My Mate 3 by Kurashi

My Mate 3

Kurashi, Dragon, Fox, M/M, No-Yiff, Plot Development, Violence (not In Yiff)

Author's notes:First and foremost, I have to say there's no sex in this chapter, but there's lots of plot development to make up for it. That said, I hope you guys enjoy this new installment of Farin and Sekk'ral's story. Standard Disclaimer:Again, this story is not suitable for minors. It involves the trials and tribulations of two romantically involved anthropomorphic male creatures. If you find any part of this description offensive in any way or form, stop reading right now and close the window; otherwise, please proceed. "My Mate - part 3"~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Written by Kurashi (Oct/2012). Part 1 available here: http://www.sofurry.com/view/39132Part 2 available here: http://www.sofurry.com/view/378807 Groaning, the fox stirred. Somewhat dazed, he opened his eyes. His head hurt, his mind reeling, and it took him a few moments to realize that something wasn't quite right. It was eerily dark and quiet. Especially quiet. Not a single sound could be heard, other than the fox morph's own ragged breathing. Confused and disoriented, he tried to move, only to be greeted by the clinking sound of chains. That's when he realized he was fastened to a wall, with heavy chains and clamps around his wrists, neck, waist and ankles, holding him in place. A little, involuntary shriek escaped from his throat due to the shock of the sudden realization, but it was muffled by something holding his mouth shut. The poor fox began to panic, as he vainly struggled in his bonds, his desperate screams hopelessly silenced by the piece of cloth tightly tied around his muzzle, keeping it shut. Eventually, he gave up. There was no way he could break free. All he could do was stay put and hang his head in defeat, letting his welling tears drop silently to the dirty ground below. It came back to him at that point. He had been abducted by three large dragon morphs. One of them had knocked him down with a swift blow to the stomach, at which point it all became a hazy blur for the downed fox. The assailants let out a coarse laughter as the furred morph gasped for air on the ground, curled up in pain. Eventually, one of them picked him up, and then all three took off to the skies with the helpless vulpine in tow. He must have passed out at that point, because that was the last thing he remembered. Until waking up just a few moments ago to find himself chained to a wall, that is. A cell. That's where he woke up in. And it was a small one at that, not to mention dark, cold and damp. The fox was its sole occupant. There was a heavy wooden door to his right, and a minuscule window high up on the wall to his left. That window, if it could really be called that, was the only source of light in the room, however small and negligible. But the fox was paying no attention to it. He couldn't. Frightened and still crying in silence, the young vulpine prisoner despaired. He thought he was going to die in that place, and he didn't even know why. He had never wronged anyone, and, in fact, he had never even seen the three violent dragon morphs that abducted him before. His thoughts turned to Sekk'ral, his beloved mate. He wished he could be back at his cave, safe and warm by his side. But no amount of wishing would make it happen. Another teardrop fell, silently, to the ground... Then, a faint noise cracked the deathly silence. The ears of the fox perked, as they caught the sound of footsteps coming from outside the cell. The sounds grew gradually closer, until they stopped right behind the door to his cell, and was replaced by the rustling of keys and the sound of the lock being opened. The furred prisoner turned his head to the wooden door, expectant. Soon enough, the heavy door opened with a loud creaking sound, and the warm light of a torch pierced the cold darkness, forcing the fox to shut his eyes for a few moments, turning his head away. A figure had entered the cell, closing the door behind him and leaving the torch on an indentation on the wall. Slowly, the fox opened his eyes, and his attention turned to the figure standing in front of him. It was a dragon morph, but it wasn't Sekk'ral. It wasn't any of those other three dragon morphs either. The mysterious visitor was wearing a white robe, and the many wrinkles on his draconic face did little to hide his old age. His eyes looked tired and weary, but also calm and full of wisdom. Somehow, the fox felt his anxiety fade just by looking at them. Indeed, there was nothing even remotely threatening about that old dragon morph. Quite the opposite, in fact. - "I am a priest." -the robed dragon introduced himself; his voice soft and soothing- "Don't be afraid, young fox. I have come to help you". He then walked forward, helping himself with a cane for support, and removed the piece of cloth tied around the prisoner's muzzle. He then proceeded to unlock the chains holding the fox against the wall, one by one. "I'm sorry about all this" -the dragon priest said apologetically as he removed the heavy chains- "I really don't know why they felt they had to treat you like this, those savages. It was completely unnecessary". Finally, the last chain fell and the fox was free to move again. He looked at his mysterious savior with big, quizzical eyes. There were so many questions he wanted to ask, he didn't know where to begin. The aged dragon must have seen the confusion in the eyes of the young fox morph, because he smiled and said: - "Don't worry. I will try to explain everything, but first, would you tell me your name?"- "Uh... Farin...".- "All right, Farin. Listen. Like I told you before, I want to help you, but you have to help me help you. I'm going to ask you some questions, and I need you to answer them truthfully. Can you do this for me?" Farin stayed silent for a while, then he nodded in agreement. He really didn't have many other options, plus he felt he could trust this dragon. He had released him from his binds after all. It could also be that he desperately needed to trust someone at that point. - "Very well then" -the old dragon morph said, and then he asked- "Do you know a dragon named Sekk'ral?"- "I... uh..." -Farin stammered. He really wasn't expecting such question. The young fox averted his gaze nervously, not knowing what to answer. Deep inside, he knew his reaction had already answered the question for him, loud and clear.- "You... you do know him, don't you?"- "I... I..." -he trailed off again, words failing him. It was already too late to say he didn't know Sekk'ral, and he knew it. It was pointless to even try.- "I'm on your side, Farin" -the dragon said, reassuringly- "You can trust me". Eventually, after a few moments of silence, Farin closed his eyes, sighed, and quietly admitted: "Yes, I know him..." - "I see" -the dragon said- "And... what is the nature of your relationship?" - "He is... He is my mate".

-.-.-.-.-.- My Mate, Part 3: Forbidden Love -.-.-.-.-.-_______________________________________________________ Farin told him everything. The old dragon listened attentively as the young fox told him about how he had met Sekk'ral in the woods. He reminisced about how his initial shock and apprehension at stumbling into such an imposing creature slowly turned into admiration, which in turn led to the surge of several emotions he couldn't quite describe. "Before I knew it, I had fallen in love with him" -he explained- "We both knew how unusual the whole thing was, but we didn't care. It just happened, and I'm glad it did". The fox went on to tell about the wonderful time they had spent together, and how happy they were. The dragon priest also understood Farin and Sekk'ral had been intimate, even though the fox made no mention of it. He didn't need to. It was obvious to the old dragon just by the way he talked about Sekk'ral. The fox was truly, deeply in love with him. He could read it in his eyes. - "Well..." -the dragon priest said- "I have to admit I wasn't quite expecting all this, but... I can tell you are telling the truth. A truth that, unfortunately, complicates everything..." The dragon priest sat on a nearby slab of stone laid out as a makeshift bench. He clearly needed some time to digest what the fox had told him. - "Why?" -Farin asked- "What's really going on? Where am I?"- "Well, you are in the heart of the Great Southern Canyon, home of the mighty dragon clan of the south. This cell is right beneath the palace of my king. You, little one, are his prisoner... for the time being, at least".- "But... why?"- "I'm afraid I can't answer that, Farin. It wouldn't be appropriate. I believe nobody but Sekk'ral should answer that particular question. I'm sorry".- "Except... I might never see him again".- "Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that. If the story you just told me is true, and I have absolutely no reason to believe it isn't, then rest assured Sekk'ral will come for you. In fact, I'm sure he will be here before the sun sets".- "Really?" -Farin's face visibly lit up with renewed hope.- "Yes, little one." -the old dragon smiled- "I'm sure of it". The robed dragon morph then got up and slowly made his way toward the door. "Well, I have to go now." -he said- "I have to meet with the king. Oh, and I'll also see if I can get you something to eat. You must be starving". Farin watched as the visitor left the cell and the door closed. He was still a prisoner, but at least he was no longer chained to a wall, and the cell wasn't so dark and cold anymore, not with the torch the kind dragon priest had left behind. Suddenly, things didn't look so bleak anymore. Perhaps there was still some hope after all.

About five hours had passed. The warm, orange-tinted light of the setting sun was shining upon the Great Southern Canyon, and upon the palace of the dragon king of the south, located in the dead center of the canyon. Said palace was actually carved into the solid rock. Its entrance, situated on the vertical wall of the canyon, at a height of no less than a hundred yards from the bottom, was inaccesible to anyone not capable of flight. There was a semicircular rock platform protruding just outside the opening, for easier landing and take-off. Two guards stood on it, one at each side of the entrance, with their arms folded over their chests, keeping a watchful gaze for anything remotely suspicious. All of a sudden, a winged figure in a blue robe landed before them. Folding his large wings, the figure stood up and turned toward the entrance to the palace, disregarding the guards. It was Sekk'ral, and his scowling face showed no signs of emotions other than fury. Not uttering a single word, the large dragon morph walked past the startled guards, ignoring them completely as if they weren't even there. He just went in, his gaze transfixed straight ahead. A couple more guards were stationed inside, but they reacted in much the same way as the guards outside. Shocked, they just stepped back, moving out of Sekk'ral's way. The dragon king of the south, lord of the southern dragon clan, sat on his throne at the back of his very spacious throne room, clad in blue and gold robes. The dragon priest stood to his right. Even though there were a fair number of lit torches hanging on the walls, the room was still quite dark and somber, perhaps because of how expansive it was. The large dragon morph sitting on the throne looked equally somber, as if a grave problem had taken over all his attention. When the doors to the room opened, all he did was raise his gaze. Sekk'ral was there, and he was staring back at him with ice cold eyes, but neither said a single word. Sekk'ral then continued walking onwards, making his way across the room, until he stood in front of the dragon king. A tense silence ensued, as both dragons stood still for several minutes, their eyes staring intently into each other's. Finally, Sekk'ral spoke: - "Where is he?" The words came out dry and in a low-pitched monotone, ultimately sounding more like a threat. - "Who?" -the dragon king said, not breaking eye contact.- "You know who. The fox. Where is he?" -Sekk'ral asked, raising his voice ever so slightly.- "Why do you even care? It's a damn fox!" -the king exclaimed, losing his composure.- "That's none of your business. Where is he?"- "Are you--? Are you telling me you really care about that stupid, flea-bitten--"- "For the last time..." -Sekk'ral said, interrupting the dragon king mid-sentence- "Where. Is. He". The dragon king opened his eyes wide. The way those last three words were said made it unmistakably clear: it was an ultimatum. Speechless, the monarch stayed silent for a few moments, clearly taken aback by Sekk'ral's unflinching resolve. Finally, he closed his eyes and sighed in defeat. Then he motioned for the dragon priest to come closer. - "How may I be of assistance, my lord?" -said the priest.- "Lead him to where the fox is".- "Yes, my lord". The priest opened a door in the back of the room and waited reverently. On his way toward that door, Sekk'ral stopped briefly, turned his head to the king once more and said: - "Thank you, father". Then he continued onwards.

"Sekk'ral! Oh, gods, it's you! It's really you!" -Farin said, his eyes quickly tearing up.- "Oh, Farin, I'm so glad to see you!" -the large dragon morph said as he took one step toward his mate, relieved to see that he wasn't hurt.- "I... I missed you so much!" -the fox exclaimed, throwing himself into Sekk'ral's strong, muscular arms, unable to contain his tears anymore.- "Me too, foxy boy. Me too". The priest stood outside the cell, witnessing Farin and Sekk'ral's heartwarming reunion, his own heart melting at the sight. The dragon and the fox were together in a tight embrace. Farin cried tears of happiness, which streamed down the orange and white fur of his face. Sekk'ral stroke the hair of his young vulpine mate tenderly, telling him that everything was fine. "Come on, Farin" -he said, his voice calm and gentle- "Let's go back home". Leaving the dark, damp dungeons behind, the old priest led the unusual couple back to the throne room. The dragon king was still there, sitting on his throne with his eyes closed, but Sekk'ral paid no attention to him. He just headed straight to the exit, Farin walking close beside him. Then, all of a sudden, the king opened his eyes and made his voice heard:
"All right. You got the fox. What are you going to do now, Sekk'ral?"- "Why, I'm leaving with him, of course. And I'm never coming back".- "So, that's it? You turn your back to your kin for that... lowly mammal? I just... I--I can't believe this".- "I'm sorry things didn't go your way, father, but I'm not changing my mind. Good-bye." No more words were exchanged. Sekk'ral and Farin left the room, leaving behind a profoundly disappointed dragon king. Soon enough, they both found themselves standing outside the palace. The sun had just set, and the slowly darkening dusk sky was tinted with beautiful shades of purple. Farin opened his mouth in amazement, but not because of the sky. He was awestruck by the breathtaking view of the grand canyon, which stretched far and wide to either side of the entrance to the palace. The young fox morph had never seen anything like it before, so his reaction was quite understandable. However, it was not the time to admire the scenery, awe-inspiring as it may be.
"Well, Farin..." -the dragon morph said- "I'm afraid the only way out of here is by air".- "Oh... Well... If it can't be helped..."- "Don't worry. I'll try not to fly too fast".- "Okay..." Farin hated it. He really, really hated it, but there really was no other way. Reluctantly, the earthbound fox morph held onto Sekk'ral's larger frame, wrapping his arms around the dragon morph's wide neck. Sekk'ral, in turn, wrapped both of his powerful arms around the waist of the smaller male, holding him fast. Then he stretched his magnificent dragon wings wide and walked toward the edge of the platform.
"All right, are you ready?" -Sekk'ral asked.- "Please don't let go of me!" -Farin implored, shutting his eyes and tightening his grip.- "Never will" -Sekk'ral assured him- "Well, here we go". And, with that, Sekk'ral leapt off the platform, taking a terrified, shrieking Farin with him. Flapping his mighty wings, the dragon morph flew into the horizon, relieved that the nightmare was finally over. Little did he know how wrong he really was...
"NO!" -The dragon king shouted, slamming his fist onto the arm of his throne- "I will not allow this!!" The enraged dragon morph in blue and gold robes pointed a clawed finger at one of the guards, and yelled:
"You! Call general Ra'ghalek immediately!"- "Y-yes, my lord". ____________ Soaring gently under the dusk sky, Sekk'ral left the Great Southern Canyon behind. Farin had stopped shrieking, but he still hung tightly onto the dragon, even though he was perfectly secure in Sekk'ral's hold.
"You okay there?" -asked the dragon morph.- "Y-yeah..." -Farin said.- "Good" -Sekk'ral paused for a few moments before adding- "I'm sorry you had to go through that ordeal. It was all my fault".- "Huh?"- "I was careless. I shouldn't have left you alone in the cave".- "Oh..."- "Listen. That dragon I spoke to before we left is the king of the dragon clan of the south... and also my father".- "Right, you did call him that" -Farin said, reminiscing about the tense exchange between the two dragon morphs- "So... does that make you a prince?"- "I suppose... but I renounced to that title the night I left the canyon, right after I had that... argument with my father".- "What happened?"- "Well, you see. He wanted me to marry the princess of another dragon clan, to seal a strategic alliance between the two clans" -Sekk'ral explained- "It was a purely political affair, where love mattered very little. I, well, disagreed".- "I see..." -Farin said, finally understanding what was going on- "So, that's why you left the canyon in the first place".- "Exactly. And I thought I had settled far enough so that they couldn't ever find me, but it looks like I had underestimated them".- "Do you... do you think they'll leave you alone now?"- "I hope so". Right at that moment, from behind, a voice loudly called the dragon morph's name.
"Lord Sekk'ral!" The dragon stopped in mid air and turned to discover a formation of about a dozen soldiers headed by an imposing dragon morph with very dark green scales -so dark in fact that they looked almost black. It was general Ra'ghalek, known and feared among his peers for his ruthlessness, and it was he who had called Sekk'ral's name. Farin recognized the cold-eyed general as one of the three fearsome dragons who had abducted him earlier that day, and felt a cold shiver run up his spine.
"What do you want?" -asked Sekk'ral, annoyed.- "Your father, the king, sent us to escort you back to the palace" -Ra'ghalek stated.- "Huh. Well, go back the way you came and tell him I'm not going back there".- "I'm afraid that is not an option, my lord".- "What does that mean?"- "It means our exact orders are to bring you back 'by any means necessary'..." Suddenly and without a warning, something large and heavy hit Sekk'ral from behind! It was K'orr, the bulky dragon soldier with the prominent stomach, who had shoulder-charged full-force into the dragon prince's back, knocking Farin out of his grasp! The poor, shrieking fox began falling to his doom, but his fall was quickly interrupted as a second dragon soldier swiftly caught him and flew back to Ra'ghalek's group without missing a beat.
"Good job, Vrekkias!" -Ra'ghalek said, and then shouted- "Everyone, back to the palace, now!!" Immediately, they all turned and flew back toward the canyon as fast as their wings would permit. Cursing loudly, Sekk'ral chased after them. Both parties tore through the evening sky at ludicrous speeds, with neither side showing signs of slowing down. Thus, only a few minutes later, Ra'ghalek and his group arrived to the Great Southern Canyon and rushed into the palace carved in the rock, with Farin in tow. Sekk'ral followed a second later, determined to get his furred mate back. He barged into the throne room to find himself face-to-face with a respectable number of dragon soldiers standing in a half-circle formation, all of them seemingly ready to attack at a moment's notice. Behind them, the dragon king stood by his throne, arms folded over his broad chest, his eyes doing little to hide the great anger burning inside. Next to him, K'orr, Vrekkias and Ra'ghalek waited for further orders. The tall one still had Farin in his grip, with a hand pressed tightly on his mouth to keep the struggling fox morph quiet.
"What is this, father?" -asked Sekk'ral- "What do you possibly expect to accomplish?"- "My patience has run thin..." -the dragon king declared- "I've been too lenient, Sekk'ral, but no longer! You either return to me as my son, or you die as a traitor!"- "You wouldn't--"- "...kill my own son? Of course not! But I don't see him around here. All I'm seeing here is a shameful traitor!" The wrathful monarch briefly turned to Ra'ghalek and the other two, and ordered them to "throw that cursed fox back into his cell!" -and then added in a foreboding manner- "I'll decide his fate later, when this is over".
"Yes, my lord!" -Ra'ghalek exclaimed before heading toward the dungeons, followed by both K'orr and Vrekkias.
"Farin, I'm coming for you!!" -shouted Sekk'ral as he charged recklessly into the numerous soldiers standing before him.- "SOLDIERS! SUBDUE THE TRAITOR!!" -commanded the king, shouting each word at the top of his lungs. And then, all hell broke loose in the throne room, as the many dragon soldiers all charged at once against their former prince, under the watchful eyes of their resentful king.
"My king, this is insanity! Please stop this, I beg you!" -shouted the old dragon priest, barely believing how things had so quickly spiraled out of control before his very eyes.- "It's too late now, priest. He had his chance and he wasted it." -said the king, his voice unwavering- "Clearly, this is what he wanted." ____________ Farin yelped as he hit the floor after being quite literally thrown into a cell. It wasn't the same room as earlier that day, but a different, bigger one. Maybe it was meant for two prisoners? Of course, Farin was hardly concerned about such trivial details at that moment. As the young fox morph tried to get up, he noticed that, instead of leaving and closing the door, the dreaded general Ra'ghalek had sat on a stone bench next to the entrance, inside the cell, and was looking intently at him with his arms crossed over his chest, as if pondering something. The other two dragon morphs -K'orr and Vrekkias- stood just outside the cell, waiting. Farin flinched instinctively. "Why is he still here?" -the vulpine wondered to himself, worried.
"Vrekkias. K'orr. Come here." -the sinister-looking dragon morph with the dark scales said, still looking at Farin with ice-cold eyes.- "Yes, boss?" -the two other dragon morphs said, entering the room.- "The fox. We have to kill him."- "What?"- "You heard me. He's been nothing but trouble. Everything would be better if he just disappeared."- "Well, that's true" -said K'orr, the short, stout dragon with yellow-tinted green scales.- "I have to say, it really does look like he put our prince under some sort of spell..." -remarked Vrekkias, the tall, slim dragon with bluish green scales- "...and I'm suspecting the priest too, to some extent."- "Exactly. This has gone far enough. The fox has to die, right here and right now." -sentenced Ra'ghalek, his cold, murderous glare making Farin back against the farthest wall in the room in fear. The poor fox morph was terrified. He couldn't believe what was being discussed before him. He was so scared he couldn't even scream for help; not that it would have actually helped him much anyway. Trembling in terror, he watched as the malevolent general stood up and grimly cracked his knuckles, seemingly in preparation for what was to come.
"Vrekkias, get me a torch" -Ra'ghalek said. Quickly, the tall dragon morph took a torch from outside the cell and handed it to his general as requested. Ra'ghalek then addressed Farin:
"You. Farin, right?" -he said- "Get on your feet. Now." Still shaking, the terrified fox morph complied.
"How old are you, kid?" -Ra'ghalek asked.- "E...eigh...eighteen..." -Farin stuttered, his tail arched between his legs.- "Eighteen!? Ahahahah!!" -K'orr exclaimed, his coarse laughter filling the room- "Can you believe that kid, Vrekkias? Eighteen!! Ahahahahahah!!"- "Do you know how old Sekk'ral is?" -Vrekkias asked the fox while K'orr continued to laugh beside him.- "I... I..."- "He is one hundred and thirty nine years old." Farin was shocked. Was that dragon really telling the truth? Could Sekk'ral really be over one hundred years old?
"That's right, kid" -Vrekkias continued- "And his father, our king, is four hundred and fifty years old. And the priest is over eight hundred years old."- "In case you didn't know..." -Ra'ghalek said- "...we dragons can live up to one thousand years! But lesser beings like you can hardly reach... what, sixty? Seventy, if you are really lucky? At any rate, you are nothing to us. And if you really thought Sekk'ral could be with you, you were just being delusional."- "Yes! Delusional! Let's kill him now!" -K'orr said with glee.- "Don't get ahead of yourself, K'orr" -the general said- "One thing at a time." Turning to Farin, Ra'ghalek said: "Hey, kid! Think fast!", and then threw the torch in his direction. The young fox morph caught it in his hands, not sure what was going on anymore.
"Nice catch" -the general said- "Now... set yourself on fire."- "W...what?" -Farin said, stunned.- "I said, set yourself on fire" -Ra'ghalek repeated calmly, and then he added with a smirk: "Either you do it yourself, or we do it for you... after beating you to a pulp, that is. Your choice." Sweating, Farin took a desperate look at the torch in his quivering hands. His heart was beating fast and loud in his chest, his blood pumped full of adrenaline. He knew he had to escape if he wanted to stay alive, but how? He was cornered, backed against a wall inside a room that only had one exit, which was blocked by the three large dragon morphs bent on murdering him. Fight or flight. It had all come down to that - the most primal of survival instincts. He had to fight for his life. Ra'ghalek raised an eyebrow and said: "Oh? What are you doing?", somewhat amused to see Farin's response. The fox had extended his arms in front of him, holding the torch he was given with both hands, as if he intended to use it to fend his attackers off. He also bared his teeth, growling like the canid he was, making his intentions clear. "Poor, delusional kid" -Vrekkias said- "He thinks he stands a chance". K'orr chuckled: "That's ridiculous! I say we show him just how wrong he is!"
"If that's your final choice, so be it..." -Ra'ghalek sentenced, taking one step forward, and then another... Grinning, the large, imposing dragon general took slow, deliberate steps toward Farin, like a predator closing in on its cornered, helpless prey. He knew how to instill fear in his victims, and he was savoring every minute of it. The young fox morph, although still growling, was shaking uncontrollably. Every fiber in the advancing wall of bulging dragon muscle in front of his terrified eyes was poised to kill him. And that gaze... That terrible, murderous gaze... "D-don't come any closer!" -Farin shouted, waving the torch in front of him in a futile attemp to deter Ra'ghalek, who just smirked, never stopping. Finally, the implacable dragon stood right in front of the smaller, furred male, ominously towering above him like a massive mountain of death. He was grinning; his huge, muscular frame dwarfing the poor, hopelessly outmatched fox. Ra'ghalek knew he could kill Farin any way he wanted, which is probably why he was taking his time.
"Well, kid. This is it. Are you ready?" -He said, kracking his knuckles.- "G-Go away! I--I'll burn your face, I swear!" -Farin exclaimed, desperately waving his torch once more, arms shaking.- "I'd love to see you try..." Farin couldn't take it anymore. He thrust himself forward, driving the torch directly toward Ra'ghalek's face! ...but it never reached its target. With a swift movement, the fearsome dragon general knocked the torch out of Farin's hands, sending it flying across the room, far from his reach. Although briefly stunned, the smaller morph reacted quickly, putting his sharp fox reflexes to good use. Seeing an opening, he swiftly leapt up and sank his vulpine teeth on Ra'ghalek's neck with all his might! But his expression suddenly changed to one of pure horror when he realized that his teeth had completely failed to pierce the general's incredibly tough dragon skin.
"Really? That's the best you can do?" -Ra'ghalek said, mockingly- "You disappoint me, kid". The mighty fist of the dragon general sank deep into Farin's stomach, knocking the air out of the poor fox. It was an expertly delivered punch, and the young vulpine morph promptly fell on his knees, clutching his sore stomach with both arms. Gasping for air, Farin doubled over in pain, so much that his forehead almost touched the ground. "So that you know..." -Ra'ghalek stated- "The only creature that could hurt a dragon... is another dragon".
"Aww, poor foxie!" -K'orr said, picking Farin up from the scruff of his neck- "Maybe all he really wants is a hug!" The corpulent dragon morph immediately wrapped both of his strong, muscular arms around Farin's torso, and then began to exert a great pressure, squeezing the fox against his large body. The dragon's powerful muscles contracted, thick veins bulging all over his massive arms, as he increased the pressure, tightening his death grip on Farin some more. The helpless fox screamed in utter pain as the overwhelming constricting power of K'orr's bear hug squeezed his body harder and harder. "Scream all you want, little fox!" -the sadistic dragon morph said- "Nobody can hear you down here!". Unrelenting, K'orr showed no signs of stopping anytime soon. And, worst of all, the pressure only grew more intense by each passing second, taking the fox to new levels of pain each time. Farin thought he was reaching his limit, and he was right. There was no way his body could withstand such tremendous pressure for much longer. Soon enough, his ribs began to give in, cracking in multiple parts each. "Hear that noise?" -K'orr said, elated- "That's your flimsy ribcage being crushed in!". An obscene laughter followed, but Farin hadn't heard any part of it. In fact, he could barely hear the dragon morph's coarse voice anymore, immersed as he was in a world of pain the likes of which he had never experienced before. At that moment, he just wanted it to stop.
"K'orr, that's enough" -Vrekkias said- "We need his body to be in one piece, at least on the outside".- "Oh..." -K'orr sighed, visibly disappointed- "I guess you are right". Farin fell to the ground, where he lay almost motionless, save for his ragged, labored breathing and the occasional twitch. Struggling to stay alive, his broken body hurt in ways that can't be accurately explained with words. Even breathing was excruciatingly painful. Of course, he was only half conscious at that point, and just barely aware of his surroundings. Ra'ghalek nudged his side with his right foot, getting little more than a pitiful whine in response. Clearly, the fox was on his final moments.
"Well, that was fun while it lasted, I guess..." -Ra'ghalek said. Deep down, the general almost wished Farin could have given him more of a fight, but a fox is no match for a dragon, let alone three dragons. Like he himself had said, only a dragon can hurt another dragon. Thus, there was absolutely nothing the young vulpine morph could do to save his own life. He had already lost the moment he was born as a fox. It was completely hopeless, and it had always been. Perhaps that was the price to pay for falling in love with one of their kind? Drifting between consciousness and unconsciousness, Farin relived his memories of the time he spent with Sekk'ral, his beloved mate, and how happy he was at his side. Sekk'ral was most definitely the best thing that happened in his eighteen years of life. Maybe if he kept thinking of those cherished memories, he could go back to them... back to that time... back with Sekk'ral. Maybe he could simply wake up and discover that it was all just a bad dream. And maybe Sekk'ral would be there, with a warm smile on his face, to tell him that everything was all right. That he had nothing to fear, as long as he was with him...
"...Sekk'ral..." -Farin said, the name quietly escaping through his tired lips in a whisper.
"What was that?" -Ra'ghalek said.- "I think he just called Lord Sekk'ral's name!" -K'orr pointed out.- "He's delirious" -Vrekkias observed.- "Stupid kid, Lord Sekk'ral is not here! He can't even hear you!" -the dragon general exclaimed- "And even if he could, I'm sure he has other things to worry about right now..." ____________ Silence. There was only silence in the throne room. The floor was littered with dragon soldiers, all of them unconscious. Standing in the middle of them was Sekk'ral. He was exhausted, panting, his blue robes torn to shreds, his body showing the signs of a fierce battle. Bruised and tired, he still stood victorious among the sea of fallen foes, looking at his father with eyes that unmistakably made it clear there was nothing he could do to stop him.
"Is that all, father?" -Sekk'ral said, defiantly- "Is that really all you've got?" The dragon king of the south -Sekk'ral's father- stood beside his throne, barely believing his eyes. He had just witnessed his son, his only descendant, singlehandedly defeat no less than fifty well-trained soldiers. One part of him wanted to admire Sekk'ral. Indeed, he was genuinely impressed by his son's unyielding tenacity, matched only by his remarkable fighting prowess, not to mention his equally remarkable physical strength. In any other scenario he would be proud to call him his son. But the other part couldn't ignore that the driving force behind Sekk'ral's admirable accomplishments was his ridiculous goal of saving one measly fox morph he got infatuated with for some unfathomable reason.
"What are you going to do now?" -Sekk'ral asked- "Kill me yourself?" The king blinked, but quickly responded to the challenge, taking off his royal garments.
"If I must" -he said. Sekk'ral's father took a few steps toward his son, and then stopped.
"Let me ask you a question first..." -he said- "Why do you want that fox so much?"- "Because he... he is the best thing that happened in my life" -Sekk'ral answered- "You would never understand." The king was taken aback. He could see Sekk'ral was dead serious. Regardless, he composed himself and said:
"You are right, I don't undertand. Especially when that means you won't agree to marry the daughter of the dragon king of the west!"- "I had already decided I wouldn't do that even before I met Farin."- "The fact you refuse to fulfill your obligations as prince of the southern dragon clan still stands! You do realize the grave consequences of turning down their proposal, right? There's no way the dragon king of the west would see it as anything other than a grievous insult! It could easily escalate to a war between our clans!"- "You don't know that."- "Oh, but I do! It's what I would do if it happened to me! Why do you think you and I are here now, facing each other as enemies?"- "Because YOU wanted to. I don't really want to fight you... but I will if I have to."- "So, you are not going to change your mind, no matter what."- "I'm afraid so, father. I'm just doing what feels right to me... like you always taught me." There was a brief pause, as the dragon monarch was, once more, taken aback by Sekk'ral's words.
"I see..." -the king said, sighing- "Well... I suppose I have no choice but to kill you with my own hands. Only your spilled blood could possibly wash your affront and prevent a war."- "Well, here I am! Come and kill me, if you dare!" Horrified, the old dragon priest tried to intervene, standing between Sekk'ral and his father, begging them to stop before either of them did something they would later regret. The king, however, did not listen. Snarling, he told the old dragon in white robes to shut up and move out of the way, his voice sounding almost like the vicious roar of a beast. "This is between Sekk'ral and me!!" -he exclaimed. Flinching, the priest understood there was nothing he could do to stop the two enraged dragon morphs. Reluctantly, he stepped back. At that point, all he could do was pray and hope for the best. Spreading his powerful legs, the mighty dragon king of the south lowered his head while keeping his almost feral eyes dead focused on his opponent. He then raised his clawed hands and extended his large, broad wings to their fullest, completing the terrifying posture of a dragon morph ready to attack. Indeed, such an imposing sight spelled nothing but certain death to whatever was unfortunate enough to stand before it. Sekk'ral, too, assumed the same posture, showing no signs of being intimidated. Even though he was still exhausted and no longer in top condition after the skirmish with his father's soldiers, backing away was the farthest thing in his mind. No, he was determined to fight to the bitter end. So, the two dragons faced each other with their claws extended and their teeth bared, their eyes transfixed at each other...
"Are you ready?" -the dragon king asked.- "Whenever you are." -Sekk'ral answered, his rock-solid resolve readily apparent in the gleam of his eyes. Father and son stood there, their gazes locked, waiting for each other to make the first move. Time seemed to stand still. Even the priest seemed paralyzed, virtually frozen in place, reduced to a mere spectator with no voice in the events transpiring before him. Such was the tension that had seized the entire room at that decisive moment. However, Sekk'ral didn't have the upper hand. Tired and worn out as he was, the younger dragon morph didn't really stand a chance. After all, his father was one of the strongest dragons in the Great Southern Canyon, if not the strongest. He knew this, and yet he still wouldn't even consider surrendering or begging for his life. That's how committed he was to fighting for what he felt was right. "...just like I taught him" -the dragon king thought, feeling very proud of Sekk'ral in spite of himself. He just couldn't help but admire his unflinching resolve: "We both know there's no way he could win this duel, but he won't back down." -he thought to himself- "Even in the face of death, he will never falter. Such unyielding bravery... there's no doubt he is my son, blood of my blood!" Folding his wings, the dragon king of the south lowered his claws as he dropped his fighting stance, much to Sekk'ral's surprise.
"I can't do it" -he lamented- "You were right, son. I can't bring myself to kill you. I'm not that heartless."- "Father..."- "Go. Take your pet fox and leave, if that's what you want. I won't stop you." Sekk'ral nodded, thankful for his father's apparent change of heart, and headed to the dungeons, quickly leaving the throne room behind.
"You've done the right thing, my Lord" -the priest said in a reassuring tone as he handed the king his robes back.- "Heh... I think I might have taught him a little too well" -the dragon king said with a faint smile on his face. Rushing through the winding tunnels leading to the dungeons beneath the palace, Sekk'ral couldn't wait to be reunited with his mate again.
"It's over, Farin! It's finally over!" -he said to himself as he made his way through the twisting corridors of the underground dungeons- "We can finally be together, forever!" ____________
"...Sekk...'ral..." Farin lay on the ground, half unconscious, his frail body broken beyond hope. K'orr, Vrekkias and Ra'ghalek stood near the fox morph, watching him die.
"So weak... So pathetic..." -the dragon general scoffed- "Seriously, I just don't understand what Lord Sekk'ral saw in him."- "My general, we should hurry" -Vrekkias advised.- "You are right. It's about time we finished this. Take that torch and set him on fire. If anyone asks, we'll say he did it himself, and that there was nothing we could do."- "Yes, my general." Vrekkias picked up the torch off the floor and walked toward the fallen fox, ready to carry out his grim task. Once he stood right next to Farin, the heartless soldier crouched. He then said: "Nothing personal, kid", and extended his arm, bringing the burning fire of the lit torch close to the dying vulpine... At that point, the door swung open, causing everyone to freeze in place. Shocked, the three dragon morphs turned their heads toward the door at once. Sekk'ral was there. His expression, jubilant just a few moments ago, rapidly changed into one of utmost horror, his eyes widening as he took on the horrible sight before him.
"W...what have you done!?" -he uttered, not wanting to believe what he was seeing. Sekk'ral stepped into the room, heading straight toward Farin. K'orr, Ra'ghalek and Vrekkias all moved out of his way in succession, none of them daring to say a single word. The dragon prince then knelt before the fox morph and remained silent for a few moments, just watching him. Then he calmly said:
"Out of my sight, if you want to live." He didn't have to repeat himself. It took all of three seconds for Ra'ghalek and his two subordinates to leave the room, and less than ten minutes for them to leave the canyon altogether. No one saw them again for the remainder of the night.
"...Sekk'ral..." -Farin said in a labored whisper, his eyes closed.- "Farin, I'm here." -Sekk'ral said, his voice cracking.- "Please... hold... my hand..." The dragon morph took Farin's hand in his own.

- "Don't... let me go..."- "Never!" -Sekk'ral exclaimed, his eyes welling up.- "You... promise?"- "I promise!"- "Th...thank you... Sekk'ral... I just... love you... ... so... ... much... ..."

Slowly, Farin opened his eyes. The sun shone brightly in the pristine blue sky, birds chirping in the trees. Sekk'ral was by his side, and he greeted him with a smile: - "Good morning, sleepyhead!"- "Oh, good morning, Sekk'ral." -Farin said, scrubbing his eyes- "You know, I just had the strangest dream."- "Oh? What was it about?"- "Well, I was imprisoned in a dungeon, and three horrible monsters were torturing me, but then you arrived and saved me."- "Sounds like it was a pretty bad dream."- "And it was! ...at least until you showed up, then everything got better. But, well, -you- make everything better."- "Oh, come here, you!" Farin and Sekk'ral hugged tenderly under the warm sun. - "Sekk'ral, please, hold my hand." The dragon morph took Farin's hand in his own. - "I... I want to spend the rest of my life at your side, however short it may be."- "Oh, come on. Don't say that."- "Just... don't let me go."- "Never!"- "You promise?"- "I promise!"- "Thank you, Sekk'ral. I just love you so much."- "I love you too. You're my cute little foxy boy, Farin."- "Oh, Sekk'ral. I've never been happier in my whole life. I wish we could stay like this forever."

Farin smiled. And it was his happiest smile ever.

"Farin! Farin! Stay with me!" -Sekk'ral shouted, on the verge of tears, his hands clutching Farin's- "Don't leave me! Please don't leave me!!" But Farin wouldn't answer anymore. The dragon king and the priest stood by the door, witnessing the heartbreaking scene in reverent silence. Even the king was moved, despite his best efforts. Lying next to Sekk'ral, the young, innocent fox who loved a dragon had ceased to breathe. There was a faint smile on his furred face.
"Farin!! FARIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!!!" To be concluded...

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