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Scales and Honor: Swirling Storm

Chapter 2

Ramakox flew towards his cave after his morning hunt. His wings cushioned his descent until his paws touched the firm stone softly. He stretched his serpentine neck, working a kink from it as he breathed in the warm morning air. He turned back towards the vast countryside near his home, delighting in the morning rays that danced across his armored scales. He licked his snout with one single swipe, savoring the taste of the elk that lingered on his tongue. The beast had not managed to run far before the huge dragon was upon the male, and it had been over in a flash of teeth.

Today is going to be a good day. He was reminded of a tale he had read long ago, where a good morning hunt heralded the start of a grand adventure, quest, or other things that destiny liked to send heroes on. Ramakox snorted at the idea as he narrowed his eyes. No more grand adventurers, or things for dragons...not anymore. He flicked his tail, letting a growl slip from his throat as he padded over to the entrance of his cave, his eyes going to the vines and roots that had grown near the edges. He rose his head with a smile as he focused on what he usually did during times like this. Rearrange my treasure. The thought brought a sliver of joy to his mind, for his treasure had sat in the same place for far too long. He stopped to think when he had done it last, and came to the conclusion it had to have been at least fifty years._Way past to be done._He also liked to do it as it allowed him to admire his treasure in it entirety, and bask in the stories and tales from long ago. _When things were better for dragons...and for me._He snorted, taking a large breath that swelled his armored chest. His silver eyes widened as he smelled a most familiar scent, one that he had not smelled for two months. It was the smell of that human child he had plucked from the ravaged caravan.

Jandar, that was the name of the human if he remembered correctly. He stopped his advance into his cave to drum his talons against the stone.Course that can't be right....I dropped the little wyrmling off near his village months ago without a peep from him._The blue dragon crouched as low as he could, suspicion starting to fill his senses. _What is he doing back in _ my _lair? It can't possibly be him right?_His next step he flared his nostrils, taking the scent once more into his lungs. To his surprise he could not detect any other smell then the little boy he had saved that day and taken pity on. The great dragon sighed as he recalled the story of Valarax the great, who would take in wounded mortals, only to wind up dead by one that he had saved. Apparently the elf had done away with him by plunging a sword through his eye while he had slept. _I would not be fooled like that of course.

Besides...the boy was a mere wrymling...and had no weapons._Ramakox shook the unease from his scales and he rose himself to his full height once more. _You're just being silly is all.

"Unguard you vile villain!" came the small voice of the human. 'Take that!'

Curiosity rose in Ramakox's mind as he peered out to the mounds of treasure lit by torches of his home. Standing behind the mounds of gold coins was the boy Jandar. He was dressed in simple brown clothes with a dark blue sash around his waist. He was holding up a sword with strained effort, if the wrinkled face he was giving was any indication. "Have...at thee!" the human laughed, clumsily swinging the weapon and nearly toppling over with the effort.

"I don't remember inviting you back to my home." Ramakox spoke loudly with a tight voice that threatened to turn into a growl as his talons clinked against the floor.

"Ah!" Jandar shouted, tossing the sword, and sending it clattering to the floor in surprise as he fell over onto a pile of coins.

Ramakox took a few more steps towards the startled child, smelling fear start to rise in his scent as he watched the boy's eyes widen in terror. Several questions bubbled to the surface of the dragon's mind as he slowly advanced on the quivering child. How did you get here? Why did you come? How did you find my place? And did anyone else know that you were here?

_"_S-sorry!" the child yelled out, his face starting to turn a bright shade of crimson as the dragon carefully approached. " I just saw the sword....and started to play pretend!"

"Why did you return?" Ramakox said flatly, ignoring the boys excuse with the next drag of his forelimb. "Usually one does not rush to see a vast dragon such as I unannounced." Ramakox lowered his snout and gave the human a glare with narrowed eyes. "You're lucky that I am a patient and understanding dragon. And wise enough to not come in here with my blood boiling. Things could have gone very wrong for you otherwise."

"Y-yes sir." Jandar gulped, picking himself up from the coins. The human brushed himself off several times with pats, his eyes never leaving the dragon for an instant.

"So..I ask again...why did you return?" Ramakox spoke louder than he had previously, his words ended with a growl of irritation. "I do _not_like visitors to _just_turn up to my home....It is most rude."

"I w-wanted to see you again." the boy stuttered, and fidgeted in place.

Ramakox froze in his tracks as he raised his neck until it was in the shape of a S. His eyes widened in surprise. He had somehow not considered that as a reason. _The child wanted to see me?....Well of course he did...I was Ramakox the defeater of undead...Ramakox the protector of all._The dragon swelled out his chest and smiled.

"And how do I not be rude than?" Jandar asked.

"You bring gifts...tributes." Ramakox waved the human's question off with a snort. "So why did you wish to see me?" He raised a scaly eyebrow, waiting to hear pleasing words of praise. He lowered himself onto a pile of coins, curling his tail around it's edge.

"The story was nice." the human replied quickly. "And you saved me from the bad guys."

"I was simply in the right place at the right time." Ramakox held his head up high, and placed a claw to his armored chest. He looked away for a brief moment, remembering that mortals liked their heroes or legends to be humble of course. "So you wanted to see me and hear a story." Ramakox drummed his talons against the stone. "Did it every occur to you that being in my cave was a one time deal? And that if you did return I would eat you?"

"Uh..no." Jandar replied sheepishly as Ramakox began to move coins with his tail. "What are you doing?' the boy asked after Ramakox did it for the second time.

"Rearranging my treasure...I was going to get started on it before I found _you_in my cave."

"Why?"

"Because I wish to." Ramakox snorted, taking hold of a wooden chest and moving it slightly to his right.

"Why?" Jandar asked again, causing Ramakox to narrow his eyes.

Really? "It needed to be done, hasn't been done in years." the dragon sighed, looking to all the treasure around him. "And it is about time it should be done."

"Why do you want to do that?" the child picked up a hand-full of coins and tossed them in the direction of the chest with a clink.

Ramakox snapped his snout to the coins, waiting for the pieces of metal to cease their clattering. "That is not where I wished those to be." he growled in irritation. He felt the urge to bare his teeth and snarl at the human. Hes just a child. Came the voice within his head, making him snort a puff of air instead.

"S-sorry. I was trying to help." the boy hung his head, fidgeting once more in place.

"And to answer your question. I like to rearrange my treasure. I get tired of it being a certain way. Trust me, when you actually have the treasure it's a problem dragon's face."

"Are you lonely?" Jandar suddenly asked, striding over towards a suit of silver full plate armor that bore a lightning bold engraved on it's surface. It was hanging from a rack, making it look as though a knight was standing at attention.

What? "Why would you ask that?" the dragon rose from his spot slowly, and stretched out his limbs one by one with a yawn.

"It's something my grandmother said. She said that no one visits the Swirling Storm no more."

That was actually true. Ramakox felt another wave of annoyance sweep through him. Has it been so long that I simply forgot about tributes? He glanced back to the entrance of his cave with a frown. I will have to fix that at some point. He snapped his snout back towards the boy as a loud clang of metal falling to the stone filled the air.

Jandar had his hands behind his back and his face was bright red once more. The armor that he had been inspecting was now scattered everywhere on the stone.

I turned away for just a second. "I think it's time for you to go." Ramakox growled, picking up the boy by his shirt with his teeth.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Jandar cried out until Ramakox set him down carefully outside the entrance of his lair.

"Now climb back down where you came from. You should be able to return by nightfall." The dragon spun around with a snort. He ignored the child's cries as he strolled back to his treasure, and back to the task of reorganizing it.

"What to do, what to do." he sat down onto his haunches with his tail curled around him. He tapped his claw against his chin, as he stared at a mahogany brown wardrobe that he knew contained silver and other soft clothes. It was some gift by a group of traveling nobles, they had claimed it was very valuable to others and most fitting to be in his hoard.

He grabbed the ward-drobe with two claws and dragged it over several feet away from his piles of gold. "There." he grumbled, his eyes shifting to find the next piece of treasure to move. His eyes went to the armor as he gazed to its pristine smooth surface. I hope he didn't scratch it. Ramakox thought as he picked up the metal armor piece by piece. It was rumored to have belonged to a great hero who had given his life for a small mortal town. The dragon wrinkled his snout when it occurred to him he had forgotten the mortals name.Perhaps it will come to me later. He smiled, imagining himself recalling the tale in his head. He was certain it was full of action, adventure, and things worthy of song.

"Who did the armor belong to?" came the inquisitive voice of Jandar, emerging from behind his haunches.

How did he? The surprised dragon curled his neck round to gaze at the unafraid human boy who had dared to re-enter his lair. "What are you doing back? Did I not just tell you to leave?" Ramakox growled.

"I just wanted to know...and I can't climb down."

"Wait.." Ramakox curled his neck back in surprise, his tail swishing across the stone. "Why not?"

"I had to leap to climb a vine...and I'm afraid of heights...I can't get down." Jandar lowered his head as he rubbed his foot back and forth along the cavern floor.

"Afraid of heights?" the dragon cocked his head. That would explain why he did not want to look when I flew him those previous times. "Jandar..I will return you to your village."

"After a story?" the human's eyes lit up.

Ramakox groaned as he was forced to look away, the warm eyes melting away the armor he was throwing up. "Yes...I will tell you a story."

"Yay!" Jandar jumped up and down, hardly able to hold in his excitement.

"But..but." the dragon held him down with a gentle claw. "Afterwords you have to go back to your village."

"Awwwww."

"Buut." Ramakox found himself groaning again as he thumped his tail. "If you return with presents or gifts..or tributes..I will offer you a story in return each time."

"B-but can you make it easier for me to get up? So I don't have to jump to a vine and climb up?"

The blue dragon rolled his eyes. "Yes I will make it easier for you to get up then. Now will you do as I requested?"

Jandar nodded quickly. "I can do that Swirling Storm. Now what about that story? Will it have action? Romance? Adventure?"

Ramakox chucked at the child's enthusiasm, settling down onto some coins once again. "I think this one will be about adventure...See long ago there was this dragon named Trazzinax." Ramakox rumbled, tapping his tail on the coins. To his delight the human listened the entire time with wide eyes, and a bright smile. For the first time in awhile the grumpy dragon found a reason to smile besides his stories.