Savior of Dragons: An Unexpected Encounter - Part 1
Written by Klesk Vadrigaar

There were certain cast iron truths to a fantastic world, at least as history and legends tended to tell: humans were civilised heroes of the land, elves were wise and mystical, goblins were tribal and untrustworthy, trolls were evil, beastfolk were give or take but usually lesser than their human and elvish counterparts, and dragons were beasts to be feared and destroyed wherever they cropped up. Rare to none were the accounts that dared to say otherwise to the above, and yet for one being as she stepped out of a portal and found herself in one such fantastic land, it was a contrary account that was the first to greet her upon her arrival.

"OH! I...I'm sorry!" The giant black beast exclaimed as Iridium stared up at it. "I didn't know there'd be guests dropping by!"

Iridium cocked her head to the side, slowly twisting her neck as she tried to take in the scale of her first encounter. It was a dragon to be sure. Not the biggest one the white furred wolf had run into, but pretty close. Definitely from the angle Iridium was viewing it at, it looked to be 10 feet tall at its front shoulder, probably about 20 feet total from the tip of its long snout to its sharply pointed tail tip. 

It was clad in scales as black as the starless night sky, yet still, in the light of the fire that was burning in a vast pit before the beast, Iridium could make out the details of immense muscles. Thick, deeply striated chords of power flowed and rippled across every inch of the dragon's illuminated side; the scales flowing with them in a rather majestic harmony of armor and strength. Iridium was awed at the sight, her own beefy and muscular body inadvertently tensing under her casual attire, testing the fabric of her button down shirt and the denim of her jeans (as well as the trademark sports bra and work out shorts she had on underneath) to their max as she unknowingly tried to show the beast she was likewise as powerful.

"Uh, could I interest you in something to eat? You...uh...caught me at a rather odd moment."

Iridium blinked, startled out of her analysis of the dragon by her statement. The wolf shook her head as she now registered the voice coming from the black beast was definitely that of a female...though as Iridium returned to her study of the dragon, that seemed to be the only indication as to its gender. 

"Eat? Uh...huh." Iridium finally replied as her eyes trekked down to the fire, and noticed a fairly elaborate cooking set up was positioned before the flames. Two meaty bulls were roasting on a set of parallel positioned metal spits, while below them two giant pots bubbled with what appeared to be a stew of vegetables and spices in a very rich smelling broth. 

"I see, um, well this IS awkward." Iridium smiled, feeling her face flush with embarrassment. "They didn't tell me I'd be stepping into someone's home." 

Iridium looked around herself, now noticing she stood in the dazzling interior of a vast cave, well stocked with riches. Piles of gold coins, golden plates, golden goblets, golden crowns, golden bracelets, basically anything that could be made out of the precious metal was present and accounted for in vast numbers around the wolf, broken up in multiple places by the colorful specks of rubies, sapphires, emeralds and other likewise precious stones. 

"Uh, if I'm intruding I'll gladly see myself out." Iridium quickly added, remembering from the multiple fairy tales and fantasy books she'd read that coming anywhere close to a dragon while it was guarding its horde tended to be very hazardous to one's health. 

Unfortunately, no sooner had Iridium turned around to find the entrance of the cave, than said entrance was suddenly barricaded from her by the dragon's head. 

"Intruding? No, no please, think nothing of the sort!" The beast assured. "Honestly I'm grateful for the company right now."

Iridium cautiously held her ground. Up close, she got a better view of the dragon's features, seeing that her long snout tapered to a crooked point, somewhat like that of a bird's beak. Behind that, her eyes shone like orbs as golden and finely polished as the great piles of wealth surrounding the two. Above those eyes, two simple but massive black horns curled upwards, over a ridge of sharp looking spines that continued on down her neck and along the full length of her back and tail. 

"My name's Angelique." The dragon continued, and Iridium finally noted how she could see the inside of the beast's mouth glow a fiery red every time she spoke. No doubt that was a sign this dragon possessed the same manner of deadly fire breath that many of her kind were blessed with, though at the present moment, Iridium was more intrigued with how the glow danced across and through Angelique's many great and razor sharp teeth.

"I see...again I mean...erm..." Iridium coughed and shook her head. "Forgive me, I'm Iridium. And I suppose I owe you an explanation as to how I came to be standing here in your abode." 

Angelique nodded and pulled her head back, revealing the front of her neck and her very well muscled chest were covered in larger plate-like scales. Iridium found herself again marvelling at how flawlessly Angelique's natural body armor molded itself to the details of the raw power underneath. 

"In which case may I again offer to let you do so over some...well...hopefully good food?" Angelique smiled as she stepped back and unfolded the great wings on her back so she could sit down by the fire.

***

"So my cook, Mrs. Zallah, usually handles all the meals, but she's currently on holiday in the southern regions with her family." Angelique admitted as she and Iridium finished off the last bits of meat and stew. "I figured I could get by on my own efforts for a few weeks at least, even if I'm not all that well versed in the kitchen."

Iridium looked down at the stripped clean bones on her plate, and the empty bowl beside them.

"Well as far as I'm concerned you did quite fine." The wolf smiled. Angelique bashfully looked away.

"Thank you. She was so hesitant about leaving me to my own devices for so long, but, well, trolls are very family centred creatures, and she's been away from her loved ones for too long as it is!"

Iridium slowly raised an eyebrow as her smile dropped. "You have trolls working for you?"

Angelique shook her head.

"Oh no! Mrs. Zallah is the only troll on my staff. The cleaners who tend to my hoard and keep the cave neat are goblins. There's also sweet old Dur, my groundskeeper. He's an orc." 

Iridium's other eyebrow rose as she processed this.

"I see. Forgive me, I wasn't aware dragons had staff or employed people." 

Now Angelique looked somewhat offended.

"Sweet heavens, we don't employ 'people'!" She said, spitting the word out like it was a piece of her meal that had turned out to be rotten. "People are dangerous folk! Humans especially! We know to stay well away from their kind, unless we have a death wish!" 

Iridium blinked at the outburst, then furrowed her brow.

"In which case, I again apologize. If I may ask, where exactly IS this place I've wandered into? All I know is my researchers were running a test of the pan-dimensional portal technology they were working on. They told me they'd stabilized an aperture to a parallel world. Said it was perfectly safe for me to try out...so I did." Iridium admitted. "Beyond that I'm both figuratively and literally lost." 

Angelique blinked in shock.

"How curious. This is quite a surprise!" 

The dragon's tail whipped itself around, stretching across the length of the cave to where multiple shelves, stacked high with books, had been carved into the wall above a stone platform. The bladed on the tip of Angelique's tail split apart into two curved pincers, then snapped closed around the spine of a very large, metal bound tome. 

"Fortunately I can help you in regards to these lands."

The tome was set down in front of Iridium and Angelique's tail flipped the cover open. Iridium narrowed her eyes as she read the elegant text printed on the first page.

"An Introduction to Arda and its provinces, as recorded by....wait...really?" 

Iridium stared at the author's name. She looked up at Angelique, who naturally was quite confused by her new friend's reaction.

"Since when was HE ever an author?" Iridium demanded.

The dragon looked even more bewildered.

"Since he was first taught how to read and write by...erm...you know who." She replied. "Most dragons are a bit iffy on saying his name, but yes, he taught my father all about the merits of the written word, and my father has put that knowledge to good use for countless centuries, across a great number of published works."

Silence held in the cave, save for the crackling of the slowly dying fire. Iridium nodded dumbly as her mouth hung open. The blackness of Angelique's scales, her size, her muscles, it suddenly all made a very shocking amount of sense.

"Your father...you're the daughter of...well, I guess there IS a pretty strong resemblance." Iridium finally bleated. Angelique bobbed her head from side to side.

"I'm ONE daughter of his, technically. He's sired quite a few clutches over the years." She said. Iridium huffed in disbelief as she turned back to the tome. 

"And this is a text he wrote...okay...this just told me a lot about where I am, and spat in the face of everything I thought I knew about it."

Angelique gave Iridium a weirded out expression as the wolf leaned forward.

"Suffice to say, yes, reading this and learning more just became of the utmost importance to me!"

***

In the dying light of the fire, Iridium turned over the final page of the book. She let herself list back, coming to rest against Angelique's warm flank as she digested the bulk of what she'd just read.

"Well....damn." The wolf exhaled as she flipped the book closed. "I trust you understand I'm going to need a little bit of time to come to grips with your father's testaments."

Angelique nodded with a noticeable weight to her movements.

"I'm presuming your knowledge of this world was gleaned mostly from human and elvish accounts, wasn't it?" She muttered, hmming softly as Iridium nodded back. "Strange. You bear all the hallmarks of being a beastfolk...even if your attire is a bit odd." 

Iridium raised an accusing eyebrow as Angelique picked up the book and walked over to return it to its spot on the shelf. 

"There's never been any account of humans or elves permitting what they see as the lower races to even peek at their accounts of the world's history." 

Iridium opened her mouth, then paused as she thought for what to say.

"It's not like that...it's...umm...hmmm...how can I explain this..."

The wolf walked over to join Angelique as the dragon made herself comfortable on her thick bed of animal pelts.

"The books/tales/accounts whatever of this world exist where I'm from....just they weren't written by humans....thought they DO still tell of your history from the perspective of humans...and...um...okay maybe that wasn't the best way to describe it."

Angelique cocked her head in curiosity.

"You mean to say that the deities which made our world spread the word of their great works to other worlds?" 

Iridium thought for a moment then smiled.

"Yeah that'd be an adequate way of putting it. Thing is, if what I just read is any indication, we only got one viewpoint...which was apparently a very jaded viewpoint."

The wolf furrowed her brow as she thought it over some more.

"Tell me, is magic prevalent here?"

Angelique, the wolf noted, seemed slightly hesitant to reply. She nodded very slowly.

"There are, practitioners of it. It's a necessary force of our world, but, lately, it seems humans and higher beings are the only ones who practice it...and only for less than noble means."

Iridium pursed her lips as she dug in her pants pocket and pulled out her phone. 

"I see. Do you mind if I make a quick call? I need to tell the team back at my workplace I'll be staying here for a bit longer than intended."

Angelique's eyes widened in delight.

"Do you wish to be given a tour of these lands then? I can arrange that!" 

Iridium smiled.

"So long as I'm here, why not? I've got to see what your father's writings speak of for myself."

She felt Angelique rumble, somewhat like an oversized school girl squeeing at being picked for her dream position on the school team.

"Oh you're going to love it! Summer's just begun and the land is blooming! Why don't we get some sleep and we'll set out first thing in the morning!"

Iridium contemplated this. From the lack of light coming from anywhere but the still glowing embers of the fire, it was clearly too late for her to go out exploring on her own, even if she was blessed with both superior muscles and perfect night vision. 

Then, of course, she also had a nice warm dragon to curl up with...which didn't sound so bad considering Iridium had come straight from a typical strenuous work day to this apparent assignment. 

"Sure, okay." Iridium murred as she stood up. "I'll just be a moment."

She walked to the mouth of the cave, punching in her office's phone number, then the extension for the lab as she stepped out to observe an extremely vibrant country vista, currently faintly illuminated by the light of the moon and the speckles of hundreds of stars.

"Hey, Trevor....yes it's me....yes I made it through just fine, though you might want to have another look at the coordinates you punched in. I interrupted a native right as she was sitting down to dinner in her homestead." 

Iridium snorted and shook her head as she listened to her subordinate excuse himself. Silently she noted that her modified phone was getting pretty decent reception for a call to someone who currently existed in a completely different realm of reality. She'd have to make sure that was emphasized among the features when her company released its product line for the next year. 

"No, no, that's what I'm calling about. I've found cause to want to do some sightseeing before I depart. Tell your boys to pack up and have a good weekend. You can yank me back through the portal on Monday." 

Iridium rolled her eyes as she listened to her subordinates pleas for more details.

"You'll get a very in depth report from me soon as I'm back in the office. See you then." Iridium promised before ending the call. Taking a deep breath she let her gaze trek across the scenic vista outside Angelique's cave one last time, before turning back to join the dragon in her bed.

"The publishing houses back home are going to have a field day with this." 

***

"So first I should ask, what DO you know of this world, Iridium?" Angelique queried as she soared through the heavens. From where she was sitting on the dragon's back, clutching her thick neck firmly, Iridium looked down at the landscape visible beneath the passing clouds.

"Well, I can hazard a guess as to what part we're passing over...though again, it's not as I remember it being described."

Iridium risked leaning further over so she could peer more closely at the great mountains rising up to greet her, 

"I mean, the three volcanoes are there...but there's so much greenery. And light." 

Angelique dipped her wings and descended down through the clouds, allowing Iridium a much closer and more detailed view of the craggy mountains, draped in the purest emerald toned foliage all the way up to the lips of the deep canyons leading into the depths of the mountains. In between the clouds the sun bathed all in its golden rays of morning. 

"And there...well...I KNOW that structure!" Iridium stated as a majestic series of stone towers came into view, clustered around the volcanoes in a harmony of man-made and natural architecture."But...the courtyard is supposed to be barren and flanked by frightening cliffs. There shouldn't be a vibrant garden there...with a securely walled marketplace...and are those stables I see?"

In the midst of the towers a very colorful expanse of well maintained foliage was blatantly visible. Safely guarded on all sides by high stone walls it was beset by neat rows of tents and wooden shacks, in which a menagerie of beings could be seen conducting the daily proceedings of commerce. As Angelique dipped lower Iridium picked up on the neighing of horses coming from a long stretch of spacious animal pens. 

"Yeah this is very much NOT what our versions of this place told."

"Then you truly have been deprived." Angelique commented as she came in to land in front of the great iron gates. "This is one of the few locations where all races are deemed equal. One of the few bastions of harmony in these otherwise tumultuous lands."

Iridium nodded in acceptance of this and climbed off Angelique's back as the gates slowly began to open. 

"I really should be recording this." Iridium dug her phone out of her pocket again. "Good thing I charged this before I left." 

Angelique paused upon sighting the strange device.

"If I may ask, what IS that?" 

Iridium froze midway through unlocking her phone screen, suddenly realizing her faux pas.

"Uh...it's...um....hmmm..." The wolf fumbled for a decent analogy of her own modern technology vs. the tech present in Angeqlique's world. The wolf's ears shot up as she hit upon an idea.

"Tell me, is anyone here developing a means of long range communication yet?" She asked.

Angelique narrowed her eyes.

"There've been whispers that the elves across the seas are."

Iridium nodded.

"Well this is my world's version of that." She said. "We use these to speak to folk over great distances, record images of stuff, keep track of our days schedule, get news and information updates...."

Angelique narrowed her eyes.

"There's nothing that exists that can do all of that." She said. Iridium paused again, then meekly nodded.

"Yeah well, we're a little ahead of the curve in that regard." She grinned while activating her phone's camera and demonstrating its function by snapping a photo of herself then showing it to Angelique.

"How curious...though I'd caution against showing that around too much here." The dragon sighed. "There's voices on the winds that such wizardry allows those of a less scrupulous nature to listen in on all of one's more private conversations."

Iridium nodded.

"I'm aware, and honestly the same risk is still present where I'm from." She grumbled. "Some things sadly never change."

Angelique cocked her head again as the gates finished opening and the entrance to the lush fortress was laid bare for her and her companion.

"I think we should stop by Puddledum's archives first. As the chief scribe of this place he likely will have much to talk about with us."

***

"So you say you're from a mobile city-state, a 'company' as you dub it. A country with multiple offices or embassies situated in many nations?" The aged goblin commented as he squinted through his brass framed spectacles at the wolf across the table from him.

Iridium shrugged.

"We're currently only in one country right now, actually. We're hoping to expand during the next fiscal year." She replied, much to Puddledum's mirth.

"What a jolly concept! Angelique does bring us the most exotic of visitors!" He laughed. Iridium relaxed a little.

"Yeah, well, this visitor has lots of questions on where she ended up. She thought she knew a fair bit about these lands, but it turns out she's apparently been told a lot of falsehoods." She continued. "I got quite the detailed introduction from one of the books written by this girl's father."

Iridium thumbed at Angelique as she peered in through an open window. 

"I'm told there's more of his work to be read, along with that of your race, and every other race around these parts."

Puddledum nodded with an intrigued smile.

"A scholarly lass are you then? Well we can certainly accommodate your curiosity." 

He reached for the ornamental wooden staff leaning against the table, picking it up and thumping it audibly against the floor. To Iridium's shock, two spiders the size of small cars scuttled out from the depths of the archives. 

"We are among the few places to preserve the literature from every civilization that calls, or has called these lands their home, however, it is quite the rarity to encounter a traveller who wishes to read all of them." Puddledum mused before issuing an order to the spiders in several high pitched, whispery words, ones that Iridium recognized as yet another language of the realm, just not one she'd have expected to hear in polite conversation.

"Elated as I am to meet one with a thirst for knowledge, I do trust you don't intend to spend your entire visit here reading though."

Iridium looked up from her analysis of the spiders as they communicated something among themselves, then scuttled over to where two empty wooden carts were parked by the archives' entrance. Each arachnid shot a web rope onto the handle of a cart, then dragged them behind as they began collecting books off shelves.

"It wasn't my intention, but I have to start somewhere." Iridium hmmed. "I suppose it'll depend on whether you'll let me borrow a few of these works, or at least copy the texts from them."

Puddledum looked as if he was amused by the wolf's question. 

"I fear I cannot permit you to leave with the majority of our stock. For one, they're the only editions we have, possibly the only editions to ever exist. And two..."

The goblin paused as the spiders returned, their carts now piled high with a small mountain of books each. 

"I can't imagine your going would be all that swift being weighed down with all of these. Not even a stallion in the prime of life would be able to move very quickly while so heavily burdened."

Iridium's eyes half-lidded. Her mouth pursed as she gauged the likely weight of both carts, and wondered whether to prove the goblin's expectations false. 

"In which case permit me to humor the alternative." Iridium said while drawing out her phone. "This is something my company makes. It's got a handy little feature for being able to scan and store images."

Iridium took one of the books and flipped it open. She activated the phone's scanner and slowly drew the device down the length of the first page as it rapidly captured every word. She then held it up for Puddledum to look at. Angelique rolled her eyes as the goblin lifted his spectacles to gawk at the phone's screen.

"I dare say! How is that accomplished?" He asked. Iridium smiled as she turned the page.

"I'd be happy to explain it, in exchange for being allowed to use it to copy all these works." The wolf's ears tensed as she thought of something. "I have 56 GB of available storage on this thing. Hope that's enough."

Puddledum turned to the spiders and hastily whispered something else to them. They duly snapped the web ropes tethering them to the carts and scuttled away. 

"Permit me to invite you to stay for lunch, oh strange and curious one. This will be a very beneficial use of my time!"

***

"Do I need to caution you again about showing off your more unusual trinkets around here?" Angelique queried as she and Iridium strolled across the marketplace some time later. "You stand out enough as is. Drawing further attention to yourself is not what I'd deem a wise move." 

Iridium hmmed as she scrolled through the hundreds of pages she'd now scanned and stored on her phone. 

"Perhaps. But it's getting me answers and that's what I need more than anything right now." The wolf replied. "We just spent the last few hours having a very pleasant time with one who's of a race I only know as 'cruel, wicked, and bad-hearted', while being served a lovely lunch by two others who're supposed to only dwell in the darkness and feast on anything that comes near. If something else wants to fly in my face about how wrong everything I know is, then I welcome it at this point!"

Angelique shook her head.

"Then permit me to highlight one critical point I mentioned previously: wizards and the practice of magic makes folk very uneasy here. We acknowledge it's what shaped this haven and keeps it safe, but lately it seems to only ever be used by those who seek to either subjugate us, or destroy us."

Iridium looked up from her phone.

"Subjugate? You mean as in...oh...right...the war, and how your father came to be...also how...damn..." She said while wincing. "I'm sorry, Angelique. If I must confess, I'm so used to standing out it barely registers with me these days."

Angelique nodded and Iridium hastily put away her phone. "Okay so for once I gotta exercise discretion. Ummm...how can I do that?"

The dragon looked over her companion. "Well to start with we need to find you something else to wear. Walking around in such minimal attire sends the wrong message to certain folk." Angelique commented. Iridium cocked a dubious eyebrow at the obvious implication.

"And this wouldn't persuade them against taking advantage of me?" She said while flexing one of her arms, demonstrating how her shirt did little to hide the huge, steely bicep underneath. Angelique noticeably swallowed at the show of her companions' muscles.

"Against a being equal to your size I have no doubt you could hold your own. Against a balrog, or a troll, or even one of my own siblings, however...." The dragon cleared her throat. Iridium sighed and held up her hands in submission.

"I get your point. Is there a clothes stall somewhere I could do some quick shopping at?" 

Angelique nodded in relief. 

"It looks like Bildud is opening again for the afternoon patrons. Why not ask if he can start fitting you while I go grab the needed coin from my hoard?" 

Iridium didn't look in the direction the dragon was pointing, too perplexed was she by Angelique's statement.

"You didn't bring any currency or items you can barter with did you?" The dragon asked pointedly. Iridium's gaze lowered as she conceded this. 

"Not exactly, no...just...dragons sharing their wealth...also not something I've heard of before." Iridium admitted. Angelique sighed in lament.

"Well those of us who respect the virtue of manners do. Others however..." She grumbled. "They didn't have my father to raise them properly. Let's leave it at that."

***

"Well milady, the good news is I have plenty of stock that'll fit a lass with a physique as healthy as yours." The gristled, burly orc commented as he wrapped the measuring tape around Iridium's mid-section. "The bad news is I fear you may be putting it to use pretty soon if you travelled all the way here from where you said you hail from wearing just that." 

Iridium raised an eyebrow as Bildud jotted down the last of her measurements on a sheet of parchment and put the tape aside. 

"There is no way I can convince anyone here I can take care of myself?" She asked. 

Bildud shook his head as he began searching through a nearby rack of clothing.

"Forgive my implication, good madame. With those muscles and your size I'm sure you're a force to be reckoned with. But surely on your journey here you must have caught wind there are other forces massing. The kingdoms of men in the West are growing restless. The elves are arming themselves in their homelands. Sooner or later, something is going to happen to upset the fragile peace we've enjoyed. It's dangerous to be travelling across regions these days."

Iridium raised both eyebrows now. Thinking back over what she knew from the books on this place in her world (however skewed their narrative apparently was) an inclination took root in her mind...one that made the wolf feel very uneasy.

"By that you mean I should be prepared for a fight? Like before the end of today?" She asked in disbelief. Bildud chortled.

"Oh hopefully not quite that soon, milady. But certainly being protected for your journey home can't hurt." He stated while selecting a few options from the rack. "Hmm...if you intend to stay for a few days, I could ask my brother to fashion you some nice and functional armor at the forge. Otherwise I have a few chainmail layered ensembles that'll just require a few hours of tailoring to accommodate your more unique attributes, like that tail, and your muzzle, and...

A wry smile crossed Iridium's muzzle. 

"And what if I just want some plain clothes?"

Bildud looked at her in bewilderment. 

"I appreciate your concern for my well being but I'm not as vulnerable as I look." The wolf commented. "I could show you what I mean, but, well, I'm told doing supernatural stuff around these parts tends to make folk uneasy."

Bildud narrowed his eyes as he flexed his lips around the two great tusks arching up from his lower row of teeth in contemplation. 

"It's not the supernatural stuff that worries me so much as your asking price for such a demonstration. No one shows off their abilities for free."

Iridium had to giggle. 

"Spoken like a true merchant." She said. "You mention your brother is the forge worker here. Does he do weapons as well?"

Bildud nodded.

"Show me a spot where I'm not going to cause too much of a commotion, then tell him to bring whatever weaponry he wants to test out on a living target." Iridium dropped her smile and folded her ears back. "And my asking price is you have to tell me what's all this about unrest on the wind."

***

"You're sure you want me to do this, ma'am?" Bildud's brother, Sildud as Iridium had learned he was called when they'd been introduced, queried as he hefted up a very large machete. "This blade's been weathered by time and battle, but she's still got life left in her edge."

On the other side of the vacant stretch of land, an area neatly tucked out of sight behind the main part of the stronghold, Iridium took a deep breath and nodded as she observed the weapon. Its edge bore the chips and nicks of a great many battles, and while Sildud had taken the time to clean it, there were still a few spots along the flat of the blade where Iridium could see dried blood.

"I'm sure. If you want to give that weapon a good send off, I'm happy to provide the means to do so." 

She raised her fists and assumed a combat ready stance. Sildud looked to his sibling who could only shrug.

"You're the one who spends endless nights in the tavern reminiscing about how you want to return to our glory days in the army." The orc commented, smirking around his tusks. Sildud humphed.

"You'll testify that this lass gave me permission to carve her up like a roast right? Just in case the guards come asking questions?" 

Bildud nodded.

"Okay then. You asked for this." Sildud said while cracking his neck. "Don't disappoint me!'

Iridium smiled she wouldn't...though she did silently pray the weaponry the orc had brought with him had all been made free of any of the quasi-magical means she knew had to exist in this world. If that machete had any hint of elven or enchanted manufacture though...

Iridium found she was too late to start second guessing herself as Sildud charged at her. His machete was in the air, swinging at her with exceptional grace and nimbleness.

Iridium blocked it with her arm, wincing as the edge bit into her flesh. No, it thankfully was not enchanted. It just happened to be heavy enough, and still sharp enough to hurt like hell.

"Eh?" Sildud commented as he felt his attack be brought to a sudden stop. Iridium wrenched her arm back, revealing the blade has sliced clean through her shirt, but only scratched her flesh. 

"...Seriously?" Sildud asked as he studded the chipped and jagged edge. Iridium flexed her arm, and smiled as the pain of the blow ebbed away.

"You said don't disappoint."

Sildud curled his lips around his tusks as he looked to her. A half-smile crossed his features as he swung at her again. She deflected with her other arm, letting her shirt get cleaved up even more, yet beyond that, Sildud failed to do much more than strike her actual flesh in a manner that would definitely bruise, but not much else.

"So I did, and you're not gonna make this easy." The orc commented, sounding pleased with his findings. He tossed the machete up in the air and caught it on the flat of its blade, allowing him to present the handle end to Iridium.

"Here, how about we even this out?" He said. Iridium accepted the machete and Sildud went to grab a freshly made broadsword from the pack of weapons he'd hauled over. "I'm gonna show you no mercy, lass, and I expect to be shown none in return. This new work needs a right proper stress test before I can deem it good to be sold." 

Iridium nodded and tested the heft of the machete as Sildud walked back over. It was definitely a work meant for only the strong to wield. Sildud could probably have done just fine making it out of a less heavy alloy, but then where would the fun be in that?

"Works for me. En garde!"

***

A while later, Angelique returned, a heavy purse of gold coin clutched in one hand. To her surprise she found both Iridium and Bildud to be absent from the stronghold's marketplace, and a cursory search revealed Sildud was not at his usual post working the forge. 

Angelique's spirits sank as she took to the skies again, listening out on the air and finding she could make out the clanks of two beings locked in fierce combat.

She dove behind the stronghold, her fears apparently confirmed as she beheld Sildud and Iridium making their best efforts to cut each other down to size. 

"Bildud! What's going on here?" She demanded while landing next to the orc. Angelique immediately noted Bildud did not share her sense of alarm. Instead he was studying the combat before him with a rather inquisitive air. 

"Your friend is helping my brother relive his past glory days...and proving she's definitely not a woman of these lands." Bildud hmmed as Sildud sliced Iridium across the chest. Her shirt, now reduced to a few ragged fragments, practically fell off the wolf's torso, exposing her trademark sports bra...and the considerable number of bruises and minor cuts from where she'd tanked more than a few hits from her opponent.

"Where did you say you found this lass again?" Bildud queried over the relentless clash of blades. Iridium mopped well earned sweat from her brow as she pushed Sildud back and flexed her well tenderized sword arm. The orc repaid her by cracking his neck, then swinging low, forcing her to jump back, though not before her pants took a fresh hit. 

"I didn't. She found me." Angelique commented, shaking her head as Iridium took another hit to her legs. Blood dripped onto the ground as once more Sildud's blade managed to penetrate the wolf's flesh. Iridium just smiled at her opponent as she shook off the injury. In return Sildud didn't complain when the wolf swung for where he'd left his left side open to attack. The orc grunted in approval as the wolf gave him a good nick to remind him of his folly, another incentive for him to shake the rust off his battle prowess.

"Well I'd certainly advise taking advantage of that. For your own sake if nothing else. A beastfolk with this sort of spirit is a rarity these days." Bildud smirked as Iridium and Sildud locked blades. The air rang with the harsh grinding of metal against metal, while both Iridium and Sildud's arms bulged obscenely with the effort to break the lock. The grinding gradually segued into an alarming cracking as the two's swords buckled against the superior strength of their wielders.

Both Iridium and Sildud found their sparring session being brought to a rather painful end when their swords shattered against each other, bringing them both to accidentally stumble forward with their momentum and butt each other in the head.

"Ow! Oooh...oh...." Iridium winced as she stepped back, looking in worry at the broken machete in her hand while rubbing her head. "I...I am so sorry, Sildud."

Shaking off the bump to his noggin, Sildud studied his own destroyed weapon.

"Eh, don't bother yourself over it, lass. You gave that old blade a fair send off. As for this work, obviously it wasn't up to my normal standards." He snorted while kneeling down to collect the fragments of both swords. "I'll melt them down and forge something from their combined parts. See if the old can help strengthen the new." 

Iridium hmmed as she handed Sildud the remainder of her machete and flexed her bruised arm. 

"You certainly do value strength in your weapons. Certainly that blade didn't feel like something any normal folk could wield."

Sildud nodded as he retrieved a cloth sack hanging from his belt and poured the broken sword bits in.

"Aye, that is the gist. It's a tough market out there for smiths these days. Everyone wants elvish craftsmanship cause it's so light, and shiny, and pretty, and easy on the hands. I only manage to stay in business by going the opposite route. Give the bigger folk something only they can wield, since, if they drop it or it gets taken off them mid-fight, no other man or elf or whatever will be strong enough to use it against them."

Iridium's ears rose in intrigue. She looked to the other weapons Sildud had brought with him, focusing on an enormous, five foot long, metal mace resting against the wall.

"So who's this for?" She asked while walking over for a closer look at the weapon.

"That? Heh! Right now whoever's the first one to lift it, milady." Sildud laughed. "Forged that beast out of a mix of steel, some dense minerals from the mountains, and a little 'gift' from one of my...more private customers." 

Iridium raised an eyebrow, then lowered it as she studied the mace closer. The head consisted of an ornate ring of razor sharp blades, welded together and mounted atop the segmented shaft. Etched on the shaft segments were a series of artistic runes, letters from a language that told Iridium everything she needed to know about its origin, though by this point she was wagering that what she knew was woefully incorrect. 

"So if I lift this, I can have it?" She asked. Sildud gave her a wary look as he tied up his sack.

"IF you can lift it. Even I need a hand to heft it onto my shoulders, and that's about all I can manage. Gives me a great workout mind you, carrying it around to show off to potential buyers."
Iridium looked up at the back wall of the stronghold, gauging its height in relation to her own. 

"Well I showed you both that I can take quite a beating. It's only fitting that I conclude with a demonstration of how I can dish out one too." The wolf commented as she cracked her knuckles and rolled her shoulders back. "If nothing else this will look quite nice in my living room."

Iridium clenched her fists and slowly curled her arms into a flex. Her eyes slipped closed, face settled into a portrait of perfectly calm focus. She relaxed her arms, then flexed them again. Her biceps swelled like mountains of purest silver, marred only by the purple blotches from her sparring. The veins across her muscles pulsed with the endless flow of blood as Iridium relaxed and flexed a third time, bringing everyone to notice her muscles swelled just a little bit bigger, and as she then brought herself upright, she stood just a little bit taller.

Sildud and Bildud both raised their eyebrows as they registered the wolf was indeed growing, in every respective way. Angelique, realising her previous warnings against this sort of stuff had fallen on deaf ears, slapped a hand over her face and groaned. 

The dragon did have to peek through her fingers as she heard the shrips and pops of Iridium's clothing coming apart, though. Even with all the cuts and bruises, the wolf was pretty easy on the eyes. Certainly she got easier as her pants burst off and more of her was revealed.

"Okay, for a five foot, several hundred pound instrument..." Iridium paused and let her now seven foot tall self rest for a moment. "Probably should play it safe. Bigger is better."

She reached for a crystal hanging on a gold chain around her neck, lifting it up from her cleavage to kiss it. 

"Okay." Iridium curled her arms upward, working her muscles again to 'wake' them. Her sports bra and shorts creaked audibly, yet as the wolf slowly grew up to eight feet and gained even more bulk, not to mention definition to her chiselled form, they managed to hold their integrity.

Angelique swallowed as she watched Iridium grow bigger, stronger and...well, to be honest, more attractive as well. 

She only broke from her gaze when she felt a knowing smirk being directed at her from Bildud.

"What?" The dragon asked, earning herself a laugh that Bildud made no effort to restrain.

"You say she found you, a woman with the strength of the gods, and apparently some of their power to adjust her size as well. It seems almost like a bit of divine intervention for her and you to meet, don't you think?" The orc asked. 

Angelique's expression smoldered as steam rose from her nostrils.

"So we're having this talk again?" She sighed. 

"Time isn't going to wait for you, Angelique. Just because dragons can live for centuries doesn't mean they will." The orc mused as Iridium reached nine feet. Her arms and legs caused a minor shockwave as the muscles on them exploded outward. Her biceps almost looked like miniature moons, so flawlessly spherical and incredibly huge were they. Her legs looked like they could shame even that of an ent. Indeed no tree around could hope to match the thickness of those majestic, striated, and so artfully detailed quadriceps. 

"Times are changing, and not for our benefit. How long do you think it'll really be before the humans, elves, dwarves, their respective gods, any and all of the above decide it's time to rid the world of what they see to be our...'unwanted presence'?" Bildud asked. Angelique glowered at the orc, wanting to tell him he was, again, being paranoid. Her scorn did nothing to dissuade Bildud from his concern as Iridium crunched her abs, letting out what sounded like a pleasurable whimper as she could feel the density and imperviousness of her ripped stomach. Her work out attire continued to defy expectations as she reached 10 feet. Even as her breasts began to slip out from under the hem of the top, and her shorts failed woefully to conceal any detail of the legs and womanhood they covered, the wolf still managed to keep herself moderately decent.

"Okay, let's try now." She said, reaching for the mace. Sildud could only shake his head and smile as the wolf took the handle of the mighty weapon in her hands. She leaned it away from the wall, held it at a point where she could get a solid grip on both the handle and the mid-section.

Then Iridium began to lift. Gritting her teeth, she slowly got the head, by far the heaviest part of the weapon, a few inches off the ground. She moved her hand forward for better purchase, lifted the weapon higher, got herself used to the weight and how to properly wield it.

"Even a dragon shouldn't overlook a friendly soul who could help keep them safe." Bildud confirmed as Iridium finally manage to lift the weapon over her head. She paused to catch a few triumphant breaths, then took several steps back as she brought the mace down for a swing. At her height, the weapon sailed safely over both Bildud and Sildud. Angelique had the fortune to be standing out of the weapon's reach as Iridium did several practice swings before shouldering the weapon and having to catch her breath again.

"Yeah...definitely a fine piece of craftsmanship, this. Feels like it'd be easier to handle if I had some magical enchantments to compensate for the weight, though." Iridium gasped as she turned to Bildud. "Now, as I've shown you that I can handle myself...let's talk about what you know of the going's on around here."

Angelique did everyone the service of looking very weirded out.

TO BE CONTINUED...