Zhaiothe's Tale Act 5 - Tears Don't Fall (Pt. 1&2)
By Bartan Tirix

Chapter 1
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	Morning came, and the two were woken by the light of dawn. The sky was painted with a large stroke of pink, and paid a warning to travelers. After Tong went hunting again, Zhai did what he could to get some exercise. From full body pushups, to climbing the trees around the camp they made. When Tong returned with a few rabbits, he spotted Zhai halfway up a tree. "If you're planning to wrestle a tree again, you'd think you would have started with something smaller."
	"Get mounted. I'm just climbing it."
	"Why?" Tong asked, while preparing their breakfast.
	"Why not?" Zhai half replied, slowly climbing down.
	"That's a bad argument." Tong stated with a smile.
	"But an argument, none the less." He reached the ground. "Climbing is good exercise. And a good way to stretch in the morning. At times, I've considered actually making a small home in a tree, if I could've found a tree big enough for my later years."
	"It would probably have to be nearly as big as a mountain to do something like that."
	"Why do you say that?" The dragon's neck curled into an S.
	"Have you seen the size of that ego you carry around?"
	Zhai tossed his snout. "I'm not that bad!" He sat down hard by the fire. "Now where's my breakfast?"
	"I donno. Where is it?" Tong teased him, as he passed him a small metal bowl with some strips of rabbit meat in it. Zhai took a lick at one of the strips, licked his muzzle a few times, then set a small fire into the bowl. "Too raw for you?"
	"I like my rabbit well done." The dragon stated, and waited a bit before he started to eat. After getting a bit refreshed, Tong began to pack up the tent. Zhai kinda studied him a bit, then pitched in.
	"I know you ain't finished your story yet, but we should get at least some distance before that storm hits us." Zhai didn't like the idea of telling it along a traveler's road, but it was unlikely anyone was going to hear them. At least by the time he gets to the worse parts, they'll be taking shelter from the storm. The red one gave a small nod in agreement, and they finished packing up. After getting their waterskins refilled by a nearby spring, the two set foot once again.
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	The morning light invaded our privacy. It must've been early afternoon for the sun to be so demanding. Still groggy, I began to stretch a bit, and noticed that Khol was no longer in my arms. Instead, he was behind me, embracing me in his sleep. I heard him groan a bit, and as I tried to get out of his hold without disturbing him, he only did it tighter, until he woke up. "G'morning." I moaned at him, stroking his arm. He muttered something I couldn't quite understand, and began to lick the back of my ears a bit.
	I couldn't help but laugh a little bit at how it tickled. "I think I'll have your ears for breakfast." Khol muttered, jokingly, as he caught one with his lips, but not his teeth. I still gave out a little bit of a yelp, and when I did, he let go. I stretched once again, making him wanting to do the same. When he did, I turned myself around to face him. His silver scaled still shimmering with the sun's light. I licked his muzzle a few times, and soon our lips connected. If I wasn't so empty, I would've actually suggested to go further, but I decided not to push it. His mouth still had that taste of cherries. It actually made me wonder something. I never got to taste his full load. I wondered if it tasted like his pre?
	My gaze instantly met the wall where Khol's release resided. I couldn't help but give a bashful smile. Khol looked a bit puzzled himself, and he looked at it as well. At first, he had to tilt his head to see what exactly it was. Then he burst out in a fit of giggles. "It's such a lovely portrait." I said sarcastically, and stroked the back of his neck a bit. A few of my teethmarks still visible. "Hope that didn't hurt too much." I licked them a few times.
	"I hardly remember it. But it was worth it." He looked at the wall again, and smiled brightly. "I still can't believe..." And he hugged me tightly. "Thank you... So much." I held him back.
	"You're welcome. Just don't expect me to do that too often." I stroked his back a bit. "Only because you're almost impossible to finish. I was at it for about an hour." Khol couldn't help but laugh. "How did you get behind me anyway? During our sleep."
	"Oh..." He got a bit embarrassed. We broke our embrace. "I... Woke up this morning... Needing to... You know." My head tilted a bit. "I needed to pee." His ears and nostrils turned a bit purple. "I hope you don't mind, I used your barrel."
	I chuckled a bit. "I don't mind at all, as long as it wasn't a wine barrel or water barrel." I gave him a few licks. "Which reminds me. We should give that barrel to the Children, for patching me up."
	"You're horrible!" He tried to look shocked, but couldn't stop the smile on his face.
	"We'll call it 'Dragon's Brew.' I'm sure they'll love it." He gave me a light slap on the nose, and I just nuzzled him with it. Licking his paw. "How'd you sleep?"
	"I honestly can't remember much. But I do recall one thing:"
	"And that was?"
	"I definitely seen the stars." He smiled. "And they were very bright. After that, I just slept. I don't even remember..." He looked at the wall again. "Attempting to paint. Did... you do it as well?"
	"Nope. That was all you." He gave me a look of disbelief. "I counted; 18 loads. Where do you keep them?" His face just got more purple with embarrassment. To the point where he attempted to hide it with his wing. "Shhh. You don't need to answer that." I said, half laughing. I pulled his head to my chest, and held him a bit. "You enjoyed yourself at least. That's the main thing. But I'm not going to attempt to take that in my muzzle. You'd drown me." He couldn't help but laugh. "I would ask for a quickie, but I still don't quite feel ready for it."
	His head popped out. "Still? Well, I guess it's only been a few hours-" He tried to stop himself from thinking out loud.
	"Few... Hours?" I quoted him.
	"I... May have seen you flexing in your sleep... And..." Khol's head sunk back into the captivity of my chest.
	"Well, that could explain the weariness I'm feeling." I gave him a few licks. "We should get up though. Half the day's already gone, and I still haven't shown you around my lands." After a bit, I got thirsty, and made my way to the water barrel. After I was done, I looked over at Khol, who was staring at the wall he marked once more. He was looking at it, with a smile on his face. At first, I wasn't sure if he was just thinking about last night. Or the freakishly huge load he released. But after a bit of looking into his eyes, I discovered what it really was that made him smile at this wall so much.
	Tong: "Please do not tell me that it somehow drew into the shape of a dragon."
	As impressive as that might've been, it wasn't that. That wall, that stained wall in Khol's eyes, it was a Miracle.

	We set off after emptying the Dragon's Brew over the side cliff. I first took him to see my Throne. It was a very large mountain, impossible to miss unless you were stuck in a forest. You could even see it over the frame of mountains that boarded my lands. I showed him the path laid out for the Children to take if they ever needed to get to me, even though it really wasn't finished. "Why didn't you ever finish it?" Khol asked me.
	"I'm still not fond of them, really. As long as it was there, but barely manageable, they wouldn't feel the need to pester me. I'm their King, not their slave." Khol was a bit quiet after that. I know he felt differently about them than I did, but that was the answer. I didn't trust them, and I didn't really like them.
	When we arrived, I lead him inside. It was a huge cave. Must've been about halfway in the mountain. There were several paths that would lead into different 'Rooms' and one very large one in the center. The large one was packed with Furs mostly, and a few blankets. Maybe twice the amount of the other cave. "Wow, there's alot here."
	"Yes, this is where I usually sleep. But at this time of year, the sun likes to wake me up very very early. It makes me grumpy." Khol gave a chuckle. "It does. When you see it, you'll feel the same way."
	"I would love to stay in your Throne sometime, even if the morning is that relentless." Khol was browsing the large cave. "What lived in here before?"
	"I'm honestly not sure. A few areas I tried to extend, but I really don't have the tools to dig through rock. I've broken a few claws from time to time trying." He cringed at the thought of it. "After a while, I found it really wasn't worth it."
	"I don't blame you. There's plenty of room here." He wandered into my storage area, and I followed him. In this room, there was a good 7 kegs, stacked in the back. With a few empty ones. "You drink alot?"
	"At times. But as you can see, the stash is running low. These wines are not really too old yet. Maybe a year now, and they don't get a great taste until about 5 years."
	Khol looked at me surprised. "Five years?"
	"Mmm. It'll be a while before I try to drink them, but I've been tempted to from time to time."
	"Why?" Khol's question left me kinda dumbfounded. I really didn't have an answer to it.
	"I'm not sure really... I've never really thought about it."
	"You're not a heavy drinker, are you?" He looked almost concerned. "I've seen what too much of this stuff can do to people..."
	"Not terribly heavy, no. I don't really like getting hammered, mostly due to the hangovers." Khol gave a slightly worried look at the kegs. I'm not sure what he had against them. Maybe one of his parents drank alot. Whatever it was, he seemed to know from experience. "The keg in my other cave should be near ready. We'll try a little bit tonight, but only a little. Have to make it last." His expression didn't change, nor did his gaze. "Khol?"
	He snapped out of his daze. "I'm sorry." His face was trying to hide from my eyes. "I'd... Rather just stay away from it." (What bothered him so much about it?) I thought to myself. As curious as I was, I left it alone. I gave him a little nudge.
	"Come. I want to show you something." And I lead him back outside. Took flight once again, and circled around the mountain. At its back, was a large path. After we landed, we climbed a bit until we reached the top of the mountain. He took a few steps ahead of me, his face bright.
	"This..." His breaths said it all. From there you could see every corner of my land. You could even see over the Framing Mountains.
	"Lucky for us, the skies are cleared. But be careful, the air up here is very thin." Khol gazed at the lands for a bit. After a while, I pointed out the landmarks. The places where I trained and exercised, the lakes that held the different kinds of fish. The meadows where the animals played and lived. Along with the 3 settlements.
	"What are they called?" Khol asked. I was glad he was feeling better.
	"Well, you already know of Fi'settlage, over there. And the road they took when they first came here." Khol gave another chuckle at the name. "That's Pla'inth Path."
	Another chuckle, and motioned me to stop right there. "Plain... In The Path?"
	"Yep!" And another laugh. I swear, only another dragon would've gotten these. "When they built it, it's like they just randomly stopped in the middle of the road, and said 'let’s build a town here!' I found it so..."
	"Interesting?"
	"More like Irritating." And another laugh. "I mean, I have wings, but if I were to just walk everywhere, following a road. Then suddenly, there's a village that just appears that you have to go around... That's just irritating."
	"The fact that you have to go around?"
	"More the fact that it's just wasting my time doing it. My time is precious, and shouldn't be used walking around something so tedious." I gave a sly smile, to show I was joking... Okay, maybe only half joking, but shush! Khol found it funny. "At least they had the decency to actually make the road go right through the town."
	"Let me guess, you authorized that." Khol came a little closer, giving me a nuzzle.
	"I did no such thing. I merely... 'Suggested' it to Duravan, who passed it on."
	"Passed what on exactly? What was the message?"
	"...Okay fine. It was 'Stop building homes on my roads, or else I'm going to light them on fire.' It did the trick."
	Khol started laughing again. "You're terrible sometimes, Zhai." But he couldn't say it without a smile on his face.
	"You flatter me." I gave him a lick. "And over here, we have Vilbyment'tide, in the making."
	Khol had to double take at the name, and ask for me to repeat it. "...I have nothing."
	"Village by the Mountain Side." I smiled slyly. "They're still trying to get some things done, but the name came to mind. They're also planning on trying to build a harbor at some point. Mostly for catching fish."
	"Oooh. I forgot about fish." Khol's eyes widened. "I've yet to try them actually. Are you able to catch them?"
	"...Kinda. It's alot of work and time to get them though. It's usually just better to hunt something else." Khol's ears lowered a bit. "But for you, I can try." I smiled at him. "But first, I want to show you a few more things. Come." And we flew off to my first training area, in the mountains.
	We arrived shortly. When we did, Khol took his time to look around. I stood there, watching him. Wondering what was going through his mind. The scenery here wasn't terribly great. The view was nice, but the ground was a mix of smooth stone and dirt. A few trees here and there out of the way, and the occasional patch of grass. But nothing to really take notice of. He looked at the large rocks I used as weights, puzzled at them. "What exactly are these for? They seem like they're oddly shaped."
	"I use them to exercise. To work off some stress and stay in shape." He looked at me, only for a moment. Then quickly back at another weight.
	"You use all of these?" He asked. I gave him a small nod. Still quite puzzled.
	"I can show you how, if you like. If you're staying here for a bit, I don't mind if you use them."
	"They seem awfully heavy. I really don't think I could do much with them." He studied the very large one for a bit, looking at it in disbelief.
	"That one specifically is for the wings. You don't move it much, just lift it off the ground, and try to hover in place." He almost seemed intimidated of them. He was a bit smaller than me though. A few feet in length smaller. And whereas he wasn't built like I was... "Here, let’s start out with something smaller." I lead him to the smallest one I had. One I actually outgrew. "Here. Now, all you do is just lift it up with one paw."
	"Like, this?" And he did so, fairly easily.
	"Yep. Now, do it another 24 times." He gave me a bit of a strange look, but didn't argue. After about the 12th, I could see his arm start to get tired. His breathing got a bit heavier, but he made it through the full total of 25. "Good. Now place it down, take about 30 seconds, then another 25."
	"Another?" Again with the strange look. "How much do you usually do this?"
	"About 6 sets per arm." The look on his face made me laugh. "It's alright, you don't need to be that committed." I gave him a lick. And even though he returned them, he still looked down at the weight for a bit, shyly.
	"I... don't think I'll be using them. But you do this daily?"
	"I try for everyday. But every other day tends to be alot less. Maybe half as much."
	"Ah... Could I... Watch you?" That question kinda came out of nowhere. But how he looked at the muscles of my bicep, I could kinda see where this was going.
	I gave him a smirk. "If you'd like that, I wouldn't mind doing a quick set." I went to one of my normal weights for a single paw, and I started counting. After the first set, I did another with the other paw. "And that's one set."
	"What about that one?" Khol was lying on his belly by this time, watching intently. He pointed at one of the larger sets of weights.
	"Ah, that. That's for balance practice and fully body work." I walked over to it.
	"Balance?"
	"Yes, on the back legs." He gave me a puzzled look. I stood up, and lifted the weight until I got it up to my shoulders. The thing was quite new, and was rather heavy, even for me. But I was able to work with it. I did a set of 15, and then placed it back on the ground. "It's much heavier than the others. So if you plan to use this one, be care...ful?" I caught Khol breathing heavy, and staring at me strangely. "Khol? Is everything alright?" He got up and started walking toward me at quick pace. When he got closer, I noticed his ears and nose were purple again. (What's wrong with him?) I asked myself, and he grabbed the back of my head suddenly. Then forced his tongue in my mouth. We locked lips with a bit of a yelp.
	He pushed me down onto my back, breathing heavier and heavier as he started grinding over my sheath. After a bit, he grabbed my arm and started licking my bicep, with the occasional kiss. While his paws-
	Tong: "Zhai... I know you tend to get carried away in these little... performances you do. But is this one important?"
	Well... I suppose not...
	Tong: *Sighs* "Go at it."
	With Pleasure! Khol's paws groped my shoulders, lightly digging his claws into them. While I was roughly working the back of his neck, and under his wing joint. I could feel his spines under my right paw, they seemed to get more and more stiff the more he grinded on me. The constant motion was getting me hard, and I could tell he was already erect, probably from my demo.
	His licking and occasional kiss on my right bicep turned into a bit of sucking here and there. He was getting closer to scraping them with his teeth, fighting his instincts. "Go ahead." I said softly, and he gave a contained bite over my flexed muscle. I knew then, he was always fighting against this side of him. Slightly violent side that my muscles seemed to get the better of him, and he just couldn't it hold back. The bite hurt, I admit, but at least he wasn't trying to do heavy damage to me. It's common for dragons to try to bite each other during intercourse. I think he was holding back for the shear sake of trying not to look like he was dominating me.
	But at this time, I already knew. And he did as well. Khol didn't want my land for his own, or to take me out of my throne. He just wanted to live in a beautiful place, as I did. And I more than welcomed him.
	He bit harder, making sure he didn't trying to rip his fangs through my scales. Some of my blood covered his lips, and let go only to gasp and moan loudly. His paw moved from my shoulder to the back of my right bicep, while he licked the side of it. Still breathing heavily, he still tried to claw it a bit, with a nibble here and there. My left paw slowly went down to feel his tool, directly over mine, now fully erect as well. He was grinding over them, over and over. After my paw reached them, I grasped both shafts, and started to work them. Khol helped a bit by changing his grind to thrusting motion.
	We did that for several minutes, Khol going back and forth between my mouth and bicep. Halfway between one, a wave of pleasure got the best of him, and his head rested on my shoulder. His breaths still getting heavier and faster, his jaw started opening again, the best it could over my right shoulder. With another gesture to go ahead, he bit down as hard as he could on the thickest part of my armor. He still managed to pierce it a bit, but I heard him moan loudly and start purring a bit. Soon his breaths became rapid, as did his thrusting. With another loud moan that changed into a muffled roar, I felt his tool pulse heavily over mine. It spazed in slight vibration, and his breathing slowed down.
	I didn't feel anything come out of it though, but he seemed satisfied when he let got an kept purring. After seeing the smile on his face, it was like he had an orgasm, but nothing came out. (As long as he felt satisfied) I thought to myself (I guess I am too.) I gave him a few licks, and he returned them, resting on my chest for a bit. After a few minutes, he began to slide down with licks on my belly scales.
	When he got to the tip of my penis, it was already a bit wet from pre. Khol parted his lips, just on the top of it, and I felt a few licks. I let out a sigh of pleasure, while he licked a few more times, trying to mask his sneaky left paw going for my tailhole. When he gave it a light touch, I thrusted a bit in surprise, and let out a jolt of pre. Khol moaned blissfully when he tasted it. Lapping it around his tongue, then my tool. Playing with the soft spines on the bottom.
	His right paw worked my balls a little, while his left tickled my anus. It was a funny feeling. A mix of Fear or Embarrassment and Excitement. For now, he just circled around the outside of it. His right paw switched to my hamstring for a while. I was never really a fan of ballplay, personally. And Khol's muzzle was still working the top half of my tool. Every once in a while going the full length slowly. It felt magnificent.
	It was when he started playing with the center of my tailhole I started whimpering uncontrollably. He would press in with the pad of his 'thumb' just a bit, never penetrating. With his muzzle still over my tip, he pressed in and out. Every third press sent a larger and larger stream of pre, and he sucked it out. Playing with it a bit before swallowing. Soon it became too overwhelming, and he let go of my hamstring. Instead working the ridges of my shaft. I let out a Roar indicating I was going to release. My tail, pinned below Khol's body, thrashed wildly.  When my tool started to pulse, Khol's lips released its hold, and he began to lick at it roughly. My climax reached, and I shot a stream of seed up on my neck. The second actually hit my face, and a bit in my mouth. The rest went as far as my chest.
	Khol worked me through it, until I was done at 6 shots. From my tool, and then up, he began to lick me clean of the mess he made. A large smile covered his face, and laughed loudly when he seen a large stripe of it on my mug. After licking it, he tongued me in the mouth while resting on my chest. I was still breathing quite heavily, but I was fine. I just held him close. "That happened..." I said to him with a smile. And he gave a nervous chuckle.
	"I couldn't help myself. I'm-"
	"If you say you're sorry, I'm going to punish you." I said smiling, letting him know I was joking. He returned the warning with a lick. "Are... you empty still? Or...?"
	"I'm... Not really sure. I still felt the climax, but..." He looked away, a bit worried.
	"As long as you felt the pleasure." I said. "I didn't want you to go without."
	"Nonsense. Either way, I enjoyed myself. Let's not dwell over it." And we didn't.
	"So... I never seen you so... Violent before." His head sunk in my neck, and tried to cover it with his wings. "Hey, hey. It's not a bad thing." He didn't say anything. "I know you're not very proud of it, but it was just your instincts. Don't be embarrassed or afraid of them."
	"I just didn't want to hurt you..."
	"Khol. I'm fine. Don't worry. I'm not made of parchment." He gave a small nervous chuckle. "Besides, it's not good for you if you don't feed them once in a while." Again, he was quiet. After a bit, he placed a paw on the wounds he made on my right shoulder. They were already starting to heal up. "They don't hurt." I said softly. "They're just small wounds of affection, not of harm." And I could feel him smile, as he sighed.
	"I just... Don't like that side of me." Khol confessed.
	"No? I do." And he held his breath for a moment.
	"Wha-what?" My paw reached up to stroke the back of his neck again, between his spines.
	"I like it. It's part of who you are Khol. I like that you're attracted to something of mine. I like that you have some small weakness that you're ashamed of. It only makes you whole. It only makes you-"
	"Mortal..." I felt something wet on my neck. I knew what it was, but didn't say anything about it. I just held him closer, and did the best I could to drape my wings  around us. We laid there for about an hour. All and all, we decided it's best that he didn't watch me while I exercised. Mostly due to distraction purposes. So when he was ready, I took him over to my second training area. In the forest.
	Tong: "Oh lord. You did it there too, didn't you?"
	Well, the ground was nice and soft. He wasn't too impressed with my tree, and what it was used for. I think he was almost afraid that I was going to ask him to wrestle with me.
	Tong: "...Did you?"
	Not as a Sparring partner, no. Khol really didn't seem like the physical type. So I left it at that. I did however start teaching him a few things, like haunch-tossing. But that only lead to more stroking and well...
	Tong: "Really? A second time?"
	Third. Remember, he did me once in the morning, before I even woke up. Still not sure how either. Anyway, we got about halfway, then realized we were famished. So we went to find some fruit. I knew a few spots that I enjoyed. And When I got a bit there, I told him to browse around while I found some meat for us.
	I came back with a ram I hunted. I know he wasn't fond of the idea around hunting, but I knew the fruit wasn't going to do us for long.
	I caught him staring at the ram for a long time, while I was preparing to serve it. I heard him sigh a bit. "What's wrong?" I asked.
	"...Just the idea of it." Khol replied, after a bit of a pause. "They're creations of the Gods. It's just... Saddening how they must die in order to..." He trailed off. I got the feeling he thought about his too hard early on. Maybe on his first hunt.
	I really didn't know what exactly to say. "Khol, I know it might be hard on you. If it makes you feel better, you can place the guilt on my shoulders. After all, it was my doing to begin with. But all things have a purpose, and all things come to an end. Correct?" He gave a sad nod. "I know you don't like this. I can see it in you. But you must realize, that even if you don't like it happening, it's going to happen either way. Even if it lasted until it's full age, and it's body crumbled down; it's life is going to end. It's just... Truism."
	"I know... It's just so... Strange." His head laid down in the grass. It made me pity him, really. (In many ways, he's smart enough to know this, I'm sure.) But I understood. He seemed disillusioned about life itself. Much like a hatchling.
	I stopped what I was doing, and laid down beside him. "Khol." I said to him "I want you to look at it." He hesitated for a moment, and then he did what I asked. "What you see now is a shell. It's purely physical. There is no mental state in it anymore. It has no soul, it cannot feel any pain. It doesn't have dreams or nightmares. It's just what's left of its physical being. With its mind and soul already taken away, the most respectful thing we can do is put it to good use. Be it to take its fur and make us feel comfort. Or to take its meat to fill our bellies. So that the ones who are able to think, act, do, and love can do so another day." He gave me another nod. But still seemed a little lost.
	"I'm going to tell you something that I've never told anyone." Khol looked into my eyes. "When I was flying here, away from my hatchplace, I met someone. I can't really describe him, but he went by the name of Bartan." He looked at me as if he never heard the name before. "Bartan told me many things on the few days I traveled with him. One of them was: when beings die, they're souls are often recycled and brought back into the world. There are quite a few acceptions, but for animals they go through this cycle endlessly. They are born, grow, mate, have offspring, and die once again." I held my paw under his muzzle. "Even when they die, they are not lost. They come back, often in a different form. And because of that, they will always aid us. As well as all life that exists." He gave me a faint smile. And once again, my heart fluttered a bit. "Try not to be sad when something dies. It's only natural that they will. The only exception is when they're taken too early." And I licked him a few times. "Understood?" Khol gave a nod. I really didn't like it when his own thoughts got the better of him. It tarnished that kindness of his. "So, what do you want to eat?"
	Khol really didn't look like he wanted to answer that question at first. But I seen him gather his strength back. He gave sigh, and shook his head a bit. "I was thinking about that... a little bit yesterday."
	"Hmm?"
	"You... Breathe fire, right? Why is it you never... Cook it?" He gave me a look. At least the sadness in his eyes was gone. I gave him a lick, and a small hug which made him yelp a bit.
	"That's because... On my very first hunt, I tried to do that. And I ended up setting the forest on fire." Khol couldn't help but snicker at that. "And well... I like my forests to be green and lively."
	"I do too." He said. "Tell you what. If you accidently set one on fire, I'll do my best to put it out."
	"Really don't like it raw, do you?" I teased him. He gave a bit of a shrug. I then stood, took a deep breath, and set the carcass on fire. The fur on the animal Charred, revealing the crispy skin. Lucky for Khol, I didn't set much else on fire. I stomped out any lingering flames in the grass just in case, and studied how it turned out. "Well, want the honors of the first bite?"
	Khol looked at me nervously, but decided that he'd best try to, because it was his idea. He took a bite in the side of the meal, and I heard the skin crack. Khol tore out a piece and gave a funny face at first, but then one of enjoyment. "It's not terrible. The skin tastes a bit funny."
	I took a bite for myself. And yep, the skin was a bit overdone. But the rest of it was fine. We enjoyed our meal, and ate most of it that time. After a bit of relaxing, Khol turned to me. "Zhai?"
	"Yes?"
	"What did... Bartan say about dragons?"
	I was quiet for a moment. I honestly didn't like the idea of facing my mortality. But I knew the answer, and I wanted Khol to know it too. "When dragons die... They are judged by what they've done in their time in this world. If they are considered to be good, helpful, and overall a benefit to the world they were a part of, they go to a palace called Lothranis. If not, they go to another palace called Momaganon. I don't know the difference between the palaces in detail. But one is supposed to be like Heaven, while the other is Hell. He was quite careful with what he told me." Khol was silent for a bit, then cuddled beside me closer. "You okay?"
	"It's... what I was told as well." He gave a sigh, but I seen a comforted smile on his face.
	"Almost ready for the next stop?"
	"Just a bit longer." And I held him closer to me.

Chapter 2

	"I'm not sure about this, Zhai." Khol said, staring at the water. The lake was quite massive, but clear. The sun was nearly starting to set and end our third day.
	"It'll be nice. It's still kinda warm for now, but we shouldn't stay in it too long." I said, after sticking a paw in the water. I started walking in, entering the large warm pool. "Have you never swam before?"
	"Not much. All the water we had was... Solid." Khol replied. I'm assuming he meant it was frozen. Which would explain the reason why he never did much of it anyways.
	"Just take it one paw at a time. No need to test the depth of water with four feet." He found the metaphor a bit odd, and a little less nerve-wracking. "There's no danger here, don't worry."
	"I wasn't really afraid of anything being in the water, besides the Big Scary Red Dragon."
	"I think you mean, Big Sexy Red Dragon." I teased.
	"You might be right. Hmm..." He gave me that odd, experimenting look again. "Have you... Ever released underwater before?"
	"That's an odd question. No. I haven't tried." I gave him a smirk. "I'll let you stroke me off, if you come out this far in the water." I wasn't too far out. Just within body submerging.
	Khol gave me a returned smile, and took a few steps. It was a bit odd, he looked like he was trying to step on the surface of water at first. Then eventually started to move his paws in it. When it reached his chest, he gave that large gasp of breath that one usually gets when they first feel the temperature of the water hit their core. I couldn't help but chuckle a bit. To the point where I half turned around and teased him like a female by lifting my tail. After a few more steps, to my surprise, Khol grabbed my tail and started pulling himself toward me. I gave a little yelp at the sudden jerk, and caught him in my arms when he reached me. He held onto me tightly at first, still breathing as if to get used to the water. "It's colder than I thought."
	"Aren't you a frost dragon? I thought you lived in the cold."
	"Never in the water though. The cold is so much different than it is from the air." Khol held onto me tightly, as he felt for the bottom of the lake with his hind paws. "This... is going to be an odd question, but..."
	"Hmm?" I couldn't help but smile at him. He was so odd.
	"We can't breathe underwater, can we?" I burst out laughing. At least he had the decency to ask before he tried.
	"No, we can't." Still having a hard time not to make him feel awkward. "So, if you're planning to muzzle me, you'll probably have to hold your breath." I seen a smile in between his breaths. "Not that I'd be able to get stiff right now. It's difficult in water, unless it's very warm."
	"Really?" I gave him a nod. "Then what do we do in the water?" That question amused me.
	"This." And I held onto him tightly. I pushed us both out to the center of the lake, out of the ground distance. He panic'd a bit first, but with me keeping him afloat, he tried to remain calm. "Just relax, and enjoy yourself. It's kinda like flight in a way."
	Khol was looking down through the water, trying not to move his body much. As I propelled us over the lake slowly, he got more and more used to it. "It's very dark down there... Is there a bottom?"
	"Yes, but I could only reach it if I was diving from the sky." I think that image kinda scared him. "Khol." He looked at me for a moment. "Don't move."
	"Why?" He sounded concerned.
	"Just relax." And I slowly began to release my hold on him. He started to sink a little bit at first, but he stood still. After my last paw was off of him, he remained floating by himself. Again, I smiled at him. Not because he could float, but he trusted me. And did what I instructed. "You look peaceful." I said softly.
	"Do I?" He asked. "Because, inside, I'm panicking."
	"You're doing fine. Now, try to take your right forepaw, and push some of the water down to your haunch." He did so. "Now your left paw." And again, he did so. Over and over again, he began to move himself. He was doing well until he attempted to see where he was going. After he sank, I dove under to get him, and brought him back to the surface. I didn't let go of him that time, until we hit the other side of the lake.
	"I don't think I'll be doing that again for a while..."
	"You were doing great though." I said, licking him a bit. "You'll get used to it. In the summer, it can get quite hot out here. The Water is very nice during that time."
	"I'll worry about it then." He gave me a sleepish smile. And noticed how late it was getting. "We should head back."
	"Alright. I'm going to pick up more torchwood for the room. Do you still want some fish?"
	"Maybe tomorrow. I'm alright until then." Khol then looked around for the cave he stayed in. "Can you... Still stay-?"
	"I will." I smiled at him, gave him a quick hug. And pointed him in the direction. "I'll meet you there." He nodded and took off. And I found more wood.

	That night, all we did was talk. We-
	Tong: "Really? That's quite hard to believe."
	...Ahem. We just got to really know each other. It was a bit harder than you think to restrain from pleasuring Khol. But we decided that we should give our bodies a rest. Instead, we talked. "What's your favorite color?" He asked me.
	"Crimson. I also like the color of flames when it's on torches. It's mesmerizing. You?"
	"Green actually. I love the color of fresh plant life. Even though it's true color comes in the autumn. Oh, Favorite season?"
	"Hmm. That's a tough one. I honestly never been in a snowy winter before. Here and back at my hatchplace we never get snow as far as the ground. some on the mountains, but..."
	"Really? It's quite lovely. Cold, but it makes for some beautiful scenery." Khol looked happy, reminiscing on his back. His scales sparked from the embers of the torches. I was laying on top of him, my head on his chest as he stroked the back of my neck, and the side of my face. "But even though the winters can be gorgeous, I think my favorite time of year is right about now. Late spring, and almost summer."
	"If I'd have to choose, I'd say late summer, just when it's changing into autumn. It's past the season's heatwaves that tend to cause alot of storms, and it just feels really nice, regardless of the time of day. You can even still go swimming under the stars. Oh, and the stars... they get so bright sometimes here."
	"Something to look forward to." That made me smile. Knowing he was planning to stay at least the full summer. "Zhai? What was it like at your hatchplace?" The question stumped me for a moment. Dragons often don't pry on the past too much. Maybe what direction they came from. Maybe a little about their families and friends back home. But baggage is often left alone. "You... don't have to answer that." Khol said to break my long silence. But... I wanted to share more of myself with him. If that's what he wanted to know...
	"Dragon's don't often talk about their pasts. Let alone ask about them." I said, in a soft, yet sad murmur. And just when Khol was taking a breath to apologize, I continued. "It was higher ground than here, and quite dry. We didn't live by many bodies of water, so the only thing we relied on for hydration was rain and a lake quite far out. I remember it being colder, but not enough for even frost sneak in during the nights. The seasons all seemed the same really. Sometimes it was warmer, sometimes it was colder."
	"How long did you live there?"
	"About 50 years. Maybe 49. There were several Dragon herds there. Far away from any other species, besides animals. I guess they heard the rumors that dragons inhabited those lands, and didn't bother trying to settle there."
	"Rumors?"
	"Yes, the Children are often frightful of dragons. Mostly because what it takes to take one of us down. They see us as enemies that are plotting against them, and well..." Khol was quiet for a bit. I held him a little tighter "It was very boring there. Nothing but forests and grass. We weren't even allowed to leave the homegrounds unless there was another dragon to accompany us. Mostly an adult one."
	"Is that why you left? You wanted freedom from that captivity?"
	"No. But I really don't want to talk about it now." Khol gave me a nod. And for a while, I was silent. "Khol..." I felt so treacherous asking this. "Can I ask you a question? About your home?"
	"I believe it's only fair." He gave me a bit of a smile.
	"Why did you leave? What brought you here?"
	For a while he was silent, but he seemed to expect the question to come up for some time now. "I... Got out of a relationship that ended... And I didn't want to stay there." My head looked up to gaze into his eyes. He wasn't lying, I could tell that. But he wanted to keep it hidden. I was alright with that. Whatever happened to him back then, whatever he was trying to escape, he could in my lands. I never wanted to ask about it again. But he did say one more thing that gave me comfort. "I never want to go back there, if that's what you're wondering Zhai. I can't go back there." It made me smile, and him as well. I gave him a lick on his neck, and we just rested the night away.

	For the next few days, I tried not to tie Khol down. As I tended my daily patrols and workouts, I let him explore my lands. Telling him where I'd be if he needed me. I went hunting after my swim. Got some more wood for the torches in his room. And then went searching for him. It took a while, but I found him outside the Village, talking to a few humans. I landed quite far away, so not to alert them, and walked patiently towards him. Khol looked happy to see me, with a bright smile on his face. I was half worried he was getting some bad news about Duravan and his mate, but I guess he was just chatting with them. "How was your day, Silverthorn?" I asked when I got close. As the humans still talked to him a bit, he said something to them, and they gave goodbyes.
	"Quite pleasant actually. Your land is very lovely." I laid beside him, noticing a basket adjacent.
	"What do you have there?"
	"Oh, I was talking to a fisherman earlier today, wondering he would go about catching fish." (Taath! Forgot about the fish!) "He wasn't sure how a dragon would go about doing it, let alone one who didn't swim very quietly, or very well at that. And he gave me his daily catches for us."
	"Well, that was kind of him." Honestly, it rather surprised me. Then again, other than Duravan I never really talked to any of them. For obvious reasons. "All they've really done for me was make some blankets, and Duravan has given me a few wines."
	"That actually got me thinking earlier today. You can't speak their tongue, correct?" My ears turned a bit purple. "Can I ask why?"
	"Why what?"
	"Why you were never taught? I know you haven't had many encounters with the Children at your hatchplace, but Duravan's been here quite a bit over the years, hasn't he? Why have you never asked him to teach you?"
	It was an honest question, one I really didn't have an answer for. I guess more or less I didn't like interacting with the Children, but... "Duravan. He was often here only for a few days at a time, then he was heading back. The travels I've heard were hard on him, and well... No one else speaks draconic here. I've never thought of the value in learning such a skill." I kinda put my foot in my mouth there. And I noticed it after I said it.
	Khol's ears lowered a bit. "But you're their King, right?"
	"King of the land, yes. But I suppose in a non-political way, I am their king as well. As long as they use it, I'm able to give final word about the land itself."
	"Wouldn't you like to deepen that relationship though? They're quite afraid of you, even though that little rescue mission you did-"
	"We did." I corrected him. He gave me a bit of a smile.
	"It opened their hearts to you though. Knowing that you're willing to save them from harm. They would like to reward you for such a thing, but they don't know you." I was quiet for a bit. Honestly, I seen it more as 'My friend is in danger, and I must help them.' Rather that one of them was in danger. Perhaps Duravan's reputation excelled here as well. "Wouldn't you rather be closer to the ones that you protect? The ones that you rule over?"
	"What do you suggest, Silverthorn?" I should've expected the answer.
	"Learn their language. I can even teach you. You'll become a much better King that way."
	"You realize that they have multiple languages?" Duravan told me that.
	"Just the Trades-tongue. It's a common language all of them share." I gave a heavy sigh, and Khol smiled at me. "Do it, for me?"
	I returned the smile, and tossed my head. "Alright. For you. Where do we begin? And not here. If they're going to hear me speak it, I don't want them to see me learning it like a Wyrmling." He gave a small laugh. And when he was ready, we took off back to his cave. I let him lead, to see if he could find it on his own, and he did.

	We spent the next few days practicing it. Learning that language was a bit more difficult than I expected. Even nowadays, I swear you Children keep making up words. But I was learning it at a fast pace. To the point where we started making a sex game out of it... Groan all you want, but it was fun!
	But for a while, Khol made some rules about the language to help me learn it easier. If there were no Children around, we would speak it. If there were, and we didn't want them to understand what we were saying, we were able to use Draconic. I liked the way he took charge of it though. It was kinda a turn-on... Stop sighing!
	The days morphed into months, and the seasons began to change. Khol was becoming more and more adapted to his new home and lifestyle. I, as well, enjoyed the company. Even more so than I would've wanted to admit. He made me so happy, just to know that I was going to see him. Listen to his voice, his heartbeat at night. And sleep beside him to keep him warm. I loved him, but was too afraid to tell him that. 'He left his home because of a relationship that ended.' That was all the details I had. No matter how much I wanted him to elaborate on that, I didn't want him to feel like he had to cough it out.
	Besides. We were happy the way we were. I wasn't the type to self-destruct a relationship. Every day I showed him that I was happy with him. Every night I wanted him to know that I was happy just to lay beside him. That it wasn't about the pleasure. It wasn't about the sex. It was about Khol. That's what made me happy. And by the way he looked at me, I swear he thought the same thing.

	Khol often spent time in the villages with the Children-
	Tong: "Wait, I should've asked this a long time ago, but why do you call us Children?"
	Why? I really have to answer that? Hah... It's because you seem to take so long to learn even the basics of Humaneity. You honestly act like Children. Wyrmlings, in our eyes. You're stubborn, defensive, discriminate, and viciously egotistical. Granted, there are exceptions, like you Tong, but the majority... I know it sounds hypocritical, yes. But you have to realize, that Dragons only act like this for a small portion of their lives. We 'Grow Up' much faster in essence of our lifespans compared to you. And well... in that result, it takes nearly your entire lives to realize how Childish you've been. Shame really... I'd tell you to stop laughing again, but it's better than you being mad at me.

	Anyway, Khol often spent time in the villages. He enjoyed socializing with them and often enough, just watching them. Granted, if Khol could actually fit well in the villages without accidently stepping on them or doing them harm, I'd like to think he'd participate in such activities. But even though his size was a factor, they did often come out to greet him. They welcomed him inside my lands. And that always put a smile on my face.

	One day, during mid-summer, I caught him outside the village alone. I was concerned for a moment, then almost frightened when I seen a few patches on his body. I dove in, and landed hard near him, then rushed by his side. "Taath, Khol! Are you alright!?" He gave a slow nod, staring at the grass below him. I held him tightly when I got close. "What happened?"
	He was quiet for a moment, until I lead his head up to mine with my paw. I looked deep into his eyes, and noticed that something inside of him was a bit shaken. "Bandits." He managed to get out. "They were attacking another wagon heading into your lands." I sighed heavily and shook my head.
	"You protected them?" Khol gave another nod, and I covered him with my wing. I knew then what was bothering him.
	"Yes... The travelers were not harmed much, but..." He rested his head in my chest, and I held him closely. "But I tried to scare the bandits away. When they wouldn't retreat..." I gave him a few soft gestures for him no longer needing to finish.
	This was the very first time Khol had to take a life.
	He's never had to hunt before. He's done harm to a few things, but he's never killed any of them. To be this old, and never been exposed to such a thing. Let alone cornered to do so... I felt for him. My first life taken wasn't terrible on me, but I didn't hold the amount of respect for life that Khol has. And for him to experience such a thing... I blamed myself for it really. I should've gone out there sooner to find any bandit camps. It should've been me protecting these lands, and their blood on my paws. The weight of their deaths on my shoulders, never Khol’s. "Khol..." He was still silent. "I want you to come live in my Throne." I actually wanted to say something else... 'This hurts now, but it will only make you stronger.' But it reminded me too much of my father. We left shortly after that.
	The morning light woke us both up too early. Khol moaned for a bit, trying to adjust so that the light wasn't shining in his eyes, but it seemed to reflect off the walls in every direction. "Gods, that is bright..." He groaned. And I managed to hide his head in my chest. "I can see why you don't like sleeping here at this season."
	"Mm'yes." I was a bit groggy myself. "But it should only last a few more days. After that it's over until next year."
	"The bedding is much more soft here though." He began to stroke me a bit under my wing and licked my chestplates.
	"Feeling better are we?" Again, put my foot in my mouth... I was groggy in the morning! Shut up. He gave a silent nod, and I held him a bit tighter. "Would you be okay if I went hunting for their camp today?" And he shook his head. He wanted me to be with him for the day, I'm sure.  "Alright. I'll stay with you." And so I did. I laid there until he went back to sleep, shielding him from the sun's demands. Even if I was already awake. A few hours later, he got up.
	"We should get you something to eat." I said, as we left my Throne. I looked back at him, only to find he head still low. He looked so depressed, I loathed to see him so saddened. "We'll try some fruit to the west. There's a few things there you haven't tried." He barely managed a nod. I couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking. I left him in a nice relaxing area while I picked the fruit for us. When I returned, Khol wasn't there. He ended up wandering toward the cliffs that revealed the ocean. He was lying far from the edge, just staring out at the water. I set the fruit beside him, without saying a word, then lying beside him. Enjoying the view.
	There was a long silence between us. I knew Khol was trying to rationalize what he'd done in his head. But was having a hard time to tell if he was losing. Finally, he spoke. "Zhai..." I looked at him. "...What do you see me as?" I didn't quite understand the question. But I felt like I had to answer.
	"I see you as... You. As Khol." His head lowered, and for once, I could tell what he was thinking. 'I don't even know what that means anymore.' With a deep breath, I mustered every feeling I ever had for this dragon, and I tried to explain what his name meant to me. "Khol. You are strange. You are Exotic. You are passionate, a little too lustful, but adventurous. You are helpful, caring, witty, intelligent. You are a companion, you are a compliment. But above all that, you are Kind. That's what you are. That's who you are." I moved a little closer to him, handing him a piece of the fruit I gathered. He took it with his paws, but didn't eat it yet.
	"Zhaiothe..." He took a deep breath. "...All my life, I've been a spectator. I've watched the world be made. I've watched the wars the Children have created. I've seen the deaths they've brought... And I've seen their captains, Generals, even their Kings smile at such carnage..." He closed his eyes. "Ever since I came here, I've felt my innocence..."
	"Break apart and fall off you." I finished for him. And he gave a nod. "Khol. How old are you?" The look on his face said he didn't know. "My first kill, I was 8 years of age. It was a small bird with a broken wing. I tormented the living hell out of that thing before it finally passed on. Even its corpse I used as a plaything, until my mother cremated it. I know where you're going with this... Because of what I've done, because of all I've done. Would you consider me a Monster?" A little disturbed, he shook his head. "And I sure as hell would never consider you one. No matter what you've done in your history. Those bandits... You gave them a choice. They had a chance to withdraw and retreat. They chose a life of thievery. And they chose death. Even if you're telling me that something inside you enjoyed executing them, it was not your choice to kill them. It was your choice to survive. It was your choice to protect those who needed to be protected. Look at me." I demanded softly. He did so. "That will never make you a monster." And I held onto him tightly.
	For a while, we just laid there. He seemed alot less tense. (Perhaps... This is a good time.) I thought to myself. Trying to get the right words in my head started to accelerate my heartbeat a little. Listening to it, Khol broke out of my embrace and looked at me concerned, noticing my ears and nose were a bit purple. "Khol..." He tilted his head a bit. "Will... You be my Mate?" He held his breath for a moment, staring into space. And a smile grew over his muzzle. 
	He gave me a kiss on my lips, and pulled away. "Yes, Zhai. I will." That was more like the Khol I know. He then took a bite out of the fruit, and his muzzle scrunched up while he made a strange face. "Gods! That is sour!" And I just had to laugh.

Chapter 3

	With the heat waves upon us, Khol and I started to spend alot more time in the water. He was getting rather good at swimming actually, improving at a very good pace. We would often do our Tradestongue exercises as well... Stop looking at me like that. Not the sex games. Although we did end up trying to play around in the water once. It was rather difficult, and overall didn't give the same reward. So we didn't bother trying it again.
	The rest of the summer was gorgeous. The stars shone brightly as I promised Khol they would, and it took his breath away. We ended up spending nights underneath them, in this large meadow filled with Lunar Blossoms. A certain plant that seemed to stay bloomed during the evenings. They seemed to absorb the light from the sun and moon, and stay illuminated during the nights like white torches. The fields of them were beautiful. Tall grass, as soft as my bedding in my Throne. The Air was so warm. It was that night, I gave Khol his second full release. Although, we were quite... Loud. To the point where the closest village heard us.
	The year went on much like that. By spring, I knew their language well, and Khol even taught me how to read it, as well as write. Although, the writing part took some dexterity. Duravan healed well, and so did his mate. However, he didn't go back to Merchanting for another few years after it. It was difficult in the winters, usually in the northern areas. It was about time he slowed down a bit anyway. Honestly, his hostage situation was quite the scare for me, and I was comforted deep down that he was planning to take a few years off.
	Me and Duravan talked once in a while, usually about what the villages were thinking and planning. Although I have presented myself to the Children before, they're still intimidated by me. Although, Khol: not so much. He was much friendlier to them, and perhaps it was the fact they thought of him as a female as well. Still cracks me up really.
	Anyway, Duravan talked to me whenever they were to ask about changes in the land. Usually a new barn or building here and there. But this one was a bit bigger. "We were thinking of starting fields, Sire." He stated.
	I gave him a strange look. "I thought you were already doing well with the fruits of my lands. Is there not enough?"
	"They do quite well. But only at the growing seasons, of course. I've never noticed it, but this winter we felt a sting of poverty compared to some of the other villages I've been to in my travels. We were thinking of trying a different approach."
	"And that would be?"
	"You must remember the shortage of wines from last year, Sire?" I tossed my head, as if to say 'Don't remind me.' Although, he might've taken the gesture differently. "Well, I've spoken to a merchant that was heading up that direction back in the winter. He arrived today." And Duravan took out a large sack from under his coat.
	"What are those?"
	"They are seeds. From the plants that made the wines. We were thinking of trying them here, but we'll need alot of your land to use as fields for them. Of course, if they turn out well, we will supply you with the wine as well. It's a great profit outside of your territory, Sire. And it would really help us economically."
	It was a good plan really. Honestly, all I really thought about at first was all the wines I could drink, but in the long-term, it would help both sides. "That sounds like a good plan. One I would support, but how much lands are you going to need?"
	"There's a meadow outside of the village." I gave him a sharp look at first. "So far, we don't see any value in it. Animals don't usually go around there, and it's quite level."
	"Which one are you thinking of? If it's the one that grows the Lunar Blossoms, forget it."
	"Oh no, Sire! That's too far for us to work. It's this one, in the back." He pointed to one in the far distance. It's not one I was terribly fond of, mostly because if I was in it, the Children would like to come out and gawk at me.
	"That one would be okay then. But for something so close, you don't need my attention for. Was there another issue?"
	This is where Duravan felt a little awkward. "There is, Sire. In order to grow them, we need to soil the ground and often plow it. It's alot of work."
	"Ah, yes. Silverthorn has mentioned such things to me. She even spoke about making a garden of her own."
	"Yes. That does sound like her." He gave a shy smile. "But..."
	He was hesitating. "Duravan, what is wrong?"
	"Sire. We don't have the horse power to do such things. And to bring horses through your mountains is difficult on them." I motioned him to go on. "I was... thinking. Could you assist us in such things as a replacement?"
	My neck curled to an S "You want me to plow your fields, in place of horses?" He seemed to try to hide himself, knowing how insulting it must've been for me. I gave it some thought. Khol wanted me to be a bit kinder to the Children in my lands. He wanted me to get their respect, and not become a tyrant to them. I was silent for a while.
	"J-just until we can get our own horses. The villages are suffering lately, and this could be the thing to really turn our situation around. Especially if the wines come out well."
	"Do the people in your village know how to make such things?"
	"A few do. But others will learn quickly." I gave a snort. As much as I hated the idea of doing such things, it wasn't the work that turned me off. It was the thought of them thinking I was some kind of animal. "Even if Silverthorn was to do it-"
	After a deep sigh. "I will do it. Until you can get horses in here. If you were able to tame the Rams around this area, I would've suggested those." Duravan gave out a sigh of relief. "Get the lands set up, and the tools ready. I'll be checking the progress daily. If you need guidance, talk to Silverthorn about it as well. She seems to know quite a bit about these subjects."
	Like that, I was about to earn their respect. More than just a frightful law that flew over their homes. Within a week, they had everything ready. Although the plow was built for a horse, they ended up strapping two together and attaching it to me. I was about three times bigger than a horse anyway.
	The labor wasn't difficult, and I was usually done before they expected anyway. Granted, it tended to turn Khol on, watching me plow the fields. Whenever I was done, he wanted us to sneak into the fields or back into my Throne and relieve some tensions. The days I had to plow, I didn't exercise. It was enough work really, but I enjoyed doing it after a while. Even during the hot days. Once in a while, Khol would come around with his Cooling breaths, to make sure I didn't fry in the sun.
	Soon that work was done. However, I was asked about the other fields as well. And if I could be of assistance. I gave my services when they were asked, so long as it wasn't trivial. And that summer, Fi'settlage had its work cut out for it. The fields were blooming with the plants they recently put in. And we got enough rain to keep them watered well.
	Life was going smoothly. Until that time of year when the sun liked to invade my Throne very early. We ended up staying in my spare cave for about a month. It still looked the same, even the love stains all over the floor and walls remained. Although the bedding needed to be changed. The winter wasn't kind to it. Khol ended up asking the villages to aid us, and they gladly donated blankets and such. They also helped with the pelts of animals I saved after hunting. The bedding there was nearly as good as the one in my Throne after that.
	The summer passed in what seemed like a week. The days of exercising, helping out the villages, and swimming began to mend together. The nights were never a blurr, as Khol and I spent them with each other. When the nights got warm enough, we started sleeping in the meadows again, usually in the Lunar one. One night, I met him there a little late. My patrols kept me, and I ended up finding a Bandit camp closer to the mountains. Nothing a little flames couldn't take care of.
	When I caught up with Khol, I found him looking a little sad. Homesick maybe. As I approached him, he smiled at me, trying to hide it. But at this time, I knew him too well. "What's wrong, Silverthorn?" I asked. We still often spoke in Tradestongue, to keep with my studies.
	"Nothing." He stated when I laid with him. I nudged him a little bit, and he spilled. "Indica, Duravan's mate... She's carrying his child."
	I looked at him rather surprised. "That's great news, isn't it?" Khol gave a nod, but something was still bothering him. "Does that upset you?"
	"No, not at all. But... It does bring back some... Hopeful memories." He leaned into me a bit, and I embraced him. Even though he wasn't the physical type, he was a bit more Built than when he first came here.
	"Do you want to talk about it?" I gave him a little lick.
	"...Only after if I can ask you something. Even though I know you don't like me Prying."
	"I never said anything of the sort. It's just... not common for dragons to. It's about my past, isn't it? Or is this about... Bartan?"
	"Sire... Why did you leave?" He looked into my eyes. I knew this question was coming someday. It always seemed to itch at him, I could see it.
	I took a deep breath. "My father." He tilted his head. "My father had an older son, named Valo'oath. From what I heard, he was a great dragon. But he died, soon after I was hatched. Same day even. We never even seen each other." Khol let out a silent sigh. "My entire childhood revolved around Valo. My father was obsessed with him. Unable to accept his death completely. He expected me... To be like him. If not better than Valo. Valo was bigger than me at hatching. He learned to hunt at a younger age. Learned to fly faster, learned to fight well. Could use his breath weapon within 4 years of his life. He could swim, climb, dive, wrestle, everything a Father could ever want in a son... And he lost him, at the age of 68. A group of... Children. Humans, elves, or Orcs. I'm not sure. But he went out to help a lost pair of wyrmlings, and ended up defending them. Valo never returned alive. My father ended up carrying him back for a Pyring."
	Khol placed his paw on mine to comfort me. "My father expected me to be better than Valo. He pushed me so hard to be better than him, but all he got was disappointment. My entire life there was living in the shadow of a brother I've never even met. I even had a little sister by the time I was around 20, and he never pushed her to do anything. I got so sick of it..." I snorted, and for a while, I was quiet. "So, one night, I just simply... left. Didn't tell anyone where I was going. Didn't even say farewells. I didn't feel like there was a need to. I was about 49, almost 50. And I just... left."
	Khol was still holding onto me, but he didn't say anything. "...I'm sorry." He finally spoke. I didn't like him saying that, but I let it slide this time. Instead, I gave him a few licks, and he did his best to return the gesture.
	"Your turn." He held his breath for a moment.
	"...For as long as I can remember, I've been... intrigued by creation. I've studied it for nearly my entire life." He swallowed loudly. "But... I've never been able to create. To the point where I almost envy those who can... I've always wanted it. To have my own creation. My own life growing and evolving. Learning, and becoming something ever better." I half understood it, but it was more than what he was about to ask me. I could tell. "Zhai..." Yes, he used my real name there. "Can we... try?"
	I knew what he was asking. And honestly, there were too many questions to answer such a thing. "Khol... You're-"
	"I know I'm a male. But this body... You've said so yourself; It's very strange. It looks female, but it isn't. It looks male, but it isn't completely." He seemed to hesitate. "I... I know it's a long shot. I know it probably won't work. But... I'm asking you; are you willing to try? To make a child?" My heart fluttered when he asked that. It was filled with so much wonder. Within one year of knowing me, he wants to make a hatchling. The way he spoke of it earlier... It was like a dream for him.
	Even though there were so many questions to be asked, and so many answers to be needed, I shut them all out for now. He asked one question: 'Would I Be Willing To Try?' (...) "Yes." I said the answer out loud. In hopes it wasn't too long of a wait. The Lunar Blossoms made his expression of happiness so clear, and he held me so tightly. To the point where I could feel his tears running down my neck. Little by little, I began to stroke him, as he did with me. Until our lips locked.
	We worked each other's tongues and bodies until we were both in the same motion. Khol turned to lay on his back as I helped support him. His paws, digging into my biceps once again, to feel through my scales. Our breaths became heavier and heavier, as our motions were swept away with our instincts. In between locks, Khol managed to whisper something to me. "Crimson King... Zhaiothe... My life from this moment on... Is yours to do with... As you wish..." It only made me hold onto him tighter, as I could feel our sheaths beginning to swell.
	I started to slowly pull away from our locked lips, licking his muzzle from his nose to his jaw, and moving down lower. I rested my head on his chest, and looked directly in his eyes. Khol wanted this, more than anything at the moment. (Then he shall have it.) With a few licks on his plates, I moved slower down to his belly. Working the areas from his shoulders, to his biceps, to his wing joints with my paws.
	When I got to his sheath, Khol's thorn was already peeking through. It gave me some time to play around with his protection. With a few licks to coat it, I slowly forced my tongue between his tool and his sheath. It made Khol shutter and gasp for a moment, but as I worked around the warm inside, I could hear him holding back his moans. It only made him harden quicker, and soon, it was too tight for me to leave my tongue in between the two. I still circled the sheath with my tongue until he was fully erect. Going up and down the ridges, I could feel his heartbeat pulsing through the smaller shaft. My paws worked down to his haunches, groping them the way he loved it, and starting his usual grind.
	As I reached his tip with my tongue, I parted my muzzle, and began to tease the tool with my teeth. With a few licks, a jolt of pre shot inside my muzzle. (Quickest time yet. The sheathplay must've really got to him.) It made me smile, and as I looked up at Khol's face, I could tell he was enjoying himself. I wouldn't let it go to waste. I started slipping the purple thorn into my muzzle, being ever cautious with my fangs. Working those soft spines one by one, while moving with his ever constant grind.
	The more I moistened Khol's tool, the more he felt like he needed to thrash a bit. When I got down to the ridges, he let out a large gasp and a long whimper. I worked on them quickly and softly for a bit until I felt another jerk from his shaft, then went back up to its tip. All this, while still working those sensitive areas of his hamstrings. The more I did it, the faster his grind became. I sped up the motion in my neck and muzzle to match it. I went deeper and deeper until I could feel his sheath on my teeth. When they touched, Khol ended up raking me a bit in the shoulders with his hind paws.
	I teased the area a bit while trying to hold him against his grind. Was harder than you think, but I managed to stop him for a moment. While suspending his haunches with one arm, I started to use the other to play with his tailhole quickly. Khol's breathing became rapid with a series of roars and whimpers. Then one quick roar along with a thrust a bit deeper than I felt I could take, but I managed. A jolt of his pre shot down my throat. But I kept working at it for a little while longer, getting closer to the center of his tailhole. Another roar and alot more pre that time. I did my best to swallow and not choke on it. (Just one more!) And I worked my thumb inside the tailhole slightly, being mindful of the claw. That did it, another big thrust, and what I can only describe as a mini-load from Khol, made me choke on it as I let him go. I ended up coughing the entire thing out instead of swallowing. As I caught my breath a bit, I licked at the little puddle that covered Khol's belly. It was sweet as well, with something else. I still couldn't quite place it, but it reminded me of my Hatchplace.
	Khol was still panting, placing his paws on my head drawing me closer. I left the rest of the puddle and looked into his sapphire eyes. He looked so sure of this. When I got up to them, our lips locked again. I drew my haunches closer to his, and did my best to navigate the area with my tool. I used Khol's tail as a guide, knowing it would lead me to where he wanted my erection.
	With a sudden sharp gasp, I knew I found the right area, I did my best to circle around it a bit, and trying to release a bit of pre. Then I lined it up once again with his tailhole, and slowly began to push in. Another sharp gasp and moan from Khol muffled in our mouths. I went in a little deeper, and his claws dug into my biceps by instinct. I could tell his jaw wanted to same, so instead I broke our kiss, and placed his muzzle by my left shoulder. "Do it!" I panted, and he snapped his jaws on this thickest part of my shoulder. His fangs went quite deep in, and the pain converted into pleasure. The pressure of his natural weapons made me shoot another load of pre into his tailhole, which was my plan. He wasn't designed for this, I wanted to lube it up as much as I could before I went in deeper.
	When his pressure released, we locked lips and tongues again. Lightly prodding his tailhole with my tip, and feeling the warm pre slightly leak out of it. I started going in a bit deeper, getting another moan from him. The soft spines that covered my tip slowly creeping in and out, little by little. Letting Khol, as well as myself, enjoy every moment of it. Every once in a while, I could feel a stream of wet hit my upper belly. What I could only assume was his pre jolting out. Occasionally, I would stick a paw down there to stroke him a bit, but he was more concentrated on mine than his.
	I got my entire head inside, and let out another load of pre. I kept working on the anus as much as he could take, but Khol eventually got his hind paws around mine, and tried to pull me closer. I knew what he wanted, so I started to thrust in slowly, deeper inside him. With every inch closer, our breaths became so heavy, and we both seemed to moan in sync. All at once, my instincts caved in, and I thrusted the rest inside of Khol. We both roared as such a wave of pleasure flowed through us. It was very soft and warm inside him, and I could swear he was squeezing me from there. I started up my rhythm once again, as Khol started his grind. It was much harder when he was nearly nailed in place, but he did his best. The motions made us both start purring loudly.
	The constant works on my ridges created waves after waves of pleasure. I did my best to make the time last, for both of us. It soon got overwhelming, and I let out another load of pre. A few moments later, another load. Then another. Gods, it was so hard not to give in. I tried to concentrate on something else for the time being. The wetness on my upper belly was still getting splashed more and more. And I reached down there, only to find his penis had grown in size again. (Means he's almost ready. If I can just last until then...) The constant gasps that interrupted Khol's purrs were signs as well. His face was slowly scrunching up. Another load of pre from both of us threw my mind back to that area once again. I couldn't keep it up for long.
	I started taking small, forceful steps closer to his haunches, getting my shaft deeper into him. To the point where I was nearly holding his tailend off the ground with it. With little room to work with, I started thrusting in that place. They were quick, rapid ones that nearly matched our breaths, but they did the trick. I heard Khol's climatic roar as his claws dug in deeper to me, and I felt sprays of his seed hit us from below. Large torrents covered our undersides, and often went past our heads, as well as into our opened mouths. In the middle of his 16 torrent bombardment, I ended up releasing inside him as well. Load after load came flowing out of me and traveling deeper into Khol. He did his best to keep still while having his own orgasm. The warmth inside overwhelmed me, and my breaths didn't slow down after I was done. I felt like there was something still left, still coming. So I kept going for a bit longer, overworking my ridges inside Khol. He did his best to aid me, and I somehow reach yet another climax. A few more torrents that seemed to be in reserve in my sack shot out. Eventually, I started to feel this pressure inside Khol. He groaned a bit, and I began to pull out of him. When I did, it felt like alot of my extra seed followed.
	We laid there panting. Completely messy from each other's loads, but too exhausted to care. When our breaths started to slow down, we held each other tightly. In the bright moonlight, covered in his own release, Khol never looked so beautiful. As my vision began to tunnel from exhaustion, my last thought was (I hope it works...)

Chapter 4

	We both were woken up by the rain. I think Khol woke up first, because I could feel his licks on me, as if he was bathing me. Then a sudden pressure washed over us both, causing us to both stare at each other, and bolt in opposite directions to relieve ourselves. With loud laughs across the meadow, we walked back towards each other, getting what hydration we could. I gave him a lick when we got close, and Khol turned it into a kiss. "How'd you sleep?" He asked when he could.
	"I honestly don't remember much. Other than how wonderful you looked in your afterglow, and your glazed coating." I teased a bit, but he took it as a compliment. The thought about last night made us both feel a little woozy. I ended up laying back down, and he joined me. The rain was so warm, and it felt so good after such an act. Even though it was still very early in the morning. The sun still hadn’t attempted to disrupt our rest. "I love you Khol."
	He smiled brightly. "I love you too, Zhaiothe. And thank you... For-" I gave him a kiss to interrupt him. He just smiled and leaned into me. For that one perfect moment, he felt so happy. I could tell.
	I couldn't help but look at his lower area. Thinking (What if this did work? Would I be ready to be a father? A better one than mine was?) My thoughts began racing with questions once again. But with one look into Khol's blue eyes... They all washed away. All that fear about what the future held, it was banished by one look into those lovely eyes. (As long as he's with me, Khol's Kindness will always give me the strength I need to face anything.) With another whisper of love to him, we relaxed the morning away.

	As the months went on... There were no signs. Khol was a little depressed, but I promised him we could keep trying, just in case it was just bad timing. We tried different other things, times when he felt odd. Different times of the year, much like when females are in heat. His secret indication for trying such an act was him nibbling on my left ear a bit, if we were in a crowded area. Overall, we at least enjoyed ourselves, but we never got any signs.
	Khol was strong though. He knew he probably wouldn't ever be able to hold a child of his own to begin with. It hurt him, and that drove me up the hills. I detested to see him sad, and I was trying to think of different ways to help him out. I was thinking about adopting a child from one of the Children, but their lifespans were so short. Khol would be devastated if he lost it. "What about a garden, Sire?" I was brainstorming with Duravan. "Plants can last quite a while. We've heard of trees that last hundreds of years."
	"Decent. But I'm not sure if it would be enough. You've got something with Trees though."
	"Oh? What are you thinking, Sire?"
	"How about a forest? The plant and wildlife within could be hers." We were parked outside of the village on a large hill. After that rescue mission we did after the day I met Khol, I wasn't too timid to let Duravan ride me once in a while, to get to places quicker.
	"That could work. She wanted something to Grow and Evolve, correct? It should be large enough, and it will last her entire life." He smiled, as he smoked a bit out of his pipe.
	"Then that's what shall be done. She may choose whatever forest she desires in my land, and it will be hers." I couldn't help but smile at the idea. "How are things going with the village, Duravan?"
	"Quite well, M'lord. We made our first keg of wine about a week ago, and it turned..." He trailed off for a moment. I tilted my head at him. "It's not what we expected, it's quite different actually. But we're sure it will still get better with age. We just needed a name for it. I was thinking, Cireland Wine. Mostly because the grapes turned quite red when we were done with it, and well... I was thinking of naming it after you, Sire."
	The thought of it actually warmed my heart. But I did my best not to let it show. "Sounds elegant. I should love a taste of it sometime. Which reminds me, Those fruits you brought me the day I met Silverthorn, what were they called?"
	"Sadifruit, I believe. They were Sweetpears."
	"Do you think they would grow here?"
	He pointed off in the distance to one of the outside fields I assisted with. The plants there were quite strong after only a few seasons of planting. "They're doing quite well so far. But we won't know what to make of them until the Spring arrives."
	"Excellent. I knew I could count on you, Duravan." He gave me a bit of a smile, still a little shy. I returned it.
	"Perhaps it's too personal, but the village has been hearing you two go at it all season long. I take it no luck?"
	I sighed heavily. "Sadly, no. She blames herself. That's why I wanted to cheer her up." I couldn't help but look away from him, I didn't want him to see my eyes. "She envies you a bit. You and your child, as well as your mate. But she won't do anything to harm them, don't worry."
	"I'm sorry to hear that, Sire. I'm sure that you will conceive soon enough. These things take time, and usually the right times as well. From what my papa told me, you two are still young, are you not?"
	Another heavy sigh from me and a nod. "But we are mature. I suppose you are right though. If the Gods say that we should not conceive just yet, then we should not disobey them." I gave Duravan another smile, and I lead him back home.

	The next day, I took Khol to the top of my Throne. "You want me to choose a forest?" He repeated me. It was a rather strange question.
	"Yes, I want you to choose a forest for yourself." He was still a bit puzzled. "Lately, I've seen you still rather... down. I know you want a hatchling, and we can still try. But until then, I want you to be happy... And this was the next best thing I could think of." Shut up, I know it was Duravan who kinda had the idea.
	Khol gave it some thought, and then smiled. He nuzzled me a bit. "What would I do without you, Zhai?" I returned the gesture. "A forest of my own..." And he took a long look at my entire land. "What about... That one, to the far west?"
	"The one with the sour fruits?"
	"It was the place you asked me to be mated. I've returned there several times after it, and I love the area. Even if the fruits are a bit... different."
	I gave a bright smile. "Then it shall be yours to do with as you please." And I gave him a lick. The lick turned into a kiss from Khol's part, and soon enough-
	Tong: "Honestly... How are you not empty yet?"
	...I'm a dragon? You're right though. It wasn't that great. More or less, a life lesson: Don't try it in top of a cold mountain when the air is thin. We ended up going back into the bedding of my Throne to finish.
	The next spring was the year the village needed. The fields all bared their gorgeous fruits well, the wines came in and were booming. It did taste a little Zingy, I can't quite describe it, but it was pretty good. And we got so much of it, we were offered a few kegs for the help. The weather was the perfect balance of rain and sun. And even when the sun dominated my Throne, the spare cave worked just as well. It seemed like every year, I tried to stain a different wall with Khol's release. This year, I was getting so good at it, that I ended up writing my name in the Tradestongue on the wall... Don't look at me like that. I told you he was teaching me how to write!
	Tong: "That's not what the glare meant-nevermind. Continue."
	But as much as we tried, we still couldn't get Khol pregnant. At least the Forest gift gave him some comfort. He worked on it quite well, just cleaning it of weeds and bad, overbearing plants. The animals that lived in there, however... They were not comforted by Khol's constant visits. Soon the forest seemed empty besides the trees in it. If I could scare the animals back into that forest, I would've. I think I even tried once... Stop laughing! Of course it didn't work!
	The rest of the years that followed that were still good. Duravan and his mate were a happy couple, and I did my best to keep Khol from stealing their child and taking it for his own. Honestly, I couldn't tell what gender it was. Children are weird. And well... both me and Khol were quite massive compared to it. There were still people in the villages that were uncomfortable with us.

	I remember waking up quite late in the spring once. Khol must've sneaked off to start his day, which was okay with me. It wasn't the first time he did. I went off to start exercising in the mountains. When I was done with that, I headed to the forests for something to eat before I grappled my tree and began patrols.
	The day was a bit cloudy, and they hung quite low for some reason. But I enjoyed the flight, none the less. The soft, misty form of the clouds still tickled the membranes of my wings, and sent my scales clicking again. I still loved to fly, even though Khol was my love in life. I took a relaxing inhale, and gazed at my lands once again. The villages were getting a little bigger by each year. Especially since their wines and fruits were selling well. They seemed to add a few buildings with every season. I even helped a few times.
	But something caught my eye when I was looking around. The forest to the west was... thinner. Much thinner. I had to go a little lower to get a clearer view. And the trees seemed to be getting cut down by the Children... Khol's forest. My heart skipped a beat, and went from calm to rage in an instant. I dove for the area and landed really hard in the middle of a group of Children, causing them to hastily retreat. Gods, the landing really hurt, but I was too angry to pay attention to it.
	I roared at them, making most of them panic. I took the one who I thought was leading such a vile act and slammed him into the ground. "What the living hell do you think you're doing to this land!?" I hissed at him. "Do You Know What Forest This Is!?" I demanded, but only to realize that I knocked the wind out of the guy.
	"Sire!" I could hear Khol's voice coming from a far. I looked at his direction, him coming to me. Stopping for a moment to study me, but one gaze into his eyes, and I felt calmer. Still angry, but I took a few breaths. Khol's ears turned a bit purple, and he came up to me, only to nibble at my left ear.
	I looked around a bit and whispered in his ear. "Not right now! I'm trying to protect your forest!"
	"They're doing this because I asked them to." That took me by surprise. "Come, I'll explain." And he lead me away from them. I still gave them a low growl, but I let them be.
	We moved quite far away, so they wouldn't hear us. "You told them to cut your forest down?"
	"Yes." I tossed my head. "You said it was mine to do with as I pleased."
	"Yes, to grow like a garden."
	"I know, but it was already grown when you gave it to me." I never really thought of that. "And well... The animals all left. Besides a few of them. It was... lonely."
	"And you decided-"
	"That the Children have been wanting another village. One closer to the waters." I tilted my head. "I know it's not quite what you thought of when you gave me this gift, but I'm doing what I want with it. I want something that will grow and evolve. Where people inside will be happy." (He never really wanted a single child. He wanted... a 'Species'?)
	"...This is what you want?" It was very puzzling.
	"Yes." He gave a shy nod. I stared into the direction of the forest for a bit. "It's something that I can watch grow, without having to be tied to it all the time." He gave me a smile, and a lick.
	With another sigh. "Alright. But I'm not apologizing. And you're not forcing me to." He gave a chuckle.
	"I'm too turned on to think of that. How's your paws?" Just then I needed to shake them, and again he laughed as he pushed me on my back. "I thought as much." And once again, we proceeded to-
	Tong: "I got it."
	Alright, because I'm running out of words to describe it. The new town needed a name though. Khol came up with several different names as jokes while he was tending to me. It was difficult to think when he kept toying with my tool and sensitive areas. Eventually, I just used my secret weapon against him, and we ended up finishing before we got further into the topic.
	"How about Dol'krii'in Sulva'kiiwyr?" I tormented Khol while he was recovering. It was a Draconic statement that said West of Silver's Wing.
	"As nice as that is, I don't want any draconic names. Nor any of your foolish, clashed together names. I need something they can pronounce without splitting either their tongues or brains in half." Khol giggled. It honestly made me smile too.
	"Fine. Why not just name it after yourself? Village of Silverthorn?"
	"You don't think that's a little... Egotistical?"
	"Not at all. It was your forest, they're building it on the land that you gave them. If you ask me, it shouldn't be any different. It's supposed to be your village. The least they can do is name it after you." I leaned in closer, and said softly "Especially if it turns out just as beautiful." That nearly brought a tear to his eye. I gave him a little kiss. We stayed there for a while, admiring the ocean in our view.

	Soon after that, I went to do my daily duties and patrols, while Khol seen to the clearing of his forest. To be honest, I never stated it back then. But I didn't  really understand what Khol meant about watching something lifeless like a village 'Evolve'. Over the past few years though, it started to make sense. The more the lands profits came in, the more stable the villages became. Soon enough, I couldn't call them villages anymore. They were towns. And growing more and more by every passing year.
	With more profit to be made, more demands were coming in as well. Not just for the wines, but apparently my land held something very rich in its earth. Duravan asked if we could try getting more types of fruits and plants that could be used well. Many involved medical herbs that I've never even heard of. Khol was familiar with a few of them, but not terribly many. He took a large interest in it though, and suggested it would never be a bad idea to try such a thing. Considering how useful they could be. Khol had me at his interest. And once again, I was plowing fields.
	Even though by this time they did have horses to do some of the work, there was one drawback to the rich earth: The dirt was very difficult to plow for a very first time. Nothing that I couldn't handle with a little time. And within a year, we had a few more sets of fields. Mostly around Fi'settlage, but there were a few fields in the other areas.
	It was around this time my lands started getting alot of attention from the outside world as well. Good attention, mind you. Merchants came around quite often to barter with the Villages and do some trades. Travelers passed through my lands now to pass up north. Something about a Road Tax. I never looked much into it, other than make sure no one was trying to tax my roads. Duravan made that very clear to any newcomers that entered my country.
	Speaking of Duravan, he became the Mayor of Fi'settlage and well respected in the other towns. The elf always had great Charisma, and he was the only one who really had the balls to speak to me about anything. A few others tried, but they were much more appealed to Khol than me. Khol often spent alot more time in the villages than I did.
	One morning, usually at that special time in my Throne where the Sun would have its Light-Ray Hissy Fit. I did my best to shield it from Khol with a blanket. But I was thirsty. So as I dipped into the barrel of water, I noticed it was near empty. (Time to replace it with the one outside.) The one that often caught the rain, that is. As I carried it out, and still blinded by the light, I was still a bit groggy. I remember thinking at the time that there was some new statue that someone placed in my landing zone. I could half see its silhouette, but couldn't quite make it out. I remember it being kind of short. When I came out of the cave, I gave a snort and dropped the barrel beside the full one. And then suddenly a gasp and a series of yells. My eyes got adjusted to the light, and I noticed the statue was gone. It fell down the hill. (Wait...)
	I immediately dove off the edge and chased whatever Child that actually took that blasted path up to my Throne. At least it was a dead drop from the edge of my Throne for a while, and I was able to catch it, slide a bit off the wall as the mountain started to slope, and jump back into the air, letting my wings circle around. All this, with the Child screaming in my paw. Honestly, you Children are way too afraid of flight.
	"Quiet! Unless you want me to drop you and take your chances with gravity." I hissed at it. At least it stopped. When I got back to the landing area, I tried my best to set it down and not... Squish it. Let's just say, I succeeded. I landed with the sun at my back, so I could get a good look at it.
	It was human. I think male, but nearly hairless. Even the top of his head lacked any hair, except for this long string of it at the back. I know some of you Children tend to loose hair when you get to your senior years, but this one still looked quite young. He was in some kind of baggy outfit that only covered half of his chest. And these... odd looking things on his feet. They looked like small tables.
	I tried to get a better look at him while backing up a bit. "What the hell are you doing outside of my Thr-" And my hind claws nearly slipped off the edge... At first. Then they kept slipping... Stop Laughing! With a loud yelp, I started slipping down, and all the male could do was watch me in horror as I fell.
	But I was fine. Just a small turn and a spread of the wings, and I was back in control again. Another circle, and a hard landing, I picked up where I left off, as if none of that ever happened. "What the hell are you doing outside of my Throne?"
	"You... Can talk." My neck curled to an S. "You're... not a beast?"
	I snorted at him. "Of course not. These lands are called Heikriik'k Valhjoso, they're mine." He gave me a dumb look... He did! Stop laughing! "...Lands of the Red Sky. It's Draconic."
	"Zhai? Is something wrong?" I could hear Khol blindly making his way toward us. My ears went back when he said my name, though I couldn't blame him.
	"Everything's fine, Silverthorn. Apparently we have a visitor." I heard a minor gasp from inside the cave.
	"Oh Gods, another one..." The male said.
	"What do you mean by that?" I snapped. "Have you never seen a dragon before?"
	"Never. I've heard tales, but..." Khol even gave him a weird look when he was able to see the Male. "I always heard they were supposed to be... Tyrants. Cruel, vain beasts that often brought drought to those around them." I gave a low growl.
	"You've been misled then." Khol spoke before I was able to lash at the guy. Just as well, really. "We mean you no harm. Sire here rules these lands well, even ask the people in the villages."
	"...You mean towns?"
	"They were villages when I first claimed these lands, and let them in." I started walking toward my barrel of water, remembering that I was parched. "I suppose they're considered towns now." And I began lapping.
	"You look like... You're from the far east?" Khol said, still studying the man. "You've must've traveled a long ways to be here."
	"Yes. I came from a Monastery in the mountains there. This one reminded me of home, and I was seeing if it was climbable."
	"Well, congratulations." I said sarcastically, still grumpy from the rude awakening. "You're the first being to actually make it up here. And the first one to almost stain it from falling off it." Khol gave me a look. "You're welcome for the rescue, by the way." My spines lifted a bit.
	"Yes, thank you for that. I was very... Surprised. I even thought you were catching me for..." And he didn't finish. It was best for him not to.
	"We don't eat intelligent beings." Khol stated, to try to keep the discriminate slurs to a minimum. "I'm known as Silverthorn. And this is the Crimson King. You may call him Sire."
	"Oh, you're the Crimson King? I thought that one called you something else..."
	"That name is for private, personal use only." I hissed.
	"I'm sorry-" I growled again, interrupting him. And he just stayed silent for a bit while I made my way to the chambers with the barrel of water.
	"Just give him some time. He's quite grumpy in the mornings."
	"Grumpy, yes. But not Deaf." I snorted.
	"I apologize for disturbing the two of you. I'll make my way back down then."
	"You're familiar with both the long way down, and the quick way down now at least." My statement made Khol giggle a bit.
	"Actually, I've wanted to do a few things in the town to the west. Want a ride down?" Khol's offer actually surprised me a bit. "I'm a softer flyer than Sire here, and you wouldn't waste half a day traveling."
	"I would like that, Silverthorn."
	"I would also love to hear more about your Monastery." Khol said, while he was directing the male on how to mount the dragon. And they took off. I was still a bit irritated by the sudden intruder, I decided to start my day in the mountains with my weights.
	About halfway through the day, I began to miss Khol a little. I decided to track him down, and spend some time with him, as well as have a meal. I grabbed a Yak along the way before I went looking for him. I ended up finding him in Silverthorn, talking to a few Children. It wasn't long before we started to enjoy our dinner. "Still coming up with plans for the Harbor?" I asked.
	"Not quite yet. They were asking about some of the sketches I made for the outline of the town. A few things were not quite proportioned, and we had to make room." ...Did I forget to mention that? Well, you know now. "Have you seen Su Ying since this morning?"
	"Su Ying? Is that what its name is?"
	"That's what HIS name is, yes." Khol chuckled. "He's quite interesting actually. Besides the fact that he was taught Dragons were evil creatures."
	"He thinks that, does he?"
	"Not anymore. He was just Taught it. It's common for the Children to fear what they don't understand." And for some reason, that reminded me of Valo. And his death. "But they're learning, if not one by one." He gave me a lick. "There are very kind and generous Dragons out there. Be them as Egotistical as they may." I'm not sure what really flattered me more out of those statements.
	"I suppose." I returned the lick.
	"His Monastery Lifestyle is interesting. They all live around strict discipline. They have a few leaders, but they don't really act like Rulers or Kings." I gave him a bit of a disappointed look. "Not like you, I mean. Other Kings. Anyway, they seem to have a high respect for life, they spend days working-not for money, but for food and shelter for their brethren. They meditate quite often, to gain a wholeness of body, and they are quite intact with their spirit and its power." He gave me a little nudge. "You should find him and talk to him. Seeing how you love your... Body building." I sensed a bit of hesitation in his voice for a moment. (It's gotten to the point where even mentioning it turns him on.) I smiled.
	"You want a quickie?" I whispered him. And he looked around, gave a little nod, and we took off into the forest.

	After our little session, Khol went back to Silverthorn. But not without pestered me to talk to Su Ying. It took a bit to find the guy, but his Robe-thing was colored in orange and red. A bit easier to spot from the sky. Eventually I found him in an empty meadow, doing what almost looked like dancing. I decided to land farther away to see if I can watch him do it without him noticing me... Yeah, it didn't work terribly well. I was never the type that was good at stealth.
	Even though you could hear me coming a mile away, from all the twigs that snapped on my every step, to the small branches that broke when I walked beside a tree. Su Ying seemed to be undisturbed by me watching him. His dance was very... odd. Often going through these outward motions with his appendages. I've seen how the Children dance before. They all did seem a little different, but they had one thing in common: their body movements were fluid. This... Not so much. A series of small thrusts here and there, and what seemed to be stiff motions. Eventually, I just had to blurt it out. "You're a terrible dancer."
	Although, it didn't seem to startle him, even after I got a little closer. "I am not dancing. I'm Practicing my forms."
	"It looks like a dance." I could hear him trying to hold back a chuckle. "And you look funny doing it. What is it for?"
	"Discipline mostly. But also self defense." I continued to watch him. The more I did, the more I started to see it. He wasn't really dancing. It was more like he was fighting invisible enemies. Much like dragons often use their claws and bites as defensive weapons, I've noticed before that when the Children get rowdy, they will use their... Paws, I guess. Slamming them against one another as if they were weapons. The occasional one with the hind leg. Such things hardly looked threatening.
	"How long did it take you to do this?"
	He finished, and took a drink out of his waterskin. "I've been training for about 22 years."
	"And you're how old?"
	"24" He gave me a smile, knowing I was taking some interest in this. "The silver one mentioned you might be interested in the Martial Arts."
	"Your dance?" Again, another chuckle.
	"Yes, but I'm afraid that I really don't think you can do it, not on four legs." That made me smirk. I started to rise up, standing on my hind legs, and keeping my balance well. He seemed rather surprised.
	"Silverthorn wasn't taught to do it well, but a friend of mine suggested that it'd be good if I learned how." That friend being Bartan.
	Su Ying gave me a little smile. "Alright, want to see how much you can do?"
	"Might as well. It's interesting enough to watch. To do..."
	"Okay, follow my lead." And we started with some basics. Punches mostly. We attempted Kicks, but that required alot more balance training than what I was used to. What kicks I tried usually left me falling down onto my side. And I also had to be mindful of my tail, especially during turns. Not really for my sake, but for Su Ying's. I've nearly hit him a few times with it.
	We ended up doing it for hours. The more I did it with him, the more I started to like this one. This... Monk, Khol called him. He became another one of my Child friends, as well as Khol's. Although he did leave in the autumn, he came back nearly every other year to visit us. It was because of him, I finally cleared the path that lead to my Throne. So that other Children could use it.
	For years, I practiced doing those martial arts, as a new part of my workouts. Usually replaced my Tree grappling. I was honestly getting bigger with every year, that it would've been impossible to find a decent tree for such a thing. The area was still very good though. And even though I don't like to use the kicks much, it was good practice to do it, especially on soft grounds.

	The years still went by, me and Khol were often gazing from my Throne at the villages. Looking down at them, it almost seemed like we could see them growing, slowly. They got bigger and bigger. More buildings and more crowded. The roads were being used very well, and I did what I could to protect them. Any signs of bandits, and I would assault the areas. Every once in a while, I would try to use my new combat style, but it was difficult in narrow spaces. That, and I didn't like my belly to be exposed.
	Still, the trades were doing well. Duravan once in a while pressured me to talk to the other merchants and travelers. I mentioned that I was their king, not a welcome wagon. But his heart was in a good place. Once in a while I would greet the incoming caravans and let them know that the dragons here were not enemies. Honestly, I think what Su Ying said about dragons half scared Khol. Sometimes all it took is just one bad judgement to have an entire species against your own.
	But anyway, I got to know a few of them. Sanfard was one that frequently traveled through, and one of the first ones that I got to be acquainted with. He specialized in drinks for the most part. Rums, Ales, and Wines, etc. And I was always happy to see his caravan stroll in my lands. One afternoon, I took a break from my exercises to talk to him. "It's been a while Sanfard! How are the roads treating you?"
	"Not terrible, Sire! The kingdom east of yours has been giving me some trouble passing through though. There's been rumors of yet another Tax booth to be made."
	I snorted and tossed my head. "As long as I'm ruler here, there'll be no such thing on my lands."
	"Yes, and that's become a very nice attraction for merchants everywhere. That, and your protection. Even the kingdom of Alzallion doesn't provide such things. Though they state they try."
	"That would be the east one?" He gave a nod. I gave a bit of a grumble. "I hope such a thing doesn't ruin the business' in my towns. If things start to get worse, they may have to make a new road to my lands."
	"Only to have that taxed as well, sadly. We've been trying to find ways around it, but it's difficult when there are bandit camps through the forests waiting to pounce on such things. Even if there are a few guards or Mercenaries with us, the sheer numbers of the bandits can be overwhelming."
	"Are there that many of them?"
	"I'm afraid so, Sire. Crime has been up outside your lands. Alzallion has been draining the people dry to increase its own wealth. It's made it difficult to live a life in Legit terms. But at least I have a few tricks I can get by with. And a few people I can count on. At times, even a bribe or two can go a long ways and make a great friendship or partnership." He was quite the sly one. "Speaking of which, I did manage to smuggle in something for you, Sire."
	"That's what I love to hear. What have you brought for me Sanfard?"
	"The large, white barrel in the back. It's very strong stuff though. A single pint can make a man woozy."
	"You obviously don't know the strength of a dragon's liver!" I said proudly. "I thank you Sanfard, for this gift."
	"You're very welcome, M'lord. Be sure to share some of that with your Mate."
	"She isn't fond of drinking. I'm not sure why. She's had a bit of wines, is fine with tasting them. But anything harder tends to turn her off. Better than the opposite, I'd say."
	"That's very true Sire. Enjoy it, and I'll do what I can to get you more." he shouted, as I took the barrel to my spare cave... Can we stop for a bit?
	Tong: "Sure thing."

Chapter 5
-----
	As the two stopped and took a break from walking, got a small snack of nuts and berries nearby, Zhai started to get a little tense. Tong could sense the trouble stirring in his friend, and he had the feeling that it was something to do with the next part in his story. "Little Red?" The dragon didn't look at him. "I want to say, that this is where things start to get a little rough for you." Zhai nodded shyly, trying his best not to get too carried away with regrets. "Take as much time as you need. I would've suggesting maybe skipping it, but..."
	"...No. It's not something I can just leave out. And... it's not the worst thing I've done." Tong was a bit surprised. (Was this not the time where he killed Khol?) He thought. And started to wonder just how much more of the dragon's life existed past this point. After a good 10 minutes, Zhai's ears suddenly jerked, and went backward.
	"Is something wrong?"
	"The storm is closing in..." And Tong could hear the thunder a few moments later. "We still have some time to catch some ground. But the sooner we leave, the better."
	"Alright. I'm ready. Are you?" Technically, that was two different questions. Tong hoped that Zhai would catch that. The dragon looked into his eyes, and gave him a slow nod. Once again, the two were off.
-----
	I took the keg to my spare cave for storage, along with quite a few of my other kegs. It was rare that we actually opened one. I got Khol to taste a few of them, and he didn't mind them so much. But there was still something he didn't like about all drinks in general. It always made him uncomfortable.
	As I turned around and began to leave, Sanfard's description of the drink got me curious. (Just how hard was it? It can't be that bad.) Eventually, I gave into that curiosity, and tried for a taste. It had a very strange scent to it, and it was rather strong. I took a few laps, and it wasn't terrible. It tasted like a very rich Maple, with an after burn that left my throat tingling. The taste was actually quite intoxicating. A few more laps for better judgement. Then a few more... I ended up finishing the keg when the night hit. Spent all my afternoon on the bedding and sipping it down.
	By that time, I was quite woozy and a bit irritated. I can't remember what about. Maybe about the neighboring kingdom, and what it was doing to my merchants. But as I stated before; Dragons have very strong livers. So I was still in control... of my body. As for my mind and instincts...
	...Tong. This next part, I'm not at all proud of. It was one of the worst things I have ever done, and I do remember most of it. I wish I could forget that it ever happened...
	Tong: "Little Red..."
	I flew back to my Throne quite well. The cool evening air was nice to feel on the body, but I still felt irritable. Grouchy, even. I remember landing hard outside of my throne, and took a few laps out of the water barrel left outside, trying to cool down my throat. It only brought back the burn, instead of relieving it, which only irked me more.
	Khol started his way to the entrance of my Throne, only to meet the worst of me. I was still staggering a bit, but I was able to act on instincts. It felt like my entire logical side was bound and gagged, while this... Bully walked around loose.
	"Zhai? Where have you been? I've been worried." Khol asked me. He really did look worried.
	I looked at him and hissed "Why do you care?"
	"Why do...?" Khol's neck curled to an S after a few sniffs in the air. I guess he could really smell the drink on me. "Zhai, what is that stench?"
	"Shut up, trophy." I wanted to head for my bedding and just pass this awful feeling. I tried walking pass Khol, but I ended up nearly shoving him out of the way.
	"Trophy? What the hell does that mean?" Khol gave a snort. I could hear anger start to rise in his voice. He knew what I've been doing all afternoon. He knew what I was.
	"It means exactly what it sounds like!" I barked at him, against my will. Then I felt a chuckle leak out from my throat. "Y'know what I just realized? You've never told me anything about your past. Tell me, how hard was it to get a mate back home with you looking like a female? And how hard was it to get a male? Clearly, I'm sure you just got tired of being whore'd around." Khol hissed at me, but remained quiet for the most part. "I think you would've had it made. You could pleasure the females all you wanted, and do whatever you'd like to for the males. Hell, you did me just for a place to stay, why didn't you think of that back home?" For the first time ever that wasn't by command or playful, Khol swatted me across the nose. I honestly felt so numb in that area, I really didn't feel it. "You even hit like a female..." He snarled again.

	"Honestly, what do you do around here besides pleasure me? I hunt, I guard the country. What exactly do you do? Pretend to befriend the spoiled children? Talk to me about respecting other species, as well as the weak and helpless? Do 'Good' Instead of whatever the Taath I want? When most of that shit is pointless anyway. They all throw their lives away so fast that nothing ever sinks in." Another Hiss... "How does it feel to know that the one thing that you believe in, the one thing that 'Makes you a better person' will never be remembered by the folly of the ones you try to teach it to? How does feel to know that your meaningless teachings get forgotten as soon as they're heard. They won't change the world, they can't! They're just foolish dreams you have that can never make a difference in a dominating world like mine."
	Regardless of how composed Khol really was, even he had his limits. He just had the decency to speak in Draconic. "Is that what you really think!?" I'm guessing we were getting quite loud. Loud enough for maybe the villages to hear. "That all you've been doing was hiding behind some mask to make me think you actually like me!? While deep down inside you've been laughing at my ideals!?"
	"Here I thought you would've figured it out sooner, considering how smart and intelligent you think you are!" ...I'm sorry, Tong. I never wanted anyone to see me like this... "Turns out you can't read people the way you hoped, or else you'd finally see yourself as nothing more than a sex object for other people's pleasure! I often wonder what would happen if another dragon came around, would you fornicate with that too!? What about animals? Humans? Children? Where are your limitations exactly!?"
	I've never seen Khol so furious with me before. I don't even remember what he said, I just remember him heading for the door. But this Bully wasn't done. I went after him, grabbing his tail. He turned and gave me another swat in the nose, but again, I felt so numb. I think it even started bleeding. Khol rose another paw and went for a third swat, that usually disorientates a dragon. I remember catching his paw, and overpowering his strength. I guess I was flexing pretty hard, because I remember his ears turning purple when he looked at my paw.
	I remember throwing him over my haunch, making him land hard onto his side. Quickly, I tried to get on top of him, only for him to get in a good position to toss me over on my back, knocking the wind out of me a bit. I remember teaching him that trick actually. I growled loudly, while Khol tried to scamper up and away. He almost did get too far, but I grabbed his tail once again, and gave a forceful tug. His claws dragged through the stone floor. Then I grabbed his haunches, did the same. Then his chest. He went for another swat, but I got him by the neck and slammed him on his back.
	Remember, he didn't have nearly as much armor as I had. So that slam knocked him breathless for a bit. Long enough for me to pin him. "In fact... I want your services right now. And I know you're always in the mood..." I remember whispering him... I...
	I bit him on the back of the neck, quite hard. But only to make him submissive, not to do any permanent damage. Khol let out a loud roar, which then turned into a blissful whimper. He was still trying to fight it though, so when he recovered from his landing, he started to claw at me the best he could. He was raking me with this hind claws under my belly and thighs, and I could feel the slight wounds it was making. His foreclaws were trying their best to get my neck and face, but eventually they tried to dig under my arms. He did quite a bit of damage to me, even his jaws were going through my throat. But I could tell he didn't want to maim me. He was just defending himself. He was never designed for such a thing... I think this was the first real scrape he's ever been in with a dragon.
	The wounds Khol made just only made me harder. And when I felt ready, I remember just scouting for his tailhole. I shoved it in when I discovered it, making his moan painfully. But with every harsh thrust, he became more and more submissive. He stopped trying to attack me, and just let his instincts go. Every pulse of my haunches, he clawed at my biceps and thighs until they felt raw. He even bit me hard a few times, very hard in-between breaths and moans. Khol even swore at me a few times. It was the worst lay we've ever had. All I could think about was all my anger I felt for everything, and concentrate it into one motion. And I believe he was thinking the same thing.
	I don't even remember the climax of it. I just remember waking up on the stone floor. I felt sticky, and felt very sore. I remember still holding Khol, but his back was turned to me. Slowly, my vision was becoming more clear, and then I saw the bitemarks on his neck. They were much deeper than I usually do... And then last night all hit me at once.
	I shot up, my jaw quivering a little. I took a look at Khol. He was awake... But not looking at me. His eyes held so much anger and pain, as well looked raw from tears. "No..." I tried to deny what I'd done. "Khol... I'm-" He just snorted at me. And shoved me off him, heading for the entrance. "Please, I didn't mean-"
	"Am I nothing more than just a whore to you?" He still didn't face me. I don't think I could've looked at his face when he said that. "How truthful were you with me last night?" And I couldn't say anything for a bit.
	"I-I didn't mean any of that... I couldn't-"
	"Zhai... I think I need some time alone." And he took off, this time I didn't stop him. All I could do is listen for his wings in the distance. My head sank low, only to see the massive amount of blood that caked the floor. (Gods... What've I done?)
	I spent most of the afternoon trying to get rid of that stain. I hated it. It wasn't a stain of love and something special to remember. It was a stain of a mistake that I didn't want to be reminded of. It was a mark of possibly the worst thing I've ever done to him.
	After I cleaned that, I felt I should get cleaned myself. I went to my lake, and found Khol exiting the area. I shouted at him to get his attention, and he looked like he was trying to avoid me. "Please! Listen to me!" And he stopped for a moment.
	"I'm sorry Khol. I don't know what came over-"
	"You know very well what came over you. I'm just having a hard time to tell which one of you is the real one." Khol snapped. And my head sank again.
	"...I-"
	"Zhai... I'm going to take 3 days to determine if you're worth staying with. Until then, I don't want to talk to you. Understood?" That stabbed me in the heart. The fact that this one mistake might cost me him. The best thing that ever happened to me. "I'll be staying in your spare cave. And trying to do my things in the villages. You know where I'll be. But if you try to stop me beforehand, I will leave you." I swallowed hard. I've never felt such fear in my life. "Do I make myself clear?" And I gave a nod. "I'll meet you in the Luna meadow in three sundowns with my answer." And Khol took off. I couldn't help but let myself go a little there. But after I collected myself, I went into the lake to wash myself off.
	I never noticed how many marks I had on my body, until the water stun them all. Khol really did a number on me, I was just too drunk to feel them. Even when I was raping him, he didn't do any long-term harm to me. This is how much he loved me. How much he cared for me, and what did I do...?

	I spent the next 3 days following Khol's instructions. I did everything he asked of me, and just hoped that somehow he still wanted me. At least I didn't do too much harm to him physically, compared to what he did to me. The bite marks on his neck were pretty deep, but not serious. A few claw marks on his tail and shoulders, as well as haunches. But nothing to show that I've beaten him, not to the people in the villages.
	Those days were so lonely. Every once in a while, I would try to see if I could spot him from the sky or from high up, and almost hide. I never missed him so much at that point. Even once in a while, while he was out, I would go into the spare cave to just get his fresh scent. He threw out that keg I finished, I ended up finding it at the bottom of the mountain, trashed. Just as well, but it made me realize...
	The reason why he disliked it. It was a drink that would make the worst out of a good person. It made them think and say things they really didn't feel. It's a drink of vanity. Relieves you of pain and harm, but it harms the ones you are closest to. I'm not sure what experience Khol had with this in the past, but... He trusted me not to become that person. Gods... if only I spent the night in that cave instead.
	Finally, that third night came. I ended up getting there at daylight and waiting. To make sure he wasn't early. Eventually I heard him land. It took every scale in my body to hold me into place and not run to him. I waited for him to approach me, while not looking at him.
	He laid beside me, but didn't lean as he usually did. Already, I was starting to lose it. "I'm... Sorry."
	"I know you are. And you've given me the space to think." He gave me a little lick. How I missed that tongue. "But..."
	"Please... Don't leave..." He was quiet for a bit. "I don't know what I would do without you."
	Khol sighed heavily. "I came here, planning to tell you I was going to stay." I couldn't hold back a tear that squeezed out. "But, after seeing you... I'm not sure."
	"I understand now." His ears perked up. "What you mean about the drinks... Why you hate them. They make monsters out of men, and beasts out of dragons. They're a terrible form of enjoyment, filled with sadism. And I'm... Sorry. For drinking that, and..."
	Khol gave another long sigh. "Khol. If you're going to leave, please tell me that you'll be back... When you've forgiven me."
	"...I'm not going to leave." Khol said, after a very long silence. "I don't have anywhere else to go, and most people in the village..."
	"You've told them?" I let out shame in my voice. They deserve to know what I've done anyway.
	"No. I just asked about the world outside of your lands... Those who traveled say the same thing; It's very... unwelcoming. It's harsh and many have to do horrible things to survive. Like... Thievery. Murder. Slavery..." He gave another sigh. "I never thought the world outside would be so... Horrifying. It all looked so beautiful from a perspective."
	I really didn't know what to say. I felt relieved to hear he wasn't planning on leaving, but I needed to show him that he was welcomed here... "Khol..." He looked at me, still with some of that pain in his eyes. "I love you... You know that, right?" He gave a slow nod. "What can I do to make this right? To make you feel safer here? Safer around... me?"
	Khol swallowed hard, and gave it some thought. The silence was so long, I thought that the sun might rise at any moment. "Zhai..." He finally said. My head shot up. "I want you to never drink again."
	I didn't hesitate. "Alright. Consider it done." Although I would miss that hobby of mine... Khol was much more important to me. He was my world, the heartbeat of me and my land. "I'm... Sorry..."
	"I know... But say that again, and I'll punish you." A smile finally covered his face. He always looked better with it. It made me smile too. "Zhai?"
	"Yes?"
	"I love you too." And he leaned into me. My will finally broke, and I held him so tightly that he yelped.
	"Khol?"
	"Yes?"
	"I'm sorry-"
	"Oh, that is it!" And he pushed me to my back. I let out an overdramatic yelp that made him laugh, while he laid on top of me. "Zhai?" I gave him a little nod. "Show me you love me..."
	With a quivering breath, I said "From every moment on, I will."

Chapter 6
	The next day, I worked on getting out the kegs from my caves. I started with the spare one. And while I was gathering them at the entrance, Khol arrived and gave me a worried look. "I'm donating them to the villages. I know you don't like them, but..." I looked at them. "They're several years old. Be a shame to just throw them away." He gave a small nod, as well as a hand with carrying them.

	The next year wasn't our greatest. I still felt insecure with Khol's answer, and I did everything I could to please him. He seemed alright, and I tried my best to not overdo it. But it was never the same after that incident. There was, and always will be that scar, that imprint in our relationship that would always remind us of what I've done. I couldn't get it out of my head.
	The time that went by helped though. It made it feel less and less awkward. Khol seemed to be letting it go, and the less we talked about it, the better. As for me...
	Eventually, that late Spring, time of the year when the sun liked to wake us up early, I remember half waking up feeling unusually warm. It was slightly overpowered by the amount of light that was driven into the room. "Gods, that is bright..." I moaned, still a little groggy.
	"Tell me about it." Khol said, trying to position himself away from the attack.
	"Someone should turn it off." A familiar voice said behind us, where the warmth was coming from. But I could quite place it. It was too early to start thinking anyway. After a few moments, Khol and I looked directly at each other, and three large Yelps came out of my Throne.
	Still too bright to really see or make out anything, I ended up grappling the intruder. It was rather large, and very... Furry. Khol ended up going toward the light, and spreading his wings at the entrance. It did well to block out alot of the excessive light that blinded us. After my eyes adjusted, my vision came to focus on what looked to be a Polar bear's muzzle. "Do you wrestle with all your guests, or just the ones you care about?"
	"Bartan?" I couldn't believe my eyes for a moment. "Bartan! It is you!" And I let him go.
	"Bartan? The one who you met while traveling here?" Khol confirmed.
	"Yes. He's the one who took me in for a few days." I gave him a little nudge.
	"I can see you've grown a bit, Crimson one." He said with a laugh. "It must've been nearly 200 years since I've seen you. How are you?"
	"Doing well, actually. But how did you find me?"
	"You said you were going west. Not much left of west where I last left you. Besides, you leave a very distinct Scent."
	"Sire?" Khol cut us off a bit.
	"Oh, right. This is Silverthorn. She's my mate."
	"She? You sure you don't want to rephrase that?" Bartan stated, giving me a little shove. And they studied each other a little bit. It was still quite bright out, but they almost seemed to have their own conversation in silence. For a moment, I thought something was wrong. Maybe they've met before or something. But Bartan gave a smile, and approached Khol. "It's nice to see that CK here found someone." They seemed to hug a bit. "Even if that someone is a male."
	Khol gave a slight sigh in defeat, but still with a smile on his face. "Alas, I guess I can't fool everyone. The Children seem to go for it."
	"Children? Oh, yes. Those. I see someone's rubbed off on you." Bartan broke the hug and gave me a sly look. "It's only one of his worst habits at least."
	"Besides his large Ego." Khol joined in. "Come, let me take a better look at you. Let’s go to the top. Can you fly?"
	"Yes, I can. Don't worry." They left for the entrance. "Are you coming?"
	I gave a silent nod, and we flew to the top. When we landed, our eyes were used to the light. It was a great place to study Bartan, mostly because I've never seen anything like him. He was a Hexeped-
	Tong: "A What?"
	Hexeped. He had 6 legs. Two sets of forepaws and a set of Hind. He was the cross between a Polar bear, mostly in face, and some type of large wolf. Although rather smooth, his fur was very long and almost wild. It never seemed to be dirty, but he did have a few markings. One around the collar of his neck, a large line that went around the back, and at the chest it connected with two circles that were locked. And his wings... I never seen them when I first saw Bartan. He promoted walking and traveling that way. But he had these seven black stripes on his back that were not symmetrical. These stripes would turn into these large, ribbons of light that would act like wings... Don't look at me like that, I know what I saw, and Khol was just as surprised as I first seen him.
	"You are..." Khol didn't finish, when he took a closer look at Bartan.
	"Odd looking, I know."
	"But you remind me of something I've heard of before. Are you a..."
	"I'm a Counterweight." Khol gave him a puzzled look. I honestly forgot the term he used. "It's a bit complicated. And best if I don't explain too much to you. But I'm just here to fix something from my last visit." He trailed off, and took a few steps closer to the edge. "You've really hit the jackpot here, CK." He said after gazing across my land.
	"Jackpot?" I asked. I never heard the term before.
	"Means a wealthy load of something. It's a compliment." he chuckled. "I'm glad to see you're doing well."
	"Thank you. I honestly couldn't be happier." I ended up giving a look at Khol when I said that. He knew I was talking about him. "How've you been Bartan?"
	"I've been okay. I had to fix a few relationships between a few friends of mine, but I ended up getting them on speaking terms at least. Long story short; Things are still well."
	"And that thing you were searching for...?"
	He gave a small sigh, and was quiet. "Still no luck. I wasn't expecting it to be easy."
	"What exactly?" Khol pried.
	Bartan took a look at me, as if to ask if I wanted the honors. I honestly didn't remember it all too well, so I let him say it. "I've been looking for a way to make the Tarrasques obsolete. Let alone a cure for those who've been forced to become one. I've seen evidence that one might be loose as well. But not around here." ...It's over my head as well. And I think our expressions said the same. He chuckled at us "Don't worry yourselves over it. It's not your place to anyway."
	"You know you can always call on me for help, Bartan. I still owe you one." Khol gave me a look. "When I left for my hatchplace, I flew for days. To the point where I nearly passed out. I landed in an area that was quite... barren. I couldn't find any food or water nearby that wasn't tainted."
	"The area was recently taken over by a plague." Bartan filled in.
	"Yes, and any food I could find wasn't safe to eat. I ended up passing out on the road, and Bartan helped  me."
	"So that's how you two met?" Khol asked.
	"Yes." I answered. "We ended up traveling together for a while. Even in an area filled with death, Bartan convinced me to walk through it with him. I was a bit... Nervous about it at first, but..."
	"It was for the best. To see what those crippled to the sky they're under have to deal with at times." Bartan said. "I found it a worthy experience for a young dragon."
	"You seemed so much bigger back then." I joked. And then our stomachs grumbled. "How long were you staying, Bartan?"
	"Just a few days. I'm guessing you're hungry?" I gave a nod. "Alright, do you mind hunting us something? I'd like to talk to Khol for a bit." And Khol sucked in a breath. Even I caught it at first.
	Tong: "Caught what exactly?"
	Khol never told Bartan his name.
	It bothered me at first, but I let it slide as if it didn't bother me. I went out hunting for the three of us, while the two waited for me at a specific meadow. I knew they wanted a private conversation. But I couldn't help my curiosity. It pushed me to land a bit early and try to listen in. At least the Ram wasn't heavy. After a bit of traveling, I started to hear them. They were speaking in draconic, to avoid any other eavesdropper. "I know it bothers you, but don't you think you should still tell him?" Bartan asked.
	"I know I should, and I've wanted to. But I can't bring myself to." Khol took a breath. "Besides, I'm no longer that person anymore. I've moved on. I have a happy life here. He doesn't need to know what happened to me."
	"And if one of them try to interfere? You know I can't stop them. It's not my place to." (Who try to interfere? Who are they talking about?)
	"They won't. I'm not even sure if they know I exist. Even so, I wouldn't be any use to them. My time up there is done. I don't want to go back."
	"And I won't push you. But I am worried. You know alot, Khol, alot more than anyone. And you've witnessed their creation. Because of that, you might have a clue in how to stop them, if that's ever the case. I'm not saying that it ever will, but just be... cautious. For your and Zhaiothe's sake." (Wait, Bartan knows my name now too? Damnit! Could Khol have told him?) I really didn't want to distrust Khol. Whatever it was they were talking about... If anything, he needed my protection. Once again, I pushed that doubt aside. If Khol was willing to talk to me about it, I will gladly listen. If not, then I have no right to know.
	I started to walk towards them, not caring about being quiet. "Ah, and here's your breakfast." Bartan said. Khol blushed a bit.
	"Yep, hope you like Ram."
	"I'm not eating. Don't worry about me." Bartan said.
	I gave him an odd look, but when I was with him before, he didn't eat either. "I often wonder how skinny you are under all that fur." I joked a bit, setting the ram down away from us. I went to Khol, and give him a few licks.
	"How... much did you hear?" Khol asked. Almost lowering his head.
	"Just enough that Bartan knows my real name." Khol gave a small nod. "It's about time he knew it anyway. But... Is there something I should know of, Khol? I won't pry if you don't want me to."
	"...Maybe... Later." Khol said. He looked so uncomfortable.
	"I won't dwell on it then." I gave him a few licks again. "And neither should you. Just if someone's coming to abduct you or something, at least tell me beforehand." I teased a bit. "Alright, want it cooked today?" And Khol gave a nod.
	And I gave the ram a good barbeque. Khol hastily took care of the spreading fires around it. Bartan couldn't help but laugh a bit. "I love the irony in this relationship."
	"Hmm?" Both me and Khol looked at him for a moment.
	"A Fire Dragon and an Ice Dragon being intimate. It's quite amusing really." (Ah, that's what he meant.) I just took a look at Khol, his blue eyes still a bit worried from before, but slowly calming. I gave him a playful nudge before we started to eat.
	"So, Bartan." I asked in between bites. "What exactly are you?"
	"Hah, I told you that. I'm a Counterweight."
	"Yes, but what exactly does that mean?" Khol asked, while my mouth was full.
	Bartan took a deep breath while looking at the sky. "How much do you know about up there?" The question made the both of us stop for a moment. Honestly, we really didn't know. "That says alot." Bartan chuckled softly. "What you see up there are the stars. Stars are basically far away Suns, correct?" We both nodded. "Outside of that, you have a Galaxy. And then more stuff, and more stuff and more stuff, etc. In a nutshell, you have multiple worlds with their own planets and places and such. Several hundred of these things make a Universe." I've honestly never felt so small until I've heard this. "Now a universe can run in many ways. Often enough, there are 3 forces: The Force of Reality, The Force of Fate, and The Force of Death. Below these, there are Deities. Below those are Gods, and below those are Immortals or Demigods. And after that, Mortals. But at the very top of this chain of command is a Counterweight."
	Bartan continued. "A Counterweight is the creator, or architect of the Universe. They've designed everything within it, and they can also make repairs or change a few things if needed-"
	"So, wait. You're a God?" I had to say with a full mouth.
	"Not of this universe. My own is quite far away, and is very stable. But because I'm not the Counterweight of this universe, I'm restricted in what I can do. Mostly out of respect and discipline. I'm only around because the Forces say it's okay to."
	"And because of that, you're here again." Khol followed. "Because you need to fix something?"
	"Yes. My last visit caused a bit of a butterfly effect. That's basically a-"
	"Don't bother. My head hurts." I said... It did at the time, stop laughing!
	"Fix what exactly?" Khol asked.
	"Long story short, a wizard was supposed to come visit you and teach you something, but something messed up and well... I'm going to teach you instead. She's needed elsewhere now."
	"Uh oh, teach us what?" I said, swallowing.
	"You don't want to finish eating first?" Bartan's head tilted. And his four ears perked up... What do you mean I didn't mention he has four ears? "Alright. Khol: remember a few years back, you got a hold of a book about magics and enhancing items and such, correct?" Khol nodded. "There was a certain ingredient that was required in nearly all of them, called Xiaoviou."
	"Yes, I tried asking around, but no one really knew what it was."
	"That's because only a few people do know what it is. Poachers, mostly." And both our heads tiled at the same time. "It means 'Vial of Dragon's Blood.' It's why your kind is quite demanding in the black markets." That was honestly a scary thought...
	"You mean... people slay dragons and sell their blood for profit?" Khol almost looked a little pale. I moved closer to him and covered him with my wing.
	"Sadly, yes. But the dragons need to be at a certain age to extract it. At least 200 YoA. Because that's when they start to show magical effects."
	"So, are we going to be hunted? Is that what chased you out of your home Khol?"
	"No, I-"
	"Don't worry about that Zhai. You're fine for now. But what I'm going to teach you is how to use your blood, as well as some other things, to enhance your bodies. To make you harder to take down, as well as more able to protect this beautiful land of yours." Bartan said.
	"What's the downside, though?" I really didn't trust magic that much.
	"It's a bit uncomfortable, sometimes you get some odd effects, and well... It usually requires quite a bit of blood. But not to the point where you're going to pass out." At least he was honest. "It will also make you harder in places of your choice, and less... sensitive in said places. Do it too much, you end up becoming a rock. Losing all feeling in your body."
	I gave a sigh. "But this... will help us?"
	"It can help you survive, yes. But only if you're responsible with it, and only if you know how to do it correctly. I will teach you how."
	Khol was still a bit silent. But he looked into my eyes. Some of these actions could change us permanently, and well... As long as I'm with Khol, and it's to protect him and what he believes in "I'll do it." I took a swallow. "Thank you, Bartan." And Bartan nodded.
	"I'll do it too." Khol said. "Thank you, as well." Again with another nod from Bartan, then he went into theory about the enhancements.
-----
	The two decided to stop at a travelers hut, until the storm passed them. By the time they reached it, it was already starting to rain. Soon, the roads would be drenched and difficult to travel through.
	The hut was made for travelers to escape from harsh weather. There was a wood stove, a few beds that lacked pillows and blankets, and a table for those to enjoy dinner. As they began to settle, Zhai requested a bandage cloth, and the metal bowl he ate out of that morning. "When a dragon begins to reach adulthood, they go through a stage in their lives called 'All Balls and Claws.' It's your basic hormonal, alpha male life experience that drives them to be egotistical bastards-"
	"So, you're still in it?" Tong teased.
	"Hardly. My ego might've stayed with me, but my mindset leveled out. Anyway, one of the most common causes in such behavior is the way magical energy is infused within our blood. It tends to take a long time for it to be able to be extracted and used correctly, which is what Bartan mentioned about the dragons needing to be over 200 years of age. That is when this Balls and Claws stage has resided, and we become Mature Adults." Zhai then started to cut a safer spot in his forearm, and began to catch some of his blood within the metal bowl below. 
	"The blood can be used to have various effects. Be it temporary, permanent, or just instantaneous. Remember those potions that you carry around with you? The ones that 'Magically heal you'?" Tong gave a nod. "Those are mixed with dragon's blood. It's the main compound that is able to connect the others, and gives it the energy needed to do such a thing. As for my armor I ate earlier, the main compound is already being broken down, but the magic inside isn't being destroyed. Only stored until the correct amount of blood is ingested as well. From there, it will start morphing my body by using the magics from the armor as a template. These can be painful at times, and I might weigh a bit more when I'm done, but it should help."
	"So, you can enhance your body with magical items. What else did Bartan teach you?"
	"Well, we've found a way to manipulate the energies to mimic Arcane magics. Most wizards say that dragons can 'cast spells.' But really, we can't. Not the way Children do. We can just discover different ways to use the magic in our bodies to pull off different effects either on ourselves, use it to aid, or even harm others. It's difficult to do things that involve other, unwilling targets. Or even to try to enhance other people."
	"What do you mean by 'Different effects'?"
	"Well, you've heard of support spells, for example. Things like that. It would take alot of energy, but I could make you stronger, temporally. I would have to be touching you, and it would take alot of time. Or... There would be another way. One I don't like doing."
	"And that would be?"
	"To force a change, by consuming the blood. That way is very unstable though, and it usually has some nasty side effects. I've done a few of them before, usually with enhancing strength for a few moments, and after it... Gods, I felt very weak and exhausted. It drains alot of that magical energy, as well as stamina. Often enough, people who... end up getting addicted to such a stimulant..."
	"I see. It's much better off not to rely on such things, ain't it?"
	"Yes. Unless it's the only option available, and you're close to death. It can save you, but be warned of the toll it can bring." With a few groans, the dragon bandages his self-inflicted wound up. He then brings the bowl to the stove, and lights it. Setting the bowl to warm up on top of the lit stove. "It makes it much easier to digest if it's warmer. Otherwise, it feels very thick and a bit sticky."
	"You okay to keep going? With the story I mean." Tong asked. Still slightly concerned about his friend.
	"Yes." the dragon said. And he took a deep breath.
-----
	So Bartan taught us what we needed to know. Khol was much better at the Lore part of it, learning and understanding it. At least he could explain it to me in a phrase I could understand easier at the time. It wasn't until I actually started doing it physically when it finally clicked in. But due to the after effects of such a thing, we ended up taking alot of breaks in between. "So, how did you two end up meeting?" Bartan asked, while we rested a bit.
	"I saw Khol here stealing some apples, and I tackled him down a hill." It made Khol laugh. "But really, a friend of mine spotted him flying around, and I got territorial. It was Khol's sudden surrender that made me realize that he was very different from the rest."
	"Gave up that quickly?" Bartan asked Khol.
	"I really don't like violence. Let alone being a part of it. And well... I was in Zhai's territory." Bartan gave him a bit of a disappointed look, but he seemed to understand. I'm not sure what the look was about though. Again, it was like they seemed to have their own conversation beyond this conversation.
	"After he suggested making a deal with me to stay one night, I really got to liking him." I gave Khol a lick.
	"Deal? What was Khol's side of the deal?"
	"To muzzle him." Khol said, laughing. "He was so paranoid that I was going to harm his malehood though. Don't think I didn't see those claws out." I turned a little purple.
	"I had to be on my guard. Any other dragon would've taken such an opportunity to take me out and steal my lands. It's only instinct that I would expect a ruse."
	"But you agreed with Khol's deal in the end? Were you that lonely?"
	"I wasn't lonely." I snorted... Shut up! "I was just bored, and pleasure was a very odd thing to suggest as a bargaining chip."
	"Hmm..." Bartan seemed to trail in his own thoughts.
	"What's wrong?"
	"I could've sworn you were Straight, Zhaiothe." And I turned a deeper purple. "Or else I would've probably suggested the same." Did I mention I was purple?
	"He thought I was a female." Khol butted in, still laughing. "And he didn't find out until he was at his climax." I lowered my head and tried to hide it with my paws.
	"Is that so? And you still let him stay?"
	"A deal was a deal." I said, a bit muffled under my paws.
	"Ohhh... Wow." Bartan said. "You actually grew to accept him for who he is. I'm very proud of you Zhai." It wasn't sarcasm. I ended up looking at him through my paws.
	"Say what, now?"
	"You grew up. You know how much I try to make people understand that it's the person that matters, not the species or gender? It saddens me that alot of life will only blindly follow one path, and a certain set of standards that they have set for themselves. When it's really one of the very few things that will make them happy." He gave a deep sigh, and looked off at the distance. "There is so little Love walking beside Life. And to limit it to preferences only leads to less and less. If you feel something for another, that Means something. It should never be rejected or pushed away because of societal or peer pressure. I just have such a hard time to make others understand that." He turned to me again. My face out of my paws. "But you, you've grown up. You understood what Khol meant to you, and you embraced it. I'm proud of you, and very happy for you." He gave me a smile, and we both returned it. Giving each other a lick.
	"I'm happy too. He means the world to me." I said, making Khol blush a bit.
	"Zhai means the world to me as well. I love him." Khol replied. "I just... never knew that the outside world was so judgmental. I know the Children often have a hard time to accept such a thing. That's why they know me as a female... Even though sometimes I wish I could tell them otherwise. Perhaps set a role for them to follow. Especially when it's the end result that matters most, no one should have to feel alone because they're afraid to show another how they feel."
	I held Khol a little closer. "Agreed. Especially when their lifespans are so short. But then again, it's why we call them Children. It's not often they grow up faster and are able to see Love before it's too late. Although, a thought did come to mind the night I met you..." Khol gave me a look. "More or so, I thought the sex was going to be uncomfortable. But you showed me that it's just the same, if not better." I gave him another lick.
	"Ah, so you two have...?"
	"I've taken Zhai." Khol finished him. "But I think he's afraid to take me."
	"Really now?" Bartan looked at me.
	And once again, I turned purple. "It's... Not really a matter of questioning."
	"Why not?"
	"Well..." I looked at Khol, trying to contain his laughter. "He... grows, when he's near his climax, and well... 18 torrents." I buried myself in my paws again.
	"Ahhh. Still, only one way to find out if you can take it." Bartan said, rather calmly.
	"I really don't think I can take that much of it down there." I mumbled.
	"Zhai, it may grow a bit, but it's not a knot." Bartan chuckled a bit.
	"Ooooh, what's a knot?" Khol sounded way too interested in that.
	"It's something canines tend to do. During a climax; at the base of their tool near the sheath, it tends to grow and thicken. Locking itself inside the partner, or 'Tying' them. That way they're forced to take in the entire load."
	"Sounds painful." I grumbled.
	"Sounds stimulating." Khol said. "But a bit painful, in theory."
	"Sometimes it can be, but it tends to make the receiver release much faster as well."
	"We should try it sometime, Zhai." Khol teased. "You can take it first."
	"You guys are not sticking a dog's mating tool inside me." I often wondered if my red scales were turning purple too.
	"No need to use a dog's. I have one." Bartan stated. I honestly couldn't tell if he was teasing. "My husband and wife love it."
	"Husband and Wife?" Khol questioned. I was okay with steering the conversation away from my rear.
	"Yes. My wife is a Counterweight, alot like me. And my Husband is a dragon. Quite bit bigger than Zhai here. And a little more built. His biceps look much bigger."
	"Oh, that's just because Zhai's scales tend to hide them well." Khol began to tickle me under the arm. "Come on, you. If you keep getting embarrassed by such talk, you're going to stay purple. Now show him."
	I gave a sigh, and stood up a bit, giving a flex of my right bicep. And noticed both Bartan and Khol staring intently, giving out a little whimper. "...Uh oh." And they both tackled me. Pinning me to the ground.
	Bartan really only ended up holding me down, massaging my muscles, while Khol went for my muzzled for a while. "I think this would be a good opportunity to try Khol being on top." Bartan suggested.
	"That's a bad idea-"
	"That's a great idea!" Khol interrupted me.
	"No it's not!"
	"Okay Khol, I'll hold him down. You work on him." Bartan's three tails seemed to tunnel in the ground, and come out around my limbs. They wrapped around my hind legs and my right forearm, while he held my left.
	"Gah! Let me go!" I tried to struggle, but they gave me little room.
	"Relax, Zhai. And just enjoy it." Khol said, licking at my swollen sheath.
	"It doesn't hurt." Bartan reassured me. It was oddly comforting to hear that, and when I did, I began to relax. He licked his wet, warm tongue along my bicep. The warmth had some odd way of making it to the very core of my arm, and it was somehow very soothing.
	Khol was still working on my sheath a bit. His forepaws working down my haunches, and circling around that chink. When my tool began to peak through, Khol slipped his tongue inside. It was so warm, I let out a loud moan, as it slithered between my tool and my sheath. Rapidly, my shaft began to thicken, as Khol worked up and around the scarlet protection. Meanwhile, Bartan's strange warmth was leaking from my arm to the core of my body. It felt like I was inside of a very warm bath, letting every muscle it touched release and rest. The warmth soon invaded my other legs, and all the way down my tail. I was still very sensitive, and could feel every touch of Khol's paws and tongue as if they were amplified. I swear, the same thing was happening to Khol as well. His moans and breaths began to slip from his busy muzzle.
	That warmth finally rose up my neck, and soon my entire head was submerged in it. It feel nice, and reminded me of flying in very hot air. I felt weightless, and could feel nothing but the pleasure Khol was delivering to me. Bartan than released me from his grip, and I submitted. My Shaft was completely erect, and Khol began working on that, while Bartan was beginning to work on Khol a bit. I didn't mind, and I'm sure Khol didn't either.
	Starting with a few long licks, Khol made his way to my tip. Playing with the soft spines on the way up. He licked it a few more times, went to kisses, and then started using his teeth softly along the upper half. It was so warm, that the pre I shot out felt nearly cold. Khol took it and lapped it around my tool. Working the top half of it, and occasionally going down to the ridges. My breaths became faster and faster. My moans more frequent. Until Khol stopped, and let out a moan himself. I guess Bartan was doing well, but I felt like I couldn't get up to see. I could feel his fur on my tail a bit, and a little bit on my left hind leg. After a few more moans from Khol, he began to slip up to my chest.
	I knew what was coming. It was almost frightening. The anxiety gave such a rush. "Relax." I heard Bartan say again. Feeling his fur slowly creep up my tail. It felt like he was guiding Khol's tool to my tailhole. I wanted to move, but my muscles felt limp. Khol licked my chest a little bit, then to my neck, and I felt a small prod touch the base of my tail. I let out a small whimper that was caught in my throat. Bartan began to rub my tailhole with something a little wet. It almost felt glazy... (Khol's Pre...) I thought to myself. It was rather early for him to do it. Another prod came closer to the area, this one a little wet as well. Khol took a few small steps closer to my hind legs, and I felt his shaft on my tail. Another whimper, and a slow prod.
	This prod didn't retreat. The bliss that poured through me with his very slow entrance was so overwhelming, I ended up moaning uncontrollably, and shot out a load of pre at Khol's belly. He went in a little deeper, and another whimper escaped me. My arms felt like they got control once again, and I wrapped them around Khol's neck, groping his back and his spineful mane. Khol ended up moaning a bit as well, as he went deeper inside me. I could make out the soft spines that covered his tool, and it suddenly became warmer when a small load of pre shot inside me. The warmth of it stayed in, as Khol began to gently thrust in and out. Another load from me, as he started to go in deeper and deeper. The waves of pleasure were massive. With every small movement, came a rift of bliss that washed over me. When I started to feel his ridges, and when Khol started to moan more and more, I couldn't hold it back. My climax was reached with one more full thrust, and I sprayed all over our bellies.
	Torrents covered our midsections and I fought to catch my breaths. "Released a bit early, don't you think?" Bartan teased. "Don't worry. My husband did the same." I could feel him licking my empty balls a bit. Then gripped them with a single paw. I don't know how to explain it, but I could feel my sac begin to fill with seed once again in his paw. "Try to make this one last with Khol's." And Bartan let go. I could half make out where he was. He was working on Khol's behind. Perhaps knowing how much effort it took to get Khol to release.
	But once again, I could feel that bliss wash over me. Khol's tool was slipping in and out of me once again, slowly climbing in speed. It didn't take me long to start shooting pre shots again, and I could feel myself almost filling up by Khol's pre-release. The more that was shot, the easier his shaft seemed to slip in and out. I could still feel the rush of every movement he made with it. Every soft spine that gave off these small bumps that worked the top and bottom of my anus. The ridges that worked on the sides. It was pure bliss, if there was ever such a thing. And I knew I couldn't take much more, even with Bartan's extra refill.
	With all of its rapid change, my tailhole was still very sensitive, and I could start to feel Khol's enlargement. I whimpered loudly, and tried to look into Khol's eyes. He was buried under the same waves of pleasure I was, and I think quite long gone. His instincts began to kick in, and he started to thrust in harder and faster. Our moans became loud purrs and growls. With every fifth or so quick thrust, I let out more and more pre between us. I could feel the inside of my wings were drenched with it. A few more thrusts, and I could feel another pre load inside of me. I was already beginning to wonder if I could really take it. Considering how much he released in one climax. (Well... I'm about to find out.) I thought to myself, unable to speak between breaths.
	Khol took a few more steps toward my haunches. His thrusts became quicker, and his pre became more constant. A few more hard thrusts, and I could feel his tool vibrate inside me. It was enough to make me start climaxing once again. And a bit later, I could feel this overload of warmth. It's pressure was massive as Khol released in my tailhole. The warmth came rushing through my lower body. Deeper and deeper inside, I could feel it rushing through. Until the warmth came to a halt, but Khol kept releasing. I began to moan loudly, as my body fought with the pressure of Khol's climax. To the point where I could almost feel myself stretching. I gave out a cry of pain, and suddenly the plug released. I could still feel Khol's tool firing torrents against my rear, trying to count the amount of streams that he had left. I counted at least 7.
	We caught our breath, Khol still on top of me. He rubbed my lower belly, and it felt swollen. there wasn't too much of a bulge, but I could still feel bloated. "You okay?" Bartan asked me. I gave a nod.
	"The... answer... is... No." I said between breaths. And he gave a smile. Khol gave me a worried smile, but one nonetheless. "But never again. Not with a full load attempt." And Khol gave me a lick.
	"Glad I pulled you out when he cried." Bartan said to Khol, and he gave a nod. By the look of it, Khol seemed a little guilty. And after Bartan's warmth started to fade, I could feel something.
	Vulnerability.
	I guess both me and Khol never really looked at our playful sessions as 'Dangerous'. But after that... Bartan laid down beside us, giving a few licks on my belly. "Hmm, tastes like cherries. Here I thought that only me and Beo had flavors."
	"Try Khol's. I can't quite place it."
	Bartan leaned into Khol's crotch, and Khol let out a small yelp. "Almost a Glaze. But the cross between Honey and Vanilla."
	"Yes! That's it. I had that stuck in my head for a long time." Bartan chuckled. Then I felt around my lower belly. "Will... this...?"
	"It will go down, yes. You'll be fine. Just don't try to take the full load anymore. I really didn't expect little Khol here to be such a stud." Khol didn't say anything. Just lightly smiled. I think it really bothered him to know that he could really hurt me from his instincts. All I could do was hold him tightly for a while. "Well, best to get washed up, and get fed. We'll continue tomorrow."
	"What about you?" I asked.
	"Trust me, the show was enough." Bartan smirked. "Get some rest. I'll meet you in the cave sometime during the night. Have something I need to take care of first."
	"Alright. We sleep in the spare cave so the light doesn't wake us up again." Bartan gave a nod. And flew off. I gave Khol a look. "You alright?"
	"I just... I didn't think it would hurt you that much." My guess was correct.
	"Khol, look at me." He did so, a little bit of sadness in his eyes. "Life lessons. I'm just glad that someone was here to pull you out." I licked him in the nose. "And, with any luck, if you can learn to control yourself; then maybe we can try it again. Who knows? Maybe with a bit of practice, I might be able to take the full load." I gave him a little smirk. "It's just, I'm going to end up looking like a very fat dragon. You might have to end up rolling me up my Throne." The thought made him laugh. I pulled him a little closer "I love you, Khol." And I gave him a kiss.
	"I love you too, Zhai." Khol returned it. "But we should get clean. You okay to fly with all the extra weight?" He teased.
	"Don't worry. I workout my wings, remember? I'll be fine."

Chapter 7
	The next few days were quite harsh on us. The weather didn't help either. Bartan's physical training was quite intense when it came to using this magical ability. It reminded me of some of the things I was doing with Su Ying when he came for his second visit. We spent days just trying out different forms and exercises.
	But this one involved alot more blood. Which in turn made us a bit weaker. He gave us a mix of something to drink. Said it would help increase our blood reproduction. It seemed like it was working, to be honest. But only until we had to use more of it.
	All and all, I was very impressed how well Khol kept up. For not being terribly well fit as I was, he still had alot of stamina. Although he didn't really favor some of the more physical enhancements that I did, he liked the Arcana side to it. Using his blood and magics to manipulate some of the elements like Air, Lightning, Fire, and Frost. By the end of the days, we were exhausted.
	On Bartan's final day with us, the weather was still gloomy. A mix of darkness and rain that didn't like to let up. I woke up quite late, and when I did, Bartan and Khol were not on my bedding. It took a while for me to find them, out by Silverthorn. For as long as he stayed, Bartan seemed to try and avoid contact with the villages. I'm not really sure why.
	When I tried to approach them, Bartan met up with me before I got to Khol. "Zhai, I need to talk to you." I gave him an odd look. "Privately. I want you to meet me in the meadow grounds that we've been training in. I'll wait for you there." He sounded rather stern, like when he was training us. Honestly, it worried me.
	I approached Khol after Bartan took off. He looked a little worried. "What was that about?" I asked him, but he didn't answer. "Khol? Is everything alright?"
	The look in his eyes said he was sorry. Khol took a deep breath, and embraced me. "Be careful." He whispered. "And answer with your heart. He'll see otherwise..." I looked at him puzzled. Before I could ask, he interrupted me. "I'll meet you back in your Throne when you're done." Something told me that this might be the last time I might see Khol. And I don't know what exactly it was.
	Even though alot of questions bounced in my head, I knew where the answers laid. I flew to the meadow to meet Bartan, and he was sitting in the rain, waiting for my arrival. "Bartan? What's this all about? What's going on?" I asked, after my hard landing.
	He was silent for a bit. Still. "Zhaiothe. What happened a year ago?"
	My neck curled to an S. "What do you mean; what happened a year..." And I trailed off. My heart stopped for a moment.
	That's what this was about.
	"What did you do?" His questions were more of a demand than anything. He turned around to stare into my eyes. I looked away for a brief moment. "Look at me!"
	I took a deep breath. His brown eyes were rather cold. "I... Drank too much... And..." Bartan began to walk toward me. The rain felt like it was getting heavier.
	"And?"
	My ears dropped. "...I said things I shouldn't have... Done things that I wouldn't do... On the person that deserved it the least." Bartan stopped in front of me. The way he was looking at me, it reminded me of my father. It honestly made me angry. "Why?" He gave me a swat across the nose. The blow was so painful, I swear it broke my jaw and staggered me. I ended up trying to balance myself with all fours to keep me from falling. I felt disorientated and tried to focus the ringing in my head to stop.
	"Why the hell would you do such a thing?" I snapped my jaw a bit, and concluded it was still functional.
	"I was drunk! I couldn't control my actions!"
	"You know very well how much it would take for you to get drunk. The after effects are not what I'm blaming here." Bartan grabbed my snout, and I gave off a bit of a yelp. "Part of growing up is knowing limitations. It's getting reason and understanding the effects of your actions! You knew very well how you felt when you left that cave, yet you were determined to return to Khol. Knowing what would've probably happened! Where was that maturity of yours!?" And he threw me to the grass. Pinning me.
	"Bartan-!?"
	He leaned into my ear, and whispered softly. "I'm doing this because you want me to. Because you need me to..." And he was right... His voice thickened. "What you did nearly destroyed what you've made here. What you've did nearly got rid of the best thing that has ever happened to you!"
	"I know it has! But Khol has forgiven me... I did what he asked me to. And I won't drink again. I won't let that ever happen again."
	"Yet you spent the last year despairing? Living in a mask in order to make Khol happy?" He had me all figured out, I swear. "Zhai... It's time you forgave yourself for what happened." For the entire year, I felt like what I was doing wasn't enough penance. I felt like I lacked the punishment I deserved. I wanted to be beaten. I wanted someone to overpower me and finally bring me justice... But no one was there to fulfill that role... "You're alot like me, sometimes. We need someone to throw us against the wall. Call us out on what we do wrong. And we have a very hard time to forgive ourselves... But Khol has! And for the sake of your relationship with him, Let Go Of It!"
	I was quiet for a while, listening to the rain pouring down on us. "What do you want me to do...?"
	"...Go to him. Finally put this pity aside and leave it here. Move on with your life-With Khol. Get over this painful memory, and learn from it."
	For a long moment, I just stared into his eyes... I tried to get up, but Bartan kept me pinned. "How am I supposed to go to him if you don't release me?"
	"You honestly think that every obstacle in your way to him will just move itself aside?" His voice was thick again. "Show me you're willing to fight for him. Show me that you've really learned something!" He barked.
	It honestly made me angry again. And I grappled him, tossing him aside. Then him with me. We went back and forth for a while, until he ended up throwing me across the grass. I ended up landing on my feet. Take note: Never grapple with a Hexeped! They will kick your ass.
	By the time I landed, I was furious. I turned around to find him where I left him. Standing tall. Again, he reminded me of my father, and I let out a low growl... But something he said... (Show me you've learned something)... I gave a snort. Turned around and started to walk away. After a few steps, I looked back at him, still standing there. I then took to the skies to go back to Khol. While I was lifting off, I swear I heard Bartan's voice saying "That's the right choice."
	I flew to my Throne, and found Khol reading in torchlight. He looked at me with worry for a moment, as I approached him. I embraced him tightly against me. "Never again..." I whispered.
	"...What?" Khol whispered, returning the embrace. "What did Bartan...?"
	"...Your Tears..." I swallowed. "They never fell, Khol."
	"Zhai?"
	"Forgive me... For what I did a year ago... Please."
	Khol was quiet for a moment. "You've been forgiven, Zhaiothe. You've earned it." He gave a little sniff. I could tell he was losing himself. "What did you mean? About Tears?"
	I had a hard time holding myself together, but I did what I could. "My Punishment... Your Tears, Khol... They Don't Fall..." (They Crash Around Me...) And when I could no longer speak, I lifted him and carried him to the bedding.
	...
	We never seen Bartan again after that. Nor heard from him. But he helped us more than I could ever ask. He saved me from a downspiral of emotions that would've ruined what we had. After that night, everything felt right. Normal. The way they were before. I wished I could've thanked him.

	The summers were busy, as usual. Su Ying came back that summer to visit once again. But I could tell he was aging at a much faster pace than Duravan was. I was faced with the concept that soon he might not be able to travel that much. Especially since it's getting harder to outside of the lands. Not to mention, it was a long way from his Monastery.
	Su Ying and I spent a few days with each other. Khol occasionally came to watch us 'Dance', but that usually... Ended well for me. Very uncomfortable for Su Ying. So Khol usually spent time with his friends in the villages, while Su Ying and I went out. "So, how's life at the Monastery?" I asked, walking him back to the nearest village after we had a nice long session. He was a little tired, I could tell. "...Do... you want a ride?"
	"I'll be fine, friend. Monastery has been quiet lately. But the wars outside the mountains have been growing ever closer. Lately, it's been difficult to travel much. Unless things begin to clear up, I don't see me being able to make it out here again. As much as I would enjoy to." It made me frown.
	"Are things getting that bad outside my mountains?" I half knew the answer to that, thanks to Sanfard.
	"I'm afraid so. There has been several attempts to even appeal to our Monastery to help defend the lands from invaders."
	"Yet, you won't?"
	"More because it's quite trivial. The war itself is for sections of the land. The land shouldn't be divided in the first place. That's what our people are taught. There should be harmony within the species and the lands. And only help when it's needed. Never harm."
	"I can understand that."
	"And your people do as well, Sire. You've done well to raise them."
	"That actually belongs to Silverthorn. She's the one that's done most of that work. I'm still not good with the social side of the Children." he smiled when I called them Children. "Besides, a dragon's duty should never lie in politics. I honestly find it foolish."
	"At times, there can be a place for such a thing. But it needs someone who is able to see clearly. Our headmaster, so to speak, is quite wise. And his years of experience has brought him foresight. More so than this King of Alzallion. From what I've heard, he's a stubborn old man."
	I gave him a puzzled look. "It's not like you to judge others, Su Ying."
	"Forgive me, Sire. His army has been bullying the villages near here. And placed several Toll Booths across the roads. It costs nearly a years worth of savings to travel one way here."
	I gave a heavy sigh. "I wish I could do something to help. Even if it were to join in to wipe this kingdom off the lands."
	"Don't trouble yourself, friend. You are much more needed here. But be warned; odds are they will come to claim your land. Only the rumors of it being guarded by dragons has kept them from entering the mountains." He rested his hand on my arm, and I stopped moving for a moment. "Your lands are the only thing here that's considered to be blessed by Freedom from the outside world. It's the only lands left that are not tainted by such wars and bloodlust. You must keep this haven away from the hands of Avarice." I gave him a nod.
	As we continued walking, we seen the village from a distance, as well as quite alot of people outside of it. One of them started our way. "Hmm... Wonder what has happened."
	"Perhaps just some issues with the inns? There's been alot of traveling this summer."
	As the man approached us, he took off his hat. I've seen him around a bit, but never knew who he really was. He worked with Duravan, if I'm not mistaken. "Sire..."
	"Yes? What is it?"
	"I regret to inform you that... Duravan has passed. There's been an accident this morning, and he was involved." For a few minutes, I just stared at the village's direction. After, I fell to my haunches, speechless.
	"Thank you, sir. Considered your message delivered." Su Ying stated. "Sire, look at me." It took a moment for me to snap out of it. "Are you alright?" Again... I just froze. "Let’s get back to your Throne."
	"...Alright." I said. Still quite shocked. I laid on my belly, as I felt Su Ying mount me. And when he was in position, I took off.
	Landing hard outside of my Throne. I took a look back at the village that Duravan lived in. "It used to be so small..."
	"Hmm?" Su Ying asked, dismounting me. He disliked flight still, but this wasn't the time to think about himself... He was the only human I rather liked because of that.
	Tong: "Because he didn't like to fly? Or because he didn't think of himself that often?"
	The second one. "When I first seen him... Duravan... That village was only 3 houses." I ended up laying down, without even realizing it. Su Ying did his best to comfort me. I motioned him to stroke my neck when he got close to it. "His father was the one who convinced me to even let some of these people in. Duravan must've been nearly 100 years old when I first met him. Almost an adult... They live to be nearly 700... He was maybe 350..."
	"700?" Su Ying asked. "I knew elves lived a long time, but never knew that long." We were quiet for a bit. "Sire? Are you going to be alright? Would you like me to find Silverthorn for you?"
	I shook my head. "She'll find me soon enough..." I took a deep breath. "...I was told that things like this happen for a reason. I won't deny his death, nor believe that such a thing was done on purpose... I just wished..."
	"It's alright. No one could've seen it. I know you were close." (Close?) The term echoed in my head. (I knew him well, yes. And he was a kind person to me. But... I couldn't tell him what his child's name was. I couldn't tell him where he lived, the name of his village. Even the name of his wife escapes me. He didn't even know my...) And there it was. That life lesson; friendships won't wait for you.
	"Here I thought I still had hundreds of years to get to know him better, yet... He's gone."
	"Sire, you can't blame yourself."
	"...Zhaiothe..."
	"Pardon?"
	"Su Ying... My name is Zhaiothe. Please call me that from now on." From the corner of my eye, I could see him bow respectfully. I stuck out my arm a bit, for him to relax on it. And I began telling him stories of Duravan.
	I tried to save most of my tears for when Khol came to me, and when Su Ying would leave. It was a bit harder to do the more I got into it. I'm pretty sure Su Ying seen a few of them. For a person who grew up being taught that Dragons were soulless beasts that brought the very core of destruction with them, it was a good thing for him to see me be so devastated by the death of a close friend.
	The next few days were difficult for me. I was depressed a bit, but thanks to Khol, my head was always above water. I can't tell you how supportive Khol was. Whenever there was an issue with the village, he would resolve it. Whenever they wanted an audience with me, he would tend to them if I was in tears. I thanked him thoroughly every day.
	I ended up almost missing Su Ying's leave. I caught up with his caravan just in time. I flew him to my boarders, and we spent some last hours talking with one another as friends. Until the Caravan caught up. "Zhai..." He said, as the caravan approached. "I don't think I'll be able to come back. Not with the way these wars are continuing..."
	"I understand, friend." I gave a sad smile, but I really did understand. He was saying Farewell. "It's been a real pleasure Su Ying. Please, have a good life." And I gave him a lick out of instinct. Although, he didn't appreciate it like Khol did, he tried not to be disrespectful. He gave my head an embrace.
	"You too. Don't have any more regrets." As the caravan approached, he quickly broke the hug, thinking he didn't want to embarrass me. I then grabbed him and held him tight against my chest. (No more. No more will I fear the judgement of others when I'm around my friends.) As I let him go, he released with a smile.
	"Take care of yourself." I said with a smile. As I sat up, looking at the way forward for the caravan. The roads seemed clear within view... But... I knew what lied outside of it. I looked back at the driver and gave him a nod when Su Ying was inside. And he proceeded.
	Although, I knew people were staring at me, I didn't let it bother me. They've never seen me close up, let alone showing any affection for anyone besides Silverthorn. I watched the caravan leave until it was out of my sights. "Farewell, my friend." I choked. After a heavy sigh, I took off.

	I met up with Khol in Silverthorn, who knew what I was doing just by the look on my face. He opened a wing for me, and I gladly took it. Holding onto him closely. "Khol...?" I asked, in a low whisper. It got his attention, and he tilted his head at me. "...Do you like being a female?" The question made him smile.
	"Yes. It's quite exciting to have such skeleton in the closet." The expression puzzled me. "A secret."
	And suddenly, the worst timing ever. An older looking fellow came up to us. "You two may have fooled everyone else, but I can see right through it. I never thought I'd live to see the day that two male dragons would be considered mates. It's unnatural!"
	"...Sire, did you...?" Khol asked. I shrugged with my wings and shook my head. "With all due respect, sir. Last I checked: one falls in love with another person. Not a gender. If you have an issue with the two of us being male, let alone leak it out in the only country that seems to be free in this entire world; please remember that we are dragons, and you taste very good with ketchup." ...I don't blame you for laughing there. After the guy took off, neither of us could hold back our laughter. It felt so good to laugh again, especially with Khol.
	"Someone's quite feisty today. What was all that about?" I just had to ask.
	"I think I've just heard it too much lately. How the Children seem to think they need to follow some strict code, and everyone that goes against it must be beaten, broken, and reset to fit their standards. I'm usually not so threatening, but... Sometimes you need to make it sting." I couldn't help but blush at him a little, and stare in silence. "Sire...?"
	I ended up nibbling at his ear a bit. He looked at me funny, then it clicked. Khol smiled deviously, and we took off to my Throne.

Chapter 8
	Over the weeks, I tried not to be involved in Duravan's passing. It was too much for me, and other than attending his funeral, I did no social gatherings. It's not that the Children bothered me. Actually, it's a little of that. But his passing taught me something else: More or less, I would live to see nearly every one of these people die. And the more distant I am with them... The better.
	Tong: "...You're worried about me in that sense too, huh?"
	I am. I actually worry more about you being killed beforehand... Regardless, the way I am now... I'm technically immortal. Providing I keep going up and down the Morality scale. I could live to see the end of the world, providing I'm not taken out beforehand. It worries me... Alot. But I digress.
	Point being; I didn't try to make anymore new friends. And I think it showed. I know Khol didn't want to live like that. And I was fine with him socializing with them. He seemed to enjoy it, and it didn't bother him too much when they ended up passing on. I was always there for him though, whenever he needed me.
	But as the decades went on, I became more and more concern with Alzallion. I often spent my days patrolling, and going out a bit farther in the mountains. To see how close they tried to get. I even caught a caravan trying to sneak in once, and I made short work of it. But I could tell one thing: They wanted my lands. My top priority, other than Khol, was to protect them.
	I made good use of what Bartan taught us. I often asked the merchants if they could find me some magically enhanced armors and maybe a few weapons. Sanfard was the most reliable to find and deliver such things, due to his connections with the outlands. But he was concerned why I requested such things. "The more the years go by, the more Alzallion grows more daring to invade my lands. I want to prevent that."
	"But Sire... Most of your people are not soldiers. They're simple townsfolk. They won't be able to defend themselves against such an army. Even with a few magical armors." I appreciated his concern, while he was passing me the few scalemails Sanfard had acquired.
	"They won't have to." I said, taking the mails by paw.
	"I don't understand, Sire." He gave me a worried look, which then turned into surprise when I started swallowing what he had obtained. "What are you doing?"
	After I finished swallowing, I answered him. "With any luck, they won't have to fight. I'll be the only obstacle in the Army's way. In order to make sure I can stand up to such a thing, I need these items. I know how to consume them, and make their effects as part of my own body." I took a deep breath, and ate another one.
	"Sire..."
	"If anything is to happen to my lands, it will only follow my destruction. And I will do everything I can to insure that I will not fall easy. Are those the only ones you were able to obtain?"
	"I'm afraid so. It's difficult to smuggle such things across the tolls." Sanfard said.
	"It's alright. I Thank you." I turned to walk away, towards my Throne once again. It was to take a lot of work, and alot of blood to change what I just swallowed.
	"Sire, Please." Sanfard sounded rather worried. "Don't take this army too lightly... And if I'm not here when they attack, please be cautious." I gave him a nod.
	I did that for years. Constantly patrolling, keeping watch outside my boarders. And trying my best to keep up with any news the travelers came up with. It worried Khol a little bit. I could not blame him. But I took heed to what Bartan warned us about the enhancements. Even though it was a bit risky, I left my most sensitive areas untouched. I couldn't imagine not being able to be pleased by Khol, let alone him becoming disappointed that I would no longer be able to feel down there. I did what I could to reassure him that I was fine, and that I was doing it so he, nor anyone else in my country, would need to.
	It eventually leaked out what I've been doing for my lands. And every village did what they could to support me. Although I was not very social with them, Khol guided them to understand why I was like this. But their form of support was... not really something I wished to be a part of. Often enough it was large celebrations with wines and drinks. Tables of food, and dancing. It honestly made me uncomfortable to be the main spotlight in such a thing. Eventually I stopped going to them, as much as I appreciated the respect. I just wasn't looking for publicity or... Friends.
	After a summer of that, word came around that the King of Alzallion had died, and his son was crowned. For a while, there were no signs of the army anywhere around my lands. I can only assumed that he was focusing on the east, whatever lands lied there. I would've been worried about Su Ying, if I wasn't sure he had already passed on.
	Tong: "Okay, can you give me a number to describe how many years it's been? Did you keep track of your age?"
	Not terribly well. And I really didn't use much of a calendar. But at this point, I was about 425. It's difficult to follow, I know. But I was about 200 when I met Khol. Duravan was about 25 years older than me, when I met his father at my age of 75. I met Su Ying at about 315, about 10 years before Duravan's passing.
	Tong: "How old was Su Ying when you met him?"
	I think around 30. But humans get quite old, quite fast. Especially when they start to travel alot. The next real important part in the story though... It happens about 50 years later. The towns in my lands were growing bigger and bigger, a few of them almost into cities. I have caught a few patrols of Alzallion's guard. They even tried to make a Toll Booth in the mountains recently, and I ended up setting it on fire. A few guards that were in it fled at the first sight of me, and must've reported to their commanding officers. But I wanted them to know what they were up against. Let alone, spread the rumors that there were multiple roaming my lands.
	My relationship with Khol didn't change terribly much. I still loved him so, and he knew it. He grew fond of the cities and how they grew. As well as their cuisine. Honestly... I'll say one thing: You maybe Children in minds, but good Gods can you cook! Khol was so inspired by it, that he attempted to try it a few times.
	Tong: "Oh lord..."
	Oh lord, indeed. It didn't quite turn out the same. But it was a small hobby of his that he enjoyed, as well as I did. As long as it kept him happy, and away from the dangers of the war. We still tried for a child from time to time, but never got anywhere. Even attempted me getting nailed a few more times, but we were very careful with it. And once again, we didn't get too far. Still, it was the pleasure that truly mattered to me, as well as the thought of just trying for Khol.
	One gloomy afternoon, we decided to have some fun in my Throne. It lasted until evening, and by the time we rested it off, the torches we lit were nothing but embers. Khol slowly moaned awake, while I stared at the soft glows in the dark. "...You awake?" Khol mumbled at me. I honestly couldn't make it out that much.
	I gave him a few licks. "Go back to sleep." I whispered to him. "The torches have gone out. I'm going to get more lumber for them."
	"...Just use the spare ones..." Another series of mumbles. I believe that's what he said anyway. He held me rather tight, and I returned it. "You can get more in the morning... It's still wet out anyway." He was quite cute like this.
	I just smiled at him. "I wanted to make a quick patrol as well. Just to be sure. I won't be long. Don't wait up for me." I kissed him a bit, stroking the back of his mane.
	"Come back soon... I love you." And he broke his embrace after a tight squeeze.
	"I love you too, my Silverthorn." And I got up, stretched a bit, then took off.

	The weather was still rainy. And there was an unnatural fog making it rather hard to see anything at a distance. My entire land could've fallen into the ocean, and I would never know until I landed. It worried me a bit really, and I almost felt lost, until I seen the mountains below me. Still covered in a thick blanket of fog, I decided to rest on one to see if I can discover where exactly I was.
	Since it was hard to see, it was best that I took a soft landing. Not my greatest work, but I found the smooth rocky ground with ease. I took a few steps, trying to outline where the ground ended. I found the edge, but still didn't quite place where I was. In the distance... I swear I could've seen something orange.
	I waited a bit, seeing it draw closer. Then seen several of them... then a long line of them. Not to brag, but a dragon's vision is quite extraordinary, if we take a long time to study what we're looking at, we can usually see quite clearly from far away. It just takes a while to get that 'Zoom' in and out. Let alone, trying to see clearly through a wall of Fog doesn't really help too much.
	As I was looking at the orange lights, I swear a small breath of the land blew just enough fog away so I could see some type of banner.
	The banner of Alzallion.
	(Taath!) I did everything I could not to curse out loud. They were trying to sneak in while the weather was concealing them. But at the same time, they were not making much noise... They were not alerted of my presence. I had the opportunity to use the same tactic. But I had to be careful.
	I took off to a glide, away from them at first, so I could climb in the air a bit. Then Circled around, trying to make out the torches they were carrying again. Then I came to a large mountain... (I know this mountain...!) This was one of the mountains that was claimed dangerous along the path, due to its risk of rockslides. It seemed like the weather wasn't terribly kind to it.
	The mountain was breaking down from the outside. There were several good places for caves round it, but it seemed to deteriorate quite fast. To the point where it's 'Roof' was slowly decaying. I've camped inside of it a few times, a long time ago, but it wasn't until a few rocks fell on me that I decided it wasn't safe. It was a nice place to hide from something for a bit, but it wasn't a great spot for a dragon to attack from. It was too high, and I couldn't cause a rock slide without risk of getting caught inside of it as well. Maybe even buried inside.
	But the mountain would provide me cover and stealth for now. While the path traced along the north of it, I flew around the south. Getting behind their march. If I could keep them from noticing me until I made it, perhaps I can do a large amount of damage from the rear. (We'll see where that takes us.) I was planning in my head.
	So far, so good. I made it as far as I could without completely losing sight of the lights they used to see though the thick fog. I approached them from behind, much like I did Duravan in the beginning of my story. Coming to a glide and taking sight of the first set of torches, I squeezed my flame glands quite harshly. This was going to take alot of it, so I wouldn't be able to rely on it too much during this fight.
	A bit leaked out of my jaws. The bile tasted terrible, but it was needed. With a small light, I sprayed the stuff along the back of the path, quite early, and glided across the first set of torches. Flames carpeted the path that they marched on, and I could hear the victims of my burns screaming in agony. I must've taken out maybe a quarter of the whole invasion with one breath. It got the rest of the army's attention.
	However, I was not in the greatest of positions, especially for archers. I've enhanced my back scales and quite a bit of my chest. But from my lower belly down, they didn't get alot of attention. If I pulled up now, I would be vulnerable. So I dove down hard, and slid across the path, trampling over another unit-
	Tong: "Wait, an entire unit? You're exaggerating."
	I'm not exaggerating. I was quite big.
	Tong: "How big?"
	Well, according to your measurements... I was about 50 feet long. From nose to tail. And about 18, 22 feet tall? From the top of my head, mind you. Not the spines.
	Tong: "..."
	...You were picturing me this big this entire time, weren't you?
	Tong: "...Yes. I can see why you didn't spend much time with the villages now."
	Indeed. Mind you, Khol was quite a bit smaller, as most females usually are.
	Where was I? Right. Slide. And then I rammed a caravan with my shoulder... Okay, it was more like my arm joint, but it was enough to bring me to a stop. I gave what remained of it a backpaw, and slammed at another group of people. By this time, they were yelling something I couldn't quite make out. It must've been another language. I didn't pay too much attention to it at the time, I could feel a few of them below me, striking at my chest. The enhancements at least did well to harden me. I took care of them with a small push to lift my upper half up, and a swipe from the left paw. 
	Suddenly, the snaps of bowstrings filled the air. I covered my head with my wings, and felt the arrows attempt to pierce them. I enhanced those too, trying my best to keep them more durable, yet still useable as wings. I gave a sidewind, something that Su Ying taught me. Think of a pivoting advance, and used the force of the spin to sweep another unit against the mountainside, then came down with another slam of my right paw. Another volley of arrows scraped against the protective scales of my face. I was lucky that none hit my eyes. They were probably aiming for my belly. (Means, they've dealt with dragons before. If they know where to aim.) The thought made me realize something else, but it was hardly the time to worry about those in my Hatchplace.
	A few hooks swept the foreground before me, and I used the extra room for another ram forward. Yet another volley of arrows aimed at my face, and I blocked them with my forearms. Another taste of that flame bile, and I fanned the area before me with another jet of flames. Some of the caravans caught on fire, and I could still hear someone shouting orders in the back. I snorted a bit, taking out whatever soldiers remained around me. I then picked up one of the burning wagons with my right paw, and dragged it to my left side. I then spun around, and haunch-tossed it. Lobbing it into the air and hitting somewhere in the front of the march.
	I returned to my paws, and took a few breaths. My adrenaline was coursing thought my bloodstream, demanding more out of my instincts. I gave a quick roar, and charged forward, through the next set of soldiers that were trying to fall back. A series of sweeps, hooks and slams. Things I was practicing with Su Ying to get that balance of offense and defense. But somewhere, I remained opened. A soldier on my right side got me with a cold blade. It was deep, but not terribly deep. Not enough to retreat. I slammed at him, crushing his body and turning it into a red stain along the wide road.
	I kept going. Doing my best not to get too injured. I did get a few more stabs and cuts, but nothing that felt serious. Another volley of arrows showered me, but I managed to get my wings to cover my in time. I was drawing closer to them with every sweep of the area. Another unit came after me, and once again, I trampled them. From the sky, there really didn't seem to be this much. But it felt like a never ending amount of them when I was on the road.
	Another volley caught me during a sidewind, and I felt a few arrows pepper my right side. One stun heavily, getting into that sword wound. I did my best to ignore the pain for now, and focused on advancing further. I got to a unit of archers, and greeted them with another spray of flames.
	I then heard this large snap, and a whistling in the air, followed by a freakishly large arrow that just barely missed me. It slammed into the mountain and shattered into splinters. (Ballistas!?) I never expected such a thing. It was a very scary sound for a dragon to hear, especially when a direct hit could take one out. I'm not sure if my enhancements would be enough. (Time to change tactics.) And I jumped off the path, and dove under it.
	The area of the path was held up by the mountains from there. Almost like a large stone bridge. I circled around the mountain once again, trying to stay low. My instincts demanded that I climbed for safety, but I heard a few more whistles in the air. I took a bit of cover until they stopped firing, than circled to the north side.
	I did my best to try and study where the ballistas were located, but it was difficult to see much. My wound stun once again. But I couldn't leave now, not when they're so close. They still had about half an army left, and with that they could invade the villages easily. I took a few breaths, and felt something under my hind paws. The rocks were a little loose... And I got a plan.
	I took one of the medium sized rocks and threw it on the northeast side of the mountain, where I came in from before. If they were expecting me to attack, it was probably going to be the same thing I did in the beginning. It was the most damaging thing I did to them, after all. And it would render what siege weapons they had useless.
	The rock made a loud impact when it hit the mountainside, and lucky for me once again; they fell for it. I heard the snaps of bowstrings again, as well as the ballistas fire, the whistling in that direction. (Now's my chance!) I swooped in, and fired a concentrated blast of the bile where the ballistas were located. I almost missed, but the spray of the bile itself still covered them, making them dangerous to use against me, let alone reload.
	I landed once again, sweeping the bridge-like area, doing my best to knock them off the suspended path. The fall alone would probably kill them, if they somehow avoided the jagged rocks beneath, the water would probably get them then. These men were heavily armored, making it very difficult to swim. A few more sweeps, and the area was mostly clear. Another large whistle pained my ear, and I ducked just in time. (Taath! There's more!?) And another rain of arrows came from the west. It was too many at the time, and near constant. I couldn't really advance too far, and my wings were not going to hold them forever. Especially if they get that ballista reloaded.
	I began to retreat a bit, into the mountains, trying to circle around it. But I heard the ballista fire again, cutting me off of that path and just barely missing me. I ended up having to grasp the mountain to stop myself from becoming its target. Not wanting to waste time, I started climbing up a bit, getting into one of those caved openings, slightly sheltered in the mountain. But it was very small, and roofless. It was like a broken shell of the outside of the mountain that was barely suspended there. This large plate about four times my size.
	I laid down a bit, trying to avoid any arrows that managed to sneak in the way I came. The climb seemed to open my wound up a little bit, and the arrow inside of it still stun. It pissed me off, so I took it out. I lightly covered the wound with my paw, to once again feel that sting. (Khol told me to never touch them... I forgot...) Panting to catch my breath, I ended up looking at my paw for a bit. The blood seemed to shimmer a bit in the dark. (Only to be used...) "When faced with death..." I repeated Bartan's words to me. This was a stupid idea, but I looked up at the small fractures that held the large plate of mountainside. (If I could bring that down, it would collapse the bridge the army resided on, and it would stop them... But I would need the strength to do it.)
	I gave into the plan. I did what I could to open the wound up a bit more. Gods, it hurt so bad. But I took a mouthful of blood, and swallowed it. Trying to focus the magics that laid within to enhance my strength. I could feel it. I muscles began to tighten. They started to burn, and stretch against my scales. My breaths became heavier, and I swear they were hotter. I felt like I was exhaling steam. Anger flooded my mind and my vision, defying what pain I had in my body. With a loud roar, I began to wail on the mountainside. Powerful punches slammed against the rock wall, as it began to give in. Causing dent after dent that followed the strikes of my paws. The rocks above me started to fall, and break apart. More and more I slammed into the mountain and I heard the plate above me start to give. It was still caught a bit, so I jumped toward it. Climbing in-between the mountain and the mountain's shell.
	I braced myself between them, and used every muscle strength in my body against it. Feeling it break apart little by little. With one final roar, I slammed into it hard, causing the thing to break. I fell to where I took cover before, as the Plate fell down, and toppled onto the large bridge, causing the path to shatter. The screams of men followed it and echoed down the mountainside, along with a large crash.
	With a slow breath, I started to feel the after-effects of the ritual slowly pain my body. My muscles became very sore, and exhausted. But I fought against it for a bit. Making sure that ended the invasion. Looking down, I seen nothing left of the path. And no more lights to the west.
	My lands were safe.
	I gave a sigh in relief. And gave into the pain that came after the stimulants. My body felt like it was on fire, and burned against the rain that did its best to cool me. I suddenly became nauseous, and coughed out a little bit of blood. (Wait... That's never happened before... Not with that enhancement...) My stomach knotted horribly, and caused my throat to tighten. My head became a little dizzy, and it occurred to me... If they did invade and wipe out my hatchplace... Dragons were not easily taken out by physical means... "Poison...?" I whispered out loud.
	It's something I've never had enhancements with. Something that didn't come to mind. I needed to get back to Khol. He took a slight interest in the apothecaries. (He might be able to-) Another cough, with a bit more blood that time. I couldn't stay here. If I did, I would die. I would never see Khol again. And with every ounce of my strength, I jumped nearly half of what I usually do during a takeoff. At least I was higher up. And I did my best to fly home.
	I tried to navigate, but it was hard with my mind disorientated. I felt like I was flying in circles, and every flap of my wings caused my stomach to tie into knots. I did everything I could to keep breathing, but my vision was getting dimmer. (Flight... My love... I'm sorry for neglecting you... But Please... Guide me to my Thorne... So I may be Blessed... Once again... With... your Gift...) I prayed. I really didn't believe in the gods to protect us, let alone guide us when we needed it. My goddess was Flight. She's the one who gave me such freedom. Now she was the one to attempt to save my life.
	I started to make out my Throne in the distance. The fog seemed to lift, but the rain still poured heavily. The flight felt like it took days, and I did all I could to keep myself higher. All at once, that mountain seemed to be right below me. I slowly tried to descend. The closer I got, the more I seemed to accelerate. As I tried to slow down, my vision went dark, and I passed out.
	The sudden slam woke me up. I felt and heard the bones in my left shoulder snap hard. Pain shot through my body, and overwhelmed me for a moment. I coughed a bit, and did what I could to stand up. It was foolish to try to stand on my left paw, as the sharp pain caused me to stagger inside my Throne. I could faintly hear Khol's voice, and his footsteps drawing closer to me. "Taath, Zhai! You Are Not Drunk Again!" Such anger filled him. (The room was dark, I remember now...) He couldn't see my wounds. I tried to speak, but ended up vomiting on the floor. Struggling to breathe, he knew something was wrong. "Zhai? Zhai!" And I collapsed...

Chapter 9
-----
	The rain was getting heavy outside, as the two enjoyed the warmth of the stove. Zhaiothe had already finished his small bowl of his own blood, and the effects of the armor he swallowed the day before was starting to show. It seemed to bring out tiny rings over his scales. After a long drink, the dragon took a deep breath. "You're shoulder... That's why it hurts?" Tong asked.
	"Yes. It never really healed from that impact. If I were conscious, perhaps I could've braced myself and only get a bruise, but..." The red one gave a long sigh. "At least I made it to my Throne before I..." A deep exhale.
	"You want to stop for the night?"
	"No. I would like to... finish it. I'll be awake all night, probably regretting it anyway." 
	Tong frowned at his friend. (Bartan was right. He is too hard on himself.)
-----
	I drifted in and out of consciousness. I could feel a tight grip on my upper jaw and muzzle. Every once in a while a paw in my mouth, along with a terrible taste. I wanted to spit it out, but the paw kept shoving it down deeper and deeper, within my throat. Every once in a while, I could make out a voice. ".....tay....ith.....me...Zh...wallo..." It sounded so familiar, but I was too lost in the darkness. I couldn't remember anything that happened. All I know is that it felt like someone was trying to choke me with weeds.
	The paws kept my muzzle shut, enough that I couldn't spit out the bad taste. My neck began to relax, as if a wave was slowly stroking it, and I gave into it. Feeling the thick ball of weeds scrape my throat. It was still hard to breathe. The pains in my stomach and my shoulder fought back and forth for my attention. Then the voice again... A bit clearer. "...Need... Village... Help... Be... Soon..." I wanted to tell the voice to stay, but all that came out was a whimper.
	My heart raced heavily, pounding my head. I could feel this cold blanket slowly cover me from my tail up. I remember being afraid of it, not wanting it to cover me. It was something to fear, not something to embrace. The more it covered my body, the less I started to feel... I could feel it reach my heart, and it slowed down drastically. It then draped over my head, and all I felt was cold. There was nothing but darkness. My breaths were shallow and small. My heart slowly stopping. I felt tired, longing for rest. I took one more breath to hold, and...
	...
	...I'm not sure how much time passed. I don't even remember where I was. But I do recall a sharp pain in my chest. It honestly felt like a warm jolt, trying to get me to let go of that last breath. I remember thinking, trying to argue with it that it was mine, and no one else’s. The pain came again and again. Eventually it made me let go of it, and I woke up coughing. My chest burned something fierce. My breaths became deeper, as I struggled to find where I was. I still couldn't see anything but slight blurs and darkness. Something grabbed my paws though, something warm. It covered me, over my chest, and I realized I was on my back. "...ai... Zh... hai... Zhai!" (I know that voice...) I did everything I could to grab hold of it. It gave in, and just warmed me. I could still hear it, talking to something. The longer I stayed awake, the more I could start feeling once again.
	I felt... hands. Little hands over my body. Mostly on my right side. And suddenly the pain overwhelmed me again. I roared and tried to struggle. "Stop moving! Zhai, Listen to me! Stop Moving! You can't afford it!" The voice demanded. And I wanted to obey it's orders, I really did, but I couldn't help myself. I remember it grabbing my shoulder and I stiffened from the pain that shot through my body. Then something burned at my side. Burned drastically. I let out another roar, but it was muffled. The burning remained there for a while, and then the pressure holding it stopped.
	I started to be able to make out the orders little by little. "Keep the fire going so we can see. Use the spare lumber we have over there. Keep that covered. You two hold it together to get it stitched. Zhai? Zhai, listen to me. This is going to hurt alot, but I need you to keep still. Don't talk, but keep still and keep awake." I remember coughing, trying to reply anyways. "I need more Red Clover. We'll have to get him to swallow more. This poison was potent." (Poison!?) "What I had was enough to stall it a bit, but he won't last the night without it. We need more in him. Zhai? Open your mouth for me, okay? No, give it to me. If he bites your arm, he'll tear it off. Zhai, open your mouth. Come on..." And I did, regardless of the pain. I let out another cough, but I managed to keep it opened. That foul taste filled my mouth again. "You're doing good. Keep swallowing. I know it doesn't taste good, but you need to do this in order to live."
	(In order to live... I want to live... I want to live my life with Khol... Khol...! That's who that is... That's who's in my mouth... I love Khol...) My thoughts were scrambles. But all I did was what I was told. Still unable to see anything. "Good, Zhai. Now swallow. A little more. Keep doing it." My mouth was so parched, the weeds were just scraping against my throat. "Get me some water, something in a bucket. Yes, that will work. Now, go outside. There's a barrel out there with water in it. How are the stitches coming? Good. Keep going. Be careful on his left shoulder, I think he hurt it when he landed. You, can you get under his wings? He can't hurt you like this. I want some of those arrows out before they start getting into his bloodstream. The ones on his arms too... I don't know what happened. He just returned like this... Yes, I heard that too. It's what woke me up. -Good, bring the water here. Zhai? I need you to hold your breath. We need to get you hydrated. Take a breath. Good-no-no, hold it. Good, bring it here. Drink. A little more, yes. Okay, stop. Take a breath. Alright a few more. Hold one, okay again. Good. That should be enough."
	I couldn't tell how many Children were in my Throne. I'm not even sure how they all made it here. Khol might've carried them, but it's a long ways, and quite risky with the weather like that. Granted, I couldn't keep a straight thought at the time anyways. I just listened to Khol's voice. Eventually, beneath his will, I went to sleep again.
	I woke up, feeling nauseous again. I took a nearby barrel of water that was nearly empty, and unloaded the contents of my stomach in it. It wasn't until I placed my left paw down, I roared at the pain in my shoulder once again. "Zhai? Zhai! What's wrong?" Khol shot up. He came close to me and nudged me to lean on my right side. "It's alright, you're home. You made it..."
	"...What...?"
	"You came home hurt. Badly. I wasn't sure if you were going to make it..." I started to take a few deep breaths, following the rhythm of his heartbeat. "I want you to relax for now. It's over, and you're home. I'm with you... Come. Let's go back to sleep. Did you need anything?"
	"...Water..." And Khol told someone to get more water. It took a bit for my vision to completely clear once again. The Throne was lit up brightly with the two floor torches. And I could see bedrolls that had people in them. A few of them were still cleaning up the floors and other areas that messed up. I felt like I was going to hurl again at the sight of it.
	"Try to keep it in. You need as much medicine in you as possible. How's your pain?" He just had to mention it. My right side still burned, but my shoulder hurt the worse.
	"About a 7 in a scale of 10." My breaths still quite slow, but deep. "Shoulder..."
	"Yes, you slammed into that large rock outside the cave. You probably did alot of damage to it. What does it feel like? The pain, I mean. Sore? Ache? Sharp?"
	"Sharp."
	"It's probably fractured. But it doesn't look dislocated or broken. You'll have to stay off of it for a while though." The man with the water came around, and Khol took it. "Thank you. Here, drink." And I did so. "What's the last thing you remember?"
	I took a pause at that question, and gave a little chuckle. "You swearing at me." Khol shared the laugh, Gods it hurt to laugh. But I've never heard Khol ever say that before.
	Tong: "Say what?"
	Taath. It's a draconic curse word. A horrible one at that.
	Tong: "What does it mean?"
	You really want to know? Don't say I didn't warn you. It means to dump excretions on another. Depending on context. For the most part, it's quite versatile. And I've said it quite a few times, just never thought I'd ever hear it come out of Khol's mouth. Granted, I couldn't blame him, especially if he thought I went out to get drunk.
	After another drink, and another serving of that weed. With Khol's help, I went back to the bed, and leaned against him. Every once in a while, during my sleep, I could hear him talking to someone. One of the Children. Something about being concerned that my side wound could've damaged something else. For now, the only thing they could do was wait and find out.

	Early morning came, and I woke up chilly. The fires in the torches were out, and there was no spare wood around. (Right... I was supposed to get some last night... But...) My mind trailed off, as I had the sudden urge to urinate. Looking around to find some sort of container to catch it in, I tried to get up, but a sleeping Khol was trying his best to keep me from rolling to either side. (Poor guy must've been worried sick all night.) I thought, and I really didn't want to disturb him. Especially if he just got to sleep. I tried to study his movements on my body, seeing if I could somehow slip out unnoticed, but it didn't seem like it was going to happen.
	While looking around, I seen movement in my dark cave. Someone was still awake. "Pssst... Hey... You..." I tried to make it a whisper, but it turned out a little louder than I hoped. The girl ran over to me. "I... Have to..." I tried to motion behind me with my head, but she didn't seem to understand. "Piss." I bluntly said. And her eyes widened, and somehow seemed... Happy?
	Tong: "Happy? Granted, I swear you can't read people that well, but let's go with that."
	I'm serious. And shut up. She seemed really glad that I had to piss for some reason. "Can you... get me something to catch it?" And she gave a nod, and rushed back into the dark hallway where they slept. She came back with a little bowl at first, and I looked at her, unimpressed. "You're going to need something bigger..." And she started to blush. Back out into the darkness. And I could hear her scampering from corner to corner of the room. Every once in a while hear a clank of something falling. Then a very loud one, followed by a few moans of the people trying to sleep. At least Khol stayed undisturbed. She came back with a large pot with a bit of food caked inside of it. "That will do." I started to adjust to see if I can get out of Khol's slumbering embrace.
	"No-no-no!" She said, waving her hands at me. "We're under strict orders for you not to move."
	"How do you expect me to piss if I can't move?"
	"Let me... Just place it." My ears started to turn purple. I'm not sure about other males, but usually when dragons wake up needing to piss we're usually fully erect. And well... She took off before I could warn her. I would've been thankful for the darkness, until she needed to feel around for the... area. And ended up grabbing a hold of it, feeling for it to find out what it actually was, and then let out an embarrassing whimper when it clicked in.
	"Just place it so I don't have to hold it in anymore. If you want to gaze at it after, fine." ...Stop laughing. It was just my instincts. If I were to be embarrassed around someone who's already embarrassed, then I should just try to place my embarrassment onto them instead. Anyway, she did so, and I relieved myself without waking Khol.
	She took the pot back out to a lit lantern in one of the other rooms. I'm honestly not sure what they used them for. After a bit, she returned. "Good news!" And I gave her a Shhh. Pointing my head towards Khol. She covered her mouth for a bit, and then leaned in to whisper. "Your urine doesn't have any blood in it. Odds are, your attacker didn't hit anything important."
	"...You mean, besides me."
	She giggled a little bit, until she realized I was serious. Her reaction was quite amusing. And it made me smirk. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"
	"Still a bit thirsty. And a bit Nauseous. How long is this suppose to last?" She placed her hands under my jawline, feeling for something. Then my forehead. She then realized that she was trying to examine a dragon the way she would examine a Child. A chill suddenly ran down my spine, and my scales clicked together.
	"What was that noise?"
	"Just a shiver."
	"Are you cold?"
	"...Yes. But I don't think I have anymore wood for a fire."
	"No, you're best not to start one. You're very warm to the touch, you've probably got a bit of a fever."
	"From what? The weather?"
	"No... Red Clover often does have some side effects. One of them being a fever."
	"Annnd, your genius idea was to give me this."
	"Silverthorn's actually. Her orders. It does help cleanse out your system. And rather quickly. You've stopped vomiting blood at least, so you're healing well from the inside." She took a look at my left shoulder. "That however... is going to need alot of time to heal. It might not even heal correctly. We're going for a supply run in the morning. We'll have to make you a sling for a little while-"
	"A what?" That was a little louder than I meant, but it sounded ridiculous.
	"It’s a strap of cloth that lifts your arm up with your neck. So you won't end up using your arm out of instinct." My neck curled to an S.
	"I'll wear no such thing."
	"Sire, please. I don't want to go against your will, but it's for your health. Talk to Silverthorn in the morning about it, when she's awake. She could probably explain it better than I can." I grumbled, but she was correct. "I'll get you a bit more medicine for now. And maybe a few blankets, but I don't want your fever spiking. Just try to remain comfortable for now." And she went off. For a few moments, I just laid there listening to Khol breathing. (He almost lost me today...) And I felt so guilty. My mind began to try to replay the battle I came out of. Seeing if I could somehow done something differently. But my daydream broke when she returned to my sights. "Here, drink some of this first." And I did. "Now eat..." She hesitated for a moment. "Carefully eat this." Being mindful of her hands in my jaws. I let them down easily, only to taste that weed once again. I'm assuming I made a face, because she started giggling again. "They taste horrid, don't they?"
	"I cannot imagine what idiot would attempt to eat something when they've been so sick in the first place. You Children are odd things."
	"Hey, I'm over 130. I'm not a child."
	"You misunderstand. I'm not calling you a hatchling, I'm calling you a wyrmling." She gave me a dumb look. And I grumbled a bit. "I'm not calling you an... Infant. But I'm calling you a Child."
	"I still take offense to that." She placed her hands on her hips. "And you shouldn't bite the hand that feeds you." Then walked over to my bedding, grabbed a few things that were not being used, and placed them on bare parts of my back.
	"Well, if you would feed me something that doesn't taste terrible, I'll consider not snapping my jaws." Again, I gave her a sly smirk to let her know I was joking... At least a little. "Someday, you'll understand." I noticed she was out of my sights for a while. "What are you doing back there?"
	She returned to my vision only to be blushing once again. "Nothing."
	"I was being sarcastic when I told you that you could take a look at it after." I said, giving a heavy sigh and a shake of my head. "Are you that interested in such things? You're worse than Khol."
	"Who?"
	My throat tightened. And I snorted. "My pet name for her. Don't call her that though. I can get away with it. You will probably end up getting bit." I tried not to let out the smile that came to me.
	"Oh... I think it's... nice."
	"Think what is nice? The thought of you being bitten?"
	"How long you two have been together. And how you still have that spark. I know people in the towns have a very hard time to stay together outside your lands. Aristocrats, mostly. But you two have such a strong relationship, and have been together at least my entire life. It's your bond that gives the people of your kingdom hope that things will remain peaceful here."
	It was a beautiful thing to say. And honestly, I can't say I've ever felt so appreciated by them. I know they used to have the festivals for me, but I always thought that they were celebrating what I've done for them, instead of who I was. The celebration was for them, not for me. I was just the icon. The reason. But what this woman said... It made it clear to me that it was... Us. Me and Khol. Who really brought this land together. Who kept this land at peace. "...Thank you."
	"For what?"
	"For those words." I was quiet for a bit. "I don't socialize very much with your kind. I distance myself, purposely, because I have a hard time with closure and friendship. She's much better than me at it."
	"It sounds rather lonely."
	"...Dragons like their solitude. It brings them peace of mind. As well as wisdom. Until the day we can find someone to share that solitary life with... I love Silverthorn, she is amaranthine to me. With her, I cannot be lonely." She gave a soft smile. And I got a few knots in my stomach again. "Don't ever tell her that I nearly vomited talking about her." And she went into another giggle fit.
	I shifted a little, trying to position myself, and I flinched in pain again. The wound was more tender than I thought. "Are you okay?" The woman asked.
	"Yes. Just laid on the wrong area." And I took a deep breath.
	"Can I... ask what happened to you?"
	I paused for a moment, looking at her. And closed my eyes while taking a deep breath. "I went patrolling. And I found a large army of Alzallion soldiers taking the eastern path, in the mountains." She let out a gasp. "They're dealt with. Don't worry yourself. I just wasn't expecting... poison." Another deep breath came from me. I detest facing my own mortality... As childish and egotistical as it sounds, I really do detest it.
	"So, you fought them... By yourself?"
	"And a little help from gravity, as well as the mountains." My muscles ached when I remembered I nearly pushed a mountain on top of them. That would take a few days to heal. "The path to the east is... disabled though. I'm not sure if there's another one." I laid my head down once again, and another deep breath. I felt her hand stroke the back of my neck for a bit, then the back of my ears. It was all I could do not to purr in front of her.
	"Thank you, Crimson King. Now get some sleep. You've earned it." She did her best to remain quiet throughout the night, and I drifted off once again.

	I dreamt I was still in the battle. The sounds of bowstrings constantly coming from all directions. I felt like I was caught in the middle of a large platform, with nowhere to go. Arrows raining down from all directions, blocking out any light that the sun gave me. And then, the whistles of Ballistas filled the air. I tried to move around a bit, thinking I could predict where they were going to land. They shot past me, barely nicking my ear, and my spines. My wing actually clipped one, and I could feel that sting. More and more, along with the rains of arrows. I felt helpless. Unable to move without letting go of my defense. And for one daring moment, I let my wings spread and tried to take off, only to take a large bolt to the side, nearly knocking me off the edge.
	The wound was grave, it felt like it took nearly my entire side out. Yet I somehow held onto that edge. Trying to get my right paw up, but stretching the wound was just too painful. Shatters of ballistas against the wall I was clung to threw splinters at my face. I couldn't hold onto anymore. My claws slipped against the smooth stone, and I lost my grip.
	But the faint grasp of another paw snatched my wrist. The smooth silver paw held onto me tightly, and tried to keep me from slipping. "...Khol... No... Flee... You're going to get hit...!" I tried to warn him. It was hard to talk to him. He just smiled at me, as he drew me closer to him. A large pain in my back struck me, and it burst through my chest. A ballista... Nailed me to the stone wall. My blood covered the entire area, and all over Khol's face. Then my hand went limp.

	A large pain jolted me awake. Both my shoulder and my side hurt once again. Then something grabbed me around my right arm and around the left side of my neck. Slowly opening my groggy eyes, I could see something gray close to me. "Zhai, I need you to stay still again. I know it hurts, but I need you to stay on this side for a bit. You opened your stitches in your sleep, and we're trying to sow them back up." I grumbled at Khol, even though he was trying his best to keep me off my bad shoulder.
	Another series of painful jolts, and my growls grew louder. "We're going to need stronger stitches, I think. We don't have much for something his size." A man’s voice said.
	"Just sear it and get it over with!" I hissed, spines flaring up.
	"Last thing you need, Sire, is a burn in this area. Especially if it gets infected." Another voice.
	"I can't get burned by flames." I hissed again. "How do you think I never get burned from my breath weapon?" For a moment, everyone was quiet. I spoke to Khol in draconic. "Please tell me they're not staring at my tool again."
	Khol gave a snicker and replied to me in the same language. "It's not showing. But I could help with that if you want to make them more uncomfortable."
	"I think I'll pass at the moment, until I'm feeling better."
	"What did he say?" A voice was talking to Khol.
	"Just grab a torch for now, we'll try to just stop the bleeding until we can get a better torch for searing wounds. Also, add that to the list." Khol, once again in Tradestongue. They rested the torch closer to my wound, trying to be mindful of the burning distance. I faintly seen Khol toss his head, and then let go of my arm. A slight sting came from the wound and I let out a small grunt. To their surprise, I didn't even brace. "No need to hesitate, Ferric. This dragon isn't frail." Khol returned to me, giving me a small smile. "How are you feeling?"
	"Like an animal on display to a series of Children. How long are they planning to stay here?" Again, draconic.
	"I know what you're thinking. You don't feel comfortable around them. Especially when you feel vulnerable." He could read me like a book. "But until I'm sure I can take care of you myself, I want the help. Mostly because your much bigger than they are, and I'm the only one who can brace you. You can really hurt them if you're unaware of it. Besides, it's nice for them to finally do something for you, for all you've done for them." He gave me a full smile, and a lick. "Besides that, how are you feeling?"
	"Still a little cold. Sore in obvious places."
	"Shoulder, side. What about your back?"
	"What about my back?"
	"Does it hurt?"
	"Why would it hurt?"
	"I ended up having to drag you to the bedding. We couldn't lift you, and well..." It made me laugh. "You're very heavy. Much heavier than I remember."
	"I know I am. I usually try to lift myself when I'm on top of you." I purred lowly. "But my back feels fine. Just the Side and Shoulder are the worst."
	"They will both be sore for a while, I imagine." I let out a sigh. And Khol gave me a puzzled look.
	"They wanted me to start plowing again soon. Starting within the next few days. Will I be healed by then?"
	"Gods no! You'll probably end up staying in here for weeks." I growled. "Don't worry about them. They're fine until next year. You don't need to kill yourself to please them." Khol gave me a lick. But he was right. "You've done enough. Let them return it for now. Perhaps you might start to enjoy their company."
	"And if they come back to attack?"
	"You know they won't hurt you."
	"I meant Alzallion."
	"-What?"
	"Didn't the woman tell you? Last night's patrol... I found an army trying to sneak in when the weather was frightful. And... I engaged." Khol was silent for a bit, and then just held me close. "You... really were not told?" And I could feel him shake his head. "...They won't come back anytime soon. I ended up taking out the bridge with them." He held on a bit tighter. "Khol... Shoulder."
	He released. "Sorry. I just..." Again, he shook his head.
	Another man came around. "Is everything okay?"
	Khol hardly noticed he wasn't speaking in Trades. "Yes. Can you find out who was awake last night? She knew what happened, I want her to spread the word."
	"Khol..."
	"Zhai, they deserve to know. Especially what you did for them." I disliked the attention. It reminded me of those celebrations they held for me. "For now, rest. How is your sickness?"
	"Other than the fever, I'm fine." He felt my head. "I'm okay Khol. Don't worry about me."
	"I just want to make sure. I don't want to lose you three times in one day." (Three!?) My eyes opened a little wider in surprise. And Khol took a deep breath. His expression was saddened. "When you came home last night..." back in draconic again. "I did what I could with what little I had, but it was only a stall. I needed alot more supplies and alot more help." He laid down with me. "I ended up having to leave you and bolt for the village. I got alot of help, but when I returned... You stopped breathing." He was fighting to hold back his sobs. I did what I could to comfort him, regardless of the pain. "I did what I could for a bit, but we were not able to get you to start breathing again." He held up a paw that was bandaged around the forearm. "I ended up having to use what Bartan taught us to shock your heart and get you back." (So that's what that was.)
	I gave a hard swallow, and a deep breath. I licked Khol a few times while he carried on. "We did everything we could to keep you alive, and for a while you were doing well. You lost alot of blood though. Eventually you were just sleeping, but stable. That’s when we moved you here. Then in the night, you somehow moved and ripped your stitches. I'm not sure how long it was before I remember you feeling cold. And realized you were still bleeding. You died on us again, not even 30 minutes ago." I never felt so tired until he said that. Woozy even. "So, please. I know you don't like it. But they're here for your safety. You need them here... And I need you here." I knew that last part held a different meaning. And I just held onto him tighter, until the pain begged me to stop. "You're hurting yourself, aren't you?"
	I let out a chuckle. "A tad. But it keeps me awake."
	"Well, stop. When you're better, I'm going to empty that sack of yours." It actually made me blush a bit. "Until then, try to get better. Are you hungry?"
	"I don't have the appetite, but I do feel hungry."
	"They didn't have too much to bring with them, but I'm going to fly down again. Probably end up making several trips back and forth. Hold out a bit longer, and I'll get you some food."
	"I don't want you to hunt, Khol..." I knew how much it hurt him to.
	"I won't. It's going to be Children food." My ears went back a bit, but I didn't argue. I just gave a sigh, and tried to relax.
	"Silverthorn? We're ready when you are." Khol gave the man a nod. And me a few licks.
	"Stay alive until I get back." He half joked. I knew it was painful for him to joke about such things, but it did make me feel a little better. He got up and started to head to the crowd of people in my Throne. 
	"Just one more thing." Khol looked at me. "What the hell is a Sling?"
	He chuckled a bit. "It's a pretty ribbon we're going to tie to your neck and left paw so you don't accidently use it." I growled at him. "Get some rest. And don't worry about it for now. It won't look that bad." With another sigh, I drifted into the much needed deep sleep.

	I remember reliving a memory of me and Khol, lying in that Lunar meadow toward evening. The warm waters were lightly falling on us as we comforted each other. I could feel his warm tongue working its way around my head. It felt so good, that I couldn't help but start purring. Then he suddenly stopped for a moment, gave me a smile, and continued. He circled around my ears, then started under my chin. I returned the lick only to have him pull back. I reached out to grab him, only to hear him give out a female yelp. (Wait... That isn't right...)
	My groggy eyes started to focus a bit at a smaller figure before me. When it was clear, I could see a Child... That woman from last night. Holding a wet cloth. It took a moment for my thoughts to connect, and when they did, I gave a loud yelp, and leaned backward. Only to feel the sting from my shoulder and then hiss at that. "I'm sorry! I'm Sorry! I'm so sorry!" Her voice was the mix of embarrassment and giggles. "You looked a little flushed, so I tried to cool you down a little." I grumbled something that even I couldn't make out. "I'm sorry?"
	I shook my head for a moment, and then looked at the bucket of water. "Is that safe to drink?" I'm not sure why I asked, because I went for it anyways.
	"Y-yes. I didn't put any soaps in it, I figured you wouldn't like them."
	"I don't like smelling like flowers, if that’s what you mean." I said, after I finished. "Where's Khol?"
	"Who?" She asked before she double taked. "Oh, your mate. She's still flying from the village and back. Are you feeling okay?"
	I took a moment to study myself. Other than my shoulder, I didn't feel too much pain. "Shoulder hurts. Muscles ache a bit. But my side feels okay."
	"Oh. You were making a strange noise, I couldn't tell if I was hurting you or not." After blinking a few times, and licking my muzzle, I raised my eyebrow to her. "It almost sound like your chest was congested. Maybe you were catching a cold."
	(A cold? I don't remember ever having a cold really.) "Maybe it was my stomach, I do feel quite famished."
	"I've heard your stomach before, This came higher up. Around..." She placed a hand at the base of my neck. "This area. Almost sounded like a series of small rocks going down a hollow tree."
	"You're imagining it." I bluntly stated. I didn't want her to know that dragons purr. No dragon wants people to know that.
	Tong: "Why is that exactly?"
	Hmm. I guess it's because it shows a softer side to us. We like to be known for our strengths. And even though we'd never really consider it a 'weakness', it's a type of vulnerability. Scratch us in the right places, and we're yours for a while. It's hypnotic.
	Tong: "I'll be sure to remember that."
	Good luck. Anyway, she got the hint that I didn't want to mention it. "I heard your wound split opened again." Granted, she didn't change the subject to a much better one. "You have nine lives, you know that?"
	"I have one life. I'm just stubborn about it." I grumbled. It made her giggle again. And she continued to bathe my head. For a while, I just let her so I could get fully awake. "Has she made any trips back yet?"
	"Nothing yet. But she should be back soon. The first trip is probably going to be the longest. There was quite a list we had to make out for our stay here. Let alone how much we have to prepare." I gave a deep sigh. "...You don't like us here, do you?"
	"I just like my solitary company." She didn't seem too fooled by that answer. "...No. I'm not used to having guests here, and I'm not sure what to do with you. I'm not sure how to thank you for..." She rested her hand on the top of my snout.
	"We were the same way. We still are." I gave her a puzzled look. "You've done alot for us, Sire. Yet we struggled for years to find a way to repay what you've done. To thank you for what you've given us. We get your occasional requests, but they're mostly for the traveling merchants outside of your lands." She gave a bit of a sad smile. "It seemed like everything we attempted did not appeal to you. And this... Event, is the only window we've had to find out how to truly repay you." She cupped the very bottom of my chin. "Please, Sire. Don't try to shove us out of helping you, especially when you know that you and your mate need it. Let us take care of you for once in the last 200 years."
	I grumbled a bit. But I gave a small nod. A deep sigh, then I laid my head back down. I felt uncomfortable like this. But with her words, it made it easier. Bearable. I disliked this weakness of mine being displayed to the people of the lands I protect. But... at least they were grateful. After a bit, I started drifting off into rest. I started getting lost in my own thoughts, while she caressed me with that warm cloth. Not paying attention, I began to purr again, and she slowed down suddenly. I gave a swallow, but I didn't stop that time. Even after I was aware of it.
	The elven woman continued, I think finally understanding what it was. It wasn't a growl or a warning. It was a sign of affection. Gratitude, and comfort. However, my insecurity got the better of me when I heard someone else walking toward us. The man whispered something to her, I couldn't quite make it out. She waited for him to leave, and whispered to me. "How are your bowels?"
	My ears pointed back. "They don't hurt, if that's what you mean." I shuffled my wings a bit, and felt a slight sting in both wounded places. "I have to piss again though." She gave a nod, and went out for the large pot again. I began to stand a bit, even though it was painful. I felt a bit light headed, so I didn't move too much. Even tossing my head from side to side made me dizzy.
	She returned "Gods, what part of Don't Move didn't you understand?" She said, half giggling again.
	"How do you expect me to piss if I'm lying on my belly?"
	"The same way you did last night."
	"You just want another opportunity to squeeze me." She began to turn red, unable to contain her laughter. "Besides, this time I don't have a dragon pinning me in place. I want to change position anyway."
	"You can't lay on your sides." She said, placing the pot under me.
	"Was planning to go on my back." I'm not sure why, but it was difficult to release with her watching me. "Tickets are 10 gold. Turn around." Again, another series of giggles, but she went out to take care of something else. The release felt good. After I was done, I tried to move the pot. Looking down where I laid, I seen the massive amount of red that covered my furs. There was so much of it, it made me dizzy again. I felt like I was going to pass out.
	I took a few steps to the side, knocking over the small pail of water. And I rolled onto my back, where Khol usually sleeps. The crash got alot of attention. "I'm fine, I'm fine... I just lost my balance." But they didn't pay attention to my words, I guess I wouldn't either. They checked my side wound, but it didn't appear to take any damage.
	"He looks fine." The elven woman said to the others. She seemed to be second in command next to Khol. "The blood on his bedding probably made him woozy. Let's get that cleaned and dried for tonight. Someone take care of that pot, but hold your breath. He hasn't drunken much. Let’s get these furs dried as well. Yes, I was done with it." I gave a heavy sigh. I never felt so pathetic. I wish I could just order them all out, but they didn't seem to pay too much attention to me, other than my wounds. "Relax." She told me. "This happens more often than you think. They won't think any less of you." (Am I that easy to read?) And it just made me feel more pathetic.
	She did her best to try to block my eyes from the people carrying the bloody furs out of my throne. I still tried to take a peak though. There was so much of it. They must've taken out nearly half my bedding after it was done. I began to feel a little nauseous again, so I tried to take my mind off of it. Thinking about anything else.
	The woman made another one of those embarrassed gasps, and I looked up at her. Her face was turning red again while she did her best to look away at something. Then went around and picked up a few beddings. "What are you doing?"
	"I'm... covering you up." And she walked towards my crotch, laying the blankets over my sensitive areas.
	I did my best to toss my snout. "You cannot tell me that you're disturbed by such things. Just take a long look at them, and get it over with. Or else you'll be staring at them everytime you can get a peek." I couldn't see her face, but I swear it was so red it would've glown in the dark. "...Does it make you that uncomfortable?"
	"I've just never seen..."
	"Why?" She stared at me for a moment wondering what I meant. "Why does it make you uncomfortable?" I tossed my head.
	"Because-" And she didn't really have an answer. "It's private?"
	"Hardly. And it's a common thing to do, especially with someone you love. Why does the thought of something that's supposed to represent beauty make you so... Red?" Again, she was quiet, and she didn't answer me. "Children are strange." I muttered to myself.
	"It's just... Awkward. And..."
	"It's frowned upon in your society. I know. Especially if you've done it with multiple partners. But I could never understand why." I took a deep breath. "It's probably because you cover yourselves to keep warm. If it was displayed as much as dragons are-"
	"Then we would be no different than beasts-" She tried to stop herself.
	I gave her a look. "Is that what you see when you look at us?"
	"I didn't mean that..."
	I was silent for a bit. "You'd think the thing that would separate 'Man' from Beast would be intelligence. Apparently it's clothing?" And again, silence. "This is one reason why I call you Children."
	"We're not children."
	"Again, you're misunderstanding the term. You take nearly your entire life to grow up and mature mentally. You often try to hide who you are-what you are, because you're afraid to be judged and teased by other Children. You let your insecurities overcome and control you. Tell me how that isn't Childish." My words might've been harsh, but my tone wasn't. "Now, if you don't uncover me and get your fill of such areas, I will. I'm not going to walk around with clothing to cover what I am because it makes your kind uncomfortable."
	Again, she was quiet. I snorted, and started to get up. "Stop." And I halted for a moment, looking at her. She was staring at the blankets that covered me, and took a deep breath. I laid my head down to make it a bit easier for her. And I felt the blankets slip off of me.
	Honestly, it was kind of a turn on to have someone of a different species study my body. It reminded me of the second night I met Khol, and he explored me. Discovered what felt comfortable and erotic. But I didn't want her to know that. I tried my best not to start swelling in front of her, so I got my mind onto something else. (Think-Think-Think! Anything else! What's below me... Bedding! The bedding that Khol sleeps on. It even smells like him... No! Um... Beside me! The Keg! Looks like the one that I had to piss in when he released me twice in a row-Taath! Think about the pain! The sharp pain in your shoulder! Reminds you of Khol's fangs, and how they used to sink into that shoulder when he bit you-Gods this is hard!) "Are you okay?" She suddenly asked me.
	"...Yes. I was..." I grunted and my ears went back. "I was just trying not to... Get stiff around you. I was thinking it would make it worse."
	It was finally her turn. "So you're getting... aroused by me?" And giggles came out of her mouth, even when she was covering it. At least she was whispering.
	"No." I hissed. "It just reminds me of when Silverthorn was... Exploring me." And once again she turned red. I gave a smirk. "Have you not tried to explore another person?"
	She took a look around, and leaned in closer. "I have not."
	I did best I could to curl my neck to an S. "Why are you ashamed of such a thing?"
	"Shhh! My mother has been pestering me to try to find a... Well, mate. She doesn't want me to be alone, and she wants..." I tilted my head. "Grandchildren."
	"And this shames you? There seems to be so many of you. Why not pick one?"
	Another giggle fit. "Easier said than done, Sire. It takes alot of time to find that one person that fits you."
	I gave a snort. "They can't be all completely different sizes. Besides, how would you not know that they fit if you never explore them?"
	"That's not what I meant by Fit you old beast!" And she laughed.
	"I'm not old!" I hissed. But I couldn't help but laugh a little. "But I'm afraid that I still don't understand."
	"Well, how many years did it take you to find Silverthorn?"
	"I was about 200 years of age when I first met her."
	"And how did you know she was the right one?"
	"She's the only dragon I seen in 150 years." I chuckled.
	"That's it?"
	"Not quite. I was actually going to chase her out of my lands at first."
	"What changed?"
	"I fell in love with her Kindness." And I let out a relaxing sigh. "And I wanted her to stay. I still haven't seen another dragon since I left my hatchplace. It's possible that we're the last two." I took a deep breath. It was a bad road to go down, and she knew.
	"...Silverthorn. When we arrived last night, she kept calling you Zhai." My ears went back. "Is that your name?"
	"Part of it, yes. But our names are only to be used by our friends."
	"Oh? Why is that?"
	"Our names are private." I heard Khol land outside, and as excited as I was, I didn't want her to feel as if she was to be pushed aside. So I continued "It's a sign of respect for a dragon to give another it's real name. It shows that we trust them. It took my parents nearly 177 years of companionship to earn their names." Her eyes went a little wide. Every once in a while looking outside toward Khol.
	"How long did it take you to earn hers?"
	"About 14 hours." And she laughed. "She was strangely kind. But I gave her mine as well."
	"Sounds romantic, really. But what changed your mind about chasing her out?"
	Khol came in. "I gave him a muzzlejob." He chuckled. "And if you get him talking about it, I'm going to have to give him another one." He came down and gave me a kiss. "How are you feeling? And I thought I told you not to move."
	"Still a little dizzy. And I wanted to get off my belly."
	Khol gave me a smile. "Senterra. In one of the crates, there's a tray of meats. Can you bring them to us?"
	Senterra gave a smile and a nod. "Yes Ma'am." And she left.
	I whispered to Khol. "I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to be able to keep this up."
	"The Children are not that bad. You just gotta get used to the way they do things. Their standards are quite different than ours."
	"I more or less mean referring to you as a female. I accidently let your name slip last night to her." He just gave me a smile. And another lick. "But I had to explain-"
	"Most of them already know mine. She didn't, but it's alright." I gave him an odd look. "I've explained it as well, and out of respect, they don't use it. Yours is safe. Well, was until last night."
	"It's fine. You were worried." I gave him a smile and another kiss. Senterra came back with a tray of meats. "Mmm... They smell good."
	"I hope they do. They worked hard to make these." Khol said, as he picked up a strip and let it slip into my jaws. It was surprisingly juicy, and held a nice smoky flavor to it. I let out a little bit of a purr, and the woman double taked at me again. "It's alright. It means he likes it."
	"You don't need to tell her that." I would've hissed if I wasn't enjoying the taste of food so much.
	"It's a purr dragons do when they're affectionate." Khol teased me. I got my ears back, but I couldn't growl. "Open up, another one." And he dropped it in.
	"How did the villagers take the news?" Senterra asked Khol.
	"They're a bit worried, but most of them heard the crash. They thought just the mountain finally fell apart. It was a hazard to them, but they didn't expect it to hit the bridge. Let alone take it out."
	"I still can't imagine how he did it." She whispered to him.
	"I can still hear you." I said.
	"Eat." Khol demanded playfully, giving me another slice. "He's very strong. What do you think he does all day?"
	"I'm not sure. I guess just sleep and lay around? I've seen him plow the fields before, but didn't see much else than that."
	"Again, can still hear you. No need to talk to me like I'm not here." I snorted. Khol gave me another piece of meat.
	"You should be resting and eating. Don't talk. It's a wonder you're still conscious after this morning."
	"Well, Red Clover has been known to increase blood reproduction. Maybe it works better on dragons? I'm not sure."
	"I'm not either, dear. But the important thing is he's alive." I tried to help myself to the tray, but Khol stopped me. "If you move, I will castrate you." He said with a smile.
	"No you won't. You'd miss them too much."
	He sighed. "It's true." He smiled as he gave me another strip. "Hope he wasn't too much trouble. It's a wonder he didn't flatten anyone when he turned over."
	"We left him so he could urinate in a pot, but he got dizzy. He rolled over, and we think it was caused by the blood on the blankets."
	"Anyone with a fever and a mass amount of blood loss is known to have faint spells when encountering something like that."
	"Actually, I think his fever has gone down. He doesn't feel too warm anymore." Khol thought the statement was curious, so he examined me a bit. After I cleared my throat, he give me another strip, and I let him continue.
	"Gods, this is delicious..." I moaned.
	"Told you. Their cuisine isn't shameful. It's quite possibly the best thing about them."
	"Hey!" Senterra said, placing her hands on her hips.
	"Okay, your medical knowledge is helpful as well." Khol teased her. But giving her a playful nudge with his snout. "But thank you for staying around him. Your father would've really like it."
	"Father?" I asked. "...Duravan?"
	"Yes, he was my papa." And I felt a wave of guilt wash over me. I guess it shown in my eyes.
	"Sire, don't." Khol said to me, embracing my head. "I know what you're thinking. It's alright."
	"Were you two... close?"
	"Duravan was my only friend for a long time. It was your grandfather that convinced me to let your people into my lands to begin with." She gave me a soft smile. At least she didn't blame me for anything.
	"He's always felt guilty that he never got closer to your father. Even when you were born, he never did visit." Khol explained. I was okay with him doing it.
	She placed a hand on my neck. "He talked about you every once in a while. How you two saved him and mama from bandits that kidnapped them. How you often patrolled the lands and escorted the merchants along the roads. He never talked less of you." It honestly made me feel more guilty.
	After a bit of silence, a group of men came over and whispered something to Khol. He gave them a nod. But I didn't pay any attention to them. "Senterra, can you help them start a fire?"
	She gave him a nod, then wrapped her arms around my neck. It startled me for a moment. "Don't blame yourself, Sire. You didn't push him off that roof." (Roof?) And then it hit me. I didn't even know how he died. I did my best to just nod and not say anything.
	After she left, I looked at Khol. "Stop." I blinked slowly. "I know you never pried. It was never your instinct to. But yes. He slipped off the roof of a large building, working on it. There was nothing anyone could've done. Including you." I sighed. "Zhai? We're going to try to close that wound of yours using a series of steel pins and a concentrated torch, often used in blacksmithing. I know the burn won't hurt you much, but you might feel some pain with the wound itself, as well as pins and hooks going in." (Hooks?) "In order to get the wound closed as tightly as possible, we're going to need to place a series of hooks into the sides, and pull the wound to a close. From there, we can get the pins in and lock them in place. After that, they're going to sear the wound shut. Granted, it might be better if you sleep through it." I gave him a nod.
	"What can I do to help?" He gave me a surprised look. "It's doubtful I'll be able to sleep through such a thing. I've dealt with pain before, I can take it."
	"Zhai, you're still weak from blood loss. And I can only imagine you pushed that plate of the mountain with Bartan's technique. I don't think your muscles can handle it."
	"I'll be fine, as long as I don't have to stand." I assured him. He didn't believe me, but the worst that would happen would be that I passed out. He gave me a nod, and they began to set up after I finished eating, as well as drinking.
	They brought out a large steel box that held some sort of liquid inside of it. I couldn't smell it, but I could hear it. It had a large series of hoses to it. When I asked about it, the man who looked like he owned it said it held something that started with X inside. I exhaled slowly.
	A series of people started getting the hooks in place at the side of my wound. After sterilizing everything with Spirits, which burned like hell once again, they gave me a series of strings to hold in my right paw. They wrapped it around my paw so it wouldn't slip easily. while Khol held the other side. "Are you sure about this, Sire?" Khol asked me. And I gave a nod. On the count of three, we slowly pulled our opposite sides, while two people worked on getting the pins inside. The pain did hurt alot, but I bared through it. One by one I felt the pins pierce through my scales. In order to get through the hardness, they ended up having to hammer them in. Then they tightened them with some type of wedge.
	After we got the word to slowly let go, we did. The wound felt really tender, and raw. They removed the hooks, saying something about them not being able to take the heat of the torch. But the pins were specially designed to. People backed away while the man with the torch put on a strange mask, and lit it. He was quite hesitant, I could tell. But after Khol gave him a nod, and he looked at me while I gave him one as well. He went in. I could feel the lick of the torch's flame touch me, and it almost felt cold at first. But slowly grew into pleasant warmth. I let out a relaxing sigh while it seemed to wash the pain away from the tender area.  My scales glowed with a bright redness when he was done. They were hot to the touch, when someone decided to try to take the pins out.
	After a bit, they cooled off. And they worked on removing the pins. The wound felt a bit tender, but at least it was closed, and only felt sore from the inside. Khol came up to me, with a bit of a worried smile. "Does it feel okay?"
	"Yes. Much better now."
	He turned to everyone else in the room. "Granted, this only worked because his scales are very resistant against flame. Do not by any circumstances try this on another living being. Unless it's to stop the bleeding from amputation. Even then, it's risky. Understood, everyone?" And they all gave a nod. "I have to return some of these things. Try not to lay on that side for a bit longer. At least until tonight. Okay?" I gave him a lick. "I'll take that as a yes." He smiled, and motioned everyone to follow him.
	Another deep sigh, and I felt more relaxed when the room was cleared. Senterra eventually came back to me, looking at the wound with a face. "It feels better." I muttered out.
	"I can't imagine how. But if you say so." She took a closer look. "I'm wondering if we should patch this for a bit though. Those holes worry me."
	"Go for it, if you have the materials. I'm just going to try to sleep." She went for the supplies and returned. After a while of working on the patch, I couldn't help but feel almost a warm gaze at my genitals. I looked up to the entrance of my throne, and didn't see anyone around for a bit. Then looked down at her, to see her actually staring at them again. "What are you thinking?" And she jumped a bit. I couldn't help but chuckle a bit.
	"N-nothing!" I just smirked at her. "I was... just trying to picture what it looked like."
	"You felt it last night."
	"Y-yes, but I'm still not really sure how to describe what I felt. It makes me wonder what it does look like."
	"You want me to get aroused to give you a look?" I actually teased her. But I heard no real reply. I looked at her again, and she looked like she was considering it. "...You're actually thinking about it, aren't you?" And she blushed again.
	A sigh came from her. "...Yes. But I'm half worried."
	"Of it biting you?"
	"No! But you lost alot of blood earlier today. I was thinking if you tried to... Stiffen it. You might pass out."
	"And miss your reaction. Good thinking."
	"No! I mean-Um..." Stop looking at me like that. It was quite fun to torment her.
	"But you're correct. Let's try it later." Again, just teasing her. "If it makes you more comfortable, ask Silverthorn to help you. She'll gladly get me stiff if you want to see it." I let out a chuckle.
	"You can't possibly mean that."
	"Wouldn't be the first time we did it in front of someone else. And I don't mean an animal." I laid my head down with a sly smile on my muzzle. After a bit, I heard a 'humph' sound from her, and then silence. A sudden cold touch on my balls let out a small yelp from my muzzle. (Did she-!?) And I could feel it, trying to trace where my balls were in the large, full sack. 
	"It's almost... leathery. Flexible, but still a bit smooth."
	I let out a small breath. "I didn't actually expect you to..." And another smile. I knew what she was doing. Exploring me. "Continue."
	She traced a bit, trying to push in to feel one of the testacies. "Gods, they're huge. They must be the size of a baby cow." I couldn't help but smile. "Are they sensitive?"
	"Not terribly. They can stand a bit of impact, but not much." I could feel the hand trace around them. And then came to the sheath.
	"And in this... Is your..."
	"Mating tool, yes. That can be sensitive until it's stretched out." She giggled a bit, and started to lightly brush it. I could feel it swelling up a little, but her hands were quite cold. "Your hands are cold."
	"Oh, sorry." She said. Then she got an idea. "I'll be right back." And she walked out of the room. She returned with that pail of water again. "Now, if anyone asks me, I can just say I'm bathing you."
	I let out a chuckle. "Still embarrassed? Think you would be proud to say that the dragon let you give him an erection. I don't just let anyone touch me, you know." I teased. "Want a bit of help with that?"
	"With what?"
	"I said your hands are cold. And now your genius idea was to wash me with colder water? Bring it up here." And she did. "Take a step back. Make sure there's no bedding near it."
	"You're not actually planning to..."
	"Unless you want to wait until someone else comes around while waiting for the pot to heat. I can do it in a few moments."
	"...Just be careful." And she did what I instructed. I didn't blow a large mouthful of flames at it. Just a small jet of it, enough to just make the pot turn red, and the water start to steam a bit.
	"The water might be a bit hot. Give it a few moments."
	"I swear, you're just as dirty minded as you say your mate is."
	"It rubbed off a little." I gave a smile. "There's nothing wrong with showing love to someone. Even if it's more sexual. It's a gift, not a skeleton in one's closet."
	"To have sex is a Gift?"
	"To pleasure one you like and love is a Gift. What were you told, Child?"
	She let the Child thing slide as she waiting a few moments. Then checked the water. She dipped the cloth inside and warmed her own hands inside it. Taking the cloth back to my sheath, and she began to slowly stroke it. The warmth felt so good, I let out a moan. It caused her to giggle a bit. Over and over, she lapped the area softly and slowly, and I could feel the sheath thicken. The red sheath began to stretch out and a purple point began to show at the top of it. She sucked in a bit of a breath, and went to dampen the cloth again. I could see her face blushing a bit more, but a smile covered it. As long as I didn't make it too awkward for her, she might understand what I meant.
	She worked the area a little more and more, and soon the soft spines began to seep through the scarlet protection. More and more she worked the area, causing the tool to pulse and be ready. I actually started to feel a little light headed, but it felt very nice. Almost as good as when Khol did it with his tongue. Khol... It felt good to think about him once again. I could hear Senterra take a deep breath, and it made me smile. "And you... Wow..."
	"I what?"
	"Place this... inside her?"
	I chuckled again. "Yes. That's how it works."
	"It looks... Almost painful."
	"That would be the size difference between us, dear." I tried to sound like Khol a bit.
	"I mean, it looks... sharp."
	"Well, touch it." And she gasped at me. "I'm serious. Go ahead. But try not to release me. I'm getting a bit woozy as of now."
	She hesitated for a moment, but she took a deep breath, and I could feel her warm hand over my shaft. "They're... soft?" I gave a nod. "It's all quite soft. They look so sharp at first." Her fingers going between the spines along the bottom of my tool. She made her way to the ridges, And I made a small moan, along with a deep breath. "Sorry, did that hurt?"
	"No, it's just very sensitive. You can really get us to release quickly working those ridges softly. But don't do it too hard."
	"Nice to know, if I'm ever going to get this close to a dragon to stroke them off." She giggled. "Still, I can't believe it..."
	"What?"
	"The design."
	"Is it that different from your males?"
	"Much different. Theirs looks so plain compared to this." It feed my ego, and I loved it. Granted, I've yet to actually see another male's erect tool besides Khol's. Even the ones from animals eludes me. I was never as interested in it as Khol or Senterra was.
	As much as I was enjoying it, my vision started to fade a bit. "I should really sleep."
	"Let me just hydrate you first." I gave her a nod, and she went to fetch another container filled with cool water. I drank up, and relaxed. Letting sleep take me away.

	When I next woke, it was morning. I could feel Khol beside me to my right, and I instinctively rolled a bit toward him. A slight pain of soreness from the inside alerted me for a moment, but after resting on it for a bit, I felt okay. I embraced my mate, letting him take a deep breath, and rested my head on his neck. For a long while, I just laid there with him, listening to him breathe. Partchness overcame me, and I started to get up. Only to put weight on my left paw, and nearly collapse at the shear pain that shot through my shoulder. Lucky for Khol, I didn't make much noise. Staring at my left paw, I came to the realization that I really couldn't be using it for a while. Not until it healed... If it ever did.
	For a bit, I would have to improvise. As foolish as it looked, my best bet was to try walking on three legs, instead of four or two. Mostly because of the ceiling of the cave was getting a bit too low for me at this time. At least for me to be biped. I hobbled outside to my rain barrel. Taking a few laps, then sitting for a bit, enjoying my view.
	My mind started to worry about my shoulder again. And the 'What If' question that followed it. More or less, what if it wouldn't fully heal? What would change? I would have to be careful on landings, if I ever flew again. I wouldn't be able to work out as hard as I wanted to anymore. Swimming might prove to be difficult. Grappling and fighting to defend my lands might even be out of the question. What would happen if I couldn't defend them any longer?
	I sighed deeply, my face painted with worry. "It'll be alright." Khol said, looking at me from the entrance. "I sent some people out to check the path in the mountains. It's the only one that can hold anything with wheels. They can send in a few people from the other smaller paths. But an army isn't suited to travel those. Not enough to conquer. The only way they can is to come from the northwest. And that place would take months for them to travel." He came closer to me, holding onto my right shoulder. "In that time, you should be healed up. And that's IF they attack again."
	"I was worried about that, but..."
	He looked at me, with a bit of a sad smile. "I know this might end up changing life for you. But it's still useable. It's still intact. And as long as you do what I say, it will heal up, and stay that way. It still might hurt alot if you overstress it, or if the cold gets at it. But you'll be able to do everything you wish. Until then, I need you to stay off of it. That's what the sling will be for."
	"Sling..." I recalled it. "I still don't know what that is." He gave me a lick and went into the cave. He came out with a large blanket that had its top and bottom sides sown together. My neck curled to an S when I studied the thing. "And this is supposed to help me how?"
	"Stick your neck out." I was hesitant at first, but I decided to try it. Khol wrapped it around my neck, and then asked for my paw. He place it inside as well. "That's all there is to it."
	For a bit, it just dangled there. Sitting up, My left paw crossed my chest, but my shoulder still hurt a bit. "It still doesn't feel right."
	"It's not supposed to really. But it will help."
	"Is it suppose to hurt?"
	He gave me a puzzled look, and went to my other side. "Where does it hurt?" I motioned the underside, just under my bicep. "Let me try something else." And he went back in. I stayed outside, still looking at the cloth. It was silk I think. Quite soft, and felt rather durable. The seams were thickly stitched, and done so several times to insure it wouldn't break apart. I wondered if my spines would slowly tear holes in it, but for the most part, it worked. It was red like me, so it didn't stand out against my body too much. I liked that.
	Khol returned with what looked like several pillows. "Can we stick this under..." And he placed one under my left arm, to cushion between my bicep and my shoulder. "How's that?"
	"Still hurts, but it's much better."
	"We're going to have to strap this to your bicep then." He said, trying his best not to be turned on by the thought of it. It made me smile. "Let me get some help." And he went back inside. Again, my mind drifted to those questions again. I wonder what would happened if Khol had lost me. It was a dark area, I know. There's a reason why I don't like facing my own mortality. But the question just itched at me. What would he do? Take over my lands? Surrender to Alzallion? Be forced to take off and be alone for the rest of his life? The thoughts started bringing tears to my eyes. Even though I tried to fight it.
	Then Khol returned with Senterra I tried to face away in time, but it hardly mattered. Khol gave me a frown, and he placed the materials he was holding on the ground. He embraced me, shielding me from Senterra's gaze for a moment. "Sorry, Senterra. Can you give us a moment?" I heard her footsteps walk back into the cave. "It's okay. Let it out. You'll feel better." And I did. My tears overwhelmed me, and my sobs overcame my jaws. I managed to get a few words out from time to time. Slowing piecing together that I was sorry for almost leaving him alone in this place. All he did was comfort me. "It's alright, Zhai. You did what you needed to do. If it wasn't for your attempt, we would've lost so much more." Still the sobs kept coming for a while.
	I think I cried for nearly an hour. Doing what I could to bury my head into Khol's chest to keep the noise to a minimum. It almost made him start crying as well. But he stayed strong for me. After a bit, he started to wash the tears from my face with the barrel of water nearby. When I said I was once again ready, Khol asked Senterra came back out.
	They strapped the extra cushions to my arm, and I remained quiet until they were done. Khol thanked her for her assistance, and then said he wanted to speak to me alone. She nodded in understanding, and left us. "Are you okay?" Khol asked me. And I gave a shaky nod.
	"I... just don't want to leave you alone. Not without me to protect you." And I could feel the sobs coming back again.
	"You won't, Zhai. You're too strong for that." He gave me a smile. "Do not let this experience tell you that you're not unkillable. You're Immortal, Zhai. As long as I'm with you." I gave him a small smile. "Now, do you feel good enough for a walk? Just a small one."
	"I would like that. I've felt kind of... crampy when I woke up this morning." Khol gave me a smile.
	"Then we'll have to find two private spots for us."
	I tilted my head a bit. "Two?"
	"Yes, one for your business. And the other for our business." He gave a sly smile.
	"Providing I don't pass out. Yesterday, Senterra there stiffened me, and I couldn't stay awake long enough for her to completely release me." I started to follow him.
	"Oh, I know. She told me. She's a very curious one, but I could never get her to talk about the sexual stuff. She's always too embarrassed about it."
	"Mmm. I had to break her."
	"How did you end up doing that?"
	"Well, it helped that she accidently grabbed my tool in the dark. It was quite the ice breaker, and caused her to want to see what she felt." Khol started laughing. On another note, it was very hard to walk downhill on three legs. I ended up starting to do it with hind legs only for a bit.
	"That's nice."
	"That she grabbed my shaft?"
	"Well, that, and you made a new friend." I blushed a bit, my ears turning purple.
	"I... Didn't make a new friend. She takes care of me when you're not around, and there are no extra benefits."
	"Besides the entertainment and pleasant company?"
	"I would hardly describe her company as pleasant." I tossed my snout. It only made Khol laugh.
	"She's a good cook too. I mean, if we were to ever want a wife..." He looked at me slyly, his eyebrows bouncing.
	"No. Just no." Khol laughed. "I maybe alright with going cross gender with a... Crossed gender. But I'm not going species."
	"You don't have to mate with her! Although, if she did want to fool around, I wouldn't be opposed to it."
	My spines flared up a bit, and I snorted. "Of course you wouldn't. You and Bartan dragged me into that three-way. I don't think I could deal with another one. You enjoy sucking me dry half the time. Where am I going to get the extra length to do another person?"
	"I'll just have to share, I guess." He smiled. "All I'm saying is, if she actually wants to try it, don't be too alarmed. Enjoy yourself, and let her enjoy exploring you more."
	"What about you though?"
	"What about me?"
	"If we go that far, especially in a three-way, she's going to find out that you're a male."
	Khol snapped his jaws. "Damnit! Forgot about that!"
	"And your tool isn't the easiest to hide. It's honestly a wonder no one has questioned it yet."
	"Children are so sexaphobic, they do whatever they can not to look at another's package until the time when they're forced to reproduce. It's quite sad."
	"And you want to change that about them? They already multiply like rabbits. More sexual experience means more of my land taken for their towns. Soon we're going to have one gigantic city full of them, and nothing else."
	"Perhaps your right. Still, it's just feels like they're missing out."
	"Simply put; they are. But it's until they become too old to use it is when they realize that they've wasted their time not getting such pleasure. I would've done the same thing, if it wasn't for you." I looked at him, and he gave me a smile.
	"Here's your first stop." We stopped next to a small bush.
	I glared at it, then glared at him. "Really? You want me to taath that bush?"
	"I meant beyond the bush." He said laughing. "In the forest. Senterra's right. You are getting old."
	"I'm not old!" I hissed at him, spines flaring up. I tossed my snout and went into the woods. "If some random soldier steps in that, good luck getting out of it!" I shouted into the forest. Khol still trying to hold in his laughter. He looked so happy that I was half joking about the incident. And it felt good to joke about it.
	"Alright, next stop?"
	"You sure you want to do this? If you knock me unconscious, I don't want you dragging me back up that path." This time he couldn't stop laughing. "I mean it! I don't think my back could take it."
	"Don't worry. If I have to, I'll just sleep with you until you wake up. Then drag you back up the hill. I want you to see how much effort it takes." I just shook my head.
	"So, how far do you want to go for this?"
	"Over there is fine. I've waited long enough to taste you." And my ears started to turn purple again. His devious smile wasn't helping.
	"Gods... I love you." And I gave him a lick, while he pushed me behind a tree.

Chapter 10
	The next couple of days were boring for me. No one wanted me to travel too far, let alone fly anywheres until I could completely stand on my left paw without cringing. Often enough, when it was the Children that stated it, I told them to get mounted. Even to Senterra. Whom all she did was just giggle at me everytime I said it. Be it in the same room or not. But when it was told by Khol, I knew I shouldn't argue. He was their safety net, and their trump card. After a while, they realized they could just bribe me with food when Khol wasn't around.
	Questions still floated around the towns about the attack, and how to defend such a place. Slowly, answers were getting to them from the scouts they sent. A few more questions actually came from the farmers, wondering what my status was, and if I was able to assist them in plowing this year. Of course Khol said I wouldn't be able to. But he did volunteer. That next day was really difficult for him. I guess I made it look easy. After the day was done, Khol caved in, and said he couldn't do it tomorrow.
	'Tomorrow' was this day. It was rainy anyway, and with all the flight trips a few days before he did, Khol was exhausted. I was a bit antsy, but I tried not to irritate him. Instead comfort him. I felt alot better now that most of the Children left my Throne. After my side wound was sealed up, and my sickness was cleansed, there wasn't a whole lot left for them to do. Khol thanked them for their service, and they said they were happy to help.
	However, Senterra decided to stay with me. Usually to ensure that I don't fly off or do anything foolish, and attempt to exercise with that left paw. I'm not sure how she was planning to stop me, but I had the feeling it had to do with her shoe meeting my stones. At least, I think that's what her plan was. Regardless, she was getting to know me quite well, and like Khol, she could at times tell what I was thinking. More or less 'I don't want to be alone, but I'm too proud to say it.'
	Khol was trying to rest easy, after just waking up for the morning. I was doing my best to comfort him without having to put too much weight on that shoulder. We laid there in silence for a bit. Just listening to each other's breathing. I occasionally stroked him in his neck, and tried to relax his sore muscles. "Never again." He moaned a bit, feeling that tenderness. "I don't know how you do it."
	"The first one is the hardest. But relax, you don't have to do it. I'll get it done next year." I gave him a few licks, and as much as he wanted to return them, he was just too sore to move. "Too bad, though. I really wanted to see you plow the fields. I think it would've been a turn on to finally see it from your side."
	"Yes, but I learned my lesson from that experience. Mostly being that none of us get any farther if we keep getting interrupted."
	"I never minded it, as long as I had a break before I went back into the fields. I think it's a worthy reward. Get done a large line in the field; get stroked off. A bit slow on progression, but very rewarding." He laughed.
	"Yes, until you're completely empty. Then what?"
	"Then I get to pleasure you. That's a reward in itself." I purred at him. He gave into his urges, despite his soreness, and started licking me. They began to turn into kisses for a while. And then we both heard a strange gasp under Khol's wing. We both stared at it for a moment, then each other. Slowly, he began to uncover a hidden Senterra who apparently was sleeping, and was woken up to a... Well, for me Pleasant sight. For her, probably startling and surprising.
	"...Uh oh." Khol said, his face turning a dark purple.
	"Think we can convince her that it's just a dream?" I asked, while she covered her mouth, trying to crawl away.
	"Maybe?"
	"Senterra, go back to sleep. It's all a dream." I bluntly stated.
	"Silverthorn... You... Have..." She was trying to make a full sentence while glowing red.
	"Actually, I could just eat her. That would silence her." Khol just looked at me. "I'll take that as a maybe." And he sighed. I chuckled. "Yes, Senterra. Silverthorn here is actually a male. It's a shame you had to find out the hard way."
	Khol went to cover his face with his wing. "But... She doesn't have..." Senterra was apparently still too shocked about it.
	"I know. I questioned it too." I began stroking Khol again. "But he enjoyed being a female in the eyes of the Children. So if you don't mind keeping this to yourself."
	"That means... You're..."
	I gave a heavy sigh. "Yes." I'm not sure why it no longer bothered me for her to know how I felt about another male. Maybe it was because she was considered a friend to me now, and I actually respected her. Knowing that she did the same. Even if she was a Child, perhaps she would finally see past that odd discrimination her kind had against those who liked the same sex.
	Khol took a deep breath. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you Senterra." Still not out of his wing. All I could really do was smile at him. (It had to happen eventually.) "At first, it was just to protect Zhai. And I knew that after a while I would get tired of explaining the same things over and over. It was just easier this way. Besides, it doesn't make any difference."
	"I'm not sure why this situation is arousing me." Again, just speaking my mind. I started leaning towards Khol tool, tickling it with my tongue. The sudden touch of it made him yelp. "All I can suggest is three choices, Senterra. First, you can join me in not being embarrassed by such a thing, and in releasing Khol so we can paint yet another wall-"
	"Paint another wall?" She took a look at the walls that were splattered with white over the ages. "Is that what that is!?" And she made a face.
	"...Or, you can leave us until we're done here. And keep this little secret of his between us."
	"Zhai, that was only two."
	"I said the third one." My neck curled to an S.
	"W-what was it?"
	"Me eating you." And Khol growled at me. "It's all the same to me really. Either way, I'm getting something in my stomach." That time, Khol couldn't help but laugh a bit. "Now come on. Roll on your back. Makes it much easier for me to do this." And Khol sighed. Getting his head out of his wing with a smile on his face. He rolled over, and I positioned myself.
	"I can't believe I'm seeing this..."
	"I never said you could watch." Again, Neck curled to an S. "Now get over here, or leave."
	"She can watch if she wants to. I'm comfortable with it." Khol said, at least the purple has started to fade from his face.
	I tossed my snout. "Fine, you can watch. But I'm telling you, you'll be alot less uncomfortable if you get involved." And I started licking the very tip of Khol's thorn. I heard his scales click from the shiver he got when I first touched him. Slowly, I started to sway between his bottom spines, and his breathing began to get heavier. After reaching the bottom one, I started my way to the top. Working the sensitive tips of them.
	My attention reared toward the top spines afterword. I had to work around it a bit with my muzzle, but I managed to do the same thing. Making Khol whimper a bit. I took a look at Senterra, just hiding in her blanket and watching us intently. I gave a smirk. "Senterra?" She gave a little gasp. "Do we still happen to have that pail I heated up a few days ago?" She gave me a nod. "Do you mind filling it up and getting that cloth too?" She stared at me for a moment, and she went to the other room. I teased Khol a little bit, lightly licking the ridges of his shaft and making him squirm a bit.
	Senterra returned with the pail, about half full of water. She set it on the ground, and I heated it up quickly. Then returned to Khol until it was cooled off enough that it wouldn't burn him. "Alright, you work on his tool, and I'll start from down here." She stared at me, blushing, while I moved down to Khol's tailhole and Hamstrings.
	"Y-you...?"
	"Don't be afraid. He won't bite. He might start thrusting a bit though. He has a habit of doing that."
	"It's instinct. I've gotten you to do it once in a while too." Khol's comment made me smile.
	I looked back at Senterra, she almost looked afraid. "Senterra. Take a deep breath, and close your eyes." She did so, and when she did, I took one of her hands and placed it on Khol's penis. Another gasp from her, as she pulled her hand back. "It's not going to bite. And now you've touched it. Your first step is taken. Now start washing it. Don't wait too long or else he's going to be impossible to release."
	"But she... He doesn't have..."
	"I know, but see those stains on the walls? That's his doing, not mine... Except that one over there. He really wanted to try drawing with me."
	"It's true. It looks like a Tree." Khol said with a smile.
	Again, I gazed at Senterra. "Well?" She took a deep breath, and reached down for the cloth. She took one more look at Khol's purple tool, and stepped toward it. Letting the warm water drip on it. I started massaging his hamstrings and he started taking loud breaths again. Senterra then took that step again, by herself. Placing the cloth on my mate's tool, only to hear him moan in pleasure. I began to lick the hamstrings once in a while, still keeping half an eye on what she was doing. "Remember what I said about the ridges."
	She nodded. "They're very sensitive. And stimulate alot of... Pleasure?"
	"Yes. It's the reason why he can't really talk too much right now." It was true. Other than the occasional moan, Khol was just breathing deep. Lost in his own body's stimulants of Bliss. It's what I wanted for him. After I was done plowing, Khol often did this for me. And It made me forget all about the soreness of my body, if not for a few minutes. By now, he wouldn't be able to feel any pain, and any pain he did feel would be converted.
	Senterra really focused on studying his tip with the warm cloth. I could tell she really liked to study with her hands, and not really her eyes. She gently kept lapping the same areas in circles, feeling every inch of it. When she dipped the cloth back in the water, she rarely took her eyes off of Khol's tool. It made me chuckle a bit. She was so embarrassed with that curiosity that her species seemed to shun. But once she got over that insecurity, she really started to enjoy herself.
	I focused more on my part when I seen that. Groping his hamstrings. Every once in a while, even almost biting them. Not hard enough to pierce, but just enough to get my fangs pressed in, and get that pleasure flowing. Soon enough, it was time to start working a bit lower. I began to slowly lick around the outside of his tailhole, and I heard him whimper loudly. He thrusted in Senterra's hands, squirting out a jet of pre that surprised her. She gave me a look. "Just pre. Keep going. We still have a ways to go." She nodded nervously, and continued.
	The moans turned into a purr as I circled closer and closer to his tailhole. I could feel his tail thrash under me. For a while we just repeated this. Senterra working on his shaft, and me working on the lower ends. Several thrusts and a little pool of pre accumulating. Senterra started to speak up. "I... think it's getting bigger."
	"His does that. Means he's almost ready. Start working on the ridges softly. You don't want to try to flatten them, just almost tickle them." (As for me...) I thought, with a sly look on my face. I began to lick one of the fingers of my right paw. Keeping the claw sheathed, I started tickling the outside of his tailhole, making him squirm again. Then when I made it to the center, I started lightly pressing in, in pulses. Khol thrusted with every press, matching it with extra force that he couldn't hold back. Faster he began to breathe, as I went in deeper inside him, trying to rotate and maneuver it. Khol let out a blissful roar, which again startled Senterra, but she didn't stop. "Okay, he's there. I want you to brace his shaft with both hands. Keep working the ridges, but stay out of the firing zone. It's highly Pressu-" Another roar from Khol interrupted me, and I stuck my entire finger inside. I could see his tool rapidly jolt in her hands, as he arched backwards.
	The first torrent took her a bit by surprise, as it splatted at the wall. I watched it as I started working through his orgasm, still penetrating him in and out. His whole body thrusted with every torrent that came out, matching his breaths. Over and over again, I went back and forth between counting the loads, and watching Senterra's expression somehow get wider and wider. When Khol started to slow down, she let go. I took over to make sure he was completely spent, and when he was, I took a few licks to get that sweet taste.
	"Ew!" She made a face at me.
	"It doesn't taste bad. Almost like a sweet Honey and Vanilla."
	"But it's the thought of it! It's his... Seed, isn't it?"
	"Doesn't mean it isn't safe to ingest." Again with the face. And I went back to licking him clean. His panting began to slow down, and Khol started drifting off to sleep. Again, I comforted him until I could hear his breaths normalize. "He always gets so tired after a full release. Just something unique about him."
	"What... About you?"
	I raised an eyebrow at her for a moment. "A little tired, but not sleepy like him until two or three times. Granted, I can't release nearly as much. That was about 15, unless I miscounted. I can only do about 7 average." She giggled a bit. "He's so strange, yet special. I couldn't imagine life without him."
	"That's why you didn't want others to know? About him being... Male?" Then I could see a realization in her eyes. "This is why you're having so much trouble to get kids. It makes sense now."
	"Yes, we've tried anyways. Khol believed that his body might possibly be able to carry one, but alas..." And I lightly shook my head. After a quick sigh. I stretched a bit. "Alright. Your turn."
	She blushed at me. "W-what?"
	"A bit of a rule here. If you help with pleasure, you get it in return. Unless you do not wish to have it." I leaned in closer to her. "Are you not feeling up for it?"
	"I..." Her eyes said she wanted it, but her mind was arguing with her again. I just smiled at her.
	"Come this way, on the bedding. You'll have to take off your clothing yourself, unless you want them to be torn." She blushed again, still not moving. Again I looked at her. "I won't force you. But if you can't make the decision yourself, I'll push you to it."
	"...Can I ask one thing?"
	"Yes."
	"Why?" I tilted my head a bit. "I thought you were not interested in our species... That way."
	I gazed over at Khol's resting body. "He wants it. Probably more so when he's awake, but he does want us to bond closer. This is how I bonded with him."
	She took a look at Khol for a bit. "I can't believe I'm going to do this, but... Okay." She began to take off her footwear. I could imagine the way she's warn clothing her entire life would leave her uncomfortable taking it off in front of others. So I looked away until she asked something else. "Um... What exactly are you planning to do? You're not expecting to fit... Your... In me, are you?"
	"Gods no. I'd split you open. I'll have to explore you first. I have never seen another completely naked or exposed besides dragons. So this will be a new experience for both of us, if that makes you feel better."
	"Have you ever done it with a female before?"
	"Yes. Before I left my hatchplace. But that was a bit different. More like revenge mating to go against her father."
	"And you're sure you didn't impregnate her?"
	"I did not. She wasn't in heat." I said with a chuckle. "At times, I'm glad Khol doesn't get that. The smell drives Males nuts and very lustful." She giggled.
	"Alright." She walked over to me, not covering herself against her will. "I'm ready." I motioned her to lay before me, in a pile of furs and blankets. The torches kept the room warm, but I could see her shivering.
	"Are you cold?"
	"No, just... Nervous." She said. "Please don't use your teeth."
	I chuckled. "I won't."
	"And please don't sneeze on me and light my hair on fire."
	Another chuckle. "Don't worry. We can't really do that anyway." And I began to sniff at her. "You smell... wet. Are you in heat?"
	She giggled. "We don't get Heated seasons. Don't worry yourself over that. I just..." And she looked at Khol, still sleeping there.
	I nodded "I understand. Another question: why do you have hair down there?" Again, she giggled, and shrugged. "Alright then." And I started with her neck. A soft, slow lick around her collarbone, caused her to gasp again. Almost making a face. But she held it back as I continued. Taking my time to judge her reactions to my movements, I eased down lower and lower to her nipples. That caused her to gasp again, and take a deep breath. That was one sensitive area. For a bit I played around with it, just lapping my tongue in circles around it, and over it. I got out farther and farther, soon underneath the breast. Letting it jiggle with every movement of my tongue. Then I started working on the other one.
	Her breaths got deeper and deeper the more I worked on it, and I could start to smell that wet again. (Perhaps it's her pre?) It came from the lower, hairy area. (That's probably where her sex is.) But I focused on the breasts for a bit longer. going back and forth between them with my tongue. I began to make my way lower once again, licking her belly. Only to suddenly realize that I was parched. I got up for a moment, and retrieved the pail of water from the other side of Khol's sleeping figure. His tool had already retreated from its session, and he was completely relaxed.
	I returned to her, took a few laps of water, and started from the collarbone once again. Slowly painting her front body with the warm water. She started to moan, just slightly. It was more just deep breaths until I got to the breasts again. The warmth probably felt really good against her skin. And once again, I lapped those areas for a bit.
	I made my way lower to where I left off. Drifting off to her thighs. Swaying back and forth between each one, slowly going farther and farther inward. With a deep breath, I could smell her wetness once again, between those lower lips. I began licking them, trying to ignore the odd taste of hair. (By the feel of it, my tongue might be able to fit into there.) For now, I just licked it. Her reaction was quite blissful. Reminded me of when Khol started touching my tailhole. So for a while, I focused on that spot.
	After a bit, she began to moan louder, almost grinding. I slowly began to press in a little. Her breaths got deeper, but it didn't sound like pain. A little deeper, along with the rhythm. The smell was getting to me a bit. I was already turned on by the excitement of the exploration, and from Khol's session. But her scent was almost taking over me. I could only slightly taste it, but I wanted the full thing.
	I started pressing in a bit harder, kept the pace, a bit harder, kept the pace. Then all at once, something gave in, and she let out a painful gasp. I could feel my tongue deep inside Senterra, and I didn't move. "Are you okay?" I tried to ask, the best I could. And all I got were blissful moans. I could faintly taste some blood, but when she showed no other signs of pain, I started again very slowly. The moans grew louder and louder with every soft movement of my purple warmth. It was soft inside her. Wet like her lower lips, but I still didn't taste it. Again, just a small sample. I began to speed up more and more, hearing her blissfully shout. Almost concerned that she might wake Khol up.
	I slithered my purple cloth deeper and deeper inside her, until I came to what I can describe as a wall. It was as far as I could go, but she was constricting at the base of her lips. With every loud moan, she tried to choke my tongue. I went faster, trying to accelerate her breaths a bit more, and she started grinding again. For a while, we did that. Until she shouted again, and braced. Her lips once again choking my tongue, and a large amount of her wet laced my tongue. So much so that I had to pull my tongue out of there.
	She laid on her back breathing heavily. The look on her face said Thank You, and That Was Wonderful. I just smirked at her, and licked at the small puddle she made. I can't really describe this one. It really didn't taste like anything specific. I rested my chin on her body, licking it once in a while, as well as my muzzle. "Enjoyed yourself?" She gave a nod, finally catching her breath. She gave a bit of a moan, and she did what she could to hug my snout from where it was. "Hope that didn't hurt too much. I'm not really sure what that was."
	She shrugged. "It hurt a bit, but after you were in there, it went away. It almost felt like... A small seal that was broken." It concerned me a bit. After a bit, she got up and really gave a hug. I just smiled. "You're turn."
	My head shot back, and my ears started to turn purple. For a moment I was speechless. "Over your concerns already?" She nodded. "You don't have to do me, I'm alright."
	"If you don't lay on your back, I'm kicking you in the stones." She giggled. I curled my neck to an S at the common threat I was given the past few days.
	I sighed dramatically, and tossed my head. "If you must." And she moved out of the way. I turned around and lifted my tail at her, leaving my large sack vulnerable. She double taked at it, and went into a gigglefit.
	Senterra tapped at them with her hand. "Seriously, lay down." I snorted, but didn't argue.
	I was careful to lay where she was, even feeling that wet puddle somewhere on my back. "I've been basically ready for a while now. And since you've already stroked off one dragon today, you can give me a quick one. Deal? You must be tired."
	"A little, but deal. At least you get something out of this adventure." She smiled. It was nice to see her coming around and not being afraid of her instinctive desires. It warmed me really. (I wonder if we really could convince every Child to be like this...) Mind you, that thought was interrupted when she grabbed my ridges.
	I grunted. "Too hard. Easy!" And she lipped 'I'm sorry' to me. She slowed down and went much lighter. The waves washed through me against her light touch. "Much better..." It didn't take me too long to start moaning. Although I tried to contain most of them in my muzzle so not to wake Khol.
	"What were you doing down here with him? Something about his hind legs?"
	"Hamstrings." I managed to get out. And she started to try to find the right area. She ended up having to put her face in my balls in order to reach. The exploration of her soft hands eventually discovered the spot that Khol took advantage of, but she couldn't really work both my tool and that well. So she started with the hamstring, and then searched for the second one. Another series of pleasure flowed through me. Over and over, it made me squirt a bit. After a bit of that, I Could feel myself ready. "Senterra." She poked her head up. "I'm ready."
	"Wow, that really didn't take long." She giggled.
	"Those areas... Are very Sensitive..." And she went back to the base of my shaft. Still having to grip it with both hands she worked on it over and over. I could feel the pleasure rushing in and racing to my climax. As much as I tried to hold it back and enjoy the state, My balls started to scrunch up below Senterra's chest. My spines flared up, and my tail thrashed from side to side. I began to thrust in her grip and my first torrent took to the air. She kept working, helping every torrent get though and take to the sky... Only to land at my neck and a bit in my face. My mouth was opened but I didn't mind. I actually made a game of trying to catch it. It's much harder than you think when you're releasing.
	Soon, my tool began to retreat. As I caught my breath, I could hear her laughing at me. "What's so funny?" I managed to get out.
	"The look on your face! It was really cute! And how you were trying to catch them in midair. You're adorable, Zhai." And she immediately covered her mouth. "I'm sorry, I just-"
	"It's alright. You may call me by my real name. The full being Zhaiothe. I'm sure Khol would be alright as well, but ask him just in case." I gave her a smile, while I laid down and rested. She crawled up my body, washing it with the cloth. "Not going to taste it?" I teased.
	I could tell she made a face. "I'd rather not just yet. One step at a time."
	"You're missing out. Even a God said I taste like Cherries." And she giggled at me whipping a bit off my face and licking it off my paw. She proceeded to wash me until I was clean. "Grab a blanket." And she just rolled her eyes and handed it to me. I took her with a scoop of my paw, and she yipped in surprise. I then made my way over beside Khol, still on my haunches and belly up, to lay beside him. I set her down on my chest, and wrapped my right arm around Khol. Who adjusted himself in his sleep to cuddle with me.
	The three of us slept the rainy day away.

Chapter 11
	It took several months for Khol to feel comfortable with me doing anything with my shoulder. Even then, I actually felt like it was too soon. Mostly because he was right; it started to ache when I stressed it out alot. Even leaning on it hurt a little. But it just came to our attention that it would never fully heal. I would just have to live with the pain that I forced on it.
	During the winters, it did get cold up in my Throne. I never really noticed it until that incident. But Khol ordered a specially made blanket that would stay around that shoulder, and it made a drastic difference. All and all, at least I was back in the skies that I've missed so. 
	There were no signs of Alzallion's army moving toward us. I scouted them myself. Even talked to a few travelers I seen along the roads that were brave enough to trade tongues. Apparently the invasion was such an embarrassment to the kingdom, they decided to leave it alone. It feed my ego a bit, and told them to start spreading rumors that one dragon took out their entire army that they've sent. And we had five in our lands.
	They spreaded quickly. And it kept the morale of their kingdom down. That's all I wanted. To insure that my Kingdom and its people were safe. Alzallion never set foot into my kingdom again, at least not wearing a uniform.
	That peace went on for nearly a century. The towns grew into cities. They built that Harbor that they so desperately wanted for so long. They even ended up building a new bridge to the east for easy trades. Worst comes to worse, if another army tried to march in, I could always tear it down again.
	After my injury, we began to see less and less of Senterra. It wasn't until for a while that Khol found out she found a mate for herself. I was so happy for her. Khol came up with the idea that when they were to be wed, we would offer them the spare cave to use for a honeymoon. Setting up the areas with plenty of firewood and deliver them meals for 7 days. I even offered to fly them there after their celebration with the city. Although, the husband wasn't too fond of the idea, I pushed him into it... Okay, Threatened. Details, who needs them.
	Not even a year later, she bared a child, and started her own family within Pla'inth Path. Khol kept in touch with her quite often. As for me, I reverted back to my solitary days over the century. I was happy for those in my Kingdom. I was happy for Khol. And I was happy for myself. Those days melted together, and if there were ever a Lothranis, that was it.

	I was about 510-520 that current year. I remember waking up next to Khol, and pleasuring him in his half asleep state. It was another one of those climaxes that didn't release too much, but it made him happy either way. He wanted to do me, but I told him to wait until tonight. He agreed, and we proceeded with our day.
	Patrolling to the East and up to the boarders to the north, I seen nothing. I was heading to my first training area in the mountains close to me, when I seen a caravan along the road. (I wonder if this one has any news for me.) From the sky, I didn't recognize it. So I began to descend slowly toward it, within the drivers vision, so not to spook or frighten him.
	As I was keeping an eye on it and slowing down to a trot, I seen the caravan get a few arrows to its side, coming out of the forest nearby. As well as a few bandits come out with weapons. I snarled, took a deep breath, and roared loudly. Getting their attention and causing them to retreat. (That's something I'll have to deal with later.)
	I slowed my pace towards the caravan, to show I meant him no harm. Keeping the proud figure of myself looking tall. "It seems to matter how many of them I kill, they seem to still think that's it's safe to steal within my lands. I've been chasing them out for centuries." I said, as I approached him. Hoping he spoke in tongues. The older merchant looked a mix of Shocked and Surprised at me.
	"There really is a dragon here...!"
	I gave him an odd look. "Of course there is. This is my Kingdom." My neck curled to an S.
	"I never believed the stories! Are they all true? The ones about the Crimson King?" He had to take his hat off and stand to get a full look at me over his horses.
	"Yes, that is I. And I'm not sure what you've heard, but I can only assume they are good things." I turned around and tossed my head to the direction he was heading. "Come, it's best that I escort you myself to the nearest town."
	"Thank you, your majesty." He took a bow. I did enjoy the respect the new ones gave me, but I did not demand it.
	"Sire will do fine for a label." I looked back at the forest, still quiet. "It's possible they are still hiding and waiting for me to leave."
	"You are very generous." He said, telling his horses to move forward.
	"What name do you go by Merchant?"
	"They call me Hayvon. I came from the far southeast."
	"And you've traveled to the north side of my lands?"
	"Yes, I was needing to get through Alzallion, but they've gated many of the areas of your lands at the east. I lost alot of my trades to bribes and barely made it here. It's been a long journey, and I was afraid those bandits would've taken everything I've had." The man said with a gracious smile on his face. Then he got an idea. "I know! Let me gift you something in return."
	"That won't be needed. You're more than welcome to stay in my lands. Keep your inventory so that you may trade with others here."
	"It's alright, Sire." He searched in a sack that he kept nearby. He pulled out this odd looking trinket, about the size of his hands put together. It honestly looked like a small mirror, with a large red Gem in the middle of it's aged, golden frame. "I've plundered this from the far far east. It's a valuable gem, and I would like you to have it."
	"Once again, it's alright. I have no need for such thing. My mate wouldn't want me to take from someone who has very little with them. Your journey has been treacherous enough as it is."
	"Oh but please Sire, let me show my gratitude! I would love for you to even keep this in your... Throne! Displaying it for all those who visit it, and symbolize what you truly are to these lands!" The praise was so filling, I honestly couldn't get enough of it.
	But we argued like this for several hours. Until we actually got to the gates of Vilbyment'tide. At which point, he actually came in front of me and to his knees. Begging me to take it. I sighed heavily, and accepted his gift. Telling him to never do this again, and he agreed.
	I flew back to my Throne, and placed it in one of the off rooms that I had. Just in the middle on top of a barrel. It wasn't until there that I took a very good look at it. It was so red and clear looking. Shiny despite of its age. But in the very center, there seemed to be this small black void, that only a dragon's eye could see. Staring into it for a long time, it almost made me feel like I lost some part of myself. Eventually, I set it down, and carried out with my day.
	That night, Khol and I released once again. And bathed in afterglow. I remember waking up in the middle of the night, with the urge to piss. After I came back, through the dim light, I could see the Gem in the darkness. I felt myself drawn to it, and stared deep into it for hours, until Khol got up and snapped me out of it.
	It's no real secret that Dragons love baubles. It's true that we're attracted to very shiny objects and treasures. To the point where we get so Violently Greedy, and Disgustingly Vain. I was always told to stay away from such things. Even by Khol. And for the most part, I did. But... sooner or later, it gets to you.
	...Over the next century, I only remember fractions. Things people said to me. The rest are all black, inked spots in my memory...
---
	KHOL: "Is everything okay, Zhai? You've been sitting in here with that thing for an awfully long time."
---
	MAYOR OF SILVERTHORN: "We'll gladly gift you anything, Sire. We owe you everything we have here."
---
	KHOL: "I'm not sure I like this. What do we need with such objects anyway? We have your lands, the skies, and each other. Isn't that enough? It always used to be."
---
	MAYOR OF  FI'SETTLAGE: "Sire, we can't keep affording to do this. I'm sorry, but we don't have enough..."
---
	KHOL: "You Did What!? Why would you set fire to a poor city!? ...It's Poor Because You Made It That way! What has gotten into you!?"
---
	SENTERRA: "I'm sorry, Zhai... But we can't live here anymore. The cities are dying of poverty. I'm taking my family and moving on... I love you."
---
	KHOL: "Zhai... Please... Think about this with your Heart. Put an End to this obsession!"
---
	KHOL: "I'm starting to think you love them more than me..."
---
	KHOL: "Please, can we just spend a night outside of the Throne? The meadows are beautiful this summer."
---
	KHOL: "I'm Putting An End To This Madness, Zhai! I Understand It Now!"
---
	KHOL: "I love you Zhai..."
---
	...
	...
	...I remember waking up... With the taste of something metal in my mouth, as well as the taste of slight sweetness... It reminded me of those nights I used to make love to Khol... That first time I gave him a release, and made that miracle come true... But there was something wrong with it. There was... Too much...
	...My jaw was tight with anger, until I noticed what I was biting into was breathing. I released it, only to see a blurry mix of Red and Silver...
	All I could do was stare in horror at Khol's limp body, as my eyes slowly traced up to his eyes. His soft blue eyes, not judging me. Almost full of relief. He smiled at me sadly, and I caved into the weeping that flooded me. He was fatally wounded... by Me. The one person That was supposed to protect him from harm.
	(No... No... No, No, No, No, No...!) I collapsed in his arms, trying to deny that it happened. Thinking, hoping it was some bad dream. "Shhh..." He said softly. "It's alright." (How could you say such a thing...?) There was so much power that flowed through Khol at that moment, I never knew where it came from. "...You cannot keep yourself this way, Zhaiothe. Things can only get worse if you cannot control this obsession of yours-" Khol jolted in Pain,  he knew he wasn't going to make it. Again, I just ran into circles of denial, and listened to his heart, as well as his words... His last words. "You must take back control of what is truly yours. You need to reclaim your life for your own," (I can't, not without you...)"and not let this obsession overtake you. I do this for the benefit of you." Another sharp breath. "You will become unborn until you can overcome this. You will instead grow young until the day you find out what you've truly done wrong." (I know what I've done...) "You will not know death as I have, but unbirth, unless you can make up for what you've done. I do this for the benefit of you! I Do this for the benefit of you. I do this for the benefit of you... I do this for the benefit of you..."
	...His last few heartbeats would echo inside my head from that moment on...Until it ran out of energy to do so. For hours, I just laid there... Now alone. Drained of tears. My throat was parched, and I slowly limped outside to grab a long drink. Then returned to my former mate.
	Something on the floor caught my eye. That gem that I was given by Hayvon, it was shattered on the stone floor... (It was because of that... I remember now. It was because of that. It was because of that!) My breaths became deep and filled with anger. I began roaring at it. Over and over, getting louder and louder, shaking the Throne with every breath. Until a large Urn that I didn't even recognize fell over and broke.
	I lost it. I went berserk on all the treasures I gathered over the years. Destroying them all and forcing their value into Entropy. I started several fires in the areas of my throne. I ruined every luxurious item I had in there besides the body of my love, and wailed on them until I could no longer stand.
	After a few breaths, I crawled back into Khol's arms. Hoping somehow he would wake up. But he never did open those beautiful eyes again. It was something that took half the night for me to accept. Slowly, I began to carry his body outside.
	As sore as I was, I forced myself to carry him to the top of my throne without flight. I then went down, and started ripping out nearby trees, and flying them up. It took nearly all night, but I built him a pyrebed, and laid him inside it. I climbed inside of it as well, and lit the trees with a deep breath. Flames surrounded us, as we laid in the center. That was the last night I ever spent with Khol...
	I woke up that morning in nothing but piles of ash. I felt so dehydrated, but I stayed to pay my respects to my mate. Letting his ashes be taken by the only goddess I believed in. And just prayed that she would take him to Lothranis.
	...
	...I never told the villages. Never even spoke to anyone for the next few days. I tried to just take it one day at a time. Seeing by some miracle if I could somehow move on... I couldn't. Every single thing about this land reminded me of Khol... And what I've done. But I tried to give it a month. It was the longest, most lonely month I've ever lived.
	I didn't want to be here anymore. I didn't want to childsit this place anymore. It's beauty only reminded me of the best thing that had ever happened to me, and how I destroyed it... So I destroyed it... I set fire to the villages, starting with Vilby. And made sure nothing lived. I moved from town to town. Then forest to forest... Then Meadow to meadow...
	My rich lands. My peaceful lands. My oasis. And I turned it into flames. Insured that nothing would ever grow in it again. Then I left it... The Crimson King was no longer. He had no Kingdom anymore. No People. No Queen... Nothing.
	...I flew north. I'm not really sure why at first, but I did. Eventually, I overheard some Children talking about my lands, and how somehow Alzallion was responsible for it. After some interrogations, it was clear that the Red Gem was actually one used to control and amplify Desires. And the King of Alzallion snuck a 'Merchant' in there to place it in my presence. The plan was to get the people against me, and make me look like a Monster. Maybe rally an army to slay me, so Alzallion would be invited in and take over what I had.
	I was so furious, I murdered the person who gave me the information. Then started to head toward Alzallion so I could get my revenge... Even though I know Khol wouldn't want that... Blood for Blood did nothing to help. It was just an endless cycle of despair and pain. I just couldn't think of anything else... That was until I found out, a few days after Hayvon was sent out, that ruler was assassinated.
	Even my revenge was cut before me. And I had nothing left. I was to live my life backwards, forever getting smaller and weaker for several hundred years. I couldn't bare the thought of it. So I... came up with a plan...

	I made a small home in the cave of an icy mountain. And I stole a large amount of wines and alcohols from several Caravans that traveled nearby... Killing anyone that traveled with it. Made no trace that they were ever assaulted. I must've had about 38 kegs in total... And I waited for a cold night.
	I drank every drop I had in one entire day, trying to overload my liver and poison myself. I went to sleep, and I... died. For several hours. But... The sun warmed me up enough for my heart to start up once again. I hated that blasted thing... After a few more kegs taken, I tried to do it again, but I couldn't keep it down. Even the strong smell of it would turn my stomach.
	I was at the point where I could no longer drink. I've always been afraid of falling hard onto the ground, because of my shoulder incident. Besides, it wasn't even a guaranteed kill. I honestly was afraid of drowning, even though I caved in and attempted it anyway... There was only one more thing I could think of, and that was cutting myself.
	And I started trying to do that. I kept trying to get them deeper and deeper, but it was just... too hard to push myself to do it. It got to the point where I enjoyed the releasing. It let me forget, and drift away from the guilt that plagued me... I did that for centuries. No caring if someone came around and slayed me in my recovery. Yet, that scared me. Because I knew where I was going if I was to die right then.
	I was afraid of death. I didn't want to leave. But I didn't want to be alone, not without Khol. And no one could possibly replace him. I wanted to be with him, but I was too afraid to die, and find out that I could no longer be with him... It was an endless cycle I ran over and over. When I started to loose blood, and faint a bit, those thoughts would fade away.
	...But one time, it got infected horribly. And once again, I found myself struggling, holding onto what life I had left. My legend still hung around, and what I've done was far worse. No one was willing to help me recover. No one was willing to give this King another chance.
	...In my sleep, I could half feel someone chaining me. Over the centuries, I grew quite smaller, due to the curse. I was maybe about 20 feet in length now, instead of what used to be nearly 60. They took me into a building, and began curing my infection. But whatever they kept feeding me made me so delirious I couldn't even raise my head up straight. After that infection was cured, they started to move me to a cellar... A dungeon.
	They strapped me onto a table of some sort, and binded me with chains. They put a strange collar on me, and I could half make out an explanation of what it was. This collar was magically made for interrogations. It would render the wearer extremely tired, and unable to defend themselves. But granted them massive regeneration capabilities, as well as no longer the need to eat, drink, sleep, or use the washroom. The reason why it was discontinued in production was that it needed to be warn for nearly a week for the effects to kick in. And saving some interrogations for several days would often make useful information invalid.
	But they didn't need information from me. And so they fed me for several days. Keeping me tried and unable to resist any movement they gave me. I even had a window to tell how many days went by... After that, they blocked it. And began draining me of my blood. Dragon's blood sold very well in black markets... And they found nearly a lifetime supply from me...
	In that darkness, my thoughts kept with me. My life replayed before me over and over. All the mistakes I've made haunted me. All the things I did to Khol... And his death was the worst of all... It was all my fault, and I...
-----
	The dragon choked for a moment. And took a few breaths. Tong studied his friend in the darkness. "...Zhai... It wasn't your fault."
	"Tong..."
	"You were tricked! You even found out that yourself. It wasn't your fault that..."
	"Tong..." Tong remained quiet while his friend finished. "...I've spent nearly 500 years reliving that event... And even though I was tricked, or even somehow controlled... You have to realize one thing."
	"...What's that?" Tong swallowed hard.
	"...That Khol is still dead... And I still did it." The dragon was silent for a bit after that.
-----
	...Khol's curse was correct. Slowly but surely, I could feel myself reverting and aging backwards. I can't tell you how many years I spent in that dark room, but they ended up having to change my chains into smaller ones several times, to make sure I never got loose. They took my blood. My fangs when they were grown. They took my claws. Spines at the end of my tail. Fire Bile. Even milked my Seed a few times. They took whatever could possibly sell out of my body that they could salvage without killing me. Even though I wished they would just end me. They came close a few times from the bleeding, but wasn't enough for me to even sleep.
	My mind melted with grief and remorse. For what felt like Eons, I was tortured. Until one day, there was alot of commotion in the main building. Whoever it was, they were brought to my door, looking for something. I still had my muzzle restraint so I wouldn't bite anyone, and when they passed me, I tried to get their attention. I was actually trying to tell them to just kill me. I no longer wanted to live in this torment.
	After a bit of whimpering, the person found what they were looking for. They went pass me once again, and I gave one last desperate attempt for their attention. They stopped, and sighed, looking at me. I couldn't make out their face, but they came toward me, and loosened the chain on my left wrist. It was enough for me to get myself loose. "You are free, beast." They said. "Be thankful for my Kindness." And my heart shocked. That word was my bane.
	The figure left me to unchain myself. It felt like I fought forever for freedom. Then to slip off the table. To climb up the stairs... Every motion dragged me down into near unconsciousness, but I fought harder than I ever did to just get out.
	The doorway held a light, that felt like it was searing my eyes when I looked through. My steps took so long for me to move, that my eyes adjusted to it a few steps in. I could hear sobs from across the room. As I moved around to what appeared to be a desk with a mess on top of it, I could see a woman over the body of another person... That figure was the same one who milked me. But I wasn't angry with her.
	When her gaze reached me, she gasped and sat completely still. I moved slowly around the desk, seen a pouch on top of it, and fought up to take it. I was at wyrmling stages in my life, about the size I am now, maybe smaller. So it was quite difficult for me to do such a thing, especially with that collar on. It was the only thing that was keeping me alive, and until I got something in my belly, I didn't risk taking it off.
	I managed to grab the pouch with my jaws, and limped out the door. Sparing the woman from a fiery revenge. The sun felt like it was burning me with its light. I must've been down there for a good 150 years. And they probably made quite the profit from me.
	I spent the money in the pouch to get some food from a nearby vendor. He really didn't want to sell it to what looked to be a stray animal, but the money itself was good. What little I got took nearly an hour to eat, I was so weak. But after I did, I fought with the collar to get it off. It wasn't easy, but as I expected, I got this huge backlash of uncomfort after I was released of its power. I was hungover for nearly a week, but I somehow managed to stay alive. Scavenging for food and water. Resorting to eating insects at times. But...
	When I was finally over that sickness, the main question came up: "What now?" And I fell back into that depression once again. Unable to escape it. And... I just gave up. Drifting from settlement to settlement...
-----
	"...And that's where I found you." Tong finished the dragon's sentence. He gave a silent nod that Tong could barely make out in the dark room. "Little Red... Can I give you an honest opinion?"
	"Please, Tong... Maybe in the morning." The dragon stated, trying to make himself comfortable.
	"...You're too hard on yourself." That made the dragon stand still. "I know you'll disagree, and I'm not going to argue with you past that. But I think you're too hard on yourself. And-"
	"I killed the one I loved most in this world with my own jaws. I threw away the best thing that ever happened to me. How can I not be hard enough on myself? Even when he was passing, he did everything he could to give me another chance..."
	"And what are you planning to do? Let that go to waste?" Tong's voice was starting to thicken.
	"...I don't know. For a while, I just gave up... But the night before last... I had a dream. He was in it."
	"Khol was?"
	Another silent nod from the red one. "We... Went through memories of my life. Past and present. And he... Cured me of my selfishness. Cleansed me..."
	There was silence for a bit. Tong wanted to say something, but at the same time, he knew it might hurt his friend. "...Little Red?" There was silence in the room. "The way you described Silverthorn's passing, he wasn't angry with you. Is that correct?" A painful sigh came from across the room. "And in this dream of yours, did he sound angry?"
	"...No. Only when I was drinking..."
	"Then that means he doesn't blame you for what happened." Another painful sigh came from the darkness. "And you shouldn't either. Regardless of what happened. And the only way you're going to be with him in the afterlife, is if you can forgive yourself. After that, each step closer to him will weigh much less." Nothing but pouring rain could be heard from the small building the two took shelter in. "Bad things happen, Little Red. It's how we survive them that defines who we really are. Now, from this story you've told me, I can definitely say that there is a difference between the Little Red I know, and the Crimson King. They both might have the same name, Zhaiothe. But they are two different people. Khol fell in love with the Crimson King. And until you become that person again, that's when you'll be united with your mate-"
	"I'm tired, Tong... Let's just get some sleep." The dragon said. And Tong remained quiet. He refreshed himself, and then went to rest while the storm raged outside.

	Halfway through the night, Tong woke up. The rain was still heavily badgering the shelter, and Tong tried to listen for the sounds of his friend breathing. He heard nothing, and was a bit concerned.
	As Tong rose, his contrasting darkvision started to kick in. Although everything looked as shades of grey, he could still see the outlines of things. And the dragon's bed was empty. (Damnit... Maybe he didn't get too far.) And Tong went for the door.
	As he opened it, he could see the wyrmling a little ways out from the door, sitting in the rain as it poured heavily on him. Tong shouted to his friend to get his attention, but the dragon didn't move. Right there, along with the rain, Tong could just barely see the large outline of something as it moved. It was standing over the dragon, as if it was trying to shelter it from the storm's fury. Along with a small whisper...

			You've Told Me Before
			My Tears Don't Fall
			We've Been Here Before
			They Crash Around You...