FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Scales and Honor: Swirling Storm

Chapter 7

Jandar did exceedingly well that week they spent within the forest of despair. It appeared the long days that Ramakox had spent teaching the boy techniques and movements had paid off to no end. For each spell that they tried at the boy he was quickly able to preform it in some fashion, even if just a small version of it. To the dragon's delight, by the end of their week stay, the mortal had several cantrip spells memorized and under his belt. It appeared that with the dragon blood infused within him, the boy was a natural when it came to spellcasting.

The human had been all smiles the entire week that they had been there. He had spent most of his time with Cordenth and Lyyreth, the trio practically being inseparable. When they were not practicing spells, eating, or playing, the group was sleeping together just like wrymlings usually did. Each night that Ramakox had settled down to slumber with the Emerald Lady, he had looked to the pile of mortal and dragons, and found he saw three wrymlings at times. It was like Cordenth had said, it was like they had found themselves another brother.

When the week was up it was with a heavy heart that he had to leave. Despite all the passionate nights and matings he shared with the Emerald Lady, he was told to leave. He had grumbled about it, thinking she had used him just to satisfy the nitch in her loins, until the last day she came to him. She lad licked him across his snout tenderly, before planting a kiss on his maw. She had explained that he was a very big distraction to her work, if but a very pleasurable one. She had laughed and said she could not spend the rest of her days mating.

The boy had been quiet on the last day of their stay, it was like a rain cloud was following the child around and ruining all his good cheer from the last six days. However his sadness was soon shattered when the two green wrymlings had nuzzled and hugged him goodbye. Saying that it wasn't forever after all, and that they would always be friends. To Ramakox's surprise the Emerald Lady told him that he could return whenever he wished, as long as it was several months down the road. She had laughed with amusement in her eyes as her tail flicked adding "even if it is unannounced."

So Ramakox had taken flight with his mortal held tightly in his paws, and pulled against his chest. He had arched his head back towards the vast forest that he was getting further away from with each beating of his wings, and felt the urge to return and never leave. He shook the thought from his mind, setting his sights back on Drenedar and his plan to be more well known. Who said he couldn't do that _and_go visit the Emerald Lady from time to time? _After all, Jandar had made friends, and it would be a real shame if he never saw the pair of wrymlings again. It would be good for all three of them._He looked down after several minutes of flying to check on Jandar, who he swore was peaking from his chest to look out to the countryside below.

*

The next four years passed in a blur for the blue dragon. The weekly visits from Jandar had slowly shifted from two a week, to three, to four, and then eventually it transitioned into every single day. Ramakox found himself caring less and less about the constant companionship within his cave. He found himself actually looking forward to the boy's arrivals, despite having less and less tribute. The dragon eventually told him he did not need to bring tribute each time he visited, and that once a week was acceptable, for he was his investment after all.

The cave he had once organized was now shifted again to better accommodate the pair on colder days when the freezing wind would bite at scales and skin alike. He even had a human sized bed placed in his cave close to his own, in case the boy did not want to return to the village that evening. When he did want to return, Ramakox would fly him down right into the village, for no longer did he drop him off at the village edge and wish him well. He instead would circle the place and settle Jandar down in the middle of the street in front of everyone.

With the frequent trips to the village of east cliff came the familiarity that the dragon had been looking for. When once he had visited they had forgotten his name or thought he was dead. Now they would offer him praises as he strolled through their houses. They would compliment his scales, offer him gifts, or sing his many other praises. Each one would send a pleasurable rumble through his scales, that made him glad that he had taken the child in oh so long ago. His thoughts would wander with all these praises, and focus on the years ahead. The years where it would not be a single village that was praising his name, but the entire countryside that would once again remember The Swirling Storm.

He did not just walk through the streets to get his praises like some dragons might have done. He always found some way to help them over the years with his magic. To providing summoned food through the times of hardship, collecting them water, to showing their hunters the best grounds to hunt. He soon found that they would even decorate the village with banners that bore his likeness, and found himself invited to their holiday celebrations, to which he always attended with good cheer.

His days would usually be filled with hunting, flying, and then he would either have Jandar arrive, or he would fetch the boy from the pleased town. The child had grown from a well mannered boy into a lithe teenager, with his hair grown out and placed into a "Wolves tail" the lad called it. Jandar had nearly sprouted from the ground, gaining at least two feet in height since the dragon first laid eyes on him. The human would now wear a tunic of earth brown that had stitching of coal. His waist would have a worn leather belt clad in pockets filled with trinkets or reagents for spells. He would wear a sash around his waist of a dark blue that matched the dragon's own scales. From his waist he had dark black pants, with grey stitching on the side, and boots of the same color.

Ramakox would then start their training by listing off one of the numerous stories he knew of magical beings, dragons or otherwise. They would go through techniques, movements, the feeling inside that you needed to harness. Luckily for him the boy had kept the affinity that he had displayed in the forest of despair that one week. So each time that Ramakox offered him a spell, the teen would learn it rather quickly to his rumbling approval. They of course made time to visit the forest of despair at least twice during the year for a week. This would be filled with smiles, good cheer, and pleasurable nights for Ramakox as he reunited with the Emerald Beauty.

*

Today was a one of many that Ramakox was spending with the teen of his interest. He had brought Jandar out to one of the fields surrounding his home, that was lit up by the bright spring sun. the vibrant green grass dotting the landscape only to be joined with bright crimsons and golds. The blue dragon was currently circling the boy, taking in the wafting scents of the flowers below him. His wings were spread wide into a glide, eyes focusing on the mortals current stance. Jandar's feet were wide and his arms were extended outwards, just like he had been told to do. _Good._He thought as he flapped his wings until he re-entered his glide. For today they were practicing a new spell that would prove useful to the teen in the coming years ahead. It was a more difficult spell then Jandar had attempted before, and a rather dangerous one at that to be practicing. For if he failed to get the right combination of heart, and technique, he would end up injured. The spell was called spellcounter, one used to negate a spell cast at you or around you.

Jandar turned his head around to trace the dragon that continued to circle him. His face was one filled with determination mixed with anticipation. His arms twitched for a moment when the spring breeze battered against him and made his clothing flutter. "Are you going to cast spells Storm? Or are you going to circle round and round like you're on the hunt?" He laughed into the air, his hands following the blue dragon's movements.

"I am hunting Jandar!" he shouted out, "For the perfect moment to strike!" he flicked his tail, while forming a figure eight pattern with his talon. He imagined a small bolt of lightning flying forth from his talons to the smug looking teenager below him. He made sure that he reserved his spell so that it would not greatly hurt the boy,and only give him a shock if he failed to block it. Sure enough, from his claws came a brilliant white bolt of electricity that arced through the air towards the teenager.

"Finally!" the mortal exclaimed, catching the bolt with his left outstretched hand, while at the same time forming circle with his right one and moving it to his side. He seemed to say something from his lips moments before the spell exploded into a plume of black smoke. Jandar was send back into the grass softly, waving and coughing from the smoke. "Damnt!" Jandar swore, standing up to brush himself off from loose grass.

The dragon raised an eyebrow at the fact the human had not shown any hint of pain from the spell. Not a single cry had flown from his mouth as the spell had failed. "You did not preform the movement right!" he shouted out, pushing the weird oddity from his mind. He figured the boy simply had a higher pain tolerance than he had thought.

"I can see that!" the teen shouted back with an annoyed voice. He wiped his brow before once more entering the stance he had been in. "Do it again! I can do it!" his eyes narrowed as he followed the dragon's circling.

Ramakox had to lend it to the boy. He was true to his word over the years, and always gave it his all when it came to the magical gift he had been given. It was like he was trying to live up to the Emerald Lady, and not let her down. "Very well!" Ramakox shouted, his words turning into a soft chuckle as he spread his wings wide and glided around the human once more. He closed his eyes and basked in the warm sun shining bright on his scales,and taking in the pleasant air that was circling his snout. He laughed to himself as he was going to make the human to wait again before he cast another spell at him. He did this for several minutes, breaking up his glide with wing beats to stay aloft in the air. When he did open his eyes he found that Jandar had been following him the entire time, but he was starting to fidget in place. The human it seemed was letting his impatience get the better of him. But will it be enough to throw off his spell?

"What's the matter boy? Can't wait for a dragon to cast their spell?"

"I figured you were trying to remember them in your horned head. Your age is when dragons go senile right?" Jandar laughed with a grin.

"Oh you think that is funny do you?" he grumbled as he flew overhead, eyeing the laughing human. "Your enemies will not play into your time tables young one, why should I do the same?" He angled his wings and dove towards the human with his claws outstretched, like he was hunting and Jandar was his prey. He flapped his wings at the last seconds and avoided the boy, but not before sending a buffet of wind to batter against him.

"Hey! You're deliberately teasing me!" the human shouted as Ramakox flew away.

"Nonsense! It is simply part of my teaching method! You have.." Ramakox angled his wings and turned once more towards the human. "To expect the unexpected!" He roared out with a great smile as he did the same maneuver again, this time passing a few feet over the laughing human's head. "It's to get your guard down little Jandar!" Ramakox did the same spell as before, sending a smaller bolt of lightning towards the surprised mortal.

Jandar's eyes widened in surprise and held up his hand to block the incoming spell like he had done, but it had the same result as last time. Either from his failure to preform the right gesture,or the fact he had been surprised by the dragon's casting of the spell at that moment. He was once again lifted off the ground and tossed back to the grass with a small explosion. He tumbled several times in the green field, eventually coming to a stop and spitting out some grass. "Arggg...What am I doing wrong?" the teen shouted, raising back to his feet and ripping off his tattered sleeve.

Ramakox's eyes focused on the ruined clothing. He knew how much mortals valued the things they wore on their naked bodies. He would have to remember to fix the boys garments with a spell, he had not meant to ruin them after all. "Feel the magic in your bones!" Ramakox flapped his wings, quickly entering a joyous spin mid air.

"I'm trying! It's harder then it looks Storm!" The teen re-entered his stance, and almost instantly after Ramakox loosed another bolt of electricity, This time when the teen grabbed the lightning, something different happened. Instead of an explosion rocking his frame and sending him flying back, the electricity flowed down his body with little white sparks, circling around his right hand, and then getting loosed to the ground uselessly.

"You got it!" Ramakox roared out in joy. He could feel pride swelling in his chest for the human's success. "See? I knew you could do it!" he rumbled as he passed by the mortal,who was busy giving himself little arm pumps of success. "Although these were just cantrips! The basic spells I have been tossing your way!" He circled back towards the mortal and entered a hover with his wings pounding against the air to keep him in place. "If I were to try more powerful spells, you will find that the spell is much harder to preform."

"Such as what?" Jandar smiled, crossing his arms and giving Ramakox a smug look.

"Like lightning bolt, fireballs, and charms! Things like those can be harder to stop then the electric cantrip I have been using."

"Okay..Then how about you try a lightning bolt on me." Jandar laughed, his eyes focusing on the dragon. "I now know what I am doing, I think I can handle one lightning bolt."

Ramakox snorted, amused by the mortal's confidence, but annoyed by his arrogance. "You should not rush this Jandar! You could get hurt."

"Oh stop coddling me Storm." the boy waved dismissively to him. "Loose a lightning bolt to me!" Jandar thrust a finger towards him. "Unless you think I am weak and unable to do it! I thought you wanted me to be a great adventuring mage?"

"I don't think you're weak boy. I however know you are inexperience in such things." he hissed, starting to preform the movements for the stronger spell. He pictured the lighting bolt he would be throwing at the mortal below. He closed his eyes and willed the spell to be lesser than it was supposed to be. If he was going to be throwing a lightning bolt at the smug human he was not going to try and kill him. Instead he would make the spell just strong enough so that if he failed to stop it the spell would injure him , but not badly.Nothing a healer won't be able to fix with a quick spell or two...Sometimes the best lesson is to fall. "You asked for it!" he roared out, telegraphing his spell so that he would not catch the human by surprise.

"Bring it on!"

Ramakox let loose a larger brilliant white light from his claw. The bright light sparking towards Jandar in an instant, to which the human caught it with his outstretched hand. Ramakox watched with interest as the human seemed to be struggling to redirect the magic into his right hand. One moment everything looked like it should, he had the right stance, his eyes were filled with confidence, but it all collapsed in the next moment. The spell exploded out from Jandar, sending sparks of electricity flowing in all directions. It seemed the spell had been more powerful than the dragon had intended.

"Jandar!" the dragon roared out in concern as he flapped his wings and brought himself down towards the earth and his no doubt wounded mortal. He felt guilt wedge it's way into his chest as he bounded across the grass. _You just had to listen to him and throw the spell..what if he is hurt?_Ramakox pushed the thought from his mind, spreading his wings wide and using a quick flap to clear the area of any smoke that would impede his vision. His eyes widened, and curiosity rose up into his mind what he saw. Jandar was picking himself off the ground with a smile, seemingly unhurt from the spell that had struck him.

"See? Totally fine" the human chuckled, as sparks continued to linger and dance along his skin.

"H-how did you do that." Ramakox growled. "You should have been wincing, yelling, anything to announce the sting I put into that spell. There is no way you have a pain tolerance so high you did not feel that."

"Perhaps you did not preform the spell correctly?" the human laughed, raising an eyebrow.

_Of course he is going to act like this._Ramakox rolled his eyes as he advanced on the human. "I certainly did it correctly." he growled, irritation growing in his voice. "Did you take a potion before our training? I also noticed you did not feel pain when you failed to stop the cantrips as well."

"Me? Drink an electricity immunity potion?" Jandar gasped, placing a hand quickly to his mouth out of jest. "You would think I'd do that?"

"I'm starting to think you did." Ramakox snarled and snaked his snout closer. " Sometimes pain is a good teacher, it makes you learn faster at times."

"That sounds like a piss poor teaching strategy." Jandar crossed his arms, and this time something caught Ramakox's eyes that made his own widen, and his jaw drop. For lining the boy's arms were thin lines of dark blue scales.

"WHAT....are those?" he growled again.

"N-nothing!" Jandar quickly shifted his arms to behind his back as he took a quick step away from the advancing dragon.

"It was certainly NOT nothing...I saw dragon scales on your arms." Ramakox closed the distance between the two in a flash with his mighty limbs. He tried to maneuver his neck around the boy to get a better look, but Jandar kept moving and denying him.

"You must have been seeing things Storm. A human with dragon scales? I think you might have partaken too much of the half-ling pipe."

"You know I do not smoke that stuff." He lashed out with a claw and firmly grasped the boy tight enough so that he could not get away, although soft enough so that he was not injured in anyway.

"H-hey! Let me go!" Jandar squirmed, struggling to open the claw that held him bound. However it was no use, Ramakox held him firmly as the dragon snaked his head around to look at his arms.

"I_need_ to see your arms. It could be the start of something Jandar...._It could be the risks that the Emerald Lady spoke about.._he felt the guilty voice whisper to him as the boy continued his struggling. "You could be in danger."

The human looked away from him, anger apparent in his eyes as he ceased his struggling. "What would be so bad about getting dragon scales anyway? They would make me tougher then normal, and even make me immune to electricity. Seems like a boon if I ever saw one."

"Jandar..." Ramakox lowered his voice. "Please...Do you have dragon scales?"

The boy's face softened as he sighed. "Let me go....I'll show you."

Ramakox did as the boy asked, flicking his tail against the grass as Jandar held out his arms, showing off the dark blue scales that lined them. He raised a talon and traced the thin line of smooth dragon scales, lowering his eyes and inspecting them clearly. They appeared to be part of his flesh, but in a way that they did not appear to be stitched on. "And they are clearly attached?"

"Yes....They are apart of me..I tried to take one off when they first started appearing."

"When did they start?" Ramakox rose his head towards the boy, who sighed.

"They started showing up about a year ago, but it was small. Like maybe one or so in different places, then they started to grow." He gestured to his arms. "Now they are like this."

"You have more?" Ramakox's eyes went up and down the human's clothing clad body. "Show me."

"You want me to remove my clothing?"

"Yes.." the dragon rolled his eyes. "Don't be bashful now, you don't have anything I have not seen before...and I need to know how far this_boon_ has spread to you." He tried to push the concern from his mind as the boy did as he asked and started to remove pieces of his clothing one at a time.

"There." Jandar held out his arms wide after he tossed his shirt onto the pile of clothing on the grass. "Is this better now?" he spun around slowly, showing off his naked body to the dragon.

"Yes." Ramakox took hold of the teens soft skin, moving him around so that he could inspect every inch of his body. It was as Jandar had said, the scales had appeared in several spots all over his body. The boy had them on his knees, upper parts of his thighs, around his buttocks, and lining down his spine. It looked like he had little rivers of blue all along his body. "There are a lot of them Jandar...do they hurt?"

"No." the boy replied. "I have no discomfort, nothing. You can stop your worrying...they are a boon Storm."

"I am not so sure." The dragon grumbled, turning away to look into the sky. "You may get dressed again Jandar, I think I got the information that I wanted."

"Well...I am sure they are a good thing." the human smiled, slowly slipping back into his clothing. "They even look like your scales! Makes me look like your son or something."

"Say that again?" Ramakox spun around, his eyes gazing to the human who was slipping his tunic back on.

"The scales...they are blue...not any other color...They look like yours." Jandar pointed to the scales with a finger. "Storm...stop worrying about me...They are an additional blessing."

Ramakox lowered his snout and looked to the human in the eye. "Someone has to worry for your safety Jandar, it might as well be me."

"Is it because I am an investment like you said?" the human reached out and gently touched his nose, rubbing it softly.

"No little one." he sighed, "but that is certainly _one_of the reasons I wish to keep you safe." he chuckled when the boy had just smiled. "I have grown fond of your companionship over the years. I would not want that to stop. So if the scales progress further, I want you to tell me about it. Do you understand?"

Jandar nodded. "I can do that, how far do you think they will spread? Do you think I will be covered head to foot in scales one day?" his voice was filled slightly with excitement.

"Possibly, that is why I would like to know how far it progresses. Maybe they will stop here, and just be an after effect from the ritual."

"You know I don't mind having the scales." Jandar laughed. "I think they make me look rather dashing and mysterious..They also make me tougher...Perfect for an adventurer...Perhaps one day I will even turn into a dragon!"

"Jandar." he said sternly, nosing the human with his snout. As amusing as the thought of having a blue dragon running around with him, he could not shake the worry in his mind."This is not a laughing matter."

"I know Storm." the boy patted his snout gently. "But one can only dream right? Can we get back to practicing?"

Ramakox nodded slowly, his eyes going back to the scales on the boy's skin. He found himself thinking just like the boy, wondering how far those things would spread. Surely they are harmless? The boy even said he does not mind them, and they provided him with additional boons. Ramakox spread his wings and readied to pounce in the air with his tail flicking out behind him.

"So shall we work on the same spell or a different one?"

"Same one I think...You have yet to master it." Ramakox flashed the human a toothy grin before bounding into the air seconds later. With the next pounding of his wings he spun back round to face the human once again. He found the worry melting from his mind when he saw the smile on the teens face. So what if he had scales to line his body? He smiled as he dove towards the boy with his wings stretched wide. It will only be a testament to others on how I helped the boy. They continued on with their training through the day, only stopping when the sun started to sink below the horizon and cast it's warm red rays out into the sky.