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Crossing Paths Story by Raziel Characters © SeHT

The dining hall of the opera building in New Sarum had always been a sight to behold. It always seemed to be abuzz with activity regardless of time or day. Groups constantly shifting from their finished meal to the play they wished to attend, or coming from the auditoriums to sit down for a good meal and a conversation. Some people even came to simply enjoy the grandeur and fine selections of the dining hall without attending any of the plays. Like the rest of the building, the dining hall had barely changed since it had opened so long ago; the style still deliciously baroque despite the changing times outside the venerable building. Even fashion, it seemed, was at a standstill here. Many showed up in gorgeous period-dress just to get the full experience, even if they had to hire clothes for it. Males walked around in black smokings and top-hats while the females wore elegant and many-coloured dresses. Sometimes, roaring laughter at remembered jokes travelled across the room, or there was a murmur of discussion of the possible deeper intents behind the plays, or simply had a good chat about the day's events. In the midst of all this, someone sat alone at a table, squeezed away into a corner by his own choice. The light in the room made his slender, silver form glimmer. A proud crest, at first appearing to be a set of horns to the casual observer, stood up from his head and tufts of short, silky hair ran down his long neck. Despite all this and his impressive size, he went unnoticed most of the time. He simply sat on the small chair, designed for quadrupedal guests and looked at the buzz of life passing him by. His proud wings were folded at his side with slight sag, betraying his mood before his face did. The food was marvellous, the wines exquisite, and still SeHT found he received little enjoyment from it. It wasn't the first time it happened, and would not be the last. He sighed onto his still mostly filled plate; it was delicious and yet he'd had enough of it after only a few bites. The wine, despite being an extra-strong variety to compensate for the size of its imbiber, failed to give him even the slightest buzz. SeHT wondered what he should do. He supposed that seeing other people enjoying their lives was uplifting in a way, but at the same time much of it reminded him of what he had lost all those years ago. Still he was dragged here to this place time and again over the last few weeks, perhaps because of the happy memories he'd experienced there from when he first visited here with his bondmate when she was still...SeHT forced his mind away instead of letting it linger on the pain. He sighed, wondering if he should take another bite, what with the food being practically the only reason he was still there, and then he realised someone walked up to his table.

"Hello, sir. I almost do not dare ask, but are you waiting for someone?" SeHT observed who was suddenly in front of him. Like so many of the guests here his dress was appropriate for the style. Top hat, black tuxedo, white shirt and a bow-tie. Yet at the same time the ensemble spoke of a certain jaunty rebelliousness despite being absolutely impeccable. Perhaps it was the way he wore the top-hat at a jaunty angle, or how he carried himself. A beautifully kept boutonnière was set on the lapel, being played with by a white-gloved hand. His other hand rested casually on the silver, dragon-headed top of a walking-cane that was clearly simply for style rather than function. Something about the ensemble made it look like it was slightly smaller in size than it should be; a custom measure that hinted teasingly at the well-built body underneath it. A handsome, blue-scaled dragon smiled pleasantly at him from below the top hat nestled between two yellow horns. SeHT paused before shrugging, his wings flexing with the gesture. "I suppose not." The smile widened slightly. "Ah! Would you mind if I sit down here, then?" SeHT was about to deny the request, but something about the elegant drake was disarming enough to make him decide on a whim to humour him. "Go right ahead," he extended a strong claw. "Ah, thank you!" The drake sat down with the same elegance that seemed to permeate him in his every facet before gingerly plucking off his gloves.

There was a moment of silence at the table, broken by the drake coughing politely. "Oh! Where are my manners? Korestai Järvinen," he extended his hand in greeting. SeHT took it, dwarfing the scaled hand with his own claw but being surprised at the strength in the handshake. The name rang a faint bell in SeHT's memories, but he could not place it. "My name is SeHT." Korestai shook his hand animatedly. "A pleasure to meet you, good sir!" There was another moment of silence before SeHT spoke, his voice rumbling across the table. "Excuse me for asking, but what brings you here?" The smile didn't falter. "Curiosity, if you don't mind me being forward. I've seen you here time and again, always by yourself. That honestly did not seem right to me." SeHT raised an eyebrow. "Oh, how so?" Korestai leaned back in his chair, folding one leg over the other as if he was relaxing at home. "No offence meant, but I can tell when a dragon has been around for a long time; your crest for one thing. Your wings look strong and you've clearly used them a lot on undoubtedly long travels. I simply found myself wondering why someone with so much experience to share sat alone." SeHT sighed. "Not all of those experiences are good, and the bad ones sometimes force themselves to the front." Korestai's face sank noticeably with genuine empathy. "I am so sorry to hear that...but why come here alone instead of with friends you surely have?" "I don't want to burden them." "Oh, Hogwash! Helping a friend through rough times is no burden. So, do you intend to finish that meal?" SeHT was at a lack for words for a moment at the certain switch in mid-sentence, but curiously intrigued. "I do not think so. It's excellent, but I'm not hungry, I suppose." Korestai's smile returned even wider. "Well, then. Let's get out of here and see what else is alive in the city instead of just sitting here! Perhaps you can stretch your wings a little." He stood up out of the chair so energetically that he seemed to bounce and turned around, revealing a strong, shapely tail emerging from between the rear flaps of the tuxedo.

A short while later, New Sarum stretched out below them, bathed in the silvery light of a full moon. It would have looked spectral if it wasn't for the constant shift of life on its streets and great winged forms taking to the skies from aerie-constructions at the very tops of the buildings. Korestai looked like a dream-creature with an entire city's glow behind him. "Will you look at that. Even with all those new developments in light, nothing seems to top the glow of our good old moon." SeHT sat on his haunches and had to admit that even in his melancholy mood, the sight was quite gripping. Korestai stood next to him, and leaned against his powerful shoulder carefully. "A friend showed me this spot a while ago. Back then the climb was worth it, and now your wings made getting here even easier. Thank you very much for the lift, by the way." SeHT grunted in acknowledgement, too taken by the view to construct a more eloquent response. The small, grassy field was surrounded by woods on three sides, with the fourth side being the sheer drop of the cliffs south of New Sarum. Similar views could be gained from other spots along the cliffside, but few were so secluded. SeHT nodded and a faint smile played around his lips. "You seem like the type to have many friends, Korestai. I'm sure you are happier for it." He turned around with a smirk. "Oh, I certainly do, and I am. It's unfortunate that quite a number of my friends come and go, but I am grateful for the ones that remain." The comment finally made SeHT realise what the tiny bell was that kept ringing in his mind. He sat up straighter with a look of disbelief at his own realisation. "Wait...you're that Korestai, aren't you? The popular 'playdrake' and socialite?" He bowed deeply. "Guilty as charged, good sir." SeHT shook his head. "You're quite different from the stories I've heard." "And I would very much like to keep it that way. I enjoy surprising people." He snuggled against SeHT's side. "But they are far from untrue across the spectrum, if I'm being fair." He calmly traced a gloved finger along SeHT's flank, teasing without being blatantly forward.

SeHT breathed deeply. He realised how long it had been and how his body yearned to be touched in such a way. The morose mood he had been in had lasted an unusually long time, even considering his already long life, and he sometimes tended to push people away when he was in those moods. Korestai's finger kept tracing him along the side, sometimes gently sliding towards his belly a bit further. SeHT let out a faint, humming growl that made his throat resonate. The blue drake took this as an apparent hint and suddenly moved away, carefully taking off his top hat, revealing a streak of dark-blue hair between his horns. He put it on the grassy ground and weighed it down with his cane before plucking off his gloves. The vest of the tuxedo slid off his back like water, and he slowly undid his bow-tie before starting on the buttons of his white shirt. SeHT could already see the hints of a strong build through the silken white of the vest, and they were fully confirmed when the vest was opened completely. His torso had his well-toned muscles clearly on display, undoubtedly honed by years of practice in different fields. Korestai took note of the gaze. "I was captain of the fencing team and enjoyed swimming in my university-years, can't say it did not pay off." SeHT nodded. "Evidently." Korestai continued to disrobe, revealing that his limbs were built to match his impressive body. The bright yellow of the finer, softer scales on his front seemed to emphasize it even more. Strong legs began below a firm buttocks and ended in doubtlessly powerful digitigrade hindclaws. Completing the picture, it appeared that nature had not been unkind to him related to more...carnal body parts either. SeHT couldn't stop himself from coughing to break his own stare. "I...can see why you are popular." Korestai tilted his head forward slightly with a mischievous grin, his golden eyes blazing in the dark. Then he reached out, tenderly touching SeHT on the cheek and running his fingers along his rough, scaly jawline. Leaning forward, they touched the very tips of their noses together as Korestai's hands moved further along, touching SeHT's neck and gently circling the sensitive area behind his crest. SeHT heard himself stammer before speaking. "Why?" Korestai kept close, still rubbing their noses together. "You seemed sad. That didn't seem right. Some of my friends turned out to be your friends too, and hearing bits and pieces about you only increased my feelings about that." SeHT smiled and closed his eyes. "I...thank you...I don't know what else to say." Korestai moved forward and embraced SeHT's long, slender neck. "Then nothing needs to be said."

They moved closer until they finally found themselves coiled around each other on the soft grass of the small field, the moon's light glinting off silver scales. They moved and shifted and slid against each other as one, an unspoken connection between them on so many conceivable levels. Teeth were bared in pleasure while soft grunts were carried on the air. Hands and claws entwined carefully during the moments where they did not explore each other's bodies with them. Korestai could smell the scent of the grass and feel the individual blades tickle his chest as he swayed with SeHT's movements - the soft scales of his belly rubbing on Korestai's back. Wings beat the air on the rhythm of their desire until claws dug themselves into the soft earth, bodies shivering together in climax. Muscles tensed during shivering breaths, followed by that overwhelming sense of pleasant, lethargic warmth that was so familiar to both, yet had been long overdue for the silver dragon. They rolled over slowly, with SeHT turning on his back and Korestai remaining in contact with the soft-scaled belly as he let himself be pulled along.

They both looked up at the stars, SeHT resting on his back and Korestai lying on top of him, silently smiling and enjoying the rise-and-fall of the older dragon's breath. "I wonder," Korestai asked with a smile, looking up at the inverted image SeHT's gentle face looking down on him. "Any chance you could share a story with me about one of your many undoubtedly long travels?" SeHT laughed, causing Korestai to do the same in return as he bobbed up-and-down on the dragon's chest. "Fortunately for you, these stars remind me of another night and another fortuitous meeting...not very much unlike this one." Korestai's grin became wicked for an instant, but the kind wink that came along with it revealed the good humour hidden behind it. "I'm not at all surprised...even considering you're a big lug to start with, you're well-endowed enough to turn the heads of both sexes." They both laughed again as SeHT started talking about happy memories again as they looked up at the stars, just chatting the night away with cheery conversation and amusing anecdotes until the moon set and the sun started to rise on a newly forged, lasting friendship.