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Well, here it is. My very first vore story. It is written in first person, mostly because I just felt like it, so any characters in the story are not knowingly based on any characters belonging to any individual. This is the beginning of a new series I will be putting together over the course of the next few months/years/decades. But seriously, I don't expect to be putting chapters up frequently. I'm not in the habit of asking for comments, however, anything anyone could tell me about my performance as a vore writer would be greatly appreciated. I'm learning here furries! Without further ado, please enjoy. =^_^=

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It was said that when the Lord and Lady of Dragons, Nex and Lys, created the Anthrokin they gave us their magic and we were the first to bond with them so we could know their minds and understand their thoughts. In essence we, the Anthrokin, became one with the dragons. The dragons gave us life and in return we gave meaning to theirs for they took pleasure in our existence. We were their most sacred creation; their gift to the world that had once been so plain and bereft of life. At first they were pleased to see their creations grow and breed amongst themselves, as had been anticipated. They marvelled as we evolved and crafted things of our own and invented communication with each other beyond the bond.

These stories of a land before war were now only whispered like the wisp of smoke over a dying flame that grew dimmer with the passage of time until they had all but been extinguished. The war was long and violent as creation thought creation. Eventually, when the final arrow flew and the last talon struck, the creators became slaves amongst their beloved creations and shed tears over what had become of their gifts to the world.

So it is told by the dragons.

Excerpt from a diary entry, author unknown.

There was nothing quite like the freedom of wheeling through the pale blue skies, dipping and diving, banking and twirling, soft innards being forced to invert and jerk around sickeningly inside one's body as you clung to a free-spirited young dragon. No harness in the world could stop a head from spinning along with the inversion of your body as the whole world was tipped upside down without your permission. The rush was overpowering; the intensity of adrenaline pumping to every corner of your body, filling you with a primal urge. The urge to go faster, heedless of potential death or simply blacking out the body craved the feeling and the mind could do nothing but obey.

No.

There was nothing quite like flying.

I clung to the straps that kept me stable, claws dug into the leather as the beast below rolled once more in mid-air, sending too much blood to my head once again. There was a brief moment of realism that roused me from my revelry as the chain around my waist jerked painfully, keeping my body in place. It was only a fleeting concern however. Pain and fear were not things I recognised at this moment. All there was and ever could be was me, my dragon and the limitless skies.

Looking down upon the world it always seemed tranquil, but it was never somewhere I wished to return of my own volition. We could fly together for many hours though eventually exhaustion and hunger necessitated a landing.

I placed a paw upon the long neck of my beast, stroking affectionately over the spiralling red pattern on his scales that was akin to his species. The rest of his sizeable body, which stood at a healthy five tons, was a dark, almost navy, blue. I stopped before I reached the welted scar mark bored into his scales where once a collar speared into his neck. Neither of us liked to be reminded of his past.

After another gut-wrenching twirl and a gleeful call from my dragon he levelled out and allowed me to catch my breath. His wing beats slowed and the veritable gale blowing my grey-brown fur into a shocking mess dimmed to no more than a cool breeze. I loosened my grip and took a moment to breathe cleanly before letting go of the strap entirely and stretching my noticeably aching body. The seams of my jerkin had frayed and split once again, leaving me even more exposed to the autumn coolness that I became all at once aware of. Altitude and decaying weather were never a good mix.

Before a word was spoken the great beast dipped gradually lower, easing closer to the ground, preparing for landing. I watched as a few deer scattered as his shadow swelled on the earth below. He did not pursue them or even give them a second look, even though it'd been nearly a full day since he'd eaten. I looked at him directly and he gave me a sidelong glance. I didn't even have to be bonded with him to know what he was thinking; those deer would have required little effort to prey upon but he'd quickly passed up the opportunity. I grinned and rubbed along his neck, which elicited a pleasant churr from my dragon, his whole body vibrating.

We touched down smoothly as always, sometimes I didn't even realise we were back on land. His acute eyesight would always pick out the most viable spots even from miles away. To that affect: there was a fresh lake and running river nearby and plenty of dry tree cover to shelter under and stoke up a small fire if need be.

I unclipped myself from the various straps that made up his minimal harness; really it just consisted of heavy-duty leather strapped around his chest in a cross pattern where I could attach a few callipers and straps to it to keep me safe while flying. It proved only the mildest of irritant for him; I kept the harness in good condition so it would not chafe. I detached my satchel, which held my nominal supplies and slid easily down his extended foreleg.

When I stood next to him my wolfish body seemed small in comparison. He was a good twenty feet long, not including his powerful tail that currently lay stretched out behind him. I smiled and hugged him around his neck which he dipped to come within my reach as, when standing normally, his head was a good seven feet off the ground and even with my arms outstretched I could only just reach that high. I held him tightly for a long while, nuzzling at his smooth scales, my murrs of happiness mixing with his own. We spoke not of voice but of the same mind, relishing the warmth and closeness it brought. I didn't know how I'd lived until this beast had come into my life.

A short while later saw the basis of a small camp erected beneath a protective canopy of trees. A fire was dimly glowing and crackling amongst a stone circle. It was not necessary, really, as the darkness that night brought and the cold stillness that followed was nothing to me here. The blackness I could penetrate as I shared vision with my dragon and the cold I did not feel, sheltered as I was by his warm body. He'd folded a wing over me protectively much like a tent would. His head had curved its way under the membrane of wing to nestle beside my nude body.

I stroked over his fins and smiled lovingly as I felt him rumble with pleasure. He loved his fins being teased. I lay mostly on his belly with his head in my lap, tickling at his sensitive spots with the tips of my claws. He'd growl playfully on occasion and nudge me forcefully if a certain place I hit tickled him just right. I knew what my dragon enjoyed and he knew exactly what I enjoyed.

There came the familiar feel of his tongue against my bare fur. It always made me shudder with delight to have him lick me. I knew very well he was tasting me, tormenting me with that serpentine tongue of his. It aroused me greatly to know how much he loved my scent and the flavour of my body. I tilted my head to the side and let out a soft moan as he stroked up along my neck with his forked muscle. I lay against his stomach as he nosed over my fur, snuffing, licking, teasing. Every time we did this he would explore my body as if each time was our first. I felt more than heard the rumble against my back and I grinned. His hunger would soon get the better of both of us.

I gasped short and sharp as I felt his slick tongue graze over my already swollen sheath. This was easily his second favourite part of me, which was quickly illustrated as that snake-like tongue dove into the entrance of my furry pouch. He'd already confessed that it was my rump he savoured the most. He claimed it was the tastiest part of me and the most enjoyable to feel bulging down his neck.

I trembled as he explored my sheath with the tips of his forked tongue. I leant over and stroked his muzzle, almost hugging his neck again. My wolfhood was swift in its engorging and soon I was as stiff as I was going to get. He coiled his long, powerful tongue around my member and squeezed. I clutched at his neck, groaning into his scales as he rolled my cock on his palate. My hips jerked and I humped into his large, wet muzzle, pressing myself into the tight coil of his tongue.

When he started pressing mental images into my mind I could not help but blush. He thought only of my pleasure and his hunger; two mutually combined interests. I was by now jetting thin streams of preseed over his smooth tongue, which he deftly rippled in order to swallow it down. It wasn't much to him, but he enjoyed it nonetheless. My dragon loved to suckle and who was I to deny him a treat?

He rumbled and I watched a draconic grin spread across his muzzle as he shared those thoughts. He conveyed to me in return that even if I could stop him, he doubted that I would. I grinned back at him and gave his fin a little nip, which he returned by tightening the coil of his tongue around my buried member. I groaned softly and humped, eyelids closing over as I rested against him, letting soft moans escape my muzzle as he bobbed and suckled gently. I was of a decent size, but unsurprisingly small in his large maw, though neither of us minded.

Soon the familiar throbbing and increasing intensity began flooding my loins as I panted lowly against his scales. I gave a grunt at a particularly toothy bob and he seemed to relish as it issued forth a heavy glob of my thickening precum. The bulge of my canine knot soon pressed against his scaled lips which quickly parted to take my extra girth. His maw always felt so incredibly amazing, no matter the activity. I thrust firmly into him now, knowing I could never hurt him. He only seemed to rumble louder, vibrating audibly around my length that was buried deeper in his maw than it had been in any female's I had ever experienced.

I knew this was just his starter; the prelude for the main course to come. I did not hold back. I let out a howl of utmost, bestial pleasure as I met my climax. My rigid cock, surrounded in so much flesh and wetness, could only throb powerfully and expel hot ropes of wolf-cum into my dragon's maw.

His tongue loosened and worked along my shaft in unison with his suckling muzzle, milking me of my life giving seed. All I could do was cling to him and grunt like a beast, hammering into him, giving him a modest fill. He did not swallow, he merely collected my slick cum, rumbling with enjoyment as I began whimpering above him, gasping and panting for breath. It was over too soon; my furred sac had emptied, though my member seemed to think there was more to come as it pulsed stiffly within him.

For a long while I lay slumped over his head, panting breathlessly, running a paw over the side of his neck. I felt him swallow around my cock, taking in the seed he'd gathered and savoured on his palate like some forbidden delicacy. I could only groan against his scales as he suckled some more, clearly eager to draw whatever he could from me. Finally his hungry muzzle slipped off my wolfhood, allowing it to shrink and retreat most of the way back into my bulging sheath.

My eyelids flickered open and for a time I was overwhelmed by a blackening sadness that threatened to grip me and tug me violently from my revelry. My muzzle lay beside those scared welts upon his beautiful neck. It sickened me and regurgitated feeling of pain and anger.

He nudged me hard in the stomach, reprimanding me for thinking about such things, giving me a mental push as well to help clear the settling haze. He'd drawn his muzzle away and presently looked me deep in the eyes. For a moment our minds were disconnected from one another. It did not feel right, but his gaze reassured me. There was no need for the bond to see what was plastered all over his expression. He truly loved me. Not just because of what I'd done for him but for who I was. I loved him equally for the same reasons, perhaps more. I was on a dark path before I met my dragon, one set only to take me into the awaiting jaws of Nex himself. It was a time neither of us often dwell upon.

I smiled warmly at him and kissed the top of his head, he chirruped sweetly back at me. I looked back and he followed my gaze as I fixed on his draconic shaft. It gave a stiff pulse, instantly he knew what I desired and rumbled his agreement readily. He was big, larger than the average dragon, or so he boasted, but it mattered not because to me he was huge. Even with practice we both knew that he would never cram himself inside my body, though that did not bother us. To us, like the bond, sex was something we shared and mutually enjoyed, neither asked what the other could not give nor would not wish to take part in.

With an ease only made possible by a greased plane or the wonderfully smooth surface of a dragon's belly and chest scales, I slid down his body, tickling his tummy intentionally with my prickling fur. He shifted and growled playfully, bucking his hips, demanding I hurry up. I only grinned at him as my soft cheeks bumped up against that monstrous member. He thrust more urgently as I pressed myself firmly back against his now aching cock, grinding my ass over him. I will admit that before my dragon I'd never made love to another male. I'd had a brief encounter with the smith's apprentice, but same-sex relations were frowned upon almost as much as bonding with dragons. I guess I liked rebelling.

Pretty soon my rubbing had he desired effect as the fur of my rear became coated and slick with his musky preseed. My boy could naturally produce a heavy load and it did not shame me to confess I revelled in the heat, the thickness and the rich aroma of his cum. More than a few times I've brought my dragon to his climax and allowed myself the delight of being coated thickly with his seed and reeking of him for days to come, even after washing.

I sat up and reached back, grasping just under his pointed tip, battling with the heavy throb of his member to aim him at my tight pucker. I groaned immediately as slick warmth rushed over my hole, I edged and bumped backwards more determinedly, gasping, muzzle agape as his tip slide into me. The rush of pre that filled my insides was just the tip of the iceberg, yet it did not stop it from feeling glorious. Oh how I wished I could take ever last bit of him, to have him hilted and stuffed in my rear, but alas, our differing species denied us that pleasure. Yet, we did not dwell on what we could not have and would always enjoy ourselves regardless. How could one not enjoy this act with such a magnificent creature?

He was gentle as ever and I was careful in my usual manner. I rocked back and forth, half closing my eyes and churring with delight as I eased him a tiny bit at a time within me. Even though he was tapered to a point it was a challenge to work even the first ridge of his member into my pink hole. It was divine to be stretched like this and share this level of intimacy with my dragon, to feel my taut walls being spread open and crammed with cock. It was not long before I'd taken all I could of him; at least the first two ridges, perhaps about three or four inches, but he was too thick for me to go any further. He appreciated and relished the tightness of my ass even if he could not hilt in me.

We were like that for a few minutes at least, panting and gazing at each other affectionately. The ooze of precum flowed neatly down his length and dribbled over his groin. I was rocking on him as his hips gave light thrusts, gyrating in counterpoint to my own. I released my hold on his member and leant forward, sure that he wouldn't be leaving my rear any time soon. I placed my paws on his chest and began my rhythmic riding of his rigid rod.

As always we were slow, from experience we knew that taking this too quickly ended with my tailhole being sore. I closed my eyes and our minds twined even more intimately, mimicking our bodies. There was nothing quite like the heightened sense of blissfulness when two bonded minds share pleasure of the flesh. I remember the first time we twined so deeply like this, the pleasure was so intense I climaxed right then and there, passing into a world where only ecstasy existed. It had taken some practice, but eventually we got used to it and built up a level of control.

It was I who became more insistent, on occasion my dragon had wanted to speed things up or make things rougher, though usually I controlled the pace. I did not buck back onto his cock any quicker, but I did so more firmly, stretching myself to the limit around his aching shaft.

I was aware of his grunts and growls through the sound of my own moans and whimpers; our lusts making sinful music together. Only now did I pick up the pace, resting the weight of my upper body on his chest through the contact of my paws. I needed this as much as he did, having not indulged in such pleasures in some time since we'd found no safe place to do so. Truly, no place was safe, but I do not think either of us could have lasted another day.

My canine member was as stiff as it had been and I longed to grasp hold of it, though I knew I could not move my paws for they supported my body. The tip of his tongue poked at my lips and I juddered in surprise as he'd managed to catch me off-guard. I cracked open my eyes, not slowing my riding thrusts at all as I grinned, muzzle open as I panted. Kissing a dragon wasn't like kissing an Anthrokin as it was more messy and animalistic. I tilted my muzzle and kissed him firmly, flicking out my tongue to meet his much larger, forked one. Saliva met saliva, my lips mashed against his scaled ones and we shared the flavour of our mouths.

In the mixture of growls, grunts and groans, we both knew the time had drawn very near. I was holding back for a knew what more delights would follow our coupling. His hips were jerking before I knew it and when he broke the kiss to growl out his climax I held on tight for the flood about to come. It was an impossibility to take every last rope of his seed within my tailhole, though I still did my best. His dragonshaft was throbbing vigorously in my tight ass as he filled me with virile cum. I loved to bring my dragon pleasure and he professed this was one of the best ways I gave it to him.

My tailhole gripped around the first couple of ridges as it milked him firmly. I rocked and bumped back on his cock, riding him throughout his orgasm, extending his bliss for as long as I could. He pumped me so full I swear my belly was going to distend from the shear force and thickness that his seed was shot into my form. Even when a good portion of his produce trickled from my rear I still could not take his full load. Reluctantly, I pulled off with a grunt and a heavy groan. I was trembling all over, my nose twitching as his hot, musky scent flooded my senses. He splattered the rest of his sticky cum all over my rear, making a true mess of my fur.

I pressed my soft, if now very slick, rump cheeks back against his still pulsing shaft, rubbing up and down, rocking back and forth. He bucked back and I lay down on his chest, sighing softly with enjoyment, a full lower belly and a warm, smooth dragon to lay on.

He rumbled and brought both forelegs and wings around my nude, sticky form, holding me close in an embrace. We swam in the afterglow together, blissfully forgetting the world around us and the strife it beheld. There was nobody but us and that was the way we liked it. No master nor father to tell us what to do and when to do it. We were truly free.

I was broken from my revelry when I felt the gurgle of his stomach rattle over my body. I chuckled sweetly to my hungry dragon, soothing a paw down his flank. He picked up his large head and gazed down his muzzle at me, staring earnestly into his eyes. It had been some time since either of us had eaten, which, for a growing dragon, was never a good thing. He leaned in further and gave my head an insistent nudge, running his snake-like tongue over my headfur. I chuckled once more.

Sluggishly, I pulled my form up from his front to straddle him, grinning at him mischievously as I stroked both paws over his empty belly. He growled playfully at me, reminding me I should be doing that from the inside. I taunted him through the bond.

Does the big hungry dragon need a nice tasty wolf to sate his aching tummy? I goaded.

He rolled swiftly onto his forepaws. I gave a quiet yelp as I slid off his slippery scales and draped myself onto the ground. He stood over me and pushed his belly scales firmly down upon my body, grinding my form against himself. He was showing me just where I belonged for the rest of the evening and I could do nothing but churr as his scales pressed against my still bulging sheath. I could even feel the prodding of his stiff member against my inner thighs. Typical dragon. He never did stay sated for long.

I must say I always enjoyed this part the most; when I gave myself over to his hunger. I'm always a willing meal, he professed he preferred prey that went down his gullet willingly and squirmed obligingly in all the right places.

He planted wet licks across my cheeks and muzzle with his snake-like tongue. The fiend new how much I liked being tasted before swallowed down. I growled at him in a playful manner, but he just pushed his stomach directly against my sheath and replaced the growl with a wanton moan. When his tongue teased over my sensitive ears; tickling at the inner fur and all around, feeling his hot breath washing over my headfur, I called out through the bond for him to devour me whole.

My dragon needed no more encouragement than that.

I sat up straight, stroking my paws down the sides of his muzzle, my heart pounding as his maw slowly, tauntingly opened wide before me. I stared into that dark, pink gullet of his, shuddering as it pulsed, almost as if begging for me to squirm down there. I set both my paws on his long tongue, his throat gurgling hungrily as I rubbed my taste into his flicking appendage. His tongue curled around my paws and arms, binding them together, ensuring they would not be leaving his open muzzle any time soon.

It was all so wonderful. I tingled with desire. It never felt strange to me that I could feel so eager to slide head first down the gullet of my dragon. It only felt natural.

That large head began descending. I willingly bent foreword, slipping my paw deeper into his maw. His muzzle was producing a lot of saliva now, making the interior hot, wet and most importantly, slippery. I let out a pleasured sigh as I gradually began to enter that warmth. I lay my muzzle flat on his tongue, paws pressed to the back of his throat. I groaned at the first swallow that drew my paws down his oesophagus, his head moving again to take in my neck past his lips. His sharp teeth pricked at my vulnerable fur, yet we were always both very careful.

His tongue uncoiled from around my arms and slid out from his muzzle, travelling underneath me, gliding slickly over my chest and belly. It made a handy ramp and protected my underside from his fangs.

Very soon my chest was behind his jaws, my arms going deeper down the squishy throat. I whimpered out my pleasure as, with another gentle swallow, I was faced with that convulsing gullet. It was just light enough for me to see the path I would be taking down to his empty stomach. I squirmed and impatiently pressed my muzzle to the back of his throat. He obliged by taking a deep gulp of my body; a breathless gasp of delight escaping me as my head was shoved into those tight confines.

My dragon had always been a little devil. Mischievous and playful, would be how I'd describe him most of the time. With the whole of my chest inside his muzzle, his tongue was easily able to snake its way down my tummy and seek out its target. I yipped into his throat as that tongue flicked at the tip of my once again erect member. He held me where I was, even as I writhed with pleasure and tried to push myself deeper. He clearly had other plans for me right now. Needlessly slowly his long tongue coiled around my modest length, tightening like a boa around its prey. I helplessly bucked into that squeezing muscle. I pressed a thought upon him that I'd make him pay if he made me climax before I reached his belly. I could feel his grin. What was worse; the devil knew I could not stop myself from thrusting

I shot my pre into the coil of his tongue and it was all he could do to halt himself from swallowing it along with my body. My hips jerked and I called out wordless moans.

His muzzle carefully began to close down around me, squishing my body up against his palate. With my hips and rump finally held in his maw his head lifted gradually. He churred as a rush of his own warm seed hit his tongue. My ass was still coated in his sticky cream and I was still trickling some. I was so desperate to cum myself, but with half my body and paws trapped in the tightness of his gullet there was simply no way I could finish what he's started. I humped as best I could against the flat of his tongue; the rest of his appendage coiling around my legs and holding them together.

With his muzzle tipped up and throat outstretched it was an easier ride down to my final destination. He kept his throat muscles constricted around my form so we could both enjoy the wonderful bulge I was making in his neck.

My progress was steady, neither of us wishing this to end quickly. Just my feet hung outside his nearly closed jaws now. My toes were curled with the intense pleasure of becoming my dragon's meal. My belly had passed the ring of muscle that was squeezing me down his gullet. Another swallow and my rear would be stretching that ring and passing deeper into his body. My paws were pressed up against the sphincter barring my passage into his stomach. The gurgling of his tummy was louder than ever.

I will admit to being a tease and a fiend of my own on occasion. It was only now; lodged this deep inside him, that I began to squirm. I teased at his stomach's entrance with both paws. My wriggling came in waves, much like the rippling of his throat.

His rumbling, draconic moan came from all around me. His oesophagus gave the most powerful convulsion yet, squeezing me tightly and pushing me deeper. It all happened at one: my rear disappeared in one swallow, my feet vanished into his maw, my paws passed through the sphincter before them.

My dragon's feeding instincts took over and for a moment I became no more than food to him, travelling down to rest in his tummy. I writhed all the more as the bond called out the pleasure of filling his empty belly. I slid easily down his constricting throat, each swallow, every muscle made with the single intent of dragging me deeper into his body. When my head pressed through into his stomach I moaned with delight. You would never have thought a dragon's belly could have been so inviting. Though, here I was, at the edge of another orgasm, being squeezed inside one.

My damp cheek pressed against one fleshy wall. The rest of my slick form followed at an even, though no less hungry rate. When my groin and hips were squeezed through my paw was there in an instant. I circled my aching member, stroking hard and fast, groaning out my pleasure. There was no need to curl uncomfortably inside my dragon; his stomach was very accommodating, catching me like a hammock. It was an incredible feeling to have those hot, squishy walls pressing against my furred body. I never questioned how I could breathe so easily when I was closed off from fresh air. Dragon magic was something so mysterious not even a bond could convey comprehensible meaning all the time.

It did not take long before I was howling inside his belly, arching my hips, pushing the tip of my cock against one soft wall, splattering my seed over his stomach lining and my own wet fur. I panted and went completely limp, exhausted from a long day or travelling and two orgasms. There was no place I would rather be in my afterglow than tucked inside my dragon's belly; safely nestled away, filling him and keeping him sated.

I felt him roll neatly onto his side and the press of his forepaw against his scales. The only sign that I had ever been on the outside world was the rounding of my dragon's abdomen. His scales were smoothly pushed out were I was easily fitted within him. He loved a full stomach; the fuller and more rounded the better. I shifted and he rumbled, his walls squeezing around me momentarily.

This would be how we'd stay until morning. It was the most intimate thing we could share beyond our bonding and gave tangible demonstration of the devotion we had to one another.

It was perfect.

* * *

I awoke gradually, clumsily even, to the twilight of the forest we'd made camp in. I was held loosely under my dragon's wing, the steady rise and fall of his great chest almost lulling me straight back to sleep. I forced myself to wakefulness, or at least, partial consciousness.

It would appear that dragon magic only went so far. Perhaps it was because of the relative youth and inexperience of my dragon. I'd seen him perform magic well beyond that of the Anthrokin, though I sensed there were still more, even greater feats that could be accomplished under the right guidance. Though, it had never stopped intriguing me how I awoke not in the place I had fallen into slumber. I was never harmed in any way, I never found fur missing and most oddly I was always cleaner when I came out than when I went in. I was drier than a desert wind. No saliva nor other fluids clung to me like they ought to. I gave up a while ago trying to have him explain it to me; it was almost like there was a block in the bond that didn't allow such knowledge to be passed over. Still, it never stopped fascinating me.

Snap.

An ear twitched, listening to the blackness. I stayed motionless.

Crack.

There was something moving, close by. Most animals stayed a good few miles away from us or hid in burrows and bolt-holes. Anything with a nose even remotely attune to the scent of a dragon took the option to flee.

My gaze fell to my dragon who was sound asleep. It sometimes took a lot of fin scratching to rouse him in the mornings. His mind was at rest and it took a considerable amount of willpower not to let myself be drawn into his dreams and fall back to sleep. I was resolute when I decided not to wake him.

The fire from the evening had all but burnt out, just an ember or two sizzled lifelessly in the charred pit. I slid out from under his wing and groped after my satchel. I reminded myself to place it more accessibly next evening. The crunches and crackles of the autumn leaves grew nearer and I summarised that any assassin or would be thief would know how to move more silently. Still, it did not stop me from clutching the hilt of my short sword and drawing it from it's sheath. I drew it steadily to dampen the rusted grinding sound it uttered into the night.

With marginally more skill than my adversary in the dark I crept away from the makeshift camp-site and circled around where I suspected the noises to be issuing from. My vision and hearing both felt impaired by the lack of aid I was used to getting from my beast. Yet, I feel I made an admirable job of avoiding most of the debris that littered the practically invisible forest floor. Had I had time perhaps boots would have been in order.

My ears twitched and locked into place; that last snap was too close for comfort. Was that a shadow I saw or just an apparition? My heart hammered as I took the risk and lunged forward, grappling with the stranger. There came a cry and then just noise as my ears were filled with the sound of my thundering heart.

I was kicked hard in the leg and was sure there would be a nasty bruise there tomorrow. It ended quicker than I would have expected, I'd managed to wrestle the assailant so I had my bare front pressed up against what I presumed was it's back. I forced the dull, but still deadly edge of my not so shiny short sword against the throat of my attacker.

For a long moment in time that is where we paused. I could hear only the heavy breathing of the both of us. I figured I should say something but the words would not form on my tongue. It had been a very long while since I last spoke with my lips and not with my mind.

I had to force speech; it no longer seemed natural. 'Who are you?' Was all I managed.

There came more heavy breathing then too my absolute surprise a feminine voice. The adrenaline rush of the short battle had stopped me from scenting her.

'Who in Nex's name is asking? Get your paws off me, filth! Don't you know who I am?' She sounded upper-class and therefore naturally outraged.

She was indignant for sneaking up on me?

I replied, 'I'm afraid I do not, my lady, but considering you were sneaking up on us in the dead of night I think I have a right to be suspicious.'

Conversation with the tongue. I hadn't missed much.

'Get your paws off me, bandit, or forever pay for your mistake.' She sounded quite convincing.

I was going to take no chances. With steel held to her neck I patted along her waist and hips, searching for anything that could prove dangerous. Finding nothing other than a handkerchief and a flint and tinder I swiftly drew myself away, keeping the sword thrust in her direction. Her basic outline I could see and her sparkling blue eyes shone in the blackness like gems in tar as she turned to face me. The rest of her features were hidden by the night.

Silence fell again, both of us motionless and staring.

'Permit me to light my lantern?' She asked sarcastically. I nodded my consent and watched her carefully as she bent and patted around the ground until she found what she sought. 'My flint and tinder?' I was dumbstruck for a moment before I remembered I'd taken it. It was no more than a tiny metal slab and a striking tool, but it worked. Soon a glow of light formed and pushed back the oppressiveness of the night from the small lantern.

She was no older than I was; she must have just entered her twenties. The girl was shorter than I, though not by much. She was still breathing quite roughly from the tussle though I imagine it was more from shock than anything else. She was not wearing travelling clothing, her garment too thin and wispy it almost looked like a nightgown, though I could not deny she looked beautiful dressed in such a fashion. The dress accentuated her curves without getting in the way of movement. The rich blues running through the fabric glittered in the light of the lantern. I guessed the garment would have looked better had it not become ruffled and muddied in our scuffle.

'What are you doing out here all alone, miss?' I asked, keeping my tone genial. It took a moment to search my brain for her species but eventually I recognised her as a Snow Leopard. Strange, you didn't see many of them wandering about.

She took a long time to reply, she seemed somewhat dumbfounded by my appearance. 'I should ask you the same question,' she replied in a manner clearly suggesting she was affronted.

She was avoiding my query which led me quickly to the conclusion that she was not supposed to be out here. I let it slide for now; after all, I was the one with the sword.

'My lady, I am of the wilderness, the world is my home and I take refuge from my travels where I see fit, that is why I am here, and I do not appreciate being crept up on in the middle of the night.'

I cannot tell if she heard me or not, or even if she were listening. I knew a moment of renewed anger as she so blatantly ignored me and spent her time trying not to look at me. I followed her glancing gazes, before realisation struck me. I felt my entire body heat up and flush in the cool night, I was glad of the low lighting, it would hopefully obscure the blush I felt rising on my cheeks.

Here I was, in the middle of an autumn midnight, standing before a complete stranger who not moments ago was sneaking by my camp, entirely nude, bar the sword I still clutched in my paw. A long, most definitely awkward silence hung between us like a spider's web dangles haphazardly from rafters. I would have been glad of anything to break the silence, well, almost anything.

'I saw you fly here today,' she blurted out. I don't think she had meant to say it so abruptly.

As she stared at me intently I could have easily lost myself in those striking blue eyes. They carried an edge to them I could not quite explain, beyond that she was obviously hiding something, her eyes told whispers of a story long hidden.

Before I could ponder this any longer, she spoke again. 'You have a dragon, I saw him. There are only two kinds of Anthrokin that ride a dragon.'

If she meant to put me on the back foot she succeeded very well at it. My mind raced. Perhaps she was bluffing? Maybe she just wanted me to admit it and prove her right? Then again, being accused of communing with dragons was not an accusation made lightly. I had to say something; silence was just as incriminating. I tried my paw at a lie. 'You must be mistaken, miss. I have no companion, I travel entirely alone.'

I like to think it was fate that ordained my dragon's head should appear over my shoulder at that very moment, but I knew him better. He'd picked his moment well.

The girl gasped audibly and took a few hurried steps backwards before she met with a sturdy tree. Her chest rose frantically as she stared wide-eyed at the dragon towering behind me. I think she may have fainted had she not been stronger and I almost thought her lush white and dotted fur couldn't have gotten any paler, but I was proven wrong.

I lifted an arm and patted my dragon on the side of the neck and he gave me a bemused, sideways glance, asking who she was. She's harmless, I'll explain later, I answered. That seemed to settle him, thankfully he was a very even tempered dragon.

'Please, try to relax,' I finally said, approaching her slowly. 'He isn't going to harm you, I promise you that.' He gave a disdainful snort to that comment and I kicked his foreleg.

The Snow Leopard was still gasping for breath and staring rudely at my dragon, though I think she was gaining a level of control over herself by this time.

'This is a dream...' She whispered.

It was only then that I realised the dilemma that now presented itself. We could not keep her as our prisoner, for a start, my dragon and I were deeply opposed to any form of prison or slavery situation, that and someone was bound to note her missing. But we could not let her run off and tell the nearest town she'd seen a boy riding a bond-dragon. The whole kingdom would know soon enough. Perhaps nobody would believe her, but it was not a risk I was willing to take. She'd already gotten a good look at the both of us. A very good look.

'Look, my lady, we don't want any trouble, we're not here to take innocent townsfolk as mindless slaves, we're not here to eat anyone, we're only passing through this way and we intend to be gone before day's first light.' I tried to explain. Rife were the tales of dragons enforcing their will over innocents and taking them as their hapless slaves, but that was mere rumour, something concocted by men at war and the Faithful to scare the townsfolk and create hatred. The eating part I could not exactly defend.

'What is his name?' She asked.

I was taken aback once again by this girl but gathered myself shortly and replied: 'Skyfyre.' I'd named him for his spirit and those red spirals on his neck and body.

'He's... gorgeous.' She uttered.

We were both taken by surprise, though Skyfyre's did not last long before he stood up taller and stuck out his chest, unfurling his wings as much as the trees would allow. I could only roll my eyes at the vain beast, though a brief chuckle did pass my lips.

Skyfyre suddenly impressed upon me that she looked very tasty; it was his way of returning the compliment. He professed that she would go down easily, though the curves might be an issue. I couldn't help my lips turning up a small grin as I glanced at him, replying by asking why everything had to revolve around his stomach. He gave me a confused stare as if I'd asked him if he could do without his wings or his legs for that matter. He collapsed onto his side most suddenly and spread his hind legs, showing off his protective slit. I blushed and scalded him, but he was adamant in proving that his belly was not the only thing his world centred on. He gave a pleasant churr and mockingly reminded me I ranked third on the list. I just rolled my eyes again at his antics and shrugged off the depraved images he forced into my mind.

I'd forgotten about the girl this whole time and when I looked back to her she was very slowly creeping forwards, her crystal eyes fixated on my dragon. He tilted his head as she approached, closing his hind legs and stretched out his neck, flicking out his tongue, tasting her scent. She paused timidly a short distance from him. She only flinched a little when he rolled and stood back up on all fours, taking two short strides to bring him close enough to touch her. He stared down at her from his advantageous position. He regarded her with a curiosity I'd only ever seen in him when he was deciding if something was edible or not. This didn't bode well.

Before anything could happen I stepped briskly between the two of them and gave him a rebuking glare as he gazed down at me. I was almost muzzle to muzzle with this girl now. I could not help but intake a breath of her scent. She was sweet smelling, some perfume I gathered that mixed delicately with her natural scent.

'Perhaps we should retreat to our camp and light a fire, it will be warmer and I'm sure you'll get a better look of him from there.' I offered.

She stared up at him for a time longer before turning her gaze to me. She gave a swift nod and turned away, reaching for her lantern, the beads in her long silvery hair clicking in the darkness.

We have to make this girl like us, dear one, we can't have her telling others about us. I told him.

It was an awkward walk back to camp though thankfully short as we had not strayed far. I grabbed up my clothing that had been neatly dumped in a pile and hurriedly pulled it on, though I tried not to show any further embarrassment. I did not bother to put my jerkin on as the night was warm enough once we got the fire going. I stoked the fire and added the last of the wood gathered yesterday to give it a warming glow. However, it could not be too bright or we might attract attention, at least, even more attention than we already had.

There was a long pause. Both the girl and I tried not to look as if we were staring, though Skyfyre seemed less bothered. He had taken up his spot on the earth again; the outline of which clearly visible from the flattened grass, dented dry dirt and crushed flowers. He was keeping one eye on her constantly, ever the guardian. I was pleased he was taking this well, his history with Anthrokin has not been a good one.

I looked at her in the full light of the fire. Her clothing belied the neatness of her thick, misty white fur, dotted with circles of black. She moved with a grace that was not of a hunter but that of a well-bred individual or at least someone who has spent a lifetime around them.

I finally broke the uncomfortable silence. 'I'm sorry miss, I have not told you my name, I am Sol Taran, and it is nice to meet you.' I informed her as politely as I could, remembering the objective to keep her sweet. 'And I fear I did not catch your name earlier.'

Perhaps the sudden break in the silence caught her or maybe it was the question but there was a clear hesitation before she answered. 'My name is Leera Strantis. It is nice to meet you.' She added almost as an afterthought.

'I'm going to guess that you live near this forest.' No reply; I was probably right. 'You do not look like one who usually travels the woods, Leera.' I let the implied question hang for a short while.

'I am a maid of the Horthorn Household.' She informed me briskly. Those names meant nothing. They could have been lesser nobles or just rich merchants for all I knew. Before I could ask any follow up questions she asked her own. 'I've heard many tales about dragons of the wild, most of them bad. I did not know that dragons were ridden outside of the military, but I seriously doubt you are a soldier of any army or a mercenary. Did you desert and steal this dragon?'

She sneaks up on us in the middle of the night and now she is giving the inquisition?

'I am no deserter and I am no mercenary and I did not steal Skyfyre.' I told her indignantly.

'So how did you come across him?' She asked.

Skyfyre shifted uneasily as did I. That was certainly not a topic either of us liked to discuss, especially with a stranger. But I had to tell her something, if she was to trust us then I could not leave such wide gaps in our story. Therefore, I thought the best option was to lie.

'I found him when he was a hatchling and kept him safe. He learnt to trust me and we bonded together through that trust. But pretty soon he got too big and it became impossible to hide him. Fearing that they might take him away we ran off together and we've been running ever since.'

She seemed to mull it over before saying, 'I've read about the bonding. The way the Faitful tell it a dragon steals the soul of a heretical Anthrokin and wipes his mind clean, leaving the shell of a male under its control. Only true belief to the Faith can save him from such a fate.'

I had heard similar things and as far as I knew they were lies. I could not tell whether or not she actually believed those tales, but I thought it best to give my first-paw knowledge. I had heard of those who willingly bonded with a dragon being tortured and burnt alive for practising the evil magic of demons. Such practitioners were given no chance to repent and 'cleansed' as soon as possible so their taint did not spread. It is also said that their corrupted soul is cast forever into the lair of the Hellbringer, Nex.

'Those stories are not true, Leera, the bond is merely a meeting of minds. You become linked to your partner so far as to know what they are thinking and what they are feeling. It is purely a mutual sharing, dragons cannot bond with an unwilling Anthrokin, and it has to be consensual. We do not share every thought, only the ones we wish to share, but it is a rarity that we might hide something from one another' This had been my experience at least, having not met any other bonded Anthrokin I could not be entirely sure.

'So your every thought is the same as his? So you don't really know if you're thinking or he is thinking for you?' She quirked a furred brow.

I could see how what I'd said could have been misinterpreted, though that did not help the indignation and building rage that I felt in my gut, Skyfyre gave a low grumble, barely audible. I tried to correct my error. 'No, we have our own thoughts, we just know what each others are, and we can read each other easily and share silently amongst ourselves.'

I think I could see her work it out and understand, although she said nothing that might let on she agreed. Instead, she asked, 'you can understand him them? He speaks, um, thinks the language of Anthrokin.?"

It had all been so natural I had never really thought about it. I believe the bond had its own language, not one that was created, merely one that existed.

I answered after a moment of consideration. 'Yes, we can understand each other perfectly well and the bond isn't so much a language as it is a feeling,' I continued to fumble explaining it, 'information on a vast scale can be shared in the blink of an eye, it is much faster and much more personal than merely speaking the words.' It was the best I could do towards explaining it.

It was an odd feeling discussing these things with someone. I had only ever spoken to one other about my secret bonding before. My guard was still very much up around this girl and I told myself I was only telling her all this so she would understand and hopefully not spread the word that she had seen us. The rare encounters we have previously had with a wanderer or a bandit had ended with hysterical screaming. All had fled at the first sight of a dragon. We would fly away that very minute and avoid that area from then on. On my infrequent trips to various towns for supplies and the like that could not be foraged or scavenged, I had thankfully heard no rumours of a boy and a dragon together. Not that I lingered long enough to hear such stories.

This brought me to the question I posed to both my dragon and to myself. Why has this one not fled? I would have pondered on this had I not been brought out of my thoughts when the Leopard asked, 'so you two could be talking about me right now without me knowing?'

I shrugged inconsequentially. 'I guess we could.' I may as well have just owned up for all the good that did me.

Another eerie silence befell our group. Daybreak was on the horizon; the orangey glow of the sun creeping gradually across the land but not yet piercing into the gloom of the shrouded forest. The crackling of the fire and the twittering of morning birds were the only sounds to be heard, at least to untrained ears that was. Skyfyre had dropped his guard a while ago and had fallen into a drowsy half-sleep but he was alert enough to hear it in the distance. He jerked up his head and twisted his fins, eyes widening and tongue lashing out at the air. Instantly I became aware of it too. The clopping sound of hooves, approaching fast, coming towards us in a wide spread. There were so many they would find us sooner rather than later. They were close already; it was difficult to silence a horse, how they had gotten so close on horseback was a mystery but that was not important at this moment. Skyfyre rose quickly to all fours and I jumped to my feet also, grabbing at the light leather harness.

'What's going on?' Leera asked, anxiety in her voice as she stood with us.

'Riders are coming, they are not far, we have to go right now, you best run Leera, if they catch you with us I don't know what they'll do to you.' I told her briskly.

This would not be the first time we had had to make a quick exit, but this was different; there were a lot of horses this time, easily twenty or perhaps even thirty. We were both trying to keep calm, though the panic and terror we both felt mixed easily together and a heightened sense of dread was the result. I fumbled uselessly with the harness, such an easy thing to attach when not under the threat of imminent death. It did not help that Skyfyre's anxious shifting caused more than a few slips as I tried to belt and strap the harness around him.

To my surprise Leera grasped a strap that had fallen loose from the central seat and looped it around the opposing ring more securely, clipping it on with one of the callipers. I stared at her in bewilderment, my fear being replaced for a split second. What did she have to gain from helping us?

'I told you to leave.' I barked unkindly.

She ignored me and worked quickly to help me secure the harness into place. I grabbed my satchel and sheathed sword, not bothering to clip it to my belt or attach my satchel to the harness. I abandoned my jerkin, I could find another. Those hooves were getting dangerously close now; even Leera was looking about anxiously and she was not being aided by a dragon's hearing. The horses were at full gallop now, crashing through the forest, snapping fallen branches, making an abundance of noise. Had we not heard them sooner we would have surely been surrounded. I did not wish to dwell on what might happen after that.

With practised, if shaky, ease I flung myself over the lowered back of my dragon, who gave my foot a boost with a forepaw as I did so. I looked down from my seating position on the harness at the Leopard. There was a moment of silence and I knew then and there that she was coming with us. I could not leave her here neither did I want her with us, but necessity drove me to reach down a paw and help to haul her up behind me. The saddle was built for one but could accommodate two, barely.

'Hold on very tight.' I warned. She took me at my word and linked her arms around my midsection, hugging close to my back and nearly squeezed the air out of me. She felt soft against the back of my neck and her scent gave me head spin for the briefest of seconds. I had not felt the warmth of another Anthrokin pressed against my body for what seemed a very long time, especially a female.

Skyfyre grumbled unhappily as Leera saddled up behind me but there was no time to argue. The first rider could be seen through the trees now, coming at us with speed. A bellowing call from a horn echoed into the forest and was answered from all around us by similar thundering calls. These were no armatures or city watch.

Normally we would have walked out of the forested area before departing, but this small clearing would have to do. With a jerk, a bob and a jumping lurch into the air, Skyfyre spread his wings and gave them a rough flap. It was not a graceful take off; his wings crashed into the surrounding canopy and poked holes into the membranes between his spine-like wings. He had leapt up in as steep an angle as he could manage, only the single safety strap around my belt held me on the harness and the arms of the Leopard behind me pushed all the air out of my lungs as she gripped like a snake. Skyfyre let out a roar as his chest was scratched by the thick branches that scraped along his underside as we departed, not enough to do damage to his hard scales but it still hurt. I cringed and gasped, shuddering as I felt his pain clearly as if those branches had raked along my own fur.

I dared to look back to see the progress of our assailants once we were just beyond the canopy. To my horror I saw one cloaked rider with wolfish looking paws drawing a bow and aiming at us. Skyfyre was still in the process of lifting off and gaining altitude so there was little he could do to avoid the strike without plummeting back to the ground. We both knew it was inevitable when the arrow thudded dully into Skyfyre's hip, piercing the armoured scales with ease. The pain made him falter and we dropped a couple of feet as he let out a shrill cry but he gained his composure and thrust his wings through the air, lurching upwards sickeningly. It was all I could do not to pass out as I clutched my unscathed hip.

Another shot was fired, fortunately it hit at the wrong angle and skipped over his scaled haunches. We were away, though not without paying for it. We knew we had to get far from here but for Skyfyre every wing beat was a chore and his breathing became hoarse. I could feel the sickness rising in me, making me shudder and hunch over. This was not just the arrow, there was a potent poison coursing through my dragon's veins, working mechanically to cause pain and weakness. These hunters knew what they were doing and would undoubtedly follow us, expecting to find us in a heap, gasping for breath.

We would not let it happen.

Not enough ground had been covered before exhaustion and sickness were becoming overwhelming, though we had to go on. Each wing beat was slow and arduous, barely keeping us aloft or moving. I would have slumped forward if it were not for Leera supporting me. I felt now that she kept me on Skyfyre as much as I was keeping her secured. With no buckle back there for her I truly was her only lifeline and at this moment I feared she was ours.

I clutched at my dragon and soothed dimly along his neck, trying to share comforting thoughts with him and not letting the darkness that wished to claim my mind fog our bond. I was not sure if unconsciousness would affect Skyfyre as sleep did not seem to travel so strongly through our bond but I was not willing to risk it. I groaned like a sick child; I would have wept from the pain if I had had the energy. Is this how we were to end? Sick and dying, to be captured, tortured and burned alive? My thoughts were bleak and mingled with my dragon's already dismal outlook, very soon we were both in a spiral of hopelessness.

It was not much longer before Skyfyre couldn't stay airborne and he began to glide downwards, heading blindly for whatever cover there was. It did not matter now, all the will in the world could not keep us in the sky. I did not even feel the landing, I only remember tumbling and throwing up onto a patch of grass before passing out entirely, reaching out through the bond one last desperate time to clutch at my dragon before all consciousness faded and we slipped away from each other.