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"You've done all that you can for me. And that makes us more than friends," Esmeralda affirmed to those around her, smiling to them each in turn, "That makes us a family."

Lya's and Zachary's eyes remained locked on the Elder as she finished her speech, bright smiles fixated on their features. The pair actually appeared rather ridiculous, almost looking like they were mimicking each other's expressions and gestures, with their heads tilted slightly, tails swaying behind them simultaneously. The unintentionally given imitative performance was only broken when the male individual of the two opened his mouth to speak.

"That we are," He affirmed Esmeralda's words with his own, a wry smile twisting his lips a second later as he continued, "Probably the weirdest family on the face of the earth," Zachary laughed, clearly not displeased by his own statement, "But hey! Weird as it is, it's still a family. And an awesome one at that." Lya snorted in amusement, but nodded her head nevertheless.

Grinning wide, Basajaun reached over and nuzzled the Elder's face lovingly. "I guess it makes sense that we have an unconventional family," the dragon stated in amusement, "Not a single one of us is what could be called conventional by any stretch of the imagination."

Snowflake giggled at the drake's statement. "Normal is boring, anyways," the spirit stated matter-of-factly, Esmeralda nodding in agreement once Basajaun translated the familiar's words.

Clearing her throat, the owl stood, gesturing to the food she and the other females had caught. "Anyways, I think I'll start on making breakfast," she stated, stretching her limbs, "Not to cut this moment short, but I really can't sit still for too long, it seems. Fighting against something in your head constantly takes a lot of energy, but now that I don't have to do that, I have all this extra pep that I need to figure out what to do with!"

Zachary's ears perked up at the claim, his eyebrows lifting slightly while a hum of interest escaped his throat, a smirk following right behind the sound. "Oh, in that case," the leopard lay back on the grass, kicking his legs up in the air before resting one on the other and giving a loud sigh, "I'll leave the cooking for you. Wouldn't want to be in the way of your energy."

Done with his flawless reasoning as to why he needn't help with the preparation of the breakfast, Zachary closed his eyes, looking completely pleased with himself. Unfortunately for him, he could only savor the enjoyment of his self-proclaimed idleness for no more than a second, Lya's educational paw striking his body and ego alike. Instead of hitting him, however, she essayed with a new method.

Yipping immediately as soon as his mind registered the forceful pull on his sensitive tail, the previously perfectly content leopard practically jumped up from his lying position. Still sitting on the grass, Zachary whimpered overdramatically as he retrieved his barely prehensile limb from its cruel assaulter's grasp, holding it protectively against his chest.

Lya chuckled joyously at the pitiful display, shaking her head a little and grinning to the whining feline. "Get off the high horse, you big loafer." The ocelot teased affectionately, although there was unmistakable seriousness clinging to her voice, almost commanding in nature.

"I'm not even sitting on Basa..." Zachary huffed back his reply immediately, pouting as he gently stroked his tail, cooing silent, comforting words to the limb afterwards.

Groaning in exasperation, the ocelot stood from her place, a diverted expression apparent on her features despite her following words. "You're unbearable sometimes." Satisfied with the conclusion, Lya turned away from Zachary, who was still very much in an exaggerated aftershock from the experience.

Laughing at the display the felines provided, Esmeralda selected some key ingredients from the pile near the fire, as well as some hare and boar, and began preparing a meal. "Don't worry, Lya," the owl reassured the ocelot, "I think I'd like to finish this myself. Like I said; lots of extra energy needs to be burned off."

Snowflake reached over and nuzzled her mistress. "Maybe you could expend some of that on me," she suggested, glancing over to Basajaun, "I want to be back at Forest's size."

Once the spirit's words were translated, Esmeralda nodded smilingly, pointing a talon over to a clear section of camp and uttering her glacier creating spell. With the jump of a bright blue spark, a large hill of jagged ice grew up from the ground. Nuzzling her mistress' face again, Snowflake bounded over and into the glacier, disappearing into its surface.

Turning back to the food as her familiar reshaped herself, Esmeralda smiled widely. "So, what are our plans for today?" she asked casually, glancing over to Zachary, "I mean, Talib said he probably wasn't stopping by today, so it's just us. Got any ideas that we could take advantage of this opportunity with?"

With a grin spreading over his muzzle at the inquiry, the leopard dropped his formerly attacked tail on the ground, as if the unpleasant event hadn't even happened in the first place. "Definitely!" He stated enthusiastically, and contrasting his eager tone, instantly lay back down on the ground.

"We could do this," he closed his eyes and raised a paw, pointing a finger down at himself, mimicking as if he were sleeping before he swiftly rolled on his belly and repeated the action, "Or this. I'm fine with either." The laughing that followed was clearly audible, despite that it was muffled by the ground as Zachary lay on the grass.

Turning back to the leopard, Lya narrowed her eyes at the lazy sight, and with a wicked smile suddenly crossing her features, she began tiptoeing towards the unsuspecting Zachary. Her improvised stealth mission proved to be a complete success, as her silent arrival went completely unnoticed by her possible victim. She looked up at the other members of the group, gesturing with her head towards the leopard and giving the best "Should I?" look she could.

There were only grins and nods from the other party members, each careful to do so when Zachary wasn't looking at them.

With the permission granted to commence her punishing plan, Lya casually eased herself down on Zachary's back, blatantly ignoring the sudden muffled groans that followed the action.

The ocelot bore a careless expression as she sat on top of the currently grunting leopard, his head still buried in the grass. "Still fine with either?" She asked nonchalantly, not even caring to look down at Zachary, who struggled beneath her for a moment or so, before ultimately giving up and slowly relaxing all of his limbs. He remained unmoving afterwards.

After a few seconds and a still motionless leopard later, Lya felt a tinge of concern, sighing in minor disappointment. "Zach? Still alive?" The question was followed by a long silence, before a barely comprehensible answer came, Zachary's voice weak as he uttered the single word.

"Lungs."

Eyes widening in realization, the ocelot swiftly jumped up from her temporary sitting place almost instantly, her earlier expression long gone, replaced by worry. "Oh, crap, I forgot!" Lya said in near panic, kneeling down beside Zachary and pushing against him to quickly roll him onto his back, "Gods, Zach, I'm sorry!" She continued her distressed state, glancing down with a terrified look on her face at the leopard, who had his eyes closed, unresponsive to her apologetic words.

Feeling her heart filling with indescribable dread, Lya swiftly laid her head upon Zachary's unmoving chest, her breathing rapid, unlike his non-existent one. With a gasp leaving her lips, the ocelot wasted no time to do what she knew was the procedure in a situation like this.

In a single motion, she brought her head to the leopard's, immediately pressing her lips against his and exhaling strongly. About to repeat the life-saving action, she was stopped when the the previously unmoving lips of the leopard returned the kiss. Lya pulled back instantly, once again staring down at Zachary on the grass.

The sneaky bugger was grinning.

"Yeah, I'm still fine with either." He replied to her earlier question, only getting a sigh of utter relief as an answer from Lya as she collapsed on his chest, Zachary once more grunting lightly from the impact, yet still smiling widely while his paw moved up to rub her on her back.

"I hate you... I really do," the ocelot's quiet voice suddenly cut through the gentle massaging, another massive sigh following in its wake, "You scared me, you... little... ugh..." Lya shook her head and quieted herself, her upper body still lying on Zachary's chest, the leopard silently cuddling his snout against her head.

Basajaun's glaring head suddenly entered the leopard's field of view. "You shouldn't joke about that," he chided, this time actually managing to sound properly scolding, "You actually scared me, Zach."

Looking up at the dragon and his intense glower, the leopard's neck subconsciously retreated until his head was nearly touching his shoulders. "Sorry?" He apologized unsurely, his whole being retreating into submissiveness. Wide, fluttering eyes, lowered dish round ears, childishly innocent expression; everything was there in an instant, as if summoned by Basajaun's rebuking.

Basajaun could virtually feel his heart melting. "Don't do that!" he tried to scold the leopard again, and failing miserably to get the tone right, "Damn it, Zach, that's not fair! I'm supposed to be able to correct you!"

"Do what?" Zachary asked in the most blameless tone he could perform, mercilessly continuing to stare up at the dragon with his big brown eyes, his ears raising just a tiny bit from the sides of his head. As a final blow, the leopard unwillingly cocked his head slightly, the action forcing his marginally lowered ears to tilt downwards a little in the same direction.

"Argh!" the dragon groaned, turning away and closing his eyes tightly, "There, now your charms can't possibly affect me, you brat." Though the words might have been construed as harsh, the loving tone in which they were uttered banished that possibility.

Grinning widely when the reptile wasn't looking, Zachary heaved a pleased sigh and laid his head back on the grass, staring up at the blue sky. "And you're not drilling holes in my soul with your eyes anymore. So I'm completely fine with that." The leopard stated matter-of-factly, his tone filled with evident satisfaction for some reason.

"You shouldn't be." Lya's voice cut his enjoyment short, the ocelot raising her head from her chest, the look on her usually alluring face more reminiscent to Basajaun's earlier glaring one, "You... really scared me, Zach. I'm serious." She really wasn't joking, and once Zachary realized that, his smile faded away, replaced by guilty grimace. Unlike last time, it was honest.

"Okay, okay," Zachary held up his paws in defeat, his head falling to the ground once again, "I'm sorry. I just... took the opportunity, y'know." Despite the remorse he felt for his actions, that surely wasn't the case for the warmth which he still felt on his lips. For the kiss, it was definitely worth it. Although Lya seemed to disagree with that mentality.

Snorting loudly, the ocelot shook her head. "You do realize that you could have just asked for one, right?" The question sounded sincere, but Zachary couldn't believe what his ears were telling him. He craned his neck to peer down at Lya on his chest, his eyebrows raised.

"Really?" He asked in disbelief, blinking furiously when the feline laying on him nodded her head. "Oh," Zachary breathed, chuckling nervously, "In that case, co--"

"No," Lya cut him off before he could even begin, perfectly aware of the favor he was about to request, "Not after that scare. That's your punishment. Hopefully that will teach you not to do something as stupid as this ever again," suddenly standing up, and leaving an utterly disappointed Zachary on the ground, the ocelot gave a threateningly serious expression as she added, "Or I will. And you won't like that, I assure you." With that warning out of her way, the ocelot turned away and began walking towards Esmeralda.

Watching the currently more than terrifying Lya depart, the leopard once more lowered his ears to his head as he slowly sat up from the ground. "Man... how can she be so scary?" Zachary mused aloud, grimacing slightly and sighing, "I wish I could be half as scary as that sometimes."

Disregarding the leopard's words, Basajaun looked to Lya appreciatively. "Thanks," he said softly, smiling sheepishly, "It's hard scolding him myself." The dragon's words got a chuckle from Esmeralda, who looked to be nearly done with breakfast.

Zachary huffed disapprovingly and stood up. "Not like I needed that much scolding, sheesh," he murmured, lowering his voice even more as he added silently, "Can't even joke around with my own lungs." Although knowing perfectly well that both Basajaun and Lya had every right to be upset, the leopard couldn't help but feel mildly irritated. The existence of any kind of rebuking was still a novel concept to the young anthro.

Basajaun reached his head over and nuzzled Zachary's face gently. "Sorry, I don't want to berate you most of the time," he said honestly, an obviously regretful expression on his face, "But this particular subject is something I'd like to ask that you not joke about, son. Not like you just did, anyways. Alright?" It was the dragon's turn to give the most beseeching and adorable expression that he could, learning from the leopard's own technique of cocking his head, widening his eyes, and appearing utterly innocent.

Watching the reptile's acceptable performance for a moment, the leopard eventually heaved a sigh. "Alright," he relented, his ears still slightly lowered to his head from the leftover guilt he felt, yet a small smile on his muzzle, "That was a pretty stupid move, huh?"

"Yes." Lya replied flatly, apparently able to hear the pair's conversation despite the fact that she was standing right next to Esmeralda and watching her cook. Upon hearing that simple response, Zachary's entire body sunk in defeat, his tail hanging limp behind him while he hunched over a little.

The dragon nuzzled the leopard again. "I love you, son," he insisted quietly, having to resist the urge to give a lick along with the cuddling, "Gods you know how to make me feel guilty for even thinking of being mad at you." Snowflake shook her head at the drake's attempts to be more parental, though she smiled as she did so, her mistress echoing the actions.

Those heartfelt words and gentle gesture, which was returned by a stroke on the dragon's head, banished every last bit of leftover unpleasantness from Zachary's mind, leaving nothing but his usual joy with its relieving departure. Basajaun's love always calmed his heart with ease.

"I love you too." The leopard uttered the sentence for the umpteenth time, and with just as much sincerity as on the first occasion he did so.

With his earlier guilt long gone and a bright smile gracing his lips, Zachary moved his paws under the reptile's chin, scratching tenderly at the sensitive area with routine-like care and precision. "I didn't mean to scare anyone," he admitted with a whisper to Basajaun as his paws caressed the dragon's lower maw, "But I have to admit, it was definitely worth it." The leopard glanced at Lya afterwards, his smile widening despite the fact that his view of the ocelot was limited to her back at the moment.

The dragon grinned as well, giggling at the wonderful sensation of his son's caring scratching. He didn't quite register the feline's words, and Basajaun didn't want to comment on the ones he did comprehend, lest the leopard stop his tender action.

Padding over from the former location of a mound of ice, Snowflake nuzzled the drake and leopard as they enjoyed one another's company, making to move to Esmeralda. Before the spirit could offer to assist, however, the Elder announced, "Breakfast is ready."

The announcement of nourishment immediately urged Zachary to stop petting the dragon. Despite the enjoyment it brought to the young anthro, the demanding sensation in his stomach overpowered everything, leaving a famished leopard who wanted nothing more than to sate his hunger.

Not wasting a second, he withdrew his paws from Basajaun's head, practically bounding to Esmeralda in a blink of an eye. Zachary beamed at the owl, or more accurately, at the breakfast she had made with impatient anticipation. While the leopard failed to show even the slightest of courtesy, that being nearly drooling over the food, the other feline of the group had a different view on the matter.

Lya glanced at Zachary, her expression an odd mixture of exasperation and amusement, and gently closed his open mouth with her paw. "It's not going to run away." Although the statement was most likely the most obvious observation in the world, it seemed like the leopard actually had to be reminded of this crucial revelation. And it did work as well, his eagerness fading somewhat, yet still present.

Esmeralda chuckled, patting the leopard's head and ruffling his fur playfully. "Let me get you a bowl," she offered, pouring a serving of the stew for the feline, and moving on to do the same for the rest of the group after handing the first bowl to Zachary.

Taking the bowl offered to him, Basajaun nodded his head to the Elder gratefully. "Thank you for your work on this meal," he said politely, glancing over to Lya afterwards to make sure he had gotten his courtesy right.

As a reward, the dragon received a proud smile and a nod of approval from the ocelot, who took her own bowl when it was offered with just as much courtliness as the reptile. "Thank you, Esmeralda." She said appreciatively, but couldn't keep her smile for too long as a familiarly inconsiderate sound made its way in her ears.

Slurping his stew happily while he sat on the ground, Zachary only registered the ocelot's observing gaze on him when he lowered his bowl from his head, revealing the smudge on the tip of his snout with the action. It didn't take too much time for the leopard to figure out the reason behind the pair of eyes lingering on him.

"Sorry... I'm hungry," he apologized, his ears flat against his head as he looked up at Esmeralda, "And thanks. It tastes really good." Clearing his throat in mild nervousness, Zachary shot an uncertain glance at Lya. To his relief, the ocelot was smiling now, but it looked like there was a deeper meaning behind that smile than his sudden courteous words.

Handing Basajaun his spoon, Snowflake sat herself next to and leaned against the dragon while he started eating, little chimes of contentment emanating from the spirit as she nuzzled the dragon's side. Putting his wing around the dragoness, the drake snuggled her in return, the smile on his face inspired both by Esmeralda's cooking and the familiar's actions.

While the dragons cuddled each other in their steadily growing love, the Elder wandered over with a rag in her hand. "You're a mess," was all the warning the owl gave before starting to clean up the leopard.

At first surprised by the sudden cloth on his muzzle, Zachary was quick to show signs of evident protest against the cleaning, shoving the rag away along with Esmeralda's hand. "What are you doing? I don't wanna eat tatter for breakfast." He demanded with a slight frown, covering his snout with his paws protectively after setting his half-empty bowl down on the ground.

Lya rolled her eyes. "You got some stew on your nose, Zach," she informed the confused leopard flatly, getting a few blinks in response from the feline in question, "Esmeralda was only trying to get rid of it."

Still a little unconvinced, Zachary reluctantly eased his paws away from his muzzle, an abashed expression crossing his features when he noted the familiar substance in his palm. Yet, as he looked back up at the owl, he nonetheless maintained his usual self. "Still don't want to eat that, though. So... just give it to me, please?"

The owl nodded, sighing slightly. "Just trying to be motherly," she muttered quietly, handing the cloth to Zachary with a mildly embarrassed expression, "Maybe not the most appropriate parenting technique for a twenty year old, though."

"Maybe." The leopard replied with equal volume to his voice, quickly wiping the remaining bits of food from his snout. Looking at Esmeralda as he handed the rag back, Zachary gave a comforting smile to her and said. "But the gesture is appreciated. You just surprised me a little, is all."

"Oh, good," the owl sighed in relief, taking the cloth back, "I was worried I might have embarrassed you." Shaking her head, the Elder put an arm around Zachary's shoulders as she looked up into the sky. Slowly, a small smile came to her beak while she watched the clouds.

His smile widening at the gentle contact, the leopard slowly picked up his bowl from the ground and began eating once again. "You did," Zachary stated quietly between sipping his stew, yet his tone contradicted that statement with its usual happiness, "But I'm kinda getting used to it, y'know. It happens every day, after all." He chuckled at his own words.

Esmeralda hummed thoughtfully, seeming to be lost in thought. Looking over to the Elder from her spot near Basajaun, Snowflake sighed quietly. "I wonder what she's thinking about," the spirit mused, breaking her gaze after a moment and suddenly pressing her face into the drake's soft neck.

Feeling how much the familiar missed her mistress' thoughts, the dragon snuggled her against him a little more strongly, setting his finished breakfast aside. "Don't worry, you'll be able to share those thoughts again in no time," he assured her, rubbing his own head along the length of Snowflake's neck.

Tinkling softly, the spirit managed to keep her melancholy out of her tone, but to those bonded to her, it was obvious as the bright sun above. Despite the conclusion of still being a family, the dragoness clearly missed the bond she shared with Esmeralda.

As he continued his delicious breakfast, Zachary could clearly feel the familiar's distress, the sensation flooding his mind, swirling around stubbornly until it was acknowledged. He glanced at the spirit some distance away, a sympathetic expression crossing his features, his thoughts filled with similar feelings while his eyes lingered on Snowflake, knowing that it was the only thing he could do to provide any worthwhile comfort to her.

While his mind shared reassuring sensations through the bond with Snowflake, the leopard slowly finished up with his own portion of the breakfast, putting the bowl aside and leaning back on the grass. A content sigh left his lips as his gaze settled on the beautiful sky as well, and soon enough, Zachary looked just as lost in his thoughts as Esmeralda.

"Thank gods Talib's not coming today," he admitted, a small smile apparent on his face, despite Lya's quizzical expression she gave him after that statement, "Don't misunderstand me," shooting a glance to the ocelot, Zachary continued when he saw her features brightening at the clarification, "It's just... nice having a little pause with those check-ups. That's what I meant."

When those words left Zachary's mouth, Basajaun looked over to him with a cocked head. "That's right, Talib isn't here to check up on you," the dragon mused, before standing to his feet and moving over to the leopard, Snowflake quickly following after the dragon.

Arriving beside the felines, Basajaun nuzzled Zachary's shoulder. "I can give you your check up," he reminded the leopard, "Even if I can't do the healing just yet, I can still look over your lungs for anything that needs fixing." Pausing for a moment, the drake cuddled his head into the feline's shoulder again, "I know it's not what you like to do, but can you let me do this, for my peace of mind?"

The only thing the leopard could return as a reply was a grimace, his paw subconsciously resting on his chest as he looked up at Basajaun. "Is... is that going to hurt, too?" He asked quietly, his voice edged with fear.

The dragon shook his head. "No, I'm just going to be looking, don't worry," he affirmed, patting the leopard's shoulder, "So, could you lie down for a moment? I'm only going to check, just in case we need to get Talib or another healer for you."

Sighing in an odd mixture of relief and frustration, Zachary obeyed the request nonetheless. Although he did mumble something under his breath as he lay down on his back, his words lost to everyone but him, yet evidently ones of displeasure. With her own food gone, Lya turned to the lying leopard on the ground, for once interested to watch the process, given that it most likely wasn't going to be accompanied by his screams.

Laying down next to Zachary, Basajaun rested the side of his head on the leopard's chest gently. "Vita Visus," the dragon chanted, his eyes closing as his senses drifted into the feline's chest, listening to his breath and heartbeat, observing the wound in his lungs. Searching carefully for anything amiss, the drake spent long minutes in his position, and though the sight of the internal injury was one that filled him with an uncomfortable amount of protective parental instincts, the dragon was able to limit his reactions to a simple light crooning, like a gentle song for his son to listen to during his check-up.

While the sound of clear affection didn't go unnoticed by the leopard, he didn't comment on it, his eyes fixated on the sky and expression unreadable. "And," he began with an equally flat tone, "How's it? Still a cripple?" There was a slight amount of sarcasm that wormed its way in his voice as he asked the question, but barely noticeable, subdued and bottled up like all his hardship.

Observant as she was, Lya immediately noted that particular quality in Zachary's tone. She remained silent, yet couldn't help the empathetic grimace on her features which had appeared on his own.

The dragon visibly flinched at the word his friend used. "It looks as good as it did yesterday," he said hopefully, withdrawing from the leopard's chest after a moment and dismissing his spell, "You're good to be as lively as ever!"

Considering for a moment, the dragon smiled as he repositioned his head to face the leopard. Lowering his head, the drake put a gentle kiss on the leopard's nose, instead of the lick he would normally give. Though the action was somewhat awkward, as the reptile had never attempted it before, the affection communicated through it was clear, as well as being mercifully dry.

Being caught off-guard wouldn't have been the correct term to describe Zachary after the loving gesture. The leopard blinked fiercely, his eyes darting between the area he received the kiss and the dragon while his mouth hang wide open. At that ridiculous expression, as well as the scene in general, Lya began giggling lightly.

"Well," Zachary began after having fought himself out of his perplexed state, clearing his throat somewhat nervously, "That was... different. Uh... unique... I guess," he shook his head as he sat up from the ground, honestly admitting, "I don't know what that was," and while he looked at the dragon, he asked, "Why... did I get that?"

The dragon grinned. "That was supposed to be a kiss on the nose," he explained, patting the leopard's chest tenderly, "And you got it because your dad loves you very much. Do I need a reason to show that?"

"I suppose not," Zachary replied, sighing and shrugging, smiling wryly up to the drake afterwards, "Although I hope you can kiss better than that, otherwise I feel sorry for Snowflake." Not a couple of seconds after the check-up of his permanently damaged lungs, and already teasing. Impressive.

"Hey!" Basajaun whined, reaching up a paw and gently tweaking a whisker on the leopard's snout, though not hard enough to remove it, "Would you prefer I went back to the more slobbery sign of affection, you goof?"

Scrunching up his face at the gentle twisting, Zachary quickly retrieved his whisker from the assaulter's grasp, frowning slightly at the dragon. "I'd prefer if both you and Esmeralda could not pull on these," the feline indicated his whiskers on his muzzle, giving an expectant look to Basajaun as he crossed his arms under his chest, "They're sensitive. Really sensitive."

While not one to assist him often, Lya raised a paw and nodded at the statement. "I can confirm that," she affirmed, flashing a small smile to Zachary when he turned towards her, "One of my classmates did that to me a couple of times," the ocelot shivered lightly, as if recalling that particular memory brought physical pain as well, "It. Hurt."

The dragon's eyes widened. "Oh! I didn't know," he said immediately, nuzzling the leopard's snout apologetically, "I didn't mean to... I just was playing and... oh Gods, did I hurt you?" Basajaun's tone became more and more panicked and worried as he spoke.

Cocking an eyebrow at the reptile's sudden outburst, Zachary blinked a couple of times. "Uh... no?" he replied unsurely, shaking his head a little, "I mean, yeah, but it was nothing. Just unpleasant. Like a tug on your tail, but a little worse. Something like that..." Chuckling lightheartedly at his own odd comparison, the leopard smiled and put a paw on Basajaun's head, stroking the area reassuringly that he wasn't brutally harmed from a little twist on his whisker.

The drake's face brightened by a tiny amount. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, a paw reaching up to pet the feline's head gently, "I didn't know that those whiskers were so sensitive. I just saw what Esmeralda did and I thought it was playing." The dragon turned and glared at the owl in question, only to have his glower go completely unnoticed as the Elder continued staring up into the sky. It almost seemed like she had completely missed the events happening right next to her.

Zachary snorted loudly. "Basa, it's alright," he reassured him once again, his smile still present, "Just don't do it in the future, if possible. That's all I'm asking." Giving a last pat on the dragon's head, the leopard turned to Esmeralda as well, his smile widening into a grin.

"And you shouldn't teach Basa cruel things like that, Eszy," he chided the owl teasingly, "You know perfectly well how unpleasant it is if someone twists my whiskers."

"Hm, what?" the owl seemed to come out of a heavy train of thought, looking around for a bit, "What was that, Zach?"

Arching an eyebrow at the Elder's unusual inattention at first, Zachary's features slowly shifted to mild annoyance, feeling as if he had been robbed of the opportunity to tease someone. "Nevermind," he waved a paw, shaking his head a little, "You just keep daydreaming, mom."

Blinking for a moment, Esmeralda shook her head as though clearing it. "Sorry, I was enjoying the quiet," she explained. For a moment, Basajaun was confused, as the group had been far from quiet around her, until he realized she wasn't talking about physical quiet. Nodding in comprehension, the dragon extended a wing and stroked the owl's back affectionately, withholding his comments for now, lest he ruin the Elder's quiet.

At first baffled by the explanation as well, it didn't take long for Zachary to understand what Esmeralda meant. "Oh, I didn't mean to disturb you," he apologized sincerely, moderate remorse creeping in his tone, "I just... uh... wanted to ask you not to mess with my whiskers anymore. That's it." He requested, giving a smile to the Elder.

The owl nodded. "Sorry, won't do it again," she stated simply. It wasn't long until her attention was back on the sky again, as well as a small smile appearing on her face.

Withdrawing his wing after a moment, Basajaun leaned down to Zachary. "Do you think we should give her a moment?" he whispered questioningly, flicking his eyes to Esmeralda.

Zachary put a finger under his chin thoughtfully, considering for a moment. "Nah," he replied, and with his musings coming to an end, a grin spread across his muzzle, "She said she had a lot of spare energy. I just happen to have the best idea to help her with that." Shooting a glance at Lya for seemingly no reason whatsoever, which was registered by the ocelot with a confused expression, the leopard quickly redirected his gaze to the owl once again.

"Hey, mom," he called out with the same grin on his face, appearing quite eager suddenly, "Still hyperactive? Or did it all go away after the hunt?"

The owl looked down from the sky to the leopard. "I'm a bit better after the hunting and cooking," she answered, smiling to Zachary warmly, "Still have a lot of energy that I'm not sure what to do with, though. What did you have in mind?"

Grin widening until it took up the entirety of the lower parts of his face, Zachary gestured with his head to Lya, who could only pull her head back at the action. "How about you and Lya spar, huh?" he proposed enthusiastically, "You both beat me up like I'm nothing. Let's see how well you can beat up each other for once!"

"Hold on a second," the ocelot cut in the leopard's anticipation with the very clear intention of destroying it, a quizzical yet nervous look on her face as she spoke, "You kinda forgot to ask whether or not I'm up for this whole thing, haven't you?" Zachary didn't waste a single second to correct his earlier mistake.

"Wanna beat up birdy?" He asked from Lya with the same, hilariously excited air about him, cocking his head, as if the adorable action would help him in any way.

Lya blinked. "I... I don't want to beat Esmeralda up," she stated honestly, her gaze falling on the owl in question, "Not like I could, even if I wanted to. But... I don't know. Is that something that would help you in any way, Elder Eszes?"

The Elder stood and stretched, flashing a grin to Lya. "You did say that you'd help me exercise before," the owl reminded her, "Besides, you spar with Zachary already. What's so different about sparring with me, hm?"

Heaving a relenting sigh and standing as well, the ocelot quickly returned to her normal self after having mind up her mind about the situation. "Well, you're most likely not bad, unlike him."

"Hey!" Zachary whined, amazingly managing to glare and laugh at the same time. "It's... it's in progress. I'm trying, alright?"

Lya could only chuckle and nod at those words. "I know you are, dummy." She said reassuringly, before she began stretching in preparation as well.

While the pair of anthros prepared to spar, Basajaun retrieved his biomancy tome once again, taking the opportunity to learn a bit during the downtime. Taking her usual spot by the drake, Snowflake watched as Lya and Esmeralda moved to a free space in the clearing, leaning against the dragon while she observed the owl and ocelot, Zachary doing the same in silent anticipation.

"Alright," the Elder began as she finished her stretches, flipping her cane up and putting her free hand behind her back while facing her side to Lya, "Let's see what you've got, young lady."

"In a moment." Lya said, walking past Esmeralda with relaxed steps. Once arriving at the edge of the clearing, the ocelot quickly retrieved a branch for herself she thought would suffice, and with her new weapon in her hand, made her way back to the owl.

Rolling her left shoulder around and grinning when the joints inside popped satisfyingly at the circular motions, Lya took her position as well, her wooden "sword" gripped seemingly loosely in her left paw. "Elderly first." She invited, her stance radiating sheer confidence, her earlier reluctance all but vanished.

Grinning eagerly, Esmeralda made a startlingly quick advance, at least it was surprising to Zachary and Basajaun, followed by a quick thrust towards Lya's left arm. While caught off-guard by the owl's swiftness as well, the ocelot nonetheless raised her branch in the last second, her weapon colliding with the Elder's cane before it could reach its destination.

The successful parrying was followed by a slight retreat from Lya afterwards, her body dancing away in a blink of an eye to a safe distance. "Almost." Was all the ocelot could say with a wide grin, her mood evidently having changed to enjoyment already. Not waiting for an answer on her remark, however, it was her turn to attack.

Unlike her opponent's, Lya's advance appeared much more forceful, rather than graceful. In a single motion that emitted experience and confidence, the ocelot swung her branch sideways, aiming straight at the Elder's back instead of her front. Head turned to track her opponent, twisted to a degree that would be uncomfortable to anyone who wasn't avian, Esmeralda saw the blow coming and promptly ducked instead of attempting a parry, her free hand coming up to pinch the ocelot's side ticklishly.

Slightly losing her balance from the unexpected dodge, Lya nonetheless straightened herself before she could topple over, and with unmatchable swiftness, grabbed Esmeralda's tickling talon before she could pull away. At the same time, while the Elder was still in a crouching position, the ocelot swept the owl off of her feet with her left leg, the paw holding her opponent's hand assisting the motion with a slight twist on the limb, while the other holding her weapon hovered over Esmeralda's chest.

Eyes widening in surprise, the Elder landed with a thump on her rear, the impact mussing up her tail feathers. "Well, looks like you've got a bit of talent!" she said, a smile appearing on her beak, "Seems this round goes to you."

"I got lucky." Lya stated humbly, smiling down to the Elder as well, before she helped her up by pulling on the hand she was still holding.

"Holy..." Zachary's weak voice came from some distance away, forcing the ocelot to turn in the direction of the sound curiously. The leopard's face displayed a single emotion; he was thoroughly impressed, simply staring at Lya, who appeared even more beautiful and alluring after what he had just witnessed.

Esmeralda looked over to the leopard after his succinct remark. "You like seeing your mother knocked to her butt?" the owl asked mockingly, cocking an eyebrow, "What a supportive son I have."

"It's not that," Zachary said quietly, still not quite out of his initial reaction, "I'm just... wow. I know you were holding yourself back when we were sparring, Lya, but I honestly didn't expect..." the leopard gestured at her, a grin crossing his muzzle, "That! That was awesome!"

Smiling warmly at the compliment, the ocelot took a few steps away from the Elder, her eyes yet to leave the praising feline. "Thanks, but as I said, I just got lucky there." Getting a vehement shake of Zachary's head in reply to that statement, Lya sighed and rolled eyes as she turned back to Esmeralda and took her position once again.

Resuming her position, the Elder and Lya returned to their sparring. Both seemed to enjoy the activity greatly, though as time went on, it was clear that Lya held the majority of wins. Despite this, the owl did come away with victorious rounds, and never seemed to take her losses poorly. If anything, her lost rounds only served to spur her on to a greater extent than those she won.

Still, it was only an hour later when the owl finally started panting from her efforts. "Okay, I think... I've burned off... that excess vigor, now," she breathed heavily, simply flopping down to the ground as she puffed tiredly, "Whew, you're damn good!"

With her breathing quite rapid as well, Lya lowered her branch upon noticing Esmeralda's state. Although the hour-long training did indeed affect her endurance, the ocelot didn't appear nearly as exhausted as her former opponent.

"Thank you, Elder Eszes," she said sincerely, walking to the Elder and sitting down next to her on the ground, "I can only say the same about you. Your technique is very unique and unexpected, and I have to admit that it did catch me by surprise a lot of times!"

The owl grinned to the ocelot through her panting. "We have to do this again," she insisted vehemently, pointing at her own huffing chest, "I'm a little out of shape, as you can see, so I think this would be very good for me as a regular event."

Lya nodded her head smilingly. "I'd like that, too. It's going to be nice fighting with someone who actually knows what they're doing." The ocelot chuckled, not needing to explain herself who she meant by that statement.

The subject of her teasing sat next to the two dragons with a clearly impressed look on his face, the expression having frozen on his features while he watched the sparring between his mother and potential partner. Although as he remained in silent thoughtfulness, his features quickly shifted to mild fear.

"Great," Zachary began quietly, his gaze falling on the ground, "I'm even more scared of her, now that I saw what she can do. I mean..." shaking his head as if not believing the recent events, the leopard snorted in disbelief, "She just beat Eszy fair and square. And I thought she was terrifying in close combat before!"

"Mistress is a better mage than she is a fighter," Snowflake explained, though her expression was also one of respect towards the ocelot, "But Huntress looks like she really knows her way around a fight. Maybe you should think of teasing her a bit less, huh?"

Zachary's face broke into a slight grimace. "Maybe... maybe I really should," he agreed somewhat quietly, his eyes settling on Lya as he continued, "Now I know where her dominance comes from. And she has every reason to appear that way. I haven't seen anyone so fast with her movements and strikes ever before."

While the statement filled his heart with respect for the ocelot and definitely a whole lot of fear, as he watched her from a distance, saw the warm smile that graced her lips and heard the softness which her laughter carried, the leopard couldn't help but disregard those unpleasant sensations, welcoming the familiar affection he felt towards Lya with open arms once again. She might have appeared terrifying when it came to fighting, but that certainly wasn't the case when she was with him in a normal situation.

Basajaun, who had been reading his tome for the duration of the martial practice, finally reached the end of his newest spell's instructions. Closing his tome, the dragon blinked his sore eyes, which had been unwittingly held open for much longer than usual. Shaking his head, the drake looked over to the pair of worn-out anthros, smiling warmly as he did so.

"So, how well did Lya do against Esmeralda?" he asked curiously, his attention having been focused on his learning.

Looking to the dragon with a cocked eyebrow, Zachary snorted loudly as he blinked at his companion. "Where have you been up until now?" he asked teasingly, rolling his eyes at Basajaun, before proceeding to reply properly nonetheless. "Lya beat Eszy overall. Birdy had some wins too, but," the leopard glanced at Lya once again, an oddly proud smile touching the corners of his mouth, "Lya practically trounced her."

Blinking in surprise, the dragon looked over to the feline and avian. "Really?" he muttered in disbelief, "I was focused on my reading, so I guess I missed it." Snowflake giggled and nuzzled the dragon, letting him know he was silly through their bond and getting a bashful grin in response.

"Really." Zachary affirmed, his eyes still fixed on the ocelot, his expression still one of evident fondness. It was clear as the blue sky above their heads that the leopard was still very much in love with Lya, but as if not satisfied enough with the obviousness of that feeling towards her, he continued talking, his tone just as affectionate as his gestures.

"I can't believe how lucky I am," he snorted loudly, his smile widening into a grin, "As if it weren't enough that she was beautiful, smart and kind, now it turns out she's a bloody master of close combat as well," sighing happily after his sudden and uncalled description of Lya, Zachary rested his head on his paws, his arms holding it up supportively as they themselves sat on his elbows, "She's just... amazing."

The dragons chuckled at their lovestruck companion, Basajaun nuzzling him affectionately. "That she is," he affirmed, patting the leopard's head, "Nice catch there, son."

"Yeah." Zachary agreed quietly, his eyes fixated on the conversing pair some distance away, or more accurately, on the feline of the two. He kept up his distant admiration of Lya for some time, before he turned to Basajaun, the goofy smile adorning his muzzle refusing to leave his features.

"And, what have you been reading, lizard?" The leopard inquired in his usual tone, cocking his head slightly at Basajaun. "More dull biomancy?" Evidently, this particular school of magic wasn't Zachary's favorite.

"I wouldn't call it dull," the dragon insisted, "And yes, I've been studying more biomancy. I just finished learning my first highly advanced spell, thank you very much for asking. Would you like to see it?" Though his son wasn't too interested in biomancy, Basajaun was obviously enthusiastic about it.

The leopard shrugged casually. "Sure, lemme see what you can do." He said. Now that his father was concerned, Zachary did appear more eager than just a second ago, a curious look on his face as he watched Basajaun with mild excitement.

Nuzzling Snowflake to get her attention, the spirit nodded and picked herself up off of Basajaun, giving him room for his spell. "Alright," the dragon muttered, taking several deep breaths in preparation for the spell, concentrating hard and keeping every instruction in mind. Once he was sure that he had all the steps clear and focused, the dragon incanted, "Sta in Gradu."

There was a brief moment when it looked like the dragon's spell had failed. Before anyone could comment, though, Basajaun's back started popping audibly, as though from stretching in the morning. His mind concentrating totally on his magic, the dragon disregarded the mildly alarming sound, feeling as the spell realigned his spine to bear weight differently. Thankfully, the spell numbed any sort of pain from the process, though eventually the dragon started feeling slightly uncomfortable in his quadrupedal position.

The reason became clear after a moment, with the drake's rear legs becoming proportionally longer than his forelimbs, and the reptile eventually sat on his rear as the spell went about the transformation. All the while, Basajaun felt like the world was growing, though it was soon evident that this was not the case; the dragon was shrinking visibly.

The next thing the drake noticed was his forepaws. The digits were growing longer and more dexterous, with his thumb becoming more prehensile as well. Each change was associated with more rounds of popping joints, like a crowd cracking their knuckles in unison. The sound was singularly unpleasant to the dragon, though he kept his concentration on his transmutation.

Zachary could only watch the process with eyes nearly popping out of their sockets, his expression varying between fascination and sympathetic grimaces when he heard Basajaun's joints popping loudly. He held his mouth shut, robbed of his speech from the surprise he felt as he witnessed the scene.

Lya, although mildly distracted by her conversation with Esmeralda, couldn't help but glance in the direction the odd sounds came from, and immediately mimic the leopard's expression, although to an even higher degree, with Esmeralda imitating the facial gesture soon afterwards. She blinked vehemently, as if not believing what her eyes were telling her. But it was reality. It was happening right in front of her, no matter how unexpected or unbelieveable it was.

Basajaun was transforming into an anthro right before her eyes.

The process took several long minutes, but eventually the dragon was finished with his metamorphosis. Panting with the effort of casting his most advanced spell yet, the drake looked himself over, feeling incredibly small despite remaining quite tall for an anthro.

Basajaun grinned once he saw his new form, pure joy spelled on his face. "I... I look like an anthro," he stated the incredibly obvious, a tone of near-euphoria in his voice, "It worked! It really worked!"

"Holy..." Zachary breathed silently as he stared on the novel creature sitting on the ground, who was just as tall as the leopard himself despite his standing position. Swallowing the lump of utter bewilderment in his throat, the feline slowly took a few steps towards the anthropomorphized Basajaun, a peculiar grimace on his face.

"This is so... weird. Gods, this is..." He shook his head, the words dying in his throat as they became unable to express his emotions. While Zachary reluctantly observed the changes on the dragon's body, Lya sat on the grass in complete silence, her eyes widened to the point where they couldn't get any bigger from surprise.

Trying to get to all fours, Basajaun immediately ran into the problem of his body not being meant for that anymore. "Um, how do I...?" the dragon began, looking up to Zachary pleadingly, "How do I stand?"

While the drake attempted to perform an action which was completely natural to Zachary himself, the leopard tried his hardest to overcome his initial reaction to seeing his father change completely. While the dragon still bore his species' prominent features, the difference between his body just a moment ago and the new one was massive.

It actually took Zachary nearly a minute to process the alteration, but even when he appeared ready to accept it, there was still evident surprise displayed on his features. "I... uh... you just..." he stammered, shaking his head a little to regain his composure before heaving a long sigh.

"Here, I'll help you." The leopard offered his paw to the sitting Basajaun, a hint of a smile crossing his muzzle as he did so. While completely perplexed, his willingness to assist his friend overpowered every other sensation.

The dragon smiled, taking the leopard's paw gratefully. "Thanks," he said, pulling lightly on the feline. Unfortunately, the weight that the dragon had retained through his transformation was enough to pull Zachary down instead of Basajaun up.

Landing on top of the dragon, the leopard let out a loud yip as he contacted the drake's chest, spreading out on top of the reptile with his limbs pointing towards four different directions. "Ouch..." Zachary groaned quietly, letting loose a single cough afterwards and grimacing in the process. Falling on one's chest when one had weak lungs certainly wasn't a pleasant experience.

"Sorry!" Basajaun quickly apologized, nuzzling the leopard gingerly and worriedly asking, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah..." Zachary replied as fast as he could, and after a while of well-deserved rest in silence, he attempted to stand up. As soon as he made to move his upper body, however, the leopard let out a quiet hiss, the injured muscles hidden deep beneath his chest protesting vehemently at the action. The pain wasn't unbearable, but it was certainly unpleasant, forcing the feline to slowly ease himself off of Basajaun and simply roll down sideways, landing with his back against on the ground.

He breathed shallowly, a slight grimace on his face, a paw planted tightly on his chest. "I'm... okay." Zachary tried reassuring everyone present, and also himself, lest he worsen his situation by beginning to worry too much. Although succeeding with himself, that wasn't the case with the other feline of the group.

No matter how surprised she was to have witnessed the transformation first hand, Lya nonetheless snapped out of her bewitched mentality immediately upon noticing Zachary's state. Standing up and moving to him with quickened steps, the ocelot knelt beside the leopard, a worried expression on her face, yet absolutely ready to offer her assistance if it was requested.

Basajaun turned himself to face the leopard as well, with Snowflake and Esmeralda moving quickly to join Lya. "Are you sure?" the dragon checked, not wanting to irritate the leopard, but also wanting to ensure his health wasn't in any danger, "I can check it out and make sure, if you need it."

Zachary slowly nodded his head, his eyes yet to open since the minor accident. "Just... a moment. It's gonna go away in a moment." He stated weakly, desperately hoping that his words would indeed be true.

Watching the leopard carefully regardless of his reassuring words, Lya couldn't help but shoot a glance at Basajaun, the expression on her face enough to convey that she was actually halfheartedly scolding the dragon for his clumsiness. She even disregarded the fact that she was looking at a completely different reptile, her concern for Zachary stronger than surprise.

Catching Lya's glower, Basajaun ducked his neck abashedly. "I... I didn't... can you blame me for being uncoordinated?" he managed to ask, gesturing at himself, before staring at the hands he had done so with, "This is... really weird!"

Snowflake repositioned herself behind Basajaun, nuzzling his shoulder. "I can help you up, instead," she offered.

As Basajaun turned to the familiar voice, the dragon flinched at the sight. "Gods, you're huge!" he exclaimed with an almost fearful tone, looking at the anthros present, "Is that what I look like to you? How do I not scare the wits out of you?"

While Zachary didn't even register the dragon's inquiry through his slow and gradual recovery, Lya suppressed her glare at the reptile. "No, of course not," she began, her tone full of irony and mock, "That's why I stared at you with wide eyes and mouth open for a good five minutes after we first met. And that's why I requested we take things slowly so I can adjust."

The dragon grimaced, before a small smile alighted his expression. "Wow, you..." he breathed, his smile widening, "You all became my friends... even though I look that frightening." The smile soon became a grin as he beamed to the group, "Thank you! I had no idea... just, thank you."

Cocking an eyebrow at Basajaun's sudden urge to show his gratitude, Lya couldn't help but smile back afterwards, both her surprise from the dragon's transformation and mild frustration from his earlier blunder disappearing. "You should be thanking yourself for being... yourself, basically." The ocelot explained unsurely, unknowingly quoting Xergon's earlier words to the reptile.

"If it wasn't for your personality," Lya continued, her tone undoubtedly sincere, "I don't think we would have become friends so smoothly. It's hard to be scared of you after a while, especially when you handle Zach so gently and carefully around you. Although..." the ocelot glanced down at the feline in question, who still looked like he was in a mild pain, his grimace still present, his paw yet to cease its grasp on his chest, "I'm quite sure dummy doesn't agree with that statement that much at the moment." Upon hearing his name, the leopard slowly opened his eyes, and completely contradicting Lya's words, offered a small smile to Basajaun.

The dragon immediately nuzzled the leopard's face again. "Sorry, I really didn't mean it," he apologized profusely, guilt dripping from his voice, "Can I make it up to you? I mean, I should have known I was too big, still. I just... I didn't think it through."

Zachary shook his head. "Nah... you're fine. It's alright, Basa." He said reassuringly, attempting to finally leave his horizontal position. While the painful burn in his chest didn't dissipate completely, the pain's intensity certainly decreased by a massive degree, allowing him to slowly sit up. He heaved a relieved sigh.

Looking over to Basajaun while his paw gently massaged his chest, the leopard smiled, the heartfelt gesture all but destroying the possibility of him being even remotely upset at the reptile. "It was an accident. Those happen from time to time. And don't worry, I'm fine now."

Basajaun sighed in relief right after his friend. "Okay. As long as you're alright," he said, a hand reaching over to pat the leopard's shoulder comfortingly. After a moment, the dragon looked down at himself again. The same smile as earlier soon appeared, and he looked up to Lya. "Do I look less intimidating now?" he asked, cocking his head curiously.

Considering for a moment, the ocelot pursed her lips, an emotionless expression on her face as she asked in turn. "Honestly?"

Hesitating for a moment, the dragon eventually nodded. "Please, I have to know," he pleaded, searching the ocelot's face.

"You look really, really weird," Lya replied fairly and flatly, shrugging as she continued, "But that's probably because we're not used to it. I can't really say whether or not you look less intimidating, since you don't really scare me anymore even in your normal form. But... I'm quite sure the reduced size and more friendly features make you a lot less intimidating for people who see you for the first time."

The dragon's expression brightened immensely. If it had been a light, one could have gone blind from looking at the drake's beaming face at that moment. "That's... perfect," he sighed.

After a moment of quiet, the dragon gestured to Snowflake, the spirit nodding and offering a wing to Basajaun. Taking the wing in his hands, the drake steadily made it to his feet, revealing his eight foot height to the rest of the group. "Okay, still pretty big," Esmeralda observed with an amused tone.

The dragon gave a nod, making to let go of Snowflake's wing and almost immediately beginning to lose his balance. "Um, do any of you have any tips for standing on two feet?" he asked, looking to the anthros for guidance.

Pain completely departed from his chest, Zachary was the first to jump to his feet, as if the accident he had just suffered didn't even happen in the first place. "Like this!" The leopard stated with a proud smile, gesturing at his legs and his effortless standing position. Truly helpful advice.

Lya visibly breathed with exasperation from his action. "Ignore the dummy." She instructed the dragon, getting a quiet whimper from Zachary, which she disregarded completely as she made to stand as well. Determined to offer actual assistance to the reptile in need of it, the ocelot took her time observing his posture, her expression one of thoughtfulness as her eyes sought for the problem. After only a moment, she snapped her fingers, apparently having found the nail in the cog.

"You still have your wings and tail," Lya stated the obvious, but before anyone could react, she pushed on, "Those can throw you off balance pretty easily. Try tightening your wings close to your body," she suggested, quickly adding, "And use your tail to counterweight your... you know." The ocelot shot a glance at the dragon's middle, making further clarifications unnecessary.

Basajaun did as he was told, tucking his wings tightly against his back, while his tail lifted and extended slightly. Slowly letting go of Snowflake's limb, Basajaun managed to stay somewhat upright, though his wings made him stoop forward slightly. "Um, Esmeralda?" the dragon began, looking to the owl, "You don't happen to have a spare cane, do you? Just so I can learn without falling on my face."

The Elder nodded, moving to the bags while Snowflake nuzzled the drake's face. "You're doing great, Forest," she assured the dragon, getting a nuzzle in return.

Smiling appreciatively, Basajaun carefully twisted his neck to look himself over. "Still have wings," he mused, before looking to the leopard and ocelot, "I still look a lot like a dragon, don't I?"

The felines snorted in unison, both immensely amused by that particular question. "Uh... yes?" Zachary replied unsurely, a wide grin on his face as he shook his head and asked curiously, "Why?"

The reptile's face fell. "Oh," he sighed, looking out in the direction of the city. "I was hoping that I could..." sighing heavily, Basajaun shook his head, "I guess that's not going to happen."

Snowflake patted the drake's head. "Hey, you just need to cover up your wings," the spirit pointed out, before pointing to the spines and horns along the dragon's back and head, "And maybe those, too. But don't give up, Forest. You just need a bit of a disguise if you want to go to the city."

Zachary visibly flinched at the last word. "W...what?" He blinked in disbelief, his head slowly turning to face Basajaun. His initial surprised expression faded away in a blink of an eye, replaced by worry and mild anger.

"Are you serious?" the leopard took a few steps towards the dragon, glaring up at him intently, "Do you realize how dangerous that is, Basa?!" Zachary demanded rather loudly, for once looking legitimately upset by Basajaun's ignorance.

He stared deeply into his father's eyes as he stood in front of him, and although not even reaching the reptile's shoulder with his own short height, the leopard suddenly appeared a lot bigger and uncharacteristically serious, a sudden change in behavior even Lya could only blink at.

Keeping up his glower for some time, Zachary's gaze fell on the ground afterwards, his whole body shrinking as his anger subsided and was immediately replaced by immense amount of concern. Sure, a simple robe, and Basajaun was disguised from the naked eye. But there only had to be a single anthro who accidentally bumped into the reptile, that only person capable of revealing the dragon's true identity in a blink of an eye.

And then... what would be then? Would the guards throw his father in jail as well, or execute him right on sight? Given how anthros handled situations like this, the latter would most likely be the case, unfortunately. And there wouldn't be a fair judge to rescue a dragon.

That dreadful train of thought wormed its way into Zachary's head as his eyes searched the grass under his feet. He didn't open his mouth, and he didn't look up at Basajaun, but it wasn't needed. His complete disapproval of the idea radiated from his whole being.

The dragon watched the leopard's reaction silently as Esmeralda handed him a spare walking stick. It was longer than the owl's cane, suiting the drake well as he stood still for a while. After a moment, however, Basajaun reached a hand out and put it on Zachary's shoulder.

"Son, could you look at me for a moment?" he requested quietly.

Ever so slowly, after nearly a minute of stubbornness, Zachary obeyed his father's wish. He glanced up, yet he looked completely different like he had been just some minutes ago. There was no joy, no smile, no laughing. Only fear. Fear which glimmered in his eyes evidently. Fear he simply could not ignore.

The dragon looked into the leopard's eyes for a moment, before a reassuring smile lit his expression. "Zach, since we left Plainstead, I haven't been able to go anywhere near an anthro settlement," he stated, slowly kneeling down and ducking his neck until his eyes were level with Zachary's, "And I... I really want to be welcome. By anthros, I mean. I want to walk through a street and not have the looks I get be ones of fear. To have a pleasant conversation with a passing stranger. I want to know what it's like to be... normal. Just another person in the town or city."

Basajaun looked down at himself, and then back to Zachary. "Look at me. This spell lets me have this form for two hours at a time," the dragon explained, "I just... I need this, Zach. Please, don't ask me not to go." The drake suddenly pulled Zach into his embrace, voice cracking slightly, "Please, son. Please..."

Long silence followed the dragon's pleading. The leopard breathed heavily as he was embraced, and for perhaps the very first time, he didn't return the hug. "You... ask me not to leave you ever again," Zachary's terrified, yet unfamiliarly enraged voice cut through the silence, "And then... you ask to let you leave me?" He suddenly pulled away from the hug he never returned, his eyes full of fear and genuine bitterness.

"If you think... that's fair to do," he continued, unable to stop himself from tearing up as he stared at Basajaun, "Then off you go. If you want me to accept that you're risking your life with this, then... off you go, Basajaun." No more words left Zachary's mouth afterwards, and before even Lya could draw a breath or truly comprehend the leopard's emotions, he turned away from the dragon and with quickened steps and clearly audible struggles to contain himself, disappeared in the forest, leaving the rest of the group alone in the clearing.

Stunned by the leopard's tone, Basajaun was only able to move after the feline left his sight. "Wait, Zach!" the dragon called out, stumbling after Zachary and leaning heavily on the cane he had been provided. Finding his legs to be a less than desirable means of conveyance, the dragon pumped his wings hard until he lifted off, flying over the tops of the trees as he followed his son's scent.

"How can he be so unfair?" Zachary demanded from the universe itself as he strode through the forest. He completely ignored the beautiful flora and fauna around him, the usually tranquil sight not able to calm the leopard's harboring mind. A mind in which thoughts of terrifying possibilities swirled around endlessly, beating on the joyous barriers of his consciousness until they finally gave in, breaking down and letting the worry take its place.

He could feel some of his tears landing in his fur as he walked, but Zachary disregarded the sensation it brought when a droplet flowed down on his cheek. He disregarded everything else, as well. All he could think about was Basajaun's request, and it only squeezed his heart harder until he felt like he was suffocating. But it wasn't just because of the fear he felt that he was suffocating.

Stopping in his fast gait as he registered the burn in his chest, the leopard immediately let loose a series of coughs, a grimace on his face while his paw gripped at the painful area. There was no way he could run anymore, and Zachary knew that perfectly well, no matter how much he wanted to do just that, as if it would make him forget about his father's whole request.

"You... stupid lizard..." He cursed weakly, leaning against a base of a tree next to him. Breathing heavily, Zachary slowly slid down as he leaned against the support of nature's pillar, sinking to the ground where he remained silent, his ragged breathing and occasional coughing resonating through the entire area.

Eventually, Basajaun tracked his son's scent to the tree he leaned against. Curving down, the dragon landed in the tree branches, hopping down the creaking limbs with skills he retained from his arboreal youth.

"Zach?" the drake called out from the lower branches, spotting the leopard at the base of the tree, "Zach, it's me."

"What do you want?" Zachary managed to wheeze the words out, not looking up at Basajaun as he had his eyes closed, his paw idly rubbing at his chest while a grimace was clearly apparent on his features.

Dropping down to the ground with a heavy thud, Basajaun hesitantly sat down a minor distance from Zachary, giving the leopard his space. "I wanted to explain myself," he stated, an apologetic tone to his voice, "Zach, I wasn't asking to leave you. I was asking if you would come to the city with me."

The leopard's whole body visibly trembled at Basajaun's words. He didn't speak for several painfully long minutes, completely unmoving save for his unsteady breathing. "No." The tone that Zachary uttered the word with was filled with a single emotion; panic-like fear. "I... can't."

The dragon hesitated for long moments, before sighing. "I see," he said, before giving the leopard a smile, "I understand." After a pause, the dragon asked, "May I sit next to you?"

At the request, Zachary opened his eyes, but not his mouth. All the reply he gave to Basajaun was a shrug, the anger he felt at the moment clearly not out of his system.

Scooting himself carefully across the ground, the dragon leaned against the tree by his son. "I didn't know that the city bothered you so much," he admitted quietly, managing to give the leopard his space and refrain from any nuzzling or cuddling while he worked through his emotions, "I was just excited, Zach. I had no idea you would be so scared of the thought of me being in the city."

"Last time one of us was alone in the city he nearly died," Zachary's weak, unusually flat voice followed immediately, his eyes distant as he stared in front of him at nothing, "Cities only gave me nothing but pain and sadness. They only gave me starvation and a damp cell to rot in. That's all they did. Are you surprised that they," the leopard snorted in sorrow, "'Bother me', as you put it? Are you surprised that I'm scared?"

Basajaun shook his head. "Zach, I wasn't going to go alone," he insisted, before sighing, "But, if it scares you that much, then I don't want to go. I only suggested it because I thought you would be going with me. If you can't, then I won't either. We're a family, and family sticks together."

Zachary's expression remained completely unchanged. "I... know this is important to you," he admitted suddenly, his tone showing emotion, namely immense amount of guilt and sorrow, "And... I know it would make you happy. And I..." the leopard choked, "I want you to be happy. I really, really do, Basa. But..." He looked at Basajaun next to him, droplets of bottled up fear, concern and remorse brimming his eyes. His anger was completely gone.

"I just don't want you to get hurt." Zachary wiped the unwanted tears away with his shoulder, shaking his head as he lowered his gaze to the ground. "I'm sorry. I know I'm selfish. And I know I shouldn't be. So, if you want to go, just go. I'll be waiting here for you to come back, because... I just... can't go in there." Pause. "Not anymore."

Basajaun put a hand on Zachary's shoulder. "Remember when I asked you not to leave me?" he asked, the question almost rhetorical as the dragon moved on immediately, "I don't want to be away from you. I do want to see what it's like to be a normal anthro, like I said, but I'm not willing to stomp on your feelings and become a hypocrite to do so. I thought we could have a fun family outing in the city, but if that can't happen, then I have no reason to go there. Because you, Zach, you are my reason for everything."

The dragon chuckled weakly. "Besides, you're right," he admitted, shaking his head, "There are a lot better towns to pick for this spell than this one. Don't worry about me; I'll try another town, if we ever go to one. But it'll be a place that we can go together, okay?"

Zachary gave an unconvincing nod. "Okay." And followed up with an even less convincing reply, his earlier worry and anger long gone, yet replaced by evident remorse. He pulled his legs close to his body, resting his head on his knees as he closed his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Basa. I'm... sorry for robbing you and everyone of your happiness with my fear. I... I'm just..." No amount of apology could convey his feelings, and the leopard gave up trying eventually, simply burying his head beneath his legs and remaining silent.

"Hey, you could never rob me of my happiness," the dragon corrected his son, the hand on the leopard's shoulder rubbing the limb affectionately as a warm smile appeared on his face, "You just had me worried, that's all. Now we're together again, and take a look at this." Basajaun pointed at his smile with his free hand, "This is me, being happy just to be with you. I don't need anyone else, as nice as that would be. As long as we have each other, I'll always be happy, no matter what."

Extracting his head from the confinement of his knees, Zachary glanced at Basajaun's expression with red eyes, and after a moment of trepidation, the same gesture slowly began appearing on his features. Basajaun's heartfelt words were able to banish the unpleasant emotions from his heart, sheer love towards the dragon taking its rightful place back as the dark thoughts departed.

Suddenly, even catching himself off-guard, the leopard turned to face his father, embracing him a lot more tightly than he meant to, almost fearfully clinging close to the much taller reptile's body. "Then... let's make sure we'll always have each other," Zachary sighed happily as he hugged Basajaun, and although he knew it was selfish, he couldn't help but feel immensely relieved that the dragon wouldn't be risking his life in the city, "Because I want you to be happy."

The dragon returned the hug, though with a lot more care than his son. "Th-thanks," he said, patting the leopard's back, "But I'm not as big as I usually am, so could you let me breathe, son?"

Noticing the abnormal strength of his embrace, as well as recognizing Basajaun's much smaller size, Zachary was quick to loosen his grip on the dragon. He didn't end the embrace, however. "Sorry... it's kinda weird hugging you like this." The leopard said, a marginal amount of happiness creeping in his tone at last.

The dragon laughed and nodded. "It's more than kinda weird being like this!" he stated, holding his hand up and looking at it in the light, "But I think it'd be good for me to practice this spell a bit right now. Just so I know what life's like for you anthros a bit better. Like how I saw Snowflake, and now I'm flabbergasted that you didn't run away from me at your first opportunity. Thanks again for that, by the way." Basajaun flashed a toothy grin to the leopard, patting his shoulder lovingly.

Now it was Zachary's turn to laugh, although his was still somewhat subdued. He pulled back from the embrace, shaking his head in amusement. "I would have ran away at my real first opportunity, Basa," he admitted honestly, snorting as he continued, "But there was a bloody dragon right in front of me, blocking my way each time I tried to do so. It's kinda hard to run away in a situation like that, y'know."

The leopard's muzzle broke into a wide smile. "But I'm glad I didn't. Thank gods for your persistent head." He chuckled again, this time sincere mirth in his voice.

Smiling warmly, Basajaun nodded again. "Hey, if I'm being honest, you scared the living daylights out of me by popping up out of nowhere like that," the dragon admitted smilingly, "It wasn't so much persistence as me being terrified you'd get away. So at least the fear was mutual, eh?" Giving a teasing grin, Basajaun extended a wing around the leopard's shoulders, leaning slightly over the feline.

Zachary hummed in agreement, resting his back against the dragon's wing. It was quite comfortable, despite its smaller size. Heaving a contented sigh, he stretched his legs out on the ground, remaining unmoving afterwards. The leopard's eyes aimlessly wandered around his surroundings, and after nearly a minute of serene silence, his earlier smile slowly began fading away.

"You know," there was a short pause, a slight grimace twisting the feline's lips, "We have to leave soon." Determined words, yet the one uttering them couldn't hide his uncertainty.

The dragon simply looked up to the sky for several moments. "I know," he finally responded after minutes of thought, "I... I'm not sure how to feel about that, to be honest. On one hand, I'm thrilled to be leaving the city where most dragon hunters live. But on the other hand... where we're going isn't exactly much better." Heaving a sigh, Basajaun's wing tightened its grip slightly around the leopard.

Immediately, Zachary pushed himself further in the comforting limb, as if it would shield him from the world itself. "Yeah." He agreed curtly, his own gaze settling on the blue sky. Unfortunately, as much as he would have liked, the white clouds didn't provide answers. "Do you think... we're ready?" The leopard bore an unreadable expression, his tail communicating his emotions as it gently flailed behind him.

Considering for a moment, Basajaun eventually nodded. "As ready as I think we'll ever be," he replied, heaving a sigh, "Not that I relish the idea of going into a battlefield. I just hope this won't come to that, as unlikely as that wish might be. I... I don't want to have to hurt anyone, Zach." The drake's arm soon joined his wing in the gentle embrace of his son, squeezing him softly against the dragon's smaller, yet still cushy body.

Zachary simply couldn't help but smile just a little. "I know, Basa." He said, his eyes falling on the ground. The leopard looked thoughtful as his eyes scanned the dull forest soil, his ears slowly lowering to the sides of his head, his tail beginning to twitch rather strongly. The smile was long gone from his features.

"I don't want to hurt anyone either," he stated honestly, and despite trying, he couldn't stop the quiet snarl that left his lips, "Except one person." Any sort of explanation was unnecessary.

The dragon nodded, though his expression was still uncertain. After several quiet minutes, Basajaun rubbed the leopard's shoulder to get his attention. "Ready to get back to camp?" he asked, smiling down to Zachary.

As his answer, the feline gave a shallow nod and stood, relieved to find that his chest didn't roar up with pain from the action. Stretching his limbs, Zachary looked in the general direction their camp was located and sighed loudly.

"Time to apologize to everyone else, I guess." The leopard murmured as he began walking, his gait slower and more hesitant than usual. The earlier guilt was yet to cease its grasp on Zachary's heart, his body language displaying that particular sensation rather evidently.

Standing hesitantly from the tree and leaning on it for support, Basajaun looked over to the leopard. "Um, Zach?" he called out, smiling somewhat sheepishly, "Could I get a bit of support? I, uh, I think I'm going to fall on my face if I try walking like an anthro without help."

Zachary stopped and turned back to face the dragon, slapping himself lightly on the forehead. "Right. I forgot... sorry." Apology out of the way, he moved back to Basajaun, offering his shoulder to the much taller creature to lean on. "Just... be a little... Er... more careful than last time. I think I can hold you up, but I'm not that strong, you know." Forgiven earlier blunder or not, paying another visit to the ground didn't quite appeal to the young anthro either.

Giving a nod, Basajaun wrapped an arm around Zachary's shoulder, carefully easing some of his not-insignificant weight onto the leopard. "Is this okay?" he checked, knowing that he was still quite a bit larger than the feline and not wanting to put too much strain on his companion.

The light grunt that came as a response indicated that might have been the case, but Zachary was quick to destroy that possibility. "Yeah, you're fine." He reassured the dragon, and with slightly narrowed eyes from the sudden weight on his entire body, the puny anthro began leading Basajaun with deliberate steps. Even with only a marginal amount of extra weight on him, the leopard could still clearly feel the effects.

As the pair walked alongside each other, Zachary had to wonder how Basajaun managed to move around when he was at his fullest adiposity, given that the feline himself could feel his muscles protesting lightly after only a couple of heavy steps. The dragon's strength was truly nothing to snort at, that much was certain.

Fortunately for the leopard, Basajaun was eventually able to take some of his weight off of Zachary's shoulders. His strides weren't exactly confident, but he seemed to be getting the hang of this new form rather well. The dragon still kept an arm around the feline, though now it was more out of affection than needing a crutch. There were still a few stumbles here and there on the drake's part, but he seemed to once again have an exceptional learning curve.

After several minutes, Basajaun smiled at Zachary. "This feels so weird," he stated in an amused tone, chuckling lightly, "I'm used to gravity pulling me from a completely different direction, and now all of my weight is settled differently. And this balance thing is harder than it looks!"

The leopard rolled his eyes and smiled back, looking up at the dragon. "It's just new for you," he replied, patting the reptile's arm reassuringly, "You'll get used to it, don't worry. And with your learning speed, it's not gonna be that long, that's for sure." Turning back ahead, Zachary could see the familiar opening to the clearing slowly approaching, and couldn't help but swallow loudly in anticipation.

"I made quite a scene, haven't I?" He inquired quietly as the pair neared their camp, his voice clearly full of remorse he couldn't banish.

Basajaun slowed the pair to a stop, sighing softly before giving Zachary a supportive smile. "Hey, if anyone starts chiding you about it, we can just turn right around and go back into the woods to spend some father-son time together," he offered, patting the feline's shoulder, "There's no reason to scold you in this particular instance, so I don't want you to have to sit through any of that."

Giving a few shallow nods, the leopard closed his eyes and heaved a sigh to calm himself for a moment. "That sounds good." He said and flashed a warm smile to Basajaun, before he forced both himself and the reptile to start walking again, this time, with more relaxed steps.

As the pair entered the clearing, they caught the attention of the females. Looking to Basajaun and Zachary with a concerned expression, Snowflake immediately made her way over to the pair, while Esmeralda stayed by the fire, scanning their expressions to determine whether their conflict had been resolved.

Lya practically mimicked the Elder beside her, although her gaze was exclusively fixated on Zachary, who locked eyes with the ocelot after only a moment. Seeing the concern in those amber globes, the leopard spoke up before Snowflake could even reach him and Basajaun.

"Don't worry," he smiled, squeezing the dragon next to him with his arm, "We're good now. Just... a misunderstanding and a lil' fight," Zachary shot a glance to Lya as he added, "Those happen between family members." The statement sounded more like an uncertain question than anything, but was nonetheless rewarded by a relieved sigh and a reassuring nod from the ocelot.

The spirit smiled as she reached the leopard and dragon, nuzzling both affectionately. "I'm glad to see you worked things out," she said, before giving Basajaun a look over and giggling, "You look kind of funny like that."

Grinning at the dragoness, the drake reached up and nuzzled her face back. "I feel kind of funny like this!" he agreed, before looking over to the fire, then back to Zachary, "Could you help me get to the campfire? I've got a while before this spell wears off."

"Sure." Lightly holding Basajaun, the leopard led him to the fire, only ceasing his support once the dragon reached his desired destination. Zachary gave him a smile as he let go of the reptile, yet as he himself sat down next to the dancing flames, the expression was quick to fade away.

Lya scooted a little closer to the leopard, leaning lightly against his shoulder. "Everything alright?" The only reply that came to the inquiry was a simple nod, a response which was anything but reassuring. "Zach," the ocelot pushed on, nudging his shoulder gently, "What is it?" Hearing the worry in her tone, Zachary looked up from the flames, his face fixed in a slight grimace.

"I'm just... sorry for that outburst," the apology was undoubtedly sincere, and was immediately followed by a shake of the leopard's head, "Even hearing about... Centrum or any city makes the fur stand on my back. And when Basa said he'd want to go in there, and with... us, all of us... I just lost it."

Before Lya could even comfort him, Zachary continued. "But that's not an excuse for my behavior," glancing between the members of the group with lowered ears, the leopard's eyes fell on the ground once again afterwards, his leg idly picking at a twig on the grass, "So... yeah, I'm sorry."

As Snowflake sat herself between Esmeralda and Basajaun, the drake put a hand on Zachary's shoulder. "Hey, I'm pretty sure none of us have any hard feelings about that," he stated, before his expression fell slightly, "I think I should apologize for letting my loneliness get the better of me out here. I know it isn't a good idea for me to waltz into Centrum. I just... I miss being around others."

Looking up at the rest of the group, the drake gave a mildly abashed smile. "N-not to say that I don't appreciate the present company!" he clarified quickly, shaking his head, "But the time in Plainstead... you know, not having to worry about coming into town to spend time with friends. I miss that. More than I can really say."

Zachary looked up at Basajaun and heaved a sympathetic sigh. "We both do, Basa." Reaching up and stroking the dragon's wing, the leopard brought his gaze back to the others, and after only a moment of evident hesitation, continued with surprising resolution.

"And that's why we have to deal with Boldrum as soon as possible," while he registered Lya's searching eyes on him, he disregarded it for now, giving a serious look to everyone present, "We... can't stay in Centrum for much longer. Basa and I talked about this a little, and I think we're as ready as we can get," he shot a glance to Esmeralda, "Eszy is back in top form, and I'm finally able to control my magic... hopefully. We have no reason to stay here. And the longer we stay, the more the people of Boldrumton suffer."

The leopard nodded at his own words. "We gotta to get going. There's still a tyrant we have to unseat. And judging by his willingness to attempt," desperate to forget everything about that painful day, Zachary still visibly shivered at the thought itself, "Killing me from even miles and miles away, I don't think he'll stop trying until we make him stop."

After several moments of silence, Esmeralda stood, giving Zachary a smile. "I hate it when you call me that," she said, though her tone showed she wasn't entirely serious, "But you're right. It's about time we got a move on."

Sighing lightly, the owl looked in the direction of the city. "Do you want to say goodbye to Talib and Xergon, first?" she asked, turning back to Zachary, "Lya and I could fetch them so you could do so."

Considering for a moment, the leopard eventually nodded sheepishly. "I'd appreciate that." He replied, giving a small smile to both Esmeralda and Lya, the latter returning the gesture as she made to stand as well.

"So, I guess we're leaving," the ocelot mused aloud, her expression somewhat nervous, but strangely determined at the same time, "Alright. We'll get those two, say our goodbyes, and then... off we go? Today?" Lya turned to Esmeralda with a quizzical look on her face.

The owl sighed and shook her head. "It'd be better if we left first thing tomorrow," she stated, looking over to Zachary, "That'd give us the most daylight for traveling. Even if we were to fly there, I'd rather start early than late."

Both felines nodded in near unison, the ocelot turning and beginning to walk out of the clearing with Esmeralda beside her. "Thanks again for going instead of me!" Zachary called after the pair, getting a wave of a paw and a talon from the two females as they left the rest of the group to themselves.

Looking after the departed owl and ocelot for a moment, the leopard slowly eased himself on his back, staring up at the sky while his hands came to rest on his chest. "I really need to do something about this," Zachary murmured, more to himself than to the two dragons present, closing his eyes as he continued his train of thought, "Plainstead is a town too, after all. I can't be scared to go there..." The feline let out a groan, burying his face in his paws.

After a moment, Basajaun attempted the same posture as the leopard, though wound up flopping back a bit less gracefully. Grunting from the unexpected impact, the dragon gave an embarrassed smile to Zachary, though the expression was quick to transition to supportive. "Hey, I'm sure you'll be fine with Plainstead," the furry reptile reassured the feline, "That's our home, after all. And it's where our friends are, too. The guards even know you, and I'm absolutely positive that you have nothing to be afraid of there!" Reaching a hand over to the leopard, Basajaun patted his side comfortingly while Snowflake laid herself alongside the drake, nuzzling his neck and snuggling against his side.

"Yeah," Zachary began after a while, extracting his head from his paws and turning to face Basajaun, "You're probably right... I really hope you're right." Uncertain, yet still smiling, the leopard gently flicked the dragon's nose with his finger. What a peculiar method for showing appreciation.

Snorting in surprise, Basajaun grinned at the gesture nonetheless. Folding his hands over his chest, as he had seen Zachary doing, the dragon looked up to the sky thoughtfully. "Do you think they make clothing in this size?" he asked after a few moments, gesturing to himself, "I mean, it isn't exactly appropriate for an anthro to go naked, from what I understand. And if I did want to visit places besides Plainstead like this, I'd probably have to get a wardrobe together." It almost seemed like the dragon was more thinking aloud than directing his questions to either of the other individuals present.

Only now noticing that the drake beside him indeed lacked any clothing, the leopard didn't think too much about that revelation, his opinion about going around naked evidently not disapproving. He had done it himself on multiple occasions in the past when he was little, after all.

"Well," Zachary considered, his gaze joining the dragon's as it settled on the sky once again, "I'm sure we could get clothes for you in this size. There were actually more than one tailors in Plainstead, if I remember correctly," the leopard snorted and chortled in minor embarrassment, "But I swear I can't remember their names!"

"The Silver Needle and Cindy's Fabrics," the dragon reminded Zachary, not even having to pause for a moment to consider the names, "They were some of the places we didn't exactly frequent that much. Maybe we should change that when we get back."

Raising a hand up to the sky, Basajaun looked the limb over for a moment, a gentle smile crossing his face as he did so. "I think... I'd like to practice this spell more in the future," he announced offhandedly, "I don't know, but it just feels... right. I mean, I know I'm a dragon, and that's not going to change, but still. I think this is a more fitting display of who I really am. Does that make any sense?"

Remaining in silence, Zachary eventually nodded. "Yeah, I can see where you're coming from, bud," he stated, yet as he turned to face Basajaun, there was evident trepidation in his eyes, "Can I... be completely honest with you?"

The dragon immediately gave the leopard his full attention. "Always," he affirmed, searching Zachary's face.

The feline nodded, heaving a long sigh and banishing his hesitation at last. "I... like you in your normal form more," he admitted honestly, and before the dragon could react, continued, "Because that's who you really are, Basajaun. There's no fitting display," Zachary put a finger on the drake's chest, tapping it lightly, "What's inside here is who you really are, whether you're a giant lizard or an anthro."

Turning away from Basajaun to face the sky, the leopard shrugged. "But I guess I'm a little biased," he pushed on, "I mean, you were in your normal form when I met you, and we became friends, and eventually family while you stayed in that form. That four-legged lizard pops in my head every time I think about you, so I'm not surprised about my preferences."

"Then again," Zachary sighed, flashing a smile to the dragon, "Not everything is about me and my preferences, and I'm definitely not trying to trample yours. All I'm saying is that you don't need to look different to be yourself," the leopard laughed out loud at his own words, "You have to be yourself to be yourself!"

The dragon looked over to Zachary uncertainly. "But... aren't I more intimidating in my normal form?" he asked, looking between himself and the leopard, "I mean, I know you said you aren't afraid of me anymore, but still. I think this spell will make meeting new people easier for me. I don't care what I look like around my friends and family, but I do want to be able to meet new people."

Rolling over to face Zachary, Basajaun gave him a serious look. "The people of Plainstead are open-minded, and even they panicked the first time they saw me," he reminded the feline, "What I want to use this new form for is finding more open-minded people out in the world. And after they get to know me, then I could reveal that I'm a dragon. That way I don't get judged on my looks, but on my personality."

Having listened in silence up until now while he stared at the white clouds above their heads, Zachary could only nod slowly once Basajaun finished. "In that case, I'm totally with you," he agreed, yet as he turned to face the dragon as well, his expression was just as serious as the reptile's, "But you can't forget who you really are, Basajaun. I sure as hell won't, and if I see you doubting yourself in the slightest about your true form, I'll be quite cross with you. Seriously."

The drake looked into Zachary's eyes for several moments, before smiling warmly. "Hey, my normal body is what you use to sleep on," he pointed out, his smile turning into a teasing grin, "I wouldn't want to deprive you of your favorite mattress!" Patting his middle and winking, Basajaun laughed, hoping to conceal feelings he could feel developing.

Fortunately, Zachary wasn't the observant type.

"You better not!" The leopard joined the dragon's laughter, his smile once again returning. In a quick motion, he scooted a little closer to the reptile, laying his head on Basajaun's much smaller, yet still decently padded paunch. "I wouldn't know what to do without my beloved bed." The statement was referring more to the individual who provided the undoubtedly luxurious mattress, rather than the sleeping place itself.

Smiling warmly, Basajaun put a hand on the leopard's head, rubbing behind his ear affectionately. "Believe me; I'm not going anywhere without you," he affirmed sincerely, "And that's a promise."

Zachary could only repeat himself. "You better not." Giggling mirthfully from the pleasant and sudden massage he was receiving, the leopard closed his eyes, and only after a moment into the gentle petting, began purring quietly. Basajaun was either extremely lucky, or he had learned from Lya to hit just the perfect spot. It was most likely the latter, given the dragon's impressive learning ability.

Smiling to the leopard, Basajaun leaned back again to rest his head on the ground. He continued his loving massage of the feline's ear, finding great comfort in it himself. Taking a deep breath, the dragon began relaxing into this new posture, when the breath brought with it a strangely familiar scent.

Sitting up with enough speed to pull the muscles in his back, Basajaun completely disregarded the fact that he nearly threw Zachary off of his middle, instead sniffing furiously at the air as his tongue flickered wildly. Every muscle in the drake's body flexed visibly, even under the gratuitous layers of pudge. The sudden tension that the dragon exuded woke up Snowflake, who had unwittingly fallen asleep by the pair's side.

While Basajaun continued his restless and rather unexpected examination of the air for seemingly no reason whatsoever, Zachary recovered from the scare he received. Paw on his chest and eyes wide open, the leopard shot a half-hearted glare to the reptile.

"You could just tell me to get off, y'know." The feline remarked, initially not noticing the dragon's abrupt distress, or the peculiar scent, for that matter. As he looked up at Basajaun, however, Zachary could immediately read his disquietude, and wasted no time to investigate, the earlier scare all but forgotten. "Hey, Basa, what's wrong?" He asked somewhat worriedly.

Once he was certain that what he was smelling wasn't a mistake or misidentification, the drake looked down at Zachary with evident concern. "Dragon," he started, shaking his head to clear the territorial reaction he was having, "I smell a dragon."

The leopard's eyes widened in surprise. "A dragon?" He reiterated, as if saying the word himself would make reality easier to believe. Zachary quickly twisted his head in every possible direction his neck allowed him to perform, and after a moment of furious sniffing, he settled his gaze once again on the dragon that was actually in front of him.

"A-Are you sure?" He inquired, and got an assuring, wordless nod from Basajaun as a response. Feeling a mix of emotions rush through his mind and body alike, Zachary stood from his place, his eyes fruitlessly scanning the edge of the clearing. "What's a dragon doing here, so close to the city?" A rather unjustified thought, given the presence of another dragon right next to him.

"I don't know," Basajaun replied, getting unsteadily to his feet and using Snowflake's extended wing for support, "But it smells like it's getting closer." Reaching out a hand, the dragon took ahold of Zachary's shirt, drawing him closer and putting an arm around him protectively. There was a great deal of anxiety present in both the dragon's tone and demeanor, such that his grip on the leopard was nearly painful.

Disregarding the tight grasp on him as similar emotions flooded his brain, the feline slowly looked up at Basajaun, indecision hovering in his gaze. "What... what should we do?" he turned back in the direction his father was staring numbly at, "Shouldn't we... move away or something if it's getting closer? I mean, I got lucky with the first dragon I met, but I don't wanna push my luck that much."

About to agree, something about the scent caught Basajaun's attention. "I... I think it's injured," he reported, sniffing at the air a bit more, "I smell blood... dragon blood."

There was a long pause, only the rustling of the leaves in the light breeze breaking the silence. "You're saying it's hurt." Zachary was the first to speak up, the statement directed more towards himself than anyone else, his tone unusually serious all of a sudden. "Can you guess how bad its injuries could be?"

Taking a moment, the dragon eventually shook his head. "No, but I know one thing," he started, looking down at Zachary again, "An injured dragon approaching Centrum probably has something else with it; dragon hunters. And I smell anthros with this dragon."

Zachary glanced up at Basajaun as well, his expression free of any hesitation. "So," the leopard began quietly, his eyes falling to the ground for a moment in thoughtful silence, before he brought them back to the reptile, "It's captured. And it's currently being carried to Centrum." It didn't take a genius to conclude the only fate of the unfortunate creature. A visit to a city filled with dragon hunters for a dragon didn't promise a pleasant time.

Gritting his teeth, the feline grimaced slightly at his realization. "We..." he heaved a prolonged sigh, unable to fight against the demanding sensation in his mind, "We have to help it."

Basajaun and Snowflake both tensed at the words, though the spirit was quicker to relax and nod. The drake, however, could only look down at Zachary with an incredulous expression. "You want me to go near it?" he asked, his voice strained, "I'm having a difficult enough time trying to suppress my territorial instincts just from getting its scent! I don't know if... I can control myself if I actually see it."

Staring into Basajaun's eyes for long moments, the leopard heaved another long sigh. "You don't have to come," he stated quietly, patting the dragon's arm before breaking the embrace and turning away, "But I'm going. If I hadn't met the first dragon I stumbled across, I would be dead, and I... just can't ignore the fact that I can help another one after that," Zachary took a few steps ahead the group's bags as he continued, "No other anthro will help it, so it's up to me. And I sure as hell won't leave a possible... other Basajaun to die."

After a moment, Basajaun's expression softened. "You're right," he admitted, taking a deep breath, "We have to help. I can't let my instincts dictate my actions. I'm coming with you." Nodding adamantly, the drake smiled as Snowflake nuzzled his arm supportively.

"We'll all go," the spirit insisted, smiling to Zachary before kneeling down, "Here Forest; you're not your usual stealthy self, so you should ride on my back." After a moment's consideration, the dragon nodded, before looking over the dragoness' body.

"Um... how do I...?" the drake glanced between Zachary and Snowflake, wringing his hands awkwardly.

"Just grab ahold of Snowflake's back and heave yourself up," the leopard suggested as he neared his own bag, kneeling down to search through its contents, "And Snowflake," Zachary continued as he pulled his bow, arrows and quiver out, turning back to face the two dragons and pointing a finger at the female of the two, "Use your wing as a ramp for him."

The spirit was a step ahead of Zachary, her wing already extended for the drake. With careful motions, Basajaun steadily lifted himself up to Snowflake's back, though the dragon was far from graceful in his actions. Once he got himself situated, the reptile took a moment to appreciate the novelty of this new situation.

"Huh, so that's what it's like," he muttered under his breath, getting a kind smile from Snowflake as she patted his leg with a wing.

"Sitting well?" the spirit checked, which Basajaun responded to with a nod. Looking over to Zachary once she was sure the dragon was comfortable, Snowflake extended her wing to him, as well. "Just in case we have to run," she began, looking at Zachary with a serious expression, "I think you should get on my back, as well. I'm the fastest one here, right now."

Grimacing slightly at how correct the familiar's statement was, the leopard eventually relented. After having secured his quiver filled with arrows on his back, he was quick to secure himself on top of Snowflake's back, the process a lot quicker and immensely more graceful than Basajaun's thanks to Zachary's experience.

"Alright," he patted the spirit's back softly, glancing back over his shoulder to look at Basajaun behind him, "Lead us to that dragon, bud." While trying his hardest to pronounce those words as a request, the seriousness of the situation forced Zachary's tone to become commanding.

With an affirmative nod, Snowflake looked back to Basajaun, who indicated the direction the scent was coming from. With the dragon's directions, the familiar exited the clearing, moving slowly through the woods.

Though she moved with deliberate actions and careful motions, the spirit's stealth was slightly inhibited by the soft sounds her body made with each step. Though not loud by any stretch of the imagination, anyone who was wary enough could pick up on the foreign tintinnabulations of the familiar's footsteps in the forest.

Grimacing at the dragoness' handicapped stealth, Basajaun got an apologetic expression from Snowflake in reply. Shaking his head, the dragon patted the spirit's side forgivingly; this was the best option they had at the moment.

While registering the tinkling sounds barely, Zachary paid no heed to the three's inefficient sneakiness. The leopard's gaze darted exclusively around their ever-changing surroundings as they slunk deeper into the woods, his bow held up and ready to be fired in a fraction of a second if needed.

Although attempting to appear confident and determined, there was anxiety in the feline's body language. The gestures were subtle. A flick of an ear here and there, extremely slowly swaying tail, sudden and panic-like motions when anything rustled the leaves nearby. Stating his willingness to help the unknown dragon, despite its sincerity, was one thing, actually trying to do so was a whole other.

And Zachary knew they had to be careful. These dragon hunters were dangerous, given their successful catch. He could only keep up his iron grip on his arrow and hope that said individuals didn't have excellent ears.

As they drew closer and closer to the dragon's scent, Basajaun's tension steadily grew. Several minutes into their movement, the drake suddenly squeezed Snowflake's side. "Stop," he begged quietly, his voice hoarse, "Please, I... I don't know if I can..." The reptile's breath was ragged, and he clung to the spirit in near desperation.

Looking back to Basajaun, Snowflake immediately obeyed, reaching back and nuzzling the drake's face lovingly. "Shh, it's okay," the spirit attempted to soothe the reptile, "You're okay, Forest." The drake remained unmoving, save for the subtle shaking of his form from the stress he felt.

Zachary tore his eyes away from the various trees and bushes for the first time upon hearing Basajaun's voice. He glanced back to the dragon, and after a moment and a sigh later, he spun around quickly to face the reptile.

"Basa," the leopard began with a soft tone, putting his paws on the drake's shoulders, despite their height, in an attempt to comfort him, "I don't know how hard it is for you, but I know there's a dragon who might be just like you. A dragon perhaps just as kind as you, who is currently being carried to its death. I'm not going to force you to go any further, but I... I have to go."

Hopping off of Snowflake in a single motion, the feline smiled up to Basajaun. "Just give me a direction." He requested, looking more than willing to continue either with or without any company.

Searching Zachary's eyes, Basajaun heaved a ragged sigh. "I want to help," he insisted, shaking his head and looking downwards, "I just... I'll be nearby, okay?"

"We both will," Snowflake added, a paw reaching up to pat the leopard's shoulder. Sighing again, Basajaun pointed in the direction of the dragon.

"Be careful," the drake ordered, giving the feline a serious look, "You don't know what the dragon or the hunters are capable of."

"I know," Zachary returned Basajaun's look, "I only wanted to see what we're exactly dealing with, and come up with a plan afterwards if we have the time. I wasn't going to just waltz in unprepared." Judicious explanation out of his way, the leopard turned in the direction he was given, his legs stubbornly protesting to get moving from his hesitation.

Snowflake reached out and stopped Zachary before he could get going. "If you get caught, you're a hunter that was tracking prey through the area," she said with a serious face, staring deep into the leopard's eyes, "You had no idea there was a dragon in the area, understand?"

"Once again," the feline sighed in exasperation, rolling his eyes, "I wasn't going to go in just unprepared. I had a plan already if they found me, and it was exactly like yours," he reassured Snowflake, allowing himself a small smile as he turned around and began walking towards their destination, "And besides, I'm not a bad actor. It'll be fine."

Snowflake eventually smiled. "You just be careful," she repeated Basajaun's words, actually managing to get a momentary amused smile from the dragon on her back.

"I will." Was all Zachary said, and with newfound resolution in his silent steps, his form disappeared in the dense undergrowth.

After waiting for a few moments, Snowflake followed along behind the leopard, lowering herself slightly as she moved along in order to better utilize the undergrowth for stealth.

Once again nearing the source of the other dragon's scent, Basajaun leaned forward until he was laying against the spirit's back, his arms wrapped as far around her chest as they could reach and clinging to her like a scared child. His eyes were clenched shut, and his jaw gritted to the point that his teeth began to ache.

'I can do this,' he tried to reassure himself internally, 'I can give this dragon a chance. I can do this.' Repeating the mental mantra, Basajaun quickly lost track of his surroundings, his attention becoming overwhelmed by the scent in his mouth and nose, and the effort it took to overcome his instincts.

It was hard to lose track of one's surroundings when one was as fascinated by nature as Zachary, but even the leopard himself disregarded the beautiful flora around him. Deprived of his two companions in the current situation, he could clearly feel his tenseness rising inside of him with each gliding step he took, yet that wasn't enough to stop him.

Zachary passed many trees and bushes as he continued creeping on the unbeaten forest path. It took him a few painfully long minutes, but his nose was eventually able to pick up on a distinct scent as well. While somewhat different from Basajaun's, it was definitely the other dragon he was smelling.

Utilizing his own nose to locate the creature in question, he spent a while searching for what he was looking for, but eventually, after what felt like a millennium to Zachary, he reached his destination.

As soon as his eyes recognized the opening in the forest undergrowth, the leopard crouched low, his form nearly disappearing between the various plants which adorned the forest soil. With soundless steps, he advanced, nearing the opening and stopping once he realized that he was on the edge of a clearing.

After a mental curse to his unluckiness, Zachary slunk behind a dense bush, peering through the leaves to take in his surroundings.

Spotting the seven anthros was nearly effortless. The dragon hunters were situated around a campfire, appearing to be deep in conversation with one another as they held their possible lunch over the dancing flames. With the distance between them and Zachary, he couldn't understand a single word they were saying, no matter how much he flickered his ears.

What his ears did pick up on, however, was the quiet hiss which came from the other side of the clearing where the anthros were seated. Zachary immediately recognized the sound, and was completely unsurprised to find the sound's owner to be a dragon. Yet, the surprise he got from seeing that particular dragon followed right after.

It looked nothing like Basajaun. The first thing the leopard noticed was the beast's small size. The barely horse sized creature's entire body was wrapped tightly in heavy chains, a wooden carriage holding it up while its thin tail flailed wildly behind the wagon on the ground, red droplets of blood coating some of the areas around it. Perhaps it could smell Basajaun as well, but it was hard to tell the reason behind its behavior in its current situation. The dragon's dilated, glassy eyes simply stared numbly at its captors as they blithely ignored the loud hisses of complaints it emitted, unaware of Zachary's presence as they continued cooking their food.

'Seven.' The leopard mentally noted, looking back to the anthros once more. After a more thorough examination of these individuals, the feline eventually reached his earlier conclusion. These dragon hunters were definitely dangerous, their well-crafted weapons either resting against their backs or lying on the ground right next to them, ready to be pulled out and commence a battle at any given time. And judging by the extremely fit state of these anthros as they sat on the grass with actual armor protecting their bodies, it was hard not to feel marginal amount of doubt.

Yet, as his gaze once more settled on the captured dragon, seeing the evident fear and hopelessness in its eyes, Zachary could feel his doubts vanishing in a second. He simply had to help. Perhaps not right now, unprepared and alone, but he had to. If there was even the slightest of chances that this dragon was sentient or anywhere near like Basajaun, he knew he couldn't do anything else. His heart wouldn't let him.

Tearing his eyes away from the chained up reptile, a sight which only filled his heart with a strange mixture of sympathy and decisiveness, Zachary slowly turned around and began making his way back to his friends. He got what he came for, and he know what he had to do.

Feeling the leopard approaching before she saw him, Snowflake's worried expression turned to one of relief once she could see Zachary coming through the undergrowth. Smiling down to the feline, Snowflake turned her head and nudged Basajaun softly.

Lifting his head, the dragon looked to Zachary. His eyes were just beginning to glass over, and it was obvious he was struggling. "Can we... go back, now?" he asked, not having the presence of mind for a proper greeting.

"Yes." The leopard responded immediately, his voice strangely flat despite the worry he felt upon seeing Basajaun in his current state. Returning to his normal walking once certain that they were far away enough from the dragon hunters, Zachary moved to Snowflake, his paw immediately reaching up to stroke the forest dragon's head gently.

"The dragon is captured," the feline reported before the question could be asked, sighing and looking up to the spirit, "Seven trained and... from what it looked like... professional dragon hunters are guarding it. It's chained up like an animal, and it's... still bleeding," Zachary shook his head to wipe the last bit of hesitation from his mind, "We... have to help. They're definitely bringing it to Centrum, otherwise they wouldn't have stopped so close to the city, and we all know what's going to happen if they bring that dragon in there."

Snowflake nodded, while Basajaun simply pressed his head into the leopard's hand, his tongue running out and licking the limb as he whimpered quietly. "Come on, we should get back," the spirit insisted, kneeling down for Zachary, "Forest is struggling hard now."

Not having to be asked twice, the feline quickly got on the familiar, positioning himself so he was facing Basajaun. After putting his bow over his back, Zachary leaned a little closer to the dragon, both of his paws coming to rest on the reptile's head as Snowflake began walking back towards their camp.

"You did great," the leopard attempted to soothe Basajaun, stroking the dragon behind his ears tenderly, "Those stupid instincts have nothing on you. You can overcome them just like you did now. I'm proud of you." Willing to give more than comforting words, Zachary leaned down and wrapped his arms around the drake's neck and held him gently.

As Snowflake carried the pair back, Basajaun was steadily able to extract himself from his death grip around the dragoness' chest, though his arms instead made their way more gently around Zachary. "It's so hard," he whimpered quietly, "I want to give the other dragon a chance. I want to help. These damn instincts..." Resting his head on Zachary's shoulder, it wasn't long until the leopard could feel the drake's frustrated tears wetting his vest.

Zachary was unable to pull his arms out to return the embrace as he was hugged. Yet, as soon as Basajaun's first droplet of chagrin tapped on his vest, it became immensely difficult not to do just that. He was limited to his words, deprived of physical comfort for now.

"I know, Basa." Saying that single sentence felt like the only thing he could provide. And while genuine, it also felt exiguous. "You already helped that dragon a lot," Zachary pushed on in his endeavor to calm Basajaun, "If it wasn't for your nose, we wouldn't have even known that this dragon existed, or was being carried to Centrum in the first place. You are the reason why that dragon still has a chance to live."

Head also buried in the dragon's shoulder, taking note of the change of scenery was out of the question. There was nothing around Zachary at that moment, everything ignored, only Basajaun not.

After several moments, the dragon managed a tiny smile. "Thank you," he said quietly, rubbing the leopard's back as he embraced the feline. Though the scent of the other dragon still felt like a vice around his mind, Zachary's soft touch was just enough of a pleasant distraction to keep the drake's smile in place.

Unfortunately, as distracted as he was, Basajaun didn't notice the warning signs of his spell wearing off. With the dragon and leopard on her back, however, Snowflake soon realized that her footsteps were getting decidedly heavier. Brows cocking in confusion for a while, the spirit eventually put the pieces together, looking back to the dragon that was slowly reverting to his normal size and form.

"Forest, your spell," she said in a strained tone, having to slow to a stop once the drake had reached half of his original mass, her limbs shaking from the effort to hold up the fattened dragon.

Raising his head, Basajaun's eyes widened when he recognized the familiar's meaning. "Oh! Sorry," he apologized quickly, releasing Zachary and sliding down from Snowflake's back. As the spirit chimed in relief, the drake looked himself over, noting the odd halfway point between anthropomorphic and zoomorphic that he was at.

There was a slight grimace on the leopard's features as he glanced down at the peculiar creature on the ground. "Remember when I said you looked weird as an anthro?" he began with a question, waving a paw at Basajaun and chortling lightheartedly, "I take that back. Now you look weird." True as that statement was with the dragon's current form, Zachary closed his eyes and turned around on Snowflake's back, evidently not too fond of the bizarre sight.

Snowflake reached over and nuzzled the dragon's neck as he went through his transformation. "You're still handsome on the inside," she teased, hoping that the act would help lighten Basajaun's stressed situation.

Much to the dragon's relief, the teasing he got from his companions was an odd sort of comfort that was just what he needed. Smiling warmly, in spite of the nagging aroma of the other dragon, Basajaun sat himself on the ground, watching with an intrigued expression as his body went through the last stages of its reversion.

Stretching his familiar limbs, the drake smiled and reached a wing out to nudge Zachary's side. "It's over, I'm back to normal," he reported, sighing lightly as he flexed his slightly sore joints. Transformative magics apparently caused a bit of discomfort at their conclusion.

Ears perking up, eyes opening, and body turning upon hearing those words, the leopard grinned when he found himself looking at Basajaun in his usual "attire". Somehow, simply seeing him back in his old self felt just right. "Welcome back," inappropriate joke out of his way, the feline was quick to transfer himself on his habitual mount, using said dragon's wing as a bridge of some sort and plopping down on Basajaun's back afterwards.

The softness he had come to love under him immediately got Zachary's grin to widen significantly. It was quick to fade away, however. "Are you feeling alright now, bud?" Although truly concerned, the leopard couldn't help but focus his mind on a dragon other than the one he was sitting on.

Standing on his four legs, the dragon walked alongside Snowflake, who wormed her way under the drake's wing, getting a loving smile from him before he turned his attention to the leopard on his back. "I'm... doing better," he replied, shaking his head, "You two are helping a lot. And it's easier when I'm not so close to the other dragon."

Sighing long, Basajaun looked to the trees around him as though searching for an answer to some difficult question. "I just hope I can help him," he muttered, his voice almost lost to the sounds of his and Snowflake's footsteps.

Another sigh followed the dragon's. "I told you that you already helped," Zachary reminded his friend, patting his side gently. Staying in thoughtful silence for a few moments, the leopard stared in the direction they were headed as the trio neared their campsite.

"If we can get Lya and Eszy to help," the feline's voice broke the quiet, his tone amazingly filled with both determination and uncertainty, "I think we can handle this ourselves. You don't have to get close to that dragon if you can't, Basa. Just stay in the back. You'll be our... surprise back-up, if it's needed." It very much sounded like Zachary already had a plan for their rescue mission.

The dragon looked back to the leopard curiously. "It seems like you already have something in mind," he observed, smiling at the feline, "Care to share? Because if you have a plan that doesn't involve me getting near that other dragon for a while, I think that'd work best. It might take both of us a while to get over our instincts, after all."

Shaking his head subtly, Zachary gestured at the group's clearing as they neared the opening to its entrance. "I'll tell it once everyone who's involved says that they're in." He replied, relieved to find two of the individuals involved in his plan back in the clearing, along with an extra two, whom he had nearly forgotten about.

Next to Lya and Esmeralda stood Xergon and Talib, the lynx wearing his usual smile on his face, while the snake performed his typical emotionless expression. The two teachers watched as the trio arrived back in the camp, and once next to their side, Zachary hopped off of Basajaun, looking between the headmaster and the serpent.

"Master Xergon, Master Talib," the leopard bid his head to each in turn, a sheepish smile crossing his muzzle, "I hope we didn't disturb you in your work or anything."

"You did," Xergon chuckled, waving a paw nonchalantly, "But it's fine, Zachary. Lya and Elder Eszes informed us of the situation, and we were happy to come along and say our goodbyes, despite how much it saddens me to do so." The statement managed to replace Zachary's earlier gesture to a much more joyous one.

Talib took a moment to look into the leopard's eyes, his arms folded somewhat irritatedly. "It's rather rude to simply up and leave your teacher before your lessons are over, you know," he stated, before shaking his head and gesturing noncommittally, "But I know your errand is more important at the moment, at least in your minds." Slithering over to Zachary, the snake hesitated a moment, before putting a hand on the feline's shoulder, "You'd best make sure you can make it out of there alive. I'll be rather upset if I lose a pupil like you."

Faced with the dilemma of either lying or making his teacher worry, Zachary eventually nodded after a few moments. "I'll try my very best." Was all he could promise, extending his arm for Talib to take with a lot less hesitation than the snake. "Thank you for the lessons. We had a rough start, but I think we got pretty..." the leopard nudged the serpent's side and chuckled, "Close, and don't even try denying it."

Looking at Zachary's extended arm and back to his face for a few moments, Talib shook his head. "Ah, the hell with it," he muttered, before suddenly embracing the leopard, getting a surprised look from everyone present.

Perplexed for more reasons than he could count, the feline somewhat awkwardly returned the hug, a nervous smile evident on his cheeks even through his bewilderment. "Uh... that's exactly what I meant by close!" For once coming up with an appropriate joke, the earlier surprised individuals around the hugging pair were soon either smiling or laughing.

Withdrawing after only a few moments of the embrace, Talib shook himself visibly. "Gods that felt unnatural," he mumbled, although a small smile was present on his face. Clearing his throat, the snake took a moment to glare at the others present. "You all saw nothing, am I clear?" he stated, the veiled threat only getting another round of mirth.

"It seems like that doesn't work anymore, Talib," Lya observed after having finished with her own giggling, patting the serpent's shoulder and turning to Zachary afterwards, "If you don't mind me asking, where have you guys been? We stood here a good five minutes before you guys showed up." Joining the ocelot's curious look, Xergon regarded the leopard with an unreadable expression.

Swallowing loud once four pair of eyes settled on him exclusively, Zachary's own gaze settled on Xergon. "If I remember correctly," the leopard sighed, "I can't lie to you, yes?"

Xergon slowly nodded.

"Right..." Radiating hesitation with every possible gesture he made, Zachary eventually decided on the best way to approach the issue. He turned to face Lya and Esmeralda, both females cocking an eyebrow at the leopard's odd behavior. Those expressions changed soon, however.

"There's a dragon," Zachary announced, and before anyone could point at Basajaun or question him, he continued, "Basa noticed its scent and we went to investigate. That's where we were."

Lya stared at the leopard with widened eyes. "And... wh--"

"It was captured by dragon hunters," he cut the ocelot off, his tone suddenly more serious than he meant to, "And it's injured... and... it's being carried to Centrum." There was a pause, and although wanting to continue, Zachary stopped when Xergon held up a paw.

The lynx's expression was more serious than Zachary's own, his tone dauntingly calm. "I do hope you aren't thinking of interfering."

Looking into Xergon's eyes, the leopard heaved a long sigh. "That's exactly what I was going to do," he stated, and upon noticing the master's face remaining completely unchanged, he pushed on, "We need to help, otherwise... it's going to die. And..." looking up to Basajaun, Zachary shook his head as he turned back to Xergon, "I can't let that happen. Not after Basa. We need to help."

Talib shook his head as the dragon in question nodded. "We can't do that, Zachary," the snake stated, looking into the leopard's eyes intently, "Freeing a captured dragon is illegal, and we can't risk our positions by breaking the law. By all rights, that dragon is the hunters' possession, and trying to take it from them is as much a felony as attempting to rob a noble."

Zachary's eyes met the serpent's, his own pair burning with passion. "In that case, I'll be happy to break the law. It's not the first time anyway," he replied, his voice filled with nothing but honesty, "If freeing a creature from unrightful death is breaking the law, then I'll happily bear the outlaw title to my name again."

Sighing, the leopard looked between his two teachers. "But I understand your positions as well. And I'm not going to ask you to help us if you can't."

"We can help," Xergon's strangely restrained voice cut in the conversation, Zachary cocking his head at his words, "We can help by not saying anything. That's all we can do. This affair, as far as Talib and I are concerned, never happened."

The leopard blinked. "I... Would you really keep this whole dragon thing a secret?" He asked in disbelief.

"What dragon?" the lynx smiled, and before Zachary could even react, embraced the leopard, an action which once again surprised and warmed the feline's heart at the same time, "Take it as our farewell gift to the group," Xergon said quietly, his arms wrapped just a tiny bit more tightly around Zachary than it was comfortable, "Talib might become upset if you die, Zachary, but you don't want to know what I will do if our second multicaster finishes college before time."

Pulling away from the hug, and leaving a more than baffled leopard standing numbly on the ground, Xergon left Zachary's side to walk to Basajaun. Instead of embracing the reptile, however, the lynx suddenly took the dragon by his wing and dragged him some distance away from the group.

Blinking in surprise as he was taken by the lynx, the dragon gave him a quizzical look once they stopped. "Can I help you, Master Xergon?" he inquired, feeling slightly unsure.

"Yes," the master stared up at the dragon in front of him, his piercing gaze deadly serious, "As Zachary's father, it's only applicable if I say this to you. " Xergon began, gesturing with his head at the leopard, "Your son is quite possibly one of the most talented mages I've ever seen. But... his talent is a double-edged sword. With the power he has, he could easily hurt either himself or someone very dear to him accidentally. And judging by the seriousness of your errand, he will have a lot of opportunities to either hurt or be hurt."

Xergon placed a finger on Basajaun's soft chest as he continued. "You have to make sure that this talented boy is safe both from himself and the people who want to do him harm. This is not a request, Basajaun. This is your most important assignment from me," the lynx pulled his hand back and heaved a long sigh, "Keep Zachary and everyone safe. Understood?"

Looking into the lynx's eyes, Basajaun nodded adamantly. "I promise," he affirmed, glancing over to the rest of the group, "These people mean more to me than my own life. You can count on me to make sure that I'll do everything in my power for them. And, like Zach has said on many occasions, you know I'm telling the truth."

After a moment of studying the dragon's face, Xergon nodded as well. "I know you are. That's all I wanted to hear. Thank you." The lynx smiled, the relief on his features and in his tone evident.

Returning the smile, Basajaun nodded in turn. "And Xergon, I want to thank you again," he stated sincerely, "You helped my son in more ways than I'm sure I'm aware of, and you accepted me, despite what I am. That means more to me than I can repay you for."

Glancing over to his small pile of growing carvings for a moment, the dragon turned to Xergon. "I made you something to show my appreciation, though," he stated, gesturing to the collection of wooden figures, "If that was all you needed, I'd like to give you something to remember me by."

The lynx's eyebrows raised slightly in curiosity. "Oh, is that so?" Looking over where Basajaun had just a second ago, Xergon gave the dragon a warm smile once he turned back to face him. "I'd be honored to see it, then."

Grinning happily, Basajaun lead the way back to the campfire, plucking a pair of joined statuettes from his collection. "I'm told I have exceptional woodworking skills," the dragon stated with as much humility as he could, though he bore a proud smile as he handed the piece to Xergon, "So I made this for you. It's just about all I can give you, in terms of a material form of thanks, but I hope you like it."

The carving was formed into a scale model of the dragon and lynx shaking hands, just as Lya had suggested. Basajaun was in his furred, moderately chubby appearance, with a beaming, grateful smile. Xergon's miniature bore his own smile; the one that so often alighted the lynx's face. Unlike the other carvings of anthros that Basajaun had done, this one bore exquisite detail across the entire surface, rather than just the face.

Xergon's expression seemed to change to genuinely surprised as he examined the wooden carving. The lynx's eyes wandered around the delicate item, and for only a single second, Basajaun could swear he could see the master's eyes shining. Before it could be identified as the beginning of tears, however, they disappeared, leaving nothing but a simple smile on the feline's face in their wake.

After nearly a minute of studying the statuette, Xergon finally managed to tear his gaze away and look up at the dragon in front of him. "This... this is wonderful," he said, his voice unusually weak, yet undoubtedly impressed, "Thank you, Basajaun," staring into the drake's eyes, it was easy to tell that the lynx was sincerely touched by the gesture, his features conveying his emotions better than any heartfelt words could, "I'll hold dear to this gift."

Smiling wide, Basajaun sat on his haunches in front of the headmaster. "And before you have to go," he began, his smile becoming mildly sheepish as he extended a forelimb slightly towards the lynx, "Could I perhaps get a farewell hug?"

"After a gift like this?" Xergon asked in turn, his earlier smile widening to a sincerely happy grin as he mirrored the dragon's motions, "I'd be a fool to refuse a farewell hug from Basajaun, the kind dragon."

Meeting the lynx's arm with his own, the drake gently pulled the headmaster into his embrace, his snout nuzzling subconsciously at the feline's shoulder. "Thank you, Master," Basajaun breathed quietly, "For everything. We owe you so much, but it'll have to wait until our current issue is resolved. You can count on hearing from us again, though. Even if I have to learn how to use the postage system!"

Xergon let loose a chuckle, not breaking the embrace just yet. "You owe only one thing to me, and you already know what that is," the lynx stayed in the hug for a few moments, and once he finally pulled back, he could only smile at the dragon, "Keep each other safe."

With those words, the master gave his a bow to Basajaun before he moved back to others with the clear intention of saying his farewells to the female members of the group. He held the wooden statue in his paw the entire time, unable to loosen his grip on the gift from his first dragon student.

Basajaun followed closely behind the lynx before situating himself next to Zachary, a slightly sad smile on his face as he watched Xergon and Talib making their goodbyes. The snake seemed rather uncomfortable with the whole ordeal, though it was clear enough that he was at least attempting to be a bit more personable. Like Basajaun, the rest of the group thanked the masters for all they had done, and Esmeralda in particular was rather enthusiastic with her farewell, surprising the masters with a double hug and snickering amusedly at the uncomfortable expression the action got from Talib.

Sighing as she withdrew from the serpent and feline, Esmeralda gave them each a grin. "You two gave me my mind back," she stated, tapping her talon to her temple, "I'll not be forgetting that. You can count on a modest donation to the college once I get back home. And I won't be hearing 'no, thank you' for an answer."

Xergon slowly lowered his finger upon hearing that last sentence in particular. "Oh," he mumbled, and while appearing quite uncomfortable in this current situation as well, he gave the owl a smiling nod nonetheless, "In that case, thank you, Elder Eszes." Bidding his head, the lynx turned to Lya, the ocelot's expression an odd mixture of joy and sorrow.

"We already discussed this, Lya," the feline in question nodded wordlessly, a small smile gracing her lips, "You're getting back here once this errand is out of the way to finish school. No injuries, no unexpected adventures with Zachary," the leopard could only blink at the request, but Xergon continued regardless of the multicaster's bewilderment, "You'll... get back here in one piece, and after taking your final exam... then... then you'll be free to go wherever your heart pulls you." The lynx cleared his throat. It wasn't only needed because of nervousness.

"I know, Master." Was all that Lya said as a reply, her amber eyes glittering brilliantly as small tears began forming on their edges.

With a shallow nod and a small sigh, Xergon quickly forced a wide smile on his face, his gaze lingering on the members of the group. "Well, I suppose this is it, then." He said, sadness in his tone which he simply couldn't hide.

"We'll see each other very soon, Master." Zachary's joyful voice cut through the mild melancholy, the leopard's smile widening when the lynx gave another nod.

A wave of their hands, sincere smiles, even from Talib, and they turned around, their forms slowly nearing the exit of the clearing. The entire group watched the two masters go. And everyone, without an exception, could only do so with some amount of sorrow in their hearts.

Before the pair could leave, however, Xergon suddenly stopped in his tracks, his head low as he seemed to hold up something in front of him. The others couldn't see what he was examining from behind the lynx, but the master's glad sigh was impossible to miss. It was also impossible to see the wide smile on the feline's face as he began moving once again, his head still low, his eyes still scanning the inscription on the bottom of the wooden statue which clearly read;

For accepting me and my family, you have my deepest gratitude. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Basajaun.

Watching the pair until they were out of sight, the drake sighed heavily, before nuzzling Zachary's shoulder. "What are we going to do about that other dragon?" he asked hesitantly. It was clear from Basajaun's expression that he wasn't looking forward to whatever plan the leopard had come up with, yet equally evident that he wanted to help nonetheless.

The feline heaved his own sigh once the masters departed from the clearing. "First," he began, turning to face everyone from the group, his expression changing to one of seriousness, "I need to know whether everyone's in this or not." Zachary glanced between the members of the group, his gaze lingering for more time on Esmeralda and Lya than the two dragons.

Esmeralda gave an immediate nod. "I for one am eager to see if there are more dragons like Basa out there," she stated, grinning warmly to the drake in question, "I'll be happy to kick some butt to find out."

Not replying instantly for some reason, Zachary regardless spoke up once his inexplicable bafflement ended. "If my plan works, it won't come to that," he stated quietly before he turned to Lya, looking at her expectantly.

The ocelot shrugged upon noticing the leopard's gaze on her. "I told you I'd help you guys in anything, even if it's... apparently illegal and possibly very, very dangerous." While the statement did leave her lips, there was some level of uncertainty in the way the words were uttered.

Nodding and completely disregarding this, Zachary turned to the two dragons, or more accurately, to Basajaun. "How about you, bud?"

The dragon swallowed hard, before nodding. "I want to help, no matter what my instincts are telling me," he stated vehemently, a paw raising up over his heart, "It's the right thing to do." Snowflake reaching her head over and nuzzled Basajaun reassuringly, the dragons smiling to each other for a moment before returning their attention to Zachary.

"Alright." The leopard heaved another long sigh. With closed eyes and a thoughtful expression on his face, Zachary quickly ran through his plan in his mind before he opened his eyes once more, the pair of observant organs settling on the four individuals in front of him.

"My plan is quite simple." He said, a grin ever so slowly spreading his muzzle, the gesture catching the members of the group quite off-guard. As well as the words that left Zachary's mouth afterwards.

"It only requires decent acting, and some luck."

The fire softly flickered within its respective boundaries, its orange light fighting bravely against the forces of the night's darkness. Along with the crackle of the scorching flames, the chatter and laughter of the individuals around the fireplace followed.

The seven anthros sat in a circle around their only source of light, their heavy armors laying next to them on the ground along with their weapons. Their minds set on calling it a day very soon, the dragon hunters decided to rid themselves of their metal burdens. Wearing them during the night guaranteed an uncomfortable sleep, after all.

"Just one more, Sul!" A rather heavyset bear insisted from among the joyous bunch, the anthro stubbornly holding his cup out to the lion next to him.

The feline, now identified as Sul, could only shake his head at his companion's pleading for alcohol. "Fine, you damn drunkard," the remark was immediately followed by a series of laughs from the others, the lion smirking to himself proudly as he added, "If you're so keen on looking like a wreck tomorrow when we present our catch to the bidders, then go right ahead!" The dragon in question hissed loudly from behind at being acknowledged, a sound which every single member of the group completely ignored.

The ursine snorted loudly in amusement once the commotion around him died down, snatching the half-empty bottle from the feline's paws and laughing wildly at his success. "I might look like a wreck tomorrow, but I'm still quicker than you are, kitty cat!" Sul glared intently at the bear and opened his mouth to snap back. The words he was intending to utter never left his lips, however.

A foreign, loud scream from beneath the undergrowth startled the seven anthros around the fire, resonating through the small clearing until they were certain the chilling sound was haunted. Bodies stiff as a plank and remaining in utter silence, some members of the group only began slowly reaching for their weapons after nearly a minute passed in quiet. They looked between each other unsurely, waiting for something else to happen. But nothing came.

"What the hell was that?" One of them demanded quietly after a while, the anthro's sword held closely to his body as his eyes scanned his surroundings frantically.

Sul snarled at his companion, his own weapon grasped tightly in his paw. "How are we supposed to know, you idiot?" Sighing in evident exasperation and rolling his eyes, the lion stood up from the others, turning in the direction the sound had come from, the others remaining in uncertain silence.

"It's probably just some kids pla--"

"Help me!" The foreign voice called out once more, the feminine tone in which it spoke revealing the owner's gender. It was closer than last time, evidently nearing the hunters' campsite.

The seven anthros blinked in almost unison upon hearing the voice for the second time, the bear from earlier breaking the awkward silence which settled once again on them. "Sounds like someone's in trou--"

"Oh, thank you, we haven't heard it just now!" Sul once again snapped at his companion, this time at the ursine on the ground, who was yet to leave his frozen position.

The lion shook his head. "It's not our business. Just ignore it. It will probably sto--"

"Gods, help me!" The voice cut Sul off for the very last time, before its owner finally emerged from the depths of the forest. Running in panic and panting heavily, an ocelot quickly covered the distance between her and the anthros, her breathing ragged and frantic once she came to a stop in front of seven utterly perplexed dragon hunters.

Leaning on her knees as she tried to catch her breath, the ocelot's torn clothes hang loosely from her shoulders, the garment barely holding itself up by a couple of thin threads. "H-Help... me..." She breathed weakly through her panting, her head lowered.

It took a couple of moments for the dragon hunters to leave their bewildered state. "You... ma'am, are you alright?" Sul inquired, suddenly seeming a lot more courteous with a random stranger than his companions.

"No!" The ocelot shrieked in horror, whipping her head up to look at the startled anthros. "Bandits! I... we... my sisters and I were attacked in the... woods! I... oh, gods, I ran as fast as I could, but... but they... they..." The feline suddenly broke down in tears, burying her head in her paws as she wept loudly.

Sul blinked a couple of times, numbly staring at the crying ocelot in front of her. Glancing behind the seven anthros, all of whom were in a standing position all of a sudden, he only got a collective nod from every single member.

Turning back to the distressed feline, the lion put a paw on her shoulder. "Ma'am, try to calm down," he reasoned softly, rubbing the ocelot's shoulder, "What's your name?"

Lya had to call forth every last bit of her self control not to slap the anthro in front of her at that very moment. The lion's hand was extremely unwelcome, to say the very least, but she miraculously suppressed the urge to break her act.

"Lya," the ocelot sniffled quietly, extracting her head from her paws and looking up at the hunter with red eyes. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and while only feigned tears, they sure proved to be effective with seven male anthros suddenly surrounding her from every possible direction.

"Lya," Sul repeated the name, a crooked smile touching the corners of his mouth as his paw drifted down to hold the ocelot by her arm, "You said you and... your sisters were attacked by bandits?"

When Lya nodded wordlessly, the same, twisted smiles appeared on the rest of the anthros' face without an exception. "Were these bandits the ones who have done this to you?" The lion pushed on, holding Lya's torn blouse up just a little with a finger.

The ocelot pulled sternly on her clothes, mentally shaking with fury. "Y-Yes..." she sobbed melodramatically, "And... and they... my sisters. I think they caught my sisters." Lya's head immediately made its way back to her paws as she continued giving her best performance yet.

Sul cooed and shook his head at the distressed feline. "Oh, not a worry, my little flower," Lya nearly puked at the name she was called, "How many of these bandits have attacked you and your... how many sisters again?" The lion peered down to look at the ocelot, who had her eyes closed, her paws almost painfully digging in her face as she attempted not to maul down the anthro's face.

"F-Five bandits and... and I have three sisters." Lya stammered quietly, sniffling as she looked up at the anthros with the most pleading expression she could muster. "Please, please help me. I... I don't know what to do and... my... I fear what might happen to my sisters. Please, I'm begging you, help me somehow."

Sul's crooked smile widened at the opportunity he and his companions were presented with. After a last glance around the members of the group and getting only the same gesture and a couple of wordless nods, the lion redirected his attention to the ocelot.

"Lya," he began, his paw coming to rest under her chin, "You can stop worrying. Me and my friends here are actual dragon hunters," there wasn't a single trace of humility in the lion's tone, only a pretentious quality to his voice, "I'm sure we can handle a couple of no-name bandits and help you," Sul grinned widely, "And your sisters out."

Lya bit her lip hard as her head was held up, but she refused to break her act. "Oh, gods," she breathed tearfully, sobbing in relief as she glanced at the members of the group, "Oh gods, thank you! Thank you!"

Waving a paw casually, Sul motioned with his head for the others. "Five gets armors and weapons, two stays back to..." Stopping himself, the lion cleared his throat, not having to explain himself any further while Lya simply remained in her feigned ignorance about the subject.

A somewhat long and drawn-out debate among the members of the group later, five anthros stood proudly in their armor, their weapons clutched confidently in their hands. Two sulking individuals stayed by the campfire, their displeased murmuring audible through the silence of the night as they each bore a dissatisfied expression on their faces.

"Alright," Sul began once the his other four companions were ready, his own armor rattling as he made his way back to Lya, "Show us the way. We'll show those bandits who are the kings of Centrum."

Disregarding the disgusting grin that adorned the lion's face, the ocelot nodded wordlessly. She was yet to cease her sniffling, her method of convincing seven males to help her too satisfying to just end. With five anthros behind her back, Lya began leading them straight back in the woods, and couldn't help but smirk to herself when nobody was looking.

Jackpot.

Watching from his hiding place, Basajaun kept the anthros under his wings as hidden as he could. His skill in stealth being the greatest among the group, the drake had snuck himself, Esmeralda, and Zachary to the edge of the hunter's encampment. Blending in with his surroundings with the aid of his camouflage spell, practically invisible in the undergrowth.

Yet the drake was still struggling against the scent of the bound dragon. He didn't dare attempt to look at the cart in which the dragon was held, yet he managed to retain control of himself, Snowflake's wing around his shoulders helping his efforts immensely.

Once the majority of the hunters were out of sight and far enough away, Basajaun opened his wings slightly, signalling that the coast was clear.

With soundless steps, Zachary swiftly crept out from below the dragon's wing, holding the bow secured on his back with a paw to cease its rattling, along with the arrows in his quiver. Looking in the direction Lya had departed, the leopard wordlessly motioned with his head for Snowflake and Esmeralda towards the clearing, and with silent steps in his wake, began slinking after the five anthros who had left the camp.

Nuzzling Basajaun and mentally wishing him good luck, the spirit obeyed her gestured order, alongside her mistress. With softly tinkling footsteps, the dragoness snuck around to the side of the clearing, lining up her sights. Once she was completely in place, the familiar extended an arm towards the two remaining hunters. "Prison of Ice!" she cried out, the hunters jumping to their feet in surprise as the loud chime reached them, before literally freezing in place as the spirit's spell followed the sound.

Zachary panted as quietly as he could as he followed Lya's trail. The familiar burn in his chest appeared not long after he began picking up his pace, and it made remaining stealthy quite difficult to the leopard, regardless of his natural coloration and the darkness of the night. Blackness didn't stop the sound of coughs or wheezing.

Paw planted on his chest as it held his bow by its string, the leopard could clearly smell the scent of five unfamiliar anthros fastly approaching him. And once a muffled conversation between a pair of anthros made its way in his sensitive ears, Zachary slowed in his tracks, creeping under the dense forest undergrowth. He didn't have to look too long for the source of the sound.

"How far are they, Lya?" Sul asked as he walked behind the ocelot, his companions following right behind the pair, "We've been walking for quite some time now, young lady." There was just a hint of subdued annoyance in the lion's tone as he addressed her.

Lya furrowed her brows, before glancing behind the anthro with a horrified expression, the earlier one long gone from her features. "They... they are nearby. We're getting really close now." She replied quietly, getting a hum and a nod in reply as the six continued marching deep into the woodlands.

The anthros behind Sul exchanged silent looks between each other occasionally, their eyes scanning their surroundings, weapons held out, completely aware. Or at least, completely aware of the non-existent bandits that allegedly captured the alluring ocelot's hopefully even more alluring sisters. But even with that goal in their minds, it slowly seemed to become a forlorn fantasy when their legs began to feel the heaviness of their armor, their arms lowering slightly as they held their weapons.

While following the hunters silently wasn't a particularly difficult task to perform, Zachary could clearly notice the increasing doubt among the members of the hunters as time passed. They dumbly followed behind Lya for nearly twenty minutes, while the leopard stayed unnoticed among the various bushes and wide, tall plants.

Upon recognizing the evident risk which arose with every second that passed, the feline decided that it was time to initiate the next step in their plan. Lya was still with them, and she had to get out of there somehow.

A single arrow leaving his quiver and mounted on the bow's string, not a second later was the bolt whistling through the air, seemingly appearing out of nowhere from a nearby bush.

The arrow landed right behind Sul's head, planting itself deep into the tree's trunk next to the lion, who immediately jumped and let out a rather unmanly scream upon hearing the deafening sound. Turning to investigate, the hunter could only stare at the bolt for a second, his companions doing the same with mouth agape.

"ARCHERS! TAKE COVER!" Sul ordered in evident panic after having recovered from his shock, the four anthros around him obeying the command immediately as they swiftly hid behind the closest accessible trees around them. Before the lion could do the same, he glanced behind him. "LYA, TAK--" He stopped and blinked. "LYA?"

No answer came. There was no Lya around the five anthros, nothing in her wake, not a single trace left of her existence, only the hunters' memories.

"LYA!?"

Zachary and Lya couldn't help but let out a chuckle as they listened to the distant screams of the dragon hunters. The indignation in Sul's voice was noticeable even from a distance, the pair of felines already far away from the fooled anthros. Running was becoming a rather unpleasant action for Zachary, yet he knew they didn't have any other choice. They had to get back to the camp, and they had to be fast about it. Unfortunately, his lungs weren't quite pleased with this intent.

"Do... you... think this is... far enough?" The leopard managed to inquire between shallow wheezes, his paw still hovering over his chest despite not having to secure his bow any longer, his gait just a tiny bit slower than the ocelot's.

Lya gave a grinning nod as she jumped over a root, continuing to practically float over the ground without missing a beat. "Definitely! I had them walk around in circles, then led them to the farthest part of the forest!" She reported, unable to hide the pride which rose in her chest with every fast step she took. "It will take them a while to get back to their camp!"

Mirroring the expression and disregarding the pain in his chest, Zachary redirected his gaze towards their destination as the pair made their way to it. Their job with Lya was done. He could only hope that the other members have succeeded as well.

Humming a little tune, Esmeralda worked the ropes she had brought around the limbs of the frozen hunters, their eyes following her movements even as the rest of their bodies remained unmoving. Despite being unable to flex their facial muscles to any significant extent, the disdain in their eyes was clear enough.

"Not so fun when you're the ones being captured and bound, huh?" she mocked lightly, her tone one that was aggravatingly jovial. Snowflake sat near her mistress, ready to refreeze the hunters if they showed any signs of mobility. The spirit looked over to Zachary and Lya as she felt the leopard near into eyesight, smiling at them warmly.

"Everything's going according to plan, so far," the familiar stated, gesturing at the hunters, "It looks like there aren't going to be any significant problems."

Both felines breathed heavily as they came to a stop. Lya appeared only marginally drained from the entire experience, but that certainly wasn't the case with the individual behind her.

Leaning on his knees as he struggled to find oxygen, Zachary gave a thumb's up to Snowflake once he recollected himself somewhat. "Nice... work," the leopard said approvingly and looked up to Snowflake, an odd grin on his muzzle while the rest of his face remained fixated in a grimace.

Having already suppressed her own ragged breathing, Lya put a paw on Zachary's hunched-over back, rubbing the area gently. The ocelot bore a smirk as her eyes settled on the two icy tombs next to the pair of ice mages. It was easy to find amusement in the frozen, surprised expressions on the victims' faces.

Satisfied with the sight, a small amount of concern crept in Lya's voice nonetheless as she spoke. "Are those two gonna be alright?" She gestured at the frigid anthros in question, Zachary lifting his head up to look at the two individuals with slightly narrowed eyes.

Esmeralda waved a hand dismissively. "They're fine, it's just a trapping spell," she reassured the ocelot, gesturing to the open air holes over the pair's nostrils, "They'll be a bit cold, but otherwise unharmed. We shouldn't keep them too long, though, to avoid giving them frostbite. So Zach, be a dear and get that dragon unbound, won't you?"

Holding up a finger, the leopard gave a few shallow nods before returning his head to its downwards position. He slowed down his breathing as much as he could, and after a couple of seconds, straightened himself, loosening a quiet hiss in the process.

"That's what I was... going to do," Zachary murmured as he rubbed his chest, "The five other dumbasses will find their way back pretty soon anyway. So... let's..." The feline stopped in his speech as soon as he turned to face the chained-up dragon.

Even through the darkness of the night, the reptile's cold eyes practically shone to him effortlessly. The beast stared at him, its gaze locked on every slight movement he made.

As he stared back at the captured creature in its confinements, Zachary could clearly see the evident fear which played across its features. The emotion radiated from its whole being, its posture, its eyes, its barely audible growling. It was impossible to miss. The dragon was terrified, hopelessness its only company.

Zachary wanted to help. He really did. But once he recognized the evident tenseness which dominated the dragon's mind, he couldn't help but hesitate. For only a moment, his legs remained unmoving, disobeying the already given order to start walking towards the beast.

The situation was dangerous, and he knew it. He had to be extremely careful, and he knew that too. Yet, despite all that knowledge in his mind, there was a crucial thing he didn't know. Basajaun might have turned out to be a sentient, gentle creature, but the same couldn't be guaranteed with another dragon. It could have been hostile. A simple, animalistic being that possessed no trace of consciousness. It was a possibility.

Yet, regardless, it still deserved life over death. And Zachary was the only one to give it. He wanted to help, no matter the danger. This dragon could have been another Basajaun. That was the other possibility.

He had made his choice already.

Heaving a sigh, the leopard began taking decisive steps towards the dragon, his hesitation vanished, resolution taking its place. Not a few inches closer, however, the beast's growling began to intensify. The sound was a warning. A warning that couldn't be ignored.

Zachary came to a stop immediately. His shoulders sank a little lower while his tail dropped to the ground. His ears were laid flat against the side of his head, and within only a moment, the feline went from determined to completely submissive.

"Shh, it's alright," the leopard cooed to the dragon in front of him, "I'm not going to hurt you, buddy. I'm here to free you." While still unsure about the beast's intelligence, there wasn't anything else he could offer but comforting words and reasoning.

The dragon's intense stare bore into the feline's eyes, the glassy yellow orbs holding great amounts of aggressive fear. Watching from the edge of the clearing, Basajaun felt his own growl working up in his chest at his companion being threatened like this, though he desperately attempted to repress the reaction. 'Give him a chance,' the drake ordered himself, repeating the words endlessly in his mind.

Snowflake kept herself close enough to intervene should the dragon in the cart attempt to harm Zachary, but held a respectful distance to allow the leopard the chance to reassure the small dragon.

With the beast's growling dying down somewhat, Zachary once again began walking towards the bound creature. His steps were deliberate, his paws held up submissively as he crept closer and closer.

Lya could hear the dragon's growling slowly returning when the leopard neared it. She would have tightened her grasp on Rose in worry, if she could have. She was squeezing her weapon as hard as she could, her gaze locked on Zachary as he slowly rounded the dragon. Similar to Basajaun, she fought hard to suppress the urge to help him, and was succeeding for now.

Once in near touching distance, the tied down reptile released a loud hiss and struck its tail against the ground, causing the feline to retreat a couple of steps. "Woho, calm, lizard, calm." Zachary swallowed. He could feel his heart thudding rapidly in his chest with each second passing. His tenseness only seemed to diminish when he walked to the side of the cart and out of the dragon's vision. The beast's piercing gaze was a relief to be rid of.

The dry blood was impossible to miss. It coated the grass around the back of the wooden wagon, the droplets coloring green to crimson red in small patches. The sight filled Zachary's heart with another burst of determination, and that was all the feline needed to ignore the dragon's lashing tail on the ground as he laid his paws on the chains which held the beast secure.

Pulling on the metal confines proved to be ineffective. The only result he got was another loud snarl from the dragon, and Zachary immediately withdrew his paws from the creature when it began moving around in its manacles. The leopard furrowed his brows. He had to try something else.

After a moment of consideration, he forced his hands back on the chains with a lot more gentleness than last time. He was rewarded by another hiss, but it was noticeably quieter than on previous occasions. Closing his eyes, Zachary concentrated, his mind busying itself with recalling one of the first spells he had ever learned. Given the scale he was about to perform it on, it took more time than usual.

It was perhaps a minute later when the chains around the dragon's body began to twitch. As Lya watched, her grip on her weapon loosened somewhat, the action mirroring the scene she was just witnessing. The confinements slowly started loosening just like her grasp on Rose, and instead of dropping on the ground like they were supposed to, remained in the air, levitating effortlessly. Busy in his fruitful spell, Zachary failed to recognize the mistake he had made.

The marginal looseness of the chains was all the dragon needed.

Heaving a massive roar, the dragon kicked the chains free from its legs, flinging the heavy metal in random directions. The wood of the cart splintered at the reptile's flailing, the nimble creature leaping to its feet on top of the cart, directly over the leopard. The dragon's lips were curled in a snarl, its jaws opening wide to reveal its viper-like fangs.

And that's when Basajaun realized; plains dragons had deadly venom. "Zach, move!" the drake cried out, bursting out of the treeline and into the clearing.

Zachary remained unmoving. He stared up at the creature which loomed over him, his breath caught in his throat. The dragon's venom dribbled from its fangs, the lethal substance fortunately making contact with the leopard's face. The wet droplet was the only thing that managed to snap him out of his shock.

Only barely having registered Basajaun's voice, the feline only heard the forest dragon's loud footsteps approaching when he made to retreat from the aggressive reptile on top of the broken cart. He was still facing the plains dragon as he backed a couple of steps away, and to his utter relief, the creature didn't follow up. When he noticed that the beast was staring over him, saw its completely dilated eyes, it was only then that Zachary turned around.

What he found himself looking at, however, was not what he expected.

The scent, sight, and growls of the plains dragon had all been overcome in Basajaun's mind, though just barely. However, the threat it had made to his son was too much; the forest dragon's eyes were glassy and dilated, and deep growl resonating in his chest. He squared himself to the smaller dragon, as it did the same. Their postures were matched; flared wings, a wide stance, tails high in the air, and lips peeled back to display their fangs. A territorial dispute was now beginning between two of the most aggressive creatures in the world.

Zachary stood between the two dragons, his head whipping to look at each in panic. This was not good. This was definitely not good. He had never seen Basajaun behave like this, and for the first time, the leopard didn't know what to do. All he could do was remain breathless, his heart exploding in his chest as his eyes drifted from one instinct-driven dragon to the other.

Only a second had passed since the pair of reptiles took their fighting positions. That is the time Zachary needed to exit his panic-like trance. He turned to Basajaun, a terrified expression on his face when he saw his friend's features. "Basa!" he cried out, his voice strong despite its shaking, "Stop! Basa!"

He knew his only chance of resolving the situation was by attempting to calm the only dragon he could. The other one simply kept up its combative act, completely disregarding the leopard which stood between it and Basajaun.

The leopard's voice was muffled and unclear. The dragons' attention were fixed entirely on each other as they began to circle around one another, their eyes scanning for any sort of exploitable weakness. The rational part of Basajaun's mind screamed and struggled to regain control, failing miserably against the riptide of his instincts.

Seconds passed like hours. Snowflake tried to move between the dragons, hoping to prevent this as much as Zachary did. Esmeralda and Lya could only look on in disbelief.

Suddenly loosing a cacophonous roar, the sort that could have been heard for miles, the forest dragon began his charge. This was his territory. He would not have it taken from him.

Time seemed to slow down as soon as Basajaun took his first step. Zachary only had a single second to look back to the dragon he had just rescued from death. His willingness to keep it alive was even stronger than his common sense. All he wanted to do was help. Help a creature which was, despite its rightful aggressiveness, innocent.

This goal overpowered every other thought and intent. Unfortunately, even the warnings that his brain signaled once his body made to move on its own accord.

"BASA! NO!"

Zachary threw himself in front of Basajaun, arms extended on both sides, eyes clenched shut.

The obstacle was registered in the dragon's mind. There was something alive in his way; small and vulnerable, it wouldn't be too difficult to dissuade this creature from interfering.

Jaws open, a hissing growl signaled the strike as it came down. Fangs clamped down and sank into flesh, venom glands pumped once, and then the scent of the blood in his mouth caught the dragon's attention.

It was familiar. He had smelled this before. But... how? How could a foreign dragon's blood be familiar? Why? Why... was it so familiar?

Mind snapping into focus once more, Basajaun's eyes widened in shock at what he was looking at.

His fangs were embedded in Zachary's right shoulder.

There were no sounds. He couldn't hear anything. Not even Lya's deafening scream. There was only his heart's thrumming in his ears. It... was slowing down. That's all his mind could comprehend. The beating of his heart was gradually slowing down. His mouth was open, yet nothing came out of it. His eyes were open, but they saw nothing.

The pain felt like nothing before. A completely novel suffering. Even greater than the pain in his lungs. But it didn't burn. It stang with intensity he didn't know existed. And it hurt. It... really hurt. It hurt both inside and out.

He screamed out in pain only once. His tears could only brim his eyes for a second. His features could only twist in agony for a fraction of a second. He could only feel his blood streaming down his arm for even less. The blood reached the ground before his tears could.

And then, nothing. His whole body stiffened.

It... was slowing down. The beating of his heart was slowing down. It was lagging. It was skipping beats. Slow. Feeble. Uneven.

Was he going to die? Is this what death felt like? It hurt. Make it stop. It hurt so much. Make it go away. He didn't want to die. Not like this. Not by him.

Silence. Blood. Pain.

The thrumming in his ears stopped.

The venom reached every part of his body, and Zachary was reduced to a bleeding statue that slowly began sinking to the ground. His frozen expression was the only thing Lya could see as his body landed on the grass. He didn't deaden the impact. She was just as frozen as the look on his face.

Even the plains dragon stopped its growling to join the silence. Its still dilated eyes drifted down to look at the frigid creature, but after only a moment, its instincts took control again. Releasing a loud roar was the worst thing it could do, however.

With a snarl that matched the reptile's own in volume, Lya dashed between the plains dragon and the unmoving Zachary in a blink of an eye. She held Rose with an iron grip as she stared up at the beast. The ocelot ignored everything around her at that moment. She even ignored the bubbling rage which rose inside her. Or the danger.

Dare to get closer to him. You're going to die. I swear I'm going to kill you if you take a single step towards him.

As it stared into the ocelot's eyes, the plains dragon slowly ceased its growling. It slowly realized that it was outnumbered and outmatched. Hissing at an unshaken Lya, the plains dragon span about and fled into the trees, its form disappearing in the dense undergrowth. Just like the hopes of it being sentient.

Basajaun didn't notice the other dragon leaving. He could only stare numbly at what he had done. A pained whimper escaped the dragon's throat as he nuzzled at the leopard's frozen face. Zachary didn't move an inch.

"No... I didn't... I couldn't... Gods, WHY?!" Basajaun wailed, falling to the ground beside Zachary, pulling the feline tight against his chest. "I didn't mean it... I didn't mean it... please, Zach, no! I didn't mean to!" the drake babbled in shock, curling up fetally around the leopard as he hugged the paralyzed anthro against him.

"This isn't happening," the dragon insisted, rubbing Zachary's back, "I love my son. I wouldn't do this. I can't have done this!" The words fell uselessly in the air; there was no changing what had happened.

"Please, I'm sorry," Basajaun whimpered, eyes clenched tight as hot tears welled up within them. The drake's paw reached up to the leopard's head, starting to scratch lightly behind the feline's round ear. "Make it go away," the dragon begged like a child, rocking lightly back and forth as his wings cocooned the leopard, "Please, Gods, I wouldn't do this!"

The gentle scratching was to no avail for the very first time. Zachary remained unmoving.

"Get. Away."

Lya's voice cut in Basajaun's babbling. It sounded nothing like her, only carrying unknown coldness. Coldness that matched the steel the dragon could feel on his neck as the ocelot laid Rose upon it. "Get away from him. Now." She stared at the reptile, her eyes free of tears, yet full of fury she was trying her hardest to contain.

Basajaun looked to Lya's wrathful expression, his own entirely sorrowful and submissive. "N-no... please... don't take him from me," the drake begged pitifully, clinging to Zachary for dear life, like he was afraid the leopard would simply cease to exist if he let go.

Lya bit her lips as tears began forming in her eyes at last. "Get. Away." She repeated her order, her voice wavering, the arm holding her weapon shaking visibly. "I... I don't want to hurt you. Let go of Zach. Now." She was on the edge of breaking down, but despite its obviousness, she held strong, her piercing gaze drilling holes into Basajaun's soul.

Snowflake and Esmeralda arrived by the dragon's side simultaneously, while he continued clinging to Zachary for several moments longer. "Let him go," Esmeralda ordered, her own voice filled with shocked anger, as well.

The second individual's order managed to loosen Basajaun's grip, and he released the leopard, only for his hands to reach up and grip this sides of his own head. As he began sobbing, Snowflake moved to comfort the drake, while Esmeralda sat herself beside Zachary.

Lya exhaled raggedly. Her axe fell to the ground, and the ocelot followed after her weapon. She scooted herself close to the leopard. "Oh, Gods," she breathed weakly, planting a trembling hand on Zachary's motionless face.

Nothing. Not even a twitch. He simply continued looking around him in panic, his eyes darting from between the ocelot and the owl. Fresh tears began brimming his eyes, agony flickered in the brown orbs.

His heart began beating again, pumping blood through the open wound.

"H-Help him..." Lya whispered quietly as she examined the two gaping, blood-filled holes in the feline's flesh. His entire right arm was red. Even the ground beneath him was red. It flowed out of the gash so fast. A crimson fountain, a crimson waterfall that drained life out of him with every droplet.

"He's... he's going to bleed out," the ocelot's voice began rising, her tearful eyes darting to look at Esmeralda pleadingly, "Help him!"

"Calm down," the owl ordered, glancing up at the ocelot with a flat expression, "Panic isn't going to help." That out of the way, the owl put her hands to the bleeding wound. "Carne Sanare," she intoned, her blue magic working its way into Zachary's shoulder, pulling the flesh back into place and sealing the wound. A large, ugly scab was the result of the spell, but the blood had ceased flowing.

Zachary shook internally from relief. He wasn't going to die today.

Once the leopard's life was no longer in danger, the owl looked up to Basajaun, her eyes filled with razors. "What... the Hell... did you do?" she demanded, the calm tone in her voice belying the ice witch's wrath.

The dragon could only whimper again, his head buried in his arms and wings. "I couldn't stop it," he cried softly, "I tried so hard... I couldn't do it." Snowflake, the only one who truly knew how hard it was for Basajaun, nuzzled the drake's neck softly in understanding.

Swallowing both her rage and panic at once, Lya heaved a massive sigh of relief, her paw gently stroking Zachary's head. Sniffling and wiping her tears from her eyes with her shoulder, the ocelot completely disregarded the existence of the forest dragon in an attempt to suppress her emotions.

"We need to get out of here," she stated sternly, her tone once again completely dominant, her eyes drifting to look into the woods, "The dragon hunters could arrive at any minute. We have to get Zach back to safety."

Turning to Snowflake, Lya couldn't help but grimace slightly as her gaze skipped over Basajaun for even a single second. "Snowflake, grab Zach and bring him back to camp," the ocelot made to stand, grabbing Rose in the process, "Now. We don't have time."

Snowflake nodded, moving to gently pick up Zachary. The pool of blood remained on the ground while the leopard was brought on the familiar's back. "Let's go," Esmeralda ordered, leading the way out of the clearing. When the spirit made to follow, she saw Basajaun had failed to move yet.

Moving to the drake, Snowflake nuzzled him gently once again. "Come on, Forest," she insisted, "We need to go." After several seconds, the dragon stood numbly, following along behind the dragoness in silence.

The silence stayed as the group made their way back to the their campsite. No words left anyone's lips, and while one of them would have had a lot to say, he was deprived of his speech. The others remained quiet willingly.

Lya's face was emotionless as she walked beside Esmeralda, the pair leading the two dragons behind them. There might have been no emotions on the ocelot from the outside, but inside, they swirled around in a blizzard of mixed sorrow and fury. It took immense amount of effort for her to keep these sensations contained. Luckily, before she knew it, she could see the familiar clearing coming in sight.

Padding softly into the clearing behind the anthros, Snowflake situated herself by the fire, reaching back and lifting Zachary up, before setting him down in front of her. Closing her eyes, the spirit touched her snout to the leopard's forehead, straining slightly to establish a mental contact with him.

'Zachary, can you hear me?' the spirit asked in the feline's mind, while Basajaun stumbled numbly away from the anthros, falling to the ground beside the bathing pool, 'Are you okay?'

Eyes locking with Snowflake's, the evident struggle in the leopard's brown pair was unmistakable. Yet, despite his best efforts, he simply couldn't reply in his current state. Not even in his mind.

Instead, Zachary began moving his eyes up and down, mirroring the motion of a nod and hoping that the spirit would be able to decipher it. At least she couldn't see that he was lying this way. The wound had been sealed, but the pain never left.

Sitting down beside Zachary on the grass, Lya wordlessly made to move her hand on his head. She looked up at Snowflake expectantly afterwards, knowing that the familiar was able to communicate with the leopard through their bond.

Although able to feel the pain through her bond, the spirit looked to Lya and gave a smiling nod. That's what Zachary wanted; to reassure the ocelot, and the owl that sat herself on the other side of the leopard.

Lya heaved a sigh of relief, yet the grimace on her face returned when she noticed the ugly scab on Zachary's shoulder. The sight immediately signaled for the gates which held her anger inside to open.

"Basajaun," the ocelot uttered the name in a cold tone, her voice strong enough to hear from even a distance, "Explain yourself," she wasn't looking at the dragon, directing her glare to the ground instead, "Now."

The dragon flinched at the ocelot's tone, curling up defensively again. He didn't answer; he was too ashamed to find his voice. Basajaun simply let the tears fall from his eyes, soaking the ground under his head as he cried quietly to himself.

After only a couple of moments in silence, Rose planted itself deep among the tears right next to Basajaun's face. The weapon moved through the air so fast that the dragon couldn't even hear it approaching.

"I'm not going to ask twice." Lya commanded, her voice louder than before, filled with subdued rage. The ocelot was standing once again, her arms laid flat against her body as she stared at Basajaun with an unreadable expression.

Looking between the axe and its owner, Basajaun took a deep breath, steeling himself. "I... I couldn't hold back my instincts," he managed to explain, shaking his head, "I don't have an excuse for this."

Lya's earlier expression seemed to shift to one of indignation upon hearing those words, the ocelot's whole body seeming to inflate with anger. Before anyone could even react, the feline made her way to the dragon with quickened steps.

"If it's that simple," raising her paw, Lya brought her hand down to Basajaun's head, slapping the drake across his snout hard enough to sting for even herself, "It seems like I couldn't hold back my instincts either!" The ocelot stared up at the reptile, her features free of any trace of fear. She knew he could barely feel her blow, but it wasn't her intention to hurt him. She wanted to send a message.

"Are you going to bite me now as well?" She continued quietly, her palm still numb as she held it in the air. "Or are you able to hold back your instincts now? I have to know, Basajaun," biting her lip and breathing heavily, Lya could feel fresh tears brimming her eyes as they scanned the dragon's face, "I have to know... otherwise I can't trust you anymore," the ocelot screamed furiously as she asked, "Are you in control now!?"

Although not able to see the scene, Zachary could still clearly hear what was happening. The leopard's eyes frantically darted around, his mind filled with a thousand words, yet his mouth filled with none. He could only chant a simple name in his thoughts endlessly, hoping that the silent mantra would somehow be heard by some miracle.

Basajaun raised a hand to rub the area he had been slapped. It hurt more emotionally than physically, but the action still stung. "Yes," was all he could say in reply, sniffling his tears back.

Patting Zachary's chest softly, Snowflake stood and moved to Basajaun, providing him the comfort she knew that the leopard wanted to give. She remained quiet once again, simply letting her emotions do the speaking for her through her bond with the dragon. It was a small comfort, but the drake didn't feel he deserved it, or the loving nuzzle that the spirit attempted to give him.

Flinching away from Snowflake, Basajaun simply stared at the ground. "I can't even begin to say how sorry I am," he whispered, the tears in his eyes streaming down his snout to fall to the ground.

Upon noticing the sheer remorse in the dragon's tone, Lya's anger seemed to have subsided a little, although it was still strongly present. With a long, ragged sigh to calm herself, the ocelot once again looked at Basajaun afterwards.

"Don't apologize to me," she said flatly, her own tears slowly disappearing from her eyes, "Apologize to the person who was brave enough to stand between two massive dragons to avoid seeing either hurt. To the person who was the one that got hurt for only trying to make peace." Lya's voice cracked several times as she spoke, but her intense glare at Basajaun never broke.

Slowly lifting his gaze to meet the ocelot's, the intensity of her glower made the dragon feel like he was shrinking. Still, he nodded and stood shakily to his feet, feeling dizzy and nauseous from the amount of guilt in his heart. Moving to the leopard's side, Basajaun nuzzled the feline's face tenderly.

"I'm sorry," he stated, despite knowing full well that he had already apologized profusely; in his mind, he couldn't say it enough to make up for what he had done. "I didn't mean to," he continued, barely whispering while his snout nuzzled at the leopard's ears, "It was an accident. Please, please don't hate me..."

Zachary was trying his hardest. He really was trying not to, but he couldn't help it. He simply had no control of this reaction. His breathing began to quicken as soon as Basajaun's mouth came close to his face. It wasn't because of excitement.

Just like the first time they had met, the dragon's closeness made his heart beat rapidly. He couldn't even believe himself the sensation which took over his mind. He was scared of the drake's mouth so close to his head. He was afraid of the reptile's massive fangs. He was... fearful of none other than his own father.

The dragon saw the fear in Zachary's eyes. It was unmistakeable, and a barbed, icy knife to the reptile's heart. A sob escaped the drake's throat, and he turned away from the leopard again, retreating to the edge of the clearing to lay down away from the others. He curled up again, hiding his head under his wings and face in his paws as he whimpered and cried quietly. It was all he could do.

With the dragon's departure, Zachary quickly regained control of himself. As soon as he realized what he had truly done, however, remorseful arms wrapped themselves tightly around his heart, squeezing it hard until he could feel it paining him physically. And yet, he had no ways to communicate his emotions, only a single way.

As Lya made her way back to the leopard and sat down, she gasped quietly when she turned to look at Zachary. Tears streamed down his face as his eyes stared numbly in front him. The droplets wetted his fur as they came, and he could do nothing to stop their flow.

"Zach?" The ocelot breathed in sympathy, quickly scooting herself to face the leopard on the ground. Seeing him cry like this felt like a punch in the stomach. "Zach, shh, it's okay. Don't... don't cry, dummy. Please... don't cry." Stroking Zachary's head and giving a small smile, the expression quickly faded away when the unmoving feline's tears only increased in quantity.

Snowflake again stood and moved to the drake's side, sitting beside him and stroking his back softly. At the same time, Esmeralda kept a wary eye on the wound on Zachary's shoulder, using a comb to remove the clotted blood from his arm in order to check for any other puncture wounds from the dragon's smaller teeth. The owl remained as silent as a tomb, deliberately avoiding looking at Basajaun, much like Lya had before.

Several minutes passed as silence fell on the usually joyous clearing. Zachary's mute weeping continued, his tears soaking the entirety of his muzzle, despite Lya's best efforts to wipe them away. She didn't know why he was crying, but offered her comfort regardless of her nescience.

When she noticed the leopard's lips gently twitching, however, the ocelot quickly withdrew her hands from his head. "Thank Gods," Lya breathed in relief, but looked at Zachary confusedly when he glanced up at her with tearful eyes expectantly. It only took a moment for her to realize that he wanted to say something.

Lowering her head to his, Lya brought her ear close to the leopard's mouth. As she listened, she could only hear incomprehensible stammering for long moments, and she was about to pull back in defeat when Zachary finally managed to utter the word clear enough to understand.

"B-Basa."

The name must have been repeated a hundred times before the ocelot finally pulled back. The leopard on the ground kept up his silent chanting, his red eyes brimmed with tears as he stared at Lya pleadingly. She only hesitated for a moment. "Basajaun," she called out with effort, "Zach... wants you."

Looking up from the cover of his wing, Basajaun stood quickly, moving to Zachary's side again. "A-are... are you okay?" the dragon asked, refraining from touching the leopard this time.

As soon as his father came into sight, an odd smile touched the corners of the leopard's mouth. He still couldn't quite control his facial muscles, so the handicapped gesture was the only thing he could offer. Though the words that followed were even harder to pronounce. He hated lying.

"Y...y-yes." He replied with evident struggles to speak, his lips failing to function properly. "A-Accident. Fa-mily. L... Love... you." Was all he could manage to squeeze out as he blinked once, his confused tears slipping out from their confinements and into his fur. Zachary's finger twitched ever so slightly as his arm lay limp on the ground, the single digit desperately trying to pull the unmoving limb towards Basajaun to no avail.

There was a moment of disbelief, before a tearful smile came to the dragon's face, and he nuzzled his head under the hand with the moving phalange. "I love you, too," he said without hesitation, sniffling for a second, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I wish I could have been stronger... I just... I lost control." He knew he could never properly excuse himself, but the drake could at least try.

His body tensing at the contact for a moment, Zachary quickly banished the fear which demanded to be acknowledged to the deepest parts of his mind. Yet, it remained lurking in the depths of his unconsciousness, waiting impatiently to be released once again. For now, though, the leopard managed to suppress the sensation.

Gently stroking the dragon's snout with the only finger he could move, the feline's breathing began to slow down, his tears ceasing their continuous flow at last. Zachary slowly closed his eyes as he allowed the demanding calmness to finally take its place in his mind.

"I... k-know," the leopard whispered, "I-Instincts. H-Hard. I... I f-forgive... you." His smile seemed to widen into a hopeful, nearly begging one as he said. "P-Please, d-don't be sad. I'm... sorry. I... don't hate y-you. I... I don't."

The dragon's heart rose ever so slightly at those words, and he nuzzled at Zachary's hand as the single digit stroked his fur. "Th-thank you," Basajaun whispered, laying down and snuggling himself against the leopard. It was hard to believe the gentle, submissive dragon could have been capable of any form of violence, looking at him now.

But he could still smell the blood; his son's blood. The wound he had inflicted himself stared at him; a red reminder of what he had done in his moments lost to his instincts, and of how dangerous he could be to those around him. The thought brought more tears to the dragon's eyes, but he managed to hold them there, rather than let them run once more.

"C-can I get you anything?" the dragon asked hesitantly, "A blanket, a pillow, anything at all?"

Feeling the muscles in his face returning, Zachary heaved a quiet, relieved sigh as he opened his eyes to look at Basajaun. "N-Nah," he replied with a small smile, and in his relief upon realizing that he was at least able to speak somewhat normally, the leopard attempted to move himself a little in hopes for further success.

While he managed to lift his left side just slightly, as soon as he made to do the same with the right, Zachary let loose a loud hiss. The damaged muscles in his shoulder roared up immediately in protest, forcing him to slowly sink back to the ground, a painful grimace on his face, his breathing inconsistent.

"I... just..." the feline hissed through his teeth, forcing a smile on his muzzle as he glanced back at the dragon with slightly narrowed eyes, the pain still stinging in his shoulder like a rusty knife, "It's... nothing. I... think I just... need to rest. It hurts a lil'." Zachary chuckled weakly, hopeful that his performance was convincing enough in his current state.

Making to move the leopard onto his favorite spot on the dragon's belly, Basajaun stopped when Esmeralda thumped his paw. "Don't move him," she chided the dragon, gesturing at the wounded shoulder, "He needs to lie still, unless you're going to heal him more than I could."

Nodding, Basajaun looked at Zachary. "Would it be alright if I tried healing you a bit more?" he asked, flicking his gaze to the leopard's wound, "It'll probably hurt, but it'll help, too."

Zachary grimaced. More pain. He didn't want any more pain, but knew he would only make his situation worse if he were to refuse the offer. His shoulder stang with an intensity he could barely bear, and he wanted nothing more than to be simply rid of the excruciating sensation.

"A-Alright," he replied somewhat unsurely, locking eyes with Basajaun, "Just... try to be... Er... gentle. Please." The words flew out of his mouth before he could stop them. He had no idea why he made that request, or why he felt it was needed to be said.

The dragon gave another nod, resting his paw tenderly over the leopard's scabbed shoulder. "Sano," he uttered, the more advanced healing spell moving down into the deeper layers of musculature to repair them first.

Zachary welcomed the familiar feeling with a quiet hiss. It felt exactly like the time Esmeralda healed his injuries back in Plainstead. The leopard's flesh twisted and moved painfully in his shoulder, yet he didn't scream once throughout the whole ordeal. It was nothing compared to the torment he had to endure when his lungs were treated.

Basajaun's free hand moved to rub the leopard's other shoulder comfortingly during the process. "That's my strong boy," he said softly, watching the wound slowly seal itself. A few moments later, all that was left of the large injury was a pair of scarred patches of skin. Yet this was something that failed to bring significant comfort to the dragon; he had hurt his son bad enough to leave what were likely to be permanent scars. Biting his lip, the drake found it hard to pull his gaze from the scars, simply staring at them guiltily.

Making to sit up, Zachary heaved a relieved sigh when he was only rewarded by a marginally uncomfortable pull on his right shoulder from the action. The muscles were still cramped, and rather unresponsive as he moved his arm around in circles. It just felt numb and slow.

Turning to Basajaun and suppressing the urge to frown, the leopard did so nonetheless when he noticed the dragon's pained expression. He quickly moved a paw to his right shoulder, attempting to pull his vest over the scars to cover them. But he only found himself grabbing at a torn garment in the area over his right shoulder.

Zachary couldn't help but groan in annoyance, before he looked back to Basajaun, a forced smile on his face. "Looks like I need a new vest, huh?" He managed to joke lightly, catching Lya off-guard, who had been observing the pair in silence up until now. It baffled the ocelot how fast was the leopard back in his old self, if only just partly. There was something off.

The way he looked at Basajaun was different. Lya could see it in his eyes. It shone clearer than the stars in the black sky, yet still repressed as much as it could be. But Lya could see it nonetheless. And when she realized what it was, she wished she hadn't been able to.

The joke wasn't successful this time, only causing the dragon to realize he had also ruined the garment. Sighing loudly, Basajaun shook his head as he cursed himself internally. "I'm glad you're okay," he managed to say, getting to his feet before continuing, "I... I think I need some time to myself, if you don't need anything, Zach."

Zachary could only stare at Basajaun in silence after the words left the dragon's lips. "I..." the leopard swallowed the request he nearly spoke out, simply tearing his gaze away from the reptile to look at the ground. "Yeah, sure." Was all he said quietly, pulling his legs close to his body, remaining quiet afterwards as his eyes scanned the grass aimlessly.

Forcing a smile, Basajaun nuzzled Zachary's left shoulder. "I love you, son," he stated, the statement managing to turn the forced smile just a little sincere.

The otherwise loving sentence only managed to fuel the resentment the leopard felt. The dragon was leaving his side when he needed him the most. "Mhm." That was the only thing Zachary returned, his head resting on his knees as he continued staring in front of him.

Giving a final cuddle to the leopard, Basajaun turned and moved to an unoccupied point in the clearing, Snowflake padding over to Zachary's side in his place. "Forest is confused," the spirit explained as she sat next to the leopard, "He wants to figure things out. Give him time, Hunter."

Zachary exhaled loudly. "I already told him that I'm..." the leopard took a deep breath, forcing his bubbling emotions down to their rightful confinements, forcing the truth that even he himself didn't want to believe, "That I'm willing to forgive. What is there to figure out? And... why alone?" the feline's words became muffled as he buried his head in his legs, "He's not the only one who's confused."

"He's angry at himself," she reported, looking over to the dragon for a moment, before her gaze returned to Zachary, "He's hurting emotionally, and doesn't want to make you suffer more with his own pain. You might have forgiven him, but Forest needs some time to forgive himself."

The leopard remained silent for a long time, and once he spoke, his voice was nothing but a tiny whisper, filled with nothing but turmoil and anguish. "He's making me suffer by doing exactly what he's doing right now." Zachary closed his eyes, and after only a moment, slowly sank down on the ground, taking his favorite sleeping position next to the fire.

No good night left the ball of fur on the grass. There was no reason to say it.

Looking at the leopard for a moment, Snowflake laid down beside him, before extending her wing over the feline, like she had seen Basajaun do on many occasions. "Is this alright?" she asked, not wanting to make Zachary uncomfortable.

A silent, shallow nod was all the feline could offer as a reply. And before he knew it, unconsciousness took over him. Eyes closed and breathing consistent, Zachary slipped into sleep, desperately hoping that his dreams would be better than reality was at that very moment.

Waiting until she was certain he was asleep, Lya slowly raised a paw over her forehead and heaved a long sigh. "I... still can't believe that happened." She murmured in disbelief, shaking her head slightly. It felt like her whole view of Basajaun was shaken by its core in a single night.

Esmeralda nodded slowly, staring into the fire vacantly. After several minutes of silence, the owl stood and turned on a heel to face her tent. "Keep Zach warm, Snowflake," she ordered, moving off to the shelter without another word. Watching the Elder step into the tent, the spirit was rather sure Esmeralda would have slammed the shelter's door behind her, if she could have.

Turning her gaze to Lya, the spirit looked between the ocelot and her tent, cocking her head questioningly.

Snowflake didn't have to stay uncertain for too long. With a final, rather drawn-out stare at the sleeping Zachary, Lya made to stand as well. She pulled her hand over her head as she began moving towards her tent. "Good night, Snowflake." After those words, the ocelot disappeared behind her shelter's covers, complete silence falling on the small clearing once again with the feline's departure.

Turning her gaze around to Basajaun, Snowflake watched the dragon for a moment. Though he was still, he wasn't asleep. The dragon's torrential emotions washed over the spirit every second, and though she wanted to help, the drake truly seemed to need his privacy at the moment. Chiming a sigh, Snowflake curled her neck and tail around Zachary, falling into hibernation only seconds later.

Left on his own, Basajaun's thoughts swirled chaotically. He couldn't help but wonder at how quickly he had gone from trying to protect Zachary, to nearly killing him. The instincts he had felt this day were stronger than anything he had ever felt. What would happen if he were to come across another dragon? Would this day be repeated?

Snorting, the dragon tried to push that thought aside, yet ultimately failed. He was dangerous when he was out of control; the day's events had only served to solidify this fact. And now he knew there were situations when not even Zachary could calm the drake before he did something he would regret.

Growling quietly to himself, Basajaun shook his head hard, trying his best to clear his mind. Once again he failed; he had hurt his son. His parting promise to Xergon had been broken, and the faith that Zachary had in the dragon betrayed. The dragon's jaw muscles twitched from clenching.

He was dangerous; a threat to the anthros he had befriended. This thought kept swirling around the dragon's mind, and he remembered the Wendigo's words to him. The tears that streamed down Basajaun's face went unregistered in his mind.

He had promised Zachary that he would always be by the leopard's side. But now... he sobbed once, getting to his feet slowly. If being near the anthros put them in danger, then there was only one thing to do.

Walking out into the woods, dragon's natural stealth prevented his steps from making a single sound. Within minutes, he had reached the outer edge of the trees. Intoning a few spells, the dragon was soon feathered, with no extra weight; all of his fat had been converted into flight muscles. Spreading his wings wide, Basajaun launched into the night sky, his tears streaming down like torrential rain from a stormcloud.

The sun was high above the sky when Zachary's opened his eyes to peer at the golden rays. He heaved a somewhat relieved sigh. His dreams weren't pleasant, so the leopard welcomed consciousness with open arms. If only just for a moment.

Making to sit up, he stopped in the middle of the motion, his right shoulder crying out in objection at the deliberate movement. The returning numbness was all Zachary needed to recall the events of yesterday, and the feline's expression immediately darkened. Suddenly, wakefulness wasn't as appealing, let alone the maelstrom of emotions which engulfed his mind in a matter of seconds.

Zachary glanced down at his right shoulder. He ran a finger over the hairless patch of skin, feeling the swollen scar which protruded from his skin gingerly. It felt so alien. Just as alien as the thought that it was inflicted by the person he loved the most in the world. He could only stare at his injury estranged, remaining in thoughtful silence as his hand rubbed at the area, not even registering the dragoness still curled around his body.

Perking up when she registered the leopard's wakefulness, Snowflake quickly came out of the light rest she was enjoying. "Good morning," she greeted, giving Zachary a warm smile, "How did you sleep?"

"Bad," the leopard replied honestly, turning to look at Snowflake with slightly baggy eyes, "But thanks for staying by my side." Forcing a smile as well, Zachary's eyes fell on the ground afterwards as he looked away from the spirit, his paw yet to leave his shoulder.

The spirit's wing tightened slightly in a hug, the limb a surprising degree warmer than it usually was. "You're welcome," she stated, nuzzling the leopard's face, "Maybe Forest is feeling better this--"

As Snowflake turned to look to the drake, she abruptly cut off when she noticed the conspicuous absence of the large reptile, as well as the faintness of the link she shared with him. Eyes widening, the dragoness stood quickly, her gaze darting around the campsite.

Snapping Zachary out of his trance with the sudden motion, the leopard couldn't even ask what was wrong before he already knew the answer. If Snowflake's distress though their bond hadn't been enough, Basajaun's missing form came as a painful realization.

"Basa?" The feline called out weakly, his eyes darting around his surroundings frantically, but never finding what he was looking for. Zachary stood as well. "Basa?" He repeated the name, his voice louder, yet shaking with anxiety.

No answer came, only silence returned as the awful reply.

Zachary's could feel his heart being squeezed harder than ever before. He could only catch himself from falling in the depths of melancholy in the last moment. "I... He must be out hunting," the leopard said quietly, his tone one of repressed disbelief, "He's... just out hunting," there was a pause, his uncertain, anxious gaze settling on Snowflake, looking into her eyes pleadingly, begging desperately for reassurance, "Right?"

The spirit closed her eyes, focusing on the bond she had with the dragon. The link had grown so faint that she couldn't feel anything from him, only get a general sense of the direction he was in. Opening her eyes, the dragoness looked to Zachary, shaking her head silently. Other words were unnecessary.

The leopard trembled visibly at the motion, his expression unreadable, eyes staring numbly into nothing. Frozen and unmoving, Zachary remained silent for a very long time. There were no emotions in his tone as he uttered a single word. "Where?"

Closing her eyes again, the spirit turned her head for a moment, until she stopped in the direction she felt the dragon the most strongly. "That way," she stated, pointing with her snout, "I'm not sure how far, but he's getting farther away."

Those last words made Zachary's features twist in fury Snowflake had never seen on his face ever before. Breathing heavily, paws clutched tightly in fists, the leopard's struggles to contain himself couldn't have been more clear. But he couldn't hide the humiliation in his eyes as he turned to look at the spirit.

"Bring me to him." The statement wasn't a request.

"You're not going anywhere without the rest of us," Esmeralda stated, already in the process of disassembling her tent, "If Basajaun left, we're all going after him. Help me get our things packed first. Snowflake can track the idiot no matter how far he goes. And she's faster than he is." The Elder looked over to the leopard with an adamant expression; her words were an order.

Giving a wordless nod, Zachary moved to Lya's tent. After waking her up and giving her a curt explanation of the situation, both felines began helping Esmeralda. One of them remained completely silent throughout the entire process, his illegible expression frozen on his features.

Outside, he showed nothing. But inside, the feline's entire being was enveloped in a new sensation. He had never been this angry in his life before. It spread through his mind like wildfire, burning everything in its wake, leaving nothing but more rage.

How could he have done this? How could he be so unfair? How could he... betray him like this?

Zachary only registered the orange flames in his paws when Lya's voice cut through his thoughts. "Zach!" the ocelot called out, "You're burning your blanket!"

The leopard glanced down. The scorched, burned, blackened remains of his garment stared back at him, its edges charred, its texture melted. Registering the pain as he still held his blanket, Zachary hissed loudly, throwing it on the ground and watching as it twisted and turned while it burned. He felt nothing as he looked at the ruined cloth.

Lya's paw on his shoulder caught the leopard's attention. "Zach?" she began, worried, "Are you alright?"

Shrugging the limb off of his shoulder, the leopard quickly clenched his paws in fists, killing the flames in both. "No." Was all he said, no trace of joy in his tone. He turned away and walked to the rest of the group's bags, leaving a shocked ocelot alone with her hand hanging limp in the air.

Looking over the bags, Esmeralda nodded when she saw that everything was packed. "We're going to need speed, Snowflake," the owl stated, gesturing with a talon as she cast her spell to create a large mass of ice, "And you're going to need to carry a bit more, since Basajaun left Zach's bags."

Nodding silently, the spirit stepped over and into the glacier that grew up from the ground. A few moments later, the spirit's form coalesced into an enormous swift that was at the maximum volume she could attain, and Esmeralda worked to adjust Snowflake's saddle to accommodate the new avian form. The owl worked wordlessly, though her expression was far from calm.

While Lya could only stare in awe at Snowflake, Zachary remained emotionless. The leopard busied himself with the preparation of his own bags. Assorting his possessions provided a marginal amount of distraction from his thoughts. Thoughts he was trying his hardest to keep contained. He feared what he would do if he were to let them loose.

As he went through the contents of his bag, however, the leopard suddenly stopped. Under all his things, there lay a small wooden statue, buried deep beneath the rest of the items. Zachary reached for the statuette.

Holding the miniature Boris up, the feline's hands began to tremble as he examined the gift Basajaun had given him. His grasp on the curvature tightened to the point where the wood dug painfully in his palm. He clenched his eyes shut, feeling as fresh tears welled up in them.

'Why?'

Zachary heaved a ragged sigh, sniffling quietly and quickly wiping the unwanted tears away. He tossed Boris back to the depths of his bag, and didn't lay his eyes on the gift anymore. The sight only fueled his anger.

Esmeralda helped the leopard fasten his bags to the spirit's saddle, before sighing. "I'm sure he thought he was doing the right thing," she said hopefully, putting a hand on Zachary's shoulder, "He's a moron for thinking that, of course, but the idiot's heart is in the right place."

The feline ignored every last word that left the owl's beak. He simply walked away from her, the Elder's hand drifting off of his shoulder as he made his way wordlessly to Snowflake. With unnatural swiftness, Zachary mounted the spirit, sitting on the base of the icy avian's neck.

"Let's go." He said flatly, his eyes fixated in the direction the spirit said Basajaun had left. Although more than taken aback by Zachary's behavior, Lya nonetheless obeyed, getting on Snowflake with a little more difficulties, but succeeding eventually.

Following the felines up into the saddle, Esmeralda patted the spirit's side to let Snowflake know she was ready. Spreading her wings, the spirit ran across the clearing, beating her wings until she was in the air. At the gates to the city, a familiar bull jumped in surprise at the sight of an enormous blue bird shooting into the sky from the forest.

Zachary glanced down as the group became airbound, looking past the heavy bags strapped against Snowflake's sides, looking straight down to the clearing. His gaze drifted around aimlessly, scanning the green area for the very last time. The fireplace, the pool they had made, the scarce grass in the place of the tents.

They were leaving everything behind, and while only temporary, they were leaving a place the leopard began to slowly consider as another home of sorts. Even through his bubbling emotions, the realization filled him with a marginal amount of sadness. Sadness quickly turned to insuppressible awe, though.

Centrum's entirety was displayed beneath them as they ascended. His eyes studied the tall walls which enveloped the city, the various buildings, towers and familiar sights, the anthros swarming the busy streets for the very last time. Hovering his gaze over a particular building for more time than the others, Zachary eventually tore his eyes away from Centrum's College of Magic.

He said his wordless goodbye and looked ahead. Straight in the direction Basajaun was. Gritting his teeth was an urge he couldn't fight off. And he didn't even want to. He wanted to feel angry. It overpowered the sorrow for now.

Bodies held tightly against Snowflake, the anthros and the spirit began their way towards the departed member of their group with great speed. While the rushing wind made it hard to speak, nobody felt compelled to open their mouths. They flew in silence.

---

Basajaun panted as he finally landed, finding another small patch of trees to call a shelter. He had flown through the whole night and well into the day, and his wings were heavily fatigued. Sighing, the dragon curled up and settled down under the branches of the four trees in an otherwise grassy plain. There were more than just physical reasons for his exhaustion.

Sniffling, the drake rubbed his sore, dry eyes. He was pretty sure he was getting dehydrated from the amount of tears he had left in his wake. The fact that he felt like he was crying, but no tears came was good evidence of this.

Yet he made no effort to find a source of water. He was simply too drained, both physically and emotionally. Wing coming up to cover his face, Basajaun tried his best to succumb to the incredible tiredness he felt. No such relief came; his mind still swirled with regret, guilt, and sorrow.

A deep sob escaped his throat again, but the dragon swallowed hard, repressing the sound that had rendered his voice hoarse over the hours of relentless crying in flight. He had made his choice; there was no going back, now.

Distracted by his own sorrowful thoughts, Basajaun didn't notice the tinkling beating of massive wings approaching, or the soft thump of the massive bird alighting on the ground. The scent of his four companions was attributed to mournful reminiscing on the group's travels, and went completely ignored.

Feet colliding with the ground, loud footsteps, ragged breathing all went unnoticed by Basajaun. He never saw the leopard coming, nor the hand raised high in the air and coming down in an instant.

What Basajaun did feel, however, was the stinging slap he received. The silent words that followed couldn't be ignored, either. They carried anguish and fury of unknown kind. Simple, yet meaning more than a thousand other words could convey. The voice was strong, anger filled each syllable.

"You left me."

Jumping in shocked surprise, the dragon found himself on his feet, staring directly into Zachary's eyes. A flurry of previously never present sensations flickered in those brown eyes. For a moment, Basajaun was quiet, a rampaging swirl of emotions playing through his heart. Shaking his head, the drake felt remorse overpower most of the other sensations. "You shouldn't have followed me," he stated tiredly.

Zachary's face twisted in rage for only a second. Only tears adorned his cheeks afterwards. He stared up at Basajaun, his tearful eyes searching the dragon's face. "How... how can you say that?" The leopard breathed the question in a pained voice, his arm visibly shaking as the limb was held back from attacking once again. It took immense amount of restraint.

The reptile bit his lip for a moment, turning his head away from the feline. "Because you shouldn't go chasing after danger," he replied, voice shaking audibly.

Looking at Basajaun numbly after those words left the dragon's lips, Zachary only spoke when he managed to swallow the lump in his throat, his voice cold. "That danger is my father," the pain in his tone could be heard from a mile away, "A father who is willing to leave me as an orphan for the second time in my life."

Zachary balled his paws in fists. His claws dug deeply into the pads. "So, this is it?" he asked, his voice raising just a little, "You want to leave me? Because if you do, then say it in my fucking face, Basajaun. Don't flee when I'm asleep. Look me in the eyes and say it," he choked on his tears, "You coward."

Basajaun flinched at the words, still unable to face Zachary. "I don't want to leave you," he nearly whispered, voice hoarse, "But I can't put you in danger. I love you too much for that."

The leopard laughed in anguish. "You love me?" he reiterated the statement questioningly, shaking his head, "If you really think leaving me, breaking your promise to me... betraying me is the right thing to do, then you don't love me. If you loved me, you would know that... that..." Zachary couldn't continue, his throat too tight. He put a paw over his mouth.

"Why would you leave me?" He asked silently, the sorrow audible in his muffled speech. "Don't leave me." Begging was all he could do. "I can't lose another father. I... I can't... I can't. I don't..."

Basajaun turned to the leopard, feeling a hard lump in his throat. "Zach... you mean the world to me," he said slowly, heaving ragged breaths, "That's why... I can't be with you. Yesterday... I can't let that happen again. I don't ever want to hurt you again."

Taking a deep breath, the dragon continued, "I promised both Esmeralda and Xergon I'd keep you safe from harm. I... have to keep anything dangerous as far from you as I can. If that includes myself, then so be it."

Zachary's body froze. He stopped crying and slowly lifted up his head from his paw, staring into Basajaun's eyes. "You... don't understand, do you?" he slowly shook his head, his voice barely hearable, "You're hurting me more now with your words than any pain I've felt ever before. This hurts more than any injury. You're hurting me right now, Basajaun." The leopard brought a paw to his right shoulder and hit the scarred area. "This is nothing compared to what you're doing right now."

Basajaun felt his own frustrations rising. "No... you don't understand," he tried to correct Zachary, pointing at his shoulder, "If we hadn't been so lucky, that could have been your heart, or your lungs, or something besides just your shoulder." Swallowing again, the dragon made to turn away once more, "I could have killed you, Zach. I... I wouldn't be able to take that. Don't put yourself at risk by thinking it's safe to be around me."

The leopard stood numbly, his anger gone, his expression unreadable as he stared at the dragon. "It might not be safe," he agreed, but before Basajaun could react, he continued, his voice otherworldly flat, "I might get injured. Or you might even kill me in the future. Those are all possibilities."

"But, Basajaun," Zachary pushed on, and uttered his next words with a tone that never visited the usually joyous feline, "You're definitely going to kill me if you leave me. I... can guarantee you that. Are you really willing to exit my life? Because if you are, then you don't love me in the slightest."

The dragon actually growled in frustration. "Zach, you're not listening to me!" he nearly shouted, trying his hardest to contain his emotions, "I'm leaving because I want you to be safe. I know it's going to hurt. But I can't... I can't... don't make me put you in danger, please." Basajaun's eyes were filled with agony as he stared into the leopard's.

Zachary flinched at the dragon's yell, his eyes slowly drifting to the ground as his shoulders drooped. "What's... what's safety if there's no happiness?" Was all he could ask. His ears were flat against his head.

Basajaun huffed. "You have Lya, Esmeralda, and Snowflake," he reminded the feline, "You don't... you don't need me, Zach."

Looking up at the dragon, the reptile could only see desperation in Zachary's tearful eyes. "But..." he breathed raggedly, his heart filled with anguish, his tone bearing more pain than he thought existed, "I do. I love you," the leopard put a trembling paw over his right shoulder, gesturing at his scars, "I-I don't care about this. And I'm... I'm willing to give my life if it means I can be with you."

Zachary stood on shaky legs, and before Basajaun could do anything, or before the dreadful sensation locked inside of him could appear, wrapped his arms around the drake's neck, his tears wetting the reptile's fur.

"Wherever I am, wherever you are. Whatever the world becomes, or who rules it. No matter the Gods, no matter the place... I'll always and forever love you." He uttered the promise he had made with a whisper, the words leaving his trembling lips just like the first time he had spoken them.

Basajaun could feel himself choking up, and not from the limbs around his neck. "Zach... don't... please," he begged, pulling away from the feline without returning the embrace, "Don't make this harder on us... just let me go..." Stifling a sob, the dragon looked away from the leopard again. He just wanted this to be over.

Zachary's whole body quivered as he sobbed. "I can't..." he shook his head, tears streaming down his face, "Please, don't make me go through this," the leopard's legs trembled beneath him as he stood, only his pleading holding him up from collapsing, "Don't... don't do this to me. You're... not protecting me with this, Basa, please. You're killing me. Stop... stop... please, I can't take it." A paw come up to cover his face, the droplets of agony escaping through the furry digits and falling on the ground. "I've suffered enough already."

Basajaun couldn't take it anymore. "Zachary, look at me!" the dragon cried out in frustration at the situation and anger at himself, his feathered wings flaring threateningly and limbs flexing hard, "I'm a Gods damned monster! I was fooling myself with the thought that I could ever be anything else. I can't even stop myself from hurting the one person that I value above every other thing in the world!"

Basajaun looked straight into the leopard's eyes, his own brimming over with an unending flow of bitter tears. "Monsters like me don't deserve friends like you," he sobbed, his mournful countenance showing that he legitimately believed his words.

Basajaun received his second slap of that day. The blow was strong enough to send the dragon's head sideways.

"YOU'RE NOT A MONSTER!"

Zachary bawled the words from the bottom of his heart, glaring with tearful eyes at the dragon, newfound strength in his posture and voice alike. The earlier desperation couldn't be found, anger taking its place once more in a matter of seconds. "Don't you dare say that again! It was an accident! I forgave you, stop acting so goddamn stupid!"

Basajaun's paw raised up, touching the cheek that had been slapped. The dragon couldn't help but wonder if the leopard had backed the strike up with his levitation spell; his face actually stung. "How... how can you say that?" he asked, almost whimpering in sorrowful confusion, "How can you forgive me? I bit you, Zach... I almost killed you... how can you forgive that?"

Zachary's answer was simple. He had said it a hundred times before, but he spoke the words with just as much as sincerity like the first time. "Because I love you," he wiped his tears from his eyes, heaved a massive sigh to banish the lingering sensation from the back of his mind, and gave the only gesture he could to Basajaun.

He smiled, the expression as pure as the leopard himself.

"Because you're my dad," he pushed on, reluctantly taking a couple of steps towards the dragon, putting a paw on his head and stroking it tenderly, "Because we're family. And accidents happen in families. But even after that, a family is about love and forgiveness. And I love you, Basajaun, with all my heart. And I'm willing to forgive. I already did. Please... don't say you're a monster. You're not. You're still my gentle, kind, overgrown lizard. Nothing. Nothing can change that."

There were several moments of disbelief on the dragon's face, before the expression was slowly replaced by a hesitant, tearful smile. "You... really are a wonderful little boy," he cried softly, his head turning and burying itself in his wing as he began sobbing once again. He couldn't contain the emotions any longer, the joy from Zachary's words overflowing from him in fresh tears that the dragon didn't know he had left.

Exhaling in utter relief, the leopard finally gave in to his trembling legs, and sat down beside the dragon. The paw on the dragon's neck remained exactly there. It was strange being the one providing the comfort when he needed it the most. Basajaun's words scared Zachary in a way he never knew he could feel, and they still burned freshly in his mind.

He had almost lost the person he loved the most in the world. The thought made his heart ache once again, but he suppressed the emotion, only wanting to keep Basajaun close to him at that very moment. And he did, petting him tenderly despite the unpleasant pull the repeated motions caused in his right shoulder.

After several seconds, the dragon reached a wing out and pulled Zachary against him. Basajaun was back to his furred, chubby self, hugging the leopard to an uncomfortable degree of strength. "Thank you," he managed to say between his cries, "You wonderfully... innocent boy." The drake knew well enough that Zachary was an adult, but he didn't care; in that moment, the leopard was his little boy, and no one was going to convince him otherwise.

Little as this boy was, the much bigger dragon's usually welcomed embrace wasn't exactly pleasant, despite the sheer softness the leopard's entire body was enveloped in. Coughing weakly a couple of times as he was squeezed, Zachary refused to request the hug to be broken. The comfort this simple touch provided overpowered anything else. Even discomfort. Even another unpleasant sensation. For now.

Over time, the strength of the embrace lessened, Basajaun rubbing the leopard's shoulder tenderly. He spent a long time simply holding Zachary close, minutes passing with the dragon's quiet sniffling being the only sound he made.

"How can I ever make this up to you?" the drake asked almost silently after a seeming eternity, a digit passing lightly over the furless scar on the feline's shoulder. It wasn't just the physical scars he wanted to atone for.

Ears perking up upon hearing something else other than quiet weeping, Zachary withdrew from the embrace. He glanced down at his disfigured shoulder, his gaze lingering on the two ugly, swollen bite marks. The sight instantly reminded him of pain, and he had to look away to be rid of the haunting sensation, once again settling his eyes on Basajaun.

"You can make it up by not doing something as stupid as this ever again." The leopard replied flatly, completely serious. Clearly, he still had a good deal of leftover anger locked away inside of him. "And by not breaking the promises you make. That's what makes me... doubt my trust in you, Basa," he tapped his right shoulder and heaved a long sigh, "Not this."

The drake's wing joined his arms in the embrace, his hand running over the leopard's arm. "I'm so sorry," he breathed, clenching his eyes for a moment to prevent another bout of tears, "I really thought... I was doing the right thing. I never meant to hurt you more."

That's exactly what Basajaun did. This information was never revealed to the dragon, though. Zachary swallowed his saliva and the inexplicable ire he felt when he realized the dragon had left him.

Shaking his head slightly, the feline closed his eyes for a moment. "Just... try thinking before you do something like this." He requested quietly, his gaze locked on the ground.

Giving a nod, Basajaun sighed. "I hope I can earn your trust again," he said, nuzzling Zachary's cheek, who internally tensed at the loving gesture, but remained unmoving, "I can only do my best and say that I won't do something like this again." The drake bit his lip, wondering just how much his own words were worth at this point. Most likely much less than they were before.

"Good." Was all the leopard replied, his eyes yet to leave the green grass under the pair. After several moments of silence, the feline let out a short breath, the action sounding as if it followed an internal decision.

Zachary looked up at the dragon, his features mostly flat, except the small frown that creased his forehead. "I... you..." shaking his head a little, the anthro's eyes shone with evident remorse as he glanced back to Basajaun, "I'm sorry." He apologized vaguely.

Blinking for a moment in confusion, the dragon withdrew and looked to Zachary with a tilted head. "What in the world are you apologizing for?" he asked cluelessly, searching the leopard's expression.

"I was dumb." While the statement was usually completely true, and comical in nature, the seriousness in which these words were uttered gave it a new meaning. "I... shouldn't have jumped in front of you," Zachary pushed on, "I should've realized that I was making a stupid decision. But... I... that other dragon..."

Groaning in perturbation, the leopard ran a paw over his head, ruffling his fur in the process. "I was just dumb," he repeated, putting his paw on his injured shoulder and grimacing slightly, "This is just as much my fault as yours. And... if I had just thought through what I was doing... it never... you never." Zachary stopped, his words dying in his throat, his eyes studying Basajaun's features.

The dragon could only smile reassuringly. "Hey, you were protecting that other dragon," Basajaun stated, patting Zachary's good shoulder approvingly, "If it hadn't been for you, I might have..."

The drake trailed off, before clearing his throat. "You probably saved that dragon's life, Zach," he continued after a moment, "And you risked yourself to do it. I'd call that brave, not stupid. None of the blame falls on you. This whole accident... it's my fault. I lost control; you just tried to help."

The hand resting on his scar tightened its grip. "Yeah... about that," Zachary lowered his ears flat against his head, his tail curling around himself on its own accord as he stammered the question.

"What..." there was a long pause, the pair's eyes not meeting as the leopard looked away, "Why...?" Although babbling unsurely like a child, no clarification was needed for Basajaun to figure out what Zachary wanted to ask.

The dragon sighed. "The other dragon threatened you; I just lost it," he tried to explain himself, shaking his head, "I wanted its blood for threatening my child. But... somewhere on the way, I just stopped seeing you as... you." Basajaun swallowed hard, looking off into the distance.

It was a while before the reptile could continue. "That's why I flew away," he stated, looking down in shame, "I didn't see my son. I saw a weak piece of flesh to be removed from my pathway, because it got in my way. If I can just forget what makes us family like that..." The drake's voice caught again, though he cleared his throat in soldiered on, "Zach, I have to find a way to get these instincts under control. I just... don't know how."

Zachary flinched visibly at the words he was referred as. Yet he quickly recovered, only spending a couple of seconds in silence before he once again willed himself to look in the dragon's eyes.

"You'll find a way." The smile that slowly began to spread across the leopard's muzzle was like an old friend visiting, the expression more reassuring than the moderately comforting words that left his lips. He couldn't be sure anymore. "You were able to overcome them in the past. I'm sure... you'll be able to do so in the future."

Basajaun could hear the tiny trace of doubt in Zachary's voice. Despite the jagged pain it sent through his heart, the dragon forced a smile. "Thanks," he replied, looking back up to the sky. For a long time, the dragon stayed silent, the quiet broken only by the sound of the wind through the trees around them.

After a while, there was a faint chime. "Um, Hunter?" Snowflake said from where she sat with the rest of the group, fiddling her talons sheepishly, "I wanted a moment with Forest as well, if you were done." Esmeralda watched the entire series of events silently, standing on the ground beside her familiar and staring intently at Basajaun.

Having completely forgotten about their audience, Zachary blinked a couple of times when he heard Snowflake's voice. "I... uh..." he cleared his throat, shot a last glance at Basajaun, and made to stand. In the motion, his arm brushed over the dragon's paw, the claws making contact with his skin only slightly.

Even that single touch, although barely considered as rough, made the leopard's whole body tense unwillingly. He swallowed hard, his voice unusually withdrawn, ever so feeble. "Yes. I'm done." He turned away from Basajaun and put a paw over his trembling arm in an attempt to hide the limb.

Basajaun watched the leopard move off with a pained expression, though his attention was quickly taken over by the massive avian that walked up to him. In her current form, Snowflake practically towered over the reptile. He gave the spirit a soft smile regardless of this fact, though her face was oddly impassive. "First of all, I'm sorry," she stated.

Basajaun cocked his head at the familiar. "For wh--" he started to ask, before a sharp pain wracked his head as the spirit's solid wing impacted the drake's jaw.

"For that," Snowflake continued in an apologetic tone, though there was a good amount of anger to her voice as well. After letting Basajaun shake the stars from his eyes, the spirit gave him perhaps the first actually angry expression he had ever seen from her.

"We're mates, damnit!" she yelled, sounding like the furious chiming of many church bells at once. The cacophony worsened the dragon's growing headache. "You don't just abandon your loved ones like that, you complete moron!" Snowflake continued shouting, Basajaun actually looking like he was shrinking beside her, "If you ever do something this stupid again, I'm going to... to... I don't know, but you're not going to like it, you idiot!"

Basajaun didn't answer verbally, simply staring at the ground as he accepted the scolding that he knew he deserved. The rebuking was made even more formidable by the barrage of anger he could feel through the bond he shared with the spirit, which continued even after her words had come to a stop. There weren't words he could use to apologize, though eventually his sorrow managed to steadily counter the river of wrath from the spirit.

Usually, the bond Zachary shared with Snowflake was considered as a good thing. In this particular scenario, however, that certainly wasn't the case. The spirit's emotions flowed in his own mind like tides of fury, making him grimace in sympathy for both that and the loud snap he heard as he moved back to Esmeralda and Lya.

Looking up at the two females while his paw remained locked on his slightly shaking arm, the leopard couldn't help but be unsurprised by the emotionless expressions that each of them bore. They made very clear how their felt about the entire ordeal.

Regardless of the repressed sensations that engulfed her mind, Lya offered a small smile to Zachary when he arrived at her. That expression wasn't forced. "Feeling better?" Neither was the genuinely caring question that left her lips.

The leopard nodded shallowly as he sighed and sat down beside the ocelot. "A lot better than in the morning for sure." Came the answer afterwards, a couple of blinks following when Lya's eyes drifted down and stared at Zachary's shoulder. It wasn't hard to figure out what she was waiting for. "And my shoulder is fine, too." He added curtly.

"Are you sure?" The ocelot asked despite the reassurance she received, clearly not satisfied just yet. Her eyes refused to leave the scars, scanning the wound stubbornly until Zachary heaved a somewhat frustrated sigh and pulled on his torn vest. It was useless; it couldn't cover the bite marks.

"Yes," the leopard replied, and upon noticing his useless tugging on his garment, simply lay a paw over his right shoulder, "I'm sure," pausing, Zachary heaved a small sigh and frowned as he added, "It's... just a little... I dunno... numb?"

Long silence followed. Zachary only noticed the reason behind it when he finally turned his head to glance at Lya after nearly a minute of complete quiet. The ocelot wasn't looking at him anymore, her eyes currently fixated on the forest dragon some distance away, her expression almost fully impassive, yet emitting clear anger she couldn't hide.

Furrowing his brows, the leopard gently nudged Lya's shoulder. "You can't stay mad at him forever," he shook his head slowly, "I forgave him, you sh--"

"He bit you." Those words cut in his speech like a cold knife. Unshaken, strong, stubborn. The tone Lya spoke in actually made Zachary inch slightly away. "That numbness in your shoulder is his fault. I can stay mad at him as long as I want."

After a nervous clearing of his throat and a cough to regain his composure, Zachary spoke up once more, his voice anything but weak. "It's my shoulder." He couldn't even continue after that obvious statement before Lya interrupted again.

"Exactly. And you're my dummy," keeping up her death stare at Basajaun for a few more moments, the ocelot sighed as she looked back to Zachary, whose features varied between bewildered and frustrated, all of which went ignored by Lya, "And he hurt you. I'm sorry, Zach, but... I can't be as forgiving as you are. I... don't know if I can tr--"

"Stop." Zachary commanded before the words could be uttered. His glare was the only gesture the ocelot could see on his features, replacing everything else. "This is the last thing we need right now. We... need to stay together and just be..." he sighed as he quietly said, "A family."

Looking up in the sky while Lya's confused gaze searched his face, the leopard continued after a moment of evident trepidation. "And besides, I already have a permanent injury," he looked down, and amazingly, chuckled after his statement, "So I have the experience. I'm sure I can deal with another one just fine. You can stop worrying and being mad at Basa. It's not going to help anybody."

Worried and mad; the two emotions that dominated Lya's mind. And they didn't depart, despite the order she got from Zachary. "I..." sighing once again, the ocelot gave a shallow nod as she looked down to the ground, "I will try." Sitting with an unchanging expression, she couldn't help but smile slightly when she felt a familiar paw reaching up to hold her hand. She squeezed the limb harder than she meant to, snorting quietly when she heard a subdued yip leaving its owner's mouth.

It took several moments of the continued emotional exchange between the spirit and dragon, but eventually Snowflake's expression softened. Extending her wings, the avian hugged Basajaun close to her, patting his back reassuringly. "I still love you," she affirmed, tapping the drake's head and causing him to wince as his persistent headache was irritated by the touch, "And so does Hunter. I think Mistress and Black Mage are looking for your apology, though."

Grimacing, Basajaun looked over to Esmeralda and Lya. The owl had yet to move at all, her stern gaze making the drake feel like he was shrinking again. "Yeah," he eventually agreed, getting to his feet when Snowflake let him go. Moving to the rest of the group, Basajaun sat on his haunches in front of them, bowing his head.

"I'm sorry," he said, trying to put as much emotion into the words as he could, "I can't ask you to forgive me. But I hope that you will, given time." Sighing, the dragon laid down, curling submissively, "Whatever punishment you see fit to give, go ahead. I won't fight back."

Inhaling deeply at the opportunity she was presented with, Lya made to stand immediately, only to be dragged back to the ground by the paw that still held her hand. She looked back to the cause of her inability to let out a whole lot of locked up steam.

Zachary stared back up at her, seriousness of unknown kind hovering in his gaze. A simple, shallow shake of his head was all the explanation Lya needed. She turned back to Basajaun, let out a frustrated huff, and rolled her eyes.

"I already gave you a well-deserved biff." She made no efforts to hide the satisfaction she felt from her tone, her eyes narrowing slightly as she continued to stare at Basajaun. Zachary gave a signal of urgency with a strong squeeze of her paw. Lya grimaced, but regardless of her hesitation to do so, forced some level of understanding on her face as she said. "So... you're fine... I guess." There was a short pause. "Punishment-wise, that is."

Giving a tiny smile to Lya, Basajaun turned to Esmeralda. The owl gave him the same stare for several moment, before sighing and waving a talon dismissively. "Snowflake gave you a good enough wallop, there," she stated, shaking her head, "If Zach thinks you're done with punishments, then I'm not going to give anymore than you've already got."

With that said, Esmeralda moved over to Snowflake, patting the spirit's talons. "What now, Zach?" the Elder asked, not turning to the leopard, but giving her full attention, otherwise, "Do we still make for Boldrumton?"

Reminded of their mission and realizing its importance in an instant, Zachary wasted no time in attempting to stand up. In his fast motion, however, he forgot about his injury altogether. He used his right arm for boosting himself up.

A ragged series of hisses followed immediately, the leopard's body slowly sinking back to the ground with pain written across his features. He raised a paw and put it on his shoulder, lessening the limb's quake, if only by a little. But it didn't cease its agonizing throbbing.

"I... yes, we should." He stated, appearing either oblivious to his current state, or simply too stubborn to acknowledge it. Given that it was Zachary, after all, the latter was definitely the case. "Just... give me a moment. We'll be up and ready before you know it."

Feeling another pang of guilt, Basajaun stood and moved to Zachary, his legs feeling oddly wobbly underneath him, and it wasn't the fat. "Do you need some help?" he offered, before a long yawn parted his muzzle, "I'm h-here for you, buddy." The dragon gave a tired smile to the leopard, not quite looking in top form.

Watching Zachary, who still sat on the ground, his paw yet to leave his shoulder, and Basajaun, who was evidently struggling to keep standing, or even awake at all, Lya shook her head and sighed.

"We're not going anywhere today," she gestured to the tired dragon with a casual expression first, "That idiot is too tired from trying to fly away," and then to the hissing leopard, her features changing to a much more sympathetic and worried one, "And that dummy is..." Lya trailed off, only able to continue after a moment of pause, "He needs rest, too."

Basajaun gave the ocelot a tired look, before simply nodding. Turning around, he made his way back under the branches of the trees, flopping exhaustedly to the ground. After another heavy sigh, the dragon's head lifted up and turned back to the group. "I really am sorry," he insisted, looking at them all with the most apologetic expression he could muster, "I promise I'll make it up to you, somehow."

While Lya could only snort and turn away, Zachary quickly suppressed his painful sounds to give a forced smile to Basajaun. "Just don't do stupid things like this one again and you have nothing to worry about," he reassured the dragon sincerely, and when only Snowflake joined in to reinforce his statement, he cleared his throat loudly, "Right, guys?"

The ocelot, who was still facing away, huffed. Evidently, it wasn't right.

She would have stayed in her stubborn mentality if it hadn't been for the quiet growl that Zachary let out. Lya gave a relenting sigh after only a moment of hearing the sound. The leopard matched her own pertinacity, that much she knew, so she silently murmured. "Right." But it still wasn't right.

Esmeralda gave an affirmative grunt, starting to unsaddle Snowflake, who looked over to Zachary with a mildly imploring expression. "Could you ask Mistress to help me change?" she requested of the leopard.

After instructing the owl to provide some ice to the spirit, Zachary remained wordless. The paw on his shoulder rubbed the scarred area slowly and he simply stared in front of him, seemingly appraising the thin air. There were several occasions where the leopard's features twisted as his hand wandered around his wound, subdued hisses accompanying the deliberate motions.

Yet, despite its obviousness, the feline made no attempts to complain. He held his mouth shut, just like the gates which held his continuously increasing anxiety locked inside. Making the other members worry was the worst thing he could do.

Lya, on the other hand, had different thoughts on the matter. She could only listen to the restrained sounds the leopard emitted for a few seconds, and only able to bear the grimace which played across his face for even less. Sitting down beside Zachary, who released a soft gasp upon snapping out of his trance, the ocelot gave a warm smile as she turned to face him.

The gesture seemed to work wonders, as the same smile began to curve the leopard's lips as well. It was quick to fade away, though, a simple question managing to banish it in a second altogether. "Want some help getting up?"

There was a moment of silence, Zachary's eyes closing while his paw finally left his shoulder. "No," he replied, and while perfectly aware of the fact that Lya only wanted to offer her assistance, he simply couldn't keep the annoyed quality out of his tone, "Just need to get used to it, is all."

Wanting to reassure her, the leopard quickly made to stand. Unlike last time, he was smart enough to use his left arm to support his weight. "See? I can get up just fine." Zachary said, extending his arms on both sides to show just how truly fine he was. He even managed to swallow the painful numbness the simple movement created in his right shoulder.

As he lowered his arms, Zachary looked down to Lya on the ground. A hopeful expression was the only thing he found himself staring at, only to be broken a second later. "Zach," the ocelot began quietly, her darkened features meeting the leopard's gaze, "Which... arm do you use for shooting your bow again?"

The inquiry hit like a punch in the stomach.

Zachary was speechless, his mouth open, yet no words leaving his throat, his face and body frozen, yet nearly emotionless. A swallow was the only thing he willed himself to perform, the lump in his throat practically laughing at the attempt to be dislodged. It at least allowed him to find his voice, if only barely.

"T-The... right one." He breathed the painful answer, and remained completely silent afterwards, not even noticing himself as he slowly sank back down on the ground. For once, he made no attempts to hide the newfound distress which engulfed his mind like a disease.

Snowflake's draconic head came into the leopard's view, nuzzling his cheek gently. She didn't say anything, though the glare her mistress gave at the back of Basajaun's head seemed to increase in intensity at Zachary and Lya's conversation. So powerful was the glower that the drake could almost feel the daggers from Esmeralda's eyes, even through his half-sleeping state.

Huffing loudly, the owl eventually turned on a heal, fished her spellbook out of her bags, and sat on the ground, using the tome to distract her from simply staring holes into the back of Basajaun's head.

Silence fell on the group afterwards. Zachary sat on the ground numbly, simply allowing Snowflake to comfort him. Although, each time she cuddled her face against his, the leopard's almost limp body leaned along with the motion, as if he didn't even register the touch at all.

The minutes long quiet was amazingly broken by none other than Zachary himself. "Now," he began, and after taking a ragged breath, he... smiled, "Now you can officially call me a cripple!" The leopard chuckled.

Frozen in shock, Lya could only blink in disbelief. How on earth could someone laugh at something like this? The question was repeated endlessly in her mind, but no answer came. She stared at Zachary, robbed off her ability to talk, or even show any emotions other than an utterly baffled expression. Her trance was only broken when the leopard made to stand once again.

Zachary's smile was yet to leave his muzzle, but as he stood, the ocelot noticed the slight trembling in his legs. "I..." he coughed a little, and shook his head, "I'm gonna... go... and... hunt." Voice shaking just as hard as the limbs barely holding him up, the leopard moved to the bags and retrieved his bow before anyone could stop him or question him. He was gone before Lya was even able to comprehend what had just happened.

Snowflake sensed the leopard's desire to be alone, and so she obeyed that whim, simply watching with concern as he moved out into the surrounding plains. Chiming a sigh, the spirit moved over to Basajaun, laying next to the drake and cuddling up to him. Though she had shifted her form back to that of a dragoness, Snowflake hadn't reduced her size this time, and was still a good deal larger than her mate.

This fact was made more obvious when she laid down beside him, though he either ignored it, or was too tired to fully realize it. He simply nuzzled her affectionately, giving a soft croon to her as she laid a cool wing over him. They could feel the affection they had for one another through their bond, and the drake's appreciation for the dragoness' comfort was just as clear to her.

Placing her head on Basajaun's chest, Snowflake chimed one of her lullabies for the dragon. Gratitude flowed from him immediately, the song helping to clear his mind of the worry that prevented his sleep. Yawning again, the reptile's eyes slowly fluttered closed, his dreams guarded by the spirit he loved.

The group never saw Zachary collapsing on the ground as soon as he was out of sight. They never saw or heard as he cried, his tears landing on the scattered arrows and bow on the grass, neither the pained whimper which escaped his throat more times than he could count. He beat his fist hard against the dirt once, and immediately threw his head back with a loud hiss.

"Godsdamnit!" He held the arm which he struck the ground with; it was the right one. It was hard to get over the wires that ran through his brain. He was right handed, therefore he used his right arm. Even for hitting the ground. Pain blithely ignored this confusing hardship.

"Why the right one!?" Zachary demanded as he held the limb in question, grimacing while it trembled. The injured muscles in his shoulder stang like thousand knives. Yet, the pain wasn't unbearable, rather frustrating. It just had to be there, hindering him in the most infuriating way it could. He closed his eyes, droplets of frustrated anger wetting his fur. "Why... why right now?"

Questions that were never answered continued flowing from the leopard's mouth as he slowly lowered his head on the ground. There was no way stopping the tears which wetted the grass under him. He wasn't crying because of his disfigured shoulder.

Away from Zachary, under the shades of the four trees on the middle of the plainlands, Lya helped Esmeralda with the finishing touches of their campsite. With the pair happy to have a distraction of any sorts, the process of setting the camp up was rather fast. Two tents were already standing, and the pair heaved a satisfied sigh with the results.

Appraising their work for only a moment, the ocelot turned back to their bags, searching through the contents quickly. After a while of fruitless probing, she glanced back to the owl, mildly annoyed. "We... don't have any wood left." She reported casually, standing up once more.

Esmeralda looked up from her tome, casting her gaze to the spot under the trees, where Basajaun slept. "It doesn't look like there's enough here to get a fire going, either," she mused, shaking her head, "We might have to simply go without, tonight. Hope you brought some heavy blankets."

Snorting loudly, Lya rolled her eyes as she turned to face the Elder. "It's still summer, and this," she pinched some of her fur, a smile breaking her otherwise impassive face, "Is good enough of a blanket, I should think. So we're probably not going to freeze to death."

Done with her view on the matter, the ocelot nonetheless knelt down to the bags once again. Not a few moments later, the disposable blankets were laid down nicely on the ground. As she finished putting the last one in position, and moved to grab the alleged last one, Lya found herself grabbing at anything but another blanket. The realization came after only a second of confusion.

"Zach." She sighed the name, her eyes settling on the direction the feline in question had left. While he did look a whole lot better than in the morning, there was still something off with the leopard. She couldn't blame him for acting strange. Not in his current situation. But, that didn't make her concerns any less significant.

Worry eating away at her heart, Lya made to stand, and with slow steps, sauntered her way to the only actual person she could converse with. She sat down beside Esmeralda, leaning back on her arms as she stared at the sky and its white companions aimlessly, studying the floating formations, as if they would help her in any way.

"I'm worried about Zach." She broke the silence which fell on the camp, having given up hope on getting assistance from the clouds. One had to be truly deaf to miss the sincerity her voice carried.

Esmeralda looked to the ocelot beside her, closing her spellbook. "We all are, I think," she stated, glancing over to Snowflake to get a nod of affirmation, "He needs his time to himself to get accustomed to... this." The owl shot another daggered look at Basajaun, before shaking her head. It was rather obvious that she was holding back a great deal of anger.

Lya could only nod in agreement, her own eyes mirroring Esmeralda's death stare at Basajaun. "I... I know Zach loves him with all his heart," while a completely unnecessary statement, it needed to be said before the words that followed it, "And I know it was an accident. But... how am I supposed to trust him completely after this? It's not only Zach who can find himself in another dangerous situation."

The Elder's expression softened into a more saddened one. "This has never happened before," she stated, shaking her head, "The worst he's ever done before this is growl and threaten when he was riled up. That he could actually lose control so much that he'd hurt Zach..."

The owl didn't finish her statement, simply sighing. "What I can say is that we need him for our operation against Boldrum," she pointed out, "With as strong as he is, he'll definitely be an effective weapon against--"

"Don't call Forest a weapon!" Snowflake suddenly shouted out, glaring at Esmeralda intently. Though her words weren't understood, the meaning behind them was rather clear to the avian as her surprised gaze met her familiar's.

Grimacing, the Elder nodded shallowly. "He'll be helpful in our task," she corrected herself.

Unable to contradict those words, Lya remained in silent concurrence, appearing thoughtful. She did speak up after a few moments, however, her tone one of repressed caution. "We need a plan to subdue Basajaun, if needed," she stated simply, her seriousness undoubtable, "I think we can all agree that this should never happen ever again. And if Basajaun can't stop himself from doing so accidentally, we have to be the ones to do it somehow."

Esmeralda nodded. "Snowflake's our best bet in that regard," she stated, looking over to the spirit, "We're going to need you to stay at your biggest for the operation anyways. It'll also make it easier for you to restrain Basajaun, if you have to. I have my Ice Prison spell, but I don't know how effective it'll be against him."

Snowflake's face contorted for a moment, though it returned to normal almost instantly. Giving a simple nod, the spirit laid her head back down on Basajaun's chest. She knew that Esmeralda meant well, but the way the Elder was talking about the one she loved was enough to make her heart ache.

The owl looked to Lya once it was clear that the familiar wasn't eager to discuss this matter. "If you have other plans, it'd be best to hear them now," Esmeralda stated.

Considering for a moment, the ocelot's eyes seemed to brighten after a few seconds of musing. "What if..." she began, looking to the sleeping dragon, and then back to the owl, "You used your spell to freeze the one Basajaun was targeting. I'm sure locking him in ice would only send him into an even more uncontrollable state, so by changing targets, perhaps we buy enough time for him to simply calm down."

"Then again," Lya continued, "That Ice Prison has to withstand until that happens. And it's certainly not going to be pleasant for the one who's inside," sighing, the feline put a paw on her forehead, "Not a flawless idea, but it's another possible way we can subdue him," there was a short pause, the ocelot's eyes settling once again on Basajaun as she added, "And not hurt him in the process."

"Or we could simply avoid putting him near other dragons," Esmeralda pointed out, "That's the only time he seems to be that distressed and aggressive." Sighing loudly, the look the owl gave Basajaun this time was less angry and more piteous, "I have to admit, though; not being able to enjoy the company of your own kind sounds... horrible."

Perhaps for the very first time since the accident, Lya looked at the reptile with eyes that were empty of bitterness or anger. There was a hint of sympathy that flickered in the emerald globes, before it vanished altogether, as if it hadn't even been there in the first place. Although, it did reappear once again when the ocelot opened her mouth, if only faintly.

"I knew dragons were instinct-driven creatures," she stated, frowning as she continued, "But that was just brutal. I mean, the first thing that other dragon did was threaten Zach as soon as it was free. It makes me wonder... just how different Basajaun is from that senseless lizard."

Esmeralda hesitated several moments before replying. "Have you read about dragons, then?" she asked quietly, seeming to have a thought.

The question seemed to amuse Lya, her chuckle an evident proof of that. "Yes, I have. I have most likely read out most of the books in the college library, and there were a few that focused on dragons and such," she explained, furrowing her brows, "Most of them were fairy tales and accounts from dragon hunters, though, rather than authentic documents about the species."

Esmeralda nodded. "When you read those accounts," she stated slowly, seeming very hesitant to continue, "Do you recall if they ever mentioned a dragon's den being lit by torches? Even primitive ones?"

After nearly a minute of intense concentration, Lya ever so slightly shook her head. "Not once," she replied, her features seeming to shift to confusedly intrigued, "There was never too much written about the description of a dragon's personality, habits, uniqueness, or home," turning back to Esmeralda, the ocelot's voice nearly became silent as she said, "They were all labelled primitive, senseless animals without a single exception. Every single one."

The owl's face was flat as she looked to Basajaun. "So... he could really be..." she muttered, trailing off as she shook her head again slowly. "Basajaun's burrow was lit by torches," she informed the ocelot, looking to her sadly, "It was very obviously maintained by someone sapient. If there are no other reports of this, then Basajaun... could be truly unique."

Looking down, the Elder sighed sorrowfully. "The only sentient dragon," she breathed almost silently, "And he doesn't even know it." Esmeralda's hands tightened their grip on her dress, "You've read that dragons are driven by instinct, you say?"

Lya gave a slow nod. She wasn't looking at the owl anymore, her eyes locked on Basajaun, studying the dragon's whole being from a completely other perspective. Minutes were spent in stillness before the ocelot willed herself to talk. She couldn't keep Zachary out of her mind as she uttered her words.

"He's... special."

Esmeralda felt the last of her anger fading away at those words. "If he's the first dragon to reach sentience, then it's little wonder that his instincts have yet to die down," she mused, getting to her feet, "And he still manages to resist them most of the time." The realization brought a great deal of sympathy with it, and the Elder managed a small smile as she started walking to the sleeping dragon.

Perking her head up, Snowflake watched Esmeralda take up a position next to the dragon's head. Kneeling down, the owl put a hand to his head, stroking it slowly. "I know what it's like having to resist one's inner demons at all hours of the day," she said quietly, her voice only just loud enough to be heard over the drake's breathing.

Lya's remaining traces of subdued fury began vanishing as well, her gaze yet to be off of the forest dragon. Out of everyone in the group, Esmeralda was the only one who could completely understand the hardship the reptile was forced to live with, and the ocelot knew that all too well.

The only difference was that no exorcism existed that would help Basajaun's inner demons.

Feeling a newfound respect and empathy flooding her mind upon the realization, Lya couldn't help but give her first smile to the drake in a day. She didn't care that it went unnoticed by the unconscious dragon. The gesture was meant more to the feline herself than anyone. It brought marginal amount of understanding, a sensation she still had a lot to return to the group.

Snowflake joined the cascade of smiles, chiming in relief at the forgiving gestures. Resting her head back on Basajaun's chest, Snowflake checked her link with Zachary, extending a questioning sensation to him in an attempt to inquire as to whether he was ready to return.

As if subconsciously having anticipated the wordless inquiry, the leopard's ambling form soon arrived back at the camp. The first thing Lya noticed upon hearing the familiar footsteps and turning in the direction the sound had come from was the lack of any trace of catch or prey he returned with. Strange, given that he claimed to have gone to "hunt."

No matter her bafflement, the ocelot made no attempts to question the revelation. She could only watch him near them, her concern returning quickly when she noticed Zachary's posture and expression.

He walked with deliberate, heavy steps, dragging his seemingly limp tail on the ground, sunken shoulders, lowered ears. Calling the feline crestfallen from that very image would have been a massive understatement. And he made no effort to play the deceiving game anymore and appear joyful, simply flopping down on the ground as soon as he thought he was close enough to the others.

His bow soon landed on the grass, only to be followed by his quiver and arrows, the items lying scattered in front of him. Zachary's gaze remained on his weapon and equipment long after they collided with the ground, staring at them with a flat face that conveyed no emotions, his breathing balanced, but not calm.

Esmeralda immediately stood from Basajaun, moving to Zachary. Sitting down beside him, the owl put a hand on his good shoulder. She gave the leopard a supportive smile, though was unsure if she could say anything that would help him. "It's not going to affect your magic, at least," the Elder said quietly, hoping that was at least some form of comfort.

No such thing was granted to the leopard. Comfort seemed to be more like a forlorn concept than anything else, a relieving sensation he could only hope to reach somehow from the depths of his tension. That feeling enveloped the entirety of Zachary's mind, pushing his usual optimism aside in its merciless wake. How could he stay positive when one of the few things he was talented at was butchered like this?

A soft sigh escaped the feline's throat, his paw coming up to rest on his forehead. Slowly rubbing the area as he closed his eyes, Zachary's voice was just as empty of emotions as his expression while he said. "Sorry for not bringing any breakfast," there was a long pause, the silence filled with disquiet, "Pain... throws my aim off a little, it seems."

Snowflake stood from Basajaun, moving over and putting a hand on Zachary's back. "We have food from the city," she reassured the leopard, her cold, yet dry tongue licking his arm, the limb imperceptibly retreating slightly from the touch, "You don't have to worry, Hunter." Smiling at the feline gently, Snowflake settled down beside Zachary, offering her wing as a blanket for him.

Accepting the "garment" wordlessly after a moment of trepidation, the feline pulled his legs close to himself, sighing while he relished the marginal calmness the tender touch provided. It was soon joined by another one, this one literally soft. Zachary made no attempts to figure out who took ahold of his hand; he knew perfectly well who it was.

Lya smiled at the leopard as he held his paw. Despite the expression on her face, her grip on the limb was strong, almost painfully strong, solid with concern she couldn't hide. And she couldn't help but feel worried. This newest hardship was just another to add to Zachary's growing pile of personal burdens. And regardless of her wish not to be so, everyone had limits. One couldn't bear too much suffering. Not even him. The thought squeezed her heart harder than she could grasp his hand. Though she tried, perhaps a bit too hard.

Zachary was only able to withstand the force his paw was practically choked with for a couple of moments. "Lya," he began quietly, suppressing a hiss before it could appear, "You're... my hand... it kinda..."

While stammering, it took no effort for the ocelot to fathom what he was trying to imply. "Oh, sorry." She apologized sheepishly, loosening her death grip on the limb, but not letting it go.

The leopard muttered a grateful thank you, and if only briefly, the hint of a smile began to creep across his muzzle. The expression was quick to fade away, however, as a new thought dawned on the feline. His darkened features could have been spotted from a mile away, and Lya was quick to investigate.

"What's wrong now?" She asked, craning her head down to peer at Zachary's continuously falling face.

The answer came a moment later. "You... know how I was bad in close combat before?" He asked in turn. Continuing would have been completely unnecessary, but he did so anyway. "Imagine me... now."

Esmeralda unintentionally tightened her grip on Zachary's shoulder. "Alright, Basa's going to have to keep you in the air if things do come to violence," she stated adamantly, "Don't worry, you won't have to get close to anyone with a sword. Even if you did, I'm sure they'd regret it more than you would; you've got one protective father, Zach. And your mother isn't too far behind him in that regard." The owl gave her son a supportive smile, loosening her own death grip on his shoulder when she realized what she was doing.

"Yeah." The leopard agreed quietly, his eyes shifting between Esmeralda and Basajaun, before a true smile touched the corners of his mouth at last. It was small, not even as joyful as the usual ones, but it was still there, shining brightly through the anxiety Zachary felt. "I know."

Feeling a massive amount of relief flowing her mind, Lya heaved a long sigh. For once, it wasn't filled with worry. She would have held his hand if it hadn't been for Zachary's decision to stand up. The leopard made his way to the group's bags, and after a brief search through its contents, pulled out one of the many tomes they have acquired during their time in Centrum.

The feline, now accompanied by his trusty book, walked back to the others and sat down with much more care than on the previous occasion. He wasted no time in opening the grimoire, his eyes scanning the pages eagerly, but his brain not comprehending the symbols completely. It didn't matter what the tome contained; it served as a distraction. A distraction Zachary very much needed at the moment.

Esmeralda chuckled. "Come on, wouldn't you rather be with your father?" she asked, standing up and moving to Basajaun without waiting for Zachary. Sitting in front of the dragon's stomach, the owl leaned against the soft surface, letting out a comforted, though somewhat exaggerated sigh. "Come on, he's comfier, than just sitting on the ground, anyways," the Elder called over the dragon, who grumbled at the sudden loud vocalization as he slept.

Only questioning the owl's sudden change in behavior towards Basajaun for a moment, the leopard quickly decided against investigating further, more than happy with the change. He glanced up from his book, looking over to the mass of green pudge that was dozing just some distance away. The sight did indeed look inviting, and Zachary made to move there as well.

He hesitated.

As soon as he rose from the ground ever so slightly and turned towards the dragon, he simply hesitated. His reluctance was inexplicable, a reaction that caught him completely off guard. He couldn't understand why his body failed to move while his brain commanded it to do so. Not a single muscle obeyed the orders, no matter how much he tried. He wanted to be with Basajaun, but... something inside of him, refused to let him, rejecting his request to get close to his father mercilessly, rendering him helpless.

Confusion of unimaginable degree entered Zachary's brain. Every single cell was trying its hardest to find an explanation to the problem, to find a solution, or anything at all. But, nothing came, only more turmoil.

"I..." the feline began, swallowing and stammering at the same time, once again sitting down where he was, "I'm... I'm fine here." No more words left Zachary's lips as he brought his eyes back on the pages. His gaze held no eagerness anymore.

Snowflake knew the leopard was lying. But she didn't say anything, simply nuzzling Zachary's cheek. "Hey, why don't I give you that lesson in nature magic we couldn't have before?" she offered, giving the leopard a broad, somewhat forced grin.

Zachary leaned away from the cuddle ever so slightly. He could feel his heart thudding faster as the spirit's snout came close to his face, momentary disbelief following his uncontrollable actions. There was no way the emotion that crept upon his mind could be reality. He couldn't believe it. He did not want to believe it. But it was real. It burst forth from its confinements before he could stop it.

Fear.

"S-Sure." The leopard replied, his voice barely audible, distant, unsure. His tail flailed behind him, communicating the discomfort he was trying his hardest to repress. His gaze fell on the ground, the pair of eyes blank, staring numbly, bare of mirth, only filled with unsolved confusion.

Snowflake pulled back a bit at the feeling she got from Zachary, her expression flat. After a moment though, it became reassuring. "Hey, you got over this before," she reminded him, smiling carefully so as not to show her teeth, "You're not gonna let a little fear beat you this time, either." The spirit was actually glad that the rest of the group couldn't understand her at this point; it allowed her to speak with Zachary openly without fear of embarrassing him.

The leopard visibly flinched when the dragoness uttered the word aloud, but did not look up from the ground. Thoughts of bafflement swirled around in his mind endlessly, and although trying his best to solve, or at least ignore them, his attempts were to no avail.

Zachary knew Snowflake was right. The sensation which coated his unconsciousness had visited him on multiple occasions before, one of them being his first encounter with Basajaun. In that very moment, once his eyes settled upon that looming figure for the very first time, he was scared. When he lay on the ground and stared up at the dragon on that fateful day, he feared for his life. The moment the reptile placed a massive paw on the puny feline's chest and held him down, he was terrified. Terrified of what might happen.

He only managed to banish this dread because the things he was afraid of never came true. Or, that's what he thought. He thought they would never come true, content with staying in blissful ignorance, and after a while, he believed. Yet, the lingering angst never left him, despite his best efforts. It was merely contained, locked inside the deepest parts of his mind. Repressed. Unwanted. Forgotten.

But now, it was back, stronger than ever. Apparently strong enough to blithely disregard his attempts to contain it. Stronger than his willpower. Stronger than the true love he felt towards his family. His fear had returned, and it was different. The thought he had been initially afraid of was no longer a worried fantasy.

It became true, and he wore it on his right shoulder.

Zachary's mouth never opened to give even the hint of a reply to Snowflake. All he gave was silence. Even the stillness was filled with worried confusion, the emotion radiating from the leopard's whole being, overpowering everything else, leaving nothing but more uncertainty in its wake.

And Snowflake felt every confused emotion. Looking away for a moment in thought, the dragoness quickly returned her gaze to the leopard. "I could change if it would help," she offered quietly, smiling gently to the feline.

Snapping out of his silent musings, Zachary looked up to the spirit, although he did show marginal amount of reluctance to do so. "No, no... it's fine, really." The leopard insisted, giving a smile that was obviously forced. A paw came up to rest on his right shoulder as he once more turned away from Snowflake, the hand idly rubbing the scar hidden beneath his torn clothes.

Lya cast her gaze towards the pair. Although she did not know what they were discussing, the matter was certainly unpleasant. The leopard's uncharacteristic behavior proved that fact quite well. Considering for a moment, she eventually decided against interrupting, hopeful that the spirit could help him in any way.

Hesitating for a moment, Snowflake moved next to Zachary and sat down beside him. Her wing tentatively positioned itself around his shoulders, while her hand came to the leopard's, gripping it softly. "It's okay, Hunter," she nearly whispered, extending a comforting tendril of emotion through their link, fighting hard to get past the fear in the leopard's heart.

The gesture managed to penetrate the unpleasant sensation, if only just. As soon as Zachary looked down to their hands, however, he had to close his eyes. A single glance at the claws on the spirit's paw was enough.

"This... this is so stupid," he said, his voice loud enough for only Snowflake to hear. He sounded nearly desperate. "I... I'm not doing this... it's..." Shaking his head, Zachary heaved a sigh of defeat as his head sunk lower to the ground.

Snowflake's wing grip tightened slightly as she lowered her head, pressing her skull against Zachary's and closing her eyes. A moment later, a familiar bright light entered the leopard's consciousness, this time without wavering. "You can get through this, Zach," Snowflake's voice came through the radiance, "I know you can. Think of the times you spent with your father. The happiness you had together. Can you focus on that?"

At first startled, the leopard calmed his body and mind alike after a few moments of struggling and closed his eyes. He tried fulfilling the spirit's request, and in the beginning, he successfully did so. Joyful memories and images slowly began to rise, fighting against fear's grip on his mind resolutely. The results were a relief both to Zachary and Snowflake.

A smile. Small, nearly not existent, but still present. It stayed for some time, the leopard relishing the feeling of the missed gesture. He couldn't enjoy it for too long, unfortunately.

"Basa! No!" Razor sharp teeth sinking deep in his flesh. Blood trickling down his arm. Pain, indescribable agony. Numbness, spreading through his body. Paralyzed. Tears. More blood. More pain. It hurt.

Fear.

Zachary gasped as he pulled away from Snowflake in near panic. He breathed heavily, his paw leaving the spirit's to rest on his chest. He couldn't talk. The dreadful memory was still fresh, yet to leave his mind, and he tried his hardest to banish it the best he could.

Snowflake gave the leopard a pained expression, before looking downwards and shaking her head. "I... I can't teach you like this," she stated sadly, sighing. The spirit remained still, seeming hesitant to speak further.

Finally able to calm himself, Zachary glanced to Snowflake for a second, before his own eyes drifted down as well. He gave a shallow nod. "I'm... sorry." Was all he could say.

After a moment, of silence, Snowflake stood and moved to Basajaun, sighing heavily as she settled herself down next to the dragon, resting her head on his middle. She couldn't think of anything to say that might comfort Zachary at all, and so she simply remained silent, save for the sound of her body tinkling as she petted her mate's soft fur.

Left alone, Zachary could only watch from a distance while the rest of the group positioned themselves around Basajaun. His desire to join them, although very strong by nature, was compared weak to the instinctual grip his fear had on his mind. So, the leopard simply sat on his own, although for only a moment.

Feeling another individual sitting down next to him, the leopard looked up and found himself staring at Lya. The ocelot wore a smile. He loved seeing her smile, even in the confusion that haunted him. "It's quite comfy here, huh?" She attempted to joke, cocking her head a little as she looked him in the eyes. She knew what glimmered in them, and it made it all the harder for her to keep a straight face.

Zachary sighed heavily. "No... not really," he patted the grass under him, as if appraising the green texture, "It's quite uncomfortable, actually." A long pause followed before he spoke once again. "Why don't you join the others? Basa's quite soft." He smiled. She knew it was forced.

"I'm fine where I am." Lya stated as she wrapped an arm around the leopard, squeezing his body against her carefully so as not to put strain on his bad shoulder. Tail reaching to hold his, the ocelot tenderly snuggled herself to him, nuzzling his cheek. He didn't pull away this time. If anything, the gentle gestures improved Zachary's state of mind almost immediately, although to only a marginal extent.

"I wouldn't be anywhere else. Basajaun isn't the only one who's soft!" Pinching some of his fur from his face and giggling lightly when he began whimpering, Lya's warm smile widened as she kept her eyes on Zachary. "Your fur is good enough for me. Although..." the ocelot wave a paw in front of her nose and pulled slightly away, "It could use some soap... and some scrubbing... like ten minutes of intense scrubbing."

Zachary blinked. "My point is," Lya continued, ignoring him completely, "You stink again. And there's... uhm... still some..." She gestured with her head to his right shoulder. The hint was more than enough.

Sighing, the leopard leaned against the feline beside him. "I know..." he said quietly, subconsciously hiding his right, somewhat bloodied arm behind him, "But there's no water here," the evident observation was followed by another one, "And we don't have a pool here, either. So... I guess no baths for now."

A moment of consideration later, Lya looked to Basajaun and then back to Zachary. "How about... you know." She stuck her tongue out and pointed to the sleeping dragon, giggling as she did so, hoping that her mirth would somehow make its way to him as well.

It didn't.

"I... that's..." The leopard stammered, clenching his paws in fists, curling his tail around himself. Nobody spoke for a long time. Zachary was the one to break it, his voice silent, a tiny, embarrassed whisper. "I don't know... if I can."

Lya's smile disappeared from her face instantly, her ears lowering slightly. "Oh..." she closed her eyes and tightened the side hug around Zachary, "It's okay. We'll find you another way, then, alright?" Getting only a silent nod as a reply, the ocelot sighed, and joined the stillness. The embrace she shared with him didn't end. Not even after long minutes had passed, not even after those minutes turned into hours. All she could do was hug him as time slowly passed. And she did so without any complaints.

Early in the evening, Basajaun started stirring, groaning a little as his eyes opened. The dragon woke to find Esmeralda and Snowflake both asleep, using him as a cushion. Blinking in surprise at the owl's presence, it wasn't long until that surprise turned to elation when he thought that the Elder may have forgiven him.

Smiling at the avian resting against his middle, the dragon lifted his head, looking around for the group's felines. Once he spotted them some distance away, Basajaun's expression fell slightly; they weren't even facing him.

Sighing a bit louder than he had meant to, the dragon looked back to Esmeralda, contemplating whether he should get up and deprive the owl and her familiar of his silky body.

The reptile's sigh managed to cut in the conversation Zachary and Lya had been sharing with each other, silencing the pair immediately. The former of the two glanced over his shoulder to look back at Basajaun. His gaze only lingered on the dragon for a moment, before he turned his head back and for seemingly no reason whatsoever, snuggled himself tighter to the feline beside him.

Sighing softly as well, the ocelot also turned to glance at the drake, although she did not look away afterwards. "Evening. Slept well, mister idiot?" Evidently, Lya couldn't forgive as quickly as a certain owl.

Tensing at the name, Basajaun hesitated to answer. "Yes," he replied after several moments, a forelimb moving subconsciously to Snowflake's head in a bid to find some comfort from the sleeping spirit. "And... how are you two doing?" the dragon inquired awkwardly as he stroked the dragoness' forehead, getting a happy tinkling from her in response. The sound managed to produce a tiny smile from the drake.

Tempted to snap back for that particular question, Lya quickly took ahold of herself. She knew it wouldn't help in any way. "We're good," she reported, nudging the leopard beside her and clearing her throat a little, "Right, Zach?"

Swallowing loud enough to be heard for even Basajaun, Zachary gave a few vehement nods as he said. "Yeah... we're good." Although trying, he couldn't hide the uncertainty out of his tone. He was definitely not good.

Grimacing heavily, Basajaun shook his head. The leopard's voice removed any hesitance he had; standing quickly and subsequently waking both Snowflake and Esmeralda, the dragon moved over to just out of reaching distance of the felines, ignoring the indignant glare he could feel drilling into his skull from a certain avain.

"Hey," the reptile said quietly, "Is there, um, anything I can do for you?"

Zachary's whole body seemed to stiffen when the earlier voice came from a lot closer than last time. Even his tail, which had been lying on the ground behind him up until now, came to rest in his lap. The leopard's ears were flat against his head.

"I-I'm good. I just said it." He insisted, voice shaking, eyes closed, paws in fists. He tried to suppress it, but he couldn't.

The dragon could literally smell the fear coming off of Zachary. Biting his lip, Basajaun thought for several moments, before he quietly intoned, "Sta in Gradu." A few moments and a complete transformation later, the now anthropomorphic drake stepped over and sat to the side of the leopard, two meters separating them. "Is... this better?" he asked, smiling softly to the pair of felines.

Hesitating, Zachary eventually willed himself to look up at the dragon. Marginal amount of relief washed over him when he found himself looking at a much less intimidating Basajaun. Ever so slowly, a small smile graced the leopard's muzzle, although it was nowhere near as wide as it used to be. It quickly disappeared, though.

The feline shook his head a little, giving a convincingly confused look to the dragon. "What... do you mean? What's better?" He clearly didn't want to admit it, and it wasn't because of embarrassment.

Thankfully, an admission wasn't necessary; the leopard's voice and scent were enough to tell Basajaun that Zachary's fear had gone down, though not entirely. Scooting a bit closer to the leopard, the dragon halved the distance between them, but left enough room that they weren't able to reach one another.

"Nevermind, son," Basajaun dismissed his earlier question. After a moment, the dragon cleared his throat, looking out over the plains. He wanted to say something, but nothing came to mind. He simply stared quietly into the distance, fiddling with his fingers while he waited for Zachary to get accustomed to his presence. For the second time.

The leopard could feel his heart rate increasing slightly once Basajaun drew nearer. He inhaled deeply and closed his eyes, and with a lot of effort, managed to calm himself after a long while. The dreadful sensation still lingered around him, but he wasn't practically trembling in the dragon's presence anymore, at least.

Similarly to the antho drake, Zachary aimlessly scanned their surroundings as his paws sat in nervous stillness on the ground. Unlike Basajaun, however, the feline did not feel the need to utter any words. Being able to sit beside his father was enough of an achievement for him.

Several long, silent minutes passed, the quiet eventually broken by Basajaun's stomach with a loud growl. Looking down in confusion, the dragon put a hand on top of the soft dome's curvature. "I haven't had anything to eat since yesterday," he realized aloud, hearing Snowflake stand up in reply.

"I'll hunt something for us," the spirit offered, taking off without another word.

Glancing up for a moment at the dragoness' form as she flew over the plains, Basajaun slowly returned his gaze to Zachary. "I don't suppose," he started hesitantly, his hands fiddling with their fingers, "Dinner would be an appropriate way to start making up for... what happened, would it?" The dragon's eyes held a pleading desperation to them that he somehow managed to keep out of his tone. His desire to amend his error was plain for anyone to see.

Zachary wanted nothing more than to fulfill that desire, but with the strongly present fear haunting him, he couldn't help but feel hesitant. The sensation, given what Basajaun was offering, surprised him greater than anyone else.

"Well, I... don't... it's..." Staggering helplessly, the leopard failed to meet the drake's eyes as his gaze remained locked on the ground, on the grass, the trees. Or on anything else except Basajaun. The thought of getting his paws close to the dragon's snout made his heart's thudding increase tenfold.

Seeing the leopard's reaction, Basajaun felt crestfallen once more. "Er, I, um, meant I'd be helping," he lied unconvincingly, biting his lip as he looked away from Zachary, "Yes, helping to, um, cook. Dinner. I'm going to help cook dinner." A hand reached up, rubbing the dragon's burning neck as he looked anywhere but at Zachary.

The leopard failed to register anything else other than the words that left the dragon's lips. "Alright," he said quietly, and amazingly, forced a smile on his muzzle, "You... you do that. I will just... be here, I guess." Though not moving away from Basajaun, Zachary made no attempts to shorten the distance between him and his father, either.

"How do you plan on cooking dinner without a fire?" Esmeralda's voice inquired from beside the dragon, nearly causing him to jump out of his skin as his gaze whipped to look at the side opposite Zachary. The owl had somehow managed to sit herself directly beside the dragon without him even noticing.

"How do you do that?!" Basajaun demanded once again, before heaving an exasperated sigh when he only got a wicked grin in reply, "Nevermind. Maybe Snowflake will find some firewood while she's hunting. At least, I hope so." In a much quieter tone, the dragon added, "I could really use something to do."

Feeling exactly the same, Zachary stood after having finished with a prolonged mental consideration. "I'll... go out and look for some firewood," he announced, and before Lya could speak, as if reading her mind, the leopard added, "Alone." The ocelot sighed in defeat, but nodded nevertheless. She could only watch with a worried grimace as he made to leave the camp.

The dragon tensed at Zachary's words. "Wait, Zach," he called out, getting to his feet unsteadily, "You, um... do you have to go by yourself? You wouldn't want any company? I'd be happy to--"

"Alone." The leopard cut the drake off, emphasizing the word as much as he could. He didn't even look back at Basajaun as he slowly began walking in a random direction towards the vast and unknown expanse of the plainlands.

The dragon let out a quiet whine as he watched Zachary leave, wringing his hands in obvious distress. Slowly sinking back to the ground, Basajaun's entire being radiated sorrow and anxiety at the absence of his son.

Eyes locked on the leopard until he was completely out of sight, Lya turned to look at the sulking reptile on the ground. Although still not completely ready to forgive, the ocelot still cared for the lizard, no matter how much anger she had felt before.

"What's wrong now?" She asked, her voice not exactly comforting, rather casual as she slowly sat down beside Basajaun. Staring in the direction Zachary had left, Lya sighed loudly and said. "He's not leaving forever, you know. He just needs... time, I guess."

"He shouldn't be alone," the dragon almost snapped back, holding his head in his hands, "Not in his condition and not after sundown in the wilds. There could be dangerous predators out here and I... I don't..." The drake's voice caught, and he simply shook his head. "Getting bitten yesterday was bad enough," Basajaun whispered, his tone bearing untold worry and concern.

Lya furrowed her brows, her eyes drifting to look at Basajaun. "He only got bit yesterday because it was you who bit him," she stated honestly, her voice flat, "He didn't defend himself. If a predator were to attack him, surely he wouldn't stand there with arms spread wide, eyes closed like he did with you," sighing, the ocelot cast her glower from Basajaun to look out in the distance, "He... can take care of himself." The words were meant to reassure both the dragon and herself.

Basajaun's lip was starting to hurt from being held between his sharp teeth. Sighing, he looked to Lya sadly. "I know," he affirmed flatly, "I just... I'm scared that something might happen, however unlikely. He's my son, Lya. If anything happens to him..." The dragon couldn't continue that train of thought; it was too painful.

Silence followed the drake's words, only to be broken a moment later by the ocelot. "Quite a lot happened to him yesterday," she said quietly, "And he... survived that, too. I don't think there's anything he can't survive, at this point." The thought calmed her mind more than anything could.

The dragon was similarly calmed by the statement, but not completely. Heaving a relenting sigh, he simply decided not to push the issue, instead looking to the ocelot beside him. "And... what about you?" he asked, his arms folding over his soft chest insecurely, "Is there anything I can do for you? To make amends, I mean."

Lya snorted. "You don't need to make amends for me, Basajaun," she stated simply, shaking her head as she gestured the way Zachary had left, "The only person who needs that just left. You hurt him, not me."

Looking back up to the dragon, the ocelot's piercing gaze nearly bore holes in the reptile's soul. Her tone was dead serious. "And you better fix this, because... he can't stay like this. It's not him," Lya put a paw on her forehead, finally exiting the barrier which held her emotions inside, worry clinging to her voice stubbornly, "Make him... happy again. You're the only one who can do it."

Basajaun nodded, before grimacing slightly. "That's... not true," he stated, shaking his head, "I did hurt you, Lya. I hurt my whole family with what I did. Zach's just the one that got the visible scar."

The dragon held his breath for a moment. "I need to make it up to all of you," he insisted, looking to Lya pleadingly, "Please, tell me there's something, anything I can do for you."

Staring up at Basajaun, the ocelot eventually gave a shallow, relenting nod. "As I just said," she began, closing her eyes while she clenched her paws in fists, "Make him happy again. You'll find forgiveness from me only then, Basajaun."

Slowly opening her eyes, Lya did not look at the dragon as she uttered her words. "You crippled him physically. Make sure he doesn't stay crippled mentally. That's all I ask of you."

Basajaun looked into Lya's eyes, insecurity plain in his own. "I... I don't know how," he stated, shaking his head, "He's afraid of me again, Lya. How can I make someone happy if they're terrified of me? How do I do that, Lya?" The drake's tone became more desperate as he spoke, his eyes searching the ocelot's face frantically.

Gaze drifting up to glance at the reptile, Lya gave the most simple answer she possibly could. "Just like you did the first time, Basajaun," she smiled at him, this time the expression sincere, "Be yourself."

The words caught Basajaun off guard, though they soon had a small smile parting his lips. The anthropomorphic dragon suddenly embraced Lya, hugging her softly against him. "Thank you," he said quietly, "I... needed to hear that."

Lya's breath caught in her throat. Her whole body tensed, but upon recognizing the endeavour of the gesture, as well as hearing the dragon's voice, the ocelot quickly recollected herself. She slowly pulled her paw away from Rose; she didn't have to use it.

"You're... welcome," she replied, holding her arms awkwardly in the air while Basajaun hugged her, "Now, get off me, you dummy." Although a somewhat mean request, the way it was pronounced made it all too hard to be taken seriously. The meanness, that is. The demand was serious.

Chuckling lightly, Basajaun retracted from the ocelot. "Sorry; I guess I like hugs too much for my own good," he stated, giving a smile to Lya, "I should have asked; I know that from our lessons together. But I... needed that."

Lya heaved a prolonged sigh. "I know..." she said, running a paw over her head, "It's just as hard, if not harder, for you as it is for us. But... since we're a... family, I think we'll get through this, somehow." Waiting for a moment, the ocelot narrowed her eyes at Basajaun as she added, "And don't do that surprise hug with Zach just yet. I... don't think he'd take it as good as I did."

The dragon nodded, looking back out to the plains, before looking down at himself. With wide eyes, the dragon suddenly folded his wings around his torso, looking to Lya sheepishly. "I just remembered you told me it was inappropriate for an anthro to go about naked during one of our courtesy lessons," he stated, turning slightly away from the ocelot, "I, er, don't want to be vulgar, but... we don't have clothing in my size."

Cocking an eyebrow at the reptile's sudden shyness, Lya rolled her eyes and shook her head. "It's... uh... different in your case," she stated, "You... you..." stopping herself before the situation could get any worse, the ocelot waved a paw dismissively, "Nevermind. Just... don't worry about it. But if you are that keen to wear clothing." She gestured to the previously laid out blankets on the ground, giving an encouraging motion with her head to the drake.

The dragon nodded, moving over to the comforters before hesitating once more. "You won't mind me using some of these?" he asked, looking to Lya and Esmeralda. When they both gave him permissive gestures, Basajaun took two blankets. Wrapping one around his waist, the dragon tied it off, noting how much easier tying a knot was with anthro hands, before wrapping the second around his shoulders like a poncho.

"There, now you're decent," the Elder affirmed, smiling at the dragon's "outfit", "Not fashionable, perhaps, but decent."

"Definitely not fashionable," Lya agreed with the owl's former statement bluntly, studying Basajaun in the blankets, a critical glimmer in her eyes as she did so, "And you... still look kinda weird, to be honest. I just can't get used to this look on you."

Pausing for a moment, and looking like she noticed her unusually blatant manners, the ocelot was quick to correct her mistake. There wasn't a lot of effort put into it, though. "But you look decent enough, I guess." She added simply, her tone free of its known kindness.

Basajaun smiled nonetheless, though it was a slightly forced expression. "I think I might need a pretty good tailor to look something other than odd like this," he joked, looking himself over. It felt weird to the dragon having something clinging to him inanimately, but he simply tried his best to ignore the cloth around him.

Moving back to one of the trees, Basajaun sat and leaned back, resting his head on the bark. Folding his arms over his abdomen, the drake closed his eyes, sighing as he tried to think of ways to help Zachary regain his comfort around the dragon.

After a few minutes, the dragon was pleasantly surprised when Esmeralda sat beside him, leaning against him lightly. "Don't worry, we'll sort this out," the owl said reassuringly, her tone soft and hushed. Hesitating a moment, the Elder reached a hand up and stroked Basajaun's side slowly, knowing that the drake was probably missing the physical contact of anthros by now.

Smiling warmly, Basajaun extended a wing around Esmeralda's shoulders. "Thank you," he said with sincere gratitude, leaning back again to resume his train of thought. The comforting touch of the owl was enough to keep his smile going, even through the unpleasant considerations he had to meditate on while he awaited his son's return.

Not so far away, the subject of the dragon's dilemma silently wandered through the plainlands. Zachary's sauntering form waded through the ankle-high grass aimlessly. The plant beneath his paw pads was the only sight the leopard could marvel at, the green expanse stretching as far as the eye could see, a few distant and lonely trees breaking the dullness occasionally. Yet, the area's only sentient observer couldn't care less about the boring view.

Zachary numbly stared at the ground as he walked. He made no efforts to look for the firewood he had promised. His gaze never lifted to look up from the grass. But, even if he had, his mind wouldn't have registered what his eyes were seeing. His flurry of thoughts simply left no space for anything else to be acknowledged.

Basajaun. That simple name usually brought up immeasurable amount of love. But not now. Confusion of an unknown kind accompanied it this time, and in his current situation, despite his hardest efforts to do so, despite his genuine willingness to do so, Zachary found no solution. He wanted to, with all his heart, but he couldn't. He could think of no way to control it.

The fear; strong, heart-achingly agonizing, ever-present, completely instinctual. A real threat to one's life doesn't only leave an ugly scar. It changes people, creating novel urges and impulses in one's brain, rewiring the many strings that run through in unexpected and, in Zachary's case, completely negative way.

Nearly insuperable. He had to stop thinking about it. It wasn't helping.

Zachary heaved a sigh as he came to a stop. A paw came up to rest on his forehead, and was slowly pulled over the leopard's face, ruffling his fur in the process. Basajaun wasn't around to groom it back, though, and so, with a more than fuzzy look across his features, the feline willed himself to look up for the very first time in perhaps an hour.

Grass. Everywhere. The sight should have come as no surprise, and yet, Zachary could clearly feel marginal amount of disappointment filling him. He still had to look for firewood. A promise was a promise, no matter how much it was used as an excuse to leave the camp. And as he glanced west, saw the sun's final orange rays stubbornly peering over the emerald horizon, he knew he had to hurry. Not so much, though; the current solitude was an oddly welcomed sensation for once.

With deliberate steps, Zachary continued his search for the promised source of the campfire. While trying to, he couldn't ignore the previously subdued thoughts that haunted him. They stayed with him as his eyes scanned the plainlands around him, looking for any trace of a nearby tree that could provide enough firewood for the group.

He searched for a good hour. By the time he found a tree of decent size and favorable amount of branches and collected his "catch", the sun was nowhere to be found. Darkness fell on Zachary while he carried the twigs of various shapes and sizes in his arms, enveloping him completely from the outside. Just like the blackness which was yet to leave from the inside.

Although he knew it was getting rather late, and that he was roaming unknown, perhaps dangerous terrain, Zachary didn't pick up his pace. He walked just as slow as before, his eyes on the ground, just like before. Unawareness was a trait he clearly possessed, but even for him, walking in a practically brain-dead state at night, and in an area which he didn't know, could only be considered foolhardy. And he knew it all too well, but didn't care.

He simply wanted to be unaware, and to stay brain-dead in the eerie blackness as long as he could. It simply made things easier to endure. And actually, he was rather enjoying his quiet walk in the night. Or, at least, he was very much enjoying the experience until a sudden growl cut through the silence.

Body jumping and eyes widening at the foreign sound, Zachary was only able to notice the wolf which had appeared seemingly out of nowhere after he recollected himself somewhat. The feral beast's eyes bore holes in the leopard's soul as it stared at him, baring its fangs as its growling never ceased once. It held an aggressive pose; head low, tail high in the air, evidently ready to pounce at any second.

Once again, fear began to rise in Zachary's heart. His grip on the firewood tightened until he could hear some of the branches snapping from its intensity. The sharp sound was all the wolf needed.

He simply had no time to react. It was so much faster than he was, leaving him no chance to completely dodge the attack. It was a blur of images and sounds, a sharp, stinging sensation on his paw, and then it was over before he even realized it had started.

Stumbling as the branches from his arms fell on the ground, Zachary let out a single snarl when the wolf bit his left hand. Blood began to trickle from the wound immediately, the crimson substance coating his index finger in a blink of an eye. The injury was completely ignored.

Fire flickered in his left paw while frosty shards swirled around in the other. The leopard stared at the beast. His brown eyes glowed through the darkness just like the orange flames in his hand. The wolf had changed positions, and was now standing in the other side of its initial attack. Its posture and growl had both decreased in intensity as it stared right back at Zachary.

Their eyes fought a silent battle while their bodies remained motionless.

Zachary waited long for another advance, but it never came. The wolf stood in place and only looked. At first, he thought it was seizing him up. Only later did he recognize the expectant visage the wolf's hardly readable features bore. Zachary was the one to make a move. The adrenaline rushed out of his body faster than it came, another emotion conquered the empty space.

He couldn't look at the wolf's fangs anymore. It brought up unwanted memories, and those were the last things he needed at that moment. He looked away, killed the spells in his paws, held them up submissively, and took a trembling step backwards. When the beast's growl disappeared from the action, he knew why it had attacked him.

Wasting no time anymore, the leopard quickly collected the firewood from the ground, disregarding the wolf's intense stare at him. It didn't take five seconds for Zachary to finish, and now knowing the exact direction he was going, began taking slow steps back while he faced the beast. It never made another attack. It simply watched as the feline exited the territory he had accidentally trespassed.

Lya pursed her lips as she stood on the edge of the camp. Her eyes scanned the darkened plainlands endlessly, but couldn't find what they sought. She must have been standing there for an hour now, and during that time, not a single word left her mouth. She was as silent as the night, holding the obvious distress inside stubbornly. But not forever.

"Where in the Hell is he?!" The ocelot's demand broke the stillness, her voice filled with evident worry and uncertainty. Whipping her head to look back to the other three present members of the group, Lya's concerned expression shone through the darkness effortlessly. "He's been gone for nearly three hours now," she continued, once again looking back to the plainlands, and once again finding no trace of Zachary, "I can't believe this."

Back in his typical draconic form, Basajaun sniffed at the air, flickering his tongue as well. "He's coming back," the dragon announced, breathing deeply as he sampled the air, "He isn't too far now. It should only be a few..." Trailing off, the dragon suddenly jumped to his feet, horror spelled out in his expression.

"He's bleeding!" the drake exclaimed, taking off full bore in the leopard's direction without another word, leaving the owl and spirit that had been leaning against the soft reptile flopped on the ground unexpectedly.

It didn't take long for Basajaun to come within eyesight of his target. "Zachary!" he cried out worriedly, his pace only slowing marginally at the sight of the leopard.

Having spent the last few minutes of his absence studying the wound on his left paw, Zachary's eyes only drifted upwards when his name had been uttered. When he noticed Basajaun back in his usual form practically charging at him, the feline's entire being was engulfed in panic.

It was happening again. Just like the day before.

The branches from his arms landed on the ground for the second time. Zachary was quick to follow their lead, crouching low while he buried his head in his paws. Not even the slightest whimper left his lips. Every sound died down in his throat. Fear strangled his neck harder than he could bear.

The fall of his son made the dragon skid to a halt immediately, the sudden action sending him face first into the ground in his haste to stop. Shaking himself, Basajaun padded softly over to Zachary, nudging the leopard gently on his side. "Zach, it's me," the drake said softly, licking the leopard's arm once.

The loving gesture elicited a terrified yip from Zachary almost instantly. He attempted to pull back, but given the unfortunate position he was in, he only managed to fall sideways on the ground. Disregarding his ungraceful move, the leopard breathed heavily as he quickly crawled away from the dragon, his back against the grass, staring up with widened eyes. No trace of the joyful kitten could be found in those orbs.

Backing up, Basajaun bit his lip at the look of Zachary's eyes. Sighing raggedly, the dragon turned around, sitting on his haunches facing away from the leopard. "I'll... be right here when you calm down," he stated, his body unnaturally still afterwards.

Zachary couldn't cease his rapid breathing for a very long time, his eyes staring at Basajaun's unmoving form. After a while, to his utter relief, he could feel his fear slowly dissipating, as well as the painfully strong remorse which replaced it.

How could he be so stupid? The question resonated in his mind as he sat up and planted a paw on his forehead, and was followed by many other unanswered ones. They never left his lips, only a sentence which took perhaps five minutes to finally come.

"I'm calm."

Basajaun hesitated. "Is it okay to turn around?" he asked, his voice surprisingly calm, "I don't want to scare you again."

Hearing that statement out loud felt worse than any insult could. Zachary closed his eyes, hissing quietly while he clenched his paws in fists and pushed his wound in the process. He paid no heed to the pain, replying almost silently, his tone unusually flat, carrying no emotions. "It's okay."

After another second's pause, Basajaun turned slowly around, his head submissively low and making sure none of his teeth were visible, even when he said, "Just let me know if you need me to go. You don't have to force it."

"I'm not... forcing anything," Zachary grimaced in confusion, not looking at the dragon, "I... want to be with you. I... it's just..." Trailing off and closing his eyes, he pulled his legs against his chest, crossed his arms on his knees and buried his head beneath the limbs. "I'm sorry."

After a moment of looking at the leopard, Basajaun cleared his throat quietly. "Is it okay to get a little closer?" he asked, looking at the feline's bleeding paw, "It looks like you could use a little healing."

Lifting his bloodied hand, Zachary simply gestured for Basajaun to come closer without showing any hesitation. He didn't look up.

Scooting the bit of distance necessary to reach the leopard, the dragon didn't get any closer than he needed, reaching out his hands to the hurt paw. A quick incantation and a flash of green later, the drake's healing spell worked its magic, sealing and disinfecting the wound quickly.

"There," the dragon said warmly, rubbing Zachary's hand, "Looks like you found a wolf out there, from this bite. Did it get you anywhere else? Your father can tend any other hurts you have." The wishful statement referred to more than physical pains.

"I'm fine." Came the muffled reply after, an equally deadened sigh following right along. How he wished it were true. "It was just this little bite." There was a short pause, Zachary's head moving to look up, only to hesitate and drop right back to its previous position. "Thank you." He ever so slowly took ahold of one of Basajaun's claws.

The grip caused a flash of elation to ripple through the dragon, yet he still held his composure, not wanting to startle Zachary. "You're welcome," the reptile said simply. A moment later, Basajaun scooted just a little closer to the leopard. "Nice job with the firewood," he said lightly, smiling with his mouth closed to the feline.

With his head yet to leave its fuzzy fortress, the dragon's efforts to keep Zachary's mind at peace went unnoticed. The words leaving his father's lips sure didn't. "Yeah..." he said quietly, and at last not feeling completely terrified in the presence of Basajaun, the leopard let out his first, genuine chuckle in two days, "Took me quite a while to 'hunt' them down, though."

Chuckling along, Basajaun looked out to the dark plains. "It must have been a bit of a hassle finding dry wood out here," he stated, nodding at his own words, "I'm proud of you for sticking with it, son."

There was a moment of silent disbelief that followed the dragon's words. "Really?" Zachary asked, slowly lifting his head from its confinements and looking up. The sight of Basajaun looking right back at him once again made his fear roar up, but in the intense indignation he felt from the violation of his religiously praised humor, the sensation was blithely ignored by some otherworldly miracle.

"That was really... really bad." He stated, scrunching up his face, as if Basajaun's joke brought physical pain. It nearly did, actually. "You can seriously be worse than Birdy." A small smile appeared on Zachary's face, the expression evident even through the darkness.

Basajaun grinned, before quickly hiding his teeth once again, shaking his head. "Heh, sorry about that," the dragon apologized, though there was more mischief than contriteness to his tone, "But I have to admit; hearing you laugh is a... tree-mendous relief."

Snorting loudly in exaggerated mental torment from the second pun of that night, Zachary shook his head at Basajaun. "Hearing your 'jokes' is not, though," he shot back, his teasing finally making its first appearance along with a somewhat low-key grin. It looked like the dragon's idea of practically insulting the concept of comedy was able to overpower the leopard's fear, if only to a limited extent.

"Oh, forgive me for insulting your fine sense of humor!" the dragon pleaded overdramatically, gently squeezing the hand he still held, "Perhaps observational humor is more your style. Remember this one? Chamaeleon."

Thanks to the pair sharing the gift of excellent night vision, they could both perceive the sudden black-spotted yellow coloration that came over the dragon's fur. Getting to his feet, the dragon gave a ridiculous smile to the leopard whose pattern he had copied, waiting to see if Zachary would be as amused by it the second time.

Fortunately for both, that was exactly the case. Although gaining immense amount of entertainment, which was indicated in the form of a good minute long, side-splitting laughter from Zachary, it was still too soon when the leopard was able to cease his giggling. Laughing like this wasn't a relief only to Basajaun. The sound blissfully banished the dread which had wrapped itself around the leopard's mind. But not completely. It was merely locked right back in its confinements, for now.

"Gods," the leopard wiped joyful tears from his eyes, and upon regaining his vision and looking back to Basajaun, began giggling uncontrollably once again, "I have no idea why it's so damn funny!" Not exactly interested to solve that particular mystery, Zachary simply enjoyed the mirthful experience. He had been missing it quite badly.

Laughing along, Basajaun smiled impishly. "Oh, and I remember there was something that made it funnier to you, too," he stated teasingly, "Now, what was that...? Oh yes!"

Suddenly, the drake started bouncing along the grass, prancing gaily as he shifted through a variety of ludicrous expressions. Unlike before, however, the dragon was ever wary to avoid showing his fangs at all. "'Ow 'bout thith?" he asked through a face that held crossed eyes and a protruding tongue, accompanying a goofy smile.

Basajaun's question was immediately answered when the intensity of Zachary's laughter, as unimaginable as that was, increased to an extent where the young anthro had to close his eyes to avoid choking. He rolled on his back, burying his head in his paws. Yet, even through the impromptu muffler he had constructed with his hands, his chuckling was clearly audible.

Giggling along with the leopard, Basajaun padded over as he dismissed his spell, nuzzling the leopard's side cautiously. "I love you, son," he said softly once the feline's laughing had died down a bit, "No matter what, I will always love you." The words and tone the dragon used held loving honesty to them, each syllable filled with warm affection.

As soon as the gentle contact was registered in his mind, Zachary's uneasiness reappeared in a blink of an eye. The unpleasant sensation made to take control of his senses once again, but before it could worm its way into his consciousness, it was stopped.

I love you. Three words, easy to throw to anyone casually, but only truly effective when uttered in the way Basajaun always did; it made even thinking of doubting that single sentence impossible. And Zachary, despite the ugly scar he wore on his shoulder, never once lost the certainty he felt for those sincere words.

His fear was the single obstacle blocking him from returning that love to its fullest. He wanted nothing more to do so. He loved Basajaun like nothing else in this world, and yet, he wasn't showing it. He had to beat it. Somehow, anyhow, he simply had to get rid of it. The dread was just another thing that pushed him to the ground and reveled in his pain. Nothing more. All he had to do was stand up, like he always did, and hope that he would never fall again.

"I love you too, dad." The statement eradicated every form of hesitation for the action that followed it. "I... love you forever." The previously healed paw came to rest on the dragon's head and slowly began stroking Basajaun.

Breath catching in his throat, the dragon had to hold himself back from tackling the leopard and embracing him with all his might. Instead, Basajaun simply nuzzled Zachary's hand gently, crooning quietly at the loving touch they shared. The drake was fairly certain there would have been joyful tears in his eyes if he hadn't cried the orbs dry over the past day.

The stroking he received brought a hesitant, quiet purr out of the dragon, who slowly sank to the ground beside Zachary, his tongue snaking out and licking at the leopard's fingers affectionately.

The hand that was given the attention twitched ever so slightly from the contact, and yet, it did not pull away. It remained in the same position it had been, its stroking slowing down significantly, but not stopping either. And, for once, not trembling.

Zachary stared up at the many shining stars in the sky, breathing slowly while he fought to maintain the contact with Basajaun. His determination to beat his fear was the only thing that kept his paw in place. It was a real struggle, and he desperately searched for a way to calm himself.

"This... is not going to stay like this forever." Reassurance. He needed it, even if it was from himself. His voice was quiet, but his silent words were filled with nothing but resolution. "It will be gone, Basa. I... I promise. I just... need time. A little time."

"I know," the dragon replied softly, "You always beat whatever life throws at you. That's not going to stop now." Basajaun nudged his snout lightly against Zachary's hand, scooting just another bit closer to the leopard. He could still smell the fear on his son, but he knew without a doubt that Zachary could overcome it. And the drake would do whatever he could to make that easier.

Taking a breath, Basajaun thought back to the lullabies he heard from Snowflake. Choosing the most comforting among those tunes, the dragon began humming softly, his deep voice resonating a warm melody through the air. Each note was filled with love and the desire to assuage the doubt in his beloved son's heart.

As the brassy lullaby wormed its way in Zachary's ears, previously lost peace filled his mind in a few moments. He welcomed the tranquility with open arms, closing his eyes while he listened. The enthralling song managed to make him forget about the painful dread altogether. It also managed to remind him of his tiredness.

Having spent most of the day wandering the plains, the leopard's soft yawn came as no surprise. And while completely willing to spend time with Basajaun without feeling the urge to run away at last, he couldn't help but give in to the temptation of keeping his eyes closed and simply enjoy his father's singing, no matter the consequence it came with. That being Zachary falling asleep in less than a minute.

Smiling gently, the dragon silently slid himself against the leopard fully, a wing coming down to cover Zachary's body. Nuzzling his son's cheek, Basajaun retracted a bit at the feel of dirt in the feline's fur, curling his nose slightly and rubbing his snout free of the soil.

Looking over the sleeping leopard, the drake noticed how messy Zachary had gotten since his last bath, not to mention the dried blood still caked around the feline's shoulder and hand. Though the sight made his heart ache, Basajaun simply took a breath and calmed himself.

"Gods, you'd hate it if I did this while you were awake," the dragon said nearly soundlessly, smiling softly at Zachary before running out his tongue, washing the sleeping leopard. Starting with his arm, Basajaun tenderly licked at Zachary while resuming his lullaby, not wanting to wake his son before he was done.

The reptile was so caught up in his work that he didn't even notice Snowflake and Esmeralda approaching, nor when they quietly gathered up the fallen firewood. The women smiled at the loving scene, neither of them willing to interrupt; they simply took the wood back under the trees and began clearing a spot for a fire.

The other person Basajaun failed to notice was Lya, who had been standing some distance away from the pair for a while now. She had watched and listened to the pair's loving moment from nearly start to finish, and now, as her eyes lingered on the way the dragon lovingly groomed the sleepy leopard, she couldn't but smile. The curve of her lips widened when she noticed the expression Zachary wore on his face.

His features were locked in a small smile. The expression was a relief to see. Lya sighed softly as she made to move closer to Basajaun, and upon arrival, patted the dragon's wing. "Thank you." She said quietly. But, apparently not too quietly, as Zachary released a displeased grunt upon hearing the sound.

Jumping slightly from the contact, the dragon looked up to the ocelot. Bringing a claw to his lips, Basajaun quietly shushed Lya, though he bore a smile as he did so, nodding to her afterwards. The drake's gaze didn't leave Zachary for long, and he soon resumed his gentle grooming. He didn't mean to ignore Lya; Basajaun simply had a messy hatchling that had to be straightened up.

Rolling her eyes with a smirk and a shake of her head, Lya waved a paw at the pair before she made her way to Esmeralda and Snowflake. Zachary's proud catch, namely the firewood, was already set up and ready to be ignited. Sitting down near the soon-to-be campfire, the ocelot cast her gaze back towards Basajaun and his "hatchling", not able to grow tired of watching the loving scene.

"Seems like they managed to work things out," she observed, the statement filling her mind with blissful calmness, "Thank Gods." She didn't even want to imagine what it would have been like if Zachary's state hadn't improved. To see him descend into anguish would have been unbearable.

Esmeralda chuckled, giving a nod. "Like you said; they have something special," the owl reminded Lya, "Nothing that tries to come between them is going to succeed."

Snowflake nodded in agreement, looking to the dragon and leopard as well. The spirit smiled from the love she felt coming from both individuals. Even though Zachary was asleep, the peaceful affection he was experiencing was strong enough to appear like a radiant beacon to the spirit.

Once the fire sparked to life, Esmeralda leaned back, enjoying the warmth as she joined the spectating of the drake and his son. It hadn't taken long for Basajaun to get the leopard clean, especially without any struggling or complaining from the feline, and he was simply running his claws through Zachary's fur, each pass of his digits straightening the hairs into a state that would have been presentable at a noble party.

By the time Basajaun had completely finished grooming nearly every individual hair of the leopard's fur, much to the currently unconscious feline's future displeasure, the females of the group began preparing dinner from the deer Snowflake had brought back.

The unfortunate animal's skin was long gone from its body. Or at least, from the body parts that were now currently being prepared by the experienced hands of the ladies. Thanks to their combined culinary capabilities, the roasted venison with seasoning of great variety was done in less than thirty minutes, its heavenly fragrance filling the entirety of the camp.

In the middle of tracing his claws through Zachary's arm fur for the umpteenth time, Basajaun suddenly perked up, sniffing at the air a moment, before turning to the campfire. Smiling at the sight of dinner, the expression quickly fell when the dragon realized he was held helplessly in place by his sleeping son, who he was sure would wake up if he were to move. Yet despite his unwillingness to awaken the leopard, the dragon couldn't suppress the loud growl that came from his stomach at the scent of dinner.

Growling loudly too, as if mimicking the sound which had disturbed his dreams, Zachary mumbled and grumbled for a while as he turned on his belly to sleep. He rested his head on his arms; an unfortunate move. With a sharp hiss and quiet whimpering, he slowly eased his right arm back to his side on the ground, his expression fixed in a grimace. Amazingly, even pain failed to wake him up completely, although his eyes did flutter open.

Seeing Zachary wake up, Basajaun immediately froze when he realized his head was less than a foot from the leopard. Slowly and silently, the dragon pulled his snout back away from the feline, hoping not to startle Zachary by his proximity.

With the kind of stealth he would normally only employ while hunting, the drake slipped his form away from the feline, taking a few silent steps back. "Hey, how'd you sleep?" Basajaun asked once he wasn't as close to the leopard.

The only answer Zachary returned was a grunt as he slowly sat up from the ground. Rubbing his eyes while at the same time releasing a prolonged yawn, the leopard munched on seemingly nothing a couple of times, scrunching up his face.

He looked up at Basajaun with half-opened eyes, his speech slurred as he spoke. "Co-Could you... bring me some water or something?" Another long yawn followed the request, Zachary's inability to wake up properly displayed perfectly once again. As his groggy gaze lingered on the dragon, there was no trace of the anxiety that previously glimmered in those brown eyes. They were back to their usual self; adorable as ever.

Basajaun nodded eagerly, turning and hastily padding over to the campfire. The dragon was surprised when Snowflake was already holding a waterskin out to him. Sharing a silent nod with the spirit and a quick nuzzle, the furry reptile quickly returned to Zachary, offering the bag of cold water to the leopard. "Here, fresh from our resident ice spirit," the drake stated, not quite registering that he hadn't actually seen Snowflake filling the waterskin herself.

Not quite registering what Basajaun was saying at all either, Zachary simply took the water that had been offered wordlessly. After quenching his thirst and removing the bad taste from his mouth, the leopard heaved a satisfied sigh, a goofy smile crossing his muzzle as he glanced back to Basajaun.

"Thanks. You're a life... saver." He said somewhat incomprehensibly, his eyelids falling up and down while his head occasionally tilted slightly to either left or right. After a few moments of that ridiculous scene, Zachary made to stretch his arms, only to be stopped in the middle of the motion when his torn vest released a sharp ripping sound. Given the garment's poor state, it was only a matter of time before it became unusable, just like it had now.

Cringing at the sound, Basajaun sat on his haunches, staring at the scar on the leopard's shoulder that peeked through the hole in the fabric. "So... how are you feeling?" the dragon asked cautiously, almost afraid to get an honest answer.

The leopard couldn't answer Basajaun's question. "You... can't be serious," Zachary growled in frustration as he looked down at his favorite vest, studying the ruined cloth with a frown, "Awh... man... I completely ripped it apart," as if feeling the urge to reinforce his observation, the leopard quickly slipped out of his vest and held it up in the air.

A long tear stretched across the whole way under the garment's right side, starting from the shoulder and ending in the middle. Staring at the gaping hole with a grimace, Zachary let out an exasperated sigh, his earlier grogginess long gone. "Right now," he began after a while of silent mourning, pouting, "I'm feeling sad." He really did look sad.

Basajaun shook his head. "I can't have that," he said, beckoning with his head towards the fire, "Come on, Zach, bring that over here." Not waiting for the leopard, Basajaun moved to the females, looking to them pleadingly and asking, "Do any of you know how to mend a vest?"

Though Lya shook her head, Snowflake pointed a claw to Esmeralda. Chuckling lightly, the owl gestured over to Zachary. "Come here, son, I'll patch that up for you," she offered, Snowflake standing immediately and retrieving a needle and thread from the group's bags, "Mending clothes is a skill you pick up while traveling, and I did a lot of that in my youth."

Sniffling overdramatically, the sulking leopard slowly sauntered his way to the Elder, holding out his ruined vest for her. "Can you... fix it completely?" he inquired quietly, looking to Esmeralda in near desperation, "I really like that vest." Somehow, regardless of the fact that Zachary was talking about a piece of green cloth, that sentence was filled with genuine fondness.

Taking the cloth, the owl looked it over. "Well, it'll have a seam, but I can get it wearable again," she said in reply, smiling to Zachary as Snowflake came from behind the leopard, extending a blanket to him.

"Here, in case you get cold without your top-cover," the spirit offered, giving the owl her sewing materials.

"Thanks," Zachary took the comforter, giving a small smile to the spirit and running a paw over the fur on his arm, "Although with this much hair, I doubt I cou--" Stopping in mid-sentence, the leopard's features twisted to confusion while he felt around his arm.

Looking down to investigate, silent disbelief was the only thing Zachary's mind could perform. He stared at his perfectly groomed fur for a while, before he looked up, immediately settling his gaze on Basajaun. "W...What have you done?" He asked coldly. His tone got Lya giggling almost instantly, as well as the way he attempted to look intimidating. Needless to say, it wasn't working.

At least, not on anyone but Basajaun, who looked truly cowed by the leopard's glare. "I, uh... you were dirty..." the dragon muttered in reply, his head submissively low to the ground as he pawed abashedly at the dirt, Esmeralda tittering at the drake's fearful expression.

"A fearsome dragon, indeed," the owl observed, threading her needle with practiced precision.

Zachary's death stare at his father didn't cease, regardless of the Elder's hilarious comment. "Oh, I was dirty," the leopard repeated in a high voice, nodding his head as if processing that particular information, "Ah, I see now. I was dirty..." he furrowed his brows and pointed a finger accusingly at Basajaun, "So you go ahead and turn me into a bloody..." He scowled and he practically spat out the word. "Noble."

"Look at me," the feline continued his drama without missing a beat, turning around in a circle on his heel once, and shaking his head when he came to a stop, "I look ridiculous! And besides, coul--" Zachary came to a halt when he realized something. He blinked a couple of times, cocking his head as he gave Basajaun a nervous expression. "You... bathed me while I was asleep?"

The dragon gave a little whimper, followed by a shallow nod. "There aren't any streams nearby... you needed a bath," he tried to explain himself, his gaze seemingly locked on the grass beneath his feet, "I was only trying to help."

Staring at Basajaun and his completely submissive posture, Zachary heaved a sigh as he planted a paw on his forehead. "I know," he said, looking himself over for a moment, as if searching for something. There was a hint of uneasiness in the leopard's eyes and movements while he examined his body. And once finishing, he heaved another relieved sigh for no apparent reason.

"Thanks, I guess." The feline added after a while, a thoughtful expression appearing on his features as he made his way to the fire. He sat down and wrapped the blanket around himself. Watching Zachary for a moment, Lya moved to him and settled down beside him, leaning slightly against his good side, the pair silently observing the orange flames in front of them.

The dragon lifted his head slightly when Snowflake gave him a comforting nuzzle. Looking to Zachary, Basajaun fiddled with his paws a moment. "Are you mad at me?" he asked, almost sounding like a child that had been caught getting into a jar of sweets.

Glancing over to the reptile, the leopard once again looked himself over afterwards, grumbling in evident annoyance at the sight. As soon as the sound left his lips, Lya nudged his shoulder lightly, depriving him of his chance to answer verbally.

"Don't be so overdramatic, Zach," the ocelot gave him an expectant look, before her features darkened slightly as she continued, "He gave you a bath you really needed. And... honestly," there was a pause, "I don't... think he could have done that while you were awake. Now you're clean, at least."

Zachary could only give a baffled stare to the feline next to him as he listened. Her reasoning all made sense, and while not satisfied with the results, Basajaun's gesture was still one he gave out of love. And the leopard knew that all too well. "That I am," he agreed, a smile spreading across his muzzle as he turned back to the dragon, "A little too clean, perhaps. But... of course I'm not mad. I'm just... you know." Any explanation was unnecessary.

After a moment, the dragon nodded and released the breath he didn't know he had been holding. Slowly stepping over to Zachary, his head still somewhat low, Basajaun stopped near the leopard, though not quite beside him. "May I sit here?" he asked tentatively, checking Zachary's expression.

A hint of hesitation flickered in the leopard's eyes as he looked up at Basajaun. Yet, before it could develop into a real thought, it vanished, leaving only a smile in its wake. "Uh... yeah, sure, if you'd like." Zachary replied. This time, there was no uncertainty in his tone.

Smiling, Basajaun settled down, Snowflake doing the same on the dragon's free side. Remaining quiet, the drake watched the fire for a moment, before his stomach rumbled again. "Blast, and I just got comfortable," the dragon joked, hoping it would lighten the mood a little.

Esmeralda's cane prodding his side brought the reptile's attention to a served portion of venison. "Here, I got you covered," the Elder stated. Once Basajaun took his food, the owl walked over to Zachary and Lya, sitting on the ocelot's free side. It looked like there was room for one more person between the leopard and his father.

Basajaun's attempt at lifting the group's spirits proved to be uneffective. Silence fell on the camp afterwards, and during the stillness, the distance between father and son didn't change for a very long time.

Staring numbly at the dancing fire, Zachary gently stroked Lya's arm, his hand just peeking out from under his blanket. The ocelot's warm body against his side felt good, and yet, he couldn't help but feel a good deal of dissatisfaction. It wasn't as soft and warm as he was used to. And while not exactly cold per se, the absence of warmth on his other side proved to be a real bother.

How he wished for those silent nights curled atop the most comfortable bed he ever knew.

With eyes locked on the flames, the leopard slowly began sliding his right arm towards Basajaun. Unfortunately, thanks to the gap between the pair, his paw only grabbed at the air helplessly, finding no trace of what he was looking for. He continued his struggling for a few more seconds, before he simply dropped his paw on the ground in defeat and heaved a nearly silent, annoyed sigh.

A nudge to Zachary's paw caught his attention, and when he looked to it, he saw the tip of Basajaun's wing. Following the limb to its source, the leopard saw Basajaun smiling warmly to him as the dragon offered his wing in comforting support.

Seeing the dragon's loving expression and gesture, the feline couldn't help but return the smile. For only a fraction of a second, Zachary's eyes shone in the fire's light. He had to swallow both the lump in his throat and the inexplicable tears which had come out of nowhere before he could reach for the dragon's wing. He took it without any trembling in his paw and with utter slowness, creeped closer to Basajaun.

His heart was thudding in chest rapidly like the drops of rain landing on the ground, but he paid no heed to it. Nothing. Nothing could stop him from being with his father. Not pain. Not anger. Not sorrow.

Not even fear. It wasn't going to happen again. It was an accident. He had to beat it.

It seemed like an eternity when Zachary finally scooted himself close to the dragon next to him. He left Lya in the process, but the ocelot didn't mind. She watched in complete silence as he fought against his demons. It looked like he was on the winning side, at last.

A ragged breath escaped the leopard's throat before he could stop it, but even that failed to stop him from letting Basajaun wrap his wing over the feline's back. As soon as the contact was made, Zachary had to close his eyes, and it wasn't because of the anxiety.

He started crying. A near mute weeping. Silent tears, filled with words that were never uttered, and immense amount of desperately sought relief.

Basajaun struggled as well, resisting a different urge. "Does this mean... I can hug you now?" the dragon asked hesitantly, the desire to do so practically radiating out from his pleading expression. Searching Zachary's face, the reptile added, "Please?"

Looking up, the leopard's wet cheeks dimpled as he smiled and responded. "Yes." That was all Basajaun needed to hear.

Immediately, the wing around Zachary's shoulders nearly snapped him against Basajaun's body, squishing the leopard into the dragon's fluff and pudge alike. When he realized he was going a little overboard, Basajaun lessened his grip, but couldn't seem to let his son go. "Thank you," he whispered quietly, resisting the urge to nuzzle the feline's face and simply holding him close, "I knew you wouldn't let it beat you."

Coughing weakly a couple of times from the rather strong impact, the smile that graced Zachary's lips refused to leave, regardless of any discomfort he felt. "I... told you that I loved you, and that nothing could change that," the leopard choked on his words, wiping his eyes in Basajaun's fur with a bury of his head, "And... I'm not a liar."

"I know," the dragon said softly, stroking the back of Zachary's head gently, "I know. I love you, too." Snuggling the leopard against himself, the platter holding Basajaun's dinner was all but forgotten, set aside in favor of comforting the person that meant the most to the drake.

That comfort was very much needed to Zachary, and he relished every second of it. Finally feeling the chains of dread loosening around his mind was simply blissful. And being snuggled into the silky fur and deep pudge wasn't half-bad, either. The embrace he shared with his father was never broken. Not even after long minutes passed. Not even after his arms became sore. Not even after he fell asleep once again. Typical. He continued hugging Basajaun as unconsciousness overcame him.

When he noticed the leopard had fallen asleep, Basajaun chuckled quietly as he shook his head. "Silly boy," the dragon whispered, stroking Zachary softly with one arm as he looked over to Lya. "Am I... forgiven?" he asked in near silence, a hopeful expression on his face.

Having witnessed the scene, Lya first wiped her eyes and only then gave a nod to Basajaun. "You are," she said quietly, watching the sleeping leopard with a warm smile on her face, her voice wavering, "Just... make sure he stays happy. Perhaps he could take another accident, Basajaun, but I'm not sure... that I could."

The dragon nodded, a small pang of hunger reminding him that he had yet to have his dinner. Before his stomach could wake Zachary with another growl, Basajaun turned to his platter, only to find Snowflake holding it. "May I?" she asked, her chiming voice as soft as those around her.

Though the meal was small--at least compared to his normal dinners--Basajaun immediately nodded at the thought of being fed by the dragoness. While the pair enjoyed the modest serving together, Esmeralda was considering the following days as she mended Zachary's vest, her expression strangely flat and distant.

"Lya," the owl said softly after several moments of thought, the dragons too preoccupied to hear her words, "How well do you think Basajaun and Zachary can work together in a battlefield after their accident?"

Looking over to the Elder with an uncertain visage, Lya's eyes settled on the sleeping leopard afterwards. "Honestly..." she began, hesitating for a moment to consider the question before continuing, "I'm really not sure. I mean," she turned back to Esmeralda, "They do have something special, but... I can only hope that it wasn't damaged. Because if it was, then it will definitely have an effect on their trust towards each other," Lya sighed and shook head head, "And without complete trust, they will never be able to fully work together."

Esmeralda gave a shallow nod, looking out into the plains. Moments later, the owl sighed, getting to her feet and turning to her tent. "I'm getting some shut-eye," she announced, quickly ducking under the tent flap without another word.

Lya's eyes remained locked on the owl's tent long after she had entered the shelter. She knew perfectly well the reason behind the Elder's distress; the same thought was haunting the ocelot just the same. Persistent, insuppressible, daunting.

Crossing her arms under her chest, Lya hugged herself tightly, as if the self-inflicted gesture would comfort her in any way. It didn't, and neither did the silence which followed Esmeralda's departure. With the two dragons busy, the last anthro of the group remained with nothing but her thoughts. And they weren't pleasant.

The decision of distracting herself came a while later, when Lya had become bored of watching the fire's restless dance. Standing up, she made her way to the prepared dinner, and after carving herself a proper portion, took her seat by the campfire again and started on her own food. Eating, as less of a distraction it could be considered, was still better than doing nothing.

It didn't take long for Basajaun's own meal to end, the dragons sharing a draconic kiss after the last mouthful. It was a simple gesture, but one that brought smiles to both of their faces. Nuzzling the drake's nose, Snowflake looked over to Lya, a moment of confusion crossing the spirit's face until her searching gaze landed on her mistress' tent.

Looking to the shelter for several seconds, the dragoness shook her head, settling herself down behind Basajaun and resting her head on his shoulder. The reptile could feel his mate's uncertainty, extending comfort to her as best he could through their bond. Warm appreciation flowed back to him, letting the dragon feel Snowflake's smile even without seeing it.

Turning his gaze to Lya, Basajaun's expression became one of concern. "Hey, you going to be alright over there by yourself?" he asked, his quiet voice carrying through the otherwise silent encampment easily.

"Yeah," the answer came immediately, the ocelot's eyes momentarily drifting up to look at Basajaun and give him a small smile, "I'm good." She said, the statement not exactly sounding convincing, regardless of her efforts to achieve that.

Gaze locked on the fire once more, Lya continued eating her dinner at a slow pace. Occasionally, she shot glances towards Zachary for seemingly no reason, and each time, she only found a peacefully sleeping leopard. The check-ups, along with her inexplicable wariness, continued even after she finished her dinner.

Basajaun felt a little unsure about the ocelot's words. "Well, there's plenty of room over here if you feel lonely," he offered, knowing that emotion all too well. Curling his neck around Zachary, the dragon's breathing slowly leveled out as he closed his eyes. A little smile appeared on Basajaun's snout as he nuzzled the leopard in his embrace, subconsciously licking at Zachary's fur occasionally as he fell asleep.

Lya's eyes settled on the reptile after he had fallen asleep. Her paws numbly held her empty bowl, and for long moments, even minutes, she did nothing but stare. The silent vigil was only broken when she stood up.

Turning towards her own tent, she shot a last glance at Basajaun. "I'm good." No more words left her lips. She followed the lead of the others, entered her tent and fell asleep before her worries could worsen.

Morning brought with it an early awakening from Basajaun. The dragon had woken before the sun even rose, and was now looking out into the distant plains as he gently ran his claws through Zachary's fur once more, the idle grooming only serving as a minor distraction for him.

This was likely the day; with Snowflake and Basajaun both flight ready, they could reach Boldrumton by nightfall. Yet... were they ready?

The question kept running repeatedly through the dragon's mind. With Zachary's recent injury, a battle could be even more dangerous, even with Basajaun's healing. Not to mention the added strain the scar would add to the leopard's archery. Or the fact that his melee abilities were still lacking. Each worrisome thought caused the drake to unknowingly tighten his embrace around his son, pressing the leopard further into his fleshy side.

It didn't take long for Zachary to begin grumbling from the action. Although, while the sound usually delivered some sort of discomfort, the way the leopard was vocalizing it suggested otherwise. The suspicion that he was actually very much enjoying the soft substance was proved when his paws moved up to knead at the fat, and soft purr followed the repeated motions soon after. But, given that it was Zachary, the entire process was performed while the leopard remained unconscious. Even a life-threatening injury failed to change his inability to wake up.

The kneading managed to pull Basajaun out of his unpleasant reverie, a smile on the dragon's face as he looked down to Zachary. The leopard's ability to bring that smile to his face seemed to be unending, and a talent he didn't even have to be awake to utilize.

Sighing lightly, the reptile heard stirring in one of the tents as the sun rose, the noise causing Snowflake to lift her head as well. Stepping out of her tent fully clothed and looking ready for the coming journey, Esmeralda began disassembling her tent, packing her belongings wordlessly.

Watching the owl for a few moments, Basajaun bit his lip. It looked as though the Elder was just as preoccupied with the coming conflict, her eyes barely seeming to register the objects her gaze passed over, her own worry compounding the dragon's.

The Elder's rather loud method of dismantling her shelter soon had an unpleasant effect on her "neighbor". With a grunt that was audible even while she was behind the protection of her tent, Lya's form directly followed the sound. Yawning once, the ocelot gave a somewhat annoyed look to Esmeralda, before turning east.

Weak orange light crept on the far away horizon, coloring the otherwise green plainlands in an apricot hue, the rays morning's shining beacons . The wondrous sight, despite the current situation, promptly evoked a smile on Lya's furred cheeks. It even managed to lift her groggy mood a little, the ocelot's state of mind clear as she opened her mouth.

"Morning." The greeting was very simple, yet it was still a whole lot more than what Esmeralda had offered to the other members of the group. Of course, courteous as he was, Zachary greeted right back with a loud grunt. Or perhaps he was complaining about the sudden speech. Most likely the latter.

Smiling over to Lya, Basajaun nodded in reply. "Good morning, fair lady," the dragon greeted in turn, taking from the ocelot's courtesy lessons with an exaggeratedly proper tone, "How do you fare on this fine morn?"

There was a loud snort. "Too much," Lya shook her head at the dragon, rolling her eyes and moving to the group's bags, "As for the question," head disappearing in the depths of the baggage, the ocelot quickly returned with Rose in her paw, turning to Basajaun while she spun her weapon around for warm-up, "I'm good." Just like yesterday evening.

Snickering softly, Basajaun turned his attention to Snowflake. "Can you wake Zach for me?" the dragon requested, not having the heart to do so himself.

Smiling, Snowflake stood and moved around to Basajaun's side, where Zachary was sleeping, though not quite peacefully anymore. "It's morning!" the spirit rang like an alarm, bouncing around excitedly to make as much noise as possible, "Time to get up!"

In a single motion that was accompanied by an audible crack in his neck bones, Zachary sat up immediately, eyes as wide as they could possibly get, head confusedly whipping from left to right. "Gods!" the leopard whined when he identified the source of the noise, grimacing as he glared at Snowflake, "S-Stop. I'm awake!" What a convincing lie.

"Nu-uh!" the dragoness said tauntingly, prancing about just out of Zachary's reach, "Can't fool me, Hunter!" The scene got Basajaun chuckling amusedly, further jostling the groggy leopard.

Attacked on two fronts at once by a jiggling lizard and a currently extremely annoying spirit, the leopard heaved an exasperated sigh of defeat. "You guys are evil." Conclusion out of his way, Zachary willed himself to stand, leaving his blanket on the ground in the process. As soon as he was on his feet, the feline loosened a long yawn, and as a part of an instinctual routine, stretched both of his arms at once.

A hiss signaled the unpleasant numbness that roared up instantly in his right shoulder, the leopard slowly lowering his arms while his face scrunched up in mild pain. Or perhaps out of frustration. Either way, Zachary was definitely not fond of this particular morning so far.

Hearing the familiar sound, Lya paused in her own morning routine to glance back at him. She studied his expression for only a moment, a concerned one crossing her features as she asked. "It's still that bad?"

"No," Zachary's evidently agitated answer came shortly after. When he noticed the ocelot's searching eyes lingering on his naked right shoulder, the leopard quickly covered his scar with a paw. "I was just... too fast." There was a long pause. "I guess."

A nuzzle on the back of Zachary's shoulder caught his attention. "Do you need anything, son?" Basajaun asked, giving a warm smile to the leopard.

The unexpected contact made Zachary jump slightly with a gasp. He whipped his head back to Basajaun, and after a swallow and a second of rapid breathing, he shook his head and calmed himself. "I... I'm... no. Thanks. I'm fine," turning back slowly, the feline closed his eyes, his voice nearly silent, "Everything's fine."

Nodding, Basajaun didn't mention the leopard's startled jump. Or how much it hurt. "Alright, why don't you help your mother with packing?" the dragon suggested at Snowflake's mental urging, "Snowy's a bit big for that and she's afraid of breaking something. Would you mind that?"

Zachary didn't answer immediately, remaining mute for a couple of seconds. "Sure." He said eventually, and after giving the dragon a smile, made his way to Esmeralda. "Hey," the leopard greeted his mother upon arrival, glancing between the group's various possessions as they lay on the ground, "Can I... help you with something? You know... pack our stuff... and stuff."

Pausing in her work, Esmeralda turned to Zachary, considering for a moment. "You can help fold the tarp and tent," she replied, smiling and patting the leopard's shoulder, "These old fingers get mighty sore with that particular task. Thanks, son."

Giving a nod, Zachary did as he was asked. Clumsy as he was, he still managed to complete the rather demanding task without any major blunders. The results were a carefully folded and neatly arranged tent, which soon joined with the rest of their stuff in one of the bags.

As the leopard's eyes wandered through the collection of items, he remembered something and turned to Esmeralda. "Uhm... is my vest still in ruins?" He inquired, cocking his head curiously, a hopeful quality in his tone.

As Basajaun chewed his lip at the leopard's question, Esmeralda fished out Zachary's vest, the garment bearing a subtle, neat seam where there once was a large hole. "Here, this is as good as I could get it," the owl stated, smiling to the feline warmly and turning the vest to show the other side. Another, similar seam had been added to reflect to repair.

"Thought adding this might make the mending less obvious," she stated, tapping the seams, "Now it looks like these are supposed to be here." The seams were colored complementary to the rest of the cloth, and sewn in such a way as to seem as though they were a deliberate part of the garment's design.

Seeing the cloth in useable shape once more, Zachary smiled widely, the expression showing just how he regarded the somewhat ugly, and in his eyes insignificant additions. "Thank you!" The leopard quickly snatched his vest out of the owl's grasp, holding it in his own while his eyes studied its changes.

"It looks good." He declared sincerely after a moment of appraisal, a grin spreading his muzzle as he put on his newly repaired vest. Looking himself over as if he had just acquired a novel garment, Zachary turned around to face the others afterwards, spreading his arms. "And... how do I look?" He asked in an outrageously bad attempt to appear foppish.

Lya, now done with her morning routines, could only snort, shake her head and cock an eyebrow. "Uhm... the same as before?" She asked in turn, receiving a pitiful whimper from Zachary, and as if on signal, the slow descent of his round ears, all of which were fully ignored by the ocelot.

The sorrowful sound and expression immediately caused Basajaun to step over to his son, the dragon rubbing his head on the leopard's arm. "You look great," he voiced his own opinion, nodding affirmatively to give more weight to the simple statement.

Despite the kind nature of the gesture, it still managed to elicit a slight flinch from Zachary, although he did not step or move his arm away. Instead, the leopard turned to look down at Basajaun, his smile once again plastered on his muzzle. "Finally someone with a good eye." He said just loud enough for Lya to hear, and was immediately rewarded by a huff from the ocelot as she rolled her eyes.

Smiling at the felines, Basajaun allowed Snowflake to saddle him, the spirit smiling as her paws pressed into the drake's softness with the motions. The chubby dragon smiled blushingly at his mate's enjoyment of the simple task, nuzzling her gently when she finished. Returning the favor, Basajaun helped the dragoness into her own saddle, Snowflake leaning slightly into the drake as he manipulated the straps, both dragons bearing affectionate smiles during the process.

After securing the many bags to the dragons' saddles, the group was finally finished with the preparations, their little temporary camp now gone, the area back in its previous form.

"Alright," Zachary sighed as he threw the leftover, burned-out firewood under the shades of the nearest tree, "I guess we're ready to go."

Nodding, Lya turned to Esmeralda and Snowflake. "I assume I'll be traveling with you two?" She gestured at the latter of the two, evidently meaning the dragoness' increase in size.

Snowflake looked over to Basajaun, the pair of dragons nodding together after a moment's shared consideration. "She'd be happy to carry you," the drake answered while the dragoness knelt down.

At the dragon's answer, Esmeralda's expression seemed to turn to one of interest, though the owl left the matter alone for the moment, simply mounting up the spirit's leg while Snowflake extended her wing into a ramp for Lya.

As the ocelot joined by the Elder on the familiar's back, Zachary made to take his own place on top of Basajaun. He would have succeeded as well, if it weren't for the pain that appeared as soon as he tried pulling himself up. A series of failed attempts followed the first one, the leopard favoring his left arm while the right one remained nearly unused throughout the entire process.

Zachary was stubborn, and he knew it perfectly well. Only after he began showing signs of legitimate fatigue did he will himself to stop. Getting on Basajaun at that moment seemed more like an impossible task than anything. At least, it definitely was one alone.

"Basa," the feline murmured under his breath, not looking up at the dragon, "Can I get a lift?" His annoyed stare at the ground was able to hide the humiliation that hovered in his gaze, although not out of his voice.

Giving a nod, Basajaun reached over and nuzzled the leopard again, before taking ahold of the feline's scruff gently, but quickly letting go when he remembered the leopard's aversion to his teeth. "I, er..." the dragon stammered, his head ducking low to the ground.

"Just do it." Zachary said quietly with closed eyes, his body looking as stiff as a plank.

A little whine crept out of the drake's throat, before he lifted his head again, taking ahold of the leopard's scruff once more and gingerly raising Zachary up to his back. As soon as the feline was situated, Basajaun immediately released him and felt himself ducking submissively again, hoping he hadn't frightened his son. He actually felt his chin digging into the dirt slightly with how hard he was pressing his head downwards.

Opening his eyes, Zachary slowly let out the air he didn't know he had been holding in. He took a moment to calm himself and decelerate his hammering heart rate, and with a grin splitting his lips, patted Basajaun's soft side with a paw.

"See?" the leopard said proudly, nearly looking like he was about to pat himself on the shoulder, "Not having time to think about it makes it a whole lot easier." A short pause followed his words, realization coming right after. The previous expression that adorned the feline's face faded away almost instantly. "I... uh... I mean, it's... you..." Sighing and accepting defeat, Zachary put a paw on his forehead and shook it, "Sorry. Didn't mean it like that."

Trying his best to ignore the frozen dagger lodged in his heart, Basajaun simply forced a smile. "I'm... glad it's getting better," the dragon said, telling the most positive version of the truth he could find. Clearing his throat, the drake got back to his feet, brushing the grass from his chin and quickly intoning his plumage spell, attaining a more avian appearance.

Looking over his flight feathers, Basajaun nodded and turned his gaze to Esmeralda. "Are we ready to go?" he asked.

The owl glanced over the rest of the group and, once she received all nods, echoed the gesture to the drake. "Looks like we're ready," the Elder stated, patting Snowflake's side.

The spirit looked over to Basajaun, the dragon giving her an inviting gesture. "Ladies first," he stated, remembering the courteous order from Lya's lessons. Giggling, Snowflake gave one last nod, before spreading her wings and lifting off, her mate not far behind her.

With the wind rushing past him once more, and to his utter amusement completely ruffling his well-groomed fur into a mess, Zachary pulled himself closer to Basajaun. The action failed to accelerate his heart's thudding this time around, a revelation that provided massive amount of relief to the leopard's mind. Then again, it could have been thanked to the fact that his heart was already beating as fast as it could; they were soaring through the sky at a high speed and at a great height, after all. And yet, as much as the latter was most likely the possibility, Zachary remained satisfied with the former.

Glancing ahead of them with narrowed eyes, the leopard peered over to the owl who sat comfortably on top of a graciously flying Snowflake. "Any idea how long this trip is gonna be!?" He inquired through the rushing wind.

"Two days on dragon back!" the owl called back, her own expression one of jubilation at the feeling of the wind whipping past her face. The Elder's feathers ruffled in the gusts, her eyes wide open to glance at the ground below; it looked as though she was a true avian at heart, despite the lack of wings of her own.

Mentally nodding at the reply, Zachary's gaze settled on the individual who was situated right behind Esmeralda. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the rigid posture and tightly shut eyes suggested different sensations than the ones that dominated the owl. Lya definitely wasn't a true avian at heart.

A snort that was loud enough to be audible escaped the leopard's mouth as he studied the ocelot's rather clingy position. He was about to make a witty remark as always, but decided against it. The memories of how he himself handled the first few flights lended some level of sympathy, which was apparently enough to prevent him from teasing someone by some otherworldly miracle.

So, instead, he stayed quiet, enjoying the emerald sight that the seemingly neverending plainlands provided, and once growing tired of the green expanse, simply resting his head on Basajaun's softened back feathers.

At the leopard's touch, the dragon's feathers fluffed up slightly, further cushioning Zachary's resting head. The flight seemed to improve almost everyone's moods--with the exception of a rather uncomfortable ocelot--the hours passing quickly for the group.

It almost felt strange how soon the sun had begun lowering. As the golden sphere brushed against the edge of the sky, the dragons started banking downwards. The plains had passed by, leaving an expanse of trees to greet the party; one that Basajaun was intimately familiar with.

In fact, as they approached the trees, the drake had subconsciously changed his angle towards a familiar locale, the spirit ahead of him mirroring the motion. Eventually, Basajaun grinned wide at the site that he spotted; a clearing near the edge of the forest. Flapping as he decelerated, the dragon settled down, still able to smell the ash of the fire that had cooked Basajaun and Zachary's first big meal.

Snowflake was quick to land beside the dragon, kneeling to allow her passengers to disembark. Esmeralda looked around at the surroundings as she slid to the ground, taking a moment to recognize them, and immediately letting out a laugh. "Well, I suppose familiarity will help you two relax at least, hm?" the owl chuckled, flashing a grin to Basajaun and Zachary before turning to help Lya out of the saddle.

There was no response that ever came to the Elder's words from the leopard's side while the ocelot dismounted Snowflake. On the ground as well, Lya looked over to Basajaun and the still lying, uncharacteristically mute Zachary on top of him.

"Zach, someone asked a question. You wanna offer a reply by any chance?" Lya asked sarcastically after having grown tired of watching the unmoving form situated on the drake's back. Following his previous method of "not offering a reply", Zachary once again only gave silence.

Interest piqued, Lya quickly walked over to Basajaun's side, and upon observing the deeply buried head of the leopard in the dragon's dense feathers, let out an amused groan. "Gods," the ocelot shook her head, already turning away from the sight, "I can't believe him." It was indeed hard to believe that an individual was able to sleep as much as a certain leopard.

Turning his head to look at his back, Basajaun gave a soft smile to the sleeping feline. Nuzzling Zachary's arm gently, the dragon suddenly felt his harness tightening from his instinctual desire to give his son as much comfort as possible while asleep. Snowflake giggled at the drake's sudden overflowing from his saddle's straps, moving to his side once her own saddle was removed.

"You're going to have some trouble taking that off if you get too big, you know," the spirit teased, nudging the blushing drake's softened hide.

"You could help instead of mocking me, you know," the dragon returned his mate's tone, sticking his tongue out at her. The expression only got the dragoness giggling again, before she started in on the saddle's straps. Reaching back again, Basajaun took ahold of Zachary's scruff tenderly, moving with extreme slowness to lift the leopard up from his saddle without waking him.

Once the harness was removed and set aside, the drake settled on the ground, moving at a glacial speed to avoid disturbing the leopard in his teeth, Zachary's form curled up kitten-like as he dangled from the dragon's mouth. Finally, the reptile had his son nestled in his arm like an infant, the release of his scruff immediately followed by silent grooming from the drake's claws.

It was amazing for the rest of the group to watch the leopard simply sleep blissfully throughout the whole ordeal, and also quite adorable to them to see the giant dragon treat Zachary like a priceless treasure. Of course, this was exactly what the leopard was to Basajaun.

The "treasure" apparently came with various features, such as releasing a ridiculous giggle when Basajaun's claws brushed over a particularly ticklish spot. On these occasions, the "treasure" would also attempt to either change positions or shoo the intruder away, all of which were in vain thanks to the dragon's gentle but firm grip on him, as well as his nearly possessed devotion of seeing Zachary perfectly groomed at all times.

Witnessing the scene firsthand, Lya simply couldn't keep the smile off of her face. But she didn't only smile because of the hilarious display, more for the happiness that practically radiated from the leopard's expression, even while he was unconscious. The ocelot could only will her eyes away from the heartwarming sight after long minutes had passed.

"I'll gather some firewood for us," she announced, and while walking past Zachary, planted a small kiss on his forehead, "I'd actually feel bad waking him up to do it, anyway." Pulling back, Lya chuckled and shook her head as she began walking out of the clearing. "This dummy is making me way too soft-hearted."

Basajaun grinned at the ocelot. "He has a way of doing that," the dragon stated quietly, apparently still unable to perform any act that might awaken his sleeping "hatchling".

Shaking her head as she giggled at the pair's cuteness, Esmeralda began setting up her tent again, her familiar moving out into the woods quietly. "She's going hunting, I assume?" the owl asked, looking over to Basajaun and getting a quiet nod in reply.

The drake's form filled out as he gently stroked his son's fur back into neatness, his soft chest pressing against and then rolling slightly over the leopard, providing a cushion and blanket simultaneously. Once Zachary's fur was back in order, Basajaun gave a tiny kiss to the leopard's nose, smiling at his hatchling's well-groomed and comforted appearance.

One could safely assume that a tiny kiss on the nose--especially in Zachary's case--would go completely unnoticed by a sleeping individual. Yet, completely belying that assumption, the leopard's eyes slowly fluttered open. They were still narrowed, though, as he groggily glanced up at Basajaun first, then at his surroundings, and then right back to the dragon.

"Is dis Boldrumton?" The question sounded authentically sincere, making the interested individual's half-asleep state all too obvious. "It... looks a lot better than it did." Yawning, Zachary's eyes nonchalantly scanned the area around him, clearly not quite registering what they were seeing, nor the fact that he was still cradled lovingly in Basajaun's arms.

Basajaun giggled, hugging the leopard a bit more firmly against his plush, feathery chest. "No, son," the dragon said, licking the leopard's cheek, "We're in the forest that's close to it, though."

"Aaah," Zachary hummed knowledgeably, nodding to emphasize just how aware he was of this revelation, "The... fore--" Another yawn. "Right. Trees. Bushes. Forest." Satisfied with the denouement, he casually flicked the newfound dragon saliva from his cheek, sending it to the ground.

"So," the feline continued without missing a beat, giving a somewhat comical smile to Basajaun as he asked, "The others?"

"Lya's out gathering wood, Snowy's getting food," Basajaun answered, feeling a little mental hug through the bond he shared with the spirit mentioned.

"Esmeralda's currently setting up camp on her own," the Elder stated from her nearly finished tent, her tone more than a little suggestive as she turned towards the father and son, cocking her head expectantly.

Looking over to the owl, Zachary gave a thumb's up and a supportive smile. "Esmeralda's doin' a great job with that!" He affirmed, legitimately serious with that encouragement. Despite the perfect opportunity, there was not even the hint of mock in the leopard's tone. It seemed like while being half-asleep made new antics appear, some of his old ones had disappeared.

A large tarp suddenly thudded against and wrapped around the feline's head. "Esmeralda would like some help!" the owl insisted, glaring at the leopard even as his father glared at her for daring to throw such a "hazardous" object at his son.

Thanks to Esmeralda's remarkable strength when it came to throwing things, as well as to Zachary's current groggy state, the hit sent the unsuspecting leopard's head backwards with ease. A series of muffled and incomprehensible words followed soon after, their meaning impossible to decipher, but the displeasure they carried still audible.

Opening his mouth to berate the avian for beaning Zachary in the head, the Elder's glower shifted upwards to Basajaun, shutting him up before he could speak with her practiced stare. "You're too good at that," Basajaun mumbled, turning to look at Zachary.

Removing the leather from his face, a similarly displeased expression joined the tone in the form of a glare and furrowed brows. Suddenly, Zachary didn't look as tired as he was just a few moments ago. Perhaps throwing things at him was a good method of waking him up.

"Esmeralda could ask for help, then!" The feline countered, throwing the tarp back in the direction of the Elder, but only managing to throw near her feet. Evidently, Zachary did not inherit his mother's pitching talent. Being able to return the lethal glower sure did, though, his narrowed eyes battling with those of the owl.

The Elder snorted amusedly. "Fine. Dear son of mine, would you be so kind as to assist me in taking down the camp?" she asked, her tone not nearly as courteous as her words, "And if your father could help as well, that would be quite convenient."

"No." Came the reply instantly, Zachary slightly raising his nose and folding his arms beneath his chest. "Too late. Rude Birdy; no helping." His haughtiness was virtually visible.

"I could throw something harder, you know," the owl stated casually as she started picking up the iron spikes used for keeping her tent held in place.

"That would be rather unwise, Elder," Basajaun stated, his wing already reflexively between Esmeralda and Zachary, "You'll wind up hitting a dragon. It's rather dimwitted to threaten a drake's babies, don't you know?"

The leopard's smirk, which had appeared once Basajaun came to his aid, immediately faded away, complete disbelief playing across his features. "Did you... just..." slowly turning to face the dragon, Zachary's tone was flat as he asked, "Did you really just call me a... baby?"

The dragon flinched at the leopard's tone, head lowering to the ground. It was becoming a rather familiar pose for the drake. "N-now, Zach, y-you know I didn't... I mean, you're... um, I love you?" Basajaun desperately tried to save face, looking incredibly abashed as he did so.

Staring into the reptile's pleading eyes for what it seemed like a millennium, Zachary finally gave a sign that he hadn't become an actual statue. "Baby," the leopard huffed, standing from Basajaun's embrace all of a sudden and extracting himself from the grasp of the limbs that held him, "Hatchling," he continued, turning on a heel and walking some distance away from both the Elder and dragon.

"Cute." He added with a snort, shaking his head and stretching all of his limbs in turns afterwards. "And here I thought I was... uh... twenty? Yes, twenty years old." There was a short pause, Zachary looking like he needed time to process the situation. "Oh, well," glancing over his shoulder at Esmeralda, the leopard's muzzle broke into a well-known smile, "At least babies can't help with setting up the camp."

As the owl gave an exasperated groan, Basajaun lifted his head up and looked to Zachary apologetically. "Zach, I didn't mean you were an infant," he tried to explain, sighing quietly, "You're just... well, you're young and small for a dragon, which is what I keep seeing you more and more as. If it bothers you, I won't call you a baby or hatchling anymore."

Zachary waved a paw over his head, still facing away from the dragon. "S'fine. You just kinda caught me off-guard with that name." He reassured his friend, his tone holding no anger to it. Feeling a little ache in his back, the leopard made to stretch his back as well, but soon stopped when a puny cough escaped his throat.

The sound might have been quiet, but it caused Basajaun to suddenly find himself directly at the leopard's side before he even realized he had gotten up. "Your lungs," he said quietly, nuzzling Zachary's arm, "How are they feeling?"

Looking back at Basajaun with a bewildered visage, Zachary decided against questioning the dragon's inexplicable and rather uncharacteristic swiftness. "Uhm... they feel just fine, I guess," he replied unsurely, a paw coming to rub at his chest, a thoughtful look on his face, which soon disappeared when he turned back to his companion and gave an unconvincing smile,"I can't feel any discomfort at the moment. Dunno where that cough came from."

The drake gave Zachary a serious look. "Lay down," he ordered with uncharacteristic firmness, though the adamantine tone was also tinged with a good deal of worry.

With a pair of stern eyes staring at him, the feline was left with no other choice than to comply. Heaving a quiet sigh, he did as he was asked, the morning dew clinging to the dense grass making him shiver slightly as soon as he lay down.

Putting a paw over Zachary's chest, the dragon closed his eyes, intoning his internal observation spell and focusing on the leopard's lung. "Hell," Basajaun couldn't restrain the swear, seeing the open wound in Zachary's lung. Opening his eyes, the drake glanced to his son worriedly. "I... I'm sorry, Zach. This is going to hurt more than usual," he warned, biting his lip.

No answer came at first, Zachary's eyes closing as he heaved another long sigh. Frustration filled the sound, despite the attempts to withhold it. "Just... get it over with." He said at last, already preparing both mentally and physically for the unpleasant experience.

Basajaun couldn't avoid hesitating for several moments, before nodding. "I don't know Talib's immobilizing spell," the dragon reminded Zachary, putting a claw in his mouth and covering it in his paralyzing poison, before bringing the claw to the leopard's arm, "I'm going to have to use my venom instead. Brace yourself for a little prick."

Waiting for the feline to nod and clench his eyes shut, Basajaun sharpened his claw and quickly inserted it into a vein, before withdrawing and sealing the little wound with a word.

The sensations that flooded the leopard's body were all too familiar. It took actual effort to repress the memory that almost immediately burst forth from the depths, but knowing that Basajaun was helping him, Zachary was able to calm himself.

The dragon stroked the leopard's cheek before his paw returned to Zachary's chest. "I love you, my brave boy," Basajaun said quietly, "Sano." At the spell's casting, Basajaun began restoring damaged tissues, doing so with as much tenderness and care as he could.

The dragon's gentleness went completely unnoticed. It was rather difficult to note delicacy when one could feel his flesh being stretched and moved. The excruciating pain it came with could surely be felt, however. Talib's daily torment sessions have actually managed to build up a small amount of perseverance in Zachary, but even that ran out after a couple of minutes into the process.

It started off with a tiny whimper and a strong grimace, but as seconds passed painfully slowly, the weak sound soon became a ragged hiss, a somewhat suppressed screech and eventually, when he simply couldn't hold it back anymore, Zachary let out a scream. He could feel his eyes tearing up, but refused to let the tears be on their way, clenching his eyes as tight as he could. That's all he could do to mitigate the pain.

Neither the dragon nor his son knew how long they held their position, but it felt like an eternity to both of them. Finally, after an untold number of minutes, Basajaun finished his task. Almost instantly, the drake lifted up his stiff son, hugging him against the reptiles soft chest. "I'm sorry," was all the dragon could say, tears streaming from his face, "I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

Zachary didn't say anything, or more accurately, he simply couldn't. Although, similar to Basajaun, fresh tears damped his cheeks as soon as he opened his eyes. The pair of orbs were glossy while they stared into nothing. They only moved once the sound of logs falling on the ground reached his ears. He really wished he wasn't seeing what he was seeing when his gaze fell on the source of the sound.

Lya stood numbly some distance away from the pair. Her paws froze in the position they had been while they held the firewood, the latter long laying on the ground. Basajaun could only observe the fury that twisted her face for a second, the ocelot soon charging full bore at the innocent dragon, Rose already grasped tightly in her hands, raised high in the air.

Eyes widening fearfully, Basajaun turned and presented his back to the charging ocelot, curling protectively around his son. Before the raging feline could reach the dragon though, another individual's voice cried out, "Paries Glaciem!"

Blue electricity shot into the ground between Lya and Basajaun, a massive wall of ice erupting upwards between them, stopping the former in her gait. "Good Gods, Lya!" Esmeralda shouted, walking towards the ocelot, "Didn't your master teach you not to jump to conclusions?"

Lya breathed heavily as she turned to the Elder, her expression a mixture of confusion and lingering anger, the emotions clinging to her tone as well. "What... the Hell is going on!?" She demanded, her head whipping to look at Basajaun's form through the transparent ice.

"Healing session, dummy!" the owl snapped back, using the ocelot's own favorite term against her, "Zach needed his lungs checked up and Basa doesn't know an immobilizing spell. He used his venom instead and now Zach's recovering from a rather painful healing. And I don't think he appreciated you scaring the piss out of his father!"

Only able to give a baffled stare to the Elder for long moments, Lya eventually heaved a sigh and struck her axe against the ice, the weapon embedding itself deep in the frozen wall.

"And... just how was I supposed to know that?" the ocelot asked rightfully, pointing at the dragon and leopard, "Don't tell me you would have stopped and asked patiently what happened exactly if you saw what I saw without any explanation whatsoever. The image I found myself staring at looked awfully familiar to the one I saw few days ago! Of course my first thought is to... ugh!"

Throwing her hands in the and letting out a frustrated groan, Lya shook her head afterwards. "I guess... I misunderstood the situation."

Esmeralda sighed, putting a hand to the ocelot's shoulder. "You owe Basa an apology," she said softly, pointing over to the curled drake, "Judgements like that hurt him the most. Go pull the knife you just stabbed him with out of his heart."

Looking over to Basajaun, Lya gave a shallow nod and walked around the wall of ice in her way. She watched the dragon's protective position for a while, not finding neither her courage, nor the words to begin with. She only willed herself to touch the drake's back after she had been standing in one place for nearly a minute, the contact as tender as her tone. "I'm sorry."

After a moment, Basajaun slowly lifted his head, turning to look at the ocelot as he continued to shelter his son in his wings and arms alike. After looking into Lya's eyes for a moment, the dragon sighed heavily. "You think... I'm a monster, don't you?" he asked, his voice quiet and wavering.

The question felt as if the air had been knocked out of her. She could only stare back at Basajaun, hesitation hovering in her gaze, yet her tone unbroken and sincere. "No. I think you're a dragon."

Basajaun sighed again. "Same difference," he said, a hint of bitterness to his tone as he stroked Zachary's back, "The way you reacted tells the story for you. Not that I blame you after what happened. I'd hate me, too."

Hearing Basajaun's last statement, Zachary immediately released a grunt as loud as he could muster. Lya, however, ignored the sound, her eyes still lingering on the dragon's face, studying his features. "I don't hate you," she stated, "I could never hate someone whom Zach loves so--"

"The Hell you don't!" Basajaun suddenly snapped, glaring at the ocelot, "You don't run at someone weapon drawn if you like them, Lya. I can still smell it on you, so don't try denying how angry you still are at me!" Huffing frustratedly for a moment, the dragon carefully unwrapped himself from around Zachary, leaving the leopard in the grass.

"This is the person you really came here to comfort," the drake growled, already moving away, "Don't insult me with your apologies. Especially when they're far from sincere."

Lya watched Basajaun leave with an unchanged expression. "I'd run at anyone I like with weapon drawn if I thought they posed a threat to someone I love," she called after him, sudden firmness in her voice, "You're no exception. The contrary, even, since the accident." The ocelot turned away, her eyes settling on the ground. "And that is entirely your fault, not mine. Blaming me for feeling that way is just as worse as me misunderstanding a situation like this."

The drake whipped back around, angry tears in his eyes. "I didn't ask to be born a Gods damned dragon, Lya!" he roared, loud enough that it was actually painful, before turning around, extending his wings, and flying off several hundred feet, before landing again, falling to his side rather than supporting himself. At this distance, the anthros couldn't hear or see him sobbing frustratedly into the grass.

Seeing Basajaun depart, Zachary once more let out a groan, although this time, the sound was full of anger. As he lay on the ground, the leopard tried with all his might to get his limbs moving, and after a few moments of adamant struggling, managed to extend a finger towards Lya.

The ocelot only noticed the phalange when the rest of the limb entered her field of view. She lifted her eyes, looking at Zachary with a flat expression. "You alright?" She asked simply, not sounding entirely herself.

"N-No!" the leopard managed to shout, glaring at her intently, "Why... did you... do that!?"

"Did what?"

Zachary grimaced even through the paralyzing venom. "You... can't blame him for... being a dra--"

"I never said that," Lya cut him off, "And I don't blame him anymore," turning to look the way Basajaun had left, the ocelot heaved a sigh before continuing, "But I will draw my weapon if I think he endangers anyone's life I care about. That much has changed. And that never will. He, of all people, can't blame me for that."

"Then you really do see him as a monster," Esmeralda said from behind the ocelot, her cold glare drilling into the feline, "Before the accident, you'd look at him embracing his son as just a show of love. Now you're ready to kill him f--"

"Tell me, Elder Eszes," Lya turned back to face the owl, the Elder's glare completely uneffective for once, "What would you have done if you stepped in on Basajaun holding an unmoving Zachary in his arms while crying and chanting 'I'm sorry'? What would you have thought the situation could be after witnessing that accident a few days ago? Wouldn't you at least, just for a slight second, have the urge to intervene?"

"And who the Hell said I was going to kill him?" she continued without waiting for the answers, already knowing what they were, "I only wanted to get Zach away from him as soon as possible. If that means hurting him, then so be it. But I wouldn't kill him, for Gods' sakes! He's..." Lya sighed and pulled a paw over her face, "He's my friend. He's... still my friend."

"Well you sure as Hell have a funny way of showing that," Esmeralda muttered, folding her arms, "And as for what I'd do; it's called situational awareness. I'd ask what was going on, then start charging, if I had to. You have to look before you leap, Lya, or you wind up breaking a dragon's heart."

Sighing heavily, Esmeralda stared at Lya for a moment. "Basa's got a soft heart, Lya," the owl said quietly, "Unless there's another dragon around, you can bet your left arm on whatever he's doing being an act of love."

Lya visibly breathed with exasperation. "I know, Gods Dammit!" she insisted, "I'm sorry, alright? I was sincerely sorry when I said it to him as well. It was a shitty situation, and I made the wrong decision, I'm perfectly aware of that. But you can't blame me for making that decision! Perhaps you would have struck up a conversation in a situation like that, but I guess I'm not as wise and considerate as to do that."

Without waiting for a reaction from anyone, the ocelot huffed, turned, and walked away, leaving the clearing with quickened steps the same direction Basajaun had.

Watching the ocelot for a moment, Esmeralda sighed, shaking her head. "How are you doing getting over that venom, Zach?" she asked after several moments, her tone flat and fatigued as she looked to the leopard.

The feline kept up his stare the way his companions had left for a few seconds, before flopping down on the ground once again, and once more shivering slightly at the wetness of the grass. "Almost there." He replied quietly, staring up at the sky while he waited for his limbs to become functional again.

Walking over to Zachary, the owl sat herself beside him, her knees coming up to her chest and arms wrapping around them. "Basa... needs your trust, you know," she said quietly, looking over to the dragon in the distance, "Almost as much as he needs your love. I know I haven't known him as long as you have, but from what I've seen, I know this for a fact. The trust you put in him to be a gentle, loving friend, rather than a dangerous beast... I think it helps him forget he's not welcome among most anthros. I can't even imagine what that's like."

The leopard's eyes never left the orange hued sky, the sun's remaining rays shining stubbornly against the inevitable darkness as long as they could. Nowadays it seemed like blackness came sooner with each passing day. "I know," he said after minutes of complete silence, biting his lip as he could feel a lump forming in his throat, his voice feeble, "I... I know. I-I'm trying. I really, really am."

"I know," Esmeralda said, stroking her son's head, "And I'm sure Basa does, too." Watching the sky for a moment, the owl managed to spot a blue object flying towards them, smiling at the sight. "Thank the Gods for Snowflake, huh?" the Elder said, pointing up at the approaching dragoness, "I think she's the only one that didn't have her trust effected by that accident."

Shifting his gaze to observe the familiar as well, Zachary's muzzle broke into a small smile at the sight of the gracefully gliding spirit. "We're lucky that she's so accepting," he agreed, his smile fading away, "Or more accurately, Basa's lucky. It's already hard for him, and I don't even want to know what it would have been like to have nobody to go to."

He turned his head sideways to look at the owl beside him. "You and Lya were not exactly keen to talk to him, and..." a short pause followed his words, hesitation filling the silence, "I... was not exactly keen to be near him." The statement was uttered out loud for the very first time, its painful reality still nearly impossible to face.

Snowflake descended down to the anthros, setting the two deer she caught down on the ground, along with some edible greens she had gathered, before her gaze shifted between Zachary and Basajaun indecisively. The leopard could feel her desire to comfort both individuals, and that she was internally struggling to make a choice over who needed her more.

Zachary's distant stare shifted to Snowflake once he heard her arrival. He immediately made the spirit's choice for her. "Go." He offered a weak smile, and gestured down at his body with a bid of his head. "I'm just gonna lay here for a little while." His tone sounded odd, as if the words leaving his mouth were not even his. "You go and comfort that lizard."

Snowflake hesitated for a moment, before nodding and giving Zachary a quick nuzzle. Turning to Basajaun, the spirit started padding her way to the dragon, already extending a comforting tendril of affection to him through their link.

Esmeralda watched the familiar depart for a moment, before turning her gaze back to the leopard. "Think there's anything I can do to ease your mind?" the owl inquired, stroking the feline's head tenderly.

Zachary lifted his head to look at the Elder. The anxiety hovering in his gaze spoke for him. He opened his mouth, but the words turned to silence in his throat. How he wished he could vocalize an answer to that question. But how could a mind that awaited the inevitable be eased? He was definitely at loss for a solution. The very thought that put his ill at ease only seemed to gain momentum, grow stronger and greater with each second that shortened the present and pushed him further towards the daunting future.

Uncertain. Dangerous. Terrifying.

Boldrum.

The feline closed his eyes and settled his head on the ground once more. His tail was yet to leave its paralyzed state, but it already began twitching towards the leopard's leg, its desire to wrap itself around the limb visible. As if that could provide any comfort. Zachary mentally noted to thank his murderous tail for the effort later, nonetheless.

"Scratching sounds good right about now." The leopard's usual tone returned in an instant, as if awoken from its afternoon nap. He gave a small smile that touched the corners of his mouth, yet, beneath the gesture that meant to convey reassurance, just the tiniest hint of deception lay.

Esmeralda nodded, putting her talons gently to the leopard's ear. "I'm afraid I'm not as quick a study as Basa," the owl stated, scratching Zachary's ear lightly, "Where's that spot that makes you melt?"

The feline's round ears twitched upon they were acknowledged, perking up to their fullest to expose every reachable sensitive bit. "Behind. At the base." Zachary's smile grew as he shuffled his body to a comfortable position in anticipation. If only his limbs could become functional enough to carry him again at last. He'd have long ran after Basajaun himself.

Shifting a bit, Esmeralda gently positioned her son's head in her lap, before following his direction and running her talons through the fur at the base of his ears. "Like this?" she asked, tilting her head slightly as she gave the leopard a soft smile.

A purr provided the wordless answer to the inquiry. The sound of absolute contempt rose slightly with every delicate stroke that caressed Zachary's ears. For only a few moments, there was nothing on his harbored mind. No fear, no dangerous mission, not even Boldrum himself. Only blissful tranquility could be felt while he focused all his senses and focus on his mother's touch.

Emerald leaves swayed gently back and forth in evening's breath. Branches filled with the tree's green fur arched over each other, the natural canopy blocking what remained of the descending sun's refulgence. Not that the only silent roamer of the woods minded the steadily increasing darkness. Night vision was sure a handy trait to possess.

Lya trudged through the forest. Her eyes aimlessly surveyed the soil beneath her leather boots, her ears listened to the cracking of twigs as she walked, her feet wary of the many rocks of various shapes and sizes that were scattered all over the place. Her swirling thoughts filled the emptiness her locked lips held within.

Basajaun. A friend. Or an enemy? Who was he truly? The most powerful and fearsome creature to roam the face of the earth disguised as the most tender being she had ever known? Or the contrary...? How could she decide? How could anyone decide after what had happened?

"How can they be so sure...?" The words fell from her mouth in an uncertain whisper. Once again, staying true to its nature, the universe remained in utter silence. Let her ponder on the state of her friendship. What did it even count for when it had to be analyzed, anyway?

It was a failure from the start. She could practically hear the world shouting the statement at her.

Lya heaved a prolonged sigh as she came to a stop and lifted her head for the first time since her departure from the clearing. Foreign trees surrounded her in every possible direction. Moss clung to their bases stubbornly, choking, sucking the life out of the grown saplings. Death and pain followed her into the woods again.

The ocelot shook her head vehemently. No. She was past this. A forgotten, unwanted sensation was the only thing that lingered in the back of her mind now. There was no death. There was no pain. It was just a moss. It was nature.

There was no necromancy here.

"Godsdamnit, Lya." She brought a paw to her head and closed her eyes. Unpleasant situations always cast her back in the tides of torment she had been fighting for most of her life. Acceptance and understanding. Two things she desperately wished for in her youth, yet the awaited miracle only came so much later. So much time spent in constant tenseness. So many lies told. So many people deceived until even she herself didn't know what the truth was.

It still seemed so fresh when she finally managed to break loose from the chains that wrapped themselves tightly around her mind for so many years. Ever since meeting Zachary and feeling the acceptance she received from him and the others, she could feel herself changing. Death seemed to retreat to its rightful place, back in the blackness in the farthest corner of her mind.

Lya's face twisted in a grimace when her mind regressed to a single word. It refused to leave her thoughts, practically screaming its name inside. Acceptance. The ocelot's paws balled up in fists as her eyes drifted to her feet once more.

Was she truly selfish enough to happily savor that desperately sought sensation, yet offered nothing in return when someone other desired it? Had she truly grown this cold through the years tormented by the very talent she possessed? Cold like the ice wall that stopped her from hurting him. Lya's visage turned in worry. Would she have stopped herself? Would she have brought Rose down onto her friend? Perhaps Esmeralda was right.

"No!" Lya brought a paw against the base of a tree beside her, stopping the painful line of thought in her mind and sending the area around her in complete silence. The trunk shook with the impact, and the leaves rustled above her head, slowly descending from above, drifting through the air. Her vehement protest against that possibility manifested in that very blow. With it, all the leftover anger exited her body.

The remorse filled her heart so fast she thought she would choke on the emotion.

Slowly lowering her bruised paw, Lya grasped the limb with the other. She only considered her options for a slight second. The ocelot's eyes shone with decisiveness as she lifted them from the ground. She sniffed at the air a couple of times, and turned south where the located scent came from. With a shake in her legs, she began walking towards Basajaun.

Snowflake had reached her mate's side by the time that Lya had come to a resolution. Resting beside the drake, she curled her neck around his softly, radiating emotional warmth, even while her body cooled the furry reptile's. The comfort had helped the dragon's tears come to a stop, though he still felt the cold sorrow that Snowflake attempted to assuage. Yet beyond the sadness, another, stronger emotion began to rise up at the familiar's presence.

There were no words to express what Basajaun was feeling; fortunately, words weren't necessary in the dragon and spirit's relationship. Their bond allowed them to feel one another's emotions clearly. Even so, the drake felt the need to speak, his words hesitant, yet undeniably earnest.

"I... I love you, Snowflake."

She knew it already; it was clear to her in ways that weren't possible for mortals. And yet the simple phrase still filled her with joy, the certainty with which the drake felt the affection a bright beacon for her.

Smiling warmly, the spirit embraced the dragon. "I love you too, no matter what happens," she said simply, the honesty clear to Basajaun. Snowflake's words, presence, and even emotions were a comforting warmth to the reptile, bringing the first sincere smile to his face in what felt like a long while.

The dragons smiled to each other, pressing their foreheads together and running their cheeks down one another's neck. The passionate gesture spoke volumes, affirming what, deep down, they already knew.

Their love was unconditional.

Lya found the two dragons in embrace as she emerged from the undergrowth. Her eyes lingered on the pair. She could practically feel the gentleness radiating from the view she was looking at. She adopted the tenderness to her voice as she made to interrupt the loving scene.

"Basajaun." The ocelot's paws were in fists as they rested at her sides. Her features only conveyed the emotions that flooded her mind, bubbling guilt flickered in her amber eyes. "We need to talk."

Looking up from Snowflake's shoulder to the ocelot, Basajaun stared at her for a moment, before finally nodding. "I... shouldn't have yelled at you," he admitted, feeling guilt rise up in his heart, "I was just so frustrated, and I just couldn't--"

"Shush." Lya brought a finger to her lips, silencing Basajaun in an instant. It still seemed impressive--even after so many days spent in the ocelot presence--that she could practically render anyone in the world speechless. Or at least rob them of their words with such ease that it could have passed for a sport of some sort.

"I'm the one doing the apologizing now. And this time..." The ocelot sighed, shook her head a little, and moved to Basajaun's side afterwards, sitting down near his shoulder. "I'm going to be sincere." A paw raised up, furry digits stroked green fur, genuine words filled the air.

Acceptance.

"I made the worst decision I could have in that situation." Lya's voice wavered weakly. Where was her strength when she needed it the most? Probably in the same place she had decided to toss her friendship in. "No words can say how terribly sorry I am. For... for everything. For misunderstanding your love. For attacking you. For being so... cold with you. But... most importantly." The ocelot's voice cracked, her paw in a fist once more as it rested against Basajaun's shoulder.

"For doubting you."

The dragon simply stared at Lya in disbelief for several long moments, before a hesitant smile touched the corners of his mouth. A forelimb reached forward slightly, before stopping. "Um... may I?" he asked, not wanting to cause another misunderstanding.

That simple inquiry shattered the remorse which coated her mind. In the broken remains, only a smile shone through the pieces. Lya beamed at Basajaun. "You got too formal with your hugs." An embrace followed the statement. Hugging him never felt better before.

The dragon chuckled lightly, stroking Lya's back as he hugged her softly. "I can't help that your lessons stuck with me," he said teasingly, and before he could think better of the action, gave the feline an affectionate lick on the cheek.

Lya scrunched up her face as soon as the slimy substance touched her fur. She pulled back a little from the embrace, voicing her evident complaints with a few "Yuck"-s. "Now I know why Zach's so overdramatic about this tongue of yours." The ocelot rubbed a paw over her cheek, collecting the saliva and unceremoniously tossing it on the grass. "You're slimy, lizard." While one would have thought that she was criticizing Basajaun, the soft smile that adorned her lips suggested otherwise.

The drake smiled sheepishly as Snowflake gave one of her chiming giggles. "S-sorry," he apologized, head low to the ground, "I just... want you to know I forgive you. What you did... it's completely understandable, given recent events. I just hope I have the chance to earn your trust again."

Sighing, the dragon looked back in the direction of the clearing. "I don't know if you think of me as a monster or not," he continued, his voice quiet and hesitant, "But after what I did... I'm having trouble not thinking of myself as one."

Lya furrowed her brows, concern hovering in her gaze as she looked up to Basajaun. "I already told you what I think of you. I was sincere." She stated and gestured at him with a paw. "You're a dragon, Basajaun. You're not a monster. And dragons, as much as you remind me of a gentle anthro, are a little different. That difference is what caused you to... do what you did." Now she finally understood.

Acceptance.

The ocelot patted the reptile's shoulder gently. "Instincts, Basajaun. They live in every one of us, but are even stronger in dragons to the point where it alters their behavior. But... you..." She could only offer a smile and accept him for who he was. "You're able to overcome most of them most of the time. That's what puts you closer to anthros than to dragons, and that is why you will never be a monster in my eyes."

The drake seemed to freeze in place for a moment, looking into Lya's eyes. "You... really mean that?" he asked, voice wavering slightly as he searched the ocelot's face.

"Every word." Lya affirmed, and without any hesitation, raised a paw to cup Basajaun's chin. "Your mental fortitude surpassess the one your species was blessed with." She snorted and shook her head. "Hell, it surpassess everyone's I know. Just how many can say that they're able to withhold the very urges that are supposed to control their actions? You tell me, Basajaun, but I'm sure the number would only be a single digit."

The dragon's eyes brimmed over again, before he pressed Lya against his softened chest once more, head resting on her shoulder. For several moments, bittersweet tears fell from his snout and into the ocelot's fur as he processed what she had said, almost incapable of believing such understanding and forgiveness could exist.

"Thank you," the drake's hoarse, wavering voice finally said after an unknown span of time, "You don't know... how much that means to me."

Lya fought back her own tears as she returned the hug. "I do, actually." She chuckled weakly, her voice barren of every unpleasant sensation, filled with nothing but relief and happiness. "That's why I said it. Because I care, and... because you deserved to hear it. Especially from me after our... incident."

Taking a few moments to settle his emotions, the dragon finally released Lya, sniffling back the last of his tears and getting to his feet, Snowflake following suit. "Do you want to head back now?" he asked, voice still hoarse from his crying.

"Yeah." Lya agreed, wiping something from her eyes and standing as well. "We really should tell the others that we're good now." Her smile faded, uncertainty settled on her visage for a moment. "We're good now, right?"

The dragon nodded after only a moment of thought, before kneeling down. "Would you... maybe like a ride?" he offered, smiling softly to the feline.

The offer seemed to elicit a different reaction than usual. Lya's smile returned in an instant. "Why I would gladly!" She giggled, and after a few moments of struggling, found herself on top of Basajaun. Her legs dangled on both of his sides, resting against the cushiony flesh comfortably.

"Wow." Lya lowered a paw and put it on the dragon's back, stroking the area tenderly. "No wonder Zach prefers to travel with you. You're... exceptionally soft."

Basajaun actually laughed at that. "Apparently I could use riding lessons, though," he stated, remembering Esmeralda's words from the first time she rode him. Getting to his feet the dragon looked back to Lya with a cocked head. "Sitting well?" he asked, "I don't want you to be uncomfortable on the way back."

"Kinda hard to feel uncomfortable at the moment." Lya flashed a toothy grin, indicating the deep pudge beneath her. "I'm sitting just fine here. I might even come here more often if the current luxury is any indication!" The ocelot chuckled once again, her soft laughter echoing between the many trees as the trio began their way towards the camp. The sound soon vanished just like the tension that previously clung to anthros and dragons alike.

Smiling, Basajaun trotted calmly on the way back. The ocelot's forgiving words had done much to calm his mind; coupled with Snowflake's gentle understanding and seemingly unlimited love, the dragon felt better than he had in days. As he thought of her, the spirit nuzzled his neck, getting a smile from the drake as he returned the gesture, almost forgetting not to lick her. Instead, he gave a little kiss to her cheek, eliciting an invisible, yet tangible blush and tiny giggle from the familiar.

The affectionate duo and their passenger arrived back at the camp before the sun could retreat completely behind the horizon. Daunting cumuli drifted across the evening sky in random patches, but their tears remained inside for now. Lya's eyes studied the cloudy formations as the trio padded into the clearing. They had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, replacing the idyll weather that previously lingered above their heads.

"We might be in for another storm guys." The ocelot observed, taking a moment to get off of Basajaun and resuming the examination of the approaching storm afterwards.

Zachary, who had entered a state of complete unawareness thanks to Esmeralda's tender scratching, gently twitched at the familiar voice. His eyes fluttered open, and upon seeing all of his friends back at the clearing, a wide smile began to pull his lips sideways. He glanced between Lya and Basajaun, head tilted like a curious kitten's.

Once the searching brown eyes settled on her, Lya returned the smile. She knew perfectly well what he was going to ask. "We worked things out." The ocelot looked at the dragon beside her with the same expression plastered on her face, patting the reptile's shoulder.

Basajaun smiled warmly, nuzzling the ocelot's hand before looking to Zachary and giving an affirmative nod. "We're good now," he agreed, moving over to his son. Sitting a discrete distance from the leopard, the dragon watched Snowflake give her mistress a greeting embrace, turning to Zachary after a moment. "How're you doing?" he asked, giving the feline a soft smile.

"A whole lot better now." Zachary gestured with his head to Lya and then back to Basajaun. Indeed the confirmation that his friends had worked things out did wonders on his mind. The fact that his lungs weren't burning up inside of him helped a great deal as well, let alone his returned mobility.

Lya soon joined by his side, the ocelot taking the free place beside the leopard. The pair shared a greeting of their own, purring softly as their tails wrapped themselves around one another lovingly, and then returned their attention to the overcast sky. They watched the gray clouds as they drew close, enjoying each other's presence in silence, their eyes scanning the azure. The sun had already dropped below the horizon, only its leftover rays providing a marginal amount of light. The golden ray carried its comforting warmth with its departure and coldness crept on the land with the night.

It was perhaps a few minutes later that the stillness was broken.

Zachary's face scrunched up for a moment, before he let out a quiet sneeze, startling Lya next to him with the unexpected action. She turned to face him, an amused smile on her muzzle. "Bless you, dummy."

"Yeah." The leopard sniffled a couple of times, rubbing his nose with a paw. He turned to Lya as well, gave her a smirk, and his body shivered once without him even noticing. "Thanks."

The trembling was immediately registered by the feline that set beside him. "Zach, are you cold?" She raised an eyebrow, slight worry flickering in her eyes.

More sniffling. "I... uh... a little." He chuckled lightheartedly, indicating the sky. "The sun was rude enough to leave us, and he brought his friends instead." Looking up again, Zachary glared at the cumuli as they gathered, as if intimidating the clouds would force them to depart.

"But I'm fi--" Another sneeze interrupted him before he could reassure the ocelot, its intensity strong enough to send him leaning backwards. Sitting up properly, Zachary once more used his paws to wipe his nose. The image immediately got Lya grimacing.

Basajaun's expression turned to one of concern, the dragon scooting closer to the leopard and looking him over. "Are you sure you're okay?" the drake asked, leaning a bit closer to Zachary than he had meant to, "How's your throat? Any rawness?"

The leopard ducked a little and pushed the dragon's head away gently, clearing his throat as he did so. "Nah, I'm good." He insisted stubbornly, his legs trembling just barely for a few moments before he pulled them closer to his body. While he might have appeared quite convincing with his performance, the deception game failed to take effect on most individuals present.

One of those individuals cleared her throat loudly as well. The sound made Zachary flinch visibly from both his current coldness and by the fearsome nature of its source. He slowly looked to Lya, finding himself staring at a pair of eyes that only glared at him.

"You're shaking." The observation was followed by a series of incomprehensible mumbles from Zachary. When a paw came to rest on his back, however, he instantly shut his mouth and stiffened.

Lya's features twisted in disbelief as she grasped Zachary's vest. "Why on earth are your clothes completely drenched?" She asked, her voice an odd mixture of anger and concern.

Ears splaying to the sides and body lowering in defeat, Zachary coughed nervously at Lya's tone. He looked up at her, swallowing and grimacing slightly from the action. "I had to... lie down in the grass for a little while. And..." He could feel himself shrinking as he spoke, the ocelot's expression becoming more and more displeased with each word that left his mouth. "It... could have been a lil' wet. And... I might have forgotten to dry myself."

After a moment of incredulous stares, Basajaun broke the stillness by extending a wing around the leopard. "Here, I'll keep you warm," the drake more insisted than offered, "Is there anything you need? Your blanket? Hot soup? Medicine? Do we even have medicine?" The reptile's tone steadily shifted from concerned to frantic as he spoke, looking almost desperately to Esmeralda, "We could find a town that has medicine and bring Zach there and--"

"Basa, calm down!" the owl ordered, shutting the dragon up instantly, "It's just a cold, not the plague. He needs rest, that's all." Turning her gaze to Zachary, the owl's stare held an unyielding quality, "And that's not a suggestion; you're going to rest and keep warm. And with that storm coming, Basa's your best bet for keeping warm, so snuggle up."

Zachary furrowed his brows, but did not reject the wing that was offered. He was awfully cold. Not that he would tell that to anyone on his own. "I don't know what this fuss is for, seriously." The leopard snorted and shook his head, not noticing the death stare he received from Lya for that particular comment. "I sneeze twice and everyone goes nu--" Another sneeze and another moment of nose rubbing. "Three times. It could be just... uh... allergy or something." What a clever guess.

"Allergy doesn't make you shiver." Lya reminded him sternly, shaking her head. "This stubbornness of yours is unbelievable."

Zachary sniffled and scowled at the ocelot. "I'm not stubborn."

"Thank you for making my point valid."

Groaning in exasperation and deciding to simply give up that unwinnable fight, the feline looked to Basajaun afterwards, his expression softening a little. "But I'm fine, seriously." He offered a small smile. "Throat's fine, nose's fine, lu--"

The cough came out of nowhere, so unexpected it nearly made him choke on his words. A paw instantly to came to rest on his chest, holding still while Zachary fell silent with closed eyes. He was trying really hard, yet couldn't hide the pain written across his visage. His lungs felt like they wanted to collapse and fall inwards again.

Basajaun tugged softly with his wing. "Zach, please," the dragon begged with equal tenderness, eyes wide and pleading as he stared mournfully at the pain he could see in the leopard's face, "Please... let me help you."

It took long moments for Zachary to overcome the pain. He slowly opened his eyes, heaved a long sigh, and gave a shallow nod to his father. There was no point in trying to act as if everything were completely fine anymore. "Alright." The leopard sniffled and shrugged his shoulders. "Help me, then."

As the dragon made to pull Zachary against himself, Esmeralda cleared her own throat. "You'll need to get out of those wet clothes," the owl reminded the leopard, offering him a blanket, "You can cover yourself with this instead." As Zachary took the comforter, the Elder turned away to give him at least a little privacy, Snowflake quickly echoing the action.

With absolutely no concern to his audience, the feline peeled out of his recently mended vest. He only noticed the pair of eyes lingering on him when he made to toss the garment aside. Lya's amber eyes stared at him in what it appeared like complete bewilderment. No wonder he perceived that searching gaze to be bafflement rather than surprise. Unfortunately, Zachary was as oblivious as they came.

"What?" The leopard cocked his head a little, ears perking up curiously as he swallowed and continued sniffling in possibly every five seconds.

Lya blinked, as if the complex inquiry had left her dumbfounded. She cleared her throat nervously and looked away in a random direction, anywhere else but to Zachary and his kitten-like curiosity. "I... it's..." Damn the dummy and his babbling. He was rubbing off on her in more ways than she would have liked. "I'm just glad that our training together had a lasting consequence, is all."

Now it was the leopard's turn to blink. Only he was truly dumbfounded. "What do you mean?" He asked nonchalantly, but couldn't keep the interest out of his voice. When no answer came, not even after having waited nearly a minute, Zachary shrugged and proceeded to deposit his vest on the ground just like he wanted. In the process, he glanced down at himself and immediately realized what Lya had meant.

Having spent the last few hours in a soaked cloth, the feline's fur had adopted the same quality to itself. His usually fluffy fur now clung tightly to his body, revealing what lay beyond the normally cuddly appearance. The change was not extreme by any stretch of the imagination, but it was still very much noticeable. And he couldn't help but let his gaze wander about.

New lean muscles lined Zachary's toned form, stretching across the leopard's upper body. The newfound tissues had accumulated mostly on his chest and sides, demolishing the older image of the emaciated feline. Swinging heavy branches day and night proved to be an effective way of building up muscle in those particular areas. But that wasn't the only thing that caught the feline's widened eyes.

His abdominal muscles have grown as well. His midriff was no more a hollow case of itself, rather one that sported decent amount of brawn to it, if one were to look hard enough. And Zachary was looking hard enough, oh he was, studying his body as if it weren't even his for a very long time, not believing that the changes were real, that the transformation from the skinny thing that he used to be to this state could be possible at all.

"Oh." He vocalized the sound with an odd sort of enlightened quality to it, a sneeze wiping the previously appeared thrilled smile from his muzzle, intense sniveling following the rather annoying and involuntarily action. "You..." He curled the blanket around his body somewhat reluctantly. "You meant that, right. Well, it's go--"

"Is the blanket on you already?"

Zachary frowned as soon as he was interrupted. It truly looked like Lya enjoyed cutting people off in a near perversive manner. "It is."

Eyes darting back and forth to investigate, Lya only turned back to the leopard when she was sure he was embraced tightly in the comforter. She heaved a sigh. It couldn't be distinguished whether it was a sound of relief or only the natural replenish of her lungs. Not that Zachary could care about that anymore. The inevitable fog that came with catching a cold was swiftly settling on the leopard's brain.

Groaning and sniffling a couple times more, all the while grimacing as the previously unnoticed rawness of his throat appeared, Zachary leaned against Basajaun's side, staring out in the distance aimlessly. His eyes drifted to the collected firewood that still lay on the ground. "Could someone start a fire, please?"

As Basajaun wrapped his wing around the leopard, acting as both a mattress and an extra blanket, Esmeralda nodded, retrieving the firewood that Zachary had gathered and starting to set up the campfire, aided by her familiar.

As the fire was being built, the drake nuzzled his son lightly. "Are you okay?" he asked, eyes wide and full of love and concern, "Can I do anything else?"

Zachary turned his head with a bit of effort to look at the dragon and opened his mouth to speak, but was muted. A roll of thunder rumbled the gray skies before the words could be uttered. It lingered quietly in the beginning, steadily becoming louder until its nearly deafening intensity vibrated the ground and eventually the very air that surrounded the members of the group at its peak.

The leopard snuggled tightly in Basajaun's embrace trembled harder than the shivering sky. He lay his head back on the reptile's squishy side, his hazy eyes studying the storm as it converged in the skyline, the cumuli gathering, growing bigger in proportion and darker in coloration. Blackness fell on the clearing.

"I think..." Zachary let out another hearty sneeze, scrunching up his face in an attempt to flex his nostrils, "I think I'm okay. But... that fire would be... nice." His voice shook now as well with every syllable that managed to squeeze through his throat.

"It's coming, Zach," Esmeralda reassured the leopard, striking flint against steel as soon as the fire was built up beside the dragon and his son. A few strikes later, smoke began rising as the campfire sputtered to life. "Snowflake, if you'd be so kind as to get a shelter up?" the owl requested.

Nodding, the spirit once again built up a gazebo to protect their fire from the rain, making the roof wide enough to accommodate the anthros and dragon, as well. Once the fire was going strong, Snowflake immediately started to prepare dinner, the drake and leopard both able to feel how she wished to help Zachary as best she could.

Scooting a bit closer to the fire, Basajaun opened his wing up slightly to better channel the heat towards the feline in his embrace. "How's that, buddy?" he asked tenderly, nuzzling Zachary's good shoulder softly.

The feline shuffled himself as deeply into the dragon's cushiony side as he could, and with slightly chattering teeth, offered a feeble reply. "B-Better." And he fell silent afterwards. He watched the weak flames as they grew, his mind just functional enough to began wondering about the conundrum of his situation.

Having spent his youth on the streets where warmth only existed as a forlorn concept, Zachary had learned to live with both bad weather conditions and the consequences they came with. He had caught the cold more times than he could recall, but as his mind glossed over the ones that remained in his memory, never once did this lighthearted sickness appear as fast as it did now. One moment he was smiling and feeling good as ever, and the other he found himself reduced to nothing but a sneeze and sniffle factory.

It struck him as odd, naturally. Yet also, in a completely different and strange way, he welcomed its appearance. In spite of the annoyances it came with, this cold had brought him something he had been missing more than anything else in his life. And in a long while, it truly felt just like before the accident.

The embrace with Basajaun. For this closeness was not accompanied by the tenseness that still haunted him every time he was near his father. As he rested against dragon's side now, there was no fear, no tenseness, no hesitation. There was only warmth and love that poured out of the reptile that held him. This sudden departure could have been for the fact that his brain was swiftly becoming unusable, but he simply didn't care. He would gladly enjoy this tiny fragment of unaware bliss while it lasted.

The dragon on the leopard's thoughts felt a bit more torn than the feline in his embrace. On one hand he was concerned for his son's well being and wanted to help however he could; on the other hand, he could feel himself actually being grateful for the sudden illness, as it brought them literally closer together. That brought with it a good deal of guilt that only increased his desire to see Zachary made as comfortable as possible.

"Is your bed soft enough?" he asked, smiling in a show of humor to cheer his companion up, "Would you like it more plush? Firmer? Fluffier?"

The attempt to lift his spirits proved to be effective, as Zachary let out a mild laugh. The sound was nowhere close as full of joy as usual, but it still indicated that the leopard was feeling good enough to appreciate the effort. No matter how less it could be identified as "humor".

"It's s-soft enough, bud." Zachary shot a glance at Basajaun and gave a small smile, his head returning to its previous position on the pudgy pillow. "T-Thanks."

As the fire grew stronger and stronger, so did the approaching storm. Rumbling became an almost constant phenomenon, and was soon joined by its usual companions. The world flashed while the tempest struck out with lightning. Rain began to fall from above, beating on the icy roof of the gazebo. Wind twisted and turned the trees, breaking their weak branches without much effort, scattering the broken remains all over the clearing. Before they knew it, the storm had reached them. And it hit hard, harder than the dark clouds had foreshadowed.

The sudden howl of wind that ripped through the gazebo brought with it a heavy sheet of rain. The freezing water struck Basajaun's back hard, soaking his fur to the skin and eliciting a yelp of surprise, followed by a sudden shiver. Instinctively, the dragon's wing repositioned to completely cover Zachary head to toe, protecting him from the cold rain as the drake curled more protectively around the leopard. Glaring out at the storm, an involuntary growl slipped past the dragon's throat, directed towards the drops that threatened to worsen his son's condition.

Zachary, now feeling a strong sense of numbness creeping on his brain, patted Basajaun's head gently and somewhat awkwardly. It was hard to reach him to begin with, given the pair's current position, but the increasing dizziness only contributed to his clumsiness.

"It's okay," he tried reassuring the reptile, as if the threat, the growl, and the entire situation was actually a serious matter in his eyes, "Rain's not gonna hurt ya. I promise. Just a lil' cold, that's it." Smiling rather goofily, Zachary's head suddenly jolted forwards as an enormous sneeze escaped his mouth, the leopard landing face first in Basajaun's pudge and not moving afterwards.

"Apfh I phaid," the feline's muffled voice came after a moment, a series of sloppy coughs following, forcing him to pause, "Jhust a liphle cold."

Lya, who had joined by Snowflake's side to help her prepare the dinner, cast her gaze to Zachary. He was yet to extract his head from Basajaun's side. "I think snotting in a cloth would be better than in someone's fur, Zach." While using an extremely suggestive tone, the worried quality that her voice carried was still strongly present. As a reply, the leopard let out a grunt. Or a groan. It was rather hard to distinguish the two at the moment. Either way, he was clearly not paying too much attention to her.

Basajaun didn't seem to mind, or even notice, the leopard's choice of handkerchief, instead repositioning himself so that Zachary was the most protected from any sort of rain that might enter the gazebo. "Snowy, do you think you could seal this better?" the dragon requested, the spirit nodding and letting Lya take over for a moment as she began to extend the ice around them to block out the rain.

Smiling to the spirit, Basajaun turned his attention back to his son, stroking his head softly and massaging his back. Studying anatomy for a week had given the drake sufficient knowledge to apply a rather skilled massage, knowing where to apply his pressure to relieve the leopard's soreness best. "How's that?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Gooooood." Zachary murmured, slowly and somewhat reluctantly raising his head out of the softness he had been enveloped in. He enjoyed Basajaun's careful digits massaging his back with closed eyes, grateful for the ease it brought on his lungs. Soon enough, a puny purr began to resonate in his chest as the display of his appreciation. A very bad move, despite the fact that the reaction was uncontrollable.

The purring stopped immediately when the leopard began coughing again. Obviously putting the slightest amount of strain on his lungs in this current condition was a horrible idea, but in the fog that descended on his mind, Zachary was all but deprived of his common sense. Unfortunately, there was no mitigating circumstance for the pain.

He continued coughing for long seconds, wincing, hissing from the sensation that threatened to burn up his lungs. Lya stopped in her cooking to glance at him once more, this time out of sheer concern. She held the stirring ladle in her paws, frozen. She only moved when she turned her head towards Esmeralda, yet her eyes remained fixated on Zachary, ears lowering as she listened to his hacking.

"I know you said it's just a cold," she spoke quietly, barely audible even for the owl beside her, "But I don't think it's just a cold for Zach. Not in his condition."

"You want to tell him that where Basa can hear it?" the owl asked incredulously, giving Lya a rather critical look, "That dragon would absolutely lose his mind with worry, you know that. And I know that Zach's condition is going to make this cold worse; telling him that isn't going to help either. It'll just add another worry to the list he already has."

Putting a talon over the ocelot's hand, Esmeralda looked into Lya's eyes. "Go be with him; Snowflake and I can handle the cooking," she insisted, "If you want to help, give him your company. That's the best you can do right now."

Lya didn't respond immediately, staring at Zachary. "I... didn't mean it like that." She sighed and looked to Esmeralda in near desperation. "I just... thought either you or Basajaun could help him somehow. Isn't there a biomancy spell for the cold?"

The Elder shook her head regretfully. "I just know how to heal injuries; illnesses are another matter," she replied, looking over to Basajaun, "You might ask him, though I rather think he'd have used such a spell immediately if he knew it. The boy would give his wings to help Zach, if he had to."

"I know he would." Lya squeezed the owl's talon with a little more force than intended, seeking comfort in the gentleness that single touch provided. "You're right." The ocelot shook her head a little, glancing at Basajaun. "It's for the best if we don't point out this issue for him."

"As for Zach...," her eyes drifted to the feline in question, watching and listening as his coughing eventually began to weaken, a grimace crossing her features when she noticed his pained expression, "I think he knows. He's just so stubborn that he doesn't even want to believe it himself. And I can't blame him; how would that help him in any way?"

The owl sighed. "It wouldn't," she said flatly, before giving a dismissive gesture to the ocelot, "Go on, he needs you more than I do right now. Tell him hot soup's on the way, special with his mother's love."

Lya actually managed a smile. "I will. Thank you." And with that, she left the cooking to the Elder and her familiar. No sooner was she by the males' side, and looking down at the pair in their clinging embrace, that her smile widened, if only marginally. Zachary had stopped coughing altogether, his paw rubbing his chest absentmindedly, his barely open eyes looking, or rather staring out in the storm. It was the nothingness she saw in those eyes that urged her to speak up, to pull him back into reality before he could succumb into worry.

"Soup's done soon." She reported, sitting down next to Basajaun. Reaching out, she brought a paw to Zachary's head, fondling his ears playfully. "Esmeralda says she's going to add a secret ingredient."

The claim seemed to snap him out of his trance-like state, and as he turned to Lya and was practically right in front of her, only then did she realize how bad he looked. His expression, gaze, posture and even his voice have become the victims of the ongoing war that raged inside his system. And these casualties only increased the intensity of her concern, yet only pressed her on to keep these thoughts to herself, lest she add another individual to the growing members of the concerned.

"Wh--" Sneeze, sniffling. "What secret ingredient are we talkin' here?" He cocked his head, curious as ever, straightening himself a little from his previous hunched over position.

Lya grinned widely. "Love." She uttered that word with such authenticity that, for only a moment, Zachary actually believed that very idea of affection was somehow in that soup. As it was, however, the leopard was not one for such nonsense, especially after the ocelot began laughing at the surprised expression he gave her.

Zachary snorted, sneezed once again almost immediately, and glanced between Basajaun and Lya. "Anyone got a cloth or something?" He pointed at his nose.

Basajaun looked over to the group's bags, thought about how long it might take to find such an item, and decided on another course of action. Putting a paw to the grass, the dragon muttered something, the stalks suddenly growing and twining together into a small rag of sorts. "Here, this should work well enough," the dragon said, tearing the cloth from the grass it grew from and offering it to Zachary.

Taking the impromptu handkerchief, the leopard carefully wiped his nose. "Thanks, bud." He smiled, or at least, he tried to smile, but only managed to give a rather handicapped version of the gesture to Basajaun. It actually seemed like he was smirking and grinning at the same time.

"So," Zachary continued, his voice just a tiny bit clearer after having disposed of the unwanted bits from his nostrils, "When's that soup done?" He inquired, turning to Lya, who froze for a second after hearing the question.

The ocelot furrowed her brows. "I... just said it. It's done soon." She raised an eyebrow, her tone showing a hint of concern now.

"Really?" Zachary hummed thoughtfully, wiped his nose once again for some reason, and let out a small chuckle which only further confused the feline beside him. "I must've missed it." The leopard paused, looking away for a moment before turning back to Lya. "And, is Snowflake back already?"

Lya could only stare at him in bafflement. "She... was the one who brought the ingredients for the soup, Zach," her voice had become quiet, tinged with uneasiness, "She hasn't left since then."

"Oh," looking over Lya's shoulder, Zachary nodded when he spotted the spirit by the fire, "Right. And..." He sneezed again, raising the rag to his nose. He only continued once his nose was clean, his half-open, foggy eyes settling on Lya. "When's the soup... done?"

Swallowing, the ocelot closed her eyes for a moment. She sighed and opened them once more. "Zach, are you sure you're alright?"

Zachary cocked his head a little. "Yeah, I'm good," he gave another handicapped smile, "Why?" Lya bit her lip, shooting a glance to Basajaun.

If the dragon looked worried before, he seemed on the verge of panic as the leopard's body began to heat up against him. Putting a paw up to Zachary's forehead, Basajaun confirmed what he already knew. "He's feverish," the drake reported with the solemn tone one would expect from a gravekeeper, looking beggingly over to Esmeralda, "What do we do? How do we fix it?"

"Snowflake, get to Zach," Esmeralda ordered, pouring up a bowl of the hot soup. The spirit moved quickly to the leopard, while her mistress took more careful steps so as not to spill the soup. Patting Basajaun's paw until he moved it out of the way, the dragoness put her cool paw to the feline's forehead, providing a measure of relief for his fever.

"Here," the Elder said, offering the bowl to Lya, "Wait for his fever to go down before you give this to him. I'm going to mix up something that should help."

The ocelot took the bowl with a nod, looking to Zachary afterwards. The leopard's hazy gaze drifted between the friends who surrounded him. He watched as Esmeralda moved off, saw the worry on Lya's features when she looked down at him, and the horror that flickered in Basajaun's eyes. How much he hated that sight and its recurring nature.

Zachary sighed and closed his eyes. "I'm making an awful lot of trouble for you guys again, aren't I?" He asked, his voice beginning to crack and fade occasionally. His throat felt as if it tightened with every sound that passed through it.

Seeing the leopard's worry, Basajaun forced himself to smile. "N-no, no, it's no trouble at all," the dragon tried to reassure his son, though his lowering gaze and evasive eyes could have been spotted by a blind man, "You're not... don't worry about it, okay buddy?"

While normally capable of spotting a lie as obvious as Basajaun's, fortunately Zachary wasn't exactly in top form. The dragon's reassurance elicited a shallow nod from the feline, who looked noticeably flustered about the entire situation and his place in it.

Lya put a paw on his arm. "You're sick, Zach." She stroked the limb gently, offering a smile. "It's out of your control."

"Seems like a lot of things are out of my control as of late."

His flat tone surprised her, rendered her speechless. Her paw stopped its stroking as well. "What... do you mean?" Even Lya herself didn't know whether she wanted to hear the answer or not.

Zachary snorted and opened his eyes at last, looking to her, eyelids nearly blocking his sight altogether. "You know perfectly w--" He began coughing again, pausing and remaining silent for a little while until the pain subsided. "You know what I meant." He shrugged his right shoulder, staring at Lya.

The ocelot's face fell slightly. "I know it's hard, Zach, but you... have to stay positive." She gave a hopeful smile, gesturing at his paws. "You still got your magic, you kn--"

"No, I don't." Zachary furrowed his brows, hesitant to continue. "I can... barely think right now. Not an ideal state for spellcasting."

"It's only temporary." Lya countered. "We'll wait it out, and then everything will be fine again."

"Wait it out?" Zachary frowned, his tone one of subdued trepidation and frustration. "Just how long are we going to let Boldrum torment everyone in Boldrumton?"

Lya froze, her eyes searching the leopard's face. She knew how much doubt and hesitation could be locked away behind that usually joyous visage, as well as the fact that Zachary wouldn't have shown any of those emotions if it weren't for the effects of the sickness. And yet, now what she was shown the uncertainty that haunted his mind, she couldn't help but feel uncertain as well.

"Zach," she took ahold of his paw, squeezing the limb gently, "It's only the fever talking ri--"

"No, Lya, it's me who's talking." Zachary's hands balled up in fists. He stared at the ocelot, who could only stare back at him silence for long moments. Eventually, after what it seemed like hours, the leopard turned away.

"I don't know," he watched as the rain poured from the sky outside, eyes following the twigs and branches that the wind played with, tossing them, carrying them across the air, "It... just feels like the whole universe is screaming against the idea of us interfering with Boldrum. Every damn time we're ready to go, something comes up. A problem. Always a problem that has to come just as we're about to finally do something against that... that..." Zachary trailed off as he sneezed again, but neither attempted to clean his nose nor continue afterwards.

Listening quietly to the leopard's vented frustrations, Basajaun nuzzled his son's good shoulder tenderly, before taking the cloth he had made for Zachary and wiping the feline's face gently. "Then let's show the universe that we can't be stopped," he said softly, "We might be able to be slowed, but we'll always get back to our feet and face the challenge head on. Just like you've showed us how, Zach."

Zachary kept staring out in the rain for a good minute, before he turned back to face Basajaun at last. He was smiling. Handicapped, small, extremely ridiculous, but it was still a smile. "The stubborn way, huh?"

"Definitely." Lya chuckled lightheartedly, patting his head over Snowflake's paw. "The stubborn little dummy way. That's the best and the only way."

Nodding, Zachary's smile faded away as he heaved a sigh. "I just... don't want any more setbacks. We've waited long enough. And... the people in Boldrumton. They have waited long enough, too." Pausing, the leopard grimaced when he realized something. "Not like I have an idea on how to actually deal with Boldrum."

"Speaking of ideas," Lya continued that line of thought, surprising Zachary with her sudden seriousness, "We should probably think out something before go barging on Boldrum's door." She looked to the feline on the ground, her expression softening. "Then again... we should probably discuss that when you're in a condition to contribute."

"Probably." The leopard cleared his throat and grimaced again. "How long will it take for this fever to go away? I'm kinda hungry."

Snowflake was the one to answer after lifting her paw from the leopard's body. "You're cool enough to have your soup," she said, moving to the group's bags and retrieving a waterskin for Zachary, "You need to make sure you get enough water, too."

"I've got that covered, Snowflake," Esmeralda said, putting several herbs into a pot, "He'll be getting some tea short..." Looking up from her work, the owl turned her head slowly to her familiar, her expression one of both surprise and joy. "Say something again," she requested.

Basajaun and Zachary could feel the virtual explosion of happiness from Snowflake as she looked back to her mistress. "You understand me again?" she asked eagerly.

The Elder got a bit of a confused expression, tilting her head. "She... asked if I could understand her, right?" the owl asked, looking to Zachary.

The leopard nodded with a wide smile on his face while Lya offered him the bowl of soup. "I knew you guys would develop that bond again in a matter of days," Zachary said, looking between the owl and her familiar, and then settling his gaze on the ocelot, "I just wish you could do that with Lya, too."

"Not everyone can be a naturally born prodigy, Zachary." The statement was pronounced in a way that all but destroyed the possibility of it being authentic in any way. As if the smirk Lya wore on her muzzle wasn't enough.

Zachary, given his current state of health, failed to recognize the irony in her tone, however. "True. What a shame." He shook his head, and then started on his soup with the most casual look on his face, that oblivious visage nearly making Lya virtually fume.

"You're hopeless." She concluded the usual, and waved a paw at the leopard's already smeared muzzle, an amused quality in her tone. "In more ways than one. You really make it seem like spoons are your arch nemesis."

Basajaun winked to the ocelot as Snowflake moved to Esmeralda, already trying more of their earlier connection. "Of course, he knows his dad's here to clean his face, no matter how messy he might wind up getting," the drake said suggestively, before leaning down to the leopard, "A good dragon bath would clean you right up."

Pausing in his eating, Zachary looked up at Basajaun. His gaze held none of its normal mirth or natural wit. The sickness had reached every part of the leopard's body at last, leaving only a feline that wasn't even half himself. And now that individual was looking the dragon straight in the eye, not showing even the slightest hint of fear despite the suggestive claim.

"I guess... that would, yeah." Zachary sniffled, swallowed and grimaced in pain, before returning his attention to his soup. "It's really good, by the way." He flashed a smile to the owl. "Thanks, Eszy."

The owl perked up at the leopard's words, remembering the tea she was supposed to bring him. Getting quickly to her feet as she poured a cup of the brew, Esmeralda brought the tea to her son, handing it up to him and giving the dragon he sat upon a comforting stroke. "Here, drink this before you have any more stew, Zach," the Elder directed, "It'll work faster if you're not full."

Looking between the inviting dinner and the not so inviting liquid in the cup, Zachary eventually put his bowl aside and took what was offered. He only had to sniff at the tea once for a grimace to reappear, only this time it indicated evident displeasure.

"Ugh... this smells kinda bad," he remarked, scrunching up his face as he held the cup in his paw, hesitating.

"Do you want your fever to go away?" Lya's voice cut through his trepidation like a knife, her expectant gaze locked firmly on him. "Drink it. It's not going to kill you."

"Not so sure about that." With those nearly silent words, Zachary raised the cup to his mouth and took a sip. It took actual effort not to spot it out immediately, but somehow he managed to swallow the bitter fluid down, sticking out his tongue in the hopes that the air would make the unpleasant taste leave. It didn't. "Yup. Just as bad as it smells."

"It tastes bad because it's good for you," the Elder stated, not bothering to back that claim up with any further evidence, instead looking up to Basajaun, "Mind another passenger?"

Taken slightly aback, the dragon nonetheless shook his head. "Not at all," he said permissively, "Would you like a--"

Before he could say the word "lift", Esmeralda had hopped sprightly up the dragon's foreleg and onto his side, right beside Zachary. Bouncing for a moment on the soft surface of the drake's side, the owl sat and put a hand to the leopard's shoulder. "The tea should help suppress fevers," she informed him, ignoring the incredulous look she got from Basajaun, "Sorry about the taste, though. It is kinda awful, huh?"

Zachary made absolutely no attempts to offer any verbal reply to that inquiry. The disgusted look on his face was more than enough. "Bloody cold..." The leopard grumbled, taking another sip from the tea and instantly regretting the action when the sour taste assaulted his tongue once again.

Rolling her eyes when Zachary's visage turned to sheer disgust, Lya crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Well, perhaps you shouldn't have lain in wet grass." The ocelot shifted her weight, looking up at the leopard with a cocked eyebrow. "Or perhaps you should've dried yourself right after instead of staying in your drenched clothes. I dunno, Zach, but it really seems like you've brought this on yourself."

Zachary regarded Lya with an apathetic expression. He was looking right at her, but it really seemed like he was actually looking through her, as if she weren't even there. Although when he opened his mouth, it was the ocelot who thought that he wasn't even there at all. Or at least not the real Zachary, rather an impostor. "Yeah. You're right."

Lya blinked. Did he really just acknowledge his mistake and make no silly remark or witful comeback afterwards? That was unusual. More than unusual, actually. It was completely unexpected, especially from someone who practically thrived in verbal battles, no matter who his opponent was. The sickness managed to change one of the core traits that made Zachary... Zachary, and with that, its real seriousness was confirmed. Not like the poor leopard's steadily worsening appearance was enough indication of that.

Basajaun crooned softly at Zachary, wing stroking the feline's back worriedly. He wanted to just chase the sickness away, that much was clear just from his expression as he snuggled the leopard close against his warm body. As it was, he knew he could only do what he was already doing; be there for Zachary.

The owl that shared the embrace hummed softly, stroking her son's head with equal tenderness as she picked up a soothing melody. The Elder's lullaby was one that Zachary and Basajaun had heard from Snowflake, and brought a comforting familiarity with its tune.

Enveloped in an embrace and sound that emitted sheer affection, the leopard was able to power through the rest of the sour tea. That puny victory made the next serving all the more enjoyable. Even a small smile appeared on Zachary's muzzle as he resumed eating his stew, once again paying no heed to etiquette and such nonsense.

The dinner was gone in a matter of minutes, leaving a satisfied feline as a result. In terms of hunger, that is. He still felt as if he were in a glass box. Every sound was muffled, barely comprehensible, and even when he managed to make out the words and sentences, comprehending them was a whole other thing. Not even mentioning his sight, which was definitely not crystal clear anymore. It made even watching the storm outside of the gazebo difficult.

"And... uh..." Zachary cleared his nose as he put his dish aside, turning to Esmeralda, "How long does a cold like this la--"

It was getting rather frustrating. Always getting cut off while in the middle of talking, let alone the pain that followed his silence. He was only able to look back to the owl after a good minute of coughing. His brown eyes shone in the flames, but the puny tears were wiped away before they could grow in numbers. He couldn't wipe the pained look from his features, though. "H-How long does a cold... last?" He finally managed to force the question out.

Snowflake and Esmeralda shared a concerned glance, before the owl sighed. "A week, at least," she stated, shaking her head, "I'm sorry, but you'll have to rest--"

"What!?" Zachary interrupted the owl in not an exactly polite manner, shock written on his features as he stared at Esmeralda in disbelief. He grit his teeth, newfound strength in his otherwise weak voice. "You're not serious, are you?" Eyes darting between the members of the group, the leopard bit his lip when his searching gaze was only met with more sorrowful visages. There was no need to answer the question anymore; their silence told him enough.

Basajaun nuzzled the leopard's arm. "I'm so sorry, Zach," he tried to be reassuring, "We all need to be in top form to take on the challenge we're facing." The nods that the rest of the group gave only seemed to increase Zachary's frustrations.

Noticing this, the dragon's head ducked submissively. "I know you want to help," he continued, still bearing a soft, reassuring tone, "But we all need to be at our best. Just wait a little longer and--"

"We can't wait anymore, Godsdamnit!" He was shouting now. No matter how unlikely that seemed in his current condition, Zachary somehow managed to gather enough power in his tone to startle Lya with its unexpected volume. He sat up from Basajaun's middle, and although it seemed like the action sent another jolt of pain through his body, his perseverance proved to be stronger.

"We sure as Hell won't wait another week! Out of the question! No. Way." The leopard glanced to Lya for support, but when she only gave him a silent stare and even more worry, he couldn't help but let out a growl. "I can't believe this, seriously. This is... I don't even know..."

Pausing for a moment to calm himself a little, Zachary gave the group an expression that was meant to convey calmness, yet emitted repressed frustration more obviously than the anger in his tone. "Let's vote." He suggested simply.

Esmeralda looked around for a moment. "Those in favor of allowing Zachary to recuperate, raise your hand," she ordered. When Zachary was the only one who didn't hold his arm aloft, the owl looked to the leopard with a cocked brow, not saying a word.

Noticing that the results weren't exactly in his favor, the feline frowned and shook his head. "Nevermind that vote." He tried to save face, putting a finger on his chest and looking at the members of the group in turns as he spoke. "This is my sickness. It's my decision whether I feel good enough to attempt this mission or not. And I feel just splen--"

There couldn't have been a worse timing for a giant sneeze. And with the gust of air leaving his nostrils, so did all his leftover authenticity. Straightening himself and wiping his nose, Zachary tried his hardest to disregard Lya, who was practically struggling to hold in her laughter. Her amusement was not shared this time around.

"Zach, how well do you think you could defend yourself like this?" Esmeralda finally asked the hard question, staring into her son's eyes, "You might as well just walk up to the guards with manacles on your wrists screaming 'Arrest me please!'" The mental image caused Basajaun to visibly flinch.

"It'd still be better than sitting on my ass for a week!" Zachary's stare met his mother's, their gazes locked on each other. While the leopard's eyes burned with fiery passion through their hazy appearance, evident concern and affection hovered in Esmeralda's. "I would at least look I tried to help. Waiting here for another seven days won't, I assure you. We don't have time for that anymore."

"We don't have time for your recovery?" Lya entered the conversation with the clear intention of ending it, her expression calm, her tone soft. "If there's a reason for a delay, this is definitely it, Zachary. You're in no condition to fight." She waved a paw at him, shaking her head. "Hell, you said it yourself that you can barely think." There was a short pause. "Which shows right now quite strongly..."

Narrowing his eyes at his traitor, the leopard looked around himself. "So this is your decision?" He gave everyone incredulous look. "We're seriously going to wait a week and do nothing?"

Basajaun sighed, along with several other members of the group. "It's the best thing for you right now, Zach," the dragon insisted rather weakly, knowing full well how against the idea of waiting the leopard was, "Please, try to calm down. You need your rest." The drake's eyes and voice both adopted pleading tones, not wanting to see Zachary worsen his condition through emotional stress.

The leopard turned to Basajaun. There was a strangely daunting aura that dominated him for a few moments, but before anyone could attach any significance to the expression, it faded away. Only a more than displeased Zachary was left in its wake.

"Alright." He said calmly. But there was something in his tone, a peculiar quality that made that single word's meaning completely different. Without adding anything, the leopard stood up first, and then slowly slid off of Basajaun.

The dragon almost bolted to his feet, before remembering to let Esmeralda dismount first. "Where are you going?" he demanded worriedly, standing as soon as the owl was clear, "You're supposed to be resting, Zach."

"I am." The leopard made his way to the fire and sat down, answering the dragon's question without having to force himself to talk through his painfully tight throat. He curled the blanket around himself, his tail doing the same as he stared at the fire. Occasionally, he let out a sneeze or a cough, but that was all the communication he offered. Otherwise, he watched the scorching flames in complete silence.

Basajaun didn't take long to relocate to the leopard's side, settling near enough to the feline that the dragon was nearly on top of him. He resisted the urge to pick Zachary up and put him right back where he had been only a moment ago. Instead, the reptile simply gave a gentle nuzzle on the leopard's good arm, accompanied by the soft utterance, "I love you, son."

A series of incomprehensible muttering and mumbling came as the reply to the heartfelt sentence. While most of the message was lost, the displeasure these obscure words carried was unmistakeable. And Zachary's flat expression, which had frozen in place since his departure from the dragon's middle, played along perfectly with this particular sensation.

It was rather difficult to elicit such behavior from him. That much everyone knew from experience. Yet the group somehow managed to do so with flying results. Upon perceiving this newfound state of mind, Lya made her way to the fire as well, leaning down to look the leopard in the face. Her gaze was not returned this time, Zachary's glossy eyes apparently finding more interest in the dancing flames.

"Are you going to be like this for a week now?" The ocelot cocked an eyebrow, crouching down to put a paw on his shoulder. When no response came, she sighed and glanced to Basajaun, sharing a moment of sympathy with the dragon. Zachary was never seen so unlike himself before. The sickness contributed a great deal to this change, but for him to be this persistently silent was a newfound trait that Lya wasn't sure she was quite fond of.

When no "I love you too" came from the leopard, Basajaun felt another cold stab to his heart. Whimpering quietly, the dragon flopped down to his side, head on the ground and occasionally rubbing his snout gently along Zachary's thigh. He couldn't think of any other words that might help his son; he just hoped that his presence alone might somehow bring comfort.

Looking at the heart wrenching scene of Basajaun showing sheer affection while Zachary returned nothing, Lya narrowed her eyes at the leopard. She stood up from her previous position, staring down at him with a critical eye.

"Let me get things clear so I can understand your logic here, Zach." Lya gestured at the whimpering dragon on the ground, her eyes not leaving Zachary. "You're punishing him for caring about you? Now that's just wonderful. You've really outdone yourself this time around. Congratulations." She gave a few painfully slow claps and shook her head. She was already bracing herself for the onslaught of words that were about to flood out from his mouth, completely in the impression that taunting him this way would make him talk at least.

Nothing.

Not even the slightest of reaction. No shouting, no talking, not even any sound left the mute statue that Zachary had become. He just sat there, hugging himself with his own arms with the blanket draped over his shoulder somewhat uncertainly, looking like it was ready to slide down at any second. There a few sniffles and coughs that he gave, but anything other than that stayed behind the wall of bullheadedness he had built. That not-existing reaction surprised Lya more than anything.

The dragon's nose nudged Zachary's thigh again. "Zach?" he whispered quietly, trying not to be annoying, but still concerned for his son's well-being, "Is your voice gone? Do you need more tea?"

Zachary didn't answer at first. Instead, he reached for a nearby twig and began poking the campfire with it for a few moments. He favored his left arm to perform the repetitive motions, and thanks to his blanket's position on him, it wasn't long before the garment landed on the ground. Looking over his shoulder, the feline reached back for it somewhat awkwardly. His movements appeared to be nearly out of his control, as if the signals his brain was sending never quite reached their destination.

When the retrieval of his comforter was met with failure for the third time, Zachary groaned in exasperation, and in the process of his annoyance, broke the puny branch in his paw with worrying ease. Leaning backwards and now using his right arm as well, the leopard managed to properly grab ahold of the blanket. He hissed quietly as he draped it over himself once more, his left arm moving to grab at his right shoulder beneath the cloth.

"No." Was all he said, but that was more than enough. His tone had become so feeble that although he had the clear intention of appearing strong, his voice cracked even while uttering that single word. And when his features distorted into a grimace, it was all too obvious that he was in pain.

A soft whine escaped Basajaun's throat at his son's voice, his own expression showing sympathetic pain. Carefully scooting his form until he was almost touching Zachary, the dragon's eyes showed how much he wished to simply pluck up the leopard and hold him close until the sickness went away. Slowly, the dragon's head made its way into Zachary's lap, looking up to him with wide, caring eyes, hoping that the feline wouldn't push him away again.

As expected, the leopard did no such thing. Evidently, there was no amount of anger that could force him to push away the person he loved with all his heart, and Zachary could only withstand those pleading eyes for a few minutes. The cold couldn't make his heart cold, after all. He brought a paw on Basajaun's head and wordlessly started stroking the area between his horns. The action elicited an immediate and relieved purr from the dragon.

Although not looking down at the massive reptile whose head was snuggled closely in his lap, the fog that coated the leopard's eyes lifted, if only just. There was no better medicine for sickness than affection, it seemed. Then again, affection still proved to be rather fruitless when it came to improving his mood in this specific instance. Regardless, Lya and the rest of the group shared a reassured sigh that Zachary hadn't actually succumbed into an emotionless mute monk.

The smiling dragon's relief at not being rejected superseded a great deal of his thoughts at that moment, though the rest of the party still felt a good amount of concern. Esmeralda turned her gaze to Lya after the drake seemed to have reassured Zachary a bit, glancing to the spot on the leopard's free side as if to ask, "You want to take this one?"

Lya answered by taking the spot, leaning slightly against the leopard, and instantly pulling back when he leaned in the same direction, unable to support her weight. Looking him in the eyes, the ocelot's countenance fell at the image she was presented with. The fire's light casting shadows across his face allowed her to see the effects of the steadily advancing sickness.

"You really are out of it, aren't you, my little dummy?" She tried to sound humorous, but couldn't keep the uneasiness out of her tone. A smile followed her inquiry nonetheless, her desire to see that same gesture adorning his muzzle clear.

Turning to face Lya, Zachary gave a shallow nod, the ocelot's face falling at the action. "I... haven't felt this bad since my childhood." Even that one sentence took more attempts to verbalize, his speech constantly interrupted by pain filled pauses and even more painful coughs. "I used to be sick a lot when I was a kid... But this one is definitely in the three top worst."

The fact that this wasn't the worst illness Zachary had experienced was both relieving and troubling to the drake in his lap. The thought of him having been even worse in the past, without anyone to turn to for support, nearly brought Basajaun to tears. Swallowing down the sudden emotion, the dragon slowly extended a wing to Zachary. "Do you think you might want your favorite blanket?" he asked, almost trying to comfort himself as much as his son.

Zachary shrugged nonchalantly, neither accepting, nor refusing the offer. The leopard's eyelids slowly fell up and down as he continued his restless stare at the fire. His searching gaze made it seem like there was a mystery to be solved, or perhaps a decision to be made among the glowing embers. However, his body's complaints became too loud to ignore after a little while, and without finding this alleged answer or choice, he finally gave in.

With a final blink that halted midway, the leopard's head suddenly tipped backwards, his body only able to balance itself on its own for a few seconds before it leaned fully against Basajaun.

The unexpected blackout elicited a soft gasp from Lya. "Zach?" She scooted closer to him, resting a paw on his cheek and frowning when no clarification came forth. "Did he... faint?"

Basajaun's wing supported the leopard's back, a nearly panicked expression on his face. "Zach? Zach are you okay?" the drake whimpered, nudging the feline's shoulder gently.

"Basajaun! Let him rest," Esmeralda hissed, making the dragon flinch, "Just keep him warm and he'll be fine."

Looking between Zachary and the Elder, the drake eventually nodded, gently curling around the leopard. He willed his body to its fullest corpulence, hoping to give as much warmth and comfort as possible for his unconscious son. The extra adipose did well to draw in the heat of the fire, granting Zachary a warm, soft cushion to lay against, while the wing of the reptile snuggled the leopard close, almost as though he were afraid that the feline might simply vanish if he let go.

Although he never disappeared into nothingness, Zachary continued shivering for a long time. Just as the storm raged on outside, so did the leopard's sickness inside, and it only continued to get worse. It seemed as if he were always cold, his body trembling like fragile leaves in the autumn breeze, shallow breathing littered with wheezing or hacking coughs.

Lya watched with lowered ears as Zachary fought on in his sleep. Her expression had long lost its usual dominant quality, only worry playing across her features. A paw rested on the leopard's head, the digits scratching behind his left ear ever so gently and hoping that would ease the pain, if only just a little. The fact that she couldn't offer anything other than that gesture made her feel so powerless, and she couldn't even imagine what the leopard's current bed felt at that moment.

A few minutes passed after Zachary's departure to unconsciousness when Lya spoke up, her voice barely audible through the pouring rain that overwhelmed it. "I think... we'll need more tea for tomorrow, Esmeralda."

Thunder boomed above their heads just as the words left her mouth, shaking the ground beneath with its power. Lya swallowed, closing her eyes for a moment to recover from the scare. She pulled her hand away from the feline, looking over to the owl. "His fever has gone down, but his forehead is still burning."

But all of these symptoms, which spoke of his steadily decreasing healthiness so clearly, couldn't even be compared to the quiet whimpering that always followed them. That sound told of more misery than anything else could. It only appeared since Zachary had lost consciousness, but that made its arrival all the worse. For it was repressed as long as he was aware of himself, and only now, as the group listened to the soft cries, did they realize just how much pain a simple cold had brought to him.

Basajaun's own voice was soon to join the pathetic sound as a low whine, tears nearly falling from his eyes. Shaking his head, the dragon knew crying wouldn't help anyone. Taking a few deep breaths, Basajaun stroked Zachary's side softly, putting his voice to another use aside from idle whimpering; the drake hummed a quiet lullaby to his son. He could only hope that his voice brought some form of comfort to the leopard he cradled against his softened form, knowing well that was all he could do at the moment.

Feeling another large presence settle against his back, Basajaun smiled slightly as Snowflake rested her head on her mate's neck, cheek rubbing against his soft fur. The spirit radiated affection towards the dragon and his son alike, a soft light against the otherwise dark surroundings. The contrast between the spirit's cool body and warm love was rather striking, managing to bring a slight purr from the reptile, making his berceuse trill unintentionally.

As the dragons snuggled together with Zachary, Esmeralda moved to the group's bags, nodding to Lya. "I'll make sure to have the ingredients on hand," she affirmed, retrieving the bags of herbs necessary and stowing them in her blouse, before moving to the fire and pouring up more water in her tea kettle, just to be ready.

Lya watched the owl move about for a few moments, strangely relieved to have her mind occupied with practically anything else other than Zachary's state. Reality quickly returned, however. Sighing as another coughing fit seized the leopard's body, the ocelot stood up from her place and made her way around the campfire.

Taking a bowl for herself, she poured some stew and went straight back to her previous position. Silently, she started on her own dinner, the delectable flavors providing a minor distraction for her. An occasional glance was shot towards the leopard when a particularly loud whimper escaped his throat.

"I haven't seen him this huffish before," Lya stated, taking another sip from her stew, a warm smile touching the corners of her mouth all of a sudden, "Except when Basajaun carried him by his scruff. That's probably how I'll remember him from now on: a whining kitten dangling from a dragon's mouth."

Looking over to Lya, Esmeralda smirked slightly, the only one who even seemed to hear the ocelot's words. "Certainly an amusing way to remember him," the owl chuckled, shaking her head, "Though I think he'd object to that being what he's associated strongest with in your mind. He'd probably get even whinier!"

The ocelot snorted in evident agreement. "Yeah, probably," she glanced back to the sleeping Zachary, her smile widening, "And it would probably make me laugh even more." With a curve of her lips on her muzzle, Lya finished the rest of her food quickly, placing the bowl on its proper place.

"Anyway," she let out a yawn, stretching her back while her tail curled up behind her, "I think I'm going to get some rest." Turning towards her tent, Lya stopped in the middle of the action and turned back, her eyes settling on the dragons and the puny anthro in their embrace. "Keep a close eye on him for me, will you?" She attempted a smile, but it quickly faded away. "Cold... tends to get worse during the night."

Snowflake turned to Lya, giving her a nod in reply and nudging the other dragon, who hadn't been paying attention to the ocelot. The spirit quickly repeated the request for Basajaun, who also looked to Lya. "I'll keep him as warm and comfortable as I can," he promised quietly, giving his own affirmative nod, "Just try to get some sleep, Lya."

A sincere smile graced Lya's lips. "Thank you. Good night to you all." Waving a paw, she moved to her tent, and after a few moments of shuffling, only silence came from her shelter while the rain soaked the forest soil restlessly.

The quiet was broken by another peal of thunder that cracked the sky. Its force was strong enough to startle Zachary in his sleep, but even that failed to wake him up. It merely made him flinch and whimper, before he went nearly quiet once again, his soft whine returning after a few moments. And unfortunately, the coughing was quick to follow.

Basajaun shushed the leopard softly, petting his ears in just the right spot. "It's okay," he whispered softly through his lullaby, "Dad's here for you. He'll chase the growling ones away." He truly meant those words, too. If he could have chased the storm away, he would have been in the sky the second it had started. As it was, he hoped the promise might reach the leopard in his dreams, and keep any nightmares brought on by the storm at bay.

The dragon's voice somehow managed to penetrate Zachary's unconscious defenses. His shivering never seemed to die down, but as the minutes passed, the whimpering gradually became quieter, until all that was left was an occasional whine after exceptionally painful coughing fits.

Pale white, irregular breathing and weak appearance; the leopard steadily fell into deep sleep despite the nuisances that refused to depart. He still felt as hot as the campfire right beside them, but a small measure of peace fell on his mind at last once his body allowed a well-deserved rest. With a paw that held Basajaun's fur, Zachary slept while the thunderstorm remained awake.

The dragon smiled when he felt his son relax, tension he hadn't noticed building up through his own body starting to loosen. A sudden pressure on his back signaled the arrival of another individual, Esmeralda climbing up the drake's fur and sliding down to his front, taking a position next to Zachary. There wasn't a need for explanation; they all wanted to make sure the leopard was comforted and taken care of.

As the owl leaned against a spot on Basajaun's middle adjacent to their son, the reptile laid his own head and neck on the ground, not quite able to curl all the way around them at his current plumpness, but enough to give them both a nuzzle before slipping off into his own slumber, the rest of the party joining him soon after.

Soft snoring filled his ears. A sour taste in his mouth from all the phlegm he had coughed up. Infinite blackness enveloped his sight. It took his cotton filled brain a second to recognize that he had his eyes closed, avoiding the panic that nearly appeared because of the thought that he had gone blind from the cold.

Zachary slowly opened his eyes, his vision blurry as he glanced around himself. All he could see was emerald softness, but further details were unnecessary anyway. He only had to see things clear just enough to navigate out of the green labyrinth, and hope that he wouldn't bump into anything on the way out. He had thought of a way to mitigate his clumsiness.

Slowly, matching a snail's fastness with his movements, the leopard folded himself out of Basajaun's embrace, pulling his limbs out one by one. He paid careful attention to the owl right next to him, sliding away from her only once he was certain she was secured safely against the dragon. Snowflake proved to be a rather troublesome obstacle to pass, but with otherworldly patience, Zachary managed to extract himself from the cuddly confinement after nearly ten minutes of struggling.

As soon as his body was free, the leopard had to stifle an upcoming cough. Both of his paws came up to cover his muzzle, and although it felt as if he were swallowing a ball of needles, he somehow fought it down, a grimace distorting his features. His lungs hurt pretty bad, not even mentioning his throat and his head.

Perhaps it wasn't such a great idea, after all.

'No.' Zachary's mental debate commenced as he moved to the group's bags, or more accurately, wobbled his way to them. 'I can't wait anymore. They... they can't wait anymore. They've waited more than enough. No more delays.' Dropping on his knees in the wet grass, the leopard searched through his bag. Eventually, he found what he was looking for, and he stood up in his usual clothes, bow around his body, quiver on his back, Frostbite strapped on the side.

In the process of getting to his feet, his legs trembled. He clenched his teeth and after a short pause, forced himself to straighten up properly. All his equipment seemed to be a lot heavier than usual. It made moving around a much more demanding task, but it didn't matter. Nor the sickness that lingered in his system. Not even the burning sensation that he felt throughout his entire body, like a wildfire that desired nothing but to consume everything in its wake.

Putting a paw on his forehead, the leopard sighed quietly. He could feel his skin practically radiating with heat beneath his palm. His fever was going up, that much was certain, and for only a moment, he felt hesitant. Yet the cold wasn't the source of this sudden demur.

Did he have a plan at all? Besides leaving on his own to Boldrumton, that is.

'I'll... think of something on the way.' Zachary mused as he turned towards the direction the group had flown the day before. He took a few steps forward, his eyes scanning the droplets of water that clung to the grass, arrows clattering against each other in the quiver.

'Maybe I won't even have to fight. I'll just convince the people to join forces against him... it shouldn't be too hard. All I need is to get there, and then get into Boldrumton. A disguise would be nice, though. Perhaps I'll make a hood out of something. Yes, that would work. And after getting in, I'll on--'

The leopard stopped in his tracks. His dull mind hadn't registered it earlier, but as he brought his gaze up to look out in the clearing, he couldn't help but stop. It was still raining. It had been reduced to a peaceful drizzling that lent a gloomy appearance to his surroundings, but it was still water. The darkness that loomed over the landscape was yet to depart as well. Standing on the edge of the gazebo, Zachary glanced behind him. He watched his companions as they slept.

Definitely not a good idea.

'Still better than letting them suffer even more.' That settled it. Zachary's eyes lingered over his friends, his body, although only barely, ready to go. Yet his mind screamed in protest, a distant voice in the back of his head trying its hardest to be heard. Its cries were never acknowledged, however, as the fog that coated his brain had grown too dense to cross, too stubborn in its own beliefs to hear anything else besides the motive that drove him, sick of waiting helplessly, ready to take revenge for not only himself, but for everyone else as well.

What are you doing?

With a last glance to the members of his family, the leopard turned towards his destination and with quivering steps, stepped out in the drizzling rain. 'Boldrum.' A cough escaped his throat before he could stop it, but the sound was lost among the falling droplets. Just like his vision. And the dryness of his fur. It felt so cold.

Stop.

'I'm coming.'

Only a few hours later, the rest of the group was startled awake by a very loud and distraught chiming, causing Basajaun to jump fearfully, rocking fluidly in the attempt to get to his feet. The motion jostled the avian resting against the dragon, who leapt to her own feet with much more grace.

"Not again!" Snowflake's voice cried out as she paced frantically around the campsite, "Why? Why does this keep happening?"

Looking around blearily, it didn't take long for the absence of a certain feline to register in Basajaun's mind. Eyes shooting open, the dragon looked and smelled around the clearing desperately, before setting his eyes in the direction of Boldrumton. "No... tell me he didn't!" the drake growled, body thinning as he rocked to his feet, panic setting into his eyes. Esmeralda carefully watched the drake, knowing full well a situation like this might trigger the reptile's instincts.

There was a groan that meant to convey evident frustration from Lya's tent. Soon enough, the ocelot's head popped out of her shelter, her barely open eyes attempting to glare at everyone at once. "I scarcely remember being told to get some rest." Obviously Lya wasn't aware of the fact that there was a more important problem at hand than her beauty sleep, neither that she was very out of the loop. "Now why in the Gods' name are you going back on your word?"

"Zach's gone," the Elder quickly rectified the ocelot's ignorance, voice quiet and flat. The words made Basajaun flinch, the drake looking ready to sprint after Zachary at any moment.

Silence. Long, filled with nothing but speechless confusion. "W-What?" Lya stammered over the word like a cub attempting to speak for the first time, her tone just as flat as the owl's. She blinked the sleepiness out of her eyes in a second, looking around the clearing, as if her gaze would magically find someone the others just couldn't see. But there was no Zachary.

As she scanned the camp, Lya's gaze hovered over Basajaun. She swallowed, a mixture of sensations flooding her mind once she recognized the familiar terror in the dragon's eyes. "W-Where the Hell did he go?" She asked quietly, exiting her tent and trying her hardest to keep her emotions at bay.

Basajaun gulped hard, eyes glued in the direction of Zachary's scent. "H-he's... going to..." the drake tried to say. His voice was alarmingly close to how it sounded when the leopard had been put in jail.

"Basajaun, calm down," Esmeralda ordered gently, moving over and putting a hand to the reptile's side, "Losing it isn't going to help. He can't have gotten far. You and Snowflake can both tell where he is; how far away is he?"

Taking several deep breaths, the dragon turned his worryingly dilated eyes to meet Esmeralda's. "Less than a mile," Basajaun managed to say, "He's... not moving."

Lya's heart skipped a beat. She knew all too well what Basajaun failed to utter. Her throat tightened until no air could pass through it anymore. It couldn't be. There was no way. He was fine. He was... definitely fine. He was not...

"H-He must've taken a break." The ocelot's voice became distant, nearly screaming with anxiety. "He's... just taking a break because he's sick. It... makes people weak." The desperation for those words to be reality were just as obvious as the frozen expression on Lya's features.

The drake's own features reflected the ocelot's, claws digging into the ground from the effort to not run after his friend. Coming to his rescue was Esmeralda, who took control of the situation. "Lya, you're on Basajaun," the Elder directed firmly, ice firing from her finger into Snowflake, catching the spirit off guard, "Snowflake, make it fast and mobile. We're following Basajaun."

The spirit nodded, pieces falling off of her form as Esmeralda turned back to Lya. "Now!" she ordered, voice commanding.

Snapped out of her trance, the ocelot heaved a ragged sigh and nodded as well. She walked over to Basajaun with uncertain steps, looking like her legs were about to give in beneath her weight. She put a trembling hand on the dragon's foreleg, flinching slightly when instead of softness, all she found was firm muscle.

"It's... okay, Basajaun," her voice shook with more intensity than her paw, "He's okay. We'll find him and bring him home before you know it. It... it will be fine." These words were the only thing she could offer as she got on the reptile's back.

The dragon remained quiet, barely registering the ocelot's words. He only watched and waited for Snowflake's transformation to complete and Esmeralda to mount up, so they could go after Zachary.

The spirit in question soon shed enough frost to reveal what appeared to be a horse-sized timber wolf carved from ice. Not bothering with a saddle, or even taking down camp, the Elder hopped onto the frozen canine's back, clinging to her fur as she held herself against Snowflake. Looking up to Basajaun, the Elder's cool, blue eyes showed no emotion, neither did her voice as she commanded, "Go!"

The dragon didn't have to be told twice. Like a verdant arrow, the drake shot into the trees at a breakneck pace, sprinting and winding between the trees like a great, serpentine cheetah, the sudden take-off nearly dislodging his passenger.

Lya would have screamed, but she couldn't. She couldn't find the strength to gather her voice, and in complete silence, she clung to Basajaun as close as she could. Droplets of cold rain splattered against her face as they ran across the forest, the grey skies looming above their heads only letting just enough light to pass through so that it wasn't the darkness that ruled the day.

Everything seemed to have lost its coloration with the sun's absence. There were no emerald leaves that swayed in the breeze, no golden rays to lighten their path, no birds to sing their songs.

There was only the drizzling rain as it fell, and the greyness that enveloped everything and everyone, as if trying to drain the life out of anything that lived or wanted to live. Lya's grasp tightened on the dragon's saddle as he waded through the muddy forest path, her fur and clothes bemired, her features only clear of dirt in the wake of her tears. The tears fell, just like the rain, for she could do nothing else but weep and hope in her helplessness.

Hope... Hope desperately that he hadn't turned gray as well.