Author: WolfSpatial
Co-Author: Lucifer
[You don't know my motives. Unless you guessed guilty pleasure.]
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{ALECSI LE ROARKE}
Morning came quicker than expected, dim light peeking through the tops of the trees as Safiya stirred awake. The thin curtain of light was like a veil of ethereal mist, casting a soft glow on everything it touched. It was as if the light was alive, breathing down onto the world around me. The leaves of the trees shimmered with a vibrant green, swaying gently in the morning breeze.
Small birds sang quiet, joyful melodies, their voices carried throughout the Forest by the wind. Looking around the forest, the light danced on the ground and created an intricate tapestry of shadows. The air was crisp and fresh, and I could smell the multiple scents of the Forest – the damp earth, the sweet fragrance of wildflowers, the faint aroma of pine, and the droplets of morning dew that clung to the underbrush.
For the fourth day in a row, I had stayed up to watch over her. Throughout the night she would smile or grimace or whimper in her sleep, the occasional moan also made itself known along with the scent of her arousal filling the air. It made me doubt if she wasn't entering heat early, but that thought left my tired mind as quickly as it came.
I realized I wasn't able to keep thoughts very long at this point, which made me wonder if the Felus or Fae had played some trick to confuse me. It wouldn't be out of character for them to cast an illusion on their victims before attacking. The thought of them attacking made me move closer to where Safiya was laying, and though I no longer had a stump to sit on, I found the ground no less comfortable.
The girl was tough though, and I wasn't truly worried she would pass away suddenly. I was, however, cautious of the Felus or Fae attacking while she was asleep and injuring her further. Regardless, perhaps due to being tired after staying awake so long, I found myself nodding off to sleep at times.
The little cats had a decent head on their shoulders though, most of the time, and would do their best not to get on my bad side. They feared what a normal Leoni, like Safiya, could do once angered or threatened, let alone royalty like me.
They knew that if I suffered an attack, though they wouldn't be able to do actual harm, or great disrespect it may signal the end of their people at the hands of the entirety of the Leoni.
My Quest Mate's eyelids fluttered lightly as she pulled my cloak closer to her chest. When she realized what she had done, her eyes burst open and she sat up with a wince. Her head spun as if on a swivel and she stared at me, "Why didn't you wake me up at dawn?"
I kicked some dirt onto the remnants of my fire, putting out the red coals, "You looked like you needed the rest."
"What about you?" She stood, gripping my cloak by the edges and pinching them together in front of her chest.
"I got enough sleep," She gave me a look of doubt, causing me to sigh, "I'm not tired."
"There are bags under your eyes, Alecsi." I realized that I didn't mind her using my name instead of my title. And, though she had only used it once before this, it felt natural. More natural, anyway, than her calling me 'Young Lord' over and over.
"I said I'm fine, Safiya." My body betrayed me, however, and I yawned slightly. I instantly caught the action and suppressed it, but I could tell Safiya had caught me.
"Come here," She sat on her knees, patting her legs for some reason.
"What? What action are you suggesting?" My head cocked to the side in confusion, which just made Safiya chuckle.
"I'm offering my legs as a pillow." I could see bashfulness in her eyes, but I wasn't sure why. "My mother said that my father always slept better when she did this. I don't know the logic behind it, but apparently, it works."
"I appreciate that," Shaking my head, I folded my arms in front of my tightly bound chest, "But I do not need rest, Safiya."
"Are you too insecure to use a maiden's legs as a pillow?" She contested, thinking her words would make me give in.
"You cannot trick me, I know better than to fall for such nonsense." I furrowed my brow in contempt for her actions, though I could see her mouth tug into a smirk.
"That's fine," She began to stand up, "I'll just tell everyone we meet that you-"
"Let's see this leg pillow then…" Dropping my arms I moved forward as she let out a small chuckle.
Sitting next to the female, I leaned over and laid my head against her thighs. They were softer than I expected, providing a level of comfort I found only on my own bed. I could also feel the warmth of her body that radiated from the cloak she wore from a small opening near her navel.
She placed her hand on my forehead, running it along my mane softly, "What are you doing?"
"This is supposed to help you calm down and get to sleep quicker." She didn't stop her movements, and I didn't feel any particular way about it so I let her continue.
"I see." Closing my eyes, I focused on the feeling of her running a hand through my fur. She had a gentle touch that eased the tension in my muscles and helped to clear my mind.
The softness of her lap and the rhythm of her breathing sent waves of exhaustion coursing through my body. My focus shifted to matching the inhale and exhale of her breath, causing me to breathe in her scent and drift off to sleep.
{SAFIYA WILDSTRIDE}
It wasn't long before Alecsi was asleep, his breathing slowing and the weight of the world lifting from his shoulders.
I wasn't sure why he felt the need to look after me so much that he hadn't slept in so long, but I was grateful to him for it. Despite his rough words and seemingly callous attitude, Alecsi showed with his actions that he cared a lot.
I would watch over him this time, keeping him safe from the things that lurked in the forest. I wasn't sure what exactly the forest held, aside from the obvious Felus, Fae, and occasional Sprite.
"Is Mister Alecsi asleep?" A sudden voice came from nowhere, causing me to stop petting Alecsi's mane and look around.
I found Phinegos with his hands behind his back leaning against a tree to my right. I had no idea how Alecsi could've detected him before, as I didn't know he was there until he spoke. Even now, I couldn't sense him. He stood there, bright as day, a clear figure surrounded by the veil of light that covered the forest.
"How long how you been there?" I was curious how much the cat had seen of me thinking to myself whilst looking at Alecsi.
"Not very long, Miss Safiya," Phinegos moved forward, sitting in front of me and looking at Alecsi, "Looking at him like this, there's no semblance of the versatile warrior he truly is."
"How do you know him?" My curiosity got the better of me, but Phinegos didn't seem to shy from my question.
"He saved my Young Mistress from a group of other Leoni," I could see pure, unadulterated reverence in Phinegos' eyes as he stared down at Alecsi, "They were hunting when they stumble upon her as a kit and tried to kill her. Mister Alecsi stopped them and beat them to a pulp for 'picking on a weaker being' as he put it. He has too much pride to fight someone weaker than him for any reason other than defense."
That surprised me. It made sense though when I put it with my other thoughts. Alecsi protected me when I was weaker than my opponent as well. The reasons he gave were sound and succinct, but I had felt there was something else to it. This proved that there might be. I resumed running my hand against the soft fur of Alecsi's head and smiled down at him, "So, he's a protector of sorts? He doesn't seem the type. He's crass and arrogant; doesn't like to ask for help or give in to his body's most basic needs. I had to coax him to take this nap."
"That sounds like the Leoni that I know," Phinegos smiled and closed his eyes as he tilted his head up. The fur that covered his body bristled from the wind, though I couldn't tell if it was reactionary or if he was actually cold, "He used to visit my Young Princess every so often, playing with her and helping her with her Magic."
"Alecsi knows Magic?" That caught my attention. There was only one Clan, Celestius, that used Magic in the entirety of the Kingdom of Leonidas.
Phinegos shook his head, "He can use basic Magic, but that's not what I'm referring to. His theoretical knowledge and teaching abilities are second only to that of the Mages of the Human and Elvish Sanctums. He has a very good grasp of concepts and elements. It surprises me that he's not a Sprite if I'm being honest, half-Sprite at least."
"I didn't know that," The information made me look at Alecsi in a new light. Not only was he well-versed in physical combat, but he also had a high working knowledge of Magic and its constituents.
"Mister Alecsi, despite his everflowing prideful nature and strength, doesn't flaunt his abilities like a dirty rug." Phinegos met my gaze, his small blue eyes staring up at me. I had almost forgotten that he was so small, but looking down at him put it back into perspective, "He also doesn't talk about his inner problems, so please be attentive when traveling with him."
"He's not a child, Phinegos." He flinched at his name once more, which made me note to ask him about it after this conversation, "He doesn't need to be coddled."
"I am not asking you to coddle him, Miss Safiya." Phinegos scratched behind his right ear, the small piece of fluffy cartilage reacting by twitching, "I'm asking you to watch for signs of depression and inner failure. Things he won't speak about but are evident. He may not take care of himself for a few days or you may find him staring blankly into the distance."
"He hasn't been sleeping," I gestured down to Alecsi the large Leoni's face contorted in what looked like pain, "But that was just to keep me safe."
"Was it?" Phinegos' question made me do a double take of Alecsi, "Or was he simply avoiding what he's going through right now? I'm not telling you to approach him about this when he wakes up, but if it ever gets to the point that he needs help, call my name and I'll be there."
"I was meaning to ask about that," Phinegos nodded for me to continue, "Why does saying your name mean so much? I saw you flinch when both I and Alecsi said it."
"A Fae's name, and by extension a Felus' name, is a special thing." He explained, his small whiskers moving as his nose scrunched, "Just by saying it you alert the being to your presence and position. From there, they can pinpoint you using our innate scrying Magics. However, once the being is in front of you, saying their name is tantamount to telling us we're in two places at once. I don't know exactly why it works that way, but it does."
"So," It brought up another good point, "Why would you all tell Alecsi your true names? Surely it would've been better to keep them hidden."
"Alecsi did us a great favor saving the Young Princess," Phinegos pointed to the sleeping Leoni, "The Queen decided that he should know three names. That of the Queen, Ilyiana, that of the Young Princess herself, Vasel, and that of the Grand Chamberlain, Phinegos."
"Don't they know now that we are talking about them? And why are you here as the Grand Chamberlain? Doesn't the Queen need you?" My questions didn't seem to cause much thought behind Phinegos' eyes.
"The Queen and Young Princess have both known of our conversation for a while. I spoke their names before I started talking to you. I am here at the request of the Queen herself, to bring you and Mister Alecsi to her. This, of course, is under the requirement of your own acceptance." Phinegos stood, brushing dirt and pine from his, otherwise, immaculate suit.
"I will have to speak with Alecsi first." He nodded as if expecting that answer, "I do have one more question."
"Anything for a friend of Mister Alecsi," He clasped his hands behind his back in a dignified manner, "I will do my best to give you a satisfactory answer."
"Why is it that I can't express gratuity to anyone in the Forest?" He seemed to have been expecting a different question, though I had no others to ask.
"There are some, most in fact, that take gratuity as a sign of debt. When expressing such things, it is easy for you to be put into the service of one or more such beings. Generally, they will ask things that you are not comfortable doing." Phinegos was good at explaining things and I could see that he prepared every response he made quickly before rattling off like an AC-47.
That was a strange thing, the AC-47, made by another strange person who came from the same land as the inventor of Science. She invented the Automat Crossbow some thirty-four years ago, though the schematic has since been lost and only the Dwarves currently had a model. Said model didn't work, however, and sat silently in their Hall of Creation alongside many other items that have been lost to time or changed history significantly.
I only knew about it because I had done my research when making my miniature crossbow that had been destroyed by Lexin before his death. It occurred to me that I needed to make a new one, but I didn't currently have the time or materials to make something like that.
"That's pretty similar to how Alecsi explained it," His answer made me nod. I got the gist of what he was saying. Basically, I couldn't say thank you to others because it would put me in a position to be used for whatever they wanted. I wasn't sure what would happen if I refused their requests, but I felt it wouldn't be good.
I also didn't know if that stretched over to not saying sorry but I didn't want to take any chances and apologize to a Fae or Felus for anything. I decided I would silently stare if they demanded an apology or anything of the like.
Alecsi began to stir awake shortly after, which saddened me slightly as I wanted to continue petting his soft mane. But I relented as his eyes opened and he glared at Phinegos. His voice was laced with apprehension as he spoke, "What are you doing, Phinegos? I hope, for your sake, you weren't pulling any tricks."
"I am disheartened by your suspicion of my decency, Mister Alecsi." Phinegos bowed, though I could now feel the playfulness in his tone.
•••••
{XYRIXUS/ IGNATIUS EMBERHEART II}
It had been about mid-morning when we first entered the village, though now the sun hung high in the sky like a vigilant watchman. Zen had invited us into his home, letting us partake of his food without much complaint if any.
I wasn't positive as to the motivations of the Shifter, but Nyxaroth didn't seem to mind as she stuffed her face with Human food as quickly as she could. It was an assortment of wheat-based food, some meat, some eggs – I wasn't sure why he would eat his own unborn, but I wasn't all-knowing of Human customs so I let it go – and something called coffee which was bitter and black.
Zen sipped his mead as I sipped coffee and Nyxaroth ate another wheat circle. He called them pancakes which sounded strange to me. They certainly didn't look like cakes, and you couldn't effectively make a cake in a pan anyways. The bottom would cook too fast compared to the rest of the cake and it would burn.
This type of food was cooked strangely, as well. Instead of having a full, cake-sized amount of batter, the amount Zen used to make it was quite small. It also didn't smell like the cakes I had seen when acquiring Princesses from the Human Kingdom in the past.
Regardless, I left Zen and his strange names alone as they didn't do me any harm.
"How long have you had a Human form?" His question seemed to come from nowhere, but I could see a deeper thought circling around inside his head.
"Not too long," I didn't give him specifics, as he didn't need to know I'd only been a Dragonoid for about four days. He also didn't need to know that it wasn't a Human form, but that of Dragon Royalty. So I told him neither of those things and simply left him to his imagination.
"I see. You do have training with the weapons you carry though, correct?" He took a bigger sip of his mead, waiting for a response from either me or Nyxaroth.
Nyxaroth looked to me to answer him, her cheeks puffed out with pancakes filling them. I sighed at her antics, knowing that she would probably regret eating them later on. I didn't know if our current forms defecated, but if they did, so much of one thing probably wasn't the best idea for the young Dragonoid.
"We know how to hold them," I gave a nervous smile as Zen frowned and set down his metal tankard, "We don't usually use swords, given our… heritage."
"Right," Zen stood up, swaying slightly but catching himself as he walked outside. He smelled like alcohol, sure, but I could tell he wasn't really drunk. It seemed more like he was used to being in a place we're the ground wasn't always stable. A boat or ship, perhaps.
"Let's go, kid." He looked over his left shoulder at me, confusing me as to his intentions, "I'm gonna teach you how to properly wield that thing so you don't give yourself bigger problems down the line."
"Oh," I got up from my seat — followed closely by Nyxaroth who finished the last of her pancakes — and followed Zen out to a field behind his cottage.
"First things first," He picked up a small branch made of birch in his right hand that was about two and a half feet in length and tapered to a thin point. He swung it once to his right, stirring up dirt on the ground. I had to admit that it was surprising to see such a small and weak item as a birch wood branch have enough force to kick up dust.
"What do you know of swordsmanship?" The entire feeling that Zen gave off changed. No longer was the old man who drank his days away. He had been replaced by an alert and dangerous Shifter who sought to teach me and Nyxaroth what he could about the blade.
"Next to nothing, if I'm being honest." I shook my head, but kept my eyes focused on the aged Shifter to make sure he wouldn't attack suddenly.
I had seen Humans teach swordsmanship before, it usually started with the teacher smacking the student when they were least expecting it. As such, I knew to stay vigilant when facing such a situation.
"Well, it's good that you know to focus on your enemy at all times," He seemed to drop the tension in his body, and then I lost sight of him.
His form flickered as he swung and caught me pulling my sword from its sheath. The wood cracked against the flat of the blade, pushing me along the ground as my feet dug into the dirt.
There was considerable force behind the Shifter's attack, and yet when he stopped moving the wooden branch showed no damage. I was sure that when the two impacted I heard a crack, was it possible that was simply the sound of the collision and nothing more.
Nyxaroth drew her blade and pointed it toward Zen, her face not displaying any emotion despite her heart beating faster. She waited for him to strike, though was surprised when she found she couldn't block his attack as I had. She was considerably slower than me, being younger and having less overall strength.
She flew across the field toward me. With a quick motion, I caught her body and stopped her with some difficulty.
"Are you two not similar in age?" Zen clearly hadn't been expecting to land a hit on her, just like how I had blocked his attack.
"She's about one-hundred-thirty years younger than me," His eyes widened just barely at the revelation, then he frowned when realizing I was older than him.
"Damn," He set the branch on his shoulder, placing his left hand on his hip, "Alright."
Zen readied his stick, "You two are new to this, so we'll start with the basics."
He demonstrated a few simple movements and stances, then gestured for me and Nyxaroth to do the same.
"Hold it firmly, but not too tight," Zen advised us, "And keep your arms relaxed."
I nodded and took a deep breath, steadying my nerves. I swung the sword experimentally, feeling the weight and balance of it. It felt strange to me, like an extra appendage that I never had before.
"Remember to use your whole body," Zen said, "Not just your arms. Your legs, your hips, your core… all play a role in a good sword strike."
Nyxaroth was doing better than me, seeming to have a natural affinity for the sword. She was graceful in her movements, though they were those of a beginner, and deliberate in the subtle fluctuations she made when striking.
We continued late into the evening, sweat just beginning to form on my brow when Zen spoke up, "Damn, how much stamina do Dragons have?"
"A lot," Changing my stance, I brought my feet together and looked over at Zen. I was by no means a heavenly talent seen once every thousand years, but I felt I had progressed a good deal in one day.
"Alright, let's see what you've got." He brought up his stick and thrusted forward suddenly. I went to block, but was surprised by a smaller blade than mine stretching in front of me and catching his attack.
"You're quick, Kaida." Zen complimented, sweeping her feet from under her and sending her sprawling on the ground. She pouted but got back to her feet.
Taking the opportunity that Nyxaroth had provided me, I shoved my pommel into Zen's side. His palm blocked the Dragon head and he slid backwards a few feet from the impact, "And, you're strong, Ignatius. You two make a good pair."
"A… pair?" Nyxaroth blushed, allowing Zen the chance to strike her. He took it happily, planting the wooden stick into her calf and sending her back to the ground with a crack. It occurred to me just then that the crack wasn't the stick or the object he hit taking damage, but the sound of the stick hitting the object.
It made me wonder just how much power he was putting behind his attacks for them to do that. I'm not sure I had enough strength to do it, and Nyxaroth definitely didn't. But, maybe Kaiderax did.
We could block the attacks, sure, but that was more due to him somehow softening the blow after the fact and our own high durability as well as that of our weapons.
"But you're too easily distracted," He pointed the stick at Nyxaroth's throat, and I knew if it had been a sword she would've been dead.
I struck down at him from above, his body twisting as his legs reached up from my side and collided with my left arm. That time, the crack came from my wrist and not the impact itself. I grimaced in pain and grabbed my wrist, pulling it back into place and stretching my fingers as Zen stared at me, "And your attacks are too easy to read. I didn't even need to look to know where you were coming from."
"If you both worked together more as a team," Zen gave us both pointed looks to ensure our attention, "You would fare much better in a fight. Kaida, you attack and dodge backwards to allow Ignatius some time to attack freely. Ignatius, you take that time and strike with power behind your weapon and the enemy won't know what hit them. Continue to switch and most enemies won't know how to react to the both of you. You should, of course, also learn to fight separately and even against each other."
"I can't fight against Ignatius," She hesitated to say my Dragonoid name, but I could see the blush on her face, "He's my big brother."
"Be that as it may," Zen scoffed and shook his head at Nyxaroth, "Fighting against each other will let you get a good grasp of what someone with the other's fighting style is capable of. It will also let both of you hone your abilities while traveling and give you insight to further your training."
"Are we going to work on our teamwork then?" My question caused Zen to drop the stick in his hand.
"No," His entire aura changed once more, the strong Shifter reverting to the old man, "I'm tired now. We can practice again some other time."
He walked past us and into his cottage, closing the door behind him. I sent a glance to Nyxaroth and she nodded, vanishing from where she was and curving around me with her blade in hand.
She turned the blade so the edge was facing down and swiped upwards. The thing about her sword being single-edged was that she had to line the blade up perfectly with the direction she was swinging or she risked it breaking.
I met her blade with the flat of mine, sliding it up until it hit my crossguard. Then I twisted my sword around hers, locking the two together and sent the back of my elbow to her jaw.
Nyxaroth was a lot smaller than me, thus she evaded quicker. She proved so as she leaned back and stomped her foot into the ground, launching herself away from me.
"Do you think we'll find what you're looking for?" She asked, bringing her body closer and swinging her sword from the right.
I dipped back slightly, narrowly dodging the tip of her blade, and brought the pommel of my sword into her gut, "We should, it's about time for them to give me what I asked for."
The breath escaped her lungs as she fell to one knee and stabbed her sword into the ground, using it to support herself. She gasped and took in a large breath of air, "And… if they don't?"
I extended a hand to her, which she took to stand. I looked down into her amber eyes and gave a smile, "Then their kingdom will burn."
"Can I start the fire?" She seemed happy to fulfill her self-assigned role, "I've never gotten to burn and pillage a Human settlement before. Father says that Greater Dragons don't do that anymore, since we're the upper echelon of Dragon society."
"You don't," I backed up Kaiderax's words, setting my hand on her head. I had found myself doing so a lot lately, patting her head softly whenever I found reason to, "Only Lesser and Middling Dragons do."
"Why aren't you a Middling Dragon?" Her question was valid, though I couldn't give an exact answer as I wasn't sure myself.
"I don't know. I'd assume my blood purity isn't high enough for it." She closed her eyes and nudged the top of her head further into my hand, "I probably took after my mother, rather than my father."
"When we get back," She gave me a fierce look, though it only made her look cuter, "I'll force father to announce you as a Greater Dragon."
"No," I flicked her forehead, gaining a pout in response, "It would cause too much commotion if a Lesser Dragon was suddenly found to be a Greater Dragon. Others would doubt the purity tests, and we can't have a revolution right now."
"Then when?" Nyxaroth didn't seem happy with my position in Dragon society, probably hearing negative things about me from other Greater, High, and Middling Dragons, "When can you come to the peak with me?"
There were five ranks of Dragons — with the revelation of Royalty once existing — from lowest to highest, it went: Lesser, Middling, High, Greater, and Royal.
I was the lowest rank due to my mother's blood. Purity had nothing to do with other races mixing into a Dragon's blood, as that wasn't possible. Instead, it was how close the Dragon being tested was related to the first Red Dragon, Zarexion.
I obviously wasn't closely related to him, as my Purity was so low that I couldn't even go up the mountain without Kaiderax escorting me. I wasn't sure how Purity first started to decline, but apparently it had something to do with a certain Dragon finding a White Dragon attractive and mating with her.
"One day, Kaida," I set my hand back on her head, not moving it but simply letting it sit there as I spoke, "One day."