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Chapter 2

"Let's get out of here." Cordenth spoke in a hushed whisper. "I even spy a pitchfork on one of them, I assure you that's the start of an angry mob. I say we take to the sky and get out of here." The green dragon extended his wings, and eyed the sky.

Lyyreth wrinkled his muzzle at the idea. Sure that might be one of the stereotypical dragon things that one might do, but it would be yet again proving those mortals who spread such tales right. Besides....that is not what Arcturus would have done.._He swished his tail softly over the grass. I_t's also not what Lyndis would have done. "We have to stick around and explain ourselves, not run off like a pair of wyverns."

"I still say we should leave...avoid all the trouble all together."

"It's not what Arcturus would have done."

"There are plenty of things the human would not have done. He does not have wings to even consider the option of flying away. Well....without Veledar.." Cordenth rippled his wings, getting himself ready to pounce into the air.

"Is that what Lyndis would have wanted? For her brave dragon to eat some poor mortals pet, and then take wing?" He raised an eyebrow. He felt a smile tug at his snout when he saw his brother struggle with the thought.

Cordenth refolded his wings against his back, as he wrinkled his snout. He breathed in deep, opening and closing his maw several times as if he were going to say anything. "Fine..." he muttered, looking away. Lyyreth could see that his own membranes were turning a darker shade of green. "I won't take wing....for Lyndis.."

Good brother. "And you promise to not shapechange or hide?"

"Fiiiiine." Cordenth rolled his eyes, his voice dripping with irritation. "I won't shape change or hide."

"What else?" he snaked his snout closer, making sure his brother remembered the previous part.

"Or fly away." Cordenth hissed, pushing Lyyreth's snout away with a paw. "Now mind your snout and pay attention. The mortals you wanted to meet are getting closer with every moment."

Lyyreth snapped his attention to the collection of horses and riders. They indeed were getting closer towards them at a steady pace. Usually mortals, when they would see two dragons, even if they were not full grown would take at least a little pause. This group however was trotting along like the dragons were not even there. "Perhaps they don't see us?" he tilted his head to the side. "I should say something to get their attention."

"That can't end well." Cordenth replied flatly, flicking his tail behind him.

"Greetings mortals!" Lyyreth announced loudly with a brassy voice, as he flared out his wings. "Pleasant day for a....er....gallop?"

The collection of horses pulled themselves up. Their nostrils flared in fear as their riders tried to calm the panicked beasts down. The collection of multicolored clothing clad mortals gathered together and spoke with harsh whispers. One even gesturing right to Lyyreth with a thrusted finger.

"Perhaps you scared them?" Cordenth whispered in draconic. He sat on his haunches, resetting his wings against his back. "Last chance for us to leave."

"Were not leaving." Lyyreth snapped back at him in the same language. His attention was than pulled to the rustling of clothing, as one of the farmers dismounted from his horse. He wore dark brown breeches, with a clay colored jacket. He ran a wrinkled hand along the brim of his wide earth brown hat, that seemed to be spun from plant fibers. The dragon could not help but notice the pitchfork that was slung around the farmer's back, held there by a worn leather belt.

"My cow is missing!" the wrinkled old man barked, his blue eyes looking to them with suspicion. "She's my best milking cow!" his gaze went from Lyyreth to Cordenth, who was sitting there unmoving. "You seem to be smart dragons, you best not have eaten her!" he snarled, apparently unafraid of two large dragons opposite him.

"Uh..why are you not afraid of us?" Lyyreth asked, fighting back a sneeze that he knew was coming.

"I see you're trying to offtrack the conversation dragon! Where be my cow?"

"Did this cow have brown fur....white horns...and a blue ribbon around her neck?" Lyyreth stammered, eyeing the narrowed eyes of the old man.

"Yes! Yes she did!" the man continued to glare at him, as the collection of mortals sat there on their horses keeping their distance. "Have you seen her?"

Lyyreth kneaded the ground with his claws as he gulped once. "We....ate her..we thought she was a wild cow."

"You probably should have kept a better eye on her." Cordenth added, "It was an honest mistake. I mean it's essentially your fault."

"YOU DID WHAT!?" the man shouted with a vein popping from his wrinkled head, pulling out his pitchfork and waving it threateningly at the pair of dragons. "Monsters!" He lunged at Lyyreth with his farming tool clumsily.

Lyyreth knew not to just snap at the man, or damage him in any fashion. He knew this was an older human, and he a strong dragon. This would require a delicate touch. The green dragon avoided the man, by backing up or swerving out of the way of several stabs of his pitchfork. The man continued again and again with his jabs, but could never land a blow on the agile dragon's scales.

"Monsters! Hurting poor ole bessy!" the farmer spoke the words with each stab of his pitchfork. "I'll make you pay!"

"This sure is going the way you wanted huh?" Cordenth tilted his head to the side and just watched as Lyyreth continued to avoid the angry wrinkled man.

"Stay still so I can shove this right up your tail!" the man growled.

That certainly did not sound right....or pleasant.."How about if we offer to repay you for the cow." Lyyreth caught the pitchfork with a claw, easily halting the man's continued assault.

The farmer tried to pull his tool free with a strained grunt. However he was nowhere near as strong as a grown dragon. He slumped his shoulders and let out a heavy sigh. "Fine if ya want to repay me for the cow." The farmer narrowed his eyes and glared at them angrily. "That'll be twenty gold pieces. She was the only other cow I had, that would give milk."

"Pay as in your mortal coins?" Lyyreth released the pitchfork, glancing back to his brother once. "We...uh..don't carry those around on us." Next thing I do is get one of those harness things like Veledar, that way I can carry such things.

"No coins?" the farmer groaned loudly, as he rubbed a hand along his forehead, staying silent for a minute as he angrily grumbled to himself. "Than you will have to work off your debt!" he shouted, glaring up at them once again. His horse from behind him snorted and stamped it's hoof, as if agreeing with his assessment.

"One moment." Lyyreth held up a talon, turning his serpentine neck towards his brother. "Brother?"

"Lyyreth...that will be degrading." Cordenth hissed in draconic.

"But look at him! I am sure he loved this cow pet of his, and it gave him the milk stuff!" he replied back in the same tongue.He shifted his snout back to the farmer, who did not seem taken back by what surely sounded to him like snarls and hisses. "How long will we have to work off this debt to you?"

The farmer pressed the shaft of his pitchfork into the grass, wrinkling his lips as he thought. "I'd reckon about two weeks!" he spat out, stamping the pitchfork once. His horse did the same snort and hoof stomp from before.

"Two weeks?" Cordenth thrashed his tail, as he hissed his displeasure. It made several of the horses back away again in fear, their owners forced to calm them down as they flared their nostrils.

"Two weeks you said?" Lyyreth cringed. They had just started their adventure, and now would be delayed by two weeks. Having to do whatever a mortal farmer would do around his nest.

"That I did!" He gestured to Cordenth who had narrowed eyes, and was flicking his tail angrily behind him. "Is your brother over there going to be cooperative? Or do we need to go sick some dragon hunters on him?"

"No need to go do that." Lyyreth groaned, "He is just...temperamental. You won't get any trouble out of us, we are truly sorry for eating your pet."

"She wasn't my pet dragon! She was my livestock, my pride and joy!"

Lyyreth shifted his weight from side to side, as the man went on and on about his beloved ole bessie. "Do you have a name?" he asked, when the man finally gave him a moment to add words.

"Jerry." the man said clearly.

"So Jerry.." Lyyreth said it carefully, sounding it out. "What kind of work would you have two dragons do?"

"Well our corn is ready to harvest early." Jerry glanced back to the others. Who just murmured and nodded in agreement.

"C-Corn...is that some kind of fruit?" Cordenth asked with a snort.

Jerry shook his head, pointing to a section that could be seen through the rolling hills. The bright green stalks were taller than any of the mortals currently on horseback. Lyyreth even figured they might come up to his snout they were so tall. "Now what be your names? If your going to be my new farmhands for two weeks."

"I am the Benevolent Scholar, and that over there is the Radiant Star." Lyyreth gestured to himself, and then to his brother with a claw.

"Ya weren't too benevolent to ole bessie." Jerry frowned.

"It was a mistake!" Lyyreth protested with a hiss as the wrinkled farmer mounted his horse again.

"Follow me back ta my farm." He slung the pitchfork around his back, and thrust a finger towards them. "An no tryin ta run off. I'll sick some dragon hunters on ya if ya do!"

Lyyreth doubted the man could sick dragon hunters on them, but he nodded in agreement. He trotted after the horses as the collection of mortals pulled on their reins and had the beasts start to travel towards the fields of corn. His attention was drawn to the form of his brother as he made his way to stride in tandem with him.

"When this is all said and done, I'm going to kill you." Cordenth snarled at Lyyreth with narrowed eyes.

The collection of horses, farmers, and dragons made their way across the field rather swiftly. About halfway all but Jerry and two others remained, as the other three broke off with a wave and went in seperate directions. Lyyreth picked up the pace, until he was right beside Jerry and his horse.

"Sorry about the cow Jerry." Lyyreth broke the silence as they continue across the fields. "If it makes you feel any better, she died rather painlessly. She was also very delicious."

Jerry just sighed, grabbing the bridge of his nose with two fingers and shook his head side to side lightly. "Just....ugh..."

"Uh..." Lyyreth realized quickly why his words had the intended effect, and once more it made him feel rotten to his core. "How does one harvest this corn?" he asked quickly, trying to steer the conversation away from the troubling topic of eating one's livestock.

"I'll show you two when we get there, I'll have you and my son over there get to work on the field." Jerry gestured to one of the humans riding behind them. He seemed to be a well built man, probably close to Arcturus' age if but older. His eyes were the same color of his father, but lacked the angry glare that the old man was throwing their way.

"What are their names? Unless you expect us to call them son and human." Cordenth added, chuckling deep in his emerald throat. Lyyreth shot his brother a glare, who just gave him a mischievous smirk.

He's having fun with his.

"My son there is named James, and the farmhand whose mighty silent is named Jeff."

All J names? What were the chances of that? "Hello." Lyyreth curled his neck back to offer his greeting with a smile. He made sure to not show too many of his teeth. He did remember that those unfamiliar with dragons might find that a tad unnerving.

James gave the dragon a half smile, waving briefly at him before returning his attention to the field before him and his horse. The farmhand named Jeff did not reply. He just continued to stare ahead with his stern brown eyes, and gruff looking appearance.

"So Jerry." Cordenth snaked his head down towards the farmer as they started to trot up one of the hills. "Why were you not frightened of us? Usually mortals that are unfamiliar with dragons would damn near piss themselves when dealing with two of us."

"Ya don't live in this world by fearing everything that gets sent ya way. Besides I could tell with my pitchfork ya would comply."

Cordenth wrinkled his snout, snorting once into the air as they began to stride over the hills crest. "You did not seem that able bodied with your tool there."

"Says you! It was only a matter of time before I had ole chippy there skewered on my pitchfork!"

"Chippy?" Lyyreth asked.

"Yea dats what I said...Chippy." he pointed to the chipped horn on Lyyreths head. "On account of dat dere chipped horn ya got."

"Oh." the dragon frowned as his brother stifled a chuckle.

"You are certainly a brave old bastard to suddenly decide to nickname a dragon chippy." his brother grinned.

"That I am Blue Scar." Jerry thumbed his chest as they all came to a stop above the hill that was overlooking the farm.

Lyyreth gazed down to the three fields of vast green stalks that Jerry had told him was corn. Beyond those tall plants was a worn looking grey barnhouse with two clear windows that he could see. The roof was triangular in shape, it was a dark crimson in color, the paint chipping away from age. There was a section of grassy earth that was enclosed with dark wooden planks to form a makeshift fence, that ran around the backside of the barn. Thats where bessie must have been kept. Lyyreth wrinkled his snout as he remembered how juicy and delicious the beast had been. Is it so wrong that I would do it again? He shook his snout, clearing his head from the thoughts of steer to the larger building near the corn. It was two stories tall, painted off white with multiple windows lining the walls. Lyyreth figured that this was where Jerry called his nest, and turned his head to see more smaller structures scattered around the larger buildings.

"Blue scar?" Cordenth asked, placing a paw to his chest. "Are you making fun of my wound I earned by saving a princess?" The dragon puffed out his chest and held his head high. It reminded Lyyreth of how Veledar did the exact same thing.

"Saving a princess eh?" Jerry gave a skeptical snort. "That'll be the day won't it. "But yes, there is no way I'm calling you those mouthful names. "So Blue, or chippy will have to do."

"We have titles for a reason you wrinkly bastard." snarled Cordenth, his voice full of irritation as he flicked his tail.

"That ya may do. But if ya start trouble, I'll be sure to poke your backside with this!" Jerry patted the head of his pitchfork with a chuckle.

"Fine..than I am calling you wrinkled bastard instead of Jerry." snorted Cordenth, rolling his eyes.

"That's fine by me Blue. Makes things easier."

"Calm yourself brother. We can stand to be called something else. It is a title after all." Lyyreth chuckled to his brother in draconic.

"I guess if your going to guilt trip me. Chippy" his brother threw back his head and laughed deeply. "Chippy!"

"And none of that hissy thing yer doin right now. Makes me think ya two are up ta no good." Jerry pulled on the reins of his horse, and getting the beast to turn and head towards the farm.

"What if we were up to something mischievous?" Cordenth caught up to Jerry with several bounds.

Jerry did not reply, and patted his pitchfork again with a smile.

"That can't be your answer for everything!"

"Why can't it?"

"Arrrrrrrggg." Cordenth threw his head to the side hissing. It made Lyyreth snicker in delight at his brother's overblown reaction, as he too caught up to the trotting horse.

The group traveled the rest of the way over the field until they were within the farm's land. Jerry and the others brought their horses to the barn, making sure they were secured within the enclosure outside. Jeff said not a word as he left the building, mentioning something about grabbing a pail for more milk.

"So where do we begin?" Lyyreth asked as Jerry clasped his hands together.

"Well we head to the field dragons." He waved to them to follow as he strolled over towards the stalks, fitting on large brown gloves as he did so. Lyyreth saw that he pulled a small metal blade from his pocket. He felt his senses go on alarm at first, but calmed down when he realized it must have been some sort of tool used to cut the corn plant from the stalk.

Jerry led them over to a large red wagon that was placed beside the closest row of corn. He patted the sides of the wooden thing, showing off that they had already collected a decent pile of the yellow plant that he was gathering. James threw on his own pair of gloves, while also pulling out the same metallic looking knife that his father had produced. The man had grabbed ahold of the bud of corn, and with a quick slashing motion separated the corn from the stalk. He gave the dragons a smile, and tossed the ear into the wagon, then moved onto the next ear of corn on the stalk.

Jerry showed them how to do what his son had just done. Which was rather difficult for them to do,considering their size. It was after the first attempt were Cordenth ripped up a whole plant with his paws did the dragon pair say something about them changing sizes. The farmer just rolled his eyes and crossed his arms as the dragon pair shifted to be smaller, and continued without another complaint from him. Once he was certain the dragons could continue without supervision, Jerry took to the other field to start his own wagon.

Lyyreth felt rather proud as the day went by. He got into a steady rhythm of grab, slice, toss, grab, slice, toss. He went from ear to ear with little complaint, only stopping to occasionally stretch his limbs, arch his neck, flick his tail, or refold his wings against his back.

"Ugh. how can you do this day. " Cordenth groaned after the first hour so of work. The green dragon tossed three ears of corn into the wagon, before ripping up some earth at his feet and scattering it behind him. "Its so......"

"Boring?" James laughed, tossing in some more of the yellow plant. "Trust me I know."

"What do you know about it? Your not a dragon." Cordenth stuck his tongue out at the amused human, who had gone back to work.

"I may not know that. But I know boring when I sees it. Never thought I'd see a dragon again..not after the last one." the man shrugged, cutting more corn.

Another dragon? "When did you see this other dragon?" Lyyreth padded over to James, tilting his head to the side.

"Well...I reckon.." James placed a hand onto his hip as he stopped his work. "I think it was a three days ago, big black dragon flies overhead. He nearly startled me to death, made me think I was going to be ate."

"How were you sure it was a male dragon if you have not seen our kind before?" Cordenth laughed. "Were his bits dangling in the air as he flew overhead?"

"No." James snapped back. "He was big though...large wings...looked like a midnight sky...and had all dese spikes." James mimed with his fingers spikes on the side of his head. "That's how it works for black dragons right? The males have bigger spikes?"

"No." Lyyreth replied quickly, "Opposite actually."

"So I saw a girl dragon than?" the human chuckled. "That explains why she was so darn pretty then."

"Did you see where this dragoness went?" Lyyreth looked around the surrounding hills, as if almost expecting to see this black dragoness emerging with a great flapping of her wings on the air.

"She kept headen west over towards the village. I think she gave all the folks there a mighty big scare."

Maybe I should go find her? Lyyreth thought to himself as he continued on with the grueling work. He had not met another dragon besides Ramakox and Veledar. It would be nice to actually meat another one, and a dragoness at that. Hopefully she is not hostile...or like mother. Lyyreth wrinkled his snout, and continued working the rest of the day without a word.

They only stopped working when the sun had started to sink below the horizon. They had put the cart away for the day. Jame waved to them as he went indoors for his evening meal, leaving the two dragons to their own devices.

"Where are you going?" The question slipped from Lyyreth's throat as he eyed a forest in the distance. His gaze had gone to his brother who was heading westward with his wings spread wide.

"I am going to town." Cordenth replied, testing his wings with a flap.

"Like that?" Lyyreth laughed. "Are you going to startle them with your mighty scales?"

"If you must know. I was going to land on the outskirts and go into town as a human or something."

"Why?" Lyyreth took a spot beside his brother, spreading his wings and almost touching wingtips with him.

"I cannot stand working here for another day." The green dragon traced his scales with an onyx claw. "I am going to find the nearest bar, inn, or tavern. Then I am going to trade some of my scales for coin, or try to gamble for something with anyone passing by."

"Why would you think that would work?" Lyyreth flapped his own wings, scattering some dirt.

"It has to. You always read about adventurers doing stuff like this. They stroll into a town looking for work. You go talk to the innkeeper or something, they give them work for money." Cordenth flicked his tail as he lowered his haunches and waggled it side to side. "I figure I go get the twenty gold to cover the cow, and we don't have to stay here another day."

"Your unbelievable." Lyyreth copied his brother, tapping tails as he swished his own back and forth.

"No...I am going to be the adventurer that we are trying to be. First step is going to get some honest adventures work. Not this.." Cordenth turned back towards the farm and bared his teeth. "Dirty work."

"Says you brother, but I found it rather relaxing."

"You would." Cordenth bounded into the sky, flapping his wings and carrying himself into the air with Lyyreth right behind him.

Lyyreth kept pace with his brother as they angled their wings and did a slight turn in the air. He gazed out to the vast countryside below them, quickly finding the small collection of wooden structures in the distance that must have been the village. The dragon beat his wings against the air, figuring the place was only a few miles away.

"It's going to be easy." Cordenth called out, arching his neck to peek at him. "We set down, change into humans, find the tavern, get coins." He smiled. "Lyndis couldn't have done it better herself."

Lyyreth rolled his eyes as he followed the smiling dragon with the next beating of his wings. I hope everything goes as smoothly as you say brother. Lyyreth looked to the forest beside the village, the dark green sea spread before him. Somewhere in that forest lurks that dragoness. The thought came to him as the wind battered his snout, and he flapped his wings some more to retain his altitude. Perhaps I will go and find her while Cordenth is working on winning us some coin?