FSE

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formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 3

Lyyreth checked himself over as he stood outside the large wooden building that was this villages inn. He had transformed into a human male, roughly twenty eight of their years. He was wearing a thick earth brown wool jacket, and dark chocolate colored breeches. Everything seemed to be in order. No sign of his tail, wings, scales, or anything that would give him away as a dragon. "How do I look?" he asked, turning to a tall blonde haired human man, that he knew was his brother.

"You asked me for the third time." the man replied, running a hand through his thick hair. "You look positively human." he man smiled, joy apparent in his cool blue eyes. "So come on." he waved, walking past a large worn wooden sign, that bore the symbol of a red gryphon with it's wings spread wide, surrounded by little wiggled lines. There were bright red letters below the gryphon that spelled out. "The Gryphon Fog Inn."

Lyyreth followed the man that was his brother through the wooden door, and quickly shutting it behind him. He shivered as the temperature inside was much warmer than it had been outside. He let out a sigh, letting the warmth of the fire in the corner of the place start to fill his bones. He had forgotten how cold it was to be human. To not have the warmth of his own scales to bring him comfort on cool nights such as this. The chatter of the gathered patrons filled his ears, making the place sound alive. His eyes went to several tables that lined the place made of a darker wood than the floor they were on. Most were empty save two of them. One had a man wearing a large brown mug, holding it like it was his lover. The other was a group of four tough looking individuals,with worn dark red leather armor, scruffy, and looked ready to beat people senseless. They appeared to be playing some sort of card game for coins that were thrown in a pile in the middle of the table.

Lyyreth took a deep breath, letting the scent of burning wood fill his nostrils. It was a delightful smell to him that sent a small shiver down his spine as his gaze came to a long table on the other side of the room. There was a skinny fellow with glasses cleaning a clear glass mug. He was a sturdy looking human with dark brown skin, his bright green eyes were currently looking from Lyyreth to the other patrons. Well might as well get started.

"You go get the barkeep for info." Cordenth smiled, clasping a hand firmly onto Lyyreth's shoulder. He rose his other hand to reveal several green scales that the dragon had plucked from himself in his natural form. "Figure I play card with those human's there. Get some coin for us." he smiled, and started walking over to the card players. "Prepare to lose all your coin ladies and gents!"

Lyyreth padded over to the long table, taking a seat in one of the higher chairs placed there. He groaned slightly at the hard wood on his bottom. And this is why I disliked chairs. He placed his arm on the table and gave the barkeep a toothy smile. "Hello...Barkeep?" Lyyreth gestured to the cleaning rag and mug with a finger. "Hello there fella, what can I get ya anything?" the man replied with warm and welcoming tone.

Oh damn I don't have any coin. "Got anything for free?" sighed Lyyreth.

"No." the barkeep snorted, wrinkling his brow as he continued with his cleaning of the mug within his hands.

"Guess I'll just wait for my brother then to win us some coin." Lyyreth turned towards the table that his brother had now taken a seat at. Cordenth had apparently traded some of his scales for coins, as a tough and muscled female human was now dealing him and the others cards. "Have you heard anything about...uh...a dragon?" Lyyreth stammered returning his gaze to the barkeep.

"Oh yes!" Nodded the barkeep. " It's been the talk of the village!"

"Oh really?" Lyyreth raised an eyebrow as he could feel his curiosity growing with every passing moment. "What can you tell me about it?....Call it a hobby of mine." He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck.

The barkeep's eyes brightened up as he smiled, "Oh...are you a dragon hunter?"

"What do you want barkeep?" shouted the muscled woman with a gruff voice. "Someone say somethin bout dragon hunters?"

"N-nothing, sorry!" the man called back to her, looking back down to his mug and returning to cleaning it with the rag.

"Read em and weaker boys." Cordenth laughed to a collection of groans.

"Come on!"

"Barkeep!" Cordenth spun around with a big toothy grin. "I would like a round for my new friends here, and that brother of mine you're talking to!"

"Alright!" the bartender responded, passing the drinks out one by one to the patrons around the place. Each time a mug graced a person's hands it was met with a cheer towards the once dragon.

"Thanks." Lyyreth nodded as the bartender handed him a dull grey mug with a blackened handle. He rose the amber colored liquid to his nose and taking a strong whiff of the alcoholic drink. "Mmmm." he mumbled as the smell of butterscotch swirled around his nostrils. He looked down to the drink held within the mug. It might just be the first time he looked forward to drinking alcohol. Usually he just did it to get the intended effects. "Er..." Lyyreth rose his gaze from the ale to the man who had poured, than handed it to him. "What is your name?" he smiled with a laugh. "I can't just keep calling you barkeep! Seems rather rude if you ask me."

"Names Brandon." the man replied with a good natured smile.

At least it's not a J name. "Nice to meet you Brandon..names..." Lyyreth paused as his eyes widened. He had forgotten to think of a name, and he couldn't just give the man Lyyreth. Think Lyyreth think, think, think. "Names Chip." Son of a wyvern.

"Welcome to our establishment then Chip." Brandon nodded, setting down the glass with a soft clink.

"What can you tell me about the dragoness?" Lyyreth took a sip of the ale, swishing around the liquid on his tongue. To his surprise it actually tasted sweet. He touched his tongue against the inside of his teeth several times trying to determine exactly what the taste was. He took another sip from his mug just to be sure, delighting in the slight fuzzy haze it brought. Some sort of nut.. He stared once more to the liquid, trying to figure out what exact nut it was.

"The dragon!" Brandon smiled, "You should have seen it." He held out his arms wide in excitement. "Huge wings!" He stuck his pointer fingers atop his head like horns for a moment. "Had these huge spine things along its neck and head! A couple people say they saw the beast had emerald eyes, but that sounds like hogwash to me. Nobody got that close. Anyway.." Brandon made gestures with his arms as if he were flapping them like wings. "Flew over this here inn like it didn't have a care in the world, its tail even dragged along the roof it did!" Brandon traced a finger along the table in one smooth motion. "Let this long line along the wood. Folks are going ta be telling this tale for years to come." The man smiled, crossed his arms firmly, and nodded without another word.

"Is that all they saw?" Lyyreth raised an eyebrow as he took another sip of the nutty, sweet tasting ale. "Did they happen to mention what direction it was heading in?"

"Well besides the obvious exaggerations" Brandon frowned, and quickly grabbing yet another mug to start cleaning with his rag. His eyes than perked up in realization. "Oh you meant the direction..I think she was heading west." Brandon looked to the wall which Lyyreth figured was westward and traced a hand along in thin air. "Yup... She was heading west alright."

West? Why was she heading that direction? Is she heading towards Rothdell as well? Lyyreth smiled and wished he had his tail right about now. Cause I would be flicking it in amusement at the luck we have been having as of late.

"Did she hurt anyone?"

"No."

"Hmmm.." Lyyreth put a hand to his chin as he turned towards the game of cards, as once again the volume of their voices got loud enough to nearly shake all the tables within the place. "What can you tell me about those group of unsavory looking people." Lyyreth gestured to the table his brother was currently at with a stretch of his neck. The large woman from before was holding her cards with white knuckles as she was glaring at Cordenth with narrowed cerulean eyes.

"Nothin much to tell. They showed up a few days after the dragoness flew overhead. They been saying they dragon hunters, got lots of them I hear." Brandon shrugged. "Even got these two legged things with bat wings, reminds me of dragons actually." The barkeep frowned. "Although they have this huge scorpion stinger instead of a tail, I think they called the beasts wyverns."

Great.....just great. Lyyreth internally groaned as he pictured the reptilian things. It was true he and his brother were immune to their poison, but you still have to be careful around them. They did still have claws sharp enough to hurt a dragon, and nasty attitudes to match. "Well they don't look very nice." Lyyreth eyed a large green skinned half-orc that was nodding to the large muscled woman, grinding his chipped tooth against the rest of his teeth.

"Haven't shared too many words with them." Brandon shrugged, finishing with the mug and instead starting to clean the long table before them."

Might as well act like an adventurer, get all the information. "So nothing at all? Like the location of their camp and other things like that?"

"None of my business to know." the man shrugged. "Why would you be interested in a tough looking batch of people like that anyway? No offense."

"My brother and I..." Lyyreth glanced to Cordenth, who had yet another large smile on his face. It appeared as though he had won yet another hand, if the way he was scooping up the middle pile was any indication. "We are adventurers is all, figure we get some work." He took another sip of his ale, slurping down the rest of the liquid with a heavy gulp.

"Right.." Brandon said, his voice trailing off as he glanced to them with disbelief in his eyes.

"So..." Lyyreth broke the silence as he stared at the bottom of his empty glass. He felt himself licking the inside of his mouth, his senses wanting more of that tasty ale to grace his tongue. "Have any trouble in the woods? Any monsters that adventurers like ourselves should be worried about? Maybe some bounty on some that could be worth a good deal of coin?" Although by the looks of it...Cordenth might have already solved out coin problem.

"No way..it's like you have the luck of the gods!" came the taught voice of one of the dragon hunters as they slammed their fist onto the table loudly, rattling their mugs.

"Don't feel bad fellas." Cordenth smiled, grabbing up more coin and stashing it into a cloth sack he had somehow gained. "It's going to a good cause after all."

Yea to fatten out wallets brother. Lyyreth chuckled to himself, watching the gathered mortals start to turn red. Veins popped from heads as they seemed to be muttering curses under their breaths, all save the larger woman. She on the other claw had a cool and calm demeanor about her, she just glared at the smug looking dragon and narrowed her eyes.

"How'd the talk go with the barkeep brother?" Cordenth laughed, turning back to him. "Are you an adventurer yet like you wanted?"

Actually I got some useful information...even if it wasn't alot."Enough for us to get by, and paint a cloudy picture. I don't think shes hostile...which is a good thing."

The large woman in leathers suddenly shot up from her chair with a loud scrap from the floor. She advanced on Cordenth without a word, just a glare and flared nostrils.

"Yes?" Cordenth gave her a toothy smile, "How can I help you miss?"

The woman did not reply, well with words anyway. She pulled one of her arms back, curled her hand into a fist, and punched the smug once dragon right across the face with a loud smack.

Cordenth was tossed from his chair as he spun in mid air with a look of utter confusion. He slammed into the ground with a thud, and rolling several times before he came to a stop. "Uggh....What was that EVEN for?" He looked up with a snarl, his human eyes starting to crack and show a bright yellow beneath the surface.

"Cheating." she said shortly, voice laced with anger. She looked the others and nodded, who returned the gesture. They all stood up quickly, and soon joining her side with ill intent on their sneering faces. "This will teach you." She advanced on the prone dragon, looking like she was going to lay into him further.

If she does that, Cordenth might very well revert to his true form. It's true he could easily best them...but we don't want to draw gods knows how many of the blasted hunters there are. "Sorry about this Brandon." Lyyreth called back to the barkeep as he twisted his hands into a U shape, and drawing the shape of a cloud with his next breath. "bruhe grame." he uttered through clenched teeth, his eyes lighting up with delight as the spell started take effect.

From his hands came billowing large, swirling clouds of dense fog. It soon filled the room in almost a instant. The thick clouds soon blocked all vision, even if one were to wave their hand inches from their face they would be unable to see it. But this was all the plan...With no one to see Cordenth...

Sure enough he heard the sounds of his brother's shape change failing. With a loud snap the once human suddenly changed into his normal full sized self. His green bulk pushed aside chairs, causing them to clatter to the floor. It toppled over tables with loud thuds, and it made the dragon hunters shout out, fear ever present in their voices. The last noise to grace Lyyreth's ears over the shouts of the hunters, was the thunderous crack that filled the room, just as the front door was ripped from its hinges. No doubt that was Cordenth escaping. Lyyreth smiled at his clever spell that had allowed his brother to get away.

"Dragon!" one of the hunters shouted, stumbling across the floor till he was practically fell on his face trying to get to the door.

"Dragon!" came the voice of another of the hunters.

"I blasted know it was a dragon, did you see what color?" Snarled the woman, as the first man let out a cry of pain.

Lyyreth stood proudly with his arms crossed as the fog started to dissipate. He let out a slight groan as he rolled his eyes at the nearly destroyed inn. Tables had been toppled over, and now bore cracks were there had been none. Chairs had been all thrown across the floor, some missing legs, and backings. Lastly there was the four dragon hunters talking among themselves, and they were all glaring right at him.

Uhoh.

"Woah...what happened to that guy!" Lyyreth threw his hands up in mock surprise. "What happened to my brother?"

It happened far faster than Lyyreth would have liked. The hunters all drew their wicked looking swords in a single fashion. The blades letting out small hisses as they were unsheathed from their scabbards. "Don't you move." The woman sneered, positioning her sword right towards his throat.

"H-hey! Watch w-where you point that thing!" He stammered, nearly going cross-eyed as he stared at the sharp, pointed tip of the woman's metal stick. "Uh..Brandon!....your just going to allow this in your tavern?" He glanced back to see the barkeep was nowhere to be found. He had apparently run off during the brief excitement. Oh pure goblin spittle. "So..what's the big deal fellas? Why go through pointing your sword at little old me?"

"You were with the dragon." The woman growled, as her friends just nodded in agreement.

"Funny story about that.....laage." Lyyreth slashed down with his hands, causing a large purple mist to spawn around the muscled woman and her cohorts.

The woman's eyes glazed over for a moment,before her eyelids started to droop. Her arm started to quiver as her blade fell from her grasp and clattered to the ground. Her body soon followed after with a dull thud. Her cohorts did not get to utter a single word, as they too joined her in a pile of snores.

Well...best get out of here. Lyyreth bolted out the ruined door into the night air. He smirked as he looked up to the star filled sky and could make out the great wings of his brother carrying the dragon overhead. You actually managed to get some coin out of them. He laughed out loud, quickly trying to find a place where no one was looking. He found such a place behind the tavern and quickly changed back to his normal form with just a thought.

With his body returned to him, Lyyreth bolted into the sky with a mighty flap of his wings. He closed his eyes, taking in the crisp cool air of the night as he continued pounding against the air. When he finally opened his eyes he was far above the small village, and gazing out to the forest that surrounded it. He angled his membranes and headed westward, his eyes following the dark forest below. Somewhere in there is the dragoness I seek. With the next beat of his wings he felt the excitement in his scaled chest grow.