Author: WolfSpatial
Co-Author: Lucifer
[If you never fuck around, then you'll never find out.]
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{SAFIYA WILDSTRIDE}
I woke up around midnight, finding my wounds bandaged and my clothes set to the side. I looked over at Alecsi as he sat in front of the fire, using a large stump as a seat.
Alecsi had moved us all the way to Forest of Dreams on his own, setting up a camp, treating my wounds. He disproved my earlier thoughts, when I set up camp, that he couldn't do it himself.
My mind went back to him swooping in at the last second to save me. The thought caused me to look into my memory at the bodies that were unrecognizable. They were now mixed with the ones I had defeated who had their weak points utilized to take them down.
"Don't move on your own," Alecsi's voice resounded despite not looking over at me. I sent a gaze to his large back as he stood up and walked over to me with cooked meat in his hands, "Eat this."
He kneeled and assisted me in sitting up, his large hand on my shoulder. I took a bite of the meat, finding it a bit bland but it tasted well aside from that, "Thank you. I know that-"
"Think nothing of it," Leaving me to my food, he went back to the fire. I grimaced in pain as I tried to stand, his head turning to look at me, "I said don't move on your own. Just stay there and eat."
His words sounded harsh and his tone seemed to insinuate that he was disappointed, causing me to stop moving and sit on the ground with a skewered steak in hand. I knew he didn't like the weak, and he certainly wasn't weak. He took out most of last night's enemies on his own and even came to my rescue.
"I delivered a letter to my father," He suddenly spoke up, my eyes flicking to trace the edges of his mane as fire flickered beyond, "He congratulated me for killing Lexin, though I could tell he was sad. Such weakness is unbecoming of the King, don't you think?"
I took my time thinking. He was obviously testing me, but I couldn't be sure on what subject. He valued strength, but was it just strength of combat? Or did strength of character play in as well? I decided to just answer, "It's okay to be sad for losing kin, but he should have dealt with the traitor a long time ago. Even if it was, no, especially since it was his own brother."
"I like that answer," Alecsi's chuckle didn't sound nearly as hearty as it usually did, "They were after you, by the way. Lexin told me someone hired him to kidnap you."
That made me frown and think aloud, "Who could possibly want to kidnap me? I'm the youngest daughter of Wildstride, I have no claim to the clan."
He suddenly looked toward a large black tree — one of many that stood tall in the Forest of Dreams — and spoke snidely, "Stop hiding. I know you're there."
A small Leoni, no, it wasn't quite a Leoni. It looked less human and didn't have a full snout like us, just a small pink spot where its nose was. It then struck me, it was a Felus. A cat person, a lesser form of Leoni that we once ruled over.
"As perceptive as ever, Mister Alecsi." The Felus bowed to him, sending me a glance.
Did Alecsi know this Felus? How so? Could it be possible that he had been to the Forest of Dreams before? How had I never been informed of a Leoni coming all the way here? How had no one noticed that Alecsi came here?
The middle-aged Felus had a mature and refined appearance, with a regal bearing and a confident demeanor. His body was lean and muscular, with a lithe and agile frame that was typical for lesser feline creatures. His fur seemed to have lost some of its luster and was starting to show signs of gray, but it still retained its softness and sleekness.
His face had more pronounced features, such as a strong jawline, prominent cheekbones, and expressive eyes that conveyed a sense of wisdom and experience. He wore a tailored suit and a single ring on his right middle finger. Despite his well-made clothes, he wore no shoes and I could see his feet were actual paws instead of padded feet like ours.
"Welcome to the land of the living, Miss Safiya." He bowed to me as well, a glint in his eyes, "And, may I say how beautiful your fur is."
"Th-" I went to accept his compliment but was cut off by Alecsi.
"Don't thank him. He's trying to get a favor out of you, never thank any being you find in this damned forest." He warned, giving a look to the Felus who shrunk back slightly, "What do you want, Phinegos?"
The Felus flinched at the use of his name, confusing me slightly. I had heard stories of how Felus made a pact with the Fae of the Forest of Dreams, but I had never met one so I didn't know how to act around one. I decided to follow Alecsi's lead and not talk.
"I'm here simply to convey the Queen's wish to meet you, Sir." Phinegos kept his hands clasped behind his back, but I could feel danger radiate from him as he spoke. If Alecsi felt it, he made no move to attack or defend. Then again, nothing Phinegos could do probably would affect Alecsi.
"Tell Ilyiana I will greet her," Alecsi stood, towering over the Felus who stood at about his knee level, "When I want to."
"I will convey your message," Phinegos vanished in a moat of light, leaving the two of us alone.
"Well, he was-" I was cut off once more.
"Stop," He put up a hand, "We cannot speak candidly in this Forest of Nightmares."
"Dreams." I corrected, earning a confused side eye.
He questioned me as he sat back at the fire, "What?"
"It's called the Forest of Dreams." Elaborating, I gained an amused chuff in response.
"It was a play on words," That got my attention, I wasn't sure he had a sense of humor, "I do make jokes you know."
"…I see…" My ears burned in embarrassment, though I was lucky my fur hid the blush. The silence that fell was comforting, leaving me to my thoughts as the fire crackled and the wood within settled into embers and ash.
I stared at those flames for a while, looking at the Leoni next to them as well. The two felt similar in a way.
Like the fire, Alecsi burned with an intense and unwavering passion that was impossible to ignore. His eyes blazed with determination, and his every movement was infused with a fierce energy that seemed to come from deep within. Him and the flames could be both comforting and dangerous, depending on how you approached them. Those who underestimated him risked getting burned, but those who knew how to befriend him could find warmth and protection in his presence.
At times, the flame seemed to flicker and wane, as if struggling to maintain its intensity in the face of adversity — though, I got the sense the flame didn't truly flicker, but was merely controlled by his immense will. But then, just as suddenly, it would surge forward, growing brighter and hotter with each passing moment. Watching him was like watching a living, breathing embodiment of the element itself. And yet, for all his power and strength, there was also a gentle warmth to him, like the coals of the fire that had burned down to a gentle glow. Even when he was still, he radiated a quiet strength that filled me with a sense of comfort and safety.
"You should get some more rest," He proved that warmth, looking over his shoulder at me, "Do you need my cloak, or will you be fine like that?"
His question reminded me that I was almost naked, I still wore my trousers fortunately but my boots and tunic were set off to the side. Instead of the bloody mess I was expecting, they were neatly folded and the cut blouse and leather had been mended and sewn shut.
I wondered if he had done it himself or forced Phinegos to fix the clothing, the latter seemed more likely. However, Alecsi clearly didn't trust the Felus as far as he could kick him so I doubted he would let the cat touch my clothes.
That thought made me wonder who bandaged me. After the protective nature he had shown, I was almost a hundred per-cent sure that he would not let Phinegos, Ilyiana, or any other Fae or Felus touch me in such a vulnerable state. That meant he bandaged me himself, that also meant these were the bandages he had packed in his knapsack.
That left him with no bandages for himself, which left me with a bad taste in my mouth. I didn't like the thought of him getting hurt later on and not having bandages because he used them on me.
"Well?" He broke me from my thoughts, giving me a raised left brow, "Do you want my cloak or not?"
"Did you bandage me, or did someone else?" That wasn't what I had meant to say, but it came out anyway. I wanted to tell him that I wanted his cloak. I wanted that tempered hide that smelled like him and had his warmth.
"I did," He said it so simply. He had looked at my nakedness and he said it so simply, as if he didn't care about it. Part of me wanted him to care, I wanted him to be bashful about it. To see me and turn away because he was embarrassed to see my lighter furred areas, "Don't give thanks, we're still in the Forest and you don't know who might be listening."
"Okay," I nodded along to his words absentmindedly, looking at the large black fur cloak that hung on his neck, "Could I use it?"
"Yes," He stood and unclasped the lion head buckle from around the front of his throat. He walked over to me, showing me just how massive he was compared to me by laying the cloak over me like a blanket.
I fought the urge to thank him, he had warned me twice now about giving gratuity in this Forest. It made me wonder if maybe the forest was cursed. If saying 'thank you,' or giving acknowledgement that you appreciated someone's actions, put you in a position to be used freely.
Obviously, he wouldn't take advantage of me that way. He had proven so already the first time I thanked him when I initially woke up.
The cloak was large and warm, and Alecsi tucked the edges around my body to trap the heat in. Then he lifted my legs and tucked the bottom in, leaving only my head free. I half-expected him to cover my face with the hood of his cloak, but he didn't. Simply walking away to sit back at the fire.
"Alecsi," I called out softly, weakly even.
"What?" He didn't sound upset or mad despite the crassness of his single word answer.
"Why did you save me? You could've waited until I was dead to kill Lexin and then you would have been free from extra weight." He didn't seem to like my answer. A vein near his temple bulged causing me to shrink into his cloak.
"I saved you for three reasons," I wasn't expecting even one, so I listened intently, "First, you are a brat, but you're a fine warrior and a member of my people. Second, it would look bad if I let my Quest Mate die the day after we set off. Third, you're mine now. Do you know the reason royalty goes off on the Quest in pairs?"
"Because it's better to fight as a team," I nodded from my prone position, "My father told me."
"That's true, but then why don't other families do it?" That stumped me. Only Leoni royalty set out on their Quest with a partner. I had never put much thought into it, if I'm being honest. I went to speak, but Alecsi continued, "It's for Mating. You and I will forge an unbreakable bond during our journey, fighting together through life or death situations and traveling the world together. That's the plan anyway."
I… had never thought of that. It made me slightly upset that my family had pawned me off without asking me or telling me, but I guess Alecsi wasn't the worst person I could've been paired with. I felt lucky, actually, that it was him and not someone else.
If it had been someone else, someone just a bit weaker than him I wouldn't be alive anymore. I closed my eyes for a second before opening them, "I'm okay with that."
"You think that now," He leaned forward, grabbing a piece of wood and setting it into the flame. He didn't seem to mind the heat, even as the orange flames jumped into the air, licking his bare fur, he simply ignored them.
His words did make me think though, why wouldn't I be okay with it later? Was he going to do something so outrageous that he thought I wouldn't want him? If so, I definitely wanted to be there. I wanted to walk those trials with him and become strong like him. I wanted the power he so effortlessly wielded, so I could protect myself and stand beside him.
"I will always be okay with it," I steeled myself and spouted an answer. A smirk tugged at his lips as he tilted his head up and closed his eyes.
That was when I got a full look at his body. His back and arms were covered in scars. I supposed they were imperfections, those marks, but they didn't feel that way to me. They were a history, cut into his body; the map of an endless life of conflict and fighting.
"Go to sleep, Safiya." His voice was gentle and warm, but I couldn't comply. I had just woken up and I felt that I needed to move around to heal properly, "You should be completely healed in the morning."
"What? It's impossible to heal all of that damage in just one night." He looked down at me. I could see the tiredness in his eyes as he blinked.
"It's been three days." His revelation shocked me, leaving me to stare with widened eyes, "I already visited my mother's grave. We're on our way now to the Serpenti in the Alaris Bog, they build decent boats which we will take to Crifeon."
That revelation also made me realize why he looked so tired. He probably had been watching out for me for those three days. He hadn't slept because he didn't want to be caught unaware if someone attacked us again.
"Why to Crifeon?" I couldn't help but wonder. There were plenty of places on Leroux that housed dangerous creatures. Lake Milwin just past the Alaris Bog had Wyrms, the Stone Shore to the South past the Iron Mountains had naturally spawned Golems, The Dead Prairie to the far North held countless Undead beings. It made no sense to go all the way to Crifeon for this Quest.
"The Quest isn't just about finding and defeating powerful enemies, Safiya." He explained passively, I couldn't even sense sarcasm in his tone, "It's for us to gain worldly experience and interact and commune with all of the species we can."
•••••
{XYRIXUS}
For two days after Kaiderax came down to my cavern, he taught me Human manners and how to deal with things without resorting to violence. It wasn't my favorite thing, being taught about useless things like that. But he told me that some Humans were stronger than even him, which I doubted, but it did put into perspective how much trouble I could potentially find myself in.
I really didn't want to face a Kaiderax-level threat if I could help it. The plans I had for the duration of my stay on the continent involved meeting humans and talking to them without fighting. As such, Kaiderax's lessons were welcomed despite my loathing of being taught things.
I preferred learning and figuring things out on my own. I liked my experiments and taking mental notes of what I had learned. I didn't have nearly the thirst for knowledge that Kaiderax commanded, as evidenced by my hoard being physical, monetary wealth as opposed to the font of things that the Greater Red Dragon knew.
I sometimes wondered if there was stuff he didn't know, but I was aware that the Elder wasn't omniscient and even he didn't know what the future held.
Having finally reached Crifeon after a day of slow, uneventful flying, I changed to my Human form, rather, my Dragonoid form and looked toward Nyxaroth. She had flown on my back, enjoying the feeling of the wind against her flawless skin.
She had chosen the name Kaida Emberheart, mirroring her father and following my actions of taking my father's name. The name my father chose, and thus passed onto me through Kaiderax, was Ignatius Emberheart. As such, I took it upon myself to carry on the name, calling my Dragonoid form Ignatius Emberheart II.
I was also lucky that Kaiderax had given me an extra set of his robes, though they were initially too big for me.
I looked down at my black and red robe, a gift from Kaiderax. The fabric was soft and lightweight, with intricate dragon patterns embroidered in gold thread along the hem and sleeves. The robe fell just above my ankles and draped loosely around my form, allowing for ease of movement.
I fastened the robe at my waist with a thick, black sash and adjusted the collar around my neck. I appreciated the simplicity and elegance of the design, which made me feel both regal and comfortable at the same time.
In my Dragon form, I had little need for clothing, but when in my Dragonoid form, a well-made robe like this could make all the difference in how I presented myself. I could see why Nyxaroth's father, a proud and dignified Dragon, would wear something like this.
"You should ride my back when we go home, okay?" Nyxaroth skipped in front of me, stopping me in my tracks, "Okay, Xyr?"
"You're supposed to call me 'Ignatius' when I'm in my Dragonoid form, Kaida." I corrected her, flicking her forehead with my left forefinger, "But, okay. I'll ride on your back when we go home."
"Right!" She turned, holding her forehead with a sour look on her face, "Ignatius is a butthead. But, Xyr is cool."
"You shouldn't call people names, Kaida." I droned almost immediately, not really believing what I was saying. I called people names all the time in my head.
She looked over at me and sputtered her tongue, tossing spittle my way. I wiped it from my face and kept walking, Nyxaroth following closely next to me.
"You're still a butthead," She muttered her insult this time, though I could tell she meant no ill will. I simply chuffed at her childish nature as we approached a small village.
Kaiderax had almost demanded that we both carry weapons, so I had a longsword strapped to my left hip. The blade was made of a strong and durable steel, with a sharp edge that had been honed to perfection. The hilt was wrapped in a black leather grip that felt comfortable in my hand, allowing me to easily wield the sword in battle.
The crossguard was adorned with intricate engravings that gave the weapon a regal look, and the pommel was shaped like a dragon's head with gems in its eyes, showing off my true nature even in my Dragonoid form.
Nyxaroth's weapon hung on her right hip, a testament to her left-handed nature. As I looked at the weapon, it was clear that it was designed for a more petite and agile wielder.
The blade was shorter than what I would use, only about a foot and a half long, but the blackened steel looked sharp and deadly. The hilt was wrapped in a dark red silk cord, which provided a firm grip. The guard was shaped like a thin rectangle and appeared to be made of polished silver. A thin red line ran the length of blade on both sides, a divot that had been filled with whatever the line was made of.
I could easily imagine Nyxaroth wielding this sword with ease in her Dragonoid form, its lightweight design allowing her to move quickly and strike precisely. The blade's curve would be perfect for slicing through soft targets, while the pointed tip could pierce through tougher armor.
"I still don't know how to use this thing," Nyxaroth set her hand on the pommel of her sword, the counter weight bringing the end of the sheath away from the ground.
"Me neither," My eyes fell to the Dragon head on my own sword's pommel, the jewels seeming to stare back at me, "But if Kai thinks we should have them, we'll carry them with us and learn to use them."
"It's so uncomfortable, though!" She moved the blade along her waist, pushing it behind her until she was satisfied. The sword now sat above her butt, the handle sticking out to the right, "That's a bit better."
I couldn't possibly understand how that was better, no it would be more difficult for her to draw the weapon with her left hand, "Aren't you left handed?"
"Yeah," She looked at me idly, not getting why I questioned her.
"Your hilt is on the right side, you won't be able to draw your weapon." She had a moment of reflection to herself before her eyes widened and she pulled the sword back to her hip.
"I liked it behind me though." Her pout caused me to stop and turn to her.
"Then let's do this," I kneeled down to her, removed the sword from her waist and messed with its clasp, flipping it around. I returned it to her shortly after, tying it the other way so it would stick out from behind her still but be accessible from her side, "There, all better."
"You're so smart, Xyr!" She patted my shoulder, which was available to her only whilst I was on one knee.
"My name is Ignatius, Kaida." I had to remind her again, but I didn't mind. She was young and she would learn in time.
"Right." She lowered her head as I stood up, "Sorry, Ignatius."
"Let's get going," My hand patted her head once before I turned away and moved closer to the village. The houses were made of thatch and mud, which would help trap a bit of heat during the approaching winter. I could see that a few of them had smoke rising from cleverly crafted holes in their roofs.
Some children ran about outside, running in circles trying to catch one another. Some teenagers practiced with a bow, hitting a target made of wheat and cloth that they had painted. I could also see a man pounding away on an anvil, reshaping a tool that had been damaged.
Multiple eyes looked our way, giving us wary looks. The children stopped running, the teenagers notched an arrow but didn't fire it or pull the bowstring back, and the man stopped hitting his piece of red hot metal.
He looked over at us in a squint, "Well, well. Are you Beastfolk or Serpentfolk?"
He seemed nice enough and Nyxaroth stepped forward to talk, "We're Drag-"
My hand couldn't have covered her mouth quickly enough, my mouth forming a curt smile as I looked at the man, "We're Serpenti, mister…"
He had short black hair, just enough so I couldn't see his scalp but not enough to get snagged by any tool he was working with. I could see a sort of intelligence hidden behind his green eyes that held small black pupils. His olive skin glistened with sweat from working the forge and soot covered the leather apron protected him from the front.
Aside from said apron, he wore a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows which displayed the well-defined musculature of his arms and betrayed his tensed muscles. He wore brown pants that were tucked into shin-high black cow leather boots.
"Damien," He gave Nyxaroth a weird look, "She should be careful what she says. Some people wouldn't be too happy if you go around claiming to be Dragons or Drakes or anything else of the large, fire-breathing type. The capital, especially, has had a history of run-ins with a Red Dragon."
My smile turned slightly nervous, "So I've heard…"
"Anyways," Damien set his hand down on top of his anvil, "How can we help you two? We don't have much in the way of lodgings, but old man Zen has a few empty beds."
"Do you guys make weapons!?" Nyxaroth had already appeared next to the man's workbench, surprising him greatly and causing me to groan internally, "What kind of weapons? How many wars have you fought? Did you learn to make weapons at war? Do humans have a lot of wars? I heard they did, but I've never seen one before so I've never confirmed it. Do they?"
"Kaida…" My internal groan found its way into the open as I walked forward and picked her up by the back of her robes, "Quit bothering Damien, I'm sure he has better things to do than explain that Humans will kill each other for anything from gold to sex to… well, any reason really."
"You seem quite well versed in Human history," Damien chuckled, but I could see that his guard was raised against us as he backed toward a weapons rack on the far wall.
"I know a thing or two," Setting Nyxaroth down, I folded my arms to show I didn't mean harm without surrendering. Kaiderax had told me that Humans put both hands into the air when surrendering, and as I wasn't doing that, I simply moved my hands away from my weapon.
That calmed the blacksmith's nerves just enough that his hand didn't reach for a sword, but did twitch for one. Nyxaroth, of course, couldn't keep still in such a new environment and went to pester the children we had seen earlier.
"What's this village called?" My question brought his eyes to meet mine, pulling his attention from the children and what they were doing with the stranger who moved faster than he could see.
"We don't have an official name, since we're a new settlement without even a Knight or Lord looking after us," He seemed less nervous for some reason, causing me to breathe a sigh of relief. However, when I breathed back in I caught the scent of someone I couldn't see.
I had already registered the scents of the teenagers, the children, him and his forge. This new scent smelled of something different, not quite Human but very close to it. I half-turned to see a man with piercing blue eyes staring at me with a bored expression on his face.
His light gray shirt had some liquid spilled on it some time ago, the stain still evident, and his black trousers ended at his ankle where I could see his bare feet. Unlike the blacksmith, his sleeves weren't rolled up but hung loosely against his wrists where I could see the beginnings of a black mark.
He stood in the doorway to one of the houses, a tankard in his right hand and a bottle of mead in the other. I could tell, however, that he wasn't drunk in the slightest.
He yawned, nodded to me and took a drink from his metal cup. I furrowed my brow. Did he know what I was? Or, could he simply sense the power that coursed through me? Perhaps that nod was just him saying hello, or maybe it was him warning me not to try anything against the blacksmith.
"What's with that guy?" My question caught Damien unaware, making him take a second to think of a reply.
"That's old man Zen," His answer confounded me. That man didn't look old at all, he looked to be around Kaiderax's age. The thought of him being Kaiderax's age made me take another look at him.
Kaiderax looked that age in his Dragonoid form, which was made to mimic humans and convert our age to theirs. If this man, or whatever he was, had a similar ability, that meant he was about as old as Kaiderax. Of course, that depended on the average lifespan of his race, but I garnered he would live for another hundred to two hundred years, even drinking as he did.
"What is he?" My question escaped my lips before I could catch it, my eyes followed suit to look to Damien for an answer.
"Old man Zen?" He seemed to think about telling me, and then continued, "He's a shifter."
That made sense actually. It also made me worry less. Shifters were humans, pretty much. Granted, they could take on the forms of other creatures but not permanently and only when given permission from a member of that species previously. I wasn't sure what species Zen had met and gotten the approval of, but I doubt it could rival a Dragon.
That also made sense as to why he looked the way he did. Shifters could live for upwards of two hundred fifty years if they got the right acceptance from multiple species. I wasn't sure what a Shifter did to gain acceptance from a species though, so maybe Zen would live that long.
"I see…" I took another look toward Zen. The old man wasn't in his doorway anymore, but leaning against the wall behind me. I hadn't even sensed him move. The wind didn't react to his movements, which suggested either a stealth skill or movement ability. I wasn't sure which was scarier in his hands.
"What's a…" His nose twitched as a frown greeted me, "What the hell are you? You don't smell like any Serpenti I ever met."
"I am…" I hesitated to reveal myself. On the one hand, Zen could move without me or Nyxaroth — who I now noted was playing in the dirt with the other children — noticing him.
"I won't hold whatever you are against you, kid." For some reason, I felt his usage of 'kid' was less in reference to my age and more just how he talked. Still, I was older than him, not that he knew that.
I decided to just tell him and deal with whatever he chose to do, "I'm a Red Dragon."
"Oh, Cool." He took another sip from his tankard, "Never met one of you before. Is it true that you guys steal princesses and force them to clean up your excrement?"
"What? Why would we do that? We don't even have excrement." My face contorted as Zen laughed, realizing that he had been joking.
"I know!" He howled loudly, "You should see the look on your face."
I let him continue for a few more seconds before he suddenly stopped and looked at me seriously, "Why do you take them then?"
"Personally? Or, just, like, in general?" His brow rose to my question, not expecting such a response.
"You. Not in general." He gestured to me with his tankard.
I opened my mouth to speak as a small ball impacted the side of my torso.