud whimper feel over the red one as Khol ignored his demands. Over and over he kept working on the smaller dragon.

Reaching down to see what his stones were like, they seemed about 2/3rd's full still. It made the silver one smile again. That paw then went to the red one's hamstrings, and even the slight touch of them sent a wave through Zhai. Another loud moan came from him, as well as another load of pre. Over and over again, those waves crashed into the smaller dragon, and after another few minutes, he reached another climax. Arching backward, the tool in Khol's mouth exploded in sugary cherries. He kept the entire load in his muzzle this time, and worked on Zhai until the torrents stopped.

Licking the tool a bit, Khol leaned up to his mate, and slipped his tongue into the red one's muzzle. After locking lips, the silver one forced that load into Zhai's mouth. Giving another whimper, but of satisfaction. A smile crept over the smaller dragon's face. His breaths were started to normalize quickly, all because of that collar. Normally, it felt so harsh on the red one's body to release twice in a row.

Khol went down to the purple tower once again, licking it and still getting that sweet taste. He coiled his tongue around it once again, and placed it into his silver muzzle. "Khol!" Zhai shouted, trying to move against the massive weight the collar brought on his body. But he couldn't do much besides place a paw on his mate's smiling face. Once again, feeling those red orbs, and there was still quite a bit left in it. Enough for one more.

This time, Khol used one of his paws on a hamstring, and the other on the tailhole. A light brush was all it took to convince Zhai to give in. Much louder heavy breaths came from the smaller red one, as Khol worked on him. Over and over, he knew those right spots to drive Zhai over the edge. It still took several minutes of work from all three sides, but after a bit the red one started to squirm uncontrollably. Grunting against the pleasure over and over, Zhai started to almost hiss against it. A lot of soreness came from his lower region, and his last climax felt like it was made of caltrops.

A large roar of pain omitted from the red dragon's muzzle as those orbs tightly pressed against his body once again. Draining them of whatever liquid they had left. Unable to control those spasms, Zhai started to thrust into Khol hard, almost reaching that climax point, but it felt like there was a small wall stopping him. He started pressing harder and harder against that wall, again with the squirms, until the silver one penetrated his tailhole. That broke down the wall, and it felt like the large build up was suddenly released. He could feel it's steaming warmness flow through his lower regions, until it came to Khol's muzzle.

One final highly pressured blast was shot into Khol, and he ended up choking on it. The sprays from the purple tower flew into the air and a strange, highly concentrated scent came from it. After a few more smaller torrents shot over Zhai's head, Khol began to breath very heavily. After getting a mouthful of that concentration, and smelling that musk, the silver one let out a near climatic moan. He staggered closer on top of the red one, having a fully erect tool, and Zhai fought against the collar's restraint.

He turned the collar down enough for him to move his arms, but didn't dare to turn it off just yet. He then began to stroke Khol's malehood hard, and almost biting it, as the silver one started to thrust in his paws. All at once there was that second erection, and another climatic moan from his mate. Khol found himself very close to a stream that was shot out by Zhai's last load, and tried to lick it clean. It was almost sour, this one. And held something funny in it, that drove his sexual instincts mad. Khol's spines began to raise over his neck, and his tail thrashed from side to side. While Zhai didn't let up.

The red one was licking at the bottom part of the tip when he felt that first torrent stream out. Making the purple tool somehow more thicker. The large white torrent shot over Zhai's head and sprayed the ground above him, as well as Khol's neck and chest. The two dragon's thrusted against each other over every pulse, while the silver one emptied his entire load. It was nearly 16 torrents that time, with next to no foreplay.

Zhai took a few licks of Khol's white streams as he crawled out of under his mate. Not being able to move too much, he just went into the high grass to relieve himself. Still breathing heavily the entire time. It reminded him of when he broke out of that place he was tortured in. And when he was trying to remove that collar. It's like he was just catching enough breath to keep him alive, and not enough to keep going.

Somehow, he managed to get back to Khol's collapsed side. He was trying to face away from Zhai's last few torrents, that strong smell really got to him, and he knew he wouldn't be able to do much if he laid in it. When Zhai got back to him, he put the collar on max for a bit, instantly forcing the red dragon to the ground, and just breathing. After a few minutes, he started to turn it down. By the time he could move once again and breathe normally, Khol was already out. The red one chuckled at him, his stones still very sore, and just rested for a few hours.

The dragons woke up after a bit, leaning into each other, Khol almost rolled on top of Zhai. After omitting a large squeak, the silver one got more awake and aware. "Sorry about that." Khol smiled at the young red dragon, nuzzling him a bit.

"About which part? Flattening me or completely draining me after I told you not to?" Zhai gave him a stern look, but he couldn't keep it up for long before he started smiling. Although still hungover, at least he didn't die being muzzled by his mate.

"Both, I guess." He smiled at Zhai back. "How are you feeling?"

"Completely drained, and sore. Seriously, get more restraint. No more triple or more releases. Good Gods, why do all my partners want to see me release seven times in a row?" Zhai grumbled.

"You're just that loved." The silver one held him into his chest. "I mean it though, and you're right: I do need to restrain myself more. I've just..."

"Missed it." Zhai finished him. "I know. And I've missed you too." The red one stroked the silver one's neck for a bit. "What happened at the end there? You usually take an hour to release that much."

"I think... You ran out of pre, and just shot whatever was in your sack. I just know that smelling it... swallowing it drove me off the wall. I guess that's what it's like when a female is in heat?" Khol looked at the smaller one. Zhai looked back at him for a moment, and remembered that Khol really didn't have any hands-on experience with a female.

"Kinda yeah. It's all you can think about, and it makes you unbelievably horny." Khol laughed at his description. "It does! Good Gods, I remember when Zi was in heat. As a prank, she got into my bedding and squirted all over it. I was stroking myself for hours, trying to sleep." The two shared a laugh.

"But yes, another life lesson: No more completely draining you."

"...And?"

Khol sighed defeatedly. "And no more seed enhancements. I guess we don't really need to do it ten times a day. It's just fun to. And I love you, I want to show it." He smiled at the red one.

"I love you too. And you've always shown it." The two shared a kiss, and enjoyed each other's company for a bit.

"Think you should get back?"

"Yeah, I want to talk to Irone about last night. I really think you made her uncomfortable." Khol's ears dropped. "Don't worry, I'll fix it." The red one gave him a lick, stretched, and then said his goodbyes.

The town was a bit busy outside, but the tavern was quiet once again. Zhai didn't see his squad anywhere's around. But he wasn't concerned for the moment. After looking around a bit, he returned to the tavern, only to catch Irone walking down the stairs. "Oh, hello Irone..." The dragon said, a bit shyly.

"Morning Sire. How are you today?"

"A bit drained. But that's another story. Listen... I'm sorry about last night-" Irone immediately grabbed Zhai's ear, causing him to yelp, and dragged him to a booth that was slightly hidden from the rest of the tavern. "Ow-OW! Let go! I'm Sorry!"

The woman let go of his ear, and he held it whimpering. "I don't want to talk about last night, Sire. Or anything regarding that subject again, am I clear?" She said, taking a seat.

"You could've just said so, instead of trying to rip my ear off." The dragon whimpered, holding for a bit, then shaking the pain off. Zhai sat across her. "...But why?" And Irone tried to snatch his ear again from the other side of the table. The dragon shot his head back out of her reach, yelping.

Half laughing at his frightful expression, she shook her head. "I've been harassed so often by guys wanting me to get in bed with them. Just because I'm a woman, they think of me as a sex object."

"It had nothing to do with that. Do you know how many times Silverthorn suggested I stroke Tong off?" The dragon's scales clicked from a shiver, and he shook his head from that image, while Irone tried to cover up her laughter. "See? It's not so insulting when it isn't about you, is it?" Zhai playfully and overdramatically snorted. She gave a sigh when she was done. "I know human society is much less welcoming to such acts. Especially if it's across species. You just have to realize that dragons are alot more opened. We don't have those borders you do, and we would never make the same assumptions just because you're female. All Silverthorn was trying to do was..." The dragon's ears turned a bit purple.

"Trying to break the mood for giggles?" Irone asked with a smile.

"Yes, and no. A few of my good relationships usually started out a bit... Sexual. I mean, when I first met Silverthorn, he muzzled me for a place to stay." Iron covered her mouth. "And well... There was this elf female that was taking care of me when I got some injuries. She accidently touched my erect tool in the dark... Then got so curious that she actually wanted to see what she felt."

"Okay-Stop." Irone cringed, with a smile on her face. "So he just wanted you to... With me to get to know me better? That's seems odd."

"To you maybe. But to us, that pleasure is a gift."

"A gift?"

"Yes. It's a wonderful experience that is shared with someone you love. There's nothing wrong with that. It's not supposed to be discriminate in any way. I swear, you children took a beautiful thing and somehow thought terribly of it." Zhai tossed his snout.

"We've been over this, we're not children." She smirked at him, folding her arms. The dragon sighed and shrugged with his wings.

"All I'm saying is... If you..." He took a deep breath and looked away. "If you ever want to, I won't be opposed by it. I would actually like to share it with you, as a friend. Not as a King or leader. Try not to be afraid or neglect any feelings you might have."

"And if I don't have any?" She said that rather quickly.

"Then I won't press it. It's the dragon way: If you don't want to be part of it, you were never to be pushed to. It will never be mentioned again, until you want it to be." Zhai said calmly. A small smile over his face. "I just wouldn't want another close person to me miss out in a good experience because of their, or societies insecurities."

She chuckled at him. "You have such an ego sometimes."

The dragon double taked at her. "It would be about you, I mean. Not for me. Believe me, he maybe a ghost, but Silverthorn drains me dry at least once every day. Seriously, look at my stones, there's nothing in them!" He raised his leg up, but Irone's view was still blocked by the table. She just laughed at him and shook her head while looking away.

"I'll take your word for it."

"Tell you what. Whenever Silverthorn and I were in a crowded area, and he wanted some fun, he would just nibble on my ear. It might look a little funny with you biting on it, so you can just rub it. That way, there's no awkward words, no other forms of communication needed. If you want it, I'll be ready." This time, Iron covered her eyes, and shook her head again. "I'll take that as a yes then." The dragon smirked as he got up and left.

Irone sighed, after getting the red color drained from her face. (Insecurities...)

Zhai relaxed until the afternoon, sunbathing in the warm cloudy day. After getting something to eat, and drinking his bodyweight in water to help his hangover, the dragon was finally starting to be rid of it. Half dozing off, he felt the large embrace of his mate, as well as heard him flop down heavily on the ground around him. After a bit of silence, Zhai looked at him concerned. "Everything okay?"

"Don't feel well." Khol muttered. "After you left, I couldn't get that musk out of my mouth, and it was making me a bit... sick. I ended up vomiting it out to get rid of it."

"You can do that?" The younger one lifted his head up, trying to comfort his mate's silver neck. It looked a little tarnished really, and that made Zhai worry.

"Apparently. After that, I took a quick bath, and tried to wash it off me. But that didn't get rid of it either." A small whimper came from the red one. "So I went with the next plan: Stroked myself off until I ejected and used that to get rid of the bad taste in my mouth." A small chuckle came from the larger dragon.

"You should've come and got me. I would've been happy to help." Another small whimper from Zhai. "Is there anything else I can do?"

"Actually... The middle of my back feels a little cramped. Could you get that for me?"

"Of course." And Zhai climbed on top of his mate. Scouting for the area until Khol started to purr a bit. "That feel good?" the red one smirked, giving the few spots a lick.

"Very good..." Khol gave up a pleasurable mutter and a few deep breaths. "A little lower would help."

"Alright." And Zhai worked on the lower area while the purrs got a little louder.

Tong and Ingkelus eventually came around, and noticed the dragon up in midair. "Gods, Little Red. Out in Public? Really?" Tong held his forehead.

"I'm just working on his back a bit." The red dragon hissed. "Now what is it?"

"Grinn got us a lead." Ingkelus got the dragon's attention. "I know, I was surprised as you are. I didn't even know he was looking."

"He said something about not hunting for an answer, but instead letting it come to you." Tong shook his head. "Apparently, one of the kids here's father is a merchant, and he seen something strange on the lake to the northwest. Almost like a large bubble covering the east side of it."

"I know that area." Railley came out of nowhere. "I also know how to get to it. That bubble is like a cloaking field. It makes things inside it invisible. And how are you...?" He looked strangely at the hovering dragon.

"He's apparently tending to his mate out in the open now." Ingkelus said, chuckling.

"I'm on his back!" The dragon hissed again. "How far away is this lake?"

"About a day and a half's travel on foot." Tong said. "Railley could probably lead us there, right? Providing you still trust him."

The rogue lowered his head slightly, and Zhai studied him. "He really didn't do anything wrong, Zhai." Khol said, still unable to move from the comfort.

~"He pried into business that was not his. But providing that he keeps his muzzle out of my past, I have no reason to distrust him."

"Shouldn't you be saying that in Tradestongue?" The silver one asked.

~"I should be, but I get a kick out of him wondering what we're saying. It really brings out the guilt to the point where I can barely hide my smile." The red one then looked at Tong and the tall human. Then back at the rogue. "If you keep that snout of yours out of my past and personal secrets that will not affect the group, then I have no reason to distrust you. But if you try to pry again, I will bite you. Understood?"

The young human gave a heavy nod. "Yes, Sire."

"Good. Now, I must find this kink in my mate's back. If you don't need anything else for me, enjoy the rest of your day. We'll leave tomorrow at sunrise. Dismissed." And Zhai resumed tending to his mate.

"Awwh, so we're not going to do anything special tonight?" Khol whined.

~"Every night with you is special." The red one purred. ~"But in all seriousness, we should really give our bodies a break. Your scales look tarnished, and it worries me. Are you still feeling uneasy?"

"A bit. But you're right. No pleasures tonight..." Khol purred loudly again. "Yes, right there... A bit harder if you can."

~"Enjoying yourself, are you?"

"Yes. We should do this more often."

~"I wouldn't be opposed." Zhai gave a smirk.

The rest of the afternoon, the two dragons just enjoyed each other's company. Remembering good times of the past and fun experiences they would like to try once again. Overall, the two didn't engage into anything, testing their restraints once again.

After that, they traveled back into the tavern, and met up with the other four males. They were having one last drink and a bit of rest before they were to sleep the night away, and prepare for the journey ahead. A few stories were shared about Tong and Zhai, and sometimes Irone.

Speaking of Irone, she was out during most of the evening, gathering a few things for travels. When she returned to the tavern, she met up with the rest of the gang. "How's everyone tonight?"

"Well rested and ready for tomorrow." Tong answered.

"Woozy from the smell of their drinks." Zhai moaned. Once again his head on the table. "You get everything you were searching for?"

"Yes. Which reminds me." She grabbed his ear once again, causing the red dragon to yelp loudly and whimper. "I bought fish for some of our travels, and put it in my backpack. If you get into it again, and eat half of them, I will tear this thing off. Understood?"

"I always left you some! And this isn't a trophy!" He hissed, and Irone started to twist the ear. "Okay-okay-okay! No eating the fish!" And she let go. The dragon retreated his head away from her, and tended to his hurting ear.

"Alright. Now that's settled, I'm off to bed. Good night all." And she turned away.

"I told you that you shouldn't start doing that. Cravings or not." Tong laughed at the red one. But he was lost in his own thoughts for a moment. Irone had grabbed his ear before, but this felt a bit different... Almost like there was... (A rub?) "Red?" And the dragon snapped out of it.

"Y-yeah?"

"I highly suggest you stop thinking about how you're going to get that fish. Honestly, it's a wonder she hasn't ripped that off already. You get what you deserve sometimes." Tong laughed again.

"Yeah... I'm going to get a drink, and probably find somewhere to sleep. I'll see you tomorrow." And Zhai headed for the door.

"Don't forget, sunrise. I'd suggest not sleeping under a rock."

The dragon did go out to that water source, and got a few more laps. Then he flew up to Irone's room window. Giving it a few taps. She opened it, in a nightgown. "Sire? What are you doing up here?"

"I... Came because of what we talking about this morning." His ears starting to turn a little purple when she gave him a puzzled look. "You... Rubbed my ear, didn't you?"

"I don't think I did. I just grabbed it like I usually do. Like this-" And Zhai retreated his head away from her, almost yelping. It made her smile. "...Why don't you come in?"

"You're not going to hurt me anymore, are you?" The dragon snorted at her chuckle. And he did his best to squeeze through the opened window. He stood in the middle of the room, while Irone went to the bed.

"Clearly this is still on your mind. So, let's talk about it." The dragon lowered his head a bit, ears as well. "Why do you want this?"

"It's... Just something I don't want a friend to miss out on." He swallowed loudly. "I have alot of regrets, Irone. And not just things I've done. Things I haven't done as well. Like making some closer friends, and showing them how I feel toward them."

"And by 'showing them how you feel', you mean... what was the word you used? Mount them?" She couldn't hold back a smile.

"No! Well, unless you wanted it, I could... manage. But it wasn't what I was thinking." Again, Zhai's ears were turning a deeper purple when that image of him 'fitting inside' her came to his head once again. "The experience would be about you, what you want."

"And what exactly were you thinking I want out of this?" The question seemed a bit cold to the dragon. It's the one reason why he really didn't want to socialize with the Children, especially the ones that were so fixed on their ways. But, alas, he wasn't going to pressure this.

"I... Think I misunderstood the gesture. My apologies, Irone. Get some sleep." And the dragon headed for the window.

"Sire, wait." Her voice suddenly lost alot of her strength. "I don't want things to be awkward between us, is all. And I know you're perfectly fine with doing such an act, because there's no shame to hold you back and hang over your head. But in my society, there is."

"But wouldn't you want to change that? The corrupted way your kind thinks about the gift of sex and pleasure?" The two were quiet for a moment, Irone unable to look at the dragon's amber eyes. "Irone... Senterra, that elf that tended to me, was alot like you... In a way. She was clumsy, often put her foot in her mouth, and she giggled at every foolish thing. That really isn't like you at all. But she had those same insecurities, as do all Chi-...Your kind. It wasn't until I pushed her to finally letting that curiosity run free towards that subject that she became really happy. That she found her mate, married him, had a child, and were happy in the city of Pla'inth Path."

"What?" Her head tried to mimic the way Zhai's tilted.

"Plain in the Path. Was a city I named that irritated me. My point is... She got to move on with her short life, after finally letting go of those restraints. Your kind holds so many standards that you're unable to truly feel what love or pleasure is. You're prohibited to only mate for procreation, and that seems to be it. How can you find happiness when the only thing that you are able to explore is your opposing gender?" Zhai lowered his head and stared at the wooden floor of the room. "I'm... not trying to break your faith in your species. I'm just worried that you're going to end up... Unhappy."

"And you think you can cure that?"

"Cure it? No, never. It's not an illness. But I can give you that first step. With someone you trust, someone who's done it before and will not judge or embarrass you because of it. I just..." he took a breath. "Want you to see that there's more out there, than what your society wants you to settle with. And whether or not you rubbed my ear out of subconscious instinct, or I'm just imagining it, I just thought maybe you would like to try." Another loud swallow, and after a bit of silence, the dragon climbed the window sill. "...I think I said too much."

After he was completely out, he took a deep breath. A bit of silence and regret filled the dragon's heart. As he got ready to take off, he was interrupted "Sire? Wait." Irone's voice came from the room. "...Come back in, and close the window."

He slowly slipped his head in. "Are you... Sure?" She shook her head no, but she motioned with her hand to come inside. He gave a slight nod, and did what was asked. When there was still no response from her, he walked up to her and nudged Irone in the arm. A very shy smile covered her mouth for a moment. "...Move over a bit." He said, and she looked at his body, but couldn't look into those amber eyes. After a few moments, she did what he asked.

The dragon jumped onto the bed the best he could and laid down with her. He just embraced her for now, letting his snout rest on her chest. She was almost shivering, and he could hear her heartbeat racing a bit. "Are you cold?" Zhai asked.

"...No." She managed to get out. "Just... nervous." Zhai studied her a bit. She was almost looking as if she was trying to hide her body from him. That somehow gave him an idea. He got up and went for her bags. "What are you doing?" She asked, giving him a puzzled look. "You better not be getting at that fish."

"I forgot about the fish actually, but I was looking for that dress of yours. The blue one." She gave him another odd look, while he pulled out a strap that the dress used to tie around the waist. "Here."

"I'm not putting that on." She said, a bit angrily.

The dragon gave a chuckle. "No, put it on me. Over my eyes." Another odd look. "You seem to be afraid still, and I think it's mostly about people seeing you're unclothed self. Put this on me, like a blindfold. Then you guide me where you want me to go, what you want me to do. After it's done, you can get dressed again, and I'll never have to see you naked. It'll be less awkward for you that way."

She thought about it for a bit at first, but gave into the idea. She got off the bed, and tied the sash over the dragon's eyes. "Okay, now I want you to get a metal pale of water. Once you return, you may get undressed." A slight fear came from her at that sentence, but she went to get a pail from the quiet hallway. After filling it, she returned to find the dragon still there, and completely still. "Back?" She gave a confirmation that was barely a whisper. "Alright, set it on the ground, preferably not around something flammable." Irone did so, and after feeling around for it, Zhai heated the base of it with his breath weapon.

He asked her a few times to test it until it was very warm, but not uncomfortable for her hand. After that, he asked her to set it on a stool, and place the stool near the bed. Irone then lead the dragon onto the bed, as she got undressed. Fear kept gnawing at her heart, but she chose to face it. As she climbed on the bed with the red beast, she pet him a bit. Feeling the many spines that flowed his long neck. She then moved down to his chin, and he purred a bit, making the woman smile. "It's your show. Just point me where you want my tongue."

The idea was a little scary at first. She was thinking he might just use his paws, but now the water made sense. Especially after he felt for the pail and took a few laps of it. Already, Irone's breaths were getting a bit heavy from fear and excitement. She often tried to rationalize what she was doing, and wondering if it was too late to stop. It wasn't until the dragon placed his muzzle in her hands that she really understood that she had the power to control this. A few licks to her arms to feel the warmth that the water really made his purple tongue. It wasn't slimy, like she would've imagined. It was very soft, like wet silk, or perhaps velvet. Long and flexible, yet strong when it needed to be. It was hers for the time being. Anything that she wanted for these next moments, anything that she deeply desired from this dragon was hers, if she was brave enough to ask them.

Irone took a deep breath, and slowly lead Zhai's muzzle to her collarbone. She was still uncomfortable with the tongue in her mouth, let alone her face, so she started there. The dragon began to slowly and softly lick her smooth skin, washing it with warmth. The first sudden touch of it caused her to suck in a breath. She found herself often looking at the blindfold, wondering if he was trying to see through it. But he never studied her with those amber eyes. Instead, just using that tongue and a bit of his muzzle as a guide.

For a few moments, she was just trying to remain calm. When he took another few laps from the pail, she moved the muzzle lower and lower. Eventually coming to her breasts. Zhai lowered his snout over them, and breathed deeply through his nostrils, letting out some very warm air that made her a bit more comfortable. He then began to explore them with his tongue, feeling their round, plump shape and often nuzzling them to feel them juggle a bit. The dragon then went on to the next one after a few more laps. Doing the same thing, and softly working on the nipple a bit. After a while, he began cupping the opposite one his muzzle was working on, slowly circling the nipple with his pawpads and sending a few stimulants of pleasure though her.

Irone's breaths were getting deeper from the excitement, and soon, most of that fear had vanished. She became more relaxed and trusting to what the red dragon was doing. Even knowing that he's done this before seemed to ease her mind, knowing that how far would be too far, and not barbarically rough-housing her body like she almost expected. What Zhai was doing, it was just as he described: A Gift. And a pleasant one at that.

For several minutes, she let the dragon work on her chest. Without realizing it, she found herself stroking his neck and a bit on his shoulders as well. When she moved down to his wing joint, she started to get a slight purr from the red one. As her breaths began to get deeper and a bit louder, she thought maybe it was time to go lower... And that thought brought a bit of fear back. Was she ready for this? Would she regret trying it? Those questions were breaking her mood, and those insecurities were overcoming her once again.

It wasn't until another nuzzle to her chin that she stopped thinking. She held Zhai's muzzle a for a moment. "You're breathing stopped... Are you thinking too much again?" She really didn't want to say how scared she was of this. How embarrassing it would be if she was ever caught. Her mind began to wonder once again. "Irone..." His voice broke her thoughts once again. "Relax. Stop thinking, and just enjoy yourself... Would you like me to take over?"

The woman took a deep breath. She was strong, in many different ways, but this inexperience was starting to get to her. She didn't know what she wanted from him. She didn't know what was expected. What would feel good, what wouldn't. "...Yes..." She managed to get out as a whisper.

"Very well." After a few more laps, he began to retreat off the bed. "I want you to completely lay down." Irone hesitated at first, but she did. The dragon then searched for her legs, and spreaded them. Those breaths returned once again, as the dragon leaned in close to her inner thigh. Giving them a soft warm lick, he moved closer and closer to her vulnerable sex. Those breaths began to get deeper the closer he got, and when he reached it, he only licked it once. Causing her to shutter. He then worked on the other leg, starting from the bottom of the thigh once again, and going up.

At this time, she felt a bit wet in that area. The dragon getting a slight taste of her pre. He nuzzled her lower lips a bit, again just working those breaths, and then started to lick it. Just playing around with what he was given. A few minutes of this, and Irone was starting to get submerged into that pleasure he was talking about. She felt really warm all over, completely relaxed. Cupping her own breasts, and occasionally reaching down to feel the dragons snout. He would often greet that hand with a lick, and then resumed where he left off.

Zhai then started to press a bit into those lips with the flat side of his tongue. Still moving it up and down, but every few presses he would press harder and harder. Once again, he could feel that same Seal that was in Senterra. And he knew what it half was. Something the children called Virginity, he believed. More or less meaning 'First Time'. "Irone..." He spoke softly, between licks and presses. "The more I press here, the more it's going to stimulate. But you might feel a bit of pain when I break through." She gave a small gasp. "It will only be for a moment though, don't worry yourself when you feel it." Again those thoughts came to her. Was he really planning to go this far? Was she willing to let him?

But no sooner were those questions washed away once again with that pleasure. The dragon spoke the truth, it was more and more stimulating the farther he pressed into her. She wanted to moan at it, but she didn't want to too loudly. She kept her mouth shut for the most part, and just enjoyed her session with Zhaiothe.

Deeper and deeper that purple tongue pressed in. Along with the soft movement, and the occasional kiss from the dragon's lips to her lower ones. All at once, the red one forced hard into her sex, and she resisted for a moment, only to get that seal broken. A bit of pain shot through her and she gasped. But it was completely overwhelmed in that same moment with that warm tongue inside her. She felt herself squeezing it from that end, and getting wetter from that massive warmth.

Once again, starting slowly, the dragon took his time inside her. His tongue was much smaller than the first time he did this, and therefore could study the inside of a female humanoid much easier. The top of where he entered stimulated the most pleasure, and got the biggest reaction from Irone. Those made the dragon smile, even though he couldn't see her face, he could only imagine they were like Senterra's. He began to work on her harder, and started to lightly bite her lower lips when his muzzle got that close.

Deeper and deeper he tried to search for that inner wall he found centuries ago. But only slowly at first. He didn't want to hurt her, and at times, such penetration could possibly do harm. Especially when he didn't understand it well. When he found that wall, he licked it a bit, and then started to work on the more stimulating areas. His motions became faster and faster to match her breaths and muffled moans. She even started to squirm a bit, while squeezing that purple tongue.

Irone's breaths became more and more rapid and so did her moans. After several minutes, those lips got really tight, and a large squirt of her wetness glazed Zhai's tongue and muzzle. She did a really good job keeping that moan inside, he barely noticed it. After a few more licks of the area, he rested his head on her pelvis. "See? Wasn't that bad was it?" Licking her lower belly a bit, he got a hand cupped on his nostrils. Once again greeting it with a lick, it motioned him to come back up and follow it. The dragon carefully did, getting another few laps out of the pail.

Still stroking his chin, and his neck, Irone's breaths didn't completely fade. Zhai nuzzled those breasts again when he got up to them, and as he got closer to her neck, she grabbed the dragon's head and pulled it to her own. A few licks from the female, and she tongued his muzzle. Being a bit surprised, he tried to resist for a moment, and then gave into it. (If this is what she wants...) The dragon thought. And for a few long moments, they did just that. After the kiss was broken, she leaned up to his ear. "Mount me..." And a large swallow came from the dragon's purple eared head.

"...A-are... You sure?" He stuttered. The groping of her hands around his neck said yes, even though he wasn't completely comfortable with it. He took a deep breath, and felt her lower area for her Sex. Cupping it for a moment, and still feeling that warmth of her climax. Another loud swallow caused her to chuckle a bit, and she bit his ear softly. Another nuzzle to her neck, and he lined himself up to her.

She held the dragon while he was positioning himself. That last experience was so wonderful, and after this, Irone wasn't sure if she would ever let herself go this far again. And like Silverthorn said: Sire has grown alot, he seems to be rapidly growing lately, and well... She may not get another chance. She was actually wondering if he was able to fit inside her now.

The sudden feel of his wet tip caused her to suck in a breath. With the two already breathing heavily, Zhai slowly began to enter Irone's sex with his purple shaft. The head itself wasn't so bad for her, until she got to the thicker areas like the flare. The sudden exotic penetration caused her to squeeze the intruder a bit and moan loudly through her teeth. Deeper and deeper the mating tool slipped into those lower lips, stretching them out and getting the entire head inside her. For a moment, the two just enjoyed that. Moving it a bit in and out of those lips. Feeling those sensitive spines stimulate both sex drives. Every little squeeze sent Zhai closer to a jolt of pre.

A bit faster they began to work together. Every two or three motions, they would go deeper inside, until Zhai got to his first ridge. The sheer pleasure wave caused the dragon to collapse on top of her, and she laughed. He just put up with it, and went in, ridge by ridge. When his sheath finally met her lips, the dragon gave a muffled roar, and a few quick breaths. Irone could feel a large wet jolt inside her that warmed the two very well. Zhai then began to thrust in and out at a medium pace. His tool wasn't too tight inside her, and it was for the best, really. He didn't want to hurt her too much. And this size, it was just right for her first time with Zhai.

The waves of pleasure crashed against them both as they worked harder against each other. The faster they became, the more Irone's breasts began to jiggle with their motions. Their breaths became deeper and more rapid. Their moans became louder and more frequent. And Irone's squeezes, as well as sudden lubrications were getting more occasional by every set of motions. As well as the dragon's pre shots. It wasn't before long that they could feel the wetness leak out of Irone's sex.

Several minutes after, Zhai started to whimper more and more. He was trying to keep up with Irone and give her at least one more release before he caved, but it was difficult with her squeezing him. All at once his breathing became more rapid and he reached the point of no return. With a loud whimper, the dragon collapsed for a moment again, and started to take forceful steps toward her Sex. Getting as deep as possible, by instinct. Zhai then started to thrust quickly and heavily into Irone, who was completely lost in the pleasure. Another few whimpers, and Irone could feel herself getting to that point as well. Looking at the dragon once again, she could see his ears go back, and his spines raised. For a moment, she was wondering if she was hurting him somehow, and then she felt a large blast of heat inside her. Followed by another pressurized one. And then another. The massive warmth caused her to squeeze Zhai's tool hard and climax herself. That squeeze caused the dragon to let out more and more torrents, and Irone could feel herself almost filling up, as the warmth traveled deeper inside her. Farther than Zhai could make it.

The pressure was getting almost too much, but then it started to spray out of her sex. Making a large wet mess at the lower end of her bed. With the dragon's thrusts going down, and the leaking coming to an end, Zhai collapsed on her once again, breathing heavily. She was as well, and for a few moments, enjoyed the blissful moment of the dragon on top of her. Her thoughts started to return, but no longer bad ones. They were reflecting on the amount of pleasure she just experienced. The excitement of it, and how well she enjoyed herself. It wasn't until this one moment that she completely understood what the dragon was talking about. What he wanted to 'change'. And what he didn't want her to miss out on. It was... Beautiful.

Chapter 10

"Irone! Time to wake up girl. We're leaving in an hour." Ingkelus' voice hollered from the door. Realizing that the red dragon was still sleeping on top of her, she was worried that he might make a sound.

"Alright, I'll meet you downstairs." She tried to say clearly. And she waited for Ingkelus' footsteps to fade. Once they did, she gave out a heavy sigh. The dragon groaned awake a few moments later, shifting his body on top of her. She couldn't help but laugh a bit at the fact he still had the blindfold on. "Morning Sire." She said, petting him.

He mumbled something she couldn't quite get. And after a few licks to his muzzle, he spoke again. "I've gotta wear one of these things to bed every night." And he laid back down on her.

"I'm surprised you didn't take it off." She studied it for a few moments, then took a deep breath. She reached around his head and untied the blindfold, letting it drop and seeing his amber eyes squint against the light. He blinked a few times and looked at her face, then a bit lower. Realizing that she was still nude, he shut his eyes and turned away. "It's okay, it's okay... I'm fine with it now." She brought his head back to hers. His amber eyes still shy about such a thing. "Thank you... Sire. For last night." And she kissed him between the nostrils. The dragon sighed quietly, and gave an almost guilty nod. "What's wrong?"

"I... Really shouldn't have pushed you that far. I-" And she laid a tight grip on his ear, causing him to whimper just a bit.

"Listen. From what you told me, dragons stop pushing others when they say No. All I kept saying last night was 'I Don't Know.' You are fine, and I'm really glad you shared that with me." She gave a soft smile.

"Then why are you hurting my ear?"

"Because you never really listen to me until I threaten this." She let go. "The experience was nice, and I enjoyed it. I'm... Hoping you did as well."

"...Yes. I just never... got that far with another species before."

Irone gave the red one a puzzled look. "What about that elf woman?"

"I only tongued her. At the time I was nearly sixty feet in length, from nose to tail, so I couldn't fit in her. She couldn't even wrap her hands around my shaft." It made the woman chuckle, and that made Zhai smile a bit.

"Alright, we should get up though. Off." And the dragon moved off the bed. Just now seeing how messy it really got last night. The red one was trying his best not to stare at her naked body, but he couldn't help it. "And I should really get cleaned. Wow... You really had quite a bit..."

The dragon rubbed the back of his neck. "It's Silverthorn's fault. He's been feeding me some herb that would help with Seed reproduction." Zhai sucked in a breath. "...Taath..."

"What is it?" Irone asked, taking a soft cloth and washing herself off. Though she never really knew what the word meant, Tong did tell her it was a draconic curse word, and that she's better off not knowing. (Was there something wrong with what we did? Perhaps the fact Sire cheated on his mate? But it was his idea...) Her thoughts began to wander.

"Silverthorn... Last night was supposed to be the night we gave our bodies a break and let them recover." He lowered his head, shaking it from side to side.

"Well, just tell him that I forced you into it, and if you like I can make it look like your ear's still hurting." Irone laughed quietly.

"I'll pass... Wait, you're... Okay with me mentioning this to him?" The red one asked, his ears still a bit purple.

The woman stopped to think about it for a moment. "I don't see any reason not to. He doesn't talk to anyone else of the group, does he?"

"Not really. And things like this isn't really a conversation starter."

"Then I don't see why not. It was his idea to begin with. Just don't tell the others. Any others for that matter." She said, getting dressed and ready for travel. "Someday, maybe we'll do it again." Irone smiled, and gave the dragon a hug. "Thank you."

"My pleasure." He couldn't say that without a smile on his face. "It's too bad we didn't have more time, I would've bathed you so you wouldn't have to."

"Oh please, you'd just make us all messy again."

"Guilty." Then she broke the hug, looking down at his genitals. "Is... Something wrong?"

"I just remembered, I never really got to see it..."

"Well, in that case, still have that cloth?" The dragon purred. As he walked over to the pail, once again he heated it. Got the cloth and handed it to her, while lying on the bed. "Come wash me quickly, and you'll get to."

She shook her head smiling at him. Then took a look at the door. "...Okay, but it has to be quick."

"It will be, no finishers." He said, just lying on his back and getting comfortable. "It's still warm here where you laid." And the woman began to take the warm cloth to the dragon's lower areas, chuckling at the overdramatic pleasure moans he was omitting. Soon enough, that sheath began to thicken, as she studied it.

The red orbs were basically what she expected. She's always seen them on the dragon, as if he didn't try to hide it. But they did look... bigger. After seeing them for the first time, she just tried to avoid eye contact with them. But really studying them now, they were quite leathery. Bigger than she thought, and still quite full.

After she was done playing with them, she moved to the protective sheath, just now getting that purple peak showing. She tried to stretch it out a bit, but it caused the dragon to whimper a bit. Instead, she just used the cloth to eventually get the shy tower to come out.

It felt so different that she could've imagined when it was inside her, and slowly, she began to wonder how it could've. It was so exotic looking, almost dangerous. But she knew it was soft and smooth, regardless of the threatening shape of the spines. Even touching them, she remembered how they felt inside her. It almost made her want to do it again. If only they were not on a time limit.

Last area was the ridges, which actually made Zhai gasp at the first soft touch of them. "Are they that sensitive?" She asked, studying them.

"Yes. Very... You can really make us climax very fast by working on those."

"Really? ...Just how fast?" A smile grew over her face, while she sat down on his tail. The dragon whimpered, mostly at the binding rather than the tail.

"Irone... Don't." The red one growled. But he was soon paralyzed by the stroking of her hands. Those massive waves of pleasure beginning to crash against him forced Zhai to stay on his back. He couldn't even hold up his head after a bit. "Wait, wait! Don't try to flatten them! Just softly stroke." And she eased her grip. The whimpers faded for the most part, and all that was left was a few moans and constant purring.

Still keeping in mind of the time, she began to stroke faster and faster. Making the dragon squirm in place and start to thrust. A few short whimpers and his ears went back. His breaths began to get really loud, to the point where Irone had to clamp his muzzle shut with her other arm. One more large whimper with a series of rapid breaths, and Zhai's chest began to stick out. His spines raised, and she could feel his tail trying to move with the rest of his squirming body. The dragon managed to get a paw out to her shoulder and push her back just in time for the first torrent to shoot out and hit the wall above the red one's head.

Irone let go of his muzzle and just worked the dragon through his orgasm. Streams of white took to the air and covered the wall with a large amount of pressure. After about 6 of them, the 7th landed on the dragon's face, and he licked it off. The woman made a face when he did, but the red one just laughed. He took a small bit of it on his finger and held it to her. "Try it." Again with the face. "It's alright, it doesn't taste bad."

She looked at him for a moment, and just took a small dab with her own finger. It was very warm, and she took a small breath. Setting it in her mouth, Irone got that sweet taste of cherries that came to quite a surprise. "It tastes like pastries that the Kingdom used to get. Cherry ones. How?"

The dragon just groaned a bit, with a large smile on his face. "I'm not sure, but did you really have to do that?"

"It's your fault. You best be careful what you tell me from now on. Now get cleaned, We leave in like 30 minutes." She teased him, throwing the cloth on his chest. He grumbled happily, and looked at the wall.

"I wonder what they're going to say about that."

"It doesn't matter, we'll be long gone before they can say anything to us." Irone smirked, as she gathered her things and left the room.

The red dragon took a deep sigh. "That was really hot." Khol said, somehow fitting in the room. "Can I do it next?"

Zhai's ears went back. ~"No! At least not right now. Tonight maybe..." He trailed off. ~"Providing I have anything left in there." The red one swallowed loudly.

"Trust me, you've got enough to satisfy me. But before I hold you do and quickly suck you dry again," Zhai whimpered. "you think she'll be mad to know that I was here the entire time last night?"

~"Maybe. Just in case, we better not say anything. Did you at least enjoy the show?" He asked cleaning himself.

"Oh yes. We need you to lay more females before you grow too much for them!" Khol said a little too eagerly. "I especially liked the part when you turned purple when she told you to mount her." He nudged the red one as he sighed.

~"You've got to stop giving people ideas."

"Oooo! Grinn's a big fella. I wonder if he could fit inside you?"

As Zhai got out of the bed, and went to the window, his spines flared and his ears went back. ~"NO!" He hissed under his breath. ~"Now I need to start traveling. If you empty me again, I'm going to be hungover the entire trip." A small whimper came from Khol. ~"But we can do it tonight, alright?" Khol's ears lowered and he gave him a sad look. The red one sighed, tossing his head. ~"And during the breaks, I suppose."

"Deal!" Khol gave his mate a lick. "I'm going to go talk to Grinn!" And Khol disappeared. Leaving Zhai to whimper very loudly to his very shocked self.

Once the group got together, they took Railley's lead. The weather was a bit cool in the morning, but it soon warmed up from the sun's light. After about 3 hours of travel, Tong suggested to take a break. The others were okay with carrying on, but they took the break anyway. Still feeling a bit hungover, Zhai looked at Tong rather worried. "Something wrong?" Khol nudged his mate.

~"Does... He look tired to you? Almost warn out?" The silver one could hear the concern in younger dragon's voice, and gave him a lick to comfort him.

"...Well, traveling for several years does have an impact on the bodies of mortals... And..."

~"Tong is getting pretty old to be traveling. He still has alot of fight left in him, but..." Zhai trailed off. A soft hand started to stroke his mane. Irone's hand.

"Talking to your special friend?" She said with a smile on her face. Until she seen the worry in those amber eyes. "What's wrong?"

The red one glanced over a Tong once again, resting on a rock and taking a drink from his waterskin. "I fear he might be getting too old for this." The dragon whispered. She could understand how he felt. Tong had been one of his oldest friends. The one who rescued the dragon from himself.

"You should talk to him." Both Khol and Irone said at the same time, causing the dragon to look at both directions for a moment. The young dragon sighed with his ears hanging low, and he gave a small nod.

Zhai moved up to his old friend and laid down. The half-orc smiled at him, and laid a heavy hand on the dragon's right shoulder. "You feeling okay?" Tong asked, and the dragon gave nod, then a deep sigh.

"Are... You?" Tong looked at him for a bit. "I know you don't like talking about this, but... How old are you?" The dragon's friend frowned.

"I'm 28, you know that." Zhai looked away. "Red, what's wrong?"

"...You said that every year for the past four years." And the two were quiet for a while. "Tong, how old are you really?"

The archer sighed. "...I'm 41." The dragon's ears went low again. "But I'm still in my prime. I'll be okay, Red. I can keep up."

"That's not what I'm worried about. I still trust your judgment and aim. But... Tong, other than help me, what have you done with your life?" Tong took a long look at his red friend, then really thought about it. "I'm just worried... That you might miss out in alot of things, all because you feel like you need to watch me... I don't like being a burden to you, or the others-"

"You're not, Red. You know that." That smile returned for a bit.

"Then why have you not tried to move on with your life?"

"I think it's mostly because this business with the Orcs lately. I feel like it's my responsibility."

"But it isn't. And I know you want to help out, but you shouldn't waste your entire life trying to put an end to this. Tong... How many people have you tried to win the affection of? How often to you just try to enjoy the solitary company of others? I've honestly never really seen you do anything else but talk to people." Again, a long silence. "I'm... Just worried that maybe you're missing out on alot of life trying to make sure I don't go off the rails again. I'm worried that you're too focused on this campaign to really enjoy what could be brought to you."

"You're not trying to seduce me, are you?" Tong jokingly said, turning the dragon's ears purple.

"N-no. But... If someone else comes along that really likes you... I don't want you to think twice about making a new life with them, okay? You don't have much more time left, and... It's rare to find love on a battlefield, or a traveling circus." Tong gave a smirk, and a confirming nod. The dragon leaned up against him, and the archer started rubbing his chin causing Zhai to purr a bit. "I don't say it enough, but... Thank you. For everything you've done for me Tong."

"Little Red, you're talking to me as if you're going away for a long time." Tong smiled at him. "We'll be fine, as long as we're together. No matter how many times we barely avoid death." He gave a sigh. "But I understand what you're saying. And if I ever do find that person, I will settle down. But until then, I'm not going to retire." Though he was heard, the dragon was still lost in the hypnotic jaw stroking. It just made Tong chuckle a bit.

"Everyone all set to leave again?" Railley called out. And the stroking stopped, allowing Zhai time to break out and focus once again. One last look at each other, and the two separated. The dragon returning to Irone, who just gave him another scratch on the chin, and the large silver dragon who just licked his ears. And they left once again.

The next day was quite ill for weather. It was dark, overcast, and looked like it was going to rain very soon by the time they got to the lake. A strange, synthetic silence befelled the area, and it felt like there's been no wildlife for the past mile the group walked. "This definitely feels strange, and I can sense something here... But where is it?" Zhai asked.

"It's a cloaking field, and a rather large one." The rogue said, digging through his backpack. "A few jobs ago, back in the thieves guild I was in, we came across a Hunger Gem, or Magic-Eater. When struck, it would send out a large invisible pulse that would nullify magics." Railley took out a small black box. "However, to use such a thing is a danger for the most part. Wizards eventually built a device that would concentrate the gem's power, and focus it into a beam of light. I'd advise standing behind me for the meantime, unless you want all your enhanced equipment to be drained of properties." The group took his warning, and when ready, he opened the cover of the box towards the lake. Although there was only a faint shimmer that was reflected from the lid of the box, the large cloaking field faded quickly, revealing a small castle built on the lake.

"...Well, that's unexpected." Ingkelus grunted sarcastically. The group took a few steps closer after the rogue withdrew the gem. The castle was using the lake as a Moat, and it's bridge was drawn up. "Back here again, are we?"

Tong chuckled at him. "But we should come up with a way to get across. It's too bad we don't have wings."

Everyone stared into space for a moment, and then looked at the Red Dragon. His neck curled to an S "What?" He said, almost backing up.

"Grinn, how far do you think you can throw him?" Ingkelus' idea made Zhai yelp a bit.

"You are not throwing me across a lake! I'll just-" His tail was suddenly gripped hard by two large hands, and he gave a louder yelp. With the others giving Grinn some room, he took a few steps swinging the young dragon by the tail. With a forceful throw, and a series of loud Taaths, Zhai was launched high into the air. He was given enough time to correct himself in midair and come to a glide to the castle wall. "WHY!?" The dragon hissed loudly at the others, hearing them laugh a bit. Grumbling something in draconic, he climbed his way up to where the chains held up the large bridge.

The links were massive, and could not easily be broken with force. However, the iron chains could still melt, and would be much softer when heated up. "I can help, if you like." Khol was barely keeping balance on the raised bridge. "If you heat it up, and I cool it suddenly, it should be enough to crack it. You might want to turn the collar on though."

"If I do that, I'll end up slipping. My grip right now isn't the greatest." The red one grunted in thought. "But I suppose it's a good way. I can withstand a bit of draining without the collar, just try not to make it too long." The silver one nodded, and Zhai began to heat up the chains.

When they turned a bright red, Khol used his breath weapon to freeze them quickly, and the iron cracked loudly, giving into the bridge's weight. Shattering it. The sudden act of the silver one caused Zhai to almost completely drain his stamina, and he fought to keep his grip. When he was somewhat rested enough, he flew to the other side of the chains, and they did the same thing. This time, Zhai couldn't hold on, and Khol ended up grabbing him as they rode with the downcoming bridge.

It slammed into the ground with a loud crash, and the shock of it hurt the paws of the red dragon. Getting up, he just shook it off. "Good job Red." Tong said, with the others running up to him.

"Do you think they heard us?" Railley asked sarcastically.

"I hope so." Ingkelus said, studying the entrance with a large smile on his face. Loud, heavy clinks could be heard from the entry way, as the large black doors opened. Several large people with full plate armor and double bladed axes started to march out. But there was something off about them.

Tong knotted an arrow, and took a headshot at the slow moving knight. It didn't even try to dodge, and the direct hit caused the helmet to almost come off, barely hanging by a few cloth fragments. The inside of the full plate mails were not vacant. "They're animated?" Irone asked.

"I guess we could call them Hollow Bodies." Ingkelus said, readying his large sword. "I wonder if they can scream."

A large thump behind them got the group's attention, as Grinn was finally withdrawing his only package from its heavy sack. "These spirits are trapped." He said calmly. "They do not rest well. We will free them. Destroy the thing that holds them here. Their Prison."

"The armors..." Irone said quietly. Grinn reached into his bag with his right arm, and pulled out a very large unit that covered his entire forearm. It was some sort of gauntlet, with a strange, short barrel at the end of the fist. He pulled a small lever on the side of it, and it sounded like it readied something within it.

"Formations everyone. If these things are animated, and Grinn is right, then they won't show any mercy. But we will, by breaking these chains. Be careful." The red dragon said, activating his collar. With one more deep breath "...The stage is set."

As usual, Ingkelus was the first to charge in. With Kristine on his right side, he bolted past the first few out of twelve sets of armor. On the one to the far north side of the bridge (The castle being at the east). As he got close, the Heavy took up its large two handed axe, and started for a swing. Ingkelus got a burst of speed from his charge and rammed it hard with his left shoulder armor, interrupting it. Spinning to his right, Ingkelus swung Kristine and went for a back slash coming down on the Heavy's right shoulder. The large sword created a large gash in the old metal plating, but remained functional. The berserk warrior then went in for a thrust, using his entire body in the attack and impaling the Heavy. Making it useless after ripping Kristine out.

Zhaiothe was next into the fray, going after the closest one to the rest of the group. Once again, the Heavy seemed to 'see' the opponent coming, and began to swing early. As the dragon came in range, he evaded the sideways swing coming to his left by ducking under it. Flowing with the movement, Zhai sidewinded and rose with a stunning kick to the waist of the armor. Following through, a heavy right backhand on the armor's back, making it lean forward a bit. The dragon than breathed some of his fire bile into his right paw, then slammed the enchanted strike into the breastbone of the chest. The connection to the solid surface caused the bile to explode, and shattering the breastplate of the Heavy. The rest of it fell to the bridge, limp.

Another Heavy came up to the red dragon and went for an overhead chop. Zhai put up his left wing as a shield and prepared to absorb the blow. While it was coming down, the head of the axe was suddenly cut off by a small projectile. The dragon knew of these, it was one of Tong's Wire Arrows. The weighted arrow itself would split after launch, and would have this very small, but very sharp wire between the two pieces. It was great for sundering at a range, but was very risky to use in friendly fire situations. The dragon had lost a few spines because of them before.

Up next were Railley, followed by Grinn and Irone. The knight took the south side, while the other two males went into the center. The rogue readied something within his sleeves, and when he got closer to the center, he teleported to it. Getting a few of the Heavys by surprise. Railley then shot out these thick wires with spearheads at the ends of them from both arms. Both wires went to their own targets, and bounded the weapons of the armors. Leaving them vulnerable for attack as long as the rogue could hold them. Grinn came into contact with one of the bound Heavys. With a large pivot punch, the massive Gauntlet wrecked the tied armor with a single swing. Railley's wire retreated back into his sleeve after its demise.

Irone engaged her first Heavy, parrying its first upward swing to the side and getting in her own upward swing with her longsword. It created a large scrape within the chestplate of the armor, but wasn't enough to stagger it much. It went in for another swing, which was yet again parried to Irone's right side this time. Getting her back into a defensive stance with her shield. She then bashed the Heavy hard with the small shield, leaving it opened for a heavy back kick that knocked it on its back. Irone finished it there with a harsh stab, and the Heavy ceased to move.

Another suit of armor came after Ingkelus, and took a heavy swing at him. Instead of trying to avoid the strike, he moved into it and clashed with the full blow. He pushed that one backward a few steps, and went after the remaining bound one that Railley had tied. Ingkelus chopped off the arm that was holding the axe, and rammed the armor with his shoulder. With the shove giving him enough room to build up some momentum, he took a large swing with the flat side of the greatsword. It connected with the armor with a loud crack, and sent it into pieces off the bridge. That same armor from before took another swing at the large male, cutting into the metal plates that covered his thick jacket. The cut was quite deep, but his magical items helped seal the wound quickly. He would still have to tend to it after.

Three arrows shot the Heavy that attacked Ingkelus. Tong was trying to watch over the battle from afar and keep everyone alive as much as he could. Another few arrows attacking the new target Zhai had picked to help him out as well. Those arrows opened an opportunity for the dragon to get in a hard body blow that exploded on impact. Followed by a straight that downed the armor. Five Heavys remained.

The next Heavy went after the rogue. Nearly got him in the head with the first sideways swing, and causing Railley to tumble out of the way. The armor then went for a second swing, but that was stopped just in time by Grinn's large gauntlet. The larger male held it in place, while the rogue escaped from the two. Railley then threw a dagger that took out the knee of that Heavy, ending the deadlock in Grinn's favor. A small jab with the large male's left hand, a hard backfist with the gauntlet, then leading to a forceful straight with the large weapon in Grinn's fist. Causing the breastplate to break apart.

Irone's next one was quite resistant against her. She fought rather well against it, until it nearly got her with an upward swing. She got her shield up in time, but it pushed her back, making her skid a bit across the bridge on her feet. The Heavy then went for a overhead chop, and just before it came down, another one of those wires from the rogue caught it. Seeing the opening, Irone got up and slammed into the armor very hard with her shield. Causing it to fly into pieces and shattering the chestplate.

The Heavy that was focused on Ingkelus took a swing at him again after being interrupted by Tong's shots. The heavy swordsman deflected the attack with Kristine, and moving with the parry, he came up with a large upward swing that gashed the armor hard, but didn't finish it. Still using the momentum of that last swing, Ingkelus went for a second one, causing him to almost loose his balance. However, the blow did cleave through the entire armor, and it was finished.

The last two Heavys were taken by pairs. Railley teleported behind one after throwing a dagger at its right elbow, maiming it. He then flipped for momentum and kicked the armor in the back, causing it to stagger forward and be caught by Grinn's uppercut. The large male actually held the Heavy on the gauntlet at first, raised it over his head, and then slammed the thing hard on the ground behind him. While still pinning it on the ground, Grinn pulled something in the large weapon, and a fiery explosion shot out of the end of the gauntlet. Breaking the armor apart and a bit of the bridge as well. He then pulled something on the metal glove that caused it to spit out a large, hollow shell.

Zhai and Irone took on the remaining Heavy, but the thing tried to swing at the dragon before he could strike. Irone moved in to parry the large axe, while the red one slipped around the armor's flank. The two proceeded to shield bash it back and forth several times consistently, before the dragon covered it's back with a spray of bile. Irone and Zhai then both slammed into it hard, making a small explosion on the red one's side, and wrecking the armor.

Zhai shook his wings a bit. As dense as they now were, it wasn't terribly comfortable to use them the way he does. At least this time there was no damage done to the membranes. While the group looked around to see if everyone was alright, they proceeded inside.

The castle was quite small with a very high ceiling. There were two hallways within the lobby. Khol took a deep breath and closed his eyes, while Zhaiothe waited for a response from him. "...The north one leads down to some type of prison, there's a few people there. The south leads to the fake Queen." Zhai nodded at his mate. After a while, Khol had gained some abilities of his own. One of the few was to see pieces of the future.

"There's a prison with some captives that way. Tong, take Irone and Railley down there to see if you can free them." They nodded, Irone a bit nervously knowing that Sire was going to battle without her protection. But it was no place to argue. Her defensive fighting style was the best for the two she was paired with. The three took off to the north passage.

"You two, come with me. We're going to find that Queen." And Zhai followed the silver dragon's lead. The hallway was unusually quiet. There was a constant humming that was within the walls. The design of the entire building was a bit off, and the dragons could feel some type of magical energy being carried through it. It was uncomforting, to the point they were raising their spines a bit.

Eventually, the four made it to the throne room. Where a large female orc that was still wearing the Queen's crown sat. "I should've known it was you." She said. "The Red King."

"Crimson King. And where is the real Queen?" The red one hissed.

The orc chuckled. "She's all around you, along with several hundred others. It took a long time, but we were finally able to get all the spirits that we needed."

"These walls Rest uneasy, Sire." Grinn exhaled deeply.

"How did you manage to get several hundred people?" Ingkelus asked. "Anything by that number would've been reported somehow."

"Who said they were from the kingdom? Honestly, the Drow will not be missed. Neither will several other pathetic species. Including Gnomes."

Zhai's spines started to raise again. "Is that what this is about? Genocide? Why would you take out the Gnomes?" The other three males looked at the red dragon for a moment in question. "...They made nice wines!" He hissed at them.

"It's about more than Genocide, once we clear these lands of everything else but elves and orcs, we can finally call down our God. Then, we will create a new species. A perfect species. One that will have the raw strength and durability of the Orc. And one that will have the agility, intelligence, and longevity of Elf-"

The red dragon's neck curled to an S "There already is a species like that!" Once again, everyone looked at him in question. "...Dragons!" He hissed again, tossing his head and thumping his tail on the floor.

"This new species will lay waste to all others. They will be Paragons, and the one true dominance of the world. From there, we shall take the heavens, and overthrow the Gods themselves!" She rose, grabbing a large staff at her side. "But I cannot let you interfere."

"Well, that's a relief. Because we weren't planning on letting you live to see this new age." Ingkelus got into a ready stance, as well as the other two.

"I wonder how much farther we have to go." Railley said nervously. The large, wide stairway was very dark, and they had a hard time to see with the dim lights of the torches. The darkness here was very odd, and seemed to consume the light.

"It shouldn't be too much farther now, the air is quite heavy. Not much could survive down here." Tong said, leading the way. "How on earth did they hide such a place on a lake?"

"It's probably in some sort of other dimension or something. You know how Wizards get. They tend to go a little crazy with the power they're given." Irone answered. "Hold up, what's that?" She rose into a defensive stance, as they approached a large metal gate.

"I think we're here." Tong said, placing the torch on a nearby handle. "It looks locked. Railley, can you pick this gate open?"

"Probably." And the rogue went to work on it. Several moments later, a large click was omitted from the gate, and Irone pushed it opened quietly.

As she entered, she spotted a few of those armors from before. Going into a defensive stance at first, then realized they were not moving. "I don't think they're enchanted yet."

"This is probably where they were bound. Just in case, we better be rid of them. Tong and I will search the cells." Within the prison walls were several bodies. Along with a lot of blood. Much more than the bodies themselves could hold. They seemed to be dragged and executed at a nearby altar. Then bound to the armors... Or worse.

"What on earth was this person planning?" Tong said, looking through the cells. His question was answered by a small moan of a nearby body. He bolted to it. "Hey! Hey! Are you alright?" He grabbed a hold of a human female, that seemed very lightheaded and dehydrated. Tong grabbed his waterskin and refreshed her. Though she was still unable to talk much. She was barely conscious. "I found one, let's get her out of here."

"I checked the others, there's no one else alive. There was no real wounds either, looks like they died of famine." Irone said quietly. "But let's get her out. Perhaps she knows something. I would like to check on Sire as well." Tong gave her a nod.

The fight was harsh on everyone. Magic users were never something the dragon enjoyed fighting. They were always unpredictable, throwing magical shields up to interrupt his attacks. However, the dragon did get away with taking a few direct flame based attacks and catching the Orc by surprise.

Eventually, Grinn's hidden explosion attack from his gauntlet staggered her. While Ingkelus charged her with a thrust, the Orc placed up another magic shield. Khol stepped in with his breath weapon, hardening the shield and freezing it quickly, enough for the swordsman's attack to break through it, barely though. It managed to stab her a bit, but when Zhai came from behind and kicked her forward, the large sword slipped in deeper. Causing the Orc to cough out blood.

Ingkelus started to twist the sword while the dragon clawed in-between her shoulderblades. Separating them, he sprayed his bile into her back, and Ingkelus ripped the sword upward through her. The body exploded into crystaled bloodshards that cut the three males like a bit of shrapnel. Not enough to completely do damage though.

The three took a breather, until the building started to hum louder and almost vibrate. "We should leave." Grinn said. And the others had no objections.

The group met up with each other at the lobby. "What's happening?" Irone asked the others.

"I think she pushed the self-destruct button." Ingkelus stated sarcastically. "This place is probably going to explode or something." Suddenly, one of the main gates started to quickly slide down. Zhai dove for it, catching it on his shoulders, and an aching pain shot through him.

The other gate farther out started to come down. "Grinn!" The dragon roared, and the large male slipped through, barely catching it. The two braced it enough to get everyone though.

"Zhai... Something's wrong." Khol said, looking toward that throne room.

~"What do you mean?" The red male grunted. The sharp pain on his weak shoulder was slowly giving in.

"There's something we're missing! She said she wanted to clear out the land. And this energy... it isn't failing. It's building up."

~"What are you saying?"

"Red! Come on!" Tong yelled, still holding the prisoner in his arms.

"I'm saying that this energy is feeding some kind of bomb... It's going to clear out everything if we just leave it!" Khol looked at him worried.

The dragon took a moment to breath, and he dropped the gate staying on the inside of the castle. "Sire!" Irone yelled.

"Go! There's some kind of magic bomb in here, I'm going to stop it!" They all looked at him with worry. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine! Get out of here! That's an Order!" And he turned to his mate. ~"Which way?"

The silver one looked at the rest of the group sadly, then to Zhai. "This way." And he took off to the south hall.

As they got to the large hallway, another path opened up that wasn't there before. Zhai tried to take that one at first "Stop!" Khol demanded, closing his eyes and trying to concentrate.

~"Which way then?" The red one asked. The silver one was lost in concentration, but with a saddened look on his face. "Khol!"

"Left! To the throne room. That path is a decoy." The silver one's heart ached from what he'd seen. Other than that gate, there was no way out for them. Not with the time they were given. Khol took lead once again.

When they went across the hall, the floor suddenly gave out. Zhai scrapped across the small platforms that were getting sucked in by some kind of vortex below, and he just barely missed the final one. Khol grabbed him by the paw, and the sudden contact started draining Zhai harshly. His stamina was depleting rapidly, until he turned the collar on. But the extra weight the collar brought was harder on the grip that held the two together. The red one dug his claws into the walls of the hall nearby and fought to get up. With a large tug from both sides, they barely did.

A small breath, and the two entered the throne room once again. In the center of it was a large gray orb of light that was being fed by the castle walls. Zhai looked at Khol worried, unsure of what to do. "Search over there for something that might help. I'll do what I can with arcane." The silver dragon ordered, and Zhai took off, trying to find anything.

As Khol stepped toward the light, he engaged with it, trying to find some way to defuse it. Eventually, the magic's overcame the silver dragon, and shot him backwards. Zhai called to him, and ran to his mate. "Khol! Are you alright?" Carefully looking at the body of his mate, it almost seemed... Iridescent.

"...I'm sorry, Zhai." Khol moaned, unable to move much. "I couldn't manage to stop it, but I lowered the blast radius. It won't take out the land..."

"It's alright. It's enough, let's get out of here."

"I've seen every possible path... We can't get out. Not before it detonates... I'm sorry." A tear came out of the silver one's blue eye.

"...It's alright." Zhai said with a sad smile, unable to hold back his own tears. "You saved alot of people. I'll be happy with that." And he embraced his mate. The bomb seemed to push out the color spectrum and change everything into shades of contrast. Even sound was replaced with a high pitched feedback. Unable to hear each other, Zhai looked at Khol one last time and lipped 'I Love You.' and Khol did an 'I Love You Too.'

Outside, the group made it about two hundred feet away from the bridge, until they could start to hear the feedback. "Get behind that rock!" Tong shouted, nearly being interrupted by the lack of sound. The group hid, while the large castle exploded. Leaving nothing left of it.

After a few minutes, the hearing of the group returned. They all stepped out to see the damage done, and it seemed like the explosion actually did take out some color of the land. But it was soon coming back. The lake was replaced by a large crater, and Irone gave a heavy sigh.

Tong was quiet with the group, until the woman he was holding woke up. "Wha... What happened?" She looked at the half orc with wondrous eyes, and he tried to return them with a sad smile.

"Our leader just saved us." He replied. Tong took a long look at the explosion zone, seeing no possible way for his draconic friend to survive. He sighed heavily, and turned to the others. "...I know what you're thinking, but we can't search for him all day. Especially when we have information that could help." The group nodded slowly. "We should get back as soon as possible." And after a break, they headed back.

Chapter ---

The faint sounds of chanting woke up the red dragon. He could feel something soft against his scales. Furs, both beneath him and covering him. Feeling unusually heavy and tired, he could still feel the buzzing of the collar pulsing through him. It's energy... He never turned it off.

Zhai's eyes flew opened when he remembered what happened. The bomb in the castle. What it did to Khol. And his eyes widened when he thought about his mate. Wondering if he was okay, the red one shot upward, only to collapse a step away. His energy was getting constantly drained, heavily at that. And the extra weight that the collar brought forced the dragon to stay put.

The red one was determined though. He began to crawl through the dark room, toward the chanting. He knew what this feeling was, but he couldn't place it. Not until he was closer to the door. It felt like when Khol was contacting with the world. How it drained his energy so. But that was a good sign, it meant his mate was still alive. Just somewhere, hopefully nearby.

But the dragon couldn't find him well like this. He would need the help of others, as much as he didn't want to admit it. Through the slightly opened doorway where the chanting came from, he could see people in brown robes in the dim torchlight. He tried to get their attention, but all that came out of his red muzzle was muffled moan between his exhausted breaths. The smell of incents filled the cold room, and it made it slightly harder for him to breathe.

Further and further, the young dragon fought to enter the room. Every step left him breathless and drained. Ready to pass out once again. When he got in sight range of the covered people, they stopped their chanting. He howled at them once again, but they paid little attention. As the robes sat up from the ground, they left the building, and left the large doors that poured the cold snowy air in closed.

With a defeated sigh, the dragon just caught his breath and laid in place. The incents burned brightly in the dark room. And eventually, the dragon could see the large smokey cloud they created. It seemed to form something, to the dragon's surprise. Something... Dragonkin.

"...You..." Zhaiothe exhaled. "You're a bastard... Everything I went to do... You were in my way... Everytime I did something... It was never to your standards... It was you who pushed me away... It was you who forced me to live my own life... Away from you and Zi... Everything I did there... Reminded me of you... Everything I did there... Reminded our parents... Our sister... Of what they lost..."

Anger rose in his heart, giving him a little more strength. "Why is it that you're always there? Why is it that I somehow still feel like you're better than me? Judging me? Comparing my life and deeds to your short lived life? The one that was taken just after I was hatched? Your death ruined me. It ruined our family. It corrupted the lands, and caused everyone to die in that horrible place! And even after all this time, I carry you on my shoulders, as a dead weight that our father threw on me. To be somehow better, somehow greater than you! How was I to live up to your heroic death? The other's expectations of you..."

"Yet here I still am." Zhai continued. "Still trying to convince myself that it wasn't my fault. Trying to say that none of it ever mattered to me, because we've never met... The truth is... You're an excuse of my own compulsions. You're just a reason why I kept pushing myself to somehow be better. Somehow show and impress you with what I've become. And what have I done? I..." The dragon coughed, dehydrated from the smokey air. "I can't be what you want me to be... I can't be You. I can only be..." And the doors behind the young dragon began to open. Letting the cold air through once again. The wind blew the smoke away, and the image of the dragon with it. As the younger red one turned around to look outside, he gasped.

The sounds of chanting woke up the silver dragon. His head ringing constantly as if it was hit by something blunt. He could feel something furry beneath him and slightly covering his back. As he looked around, he was in a large room with a doorway just big enough to fit through.

The silver dragon felt cold, and a bit weak. When he got up, Khol's body ached a bit as it felt heavy. As if he was somehow in the world once again. He'd gotten so used to be ethereal, that this felt so exotic to him. After a few deep breaths, and the silver dragon started to remember what happened in the castle. He panic'd for a moment, wondering what happened to Zhaiothe. But if he was here, then Zhai must be as well.

Shaking off the grogginess, Khol pushed his sore body forward, through the smaller doors he could barely get through. He entered a large room barely lit by torches, with the smell of thick incents burning. The room had several people in robes, that were praying on their knees. "Excuse me, can you see me?" Khol tried to ask them, but there was no reply from the people. "I'm looking for my mate, he's a red dragon. A bit smaller than me." And still no reply.

Khol frowned and sighed. As they stopped chanting, they got up and slowly left through a large pair of doors. The weather outside was cold and snowing hard. The silver one could barely see a few feet past it. As the doors closed, Khol walked toward them. He tried to open them, but he couldn't get them to budge. Even though every little action he seemed to take felt like it was pulling the weight of someone else. (It must be Zhai.) he thought. And the silver one laid down for a bit to rest. Slowly watching the room as the smokey could from the incents filled the air and began to take shape of something dragonkin.

Khol frowned once again, and sighed heavily. "...I missed you. I still do deep down. It's just something I thought I could part with, but I can't. I still love him, but... I wish you could see me now. See what I've been through, what I became. To know that your first real Child, and lover was still going. Still fighting for something, fighting for a dream that you've given me." A faint smile crept over his face. "But it's much harder than I thought. The world the Gods created is a terrible place. It's not the paradise that you showed me anymore. It feels like the other Gods have abandoned those who they've created. And the Children have given into their vices."

Khol lowered his head in a deep sigh. "Everywhere we go, everything we tried to do, it always ends up having to destroy something. Be it a country, an army, or even a threat." He looked up at the smokey dragon. "I know that if you still had control, you would've done something different. Everything... Would've been different. But you had to follow that dream... No, you had to follow Galore's..." And the silver one trailed off. "...It was his dream. And he used you for it." He sighed angrily. "...I know you don't want me to blame him. But I can't help but feel this is his fault. That he's the one behind all this. Why, I can't tell you. I haven't been able to get any information since I left there to be with Zhaiothe..."

"...Please don't hate him for what he's done to me. It was never his fault or intention. I love him, and I know if he had control, he would've never done this. I love you too, but no longer in the same way. That was given up to enter Lothranis..." Khol trailed off. "Lothranis... I often wonder if there's such a palace for Gods as well." Another sad smile. "I hope you're there, if so." And the doors creeped open behind the silver dragon. The smoke vanishing with the winds that followed. Khol protected himself from the harsh cold air. As he tried to focus on what was out the door, he got up and walked out a bit.

The snow was everwhite and very cold. Far colder than he expected it to be. He could make out the faint outlines of a few large buildings, and one large one across from the one Khol woke up in. As he walked toward it, he could see something small stagger toward him. His smile grew brightly, as he ran toward it.

And When The Lights Go Out, You'll Know That It's All Or It's Nothing