FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Scales and Honor; Swirling Storm

Chapter 1

Ramakox the blue dragon stood like a statue on the rocky outcropping of his mountain top lair. With his silver eyes he glared out to the vast countryside of his home, a multicolored collection of greens, blues, and browns. That made the whole thing look like a multicolored quilt of all those shades. He snorted when a breeze brushed against his thick armored scales that lined his body. He narrowed his eyes as he focused on the small dots of mortal villages that covered his quilt. He could already feel the sense of irritation lingering within his limbs, one he had known for many years. He spread his wings wide, ignoring the spiderweb of white that was in his dark blue membranes. He of course remembered when things were better for dragons, when he, Ramakox was known well. He bounded into the air, giving his wings a great flap, and carring himself into the lofty domain of any dragon. One where the little villages of humans, elves, and half-lings could not reach. His snout wrinkled when he realized that this was no longer the case.

He recalled rumors being spead about the mortal nation to the northern reaches, it was called Lumara. They had managed to create these large flying ships, that could even intrude into the sky that he called his home. Like little rude guests they would come, floating away on the loud obnoxious things. It would not be that bad if he could swoop in, offer a roar, and scare the little ants away, but that was no longer the case. For you see, the nation had also created weapons that could fire pure bolts of magical energy, strong enough that the larger ones could even pierce his mighty scales with ease if he did not use the proper spell to shield himself. He let out a growl from his throat at the thought of his own scales being broken in such a way. Such an unfitting way to die. He dipped his wings and flew through one of the numerous grey clouds, imagining that rain would soon be on it's way to grace his lair.

He carried himself for a time, just basking in the sun's rays and remembering the days of old. He thought back to days where he would sail down on his mighty wings near dusk, flaring up his lightning breath so that his membranes would give off a brilliant white glow. The mortals had been so startled at a time that they would offer him things to take back to his lair as gifts, so that he would not destroy their homes. He remembered chuckling to them, and offering them sweet words to sway their fears. For he was the great and mighty Swirling Storm, and despite their villages being small. He was their protector, the thing that others would fear to cross if they harmed his villagers, or thats how he saw it anyway.

Despite his proclamation of this section of villages be his own he knew it was not the case For he lived within the country of Drenedar, who was ruled by a kind queen and king. The best if he had to recall a passing merchant's words. He remebered long ago when he had sided with them in their little crusade against undead monsters. He had been their protector, their shield. He smiled to himself as he spun in the air. They had been so thankful for his great aid, that they had allowed him to continue to protect his villages despite their rule. Course they only allowed him to do so as long as he did not turn into a tyrant, a manevolant dragon from long ago.

Like there is any chance of that. He snorted as he sailed through a group of birds, scattering them in every which direction. He continued on with his flight during the day, until the sun was starting to sink below the horizon, casting a red crimson light out into the vast sky. Ramakox sighed and admired the beauty of such a sight. He had remembered ages ago when he had asked his mother about the crimson sky. She had told him that such a sight meant that there was good things on the horizon, and that he should welcome such a sight. What could you have instore for me? He thought as he drifted his gaze from the sky to a winding path of worn dirt, that had seen far too many hooves from horses and paws from riding wolves. He beat his wings again to follow the winding serpent of a thing, closing his eyes and basking in the warm sun that was soaking into his scales. His head perked when he suddenly heard the sound of crying. It was small, faint, and he imagined if he was not a dragon he would not have heard it from how far up he was. He opened his eyes and scanned the ground below as he angled his wings and started to circle the earth.

His gaze fell to what looked like a caravan the mortals used to transport goods along this road. There were several wagons that were missing the usual horses or wolves that Drenedar used frequently. How curious...did they get untethered and run off?_He asked himself as he continued to circle the quiet collection of wooden wagons. _Why are there no mortals around?_His eyes quickly glanced around for any sign of the little creatures. They usually did not leave these wagons alone, for they contained valuable goods for their shops, farms, and other places they liked to freuquent. _Some even have treasure inside of them._He felt the familiar erge to swoop down, speak with some glassy eyed human, explain who owned this road and than demand a toll. He gave a pleased noise as he imagined the man, or woman giving him several coins for his troubles. With his fourth pass around the wagons he was certain no one was around., infact he spotted numerous corpses among the wreckage. His eyes scanned the ground around the bodies, growling in his throat at the smears of crimson on the earth._Than where did that-

His attention was pulled to one of the larger wagons, as he heard the sound of crying once again. He descended towards the tan covered wagon, back-winging to slow his descent. His mighty wings sent waves of air, scattering up any loose grass, dirt, or rocks that could be found. When his paws touched the soft earth it became even more apparent that these wagons had been robbed. The wooden frames that they had were covered with arrows that were sticking out of the wood. Several other wagons had their doors busted into, he poked his pebbly scout into several of the worn things. He noticed rather quickly that all their cargo was gone, taken by whomever robbed the caravan. He snorted in irritation as he flicked his tail. Figures that everything was picked clean. No chance at me to get treasure. He growled in irritatation, when the crying noise started again.Oh right..the crying.

Ramakox padded his way over to the mahogany colored wagon. He made sure to muffle every step he took on the earth as he moved at a snails pace. He flared his nostrils and took in the scent, he smelled the scent of human, mixed with fear, and salt. He shook his head and snorted. Maybe whoever is left could tell him about these robbers....and perhaps what direction they had headed in. Ramakox smiled as he pictured a group of pockmarked humans, delighting themselves over their illgotten gains. He would barge in, puff out his chest. Most likely flare his wings, show off some sparking electricity around his teeth, and delight in their terrified screams.They would then hand over all the treasure. He grinned to himself. Or I would have no qualm in taking care of the said rogues personally._He looked around at the bodies that littered the ground. The waste of life that was laid bare infront of him. It was true that he was non stranger to killing, but a slaughter like this was always a sure way to get under his scales. He felt another growl coming on as he pictured the thieves laughing to themselves. He was certain if he found them now, he would do onto them what they had just done to this caravan. _And I would actually find joy in it.

He snaked his snout towards the wagon's door, tilting his head to the side in curiosity when he heard another muffled cry from within. "Hello in there?" he spoke clearly, trying to seem non threatening. "Is anyone in there?" He backed his head away when he heard a yelp, and the crying cease. He sniffed in again to smell the fear surrounding the human increase, and Ramakox sighed. "I am not going to hurt you." he pushed open the door with his snout, the wood easily parting for him with a slight creak. Inside the wagon was a blanket of dark blue, with yellow letters stitched around the edges, that looked like elven runes. Clutching the blanket with white knuckles was a small olive skinned human child with messy brown hair. His hazel eyes were filled with tears, as he stared at the blue dragon in fear.

"What are you doing here little one?" he said, breaking the silence that had filled the air. "I won't hurt you." he pressed a claw to his chest. "On my very scales."

The human said nothing, burying his little snout into the blanket and continuing his crying.

Ramakox snorted in irritation. This was apparently going to be harder than he thought. "Please little one." he lowered his voice to sound as sweet and appealing as he thought possible. "Why are you out here?"

"I....was....riding.." the little boy spoke, his voice horse from the crying. "Not a long journey.....they said."

"Who said?" Ramakox replied, although a voice in his mind figured it was the boys parents, who most likely were dead outside on the ground. "Your mother and father?"

The little boy nodded without a word, wiping his fresh tears on the blanket that he held dearly within his trembling hands. "Then the bad men came." He pointed outside to the corpses, blood, and broken wagons. "They took the horsies, the boxes...they shot arrows... and...and.." the tears came once again, and the child sobbed into his blanket as Ramakox watched on awkwardly.

Ramakox snorted in irritation. He had never been good with the mortals when they cried. The sounds they made always got under his scales and made him shiver. It was like running a claw along the stone surface of a cave, and would always produce a growl from his throat. He however fought the urge, as he figured if he growled at the boy he would simply cry more. The blue dragon turned his head towards the sky, the sun having almost dipped completely below the horizon now. The sky had started to turn a faint purple, that gave way to the dark of night. He could even make out the faint light of stars that hung far above. He wrinkled his snout as it occurred to him he could not just leave the boy here. He was far too young to just walk his way back to where ever he came from, and even if he was not it was getting late. Humans had no way to protect themselves. They had soft skin, no talons, claws, fire breath. He flicked his tail in irritation. This human did not even have a sword, bow, or any other thing that they carried to fight with. _Hes also too small._The voice in his head reminded him, convincing him to look back to the crying boy.

"It is getting late." he said softly. "I cannot in good concious leave you out here in the cold. I will be taking you back to my cave for the evening."

"No!" the boy cried out, scrambling to the back of the wagon. "I don't want to be eaten!"

"I'm not going to eat you." Ramakox rolled his eyes as he snaked his snout into the wagon. "I am going to share the safety of my cave with you, and perhaps a meal."

"No!" the little boy, curled his hand into a fist and punched the dragon right on his nose. It was not enough to hurt him, but it did make Ramakox retract his snout for a moment.

"Come here!" he shot his snout in like lightning, and pulled the human, by his tan shirt with his teeth.

"No..please...no!" the little child cried out, beating his fists uselessly against the grown dragon's snout. When it became apparent he could do nothing, the boy slumped his arms to his side and just continued to cry.

Your being an ass. Look at what you have done. Ramakox sighed, letting the human's shirt go. "Shhhh..." he nosed the human softly. "I am not going to eat you." he spoke softly, his voice but a whisper. "What is your name little one?"

"W-why?"

"I don't usually ask the name of things I am about to eat." Ramakox chuckled, watching the human's face form a slight smile.

"M-my name is Jandar....Jandar Chergoba....what is yours?"

"You may call me..." Ramakox flared out his wings wide as he grinned. "Swirling Storm."

"Wow.." Jandar spoke softly, his tears forgotten as his eyes traced the membranes of Ramakox's wings. "Those...are pretty."

"Are they now?" Ramakox gave a pleased sound from his throat at the compliment. "Now come, I wish to carry you home to my lair." He quickly grabbed the human with his forepaws, who let out a quick yelp of surprise. "You..may want to let go of your blanket." Ramamox looked down to see that the human was still holding onto it like his life depended on it.

"No! It was a presant from mother!"

"Oh..so important treasure." Ramakox grumbled, knowing he too had several things in his lair that could be counted as such. "Then take it with you, those sort of treasures you never want to lose."

"Uhuh." Jandar nodded as Ramakox pulled him tighter against his chest. "Ready for flight little one?"

"W-will it be long?"

Ramakox looked up to the sky, his sight tracing the mountains around his home. They rose up from the earth like dark grey spines of a dragon's back. It did not take long for him to spy the familiar shape of jagged rock that he called his home. "No, should not be too long of a flight." he rumbled, spreading his wings and giving them a test flap. "Hold on!" he roared out, feeling the human's little hands grip his limbs tighter. Ramakox flicked his tail before he bounded into the air on his mighty wings, carrying them swiftly into the sky he called his domain. His next few wingbeats were accompanied by the sounds of the child screaming and crying to some god he did not hear, but he continued to pound against the air until he found a current within it. When he did this he was able to spread his wings wide, and simply glide towards his home.

"You scream really loud." Ramakox chuckled, glancing a peak down to the human, who had his face burried in his blanket, continuing his cries. Ramakox rolled his eyes, he was about to scold the human about how he was missing this grand flight. For surely this was unlike anything his little eyes had ever laid sight upon. He just lost his parents you big blue oaf._The voice in his head reminded him, which made him mind his purple tongue. "Open your eyes Jandar, otherwise you will miss the beauty upon the earth." Ramakox looked down to the forest at the base of his mountain, and the dark blue waters of the lake that was nestled within it. He felt the human hug him tighter, and sink his warm face further into his chest. _Oh well. Ramakox sighed as he flapped his wings several more times, once again spreading them into a glide.

"What village are you from?" he angled his wings, turning them slightly towards his cave.

"It's called...Eastcliff." Jandar spoke softly, as Ramakox beat his wings one more time.

"Eastcliff?" The dragon rolled his eyes. Leave it up to mortals to name their villages dumb names like that. "Is it perchance on the east coast by a cliff?"

"I....imagine so.."

"How old are you Jandar? I must admit I am not good with human ages." Ramakox descended towards his cave, tensing his muscles to back-wing.

"I am.....seven....How old are you?"

Ramakox back-winged several times, his wings slowing him enough so that his hinds touched the cool stone softly. His tail flicked behind him as he gently set Jandar down, his small leather boots making hardly a sound. "I am...." Ramamkox stopped to consider how mortals counted age. He was certain they did not use seasons like dragon's typically did, he believed they just used years. "I am five hundred and sixty seven years old." he said proudly, puffing out his chest.

"Thats old!"

"It is not!" Ramakox wrinkled his muzzle, turning away from the human, and guiding him with an outstretched wing into his cave. "Dragons only reach old in the thousands!"

"How old can dragons live for then?"

Ramakox looked away for a moment as he tilted his head to the side. That was something he did not know. For all the dragons he had known were either slain or died some other way. He had never known a dragon to simply die of old age. "I don't know." he replied truthfully. "I think if given the chance dragons could live forever." he chuckled. "For as you mortals age you get weaker and more frail, but dragons simply get stronger and stronger as we age."

"That seems a bit unfair." Jandar pouted.

"Maybe...but we don't rule the world do we?" Ramakox looked around to his vast cave, shouting out the word light in dracnonic. The whole area was lit by magical lights around the walls of his cave. They looked to be little fires suspended in mid air, that glew with a soft orange light. It made the coins he had piled up glitter ever so nicely. From the piles of coins his eyes proudly went to the tapestries of every color, and clothing in boxes that were covered in treasure. He grinned at several mirrors, harps, suits of armor, and rows upon rows of books.

"Wow." Jandar gasped, his eyes darting to all the treasure scattered around the cave. "This is fantastic!"

"Glad you think so." Ramamkox grinned, leading the human to several boxes of dried meat that he had scattered in the cave. He traced the wooden container with one of his black talons, scratching a line into the wooden surface. "Are you hungry Jandar?"

The boy just nodded as he looked to the crate. "What do you have to eat Swirling Storm?"

"I just have this meat." he gestured. "Dragon's usually don't store much else, since we often hunt for our food." He ripped open the box with a mighty crack, spilling the containter onto the coins. To his luck the meat did not appear to go bad as he picked up one of the dark red pieces. "Here...just eat several things of this..and I will find you some water."

Jandar nodded, taking a cross-legged seat as he stuff his little mouth with the meat. He gave off some pleased sounds, most likely the only meal he had had for today.

Ramakox searched his way through the golden mounds, looking for one of the magical items to grace his lair. He spread coins, looked around bookshelves, and even peaked around his white harp. He was about to give up with a snort when he spotted the simple wooden mug just sitting plainly by his bed of soft things. He plucked it up with a grin and made his way back to the still eating human. "Here it is." he announced with a brassy voice as he set the mug beside the human with a soft clink.

"It's....empty." muttered with a mouthfull of food. The boy then held up the mug, peaking inside with his eyes.

"Of course it's empty now." Ramakox chuckled, now hold it rightside up and tell it to fill with water.

"Fill with water!" Jandar spoke loudly, after doing as the dragon asked. He nearly jumped from his seat, spilling the liquid that suddenly filled the mug. "Wow!" a large smile came to the boys face. "Magic!"

"Yes..yes...magic." Ramakox smiled. He looked up from the boy to see that the sun had gone down below the horizon, once more casting the countryside in darkness. The only light that he could see were the twinkling stars. "Would you like to hear a story?" Ramakox smiled, turning to the boy who had his cheeks puffed out like a chipmonk.

Jandar nodded, taking a swig from the mug of water. "Very much so. I _love_stories."

Ramakox gave a pleased rumble from his throat as he curled around the boy, and looked down to him with a smile. For a moment it occurred to him that the little child looked like an amazed hatchling. It made him chuckle and consider if he looked that way when he was little and his own mother and father were telling him the same stories from long ago. "Once upon a time there was a dragon." He told the story with a brassy and proud voice, and miming out the actions. The story was about a dragon from long ago, one that no matter the obstacle placed in his path overcame it. He watche din delight as the human listened with rapt attention, and never interuptted. He finished by spreading his wings and letting out a small roar, to which the child clapped his hands in glee.

"That was a good story!" he smiled, taking more bite of the meat.

"Glad you thought so. It was one of my favorites as a young wrymling." Ramamkox yawned loudly, showing off rows upon rows of his sharp white teeth. He stretched his body and worked out a kink from his neck, his scales clinking softly together. He carried himself over to his bed of soft things and curled himself into a ball of blue scales. "If you get tired.." he yawned. "You may come sleep with me in my nest if you wish." he closed his eyes with a snort and drifted off to sleep.

He awoke not soon after to the sound of crying once again. He blinked his eyes several times, trying to cast the grogginess of them as his vision came into focus. Jandar had pulled his blanket to the nest and was sleeping on the other side, crying into the blanket. He was calling out to his mother and father, admist all the crying, and Ramakox felt his heart start to ache. He reached out with one of his blue armored paws, and pulled the human who offered no resistance to his chest. "Shhhhhh." he said soothingly to the sobbing child like he was an upset hatchling. "Shhhhh..." he offered him a lick across his face, just like his mother had done long ago to him when he was upset. He wrapped a forelimb around the child's back as he pulled him closer against his chest, and felt him rest his crying cheek. He gave a small pleased snort when the human's annoying cries cease. With a small thump of his tail he wrapped his wing around the shivering human, hoping his warmth would out a stop to that as well. Without another word the dragon closed his eyes, and he drifted off to sleep once again with Jandar clutched firmly within his paws.