FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

A large mass lay in the dappled light of the forest ground. A passing observer might have attributed the form to the forest undergrowth, but if one stopped to look more closely, they would have seen that the green mass was actually a large animal bracing itself against several trees and holding completely still near a game trail. The only motion the figure made was the expansion and contraction of its sides as it breathed, waiting patiently for its quarry to arrive, confident in its dark green striped coloration's ability to keep it hidden.

Within a few minutes, the sound of hooves impacting lightly against dirt caught the animal's attention, and it tensed as a herd of deer came into view. Soon enough, the herd was making its way past the animal's position in the undergrowth, completely oblivious of its presence as they passed it by. Waiting until the last member of the herd was in view, the animal patiently allowed the deer to get close, before...it...struck!

A large, reptilian head mounted on a powerful neck suddenly burst forth from the side of the trail, sinking long fangs into deer flesh for an instant before immediately releasing the unfortunate animal. The violent motion spooked the herd, which bolted down the trail, along with its bitten member. Grinning in satisfaction, the predatory animal emerged from the undergrowth into the game trail, revealing the figure of a huge green dragon.

Long and sinuous, almost to the point of being serpentine, the dragon padded his way calmly after the herd of deer with a gait reminiscent of both snakes and big cats. His forked tongue flickered in the air periodically as he tracked his prey, taking his time while doing so. The dragon even paused at one point to admire a flower growing at the edge of the game trail.

After sauntering along the trail for a few minutes, the dragon eventually spotted what he was looking for. There, lying stiffly on the ground, was the deer that he had bitten. Its limbs seemed locked in place, along with the rest of its body, with only the deer's eyes and sides moving as it panted heavily, staring wide-eyed at everything around it.

Pleased with his catch, and not wanting the deer to suffer more than it had to, the dragon moved quickly to the fallen animal, bracing its head with one forelimb while the other swiftly inserted a claw between the animal's skull and spine, killing it instantly before it even had time to consider what was happening.

Taking his prey in his mouth with a satisfied expression, the dragon quickly slither-climbed his way up the first tree large enough to hold his weight and kicked off from the plant's apex, spreading his wings to catch the air and beating them heavily to gain altitude.

Mentally noting that getting his prey back to his lair was more strenuous than actually hunting it, the dragon grinned smugly, proud of his hunting abilities. As he soared above the forest, the dragon enjoyed the view, his gaze eventually settling on a far off city well past the edge of his territory.

The emotions he felt as he gazed at the homes of the "civilized races" were mixed. On one hand, he had always avoided the anthropomorphic races, due to the general sense of fear and prejudice that was directed towards his kind by them. The dragon had learned from a young age that anthros are better off avoided, especially since dragon hunting had become such an "honorable practice".

On the other hand, the dragon couldn't help but wonder as he watched the tiny, far off figures; what was life in the city like?

"I hereby sentence you to lifetime banishment from this town and its respective boundaries." The judge's voice echoed through the tiny courtroom. A long silence followed. No soul in the room dared to even think of opening their muzzles. The law had spoken, and everyone knew that the decision was unchangeable.

A sad and sympathetic expression could be seen on the folks who attended the trial. With the exception of one individual; the one who arraigned. The ponderous pig leaned big in his chair with a smirk on his fat cheeks. But soon his face turned into a grimace, obviously not pleased with the judge's decision despite winning the trial.

"If I may, my good si-" started the swine, but was soon interrupted.

"No, you may not, Sir Boldrum. I already made my decision. You of all people should know that I cannot change it, even if I wanted to." The judge, a rather massive bull, announced. He slowly stood up from behind his table and turned to the person next to Sir Boldrum's own chair.

"You were found guilty for thievery, and since this wasn't your first time stealing from the citizens of this town, your punishment shall be of the same level. You must leave by the first sunrise tomorrow, and never return. If you dare to do so, you shall be executed on sight." The bull explained, his piercing gaze never leaving the young criminal's eyes. "Do you understand, Zachary?"

"Yes, I do." replied a young leopard, his tail swishing behind him as glared at the pig with a look that could kill. "I hope you're satisfied now, Boldrum."

"You ought to call me Sir Boldrum, you insolent filth. Besides, I'd rather see your pathetic self executed than sparing your life. Be thankful that the judge has a soft heart." shot back the swine, obviously enjoying every last moment of terrorizing the leopard.

"Enough, both of you!" The bull's exclamation sent the two back to silence, but their eyes restlessly continued their silent fight. "The trial is over. Guards, take Zachary to the court's prison chambers. Escort him out of the town at dawn. For everyone else, you're free to leave."

Not much later, Zachary lay in bed, using his furry forearm as a comfortable pillow beneath his head. The pillow which had been left here was filled with insects of all sorts, and the leopard would rather not wake up with bugs all over his fur. Not like he could get even a second of sleep tonight, he was too distracted by his thoughts. And the damp smell of his jail room wasn't helping either. Perhaps stealing from the mayor of the town wasn't a good idea. Even he himself was surprised that the guards were able to catch him. Though, it wasn't the first time it happened, he should've expected that there were more blokes marching around the pig's house.

An indistinct chatter grabbed Zachary's attention, making him raise his head and peer in the darkness which surrounded his cell. Soon a flickering torch came into view, and to the leopard's utter surprise, the wielder was none other than the judge from his trial.

The two of them awkwardly stared at each other for a little while, both unable to open their mouths. Thankfully, the judge came to their rescue.

"I'm truly sorry for today, Zachary." The bull said simply, unlike before, his gaze held obvious sincerity. Unfortunately, Zachary wasn't easily convinced.

"Oh, I'm sure you are." replied the young one, obviously annoyed by the judge's presence. "I'm not a fool, old man. Don't try to sympathize with me after banishing me. I know perfectly well that nobody cares whether I die or live. It's just the life of an orphan, I suppose. You have to get used to being unwanted." He could no longer look at the bull in front of him. Somehow, staring at the ground below him held more comfort than the man who practically sent him to die.

"If you aren't a fool, young boy, answer me this." A short pause followed as the bull waited for Zachary to raise his head. "Why on earth would you steal from the richest and most influential person in the whole town? That ought to get you only in bigger troubles than your previous mischief makings. You seem pretty foolish to me for attempting such nonsense."

For a few moments, Zachary couldn't answer. He stood up from his bed, and slowly walked to the bull. His paws clutched the bars with an iron grip as he responded.

"You know nothing of my life, bull. You rich folks never do. Have you ever been so hungry that you could've chewed your own goddamn leg off?" A single tear escaped from the leopard's eye, but it quickly disappeared in the dense fur.

"Because I have. When you've been starving for five days, you start looking at the world from a different perspective. You begin to question the fairness of life, and why you couldn't be born amongst a loving family. And of course, thoughts of breaking the law in order to feed your sorry self come up as well. Right until the moment you realize that you have to be the one taking care of your life. Because no one ever will!"

Zachary was left panting, his grip in the bars loosening with every slow breath he took. "I wanted to make a change in my life. You don't find golden coins on the streets just lying around. And guess what? Nobody hires a kid from the street to work. You're hopeless out there, and alone." He looked back at the bull, his eyes filled with fiery passion.

"There's no other choice for you but to steal from others. That's how you get to live. People despise you for it, hate you for it. But at least you can live. That's the only way. That's how it always has been, and that's how it will be until there are lonely people living on the streets." He walked back to his bed, and practically collapsed on the hard mattress. He couldn't care less about the quality of the bed at the moment, though.

"I stole from Boldrum exactly for the reason of him being the richest in town. I wanted to find something expensive and important so I could sell it and leave this godforsaken town for good. Start a new life somewhere else, where I wouldn't have to worry about who to mug on the streets for some coins." He finished finally, heaving a great sigh.

Zachary stared up at ceiling, finding the years of moss between the bricks mildly amusing. It reminded him of the endless forest which lay outside of the town. At least he would die amongst beautiful trees of all sorts. With the next town located with a week's worth of travel time on horseback, he doubted he would make it through the wilderness. Even some brave folk from the town were reported missing while attempting to cross the green expanse of nature's grip. Just how much chance did a nineteen year old leopard have, then?

The bull listened quietly to the young one's outburst. His expression never changed once throughout the whole ordeal. Years of experience as a judge sure did wonders to someone's ability to show no emotions whatsoever. When Zachary was done, the bull cleared his throat, trying his best to get his attention in the most appropriate way. To his surprise, it was successful. The leopard's eyes were back on him, searching his face.

"One more question, Zachary, if I may?" he asked politely, and didn't open his mouth until the leopard nodded his head.

"If nobody cares for you, as you stated. Then why am I here right now, talking to you?" The bull scratched his horn, and the faintest smile spread across his muzzle.

Zachary sat up, looking at the bull completely perplexed. "I-I dunno. Thought you only came down to have a good laugh at my misery before I was thrown out."

Now it was the old one's turn to seem hurt. His tone changed to unusually hard and intimidating at the same time in a matter of seconds. "That would be mighty inappropriate from my part, wouldn't you think so? Do not make assumptions of my manners, boy. We hardly know each other."

"You got that one right." Zachary shot back fast, glaring at him once again.

The bull snorted, his expression easing back to a more relaxed one. "Well, I already know your name. I reckon it would only be applicable if I told you mine." He bowed with grace, holding one of his arms close to his body, while the other hung alone in the air. "I'm Judge Gradus Hughe."

Zachary found himself amused at the display, and was soon chuckling. "That's a new one. I've never seen a murderer showing so much respect to his victim." He teased, although his tone held some amount of hurt sound to it.

"You truly hate me for banishing you, don't you?" asked Gradus, his concern evident in his voice.

"You ar-" Zachary was about to argue when the bull interrupted him.

"Tell me, young one. What could have I done? Let you free and uncharged despite your crimes? Can you imagine the outcry if someone were able to get away without punishment? What do you think the Mayor would have done if I hadn't banished you?" The leopard wasn't even able to respond before the painfully true answer came.

"He would've killed you, boy. Or at least his men would have, and no one would have known that you were murdered." The bull sighed and lowered his shoulders before continuing. "There was no better way out of this situation, Zachary. You still have a chance out there. At least more than here, inside these walls. There are diresome times coming our way very soon, Zachary." Gradus walked some steps away from the cell and mounted the torch in one of the holders on the wall. His back was facing Zachary as he spoke.

"You aren't the only one who is displeased with the situation in our town. Corruption and criminal activity is at an all time high. Since the death of our previous Mayor, things have changed, and for the worse. There are more homeless anthros on the streets with each passing day. There's no work for them, given that the governing family of Sir Boldrum has his men placed at every position, it's no wonder that they can't find a place to work at. They are hopeless, to say the least." The massive bull turned back to face the leopard before continuing.

"And what do you think people do when they are displeased with their government? Yes, you guessed it right. They riot, they fight. And in my honest opinion, they have all the reason to do so."

"I still don't get why you're here, and why on earth are you telling me this?" Zachary countered, looking even more confused than some moments ago.

The great bull chuckled, and leaned against the cell bars. "The result of a successful rebellion is usually ended with the election of a new Mayor. And when that happens, all the choices and decisions of the previous one are looked after, and changed if desired. Even the ones involving breaking the law, and most likely your case as well. I'm sure you can put two and two together. You said you weren't a fool, after all." Gradus finished, chuckling a little.

He took the torch from the holder before he spoke again. "I don't despise anything more than unfairness, Zachary. That's why I became a judge. Although I feel the importance of my work was somewhat diminished since the death of our previous Mayor. I just wanted to let you know, that you still might have a chance of returning to this city. Change is on our doorsteps. Do whatever you want with that information, and take care of yourself out there. Some folks say that there are some dangerous creatures roaming those woods." With that, the bull disappeared, carrying with himself the one source of light, thus leaving Zachary in pitch black.

The young leopard simply sat on the edge of the bed, trying to process the events of the last few minutes. Soon he found himself yawning, and decided to leave the thinking for another day. He returned to his previous resting position, and was fast asleep despite his earlier concerns of not getting any rest tonight.

He was woken by a bulky hand shoving hard against his side, and although he tried to resist, the shouting of one of the guards made it impossible for him to sleep any longer. Groggily, he got up and followed the two massive figures in front of him. The walk was short, and before he knew it, he was facing the front gates of the town.

When the two massive iron doors opened, the scenery left the young boy breathless. The first orange lights of the sun pierced through the forest canopy, leaving patches of golden rays on the dirt road which led further into the forest. The sound of leaves rustling against each other in the light breeze, and the constant swaying of uncountable trees were marvelous to listen and look at.

"It's time, young boy." The guard's voice was so unpleasant compared to nature's symphony that it was able to pull back Zachary into reality in a matter of seconds. He looked over his shoulder and then walked through the gates willingly, and remained silent. He shot one last glance back at the gates as they slowly closed behind him. The sign which hung above the mighty wooden doors simply read; Welcome to Boldrumton. Ironically for Zachary, he was doing just the opposite of that. The words of the bull echoed in his mind, and for a second, he was glad he didn't have to live inside those walls anymore.

Lying comfortably on a bed of leaves and twigs, the dragon's side was warmed by the light filtering through the trees and into his burrow. After a moment, the beast raised its head and blinked at the light blearily, letting loose an expansive yawn. Licking the dew that had accumulated on his snout, the dragon stood and stretched, his claws digging into the ground briefly, before padding out into the light. His sudden presence startling a hare that had been nibbling at a bush, the dragon watched with an amused expression as the little creature sprinted away into the undergrowth.

The dragon didn't give chase. The deer he had caught yesterday had left him feeling sated enough that he wouldn't need to eat right away. Besides, the hare was hardly a bite-sized snack for him.

Taking a moment to cover the entrance to his burrow with fallen plant matter, the dragon turned and sauntered off in a random direction, flickering his tongue idly as he walked. The normal scents of the forest were caught by his nose and tongue both, giving him an indication of the whereabouts of the woods' inhabitants. Noting the direction of the scent of the pack of wolves he shared his territory with, as well as that of the deer and other prey animals, the dragon deliberately avoided all of them.

Meandering through the forest until he neared its edge, the dragon changed course as the tree line came into view, starting his morning patrol of his territory. Each day, he would start by looking for signs of new individuals entering his stretch of the woods, in order to determine if he might have new options for prey, or whether he had to run out an extra pack of wolves. Having one group of competitors was enough for him, he didn't need any more.

Most importantly, the dragon kept an eye out for indications of anthros entering his territory. The civilized races were the one thing he feared encroaching on his forest. Sure, he could slay or scare off small groups of them, but if word of the dragon got out and reached the wrong ears, the dragon would suddenly find himself being hunted by wave after wave of honor seeking knights looking for dragon horn trophies to mount on their walls.

Shuddering at the thought of being a prize, the dragon looked out beyond the tree line. His keen eyes could make out the road in the distance, which seemed to hardly find use these days. This fact brought a sense of relief to the beast as he mused, taking a moment to trace the road from where it entered the forest--well out of his territory's boundaries--to where it originated; the town in the far distance.

The dragon would sometimes entertain himself by sitting at the tree line nearest the town and watching the bustle of its activity. It helped to relieve his dread of being discovered by the anthros by reminding himself that they were far away, and probably wouldn't be interested in his woods.

As he traced the road, however, the dragon noticed some activity at the town's border. The gate had opened, with three tiny figures standing at the entrance. Yet as he watched, only one of the forms stepped out from the town, the gate closing behind him a moment later.

Suddenly uncomfortable being within eyesight of the road, the dragon resumed his patrol with greater haste, looking back to the ground and scanning it quickly as he moved, eager to be done with the tree line.

An hour or so later, the dragon had finished his patrol and had settled down in the low branches of the largest tree in his forest. It was one of his favorite spots to relax, as evidenced by the heavily worn bark along the tops of many of the lowest branches. Found in the territory of the resident wolf pack, the dragon would sometimes watch the wolves in their activities when they were within sight of the tree.

The wolves and dragon had an interesting relationship. Although technically competitors for the forest's larger prey animals, the dragon had grown fond of their presence, sometimes interacting with them directly. At first this interaction involved deliberately antagonizing the wolves into giving chase so that he could "escape" from them, learning how a prey animal avoids predators in the process. This was a time when the dragon was much smaller; around the same size as the wolves themselves, so the pack hunters were an actual threat to the thrill-seeking dragon.

Now that he was larger than the wolves by a factor of six or seven, they would no longer give chase to him. Still, years of interaction had formed a bond between the pack and dragon, and they developed a symbiotic relationship of sorts. The dragon would help enforce the wolves' territory, and in return, he was able to have some form of companionship in his otherwise solitary life.

As he thought of this, a pair of wolves exited the undergrowth. Huffing a greeting growl to let the wolves know he was there, the dragon rested his head on his branch, not entirely in the mood for company since having spotted a figure on the road. The thought of an anthro being anywhere near his territory usually put the dragon in a sour mood, and today was no exception.

Closing his eyes, the dragon thought that a nap might help get his mind off of civilization as a whole. As he drifted to sleep, he had no idea that his opinion of civilized races was about to be put to the test.

Zachary never considered himself one to be scared easily, but as he walked through the forest, the various sounds and suspicious noises coming from the bushes were able to make the leopard feel rather uneasy. He twisted his head this way and that, almost expecting a beast to lunge out and attack him. He was only allowed to leave the city once, as a child, and even that didn't last longer than a few minutes. The forest seemed like a whole other world to him, and right now a rather scary one at that.

Once his paranoid thoughts subsided a little, he actually allowed himself to enjoy the beautiful scenery. Massive oak trees surrounded him on both sides, almost creating a brown and green wall as they stood proudly next to each other. The sun had crept higher in the sky, basking its comforting warmth on the forest below it, and painting everything in the slight hue of orange. The peak of a nearby mountain could be seen if one were to look west, even the area up there was covered with numerous trees, although their color was leaning more against dark green than the ones around the leopard.

Zachary took a deep breath, savoring the fresh air which filled his lungs to their full capacity. He held it in for a few moments, appreciating its distinctiveness from the air back in his town. The leopard exhaled, and as if on cue, his stomach ruined his short relaxing session by releasing a thundering growl.

He thoughtfully clutched at his midsection, his face fixed in a grimace. 'Right. I haven't eaten since I broke in Boldrum's mansion. Thank god that bloke left his untouched leftover dinner on the table. I haven't been that full since...' The leopard paused, thinking hard for a moment before continuing with his inner monologue.

'Never. It was the first time.' Thinking about food didn't help, though, as Zachary's stomach let the young leopard know with another soft growl. It almost sounded like a cry for help, but he quickly waved the thought away, blaming the forest and his current state of paranoia.

He started wandering off in a random direction, hoping to find some berries or anything he could sate his hunger with. Being an inexperienced adventurer, he failed to notice that his pointless walking only resulted in getting farther and farther away from the protection and comfort of the dirt road. He surely would have noticed his foolish behaviour if it wasn't for the hunger which demanded to be dealt with. Unfortunately for Zachary, he didn't even realize that he got lost for a long time.

He had found some berries on bushes, but was smart enough not to eat them instantly, despite what his stomach would have preferred. The urge to swallow the juicy looking balls was hard to resist, but the fear of eating poisonous food on his first day of new life overwhelmed his hunger for now.

Rescue came in the form of a hare, who seemingly was rather oblivious of the leopard's presence, or simply didn't care. The little critter wasted no time in snatching one of plump berries with its teeth, and swallowing fast before moving on to the next one.

Zachary only watched for a moment, considering his options as he stood still. He knew that the berries meant no harm for him now, so he could safely eat them to his heart's content. One the other hand, the hare's meat sounded much more inviting than that. He searched around him, and found a simple branch which had been lying next to his foot. His experience as an adventurer wasn't the only he lacked. Unfortunately for him, his hunting skills were even worse.

A few moments later, the leopard was chasing a terrified hare across the soil, destroying everything in his path beneath his clumsy feet. With the previously found branch spinning above his head, and with the hare squealing for mercy, the encounter gave quite a sight to anyone who would have seen it.

The pathetic scene continued for a few more seconds. When Zachary was about to his the hare on its head with a finishing blow of his mighty branch, he toppled over. He didn't know how that something got there, or why it decided to ruin his chance at eating meat, the only thing he knew was that it was hard, and that his paw hurt... a lot.

"Goddam-" The leopard started, but his words were soon lost amongst his exaggerated screams of pain. A few seconds of rubbing his foot, and cursing later, Zachary looked back at whatever he had kicked. At first glance, the shapeless object appeared like a green rock of some sorts, but it looked like it was covered in scales. Only when it twitched was the leopard able to figure out what, or more accurately, who he had kicked. He laid frozen, mouth agape as the massive, shadowy figure emerged.

Looking down at the figure that had impacted him, the dragon regarded the anthropomorphic leopard with a mixture of surprise, disbelief, and horror. Regarding Zachary with a wide-eyed expression, it took a moment for the dragon to get over the shock of seeing an anthro in his territory. Once his wits returned to him, the dragon placed a claw gently but firmly on top of the leopard, ensuring he wouldn't escape and eliciting an expression of terror from the youth as he stared fearfully into the dragon's eyes.

Momentarily disregarding the figure beneath him to ascertain whether there were more of his kind nearby, the dragon flicked his tongue and looking around warily. After a moment, he was reasonably sure that he could only detect the scent of the anthro beneath his claw, so he returned his gaze to the leopard, locking eyes with him.

Now the dragon was faced with the dilemma of having no clue what to do next. If he were to harm this creature, it might cause those that know him to come looking for revenge. But if he let the leopard go, he faced the potential of word of his territory being spread far and wide. As he weighed his options, he felt the leopard begin to struggle against his grip.

The dragon knew he couldn't just pin the creature forever. Yet he also couldn't afford to let the leopard leave the forest. Coming to a decision, the dragon lifted his claw from the leopard. As Zachary got up and made to run, however, the dragon leapt in front of him, causing him to change directions and eliciting the dragon to leap in front of him again, repeating the process a few times in an attempt to get his point across; the leopard was not going to be harmed, but he was also not allowed to leave.

Zachary leaned on his knees heavily with both of his arms, his breath coming in short pants as he stared at towering dragon in front of him. It took him a few moments to realize that he could not leave, and for a moment he couldn't decide what to fear more, encountering a dragon, or having said dragon trap him in the middle of the forest with no escape in sight. He was about to start begging for his life, when another thought crossed his mind. The dragon had him pinned beneath its massive paw, and would have been able to crush him with ease, and yet, he was still alive and mostly unharmed. His left paw still hurt a little from kicking the dragon.

The leopard swallowed, clearing his throat and coughing a little as he struggled to find his voice. With his hands up in the air, he stared at the beast in front of him. He didn't know the why the dragon hadn't simply killed him when it had the chance, but didn't complain. He was glad that he still drew breath, as much as that simple action was barely performable in his current horrified situation.

"I-I'm truly sorry f-for kicking you. I-I didn't mean to hurt you... I was just ch-chasing this hare and then..." Zachary paused, lowering his arms and trying his best to recollect himself. "Thank you for not hurting me," he said simply with an appreciative tone.

A long silence followed as the two individuals stared at each other, as if waiting for the other one to make the next move. Collecting all the bravery in his heart, Zachary spoke up once again.

"May I leave, uhm, dragon? I was just crossing the forest when I stumbled upon you. I wasn't intentionally trying to seek you out, if that's what you worry about. As you can clearly see, I'm not what you'd call a dragon-hunter. I would hardly call myself a hunter, even." The young anthro explained, trying it hard to form logical sentences as he fought his ever-increasing fear.

He tried to move a little to the side, but that only resulted in another growl from the dragon. "I guess that is a no." Zachary murmured to himself, looking more and more uncomfortable with how things were advancing.

Now that the leopard was being more cooperative, the dragon considered his next move, though he was unsure of how he should deal with the situation. Huffing a sigh, the dragon made a beckoning motion with his head, deciding that he would just have to keep the leopard nearby until he came up with a better solution.

When the anthro hesitated, the dragon growled and moved around him, shoving lightly against the leopard once and pointing with a claw in the direction of his burrow, which was fortunately not far off. He could have just given the leopard a verbal command, but the dragon wasn't sure he wanted Zachary to know that he could speak just yet.

When he got the leopard moving, the dragon lead him to his burrow, which was a twenty minute walk. It would have taken a shorter amount of time for the dragon alone, but he had to check his pace to ensure that the anthro he lead stayed within reach, in case he attempted to bolt again.

As they reached the elevated patch of ground that indicated the dragon's burrow, the dragon lifted up the covering of leaves, revealing the underground structure. Soft light emanated from the depths of the burrow, which extended down and back from the entryway. Motioning for the leopard to enter, the dragon watched Zachary carefully, waiting for him to obey.

Zachary glanced back and forth between the dragon and his entrance with a horrified look on his face. The reason for the dragon to willingly let the leopard in his own home baffled his mind. And although he was terrified of what the beast might have planned for him, he couldn't do anything about it. He obviously couldn't run away, and the dragon's gaze on him and firm gestures made it all too clear that he had no other choice. He slowly entered through the entrance as the dragon held the leaves above his head, and followed him soon after.

Once inside, Zachary was surprised to find that inside the burrow wasn't pitch black, quite the contrary, even. The whole expanse of the single chamber was well lit by what looked like somewhat primitive torches, which were placed with care to provide as much as light as possible everywhere. It was obvious that they had been placed with thought, so the leopard could easily guess that the dragon who had abducted him was at least a sentient being.

The pile of bones in one of the corners caught the young leopard's eyes. The sight only accelerated his already thudding heart. He only hoped that he wouldn't join the pile. But as his eyes scanned the bones, he could see once again that they were arranged in a special way, and not just lying around without any purpose.

Turning his head the other way, he could see a bed of some sorts in the other corner. It mostly consisted of twigs and leaves, but he guessed it did the job when someone was tired enough. He was sure that the dragon's bed was more comfortable than the one he had to sleep on yesterday. The inspection of the host's home was interrupted by the warmth of said individual's breath on Zachary's shoulders.

The leopard quickly turned around, once again facing the much bigger creature in front of him as it looked down on him. "I-I really like your... uhm... den. It looks very..." he paused for a second, searching for the right word. "...cozy." A forced smile spread across his muzzle, and he nervously laughed as the dragon remained in silence, making the scene even more awkward.

"So... I don't even know if you can understand me, and I have no idea why you brought me here. I'm a little confused, to say the least. C-could you at least speak up? I'm in desperate need of any sort of explanation for my current situation." The leopard backed some steps away from the dragon, almost knocking over one of the bones in the process. Then he stood perfectly still, waiting for the dragon to answer.

Hesitating for a moment, the dragon breathed a sigh. "I don't want an army overrunning my forest," he finally responded, "If I let you leave, it's bound to happen one day. So you're staying with me until I decide otherwise, understood?"

Not waiting for an answer, the dragon sealed the entrance behind himself, moving to his bed afterwards and glaring at Zachary intently, measuring his reaction to the dragon's order.

The beast's low voice indicated that Zachary was dealing with a male dragon. He also found his way of uttering words surprisingly familiar to how normal people would talk. He was half-convinced that the dragon couldn't speak the common language, or at least only in a broken form. Once again, his earlier judgments were false.

"I don't really know what to say to that, honestly." the leopard said simply, his posture changing into a more relaxed one. He stood still for a few seconds before sitting down on the ground, his head buried between his legs as he mumbled. "I've been held as prisoner a couple of times now, but never by a dragon." A weak chuckle followed his words, but it was obvious that he wasn't laughing because he was happy with the news.

"I really didn't think that I could top what happened yesterday, but I guess I was wrong once again. Sometimes I seriously think that I'm cursed with bad luck." The anthro explained to no one in particular, finding his situation bad enough to just let his thoughts flow out. At this point, he felt pretty hopeless. From one prison to another in one day, not many people could tell that about themselves.

Literally able to smell the sorrow coming off of the leopard, the dragon's expression softened. He wasn't cruel; in fact Zachary's display elicited feelings of pity from the dragon. But he was still a dragon, and his pride wouldn't allow him to show sympathy to one who hadn't proved himself not to be an enemy.

Reaching to the side of his bed and grabbing a leftover haunch from yesterday's deer in his mouth, the dragon stood, grabbing a torch from the wall, and bringing both items to the leopard. "Here, eat," he ordered sternly, "You anthros like to cook your food, so use the torch, if you must."

After unceremoniously dumping the deer haunch into Zachary's lap and more carefully placing the torch in the leopard's hand, the dragon returned to his bed, his expression less aggressive, but still dispassionate.

Zachary grunted a little as the dead meat landed in him, and was clumsy enough to almost burn his fur off with the torch. He looked at the two items which the dragon had just given him, feeling completely dumbfounded. A dragon, who was probably the most fearsome and powerful creature in the whole world, held more concern for Zachary than his own people back Boldrumton. Of all the things that happened so far, this one surprised him the most.

"T-thank you." the leopard said simply, not wasting any more time in sating his hunger which tore at his stomach. He thrust the torch in the ground, and fearfully snatched one of the twigs which lay on the ground next to him. He tore small chunks from the meat, and pricked them on the twig. When there wasn't any space left on it, he held the meat in the fire, letting it roast as he waited impatiently.

The dragon didn't say a word, which only increased the tension between the two as the fire softly flickered beneath the meat, providing the only source of sound in the otherwise silent burrow.

"You're the first one to give me food without looking at me in disgust, or hate. Heh, it's funny, really." Zachary laughed weakly, looking away for a moment from the cooking meat. "Townsfolk or prison guards don't really take kindly to homeless orphan kids for one reason or another. I guess dragons are different in that." The leopard went back to watching his food. It was already starting to emit a rather pleasant fragrance from it.

The dragon didn't respond for a moment. "There's enough hatred in this world without me adding to it," he said after a few minutes of watching Zachary cook the leftover deer, "As much as I dislike you anthros, I don't think I hate you. I guess I've spent so much time watching your kind that I've gotten used to you. Make no mistake, though; I've seen enough misery brought about by your 'civilized ways' to make me feel nothing but disdain and pity for those that must live within the walls of a city."

Pausing for a moment when he realized that he had said more than he meant to, the dragon shook his head. "Make sure you cook that meat thoroughly," he warned, changing the subject, "I'm not sure, but my venom might not be good for your digestion."

Zachary looked at the deer meat with wide eyes, and then shot a glance at the dragon, not sure if he was serious or not. "Well, there goes my appetite." he muttered to himself, making sure to cook the meat at every possible angle, lest something bad happen to him. He had enough problems in the last two days; he didn't want to deal with another one.

"I don't think I hate dragons, either." The leopard stated not much later, his eyes still scanning the meat on the torch. The amount he tore away would be enough to sate his hunger for sure, and the meat looked crisp and decently brown. He looked at the dragon for a moment, whilst turning the twig a little to let the other side of the meat cook as well.

"I never had any encounters with dragons before; you're the first one I've even seen that wasn't on paintings. You never caused me any harm, so I don't have any reason to hate you, or your kind. Although I'm still trying to process that I'm held here against my will by a dragon. It's more pleasant talking with you than any of my previous guards, though," the leopard admitted, an unmistakable smile appeared on his face.

"As for your earlier statement, I've seen my fair share of misery within the walls of my town. You're absolutely right about that. It's a corrupt, unfair, and horrible place. Unless you're rich, in which case, you get to stomp on everyone else who's below you." Zachary's voice raised a little, his gaze fixated on the meat as it burned in the fire. Oh, how much he would like to see the Mayor's mansion in flames like those.

The dragon considered Zachary's response. He hadn't expected the anthro to agree with him, and was internally caught off guard, though he maintained an inscrutable expression. "What's your name?" the dragon asked, his curiosity piqued.

The question surprised the leopard, but he soon answered with a more relaxed tone. "Zachary, just Zach for short." Zach hesitated for a moment, but was unable to fight the urge to not ask the same question. "A-and yours? If I may ask?"

"Basajaun," the dragon responded, "And I'd prefer my name not be foreshortened, as I find it disrespectful."

Looking over to the entrance and back to Zachary, Basajaun sighed. "I need to go out and hunt while the deer are still active," he stated, "The night hunt belongs to the wolves. Stay here; if you attempt to leave, I will follow your scent to find you and bring you back here. And I won't be gentle about it. Am I clear?"

The leopard tried saying the dragon's name out loud a couple of times, but failed for the first few tries. It didn't easily roll of his tongue. When the dragon mentioned leaving, Zach's head turned to look at the massive creature as he spoke. He would've felt intimidated enough not to attempt leaving the dragon's burrow just by looking at him, but his words only made him all the more terrified of the possible outcome if here were to try it.

"I..." Zach started, considering his options before continuing. "Sure, I'll stay here. I have nowhere else to go, anyways." he announced with a laugh, focusing his attention on the meat once again, which only needed a few seconds of cooking before it could be consumed.

He started to wonder how truly diresome his situation was at the moment as he watched his food cook. He had really no home to go, no friends, no family to worry about him. And for the first time in his life, he was given food purely because of someone's good will. Perhaps being the dragon's prisoner for now wasn't such a bad idea. He might have starved out there in the forest, or could have gotten attacked by the pack of wolves the dragon mentioned. His best chance of survival, whether he liked it or not, was by Basajaun's side at the moment.

Giving a satisfied nod, Basajaun turned and exited his burrow, covering the entrance as he left. Once out of Zachary's sight, the dragon let his countenance fall a bit as he let out a sad sigh. The situation wasn't ideal for Basajaun either, but he could think of no other viable option that would end well for both of them. For now, he would let the hunt distract him from the problem.

Within an hour, the dragon had tracked the herd of deer once more and collected another for consumption. Having a second mouth to feed, however, Basajaun took the time to hunt a hare, as well as gather up various berries and other edible plants. He could survive on meat alone, and in fact preferred to do so, but the dragon was unsure of Zachary's dietary needs, so he collected a hefty amount of each different edible plant in his territory, eventually making his way back to his burrow near sunset.

Because of the sheer amount of food he had collected, Basajaun had skinned the deer to use its hide as a sort of makeshift bag, carrying the deer itself in his jaws, and the hare and plants in the deer sack in his arms. Thankful for his great size, Basajaun was able to fly the whole collection to his home without too much fatigue. Landing just outside his burrow, the dragon took the deer skin sack in his prehensile tail in order to open his "door" and close it behind him.

To the dragon's great surprise, Zachary was still in his burrow, sleeping peacefully on the floor. Thankfully, the torch had gone out when it fell over, due to the fact that it landed in dirt. Padding over to his little art project of bones, Basajaun cleared a space to put the food, placing the deer sack on the ground and the deer itself on a pile of bones, so as not to get it dirty.

Exiting the burrow once more, the dragon used the last of the daylight to gather up the "bed leaves", as he came to know them, from the surrounding area. When supported by a framework of twigs, the leaves provided a plush, sturdy surface or sleeping, which grew softer as the leaves decayed. Even the smell of these leaves rotting wasn't unpleasant, and it was a scent that Basajaun found comforting.

Bringing in enough of the leaves and twigs to make a bed for the leopard, Basajaun arranged them near the bones, making sure to get the twig frame right so that the leaves would be the most comfortable. Pressing down on the "mattress" and watching it spring back into place, the dragon gave a nod, before setting his face to his previous dispassionate expression and gently nudging Zachary awake.

The gentle motion only resulted in a low groan from leopard's part as he remained curled up on the ground. After some more heavy shoving however, he sat up, looking quite upset that his sleep was disturbed by someone. The expression on his face, and his half-opened eyes made it all too clear that he was still out of his mind, probably half-asleep as well.

"Waht you doin'?" he asked groggily, rubbing his eyes with both of his soft paws before yawning. It was rather obvious that the young leopard wasn't exactly a "morning person". A few moments, and some indistinct mumble later, Zachary seemed to realize where he was and who he was talking to.

He shot up from the ground, eyes wide open as he looked at the dragon. "Sorry, I like sleeping too much for my own good, and can't really deal with the reality of having to wake up." he apologized, looking rather embarrassed for acting like that in front of a creature which held such pride and power to it.

He glanced around the room, noting the extra food, including the meat and all the berries and plants, as well as the sudden appearance of a new bed. It looked almost identical to the dragon's one, the only difference being the size and the greener leaves.

"You made me... a bed?" he asked, scuttling next to the newly built furniture. The leaves were soft to the touch, but the twigs beneath it were sturdy enough the hold the structure up easily.

He then turned towards the collection of berries and plants. The assumption that those were for him as well was easy to make, given that the dragon looked like he was more fond of meat. "And... is that...?" he pointed at the pile of berries and plants, and then back at himself. Even a blind man could see the obvious appreciation in his brown eyes.

Basajaun gave a nod. "If you are going to be my...guest," the dragon started, uncomfortable with calling Zachary a prisoner, "Then I shall do my best to be an accommodating host." Basajaun took a moment to gesture towards the food before continuing. "I wasn't sure what you needed for nutrition," he explained, "So I gathered up a variety of things. I'm no chef, however, so I'll leave it to you to decide how to combine the ingredients I've brought."

Padding over to another torch, Basajaun took some dried sticks from a high cubbyhole and brought them over to the food, taking a moment to arrange them and light a fire that would last a while. "I don't have anything to cook in," the dragon stated, "So you'll have to make do with roasting your food for now."

Moving to his bed and replacing the torch in its proper place, Basajaun began lashing together a new torch to replace the one he had given to Zachary to use, occasionally flicking his gaze up to keep an eye on his "guest".

Zachary was speechless for a few moments, and simply stared at the dragon as he went out of his way to make him feel like a guest, and not a criminal who was held as a prisoner. Perhaps for the very first time, someone actually considered him more than homeless kid to be stomped on by everyone. The dragon kept surprising him with his behaviour more and more. He never would have guessed that honor could come from a creature like himself.

"I'm really thankful for all this, uhm, Basajaun, was it?" he tried uttering the dragon's name, hoping that he didn't butcher it that much with his pronunciation. "I'm full, though. That deer you gave me earlier filled me completely." the feline announced, smiling as he relished the feeling of having a full belly of food. He wasn't often granted this luxury in his life.

"So I'm your guest now, huh? Does that mean that my visit is only temporary?" Zachary asked out of pure curiosity, although the way things seemed to look now, he wouldn't mind staying for a little while with this exceptional creature. The least he could do would be to actually listen to the dragon and remain by his side for now.

Who knows, the dragon might even let him go if he can convince him that he wouldn't tell anyone of his existence. There isn't anyone he could tell the dragon about, anyway. But he understood the dragon's concern for his life, and respected his decision of keeping the leopard close to him, and handling the situation so it's acceptable for the both of them.

Basajaun tensed at Zachary's question, momentarily halting his torch binding. "I don't want to keep you here against your will," the dragon admitted, "Truly I don't. But I can't let you go. You anthros have proven to be too much of a threat to us dragons. I... I'm sorry, but I don't see any other way."

The dragon looked to Zachary, and then to the food Basajaun had brought for him. "So, you're still satisfied from the earlier deer?" the dragon asked, changing the subject as he finished up the new torch, standing and lighting it before placing it where it belonged, "Would you do me the favor of identifying any of the greenery I've brought that seems appetizing, then, so I know what to look for next time?"

Zachary listened quietly to the dragon's reply, and found his arguments to be logical. The young leopard would have done the same thing if he was presented with the same situation. The fact that the dragon decided to spare his life, and practically offered him a place to sleep and eat sounded still unbelievable.

He decided not to mention that he didn't mind staying as long as things were going this way just yet. Perhaps later, when he was more comfortable with a dragon around. He was still wary of the massive beast. The powerful creature could have killed the puny leopard with a flick of his great claws, after all. The leopard knew that he shouldn't get over his bad side.

"Oh, sure. I-I'll sort the good ones out." he said casually, making his way to the pile of greenery which was still displayed on the deer's freshly skinned hide. He recognized the berries which he had found earlier, and picked one out as a sample. He took a little bite, tasting the purple deliciousness as its juices caressed his taste buds. No wonder the hare seemed to ignore the leopard so it could have a snack, these things were heavenly!

Soon he found a familiar red berry in the pile. He remembered finding some next to the northern walls of Boldrumton, and knew that they were edible, and delicious. It helped him ease his hunger pangs on unfortunate days when he was starving back as a child.

A random assortment of berries and plants followed the first two, making a total of five kinds of greenery which were consumable for the leopard. He presented the pile of samples for the dragon once he was finished, pointing at each in turn and describing where they're usually found, hoping that he was able to provide him with all the information he needs. The dragon was giving him free food, after all. The least he could do was to help in every way he was able to.

The dragon nodded, moving to the pile of food and sitting on his haunches. Taking note of which particular plants that Zachary had selected as being palatable, Basajaun considered the rest of the fare he had gathered. "Perhaps I went a little overboard," the dragon mused, looking to the leopard with an amused smile, "I haven't had guests before, you see, so I may have overcompensated in my attempts to gather enough food for us both. Are you sure you won't have any?"

The leopard glanced at the pile of food, and considered eating a little, but quickly changed his mind. "No, thank you. I've had enough from the deer just some hours ago." he responded, smiling a little back at the dragon. "I get full really fast. I'm not used to eating a huge quantity of food, to be honest..." Zachary chuckled weakly before continuing. "I'll have some later, thank you."

Now that it was pointed out, Basajaun noticed that the leopard was rather thin under his coat of fur. "Very well," the dragon said, "I suppose I'll have to finish this myself, then. I don't have any preservatives, so a lot of this will spoil if not eaten soon."

Deciding to take the opportunity to experiment, since he already had the fire going, Basajaun took a thigh bone from the pile and quickly whittled one end down to a point with his claws, skewering chunks of venison and hare, interspersed with greens, onto the primitive spit. Once the length of the bone had been covered, the dragon placed it down on the bone pile, repeating the whittling and skewering process until all of the food had been properly prepared for roasting. Basajaun made sure to use a variety of combinations of meat and greens, in order to figure out which ones would make the best flavors.

Taking three of the spits, one in each foreleg and one with his tail, Basajaun started roasting the food, turning them slowly over the fire. "So, Zachary," the dragon said, looking over to the leopard as he cooked, "Would you like to tell me about yourself?"

The leopard tensed at the simple question, looking over the dragon as he nonchalantly turned the three spits over the fire. "Well..." he started, swallowing hard and collecting his thoughts. "There really isn't much to say about me. I'm just a kid who grew up on the streets of Boldrumton. Nothing really important happened in my life." The leopard stared at the ground, still surprised that the dragon would be interested in hearing about his pathetic life.

"I've been alone since I can remember, pretty much. There were some other homeless kids and others I knew, but most of them..." he paused for a second, taking a deep breath, "disappeared." Zachary grabbed a twig from the ground, and started making circles in the soft ground as he continued.

"I have done some pretty bad things in order to stay alive, and I'm not really proud of them. But at least, I'm alive. That's what matters to me, and that's what kept me going." He laughed a little, holding the twig in front of his eyes. "And I suppose that is the reason why I'm here right now, as well. Because I attempted to make a change in my life. What a foolish thought." Without even realizing it, Zachary had broken the tiny twig in his paws. He looked at the broken remains, and simply tossed them on the ground. "As I've said, there really isn't much I could tell you about me."

Basajaun listened quietly, watching the food roast as he waited for Zachary to finish. "I've also been alone for many years," the dragon stated, "But for a dragon, a solitary life is natural. Still, I must admit that it's...nice to have company. Even if I'm practically holding you hostage."

Basajaun looked over to Zachary, attempting to give him a reassuring smile, though unsure of whether he was getting it right; he had never attempted the expression before.

The dragon's "smile" only elicited a nervous chuckle from the leopard as he stared at the row of exposed fangs, which looked as sharp as daggers. Despite Basajaun's toothy grin, his words sounded sincere. It was rather hard to believe that such creature would enjoy the company of someone like Zachary.

"Well, I'm not your hostage. Just a guest, like you said." He teased a little, smiling back at the beast. "I have to admit that of all the times I've been imprisoned, this one is the most pleasing so far. And you're not a bad host, either. Although I don't know what a good host is, I've never been guest before." Zachary admitted, looking more and more comfortable about talking with a dragon.

As the leopard showed less distress at his situation, it also allowed Basajaun to relax. Taking one of the spits and placing it in his mouth, the dragon slipped the food off of the bone and chewed thoughtfully, noting how the flavors meshed together. Surprised by the good taste, Basajaun hadn't expected the plant matter, which he usually disliked, to blend so well with the venison and hare.

Swallowing the mouthful and placing the next shish kabob in his mouth curiously, Basajaun found it to be equally enjoyable. Giving a contented smile at having discovered such a novel flavor, the dragon momentarily forgot about Zachary's presence as he eagerly popped the next kabob in bone and all, to see how the bone would affect the flavor.

Swallowing with a satisfied grin, the dragon released a low, rhythmic thrumming sound, almost like a massive cat purring.

Zachary could only smile and raise an eyebrow at the unusual display, surprised to see the dragon behave in such an uncharacteristic way in front of him. His earlier assumptions of the dragon being an aggressive and brutal creature were proven to be false. Basajaun hasn't done anything remotely cruel or evil so far, which calmed the young leopard's mind immensely.

"I didn't know dragons could purr. I guess it tastes delicious." Zachary said, walking over to his newly gifted bed and sitting down. The leaves under him were much more comfortable than the cold, hard floor. He curled his tail around his legs, glancing curiously about the room.

"Do you mind telling me about yourself as well? I mean, if I'm gonna stay here, I suppose I should get to know you a little." he proposed, waiting patiently for the dragon to answer.

Eyes snapping open when he realized he had let his guard down, Basajaun looked over to where Zachary sat, taking a moment to find his voice. "Well, I, er..." the dragon stammered, blushing slightly before he could regain his composure and suppress his purring.

"Ahem, well, I am a forest dragon, as you've probably guessed by now," Basajaun began, taking another three spits and holding them over the fire as he spoke, "My life has been rather uneventful, for which I am grateful. Really, aside from taming the local wolf pack, I haven't really had any major accomplishments besides hunting, at which I would like to think I am very skilled. I haven't had a failed hunt in a few decades, so I never go hungry."

The dragon paused, taking a moment to place a spit in his mouth and remove the food, chewing and swallowing quickly in order to continue. "Oh, and I use the term 'taming' loosely, by the way," Basajaun clarified, holding the next spit over the fire to roast, "I wouldn't recommend you attempting to interact with them. They are still very much wild and don't take kindly to finding additional large predators in their territory, which is likely how they would see you."

"I'll take your word for that. I've had enough surprises recently, and I don't think I want to find myself surrounded by a pack of wolves anytime soon." Zachary said, looking nervously at the entrance of the burrow, as if expecting the mentioned wolves to give a visit to their dragon friend.

"So you're a forest dragon, huh? Have you met any other kind of dragons?" he asked curiously, watching as the dragon's food cooked on the nearby fire.

Basajaun shook his head. "Not since the day I hatched," the dragon said, "On that day, my mother gave me some basic hunting lessons, and then told me to find my own territory. There isn't too much parenting involved for forest dragons, and I haven't seen another dragon since." Stopping to eat the next kabob, he thought for a moment before continuing, "I haven't actually given much thought to whether this is a good or bad thing. Instinctually, I feel like I have to protect my territory from competitors, but intellectually, I've been left rather isolated. It's actually rather fortunate that dragons have such excellent memories, or I'm pretty sure I would have forgotten how to speak your language by now."

Swiftly eating the next spit of food, Basajaun only barely registered that he was full, becoming distracted by the first real conversation he had held in decades as he looked to Zachary in anticipation of the leopard's response, grabbing the last skewer and holding over the fire along with the two in his hand and tail.

Zachary snorted, smiling a little. "At least you had someone to tell you what to do. I had to figure out everything on my own!" He said, and although the statement sounded rather sad, the leopard's smile suggested he didn't mind talking about his hardships at the moment. Zachary got up from his bed, and walked over to the fire, sitting on the opposite side while facing the dragon in front of him.

"I thought dragons liked being alone. Hell, I didn't even know dragons could talk!" He admitted, rubbing his paws together and then holding them up in the warmth. "I guess I don't know a lot about dragons. Perhaps I can learn more about your kind, since it sounds like I won't be going anywhere anytime soon." The leopard's voice held no sorrow in it, he sounded like he accepted the fact that he had to stay here for the dragon's own good. He was doing better here than anywhere else before in his life, he wouldn't mind staying if his only problem would be sharing a room with a massive lizard.

Basajaun shrugged, nibbling on the spit in his tail. "Maybe other dragons enjoy solitude more than I do," he mused, setting the cleaned skewer aside, "I certainly don't claim to speak for my entire race. I can ascertain that my mother certainly wanted me out of her territory as soon as I was able to stand on my own. Which gave me all of seven hours of experience before literally being thrown to the wolves. I guess in some ways, I too am orphaned. It just happens to be a natural state for my species."

Noticing some sort of building discomfort as he started in on the second to last kabob, Basajaun shifted his weight, assuming the reason was he had been sitting in one position for too long. "But I won't claim to know what it was like for you to grow up," the dragon clarified, "I at least had built-in adaptations to survive in my environment. I don't know that I would have survived, if I were in your position, so I commend you for that."

"Well, it certainly wasn't easy." Zachary stated with an unreadable expression on his face, but a grin soon appeared on his muzzle. "But I learned a lot of things about survival that way, so I guess my struggles weren't all in vain. I actually learned some pretty useful things on the streets, some more honorable than others... but they are useful!" The leopard laughed, watching as the dragon slowly shifted position.

"I guess we have something in common, then. I mean, both of us being orphans. I just wish I could be half as good of a hunter as you are." The feline remembered how he tried to chase the hare with a branch in his paws, and slowly shook his head at the hilarious memory. Not exactly the best kind of way of introducing yourself to a dragon, not even mentioning the fact that he kicked the beast as well.

The dragon grinned at the memory. "I don't think I've seen a worse attempt at hunting a hare," Basajaun stated, laughing with a sound like deep, repetitive serpentine hissing with the last spit halfway to his mouth, "Perhaps you could use some pointers. You're in the wilderness now, so hunting is a crucial skill; or at least gathering." Slipping the food off of the skewer and eating it quickly, the dragon let loose a quiet burp, setting the bones aside as he finally made to investigate why he was getting so uncomfort--

"Oh..." Basajaun groaned, placing a forelimb on his sorely distended midsection, "That'd explain it...When did I...?"

Looking at the place where the skewered food had been, the dragon finally noticed that he had roasted and eaten all of it, when he had meant to save some for the morning. Burping again, Basajaun got to his feet, his mildly bloated middle protesting at the action. "I, er, I think it's time to get some rest," the dragon said, flushing as he hoped that the leopard hadn't noticed how his stomach hung somewhat lower than before. The situation was definitely a blow to his draconic pride, made all the worse by the fact that Basajaun did it to himself.

Unfortunately for the dragon, Zachary had noticed the change around his midsection as he got up. His belly looked definitely more rounded than before, making it all too obvious that the dragon had more food than he had meant to. For a few moments, the leopard's eyes lingered on the protruding middle of the massive dragon, finding it hard to tear his eyes away from the swollen surface. Only Basajaun's voice was able to pull him back to reality.

"Uhm, yeah... it's getting late. We should go to sleep. Perhaps you could show me some hunting tricks tomorrow." Zachary proposed, shaking his head a little to recollect himself. He got up as well, and slowly made his way to his bed. He lay down, curling up in a ball, a sleeping habit he'd picked up in order to stay warm on the streets during winter. His breathing leveled out, and the leopard closed his eyes. For once, he felt like he would sleep decently.

"Good night." he said simply, and remained silent afterwards. His breathing was the only sound which came from him as his body rose and fell with every breath he took.

Moving to each of the torches around the burrow, Basajaun gripped the burning end in a claw to snuff it out. Even though forest dragons had evolved out of using fiery breath, they still retained the fireproof nature of their ancestors, which Basajaun sometimes had use for.

Once the lights were out, the heat pits along the dragon's upper lip allowed him to continue to "see" in the almost total darkness of his burrow. Moving quietly over to the deer hide, Basajaun took the fur and laid it over his guest gently, fur side down, before moving to his own bed.

Settling down with a grunt, the dragon ran a forelimb over his distended belly. Usually careful not to over hunt his prey out of his territory, Basajaun hadn't ever allowed himself to gorge like he had tonight. But, despite the discomfort, the predator couldn't help but enjoy the feeling of being absolutely full, as well as the memory of the intriguing new flavors he had discovered by emulating civilized cooking. As he faded off into sleep, Basajaun couldn't help but wonder what other new flavor combinations he might be able to come up with...

As light filtered once more through the burrow's leafy covering, Basajaun rose up from his bed, shaking himself briskly awake. Looking over to the sleeping leopard, the dragon suddenly remembered the previous day's events with mixed emotions. Moving with surprising stealth, given his size, Basajaun moved around Zachary and grabbed three thighbones from the pile, including one of yesterday's skewers, and returned to his bed.

Reaching up to a small impression high above the burrow's floor, Basajaun retrieved several lengths of dried sinew, which he normally used to lash together new torches, and began binding the bones together into a crude spear, which seemed more like an overlong toothpick in the dragon's hands. Once he had finished with the sinew, the dragon sucked lightly at his right fang, drawing some venom into his mouth and licking the sharpened end of the spear, coating it with poison. Given the leopard's hilarious attempt at hunting, Basajaun figured he should give his guest every advantage he could.

When he was satisfied with the hunting spear, the dragon set it gently on his bed and stood once more. Padding softly over to Zachary, and remembering how he had reacted to being awakened gently before, a mischievous grin spread across the dragon's face as he thought of a more direct way to wake the leopard.

Moving to the mouth of his burrow, Basajaun oriented himself so that he was facing into his home. Taking a deep breath, the dragon let loose a modest roar, not wanting to scare his guest too badly, but loud enough to certainly get him awake!

Zachary looked rather peaceful in his sleep, and seemed like his dreams were rather pleasant as a goofy grin spread across his muzzle. Unfortunately for him, the dragon seemingly didn't care once the beast released a healthy roar, which to Zachary, sounded like the sound of the devil itself in his dreams.

His eyes shot up, and he straightened himself in one swift motion. "What the f-" The leopard started, but was soon silent as his hands slipped from the edge of his bed and he face planted on the hard, cold floor. For a few moments, the feline didn't move, and almost looked like that single blow had knocked him out for good.

An incomprehensible muttering soon followed as the leopard lay with his face still against the ground. It didn't take a genius to guess that he wasn't exactly praising the dragon for his manners at the moment. The scene continued for some time before Zachary decided to remove his face from the rather bad tasting floor.

He wiggled his jaw in his paw, and rubbed his nose with the other as he walked to the entrance of the burrow, not looking amused by Basajaun's way of waking him up.

"W-was that really necessary?" he asked, looking hurt, but it was obvious that he was only acting now, playing along with the dragon's game. He looked a lot more comfortable around the massive beast now, or at least more comfortable than the first time they had laid eyes upon each other.

The dragon let loose another hissing laugh. "Consider yourself paid back for kicking me," Basajaun stated, before motioning to his bed, indicating the spear, "That's for you, by the way. Watch out, it's poisoned. I don't want to see you stiffen up like a tree for an hour, so try not to touch the pointy end."

The leopard looked back at the spear which lay near the bed, and then turned around and put a finger on his own chest. "For me?" he asked, utterly baffled when he remembered what he had said before he went to sleep, and was surprised that the dragon had agreed on his idea.

"Oooh. We're going hunting, I suppose?" The expression on his face told the dragon that Zachary looked rather enthusiastic about being able to learn from an apex predator like Basajaun. He quickly fetched the spear, being careful not to get even close to where the primitive looking weapon ended. The leopard soon returned to the dragon, holding the spear like an excited kid who was just invited to play with his friends and with a wide smile on his muzzle.

Sniffing at the air as his tongue flickered, Basajaun was able to locate the direction of both herds of deer that frequented his territory, as well as hare and other small prey animals within several kilometers. "Alright, let's start easy," the dragon said, "Follow me. Stay close to me, now."

Watching Zachary bounce around like an over excited child as he followed the dragon, Basajaun could almost forget how terrified he was of the leopard getting out of his sight. Yet each time the forest undergrowth cut off the dragon's eye contact with Zachary, Basajaun could feel his heart leap up into his throat until he could spot the leopard once more. He wanted to be able to trust Zachary, as he had so far shown himself to be honest in his willingness to remain practically imprisoned, but years of fear of civilization wasn't so easily undone.

After a few minutes, and several moments of the dragon severely tensing his entire muscular system, the pair finally arrived at their destination, which didn't look very different from their starting point.

"Alright," Basajaun started, rubbing his forelimbs, which had started getting sore from his tense moments, "Let's see how well you can locate your own prey. There is a lizard in the undergrowth nearby that hasn't yet warmed itself for its daily activities, so it won't be going anywhere fast. I want to see if you can find it."

Zachary snorted, dropping his spear on the ground as he held his head high to sniff the air, his ears twitching to every direction where any noise came from. He stayed like that for a few moments before he lowered his head again. The leopard smiled, and slowly walked over to a log which was covered in moss. He thrust his head inside it, searching for a little while before pulling his paw out, and holding his fist up in the air in victory.

"Ha, gotcha!" he exclaimed, his fist still closed around whatever he had caught. Lowering his arm, he opened his paw, expecting to find a terrified lizard on his paw pads. To his surprise, though, he found himself staring at a simple forest frog as it lazily sat casually in his hand.

For a few moments, Zachary simply kept the eye contact with the tiny frog, completely perplexed on how he found this creature instead of a lizard. With a croak, the frog hopped from the leopard's paw, and quickly retreated to its home in the log. The feline stood still, staring at his open paw before looking up at the dragon.

"I-I-I don't... even... just..." he stammered, looking at his still open paw, then back at the log and then at Basajaun. He repeated the action a couple of times, looking like he wasn't able to comprehend what just happened and was obviously confused.

Basajaun looked at the frog with an obviously amused expression. "Well, you found something," he said, trying to keep the mirth out of his voice, "But I wouldn't eat any tree frogs, if I were you. A lot of them are poisonous."

After taking a moment to relocate the lizard's scent, the dragon continued. "The good news is the lizard hasn't moved," he reassured the leopard, "Would you like a hint?"

Zachary furrowed his brow, turning around to face away from the dragon. "No." he said simply, standing completely still. He closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply the fresh air. He emptied his mind completely, focusing all his attention on his nose. The leopard didn't move for a good minute or so, and then suddenly his eyes opened and he rushed to the base of a nearby tree.

He searched for a moment, and then disappeared behind the wide oak tree for a second, but quickly returned, and with the lizard in his paw. He walked back to the dragon, presenting his catch as he looked up at Basajaun with a somewhat mixed expression of happiness and disappointment.

"I guess it's not the same for the second try," he said, chuckling weakly as his tail swayed behind him. He looked embarrassed for not being able to find his prey for the first time, but his enthusiasm didn't leave him.

Basajaun patted the leopard's shoulder gently with a single claw. "Nicely done," he said, "You're not as hopeless as you first appeared." Immediately realizing that his statement might have been insulting, Basajaun quickly added, "Er, what I mean is, you have potential."

Clearing his throat awkwardly, the dragon hoped he hadn't unwittingly insulted Zachary. "Anyhow, does that seem like something you'd eat?" Basajaun asked, tapping the lizard on the head.

Zachary simply disregarded the dragon's comment, focused on learning something new in a really long time. He was never taught by anyone before, so being trained by the dragon was quite an experience for the young anthro.

"Well, if I really had to. But I'd cook it thoroughly first." he replied, hoping that he gave the right answer. The lizard wiggled in his grasp occasionally, forcing the leopard the readjust his grip around the tiny creature every few seconds.

Basajaun nodded. "I take it lizard isn't your meat of choice?" he asked, watching the unfortunate creature squirm fruitlessly in Zach's grasp and being reminded of his initial reaction to the leopard's presence.

Zachary looked at his feet, looking deep in thought. "I don't really have a meat of choice, to be honest. I haven't had many opportunities to feel the taste of meat. I liked the deer which I had eaten yesterday, so I guess that's the closest thing to my meat of choice." he replied, looking at the tiny creature in his grip as it struggled for any means of escape.

Suddenly remembering how he felt beneath the dragon's massive paw yesterday, he bowed down to set the lizard free from his grasp. He knew all too well how terrifying it felt to be held by a much stronger creature. The lizard quickly scuttled away, disappearing in the dense bushes in a blink of an eye.

"Would you like to try your hand at hunting deer, then?" the dragon asked, watching the lizard run off, "They are rather more difficult to hunt, but I find myself curious to see how you would fare. Should you fail, I'll simply catch one for us from the other herd, and you can try again tomorrow."

Thinking for a moment, the leopard didn't answer immediately, only after a few seconds. "Well, I guess I can give it a try. Although I doubt I'll be successful, if you ask me," he responded with a grin, picking up his spear before turning back to Basajaun.

"Lead the way." he said simply, seeming quite excited to try his luck on a bigger prey.

As he made to lead, Basajaun remembered the number of times he lost sight of Zachary on their way, and how unpleasant his reactions had been. Swallowing his pride, the dragon looked to the leopard. "Would you..." Basajaun's draconic pride railed up against what he was about to offer, and he had to fight it back down again before continuing, "Would you like to ride on my back? I can move faster without having to wait for you."

Zachary stopped in his enthusiastic gate when he heard the dragon's words, raising an eyebrow at the idea. "Well, if you don't mind. But I can't reach from here, could you..." The leopard gestured with his eyes to the ground before continuing. "Lie down, so I could get up on your back?" he asked, clutching his spear close to his body as he waited for the dragon's reaction.

Lying on the grass before his pride could get the better of him, Basajaun extended a wing in a semblance of a shallow ramp up to his back. The dragon turned so that Zachary wouldn't see his expression of obvious discomfort with this situation, not wanting him to think that Basajaun was overly proud, even though he was, and was also very aware of it.

"Sorry in advance." The leopard announced before he began making his way to the dragon's back. A few groans and hisses later, Zachary sat proudly on top of Basajaun. He couldn't help but gasp a little when the strong muscle tensed below; he could feel the flesh flex and move even through the dragon's hard skin.

"You alright down there? Am I sitting good, or should I move?" he asked politely, not wanting to cause any discomfort for the dragon below him.

Taking a deep breath and holding it for a moment, Basajaun managed settle his rebelling mind. "Y-yes, you're fine," the dragon said with a slightly tense tone as he rose up from the ground, "I'll just need to get used to it."

Resolutely padding towards the nearest herd of deer, Basajaun was eventually able to relax as he carried Zachary by telling himself that he was giving the leopard a view of the forest only available to its apex predator, which served to satisfy his instinctual pride. Relieved to have that issue resolved, at least for now, the dragon started giving Zachary instructions on how to hunt deer in an ambush manner, which saved the energy of having to chase them down, stating that it was the dragon's go to method of hunting most large prey animals.

Within forty minutes, they arrived at the game trail, and Basajaun lay down to let Zachary disembark. "They'll be here in a few minutes, judging by their scent," the dragon stated, "Any questions?"

Zachary looked at his spear, his grip on the weapon tightening. "No, I think I got this." he announced, giving a hopeful smile to the dragon.

Basajaun gave a nod, and quickly retreated to a nearby hiding position, close enough so he could observe the leopard's hunting, but far enough not to be spotted by the herd. If he hadn't watched the dragon as he hid himself, Zachary would've sworn that there was nothing lurking around in the dense undergrowth where the dragon decided to hide at. The creature's natural camouflage was unbelievable effective.

Deciding not to blow his chances, the leopard quickly retreated under a nearby bush, while still having a good view of the path where the herd was expected to go through. His heart thudded rapidly in his chest as he lay in the grass. He tried breathing slowly, but failed to do so thanks to his newfound nervousness. He tightened his grip on his spear, closing his eyes for a moment to concentrate. His ears twitched, instantly reacting to the sound of hooves as their tromping drew closer and closer.

Zachary opened his eyes, only to be facing with a leg of a deer just an arm's length away from him. He held his breath in, waiting patiently for the rest of the herd to arrive, just like the dragon had instructed. When he was sure that every last member of the herd was here, the leopard braced himself for his attack.

Looking at the deer's leg in front of him, he knew that he had no chance of standing up and getting a clear shot at the animal's head. He considered his options, taking in every variable and possible outcome before choosing his next action. Suddenly, he remembered that the dragon had coated the spear's end in his venom, which causes its victims to become paralyzed for a long time. Zachary smiled upon realizing this, and pulled his spear closer to his body.

With one single and strong thrust, he struck the deer's leg with the spear. The sharp bony weapon penetrated the deer's soft hide and flesh, tearing deeply in the meat. Fresh blood began flowing from the wound instantly, and the poor animal cried out in agony, almost making Zachary feel bad for it. It pulled its leg away from the leopard, and tried to make a run for it; as expected, the rest of the herd quickly disappeared from the path.

Zachary stood up hastily, afraid that his prey might get away from him. But he found the creature some distance away, twitching on the ground for a moment before it stopped, indicating that the dragon's poison had made its way through the animal's whole body, rendering it paralyzed.

The leopard thrust both his fists up in the air, roaring rather pathetically before breaking into a joyful laughter. "Did you see that? I got that deer real good in the leg!" he exclaimed excitedly, looking quite proud at his catch, almost forgetting entirely that it was Basajaun's venom that made the catch successful.

The dragon came out of the brush with a broad smile. "Very well done," Basajaun asserted, patting the leopard's back approvingly, "You've emulated my hunting technique almost perfectly. I'm rather impressed you managed to remain undetected by the entire herd, to tell the truth. You're quite the fast learner, I must say."

Moving over to the deer, Basajaun executed it swiftly and painlessly. "Come now; let's gather some greens to go with this."

This time when he laid down for Zachary to mount him, Basajaun didn't feel nearly as undignified, as the leopard had shown some skill in bringing down the deer, elevating his status in the dragon's eyes.

"Thanks, but I had some practice back in the town, to be honest. I used to hide the same way in alleyways and wait for someone to pass by. The only difference was that this time around, my prey was a deer, and not some drunk fool from a nearby tavern." Zachary explained as he got up on the dragon's back, positioning himself so he would sit comfortably.

"If it wasn't for your useful venom, I surely wouldn't have succeeded. That thing sure is effective when it comes to hunting," the leopard admitted, bracing himself for the dragon to stand up.

Unbeknownst to Zachary, that particular comment hit uncomfortably close to home for the dragon, who suddenly stopped in his tracks. It occurred to Basajaun at that moment that he hadn't killed a prey item directly in years, utilizing his venom technique exclusively for hunting.

He knew that Zachary hadn't meant to belittle this hunting method, but his ego was still wounded by the comment. "Tomorrow, we'll be hunting without venom," Basajaun suddenly said, almost against his will, as he resumed his movement, "It is a useful tool, but a hunter needs to be able to use multiple techniques." The statement was directed more at himself than to Zachary.

The feline was able to detect the sudden change in the dragon's tone, making him wonder what could have affected his mood. Deciding not to push the subject, he didn't bring it up just now. "S-sure. I guess you have a point there." Zachary agreed, holding tight on the dragon as they made their way through the forest with the deer on Basajaun's back as well.

Stopping at a bush which was filled with the previous day's delicious purple berries, the leopard quickly filled yesterday's deer hide with them. They also found some other kind of greenery not much farther away, adding it to the rest of the collected pile, along with some hare and a boar. When there was a decent amount gathered, Zachary got back up on the dragon's back, and they started making their way to the burrow.

Once back inside the burrow, Basajaun let Zachary down and moved to ignite the torches, when an idea occurred to him regarding the food they had just gathered. Quickly lighting the burrow--which involved igniting the first torch via friction, and the others with the first--Basajaun looked to Zachary.

"I'll be right back," the dragon said, not waiting for an answer, as he was simply stepping outside the burrow for a moment.

A few minutes later, Basajaun returned with a small tree, which he set beside his bed. "Would you prepare the meat?" the dragon asked, starting to whittle away at the wood with his claws, "I have an idea."

Zachary watched curiously as the dragon worked on the wood, trying to figure out what he was trying to do. Giving up after a few seconds, he moved next to the deer meat before grabbing a sharp and long bone to use as a knife of some sort. His claws weren't as long as the dragon's, so he could just use those to skin the deer from its hide.

"And... what did you have in mind?" he asked casually while working on the meat as he was instructed. Skinning the deer wasn't hard for him, problems would occur when it came to tearing chunks away from its body, namely the legs. The leopard doubted he possessed the strength for such a feat, and didn't want to butcher the important muscle and flesh with his improvised bone knife.

"A pot for boiling water in," the dragon said, the shape of the tree beginning to show several hollowed shapes of the aforementioned pot in different sizes, "And I know wood is flammable, before you point that out. Like I said; I have an idea. But I don't want to say what it is yet, because it might not work at all."

Clarifying as much as he was willing to at the moment, Basajaun returned to whittling until he managed to break loose the largest pot, which was six inches wide by seven inches deep. Setting the pot aside, the dragon looked to Zachary. "Can you start a fire?" he asked, "I need to gather some water."

"Sure." With a huff, Zachary stood up from the deer, walking over to gather some wood from the ground and a nearby pile in the corner. Being ordered around wasn't a new thing for the leopard, and although he seemed like he was annoyed by it from the outside, inside, he was glad that he had actually something to do, and that there was someone who cared enough to ask instead of simply ordering him.

He placed the branches and twigs in a circle before grabbing one of the nearby torches. A freshly made fire's flames were soon happily dancing in the air, grabbing for every bit of oxygen they could find to maintain their warmth.

"There ya go." Zachary announced, moving back to work on the deer's meat. He was already done with the animal's lower side of its body, and was quickly moving to the creature's chest and forelegs. His trusty bone knife cut below the skin like it was nothing, making the leopard's work rather easy.

Once the fire was going, Basajaun took his wooden pot and exited the burrow, moving quickly to the nearby stream. Once he had a full pot of clear water, the dragon returned, carrying it in his tail as he entered the burrow. First making sure that Zachary was still there, the dragon smiled to the leopard as he padded over to the fire.

Taking the wooden pot of water in both hands, the dragon held his hands in the flames. "The wood might be flammable," the dragon reasoned aloud, "But I'm not. So, if we wait a while, my claws should get hot enough to heat the water in the pot, without burning the pot to a crisp with an open flame."

Basajaun looked over to Zachary with a self-satisfied smirk. "If it works, we should be able to make stew out of the ingredients we collected," he said, "Just make sure not to touch my forelimbs for a while afterwards; they're going to be hot."

A soft gasp escaped the feline's mouth when the dragon put his claws in the fire, but he soon calmed himself once his natural resistance to fire was explained. A forest dragon with fire resistance, how unusual!

"A-Alright I won't get close. But are you sure this is safe?" Zachary asked, observing as the dragon's hands were enveloped in the hot flames. "But I guess it's worth the risk if we can eat some stew afterwards." he added, thinking hard of the last time he had warm a stew. He very much wanted to taste what they might be able to cook out together with the help of the venison and the variety of greenery.

Basajaun nodded. "Funnily enough, my mother didn't mention the fact that we were fireproof to me," the dragon said as he watched the flames licking at his hands, quickly heating them to what would have been painful to most creatures, "I only figured it out during a forest fire. It was when I was...seven? Somewhere around that age. I was still an infant, by dragon standards."

"I'm not sure what caused the fire. But it was a big one!" the dragon gestured wide with his wings for emphasis, "I was still small enough to live in trees, and at the time my home was a knothole in an old oak tree. I was asleep when the flames reached my home, as it was still well before sunrise."

Basajaun looked to Zachary with a nostalgic smile before continuing. "It wasn't the heat that woke me," the dragon said, "It was the smoke. Fireproof I may have turned out to be, but I still need to breathe!"

"So, waking up coughing and choking, I knew something wasn't right," Basajaun said, looking into the fire in order to help remember little details of the event, "When I woke up, the fire had already spread most of the way to my home. I'll be honest; I panicked! I had never even seen fire before, and the sheer destruction it wrought was too amazing for my young mind to truly comprehend."

"Without looking where I was going, I flew from my home as fast as I could, heading directly away from the flames that I saw," the dragon paused, seeing the water in his wooden pot starting to bubble slightly, "Turns out that the direction I flew in just lead straight into another stretch of the flames. In my blind panic, I didn't see the falling branch until it knocked me out of the air. Hitting the ground hard, I luckily didn't break anything, but the branch that had fallen was still large enough to pin me in place right in the path of the flames."

The dragon shuddered suddenly, before his smile returned. "I've never been so scared in my life," Basajaun admitted, "I was staring down an enemy that I couldn't fight with tooth or claw. I'd faced wolves and angry deer, but I could defend myself with my venom. But this fire, it was the first foe I was truly powerless against."

A thought suddenly occurred to the dragon, who looked to Zachary apologetically. "If that's what I made you feel when I pinned you," Basajaun said, pausing in his narrative, "Then I have to apologize sincerely."

The leopard listened quietly to the dragon's tale, edging a little bit closer to where the massive beast sat. He thought dragons weren't afraid of anything, but as Basajaun recited his story, he realized that even such creatures had to be scared of something; nature itself. There wasn't a more powerful force in the whole world than that, even with dragons roaming around on the surface of the earth.

"Well, I have to admit that I nearly wet myself when you held me down." The leopard chuckled, remembering a memory more like a strange encounter, rather than a horrifying nightmare. "But you needn't worry, I wasn't harmed, so there's no need to apologize." Zachary reassured the dragon, but soon his expression turned into a more sour one. "You should apologize for that wake in the morning instead. My nose still hurts!" Another chuckle followed the feline's words, making it all too obvious that he didn't mean what he said.

"And, what happened after that? How did you escape from the fire?" he asked, looking rather curious about hearing the rest of the tale.

"I didn't," Basajaun answered, "The flames didn't take long to reach me. But when they did, it didn't hurt. To me, they were just warm. Believe me, once that was clear, I felt so relieved that I actually started crying with joy!"

"Luckily I was low enough to the ground that I wasn't exposed to too much smoke," the dragon said, "Eventually, the log that was pinning me burned up enough that I could worm my way out from beneath it. Once free, I walked carefully out of the flames, so that I didn't come across any other indirect fire hazards like falling logs and severe smoke. By then, I was so hot that even after I exited the flames, I was starting to singe grass with my body! It wasn't comfortable, I'll tell you that, but it also wasn't painful."

"And that's how I learned I was fireproof," Basajaun concluded, grinning as the water had come to a slow boil.

"Interesting." Zachary said cupping his chin in thought and watching as hot steam emitted from the wooden pot, indicating that water was almost ready to be used for cooking. "I wouldn't have thought that a forest dragon would be resistant to fire, those two things sound like they're arch enemies of each other." The leopard mused, hugging his legs close to his body as he sat near Basajaun.

"I just don't understand where your fire resistance originates from. Perhaps all of your ancestors were fire dragons, and the ability stayed with your kind even though you have evolved into a great variety of dragons." The leopard looked like he was lost in thought, but his way of thinking sounded logical, indicating that Zachary had no shortage of brain cells in his head. It made one wonder how much he could have learned if he were given proper education in his younger days, and how big of a lost potential he truly was because of his unfortunate life.

"I think it's done now." Zachary announced, peering in the pot where numerous bubbles danced on the surface of the water.

The theory that Zachary came up with made sense to the dragon, who watched the leopard think for a moment. It seemed to Basajaun that his guest had some surprises of his own, in the form of untapped physical and intellectual potential.

"Alright, why don't you select some things that you think might go well together?" Basajaun offered, looking over to the assorted food laid on the deerskin, his long tail sifting through some of the items, "I'm not too picky, so I might wind up mixing things that you wouldn't like together."

Glancing at the pile in the corner, Zachary hesitated for a moment. Given that he had never cooked before, and not even came remotely close to being able to observe someone else do it, he was rather doubtful that he could come up with a good combination. Deciding to just throw caution to the wind, he got up and walked over to the assortment of foods.

"Er, sure. I'll just... mix..." he muttered under his breath, his eyes scanning the greenery and deer meat. He spotted a little pile of blueberries in the pile, of what he knew their name not, but they looked like they were delicious. He pointed at them, glancing back at the dragon.

"Let's try that with the deer meat, I guess. I hope it won't taste terrible." he said, turning back at the pile, looking for anything else to add, but decided to just leave it at that. The only way of knowing what kind of greenery went well with the venison was by trying one kind of berry at the time, and then deciding if it was good or not. If he were to add more, he wouldn't know which berry caused the food to taste bad. This way, he was able to identify the ones that enriched the flavor of the meat, and could add later to the combo with a single kind of berry at a time.

Nodding, Basajaun picked up the pieces of venison that would fit well in the pot, adding in the blueberries afterward. The scents soon began to be added to the steam, wafting up from the pot and blending together. To the dragon, it smelled new and interesting, and he immediately couldn't wait to try the combination. However, Basajaun waited, looking to Zachary to see his reaction to the scent.

The fragrance of the combined deliciousness wafted through the air, eventually finding its way in the leopard's sensitive nose as well. He moaned at the scent, taking a deep breath to relish in the new and exotic aroma.

"I think I picked good." he said, smiling a little at the dragon and crossing his arms before adding, "Any idea when it's done? I'm getting kinda hungry, to be honest." The leopard's posture told the dragon that he wasn't impatient, and didn't mean to be impolite either. He was simply curious about how much more he had to wait.

Basajaun shrugged. "Honestly I was hoping you'd have some clue as to how long it should sit. I suppose we could test it periodically," he suggested, stirring the berry and deer with his tail and watching them spin around in the water as it steadily became broth.

Zachary shook his head. "I've no idea, don't really have any experience when it comes to cooking." he stated, and stared pointlessly at the ground before he spoke again.

"I knew someone who claimed to be a chef before he became homeless, and he promised me he would teach me some things about cooking if I ever got some sort of ingredients." The leopard said, glancing away from the pot for a moment before continuing.

"I was so enthusiastic to learn something new that I stole some food from the market. I was too young to think of the possible consequences." he admitted, looking back at the dragon. "I went to find the homeless chef, but it was to no avail. I had been searching for hours when the guards found me and arrested me for stealing. That was the first time I was in prison, I was around nine." Zachary paused for a second, sighing long.

"I never saw that chef again. Others said he left the city, and I believed them at the time. The realization that he was murdered only hit me later, when I was older. It took some time to figure out that the government's way of decreasing the amount of homeless people on the streets was by simply killing them. That's what you'd call civilized, right? What a joke." he finished with a snort, shaking his head. "Sorry, didn't mean to ruin the mood. I'm just..." he apologized, but couldn't give an explanation to his sudden outburst.

Basajaun didn't consciously notice that he extended his wing until he was patting Zachary's back comfortingly. The action surprised the dragon, who never in his life thought that he could become fond of an anthro. "...Let's test your recipe," Basajaun suggested, withdrawing his wing and setting the pot down.

Moving to the tree next to his bed, the dragon quickly finished whittling out a spoon and two shallow bowls. Bringing them to the pot, Basajaun carefully poured out some of the stew into each bowl, handing one to Zachary while making sure their hands didn't touch, as his claws were still hot enough to burn.

The feline took the bowl, and quickly fetched the spoon as well. "Thanks." he said, thanking both the warm food and the dragon's unexpected comfort. The hungry leopard plunged his spoon in the stew, blowing on it a couple of times before taking it in his mouth.

The taste of the venison and blueberry mixed together swiftly enveloped his tongue, making Zachary moan with joy as he relished the savor of his recipe. He got lucky with his choice of the two ingredients, but he was happy he chose to go with these two for his first try. The food turned out to be delicious, to the leopard's utter amusement.

"Oh, you'll love this. It's really good!" he exclaimed, digging in with gusto once again, practically inhaling the heavenly food. Soon, his bowl was empty, and he let out a quiet belch, leaning back on his arms. The bowl which the dragon had carved out was huge in proportion to the leopard's body, and he was surprised that he could finish it off so fast. He felt full already, given how little his stomach's capacity was. But he ate a healthy amount, considering his earlier eating habits.

Sipping directly from his bowl and enjoying the hot temperature, as well as the sweet and savory combination of the berries and venison, Basajaun smiled to Zach. "Nice choice," he said enthusiastically, taking another drink from the bowl eagerly.

As he enjoyed the stew, the dragon realized they still had the second half of the day to spend. "Hunting lessons and cooking experiments aside," Basajaun said as he finished his bowl and set it down, "I'm afraid I don't have much for you to do. With the local wolf pack, it isn't safe for you to be outside my den without me. Is there anything I can get you to entertain yourself with?"

Zachary placed a paw under his chin, looking lost in thought for a few moments. "I suppose you don't have a lute in your possession?" he asked jokingly, smiling a little as he continued.

"I used to have one back in the town, and although two of its strings were broken, I could still play some songs on it. It's a shame the guards didn't let me take any of my stuff with me when they threw me out. I liked that lute." The leopard explained, not even realizing that he had mentioned for the first time in front of the dragon that he was practically banished from Boldrumton.

"I can't really think of anything else that could entertain me. I mostly spent my days worrying about what to eat, and never really had time to just enjoy myself." Zachary explained, looking up at the dragon. "What do you do in your free time? Perhaps I could join you in that."

Basajaun thought for a moment. "I usually spend my free time patrolling my territory when it's daylight," he replied, "Or arranging patterns with my collection of bones after dark. Sometimes I do low flyovers of the forest to keep track of the population of prey available, so that I can plan the next day's hunt. I don't really have any 'game activities', aside from the bones I mentioned."

"Waow, we are probably the two most boring people in the world." The leopard teased, laughing a little. "Well, I guess I could practice handling the spear you made me. I might need the extra training for tomorrow's hunting, given that your venom won't be by my side that time around." he proposed, already searching for his favourite weapon. It took him a few seconds to notice it lying around behind his bed.

"I don't really want to use a target inside your burrow, so I kinda need to go outside and find a tree or something." Zachary said, glancing at the pot which was still almost full with the delicious venison and blueberries. "I'll wait for you to finish eating first, of course. And then you could accompany me, if you'd like..." A short pause followed, the leopard looking hesitant to speak his mind. "I wouldn't want to go out alone. Not really a fan of wolves."

The dragon nodded, pouring himself a second bowl. "We could make a deer effigy from the bones I've collected and set it up outside," Basajaun said between mouthfuls as he ate quickly, "You could use that as a target, if you'd like."

"Yeah, that would work perfectly." The leopard said enthusiastically, watching the dragon as he ate. Remembering yesterday's events, and how much food Basajaun ate, Zachary couldn't help but wonder if he would gorge once again like before. The dragon's ability to pack away huge quantity of food filled the young leopard with mixed emotions. He felt both intimidated and fascinated by the beast's appetite.

Setting the bowl aside once he was finished with it, Basajaun regarded the rest of the soup hungrily. However, he had seen how Zachary enjoyed it, so he decided against finishing the rest of it straight away, so that his guest could have some later. Besides, the dragon didn't want to embarrass himself like he had the previous night by unwittingly gorging again.

Taking the bones from the deer that Zachary had brought down, Basajaun laid them out on the ground and moved to his sinew storage, taking out enough to lash the skeleton together and handing some to the leopard. "Do you know how the skeleton goes together?" the dragon asked.

Zachary shook his head. "No, I haven't seen a deer skeleton before." he answered honestly, trying to place two bones next to each other which were not even remotely close to how the former deer's body was built. After a few tries, he realized his mistake, setting the bones on the ground with an annoyed huff.

Basajaun gave the leopard a kind smile. "Here, this bone goes here," the dragon said, placing the bone in its place, "And this goes here to complete the thigh. Also, positioned about here is an artery, which you can target to take the deer down. Even without poison, if you know where to strike, a good spear strike can take down your prey."

As he pieced the deer together, Basajaun instructed Zachary on the finer points of hunting deer, and the weaknesses they had in their anatomy that could be taken advantage of.

The leopard paid all his attention carefully to the dragon's every instruction, mentally noting where each of the animal's weak points were found. It was sure useful to have an apex predator by your side when you needed advice for hunting.

Together, they were able to recompose the deer skeletal structure in a relatively short amount of time. Looking at the hollow body, Zachary was sure that the dragon's idea of using this as his target would pay off well tomorrow.

"I'll bring this outside, then. Or at least, I'll try not to break the whole thing." Zachary announced, finding a perfect point where he could grab the newly constructed target, and slowly drag it outside without tearing any of the sinews. Soon, the sound of bones clattering against each other were the only sounds which came from the leopard as he exited the burrow.

As he made to follow, the scent of the stew caught Basajaun's attention. Looking between the pot and the burrow entrance, the dragon was torn for a moment, before quickly pouring himself a third bowl and gulping it down in one swallow. Sated, Basajaun burped quietly and set the bowl down, before quickly following the leopard, in such a hurry that he forgot to wipe his muzzle before exiting the den with a casual expression.

The leopard was busy trying to get the deer's skeleton in a standing position when the dragon emerged from his burrow. Turning his head to look at Basajaun, Zachary could clearly see the remains of the stew on his muzzle as he walked slowly towards him.

"You should've told me that you were still hungry. I wasn't rushing anywhere with this target practice, and I told you I'd wait until you were finished with eating." he said, not even realizing that the dragon probably wanted to keep his third bowl of stew a secret.

Crestfallen when he realized his mistake, Basajaun wiped his snout free of food. "I, uh, I got hungry on the way..." the dragon blushed, more embarrassed about getting caught than the act that had been caught.

"Anyhow, where do you want to set that up?" Basajaun asked, looking around for a suitable spot, as well as trying to act casual.

The leopard chuckled at the dragon, scratching the back of his head. "Nothing wrong with having a little snack. I know how it feels like to get random hunger pangs from time to time." he admitted, glancing around the clearing where they stood when Basajaun asked him where he would like his target to be placed.

"I guess a base of a tree would provide enough support for it not to fall over." he proposed, walking over to a nearby tree while dragging the heavy bone collection behind him. He leaned the target against the trunk, surprised to see that it didn't collapse immediately. He still had decent access to most of its body, so he could try to hit the weak spots with his spear. "That'll do, I suppose."

Taking some extra sinew, Basajaun moved to the deer target and bound it in place where Zachary had placed it, before moving back and settling onto his haunches. "Alright, let's see what kind of technique you have," the dragon invited.

The feline took a deep breath, tightening his grip on his spear as he stared at the target. He knew most of the weak spots the dragon had mentioned; his only concern was hitting them precisely on the right spot. He knew he could miss now, but tomorrow he wouldn't afford that luxury.

"Alright. Time to kill you for the second time today." Zachary murmured to himself, his pent up energy making him thrust his spear in the deer's skeleton instantly. The end of the weapon collided with the neck bone, hitting extremely close to the artery which used to be there. If this deer were alive right now, it would be choking in its own blood thanks to the leopard's precise hit.

Zachary glanced behind him, waiting for any sort of reaction from the dragon. Even he himself was surprised that he hit so close to his initial target.

The dragon nodded. "Good aim," Basajaun said, "Remember, though; a piercing weapon like a spear is more about precision than force. You're not going up against a knight here; deer don't have armor. Their defense is their speed. Try again."

Zachary turned back to face the target, bracing his spear for the next attack. Focusing more on precision than sheer power like last time, he struck his weapon against the bony enemy once again.

The target practice continued for several hours, the young leopard finding it hard to be satisfied with his hits. He tried to hit the target at every possible angle, imagining scenarios where he would have to improvise and what would be the best weak spot to focus on in case he wasn't fully in control of the situation. Just like the dragon had said, deer were fast animals, their reflexes just as sharp as the leopard's. If he missed, they wouldn't give him a second chance to hit them.

It must have been late in the afternoon when Zachary started complaining of being a little hungry, blaming his exercise as the source of his tiredness and sudden urge to eat. He quickly fetched the pot, which was still halfway full with the delicious stew, and carried it outside. He ran back in the burrow again, getting his bowl and spoon as well, and poured himself some of the venison deliciousness. It was cold now, yet its amazing savor hadn't left with the warmth.

"Venison with these berries, I'm gonna take a mental note that it's heavenly." he said smiling, putting the empty bowl next to him on the grass. He sat relatively close to Basajaun, with only the pot between the two of them. The leopard was getting accustomed surprisingly fast to being in the presence of the massive dragon, who seemed to have a better heart than most of the people back in Boldrumton. Perhaps finding the beast wasn't an unfortunate event, rather a new chance at life. It was too early to make such assumptions, but the leopard desperately tried to believe that it was true and that he was actually a guest, not just a simple prisoner in Basajaun's eyes.

Taking note of how quickly Zachary was becoming comfortable in his presence, the dragon felt torn. On one hand, he thought that it could be an act to get Basajaun to let his guard down so that the leopard could escape. Yet if it wasn't an act, he could be taking steps towards forming an actual friendship, which was something that the dragon had never experienced before; he had never had someone that he cared about at all, actually.

Yet as Basajaun watched Zachary, he couldn't find any indications of deception. And as he thought, the dragon came to realize that this is what he was missing in his solitary existence; the company of another intelligent being.

Keeping such thoughts to himself for now, Basajaun stood, positioning himself beside the leopard before sitting once more, so that the pot once in front of him, instead of between the pair. Pausing for a moment, the dragon hesitantly wrapped a wing around Zachary's shoulders, hoping that the action wouldn't be ill received.

Zachary gave a soft gasp when the dragon's wing touched his shoulder. He glanced at the dragon without turning his head, searching Basajaun's expression for a few moments. The comforting wing remained on his shoulders, and although the leopard's first instinct was to run, he didn't. He relaxed into the dragon's touch, not saying a word for a long time. A warm and sincere smile spread across his muzzle as he sat, utterly joyful for the dragon's friendly action.

The leopard wondered why Basajaun would suddenly seem so open for no reason. The dragon had mentioned growing up in solitary, much like Zachary had on the streets. And although the feline had at the chance to talk and communicate with other people, the same couldn't be said about the massive reptile next to him. It wasn't hard to figure out that the unfortunate creature was lonely.

"Go ahead and give me a massage while you're at it," the feline suddenly said, purring playfully and smirking to himself. Soon he was laughing as well, hoping that the massive dragon had the same sense of humour like himself.

Blinking at the sudden statement, Basajaun smiled when he realized that the feline was joking. Looking down to the pot, the dragon saw there was quite a bit of stew left. "Do you think you'll want any more of this?" Basajaun asked, eyeing the remainder hungrily.

Zachary shook his head, giving a warm smile to the dragon. "Nah, go right ahead." he replied, watching curiously as Basajaun's eyes scanned the pot. It still had a healthy amount of stew in it, so it couldn't be considered any just an easy meal, even for a dragon of such size.

Remembering that the dragon had probably eaten three bowls from the delicious food, it made the leopard wonder how big the beast's appetite was. Perhaps he felt famished after having to run around with Zachary on his back. He couldn't blame him for being hungry.

Though not exactly hungry, per se, Basajaun couldn't help but want to try more of the stew. The dragon hadn't really had much opportunity to try new flavors, and the berry and venison combination turned out to be irresistible. Besides, Basajaun rationalized to himself as he picked up the pot, It could go bad if it isn't eaten soon.

Happily taking a drink from the pot like it was an oversized mug, the dragon swallowed the chunks of meat and berries whole in an attempt to get as much flavor into his maw at once. Heaving a contented sigh, Basajaun smiled to Zachary. "Either this was a happy accident," the dragon commented, swirling the pot around as he spoke, "Or you have a talent for coming up with good stews."

The leopard chuckled, somewhat hesitantly patting the dragon's wing. "I'd go with the first one if those two were the possibilities. I just picked a berry that I thought would go well with the venison, I got really lucky there." he explained, smiling as well.

He watched as the contents of the pot rotated around, creating a little whirlpool of meat and berries. Looking up at the dragon, he could see that his muzzle was coated with the food once again thanks to his strange eating method. It sure seemed like Basajaun didn't hesitate to indulge when it came to food, given the events of yesterday and today as well, that assumption was easy to make. It was rather interesting to see how the dragon reacted to hunger, namely enjoying the simple experience of eating when food was presented.

"We can test some other berries as well later, if you'd like that. I'm sure we can come up with even better tasting combinations." Zachary proposed, feeling like pushing his luck with the food experimenting in hopes of more delicious results.

Basajaun smiled and nodded at the thought. "I'd like that," he stated, "I'll admit, I regret never trying to combine plants with my meat. It just seemed foolish before, given that I greatly prefer meat, but I'm glad to have experienced it. I suppose I have you to thank for that. So, thank you!" Taking another drink from the pot and licking his snout clean, Basajaun flashed Zachary a pleased grin.

The leopard returned the grin, and suddenly looked lost in thought for a few moments. "No problem..." There was a short pause. "I-I have a lot to thank you as well." he said, curling his tail around himself.

Zachary knew perfectly well that he was held here against his will, but as he spent more time with this exceptional creature, he couldn't help but wonder if he would like to even leave if the opportunity was presented. He had nowhere to go, after all. And here, in the middle of the woods, a dragon had given him shelter and nourishment, as well company which he never would have expected to come from Basajaun.

The dragon paused, looking to Zachary curiously. "What could you have to thank me for?" Basajaun asked, a regretful expression crossing his face as he withdrew slightly from the leopard, "I took you against your will and forced you to stay with me. I wouldn't think that a few hunting lessons would be enough to forgive that."

Zachary waved a paw, chuckling weakly. "I've gotten used to being locked up by other people." he said, looking at the dragon. His chuckle died when he finished the sentence however, realizing just how pitiful that must have sounded to Basajaun, creature who was known for its freedom and independence.

"I can thank you for not hurting me, or even killing me the first time you saw me. I can thank you for giving me food, giving me a place to sleep at, making me a bed, teaching me to hunt." Zachary explained, his eyes scanning the dragon's.

"I know I'm practically a prisoner." he stated, pausing for a second and sighing. "But you make me forget that I'm actually one. I don't know if you realize, but you are the first one who considered me more than an insect to be stepped on." His were starting to get watery, but he quickly wiped the unwanted tears away, lest the dragon notice it.

"I can thank you for all of those things. Besides, it's not like I can go anywhere if you let me go." he finished, swallowing hard as he waited for the dragon's reaction.

Basajaun could smell the tears that wetted Zachary's fur, but didn't comment on them. "I suppose that means I can upgrade my burrow from prison to asylum, then," the dragon said, giving the leopard a gentle smile.

Tilting the pot back and finishing off the stew, Basajaun got to his feet. "Oof, there was a bit more than I thought," the dragon observed, feeling a little bloated once more, "I can see why corpulence is so common amongst the civilized races; your food is hard to resist!"

Basajaun looked to the leopard with an amused smile. "Come on," the dragon invited, "We should wash these dishes, shouldn't we?"

Zachary laughed a little, his earlier sorrow and sadness long gone by the dragon's kind words, as well as the mention of him not being able to resist civilized cooking.

"It is common, indeed. But only for anthros who are rich, and can afford to buy huge quantity of food." Zachary explained, getting to his feet after the dragon to help him wash the dishes. He grabbed his bowl and spoon, letting Basajaun carry the larger pot. As he walked behind the dragon, he noticed how his sides stuck out a little on both sides. The change was hardly noticeable, but it was still there. Basajaun was once again full, the evidence obviously displayed in front of Zachary's eyes.

"But you don't have to worry about money and all that other nonsense. You can just hunt whenever you want, and then simply eat as much as you please. I guess living in the wilderness as a dragon has its perks and advantages." The leopard concluded, still walking behind the bloated Basajaun.

Slowing his pace so that Zachary was beside him, the dragon smiled at the leopard's statement. "That's not exactly true," Basajaun commented, leading the pair towards the nearby stream, "I do have to make sure not to overhunt; otherwise my prey will consider my territory too unsafe to live in. Honestly, it wasn't until you showed up that I started...well, indulging myself. Using plant matter to supplement my prey is still such a new and unusual concept to me, but I can definitely see the perks!"

"I guess you're right with that," Zachary agreed, now seeing that killing too much deer from the herd would force it to start looking for a safer place. When Basajaun mentioned how he started indulging since meeting Zachary, the leopard's ears lowered.

"Oh, I don't see anything wrong with enjoying your food. You worked for it, after all, so you're allowed to indulge as much as you want. Or at least, that's what I think," he said, shooting a glance at the dragon's mildly bloated middle. "But I'm sorry if it's a problem. I guess I'm the cause for it," he apologized, looking at his feet as he walked next to the dragon.

Basajaun patted the leopard's back with a wing. "I don't blame you at all," he clarified as they arrived at the spring, sitting on his haunches to fill the pot with water, "In fact, it's nice, in a way. I've spent years carefully watching my prey intake and ensuring that the herds always had a healthy population, so I never had the chance to indulge, before. Being able to actually eat until I'm full is quite satisfying."

Zachary smiled upon hearing Basajaun's clarification. "Well, if it satisfies you, then I think you should let yourself enjoy what makes you happy in life. Even if that's the feeling of being full." The leopard suggested, washing his own bowl and spoon in the water carefully before setting them aside.

"You have to pursue what you like, otherwise you won't be fully happy with yourself. That's how I tried to live my life, at least." he said, grinning at the dragon.

Basajaun chuckled. "Well, I'll have to be careful, otherwise I'll have trouble 'pursuing' anything at all!" he joked, patting his middle, "Still, your philosophy has merit. What sorts of things did you pursue in the city?"

"My dreams." The leopard replied, looking up in the sky. He didn't continue for a few moments, simply staring at the beautiful and endless blueness with white clouds littered around in it. He turned back to the dragon, his eyes burning with passion.

"You have to work for the things you want to achieve, because no one else is going to do it for you. That's the other thing I kept in mind throughout my whole life." he explained, giving a short sigh. "The only thing I wanted was to live in peace somewhere safe and beautiful. Where I wouldn't have to worry about starving to death. And perhaps... living there with people, who I cared for. Friends, family, whatever." His throat tightened, but he didn't choke on his words.

"That's what I was pursuing." he finished, holding the bowl in his paw numbly as he stared at the swirling stream of water in front of him.

Basajaun didn't speak for a while. The thought that he had possibly ruined the leopard's chance to chase his dreams was even worse than thinking about how the dragon had to keep Zachary here for his own safety.

Something wet traveling down his snout caught Basajaun's attention, and he wiped away the tear without fully realizing what it was. "I'm sorry," the dragon managed to say after a few minutes, not sure what else he could have said at that moment. He couldn't bring himself to look at Zachary after the leopard's revelation, instead staring at the pot in his hands as he continued scrubbing it long after it was clean.

Zachary noticed the dragon's sudden change of mood, making him tear his eyes away from the comforting continuous flow of the water. He looked up at the dragon just to see him wipe something from his eye. The leopard sat silent, utterly surprised that somehow he had made the dragon cry.

"It's okay," he started, hesitantly putting a paw on the dragon's wing. He offered Basajaun a warm smile before continuing. "If I want to be completely honest with you..." he paused for a second, not sure if he wanted to continue, but soon made his decision about telling the truth. "I'm not sad here, with you, I mean. You've been fair with me since I met you, and you showed kindness which I never would've guessed existed thanks to my past experiences." He cursed the name of Boldrum in his mind, wishing that he would get his rightful punishment.

"I kinda have everything here I dreamed of. I didn't even realize it up until now." he admitted, gesturing with his hands around them. "I'm in the middle of a beautiful forest, with a clean stream flowing right next to me," he pointed at the large pot in the dragon's hands. "You've given me food whenever I was hungry, so I'm not fearful of starving anymore." There was another short pause before the leopard continued.

"And then there's you. Someone who communicated with me, was actually interested in what I had to say, gave me a little comfort when I needed it and even taught me the basics of hunting just now." The leopard looked away, afraid to utter the words which were on the edge of his lips. "So, in conclusion; I live in a beautiful place, without having to worry about starving, and having the chance to have company... or even... a friend."

The word wracked against Basajaun's mind. "Friend...?" the dragon mused. It had occurred to him earlier, but Basajaun hadn't really thought it through. Could his loneliness really be coming to an end, after so many decades of solitude, just like that?

The dragon turned to face Zachary, seeing that the leopard was looking away. Hesitantly, Basajaun placed a forepaw on the leopard's shoulder, his grin perhaps wider than he had meant it to be as Zachary looked to the dragon. "If that's how you've decided to view me," Basajaun said, "Then I suppose I can start to forgive myself for keeping you."

Zachary returned the dragon's grin, despite the uncomfortable feeling he got while looking at the set of razor sharp teeth. "There's no other way to view you... I haven't seen you do anything questionable or bad by any stretch of the imagination." The leopard's words were all sincere as he spoke, not even thinking about lying to Basajaun.

"I've been wandering the forest for quite a while when you found me. I was starving, tired and scared." he admitted, chuckling nervously. "I probably wouldn't have survived for too long out there. You... saved my life by forcing me to stay with you. No matter from where I want to look at it, it's the truth."

Basajaun set the pot aside as he lay down along the riverbank, rolling to his side slightly when his stomach pressed uncomfortably against the ground. "And here I originally thought I had just snatched up a lost and amusingly bad hunter in the woods," the dragon said, nudging Zachary's arm playfully, "I have to say I'm relieved to think that I may have done you a kindness acting as I did."

"I can assure that you did." The leopard laughed, shoving lightly against the dragon's head. "And hey, it was the first time I tried to hunt!" he patted the dragon's side before continuing. "And I think I did good. I mean, I found a dragon without even looking for it intentionally. You can't say that isn't impressive!" he teased, remembering how it wasn't even him that found Basajaun, rather his left foot.

Noticing the dragon's strange laying position, and the way his midriff stuck a little reminded the leopard about his earlier comment of being careful with eating. "Speaking of hunting, your technique doesn't involve running, only being smart and hiding in the dense foliage before striking your prey. So I wouldn't worry about not being able to pursue anything, given how effective your method is." he gave a reassuring smile to the dragon, trying to switch to more casual topic.

Seeing the leopard look to his mildly swollen middle, Basajaun subconsciously ran a wing across its surface. "Even so, it's something of a point of pride for me to be able to utilize various hunting techniques," the dragon stated, "Though I suppose there isn't any practical reason for it. After all, it isn't likely that the deer are going to start getting resistant to my specific venom."

Thinking for a moment, Basajaun smiled. "Of course, I think I could be satisfied with passing on the techniques I know," he continued, "If you were willing to learn some more advanced hunting methods, that is?"

Zachary jumped almost instantly, clenching his fists. "Of course I am! Who would decline an offer like that from probably the best hunter in the whole world?" he replied, his apparent enthusiasm even stronger than before. "I'd love to learn from you, really. It proved to be the most essential things to learn if I want to live in the wilderness." He looked at the dragon with a warm smile, his gaze held obvious appreciation.

Basajaun laughed warmly. "Alright, alright, settle down," the dragon said, gesturing calmingly with a claw, "You've already practiced for an hour today. Part of improving is knowing when you've exercised enough for the day without exhausting yourself. You might be able to do that in the city, but out here in the wild, fatigue can be as deadly as a pack of wolves. Especially if that pack of wolves comes across you when you're fatigued. Understand?"

Zachary's jumping died down as he listened to Basajaun, realizing that the dragon was probably right, given how much experience he had. "Well, alright. I guess we can wait until tomorrow." he said, glancing at the empty pot which lay close to him on the grass.

"So, since we're done with exercise for now, what do you want to do?" he asked, pointing at the pot. "We could experiment with more food combinations, if you'd like." he proposed, looking at the dragon's protruding belly, wondering if he would agree on trying more of the delicious dishes.

The dragon considered for a moment, looking to his middle and back to Zachary. "Well, I suppose if we made small portions, I could help you experiment a bit," Basajaun said, internally quite eager to try out what other combinations they could come up with.

Pausing as he made to stand, the dragon looked to Zachary with a smile. "Would you like to ride on my back and hold the dishes for me?" he invited, extending his wing to the leopard.

Zachary smiled back and nodded. "If it's good for you, then yes, by all means." he said enthusiastically, collecting the pot, his bowl and his spoon before getting on the dragon's back. The dishes made it harder for him to climb, but after a few failed tries, he was able to get on without causing too much pain to Basajaun.

"Sorry, I'm getting used to climbing on your back." he apologized, holding the dishes with both of his paws, and trying to hold on as much as he could on the dragon only using his legs. As he sat on top of the dragon, he mused for some seconds before opening his mouth again.

"What's considered a small portion for you?" he asked curiously, meaning Basajaun's earlier comment about the food experiments.

The dragon considered as he stood, carefully making sure he didn't jostle Zachary off of his back. "No larger than a squirrel, I should think," Basajaun said as they made their way back to the burrow, not familiar enough with actual units of measurement to use them accurately. Once Zachary was well situated, the dragon picked up the pace, eager to try out new flavors.

Within five minutes, the pair was back at the burrow. Lying down next to the extinguished fire, Basajaun allowed the leopard to dismount before gathering more wood and igniting the fire, taking the pot full of stream water and waiting for Zachary to make his selection of ingredients from the meat and berries left over.

Zachary rushed inside the burrow as soon as he was off of Basajaun's back, kneeling beside the deer hide on which the available selection was laid out. He placed a finger on his chin in thought, wondering for a few moments what to mix together. A thought occurred to him as his eyes scanned the variety of meats and berries. Deciding not to leave out the dragon of picking the ingredients, he grabbed the deer hide on both of its sides, resulting in all the food to roll in the middle as he brought the heavy burden out of the burrow.

"Alright, here," he started, laying the deer hide next to the pot with a huff. "Didn't want to leave you out of the fun." he said with a smile on his face, stretching his back a little from having to carry the heavy pile of nourishment.

He set next to the deer hide, taking some of the berries and meats in his paws, testing their general texture and softness. After a few moments of testing, he grabbed two items out of the pile, holding them in front of the dragon.

"How about hare with these red berries?" he asked, weighing the two items in his paws as he waited for the dragon's answer.

Basajaun held out the pot. "It's worth trying out," the dragon said, watching eagerly as Zachary put a few of the ingredients in question into the pot.

Holding the pot over the fire, the pair didn't have to wait as long for the smaller portion to heat up. "Would you like to join me in the taste test?" Basajaun offered, holding the pot out to Zachary.

"Sure, but only a spoonful. I'm still full from eating earlier." The leopard replied, plunging his wooden spoon in the pot before blowing on it a few times and swallowing. His eyes widened, and he released a long-lasting moan as he savored the delicious combination. Perhaps Basajaun was right about the leopard having some sort of hidden talent for coming up with good stew.

"I like this one even better than the previous one. These two ingredients complement each other so well! Try it out!" he announced, purring a little and licking his spoon clean.

The dragon nodded, not having to be told twice as he tipped the stew into his muzzle, chewing it slowly. As the flavors hit him, Basajaun also let loose his own purr, only swallowing the mouthful once he had experienced the taste in its fullness. "You're right," the dragon agreed, "I think this is a definite recipe to try out as a full meal. Would you mind if I tried a combination?"

Zachary shook his head, gesturing with his hands to the pile of food which lay on the deer hide. "No, go right ahead. Perhaps you'll find something even better!" He gave a dragon a supportive pat on his wing, now being almost fully comfortable with being in touching distance with the massive reptile.

Basajaun looked over the ingredients, his tongue flickering in anticipation and blending the scents of each ingredient together. Picking out some that he thought might mix well, Basajaun took some violet berries, a bit of deer, and a bit of hare and placed them in the pot together. Realizing that he would have to go back out to the stream to refill the pot, Basajaun hesitated.

"Maybe I should make a few more pots so we don't have to make as many trips?" the dragon thought aloud, looking over to the rest of the tree beside his bed.

"Just a moment," Basajaun said, setting the first pot aside. Moving over to the tree, the dragon took a few minutes to whittle out three additional pots, each progressively smaller, due to the width of the tree. Taking the new and old pots together, Basajaun looked to Zachary with a smile, "I can trust you to wait here while I fill these up, right?"

Zachary nodded, returning Basajaun's smile. "Yes, you can." he replied. As he looked at the dragon in front of him, the leopard wondered if he would leave even if he was allowed to. Surely, he would, right? Freedom was the most important thing in life, or so the young leopard thought. But as he sat there silently, he couldn't help but question the reality of that statement. He'd be free, but also alone, and having nowhere to go. He knew the answer now to his own question; he wouldn't leave.

Satisfied with that answer, Basajaun took the pots and quickly flew to the stream. The strain of flying caused his stomach to flex uncomfortably, but the dragon disregarded this, quickly filling the pots and returning to the burrow.

Panting lightly by the time he got back, Basajaun entered the den and found Zachary had been true to his word. His mind settled from the slight fear of leaving the leopard unattended, Basajaun heaved a sigh of relief.

Giving Zachary a smile, the dragon set down the pots of water, holding the pot with his chosen ingredients over the fire. "Thank you for staying put," Basajaun said as the stew began to heat up, "I don't mean to seem untrusting, but I'm not quite used to having you out of my sight."

Zachary furrowed his brow, and let out a soft sigh. "I'm not a liar, Basajaun." he stated sternly, glancing at the pot as the food inside was slowly on its way to being properly cooked. The water on the surface was already starting to get bubbly, indicating that it was nearly done.

"If I say that I won't leave, then I simply won't. Besides, I told you already that I don't have anywhere to go. It would be the stupidest thing from me to just try making a run for it, and probably dying from starvation or the wolves." he finished, and smiled a little at the dragon, showing that he wasn't angry with him.

Basajaun looked at the pot with a pained expression as Zachary spoke. "Seventy three years of mistrust isn't easily undone," the dragon said softly, "I want to be able to trust you, Zachary. Just...give me time."

The leopard blinked as the dragon spoke, realizing only later that it was logical from Basajaun to not trust him after only two days. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. I'm just really sensitive when others assume things of me without knowing me well enough." Zachary stood up and walked over to the dragon, sitting right next to him as his scanned the contents of the wooden pot as well.

"I hope I'll earn your trust some day, if my visit to you lasts long enough. Which I wouldn't mind that much, to be completely honest." He turned to look at Basajaun, offering him a friendly shove against his much bigger and stronger shoulder. The feline was entirely convinced that the action was barely registered in the dragon's brain, given the size and power difference between the two.

Extending his wing around the leopard's shoulders, Basajaun gave Zachary a gentle side hug. "I appreciate your understanding," the dragon said, smiling down to the feline and pulling his forepaws out of the fire.

"Looks done to me," Basajaun remarked, offering the pot to Zachary.

"Let's see..." Grabbing his trusty spoon, the leopard took a sip from the stew. He put the spoon down, and looked at Basajaun with a flat expression on his face.

"Either this pot is magical and you can only make heavenly food in it," he said jokingly, laughing a little. "Or we are extremely lucky with picking these combinations! This is just as good as the last two, different because of the mixed meat, but delicious nonetheless."

Taking his mouthful of stew, Basajaun nodded as he chewed, enjoying himself too much to answer verbally. As he swallowed, the dragon felt his already full belly begin to protest a bit at being filled further. "Urp, I think the next one will be the last for me," Basajaun said, internally compromising with his stomach.

"Are you sure? There are only two more pots to go." The leopard reasoned, looking at the remaining two pots with full of water. Deciding to try his hands at the food experimenting now, Zachary took his sweet time searching for items to mix together.

Under a hefty piece of venison, he saw another kind of meat peeking out. He grabbed it, instantly realizing from its distinct aroma that it was boar meat. Smiling at the discovery, Zachary quickly fetched a bit from the hare meat and venison as well, and of course some berries to go with it, namely the red one and the blue one.

He put half of the boar meat in one of the pots, added the blue berries and some hare to go with it. With that done, he turned to the last wooden pot, putting the remainder of the boar meat, and added venison and read berries. Smiling at his creativity to test the boar meat in two ways at once, he turned to the dragon, wearing an unmistakable grin across his muzzle.

"I made two different kind of dishes using the boar meat I found. I'm pretty sure that you'll be satisfied with the results, if you have enough room for that last pot." He explained, glancing at the dragon's swollen middle before adding. "I can bet that you can finish those two off without any problem."

Zachary knew that he was probably right, and wasn't sure why he was so persistent about having the dragon finish everything. The fact that the last pot was also the second to biggest wooden pot didn't seem to be a problem in the feline's eyes.

The way that the leopard worded the statement inflated Basajaun's ego to greater size than his swollen stomach. "Well, I'm sure it couldn't hurt," the dragon relented, smiling somewhat vainly at the compliment, "But you'll have to take the first tastes; I don't want to steal it all for myself and prevent you from trying your handiwork."

The leopard nodded. "Sure, I'll have a spoonful from each." he reassured the dragon, waiting for him to start cooking the stew. The aromas which wafted from the two pots were already very pleasant, ascertaining the leopard that once again, he chose wisely.

With the aromas of the stews wafting into the air, it was easy for Basajaun to work his appetite back up, despite the subtle discomfort his stomach was currently experiencing. "So, what do the civilized races think of dragons nowadays?" the dragon asked as he held a pot in each foreclaw over the fire, looking for something to discuss while they waited for the food to finish.

Zachary simply shrugged, giving an uncertain expression. "You don't hear a lot of tales about dragons on streets. But from what I gathered, people are still afraid of your kind, just like they've been for centuries." he explained, "They fear you because they know you're stronger than them, and anthros fear nothing more than knowing that there's something more powerful out there than they can ever hope to get." he gave a pat on the dragon's wing, preventing him from responding before he continued.

"But in all honesty, the people of Boldrumton are only scared of your kind because they grew up hearing about how dangerous and aggressive you all are. Their fear is based on a stereotypical view of dragons. There hasn't been a dragon sighting anywhere near Boldrumton since I can remember, so I don't think they even think about your existence in there." he finished, smirking a little and quickly added, "They use your kind for spooking the little children, telling them if they don't behave a dragon will come and take them away. You couldn't really say that they care about you or your kind at the moment."

The dragon nodded smilingly, stirring the two soups with his tail. "I'll admit, there's a part of me that enjoys being feared as an apex predator," Basajaun said, grinning sheepishly, "But I think it'd be better for my kind if we had a bit more respect and a lot less fear. Of course, I don't know what kind of history dragons and other races have. For all I know, my kind could be completely deserving of the stereotype and I'm just the exception that proves the rule."

Zachary nodded in agreement. "You're definitely an exception, Basajaun, I can assure you of that." he said, giving the dragon a warm smile. "I haven't got the slightest idea what my people and your kind have done in the past, and I don't intend to find out. It's history, and there's no point in trying to look for answers in a time which had already passed." The leopard reasoned, watching as the stews were getting closer and closer to being properly heated.

"The only thing our races could do would be starting fresh, and trying to live in harmony. Unfortunately, I doubt that would ever happen. I know for a fact that even dragons, no matter how cruel they are, have more honor and decency than most anthros. And we call ourselves the civilized ones. Ridiculous!" Zachary finished, laughing and glanced at the pot. Tiny bubbles started appearing on the surface of the water, indicating that the stew was done and ready to be tasted.

Pulling his claws out of the fire, Basajaun nodded. "If you and I can overcome our differences, I suppose there might be some hope for our people, though," the dragon mused thoughtfully, imagining what it would be like to not have to hide from civilization as he held the pots for Zachary.

"I suppose you're right on that one." The feline tasted the two pots of stew with his spoon, one after the other, and simply stared at the dragon with an unreadable expression. Not even able to express the deliciousness of the last two dishes, he licked his spoon clean and gave a thumbs up to the dragon.

"This is just utterly... delightful." he said simply, almost being outright angry at his stomach for being full and not letting him taste more of these delicacies.

Basajaun tipped back the smaller pot first, savoring the flavors once more. His stomach protested again as he swallowed, but the dragon ignored it blithely as the aroma of the next pot caressed his nose and tongue both. Swigging the entire contents of the pot into on large mouthful in order to not be dissuaded by multiple swallows, Basajaun's eyes and cheeks both bulged at the flavors in his mouth, causing a deep, resonant purr to emanate from his chest.

Chewing for a few minutes, reluctant to swallow for multiple reasons, the dragon finally gulped down the last bit of stew. With a large belch, Basajaun groaned and sank down onto his side, panting as he rubbed his stomach. "Oof, maybe that was too much," he moaned, gingerly running his claws across the stretched scales of his middle, though his continued purr revealed that he considered the act well worth the discomfort.

Zachary couldn't help but stare at the bloated belly of the dragon as it was displayed in front of his eyes in all its rounded glory. "I knew you could do it!" the leopard exclaimed, sounding utterly astounded by Basajaun's ability to eat this much amount of food. But as he watched him knead his distended midriff, Zachary felt a little bit of guilt eating at his heart for practically making the dragon eat more than normal.

"Are you going to be alright? Can I do anything to help you?" he asked, his gaze once again locked on the dragon's protruding middle. For an unexplainable reason, the sight didn't make the leopard uncomfortable, quite the contrary. He found the swollen surface to be the perfect representation of how powerful and determined Basajaun was, as well as having a big appetite, even by dragon standards.

Grunting as he stood, Basajaun slowly and unsteadily moved to his bed, the ground putting unwanted pressure on his middle. Lowering himself carefully onto the mattress of leaves, the dragon panted a bit before answering. "I'm not...sure," Basajaun admitted, rubbing his belly again, yet unable to reach some areas without putting strain on his middle, "Oh...I think I just...need to rest a moment." His inability to reach some parts of his stomach to give them much needed comfort was quite obvious.

Watching the dragon as he lay on his bed, Zachary could clearly see that his belly was even more bloated than yesterday, making him wonder just how much the dragon had eaten. As his eyes scanned Basajaun's paws, he noticed that he was having trouble with reaching some of the spots on his belly. The sight left the young leopard with mixed emotions, for one amazed that the dragon was able to stuff himself to this point, for two that Zachary himself was the cause of his current discomfort as well.

Moving to the dragon's side slowly, he put a trembling paw on the taut surface of Basajaun's stomach. As soon as his skin contacted with the dragon's, the leopard could feel the much bigger one's stomach gurgle, rise and fall beneath his paw. He looked at the dragon with a smile on his face, his hand remaining on his swollen belly.

"Want me to help you a little?" he asked politely, looking absolutely willing to help ease the dragon's current situation.

Basajaun hesitated, but eventually he nodded. "I can't quite...oof...reach," the dragon said, even though he knew it was quite obvious. Rolling a bit more to his side, Basajaun presented his overstuffed abdomen to Zachary. "If you could..." the dragon didn't finish, blushing slightly at having to ask for help.

Zachary smiled, putting both of his paws on the distended surface. "Of course I can." he replied, and started slowly and carefully moving his hands on the dragon's belly. The feeling of the taut flesh beneath his paws was, to the leopard's surprise, marvelous to touch. As his soft paw pads rubbed across the overstretched belly plates of Basajaun, he couldn't help but relish the moment. For some strange reason, he was actually enjoying this unusual experience, and hoped that the dragon was feeling the same.

His paws caressed the overstuffed middle of Basajaun, making their way to every possible place on the dragon's bloated belly. He carefully rubbed up and down, left to right determined to help the dragon who was in desperate need of help. The smooth texture of the plates were delightful to caress, Zachary had to admit.

The rubbing, caressing and kneading of the dragon's stomach continued, the leopard finding it hard to pull his paws away from the bulgy area until he was instructed so.

"Is this helping a little, at least?" he asked, for a moment snapping out of his trance of rubbing the irresistible swollen middle of Basajaun.

Basajaun didn't answer, though the low purring that lightly vibrated his form did for him. The dragon had fallen blissfully asleep, a slightly goofy grin plastered across his face as the leopard spoiled his belly with attention. His back leg shook in the air periodically as Zachary's paws played across his abdomen, sloshing his belly gently with the motion as he slept.

Zachary could only chuckle at the display, shaking his head a little at the dragon who couldn't be differentiated from an oversized dog at the moment. Although the dragon had fallen asleep, Zachary spent a few more minutes exploring the curves of the dragon's bloated midsection. When it was obvious that Basajaun wouldn't wake up anymore today, the leopard retreated his paws, gently patting the dragon's belly before moving to the entrance.

He stood in the doorway, looking outside at the clearing and watching as the countless trees swayed back and forth in the evening breeze. The sun slowly crept lower and lower until it was completely obscured by the dense foliage of the forest. Its orange rays restlessly fought against the green grip of the leaves, penetrating through every hole possible, creating a view that left Zachary breathless as he marveled at the outworldly sight for a few minutes.

He slowly closed the burrow's entrance behind him before turning around, not even thinking for a second about attempting to leave. He fastly collected the pots from the ground, and stacked them on each other so they wouldn't be in the way. He also reorganized the pile of food which lay littered around on the deer's hide, sorting the food in little piles each.

With these done, he turned to glance at the dragon, watching his overstuffed belly slowly rise up and down with every breath he took. He smiled at the image. Who would've guessed that a creature of such power and grace could appear so peaceful and innocent while sleeping?

Moving to his bed, he lied down with a sigh, and curled up in his favourite sleeping position. The events of today raced through his mind as he lay on the bed of leaves, the faint aroma of the greenery slowly lulling him to sleep. He closed his eyes, eager to get some rest after today, but even more excited about tomorrow's plans.

It was well after sunrise before Basajaun started stirring. Lifting his long neck, the dragon looked around blearily, not quite sure how it had gotten so bright in his den. Slowly realizing how late it was, he stood and stretched, making to get ready for the day when something caught his attention. Repeating the stretching motion, Basajaun felt his scales rub against each other somewhat differently than usual.

Looking down at his figure, the dragon regarded himself for a moment, before shrugging when nothing was obviously different. Looking over to Zachary's bed and seeing him asleep, Basajaun smiled at the sight of his friend's peaceful sleep.

Blinking in surprise, the dragon realized how he had just regarded the leopard; as a friend. Heart rising at the realization, Basajaun moved to his bone pile and retrieved some key parts, along with some sinew to bind them. Quietly exiting the burrow, Basajaun thought for a moment, planning out the design he had in mind, before beginning his work, involving bending two thighbones slightly without breaking them. It was slow going, but eventually the dragon got the bones into the shape he desired.

Whittling down one end on each bone, Basajaun eventually had to bent bones with "pegs" on one end. Starting to wind the sinew around the pegs to bind them together, the bow began to take shape. Once the two arms of the bow were bound securely together, the dragon trimmed the sinew with his teeth, before twisting some into a bow string.

Carefully bending the bow, Basajaun strung the sinew between the two arms with painstaking precision. Once done, he drew the bow lightly and released, showing that the tension was close to perfect.

Satisfied with the bow, Basajaun took some additional bones, along with some straight sticks, and began to fletch some arrows, splitting the bones to create sharp heads. Though he didn't have any feathers when he began, after making around twenty flightless arrows, the dragon placed the bow and arrows just inside his den and closed the entrance quietly.

That done, Basajaun lifted off into the air, searching the sky for signs of avian life. Eventually spotting a flock of birds, he banked and dove into the trees beneath them, finding plenty of castoff feathers to use.

Quickly returning to his den, Basajaun retrieved the arrows, finishing them up with the feathers he collected. Taking the bow and a single arrow, the dragon test fired the bow at the deer skeleton, taking a few tries to hit the target due to never handling a bow before rather than a flaw in the bow's design.

Once completely satisfied, Basajaun reentered his burrow, bow and arrows held in his tail. "Zachary," the dragon said insistently as he gently shook the leopard, grinning in anticipation of his friend's reaction to his gift, "Zachary, I have something for you."

The young leopard didn't even react for some time, only groaning and hissing in annoyance as his name was being called out. When it was obvious that his dream's intruder wouldn't be leaving, he sat up with a displeased expression on his face, rubbing his eyes with both of his paws.

"Good morn'n." he mumbled, letting out a long yawn with his tongue curling out as he did so. It took his eyes another few seconds before he was able to take in the world and his surroundings. He glanced around, his eyes finding the dragon as he smiled down at him. He couldn't help but return the kind expression.

As he looked lower, however, he noticed something that Basajaun was holding out with his tail. For first glance, it looked like a bent spear with a single cord attached to it. His eyes scanned the strange item for a few more seconds before he realized what it actually was.

"You made a bow?!" he practically asked exclaiming, jumping out of his bed in an instant and trying to glance at the bony weapon from every possible angle. The bow's design appealed to him greatly as his eyes scanned every little detail on the weapon. It looked like it was constructed with utter care and precision, making all too obvious that Basajaun took his sweet time creating it... just for him. The thought warmed the young feline's heart immensely.

"I-I don't know what to say. You couldn't have made a better weapon than this for me." The leopard run his paw across the smooth surface of the weapon before looking up at the dragon with possibly the widest smile any living being could produce.

"Thank you." he said simply, finding it hard to resist not to hug the dragon in appreciation right then and there.

Basajaun smiled happily as he gave the bow to the leopard, along with a few arrows. "I didn't make a quiver, so you'll have to carry your arrows," he explained, laying down and extending his wing, "Shall we go test it?"

The leopard nodded enthusiastically, hurrying himself on the dragon's back. The action was much easier to perform, given that he had somewhat figured out the best and fastest way to Basajaun's back. It put a lot less strain on the dragon. All he had to do was grab onto the dragon's wing with left paw, pull himself up and he was ready to go instead of walking all the way up on his wing like he had been doing.

Surprisingly, he didn't drop any of the arrows as he mounted the dragon, and then sat comfortably on top of Basajaun with a grin on his face. "I think I'm getting better at this." he stated, patting the dragon's neck with a free paw while the other held the bow and arrows.

"I appreciate that!" Basajaun stated as he stood and padded out of the burrow, "I'm afraid I don't have much experience with hunting using a ranged weapon, so this will be a learning experience for the both of us. If we don't have any luck with the bow, we'll go back to using the spear for today."

A few minutes later, the pair was quietly stalking a hare. "Alright, you go on ahead," the dragon whispered quietly, "Let's see what you can do with that bow." Giving the leopard a smile, Basajaun froze in place, only moving to sway with the breeze, steadily fading into the forest background.

Zachary crouched down in the undergrowth, his own camouflage coming in handy as he slowly crept along the forest floor, sniffing the air periodically to keep track of the hare he had yet to see, but could smell nearby. With quiet determination, the leopard followed the scent until he reached a minor clearing in the trees, stopping at its edge when he spotted his quarry.

The hare was cleaning itself under a bush, convinced that it was hidden enough to do so safely. Moving slowly, Zachary placed his arrows at his side, taking one and knocking it against the bowstring. Breathing in as he drew the arrow, Zachary took aim like he had many times in his life, patiently lining up his shot. With the hare's heart in his sights, the leopard released his arrow, exhaling simultaneously.

A thunk and a squeal later, the hare was pinned against the trunk of the bush it had been using for protection. "Yes!" Zachary exclaimed as he jumped up from the bushes, running over to his catch eagerly.

Suddenly appearing from another point in the clearing like a shade, Basajaun nodded with a smile. "Either you have experience with a bow," the dragon said as he looked to the hare's perfectly pierced heart, "Or that was an incredibly lucky shot!"

Zachary held the numb and lifeless corpse up in his paws. He looked sheepishly at the dragon, retrieving his arrow from the hare's body.

"I have to admit, that my other favourite activity besides playing on my lute was practicing with my bow." The leopard explained, looking at his new weapon in his paws with a joyful expression. "Although it wasn't as good as this one, I used it almost every day. I made it myself only using natural materials." His expression saddened somewhat as he continued.

"Unfortunately, one of the guards took it away when he noticed me practicing with it at a random tree. I was around fourteen or so. He told me that a kid shouldn't wield a weapon like that, and simply grabbed it from my paws. I couldn't do anything to stop him... I was only a child." He furrowed his brows before continuing.

"As a goodbye present, he told me he wouldn't be soft hearted the next time he saw me with any sort of weapon in my hands. After that, I didn't dare to even think about making another one, and I haven't had the chance to use one since." With his explanation done, Zachary heaved a sigh, his smile returning.

"But I guess I didn't forget how to use these beauties!" he said laughing, hugging his new weapon close to his chest as if it were his little precious toy. "Thank you again for making it."

Basajaun nodded, happy to have provided Zachary with such a successful tool. "Well, since you do have experience with a bow, I have another method of hunting I'd like to try," the dragon said, a smile spreading across his snout, "I have more experience with stalking, and you have the talent with the bow, so my question is this; have you ever tried mounted archery?"

Zachary raised an eyebrow at the idea, finding it hard to believe that he would be able to ride Basajaun while firing his bow at the same time. But as he thought about it, the image of him wielding a bow while sitting on top of a magnificent creature was able to convince him that giving the suggestion a try couldn't hurt that much.

"Well, I guess we could try it out. But you have to take it slow first, alright? I don't want to fall from your back... I think it would hurt quite a bit." he cautioned, waiting for the dragon's response.

Basajaun nodded. "No flying then, I suppose," the dragon said with a tone of mock disappointment, winking to Zachary as he knelt down for the leopard, "I was more thinking of stalking than chasing, to begin with. After all, we don't need to get close while using a bow, do we?"

The leopard got on the dragon's back with such dexterity which only a feline could possess. "Well, I didn't say anything about not wanting to try out flying some time." he replied, smiling as well. "And yeah, stalking sounds a lot better. Just no sudden running and dropping me off your back, if possible."

Zachary positioned himself on the dragon so he wouldn't lose his balance even if Basajaun picked up his pace. He held his bow in his left paw, and the arrows in the other, sitting rather comfortably on the dragon's back.

"I think we should come up with some sort of harness, if you want to try flying," Basajaun stated as he moved towards the scent of a boar, "I'd feel awful if you fell off of my back while I was in the air." The rate at which he had gotten used to the thought of being a mount for a smaller hunter had surprised the dragon, though he attributed it to his respect for the leopard's swiftly growing hunting prowess.

"Imagine how the one falling to his death would feel!" the leopard joked, laughing a little as his own nose picked up the scent of a nearby prey. Zachary glanced around, spotting a little clearing behind some bushes where the scent was coming from.

"Shh, that way." He patted the dragon's left side, gesturing with his bow at the same time. He remained silent afterwards, his eyes and ears restlessly searching for any sight of their prey.

Basajaun nodded, his footsteps becoming close to silent as he slunk low to the ground, using the undergrowth as cover while they approached the boar, freezing as he spotted the porcine target. Motioning with his snout, the dragon pointed out the prey, tensing his muscles to become as stable as possible for Zachary.

The leopard inhaled as quietly as he could, taking only a single arrow in his paw while putting the remaining ones between his lap. He knocked the arrow against the bowstring, and pulled back. He closed his left eye, his right one fixated on the target as he aimed at the animals head this time, not sure if the arrow could penetrate deep enough through the beast's hide to reach his heart.

He was about to let the arrow on its way when the boar turned to look at him, his eyes searching the leopard's one. Unfortunately for the poor creature, Zachary's piercing arrow was faster than his reflexes. The sharp bone buried itself between the bore's eyes, penetrating its skull deeply The beast only squealed for a fraction of a second before it collapsed on the ground with a satisfying thud. Zachary exhaled, a smile spreading across his muzzle.

"Bullseye." The leopard said calmly, letting his bow fall to his side. Even after so many years, his aim was still as deadly as he remembered. He used to be able to hit even the birds from some of the branches of trees when he had his first bow, resulting in any easy and free meal. He cursed the guard who deprived him from the possibility of getting even better at firing the delicate weapon.

Basajaun grinned as he moved over to the boar. "I think I can safely say that the previous shot wasn't a fluke," the dragon commented, reaching a wing up to pat Zachary's thigh, "You don't even need my venom with that bow!"

Taking the boar in his mouth, Basajaun reached behind his rider to hook the kill onto his back spines, so that he didn't need to carry it in a limb. "What do you think, is this enough meat for now?" the dragon asked, looking to Zachary, "We should go easy on the deer for a few days, but we could grab an extra boar to make up for it."

"I think we could get another one of these boars." Zachary replied, remembering the performance the dragon had given him yesterday, namely glutting himself with more deer meat than the leopard could ever dream of eating.

He doubted Basajaun would decline the offer of looking for another kill, and he hoped he wouldn't. He wanted nothing more than to shoot at a living beast with his new and fascinating weapon. "Have you picked up any scents yet?"

Basajaun sniffed the air as his tongue flickered, nodding once he found the scent of another boar. "Not too far away," the dragon said, moving into the undergrowth once more. With a bit of eager haste, though still making sure not to knock off his rider, Basajaun quickly closed the distance to their next target.

A few minutes and a second downed boar later, Basajaun was carrying a total of three kills; a hare and a boar stuck on his back spikes, and a second boar wrapped in his tail. Along with his leopard rider, the dragon was starting to get weighed down. "I think we should get back to the burrow and drop these off," Basajaun suggested, his footsteps feeling rather heavy.

Zachary glanced around him, noting the overabundance of meat that was being carried by Basajaun. He hadn't even realized up until now how much weight the dragon must be carrying.

"Yeah, good idea. I can get off your back as well, if you want to." he proposed, partly blaming himself for putting so much unwanted strain on the poor dragon's muscles.

Basajaun shook his head. "It's fine, really," the dragon said, "Besides, I think I could use the exercise after last night!" Turning to Zachary, he gave the leopard a quick smile before returning his gaze to watch where he was going.

A short chuckle followed the dragon's words. "Nah, you shouldn't worry about it too much. You haven't eaten that much, and besides, it's not like your hunting method is going to become ineffective ever, no matter how little you exercise." he replied, patting the dragon's side with his soft paw.

"And don't forget that I'm here now, as well, and possibly staying as long as I'm welcomed." he admitted, surprised to hear himself say those words aloud with such ease. "I think I'd be able to contribute to our food by hunting as well, if you want to go easy with hunting or exercising. So, there's nothing to worry about, really." he finished, hoping that the dragon would see that his arguments were all logical and reasonable.

Basajaun considered the leopard's points. "As true as that may be," he said as he moved, ducking under a low branch for Zachary's sake, "If I let myself get out of shape, flying is going to get difficult. And flying is both one of my favorite activities and an effective means of patrolling my territory."

Zachary nodded, looking at the dragon's wings. "Well, I guess you're right on that one. Although I don't think letting yourself go would affect your ability to fly that much. You just have to keep a healthy balance. But I don't really know, I can't fly, I'm only trying to think from my perspective, so forgive me if I'm wrong." he reasoned, putting a finger on his chin in thought.

"And about the patrolling, I understand that it's very important and essential, yet I can't help but question its usefulness. I know that you need to check your territory for intruders, but I'm going to take a wild guess and say that I was actually the first intruder you ever found. Am I correct?" he asked with a grin on his face, not even considering that his assumption was rather far fetched and had absolutely no knowledge about the dragon's past experiences during patrolling.

Basajaun couldn't help but tense at the somewhat accusational assumption. "You're the first anthro to enter my current territory," the dragon said, "But I have to patrol for more reasons than intruder detection. I need to keep track of my prey population, as I've said before."

Still, there was something to Zachary's tone that made him curious. "Why are you so keen on me not exercising, anyhow?" Basajaun wondered aloud.

The leopard blinked. For a few moments even he himself didn't know the answer to the dragon's question. He remained silent for quite a while before he opened his mouth to reply.

"Honestly, I'm not sure. I guess it's my way of thanking you for practically saving my life." he responded, sighing a little. "I just want to be a little bit of help for you, and release some weight from your shoulders. If I'm not able to do that, I feel like I'm just a part of that weight which pulls you down. But I'm sorry if I said anything mean or disrespectful, it wasn't my intention." the leopard explained in an apologetic tone.

Basajaun paused for a moment as his burrow started coming into view. "You want to help me hunt and patrol my territory," he said, trying to work through the leopard's logic as he knelt down to let his rider off, "So that I can relax and indulge a bit more. Is that right?" The dragon had to admit the thought was tempting, to say the least.

Zachary hopped off from the dragon's back, snatching the hare with him as well. "If you think that's the best way for me to help you, then my answer is yes." he responded, smiling a little. "That's the only way I can repay you for what you've done for me."

Despite knowing very well that helping Zachary wasn't Basajaun's initial intention, he couldn't help but be thankful for the day he decided to bring the leopard with him and thus saving him from death's cruel grip. He could've just killed him when he found Zachary, yet he didn't.

Considering for a moment, the dragon nodded. "I think I can let you do the patrol of the area around my den in the mornings," Basajaun said hesitantly, looking to Zachary apologetically as he followed the leopard into his home, "I don't think I'm ready to have you out farther from the burrow than that when you're out of my sight. But I think I can handle this, for now. I'm sorry if it still seems like I don't trust you; I'm trying to work on it."

Zachary lowered his ears in defeat, internally a little disappointed by the dragon's inability to trust him. But as he thought it through, he realized that it was rational from Basajaun to act this way. He couldn't lie to himself about how he would do the same thing if he were in his place right now.

"Alright, I understand." he said simply, looking away for a moment. "Am I allowed to hunt while I'm on patrol?" he asked curiously, looking at the corpse of the hare in his paws.

Basajaun nodded. "Of course, feel free to bring in whatever you think we need," the dragon said. As he watched Zachary's crestfallen movements, however, Basajaun moved to him and gently patted the leopard's head. "I don't want you to think this is your fault," the dragon insisted, setting the two boars aside, "This is an issue I have to work through. I'm just sorry that it affects you, too."

The friendly pat brightened the leopard's mood by an immense amount as he listened to the dragon's explanation. "I see now. Don't worry about it, I'm good with patrolling around the burrow as well." he said, watching the two boars on the ground.

"I would've never thought that I would be able to bring down two animals like this." Being able to shoot birds from branches didn't mean that Zachary was an expert hunter, so he was more than happy to discover this hidden talent inside of him.

"It actually makes not using my venom a moot point, doesn't it?" Basajaun observed, taking the boars to the fire pit. Looking at the amount of ingredients that were beginning to pile up in this part of his burrow caused the dragon to pause. "I think we need to think of a way to start preserving these," he thought out loud, turning to Zachary, "What do civilized races preserve food with?"

The leopard mused for a few moments, staring at the ground before snapping his fingers. "Right! We envelop them in salt so it can last a lot longer than usual." he responded, looking at the dragon with a smile. "It causes the meat to develop a natural salty taste, but you can use different kind of spices, or in our case, berries to disguise it."

Basajaun thought for a moment. "The mountain might have a salt deposit...it'd mean leaving for a while to collect it though," sitting on his haunches and closing his eyes, the dragon was lost in thought for a moment before looking up and towards Zachary with a grin.

"Are you afraid of height, perchance?" Basajaun asked.

Zachary raised an eyebrow. "Why do you a-... Oooh." The realization hit him harder than the ground yesterday morning. For a few seconds, his excitement rose as he thought about flying, but naturally, the feeling of dread followed soon after.

"I'm not afraid of heights, or at least, I think I'm not." he stated, looking rather unsure about the reality of that statement. "Please don't drop me... that's all I'm asking." The way he pleaded obviously revealed that he was only acting now, his evident eagerness showing in his eyes as he looked at Basajaun.

The dragon stood, taking one of the deer hides they had been using as a sack. "Alright, give me a moment and I'll see if I can't fashion a harness for you," Basajaun said, moving to his sinew stores and taking some longer pieces. "Not to be overly personal with you right now," the dragon said as he moved to Zachary, "But I need to make some measurements, if you don't mind."

Zachary shook his head. "No, it's alright." he replied, watching as the massive dragon drew closer and closer. Even now, after three days, the towering beast looked just as intimidating and daunting like before. The sight elicited a nervous gulp from the leopard as he waited for the dragon to start measuring him.

He knew that he shouldn't be afraid of Basajaun anymore, and it wasn't fear that made him nervous, rather the sheer power and force the dragon represented in his eyes.

Seeing the leopard's eyes widen and smelling his adrenaline increasing as Basajaun drew near, the dragon placed a hand on Zachary's shoulder and smiled warmly, trying to appear less threatening. Taking the longest sinew, Basajaun measured the leopard's legs and lower body, his nearly photographic memory allowing him to skip over marking the measurements down anywhere.

Once finished, Basajaun withdrew a bit from Zachary, giving him his personal space back. Taking lengths of sinew the appropriate size, the dragon draped the deerskin over his shoulders and started working on the harness. "This'll take a while," the dragon stated, looking to the leopard, "Why don't you take some time and look around outside? The wolves don't come near my burrow, so you should be safe. I'll roar if I smell you starting to wander too far away."

Zachary considered the offer for a few moments. "I guess I could take a look around. I'll be back soon." He stood up, grabbing his bow before exiting the burrow.

The leopard closed the entrance behind him, glancing up to look in the sky for a few moments, trying to figure out how much was left of the day. Judging by the sun's position as his eyes scanned the infinite blueness, Zachary could guess that it was around noon. Knowing that he a lot of time before sunset, he started walking out in the clearing, glancing around himself with a smile on his face.

There were trees, flowers, bushes in every direction he looked. It made the leopard delighted to be roaming around in this beautiful forest. It was hard for some people to appreciate the simple things in life, not giving enough credit to seeing such pure and clean environment around them. Having grown up on dirty and disgusting alleyways and streets, Zachary certainly wasn't one of those people. He took his sweet time marveling at every little creation of nature, not wanting to ever go back to the dull and horrible place he used to live at.

Deciding to not wander off randomly into the woods, the leopard decided to give a visit to the nearby stream. As he made his way towards his destination, an idea occurred to him, and a smile spread across his muzzle in anticipation.

Arriving after some time, the feline instantly jumped into the stream of water, leaving his bow and arrows on the grass. For a few moments, he remained underwater, relishing the feeling of the current flowing around his body. It was powerful enough to tickle his fur, but not nearly enough to drag him away. After resurfacing, he spent some time scrubbing himself down, even giving much needed attention to his clothes which hung loose on his body. The brown colored vest and shorts were littered with holes, as well as carrying a not too pleasing stench, which unfortunately wormed its way into the leopard's fur too.

Finishing with washing up, the feline exited the water, shaking himself a little as he let the light breeze dry his clothes and fur as well. Once he was done, he took his trusty bow and arrows in his paws again, heaving a satisfied sigh before turning to walk towards where he thought the burrow was located. Unfortunately for the leopard, he deviated from his original path.

He only realized a little bit later that he had probably taken a wrong turn somewhere. 'Well, this is just perfect...' he thought, looking around in panic for any hints that would direct him back on the way to the dragon.

As he searched around, he noticed something behind a pair of bushes, which looked like a small clearing at first glance. When he proceeded to investigate, his breath caught in his throat as he found himself staring at the dirt road which led through and outside the forest.

For long moments, Zachary simply stood there without showing any expression on his face. He couldn't believe that he was presented with the chance of freedom.

"Do I really want to... leave?" he asked from himself under his breath, turning his head from left to right, trying to see the end of the road.

A good amount of time passed as the leopard sat next to the road. He had been thinking about his options for a while now, and has finally made his decision. His last words to Basajaun were that he would return, and so he would. He clutched the bow in his hands tightly, smiling a little.

Standing up, he turned back around, and slowly walked back in the forest willingly. He knew he had made the right decision as he slowly walked towards his destination; his friend.

Basajaun had to fight the urge to get up and chase after Zachary on several occasions as he worked on the harness, his lower lip starting to bleed somewhat from being held between his sharp teeth so often. In his burrow, the dragon couldn't tell what direction the leopard was going, only how far he was getting from the den.

Finding himself chewing on his lip once more, Basajaun put down the harness and held his head in his hands. "I can trust him," the dragon insisted, breathing raggedly, "I can trust him. He'll come back on his own. I can trust him."

Repeating the mantra for a few minutes, Basajaun managed to calm himself down enough to get back to work on the harness, though his tail and wings fidgeted continuously as he worked, the rear limb starting to wear a groove into the floor behind him. After nearly an hour, the dragon managed to finish the harness, setting the distraction reluctantly aside.

Looking to the den entrance, the dragon wrung his foreclaws for a while as he simply stared. He could smell that the leopard was still within the safe distance from the den, but Zachary had come awful close to getting out of range at one point. The fact that his scent was getting stronger again was some measure of relief to Basajaun, but he still felt his heart pounding harder in his chest with each minute that passed.

Afraid of having a full blown anxiety attack, the dragon moved to the pile of food, picking up the oldest bits and munching on them for a distraction. Chewing slowly and deliberately, Basajaun focused as much of his attention on the act of eating as he could, even counting how many chews he made before swallowing, trying to go as long as he could before gulping and putting the next thing in his mouth.

Several minutes into this, Basajaun started to feel full again. Although afraid of a repeat of the previous night's overindulgence, as soon as he stopped eating, the dragon felt the panic starting in again. "Sorry, stomach," he said, taking the last of the hares the pair had caught the previous day, Basajaun continued his idle eating, though he slowed down significantly. Oof, I hope he gets back soon, the dragon thought to himself, looking to the burrow's mouth again.

A while later, Zachary had made it back to the burrow, carrying another two hares and a new form of berry he had found on his way. Slipping under the burrow's cover, the leopard was suddenly yanked up by something just inside the door.

"By the heavens, I don't think I've ever been so happy to see anyone in my life!" Basajaun almost cried as he hugged the leopard close to his chest, almost forgetting not to crush the much smaller creature.

Zachary could only cough a little as he was smothered by the much bigger and stronger dragon. If it wasn't for Basajaun's words, the leopard would've thought that the dragon was actually trying to choke out every remaining bit of oxygen from his lungs.

"I'm... happy to... see... you... too." the feline managed to wheeze out, chuckling weakly at his friend's sudden and very welcomed, although a little exaggerated, gesture. He waited patiently for the dragon to let go, not wanting to ruin the kind moment.

Noticing how hard he was squeezing the leopard, Basajaun set him back down. "Er, sorry," the dragon apologized, "I was getting worried that you'd...well..." He didn't finish the statement, not wanting to call Zachary's trustworthiness into question again.

"What's important is you kept your word and came back," Basajaun stated, feeling the adrenaline that had been steadily building up inside of him finally begin to settle down. Unfortunately, with the lowered adrenal response came his ability to actually attend to his physical state once more.

"Ooh, again?" the dragon groaned, looking down at himself for the first time since starting his stress binge. Basajaun's belly was once more greatly distended, having consumed the rest of the gathered greens while waiting for Zachary's arrival.

"But I haven't..." the dragon was interrupted by an involuntary moan, looking out through the leaves hiding his den, "I haven't done my patrol today..."

Zachary stared at the dragon's middle with an amused expression on his face, obviously dumbfounded by the fact that Basajaun had feasted while he was away. Tearing his eyes from the reptile's belly, he gave his friend a comforting smile.

"I guess you got hungry during my absence." he stated, meaning no offense with it towards the dragon. "I suppose these two are not much of a help now for you." he held the two hares in his paw, each looking healthy and decently plump from having eaten enough until the leopard's arrow ended their life.

"Perhaps..." Zachary started, pausing for a second before continuing, "... I could do the patrol instead of you." he proposed, but the evident hesitance in his eyes was obvious. The leopard was still very afraid of the wolves, and going on the dragon's patrol route could potentially end with the encounter of said creatures, which the leopard probably wouldn't survive all on his own.

Basajaun's first instinct was to refute the offer outright, but his gurgling stomach told him that he was in no condition to do the patrol himself. "Just...wait a moment," the dragon walked, or rather, wobbled unsteadily over to his bed, setting himself down on the soft leaves and rolling over nearly unto his back to relieve pressure from his stomach. "Ah, much better," Basajaun sighed, looking to Zachary and thinking for a moment.

"If you want to do my patrol for me, then bring me the longest bone you can find in the pile," the dragon ordered, not exactly in the mood for asking politely at the moment.

Zachary hesitated, noticing the dragon's sudden change of mood. Without a reply, he walked over the bone pile, searching for a few moments before pulling a deer's thighbone out. He grabbed the long and heavy bone with both of his paws, turned around and slowly started making his way towards the dragon.

As he neared Basajaun, he couldn't help but let his eyes linger on the dragon's bloated midriff. The rounded mass was fully displayed in front of him, sticking out proudly in the air as the massive and overstuffed reptile lay on his back.

"There you go." The leopard extended both of his arms, waiting patiently for Basajaun to take the bone with a determined expression on his face.

Grunting as he reached out, the dragon took the thigh bone, and with two swipes with a claw, the bone suddenly bore a sharpened edge. Biting off the joint off of the thigh's lower end and sharpening it to a point, Basajaun sucked out some of his venom and licked the newly made bone sword until it was completely saturated with poison.

"Here, take this, and the spear, and the bow," he said, managing not to sound as irritable and giving a somewhat forced smile, "They should help against wolves. The sword isn't exactly the sturdiest thing though, so be careful to avoid breaking it."

After handing the weapon over, Basajaun sighed. "...And, if it isn't too much trouble," the dragon added, looking to Zachary pleadingly, "Could you possibly...wait until I fall asleep before leaving?"

The leopard raised an eyebrow, taking the freshly made weapon in his hands and slashing the air to test it a bit. He turned to look back at the dragon, a little confused by his strange request.

"I can wait that, I suppose. Is there something bothering you?" he asked, placing his sword on the ground nearby before returning to the dragon's side, feeling a little but concerned about his friend's unusual behaviour.

The answer to Zachary's question was that Basajaun didn't want to go through another panic attack from not having the leopard at his side. But the dragon didn't want to say that, knowing now that the leopard was completely trustworthy to do his patrol, at least consciously.

"I just..." unable to come up with another reason, Basajaun simply looked to Zachary with an apologetic expression.

Deciding not to push the subject, Zachary simply smiled at the dragon and patted his protruding middle with his paw. "It's alright..." There was a pause as the leopard's brain registered the fact that he subconsciously started slowly rubbing up and down Basajaun's swollen belly.

Glancing at the dragon's eyes, he smiled at him. "Would you like a little help with falling asleep? It worked yesterday, at least." he proposed, looking absolutely willing to help his friend's situation in any way he could.

"I'll take any help you can offer, at this point," Basajaun admitted, already smiling appreciatively at the leopard's soft touch, "I don't suppose you know any lullabies?" The dragon chuckled lightly at the joke as he lay his head down on his bed of leaves, silently hoping that he would fall asleep as quickly as he had last night.

Zachary chuckled as well, shaking his head. "No, unfortunately not." he replied, putting his other paw on the taut surface. With gentle motions, he started caressing the wide midriff of the dragon, secretly enjoying the experience once again just like he had last night. There was something about the dragon's scales that just felt right to caress and rub, so Zachary took his time with it.

Basajaun started purring soon after the leopard began his massage. The reptile's taut scales found great relief from the attention, and soon he was able to relax into the motion of Zachary's soft stroking. He felt the soft pads of the feline's paws play across his hide in gentle, cyclical motions that soon had the dragon subconsciously fighting to stay awake.

"Th-thanks," the dragon said, giving a sincere smile as he stroked Zachary's arm once in return for the affection he was getting. Soon after the motion, Basajaun's breathing leveled out as he finally slipped into sleep.

Smiling warmly as Basajaun entered dreamland once again, Zachary pulled his paws away. He grabbed his bow and placed it around his body, with the string holding it in place on his shoulder. He also fetched some arrows, as well as his new sword. When he was about to go for the spear, he ran into a problem, namely having no more hands, nor place to carry anything. Huffing with annoyance, he made a mental note to try making a sheath of some sort for his sword and spear.

Walking to the entrance, he glanced over his shoulder, watching as the dragon slept peacefully. "No problem." he muttered under his breath, and exited the burrow.

Being out once again, Zachary could see that it was afternoon now, the sun not as high as it used to be some time ago, indicating that he should hurry with the patrol, lest he stay out for too long and get lost at night.

Turning towards the path which the dragon had walked on during his patrols, Zachary was happy to see that it was obvious where the path led, so worn out it was.

As much as he feared the patrolling initially, it turned out to be a rather peaceful experience. Zachary followed the way the path led, glancing about himself for anything suspicious that might be lurking around in the dense undergrowth. He was so focused on his task that he didn't even notice how fast time was advancing, the sun already on its way from retreating behind the horizon.

He bumped into several forest animals on his way, but paid them no heed whatsoever, knowing that he wasn't out here to hunt, and that they had enough food. When the burrow came into view, the leopard gave a sigh of relief, realizing that he had finished with the patrol and never once heard any wolv-

As if on cue, a long howl disturbed Zachary's train of thoughts, making the young leopard's muscles tense with fear and dread. He slowly glanced around himself, not noticing anything around him. Having enough power to overcome his fear, the feline quickly ran to the burrow, tearing the door open with both of his paws before shutting it behind him with a loud thud, panting in both exhaustion and panic.

Jumping at the noise and immediately groaning in discomfort, Basajaun looked to its source. "Oh, you're back already?" the dragon asked, feeling as though he had just fallen asleep.

Seeing the leopard's look of panic, Basajaun's expression became one of concern. "Are you alright?" he asked, still too uncomfortably full to move, but worried about his friend nonetheless.

Zachary dropped the bow and sword from himself on the ground, his knees trembling as he slowly made his way towards his bed and sat down with a sigh. "Yes... I guess." he replied, fiddling with his paws as he stared at the ground. "Just got a little scared by the wolves." he explained, glancing at the dragon, "But don't worry, I think they aren't even close. I only heard one of them howl, but I panicked immediately and ran inside."

He gave a somewhat forced smile, his paws still fidgeting. "But I finished the patrol, and everything's is alright in your territory."

Looking to his friend's expression, Basajaun thought that he looked like he could use some comfort. "Hey, why don't you tell me about the rest of the patrol?" the dragon invited, patting the leaves beside him with a kind smile.

Standing up and walking to the dragon's bed, Zachary sat on the edge of it, remaining silent for a few more moments. "It was really nice, to be honest." he began, "There wasn't any disturbance throughout the whole time I was walking, and enjoying the beautiful view which the forest provided. I saw countless animals on the way, so there's no need for worrying about over hunting them. There's plenty to go around!" A faint smile started to appear on the leopard's muzzle as he continued.

"I would've had a great time if it wasn't for that stupid wolf when I was nearly finished. Why couldn't it wait for a few more minutes with its annoying howl? I almost wet my pants at that sound..." he admitted, chucking a little and looking a lot better than he had been some moments ago.

"And, how are you? Still feeling uncomfortable?" Zachary asked politely, leaning back against the dragon's swollen middle lightly and smiling at his friend.

"Oof, not as much," Basajaun answered, "Still enough that I won't be going anywhere for the rest of the day. Or night."

The dragon pulled gently on Zachary with a claw until they were snuggled close. "Thanks for doing that for me," he said, rubbing the leopard's arm appreciatively and hoping that the action wasn't inappropriate, "It worries me if I can't get a daily patrol in. Sorry we couldn't get to the mountain today. I promise we'll go first thing tomorrow."

The leopard laughed at being snuggled, feeling the dragon's overstuffed stomach push against him as he was held close. "No problem and don't worry, that meat will hold up just fine for another day." he reassured his friend, "And I told you that I'd help you with patrolling, but I understand your concern. I know that it's hard to adjust to changes."

Zachary's eyes glanced around the room, only now noticing how much food had mysteriously disappeared from the pile. "You sure got hungry while you were working on that harness!" remarked the feline, surprised to see just how much the dragon had eaten. His statement held no offense, it was simply an observation. "I guess we won't be doing any food experiments tonight, huh?" he asked jokingly, patting the bloated belly of the dragon behind him.

Basajaun blushed apologetically. "I, er...sorry?" the dragon apologized, grinning sheepishly to the leopard as he kneaded at his middle with one foreclaw as the other stroked Zachary's arm, once again not wanting to explain himself, "So, what sorts of animals did you see? Anything that looked like it would make for better variety for us?" The dragon was surprised that he could still think about food after stuffing himself silly.

Zachary put a finger on his chin, recalling all the living life he had encountered on his patrol. "Well, I saw the herd of deer from the day before, and the usual hares and boars. But I also noticed some squirrels and a wide variety of birds." he explained, "I think you'd like a particular avian very much. The one which keeps squawking whenever there's something close to it. It took me a lot of effort not to shoot it down with my bow." The leopard chuckled, now even questioning himself for whatever reason he decided to spare the annoying bird's life.

"And there's no need for apologizing, by the way. You got hungry, so you ate. It's that simple." He gave the dragon a reassuring smile, hoping that he didn't think Zachary was angry with him for stuffing himself while he was away. The reason behind it remained a mystery, but the leopard didn't mind it that much.

"I suppose," Basajaun said, relieved that the leopard wasn't too disappointed about not having much to experiment with this night. "Though I don't think I left much for you to make your own dinner with," the dragon said, looking over to the meat that remained.

Zachary glanced at the pile. "Hm, yeah..." he started, but soon remembered that he had successfully killed two hares on his first, and much tinier, patrol route. He got up from the dragon's bed and walked over to where he dropped the two bodies when the dragon nearly choked him with his hug.

"Lucky for me, I have these." He held up the two hares in his paws, smiling at the dragon. He didn't even notice how hungry he was up until now, so he wasted no time in starting the fire with the help of a torch, and starting to skin the hares with the sharp bone he used to skin the deer just the day before.

"I suppose I'll be eating alone tonight, then." He turned to look at the dragon as his paws continued working on the hare hide, giving his friend a toothy grin. He had to admit, teasing the dragon amused him more and more as time passed, he only hoped Basajaun wouldn't take his jokes seriously.

Returning the leopard's smile, Basajaun rolled over to his side so he could watch his friend. "Are those new berries?" the dragon asked as Zachary prepared his dinner, observing carefully so that he could keep track of the recipe, in case it turned out well.

"Yes, I found them along with the two hares." Zachary explained, throwing one of the new purple colored berries in his mouth, and tossed another one for the dragon so he could try it out. "It's really sweet, unlike the red one. I think it would go well with hare." He chewed, finishing with the two hares in his paws.

He sliced some meat from the bodies, pricking them on a much thinner and longer bone. He was about to start cooking it in the fire when an idea crossed his mind. Turning to look at the little pile of purple berries, Zachary grabbed some, and carefully smeared them on the pieces of meat, hopeful that it would enrich its taste.

"Thoughts on the new berry?" he asked casually, turning the meat over the fire as he waited for it to cook.

Taking the berry in a claw, Basajaun popped it into his mouth, causing his stomach to gurgle in protest. Oh be quiet, the dragon glared at his middle, It's just one berry. Chewing the fruit, the sweet juices were released onto his tongue.

"You're right, that is sweet," Basajaun commented, smiling a bit after finishing the berry, "I think we'll need to look out for more of these."

Zachary nodded. "Yeah, we really should. I like this purple one the most out of all we've found so far."

Seeing his meat getting crisp and decently brown, the leopard turned it a little sideways, fighting the urge to wait for his meal to be properly done. The sweet aroma from the berry and the raw, strong smell of the hare's meat combined, forcing the feline to inhale deeply, filling his nose with the pleasant fragrance.

"Oooh, this is going to taste really good." Turning to look at the dragon, he glanced at his distended middle for a second, realizing that he shouldn't say things like that while his friend was unable to try it out himself. Wanting to be polite and make up for his mistake, he quickly asked before the dragon could react to his earlier comment.

"Are you sure you won't have any?" Although he could guess the answer to that question, judging by the current state of Basajaun, he wanted to appear attentive in the dragon's eyes.

The dragon's tongue flickered in the air as the hare cooked, picking up its taste and scents. When he thought about giving the new flavor a try, however, his stomach gurgled another warning. "Oh, I really shouldn't," Basajaun said, looking at the hare enviously, his senses already telling him it was delicious, "Thank you for offering, though. You go ahead and enjoy it."

"Alright, then." Observing the meat on the bone, Zachary could tell that it was done now. Pulling the enriched meat out of the fire, the leopard walked over to his bed, and sat down.

"I'll leave the other hare for you to try, as well as the berries, if you get hungry." he said, pointing at the skinned body of the other hare and the sweet, purple balls. Not wanting to burn his tongue with the hot dinner, he painfully waited for it to cool down a little, the scent making it nearly unbearable to not sink his teeth right then and there in the inviting, crisp flesh.

"Thank you," Basajaun nodded, smiling appreciatively, "Though I don't think I'll actually be hungry again until tomorrow." The dragon patted his stomach softly to emphasize his point, before looking over to the leopard's bed and back to his.

"I should ask; are you keeping warm enough at night?" Basajaun inquired, "I ask because I'm not entirely sure how well suited for you my shelter is."

"Well," Zachary started, and took a hearty bite from his dinner as he noticed it cooling down. He munched for a few seconds, moaning and closing his eyes as he enjoyed the sweet taste of the berry which coated the hare meat, making it very hard to not bite again as soon as he swallowed the food in his mouth.

"It's kinda chilly in here, to be honest," he admitted, looking at the dragon, "But I've gotten used to it by now. Streets are cold too, and I found the best position to sleep in." He took another bite, swallowing quick so he could continue, "I just curl into a ball, and my fur does the rest. Although it's very effective, I still feel the cold against my back a little." Zachary could have been considered as a very tough individual, but being tough didn't mean he couldn't feel uncomfortable.

Basajaun shook his head. "That won't do at all," he said, smiling kindly to Zachary. Standing slowly, the dragon went over to the leopard's bedding, dismantling it and carrying the leaves and sticks over to his own mattress.

Grunting as he laid down again, the dragon reinforced and widened his bed with the extra plant matter, before smiling to Zachary once more. "I'm plenty warm enough at night," Basajaun stated, "So I don't mind sharing my body heat, if you'd have it."

Zachary quietly observed the dragon as he worked on the bed, not stopping for one second in his dinner as he stood and watched. When the dragon's offer reached his ears, the leopard paused, however.

"Well, if you don't mind sleeping next to a leopard, then I don't have any problems with it. Thank you kindly." He gave his friend a warm smile, moving to sit on his newly constructed section on Basajaun's bed.

"Just try not to roll over me in your sleep, if possible." he teased, laughing a little as he finished the rest of the hare in his paws, feeling completely sated afterwards.

"Hey!" Basajaun mock-whined, playfully shoving the leopard's shoulder with a grin, "If you're so afraid of being squashed, I guess I won't offer to let you use my wing as a blanket!" Contradictory to his words, the dragon lifted his wing, offering it to Zachary with a wink.

Zachary laughed at the playful shove, even though the impact had left his arm a little sore, he knew the dragon didn't mean to hurt him in any way.

When Basajaun lifted his wing from his body, the leopard was presented with the display of his still swollen belly. He stared at the rounded stomach for a few seconds before tearing his eyes away.

"Best blanket I've ever had." Zachary said grinning, scuttling over close to the dragon, and shuffling himself so his back was facing Basajaun's belly, and almost in contact. He heaved a contented sigh, his entire body relaxing on the soft leaves.

"I guess we could go to sleep, it's late enough." he proposed, his eyes already closed, his breathing slowing with every second.

Basajaun scooted the last little distance between the pair, so that his side was touching the leopard's back, his wing pulling lightly and snuggling Zachary close. The dragon had never thought he could grow so fond of someone so quickly, but as he laid his head down with his neck and tail curling around his companion, the dragon realized that, for the first time in his life, he wasn't lonely. It was a thought that left him with a broad smile as he drifted off to sleep, unconsciously nuzzling at his companion's soft fur as he purred deeply.

A loud clunk reverberated through the large room, resulting in absolute silence which lingered for some seconds, only the soft sound of the crackling fire was audible.

"I do not care about your pathetic arguments, Liam." A rather large form called out from his chair, taking another swing from his cup which he had just smashed against the table.

"I couldn't care less of what people would think if word got out, which won't, if you hold your mouth." The form emerged from the shadows, walking to stand next to the fireplace.

"I want. That. Boy. Dead." Boldrum emphasized, turning back to look at his assistant, a rather well-clothed, and currently very scared, peacock. The pig wondered how much time would it take for his servant to understand that his word was an order, and that he shouldn't pursue to change the Mayor's decisions.

The peacock flinched, raising a feathery finger to speak once again. "But, my lord, you have to think of the consequenc-"

"What consequences, Liam? What are these things you keep calling out? Nobody will ever gather any knowledge about that homeless filth's whereabouts or current state of life." Sir Boldrum explained, slowly but dauntingly walking towards the peacock. He stopped in front of his servant, rolling his eyes at him. "It's not like anyone would care enough to investigate. That leopard is an orphan. He has no family, no friends." The pig leaned closer to the peacock's head, his words only a whisper as he spoke.

"Nobody cares whether that criminal is dead or alive."

Liam stood frozen in place, not even daring to draw breath. The pig smiled toothily, displaying his rotten set of teeth proudly. "Now," he started, walking back to his table and sitting down with a thud.

"Can you stop wasting my time and obey as I ordered?" Boldrum asked, raising his cup to drink more from the most expensive wine available in the whole town.

"Y-Yes, Sir Boldrum. I apologize for questioning you, my lord." Liam gave a low bow, almost kissing his knees in the process.

"I forgive you for now. But if you ever question my decisions in the future," Boldrum gestured with his hooves, slicing his throat in the air, "then I'll make sure you won't ever question anyone anymore. Understood?"

"Y-yes, S-Sir Boldrum, I understand." The peacock stuttered, swallowing hard, "I shall inform your executioners about their new mission, then."

"Yeah, yeah, you're excused. Just get out of my face already and do your job." The pig watched the peacock gave another bow before exiting, leaving Boldrum completely alone in his giant livingroom.

He leaned back in his oversized chair, swirling the contents of his cup around. He glanced at the fireplace, smiling satisfyingly.

'You'll curse the day that judge spared your life, Zachary. Because once my men are done with you, you'll wish you would have been given a quick death. Nobody steals from the Mayor of Boldrumton, especially not a pathetic waste of life like you.' The pig's words in his brain echoed in his mind, spreading out like a virus. He emptied the remainder of wine from his cup, giving a contented sigh as his muzzle broke into a smirk.

Waking up somewhat groggily, Basajaun smiled when he found himself curled around Zachary. Not wanting to disturb his sleeping friend, as well as enjoying the comforting snuggle he found himself in, the dragon decided to wait for the leopard to wake up on his own before getting up himself.

Gently stroking the feline's soft back fur, Basajaun used the time he had to wait for mentally planning a search through the mountain for a salt deposit. It had been some time since the dragon had been to the mountain, or anywhere outside of his territory for that matter, so it took him a while to remember what all he had seen when he was there.

It was also rather daunting to think of leaving the forest at all. Being a forest dragon meant that Basajaun was adapted for woodland life, and he felt vulnerable whenever he didn't have the protective cover of the trees. He also didn't know if they would be able to hunt successfully on the mountain face if they had to stay too long, so the dragon thought it would be good to bring food with them, just in case.

Next thinking of potential dangers that might be on the mountain, Basajaun subconsciously drew Zachary closer to himself protectively with the wing the leopard was using as a blanket.

The feline let out a quiet and soft purr as he was being snuggled, grabbing onto the dragon's wing, as if it were an actual blanket, he pulled it closer to his body before letting out a sigh of absolute comfort. Zachary was about to continue sleeping, when the low and loud growl from the dragon's stomach resonated in his ears, forcing the leopard to slowly open his eyes and sit up.

"Uhm... Hi..." he greeted groggily, yawning long before turning to look at his friend, giving him a warm smile. "Your new method of waking me up? I prefer this one over the roar, to be honest." Although still half-asleep, it was amazing to see that the young anthro was able to joke around as his first thing in the morning.

Withdrawing his wing to allow the leopard to right himself, Basajaun grinned at the question. "What can I say?" the dragon asked, getting to his feet, "You don't really respond that fast to gently nudging."

Patting Zachary's head, Basajaun moved to the harness he had crafted the day before. As he did, however, the dragon felt something odd about the way that his scales moved across one another. Sitting on his haunches with a bemused expression, he felt around his body with his wings and forelimbs, confirming his suspicions after a moment. "Well, that food had to go somewhere," Basajaun grumbled quietly as he felt a thin layer of padding between his muscles and scales.

Zachary's ears perked up as he heard the low rumbling from Basajaun. Watching the dragon with his back turned towards the leopard, he felt like something wasn't right with his friend.

"Everything alright?" he asked casually, stretching his back, which released a satisfying pop as he did so. Getting out of bed, he sauntered towards the sitting dragon, stopping just some distance away to wait for his answer, as well as stretch all of his limbs.

"Yes!" the dragon answered quickly, feeling his face start to burn with a blush. Getting back to his feet and picking up the harness before moving out of the burrow, he beckoned Zachary to follow.

Once outside, Basajaun slipped his head and neck through the head hole on the harness. "I'll need your help to get this on properly," the dragon stated, "I hope you're good with knots."

"Yeah, I know some basic ones." he replied, moving next to the dragon and grabbing hold of the end of the harness. "Where should I bend these?" He held the harness up, looking at the dragon for help.

Basajaun gave the leopard instructions as he bent himself and the harness to make things easier for Zachary, eventually getting it fastened securely in place. "Alright, your turn to get strapped in," the dragon said, laying down for the feline.

Zachary nodded, hopping on with ease, not even needing to use the dragon's wing for help anymore. As he sat down, he could feel that something had changed since the last time he rode on Basajaun's back. For some reason, his scales didn't push against the leopard like they had previously. The whole experience just felt more comfortable and... soft.

Disregarding the strange discovery, the leopard strapped himself in, making sure that he was secured safely against the dragon. Finishing with the last knot around his middle, Zachary put his paws on Basajaun's back, once again noting that his hide felt different to his sensitive pawpads.

"To the mountains, then, I suppose." he said, patting the dragon's back with a paw. Before the massive reptile could react, he quickly added. "Can we get my bow and arrows? I would feel more safe having them around."

Basajaun nodded. "We'll grab some food, too," he said as they reentered the burrow. The dragon picked up the leopard's bow, handing it and the arrows up to Zachary before moving to the food pile. Collecting a variety of ingredients, Basajaun took another deer hide and some more sinew, tying the hide into a sack with the food inside.

"How's the harness feel?" the dragon asked as he handed the sack up to the feline.

"Little tight, but I'll endure that if it means that I don't have to worry about falling to my death," Zachary replied with a chuckle, taking the sack in his paws and placing it between his legs securely.

"Good on you for coming up with this thing, it sure is useful when someone's riding on your back. You're quite creative when it comes to crafting." Smiling at his friend, Zachary placed a paw on Basajaun's back once again, stroking the area tenderly.

"Thank you," Basajaun responded, smiling happily as he moved back outside and covered the den entrance, "I used to make tools for myself regularly when I was younger. Once I got large enough to be the apex predator that I am without them, I didn't really have a reason to make the tools anymore. Though I must admit, I have missed the problem-solving aspect of it."

Once sure that the burrow was inconspicuous, Basajaun moved to one end of the clearing and spread his wings wide. "Ready for a test flight?" the dragon asked, looking back to his rider with a wide smile.

"No." Replied Zachary, clutching himself as tight as he could against the dragon, almost smothering the sack between them in the process. He returned his friend's smile after a few moments, however, showing that he trusted him enough not to be scared that much.

"Just go before I change my mind!" he exclaimed while laughing a little with evident enthusiasm in his eyes. He braced himself, waiting for the dragon to leap in the air and take the skies.

"Hang on then!" Basajaun exclaimed enthusiastically, running as he flapped his wings. Within a few bounds, the dragon's wings were carrying his weight as he climbed up over the trees.

"I'm gonna take us low to start off with," Basajaun shouted over the rushing air, staying just above the trees as he flew, "Let me know if you feel anything coming loose!"

"Okay!" Zachary practically screamed back both in excitement and fear, feeling the air blow around his body with a force that would've surely knocked him off if he weren't strapped in.

As his fear died down somewhat after a few minutes of peaceful flying, the leopard let himself glance down the first time since they became airbound. The view was, to say the least, fascinating.

"This is amazing!" Zachary shouted excitedly, still looking down. He could see the many trees below him flow into a single mass of green as the dragon slowly picked up the speed, making his eyes watery thanks to the air current. He closed his eyes, once again hugging himself tight to the dragon's back.

"How long 'till we arrive?!" he asked, very much wanting to know how long he'd have to cling to Basajaun like a statue.

"A few minutes, at most!" the dragon replied, smiling at being in the air again. The mountain loomed high beyond the edge of the forest, which seemed to be approaching with great speed.

Beating his wings periodically, the dragon and his rider eventually passed beyond the forest, the vegetation becoming more sparse as they neared the mountainside. Soon after, Basajaun angled himself downwards, slowing greatly until he angled up once more, flapping his wings as he landed softly on the bare rock of the mountain.

Looking to the leopard on his back, Basajaun nuzzled his arm gently. "We're here, Zach," the dragon informed his rider, who still had his eyes clenched shut.

Perking his round ears up upon hearing the good news, Zachary thrust both of his paws in the air, releasing a somewhat high-pitched victory roar. "I'm the first leopard to ever fly!" he exclaimed with a laugh, unknotting the sinew which held him securely throughout the flight.

The poor feline only realized that his legs had become numb during the experience when it was too late, and he ungracefully rolled off from the dragon's side like a lump body, landing on the hard and unforgiving rock with a loud thud. Just to make things worse, the sack of deer hide soon followed, burying the unfortunate leopard's face completely, thus making his curses and screams only barely audible muffles.

Stifling a laugh with a foreclaw, Basajaun helped the leopard to his feet. "Nice dismount," he commented, grinning widely before looking up to the mountain and musing, "Now, where are we likely to find a salt deposit?"

Sniffing at the air and flickering his tongue, the dragon searched for any scent of a possible salt quarry.

"I dunno, not here for sure. There are only these damn hard rocks here." The leopard replied somewhat grumpily, rubbing both his back and head with his paws while glaring at the ground which had assaulted him. Or at least, it was the ground's fault in Zachary's eyes.

As he glanced up at the mountainside however, he noticed something just a few minute walk away which looked like a cave entrance. "There, look to your right," He pointed in the general direction, patting the dragon's side.

Seeing the cave once it had been pointed out, Basajaun felt hesitant to approach it. "I don't know," the reptile said, trying to keep the trepidation out of his voice, "Caves are seldom uninhabited, and I'm not sure if we'll find something dangerous in there." Outside of the forest, the dragon felt much less like an apex predator and more like a white mouse on a green field; a perfect and obvious target for anything predatory.

Zachary raised an eyebrow, obviously looking baffled at the dragon's words. Although Basajaun tried to hide it, he could hear some level of fear in his tone as he spoke. Ultimately confused of how a creature of such power and strength would still be afraid of anything, he shook his head a little, but decided not to push the subject.

"Where do you propose we start looking, then?" he asked, giving a comforting stroke on the dragon's side.

Sniffing more eagerly now, Basajaun managed to pick up a faint salty scent. "Ah! Found something," the dragon stated, more than a little relieved that it was coming in a different direction than the cave, "Come on, this way."

Walking across the bare rocks, the reptile couldn't help but glance around and above himself, getting flashbacks from the time when he was still newly born and looking for his own safe place to live. Steadily drawing closer to Zachary as they moved, Basajaun accidentally bumped into the leopard at one point. "Oops," the dragon said, looking to the feline with a forcefully brave expression.

"Er, stick close to me, it might be dangerous," the reptile said, trying to save face.

Zachary saw right through the fake act of braveness, grabbing hold of the dragon's wing to make him stop walking.

"Basajaun," The leopard started, moving to look in the dragon's eyes with a friendly smile, "There's no living being on this mountain that's stronger than you. You have absolutely nothing to worry about, really." He patted the dragon's head, chuckling a little, "And besides, I'm here too. I'll shoot an arrow between anyone's eyes who tries to come near us."

The dragon appreciated his companion's comments, but he knew there could very well be a mountain or fire dragon--which are much larger than forest dragons--living here that he didn't know about. And thinking about how territorial his mother had been towards her own young, he didn't want to even begin to imagine how a totally unrelated dragon would react to his intrusion.

Not wanting to worry his friend though, Basajaun kept that particular bit of information to himself, as well as keeping an eye on the sky. "Thanks," the reptile said, trying his best to at least act less afraid, despite his constant skyward glances.

Although the dragon's answer wasn't what he expected, Zachary felt satisfied with giving at least a little comfort to his friend. When he turned to start walking again, the faint scent of salt made its way through his nostrils, making the leopard turn his head in the direction where it came from.

"We're really close, I can smell it too now." He remarked, smiling at Basajaun. "Let's get this over with and get out of here." Proposed Zachary, feeling rather uneasy in the unknown territory as well.

Only able to agree, the dragon picked up the pace until he felt the rocks beneath his claws suddenly become much more brittle, breaking apart beneath his feet. Looking down, Basajaun was relieved to finally see the salt quarry he had smelled.

"Okay, let's not waste time, then. Watch yourself, Zach!" the dragon warned, rearing up on his hind legs as far as he could before slamming his clenched claws down on the brittle stone, seeing if he could get any salt out without having to come back with tools. Basajaun's somewhat brash action was rewarded by a loud cracking sound, followed by minor eruption of salt crystals.

The leopard covered his eyes just in time, preventing him from getting anything in his eyes, although the flying scraps of tiny crystals bruised his arms somewhat. When Zachary thought it was safe again, he opened his eyes, glaring at the dragon a little.

"Think you overdid that a tiny bit." he remarked, rubbing his arms with his paws, relieved to discover that the crystals hadn't pierced his sensitive hide. Glancing under him, the leopard knelt down, grabbing a pawful of salt and rolling it around in his hands for a few moments before giving it an experimental lick.

"Uck! Yeah, this is salt alright." He muffled with his tongue hanging out of his mouth, trying to get the taste off of it with his paws.

"Alright, let's gather some up and get back home, then," the dragon said eagerly, scooping up as much salt as he could in his claws and looking to the sack that Zachary carried, "Could you open that up, please?"

The leopard opened the sack, realizing that it was full with food which the dragon had packed before they left. "Do you simply want to put the salt next to this?" he asked, holding the sack out so Basajaun could have a better look inside.

The dragon hesitated. "I thought that was the original point?" he observed, "Unless there's something we need to do with this first? You're more of an expert on this than I am."

The leopard mused for a few seconds, then simply held the sack out for the dragon. "No, I just thought we would eat this food soon, so there wouldn't be need for preserving it, but I guess we can always hunt something new."

"Yes, we could," Basajaun agreed somewhat curtly, his eagerness to return to the safety of the trees beginning to wear at his courtesy as he unceremoniously dumped as much salt into the bag as would fit inside.

"Alright, back up you go," the dragon insisted, kneeling down for Zachary.

Seeing the dragon in hurry of leaving, the leopard swiftly hopped on his back, then grabbed the sack with both of his paws when Basajaun held it up for him. Securing himself once again with the help of the sinew, Zachary patted the dragon's neck, indicating that he was ready.

In a few moments the two were up in the skies once again, gliding gracefully downwards along the curve of the mountainside towards the burrow.

Once back in the sky, where he was less vulnerable, Basajaun felt guilty for his treatment of Zachary. Not wanting to try to explain himself over the sound of the wind, the dragon decided to wait until they landed.

Soon enough, the pair was back over the clearing that held the dragon's den. Circling down to the ground, Basajaun landed and crouched down, letting the leopard dismount once more.

"Hey, I'm sorry for being short with you," the dragon apologized, before admitting, "I really don't like being outside a forest of some sort. It always seems to end poorly for me."

Zachary could only smile at his friend, giving a comforting stroke on his neck. "I completely understand, there's no need to apologize. I felt uneasy as well, and I'm glad we're back home." The leopard admitted, grabbing the sack in both of his paws and swinging it over his back.

He walked inside the burrow, putting the deer hide on the ground carefully and watching as the salt developed meats splayed across it. "So, what do you think about having some lunch?" he proposed, watching as Basajaun entered through the burrow entrance as well.

Resisting the urge to kiss the ground of his burrow, the dragon simply nodded. "Absolutely," he said, giving the leopard an eager smile, "Why don't I get things started and you can forage some greens for the meat we have? We need more after yesterday's...happenings."

Zachary nodded and chuckled, recalling how stuffed the dragon was the day before. "Alright, I'll be back soon." he announced, grabbing his bow and arrows, as well as a tinier deer hide which lay next to the bigger one.

He exited the burrow, inhaling deeply before closing the entrance behind him. He glanced around, looking for a new way to start walking in hopes of resupplying the consumed greens. Not wanting to press his luck too much, he decided to follow the dragon's patrol route instead, so he could both collect berries and be done with patrolling at the same time.

Taking the original, largest pot, Basajaun quickly went out to the stream and filled it with water before returning to start the fire. It was only after he had his hands over the flames again when the dragon realized; he wasn't anxious about the leopard's return.

Blinking in surprise at the realization, Basajaun could only grin in pure joy afterwards, relieved that he wouldn't be having any more panic attacks on Zachary's account. Humming a little tune, the reptile watched the water in calm thought as he awaited his friend's arrival.

Meanwhile Zachary traversed through the woods in a relaxed manner, not afraid of encountering the wolves while the sun was so high in the sky. He occasionally spotted a bush near the beaten path and wasted no time to stuff the deer hide with berries of all sorts; namely the blue, purple and red ones.

He was about halfway through the patrol when a loud squawk interrupted his relaxed berry collecting. Looking up at the tree branch, Zachary found himself staring at the bird which had tormented him just the day before.

In a single motion, he drew his bow from his back, knocked an arrow on the bowstring and released without worrying too much about aiming.

The pesky avian landed with a satisfying thud on the grass, making the feline smile as he went to retrieve his catch. The animal looked in very good condition, with healthy amount of padding across its body. Although he didn't know the bird's species, the leopard hoped he would bump into more on his way.

Eventually, Zachary ended up scoring three hares and the bird, feeling quite satisfied with his quickly improving hunting skills. His trusty bow contributed a lot to his improvement, he had to admit.

"I'm back!" The leopard announced as he finally finished with his patrol route, closing the entrance behind him. "I've made the patrol for today, and look what I found!" He presented his catch to the dragon, holding up the three hares and the plump bird in his paws proudly.

The dragon regarded the bird with an impressed expression. "Oh, a grouse!" Basajaun said, looking to Zachary approvingly, "Those are excellent eating, nice catch."

The dragon then motioned to the rest of their ingredients. "So, what'll it be today, Zachary?" he asked, obviously excited to do more culinary experiments.

"Well, I guess we could mix the grouse with the hare meat and perhaps some..." he mused, displaying the pile of berries on the ground. "Purple berries to go with it. What do you think?" he proposed, smiling at the dragon.

"I think it's definitely worth a shot," Basajaun replied holding the preheated pot to Zachary. After the ingredients were added, the reptile held his claws back over the fire once more.

"Have a nice time in the forest?" the dragon asked, looking to his friend with a broad grin as the food stewed.

"If there are no wolves in involved, I'll always have a nice time while patrolling." Replied the leopard, chuckling a little. "Now I understand why you liked checking your territory out every day. It's really relaxing, I have to admit. The forest is so calm compared to where I used to grow up." Zachary turned to look at the pot, noticing some bubbles already dancing around on its surface.

"I'm glad I'm able to live in such a beautiful place." he admitted, smirking at the dragon and added, "And the company is not half bad either."

Basajaun chuckled. "Right back at you," he replied, his tail reaching around behind Zachary and tickling his side playfully.

"So you already did today's patrol, eh?" Basajaun said appreciatively, "Thank you. You're really starting to earn your keep around here!"

Zachary shoved the dragon's tail away gently, laughing as he replied. "No problem at all, I like to be of some help to you." he said, "And it's a perfect way to practice hunting as well, as you can clearly see." The leopard pointed at the contents of the pot, smiling at the dragon.

"Not that you seem to need any more practice with that bow," Basajaun complimented the leopard, "You've got a real talent with that thing. It makes me wonder what you could do with something less makeshift than that..." The dragon seemed to become lost in that train of thought for a moment, his eyes tracking invisible diagrams as he began to visualize new improvements he could make to the bow's design.

"This one is perfectly good for me, don't worry. You've made a fine job with it." The leopard gave a pat on the dragon's tail which was still next to him on the ground. Noticing the scent which had filled the burrow, Zachary looked at the large pot.

"I think it's done." he said, watching as the stew finished cooking just at the right time.

Pulled out of his reverie by the leopard's contact, the dragon hadn't heard what he said before touching the reptile's tail. "Ah, stew's done," Basajaun noticed, apparently still distracted by his train of thought, though once he actually smelled the food, he was able to attend to reality again.

"I think we have another winner," Basajaun commented, taking a deep inhalation of the stew's scents.

"I think so too," the leopard said, wasting no time and quickly grabbing his bowl before filling it with the stew. Getting his spoon as well in the process, Zachary waited for a few seconds and blew on his stew, not wanting to burn his throat with the hot food.

Swallowing a spoonful of deliciousness, Zachary smiled in utter contentment, glancing at the dragon. "Alright, this bird just made me forget how annoying it was. It was well worth the torture of listening to him, because this is just delightful!" he remarked, going right back to consuming his bowl of stew, while the rest remained in the much larger pot for the dragon.

Taking one of the smaller pots, Basajaun poured half of the rest of the stew into it and set the main pot next to the fire. Mentally determined to actually have a not-unholy bloating meal, he also wanted to leave enough for the leopard to have more, if he wanted. Taking a mouthful of the stew, the dragon positioned himself so that Zachary was between him and the larger pot as he enjoyed the flavor.

"Wonderful!" the reptile agreed with Zachary, giving him a smile and an approving pat on the shoulder. As he ate, Basajaun remembered something. "I've been meaning to ask," the dragon started, "What's a lute? You mentioned playing it before; is it some sort of game?"

Zachary had to put his stew down on the ground, afraid that he might spill the whole thing out as he released a whole-hearted chuckle. It was amusing to hear such questions coming from the dragon, as if Basajaun was a curious and innocent child, eager to be educated about the world and its secrets.

"No, it's not a game," the feline replied, smiling at his friend, "It's an instrument, if you know what that is. You can play beautiful melodies with it if you're skilled enough, it's really popular amongst the civilized races, mostly used by musicians." With his explanation done, the leopard retrieved his bowl and finished the remaining stew.

"I wasn't that good with it, but mine was kind of broken, to be honest. It was a good way of killing time when I had absolutely nothing to do, and I came up with some pretty great tunes." Zachary declared, pouring his second bowl of soup and digging in with the same gusto like the first time around, but with a slowed pace.

The dragon considered for a moment. "How did it work?" Basajaun asked, finishing his own serving of stew sooner than he thought he would. Setting the pot aside, he looked to Zachary with a curious expression. "I've heard of instruments, and I've even heard some being played," the dragon stated, "But I don't know that much about them."

Zachary paused in his eating, setting his spoon aside. "Er, I'm not so sure, I was never given an explanation of how it worked." the feline admitted, "But I know that it was crafted using different kind of woods, and the strings were made out of animal guts, if my memory serves me right." He looked lost in thought for a little while, then his expression lightened a little as if he remembered something.

"It produced sound whenever I twanged the strings, and the tune resonated through the body of the lute until the string was in motion." Zachary explained, trying to gather all the knowledge he knew about lutes. It was hard, given that the young anthro wasn't a musician, and it never really bothered him how his instrument worked as long as he could play some simple melodies on it.

Considering for a moment, Basajaun turned to face the leopard and scratched a simple drawing of a lute into the floor. "Did it look like this?" the dragon asked, "When I was younger and less cautious, I came across a travelling circus, and I couldn't resist sneaking in to see some of it. I remember that some of the musicians used this instrument."

Zachary moved to examine the drawing, and added some details to it, namely the circular hole on the soundboard below the strings, and the frets on the neck. "Yeah, that looks about right." he said, tapping a finger on the lute.

The feline went back to his stew, finishing it soon and setting the bowl aside. "Alright, this was even more delicious than all the previous ones." he admitted, lying down on his back and sighing in bliss.

With a nod, Basajaun set himself down alongside the leopard, thinking for a moment. "I never asked," the dragon suddenly realized, "What made you stumble into my...our woods, anyways?" The correction was minor, but to the dragon, starting to think of the forest as belonging to both of the hunters was a big step.

Zachary's whole body tensed at the question, and he closed his eyes. It was a long time coming, but he feared what the dragon would think of him if the leopard told him the truth. He considered lying, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He wasn't a liar, and he wouldn't play cruel games with Basajaun especially... with his only friend.

Sitting up, the feline looked at the dragon as he lay next to him with a serious expression. "I was banished from my town," he said simply, and before the massive reptile could react, he continued, "Because I'm a..." there was a short pause, "Thief." He looked at his friend apologetically.

"I had no other choice. You don't have any other options in there, Basajaun. I was homeless, starving... alone. I know that doesn't make up for my actions, but I'll never ever feel guilty for trying to make a change in my life in the only way possible." he explained, and then looked away in defeat, not able to bare his friend's searching gaze. "I'm sorry."

Basajaun blinked and then grinned wide. "Oh, is that all?" the dragon said, gently turning Zachary around, "Zach, I don't see anything wrong with stealing for survival. It's how I got my start as a carnivore."

"When I was still too small to hunt my own food effectively, I would follow foxes around," Basajaun continued, "They often kill more than they need, and then bury the kill for later. If I was patient, I could watch the foxes and see where they took their kills. When they left, I took them for myself. Out in the wild, that's called 'scavenging', and it's a perfectly fair method of survival."

Patting the leopard on the back, the dragon pressed on, "If your situation puts you in a spot where thievery is the only viable option, then those that hold what you need away from you are at fault, not you."

Laughing a bit, the dragon looked to Zachary with a relieved expression. "Honestly, when you said banished, I was afraid you'd admit to some horrible crime or something," Basajaun said, flashing the leopard a cheerful grin.

Zachary listened to Basajaun with a bemused expression as he spoke, and cringed when the word horrible crime was mentioned. "Well, I stole from the Mayor of the town, and not food." he said, sighing, "I stole a golden statue, or at least, I tried... and then the guards found me and dragged me straight to the court. I was found guilty in a matter of seconds, and the next thing I knew, I was sitting in jail."

The leopard looked at his friend, his eyes full of hope. "So, you're not even mad? I thought you'd despise me if I told you what I've done."

The dragon waved his forelimb like he was trying to shoo that thought away. "If you leave something important where it's going to get taken, then it's going to get taken," Basajaun said, "I don't know how it works in the cities, but in the wilds, the one who didn't think about thieves is as at fault for a theft as the thief is. That's actually part of the reason I never stockpiled food; I didn't want thieves digging up my burrow."

"Just like killing for survival is different than killing out of spite," the dragon concluded, "Scavenging out of necessity is different than stealing out of greed. And from what I've seen, you're nothing close to avaricious."

Zachary smiled widely, sighing in utter relief. "I only stole when it was an absolute necessity, and never out of enjoyment." His smile died down in an instant when he realized something, however, and he turned hesitantly towards the dragon.

"So if killing for survival is acceptable, why didn't you simply end my life when you found me? Keeping me alive endangered the forest, and your life as well." the leopard asked quietly, looking at the ground with an unreadable expression.

Basajaun's answer was simple. "I refuse to become the monster that your people see me as," the dragon affirmed, his expression resolute, "Killing you would have been the simplest solution, but if I hadn't given you the chance to prove you weren't a threat, then I would be everything I've avoided becoming for so long. Not to mention predators taste awful."

Grinning to the leopard so that he knew the dragon was joking, Basajaun continued. "I always resented being thought of as a mindless killer," he admitted, "So I took everything that anthros thought of me, and used that as a guideline for what I should never do or be. Call it rebelling against a stereotype."

"You succeeded." Zachary said, looking up to smile at his friend, "You're nothing like what people think of dragons." He moved to sit right next to Basajaun, his smile growing wider.

"You're the most honorable living being I've ever met in my life, and although I don't think animals of this forest would agree with me on that one," the leopard said with a weak chuckle, "But that's how I see you. A kind and gentle soul, disguised in the body of the most fearsome creature on earth."

With a joyful smile, Basajaun wrapped his wing around the feline in a side hug, unable to properly express in words how much he appreciated that particular compliment. "Thank you," was all he could quietly say. The happiness he felt was enough that he never wanted the embrace to end, and in his joyous bliss, the dragon never smelled the strangers entering his territory.

"It's this way, you fools!" called out a bassy voice from behind a bush, waving his longsword in his bulky hands. The rather massive husky shook his head, "I swear to all the gods, I'll kill these bastards one day." With an annoyed huff, he turned around, sniffing the air and relocating the weak scent which the trio had been following the whole day.

The pair behind the dog soon followed, laughing to themselves, "I don't think I've ever heard someone cry for their life so much before! That coward almost pissed himself by the time I sliced his throat." Laughed the biggest of the three, namely a brown bear.

"I bet he was!" replied the boar who had been walking next to his much bigger companion. "But the time I kil-"

"Would you two shut your mouth and catch up? We're on duty, if you haven't noticed. Our target might hear you two fools talking." The husky shouted once again, glaring at his companions over his shoulder.

The bear continued his laughter. "Come on, doggy. Are you that afraid of a leopard kid?" Just as he finished his sentence, he felt the cold steel pressed against his throat, silencing him in an instant.

"Call me 'doggy' again, and I'll show you who to be afraid of." The leader of the group hissed, pulling his dagger away from the bear's throat. "I don't want you two say one word until you have that boy in your hands, understood?"

The other two nodded instantly, not daring to answer verbally.

"Good. Now," the husky turned around, smirking. "Let's catch us some cat meat, shall we?"

As Basajaun lay on his bedding, binding together some more replacement torches, the dragon couldn't help a nagging feeling that something was amiss. Without a reason as to why, he chalked it up to adapting to his new lifestyle. As he finished the torch and stood, he placed it alongside the other spares he had time to make with his daily routine shared with his guest.

Noticing he was starting to run low on dry wood, Basajaun looked over to Zachary. "Would you mind fetching some more wood?" the dragon asked, giving a grateful smile as the leopard nodded in response. Watching Zachary exit the den, the reptile once more noticed his strange anxiety. It wasn't caused by not trusting the feline return, but seeing his friend leaving still felt Basajaun with a sense of unexplainable dread.

As Zachary gathered wood, he hummed one of the tunes he had come up with on his lute, reminded of it by the dragon's earlier questions. Confident that the forest predators were still inactive, as it was still a while until dark, the leopard was less aware of his surroundings than he would normally have been, and never saw the dagger pommel that impacted the back of his head, or the husky that wielded it.

Thinking hard on why he would feel so much trepidation, Basajaun turned inwardly, finally paying attention to his senses, and the scent he hadn't known he had picked up. "Intruders!" the dragon shouted suddenly, leaping to his feet and sprinting out of the burrow.

"Zachary!" Basajaun roared, fear and worry building up in his heart, "Zachary, where are you?"

Wait, scent; I can smell him, the dragon remembered, stopping and sniffing the air frantically as his tongue flickered hard enough to pull muscles in the reptile's jaw. Locating the leopard, Basajaun's heart raced as he sprinted into the trees; Zachary was with the intruders.

"Alright, what the hell was that?" the boar demanded, looking around fearfully for the source of the deafening roar that seemed to reverberate the entire forest. His bear companion had also stopped in his tracks, the largest member carrying their target, while the leader also froze, looking around confusedly.

"Keep moving," the husky ordered after a moment, "We've got what we came for. We aren't getting paid to investigate strange noises."

Obeying after a moment, the trio moved onward, looking about themselves warily. "What if whatever made that noise comes for us?" the boar worried aloud after a few minutes of walking, clutching his spear close to his chest.

"Then we kill it," the dog replied flatly, "And get back to Boldrum before he comes for us. Any other stupid questions?"

Gulping hard, the boar inched closer to the bear in front of him. Not wanting to make his boss any more irritated, he kept his attention on the bear's back, trying to forget the sound he had heard. The only warning that the boar received of his attacker's presence was the flash of glistening fangs as his upper body was engulfed from his head to his shoulders.

Retracting into the undergrowth silently, Basajaun held the boar's head in his mouth, stifling his yelling until he felt his venom cause the intruder to stop moving. Dropping the wide-eyed sellsword and snapping his weapon into pieces, the dragon swiftly caught up with the other two, remaining almost invisible in the trees as he moved around them, using his coloration to confuse their sense of direction and recognition of their surroundings.

A few minutes later, the husky started looking confused. "How many times have we passed this tree?" the dog demanded, looking back to his companion and finally noticing that they were missing a member.

He looked at the bear with a calm expression, raising a finger in front of his mouth, gesturing for his other companion to remain silent.

The bear glanced around himself slowly, horrified to discover that the boar had gone missing. He looked back at the leader with evident fear in his eyes, and couldn't help but open his mouth despite the husky's order.

"Where the f-" he started, but was soon silenced by the dog's paw whose blue gaze said he wouldn't hesitate to slice the bear's throat to keep him quiet. When the husky was sure the bear wouldn't talk, he pulled his paw away, and pulled his longsword out, gesturing to his companion to do the same and turned his back to the bear to continue walking more carefully.

The bear got the hint and went to grab his weapon, but couldn't reach for the great axe on his back with the leopard on him as well. It only took a half second after he had put the leopard on the ground to end up in a similar fate like his boar companion and he collapsed on the ground as the dragon's venom worked through his body.

The husky turned around the instant he heard the bear collide with the ground, and watched in horror as his companion's legs disappeared under the bush. Growling in frustration at his companion's incompetence, the husky rushed towards the leopard who had been placed against the base of a nearby tree, determined to finish the job by simply killing the leopard right then and there. Unfortunately for him, he never reached his target.

Seeing his friend in immediate danger, Basajaun tossed the bear aside and leapt out of the bushes, landing with his torso above Zachary's body without regard for stealth. Hissing loudly and flaring his wings as he held his ground, the dragon felt his entire being vibrating with anger. Rocks beneath the dragon's claws split as his limbs flexed and tensed, watching every movement that the husky made.

The former leader stumbled backwards, looking wide eyed at the massive creature which had jumped out of nowhere. He held his longsword weakly in his trembling hands as he stared at the dragon in front of him. After a few seconds of utter silence, the husky lowered his sword and swallowed hard.

"You don't know who you're protecting there, dragon. That leopard is a criminal!" He called out with surprisingly much strength to his voice, and pointed at Zachary who still lay unconscious behind the massive reptile.

"Let me bring him back to Boldrumton where he'll get his rightful punishment, and I swear," he placed an arm on his heart, looking straight in the dragon's eyes. "I'll tell no one of your existence and this whole encounter. Just give me that boy."

The word "criminal" only fueled the fire that burned in Basajaun; had he been a firebreather, the entire forest might well have been ignited on the spot. "I know plenty well who I'm protecting," Basajaun stated, taking a deep breath as he tried to fight his mounting rage, "This boy is my friend. Go back where you came from, pup!"

The husky growled quietly under his breath, but realized that perhaps for the first time in his life, he wasn't the one in control. And yet, the thought of going back to Boldrum without the leopard terrified him more than the beast in front of him.

"I'm afraid I can't do that." he said with a sigh, and grinned toothily, "It's unfortunate that it had come to this. But I haven't killed a dragon in a while, I suppose another skull would look nice on my fireplace."

In an instant, the husky was charging towards Basajaun with a roar, and slashed wide with his longsword at the dragon's neck. Only then did the dragon realize that he was dealing with a professional dragon-hunter.

Whipping his neck out of the way in time to barely avoid the slash, Basajaun roared furiously at the husky. Knowing he'd be unable to face down the hunter while needing to hold his ground, the dragon snatched up Zachary's limp body in his tail and fled into the undergrowth, the dog following quickly behind.

Only able to outrun the dragon-hunter because he already knew the terrain, Basajaun panted as he came to the oak tree he often came to for relaxation. Placing the leopard gently against the tree, Basajaun turned back to smell the dog's rapidly approaching scent.

Against his instinct to utilize stealth, Basajaun released a mighty roar and charged directly towards the husky's scent. He wanted the hunter's attention on him, not the leopard.

Veering off suddenly within a meter of the dog, Basajaun could feel the wind from the husky's sword on his neck. The hunter obviously knew about the forest dragon's venom and was keeping him from coming within biting distance.

Thinking fast, Basajaun charged out of the undergrowth once more. As he neared, the dragon whirled around unexpectedly, kicking hard with his rear claws. Feeling the hot wetness of blood on his foot, the dragon spun back around, making to bite the dog while he was down.

The clatter of the dog's sword on the ground caught the dragon's attention, however. Looking to the husky, Basajaun's anger immediately turned to horror. His claws had gashed deep into the hunter's chest, and the mercenary was losing blood fast.

"No," the dragon attempted to reject the reality, rushing to the dog and applying pressure to the wound, "No, no, no! I didn't...I wasn't...oh, Gods!"

Basajaun looked into the husky's pained and confused eyes. "Stay awake!" the dragon cried out as the mercenary's eyes began to close, "Stay awake, damn it!"

It was too late. The husky gave a final sigh, and moved no more.

Basajaun returned to the oak, moving numbly. Taking the leopard and securing him to the harness the dragon still wore, the dragon took off for the mountain. When the mercenary's he'd left alive revived, he knew that an army would replace them.

"A what?!" Sir Boldrum asked in fury, slamming his fists against his favourite table. "Do you expect me to believe that the reason for your failure was a bloody dragon?!" The pig stood up, walking as fast as he could to the two mercenaries in the middle of the room. "Answer me!"

The boar and the bear both flinched. "Y-yes, my lord. It was a forest dragon! He attacked us after we had the boy." the bear explained, looking at his companion for back-up.

The boar nodded. "It's true, Sir Boldrum." he said, and then turned around, showing the two bite marks on his back.

Boldrum stumbled back, stammering as he spoke, "A-And where's the husky? He used to be a dragon-hunter, no? How were you three able to lose a fight against a dragon with such an expert in your team?"

"He's dead." answered the bear simply, "We found his body on the ground. That monster pierced him right through his chest."

The pig exhaled in utter anger, turning around to sit back in his chair, he remained silent. Liam, his assistant, spoke up after a few minutes, his voice hesitant.

"I think we shouldn't press the issue anymore, your grace. Let that leopard live in the woods, the dragon will probably end his life instead of us." The peacock proposed, swallowing hard, "We already know that this particular dragon is very dangerous, only more men will die if continue sending them for the leopard."

The pig sat up from his chair once more, and turned around to look at his assistant with an unreadable expression. "Liam, can you remind me what I told you I'd do if you ever questioned my decisions in the future?"

The peacock froze, looking horrified at the Mayor. "I-I'm not s-sure, your grace."

"Let me remind you, then." the pig snapped his fingers, and two guards came rushing through the doors. They took the assistant in their hands, holding his mouth shut as he screamed and fought while he was being dragged out of the room.

"Now," Boldrum turned to the bear and the boar, smiling, "Inform the guards that we're heading out. We're going to kill that dragon along with the boy."

The two mercenaries stood in place, nodding before they turned around slowly to leave.

"Oh!" the pig called out, "And fetch me a new assistant as well! Preferably one that does not speak back."

Basajaun sat in the back of the mountain cave, sobbing quietly. Cursing the stubbornness of dragon hunters across the world, the dragon could do little other than cry as he waited for Zachary to awaken.

The leopard was laid out on the floor of the cavern beside the dragon, breathing deeply. Basajaun couldn't bring himself to look at Zachary, too angry with himself and the entire situation.

Zachary dreamed long and hard while he was unconscious, hearing a voice screaming a monotone, single sentence which played repetitively in his ears for a very long time. He thought it would never end.

"Just let my son live!" The unknown voice pleaded for the last time before crying out in pain. Zachary saw blood everywhere, and faint sound of sobbing was the only thing he heard before another voice whispered in his ears; "I'm sorry."

The leopard awoke with a gasp, his heart beating in his chest faster than ever before. He let out a painful moan as his brain registered the tiny lump on his head.

"W-where am I?" he asked, sitting up and rubbing his aching head with a paw. He glanced around him, trying to see through the darkness which surrounded him. Not so far away next to the wall, he saw a form sitting.

"Basajaun, is that you?" Zachary tried to stand up, but quickly lost balance and had to lean against the wall, not able to move forward. His vision became blurry as his head pounded with pain.

His eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, and he could make out his friend's body through the blackness. He was about to attempt going over to the dragon when the faint sound of sobbing caught his attention. Basajaun was crying.

The leopard simply froze in place, wondering just what on earth happened to him and the dragon. His last memory was humming a tune while he was collecting wood and then...

"Oh, gods no." he whispered in horror, remembering the face of a husky right before he lost his consciousness. "Basajaun, can you hear me?" The leopard couldn't take the pain anymore and collapsed on the ground. He clutched his aching head with both of his paws, unable to take another step.

Basajaun raised his head slowly, turning to the feline as he did. "Zachary?" the dragon asked, his voice strained. Picking himself up and moving unsteadily to the leopard, he fell to the ground next to Zachary.

Taking a breath and managing to stifle his tears, Basajaun looked down to the leopard below him. "A-are you alright?" he asked worriedly, "Is anything broken?"

Zachary shook his head slowly, letting his paws fall on the ground next to him as he stared up Basajaun. "No, it's just my head. I need a few minutes." he informed, looking around him and just now noticing that they were in a cave of some sort instead of the burrow. "What happened?" he asked, confused, "Where are we?"

"Men came," the dragon said, having to catch his voice once more in order to continue, "They said they were going to take you to Boldrum. I fought them off, but..."

Tears started flowing once more at the memory. "Zachary, I killed one of them," Basajaun turned away in shame, "I wasn't...it was an accident."

The reptile buried his head under his claws. "I've never k-killed an anthro before," Basajaun cried, once again beginning to sob, "Zachary, what am I going to do? They'll send legions after me! What should I do?" The question was beginning to be directed more towards the cosmos than the dragon's company.

Zachary listened in horror as the dragon recited what happened while he was knocked out. "Hey, hey... Basajaun," The leopard pulled at his friend's wing, forcing him to look at him. "It's alright, calm down. We'll figure something out together, okay?" He gave his friend a forced smile, his head still a mess, and then his expression changed once again.

"So, people tried to bring me with them... and you defended me," Zachary thought aloud, fighting very hard to hold back his own tears. "And you accidentally killed... one of them."

"Was this... person trying to cause you any harm so that you were forced to protect yourself?" he asked, looking at the dragon seriously.

Basajaun shook his head as he rose onto his haunches. "He was coming after you," he said, "I was angry. I...I could have flown away with you. But I..." Choking once more, the dragon didn't continue, instead gently wrapped his arms around his friend.

"I just wanted to protect you," the dragon said as he clinged to Zachary, careful not to hurt him, but not wanting to let go, "I wasn't thinking clearly enough to keep my strength in check..."

After the gentle gesture, Zachary couldn't keep his feelings bottled up, and simply gave in. He fully embraced his friend's comforting hug, soaking the dragon's scales in his tears as he was held by the dragon. The dragon who had saved his life twice, his only friend, Basajaun.

"T-Thank you." That simple, yet powerful sentence was the only thing the leopard managed to say between sobbing as he cried. The pair remained silent for a long time, each too emotionally drained to voice their swirling and confused thoughts.

"I'm so sorry. This is all my fault." Zachary said not much later, "Those men came after me, and you're paying the price because of me. I never meant this to happen..." The leopard stood up, his voice rising in anger. He felt extremely dizzy, but stood his ground nevertheless.

"Why can't I just live peacefully somewhere safe?" he asked from nobody in particular, and clenched his fists tightly, "Why do I always have to fear for my life, be it dying from starvation or by a blade slicing my throat? I'm sick and tired of being afraid! I just want to enjoy living for once!" The leopard shouted and immediately felt the world spin around him. He lost his balance completely, and collapsed on the ground once more.

Catching Zachary before he could hurt himself, Basajaun simply held the leopard against him for a while as the pair worked through their emotions.

Several minutes later, Basajaun was able to collect himself enough to form rational thoughts again. Taking a deep breath, the dragon looked out of the cave entrance into the dusk, thinking carefully. "Right now, our only option is to find safety," Basajaun reasoned, "And if Boldrum can track us, we won't be safe. The good news is, I'm pretty sure he can't track us through the air."

Withdrawing from Zachary, the reptile gave him a serious expression. "Besides your bow, is there anything in my burrow that you can't live without?" Basajaun asked, "I'm only making one trip, and I'm going to be fast about it."

Zachary shook his head. "No, I don't think so. Perhaps you could bring us some of the food so wouldn't have to hunt right now." he proposed, and then looked at the ground with a worried expression on his face.

"Are you sure you want to go alone? I don't know if I could bear if something happened to you on the way..." He looked up at his friend, his eyes reddened by the tears. "Promise me you'll return."

Basajaun patted the feline's shoulder gently. "I'll be careful," the dragon said, moving to the cave mouth, "Sit tight, I won't be long."

Within minutes, Basajaun had arrived at the burrow. Panting from how fast he had forced himself to fly, the reptile didn't give himself time to rest, moving straight into the den. Gathering up the bow he had crafted for Zachary and all of its arrows, he took what food was already laid out on the deer hide and wrapped it up, tying it around his neck before looking at the pot that still had food left in it.

'I'll be damned if I let them have this,' the dragon thought, quickly gulping down the rest of the stew and putting the pot in the sack around his neck. Taking as much dry wood and sinew as he could, the dragon put it into another deer hide, binding to his back with his harness. Looking around, Basajaun heaved a sigh, moving to the burrow entrance. Placing foreclaw against the den's entryway, he thought about how well his home had served him over the years. Maybe he'd be back one day, but for now, he had to leave this place behind.

Making to fly back to the mountain, the dragon paused. Turning towards the direction of the great oak tree, Basajaun swallowed hard, before taking off.

Landing in the oak's clearing, Basajaun moved to where the husky still lay lifeless. Taking his claw, the dragon carved an epitaph into the tree against which the dog leaned, "A brave man died here." Even though the dragon hunter had tried to kill Basajaun, he could at least honor his courage. Making to leave, the dragon's foot touched something hard.

Looking down, Basajaun saw the husky's sword on the ground. Looking to the hunter and back to the sword, the dragon took the weapon and placed it in his back bag, finally ready to return.

It was well into night by the time the dragon got back to the cave. "Zach," Basajaun whispered softly, "Are you still awake?"

The only answer that followed was the sound of faint snoring, and some incomprehensible mumbling which followed soon after. It was obvious that the leopard had fallen asleep.

He lay on the ground exactly where the dragon had left him, curled up in a ball, like always. It was a habit he'd never grow out of. It was etched into his mind to instinctively sleep in that position, no matter how warm it was.

When no audible response came, the dragon could safely assume that Zachary wouldn't wake up unless he was forced to.

Dropping the two bags at the back of the cave, Basajaun carefully positioned himself next the leopard. Draping a wing over his friend, the dragon curled around Zachary, hoping to keep him warm while they slept on bare rock. His thoughts repeatedly returning to the day's events, it took hours for Basajaun to fall asleep.

"Just let my son live!"

Zachary's eyes snapped open, and he sat up with a grunt, or at least he would have, if he wasn't pinned down by the dragon's wing. Smiling a little, the leopard allowed himself to relax, simply lying on the cold ground while he relished the warmth of his friend.

His mind raced endlessly, mainly about his dream which he couldn't forget about. Usually he would forget what he had dreamed of after a few moments of waking up, but it wasn't the case with this one.

It felt so... real. Almost like a long forgotten memory which had been sealed in up until now. The leopard tried to recall other details, but the only thing he could remember was the sentence he kept hearing.

"Just let my son live..." Zachary said the sentence aloud, as if it would help him understand the meaning behind his dream. Was it really a dream, though? And if it wasn't, who did the voice belong to? Who kept apologizing at the end of his dream?

The unanswered questions welled up inside the feline's brain until he couldn't bear to think about them anymore. He had more important things to be concerned about. He turned to look at the sleeping dragon's head next to him.

'How could I repay you for saving my life twice?' Zachary asked from himself as he watched Basajaun sleep away peacefully. At least the dragon didn't have to think about their problems while he dreamed.

Deciding to let his friend sleep in for once, Zachary tried to worm his way out of the dragon's body without waking him. After a few moments of slow and gentle moves, he was free. Stretching his back, the leopard turned to have some fresh air when his foot collided with the dragon's tail.

The feline fell on his knees, hissing quietly. "Why are you always in the way of my foot?" he asked, his voice a whisper as he rubbed his foot, hoping he hadn't woken the dragon.

His head rising for a moment, Basajaun's eyes flickered blearily about, before the dragon rested his head once more, attempting to snuggle the leopard that was no longer under his wing closer. When there wasn't anything there, the reptile leapt to his feet, looking around worriedly until he spotted the leopard.

Heaving a sigh of relief, the dragon sat on his haunches. "Good morning," Basajaun said, trying to sound more cheerful than he actually was.

Zachary turned around slowly with the worst fake smile on his muzzle. "Hey!" the leopard greeted with as much joy as he could muster, "Up so early?"

'I wonder who woke him...' The leopard scolded himself in his mind for kicking the dragon the second time since they have met.

"I'm sorry for not waiting for you yesterday, but my head was hurting so much that I couldn't stay awake." he apologized, glancing about the cave and noting the appearance of some items from the burrow. "I suppose yesterday's trip went well?"

Nodding, the dragon moved to the bags and opened them, handing Zachary his bow. "We'll need to leave as soon as you think you're ready," Basajaun stated, sealing the bags once more after handing the leopard his arrows, "Take some time to prepare yourself; I'm flying us as far away from this place as I can today."

Zachary looked at the dragon for a few moments, remaining silent. "Are you sure about this, Basajaun? This place is your home." The leopard glanced at his feet, his tail swaying behind him slowly.

"I'm the one they want, not you. I don't want you risking your life because of me anymore... you've already done more for me than I could ever return." He was still staring at the ground, not able to look into his friend's eyes.

Basajaun stopped, looking over to the leopard. "You're my friend," he said simply, "You gave me happiness when I had only known isolation. If that isn't worth risking my life over, nothing is. Besides, it's only a matter of time before that burrow is found now."

Sighing quietly, the dragon looked up with a resolute expression. "This forest was my home, yes," Basajaun said, looking over to Zachary with fierce determination, "But now, we need to find a place that can be our home! Well away from Boldrum and his lackeys. Who knows? Maybe we'll even find a spot without wolves."

Fresh tears welled up in the leopard's eyes as he listened to Basajaun, but quickly wiped them away. They had enough crying just the day before.

"Yeah..." Zachary sniffled, chuckling a little, "I'd like that a lot, actually." It surprised the young anthro just how the dragon was able to lift his mood with simple words. Yet those words meant more to the leopard than anything had ever before he met Basajaun.

"Let's eat, and then we can leave and find a new home." he said with a hopeful smile. He didn't even have to thank the dragon for everything he had done. The absolute appreciation was written on the leopard's eyes. Even a blind man could've seen it.

Basajaun nodded, taking out the pot. Noticing that it hadn't been cleaned, however, the dragon put it back into the sack. "Looks like we're roasting our food today," he said, taking out some dried twigs to light a fire before looking over to Zachary, "Is there anything you'd like to do to help? It might take your mind off of things."

"Sure," replied the leopard, scooting over to the dragon, "What do you want me to do?" he asked, looking absolutely willing to help his friend out in any way he could.

With his earlier sadness gone, Zachary looked once again like himself. Only his teasing remarks were missing, but they would follow soon enough if things went well for the two.

"Here," the dragon offered a pair of skewers to the leopard, "Just like the first night, right?" Basajaun nodded to the remaining berries and meat, which could last them a few days. Taking some boar and red berries, the dragon smeared the meat with juice before spearing it on his claws, holding them over the fire.

Zachary shook his head, taking the skewers in his paws. "Not at all." he replied with a laugh, patting the dragon's wing. "We were strangers back then." Giving the dragon a wide smile, the leopard almost forgot that he was sad in the first place. He took some hare from the food pile and held it over the fire.

"And besides, if it would be like the first night, then you'd finish our whole supply of food!" He teased, already inching away in advance from the dragon's reaction as he smirked at his friend. His remark held no offense towards Basajaun, it was just the leopard's way of coping with hard situations; joking around.

Sticking out his tongue, Basajaun smirked at the feline. "Don't tempt me!" the dragon insisted, "I feel like I could use some comfort food at the moment. And I need to be in flying shape for the rest of the day, too." Taking his food out of the fire, Basajaun ate quickly, wanting to get moving quickly.

"Is that so?" he asked, taking the hare out of the fire when it was starting to look brown and crisp, "We could do a little feast of some sort once we've found a place to live at." he proposed, taking a bite out of his hare, and swallowed hastily. "It's a pretty good way to celebrate finding a new home, if anything."

"I think I'd like that," the dragon nodded smilingly, "I think I'll be pretty sore by the end of the day. Of course, that's assuming we find a good place in just a day..."

Not wanting to spoil the mood further, Basajaun didn't continue that line of thought. Standing when his companion finished, the drake moved to the bags and tied them up. Before he finished, the dragon remembered one of the things he had packed taking out the long object.

"Hey, a 'gift' from Boldrum," the dragon said, showing the fine longsword that the dragonslayer had carried.

The leopard regarded the sword with mixed emotions. "Looks like a really good sword," he said, his eyes still observing the fine piece of steel, "But I don't think I could carry that around, I'm afraid." Judging by the sword's size, it required its wielder to have very muscled arms, which Zachary didn't possess, unfortunately.

"I like my bow too much, anyways." he said, smiling at the one who had made him the exceptional weapon. Finishing the rest of his breakfast, Zachary stood up and walked towards the dragon. He grabbed the end of the harness which was still on him, and pulled it gently while climbing on his back at the same time, not even waiting for Basajaun to lower himself. "Are you ready?"

Securing the first bag around his neck and handing the second, smaller bag up to the leopard, Basajaun nodded. "Are you?" he asked, looking up to Zachary.

"More than I'll ever be." he replied taking the bag and securing it. He glanced behind him, saying internally goodbye to their temporary hiding place. He turned back around and clutched himself tightly against the dragon's body, waiting for him to take off.

Standing at the edge of the cave, Basajaun looked out over the forest, looking at his territory for perhaps the last time. "Alright, let's find us a new home," the drake said.

Spreading his wings wide, Basajaun launched himself off of the mountain face. Flapping hard, the dragon managed to catch a thermal, allowing him to climb high into the sky, and make his way around the mountain.

Zachary could feel the contents of his stomach rise as they ascended, making the feline cling to the dragon with all his might. He didn't dare to open his eyes for a few minutes, but detected that they had leveled out and were now flying completely horizontally.

Opening his eyes eventually, the leopard was presented with a beautiful view of vibrant, green trees below him. The forest stretched endlessly over the ground, looking like it would never end. Zachary spotted a wide river not much later. The large expanse of water divided the forest into two areas, almost identical to how borders worked amongst civilized races.

As the pair flew over the river, Zachary glanced behind himself. In the distance, the mountain with the cave was still visible. Turning back to look ahead, the leopard couldn't help but feel like they had just truly passed a border of some sort, and were flying towards a different direction in their lives; a new chance.

Other than the view, the flight was greatly uneventful. As he flew, Basajaun kept looking back to Zachary, making sure the harness was holding together. "Keep an eye on those straps, Zach!" the dragon shouted back, "I'm pretty sure I can catch you if you fall at this height, but it won't be enjoyable for either of us!"

"Got it!" Zachary called back, checking the straps instantly. They appeared to be holding up pretty good against the torture. The leopard could only hope they would endure until they were done flying for the day.

"Look at that!" The feline shouted over the wind, pointing at a beautiful waterfall as they flew past it. A faint colored rainbow arched over the flowing water as if it the two were embracing each other like lovers. The view left the young anthro breathless as he marveled at the sight.

Basajaun smiled at the sight. "Feel like a shower?" he joked, the flight having done wonders for his mood. Looking down at the water, the dragon turned back to the leopard. "We should probably get a drink while we can," he said, "I'm not sure how far the next water source will be.

Zachary nodded, and the pair was soon once again on the ground, standing next to the base of the waterfall alongside a little lake. Massive trees surrounded them in every direction, dense moss clinging to their trunks stubbornly as if the two were one. The singing of birds filled the leopard's ears as Basajaun came to a halt.

"It's so peaceful here." Zachary remarked, getting off from the dragon's back after untying himself. "I wish this place wasn't so close to Boldrumton." The leopard walked over to the lake, and took a sip from the water. It tasted even better than the small stream back in the dragon's forest, making the feline drink quickly until his thirst was quenched completely.

As he drank, Basajaun thought about their next move. "It's been a few decades since I left my neck of the forest," the dragon thought aloud as he pulled away from the water, wiping his snout dry, "There might be new towns, which I'll have to avo-"

A thought suddenly occurred to Basajaun. "Wait a moment, if my territory is already discovered," he said, looking to Zachary with a sad smile, "Then I don't need to hold you with me any more. We could find a nice town for you to stay, and then I...could go my own way. If that's what you wanted." The thought saddened the drake, but he knew he had no reason to keep the leopard against his will anymore.

"No!" Zachary shouted with a scared expression, then coughed a little and recollected himself. "I mean, that's not what I want." he declared, walking next to the dragon and putting a paw on his neck.

"I don't want to live in any cities anymore. This..." he gestured with his paws around him, meaning the beautiful clearing they had landed at, "Is where I belong. In nature, not in the damp and smelly towns." He turned back at his friend, smiling as he continued.

"And this..." he put a finger on the dragon's chest, "Is who I want my roommate to be. Nobody else." Zachary pulled his paw away from Basajaun, hoping that his friend was feeling the same about the matter.

Looking to the leopard in disbelief, the drake could only grin wide and embrace the feline. "I don't even know what to say," he admitted, feeling a new kind of tears welling up in his eyes.

Zachary hugged the dragon's neck tightly, his throat tightening a little as well. "There's nothing to say, you silly dragon!" said jokingly the leopard, pulling away from the embrace.

"We're going to find a beautiful and peaceful place live at. A place where we don't have to worry about our lives, and where we can hunt as many deer as you want! It's that simple." The leopard explained with a mocking tone, waving his paw a little. "Nothing the two of us can't achieve."

Smiling at the thought, Basajaun knelt down for the feline. "As long as you're sure you don't mind," he checked, waiting for his rider to mount up and secure himself, "I don't exactly tend to settle in areas with a great number of neighbors, so it could get lonely at times."

The leopard swiftly jumped up, and tied himself to the dragon before responding. "Who knows? Perhaps we find a place somewhere where anthros aren't afraid of dragons. You already showed one of their kind that they have nothing to be scared of." Zachary winked at his friend, smiling as he braced himself for the ascent.

Basajaun shrugged, not finding that very likely. "Maybe," he said regardless, the concept of not having to hide from a local population of anthros very appealing, "If it means more friends like you, I'd be thrilled to find such a place!" Shortly after his rider was secured, the pair was in the air again.

A few hours later, they had come close to the edge of the forest. Spotting a clearing, the dragon circled it for a few minutes, checking for the scent of anything dangerous. When everything was determined to be clear, Basajaun landed gently in the clearing, kneeling down to let his rider off.

Zachary untied himself before hopping off, stretching his limbs out a little before kneeling to embrace the ground, "I don't think I've ever been so happy to feel grass beneath my paws." he admitted, then looked up at Basajaun, "Not that I hate flying, but I still feel more comfortable on the ground." Finishing with the greeting of the land under him, Zachary stood up to observe his surroundings.

The clearing was rather small, looking like it was mostly used by herbivorous animals, judging by the scarce grass around them. There were dark green trees in every direction accompanied by some bushes at some of their bases. At first glance, there weren't any paths leading out of the clearing, but the leopard soon spotted an opening which led deeper into the forest.

"Well, this looks like a nice place to settle down for the night." Zachary remarked, grabbing the bags from the dragon's back, and setting them down carefully on the ground.

Settling down on the grass, Basajaun groaned involuntarily. "Oof, it's been awhile since I flew for that long," the drake said, rubbing his sore wings and chest, the dragon looked to Zachary, "Think you can handle sleeping in the open? I'm too sore to dig us a shelter. Not to mention hungry."

Opening the food sack, Basajaun pulled out some boar meat. Popping it into his mouth raw, the drake was too famished to care about cooking at the moment.

"I don't have any problems with that." Zachary replied, watching in surprise as the dragon swallowed his meat without thinking too much. "I'll set up a fire anyways." he announced and went straight to the other bag, where the dry wood was put. He grabbed some, and walked back to the dragon.

After smoothing out the grass under him, he leaned the planks against each other carefully and placed some grass between them. Looking around himself, the leopard found two stones in the dense undergrowth. He hit them together while holding it close to the dry grass until a single sparkle landed on the grass, resulting in the fire to slowly but surely start burning.

"Are you sure you want to eat your food raw?" Asked the leopard casually, blowing on the fire a couple of times to ensure that it continued spreading out.

Looking over to the fire, Basajaun grunted as he lifted himself up. "Well, since you were so kind as to get a fire going," he said, moving next to Zachary with the bag of food in tow, "Thank you."

Settling down once more, the dragon opened up the bag. "So, what'll it be tonight?" he asked curiously, "I feel like I could eat a horse!" Given the dragon's size, it wasn't too much of an exaggeration for him.

Grinning at the dragon's comment, Zachary went to examine the contents of the bag. "We have a lot of boar meat, I reckon we should start eating those before moving on to the other ones." he proposed, "And I think the red berries would be perfect to go with it."

Looking at the fire, the leopard could see that it was strong enough to not need any more help from his part, indicating that the pair could start cooking. "So, what do you think? Does that sound like a nice dinner for you?"

Taking the boar meat from the bag, along with the berries mentioned, Basajaun handed his companion the pair of skewers and some of the mentioned ingredients. "Let's try it, shall we?" he invited, sticking some of the berries and meat on his claws and holding them over the fire.

Looking around as he waited for the food to finish roasting, Basajaun took in as much of the forest as he could. "I hope the next stretch of woods isn't far," the dragon said, "I'd rather not wind up flying over open land for just anyone to see."

Zachary nodded, using one of his arrows for placing the meat and the berries. "I agree, we have to avoid detection as much as we can. I don't want Boldrum to know where we're headed." the leopard said, watching as his meat was enveloped in the orange flames of the fire.

"Hopefully he's gonna give up after realizing that we're long gone." Zachary thought aloud, looking at Basajaun with a smile, "I just want to forget that bastard and his town for good."

His stomach growling impatiently, the reptile slipped some of the food into his mouth before it was done, simply to suppress his gnawing hunger. "Yeah," the dragon agreed, looking out over the trees, "I just hope they won't contact other towns after that. The last thing we need is a mayor using his government pull to launch a campaign against us. If he word gets out that a dragon k-" Basajaun stopped himself, unable to finish the word.

"That I defeated a dragon hunter," he continued, replacing the unpleasant word, "Then we'd have glory-seeking dragon slayers coming at us from every which way..."

Zachary looked lost in thoughts for a few moments, turning his food this way and that in the flames. "I don't think Boldrum would tell about the death of his sellsword." he guessed, looking at the dragon, "I was banished from Boldrumton, so I got my rightful punishment for stealing. He sent men after me to end my life, which is just as much of a crime as mine. Attempted murder is usually punished by death, and Boldrum doesn't have the guts to risk his life. He wants to handle this situation by himself."

Looking at his food and seeing that it was done, Zachary tore a chunk of meat and chewed thoughtfully. "That leaves the option of contacting other towns for help out of question as well. And besides, Boldrum's influence isn't endless. If we go far enough, other towns will not even consider discussing such matter with him, given the distance and the lack of acquaintance between the two towns."

"Well, that's a relief, at least!" Basajaun sighed, happy to have some good news, such as it was. Picking the food off of his claws, the dragon thought for a moment as he chewed, trying to think of any place he came across when he was younger that would make fitting territory for him now.

"I suppose I should ask," Basajaun started, "When we do find a place, would you rather have something like my burrow, or a more civilized dwelling? Which would be more comfortable for you?"

Zachary considered the possibility of living in a little cottage of some sort, and smiled at the thought. "I'm fine with both of those," he replied, chuckling a little, "Your burrow was still a lot better compared to the cold streets, so I won't complain no matter where I have to live."

The leopard took another mouthful of meat, and chewed quickly before continuing. "What about you? Which one would you prefer, honestly?"

"I've never lived in a home like what anthros build," Basajaun replied, considering for a moment before coming up with an idea, "What if we built a small house over the burrow's entrance? That way we could have both. And the den would be well hidden, which I prefer. And you could have anthro visitors, if we wound up close to a town."

"Yeah, I like that idea a lot, actually," Zachary admitted, smiling at his friend. "I don't think I'd want it any other way." The feline polished off the rest of his dinner, sighing in bliss as he leaned back on his arms and looked up at the beautiful night sky.

Many stars shone brightly in the infinite blackness, creating a view that was familiar, but fascinating nonetheless. In the past, the leopard never really had the time to appreciate such things, but now, after leaving the horrible place called Boldrumton, he found himself marveling at the creations of nature. He was happier than he had ever been in his life.

Turning back at Basajaun, Zachary noticed that he hadn't even finished his own dinner yet. "Make sure you eat as much as you can," he said, grinning at the dragon, "You're going to need all the energy for tomorrow, if it's going to be anything like today."

The dragon nodded, looking to their food supplies. "I'll hunt something for myself, then," Basajaun said, standing up, "I'm going to go for a while. Don't worry, I don't smell any large predators here. This is just a peaceful clearing, so just don't spook any deer that come by and you'll be fine."

Zachary nodded, glancing at their food pile as well. "I'll sort the berries out until you arrive, then." he announced, "Be careful, though. These lands are unknown to us, don't do anything stupid, okay?" He walked over to Basajaun and patted his head, smiling.

Nuzzling the leopard back, the dragon nodded. "I'll be careful," Basajaun said, turning and heading into the trees.

A few minutes later, the drake emerged from the forest, a pair of deer hooked onto his back spines, with several berries carried in one of his forelimbs carefully as he trotted. Moving to the fire and sitting next to Zachary, Basajaun put the berries on the deer skin in a separate pile from the others.

Reaching back, the dragon took the deer from his spines, carefully skinning each and setting the hides aside. Taking the remaining meat, Basajaun spread some berry juice across it and held it whole over the large fire.

"Well, that was fast!" Zachary remarked, smirking at his friend, "I'm going to need a lot more practice if I want to be half as good as a hunter like you are." He watched as the dragon's second, and much larger, dinner was being cooked.

Inching closer to the fire and extending his arms, the leopard let out a quiet purr as he relished the warmth. "And," he started, looking up at Basajaun, "How's the area? Have you seen anything interesting or worth checking out?"

Extending his wing around the feline's shoulders, Basajaun scooted closer to him. "Other than a much larger herd of deer than was in my old territory, nothing much," the dragon reported, turning the deer slowly over the fire, "How about you? Anything happen while I was gone?"

Zachary gestured to a nearby tree, which looked to have a couple of holes in it. "Practice a little with my bow. I can't get enough of that weapon, truly. It just feels right every time I let an arrow go. I think even some professional bow makers would be jealous of your work." The leopard explained, snuggling into the dragon's wing and listening to the crackling fire.

"This is all I wanted." Zachary said after a while, still staring at the flames. "Just... peace." He looked up at Basajaun with a sincere smile, his eyes reflecting the image of the fire which burned next to the pair endlessly.

The dragon's tail curled around the leopard fondly, the next few minutes passing in quiet as the deer finished cooking. Setting the first aside on its skin, Basajaun took the second deer and spread violet juice over it, holding it over the fire next.

Zachary watched with a bemused expression as the dragon put the second deer over the fire. He knew the dragon was hungry, but not this much! If Basajaun were to finish that much amount of food, he would most likely end up more stuffed than he ever was.

The leopard had already guessed that Basajaun had a rather big appetite, but now he was sure of the dragon was quite a glutton, to put it mildly. Although the realization would have been strange to other anthros, Zachary found it to be intriguing. It just made the massive reptile appear even stronger in his eyes, someone who wouldn't back up from anything, even if that meant stuffing themselves silly. It seemed like the stereotypes about dragons being greedy applied to his friend as well.

"Is this going to be enough comfort food for now?" The leopard asked playfully with a smile on his muzzle, leaning a little against Basajaun's side.

The dragon grunted a bit in response. "You're the one who said 'eat as much as I can', remember?" Basajaun reminded his companion, squeezing the feline gently with his wing, "And you're right. Given how much I plan on flying, I'm going to need this to keep up my strength."

Looking at just how much deer there was, the drake heaved an exaggerated sigh. "It sure isn't going to be comfortable, though," he mumbled, turning the deer in his claws so it cooked evenly and looking to his friend with a hesitant smile, "I'm pretty sure I'll need some more massaging afterward, if you don't mind."

The feline shook his head, returning the smile. "No, not at all." he replied, and remained silent for a while. Zachary had to admit to himself that the pair's massaging sessions were enjoyable not only for the dragon, but to the leopard as well. For some reason he found Basajaun's taut scales beneath his paws mesmerizing. He couldn't explain why, but he rather liked helping out the dragon in that way, when the opportunity was presented.

"Hey," Zachary started, suddenly realizing something. "As long as we're traveling, we don't have to worry about overhunting the wildlife. We can have as much food as we like!" The feline looked at Basajaun once more, giving him a playful wink.

The reptile blinked at the realization, before grinning widely. "Well now, that's a thought!" Basajaun mused, looking down to Zachary, "Maybe I should have got a third deer, then!" The dragon winked to the feline, showing he wasn't serious.

Taking the second deer out of the fire, Basajaun set it next to the first. "Well, time to start," the drake said hesitantly, feeling a bit concerned now that he looked at all the venison he had prepared.

Taking a leg, the dragon tore it away from the main mass, beginning his largest feast in years.

Zachary's mind still lingered on the dragon's remark of getting a third deer, and he watched as Basajaun began his dinner with gusto.

"If I want to be honest," the leopard started, glancing at the dragon's stomach, as if judging its capacity, "I think you could eat a third deer if you really wanted to." He stated, patting his friend's side with a paw.

The drake swallowed his mouthful before responding. "I'm hardly sure I can finish two," Basajaun stated, looking down at his friend with a mildly confused expression, "Three, and I'd be in a pretty sorry state, don't you think?" The dragon thought about how big around he'd be after three deer, the image bringing an amused smirk to his face.

Zachary shrugged and waved a paw. "I don't know, and we won't find out who's right." There was a short pause before the leopard's head slowly turned towards Basajaun, his muzzle broke into a wide grin.

"Unless... you try it!" He exclaimed, chuckling a little. He knew the dragon probably wouldn't take him seriously, and although he was only joking around, deep inside he was rather curious how much food his friend could pack away.

His friend's enthusiasm was infectious, though Basajaun was still somewhat unsure about the sudden outburst. It was like the leopard...wanted him to stuff himself. When he thought about it, the dragon remembered how Zachary had reacted to the times he had been bloated, as well as the feline's continuing encouragement to increase the drake's intake.

The realization was strange, but as he ate and felt himself getting fuller, Basajaun started subtly watching his companion's reactions, now quite curious to put his suspicion to the test.

When no response came from the dragon, Zachary decided to remain silent for a while as he lay against his friend's side. He turned his head this way and that, watching the fire for a few minutes, then glancing up at the sky once more. He smiled again at the sight, he knew he would never get bored of it.

As the minutes passed and the dragon ate steadily, the leopard couldn't help but shoot a few quick glances at his friend's middle. Each time he did so, the dragon's belly appeared to be a just a tiny bit bigger than before. Once again, he couldn't explain why the sight attracted him so much. He felt a sense of curiousness rush through his body whenever he allowed his gaze to settle upon the dragon's stomach.

It was a strange realization for the leopard, and he didn't understand where the urge came from, or why it was even there. He only hoped that Basajaun wouldn't notice his subtle check-ups on the dragon's midriff, or he wouldn't look at him with a weird eye if he ever did.

The occasional glances that Basajaun caught from the leopard were interesting, but didn't prove or disprove his hypothesis yet. As the first deer neared half-eaten, the dragon's stomach began to tell him he was getting full.

This time fully aware of what he was doing, the drake simply ignored his belly's complaints as he soldiered on, eating steadily and without pause. His earlier thoughts that the experience would be uncomfortable were beginning to be confirmed, but Basajaun knew he wouldn't have time for smaller meals tomorrow, and simply kept chewing and swallowing, even after his jaw started to get sore from the repetitive motion.

Zachary watched in awe as the dragon marched on with his feast. The dragon ate with fearless determination, looking like he wanted to finish his meal no matter what. Once again, the leopard was surprised to see just how fast and how continuously he kept shoveling food in his mouth to be joined with the rest of the meat in the dragon's slowly swelling stomach.

"And," the feline started, breaking the silence which fell on the pair, "How does the deer taste around these parts?" The leopard turned to look at his friend's face to offer him a smile, just now noticing the bits and pieces of food which clung to his muzzle. "You're a messy eater, by the way." He stated with a smirk, chuckling a little.

Noticing the bits of meat clinging to his snout, the dragon ran his tongue across his muzzle to collect them. "They seem to be a lot healthier out here," the drake observed, "I guess that comes from not having to worry about predators. Maybe I should claim a bigger space next time, so that I can have more herds to chose from."

The pause in filling his stomach allowed the organ to settle a bit, though Basajaun felt himself getting more uncomfortably full as time passed. Rearranging himself, the dragon laid out on his side in the grass, his middle turned slightly up to allow it more room to expand. "Would you like some?" the reptile offered, motioning to the rest of the venison.

Zachary shook his head and patted his stomach. "No, thanks. I got full from the boar earlier. You go ahead and enjoy it," he said with a warm smile, his eyes once again settling on the dragon's belly as he exposed it before looking away. Shaking his head, the leopard lay down on the grass, using his arms as a pillow beneath his head.

He closed his eyes for a few moments, trying to relax in advance to their rest, which would probably take place after the dragon had finished his feast.

"Will you able to finish two deers, then?" he asked casually, his eyes still closed. He didn't want to open them, finding it the only way of fighting against the urge to observe the dragon's protruding middle.

Nodding at first, the dragon realized that the gesture wouldn't be seen by the leopard. "Yes," Basajaun affirmed, feeling his stomach complain loudly at the answer, "Like I said, I need the energy for flying tomorrow."

As it got harder to continue, the dragon fought back by eating faster, as though trying to get his stomach to submit. Soon enough the first deer was finished, and the drake allowed his stomach a moment to rest and arrange the food within so that it was more evenly distributed. Huffing a bit at the feeling, the dragon looked over to Zachary, and then to the remaining deer, rubbing his middle idly. A thought for conclusively observing the leopard's reactions to the dragon's bloating came to him, and Basajaun groaned somewhat over dramatically.

"Oh, I might need help finishing this," the drake moaned, perhaps a bit exaggeratedly. While somewhat true, mostly the statement was an experiment of sorts, as Basajaun gauged the feline's reaction to it.

Zachary opened his eyes the instant he heard the dragon's word, and he sat up quickly, as if a bug had bitten him somewhere. He turned to look at the dragon, his gaze lingering on the dragon's swollen belly.

"I could help a little, if you'd like." The leopard offered with a kind smile, scooting closer to Basajaun.

With a few pants for effect, Basajaun looked to the second deer and back to Zachary with a pleading smile. "If it isn't too much to ask," the dragon responded, looking as sincere as he could, "Could you possibly...feed me by hand?" Giving the most beseeching expression he could, the dragon watched his companion closely for his reaction.

Zachary raised an eyebrow at the strange request, looking at the dragon with a bemused expression. For a few moments, he didn't know what to think, feeling rather confused. And yet, no matter how confused the leopard felt, he actually wanted to try hand feeding his friend, once more the unexplainable urge dictating his actions.

"S-Sure, if it doesn't bother you." he said, tearing a big chunk of meat from the deer, namely its hind leg, and moved to sit next to the dragon's head. He tore a smaller piece from the meat, and offered it to Basajaun, looking a little uneasy for having his paws so close to the dragon's razor sharp teeth.

Giving the feline a grateful smile, the drake patted Zachary's leg appreciatively. "Thank you," Basajaun said, opening his mouth wide for the leopard to place the venison inside.

The feline gulped, staring straight down in the dragon's throat. Not finding the view very pleasant, Zachary slowly placed the venison in the dragon's mouth. He flinched a little when his paw came in contact with the massive reptile's tooth, and he carefully pulled away, leaving the rest for the dragon to handle.

Carefully waiting for his friend's paw to get to safety, the drake closed his mouth and chewed, swallowing soon after. "See, you've still got your fingers," Basajaun affirmed, looking to the leopard with a smile, "So, do you trust me enough to help with the rest?" The dragon patted his belly gently, "As you can see, movement is going to become difficult rather quickly."

Zachary couldn't help but stare at the dragon's middle, which looked rather swollen already, given how much food Basajaun had consumed. He tore his eyes away after a few moments, almost completely forgetting to answer to his friend's question.

"Yeah, I trust you completely," he said smiling, hesitantly putting a paw on the dragon's protruding stomach. "And I'll gladly help you with the rest, if that's what you want." Standing up, the leopard quickly went to grab the rest of the deer along with the deer hide. He pulled it close to Basajaun, so it would be accessible for the leopard.

"Open wide!" Zachary joked, deciding to just enjoy the experience instead of questioning it. He offered a much larger piece of meat than the last time, which would have sated the tiny leopard by itself, but was only a mouthful to the massive reptile.

As the drake allowed himself to be fed, Zachary's enthusiasm for the act all but confirmed Basajaun's suspicions. His experiment a success, the dragon didn't bother wondering why the Leopard would enjoy feeding him. Basajaun had begun enjoying the experience himself. No longer needing to move, other than to chew and swallow, the dragon was more able to relax into the process, his stomach no longer complaining, either. Overall, the feeding was steadily causing Basajaun to fade into the euphoria of overindulgence.

Zachary kept offering the pieces of meat for the dragon, getting lost in the experience as well. The food kept disappearing at a steady rate, which surprised the leopard greatly. He would've expected the massive reptile to start complaining of being full, but those words never left his friend's lips. If anything, the subtle moans and closed eyes indicated that Basajaun was enjoying himself very much. His suspicion on the dragon being a glutton was confirmed.

As the food was being consumed continuously, so did the dragon's belly continue swelling too, leaving nothing to the imagination to the leopard as he freely looked at the expanding mass of scales.

Somewhere halfway through the second deer, Zachary started paying more attention to the reptile's bloated middle. He rubbed the utterly taut surface with a paw, while the other kept feeding the dragon. The experience was so pleasant that the anthro wished it would never end, finding feeding and caressing Basajaun's belly exceptionally enjoyable, for whatever reason.

As his belly continued growing, the reptile steadily rolled onto his back, feeling himself stretch and contract with each breath. There was no pain associated with the experience, only sheer bliss as Basajaun's feeding continued. Every caress from his friend's paws sent ecstatic shivers throughout the dragon's body, each new mouthful eliciting a euphoric moan. The drake wanted more, and Zachary seemed happy to provide.

Minutes passed in silence as the feast continued, the pair not wanting to ruin the experience by talking, both willing to deal with the absence of communication without a second thought.

Nearing the deer's last remaining chunky hind leg, Zachary allowed himself to examine how the dragon's belly looked. The image was, to say the least, unbelievable. Basajaun's utterly swollen midriff stuck out proudly in the air, stretching his scales to such proportions which the leopard thought would be impossible. A random observer could've mistaken the overstuffed reptile for pregnant female, so distended his gut was. And with the remaining meat, it would only stretch farther.

Placing a big chunk of meat in the dragon's mouth, Zachary watched it disappear in the reptile seemingly bottomless stomach. His other paw never left the rounded surface, rubbing the rigid scales in every possible direction to provide as much comfort as possible.

Panting as the last mouthfuls disappeared into his stomach, Basajaun held his mouth open for a while. When nothing came, the dragon was confused for a moment as he glanced downward to Zachary. When he realized he had eaten the entire deer, the overwhelming fullness of his gut hit him like a ton of bricks.

Breathing heavily, the drake was unable to speak for a few minutes. He could only think of one thing; how amazing he felt at that moment, with his belly rounded gloriously by the incredible amount of food it held.

Finally able to snap out of his feeding trance, Zachary let out a long sigh and leaned against his friend's side, feeling as the dragon's belly pressed against his back.

"Well, that was something," he stated with a chuckle, glancing at Basajaun's head, "I don't think I've ever been amazed by someone's appetite before, but yours is nothing to snort at." Zachary patted the dragon's overstuffed belly behind him, grinning widely. "Not that it's a bad thing, I find it fascinating to see someone possess such an endless amount of determination and willpower."

Puffing for a moment, it took a while for the dragon to find his voice. "What...that was," Basajaun's groaned slowly, a wide grin on his snout, "Was...amazing!"

Tilting his head so that he could see his companion, the reptile flashed a blissful grin. "I think...I could get...used to this," Basajaun stated, feeling his bloated gut gingerly.

Zachary laughed heartily, returning his friend's grin. "Well, there's nothing stopping you from that." he said, leaning farther into the dragon's belly and relishing the feeling. "Especially not me. I don't have any problems with helping you in the future, if you'd have me."

He glanced up at the dark skies once more before continuing. "I told you that pursuing what makes you happy is the most important thing in life. You have the opportunity to do that, so don't hesitate." He looked back at Basajaun, offering him an encouraging smile.

Basajaun gave a slow nod. "You shouldn't...hesitate either," the dragon continued for Zachary, "I can tell...you enjoyed this...as much as I did."

Zachary froze, blushing harder than he had ever before in his life, his ears lowered, and he curled his tail around him slowly. He didn't respond for a few seconds, the pair sitting in relative silence, the crackling of the fire providing the only audible sound.

"Well," The leopard began, looking at the ground, "I can't say I didn't enjoy it." He raised his head, and glanced at his friend, looking like he accepted his strange liking. "I suppose you're right, I won't hesitate either. I like... watching you stuff yourself. Don't ask me why, I just do."

Basajaun made to move, but stopped when his middle complained loudly at the motion. "Hey, come here," the reptile insisted with a smile, "I want to hug you...but I can't move."

The kind sentence lifted Zachary's mood immensely, the dragon's inability to move contributing a great deal as well. The leopard jumped on the dragon's chest lightly, hugging his friend's neck closely to himself. He let out a soft purr as he embraced the massive reptile, glad that Basajaun didn't find him strange after his confession.

"So, you liked being hand fed? And having your belly rubbed too?" he asked playfully, still clinging tight to the dragon with the widest smile on his fluffy face.

Basajaun smiled as he placed a foreclaw over the leopard's back. "It was the best experience in my life," the drake admitted, finally able to catch his breath, "So that's a big yes. I'd even suggest this be a nightly occurrence to celebrate our daily progress. That is, of course, assuming you'd be willing?"

"Of course!" Replied the leopard with greater enthusiasm than ever before. "I like that idea a lot, to be honest." Still hugging the dragon, a thought crossed the leopard's mind, and he glanced back at their food pile.

"I guess we'll have to hunt more," he said, patting the dragon's bloated belly with a paw, "And every day, if you want to have two deer for dinner. Or perhaps... even three. You were ready for more when the second one was gone, so I know you could take it." Zachary smiled playfully at Basajaun once more, as if challenging him for the future.

"I was ready to just keep on going, wasn't I?" Basajaun mused with a smile as one forelimb rubbed his gut and the other stroked the feline's back, "I suppose we could try increasing my intake each night, in order to improve my capacity. Getting these sessions to last longer is a good thing in my mind!"

Yawning expansively, the dragon held Zachary for a few moments in silence. "I'm going to have to get on my side," Basajaun realized with an amused smirk, "If you want to use my wing as a shelter, that is." Pausing for a moment, the drake looked to his distended belly. "I...might need a push to get me going," he stated looking at Zachary with a sheepish grin.

Zachary grinned back and then nodded, swiftly jumping off from the dragon and walking behind him. He placed both of his forepaws on Basajaun's side, pushing hard with all his might, and feeling his fingers sink in just a tiny bit in the overstuffed reptile's abdomen.

"I can't move you alone!" He called out with a chuckle, still struggling to get the overgrown lizard moving.

Gritting his teeth, the dragon managed to roll the ninety degrees needed to get on his side, panting with the effort. "Well, that was mildly unpleasant," Basajaun reported, turning his head to look back at Zachary.

"Feel like sleeping on a hill tonight?" the dragon invited grinningly, lifting his wing and patting the stretched belly scales beneath it.

"I could never decline such an amazing sleeping place." The leopard replied, rushing next to the dragon. He carefully lowered himself on the dragon's wing, shuffling his body so he was pressed tightly against Basajaun's bloated middle. He could feel the warmth radiating from the expanded globe.

"Goodnight, Basajaun." Zachary whispered, purring quietly at being snuggled between the swollen surface and the dragon's wing. He wouldn't be anywhere else in the world right now, only here, lying next to Basajaun in the calm night. The feline let out a sigh, and snuggled himself tightly in the dragon's abdomen. He was sleeping in less than minute.

His middle massaged by the leopard's vibrating purr, it didn't take long for Basajaun to follow his little friend into sleep. As he dreamed, the drake curled slowly around the feline as much as his bloating would allow, his draconic metabolism kicking into high gear to process his feast.

Without a roof to block out light, Basajaun woke up as soon as the sun hit his face. Hissing in displeasure at having a bright light stabbing his sleepy eyes, the reptile lifted his head and glanced around, slowly remembering where he was.

Looking down to the leopard cradled in his wing, Basajaun smiled warmly. As he looked at the sleeping form, something about his own figure caught his attention. In fact, it almost looked like--

"Where did all this come from?!" Basajaun suddenly exclaimed, seeing the extra two and a half inches of fat spread out under his skin.

Zachary awoke with a gasp, looking around hastily as if searching for the invaders who had decided to attack the sleeping pair. "Wh-What is it? Who goes there?" he asked groggily, and with surprisingly much force in his voice, before faceplanting right back in the dragon's wing, and remained silent afterwards as if nothing had happened.

It was amazing to observe how Zachary was just unable to cope with the concept of waking up. It almost seemed like the leopard was intentionally acting this way, yet the faint snoring indicated that he wasn't. He simply fell right back to dreamland.

Not sure whether to be more amazed by his body's overnight fattening or his friend's determination to remain asleep, the dragon eventually settled with his fatness. Placing his foreclaw on the plush surface of his side, Basajaun pressed down curiously, not quite believing what he was seeing or feeling.

"This is from two deer?" The reptile wondered aloud, squishing other places curiously, unintentionally rocking himself and his sleeping companion.

The leopard felt the light showing against his back, and unconsciously put a paw on whatever decided to disturb him in his sleep. When his paw came in contact with the dragon's belly, Zachary's fingers sunk in the thin flab with ease. As if not knowing what he was touching, the feline gave an experimental squeeze, feeling the inches deep fat in his paw.

"What am I... oh..." Zachary found himself staring at Basajaun's middle, which looked a lot softer and pudgier than he remembered it did last night. He glanced up at the massive reptile with a confused look on his face.

"You weren't kidding when you said that the deer were a lot healthier around these parts." He stated with an amused voice, poking the dragon's midriff with a finger once again and feeling it sink in deep into his friend's newfound fat.

"But I--they weren't--huh?" Basajaun still couldn't wrap his head around the strange fact that the soft pudge under his scales was a part of him. As he explored himself, the drake also noticed that the muscles beneath the fat had grown as well, lending to some of his larger appearance.

Getting to his feet and unintentionally rolling Zachary off of his wing, the dragon turned around several times as he tried to get a better look at himself.

Grunting a little as he landed on the ground, Zachary quickly stood up, watching with a faint smile as the dragon circled around himself. Seeing Basajaun in distress however, the leopard decided to not be a tease and actually try to comfort his friend.

"Hey-" He started, but had to duck to avoid the dragon's tail as he spun around. "Basajaun, calm down. Don't worry, it's not a big deal." he said in a calm tone, swiftly jumping out of the way of the spinning drake's wing. He put a hand on his friend's shoulder, bringing him to a stop and gave him a smile and a gentle stroke on his scales.

Managing to calm down a bit, Basajaun fell to his haunches, his head still spinning for a moment. Taking a deep breath and holding it, the dragon managed to clear his head.

"Okay," Basajaun said simply and calmly, "I knew eating big might have an effect on my fitness. I guess I just didn't expect it to be so...immediately noticeable."

"What I need to do is focus on the positives," the reptile continued, "Like...um...like..."

Zachary shook his head and then put a finger on his chin while observing the dragon's body, almost as if he were examining a painting of some sort. "Well, positive is that you look bigger to me," he started, gesturing with his hands on the dragon's broad shoulders, which looked like they had a lot of new muscles on them. He then glanced at his friend's middle, which hung a lower than it had just some days ago. That couldn't be blamed on a full stomach anymore, though.

"Honestly, I think it looks good on you," Zachary said with a smile, "You look healthier and a little bit..." There was a short pause as the leopard searched for the right word, "Softer, I mean cuddly... NO, I mean... Er..." he stammered, cursing himself in his mind a couple of times, "Heftier. But honestly, it's not a big deal, Basajaun. You're still the same dragon, nothing changed."

Basajaun visibly flinched at the second and third descriptions, the words echoing around in his head as it beat down the dragon's pride. "C...Cuddly?" Basajaun repeated, his voice reduced to little more than a squeak.

"Oh Gods, I've lost my intimidation!" the drake wailed dramatically, falling to the ground and burying his head under his claws. It didn't help that he could feel his slightly sagging middle spread out against the ground as he lay down.

Zachary put a paw on his forehead, and slowly heaved a sigh while watching his friend break down in defeat. He slowly moved to Basajaun's side and put a paw on the dragon's shoulders, surprised to discover that they were softer to the touch than he remembered.

"No, you haven't." the feline said with a gentle voice, stroking the reptile's shoulder, "You still look as daunting as before, I can assure you of that. And besides, who else is going to see you beside me?" he asked with a smile, trying to soothe the dragon's upset mood.

"I know for a fact that a deer won't find you any less intimidating as you sink your fangs in its neck. Nor a boar, whose throat you slice with your claws. Or any animal, for that matter. They're still your prey, and you're still an apex predator." Zachary paused in his monologue, and attempted to cheer his friend with the help of his old fashioned teasing. "You're just more comfortable to snuggle up against, that's all that changed. And I don't see that as a problem!" He laughed cheerfully, trying his hardest to lend some of his happiness to the dragon in need of it.

Lying still as he listened to Zachary, the dragon did his best to see things with the leopard's positivity. He knew he was probably overreacting, but he had never been anything other than lean and fighting fit. This softness was something entirely new to Basajaun.

"Am I...still imposing?" the drake asked. It wasn't just for vanity's sake that he cared about his appearance; part of the way that Basajaun avoided conflicts was looking too scary to mess with.

'You and your kind with this pride.' Zachary shook his head a little, chuckling. He looked right in the dragon's eye, offering him a sincere smile.

"You look even more imposing than before, at least, in my eyes." He replied, nodding his head for emphasis. He knew perfectly well that Basajaun needed some comfort in his situation, and the leopard was happy to provide. "You really shouldn't worry about it, Basajaun. I told you already, it looks good on you!"

Sniffing as he rose back up to his feet, Basajaun looked down to Zachary. "You think so?" the drake asked with a small smile, checking himself as though the feline's words may have magically changed his appearance.

Zachary returned the smile and nodded. "Yes, absolutely. I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true, I'm not a liar." he said, emphasizing the last word to remind the dragon that he would only say what he really thought of him.

"You look bigger, which is only a good thing in my book. And having a little more..." the leopard paused, choosing his words very carefully, lest he send the dragon back into his drama session, "Weight... only shows that you're a successful hunter."

"I...hadn't thought of that," Basajaun admitted, realizing the truth of his companion's words, "But I suppose it does, doesn't it?"

Taking a deep breath and shaking his head, Basajaun looked back to his friend appreciatively. "Thanks," the dragon said with a sheepish smile, "I was being rather...silly, wasn't I?"

Zachary chuckled, nodding hesitantly. "Yeah, a little bit. But I can completely understand. Just give yourself some time to adjust. Who knows, you might actually like it if you give it a chance." He said while stroking the dragon's side a little, the reptile's abdomen showing no resistance whatsoever against the gentle push.

"I have to say, though. Your metabolism is amazing! Must be some sort of trait for dragons..." The leopard mused, now seeing that gaining this much amount of plushy flab from two deer was unexpected.

With his crisis of confidence winding down, Basajaun started noticing some discomfort around his chest. "I think the harness needs adjusting," the drake stated, sitting on his haunches and fiddling with the straps. As he fumbled with the knots, Basajaun realized that they had pulled tighter from being stretched by his own...abundance.

"Um, Zach?" the reptile began somewhat hesitantly, "May I ask for some help with these bindings?"

Zachary's eyes settled on the harness as it dug lightly in the dragon's newfound flesh. "Oh, yeah, of course." he responded, making his way to Basajaun.

He stood on his tiptoes, unknotting the bindings which pressed against the reptile's soft hide. His paw unintentionally pushed deep in the dragon's pudge as he fiddled around with the knots, and he almost didn't want to pull his paws away when he unbound the knots.

"There you go." He smiled at his friend, glancing downwards at the dragon's belly as he sat on his haunches. He could definitely see how lower his stomach hang, and considering that it was empty, it was a big change. As he observed the soft scales, he found himself once again mesmerized by the sight. The pudgy looking middle appeared to be inviting for Zachary, to say the least.

His friend once more entranced by the dragon's belly, Basajaun felt mixed emotions. "You...really like it, don't you?" the drake realized aloud, rubbing his neck as an embarrassed smile made its way across his snout. At first he had thought that Zachary may have been saying that the dragon looked good just to soothe his feelings, but the leopard's face showed the truth in his words.

The feline snapped out of his trance instantly as if he had been hit by a massive tree. He blushed deeply and lowered his ears, looking at the ground. "I... well...I..." the young anthro stammered, trying to think of any means of escape. As he thought about the possible solutions for his situation, he realized that he was talking to his friend. He had to be honest, and hope that Basajaun would understand.

"Yes... I do." He admitted simply, his voice but a whisper. Still looking at the ground and his feet, the leopard didn't dare to look in the reptile's eyes, afraid of what he might think of him.

Seeing Zachary begin to have his own emotional struggles, Basajaun hesitated for a moment, before drawing the leopard into his soft embrace.

"If...if you can enjoy it," the reptile said, holding onto his friend, "I can learn to, as well." Basajaun lifted the feline's face so their gazes met. "Hey, if I like the cause," the dragon began with a wink, "Why not celebrate the effect, as well?"

Zachary relished the feeling of being snuggled by the much bigger reptile, feeling his much softer body press against his puny one. He laughed weakly at the dragon's comments, and then grinned widely, although his ears were still lowered as he spoke.

"I have absolutely nothing against that, quite the contrary." He replied, utterly relieved to hear Basajaun's words as he was being hugged tightly. "You'll make a much better bed than the leaves back in your burrow." And there it was once again; casual teasing. It didn't take too much time for it to return, it was etched into Zachary's core, after all.

For a few moments, the pair simply continued hugging in mutual relief and acceptance. Before too long, however, Basajaun pulled away, clearing his throat. "Right, I think we should get ready before we lose more daylight," the dragon said matter-of-factly, patting his companion's shoulder before moving to their bags, "Boldrum might try searching this entire forest for us, so we should move on before his men arrive."

Zachary nodded and followed Basajaun to the bags. They put all the important items in the sacks respectively before hauling them on the dragon's back and securing them with the harness.

The feline quickly hopped on Basajaun soon after, noticing just how different the dragon felt against him. "Waow, you're a lot more comfortable to ride. Just another positive, I suppose." He stated with a giggle, tying himself to the massive reptile as well and waited patiently for Basajaun to take off in the blue skies.

"Yeah, it's nice to have some padding between me and your boney rear," Basajaun replied, trying his hand at teasing as he flashed a grin towards his companion, "Everything set?"

"Hey!" Zachary cried while laughing, and swatted lightly the dragon's neck, "It's not that bony anymore." It was true as well. Having something to eat constantly and healthily improved the feline's figure by miles. He no longer looked like a bone collection, rather someone with natural sleekness and equal strength. Running in the forest for your prey sure did help to get some muscle on your frame, and the feline enjoyed every minute of his body's transformation. Although his was still in the favor of muscle, unlike the dragon's.

"Yeah, I'm ready. Let's fly!" The feline exclaimed joyfully, pointing straight in the awaiting skies. He became rather fond of flying, despite his initial fear.

Bounding forward to take off, the dragon didn't notice how different his center of gravity had become until it caused him to mistime his steps, resulting in a comical display as Basajaun's face met the ground instead of his foreleg. With a sound like metal dragging across dirt, the reptile skidded to a stop with his head digging a trench in the ground.

"...Ouch," Basajaun's muffled voice emanated from the mound of dirt piled on top of it.

Thanks to the harness, Zachary didn't suffer the same fate, rather simply headbutted face first into the dragon's back, and although his hide had become exponentially softer, it was still rather unpleasant.

"...Ouch," Joined the leopard, his voice muffled while his mouth was against the dragon's flesh. He sat up with a grunt, checking the bags behind him. Thankfully, they were still intact, the accident not causing the sinew to secede.

"Are you alright down there? How does the ground taste?" he asked, the latter question already full of mock. Basajaun could hear the soft sound of giggling as well, even with his head buried underground.

"It tastes an awful lot like failure and embarrassment," the reptile replied, leaving his head under the dirt until he could feel his blush fade.

Retracting his face from the dirt, Basajaun briskly shook his snout clean, not unintentionally flinging dirt back towards his rider.

Bouncing on his forelegs for a moment, the dragon took the time to feel where his center of gravity had relocated itself overnight.

Zachary's hands were busy getting the dirt off of his face when the jumping started, leaving him no time to grab onto the dragon's back in order to secure himself. He swayed back and forth with his arms in the air before coming to a stop, this time the back of his head taking most of the impact as he lay on his back.

Sitting up with another grunt, the leopard turned to look at the dragon. "I'm sorry, that was mean." he apologized, feeling a little guilty, "Don't worry about it. You just need some time to readjust, I'm sure it won't take too long. You're a dragon, after all, you can deal with problems without too much effort!" The feline gave an encouraging pat on Basajaun's neck, trying his hardest to help his friend in any way he could.

"No need to apologize," the dragon said, patting his rider with a wing, "I know you mean well. Besides, I've got a bit too much pride; your teasing helps keep me down to earth. It was just more literally earthy in this case."

Moving back to the trees again, Basajaun faced into the clearing. "Let's just try this again," the dragon said, before looking back to Zachary, "You might want to hang on in case I trip up again."

The leopard nodded, holding tight against the dragon's body. "I know you can do it." he said with a smile and with a tone that could have empowered a squirrel to beat a bear in a fist fight.

Zachary leaned against the back of Basajaun as much as he could so his weight wouldn't affect the reptile's balance. He waited patiently for another attempt, this time fully believing that his friend wouldn't trip.

Once again leaping forward, Basajaun flapped his wings hard. Within a few bounds, the drake succeeded in getting the pair airborne. Roaring triumphantly, Basajaun climbed into the air, grinning back to his encourager.

"There you go! Yeah!" Zachary exclaimed joyfully, patting the dragon's side. He no longer had to close his eyes as they climbed slowly higher in the skies, being able to marvel at the many clouds which floated effortlessly in the air. He glanced behind himself, seeing the little clearing become smaller and smaller as they ascended. He bid a farewell to the forest. It was probably the last time he had used its trees and undergrowth as shelter.

As the dragon leveled out, Zachary pulled a little on the dragon's hide to get his attention. "How's flying? Anything different?!" he asked loudly through the rushing wind, glancing at the dragon's wings and body.

Basajaun nodded. "It feels easier!" the drake reported, feeling his wings beat with less effort, "I have dense muscles, so the small amount I gained must be counteracting the fat!" Blushing slightly at calling himself that particular word, the reptile carried on, "How about you? Is flying more comfortable for you now?"

Zachary nodded, pinching some of the dragon's flesh in his paws gently. "Definitely! You're a lot softer!" He replied with a laugh, but soon regretted his action. Who would have thought that a tiny bug could be flying around so high in the skies, and that it had to land in the leopard's mouth too? It was rather unbelievable, and yet, Zachary couldn't help but believe as he choked on the intruder of his throat.

"Uck! Stupid insect!" He shouted after having spit out the unwanted visitor from his mouth. He was about to continue, but quickly decided against it. He didn't want any more bugs for breakfast.

Hearing his rider, Basajaun snickered. "Hey Zach, how's that insect taste?" the drake called back, imitating the leopard's earlier tone.

Zachary swatted the dragon's neck gently with a paw, smiling back. He wanted to snap back, but remained silent, too afraid of having to suffer the same fate exactly like some moments ago.

Instead, he glanced down at the ground, seeing slowly as the trees became more scarce below them. He looked up ahead where they were headed, seeing that they were nearing a more rocky terrain with less greenery than they were used to. It stretched as far as his eyes could see, and with Basajaun being a forest dragon, Zachary doubted they would find a place here to settle down. Upon realizing this, he put his head down on the dragon's back and closed his eyes, focusing on the sound of his friend's wings beating powerfully against the pull of gravity as he waited for the uninviting area to end.

It was a few hours later when Basajaun spotted a small town in the distance. Although his first instinct was to veer away from the populated area, a thought occurred to the drake that caused him to angle downward, landing a few kilometers from the town.

Reaching back to his rider, who had fallen asleep, the dragon nuzzled him awake.

Sitting up after a few seconds, Zachary glanced around him, noting the clearing Basajaun decided to land at. It looked awfully similar to the last one, the only exception being that there was a tiny stream flowing a little ways of, which would provide much needed water for the two travelers.

"Uh... Where are we? Is this the place you want to live at?" he asked somewhat groggily, rubbing his eyes with his paws and yawned.

Basajaun shook his head. "No, we're still too close to the old forest," he replied, opening one of the bags and pulling out the animal hides they had collected.

"There's a town nearby," the drake continued, indicating its direction, "I figured you could trade these for some supplies. You might even be able to get yourself a lute with them."

Zachary nodded, his eyes still only half open. He didn't even realize what he had agreed to do, his brain still practically asleep. "Yeah... sure. I'll buy you a lute or whatever." he said, untying himself, which took painfully slow as his paws failed to operate properly.

"I'll be back later, then." he announced, taking the hides in his paws and swinging them over his back. Pointing his finger this way and that, with his eyes searching for a path, eventually he started slowly sauntering towards the general direction of the town, and soon disappeared behind the wide trees.

"Make sure that you don't step on any VIPERS!" the dragon called overly loudly after his friend, hoping that would wake the feline up as he settled down near the stream, drinking as he rested.

A distant scream could be heard after the dragon's comment, and silence followed. "I'M OKAY!" Came the leopard's voice soon after, indicating that he wasn't in any danger.

Zachary panted as he stared down at the "viper" which had assaulted his foot, namely a root of a tree, and sighed in relief. Completely aware of himself now, the leopard glanced around for some seconds as if lost before remembering where he was going.

'Oh, right... the town... lute... supplies.' He reminded himself in his mind, picking up his pace. Within an hour, he found himself standing in front of the town's gates, hesitant to take another step.

The gates were open, to the feline's utter surprise, and there were no guards on the walls either. Perhaps this town had nothing to be afraid of, or was simply a town where trading was important. The latter assumption was confirmed as Zachary stepped through the gates, watching in awe at the rows and rows of little stalls which lined up the main street of the town.

Anthros of all sorts walked back and forth between the stalls, exchanging gold for the merchant's ware, or the other way around. The crowd was big, and the feline felt his legs tremble a bit as he slowly started walking towards the stalls, the hides clutched tightly against his chest.

He passed by some stalls which sold unwanted merchandise, regarding the displayed wares on the tables for only a few seconds before moving on. He saw items from every sort; gems, parchments, books, weapons, armor. Everything that an anthro would have wanted was here, right in front of the leopard's nose.

In his overwhelming state, Zachary almost passed by a stall which sold instruments, but he quickly rushed back to it, searching through the collection that was displayed.

"What'cha looking for my young friend?" asked the merchant, a badger, with a warm smile across his muzzle.

"I...uhm..." Zachary stammered, but soon recollected himself. "Do you have a lute in your possession, by any chance?"

The badger nodded slowly, and put a finger in the air. "Yes, I do. But do you have what I need?" he asked, searching the leopard's body and giving an amused snort at his clothes. "You aren't from around here, are you?"

The feline stiffened and gulped, clutching the hides even closer to his body, as if those would give him strength. "No," he responded, "But that doesn't matter. I want to buy a lute, and I'm willing to pay for it," Holding up the hides, he continued, "With these."

The badger assessed the hides in Zachary's paws, and raised an eyebrow. "Those are some fine hides you got there, son. I'm surprised to see you walking around with holes in your clothes while having such high quality clotheware in your possession." The merchant leaned in closer and smiled, his gaze searching the leopard's expression.

"That's none of your concern." Zachary shot back with an unexpected tone, which sounded determined, if anything. "Do you want to trade your lute with one of these hides or not?"

A silence followed and the badger furrowed his brows. The pair stared at each other awkwardly for a few seconds before the merchant's muzzle broke into a grin and he clapped his paws together. "Of course!" he said with a smile, and turned back to search amongst his wares before placing a normal lute on the stall's table. "Here, it was just crafted some weeks ago by the town's master musician. You can see the fine piece of work on the strings! Take a second to admire the wood as well, it wa-"

Zachary held up a paw, silencing the merchant. "I see that it's in good condition. What are you asking for it?"

The badger considered for a moment and looked a little annoyed for having his product presentation interrupted, then pointed at one of the deer hides. "That looks like a fair trade to me." he said with a grin, pushing the lute closer to the leopard.

The feline put the deer hide on the table and grabbed the lute in his hands. Not wanting to conserve more with the strange and somewhat intimidating merchant, he turned around and slowly walked away.

"Hey," the badger called out, making Zachary turn his head to glance back, "Next time you sell stolen things, at least get better clothes so it won't be that obvious." The merchant bid his head and smiled, turning his attention to a new customer. The leopard swallowed hard and with trembling knees, continued shopping.

The leopard exited through the front gates without the hides, but had actually more items to carry than before. Eventually, he managed to buy a big assortment of useful items. It turned out that the hides the dragon had given him were considered rare to be traded with, given that the animals they used to belong to were deep in the forest where the common hunter didn't dare to go.

Zachary smiled as he strutted proudly in his new clothes, which clung comfortably against his soft fur. He didn't need that much clothing, so he only bought shorts and another vest, both in the color of green. It was strange not feeling the wind tickling his body through the many holes that used to litter his old clothes.

A large backpack hung from the leopard's back, containing a blanket and a flask, arrows and even a proper hunting knife! Getting the last one surprised the leopard greatly, given how hard it was to buy weapons for hide. He was also able to buy some food, namely some sweet rolls, which he was eager to show to Basajaun. But of course, most importantly, he carried the lute in his paws, humming already in advance tunes which came to his mind.

The feline bounced effortlessly as he walked, his backpack not even able to put the least amount of strain on his muscles, so joyful the young anthro was. He happily continued his way towards the little clearing where the dragon was and he couldn't wait to present his newfound loot to his friend.

Basajaun was busying himself washing with the stream water when Zachary returned. The dragon seemed preoccupied with the new feel of his body as he scrubbed, not immediately noticing his companion's return as he felt around his belly curiously. "It is rather plush, isn't It?" the drake mused to himself, poking the yielding surface of his middle.

"Hey, I'm ba-" Zachary began, but soon his eyes settled on Basajaun as he practically played around with his pudgy belly. The sight silenced the leopard for a few seconds as he watched, once again completely transfixed in a trance of some sort.

"I guess I'm not the only one liking it, after all." he said with a wide smile after a few moments, coughing a little to get his friend's attention. He spread his arms wide, and turned around, displaying his new set of clothing, the lute and the backpack as well.

Jumping with a splash at the leopard's cough, Basajaun turned around with a slight blush. "Oh, um, welcome back," the dragon greeted with a smile, knowing better than to try denying what he was caught doing.

Looking to his companion's new gear, the dragon gave a nod of approval. "Very nice," Basajaun affirmed, moving around the feline to get a better look.

"Those hides were worth a fortune in there! I almost bought a saddle for you, but then I wouldn't have been able to buy these." He explained, pulling the backpack off of his back and putting it on the ground before opening it.

He grabbed the contents one by one, and gave a little story of how he got them, mentioning his exceptional talent at trading several times. When the knife, large blanket, flask and arrows were on the ground, he dug deep in the bag, finally pulling out the sweet rolls which were enveloped in wrapping paper.

"I thought I would buy something for you as well, you got those hides for us, after all." Zachary said with a warm smile, slowly peeling the cover from the sweets and displaying the dozen or so delicious looking treats for Basajaun. They weren't all the same, some of them having different color as well as other kind of coating. Just by looking at them, intense saliva production was guaranteed.

Looking at the source of the heavenly scents that suddenly caressed his nose and flickering tongue, Basajaun licked his snout and regarded the confections curiously. "What are those?" the reptile asked as he nearly began drooling.

"Sweet rolls," Zachary answered with a chuckle, looking at the dragon's hungry expression, "As you could probably guess by their name, they're very sweet and sugary! Here," the leopard held out a single treat for the dragon, grinning widely, "Try it out. You'll love it!"

Taking the roll with his tongue, Basajaun eagerly drew it into his mouth. It was love at first bite as Basajaun chewed, savoring the novel and heavenly flavor as he slowly sank to the ground, moaning in sheer delight. Swallowing only after experiencing the roll's flavor in its entirety, the drake grinned to Zachary.

"Okay, we need to settle near a town that makes these!" Basajaun insisted, licking his snout clean.

Zachary laughed, putting the rest of the sweets in the backpack, lest the dragon eat all of them right then and there. "Well, lucky for you, every town makes sweet rolls! It's the most common confection in the world, if my memory serves me right. It's really easy to make, and doesn't require that much time either." The feline explained, patting the dragon's neck with a smile.

"So, what did you do while I was away?" he asked with a smile, remembering the image of the dragon poking his soft abdomen.

Resisting the urge to maul Zachary's new pack to get at the rolls, the dragon shrugged nonchalantly. "Drank a bit, napped, and bathed," Basajaun listed off, "There wasn't much else to do here. Did you meet anyone interesting?" The dragon looked to Zach curiously.

Zachary mused for a second. "Well, there was a merchant who thought I had stolen the hides. But... instead of telling the guards, he told me to get new clothes. I don't know who he was, or why he helped me, but I'm not complaining. I could've been caught by other merchants if I hadn't change clothes instantly after the encounter." The leopard explained, unconsciously pulling at his green vest with a paw.

"I guess I should've thanked him... I might have ended up in prison again if it wasn't for his words." Zachary's whole body shook intensively at the thought, the simple word sending down chills on his spine. He never wanted to end up there again, locked away in a damp cell in the darkness... completely alone.

Without even noticing, Zachary's paw searched for the dragon's wing, and he pulled it closer to his body gingerly, snuggling against it for comfort.

Basajaun snorted. "The whole town should thank him," the dragon said with a fiercely protective tone, "If you hadn't come back, I would have come looking." Pulling the leopard into his chest, Basajaun stroked his back gently. "Neither stone walls nor iron bars could keep me from getting to you," he said with a grin, "I don't ever want you to be a prisoner again."

Zachary smiled warmly at those words, his throat tightening a little as well at the thought of having a friend who cares for him, and would stop at nothing to protect him.

"Thank you, Basajaun," the leopard whispered as he was being hugged, feeling his body enveloped in the dragon's softness, "Thank you." With no words to express his gratitude, the feline hugged himself tightly against the reptile until he thought he was pressing the air out of his friend.

Smiling warmly, Basajaun held his friend against him, letting the feline press tightly into his scales. "You know, Basajaun is a bit wordy," the drake admitted, stroking his friend's fur, "If you prefer, you may give me a nickname." It was a large gesture from the dragon; he had never allowed anyone to refer to him as anything but his full name before.

Zachary glanced up at the dragon, and almost instantly a mischievous smile appeared on his muzzle. "Really?" he asked, looking lost in thoughts for a few moments. His mind worked through all the possible nicknames, or more accurately, cognomens he could come up with. Eventually he settled on something appropriate, realizing that Basajaun only let him refer to by a nickname because he considered the young leopard his true friend.

"Basa." The name rolled off the feline's tongue with ease, and he smiled widely at the newly christened dragon. "Basa, the forest dragon. Sounds quite catchy, huh?" Zachary chuckled, nuzzling the reptile soft chest.

"Alright then," Basajaun nodded, "Basa it is." Once again hesitant to end the embrace, the dragon tapped Zachary's shoulder after a moment. "Come on, we should get going," he reminded both of them.

The leopard nodded and pulled away. "Yeah, we really should." he agreed, packing his things in his backpack before turning to the other bags. He put the little ones in his backpack as well, surprised to find out that they fit without too much problem. The largest one, which contained their food, would have to be secured on the dragon's back, however.

Zachary got on the dragon's back after all the necessary preparations were done for the flight. Lastly, he tied himself, giving an experimental shove to the two bags behind him to ensure they were secured safely. When he was sure they wouldn't fall, he turned back around, patting the dragon's side with a paw.

"Alright, ready when you are." He announced, once again bracing himself tightly against the dragon. For some reason, the thought of Basajaun tripping didn't even cross his mind as he waited for his friend to take the skies. Complete trust in another, that's what true friendship meant in the feline's eyes.

Taking off without embarrassing incidents, the drake climbed back up into the air, heading away from the town.

As sunset neared, Basajaun banked downwards, landing in the plains that the landscape had become. Without the cover of trees, the forest dragon felt very exposed, but was comforted somewhat by his archer friend's presence.

Much to the green drake's relief, the grass in the area was tall enough that he could hide by ducking down beneath it, if the need arose.

What was less fortunate was the fact that, after two straight days on almost nonstop flying, Basajaun's wings and chest were incredibly sore. And once he had stopped moving, it only became more obvious how unhappy the dragon's body was.

Practically collapsing onto the ground once they landed, Basajaun could only pant heavily for a while.

The feline hastily removed all the bags, and himself, from the dragon's back once he realized his friend's discomfort. That was the only way of helping him in his current situation. With the bags done, Zachary moved to the dragon's side, putting a paw on his neck as he breathed heavily.

"I know you're really tired," he started, smiling a little, "But we made a lot of progress today. And you know what comes after our daily flight, right?" The leopard patted Basajaun's abdomen a little to give him a hint, hoping that reminding him of their little celebration for the day would be able to cheer him up.

Still panting too heavily to speak clearly the reptile motioned for Zachary to wait. "Before... could you," pointing to the leopard's paws and then to his own wings, Basajaun looked to his friend pleadingly, "Please?" He hoped his request for a massage was clear enough to understand.

Zachary looked a little confused at first, but then realized what the dragon was trying to say. "Oh! Of course, no worries." He replied with a wide smile, moving next to the dragon's left wing.

He carefully took the limb in his paws at its base, and gently but firmly pressed down, feeling the dense muscle beneath it stretch and slowly start smoothing out. He followed the muscles along the dragon's wing, massaging every little muscle his tiny, delicate paws could reach. Finishing with the left side, Zachary moved to the other one and repeated the action just the same. The session took long minutes to finish, given how big the dragon's wings were compared to the leopard's paws.

"So, how was that? Did it help a little?" he asked somewhat hesitantly, not sure if his massaging method was in any way useful for sore muscles.

Moaning with the blessed relief his friend provided, Basajaun nodded. "Much better!" he confirmed, rolling his wing-shoulders a bit, "You're a Gods send, Zach."

Rolling onto his back once his wings were no longer in agony, Basajaun sighed. "I don't think I'm in any condition to hunt, though," the dragon informed Zachary, looking apologetic, "Could I ask you to do the hunting tonight?"

Looking at Basajaun, Zachary could tell that the dragon wasn't kidding, his friend was completely out of energy. Upon realizing this, the leopard only smiled back at the request and waved a paw.

"Sure! It's been awhile since I shot at a living target with my bow. And besides," The leopard walked to his backpack and retrieved his new arrows, which would provide even more precision and speed to his shots. "I have these beauties now! Can't wait to test them out." Grabbing his bow as well, Zachary put the backpack down on the ground once again before looking at Basajaun.

"You stay here and rest, I'll be back soon." The leopard made to turn and head into the unknown plains, but stopped midway. "Uhm... how much food do you want me to bring?" he asked curiously, glancing at the dragon's belly.

Resisting the temptation to say "come back when you run out of arrows", Basajaun considered for a moment, looking to the food they already had.

"The food we have might go bad soon, so however much you believe I can handle," the dragon responded after a while, "I'll take what's in the bag first, and then start on what you bring tonight. What I don't finish, we'll use to restock your food supply."

Zachary nodded, and entered eagerly in the dense and long grass. At first, he couldn't decide which direction to go to. The scent of nearby prey decided against him, making the feline rise his nose high in the air. Sniffing a couple of times and locating the potential dinner, the leopard swiftly ran towards it, his bow clattering against his body.

Nearing the scent, Zachary slowed down and crouched low, lest he got spotted by the animals. The scent had led him to a little clearing where the grass wasn't as long as the rest. The reason behind it was simple, and the hunter's eyes shined brightly as he saw the herd of deer grazing on the field. They were completely oblivious of the predator's presence, thanks to the absence of even the lightest breeze which would have carried the feline's scent towards them.

Slowly and as quietly as he could, Zachary drew his bow from his back. He knew that shooting the herd right now, and possibly killing one of the deer, would startle the rest and the feline would have to either relocate them, or look for a new prey.

As he mused for possible solutions, an idea came to his mind, but quickly disregarded using two arrows at once. It would make aiming a much more laborious task, which was the key component of using a bow. He was so deep in thought that he hadn't even realized the deer which had walked right in front of him. Only the faint sound of its chewing was able to wake him up.

Not drawing a breath, Zachary smiled wide once he realized what the solution to his problem was. With the deer still in front of him, the leopard targeted another some ways off, and readied an extra arrow in his paw.

The next time the deer's head bent down to graze at the grass, the leopard jumped up from behind the one which stood in front of him, and shot an arrow over its back. Before even the first arrow hit, Zachary struck the second one in the deer's neck deeply. Both animals bellowed in agony, and fell on the ground after each other. The rest of the herd fled, naturally, but the leopard paid no heed to them. He quickly ended the trembling deer's life which lay right in front of him, then glanced at the other one, smirking to himself. His arrow drilled itself deep in the second deer's skull, killing it instantly.

After retrieving his arrows, the leopard stood in the middle of the little clearing, staring at his catch while putting his paws on his hips and sighed.

"Now, the hard part... dragging these back."

As he waited for his companion to return with fresh meat, Basajaun kneaded at his belly in anticipation, remembering the blissful feeling of the previous night's feeding. The motion also served to calm his painfully empty stomach, which hadn't been fed since that morning.

Tensing as he heard a loud sound approaching, Basajaun calmed himself when he recognized Zachary's scent. "Zach, is everything all right?" the drake called out, looking in the direction he could smell and hear his friend arriving from.

An exaggerated grunt came as the answer from the dense grass, and another one soon followed... and a couple more.

"Need a little help!" Zachary shouted with all his might, glancing back the single deer which he'd been dragging for minutes now. Using a wide band of long and strong grass to avoid dragging the meat on the ground, the leopard pulled once more.

He was sad to leave the other deer at the clearing, but couldn't possibly drag two back at the same time. He did his best to hide the dead body, though, covering it with grass as much as he could, hoping that it would disguise the scent of blood.

"Basa, come here you overgrown lizard and help me with this!" Called out the feline with a laugh, pulling the heavy deer on the ground for some distance before collapsing on the ground. Panting, he decided to wait the dragon here instead of continuing.

Getting to his feet, the dragon moved to Zachary's position. "You realize that if anyone else called me an overgrown lizard, I'd have to literally bite their head off, don't you?" Basajaun inquired, looking down to Zachary and his grass sled, before glancing at the deer and immediately feeling guilty.

"I forgot how much heavier a deer must be for you," Basajaun admitted sorrowfully, offering a claw to help his friend to his feet, "But thank you for going through the trouble."

Zachary took the claw and pulled himself up with a grunt, smiling sheepishly at his friend. "Yeah, I forgot how heavy a deer was for me as well. Probably should've thought of it before killing two." The leopard stated, looking a little guilty as well for offending his friend.

"Sorry, didn't mean to call you that. Blame the deer for being too heavy and making me angry for having to drag it on the ground!" The feline laughed, still breathing a little heavily from the work.

His eyes shining eagerly, Basajaun looked back the way the leopard came. "There's more?" he asked hungrily, licking his muzzle as he all but forgot Zachary's comment, "Where?"

The feline pointed the way he came from, "That way, just follow the path I made with the deer." he instructed, chuckling a little, "You can go get it, because I sure as hell can't drag another one. It's lying in a little clearing. I covered it with grass, but you'll find it easily." Zachary stretched his back and clutched tightly his grass sled once more, pulling with all his leftover might.

"I'll finish dragging this one back until you get the other one. We'll meet back at our stuff." He grunted and started pulling as hard as he could, eventually able to get a slow rhythm going, making his work a little bit easier.

Hastily bounding down the fresh trail, it took less than ten minutes for the sound of heavy four-legged footsteps to return as Basajaun emerged from the tall grass, virtually prancing with the deer held in his mouth.

Placing the deer next to the rest of their food, a thought suddenly occurred to the drake as he looked around. "Er, Zach?" Basa began, looking at the miles of grasslands that surrounded them, "How are we going to cook this without causing a bushfire?"

Zachary, who was rubbing his sore arms from having to drag the deer all the way back, glanced around him as well, noting that the dragon was right. With a grunt he stood up and placed a finger on his chin in thought.

Snapping his fingers, the leopard quickly retrieved his hunting knife from the backpack, and started violently attacking the grass without any reason whatsoever. It took some time to see what he was trying to do, namely getting rid of the long grass in a circular area with his knife. When the grass was short enough, the leopard knelt down on the ground and looked up at the dragon.

"Can you help me dig a little?" he asked with a smile, motioning in the circular area which was free of grass. The brown dirt was visible already, so it was easy to spot where the leopard wanted to dig a fireplace.

Nodding, Basajaun motioned for the feline to step back. Taking both claws, the dragon sunk them deep into the soft ground, quickly digging a large space for a fire. "That's a lot easier to do without tree roots to dig through," Basajaun stated, for a moment reminded of when he dug his den.

Shaking his head, the dragon looked to Zachary. "Think this is enough?" the dragon asked eagerly.

Zachary nodded, placing a paw on the dragon's neck. "Yeah, that's perfect. Thanks." he said with a sigh, glancing at the bags which contained all their things. It was time for a dinner.

It took some time to get a fire going, as well as skin the freshly hunted deers, but with the help of his new knife, the process was a lot faster than before. Soon the sun retreated below the horizon, darkness taking its place. The pair was happy to have the fire burning by then, as well as finished with the deer hide. Working with a knife in the fire's light wasn't pleasant, to say the least.

"So," Zachary began, clapping his paws together after making sure everything was prepared. "What will it be tonight? Do you want to start with the remaining food or the deer first?" he asked enthusiastically, looking rather eager to spend the night in a similar fashion like the day before.

Basajaun nodded to the bag with the older food. "I think that should be eaten before it has a chance to go bad," he reiterated his previous statement, "So, let's start there, shall we?" The dragon's eagerness for the impending filling had rekindled his energy, and despite still being sore, he was ready to help with cooking however he could.

"Oh, and don't forget to feed yourself, as well," Basajaun said, "I'd feel guilty having all the best food to myself."

Zachary smiled, waving a paw. "Of course I won't. I'm hungry too, after all!" he stated, "So, boar and hare it is, then."

Pulling the supply food out of the bag, the leopard laid the deer hide on the ground, and placed the assortment of meats and berries on it. Having nothing better to use, Zachary decided to use his old arrows as spits for the food. He pricked as much meat on the arrows as he could, and then placed them around the fire carefully.

"There's still some left from the boar," Zachary pointed at the leftover food, "You could cook those while mine finish. I feel like having hare tonight, so the two deer are all for you." The leopard announced with a wide smile, turning some of the spits over the fire as they roasted in the orange flames.

Without hesitation, the drake took what was left of the boar and held it over the fire after smearing it with a handful of assorted berries. As he did so, Basajaun looked over to one of the deer, wrapping some berries in his tail and preparing the venison with juice.

"Not that I'm eager, mind you!" the reptile joked with a winking grin towards his fellow chef of the wilds as he multitasked.

The feline laughed a little. "Of course you aren't! I'm not eager either." he said with a wink of his own, scooting closer to the dragon and patting his side.

Glancing back at his backpack for a moment, an idea occurred to the leopard, and he slowly turned towards his friend as their food neared the end of roasting. "Say," the feline began, "I'll offer you a deal. For every course you finish, you get a sweet roll in return. That makes three in total!" Grinning widely at his terrific idea, Zachary extended a paw towards the dragon. "What do you say? Deal?"

His eyes brightening at the thought of more sweet rolls, Basajaun almost forgot to check his strength as he took his friend's hand. "Absolutely!" the dragon agreed to the challenge, looking over to Zachary's pack with a greedy smile as his tongue flickered almost uncontrollably.

"Three courses won't be a...wait how big is a course?" Basajaun asked, suddenly realizing he may have just agreed to something without thinking it through.

The leopard's smile only grew to the point that his head almost split in half from grinning. "Well, the first course is all the leftover food. With the exception of what I eat, of course." Zachary began, gesturing with his paws at all the meat which was being cooked.

"The second and the third are a deer each. That makes three..." Zachary paused, extending his arms for emphasis, "Big courses. And of course, the additional sweet rolls."

Swallowing hard, Basajaun knew his pride wouldn't let him back down from a challenge he had already accepted. Setting the finished boar with the rest of the "First Course", the dragon felt his heart sink as he looked at all the food they had prepared.

"Why do I feel like I've been tricked?" the dragon asked no one in particular, before laying on his back with his head near the fire, "I just want one condition; you have to finish eating before starting on me. It's a lot harder to keep eating if I stop too much."

"Of course!" Responded the leopard, almost shouting with excitement. He picked some crisp looking hare from the food pile, just now realizing how much food the dragon was going to consume. It took him less than five minutes to finish his puny dinner, and he let out a quiet belch as he turned towards his friend.

"Alright, I'm finished." he informed the dragon with a smile, moving closer to Basajaun's head so he could start with his dinner. "Do you want me to hand feed you again like yesterday? And some belly rubs too?" he asked with a soft smile, placing a paw on the dragon's side.

Basajaun nodded with a nervous grin, fighting back the urge to hide his head in the fire for his own safety. "Moving less helps," the drake said, chuckling weakly, "Do I get any last words before we start?"

Zachary stopped grabbing for the first hefty looking meat at the dragon's question, turning back slowly while hiding the food behind his back. "Sure!" he said with a nervous grin, trying his hardest at keeping the meat behind him a secret.

Not expecting that answer, the reptile thought for a moment. "Well, uh," Basajaun began, that last syllable opening his mouth wide.

Seeing the opportunity, and unable to fight against the temptation, the leopard quickly shoved the big chunk of meat in his mouth, laughing a little. "Changed my mind, sorry." he said, already grabbing the next chunk of boar meat from the giant pile and offering it to the dragon. He waited until Basajaun finished chewing the first mouthful, only hovering the food in front of his muzzle when the dragon was about to swallow.

Caught off guard at first, Basajaun was quickly able to relax into the rhythm of the feeding. Chewing as little as possible before swallowing, in order to spare his jaw muscles unnecessary work, the reptile accepted each large mouthful as it came, feeling his stomach quickly begin to swell. "Don't forget that abdominal massage you promised," the dragon reminded his feeder between mouthfuls, patting his middle expectantly as he took the next bite.

"I would never forget that." Zachary replied with a chuckle, putting one of his soft paws on the massive reptile's somewhat pudgy belly. Feeling his fingers sink in lightly in the flesh, the leopard almost forgot to offer the next piece of meat from the pile, so amazing it was to touch the fatty scales.

The feeding continued, naturally, with the leopard keeping a steady rate at shoveling the food down Basajaun's awaiting mouth, and rubbing his belly at the same time. The gained weight on the dragon's midriff was a big change, given that most of the flab decided to go there. The feline relished the feeling of pinching the pudge, caressing it, feeling it swell beneath his paw as more food joined in the reptile's stomach.

The pile of meat, no matter how giant, kept disappearing rather quick, Basajaun looking quite famished as he paid no heed to his slowly expanding middle.

As his stomach filled out with more and more delicious food, Basajaun felt more and more blissfully comfortable. This is what he was born for, to consume and to grow. An apex predator indeed, for he no longer had need to even expend too much energy feeding himself. Not with his friend, another apex hunter, to help him.

Time seemed to slow down as Basajaun continued being fed, and yet, as the first course neared its end, it almost felt like it was too soon.

Noticing the decrease of the pile, and noting that there were only a few left, the leopard reached behind him, grabbing his backpack and pulling out the sweet rolls from it. As he was still looking back, the feline regarded the two deer on their hides, looking ready to be roasted and consumed. But as he turned back to finish with the first course, he remembered how smooth the dragon continued his feeding if there weren't any pauses.

"Hey," Zachary began as he held the last piece of meat in front of the dragon's muzzle, while his paw rubbed the already swollen belly of his friend, "We'll have to take a short pause until we cook the deer, I'm afraid. Unless you want it to eat it raw... it's your choice."

Looking down to the deer, Basajaun nodded. "Sure, I can take a break," the drake said, surprised that he could still breathe easy, "I guess my stomach must have stretched; this isn't nearly as uncomfortable as it was last night. This seems like an ideal point for a rest."

Patting and kneading his belly affectionately for a moment, Basajaun rolled back upright with unexpected ease, taking the first deer in his forelimbs and holding it over the fire.

Zachary smiled at the statement, patting his friend's belly gently. "That's good to hear. Increasing your intake will stretch it even farther, I suppose." He thought aloud, just now noticing the sweet roll in his paws.

"Oh, here," he said, holding up the fattening treat for Basajaun, "The sweet roll, just as I promised." Zachary smiled, waiting for the dragon to take his prize.

His head whipping down to track the tasty trophy, the dragon's tail took the roll gently but eagerly, popping it into his waiting jaws in the blink of an eye.

Moaning in delight as his toes curled against the ground, Basajaun once more took his sweet time chewing the sweet roll, almost playing with it in his muzzle before reluctantly swallowing. "Oh yeah, I could eat a LOT of these!" the reptile stated blissfully, licking the leftover bits of food from his snout.

Watching the dragon's reaction and laughing at the display, the leopard quickly decided to give his friend an extra little gift for his appetite.

"Hey," He voiced, holding up another sweet roll in his paws, "Go ahead, there's more left in the bag." he informed with a reassuring smile, nudging the dragon's tail with the treat.

"If you really like it that much, I'll make sure to buy you as much as possible if we ever come across another town." Zachary announced, gesturing at the new hides from the deer, "We already have something to trade for them, and I have a feeling that only more hides will follow as the days pass by." He gave his friend a playful wink, watching as the deer was nearly finished with roasting, and looked ready to be consumed.

Looking at the offered roll with a salivating mouth, Basajaun shook his head. "I think it would be better if you kept using them as rewards," the dragon said with a pained voice, "I have a feeling I'll need the extra motivation before we're done tonight."

Staring at the roll for a moment, the reptile had to shake himself to break the spell it held over him. "But, if you wanted to increase the award I get for finishing the third course, I won't stop you," Basajaun suggested, winking down to his friend.

The leopard considered the idea for a few seconds before nodding his head. "Alright. You'll get more sweet rolls if you finish the third course." he announced with a smile, putting the trait back in his pack. He turned around to look at the second deer, then glanced at the first one.

"I think we should cook them both, or at least start cooking the second one while you're eating the first. I don't think a pause after the second course would be very smart." He proposed with a smile, gesturing towards the first deer that it was already done.

Nodding, Basajaun set the first deer aside and reached for the second, carefully avoiding coming near Zachary with his scorching hot claws as he brought the meat over the fire. "Less pauses is good," the dragon agreed as the second deer cooked.

After a moment, the dragon realized something was missing. "Speaking of pauses," Basajaun said, tapping Zachary with a wing before using it to pat the side of his belly, "Why is this not being rubbed?"

Grinning at the display, the leopard quickly scooted over to Basajaun. "Right, I forgot. There's no pause in rubbing, then." Zachary said with a wink, grabbing as much pudge with both of his paws as he could, pinching and squeezing the fatty flesh between his fingers gingerly.

"It's so much softer and nicer to caress than yesterday." The feline announced with a chuckle, burying his paws as deep in the inches deep of plush as he could.

Giggling lightly at the somewhat ticklish sensation, the dragon nodded in agreement. "I think you noticed me noticing that earlier," Basajaun said, stroking his friend's back with his wing in return, "It'll probably be even softer tomorrow, if this morning was any indication." Turning the deer in his hands, the thought of rounding out further filled the dragon with both eagerness and uncertainty, though he kept his trepidation to himself.

Not wanting to dwell on such thoughts, the drake instead focused on the attention his stomach was receiving, the gentle touch of Zachary's paws a welcome distraction.

Zachary smiled at the memory, nodding his head as his paws continued stroking the pudgy mass. "Yeah, I did notice that." he said with a chuckle, "And I don't see anything wrong with that, to be completely honest with you." the feline announced with a smile, kneading the dragon's middle with both of his paws.

As the leopard waited for the dragon's answer, he found himself getting lost in Basajaun's chub, completely mesmerized. He just couldn't get enough of the feeling of having something so soft and pudgy in his paws. And as the thought of having even more fatty flesh to play with crossed his mind, Zachary realized what he truly wanted; to fatten the dragon even more up, to caress more of his flab, to have it embrace his body in the cold nights as he slept next to the massive reptile. He was eager, and only hoped that Basajaun wouldn't have any objections with gaining more weight. Somewhere deep inside of him, the feline suspected the dragon wouldn't mind it that much.

The second deer seemed to cook faster to the dragon, though that was likely due to the comforting touch of Zachary's paws. Setting the deer back on its skin, Basajaun waited for his claws to cool down significantly before rolling back over with his stomach in the air, not wanting his feeder to burn himself on the drake's forelimbs.

"Alright, let's resume, shall we?" the reptile invited grinningly, his tail swishing back and forth in anticipation. His earlier hesitation all but gone, Basajaun opened his mouth expectantly, eagerly awaiting the beginning of the second course as his still-warm claws kneaded at his middle.

"Gladly." Zachary replied with a wide grin, grabbing tearing a massive chunk of meat from the deer, and placing it in the dragon's mouth. Without feeling any fear whatsoever while his paws touched the reptile's teeth as he pulled out, the leopard realized that he had no reason to be afraid of such nonsense on the first place.

While his one paw fed the dragon with just as much enthusiasm as before, the other one continued the pleasant massage of his friend's already swollen belly. Now the feline could actually feel the reptile's middle stretching tighter as more food was shoveled down his throat, and it was an exceptionally pleasant feeling, to say the least. Zachary found himself unable to not let out a quiet purr as he kneaded the growing flesh, and with the feeding not even halfway done, that stomach would only get bigger, to the leopard's utter amusement.

With more food once again piling up in his stomach, Basajaun joined his own purr with his friend's, moaning deeply as he grew ever fuller. His claw traced the curvature of his abdomen alongside Zachary's paw, patting the smaller hand appreciatively when their paths crossed. Remembering how uncertain of the new softness he was that morning, Basajaun couldn't help but let out a chuckle as he now played with the fat alongside the leopard, enjoying the supple texture immensely and anxious to see how it would continue to increase over the days.

The second deer was being consumed at an unbelievable rate, pounds upon pounds of meat joining in the dragon's stomach. It surprised the leopard to see Basajaun eat so fearlessly and steadily, despite having already eaten a big amount of bare and hare meat. He had to agree now with the dragon's earlier comment that his stomach must have stretched overnight, given how fast he could feed the reptile without even once having to pause.

When the first deer, or the second course, neared its end Zachary took two sweet rolls from his backpack, preparing them next to him once the deer was gone. Basajaun's idea of increasing the number of treats he was given after a course appealed to him greatly, and figured he could spoil his friend a little more by giving him two confections for this course, and three for the last one.

Smelling the sweet rolls emerging from the pack, Basajaun hastily swallowed the last mouthfuls of the first deer, barely chewing them at all. Huffing at the completion of the second course, the dragon looked downward towards Zachary with an eager smile, his eyes looking for his sweet reward.

Zachary chuckled at the dragon's hungry expression and offered him the two sweet rolls at once. "I'll take a wild guess that you really like these, huh?" he asked with a comical tone, his paw never leaving the dragon's protruding middle, now knowing that there were no pauses for belly rubs.

"I'll get you something else as well next time. It seems like you enjoy civilized cooking a lot." He proposed with a smile, still holding the two traits for the dragon while he dragged the third, and last, deer closer to them so they could continue the feeding without any pauses.

Taking the rolls, the drake nodded enthusiastically in response to Zachary's question and statement. Eating the rolls with more speed than before, in order to avoid a lengthy gap in his feeding, Basajaun used his tail to help scoot the last deer closer.

The momentary pause in the feeding was enough for the dragon to start feeling the stretched nature of his gut. "Oh...you might want to hurry," Basajaun urged with a moan, before releasing a low belch, the release of pressure helping slightly.

Zachary nodded eagerly, hurriedly tearing a chunk of venison from the deer and feeding it swiftly to the dragon. Without waiting for Basajaun to swallow, he decided to surprise his friend and added another chunk for good measure.

"I'm hurrying, as you can see." he said with a light chuckle, pinching the fat with his paw on the dragon's middle and feeling it push higher and higher in the sky. Given how much food the dragon was consuming, his stomach would end up even more bloated than yesterday. The suspicion was confirmed as soon as Zachary glanced at his friend's midriff, staring wide eyed at the spherical mass of scales. Basajaun was truly a glutton, that much was certain.

Although subconsciously wanting to slow down with as full as he could feel himself becoming, the thought of his eventual reward encouraged Basajaun to swallow each bit of meat placed in his maw, the task of chewing all but abandoned. Each hunk of venison slid down his long neck as a visible bulge, his mouth opening to receive more after every gulp.

Soon the drake began panting from the exercise; it was hard work keeping up with his eager feeder! But the leopard's joyful expression helped Basajaun to carry on, despite the gurgles and groans that started coming from his belly.

Never once slowing down during the feeding, Zachary failed to notice that his friend was getting rather full, and continued shoving down the food just as quickly as before. He was completely transfixed in the experience, focusing all his senses and attention exclusively on the task at hand, namely feeding Basajaun until all the food was gone.

The massive feast for Basajaun continued restlessly, and Zachary was genuinely disappointed to find no more deer when he grabbed behind him. Whipping his head around, the leopard gave a bemused expression as he stared at all the food that was consumed, or more accurately, the lack of it.

When he turned back around, he was greeted with the sight of the dragon's stomach. It was almost unbelievable to see the belly stand out from the reptile's belly almost like a whole other limb. Quickly realizing that the dragon wasn't given his prize yet, the leopard grabbed three treats from the backpack.

"Well, I guess we're finished, Basa. All the food is gone..." he announced with a somewhat sad tone, holding the three confections for the dragon to consume as his last piece of food.

The dragon's initial reply was a massive belch that shook the grass around them. Basajaun breathed heavily, his abdomen rising and falling steadily with the effort. Other than his breathing, the drake didn't move, almost seeming to have fallen asleep.

"Zach?" Basajaun's voice called over the curvature of his middle after a moment, "I think I'm stuck."

Zachary stood up to observe the issue, shaking his head and laughing as he noticed just how much the dragon's belly had grown. "Er... what do you want me to do? Pushing you like yesterday would be harder... you're..." the leopard paused for a moment, "a little heavier. I can give it a try, though, but only on one condition."

He walked right next to the dragon's head, displaying the three sweets in front of his eyes. "You have to take your prize first."

"No!" the dragon nearly shouted, regretting the action immediately as his gut groaned, "Er, don't push me, please." Reaching up to pat that leopard's shoulder, Basajaun continued, "I was merely informing you that I can't move, so I don't think you can sleep under my wing tonight."

Looking to the confections that Zachary held, the reptile felt a combination of eagerness and fullness. "You don't need to bribe me to eat those, though," Basajaun stated, turning his gaze to the feline's eyes, "Do you want to feed those to me, as well?"

The leopard nodded with a blush, offering the treats for the dragon as he waited for him to open his mouth. "So, I guess I'll have to utilize my blanket tonight. Shame, was getting used to your wing, to be honest." he admitted with a chuckle, and looked a little disappointed for not being able to sleep in the dragon's embrace.

Accepting the rolls eagerly, despite his stomachs gurgling protests, Basajaun considered as he savored the sweetness. "Well, if I can't act as a blanket for you," the drake began, patting his dome of a belly invitingly after finishing his reward, "Perhaps I can offer my services as a bed, instead."

The leopard's expression changed instantly as he listened to the dragon's words, and he practically ran to his backpack to pull out the blanket he had bought. Arriving back at Basajaun, the leopard hesitated, slowing his movements a little.

"I'll be careful with the climbing." he announced with a warm smile, thinking of his friend's situation as well. He put his paws on the dragon's side gently, feeling his fingers sink in a little before any resistance showed up. He eagerly, but very slowly climbed on the dragon's stuffed belly, already purring from being able to feel the reptile's flabby flesh beneath his paws.

Finally settling on top of the dragon's belly, Zachary curled up in a ball and laid the blanket on him, and on Basajaun's stomach as well. He sighed in bliss, nuzzling the chubby middle joyfully with his face and paws. Soon he was rubbing the protruding surface once again, finding it just simply impossible to resist.

"Good night, Basa." the leopard whispered softly, his paw caressing the dragon's hide for a few minutes before it stopped, indicating that the feline had fallen asleep. His purring didn't stop, however.

Sighing contentedly at the leopard's actions, Basajaun closed his eyes as he enjoyed the sensations that filled him. "Good night, Zach," the dragon responded quietly, soon following his friend into dreams.

Once again waking as sunlight drilled through his eyelids, Basajaun groaned at the unpleasant awakening. "Ugh, I'm going to be so happy once we have a roof over our heads!" the reptile grumbled, rubbing his sore eyes before scratching at his chest.

The amount his flesh yielded to his touch momentarily alarmed Basajaun, before he remembered the previous night. Waiting to give himself a look over, the dragon thought he'd allow Zachary to join in his reactions, deciding to wait until the leopard woke up on his own.

Looking up into the sky, Basajaun amused himself with cloudgazing to pass the time, picking out what shapes he could find.

Zachary's ears perked up momentarily at the faint sound of grumbling, and he slowly sat up after realizing that the dragon had waken. As he distributed all his weight on his forepaws, the leopard blinked for a moment before looking down.

"Oh... my..." He stammered with a shocked expression as he stared down at his bed. "That's... a lot." Looking up at the dragon with a hesitant smile, the leopard saw that his friend was looking at the sky. "Uhm, Basa. You might want to have a look at yourself."

Hesitating a moment, the dragon finally looked down at himself. Blinking for a moment in disbelief, Basajaun reached down to his belly to see if the more than three inch addition to his girth was real. When he touched his middle, the thought that he was dreaming was dispelled.

A slow, uncertain smile crossed his face as the drake looked up to Zachary. He couldn't think of anything to say, hoping that his friend would have something encouraging to tell him.

Zachary didn't open his mouth for a few moments, simply staring at the newfound poundage on the dragon's belly. He slowly reached out with a paw, and pinched the now decently deep flab between his fingers. Almost instantly, the feline started purring at the feeling of holding the reptile's girth.

"Waow... that's uhm... very soft." he stammered as he thoroughly examined the pleasant change on Basajaun's middle. "Remember what I said about you looking good with a few extra pounds yesterday? Well, now you look even better!" Zachary stated with a wide smile, jiggling the pudgy flesh in his paws a little, "I cannot believe how effective your metabolism is. This is a lot more... plush than I expected."

Heaving a sigh, Basajaun felt a good deal better for the feline's encouraging words. Craning his long neck to get a better view of himself, the dragon beheld the way his new abundance caused his flesh to fold and roll against itself in different places, a mix of curiosity and wonder filling him as the drake looked himself over.

Returning his gaze to the leopard on his belly, Basajaun smiled amusedly. "Comfortable there, Zach?" He inquired with a teasing tone.

"Absolutely!" The feline replied with a chuckle, stroking the dragon's belly gingerly, "You make a very comfortable bed, indeed. I could get used to sleeping on something this soft and plushy!" He shot right back, staying loyal to his name by not wasting a second to tease at every opportunity.

"But, I have to ask you, because it's important for me. What do you think of..." He pinched some of the dragon's pudge for emphasis, which filled out his paw completely, "This? I'd like to hear your thoughts, and be honest."

Basajaun blinked at the sudden query. "I...honestly, I don't know," the dragon admitted, lying back to look up at the sky once more, "I know for a fact I enjoy the feeding that leads to this. I just... don't know what to think of the aftereffects. It feels strange, not being leanly toned anymore."

Returning his gaze to Zachary, the dragon had an uncertain expression. "I don't think I have an opinion on this," Basajaun took his own handful of flab and shook it, jiggling his whole torso, "One way or another at the moment. That said, I don't dislike it, so maybe, with a bit of help, I can learn to enjoy being...fat."

Zachary listened in silence to the dragon's explanation, nodding at his answer. "I completely understand that. I have no idea what's it like for you, but I think you just need to give it some time, y'know, so you can get used to it, perhaps?" He explained with a warm smile, stroking his friend's shoulder.

"I'm sure you will find this... uhm..." the feline pinched some of the dragon's flab, "...this to be pleasant, you just have to give it a chance." He offered his friend a grin, and then patted his stomach. "And I wouldn't call you fat, you're hardly chubby, to be honest. It's not that big amount of weight, right?"

The dragon nodded. "Speaking of getting used to it," Basajaun said, patting his friend's back, "I need to adjust to this before we try flying. I don't want to know how the dirt here tastes." He gave Zachary a good-natured grin as he remembered yesterday's incident.

The leopard laughed at the comment, and quickly hopped off from the dragon's belly. Landing on his feet on the hard and unforgiving ground, Zachary was already missing the comfort of his friend's flab. Perhaps he could ask tonight if he could sleep on Basajaun's middle again, that would surely be comfortable.

"Go ahead, give it a try. Just take it slow, and then you'll be alright... I think." He added that last bit with a whisper as he glanced at the reptile's body and realized, now that he was standing from a distance, just how bigger and pudgier the dragon looked.

Rolling over to his feet, Basajaun felt his pudge settle and sag downwards. Trotting a few laps around the place the pair had cleared, the reptile familiarized himself with his new mass, feeling a measure of relief when he could detect that he had also gained more muscle to go along with the flab.

"Alright, let's get packed up, shall we?" Basajaun said, moving to the now-empty food sack and putting the new hides inside.

Snapping out of his trance of watching his friend's pudge jiggle as he ran, Zachary shook his head and cleared his throat. "Yeah, we should get going." Before all that, however, there was something else to be dealt with. Namely loosening the dragon's harness once again to accommodate his overnight gaining. As always, the leopard mentioned a few silly remarks while he was working on the sinew, and he received a gentle pull on his tail from Basajaun in return. There were no comments made afterwards from the feline's part.

It took a few minutes for the two travelers to pack all their stuff. The leopard took his time arranging his things in the backpack, only leaving his bow on his back and a couple of his new arrows. With his own pack done, he helped the dragon with the rest, and the preparation finally ended with securing all the hides on Basajaun's back.

"Okay, done!" Zachary announced, sighing a little before jumping on Basajaun. Once again, the dragon felt more comfortable to sit against than anything he could remember. Once the feline tied himself tight against the dragon, he patted his friend's side gently, signaling that he was ready.

"Alright!" Basajaun said enthusiastically, "Here we--" The dragon's words were cut off by his own loud hiss as he made to extend his wings. Gritting his teeth hard, Basajaun snapped the aching limbs back against his sides, where they throbbed with dull soreness rather than searing agony.

Managing to not bellow out a loud roar, Basajaun fell involuntarily to the ground, his forelimbs stroking his wings gingerly.

"Zach, I think we're walking today," the drake announced, his voice giving away how painful extending his wings had been.

Zachary untied himself in an instant, swiftly jumping down and rushing to the dragon's head with a concerned expression. "I knew this would come eventually..." he said, shaking his head, "Make no mistake, I'm fine with walking. I'm just worried for you is all. Are you alright?" he asked, slowly and gently putting a paw on the dragon's shoulder.

Basajaun nodded, standing once more. "I'm fine," the dragon said, his voice showing he was irritated with himself, "I just need to rest my wings for a day."

Looking down to his friend, the dragon continued. "I can still carry you," he offered with a smile, trying not to appear weak.

Zachary shook his head firmly, looking at the dragon with fearless determination. "No, I'm good. You carried me enough, it's the least I can do to walk alongside you." He announced with fiery passion and turned to walk with a proud and graceful gait... in the completely wrong direction.

"Er, Zachary," the dragon said with more than a hint of a laugh on his voice, "Unless you're keen on going back the way we came, maybe I should lead?"

The leopard emerged from the tall grass, his expression unchanged. "Yeah, I knew that. I was just... checking the area." he coughed, pointing in the right way now, "Let's walk, shall we?"

"Heeeeelp meeeee!" The leopard cried in agony and pain, but the obvious exaggerated acting couldn't have been missed by even the most oblivious. The pair had been walking for only an hour, with the dragon taking the lead once Zachary began to slow his pace, and followed behind his friend with uncertain steps.

"I really didn't think this through..." Admitted the young anthro as he felt his leg muscles burning. He knew he was good at running, but the leopard didn't realize that he was only good at sprinting short distances, and not walking for minutes. The realization hit him harder like a hammer, and he bellowed once again, lest he break his act.

"Oh, how I wish there was a certain strong someone with me who could carry this poor soul! Oh gods above, send me a miracle!" He pleaded for the last time before collapsing on the ground, and grabbing onto the dragon's tail at the same time, dragging himself face first on the dirt for a few moments as he whimpered, of course, loud enough so Basajaun would hear.

Turning around, Basajaun cocked an eyebrow at the tail ornament he suddenly possessed. "You know, you could just ask for a ride," the dragon commented, his tail wrapping around Zachary and lifting him into the harness, "Instead of overacting worse than a drunken bard."

Zachary practically melted on the dragon's back, letting his limbs fall on the dragon's sides. "Ahh, much better." he said with a smile on his muzzle, nuzzling the reptile's softened back.

"I wouldn't compare my exceptional performance to a drunken bard," he said in an almost hurt tone, his earlier acting seemingly still not over, "How do you know how a drunken bard acts like, anyways?"

"I snuck into a circus, remember?" the dragon reiterated, suddenly realizing something, "Speaking of bards, you've yet to show me what you can do with that lute you got."

The leopard jumped up immediately at the idea, and buried his head deep in his backpack in search of his instrument. Pulling it out with a wide grin, Zachary put both of his legs over the dragon's left side to avoid sitting uncomfortably while playing.

"Behold!" He said, pulling his fingers over the strings with precision. The result was, to say the least... a torture to the ears.

Zachary froze for a few seconds, looking utterly perplexed at his lute. Before the dragon could laugh at him, he held up a finger in the air. "Just... a moment." He quickly fiddled around on the tuners, turning them this way and that while he twanged each string which belonged to that certain tuner.

Coughing to get attention, the leopard tried once more. "Behold!" he reiterated, this time pulling on the strings with a lot more care. Unlike first time, the results were rather pleasant. The melody was simple, but beautiful nonetheless and suited the feeling of traveling perfectly.

Basajaun hummed with approval. "Very nice," the dragon affirmed, appreciating the music as he carried on.

As Zachary played his traveling songs, Basajaun steadily waded through the grass, humming along to the songs as he learned them. The deep resonance of the drake's voice complemented the lute well, and the impromptu two person band marched on.

Distracted by a particularly enjoyable duet, Basajaun hadn't noticed that he had emerged from the grass into the middle of a small town. Opening his eyes after finishing a sustained note, the dragon suddenly found himself in the middle of a marketplace, with dozens of pairs of eyes locked onto him.

Frozen in a panic for a moment, the sudden shouts of the townsfolk caused Basajaun to whip back around and dart back into the grass, nearly dislodging his rider in the commotion.

Once the staring contest ended, Zachary found his body arch backwards as the dragon tried to bolt out of their current situation in the long grass. He would have let him as well, if it wasn't for Basajaun's earlier words. This was the perfect opportunity to try to do something which was unheard of for dragons and anthros.

"Basajaun! Stop!" The leopard shouted with all his might, pulling on the dragon's neck with both of his paws to make him stop. "We have to try something, Basa, please!"

The tug caused the dragon to grind to a halt before falling to the ground, covering his head with his forelegs. Basajaun's entire body trembled as he started babbling incoherently about legions of dragon hunters and his head winding up as a trophy, which gradually degraded to quiet whimpering.

Dismounting the dragon in the blink of an eye, Zachary quickly rushed to the dragon's head, glancing behind him to check if they were followed. When he was sure the still audible anthros wouldn't dare to come into the grass, he turned back to his friend, lifting his claws from his head.

"Basajaun," Zachary began, waiting until the dragon opened his eyes, "Remember what you said about trying to settle next to a town?" he asked with a determined voice, looking straight in the reptile's eyes, "Because I do. I know for a fact that you would choose living next to a town if it was possible. And we were presented with an opportunity of achieving that with these people. I cannot promise you that they won't fear you at first... or throw rocks at you in panic. But we must try to this, and now! You have to show them how you truly are! A gentle giant... not a cruel monster."

When the feline finished his monologue, he was left panting. He stared in the dragon's eyes with a hopeful gaze, giving him a warm smile. "There are no results without trying, Basa. Don't waste your chance."

Sniffling as he lifted his head, Basajaun's fearful eyes met his friend's. "I...I don't know if I can face them," the dragon said tearfully, looking back the way they came, "What if they come after me? Or worse, come after you? Zachary, I killed the last person that came after you!"

Basajaun pulled the leopard against his chest. "What if...what if I hurt someone else?" the drake's real question quietly emerged, hot tears falling into Zachary's fur as the dragon began quietly sobbing.

The leopard's throat tightened, and his ears lowered against his head as he was embraced by his friend. He almost began crying too, but quickly recollected himself for the sake of Basajaun.

"You will not hurt anyone." he said with as much sincerity in his voice as it was possible, stroking his friend's shoulder, "I know you won't. Even when you did, it was an accident. You were forced to defend yourself! For me..." The feline sighed, shaking his head.

"You can do this, Basajaun. Those people..." Zachary pointed behind him, "They only fear you because they don't know who you really are! You must let them know, my friend. I'll not let you miss such a big chance to do something amazing for both of our kind." The feline gave a smile, hugging himself closer to the dragon.

"And if I see that they aren't convinced that you're different from the stereotypes, we'll leave immediately. I promise. But you must try." Zachary said, turning to look up in Basajaun's eyes.

The dragon looked between the leopard and the path he had crashed through the grass with a pained expression. Finally nodding, Basajaun released his companion, following the leopard to the edge of the grass.

Stopping before he emerged, the drake grabbed Zachary's arm to stop him. "Could you..." Basajaun paused, his draconic pride taking a hit with his next question, "Could you go first? And let them know I'm coming?" The reptile's eyes showed how fearful he still was, looking into the leopard's gaze with pleading desperation.

Zachary nodded with a warm smile, giving the dragon's arm an encouraging stroke. "Sure, I'll call your name when I see that it's safe." He said, turning around with some level of hesitation.

"Basa," Zachary began, glancing over his shoulder at the dragon, "Just try to do what I ask you without a question, alright?"

Hesitating for a moment at the sudden request, Basajaun nodded. "I'll try," the dragon answered, trusting that his friend knew what he was doing.

Zachary smiled a little, then started walking towards the town once more. Even though the distance he had to cover was very short, the leopard felt like it took forever. His mind raced with thoughts, mainly negative ones doubting that this was a bad idea. He almost turned back too once, when a very unpleasant image of the dragon's dead body appeared among many other possible outcomes from the situation. Thankfully, the long grass wall ended before the feline, and he once again found himself in the middle of the market.

There were a lot fewer people around than before, and the leopard could safely guess that they had fled once they saw Basajaun. Good for them, at least there was a smaller number of people to convince. The remaining pairs of eyes almost instantly settled on the leopard as he emerged from the grass, and some of them worryingly glanced behind the feline, probably searching for his much bigger companion.

"Hey..." Zachary began with his hands in the air, but his voice cracked before he could continue. Coughing and clearing his throat, the feline was able to get the townsfolks' attention, which surprised him greatly as the spotlight was now completely on him.

"Good day to you people of..." The leopard glanced around him, desperately trying to find a sign which could have helped him in identifying this place. It was to no avail, however, and the young anthro was forced to improvise. "... this town. My name is Zachary, and I'd like to apologize for the incident that happened just some moments ago." He gave a low bow, a gesture he had learned while watching other noble anthros back in Boldrumton.

"Me and my... uhm... friend must have not given you the best first impression." He continued after standing straight once again, confused and scared eyes still locked on him as he spoke. "And I'm here to fix that!" Zachary forced a smile on his muzzle with great effort, his knees trembling a little as he waited for the people's reactions.

With most eyes still glued to the grass behind the leopard, a few individuals looked to Zachary. "You...you were on that thing's back!" a rhinoceros in a heavily apron covered in scorch marks and rust stains said, holding a heavy hammer in his large hands, "What were you thinking, boy? That dragon could have killed you!"

"No! He wouldn't have!" Zachary called back, absolutely outraged by the accusation of Basajaun. When he saw the people's reaction on his outburst, he calmed himself once more. Sighing long, he pointed behind him at the long grass.

"That thing, as you put it, is my..." There was a pause, utter silence following as even the rhinoceros stared at the boy with wide eyes. "He is my friend." Zachary said with a wide smile, and before anyone could react, he held up a paw. To his surprise, nobody opened their mouths.

"I know what you're thinking. And I know you find that unbelievable to hear. In all honesty, it surprises me as well to have the dragon you just saw as a friend." Zachary inhaled deeply. A few people snorted at his words.

"But it's the truth, he's my friend. And he would never hurt me, I know it." He started walking towards the crowd, gesturing with his paws around himself. "And he won't hurt any of you either, I promise. He has no reason to. I know you're scared of him, some even terrified, but all I'm asking is that you listen to what I have to say." He turned back around, now a small circle forming around him as people crowded around him. "Give us a chance. I promise you that you won't be disappointed in what you're about to see."

As Zachary spoke, Basajaun had made his way to the very edge of the grass, watching in hiding as his friend fought for him. The dragon's limbs trembled at being so close to an anthro settlement, but he fought with all his might against the urge to flee.

"And just what is it you're trying to show us?" a voice demanded from the crowd, an aged snowy owl emerging to approach the leopard. The old woman walked with a heavy cane, her piercing eyes seeming to stare into Zachary's soul as she almost looked through him.

"We have enough problems to deal with, without you bringing your pet dragon here," the woman declared, her voice showing a fortitude that wasn't common at her age, "The last thing we need is a dragon burning down our homes because you want to show us you've taught him a few tricks."

Zachary gritted his teeth, fighting the urge to shout as he answered as calmly as he could. "He. Is. Not. A. Pet." The leopard stated while looking straight in the owl's eyes, his piercing gaze burning with fiery passion. "He's my friend, like I said. He is a living, breathing, sentient being with his own thoughts, dreams, like and dislikes." The feline tore his eyes away when he was done with the owl, looking back at the crowd behind her.

"I'm not here because I seek your attention, or your gold, or fame." He stated, looking back at the owl in front of him, "I'm here because of my friend's, the dragon's, behalf. I'm here because I want to show you, my kind, that the stereotypes we think of dragons do not apply to him." He pointed at the tall grass once more where Basajaun lay hidden.

"You don't look like close-minded people. Give me chance to show you how wrong we are about these creatures. Let me convince you that this dragon is nothing like the ones in all of our stupid fairy tales." Zachary gave a somewhat pleading expression, staring straight at the owl as she stood her ground.

"Please, I beg you. He... my friend... wants nothing more than to be accepted by my kind. He's just as terrified, if not more, as you are. I'm doing this for him. If he was able to convince me, an anthro, that he has a good soul, then he can do it to you all too." Zachary's voice nearly cracked once again as he spoke. He was really close to tearing up. "All you have to do is give him a chance..."

Her eyes searching Zachary's for a moment, the owl sighed as she lowered her gaze. "You appear to be telling the truth," the woman said, looking back to the crowd, shouting, "Ready your weapons!"

Before the leopard could panic, the owl turned back to him. "They won't attack without my word," she said, gripping her cane tightly, "But it would be foolhardy to allow a dragon into our town while we're unarmed. You may bring your... 'friend', boy."

Her brow furrowing into an intense glare, the owl continued, "But if I sense any danger to my people, any at all, and I'll have you both executed before you can bat an eye. Is that absolutely clear?"

Zachary nodded with a serious expression. "There won't be any problems, I promise." Without paying any heed to the crowd and their weapons, Zachary quickly ran to the tall grass, crouching to whisper at Basajaun.

"Basa! They agreed on seeing you!" he announced, looking for the dragon for a few moments before spotting his green body as it covered the brown dirt. "Do not talk unless I say so, alright? Just try to put on a smile and appear as harmless as you can. I'll do the talking. And you have to trust me completely with whatever I'm going to do with you, alright?"

The way the feline said that made Basajaun nervous, but no more so than he already was. "A-alright," the dragon agreed hesitantly, his head low to the ground and tail between his legs even before his companion arrived, "I trust you, Zach. Just... try not to get us killed, okay?"

"I won't, I have a really good feeling about this." Zachary responded with an encouraging smile, taking the dragon's paw in his hands and pulling. With some hesitation, the dragon stood up.

Without letting go of his friend's paw, the leopard slowly led him out of the tall grass, forcing the dragon to waddle on three legs as he followed behind him. When the dragon's whole body was out for everyone to see, Zachary stopped, not daring to bring the dragon closer to the crowd as they gasped and held their weapons threateningly towards the pair.

Clearing his throat, the feline gestured with his paws for attention. "Scared anthros..." he began, first pointing at the crowd with the dragon's paw still in his hands and then back at the massive reptile, "This here is Basajaun, the forest dragon. Let's get to know each other a little, shall we?"

With a warm smile, Zachary let go of his friend's paw, walking closer to the crowd. The swords and daggers gently touched his fur as he slowly wormed his way towards the owl and sat down in an otherworldly relaxed manner considering the current tense situation. He glanced at the owl with a wink before turning towards his friend who stood frozen in front of the crowd, hundreds of weapons pointing straight at him.

"Basajaun, could you introduce yourself to these kind people?" Zachary called out from behind the anthros, his voice remaining calm as he spoke.

Staring transfixed at the weapons that the townsfolk wielded, Basajaun didn't hear what his friend had said at first. The dragon's entire being screamed at him to run, yet by some miracle of willpower, he stood his ground shakily.

Trying to speak, the only thing that came out at first was a quiet whimper. Coughing and trying once more, Basajaun managed to squeak, "H-hi?" before his throat locked up once more. Feeling himself failing, the drake could feel the color slowly drain from his face.

Laughing loudly so everyone would hear, Zachary shook his head and stood up. "Oh, you!" He shouted while still chuckling, trying his hardest not to break his act. He once again made his way through the crowd, stopping before Basajaun and placing a paw on his shoulder.

"You can do it, Basa," Zachary said, his voice barely a whisper, "I can't do this alone. I'll need your help a little, alright?" Turning around in a single and fast motion, Zachary clapped his paws, once again forcing a laugh.

"It looks like my friend's a little shy, haha!" A lot of people raised an eyebrow at the statement, looking confusedly at the massive reptile. Zachary's eyes shone at the opportunity.

"Yes, you heard me right! He's shy! You wouldn't have thought that about dragons, am I correct?" The leopard asked with a smile, patting his friend's neck. "And that isn't the only trait he possesses! He's completely harmless as well!"

The feline turned around with an apologetic expression on his face, whispering in Basajaun's ear. "I'm sorry. Just bear with me, please." Before the dragon could even react anything, Zachary walked behind him.

"Let me show you just how harmless he is!" Grabbing the dragon's tail, Zachary pulled it enough to remove it from between Basajaun's legs. Letting out a high-pitched squeal, the crowd laughed at the display as the dragon's tail retreated back under the safety of his torso once it was released.

'Jackpot.' Zachary thought with a wide smile, making his way at the dragon's head once more. "As you can clearly see, he does not hurt me. He could easily snap back at me, but he doesn't because he is my friend." The leopard emphasized that last word as much as he could, opening the dragon's jaws as Basajaun's eyes glared down to him with a look that clearly communicated "there will be payback later".

"And I trust him completely with my life." The feline stated with a grin, placing his head in the dragon's mouth for effect. Once again, the crowd laughed a little, indicating that Zachary's method was indeed effective.

Pulling his head from the dragon's jaws, he coughed a couple of times at the smell before continuing. "But enough from these tricks!" Zachary called out, his expression changing to a more serious one.

"Basajaun, would you like to tell a little about yourself?" he asked with enough volume so everyone could hear it, nudging the dragon's shoulder a little to encourage him to actually talk this time.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, the drake managed to finally find his voice. "Er, um, well," shaking his head, Basajaun collected his thoughts before continuing, "My... my name is Basajaun, as you've heard, and I'm currently between territories. I was merely passing through when I stumbled across your town. I wasn't coming to steal food or kidnap maidens or whatever it is you've heard in stories. Really, I just wasn't watching where I was going, which is how I wound up in this me--in this town." Not wanting to offend the townsfolk, the dragon stopped himself from calling the situation a mess. Looking to Zachary, the dragon hoped he had done well.

Not even noticing his friend's gaze on him, the leopard was busy scanning the crowd's reactions to the dragon's speech. Some people simply stared wide eyed at Basajaun, completely dumbfounded by his ability to speak. Others simply shook their head, not even believing what was happening.

"You see?" Zachary asked from the crowd, patting his friend's neck so the dragon would know he did good. "He's not the monster like you think he is. He has the same personality like every other normal anthro. Do not judge him by how he looks, or what race he belongs to," The leopard's muzzle broke into a grin, hugging himself close to Basajaun, "But by what's behind all those scales and skin; by his soul."

Some people gasped in the crowd as Zachary hugged the reptile, remaining in that position for long moments. Zachary couldn't see it, but a lot of people had lowered their weapons somewhat, simply standing by in a relaxed position as they observed the situation with a mix of curiousness and doubtfulness.

Touched by his friend's words, Basajaun returned the leopard's embrace. "Thank you," he whispered quietly, his heart full of warmth.

Beholding the display, the old owl stood in place for a moment before motioning for the people to lower their arms, the townsfolk obeying wordlessly. With a purposeful gait, the woman approached the embracing pair, causing Basajaun to snap his gaze up fearfully in response. Holding Zachary protectively, the dragon watched the owl near, before she stopped an arm's length from them.

Looking into the woman's eyes, there was something that seemed powerful about them, as though she was absolutely sure of herself. "I wasn't aware dragons could speak," the owl said, searching the drake's face for a moment, "It seems I wasn't aware of many things about your kind, dragon."

Unsure of how to respond, Basajaun simply nodded once, his gaze not leaving the woman's. After a moment, the owl stretched out her arm, her gnarled talon stopping a minute distance from the dragon's nose. Realizing what she wanted, Basajaun hesitated, before he met her hand with his snout, closing his eyes as he hoped he had done the right thing.

For a moment, the three creatures simply held their position. "Pack up your weapons," the owl suddenly ordered as she retracted her talon, "These boys aren't a threat to us." Without question, the people obeyed once more, sheathing their blades and bludgeons.

Blinking in disbelief, the dragon felt himself growing faint from relief. Sinking to the ground, Basajaun gave the owl the most grateful expression he could. "Th-thank you," the reptile sighed, holding his head until it stopped feeling like the world was spinning.

Zachary jumped up instantly from the dragon's embrace, laughing loudly. The crowd looked at him with a weird eye and shook their heads, some of them leaving the scene as chatter grew louder and louder among the people who remained on the marketplace.

Finishing his way of letting pressure out, Zachary glanced around him hurriedly, as if looking for someone. Spotting the owl walking away, he quickly rushed to her side before she could disappear in the crowd.

"I want to say how thankful I am for giving us a chance," The leopard began, panting a little, "Not many anthros would've done that, especially not with a dragon." Hesitating for a moment, Zachary continued, his tone changing a little. "If there's anything we could help you with, let it be carrying things or helping with the crops, we will do it." With a wide smile, Zachary extended his paw for a handshake.

Turning to the leopard, the owl gave him a kind smile as he took his hand. "I should apologize for being so standoffish," she said, sighing heavily as she sat on a bench on the outskirts of the market, "We've been having some rather bad troubles, and seeing a dragon appear out of nowhere was something of a last straw for us."

Zachary shook his head as he joined the woman by her side on the bench, glancing through the crowd to check on his friend. Once he was sure that Basajaun was safe, the leopard turned his attention to the owl once more.

"There's no need to apologize for being careful. This world is a cruel place, and I completely understand your concern for your people. I would have done the same thing in your place... uhm... Lady?" Zachary gave a nervous smile as he waited for a response.

The owl chuckled. "Call me Esmeralda," she stated, "Or Elder Eszes, if you felt like being formal. And you're right; the world seems to be getting crueller in recent times. Especially for a rural town like Plainstead, where we can hardly defend ourselves from the local bandits."

As the pair of anthros spoke, Basajaun finally managed to clear his head of the fog that had filled it. Making to stand and move to Zachary's side, the dragon noticed the group of children that was staring wide-eyed at him from behind a hut. Looking to them curiously, the dragon gave the children a hesitant smile.

Apparently this was all the invitation the little ones needed, because they piled out eagerly from the building's cover and Basajaun suddenly found himself surrounded by curious stares. Unsure of what to do, the drake looked over to his friend, hoping that Zachary could see what was happening and possibly rescue him.

"So they've been tormenting... uhm... Plainstead the whole summer?" Zachary asked with wide eyes after the conversation between the two anthros shifted to the topic of a local problematic bandit group.

"Why aren't the people doing anything against them? Why are you letting them steal everything from here?" The leopard looked at the owl with a serious expression, his fists tightly clutching the wooden bench.

Esmeralda smiled somewhat sadly to the feline. "We aren't fighters, boy," the owl said, indicating the people of the marketplace, "That display with weapons and such; it was a complete bluff. In actuality, Boris and I are the only ones who know anything about defending ourselves, and we're too old to defend a whole town from a gang of bandits. If we had support from guards, it might be different, but... we're on our own out here."

Seeing that he was on his own, Basajaun turned to the children with a nervous smile. "Um, hello?" the drake greeted hesitantly, causing the group to gasp, before bombarding him words.

"Wow! You can really talk!"

"Can you breathe fire?"

"How hard are your scales?"

"You're kinda fat, mister dragon!"

Momentarily overwhelmed, Basajaun's eyes kept jumping from the children to Zachary and back again, until the dragon finally managed to raise his hand and stop the verbal assault. "One at a time, please!" he insisted, shaking his head and rubbing his ears, "Now, let's get organized here. Youngest first, and we'll move on from there. How's that sound?"

Pausing for a moment, the children milled around until they were ordered around Basajaun from youngest to oldest, surprising the dragon with their obedience. "Well now, that's better," he said, giving an honest smile to the children around him before looking to the youngest from the group, "What would you like to ask or say, little one?"

As the children took turns asking their questions and making their comments, Basajaun periodically looked over the Zachary, just to make sure he was still safe. Those children that had their turns either positioned themselves at the end of the line for more or began climbing about on the dragon, exploring his body that was so strange and interesting to them.

"How many bandits are we talking about here?" Zachary asked, glancing at Basajaun for a moment. As he saw the little ones rallying around his friend, the leopard couldn't help but smile warmly, utterly happy for Basajaun. He then turned back to Esmeralda, his eyes searching the old owl's face.

"And why aren't there any guards? What happened to them?" The feline knew he was bombarding the Elder with his questions, and yet he had a good reason for it. A thought of helping the unfortunate town of Plainstead crossed his mind, and the suspicion that these people desperately needed their help became clearer as the owl continued answering.

With a heavy sigh, the Elder looked down at her hands. "There are twenty of them, all of them strong and fit," Esmeralda answered, "And they're what used to be the town guard. Legally speaking, they still are. But they've taken their station and used it to extort us for years."

"What's despicable is that they still report to their superiors as though everything is going according to the law," the owl continued, her beak curling into a sneer, "If we try to act out against them, they report us as an 'angry mob', or just lock us up and leave us to rot. So we just do as they demand, and these 'guards' get free reign of Plainstead. It. Isn't. Fair." A blue spark seemed to jump between two of the owl's talons before she calmed herself.

Looking to Zachary, Esmeralda heaved another sigh before giving him a gentle smile. "I'm sorry to trouble you with such matters," the Elder apologized, "You're just passing through, right? I suggest you move on before our 'protectors' decide to drop in for another 'inspection'."

A hissing roar suddenly cut through the pair's conversation. "N-no! Hahaha!" Basajaun cried out, his draconic laughter filling the marketplace "No tickling!"

Glancing over to the leopard, the dragon looked to the feline pleadingly as he continued to laugh breathlessly. "Zach, help!" Basajaun begged as the group of children swarmed over him, joining together to tickle the beast mercilessly.

Chuckling at the display, Esmeralda shook her head as she watched. "He really is gentle, isn't he?" the owl asked as she stood.

Zachary nodded with a smile, following the owl. "I've never met a more gentle and caring creature in my whole life..." He answered, each of his words holding a sincerity and respectfulness that was impossible not to notice. "He's the reason I'm alive. He saved my life... twice." Walking alongside Esmeralda, Zachary looked lost in thoughts for a moment. His eyes glanced on the people of the marketplace, seeing their cheerful and hopeful smiles, hearing their soft laughter as they watched the scene with the dragon.

"Make sure you tickle that dragon on his belly too, kids! He likes that the best!" The leopard shouted with a laugh, his eyes lingering on the joyful kids as they played with Basajaun.

"That's n-not helping!" Basajaun cried out before falling back into his fit of laughter.

As he watched those little innocent children, Zachary's throat tightened. Quickly wiping his unpleasant childhood memories from his thoughts, the leopard put a paw on the owl's shoulder, bringing the two to a stop.

"No," He began, smiling warmly at the elder, "We're not leaving. I promised that we would help you, and I'm not the liar kind." Zachary once again scanned the townsfolk around them, grinning as he continued. "We'll fix that bandit problem, Basa and me." He stared right in the owl's eyes, his gaze holding a determined look which would make even the bravest warriors jealous.

Esmeralda blinked at the leopard's offer. "That's sweet of you, dear," she said, shaking her head, "But even with a dragon at your side, these are twenty trained officers you're talking about. They know how to fight and win. There's only two of you, and your dragon friend looks like he hasn't seen much exercise recently. I shudder to think what would happen to you two if you tried to go up against these people."

Zachary considered the points the elder had made before nodding his head. "Well, that might be true..." he began, gesturing with his paws at the anthros that surrounded them, "But it's not only the two of us who want to change on the current situation, I suppose?" His expression changed to an uncertain one as he continued.

"You mentioned your people weren't fighters, but they don't have to be. We have the numbers advantage, and a dragon might be intimidating enough for these bandits to be afraid of us." He gestured with his paw at Basajaun, putting a paw on his forehead when the image of a graceful and strong dragon was replaced with an overgrown lizard who was currently fighting against a hoard of children... and losing.

"We're good hunters, Esmeralda, despite what my friend over there might suggest. The two of us could sneak in their base and quickly get rid of some to weaken them. We have a big advantage if we pick them out one by one." The leopard recreated the movement he would do while wielding a bow, smiling at the elder.

"I'm a decent archer, and Basajaun's venom causes its victim to become paralyzed. Now, what do you think happens when a good archer, with venom coated arrows, is able to sneak past their defenses overnight?" Zachary asked, looking quite sure of himself, despite knowing that his plan was rather unsteady and risky.

As Zachary spoke, the owl seemed to consider his offer. "Well, I suppose if you..." stopping before she finished her thought, Esmeralda shook her head, "No, I can't ask you to do something so--Would you let the poor boy breathe?!" the Elder suddenly yelled out at the children, her air of command returning as she glared to the group.

Immediately, the sound of gasping and wheezing replaced what had become ragged laughter. "Sorry Elder Eszes," the children said in near unison, as though they had become used to using the phrase from repeated troublemaking. As the kids climbed down from the dragon, Esmeralda looked back to Zachary.

"I can't ask you to put yourselves in danger on our account," the owl finished her thought, "No matter how successful your plan might wind up being, if we don't handle this in a way that works legally, more trouble will come to our doorstep. Guard Captain Izom made sure of that long ago."

Zachary's hope started slowly fading as he listened to the elder's words, almost accepting the fact that they probably couldn't help Plainstead without causing more trouble. And then, out of nowhere, Zachary smiled.

"I hope you don't really care about ethics when it comes to disposing bandits." he started, "I think I have another idea, which wouldn't risk anyone's life, and is a guaranteed success." When the elder raised an eyebrow at the leopard's words, the feline continued with a mischievous glimmer in his eyes.

"I mentioned Basajaun's venom, right? Well, you told me that these 'guards' come here and take your things away, as well as your food. What if we spiced these offerings with something that would surely leave these bastards frozen in place!" He leaned in closer, whispering in the elder's ears. "All we have to do is put some of Basajaun's paralyzing venom in that food, and it does the rest. We lock them in jail while they are unable to move, and we are done with them."

Esmeralda chuckled lightly. "Well, your determination is heartening, to say the least," she admitted moving to shoo the children away from Basajaun before they could get into any more trouble with the breathless drake, "Look, the guards aren't all bad. It's Izom that's the problem. The others just follow his orders because he's the most well trained and highest ranking among them. The only way they'd stop extorting us is if Izom was taken out of the picture."

Realizing what she had just said, the owl looked to Zachary with a twinkle in her eye. "Say, how long does that venom paralyze someone for?" Esmeralda inquired.

"About...an...hour..." Basajaun gasped out, still trying to catch his breath, "I thought...I was going...to die!"

Disregarding the dragon's drama, Esmeralda nodded. "More than enough time to lock someone up," she mused, turning to Zachary, "How good are you at maneuvering around distracted guards?"

Zachary laughed loudly, waving his paw. "I have plenty of experience in that! The guards of Boldrumton made sure I learned how to avoid them while they were searching for me. I don't think there would be any problems with that." The leopard replied, but then looked confusedly at Esmeralda. "Why do you ask?"

Esmeralda smiled. "Izom might be a well trained soldier, but he's also a coward," she said, "If he heard that there was a dragon rampaging around the town, he'd send his guards out to deal with it and lock himself up in the barracks until the coast was clear. It'd be so unfortunate for our Guard Captain to suddenly go missing while his men were away, don't you think?" The owl's wicked grin could have sent shivers up the spine of a statue as she finished.

"And what about Basa?!" Zachary asked with a worried expression, glancing at his friend, "He'd be in great danger with the rest of the guards... what if...." The leopard shook his head, not daring to utter the words that were on the edge of his lips. "I can risk my life, that's my own choice, but I don't want my friend to be a bait!"

"Who said anything about putting Basajaun in danger?" the Elder retorted, looking down to the dragon, "Forest dragons are stealthy aren't they?"

When the drake nodded, Esmeralda continued. "The guards come into town to see a dragon fleeing into the grasslands," she explained, patting the dragon's head, "They give chase while he hides. You claim to be competent hunters; hiding from guards is the same as hiding from prey in principle. After a while, the guards will give up the chase once the apparent danger has passed, returning to find their leader has gone missing. Which, quite frankly, I'm pretty sure most of them would thank you for."

Looking up to Zachary, the owl gave a smile. "Trust me; when the guards are given a chance to be free from Izom, they'll take it," Esmeralda insisted, "I've seen how he treats his men, and it's only marginally better than how he treats us."

Heaving a long sigh of relief, Zachary turned away for a moment from the owl and looked at Basajaun. "What do you think, Basa?" he asked with some hesitation in his voice, crouching to put a paw on the dragon's neck, "Would you like to help this town and its people? If you really want to prove that you were different from the stereotypes, this is your perfect chance." The leopard stroked his friend's scales gingerly, smiling a little.

Panting for a few more moments before rolling over to get to his feet, Basajaun nodded. "If we're going to try this plan, I'd like to see how well I can hide in a grasslands instead of a forest," the drake said, looking between Zachary and Esmeralda, "I'll hide in the grass, and why don't you try to find me, Zach? You have the most experience with me, so if I can avoid being seen by you, I believe I can avoid a bunch of guards in noisy armor."

Zachary smiled at his friend's words, nodding before turning back to the Elder. "We're in, Esmeralda." He announced, clapping his paws as if a deal had been just made. "But we need some time to prepare, if it's possible." The leopard made to turn, but stopped himself as a thought crossed his mind.

"And... who would be the one dealing with Izom?" he asked somewhat hesitantly, already suspecting the answer.

"I thought an archer like yourself might be able to handle wounding Izom without killing him," Esmeralda answered, "And if the arrow was tipped in paralytic venom, then our Guard Captain would be rendered helpless, which is when our local blacksmith comes in for the 'rescue', putting Izom in a place where he'll be...safe."

"Izom is a big man," the owl continued, looking into Zachary's eyes, "So even if you could wing him and get him paralyzed, you don't look like you could carry him to our prison on your own. So Boris will be going with you. I'll be here to make sure things with Basajaun go smoothly. Is this a plan you can agree on?"

Basajaun nodded, looking to his friend. "As long as I don't have to hurt anyone, I like this plan," the dragon stated.

"Yes, we can." Zachary replied with a smile as he glanced at Basajaun, "Plainstead will be free once again, you can take our word for it." The leopard bid his head towards Boris, the rhinoceros repeating the gesture.

"When do you want this little operation of ours to take place?" The feline inquired, now looking absolutely determined to do all he could for the town's good.

Esmeralda looked up to the sky. "The guards do their inspection weekly," the owl said, "So you have until the end of the week before they arrive. You could just hide while they're here and strike afterwards, but the longer you wait, the more likely you are to be found. Just...make sure you're really ready before telling me you are."

Shaking her head, the owl smiled at the dragon and leopard. "Now, this has been a rather heavy conversation," the Elder said, her tone more light hearted, "Why don't you two just relax for a while? It's going to be a few days at least before the guards arrive, so you're welcome to enjoy our town while you're here."

Zachary chuckled, putting a paw on his forehead. "We'll be around town, don't worry. Things are settled, then." He gave a warm smile to Esmeralda, bowing in gratitude. "And thank you again for giving us a chance, Elder Eszes. We'll try to prove that it was the best decision you've ever made." With that, the leopard turned around, grabbing the dragon's paw and leading him a little distance away from the crowd. When the two were in private, the feline smiled widely at the reptile.

"You did it! You see? I told you that I had a good feeling about this." Zachary practically exploded with joy, finally able to let his emotions flow out while in the presence of his friend. "These people accepted you, a dragon! How amazing is that? I'm so happy for you." Zachary couldn't resist the urge to hug his friend, and he embraced the dragon with all his strength, feeling his body sink in the dragon's ample flesh.

Returning the leopard's embrace, Basajaun looked back to the people going about their business in the market. "I don't think I've ever been more terrified in my whole life," the drake admitted, "Even facing down that wildfire was better than that!"

"Oh, and don't think I forgot about you pulling my tail," the reptile said, glaring down at his friend, "You're going to owe me after that, you hear?"

Zachary looked up at Basajaun with the most apologetic and pleading expression he could muster, his eyes as wide as a kitten's. "B-But... it worked. I had to improvise, and the first thing that came to my mind was making them laugh..." the leopard explained, smiling a little, "That's the best weapon against fear; joy." Breaking the embrace, the feline broke his act as well, sighing and putting his paws on his hips.

"But I guess I owe you for that one, I'm sorry. I hope it didn't hurt that much." he said with a snicker, cooing a little to Basajaun, "What does the poor, unfortunate dragon want from his cruel assaulter, huh?" Not even waiting for the reptile's answer, Zachary broke into a fit of giggles, his teasing once again back in high gear.

Cocking his brow, Basajaun smiled at his friend's laughter. "Oh, there will be vengeance," the dragon stated in a low tone, his smile turning into a mischievous grin, "But not while you're expecting it. You have to let your guard down some time, little friend!" Patting Zachary's head, the drake didn't give any more information on his steadily forming plan for payback as he settled down at the edge of the tall grass.

Watching the marketplace from his position, Basajaun's expression became unreadable. He was still unsure of this most recent occurrence; being accepted by a civilized community. The suddenness of it was so surreal that the dragon couldn't help but wonder if he was somehow dreaming.

Yet as he spotted the group of children once more, Basajaun's face broke into a sincere smile as he watched them at play. They didn't see him as a monster; just an oddity, which had become less alien with their interactions. Feeling something wet travel down his snout, the dragon quickly wiped the tear away, looking to Zachary with his joyous expression still plastered to his face.

The leopard noticed the droplet of tear before the dragon was able to wipe it away and for moment, he felt concerned for his friend. That was immediately replaced with happiness as he saw the expression on Basajaun's face. He could see the utter relief and hopefulness in the reptile's big eyes.

"We've achieved something here that's unheard of on the other parts of the world, you know that right?" he asked with a smile, patting his friend's head, "And you made it possible. If it wasn't for your personality, we wouldn't have succeeded. You have every right to be proud of yourself, Basa." Zachary's eyes shifted to the anthros as they went about their day, seeing them look at the dragon with both curiousness and amazement. To his utter relief, he hadn't noticed one person whose eyes were full of fear or worry. This realization, more than anything, calmed the feline's heart immensely.

"Do you think," Basajaun hesitated a moment, looking to his friend before continuing, "They have room for us here?" The dragon looked to himself, and back to the town, knowing it was unlikely that the massive reptile would fit into village life, but he had to ask.

Zachary smiled at the dragon's question, thinking for a moment before answering. "I'm not sure, to be honest. We might have to ask Elder Eszes about that, I'm sure she could get us a place... or we just simply set out a camp somewhere near town, I have nothing against that either." The leopard replied, leaning against his friend's side and sighing as he felt the cushiony abdomen of the dragon press against his body.

Nodding, the dragon watched the market bustle for a moment. "We'd have to make ourselves useful, right?" Basajaun inquired, remembering the towns he had observed in the past, and when he would imagine what it was like to live there. He had considered civilization backwards and confusing most of his life, but now that the drake had a chance to experience it for himself, he couldn't help but wonder if he might be able to survive amongst anthros.

Zachary shrugged, looking at Basajaun with an unsure expression. "Depends on where we life, really..." The leopard hesitated for a moment to continue, not entirely sure if he should ask what he was about to.

"So, you want to live in this town, or only somewhere near it?" The thought of living in a town once again sent shivers up the leopard's smile, and he turned his head away, looking in the distance. Unpleasant memories tormented his mind, brought up by the particular subject. He knew it wouldn't be the same like in Boldrumton, yet he couldn't help but feel anxious about the possibility of living in a town.

Turning back to Zachary, the dragon nodded. "This, all of this," Basajaun gestured to the town and its people, "I don't know if another dragon has ever had an opportunity like this; to live among people like you. I...I have to try. Even if I just live nearby, rather than in the town itself. And it would mean that you would have the chance to live in a town where you weren't bullied and harassed. So, what do you say? Could you be happy here?"

"Yeah..." Zachary responded, still looking far in the distance, "You're right." He stood up suddenly, turning back to Basajaun with a smile on his muzzle. "Plainstead will be our new home, Basa." The leopard stated with a chuckle, glancing at the anthros which passed by them.

It was still strange to not get weird looks from others, Zachary being one who had to deal with those kind of reactions given his earlier status as a homeless. But as his eyes scanned the people, he saw no hate on their faces, no sorrow, no pity. They looked at him normally, as if he were simply one of them. That alone was able to convince the young feline to give the place a chance.

Basajaun heaved a sigh. "I just wish there were trees nearby," he muttered, looking to the endless sea of high grass that surrounded the town, "I don't know how well I'm going to be able to adjust to not having a canopy over my head."

Looking at his wings, the drake tried opening them again. This time able to spread his wings halfway before they started to feel sore, Basajaun nonetheless stretched them fully, feeling them burn for a moment before folding them once more. "I suppose it's a good thing we walked today," the dragon said as he rubbed his sore wings, "We might have never even noticed this place in the air."

Zachary laughed heartily, almost falling over in the grass. "You didn't look like you liked this place the first time we walked in!" the leopard said, wiping the tears of happiness from his eyes, "Only of my memory serves me right, of course. Correct me if I'm wrong." The leopard snickered, his tail swaying playfully behind him.

Clearing his throat loudly, Basajaun batted at the feline's swishing tail until he had it pinned under his paw. "I think I'd prefer if you didn't mention my little panic attack where others could hear you, thank you very much," he said, tugging playfully at Zachary's rear limb before releasing it, "I gave these people an awkward enough first impression as it is."

The leopard squealed a little as his tail was assaulted, rubbing it in his paws after retrieving it from the cruel dragon's grasp. "That's not a bad thing, Basa." He began, patting the reptile's head, "It showed these people that you were just like them; you have the same emotions, reactions, thoughts like these anthros, but they didn't know that. They needed to see it for themselves that you were just the same, otherwise they wouldn't have accepted you."

"I suppose so," Basajaun relented, looking back to the town for a moment.

After a while, the dragon stood. "Now that you're back in civilization," he started, patting Zachary's head, "Is there something you'd like to do? I'm entirely unaccustomed to this, so if you have suggestions, I'm open to them."

Zachary slowly turned towards Basajaun with a crooked smile, nodding eagerly. "You and I are going to celebrate a little."

Laughter, singing, drinking. The three holy bases of a normal inn, where the townsfolk come together after a hard day of working, letting themselves and their problems rot in the deepest places of their brain while being intoxicated. It was a very common event for everyone in a village, town, city to enjoy themselves at the closest place where any form of alcohol was purchasable. And it usually ended well, depending on the people who attended.

Unfortunately for Zachary, he wasn't given too many chances at getting used to the effects of this particular substance. He was quick to let everyone know as his voice grew just a little bit louder than normal, having only drank a single cup of wine.

"Come on Basjun... Basajaun, just a swig?" Zachary pleaded for probably the hundredth time, holding his cup for the dragon with a smile, "I told you we would celebrate, buddy. Don't leave me hangin' like that!" The leopard leaned over the table which he sat at, pushing the cup closer to his friend's muzzle.

A few anthros laughed at the scene as they watched from a different table, and more observers joined as they entered and exited the inn. Torches lighted the outside of the inn where the pair sat, their flickering flame playing shadows on the ground as they continued burning endlessly in the darkness of the night.

Shaking his head, Basajaun felt himself shrink a bit at the amount of attention that was being focused on the pair. "I've heard that alcohol affects one's behavior," the dragon said somewhat quietly as he watched his companion's speech and motions become affected by his drink, "I think my pride has taken quite enough hits today, thank you. Loosened inhibitions and forty foot dragons wouldn't mix well, I think."

"Nonsense!" Zachary replied with a chuckle, waving his paw, "It doesn't affect anything, right people?" The leopard turned towards the anthros which were around them, holding his cup high in the air.

A unison of yeses and nos followed, the anthros glancing confusedly at each other. Some of them were too busy stumbling their way inside the inn, others laughing at practically anything that was said.

The leopard turned back to his friend, giving him a nervous smile. "Okay, okay... you're right. It does affect your... uhm... behav-iour." Zachary took his sweet time uttering his last word, giving a prideful expression when he was able to compete the hard and demanding task.

"What else would you like to do, then?" the feline asked with a smile, not letting the consumed alcohol butcher his words this time around. He didn't want to appear like a drunken fool in front of his friend. "Are you hungry, or anything? We haven't eaten all day... now that I think about it."

For some reason, the dragon hadn't realized how empty his stomach was until Zachary pointed it out. Upon being noticed, Basajaun's middle emitted a loud rumble, which drew even more attention on to the drake. "I suppose I could eat," the dragon said, translating for his stomach, "But how are we going to get food? Trading again?"

Zachary nodded, gesturing to his cup of wine. "They said I could have as much as I wanted, only for the cost of a single deer hide. Lucky for us, we have another one." The leopard bent down, fiddling with his backpack a little before pulling out the other hide with a wide grin.

"There you go! That should cover everything." The feline announced with a chuckle, giving the hide to Basajaun before emptying his cup of wine. "Ooh, that was my last one..." A quiet burp followed his words, making Zachary laugh a little. With his cup emptied, the young anthro could feel himself getting a little tipsy as his body felt more warmer than before. He turned back to the dragon, pointing at the deer's hide.

"You can buy a lot of food from that, Basa. And since we're celebrating our new home, I think you could let yourself indulge a little as well." The feline suggested with a wink, his hint as obvious as the dark sky above their head.

Taking the hide from Zachary, the dragon nodded, standing and moving to the inn doors. The motion drew attention to him again, and Basajaun had to resist the urge to growl at each set of eyes that tracked him. 'I just have to get used to it,' the drake thought to himself as he reached the doors, which were just large enough for him to fit his head through.

Setting the deer hide on the floor, the reptile located the one in charge. "Um, excuse me," Basajaun said, getting the bartender's attention as politely as he could, "How much food will this get me?"

At first startled by the dragon's sudden appearance, the raccoon barkeep moved to the deer hide. "And here I heard that dragons had hoards of gold to spend," the raccoon muttered as he lifted the hide, appraising it for a moment.

"We don't get much deer hide out here," the barkeep stated, "Yes, I think this will do fine as payment. What were you looking to get?"

Shrugging, the dragon realized that his shoulders were still outside of the establishment, so the motion wasn't visible. "Er, whatever you think would be best?" Basajaun said uncertainly.

Nodding, the raccoon turned to the room behind the counter. "Hey, get this fine gentleman the Milk Drinker's Special!" he shouted, the female raccoon running the kitchen flashing a thumb's up before getting to work.

"My sister will bring your order out to you in a moment," the barkeep stated, "Thank you for your patronage."

Nodding, Basajaun made to back out of the inn, when his horns caught on the door. "Oops, just," rearranging himself, the dragon had to roll and contort himself to extricate his head without damaging any property, eventually escaping the confines of the entryway as several individuals began snickering drunkenly at the display.

Blushing as he scooted back to Zachary, the drake subconsciously positioned himself so that the leopard was between him and the majority of the inn's patrons.

Zachary's head rose from the table as he heard the dragon move about him, and he looked at his friend with a somewhat goofy expression. "I wasn't sleepin', just so you know!" He said, just now noticing the dragon's posture and the way he positioned himself.

"Basa," he began, putting a paw on the reptile's shoulder, "I know that it's str..." A paused followed as Zachary looked deep in thought, snapping his fingers when he found the right word. "Strange, but you have nothing to worry about. You'll get used to it." The leopard said with as much sincerity in his voice as he could muster in his current situation.

"And, what did you order?" he asked after pulling his paw from the dragon's scales, "Was the deer hide enough?"

The dragon nodded, trying to relax as he laid down next to the table. "I think so," he stated, looking down to Zachary, "They said something about a 'milk drinker special', though I'm not sure what that means. Apparently they'll bring it out when it's ready."

The drake's tail curled around his companion's seat as he waited. "I don't think I've ever had so much attention on me before," Basajaun said quietly, trying to ignore the eyes that were glued to him, "It's... more than a bit intimidating, to be honest. Call me silly if you must, but I can't seem to shake the desire to turn tail and sprint out of here every time I feel a new gaze on me." He didn't know how effective the leopard's comforting abilities were at the moment, but Basajaun still hoped that Zachary could help him calm down.

Zachary gave a warm smile and turned around his seat to give his friend an encouraging stroke. He would have succeeded as well, if it's wasn't for the dizziness which had been steadily increasing in his brain. Losing his balance, the leopard landed on the dragon's body rather ungracefully, eliciting a small laugh as he lay on Basajaun.

"Woops, sorry." he apologized between a burp and chuckling, then gathered all his strength to get a hold of himself. Standing up, Zachary made his way to the reptile's head and sat right down right next to him, leaning against his friend's neck.

"It's not silly, Basa. It's just a big change for you, I know it perfectly well how awful it is to get looks at you all the time." Zachary paused, sighing before continuing, "You'll adjust to it, though. I know you will. Just give it some time, and I promise you it'll get better." The leopard stroked the dragon's neck gingerly with his paw, giving him an encouraging smile. He was utterly surprised that he was able to give such a speech to his friend, given what state he was in at the moment.

At the leopard's words, Basajaun wrapped his wing around the smaller creature, giving his friend a gentle hug. "Thanks, I needed to hear that," the drake admitted, feeling comforted from Zachary's contact as well.

"If you feel like staying where you are, I wouldn't mind," Basajaun said with a mildly pleading tone, lightly clinging to the leopard, not wanting to let his companion go.

Zachary nodded, almost causing his head to touch the ground as he struggled to control his movements properly. "Sure! I can sthay!" He announced with a giggle, snuggling himself in the dragon's wing tightly. Once he was completely enveloped in his friend's embrace, the leopard let out a sigh of absolute contentment.

"Y'know, I'd take your wing over any blanket," The leopard said, then pointed at the dragon's middle with an uncertain paw, "And I would take that over any bed, to be completely honest witcha." With his little confession out of his way, Zachary went back to snuggling against Basajaun, enjoying the reptile's warmth and comfort immensely while a goofy smile spread across his muzzle.

Remembering how embarrassed the leopard had been when admitting his feelings about corpulence to the dragon, Basajaun shushed Zachary by covering him with his wing, not wanting him to humiliate himself in front of everyone while intoxicated. The drake didn't know exactly why the feelings had been embarrassing, but he was reasonably sure Zachary wouldn't be this forward about them in public while sober.

Glancing around, Basajaun was relieved when no one was near enough to hear his friend's impromptu confession. As he looked, the dragon spotted the pair of raccoons that ran the inn wheeling a large cart towards him, the trolley covered by a tarp.

"Your Milk Drinker's Special," the female raccoon said, pulling the tarp back to reveal a whole roasted cow, "I hope you two enjoy your meal!"

"Er, thank you," Basajaun said as the pair retreated back into the inn, looking at the cow with a salivating mouth as its scent reached him. "I've never had cattle meat before," the dragon stated to no one in particular, pulling the cart closer with his tail.

Zachary jumped up instantly once the word 'cattle' left the dragon's mouth, almost as if he had been bitten by a bug of some sort. "Food!" The leopard exclaimed with a laugh, quickly rushing to the cart's side and taking a big enough chunk that would fill him completely, and completely ignoring the rest of the heavy dinner.

As his mouth filled with the delicious dish, the feline moaned in bliss, feeling the cow's meat and the spices combined caress his tastebuds. "Dis really good!" The young anthro announced with a full mouth, turning towards his friend with a joyful expression. "Basa, you have to try this, now!" He said to the dragon, his teeth going back to their work of tearing the cow's ample flesh as Zachary continued his dinner.

Reaching his snout over to the cow, Basajaun took a tentative bite from the meat, chewing thoughtfully. The explosion of flavor that hit him nearly left the dragon stunned, and he almost forgot that he had to swallow the food in his mouth if he wanted it to fill him.

Looking to Zachary, the cow, and then the crowd around them, Basajaun almost couldn't resist asking the leopard to feed the meal to him. Not wanting to cause a scene, however, the dragon simply ate on his own, nodding in agreement with Zachary's opinion of the meat.

Licking his fingers clean after finishing with his puny dinner, Zachary leaned back on his back, putting one of his paws on his middle. "That... was... so del..ici... whatever, you get the idea." The leopard giggled at his inability to talk properly, almost breaking into a fit of laughter as the intensity of his giggling increased steadily. He had no idea what he was laughing about, and he didn't care.

"That's the kinda food you can eat if we settle down here, Basa. Quite convincin', isn't it?" Zachary inquired, rising once again from the ground, and leaning almost without a stop further so his head landed between his legs. He let out a muffled giggle as his face was buried in the grass. There must have been something really funny there.

Watching his friend, the dragon almost choked as he started laughing along with him. "Zachary, what are you doing?" Basajaun asked, once he managed to swallow the beef that had gotten stuck in his throat. 'Is this what alcohol does to you?' the dragon wondered as he helped his companion sit upright.

"I was merely observing the fine substance of this particular plant called grass." The leopard replied, speaking faster than he normally would to the fact that it almost sounded like chanting... As if noticing himself, Zachary once again chuckled, trying to stand up. The scene was a sight to behold, to say the least.

First, the feline rose on all fours, then immediately collapsed on the ground once more. For the second try, he tried simply pushing himself up with his forepaws, and for a fraction of a second, his method looked like it would work. Only if it wasn't for gravity, which unforgivingly sent the leopard back the way he came from, the only difference being that he deadened his fall with his face instead of his forepaws.

He remained in that position for some seconds before finally deciding to use Basajaun's body as something to lean on. Once he was on his feet, Zachary held up his finger. "I had no doubts that I could dho dis." He then leaned to the dragon's ear, whispering. "Thanks for the ass..tin... help, buddy." Patting the dragon's side appreciatively, Zachary leaned against the food cart on the opposite side of where Basajaun was, using his forepaws as supports for his ever-increasingly heavy head.

"Sho, how's that pork... cattle uhm... beef thaste?" He inquired with a smile, gesturing with his paws at the whole cow deliciousness, almost swatting the dragon's snout in the process.

Snorting involuntarily at the impact, Basajaun left the cattle alone for a moment. "Zach, I think you need to lay down," the dragon said after a moment, "You're acting strange."

"But I just got up!" The leopard replied with a hurt tone, feeling utterly and absolutely disgraced to go back to his earlier position.

Heaving a sigh, Basajaun decided to take control of the situation. Wrapping his tail around Zachary and lifting the leopard up gently, the dragon took the rest of the cow in his mouth and began moving to the town's edge once more.

The leopard struggled and giggled in the dragon's secure grasp, his body completely numb as he simply let himself be carried. The fresh air quickly did wonders to his brain, and the decrease of other anthros chatter and laughter forced Zachary to calm somewhat.

"Sorry, Juan... Basajuan..." The feline snickered at his joke, patting the dragon's tail to join in his fun. When no response came, the leopard remained silent for a while, mumbling something very important and vital incoherently under his breath.

"Just... sorry. Don't lhet me ever get drink... drunk aghain, aight?" The feline asked quietly. Despite his inability to talk properly, his tone said that he was sincere, and was quite ashamed of himself for acting like that around his friend.

Settling himself down at the edge of the grass, Basajaun made to set his friend down when he spotted Elder Eszes and the rhino from earlier approaching. Taking the cow out of his mouth, the dragon greeted, "Hello again, Esmeralda."

Looking between the limp form in the dragon's tail and Basajaun's face, the owl cocked her head. "So you two were at the inn," Esmeralda stated, folding her taloned arms across her chest, "I'd heard our guests were starting to make a scene."

Unsure how to respond, Basajaun merely nodded. "Is this where you were planning to sleep tonight?" the rhino asked, cutting the dragon off as he was about to speak.

Basajaun nodded. "I don't think there's room for me at your inn," he said with a smirk.

"Perhaps not; but there is at the stables," Esmeralda stated, beckoning to the dragon, "That's what I came here for, to offer you a roof over your heads."

"We weren't causing any scene," the leopard spoke up from the dragon's tail, holding up his finger high in the air before letting it fall on his head slowly, "I was causing a scene. Basa whas merely... er... y'know... there." Letting his arms fall freely in the air once again, Zachary retreated to being a limp body. He couldn't really be anything else at the moment.

"Thanks for the sthables, we'll thake it..." He replied, his words barely understandable as his head was buried in the reptile's tail. "I apol-ogo... sorry, Esmeralda."

Waving her hand dismissively, the owl simply lead the pair to the empty stables at the edge of town. "Here, this should be comfortable for you two," Esmeralda said, opening the large gate into the building, "I took the liberty of setting up a bed for your leopard friend."

Said leopard gave an uncertain thumb's up, with his head still hanging low as he was carried in the dragon's tail.

"And feel free to use the hay, Basajaun," Esmeralda concluded as the dragon entered the stables, "I'd offer you a bed as well, but we didn't have anything in your size." With a cheeky grin, the old woman bid the pair goodnight, before leaving them alone.

Setting Zachary down on the mattress, Basajaun began taking the hay bales around the stables and using the hay to make a nest for himself, still holding the cow in his jaws.

Zachary lay on the bed for a few moments, then sat up with an annoyed huff. "Dis bhed is uncom--fortable." The leopard announced, looking around in utter panic for his real bed. His hazy gaze eventually settled on Basajaun, watching for a few moments as the dragon decided to walk his pet hay around the stables. Giggling a little at the thought, the leopard cleared his throat to get attention.

"Basa... would it be too much to ask if I chould sleep next to yhou, or y'know... like yesterday." Zachary asked with a pleading tone, swatting at the mattress beneath him as if it were a cruel enemy of some sort.

"B-But you don't have to, if you don't want that. I ghuess this can do for tonight... it's still better than the streets." There was something about Zachary's voice that sounded off as he finished his sentence, and he stared at the ground numbly for long moments.

Finishing with his bedding, Basajaun looked over to the sulking leopard. "Are you sure you wouldn't fall off of me?" the dragon asked, holding the cow in a forelimb, "You aren't exactly your usual coordinated self."

"I s'pose you're right..." Zachary replied, still staring at the ground with an unreadable expression, "I'll just sleep 'ere." The leopard finally tore his eyes away from the highly intriguing substance called dirt, and turned his back towards Basajaun, curling up in his usual sleeping position.

"Sorry... for the crappy night, Basa." The leopard apologized for the second time tonight, his tail curling around his body protectively as his ears lowered against his head tightly.

Finishing setting his bedding up next to Zachary's mattress, Basajaun settled down beside his friend, draping his wing over the leopard's body. "It's alright, Zach," the drake said in a comforting tone, before taking the opportunity to resume eating his dinner quickly, not wanting the beef to become contaminated by the hay he was sleeping on.

After a few seconds of resistance, Zachary finally allowed himself to snuggle against his friend's wing, eliciting a quiet and continuous purr. He turned himself around so he was facing Basajaun, using one of his arms as a support for his head as he observed the reptile.

"I don't think... that I'll drink for a long while," the feline said, shaking his head a little, "I can't... uhm.. take it, I guess." Watching carefully as the dragon ate, the leopard couldn't help but smile a little as he noticed how fast the cow was disappearing in Basajaun's mouth. "Will that be enough for you?"

Basajaun nodded. "It's more than I'd have usually eaten, before I met you," the dragon said, smiling to Zachary between mouthfuls, "I just won't be as full as I am after our little sessions together. Besides, I can't really eat much more than this on my own."

Zachary raised an eyebrow at the comment. "So... if it wasn't for me feeding you, you wouldn't have been able to finish yesterday's dinner?" The leopard inquired, looking quite bit better, having sobered out a little as time passed.

"I guess I really am the reason for your... uhm..." he pointed a finger at the dragon's middle, his gaze remaining on the pudgy belly as he continued, "Recent changes, per say."

Basajaun's smile became somewhat shy at the leopard's words. "I suppose you are," he said, "But that isn't a bad thing, right, Zach?" The reptile winked as he finished off the last of his dinner, surprised to find that he didn't feel as full as he had expected to be, despite the moderate distension the meal had given to his middle.

The leopard shook his head and slowly wormed his way closer to the dragon, putting a paw on Basajaun's merely bloated belly and giving it a gentle stroke. "No, it absolutely isn't." He admitted with a wink of his own, his paw remaining on the reptile's midriff as he continued massaging the soft surface, finding it almost impossible to not do so.

Purring deeply, Basajaun nuzzled the feline's arm as he was massaged. "I have to admit; I'm a little disappointed that we didn't have the opportunity for a larger feeding session today," the drake stated, rubbing his midriff, "Perhaps now that we have somewhere private, you might indulge us both tomorrow?"

The leopard nodded with a smile, his paw never leaving the dragon's belly. "I'll have all day to hunt tomorrow, since we don't have to worry about traveling farther. I could get you some more deer, I suppose. And from the hide I can buy more food as well, if you'd like. I'm sure they have sweet rolls here, as well as more from this delicious cattle." He proposed with a grin, pinching some of the dragon's flab gently in his paws.

As he continued the dragon's belly massage, a thought crossed Zachary's mind. Basajaun had been gaining weight since they started traveling, and he did so while flying all day. The feline could only wonder how dramatically would the reptile's weight gaining increase, now that he wasn't forced to do all that exercise every day. For some reason, the thought only made Zachary more eager for tomorrow's next feeding session with Basajaun.

With his mind on the pair's feeding rituals, Basajaun's face suddenly fell as he remembered something. "Actually Zach, we have our arrangement with Elder Eszes to consider as well," the dragon said, "If I wind up getting too...large before we try taking down Izom, it'll make staying hidden dangerously challenging."

The leopard considered Basajaun's words for a few moments, sighing in disappointment. "Yeah... that's true." he admitted, then patted the dragon's stomach while smiling, "But that doesn't mean we have to stop completely, right? I just need to... decrease your portion a little until Izom is out of the picture. And once we're done with that, we can go back to increasing your portions again. How does that sound?" He proposed with a smile, giving a playful wink to his friend.

Grinning back, Basajaun nodded. "That works for me," he stated, looking out to the sky beyond the stable doors, "I suppose we should get to work preparing for the plan tomorrow, then. The sooner we get Izom dealt with, the sooner you and I can get back to enjoying ourselves!"

Zachary gave a playful shove on the dragon's shoulder, grinning widely. "That's the spirit! We'll get rid of that bloke and then celebrate with the people of Plainstead. Heh, perhaps they will give you unlimited access to their food stash for helping them!" The leopard joked, yawning long as he slowly felt himself getting tired.

Basajaun laughed at that thought. "I think that would be a poor choice on their part; you might wind up stuffing it all into me in one day!" he pushed back gently on Zachary's arm, careful not to hurt the feline as he smiled to his friend, nuzzling his chest.

Zachary shrugged, looking away innocently. "I just might. But you're the one who gave me the idea, so you can't blame me for being tempted to try it." He admitted with a smile, slowly slithering off his mattress like a snake and landing gently by his friend's side.

"I hope you don't mind," The leopard continued, snuggling himself tightly against his friend's ample abdomen, "But I can't sleep peacefully without my favourite cushion." Teasing, how typical from this particular feline.

"Not at all," Basajaun replied, cuddling the leopard against him. Laying his head down on the hay, the dragon sighed peacefully, "Good night, Zachary."

"G'night, Basa." Followed the reply soon after, the feline's voice barely a whisper as he relaxed completely into the dragon's supple flesh. He purred happily as they lay together in completely silence, not even a single cricket disturbing the serene scene.

"Just let my son live!"

Zachary opened his eyes slowly, groaning a little as he could feel the slight hangover from yesterday's drinking. He attempted to sit up, only to be blocked by Basajaun's whole body as the drake peacefully slept away, snoring quietly and letting out an annoyed grunt when the leopard tried to make another move, which only made Zachary smile wide at his friend's reaction. His smile soon faded, however, as his thoughts slowly drifted to his dream.

'Why do I keep dreaming about this?' The young anthro asked from himself, trying to look for any answers that would help him in understanding his dreams... 'Is it really a dream, though? It feels so real, every time I have it.' the feline continued his inner investigation, finally settling on figuring it out once he was done with his bigger problems.

Attempting to lift himself up, Zachary pushed a little against the dragon's belly, feeling his paw sink in just a little bit deeper than he remembered. Blinking in disbelief, the leopard gave an experimental squeeze at the reptile's pudgy middle.

"Yup, that definitely wasn't there." The anthro examined with both curiousness and amazement. Given that Basajaun only ate a cow last night, the after effects were rather impressive. It wasn't as much as earlier, but it was obviously a couple of pounds of extra weight on the dragon's body.

As Zachary kneaded the newfound flesh in his paws, he unintentionally let out a somewhat loud purr at feeling of the flab between his fingers. Somehow seeing his friend expand day by day was fascinating for the leopard, and he couldn't help but relish and caress every extra inch of pudge on the reptile's already well-fed frame.

Starting to giggle softly at the ticklish sensation, Basajaun opened his eyes and looked down to its cause. "Well, good morning to you too, Zachary," the dragon said with a smile, noticing the same thing that the leopard had, "I see you've found something extra to play with. Having fun with that?"

Zachary nodded, giving a playful pinch on the dragon's newly softened middle. "I think you already know the answer to that," he replied with a somewhat shy smile, "I just can't help it... it's so... soft." Burying his entire body in Basajaun's flab, Zachary let out a sigh of utter comfort, stroking the pudgy flesh with his paws gingerly.

Letting the leopard enjoy himself for a moment, the dragon patted his friend's head. "Come on, we'll have more time for that later," Basajaun insisted as he stood, "For now we have a job to prepare for."

"Spoilsport." Zachary commented with a chuckle, getting up as well and following behind the dragon as they exited the stable.

At first, the sun's unforgiving rays assaulted the leopard's eyes, forcing him to close them for a few moments while waving his paw against the source of his current discomfort. Naturally, the sun wasn't the least bit concerned about Zachary's complaints, and kept attacking the feline's eyes with endless determination.

After a few minutes, the leopard's eyes adjusted to the light, and he quickly caught up with Basajaun as they made their way towards the centre of the town. "I have no idea where we are going, just so you know." Zachary stated with an unsure tone, glancing around him, hoping to spot either Esmeralda or Boris for help.

"I thought we'd just see how well I could hide in tall grass this morning," Basajaun stated as he moved to the plants in question, "Like we discussed yesterday. I would like to see how well I do, so if you could give me a moment to hide, then come looking for me, I'd be grateful."

Zachary blinked, looking a little confused. "We did? Sorry, my memory about yesterday is kind of hazy, to be honest." the leopard admitted, rubbing the back of his head embarrassingly. He then nodded at the idea, a sense of playfulness filling his body.

"But I guess a little hide and seek in the morning is good way to spend your time." Patting the dragon's side, Zachary gave a challenging smile. "You go ahead and try to hide, I'll find your green butt in no time!"

Basajaun smiled at the leopard's challenge. "Then the game as afoot!" the drake announced, laughing heartily as he bounded off into the grass, suddenly becoming silent moments later as he situated himself in a good place. Taking a deep breath, the reptile concentrated on the movement of the wind, falling into a rocking rhythm that soon had Basajaun melting into the environment. "All right!" the dragon called out, "See if you can find me!"

The leopard's sensitive ears picked up on the dragon's voice, and he quickly jumped in the tall grass as well, trying to locate the exact place where the sound had come from. He crouched low, trying to make the least amount of sound while he looked for Basajaun in the maze of long grass.

Zachary's ears endlessly twitched in every possible direction, paying close attention to the sound grass as is swayed back and forth in the light breeze, but heard nothing more than that. He knew the dragon was an expert when it came to stealth, but he didn't expect him to disappear completely from the face of the earth just in a few seconds.

Giving up on listening, the feline tried utilizing his nose, hoping to catch the reptile's distinct scent. The idea would have worked as well, if it wasn't for the other strong fragrances which belonged to the anthros of the town. Zachary snorted in amusement, smiling a little at his friend's ability to practically become undetectable.

The hide and seek continued for a long time, with the leopard not wanting to give up on finding the sneaky dragon, and with Basajaun enjoying the feeling of staying invisible for all of Zachary's senses. Their little game slowly turned into hours long serious competition between the two, and they didn't even notice how fast time was advancing. The sun was high in the air, indicating that it was around noon. That's half of the day gone just by playing hide and seek.

"Alr-ight... Basa... I give up!" The leopard called out with all his leftover voice, panting hard for having ran a couple of miles while searching for the stealthy reptile. "I'm done... you don't have to worry about anyone finding you!" Making his way out of the long grass, Zachary sat down with a grunt, massaging his sore legs and groaning in discomfort. He really wasn't built for long-distance running.

Emerging from the grass a few moments after the leopard, Basajaun couldn't keep the smug grin off of his snout. "Here I was worried that my extra heft would impede my ability to remain hidden," he said with more than a hint of self-satisfaction, before noticing Zachary's soreness.

Sitting himself next to his friend, Basajaun gave the leopard a look of sincere concern. "Thank you for helping me," the dragon said, "Are you alright? You look tired."

Zachary gave a thumb's up with a paw while the other rubbed his legs, and he hissed a little at the unpleasant feeling. "Yeah... just sore legs, nothing big." The leopard replied with a somewhat forced smile.

Patting the dragon's shoulder, the leopard chuckled a little. "I guess you won the challenge, huh? I seriously thought you simply buried yourself underground! You were practically invisible, even though this isn't your natural environment. I gotta admit, that's impressive."

His grin returning at the compliment, Basajaun nodded. "I suppose that means I'm ready for the plan," he stated, "How about you though? Do you think you need to prepare more?"

Zachary shook his head with a grin on his muzzle. "Nah, I've had enough practice with the guards of Boldrumton my whole life..." As if reminded of something by his own words, the leopard's body stiffened. He remained silent for a while, staring in front of himself with an unreadable expression.

"Basa," he began after a few moments of silence, "Do you think we're far enough from Boldrum and his men?" The feline asked, his tone holding an unusual seriousness which was not expected from him.

Considering for a moment, Basajaun nodded. "He'll be searching the forest we left thoroughly," the dragon reasoned, "But we left in a straight line, more or less. By my figuring, it'll take him a few weeks to comb that entire woodlands, and that's if he doesn't give up after our trail goes cold. Honestly, I think we're fine here, Zach." Putting his wing around the leopard, Basajaun gave him a reassuring smile, this time getting the expression right.

"I really hope you're right..." Zachary pulled the dragon's comforting wing closer to his body, as if it was able to protect him from all the cruel things in the world. The leopard knew Basajaun was probably right, but simply the thought of Boldrum finding them was able to send shivers up the feline's spine. He really didn't want to go back to that place.

Shaking the thoughts of his head swiftly, the leopard stood up, clenching his teeth a tiny bit once he felt his legs burn with soreness. He could only guess how much pain his friend was in after he had flown for two days straight.

"Come, Basa," Zachary invited with a smile, beckoning with his head for the dragon to follow, "Let's get to know Plainstead a little."

The rest of the day was spent relaxing. Reassured of his ability to remain hidden in grasslands, Basajaun's mood improved greatly, and he was even able to get to know a few of the townspeople without feeling too anxious. The children of the town were still enamoured with their draconic guest, and would often spend time around or even on the dragon, sometimes without giving the poor drake any warning first.

Basajaun eventually had the idea of getting his harness replaced by a real saddle, supplying the leatherworkers with the hides he and Zach had gathered. By leaving the original harness with the workers, they were able to come up with a better design that would be more comfortable for mount and rider both.

The days practically rushed by as Zachary and Basajaun grew more accustomed to Plainstead and its people. The leopard felt on top of the world most of the time he was awake, talking continuously of how happy he was with everything at the moment. He also got to know a great number of people as well, which provided him much needed company outside of his only friend.

Just as anxious at first as the reptile, the feline slowly got used to being able to talk with others of his kind without feeling like he was back in Boldrumton. The entire situation was completely different from his old life, and Zachary relished every moment of it, getting to know as many other anthros as he possibly could. Townsfolk actually started calling him for nights to spend at the inn, and the leopard was happy to take up on the offer every time, most of the time dragging Basajaun with him as well. But keeping true to his promise, he didn't drink anymore, rather enjoyed the company of the kind anthros while sober.

While the dragon came up with the idea of a new saddle, Zachary was quick to follow with his own wishes. Boris, who had become particularly close to the young anthro, was eager to help the leopard on that matter. The handy rhinoceros crafted a quiver for Zachary, which left the leopard explode with joy and appreciation the first time he got his hands on his gift. Boris also made some enhancements on his bow, increasing its precision and making the handling of the bony weapon even easier than before. The enthusiastic archer must have spent a whole day shooting at targets on that day. All these changes ensured the feline that there wouldn't be any complications with the upcoming plan as the day of the bandits' visit drew closer.

As the days passed, Basajaun made sure to hunt for the smaller deer that lived in the grasslands, doing so more to prepare for the day that his stealth was needed than for the deer meat itself. Still, the hunting provided Zachary and Basajaun with a means of trade, which allowed them to acquire both necessities and niceties.

Included in the latter was Basajaun's large nightly dinner, which he and Zachary would retreat to the stables to enjoy together. Though smaller than the meals that Basajaun had been fed while travelling, they were still more than satisfying, and the dragon steadily gained additional pudge for his feeder friend to enjoy.

"I wouldn't have thought that this bow could get any better," Zachary stated, sending another arrow at his temporary training dummy which he placed at the end of the stables. The arrow flew through the air with great speed, landing in the exact same spot where all the other five or so arrows were. The leopard smiled widely. "But I guess I was wrong, Boris is amazing!"

Drawing another arrow from the quiver which was on his back, the feline shot without aiming too much, hitting the target perfectly once again. The now seven arrows bunched up in the dummy's left shoulder, the spot where the leopard intended to shoot Izom. The operation was tomorrow, and the leopard took all his time on the last day to practice his shooting. Fortunately, it looked like the extra exercise wasn't all that necessary.

With a smirk on his muzzle, Zachary walked to retrieve his arrows from the target, placing them back in his quiver. "And," he began, turning to the dragon who lay just some distance away on his bed of hay, "Are you ready for tomorrow, Basa?"

Nodding, Basajaun watched as the leopard retrieved his arrows. "I'm as prepared as I'll ever be," he insisted, looking out to the dusky light of the setting sun, "I just hope everything goes according to plan."

"It will as long as you do what you've been doing," Esmeralda's voice suddenly replied from the stable doors as she entered. The old owl seemed to have a new spring in her step as she moved, the cane she carried bearing less of her weight than in recent years. "But I thought I'd come by and ask anyhow; are you two absolutely sure you're ready? There are no second chances here."

Zachary shot another arrow at his target, this time hitting it perfectly between its imaginary eyes. "Yeah, I think we are." He replied with a small chuckle, turning to Esmeralda in a single and swift motion.

"Is everyone else in the town informed of our plan? I wouldn't want any of them to run around confusedly and get hurt somehow." Zachary inquired, waving his finger in the air as if scolding the much older and wiser anthro.

Cocking her head, Esmeralda gave the leopard an incredulous look. "What do you think I've been doing for the past four and a half days, boy?" the owl asked with a tone of mock annoyance, "I'm old, but not senile yet. Believe me, if I was, the entire town would be up in smoke than less than an hour."

Blinking at that claim, Basajaun gave the Elder an odd look, but didn't comment on it. "Just make sure no one is around to get under my feet tomorrow," the dragon said, "And I mean that literally."

Zachary laughed at his friend's comment, waving a paw at the elder. "I was just asking, Elder Eszes. We want this plan to be a success just as much as you do." he said with a smile, putting his bow and arrows down on his bed, "We've come to enjoy the town, believe it or not." Zachary winked at Basajaun, "And we really care what happens to the people here. You don't even know how happy your people have made us two, just for being accepted." The leopard bid his head appreciatively towards the owl with a sincere expression on his face.

Nodding, the Elder gave the pair an eager smile. "Well then, I'll leave you two to rest for tomorrow," Esmeralda said, "Remember, even though Boris and I will be backing you up, this plan is counting on you two to succeed. Try not to let us down!" Without waiting for a response, the owl turned and left, humming a tune in beat with her steps.

Basajaun smiled, shaking his head. "She is an odd one, isn't she?" the dragon mused, looking to his friend.

"Tell me about it..." The leopard replied somewhat quietly, remembering the blue spark which danced between the owl's feathers just some days ago. It seemed like Esmeralda had a few secrets of her own, that much was certain.

"So," the leopard began, stretching his back until it crackled satisfyingly, "How does dinner sound? I'm kinda hungry, to be honest." The feline shot a glance at the dragon's chubby belly, which hung even lower now than it did before. "I'm sure you wouldn't mind it either." He teased with a goofy smile, giving a playful wink to Basajaun.

Standing up and stretching, Basajaun felt his middle press against the ground for a moment before he straightened once more. "Absolutely!" the dragon said eagerly, taking enough of the hides that had become their currency to buy food for the pair, "Let's see what Rusty and Rosy have for us today, shall we?"

Nodding, Zachary gave a pat on the dragon's ample side. "Alright." The two friends left the stables and made their way towards the inn which had become their favourite place to go in Plainstead. The walk was short, and the two racoon siblings always greeted them and their precious deer hides with a wide smile.

A few anthros cheered when Zachary entered the inn, holding up their cups and greeting the young leopard in unison. The feline laughed and returned the gesture with a wide smile on his face. No matter how much time passed, he knew he would never get tired of the love of the people here.

After shaking paws with a few already intoxicated acquaintances, Zachary wormed his way to the counter, holding up a paw at Rusty. "Hey there! Busy night, huh?"

Rusty gave a wide grin as he carried several bottles to the counter. "Everyone's looking forward to your success tomorrow," the raccoon stated, "They all have faith that you'll succeed. Honestly, I haven't seen so many smiling faces in years."

"That's right," Rosy called out from the back room, "And you can count us in with the believers! I can't imagine how much business we're going to get tomorrow night!"

"Yeah... me neither." Zachary replied with a nervous chuckle, suddenly feeling the pressure on his shoulders. Coughing, the leopard quickly recollected himself.

"So, what can you offer for my dragon friend tonight?" He asked with a wide smile, winking at Rusty, "He's quite famished, as you probably could guess by now."

Rusty nodded with a laugh. "We've just got in some hogs and a cow," he reported, gesturing back to the room his sister was cooking in, "Along with standard fare, so you've got a wide selection tonight. Go ahead, first order's on the house tonight. You two are going to need it!"

Zachary gave a surprised expression, looking at Rusty with a mischievous smile. "In that case, we'll take a Boar Buffet and a Milk Drinker's special." He announced, giving an appreciative pat on Rusty's shoulder.

With their order up and preparing, the leopard slowly slalomed his way through the drunken anthros, heaving a big sigh once the fresh air was available to him again. Searching for a second for his friend, Zachary spotted the dragon lying at their favourite table. He made his way towards the reptile with a grin on his face, sitting down on the bench.

"We got an extra order from Rusty, so I ordered two dishes." Zachary announced, looking at Basajaun with a playful expression, "I hope you don't mind."

Shaking his head, Basajaun smiled. "Never a bad thing!" he stated, looking out to the people around them, "Everyone seems so hopeful tonight. I hope we can live up to that." Pausing for a moment in thought, the dragon shook his head. "Ah well, no time for such thoughts," he said, looking back to Zachary, "Tonight, we just relax, right?"

Zachary nodded with a laugh, patting his friend's head. "Yeah, we'll leave the worrying for tomorrow, as well as the celebration once Izom is out of the picture." Winking at Basajaun, the leopard looked quite sure of himself, despite what most people would act in similar scenarios. The plan was set, everyone was ready, and Izom didn't suspect anything. Their operation was a guaranteed success as long as everyone did their part correctly, so there was nothing to worry about.

It didn't take that long for the two heavy orders to arrive at the pair's side. Rosy gave the two friends a wink as she left them with their dinner. Looking at the delicious food in front of him, Zachary had to suppress his drooling from the sight.

"Wanna eat this back in the stables?" He asked in a playful tone, his gaze fixated on the upcoming feast.

Nodding eagerly, Basajaun stood. "If you'd indulge me, then yes," the dragon said with a subtle wink and a much less subtle grin.

A few minutes later, the pair was once again in their temporary lodging. Setting the meals on the large table that had been installed, Basajaun gave his friend an eager grin. "It's been awhile since we've had a meal this big," the dragon stated, licking his muzzle in anticipation, "Want to see if I can still fit as much as I could a few days ago?"

"You can probably guess the answer to that question, Basa." Zachary replied with a laugh, his tail swaying behind him in anticipation as well. Grabbing his own puny dinner in his paws first, the leopard began eating with gusto, both enjoying the taste of the dish and eager to start their feeding session with Basajaun.

He picked some from both the boar and the cow meat, munching happily and purring at the distinct taste. Rosy was a magician when it came to cooking, and Zachary was quick to realize this trait of hers as he continued going back in the inn for their dinners. He still liked the simple roasted venison which he had gotten used to, but nothing could beat a professional chef when it came to culinary enjoyment.

Burping loudly as he finished with the food, the leopard turned to his friend with a grin, gesturing with his paw for Basajaun to settle down near the food. "Your turn, Basa. I hope you haven't lost your appetite over the days!"

Chuckling, Basajaun shook his head as he rolled onto his back beside the table. "Bring it on," the dragon challenged grinningly, "Let's see if I can still hold all of this without begging for mercy, eh?"

Without bothering to give a proper reply, Zachary swiftly, but gently shoved an enormous sized chunk of venison in the dragon's open mouth. Laughing, which sounded nearly devilish, the leopard gave a mischievous glance to his friend.

"Sorry, I just couldn't let the opportunity slip by!" He apologized, although his tone held not much sincerity to it at the moment. It was quite obvious that the feeder feline enjoyed helping the reptile indulge whenever it was possible.

With the first mouthful of meat already on its way into the dragon's sizeable stomach, the leopard slowly started the usual action he did while feeding the eager dragon. His paw slowly reached out to begin working on Basajaun's soft middle. As always, the feline's delicate paw stroked the pudgy flesh gingerly, and as a result, Zachary elicited a quiet purr at the feeling of holding the ample flab between his fingers. He could actually feel the extra poundage as he kneaded the dragon's fatty middle, and he almost made a comment on it, but decided against it, simply wanting to enjoy the experience as much as he could without anything to disturb him.

With his usual gusto, Basajaun gulped down each mouthful as it came. He joined Zachary in his almost reverent silence, allowing the bliss of the moment to quickly overtake the pair as they did what they enjoyed most. Enthusiastically wolfing down the pork and beef, Basajaun rubbed his steadily swelling stomach as it grew, his muzzle not remaining empty long before each additional mouthful came.

Not having had the opportunity to enjoy their little ritual for some days, the pair quickly got lost in the pleasant moment, almost to the point of being hypnotised. Zachary had realized some time ago that he wanted nothing more than to stuff the voracious dragon with as much food as possible, and by the way things were going, the dragon must have shared this mentality with him to the fullest. He could only wonder where this experience would advance once they were done with Izom. The thought alone was able to encourage the leopard to increase the rate of the feeding, placing the delicious meat in Basajaun's mouth at every given chance. The feeling of the reptile's stomach slowly swelling beneath his paw only made the experience more satisfying.

As expected, the dinner was quickly transported to its new home to be digested later. The leopard was so lost in feeding that he didn't even notice how quickly the food was disappearing. He was only able to snap out of his trance when he went to grab more meat from the dinner, only to find himself grabbing at the air.

Glancing behind him, the feline could only blink in surprise. "Well, that was... fast." he stated with a somewhat disappointed tone, turning back to look at his friend's midriff. It was obviously more rounded than normally, but it was not as noticeable anymore, given the fair amount of fat which coated his body now.

Heaving a sigh that was a mix of surprise and satisfaction, Basajaun looked from the now-empty table to his stomach. "You mean that's it?" the dragon said, feeling a confusing mix of disappointment and contentment, "Well, looks like I haven't lost my capacity after all."

Giving the leopard a smile, Basajaun patted his middle appreciatively. "Ah well, at least this doesn't run out," the drake said, pinching his own softness to indicate what he meant, "That'd be a real disappointment!"

Zachary blinked for a few seconds before a wide smile appeared on his muzzle, almost splitting his head into two. "I knew you would learn to enjoy as much as I do!" The leopard admitted, letting both of his soft paws explore the curves of the dragon's chubby middle.

"And it's not going to run out," the feline winked, pinching the pudge between his fingers tenderly, "It's only going to increase, if you keep that appetite up! I'm actually surprised to see how much extra... heft you've gained over the past days, given that we agreed on restricting your portion."

With a smiling nod, Basajaun considered his steady increase in weight. "You'd think that if I had this kind of metabolism my whole life, I'd have been this hefty when we met," the dragon thought aloud as he felt his gut curiously, "I wonder what changed?"

Zachary shrugged, giving an uncertain expression. "Well, I suppose it has to do with my appearance in your life." the leopard mused, his paw still stroking the dragon's gut, "You've started putting on weight after we met, so I guess it's logical to assume that I'm the reason behind it. But," Hugging as much flabby flesh as he could with both of his arms, the feline grinned widely, "I don't see that as a problem, if that wasn't clear enough yet!"

Giggling at the feeling, Basajaun used his wings to hug Zachary back. "As long as it doesn't interfere with hunting, I don't see it as a problem either," the dragon said with an honest smile.

For a long while, the pair simply embraced, enjoying Basajaun's softness together. "I think we'd better call it a night," the drake said after a few minutes, "We should be well rested for tomorrow."

"I have nothing against that idea." Zachary replied, already yawning in advance. Snuggling himself tightly in the dragon's supple flesh, the leopard felt in utter bliss as the reptile's softness enveloped him.

"G'night, Basa," The feline said, giggling a little before adding, "You're swiftly becoming the most comfortable bed I've ever slept on." With his nightly teasing out of his way, the young anthro closed his eyes, letting the comforting tiredness pull him slowly to peaceful sleeping.

Reaching with his tail, Basajaun took the blanket from the mattress, setting it over the leopard as he fell asleep. "Good night, Zachary," the dragon replied, heaving a happy sigh as he drifted off into dreams.

"Hey, you two! It's time!" Esmeralda's voice cut cruelly through the pair's sleep, "Get your butts in gear!"

Lifting his head blearily, Basajaun looked up to find the owl's face just inches away from his own. "Woah there!" the drake exclaimed in surprise, rolling onto his side and dumping Zachary unceremoniously to the ground.

Instead of simply remaining where he was, the leopard was quick to jump once he had enough time to examine the fine qualities of dirt in front of his face. Standing up in a single motion, the feline swayed left to right a little, fighting hard against losing his balance.

"Zach, reportin' fo' duty!" He exclaimed, holding his paw on his forehead as if he was saluting. He stayed like that for a few moments, eyes still closed, even yawning a couple of times. It almost looked like... he had fallen back asleep while standing.

The owl's reached up her cane and pushed against Zachary's nose for a second. "Hey, lazy bones, if I can wake up, you can wake up!" Esmeralda insisted as Basajaun caught his leaning friend with a wing.

Landing safely in the dragon's wing, Zachary was intent on snuggling against the warm blanket and going back to sleep right there and then, but quickly realized where he was and what he was doing.

Once again hopping on his feet, the leopard's eyes snapped open. "Did we miss him!? Please tell me I haven't slept through the operation!" Glancing around in panic, the feline's hazy gaze slowly became clearer to the point where his vision was once again completely normal.

Looking down at the owl and her somewhat annoyed expression, Zachary stiffened and remained silent. He slowly inched away from the woman's gaze, waving his paw innocently while he fetched his bow, arrows and quiver.

"I do hope you're going to take the operation more seriously than this," Esmeralda said, folding her arms across her chest, "We don't have room for mistakes out there."

Glaring at the woman as she scolded his friend, Basajaun rose to his feet. "We'll be ready, don't you worry," the drake stated, his tone mildly defensive, "Are you, old lady?"

Her feathers fluffing up in indignation, Esmeralda stared into the dragon's eyes for a moment, causing the much larger creature to shrink inwards slightly at the intensity of her glower. "If you're quite finished being rude, Basajaun," the Elder began, turning around once the drake found his head close to the floor, "Boris and I will be waiting in the market."

Shaking himself as the owl left, Basajaun looked utterly confused. "How does she make me feel so small?" the dragon wondered aloud, gazing out of the stables after the Elder.

"Do not underestimate the power of old women, Basa." Zachary said with a quiet tone, still quite shocked himself from the woman's glare, "They can make even the most fearless warriors appear like small children." Putting his quiver on his back and securing it tightly in place, Zachary quickly filled it with his special venom coated arrows. Taking his bow in his paw, the leopard patted the dragon's side as he walked past him.

"Come, I don't think we should keep the destroyer of self-confidence waiting." The leopard laughed at his joke loudly, picking up his pace as he exited the stables and disappeared quickly from the dragon's sight.

Trotting quickly behind the leopard, Basajaun could feel the extra weight on him from last night's dinner, but was relieved to find that it hadn't begun to slow him down significantly. Still, the feeling of having his scales jiggle about as he moved was a ticklish one, causing the drake's snout to break into an involuntary smile as he followed behind his friend.

Spotting the owl and rhino waiting for the pair, Basajaun waved a wing in greeting. "Good morning!" he called out, trying to be more polite than earlier.

The rhino snorted in response. "It'll be good after we're through," Boris stated, "Right now it's just tense."

Prodding her partner with her cane, the owl looked to the pair. "I'm not going to ask if you're ready," Esmeralda stated with a serious expression, "Because whether you are or not, things start now."

Zachary nodded after coming to a stop in front of Boris. "Tense is good, Boris. Keeps ya aware!" The leopard stated with a smile, extending his paw towards the rhino.

The blacksmith took the feline's tiny paw without hesitation, giving it a firm squeeze. "I like this boy, Esmeralda! But I swear to all the gods above, your constant happiness is going to get you in trouble once!" He laughed heartily, giving a few strong pats on the leopard's back.

Stumbling from the impact, the leopard smiled back, pulling his paw away. "It only helped me so far, so I won't stop using this trait of mine for my advantage until its proven otherwise." He replied, turning to the owl after having finished with his little chit-chat.

"We're ready, Esmeralda." Zachary announced, holding his bow in front of his chest proudly, "Let's take Izom down."

Nodding, the owl started tracing the ground with her can. "Right, we all know the plan, but we're going to go over it once more," Esmeralda stated, a simple drawing of the town becoming clear in the bare dirt, "Boris and Zachary, you'll be going to the guardhouse to report a dragon attack. Meanwhile, Basajaun is going to be waiting in the town for the guards to appear. Once they do, you are going to act like you're going wild; we set up fake stalls for you to smash for effect. People are going to be running into their homes, and there will be the appearance of chaos and terror."

"Meanwhile, Boris and Zachary are going to ask for shelter in the guardhouse; if you can get in, it'll make things easier for you. If not, you'll have to find a location in the woods where you can take out Izom."

Basajaun blinked. "The guardhouse is located in a woodland?" the dragon asked in surprise, "You mean there's--"

"As I was saying," the owl glared at the drake, shutting him up, "Once Izom is down, Boris will take him to the prison under the guardhouse and lock him up. What happens to him afterwards is irrelevant, as far as I'm concerned."

"Meanwhile, Basajaun is going to keep the guard's attention until you two get back, so do try to be quick," Esmeralda finished, looking around for a moment, "Any question?"

Zachary shook his head, smiling confidently. "We got it, Esmeralda." he stated, bidding his head for the owl and turning around to give a sudden hug for Basajaun. He embraced the dragon's neck, his arms not able to reach around it.

"Be careful, you silly drake," Pulling away, the leopard nodded towards Boris, indicating that they were ready to go. Following behind the rhino's steps, Zachary glanced back for a last time at his friend. "And good luck!"

"We're nearly there, Zach. How 'bout you try to look a little scared and panicky. Y'know, to convince the guards that there's an actual monster going nuts in Plainstead." Boris suggested as he led the way towards the guardhouse, glancing behind him to smile at the leopard, "I've heard you were a good actor, or whatever. Time to show what you can do, boy!"

The feline nodded with a grin, exhaling for a moment to get into his act. "Right, scaredy kid running from a cruel dragon... got it." The leopard replied, starting to feel rather nervous as the two made their way through the long grass. Unlike yesterday, he could actually feel the weight on his shoulders, and sought any sort of distraction from his ever increasing anxiousness in the mildly comforting nature which surrounded them.

Out of nowhere, the sea of grass ended before them, and the pair slowly entered to what must have been the start of the woodlands. Scarce at first, the green and short grass steadily became more dense as they advance farther into the unknown land of the green. Trees of all heights arched above their heads, blocking most of the light from the sun, resulting in the area to become much more darker than the bright grasslands.

Boris and Zachary traversed through the woods, the latter individual all the time thinking about how perfect this place could be for his forest dragon friend. He was so lost in thought about their potential new home that he didn't notice the rhino in front of his stopping. He bumped into his back, stumbling backwards as he looked around confusedly for a few moments.

"We're here, boy. Showtime!" Boris announced, glancing over his shoulder at Zachary and gesturing with his bulky arm to follow.

Rubbing his snout from the impact, the leopard obeyed, already prepared to show his impressive acting skills for the guards.

It didn't take more than a few moments for the guardhouse to come into view, and the younger anthro couldn't help but swallow hard as he stared at the dozen or so well-trained soldiers who patrolled around the sturdy looking house. As expected from a building like this, it was constructed with having to deal with possible attacks in mind. A large, wooden door led inside it, with the walls not having many windows with the exception of a few which were just large enough for a spear to squeeze through.

The pair slowly got more and more attention on them as they made their way towards the guards. As if remembering what his job was, Zachary quickly got into his act. He cleared his throat, and jumbled his fur up as much as he could. His expression swiftly turned to something that would perfectly represent utter horror. He was ready.

"Help! Help us! A Dragon has attacked the town!" He shouted with all his might as he ran from behind Boris, waving his arms in the air frantically.

Looking on down the road that Zach and Boris had taken, Basajaun couldn't help but feel nervous as he waited. The people of the town were preparing for the arrival of the guards, holding their positions just as the dragon was.

Basajaun was positioned so that it appeared like he was pinning Esmeralda to the ground, his claws resting gently on the owl's chest. "How long do you think it will be before they arrive?" the drake wondered aloud.

"A few minutes, at least," the Elder grunted from her position, "If you think you're uncomfortable, how do you think I feel?"

Chuckling lightly, Basajaun decided against speaking further, in case the guards showed up and saw him chatting up the owl. Looking back to the road, the dragon silently urged Zachary on.

"What do you mean a bloody dragon, Boris?!" One of the guards inquired in a more than panicky manner, holding his spear protectively at the air, as if afraid that said beast might jump at him at any time.

"It's true, Jensen! Now do your job and call Izom. It's your work to deal with these kind of problems, remember?" Boris gave a sinister look to Jensen, a currently terrified armadillo, which only elicited a low growl from the guard.

"Watch your t-tongue, Boris..." He hissed back, although his threat was rather ineffective given his current state. With an annoyed huff, the armadillo turned back and opened the massive door behind him.

"I-Izom! There's a sit--"

"I know, Jensen! I'm not deaf, you fool!" Replied a brassy voice from inside. Soon a grunt followed, and the sound of heavy footsteps drew closer until the form of the Guard Captain emerged from the shady protection of the guardhouse.

Zachary had to suppress the urge to shoot the massive hyena right then and there. As if detecting the leopard's thoughts, Izom turned his gaze on him. "Who do we have here, Boris? Your new girlfriend?" The hyena nudged Jensen's shoulder as he laughed at his awful joke. The leopard gritted his teeth, but remained silent, knowing perfectly well not to speak up, lest he blow the whole operation.

Boris glanced at Zachary, then back at Izom. "My new assistant, Izom. But I don't think that matters now, does it?" the rhino leaned a little closer as he continued, "You should be handlin' the problem we're having back in Plainstead. There's a dr--"

"I heard it for the first time as well, Boris!" Izom exclaimed, panting heavily. His gaze held obvious fear as he glanced around his guards. "Well, looks like we're going for an earlier visit to our favourite town, boys!" The others glanced between them somewhat hesitantly.

"What on earth are you waiting for you useless blokes?! Get your lazy asses ready, will ya?" The captain voice caused some of the guards to flinch as they slowly but surely got their gear and started walking towards the general direction of Plainstead. Some of them glanced back hesitantly at their captain, expecting him to join them as well. Izom, of course, paid no heed to their searching eyes.

Grabbing Jensen's shoulder as he passed by, Izom squeezed the armadillo's body with more force than necessary. "You're in charge, Jen. I have some... talking to do with these two here. Do not let me down, you hear me? That's an order!"

Jensen hissed at the pain, but nodded nonetheless. Silently, he followed the other guards, muttering something under his breath.

"So, you two could let me know how a monster got into Plainstead while we wait for my men to come back. How's that sound?" Izom gave a toothy grin, placing his paws on his hips.

As soon as the word 'monster' left his lips, Zachary grabbed for his bow, but was surprised to see Boris interfering with his motion. The rhino glanced at him with an eye, shaking his head a little. "Yeah, we could, Izom. How 'bout we go in that cozy house of yours? We could sit down and have a little nostalgia, huh?"

The hyena furrowed his brows. "How about we stay out here and you tell me what happened before something really bad happens? What do you th-"

Unfortunately for Izom, he couldn't finish his words as the heavy rhino grabbed his body with such force that which was impossible to fight against, even for a strong anthro like Izom. Without having any time to react, the hyena's body was turned around, so his back was facing Zachary now. "Now, Zach!" Boris shouted with all his might, holding the massive hyena firmly in place.

Not even bothering to draw the bow from his back, Zachary quickly got his paws on a venom coated arrow, swinging it with great force towards Izom's vulnerable back. To his surprise, however, his hand was shoved away by the captain's massive arm.

The impact was strong enough to turn the leopard sideways as he clutched at his numb arm, clenching his teeth tightly. He saw a glimpse of Izom's foot coming towards his chest, but was too slow to react. He flew through the air like a limp body, landing some distance away in the grass with a loud grunt.

"Boris..." Izom said in a sinister tone as he was still held by the bulky rhinoceros, "Out of all the people, I wouldn't have expected treason from YOU!" The hyena swung his free arm at the the other anthro, hitting the blacksmith straight in the stomach. Instantly, Boris collapsed on the ground, not being able to breath as he clutched at his midsection.

Izom let out a laugh, extending his arms. "That was the big idea, Boris? Having your little pathetic 'assistant' and you come here and take me down?" The hyena turned around to look at Zachary as he lay on the ground, his body not moving an inch. He snorted amusedly, putting a paw on his forehead. "You two are possibly the stupidest anthros I've ever seen in my life. What an awful plan that was, hah! Must have come from that pesky Esmeralda I bet."

As he spoke, the giant hyena slowly walked towards Zachary's limp body, shaking his head at the sight. "Poor little boy got a really good kick there, I gotta admit." Izom laughed, turning back at the rhino who was still trying to catch his breath. "Hey, Boris, I think your ass--"

"I'm not pathetic." The only sentence the hyena heard before a single arrow flying through the air hit him hard in his left shoulder, drilling itself deep into Izom's flesh. The captain cried out in pain as soon as the arrow hit, and turned around furiously towards Zachary.

"You little brat! I'll have you... your... head for this..." Izom halted in his sprint towards the leopard, holding his head for a moment. "Wha--" He couldn't even finish his question as the dragon's venom made its way through his body. The massive hyena stood still for a moment, then simply fell over without deadening the impact whatsoever, his body as stiff as a wooden plank.

After several minutes, Basajaun finally caught the scent of foreign anthros. "They're coming!" the dragon called out.

"Positions!" Esmeralda shouted afterwards, the entire town tensing.

Within minutes, the guards came into view of the dragon, freezing at the sight. Seeing more than a dozen armed men, Basajaun hesitated a moment, almost forgetting his next action until the owl under his claw kicked him.

Remembering, Basajaun took a deep breath, and roared loudly at the guards, signalling the scripted chain of events to begin. The townsfolk screamed and ran into their homes in a convincing panic, carts getting knocked over and produce spilling out onto the road.

"Guards, help!" Esmeralda screamed with such force that Basajaun almost released her prematurely, "It's going to eat me!"

Unfreezing at seeing Elder Eszes in danger, the guards rallied together and gave a war cry before charging the dragon. Turning tail at the right moment, Basajan ran into the grasslands.

"Oh please! Hunt that monster down! Save us!" Esmeralda's voice carried into the grass. Even though he knew it was an act, Basajaun still felt his heart ache at being called a monster once more.

Shaking his head, the dragon focused on stealth. As Basajaun hid in the grass, he could hear and smell the guards crashing around through the plants around him. Moving with careful deliberation, the dragon silently avoided each of them, though as time passed, the chaos eventually had Basajaun quickly dodging several close calls.

'Just keep this up,' the drake thought to himself, beginning to pant from exertion, 'They're slow and obvious, I just have to--'

Basajaun grunted as he bumped straight into a guard. The stoat had the appearance of a scout, which would explain his apparent proficiency in stealth. "Hey, over here!" the scout called out before the dragon could respond, "I found--"

"Glacies Carcerem!"

The familiar feminine voice came out of nowhere, along with several pale blue bolts of electricity. Striking the stoat, the lightning formed into jagged crystals of ice before the weasel could even cry out in surprise. The only part of the scout that was left unfrozen was his nose, which exhaled visible clouds of mist as his eyes looked widely around as far as they could.

Without stopping to think where the ice-lightning had come from, Basajaun quickly retreated into the grass, just grateful for the chance to escape. Once clear and hidden again, however, the dragon glanced around himself for a moment.

"Looking for me?" the same feminine voice asked quietly. Whipping around, Basajaun spotted the Elder. Her head feathers seemed to have crystals of ice spreading from their tips, creating the appearance of a crown of ice on her brow. The sparks the same pale blue as those that froze the scout danced across the owl's talons, eliminating any doubt as to their source.

"You're a witch?" the dragon demanded quietly, almost hissing the question.

Putting her talon to her beak, Esmeralda quieted Basajaun as she knocked the frost from her head. "There'll be time to explain later," the owl stated, hopping spritely up onto the drake's saddle unexpectedly, "For now, just hide. I'll take care of any other scouts you bump into."

Hesitating for a moment, Basajaun nodded, despite the sudden plethora of questions swirling around his head. "Is that scout going to be--" the dragon started with a concerned tone, before he was swatted across the back of his skull with ice-cold talons.

"What part of shut up don't you get, boy?" Esmeralda hissed, silencing the drake with her unexpected action and words.

Biting his lip, Basajaun obeyed without further comment. 'I can see why she commands so much respect,' the dragon thought to himself. Looking into the grass in the direction of the guard outpost, the dragon hoped he wouldn't have to keep this up for long...

"Hang on, Zach. I know it hurts boy, just a few more minutes." The rhino said to the much smaller leopard as he carried him on his back.

"I'm... fine... Boris." The feline replied between hissing and coughing, his right arm hanging limp in the air while he could feel his lungs burn each time he tried to breathe. "Just... don't leave me here..." Zachary chuckled, wheezing as he did.

"Don't talk, you fool. We need to get you to Esmeralda as quick as possible." Boris insisted, picking up his pace as they ran through the long grass which surrounded them. Having nothing better to do, the feline stared at his limp arm, just now noticing that he couldn't move it. It was broken.

"Esmeralda, it's done! We're done!" Boris shouted as loudly as he could, his voice resonating through the streets as he rushed through the entrance of the town with the leopard still on his back.

Smelling the pair coming before their voices reached his ears, Basajaun bounded out of the grass at Boris' exclamation. Seeing his friend draped over the rhino's shoulders, the dragon felt immediately worried. "Zachary!" he called out, sprinting the remaining distance between the two pairs.

Hearing the dragon bounding out of the grass, several guards emerged behind him. "There he is!" many of them called out at once, beginning to renew their chase.

Spinning around in the saddle, Esmeralda pointed a talon at the ground behind the dragon. "Paries Glaciem!" the snowy owl shouted, a blue spark travelling from her talon to the ground. A second later, the ground erupted into a wall of ice, blocking off pursuit.

"Wait, is that the Elder?" one of the guard's voices carried over the wall as Basajaun came to a stop next to Boris.

"Zachary, are you alright?" Basajaun asked worriedly, nuzzling the leopard's face as Esmeralda dismounted.

Looking up to Boris, the owl cocked her head. "I take it things didn't go off without a hitch?" the Elder asked as she knocked the ice from her head.

Boris shook his head, gesturing towards the leopard who remained silent, his head hanging low. "No, and he's not alright." The rhino replied, turning towards Basajaun with an apologetic expression, then back to Esmeralda.

"Izom is locked up, but Zach..." Putting the feline down as slowly and gingerly as he could, Boris stood up. "He needs help, Esmeralda, now." The rhino said in a worried tone, walking away to talk with the guards who were slowly getting their way through the wall of ice and stopping them from disturbing the three.

Kneeling down next to the leopard, Esmeralda sighed as she looked him over. "Well now, broken arm...broken rib...punctured lung," as the owl listed off Zachary's injuries, Basajaun felt himself growing angrier and angrier.

"That bastard!" the dragon growled, his voice becoming less anthro and more draconic, "I'll tear his limbs off!"

Taking her cane and thwacking the dragon's snout in one motion, Esmeralda brought Basajaun's focus back to Zachary. "No, you won't," the owl said in a tone that not even an angry dragon would argue with, "You're going to stay here and comfort your friend when he wakes up. He's going to need it, Basajaun."

Blinking, Basajaun felt momentary shame at his reaction, nodding to the Elder. "Good, now," placing her hand on the leopard's forehead, Esmeralda intoned, "Concio!" The minor spell stimulated the feline's brain into consciousness, waking him.

Slowly opening his eyes, Zachary looked around him confusedly, his vision foggy as he tried to take in his surroundings. As his eyes slowly adjusted, the pain followed soon after. Letting out a painful moan, the leopard fought desperately to breathe properly as his lungs nearly burned up his chest.

"Ba...sa..." The feline wheezed out between coughing and hissing, looking at his friend with evident fear in his eyes. He didn't want to die like this, on the ground, killed by a single kick to the chest. What a pitiful way to pass away, especially after having found so much happiness in the world. If it came down to the worst, Zachary was happy that he knew someone like Basajaun; a true friend.

"Zach, I'm here," Basajaun answered, laying down and nuzzling the leopard's head gently, "I'm here for you."

"Don't move him, Basajaun!" the owl ordered before looking down to Zachary, "Zach, I can help you. You're not going to die on me, you hear? But I have to tell you now; what I'm about to do is going to hurt, and it's going to hurt a lot. But I need you to stay awake, no matter what happens. Can you do that for me, Zach?"

Zachary closed his eyes for a moment, fighting hard to open them once again. He wasn't sure he could open them if he closed them again, so he resisted the urge to blink. After a few moments, the leopard nodded, finding it impossible to speak at his current state.

His good arm slowly inched closer to Basajaun's body, and he grabbed the air a couple of times, not finding his friend's body. He let out a quiet whimper as his fingers sought the comforting touch of the dragon.

Reaching his wing, Basajaun met Zachary's hand, letting him hold onto his favorite comforter. "Alright, here goes nothing," Esmeralda muttered, placing her hands on the leopard's chest before muttering, "Ossa Sanare!"

The spark that came from the owl's hand travelled to Zachary's broken rib, pulling it back into place and causing the bones to knit just enough to hold them in place.

"Carne Sanare!" Esmeralda immediately intoned, another spark traveling down to the leopard's lung and sealing the internal wound.

Even without any air to breathe, Zachary screamed in agony as he felt his bones and flesh move around inside his body. He clutched the dragon's wing with all his strength, gritting his teeth as his broken rib bones forged together, and the holes in his lungs disappeared.

The feline thrashed on the dirt while the healing was in process, several times letting out a painful shriek. It felt like the torture lasted forever, and the only thing which kept the leopard up was his determination to live, and not die like so many anthros back in Boldrumton wished he would. No, he would not let them get that satisfaction, and he would never want to leave Basajaun alone.

The dragon stroked his friend's arm gently, repeating, "I'm here for you, Zach. I'm not going anywhere." Basajaun's eyes teared up with each of his friend's cries of pain, but he held himself together for Zachary's sake.

Esmeralda held her sparking talons on the leopard's chest, her breath becoming ragged. Within minutes, the process which seemed to take an eternity was complete. "There now, thats..." the owl didn't finish as she fell to her side, too drained to stay awake.

Exhaling the last remaining air from his lungs, the leopard stopped breathing altogether. His chest didn't move and his eyes were closed once again.

For a few moments, which seemed like an eternity for Basajaun, Zachary simply didn't move an inch, remaining in that position as if he had...

Inhaling deeply, the feline coughed loudly as he felt his lungs fill up with the precious oxygen. He slowly opened his eyes once again, looking at Basajaun with an uncertain gaze.

"Hi." He said simply, a small smile appearing on his muzzle as he stared into his friend's eyes. He could hear Boris in the background some distance away from them, but he could barely understand what he was saying.

"That's how Izom deals with problems." The rhino exclaimed, pointing at Zachary who still lay on the ground, then glared at the soldiers who were visibly shaking at the blacksmith's voice. "If you're still willing to follow that bastard's orders, then you better think ab--"

The rhino's speech slowly became muffled as he continued, and the leopard couldn't keep his eyes open anymore. He drifted off peacefully to sleep, snoring quietly as his paw still held the dragon's wing.

A few hours later, Zachary awoke to find himself in the stable. Basajaun's wing was covering the leopard up to his chin, like a giant blanket. Basajaun wasn't stirring at all. He almost seemed like a statue as he stared out of the stable doors with a fearsomely protective expression that would have sent the sun itself running for cover, if it could. Each movement outside elicited a quiet growl until its source was discovered, and the dragon returned to his silent vigil.

Behind the dragon was a long train of tables, each heavily encumbered by a massive amount of food of all kinds that could be found in Plainstead. The scents mixed and swirled around the stables, creating a pleasant aroma to awaken to.

Letting out a yawn, Zachary winced as he tried to move his right side. Deciding to investigate the problem further, the leopard glanced at his side. His entire right arm was covered in all sorts of leaves, which were securely pressed against his fur by two long, thin wooden planks, rendering the feline unable to move it. As he observed, the leopard couldn't help but sigh loudly at the sight.

His head whipping to face the source of the sound, Basajaun almost growled at the intruder he thought might have slipped past his unblinking watch, until he saw that Zachary had awoken.

Coughing from having to suppress the growl, Basajaun repositioned himself to face his friend. "Hey," the dragon greeted with a joyful smile, unsure of what else to say as he nuzzled Zachary's face.

Laughing weakly at the gesture, the leopard was surprised to realize that, with the exception of his arm, he felt as if nothing had happened. The pain in his chest was long gone, and breathing was once again just as easy as it had been. With a quiet hiss, he sat up.

"Hey there!" the leopard said with as much joy as he could muster, extending his good arm to hug the dragon's neck close to his body, "Sorry for the scare, Basa, but I really thought I was gonna..." The words died in his mouth as his throat tightened and he could feel the tears welling up in his eyes. His whole body shook as he embraced the reptile. He was still very much in shock.

Basajaun chuckled halfheartedly as he returned the feline's embrace. "Shh, it's okay," he whispered quietly to the leopard, the drake's voice beginning to crack, "Hey, if you start crying, then I'm going to start, too! And then I'll have to wait until I can pull myself together to give you the good news."

"Good news?" Zachary pulled back from the embrace, rubbing his eyes with his moveable arm and wiping the unwanted tears away, "Did something happen while I was out?" he asked, glancing around him in the stables and blinking a couple of times at the tables which were weighed down by the insane amount of food on them. He gave Basajaun a quizzical look, raising an eyebrow.

Basajaun indicated the tables laden with food. "It turns out you were right; after the plan worked, Plainstead opened their food stores to us," the dragon stated, stroking Zachary's good arm gently as he spoke, "The Elder was able to heal you to the point that your life was no longer in danger, but you have some healing to do yet."

Glancing at his right arm with a pained expression, Zachary sighed. "Yeah, I can see that..." he looked back at Basajaun, giving him a small smile, "But those are indeed good news." Winking, the leopard patted the dragon's side playfully, wincing a little from having to move.

Nuzzling Zachary's arm again, Basajaun gave him a sorrowful expression. "I just wish I could help you heal," the dragon sighed, "I can't make the pain go away, no matter how much I want to. But I do know something that always puts a smile on your face; feeding me."

Looking again to the feast on the tables for a moment, the drake turned back to Zachary. "So I told as many people as I could that I was planning a private celebration for me and you today. And they all gave us what food they could spare," Basajaun reported, "Rosy cooked as much as she could for you before she had to get to the town's celebration, and I did the rest."

"I did all of this, because today, the feeding doesn't stop until you're satisfied, or we run out of food," the dragon said with a determined expression, "And if that means I eat everything I could gather today, then I will. And if your good arm gets tired, I'll just keep eating on my own, and you can just feel my belly grow until you're ready to start feeding me again. Because... it will put a smile on your face."

Shaking slightly, Basajaun looked down to the ground. "I thought... I had seen your smile for the last time earlier," the dragon said in an unsteady voice, "And I... I know that one day, I'll be alive after you've aged beyond your years. Because dragons live for centuries, and I'm only seventy three years old."

Lifting his gaze back up, Basajaun's face bore glistening tears. "I... have a good memory though," the drake said, "So as long as we're friends, I want to see your smile as much as I can. So I'll always have something to remember, even when I'm six or seven hundred years old. Because you... you were my first friend, Zach. You showed me how to be happy, and... I want to do the same for you, however I can!" Panting after his monologue, Basajaun searched the leopard's face, hoping he had said the right things.

Zachary listened quietly to his friend's sincere words, fighting with all his strength to not break down in tears. Every kind sentence from the dragon's mouth sent a pulse of warmth through the leopard's body until he could feel himself burning up with his feelings. Not able to hold his emotions at bay anymore, fresh tears ran down on Zachary's face, quickly disappearing in his dense fur.

"Basa... I..." The feline stammered, not finding his voice, nor his words to express himself at the moment. Zachary looked away in defeat, sobbing quietly under his breath for long moments. Shaking his head to recollect himself, the leopard looked up at his friend, his eyes red from crying.

"I'll never forget you, Basajaun." the feline said with a weak tone, "Even after my death, I'll watch over you from above, and keep you safe." He cupped the dragon's chin in his paw, sniffling as he tried to continue. "You are the reason I'm still alive, you know that right?" Zachary asked, droplets of tears falling from his eyes.

"I will never be able to repay what you've done for me. If giving me shelter and food wasn't enough, you went out of your way to protect me whenever I needed it, and I could always seek comfort from you. Not even mentioning that you saved my life twice! If that's not true friendship, then I don't know what is." Pulling close the reptile to another embrace, Zachary whispered quietly as he continued.

"I wouldn't have anyone else for a friend at the moment, Basa. As long as I can call you that, I'll always smile, I promise." Zachary hugged Basajaun with all his might, ignoring the pain he was feeling from the action. He didn't care for that, the only thing he cared about was to show just how thankful he was for knowing Basajaun.

Gently, Basajaun put his claw on Zachary's back in a careful hug. The dragon had no more words left; there was only that which could only be said in a silent embrace left to be communicated.

A few moments later, Basajaun broke the contact first. "You should be laying down, you know," the drake insisted, "You don't want to break those ribs again, do you? Esmeralda told me to make sure you stayed in bed, because she could only just mend the bones together. If you strain yourself, you could make things worse, so please relax, okay?"

Zachary nodded with a warm smile, too emotionally drained to come up with any sort of witty joke or teasing. He slowly lowered himself on the mattress, hissing a couple of times as his broken arm moved around between the two wooden holders.

"Speaking of Esmeralda, how is she? And Boris? And the others, did anyone get injured or anything? What about the guards?" Zachary bombarded his friend with questions as he stared up at the ceiling, not once waiting for the dragon to answer before moving onto his next one.

Basajaun settled down next to the leopard's bed before answering. "Elder Eszes is in bedrest, like you," the dragon reported, "Apparently casting spells is quite draining for someone her age. I guess her being a witch does explain quite a bit, though, doesn't it?"

"Yeah... it does." Zachary replied, now knowing what the suspicious blue spark meant which he had spotted the first time he talked with the old owl. The leopard looked at Basajaun with an unsure expression.

"I still have to thank her for saving my life... When do you think I can visit her?" He asked, almost getting up once more to just simply do that.

"Not today, that's for sure," the Elder's voice stated from the stable doors, causing Basajaun to jump with surprise, "Today, I'm visiting you."

Turning around, the dragon gave Esmeralda an incredulous expression. "I thought you were supposed to be in bed?" he asked.

Waving a talon dismissively, the owl moved into the stables and sat herself on the edge of Zachary's mattress. "I'm a tough old bird, you should know that by now, Basajaun," Esmeralda stated matter-of-factly, looking to the leopard with a kind expression, "How's my patient doing, then? Are you making sure to relax?"

Zachary nodded swiftly, terrified to even wonder what would happen if the Elder knew he was sitting up just some moments ago. He gave Esmeralda an appreciative look, staring deeply into the old woman's eyes.

"I'm... fine." the leopard stated with a somewhat forced smile, "I don't know how to express my gratitude for... saving my life. Just... thank you." Putting his good arm on his chest, the feline bid his head towards the elder, knowing that mere words couldn't say how grateful he was at the moment.

The owl nodded. "And to answer your question about the guards," Esmeralda said, apparently having heard their conversation, "They've been informed that Basajaun is not an enemy, and are staying in the old guardhouse in town for now. Quite a few of them have joined in the celebrations that you two have made possible, as a matter of fact."

"Well, that's a relief," Basajaun sighed thankfully, "I wasn't looking forward to having to see them again if they were still out of the loop."

Looking over to the feast prepared on the tables, Esmeralda cocked her head. "Was there something planned here I wasn't aware of?" the Elder asked curiously.

Zachary shrugged innocently, looking at Basajaun with a devilish grin which clearly said; 'Explanation time!'

"I dunno, I was knocked out... Basa?" Fighting very hard to suppress his laughter, Zachary quickly retreated behind the dragon's wing, hiding his face behind it as he fought on against the urge to snicker.

"I, but, wait, Zach!" Basajaun hissed, looking between the figure hiding under his wing and the one on the edge of the bed. "Um, I..." the dragon said with a sheepish grin, "This was a, er, private celebration for Zachary and I. I told most of the town, but you might have missed the news."

Glancing at the massive amount of food in the stables, the owl apparently wasn't too sure with that answer, but didn't comment further. "Well then, I'll get out of your hair and leave you two to it," Esmeralda said, standing up from the bed, "Just make sure you take it easy, Zachary. If you make me waste energy knitting your bones again, I'll be less than happy with you."

Not waiting for a response, the Elder left the stables, a youthful kick in her step. "I swear, that woman is as threatening as she is comforting," the dragon stated, looking back to Zachary with a smile.

Emerging from the security of the dragon's wing once Esmeralda left, the leopard glanced the way she left, afraid that she might come back at any moment. "I know what you mean, Basa." Zachary said, sitting up slowly and smiling at his friend.

"Nice save, by the way." He said with a snicker, shoving lightly against the much bigger reptile's shoulder with his good paw.

Glaring down to his friend, the dragon huffed. "It's your little secret I'm keeping for you, you know," Basajaun said, lightly prodding the leopard's nose, "The least you could do is back me up."

"I know, I know. But you know me, Basa... I couldn't possibly leave that opportunity slip by." Pulling himself closer to the annoyed drake, the leopard gave a few pats on his pudgy abdomen, smiling widely as it jiggled just a tiny bit from the impact.

"I'm sorry, I'll back you up next time, I promise." Zachary put his good paw on his heart, holding it there for a few moments before glancing at the massive amount of nourishment on the tables. "I hope the offer is still available, though. It would be a shame to let all that delicious food go to waste, huh?"

Nodding, Basajaun smiled once more. "Here, let me get you in a better position," the dragon offered, gently scooting the bed next to the tables before laying down on the other side of the mattress, "There, now you should be able to reach me and the food. How's that?"

Testing his ability to perform the motion of feeding the dragon from the table, Zachary was quick to grab a big chunk of meat and sway it back and forth in front of the voracious reptile's snout.

"Yeah, this will do just perfectly. Thanks!" He replied with a much happier tone than before, already smiling widely at Basajaun. "Let's celebrate, then, shall we?" It was obvious that Zachary could barely hold himself back in anticipation.

Standing and moving to the stable doors, Basajaun hung a "do not disturb" sign over the entrance before returning. "There," the drake said as he settled onto his back next to Zachary's mattress, "Now we can start." Taking the first mouthful of many, Basajaun gulped it down before opening his mouth for the next.

Chuckling at the dragon's eagerness, Zachary was happy to provide the next heavy piece of meat from the immense pile, placing it quickly in the reptile's awaiting mouth. As expected from Basajaun, the mouthful quickly disappeared in the depths of his throat and was already on its way to the dragon's seemingly bottomless stomach.

Instinctually, the feline tried to move his broken arm to begin massaging the inviting softened middle of Basajaun, but was quick to realize that it was to no avail. Glaring at his right arm with a sinister look, Zachary sighed in defeat.

"I hope the absence of massaging won't be too much of a problem, I need to work with what I have here." The leopard waved his good paw for emphasis, while shrugging his right shoulder with an apologetic expression.

Although disappointed to be deprived of the ability to feel the dragon's stomach grow beneath his paws, Zachary didn't allow himself to be discouraged by it. He wanted to enjoy himself as much as he could, and if that meant only being able to rub the pudgy middle of his friend while having to pause in the feeding, then he would take the opportunity without a second thought.

Considering for a moment, Basajaun suddenly had a thought. "Hey, scoot over here," the dragon suggested, pressing himself against the bed and patting his middle, "You shouldn't be deprived of this part of the fun, after all! It'll make my mouth easier to reach, as well."

The eager leopard was quick to obey, inching himself closer to the dragon's body until he could feel his abdomen press lightly against his left side. "You always seem to have the best ideas when I'm in desperate need of any." Zachary remarked with a wide smile, patting the reptile's midriff with a paw.

Reaching for another pawful of meat, the feline shoved it gingerly in the dragon's mouth, taking a short pause to stroke his flab before repeating the process. Each time Zachary's paw searched for more food to feed, he was met with a seemingly infinite amount of nourishment at his disposal. He smiled widely at the realization that the meat wouldn't run out anytime soon, and allowed himself to get lost in the experience like he had done so many times before.

Taking a break between mouthfuls, Basajaun gave the leopard a smile. "What I meant was that you could use me as a mattress instead of what you're currently resting on," the dragon offered with a grin, rubbing his already distending gut, "You did say I was more comfortable, and Esmeralda did say that you should relax as much as possible."

Now realizing what the dragon was suggesting, the leopard quickly advanced farther off from his bed, eventually landing on the soft expanse of the reptile's midriff. "Seems like my injuries have caused me to become even more oblivious to hints than I used to." Zachary joked, chuckling a little and getting himself comfortably in position on top of Basajaun's ample middle, "And it really is comfortable." rubbing the decent amount of flab with his left paw, the feline winked at the dragon, "But I think it could get even more comfortable, so let's see if we can achieve that, huh?" He invited, pinching the plump flesh between his fingers gingerly before offering another hefty snack for the gluttonous reptile to devour.

Grinning back, Basajaun used his tail to scoot the bed out of the way, before carefully inching over to place himself right next to the tables. "Go ahead and make this bed as comfortable as you need!" the dragon said cheerfully, resuming his feast with gusto.

With as much food as was available for the leopard to feed the drake, Basajaun decided to abandon the chore of chewing, simply swallowing each new mouthful whole so that Zachary could place the next one in. This practice only accelerated the bloating of Basajaun's belly, and the dragon relished every second of feeling himself expanding under his scales.

Grinning widely at having complete allowance at how much to feed to the dragon, Zachary didn't waste his time to take advantage of this opportunity. He slowly but surely increased the pace at which he offered the pieces of meat to the reptile, eventually leading to a speed of eating where Basajaun was practically inhaling the offerings.

As the feeding continued, Zachary noticed himself getting pushed higher up in the air from the dragon's swelling belly. The process was rather slow, but oh so satisfying to experience. With his good paw, the persistent little feeder caressed Basajaun's stuffed middle at every possible chance. He just couldn't get enough of feeling the deep pudginess between his soft fingers. He kneaded, pinched, caressed, rubbed and stroked the fatty mass of flesh as it kept expanding to unheard proportions beneath him.

Noticing that his feeder was rising higher, Basajaun craned his long neck to keep up as more food was pressed into his mouth and packed away down into his stomach. Though the experience would normally have kicked up the drake's purring, Basajaun didn't want to jostle his injured friend, suppressing that impulse in favor of showing his appreciation through his quickened intake of food.

Soon enough, the dragon was fuller than ever before, his breath coming in foreshortened gasps. "Zach... I think I need... a break for a moment," Basajaun panted, feeling somewhat disappointed in himself for having to make the request.

If it wasn't for the dragon's voice, Zachary would have remained in his transfixed trance of feeding, not even noticing just how absolutely overstuffed Basajaun had become under him.

"Oh my..." he stammered as he examined his handiwork, "I think you deserve that break, Basa." Glancing at the tables, the leopard blinked in disbelief. Although the pile initially looked to be a massive overkill initially, the feline was utterly surprised to realize how tiny it had gotten. There was still a decent amount of meat of wide variety left, but the majority of the pile had gone straight in the dragon's stomach.

Not wanting to push his friend any further into utter discomfort, the leopard decided to make that break permanent. "Don't worry, bud. I'm more than satisfied with your outstanding performance tonight," he said, chuckling, "We're done for now... unless you want to keep going. I'll leave the choice entirely to you." Zachary explained with a wide smile and joyful look on his face, resting his whole body against Basajaun's bloated abdomen and sighing in bliss.

Panting for a moment, the dragon lifted his head back up to Zachary. "I can keep going," he insisted with a tired smile, "I just... need to rest a moment."

Laying his head down on the stable hay, the drake had meant to just close his eyes for a few seconds. But the heavy weight in his middle conspired against the massively overstuffed reptile, and Basajaun soon slipped off into sleep within moments of his head hitting the hay.

Noticing the faint sound of snoring, Zachary glanced at the dragon's head as it lay motionless. "You rest well, Basa." The leopard said as he slowly and carefully got off from the distended globe of food. Patting the swollen surface, the feline turned around and slowly walked towards the stable doors and opening them once they were in reach.

The numerous stars in the sky were shining brightly through the darkness of the night, and their usual companion, the moon, joined in their endless duty to light the blackness. Glancing away from the tiny, luminous points, Zachary's gaze settled on the town, observing the streets as anthros of all kind happily stumbled around in celebration. Occasionally, he could hear some of them cheer loudly, forcing a smile to appear on the leopard's muzzle as he leaned against the stable doors.

He knew, as he continued watching the heartwarming scene, that they had achieved something amazing with his friend here. They have reached the peoples' acceptance first, then proceeded to offer help when the residents of this town needed it. And now, a dragon, and a homeless orphan from the streets, the two most unlikely individuals on earth, had found something they both desperately wished for;

A New Ho--

"You're supposed to be in bed, Zachary!"