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**The Carrot and the Stick

By: VeronicaFoxx

For: Engy**

The Dragon's Knight smacked a hand against his face and wiped it down his muzzle in frustration as yet another kobold was flung from its mount by the lizardman that they were practicing against. He was honestly beginning to wonder how the little dragonoids hadn't been entirely wiped from existence rather than just hunted to near extinction. It was most likely their swift breeding cycle, able to conceive and lay within three weeks, and up to a dozen per clutch though averaging around half that. They'd had four clutches in the three months that he had been with them under Master's direction, and the first set had already hatched, along with those that they'd brought with them in their search for a draconic patron. The hatchlings were all gathered about at the fenced margin of the training yard that Cera had marked out, watching and laughing or playing with one another, and he really couldn't blame them. He had once been a child standing in awe of knights at their training, desirous of becoming one of them, but these kobolds were far less inspirational than comical. They would have done better to feature in a circus than in a grand melee. The lizardman wasn't of much help either.

While he agreed that it was wise to leave a strong and capable fighter to protect the small creatures once Master was prepared to send him adventuring again, the reptilian creature was both a brute and a dullard. It fought on instinct more than anything and had a tendency to pounce any kobold it downed unless there was another immediate threat present to occupy it. The first time this had happened, the seafoam dragon had feared that the beast would devour the tiny thing, but it had instead begun to rut the poor creature relentlessly. Cera had been forced to beat the reptile nearly unconscious to rescue the brutalized kobold, who had then required much comforting afterwards. The little fighter had insisted on snuggling in the Knight's lap for the rest of the night, constantly grinding against his groin and insisting that it eased the pain. That had set an unfortunate precedent, and any of the kobolds that ended up in a similar situation would require the same of him. At worst, he'd had half of the tribe's warriors insisting on his comfort for half a night, which most certainly did not help his own state of mind. The increased libido that Master had imbued him with was barely under control at the best of times with these little brothers and sisters, and their constant attention made it nearly impossible to resist.

But resist it he did, because it was his duty, and there was nothing that Cera prided himself on more than his adherence to duty, even in his altered circumstances. He was the Dragon's Knight, and he would perform the tasks laid before him if it killed him. Which was looking to be a likely outcome should the kobold encampment be attacked. He would be spending more time trying to save the creatures from themselves than fending off any enemies, and that was almost guaranteed to end badly for him, even with the drakes Adamos and Evelyn to assist him. They had been lucky with the elven ranger, now a libidinous lech of a lizardman, and he did not trust to luck for any further encounters. The kobolds simply must learn to defend themselves properly. Otherwise he would have failed in his duty and it would be impossible for him to ever leave this little enclave on their own, even with a beastly protector.

"Halt!" he bellowed as yet another kobold went flying, vaulted from its mount by burying the tip of its blunted practice spear against the dirt because it had failed to couch it against the saddle properly. "Halt! Everyone halt! Damn your eyes, you little bastards, HALT!"

That brought the entire group to a frozen stop, hurt gazes turning his way. The seafoam dragon clasped a hand over his eyes once more and took several deep breaths to calm himself. Unfortunately, all of them, the lizardman included, took any anger from him as if it were the end of the world. Kobolds were naturally inclined to adoration and worship of dragons, and the reptilian brute's mind had been altered towards the same. They would flagellate themselves endlessly and grovel at his clawed feet, likely kissing and licking them in the process, to try and gain his forgiveness, even after he had given it. When he felt himself calm, he pulled his hand away to take in the tableau once more, and gestured for them to gather in around him. The kobolds and their miniature drake mounts came swarming, with "Ballsy" the lizardman standing at the rear of the huddle.

"I'm not angry," the seafoam dragon assured them in the calmest tones that he could manage. "I apologize for my frustration, but you simply must remember your proper tactics and positioning. Couch the spear butt against the saddle rest before you attempt to strike. This allows you to rest it against your forearm as a guide and let the momentum of your mount deliver the strike. I know that each of you has seen me demonstrate against the practice dummies with Adamos, and at least half of you were able to imitate it then, but not a single one of you can seem to manage against a live opponent!"

The Dragon's Knight paused, taking another deep breath to rein in his temper before continuing. "Let us... try something else. What... what if I were to provide some sort of reward system for merit? Would that encourage you to better recall your training? I must admit that I am nearly at my wit's end with this. What would it take? Do we need more practice before resuming sparring? We've gone over the basic drills for weeks at a time, but each time we attempt to spar, you all seem to completely lose focus."

The singular female warrior of the kobolds raised a hand, bouncing on her feet and chirping in a manner that was rather endearing, and Cera gave her leave to speak. "If kobold win fight, dragon give honor maybe?"

Cera let out a long groan and facepalmed yet again. Obsessed. They were all obsessed: Master, the kobolds, the lizardman, Adamos, Evelyn, and even himself, he had to admit, though he controlled it far better than any of the rest. With Ballsy and himself, it was an enforced obsession, though Master and the little ones seemed to have a natural affinity for it. What the kobolds called "a dragon's honor" was, in fact, sex. Plainly and simply, the little creatures couldn't get enough of it, and his warriors would have been joining with the nightly orgy that the rest of the adults partook in had he not forbidden it. He had expected it to help instill discipline in them, but it may well be doing the opposite. He had rather assumed that his own ability to control his needs would be passed along to them with such strictures in place, but it could be that it was as necessary to them as breathing. They certainly looked on with forlorn longing at the nightly rumpus, not allowed even to masturbate, and nothing else had given them motivation enough thus far...

"Very well," the seafoam dragon proclaimed. "Henceforth, whenever one of you is able to ground... Ballsy... you shall earn one honor. However! Should Ballsy down one of you, he shall be allowed to take his pleasure as well. If he should manage to ground the lot of you, then I shall provide Ballsy with honor, and you shall all spend the next day under his tender care. On the other hand, should you all succeed, then we shall take the next day to provide each of you with as much honor as I can provide. Does that sound fair? Is that motivating to you?"

He was met by a cheer that nearly knocked him from his feet. Unsurprisingly, the idiot beast of a lizardman began immediately bowling over the celebrating kobolds, obviously hoping to earn himself a swift reward, but Cera lashed his spade-tipped tail against the reptile's back to get his attention.

"WHILE SPARRING!" the Dragon's Knight clarified.

The lizard gave him a sheepish grin and began helping the resilient little ones back to their feet. Cera simply shook his head and banished them to opposite ends of the training grounds. The kobolds mounted and took up their formation while Ballsy stood in an eager crouch, like a leashed hunting hound straining to be let loose after prey. Cera waited until they all seemed settled and prepared, then lifted a finger towards the sky. It was coming more easily now since he had first realized the ability, but it still required great concentration to focus the inherent magic of his form into a coherent effect. A small ball of light began to form at the tip of his claw, glowing a moon-blue, then shot into the sky to burst in an explosion of starlight. At this signal to begin, the kobolds let out their high, birdlike war cries and charged, while the lizardman let out a roar of his own. The drake mounts allowed them to meet at approximately the center of the melee ground, and Cera was surprised to see that, for once, the formation did not immediately break into a scrum upon contact with their pretended foe.

Instead, the horseshoe of mounts actually streamed by the reptile as intended, though it did not appear that any blows were landed, with the rear curve of the U splitting around the lizardman and reforming afterwards. Myvishisthasy, the female and current captain, cried out commands that were actually obeyed, the formation reversing itself for a second charge while Ballsy stood mystified and confused at this change in tactics. The second charge came, and the first of the kobolds was sent flying, but the lizardman also took the very first tumble in the entire history of their training, and the Dragon's Knight called an immediate halt. Before he could even begin approaching the kobolds, one of them had dismounted and was streaking towards him with a victorious crow, obviously the one who had delivered the downing blow.

"After we are done sparring!" Cera clarified, bringing the elated kobold to a disappointed halt. It began trudging back towards the now tittering formation with its head hung low. "Alright, let's reset and do that again."

Well. At least they were making progress. Cera sighed as he felt his more or less permanently hard shaft give a twitch at the thought of providing "honor" after their training session had ended.

The End