To ride a dragon (1 of 2)
Story by Doreh on SoFurry
Something i wrote like a month ago, uploaded to FA but not here. Enjoy it and as always feedback is important!
IMPORTANT EDIT: TO READ THE SECOND PART YOU NEED TO CHANGE YOUR RATINGS FROM ADULT TO EXTREME
Arcking was nervous, I could tell. He had gotten pretty good at hiding it but throughout the years but subtle twitches in the muscles beneath me betrayed how the soft yellow dragon felt before the race. Locked in a pen, waiting for the gate to open didn't help much either as I soothed his worries; telling him if we didn't win the finals it was fine, that I'd never expected to get this far anyways. He knew that, after all the times I'd told him, all the times we had lost and every time the gentle dragon fretted that somehow I'd disown him if we'd lost. I never had and never would, the dragon only ever seemed to get better and the reason why was blurred for me. I liked to think he enjoyed it but it was hard to know without direct communication but I always secretly felt he did it for me, that he was afraid of things I wouldn't understand.
A little traffic light that I'd been eying turned orange signalling that the race was starting in mere moments. I squeezed him with my legs and hunkered down close to his body, Arcking's muscles rippling beneath me as the nervousness melted away and gave way to excitement before closing his eyes as he waited for the gunshot that would start the race.
The shot ran out and without even checking to see if the gates were open Arcking sprinted out of the pen. It was only us however as it was a time trial race, racing against the ghosts of previous contestants in spirit. First up was the kilometre sprint where Arcking wasn't allowed to use his wings and had to sprint to the end, in this case the edge of a cliff. I could never tell how fast we were during the race and before I even knew it the cliff was drawing near. It was where we would make it or break it as a team.
Grabbing hold of two handle bar like protrusions coming out of the saddle I pushed down on it, the first hoop we had to go through angling down. Arcing jumped off the cliff and spread his glorious wings, beating them once before curling them back up and making his way through the flying hoop, unable to have his wings open while going through due to the size. We instantly plummeted after crossing its silver boarders but Arcking still didn't open his wings, the next hoop half way down as the next several formed a large U turn like tunnel where depending on how fast we went would only be able to get one wing beat in between the hoops.
I pulled back on the bars, the little metal studs that dug into him leaving his scaled form and telling him they needed to pull back up after the ring. He did so with grace, my head a foot away from the top of the bars each time, barely enough time to slow down before we started to climb again, the hoops this time large enough to fly through without furling his wings as they formed a spiral into the sky.
The rest was a blur, ducking and weaving through various obstacles before finally soaring through the finish line, Arcking pulling up and letting loose a ball of fire in glee as spectators below cheered out to us. We did a few tricks before the dragon returned to earth, skidding to a stop on the damp earth as one of the televisions played out the next race already, a gunshot airing. Arcking slumped down, more so than usual and I dismounted him, taking off his lightweight saddle as I did so and patted him on the rump. He looked at me before standing back up, his legs wobbly and yet like always he tried to hide it. I led him back to a resting area as fans cheered for us, some official already having given us our time but with no one to compare it too and many more contestants to chew through it didn't mean much.
Back and away from the prying eyes of the public were the rest of the already raced contestants, a few giving me pleasant congratulations as we passed. After making small talk we didn't stick around, the free food and drink nice but Arcking never was one for big crowds and for the most part, other dragons. He was awkward when it came to that, never being one to socialise with strange dragons. I didn't mind though, it always meant we got peace and quiet and we went to one of the spare sofas and lounged in it, Arcking getting up first before I used whatever he left me to lean on him, the dragon then snaking his head onto my lap before resting as best he could as I dealt with people and dragons alike who came to talk and socialise.
Hours passed and after the final contestant flew we were herded onto a stage as night began to fall, bright lights and colourful presenters talking up the audience and the people back home. The stage wasn't small either, managing to fit all 24 of us onto it with a few of the bigger dragons in the back. It was a show and as such the presenter took his time in eliminating riders, randomly digging through the bottom 20, giving out their time then name then having a quick interview before they left the stage. My heart was thundering and at some point Arcking had coiled the end of his long tail around my leg, something the presenters took notice of and made a point about, us as a couple having been passed off as the shy and cute lot. It wasn't something I terribly minded but the extra attention only caused the tail to snake more of its length around my leg until my entire calf was coiled in the constricting mass.
I didn't tell him off however and instead reminded him not to squeeze so hard, I couldn't belittle him for being nervous in this situation, cameras and attention directed at the soft yellow dragon as more contestants were eliminated until we were in the final 4. The 5th place held a time of 14 minutes and 42 seconds, something that was a proud achievement in of itself. We held a time of 13 minutes and 24 seconds, my heart thundering as the very real possibility started to come real on winning the event. They continued to draw it out, we had been standing there for 45 minutes now and the hour slot it was meant to take was coming to an end, the last 5 minutes usually spent in a recap.
“And it comes down to the final 4 ladies and gentlemen, each holding a time worthy of first place but only one able to claim the spot." The presenter riled, the crowd much more excited for this than the previous 20 aside from a few popular riders. “On my left we have Bruits and his rider David, hailing from Germany, a contestant that has been in the top 4 three times and even won once. Next to him we have Grille and her rider Katharine hailing from Russia, they've been slowly climbing the ranks over the years and this is their first time being in the top four, a round of applause for the duo."
Loud cheers and whoops were heard from the audience, Katharine being a more popular rider due to her cute girl looks and pink dragon. If I would have guessed she picked her dragon for the soul reason for that, so she would look better.
“Moving on we have the last two contestants on my right, close to me we have last year's champion Victis and his rider Claire who both hail from the states. They aren't to be taken lightly and due to their teams mat black finish they strike fear into their opponent's hearts with nary a word. Give it up for the lightning pair!"
The crowd once again went wild, the pair being the favourite pick for the winners, both having a reputation for winning all events they participate in, having won the competition last year and twice before that.
“And lastly how can we forget Arcking and his rider Benji! They are the only contestants this year to hail from Australia! They are still green in the competitive scene though and through blood, sweat, tears and prayers to their gods they have they made it to this year's finals and yet they didn't settle for that. It's their first year here and even still they have made it to the top 4! A huge welcome and congratulations to sprouting pair, I'm sure they'll be formidable in the future!"
Our applause wasn't the loudest but it certainly felt like the most heartfelt, perhaps because it was me and Arcking receiving it. I waved to a few people but Arcking's tail only curled tighter around my leg at the extra attention, the other dragons aside from Victis taking pride in the overwhelming attention. I didn't tell him off though and continued to please the audience, apparently I was the favourite among the younger crowd, perhaps because I wasn't even 20 yet and had participated at an international event like this at such a young age.
The crowd eventually died down and like that the presenter started to read off 4th place time before announcing Katharine to hold it, and showing off some stunts she did during it, pointing out places where she pulled ahead of the competition momentarily. After a quick interview she headed off stage and only the final 3 remained.
My heart was beating fast; I had been 30 seconds ahead of Katharine, the idea of first place making my leg bounce uncontrollably. But it seems it wasn't to be, the presenter announced the 3 rd place time, my time and after revealing who it was I stepped forward, coming first still an insurmountable dream I never thought I'd achieve. Things I did played in the background, highlighting the fact we were the fastest at the 1 kilometre sprint before showing Arcking's display at the end of the race. I shook hands with the man, the entire time Arcking's tail still wrapped around my leg, something the presenter didn't fail to point out before the dragon let go and curled around his own leg. He wished us the best of luck for next year before we headed off stage, the medal I now wore a shinny bronze along with the prize money I'd receive.
There wasn't much else to do after that, some trainers would sign things and gave the audience the chance to meet their dragon but with Arcking's personality I never bothered. Now we just had to head home and celebrate by ourselves, the night having dragged on far too long as it was for my tastes but a victory was a victory. As we walked back out to the private car park a man walked up to me, Arcking's tail already back around my leg as he greeted us.
“Greetings rider Benji, I'm Neil from the Perfect Dragon Association." he informed us as he handed me a card that looked legitimate. “What I'm here to offer you is simple; we like your dragon. He's in peak physical performance and obviously has the right genes to do what he does. I don't need to tell you the rest but what we're offering you is simple, we will pay you, we will take him away for a few days to breed with other high class females and you get him back maybe a little tired. The money isn't small either, for each session we're willing to pay 50,000 dollars for just 3 days of his time."
I did a double take at that, the money being as much as my winnings for coming third, it was defiantly something I wanted to do then but the decision didn't come down to just me. “While that sounds great the final decision doesn't lie with me." I said before turning to look at Arcking who sat behind me, his head the same height as mine. “So what is it boy, do you like that idea or...?" I trailed off.
He tilted his head and before looking down at the ground, thinking about it. Honestly I thought he would have just said yes. Dragons weren't dumb and he knew what the man said, 3 whole days of fucking other dragons, what dragon wouldn't like that? He pawed at the ground for a moment before ducking his head and putting it between my legs, quickly snaking it through them and picking me up as I slid down his neck and into the crook at the base before shaking his head.
“Well um, I think that settles it, I don't think he wants to do it." I analysed as I patted him, trying to get off him before being pushed back on by a wing.
“Well, we don't really need his permission and you have my card. We'll call you if we have something that comes up we think you'll be interested in." The man said before walking off, perhaps to do it to the next contestant that came through.
I watched him leave before looking down at Arcking who was still watching the man before I patted him on the neck, wondering what his display was and still is about. He looked back up to me and did his best imitation of a smile before licking my face and trotting towards my van. I asked him what that was about but the only response I got was proud dragon noises. I gave up trying to figure him out as we strolled through the car park, myself musing that I had not rode bareback in a long while, Arcking having nothing to grip onto due to his smooth form. If he wanted me to ride him he could have at least let me put the saddle on.
We got to my van and Arcking laid down on his belly, letting me get off as I stumbled for a few steps before righting myself. Pulling out my keys I unlocked the van and popped the boot, the large door opening up as Arcking got into his padded enclosure. Picking up his tail and throwing it into the back of the van I closed the door and got in the left side, Arcking's head already resting on the folded down passenger seat as he looked at me.
“What is with you tonight you silly dragon?" I asked the beast that lay next to me as I patted his scaly head. He purred at the attention and when I stopped to turn on the car he moved his large head so it was in my lap purring away. While I would normally cite how it would be dangerous to drive like this, it wasn't really a problem, driving an automatic in a van with plenty of space made things easier. I patted him a few more times before we drove off, the radio playing songs softly as the dragon did his best to nuzzle into my lap during the trip.
Arriving at the hotel we were staying at for the next week, I drove down into the underground car park and pulled into our spot, melting back into the seat as I relaxed. I went to move Arcking's head but he only grumbled at me when I tried, pushing against my arms as I grabbed one of his sets of horns and pulled his head up, a grumpy dragon looking back at me. I let go and petted him, walking around to the back to let the overgrown lizard out. He practically fell out of the back of the van, either he was sleeping on his way here or he was a lot more tired than he let on. I figured I'd be tired after what he did as well. After falling out and stretching his wings and muscles much like a cat would I closed the door and locked the van. Arcking looked very tired and I patted him once again, turning around to head towards the large elevator that would carry us to our floor. I barely even made it two steps before the tired dragon rested his large head on my shoulder, the dragon already easily taller than me on all fours. His long slender tail even wrapped itself around my leg once again; something I knew wasn't a sign of his usual nervousness that it usually meant.
I didn't dwell on it however as we walked in silence to the elevator, waiting for it to get to us before taking the ride up. We got to our floor and I opened the door without incident, moving to the side to let the dragon in first before closing it and starting to lock it, only getting the door lock and not the deadbolt set before the dragons tail tugged my away from it, still wrapped around my leg. I lost my balance but Arcking was quick to realise what he did and was in the way of me falling, instead of landing on the ground I fell into him, his thick neck muscles holding me up as I found my feet again and petted him, telling him it was alright as the dragon just looked sorry for what he did.
He wondered off as I turned back around and set the deadbolt, running my hands through my hair after and practically collapsing on a sofa in the lounge. Due to Arcking's dislike for the large celebrations the event was hosting, we instead celebrated at whatever abode we called home for the week we stayed at. Today though it just felt like I accomplished my dream, something I'd always wanted to do and, I wasn't sure how to feel about that. The obvious question was 'what's next?' Before now the answer was simple; win the next tournament. While it took years this year we did, climbing higher and higher until we got to the world finals, placing 3 rd amongst the top 24 in the world. There wasn't much better we could get after this but, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do now. We had another 3 months before the next season started since winter was coming and it meant 3 months of downtime relying on the money we earnt through the year which, being this year and what we had done, that amount wasn't small.
Arcking bought me out of my thoughts as he finished whatever it was he had been doing, coming up to the couch and looking at me then the couch, hopping up near my legs as I chuckled, trying to push the oversized dragon off the much, much smaller couch, the lizard somehow curling up well enough to push my legs onto the floor as he gradually took up more room. He got settled quickly though and with my upper portion still on the couch put his long neck and head on top of my body, his snout reaching my chin as his tongue slowly rolled out of his mouth and I knew what was coming. I couldn't fight him as he viciously attacked my face with his tongue, myself laughing and trying to push the lizard off of me which caused him to only use more of his body weight against me. I gave up quickly when his chest was resting on my belly, the large and much heavier dragon pinning me with ease as I panted for air as his tongue just lolled out of his mouth as he started at me, his eyes having something much different in them tonight then they usually did. I noticed it earlier but, I passed if off as something else.
I wasn't comfortable; they were emotions I had never seen in my best friend of countless years. They almost seemed predatory, wanting, needing. He returned to licking my face but this time it was slow and if I dare say so, sensual, caring even. I wasn't sure how to react and I quickly pushed the dragon off of myself. Whiping my face clean with my shirt as he looked at me, ears perked and the same look still in my eye. He wouldn't hurt me though; I knew that, so I wasn't sure why I was so jumpy all of a sudden. I did feel like he deserved a reward however, after what he did today.
Forgetting as if what just happened didn't happen, I clapped my hands, his attention already on me. “So Arcking, what do you want as a reward for what you did today?" I asked, watching him for a few seconds before sighing and turning around towards the kitchen. The dragon never actually asked for any rewards, I always just ended up giving him something though to show I appreciated what he did. The beast wasn't dumb. “I guess it will be the same as always, I even got that prime steak you like, all fatty and juicy." I said as I opened the fridge and took out paper wrapped meat, plopping it on the counter before turning around to go to the cupboard with the spices in it.
Expect, there was a dragon in my way, inquisitively looking straight at me, his head lowered to do just that. His eyes, those large expressive eyes were often the only thing that would tell me what was going on in my friends head, and they still showed his predatory look of his.
“D-do you not want the meat Arcking?" I hazarded, the dragon cocking his head before turning it on the side once more, even so much as taking a step forward towards me. “Well what do you want? You never told me so I always just got meat, I felt bad for not getting you anything after what you did..." I admitted to him, something I felt he already knew. “You did a big thing today boy, something I'm very proud we both managed to even get into let alone almost win. I'm happy to try and get you it is what want boy, you've earnt it."
He cocked his head to the other side, not moving too much, the silence almost deafening as the dragon just looked at me. “So what is it yo-" I started before being interrupted by the dragons head pushing against my chest, his message not clear to me yet.
I chuckled at his display, clutching his head and raising it to meet mine. “I don't know what you mean boy; you'll have to be clearer than that." I told him as I stared into those eyes, something flashing before he pulled away from me and backed up, unable to turn himself around in the kitchen. I watched him walk away and turned back around; putting the meat back in the fridge for later before I heard a dragon's rendition of a bark from somewhere in the apartment. I guessed he must have found what he wanted? I didn't have a clue.
I walked into the living room, the dragon nowhere to be seen, the only other rooms being the bathroom and two bedrooms, one of which was opened already. It was obvious he wasn't in the bathroom so forging forward I made it into the pitch black room, commenting on how he knew I couldn't see anything as I flicked the switch. The light illuminated the room as well as so many questions that had built up over the last few weeks, with the flick of a switch, everything became so clear.
Before me was Arcking, he'd ripped off the bed sheets and put them all on the carpet floor but that wasn't what I was focused on. He was presenting himself to me, ass in the air, tail curled back as it curled around his own neck, front paws down low to the ground and head turned to look back at me; those unknown emotions clear through the portals in his eyes.
Want.
Desire.
Lust.
Need.
Each emotion as clear as day. He was even excited, his member - something I had seen before just by raising him - now shone in a different light now it had come out of its hiding place in his slit. The purple glistening rod with ridges running down its base adorned with a deflated knot at the bottom. The tight looking pucker not far above it the slight contracting of the dragon making the thing pulsate. It was obvious now what he wanted his reward to be; I was to be his reward, or perhaps he was to be mine.
It seemed to be my turn to have a conflicting array of emotion but it all gave way to one powerful emotion; disgust. I took a step back after a few seconds, Arcking sensing my hesitation and pushing himself lower, raising his rear higher, determined to get across what he meant. But it only spurred me on more, turning around hand on the door meaning to close it and try and forget but a soft whine made me stop. It wasn't something I had heard since he was much, much younger. It was needy, asking for help, and it pulled at the strings in my heart and mind with ease, the disgust quickly fell away, unsure as to why such a powerful emotion was washed away so easily. There wasn't anything against what Arcking wanted, there were no laws as dragons were sentient; but it was taboo.
Was this really what I wanted my answer to be?