Author: WolfSpatial

Co-Author: Lucifer

•••••

{ALECSI LE ROARKE}

"My son," The King of Leoni, my father, resounded loudly as I kneeled in front of him. He held two halves of a band of adulthood in his hands, which would be placed on my right bicep as a rite of passage.

The armband was made of a bright, polished silver material, giving it a sleek and sophisticated look. The band was relatively thick, measuring about an inch, and was made to wrap around the wearer's bicep snugly.

On the outer surface of the armband, there was a strip of black inlay that ran along the length of the band. The inlay was made of blackened steel, which contrasted beautifully with the silver. It had been intricately crafted, with small ridges and grooves that form a pattern of lines, circles, and other shapes.

What was most striking about the armband were the blue glowing runes that had been etched onto the black inlay. The runes emitted a soft blue light, creating a captivating and enchanting effect. The runes were arranged in a symmetrical pattern, with a series of symbols that seem to glow and pulse with otherworldly energy.

I internally beamed when I saw the band, feeling that such a unique and beautifully designed item belonged to someone of strength, diligence, responsibility, integrity, prowess, dedication, commitment, and passion. Such as myself.

"You have proven that you are worthy of my blood," The old man sounded tired, his voice weary from over two hundred years on the Beast Throne. I clenched my fist, not even considering letting him stay on the throne after his time was up and I returned from my Quest for the Roaring Heart.

He clasped the band around my right bicep, and I could feel it meld with the skin of my arm, almost becoming one with me. The feeling of having my fur burned and a piece of metal fuse with my arm was painful, but nothing could phase me. I was an Alpha Leoni, chosen by the God of Beasts to lead my people when my time came.

I stood and turned to face my people, the two-or-so thousand Leoni tribesmen and women who would follow me to the death if I asked them.

My father's advisors — a Male, Female, and small child — pushed me away from the crowd who stared with respect. I was to set out on my Quest immediately, leaving the rest of the tribe to relish in allowing me to go without the weight of protecting them for a short time.

Along with me, one other Leoni was being sent on their Quest. I didn't know them, I had no interest in meeting them currently, but I would meet them soon when they show up at the main gate with me.

The Leoni city was a grand and majestic place, befitting the prideful and direct nature of its inhabitants. It was located in the vast Jade Hills, with rolling mounds of luscious green grass stretching out as far as the eye could see. The city itself was built from the earth, with walls made of hardened clay and buildings constructed from sun-baked bricks.

The buildings were decorated with intricate carvings and sculptures that depicted the strength and prowess of the Leoni people. These decorations often featured lions, eagles, and other powerful animals, which were revered by us for their grace and power.

The city's central plaza was a hub of activity, where Leoni citizens gathered to socialize and showcase their skills and strengths. Here, one could witness feats of strength, displays of combat prowess, and competitions of skill, all designed to highlight the superiority of our people.

The city's market was filled with goods that displayed our love of strength and power. Leather goods, weapons, and hunting trophies were all highly prized, as were ornaments made from precious metals and gemstones. Visitors to the city, when they were actually allowed to enter, would often marvel at the impressive craftsmanship of these items, which were created with great care and attention to detail.

My father joined me sometime later, taking his golden crown from his head and setting it on a table to his right as he walked into my room, "Alecsi, do not become over confident just because you are a little stronger than some. Despite our strength the Leoni weren't chosen to help combat the Demon Lord for a reason, and that's because of our low potential toward the end of our lives. Leoni can only ever reach level 100, and you are already level 95, my son."

"Do not worry, father." I spoke as if it was a matter of fact, because it was, "I am not so weak as to let something like the restrictions of our entire race stop me."

He frowned at my hearty laughter and light-hearted mood, "I tell you this because I was overconfident when I waged war on the Serpenti 12 years ago, I lost my partner, this was after she gave birth to you of course."

"That's why I only recall her for the first five years of my life," My eyes traced the wall of my room, landing on the mural of my mother and father fighting a Greater Red Dragon.

"I left a spear and set of armor buried by your mother's grave, near that large ironstone you used to play on," He seemed like he was doubting my abilities, causing me to frown.

"I will not need them," I assured, walking over to him. Due to his age, my father looked weak, feeble even. I towered over him, making sure my words were heard, "Do not doubt my strength, father. I'm a match for even you, should I find a reason to fight."

"I don't doubt that," The old lion, to his credit, didn't cower or back down. He looked up into my eyes, his green orbs meeting my blue ones. With a sigh, he grabbed his crown and left behind words of weakness, "I'm worried about you, son. It was your mother's, should you want it later."

Looking at the reflection stone that father had imported from the pompous High-Elves of the Crifeon continent, I marveled at the specimen that I was.

I was Alecsi Le Roarke, the 17-year-old Prince of the Leoni tribe and an Alpha Leoni. I stood tall, at around six-foot-eight, with a muscular and athletic build. My body was covered in tawny fur that was slightly darker on my back and faded into a lighter shade on my stomach. My mane was a darker shade of tawny and framed my face in thick waves.

My face was handsome and regal, with sharp cheekbones, a strong jawline, and piercing blue eyes. My nose was broad and slightly flattened, and I had a small scar above my left eyebrow, which I received during a hunting expedition when I was a boy.

I wore a silver armband on my left arm, with black inlay and glowing blue runes. I was proud of my physique and did not shy away from displaying it, even in my attire. I chose not to wear a shirt or any covering on my torso, instead allowing my chiseled muscles to be on full display.

Around my waist, I wore a wide leather belt, adorned with a polished lion's head buckle, that accentuated my toned midsection. The belt also held a sheathed hunting knife and a few other essential tools.

Over my broad shoulders, I wore a heavy fur-lined cloak, made of soft grey wolf fur, with the hood trimmed in matching fur. The cloak was fastened at the neck with a silver clasp in the shape of a lion's head, a symbol of my tribe's fierce strength and my own leadership.

For pants, I wore simple yet sturdy black leather trousers, fitted to my muscular legs, and tucked into knee-high boots made of tanned dragons hide. The boots were reinforced with metal plates on the toes and heels, providing both protection and a distinct sound as I walked, a reminder of my tribe's powerful presence.

I carried a spear made of hardwood and tipped with sharpened ironstone, which I had crafted myself.

Despite my youthful age, I exuded confidence and leadership, with a commanding presence and a fierce determination to protect my tribe. My voice was deep and resonant, with a hint of a growl that betrayed my Leoni heritage. As the Prince of the Leoni tribe, I was entrusted with the safety and well-being of my people, and I did whatever it took to protect them from harm.

Smirking at my immaculate preflection, I slung my spear onto my back. The wooden shaft was gripped semi-tightly by a clinched piece of metal that allowed me to easily lift the spear from my back, should I need it, but wouldn't allow it to fall without external interference.

Flexing once, I was slightly surprised to find that my armband flexed along with my bicep, showing how ingrained it now was. I dropped my arms and looked over at the mural of my parents fighting.

Moving forward, I sat on my knees with my hands placed on my thighs, "I didn't know you well, mother, but I'm sure you wouldn't be able to stand what father has become. I remember when I was younger, you were the source of light in the citadel. I hope my mate is someone half as bright as you."

"Young Lord," A female voice came from beyond my door, though it wasn't one I recognized, "I am your Quest Mate, Safiya Wildstride."

I was elated to hear that she was a Wildstride, as they were known for their strong combat abilities, though they were far from my own, and, dare I say, my father's as well.

I opened the door to find a short — to me anyway, she stood about six-foot-two — Female standing in front of me, "Why are you here? I don't mind meeting earlier, but we still have half an hour until we leave."

She kneeled as I spoke, not looking up to meet my gaze. I could feel, and smell, three things from her. First, admiration oozed from her as she stared at my boots.

Secondly, the girl was seriously aroused. Whether by me or the fact that she would be going out on a dangerous adventure, I couldn't tell. Nor did I care, I had no interest in mating with the weak. As such, she would need to prove her strength to me.

Third, she was barely holding back from peeing. It tingled on the edge of my nose as her body shivered. Plugging my nose, I turned my head away from the girl, "Go use the shitter, Safiya. You stink."

"Huh?" Shock filled her body, along with fear as a new scent filled my nose, "Y-Yes, Young Lord."

She made off before I could speak again, leaving me to take a last look at my room. I held nothing in here of any importance, as my nostalgia came from memories and people, rather than objects and trinkets.

My father collected objects, no longer relying on the memories he had of my mother and his many battles as consolation for the loss he suffered. I supposed that was part of the reason he was so broken mentally at this point, he no longer had that crutch to which stood for so long.

It definitely put a new perspective on his thoughts, but it didn't matter. Sure, I pitied him and felt sorry for the state he was in. But, pity does not validate cowardice and stepping away from a challenge.

And, that he did. He stepped away from life, from our people. He was no more than a figurehead for his advisors at this point. He 'couldn't take' the strain of running a kingdom.

He didn't deserve to be called an Alpha Leoni, let alone a Leoni at all.

My thoughts were taken from me as Safiya returned and I finally got a decent look at her.

Safiya Wildstride was a noble Leoni, and she wore clothing that befitted her status. Like me, she wore sturdy black leather trousers, fitting for the rigors of the journey, and knee-high boots made of tanned deer hide, reinforced with metal plates.

However, unlike me, Safiya wore a light linen shirt that flowed freely in the wind. The shirt was fitted to her curves, and the sleeves ended in wide cuffs, secured with golden clasps. Over her shirt, she wore a leather vest, intricately woven with golden threads, and adorned with black sapphire stones.

Her shield was strapped to her back, and her sword was sheathed on her belt, just like my knife. Her shield was made of wood and wrapped in tempered boar hide, painted with her clan crest, a bow and sword set behind a shield with a pair of twin daggers in the front, and reinforced with metal.

Along her right wrist was a small compact crossbow, not like the ones used by the military which held multiple bolts, but she seemed to be fine with that. To feed it, she had a small quiver with a closed cap that housed, I would assume, 20-or-so bolts which sat on the back of her belt.

Her sword was a finely crafted weapon, with a long, sharp blade, and a golden hilt, engraved with her clan's motto of 'Fierce and Unyielding.'

I could also detect the faint outline of a dagger in her right boot. I felt slightly more inclined toward this female, knowing she had mastered, or at least become adept, at so many weapons.

Despite her flowing shirt and feminine touches, Safiya's outfit exuded strength and confidence, much like, I assume, her personality. The combination of her leather armor, crossbow, shield, dagger, and sword made it clear that she was ready to face any challenge that came our way on the Quest of the Roaring Heart.

On the other hand, I had a spear. That was it. No flashy moves, no special dohickeys or baubles. If I needed to kill someone at range, I threw my spear. If I needed a weapon, I'd take my enemy's.

"Why are you carrying an arsenal?" I questioned. While I was sure she could take a puppy in a fight, I was still curious as to why and how she utilized so many weapons.

"We, of the Wildstride Clan, pride ourselves on our ability to master almost any weapon…" She beamed in happiness at the question of her ability, the corners of her mouth tugging into a small smile that bared her insignificant canines, "Young Lord."

Noting the hesitation to use my title, I looked her over again, making sure to use my nose. She certainly didn't smell like piss anymore. I'm positive she smelled of arousal still however, "Why are you aroused, Safiya?"

"M… Young Lord??" She lost her confidence, composure, and the little string that kept her mouth in a tiny smile, "I… I'm not…"

"Is that just how you smell then?" I leaned forward, my nose twitching as her weak pheromones played in the air, "It's tempting, for sure, but I won't mate with someone who's weak."

"I'm not weak!" She groaned in frustration, "I'm already level 46!"

"I'm impressed…" I let my words hang in the air as her confidence climbed, then I kicked it down the Iron Mountain, "That you're such a low level. I thought the Wildstride Clan was the second strongest of the nobility. Is this all you amount to?"

"You!" Her anger came crashing down like a tidal wave as her hand twitched near her blade, "We may not be able to compare to royalty, Young Lord, but we are still among the strongest and I won't tolerate disrespect."

I could almost feel the venom in her words, and if she could hurt a fly I might've been amused, "Safiya, SIT."

Her body crumpled like a doll at my command, bewildered and slightly afraid. She looked up at me like a lost child, "W-what did you do?"

"This is the will of the strong, Safiya," I came down to her level, crouching in front of the girl, "I can impose my will upon anyone I want."

"I never heard of royalty possessing such a skill!" Safiya seemed like she was pouting internally, "What kind of magic is this!?"

"It's not Magic," My smirked grew, showing my sharp teeth to the girl who shrunk back slightly, "And my father doesn't have the strength of character, or the Pride, to do this."

Standing up, I could hear footsteps coming our way, "You're free to move, by the way."

Safiya got to her feet just as my father's advisors rounded the corner behind me, "Young Lord Alecsi, Miss Safiya, it's time."

"Let's go, Safiya," As I began walking, my boots resounded throughout the halls of the citadel, announcing my presence as we progressed.

•••••

{XYRIXUS}

There was a glitter amongst my hoard. To be precise, there were many glitters. But this one… this one was different. It was ebony, and pure ecstasy filled my scaled skin as I dived through the mountains of gold to chase the ebony glitter.

The gold washed over my red scales, sending signals along my wings that something electrifying was happening. For as long as I could remember, the last one-hundred seventy-five years or so, gold and things that twinkled in the moonlight made me feel pleasure beyond anything else.

I found the ebony glitter in the form of a locket, which surprised me as I didn't usually collect jewelry that lacked gems. Pinching the locket between the claw on my index finger and the one on my thumb, I lifted it to find myself shrinking at the same speed.

Grabbing a mirror, which was golden with gems embedded into the frame, I turned my head to look at my new features.

I was tall and muscular, with a strong build. My features were sharp and angular, and my eyes seemed to glow with an inner fire. My hair was a deep, rich red, and it flowed down my back in loose waves, untied and free.

Despite my new human form, I still retained some of my draconic features. I had small, sharp scales that ran along my cheeks and outer thighs, as well as horns that looked like smaller versions of my normal ones, a testament to my true nature as a Red Dragon. The horns crowned my head, curving to the center and out again at the end. They were relatively thick at the base and thinned out, with the ends being razor sharp.

My upper body was fit and muscular, with well-defined pectoral muscles and broad shoulders. My chest was smooth without any semblance of hair, and my skin was a warm, golden tone. My hairless arms were thick with muscle, and my biceps bulged with strength. My hands were large and smooth, unblemished and free from calluses, suggesting that I had never seen battle before.

My lower body had a well-defined musculature that looked tough yet supple. My legs were hairless and smooth, the outer edge of my thighs were covered in thin red scales that were smooth to the touch, but sharp when pushed against. My feet ended in small claws that, despite their apparent sharpness, weren't long enough to hinder wearing boots or shoes.

I was lucky enough to have also been endowed with a large penis, which would allow me to finally complete my dream of actually having sex with a princess.

That thought made me look in the direction that I stored the bones of the princesses I had taken from their homes. The sixteen sets seemed to haunt me, but I ignored them because I couldn't be bothered with the dead. I had learned long ago that humans were fragile and died easily when subjected to the strength of a Dragon's libido.

Turning my attention back down to the locket that I now found in my possession, I looped its black chain around my neck. It was strange walking on two legs, but I found myself taking to it quickly.

The mountains of treasure, silver and gold and odd and ends, were surprisingly difficult to climb without being able to use my wings to push me forward. Nonetheless, I moved gracefully up the mound — and then fell.

A piece of silver found its way into a spot the sun didn't shine, to which I groaned and pulled at the small metal. Looking back up at the mountain of gold, I frown in discontent, "Since when was being a dragon so difficult? Actually, how did this locket give me a human form anyway? Were humans this good at creating artifacts?"

Whether humans were or weren't good enough to create something like this, it still stood that I had this locket and it had been enchanted. I also didn't know to what extent it had been enchanted, but there was a more than likely chance that the enchantments were old, maybe older than me.

"If it can give me a human form, can I change back by removing it?" Lifting the locket over my head once more, I tossed it a few feet away only for it to vanish and reappear on my neck, "Okay… that's weird. So, the locket doesn't want to, or can't, be separated from me. That means no turning back by elimination of contact."

Closing my eyes, I pictured what I looked like as a dragon. My huge red wings, my amber eyes that glowed with desire, my black claws, and my pristine scales.

I could feel my body begin to change, like I was going through puberty again and tried to force my way into a princess from the elven kingdom. That is to say, there was an uncomfortable tightness before a sudden freedom.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself at my full height. It wasn't a significant height, due to my young age of only one-hundred-eighty years.

My senses bristled as the entrance to my domain was suddenly covered by a shadow and a head poked in, "Xyrixus, you here?"

"What do you want, Nyxaroth?" I huffed, looking at the over eager child. A child, she was. Nyxaroth was only forty-five years old, extremely young for a Red Dragon.

"Kaiderax said he couldn't sense you anymore," She pulled the rest of her small body, she was about half my size, through the entrance without invitation, "So I came to check on you."

"As you can see, I'm alright," Smoke extended from my nostrils, I didn't like being interrupted. At least I didn't have a princess this time, "Go back and tell the old scale I'm fine."

"Can't we play?" She came down in front of me, looking at me in expectation, "I want to play with you! Please, please!"

"I'm busy right now, Nyxaroth." She seemed put off by my words, and then I noticed her eyes train on the locket around my neck.

"What's that? Is that why Kaiderax couldn't sense you?" She climbed the front of my body, using her wings to gain leverage on my shoulder, "Where'd you get it? Is it part of your hoard? Will I have a hoard some day?"

"Nyx…" My voice turned gruff as I glared at the child, "Get out…"

"But Xyr!" She jumped from me and landed on her back in a pile of coins, "Your room is so SHINY!! How could I ever leave?"

"If you don't leave now," Walking up to her, I pressed my face against her snout, "You won't leave… ever."

"F-fine…" Her gaze turned to the side, focusing on the bones of my previous experiments, "I'll go."

"Thank you," I took a step back to let her get to her feet, "I trust you can see yourself out."

I didn't give her the chance to respond before turning away and moving to the bones of generations of princesses. Assuming my human form, I could feel Nyxaroth freeze near the entrance to my cavern, causing me to look over at her, "Why did…"

"Xyr!" She called out, looking around, "Where did you go?! …how does he keep vanishing? Even I could feel it this time now that I'm closer."

"I said leave, Nyx!" My voice boomed, as well as a human teenager's voice could anyway, causing her to look in my direction, "Why are you still here!?"

"Is that you, Xyrixus?" She glided toward me, stopping not too far from my makeshift mausoleum of past attempts, "Is this why you were experimenting? You figured out how to become human?!"

"The two are not related," I folded my arms together, staring up at her. It was my turn to be dwarfed by her size, but it did put into perspective just how large my Dragon form was. Nyxaroth stood about three or four times taller than me, and her overall length was probably twice that.

That put my Dragon form at about seven times my height, though I wasn't sure if I was tall in my Human form or not. I wouldn't know unless I compared myself to another human that lived in today's environment. The humans when I was a hatchling were a bit taller than they were when I took my last princess, about twenty years ago.

But perhaps that was because their environment was over-saturated with Mana from the Forest of Perdition. Since the Dryads started to control the forest with the help of Goblins and the spider folk, the amount of Mana escaping to other places dropped significantly.

"Then how are you so small?" Nyxaroth pushed against me with her front right leg, causing me to stumble back slightly before I slapped it away.

I marveled at how my strength from being a Dragon translated to this human form, it felt like the strength was more apparent as I wasn't so large. To her credit, Nyxaroth only grumbled slightly at my actions and pulled her leg back.

"I don't know for certain, but when I find out, you'll probably not be told if I'm being honest." She puffed her cheek at my words before laying down in front of me and releasing a breath of warm air that caused the gold beneath me to heat red for a second.

"Do you think you can do it for me?" Her question made me think, I didn't even know I had this artifact in my possession, let alone another that could do something similar.

"If I could — I'm not saying I can — what would you do?" There was something surreal that twinkled in her eye, it made me want to do things. I guess technically she was a princess of sorts, if I wanted to mate with another Dragon.

"I'd go with you and I could ride you around and we could go on picnics and climb trees… I see the dwarf kids climb their imported Silverwood trees all the time. I want to do that… with… you…" She buried her head in the gold as steam began to rise from her ears, alerting me to her embarrassment.

My feet dragged through the pile of gold as I came up to her and set a hand on the top of her head, which was the only thing I could reach as the rest was buried. Her red scales were almost as dark as my own.

She moved her head to look at me, which shift my hand to the end of her snout, "I would love to do that with you, Nyx. I'm sorry that I only have one locket. I'll tell you what, go look through my hoard, okay? If you find something that just twinkles as bright as the moon, grab it and bring it to me."

"Are you sure?" Nyxaroth stuck out her tongue, touching my forearm before bringing it back into her mouth as if tasting me, "You love your hoard."

"I love you more, Nyx. I can go without one or two items if it makes you happy." Smiling in human form felt weird, my cheeks pulling the flesh of my lips back. When a dragon smiled, we opened our mouths slightly and pulled back our ears to the tops of our head.

As a human, my eyes also closed slightly when smiling. It was foreign, but it felt good to see Nyxaroth bouncing in joy as she searched through my hoard of useless items.

Nyxaroth dove through piles of coins and weapons and armor searching for the one thing I would let her take. Sometimes she would come up and look at an item in the light before tossing it and diving down. Other times, she would throw multiple items behind her whilst digging through them.

In the end, she brought me a small pure golden-framed mirror with inlaid sapphires, rubies, emeralds and even a single Mana stone at the top. The mirror itself was made of pure silver and showed me a reflection of myself that was fairly familiar. It then dawned on me that this was the same mirror I had used earlier to look at my human form.

I looked up at her in doubt, "Is this what you want? Are you sure?"

"I am," Nyxaroth nodded intently, her amber eyes meeting mine. I wonder idly if my eyes shined in splendor and adoration when I was younger, or even if they did so now.

I took a last look at the mirror. There was no hint of certainty to whether this piece of vanity would give Nyxaroth what she wanted, but I held it out to her nonetheless for her to take, "It's yours then. I hope it serves your purpose, Nyx."

"Me too," She took the mirror in her talons, looking fervently at the small reflection, "I want to be like you, Xyr. I want to be able to walk on two legs and visit places with you!"

"Nyx, I-" My voice died in my throat as a light covered her body and shrunk down till she was a small human.

Nyxaroth stood at the height of my lower sternum in her human form. Despite her small stature, she shared many of my features, including small scales along her cheeks and jawline that glistened in the light. However, her horns didn't crown her head like mine did, instead going back at an upward angle.

Her hair was a striking shade of crimson red that flowed down her back in thick waves, and her eyes were an amber color with slitted pupils, giving her an almost otherworldly appearance. Though she lacked the overall scale coverage that I had, she still possessed small scales on her outer thighs that hinted at her draconic heritage.

Nyxaroth also possessed sharp, claw-like nails on both her hands and feet. Despite their sharpness, they didn't seem like they would hinder her ability to wear gloves or boots if she chose to do so.

[A/N: Thanks for reading. Let me know if I missed anything or you have any suggestions. As always, I don't want your damned Power Stones. Have a great day.

Join the Discord: [discord.gg/PawRYvp]

~Wolf out.]