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Settlement of the Dragons

By each day, Seraphor's bones healed rapidly, partly because of Bartoz's weird magic power. Spyro was worried that the condition of the bones could make Seraphor ended up with weird proportion, but after being assured by Bartoz himself, the purple dragon was relieved when Seraphor was able to walk again with no differences in appearances.

Around a week after arriving in Qeveriyt Seraphor managed to walk again like a normal dragon. Now after he had regained his ability to walk he wanted to at least explore the settlement. With Bartoz and Yort as guide Seraphor knew many histories when he was unavailable around the place.

"Qeveriyt is not actually a permanent settlement. It's just an outpost for travelling riders unable to get into Dracokin because of many reasons like the city is full, in war ready condition, or many things. This place is also used whenever Dracokin is in a problem, like what is currently happening now."

"I saw what happened to the city. It's really a shame."

"Yes, that was just a shame to all of us. I was there, too, when Ramusk asked us to scatter. I returned here 5 years later with Franz after he had aged a little. It is really a shame that Franz will die 10 years later or more. Unlike the other members I have no link between Franz and me."

"Oh...I'm sorry, Bart."

"Sera," said Yort. "This settlement is not only for the dragons around here. Look."

As Seraphor turned to where Yort was facing, he was surprised to see many furred dragons somehow more stream-lined than them. More, they looked longer because of their long tails, yet their legs were shorter and more like a reptile. The dragons were talking to an upright dragon, and Seraphor could hear what they were talking about, yet it was just a friendly conversation.

"The eastern dragons sometimes go to Dracokin city to give us necessary herbs and healing skills for non-darkness users," said Yort while staring at Bartoz. "Most of them are dragon healers and avid elemental user."

"Wow..."

"Anyway, this place...it used to be a normal outpost with some tends for travelling dragons. Now, because this place became an evacuation shelter we converted it into what you see now. Don't mind the rural part, it's just because we have no prior experience in building wooden house, especially those small houses for humans."

"This place prospered by so many dragons passing the desert while making our settlement as a stop, lest we must abandon the desert for good and giving up to the anti-dragons," said Bartoz. "This place here is the best headquarters for now until we can finish the war and rebuild the city again. I love to see the city back again in..."

From behind a dragon tent there was Xiciro taking a bucket of water to a dragon not seen by them. Bartoz then gulped, knowing that his supposed evil employer was there with them. As he finished talking, Xiciro turned his body to where they were and somehow didn't see them until he was closer and also got a sudden gasp.

"Uh, I think I know him from somewhere," said Seraphor. "Do I know..."

Bartoz suddenly moved forward and with a grip he pulled away Xiciro that was cursing all the way until they went into a tent, leaving the confused Seraphor.

In the tent...

"Xiciro, you damned beast! What are you doing here?!" exclaimed Bartoz while pinning down the smaller black dragon. "I thought you have died with the rest of them!"

"How about you? You're supposed to be dead long ago! I am the one who killed you!"

"Shhh! Lower you damned voice!" said Bartoz in a whisper. When he knew Seraphor wasn't there, he said, "How didn't they know about you?"

"I was never seen by any dragon except you, Avila, and the sapphire dragon," said Xiciro calmly. "But then, how..."

"You forgot? You're the one negating his powers when we were fighting before proceeding to kill me. He glanced at your direction before you knocked him out."

"Oh...I didn't notice..."

As Xiciro wasn't aware Bartoz wasn't only pinning him down but also draining his whole energy with his black magic. As the dragon walked outside, he snarled back at Xiciro while saying, "You have a lot of questioning to do for me, but not for Sera."

Bartoz went out the tent to meet the confused Seraphor. After gaining a reason, he said, "Well, that's my old friend. He must have been too shocked to know that I returned from the dead."

"Oh, I thought you're trying to kill him," said Seraphor. "Carry on, I'll walk around with Yort."

When they left the tent vicinity, Bartoz turned his head inside, while still staring at the one that was once trying to kill Seraphor. Xiciro was too weak to move, despite of him being immune of darkness.

"What did you...do to me? I thought you're just a lackey...."

"I never show my real potential in fear of my race's secret. As I believe all of them had died, you can see this but this is also your dear life, Xiciro. If your energy is drained to the point you have nothing left, you're done for."

"I can still draw energy from my..."

"Whoops, not again, Xiciro."

Suddenly a powerful surge of dark energy came around Xiciro and when the dragon tried to draw energy from the darkness, he couldn't, like the tap was blocked by something.

"What did you...?"

"Relax, Xiciro. You're just trapped by my power. I can reshape darkness to do my bidding, even pinning you down upright like this."

"W...what do you want me to do now? Revenge? I've redeemed myself because of Avila, but then why do you still pursue it?"

"Yes, since because of you, I never can love females anymore, but I got something on you."

Xiciro realized what he said. Many years ago the black dragon experimented on his brain via illusion. It was too great to bear for Bartoz that he suddenly got a liking to males, and that troubled Xiciro. He was in the worst scenario with a dangerous dragon, pinned down, and upright.

"Curse me...don't do it! I still want to love females! Please just let me go!"

"Not really. You're not going anywhere until make you feel what is like to be taken by a male."

Meanwhile Seraphor was still talking to Yort about Qeveriyt until he was tired and wanted to eat. Yort directed him to a shelter where there was a pile of fresh-cut meats directly in front of them. The dragon warning them not to take many meats at once, but nevertheless, Seraphor ate like there wasn't any tomorrow. As he finished, they were joined by the draconians.

"So, how's your day after able to walk?" asked Richard.

"Thrilling, yet I felt sad on the condition of this settlement."

"Don't worry, Seraphor. After we finish the fight we'll rebuild Dracokin to its former glory."

While eating the meat, Seraphor said, "Anyway, that dragon...I seem to know him somewhere."

"That dragon is Xiciro, a fellow dark powered healer like Bartoz," said Yort while munching his meat. "He had a vague past; only coming to the city after it became ruins, claiming to know Dracokin somewhere. One of his legs had become bones after a freak accident involving darkness and since then he used his power to keep moving his leg like normal, or so he said to me. I don't know what his motive is and he somehow has a vast knowledge to dark arts."

"Is he okay? I mean, don't others think he's a little bit too suspicious?"

"He's fine. While he might look like a snake, he's kind-hearted. He sometimes warns some of the Order's mages on the consequences of using dark arts, especially those grateful enough to try to return his leg proper, even using a weird negating power to stop them whenever it's too dangerous. He's nice with kids, too. He, uh, normally lives in the ruins of Dracokin, trying to help elderly dragons decided to stay after hiding, but he sometimes went to Qeveriyt."

"Wow...I never thought a dark dragon can be that much kind. In the world I got stranded to, there's a clear distinction between light and dark. That's the reason why my friend Spyro and his mentors are able to sense dark powers."

"Let's just wish Xiciro never betrays us. We will be very disappointed."

"Hey, uh, you mention he's a snake," said Richard who was hearing their conversation. "He's a tricky one?"

"No, no. Well, yes, a little, but he's normal. What I mean is his appearance. He had a slightly longer upper fangs and he sometimes tried to taste the air like a snake. His eyes had a thinner slit than ours, and he sometimes ends his words with a slight hiss."

"Much like how my mate looks like."

Seraphor was somehow struck with something, but he calmed himself while thinking on the possibility, but that couldn't be possible in many senses. He just wanted to make sure what was he thinking by that time, but after finishing the tour and for Bartoz for finishing his business with Xiciro, thinking that the dragon was only having a discussion.

As day became night, Seraphor was invited to a feast welcoming him and his friends to the settlement. The feast was lively, yet it was in the middle of a sandstorm and some of the mages must protect the settlement with their magic. The feast was just like what he always went to in Dragon Realm, but without what Spyro said as 'Hawaiian', but more to a combination of draconic culture and the medieval human culture, with old folk songs playing that night, people dancing with joy, children hearing a dragon's story while sometimes watched the dragon in awe, dragons making magical fire out of their mouth, making them dance, all of them without giving terror to the humans like what it happened many years ago, as Seraphor knew. He wasn't unfamiliar with such crowd, but he was glad future generations can accept dragons as a conscious being, not animals.

"You like the crowd?" asked Richard to Seraphor. "What a folk party, huh?"

"Yeah, that's true," said Yort while smiling. "You're all the center of attention to all of the dragons. Go there and have fun."

Seraphor was surprised when all of the crowds turned their gaze to both the silver red and the draconians, as if they were waiting on something good. Seraphor had nothing to say to them, and almost tried to go away when Spyro said, "Well, Sera here returns to you all, so have a nice party and enjoy it all night, okay?"

As the party continued, Spyro then turned his head to Seraphor, smirking, "Heh, from your expression, you never attend a party here in your own world, right? You must try to make yourself comfortable with both worlds' party. Well, since I'm still single, how about if I follow up the liquor..."

"There's no liquor here," interrupted Seraphor. "You know how I hate drinking tropical drinks or even wines made from grapes or beers from malt, right? Dragons here normally don't drink."

"Really? Then what are those two doing?"

When Seraphor turned his head, he was surprised that two dragons drank directly from a wine barrel with their front paw, getting drunk together while laughing to each other while the humans watched. The dragons were just watching them while smirking to themselves or sighing on the sight. The silver red thought he was imagining things but seeing the century difference he could see why.

"Wow, boozes are also here, after all," said Spyro with a smirk. "Hey, guys, share it!"

"W...wait, Spyro! Liquors here are stronger than you think!"

"You drink those too, Seraphor?"

"No! Like I said earlier, I'm..."

His warning fell for deaf ears as only finishing a barrel full of beer did Spyro suddenly got the drunken effect. He hiccupped many times while having unbalanced control over his body and he even tried to make fire, only to be stopped by Seraphor's quick action.

While doing so normally made Shyplis came out to right Spyro, it didn't. The malt was too strong and it also affected the dark purple dragon.

"Oh hey, Seraphor, nice day...isn't it?" said Shyplis while drunk. "I thought you might want to have fun?"

"Oh shit, now that's not right."

"I...have found a chance...of drinking...a good bite..."

"What the fuck is going on?! His head is also jumbled! What the hell is that thing?!"

"Oh, Sera, thanks the ancestors you're here! Your friend happens to try one of the best malt..."

"Guardiola, you prick! I knew you're behind this!"

Guardiola, the aqua blue sea dragon, was a master of herbals, especially those used for strong drinks. While he had a knack on alchemy, his 'herbal making' was a little out of place, especially most of them ended up making the dragons that normally had high tolerance to liquors, drunk.

"Hey, wait a moment, Sera. Those malts had healing properties in it. You don't believe me, aren't you?"

"Healing properties? Like I care about that! You are making dragons drunk."

"Relax, Sera, it's just like when you're small and you tried out my herbs with Avila. Remember?"

"Yeah, I kinda...remember that, yeah, but...let's not talk about Avila for a while. Guardiola, what is wrong with Shyplis' mind?"

"My malt can disorientate those drinking it. It is temporary, but it has healing factors."

"Like I believe in that."

"It heals one of their deepest wounds, especially physical ones. Does that dragon ever got some scar?"

"Well, one of his horns has cracks after a fight."

"You can see his horn now. I can say it will be as good as new."

As night became late, Seraphor and the rest of the dragons had started to get drowsy. The guards had stationed themselves to protect the small settlement of dragons and riders alike. That night sandstorm raged on, yet its howling voice was muffled by the mages' magical field. Almost all dragons had gone to sleep as time flowed, only those stationed and those couldn't sleep didn't.

As Seraphor wanted to finish the day sleeping, he came upon Bartoz's tent. The tent was the most silent one, with no snoring voices at all. He was curious on what was going inside so he peer his head inside and found the black dragon to be sleeping with Xiciro?

"Okay, that's gross," thought Seraphor in disgust. "That's really not normal."

Seraphor didn't want to wake up both of them, so he just quietly put his head out and went back to his friends. As he turned his head, though, he heard Bartoz calling his name.

"Wait, Seraphor," said Bartoz. "What will you do now, with your condition healed?"

"I'll try to find some way to find the dragons attacking Xici kingdom."

"Then what can you do? We dragons aren't supposed to be in the role of investigating. Peeking too much into other's matter is not going to work. If it's humans, it's okay, but this is, of course, in our part."

"Our part? Avila is still gone and I don't want to rot like a piece of shit here without returning our glory back. Besides, I have to say, this place indicates that we're losing from them. Why do you insist living here while you're able to return Dracokin to its glory? Fuck with another attack, we'll back you up."

"There's nothing to gain from fighting back, Seraphor."

"We are dragons, Bart. We have something we must gain, unlike humans. We still have our pride stolen by those small weak humans only because they have great magic, armor, and weapons. I once remembered a thing in my past about our pride is higher than a lion, while our trick is viler than a snake. I don't know if that makes sense, but I, of all dragons, know better what it feels like to lose your pride when I lost the thing dragons dear most."

Bartoz didn't reply immediately. He paused a moment, before saying, "Yes, it maybe dragons need pride, but then, you must know that some humans think of us as embodiment of the devil. There's a fact that we're greedy, too, beyond measure."

"What do they know about our own gold hoard, huh? Think of us as vile snakes and send a valiant dragon slayer to slay us? Or, they might want to think we're the menace to their cattle and to their fair princess and whatever that is? Those are the things of the past, Bartoz. We're here to correct those mistakes and have peace with the humans."

"You don't know anything about a feral dragon, young dragon," said Bartoz while snarling. "You're born as one of the greatest race with high pride and with a pitiful mind of making peace of this world. I've seen more than what you've seen and you can't argue with me on that."

"You can't talk about my race. They're dead."

"And so are you if you're so selfish on killing yourself just to take back the pride you lost! Right now all of the dragons in the Order are trying to return to their former glory by taking many points all around this continent. If you think correcting mistakes and have peace to humans is right, you're so damned wrong! I..."

Bartoz wanted to increase his voice when he heard dragons snoring. As he turned, he saw Spyro and the rest of the guardians sleeping soundly. As he knew the purple dragon was just like Seraphor, he wanted to talk about Seraphor on his irresponsibility in matters not like how dragons do, but the silver red talked first.

"Yes, I'm a fucking idiot. But let me tell you one thing. I learned this shit back in where I stranded, where dragons live with nothing as burden. You may not be able to achieve anything in your life, but if you can move yourself to cross the line, it will worth a while. As I said, Bartoz, we are not going to stop. This is what I do now, and this is the life I have been into for 20 years."

Now with that argument Bartoz knew his silver red friend wouldn't change his standing. He was a dragon that can keep his words, unlike common dragons. He was just like humans.

With that fact in hand Bartoz made a smile and said, "Well, go on with that, you fool. I can't argue much with you anymore. Just go to sleep already."

As they parted ways, Seraphor turned his head and said, "Hey, Bartoz?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry I argue too much about my own ego. I was a little bit carried out, you see."

Bartoz made a smirk again and said "Don't worry. Nothing will broke our friendship" and walked into his tent. As his black body vanished into the big tent, Seraphor went to sleep to his place, thinking on what Bartoz was arguing about. The black dragon had a point. There was no gain if they didn't try to attack the anti-dragons. Prideful wouldn't take care of anything. Yet, the silver red felt that he needed a way to end everything and he could live as a normal dragon not involved in any war. It didn't matter if Avila wasn't coming back. He would wait for her, for eternity if he must.

"Maybe I'll start by returning to Xici kingdom and become the guardian like how we used to be," thought Seraphor before laying his head low and dozed off.