FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Part 1

The land had achieved an impressive transformation in such a short time. Streams had slowed as snow and ice had built along their banks. Needle heavy pines had turned from green to white and the rocky ground had been smoothed over by a blanket of thick snow. Yogoloth had considered himself to be perfectly capable of knowing when the weather was about to turn, but this early wintry storm had struck from nowhere and was very heavy indeed.

He had been flying east along the northern hills and low peaks beyond the Shudan mountains for a few months now. The young hybrid was trying not to think about how far away he was from home. He chuckled to himself to think of the area around Stone Haven as such, but he couldn't think of a better place to settle if he ever felt the urge to do so. It helped greatly that Natanii lived there, he missed her more than he'd have previously thought possible.

Yogoloth's wing muscles ached from the extra effort of flying through the snow and he was soon forced to land. He had to find shelter or he might well freeze to death if the storm lasted more than a couple of days. He knew from past experience that these mountains and the areas around experienced some pretty awful weather and sometimes for quite long periods. Thankfully the dark patches of snow free ground formed by caves, stood out clearly from the air. Although, his visibility was seriously starting to suffer now.

Despite the soreness of his wings, the half gryphon touched down with as much care as possible. He couldn't see what was under the snow and didn't fancy cutting open his paws on some sharp rocks hidden underneath. What he had seen from the air was a cave, although it didn't appear very large nor deep. But he would easily be able to take shelter and there seemed to be plenty of room to turn around and even stretch a wing if he was careful. Yogoloth poked his head into the opening, his wings folding against his flanks.

"Hello!", he called out in Low Wurm as his eyes adjusted to the dark. He spread out his magical senses too, looking for the tell tale signs of life as the winds picked up and blew snow into the side of his slightly scaly face.

His body suddenly shivered as the snow began to build up on his mane and wings. But it was not wise to cut corners. It always paid to ensure that caves were unoccupied before charging inside. But there was no response and his senses also picked up nothing. So Yogoloth decided that he'd given enough time for any magically hidden dragon or gryphon to speak up, and headed inside out of the snow.

The cave wasn't quite as small as Yogoloth had first thought. It was still only one chamber but it went back a little ways and dipped down before rising up again. It was no where near large enough for a lair, but you could probably squeeze a couple of dragons inside without things becoming too cramped. Maybe three if they liked to cuddle. The wind whistled through the opening of the cave and blew snow a few feet inside, but at the back of the cave it was dry, although still very cold.

Now that Yogoloth had stopped flying and had started to settle down, he started to feel the chill. It penetrated his hide and made him shiver involuntarily as he pulled his legs and wings closer against his body. It was times like this when the benefits of having feathery wings became very apparent. It would have been nice to have a furry body like a gryphon too, Natanii was very warm to snuggle up to. The cold young hybrid smiled at the thought and came up with a few ideas on exactly how she could keep him warm and how he could repay her for it.

He tried to shake the thought from his head. For the last few months he had been well outside of her ability to magically message him. Yogoloth had poured everything he had into the messages that he'd sent to her, just to make sure they arrived for Natanii to hear. He hoped that these weekly messages comforted her, because the thought of her feeling as he did bothered him. This was the longest time in his life, that he'd ever felt so isolated. It was going to be a long cold day.

Part 2

Yogoloth had found a comfortable enough position near the back of the cave, but somewhere behind him there was a narrow opening that let in a cold draft that chilled his hide. He was reminded of just how pleasant his mother's lair had been. This cave was so small and shallow in comparison to the caves he had called home. During his childhood he'd enjoyed the dry shelter, stable temperature and still air of those deep chambers.

This cave by contrast was drafty, humid and cold. Although it did the most important job of keeping him out of the snow storm itself, it was far from ideal. Yogoloth stared out through the mouth of the cave and watched slowly as the storm maintained its ferocity. Flurries of snow gathered by the entrance and even began to creep inside as it started to dim outside. The hybrid estimated that night was approaching, but with no visible sun he had to go off gut instinct. It was going to get very cold tonight, it would probably be best to get a fire going just in case.

Magic could not create heat directly just like it could not create light directly. But magic could create a bright spark of lightning or a hot burst of flame. These things then created heat and light. So in order to stay warm, Yogoloth had to gather fuel so that a magically produced flame would last longer than a moment. Perhaps a more powerful dragon would have the skill to form shapes that could turn rocks into something that burned. But Yogoloth did not. This meant that the cold hybrid had to brave the storm and find a felled tree or fell one himself.

By the time the felled tree had been pulled back to the cave, Yogoloth was exhausted, cold and had a painful splinter in the soft flesh of his mouth. Thankfully, it was far easier to break up the log than it had been to drag it. It had fallen of its own accord in the storm and would easily last the night. So he set about piling up the pieces to the side of the cave near the entrance, drying out a few at the bottom and igniting them.

In less than an hour from first leaving the cave in search of wood, Yogoloth settled down in his spot at the back of the warming cave. He watched as the previously chilly draft slowly pushed the smoke into interesting patterns and then out of the cave mouth. The shape of the cave was actually quite well suited to having a fire. Any smoke flowed out quickly and there was still plenty of room for him to come and go if needed.

The light outside slowly faded as Yogoloth watched the pieces of felled tree burn. The flames licked against the side of the cave mouth and dark sooty marks formed on the wall and ceiling. Bright embers frequently leapt from the fire and either danced up out of the cave or vanished as soon as they rose. The sound of the wind, the roaring fire and the cracking of wood, all competing for his attention.

After an hour or so Yogoloth pushed a couple of the rough logs further into the fire and decided it would probably last until morning, then he would either fly from here or be forced to gather more wood. The sound of the fire and the storm began to fade as his eyes began to feel heavier. Then his ears perked up to an alien sound and his eyes flicked open, something was moving just outside the cave.

Yogoloth's heart jumped as his head quickly rose up from its resting place on his fore paws. He spread his magical senses out looking for the telltale signs of a life force just as a large shape came into view, partially obscured by the fire. Judging purely from its life energy, it was at least as big as he was, though it didn't seem to have any wings. It was neither dragon nor gryphon, and it was standing in the way of his only escape.

The hybrid was suddenly very awake and carefully rose to his feet as the creature walked a little further inside and came fully into view. It stood on the opposite side of the narrow cave from the fire and stared directly his way. Illuminated by the fire, the creature's pale hide was clearly visible as it turned its head towards the flames. Although it lacked wings, it was actually taller at the shoulder than Yogoloth.

Its body was broadly dragon shaped, minus wings, but its pale, nearly white hide was smooth and scaleless like Yogoloth's. Its throat, belly and the inside of its legs were pink and sinuous, as though the muscles under its hide were somehow visible. Sharp dragonlike fore claws scraped along the rocky ground while its hind legs ended in hooves. Tough pale spikes ran down its neck, shoulders and back, they flexed slightly as it shook a build up of snow from its body. Half of the creature's tail from the middle to the tip, had a line of bony plates, almost like teeth running along the underside.

But the most striking thing about this creature was its head. It had no discernible eyes at all, and yet it seemed to switch between watching Yogoloth and the blaze that the hybrid had created. Instead, its mouth was large and dominated its head completely, a long almost tubular pink tongue licked around its large predatory teeth. The creature also had two long ridges of tough, interlocking plates running in lines from above its mouth, over its long head and part way down either side of its neck. They were almost like a pair of horns but they were fixed to the creature all the way to the tip.

It looked over towards the hybrid again, slowly tilted its head over to the side and hissed. It was a sound that a cross between a snake and a bird of prey might make. Yogoloth didn't like this situation one bit.

Part 3

His body readied itself for an attack, muscles tensed, eyes widened and his heart beat faster, pumping adrenaline through the hybrid's veins. But the attack never came. The pale creature stepped a little to the side and slumped down against the side of the cave mouth opposite the blaze. Its eyeless gaze seemed settled on the flames as the storm raged outside.

The half dragon's ears twitched in confusion as he realised the creature was not outwardly hostile. At first, Yogoloth had assumed that this must have been its lair, but the beast must have been seeking shelter from the cold as night approached. It was not afraid of fire, nor him, was it intelligent?

"Can you understand my words?", he asked slowly in Low Wurm. Dragons and gryphons alike both knew the language which was older than the oldest of dragons. Even other monstrous creatures knew it, even if many lacked the ability to speak it. Its origins were clearly dragonic but still somewhat mysterious.

The pale creature turned its slightly over sized head towards him but otherwise didn't respond. It heard the sound but didn't seem to understand. He tried a couple of gryphon tongues, High Wurm, the civilised trade tongue, all to no avail. The strange sinuous creature seemed to lose interest towards the end and made no attempt to speak in its own language, if it even had one. Yogoloth had to assume it was just an animal, that seemed unafraid of dragons or fire. Very odd.

Yogoloth had only two choices, either tolerate this interloper or drive it out into the cold. He had no doubt he could do it. This large creature may well be unafraid of him or fire, but it showed no signs of magical talent. It wouldn't require much to get rid of it one way or another. But it seemed petty to the hybrid's mind. Looking at its pale hide, it seemed just as ill equipped to deal with this winter storm as he was. Probably more so.

So Yogoloth settled down in his spot and tried to get comfortable while the creature seemed to do the same. Snow began to build up a little against the creatures rump, but it paid it no heed. It seemed to be keeping a respectful distance, but the promise of warmth and shelter was too tempting to ignore completely. The hybrid's heart slowed and his muscles relaxed once more as aches of body and tiredness of mind began to make themselves known.

Although it seemed passive, he couldn't sleep with the knowledge that it could stroll over and kill him while he slumbered. So Yogoloth concentrated and reached into his magical reserves which were not too depleted yet. He formed a pair of shapes and carefully twisted them together. One would create a painful, but non-lethal jolt of lightning and the other would create a loud screeching sound. Enough to scare and wake any creature. He then wrapped them in a third shape that would unravel if two large creatures were near.

With the bundle of magical shapes formed, Yogoloth placed it in a rock nearby, in the direction of the pale resting beast. It would certainly scare the creature and the screech would wake him in the event that it came near. He felt safer now and rested his head on his fore paws, but safe enough for sleep? He'd no doubt find out. Soon his eyes felt heavier, his thoughts drifted and the tired hybrid passed into a surprisingly deep sleep.

A noise made Yogoloth's ears twitch and consciousness began to slip into his mind, he slowly lifted his head and yawned. His mouth felt dry and he licked his snout a few times as he opened his eyes. The hybrid quickly remembered where he was and noticed that the creature was stood facing away from him, out into the storm that still formed a thick curtain of white.

The fire had died down, but embers still glowed yellow and red under a few pieces of burned wood that had remained mostly unconsumed. The creature made the noise again, it sounded angry or frustrated possibly. It was hard to tell with a beast he had never seen the likes of before... of course! That's what this creature reminded him of!

The strange pale wolf-sized creatures that he and Marrus had hunted all those years ago. Those creatures had been much smaller, but had a very similar hide and they too lacked any obvious eyes. Their fore paws had been more wolf-like than dragon-like, but they still held a remarkable similarity right down to the hoof like hind feet.

Yogoloth looked at the creature again and decided that they must be related in some distant fashion. Like the great cats on the plains were similar to their smaller cousins that the civilised races kept to kill vermin. But this large pale eye-less beast was not scared of him like the smaller ones had been. He had settled calmly in the cave and now something was annoying it outside.

The young hybrid took a deep breath and sighed as he rose to his feet. He stretched his legs in turn and then carefully one wing after the other. The creature turned its head briefly towards him and then turned back and took a step out of the cave. The snow was thick on the ground as it was in the air and the beast stepped back. Something had its attention but the freezing conditions were dissuading it from venturing out.

Yogoloth casually strolled towards the creature and then along side its flank. He carefully unravelled the shapes he had created that night as he walked passed them and the magic dissipated. He felt slightly intimidated by the pale beast's slightly larger size as it turned to regard him with its eye-less gaze and large predatory mouth. But it yet again turned its attention to the storm outside and made a quieter version of the noise. It sounded a little desperate perhaps.

The young dragon spread his magical senses out into the storm searching for anything out of place and found nothing. He boosted his range with a little magic and a bright mote of life force came into focus. It was hard to say for sure what it was, but at a guess, it was a deer floundering in the hostile conditions. What kind of madness had driven it out from where ever it had slept that night was anyone's guess. How the pale creature next to him had even known it was there without magic was even more puzzling.

"Fine, I'll go kill it. I don't suppose you could get the fire going while I'm out?", he said in Low Wurm for his own amusement. The creature seemed to look at him again, tilted its head slightly and briefly licked its snout. "I didn't think so."

Part 4

Killing the deer had been easy, it was almost dead from exposure as it was. Normally Yogoloth would have been disappointed with such a hunt, but he was glad of anything that sped his return to the cave which provided shelter from the snow. He had dragged the carcass back to the cave as quickly as he could. The track through the snow that he had left on his way to the deer was still visible, but was rapidly being smoothed over with fresh snow fall. The wind was not quite as biting as it had been yesterday and over night, even if the air was just as cold and the snow just as thick in the air.

He put his all into dragging the kill back to the cave, partly to escape the cold quicker, but also to remove the chill from his body. The exertion warmed his muscles and focused his thoughts as he used his magical senses as much as his memory to find his way back. The pale beast had settled on its side in much the same place as it had slept that night. But its head, facing outwards rather than inwards, was alert as it seemed to watch Yogoloth as he dragged the carcass into the cave.

Yogoloth dumped the dead deer just inside the cave mouth, out of the snow but only just. The pale beast seemed entranced by the kill and it shuffled forward, almost on its belly, to get closer. The hybrid felt a growl escape his throat as his meal attracted the attention of the other predator. Then he sighed to himself, his dragon instinct to protect his kill wasn't needed here. The deer was too large for him to eat on his own anyway, it was a very gryphon-like thing to do, to share a kill. The two of them would be well fed from its tasty flesh.

As the strange sinuous creature gazed eye-lessly at the food, Yogoloth nudged it forward a little toward his new companion. It seemed to get the message and shuffled forward a little more until it was close enough to bite a piece out of the deer's neck. The hybrid took a bite from its rump and both predators began to feed ferociously. It took little time for them to reduce the carcass to blood, bones and skin. The beast even ate the intestines which Yogoloth always left behind.

Yogoloth turned his back on the remains and unceremoniously kicked them out of the cave and into the storm. The blood stained the brilliant white of the snow and the bones stuck upwards despite its depth. It was best not to clutter the cave any more than it needed to be. With that done, he decided to settle back in his spot at the back of the cave to digest his meal. But his new cave-mate stepped forward and forcibly nuzzled its head against his neck and into his mane. The act was as sudden as it was brief and the creature quickly settled back down in its spot near the cave mouth opposite the pile of ash and still glowing embers.

The hybrid was briefly taken aback by the unexpected contact. If it had not been for the fact he was full of sweet deer meat and contemplating a snooze, he would have recoiled. But then, he felt far more comfortable near this creature now than when he first spotted it in the mouth of the cave. There was an honesty with animals that intelligent beings often lacked. There was no deception with them, no hidden motives. First impressions often held true as long as the circumstances didn't change too much. This creature seemed to defer to him, in both their positions in the cave and the meal.

None of that mattered though as Yogoloth headed to the most protected spot at the back of the cave and settled down. It always surprised him how tired one could get after hard work and a good meal. He got comfortable and decided that he could easily find another tree and get the fire going later if they had to spend another night stranded here. The half dragon chuckled under his breath as he closed his eyes. They. He did rather like the company he thought hazily.

Darkness at first, then a dull sickly light. Unblinking eyes were fixed on him, nor could he look away from them. Dead and yet moving. Beak agape, blood flowing as though she still had a heart. Head hanging from a bloody, ruined carcass. Just meat to a hungry dragon.

"I'm sorry!", a voice that sounded like his, begged from the darkness.

Even in death she bled, resting on a carpet of dark crimson. Ruined wings somehow seemed large enough to darken the skies. Talons twitched as though they still felt the teeth in her flesh. Flies crawled over her and feasted too, each tiny bite forming part of the symphony of her pain.

"I was young!", the voice shouted desperately.

He hated the owner of the voice. The ruined wings seemed even larger now and began to encircle him. Her pale brown tail whipped around like an angry snake. He knew it was a dream. He hated these dreams almost as much as the dragon whose voice he heard. His hide crawled as though made from tiny insects.

"I would have died!", it called out again. It lied, there was always another way.

The blood pool stretched out towards him, as shadows did as the sun begins to set. He was frozen, the air closed in, his ears rang. The wings became black, like fans of cruel obsidian knives. He was helpless. The eyes, now glazed with blood, penetrated him as sure as a dragon's claws. Something pulled him away. The gryphoness was just a carcass. He was embraced. The remains dissolved like water. He was comforted. Warmth and light embraced his body and drove away the fear. He was safe. Someone nuzzled his mane and he calmed.

"Natanii?", he asked happily. His mate was here. They would drive away the nightmare with their lovemaking. Fear replaced with arousal, he snuggled back against the warmth, ready to take her any way she wanted. His body responded. A strange yet gentle hiss came out, like a bird crossed with a snake.

Yogoloth's eyes opened as he woke to the sudden realisation that he was not alone. First he felt the fore leg wrapped around his chest and the warmth radiating through his back. Then he felt his own lingering arousal from the end of the dream. The pale creature had wriggled itself between him and the back of the cave. It was gently running its snout through Yogoloth's furry mane.

He didn't feel threatened exactly, but after that dream and suddenly waking up to a weird eye-less beast cuddling him, things took a moment to settle. He could see from the light outside that it was perhaps about midday, the snow had stopped falling and the temperature had picked up a little. Yogoloth couldn't understand why he had slept so long, and after that dream he felt even more drained, and in a very undragon-like way, in need of some comfort.

Which brought him back to the pale sinuous creature that was giving him just that. It felt good to receive the attention of another living being. It had been many months. He leaned his head back and gave it a brief nuzzle by way of a thank you. It shuffled closer and nibbled gently at his mane. Its grip around his torso tightened. Yogoloth wasn't sure if he'd given it the right message at all.

Part 5

Yogoloth felt worryingly comfortable. He felt warm and protected. He felt awkward and out of control. The pale beast continued to nuzzle its snout into the hybrid's furry mane and then gently nibbled. One of its paws was draped over his chest and the claws rested harmlessly against his belly scutes. It snuggled closer and the heat from its pink, sinuous belly penetrated his back and warmed him through. The creature's body temperature was clearly higher than his. No small wonder that it seemed more averse to the cold than he was.

The pale creature's sudden interest in the hybrid suddenly made sense. When he and Marrus had fought the wolf-like creatures, all those years ago, he remembered that the females had scruffy manes. It would make sense that these larger beasts had something similar. But it was clear that Yogoloth was a male, especially now. Animals knew no prejudice though, they behaved as their instincts guided them. Yogoloth imagined that in its eyes, the strange winged male who shared his fire and kill was clearly as suitable mate as any female.

The young hybrid involuntarily leaned his head back into the creature's caress and then rebelled slightly inside. He was aroused and seemingly so was this beast. Its dark pink cock pushing further from its fleshy sheath with each gentle touch. It was a little bigger than his own, he hadn't taken anything as large willingly before. But that was not what gave him pause for thought. It was just an animal. The thought of raising his tail for this creature didn't settle well in his mind.

The pale creature shifted forward a little, bringing its snout to nuzzle under Yogoloth's own snout. It made a strange chirping sound and its grip tightened. It was trying to court him, it was going through whatever rituals that its species normally went through. It wasn't some stupid beast though, it was a large predator like him. Unafraid of fire, unafraid of dragons. Suddenly Yogoloth's mind was wondering what it would feel like to have this beast mount him, and the more he thought about it, the more attractive the prospect became.

Yogoloth felt himself turn and nuzzle under the creatures chin and then against its soft pink throat. Why not? If not for his language, his magic, all the things that his mother had taught him, he would be no less an animal. He relaxed his body and mind, letting this creature settle comfortably on both. Rolling over slightly more onto his side, he managed to get a fore paw around its shoulder and slowly ran his tongue up the creature's throat. The sound it made was clearly a pleasant one, a soft, rumbling trill and it too ran its larger tongue along Yogoloth's neck.

?It shifted its weight more eagerly now, as though reciprocation meant confirmation of Yogoloth's acceptance of the creature as his mate. Which it did. The hybrid closed his eyes as he ran his tongue again against the soft flesh and pulled with his fore paw, bringing the beast's head and neck down further. He shifted his hind legs and tail to give his new partner better access.

The strange pale beast was clearly not so entrapped by instinct to require a partner to be on all four feet to be mated. It moved forward with a new determination and Yogoloth soon felt it's dark pink tapered cock push against his rump, a little off target though. He wriggled slightly to help guide the creature as it nibbled gently at his throat scutes. The hybrid twisted his upper body until he was almost face to face with the beast, but his hind quarters remained on their side, his hind paws clenching at the air in anticipation.

The creature's throat nibbles turned into a gentle, yet firm bite as it pushed forward again. This time it hit its mark and the tip of the beast's cock slipped into Yogoloth's tail hole. The young hybrid took a sudden intake of breath at the sudden intrusion and bite, then wrapped a wing around the creature. He could feel it twitch inside him as the beast adjusted its position. Another sudden thrust and Yogoloth cried out as he was quickly filled. The pressure threatened to throw him over the edge right away, the heat was indescribable as a small dribble of pre cum leaked from his drakehood.

The creature hissed gently around the hybrid's throat scutes as it tightened its grip. One of its fore paws moved forward and held tightly to Yogoloth's shoulder as it buried itself fully. Then it began to hump fast and hard, the beast letting its instincts take control and thoroughly breed this unusual new mate. Yogoloth's body was rocked slightly with each thrust and he quickly found his already aroused body responding just as rapidly as the creature's wild humps.

Then Yogoloth clenched his jaws around a growl and his head flopped back as his orgasm hit. His cock jumped with each spurt of pent up seed as it spilled onto the rocky ground. The pale creature wasn't far behind, its animal instincts driving it to finish mating quickly. Just as the hybrid started to regain his composure after his climax, he felt his partner pulse inside of him. Every movement felt, every spurt of seed welcomed, every tiny whine appreciated.

Then there was almost complete silence and stillness. The only sound and movement came from the two males' deep breathing. The creature shifted first, slipping out of the young hybrid and slumping behind him once more. Its fore leg never leaving its mate's flank. Yogoloth moved his wing back down to his side at the same time, covering the beasts fore paw in feathers, and sighed. He felt those gentle teeth nibble slowly at his mane again, smiled happily and decided to close his eyes. Just for a moment.

Part 6

The sleeping dragon shivered suddenly as a cold draft ruffled his feathery wings. Consciousness came reluctantly to his sleepy mind as he stretched his legs out along the cold cave floor. A yawn split his jaws and his tongue curled up in his mouth as he came to his senses. Yogoloth opened his eyes and realised he was alone. He frowned, the strange pale creature was gone and it was getting a darker outside.

He had snoozed lightly after the rough mating he'd received and soon that snooze had become true sleep. He'd felt surprisingly warm and comfortable being held in its grasp. Perhaps the improved weather had encouraged the creature to seek out its usual haunts? Perhaps it had lost interest in him now that it'd had its way with the willing hybrid. Either way, it was gone now and Yogoloth quite missed its presence.

Yogoloth slowly clambered onto his feet and shivered again as his movement let more cold air under his feathers. He actually felt rather sore, in a good sort of way. That creature had not gone easy on him. Perhaps he should be feeing a little disgusted with himself right now. But all he felt was a deep sense of satisfaction.

The creature was not sapient, that much seemed fairly obvious. All sapient creatures had some sort of language or at the very least took interest in the tongues spoken by others. It was a large predatory animal, perhaps a little strange, but nothing more. In the end, they were just two feral beasts, stuck in a cave with nothing better to do than fuck. Yogoloth grinned to himself, it had certainly distracted him from the cold.

Yogoloth walked over to the remains of the fire and prodded some of the larger pieces of unburnt log further in. He gently blew a few times at the embers and they burned a little more fiercely, launching bright sparks into the air. Gathering a few more pieces together he managed to encourage a flame and the fire started to come back to life. He was careful not to smother the small flames as he stacked a couple more pieces up.

He wasn't exactly planning on staying another night in this cave, even though it was starting to darken outside. But the sky was still thick with cloud, and without any moonlight he struggled to fly well at night. At least the storm had passed and he could make do without getting more wood tonight. He could rest up until first light and then get some good flying in tomorrow.

He settled back down, but this time directly in front of the fire. He'd had more than enough sleep recently, so he would watch the lands outside from the safety of the cave. Once the light faded he would watch the fire instead. It would be morning in no time and he could continue his journey before getting a solid night's sleep tomorrow. Yogoloth decided it would be best to head north, away from the mountains where the weather would still be cold, but far more stable and less wintry.

He looked down at his belly and realised his was still a little messy from earlier. He quickly twisted around and began to clean himself. Yogoloth quickly moved onto his wings, which had gotten themselves quite ruffled since the morning. Slowly preening each feather in turn, he lost himself in the activity. It was easy for the young hybrid to allow the hours to pass him by at the best of times, but having his snout amongst his feathers only made them pass by even quicker.

By the time he was finished, Yogoloth was more or less at full strength so he carefully formed the required shapes in his mind to capture and send a message to Natanii. He hadn't heard back from her for months, but he understood that it took far more power than she had to get a message to him. It was still somehow comforting to know that she knew that he was fine. He held the shapes out in the air, on the edge of unravelling, and spoke.

"If you're asleep, wake up!", he paused a moment. "I'm doing fine, met a strange creature today. I'll tell you about it when I get back."

The hybrid wrapped one shape around the other and released them. The message was slightly longer than he'd normally send, but it should still reach her in one piece. He settled down and pulled his wings and legs in a little tighter. He was never going to spend this long without her ever again.

A few hours passed and the night had truly closed in. The fire was still burning slowly and the hybrid stared into the flames as they danced before him. Each piece of wood would be consumed eventually as he slowly kept it going. Yogoloth's ears twitched as his dragonic senses picked up foreign magic nearby, he looked out of the cave and spread out his senses just as a voice whispered to him.

"Family all leant their power... glad you're ok... come back soon... don't get killed..."

Yogoloth's snout suddenly had the biggest grin imaginable. It had been so long since he'd heard Natanii's voice, even the distortion caused by the distance travelled didn't disguise it. It gave him new determination and confidence. He just had to keep travelling, he would find his father, there was no giving up now.