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Talib stared into Zachary's eyes with an apologetic expression. "This is one problem not even I can fix," the snake said. Even though his voice remained strong, the serpent's eyes communicated a sorrow that seemed to be alien on the multicaster's usually impassive face.

The words sent a wave of silence over the clearing, each person present only able stare in disbelief at the horrifying revelation. But of all those present, there was one who gave something other than a vacant stare to the serpent.

Shock.

That's all that Zachary returned to Talib, his whole body frozen and unmoving. "W-What... what a-are you saying...?" the leopard demanded after several long moments. His voice shook, his body trembled, his eyes searched the snake's face. His mind simply could not comprehend what he had just heard. This wasn't happening. Not to him.

"What I'm saying is your lungs are always going to be a problem," Talib said, shaking his head, "No biomancer is going to try to heal you completely. The attempt would not end well for you, Zachary."

Lya grimaced in sorrow, putting a paw on the leopard's shoulder and squeezing it supportively. She could feel his whole body shivering. Her tail grasped his even tighter. She wanted to provide as much as she could. She knew he would need it.

Basajaun stood up from the water, his fat retreating into his musculature so he could hurry to Zachary's side. "What can be done," the snake continued, raising up slightly from leaning over the leopard, "Is regular biomantic treatment. You need to have your lungs checked at least once a week. But with how serious it was when I saw it... I would prefer you have a daily check-up, in case of any acute issues."

Zachary could feel his breathing becoming ragged and rapid as he listened to Talib's words. He stared in the snake's eyes, fear glimmering in his. It took him a whole minute to even begin showing signs of awareness.

He didn't open his mouth, however. No words. He had no words, nor voice, not even the ability to even talk at the moment.

An ineffably dreadful feeling was the only emotion his mind could register.

Lya watched his unchanged and distant expression for a while, before she simply pulled on his arms and hugged him tightly. She didn't have anything to say, either. No comforting words could have been able to provide any relief. She knew that perfectly well. The embrace was all she could do.

Zachary would have collapsed on the ground in shock if it hadn't been for Lya.

Nuzzling their friend's face as soon as they reached his side, Snowflake and Basajaun lent their own support to Zachary. "Isn't there anything you can do?" Basajaun asked quietly, looking to Talib, "Please say there's something that someone can do to fix this!"

Crossing his arms again, the snake shook his head. "There isn't," he stated, his eyes still locked with Zachary's. The leopard's eyes were glossed over, staring through Talib and into the distance. "I consulted Oyuu and Ghan on the severity of this injury. Any spell that could heal this completely is more likely to fuse your lungs to the point of uselessness and kill you. And there is no surgery that can help either; this damage is permanent."

Esmeralda couldn't move. She stared at the rest of those present from her spot near the pool, her hands clenching her gown tightly. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she did nothing to stop their flow.

Several painfully long seconds passed in silence. The previous joy and happiness that resided in the clearing just some moments ago was nowhere to be found. It was replaced by the familiar uncertainty, dread, and worry of yesterday.

Zachary was the first one to speak up. His voice was barely audible, weak. "I see." He looked at Talib with glossy eyes. Hopelessness radiated from them. "Thank you, Master Talib, for telling me." The leopard's gaze fell on the ground. He wasn't crying. He showed no emotions other than a distant stare at the grass.

Lya couldn't help but hug him even tighter against her. She could hear it in his voice. The fear. It squeezed at her heart harder than she could embrace the leopard.

Heaving a sigh, Talib looked once again into Zachary's eyes. "Look, this isn't the end of the world, Zachary," he said, his grumpy tone returning somewhat, "As long as you take care of this, you're going to be fine. There's no need for you to get overdramatic about something you can take care of easily here in Centrum. Hell, I'm even willing to take care of it, myself, so stiffen that upper lip, hm?"

"I'm not staying in Centrum, Master Talib," Zachary reminded the snake quietly, still not looking up from the ground, "I'm leaving. And neither Oyuu, nor Gahn," he finally lifted his gaze back to Talib, "Or you are coming with me. So... let me... please... allow me to feel worried a little. Thank you."

There was a minor pause. "Right, your 'errand'," the snake remembered, shaking his head, "Xergon mentioned you had a pressing matter to attend to."

Putting his hands on his "waist", Talib looked up to Basajaun. "It's a good thing you have a biomancer that'll be accompanying you, then," he stated, smiling slightly, "Which is one of the primary reasons I'm here, actually; Xergon wanted me to take on your dragon friend as a student, and I'm here to test him before I decide whether he's as worth my time as you are." The statement caused Basajaun to lift his head from Zachary's shoulder and look to the snake in surprise, the drake taking a moment to process what he had just heard.

A small hint of hope glimmered in Zachary's eyes as he turned to Basajaun and then back to Talib. "Y-You can teach him how to..." It felt even worse saying it out loud. It simply felt humiliating. "Tend my lungs?" he asked.

Giving a nod, Talib continued looking up to the dragon. "If he has the skill for it, then yes," he replied, Basajaun's pride railing up a bit at the snake's challenging tone, "That metabolism spell you just used without any incantation was a good indication that you just might be worth my while to teach. However, I'm going to have to do a more thorough examination of your capabilities before I accept you as a student. That's just how I operate, and I'm not going to be convinced otherwise, even by a talking dragon."

Suppressing an annoyed huff, the drake simply nodded. "Alright, I'll take your test, then," Basajaun relented, his tone flat. Looking down to Zachary, he smiled warmly and asked, "Are you going to be alright while I'm being tested? I don't want to leave you if you're having any troubles."

Despite not being alright on many levels at this very moment, the leopard nodded nonetheless. "I'm okay," he lied, forcing a convincing smile on his muzzle, "Show that snake what you can do." Patting Basajaun's head encouragingly, Zachary excused himself from the group.

He walked some distance away and sat down on the grass with a sigh. His eyes nonchalantly scanned the little clearing which had become their temporary home. The forenoon rays of the burning star above their heads shone brilliantly across the sky, contradicting the worried darkness that resided in his mind.

Talib's words didn't bring too much peace. He simply couldn't stop worrying, and he knew perfectly well that he had every reason to. This was serious. More serious than he expected.

'A single kick. Who would have thought?' Zachary mused, his paw rubbing at his chest. Right now, he felt nothing. No pain, no discomfort. Nothing. Everything felt like it was working properly in there, every gear doing its required job seamlessly without any issues.

And yet, under the surface of his current healthiness, his lungs were like a ticking time bomb. A bomb that had to be defused every day to not explode. A bomb that would make his life in general immensely more difficult. A death machine that couldn't be stopped altogether. It would always keep ticking down cruelly, waiting patiently inside to harm him when he was weak.

'And then there's the Boldrum issue...' The leopard sighed and pulled his paws over his face. He was so fed up with problems. They just kept coming, and when he finally managed to resolve one of them, more would appear, as if they were pre-wired to take the others' place.

"Zach?"

Looking up when his train of unpleasant thoughts were disturbed, Zachary found himself looking at Lya. She seemed concerned, her face fixed in a worried grimace.

"Can I sit down next to you?" she asked. He nodded silently, watching her do so and then continuing to observe the familiar sight around him.

Silence followed, which was once more broken by the ocelot's voice. "Zach... I..." she began, but stopped, evidently struggling to find proper words. He couldn't blame her; there were none.

"I know, Lya." He said simply. She turned to him, her eyes glimmering with just as much worry as before. Zachary smiled back with effort. "Thank you."

Lya gave her own hopeful smile at those words, a very restrained one, to be frank. Without any hesitation, she reached a paw towards his, taking it gently and curling her fingers around his until they were intertwined. Even without any command from their brains, their tails repeated the action just the same, enveloping each other in a tight embrace.

It felt warm. Both outside, and inside his heart just the same. It was always the same with Lya. Her gestures, movements, comfort, kindness and even her teasing. They always felt sincere. And they always made him feel warm inside, as if his whole body was fueled by her every action, every subtle motion and expression, ignited to burn with a pleasant fiery sensation that always resulted in a wide smile.

This time was no exception.

The two felines said no words after that, both simply admiring the view the tall trees and the dense, colorful undergrowth provided in the morning hours. There was simply no need for talking. The affectionate touch of their paws they shared was the only thing that meant something. Especially to Zachary, who found immense amount of comfort in it, given the current situation.

If only for a while, his thoughts were shifted from the unpleasant reality of his condition that harbored it.

Basajaun watched the felines for a moment from his position in a clear section of the clearing, wanting to join Lya in comforting their mutual friend. "If the idea of me teaching you bores you, dragon, I can always leave," Talib's harsh voice cut through the drake's thought process.

Turning his attention back to the serpent, Basajaun huffed and shook his head. "No, I do appreciate your time," he tried to clarify, though the snake's continually crossed arms and impassive expression made the drake wonder if his words were believed, "So, what did you want me to do?"

"First of all, I have some questions for you," the snake answered, looking the dragon up and down critically, "How long have you been practicing magic?"

Basajaun considered for a moment. "Six days and a few hours, approximately," he replied.

"And how many spells have you learned in that time?" Talib asked, cutting off the dragon before he could continue his thought.

With a mildly annoyed expression, Basajaun answered, "Eleven; I learned how to cast Chameleon, Fur, Scales, Spines, Feathers, Toughen Skin, Sharpen Claws, Sharpen Fangs, Fatten, Strengthen, and Heal Flesh."

His expression still flat, Talib gave a subtle nod. "Demonstrate them for me," he ordered.

The dragon blinked for a moment. "All of them?" he asked, getting another nod from the snake in reply. Hesitating for a moment, Basajaun nodded in return. Starting with the spells he learned first, the dragon worked through each one, making sure to cast it flawlessly.

As Talib watched with appraising eyes, Basajaun incanted his beginner spells first. The dragon began by shifting colors to match his surroundings, holding that spell for a moment while the snake ensured the patterning was thoroughly accurate. To the drake's surprise, the serpent seemed to have no trouble seeing exactly where he was, though Basajaun eventually attributed that to Talib being an experienced mage that had probably seen the spell on many occasions.

Next the drake worked through the spells that affected what his skin was covered by. He changed his fur back into hard scales, regaining his initial appearance in the process for a moment, before being motioned to move on. The dragon cast his feather-growing spell, taking on the semi-avian appearance he had shown to Lya and Xergon, and was again instructed to move on with a gesture from the snake.

Casting a spell that was new to Zachary, the drake's feathers steadily shifted until they became sharp, hedgehog-like quills that covered his back and sides, while his underside was covered in coarse hairs similar to the same species as the quills were based upon.

Finishing the keratinous subgroup of transformative spells, Basajaun turned his quills back into his pelt of silky fur. Making to cast Toughen Skin, the dragon was suddenly stopped when Talib held up his hand. "That spell is more effective when you're scaled, dragon," the snake informed Basajaun, "I'd have thought you'd read that in its directions."

"I did," the drake stated, frowning at the serpent's tone, "I prefer to be furred. And I have a name, you know."

Talib shook his head. "If you're going to demonstrate a spell; demonstrate it right," he commanded with a less than polite tone, before looking straight into Basajaun's eyes, "And I'm aware you have a name. Earn my respect, and I just might call you by it, dragon."

Taking a moment to suppress the urge to growl at the snake, Basajaun simply did as he was told. Shifting his fur back into scales again, he followed up by casting his skin toughening spell, feeling the plates along his body lose some of their flexibility as they hardened considerably.

"Now hold that spell," Talib instructed, moving around the dragon. He probed experimentally at certain points, the rough jabs barely felt by Basajaun. The action itself was still rather offensive to the drake; his personal space was usually shared with his friends, and the snake's uninvited invasion of it was less than welcomed.

After a few moments of rude prodding, the serpent withdrew. "Good; dragon scales are already tough," Talib stated, "That spell will serve you well, I should think. Now dismiss it."

Starting to feel irritated by the snake's mildly disrespectful orders, Basajaun glanced over to Zachary with a look that asked, "Is he always like this?" as he dismissed his toughening spell.

As if registering the dragon's gaze on him by some otherworldly miracle, Zachary glanced over his shoulder. He saw the dragon's expression, and immediately knew perfectly well what he meant. His gaze settled on the snake.

"Master Talib," he began, his voice not carrying its previous joyfulness. He sounded serious. He didn't even sound like Zachary at all. "Basajaun might be friendly and gentle, but please do not go so hard on him just because he isn't complaining," the request was followed by an expectant look from the leopard, "He's been anything but rude or disrespectful with you, so I would appreciate if you could return that at least a little. You'll be surprised with the results, I can assure you."

Done with everything he had to say on the matter, the feline sighed and turned his attention back to the trees and bushes. Their constant swaying in the light breeze comforted him, along with Lya's paw and tail holding his. He really needed it at the moment.

Glancing over to Zachary for a moment, Talib sighed. "Fine," he grumbled, looking back to Basajaun, "I apologize; I have what one would call a typical experience with dragons. Forgive me if I seem to be less than respectful towards you; I keep expecting you to lunge at me."

Basajaun blinked in surprise at the snake's words, too caught off-guard by them to form a coherent response.

"He would never do that." Zachary affirmed with a tone as adamant and certain as nothing before. He glanced to Talib once again, his expression flat. He seemed outright insulted by the snake's comment.

"If you do not provoke him, or do not harm him or his friends, he will never do anything like that. Don't even think about something like that around Basajaun," he smiled for the first time in a while, "He's nothing like the stereotypes about dragons. He's special. Remember that and treat him as such. As an equal."

Giving the serpent another expectant look, Zachary turned away from the pair once again. From his voice, he sounded more like he was commanding his teacher to do something, rather than suggesting it. His willingness to stand up for his best friend was as evident as the green grass under them.

Cocking an eyebrow, Talib shook his head. "I'm not one for stereotypes, you know that, Zachary," he stated firmly, before looking back to Basajaun, "You're simply the first dragon I've come across that didn't try to kill me immediately. So if I seem on edge, you'll have to excuse that."

Before Basajaun could ask what the serpent meant, Talib raised a hand. "I already know what you're about to ask, and the answer is; you don't want to know why I've come across dragons before," he insisted, though his tone was less aggressive now, "Just focus on the rest of your spells, if you would."

Biting his lip for a moment, Basajaun eventually nodded, resolving to get a more thorough answer later. Taking a moment to refocus his mind, the dragon intoned his last two beginner level spells, sharpening his claws and fangs. These spells had a set duration, rather than needing to be concentrated upon, allowing them to be utilized simultaneously.

Taking one of the dragon's paws, Talib more carefully examined the claws at the ends of the dragon's digits. Giving a satisfied nod, the snake released the limb. "Open your mouth," he ordered, a moment later adding, "Please."

Smiling at the snake's more pleasant means of commanding, Basajaun opened his mouth wide, letting Talib examine the sharp teeth within. "Good; these are much sharper than those of other forest dragons I've seen," he affirmed, taking a hand and closing the drake's maw himself.

"These are all the basic spells contained in A Beginner's Guide to Biomancy," the snake observed, his gaze moving to the book in question, which sat upon the group's bags, "I assume that's the tome you've been learning from." When Basajaun nodded, the serpent continued, "And you learned them all in a few days' time. I'll admit, that's impressive for someone that isn't a multicaster."

His smile widening, the dragon nodded. "Thank you," he replied, allowing himself a moment of pride, "I've always been a good--"

"We're moving on to the apprentice level spells now," Talib interrupted, not interested in what Basajaun had to say.

Closing his mouth, the drake felt his ego deflating at being cut off again. Huffing, the dragon willed his body to increase in corpulence, displaying the spells he had the most practice with. Moving around the dragon as he observed the spell in effect, Talib gave a few nods.

After casting so many spells in a row, Basajaun started panting, feeling the fatigue starting in as he cut off his expanding spell. Still, the dragon was determined to make a good impression on his potential teacher, and he immediately cast the counterpart spell, his body retreating inwards again, until he was back to being slightly less than obese.

Looking to the dragon's form, Talib tilted his head. "You stopped the spell before you became toned and fit," he observed, looking back up to the drake's face, "Why?"

Flinching for a moment at the question, Basajaun flicked his gaze over to Zachary and Lya, before turning back to Talib. "Um... I..." the dragon stammered for a moment, before shaking his head, "I don't like being too strong; I'm afraid of hurting someone by accident."

The snake's flat expression caused the dragon to swallow nervously, hoping his explanation was satisfactory. "Fair enough," the serpent replied, before putting a finger in his mouth and suddenly biting down, presenting the now slightly bleeding member to Basajaun. "Last spell; don't disappoint," he stated.

Caught off-guard by Talib's action, Basajaun eventually gave another tired nod, taking the snake's hand in his own. "Carne Sanare," the drake intoned, a green spark travelling into the wounded digit, sealing the cut a second later. With his most energy-taxing spell complete, Basajaun was left panting heavily. Casting thirteen spells in a row was fatiguing, even for a dragon.

Observing his healed finger, Talib gave a nod. "Good. You have endurance as impressive as your learning, dr-- Basajaun," the snake reported, smiling just slightly, "You'll make a decent pupil."

Looking up from the ground, the dragon smiled back to the serpent. "So... I passed?" he asked tiredly.

Giving a nod, Talib gave the drake a single pat on the head. "Yes; consider yourself an official student of Centrum's College of Magic," he affirmed.

With a relieved sigh, Basajaun sank to the ground. Finally moving from her position near the fire, Snowflake settled down next to the dragon as he regained his energy. "You did great, Forest," she insisted supportively, nuzzling her friend's face.

"More passable than great," Talib corrected, before turning to Zachary and Lya, leaving the two dragons on the clearing ground.

While Basajaun showed off his impressive repertoire of biomancy magic, Zachary and Lya remained in their own little silent world. The absence of words and any verbal communication was not awkward for the felines. The relaxing and comforting feeling their soft touch provided was enough for them. More than enough, actually.

Crimson blushes adorned both of their faces, which shone evidently through their fur. Shyness was a trait both of them possessed. There were different reason behind it, of course, but it eventually all came down to once simple fact.

Neither of them had lived normal lives.

Their pasts robbed them of the opportunity to discover the more emotionally complex parts of life. The very things that shaped their personalities and whole beings were the ones responsible for this shortcoming, which was nearly impossible to escape.

Necromancy and homelessness: two things that the people of the current "civilized" society looked down upon and simply did not accept.

These were things that they couldn't control before. They simply had to endure them and try their best to overcome them. Perhaps even finally feel normal... or truly loved. Literally.

And now, there was finally hope for that to happen. For both.

"Zach?" Lya's voice cut through the silence. It was almost soft enough to meld into the stillness. Almost.

The leopard turned his head to look at her, their eyes locking. "Yeah?"

She seemed hesitant, unsure. "Well," she started. Apparently she convinced herself to share what was on her mind. "We need to talk about something," there was a short pause, which Zachary spent by cocking his head a little and waiting patiently for her to continue, "About something important." She still looked uncertain.

The leopard squeezed her paw supportively. "What is it, Lya?" he followed the question up by an encouraging smile that was sincere despite his current thoughts, "You can tell me. Just say it."

She nodded, inhaling deeply. "You're free now," she stated simply, continuing before Zachary could question that obvious statement, "I came here and joined this group because I wanted to help you all with... that Boldrumton issue. I left the college, said goodbye to everyone because I thought we would be leaving the next day," Lya furrowed her brows a little, "But with you free now, you all are most likely to stay for another few days and... I don't know if I want to go back to Centrum or simply st--" She was cut off. She didn't mind it when she heard his words, though.

"I want you to stay." Zachary stared deeply in Lya's eyes. He saw a mixture of emotions, but the most obvious and prominent was the best of them all.

Happiness.

His grip on her hand tightened even more. "I know... I know it sounds selfish," he admitted, "But I really... want you to stay. It would make me happy, Lya." A hopeful smile adorned his muzzle.

The ocelot returned both the gesture and the squeeze on her paw. There was still some amount of uncertainty lingering in her eyes, however. "But," she glanced back to the other members of the group, "What if the others don't... want me here?"

Zachary shook his head with a small snort. "They like you a lot, Lya," he reassured her, gesturing at the group, "I'm surprised you didn't notice how they act around you. They like your company," a small pause and giggle later, he added, "I thought you were more observant than that."

He received a playful shove on his shoulder for the comment. "I am," the ocelot affirmed with a serious tone, before she gave an honestly warm smile, "You really want me to stay that much?" she asked.

Zachary didn't even have to think to answer the question. "Nothing would make me happier, Lya."

A sudden, unexpected embrace caught him off guard, as well as the female feline's power as she hugged him. He mentally noted how strong Lya could be with her hugs the second time since meeting her. He returned the embrace nevertheless.

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice carrying both relief and joy, "I... I didn't really want to go back that much, anyway."

"No," Zachary insisted, closing his eyes and smiling as he rested his head on her shoulder, "Thank you for staying."

There were no words that followed. Just the embrace stayed. Zachary's and Lya's hearts thudded in almost unison, their bodies almost merging into a single one by the force of their mutual affection towards each other.

Finally, he felt relaxed for the first time since the revelation about his lungs.

Talib stood a discreet distance from the embracing pair, his expression unusually soft as he observed them. Clearing his throat after a moment, the snake called, "May I borrow Zachary for a moment, Lya?"

Tempted to simply say "no", the ocelot swallowed the rude reply down with some effort. She pulled back from the leopard, and nodded her head to Talib. The blush on her cheeks stared back at the snake as he looked at her.

Somewhat disappointed that the moment was ruined, Zachary regarded his teacher with a mildly irritated look on his face. Sighing when he realized that it must have been something important, he stood up, flashing a smile to Lya as he moved to turn to the snake. Their tails stayed in their embrace as the leopard was walking away, only breaking loose once the distance between them was too great.

"Yes?" Zachary asked after arriving in front of Talib. His baggy eyes searched the serpent's face for a moment, and he couldn't help but feel worried. There was no guarantee that he didn't have any more bad news to throw at him.

The snake put a hand on Zachary's shoulder, trying his best to give a reassuring smile. "I believe that your dragon friend has the talent necessary to learn how to treat you," he announced, gesturing over to the two dragons, "So you're not going to wind up stuck in Centrum after all."

"I would have left anyway," the leopard replied immediately, not a single trace of hesitation or uncertainty in his voice. He crossed his arms under his chest, sighing loudly. "No matter what, my errand is more important than my lungs."

A small, hopeful smile appeared on his muzzle as he continued. "But that's good news, at least," he agreed, glancing at Basajaun and remaining silent for a little while as his eyes locked on his friend, "I knew he was talented enough for it. I didn't doubt it for a second."

Bringing his gaze back to Talib, Zachary cocked his head a little and pointed a finger at the snake. "I assume you were the assigned teacher Xergon mentioned he would send out," he mused, continuing when the snake nodded, "So this means that you'll be coming here every day..."

Rubbing the back of his neck, the leopard sighed expansively. "That's good for me, too," he stated, somewhat hesitant to admit what he was about to, "I'm not going back to Centrum, Talib. Not... not after what happened yesterday. I..." he glanced once more to Basajaun, "I don't want to, and Basa doesn't want that either. Would it be possible to teach me along with him when you're out here?" he requested with a hopeful expression. The convenience of the offer was more inviting to Zachary than he would have thought.

The snake gave a nod. "No sense in telling you to come to the college when I'm going to be out here anyways," he affirmed, before patting the leopard's head, "Though you don't exactly look ready for a lesson this morning. In fact, to be blunt, you look like hell."

"I politely disagree!" Lya called out from some distance away, giggling and scuttling away when Talib gave her a glare for eavesdropping.

Zachary chuckled weakly, watching the ocelot join by Esmeralda's side and smiling. "I know I do," he agreed, turning back to the snake and gesturing at his face, "But can you blame me? The last two days weren't exactly the best I've had, I have to admit." There was a hint of dread that wormed its way in his voice. The events of yesterday still seemed to cling to his back like tiny demons of sorrow and fear.

"Then you should probably be resting," Talib replied, patting the leopard's shoulder, "Today your assignment is to rest and recuperate. If you feel up for it later, do some endurance exercises. Otherwise, try to relax, Zach."

An unmistakable smile spread across Zachary's muzzle at his teacher's words. "You know I can't go a day without casting spells." He actually managed to tease a little, feeling no need to tell the snake that he had already cast quite a lot of them earlier.

Putting a paw on his chest, the leopard stared in the serpent's eyes with his own baggy and red ones. "Thank you for everything," he said simply, "Your help is truly appreciated. All of it." As if deliberately trying to foul his decency, a long yawn escaped Zachary, who could only close his eyes and put a paw over his mouth in the last second to cover it.

Nodding, Talib straightened himself, looking over to Esmeralda as she sat in uncharacteristic silence near the fireplace. "And now on to the final reason I'm here," he muttered, looking down to Zachary, "That woman; is she the one that is possessed?"

The leopard's whole body tensed at the question. He could only manage a silent nod after a long while. "Yes," he affirmed, glancing at the Elder as well, "So Xergon was talking about you. I should have guessed it." Heaving a sigh, Zachary turned back to the snake, his expression one of worry and concern.

"Will you be able to cure her?" he asked quietly, "She... she deserves peace at last. That..." he uttered the word with utter disgust and disdain, "Thing has been tormenting her for most of her life."

After a moment, Talib gave the leopard an uncertain smile. "I'll do what I can," he answered, shaking his head slightly, "I wish I could say for certain whether an exorcism would cure her. As it is, I can't guarantee that. We can only hope for the best."

Zachary could only nod silently. This wasn't the answer he wanted to hear, but he knew it was the reality. He simply had to face it and be hopeful that Esmeralda would somehow finally be rid of her demon.

"Just another thing I have to thank you for," the leopard joked with a hint of a smile, shaking his head and sighing, "People keep making favors for me and I have simply no way to return them. It's getting a little uncomfortable for me, to say the least."

Talib actually laughed. "I'm not doing this for you, Zach," he corrected, shaking his head amusedly, "I'm doing this for Xergon. You don't owe me anything, except to learn all you can about magic and make sure that talent of yours doesn't go to waste."

Giving Zachary a final pat on the shoulder, the snake turned to Esmeralda. "Now you'll have to excuse me; I have a spirit to assess," he stated matter-of-factly, moving towards the Elder.

The leopard grabbed Talib's arm, forcing him to a stop. "Master," he began, his voice wavering, "That spirit... it's really powerful. Don't underestimate it, otherwise I fear what might happen to Esmeralda," he let go of the snake's arm, "Please... just make sure she doesn't get hurt." Zachary's eyes were pleading as he stared at the serpent.

The snake flinched at the unexpected contact, a momentary flash of aggression playing across his face, before he turned back to Zachary. "I never underestimate spirits, Zachary," he responded curtly, "And I'd ask you to refrain from touching me when I can't see you. It could end very poorly."

Narrowing his eyes at his teacher's sudden change in behavior, the leopard nodded nonetheless. "Alright," he said, bidding his head to Talib, "I apologize. I'm just..." his gaze fell on the owl next to the fire once more, "Worried about her." Zachary's tone was undoubtedly sincere.

Sighing, he walked past the snake and started making his way to Basajaun. A check up on his best friend couldn't hurt surely, especially after what he had to endure with Talib. At least now he knew what Zachary himself had to go through every day.

Looking up to the approaching feline, Basajaun smiled alongside Snowflake. "Your teacher's a pain," he observed flatly, a smirk on his face, "But I think I did good."

"Of course you did, bud," Zachary agreed with a small smile, sitting down in the grass next to the dragon. At the motion, he let out a weak and quiet cough. The sound was barely audible, but it was still there. It managed to remind the leopard of something he oh so desperately tried to simply ignore and disregard.

But he knew he couldn't.

Reaching with a paw over to Basajaun's head, he gave his friend a gentle stroke on the area as his eyes searched the trees and bushes in the distance. "Looks like we're going to be classmates," he stated after a while, giving the drake a somewhat forced smile. He found the gesture very hard to perform. His thoughts were trying their best to make it as hard as possible.

The drake smiled thoughtfully in return. "I couldn't ask for a better person to learn alongside," he insisted honestly, giving a nod at his own words. After a moment, the dragon reached a wing out and pulled the leopard into a hug. "I know you have to be struggling with this," Basajaun continued, patting his companion's chest gently, "And I wish I could make you all better, I really do. But if I can help by learning from possibly the grouchiest snake on the face of the world, then I'd gladly put up with ten of him!"

A sincerely happy chuckle followed the dragon's words. Zachary snuggled himself closer in his friend's embrace, closing his eyes. "And here we thought Esmeralda was grouchy, huh?" snorting and shaking his head, the leopard knew the owl couldn't even be compared to the level of grumpiness Talib possessed. He viewed her quite differently now, even.

"But thank you. Your enthusiasm is appreciated, truly," he said after a while, letting his whole body relax in Basajaun's tender hug. It felt nice, and brought just as much comfort as Lya's touch. His muscles loosened, and when a long yawn parted his muzzle, Zachary knew he couldn't keep the demanding feeling at bay anymore.

Heaving a final sigh, the leopard coughed quietly once again. It was identical to the previous one; silent and weak, but still there as a painful reminder. Zachary still wanted to spend more time with his friends, especially with Basajaun, but it seemed like his body disagreed with his plan.

His form suddenly leaned fully against Basajaun's soft side, his paws resting next to his head. He breathed quietly and with balance, an unmistakable smile spreading across his muzzle as he fell completely asleep. Unconsciousness took over him before he could even react.

Giving a sympathetic smile, Basajaun nuzzled the feline's arms gently, willing his body to increase in softness a bit for his sleeping friend. It wasn't long after casting the spell that the dragon fell asleep beside the leopard. Smiling, Snowflake extended her wing to cover the napping pair, settling her head on Basajaun's back.

Meanwhile, Talib put a hand on Esmeralda's shoulder when he arrived by the owl. "I've been told you're a woman of great mental fortitude," he stated once the Elder looked up to him questioningly, "And one that requires a good deal of magical intervention to resolve an issue affecting your well being."

Heaving a sigh, Esmeralda nodded. "I take it Xergon told you about my affliction, then?" she asked, continuing when she got a nod in response, "I do hope you have experience with this sort of thing; exorcisms aren't exactly a walk in the park, and I've attempted to have them done before. It ain't fun."

Lya whipped her head from the sleeping pair some distance away, her widened eyes falling on the owl next to her. "Exorcism?" she reiterated the word quietly, her expression one of utter confusion, "Your... affliction?"

Looking lost in thought for only a moment, a sorrowful and disbelieving glimmer danced in the ocelot's eyes. "You are...?" She couldn't say the word aloud. It was... terrifying, too dark, even for a necromancer.

Turning her gaze to Lya, Esmeralda nodded. "For nearly fifty years," she stated, reaching a taloned hand up to pat the ocelot's shoulder, "Since you're going to be joining us, it's best you know now, instead of finding out the way that Zach and Fatty did. And if you want to know that story, ask them. I'm not in the mood to tell it now."

Lya stared at the Elder with an unreadable expression frozen on her face. "F-fifty years?" she breathed. For a long time, she could only look at Esmeralda, searching her features as if still not believing what she had just heard.

Without any hesitation, the ocelot put her opposite paw on Esmeralda's which was resting on her shoulder. She squeezed the limb, no words leaving her mouth. The sorrow she felt for her was displayed evidently on her face.

The owl gave Lya a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about me, I'm used to it by now," she said softly, before looking up to Talib once more, "Still, if you think you can unseat the bastard, I'm not going to stop you from trying. I assume you need to give it a good poke, so you know what you're dealing with, right?"

The snake nodded again, giving Esmeralda an impressed smile. "You seem familiar with this process," he observed, before looking over to the pair of dragons that snuggled Zachary. "Would you mind if we got that done now, while Zachary sleeps?" he asked, returning his gaze to the Elder, "I think we should spare him this part of the process."

With a nod, Esmeralda stood from her spot next to the campfire. "You have the required materials for assessing with you, then?" she asked, her white knuckles on the hand gripping her cane showing the stress that her voice did not, "And I hope you have some good chains. This thing is absolutely nasty, and letting it loose would be a horrible idea."

With a simple gesture, a large case appeared in Talib's hands. "I have a good deal of experience with this sort of thing," he confirmed, tapping the case's black leather exterior, "And I have some of the best equipment for dealing with evil spirits. They're actually not an uncommon thing for me to come across in my line of work."

Lya blinked at the statement. "The government...?" she asked in disbelief, looking in the general direction of the city. She glared at Centrum itself, quite convinced that the fools who ran it were able to register her intense glower.

Turning back to the owl and snake, the ocelot gave a somewhat hesitant expression as she regarded the case in Talib's hands. "Should I be... worried, too? I could take a few steps back or something," she offered quietly, "I don't want to be in the way."

Taking a breath, Esmeralda managed to smile to the ocelot. "We'll be doing this away from camp," she stated, putting a hand on Lya's shoulder and asking, "Do you know how one prepares for an exorcism, Lya?"

"Uh... no." The ocelot replied honestly, and deep inside, she didn't really want to know it that much. The whole subject just made the fur stand on her back, but she held that feeling to herself. The Elder was clearly in need of help, and making remarks or comments like that offered no assistance whatsoever.

"One of the steps is provoking the spirit to appear, so that the type of spirit it is can be determined, as well as its strength," Talib stated, looking out into the woods, "Which is best done away from populated areas. Esmeralda and I will be heading out away from this clearing to do this, so as to avoid putting anyone else in danger."

Looking over to Snowflake as she raised her head up from Basajaun, the spirit was caught off guard when her mistress gestured for her to stay where she was. "It's going to take a bit of preparation," she informed Lya, before turning to the woods, "It'd be best if we head out straight away. I want to get this over with. Could you keep an eye on Zach for me while I'm out, Lya?"

Glancing at the two sleeping forms, the ocelot cocked her head but nodded nonetheless. Why would she need to keep an eye on a sleeping dummy? He could surely perform that task by himself.

"Of course," Lya replied nevertheless of her debate in her mind, giving Esmeralda a supportive but concerned look, "Be careful, Lady Eszes, and good luck." She said with evident sincerity carrying in her voice.

Giving a smile to the ocelot, Esmeralda turned and followed Talib into the woods, disappearing into the brush along with the serpent.

Standing carefully from the sleeping dragon and leopard, Snowflake moved over to the bags, retrieving her writing utensils once again, before situating herself beside Lya. Taking a moment to jot out a note, the dragoness handed the ocelot a parchment that read, "Looks like it's just us now."

"Seems so," Lya agreed with a small smile, handing the note back to the spirit. Her gaze fell on Zachary and Basajaun, watching for a moment as the their bodies slowly fell up and down in unison. Both looked peaceful in their sleep, at last.

The feline sighed, turning back to the dragoness next to her. "But I don't mind, honestly," she stated, "It's been... kinda chaotic for a few days now. I like this," she gestured between herself and the familiar, "Only the two of us, no worrying for a little while. It's... heh... relaxing," Lya snorted, "And I think both of us deserve it."

Snowflake nodded with a smile. "I hope you don't mind the notes," she wrote, "It's the only way I have of talking to people when no one who understands me is around." The spirit handed the note to Lya when it was finished, her smile still present.

Lya waved a paw and shook her head after she read the words written on the parchment. "Oh, it's fine, really," she reassured the spirit, giggling as she continued, "We used to communicate like this a lot during dull magic history lessons with my classmates," she explained, "I'm used to it, don't worry."

Looking at Zachary and then back to Snowflake, the ocelot cocked her head a little. "How can one learn to understand you, anyway?" she asked with a sheepish smile, "Are those adorable little chimes and jingles of yours the language you're speaking?" Black mage from the depths of darkness itself, Lya still found the spirit's way of expressing herself immensely cute.

The spirit nodded again, taking the parchment back for a moment. "Esmeralda and Zachary can understand me because we have an empathic bond," she wrote, her penmanship elegant and precise, while also seeming lightweight and bearing fanciful swirling patterns reminiscent of gently falling snow, "But Basajaun learned how to understand my language before our bond started to develop. That's just because of his excellent memory, though; most people would take a long time to learn how to understand Glacian. It's really different from how mortal languages work."

Admiring Snowflake's handwriting for the umpteenth time since she began passing notes, Lya was finally able to bring her gaze back to the spirit and nodded. "So your language is called Glacian, huh?" she mused, glancing back to the corpulent dragon and the puny feline wrapped protectively in his wing. The image made her smile.

"You did mention this empathic bond earlier," she continued, giving a smile to the familiar, "How long can it take for something like to develop?" cocking her head, Lya gestured at the leopard, "Zach said you two only met not that long ago. I guess that means it doesn't take a long time, right?" The question was asked for more reasons than one, but the ocelot couldn't hide her evident curiousness about the subject.

"Actually, it usually takes a few weeks for this sort of thing to even start developing," the spirit wrote in reply, "Zach must be special, because he started developing his bond with me really soon. I also need to have an emotional connection with the person, and the desire to form the bond. It's a bit complicated to explain. What's important is I need to want to be a person's friend for the bond to grow, and the person needs to want to be my friend as well. It just happens naturally, after that."

Considering the information for a while, Lya's muzzle bore a wide smile as she said. "Well, I want to be your friend, that much is certain," giggling, the ocelot shrugged, "But even with both of us willing to do that, it sounds like we'll be using notes for a while when we're alone." She observed. The thought didn't concern her in the slightest, she was only merely disappointed by the revelation.

Taking a moment to think, Snowflake wrote, "I've been wanting a chance to get to know you better. What kinds of things to you like to do for fun?" She gave a friendly smile as she handed the message to Lya.

The ocelot returned the gesture after reading the note. "Well," she began, pursing her lips as she collected her thoughts, "I'm a book worm," pulling out a pair of glasses from her dress, the feline chuckled lightheartedly, "I love reading, and I've been in love with books since I came to Centrum. I used to be quite shy when I was little, you see." Lya snorted and shook her head at the memory. How different things were now.

"Books provided entertainment, and I didn't have to talk to anyone that way," she continued, giving a sheepish smile to Snowflake, "I... did have a slight insecurity problem when I was younger. I think you can probably guess the reason behind it," putting her glasses away, she shrugged a little, "But I'm past that, I suppose. Still have a hard time making new friends, but at least I'm not a trembling each time I meet a new one."

"I hope we don't make you feel insecure," Snowflake wrote, her expression mildly sorrowful, "I feel like I might, because I'm a spirit, and when you came back from your assignment and I asked to be your friend, you said you felt ashamed. I don't want to make you feel that way about yourself, though. You make Zach happy, and that makes me happy. I don't care if you're a necromancer. You're a good person anyways, and that's all that matters to me."

Lya's smile steadily widened to unheard proportions as she read through the note. When she brought her gaze back to Snowflake, appreciation glimmered in her wondrous eyes. "I think you're a good pe-- spirit, too," she stated, her voice evidently sincere. She meant what she said.

"And you don't have to worry about me," waving a paw, the ocelot grinned joyously in a long time, "I've never been more secure about myself anywhere but here," she stated, gesturing at the sleeping leopard, "He is one of the few people who truly accepts me for who I am, and for what I am. And," she patted Snowflake's claw gingerly, "All of you followed right along with him. I can't even express how thankful I am for that, truly."

The familiar's expression became guilty at the ocelot's words, and she hesitated for several moments. "If I'm being completely honest," she wrote out, an apologetic look on her face as she did so, "I haven't quite been able to mentally accept you being a necromancer yet. But I'm trying really, really hard! That's why I'm right here with you now, instead of with Basajaun and Zach; I want to get over this quickly, so I can call you my friend, just like Zach does."

Looking into Snowflake's eyes for long moments, Lya sighed eventually. "Can't blame you," she said somewhat quietly, holding her paw in front of her and observing it, "I haven't accepted it either. I don't think I ever will." The ocelot remained silent afterwards, her gaze transfixed on her palm as she looked lost in thought.

The dragoness' wing suddenly extended around Lya's shoulders. "If it makes you feel any better, I do like you as a person," the note that the spirit handed the ocelot read, "And I know we're going to be good friends. It's just going to take me a bit longer than the others to get to that point. I'm sorry. Really sorry."

Flinching at the contact at first, the ocelot eventually managed to calm herself. Snowflake only wanted to comfort her, after all, and she knew that perfectly well. She sighed, giving the spirit a reassuring smile with some effort.

"Don't worry," she said, patting the dragoness' wing, "We'll work things out. We're girls, after all," chuckling, Lya gestured towards the sleeping pair with her head, "Unlike those two. They overcomplicate and overreact everything all the time, especially the dummy." The teasing grin that adorned the ocelot's face showed that she didn't actually mean those words. Or perhaps she did. It was hard to read Lya sometimes.

Snowflake laughed at the ocelot's words. "To be fair; Basajaun only overreacts to things because of his instincts," she wrote out, "And that's not really his fault. I actually felt what that was like when it happened this last time. I don't know how he's able to suppress something like that. It's like trying not to blink when something touches your eye. So I can't really ever blame Basajaun for anything he does when his instincts are riled up."

Lya nodded in acknowledgement after reading the parchment. "Okay, Basajaun has an excuse," she grinned, pointing a paw at a currently snoring feline, "But that dummy right there doesn't have instincts like that. His only instinct is looking cute and oblivious. That's literally all he can do." Even though she didn't say it out loud, the ocelot's affection towards a particular leopard was rather evident whenever she talked about him. She always smiled when she did so.

"That's all he can do when he's around you," Snowflake corrected in her next note, "He's really quite taken with you. It's actually kinda distracting for me when he has such strong happy thoughts around you."

Lya cocked an eyebrow as she read through the note, a crimson blush appearing on her cheeks when she finally finished. "Are you telling me that," she began, pointing a paw at herself, "I'm the one making him act like this way?" glancing at Zachary once again after her question, the ocelot tilted her head a little as she looked back at Snowflake, "Isn't he always like that?"

Giving another giggle, the dragoness shook her head. "He's usually more spontaneous and outspoken," she wrote, still chuckling, "He always has something funny to say and is a constant tease. You really do throw him for a loop just being around him. And I mean that in a good way."

"I see," was all Lya could say, her eyes fixated on the sleeping feline's form. As she watched him rest peacefully, she couldn't help but smile softly at the image. "I guess I do affect him more than I thought," the ocelot admitted with a chuckle, shaking her head a little, "I always thought he was acting that way all the time. Now I'm quite interested to see this other side of him," putting a paw under her chin, she gave a thoughtful look, "I wonder when he's going to show it, though."

"Probably when he finally gets used to the way you make his heart flutter," Snowflake teased, though she couldn't help but wonder if it would be as effective in writing. The familiar hoped her expression might communicate the teasing well enough as she gave the note to Lya.

The only reaction that Snowflake got was the reddening of the ocelot's cheeks once more. "Alright," she began, chuckling and waving a paw at the spirit, "Let's switch topics before my head becomes a tomato," gliding her fingers through her fur on her head, Lya gave the spirit a warm smile as she asked, "And, what do you do in your free time?" Her willingness to help the familiar move past their minor differences was evident.

Snowflake gestured towards Esmeralda's tent. "I help Mistress Esmeralda with her research, or help out around camp, or help Zachary and Basajaun with their hobby. I just like helping people, and making them smile. I also like cuddling soft things. I'm not really that hard to please, actually!" the spirit laughed lightly as she handed the note to Lya.

Nodding at the answer with a warm smile, the ocelot couldn't help but ask what had been on her mind for a long time. "What's with that 'hobby' of the three of yours, anyway?" cocking her head a little, the feline gave the spirit a curious expression, "I've never come across something like that before. It's quite... odd, isn't it?"

Snowflake gave another smile at the question. "For me, it's just because I've always liked soft things," she answered in her writing, "And Basajaun is really soft when he's all round. So I like that a lot. You already heard Basajaun's reason for liking it. I don't know if Zach told you his reason, but it's not my place to say if he hasn't. Mistress doesn't really care for it all that much, but she does like that it makes us happy."

As she handed Lya that note, Snowflake began on another. "And even if it seems odd to others, what matters to us is that it brings us good memories," she continued writing, "It's almost become like a custom for us, by now. So if you're going to be staying with us, be prepared to see Basajaun getting rounder each day!"

Lya's eyes widened once her eyes finished scanning the words written on the note. She looked up at Snowflake, cocking an eyebrow. "Rounder?" she reiterated, shooting a glance at the obese drake next to Zachary, "Even rounder? Isn't he round enough already?" she asked with a smile of a pure teaser, giggling softly.

Although not interested in the particular hobby most members of the group pursued in general, Lya found the idea of seeing where their endless enthusiasm with the subject would lead to rather... intriguing. She still very much followed the Elder's beliefs on this matter, yet she couldn't help but wonder just for a little while how it would affect Basajaun's already greatly fattened form.

The realization was an odd one to the ocelot, and she was quick to clear her mind from the thought by a shake of her head.

"I actually asked Basajaun the same question a few nights ago," Snowflake admitted, "He really seemed eager to keep on getting even bigger. He's actually kind of proud of it now; he feels like it shows how good a hunter he is, and he's happy that it makes Zachary happy, which is the most important thing to him."

Lya regarded the resting dragon with a warm smile for long moments, her paw handing back the note to Snowflake without her having to look at where she was. "It's been only three days since I've met him," the ocelot began, looking back to the spirit with an undoubtedly sincere expression, "But I can already see that he simply adores Zachary. and vice versa." There was immense amount of honesty that carried with her tone.

She sighed happily, shaking her head a little in amusement. "I have never seen such a strong connection and friendship between two people before," the wide smile that adorned her muzzle never left, "They are practically inseparable. Yesterday was an obvious indicator of that."

As if hearing Lya's words, Zachary grumbled something under his breath and pushed himself even closer to the green mass next to him. Taking the dragon's arm with a paw, the leopard adorably snuggled the limb against his body, purring loudly as a goofy smile spread across his face.

The two females couldn't see the expression, but it wasn't needed. They both knew that it was there.

Feeling the limb being cuddled, Basajaun's own face broke into a silly grin, the arm squeezing the leopard lightly into his soft torso.

Regarding the scene for a moment with a warm smile of her own, Snowflake turned back to her parchment. "I don't think either of them completely realize just how much they mean to each other," she wrote, "Especially Basajaun." Hesitating for a moment, the spirit added, "If I tell you something about the big old dragon, can you keep it to yourself?" before handing the finished note to Lya.

Lya read the message with a cocked eyebrow, suddenly feeling very curious. "Yeah, of course," she assured the spirit, cocking her head a little as she looked at her with an eager expression, "I'm good with secrets, don't worry." The ocelot winked. There was no need for explanation.

Giving a smile and a nod, Snowflake wrote, "Basajaun doesn't realize it yet, but he considers Zach like a son. He loves him in that way, and would do absolutely anything for Zach, even if he doesn't know why. Smart as he is, Basajaun is kinda oblivious about his own feelings. I haven't told either Zach or Basajaun about how Basajaun feels, though. I think it would be better for them if they figured that out on their own."

Lya regarded the spirit with a disbelieving look for a few moments, before her eyes widened as if realizing something. In truth, though, she rather recalled something that happened before. The ocelot could only nod slowly.

"I think you're right," she began, looking at Basajaun with a tilted head, "I did notice him behaving oddly parental around Zachary," humming, she gave Snowflake a knowing smile, "It's in his gestures and movements, even in his speech when he's talking to Zach. I can still remember the way Basajaun protected him after his lung accident a few days ago, as well as the sounds and actions he made. It immediately reminded me of an animal nursing their cub."

The statement caused Lya's smile to grow wider, her gaze once more settling on the sleeping pair as she continued thoughtfully. "Although I don't know if Zach himself noticed it yet, or how he would react," she mused, "He's hard to read sometimes. And given his past..." there was a long pause, the ocelot sighing expansively while it lasted, "I imagine it's going to be very bizarre for him."

Snowflake nodded. "I hope it doesn't sour their friendship when they do realize it," she replied in a note, a lightly worried expression on her face, "They have something really special; I'd hate to see that ruined by anything."

Lya simply shook her head as she continued to stare at the two individuals in question. "I honestly don't think anything could do that, Snowflake," she stated adamantly, giving the spirit a warm smile, "As I've said, their bond is something I've never come across. It can't be broken or even damaged by something like that, I'm certain." The ocelot's tone seemed to suggest that she meant the words that left her lips.

Thinking for a moment, Snowflake smiled. "If you wanted to make their day," she wrote, "We could surprise them with a nice lunch. They always like good food!"

A joyful chuckle escaped Lya as she read the note in her paws. "Oh, I'm sure they do," she agreed, snorting and shaking her head, "By what I've gathered so far, it seems like it's just as important for both as their friendship." Standing up from the grass and stretching her back, the ocelot gave an inviting grin to Snowflake.

"Let's cook, then! Perhaps you could show me a couple of tricks," she suggested, stroking her arm with the other sheepishly, "I'm a decent cook, I guess. But compared to you..." Lya shook her head as she giggled, "I'm just a beginner. I would love to learn some new recipes and techniques from you, if you wouldn't mind?"

With a smiling nod, Snowflake stood from the ground, stretching for a moment afterwards. "We'll need to go hunting and gathering for some things," she wrote, "Are you any good with that?"

Lya shrugged, moving away from the spirit to her own backpack brimming with items of all sorts. She fidgeted around with the bag for some moments, opening it and searching through its contents until she pulled a something out. It was wrapped in a brown cloth, clattering as she brought it back to Snowflake.

"I'm told I'm good with these," she replied to the familiar's earlier question, setting the cloth on the ground and unwrapping it. The sun's orange rays glistened brightly as they shone on the items on the ground, reflecting easily thanks to their surface.

With a smile on her face, Lya reached for the steel weapons on the ground. First, she held up a somewhat smallish axe, which fit perfectly into her puny paws, leaving a pair of daggers of similarly excellent craftsmanship in the cloth for now.

Leather was wrapped tightly around its shaft, while the rest of the weapon was left bare for everyone to marvel at. Its head ended in a half-circular, extremely sharp blade, while on the other side, the back of the blade was shaped in a pointed way. Everything about the axe seemed to suggest that it could do serious damage to anyone it collided with.

Even without any knowledge about weaponsmithing, one could easily see that the weapon had been constructed and forged with utter care and professionalism. The distinct flowery patterns adorning the shaft and the sides of its blade were an obvious indicator of that as they swept across the steel's surface.

"This here is Rose," the ocelot stated somewhat sheepishly. A very fitting name for sure, given the weapon's stylish markings. "One handed axes have always been my primary choice for close combat. Inflicting a slash is just as easy to perform as with a sword of any sort, but thanks to its structure, I'm a lot quicker with it. And besides," Lya chuckled mirthfully, "Swords are dull, anyway. Everyone has them. And I'm not like everyone."

Snowflake laughed, giving a nod of agreement. "I don't think any of us are like everyone!" she wrote smilingly, "We're a bunch of wonderfully weird misfits. Anyway, it looks like you're ready to head out, right?"

"Definitely," Lya affirmed with a smile, wrapping the cloth around the two daggers and holding it under her shoulder while her left paw held Rose. She walked back to bag and leaned down to put the cloth back in.

When the dress around her body protested mildly against the motion, the ocelot frowned a little. She wasn't going anywhere in these clothes, especially not hunting. "Give me just a moment!" She called back to Snowflake, kneeling down and grabbing a couple of garments from the backpack while at the same time putting the daggers back in their place.

Standing up and clutching her selected assortment of clothes in her paws along with her axe, Lya quickly moved to her own tent, entering and disappearing from the spirit's sight for a few minutes. She could see movement coming from the shelter the whole time, though.

Exiting the tent after a somewhat longer time than she would have prefered, Lya pulled on her new attire somewhat sheepishly with her paws. The sight most likely would have left Zachary breathless if he were there to witness it firsthand. The dull dress she wore earlier was long gone, replaced by a set of clothes the female feline found appropriate for the occasion.

A short, white blouse clung tightly to her upper body, leaving nothing to the imagination as it emphasized the ocelot's natural feminine beauty which had been previously hidden cruelly behind the curtains of her dress. The even smaller, chestnut leather vest that only reached to her shoulders rested above the cloth and held it securely on her body, while complimenting just the same to Lya's alluring body structure. If that wasn't enough, the hazel leather trousers enveloping her legs closely were just another thing to marvel at as they were held up by a simple belt around the feline's waist. As a last touch to her new costume, she made sure to choose comfortable and perfectly matching black skinned boots, which rose up nearly to her knees in order to provide as much balance as possible.

The overall attire was both practical and looked extremely fitting for the ocelot.

As she stood some distance away from Snowflake in her new set of clothes, Lya couldn't help but observe the change herself, hesitant to decide what to think about it. In her mental debate, she eventually settled on getting feedback first.

She looked up at the spirit, smiling shyly. "Well," she span around a little, her silvery blouse lifting just a little before it fell back down to hug her body stubbornly, "What do you think? I've never even worn these clothes before... they were a gift from a classmate, but I never found any use for them before. Thought it would be the perfect time to try them out."

Snowflake looked over the ocelot with a surprised expression, before smiling and nodding. "I think those will work a lot better for hunting than a dress," she responded with a note, "They look very nice on you, too. Ready to go now?"

Bushing mildly at the compliment as she read the message, Lya nodded after she retrieved her axe from the tent. "Yeah, let's get going," she agreed with a smile, walking next to Snowflake and motioning for her to lead the way. She was quite convinced that the spirit knew the area by now, and she didn't possess that knowledge, unfortunately. Leaning on the familiar for support was only logical.

Waiting for the dragoness to decide where to head out first, the ocelot's gaze fell back on the sleeping pair in the grass. There was a slight hesitation welling up inside her as she recalled her promise to Esmeralda about keeping an eye on the "dummy", but knew perfectly well that Basajaun would do that instead of her. Especially after what Snowflake said about the dragon and his way of viewing the leopard.

There was no better person to keep an eye on Zachary.

Taking a moment to decide on a direction, Snowflake eventually picked one at random and started walking. The spirit couldn't walk and write at the same time, though, so she was limited to gestures and expressions for communicating. Still, the familiar kept her writing materials tucked under a wing while she moved, in case she had something she wanted to say.

Lya closely followed behind the much larger creature at first, but eventually decided to join her by her side instead. With their only way of conversing gone, the ocelot knew they would have to improvise in order to understand each other, or rather, so that she could understand the familiar.

Walking beside the dragoness in serene silence, she couldn't help but allow her brown eyes to wander on her surroundings. Despite being a necromancer, therefore the complete opposite of what nature represented, Lya still enjoyed the comforting bliss a marvelous forest like this could provide. She wasn't as fascinated by the display as a particular leopard, but her fondness was evidently shown by the constant smile on her muzzle.

Her blouse, most likely the only garment in her clothing able to perform such a thing, loosely swayed in the light breeze along with the leaves on the trees and bushes. With stillness settling on the two females, the sounds of the woods became more prominent as they continued traversing through the area. The rustling of the plants around Lya wasn't the only calming sound that made its way in her sensitive ears.

Avians of all sorts and unknown kind sang their mesmerizing tunes endlessly, creating a symphony that would have sent even the most distressed individual into a completely tranquil state. As if wanting to join the concert, the ocelot's attention was brought once more to Snowflake when she picked up an unfamiliar sound emitting from the spirit's body.

Listening to the harmony for a few moments, Lya could only smile warmly when she finally recognized the sound. It actually sounded very similar to the tinkling of tiny bells, the chimes descanting each time Snowflake's paw made contact with the forest soil below. Nothing could have complemented the already placid song of the forest better.

Lya let out a blissful sigh. For the very first time in a few days, she finally felt completely relaxed. Nature's fascinating creations greatly contributed to the euphoric sensation, and just for a little while, among the wondrous, colorful flora around her, she was able to forget about her worries and concerns.

With those thoughts gone and evident eagerness, the ocelot was more than happy walking beside Snowflake for now, grateful for the comforting feeling both the spirit and the occasion provided.

The stillness of the moment was suddenly broken when the dragoness made an unexpected pounce in a completely different direction from where she had been going just the instant beforehand. With a loud thump, the familiar landed hard on her forelimbs, her claws audibly sinking into something.

Straightening herself, the spirit turned back towards Lya, a hare skewered to her foreclaws and a satisfied expression on her face.

The ocelot regarded the broken remains of the creature prickled on Snowflake's claw with an impressed expression. One would have expected the feline's reaction to be more lady-like, but given her school of magic, Lya was more than used to similar sights, or even much nastier ones.

"Good job!" she praised the spirit, giving her a wide grin, "My nose didn't even pick up on the scent yet, and it was already dead. You're quite the hunter, aren't you?" The question was followed by a slight flinch from Lya as a sudden, unknown creature rustled the leaves in a nearby bush.

Turning towards the sound without any hesitation, the ocelot waited patiently, her grip on Rose tightening. She wasn't tense by any stretch of the imagination. She was simply prepared and reacted to hostile beings in the way she was thought for long years. There was evident routine and professionalism in her poise, unlike in a particular leopard's.

Looking in the direction of the sound, Snowflake cocked her head. She couldn't make out what had caused the noise; the foliage was too thick to see through in that direction. This was an animal better left to her companion, at least for now.

The wait was eventually drawn out for long moments, right until the point the unfortunate animal decided to stick its head out of the undergrowth.

In a single motion, Lya repositioned her grip on her axe so she was holding it by its blade. Not taking more than a fraction of a second to aim, the weapon was thrown at the prey.

The axe glided through the air, spinning relentlessly as it neared its destination. And when it did, it hit exactly where Lya wanted.

The now identified boar cried out in pain, stumbling out the rest of the way and collapsing satisfyingly in front of a deadly calm ocelot. It heaved a final sigh of agony, and moved no more afterwards.

Rose stuck out from the center of its head cruelly, crimson blood smudging the steel blade in patches.

Regarding the corpse on the ground in front of her, the feline smiled as she knelt down to retrieve her weapon. It took her a few attempts to unstuck the blade which had drilled its way into the boar's skull, but eventually turned back to Snowflake with a bloodied axe in her left paw.

"I thought hunting would be a little more complex," she joked mirthfully, shaking her head a little, "This moron just walked in the way of my axe like it wanted to die." It was evident that Lya wasn't aware of the fact how lucky she had gotten with her catch. Normally, animals stayed enough distance away from any possible threats, and this boar was clearly a lucky exception.

Taking a moment to slide her claws out from the hare she had caught, Snowflake tucked the lagomorph under her left wing, while retrieving her writing materials from under her right wing.

"Boar are a little fearless," the spirit wrote, "They don't really care about coming close to strange noises. Most animals will avoid our sounds. And thank you for your compliment on my hunting. Scent wasn't what gave the hare away to me, though; I could see its body warmth through the bushes. I don't actually have a sense of smell, or taste for that matter. I can only see heat, and feel vibrations. So I can function like I can see, hear, and feel, but I can't smell or taste anything. I hunt by wandering, watching, and listening. Basajaun's much better at tracking than I am, though!"

Raising her eyebrows for more reasons than one, Lya glanced up at Snowflake with a surprised expression after she read the note. "You can't smell or taste anything?" she reiterated, shaking her head in disbelief as she turned back to observe her catch, "How on earth have you become such an excellent cook, then? I find that nearly impossible to achieve without those two senses at your disposal."

"I didn't learn on my own," Snowflake admitted in her next note, "I had to use Mistress Esmeralda's senses of smell and taste. Our bond is strong enough that, when we're close together, we share each other's senses. Technically, she's as good a cook as I am. I just enjoy it more, so I'm usually the one that makes our meals. And even when Mistress was unavailable, I would spend a long time with cook books. Good food was one of the first ways I found that made people happy. And making smiles is my biggest passion."

Lya gave Snowflake a wide smile as soon as her eyes stopped scanning the words on the parchment. "That's a pure and beautiful passion," she stated, "And I can assure you that you're succeeding. At least," she gestured at her expression, "With me, you are!" Chuckling joyously, Lya knelt beside the boar and attempted to wipe the blood on her blade by pulling it across its fur.

"This bond of yours with Lady Eszes sounds very interesting, by the way," she continued nonchalantly, shaking her weapon just a little to get rid of every last unwanted droplet of blood, "But doesn't it get annoying or frustrating having to share even your senses with someone constantly? It sounds like there are no secrets or lies between you two, and sometimes, even with the best friends, those things are needed." Lya finished, standing up from her catch and cocking her head slightly at the spirit.

The spirit shrugged. "We're not just friends; we're family," she wrote with a wide smile of her own, "And there are no secrets in a family. That's what I'd like to believe, anyways. Besides, after almost fifty years, we're quite used to each other's thoughts!"

Lya rolled her eyes a little at the spirit's reasoning, but returned the gesture nonetheless. "No wonder Zach is so fond of you," she said with a giggle, recalling each time the leopard held Snowflake's necklace in his paws lovingly, "You two can be so naive sometimes." The ocelot shook her head as she continued chuckling joyously.

Turning back to the boar, she hesitated. "Uh, Snowflake?" pointing a finger at the corpse, Lya gave a sheepish expression, "I really don't want to sound lazy or anything similar to that, but I don't think I can carry that. Would you mind helping me out a little?"

With a nod, Snowflake picked the boar up in her jaws, before taking the hare and offering it to Lya. "Why don't you carry this, then?" she proposed, writing with her free hand while her left wing held the parchment, "I think this is enough for a good lunch. The big eating doesn't happen until dinner, usually."

The ocelot took the hare in her right paw with a warm smile, while the other held her axe. "Of course, no problem," she replied, turning around for a second in search of the way they came. When she found it impossible to determine which direction she should start walking, Lya looked back to the spirit with an embarrassed expression.

"Lead the way," she said, chuckling nervously and moving next to Snowflake's side again, "I'm kinda glad you're here with me," the statement was easier to admit than she would have thought, "I would be pretty lost all alone out here."

Giving Lya a reassuring smile, Snowflake took the lead again, walking confidently towards where she could feel Zachary and Basajaun were. The spirit would stop to point out certain plants to her companion, before gathering them up and tucking them under her wing. The dragoness seemed to have an extensive knowledge of herbs and where to find them, even though she couldn't speak audibly to state so herself.

The rather observant feline next to the spirit made sure to regard every greenery that was brought in front of her attention. She even managed to find a couple of plants of the same kind, gathering them with a smile on her face for either the lunch ahead or later. She even made sure to have them double checked by Snowflake.

To her happiness, the familiar always nodded her head in approval each time she presented her puny catch.

Although not quite pleased with her gathering skills, Lya felt a little accomplished each time she glanced at her own catch. Given her lack of hunting experience, the boar as her first real game made the ocelot even more eager for possible hunts in the future.

It wasn't long until the pair reached the clearing again. Basajaun and Zachary were still sound asleep, the former having curled around the latter in his sleep. Each bore a small smile on their faces at the embrace they shared, cuddled gently against one another's resting forms.

The cute scene brought a smile to Snowflake's face as she entered the clearing, giggling lightly at the adorable hug. Moving to the fire, the spirit put the ingredients down with the rest of the seasonings and spices, setting the boar next to those.

A similar reaction could be observed on Lya's gestures as she followed behind Snowflake, setting the hare and her own puny collection of greenery next to the spirit's pile. She made sure not to mix them up in any way, resting them at a safe distance from the other ones.

"So," the ocelot began, stretching her back a little as she stood, "Shall we get started on that lunch for these two?" she gestured towards the sleeping pair with a giggle, shaking her head at the display.

As her eyes wandered on both of them, Lya couldn't help but regard Basajaun's position around Zachary as extremely adorable. He already proved that he was nothing like what she thought dragons would be, but this trait of him wasn't exactly shown yet to Lya. At least, now she knew that he could be just as cute as a particular leopard.

Nodding at the ocelot's words, Snowflake quickly sorted out the different greens she and Lya had collected, before beginning to skin the boar, gesturing for her feline companion to do the same with the hare. The hint wasn't too difficult for the ocelot to decipher, and soon the pair was getting a proper lunch going.

Once the meat was prepared, the spirit took a moment to write out the instructions for the meal they were going to be cooking; a two course affair that kept the different meats separate this time. The boar was going to be roasted, while the hare would be stewed. Each had a variety of ingredients and steps to accomplish, and Snowflake was eager to help her companion learn the recipes.

For her part, Lya was an excellent student, paying close attention to each instruction the familiar had written. There were a few times when the spirit would take the ocelot's hands and gently demonstrate particular techniques, but the dragoness was altogether thrilled by how well her impromptu pupil learned.

By the time both meals were over the fire, Snowflake had entirely forgotten that the feline she cooked alongside was a necromancer. This fact was evidenced by the spirit's improved joviality around the ocelot, and she chimed both happily and musically as each step was successfully accomplished. This activity was clearly a favorite for Snowflake, and her infectious enthusiasm for it inevitably brought a grin to Lya's face as she worked alongside her.

While the food cooked over the fire, the scents gently wafted over to the sleeping pair. After a moment, there was a quiet snuffling sound that came from the drake, his tongue flickering madly even before the smell had woken him. Raising his head, Basajaun sniffed and tasted at the air, his eyes actually opening a moment later, a blearily goofy smile on his face.

"Well, that's a nice way to wake up from a nap!" the chubby dragon stated happily but quietly, noting the still-sleeping form that snuggled against him. Rubbing his eyes with a wing while his forelimb lovingly stroked Zachary's fur, Basajaun looked over to the pair of cooks by the fire, still bearing a silly grin.

The gentle touch and Basajaun's deep, brassy voice somehow managed to penetrate Zachary's unconscious defenses, although only barely. He was still very much in a completely exhausted state. His closed eyes were an obvious indicator of that.

Lifting an arm shakily, the leopard grumbled as he searched for the dragon's head for long moments, his paw grabbing at the air as it failed to locate the desired spot. When he eventually did find it, he put a finger on the reptile's lips gently and opened his mouth, his voice weak and quiet. "Shh..." With that almost completely silent warning leaving his own lips, the paw, along with the arm balancing in the air, fell back to Zachary's side, as if holding the limb's weight was too much of a laborious task to perform. Given his tiredness, it was a believable possibility.

Lya actually had to put a paw over her own mouth to suppress a chuckle. She was really close to failing, for the scene she had just witnessed was most likely the perfect representation of how goofy the dragon and leopard were, and one she found extremely amusing.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Lya greeted the awakened drake with a whisper, her own smile adorning her muzzle. Her attention was split between the pot she was currently stirring, and a particularly hilarious looking Basajaun, whose expression only fueled the ocelot's joy. "Slept well?" she asked casually and with evident amusement in her tone.

The dragon yawned expansively, his tongue still flickering in the air as he did so. "M'hm," he replied quietly as he nodded. Looking over to the pair of females with more focused eyes, Basajaun seemed surprised by Lya's change in attire.

Blinking for a moment, the fuzzy reptile eventually smiled. "Those look better on you than your dress," he opined politely, still keeping his voice soft enough to hopefully not disturb the leopard he held against himself.

The ocelot paused in her culinary activities to glance at herself for a second, her eyes wandering her set of clothes with a musing expression on her face. This was the second good feedback she had gotten for her new choice of garments. Perhaps she should just forget about the dress from now on.

Lifting her gaze to Basajaun, Lya flashed a somewhat shy smile. "Thank you kindly," she said quietly, giggling when Zachary let out a frustrated grumble and twisted his body around until his face was practically buried in Basajaun's body. The sigh of bliss, no matter how muffled, was easily audible to everyone present.

Chuckling softly, Basajaun covered the leopard fully with his wing to hopefully muffle the speech of those around him. "I take it you two went hunting together?" the dragon inquired.

"Yes we did," Snowflake replied, before reaching over and patting Lya's shoulder, "Black Mage is a good huntress, from what I saw. And we're having fun cooking together, too!"

Smiling at the spirit and ocelot, Basajaun translated for the former, before sniffing the air again. "So which one of you caught the hare, and who got the boar?" he asked, licking his snout at the lovely scents.

Lya gestured at the to-be-roasted boar with a jovial smile. "That would be my contribution," she stated, patting her axe which was held securely against her body by the waist, "Got lucky a little, but I'm not complaining. Luck is one of the most important things on the battlefield, after all. I imagine it's the same with hunting."

Giving Snowflake a knowing look once done with her explanation, the ocelot went back to stirring her pot, occasionally stopping to take a sip and have a taste. She even added a few herbs and greens of her own after some of these experiments, seemingly quite familiar with either the recipe or just cooking in general.

Basajaun cocked his head at the ocelot's words. "Battlefield?" he repeated curiously, "Have you been in some sort of conflict before? Er, if it isn't too personal for me to ask, that is."

Lya shook her own head at the question. "No, but I was prepared for any battle scenario if the situation called for it," she replied, smiling widely, "Master Xergon taught me a lot of things, not only necromancy. One of these things was knowing my way around close combat, and knowing both how to defend myself," the ocelot tapped Rose once again, "Or hurt someone really badly, if needed."

The dragon seemed to realize something at Lya's words, looking over to Snowflake. "We've been a little lax in our own melee training," he admitted with an abashed smile, "Esmeralda and Zach haven't sparred since..."

The dragon trailed off, noticing that the Elder and Talib were gone. "Where is Esmeralda, anyways?" he asked inquisitively, taking a moment to try finding her scent.

The ocelot stopped stirring the spot and sighed. "She and Talib headed out in the woods to start preparations for her upcoming..." She didn't finish her sentence, knowing perfectly well that the dragon would realize what she was talking about.

The dragon nodded, before looking down to the feline he cuddled under his wing. "Do you think you might be able to help Zach learn some of that close combat?" he asked, smiling back up to Lya, "He's had some trouble getting the offensive side of it figured out, and Esmeralda hasn't been able to help him through that. Maybe a different teacher might help him."

Lya could only blink and raise both of her eyebrows at the request. "Wait... are you saying that the dummy can't fight?" When Basajaun confirmed her question with a nod, the ocelot let out a chuckle so joyful, that it almost sounded teasing in nature. It was evident that the she found immense amusement in the revelation.

After finishing with her laughing fit, the feline looked back to Basajaun, still giggling quietly. "Sure, I could teach him some tricks," she replied with a smile, which broke into a grin as she added, "Finally I'll have an excuse to hit him as hard as I want. Sometimes he really deserves it!" As if hearing her words, Zachary let out another loud grumble, pulling on his favourite "comforter" until it was covering his head. Even in his sleep, he clearly disapproved of this whole idea.

Giggling at the leopard, Basajaun stroked his friend's back a bit more. Suddenly flinching in surprise as something wet impacted the end of his snout, the dragon looked up to the overcast sky, seeing a large mass of dark clouds moving in from the distance.

His wing repositioning to totally cover Zachary from head to toe, the drake felt the first drops of rain falling lightly on his body. "I think we're going to have a bit of a storm on our hands," he observed, pointing out to the clouds with a claw.

Lya glanced up as well to observe the sky, only to be hit straight in the eye by a particularly large droplet of water. Yipping quietly and bringing her gaze to the ground, her soft paws rubbed at her eyes as she spoke. "Seems like nature doesn't want us cooking outside today," she mused, blinking a couple of times as she looked back to Snowflake and Basajaun.

"Do you have anything we could take shelter below?" she pointed at her tent with a cocked head, "I have that, but I hardly think Basajaun could fit in that; neither could you, Snowflake, in your current form."

Considering for a moment, Snowflake nodded. Moving around the fire, the spirit chimed some soft words in three places, leaving a small ice crystal on the ground in each spot. When all three were in place, the familiar gave a command, and the three crystals erupted upwards, curving together and widening out until a broad gazebo of ice formed around and above the campfire, a small chimney of sorts extending upwards in the center.

Watching with mouth agape and wide eyes as the ice construction rose above her head, Lya couldn't help but let out a voice of approval at the display. "Wow. That's a lot more convenient and amazing than what I had in mind," she looked to Snowflake with an evidently impressed expression, "Remind me to request new furniture from you. This looks absolutely stunning."

With a roof over her head now and without the pesky droplets of rain disturbing her work, the ocelot went right back to her culinary activity, stirring the pot gently and slowly and watching its contents swirl around inside. It didn't need too much time anymore before it could be served.

Seeing the shelter that was now available, Basajaun felt torn. While he wanted to get out of the rain, the dragon didn't want to get his sleeping friend wet during the process, or wake him at all, for that matter.

Devising a solution in his head, the drake slowly and carefully used his wing and an arm to lift Zachary up slightly from the ground until the leopard was cradled like an infant in the reptile's wing, the membrane acting as a hammock for the feline, while also covering him from the drizzle.

Satisfied, Basajaun slowly rose to his feet, and with tentative, gentle steps, he made his way to the gazebo.

Whimpering quietly as he could feel his body moving, Zachary grumbled under his breath, turning his body around in the dragon's wing-cocoon until he found another resting position suitable for his picky needs. Eventually, he settled himself face first in the limb, his paw occasionally kneading at the unknown material under him. If anything, the leopard looked more like an overgrown kitten at the moment, especially after his purring started up on its own accord, the sound making its way into the ears of another feline.

Lya shook her head and chuckled at the display, her gaze fixated on Basajaun's gentle and deliberate steps. Every last gentle gesture, every last slow motion and caring movement from the dragon screamed loudly Snowflake's realization about him and his way of viewing Zachary. There were no doubts now, not even in the ocelot's eyes.

As soon as he was completely under the shelter, Basajaun carefully settled down again. Reaching his head under his wing, the dragon checked on Zachary, feeling a moment of relief that the leopard was still sound asleep. Nuzzling his friend's back, the drake trilled quietly as he performed the action.

Withdrawing his head from the cover of his wing, Basajaun willed his body to fill out the rest of the way to his maximum corpulence, snuggling the feline against himself. Once absolutely sure of Zachary's comfort, the dragon finally directed his attention to the two females that watched him.

The drake cocked his head confusedly at their expressions. "What?" he demanded, feeling more than a little self-conscious all of the sudden.

One of the females, namely the much smaller and fluffier one, shook her head once again and giggled. "Nothing, Basajaun," she affirmed with a warm smile, waving a paw, "You just keep surprising me, is all. I told you I'd need some time to adjust, but you're making it a lot easier by being yourself." Giving the drake a thumbs up and another giggle, Lya focused her own attention at the stew in front of her, giving a couple of final stirs to its contents.

Plunging the large spoon a particularly well-talented carpenter had made just the day before in the stew, the feline cook brought the steaming liquid to her lips, blowing on it a couple of times before taking a sip. She hummed and nodded at the taste.

"The stew's ready." With that announcement, she glanced to Basajaun expectantly, and then peered over to where Snowflake was working, curious whether or not the spirit had finished with her own dish.

Smiling widely to the ocelot, the dragon pointed to the pot. "I don't mean to seem lazy," he prefaced, before pointing to the leopard in his wing and continuing, "But could I ask you to serve up a bowl of that for me? I don't want to wake Zach." While Basajaun spoke, Snowflake added some finishing touches to the roasting boar, sprinkling a few last-minute ingredients along the length of the meat.

Lya crossed her arms under her chest, cocking an eyebrow at the drake's request. Her muzzle bore a wide grin, though, destroying every possibility of her being upset about the matter. Eventually nodding and snorting, the ocelot went to retrieve a bowl and poured a hearty serving in it, knowing all too well Basajaun's ravenous appetite.

Bringing the bowl along with the large spoon in it, she offered the steaming meal with a warm smile and said. "Don't mind your manners right now," she gestured at the sleeping leopard, "Just enjoy. I hope you'll like it."

Taking the bowl, Basajaun looked to Lya questioningly. "Are you sure you wouldn't mind?" he checked, glancing down at his stew, "I wouldn't want to make you feel uncomfortable with a lack of manners."

The ocelot waved a paw as she straightened her back. "It's fine really," she reassured the drake, pointing at Zachary, "You wouldn't be able to follow all the rules anyway with that dummy cradled in your wing. And if even a single step is ignored, the whole thing loses its authenticity," she patted the dragon's head somewhat hesitantly, smiling at him afterwards, "As I've said; just enjoy."

With a wink, Lya turned around and made her way to Snowflake, watching the spirit finish her own serving with evident curiousness and eagerness in her eyes.

Smiling when he was sure the ocelot was serious, Basajaun nonetheless started eating with at least a little manners in mind, remaining quiet as he sipped from his spoon and not making a mess while he had his stew. He really did want Lya to be as comfortable around him as possible.

Taking the boar from the fire, Snowflake added one last bit of crushed herbs to the meat. "It's ready," she announced quietly. Taking a leg from the boar, the spirit reached over and offered the piece for the dragon to take, when a moderate gust of wind blew a sheet of rain into the gazebo.

Flinching again in surprise, Basajaun looked out to the rain, watching it pick up in intensity. "Times like this are when I miss my den the most," the drake stated, his thoughts momentarily going back to the home he had lived in for years.

"And this," Lya began, walking to the edge of the ice shelter and closing her eyes as nature's tears fell on her fur, "Is why I don't miss Centrum right now. A rain like this would make the streets muddy, the people melancholic and just ruin the mood. But here," she took a deep breath, smiling, "It feels so different. It feels... purifying. Like the grime of the streets and mossy cobblestones are perished from outside and inside alike." She turned back to the two dragons, smiling sheepishly.

"Does that make any sense?" she ruffled the fur on her head a little, soothing them down afterwards with a paw, "I haven't been too much out of the city. Hours of magic and combat training, as well as working in the library can make one quite busy. Didn't have too much time to take a trip in the woods," glancing back at the falling droplets once again, Lya watched as the rain's current was tossed this way and that by the wind, "I kinda regret not doing that now."

Basajaun seemed rather confused at the ocelot's words, though Snowflake gave an agreeing nod. "I like the rain, actually," she stated, smiling appreciatively to the dragon as he translated for her, "It never rained where I come from, but I really like watching the water falling from the clouds. And the sound of the rain on the ground and the leaves. It's so... peaceful. Comforting, even."

Basajaun snorted after the spirit finished. "Rain is cold and can make you sick if you don't have a shelter," he argued slightly, "And the wind can blow you around like a toy if you're flying, even at my size. I'm not much for storms."

Lya crossed her arms below her chest, nodding at the drake's reasoning as she turned back to face him. "You have a point," she agreed, trembling a little when a particularly strong wind current rushed through the gazebo. Her eyes once more settled on the rain outside of their shelter's protection.

It was pouring now. Large drops of transparent liquid fell relentlessly from the darkened sky, almost creating a wall of water with its intensity. Not a single trace of the previously brightly shining sun could be found, the black clouds swirling above their heads blocking even the faintest of light from reaching the ground.

As her eyes wandered the floating masses of mists, Lya noticed something and once more rotated around to face the two dragons present. "This is not going away anytime soon," she informed, pointing at the gathering darkness, "And by the looks of it, it's only going to get worse." The ocelot couldn't help but shoot a worried glance at the sleeping Zachary. She had every reason to be concerned. He wasn't exactly someone who was allowed to catch a cold, not anymore.

With the same worry in his own mind, Basajaun snuggled the leopard a bit tighter to himself than he meant to. "Snowflake, can you maybe seal this up a bit better?" he asked, indicating the gazebo with a gesture of the boar leg he took from the familiar while he shielded Zachary from the winds.

Looking out into the woods, the spirit nodded after a moment. Putting a claw on one of the pillars, she commanded the ice to grow once again, crystal clear walls forming around them which blocked out the wind and rain. The familiar still stared through their frozen shelter, a concerned expression on her face.

Heaving a relieved sigh, Lya's gaze lingered on the leopard for a little while, before she brought her attention to the dragoness. She almost immediately noticed her posture and the look on her face, and knew all too well what they meant. It didn't take too long to figure out the reason behind them either.

"Hey," she began with a soft tone, walking next to Snowflake and putting a paw gently on her wing, "You have nothing to worry about. Talib's with her. That grumpy snake can deal with anything," nudging the spirit playfully and carefully, Lya have her a comforting smile, "She will be fine, Snowflake."

After a moment, the dragoness looked down to the ocelot. "Mistress is scared," she said, her voice so quiet that Basajaun almost didn't hear to translate for her, "This is the riskiest part of the preparation. She looks strong on the outside but... Mistress is terrified that something might go wrong. I can't help feeling what she does."

Lya sighed, her smile long gone. "I know..." her own voice was barely audible as she spoke, "She has every right to be scared, but..." she looked in the familiar's eyes, her expression hopeful, "Talib will do everything in his power to ensure that nothing goes wrong. I know that for a fact. And he's just as stubborn as he's grumpy, so you can expect that he damn well won't let anyone beat him in anything, especially not an evil spirit."

Her paw moved to stroke the distressed spirit's wing. "And we'll be here for Esmeralda to comfort her when they get back," she motioned with her head at the food they had made, "As well as warm meal waiting for her. That's the most we can do now, Snowflake."

The spirit smiled at Lya's words, but her face fell again soon afterwards. Standing and shaking her head, Snowflake looked over to Basajaun. "I need something to do, or Mistress' worry is going to make me sick," she stated, moving next to the gazebo's edge, "I'm going to have a flight in the storm. Don't worry, I'll be completely safe; spirits aren't in danger from something like this."

Hesitating a moment, the drake nodded. "You be careful out there," he insisted anyways.

Giving a nod of her own, Snowflake turned and moved fluidly through the ice wall as if it were air, the frozen surface rippling slightly while she passed through. Once clear, the dragoness bounded forward several paces before lifting off into the rain, her form quickly obscured by the storm.

The ocelot watched Snowflake leave with a slight grimace, her paws on her hips. With a sigh and a shake of her head, she turned to Basajaun. "Seems like it's only the two of u--"

Grumbling quietly and once more repositioning himself in his "bed", Zachary unintentionally reminded Lya of his presence.

Lya rolled her eyes at the display. "Three of us," the correction was registered by a hum from the leopard. Sometimes it really seemed like he was only half-asleep. The ocelot disregarded his actions, though. She had a little more important things to care about at the moment. Issues she wished she could disregard just the same to ease her own worries. At least she could attempt to do so.

"So," she began, gesturing at the stew in the drake's paw, "How did you like it? I followed every step Snowflake said, but I'm still not as good of a cook as she is."

The dragon hummed his approval. "It's good," Basajaun answered, giving an approving hum as he sipped the last bit of his stew, "Not as good as Snowflake's cooking, but still good."

Taking a moment to realize what he had said, the dragon looked over to Lya abashedly. "Um, that is..." he stammered slightly, "You're a good cook, but Snowflake is... um, she's, and you're... damn it." The reptile planted his face into the ground embarrassedly, worried he'd offended the ocelot's ability to prepare a meal.

The drake couldn't see it from his current position, but Lya was currently tapping her finger on her arm as they were crossed below her chest. She regarded the reptile with narrowed eyes, her lips clenched tightly together. True or not, he could have put it a little differently.

"Mental note," she began, her voice as cold as the pouring rain outside, "Dragons are honest. And I commend you for that, but," holding up a finger, the ocelot added, "Sometimes lying just a little is a smarter option. Especially with girls, Bas--" shaking her head, Lya's expression brightened a little as she observed the position of the drake's head and corrected herself quickly, "Dummy."

The dragon lifted up his head from the ground at the name he was called. "Can I... ask you not to classify what I do as a basis for all dragons?" he requested, shaking his head, "I don't think it's fair to them or me, to be honest."

Lya regarded the request with a simple cock of her eyebrow, while the rest of her expression remained completely unchanged. "Don't compare me with someone who's been cooking for more years than I had lived, then," she shot back, her tone a little more commanding than she meant it to be, "I don't think that's fair either, to be honest."

"B-but you compared your cooking to hers, first!" the dragon pointed out, his head still submissively low to the ground, "I thought that's what you might have wanted me to do, so I... did, and then I offended you and I didn't mean to... I'm sorry?"

Lya narrowed her eyes as she glared at the drake. "I already stated that I didn't find myself as good of a cook as she is. That's literally what I said," she reminded him, giving him an expectant look, "Why would you think that I needed to hear it from someone else again? That doesn't make any sense whatsoever." Shaking her head, the ocelot sighed, waving a paw dismissively.

"Whatever, you're forgiven," as soon as those words left her lips, the feline stared deeply into the dragon's eyes, her intense gaze drilling holes in his, "But don't be surprised if I put something funny in the next stew I'm cooking for you. You big dummy." Extending her two of her fingers and pointing at her own eyes first, she repeated the action with Basajaun the same. "I'm watching you."

After a moment of keeping his head low, Basajaun sighed. "I'm sorry, I really am," he insisted, looking up at Lya apologetically, "I've only been interacting with anthros for a little over a month now. I'm still learning how it all works, honest--"

"Oh!" Lya exclaimed with a widely open mouth, nodding her head, "That would explain it. In that case," she moved to Basajaun, cocking her head a little at the dragon as a wide smile spread across her muzzle, her earlier cold expression long gone, "I'll act like that didn't happen and move on."

She hovered her paw over the dragon's head, hesitating for a moment before she gave him a few unpracticed pats. Although her touch wasn't as gentle or caring as Zachary's by any stretch of the imagination, it was evident that she meant to comfort the drake. "No hard feelings."

Smiling hesitantly, Basajaun nuzzled the ocelot's hand back as his head was patted. "All of these social rules are really new to me," he continued his train of thought, sighing slightly, "If something I say is offensive, I don't mean it to be that way. I'm just learning, really." The dragon continued rubbing his head against the feline's paw, a low purr starting up in his chest.

Blinking in surprise at the reptile's behavior, Lya cleared her throat nervously as she withdrew her paw, the dragon's head falling forward a bit from the unexpected withdrawal. "I understand," she replied somewhat quietly, stroking the hand that was nuzzled with the other, a small smile appearing on her face, "If you're still learning, then... I would be happy to teach you, just like table manners."

After the offer, she seated herself next to the drake slowly, giving him an encouraging smile once she was settled comfortably on the grass. Her paw was still subconsciously rubbing at the other one as she looked up at Basajaun. Obviously she didn't mind the gesture, but wasn't entirely as used to it as a particular sleeping leopard.

Smiling to Lya's offer, the dragon nodded. "I'd love to learn," he stated happily, "Really the only reason I haven't asked Zach or Esmeralda to teach me is... well, I don't think either of them know the rules of courtesy. Zachary's past didn't give him much chance to learn them, and Esmeralda... if she does know them, she must be deliberately ignoring those rules a lot of the time!" The dragon laughed loudly, temporarily forgetting his sleeping companion.

Lya was about to answer, when an extremely frustrated and groggy voice spoke up before her. He had stayed silent when he was moved, endured the constant incomprehensible chatter above his head, and even ignored the dragon's extremely loud purring and laughing just a moment ago. But now, it was enough.

"Gods above!" Zachary demanded from within the contains of his "bed", whimpering exaggeratedly as he continued, "Shut it you two, will ya!? Do... you evhen realize 'ow baggy my eyes are gonna be aghain!?" there was only a moment of pause, "Rheally baggy!"

Lya simply couldn't help herself. The ocelot bust into a loud laughter, clutching her sides as she rolled around on her back in the grass. She didn't mean to completely disregard the leopard's fair request, but she found his inability to speak properly and his odd voice way too amusing. And so, she laughed and laughed, while Zachary could only grumble and mumble in his bed, twisting his body in his friend's wing in hopes of escaping from the loud sounds that kept disturbing his beauty sleep.

"Sorry, Zach," Basajaun apologized gently, his head reaching under his wing and nuzzling the leopard's face, "Snowflake and Lya made us lunch, if you're hungry. If not, I promise I'll be quieter and let you sleep some more."

There was no real response that came, only a low muttering that must have said something along the lines of "Why are you still talking?"

Wanting to make his choice as obvious as possible, Zachary buried his face in his comforter, his breathing slowly leveling out and slowing down un--

A cough. It was weak, almost barely audible, but it was still there. A painful reminder.

Lya swallowed her laughter down as soon as she heard the dreadful sound, nearly choking on her breath as she did so. After reassuring her lungs that she wouldn't suffocate right then and there, the ocelot looked up at Basajaun, her face fixed in a slight grimace. "Let him rest," she said with a whisper, shaking her head, "He needs it."

Her eyes wandered to the leopard once more. When she noticed that he completely disregarded the cough and was already sound asleep again, she sighed in relief, giving the dragon next to her a knowing and somewhat comforting look.

The dragon had to suppress the crooning sound that immediately picked up in his chest at the leopard's cough, not wanting the noise to disturb his friend. "I think we should put this conversation on hold," Basajaun stated apologetically.

Not waiting for an answer, the dragon carefully started moving once more, this time to get himself positioned on his back. He was actually grateful that his extra weight slowed his movements further. "Here, Zach," he said softly, moving the leopard in his wing until the feline was on his vast stomach; the place Zachary found most comfortable.

As soon as he was relocated on his "new" sleeping area, the feline began purring quietly. An unmistakable, and extremely goofy, smile spread across his muzzle as one of his paws began kneading at the softness under him. He let out a sigh, snuggling his body close to the one under him. Once more, the leopard could be easily mistaken for a large kitten thanks to his change in behavior.

Lya observed the scene for long moments, her own smile present. And although she found the display more than heartwarming, it wasn't enough to drive the worry completely away from her heart. There was obvious evidence that Zachary was already in need for his daily check up, but there was an important part missing.

Looking out and through the transparent ice walls, Lya watched the pouring rain for long moments. The large droplets cascaded down the air restlessly, almost creating a single flow of water that threatened to cause a flood if it failed to die down. And yet, that wasn't what the ocelot feared. With Zachary's condition and Esmeralda's well-being on line, she couldn't help but urge both the owl and the snake to return as soon as possible, for it wasn't only the Elder's health they had to worry about.

There was only hope residing in her mind as she continued to stare at the flowing water. Hope that only wanted to see Esmeralda back the way she left, and Talib with his much needed biomancy.

Resting his head near Lya, Basajaun thought for a moment on Zachary's condition as well. Unlike the ocelot, however, the dragon couldn't spare his thoughts for Esmeralda. Only Zachary's well-being was on his mind at the moment, and selfish as that may be, it was something that was currently out of his control.

Trying hard not to worry, the drake looked over to Lya again. "Hey," he whispered almost silently, reaching out a flabby arm to tap the feline's hand, before pointing at his own head, "Can you do what you were doing earlier again? It felt very nice. And I kind of need a distraction right now, so I'd be really grateful for that."

Glancing at Basajaun's arm and then his eyes, the ocelot eventually nodded silently. She reached over to the dragon's head with a soft paw, hesitantly putting it down and inhaling as the contact was made. Exhaling, she began stroking the drake, her touch much more deliberate and... tender than earlier.

Despite the comfort she found in the petting herself, Lya's mind was still harbored by worry and concerned thoughts that continued their endless attack. Her paw never stopped caressing Basajaun's head, and her eyes never ceased to scan the trees beyond the pouring rain, waiting eagerly for two figures to finally appear and calm both her and Basajaun.

Talib straightened himself as he finished the last of the glyphs in the tenth, outermost binding circle. Each circle was carefully crafted, the process taking several hours to complete. Between each binding circle was a circle of powdered silver, garlic, iron, and salt, all things that acted as a deterrent for different types of evil spirits. Holly and mistletoe wreaths sat around the outermost binding circle, channeling positive natural energy towards the center, where Esmeralda sat.

The Elder was motionless, except for her blinking and breathing. Bound in heavy chains, each link bearing more binding glyphs, the owl could no longer hide the trepidation she felt. Esmeralda's expression revealed her fear, yet also showed her resolution to see this through. The owl remained silent, as her beak had been filled with holy water, which she held in her mouth without swallowing.

Slithering around the edge of the circle, Talib's trained eye scanned each and every glyph for the last time, ensuring that every one of them was etched flawlessly. "Alright," the serpent sighed, looking up to Esmeralda, "If you're ready, give me a nod."

Hesitating for several moments, the owl nodded, a tiny whimper escaping from her for only an instant.

Disregarding the sound, Talib raised his hands. "I call upon the breath of the All Mother," he called out over the sound of the rain, "Dear Matron of our lives, a wayward Voice of your will has taken this woman as its own. Grant my eyes the strength to see what others tremble to behold, and reveal this wretched soul to me!"

The glyphs upon the ground began to glow brightly, along with the wreaths outside them. There was a muffled cry as the incantation reached its completion, but Esmeralda held herself still as she felt the spirit being drawn out. She held on for as long as she could, but eventually, the owl's mental and spiritual pain overwhelmed her, and she lost consciousness, the holy water falling from her mouth as her head fell.

A moment later, the Elder's feathers receded, revealing her frozen black skin. Lifting its head, the demon smiled to Talib. The expression held no joy to it; it was a grin bearing naught but spite and hatred.

"I see you, mortal. I see what you've done."

"Wretched soul, I command you to reveal your name to me!" Talib ordered blythely, knowing better than to fall for the spirit's goading.

Laughter came from the creature. The serpent felt shivers crawling up and down his long spine at the sound.

"Others have sought after the same. None have succeeded. What does a sinner like you think he can do?"

"Reveal your name to me!" Talib repeated adamantly, gesturing towards the wreaths. Radiant, multi-hued light shone into the center of the glyphs, burning the spirit within.

"Weak. You are weak. You can't save anyone. You're a killer, Talib. It's what you do. It's all you can do."

Talib visibly tensed at the spirit's words. "Wicked Voice, reveal your name to me!" he called once more, again burning the spirit with the light from the wreaths.

The demon laughed again at the pain it felt. The grass upon which it knelt began to frost over, withering into black, dead fronds while the spirits within them audibly screamed.

"I feel your sins, Talib. They are many. And they feed me. You cannot hope to contain me with such evil in your own heart."

Clenching his jaw, the snake gestured towards the innermost ring of powdered material, a wind whipping up to drive the particles into the spirit's flesh, the being screaming this time.

"By the All Mother, reveal your name to me!" Talib cried out angrily.

The innermost set of glyphs suddenly shattered at the snake's emotional outburst, and he had to quickly regain his composure to hold the spirit in place, the frost extending towards the second circle.

"Do you see, 'Black Eyes'? Your very soul is tainted. It feeds me. You feed me, Talib. Behold."

There was a cold, dark blue light that emanated from the being, firing upwards to the sky and shattering the second barrier. A moment later, the rain stopped. And a few seconds after that, snow began to fall.

"Your world bends and breaks so easily. Your souls are even more fragile. I will make all my own. And all shall feed my hunger."

"You only wish, demon."

The voice that came from the woods resonated through the clearing. The falling snow seemed to change current, redirecting in the opposite way it came from.

"As long as I'm here. You'll do nothing but starve."

Xergon's soaked figure stepped out from the darkened foliage of the trees, his form appearing to shine through the blackness that fell upon the surrounding area. The ocelot's paw was aiming straight at the spirit as he walked with no hesitation in his steps. He passed Talib, his eyes completely fixated on the demon in front of him. There was no fear on them.

"Impero!" The lynx intoned loudly, a bright white light appearing around his extended arm. The spell cascaded through the limb, swirling slowly until it reached its destination.

A nearly transparent, silvery globe began forming in Xergon's paw, shining brightly through the darkness. He stopped right in front of the demon, staring it in the eye. He didn't flinch once.

"Wretched soul," he began, his tone as deadly and cold as the snow coating his robe, "Reveal. Your. Name."

There was only a flash of light after the words left Xergon's lips. The spell shot out, colliding with the demon's darkened skin and burning it with agonizing pain. The master did not close his eyes once, his completely unmoving gaze fixated on the creature.

Looking up to Xergon after the light faded, the spirit gave another spiteful smile.

"You wish to know me, mortals? I am frost and starvation. I am famine in the cold. I am unending hunger strong enough to overcome all reason. I. Am. Wendigo."

Howling to the storm, the spirit struggled against its bonds, the third barrier creaking alarmingly. "Xergon, I need help sealing this thing again!" Talib called out, his arms straining as they were held out to the wreaths.

Xergon only glanced over his shoulder once, before he brought his gaze back to the demon in front of him. Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, the lynx slowly embraced a paw with another, exhaling loudly afterwards.

"Capio Fortis!" He cried out, holding both of his arms at either side of the spirit's head.

The snow stopped falling. Tiny, floating snowflakes levitated in the air, not a single one moving an inch as they defied gravity around the spirit and Xergon. Even the air itself seemed to freeze in time, not the faintest breeze blowing. Complete and utter silence fell on the clearing for long moments.

The spirit stopped struggling after the snowflakes halted. Its head slowly fell, though its eyes remained locked hatefully with Xergon's.

"I'll see you again, soon."

"Sweet Mother, seal this child once again!" Talib called out once the demon's struggles stopped, "By chains of the soul, and by your loving mercy, drive this Voice to stillness! Let it rest once more!"

The chains around the being flashed brightly for long moments. Dying down after several minutes, the light faded steadily, revealing Esmeralda once again, the owl slumped limply in her bindings.

Panting with the effort of what he had just done, Talib leaned on his arms against a coil. "Ten binding circles," the snake muttered, his tone one of disbelief, "Ten barriers, five wreaths, and nine secondary circles, and that thing could still feed on me. What the Hell..."

Xergon's head slowly turned towards Talib, but before his body could follow, he collapsed on the frozen ground. Breathing heavily and raggedly as he knelt in the cold ice that coated everything under him, the lynx didn't open his mouth for long moments, his glossy and distant eyes staring at nothing.

It took him several moments to even attempt talking. "You fool," he said, his voice trembling as he looked up at snake with a cold stare, "I thought... you knew better than this, Talib. Not even a preparation... even with you... can be performed alone," Xergon's head slowly fell once more, fresh snow falling on his robe and coating it gently, "You nearly set it free, you fool. You goddamn stubborn fool..." The master's arms trembled as he held himself up, his voice wavering and shaking with each word leaving his lips.

Straightening himself as he continued panting, Talib looked over to Xergon with one eye closed. "I've never needed assistance with a simple appraisal," he stated vehemently, "How the Hell is this woman not completely corrupted by now?"

Xergon pushed himself up with great effort, sitting down in the frozen grass as he continued to breathe heavily. "Aiding spell..." he stated weakly, closing his eyes as he fought desperately for energy, "Her father... gave her an aiding spell that... keeps it contained. But..." he glanced to the Elder, "It's mostly... just her. She's... strong, Talib. Mentally even stronger than I am."

The lynx brought a barely open eye to meet the snake's as he continued. "When... I asked for your help... I didn't mean it like this. We... need to do this together, Talib, otherwise this spirit will destroy not only us... and her, but everything and everyone else around it," Xergon managed to get immense amount of strength in his voice as he finished, "Do not ever try anything like this alone with this demon, understood? You saw what it's capable of."

The serpent chuckled weakly. "Alright, I admit it," Talib said as he finally regained his breath, "I underestimated this thing. I won't be doing it again, Xergon. But... I think we're going to need a great deal more preparation with this spirit than usual."

Groaning weakly, Esmeralda stirred, her head raising up and looking around blearily. Seeing Talib and Xergon, the owl sighed with relief. "Okay, so you survived the appraisal," she muttered, smiling tiredly up to Talib, "Did you get that name?"

The snake pointed at the lynx. "He got it. I was basically useless this time around," Talib said, his voice revealing that he was rather bitter and angry with himself.

Xergon held up a paw when Esmeralda turned to him, closing his eyes once more as his breathing slowly leveled out. After moments of this, he turned to look at the Elder, forcing a smile. "I know its name, Elder Eszes," he stated, shaking his head as he added, "But I'm not going to utter it. It might awaken the demon... and I'm not sure I can go through another sealing, to be honest."

Heaving a huge sigh, the lynx groaned as he braced himself and stood, losing balance on number of occasions. "Thank the gods for Zachary," he stated with a weak chuckle, looking at the owl, "I heard the news and wanted to see him. When the rain came, I knew something was amiss. And the moment I saw that otherworldly spell... I had no doubts anymore. If it hadn't been for my choice of time of visiting the boy... this could have ended quite poorly."

Talib simply nodded, knowing full well how foolish his arrogance had been in this situation.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Esmeralda looked down to the chains around her. "If one of you strapping young gentlemen would care to unchain me, I'd greatly appreciate it," she stated with a sarcastic tone.

"Right," Talib remembered, gesturing towards the locks on the chains. Springing open, the chains fell to the ground around the Elder.

Nodding to the snake, Esmeralda stood and moved with unsteady steps to where she had left her cane. "Everyone must be worried," the owl stated, seeming almost like she had already completely recovered from the ordeal she went through as she smiled to the two men, "Let's go tell them I'm alright, shall we?"

Xergon gave a tired smile to the Elder, shaking his head and sighing. "I'm not in any condition to accompany you, I'm afraid. Although my intention was visiting our little multicaster," shooting a glance at Talib, the lynx continued, "It seems like you'll have to go without me. I'm not nearly as strong as you are, Elder Eszes. An encounter with an evil spirit and a couple of spells drain me out quite easily."

Chuckling weakly both for keeping up the act and for how close his lie was to the truth, the lynx gave Esmeralda an expectant look. "Do tell the boy that I wanted to see him, if you would be so kind. And tell him that I'll be surely visiting him tomorrow."

Giving a nod, Esmeralda moved back to the tired feline, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you for this, Headmaster Xergon," the owl stated, looking over to the other man, "And you too, Talib."

The snake simply shrugged off the owl's words, still shaking his head as he regained his energy.

The lynx waved a paw at the owl, an exhausted expression plastered on his face. Heaving a great sigh, Xergon glanced between Esmeralda and Talib. He looked worried and concerned, his voice carrying the same emotions. "Speaking of Zachary..." he began, his gaze settling on the snake, "The boy... he panicked when he was thrown in jail, Talib. I immediately went to see him but... I didn't expect what I witnessed in that dungeon." There was a long pause, the sound of the snow falling and bunching up on each other breaking the silence.

"Zachary was casting three different spells at once, and every single one of them was out of control."

The snake looked to Xergon with an unreadable expression. Shaking his head in disbelief, he thought for several moments. "We need to make sure he doesn't come into any panicking scenarios, then," Talib muttered, looking in the direction of the group's campsite, "That boy's talent is something that he needs to get under his control. Starting tomorrow, I'll be giving him his lessons again. And I'll be sure he learns to master himself more completely."

The lynx gave a slow nod at Talib's words. "We cannot allow him to enter that state again," he stated adamantly, looking at Esmeralda with a worried expression, "I don't think the boy even knows what he is capable of, Elder Eszes. He... could hurt someone accidentally, or even himself very, very seriously. I don't think any of us would want to see that." Xergon put a paw on the owl's shoulder, squeezing it gently.

"Do make sure he's under your attention when Master Talib isn't there to teach him. He needs guidance, and I don't think there's anyone else better to do that than you," The master gave the Elder a smile so sincere, that it even shone brightly through his exhausted and worn out expression.

With a smiling nod, Esmeralda patted Xergon's shoulder. "Don't worry, I will," she assured him as Talib slithered over to join the lynx. "Thank you both, again," the Elder stated once more, her genuine smile showing her deep gratitude.

Sighing, Talib looked to Xergon. "I think we both need a rest after this one," he affirmed, before shifting his gaze to Esmeralda, "I can't leave without saying this though; you impress me, Esmeralda. And that doesn't happen often."

The lynx affirmed the statement with a weak chuckle. "He means it, and although I'm easier to impress, I can't help but state the same; your willpower and mental endurance fascinates me and is something I only hope to acquire one day."

The owl waved her hand at the praise. "I have a good support group," she stated dismissively, "I can hardly let myself get overcome by some spirit with the love I get from those that know me."

"Anyways," Esmeralda continued, turning to the woods, "I'm going to head back to camp and let everyone know the good news. You two have a fun walk back home!" Chuckling lightly, the owl moved off and quickly disappeared into the undergrowth.

Talib shook his head with a tiny smirk on his face. "Mentally strong enough not to be corrupted after fifty years of possession, and she's upbeat not five minutes after having that spirit emerge and be resealed within her," the snake observed, his tired tone bearing a great deal of disbelief, "That's one woman I'm sad isn't in my age group! Hell, I'm more than half tempted to ask if she's single, anyways!"

Snorting loudly in evident amusement, Xergon shoved against the snake's shoulder weakly. "To be completely honest with you, my friend, you have no chance," he stated with a smirk of his own, "Elder Eszes is way out of your league, I'm afraid." Chuckling loudly and closing his eyes, the lynx began walking in the opposite way the owl was, his laughter audible until his form completely disappeared in the undergrowth.

"A snake can dream, Xergon!" Talib called as he followed behind the lynx, shaking his head in equal amusement.

Within a few minutes, Esmeralda emerged into the clearing, her familiar landing in the grass nearby not too late afterwards. Snowflake didn't say anything, she just rushed to the owl's side, hugging the Elder tearfully as their bond expressed each of their emotions to one another while they embraced in the pouring rain.

It took Lya a few moments to notice the two forms in the constant flowing water, her glimmering gaze not entirely in top focus. As it turned out, her restless petting managed to add another person to the group of unconscious individuals, namely a very large reptile, and the ocelot herself was really close from joining their ranks as well.

But as her bleary eyes settled on the embracing pair and recognized them, the feline let out a relieved sigh. Not wasting a moment, she withdrew her paw from Basajaun's head, getting to her feet quickly and hurrying to the ice wall that blocked her way. She watched as Snowflake and Esmeralda hugged each other, a small smile appearing on her muzzle as she rested her paws against the transparent blockage in front her. She waited patiently and silently, knowing better than to disturb their moment.

After several minutes, the pair broke off their embrace. Wiping their eyes almost in synchronous, they looked over to the gazebo, moving to the shelter quickly to get out of the rain.

Putting a talon to the ice, a doorway momentarily appeared for Esmeralda to enter, before the owl muttered something under her breath, a hinged door appearing in the entryway while Snowflake entered through a wall.

Sniffling a bit, the Elder wiped her drenched face before addressing Lya. "So, it went well enough," she reported with a forced smile, "They got the thing's name, so we have a better chance at this endeavor, now. There's a real chance... that..."

The owl's voice caught in her throat, and she looked down while another wave of emotions rippled through her being, fresh tears traveling down her wet cheeks.

Lya quickly rushed to the Elder's side and put both of her paws on her shoulders, squeezing them gingerly. "Shh, Esmeralda, it's alright," she stated adamantly, leaning down a little to look in the owl's eyes, "I understand. You don't have to say anything else. And hey, that is good news." The ocelot's voice was so soft that it was nearly overpowered by the pouring rain outside, but only nearly. For everyone able to hear it, her tone held immense amount of sympathy and comfort in it.

"I'm glad to see you back safe and sound," she said with a sincere and warm smile, stroking the Elder's shoulder up and down and grimacing when her paws got wet. Lya took the owl's hand immediately. "Come," she insisted, dragging Esmeralda straight the fire and nearly forcing her to sit down, "Get warm before you catch a cold."

The owl nodded weakly, sitting by the fire and looking at the flames quietly. "I grew up in the tundra," she said after several moments, "The cold doesn't bother me. Besides, I'm a glaciomancer, remember? Cold is--"

"I really don't care, Esmeralda," Lya stated with a serious expression, sitting beside the Elder and giving her a warm smile that challenged the temperature of the orange flames themselves, "You're going to sit here and dry up. I don't care whether or not you're the ice queen, you need to warm up and rest. No complaining." Although practically the first member of the group to command something to the owl, the ocelot seemed sincere and heartfelt with her request. She really did care about the Elder's health.

The owl glared over to Lya, though she was smiling as she did so. "You might be able to get away with running over Fatty, Zach, and Snowflake like that," Esmeralda began, shaking her finger at the ocelot, "But do that to me too much, and I just might have to thump you, young lady."

Lya's expression remained outrageously unaffected by the threat, her smile not leaving for a fraction of a second. She actually had to suppress a chuckle at the owl's words. "Coming from you, I can't help but take that seriously," she said, lifting her blouse a little to reveal her axe, "But I can defend myself just fine, so don't you worry."

"Anyway," she continued before the Elder could, shaking her head a little, "I'm glad you're back. And I apologize... it's just my way of showing that I actually care, I suppose. I'm odd like that." Lya let out a quiet giggle at her own statement.

Sighing, Esmeralda held her hands up to the fire. Though it was true that the cold didn't bother her, the warmth felt nice anyways. "That is an odd way of showing affection," she agreed, before gesturing to the sleeping pair, "Not nearly as odd as their way of showing it towards one another, though. Have you seen that particular spectacle yet?"

Lya looked at the unconscious duo as well, simply shrugging at the question. "I can't say I haven't seen a lot of things around these two dummies, but I'm not sure I've seen the one you meant in particular."

"The feeding, I mean," she clarified, "I know you heard about it. It is an impressive sight, from what I've seen through Snowflake. That dragon can really pack away an incredible amount of food in one sitting!"

"Oooh... that one," Lya voiced, tittering as she continued, "No, I haven't seen it yet, but I'm quite sure I will sometime in the future if I'm going to stay here," looking at Basajaun's greatly fattened form, the ocelot snorted and shook her head a little, "And I've already seen his impressive appetite. It's really nothing to snort at." The ocelot continued looking at the sleeping two for a few more moments, before she looked like she realized something.

Turning her head this way and that, Lya eventually brought her gaze back to the Elder, cocking her head a little. "Where's Talib, By the way?" she inquired, trying her hardest to keep the worry out of her voice, but failing miserably, "I thought he was coming back with you?"

The owl shook her head. "He apparently exhausted himself with this appraisal," she reported, looking to Lya apologetically, "And Xergon had to help him with it. It was actually Xergon that got the spirit's name. I'm not really sure what exactly happened, but Talib went back to Centrum with him."

Lya blinked. "Talib... needed help... from Xergon?" she reiterated, confused for more reasons than she could count. For long moments, the ocelot seemed lost in thought, before she brought her gaze once more back to the Elder. On top of all her confusion and worries, a more important matter sat, which she wanted to have resolved as soon as possible.

"I heard from Zach that you were a biomancer," she began, glancing at Zachary with a concerned expression, "Could you... are you able to check on him like Talib said? He... he was coughing a little again, and I'm a little worried."

The owl grimaced slightly. "The most I can heal is broken bones and deep cuts," she stated sadly, "Fine tuned healing isn't in my repertoire, unfortunately. I'm afraid of what might happen if I tried anyways; I would probably wind up making things worse."

"Oh..." Lya voiced quietly, her gaze falling to the ground, "I see." The silence that followed was only disturbed by the pouring rain, the crackling of the fire and the snoring of two sleepy individuals. For long moments, the ocelot remained silent, her face bearing an unreadable expression.

"Oh, well," she began after a while, lifting her head and giving an evidently forced smile to the Elder, "I'm sure he'll be fine. It's just a day, after all. Nothing bad can happen under a single day... right?"

The owl didn't answer, simply looking over to Zachary with a concerned expression. Snowflake settled herself next to Esmeralda, her mistress petting the familiar's head thoughtfully for several moments.

The quiet was interrupted suddenly by a massive peal of thunder, causing everyone, asleep or not, to jump with surprise. "Gods above!" Basajaun shouted as he came to from the rude awakening, his body still wobbling from his and Zachary's sudden motion.

Looking blearily and confusedly around himself, the leopard could feel his heart thudding rapidly in his chest from the scare he got. He blinked and grumbled, narrowing his eyes a little as he tried to focus on his vision.

"What... happened here?" he demanded quietly, rubbing his eyes in disbelief then bringing them back to the ice gazebo above his head. He then turned to observe the pouring rain, both if his eyebrows raising in surprise. "And... what happened out there? What is actually going on?" Lya could only put a paw on her forehead and shake it, mentally debating whether the feline was acting at this very moment or not.

With his eyelids slowly falling up and down and his muzzle parting to give way to an upcoming yawn, it was rather evident that even though the deafening thunder managed to awake him from his sleep, Zachary wasn't just fully awake yet, and he was not acting. A truly amazing accomplishment, given the force and intensity of the previous roar of the sky.

"It's called the weather, Dragonfeeder," Esmeralda stated with an overly serious tone, "This particular weather pattern is called a rain storm. It also comes with a phenomenon known as thunder."

Listening to the owl's explanation with closed eyes, the last thing Zachary could do was give a thumbs up before his arms dropped to his side. He remained sitting, but there was something off with his posture. He actually looked like he fell right back asleep.

Lya blinked as she observed the sitting feline, looking to the other members of the group with a clearly perplexed expression on her face. "Is he always like this after waking up?" she inquired, pointing a paw at the snoring leopard.

Everyone nodded in unison. "Zach likes his sleep," Basajaun stated tiredly, yawning as he woke up a bit more. Lifting his head, the dragon looked to the returned Elder with a smile. "Welcome back, Elder Eszes!" he greeted warmly, his tail reaching over to the owl and patting her back affectionately, "Did everything go well?"

"Well enough," Esmeralda agreed, absentmindedly patting the drake's tail, "Thank you for asking, Fatty."

Giving a nod, Basajaun reached up to nuzzle Zachary's face. "If you're going back to sleep, lie down first," he said somewhat sternly, "You're going to get cramps if you sleep like that."

Moaning as he was awoken again by a cruel intruder, the leopard smiled when his paw made contact with the snout of said individual, immediately recognizing its owner. "Hey there, Basa," he greeted with a soft voice, stroking the dragon's head up and down gingerly and finally opening his eyes.

With a little more focus in his vision, Zachary scanned his surroundings, his gaze settling on Esmeralda eventually. "G'morning, Lady curmudgeon," he shot back with a goofy smile, apparently remembering the Elder's earlier way of addressing him. He cocked his head a little at the owl, yawning expansively as he added. "You look a little tired. You should go to sleep. I know perfectly well that old people need a lot of sleep." The grin that followed his statement was probably the most innocent and idiotic expression one could perform, as it appeared like the feline's facial muscles weren't quite awake yet. Lya broke into a fit of giggles at the display almost immediately.

The owl laughed heartily. "You're going to be comatose when you get to my age, then!" she teased right back, shaking her head before looking up to Zachary with a warm smile of her own, "And I'm fine, son, don't you worry about me. I had a productive experience in the woods, is all."

The leopard tilted his head even more at the statement to the point where it was threatening to break off from his neck. "Oh, is that so?" he inquired with another yawn and a casual tone, rubbing his eyes softly with his paws, "What did you do out there?" Lya sighed at the question and looked to the Elder with a patient expression.

The owl waved a talon in the air. "Just some preparation for the exorcism with Talib," she stated calmly, as though it were truly a small thing, "It worked out well. Xergon came by to help as well, but he got tired after having to cast some spells. He gives his apologies that he couldn't stop by, but that he's coming for a visit tomorrow." The Elder's tone was so nonchalant that it was easy to believe that what had transpired was nothing significant.

Zachary stopped rubbing at his eyes, his head slowly lifting up to meet the Elder's gaze. "Exorcism... preparations?" he reiterated, evident worry glimmering in his eyes, "A-Are you sure you're alright? Did everything really work out? Do... do you want a blanket or some warm food...?" there was a short pause after the leopard bombarded Esmeralda with his concerned question, and he was quick to follow up with another one, staying as redundant as possible, "Are you absolutely, completely and convincingly certain that you are alright?"

The owl stood up and spun around once. "See? I'm totally okay," she reaffirmed, smiling up to Zachary, "I wouldn't mind that warm food though. And maybe a hug from my dragon feeding son, too!"

Searching Esmeralda's face for long moments, the leopard eventually let out a sigh and smiled back to the Elder. "Anything for the grumpiest mom in the whole province!" Zachary chuckled joyfully, patting Basajaun's middle before he slid down and landed in the grass somewhat ungracefully. His legs weren't quite awake yet, either.

He disregarded the shameful display of his acrobatic skills, however, simply moving to the owl and pulling her in his embrace with utter care and gentleness. "Glad everything went alright and that you're fine." He said with a soft whisper, holding Esmeralda close to his body. Only a few seconds passed before he began purring quietly, unable to and not even wanting to suppress the perfect representation of affection for his species.

Lya watched the scene from her place in the fire, smiling warmly at the embracing pair. It very much seemed like Basajaun wasn't the only one Zachary had a very special bond with.

With all eyes on the embracing pair for a moment, Basajaun eventually rolled upright, stretching his back afterwards. "I guess we're getting our first lessons tomorrow, then," he mused, not completely noticing that his tail and one of his rear legs were in the fire after righting himself.

Lya's eyes lingered on the hugging duo for some more seconds, before Basajaun's voice forced her gaze to look at him. She gasped loudly. "BASAJAUN! YOU ARE STANDING IN THE FIRE YO-- wait..." the ocelot stopped her frantic shouting, blinking and clearing her throat nervously, "Right... you're... uhm... fireproof. Right. Never mind me." Attempting to appear as little as possible, the feline buried her head in his paws in embarrassment. She wanted to disappear right now.

As if deliberately reading her mind and deciding to ruin the well devised plan of hiding herself behind her paws, Zachary pulled back from the embrace he shared with Esmeralda to glance at Lya with a warm smile. "Hey, it took me a c...c...cou...coup..."

The leopard fluttered his eyes more times than he could ever count. He couldn't believe what his eyes were telling he was seeing. He simply stared at Lya in her new clothes with mouth agape, his body completely unmoving.

The ocelot brought her head up and looked at him quizzically. "What took you what again?" she asked, cocking her eyebrow a little when she noticed Zachary's frozen expression, "Zach? Are you alright there?"

No verbal answer came, just a slow nod. He could feel his cheeks reddening with each second passing, but he simply couldn't help himself. The change was so sudden and unexpected that he didn't believe how different Lya looked without a loose dress around her body. The change was not unpleasant by any stretch of the imagination.

Seeing the leopard's reaction, Basajaun laughed loudly. "Cat got your tongue, Zach?" he joked, snuggling himself a bit further into the fire to escape the cold around the gazebo's edge while Snowflake and Esmeralda both giggled at his comment.

Zachary swallowed loudly, his head turning towards Basajaun while his eyes remained locked on Lya. "Y-You could say that... literally." He replied quietly, bringing his head back to its usual position and continuing to stare at the ocelot in disbelief.

The feline in question could feel herself getting more and more uncomfortable by the leopard's searching gaze. "Zach, what's gotten into you?" she inquired with a clearly frustrated tone, finally glancing down at herself to see what Zachary was looking at. It took her approximately five whole seconds to realize what was going on. She blushed more intensively than the staring feline himself.

"Zach!" she demanded sternly, pointing a finger at the leopard, "Stop staring, you dummy! It's rude and inconsiderate!"

As if brought out of his trance by the frustrated request, Zachary shook his head a little and gave a sheepish expression to the ocelot. "Oh... sorry," he apologized, clearing his throat nervously and looking away in a random direction with immense effort, "You... you know I'm not good with manners. I did--"

"I can see that." Lya cut him off with a snort, narrowing her eyes at the leopard. A somewhat awkward silence followed between the two felines' conversation, before Zachary finally spoke up, although his voice was barely audible.

"N-Nice... uh... clothes," he began, coughing and clearing his throat nervously once again, "Looks good on you."

Lya nearly couldn't answer because of the uncomfortable lump in her throat. "Thanks." Was all she managed to breathe out. Zachary's comment was very much appreciated, but it didn't help with her evident awkwardness and shyness.

With the rest of the party suppressing their giggles, Basajaun finally turned to Lya to address her earlier statement. "Don't worry about me and fires," he stated calmly, smiling at the warmth from the flames, "This actually feels quite relaxing for me, especially on a rainy day like this one." The dragon waved his fluffy tail through the fire to emphasize his point.

The Elder regarded the dragon's tail for a moment. "Basajaun, your fur is fireproof," she observed thoughtfully.

The drake turned his gaze to Esmeralda. "I literally just established this, Elder Eszes," he replied with a shake of his head.

"Not you, you dolt!" the owl chided, pointing at the fluffy tip of Basajaun's tail, "Your fur is fireproof."

Realizing what she meant, the dragon looked back to his tail. "So it is," he agreed, looking to the owl quizzically, "So?"

The Elder nudged Lya's side. "What do you think people would give for clothes made from fur that silky, that also had the properties of dragon scales?" she asked quietly, a mischievous grin curling her beak.

Esmeralda's musing actually managed to drag Lya out of her awkwardly spellbound state. The nudge on her side greatly contributed to this accomplishment as well, forcing the feline to shift her gaze to the owl.

It took her a couple of moments to process the question, her eyes shifting between Basajaun and the Elder. "Well, I'm not sure," she replied honestly after a while, looking at Basajaun's fur as if appraising it, "But given its quality and quantity, as well as the fireproof property, I'd bet rich folk would throw their coins at us in hopes of getting their paws on one of these clothes."

"I find that idea way too risky," Zachary cut in the conversation before anyone could, his arms crossed below his chest, his voice adamant. He gave Esmeralda a knowing look. "A leopard boy and an old owl appearing with clothes made of dragon fur. Doesn't that sound extremely and unbelievably suspicious to you?" he asked quietly, gesturing towards Basajaun with his head, "I bet we'd make a lot of money, but we'd also have a lot of people asking questions how we managed to acquire the fur. Perhaps even dragon hunters, Esmeralda," shaking his head, the feline gave the Elder a serious look, "We don't need money. We have everything here, so risking Basa's life like this is foolhardy, and I'm completely against it."

Lya blinked. She slowly turned her head towards Zachary, her eyes widened in surprise. When did he get so knowledgeable all of a sudden? He looked nothing like the dummy he usually was. It seemed like when Basajaun's life was at risk, he could be the most logical and serious member of the group. Apparently, his fondness towards the dragon was able to overpower his usual obliviousness and childlike behavior.

Basajaun sighed in relief. The Elder's train of thought was looking like it was going to wind up with him getting his new fur shaved for use as income. While he would have been happy to help, the idea of being sheared like a lamb was not one that the drake relished.

The owl gave her own sigh, though it was one of disappointment. "You're right," she stated, before looking up to Basajaun with her mischievous smile still on her face, "But your little expression of panic was quite amusing, Fatty!"

Mumbling something unintelligible, the dragon shook his head at Esmeralda's words. "I'm just relieved that I'm not going to wind up looking like a shorn lamb," he replied, "That would be completely undignified!"

Relieved that his friend wouldn't be risking his life for practically nothing, Zachary allowed himself a moment of amusement. He snickered quietly as the image of a hairless, bare skinned dragon floated in his mind. It looked extremely hilarious, even in his imagination.

With the matter managing to get his mind off of Lya's sudden change in clothing, and therefore even more alluring appearance, the leopard was able to turn his attention to the weather outside. He watched the scene for a moment, shaking his head.

"It looks horrible out there," he stated quietly, his eyes locked on the constant flow of water that surrounded the ice gazebo. The darkened clouds blocked the sun's comforting light so stubbornly that it almost appeared as if it were night time. Blackness fell on the little clearing, only broken by the smallish campfire around the group that flickered relentlessly against the forces of the shadows.

Walking closer to the wall of transparent ice and putting a paw on it, Zachary stroked the cold substance for a moment. "Did you make this, Snowflake?" he inquired, not looking back at the members of the group as his gaze continued fixated on the pouring rain outside of their frosty shelter.

"Yes," the spirit answered, looking over to the leopard as he watched the storm. Standing after a moment, she moved over and sat herself beside Zachary. "It's kind of serene, isn't it?" she asked quietly, smiling as she watched the rain falling.

Lya watched the pair next to each other for a little while from her place near the fire, her eyes locked on Zachary. She grimaced slightly and sighed.

The leopard nodded his head silently. His paw moved to Snowflake's neck on its own accord and began stroking the spirit tenderly. Zachary's mind didn't even register the contact, his thoughts currently in a very far away place. He wasn't worried, concerned or even fearful. He was simply just... thinking.

After a few moments, the feline's whole body suddenly shivered a little. He shook all of his limbs at once, feeling the cruel coldness slowly creeping up on them. The fire was too far away from him to provide any warmth.

Lya noticed the motion almost immediately. "Zach," she began, her voice as soft as the green grass under her, "Don't stand there for too long. You're going to catch a cold, and you know you ca--"

"I'm fine, Lya," Zachary cut her off before she could finish her warning, waving a paw at the ocelot, "Just watching the rain for a little while."

The ocelot furrowed her brows as she was waved off, although her concerned expression did not leave her features. "B-But you have to be more careful now, Zach..." there was a short pause, "Your lungs won't take kindly to a co--"

"I'm. Fine." He interrupted her for the second time, emphasizing each word to get his point across. There was a hint of frustration in his voice, which he tried his hardest to suppress, but ultimately failed to do so. Someone was worrying about him again.

Zachary closed his eyes and sighed expansively.

Lya regarded him with wide eyes. His outburst was not what she expected, a reaction that was novel to her, and something that did not bring peace or anger to her mind, only more worry. She resisted the urge to snap at him, though. That would not help him in the slightest at the moment.

Hearing Zachary's tone, Basajaun immediately stood. Waddling slowly over to the edge of the gazebo, his limbs pressing into his wide girth as he moved, the dragon simply settled down near the leopard, lending his own body warmth, which had been increased from his time in the fire, to his friend. This wasn't a new experience for the drake; he knew that Zachary wanted to feel independent, and offering concern would only make him feel less so.

So Basajaun simply made himself available to the feline, nuzzling the leopard's arm to let him know that the dragon was there for him.

As soon as the contact was made, the leopard opened his eyes and turned his head towards the drake. He smiled at his best friend, scratching him under his chin appreciatively and tenderly, feeling the warmth radiating from the dragon's whole body. He didn't say anything, only another long yawn leaving his lips as he settled himself next to Basajaun. The contact was enough to get the dragon purring instantly.

He leaned lightly in the soft cushion that was the reptile's chest, his paw continuing its tender caressing under the drake's jaws. His gaze eventually went back to the pouring rain. Watching the endless flow of water somehow mesmerized, captivated him, even. There was no particular expression displayed on Zachary's face, just a hint of a thoughtful look that seemed to search for the answers to its questions in the storm.

Observing the pair for long moments, Lya finally drew her gaze away. Basajaun was right by his side now, and with him there, she knew Zachary would be fine, just like he had said. "Stubborn dummy." She said under her breath, loud enough for anyone around the fire to hear, but inaudible to the individual it was meant to.

Esmeralda chuckled. "He wants to be able to take care of himself," she said in an equally soft tone, "Can you blame him for being frustrated?"

The ocelot sighed. "I suppose I shouldn't," she replied with a whisper, shaking her head a little, "But he should still be more careful. I know he doesn't like it, but it's his reality now." Lya glanced over to Zachary as she finished, watching him silently with an unreadable expression on her own face.

The owl nodded wordlessly, simply keeping an eye on the leopard for now.

After watching the rain with Snowflake and Zachary for a few minutes, Basajaun actually started to see what the spirit meant. The fluid motion was a relaxing sight, just one that he had never taken the time to appreciate before. In the clear shelter, the dragon could watch the falling drops without fear of them reaching him, and after a while, it actually brought a smile to his face. Setting his head down in Zachary's lap, Basajaun nuzzled at the leopard's paws while he was stroked absentmindedly, an eye still looking out into the rain.

Repositioning herself on the opposite side of Basajaun, Snowflake laid down and rested against the warm, cushy dragon as well. The spirit closed her eyes, seeming content to listen to the sound of the raindrops tapping against the shelter.

When Basajaun began his snuggle attack against his paw, Zachary simply couldn't help but smile widely. He moved a paw to continue scratching tenderly under the dragon's chin, while the other stroked him on his snout with equal care and gentleness.

"You know," the leopard began after a while of petting his best friend, his voice barely audible as he spoke, "I'm actually glad you're going to be the one to... tend my lungs," he admitted, his upper paw scratching the drake behind his ear, "It would feel weird and well... a little humiliating if it was anyone else, even Talib."

The dragon hummed blissfully as he was scratched, a dopey grin on his face. "I'm happy to... be the one... helping you," he replied slowly, his head pressing into the hand petting behind his ear. "You can pay me back... with what you're doing right now. That feels... so... gooood," he moaned euphorically, his purr raising in volume and intensity.

Chuckling lightheartedly at the comment and reaction a simple scratching got out of the dragon, Zachary's tone was truly joyous in a while. "Oh, really?" he inquired with a soft tone, moving his other paw and reaching over to Basajaun's other ear, now both of his hands scratching carefully and tenderly at just the perfect spot. Having spent quite a long time with the friendly drake, the leopard pretty much knew exactly where to direct his nimble fingers when he wanted to provide as much comfort to his friend as he possibly could. "How about now, you silly lizard?" He laughed again, his earlier thoughtful mood long gone as his attention was focused entirely on the drake, mainly behind the area of his ears.

The dragon's whole body went limp, the only sound he made being the purr that was now quite loud, with an occasional little chuckle. Not wanting to be left out of the fun, Snowflake put her paws on the side of the drake's silky belly, scratching and kneading at the surface with a broad smile of her own.

There were no thoughts left in Basajaun's head. He was rendered a passive, giggling, purring lump that served as a cushion for the very friends that spoiled him now.

Smiling warmly when the dragon was rendered completely brain dead and unmoving, Zachary turned to Lya, his paws still scratching at Basajaun's ears with utter care. "See why I love this overgrown lizard so much?" he asked with a grin on his face, gesturing at the resonating mass of green flabbiness that was the reptile in question, "Would you ever think of him as a savage beast after this?"

The ocelot watched the drake for a few moments, evidently amused by the display of cuteness she was presented with. She shook her head vehemently. "Not anymore," Lya stated sincerely, smiling back to Zachary in relief upon noticing his change in mood, "I'll admit, he's kinda adorable at the moment," she held up a finger and chuckled, "You all are still weird. Cute, but weird." The leopard could only nod at the statement, bringing his gaze back as he continued to caress Basajaun affectionately.

Watching the trio for several moments, Esmeralda finally heaved a relenting sigh as she stood. "Alright, that's too damn cute to not join in," she stated as she moved over to the dragon, rolling her sleeves up her arms, "Let's see just how big that ridiculous smile can get!"

Setting her cane aside, the owl swiftly climbed the drake's side until she was positioned on his back. "Laxo," she intoned, her talons glowing blue, before she put her hands to Basajaun's back, beginning a professional-quality back massage.

The third member to join his spoiling only barely registered in his mind, before Basajaun felt the magically augmented massage on his back. His smile widening to a ludicrous degree, the dragon would have purred louder, if he could. As it was, the sound had reached its maximum volume, though it deepened in pitch significantly. The drake's rear legs started kicking periodically in the grass, his back arching into the owl's massage, making him look like a cross between a well-loved dog and an affectionate cat.

As all three members of the group continued giving their respective ways of spoiling the fourth, the final fifth one began to feel a little left out in her place next to the fire. Hesitating for long moments while observing the heartwarming scene, Lya eventually sighed and shrugged. "Oh, why the hell not?"

With that extremely good reasoning leaving her lips, the ocelot stood and made her way to the bundle of cuteness at the edge of the gazebo. Sitting herself next to Zachary, the female feline cocked her head a little as she watched the outrageously dopey expression on Basajaun's face.

"Here," the leopard disturbed her observation, only pausing in his own scratching for a moment to grab Lya's paw. He directed the ocelot's hand under the dragon's chin, giving an encouraging smile afterwards. "He likes that a lot."

Blinking for a few moments, a more than overwhelmed feline began slowly rolling her fingers up and down under Basajaun's lower jaw. "Like that?" she asked unsurely.

"Exactly like that." Zachary replied, smiling warmly to Lya before continuing with his own scratching. As they sat closely next to each other on the green grass, their tails once again embraced on their own accord, apparently completely forgetting the little scene they had just a few moments ago. And it wasn't only their barely prehensile limbs that disregarded their earlier misunderstanding.

Both of them were already past it, simply wanting to enjoy the moment as much as they could. Perhaps not as much as a certain reptile, but still decently enough to ignore their worries and problems for just a little while. The pouring rain outside complimented the heartwarming scene perfectly, the faint sound of large drops of water landing on the roof of the gazebo providing a placid sensation for everyone present.

Several moments later, Esmeralda withdrew her hands, shaking them for a moment. "Ugh, I hate getting old," she muttered, rubbing her sore digits.

Sliding down from the dragon's back, the owl bent to retrieve her cane, Snowflake pausing in her own blissful enjoyment of Basajaun's softness to give her an expectant look. "Go on, admit it!" the spirit urged her mistress with an insistent smile.

Looking to the familiar for a moment, Esmeralda laughed aloud and turned to Zachary. "Alright, fine," she relented, shaking her head and pointed to the nearly comatose drake, "He's soft, cuddly, and comfortable when he's fat, and I actually enjoyed being up there. Happy now?"

Zachary actually laughed out loud. "Why would I be happy from hearing you state the obvious?" he teased with a wide grin, giggling joyfully as he gave a somewhat proud expression to the Elder, "I've been saying that to you all for a while now. Took you some time to realize that I was not lying!" Lya laughed right along, although not entirely convinced by that statement just yet.

Giving a nod, the owl sat down and rested against the dragon's side. "You do realize that you've now made me even weirder in the eyes of the common person, right?" she stated, before grinning widely, "But you know what? I don't give a damn. This was actually oddly enjoyable." Zachary chuckled joyfully at the remark.

Yawning, the Elder crossed her arms under her chest as her eyes closed. "Since my tent is out of the gazebo, I'll just be getting a bit of rest here," she said tiredly, "Go ahead and feel free to chat around me. I can sleep through anything when I want to."

"Alright," the leopard said in a soft tone, watching with a warm smile as Esmeralda closed her eyes, "Sleep well, mom." The way he uttered the last word was so caring that for only a moment, Lya actually believed that the Elder and Zachary were related.

Peaking her eye open for a moment, Esmeralda smiled warmly back to the leopard. "Thank you, son," she responded with equal care and love, before the eye fell again, and the old owl was asleep.

Zachary's affectionate gaze lingered on the sleeping form for a long time. He simply couldn't bring himself to tear his eyes away, finding the usually grouchy owl in her current unconscious state more loveable than he cared to admit.

Finally finding the strength to tear his eyes away from Esmeralda, the leopard looked out in the pouring rain once more. As he watched the water falling constantly with otherworldly intensity, something suddenly popped in his mind.

His face fell almost immediately.

"Gods, the books!" Zachary nearly exclaimed, withdrawing his paws from Basajaun and jumping on his feet. He rushed to the thin wall of ice, his eyes searching through the darkness.

Lya regarded the panicking leopard with a cocked eyebrow, before realizing that he was out of the loop. She couldn't help herself; the temptation was too great. For only a moment, a wicked grin spread across her muzzle. She then quickly removed the expression from her face and cleared her throat.

"Zachary," she began, her voice colder than the ice gazebo above their heads, "For your health, I really do hope you're kidding right now." Withdrawing her own paw from Basajaun's chin, Lya tried to her best to give an authentic death glare to the leopard. She succeeded with flying colors.

The panicking feline visibly flinched and trembled at her voice, his body completely unmoving as he stood in front of the ice wall. In his mind, he was actually able to convince himself that his yellow and black coloration was able to blend in with the transparent ice, therefore making him invisible. All he had to do was remain unmoving and silent, and so the beast that was Lya would just look for another unfortunate prey.

Silence followed from both felines, which each spent respectively keeping their shameful acts together. While Lya was trying her best to not burst into laughter, Zachary was still attempting to become unseen by some miracle.

With less hands on his form, Basajaun finally came to from his ecstasy. "That was amazing," he mumbled, before opening his eyes, looking at Lya glaring at the individual whose lap his head had been in when he practically lost consciousness. "What did I miss?" he asked, shaking his head so the fur was pointing in the right direction again. Snowflake only managed to giggle quietly at the display.

There was no answer from Zachary. He remained in his statue form, lest he awaken the beast.

Lya bit her lip hard to hold her laughter back. "Dummy managed to soak out entire book collection by leaving them out in the rain." She reported coldly, still giving a convincing performance, though her struggling not to smile was evident.

Still coming out of his stupor, Basajaun rubbed his head. "I thought Snowflake made sure the books were always in the bags?" he questioned, looking to the spirit in question.

The spirit winked subtly to Lya. "Oh, so I'm your maid now?" she asked, putting her forelimbs on her hips as she sat on her haunches, "You two lazy bones might have just ruined a lot of good books!"

The dragon looked between the females abashedly. "B-but I... we..." he stuttered. Even though Lya couldn't understand the spirit, it was clear enough that Snowflake was joining in this particular joke.

Acknowledging the subtle hint, Lya advanced to greater levels. "I'm not the librarian anymore," she stated quietly, her gaze shifting between the still-frozen Zachary and Basajaun, her piercing gaze drilling holes in each, "But I still hate it when books are ruined for no reason. You two," she pointed a finger at the leopard and the dragon in turns, "Will. Pay. For. This." The ocelot's tone sounded so serious and threatening that the leopard actually broke his statue form with a fearful swallow. The beast was set free, after all.

With a pair of stern gazes on him, the dragon's head slowly sank to the ground, whimpering pathetically at his "mistake". Unable to withstand Basajaun's whine, Snowflake's expression changed to a comfortingly humorous smile, nodding to Lya to let her know the prank had gone far enough.

Able to hold her amusement contained for only a fraction of a second, the ocelot eventually let out a quiet snort, which soon became a hearty laughter. She actually had to close her eyes and clutch both of her sides with a paw each. She didn't expect to find this much entertainment in this little play.

Zachary slowly began showing signs of awareness as Lya continued to laugh her lungs out. At first, he could only blink in confusion, cocking his head at the display. "Huh...?" he voiced quietly, turning to Basajaun for support with an utterly baffled expression on his face. That, along with the whole scenario, only fueled the ocelot's enjoyment. She was actually crying tears of joy at this point.

Her chiming laughter joining soon afterwards, Snowflake leaned against Basajaun as the dragon looked between those who were present, unable to process what had just happened. "It's okay, you two!" the spirit giggled, shaking her head as she wiped her eyes, "The books are either in the bags or in Lya's tent. Nothing got ruined." Continuing to chuckle, the dragoness patted the males' heads reassuringly.

With an unreadable expression on his face, Zachary slowly turned to Lya. "Basa," he began, his voice carrying utmost disappointment and disbelief, "We've been had." After the statement, the leopard simply stared at the ocelot.

The feline in question was currently still giggling and wiping joyful tears from her eyes. She glanced back to Zachary's expression, and gave him a wickedly teasing grin. "I can't believe how well that worked," she stated, shaking her head and snorting, "And here I was told that you were the king of teasing. Seems like your throne was overtaken, dummy!"

Narrowing his eyes and grimacing at the same time, the leopard shook his finger at Lya threateningly. It was rather ineffective, as the ocelot began chuckling once more. "You... you'll get this back one day," he warned her, clenching his lips tightly, "Mark my words, Lya. I will have my revenge, and yo--"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say," Lya simply waved him off, shaking her head again.

Zachary was fuming as he glared at the ocelot. His mouth kept opening and closing, his mind searching for a witty comeback. And yet, nothing came. Perhaps for the first time, he simply could not shoot back. The realization left him more breathless than the prank itself.

Raising his head from the ground, Basajaun glared at the females from next to Zachary. "Alright, so we've got another prankster in our little group," he muttered, before a little smile graced his face, "Okay, you got us good. But like Zach said, there will be reven--"

"Just make sure you don't spend too much time and effort planning it all out," Lya cut Basajaun off casually, not surprising anyone anymore with the action, "Wouldn't want you two dummies to overuse your brains. Try to keep it as simple as possible, for your sake." The wide grin that adorned the ocelot's muzzle was almost identical to Zachary's own when he was teasing, although even more mischievous.

The leopard's jaw visibly twitched at the remark. He slowly turned to Basajaun, his expression unreadable. "Basa," he began, clearing his throat a little and remaining deadly calm as he continued, "Would you be so kind and reassure me with the help of your excellent memory that Esmeralda packed shears and scissors in our traveling bags when we left Plainstead?" Lya stopped laughing at the request and cocked an eyebrow curiously. What was the dummy getting at?

Considering for a moment, the dragon leaned in close to Zachary. "I saw both, why?" he asked quietly, causing Snowflake to lean in a bit as well. The dragon responded by erecting a wing between the males and females.

The leopard flashed a grin to Basajaun and pulled his wing down, quickly removing the expression from his face and putting on an unbelievably innocent and oblivious one.

"Oh, no reason really. I dunno," he shrugged, motioning with his arms at the same time for emphasis, "I was just curious, y'know. I was always fond of barbers," Lya blinked at the statement, but Zachary disregarded her confused gaze for now, "Perhaps I will try my hands in that particular hobby. If only I had a volunteer of some sort..."

A single glance at Lya was enough.

The ocelot almost immediately widened her eyes in surprise, shaking her head vehemently. "Nuh-uh. You're not getting anywhere near me, you hear me!? Not until I'm awak--!"

"I can stay up for quite long in the night, believe it or not," Zachary's tone was so unfamiliarly cold and daunting that it didn't even sound like himself. His piercing gaze was locked on the ocelot, not a single trace of a smile appearing on his face. "And I'm a very patient individual. I can wait until you're asleep, weak and unaware."

Lya visibly flinched at the leopard's tone. She really wasn't sure whether or not he was serious. It was impossible to read him. "I'll give you something if you even dare to co--"

"It's just a little haircut," Zachary's muzzle broke into a wicked grin, "Just a few hairless spots here and there, perhaps a bit of shortening at your tail. Oh, and I will make sure not to leave your whiskers out either! Haha, almost forgot!" The leopard laughed. It wasn't a display of amusement, however. It sounded evil.

Lya let out a shriek so convincingly terrified that it almost broke Zachary's act. She jumped up from her spot near the fire and ran behind Snowflake, pointing a trembling finger at the leopard from behind the protection of the spirit. "Don't let him anywhere near me!" she demanded, "He's gone mad!"

Zachary laughed wickedly again. "Mad? Nah..." his grin grew wider to the point where it was scaring even himself, "Just a little... weird and creative." He began snapping two of his fingers against each other, the movement similar to a scissor in action.

Lya swallowed loudly, her eyes fixated on the leopard in front of her. When he took a step forward, she screamed and ducked under Snowflake's wing, hopeful that the familiar would protect her from the wrath of the mad barber.

Giggling, the spirit formed her wing into a sort of protective tent around Lya. "I think you're scaring her, Zach," she stated flatly, still smiling and shaking her head. Basajaun was quietly watching the scene, not entirely sure himself whether the leopard was being serious or not.

"Oh, I'm scaring her?" Zachary repeated the spirit's words intentionally so Lya would understand them. He gave an innocent expression, although his devilish grin never left. "That's not good... not good indeed. Wouldn't want my first test subject to feel uncomfortable at all, no, that would be very inconsiderate of me!"

Looking lost in thought for only a second, the leopard laughed and snapped his fingers. "Oh, but she will be asleep! Ha, she won't be scared of anything, I can assure you! And she will wake up to find herself with a new haircut as well. What's better than that, honestly?" Zachary inquired harmlessly, giving a quizzical look to Snowflake.

Thanks to their bond, the leopard knew he couldn't deceive the spirit. But to everyone else, especially Lya, he gave an undoubtedly authentic performance of a mad barber, who appeared to be actually dead serious at the moment.

The ocelot could only stare at Zachary with wide and fearful eyes. She really could not decide whether he was acting or not. It was impossible to see through his act, if the former was the case. She began questioning her own prank, mentally debating that perhaps she had gone too far and the result was this... monstrosity.

"Zach, you're starting to scare me now," Basajaun stated, clutching a pawful of his own fur defensively, "And I just mentioned earlier how I wasn't looking forward to looking like a sheared sheep."

Although not knowing it, the dragon unintentionally broke Zachary's act. As soon as the image of the hairless reptile flickered in his mind once, the leopard snickered quietly. Why was it so damn funny?

Her ears perking up at the sound, Lya slowly extracted herself from her dragoness fortress, fearfully peering over her wing to glance at the mad barber. But there was no such thing anywhere, there never was. She could only see Zachary again, who was currently chortling quietly under his breath with his eyes closed.

"Hey!" the ocelot exclaimed, scowling and pointing a finger at the laughing feline, "Gods, you were acting all along! You little brat!"

Busted.

Finally letting out all his bottled up amusement, Zachary burst into a laughter that nearly split his sides. "Goddamnit, Basa!" he scolded the drake half-heartedly between his fit of chuckles, "I had it, bud! And you had to ruin it!" He shook his head as he continued giggling, disregarding the death stare Lya was giving him.

Laughing along with Snowflake and Zachary, the dragon shook his head amusedly. "I think you're going to fit in just fine with us, Lya," Basajaun affirmed honestly, reaching over and nuzzling the ocelot's arm before he could think better of the action.

Narrowing her eyes as she continued her restless glower towards the leopard, Lya eventually spoke up, her voice still a little shaken. "You're going to regret this. I'll make sure to give it ba--"

"We're even now." Zachary simply waved her off in similar way she had done just a few moments ago, grinning at her joyfully, "You didn't think I would just let you get away with a prank like that? I had to return the kind favor."

"You damn well succeeded," Lya replied quietly, sighing as she cocked her head at the leopard, "You do realize that you actually scared me there? I really thought you were going to cut my fur when I wa--"

"Who said I still wouldn't?" Zachary cut her off. She wasn't buying it anymore, however.

"Oh, shut it right now!"

The leopard laughed and shook his head. He walked back to the dragon and patted his head lovingly. "Basa's right," he stated, giving Lya a warm smile, "You'll fit in just perfect."

The ocelot couldn't help but give a relentive smile of her own. "Oh, joy, I'm weird enough to join your ranks! Awesome!" She joked, evidently happy to hear those words leaving Basajaun's and Zachary's lips nonetheless. It actually felt really... good.

Pressing his head into the patting hand of his friend for a moment, Basajaun turned to look down to the form the slept resting against him. "Um, when did Esmeralda decide I was a good place to take a nap?" he asked quietly, feeling a bit unsure about the owl leaning into the side of his stomach.

Zachary gestured at the pouring rain outside. "Well, she can't really sleep in her tent now, can she?" he inquired with a giggle, his paw moving to scratch Basajaun behind his ear, "She was exhausted and needed sleep. By some otherworldly miracle, there was a cuddly and soft dragon at our disposal, so she decided to rest there for now. Oh, and Basa," the leopard leaned a little closer with a wide grin on his face, "She admitted that she liked your softness."

Thinking hard, the dragon remembered two extra sets of hands through the haze of his earlier euphoria. Looking down to the owl, Basajaun smiled, his wing extending to cover Esmeralda, for the first time acting like a blanket for her. "That's good to hear," he responded softly. After a moment, he nuzzled the Elder as well, smiling at being able to offer her some form of comfort.

Snowflake snuggled into Basajaun after a moment. "She's having good dreams," the spirit stated, smiling fondly to her mistress, "Mistress is really comfortable, and she's at peace. Thank you, Forest." Nuzzling the dragon, she extended her own wing over the drake's both dragons watching the owl smilingly.

The two felines joined in the mutual observation of the resting Elder. She really did appear to be at peace at last. Zachary liked seeing her like this.

The serene moment was disturbed by a growl that was loud enough to overwhelm the pouring rain outside. At first, Lya could only smirk and glance to Basajaun, but as her eyes passed by a certain leopard, she stopped her gaze.

"Right," Zachary began, putting a paw over his midsection and chuckling quietly, "I completely forgot that I haven't eaten anything in a while," turning to Snowflake and the ocelot, he cocked his head a little, "I vaguely remember someone mentioning lunch. Is there some for me?" He inquired with a smile.

Lya nodded, returning the gesture. "Come. We made some hare stew and roasted boar with Snowflake," she invited, beckoning with her head for Zachary to follow, who did so immediately.

"You guys went hunting, huh?" The question sounded way more casual than Lya would have expected. The image of the mad barber was still floating freshly in her mind.

"Mhm." She replied with another nod.

Zachary's smile grew. "Glad to hear that you guys are getting along with Snowflake," he stated sincerely, stopping in front of the campfire when Lya did so. His gaze fell on the available servings, and he couldn't stop his mouth from producing more saliva than usual. The sight was inviting, especially in his ravenous state.

"Which one would you like?" Lya managed to break his transfixed gaze from the dishes. She gestured with her paws at two meals in turns, cocking her head and smiling.

Considering for only a moment, Zachary pointed finger at the stew. "Nothing better than Snowflake's stew!" He said with a chuckle, shooting a toothy grin to the spirit in question.

"I actually cooked that, you dummy," the statement forced the leopard to whip his head back to Lya, his eyes widened, "Snowflake instructed me with the steps, though. So I guess you could say we cooked it together." She smiled warmly, grabbing a bowl from next to the pot and filling it with the delicious stew.

Zachary watched her do so, licking his lips in anticipation. "Didn't know you could cook." He stated casually, not looking up at Lya.

"Didn't know you couldn't fight in close combat." The ocelot's tone was so nonchalant that he almost forgot to process that statement. Only almost.

He raised his gaze from the bowl, cocking an eyebrow. "Who told you that?" he asked, his tone calm. He wasn't upset by any stretch of the imagination, knowing perfectly well his shortcomings.

"Does it matter?" Lya countered, smiling innocently as she poured another spoonful of stew in the wooden bowl.

Zachary furrowed his brows a little. "Just tell m--"

"Nuh-uh."

"Lya... why wo--"

"Here," She insisted with a warm smile, holding the bowl of food in front of Zachary's face, "Try not to get too messy, hm? You just had a bath." Tapping a finger on the spoon which rested against the edge of the wooden dish, Lya gave the leopard an expectant look. Independent strong little man or not, a clean one was better than a smelly one.

Hesitating for only a moment, Zachary relented. "Fine," he mumbled, taking the bowl along with the spoon and rolling his eyes, "Thanks." With that, the grumpy feline made his way back to the two dragons, Lya following behind him with the same smile plastered on her face.

"Snowflake," the leopard began after arriving next to the remaining members of the group, looking at the spirit with a comforting expression, "Gonna use fire. Don't freak out." With the warning done, Zachary settled down next to Basajaun, leaning against his side slightly, Lya doing the same right next to him.

Placing his bowl in his lap for only a second, the leopard shook his right paw once. Immediately, tiny orange flames burst forth from practically thin air, dancing above his palm effortlessly. Smiling at the spell for a moment, Zachary glanced around himself.

"Oh!" He said with a chuckle, grinning afterwards. In a single and gentle motion, he pulled on Basajaun's wing until a small area was covering his lap. Setting the bowl on top of the limb and at the same time lowering the paw with the fire in his under it, Zachary watched the heat worming its way into the dragon's skin and fur while warming the stew on top at the same time.

"Look at that," Zachary giggled childishly, patting Basajaun's side with his free paw, "A dragon is even useful when you want to warm up your food!" Lya shook her head at the statement, but chuckled nonetheless.

Basajaun smiled widely. "Always happy to provide assistance!" he stated with a laugh, enjoying the feeling of the little fire under his wing, "Besides, that feels nice, too."

Even though she had been warned, Snowflake couldn't prevent herself from flinching steadily away from the leopard on the opposite side of Basajaun. Having the little fire so close was obviously unsettling for her. Eventually, the spirit simply lowered herself until the dragon was blocking her view of Zachary, her face snuggling a bit under the drake's other wing.

Looking to the dragoness, Basajaun smiled and hugged her against his side with the limb she huddled under. Somehow, the spirit coming to him for relief filled the drake with the warm feeling that he often felt around her, though he had yet to realize the cause.

"Sorry, Snowflake." Zachary apologized after noticing the spirit's fearful reaction. He gave her a small smile, gesturing with his head at the stew. "Just a little more and it's done." Not wanting to make the familiar uncomfortable for much longer, the leopard increased the intensity of the fire just a little bit, watching as the first oily bubbles began appearing on the stew's surface.

As Zachary was preoccupied with getting his meal to an acceptable temperature and observing the process curiously, Lya's attention was focused on something as well, although it wasn't the stew. She smiled a little while her eyes lingered on the leopard.

She didn't really know the reason behind the expression that was currently plastered on her face, but she didn't mind it. Perhaps she just liked seeing him in a good mood, rather than the uncertainty and dread which kept recurring no matter how much anyone tried to prevent them from doing so. His childish smile was welcomed with open arms, and she could only hope there would only be joyful tears leaving his eyes from now on.

A slim chance, and she knew it perfectly well. But the thought stayed, as did her smile.

"O-okay," the spirit tinkled quietly in reply to the leopard's statement, her face hugging tightly against Basajaun's side when Zachary increased the fire's intensity.

The drake reached over and nuzzled Snowflake, trying to comfort her as she began trembling lightly. He couldn't help but wonder if something had happened to the spirit to make her so fearful of even the little flame that their friend was using. Not commenting, Basajaun simply stroked the dragoness comfortingly.

Noticing Snowflake's increased trembling and fear, Zachary sighed quietly. With a flick of his fingers, he killed the orange flames in his paw. His friend's comfort came first, after all.

He took the bowl from Basajaun's wing, patting the limb in the process, and set the dish in his lap. "It's alright, Snowflake," the leopard calmed the spirit with a soft tone, smiling to her warmly, "Fire's gone."

Taking his spoon and plunging it in his tepid stew, Zachary took his first sip from his meal. He gave a hum of approval as soon as the combination of the hare's meat and wide variety of spices touched his taste buds. "Good job, you two," he said, looking at Lya and Snowflake fondly, "This tastes just as good as always." He displayed the authenticity of his statement by digging in his lukewarm dish with gusto, a satisfied expression on his face.

Lifting her head up after she felt the fire going out, Snowflake regarded the leopard's meal for a moment. "Your f-food's not that warm," she observed with a guilty expression, her tone still showing a bit of trepidation, "You don't have to eat it cold because of me, Hunter. Go ahead and heat it through. I... I'll be fine." The spirit tried to give Zachary an honest smile, though even that held fear to it at the thought of the fire spell's return.

It didn't take too much effort for the feline to see through the expression. He chuckled and waved a paw. "It's alright, Snowflake," he reassured the spirit, giving her a knowing look, "I have quite a bit of experience with cold food, don't you worry!" smiling after the somewhat sad statement nonetheless, Zachary added, "Besides, your comfort is more important. I'll just eat it like this, and I really don't mind! It still tastes heavenly!"

Lya watched him prove that last sentence by plunging his spoon deep in the depths of the stew, raising it to his mouth and swallowing afterwards. The ocelot turned to Basajaun after a while, whispering. "Now that's how you compliment a beginner cook," she stated quietly with a grin, "I'm surprised dummy even knows that."

The dragon smiled abashedly. "I already apologized," he whispered back, "And I told you it was good! I just... was a bit more honest than I meant to be about it."

Disregarding the whispering pair, Snowflake stood and padded around to the other side of Basajaun. "Thank you," she said sincerely, nuzzling the leopard's cheek, "I'm sorry about my fear of that kind of magic. I know it can be useful, I really do. It just... it's really scary for me."

Zachary paused in his 'lunch' to stroke the familiar's neck comfortingly. "I understand, Snowflake. There's no need for apology, really," he stated, withdrawing his paw to continue eating, "It's the least I can do after scaring you earlier. I promised to myself never to do that again, and I'm adamant on keeping that promise." Smiling warmly to the spirit, the leopard went back to his meal, devouring the lukewarm dish without showing any concern about its temperature whatsoever.

With a smiling nod, Snowflake stood again, turning around to face the falling rain and leaning into Basajaun again. Noting that Lya was the only one not currently using him as a cushion, the dragon thought back to that morning. "Um, Lya?" he asked somewhat hesitantly, "May I ask you a question?"

"Depends." Lya replied curtly, cocking her head at the dragon.

Zachary put his spoon down from his mouth immediately and narrowed his eyes at her. He mouthed something, and although the ocelot couldn't decipher this silent way of communicating with one another, she knew he was scolding her.

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "I mean... sure, ask away!" She corrected herself, glancing at the leopard. He nodded his head with a wide smile and continued eating. That dummy could be more overprotective about his dragon friend than Basajaun himself with Zachary.

"I was just wondering when you wound up where you were this morning," he asked, trying to be vague in case the scene he remembered was in any way embarrassing for the ocelot, "I don't really remember much of yesterday, you see. Which feels very odd for me..."

Zachary coughed loudly as he nearly choked on his stew. "Come again?" he demanded after managing to clear the unwanted bits of food from his throat. The leopard stared at Basajaun with wide eyes, shaking his head a little in disbelief as well. "Your memory is perfect; there's no way you can't remember something. That's never happened before." Only realizing now that the dragon's first statement was about Lya, he turned to the feline in question afterwards, his expression even more confused than before.

"And where did you wind up, anyway?" He inquired, cocking his head at Lya.

There was no response that came from the ocelot, only a distant stare at the ground. It took her long moments to find her voice, and even when she eventually did, it was quiet, uncertain. "C...Can we not talk about yesterday, please?" Lya's simple request held evident pleading and sorrow in it. Her gaze fell on Snowflake afterwards, her eyes seeking support in the spirit restlessly.

Zachary could only blink at the ocelot's sudden change in behavior.

After a moment, the dragon nodded. "Sorry, I didn't mean to remind you of that," he said apologetically, shaking his head and turning to Zachary, "I'll explain why I can't remember later."

Looking back to Lya, Basajaun hesitated again. "Um... what about this morning? Can I ask about that?" he inquired, his head tilting.

The ocelot closed her eyes tightly, the painful memories flooding her mind almost immediately. She could still hear Basajaun's pleading voice loudly, calling her, actually believing that she was a friend he had almost lost. The thought squeezed her heart harder than she could clench her paws in fists. Why did he have to bring it up again?

Lya heaved a long sigh, finally opening her eyes. "What do you want to know about this morning, Basajaun?" She asked as she turned to the dragon, her expression unreadable.

Zachary's confused eyes shifted between the conversing pair, his paw only occasionally raising another spoonful of stew to his mouth which he sipped at quietly.

The ocelot's reaction to his question almost silenced the dragon completely. "I, um, when... or how... you know what, nevermind," he finally shook his head, not wanting to stir up any more bad memories. "I just want to know if you were comfortable," he asked instead.

Despite Basajaun's willingness not to do so, it was already too late. The events of yesterday danced cruelly in front of Lya's mind. She tried to disregard them the best she could, but there were too many, each adding to the weight of sadness that kept pulling her heart down.

"Don't worry," the ocelot began after a while, her tone not nearly as kind or friendly as she would have wanted to, "I was comfortable." She wasn't looking at Basajaun, her thoughtful gaze fixated on the grass instead.

Zachary sighed happily as he finished with his bowl, putting the dish down on the ground, "Alright," he glanced between the members of the group with an expectant look, "Does anyone care to tell me what you are actually talking about?" Crossing his arms under his chest, the leopard waited patiently for his demand to be fulfilled.

From Lya's part, he could have waited for eternity, and then some. She refused to open her mouth and talk another second about the subject. It brought up things, memories that she didn't want to see ever again.

Snowflake put a claw on Zachary's shoulder. "You don't want to know," she said with a serious expression, "Neither of you do. Trust me."

Blinking for a moment in surprise at the spirit's tone and expression, Basajaun eventually gave a tentative nod. "If you say so," he replied unsurely, before looking back to Lya, "I'm sorry I brought it up. I was just curious, but not so much that I want to make you uncomfortable to resolve it."

Glancing between a thoughtful Lya and an unusually serious Snowflake for a few moments, Zachary eventually sighed and shook his head. "It was that bad, huh?" He mused, his voice barely audible.

"Horrible," Lya corrected him with equal volume, "It was... horrible, painfully long and heart wrenching," She slowly looked up to Basajaun, her eyes shining. It was an effort not to give into the temptation of letting her tears fall once again, and yet somehow, for the second time, she managed to smile at the dragon for his sake.

"But it was comfortable, Basajaun, really." She quickly wiped her eyes, her smile widening. She really meant every word.

Watching the ocelot's face for a moment, the drake gave a slow nod. "That's good," he said smilingly, reaching over and gently nuzzling the ocelot's arm, before clarifying, "The comfortable part, not the rest of that."

Lya did not pull away. The gentle gesture actually felt nice, especially now. Instead, she patted the dragon's head somewhat hesitantly. The friendly expression she gave him wasn't unsure or uncertain, though. Just when she was about to reply, however, dummy had to ruin it again.

"Can you at least tell me what this fussing 'comfortable' thing is!?" Zachary demanded, pouting as he narrowed his eyes at the other members of the group, "I hate when you guys are all mysterious and hush-hush."

Basajaun shook his head as he laughed lightly. "Lya can tell you if she wants," he said, before turning to the ocelot in question, "Just one more question, because I'm endlessly curious about this sort of thing; was it comfortable enough that you'd do it again?"

While the leopard began practically fuming with frustration, Lya could only stare at the dragon with wide eyes. The question caught her so off guard that she completely forgot to even answer, only doing so after long moments once she managed to snap out of her perplexed state.

"I... well... I don't really know," she replied hesitantly, shrugging, "It was... comfortable for sure. But..." she sighed expansively, giving a knowing look to Basajaun afterwards, "You know I told you that I... needed some time to adjust. This doesn't come as easily for me as it did with... perhaps Zachary. That instance was an exception, which I accepted in those circumstances." Tearing her gaze away from Basajaun, Lya appeared to be lost in thought for a few seconds before she continued.

"I'm not saying that I wouldn't ever do it again... but there's a chance that I simply never will, as well," she explained, smiling a little, "Just give me some more time. I might change my mind completely."

The dragon smiled and nodded. "That's all I wanted to know," he said, looking down to Esmeralda as she rested against the dragon, "But I am glad that you got some comfort from it. Thank you for your honesty."

"I might just take up on that barber hobby, after all," Zachary stated quietly with a growl, his arms crossed under his chest. He tried to glare at everyone at once, but his eyes eventually settled on Basajaun. He pointed a finger at the dragon accusingly. "And you're gonna be my second test subject, mister mysterious!"

The threat, as well as the leopard's frustrated mood, was so amusing to the first test subject of the mad barber that she began chuckling joyfully. "Give it a rest, dummy," she waved him off casually, "I might tell you if you'll be nice with me," patting Basajaun's head, she added smilingly, "And with him as well."

Zachary gestured at the pair with both of his arms in utter annoyance. "I would be nice if you would tell me!" He countered.

Lya shrugged nonchalantly. The leopard's outburst actually managed to clear her mind from the unpleasant thoughts, and she was more than happy to enjoy the entertaining experience while it lasted. "I will tell you if you'll be nice."

Zachary nearly cried out loudly in anger, Esmeralda's sleeping form forcing both of his paws to muffle the scream in the last moment. It was hard to get on the leopard's nerves, but it seemed like the members of the group finally succeeded in that.

Giving a ringing laugh, Snowflake reached over and nuzzled Zachary's arm. "It's something personal between Forest and Black," she stated in an effort to explain things better, "You wouldn't want to go around whimsically talking about our feeding sessions with Forest, would you?"

The leopard whipped his head to glare at the spirit as well. "But I did exactly that!" he stated, waving his arms at Basajaun and Lya vehemently, "I told that to her myself!" Zachary continued his frustrated tantrum for a few more moments, before he simply exhaled loudly and shook his head.

"Whatever," he said, although his frustrated tone, as well as the constant swaying of his tail suggested otherwise, "I don't even care. I'll just keep my own secrets to myself and not tell you anything either." With a huff, Zachary turned his back to the others, muttering something under his breath as he watched the storm instead. His words were lost to them, but it didn't take a genius to figure out that he wasn't praising them too much at the moment.

Watching the leopard's tail flail around behind him for a little while, Lya's expression softened. Amused by his frustration or not, she still didn't want to hurt his feelings. "I'll tell you once I'm ready to talk about the whole thing, Zach, alright?"

There was no immediate verbal response that came, only a shrug at first, which was soon followed by a rather curt reply. "Sure."

Lya rolled her eyes and sighed. Turning to Basajaun, she gave the dragon an expression which could barely be identified as regretful. "I think he's a little mad," she stated, gesturing at the leopard and his flailing tail, "I assume he doesn't like secrets, huh?"

The dragon shrugged. "I haven't kept one from him before," he stated honestly, before turning his gaze to Zachary, giving the best imitation of the leopard's cute look he could while nuzzling his shoulder, "Hey, can I make it up to you somehow? I can't take you being mad at me..."

For long moments, the feline didn't answer, seemingly adamant on keeping his childish tantrum going. Although the fact that he didn't pull away, and even pushed his shoulder a little against Basajaun's snout, suggested otherwise.

"No," he replied after a while, sniggering as quietly as he could, "I'm mad now. Go indulge in your little secret with Miss Mysterious, Mister Mysterious. I'll do the same with... uh..." glancing around himself, Zachary quickly grabbed his own tail and hugged it lovingly to his chest, "With this! He understands me and tells me everything, unlike certain impostors!" Lya snorted loudly and shook her head again at both the remark and the whole situation.

Basajaun gave a broken-hearted expression. "But I know for a fact that this man is a liar!" the dragon said dramatically, pointing at the leopard's rear limb, "He only tells tails, not truths!"

Zachary's tail almost immediately dropped from his paws, landing on the ground softly. He slowly turned his head back to the dragon, an inscrutable expression on his face. Batting his eyes, the leopard shook his head more times than he could count.

"Are you serious?" he inquired quietly, still shaking his head, "You're horrible. You're worse than Esmeralda and Talib combined!" swatting at Basajaun's nose gently, Zachary let out playful chuckle, "Get outta here! Your shameful lizard puns ruin my chances at staying mad at you!"

Basajaun grinned. "That just means it worked!" he affirmed, licking the leopard's nose playfully, "And I'd like to think that was pretty good, seeing as I have so little experience in comedy. Can you blame me for my lack of humorous talent?"

"Absolutely... ugh..." Zachary wiped the dragon's saliva from his nose, flicking it off of his finger on the grass and turning back to face his friend once again, "I'm still very, very mad..." the leopard attempted to look very, very mad, but failed miserably, "It may not look like it, but I am! So... I can blame you for anything right now. Let's see."

Searching on the ground once more for only a moment, the leopard held up a simple twig in front of the dragon's eyes. He stared at his friend with an unreadable expression, before breaking the puny branch and dropping the remains back on the ground. "Gods, Basa!" Zachary cried, collapsing on the ground, whimpering as his trembling fingers reached over to the twig's corpse, "Look what you've done! This... uh... twig! Yes, it had so much to live for! Why!? Why would you do such an evil thing!?"

Lya, who remained mostly silent and observant through the whole ordeal, simply blinked at first at the convincing performance the leopard was giving her. "You know," she began quietly, pointing a finger at the broken twig, "I actually feel kinda bad for it now." The statement was followed by a joyful chuckle from the ocelot. She shook her head at Zachary. "You goofball."

Basajaun made his best horrified expression; it was no where near as convincing as Zachary's, however. "Ladies of the court!" he cried out, turning his head to Snowflake and Lya and pointing to the twig, "I must convince you that I have been framed for this horrible murder! I am soft of body and heart alike, and could never commit such an atrocity!"

Snowflake started tittering alongside the ocelot, shaking her head and smiling. "You two are silly," she stated matter-of-factly as she watched the males being goofy.

"That's a lie!" Zachary countered the highly dangerous murderer's claim, "I have unquestionable evidence that this dragon brutally murdered and butchered this innocent... twig." In a single motion, the leopard quickly threw one of the broken pieces from the corpse of the casualty at Basajaun.

"See?" he demanded, gesturing with his paw at the unquestionable evidence, "He was sick enough to keep one of the pieces from the victim's body as a souvenier! Ladies, you cannot ignore this revelation!" Although trying his hardest not to break his act, Zachary began quietly sniggering, occasionally even giggling while he pointed a finger at Basajaun accusingly.

Lya watched the two dummies with a wry smile, leaning close to Snowflake after a little while. "Are they always this... like this?" she inquired quietly, snickering as she continued to observe the absurd scene.

Snowflake nodded, giggling as she did so.

"Ack! The corpse is touching me!" Basajaun exclaimed in horror and disgust, looking as though he were trying to flinch himself away from the stick caught in his fur, "Get it away! Oh Gods above, save me from this fate!"

"You know how I said I could sleep through anything?" an irritated voice suddenly cut through the act from Basajaun's side, causing the dragon to immediately freeze in place with wide eyes, "I may have underestimated this group's male member's ability to be annoyingly loud."

At first utterly horrified as well, Zachary was quick to recover from the initial shock. He gestured at the dragon accusingly. "Basa killed a twig, Esmeralda!" he informed the owl, his voice trembling with each word, "And it was only his first victim! I wouldn't stay in arm's or wing's length of him if I were you!" Although warning the Elder to keep distance from the murderous criminal, the leopard didn't notice that he failed to follow his own warning. The branch-butcher was dangerously close to him!

Taking a moment to get over the initial reaction to the Elder's words, Basajaun followed the leopard's lead. "I maintain my innocence, your honor!" he affirmed vehemently.

Heaving a sigh, Esmeralda sat up from the dragon's side. "If you two weren't so cutely amusing, I might have to take both halves of that twig and shove them where the sun doesn't shine," she stated, rubbing her eyes while she calmly threatened the pair.

The owl's comment was all the confirmation Zachary needed to keep going.

"In that case," he grabbed his tail in his paw once more, bringing it next to his side with an unreadable expression on his face, "I hereby summon a bystander who witnessed this horrible, horrible violation of the laws of the... twigs."

Zachary gestured at his rear limb. "Tail," he began, turning to the 'person' in question with a serious tone, "Did this overgrown lizard brutally murder, butcher and then play with the soul of an innocent twig?"

Tail nodded wordlessly.

Zachary turned back to Basajaun to flash a disgusted look, before he brought his gaze to the females of the group. "I have no more questions." He stated calmly, patting his tail and letting go of it.

He leaned a little closer to the dragon, still not looking at him as he whispered. "Check. Mate." And he pulled right back, waiting patiently and confidently afterwards.

The dragon sighed in defeat. "Alright I admit it; I murdered the victim," he said sadly, before looking over to Lya and Snowflake, "But before you make your judgments, you should know that I was hired to do so. By this very witness!" Basajaun pointed accusingly at the leopard's tail, "He's the mastermind behind this crime!"

"Nonsense!" Zachary countered vehemently, shaking his head as well, "I can assure you ladies that my witness cannot be associated with such accus-- Tail...? Tail what are you doing?"

Suddenly, out of nowhere, the leopard found himself staring at his rear limb. It lingered threateningly in front of his head, swaying back and forth as if seizing him up. Zachary could see the evident bloodthirst in its... eyes.

Wrapping itself around the leopard's neck, the formerly declared simple bystander began working on its second victim. Suffocation, what a pitiful way to die.

"Tail... why...?" These were the last words that left Zachary's lips as the traitor limb around his neck finished its work. The feline collapsed on the ground, unmoving. He died while seeking justice.

Lya began clapping quietly. "You two are ridiculous," she stated, snorting in amusement and shaking her head, "And that's not a compliment."

The dragon stuck his tongue out at Lya. "I'll take that as a compliment, anyways!" he said resolutely, shaking his head and chuckling as he broke his act. Reaching down, Basajaun nuzzled Zachary's face. "So, are you going to lay there the rest of the night?" he asked, flashing a mischievous smile, "I can always avenge your 'death'!" The drake's paw came to a rest on top of the leopard's tail threateningly.

Zachary sat up immediately, pulling his beloved murderous limb close to his body protectively. "Don't you dare!" he growled at Basajaun, narrowing his eyes, "No more scratches for you if you pull my tail again!"

The dragon laughed, reaching over and ruffling the fur on Zachary's head. "Alright, I won't," he stated, looking out to the rain. It still looked like the storm would be lasting quite a while.

Sighing, Basajaun stood, or rather, straightened his limbs around his gut, and started turning towards the fire. "I think I'm going to call it a day," he announced, moving towards the campfire, "Not much else to do for me when it's so stormy and the books are out of the shelter."

Zachary looked after the dragon after he finished smoothing his fur. He cocked his head innocently, his ears falling down. "Really?" he whimpered, pouting, "No special dinner tonight?" Given his absence from the group earlier, and thus unable to indulge in his favourite 'hobby', the leopard looked outright crestfallen by Basajaun's statement at the moment.

Lya's ears perked up in curiosity, her gaze settling on Zachary first, then shifting to Basajaun. She didn't comment, simply waiting where the situation would advance.

The drake stopped in his waddle, turning his head to face the leopard as it cocked slightly. "Really?" he asked, looking between the two felines for a moment, "You wouldn't mind doing so?" The dragon's head perked up at the thought, along with Snowflake's.

Glancing at Lya, Zachary sighed and shook his head. "It's inevitable, anyways," he reasoned, shrugging as he continued to look at the ocelot, "You were going to see it one day, no matter what. I realized that waiting like this only saddens me," the leopard's gaze fell on the two dragons, "And you two as well. So, no, I wouldn't mind... unless."

When he turned to her, Lya couldn't help but give a confused expression at first. It didn't take her too long to understand that Zachary was being considerate with her. "Oh," she began, smiling and waving a paw, "O-Of course not! It's important to all of you, who am I to ruin it alone by staying neutral with this whole thing? Go ahead, don't worry about me, really."

The leopard sighed in relief upon hearing those words. "In that case," he grinned at Basajaun and Snowflake, "I wouldn't mind it in the slightest. I'd actually love it!"

Giving a thrilled smile, the expression died down as soon as Basajaun looked out to the storm. "Hunting isn't exactly an available option right now, though," he realized aloud, sighing lightly, "So I'm not sure what we're going to have dinner with."

Snowflake raised a claw. "I can hunt in the storm without any issues," she stated, "It's actually easier for me to spot body warmth when things are cold like this; you all are practically glowing against the cold right now." The spirit turned to Esmeralda, "Would you maybe help some as well, Mistress?"

The owl nodded with a smile. "Our specialty, then?" she asked, getting a nod from the familiar in return, "Alright, you'll have to get the ingredients from the bags first. Then I'll get started while you hunt."

Smiling enthusiastically, Snowflake moved out through the gazebo, leaving the flesh and blood creatures behind for a while. "Um, by your specialty," Basajaun began, an almost child-like grin on his face, "Do you mean that ice cream Snowflake made before?"

"I do," Esmeralda answered, chuckling at the little squeal of delight the dragon loosed upon hearing those two words.

"Ice cream?" Lya repeated the word as she watched Snowflake leave. She turned to the other members of the group, tilting her head a little while her ears perked up. "I've never had of that before."

Zachary grinned. "You'll love it, trust me!" he stated, moving to sit next to the ocelot, "It's an unbelievably sweet and delicious dessert. Basa goes nuts for it, and he has every reason for it! That thing is heavenly!" He chuckled joyfully.

With a nod, Lya smiled at the leopard's enthusiasm, as well as the sudden change in mood of the whole group upon the word 'dinner'. It really seemed like it was a special occasion for every member. "I'll be sure to give it a taste, then," she replied, glancing at Basajaun, "Unless your friend there eats the whole thing before me." There was evident teasing to her voice that even a deaf individual could have noticed from a mile away. For full effect, she stuck her tongue at the drake, returning the expression he had given her earlier.

Sweet, sweet revenge.

Basajaun gave an innocent expression as he settled himself down next to the fire, his paws already moving to play around his expansive middle, at least where they could reach. "I'll have you know I always wait for others to have their fair share of dinner before starting my own," he said in response, giving a mockingly hurt expression, "You make it seem like I'm a glutton or something!"

Lya glanced at Basajaun after his comment, her muzzle curled in a smirk. Amusement hovered in her gaze. "Yeah, right. I have no idea where I got that idea from!" The ocelot giggled mirthfully, shaking her head a little at the dragon before she could feel a gentle nudge on her shoulder.

"Hey." Zachary tried to get her attention verbally along with the weak prod, smiling to her once she turned to look at him. His ears were slightly lowered to his head, his expression one of familiar shyness. "Thanks again for being so open about this whole thing." he said in a sincere tone, beaming at the ocelot when she returned the gesture and waved a paw dismissively.

"No problem, Zach, really," she assured him, patting his shoulder gently, "This hobby of yours seems to make you all happy and..." her voice trailed off vaguely, but she was quick to continue, her alluring smile still present, "I think you all deserve happiness, especially after... you know what." Her gaze fell back to Basajaun, her eyes lingering on the dragon for a few moments.

For only a fraction of a second, Zachary could see a glimpse of sorrow in her features, but before he could even question it, the expression disappeared. It didn't take him too long to safely guess the reason behind her reaction. He actually felt somewhat guilty for wanting to drag something out of Lya earlier that evidently saddened her. This was serious to her, that much was certain.

His train of thoughts were interrupted when the ocelot returned her attention to him. Once again, only merriness adorned her furred face. "So just have fun with your weird hobby," she said, her tone more commanding than she would have prefered, "Don't worry about me. I'm kinda used to weirdness by now, especially after meeting you," the ocelot chuckled joyfully, Zachary doing the same, "I'm pretty sure I'll be able to handle it." Her reassuring statement elicited a happy nod from the leopard, who could feel his own eagerness building up alongside Basajaun's.

"Don't worry, I'll always have fun with this!" the drake stated with a pleased grin.

A moment later, Snowflake started moving back through the gazebo. "Here you g--" the spirit was suddenly stopped in her tracks when the bag of ingredients she carried caught on the outside of the wall she was trying to pass through. "Woops!" she giggled, taking a moment to move the bag around to the door her mistress had made.

"Guess I'm a little over eager!" she stated with a mildly embarrassed smile as she pulled the ingredients through the door, handing the sack to Esmeralda, who could only shake her head and chuckle at the display.

Both felines had similar reactions to the familiar's clumsiness, Lya's ears perking up in curiosity as she regarded the bag. Her mind wondered about the mysterious contents of the object in question, and soon enough, she gave in to the temptation.

Flicking Zachary's ears playfully as she stood, the ocelot giggled joyously when he gave an exaggerated whimper and pouted. She disregarded his everlasting cuteness for now, however, moving to Esmeralda instead.

Lya's head tilted adorably as she stood behind the Elder. "Do you mind me joining you, Elder Eszes?" She inquired with a hopeful tone and smile, waiting patiently for the ingredients to be revealed.

A little distance away from the intrigued ocelot, Zachary still sat on the grass, his paw rubbing at the ear which was cruelly assaulted. Seeing Lya's enthusiasm, the leopard stood as well, his destination located in the opposite way, namely an unmistakable hill of green mass.

"Not at all," the owl replied, patting Snowflake's head before the spirit moved through the wall again and headed out into the woods, "I think you'll enjoy learning about this particular recipe. Though it does require access to ice magic. You can help me prepare it up to that point, though."

Lya gave a thrilled nod, settling herself next to Esmeralda. As she waited for the owl to began exposing the required ingredients for the inviting specialty, her head turned to Zachary for a moment, watching him sit down next to Basajaun and give the drake a wide grin.

"Do you think keeping him in the dark like this is a good idea?" the ocelot suddenly asked, her tone not questioning, only concerned. She turned back to the Elder, uncertainty hovering in her gaze. "I know you don't want to make him worried with this... exorcism ordeal, but he could become quite upset if he ever found out. I know now that he isn't really fond of secrets." The previous experience with this instance of her own was enough indicator that her statement was true.

The owl gave Lya a smile. "I told him what happened," she replied, glancing over to Zachary for a moment, "And it did go well. He doesn't need to know how hard this was on those involved. He has more than enough to worry about already, Lya. I'm not going to add to that." The ocelot could only silently nod.

Returning her gaze to her bag, Esmeralda opened it to reveal several smaller sacks. Taking them from the larger container, the owl removed packs that were labeled with their contents; namely sugar, powdered cream and eggs, and a variety of dried fruits.

"This is a pretty simple recipe," the Elder stated, handing some of the bags to Lya, "And the results are quite delicious."

While the owl started to instruct the ocelot on how to make ice cream, Basajaun watched the pair eagerly, remembering when Snowflake had made the treat before. As he observed the food being prepared, the dragon couldn't help thinking of how he would have missed this experience, along with so many others, if he and Zachary hadn't bumped into one another.

Turning to the leopard, the drake smiled widely. "I owe you a lot, you know," he stated with a great deal of appreciation to his tone, "More than I think I'll ever be able to repay you for."

The statement was followed by a loud laugh from Zachary's side. He rotated to face Basajaun, an amused expression plastered on his face. "You owe me?" the leopard inquired with a snort, shaking his head. Putting a paw on the dragon's fleshy side, the feline began stroking the area tenderly before he attempted to correct his friend.

"Basa, you don't owe me anything," he stated with a warm smile, "You've done way more for me than I have for you, and that's a fact." A long silence followed those words, and Zachary was the one to break it again. His tone held more appreciation and affection to it than ever before.

His paw moved to hold Basajaun's head under his chin, their gazes locked. "You saved my life," holding up his free paw and two of his fingers, Zachary grinned widely, "Twice, actually. You saved me by... well..." the leopard chuckled at the memory, "Forcing me to stay with you. I would have died in that forest alone, Basa. I didn't have any experience with surviving in the wilderness back then."

"And you saved me from Boldrum's men as well," Zachary continued before the drake could speak up, "That was the second time. You saved my life on two occasions, and you didn't stop there, no, not at all."

The leopard gestured at Basajaun's wings. "You flew me on your back for days until we reached Plainstead. You protected me like nobody before, after the Izom incident," he unconsciously put a paw on his chest as he carried on, "You stayed by my bed until I woke up, and you even ate an entire banquet just to make me happy!"

Zachary laughed joyfully, shaking his head. "You were there when I was having those nightmares, and not only then. You were always there to comfort me," as he spoke, the leopard could feel his heart swelling with immense amount of warmth, "You bloody carried me on your back the whole way to Centrum without stopping once when I was having troubles with controlling my magic. No matter how much you were struggling, you didn't stop."

Sighing, the feline shook his head. He looked into Basajaun's eyes once more. "With all those, you still think you owe me anything?" Zachary snorted loudly at his own question, "It's reversed, Basa. If anything, I owe you more than I could ever return." The leopard could only beam at his best friend after finishing, his tail swaying happily behind him.

The dragon smiled back, before giving his friend a serious expression. "I can only call those things the start of repaying you for what you've done for me," he affirmed adamantly, "Zachary, I want you to imagine something. Imagine living alone, afraid to go near any other sentient being in the world. You live in a burrow, with only a collection of bones to entertain yourself with, and only a pack of wolves that tolerates your presence for company. The sight of an anthro fills you with fear for your very life and home."

The dragon paused, looking down and away from the leopard for a moment while his voice caught in his throat. "Now... imagine living that way for upwards of seven hundred years or more," he continued, his voice shaking slightly as he turned back to face his friend, "I might have saved your life, Zachary, but you... you saved my heart, my mind, and my soul. I can't even... no amount of time is enough for me to pay that back, Zach. I can only do all that's in my power for you while we're together, and hope that's enough for you."

The leopard couldn't do anything else but silently stare at Basajaun. His eyes were shining, tearful. He couldn't find his voice, nor his words for long moments. His arms moved on their own accord as they embraced the dragon's neck suddenly, Zachary burying his head in his friend's supple skin.

He finally spoke. "Just be yourself and don't change," he whispered quietly, his voice shaking, "Then... then it's enough. That's all I need. Nothing more. I don't need anything else..." Zachary sighed happily as he uttered his next words. Each and every single one of them were undoubtedly sincere and heartfelt. "Just this overgrown lizard in my life."

Resting his head on Zachary's shoulder, Basajaun sniffled as he held back his tears, a forelimb wrapping around the feline and pulling him into the dragon's side. "Thank you so much, for everything you've done," he said softly, nuzzling the anthro's fur, "My wonderful little boy."

The drake's last sentence echoed in Zachary's mind as he hugged him. This wasn't the first time Basajaun called him that, and although he didn't mind it in the slightest, it brought up a thought. A thought that he earlier had as well, and something he simply waved away back then. But now... his mind was fixated on this very thought, unable to let go.

The pair stayed in their embrace for a long time, both enjoying the experience, as well as their words, so much that they didn't want it to end too soon. Zachary was the one to pull away. His paw stayed on the dragon's head, though.

His face bore a serious, yet affectionate expression. "Basa," he began, hesitating for a while before finally convincing himself to continue. The question appeared simple, but under the surface, it held complexity that only these two could understand. He had to know, and so he asked. "W...What am I to you?"

The dragon blinked for a few seconds, before looking Zachary in the eyes confusedly. "What do you mean?" he asked, a worried quality to his voice, "Did... did I say something offensive again?"

The leopard shook his head vehemently. "No, you haven't," he assured the drake, sighing, "It's just that... you... well..." He simply couldn't find a good way to phrase this. Not a surprise, since there was none.

Putting a paw on his forehead, Zachary looked thoughtful as he asked instead. "Am I your friend, Basa?"

"Of course!" the dragon answered immediately, nuzzling the leopard's face, "You're not just my friend, you're my best and closest friend. What kind of silly question is that?"

Sighing mirthfully and giggling when he was cuddled, Zachary quickly changed his expression back to serious. He stared into Basajaun's eyes, uncertainty hovering in his own. He just had to know.

"Basajaun," the leopard uttered his friend's full name with an equally serious quality to his tone as his expression, "What am I to you? W...what do you feel when you think about me?" Zachary searched Basajaun's face restlessly, "Am I really just your best and closest friend?"

The drake was still confused by his companion's words, but the leopard seemed like he really needed to know something. Closing his eyes, Basajaun thought hard, considering his feelings for the feline like he had for Snowflake. He explored each emotion, recalled his actions when he was around Zachary, and thought long on every detail of the pair's relationship.

After several minutes of quiet, the dragon finally found what he was looking for. It was written in the instinctual part of his mind, and in his love for the leopard. It was a stunning realization for Basajaun, one he hadn't recognized consciously, but one his actions had communicated for quite some time.

Opening his eyes, the drake looked to Zachary with a loving smile. "You're... like a son to me," he stated his realization aloud, "I love you like you were my own hatchling, Zach. I want to see you grow strong and happy, to help you do so any way I can. I want to be here for whatever you need or want; to make you smile, give you shelter, be the one that you look to for guidance and affection. That's what you are to me."

Zachary had to close his eyes as he listened to Basajaun's words. His lips remained shut for long moments after the dragon finished with his explanation. His suspicion proved to be reality, after all.

"I see." He said simply, his eyes still closed, while his mind was torn apart by a single memory; one he desperately tried to ignore for most of the time, but was brought forth from the depths of his consciousness.

'Just let my son live!' Knife slicing through flesh. A painful scream. Blood, bloody everywhere . Heavy thud on the wooden floor.

Death. Silence. Alone.

The leopard shook his head vehemently, but the memory didn't go away, clinging stubbornly on his back like a cruel demon. It lingered in the back of his mind as he opened his eyes opened to look at Basajaun. His expression was emotionless, only uncertainty hovering in his gaze.

Zachary attempted to speak, "I... I..." but trailed off into confusion. He simply couldn't say anything. He desperately wished he could, but he had no words to give.

Worry flashed across Basajaun's face as he leaned forward, nuzzling Zachary's face. "Gods, Zach, I'm so sorry," he said, his voice quiet, "I know that... this must be really confusing for you. But, we're still friends... right?" The dragon's own worry deepened at those words, his head resting against the leopard's shoulder.

"Please say that we can still be friends," he begged almost silently, a tear sliding down from his muzzle into the feline's back fur.

As soon as Basajaun's tear touched his skin, Zachary's whole body tensed. A shiver ran up his spine from the contact, the dragon's pleading tone only making it even worse. When he noticed himself hesitating to hug the drake, the leopard's own eyes teared up. He had to close them again, watery sorrow drifting down his cheeks and coating his fur.

The feline wrapped his shaking arms around Basajaun's neck as he rested on his shoulder. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came, only a silent sigh. The memory of his father's death lingered painfully in his mind while his thoughts raced endlessly in his wordlessness.

His real father was dead. Nothing, not even necromancy or any magic could change that fact. No amount of grief or begging, revenge or killing, love or affection would bring him back. He died. And he died protecting his child until his final breath.

Zachary began sniffling quietly as his arms squeezed around Basajaun's neck. The embrace felt comforting, even in utter confusion. Basajaun had always been there to comfort him or to protec--

His breath caught in his throat when the realization hit him.

'He's the same!' Zachary's mind practically shouted the statement at him. 'He's protecting, comforting... loving you like you were his real son!' It was true. Every last word was true. He knew perfectly well that they were undoubtedly the reality. He knew Basajaun; he was exactly like that.

His real father was dead, but... perhaps he finally had someone else? Someone who just confessed his deepest feelings towards him sincerely, smiling to him lovingly as he did so. Someone who had been there for him since the day they met, showing care and affection to the leopard like nobody ever before.

Zachary cursed himself in his mind. Basajaun didn't deserve the painful silence he gave him. He deserved nothing but the same he had given to Zachary himself.

Now he knew the answer to the dragon's question.

Opening his eyes, the leopard swallowed loudly, wiping his tears from his eyes as they kept reappearing. "W-We are not friends anymore." He stated simply, his voice trembling with each word. His arms wrapped around Basajaun's neck protested even at the thought of letting go of the drake.

The dragon stopped breathing. He was completely frozen, tears still falling into the leopard's fur. "Wh... what?" was all he managed to squeak out through his painfully tightened throat.

Zachary's arms suddenly pulled back from Basajaun's neck. They went straight to his head, bringing it in front of the leopard's head as he stared into the dragon's eyes. The feline's cheeks were coated with tears, but they stopped at his lips.

He was smiling.

"We're not... friends anymore, Basajaun." He reiterated, the sentence squeezing his heart hard even though he knew that at this very moment, he meant it as a good thing.

"I'm an orphan," Zachary continued quietly, his tearful eyes shining at the drake as he spoke, "I don't have a father anymore. He's... he's gone. I don't have real parents, just my friends and..." The leopard trailed off, breathing raggedly.

"My friends, Esmeralda and you. You're not my friend anymore. You're something else." Planting his head against Basajaun's own, the leopard had to close his eyes once more. He breathed shallowly, coughing weakly only once before he spoke with true love towards the dragon.

"We're family."

After a moment, the drake's breathing returned, bringing with it the soft trilling sound that only Zachary could bring from him. The tears kept falling, but not out of worry or sorrow. There was a smile that bunched up the dragon's chubby cheeks, both paws moving to embrace the leopard against his soft body.

"I love you, Zach," he whispered, his tone showing how much of an understatement this was, "My wonderful, strong, magical little boy."

Happiness. That's all that the feline could feel as he was embraced by Basajaun, his own puny form sinking into the much bigger one when he returned the hug with all his might. His heart thudded powerfully in his chest, his breathing occasionally interrupted by his quiet sniffling.

"I love you too," Zachary breathed with sincerity, honesty and love, chortling weakly as he added, "You overgrown lizard. I love you." His body and mind alike completely relaxed and calmed in the dragon's embrace, something that only Basajaun could achieve. His ability to comfort him was greater than anyone's.

There was another sniffle other than those from the embracing pair. "Damnit, something in my eye," Esmeralda cursed quietly from her position near the fire, wiping her eyes free of tears. Shaking her head, the owl watched the dragon and leopard hugging, smiling at the sight.

Currently the only member of the group who wasn't crying, namely an extremely confused ocelot, glanced between the others, cocking her head. "What's... uh... going on?" she asked from Esmeralda quietly, giving her a baffled stare while gesturing towards the emotionally interweaved pair. Both of them seemed like they never wanted the embrace to end.

Taking a deep breath, the owl got ahold of herself before looking to Lya. "They finally figured out how they've felt for a while," she said, wiping her feathers dry of tears, "Zach's still wearing that necklace Snowflake gave him, so I overheard their conversation. Damn boys making an old woman cry!" Esmeralda giggled quietly as she shook her head, "Snowflake's currently an emotional mess, too. It's making hunting and gathering quite challenging for her!"

At first still looking bewildered, Lya eventually realized what the Elder was babbling about. "Ahh... that one," glancing at the dragon and Zachary, the ocelot couldn't help but smile too, "So... Basajaun finally realized that he didn't view Zach only as a friend but... as a son as well?" She inquired, her eyes still locked on the two hugging individuals in question.

"Yes," Esmeralda answered, smiling to the dragon and leopard. She watched them quietly for a moment, before tapping Lya's shoulder. "Come on, it's rude to stare," she reminded the ocelot, "Besides, we still need to finish the ice cream."

"Oh, yeah, right..." Lya agreed, tearing her eyes away from the pair and focusing her attention back to the task at hand. As they continued to work on the dessert with the owl, however, the ocelot simply couldn't wipe off the smile from her face afterwards. It looked like the boys' happiness was contagious.

Several minutes of a silent embrace later, Basajaun finally pulled back, still smiling widely. "So, can I call you son?" he asked, before looking over to Esmeralda, "I know Elder Eszes already calls you that, but... may I as well?"

Glancing to the owl as well and then back to the drake, Zachary cocked his head a little to the left, his ear lowering on that side as he did so. "I... uh... sure!" he replied, his own smile adoring his muzzle, "Don't worry, bu--" The leopard stopped himself before he could utter the last word.

"I should probably stop calling you bud, then, huh?" he thought aloud, grimacing slightly at the idea before he looked up at Basajaun once again, a curious expression on his face, "Do... do I have to call you... er... a paternal name as well from now on?" He inquired, his tone a tad unsure.

"You go ahead and call me whatever you're comfortable with," Basajaun replied, nuzzling Zachary's face, "If you feel like calling me buddy, Basa, heck, even Fatty, like Esmeralda does, I don't mind at all. I'll love you just the same."

Zachary couldn't help himself. "Alright buddy, Basa, heck, even Fatty, like Esmeralda does," snickering under his breath, the leopard began chuckling joyfully, "Quite a long name. I'm not sure I'm gonna call you that."

Hesitating for a moment to continue, he eventually did so, knowing perfectly well what it meant to both him and Basajaun. He put a paw on the drake's head, stroking it gingerly as a wide smile parted his muzzle. "I'd rather go with something shorter. Something like... dad."

The dragon's breath caught again. This time, it wasn't out of fear; he was too happy for words. Unable to resist, the drake pulled his newly adopted son into his embrace once more, rolling onto his back and licking the leopard mercilessly. He was crooning and purring at the same time; an odd, but doubtlessly loving sound that expressed the kind of joy the dragon had never experienced before.

As soon as the reptile's saliva assaulted him, Zachary began giggling uncontrollably. It seemed like his body found the experience more ticklish than it could cope with, and it was quick to let Basajaun know by beginning to twist in every possible direction.

"Basa!" the leopard called out between his joyful chuckling, trying to block the attack with his paws, "I-I just h-h-h-had a bath! No need f-for another one!" Although not completely thrilled by the experience, given its wet nature, Zachary still found himself purring quietly with his laughing. Basajaun's loving gesture warmed his heart more intensively than any fire could have.

With a bit of effort, the drake managed to stop licking his captive, though he started nuzzling him instead. "Sorry, you know those instincts are strong," he said while his face rubbed against the feline's fur, "I really can't stop doing this right now!" Basajaun's wing came up to indicate the nuzzling in clarification.

"I hope you don't mind being cuddled for a while," he continued with a mildly sheepish tone, "I don't think it's gonna stop for a couple minutes."

"Not at all." Zachary replied immediately, sighing mirthfully and shaking his head a little with a wide smile as his face was cuddled. It was still better than getting coated by dragon saliva.

His purring became louder when Basajaun began cuddling him just at the right spot, the feline pushing his head against the nuzzling as he closed his eyes. Zachary's paws moved to knead the inches deep fat under him, fondling the flesh gingerly while his body completely relaxed in the drake's gentle touch.

"I... don't... mind this... at all." The leopard affirmed quietly, his purring strong enough now to interrupt his speech. The combination of the drake's pudge between his paws and the cuddling came quite close to sending Zachary into a completely placid and tranquil state. If it weren't for the fact that he had slept quite a bit earlier, he was sure he would fallen asleep on the plushy bed of flab that was beneath him.

Taking a few minutes, like the drake had said it would, Basajaun eventually managed to regain control of himself, pulling his head back and sighing. "I have a son now," he wondered aloud, the words broadening his already wide smile, "I'm a father."

The furry reptile grinned up at the ceiling of the gazebo, his eyes blissfully distant as he relished the embrace he shared with Zachary. More than ever, the contact brought pure joy to Basajaun.

Lifting his head back up, the drake saw that his licking and nuzzling had mussed up the leopard's fur. Using his claws, he carefully straightened the hairs, smoothing them back to their original orientation.

Raising his head, which had fallen down to the drake's belly completely, and opening his eyes at the same time, Zachary regarded Basajaun's claws on his body with a mildly surprised and confused expression. "What are you doing?" he inquired, blinking a couple of times to wipe the sleepiness away from them.

He cocked his head a little as he watched Basajaun comb his fur, turning it this way and that to follow its wake. Occasionally, the feline even let out a giggle when the reptile's claw brushed over a particularly ticklish spot.

"Grooming you," the dragon said flatly, before pausing and looking into Zachary's eyes, "Is... that okay? It's one of the ways a dragon father expresses his affection for his young."

At first only raising his eyebrow in confusion, the leopard shrugged afterwards. "I guess it's okay," he replied, smiling to Basajaun while his pur reappeared once more from the gentle touch. Gently pushing his body against the dragon's claws, Zachary sighed happily, unintentionally nuzzling the massive paw when it came close to his head.

Even though not realizing it completely, the feline was enjoying the experience immensely. His paws were quick to prove that as they began kneading at the drake's expansive midriff again.

Several minutes and an extremely well groomed leopard later, Snowflake's head flowed through the walls of the gazebo. Remembering to use the door this time, the spirit brought the items she had collected into the shelter, revealing two deer, another boar, and several different herbs, berries, and vegetables.

"You know, it's really hard to concentrate on hunting and gathering when you two are being so cute," the dragoness scolded teasingly towards the pair of males, before settling down near her mistress and the ocelot accompanying her.

"S...o...r...r...y." Zachary managed to apologize, the purring in his chest too intense to allow any more complex verbal communication than that. His head rested on Basajaun's stomach, his eyes closed as a smile adorned his muzzle.

Lya, who had become quite preoccupied with the preparation of the special dessert, turned her head towards the leopard. Noticing his completely relaxed state, the ocelot grinned toothily. "Well, someone must be quite comfortable up there."

"M...h...m." Was all that came as a reply from Zachary, his mind too engulfed by calmness to even comprehend or care about Lya's teasing at the moment. He was lying on the best bed in the whole world, and he wasn't going to let a teasing ocelot get to him with a cheap attempt like that.

Setting the food she had gathered down, Snowflake couldn't keep the smile off of her face. "Do you two want to help cook?" she asked.

Taking another moment to run his claws tenderly through Zachary's fur, Basajaun eventually nodded. "Come on, son," the dragon invited, patting the leopard's exceptionally well-combed head, "Want to help make your dad a meal?"

Basajaun's son actually came extremely close to simply rejecting the offer, his body and mind alike relaxed to the point where it clouded his usual thinking. As it was, however, somehow he was eventually able to realize that helping the dragon in his meal would only quicken the whole process, therefore shortening the wait for the dinner; an occasion he liked more than any grooming.

Slowly lifting his head up and opening his eyes halfway, Zachary gave a goofy smile to the drake. "Sure," he replied, sitting up with immense effort and stretching his back and arms. At the same time, he ran his paws through the fur on his head, almost immediately ruining the coiffure he was give just a moment ago. As expected from the feline, he took no notice of this fact. Lya did, however, and was quick to shake her head at him.

"Zach!" Basajaun scolded, his claws returning to the leopard's head and smoothing the fur again, "There, that's better."

"What?" Zachary demanded with a cocked eyebrow, crossing his eyes to watch Basajaun's paw for a moment. As soon as he withdrew the limb, the leopard suddenly felt an itch on the exact same spot. What a coincidence.

Scratching his head and sighing in bliss, the feline slowly turned to face Snowflake, his legs stretching down before he slid down from the dragon's stomach. Of course, with his scratching, the leopard managed to ruffle the fur on his head once again. And once again, he paid no heed to it, simply smiling widely as he began making his way to the spirit.

Sighing exasperatedly, Basajaun rolled over to his feet, his body thinning to allow him to help with cooking. Swiftly catching up with Zachary, Basajaun waited for the leopard to stop, before his paws once again returned to the leopard's head. "No son of mine is going to have messed up fur," he grumbled affectionately.

Esmeralda burst out laughing at the dragon's statement. "And you thought I was overbearing, Zach!" she cackled, almost dropping the bowl she was finishing up.

Zachary furrowed his brows at both Basajaun and Esmeralda at the same time. "I like it messed up." He insisted. Shooing the dragon's paw away gently, the leopard ran his fingers through his head again, resulting in the fur to stand up and point a little upwards.

He presented his barbaric hairdo to the dragon. "See?" grinning widely, he gestured at the fur on his head, "Looks better!"

Looking up from the bowl Esmeralda was holding, Lya glanced at Zachary, cocking her head a little at the display. "It looks just as ruffled and uncared as always," she reported with a flat tone, smiling warmly to the leopard when he whimpered quietly at her, "Which is not a bad thing if you like it. I kinda like it too... it's different from normal. Perfect for all of us!" Both felines chuckled lightly at the comment.

Groaning, Basajaun resisted the urge to correct the leopard's hair for a fourth time. "You have to sleep some time," he threatened, shaking a claw at the feline, "And you'll be waking up with the neatest fur you've ever had!"

Giggling at the dragon's claim, Snowflake handed some ingredients to each male. "Here, you can cook while you sort this out," she suggested, taking her own ingredients and beginning to prepare a course.

Holding the random assortment of items in his paws, Zachary narrowed his eyes and bent his brows as he glared halfheartedly at Basajaun. "Are you gonna be this persistent about everything from now on, lizard?" the leopard asked, intentionally shaking his head so his fur would get even more mussed, "It didn't bother you one bit up until now."

He continued his stare at the drake for a few more seconds, sighing expansively afterwards. Sitting down on the ground, the leopard regarded the ingredients in his paws with a hesitant expression. It only took him approximately five seconds to realize that he simply couldn't cook without a cookbook. So instead, he just sat there, grimacing slightly at the items in his hands.

Sighing, the dragon sat next to Zachary, already starting in on a recipe he had seen Snowflake cooking before. "Does it bother you?" he asked, "I mean, when you had tousled hair before, I thought it looked a bit sloppy, but I left it alone because that was your choice. But now... Zach, my instincts are screaming at me to get you clean and tidy, and make sure you stay that way."

Remaining silent for a few moments, the leopard eventually let out a quiet grumble. "Fine." He said flatly, freeing his paws from the items. With both of his hands, he straightened the fur on his head a little, not bothering to use his own tiny claws in the process.

"There," turning to Basajaun, Zachary rolled his eyes and allowed a little smile, "Is this enough for your instincts?" He asked. Almost immediately, a loose bunch of fur popped out from the rest to point proudly in the air, looking like a nail that someone had bored in the feline's head.

Biting his lip slightly, the drake eventually ignored the stray hairs and returned his attention to his cooking. "It'll do," he replied, before sighing, "Sorry, I don't mean to be overbearing. If it makes you uncomfortable, I'll try not to fret over your tidiness."

"It's not that, Basa..." Zachary stated somewhat quietly, his gaze falling to the ground, "I'm just... well... not used to it, I guess.' He admitted, moving his paw to grab at a random ingredient on the ground and do particular nothing else but observe it thoughtfully.

The leopard shrugged as he put the item down on the ground once again. "It feels nice that you care so much, it really does," he reassured the drake, "But... I... it's a little sudden after so many years of... you know. I might need a little time to adjust." His eyes lingered on the ground as he spoke, his tail coming to rest in his lap and getting immediately grabbed in the feline's paws.

His paw reaching over and stroking Zachary's back, Basajaun nodded. "Alright, I'll try to be a bit slower about it," he affirmed, though his paw reached up and smoothed the bunch of fur that had poked up, leaving the rest as it was, "But, a dragon should have a cleanly appearance at all... times... Damn it, instincts!" The drake planted his face into the ground in embarrassment at what he had called the leopard.

"I'm so sorry!" Basajaun's muffled voice came up from the ground, "I think the same thing that makes me think of you as a son is trying to tell me you must literally be my hatchling..."

Zachary regarded the drake with a cocked eyebrow. "Being adopted by both Esmeralda and my best friend, and becoming a dragon just a little later," the leopard snorted in amusement and chortled mirthfully, "I've had quite a productive day today it seems."

Turning his attention back to his own 'course', the feline observed the untouched ingredients for a moment, sighing afterwards. He remained silent for a little while, looking thoughtful. Once he spoke up again, his voice held evident love to it. "I can be your hatchling if you want. Flying might be a problem, though..."

Lya snickered loudly. "There's always the levitation spell." The suggestion was followed by another snort from Zachary, who could only shake his head and give the ocelot an "Are you serious?" look.

The dragon laughed at the suggestion, pulling his head up from the ground. "If you don't mind being my hatchling, I guess it's alright to call you a dragon, then," he said teasingly, before noticing the leopard's idle hands, "Oh, you'd probably like some instructions to go with those ingredients, wouldn't you?"

"Wouldn't mind some..." Zachary replied with a sheepish tone, tapping his head with a finger, "Seems like I didn't inherit your memory." The leopard joked, smiling to Basajaun.

The dragon smiled warmly. "That's okay. Here, let me see what you have," looking over the ingredients, Basajaun came up with a fitting recipe, beginning to direct his son in making a meal of his own. The drake split his attention between his and Zachary's cooking, making sure that neither of them made any mistakes.

Although his memory allowed him to mimic the techniques he had seen Snowflake using, Basajaun still didn't have the same amount of experience as the spirit. Though no mistakes were made, the flair and talent that the familiar had achieved through years of practice wasn't something that he could imitate just from watching.

As the leopard lost himself in his culinary experience, his usual joyfulness steadily returned. With Basajaun instructing him and and always helping him when it was needed, it was hard to be not happy. It felt... unexplainably nice to be cared for on this level, and although the dragon showed just as much love towards him before, now, somehow, it felt entirely different.

It felt simply wonderful.

Glancing at Esmeralda and Basajaun while he paused in his cooking for just a little time, Zachary stopped breathing when he realized something. "I..." he began, his gaze shifting between the owl and the dragon restlessly. A smile as wide as his head slowly crept on his muzzle. "I'm... I'm not an orphan anymore." He said the statement so quietly that it was nearly lost to the storm outside. Yet, no amount of deafening sound could overwhelm the sheer joy that clung evidently to both Zachary's tone and expression alike.

The owl and dragon both stopped what they were doing, before smiling over to their adopted son. Esmeralda stood, bringing her large bowl over to Zachary and sitting down next to him. "Gelo," she said softly, the ice cream beginning to frost over quickly.

Turning her attention to Zachary, the Elder smiled widely. "It's... nice being part of a family," she said, before looking over to Snowflake, who had cocked her head at the statement, "Yes, you're part of the family, too! I'm just happy having another member to add. Two of them, actually, considering Fatty's your father now. Of course, you know that I'm way out of your league, don't you?" Esmeralda smirked up to Basajaun.

Having to take a moment to figure out what the owl meant, the drake's cheeks immediately burned with a blush when he did. "Oh!" he exclaimed embarrassedly, "N-no, you're not... I mean, even though you're the mother and I'm the father, we... I mean, you're strong and independent, and that's attractive but I'm not... we couldn't... Gods!" The dragon buried his now-crimson head in his claws and wings both, trying to hide from the entire group behind them.

While Lya was busy laughing her lungs out at the display the dragon had given her, Zachary's gaze once more shifted between Esmeralda and Basajaun. He didn't open his mouth for long moments, a slight grimace on his face. "Alright... I just realized that this is kinda weird," he stated quietly, shaking his head as he added, "Even for us."

The more and more he thought about this whole situation, the more confusing it got. "I'm a leopard," Zachary announced the obvious flatly, gesturing to Esmeralda afterwards, "I have a mom who's a grumpy owl," and then to Basajaun, "And a dad who's actually an overgrown lizard."

Out of nowhere, the formerly declared leopard began laughing loudly. "That sounds ridiculous!" closing his eyes as he chuckled and putting a paw on his head, Zachary shook it a little, "How did we manage to do this, seriously? This has to be the most absurd thing I've ever heard in my life!"

As the group laughed, Basajaun managed to extract his head from the shelter of his limbs, smiling with amusement. "We can't even make a family that isn't mismatched and weird," he mused, shaking his head and chuckling, "But I don't think that matters one bit. As long as we have love for each other, that's what counts."

Looking over to Lya, the dragon gave her a warm smile. "And I'm sure you'll find your own little niche in this family, too!" he said with an absolutely sure voice, "I can't wait to find out whether you're my sister, daughter in law, aunt, cousin, or whatever!"

The ocelot returned the expression immediately, only breaking it when she realized what one of those titles truly meant. Similarly to Basajaun from earlier, her cheeks reddened until her whole head was practically blushing. It wasn't hard to figure out which one managed to make her react like this.

Laughing nervously at Basajaun's statement for a little while, Zachary leaned in closer when nobody was looking. "What's a daughter in law?" he asked with a whisper, pausing for only a moment, "And an aunt?"

The dragon hugged the leopard closer. "I heard from some people back home that a daughter in law is the wife of one's son," he whispered subtly, hiding the action in his embrace, "And an aunt is the sister of one's father or mother."

It took Zachary a while to process the information. "So... if I'm your son... and you called Lya your possible daughter in law or whatever then..." the leopard stopped, blinking when the realization hit him, his eyes widening as well.

As if replicating Lya, a crimson blush crept on his cheeks, his gaze falling to the ground. The thought was not unpleasant by any stretch of the imagination to the young anthro, no matter how much his reddened face wanted to tell otherwise.

Both felines remained quiet afterwards. The pair simply stared at the grass under them for several painfully long moments. There must have been something exceptionally intriguing hidden in the blades of grass, because neither of them seemed to be able to wipe their gazes away.

Basajaun grinned widely. "Exactly, lover boy," he teased, reaching up and pinching the leopard's blushing cheek playfully.

Shoving the drake's paw away gently, Zachary narrowed his eyes at him. "Look who's talking." He shot back immediately, knowing perfectly well that the lizard would know what he was talking about. Or more accurately, who.

The dragon blinked confusedly. "What do you mean?" he asked, legitimately unsure of what the leopard was talking about.

At first blinking as well, Zachary snorted and shook his head afterwards. "Stop playing with me, Basa. You know what I meant... right?" Now it was the feline's turn to look unsure. He glanced to Snowflake, giving her a quizzical look when the spirit made eye contact with him.

Following the leopard's glance, Basajaun looked to the spirit as well. "Wait," the dragon thought out loud when Snowflake drilled holes into Zachary with her eyes, "Zach, what does love feel like?"

"I... uh..." The leopard stammered, his eyes fixated on Snowflake. It would have been easier to answer the question if the spirit weren't trying to choke him with her eyes. Unable to look for a better solution, Zachary simply tried to save face in the only way he knew.

"Nevermind what I said!" He practically exclaimed, chuckling loudly and nervously as he suddenly pointed in a random direction and shouted. "Ooh, what's that? I'm gonna check it out, alright? Alright, see ya later!" And in a single motion, he was long gone. His form eventually hid behind Lya, who regarded the trembling feline with a cocked eyebrow and a baffled expression.

The dragon shook his head in confusion, before turning to the dragoness. "Snowflake, is Zach--"

"Not here," the spirit said vehemently, setting her recipe aside and standing, "Other side of the shelter."

Taking a moment to look between the members of the group, Basajaun sighed and stood, following the familiar to the side of the fire opposite the rest of the party.

Looking after the two departing dragons, Lya blinked in confusion. "Zach, what's going on?" she inquired.

"Uh..." Zachary glanced at Snowflake, trying his hardest to communicate how sorry he was through his thoughts, "Confession time." He replied flatly.

The answer only made Lya even more confused, and frustrated at the leopard's inability to answer normally as well. "What confession, you dummy?"

"Well... Basa and Snowflake kinda... uh..." Zachary sighed, gathering his strength, "They are kinda in love." Long silence followed the statement from both felines, Lya being the one to break it.

"Oh... I see." She said somewhat quietly, her eyes lingering on the pair of dragons for only a moment before they fell on the ground. She hated confessions, especially when it was her who was supposed to do one. Probably the reason behind her hesitation about a particular confession too.

As the ocelot got lost in her mental debate, Zachary continued to watch Basajaun and Snowflake. He could only hope that his intervention wouldn't affect anything now.

Snowflake sat on her haunches once the rest of the group was hidden behind the fire, facing out into the stormy weather beyond the shelter. Basajaun situated himself beside her, several emotions playing through his mind at once. He thought about how he realized he had felt towards Snowflake, and started to wonder if what he felt was actually--

"Forest?" the dragoness said quietly, turning to the drake, "Did you know our empathic bond is developing?"

The dragon shook his head. "No, I didn't," he answered, looking into Snowflake's eyes, "Is that why I feel so warm around you?"

Snowflake giggled shyly. "No, it isn't," she corrected the reptile, "But, it does let me know... how you feel about me."

Basajaun didn't say anything, only searching the spirit's eyes for a while. "I... I've never felt like I do about you," he said, looking down to the ground, "Is it... I mean, do I... Snowflake, am I in love with you?"

The familiar hesitated. "What do you think?" she asked in turn.

The dragon didn't answer immediately. Like he had done with Zachary just moments ago, Basajaun looked into his feelings for Snowflake once again. "I... Snowflake, I don't have any idea what love feels like," he finally replied, "I mean... you're beautiful, strong, loving, and eternally optimistic. I really like all of those things about you. But I just don't know... I've never had love described to me. I've seen the way others act when they're in love, and I think I might feel the same for you. But I just can't say that sort of thing without being sure, because it might--"

"Then let me clarify that for you," Snowflake interrupted, "What you feel is indeed the beginning of love."

Basajaun stopped, looking again into the spirit's eyes. "It started with physical attraction," the dragoness continued, "You found my dragon form alluring. And as time went on, you grew closer to me. You are really falling in love with me, Forest."

The dragon felt dumbfounded, but a hopeful smile crept across his face. "So then... are you...?" he asked, blushing hard.

Snowflake returned the shy smile with her own. "I think you're very handsome, brave, strong, and loving," she said, each word causing the dragon's heart to swell, "I find you very attractive, Forest. So... yes, I think I might be falling for you, too."

The pair of dragons looked into each other's eyes for a moment, before a mutual blush forced them to look elsewhere. Both of their gazes wound up on the storm outside, and they watched the rain in quiet thought together.

"Got for it, Basa! Kiss her!" A silent whisper urged.

"Zach, shut up! Gods, you're horrible!" Another whisper insisted. Only a moment later, a quiet snap followed.

"Ouch!" the first voice cried out quietly, "Why did you hit me, Lya!? Do you know how much th--"

"Shut up already before they hear us!" The second voice, now identified as the ocelot, cut Zachary off, the latter only grumbling something under his breath that was lost to everyone but himself.

The dragons chuckled, not looking back to their eavesdroppers. "So... what now?" Basajaun asked, looking over to Snowflake, "I think you probably have a better idea of what this means than I do."

"That's not saying much, Forest!" she teased, though there was some truth to her words, "I think we should just see what happens. We shouldn't force anything, but if we do wind up getting closer... well, I wouldn't mind that at all." The dragoness leaned against Basajaun, her head resting against his long neck.

Hesitating for a moment, the drake extended his wing around Snowflake's shoulders, snuggling her back. "I'd like that," he said quietly, a smile on his face and a minor blush still on his cheeks.

A few seconds later, Snowflake looked up to the dragon she leaned against. "How do dragons show romantic attraction?" she asked curiously.

"KISS. HIM."

"You're done!" Another snap, another muffled cry, quiet and utterly submissive whimpering.

Continuing to ignore the pair of felines, Basajaun turned to face Snowflake. "Um... it's like this," he said, blushing hard as he hesitated. Heaving a sigh, the drake pressed his forehead against the dragoness', before he slowly slid his head down her cheek and neck, bringing it up again once he reached her shoulder and doing the same thing down the other side. All the while, the dragon's face burned red at the action, a shy, goofy smile on his face.

Pulling away, the dragon cleared his throat. "That the... um... dragon equivalent of a kiss," he said, still bearing a dopey smile and crimson blush.

Snowflake nodded, before positioning herself in front of Basajaun. "Well then," she said simply, and repeated the drake's action. This time, both dragons performed it, and each bore the same shy, yet blissful smile as they repeated the act for several seconds.

"Aww..." Lya voiced quietly.

"That's it?" Zachary demanded with a whisper, "Lame..."

Another snap and another muffled cry later, the ocelot spoke silently. "I think it's beautiful." She insisted.

"Really?" There was an extremely long pause.

"...Zach, what are you doing...?" Lya asked quietly, another short pause following.

"Nothing!"

The ocelot giggled sheepishly, Zachary's own nervous one joining afterwards. "Alright... for a second I thought you we--"

"No! I just... I would never do that!" A painfully long silence came after those words.

"Wow..." Lya said quietly.

Zachary's swallow was loud enough to be audible from a mile away. "No... I mean... I didn't mean... it... I just... th--"

"Sure you didn't."

"Ly--"

"No. You dummy."

"B-but I didn't mean it like that. You just... I..."

"Just shut up before you make it worse," Lya insisted with a sigh, "Why do I like you again?"

No answer came.

"Right," Lya chuckled joyfully, "That's why. That baffled, confused and terrified expression is enough."

"A-Are you mad?" Zachary asked fearfully.

Lya was quick to answer. "No. I've gotten used to your naivety already."

"I... I really didn't mean that, Lya. I ju--"

The ocelot came to his rescue before he could make his situation even more embarrassing. "Shh. I know. Just shut up."

"B-But there's so--" Another quiet snap. "Gods, stop hitting me!"

"Stop talking, then." Lya ordered with a giggle. She succeeded, as the only sound that left Zachary's lips afterwards were his quiet grumbles and mumbles.

The voices of the felines went unregistered by the pair of dragons as they rubbed their faces and necks together. Eventually, Basajaun went to withdraw, when Snowflake planted her lips firmly against the drake's.

Eyes widening in surprise for an instant, the dragon's eyes quickly closed as he enjoyed Snowflake's kiss, humming in approval. The dragoness pulled away after a few seconds. "Just to make it a bit more our own," she said teasingly.

"I'm... alright with that," Basajaun replied, still feeling the coolness of the kiss as he smiled widely.

Finally turning around, the dragons immediately spotted the felines. "You do realize we knew you were there the entire time, right?" Basajaun stated matter-of-factly, cocking an eyebrow at the pair.

Staring at the two dragons in unison with unreadable expressions, Zachary suddenly pointed a finger at Lya. "It was her idea!" He tried to save face.

The ocelot slowly turned her head towards the leopard. "I thought I told you that I don't like lies, Zachary," she stated calmly, shaking her head and looking back to the two dragons, "And just to be clear, it was the dummy's idea."

Chuckling nervously as the three set of eyes settled on him, Zachary made to turn around, stopping in his tracks just a second later. The ocelot grabbed him firmly by his arm, spinning him back so he was facing them again. "Go on, then," she insisted, holding her captive securely in place "A little confession time for you as well."

The leopard's ears lowered to his head, his gaze falling to the ground. "Okay, I might have mentioned it as an opti--"

"Let me quote you, Zach," Lya cleared her throat, giving her best impersonation of Zachary's voice, "Let's have a just a lil' peek! Come, just for a moment. I promise they won't even notice us!" The ocelot snorted amusedly as she finished, letting go of the feline's arm.

"Traitor." Zachary mumbled, rubbing the arm which was grabbed.

Lya laughed loudly. "Oh, look who's talking! Mister loyal, who blames the innocent the moment he's busted!" The ocelot shook her head, giving the leopard a smirk.

"You aren't innocent," he insisted, crossing his arms under his chest, "You agreed to come with me. You're an accomplice."

Furrowing her eyebrows, Lya put her paws on her hips. "You want to play like that, huh?" She glared intently at the leopard, her glower drilling holes into his very being.

Zachary visibly shrunk, his ears lowering to the side of his head in submission. "Uh... No?" He asked in turn, tucking his tail between his legs.

"Good." Lya replied, relaxing her posture and smiling warmly to the leopard, who could only return the gesture after his initial fear subsided. As both felines looked at each other for long moments, it was obvious that neither of them was concerned about the two pair of eyes that still lingered on them, completely forgetting that there were dragons standing next to them in the first place.

The dragons in question could only smile and shake their heads, walking past the felines and around the fire. "Is that how we're going to be?" Basajaun asked, tilting his head to Snowflake.

The dragoness laughed loudly. "I hope not!" she stated gigglingly, "I think we're going to be a bit calmer about our own relationship, Forest."

Sighing in relief, Basajaun looked over to an owl with crossed arms and an irritated expression, his relief turning to concern. "I do find it ever so irritating when the young folk leave unfinished work for the elderly to complete in their absence," she said with an aggravated tone, "But, dinner is done."

The dragons smiled apologetically. "Sorry, Mistress," Snowflake replied, "Forest and I needed to have that discussion."

"Neither of you are young," the Elder clarified, pointing at the felines, "I was referring to them."

"Hey, love cats!" Esmeralda called out loudly to Zachary and Lya, "Dinner's ready! Get your fluffy butts over here and enjoy my work!"

"Love what now!?" Zachary called back with a snarl only a moment later, shaking his fist threateningly at Esmeralda from a distance, "Just because you're my mom now doesn't me--"

"I kinda like it." Lya cut him off quietly, but loud enough for the others to hear. Her blush was noticeable even from a distance, the shyness in her voice audible even through the pouring rain outside.

The leopard stopped talking immediately, his arm falling to his side. Turning his head to the ocelot, he cocked it a little, his ears perking up. "W-What? R-Really?" Zachary asked in disbelief. The feline's tail began swishing behind him excitedly, his eyes searching her furry features restlessly.

When Lya nodded silently, Zachary's muzzle broke into a wide grin, his eyes glittering with mirth that no words could express. He looked like he was ready to explode with joy and just jump around. In reality, he was actually trying his hardest not to do so right next to the ocelot.

The female feline suddenly took him by his paw. "Come," she insisted, starting to move towards the rest of the group and dragging him behind her, "Don't let Elder Eszes waiting." There was no verbal response that came from Zachary as he followed behind Lya, his paw which was held hanging limp in the air. The crimson blush adorning his cheeks said more than a thousand words could have conveyed. Obviously, this wasn't the first time Lya held his hand, but it didn't make any less insignificant in his eyes. It warmed his heart just the same nonetheless.

Settling down near the fire, Basajaun sighed as he smelled dinner. "Everything smells great," he said, smiling to the group as they gathered, "Good job, everyone!"

Esmeralda huffed quietly. "Next time I'd prefer not to be left with a bunch of partially finished courses to complete on my own," she replied, rubbing her sore hands, "Alright, Fatty, get nice and soft. It's late, I'm tired and liable to start getting grumpy if I stay up any more, and I need something comfortable to rest against."

Looking over to the Elder, Basajaun shrugged and obeyed. A few minutes later, he was on his back at his maximum girth, the owl settling herself so she was seated beside and leaning against him. "Thank you," she said curtly, before quieting as her breathing leveled out.

Waiting to make sure the owl was actually asleep, the dragon smiled up to the felines. "Go ahead and have your fill," he invited quietly, "I'll have what's left."

Both Zachary and Lya took a peep at Esmeralda once they situated themselves around the fireplace as well. The two love cats sighed in relief when they were absolutely sure that the Elder had fallen unconscious, happy to have escaped from a possible scolding.

"Thank gods she fell asleep," the leopard remarked quietly, turning to Lya, "Never underestimate an old, grouchy owl's wrath!" Chortling along with him, the ocelot gestured towards the finished dishes with her head.

"She had a point, though, you dummy," Lya's gaze fell on Esmeralda, "Why did I agree to come with you, anyway? I should have just stayed here to help Elder Eszes instead." Shaking her head slightly, the ocelot giggled when she brought her attention back to feline next to her. His crestfallen, heartbroken and sorrowful expression amused her greatly.

Zachary sniffled exaggeratedly as his ears fell to the side of his head, pouting for full effect. What an actor. "It was an adventure," the leopard stated in a hurt tone, fluttering his eyes at the ocelot, "A wonderful experience which we shared together. It was exceptional, truly a moment which could be considered a bondi--" The feline's emotional speech was interrupted by the other feline of the group. For once, he didn't mind the rude interference, for it was performed in a special manner that only Lya could do.

"Shh, you goof." The ocelot insisted quietly, her furry finger resting gently on Zachary's lips, who could only stare at her with wide eyes. There was that expression again on her beguiling face. That familiar smile; warm and affectionate, yet oh so mocking. He liked that gesture. He liked it a lot, actually.

Seeing her smile at him like that felt as if someone had embraced his very heart, squeezing it with utter gentleness and closeness for what it seemed like an eternity. As it was, however, the leopard's perception about the length of this experience couldn't really be considered a reliable source. His mind, along with his fluffy cheeks, were engulfed with such warmth that could not be communicated through simple words, or any sort of verbal communication, for that matter.

Zachary gave Lya a baffled stare, his mouth and words alike failing to do their jobs correctly. The two felines locked gazes for long moments, their respective pair of observant organs searching one another's in utter silence. They stayed in their transfixed state for longer than either of them could comprehend. And yet, neither of them minded it in the slightest.

Rescue came eventually from the ocelot, who was the first one to break the eye contact. Clearing her throat nervously as she glanced away from the leopard, Lya turned to Snowflake. "So," she began, admiring the assortment of dishes on display for a moment, "This all looks exquisite. Could you give me a basic idea of the choices I have?" She requested with a warm smile, her earlier awkward and shy nature steadily disappearing.

While the spirit informed Lya of their culinary repertoire, Zachary continued to gape at practically nothing. From another perspective, the leopard appeared like he was admiring the thin air itself, and finding more than enough fascination in something his bare eyes could not perceive.

Evidently the earlier experience sent him in an intensively bewitched state, to the point where it almost looked like he was completely brain dead. Although one could have assumed that as a believable possibility from the outside, it wasn't nearly the case inside Zachary's head. His mind raced with thoughts restlessly. And currently, for once, none of them were unpleasant.

Seeing his friend so distracted, Basajaun couldn't help but smile. Reaching over, the dragon nuzzled Zachary gently. "Want to share what's on your mind, son?" he asked quietly, the name he used for the leopard warming his own heart again, "It looks like it's pretty good!"

Remaining in his silent vigil for a little more time, the leopard raised his paw to his mouth. He pulled a finger over his lip, exactly on the spot Lya's own digit touched it tenderly, turning to Basajaun afterwards. There was only a simple smile adorning his cheeks as he looked at the dragon. Yet, in that simple gesture, more emotions played across than one could comprehend.

"Right now," Zachary began, his voice almost lost to the heavy rainfall outside, but loud enough for the drake to be audible, "I have nothing on my mind, to be honest. I'm just... all warm, and it's not because of the fire." Unfamiliar tenderness clung to his tone, one even Basajaun hadn't heard before.

The dragon gave an understanding nod, looking over to Lya and Snowflake. "I think I might know what you mean," he said with some uncertainty, though he bore a shy smile as he did so. Watching the spirit helping the ocelot make her choice filled the drake with similar happiness and warmth. The familiar's smile at seeing Lya's own was enough to nearly make Basajaun forget about the leopard he was just conversing with.

A moment later, the dragon shook his head and laughed. "Look at us!" he chuckled amusedly, "A dragon and a multicaster reduced to giggling lovebirds! What a daunting pair we are, eh?"

His smile broadening at the remark, Zachary's eyes drifted to the person behind the very warmth that burned blissfully inside his whole being. The leopard shook his head after a moment. "I don't mind sacrificing my intimidation. I mean... I never really had it, to be honest," chuckling weakly, he continued, "If I can feel like... this from now on, I don't care whether I'm a multicaster or not."

The feline gestured with his paws around them. "I just want this," he pointed at each member of the group in turns, "To stay as it is. I don't want any money, power or respect. All I need is Basajaun, Esmeralda, Snowflake and..." turning towards the two females, Zachary sighed in bliss as his ears lowered to his head, "Lya."

The dragon smiled at those words. "We are quite the well tailored group of oddities, aren't we?" he mused, setting his head on the ground as he looked up at the ceiling of the shelter thoughtfully.

Tittering quietly, the leopard nodded at the question. "That we are." He agreed with no shame in his voice, scratching Basajaun behind his ear softly. Zachary's gaze, along with his thoughts, lingered on Lya constantly while he remained silent. There was one thing on his mind, and he knew the person he could share it with was the very individual he was petting at the moment.

And so, he did. "I haven't told her yet." The statement was followed by another silence, one that simply could not be considered awkward. The stillness was only disturbed by torrent which rampaged relentlessly around the ice shelter, as well as the occasional chatter from Snowflake and Lya, the latter's voice the main attraction to Zachary's ears. He couldn't understand what she was saying, but it wasn't needed. Her voice was enough.

"You'd... better stop... doing this," Basajaun said quietly, before reaching up a paw and holding the hand that had been scratching behind his ear, "At least, if you want me to actually process what you're saying. Now, what didn't you tell Lya?"

Zachary withdrew his paw slowly, resting it in his lap alongside the other one. The bloodthirsty tail was quick to join the other two limbs, positioning itself comfortably in their grasp.

"My feelings." The leopard said simply, his gaze still locked on the ocelot. He didn't blink once, afraid that it would reduce the amount of time he could marvel at her. There was a constant, monotonous thudding sound in his ears as he remained silent. It took him only a moment to realize that his heart was practically exploding with energy.

Putting a paw on his chest, for the first time, Zachary's mind was completely empty of the injured lungs that ticked down cruelly inside. His paw only registered the other organ under the skin, flesh and bones it rested against. His heart was beating with adamant resolution, its rapid pumping increasing tenfold as long as his eyes were fixated on Lya.

He already had his suspicions earlier, but now, he was certain. "I think... I think I have fallen for her, Basa." The words left his lips with surprising ease. There was no doubt that he meant that statement.

Basajaun couldn't help but laugh merrily. "I think she's already figured that out by now," he affirmed, giving Zachary a smile, "But it's good that you have, as well. Are you going to tell her? I mean, since this has been a night of confessions anyways."

The dragon's words managed to snap the leopard out of his transfixed stare at Lya. His head turned back to face Basajaun, uncertainty playing across his features. "I... I dunno," he replied honestly, his voice nothing but an unsure whisper, "Perhaps later. B-But... I-I dunno. I want to, I guess... I just need to," grimacing slightly, Zachary sighed, "Build up the courage to do so."

Basajaun gave a supportive grin. "Don't worry, you'll be able to express your feelings when you're ready," he said with certainty, before looking back to Lya and Snowflake, "Shouldn't you be getting some food, though? Or are the butterflies in your stomach filling you up?" The drake smiled teasingly to Zachary.

Putting his emotional debate aside for now, the leopard rolled his eyes at the reptile. "I just ate stew a little while ago, dad." He insisted, not even noticing what he called Basajaun unintentionally. Crossing his arms under his chest, Zachary gave the drake a flat expression.

The name once again warmed Basajaun's heart. "You're sure you won't have any of this?" he checked, pointing at the food they made, "I'm just making sure; I don't want to wind up depriving you of something that smells so good, after all!"

"I'm sure." Zachary affirmed with a smile, putting a paw on Basajaun's side. With gentle motions, he stroked the supple flesh carefully, pinching the inches deep feet in his fingers and jiggling it. Oh how he missed that blissful feeling!

Grinning toothily to the drake, the leopard presented the handful of flab to him. "It only means more for you. And I don't think either of us minds that in the slightest." He chuckled joyfully at his own remark.

Basajaun nodded. "Thanks!" he said heartily, before reaching up and nuzzling the feline's face. "And thanks for calling me dad, son," he added, "I really didn't think I could get any happier and more fond of you. But I guess I was wrong; you just keep bringing me more and more joy!"

The leopard patted Basajaun's abdomen first. "You're welcome," and then did the same with his head, stroking it gingerly up and down with a soft paw, "And you're welcome." Smiling lovingly to the dragon, Zachary leaned against the massive creature's body, his own puny one relaxing completely as soon as the contact was made.

The feline sighed happily, his paw moving to caress the reptile's neck. "I'm happy to be the one who makes you feel that way, Basa," he stated, his gaze settling on the pouring rain outside, "And I'm happy to say that the feeling is altogether mutual. You brought enough joy to my life that it makes me forget about what was before I met you. And that... I need that. So... thank you, as well."

Purring deeply, Basajaun curled his neck until his head was resting beside Zachary. "You make me forget the loneliness I had before I met you," the drake replied, still smiling widely, "I love you, son."

"I love you too, dad." Zachary said immediately, not a single trace of uncertainty or hesitation in his voice. He glanced down at Basajaun, his grin broad enough to cover the entirety of his face.

Only for a fraction of a second, there was a mischievous glimmer in his eyes, but before Basajaun could even comprehend it, it was too late. "Attack!" The leopard called out with a joyful laugh, suddenly wrapping his arms around the drake's neck and resting his whole body on it just a moment later. With mirthful giggling, the feline embraced the dragon's neck tightly, clinging to it stubbornly and looking quite satisfied with his successful assault on Basajaun.

"Oh no!" the dragon cried out, wiggling his serpentine neck in mock struggle beneath the feline's body, "I've been caught! Lya! Snowflake! Help me, he's going to kill me with cuteness!"

The ocelot, who had been enjoying her own portion of the dinner and conversing with Snowflake happily at the same time, looked over to the two males with a mildly irritated expression. She was having fun with the spirit up until now. Why did the two dummies had to ruin it with the--

Lya's train of thought stopped as soon as her brown eyes settled on the pair. She couldn't help but snort and smile warmly at the hilarious scene. "Alright," she began, giggling softly, "I have to admit, that's adorable."

"It's not adorable!" Zachary insisted with a chuckle, trying his hardest to the tame the beast beneath him. It was hopeless, and he knew it was to no avail, but he kept trying anyway. "It's a serious fight to the death!" The correction elicited another amused snort from Lya, as well as a shake of her head as she watched them 'fight to the death' and finished her dinner.

Lifting his head and taking the leopard up with it, Basajaun carefully swung his rider back and forth. Enjoying the game, he was nonetheless mindful of getting too rough as he bucked at the leopard's grip playfully.

Giggling along with Lya, Snowflake set her writing utensils aside to watch the dragon and leopard play. "Get him good, Hunter!" she cheered on laughingly.

"I'm... exhausting... him!" Zachary called back between his laughing, swaying gently side to side around Basajaun's neck, "He's nearly down!" Repositioning his grip around the dragon, the leopard was able to wrap his legs around the reptile's neck, clinging himself tightly to his scruff.

"HA!" the leopard laughed victoriously, "You can toss me around all you want, lizard! I'm staying until you get a neck ache!" From Zachary's tone, it actually sounded like he didn't even realize that Basajaun was holding himself back for the leopard's safety. His blissful unawareness only promised a fake victory over his friend, but it didn't really bother the dragon rider that much at the moment.

Although finding immense amount of entertainment in the display of hilarity she was presented with, Lya couldn't help but feel a little worried as she watched the leopard and dragon. Her concerns soon melted away, however, once she recognized that Basajaun had everything under control. She could see his confidence and gentleness in his movements.

The image reminded her of no one else but her own father, and the ocelot continued to watch the amusing spectacle in understanding silence, a constant smile present on her muzzle. They looked like they were having a lot of fun and were truly happy, at last.

After a moment of gentle tossing around, Basajaun's head fell to the ground dramatically. "Blast! You're too persistent!" he mock-cried, "I'll never be rid of this great warrior! Unless..." A paw snuck up from out of Zachary's view, suddenly tickling at the leopard's side, "I fight dirty!"

Almost immediately, the leopard's whole body inched away from the stealth attack, his arms and legs letting go of Basajaun's neck at the same time. "C-C-Coward!" Zachary managed to squeak through his uncontrollable giggling, swatting at the dragon's paw gently and trying his hardest to shove the limb away. Tickling tactics were not allowed in this particular warfare!

"I-I call truce!" The feline relented, fighting against his fit of giggles bravely but unsuccessfully, "I s-surrender! You cheater!" Lya simply couldn't help but laugh loudly at Zachary's sudden fondness towards peace with the drake, as well as the unmanly squeal he let out each time Basajaun's digits tickled his side mercilessly.

Laughing along with the rest of the group, the drake eased off of his ticklish assault, nuzzling Zachary lovingly. "Silly boy," he commented fondly, before resting his head on the feline's shoulder, crooning quietly while he did so.

"I'm not silly," the leopard insisted with a chuckle, his own purring kicking in as he wrapped his arms around Basajaun's neck. This time, however, the embrace happened because of the sheer love he felt towards the drake. "It was a perfectly thought-out and well executed attack," he explained, hitting the dragon tenderly, "And I would have succeeded if it hadn't been for your cheating!"

"I'm sure!" Basajaun agreed teasingly, "You're such a good tactician that I had to resort to underhanded techniques to secure my victory!"

Shaking her head at the pair, Snowflake looked back to Lya's empty dishes. Picking up her writing materials again, the spirit asked, "Would you like any more?"

Lya glanced at the inviting assortment of meals for a moment after reading the note, shaking her head with a smile. "No, thank you. I'm full already." She replied somewhat timidly, repositioning herself on the grass a little for seemingly no particular reason.

"It was heavenly, Snowflake," she added afterwards, gesturing with her head towards the dishes, "No wonder Basajaun likes to indulge around you guys. The food is just simply delicious here!" The ocelot chortled joyfully at her comment.

The dragon looked over to Snowflake. "Does that mean we're ready for my dinner?" he asked, clearly eager to begin.

The spirit looked Zachary in the eyes. "What do you say, Hunter?" she asked in turn, smiling supportively, "Ready to let Lucky Huntress see how we treat Forest at dinner?"

Having already made up his mind about this particular issue, the leopard could only nod his head at the question. "No turning back now!" He replied, an enthusiastic quality to his tone. There was a teasing smile on his furry cheeks as he turned to Lya.

"Who knows? You might even find it amusing!" Chortling at the far-fetched prediction, Zachary gave a surprised expression when the ocelot shrugged.

"We'll see, I guess," she said, her own smile creeping across her muzzle, "I'm pretty open-minded, after all. And I know I can only expect weirdness from you all now, so I won't be too taken aback, I should think." Even though not opening his mouth, the appreciative look in Zachary's eyes was enough to convey his gratitude for those words.

Basajaun grinned widely as Snowflake started taking the rest of dinner and bringing it to the dragon. Tongue flickering in anticipation, he sampled the flavors in the air and hummed in preemptive pleasure, eliciting a giggle from the spirit while she set the dishes within the drake's reach. Patting his stomach lightly, the familiar settled herself next to Basajaun when the whole meal was available for the reptile.

Glancing over to the felines, the dragon smiled. "We're ready when you are, son," he announced, smiling warmly again. The thought of being a part of a family seemed to be able to make Basajaun smile each time it occurred to him.

With a joyful squeal leaving his mouth at the invitation, the leopard walked next to the dragon's side, pulling his paw over the fleshy substance as he did so. Stopping next to the reptile's arm, Zachary tapped the limb gently and cleared his throat.

"Father," he began, his whole being changing to outrageously posh, "To the top, if you will." At the request, he snickered quietly, pointing a finger upwards in the air as if it were needed to be determined what he meant.

Lya giggled at the convincing performance, shaking her head a little at Zachary. It seemed like Basajaun and Snowflake were right; he really was a tease.

The dragon lifted his snout into the air. "Of course, dear boy," he joined the act, chuckling lightly as he wrapped the leopard in his claws, lifting the anthro up to the yielding surface of his chest, "I do hope the comfort provided is quite adequate for you."

Grimacing slightly, Zachary brought a paw down on the surface in question. He examined it carefully, looking like he was appraising its quality with a critical eye. "It will suffice for now," he reported flatly, and immediately broke his act as a wide grin spread across his muzzle, "But it could be just a tiny bit more comfortable, wouldn't you think so?" Everyone, even Lya, knew that 'tiny' was an understatement of what the leopard truly meant by that statement.

The dragon's act broke with another wide grin. "I suppose you're right, dear boy," he tried to continue anyways, his tone more mirthful than posh as he lifted up the first dish to Zachary's reach, "Do feel free to expand upon the comfort provided as you see fit!" Snowflake couldn't help but giggle along with Lya and Basajaun, reaching over and nuzzling the dragon's cheek. The unexpected, but welcome gesture nearly made the reptile lose his grip of the platter he held up for the leopard, though it was one he quickly returned.

With the permission granted, Zachary wasted no time to do exactly that. He reached over to the plate offered, grabbing the first pawful of anything that he made contact with. Eventually, the hearty amount of venison in his hand made its way back to the eager dragon's head.

"Well then," the leopard smiled in anticipation, offering the bite-sized snack for Basajaun, "Let's see how much we can expand this comfort tonight."

As if triggered by the inviting remark, the feline's free paw began its night shift as usual. Tender, caressing motions could be felt for the drake as the massage commenced. It seemed like the events of yesterday didn't affect Zachary's ability to manipulate his nimble digits in the most caring and satisfying way. They played across the yielding flesh with experienced movements; kneading, fondling the squishy flab with utter affection and softness. The feeling of the cushiony pudge between his fingers got the leopard purring immediately, who could feel himself already losing to the transfixed state he always fell in during these special dinners.

Opening his mouth wordlessly, Basajaun accepted the venison happily, taking his time to appreciate the first few mouthfuls. "Excellent work with dinner," he complimented those present, smiling to them each in turn before he allowed himself to be quieted by the next bite offered by Zachary.

Lya could only smile back at the drake in silence. Somehow, she could feel that this occasion was special for every last conscious member of the group. She didn't want to disturb them in any way, simply letting them enjoy the moment while she observed quietly. And by the looks of things, Zachary was enjoying himself immensely.

With a dopey smile on his face, the leopard continued providing the delicious nourishment to Basajaun, and making sure that there wasn't a single moment when there wasn't a new handful of food awaiting the voracious dragon.

While both of his paws were preoccupied with keeping the reptile in immense amount of comfort, the rest of the feline's body began noticing something intriguing. As he sat on top of Basajaun's chest, Zachary couldn't help but be fascinated by how softer the plushy cushion beneath him. There was simply no resistance against his form; he simply sank into the flab with ease. And he enjoyed every second of it.

If one were to compare Basajaun's current adiposity to the amount he had when Zachary had met him, the results would have most likely left said individual breathless. Immense amount of weight had been steadily piled on the dragon's form through days and weeks, and the consequences were plain to see. There was no reason thinking otherwise; Basajaun was massively overweight.

Although the civilized society would have most likely rejected this fact, Zachary sure did not. It was a trait initially he himself began developing for his friend, and one that became an essential part of their relationship with the dragon. To this very day, he still couldn't explain his fondness towards it. But he didn't care. There was no need for explanation, or reason, or any form of answer. He just simply enjoyed it, and nothing was going to change that.

The leopard was quick to prove that statement as he continued hand-feeding and massaging Basajaun, beginning to completely get lost in the blissful experience while more and more nourishment made its way down the drake's insatiable gullet.

Allowing the leopard sole role of feeding this night, Snowflake spent the moment letting her paws wander around the soft surface of the dragon's body, moving from his flabby neck down to his bulbous belly, the twin softness of his silky fur and plush fat making the spirit swiftly lose track of time and her surroundings. What she was mindful of was the leopard situated on the drake's chest; she had unintentionally pushed him aside once, she wouldn't be doing it again.

The one who had lost all track of anything besides the pleasantness of their practice was Basajaun; he was a placid, vibrating mound of flesh whose only vocalization was the constant, deep purring that emanated from his throat. The sound was regularly interrupted by his swallowing, but the smile that adorned his face and pushed up his plump cheeks was an unabating sign of his bliss. The dragon's own paws joined the massage provided by Snowflake and Zachary, his claws running slowly through his long fur and scratching tenderly at the flesh beneath. The degree to which he was able to sink his digits into the padding beneath his skin only widened the dragon's smile as he was fed each new morsel, his pace increasing once he decided he had savored the meal sufficiently and began swallowing the food whole.

While all three enthusiasts of the special dinner lost themselves in blissful and complete unawareness of their surroundings, the only conscious member of the group kept up the silent, thoughtful observation of the display of gluttony that was presented.

Lya sat some distance away from the others in the grass. She was leaning backwards, her paws resting on the ground to provide support and balance in her current position. Outside of her breathing and occasional blinking, the ocelot was nearly unmoving. Every part of her complex body was doing its assigned job, and yet, she could only focus all her attention only on a pair of organs; her eyes.

She watched the odd scene play out in front of her without moving a single muscle. She didn't think about anything. She just watched in quiet, following every little gesture, motion or movement with wide eyes and mouth agape. But no matter how long her eyes scanned the trio restlessly, Lya simply could not tear her gaze away from the sight.

She was surprised.

Zachary had given her a basic idea of what to think about these special dinners, but that did not help her in her current perplexed state. No amount of hints or warnings would have been able to prepare her for this. She did say that she wouldn't be taken aback, but evidently, she had been wrong. Although bewildered by the display, Lya wasn't exactly feeling any negative emotions as she watched the trio. It was hard to, given that the three looked like they were having the time of their lives.

The blissful smiles were present on all of their faces. All of them, every last member, were evidently enjoying the experience immensely. There was no reason to deny that obvious fact, and Lya didn't even want to. They were happy. This occasion, no matter how absurd or weird, brought joy to them.

Lya's muzzle broke into a smile.

It had only been a few days since she met the group, and yet, even after that short time, she realized how much she liked seeing them with joyful expressions on their faces. It simply warmed her heart to see them like that. To see her... friends... like that?

The ocelot blinked at her own train of thoughts.

Did she already view them as her friends? It was a very much a possibility, and she knew it perfectly well. All of them, even an ice spirit, gave Lya nothing but kindness, gentleness, friendliness... acceptance... understanding. They all gave her something she always lacked. Of course, her friends in Centrum were good people, but they didn't know. Most of them didn't know her. They didn't know about her secret. The one she desperately tried to hide from anyone in fear.

But this group did. They did know, and she had no fear in her heart that they did. And despite that, they accepted her. Finally... someone other than Xergon or Talib accepted for who she was.

'Even an ice spirit...' Lya's already broad smile widened.

She really did not have any reason to question their hobby, for it simply filled their hearts with mirth and merry. And if it did, then Lya was happy for them. No matter how odd or absurd the whole situation was to the ocelot, she did not allow herself to even think of resenting them for it. She had nothing to do but return the massive favor she was given, and so she did.

Lya simply accepted them as they were, along with their weirdness, their flaws, and even their odd dinners. Because they were her...

'Friends.' The ocelot finished in her mind. As her eyes continued to observe the feeding of Basajaun, Lya's expression changed from the earlier surprised one. There was nothing else on her muzzle but a simple smile. That gesture meant more than any kind word or wish, however.

Eventually, the ocelot's gaze fell on Zachary on top of the dragon's chest. Her eyes lingered on the leopard for long moments, especially on the expression on his face. That goofy smile. Oh, how she liked to see that plastered on the feline's face! It always warmed her heart to see him in a good mood. Actually, just being around him warmed her heart... even just thinking about him warmed her heart.

Lya could feel a blush creeping up on her cheeks. 'Gods... what am I waiting for?' She demanded from herself. Heaving a long sigh, the ocelot shook her head. 'You have to tell him sometime... Lya. You're only making it worse for yourself... Just. Do. It.'

With those thoughts harboring her mind, the ocelot almost completely became unaware of the restless feeding in front of her. More important matters weighed her down. Things that she knew she had to sort out, but hadn't built up the courage to do so yet. Yet, just as she told herself, it would have to happen eventually.

The thought made her smile reappear again, her gaze once more locked on Zachary as she listened carefully to the rainstorm that raged mercilessly outside. Even though coldness and utter darkness resided out of the borders of the shelter, it meant nothing to the ones inside. They simply relished the experience, even Lya herself, although to a much more low-key extent.

It wasn't too long before the main courses were packed away into Basajaun's stomach, leaving dessert to be consumed by the now visibly bloated reptile. As Snowflake nudged the ice cream into a better position for the drake to grab it, he managed to snap out of his stupor long enough to notice Lya again, and he hesitated as he reached for the frozen sweets.

"Lya, have you had the chance to try the ice cream?" Basajaun checked, knowing firsthand the delight that was Snowflake's specialty and not wanting to deprive someone else of the experience.

The inquiry managed to snap the ocelot out of her musings. She tore her eyes away from Zachary, directing them to the dragon. "Uh... yeah, sure!" Lya replied with a smile, standing up and moving to the other three with a spoon in her paw.

With almost every last piece of nourishment already enjoying their new home which was the reptile's insatiable stomach, Zachary himself soon found his way out of his trance as well. The leopard glanced back at the green globe behind him, observing the results of the night's dinner with a satisfied grin.

Although it was harder to see through the immense amount of flab that coated the drake's fattened form, the way his belly protruded proudly was noticeable enough. And obvious as it was, Zachary wasted no time in giving it a closer inspection. Turning his body around swiftly, he began examining the stuffed sphere in his usual way; caressing the surface tenderly with both of his paws. Lya did notice the odd ritual as she approached the others, but didn't comment on it.

Basajaun smiled to the ocelot, offering the bowl of frozen, fruity cream to her. "Here, it's really good!" he stated grinningly, giggling as Zachary enjoyed the softness of his midsection, "Like a little bit of cool, sweet heaven in a bowl!" The dragon's description made Snowflake giggle lightheartedly.

Rolling her eyes at the statement, Lya chortled mirthfully at the comment. It sounded like a massive overstatement, but the ocelot was more than happy to have a taste of this allegedly heaven-made treat. Once arriving at Basajaun's side, and only observing his expanded middle for a moment, the feline plunged her spoon in the bowl that was offered.

The cutlery sank in the creamy, icy substance with ease, its head disappearing in its depths as it was enveloped by the frosty confection before it was rescued by Lya herself. Holding the ice cream filled spoon in front of her, the ocelot took a few seconds to observe the unfamiliar nourishment, only raising it to her mouth after some minor level of hesitation. As it turned out, there hadn't been any need for even the slightest hint of reluctance.

When the chilly treat first kissed her lips as it passed by and eventually made contact with her delicate tastebuds, Lya's eyes widened in surprise. The ocelot blinked a couple of times while her tongue examined the novel taste. Only a few seconds later, she gave a hum of absolute and complete approval.

"Alright," Lya began with a smile, not wasting any time to grab a second bite from the ice cream and swallowing it quickly, "You were right. This is heavenly!" Giggling lightly, the ocelot enjoyed the few mouthfuls of frosty nourishment with closed eyes. Evidently, she was on the same opinion about the speciality as the others.

Waiting for Lya to have her fill, Basajaun lifted the bowl up to Zachary, patting his back while the leopard kneaded the drake's soft middle. "Want any of this before you tuck it into that hill you're playing with, son?" he inquired teasingly, grinning jovially to the feline.

Zachary withdrew his paws from the bewitching softness with immense amount of effort, arching his back to look at Basajaun upside-down. "You bet!" He replied, his own grin present, although still pointing in the opposite direction at the moment. When the leopard moved to reach for the bowl himself with a paw, he was interrupted by the ocelot's voice.

"Are you gonna eat that with your paws?" Lya inquired with a cocked eyebrow, waving the spoon she had just used at the feline on top of the drake's chest. She was hopeful that Zachary had the mental capacity to get the hint.

While not immediately, the leopard actually managed to decipher the extremely complex suggestion he was presented with after a moment. "Oh!" he voiced, chuckling nervously as he repositioned himself into a more comfortable pose, "Right... I'll get a spo--"

"No need," the ocelot cut him off casually, smiling warmly as she continued, "Here's mine." She offered the cutlery to the leopard, who although giving the ocelot a baffled stare, took the spoon.

"But... you just used it." Zachary stated the obvious quietly, holding the item in his paw with more care than necessary.

Lya shrugged nonchalantly. "So?" she inquired, putting her hands on her hips as she gave a scowl to Zachary, "My mouth is clean. You aren't going to get any horrible diseases from using the same spoon I have, if that's what you're worrying about." The ocelot actually appeared somewhat hurt while she glowered at the leopard.

The feline's face on top of Basajaun fell at those words, his ears lowering to his head as well. "I... uh... didn't mean it like that, Lya," he reassured her quietly, sighing in relief when Lya's expression brightened somewhat at the statement, "I just thought you would want to use it later as well, and I didn't want to ma--"

As expected, the leopard's explanation was once again interrupted by the ocelot. Although this time, she was smiling. "I intend to use that spoon later," staring into Zachary's eyes for a moment, Lya suddenly turned around and began making her way back to her original position near the fire, "I'm pretty sure your mouth is free of any horrible diseases as well."

Watching the female feline leave with a perplexed look across his features, the leopard's gaze settled on the spoon in his paw. It took him only a few seconds to begin smiling at the cutlery for seemingly no reason, plunging it in the ice cream afterwards and savoring the frosty treat himself. Although remaining in thoughtful silence, Zachary's smile never left his muzzle while he had his fill from the speciality.

"So," Basajaun said quietly, a mischievous smile on his face as he snaked his up to Zachary, putting his mouth right near the feline's ear and whispering, "Does it taste like kisses?"

As soon as those words left the drake's lips, the leopard had to channel all his strength not to simply spit out all the ice cream that was in his mouth. He fought bravely against the urge, and although the action required great amount of self control, he came out victorious eventually.

Swallowing loudly, Zachary was a thought away to shot back at Basajaun, when a better idea occurred to him. With his own mischievous smile appearing, he simply plunged his spoon in the ice cream, sending a marginal amount straight at the dragon's muzzle with a flick of his cutlery. "You tell me!" He finally replied, chuckling joyously at his own pitiful prank.

Giggling as he licked the dessert from his snout, Basajaun gave a satisfied smile. "That was for eavesdropping, you goober," he explained, before looking over to Lya, "You and Esmeralda did an excellent job with dessert, Lya!"

The ocelot took a moment to tear her gaze away from the fire she was sitting next to, beaming at Basajaun and waving a paw dismissively. "I just helped out a little. It was mostly Elder Eszes," she explained, a grateful expression on her face as she added, "But I'm glad you like it, anyway."

While Lya expressed her gratitude for the dragon's kind words, Zachary could only roll his eyes at Basajaun. "Hey, I wasn't eavesdropping," the statement was followed by the usual teasing grin, "I saw everything too. Spying on you would be a much more fitting term!" The leopard laughed mirthfully at his way of making fun of his inconsiderate action. He didn't mean to be rude with the dragons; the young anthro was just simply a curious individual!

"Fine then; that was for spying on me and Snowflake while we expressed our feelings," Basajaun corrected himself, before laying his head back, resting it on Snowflake's tail while he waited for Zachary to finish up with the ice cream. The spirit's tail curled up and stroked the drake's neck tenderly, while her forelimbs had yet to end their exploration of Basajaun's curves. It was obvious to anyone who cared to look at this dragoness' face that she was in a very happy place at the moment, as evidenced by the euphoric grin she maintained while pawing tirelessly at the silky, flabby form before her.

Among the individuals who cared to look at Snowflake was Zachary himself. As he finished with his puny portion of the ice cream, he couldn't help but notice the spirit's ecstatic expression. It only took him a couple of seconds to decide what to do next.

"Well then," he began, handing the bowl back to Basajaun with a warm smile, "Since the mutual feeling expressing is out of your way, I guess you two could do something alone together to celebrate it!" With a subtle gesture towards the ice cream filled bowl, the leopard suddenly jumped off from the drake's chest, landing in the grass with feline grace.

He grinned widely at the two dragons, even winking just to be a complete tease. "You two have fun." And with that, Zachary turned his back to Basajaun and Snowflake, starting to make his way towards Lya near the campfire while his tail swayed happily behind him.

Blinking in synchronized surprise, the dragons watched the leopard depart. "Um, are you sure, Hunter?" Snowflake called after the feline, her paws idly fondling the drake's belly, "You don't mind?"

The amused snort that followed the question was audible even from a distance. Zachary only turned back for a moment to look at the pair of dragons. "I dunno, Snowflake. Do I?" He tapped a finger on his head to give an obvious hint, smiling warmly at the spirit before he continued on his way to Lya.

Taking a moment to check the leopard's emotional state, Snowflake smiled when she knew he was sure. Sending Zachary the emotional equivalent of a hug, the dragoness stood and repositioned herself into a better position for feeding, setting her chest down on top of Basajaun's and getting a deep blush from the dragon.

Taking the bowl from the drake wordlessly, Snowflake used a paw to scoop out a decent mouthful for him. "Open wide!" the spirit invited gigglingly.

After a momentary bashful grin, Basajaun obeyed and was rewarded with a pawful of ice cream. While he savored the treat, the dragon was surprised when the familiar pressed her forehead against his, sliding her head down the length of the drake's neck. Feeling a flash of warmth, despite the cold confection he had just swallowed, the reptile had to take a moment to let his blush die down before he opened his mouth again, receiving the next mouthful, and a draconic kiss down the other side of his neck.

While her forelimbs were busy, Snowflake's wings extended downwards, their less precise massaging motions made up for by the sheer area that they could reach. Pausing in the feeding for a moment, the dragoness' tail curled up once again under the drake's head, and she gently pressed down on his head until he was resting on the soft coil, before resuming the feeding.

Completely relaxed and content, Basajaun took each mouthful with a blissful purr, his body shuddering with the cool touch of the spirit down his neck. Needless to say, he was entirely lost to the experience.

"Well, those two got quite close all of a sudden." Lya stated quietly from her place near the fire, obviously noticing the scene some distance away. She turned to Zachary as he sat down next to her, a teasing smile on her furry face.

The leopard simply shrugged casually. "Not my business," he replied, shooting a glance at the two dragons and smiling immediately as well, "I'm happy for them, though."

"Yeah," Lya agreed with a nod of her head, a warm smile of her own replacing the earlier teasing one as it twisted her lips. She continued watching the duo for only a moment, before she tore her gaze away, knowing not to stare. "They make a good pair, huh?"

Zachary snorted in agreement. "That they do." he replied, finally redirecting his eyes to something else than Basajaun and Snowflake. As it were, he happened to turn to Lya, looking at the ocelot, searching her features for long moments before he was interrupted by a playful swat on his nose.

"It's rude to stare, Zach." The female feline warned him with a giggle, withdrawing the paw she gently struck Zachary with. Although even 'gently' was an overstatement of the power of the blow he was given, the leopard made sure to whimper quietly about it as much as he could.

The action once again managed to make the ocelot laugh lightheartedly. "You big baby." She shook her head a little at him.

Her joyous laughter, her teasing voice and body language immediately managed to suppress Zachary's whining. Instead, a familiar feeling returned to him; one he welcomed with open arms each time it occurred. He could feel the beating of his heart accelerating with every breath he took as the known and blissful warmth enveloped the entirety of his body and mind alike.

Feeling a blush creeping on for no particular reason, the leopard tried his best to act casual. "You know," he began, clearing his throat somewhat nervously, "I always had this suspicion about Basa and Snowflake... I mean, their feelings towards each other. I knew they would eventually make that typical romantic couple of a traveling group." Zachary grinned goofily to Lya after those words. This time, however, there was no laughing from her side.

The ocelot looked thoughtful, her gaze falling to the fire. "And..." Lya's voice was unusually quiet, hesitant even. She didn't continue for a long while, simply staring at the orange flames in front of her as if the answers to her questions were hidden beneath the scorching blaze. Zachary immediately noticed her sudden change in behavior, but waited patiently for her to proceed. Although when she finally did, the question she asked left the leopard dumbstruck.

"Do... you think there could be only one of these typical romantic couples in a group like this?"

Zachary blinked, his brain falling into standby mode as his breathing stopped at the same time. His eyes were still on Lya, the pair of organs searching the ocelot's face restlessly. She wasn't looking at him, though, her own gaze still lingering on the fire next to them.

Minutes were spent in the absence of verbal communication, the rainstorm outside unstoppably continuing to flood everything with the tears of nature, as well as flood the ears of the occupants of the gazebo with its constant pounding. At the moment, Zachary's own ears couldn't do much but focus on the sound entirely while his mind was completely emptied of its contents.

He wanted to open his mouth to talk and say something to her, but each time he tried to do so, he found himself unable to even begin. He was too surprised to find his voice, or even words for a very long time. Yet eventually, he managed to do so, although the amount of time it took him was more than mere seconds.

"N-No." Was all he achieved to stutter out as his answer, his eyes yet to leave Lya's face since this conversation began. He could see it happen in front of his very eyes; the ocelot's expression changed at last.

A faint smile touched the corners of her mouth after Zachary's words.

Zachary watched the gesture for more time than his mind could comprehend, his own smile touching his lips, an ecstatic twinkle in his eyes. Did she really ask that from him? His currently perplexed mind still found it hard to realize that obvious fact, and instead, tried its hardest to create unnecessary worried questions. All of them doubted what his heart wanted to believe, and he couldn't bare the uncertainty anymore.

He had to know.

Clearing his throat first and then swallowing the lump in it, the leopard gathered his strength and voice alike in advance. Lya was still looking in the fire, but he didn't need her to look at him at the moment. It made things easier, actually.

"And... do you?" He asked at long last, waiting and watching her reaction with both eagerness and fear.

Lya's answer came a lot faster than Zachary's. But it wasn't only that the came with it; her head turned to face him, their eyes locked on each other's. When she finally spoke, her silky, soft voice nearly made the leopard forget about the the sound of pouring rain. She shook her head first, but their eyes remained transfixed on one another.

"No."

That short, simple word was all he wanted to hear. Zachary's heart practically overheated with the previous warmth to the point where he was convinced that the fur on his chest had caught on fire. His previous faint smile broadened until there was simply no space left on his muzzle. She really did ask it from him, after all.

There was no command from either feline's brains as their paws slowly inched closer and closer together. Once reunited, the two hands immediately grabbed hold of one another, their digits intertwined.

Their eyes kept up their restless, mutual stare while they remained silent. It was Lya who broke the stillness, but even that couldn't last for long. She could only begin before she was interrupted.

"Zach, I thi--"

This time, Lya was silenced as Zachary planted a finger on her warm lips. He could feel his arm trembling lightly as he remained locked in that position. "I know," he said simply, withdrawing his finger from her lips to hold the ocelot's hand in it instead, "I'm the same," there was a short pause, "I mean... I-I feel the same... I... I... did you want to say what I think you wanted to say?" There it was again; familiar uncertainty and naivety.

Although trying her hardest not to, Lya began giggling joyously at the leopard, only stopping after long moments. She heaved a sigh of utter relief first, shaking her head at Zachary afterwards. "I guess we'll never know since you were rude enough to interrupt." And once more, the ocelot's muzzle bore a teasing, yet alluring, smile; one that he liked seeing, but wasn't helping his situation at the moment.

The leopard's face fell, his grip on her paws loosening. "I... I didn't mean to. I... just wanted to be... Er... romant--" stopping himself in the last moment, he was quick to correct himself, although his voice was still barely audible as he spoke, "But... seriously, are we... thinking the same... you know?"

Lya was actually trying her very best not to burst out laughing, and miraculously, somehow she managed to suppress her immense amusement. Instead, she simply nodded smilingly. "That... seems to be the case, Zach," she assured him, squeezing his paws in hers gently, "And... it's completely mutual."

At those words, Zachary blushed deeper than ever before, his eyes widening. "I... I... I'm... I'm glad." That shameful babbling was all the leopard managed to squeeze out of himself. And apparently, it was enough.

When Lya suddenly pulled him in her embrace, Zachary completely forgot to breathe. Or even think, for that matter. The ocelot rested her head on his shoulder, and yet he couldn't see it, the smile that adorned her muzzle was visible from a mile away. At first awkwardly searching around with his arms, the leopard eventually decided that on the decision of returning the hug; and so he did.

Resting his own head on her shoulder, Zachary wrapped his arms around the ocelot, pulling her close and holding her gingerly against his body. His formerly declared criminal tail showed massive recovery from its earlier life, as the limb followed the lead of the arms, gently curling itself around its identical neighbor that was Lya's tail. Immediately, the gesture was returned.

The pair stayed in their silent embrace, not a single sound leaving their lips anymore. There was no need for words, for they both knew exactly what the other was thinking. Now, at last, they knew how each felt about the other. And the revelation, along with the seemingly everlasting hug, brought unexplainable amount of happiness and affection to the pair of felines as they remained in the exact position they wanted to be the most at this very moment.

The ice cream had been gone for a while. Basajaun and Snowflake watched the felines from their own spot, each bearing a warm smile, and not just because of the satisfying dinner. Zachary was happy; that was enough for Basajaun, and the intensity of the emotion was enough to spill over into Snowflake.

Several silent minutes passed, before Basajaun yawned somewhat loudly. Shaking his head gently, the dragon tried to blink back his weariness. "Zach, can I get a hug from my son before I fall asleep?" he asked, smiling tiredly over to the leopard, "Dinner's starting to make it hard to stay awake!"

Finally withdrawing from the blissful embrace, Zachary's overjoyed expression was the first thing Lya noticed when they pulled away from each other. Giggling at the hilarious gesture, the ocelot moved a paw behind the leopard's ear, scratching the area carefully while she gestured with her head towards Basajaun.

That's all he needed. Standing up and abandoning the enjoyable ear massage he was getting, Zachary gave a final grin to the ocelot, the latter rolling her eyes at him and waving a paw as she mouthed "Go already."

With the command issued, the leopard wasted no time in following it. Although he would have went to Basajaun no matter what, the encouragement felt nice, especially now... and especially from Lya. Feeling all the pent up joy, therefore the unlimited source of energy rushing through his body, Zachary practically bounded towards the awaiting dragon.

Jumping up and tackling the drake by his massive arm, the leopard embraced the limb with loving care. Although he would have prefered another spot to hug the reptile at, his current position made it somewhat hard to find anything else than his arm to embrace. "Of course you can get a hug!" Zachary replied, closing his eyes and rubbing his face against Basajaun's skin.

The arm lifted up, bringing its rider with it to the surface to the drake's chest, where the other arm joined to complete the embrace. "I love you, son," the dragon said quietly, curling his neck to nuzzle the leopard, "Thank you for being this overgrown lizard's family."

Zachary began purring loudly as he snuggled himself into Basajaun's soft form. "No," he said with a whisper, "Thank you for adopting someone like me," relaxing his body completely in the embrace, the leopard sighed happily as he added, "I love you too, dad."

Grinning widely, the dragon gave his son a lick on the arm. "Good night, Zach," he sighed, laying his head down again on the cushion provided by Snowflake's tail, falling quickly into sleep.

Curling herself up around the drake, the dragoness settled her own head on Basajaun's much softer tail, sighing contentedly. "Does this make me your mother too?" the spirit's voice came quietly from the leopard's necklace, "I don't think I see you as a son, you're more like a brother to me, but if Forest sees you that way... heh, we really are a weird family, aren't we?"

"That we are, Snowflake... that we are." Zachary agreed with a weak giggle, sitting up on Basajaun's chest slowly and carefully. Glancing at Lya near the fire, the leopard gestured with his head for her.

Reading the hint easily, the ocelot smiled and nodded. She made her way to the fattened form of the drake, eventually settling herself next to Esmeralda by the dragon's side. Leaning back against the cushion, the ocelot closed her eyes and sighed in comfort. "Good night you weird bunch." She giggled, no more sound leaving her lips afterwards as she slowly fell asleep.

"Sleep well, Lya." The leopard replied to the unconscious ocelot anyway, smiling warmly down at her before he lay back down on Basajaun's chest. He gently pulled the dragon's paw over his body, letting out a single and weak cough just once before sighing in bliss much like the ocelot had done earlier. Closing his eyes, Zachary could immediately feel himself slowly falling asleep, but he stopped himself in the last moment; he had one more person to say something to.

"Good night..." he began, holding Snowflake's necklace close to his mouth as he added with a whisper, "Sis." As soon as the words left his mouth, the leopard allowed the forces of sleepiness to overtake him, carrying him to dreamland in mere seconds.

Smiling at the words, Snowflake used her nutrient boosting spell once the rest of the group was asleep. "Good night, brother," the spirit's voice came in a soft lullaby from the necklace, slowly succumbing to the relaxing music herself.

Snowflake stared out through the clear walls of the gazebo, the sun only just beginning to peek up over the horizon. Her expression was thoughtful, though a small smile graced her lips as well. The previous night's confessions hung in the spirit's mind like a heavy, but soft weight, much like that of the dragon she rested against.

Giggling quietly at her mental joke, the familiar lifted her head from the drake's tail, bending her neck to look to her friends. Many of them were becoming more and more like a family, though Esmeralda had long ago become a sister to the spirit.

The thought brought back how confusing this family had become, and the dragoness couldn't help giggling again. Sighing contentedly, Snowflake rested her head on the softest part of Basajaun; his luxurious abdomen. Currently without by its usual leopard occupant, who was cuddled lovingly on the dragon's chest, his belly was free for the spirit to monopolize, at least until the others awakened.

Nuzzling her face into the soft flesh, Snowflake gave another blissful sigh. The dragon had gained another half a foot of padding from the previous night's meal and spell, and the dragoness allowed herself to gently caress the new layers of fat with her nuzzling, her smile widening when her actions elicited a quiet purr from the sleeping dragon. The feeling she had in this moment was enough to distract the spirit to the point that she hadn't even noticed the arrival of a certain grumpy serpent.

Cocking his head at the sight of the entire group resting on or against Basajaun in a shelter made of clear ice, Talib eventually moved to the gazebo and knocked loudly on the cold wall. Jumping to her feet in surprise and unintentionally yanking her tail out from under the drake's head, Snowflake gave the snake an abashed smile.

"Um, good morning?" she greeted uncertainly, before looking to Basajaun as he groggily awakened.

"Ugh, now I know how Zach feels when this happens," the drake said, looking up to Snowflake, "Good morning to you too."

"She was talking to me, Basajaun," Talib's muffled voice came through the gazebo's wall, causing the dragon to jump in surprise much like Snowflake had, his obese body jiggling and rippling with the motion and jostling the anthros resting against him.

With a decidedly unhappy hoot, Esmeralda sat up from the dragon's side. "Talib, there are better ways to wake us up," she grumbled, rubbing her eyes tiredly as she glared at the serpent, "Scaring our resident living mattress is not among them." Lya loosened a yawn of agreement at those words as she came to from her dreams as well.

Shaking his head, the snake waited for Snowflake to absorb the gazebo into her form, before moving to a confused-looking Basajaun. "I'm here to give you two your lessons," he announced, pointing between the drake's face and the leopard he was currently embracing in a paw, "So, it's time for you two to get up. We have a lot to cover, you and I, so don't keep me waiting."

Moving over to a clear space in the clearing, Talib summoned his table, along with Zachary's chair, from the room in his tower. With another gesture, several tomes appeared on the table's surface, and the snake looked to Basajaun with an expectant, and less than patient, expression.

Deciding it was best not to keep their teacher waiting, the dragon reached up to Zachary as he thinned himself, in order to perform whatever actions Talib might require. "Hey, Zach, time to get up," the dragon said, nuzzling the leopard's face and licking it relentlessly.

The gentle gesture, as usual and expected from him, went completely unnoticed by the leopard first. The unsuccessful attempt to get his brain into a more awake state only managed to elicit a frustrated grumble from the young anthro, his head fixing in a grimace as the dragon's saliva assaulted him.

"Gho... away..." he threatened Basajaun's flickering tongue in the most unconvincing way he could, his voice nothing but a pleading whisper, "No... baths... I just... 'ad one yesterday..." Turning his body in the opposite direction the attack was coming from, Zachary let out a long sigh and, once again not surprising any member of the group, fell right back asleep on the comfortable cushion of the drake's chest. He made sure to pull the reptile's paw over his body too, the action communicating how much he would have prefered to stay where he was at the moment.

Rubbing her eyes and stifling another yawn, Lya slowly rose from Basajaun's less-squishy side. After stretching her back and limbs, the ocelot's focused eyes fell on Talib, a friendly smile touching the corners of her mouth. She waved a paw at the serpent, getting a nod and subtle smile in return, before turning around and walking a few steps away from the members of the group.

Neck-bones crackling audibly as she rotated her head around in repeated motions, the ocelot began the morning routine she had been doing since Xergon took her under his arms. Lya began stretching and flexing her limbs in more delicate and thought-out ways, warming up the muscles inside for the day's activities. She always started her days like this, with the day before yesterday being the only exception for its unusual and unexpected nature. And although most anthros would have viewed this morning routine as a laborious task to perform, the ocelot sure didn't; she liked being aware and ready to go early in the mornings, unlike a certain leopard, who fought stubbornly against the reality which demanded from him to finally wake up.

Hearing Talib's fingers strumming impatiently against the surface of the table he had summoned, Basajaun decided against trying another gentle approach. Reaching his head over the leopard, the drake took ahold of the feline's scruff gently, before rolling to his feet with Zachary dangling from his mouth like a kitten.

Eyes snapping open as he was held by his nape, the feline could only loose a shameful, quiet mew while he was carried in the dragon's mouth. He would have protested against the action more vehemently, but he simply couldn't; no matter how hard he tried, he found himself unable to move even a single muscle, or even talk properly, for that matter. All he could do was continue his pitiful meowing, his eyes darting around on the ground to search for any means of escape while his body hung limp.

Humiliating as the experience was for him, it sure looked like an effective way of waking the sleepy leopard up.

As soon as the quiet cries of Zachary made their way in her ears, Lya turned around to investigate the source of the sound. As soon her gaze settled on him in Basajaun's mouth, Lya burst into a joyful laughter which resonated through the entirety of the clearing. The intensity of her amusement actually threatened to split her sides. The ocelot didn't comment on the entertaining scene, but it wasn't needed; her laughing was enough.

Esmeralda was soon to join in the merriment as soon as she saw what was causing it, having to lean on her cane to keep from falling over. "Gods, Zach, I didn't know you could get so adorable!" the owl teased mirthfully. Even Snowflake couldn't help but giggle at the scene.

Padding over to Talib as the females joined together in amusement, Basajaun carefully set Zachary down on the opposite side of the table as the snake. While he was receiving the most lethal of glares from the leopard, Basajaun blithely sat himself down next to his classmate.

Zachary continued to drill holes into the dragon's soul for long moments, his paw rubbing at his scruff vehemently. "What. The. Hell. Was. That!?" He exclaimed his demand at the drake next to him, practically fuming with indignation. Trying his hardest to convey the humiliation he felt through his glower to Basajaun, the leopard looked convincingly frustrated and upset from the experience.

Lya managed to suppress her laughing when she noticed the feline's angry tone and body language, smiling warmly to him instead as she said. "I had no idea you could mew like that, Zach! Don't worry, it sounds cute!" Although once more a complete tease, there was evident sincerity in the ocelot's voice as she spoke. Zachary disregarded her tone, along with her words, however. He simply continued his restless glare at Basajaun instead, intent on receiving a proper answer to his demand.

The drake flinched visibly at Zachary's tone, before giving a sheepishly apologetic smile. "I was just... I mean, you weren't waking up and I... because you're the hatchling... I'm sorry?" Basajaun flustered, obviously feeling guilty for what he had done, "If you didn't like it so much, why didn't you say something?"

"Because I bloody couldn't!" the leopard replied immediately, scowling at Basajaun as he gestured at all of his limbs at once, "I couldn't even move! I couldn't talk and I couldn't move a single muscle, that's why!" Zachary let out a shameful snort, burying his head in his paws.

"All I could do was mew..." there was a long pause, the feline's tail flailing behind him in frustration, "Gods, I didn't even know I could do that!" Whimpering melodramatically, Zachary let his head fall on the table in front of him, disregarding the mild pain when it landed on the surface of the object with a thud.

There was constant mumbling coming from the distressed leopard afterwards, and although most of the words were lost to everyone but Zachary himself, one phrase was uttered on multiple occasions, namely 'Overgrown lizard'. Evidently, the young and humiliated antho wasn't praising his reptile father at the moment.

Before he could attempt to apologize again, Basajaun was cut off by a rather loud throat clearing from Talib. "If you two are quite done sniveling," the snake huffed, "I have a lesson to give you before I'm called back to the college. You can settle your little domestic dispute on your own time."

Tempted to simply ignore the serpent, Basajaun sighed and nuzzled the leopard beside him. "Sorry, I won't do it again," he said honestly, before turning his attention back to Talib.

Letting out an exasperated sigh of his own, Zachary slowly extracted his head from the table. He shook it, pulling his fingers over his face and grimacing at the same time. It took him effort to simply move on from the embarrassing experience, but with the possibility of learning more about the ways of magic, the leopard eventually managed to do so.

He didn't say anything, though, directing his mildly frustrated gaze to Talib and waiting patiently for his teacher to continue. Crossing his arms under his chest, the feline occasionally loosened even a huff of annoyance, shooting lethal glances at the dragon next to him with narrowed eyes.

Opening a tome telekinetically, Talib slid it in front of both students. "We're starting with biomancy," he stated, gesturing at the dragon, "In order to get you ready to take care of Zachary's lungs. We're focusing on the healing subdiscipline for the first hour, and then I'm going to return to Zachary's previous lessons. You'll each be getting at least an hour of my time this way. If I'm still available afterwards, we'll continue Basajaun's lessons first, as they currently take priority. Understood?"

Zachary nodded unconvincingly, his arms still crossed under his chest. "Yes." He replied simply, turning his attention to the mildly intriguing trees which surrounded the clearing. His tail swayed behind him constantly, although this time, there was no trace of happiness in the motion.

With Basajaun nodding afterwards, Talib started in on the pair's lesson. The beginning was spent catching Zachary up with what the dragon knew, along with an in depth study of anatomy and how it could be altered or healed via magic. Though basically a review for Basajaun, the dragon paid close attention anyways, taking note of any material that hadn't been present in the book he had been reading.

Throughout the lesson, the drake couldn't help but notice how sour he had made Zachary's mood. Though he wanted to comfort the leopard, Basajaun had a feeling that Talib wouldn't appreciate having attention split from the lesson. So the reptile simply waited, hoping that his companion's spirits would be lifted by the lesson they were receiving.

Although that being the case to a marginal extent, the leopard's grouchy state of mind didn't improve too much during the lecture he was receiving. He still did his very best in terms of learning and casting spells, but his grumpy aura stayed present. His tail continued to flail lightly behind him, while his ears flickered occasionally as an obvious sign of frustration in body language.

Biomancy wasn't a particularly interesting school of magic to the young antho either, but despite that and his bad mood, the lesson continued with low-key eagerness from Zachary's side. He stayed in his uncharacteristic silence for the most part too, only opening his mouth when he was talked to or asked something. It looked like even the blissful events of yesterday weren't enough to cheer the currently irritated leopard's spirits.

Talib didn't comment on Zachary's attitude throughout the lecture. When the first hour was over, the snake dismissed Basajaun to work on practicing the Heal Bones spell. Taking one of the cleaned femurs from the deer that they'd hunted, the dragon settled himself down by the fire, breaking the leg bone in half with alarming ease.

The drake still held his guilty expression as he practiced his magic, Snowflake moving over to comfort him with a gentle nuzzle before watching Basajaun work on mending the bone he had snapped in two like a twig.

"Hey, Hunter will be alright," Snowflake insisted, leaning slightly against the dragon, "You just embarrassed him."

The drake nodded quietly. "I just hate having him mad at me," Basajaun stated the obvious, before trying to focus his attention on the bone he worked with. When he managed to knit the femur back together, he would break it again at a different point, in order to learn how to heal differing breaks.

With his attention back on Zachary, Talib was about to move on to the leopard's lesson, when he saw that his student was still quietly fuming. "Alright, I think you're overreacting at this point, Zachary," the snake stated, shaking his head disapprovingly.

The leopard shrugged nonchalantly. "If you say so, Master Talib," he replied, bringing his gaze from the woods he had been observing for the past sixty minutes back to his teacher, "But can we start my lesson now? I thought you didn't like to talk about anything with me outside the lesson itself."

Tapping a claw on the table, the serpent cocked an eyebrow. "A distracted mind is not something I like to work with," he informed his student, "Now, if you can focus on your learning, I'd appreciate it. Have you learned any new spells since our last lesson?"

The question actually managed to get a hint of a smile on the grumpy feline's muzzle. "Yes, I have," he replied, standing up from his chair as he added, "Two, actually." Making to move away from the table, Zachary hesitated.

"Uhm... want me to demonstrate?" he inquired as he looked back to Talib, cocking his head a little, "Because if so, we should warn the others. The spells I learned are... well... a lil' dangerous, I guess."

"I would," the snake affirmed, looking over to the rest of the group, "Go ahead and warn them, then. I'll wait until you're ready."

With a nod, Zachary did just that. It wasn't long before he informed every member of the group to brace themselves for the upcoming spells. There was only one individual he didn't directly talk to, namely a currently guilty reptile next to Snowflake. He simply warned the spirit in the presence of the drake, not looking at Basajaun and leaving without another word afterwards. The dragon whimpered pathetically at the leopard's action, his sorry gaze following the feline.

Disregarding Basajaun completely for now, the leopard walked quite some distance away from the group and Talib alike, eventually stopping at the edge of the clearing.

"This one's called... uh... Blaze Orb... or something like that!" He called out to his teacher, before he began his usual preparation for the spell casting. Unlike previously, it took Zachary considerably less amount of time to cast the fireball spell, surprising even himself a little with the marginal effort it took for him.

After the sudden and deafening appearance of a gaping, burned-out hole in the ground, the leopard wasted no time in proceeding to the second spell. Although Blaze Orb was still considered a highly dangerous spell, it couldn't be compared to the next one in line. "And... uh... this one's called Vortex... of... bla bla, something about frost!" Chuckling nervously, Zachary once more concentrated in advance for the spell casting.

Not a minute passed before the leopard opened his eyes and with a single flick of his paw, sent the previously cast swirling ice of death in a straight direction towards the undergrowth. Identical to last time, the blizzard of spinning sharp frost shards hovered over the grass with great velocity. And once more similar to the previous occasion, it simply sawed its way through everything in its path, eventually destroying a group of bushes and a large oak tree before Zachary could call the spell off.

"Aww... not again..." The leopard planted a paw on his forehead, shaking it as he observed the destruction with a guilty expression on his face. Even from a distance, it was evident that the casting of the two highly advanced spells took no toll on the feline's endurance.

Lya, who had joined by the side of the two dragons after the warning, couldn't help but once more stare at the leopard with wide eyes. Although having witnessed the power of the spell already, the intimidating display still sent her in a marginal state of dumbfoundedness.

Talib watched the spells play out with widened eyes, before shaking his head and regaining his composure. "Zachary," the snake said quietly, looking oddly thoughtful, "I'm going to have to ask you not to try spells that advanced without my supervision. Though you may be able to utilize them, you need to understand; most mages have a great deal of experience and discipline before they are ready to take on those spells. You, however, have neither. I don't think you're ready to use these spells responsibly."

Zachary remained in his previous position for a long time after the snake's words, only turning around and walking back to his teacher once he managed to overcome his initial reaction to what Talib had said to him.

"I don't need to use them responsibly, Master Talib," the leopard stated quietly as he arrived at the serpent's table, his expression deadly serious, "I just have to know them and be able to utilize them. Unfortunately, I don't have too much time, and I'm going to need these kind of spells very soon," sighing expansively, Zachary planted an elbow on the table after he sat down, resting his head on his paw, "So... if you have no feedback on the spells themselves, I'd like to start my lesson as soon as possible."

The snake's fists and jaw clenched visibly. "I'm not going to make you into a killer, Zachary," Talib hissed, his black eyes even more intense than usual, "I'm here to help you master your abilities so you can help people, not harm them. Have you ever had to end another anthro's life?"

Shaking his head slowly, the leopard's eyes fell on the ground. "But... that's exactly what I want to do," he said quietly, "I... I'm learning these spells so I can help the people that are in actual need of aid from someone."

"And how do you imagine you can help them with spells meant to destroy a battalion?" Talib demanded, "Even if you were indeed to face such a force, do you think your level of control as of now is sufficient to avoid collateral damage, even killing the wrong person? Think, boy! What the hell would you do if the same spell that you meant for an enemy tore a friend to pieces?"

Zachary flinched visibly at the question, but held himself together for now. Swallowing loudly, the leopard brought his eyes up to Talib, uncertainty hovering in his gaze. "I... I don't know," he stated honestly, exhaling in distress as he buried his head in his paws, "I don't know... I just... the people... I..." The leopard trailed off vaguely, remaining completely silent afterwards. He didn't say anything to the snake; he had no words to give.

Taking a breath and holding it for a moment, Talib eventually sighed. "You're going into a violent scenario," the snake said, shaking his head, "You're going to need to be armed for that, and I know that. But what you also need is the discipline to bear those arms."

Looking to the leopard, Talib hesitated to continue. "You don't know what it's like to become a killing machine," he said quietly, "And I hope to the Gods that you never do. But if you have to use your power to defend yourself, there are spells to do so that don't risk the lives of anyone but your target. I can teach you those, instead of the ones that have the potential for collateral damage. You don't want innocent blood on your hands, Zach. There have been enough spellcasters who found that burden."

There was no verbal response that came from Zachary, only a silent nod. He slowly extracted his head from his paws, his thoughtful and distant eyes staring at Talib. The leopard's tail stopped moving altogether, simply hanging limp while his ears were lowered to his head as he waited patiently for his teacher to continue.

Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, Talib shook his head. "I can't explain this kind of thing without becoming overly emotional," the snake admitted, turning to the ocelot that sat by the fire, "I think Lya would be better able to put it in a way that would get the point across without becoming angry just thinking about it."

Shifting his attention back to Zachary, the serpent sighed. "I apologize for discouraging you," Talib continued, "But I don't want to see you turn into another me, Zachary. You're too innocent for that."

Once again, just a quiet nod followed the snake's words. Zachary appeared thoughtful for a very long time afterwards, only opening his mouth to speak once he managed to overcome his harboring thoughts.

"I understand, Master Talib," he said quietly, his gaze falling from the snake's face, "I... don't..." clearing his throat, the leopard shook his head, "Can... we just start the lesson?" He requested simply. It was evident that this particular topic didn't help Zachary's situation; it only made it worse.

After a moment, the snake nodded and resumed the leopard's instruction. While Talib began working on Zachary's lesson, Esmeralda and Snowflake seemed to become suddenly tense.

"Lya," the owl began, her eyes lingering on Zachary's instructor, "Do you know what Talib does for a living?"

The ocelot blinked at the question at first, but was quick to reply nonetheless. "Well... he's a tutor in the college obviously," she answered, somewhat hesitantly adding, "And he helps the government with their private businesses and whatnot sometimes. Don't ask me what he does exactly; he didn't tell me either. But all I say that it's... not your usual kind of work, that's for sure."

The owl nodded. "I can't exactly see him working at a normal occupation," she admitted, observing the serpent for a while longer. Shaking her head when she realized she was staring, Esmeralda turned to face Lya with a warmer expression. "What about you?" she asked, leaning back a bit and relaxing, "Now that you're not working in the library anymore, what do you think you're going to be doing before we leave Centrum?"

The inquiry elicited a similarly warm look from Lya. She shrugged with a small smile. "I don't really know... I'm most likely just going to help you all out with the camp, read a lot of books and exercise," there was a short pause for a moment, before the ocelot snapped her fingers and added, "Oh, and I'm going to teach dummy how to defend himself in close combat. From what I've heard, it sounds like he's having some problems with that."

Turning away from the Elder, the feline's eyes settled on Zachary, her expression changing to one of thoughtfulness. "I didn't know he couldn't fight," she admitted, giggling lightheartedly, "I assumed he was a good fighter, given that he's a multicaster and all that," moving to face Esmeralda once more, Lya titled her head a little as she asked, "Is he really that bad?"

The owl nodded. "He's a talented archer," she informed the ocelot, before shaking her head, "But I haven't been able to teach him effectively when it comes to close combat." The Elder smiled at Lya before continuing, "If you can help him learn, I'd greatly appreciate it. I haven't had the courage to try teaching him again since..."

Trailing off, Esmeralda's countenance fell as a shudder worked its way up her spine. "Regardless, I'm happy you've found something to do out here," she concluded, Snowflake reaching over to nuzzle her mistress's arm comfortingly.

Disregarding the owl's uncertain moment, Lya returned the Elder's smile. "You don't know how happy I am to be here," she said, evident sincerity playing across her tone and face alike, "And I'll try my best with the dummy," glancing at Zachary and watching his unusually moody posture and expression for a moment, the ocelot grimaced slightly, "Although it seems like he might not be too cooperative today. Haven't seen him this grumpy yet, to be honest."

Basajaun's expression fell again when he heard those words. Setting the highly scarred leg bone aside, the dragon poked around the fire idly, trying desperately to think of a way to make up for his earlier blunder.

"A bit of exercise might be what he needs to work out that grouchiness," Esmeralda considered, flashing Lya a grin, "And it's always amusing to watch someone else get trounced in a good spar! I'm also quite curious to see your fighting style; I'm sure it's as unique and unexpected as you are."

"Well... I wouldn't say that," Lya corrected somewhat quietly, a shy smile on her furred cheeks, "I'm okay with the axe and daggers, I guess. But don't expect too much! I'm still learning close combat myself." The ocelot's voice carried obvious humbleness as she spoke. That, and her bashful expression were a clear evidence of the fact that the feline wasn't exactly the bragging type; even though the display she had shown on her hunting trip with Snowflake would have allowed her to do so.

Tearing her gaze away from a sulky leopard in front of Talib, Lya's eyes fell on Basajaun. It didn't take her too long to notice the dragon's own guilty expression, and she couldn't help but roll her eyes at the sight. "He'll be alright, Basajaun," she reassured the drake, giving him a supportive smile, "Kids get mad at their parents all the time. It's completely natural. You two will work things out, I'm sure of it."

Lifting his gaze from the fire to the ocelot, the dragon sighed heavily. "I've never made him mad before," he said quietly, his entire countenance communicating how crestfallen he was, "What... what do I do? What did your parents do when they accidentally made you mad?"

Lya considered the question for some time, her paw moving to rest beneath her chin. "Well, they were very sorry, of course," she replied, a smile touching her lips for seemingly no reason, "My dad was very sensitive about these things, especially. He simply refused to leave my side until I spoke to him," chuckling lightheartedly at the childhood memory, the ocelot shook her head a little, "And eventually, it always worked for him. No matter how mad I was, I couldn't watch his apologetic expression for a very long time."

The ocelot's smile suddenly fell. "But that was very long time ago..." she continued, sighing expansively, "And I was very little back then. I'm not sure the same would work with... er... a young adult like Zach," there was a long pause, Lya appearing hesitant to continue until eventually she did so, "Then again... Zach is... well... special, I guess. Tactics like those might have an effect on him, but I can't be certain, Basajaun." Shaking her head a little, she quickly forced a smile on her muzzle as she looked at the dragon.

"Just be yourself and try to be a little patient," waving a paw at the leopard some distance away, Lya giggled lightly, "He'll come around eventually. He just thinks that he was humiliated or something... which is not the case. I found that mew absolutely adorable, actually!"

Giving a hesitant nod, Basajaun sighed again. "Thank you, Lya," he said gratefully, before his gaze returned to the fire, "Do you think you could tell me a bit more about your parents? I think I'm going to need all the advice and guidelines I can get. I don't have a clue how to be a father for an anthro."

As soon as the request was processed in her mind, the ocelot blinked at the drake next to the fire. She didn't reply for some time, her brown eyes searching Basajaun's face. Lya bore a thoughtful expression, although when she finally spoke, her tone couldn't be considered uncertain by any stretch of the imagination.

"Zach doesn't need an anthro father, Basajaun." She stated simply. Her gaze lingered on the reptile, a small smile touching the corners of her mouth when he looked up at her. "He needs you, nobody else. I've seen how you care for him. You don't need any guidelines or suggestions on how to act like an anthro father," the ocelot gave the most sincere expression her facial muscles allowed, "As I've said; just be yourself."

Looking into Lya's eyes for a moment, a small, hesitant smile eventually came to Basajaun. "Thank you," he replied with great sincerity, reaching over and nuzzling the feline's face appreciatively.

At first stiffening her body at the contact, the ocelot eventually decided against ruining the dragon's entire facial structure right then and there, no matter how hard her instincts demanded from her to do so. "I... uh... you're welcome," Lya said with a nervous laugh, pulling away from the cuddling and hesitantly patting Basajaun's head instead.

Recognizing the ocelot's tone, the drake gave an abashed smile. "Sorry! Um, I still don't have the concept of personal space fully mastered," he explained, giving Lya a guilty expression, "That's just my first instinct when I'm grateful."

Heaving another frustrated sigh at letting his instincts make an anthro uncomfortable again, Basajaun looked to the ocelot apologetically. "I think I could use those pointers on proper conduct that you offered," he admitted, "If you were still willing to give them."

When Lya noticed the drake's distress, she quickly forced herself out of her nervousness for his sake. "Oh, no, you're fine, Basajaun," giving the reptile a reassuring smile, the ocelot nodded her head at his request, "And I'm still willing to help you out, don't you worry."

Without any hesitation anymore, Lya started on Basajaun's newest lesson about the complicated customs and ways of the civilized races. Now knowing how important the topic was for the somewhat ill-mannered reptile, she made sure to appear unusually kind and patient with him, unlike with their previous lesson. After all, the project benefited not only the dragon himself, but everyone in the group, as well as the new possible acquaintances.

With both sulking students busy with their respective lessons, it wasn't long before the end of the second hour drew near. There was no significant change in Zachary's behavior as his lecture slowly came to a close. He stayed in uncharacteristic silence and moodiness for the most part, although the eagerness for acquiring more harmless spells to his repertoire was still clearly noticeable. But eventually, the lesson with Talib ended.

"Alright Zach, we're done for today," the snake announced, checking the sun's position, "Remember to practice these spells, along with your opposition spells. Your endurance is already greatly improved, but you need to make sure you're keeping up that endurance with daily practice."

The leopard nodded his head, standing from his chair and stumbling just a little before he caught himself. "Thank you for the lesson, Master Talib," he said somewhat quietly, making to turn and let his teacher be on his way.

"Hold on, Zachary," the serpent said, before turning to the drake near the fire, "Basajaun, come here."

Looking up from the flames, the dragon nodded and stood, making his way to the pair. "Yes, Master Talib?" he asked politely, apparently having already taken some of Lya's advice to heart. The ocelot smiled immediately at his action.

"I'm going to check and treat Zachary's lungs now," Talib stated, gesturing towards the leopard, "I would like you to observe the process."

The dragon nodded, before smiling over to Zachary. "Is that alright with you?" he checked, trying his best to appear less guilty about his earlier actions and simply be supportive.

While in a bad mood to begin with, Talib's remainder of his lungs only worsened Zachary's state of mind. He couldn't hide his frustration, no matter how hard he tried. Visibly breathing with annoyance, the leopard simply shrugged at Basajaun's question, before he turned to the snake with a grimace. "I suppose I have to lie down now?" He asked.

The snake nodded, before a gesture dismissed his table and chair, replacing them with a simple bed. "Here, this should be comfortable," he stated, trying to appear more comforting than usual, and only barely succeeding.

Heaving a long sigh, the leopard walked to the bed, lying down on it and staring up at the sky. Even though the bed provided acceptable amount of comfort in comparison to his usual bedding, it wasn't enough to lift his spirits. A slight grimace fixed on Zachary's muzzle as his eyes searched the infinite blueness, his mind racing with more and more unpleasant thoughts. "Alright, let's get this over with." He urged with another sigh, closing his eyes afterwards.

The snake nodded, beckoning Basajaun over to the bed even as the dragon made his way there on his own. "Alright, I'm going to immobilize you now," Talib stated.

"Splendid." Zachary remarked quietly, acknowledging the statement with mild frustration as braced his body and mind alike in advance for the unpleasant experience.

Putting his hand under the leopard's neck, the snake watched quietly as Basajaun nuzzled the leopard's face. Zachary inched away from the dragon's cuddling, causing the reptile's expression to sadden again.

Giving a short, silent sigh, Talib cast his spell. An electrical sensation swept through the leopard's body, before everything from the neck down was numb and unresponsive. Removing his hand from the feline's nape, the limb settled on Zachary's chest.

"Alright, this process is rather complicated and requires a good deal of finesse," Talib stated to the drake, "You're not going to be able to see what I'm doing, so I'm going to have to share my senses with you." Reaching his other hand to the dragon and placing it between Basajaun's eyes, Talib looked down to Zachary. "Are you ready?" he asked.

"Do I look ready?" Zachary asked in turn, gesturing with his eyes at his limp body before he sighed and closed them again. Evidently, he was as ready as he could be.

Waiting a moment for the leopard to steel himself, Talib cast his spell to share his senses with Basajaun, before beginning the next spell and starting work on Zachary's lungs.

As he explored the feline's internal injury, Talib instructed Basajaun each step of the way. The serpent showed the healthy area on the leopard's other lung that corresponded to the injury's location, explaining the function of the alveoli and comparing the damaged section to the healthy tissues around it.

Before long, the snake started manipulating the wound, all the while explaining each and every last movement and correction made. The process was slow, deliberate, and painful.

Zachary whimpered in agony throughout the whole ordeal. He really was trying his hardest not to, but it was to no avail. The feeling of having his flesh prodded and moved was indescribable. Occasionally, when a particularly damaged area was being worked on, the leopard couldn't help but cry out. His eyes remained closed, his breathing becoming ragged and inconsistent while the healing process took place. If it hadn't been for the immobilizing spell, he would have most likely needed something or someone to hold him down as he endured the experience without saying a single word. And he wasn't the only member of the group who was rendered speechless.

Lya, who had been watching the ordeal in complete silence up until now, simply had to tear her gaze away from the sight. She closed her own eyes as she listened to the painful sounds Zachary emitted, her paw moving to rest on her forehead. "I hope they're done soon..." she whispered under her breath, sighing in sympathy when the leopard cried out in pain for the umpteenth time, "I... can't listen to this."

Esmeralda repositioned herself to sit closer to the ocelot. The owl put an arm around the feline supportively, sighing in sympathy. "He's a tough boy," she said quietly, "He'll be fine."

Snowflake watched the serpent working from her position next to Esmeralda, her paw clutching her own chest in empathetic pain. She didn't let herself cry out though; there was enough of that from Zachary.

Within twenty minutes, Talib finished the healing process, withdrawing his hands from Basajaun and Zachary simultaneously and dismissing his immobilization spell. "There, that's as good as it's going to get," he affirmed, putting a hand on the leopard's shoulder, "You did good, Zach."

Finally opening his eyes for the first time in a long while, the feline's eyes were glossy and distant as he stared up at the sky. He breathed heavily and shallowly, swallowing only occasionally as he remained silent.

When he suddenly sat up in his bed, he immediately felt himself losing balance, but disregarded the unpleasant sensation stubbornly. Slowly running his paw over the fur on his head, the leopard exhaled loudly. Although he despised every second of the procedure, he still forced himself to be as appreciative as he could in the current situation.

"Thank you, Master Talib." Was all he said, standing up from the bed on unstable legs. Arching his back as he stretched his body, the feline let out a weak cough at the action, but once again paid no heed to it. He didn't even want to acknowledge its existence at all. Still facing away from Talib, he asked. "Are we done? Can I... go now?"

"Yes, we're done for today," the snake replied, sighing lightly, "I'm being called back to the college. You two remember your assignments for today, and make sure you do your endurance exercises." With that parting instruction, the serpent gestured again, he and the bed both disappearing.

Moving immediately to Zachary's side, Basajaun nuzzled the leopard's arm gently. "You were very brave, Zach," he said quietly, smiling supportively to the feline.

"Screaming like a kitten is very brave indeed." The leopard replied flatly, moving the arm that was cuddled to his chest and squeezing the fur with more force than intended. He grimaced visibly, heaving a ragged sigh as he turned away from the dragon and began making his way towards the others. Occasionally, the feline stumbled in his unsteady gait, evidently both physically and emotionally drained from the painful experience.

Walking for a moment in quiet beside the leopard, Basajaun's gaze never left the feline. "Even the strongest warriors can cry out in pain," he said, continuing his supportive smile to Zachary, "You allowed yourself to be treated, even though you knew it would hurt. I'm proud of you, son."

Zachary's expression remained unchanged, even at the dragon's last words. He appeared to be thoughtful and exasperated at the same time. It was only when they arrived at the campfire that he finally spoke back to Basajaun.

"If I don't let myself to be treated," he began, his eyes lingering on the fire as he approached it slowly, "I die. It's that simple. I'm not brave, just logical." Sitting down beside Esmeralda, Zachary ignored Lya's worried look on her face at hearing what the leopard had said.

"Well, I still think you're brave," the dragon stated sincerely, sitting down beside the leopard, "I saw what Talib had to do. Going through that without begging for mercy or passing out from the pain would make any dragon proud. And I am very proud of you. So you can't stop me from thinking of you as my brave little dragon!" Basajaun grinned and put his wing around Zachary's shoulders, his expression showing that he meant every word he had said.

"I'm not a dragon, Basajaun," the leopard said quietly, his tone unusually flat and cold, "I'm just an anthro who's had some experience with enduring constant pain." Zachary shrugged the dragon's wing off of his shoulders, pulling his legs close to his body and resting his chin on his knees. "But thanks, I guess."

Lya managed to overcome her initial reaction to the feline's earlier statement. She glanced to Zachary over Esmeralda and Snowflake, cocking an eyebrow at him. Although knowing that he was grumpy from Basajaun's earlier action, the leopard's current behavior surprised her greatly; and in not a good way. She didn't comment for now, however. The other members of the group knew Zachary better than she did, and she didn't want to say anything bad that would worsen the feline's or anyone's mood.

Settling down onto the ground, Basajaun thought for a few minutes while Esmeralda and Snowflake avoided interrupting. "Can you blame me for looking at you like a dragon?" the drake asked after a moment, his smile returning, "You've gone through enough to send lesser men pleading to the gods for mercy, and yet you always stand back up on your own two feet, and soldier on in spite of everything."

"And you're always smiling and bringing smiles to others, even with all you have lived through," the dragon continued, nodding vehemently at his own words, "I can't help but see you as being as tough and strong as a dragon. That's why I'm proud of you, son. And nobody's going to take that particular pride away from me. Not even you, when you're feeling down on yourself. I'll always be proud of you."

Just like the dragon had stated, the hint of a small smile began taking form on Zachary's muzzle at Basajaun's words. Yet, before it could become complete, the expression quickly faded away. His thoughts simply wouldn't allow the gesture to return.

"Can... you blame me for feeling down on myself?" He reiterated the dragon's earlier question, his voice a barely audible whisper. Zachary closed his eyes, his paw suddenly grabbing a hold of Basajaun's claw. He squeezed it harder than he intended.

"I... I don't want to be a cripple." The statement was followed by long silence. Lya stared at the leopard while he remained quiet, her throat tightened to the point where she found herself unable to draw breath. "It... it hurt like hell," Zachary admitted quietly, his eyes still closed while his grip on Basajaun's claw became even stronger, "I'm not sure I can take this without begging for mercy if it happens every day. I... don't want to..." He trailed off, and spoke no more afterwards.

Basajaun's wing made its way back around his son's shoulders. "I know," he replied quietly, his head leaning over the leopard's, "But I know you're strong enough to get through this, too. And I know... it isn't fair... that you have to go through this." The dragon's voice started to waver, and he held his breath for a moment to calm himself, "But I'm here for you. We're all here for you."

The paw that Zachary clung to returned the embrace. "I love you son," Basajaun whispered, "I would do anything to take the pain away. You don't deserve it. You don't..." The drake's voice caught, and he rested his head on the feline's shoulder, quietly nuzzling the limb as he struggled to hold back his own tears.

Unlike earlier, the leopard didn't pull away or shrug off the comfort Basajaun gave him. He really needed it, and so he simply allowed the contact, even leaning slightly against the dragon's form while he remained silent for a long time. Not even his lingering frustration with the drake's earlier action could force him to break the touch.

"Thank you..." Zachary said with a whisper, heaving an expansive sigh as his tail moved to wrap itself around the reptile's leg. He was hesitant to add what he wanted to say, but eventually convinced himself to do so; no matter what Basajaun would do, the feline still loved him unconditionally. "Dad."

The dragon smiled at the word, though he remained in the embrace for long minutes. Eventually though, the drake lifted his head and looked down to Zachary apologetically. "Hey, I'm sorry for the way I woke you up," he apologized sincerely, nuzzling the leopard's face softly, "Can I make it up to you somehow?"

Heaving a relentive sigh as he was cuddled relentlessly, the leopard allowed himself a little smile. "You just did," he replied quietly, flicking Basajaun's snout with a finger, "But I would appreciate it if you didn't do that often, if possible... or at least a warning or something..." gesturing at the other members of the group with his head, Zachary's ears lowered to his head, "I seriously... didn't know I could... mew. But I was so surprised and confused... I couldn't do anything but that. Every time I tried to talk, only that came."

Basajaun couldn't help but smile again. "If it's any consolation, you sounded adorable," he teased lightly, before sighing, "But I promise I won't do it again, unless we're in private. I have no wish to embarrass you that badly, especially in front of Talib. I just... let my instincts get the better of me, I think."

"For the Gods, you didn't embarrass him!" Lya finally spoke up from her silent observation, forcing Zachary to looked at her with a confused expression. The ocelot shook her head and gave the leopard a warm smile. "I found the whole scene cute."

Zachary narrowed his eyes at her. "That's the point!" he demanded with a snort, waving his arms at himself, "I don't want to be cute. It's embar--"

"Well, you are," Lya cut him off casually, "So you better accept it as soon as possible." There was evident sincerity in her tone, and when the leopard noticed her expression, which destroyed every hope of the possibility of convincing her that the statement wasn't true, he could only let out a frustrated sigh.

Turning back to Basajaun, Zachary shrugged. "I guess I'm cute, then..." He mumbled under his breath, grimacing slightly as he crossed his arms under his chest; he still didn't want to be cute.

"Hey, don't knock that," Esmeralda joined in, putting a hand on the leopard's shoulder, "Cuteness has it advantages. It makes it ever so much easier to get away with all kinds of mischief. I would know!"

Snowflake shook her head at her mistress' words. "What's important is that you both learn from this," the spirit said, motioning to Basajaun and Zachary, "But I agree with Forest and Lucky Huntress; that was really adorable. But I honestly don't think Talib cared, if that makes you feel any better."

"It doesn't..." Zachary grumbled, frowning as he continued, "I don't care what Talib thinks of me, to be honest. I don't really care what anyone thinks of me, actually... only excluding you all." Heaving a sigh, the leopard rolled his eyes and gave a small smile to the group.

"But I guess I shouldn't worry about it too much, then," he continued, "Sounds like you guys found it amusing. That matters to me." It finally looked like the earlier sulking feline was slowly disappearing and being replaced by the usual joyous one. Basajaun's earlier statement proved to be true, after all. The happy expression that adorned his face as he looked at the members of the group was the Zachary they had all come to know.

Sighing in relief along with the others, Basajaun finally gave a sincere smile. "Well, I'm glad that's settled," he stated, nuzzling the leopard, "Now, can we maybe have some breakfast? That spellcasting definitely got me famished!"

Giggling at the dragon's sudden change in attitude, Snowflake stood and stretched. "I'll go get us something," she announced, Esmeralda translating for her, "Lucky Huntress, would you like to join me again?"

"Oh, of course!" Lya replied with a grin, standing as well, "I wanted to exercise anyway." Walking next to Snowflake, the ocelot subconsciously planted a paw on Rose as she waited for the spirit to lead the way much like she had the day before.

Zachary cocked his head, his eyes widening while he watched the alluring feline next to the familiar, scanning her fitting attire and form alike. Certainty and beauty radiated from Lya's whole being, at least, in the leopard's eyes, that was the case. He simply couldn't tear his gaze away from the sight, especially after the events of yesterday, no matter how rude it was considered to stare. When his attention was brought to the axe strapped to her waist in his thorough examination of the ocelot, he had to wonder just how experienced she was with combat in general.

Given the fearless and confident smile that touched her lips, it was safe to assume that she actually had a lot more of said experience than Zachary himself.

Esmeralda stood up from the fire, stretching her limbs for a moment. "I think I'll come along as well," she stated, moving over to Snowflake's side and gesturing between the familiar and the ocelot, "If only so that you two don't have to pass notes while you're hunting. Don't expect much in the way of hunting from me, though; I'm a bit old for that."

There was a snicker following the owl's words, its owner evidently trying his hardest to stifle in any way he could. Unfortunately for him, he didn't succeed.

"Zach!" Lya whipped her head to the feline in question, glaring at him intently, "Don't be disrespectful!" Putting her paws on her hips, the ocelot watched as the leopard swallowed his last bit of amusement with great effort.

He gave the most confused expression he could muster, lowering his ears to his head. "What?" he demanded moderately, feigning innocence rather convincingly, "I haven't said anything."

"Why did you laugh then?" Lya countered, knowing perfectly well the answer to her question.

Zachary shrugged nonchalantly. "Thought about something funny." He replied simply, whistling quietly as he tore his gaze away from the exasperated ocelot to observe the mildly intriguing grass. It was more pleasant to look at than her lethal glower, at least.

Shaking her head, Lya heaved a sigh as a sign of her surrender in a pointless fight which she could not win. "You're horrible." She concluded with a snort, turning away from the disrespectful feline as well.

"Maybe you'd like to hunt and prepare your own breakfast, son," Esmeralda threatened, before mounting up on Snowflake's back, "If you don't appreciate my own ability to hunt and gather, that is."

"Never said that." Zachary stated, blamelessly holding up his paws and vehemently shaking his head. Once convinced that his guiltless performance was authentic enough already, the leopard brought his arms back to his sides.

Exhaling loudly, the feline looked up at the Elder with an apologetic expression. "I would like to come too," he said, grimacing slightly, "But... I got a little tired from..." he trailed off vaguely, but was quick to continue with a weak chuckle, "Not sure how much use I would be right now." Lya glanced back at Zachary at those words, a supportive smile adorning her muzzle, which the leopard returned immediately.

Basajaun reached over and nuzzled the leopard. "You're plenty useful here, keeping your fellow tired student company," he affirmed, patting Zachary's head, "It's been awhile since you and I had some one on one time, anyways."

"We'll be back soon," Esmeralda stated, urging her mount onward and flashing a mischievous grin to Basajaun, "Do take care of our son while I'm out, dear!"

The flustered dragon couldn't think of a response to that before the females had already moved out of the clearing. Shaking his head free of his sudden blush, Basajaun looked down to Zachary. "Your mother's going to turn my head permanently red," he grumbled, though a little smile was on his face as he did so.

When the image of a crimson colored Basajaun popped in his mind, Zachary couldn't help but laugh joyously. "Then you'd be a fire dragon!" He joked affectionately, flicking the reptile's snout afterwards with the usual teasing grin plastered on his muzzle. Apparently, the painful experience he had to go through didn't have any effects on his ability to mock anything that drew breath.

Done with the ritual of teasing the dragon at least once a day, the leopard sighed and leaned back on his arms a little as he sat on the grass. "Anyway," he started, cocking his head a little at Basajaun while his tail swayed behind him excitedly, "What did you want to do, dad?" not even noticing the name he subconsciously called Basajaun anymore, Zachary gave a small snort as he added, "Carry me around in your mouth again? Believe it or not, it was kinda scary at first. I couldn't move or talk, after all!"

The dragon gave another apologetic smile. "Hey, how many times am I going to have to say I'm sorry?" he asked, poking at the dirt abashedly, "But, if it makes you feel better, that was supposed to be a gesture of parental affection. To spare you the effort of moving from place to place. I'm just sorry I wound up embarrassing you like that."

Rolling his eyes at Basajaun, Zachary picked at the drake's snout with his tail. "Come on, Basa. I'm just pulling your leg," he reassured the reptile, his tone and smile alike undoubtedly sincere, "I was just flustered and surprised at first. And when I heard everyone from the group laughing, I did feel a little embarrassed, to be honest," he admitted, shrugging as he continued smiling regardless, "But I guess I misunderstood their amusement. Although now I'm the one feeling a little bad for the way I reacted... so yeah, I'm sorry too."

Nuzzling the feline's face, the drake smiled. "You're forgiven," Basajaun said, "I don't think I could ever be upset at you." The dragon laughed after a moment, grinning wide, "I guess it's a good thing you've got Esmeralda as a mother, because I'm pretty sure I'm going to be way too lenient a father!"

Zachary hummed and nodded at the dragon's words. "Huh, interesting." He said vaguely. Taking only a moment of pause, the leopard began running his paws over his head rather vehemently, ruffling his fur to the point of no recovery. Loose threads of hair pointed in every possible direction, providing a quite ridiculous sight to anyone who cared to glance at the feline.

"So, I guess I can just do this and you won't get mad, right?" He asked, cocking his messy head at Basajaun and giving him an utterly innocent and adorable expression as he fluttered his eyes. A true tease at heart; that's exactly what Zachary represented.

Basajaun's eyes widened at the messy fur, before he caught himself and smiled. "No, not mad at all," he stated, before his claw came up behind Zachary and swept his arms out from supporting the leopard, catching him in the dragon's paw. "Especially when there's such an easy fix!" the dragon continued, mischief spelled out in his tone and expression as he held the feline gently but firmly in his claws.

Once he stopped blinking in surprise from the unexpected, though cunning, attack that was performed against him, Zachary attempted to extract himself from the confinement he was held a captive in. Groaning and grumbling at the same time while struggling for freedom, the leopard eventually sighed in defeat when he realized there was no hope for escape; the power that the drake possessed couldn't even be compared to his own puny one.

"What's the big idea?" the feline demanded from his captor, cocking an eyebrow and rolling his eyes afterwards, "Is this what you meant by 'one on one time'? If so, it's currently not that entertain--" stopping himself as a thought occurred to him, Zachary slowly turned his head to look in Basajaun's eyes, evident fear dancing in his.

"What... did you mean by an easy... fix?" He asked quietly, ducking his neck as close to his body as he could as he stared at his holder with a curious but nervous expression. It wasn't hard to guess what the answer to his question would be, but Zachary wasn't ready to face that reality on his own. In reality, he didn't even want to face it at all... it was glutinous.

To answer, Basajaun reached his head down and began washing and straightening the leopard's fur using his forked tongue. The dragon crooned lovingly as he bathed his son, ignoring the feline's struggles blithely.

While the wet experience was not one of Zachary's favorite pastime, his constant giggling was stating the opposition rather strongly. Although it could have been because Basajaun was practically tickling him to death with his tongue.

"Y-You slimy... s-serpent!" he leopard tried to threaten, his laughter once again destroying every last bit of his authenticity and persuasiveness that he was not enjoying the bathing blissfully, "D-Diet, Ba-Basa! DIET!"

The drake simply continued washing his son, until the leopard's fur was once again back in order. "I think that little threat of yours would work better if I didn't know that it'd hurt you more than it hurts me," Basajaun stated teasingly as he finally released the feline, grinning widely, "But now you're all nice and tidy again!"

Wet droplets of dragon saliva dribbled down from Zachary's fur as he stood on the grass, his arms crossed under his chest. He glared intently at the dragon, his eyes narrowed to the point where he could barely see through them.

"Oh, am I now?" he asked, frowning at Basajaun for only moment before he shook himself vehemently. Drops of reptile drool flew through the air in every direction while the action was performed, and when the leopard stopped, the results were just as fatal as they had been initially. The motion caused his fur to muss even worse than before.

Zachary's muzzle broke into a wicked grin. "How 'bout now!?" Laughing mirthfully, the feline danced away from the reptile's reach before he could even grab him. He learned from his earlier mistake, apparently.

The dragon furrowed his brows even as his smile widened. "Oho, is that how you're going to be?" he demanded playfully, getting to his feet. His torso lowered while his rear legs remained slightly straightened, creating a pose similar to a cat about to pounce on its prey.

At first widening his eyes in surprise, Zachary let out a terrified squeal when he realized what was about to happen. "Dragon attack! RUN!" He commanded himself, immediately following the self-issued order as he turned tail and began running for his life... or rather, for the dryness of his fur. His joyous laughter echoed through the clearing while attempted to flee from Basajaun's wrath.

The dragon's own laughter soon joined Zachary's as he bounded forward, his chubby form bouncing with each landing and launch forward. Although it might have looked like he was charging full bore at the leopard, Basajaun was keeping his strength in mind and making sure he was never aiming a pounce directly at his friend. Still, the dragon made a good show of his play, his claws grabbing dramatically at the leopard that he repeatedly "just missed".

The hilarious scene continued for several joyful minutes, the pair running circle of laps around the clearing while their laughter never ceased once. Zachary was even oblivious enough not to realize that Basajaun was intentionally letting him slip away in the last second, making sure to point a finger back at the dragon and stuck his tongue out each time the event occurred.

While enjoying the experience immensely, unlike the possible consequence that came afterwards, the leopard noticed himself slowing down after a while. His breathing became somewhat ragged and inconsistent, his chest beginning to burn with the familiar unpleasant sensation. Stubborn and joyous as he was at the moment, Zachary ignored these warnings from his body, simply trying to forget about his condition and relish the moment while it lasted. It wasn't long before the warnings turned into consequences, however.

When a weak, quiet cough escaped through his lips, the feline couldn't bare the pain it came with. He had to slow his pace down to the point where he was barely jogging. That's all Basajaun needed to finally catch up to him.

The dragon grinned when the leopard slowed down. "Gotcha!" he announced joyously, his head coming down with his mouth wide open, before his fangs came to a stop in contact with the feline's shoulder, holding it gently between his teeth as the rest of his body came to a skidding, wobbling stop, sliding past the feline as his head remained in one place.

A mirthful smile adorned the drake's expression as he nibbled gingerly on his son's shoulder, his action much more ticklish than uncomfortable. He was also careful to keep his venomous, viper-like fangs folded against the roof of his mouth; he didn't want to accidentally poison his son.

Zachary breathed raggedly and shallowly as he came to full stop. He simply let Basajaun chew on his shoulder, remaining silent until his constant wheezing finally disappeared. Taking a deep breath and coughing immediately, the leopard disregarded it and the burning sensation in his chest.

"You... sure did," he managed to finally speak, though his voice remained somewhat weak and occasionally wheezy, "Took you... a while, though!" Giving the dragon a wide, teasing smile, Zachary tried his hardest to ignore the unpleasant feeling that twisted and turned inside his lungs, protesting against departing stubbornly.

Basajaun released the leopard as soon as he heard the cough, but he smiled widely to his son regardless, pretending he hadn't noticed it in spite of the worry he felt at the sound. "You are a nimble one," the drake stated, his nibbling turning into a gentle nuzzle against the feline's shoulder as a mildly concerned expression crossed his face, "Was I gentle enough with that play bite? I hope I didn't cause any discomfort."

"Of course... you haven't!" Zachary replied immediately, exhaling his last bit of pain from his chest, smiling in relief once the burning feeling finally subsided. Turning back to face the dragon, the leopard smiled warmly to the reptile, reaching up with a paw to stroke his head gently.

"And you were as gentle as I'm right now," he stated, motioning with his head to his paw, "Disregarding that you got me soaked again..." shrugging said substance off of his shoulder, Zachary's tone shifted to one of pure affection and sincerity as he continued, "That lil' bite wasn't unpleasant or uncomfortable at all! I know you would never hurt me, bud; I have no reason to feel discomfort."

The dragon sighed in relief. "Oh good!" he said, smiling down to the leopard, his claw coming up and gently stroking the leopard's head fur back into a semblance of neatness, "It's good to know I can control myself well enough not to hurt my precious little boy!"

As soon as he heard those words, the leopard smiled warmly to the dragon. Only letting Basajaun comb his fur for a moment, and although enjoying the pleasant sensation it brought, Zachary shooed the paw away playfully. "Believe it or not, I'm glad to know that too!" The feline joked, chuckling mirthfully before he suddenly wrapped his arms around the reptile's snout and hugged it lovingly to his chest.

"And it's good to know for me too that I have such a gentle, overgrown lizard as my dad," he spoke with evident candor, genuinely thrilled by his own statement, "Slimy as he can be, I wouldn't want anyone else." Purring softly while he stayed in the embrace, Zachary completely forgot the reason he attempted to flee from the reptile altogether. He simply relished the warm feeling the contact brought.

Purring quietly, Basajaun nuzzled his face into the chest of his companion. "I love you, son," he sighed, before laughing happily, "Sorry if I start saying that a lot; it just blows my mind that I'm part of a family, and every time I think about it, I just get all warm inside!"

"No worries," Zachary reassured the dragon, sighing happily as he protested against pulling away from the embrace, "It... feels really nice finally hearing that sentence, actually." His voice became a distant whisper, but even through the quiet speech, his adoration for the dragon was as obvious as the blue sky above their heads.

It was several minutes before Basajaun even made the attempt to pull away from Zachary's hug, a wide smile still present as he did so. "In that case," the dragon started, giving the leopard's snout a quick nuzzle before repeating, "I love you, son! You're my whole world; the shining ray of happiness that drives away all the dark clouds that might attempt to darken my life. I love you, now and forever."

"Basa..." Zachary breathed, his eyes shining as he stared at the dragon with the most grateful and loving expression he was able to give. Ignoring the fact that he just hugged Basajaun a few minutes ago, the leopard repeated the action, although this time, he squeezed the reptile harder than before. No words could convey his feelings towards the drake, so he simply tried to communicate them the best way he could.

"I love you too, you hear me?" he whispered quietly as he held Basajaun close to his body, trying his hardest to not break into joyful tears and miraculously succeeding for now, "I couldn't ask for a better father, Basajaun... goddamnit..." Zachary spoke with sheer love as he said, "No matter what, I love you with all my heart until the day I die."

At first, the dragon continued nuzzling the leopard's fur, until he processed the last thing that his companion had said. Stopping all action, the drake's face fell, his heart feeling like it was being squeezed hard. "Until you die," he repeated almost completely silently, his voice as quiet as wind whispering through grass.

The leopard and dragon had been through much, and been able to surpass each obstacle by overcoming their differences. Basajaun was even beginning to regard Zachary like they weren't even different species. But there was always one difference that the dragon avoided even thinking about; that discrepancy was now rising strong from the confines of its repression. It brought itself front and center of the dragon's thoughts.

'Until the day I die,' the leopard's words echoed through Basajaun's thoughts. He desperately tried to push the statement aside, clinging to the joy he had felt only a few moments before. But like a scream in a cavern, the same thought reverberated endlessly through the dragon's very soul, each repetition of the sentence beating upon his heart and shattering the happiness he held onto so desperately.

It was clear to see in the drake's mournful expression that the merry moment had quickly ended. In its place was a somber depression brought on by an unrelenting tide of sorrowful thoughts. And they had yet to run their course.

Noticing the dragon's stillness, Zachary quickly leaned down to peer at his friend. "Hey, Basa," he began, his breath catching in his throat when he saw Basajaun's expression. An indescribably dreadful feeling grasped at his heart at the sight, spreading like wildfire through his mind and body alike, wiping away his own happiness in an instant.

Hey, hey, Basa" He repeated, lifting the drake's face with his paws. He stared deeply into his eyes, worry and concern hovering in his gaze. "What's wrong?"

The drake looked into Zachary's eyes for a moment. "Only... until you die?" he quietly asked, his voice shaking audibly. Tears brimmed visibly in Basajaun's eyes, the emerald orbs shining with anguish.

The leopard shook his head vehemently. "No," he replied, his own voice trembling like weak leaves in the fall, "Forever. I love you... forever. That's what I meant... it's just an expression, Basa... it's just an ex--" Zachary stopped speaking and breathing at once; the realization of his foolishness rendered him both breathless and speechless. He slowly raised a paw to his forehead, closing his eyes.

It was too late for an explanation; the dam blocking this particular stream of thoughts in the dragon's mind had been broken. He tried to block them out, but each thought he turned to instead only lead from the same source as the rest of the stream; his mountainous longevity.

"Zach, I..." Basajaun whispered, breathing raggedly as tears started to fall from his snout, "I... don't..."

The dragon suddenly reached forward and pulled Zachary almost possessively into his embrace, sobbing for several seconds. "I don't want you to go!" he finally howled, holding the leopard tighter than he had meant to, yet unable to lessen his grip, "I love you so much! I don't want to let you go!"

Unable to fight his own tears, the droplets simply fell in Basajaun's fur as he hugged Zachary stronger than ever before. The embrace became uncomfortable after a moment, but the leopard paid no heed to it.

"I..." he stammered between his quiet sniffling, unable to find his voice or words, "I-I'm not going... anywhere, Basa. I'm staying... I'm... I'm staying..." choking on his tears, Zachary buried his face in the dragon's body, "I'm... staying. I'm here, okay? I'm here for you... I'm staying here for you." Chanting those words didn't help, and he knew it. Yet, he had nothing else to give; he couldn't defy reality.

Basajaun could only cry into his son's shoulder. He had avoided thinking of the difference in his and Zachary's life spans as long as he could, but now his mind wouldn't leave the subject. He knew that one day, he and his best friend would be separated by a barrier that he could not surmount, except by waiting for his own long life to come to an end. And the thought tore his heart to shreds.

There was nothing he could say, nothing he could do to stop it. And his tears became as inexorable as the hooded figure that clouded the dragon's mind. "Promise me, Zach," Basajaun begged pitifully between his sobs, "Promise me you'll always watch over me, no matter where you are. Please... promise me."

The words squeezed Zachary's heart like nothing before, anguish filling his entire being. The feeling never subsided, choking the very love he felt for Basajaun relentlessly, excruciating it until he could no longer bear the sorrow. Yet, before the darkness could take over, the leopard managed to banish it to the deepest parts of his mind.

He couldn't let himself become an emotional wreck. Basajaun needed him.

"I promise." He whispered adamantly, his sobbing muffled as his face was buried in the dragon's fur. "I promise. I... I promise. Wherever I am, wherever you are. Whatever the world becomes, or who rules it. No matter the Gods, no matter the place... I'll always and forever love you."

After several long moments, Basajaun managed to loosen his iron grip on the leopard, though he still couldn't let him go. "Thank you," he whimpered quietly, stroking Zachary's back gently and finding some minor comfort in the soft fur, "I love you, son. No matter how far you go, I'll always love you, too."

Zachary let out a massive, ragged sigh. "I'm... I'm so sorry." He breathed, his whole body pushing against Basajaun's. He never wanted the embrace to end. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." He couldn't help but chant these words as he hugged the dragon, not able to communicate how remorseful he truly was in any other way. He should have never said what he had. It was his fault. Basajaun's sorrow was his fault.

Sniffling as his tears slowly died down, the dragon nuzzled Zachary's head softly. "It's... it's okay, Zach," he sighed, trying his hardest to believe those words, "We're a family. Not even Death himself can change that. It doesn't matter... that you're going to..."

He couldn't say it; the drake's throat locked up at the words. "You'll always be in my thoughts, my heart, and my memories," he stated, rubbing noses with the leopard, "Every friend I make, throughout the centuries of my life, they'll remind me of you. Because you were the first; you made it possible for me to make those friends. Never forget that you saved me, Zach, because I never will. Not as long as I live."

Each heartfelt sentence that left Basajaun's lips only increased the flow of Zachary's tears. His quiet sobbing and mournful droplets just continued to the point where he couldn't take it anymore. He had to say something. Something... anything that would help. Anything that would drive Basajaun's sorrow away, or his own.

"I'll never forget you, Basa." He said, and the pair stayed in their embrace, the contact providing immense amount of comfort for both. After a while, however, Zachary suddenly pulled back, looking up at Basajaun with shining eyes.

"Look at me," he began, placing both of his paws under the dragon's chin, "I'm here right now, and I'm not leaving for a long time. We... we have to stop thinking about the future, Basa," stroking the drake's lower maw softly, Zachary swallowed his last bit of sorrow with immense effort, "We're wasting our time. Instead of... mourning about what will happen, we should be spending our time together in happiness right now. We'll worry about these things when the time comes, but until then... Basa... I..." Zachary shook his head as he inhaled raggedly, cupping Basajaun's chin tenderly.

"I don't want to see you sad. I... want to see you happy. That's all I want; seeing you smile and laugh." He gave the warmest smile he could manage to the reptile, his eyes yet to be free of brimming tears. He hoped with all his heart that the expression would somehow make its way on Basajaun as well. He caused his sorrow; he had to be the one to fix it.

Taking a deep breath and holding it, the dragon nuzzled at Zachary's hands gently. Exhaling slowly, Basajaun gave a hesitant nod, pressing his head into his friend's paws in search of comfort. "I'll try," he sighed, licking at the leopard's comforting hands and trilling softly. Though the behavior was animalistic, it was a genuine display of his affection for Zachary.

Unlike before, the leopard could only continue smiling at the slimy serpent's assaults of his paws, feeling the least bit of concern about his soaked fur. Joining Basajaun's own affectionate sound, Zachary began purring softly, his adoration of his companion evident as ever. The loving vibration resonated relentlessly from his chest; from the bottom of his very heart, strong as ever.

His sheer love for Basajaun was so strong that it overpowered every other emotion, sensation or craving, even his usual way of thinking. And before he knew what he was doing, the feline leaned forward and gave his own first puny lick on top of the drake's snout. He disregarded the peculiar taste it left on his tongue as he slowly pulled back, only a single expression present on his face; a wide smile.

Pulling back for a moment in surprise, Basajaun's paw reached up and touched the spot that the feline's raspy tongue had combed. It wasn't long until a tiny, hesitant smile appeared on his face, however. "Did you just...?" he asked, a small amount of disbelief and a larger amount of joy in his tone.

"Yes." Zachary replied, his expression unchanged. While he would have felt horribly embarrassed if he had done the same gesture with anyone else, there was not even the trace of that sensation with Basajaun.

"That's the leopard equivalent of a... kiss on the nose," he explained, uncertainty flashing in his eyes for a moment, "I hope you don't mind. I... just saw a lot of kids giving their parents kisses on their cheeks or noses while they were on the street. I just thought... y'know." Zachary ducked his neck a little, a sheepish expression playing across his features.

The dragon's smile turned into a wide grin. "That was... the most wonderful surprise I've ever had," he affirmed, leaning down and flicking the tip of his tongue on the leopard's nose, returning the gesture he had just received. "I don't mind it at all," Basajaun assured Zachary, rubbing noses with his son and purring softly.

Giggling at the ticklish sensation the gesture brought, Zachary turned around and leaned his back against Basajaun. He let out a sigh of absolute relief and contentment, his purring advancing to a much higher volume. "I'm glad." The leopard whispered, closing his eyes as his whole body relaxed into the soft cushion behind him.

The early, and rather surprising, awakening, the lesson with Talib and the painful experience afterwards, as well as the playful game of chase with the dragon left the young anthro feeling rather tired, despite the fact that the sun hadn't even touched the apex of the sky. He confirmed his current status by letting out an expansive yawn, which stopped his purring only for a second before it continued.

The yawn caught Basajaun's attention, and he looked from the leopard to the fire just a few of the dragon's long paces away. Reaching his head down to the feline's nape, the dragon caught himself at the last moment, pulling back and looking into his son's eyes. "Um, may I bring you to the fire, Zach?" he asked, a sheepish smile on his face.

The person in question looked up at the dragon with a smile and a cocked head. "Sure? If you'd like, I guess." He replied casually and closed his eyes, evidently not realizing the method of transportation he just agreed on experiencing for the second time today.

Smiling again, Basajaun leaned down and gingerly took ahold of the feline's scruff, slowly lifting the leopard with his mouth. Letting out a mew of surprise as the dragon picked him up, Zachary quickly relaxed when he realized what was happening. Carrying the anthro over to the fire, the drake was surprised when his friend's purr picked back up by the time they were next to the warm flames.

Settling onto his side and rolling to his back from there, Basajaun set Zachary down gingerly on his belly, before willing his body to return to its full plushness. "Was that better than the first time, son?" he asked quietly, nuzzling the feline's head while his own form filled out and giving his friend a few affectionate strokes with his paws, before his rising middle brought the feline out of their reach.

"M'hm." Was all that the leopard returned as a response, a goofy smile apparent on his muzzle as he enjoyed the comfort his 'bed' provided. There were no need for more words to express his happiness at the moment; his loud purring and eventually joining paws kneading at the flab beneath him were all the dragon needed to know that his son was in a very happy place right now.

"I love you," stopping when a yawn broke his muzzle, Zachary sighed in bliss as he finished his sentence, "I love you, dad... and I'm sorry for making you sad." With that heartfelt statement leaving his lips, the only thing that left afterwards was the feline's quiet and balanced breathing, as well as his constant purring. He fell asleep on top of Basajaun's silky, squishy belly before he knew it.

Nuzzling the leopard for a few moments after he had fallen asleep, Basajaun had a thought that caused his smile to broaden. Recalling the tune to one of Snowflake's lullabies, the dragon started in on the melody, humming with a soft, deep resonance that he hoped was as comforting as the spirit's much higher voice. He watched his son's face as he slept, looking for signs of comfort or irritation at the sound.

Exclusively the former was present on Zachary, his muzzle fixed in a wide smile, and his round ears subconsciously flickering towards the alluring carol curiously. The leopard's body curled itself in its favorite sleeping position on its own accord, leaving the feline in a ball of yellow and black fur that purred contently on top of the most comfortable bed he could have ever dreamed of.

Grinning at the leopard's comforted expression, Basajaun leaned his head back onto the grass, continuing his lullaby for the leopard as he watched the clouds in the sky. He emptied his mind as best he could, not wanting the earlier unpleasant thoughts to return. The dragon simply contented himself with his cloudgazing, hardly noticing at all when his own eyes began to droop at the soothing melody he hummed. Soon enough, silence dominated the clearing, only broken by the gentle breathing and mutual purring of the father and son.

Not so far away from the sleeping duo, nature's everlasting breathing accompanied the three individuals that left the little clearing behind their backs. Wondrous avians of every kind sang their own lullabies just like Basajaun, their melodies echoing between the tall, brown trees continuously, filling the ears of a more than relaxed ocelot pleasingly.

Lya hummed quietly along with the song of the forest, her eyes darting from one particular sight of her surroundings to another one. The dew from last night's rainfall dribbled from the emerald leaves and thicket canopy alike, glimmering like tarnished diamonds in the sun and falling on the untouched soil of the woodlands, occasionally even hitting the observing feline on a particularly unpleasant spot.

Yipping in surprise once a droplet of leftover liquid contacted on her nape, Lya moved one of her paws on the area, protecting it from further assaults adamantly. As she walked behind Esmeralda and Snowflake in silent, thoughtful watching, the ocelot couldn't help but give into the temptation to start a casual conversation with the pair of females. She wanted to get to know them; after all, it seemed like they were destined to spend some time together.

"So, uhm," Lya began with a small smile, quickening her pace a little to catch up to the two, "How did you two meet, by the way?" She asked curiously, cocking her head a little.

Esmeralda turned to face the ocelot that walked beside her mount. "I actually summoned Snowflake myself," she answered, patting the familiar's neck affectionately, "I wanted to learn magic from a spirit when I was younger, because I found reading and studying a bore."

Pausing for a moment, the owl sighed. "Since you already know I'm possessed, I'll go ahead and tell you," she continued, though her tone bore a not insignificant amount of reluctance, "Being a young and headstrong spellcaster, I attempted the summoning well before I was ready for it. While I did manage to get a life long friend from the ordeal, she's not the only thing that got conjured that day."

Shaking her head, the Elder forced a smile. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't regret that mistake," she stated, stroking Snowflake's side, "But I think I'm happy with how it's turned out, so far. Our past defines us, and if that event hadn't happened, I might never have met any of you. Not to mention I'm wiser for my errors, so I get to hand out annoying bits of practical advice to you young folks!" The owl chuckled at her own words, joined in her amusement by the spirit she rode upon.

Lya was quick to join, tittering quietly. Despite feeling saddened by Esmeralda's words, the ocelot showed no signs of that sensation outside. "Your knowledge that you share with us is appreciated, Elder Eszes," she stated, the same warm, soft smile adorning her lips, "At least, that's definitely the case with me. I was taught to respect people who are older than me." Suddenly laughing out loud at her own words, the feline shook her head a little as she continued.

"Although I don't have that mentality towards Zach. He's older than me, yet I can't help but feel like it's the opposite," sighing, Lya shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, "But we already talked about this. I really can't blame him for being who he is. I just wish he was a bit more respectful towards you, especially now that you two are family." Lya's sincerity was evidently displayed on her features as she looked at the Elder with a friendly and kind smile, a gesture she rarely gave to others, but one she found herself giving to the members of the group more and more frequently as time passed.

Esmeralda smiled warmly. "I know he respects me, he just has an odd way of showing it," the Elder replied, "Besides, I actually like the teasing, coming from him. Everyone back home is always respectful towards me and even a bit afraid to cross me. It's nice to know that Zach feels comfortable enough to joke around with me."

Lya could only nod at those words, her expression yet to change since the conversation with the owl began. Although, she did raise an eyebrow at a particular thing Esmeralda mentioned despite the ever-present smile on her face.

"Sounds like you have quite a position back in your hometown," she mused aloud, tilting her head a little as her tail swayed behind her curiously, "If I may ask, what do you do, Lady Eszes?" She asked, gracefully jumping over the root of a nearby tree to avoid giving an early visit to the forest soil.

"I'm the village elder of Plainstead," Esmeralda stated in reply, giving a smile to Lya, "One of two, actually. Zachary and Basajaun did our village a kindness, and Snowflake and I are here to repay that. At least, that's why we're officially here. There are more personal reason for us to accompany Zach, as you can imagine."

Ducking under a branch that nearly collided with her shoulder, the ocelot hummed in agreement at the statement, shaking her head a little as she said. "Right, Zach did mention your position before. I completely forgot." Straightening herself after she was certain there wouldn't be any pesky plants trying to attack her, Lya settled her gaze once more on the owl who rode on Snowflake beside the feline.

Hesitation glimmered evidently in her eyes to proceed, but after a little while, the ocelot continued. Her voice was somewhat quieter, however. "So, I assume this kindness Zach and Basajaun did was the confrontation of..." having to stop at the loss of her words, or more accurately, the loss of a name, Lya glanced away from the Elder. Her eyes searched the ground pointlessly, her expression one of thoughtfulness.

"I can't remember the guy's name," the feline admitted, grimacing slightly, "But he's the one who gave Zach his injury, right?" She inquired, looking back up at Esmeralda.

The Elder sighed loudly. "Izom," she nearly spat the name, her expression seeming like it left a bad taste in her mouth, "A corrupt guard that extorted my village for years and arrested anyone that tried to change that. Even his men were afraid of him."

Shaking her head, the owl managed to smile back to Lya. "Zach wound up getting hurt because he was helping free Plainstead from that bastard's tyranny," she continued, "Even after we help him with Boldrum, I feel like I'm still going to owe him a debt for life. Because that's how long that injury sounds like it's going to be sticking around."

Lya slowly nodded. "It seems so," she agreed quietly, a paw settling on the area of her chest under her white blouse on its own accord. Zachary's screams of pain still echoed freshly in her mind, but she pushed the unpleasant sound away the best she could. The possibility of delving deeper into the memory didn't appeal to her at the moment.

Heaving a sigh of her own, the ocelot shook her head. "I honestly don't think Zach thinks you owe him anything," she stated, her eyes once again on Esmeralda, "And you really don't. He told me he agreed on assisting you on his own, so there's no one to blame; only Izom." Much like from the owl, Lya's expression seemed to go sour the instant the name left her lips. Even the bastard's name was simply repellent, let alone his foul actions.

"So," Lya continued after having pushed even the slightest trace of the hyena out of her thoughts, the familiar smile apparent on her furred cheeks as she looked at Esmeralda, "I already told this to Basajaun earlier. It's obvious that the dummy loves you all like nothing in this world. If you really feel like you owe him for helping you, just make sure you stay as you are and be yourself," chuckling mirthfully, the ocelot shook her head as she added, "I really think that's only what Zach would want. No indebtedness; just a family."

Esmeralda sighed. "I think you're right," she admitted, though her head shook subconsciously, "But I have this annoyingly strong sense of duty that won't allow me to just let this go." Putting a hand to her forehead, the owl seemed to become lost in thoughts.

"There's a hare to your left, Lya," Snowflake announced, turning to smile at the ocelot as her mistress translated her words in a distracted tone, "Could you get that for me?"

Blinking in surprise at how casually the spirit put her request, the dumbfounded feline nodded nevertheless after a few moments. She turned her head in the direction she was instructed, her eyes scanning the undergrowth for any trace of the mentioned prey.

Soon enough, a pair of long, furry ears popped out from beneath a nearby bush, the hare's head following soon afterwards. The creature looked oblivious to its audience, nonchalantly proceeding to nibble at the grass without the least amount of concern about its life. Unfortunately for the puny critter, it couldn't enjoy its meal for too long.

When a sharp whistling sound made its way in the hare's ears, the animal's body reacted on its own accord, hundreds of years of built-up instinctual sense dictating its actions. With a swift hop to the right, the hare flinched and ran off once Rose buried itself in the ground right next to the tiny creature, only missing its target by inch.

Lya's eyes widened in surprise, her mouth agape. She stayed in her perplexed statue-state, quite convinced that what she just witnessed didn't actually happen. Only after her mind processed that her attempt at hunting was a failure did she let out a somewhat annoyed huff. Apparently, Snowflake had been right about her lucky catch the day before.

"Sagitta Glaciem," Esmeralda called out, a small spark of blue electricity snapping out from her outstretched finger to the hare's hind legs. The animal squealed in surprise before skidding to a stop a discrete distance from the ocelot, its body freezing solid a moment later.

"It's better to aim where your prey's going to be," the Elder stated calmly, brushing the off the bits of ice that clung to her feathers, "Rather than where it currently is. That said, nice form on your axe throw. You look like you've got some experience with that thing."

Brought out of her disappointed trance, Lya sighed as she walked to retrieve the Elder's catch. "Yeah, Xergon made sure I was prepared," she informed the owl, snatching the frozen hare by its ears, as well as her axe, and bringing it back to the pair of females, "Although it seems like I still have a lot to learn. It's been awhile since I missed a target," she mused, rotating her weapon around and observing it, "Then again, I'm completely new to hunting. I guess I'll get better at it... hopefully." Giving an enthusiastic smile to Esmeralda and Snowflake, Lya offered the carcass to the latter.

Taking the hare in her mouth, the spirit tucked it under her wing. "You will, don't worry," Esmeralda affirmed, smiling to Lya reassuringly, "I'm impressed with your axe throwing skill, though, to be honest. I never could get the hang of that. Part of the reason I chose to go with swords over axes." Esmeralda tapped her cane subconsciously at her words.

Lya gave a baffled stare to the owl at those words. Her eyes darted between the Elder's cane and her face as she asked. "Excuse me? Were you... uh... a fighting tutor as well before you became the Elder of Plainstead or something?"

"No, though I did have two years of military service," Esmeralda explained, getting a nostalgic look in her eye, "Before I even started learning magic from my father, actually. He was hoping the experience would help me learn discipline before starting in on learning from him. Of course, not even regimented military drills could tame this bird!" The owl laughed a bit, smiling warmly. "Ah, but I still remember that time fondly," she stated, before turning and sliding off of Snowflake's back quickly.

As soon as the dragoness was clear, she launched forward before whipping right, disappearing into the undergrowth. "What about you?" the Elder continued her train of thought without missing a beat, "How long have you been practicing with Rose?"

Feeling confused on more levels than she could count, Lya eventually settled on actually trying to answer the question that was asked instead. "Uh... Xergon started on my training not long after I came to Centrum," she replied, still looking a little taken aback, but smiling nonetheless, "I was eight back then. So you could say that I've had quite a bit of experience with close combat. Although my lessons didn't always consist of that, I still had more than enough to get to know my way around with my axe and daggers."

Esmeralda grinned. "We should spar sometime," she invited, tapping her cane once again, "I've got a bit of experience with fencing; I'd love to see your skills." There was the loud sound of a deer's bellow being cut off suddenly before the Elder continued again, almost seeming like she hadn't noticed the sound, "Since your necromancy isn't something that you can show off, like the rest of the group's magical skills, I figure sparring would be a better creative outlet of sorts for you, when you're with us."

Eyebrows and ears rising in surprise at once at the proposition, the ocelot gave a hesitant, somewhat nervous chuckle to Esmeralda. "Well... uh... thanks for the offer," she stammered a little, glancing in the direction the deer's scream came from for a moment, "But are you sure about this?" bringing her attention back to the Elder, Lya gestured with a paw towards the owl in front of her, "You are... Er... and I'm..." She trailed off vaguely, clearing her throat afterwards. The cogs in her head turned and twisted, trying their hardest to construct a sentence that would be appropriate without too much success. Thankfully, the Elder came to her rescue.

"I'm old, and you're young," Esmeralda finished for the ocelot, smirking as she did so, "I'm quite aware of this, Lya. Zach can attest to my toughness, though. Besides, I could use the help keeping active at my 'advanced age'." The owl's tone showed that she wasn't offended, but more amused with the feline's concern.

Heaving a small sigh, the younger of the two females relented. "Well, in that case," Lya began, her smile once again returning, "I'd be happy to help you out, if you really think it would actually help you in any way. That's the least I can do for what you have done for me." There was immense amount of appreciation in the ocelot's voice as she spoke, the same apparent on her furry features as she looked at Esmeralda with a friendly and warm expression.

The owl grinned wide, nodding approvingly. "Believe me, I could use a competent sparring partner," she stated, turning to face the sound of approaching heavy steps and watching as Snowflake emerged, carrying a deer in her jaws, "Snowflake would normally fill that role, but she's been having too much fun being a dragon for me to have the heart to ask her to come down to my size."

Smiling apologetically around her mouthful of deer, the spirit tucked the animal under her wing. "This should be enough for a good breakfast," the familiar stated, "Would you like to hunt more for practice, though? I don't think the food would go to waste." Esmeralda laughed out loud, having to catch her breath before she translated for Snowflake.

Lya had an identical reaction to the spirit's joke, letting her amusement flow out freely as she chuckled joyfully at the comment. "Oh, from what I've seen yesterday, I can only agree with that," she replied, an amused smile touching her lips, "And since it seems like I'll be staying with you all for some time, I figure knowing my way around hunting wouldn't hurt."

Making to turn after resting Rose back to its usual place around her waist, the ocelot glanced over her shoulder at the pair of females. "Let's see if I can get lucky again like yesterday!" She invited grinningly, and began moving in the general direction she thought animals would hide. Despite having no experience with locating prey in the slightest, Lya's gait seemed quite determined and certain nevertheless as she continued marching onwards.

Smiling in unison at the ocelot's enthusiasm, Esmeralda and Snowflake followed after her. After remounting her familiar, the owl gave advice on how to look for and track signs of animals while Snowflake seemed to be able to spot anything that came within a certain radius of her. Still, the spirit only actually pointed out a few of these animals, wanting to see how well the ocelot could find prey on her own.

While at first enthusiastic, the sensation seemed to dissipate gradually after Lya failed to bring her fifth catch in a row. Yet, unlike most people, the ocelot showed no signs of surrendering despite her failures. It actually seemed like her unsuccessful efforts only fueled her determination to actually catch something of her own. And with that mentality, as well as Esmeralda and Snowflake's helpful instructions, she eventually did so.

Squealing in unison with a hare her axe collided with, Lya grinned toothily at the massive beast she had managed to bring down. All alone, to be precise. "Finally!" the ocelot communicated her joy with a relieved acclamation, moving to retrieve both Rose and her freshly slain prey, an evidently satisfied sway in her stride.

Snowflake clapped enthusiastically, Esmeralda giving an approving nod. "Nicely done," the Elder affirmed, smiling to the ocelot from her familiar's back, "Now, I think we should get back. I don't know about you, but I'm getting rather peckish."

With the broken remains of the hare, as well as Rose in her paws, Lya nodded and made her way back to the two females. "Thanks for all the advices and suggestions," she said with a warm smile, seemingly unaffected by the horribly butchered carcass she was holding nonchalantly, "They were really helpful. And I agree, let's get back to camp before the two dummies think we got lost. Lead the way." She invited, not feeling courageous enough to try making her way back to the clearing on her own, although she didn't allow this uncertainty to show on the outside.

As Esmeralda nodded, Snowflake hesitated for a moment. "Would you like a ride back?" the dragoness offered through the owl.

Blinking in surprise, Lya showed hesitation of her own. "I... uh... thanks, but I think I'm fine for now." She replied, baring a nervous smile that might have gone unnoticed if it hadn't been for the evident uncertainty in her eyes. "Perhaps next time."

The spirit nodded, before turning and guiding Lya back the way they had come. In a surprisingly short amount of time, the trio found themselves back in the clearing once again. And again, the males were asleep by the time they arrived, though Esmeralda and Snowflake kept the events leading up to that sleep to themselves.

"We should let them sleep," Esmeralda stated quietly, her expression one of affection colored faintly with sympathy, "Without going into too much detail; they had a rather heavy conversation."

Glancing at the two sleeping forms with a cocked eyebrow and noting the goofy smiles that adorned their faces, Lya shrugged in unsure agreement, knowing better than to question the owl's word despite the loving expression that was present on both unconscious members of the group.

"I guess we could make breakfast for them until they wake up, then." The ocelot proposed with a whisper, her eyes still lingering on the dragon and leopard, or more accurately, on the latter for some time. He looked rather comical in his sleep, especially with the strange position he decided to take.

As if listening in on Lya's train of thoughts, the ball of yellow fur on top of Basajaun grunted audibly. For only a second, he rose up, shifted position, and lay right back on his squishy mattress with a sigh of absolute contentment. The ocelot could only giggle and shake her head at the amusing display, watching as Zachary continued sleeping without missing a beat.

The drake's purr picked up from the temporary "petting" his middle got as Zachary rearranged himself, the sound getting a grin from Snowflake. "Help with breakfast first," Esmeralda chided her familiar as she slid from the spirit's back, "Then you can cuddle Fatty."

"I know," Snowflake assured the Elder, though she huffed disappointedly as she did so. Moving over to the fire, the dragoness positioned herself opposite Basajaun and Zachary, so as not to become distracted by the dragon's tempting softness while cooking.

Chuckling lightly, Esmeralda sat herself beside the spirit, setting her cane beside her. "Have any suggestions for the course, Lya?" the owl asked quietly, giving a smile to the ocelot.

The feline in question pursed her lips thoughtfully as she made her way to the two females. With a snap of her fingers, which Zachary regarded with a low grumble, and which Lya disregarded in turn, the ocelot smiled back to the Elder. "I might have a few ideas."

As it turned out, Lya wasn't lying. In mere minutes, the sound of sizzling meat and its delightful fragrance filled the entirety of the small clearing. While the ocelot and spirit busied themselves with the preparation of the soon-to-be added greenery to the breakfast, Esmeralda kept watch on the cooking venison and hare. With every conscious member of the party preoccupied with their respective tasks, it seemed like it didn't affect their ability to multitask effortlessly.

The trio never stopped the flow of their conversation as they prepared the breakfast. And as more and more time passed, Lya could feel herself smiling constantly, chuckling cheerfully along with Esmeralda and Snowflake when anyone made a witful remark about something. She never would have thought that she would be able to grow so fond of someone.

And yet, that was exactly the case with every member of the small group she decided to join. A brave, but fruitful and worthy decision for sure. At last, since her arrival to the judgmental city of Centrum, she could finally be herself. A simple, yet complex sensation she relished every second of.

Once again picking up a delightful aroma in his sleep, Basajaun's eyes steadily peeked open as his tongue wiggled madly in the air. Heaving a loud yawn, the dragon raised his head up until he could see the women on the other side of the fire. "Alright, you three are the best!" the dragon grinned, reaching up a forelimb to rub his eyes, before looking down to the still sleeping leopard and quieting significantly when the feline began grumbling in protest at the disturbance of his pleasant dreaming.

"Um, thank you," he continued in a softer tone, turning back to the females, "I really appreciate it."

Lya waved a paw at Basajaun's words as if trying to shoo the thought away altogether, her other paw still busy with the chopping of the assortment of spices. "Not a problem, Basajaun," she assured the drake with a warm smile, which soon turned into a toothy grin as she continued, "And we are kinda awesome. Agreed?" Turning to Esmeralda and Snowflake in turns, the ocelot flashed a wink of absolute mock to each.

The mistress and familiar nodded in tandem, equally teasing grins on their faces. "We got a kill each," Esmeralda reported, "And we've got your breakfast going. So yes, we are the best."

The drake nodded in agreement. "I'd help, but," Basajaun began in a whisper, before he paused and nodded to the leopard on his belly, "I don't want to wake my hatchling. So I'm going to sit here quietly now, to avoid disturbing him." With his explanation over with, Basajaun leaned back down to rest his head on the grass. He hadn't even noticed what he called Zachary.

The other feline of the group definitely did, however. She glanced up from her work to Basajaun, an amused expression on her face. "Your hatchling will have to wake up anyway if he wants breakfast," she reminded the drake nonchalantly, bringing her attention back to the nearly finished seasoning, the warm smile on her muzzle still present, "And we all know how long it takes for him to actually wake up. You could start trying to get him awake. Perhaps he'll be up by the time breakfast is finished, if we're lucky!" Lya chortled quietly at her own words.

Basajaun hesitated, before sighing relentingly. "You're right," he admitted, before looking up to Zachary with a preemptively apologetic expression. Reaching up, the dragon gently nudged at the sleeping leopard, even though he knew that would get him nowhere. His instincts told him that his hatchling needed his rest, and that he shouldn't be disturbing the feline at all. Completely agreeing with that mentality, Zachary continued sleeping without paying any heed to the gentle shove.

"Oh for goodness sake!" Esmeralda groaned, before standing up, walking over to Basajaun's side, cupping her talons to her mouth, and shouting, "Hey Zach! Lya's feeding Basajaun without you!"

Both felines whipped their head up in unison, both extremely dumbfounded by the statement. Zachary actually looked like he was still half-asleep despite his best efforts to appear confused, his eyelids falling up and down with each breath he took.

"Waht?" Demanded a noctambulant leopard groggily, his eyes scanning his surroundings blearily. He let out a long yawn, his tongue curling as he did so, along with his tail around himself as he sat up slowly. "What is feeling who or... Why did ya wake me up?" Zachary inquired in utter confusion, rubbing his eyes with his paws. Although still taken aback by Esmeralda's words, Lya couldn't help but titter at the sleepy leopard's actions. He really was the perfect opposite of a morning person.

Glaring at the Elder for a moment, which she returned with an innocent expression, Basajaun nuzzled Zachary's face lovingly. "Breakfast is being made," he stated while the owl nonchalantly returned to her giggling familiar's side, "You need to start waking up, son."

The dragon's son turned to face his father, giving him an outrageously ridiculous and dopey smile. "I'm all awake." He reported rather unconvincingly, letting loose another expansive yawn that only decreased the reality of that statement. Turning his head this way and that, the leopard cocked his head in adorable confusion at Basajaun.

"Was someone shouting...? Did something happen... while I was asleep?" He asked, closing his eyes for only a moment and beginning to lean forward immediately as soon as his brain registered the blissful blackness.

Basajaun gave a loving lick across the leopard's face upon seeing him falling back asleep. "It was nothing, Zach," he reassured the feline.

Opening his eyes at the wet contact, the leopard frowned as he wiped the saliva off of his muzzle and straightened himself a little. "Why the shouting, then?" He demanded somewhat childishly, looking more and more displeased that his sleeping was disturbed so cruelly. He needed his rest, or at least, that's what Zachary thought as he wondered why anyone would be so wicked to deprive him of enjoying the experience. Apparently, Basajaun's earlier words about breakfast were all but deleted from his mind altogether.

The drake sighed. "Because breakfast is being made," he repeated patiently, starting to roll steadily over to his side while shrinking his body down to regain full mobility, without losing all of his softness, "So, up and at 'em!"

Zachary whined pathetically in disappointment when his bed was deflated in front of his eyes. He watched in horror, pouting the whole time like a kid whose favorite toy was just taken away. Sniffling quietly when the horrible process was done, the leopard sighed softly.

"I'm up and at 'em... or whatever." He replied, stretching himself and purring quietly when his bones popped satisfyingly at the motion. Glancing down at the uninviting and hard-looking ground, the leopard hesitated to disembark from his comfortable place atop Basajaun, but with great effort, he eventually did so, landing on the grass with a grunt.

Rolling onto his feet once Zachary was clear, Basajaun shook himself briskly to get his body active, said chubby form wobbling for several seconds even after the dragon ended the act. Reaching over and nuzzling his son again, Basajaun gave him another lick on his arm before turning to the rest of the group.

"So, how can we help?" the drake offered, smiling to those who were already cooking.

While the leopard busied himself with the removal of the freshly gifted reptile slobber, which the other feline of the group regarded with a mirthful giggle, Lya gestured at the meal they had been making. "It's nearly done," she reported, pointing at Zachary and Basajaun with an amused smirk on her face, "You don't have to do anything. Just keep acting like that and entertaining us. It's quite amusing, I gotta admit!"

Cocking an eyebrow in confusion after he was once more free of dragon drool, Zachary glanced at Lya with a bemused expression. "What do you mean?" he inquired innocently, "We're not doing anything special... are we?"

Lya let out a mirthful chuckle at those words, shaking her head. "That's it. Keep doing that." She affirmed, still giggling joyfully as she and Snowflake finished with the last touches on the seasoning. Zachary's confusion only intensified at the ocelot's remark, but he shrugged it off, not quite awake to care too much just yet.

Basajaun smiled and nodded. "Thank you all for your hard work," he said courteously, showing Lya he was serious about wanting to learn how to be more proper.

Of course, the dragon immediately turned to Zachary with a mischievous smirk. "Well, she did say she wanted to be entertained!" he restated the ocelot's words, seeing the tangles that his son's sleep had put in his fur. Grinning wide for a moment, Basajaun wiped the expression from his face and adopted one of casualness as he moved beside the leopard.

Before he completely passed the feline by, Basajaun's wing extended, catching Zachary like a fishing net and drawing the surprised leopard to the dragon's forelimbs, where he was suddenly embraced.

Letting out a quiet yip as he was swooped off of his feet and hugged within only a fraction of a second, Zachary looked up at his captor with a somewhat confused expression. "How's this entertaining for Lya?" He inquired, cocking his head innocently. He had no idea what was coming.

The dragon's grin returned. "Because it's bathtime!" he announced jovially, before he proceeded with his grooming of the leopard with his claws and tongue both, his wings coming around to help keep his son in place.

Just like before, squirming and squealing for mercy proved to be a rather fruitless attempt of escaping the slimy experience. Realizing that he simply couldn't do anything to stop the slobbery assault of his fur, Zachary finally relented.

"Yay... bathtime." He voiced quietly, evidently exploding with joy as he endured the licks across his face with a flat and emotionless expression for some time. Although after a moment, he did allow an occasional smile or giggle when Basajaun was working on a particularly ticklish spot on his body. The experience wasn't unpleasant, excluding the wetness it came with, and soon enough, Zachary showed no real signs of struggling as he all but accepted his defeat and the consequences it came with.

Watching and chortling constantly as her request was fulfilled, Lya shook her head at the two males. "These two are too adorable for their own good," she remarked quietly to the females next to her and getting a pair of snickering nods, smiling once noticing that the seasoning was finished. Now they only had to wait for the meat to cook, but with a display of absolute entertainment in a form of an affectionate bath, the ocelot didn't mind waiting in the slightest.

After he was sure that every last bit of exposed fur was clean and neat, Basajaun relented his washing of the leopard, though he remained in the embraced that preceded it. "Love ya, son!" he proclaimed, nuzzling Zachary's face to affirm that statement. The dragon trilled affectionately as he snuggled the leopard against him, a truly happy smile on his face.

The extremely and excellently well-groomed feline could only return the heartfelt expression with one of his own, along with the soft embrace. "Love you too, you slimy serpent." He teased, but the love and affection in his tone that couldn't be hidden, no matter how much he mocked Basajaun with all his might. Just to prove his teasing nature, Zachary made sure to snuggle himself vehemently against the drake when he wasn't looking, ruffling his previously groomed fur in a mess he both liked and found immense amount of amusement watching it drive his reptilian father annoyed.

Cuddling the feline with his eyes closed in a joyous smile, it wasn't until Basajaun pulled back and looked into Zachary's face again that he noticed what the feline had done. "You do realize I'm still holding you, don't you?" he asked, cocking his brow at his son's teasing belligerence.

"Breakfast is ready!" Snowflake rescued the unfortunate feline with the dragon's weakness; food. Looking over to the spirit with a grin, Basajaun failed to notice that his distraction had loosened his grip on the leopard. That's all Zachary needed.

Quickly squirming his way out of the dragon's claws, the leopard let loose a victorious and joyful chuckle as soon as his freedom returned to him. "HA! Slowpoke!" He continued his teasing without skipping a beat, pointing at Basajaun with a toothy grin before he quickly scuttled away from the dragon, tittering the whole time childishly.

Having finished with breakfast, Lya could give all her attention to the amusing pair of males on the other side of the fireplace. She wore a warm smile, which broke into a mischievous grin as she spoke. "I wouldn't let him get away with that easy if I were you, Basajaun. Parents ought to teach their kids some respect. I'm sure it's the same with dragons and hatchlings."

Zachary, whose expression instantly became one of dread and fear, whipped his head to glare at the ocelot assisting the drake. "I'm not a hatchling, though!" He announced the obvious with a shake of his head, somewhat fearfully glancing back at Basajaun.

The dragon grinned again. "Now, now, Zach, you said you were alright with being my little hatchling," he reminded the leopard while he took slow, ominous steps towards him, "Don't tell me you're going to go back on your word, now!"

Whimpering quietly as Basajaun drew nearer and nearer, Zachary could only watch with him approach in defeat, knowing better than to run once again. He gulped once the dragon's massive form loomed over him, his shadow big enough to block all the light around the puny feline in a large area.

"I... uh..." The leopard stammered, raising a finger and then pointing said limb in a random direction. He gave a nervous laugh as he made to turn. "I... think I gotta go." What a perfect escape plan.

There was a blur of motion as the dragon's paw reached out and wrapped its digits around the feline, though Basajaun was careful to make sure his momentum had come to a full stop before he contacted to the feline. Sitting on his haunches, the drake pulled up the leopard once again, bringing him close to his snout.

Staring into the pair of eyes that looked back at him, Zachary fluttered his eyes pitifully. "M-Mercy?" He wasn't even putting up any fight at this point. Basajaun's grip on him was too firm, a confinement so secure that even a flexible feline like himself couldn't escape from its grasp. And so, he simply gave up, awaiting his punishment in silent fear.

Giving an overly dramatic, crazed grin, Basajaun brought the leopard right up to his muzzle and held him there for a moment. Then, a single, loving lick flicked against Zachary's snout, just like it had before. "You're an adult," Basajaun stated, setting his son down again, "Your fur style is your choice. But, if you let it get too messy, I'm going to make sure it stays neat and tidy for the rest of that day. Deal?"

Free once more, Zachary resisted the urge to simply turn and leave Basajaun hanging, quite convinced that the dragon was only trying to deceive him so he would let his guard down in the future. He narrowed his eyes, searching Basajaun's face suspiciously.

"Alright," he said after a while, giving a convincingly oblivious smile to the drake, "I'll bite. It's a deal." Proceeding with his experiment, Zachary simply turned and made to walk away from the dragon. As he did so, however, he ran his paws over his head a couple of times nonchalantly, ruffling his fur even more in the process.

It might have been a bad idea to see how far he could stretch his boundaries before Basajaun's instincts were triggered, but feeling rather courageous at the moment, as well as playful, Zachary paid no heed to the possible consequences of his actions. He simply waited for a reaction as he made his way to the females next to the campfire.

There was a loud clearing of a dragon's throat once the leopard's fur reached a certain point of wildness, though the drake didn't make any real comments as he walked behind the feline. The message that Zachary was pushing it was clear, though.

Grinning once he realized where his limits lay, Zachary rested his arms on his sides, casually walking to the three females and sitting down next to Lya. He turned to her almost immediately, giving her a warm smile as his way of saying good morning for the second time today.

The ocelot watched the leopard with the same expression on her face for some time, before it began to change. A wicked grin spread across her muzzle, and before Zachary could question it, it was too late.

As a part of her evil plan, Lya quickly ran both of her paws through the fur on the leopard's head. And she did so with such success, that by the time Zachary pulled away, his fur was messier than ever before, loose hairs breadths pointing in every possible direction.

Zachary gasped loudly in horror, attempting to hide his mussed fur with his paws unsuccessfully as he glared at Lya intently. "What have you done!?" Demanded a more than terrified feline from the other, the ocelot only laughing in joy and rolling on her back as a response while the leopard slowly turned his head towards Basajaun. He ducked his neck as close to his body as possible, lowering his ears to his head as his tail wrapped itself around his body protectively.

The dragon stopped as he saw what Lya had done, staring at his disheveled son for several seconds. Swallowing hard, Basajaun steadily moved to Zachary's side and sat on his haunches, breathing somewhat heavily.

"Lya," the drake began, not looking at either feline, "You break it, you fix it." There was an oddly serious and commanding tone to the dragon's voice, one that Zachary hadn't heard since his time in Basajaun's burrow.

Both felines glanced at the reptile in unison, both cocking an eyebrow in confusion, one of them more perplexed than the other. Lya regarded the dragon next to Zachary for some time with the same expression, and after she turned to the leopard for support, who gave her a shrug and a wave of his paw, the ocelot sighed relentingly.

"Okay... I guess." She replied quietly, gesturing for Zachary to sit closer somewhat hesitantly. As he did so, Lya glanced back at Basajaun. "I'm sorry if I made you upset. It wasn't my intention." Was all she said as her apology, silently proceeding to examine the damage she had done to the leopard's fur on his head.

The dragon sat quietly for a moment, still avoiding looking at the felines beside him. Esmeralda and Snowflake remained equally quiet, holding the servings of food they had prepared in their hands unmovingly.

"I'm not upset," Basajaun clarified after several long seconds of uncomfortable silence, "I'm trying not to let the instincts that you just triggered overwhelm me and wind up grooming Zach head to toe again, because that would be more annoying than I'm comfortable being."

As she worked on Zachary's fur, which the leopard enjoyed immensely with a goofy smile on his muzzle despite Basajaun's state of mind, Lya occasionally shot a few glances at the silent dragon. "I'm sorry," she reiterated, heaving a sigh, "I just thought I'd join the fun. Didn't know a simple thing like this could trigger your instincts so severely. I hope you don't think I wanted you to be uncomfortable; it really wasn't my goal."

Suppressing a purr that Lya's nimble fingers scratching his head caused, Zachary turned his head a little to glance back at Basajaun. Smiling warmly over his shoulder at his best friend, the leopard reached blindly for the dragon's wing, grabbing at the air a couple of times in vain before he finally found the limb he was looking for. He gave a comforting, tender stroke that only his soft paws and experience with the reptile were able to achieve.

Accepting the leopard's touch, Basajaun slowly managed to relax. "I know you were trying to have fun with us," he assured Lya, his eyes held closed, "Just... there are some things that can set my instincts immediately on edge. And those are very hard for me to resist. I'm not mad at you, I promise. I'm not looking because I don't want to see my son's fur a mess and make it worse."

Nodding at those words in relief, Lya allowed herself a small smile as she finally withdrew her paws from Zachary's head. "Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore," she informed the dragon, an apologetic quality clinging stubbornly to her tone, "Your son is not a mess."

Bringing his paws over his head and crossing his eyes to examine his new hairdo, the leopard felt around his fur for a moment, grimacing slightly when he noted how annoyingly smooth and straight it felt to the touch. "Still not a fan." He stated somewhat quietly, but made no more attempts at ruining his fur again; Basajaun's comfort was more important than his odd preferences.

Heaving a relieved sigh, the drake looked down to Zachary and Lya. "I'm sorry I killed the fun," he apologized sincerely, reaching down to nuzzle his son lovingly before looking Lya in the eye, "I know you meant for that to be funny. To most others, it probably would be. For me, it sets my paternal instincts on fire; so please, don't do that again."

Straightening himself, Basajaun gave the ocelot a smile. "That said, I really am not upset or angry," he reiterated, nodding to emphasize his words, "You're new, so you're still learning how to interact with me without... this happening. It's just like when I accidentally offended your cooking skills. Heck, I think this just about makes us even!"

Lya returned the dragon's smile after a moment of hesitation. "I'm totally fine with that," she stated, motioning with her head at Zachary, who was still preoccupied with the inspection of his new coiffure, "And I won't do it again. Now I know better... I just wish I knew what I can and can't do around you that wouldn't trigger your instincts like that, or what to do once it's too late."

"S'easy!" Zachary spoke up after his desire to examine the fur in his head had been fulfilled. Standing up, the leopard turned to Basajaun with a warm smile on his face. "You just do this," He leaned forward, hugging the dragon's neck close to his body and purring softly, "And done." The mirthful chuckle that followed from both felines all but banished all the leftover discomfort that decided to interlude.

The dragon joined the mirth smilingly. "Yeah, that'll do it!" he agreed, a forelimb pulling Zachary into his embrace for a few seconds. "Of course, this requires you to be comfortable with hugging a dragon," he admitted, smiling to Lya, "Which I completely understand if you're not comfortable doing that."

Seeing the tension fade, Snowflake and Esmeralda approached and offered the dishes with breakfast to Lya and Basajaun first, before the owl moved back to get Zachary and her some.

Setting herself down on Basajaun's free side, the spirit waited for the drake to face her, before pressing her forehead against his, the pair of dragons sharing a wordless greeting "kiss". The act dispelled the last of Basajaun's instinctual reaction, getting a goofy, blushing grin from the reptile.

Zachary cleared his throat as he made his muffled remark. "Still lame." He coughed, snickering under his breath and attempting to hide himself behind his breakfast. He began eating with gusto, once again not bothering to use any form of cutlery and completely ignoring Lya's glower on him.

When her glare failed to be noticed, the ocelot narrowed her eyes at the leopard and cleared her own throat casually. "Eating like that is the only thing that's lame." She remarked in her own, cold and flat impression, actually bothering to use the cutlery the Elder had given her as she started on her own portion of the breakfast.

She only allowed a mirthful chuckle when Zachary paused in his eating to whine pitifully at her, simply reaching over and patting his head reassuringly. The action immediately sent the leopard back to silence, the goofy smile on his face returning soon after as well.

Remembering his manners in Lya's company, Basajaun looked up to the females. "Thank you kindly for your work on this meal," he stated appreciatively, watching the ocelot's nod of approval before he also started in on his breakfast.

Snowflake nuzzled Basajaun's neck in reply, while Esmeralda gave an amused smirk to Lya. "I'll be damned if you aren't the first person to turn a dragon into a gentleman," she observed lightheartedly, shaking her head in amusement, "Bravo, Lya!"

The feline in question waved a paw after pausing in her eating. Swallowing the mouthful of venison, she turned to Esmeralda and shrugged casually. "Wasn't really hard. Basajaun is an excellent learner, and with his memory, he soaks up knowledge like a sponge," she explained, giving a smile to the drake, "I don't know many dragons," the ocelot chuckled at the comment, "But I'm quite sure it's not all for my teaching skills that the process was so fast and easy. It has to be because Basajaun is... how did Zach put it... special?"

As if interested upon hearing his own name, the leopard extracted his head from his breakfast for only a moment to give a hum of approval at those words. Lya turned back to face him, shaking her head and rolling her eyes when she noted the bits of food that clung to his muzzle. "And I'm quite convinced that I'd have a lot harder time teaching this dummy proper table manners than I did with Basajaun." She remarked flatly, the mock to her voice evidently audible despite her best efforts.

"Hey!" Zachary whimpered, furrowing his brows, "I could learn it easily, if I wanted to." He shook his head, smirking. "But I don't care, so I simply won't." The only response he got from Lya was a shrug, and without saying anything else, he continued on his breakfast. Although as he ate, he subconsciously paid a little more attention to the act.

Grinning at the praise he was receiving, Basajaun had to suppress the expression to avoid chewing with his mouth open, which was a definite taboo, from what he learned from Lya. Swallowing and clearing his throat, the dragon gave an appreciative nod to the ocelot. "Thank you, Lya," he replied courteously, before finishing the last of his breakfast. Though he knew it was somewhat rude to eat too fast, the increased appetite he had developed around Zachary made that particular rule hard for him to follow. He just hoped it wasn't too inappropriate.

Normally, Lya would have made a comment, but knowing Basajaun and his obsession with food, as well as her blunder earlier, she decided to let it slip for now. "Don't mention it." She replied, waving a paw and smiling to the dragon.

Finishing with his own puny portion not long after the reptile, Zachary put his dish aside and heaved a sated sigh. "That was yummy." He thanked the breakfast in his own way with a goofy grin spreading his lips, even raising his tone slightly to intentionally appear even more childish than usual. The action seemed to work wonders on Lya, who let out an affectionate giggle, a sound which all but caressed the leopard's ears.

"You dummy." The ocelot remarked, still chortling and pausing in her eating. She extended her arms towards Zachary's head, and without any explanation or foreshadowing, began scratching the feline behind his right ear. As soon as the contact was made, a familiar, soft purring was the only thing the leopard could offer as a response of sorts, completely forgetting the name he had been just called, or more accurately, nearly everything around him.

His eyelids fell down on their own accord, his spotted tail twitching behind him occasionally when Lya's precise, yet tender claws hit just the perfect spot. Evidently, the young anthro was enjoying the experience to the point where he was rendered unable to communicate verbally, or in any way, for that matter. He could only shiver in delight, his dopey expression only becoming more and more comical while the pleasant massage of his ear was in process. Like father like son.

Basajaun watched the leopard's expression with an amused smile, before taking note of where Lya was scratching his ear. "That'll be useful to know if I accidentally make him mad again," he joked lightly, before reaching over and trying the same technique on Zachary's other ear out of curiosity.

Once a second helper joined in with the scratching, the leopard's whole body went limp. His purr kicking in high gear as he practically melted under the delightful touch, Zachary slowly sank down to the ground from his sitting position. "Don't... stop..." He requested rather pathetically, his words muffled by his loud purring.

Lya let out an amused chuckle. "Now we know how to tame the dummy," she said in a mocking tone, smiling warmly to the lump of yellow and black fur that lay on the ground. While her paw maintained its gentle scratching motions, the ocelot was careful enough not to ruffle Zachary's fur too much in the process. She made a mistake earlier, she didn't want to do it again.

Chuckling at the leopard's reaction alongside the ocelot, Basajaun extended his other forelimb to gently scratch under Zachary's chin, remembering how good it felt for himself and wondering if the feline would find similar enjoyment from the action.

Basajaun didn't have to wonder for too long. When more attention was given to the feline's chin than ever before, Zachary steadily became a ball of purring fur as he curled himself in his favored resting position.

Seeing the dragon's loving expression with a half eye, Lya withdrew her own paw after a while from the leopard's ear. The absence of the hand that started the blissful experience went completely unnoticed by the circular fuzzy fortress on the grass. And as she watched the nearly unmoving Zachary for a few moments, Lya's warm smile slowly faded away and became one of disbelief.

"I can't believe this." The ocelot began with a snort, poking the leopard's nose playfully. Nothing. Not even a single budge or any sign that the contact was registered in his brain. Zachary unaffectedly continued purring with his eyes closed, his wide smile still present.

Lya shook her head in amusement, pulling gently on the leopard's whiskers and giggling when it didn't get any sort of reaction from the feline. "I think he fell asleep again." Announced a currently immensely entertained ocelot, watching Zachary sleep peacefully for a second before she turned back to her breakfast and continued eating, all the while quietly tittering at the display of innocence she was presented with.

Smiling at the leopard, Basajaun kept up his gentle scratching, having a lot of that particular favor to repay to Zachary. "He does like his sleep," the dragon mused, his wing extending over his son and gingerly drawing the sleeping feline against his side. Tucking his head under his wing for a moment, Basajaun made sure that the leopard was in a comfortable position, giving his companion an affectionate nuzzle for a while, resembling a mother bird in the action.

As if subconsciously realizing that the one giving the gentle snuggling was Basajaun, Zachary licked at top of the reptile's snout once, and with that done, nestled himself snugly against the dragon's squishy side. His soft purring and happy expression were a clear indication of his absolute comfort. While a true feline at heart, it was rather amazing to witness how effortlessly he managed to fall asleep any time of the day, no matter the amount of time he spent resting earlier.

Smiling warmly at his son, Basajaun reluctantly withdrew his head from the shelter of his wing, a paw still petting Zachary's ear even as he slept. Making to ask for his biomancy tome, the dragon stopped when he saw the almost adoring expressions on the faces of the rest of the group.

Suddenly self-conscious, the drake grinned shyly at the females. "I do hope we make an amusing spectacle to stare at," he stated, his voice once again softened to avoid disturbing Zachary.

Lya couldn't help but chuckle jovially and nod at the statement. "You two are more clingy than anyone I've ever seen before," she remarked with a smile, putting her empty dish next to Zachary's. She then turned back to the dragon, her eyes settling on the leopard's head as it barely poked out from beneath his 'blanket'.

"He honestly makes me forget that he's actually nineteen when he's acting like that," as if remembering something by her own words, Lya glanced back to Esmeralda, cocking her head curiously as she asked, "Speaking of his age; when's the dummy's birthday?"

The Elder considered for a moment. "I'm not sure," she stated, closing her eyes in thought, "But I can figure it out, if you'll wait."

Basajaun looked between the owl and ocelot curiously. "Birthday?" he repeated, cocking his head, "You mean the day he was hatched? Er, I mean born. Why do you want to know that?"

Smiling amusedly at the drake's slip of the tongue, Lya rolled her eyes afterwards. "So we know when to celebrate it, Basajaun." She replied, evidently unaware of the fact that she was talking to a dragon, whose species might have had completely different customs and habits than the ones of the civilized races.

Basajaun shook his head confusedly. "But he was born nineteen years ago," he replied, "Isn't it a bit late to celebrate that?"

Lya was quick to hop on the confusion train for long moments. She only realized what the problem was when she remembered that Basajaun, the individual she was conversing with at the moment, was a dragon. Putting a paw on her forehead, the ocelot chuckled joyfully at both her ignorance and the reptile's misunderstanding.

"I guess dragons don't celebrate birthdays as we do," she stated the obvious, smiling to Basajaun as she proceeded to enlighten him, "We keep track of the day we were born. It's normal for a person to know the exact date of that day, as well as for the parents of said person. Every year, on the day this person was born, the family and friends celebrate. They give all their attention to the celebrated, ensuring that their birthday is a pleasant experience."

"The celebrated is usually given gifts," Lya continued, happy memories glimmering in her eyes, "Gifts from their parents or friends. And of course, as a part of this tradition, they are also given a cake of some sort, which the family makes together. Next to new year's festivity, this celebration is the most important anniversary in a person's life. It's a truly happy and heartfelt event that the celebrated and their family and friends spend together." Done with her explanation, the ocelot gave a soft smile to the dragon, hoping that he was actually able to process all the information.

Even though he understood the feline's words, Basajaun was still confused. "What do you mean by 'every year on the day this person was born'?" he asked, obviously bewildered, "A person is only born once. They don't get reborn every year."

Realizing that the dragon was not grasping the concept of years all too well, Lya decided to explain it in another way. "You could actually apprehend it exactly like that, Basajaun," she replied, not giving up on the drake just yet, "Years, months and days are cyclical. In every year, the same dates recur. And on one of those dates, on one of those days, when a person is born, they note that day so they would never forget it. When a year passes and a new one begins, and the date this person was born finally arrives, they hold this celebration. That's why it's called birthday. In a strange way, this person is 'reborn' on that day. They become a year older."

After a moment, Basajaun nodded. "I guess I can see that as being a milestone worth celebrating," he stated, though he still had a thoughtful expression, "I still think that calling a day the same just because a year had passed is weird, though. Each day is unique, after all."

Shaking his head, the dragon regarded Zachary for a moment. "But if this kind of celebration is as special as you say, then I want Zach to know what it's like," he affirmed, smiling as he turned back to Lya, "So, gifts and a cake? What kind of gifts are usually given?"

Lya considered for a moment. "Anything, really," she replied, her own smile returning, "Clothes, toys, food, books, weapons or even pets. Everything plays. But usually, the celebrated receives gifts that suit their personality. For example, you wouldn't give Zach a cutlery set, because he would never once use it in his life."

Chuckling at the amusing instance, the ocelot shook her head a little. "Or take me, I was gifted a diary on the last birthday I spent in my hometown. My parents knew even back then that I was a bookworm and that I loved both reading and writing, and wanted me to have a way of expressing myself, even if I only did it in private. And their gift was perfect in my case; I still use that diary to this day." As she finished talking, Lya glanced up at the sky, looking lost in thought. Memories flooded her mind, and this time, they brought a smile to the necromancer's muzzle.

After a few seconds, she turned back to Basajaun. "But birthdays aren't about the gifts or the cake," she clarified, her already broad smile widening, "It's about showing that the celebrated is loved. Not everyone can afford to buy expensive gifts. A heartfelt poem, a simple hug or just kind words mean a hundred times more than a new, shiny sword. Or at least..." glancing at the sleeping leopard, Lya nodded as she added, "To the right people, who know that a loving gesture is more important than any object. And honestly, I think Zach is exactly like that."

Basajaun thought for several moments, before looking over to Esmeralda. "Has Zach ever had a birthday celebration?" he asked. When the owl shook her head, the dragon frowned.

"That's not right," he muttered, before looking to Lya, "Do you think we could give him a celebration? Even if his birthday isn't close, I think he deserves to have the ones he's missed be celebrated for him."

Settling her eyes on Zachary, the ocelot muzzle broke into a slight grimace. "Yeah," she replied quietly, sighing and shaking her head, "He really does deserve it." There was a short pause that followed, which Lya spent staring numbly at the sleeping leopard.

"Some of my best memories are from my birthdays," she stated, a somewhat sorrowful quality to her voice, "I couldn't even imagine what it must be like to..." Lya trailed off vaguely, unable to finish that train of thought. She turned to Esmeralda after a moment, sudden determination playing across her features. "Any luck with the date of his birthday?" She asked.

"I'll have better luck if I'm not pestered about it," the owl grumped, "I'll let you know when I've figured it out."

A little taken aback by the Elder's sudden change of mood, Lya let out a soft sigh. "Sorry." She apologized curtly, turning to Basajaun and leaving the grouchy owl to herself for now.

"So, you want to celebrate Zach's... well... not birthday, rather... just like that?" She asked unsurely, but the expression on her face showed evidently her willingness to support the idea.

The dragon nodded. "He's gone without for almost two decades," he reminded the ocelot, "I think that's long enough to wait, don't you?"

"Of course I do," Lya replied immediately, shaking her head, "Believe me, I want this dummy to be happy, despite his best efforts to stay annoying." A subtle simper touched the corners of her mouth as she finished, which was soon replaced by a warm and gentle smile as she glanced down at Zachary.

"I wonder if he even knows what a birthday truly means." She mused aloud, not entirely certain about the reality of that statement. In her thoughtful thinking, Lya's thoughts shifted to the possible reaction Zachary would have from the novel experience. The image of a jumping and squealing leopard was all she needed, and the ocelot began giggling quietly seemingly for no reason. "I think he'd love every second of that day, Basajaun."

The drake smiled. "I think I already have a gift in mind," he mused aloud, looking down to the leopard in his wing with a loving expression, Lya doing the same while similar thoughts swirled around in her mind.

There was a sudden exasperated groan from Esmeralda. "I can't get a definite date," she stated, shaking her head, "He was born some time in summer, but I can't find anything more specific than that." The owl gave Lya an apologetic expression.

Lya sighed in defeat, looking up at Basajaun afterwards. "I guess your idea is even more actual, now." She stated, a small smile crossing her lips. Glancing between the members of the group, the ocelot spoke with a clearly resolute tone. "So... we're doing this, then? Because if we are, then we all have to take part in it. That's the whole point of a birthday."

Basajaun looked between Esmeralda and Snowflake, who both gave him nods. "Yes, I would like to do this for Zach," the dragon affirmed, smiling widely.

"We could even make it a surprise party!" Snowflake suggested enthusiastically.

After translating for her familiar, Esmeralda nodded. "I think he'd like that," she stated, giving her own affectionate smile to the sleeping leopard.

Snowflake's enthusiastic chiming, as well as the constant chatter around him somehow managed to penetrate Zachary's unconscious defenses. Lifting his head up from the ground and turning it this way and that with barely open eyes, the leopard regarded the shadowy forms around him with a grimace; the only thing his mind was able to register was the absence of the caressing that got him sleeping in the first place.

Lya froze and stopped herself from talking the instant Zachary's head rose from the ground. She bit her lip as she watched him in silence, hoping that the previous conservation hadn't reached his ears somehow. They could throw the idea of a surprise party out of the window if that were the case. Fortunately, the leopard's next action all but destroyed the likeliness of that possibility.

Scratching behind his ear for a moment, the leopard grumbled something incomprehensible under his breath, and with that, laid his head back on the ground, pulling his 'blanket' over his head and snuggled himself even closer to Basajaun to escape from the loud sounds.

After waiting for a couple of moments to ensure that Zachary was indeed back in dreamland, Lya finally let out the breath she had been holding in since the leopard began stirring. "That was... close." She said, giggling quietly and shaking her head at the sleepy feline.

The dragon's paw moved to scratch the leopard behind the ear again, hoping that would keep him pacified. "Someone's going to have to keep him distracted if we want this to be a surprise," he mused, looking around the group, "Does anyone have any ideas for that?"

Considering for a moment, Lya nodded slowly, her muzzle breaking into a toothy grin. "There was that combat exercise I promised, remember?" she asked, turning to Basajaun with the same expression, "I'll make sure to give him a long and drawn-out lesson, as well as ensure that when he finishes, he will be too tired to stay awake. He's not going to know anything if he's asleep, after all."

Basajaun grinned. "That's perfect," he said, before immediately feeling guilty as he looked down to his son, "N-not that I'm looking forward to him getting his but kicked by you, I mean that's a good way to keep him distracted."

Esmeralda laughed loud for several seconds. "You have so much faith in Zach's melee prowess, Fatty," she chuckled, her tone extremely ironic.

Lya's grin widened to the point where it was nearly touching her ears. "Ohoh, I myself am looking forward to it very much." She informed Basajaun, turning to the unsuspecting Zachary for a moment to consider all the possible ways she could trounce him in a fight. Only a second into this, however, she realized something and settled her gaze once again on the dragon.

"Uh... is that going to trigger your instincts by any chance?" She inquired, suddenly feeling a little concerned for both Basajaun and herself.

The dragon shook his head. "Not unless you draw blood," he informed her, "Or hurt him emotionally. Even then my first instinct is going to be to protect him, not hurt you, so you're fine."

Lya heaved a relieved sigh. "Don't worry," she began, giving a reassuring smile to Basajaun, "I won't hurt him... that much." Her smile changing to a teasing grin, the ocelot let out a joyful chuckle at her own words, waving a paw. "But seriously, we'll only practice with branches. From what I've heard, Zach's not nearly experienced enough to attempt training with real weapons." The ocelot turned to Esmeralda for a second, looking for a confirmation of her words.

The owl gave a nod. "He's pretty bad at melee combat," she confirmed, chuckling lightheartedly, "He and I sparred with branches, and he never really made any appreciable progress, at least not with his offense."

Tapping her beak with a talon in thought, Esmeralda looked to Zachary. "Did you have a gift in mind for him already, Lya?" she asked curiously.

The ocelot blinked, clearing her throat somewhat nervously. "I... uh... well, I had a few," she coughed, the hint of a blush reddening her cheeks, "But I'm really not sure yet. How about you, Lady Eszes, Snowflake?" Lya asked in turn, more than happy with having the attention off of her for now.

Snowflake nodded immediately, while Esmeralda seemed to think for a moment. "I already gave him my old sword," she mused, considering for several seconds, before getting a broad smile, "Yes, I do have something in mind."

Standing up suddenly, the owl moved to the group's bags. "I'm going to go into the city to pick up some things," she said, smiling as she did so, "Namely the gifts I have in mind and ingredients to bake a cake. Would you like to come with, Lya?"

"Absolutely." The ocelot replied, getting to her feet as well and stretching for a moment. She looked back to Basajaun afterwards, a wide smile on her face. "Do make sure the dummy is up and ready for the training by the time I'm back." Winking at the dragon and chuckling, Lya joined by the Elder's side, waiting patiently for her to get ready.

The dragon nodded as Esmeralda retrieved her coin purse from her belongings. "Alright, we'll see you soon," the Elder said to Basajaun and Snowflake, a youthful smile on her face and kick in her step as she started leading the way to the city.

Lya followed right behind her, a little surprised by the speed of owl's stride, but keeping up with her nonetheless. Soon enough, the two females disappeared from the two dragons' sight under the dense undergrowth, leaving the trio alone on the little clearing.

Once the owl and ocelot were clear, Basajaun reached under his wing and licked Zachary's face once, before he nudged at the leopard's side. "Hey, time to get up again," he whispered, feeling a hint of frustration at being unable to be more forceful with the attempt to awaken his son.

The gentle nudge, as expected, proved to be rather fruitless. The sleepy feline managed to register the touch, and almost immediately returned the kind gesture by swatting weakly at the dragon's snout, or at least, in the direction he thought it would be. One had a hard time hitting something precisely with closed eyes, after all.

Completely missing Basajaun and teaching the air a good lesson by shooing at it pathetically, Zachary's arm was quick to return to its original position. "Why?" Was all the leopard could ask as he twisted his body around. To him, the concept of waking up right now was all but appealing, and he was quick to let both dragons know in his vehement protest against this particularly uninviting intent.

"Because Lya wants to spar with you," Basajaun informed the leopard, managing to nudge him just a smidgen more forcefully. It could still hardly be classified as a prod, though.

While the rest of the sentence went completely unnoticed, the mention of the ocelot's name was all Zachary needed. Perking his ears up in curiosity, the leopard slowly raised his head from the ground, blinking blearily at Basajaun for long moments in an attempt to banish the sleepiness from his body.

Letting loose a yawn and sitting up simultaneously, the leopard glanced around him, taking in his surroundings as much as he could. It wasn't long before the absence of a particular member of the group caught his attention.

"You..." he began with a sinister tone, turning back to Basajaun and putting a finger on his chest accusingly, "You little... I mean... big deceiver," thrusting his finger in the air, Zachary sniffled melodramatically, "I shall never forget this betrayal. My own father..."

With a shake of his head and another yawn which was accompanied by a quiet snicker, the leopard leaned against the dragon's side and tried his hardest not to close his eyes, lest he fall asleep again.

Fighting hard, Basajaun managed to stand up and let Zachary slide off of his side. "I didn't lie," he stated with mock offense, "Lya just went into town with Esmeralda for--"

Stopping himself mid sentence, the dragon shook his head at nearly giving away the surprise. "They went into town for supplies," he finished, his gaze avoidant.

Whimpering pathetically once he was deprived of his cushiony mattress, Zachary searched the dragon's face for a moment in silence. "Esmeralda bought supplies just a few days ago." He informed Basajaun in a calm tone and unreadable expression, his sleepiness all but long gone by the drake's suspicious behavior.

The dragon's head turned slightly further away from the leopard. "Y-yeah, but I ate, them, remember?" he said, his neck inching slowly lower to the ground.

Snowflake shook her head at the pathetic display. "Mistress wanted to spend some time with her," she stated truthfully, a mental jab at Basajaun letting him know that his inability to keep a secret was annoying the dragoness, "So she's taking the opportunity while they go to town together."

Looking at the spirit in a similar way he had done with Basajaun for some time, Zachary eventually shrugged. "Alright." He said simply, occasionally shooting a glance at Basajaun and eyeing him suspiciously. The dragon was definitely acting strange, even by the group's standards, and being a prying young anthro as he was, the leopard could only wonder the reason behind his friend's unusual behavior.

"I guess I'll get ready for that spar or whatever, then." He announced to the two dragons after putting his mental questioning aside for now. With effort, Zachary stood on his legs, yawning and stretching his arms over his head at the same time. Once finished with the awakening of his limbs, he began flexing them with more thought-out and deliberate motions.

Watching the feline's stretching for a moment, Basajaun grinned at the display. "Either you're having a really hard time waking up," he began, shaking his head for a moment, "Or you're actually looking forward to getting to spar with Lya. If it's the latter, then I'm rather surprised. I thought you hated sparring."

Zachary glanced over his shoulder, snorting loudly. "Neither," he stated, turning back and proceeding to stretch the muscles in his legs as well, "I'm getting ready, as I just said. Can't really fight with inflexible limbs, now can I?" There was just the hint of nervousness that clung stubbornly to the leopard's voice as he spoke, no matter how much effort he put into avoiding it.

He didn't know what kind of fighter Lya truly was, but given his own skills at close combat, he assumed she was still better than him. Unbeknownst to the feline, his assumption was perfectly the case, and a massive understatement at the same time. The ocelot's in depth knowledge and years of experience with melee combat couldn't even be compared to the one Zachary possessed.

Snowflake considered for a moment, before she smiled at Basajaun. "You know, Forest," she started, stepping over to his side, "We haven't play-fought since that first time that I beat you."

The drake's whole body tensed, and he looked over to the spirit with an extremely hesitant expression. "B-but I... with the biomancy and my muscles, I--"

"Muscles aren't going to do you much good if you don't know how to use them," Snowflake interrupted, "I'm lighter than you are now, and I'll bet I can still trounce you just as easily as I did then."

The dragon felt his pride rail up at that comment, though he tried to resist it. "I don't want to fight you," he said plainly, "You could get hurt, and I--"

"For goodness sake, Forest!" the spirit groaned, shaking her head as she moved and set herself in front of the dragon, "Just because we're getting feelings for one another doesn't mean that I'm suddenly a fragile little flower. I'm still the same tough old girl that I was before. Besides, I hardly think you actually could hurt me if you tried."

Feeling his pride getting riled up again, the dragon looked over to Zachary pleadingly, as though he could rescue his father from this chain of events.

Once finished with his warming-up, the leopard sighed and turned back to face the two dragons, immediately noticing Basajaun's begging expression. It didn't take long for the feline to decipher what the dragon wanted from him, nor thinking about his next move. It was as obvious as the green grass beneath his feet, and Zachary couldn't help but grin widely at the opportunity.

"Snowflake," he began, turning to the dragoness and giving her an expectant look, "Give him a good grooming of his fur while you're at it. Looks lil' messy to me." Snickering under his breath, the leopard flashed a final wicked smile to Basajaun before he waved a paw, and simply left the two dragons to handle the situation themselves. He had his own spar to worry about, anyway.

Ultimately betrayed, Basajaun sighed relentingly. "Alright, I guess we're sparring, then," the dragon grumbled, a self satisfied dragoness leading him to the side of the bathing pool, where it was clear of obstacles. Situating herself in front of the drake, Snowflake settled into her deceivingly playful stance.

"Do we have to do this?" Basajaun whimpered quietly, obviously uncomfortable.

"Absolutely," the spirit replied. Before he could whine anymore, Snowflake started bounding towards him.

The aggressive action managed to remind the dragon of what the spirit had done to him before. Steeling himself, Basajaun watched and waited for what the dragoness was going to do, knowing that his offensive tactics of the previous occasion had proven to be fruitless.

As the dragoness drew closer, she started bouncing left and right with each stride, looking like a hare weaving through undergrowth and making her next move hard to decipher. Knowing that something was coming, Basajaun braced himself in a lowered stance akin to that which the familiar had launched from.

What caught the dragon completely off guard was the fact that Snowflake simply bounded past him at first, before pivoting on her left foreclaw as her right swung through the air, landing with a stinging slap right on the dragon's slightly raised rump.

Squealing in surprise in a most unmanly manner, the drake jumped forward involuntarily at the impact. Rubbing his sore behind, Basajaun glared at Snowflake's infuriatingly playful expression. "You're all sorts of crafty, you know that?" he grumbled.

Momentarily interested in the commotion some distance away, Zachary lifted his head from the book he decided to kill his time with as he waited for his own spar to commence. Cocking an eyebrow at both the uncharacteristic sound Basajaun emitted, as well as the area his paw was tending at, the leopard easily put two and two together; Basajaun was definitely not on the winning side.

"Hey, Basa," he called out with a laugh, "Are you gonna let her trounce you like for the second time? Show your son what his dad can do!" Encouraging the dragon by involving himself was the best method Zachary could come up with at the moment to assist the reptile in need, hopeful that it would miraculously lend some of Snowflake's fighting experience to him, or at least help him in any way.

Looking over to Zachary, Basajaun's expression brightened, before he gave a quick nod, setting himself low once again, his stomach and chest both brushing the grass lightly.

When Snowflake started towards the drake this time, he tried a different tactic, starting his charge at the same time. As the pair charged towards one another, Basajaun flapped hard and launched over Snowflake. The surprised expression that flashed out of the drake's view was encouraging; however, the sudden grip he felt on his hind limbs was not.

The dragon's flab sloshed forwards as the rest of his body came to a sudden midair standstill. Grunting loudly at having come to such a sudden stop, Basajaun nonetheless managed to grab hold of Snowflake's wings before she could throw him, and the drake's significant mass came down on top of the spirit with a loud crash, the dragon managing to take the opportunity to pin his opponent to the ground.

"I... I won?" the dragon mumbled in disbelief, before a wide grin played across his face as he looked to Zachary, "Haha! How do you like your dad now, son?"

Having watched the entire chain of events that led to the unexpected conclusion, the leopard thrust his paws victoriously in the air, a broad grin splitting his muzzle at Basajaun's success. "There ya go!" He exulted with a laugh, giving a thumbs up to the champion of the fight.

He had to admit, turning an individual's disadvantage, in this case Basajaun's adiposity, into an advantage was rather impressive and a clever way of overcoming one's opponent. The action was obviously remarkable, even for someone like Zachary, who had quite a bit of shortage with combat experience and its techniques.

"You're awesome, dad!" Zachary added afterwards, the unchanged, joyous grin still present on his face. He meant it. Basajaun was indeed amazing. Or at least, in his eyes, that was exactly the case. Even if the dragon had lost, he still would have looked at him the same way. No amount of trouncing from Snowflake, or anything at all, could change that belief in his heart.

Grinning wide, it took a moment for Basajaun to realize how quiet Snowflake was being. A flash of worry crossed the drake's expression, feeling the spirit's head moving slowly under his gut. Standing quickly, the reptile turned and faced the dragoness, but he quickly recognized the look on her face as one of bliss, rather than pain.

Chuckling in relief, the dragon nuzzled the familiar's face. "You're really soft, you know," Snowflake observed, giggling like a schoolgirl with a crush.

"I can attest to that!" Zachary agreed with the ice spirit enthusiastically, knowing perfectly well how accurate Snowflake's statement was. The leopard's eyes lingered on the two dragons for some time, before he tore them away and relocated his gaze on his magic tome to resume studying. Yet, as he tried to read, his mind stubbornly protested against registering the symbols that adorned the worn-out pages. He couldn't get his mind off of his own forthcoming training with Lya.

Nervously grimacing at the thought, he shook his head and sighed. 'I do hope I'll have similar results like him.' Zachary shoot a glance at the person behind his musings, staring at the victorious forest dragon for only an instant and then settling his attention once again on the book in his paws. The usually intriguing letters and words didn't prove to be an effective distraction, however.

Zachary huffed in mild frustration. 'Who am I kidding?' he continued his mental debate, his perception about this particular topic unabated, 'She's going to destroy me... man...' While suffering a defeat in any fight was considered an unpleasant experience for the losing side, that wasn't the reason the young anthro felt nervous about the approaching battle. It was the embarrassment he wanted to avoid, the possibility of listening to Lya's humiliating laughter after beating him with ease.

His tail curling around his body instinctively at the thought, Zachary shook his head again. 'She wouldn't do that.' The reassuring statement echoed in his mind, beating mercifully at the walls of anxiety that had been building themselves up on the edges of his consciousness. And for now, that single sentence proved to be enough, destroying the barrier of worry that skulked in his thoughts.

Small amount of calmness settled on Zachary at last, and although remaining suddenly silent, he resumed in his self-education, relishing the diversion his book was finally able to provide for the feline in need of it.

It took a while for the ocelot and owl to navigate through the morning crowds, but Lya was able to lead the pair to the bakery she recommended as the best place for them. Though not fancy, the chef here put her heart into her work, and the affordable pastries she offered definitely showed the care that their cow baker put into them.

As Esmeralda and Lya entered the bakery, a bell rang from above the doorway. "I'll be right out!" a feminine, slightly deep voice called out from a doorway behind the counter.

Taking a deep breath, Esmeralda smiled at the sweet scents of the pastries displayed on shelves around the shop. "I think this is definitely the right place to find some suitable gifts," the owl mused, her smile broadening when she scanned her eyes over the prices of the items on display, "And this woman must be quite generous, judging by these prices."

"I told you this was a good place." Lya said with a smile of her own, only able to agree with Esmeralda's words as her eyes appraised the wide assortment of sweets that adorned every last free space in the bakery. Walking closer to a pile of inviting confections, of which their proper name she couldn't even guess, the ocelot nearly forgot that she had eaten breakfast by the delightful sight.

Suppressing the craving for now, however, she turned back to the Elder, cocking her head in curiousity. "Do you have an idea what kind of sweets Zach likes?" she inquired, smiling sheepishly at her unawareness, "Because I sure don't. I haven't the slightest clue, actually."

The Elder tapped her head. "It's all in here," she assured Lya, "But I thought I'd get a variety, since he hasn't had the opportunity to sample too many sweets."

There was a grunt from the back room, before a figure emerged, carrying a large cake to the counter. "Lya! It's been awhile," the zaftig bovine greeted as she set the cake down, ducking under the counter for a moment to retrieve some frosting. "How've you been, dear?" the cow asked as she began applying the frosting to the cake.

A lighthearted chuckle and a casual shrug later, the ocelot smiled warmly at the bovine as she replied. "Been little chaotic recently, but in a good way, interesting nonetheless! Thanks for asking, Lindy." Observing the process of the finishing touches on the cake, as well as Lindy's precise aim as she worked, Lya continued after a moment.

"How about you? Still charming every last piggy person in Centrum in here with your wares?" She inquired, her smile broadening at how correct her own words were.

The cow laughed happily. "You know it!" she agreed, before looking to Esmeralda, "So, who's your friend?"

The owl gave a polite nod. "I'm Esmeralda," she introduced herself, gesturing towards the variety of sweets around them, "Lya's helping me pick some things out for my son's birthday."

"Oh, how sweet!" the cow replied, smiling wide, "How old is he turning? I have some candles for birthday cakes, if you need them."

"Twenty," Esmeralda informed the baker, watching as the cow reached under the counter to retrieve that many candles and place them in a sack.

"Here," Lindy offered, "Free with a birthday purchase. So, will you be buying a cake, as well?"

The owl shook her head. "We were going to bake--" the Elder stopped, realizing something important as she turned to Lya, "We don't have an oven."

Curling her lips in a circle as the same realization hit her, Lya considered their options for a moment. Luckily, she quickly found a possible solution, one that required a favor from the individual who ran the bakery.

"Say," the ocelot began with a somewhat shy tone, turning to Lindy with a hopeful smile, "Would it be possible for you to let us use one of your ovens for a little bit? Just until we bake the cake." Lya fluttered her eyes for full effect. "Pretty please?"

Humming for a moment in thought, Lindy eventually nodded. "Tell you what; you buy the ingredients, you can use an oven," she stated, gesturing around them, "I've got plenty to sell right now, so it'll be fine. I can even give you some pointers while you're working."

Esmeralda chuckled, waving a talon. "Won't be necessary, I've got nearly forty years of baking experience," the owl said casually, "Thank you for the offer, though. And thank you very kindly for the oven."

Giving an impressed nod, the cow gestured invitingly towards the back. "Feel free to use any ingredients," she offered, "I'll tally your total when you're done."

"You're a lifesaver, Lindy!" Lya admitted with a relieved chortle, following quickly behind Esmeralda as the pair made their way behind the counter. Entering what looked like a storage room and a kitchen at the same time, the ocelot scanned the wide variety of ingredients that they had at their disposal with a wide smile.

Everything one could have needed for the preparation of a birthday cake was here, most of them unknown to even Lya herself, despite her own puny experience with the culinary arts. "Well, seems like we can get creative." She stated jovially, glancing at Esmeralda expectedly and struggling to contain her eagerness.

The Elder gave a nod. "Try not to get too creative, though," she said, patting Lya's shoulder, "We're on a bit of a budget."

"I know," she replied, a shy expression crossing her features, "I just got a little overexcited, I guess. I just want to make this as memorable for Zach as possible. It's his first real birthday, after all..." There was just a hint of sorrow that clung stubbornly to Lya's tone, but before it could develop into anything else, it quickly faded away.

Rolling up her sleeves, the owl moved to the ingredients, carefully selecting what she knew Zachary would enjoy. "I think Zach would like a cottage cheesecake with lemon," Esmeralda stated, looking over to Lya, "Are you familiar with the recipe?"

Lya blinked at the alien name, shaking her head. "Never heard of it." She admitted, feeling somewhat disappointed in herself for her lack of knowledge. As she made her way next to Esmeralda and secured the sleeves of her own blouse where she thought no harm would meet them, the ocelot could only hope she wouldn't be totally useless throughout the process. She couldn't offer her non-existent knowledge about the recipe, after all, only her assistance.

"So," Lya began, arriving next to the Elder and giving her a small smile, "Let's bake the best cake ever for the dummy, shall we?" She invited, her enthusiasm to achieve that goal unquestionable.

After taking a moment to go over the recipe, Esmeralda began directing Lya on how to assist, quickly getting everything prepared. Entering the kitchen after she finished with her own cake, Lindy stopped what she was about to do as she saw what the pair was working on, her eyes tracking Esmeralda's flawless technique.

After giving a protracted impressed stare, the cow came to the pair's side, watching with a studious eye as the owl prepared the cake. Without even realizing it, Esmeralda was soon ordering the cow around as well, due to seeing a pair of idle hands. Lindy didn't seem to mind, though; in fact she appeared to almost be thrilled by the prospect of working with the Elder.

With the trio's efforts, the cake was in the oven within an hour of dedicated work.

"Whew." Lya allowed herself a well deserved sigh, watching with a satisfied smile as the orange flames danced beneath their sugary creation inside the stone stove. Turning away after a moment and walking to a barrel of clean water, the ocelot began getting rid of all the leftover ingredients from her hands and lower arms.

The scrubbing seemed to work wonders, the bits of unwanted remainders falling out of her fur with moderate ease. "You know," the ocelot began, glancing over her shoulder at Esmeralda and smiling widely, "I have to admit, your cooking knowledge is rather impressive, Lady Eszes."

Having seen first hand how purposefully were the orders given out by the owl, as well as her imperturbable confidence throughout the entirety of the process, it would have been rather difficult not to be fascinated by Esmeralda's culinary capabilities. Fruitful and heavenly results were definitely guaranteed once the cake finished baking.

Taking the next turn at the barrel, Esmeralda gave Lindy an appreciative nod. "Thank you for the assistance," the owl said gratefully, flexing her talons for a moment after washing them.

"It was nothing, really," the cow responded, wiping her own hands on her apron, "I should thank you for giving such a virtuoso demonstration of baking techniques! I think I learned more just by watching you than I have in the last few months of practice, Esmeralda."

There was a hum of approval from Lya at those words, the ocelot just finishing with the drying of her fur. Once ensured that her arms wouldn't catch a cold, regardless of how unlikely that sounded, Lya walked back to the stove, watching the confection inside in impatient anticipation. "Any idea when it's done?" She inquired, evidently having lost to her eagerness to see the finished product of their work.

"It should be done in a half hour or so," Esmeralda reported, looking to Lindy, "Mind if I browse your wares out front while we wait? I wanted to get some other sweets for my son, as well."

The baker gestured to the front room. "By all means," she invited, smiling as she added, "In fact, you can cut a quarter off the prices listed. I'm sure I can more than make up for it with the techniques you showed me."

Turning back to the bovine with a surprised expression, Lya smiled widely at the big-hearted baker. "Wow, thank you, Lindy!" She said sincerely, before she made to follow Esmeralda, the two of them exiting the back room.

Soon enough, the pair were appraising the assortment of confections on display, their eyes scanning the wide variety while their minds considered the available options in order to pick ones that the birthday-boy would probably enjoy. Although with Lya, it seemed like every single sweet was just the perfect choice somehow.

"Ooh, I think he would like that one!" The ocelot stated and pointed at a random confection for the umpteenth time, then proceeded to do the same with the one right next to it. "How about this? He would definitely love that one!" Similar sourceless statements followed from Lya as she continued her eager survey of the wares, seemingly forgetting that they were actually on a budget. Unlimited currency was something one could only dream about, after all.

Esmeralda could only chuckle at Lya's behavior. "Goodness, and you harp on Zach for not acting his age," the owl laughed, "Would you like half of the confection budget? Then you can choose some of these, and Snowflake and I can choose some, so they'll be from all three of us."

Finally noticing her own uncharacteristically childish behavior, Lya was quick to straighten herself and return to her usual self. Birthdays, no matter who's, always got her in this jovial state. She looked at Esmeralda with a shy smile, shaking her head vehemently. "Oh, no. I can't accept money from you, Lady Eszes." She replied, waving her paws in unison as if trying to shoo the uncomfortable offer away.

"Don't worry," the ocelot continued somewhat hesitantly, "I... I have my own gift already in mind. You just go ahead and pick a lot of sweets for the dummy. You know his taste a lot better than I do, anyway!" She reasoned, her unsure smile widening a little.

Esmeralda giggled at the ocelot's sudden shyness. "Alright, thought I'd offer," she stated, turning to the available confections and muttering quietly, "Now, what would you like to get him, Snowflake?" If one hadn't known the Elder, one very well may have thought she was suddenly having a psychotic break as she talked to someone who wasn't present.

While knowing perfectly well about the bond between the spirit and the owl, Lya disregarded the delusional looking Elder next to her. The ocelot did say that she already prepared a gift for Zachary, but she didn't mention the uncertainty she felt towards actually giving it to him. And yet, even while being unsure, she knew she actually... wanted to give that gift. The real question was whether or not he would like it.

'I guess I'll just have to wait and see...' Lya mused, somehow managing to convince herself that her decision would turn out to be a success in order to banish her worries out of her mind. And with a long and relieved sigh, she once more joined by Esmeralda's side, lending her own opinion in a more low-key manner as the pair picked out the sweets for Zachary.

Managing to pull together a good variety of sweets, the pair returned to the back room with a box full of confections just as Lindy was pulling out their cake. "I think we're ready for our total," Esmeralda reported.

One cooled cake and the exchanging of gold later, the cow was bidding the pair farewell. "Thank you for coming, and don't forget to tell your friends about Belinda's Baked Goods!" she called out as Esmeralda and Lya exited the shop.

"Absolutely!" the Elder affirmed, not having the heart to tell the baker that the only ones who were likely to hear about this were a dragon, a leopard, and a spirit, all of whom lacked any sort of gold to their name.

"We will, don't you worry! Thanks for everything again, Lindy!" With that parting goodbye and a final wave of a paw, Lya and Esmeralda left the bakery and its owner behind their backs, once more finding themselves on the busy streets of Centrum. Carrying the pack of sweets while the owl did the same with the still warm cottage cheesecake, Lya smiled joyously to the Elder beside her as the two began making their way to the gates.

"I can't wait to see his reaction," the ocelot stated, the hilarious image of a completely dumbfounded leopard eliciting a lighthearted giggle from her, "I can't remember how I acted on my first birthday, but I'm pretty sure I was in an ecstatic mood!"

The owl grinned and nodded. "I wonder if Fatty remembers that far back in his life," she mused as she walked alongside the ocelot. Coming to a halt as she saw the throng of people that they had to walk through to get to the gates, the Elder grimaced. "I'll be damned if some random oaf ruins this cake," she muttered, placing a hand on top of the cake's not-quite-protective container, "Paries Glaciem."

In an instant, the box was reinforced by a thick case of ice, eliciting a satisfied smile from the owl. "There, now it shouldn't get crushed if someone runs into me," Esmeralda stated, looking over to Lya's sack, "Want one? I know you have more experience crowd dodging, but I thought I'd offer."

"Sure." The ocelot replied without hesitation, getting a similar, ice coated package to ensure that nothing would happen to the gifts. With the now completely protected confections in their hands, the pair slowly began worming their way through the crowd on the market hall. Leading the way, Lya's knowledge of avoiding every clingy individual in the process proved to be rather useful, and after some minutes of struggling among the sea of anthros where even drawing breath was hard, the pair finally managed to reach the gates.

Taking a moment to resupply her lungs with much needed fresh air, the ocelot could only watch in silence as a very familiar bull began approaching them. "Hey there, granny!" The guard greeted Esmeralda with a grin, bidding his head to Lya as well, which she returned. As soon as he stopped in front of them, however, the guard's expression suddenly became serious.

He leaned close to the Elder. "Heard the news." He stated quietly, the hint of concern appearing on his features for the very first time as he asked. "How's the boy?"

The owl gave the bull a smile. "He's doing fine," she said, patting the bull's hand, "He doesn't want to come back to the city, though. And I don't blame him." There was no trace of the elderly grandmother act; Esmeralda was being herself with the bull.

The guard heaved a relieved sigh, surprising both the Elder and Lya by ignoring the change in the former's behavior to what he had grown used to. "Can't blame 'im either," he agreed, pulling back a little and shaking his head, "Poor kid was treated like dirty clothes, or even worse. Wish I could've done something, granny, but my hooves were tied because of my blasted job." The bull snorted loudly and shrugged, giving his best attempt at an apology in his own way.

"I know," Esmeralda said, tapping the case of ice and sighing, "Look, I'm sorry I wasn't completely honest with you the first time we met. But, in my defense, I never uttered a false word. Except for calling Zachary my grandson. I tricked you because I thought his life was in danger. So again, I apologize for that."

The bull actually laughed out loud. "Oh, don'tcha worry, I knew you were a trickster the second I saw that lil' sword of yours," he explained quietly, gesturing with his horn towards Esmeralda's cane and giving her a knowing look, "And there's no need for apologizin', granny. You did what you had to. And if what you said is the truth, and you did it because you wanted to protect someone you cared for, then I ain't upset at all. I can bloody respect a person who loves their own with determination!" The guard grinned down widely at the Elder.

Esmeralda sighed heavily. "Oh good, I was afraid you were going to clap me in irons while I wasn't looking," she said not quite jokingly, before nodding at the gate, "Anyway, may we pass? We're planning a surprise party for Zach, and we have some confections with us, so we'd like to get those to him before anything happens to them."

"Surprise party? Hah, can a fella come too?" The guard asked sarcastically, already raising his hoof to gesture for the guards on the gate. "But I bet there's no rootbeer along with those treats, so I think I'm gonna pass this one. Ya'll have fun with that leopard kid, hm?" Giving the best warm smile he could muster, the bull chuckled as he turned around and waved a hoof at both a confused Lya and Esmeralda.

Watching for a moment as the massive gates slowly creaked open, the ocelot turned to the owl next to her afterwards. "I actually like him the best out of all the guards." She stated with a small smile, waving her own paw at the bull in question as the pair crossed the entrance of the city.

Stopping after a few steps, the owl turned on her heel and looked to the guard again. "What's your name?" she asked, cocking her head.

The bull cocked an eyebrow in mild surprise at the inquiry, shrugging casually as he replied. "Name's Bishop. And I ain't even gonna ask for yours. You're staying granny, granny." He grinned again, leaning on his spear. "Thought you had an urgent surprise party? Go along, then, before I decide to look for those irons you mentioned!"

With a nod and a last wave, the Elder turned back to Lya, following the ocelot back to their home. "Alright, Snowflake, we're coming home," she stated aloud, a smile on her face as she did so, "Is Zach distracted?"

A moment later, the owl gave another nod, before looking to her present companion. "He's studying his tomes," she reported.

Lya grinned. "Perfect. Tell Snowflake not to let him cast any spells, though, if you could. He's gonna need a lot of energy!" Evidently, the ocelot was looking forward to the training than a certain leopard.

"Did you get that?" the Elder asked, apparently to the air, before addressing Lya again, "She told him to keep his energy up for the upcoming trouncing. Apparently Basajaun's already had his fill of bruising today; he and Snowflake sparred not long after we left."

Nodding in acknowledgement, Lya turned ahead, her eyes settling on the worn-out road ahead of the pair. "Dummy is gonna have his fill, too." Was all she said, a mischievous expression playing across her features.

With the anticipation of both celebrating and trouncing Zachary on the same day, the two females quickly made their way back to the clearing, not stopping once in their somewhat quickened pace. Upon arrival, just as Snowflake had said, they found a more than preoccupied leopard sitting next to the campfire, his head buried in his tome as his eyes scanned the pages restlessly.

Hearing the quiet footsteps, however, Zachary perked up his ears, his head soon following. When he noticed Lya and Esmeralda returning with mysterious loot in their possession, the feline turned to Basajaun with a flat expression. "Look, Basa, the 'supplies' are here."

Currently resting his more than sore limbs and tail in the fire with a relaxed expression, the dragon looked over to Lya as Snowflake busied herself with rubbing the dragon's back with her dimly glowing claws, trying to make up for the times that the drake wound up landing hard on that particular area, as well as once again enjoying the general softness that the dragon's flab and fur provided.

"Hey, did you get everything?" he asked, looking at the icy parcels the females carried.

Giving a casual nod at the question, Esmeralda beckoned Lya over to the Elder's tent, the pair making to duck inside.

Before they could disappear, Zachary's childishly curious tone stopped the two from entering. "What are you two carrying there?" he inquired with a cocked head, trying to peer at the contents through the frosty packaging without too much success, "And why on earth is ice coating the whole thing?" Similar to the chilly encasement, Lya froze at the leopard's question, remaining completely silent as she looked at Esmeralda for support.

The Elder paused, before her head slowly came back from the bowels of her tent. "Two women just went into town, without male companions," she began, giving Zachary a very serious expression, "And now they're carrying packages that you can't see through into one of their shelters. Now, son, I'm going to ask this once, and you should really think on it; do you really want to know?"

While Lya struggled to contain the immense amount of amusement the Elder's save brought, Zachary could only blink several times at the owl. "I... uh..." he stammered, a mild blush crossing his cheeks as he turned away from the suddenly uncomfortable set of eyes that lingered on him, "Nevermind. I'll pass." He said, coughing nervously and, to avoid any further embarrassment, simply continued reading his tome.

"Smart boy," Esmeralda stated, flashing a grin to the leopard before beckoning Lya into her tent again. Snowflake was shaking so hard trying not to laugh that she had to stop Basajaun's back massage.

Staying loyal to the name the Elder had just called him, Zachary didn't lift his nose from his book until Lya emerged from the tent once more. There was a frozen grin plastered on the ocelot's face as the leopard looked up at her from his sitting position, watching her approach with cocked eyebrows.

"So, dummy," Lya began joyously, clapping her paws together, "Are we ready for some close combat training?" She inquired, her expression unchanged even when the leopard gave a slight grimace of displeasure.

"No." He murmured stubbornly, glancing at the ground and lowering his ears to his head, his tail curling around protectively, as if knowing where this chain of events would eventually lead to. "I wouldn't call it a training. Just a one-sided embarrassment."

Furrowing her brows for only a moment when Zachary wasn't looking, Lya quickly wiped the expression from her face, her encouraging smile returning immediately. "Nah, Zach. It's gonna be fine," she tried reassuring him, waving a paw, "Think about it as a little exercise for your muscles. Keeping physically fit is just as important as learning everything about magic!"

With a single motion, which proved her unquestionable swiftness, Lya snatched the leopard's book from his paws. The action was finished so fast that Zachary could only register the absence of his tome with a huge delay, blinking at the nothingness that replaced the object that had been in his hands just a second ago. "Hey! I was reading th--"

"Yes, you were." Lya cut him off casually, dangling the book in front of the leopard teasingly. When he made to retrieve it, he found himself grabbing at the air; the tome was long gone before he even began moving, secured safely behind the ocelot's back.

"Now," she continued, giving a more than dumbfounded Zachary a pat on his shoulder, "Come, Zach. It's really not going to be that bad. Or do I have to get your dad to convince you somehow?" She shot a glance at Basajaun, evidently asking for support to get the suddenly headstrong leopard going.

The dragon smiled at the word "dad" again, before looking over to Zachary. "Go on, show your father what you can do," he invited, imitating the leopard's earlier tone in a teasing manner, before flashing the leopard a supportive grin, "But really, you'll do fine, Zach. I know you will."

Looking between Lya and Basajaun with a grimace, Zachary let out an exasperated sigh and relented. "Fine." He replied, getting a relieved expression from Lya as he made to stand. With a constant grumbling joining his grumpy steps, the leopard walked some distance away from the campfire, eventually stopping at the edge of the clearing.

"Is this far enough, battlemaster Lya?" He called back to the ocelot.

The battlemaster chuckled joyously at the name. "No, we're going a little deeper into the forest and look for a new clearing, my little pupil!" She shouted back.

A loud groan followed those words that was even audible with the distance between the two felines. "Why?" The more frustrated of the two asked, continuing to mumble words under his breath that were lost to everyone but him.

"You want your dad to see me trounce you, Zachary?" Lya asked in turn calmly.

There was a long silence after those words, the pause stretching out for several seconds. "Fair enough." Was all the leopard said, the relenting sentence barely making its way to the ears of the members of the group.

Laughing once again, Lya turned back to Basajaun and Snowflake. "Alright," she began with a whisper, smiling to the two dragons, "We'll be back in around two hours, guys. That's plenty of time for you to get ready with everything, and more than enough to get Zach tired. Good luck!" With that, the ocelot left the pair of dragons, quickly joining the leopard's side at the edge of the clearing.

As Basajaun and Snowflake watched the two felines leave the clearing, they could hear the conversation that picked up between them, although only barely.

"You're all acting kinda weird, y'know." Zachary remarked quietly, getting an amused chuckle from Lya and a pat on the back.

"We are weird, Zach. It's just the usual. Thought you've gotten used to that by now!"

"Yeah... I guess, but th..."

The pair of voices, along with their words, faded away as Zachary and Lya slowly stepped out of hearing range. Although not long after they disappeared from sight in the dense undergrowth, the leopard's chuckle was audible, soon joined by the ocelot's as well. Apparently, Zachary was already over with his initial stubbornness about this particular obligation.

Basajaun grinned once the felines were gone, before getting to his feet, his hot claws singing the grass they touched slightly. Stretching and shaking his sore body, the drake turned to Snowflake and gave her a quick nuzzle. "I'll be back in a moment," he stated, looking over to Esmeralda's tent as she poked her head out.

"I assume what you're about to do has something to do with your gift to Zach, doesn't it?" she asked, "Would you like to clue the rest of us in on that?"

Considering for a moment, the dragon eventually shook his head with a sly smile. "No, I think I'll keep it to myself for now," he replied, grinning and winking to the owl, before turning to Snowflake, "And no giving it away, if you know what it is already."

The spirit giggled, waving a paw dismissively. "I can't read your mind yet, Forest," she stated, smiling to the drake, "Your secret is safe with you, for now."

"Good," Basajaun stated, before moving out of the clearing in the opposite direction of the felines, "I shouldn't be too long."

Stepping out from her tent with the two parcels of pastries in hand, the Elder moved to Snowflake. "Come on, let's get an area set up to put these," she invited, the familiar and mistress beginning to clear an area when Basajaun's line of sight was cut off from them.

Walking a discrete distance into the woods, the dragon spent a few moments examining different trees, eventually settling on a large, old oak tree. Testing some of the lower branches, Basajaun pulled several of them off with loud snaps, the sound startling some of the nearby birds. Disregarding the fleeing avians, the drake tucked the branches under his wings, before moving off once again.

Following his nose and tongue, the reptile eventually found a walnut tree. Standing up and balancing on his hind legs, a task made more difficult by his heavy front, Basajaun picked as many of the husked nuts as he could, before lowering back down to the ground.

Setting the nuts aside, the dragon took his branches and laid them out neatly. Looking over each one for its general shape, Basajaun made his selection when he found a branch with a section the right shape for what he had in mind. With a quick incantation, the dragon sharpened his claws and began his work, humming one of Zachary's traveling songs as he began carving the wood.

Similar to Basajaun, in another part of the woodlands that embraced Centrum's boundaries in its emerald grasp, the sound of a creaking branch resonated throughout the puny clearing Zachary and Lya decided to use as their location for the training. As soon as the vibration finished echoing between the wide and tall oak trees that surrounded the grass dominated expanse, a loud snap followed, forcing the occupants of the area to flee in fear, leaving the two felines completely alone.

"Finally." Lya sighed in relief, pulling on the long branch she just broke off from a tree with some effort. It took some time for the remaining pieces of the branch to finally let go of their owner, but with some deliberate and determined twisting, it eventually obeyed the ocelot's will.

Zachary, who held his own lifeless remains of a decently straight and lengthy sprig in his right paw, watched with a clearly impressed look on his face as Lya obtained her own woody weapon with marginal difficulties. Who would have thought that an ocelot, an individual who was even shorter than the leopard himself and previously had a work which required no physical prowess in the slightest, could appear so confident in a field he wouldn't have associated her with.

Then again, her willingness to show her unquestionable dominance with almost everyone complimented this trait of hers perfectly. It made Zachary wonder just ho--

"Zach?" Lya's voice cut his musings off, her tone the exact opposite of the leopard's previous thoughts about her with its softness and care. When he looked at her and saw her tilted head, friendly features and mildly concerned smile, Zachary could feel the known warmness returning to his body, the pleasant sensation enveloping its entirety while his heart began beating just a tiny bit faster than before.

For only a moment, he completely forgot the reason they came out here in the first place. Lya was quick to remind him, however. "I do hope your goofy grin is an indicator that you're ready to start." The ocelot stated with a smirk, surprising Zachary with her words. What grin was she talking about? He wasn't even... Yes, yes he was.

Wiping away the expression that appeared on his muzzle without him commanding to do so, the leopard sheepishly lowered his round ears to the sides of his head. His sudden shyness must have been quite amusing, as Lya gave an affectionate chuckle, a sound he was very fond of.

"I'll take that as a yes." Lya replied in his place, and while not entirely getting what his own answer exactly would have been, she was correct. He was as ready as he would ever be. No amount of procrastination would save him from this "training", and it was better to be just simply done with it, rather than trying to avoid the inevitable.

With a nod of his head, which his new tutor followed with her own and an encouraging smile, the pair of felines began their training with varying enthusiasm.

At first, Lya started off easy with him. Unlike Esmeralda, the ocelot gave an in-depth explanation of the art of melee combat, mentioning different sorts of techniques and customs, their origins, their strengths and weaknesses, as well as giving an example about each one and the scenario they could prove to be the most useful.

All the while enlightening Zachary about close combat and its secrets, the pair made sure not to have idle hands as their brains worked. Much like with the useful explanation he was given, Lya took things slowly with the inexperienced leopard. They began practicing with basic attack and defensive schemes, exchanging roles occasionally so Zachary wouldn't lack knowledge about either of them. The branches collided against each other lightly and with deliberate, predictable motions, making a more than relieved leopard's job nearly effortless.

Soon enough, the initially nervous feline exited the cocoon of stubbornness he wrapped himself in, actually opening his mind to just simply learn something he didn't know about, rather than resisting. His increasing openness seemed to work wonders on Lya as well, and before they knew it, the pair lost themselves in their mutual enjoyment of the lighthearted training.

It wasn't until half an hour passed that the ocelot decided to proceed with the lesson. Having already finished with the talking and low-key fighting, Lya paused in their restrained sparring for a moment.

"Alright, Zach," she started and lowered her branch, giving a satisfied but serious expression to the feline in question, "Now that you have a basic idea of how to properly use both offensive and defensive techniques, we can move on to the real training."

The leopard blinked. "I thought we've already started the training?" He inquired, looking a little surprised by her statement. When Lya gave an amused laugh, his surprise turned to bafflement really fast, however.

"No, you silly. That was only the warm-up." The ocelot informed him with a giggle, shaking her head while Zachary grimaced slightly at those words. He was actually having fun up until now, why did she have ruin it like that?

Ignoring the leopard's displeasure so casually that it surprised even herself, Lya simply pushed on. "We're going to try some scenarios now," she said, turning her back to him to walk a few paces away before redirecting her attention to him once more and pointing a finger at him "You're the attacker, I'm the defender. Try to hit me on an area of your choice, and give it your best, Zach!"

Lya grinned, the expression more inviting and challenging than comforting at the moment. While he liked seeing the gesture as much as he liked listening to her alluring laughter, he knew perfectly well what it possibly meant.

It meant probable pain to Zachary himself.

"Oh, and don't forget that I'm not Lady Eszes," the ocelot reminded him, as if the statement wasn't obvious enough, "The techniques you used to penetrate her defense might prove to be useless in my case." With that warning out of her way, Lya positioned herself in a battle stance, Zachary doing the same reluctantly. Her posture emitted sheer confidence and unquestionable experience, his evidently full of uncertainty and hesitation.

The single flash of an encouraging smile and a wave of her paw proved to be enough, however, and Zachary began charging towards Lya. His grip on his branch tightened, the lean muscles in his body roaring up in advance as he neared her. He already knew his target long before he started running, and with decent determination, he attempted to deliver his blow. How Lya handled his shameful attack, however, caught him completely off-guard.

Instead of parrying or even raising her "weapon", the ocelot simply stepped sideways in a blink of an eye when Zachary was right in front of her, effortlessly dodging the strike in the process in the most unexpected way she could.

The absence of any resistance against his blow resulted in a more than sorry consequence for the leopard. He stumbled forwards, toppling over in his own legs as he tried to stop himself and landing on the ground with a painfully loud thud. As always, face first.

"I told you I wasn't Esmeralda, Zach." Lya's reminder was audible through his muffled groaning while his face was buried in the grass, even audible through the massive amount of embarrassment and disappointment he felt at the moment.

"I... hate... close combat." Zachary murmured as a reply.

After watching the crestfallen leopard stay in his sulking position for some time, the ocelot gave a soft chuckle at the image. "Don't worry," she assured him, her tone somehow comforting enough to be registered by Zachary, "As much as it seems like a failure, it's actually a success."

The statement left the feline on the ground so perplexed that he forced himself to extract his head from the humiliation-free confinement the dirt provided. He braced his arms, heaving himself up and standing up on his feet and letting loose a single cough. Landing on your chest when one's lungs were weak wasn't really pleasant.

"What do you mean?" He inquired with a confused grimace, rubbing the bruise on his chest with his free paw.

Lya smiled warmly. "Now I know where the problem is," she stated, pointing at Zachary's legs, which he followed with his eyes, listening in silence to her knowledgeable explanation.

"Your stance is a little off," tapping his legs with her branch, the ocelot gave him a comforting expression, "If we work on that, you'll have a much easier time practicing offensive techniques. That's why you don't have so many problem with defense, Zach. You're usually stationary while you're defending, which is not the case when you're attacking. It seems like running throws your balance off more than it does for others, that's why you can't get a grasp of the damn thing, and that's why you just fell over when you shouldn't have."

Blinking in bewilderment and amazement at the same time, Zachary could only give a baffled stare to Lya for a very long time. "You... you gathered all that by watching me run for a couple of seconds?" He asked in disbelief.

The ocelot shrugged nonchalantly. "I guess I did. It's not really hard to notice something like that if you've been trained in the same way for years and years." The smile that adorned her furred cheeks never left, providing immense amount of comfort to the somewhat crestfallen leopard.

"So, you're saying that if we work on my stance, I can actually learn close combat properly?" He gave a hopeful expression, making it all the more harder for Lya to reply.

"Well, I can't be sure," she answered honestly, pursing her lips with a finger, "It's definitely going to help you, Zach, but it's not going to suddenly give you talent in melee combat, neither will it teach the things you need to know by itself." When Zachary's face fell, Lya felt guilt rising in her heart, and quickly continued before the leopard could enter his sulking state.

"But," she started, waiting until he looked up at her once more, "Once your stance problem is out of the way, I'm sure you will be able to make remarkable progress, Zach. If your willingness to learn magic is any indication of your determination, then you'll eventually learn close combat as well."

Zachary searched Lya's face for a moment, heaving a prolonged sigh once he was certain about her sincerity. The alluring smile on her muzzle made it rather difficult to doubt any of her words. "Alright," tapping his chest with a paw and finally brightening his expression, the leopard stared into Lya's eyes with fierce passion, "Let's work on that balance, then."

And so, they did. The pair spent the rest of the training focusing exclusively on resolving Zachary's problem with his stance, the process proving to be expected and unexpected at the same time. What the leopard didn't foresee were different kind of methods Lya had him do. She told him to stand on a single leg for long minutes, and while at first baffled by the odd request, Zachary obeyed anyway, spending several painful moments balancing on either his left or right leg.

When he finally managed to find a way not to fall over, Lya was quick to shatter his success by making the training a lot more difficult. As he was forced to stand on one of his legs, the ocelot began gently nudging him at first, trying to throw him off balance. Sure enough, the soft shoving resulted in a rather ungraceful visit to the ground on uncountable occasions, which were accompanied by various bruises and scratches across the leopard's body in numerous places. The main damage was on his elbows and arms, which he favored as a way of deadening the impact when he fell on the grass for the umpteenth time.

And there was the part of the training he expected; pain.

Yet, no matter how many times he fell down on the ground, which became more and more rocklike as the time passed, Zachary always stood up to give another try. Even when his legs began trembling with exhaustion, he forced one to hang in the air, while the other held his increasingly heavier body up. His determination wasn't the only consistent thing, however.

Lya, who gave useful advices and suggestions throughout the entire process, as well as encouraging him the best way she could, was always next to his side. She offered her paw each time the leopard found himself on the ground, and he took it each time, relishing the comfort the contact brought and banishing the pain he felt in all of his limbs for only just a second.

Naturally, the grievous training continued, and after nearly an hour of continuous falling and standing, Lya made to nudge Zachary on the shoulder for the umpteenth time.

And at last, he didn't move an inch, holding up against the shoving without budging.

"Zach!" The ocelot exulted, a joyous grin crossing her muzzle. "There you go! That's how you do it!" She laughed, scanning Zachary's completely unmoving body with a critical eye as she moved around him.

"Now try to switch legs." She requested with a soft tone, watching as he did so. When she pushed on his body and got the same, stationary result as before, Lya gave an approving nod. "Excellent. Your balance is already much better than it was before, although still not quite right. Regardless, good going, Zach."

"Can... can I stop now?" Zachary pleaded through his teeth with his jaws and eyes clenched tightly, his whole body beginning to tremble like leaves in the light breeze.

"By all means, yes. You deserve that rest." Lya replied with a clearly impressed tone.

As soon as the words left her lips, the leopard collapsed and sprawled out on the ground for the last time, groaning loudly. The muscles in his legs felt like they were tied tightly in a knot, while the bruises on his arms burned with intense pain. For long moments, Zachary couldn't open his mouth or his eyes, only occasionally hissing through his teeth as he waited for the unpleasant sensations to dissipate.

Sitting down next to him on the grass, Lya smiled down at the exhausted feline. "Little tired, huh?" She asked the question that needed no answer, moving a paw to scratch behind the leopard's ear, a gesture which normally would have elicited a purr from him, but one that wasn't enough to overwhelm his tired state.

Zachary grunted weakly in reply, the sound eliciting a chortle from the ocelot. "Don't worry," she assured him, her paw suddenly stroking his head instead of scratching it, "We're done for today. You really did good, Zach. I'm sure you will be swinging your sword like a warrior in no time."

"I... wouldn't bet on that." The leopard insisted, chuckling weakly at his lack of confidence. He knew perfectly well the boundaries of his close combat capabilities; they weren't nearly as expansive as any of his friends'. Nonetheless, Lya's words provided some amount of comfort to him.

Finally opening his eyes and staring up at the blue sky for long moments in silence, Zachary heaved a prolonged sigh and attempted to sit up. His body seemed to disagree with this decision vehemently, as it began sending rather unpleasant impulses to every possible muscle, reminding the leopard of his sorry state.

"Need a little help?" Lya offered with a compassionate tone, smiling down at Zachary and withdrawing his paw from his head, to the leopard's minor disappointment, to help him up.

"Wouldn't mind some right now," the leopard chuckled weakly, taking her hand and heaving himself up from the ground in a sitting position with some effort, "Thanks." He said, forcing a smile on his muzzle hard; it seemed like even his facial muscles were tired.

All the answer Lya gave was her warm smile, and after letting Zachary brace himself for his next performance, she helped him to his feet as well. Once back on his legs, the leopard's limbs began quaking almost immediately, nearly giving out beneath his normally puny weight, which seemed a lot heavier at the moment.

"Here," the ocelot took his arm carefully, paying close attention to his wounds as she rested the limb over her shoulders, "I got you." She turned to face Zachary as she helped him holding himself up, staring into his eyes in silence. The clear affection that glimmered in those amber globes nearly made him forget about the pain altogether. What it didn't make him forget, however, was his steadily reddening cheeks as they looked into each other's eyes.

"Uh... I..." Zachary stammered rather pathetically, swallowing the lump in his throat and gathering his voice and words alike. "T-Thanks again, Lya." He said silently, his own goofy smile crossing his muzzle.

Lya gave a simple nod, giggling mirthfully at the leopard's sudden shyness and began leading him out of the clearing. The pair stayed in their "embrace" as they left the place of their training with deliberate steps, both enjoying the warmth feeling the gentle touch provided. Zachary's muzzle froze into a wide grin, the expression not leaving his face the entire time while they made their way back to their campsite.

Snowflake was fussing over the arrangement of the confections on the frozen table once again, alongside the dinner that she had prepared during the felines' absence, trying to improve upon the already impressive presentation in miniscule ways. Meanwhile, Basajaun lay next to the fire, his wings obscuring the project he was working on from the dragoness at the table and the owl on the opposite side of the fire.

Esmeralda sat quietly as she waited for Zachary and Lya's return, looking almost to be meditating patiently. Opening her eyes at the sound of approaching footsteps, the owl looked up to the dragon, who nodded grinningly in confirmation of who the nearing individuals were.

Standing quickly and in unison, the Elder and Basajaun made their way to the table, the drake carrying his projects safely hidden under his wings. Setting themselves beside Snowflake, the trio waited for the felines to come into sight.

No sooner did a limping Zachary and the assisting Lya appear from the undergrowth. Unlike when they left, the pair wasn't conversing upon arrival, silence following their footsteps as they neared the edge of the clearing.

As soon as his tired eyes settled on the objects that appeared out of nowhere during his training, the leopard blinked in disbelief. The massive amount of confusion he felt was clearly displayed on his features, his expression changing from surprised to perplexed, back to curious and then right back to completely baffled. It took him long moments to process what he was seeing, and even more to finally open his mouth to talk, rather than holding it agape as he stared at both the individuals around the foreign table and the items displayed.

"Uh... W-what's... going on?" He inquired quietly, glancing between the members of the group for the answer to his question. Lya simply gave him a grin so wide that it threatened to split her head in half. The gesture didn't help much.

"Surprise!" the whole group called in unison, Esmeralda and Lya continuing the exclamation with, "Happy birthday, Zachary!"

Zachary stopped breathing altogether. The group's "Surprise" proved to be completely effective, as it left the young anthro more bewildered than ever before throughout his whole life. His mouth agape and eyes nearly popping out of their sockets, the leopard could only glance between the members of the group without turning his head, completely frozen, unable to talk or even think for long moments.

"Happy... b-birthday?" he reiterated with a whisper, barely shaking his head as his first real movement in disbelief, "I... but... it's not even... I don't even know my...." The words died in his throat, his mind too shocked to comprehend what was actually happening to him, or even register the pain in his body anymore.

Lya could only laugh jovially at Zachary's brain-dead state, pulling on his arms on her shoulders and slowly leading them to the table. The leopard didn't do anything to stop her, letting his limp body be dragged to the others in baffled silence.

Basajaun grinned widely at the leopard's expression. "Lya mentioned birthdays, and wanted to know when yours was," the dragon explained as his son was lead to the table, "We couldn't figure out an exact date, but we know it's in summer. Since it's summer now, we figured we could give you a surprise party. What do you think?"

Stopping in front of the laden table, Lya slowly extracted Zachary's limp arm from her shoulder when she was sure he could stand, taking his hand in hers and leading him to the opposite side where the other members of the group were situated. She led him straight to Basajaun, letting go of his hand, giving the drake a warm smile, and then sitting down on the grass.

Zachary remained standing despite his trembling legs, staring numbly at numerous confections that adorned the table in front of him. He glanced back at the others, an unreadable expression on his face. "You... you guys are celebrating my... b-birthday?" He asked, his voice barely audible.

The dragon nodded, putting a hand on Zachary's shoulder. "To be honest, I've never heard of a birthday party before today," he informed the feline, rubbing the leopard's back gently, "But everyone said they were really special events in an anthro's life, so I immediately wanted you to have one. Because if anyone deserves a special celebration, it's you, son." The statement was confirmed by the nods of the females present.

Basajaun's words, everyone's kind, sincere and heartfelt smiles and their willingness to even think about such a gesture sent happiness through Zachary's whole being he never thought he could experience. He felt his heart filling with warmth like never before, his mind slowly processing that the people he loved most in the world were actually doing this for him.

He was having his first birthday in his life.

The thought was the last brick in the wall that held his emotions at bay, and he couldn't contain them anymore, unable to keep them bottled up like this. He was too elated to do so.

Zachary's muzzle slowly broke into a true smile, his eyes tearing up with drops of joy. They were celebrating his birthday. He still couldn't believe it, despite that it was happening right in front of him. After nineteen years of absence, the experience was granted to him.

"Thank you." The heartfelt phrase left his lips as a nearly silent whisper, a single tear drifting down his cheeks before it was lost in his dense fur. More would have followed, but he wiped them away the best he could, not wanting to ruin the mood with his crying. Even if he had allowed himself to break down in tears, every single droplet would have been of pure happiness.

Lya suddenly grabbed his paw, squeezing the limb tenderly, which he returned immediately. "Happy birthday, Zach." She reiterated, her tone soft as silk, just like her touch.

Moving to the leopard, Esmeralda put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently. "I hope our choice of distraction didn't wind up tiring you too much," she stated in a mildly apologetic tone, "We needed a while to set this up for you. Snowflake, Lya, and I picked out the sweets and baked the cake. And Fatty's been working on something he hasn't let the rest of us see yet as his gift for you."

Giving an enthusiastic smile, the owl gestured to the table. "So, which would you like first; your birthday dinner, or the gifts?" she inquired curiously.

Zachary wiped the remaining tears from his eyes quickly, turning to the Elder. "Gifts?" He repeated the word with a childishly excited grin, only mirth apparent on his features.

Lya laughed at his sudden change of behavior, shaking her head a little at the jovial leopard and forcing him to finally sit down. "Yes, gifts for the celebrated. Which are you more; hungry or curious?" She asked with a wide smile.

Taking his sweet time with his crucial decision, the leopard considered his options, putting a finger under his chin in deep thought. Before he could gave an answer, however, his stomach decided to reply instead of him, releasing a demanding growl as his eyes scanned the inviting culinary creations on the table.

The feline laughed sheepishly, lowering his ears to his head. "I guess dinner could come first." He responded, the ecstatic grin plastered on his face never leaving while he glanced between the members of the group.

Snowflake grinned alongside the rest of the group, pointing to the non-pastry foods on the table. "I made the dinner for you," she stated proudly, scooting some of the dishes closer to the leopard, "I put my own spin on some of the stews and roasts you made with Forest in his burrow. I thought it'd be a nice theme for this meal."

The leopard raised his eyebrows in surprise at the spirit's words. "You made the same meals I and Basa did after we met?" He asked in disbelief, getting a nod in reply. With the same grin on his face, he turned his attention to the dishes in front of him, wasting no time to sate the craving hunger in his stomach after hours of intense training.

"You're the best, Snowflake!" Zachary proclaimed joyously, grabbing what looked like a hare's leg and eagerly raising it to his mouth. Before he could enjoy the familiar's doubtlessly delightful cooking, however, the leopard turned back to the members of the group.

"I... I'm not going to eat alone, right?" He asked, unsure whether or not it was a custom for only the celebrated to eat during their birthdays. "I want you all to eat with me."

The Elder gave a pat on the leopard's shoulder. "We'll be joining, you," she assured him, "It's just tradition for the birthday boy to have the first bite at dinner, and of the cake as well, afterwards."

In the middle of reaching for a bit of the dinner himself, Basajaun stopped and looked over to Zachary for a moment, giving an abashed expression. "Oh," he mumbled under his breath, lowering his head slightly in moderate embarrassment.

Completely uncaring about such customs, the leopard chuckled merrily at the dragon's near-blunder. "Here," Zachary began, quickly taking a bite from the hare's leg and immediately moaning in approval as the familiar taste enveloped his taste buds, flooding his mind with heartwarming memories he was sure he would never forget.

After finishing with his savoring, the leopard offered the rest of hare to Basajaun with a broad grin. "You can have the second 'bite', dad." He said with a chuckle, his heartfelt happiness still playing across his furry features. Lya grimaced slightly at the two, but kept her thoughts to herself for now.

Smiling wide, Basajaun took the hare gingerly, enjoying the memorable taste as well. Of course, Snowflake's culinary skills allowed her to improve the flavor significantly, and yet she somehow preserved the nostalgic taste while doing so. Humming in impressed approval, the dragon looked over to the spirit as he swallowed.

"You're a magician, Snowy," he stated, trying his hand at a nickname for his potential mate. The name elicited a giggle from the spirit, and for a moment, the dragon could swear he could "feel" her blushing.

Basajaun wasn't the only one who felt the foreign sensation, Zachary pausing in his eating for a moment and looking to the familiar. "I can only agree with that. You're amazing," he stated with a grin, which soon was followed by an addition so teasing in nature that it couldn't have come from anyone but him, "Snowy." His mock elicited an amused snort from Lya, as well as a shake of her head as she began eating along with the others.

Stifling his snickering by biting eagerly into the soft meat in his paws, the leopard resumed satisfying the hunger which tore at his stomach, each mouthful sending another happy memory through his mind. The known food and his chain of thoughts eventually led to something interesting, and Zachary paused in his eating once again to glance down at himself.

"Do you remember how I looked like when first met, Basa?" he asked from the dragon, his eyes still scanning his body uncertainly, "Because I don't really anymore... Did I change any?" He looked up at the reptile with a smile that refused to leave his lips, cocking his head curiously.

The drake nodded, oddly enough not eating anymore that the hare that had been offered. "You were a lot less muscular," he stated, gesturing to the leopard, "In fact, you were..."

Basajaun paused, looking for a polite way to put what he was about to say. "You were very thin," he stated quietly, feeling his fathering instincts becoming slightly riled just remembering the emaciated body Zachary had when they first encountered one another. It was rather obvious that this wasn't a part of the memory of their meeting that he enjoyed thinking about.

"Huh," the leopard said in mild surprise, once again looking down at himself, "Interesting. I didn't even notice it myself." He admitted thoughtfully, his smile widening into a grin. Looking up at Basajaun, Zachary winked playfully at the dragon, a chuckle following the gesture.

"Seems like you weren't the only one who got into a better shape, huh?" Nudging the drake's soft shoulder gently, the feline's utterly joyous mood seemed to overpower every other emotion in his mind at the moment, completely disregarding the pitiful state he had been before he kicked Basajaun on that fateful day.

Nuzzling the leopard's shoulder back, Basajaun considered for a moment, before repositioning himself so that he was laying on his side behind Zachary. "Here, you shouldn't have to sit on the ground to enjoy your meal," the dragon offered, patting his middle invitingly, "I offer you your throne, good sir!"

"Oh, I simply cannot refuse your hospitality, kind dragon," Zachary replied, already well into his posh acting as he glanced behind him at Basajaun, "I'll gladly accept your generous offer." Flashing a grin that ultimately destroyed his authenticity, the feline quickly fetched an additional leg of hare that would hopefully sate his stomach, and in a blink of an eye, took his "throne".

"Comfiest throne ever, I swear." He proclaimed with a happy giggle, nibbling on the meat in his paws as he sat cross-legged on the luxurious softness the dragon's fattened midriff provided for him. The heavenly food and the comfortable place soon began taking effect on the happy feline, who started purring softly after a moment.

Looking up at Zachary from her place on the ground, Lya smiled warmly at him. That constant smile and childishly thrilled expression on his face was all she needed to know. The leopard was enjoying his first real birthday immensely, the fact that he was spending it with his friends contributing a great deal to his uplifted spirits.

Taking a position beside the dragon, Esmeralda patted Zachary's thigh. "Don't go filling yourself too much on the healthy stuff, now," she said in an ironically mothering manner, "There's also the cake and sweets for you to enjoy, too."

The leopard sighed contentedly after he finished with his hare, looking down at the owl and waving a paw. "Don't worry mom," he replied, beaming at her and not even realizing what he had called Esmeralda and simply continuing, "Training with Lya got me kinda hungry." While the statement was completely honest and innocent, it came with an unexpected realization as well.

His own words reminded him that he had a training with the ocelot in the first place, and with the remainder, came the realization that he was actually rather tired... and still hurting. The various wounds on his limbs roared up in unison once they were once more registered in his brain, the crumpled muscles in his legs pulsating with every beat of his heart.

Despite the sudden discomfort and pain, Zachary's smile never left his muzzle. He was simply too happy to care, and somehow, he managed to ignore the unpleasant sensations that burned mercilessly in his body.

With the mention of his son's training, Basajaun took notice of the scrapes on the feline's elbows and hands from the repeated breaking of falls. Despite the seeming insignificance of the wounds, the dragon felt his nurturing instincts immediately flare up. Raising a claw, he lightly touched Zachary's right elbow, muttering, "Carne Sanare," a green spark jumping into the scabbed-over wound.

The flash of lights wasn't the only thing that jumped, the leopard himself following in its footsteps as he registered the extremely ticklish sensation in the elbow Basajaun was healing. Pulling his arm away and giggling uncontrollably for a few moments, Zachary looked at Basajaun after he managed to suppress his unintentional laughter.

"What are you doing?" He inquired with a clearly affectionate and amused expression, destroying every possibility of him being even remotely upset by the dragon's secret healing mission.

Looking into the leopard's eyes, Basajaun smiled slightly abashedly. "You could get infections if you leave open wounds like these untreated," he stated, pointing to the feline's hands and other elbow, "And I don't like being able to smell your blood. So, may I heal these?"

While usually mildly annoyed by the reptile's overprotective nature, Zachary couldn't help but enjoy the dragon's care for him. It was difficult to be mad when one was celebrating their birthday, after all.

"If that calms you." The leopard began with a warm smile, making to extend his paw towards Basajaun's head before stopping himself. The dragon just said he didn't enjoy smelling his blood, therefore putting it right on his face would have been rather inconsiderate, even from a pure teaser like Zachary. So instead, he withdrew his paw and nodded as he finished. "Then you may."

Smiling, the dragon tended to the leopard's wounds one after the other, brushing the scabs free of his son's fur as he did so. The repetition of the advanced spell quickly wore at the drake's endurance, but he disregarded this completely; his son was hurt, and no force on the planet would get in the way of resolving this as best he could, regardless of how minor the injuries were.

Zachary watched the entire process with a smile, Lya joining soon in the observation. Somehow seeing Basajaun tending the leopard's wounds with such care brought a smile on the ocelot's muzzle as well, and the expression was only broken by the marginal amount of guilt she felt for taking a part in the appearance of those wounds.

"Sorry for the... painful training, by the way." She apologized somewhat quietly, having lost to the temptation to do so, even though she wasn't the one who inflicted the pain itself.

Waving a paw that had already been healed, Zachary glanced down at Lya from his throne. "Nah, it's fine, really," he reassured her, beaming at the ocelot for seemingly no reason whatsoever, "It wasn't really that bad. And with such a talented biomancer," he patted the dragon's side appreciatively, "I'm gonna be back in top form before I know it!" He said, not even knowing himself that he was lying; the ache in his leg muscles wasn't going to disappear anytime soon by some miracle.

With the last of the offensive congealed blood removed from Zachary's fur, Basajaun nuzzled his friend's healed up hands. "There, all better," he nearly cooed, like one would to an infant, giving a light lick to the leopard's paw. Esmeralda and Snowflake both chuckled amusedly at the display, each bearing an affectionate smile, though directing them at different males.

"Thanks, bud." The feline said, stroking the dragon's head appreciatively for a few moments, and of course wiping the reptile's saliva all over the area in the process. Suppressing a chuckle from his little prank, Zachary flashed a grin to Basajaun, before redirecting his attention on the table and its contents once again.

"So," the leopard said, his eyes scanning the uncountable choices of confections he had at his disposal, "Now onto the dessert!" He announced with a thrilled laugh, reaching down for a treat he found to be somehow familiar.

As soon as he bit into it and savored its distinct taste, Zachary's eyes widened in realization. He turned to Esmeralda, a broad smile on his face. "Hey, I stole one of these once!" The statement was followed by a silence and a mildly surprised look from Lya, the leopard only recognizing what he had said after it was too late.

"I... I mean, I tasted this once." He corrected himself with a nervous cough, lowering his ears to his head sheepishly as he continued munching on his sugar coated treat in silence. He really should learn to think before opening his muzzle.

Lya couldn't help but chuckle at him, apparently amused by Zachary's sudden change of behavior from joyous to embarrassed.

The dragon upon which Zachary was situated licked his snout as he watched the leopard enjoying the sweets, having to suppress the urge to whine for a taste like a dog begging for table scraps. Still, he couldn't stop his eyes from tracking each confection that his companion picked up, no matter how hard he tried to do so. His sniffing nose and flickering tongue told him that each of the pastries was as delicious as it looked, his eyes widening to resemble those of a kitten without him commanding the orbs to do so.

It didn't take long for the leopard to notice his "throne's" craving. It was hard to miss, given that Basajaun's constant sniffing and stare couldn't go unregistered. Being the generous king he was, he wasted no time offering his chair of royalty a treat in his paw.

"Here, Basa," he extended his arm towards the dragon, bringing the sugary pastry in front of the reptile's snout, "I really don't mind hand feeding you like we usually do, but you could just ask for some or take it yourself if you wanted it that badly. It's not only mine, bud. It's for all of you." He clarified, a warm smile crossing his face.

Basajaun looked over to Esmeralda for confirmation, the owl gesturing to Zachary. "They're his to give or keep as he pleases," the Elder agreed, patting the dragon's middle, "Besides, you know he enjoys it."

Hesitating for another moment, the dragon eventually nodded, taking the pastry with a small smile. Of course, the expression widened as soon as the flavor hit him, and the dragon was immediately moaning and purring in bliss, smiling happily as he savored the sweet confection.

"Is this why you didn't eat almost anything from dinner either?" Zachary asked after watching Basajaun's euphoric experience for a while, cocking his head curiously at the dragon, "Did you really think I would be selfish enough not to share anything you all give me? I thought you knew me better than that." The leopard crossed his arms under his chest, feigning disappointment rather unconvincingly. Having a continual smile plastered on his face made acting a much more harder task.

The dragon shook his head. "No, it's not that," he stated, gesturing with a paw to the table, "I wanted to make sure you got all you wanted to have, first. Besides, if I wait, you can feed me later. So, I'm saving that for you, because I know how much you like doing that."

"Riiiiight." Zachary teased with a grin, his earlier act all but long gone. Reaching with a paw to Basajaun's head, the leopard gave a few gentle strokes between the area of the reptile's eyes. "In that case, thank you." He said simply, turning to the table afterwards.

"Well, I'm pretty sure I got all I wanted to have," he stated, gesturing with his head at his middle and giving a satisfied smile to the females of the group, "Everything was delightful, truly. Thank you too for this dinner; it was probably the best I've had in my entire life!" His tone was sincere as his spoke, his gratitude clearly displayed on his appreciative expression.

While the compliment felt nice, Lya waved a paw at those words, knowing perfectly well that it was mainly Esmeralda and Snowflake that could be thanked for the culinary experience.

"Alright, one more thing before the gift giving," Esmeralda stated, gesturing to the cake and its candles, "If you'd be so kind as to light those for us, Zach, you can make a wish while you blow them out."

Giving a nod, Zachary gave a final pat on Basajaun's head and then jumped down on the ground, making his way next to the table. Only then did the young anthro notice the cake which had been previously overwhelmed by the numerous others sweets displayed, his breath catching in his throat as he stared at the confection with wide eyes.

"Is... Is that what I think it is?" He asked quietly, looking at Esmeralda with a completely dumbfounded expression on his face. While he waited for the Elder to clarify, Zachary casted Kindling in his paw with ease despite his perplexed state, beginning to light the candles that decorated the cake one by one.

"It's a birthday cake," the owl said simply, though with a decidedly warm tone, "Cottage cheesecake with lemon. Your favorite, if I remember correctly."

"Oh, gods," the leopard breathed in blissful anticipation, Lya immediately laughing at his reaction about the revelation, "I... I could only taste it once, but... this cake... I'm in love with this damn cake!" Zachary nearly exclaimed, quickening himself in the lighting of the candles to avoid wasting a single second.

In a fraction of a second, suddenly all the candles were lit, the tiny flames dancing on the poles above the leopard's favorite treat. Leaning down hastily to blow them out so he could relish the taste as soon as possible, Zachary was stopped by Lya's voice.

"Hey, don't forget to make a wish, you dummy!" She reminded him with an amused giggle, getting a swift nod in reply, which was followed by mild hesitation, but continuation from Zachary nonetheless.

"I wish I co--"

"Not out loud, Zach, Gods!" The ocelot was laughing joyfully at this point, apparently more than entertained by Zachary's knowledge about birthday traditions. She shook her head a little as she stood up and made her way next to him, putting a paw on his shoulder. "And keep that wish to yourself, otherwise it might not come true."

Giving another nod, the leopard closed his eyes and in complete silence, made his wish. It took him a few moments to reopen them, a smile touching the corners of his mouth.

He turned to Lya afterwards with the same expression frozen on his face, cocking his head a little as he asked. "Can I blow out the candles now?" When she gave a nod, Zachary once again faced the cake. Taking a deep breath, an action his lungs protested vehemently against but were ultimately ignored, the leopard blew all the air from his body at the twenty candles on the cake.

It took actual effort to get rid of the last pesky flame, the burning sensation inside his chest roaring up at the extra work it had to do, but despite the discomfort, Zachary managed to blow all the candles out in a single breath. Given the state of his lungs, it was a rather amazing accomplishment.

There was a gentle squeeze on Zachary's shoulder from a taloned hand. "Happy twentieth, son," Esmeralda said, her eyes oddly brimming with a small amount of glistening tears.

Turning back to face the owl, the leopard embraced her immediately, holding her a little tighter than he had meant to. "Thank you," he mumbled quietly as he buried his head in Esmeralda's shoulder, "Thank you for... everything. This... " The words died in his throat as it tightened, his own eyes shining with tears of joy. He knew perfectly well that out of all the people, the Elder needed no explanation of how much this gesture meant to him.

Stifling a sniffle, Esmeralda returned the embrace, before looking up to Basajaun with an expectant look. "Get over here and hug our son with me," she ordered with a smile.

Not needing to be told twice, the dragon stood and moved obediently to the owl, putting an arm around them both. "There," the Elder stated, "Your mother and father love you." Reaching her beak over to Zachary's cheek, Esmeralda gave him a small, motherly kiss.

The loving peck contacting his skin left Zachary completely breathless. On his first birthday, he was given his first kiss from his... mother. The amount of sheer happiness he felt couldn't be put into words, no amount of "Thank you" able to show his gratitude, no way of conveying his emotions to the two individuals he was hugging right now. Oh, and was he hugging them with all his might, convinced that he was practically squeezing the life out both, as unlikely as that sounded.

Unable to express himself properly, Zachary simply stayed in the loving embrace in silence, trying his hardest not to break down in tears of happiness as he did so. It took long minutes for the leopard to even begin showing the signs of pulling away, and when he eventually did, he only did so for a moment to look at Lya and Snowflake with shining eyes.

"Can we get a group hug going? We already have most of us hugging anyway." He requested with a weak chuckle, stifling his own sniffling the best he could.

Lya, who had been watching the heartwarming scene with similar problems in terms of containing her emotions, quickly wiped her eyes and nodded. "Of course, Zach." She replied, moving to the trio and worming her way between Basajaun and the two anthros, embracing both Esmeralda and Zachary at the same time and uttering. "Happy twentieth, dummy."

Snowflake was quick to join Basajaun on the perimeter of the hug, her arms and wings alike extending to wrap around the group. The drake would have done the same, except then he would have dropped the gifts he still held under his wings, settling on using his forelimbs.

As soon as everyone was situated in an embrace, Zachary sighed in bliss. "Thank you again for doing this for me," he whispered softly, a true smile crossing his muzzle, "I love you guys." Lya gave him an affectionate smile at those words, stroking him on the head gingerly.

"Of course," Esmeralda said teasingly, patting the leopard's head, before glancing between Basajaun and Zachary, "Okay, my old bones are starting to complain about being squeezed, so if you could let me have a breather, I'd appreciate it."

Letting out a chortle at the owl's request, the feline withdrew from the embrace after a moment, lest he squish the Elder with his fondness. "I thought you weren't old," Zachary teased right back, too happy to not mock his mother every chance he got, "You said it yourself. Tsk, tsk, tsk... Eszy, Eszy..." The leopard shook his head, doing the same with his finger at Esmeralda. He really was trying his hardest to appear like he was actually chiding Esmeralda, but his struggles to contain his amusement were evident.

Lya immediately gave a halfhearted swat on his shoulder, somehow managing to glare and smile at him at once. "Zach!" She uttered the name in a similarly scolding manner, yet unable to banish the affection that clung stubbornly to her tone.

"What?" Zachary gave a convincingly innocent expression, lowering his ears to his head as he rubbed at the area he received the gentle shoving, his muzzle frozen into a wide grin. Seeing that her efforts to rebuke the flippant leopard were effortless, the ocelot could do nothing but shake her head at him. Was he really having his twentieth birthday? It was rather hard to believe that at the moment.

Chuckling at the leopard's words, Esmeralda reached up and gave a playful tweak on a whisker. "I said my bones were old," she corrected him, "I, on the other hand, am a youthful damsel, and don't you forget it!"

The expression Zachary could return to the violation of his whisker could only be described as the source of endless entertainment. Or at least, that was definitely the case with Lya who could only laugh joyously as she watched the leopard scrunch up his face at the gentle twisting.

After a moment into the light maltreatment, the victim retrieved his whisker from the cruel talons of his mother. "Sure you are," he agreed, beaming at Esmeralda while he rubbed the sensitive cheek which had been assaulted, "You're the equivalent of youth, mom." Judging by his constant teasing, it very much seemed like Zachary's happiness increased the likeliness of his mocking nature's appearance.

"So," the leopard began after having satisfied his craving for amusement, looking between Lya and Esmeralda with a smile, "Can I have a taste from the cake now?" He inquired, unable to hide his excitement for savoring his favorite treat after so many years, even ignoring the fact that his hunger was practically non-existent anymore.

Esmeralda nodded. "How much do you want?" she asked, moving to the cake and picking up a small knife, looking over to Zachary questioningly.

As if reminded of how full he was by the Elder question, the leopard enthusiasm quickly decreased, but not completely. "Just a bite," he replied, putting a paw on his middle and grinning, "I'm stuffed, but I just can't miss cottage cheesecake!"

The owl nodded, turning to the cake and cutting out a small portion. While she did so, Basajaun reached over and nuzzled the leopard's belly playfully. "How's it feel to be the one who's more full, for once?" he asked teasingly.

Zachary gave a shrug at the inquiry, gently shooing the reptile's head away from his midsection. "Meh. Feels... uh... new, I guess?" he answered uncertainly, not quite feeling any particular sensation from the experience; it simply felt alien to him.

"You know how I used to eat only a little amount for a very long time after we met?" he continued with a question, not waiting for a reply, "I only now noticed it that you pointed it out, but seems like my stomach finally decided to stretch a little." The statement brought up unpleasant memories once again, but the leopard refused to let them ruin his mood. He just kept smiling at Basajaun, his happy expression unbroken.

The dragon nodded, another proud expression on his face as Esmeralda brought the leopard a small bit of the cake. "Here. Lya, Snowflake, and I worked on this," she stated, handing the plate to Zachary, "Snowflake wasn't present for the baking, but she did have a lot of input for me. Consider this her and I's primary gift to you this year."

Eyes widening in surprise, the leopard regarded the females of the group with a broad smile. "You guys baked this yourselves?" he asked curiously, his smile widening into a grin when the culinary creators nodded in unison, "It must be heavenly, then! Thank you!" Chuckling lightheartedly, Zachary raised the puny amount of confection to his maw. As he was about to plop the sugary deliciousness in his mouth, however, the feline stopped and glanced between the females.

"You guys didn't put anything funny in this, did you?" He gave the most suspicious look he could to them, narrowing his eyes as he searched their faces.

Lya simply couldn't help herself; the temptation was too great. "Perhaps we have, perhaps we haven't," she shrugged nonchalantly, "You'll just have to try and see." She replied, gesturing with her eyes to the piece of cake and then to Zachary expectantly.

Swallowing in uncertainty, the leopard's gaze lingered on the inviting treat for a few moments, before he finally relented. In a single motion, he placed the piece of confection in his mouth. As soon as the sweet made contact with his tongue, Zachary let out a moan of utter euphoria. He rolled the small pastry of heaven around in his mouth as long as he could, relishing the divine flavor it emitted. Obviously, he was enjoying his gift so much that it actually rendered him completely speechless.

Snowflake grinned wide, enjoying the leopard's emotions immensely and reveling in the wide smile on the leopard's face. "We did good," she stated to her mistress and Lya, the owl echoing her words with an equally satisfied expression.

With his own warm smile, Basajaun nuzzled Zachary's arm, happy to see his son so pleased.

Finally swallowing after nearly a minute of savoring, the feline's whole body shivered in delight. "That was... not good," he turned to Snowflake and Esmeralda, the widest grin on his muzzle yet, "That was amazing! Gods, it's been way too long since I've eaten one of these cakes!" Just to show how satisfied he was with his cottage cheesecake, Zachary proceeded to lick the remains off of all five of his fingers, purring softly as he did so.

Busy with enjoying the last remaining pieces of the heavenly cake he was given, the feline only noticed the steadily increasing amount of fur in his mouth, for which he could only blame himself, when it was too late. Blinking for a few moments, Zachary's face suddenly fixed in a grimace, his tongue rolling out at the same time. Coughing a couple of times and picking the threads of hair off of his tongue carefully, the leopard provided a more than entertaining display of hilarity as he whined quietly throughout the entire process.

Witnessing the scene first hand, Lya couldn't contain her amusement. "We didn't even need to put anything in it! You just do the work for us, Zach!" She laughed joyfully, shaking her head at the feline in question who could only grunt in response, his dangling tongue making it rather difficult to answer in any other way.

Esmeralda laughed along in amusement, reaching over and giving a light pinch on Zachary's cheek. "You're too damn adorable, son," she stated matter-of-factly, grinning wide at the leopard. Basajaun could only nod in agreement, before nuzzling the feline's other cheek.

Spitting the last pesky pieces of hair out of his mouth, the leopard gave Esmeralda halfhearted frown. "Haven't I told you that I didn't want to be adorable?" He inquired with a cocked eyebrow, crossing his arms under his chest, yet unable to wipe the smirk off of his face.

Lya sighed exasperatedly. "We already talked about this, Zach," she reminded him, gesturing with her paws at Zachary's entire being, "You're a cute little dummy. The sooner you accept it, the better!" As soon as the words left her mouth, the ocelot blinked, only now realizing what she had said. With a crimson blush practically burning up her cheeks, she coughed nervously, turning away from a more than flabbergasted Zachary to stare at particularly nothing instead.

After watching the ocelot's sudden change in behavior for a moment, the leopard simply shrugged, turning back to face Esmeralda and Basajaun. "So... what comes now?" He inquired in childlike excitement, cocking his head and perking up his ears curiously while his tail swayed behind him in anticipation.

Esmeralda looked between Basajaun and Lya. "You both mentioned you had gifts for Zach," she said, "I think it's time for those to be given."

Basajaun smiled, looking into Lya's eyes. "Would you like to go first?" he asked politely.

Tempted to shout "No!" in answer to the dragon's courtesy, Lya suppressed her blushing instead, turning to face Basajaun after calming herself. "I'll give him mine... later," she replied, giving Basajaun a smile, "You go ahead."

Disregarding the ocelot's suspicious behavior, Zachary looked at Basajaun with a clearly excited grin.

The dragon smiled back to his son, before sitting on his haunches and reaching under his wing with a forearm. "My gift is sort of a work in progress," he said, ducking his head under the wing as well to pick out the right thing, "I have one part of it completely done, and I'm still working on the rest."

Finding the piece he was looking for, Basajaun brought out a small wooden statuette of a very familiar rhino. "I know your memory isn't flawless, like mine is," the dragon continued, presenting the Boris replica to Zachary, "So I wanted to make you something that would let you see our friend's faces, in case you ever started to miss them too much."

The statuette was an almost perfect representation of a miniature Boris, blacksmithing outfit and all. Although the body was just a tiny bit stylized, the rhino's face bore an exquisite level of detail, immediately bringing the blacksmith's hearty laugh to mind just from viewing the figurine's friendly expression. The wooden recreation was sealed in a thin layer of walnut oil, to protect it from weathering, and granting it a slightly lustrous sheen.

Zachary took his gift with wide eyes and mouth agape, holding it in front of his eyes in obvious awe. "Wow..." he said quietly, scanning the flawless sculpture of Boris in his paws for long moments. His eyes wandered carefully over every tiny detail, a fascinated and amazed expression crossing the leopard's face as he did so.

It took the feline actual minutes to finally tear his gaze away from the wooden masterpiece, redirecting them straight to Basajaun. "This... this is wonderful, Basa. Thank you, truly." He said in the most heartfelt and sincere tone he could, a warm smile spreading across his muzzle as he asked. "This gift comes with another hug from my dad, right?"

Basajaun smiled, his forelimbs spreading out invitingly. "Absolutely!" he confirmed, bracing himself slightly.

As it turned out, the dragon's decision to brace himself was a wise one. Zachary practically jumped up on the reptile with a joyous laugh, wrapping his arms around the drake's neck tightly as he dangled downwards from the limb. Despite the impressive acrobatic action, his grip on the miniature Boris figure never loosened.

The drake laughed warmly as he was pounced upon, returning the embrace immediately. "I've started working on Rusty and Rosy," he said, his wing opening to reveal the pair of unfinished raccoon statues, "They're not done yet, but I eventually want to get all of our friends and acquaintances back in Plainstead done."

"Awesome idea!" Zachary affirmed as he nuzzled Basajaun's neck affectionately, his purr kicking into high gear by the contact, "Can't wait to see the finished products, bud. I'm sure they will look just as amazing as the Boris one!"

The loving embrace was suddenly interrupted by a nudge on the leopard's leg, who turned his head back to glance at the intruder. When he saw Lya, however, he couldn't help but smile.

"Can I have a look at that?" She requested with her own smile, pointing at Zachary's gift.

Looking between the statue and the ocelot for a moment, the leopard eventually lowered his arms towards Lya. "Sure. But don't break it!" He cautioned, looking rather serious with his demand.

Lya rolled her eyes as she took the wooden figure. "Don't worry, I won't. I just want to see it for a second." She explained, and staying loyal to her words, she began appraising the miniature sculpture with a critical eye, which widened steadily throughout the entire process.

After a moment of observation, the ocelot looked up at Basajaun with a clearly impressed expression on her face. "That's excellent craftsmanship right there." She stated, unquestionable sincerity in her tone. Giving the statue back to Zachary and smiling at the dragon at the same time, Lya nodded her head in approval. "I know heartfelt work when I see one. This one's definitely something you can be proud of, Basajaun. Even my father would be impressed by your talent."

Basajaun grinned widely at the praise. "I've had a bit of experience making art pieces like this in the past," he allowed himself a small boast, before his face darkened ever so slightly, "But those got burned in a forest fire. Ah well, they were just figures of unspecific animals. I haven't tried carving since then, but I'm glad I still have all my skills with it."

Nodding, Lya waved a paw at the dragon. "You should definitely pick up that hobby again. You really have raw talent for this, and wasting such potential is the worst thing someone can do," she said, grinning at the drake as she continued, "And of course, you could get money out of this. A lot of money, actually. People, mainly children, would be all over these little statues, I can assure you of that."

Zachary rolled his eyes at the statement. "Always with this money thing..." he mumbled quietly, finally pulling away from the embrace with Basajaun and landing on the ground gracefully, "The whole currency thing is stupid, in my opinion." The leopard stated vehemently, crossing his arm beneath his chest. Having grown up as a homeless kid on the streets, he couldn't be blamed for having such beliefs towards this particular topic.

The dragon looked thoughtful, though. "Do you think that might help us?" he asked the ocelot, a small smile on his face, "Would more money make this venture of ours more likely to succeed?"

Lya shrugged. "Depends," she replied honestly, raising a finger to her mouth and pursing her lips thoughtfully, "If any of you wanted to buy armor or weapons, which will most likely be needed for a bigger chance at succeeding from what I've heard, then a bigger budget would definitely prove to be useful."

The dragon actually paused for a moment, looking down at himself. "I'm pretty sure they don't make armor in my size," he stated, chuckling halfheartedly, "And I'm not talking about the fat, before you make that snide comment, Elder Eszes."

The owl gave an expression like the wind had been taken from her sails. "It's no fun when you see it coming," she mumbled, shaking her head.

"Really, though," Basajaun continued, looking over to Zachary, "Would you like to have armor for yourself? I'd feel a lot better if you at least had a chainmail shirt, son."

At first enthusiastic about the idea, the leopard's expression quickly became one of uncertainty. "Armor would make me a lot slower, though," he mused aloud, putting a finger under his chin in thought, "That would make archery a whole lot harder. And then there's close combat... which we all know I'm terrible at, but I would be even worse with something weighing me down."

The dragon could only nod at that, before sighing. "I'd love to have a set of armor," he mused, the image of himself in a shiny coat of platemail bringing a smile to his face, "Wouldn't I look impressive, then?"

"You're already impressive, Forest," Snowflake stated, nuzzling the drake's neck tenderly, "You don't need a metal shell for that."

Zachary watched the two dragons for a moment with a smile, before the expression broke into a wide grin. "A green sausage stuffed into an iron case would indeed look very impressive!" He agreed with a snicker, his pause in his ever present teasing apparently over.

Lya, who would normally scold him for acting so disrespectful, couldn't do so after hearing the leopard's words. She began laughing loudly, finding the image of a fatty Basajaun spilling out of his armor way too amusing.

The dragon's chest, which had been swollen from the image of his armored self and Snowflake's compliment, deflated visibly at his son's words. Chuckling as he shook his head, the drake smiled to Zachary. "I know I asked you to help keep my pride in check," he admitted, giving a teasing expression of broken-heartedness as he whined, "But you couldn't let me enjoy that visual for a little longer?"

Zachary continued grinning. "Nah, my visual was a lot better anyways!" He proclaimed, walking to Basajaun, "And besides," putting a paw on the dragon's flabby middle, the leopard pinched the pudge playfully, jiggling it lightly as he added, "An armor only would have hid all this. We can't have that!" He chuckled joyfully, Lya joining right after with a snort after she recovering from her earlier amusement.

Basajaun giggled, shaking his head a little. "You realize that would be the entire point, right?" he asked, before changing topic, "Regardless, you have the rest of the day. If I'm correct, it should be spent on what Zachary wants, right?" the dragon looked between Esmeralda and Lya for confirmation, getting a nod from both.

Widening his eyes in surprise, the leopard's muzzle soon broke into a smile. "Sounds like I can get creative." He said. Immediately after the words left his lips, Zachary gave an almost maniacally sinister look to the whole group. His previous simple smile became a wicked grin, his eyes glimmering with sheer mischief.

"Lya!" The leopard suddenly exclaimed, startling the feline in question and making her jump a little in the process. He pointed a finger at the shaken ocelot, gesturing at the ground afterwards. "Do a handstand!"

Lya blinked for a moment in confusion, but that quickly changed, to Zachary's utter fear. It actually looked like the ocelot was inflating with indignation and rage at the same time, her glare forcing the leopard to wipe his previous expression from his face and shrink internally in completely submissiveness.

"The hell I will!" she declined the leopard's request politely, practically fuming as she began advancing on him, resulting in a terrified feline to start backing away, "It might be your birthday, Zachary." She just used his full name; he was definitely in a lot of trouble. As if her furious expression hadn't been enough indicator of that.

"But I'm not a damn jester!" Nearing the feline, who steadily became a ball of trembling yellow fur on the ground, Lya stopped in front of the circular fuzzy fortress of unmanliness, putting her paws on her hips as she glared down at him.

Zachary actually let out a quiet whimper as she looked up at the perfect representation of dominance, tucking his tail between his legs in defeat. Seemed like his creativeness was somewhat limited, after all.

The pathetic sound his son made caused Basajaun to step slightly over the leopard, looking at Lya with a flat expression as his wings flared ever so slightly. "I think he gets it now," he stated, a paw situating itself protectively on the leopard's shoulder. Still, the dragon looked down to Zachary after a moment, clearing his throat. "So, no ordering people around anymore, okay?" he chided the feline gently, nuzzling his friend with equal tenderness.

Completely disregarding the drake's overprotective stance, Lya continued staring at the leopard with the same expression, not tearing her piercing gaze away until Zachary eventually nodded his head.

"I... was just... uh... joking." The leopard stated quietly, looking up at the ocelot apologetically as he slowly began uncurling himself from his shameful circle position.

Searching his face for a moment, Lya's muzzle suddenly broke into a smile, catching everyone in the group off-guard. "Oh, in that case," she said, offering a paw to the feline on the ground, "You have to work on your humour, dummy."

Zachary hesitated, but eventually took Lya's hands with a completely baffled expression on his face. It was truly impossible to read her sometimes, her random mood swings untraceable. "So... you..." the leopard cleared his throat, his ears still lowered to his head, "You aren't mad?"

"No." She answered immediately, the same warm smile adorning her features. Squeezing Zachary's paw gently, the ocelot leaned a little closer as she whispered in his ear. "But I might be if you take me for a fool again, dummy." With that daunting warning, she let go of his hand, giving the completely frozen leopard an innocent expression.

Giving another nuzzle to the feline, Basajaun smiled. "You want to try coming up with another activity for us, son?" he asked curiously, "It's still your day today."

After recovering from the initial shock he had gotten from Lya, Zachary actually managed to get his brain going, the organ rearing up to throw ideas at him. One of these ideas, given his still aching legs, appealed to the leopard greatly.

"Well," he began, a hopeful smile appearing on his muzzle as he looked up at Basajaun, "A bath would be nice. I have to admit, it wasn't half bad last time." He replied, running his fingers through the fur on his right arm. A warm bath in their new pool would feel indeed pleasant right now.

Basajaun gave a thrilled expression. "Really?" he checked, "You wouldn't mind that?"

"Why would I mind?" Zachary asked in turn, cocking his head in confusion at the dragon. He quickly found the answer to his question, however.

The drake happily plucked up the leopard, a smile on his face as he started giving the feline a dragon's definition of a bath, his tongue running over the leopard's mussed up head fur.

"What the hell?" Zachary inquired in the opposite of a calm manner, trying to defend his head from Basajaun's wet tongue. Yet, his struggles were to no avail. Before he knew it, his ears and the top of his head were all coated in reptile saliva, the wet droplets drifting down his head and causing extreme amount of discomfort with their deliberate gait.

"Not this kinda bath, lizard!" Giggling uncontrollably at the ticklish sensation, the leopard finally grabbed a hold of the dragon's tongue, holding it still for only a moment to clarify himself. "I meant a bath... like... in the pool! Not with this." He let go of the slippery tongue, flicking the slobber off of his paw and snorting in amusement, the females doing the same, although with joyous chuckles. The two males could surely provide endless amount of entertainment, especially when they misunderstood each other just they had now.

The dragon looked slightly disappointed as his tongue retreated back into his mouth. "Oh, right," he muttered, looking over to the pool in question as he put his son back down, "I probably should have..." Clearing his throat, the drake gave an embarrassed smile, "Um, sorry?"

Heaving an affectionate sigh, Zachary patted Basajaun's head reassuringly after he was a safe distance from the reptile's flickering slobber factory. "Don't worry, bud," he replied with a teasing grin, shaking his head vehemently and generously returning some of the saliva he was gifted with to its owner, "You're forgiven now!" He laughed joyously, watching as the glistening drops slowly traveled down the dragon's cheeks.

Blinking in surprise, the dragon brushed the spittle from his face with a wing as Esmeralda moved over to the pool, alongside Snowflake. "We'll heat it up for you again," the owl stated, kneeling down opposite the spirit and casting their spell together.

Zachary looked over to the two females, a slightly guilty expression dancing across his features. "Thanks... I hope it's not a big problem," he said with a hopeful smile, gesturing at his legs sheepishly, "I just thought a warm bath could help with my legs a little. I completely forgot to stretch them out after we finished with the training, and now they feel like stone bricks!"

Similar to the leopard, Lya could feel a small amount of guilt rising in her heart as well upon hearing those words. Perhaps having him balance on one of his legs for more than an hour was bit of overkill, after all. Although judging by his constant smile, it seemed like he didn't mind the numbness in his muscles that much.

"It's a more reasonable request than asking me to stand on my head," Esmeralda replied with a smirk, "Besides, it's an easy process with Snowflake helping."

After a moment, Basajaun got a curious look. "How are you heating that, anyways?" he asked, cocking his head, "I thought you were both ice mages."

The dragoness smiled. "This is an ice spell," she responded, "Come over here and feel the ground around the pool."

Obeying wordlessly, the dragon padded over, surprised to find the ground getting colder and colder as he approached the icy walls of the bath. "The ground feels cold," he observed, looking between the dirt and the spirit, "But how is that making the water warm?"

"By taking the warmth from the ground," Snowflake explained, her wings gesturing to the soil, then to the pool, "And putting it in the water. This spell is called Heat Thief, because it takes the heat out of one thing and puts in somewhere else. That's the basis of ice magic, really." Her words got a satisfied nod from the drake.

Mildly intrigued by the spirit's explanation, Zachary moved to investigate as well. His gait, thanks to the state of his lower limbs, was rather comical, as it looked like the leopard couldn't walk properly, evidently struggling to move his legs the way he wanted to. He faltered in his walk, yet he pushed on without paying too much heed to the unpleasant sensations, as always.

Lya apparently found the sight entertaining, her mirthful chortling audible from behind him as he made his way to the others. "Yeah, sure, laugh at me while you're at it!" He called out as he glanced over his shoulder at the ocelot, unhurt smile touching the corners of his mouth. While lightly chiding her for her actions, Zachary couldn't help but relish listening to her laughter. The repetitive expression of amusement sounded like the most beautiful of melodies in his ears.

As if obeying the limping feline's command, Lya made no efforts to break her tittering. "As you wish, birthday boy." She teased him affectionately, quickly catching up with Zachary to walk beside him.

The pair continued their slow sauntering towards the pool, Zachary noting the chill under his sensitive pads, of which its temperature steadily decreased as they drew closer to the soon-to-be bath. Instinctually, the leopard's body lightly shivered from the coldness; he wasn't entirely used to feeling such coolness, especially not in the summer.

Not a second passed after the involuntary action that Lya's tail gently wrapped itself around Zachary's.

Feeling the sudden contact, he glanced up at the ocelot, his expression a mixture of amenity and surprise. "I wasn't that cold." He remarked, apparently unable to suppress his teasing even in a moment such as this. Yet, despite his words, he was quick to return the tender embrace with his own tail, the gesture immediately filling his heart with known warmth.

Lya acknowledged his teasing with a light shove on his shoulder, but the warm smile, a gesture which could only be described as a curved wonder to Zachary, refused to leave her lips despite his efforts. The other thing which protested stubbornly against being changed was the embrace of their tails, the pair of limbs swaying in unison behind both felines as they finally arrived at the pool.

Once the water started steaming lightly, Esmeralda and Snowflake dismissed their spell, standing from the pool's edge. "There, that should be nice and relaxing," the spirit stated, flashing Zachary a warm smile.

"Thank you," he replied with the same expression, somewhat reluctantly letting go of the silky limb he was embracing, yet peeling his emerald vest off of his body afterwards without showing any hesitation whatsoever.

While Lya swallowed in mildly nervous anticipation, Zachary paid no heed to her recurring and, in his case, unfathomable reaction, casually tossing his upper clothes in the water much like he had done the first time.

Soon enough, he followed his vest in the liquified comfort. Given his stiff legs, however, the feline took his sweet time getting in the pool, letting out a sigh of absolute bliss as he slowly sank into the cascading warmness. He didn't stop when the water touched his neck, disappearing below the surface without stopping in his steady sinking. A second later, bubbles began appearing from the depths of the pool, the fragile air containers popping when they exited their home.

Zachary actually spent an awfully long time under the water, and when even the bubbles stopping coming, Lya cocked an eyebrow. "I sure hope he didn't fall asleep down there." She mused aloud in a mix of amusement and slight concern, watching the place the leopard was last seen before he apparently decided to grow gills.

Feeling a tinge of concern, Basajaun stepped over to the place where he saw his son submerge, dipping his head under the water to get a better view of the leopard, his eyes held open in the pool despite the slight discomfort of doing so.

Out of nowhere, two unidentified limbs shot out from the depths, wrapping themselves tightly around the dragon's snout, while incomprehensible muttering followed, the sound muffled by the water.

Flinching at first in surprise, the drake quickly smiled, pulling his head up until it was above the water and dragging his "captor" to the surface with him. "You want to repeat that, now that you're above water?" Basajaun asked in an amused tone.

There was no real answer that came, Zachary clutching his sides with his paws as he laughed at the dragon. "Gods," he breathed jovially, his chuckling faltering as he had to grab for air, "Even underwater, your face was priceless!" The leopard proclaimed, putting a paw on his forehead and closing his eyes to enjoy the image of a surprised Basajaun just a little more.

Lya gave a small sigh of relief, snorting and shaking her head at the laughing feline. As her eyes settled on his bare and soaked body, however, the ocelot suffered a very similar reaction to the sight much like she had before. With a mild blush suddenly burning on her cheeks, she turned away for a moment, trying to recollect herself.

Having finished with his amusement, the leopard rubbed his eyes a little with his paws, wiping away tears of joy in the process as well, yet only making the area even more soaked. "Gotcha, dad." Was all he said to Basajaun as a response to his earlier inquiry, a grin on his face, still tittering quietly.

Basajaun rolled his eyes with a smile. "I should have guessed," he muttered, nuzzling the feline's cheek while Esmeralda brought over the soap and sponge.

"I assume you're going to want these," the owl guessed, offering the objects to her son.

Scratching Basajaun's chin tenderly, Zachary regarded the two items offered with a grimace. "Nuh-uh," he replied, shaking his head vehemently, as if that would banish the very idea of washing himself completely, "Just a warm bath. Clean water. No soap."

Before anyone could even react, the leopard was quick to add a crucial information. "And before you say it," he cautioned, giving both Lya and Esmeralda a flat expression, "I don't have a stench, I don't reek, and I sure as hell don't smell like rotten potatoes." He stated that last bit exclusively to the ocelot, who was still looking away for some unexplainable reason.

The owl cocked her head, but eventually shrugged. "I suppose all that bathing your father's been giving you has been helping," she stated, winking to the dragon in question before returning the washing materials to their proper place.

Smiling at the statement, Basajaun looked back to Zachary as he settled down next to the pool's edge with a paw setting into the water, the cold of the ground and warmth of the water providing an interesting contrast for his senses.

Upon noticing the limb, the leopard swiftly waded through the water, arriving at the place where the dragon lay. Looking up at Basajaun with completely circular and wide eyes, Zachary pointed at the drake's paw.

"Blanket?" He whimpered in the most innocent tone he could, cocking his head slightly and perking his ears up as he gently took ahold of the paw with his own puny ones, waiting patiently for the permission to be granted.

Having fought off her uncontrollable reaction of seeing Zachary in less clothes than usual, Lya shot a glance at the father and son. An unmistakably adoring smile slowly curved her lips while her eyes lingered on the pair. The leopard was protesting vehemently against being labeled as adorable from anyone, but could he really blame her for thinking that about him when he was acting like a kitten?

Basajaun looked between his paw and Zachary, before giving a warm smile. "Sure," he said in reply, wrapping the leopard's torso gently in his claws, while the other paw moved over to massage tenderly at the feline's legs using techniques he had read about during his studies of anatomy.

"How's that?" the drake asked, wanting to be sure he was performing the actions right.

The leopard would have responded eagerly, if it hadn't been for the astronomically comforting sensation the touch brought, along with the loud purring in his chest which had kicked in not long afterwards. His answer was as clear as the goofy smile that adorned his face.

Leaning into the support Basajaun's claws provided, Zachary felt his entire body relaxing at once, every single limb, muscle and tissue in complete bliss. The warm water enveloping his worn-out body, the euphoric caressing of his previously pulsating legs, as well as a belly full of food soon sent the young anthro into a state of complete tranquility. He would have fallen asleep right there and there, but his willingness to spend as much time with the group overpowered the demand for now.

"Best... birthday... ever." The leopard managed to mumble, his eyes closed, his breathing more balanced and consistent than ever before since the Izom accident. "Thank you, all of you."

Lya's already broad smile widened at those words, her uplifted spirits competing with those of Zachary's. Seeing him so happy warmed her heart more than she cared to admit.

Basajaun smiled wide as well, Esmeralda and Snowflake following the gesture soon afterwards. "You're welcome, my little boy," the dragon replied softly, his head bending down to gave an affectionate lick on the leopard's cheek while his paws continued their work with massaging the feline's sore legs, feeling the cramped muscles loosening at his touch.

"Birthday?" A foreign voice called out from behind the group, all of the members turning towards the sound at once.

Xergon stood some distance away from the pool, his usual smile just a tiny bit wider as he slowly approached them. "Who should be the happy celebrated?" He inquired, bidding his head to everyone as his form of greeting, his eyes lingering on Basajaun and Zachary's current position.

Disturbed in his euphoria, the latter couldn't help but give a little sigh of disappointment, yet smiling back to the lynx regardless. "Turns out it's me." He replied vaguely, getting a mildly confused look from the master, which elicited a giggle from the leopard almost immediately.

Basajaun lifted his head up to meet the lynx's gaze, before giving a respectful nod, alongside Esmeralda and Snowflake. "It's Zach's birthday celebration," the dragon stated, returning his attention to the leopard in his claws, appearing determined to continue providing the comfort he was giving before Xergon's arrival.

The lynx smiled and nodded as well. "Happy birthday, then, Zachary." He said in the most sincere tone that came from him yet, his eyes yet to leave the leopard.

As he looked up at Xergon, Zachary could see a tinge of remorse glimmering in the master's gaze for only a moment before it disappeared. The leopard didn't question the strange phenomenon, however. "T-Thank you." He replied instead, his soaked cheeks slightly dimpled as he smiled at the master.

Bidding his head, the lynx turned to a slightly surprised Lya, putting a paw on her shoulder. "And how has my private student been?" he inquired with a caring tone, gesturing with his head towards the rest of the group and adding, "I do hope the company is not disappointing."

While Zachary looked outright hurt by that statement, the ocelot could only shake her head and smile back at Xergon. "It's been everything but disappointing, Master Xergon," she affirmed sincerely, before giving him a regretful expression, "But I failed to do my assignment. I just... didn't ha--"

Xergon silenced her by holding up a paw, his smile still present. "You needn't worry, Lya," he replied, the ocelot sighing in relief as he continued, "Given the events of the last few days, I'm more than willing to overlook this issue. Practicing something as dark as necromancy in... dark times is not a wise choice." There was just a hint of sorrow to the lynx's tone as he spoke.

"Dark times are over," Zachary's adamant voice cut through the beginnings of sadness, his own tone nothing short of certainty and happiness, "I know it's hard, but how about we just forget that whole ordeal ever happened," the leopard smiled to everyone in turns, "I don't want to think about it. And there's no reason, either; it's over."

Staring at the leopard with wide eyes, Xergon eventually nodded his head along with Lya. "As you wish, Zachary." He agreed, still looking at the soaking feline with what looked like a clearly amazed expression.

Basajaun couldn't resist giving a loving nuzzle to the leopard, before whispering into the feline's ear. "Can we tell him the good news about you, me, and Esmeralda?" he asked, his tone showing that he really wanted to do so.

"I don't see anything wrong with that, so yes, absolutely." Zachary responded immediately, giving a few encouraging strokes on Basajaun's paw and smiling up warmly to his father, Xergon cocking his head a little at the pair's silent conversation.

The dragon grinned ecstatically, before directing the expression to the lynx. "Zach's been adopted, by the way," he informed the headmaster, a proud and truly happy expression on the reptile's face as he extended a wing to Esmeralda and drew the surprised owl into his enthusiastic embrace with the leopard, getting the bird slightly damp in the process, "We're officially a family."

While Zachary could only chortle lightheartedly as he was hugged, Xergon gave a more than flabbergasted look to Esmeralda and Basajaun at once. "You... two are Zachary's foster parents?" he asked unsurely, his eyes searching the pair in question for long moments before he blinked and shook his head a little, "I apologize for my reaction, but seeing... well... an affair between... a dragon and an owl is a little odd, even for me. But I'm open enough." He cleared his throat somewhat nervously. Perhaps he wasn't that "open enough".

The leopard whipped his head to look at Xergon, and upon hearing those words, his tittering advanced into full out guffawing. His arms shot to his sides and he closed his eyes, joyful tears brimming the the pair of organs as he laughed uncontrollably at the master's statement, Lya and Snowflake joining as well, although in a much more low-key manner.

Esmeralda and Basajaun both seemed to recoil from one another at the lynx's words. "Good Gods, no!" the owl was the first to speak, "Fine gentleman that he has become, Basajaun is not my type!"

The dragon could only nod, giving an embarrassed, shy smile. "We just adopted Zach together," he clarified, lifting the leopard out of the water and setting him on the ground, "We're not romantically involved."

Snowflake moved over and rubbed her head against the drake's neck, giving him an encouraging expression. "Besides, my heart's being taken by someone else," Basajaun continued, returning the spirit's cuddle as an indication of who he was talking about.

Grimacing slightly as he was taken out of the heavenly warmth, Zachary was quick to jump right back in the pool, a decision which Lya, who was immediately banished back to her nervous state after the leopard was out of the water, appreciated greatly. She watched him return to his relaxed state with a relieved smile, turning to Xergon and snickering at his expression.

The lynx stared numbly at Esmeralda, Snowflake and Basajaun at once. He actually looked like he couldn't decide what to be more bewildered from; the unusual family he was just introduced to, or the forest dragon's hopeful revelation that while he wasn't in a relationship with an anthro, he was just doing that with a spirit. Either way, Xergon simply appeared more confused than ever before.

"I..." The master began, shaking his head a little to exit his dumbfounded state and regain his usual composure. He managed to succeed, as a smile began forming on his muzzle. "I'm glad to hear the news," he glanced at the happy Zachary in the pool, his smile widening at the leopard's expression, "I wish all of you nothing but happiness. Both on the family matter," gesturing at the two dragons, Xergon added, "And with this novel relationship."

Snowflake gave an appreciative chime, nuzzling Basajaun's cheek as he smiled between the lynx and spirit. "Is there something we can do for you, Headmaster?" the dragon asked courteously, getting to his feet to attend to their guest, just like Lya had taught him.

Having completely overcome his initial confusion, Xergon shook his head with a smile. "No, thank you kindly. Among other things, I came to check on our multicaster," he replied, the leopard in question giving a thumb's up at the words, which elicited an amused chuckle from the lynx, "But it seems like he's doing just fine." Zachary reinforced that statement by a nod and a hum of approval, settling his body against the edge of the pool and continuing his relaxing session.

"And since I'm reassured that Lya's been satisfied with her new home," the statement was followed by a nod from the ocelot as well, her smile widening as Xergon turned to Esmeralda, "That only leaves you, Elder Eszes. Would you mind if I asked about your condition? Has anything at all changed since yesterday?" Xergon inquired with a small smile, taking a few steps towards the owl.

Esmeralda shook her head, brushing the remaining drops of water from her feathers and gown. "Everything is as usual," she stated flatly, giving a smile to the group, "And the happy atmosphere is helping. So I'm doing fine, Master Xergon."

"I'm delighted to hear that." The lynx stated sincerely, before somewhat hesitantly continuing. "The preparations are well underway with Master Talib," he informed Esmeralda, a comforting smile on his face, "If I'm correct, we can attend the procedure of extracting the spirit in a matter of days. I'll be sure to let you know the day before so you have all the time to prepare."

Zachary, even in his completely relaxed state, opened an eye at the statement, looking up at Esmeralda with a concerned expression, which was obscured by the water that enveloped the lower parts of his face.

The Elder maintained a calm countenance, nodding at the lynx's words. "Thank you," she replied, before giving a slightly forced smile, "That's good news."

Seeing the look of concern on Zachary's face, the owl gestured dismissively. "Don't worry, Zach, I'm fine," she stated, looking back to Xergon, "If that was all on the subject, perhaps we could leave that topic alone for now. This is supposed to be a happy time for us, after all."

"By all means," Xergon agreed smilingly, nodding his head politely to Esmeralda. Looking over to the bathing leopard, the lynx appeared like he wanted to say something else, but staying true to his words, he simply did as the owl requested.

"Well then," the master glanced at the members of the group in turns, his warm smile returning once more, "It seems like all of you are busy with celebration, and I would hate to be the one to interrupt that in any way. Then again... I think I just did so nonetheless," chuckling and shaking his head, Xergon bid his head to the group.

"The college needs its headmaster, so I better get going before Miss Oyuu decides to freeze one of our students again while I'm out. We'll definitely meet very soon, but until then, I wish you to stay just as joyous as you are at this very moment."

Zachary grinned widely from the pool. "We will." He affirmed, his voice carrying certainty that simply couldn't be doubted or questioned in the slightest. Lya could only nod at those words, somehow actually believing what the leopard had said.

Satisfied with the answer, Xergon gave a smile and wave of his paw, before he turned around and began making his way out of the clearing.

"Headmaster," Basajaun called out after the lynx before he reached the edge of the clearing, padding quickly over to Xergon, "I just wanted to thank you again for accepting me as a student. It... it means a lot to me. More than I can really say, to be honest."

The lynx smiled up at the massive creature in front of him, seemingly unaffected by the dragon's closeness. "You have nothing to thank me for, Basajaun," he clarified with a wave of his paw, gesturing straight to the reptile's chest where his heart was, "You can only thank yourself." Was all Xergon said in the most vague manner he could, turning around and exiting the clearing.

The dragon smiled, his paw reaching up subconsciously to touch his chest. Staying in that position for a moment, Basajaun turned and made his way back to the pool, the happy and grateful expression remaining on his face. Settling down on the edge of the pool, the drake seemed to think for a moment, before looking over to Lya.

"Do you know if there's something that Master Xergon likes?" he asked, pointing over to the statuette of Boris that he had carved, "Maybe something that I could make for him?"

Lya didn't answer immediately, or more accurately, she couldn't. The ocelot's head turned the way Xergon had left, her eyes searching the dense forest undergrowth for a moment, as if the emerald greenery would provide the answer to Basajaun's question.

"I'm not sure," she finally spoke up, uncertainty creeping in her voice, "I've spent a lot of time with Master Xergon. And he's truly a good person, but," turning back to the forest dragon, Lya looked up at him, discreet thoughtfulness hovering in her gaze, "He seems to value his privacy a lot, to the point where he actually becomes kind of... mysterious."

Her eyes fell on the ground, yet only a second later, a small smile curved her lips. "Although there's one thing I certainly know about him," she prefaced, glancing at a happily splashing Zachary, who was currently enjoying the warm water too much to pay attention to the pair's conversation, "Xergon loves his students with passion. He would do almost anything in his power to ensure that every single person who attends the college is looked after properly, and when they are in need of help, he is the first one to offer his assistance." Lya's smile steadily grew as she talked, and once finishing, she looked back to Basajaun once again, her unsure expression long gone, sincerity taking its place instead.

The dragon gave a nod after a while. "I'd just like to do something for him to show how grateful I am for his acceptance," he explained, seeming to quickly become lost in thought.

Lya was quick to join the dragon's musings, her finger pursing her lips as she thought. Not a minute into the intense display of mental creativity, the ocelot snapped her fingers and smiled up to Basajaun, seemingly ready to voice her idea.

"How about a little wooden statue with you and Xergon," she suggested, gesturing with her paws the general size of what she had in mind, "The two of you could be shaking hands while facing each other. That's a good representation of acceptance, if any, and I'm sure he would like that little gift a lot. You're one of his students as well, after all!"

After a moment of consideration, the dragon eventually smiled and nodded. "I like that idea," he stated, before pausing for a moment. "You wouldn't happen to have a mirror of some sort, would you?" he asked, giving Lya a shy smile, "I haven't seen what my face looks like with fur, and that's the look I'd prefer to be remembered by."

Cocking an eyebrow, the ocelot pointed a finger at the pool, giving the reptile a quizzical look. "Pool's right there. You do know it... reflects images just like a mirror does, right?" Lya inquired unsurely, evidently indecisive whether dragons were sentient enough to realize that or not.

Looking over to the pool in question, the drake considered for a moment. "I'd have to wait for the ripples to come to a stop," he mused, eventually nodding, "But that would work." Glancing to the leopard in the water, Basajaun smiled warmly. "I'll focus on that later," he stated quietly, "For now, we have Zach's birthday to attend to."

"How are your legs doing now, son?" the dragon checked, his forepaws dipping into the water again, "Need more massaging? Or a dragon paw blanket?"

"I'm fine now, thanks, dad!" Zachary replied with a grin, disappearing under the water's surface for the umpteenth time to give another visit to its depths. It seemed like a whole lost civilization had somehow appeared down there, as the leopard practically spent more time under the water than above.

Sitting down next to Basajaun, Lya own face broke into a warm smile as she watched the bubbles rising the amphibian feline left in his wake. "He looks so happy," the statement was uttered in a whisper, yet loud enough to hear for the entire group, "This was an excellent idea, Basajaun." The ocelot declared, her eyes refusing to leave the pool in hopes of spotting the creature that roamed its depths.

The dragon's smile widened, though he was humble enough to accept the praise with a simple nod. Waiting for Zachary's head to pop back up from beneath the water, Basajaun called out, "Want some company in there?"

Wiping the persistent liquid which continuously reappeared to blur his vision, the feline in question eventually looked up at Basajaun with an eager expression. "I was about to ask why you all were just sitting there idly! Why not join the fun?" He invited with a laugh, throwing two pawful of water in the air with more force than necessary. The result were inevitable, and he actually managed to soak everyone, and by some unexplainable coincidence, with the exception of Lya, who let out a quiet gasp at the unexpected action nonetheless.

Giving a grin, Basajaun slid himself into the water, the pool brimming over for a moment at the dragon's sudden entrance while Esmeralda shook her head free of the splash that Zachary had sent her way. "You want to watch where you're throwing that water, son?" the owl grumped half-heartedly.

"Sorry!" Zachary called back, although by his amused chuckle, it was hard to believe that he felt any remorse. Instead, the leopard turned his attention to the floating island of green mass. There was no dragon in the leopard's eyes; he only saw a perfect place for his base of operations.

Determined to conquer the fuzzy "boat", the eager feline waded through the water towards his destination in a blink of an eye, and crested the flabby hill at an ever quicker pace, standing victoriously on top of his captivated land for only a moment before commencing his next move.

Completely ignoring Esmeralda's scolding just a moment ago, Zachary launched himself off of Basajaun, apparently more than willing to return to his newfound natural habitat. Although as courteous as he was, he made sure to give a considerate warning to the ones around the pool.

"Water Bomb!" Was his rather polite warning, and the leopard once more disappeared under the water's surface, leaving a moderate splash in his wake, which missed Esmeralda this time, but wasn't so gracious with Lya. The ocelot gave her second gasp as she stumbled backwards from the pool. She knew she should have take a few steps backwards a long time ago to avoid getting soaked. At least her clothes remained dry.

"Zach!" Lya demanded the name of the one who was responsible for her sudden wetness on her head, glaring halfheartedly at the water and the leopard beneath at the same time, convinced that her glower was registered even in the deepest parts of the pool.

Snowflake extended her wing between the drops and her mistress as they came, giggling in amusement while she did so. "Perhaps I'll make my retreat before I'm completely soaked," Esmeralda considered, quickly following through on that idea and making her way back to the fire, "Let me know when you're done playing in the water, son!"

Chuckling at the Elder's retreat, Basajaun grinned over to Zachary, who had since resurfaced once more. "Nice one," he mouthed quietly.

Zachary returned the curve of mischief on his lips, winking to the dragon with the same expression plastered on his face as he turned to the departing Esmeralda. "Hey, mom," he called after the Elder, suppressing a laugh with immense effort as he continued his ever-present teasing, "Where are you going? I thought you would join us too! A little washing up wouldn't hurt for you, either!"

Lya, who gave her third gasp in a row upon hearing those words, frowned and glared at Zachary at the same time, almost tempted to jump straight in the water, ignore getting her clothes wet in the process, and give an educational slap to the leopard. Yet, as she watched the joyous aquatic feline, she knew that wouldn't help in the slightest. He was hopelessly disrespectful.

Stopping for a moment, the owl turned back to Zachary and indicated her pristine feathers. "I keep myself quite clean enough, thank you very much," she stated matter-of-factly, before waving a talon, "Go ahead and have fun with your dad; I'm not a fan of water that warm." Snowflake stayed at the edge of the pool, smiling as she watched Zachary having fun in the water.

The leopard saluted resolutely at those words, and with unstoppable eagerness, proceeded to follow the issued order. With a wide grin on his muzzle, Zachary made his way to Basajaun, looking up at the humongous reptile with a childishly eager expression. "Seems like it's the two of us again who want to have fun, bud."

His statement was quickly proven false by Lya, who cleared her throat to remind the forgetful feline of her existence. "Oh, I don't mean to spoil the fun with my presence. I'll just leave you 'two' alone, then." She declared with a convincingly hurt tone, already turning away.

"Lya, wait, I just..." Zachary tried to save face, but the ocelot wasn't buying it.

"Nah, I'm good."

"But I wa--"

"Nuh-uh."

"How abo--"

"Too late."

With that unwinnable conversation out of the way, Lya joined by Esmeralda's side, leaving Basajaun and Zachary alone in the pool, just as the leopard requested. Although as she walked away, there was just a hint of quiet snickering audible in her wake.

The leopard lowered his ears to the sides of his head, pouting as she watched Lya leave. "Why do I always do this with her?" He inquired from the entire universe, or rather, from himself, sighing as he turned back to Basajaun.

The dragon nuzzled the leopard's cheek comfortingly. "I think she's just teasing you," he said with a hint of uncertainty, though he hoped it was the case, "Besides, I think she finds your little social blunders amusing." The drake's tone had shifted to teasing as he uttered those words, a playful smile on his face at their conclusion.

"I don't have social blunders." Zachary insisted, frowning lightly at Basajaun, a somewhat thoughtful expression crossing his features. "I'm just... still not used to," he stopped for a moment, gesturing with his paw around the pair, "All of this, I guess. Y'know... family, friends of my age," an unmistakably happy smile touched the corners of his mouth as he continued, "Birthdays. I'm just improvising most of the time, trying to appear like I actually know my way around these... social customs or whatever." He chuckled, shaking his head.

Basajaun could only smile and nod knowingly. "I'm not used to it either," he admitted, his tail swishing through the water as he settled himself down, the water coming up to his shoulders once he was laying on the pool's bottom, "I just happen to be lucky enough to learn as fast as I do. Don't worry, though; I'm sure you'll learn, too. Especially with someone like Lya to help you."

Zachary's smile grew at those words. "I hope so," he said, shooting a glance in the direction Lya had left, "And you're probably right; she must have been only teasing me."

"So," the leopard continued immediately, apparently over his little concern-session as he turned back to Basajaun with a grin, "How about we stay in the pool for a little while, and then we could... I mean, you could have some dinner?" He invited, raising a paw to stroke the dragon's flabby neck tenderly.

The reptile smiled at the thought, his neck arching into the comforting paw of his son. "Whatever you'd like," he replied honestly, reaching his own paw up to scratch behind the leopard's ear, "Today's your day, Zach. I'll go along with whatever you want to do."

Grinning wickedly at those words, the expression very similar to one he already gave to Lya once, Zachary pointed at the ground as he requested. "Do a handstand, then!" One could safely assume that the young anthro was either fascinated by the subject of handstands, even to the point where it could be considered a new form of addiction, or he was just simply being his teasing self. Judging by his convincingly expectant look to the dragon, it was rather difficult to guess which was the case.

Basajaun laughed out loud. "I have a hard time standing on my rear legs!" he chuckled, the image of his flabby self attempting to balance on his forelimbs only causing him to laugh harder, "I could try, but I think you probably shouldn't be within the falling zone if I did!"

Zachary waved a paw, shaking his head at his father. "Just pulling your leg, Basa," he clarified, smiling warmly to the massive dragon as he settled himself next to the reptile, his back facing the obese drake's soft chest, "I wouldn't ask you to do something that could possibly hurt you." He stated sincerely, looking up at Basajaun with some effort. Arching one's neck backwards could be quite uncomfortable.

Basajaun heaved a relieved sigh, though he continued chuckling at the mental image he had. "Thanks, I wasn't sure if I could tell you no about that," he admitted, grinning down to the feline snuggled against his chest, "Those big brown eyes are hard to resist."

Cocking an eyebrow at the statement, Zachary glanced downwards, observing the image of himself in the water, as if looking for the confirmation to Basajaun's words. "Really?" He asked uncertainly, his eyes lingering on himself for more time than necessary.

Turning his head this way and that while his pair of observant organs remained lock on himself, the leopard smiled as he declared his realization to the dragon. "I just noticed, Basa. I look so... different," he said, blinking, "Boy, it's been... I don't even know how long since I've taken the time to look at myself." He admitted, still examining himself in the water, and appearing like he couldn't believe what his eyes were telling him.

Smiling again, Basajaun patted Zachary's shoulder. "You've become a strong, lean hunter," he said with a great deal of pride, "You've got a lot more confidence to you than when we first met, too. I'd say the change is pretty good, overall."

"I didn't really have anything to be confident about," the leopard replied with a somewhat lowered voice, pinching his cheek with his fingers and jiggling the flesh a little, "I was only good at one thing; stealing. And..." Zachary sighed, finally looking up at Basajaun, untold regret hovering in his gaze, "I'm not proud of that, Basa. And I never will be."

The dragon's face fell slightly, though he kept his smile. "Hey, it's okay," he said lovingly, pulling Zachary lightly against his chest. "You survived," Basajaun stated quietly, stroking the leopard's back gently, "I know you; whatever you did, you did because you had to. And now you're in a better place, with your family that loves you for the good you've done. You don't ever have to think about the rest, son."

Zachary smiled a little at both Basajaun's comfort, and a particularly fascinating word he uttered. Family; it still sounded unbelievable, yet he couldn't doubt anymore that he was a part of one, at last.

"Y'know, we're not related by blood," the leopard suddenly stated the obvious, his smile widening as he spoke, "But I... don't care," he declared adamantly, looking up at his father, evident fondness glimmering in his 'big brown eyes', "It doesn't matter. And it never will, if you ask me."

Basajaun grinned widely, nodding in agreement. "Love makes a family, not blood," the dragon stated adamantly, "You've definitely shown me the truth in that, Zach." Leaning his head down, the reptile cuddled his face into the leopard's shoulder before continuing, "And in case it wasn't already clear enough; I love you, son. With all my heart."

"Yeah, it wasn't clear enough," Zachary grinned back, wrapping his arms around the dragon's snout gingerly and holding it to his neck, "I didn't catch that you felt that way. I mean, you've only been chanting that sentence for a day." The leopard giggled at his own teasing, yet by his gestures, and the affectionate expression that adorned his face, it was obvious that he appreciated the loving gesture each time he heard it out loud.

"I love you too, dad." He said those words with a sheer sigh of happiness, closing his eyes as he relaxed his body against the dragon's soft one. Only now, deprived of his vision willingly, did Zachary notice the increasing tiredness which he had completely forgotten about, the joy his first birthday had brought seemingly strong enough to overpower the demands of exhaustion. Lya's training proved to be an excellent distraction to keep the young anthro occupied. Perhaps a little too effective, even.

Snuggling the feline close, Basajaun took note of Zachary's closed eyes and chuckled lightly. "Maybe we should get out of the pool before you take a nap," he suggested, "Otherwise you might be in for a rude, wet awakening."

Zachary nodded with a tired smile. "I don't want to sound lazy," he prefaced, loosening a tiny yawn, before he looked up at Basajaun with childishly innocent eyes, "But could you possibly give me a lift? Your massage was so good that my leg muscles went to sleep before me, it seems." He stated, wiggling said limbs under water and grinning up at the drake.

Giving a nod, the dragon reached down to the leopard's scruff, his mouth opening slightly, before he stopped with his muzzle in contact with Zachary's nape. "Um, you probably meant on my back, didn't you?" he asked, internally disappointed at the realization.

With an amused sigh following the dragon's question, Zachary shook his head at Basajaun. "Go ahead," he relented, raising a paw to give a few encouraging strokes on the indecisive reptile's snout, "I don't care anymore; everyone's seen it already."

His smile returning, Basajaun took hold of the feline's scruff, his expression one of fatherly pride as he waded out of the pool. The dragon nearly frolicked over to the fire, so happy he felt carrying his son gently in his teeth. He was only vaguely aware of the spirit following quietly behind him, though he could just barely feel her amusement at the back of his mind.

Just as on previous instances, Zachary was reduced to nothing more than a helpless kitten, his tail tucked between his legs while his limbs curled closely to his body, the dish round ears on his head planting themselves tightly against the surface. Although unlike last time, the feline didn't let out a mew, an achievement he was relieved to have reached.

Having sat beside the fire in an attempt to dry her mildly wet fur, Lya tore her gaze away from warm flames when she heard Basajaun's unmistakably loud footsteps approaching. As soon as her eyes settled on the dragon, and the dangling feline in his mouth, the ocelot's whole expression became one of adoration, and she was unable to stop herself from showing this somehow verbally.

"D'aww..." Cooed a currently more than amused ocelot, watching the pair with a warm smile on her face. In her mind, the sight could only be compared to a heartfelt hug to her very heart, not even remotely close to how the leopard thought she would perceive the scene.

Settling himself down by the fire, Basajaun set Zachary down on his forelimbs, while Esmeralda offered the leopard a towel. "Here, you should dry up before you fall asleep," the owl stated, her tone one of motherly concern.

The leopard took the towel with a smile, mumbling a thank you before he followed as he was instructed. Soon enough, the clinging wetness from his fur was banished from his body, a completely dry, and surprisingly fuzzy feline the result of few minutes of intense rubbing.

Taking the leopard in his mouth again, Basajaun curled his neck to set Zachary on his back, directing his body to fatten back up to provide the most comfort. "Would you mind napping on my back?" the dragon asked, indicating the unfinished wooden statuettes, "I wanted to work on these some more while you slept, which would be harder to do if I were on my back." Snowflake situated herself beside the drake, nuzzling his neck tenderly as she leaned slightly into the softening reptile's silky side.

The feline on top of the less soft bed grimaced slightly at the request, but nodded his head nonetheless. "Alright," he replied, smiling tiredly as he pointed a paw at the gift Basajaun had given him, "But could you pass lil' Boris up for me, please?" Zachary voiced his own request, cocking his head a little at Basajaun.

Snowflake was quick to retrieve the sculptures, handing the unfinished ones to Basajaun and the finished rhino up to Zachary. "Here you go," she said, smiling softly to the leopard and dragon both. The expression was returned by the drake, who reached up to the dragoness' face and nuzzled her affectionately for the favor.

"Thanks." The feline said and took the statue, before his authenticity was broken by a long yawn that forced his tongue to curl out with its intensity. Chewing on nothing for a few moments as if the action had left a bad taste in his mouth, Zachary's eyelids fell down on their own accord without needing any order from the tired leopard's brain.

Giving into the demand of his system, the feline slowly settled himself comfortably on his subdued, yet still decently and luxuriously comfortable cushion Basajaun's back provided. With his father's gift held tightly to his chest, the leopard curled himself in his usual sleeping position, his posture reminiscent to the way the forest dragon himself enveloped Zachary with his body when the two of them slept.

Lya listened in silence as the leopard's breathing leveled out, and when it became muffled by his soft purring, the ocelot couldn't help but giggle at the innocent sound of utter comfort. Her eyes lingered on the sleeping feline, and after a moment of silence, she spoke up.

"I think I can safely say that this dummy right here is the most adorable person I've met, regardless of his protest against that fact." She stated with a smile and a shake of her head, apparently having Zachary unconscious making uttering such things a lot easier for her, as her blush failed to make its appearance this time.

Basajaun nodded in agreement with those words, uttering his claw sharpening spell to resume his work on the raccoon figurines he held. Thinking back to Rusty and Rosy's inn and tavern, the image of the two happy caterers was brought to his mind, clear as though they were standing in front of him at that very moment.

The dragon couldn't help but smile at the memories he had of the raccoon siblings. He and Zachary had fast become one of the pair's best customers, and they seemed to be quick to warm up to Basajaun because of that. The brother and sister were Basajaun's second real introduction to friendship, and the warm smiles worn by them when they saw Basajaun and Zachary coming was the feature he wished to capture the most.

Holding the first figure firmly in one forepaw, the other came to the wood carefully and began carving out miniscule fragments. The drake's face was held close to the figure, his eyes crossed and pupils constricted to slits in order to pick up the tiniest of details.

The careful process was observed by Lya for a little while, the familiar sight eliciting a warm smile from the ocelot as pleasant memories flooded her mind. Yet, even with the heartwarming sensations the remembrances brought, she eventually stood up from her place and straightened her dried up clothes.

Shooting a glance to the snoozing leopard on top of Basajaun's back, she smiled warmly, before heaving a sigh. "I have to take care of my assignment," Lya informed everyone present and conscious, her own words sending an uncomfortable feeling through her body and mind alike, "I'll be back later."

Esmeralda suddenly stood, an intrigued expression on her face. "Would you perhaps mind a bit of company?" the owl asked, her head cocked as she smiled lightly.

Lya turned back to look at the Elder, her expression and posture clearly uneasy. "I... I'm not sure you'd want to see this," she replied quietly, forcing a smile on her lips, "It's not exactly a pleasant sight."

The owl shook her head, stepping over to Lya's side. "I'm used to unpleasant sights," Esmeralda replied, tapping her head, "Besides, I've yet to see your magical talent for myself. I'm interested in observing, and besides, two hunters are more likely to succeed than one."

Grimacing slightly, the ocelot eventually sighed and nodded. "If you insist, Lady Eszes," she relented, but was soon smiling appreciatively to the owl, "Thanks for the company. It's... easier not alone." Lya stated vaguely, before she turned and began making her way towards the path the three females of the group had taken earlier.

"Of course," Esmeralda affirmed, an oddly eager smile on her face as she walked alongside the ocelot.

Snowflake leaned a bit further into Basajaun's side once Lya and her mistress were out of view. Despite the Elder's willingness to observe the necromancer's magic, the spirit was much less eager to do so. Gently nuzzling her way under the drake's wing, the dragoness gave a comforted chime, slipping into her resting state in the soft embrace of the silky reptile.

With two unconscious members of the group, and the rest busy with their respective work or assignments, seconds quickly turned into minutes and eventually into hours, the uneventful nature of the time period seeming to quicken the process.

As the sun began its usual downwards descent in the sky, tranquil stillness fell on the clearing. Not even the slightest breeze disturbed the otherwise dancing leaves, the soft chirping of the birds and Zachary's balanced breathing the only sounds which cut through the silence.

The complete calmness was only interrupted when the napping leopard decided to advance his formerly quiet breathing with a sudden grunt, which was quickly followed by the repositioning of his body on top of Basajaun. Zachary suddenly curled himself even tighter until his head was lost behind his own legs, but the tiny, muffled whimper he let out was clearly audible through the quietness.

The sound immediately made it through the concentration that Basajaun held. Setting his project aside, the dragon turned his head around on his long neck and nuzzled Zachary's face. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked worriedly as Snowflake's own head came out from under the drake's wing, giving a concernedly affectionate expression to the leopard.

As if the dragon's comforting voice was able to penetrate his unconscious defenses, Zachary began mumbling quietly under his breath, yet his eyes didn't open as he spoke. "Basa?" he uttered his father's name with a fearful whisper, another whimper following, "Where are you? Basa... don't leave me in here." The leopard's weak tone sounded hopelessly pleading, his body once again turning in another direction. Now that he was facing the dragon, the terrified grimace on his features was as obvious as the fact that he was still asleep, although not exactly enjoying his dreams.

It didn't take a genius to figure out where the leopard imagined he was. Eyes widening with the realization, Basajaun reached over and took ahold of the feline's scruff again, quickly but carefully repositioning him to the dragon's forelimbs, where Zachary was immediately embraced lovingly. "Shh, I'm here for you," the drake stated adamantly, rocking slightly as he held the leopard close.

Amazingly, Zachary remained asleep despite the quick change in his location, although he did begin to show signs of hints of awareness as his paws immediately grasped tightly around Basajaun's arm the best they could. "Basa..." he breathed with a small smile of relief, his head slowly falling backwards until it was leaning against the dragon's chest, "Don't leave... don't leave, don't go." The leopard pleaded for the last time, before he seemed to have calmed down a little, the reptile's quick embrace helping him immensely, even in his sleep.

Basajaun reached down and nuzzled the leopard's face gently. "I'm here," he repeated, scratching the feline behind his ear with a claw, "I'll always find you, Zach. No obstacles can hold me back when my son needs me." Putting his head beside Zachary's, the dragon started humming a quiet lullaby, rocking the leopard gently in his arms while Snowflake chimed softly along.

The alluring sounds and repetitive motions proved to be effective. Zachary's muzzle steadily broke into a warm smile, and as he finally let all the tense muscles loosen in his body, he completely relaxed into the dragon's tender embrace. He spoke no more, yet his whimpering was slowly replaced by quiet purring, his mind at peace at last thanks to Basajaun's fatherly efforts.

Smiling at the leopard's purr, the dragon continued his soft lullaby and careful motions. The nearly finished statuettes remained untouched; Basajaun's son needed him, and that superseded all other tasks.

The display of affection was quick to get a smile from Snowflake, who nuzzled the dragon's cheek in approval. Glancing to the spirit, Basajaun returned the expression and gesture. Words were unneeded, and so they weren't uttered, lest the peaceful rest of the leopard was disturbed.

Watching the leopard sleep peacefully for several long minutes, all the while keeping up his loving song, Basajaun reached down and give his son a tender lick on the nose, his building affection rendering him unable to resist offering the gesture.

As much as letting his body be grabbed and repositioned somewhere entirely else went unnoticed by the moonstruck feline, the sensation of a slimy substance dripping down on his nose sure didn't. Zachary face's froze in a slight grimace. "Ugh..." The leopard groaned in mild displeasure, attempting to get rid of the cruel intruder of his rest by blowing on it. A grave mistake.

Instead of departing like it was supposed to, the pesky reptile saliva only continued dribbling at an ever faster pace, and once it reached its destination, Zachary's eyes immediately opened.

"What is...!?" The leopard began to demand, wiping the unknown substance that contacted his lips and staring numbly at the slobber once it was identified. "Oh... Gods..." Zachary breathed as he scrunched up his muzzle in disgust, whimpering shamefully as he started wiping his mouth vehemently.

Basajaun gave a guilty expression as Snowflake laughed in amusement. "Um, did you sleep well, son?" the dragon asked, hoping to escape an irritated berating from his feline friend.

No answer came to the dragon's caring inquiry, only pitiful whining. "Ew, gross," Zachary mumbled with clear antipathy towards Basajaun's drool which contacted his mouth, "Why on earth are you so goddamn slimy?" he demanded, directing his question at the universe itself, rather than Basajaun. He stuck his tongue out, munching on nothing as he tried to get both the taste and the memory of the accident out of his mind.

Basajaun's neck ducked lower as his guilt increased. "Um... I love you, son," he tried to save face desperately, smiling abashedly as he nuzzled the leopard's arm apologetically.

Remaining silently disgusted his rude awakening brought, Zachary eventually stopped wiping his mouth helplessly. Heaving an exasperated sigh, the leopard glanced up at Basajaun with a mildly displeased expression.

"I love you too, but not so much that tongue of yours," he stated, gesturing at the his nemesis inside the drake's mouth, before shaking his head a little and rubbing his eyes, "And I slept well... I guess." He replied to the earlier question that was asked, yet there was uncertainty lingering in his tone as he added, "I think I had a bad dream or something... but I can't really remember."

Basajaun's smile became more affectionate as he reached up and nuzzled the leopard's cheek. "I hope it wasn't anything too upsetting," he said lovingly, not wanting to remind Zachary of what he was relatively certain the dream was about, "My little boy deserves only the sweetest of dreams."

Snorting in amusement and rolling his eyes, the feline flicked the drake's snout playfully. "I wish that was the case," he agreed with a small smile, seeming like he was already over with the previous misfortune. With a long yawn parting his muzzle that was accompanied by its usual tongue partner for their performance, Zachary repositioned himself a little to stretch his limbs, only now noticing his change in location.

"Uh... how did I get here? I thought I fell asleep on your back?" He inquired with a cocked eyebrow as he looked up at the drake, tilting his head curiously.

The dragon gave a sheepish smile. "I wanted to snuggle my son," he said somewhat truthfully, though he left out the reason why he wanted to do so, "You have an impressive ability to stay asleep while being moved, by the way."

Zachary gave a sincerely surprised expression. "I do?" He asked in mild disbelief, but quickly realized that the dragon was most likely correct, given how he didn't even notice that he was moved from the drake's back to his arms.

Blinking the last bit of sleepiness from his eyes, the leopard glanced around them, noting the position of the sun with a slight grimace. "Wow, I slept a lot," he observed, eventually shrugging the thought off as a part of himself and snuggling himself comfortably between Basajaun's arms while his eyes roamed the group's campsite until he noticed something, or more accurately, the absence of someone.

Turning to the dragon once again, Zachary cocked his head as he inquired. "Uhm, where's Lya and Esmeralda, by the way?"

"Esmeralda's helping Lya with her project," Basajaun answered, gesturing out into the woods in the direction he could pick up their scent from, turning to Snowflake, "Do you know what they're doing right now?"

The spirit hesitated, looking very uncomfortable. "I... I don't want to see that," she answered apologetically, looking down to the ground, "I've been blocking out Mistress' senses since I woke up. I can't... stand seeing black magic."

The response elicited a similar reaction from Zachary, who could only sigh in sympathy and shake his head. "I don't blame you, Snowflake. Necromancy is not pleasant for anyone." The leopard stated quietly, looking in the direction Basajaun had pointed. "I... really don't know how Lya does it. I only used necromancy once, but that was... just... way more than enough for me. To think that she's been doing it for years..." The feline shook his head.

Snowflake looked out to the woods, chiming a sigh. "But she's still a good person," she insisted, seeming to be directing the statement towards herself. The spirit was surprised by a gentle nuzzle on her neck, smiling to the drake who gave it to her and pressing her forehead against his.

"You're a good person, too," Basajaun confirmed, his head sliding down the dragoness' neck in a comforting draconic kiss, "You're able to look past this huge difference between you and her, and be her friend anyways. That speaks of your character more than most anything else you can do."

Smiling appreciatively, Snowflake nuzzled the dragon's cheek as she brought her head back up to his. Wanting to show the spirit a bit more comfort, Basajaun gave a lick on the spirit's cheek to return her loving gesture.

The dragoness' eyes widened at the action. "Wait, don't!" she tried to warn the drake, but it was too late.

The dragon's tongue contacted the ice spirit's face, sliding across it for a moment before it came to a sudden halt, jerking Basajaun's head to a similar stop. "Whath the...?" the dragon demanded confusedly, tugging on his tongue in an attempt to retrieve the oral muscle, "Ah'm thtuck!"

The familiar sighed, trying to hold as still as she could. "I tried to warn you," she tinkled quietly, "Don't pull, or you're going to hurt your tongue." Though the drake obeyed, he started glancing between Snowflake and Zachary in worried confusion at his predicament.

Having fallen into a deep, mental argumentation revolving around Lya, the leopard only felt mildly intrigued to pay attention to the commotion right next to him after Basajaun had already reached the worst state of his predicament.

As soon as his eyes settled on the dragon, or more accurately on the bridge like tongue that connected his mouth with Snowflake's face, however, Zachary nearly choked on the intensity of his laugh. No matter how much he wanted to stare at the ridiculous sight, he had to close his eyes after it became too difficult to keep them open, joyful tears drifting down his cheeks in the process.

"Karma, Basa!" The feline managed to pause in his uncontrollable chuckling, but was quick to continue enjoying his amusement, hugging his sides as they began to feel like they were about to split open any moment.

Yet, even through his excessive laughing, Zachary made sure to not miss the opportunity to tease the dragon as much as he could. "Spirit got your tongue?" He asked, attempting to wipe his happy tears away, but not succeeding, given the immense amount of mirthful droplets which kept forming in his eyes.

"It'th nah phunny!" Basajaun tried to chide the leopard, though his tongue was far too stuck to speak properly and made the act far less effective, "How dtho I gheth unthtuck?"

Snowflake could suppress the giggle that came up from the dragon's funny speech. "We need some warm water," the spirit answered, looking over to the feline that was currently struggling to breathe through his laughter, "I don't suppose you could get ahold of yourself well enough to help, Hunter?"

"Just... just a moment!" Zachary insisted between his fit of giggles, closing his eyes to calm himself. For a few moments, the leopard continued tittering and snickering under his breath, evidently trying his hardest to do as the familiar requested. After taking a few deep breaths, he opened his eyes again... and began laughing once more as soon as his eyes settled on Basajaun.

"I can't!" he stated as he buried his shaking head in his paws, his whole body jumping up and down with his chuckling, "Gods, I'm sorry, Basa, but this is just too damn good!" Done with his little conclusion, Zachary took another deep breath in a second attempt to suppress his uncontrollable amusement. Unlike the first time, he managed to get a hold of himself after a little while.

Extracting himself quickly from Basajaun's arms, and clenching his eyes tightly throughout the entire process to avoid losing against the forces of laughter, the leopard made his way to the table, where he grabbed an empty bowl swiftly, even faster went to the pool to fill it up, and rushed with it back to two dragons to help his father in need.

Despite the entertainment he received from the hilarious scene, he still didn't want Basajaun to be uncomfortable. And judging by the reptile's position, he wasn't exactly in luxurious comfort at the moment. "He-re. Do it fast before I suffocate." He suggested, not looking up at Snowflake as he offered the bowl with lukewarm water inside to the spirit.

Getting an annoyed look from Basajaun and a shallow, but grateful nod from the spirit he was stuck to, Snowflake poured the bowl over the drake's tongue. After a moment of the water's contact, the limb slipped off of her cheek, hanging limp from the dragon's mouth.

"Ah thtill can'th pheel ith," the drake said worriedly, getting a reassuring pat on his shoulder from the dragoness.

"Don't worry, the numbness will go away once it warms back up," she assured the dragon, before shaking her head, "By the way, don't lick me, or your tongue will get stuck."

The dragon gave Snowflake a half-hearted glare. "Thangth, I hadthn nothithed," he grumbled, working his tongue around to get the blood back into it.

Zachary actually let out a disappointed sigh out of nowhere. "Awh, man, I thought there wouldn't be slimy baths anymore now that your tongue got its rightful punishment." He said with a grimace, waving a paw at the said criminal that was currently not in top form. Despite looking legitimately crestfallen that his arch enemy would recover in the future, the leopard couldn't help but let out a single, quiet snicker.

The dragon looked over to Zachary with a cocked head, but he waited until he could actually feel his tongue before speaking. "Your unconditional support is always appreciated, son," he mumbled, his tongue still periodically running out of his mouth and flexing to regain full mobility.

"What?" The leopard inquired, feigning innocence convincingly as he lowered his dish round ears to his head, pouting as well just to appear as guiltless as he could. He looked up sheepishly to the massive creature in front of him. "I helped you, didn't I? I coulda used a fire spell too, but Snowflake doesn't like that." He reasoned as he tilted his head adorably, yet to make a blunder in his flawless performance of the blameless son.

"Thanks, I like my tongue attached," the dragon replied, giving Snowflake a teasing grin after his words.

The spirit smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry you can't lick me," she said quietly, "I appreciate the gesture, though."

Waving a hand dismissively, the drake simply shook his head. "I'll have to remember not to do that again," he said in reply, "That was unpleasant, to say the least."

Snowflake moved over to the dragon's front, pressing her forehead against his. "We still have this gesture of affection," she reminded him, getting a goofy grin from Basajaun as he returned the act, apparently willing to accept this as a fitting replacement to his licking.

Zachary rolled his eyes at the two love birds. "And it's still lame," he coughed, suddenly feeling the urge to retreat to a safe distance from both Snowflake and Basajaun. He turned on his heel, nonchalantly whistling to himself as he began sauntering away in a random direction.

Snowflake stuck her pointed tongue out at the leopard. "Wouldn't think a dragon hatchling would think so," she teased, turning back and nuzzling the drake's soft neck, letting her face sink into the silky flesh and chiming contentedly.

Still bearing a dopey smile, Basajaun put a paw on the back of Snowflake's neck, pulling her a bit closer and feeling her head press deeper into his flab, which the spirit didn't seem to mind in the slightest. The drake quickly let his son's opinion about the dragons' means of communicating their affection slip out of his mind, curling his neck down and nuzzling the spirit's neck back.

Turning back to tease right back at Snowflake, Zachary stopped himself when he noticed the sheer closeness the two dragons' position conveyed. The leopard heaved a quiet sigh, but not out of the disappointment he felt because he was deprived of the chance to mock the two. He tore his eyes away, redirecting his gaze to the group's bags before he began making his way towards them.

Silently retrieving his bow, quiver and arrows from his own bag, the feline walked to the edge of the forest with relaxed and thoughtful steps, only stopping once he felt good about the distance between him and a particular tree. His eyes scanned nature's green pillar for a moment, before he raised his trusty bone weapon close to his face.

"Been a little while." He spoke to his bow quietly, a small smile appearing on his muzzle as he recalled the day Basajaun gave this exceptional gift to him. Not delving too deep into the remembrance, however, Zachary quickly took his usual archery position and exhaled loudly as he prepared for some much needed practicing with his bow and arrows.

Looking up from Snowflake, Basajaun noticed the leopard with his bow, a small smile appearing on his face at the use of his first real gift to Zachary. Looking down to the nearly finished pair of raccoon statues, the dragon patted Snowflake's shoulder, the spirit withdrawing from him a moment later to let him continue his work.

Considering whether to return to her soft place again, Snowflake eventually decided on moving over to Zachary, instead. "Remember the flying hunting practice we did?" she asked, smiling to the leopard.

"M'hm." The leopard replied, his eyes closed as he took a deep breath. Exhaling and opening his eyes at the same time, he snatched an arrow from the quiver on his back and mounted the bolt on his bow's string in a blink of an eye, almost immediately sending whistling through the air.

The arrow collided with the base of the tree, hitting it perfectly in the middle, precisely where Zachary wanted its destination be. Smiling a little at his aim, the feline swiftly grabbed for another bolt and repeated the action with even more speed. This time, however, the arrow didn't collide with the tree. The bolt flew through the air straight towards the same location, leaving nothing like a tiny whistle in its wake, before it came to a stop.

Zachary grinned widely; his second arrow drilled itself deeply into the first one, splitting it in two in the process. "It was a good practice, if anything," he said to Snowflake without missing a beat, turning to the spirit with a humble smile, "Seems like it improved my aim a little."

The spirit blinked, seeming to be shocked by the deadly aim that Zachary had just displayed. "Alright, if you ever want to impress Lya," she teased lightly after finding her voice again, "Just do that. That'll probably leave her speechless!"

Cocking his head a little, the leopard turned back to the tree, looking at the merged arrows for a moment. "You think so?" He asked in mild disbelief, heaving a sigh before he mounted another arrow, but for some reason, held another one at the same time in his paw.

"Well, she does show interest towards fighting and whatnot," Zachary continued his train of thoughts aloud, shooting an arrow in a different direction this time, straight back towards the clearing. Before it could land, the leopard turned back to Snowflake with a smile as he asked, "Want some venison?"

Not a second later, the bolt landed in the serving in question that sat on the table, sticking out proudly in the air. The distance between the table and Zachary was more than twice as much as with the tree he was previously practicing with this time, however.

Snowflake laughed, shaking her head. "I don't eat, mister showoff," she reminded the leopard, giggling louder when the impact of the arrow caused Basajaun to nearly jump with surprise, though he managed to suppress his reaction to avoid ruining his carving.

The drake did react by shooting a mild glower over to Zachary. "A warning would be nice," he scolded the leopard, "I thought we were being fired at by a random passerby!"

Zachary rolled his eyes. "Well, we weren't," he stated the obvious, snorting and shaking his head at the dragon, "I'm just having a little fun. You're becoming like Esmeralda, I swear. " He added with a half-teasing and half-honest tone, turning away from the reptile and nocking the arrow he had prepared earlier against the bow's string.

Once again facing the earlier tree, the leopard shot his bolt out while exhaling. Before he even let go of the arrow, however, Zachary grabbed for another and sent it right back after it, repeating the action three times afterwards in impressively rapid succession.

Five arrows landed in the tree, creating a perfect pentagon around the two merged ones. Evidently, Zachary wasn't only precise with his aim, but deadly fast as well. He seemed to ignore this amazing talent though, as he simply continued smiling through his flawless archery performance.

Snowflake watched the performance with an almost dumbfounded expression, shaking her head again at its conclusion. "I think you need more difficult targets," she mused, smiling to Zachary, "May I help you practice, like we did in the sky?"

"Sure," the leopard replied, walking to the tree to retrieve the five usable arrows and placing them in his quiver afterwards, "Don't go too overboard, though. I'm still warming up." He cautioned with a smile as he made his way back to the spirit.

"'Still warming up,' he says," the spirit repeated, chuckling and shaking her head in mild disbelief, even though she could tell that the leopard was telling the truth. Gesturing with her forelimbs, the familiar intoned, "Ice puppet," a group of ice shards flowing from her body and coming together to form the shape of a hare, which stood at attention, facing the leopard and spirit.

"We'll start off with one hare, then," Snowflake suggested, smiling to Zachary, "And work our way up from there. How does that sound?"

"Good for me." Zachary shrugged, observing the snowy hare in front of him with a clearly impressed expression. "Nice spell, by the way. Reminds me of my illusion one, and that one is damn hard to keep alive!" He said sincerely, patting Snowflake's neck before he stepped a few paces away, getting in position in anticipation for a more advanced archery training.

Snowflake smiled at the compliment. "Thank you," she said appreciatively, giving a nod, "It's the same one we used before."

With that, the spirit began helping Zachary practice with moving targets. The hare moved as the animal it was modeled after would, bobbing and weaving in seemingly random directions. With his experience, though, the leopard was able to recognize the signature dodging patterns of the hare, hitting the target each time he loosed an arrow.

Thanks to his aim, which was truly nothing to snort at, the training quickly advanced into higher difficulties. Steadily, one by one, more targets were added, the different sort of animated icy creations adapting patterns and movements of wide variety. But even with that, Zachary failed to miss his targets, delivering precise and deadly hits every single time a bolt left his bowstring. It was evident that his magical capabilities weren't the only talent the young anthro possessed.

Given that he was stationary, excluding a few cases when he had to quickly change positions to get a better aim at a target, Zachary continued his little impromptu archery training with seemingly no effort, rapidly becoming lost in both the experience and its successfulness. Yet, his seemingly unbreakable execution wasn't flawless.

A single, weak cough, barely existent at all, was able to throw his aim off, resulting in his first miss in an hour.

Zachary stopped reaching for another arrow, staring at the one which drilled itself in the ground with a grimace, his eyes effortlessly looking through the blackness that had naturally settled on the little clearing as night advanced.

Just when he was having so much fun with his success, he had to be reminded of his condition. Perfect timing. "Goddamnit..." The leopard grumbled, shaking his head and sighing and evident frustration as a paw subconsciously settled on his chest.

Although he did indeed run around quite a bit and was actually doing a physical activity for once, he still couldn't get used to the consequence it brought, namely the warning from his lungs that he was still a cripple, no matter how many arrows he hit. In reality, he simply refused to acknowledge it the best he could, ignoring the painful truth instead.

Snowflake hesitated, before putting a paw on the leopard's shoulder. She couldn't think of anything to say that would offer the leopard support without frustrating him further, so the spirit simply smiled warmly to the feline, giving him wordless emotional support through her bond with Zachary.

The sheer light that entered his mind at the action quickly banished the darkness, destroying the unpleasant thoughts that crept upon his subconscious. Zachary closed his eyes and exhaled loudly, letting go of his frustration, lest he become lost in the unwanted sensation.

"Thanks, Snowflake." Said a much more calm leopard after a while, giving the spirit a warm smile of his own, seemingly over the uncomfortable feeling his cough brought. Yet, as he looked in Snowflake's eyes, there was just a hint of bottled-up uncertainty, or fear, even, glimmering in his brown ones. It didn't stay for too much time, however, as it was isolated right back to its confinement where it wouldn't be acknowledged.

"You're welcome," the spirit replied, nuzzling the leopard's face gently. Sensing the leopard's desire to end his hunting practice, Snowflake gestured the targets over to her, each one melding back into her form as she started helping Zachary gather his arrows back up.

Watching the process for a moment as he placed his arrows in his quiver, the leopard suddenly looked intrigued. He turned to Snowflake, cocking his head a little. "Would you be able to change forms now, if you wanted?" He inquired curiously, gesturing at the source of ice that the spirit's creations represented as they kept returning to her body.

Snowflake smiled, shaking her head. "I have to use someone else's ice, or natural ice," the spirit clarified, gesturing to the final ice construct that reentered her form. "The ice that I make comes from me. It's a part of my body, really, and I can't use my own body as a source of nourishment, or to change form with. It has to come from another source." Finishing with her explanation, the familiar offered the arrows she had collected to their owner.

With an acknowledging nod, Zachary took his bolts, returning them to their rightful place in his quiver. "I guess that makes sense," he replied with a smile, turning towards the fireplace and began making his way towards it. Although satisfied with Snowflake's clarification, there was still a thought which lingered in the young anthro's mind.

"And how about we say you had a massive amount of ice at your disposal," the leopard began his theory, glancing back at the spirit, "Would you be able to just use all of that and grow to an unheard size?" He asked, looking more than interested in the subject for some reason.

Snowflake laughed in amusement. "As fun as that might be," the spirit giggled, "I have a limit to how big I can get. That size I was when I was bigger than Forest was close to my biggest. Older spirits have bigger limits, but I honestly don't like being much larger than I am now. It's too easy to accidentally hurt someone."

Noticing the leopard's eager expression, the familiar cocked her head. "Why do you ask?" she inquired.

The spirit's question forced the feline's eager expression to darken somewhat, and he hesitated to continue, but eventually proceeded to explain himself nonetheless. "Because we might have to hurt people very soon," he began, a grimace crossing his features by his own words, "And not accidentally, Snowflake. We're going to need everyone, every member of this group to give their best at Boldrumton."

Zachary sighed, shaking his head a little. "I just wanted to know what our limits were, you know. I want to be as prepared as I can be, but the more I learn or advance, the more knowledge I have of our capabilities, the more I... fear what might happen to us." As the leopard finally allowed himself to show the anxiousness which rose within him every passing day, he arrived at the fire and sat down next to the comforting warmth, watching the dancing flames with thoughtful eyes.

Snowflake situated herself next to Zachary, a wing patting the leopard's shoulder. Her own expression seemed to become slightly distant at the feline's words, a reluctance readily visible in her features. "I'm scared, too," she admitted after several long moments of hesitation, "I don't want to hurt anybody, Hunter. But I know that there are bad men where we're going, the kind that won't hesitate to hurt us. I just... I don't want to hurt anyone." The spirit reached over and nuzzled her face against Zachary's chest.

"I know, Snowflake... I know." The leopard reposed the familiar, wrapping his arms gently around her slender neck and holding Snowflake close to himself. Staring into the flames numbly as his mind raced with thoughts, endless possibilities, vague predictions about their future, Zachary had to shake his head to wipe them away.

He heaved another soft sigh, looking down at the spirit he was embracing with a small smile. "I don't want to hurt anyone either," he stated, his paw moving to stroke Snowflake's neck, "And if everything goes well, we might not have to. That's a possibility as well. Talib already taught me a couple of harmless spells that can disarm anyone. You and Basajaun will be only flying us, if we're lucky, so neither of you have to hurt anyone. Hopefully I and Esmeralda, perhaps Lya too, will be able to handle them." Although not entirely convinced by his own words, the leopard desperately wished that everything would go just as he had said.

Finishing up with applying walnut oil to his carving of Rosy, Basajaun held the statuette gently as it dried, reaching his own wing over to stroke Zachary's back. "I hope you're right," the dragon stated, smiling to the leopard warmly, "But like you said to me; we'll worry about these things when the time comes. We're already doing what we can to prepare, worrying isn't going to help us at all."

Taking the finished Rusty figure, Basajaun showed it to Zachary with a smile. "We just need to do our best to focus on the present," he continued, "And the happy memories we hold of the past. Isn't that right?"

The leopard smiled back at the dragon. "Absolutely." He replied, his eyes scanning Basajaun's woody creation. Just as the reptile had said, happy memories flooded his mind as he appraised the doppelganger of Rusty, and he welcomed them with open arms, more than willing to replace fear with joy once more.

"Sorry for bringing it up, Snowflake," Zachary apologized, finally letting go of the spirit's neck, "We'll worry it when the time comes." He repeated his own words, glancing at Basajaun and patting the reptile's wing appreciatively as he added. "Good work with Rusty, by the way."

Not long after the leopard repositioned himself in a comfortable position, using his arms for support as he leaned back and looked up at the starry sky, did he notice the faint sound of footsteps entering the clearing. He tore his eyes away from the infinite blackness which hang above their heads, looking in the direction the sound came from.

As expected, Lya and Esmeralda had returned, and although Zachary was more than thrilled to have both of them back at camp, his expression quickly fell when he noticed the one that the ocelot wore. Even through the darkness that enveloped them, he could see her face, her features, every subtle detail that appeared in her gestures or movement.

Lya was definitely not in her best mood, and as the leopard watched the pair approach, he wanted nothing more than to comfort her. "Welcome back." Zachary said to the pair softly, giving both a warm smile, which the ocelot returned, but her struggles to do so were evident.

"Hello, birthday boy." She greeted back, her tone somewhat weak from most likely exhaustion. Lya made her way straight to the fire, sitting down next to Zachary, or more accurately, collapsing on the ground, an action the leopard didn't expect to ever see from the usually powerful ocelot.

Feeling a flash of worry, Basajaun scooted himself around to face the collapsed feline, nuzzling her arm in concern. "Hey, are you alright?" he asked, evident care in his voice.

Lya nodded with closed eyes. "Just a little worn-out, that's it," she replied, patting the dragon's head in appreciation, "I just need a moment to rest. I'll be up and ready before you know it." Sighing expansively, the ocelot followed her words, letting her body have its much needed rest for a little while.

Zachary watched her lying from next to him, a similarly concerned expression on his face. "Do you want anything?" he asked, unable to suppress the same kind of worry from his tone, regardless of his best efforts, "There's still a lot of food. I could get yo--"

"I'm fine, Zach, really." Lya cut him off, an obvious indicator that she definitely wasn't lying. She opened her eyes, a smile touching the corners of her mouth at the same time. The most beautiful expression Zachary had ever seen, or so he believed. Seeing her lips curve, the tiny dimples appearing on her furred cheeks, her amber eyes staring into his own brown ones. The sight simply melted his heart in a blink of an eye, driving all his worries away, all his problems, complete reassurance following right behind, blissful calmness.

Silently, robbed of his speech once again by the ocelot, the leopard nodded his head. He didn't notice it himself, but his previously concerned expression was nowhere to be found anymore, a ridiculously goofy smile replacing it. And while he was unaware of the sudden change in his facial muscles, Lya sure wasn't, as the ocelot let out a giggle at the sight. The sound was definitely a strong competent in beauty against Lya's smile.

Esmeralda set herself down next to her familiar, petting the spirit's side gently. She seemed to have a satisfied expression on her own face, though she didn't make any comments.

Relieved by the ocelot's reassurance, Basajaun smiled to the feline, before his expression fell somewhat. "Was that an appropriate use of physical contact?" he asked, referring to the nuzzle he had given to Lya's arm and wondering if that was in line with the courtesy lessons he was receiving.

Lya laughed out loud, craning her neck to look at the dragon. "The least thing I care about right now is whether or not that was appropriate, Basajaun," she replied, tearing her gaze away and staring up at the sky, "There are times where you have to be polite and considerate," she continued, a small smile adorning her face, "And there are times when you just have to let go of those rules and be sincere or pure for once, instead of acting what you are not. And this was definitely a time where the latter was the case. So, thank you for caring."

As she finished with her explanation to the uncertain reptile, Lya's ears picked up a particularly familiar sound, a soft, childishly exaggerated noise that could only come from one member of the group. It wasn't even needed to look at the individual in question.

Whimpering softly to the ocelot, evidently demanding approval for himself too, Zachary fluttered his eyes, looking down at Lya with the most innocent expression he could muster. The leopard kept on his whining for a moment, watching the ocelot's reaction keenly. He didn't need to wait for too long.

Lya snorted loudly, probably out of amusement, or pity, rather. "Alright, dummy," she said with a shake of her head, cocking her eyebrow at the little kitten who had replaced Zachary, "Thank you, too. Gods, you can be a pain in the neck sometimes, you know that?"

The question was immediately followed by more whimpering.

"You're horrible, Zach." Lya announced her usual conclusion with a mirthful chuckle, flicking the leopard's nose gently and smiling warmly when he rubbed at the spot which had been cruelly assaulted.

Chuckling along with the ocelot, Basajaun once again felt relief that he hadn't made her uncomfortable. Once sure that she was alright, the dragon showed her the dried Rosy figurine, knowing that Lya liked the work he did. "What do you think?" the drake asked curiously, giving an eager smile.

Intrigued by the topic, Lya sat up from her lying position with marginal effort. She was already feeling immensely better than when she arrived, her friends contributing a great deal to her swift recovery. She studied the dragon's work with a critical eye, her smile widening as she marveled at the wooden statue, its careful details, excellent craftsmanship immediately reminding her of someone dear to her.

"Impressive, to say the least." She answered, finally redirecting her gaze to the creator of the brilliant sculpture. Pointing a finger at the dragon, Lya grinned as she added. "I know I've said it earlier, Basajaun, but you could definitely make a fortune out of your work. I'm not kidding."

Even before Lya could draw a breath to replenish the oxygen which had left her lungs while she spoke, Zachary cleared his throat and snorted at the same time, a mixture of gestures that the ocelot found rather impressive to perform at once, regardless of their meaning. And she knew perfectly well what they meant.

Zachary was clearly about to argue, to pull a witty remark out of his sleeve and remind everyone of his opinion about currency in general. Quick and experienced as Lya was with interrupting, however, she had no troubles shutting the leopard down before he could even start.

"And I know you don't approve of this whole money thing, Zach," she stated, looking at a more than surprised Zachary who simply couldn't understand how she managed to read his mind, "But like or not, it's an essential part of our lives. If it hadn't been for Esmeralda's money," the ocelot gestured at the table and its contents, "We wouldn't have been able to buy any of that for you. And I'm not even going to go into detail with all the supplies, our stuff, the bags, the tents and everything. I assume those weren't for free, either."

"So," Lya continued adamantly, yet with a gentle smile, looking at a currently stubborn Zachary, who was obviously clinging to his beliefs despite not voicing it, refusing to let go of them, "Try to understand that we need money. Not because we ourselves like it, or because we're greedy, but because that's how the world works. It's that simple, dummy."

The 'dummy' huffed, crossing his arms below his chest. "The world doesn't work properly, then," he countered, getting a sigh from Lya as he continued, his voice suddenly distant, as if the topic brought up thoughts for him, "The reason I spent nineteen years on the streets is because of how this world works. Sure, I can understand why the situation is like this, but," Zachary looked back to Lya, his expression emotionless, yet conveying certainty of unknown kind, "I'll never bring myself to accept it. I'm sorry, I simply can't."

Lya was usually not one to be left speechless. She was a person of wit, always ready to bring up an argument, an opposition that would contradict a statement she felt was false, and yet, she couldn't help but remain silent. Zachary might not have been right, yet she couldn't blame him. He, of all people, could not be blamed. And so, the ocelot nodded in quiet, keeping her thoughts to herself.

Basajaun reached his head over to nuzzle his son reassuringly. "I'm sorry you feel that way," the dragon started, smiling lovingly, "But Lya's right. If I can help us with my carvings, then I want to do it. We can always use the supplies, and besides, we can buy sweets with money! I don't think I can dislike something that can do that."

Regardless of his strong protest against this particular subject, Zachary gave a relenting sigh and shrugged. "Sure, whatever," he said, glancing at Basajaun with a flat look on his face, waving a paw in preemptive apology, "All I'm saying that this is one thing I can't help the group with. I... can't. I can't be involved in this, not because I don't want to help, but because I'm just..." The leopard trailed off, his words dying in his throat while unpleasant memories suddenly burst forth from their depths. Before they could do any damage to his mood, however, they were stopped.

"It's alright, Zach," Lya's voice cut through the darkness inside his mind like a shining light, her paw resting on his shoulder, squeezing it ever so gently, "We understand." Those two words; simple, but carrying comfort of immense amount. And as the leopard turned back to the ocelot, his eyes scanning her expression, her smile which had returned, he couldn't help but feel his calmness returning as well, his mind once more at ease, his worries banished, unpleasant memories wiped away in an instant.

He smiled back to Lya. "Yeah... thanks." Was all he said, getting a shallow nod for his curt words. For only a moment, the two felines' eyes locked on one another, studying each other as if they had met for the first time. But the odd action only lasted for a few seconds, or even less, and both of their gazes landed on the fire in front of them, their voices locked inside them for now while they worked their minds through the experience they had just shared.

Finally noticing the expressions that the felines were sharing, Basajaun smiled as he got to his feet, thinning himself down to the typical chubbiness he held when he wanted to move. "I'm going to, um... gather more wood for carving," he excused himself, wanting the leopard and ocelot to have a moment alone.

The drake looked over to Esmeralda and Snowflake, clearing his throat and nodding at the felines. The owl and spirit nodded in turn, standing up together. "I'll come with," Snowflake offered, taking the steps needed to wind up alongside Basajaun. Once together, the dragons quickly vacated the clearing.

The Elder headed in the opposite direction. "It's been a fun day," she started, making her way over to her tent, "You young folks have fun with the rest of the night." Stopping at the entry to her tent, the owl caught Zachary's eye from out of Lya's sight, before making several exaggerated kissing motions. Cackling loudly, the bird retreated into her shelter after finishing the teasing.

The leopard blinked in complete bafflement, staring at his mother's tent for long moments. He must have spent an awful lot of time studying the utterly uninteresting construction, because when Lya nudged his shoulder, forcing his numb body to move for the first time in a minute, he wondered why she would disturb him in his attempts to decipher Esmeralda's behavior.

His wonderings were cut short, though, as his eyes settled on the ocelot next to him. She appeared outright concerned, most likely just as perplexed that Zachary had become an actual statue for a minute as much as the leopard was for the Elder's actions. Explanation was out of the question; Lya was the first one to speak up, unknowingly saving him with her decision.

"Zach?" she began, cocking her head at the feline in question, her ears obeying gravity's demand as they tilted in the same direction, an uncontrollable consequence Zachary found immensely adorable, "You alright there?" It actually took another few seconds for the question to be registered in his mind, his marveling at Lya's titled ears, which he found himself in for some unexplainable reason, eventually coming to an end and allowing his brain to construct a proper reply.

"Yes." What a proper reply. Oh so complex, oh so thought-out and wisely chosen, that single word carrying hidden emotions of the kind that were apparently unknown to Zachary himself. Or, perhaps, he was just too flabbergasted to create an acceptable response to Lya's inquiry. It was a real mental debate for Zachary, and the leopard eventually settled with the former, convinced that it was the case with him, despite all the evidence that pointed in the different direction.

Seeing the odd, uncertain look that the ocelot gave him for his short answer, however, the leopard felt obliged to continue. "I'm more than alright," he stated, a smile touching the corners of his mouth as he allowed his eyes to wander Lya's own pair, "I mean, it's my birthday. My first one, and I could spend it with my friends, with my father, with my mother. All of you. How could I be anything but alright?" Given his earlier single-worded reply, it was rather impressive that Zachary managed to pull himself together and give such a heartfelt speech. Or at least, that's what he thought, mentally patting himself on the shoulder for his success, and almost tempted to do the same physically when Lya's smile reappeared.

"I'm glad, Zach," she stated, her tone full of sincerity, unquestionable honesty, genuine and mutual happiness for the joy they have managed to bring for the leopard, "You really did deserve it," Lya continued, the statement forcing Zachary's smile wider, "And I know it doesn't make up for nineteen years of absence, I can only hope that it's enough, and that you'll never have to go another year without celebrating your birthday." Her expression darkened somewhat by her own words, but that was quick to change when the other feline spoke.

"It was more than enough, Lya." He reassured her, getting a smiling nod in reply, the gesture, no matter how simple or common, once more filling his heart with warmth. It was always the same. Always the same with Lya; just a smile, a comforting squeeze on his shoulder, her soft voice, her knowledgeable words, the way she looked at him with her brilliant eyes, the way they shone with sympathy, gentleness, kindness.

She understood him, despite what their outside interaction might have suggested to anyone else, Zachary knew she understood him, accepted him the same he had accepted her for who she was. Looking past each other's differences or shortcomings was not an easy task to achieve by any stretch of the imagination; nineteen years in Boldrumton taught that to the young anthro more than anything, and yet, regardless of that time period, it didn't affect the leopard to do something that was never given to him.

Zachary, as lost in his musing as he was, nearly forgot that there was actually another sentient, breathing being right next to him, sitting in the grass close to the fire just as he was at that very moment. Only when Lya opened her mouth in order to break the silence which fell on the pair did the leopard realize that he wasn't alone.

"And," the ocelot began, a grin on her face, which had most likely formed on her features while she observed the thoughtfully silent leopard who got lost in his mind, evidently entertained by the sight, "How... did you like your gifts?" She asked curiously.

Having returned to consciousness, once more aware to use the cells in his brain, Zachary didn't consider his answer for too long, practically stating it almost immediately. "I loved 'em!" he grinned, glancing at the table and the still-inviting nourishment which adorned it, "The dinner was delicious, the sweets heavenly, and the cake... just... no words. It was that good!"

Lya nodded with a warm smile, following with her eyes as Zachary gestured at his other gift, at the poor, lonely miniature Boris who lay in the grass not so far away. "And Basa's present was just simply heartwarming," the leopard continued, looking fondly at the wooden statue, "It just brings up amazing memories every time I look at it. I knew Basa had a knack for carving and all that, but that gift is amazing! I mean, all the details, they're spot on, perfect!"

Leaning closer to the ocelot, he added with a whisper. "But don't tell Basa I said that," he cautioned, grinning at her, "He needs to keep his ego in check, otherwise it's going to inflate his head until it pops."

While somewhat used to making people laugh at this point, when Lya chuckled mirthfully at his comment and shoved playfully at his shoulder, Zachary felt immense amount of a strange sort of success flowing through his veins, the peculiar sensation widening his already broad smile to the point where it was nearly splitting his head in two. The expression only disappeared once the ocelot stopped giggling, once more grabbing the leopard's attention with her voice.

"I'll bring that crucial secret with me to my grave." She said, this time getting the other feline to laugh joyously at the joke. It wasn't half bad, after all. Still not as sophisticated and enjoyable as he would have preferred, but good enough.

Silence, absence of words and loss of voice followed afterwards. Yet, uncomfortable and awkward as it was considered with others, Zachary didn't have such thoughts in his mind. He stared in the flames, a smile plastered on his face, Lya doing the same, although without a smile.

The expression had disappeared for one reason or another, and as her eyes observed the fire's ritual dance, she hesitated to break the quiet which fell on the pair, afraid to continue, no matter how much she tried convincing herself earlier to do what she was about to. It took long moments, long minutes, actually, for Lya to fend off the uncertain demons which had crept in her mind, and she did eventually open her mouth. Her voice still carried reluctance, evident hesitation which she couldn't get rid of thanks to her very nature, but oblivious as he was, Zachary didn't notice her trepidation.

"You know," Lya began, her gaze yet to leave the flames, not daring to look in the eyes of the person she was talking to, "It's still your birthday," the statement was so obvious that it actually managed to get Zachary cock an eyebrow, his head turning to look at the ocelot as she continued, "The day is not over, and while the others have already given you their... gifts, you still have one to go." She explained, swallowing in nervous anticipation.

The leopard blinked, his brain processing the information he was given until it finally reached a conclusion. "Oh," Zachary gave a curious expression, his tone sounding just as intrigued, "I guess you're talking about... uh... your gift," when Lya nodded, he nodded as well, "Well, I didn't even expect you to give me one. Honestly, I didn't expect this entire thing! But, that doesn't mean I don't want to see your gift, Lya." He smiled warmly to the other feline, lowering his head a little to have a better look at her, watching the orange flames cast shadows across her alluring features. The leopard's studying went unnoticed by Lya, however.

'Not gonna ask him to close his eyes, then.' She joked mentally, actually relieved to be deprived of the opportunity. It was too cliché, anyway. And weird as she was, along with Zachary, they simply couldn't be associated with such nonsense. It had to be theirs, or so Lya thought, despite not knowing what that meant exactly.

"It's... not something you can see, Zach." The ocelot clarified, closing his eyes for a moment and heaving a sigh in advance. She knew she wanted it. She actually wanted it very much, but her mind, the uncontrollable shyness which resided inside stubbornly screamed against the idea, the deafening, imaginary sound beating on the walls of her unconscious until she was sure those imaginary walls would collapse as well. Zachary, suddenly the most chivalrous individual on the face of the earth, saved her from allowing her hesitation to overcome her.

"What?" He inquired in a mixture of utter confusion and disbelief. The way he uttered that word, that usual, childishly oblivious tone; it was all Lya needed, banishing her worries and reluctance in a blink of an eye. But, no matter how much amusement she got from Zachary's behavior, he wasn't done.

"What... do you mean? Is it a... song... or... wait, I can only not see it if you hide behind a bush and sing it like that. But... that doesn't make any sense. It doesn't add anything to the performance, it only takes things away... perhaps it's something else, then..." He continued his musing, not paying attention to the struggling ocelot right next to him.

Lya was really trying her hardest not to break down in laughter, probably crying her eyes out with joyful tears by the leopard's innocence and naivety. That was exactly why she knew she wanted to do it. He was so different from anyone she'd known, and not in a bad way, despite his lack of manners, inconsiderate and childish nature, as well as his constant and somewhat annoying teasing. Regardless of all of those, Zachary was a wonderful person in Lya's eyes, a kind, accepting individual, who went through practically hell, an experience most people wouldn't be able to endure and yet, he came out like this. Happy, smiling, laughing... innocent, oblivious.

Pure.

She knew she wanted it like nothing before, and with her mind made up, she could only hope for the best.

"It's not a song, Zach," Lya clarified, finally lifting her gaze from the fire, only a single expression apparent on her features.

Stopping in his babbling, Zachary looked back at her, and once she noticed the unfamiliar, unknown and odd smile that adorned her face, he couldn't help but cock his head a little in mild confusion. He stared at her for long moments, watching her scoot a little closer to him for seemingly no reason whatsoever. Not that he minded; he was just dumbfounded. For want of any explanation, he proceeded to ask a simple question.

"What is i--"

He was silenced. Classic, typical from Lya, and original too, sticking to her earlier words. She said she didn't approve of lying, so she stayed true to her own words.

Zachary's eyes widened, his whole body frozen solid, his brain completely unfunctional.

Although he had been robbed of his speech, an action Lya practiced with him more times than necessary and something that he had grown rather fond of and was expecting it to occur every now and then, the way she did it this time was not the way she had been doing it up until now. It was actually... nothing like anything he had experience before.

It was warm. Exceptionally warm, to be exact. And somewhat slimy too, he had to admit. It was as if he had been embraced by a sensation so peculiar, so novel, so unexpected, vivid and... incredible that the world stopped moving around him, time's unbreakable ticking paused and became non-existent, nothing mattering, only this moment.

It was simply incredible, truly like nothing before.

He glanced down, his widened eyes staring at the source of the blissful sensation. He couldn't see it clearly, but it wasn't needed. It was obvious. Evident as the million stars shining brightly through the darkness of the night, evident as the green grass under them, the sound of the crackling fire next to them, the feeling which rose within him with each long, drawn-out second passing.

He had no doubts that what his eyes were telling him, what his mind was telling him, what the billion sensitive receptors in his lips were telling him were all true. It wasn't his imagination, a forlorn dream he had found himself in. It was reality. And reality was nothing short of wonderful for Zachary at that very moment.

Lya was kissing him. Him!

She was kissing none other than Zachary himself, right on his lips with her own, tightly pressed against his. He could actually feel her blood plumping through her skin, and it was rather fast, as well. No wonder; Lya's heart was practically beating faster than rain beating on leaves during the most intense of rainstorms could.

She had her eyes closed, a revelation the leopard felt outright disappointed to discover as he marveled at her face while the pair remained locked in their kiss. Her beautiful amber eyes: he liked seeing them. But, given the current situation, he was more than willing to overlook the absence of Lya's alluring gaze. The kiss was more than enough.

Just when he was about to close his eyes too, and actually try returning the kiss instead of staying in his frozen state, which could only be thanked to the unexplainable surprise he got from Lya's action, she gently, almost reluctantly pulled away, leaving the warmth of her lips on his own in her wake. Once again, utter disappointment followed.

Zachary stared in front of him, mouth agape, eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. Did just really happen? Everything pointed towards that direction, and curious as he was, he proceeded to investigate.

He ever so slowly raised a paw to his mouth, touching the place Lya had left her permanent mark with deliberate motions. Running his fingers over that particularly warm and extremely pleasant area, the leopard's face slowly broke into the widest smile his facial muscles allowed him to perform. He really pushed them to their limits, though, wanting to convey the sheer happiness he felt at the moment.

Lya looked up at him sheepishly, her eyes failing to meet his face on several occasions, landing on the ground or anywhere else instead before they attempted to settle down on the leopard at last. She swallowed, loud enough to hear from probably a mile away and bit her lip harder than she had meant to, almost drawing blood in the process. She studied Zachary's face endlessly, not quite sure what to make of his wicked smile which resided on his face. When he finally broke the silence, which felt like a millennium to both, however, Lya blinked in confusion at his words.

"I really didn't think it would work." He said simply.

Trying for a few moments to make out what he could mean by that, the ocelot eventually gave up on the unsolvable task, finding her voice with immense amount of effort to ask. "What... what worked?" She gave him a quizzical look.

"The wish." Zachary replied immediately, his smile refusing to leave his face as he looked down at Lya, who looked just as surprised as he was a few minutes ago.

"You...?" She began, stammering in disbelief and pointing a finger at the leopard. "You wished for a kiss? From me?"

Zachary nodded vehemently at the question, his breathing rapidly becoming faster, as if the reality of what just happened hit him with a full blow. That wicked smile, as Lya saw it, simply didn't leave his lips, though.

Suddenly, once more catching Lya off-guard, who was yet to recover from the earlier revelation, the leopard embraced the ocelot, wrapping his arms around her body, pressing himself against her more tightly than ever before. The action, no matter how heartfelt or affectionate, got Lya soon wheezing, as Zachary was practically pressing every last bit of air out of her with his death-hug.

"Thank you." He said, his tone so full of sincerity and joy that his opinion about Lya's gift, that being one of the most wonderful experiences in his whole life, was simply unquestionable.

The ocelot managed to reply, although the absence of air in her lungs made that task somewhat difficult to perform. "You're... welcome." Hearing her weak voice, Zachary withdrew from the embrace worriedly, only now noticing that he nearly choked Lya with his appreciation and affection.

"Heh, sorry," he apologized with a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck in mild embarrassment, "I just... this was... wow. Like... amazing. It was amazing, Lya. Thank you for this gift." Tempted to hug her brains out once more, Zachary was stopped when the ocelot held up a paw.

For the first time since pulling away from the kiss, she was finally smiling once again, the familiar sight a marvel to look at. "I'm glad you liked it," she said, her expression shifting to one of hesitation as she asked, "Was I... you know... how was it?" She fumbled around with her fingers nervously, and even jumped a little when Zachary laughed out loud.

"I just told you it was amazing!" He stated enthusiastically, and as if noticing himself, cleared his throat and shook his head a little. His shyness was about to return, along with his awkwardness. He could feel it in his bones. Yet, before they could take their usual throne and replace the openness and happiness that dominated his emotions, Zachary took a deep breath, closed his eyes, exhaled and opened his eyes once more. His attempts proved to be fruitful. For now, at least.

"It was one of the most wonderful experiences of my life, Lya," he admitted the truth with ease, "And I really, really hope, as greedy as that sounds, that this wasn't the first and last time I could experience something like this. I..." he stared deeply into Lya's eyes, gingerly taking her paw and smiling, hopeful, "It was incredible. Especially since it was from you. Because you... you're someone I might have... Er... different feelings other than simple friendship."

There was nothing on Lya's face but a smile as she listened, his sincere, heartfelt words sending warm impulses through her body each time her heart beat, the wonderful sensation reaching every part of her, enveloping everything in sheer happiness.

She squeezed Zachary's paw, heaving a great sigh and forcing her own shyness out of her system for just a little bit to speak. "You don't know how happy I'm to hear that," she said, her amber eyes locked on Zachary's, "And I think... I'm definitely starting to look at you in a different way, as well. Not only a friend, but something more. You know what I mean, right, dummy?" She asked, her teasing grin returning for a moment as her uncertainty finally departed. And with his reply, she knew she made the right choice.

"For once, of course." Zachary replied, too joyful to even pay the slightest of attention to his nickname, to Lya's teasing or to anything at all. He could only pay attention to her, staring at her with the same smile plastered on his face, holding her soft paw, studying her beautiful features to no end. And everything, every gesture was returned from Lya, the pair remaining in blissful silence as the night advanced, warm fire next to them, comfortable grass under them, magnificent sky filled with stars above them.

After several quiet minutes, there was the sound of clapping from behind the felines, an extremely smug-looking pair of dragons watching the scene play out from just beyond the edge of the clearing. "Are you two going to go back for seconds?" Basajaun called out teasingly, "I don't know for sure, but it didn't look quite like you got the full taste of that course, yet!"

Even through the wonderful calmness and mere mirth the experience brought for him, Zachary couldn't help himself, whipping his head in the direction of the sound. Once noticing the two dragons, his cheeks burned up immediately with a crimson blush. Or... perhaps he was so outraged that his face turned red. Either way, the leopard was clearly taken aback by the audience.

He was really about to argue, to send both dragons to a really, really bad place, tell them to just go away and leave. Lya, one the other hand, managed to look at the issue from a different perspective, and was more than willing to voice her proposition.

"I wouldn't mind seconds, to be honest." She stated quietly, her voice but a whisper, barely audible even for Zachary to hear. And even though his ears did pick up the words that left Lya's inviting lips, his mind failed to comprehend them.

"Wha...?" he inquired politely, slowly turning his head back to the ocelot, "Are... are you serious?" It seemed like it wasn't the first and last time he had the opportunity to experience such bliss, after all.

Biting her lip for a moment, Lya eventually nodded with a small smile. "Why... not?" she asked in turn, shrugging, "It's only going to get better from now... I hope. And I... have no objections," she cleared her throat, "Do... do you?"

The intensity Zachary shook his head at that question nearly broke his neck. "I'd love to ju--"

Once again, silenced. And once again, by Lya's lips. Evidently, the ocelot thrived in the possibilities to rob him of his words, his speech, or his brain, in this case. It seemed like she had just found another method to do just that, a method which, despite the lack of ability to talk it came with, Zachary was already in complete love with.

Unlike last time, he returned the kiss, closing his eyes and letting himself get lost in the moment instead of trying to figure out what was actually happening or looking for answers that weren't needed. It still felt incredible, just like the first time. But it wasn't the same. Given that he actually allowed himself to enjoy the experience, Zachary noticed things. Subtle things, really. Small details that he failed to feel before.

The flavor; the first and most important thing he noted. Lya's warm lips embracing his own tasted like... nothing before. It couldn't even be compared to anything. Not a single dish, regardless of its deliciousness or culinary wonderfulness, or taste in the world could be compared to this. It could only be associated with warmth of unknown kind. Warmth and venison, to be completely precise. Lya had eaten venison earlier, after all.

When she pulled away, to Zachary's thorough disappointment once again, she didn't look sheepish anymore. She was smiling, but even that was different, somehow new and fresh. It was peculiar, as if she were looking at him, smiling at him with nothing but evident affection. Apparently, his lack of experience with kissing didn't affect her feelings. Perhaps he wasn't even that clumsy, but he didn't know, and he refused to ask a question like that from Lya. Especially now.

"And," the ocelot began, cocking her head a little at the leopard and poking his cheek playfully, "How did the second course taste? Better than the first?"

Zachary quickly pulled himself out of his musings, returning her expression immediately. "Still incredible," he stated honestly, grinning as he added, "Don't think I'll get bored of it too soon." Still a teaser at heart, despite everything.

"Hey," Lya chuckled, shoving at his shoulder with a little more force than intended, "I might decide to limit it, in that case, lest you grow bored of it too soon," when Zachary gave an utterly terrified expression and was legitimately about to shed tears, the ocelot laughed again, shaking her head, "Ah, and I'm quite sure I'll not get bored of that scared face anytime soon."

Heaving a relieved sigh once realizing what was going on, the leopard's smile instantly returned afterwards. He turned in the direction the two dragons were, grinning to the green in between the pair as he called out. "Thanks for the suggestions, overgrown lizard!" That, of course, got both felines laughing.

The dragons quickly joined in the laughter, padding into the clearing once again to settle themselves down next to the felines. "Happy to offer my words of encouragement," Basajaun teased grinningly, nuzzling his son, "I can see why you wanted to spy on Snowflake and I earlier; that was really sweet to watch."

Zachary patted his father's head, flicking his nose afterwards. "We're even now, I guess," he said, a grin crossing his face as he added, "And I'm sure our moment was a lot sweeter. Yes, definitely."

"Zach." Lya's voice was actually so calm, daunting to the point where he could feel a chill running up and down his spine, that Zachary visibly shrunk to everyone present. He ducked his neck as close as he could, staring up at the ocelot with a mixture of feigned innocence and fear, evidently begging for mercy as he lowered his ears to his head and tucked his tail under him. A teaser and an actor at heart.

Watching the whimpering, pleading leopard for a moment, Lya couldn't help but grant it, the recent events somehow making her even more soft-hearted towards Zachary. "Gods, you're getting so good at that," she stated, gesturing at his whole expression and shaking her head, "It's getting really hard to scold you, you know. And that unsettles me more than I care to admit."

Zachary returned his neck to its usual position, but didn't stop completely, fluttering his eyes at Lya, who rolled her eyes immediately, yet listened nonetheless. "I know a simple solution to that," the leopard proposed with a small smile, cocking his head, "Don't scold me?"

"You're still horrible, Zach." Lya ended the conversation with her regular conclusion, snorting in amusement, but unable to suppress her smile as he looked at Zachary. "And I don't think that will ever change, but honestly," the ocelot shrugged, giggling at her own words as she said, "I don't mind that much. It's kinda... you know, adorable." Despite her kind intent, the leopard couldn't help but frown at the statement, exiting his act in a blink of an eye. Adorable. Was he really going to use his cuteness against Boldrum? Because it sure looked like it was his most noticeable trait.

Basajaun laughed again, a wing settling around the leopard's shoulders. "Esmeralda seems like she's the only one able to scold you through your cuteness," the dragon stated, his grin showing that he meant that as a compliment to the feline, "The rest of us are at the mercy of those big, brown eyes I mentioned earlier."

Snowflake giggled, nodding in agreement. "I'm sorry that you don't like being called cute," the spirit prefaced, reaching over and nuzzling the leopard's face, "But it's hard not to call you that, especially with some of the cute things that you do." Basajaun translated the spirit's words for Lya's benefit, smiling all the while.

Intrigued to unveil the mysteries behind these so called 'cute things', and hopefully banish them from his whole being altogether, Zachary turned to Snowflake. "What do you mean exactly?" He asked curiously, tilting his head just a little without commanding his brain to do so, his tail swaying behind him on the ground with enthusiasm he couldn't hide.

Lya giggled, gesturing at him with a grin. "That! Exactly that!" She replied in place of the spirit, gesturing with her paws to Zachary's expression, his posture and body language at the same time. She simply waved her hands at him in general, really.

The leopard blinked at the revelation. "But..." he began with a weak tone, lowering his ears to his head as he glanced down at himself, "You just pointed at me altogether, my very being." He stated, more as a realization to himself than to the others, looking convincingly disappointed by his own words. That was quick to change, though, or at least get marginally better.

"And that's why you're so loveable, you dummy." Lya declared with a warm smile, an affectionate one, rather, reaching a paw over to Zachary's head and scratching him behind his ear. She hit just the perfect spot, as always, and as expected got the usual result, namely a purring leopard, who wasn't looking nearly as distressed as he was just a moment ago. Those claws caressing oh so tenderly and precisely behind his ear made it rather difficult to feel anything else but bliss.

Basajaun chuckled, pointing at the leopard's new expression. "And that, too," he teased, patting the feline's head, "But most importantly, the reason we find you so cute is because we love you, son. I wouldn't worry about some passerby looking at you and saying, 'Aw, what a cutie!' We're the ones that attribute the cuteness to your actions, so you really have nothing to worry about."

With a hum and a nod of approval, Lya pulled withdrew her paw from Zachary's head, who although felt crestfallen that his sudden massage was over, gave a relenting sigh nonetheless. "I guess you're right," he said, shrugging nonchalantly, "If you guys like it, I probably shouldn't have anything against it."

"You better not," Lya immediately followed up, grinning teasingly to Zachary, "That trait of yours contributed a great deal to your gift." Without giving any more clarification, not like it was needed, the ocelot remained silent, content on watching the leopard's earlier, doubting expression turn into a much more brighter, smiling one. Perhaps he shouldn't worry about it at all, if that were the case.

As if a bug of some sort had struck him with a realization, Zachary suddenly turned to Basajaun, his expression one of sheer joy. Yet, he didn't show any trace of this nearly uncontainable happiness, restraining his voice as he asked with a whisper. "Does... does this mean I'm in a... relationship now?" The word felt strange to utter, especially since it actually concerned him this time around, still sounding nearly impossible to believe.

Lya did make an attempt to hear out his silent words, but ultimately gave up, shrugging it off as just another odd conversation between the odd son and his odd father.

The dragon gave a simple nod for an answer. "She's a good match for you," he affirmed in an equally quiet tone, "Nice catch there, son." Basajaun gave a teasing wink, grinning wide out of joy for his friend.

"I know, right?" Zachary wanted to ask in turn with a whisper. Only if he hadn't forgotten that he wasn't whispering anymore, instead nearly exclaiming with joy thanks to Basajaun's encouraging words, startling the subject of his secret discussion with his father.

Paw on her chest as she breathed heavily for a moment, Lya shook her head before glaring halfheartedly at the leopard. "What do you know, Zach?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at a currently terrified Zachary, who was definitely more startled by his own blunder than Lya, "How to scare people? Yeah, I can assure you are just perfect in that, dummy."

Coughing nervously, the male feline shook his head silently, only making his situation worse as his silence got Lya outright curious. "No? What is it, then?" She asked, peering down at Zachary, who was looking at the ground at the moment, indecisive and somewhat hesitant. His heart made his choice very soon, however, despite the shyness in his brain that protested strongly against the idea.

He glanced up at Lya, his ears planted to the sides of his head, appearing once again nothing more than a defenseless kitten, completely impossible to blame. "Are... uh... " he coughed a little, his eyes changing where they settled on with rapids shifts, darting between the ground and Lya most of the time, "Are we in a... relationship now, Lya?" He finally blurted the uncertain sentence out, feeling relief for a moment as if the battle had already been won, before realizing that he wasn't even given an answer yet.

And did he have to wait for a reply, as the ocelot could only blink, open and close her mouth in an attempt to find both her voice and words, and stare at Zachary. A very long time passed, or so the leopard felt, before Lya finally spoke up.

"I..." she began, the last traces of trepidation dissipating from her tone as she mentally decided the answer to that question to herself and continued, "I think we are, Zach." She smiled once again, and once the leopard brought himself to look up at her and saw that simple expression, heard her reassuring words, he could only smile in return and nod his head. He didn't say anything, remaining silent, but that was enough. His whole being radiated with evident happiness, conveying his emotions towards the confirmation like no heartfelt sentence or kind word could.

Smiling affectionately at the pair, Basajaun loosed a yawn after a few moments, blinking in surprise as he looked up to the starry sky. "Huh, where did the time go?" the drake muttered in mild confusion, shaking his head and trying to focus his gaze again. "Hey, did you want to have a bit of feeding your dad tonight?" the dragon asked, patting the leopard's shoulder, "If so I think we should do that soon. I'm getting pretty tired."

As if reminded of his own status in terms of sleepiness, a sensation which was still present despite having spent most of the day sleeping anyway, Zachary let out his own tiny yawn, stretching his arms and flexing his tail at the same time. Once finished with the wordless announcement of his mutual tiredness, the leopard looked at Basajaun and gave a nod.

"That's probably a good idea, bud," he agreed, smiling to the dragon as one of his paws moved to pat the reptile on his fleshy neck, "I'm a lil' tired too. Let's get you dinner and then go to sleep." Standing up after finishing with his proposition, Zachary glanced down at Lya, who gave him a reassuring nod and a smile, gesturing with her paw as well the universal meaning of 'Go ahead'. Needless to say, the leopard was more than happy to oblige.

Grinning wide, Basajaun stood from the fire, stretching for a few seconds before making his way over to the table full of sweets and the remains of dinner. Rolling onto his back, the dragon got himself comfortable in preparation for a feeding once again. Snowflake moved over to the table after the drake, arranging some of the dishes so that they were more available for reaching from Basajaun's chest.

Seeing the cake, though, Basajaun hesitated. "Snowflake, could you position that away from the rest?" the dragon requested, pointing at the cake, "I don't want to wind up having that get eaten up by mistake, since it's Zach's favorite."

Giving a nod in response, Snowflake carefully separated the cake from the rest of the food, ensuring that it wasn't within reach of the rest of the dishes. "Ready to take your place, son?" Basajaun asked once the table was prepared, patting his chest invitingly.

"Always." Zachary replied with a smile after arriving next to the green hill that was Basajaun, taking his place with ease and routine, and immediately relishing the sensation of sinking into the dragon's squishy flab brought. Along with Lya in general, who had retreated to her own tent upon recognizing her own tired state, Basajaun's fatness was definitely another thing he would never grow bored of.

Gesturing at his birthday cake, while at the same time reaching for the reptile's first soon-to-be consumed dish, the leopard grinned. "Wise choice, by the way," he said, "That's probably the only food I'd feel somewhat sad to go without having more than the bite I just had," he patted Basajaun's luxuriously soft chest with paw, "So thanks, bud." Zachary waited no more afterwards, offering the first of the possibly many snacks to the dragon voracious dragon beneath him.

Grinning wide, the dragon took the first morsel in his mouth, willing his form to fatten to its fullest for the feline's fondling fists. Humming in approval at the flavor, Basajaun was quick to clear his mouth for the next bite, reaching up and nuzzling the leopard on his chest lovingly. "Happy birthday, son," he said, his voice as soft as his fattened body.

"Thank you." Was all Zachary could say in reply, no matter how many times those two words left his lips, their simplicity not enough to carry the appreciation which the leopard felt. But his voice, his tone, his smile adorning his furred cheeks was all anyone needed to know that an occasion and surprise like this, no matter how common it was with other people, simply meant the world to the young anthro.

And with Lya's gift still burning intensively and fresh in his mind and on his lips alike, the leopard could only feel unimaginable amount of joy flowing inside of him as the continued pursuing his favorite hobby. A pastime which all but crowned the wonderful day he had the opportunity to experience for the very first time with the people he loved the most.

The pair was happy to indulge their shared and complementary enthusiasms, with sweets and main courses passing between the dragon's lips without regard for the order of consumption. The drake did let out a louder than usual purr with the sweeter bits, though, with his smile widening each time a confection was offered.

Just as the dragon's stomach was beginning to bloat visibly from his meal, though, a long yawn escaped from his mouth. Mistaking it as an invitation for more food, Zachary unwittingly interrupted the action with another bit of sweets, the dragon flinching in surprise from the mouthful, though he was quick to accept it.

Eventually, the yawning began increasing in frequency, to the point that it was interrupting existing mouthfuls of food. Courteous enough to keep his mouth closed when it was full, Basajaun still attempted to keep up his eating for Zachary's sake.

But he couldn't keep up the fight for long. The lateness combined with the moderate lump of food in the dragon's belly caused him to slip off into sleep, his head winding up nestled on his own soft chest from trying to accept another morsel of food from his friend. Basajaun's breathing leveled out, his expression one of peaceful bliss as he nuzzled unconsciously at the leopard's hand, disregarding the bit of food present in the limb.

Not one to wake up his father from his slumber, as unexpected and sudden as it was, Zachary made no efforts to do so. He felt only a marginal amount of disappointment from having the feeding session cut so short, but once a similarly long yawn forced his jaws upwards and downwards, his grip on the pawful of food loosening in the process, the leopard knew he would follow Basajaun soon.

Looking at the remaining nourishment in his paws and then glancing back at the mountain of pudge that the dragon's midsection resembled, Zachary grinned satisfyingly at the sight. He could still clearly recall how Basajaun had looked the first time they had met. An apex predator for sure, yet nowhere near as imposing or huggable as he was right now. The difference was huge, and just as impressive.

Zachary sighed happily, and after placing the food from his paw back to the table, he let loose another yawn. "Time to sleep, I guess," he mumbled, more to himself as a command of some sort than anyone, somewhat saddened to let this particular day reach its end. Yet, he knew he could only be satisfied, and he definitely was. More than satisfied, actually. Thrilled, even, simply thrilled to have spent this day like this.

With a wide smile on his face, Zachary slowly lowered his head to Basajaun's flabby chest, resting it comfortably atop the pudge and closing his eyes. His body, naturally wired to do so at this point, curling itself in a ball until the leopard was a ball of black spotted yellow fur. A deep, affectionate purr began thrumming in his chest, the sound resonating strongly as his paws began subconsciously kneading at the sheer softness beneath his body, which slowly gave in to the temptation of sleepiness. After a mental goodnight to Snowflake, the young anthro was fast asleep on top of Basajaun, his purr present despite the loss of his consciousness.

Returning the mental gesture, the spirit moved over to the drake's side, noting how uncomfortable the dragon's position looked, with his neck practically kinked over to let his head rest on his chest.

With careful motions, Snowflake gently lifted the reptile's head, a soft lullaby helping to keep him asleep as the familiar slowly repositioned his head to a more comfortable position; namely the spirit's side as she lay beside him. Stroking the drake's head tenderly, Snowflake boosted the relatively small meal with her spell, before laying her own head behind Zachary, falling asleep cuddling with her friend and mate and smiling all the while.

The following days passed by in a relatively routine manner. Each morning at sunrise, to Zachary's complete disapproval, Talib would arrive to give the dragon and leopard their lesson. And each time the lessons drew to a close, the serpent would check on the leopard's lungs, showing Basajaun any healing that needed to be done with the organs. The process retained its painful nature, but even though he would cry out in pain, Zachary remained strong through the ordeal, his family quick to provide a comforting cuddle or word at the conclusion of the healing.

Basajaun's quick learning of both anatomy and biomancy actually managed to impress even Talib. With a teacher to help him learn, the dragon's progress in his school of magic increased by a considerable degree. Still, the complexity of the spells he was learning meant that Basajaun was only mastering about one spell per day. It was impressive progress for a virtual beginner, though, and the dragon was actually having a bit of a hard time not getting boastful about his healing and transformative abilities. Of course, that was what Zachary's teasing was for, and the leopard was always quick to burst Basajaun's egotistical bubbles when they surfaced, much to the dragon's combined chagrin and appreciation.

The drake continued his carving work as well, making more little figures of the people of Plainstead. Lya's impressed attitude towards these creations inspired Basajaun to even carve some other things, like animals that he had seen around the forest. The dragon had finally found a way to support the group while they stayed near the city, with Esmeralda and Lya making daily trips into the city to sell off the extra carvings and purchase new supplies.

Xergon also dropped in on the group periodically, both to visit and to give Esmeralda updates on the preparations for her exorcism. Though she mostly was able to take the news in calm stride, as time went on, the Elder's stress was becoming more visible. The most obvious sign of this was the owl's steadily increasing grumpiness, with the bird sometimes snapping at the rest of the group over small things that she would normally ignore, like Zachary's manners while eating, or Basajaun setting a book on the ground for a moment. Each such overblown scolding would elicit an apology from the Elder's familiar, sometimes even from Esmeralda herself if it was severe enough. The rest of the group knew that it was the owl's worry making her act like this, but it still hurt when she gave a severe retort for a minor offense.

Yet, although the Elder's occasional rebuking did hit too close to home on several instances, especially when his lack of courtesy was pointed out, Zachary was regardless the first one to immediately forgive his foster mother. He would go to her after each of these outbursts, gently take her hand in his paw, force her to sit down next to him for a moment and comfort her the best he could, a constant smile apparent on his furred cheeks on every single occasion, without an exception. Even after the excruciating experience he had to endure every day, he was never deprived of his smile, of his joy, of his willingness to forget the pain, to forget Esmeralda's seldom heart aching words, to overlook every negative sensation and return nothing but happiness.

And was he happy, oh yes, Zachary was happy, despite the tenseness and worry that boiled inside him with each passing second, minute, hour as the days went by. It was hard not be constantly happy, not to feel warmth pulsating through his veins every day, to wipe the smile off of his face.

Lya. That single person, that single gift he was given on his birthday, that uplifting, ecstatic feeling made it rather difficult not to feel on top of the world most of the time. The consequences of that fateful night, Lya's warm lips touching his, the affectionate glimmer in her amber eyes when she looked at him, her tenderness as she held his hand in hers and squeezed it gently, her voice, alluring and dominant, yet so soft and caring at the same time. Everything about her, even just thinking about her or when he was in her presence made Zachary happier than he had ever been in his life.

Of course, if it hadn't been for the other members of the group, he wouldn't have felt nearly as thrilled as he was. While Esmeralda became marginally distant and sensitive, nothing changed in the front with Basajaun and Snowflake, whom Zachary loved spending time with just as much as before, or even more, given that his mood was practically impossible to ruin.

Naturally, the leopard did spend times alone with Lya in private, the pair talking and teasing each other at the same time for long minutes, even calling one another loving endearments, which was a massive breakthrough for both given their shy nature. But as the days went by, the two felines steadily became more and more confident around one another, finally peeling off their skin of awkwardness piece by piece, exiting their confinements which held their emotions back up until now. There wasn't such a huge difference in their behavior, but there was definitely a lot less hesitation and trepidation than before.

And while Zachary managed to make immense amount of progress in his first relationship, that unfortunately wasn't the case with close combat. Talib's lessons went by pretty uneventful for the young anthro, his talent in magic making a rather uncomplicated task for him to advance at a rapid rate. The same could be said with his archery, which he practiced whenever he could with just as much success. But despite his quick learning in both spell casting and his ranged weapon handling, he simply couldn't get the grasp of close combat, no matter what.

His stance. It improved by miles, thanks to the little exercise he had to do before every training, namely balancing on each of legs in turns until he could feel them trembling weakly beneath him. And yet, even with his improved balance, Zachary failed to advance to higher levels with melee combat. As expected, his defense was still decent, his ability to parry, block and dodge developing at a fast rate.

But the offense. That's where the problems were. He just couldn't get it right, even if his life depended on it, which would most likely be the case in the near future. He would always use either too little or too much force, miss his desired target or even when he managed to swing his branch in the right direction, his strike would go wide, or be easily parried, dodged, countered by Lya. It was a little frustrating, naturally, but with so much happiness swirling inside his heart, Zachary didn't stay upset for too long, back in his smiling self in a matter of minutes.

It was on the fifth day after Zachary's twentieth birthday was celebrated that he finally, after hours upon hours of constant struggling, made his first real blow on Lya, which she couldn't defend thanks to the leopard's natural swiftness. His woody weapon, a branch as always, hit the ocelot on her right side with decent strength.

Lya's paw reached for the aching area, yet in mild pain, she couldn't help but grin widely at Zachary. "Nice one." She said, gesturing with her head at the leopard's branch and winking. Gods, he loved when she winked at him.

The leopard, who gave a sigh of utter relief that he hadn't hurt her, returned the smile afterwards, although his was much more restrained. He could feel his tiredness building up inside him rapidly. "Thanks," he replied, flexing his right arm a little, as if appreciating the limb's success with the strike, "Seems like I'm not that hopeless, after all."

"Wouldn't bet on that just yet, Zach." Lya shot back immediately, chuckling at the fact that he quoted the leopard's own words just from five days earlier. As the pain subsided in her side, the ocelot took her combat position once more, eager to continue. When her eyes settled on Zachary, however, she could clearly notice that the poor feline was exhausted, and quickly decided otherwise for his sake.

Heaving a sigh, Lya relaxed her stance. "Alright," she said with a soft tone, dropping her branch and making her way next to Zachary, "We're done for today. You did good, my little dummy." Throughout these couple of days, the ocelot took up using extra adjectives when referring to the leopard, a change the male feline appreciated more than he cared to admit, despite their usual teasing nature.

Zachary smiled and nodded. "Was a nice training," he extended his paw towards her after getting rid of his own branch, the ocelot taking his hand immediately once she arrived at his side, "And finally some progress, too." The pair slowly began making their way out of the little clearing which had become the location of their training, their hands embracing while their tails swayed happily behind them, both smiling at once.

"Yeah, although you're still kinda bad." Lya added as the two walked beneath the green, forest canopy, giving the feline next to her a grin, which was followed by a loud, evidently approving snort by him.

"I know, right?" Zachary agreed with a shake of his head, chuckling at his inability to properly learn the offensive side of close combat. His magic and archery might have been impressive, but his swordfighting definitely wasn't.

Lya suddenly pulled him a little closer, catching the leopard a little off-guard in the process, their shoulders pressed tightly against one another. "Don't worry," she reassured him with a whisper, looking up at the somewhat taller Zachary with evident affection in her eyes and voice alike, "I'll protect my little dummy if it's needed."

Those words. They sent unexpected warmth through his entire body, the contact with Lya only advancing its intensity. She had definitely changed a lot since his birthday, and in his eyes, it was definitely for the better. "I know you will." Was all Zachary said, a broad smile adorning his face as he looked down at the ocelot, gently nuzzling her cheek, which got her giggling immediately, as always.

The pair remained silent afterwards, enjoying each other's company in quiet immensely, as well as the wondrous sight their surroundings provided as they made their way back to their campsite, their hearts filled with juvenile affection that refused to leave.

Back at camp, Basajaun was working on his latest project; the gift that Lya had suggested for Xergon. It had taken the dragon a while to find a log the proper size and shape for what he had in mind, but now that he had, the drake was hard at work whittling the wood down to the shape of a lynx and a dragon shaking hands. Basajaun had thought of having the carving be of he and Xergon hugging, but realized that might look more like an aggressive act to some. So he wound up going with Lya's original suggestion.

While the dragon worked on his carving, Snowflake was snuggled tightly against his side. The spirit and dragon had become closer over the days, and though it wasn't quite as readily visible as Zachary and Lya's romance, the pair still enjoyed each other's company.

Even in the loving embrace of Basajaun's wing, though, the familiar still cast her gaze over to her mistress' tent. Esmeralda had only come out of her shelter for breakfast this day, and immediately went back to her little fortress of isolation. It wasn't hard to figure out why; during Xergon's visit the previous day, the lynx had informed the owl that they would be ready for her exorcism this day.

The Elder's conflicting hope and terror were ringing in Snowflake's mind like the ominous bells of a funeral. The spirit's expression showed her own trepidation as she stared at Esmeralda's tent, wringing her forepaws nervously. When he lifted his gaze from his project for a moment, Basajaun quickly noticed the dragoness' expression.

Squeezing the familiar gently with his wing, the drake reached over and nuzzled Snowflake. "She'll be okay," Basajaun reassured the spirit, "She's a strong woman; she can make it through this."

Snowflake smiled to the dragon, returning his gentle gesture. Yet she remained quiet, simply snuggling a bit tighter against Basajaun's soft side. His words were comforting, but the silky and pudgy softness that he provided was even more so for the dragoness. The tactile pleasure of the dragon's body was a pacifier for the spirit's worry, and one that Basajaun was happy to provide.

Setting his carving aside, the dragon put his forepaw over Snowflake's, embracing it softly in his claws as his wing did the same with her body. As she turned her head to face the drake, he pressed his forehead lovingly against the dragoness', purring quietly to her. Basajaun reached his emotions over to the spirit's feeling the bond that they had strengthened over the days and using it to offer his own confidence in Esmeralda to Snowflake, and invisible gesture that she accepted readily.

The unseen support bolstered the physical contact between the pair, and they were able to smile honestly in their loving embrace.

Not a minute later, the formerly absent pair of females emerged from the forest undergrowth and entered the clearing. Much like the two dragons, the two were clinging stubbornly to each other, holding one another by their arms as they approached the campsite. Lya was, for some unfathomable reason, chuckling wildly, while at the same time glaring halfheartedly at Zachary next to her. The leopard's ears were lowered to his head, an evident indication of submission, yet the smile that adorned his lips sure wasn't.

"You're impossible sometimes, you know that, right?" The ocelot inquired, still giggling, but apparently having suppressed her mysterious amusement somehow to return to her normal self. She shoved playfully at Zachary's shoulder, and while she didn't use any strength whatsoever, she still managed to get the surprised leopard stumbling a little in his wake. This, of course, got the ocelot laughing once more while she offered her support for him with her paw.

"I'm aware of it, yes." Zachary replied after having caught himself from falling over, raising his ears as his submissiveness subsided and grinning to Lya, who could only roll her eyes at him and shake her head. Whatever the two had been talking about earlier, most likely a crucial secret of some sort, was lost to the others.

Nearing the two dragons, the leopard greeted the pair with a wave of his paw, looking joyous as ever. "Hey, you two," it only took a single glance around him to note the absence of someone, and Zachary quickly turned back to Basajaun and Snowflake afterwards, his expression somewhat darkened, "Where's mom? Don't tell me she still hasn't come out yet..."

Their attention brought back to the real world, both dragons sighed, looking over to the quiet tent. "Mistress is meditating," Snowflake stated, her paw squeezing Basajaun's once again, "She's getting herself as ready as she can. And she doesn't want to snap at any of us in worry again while she waits."

Zachary furrowed his brows, grimacing slightly. He turned towards the Elder's tent, his gaze hovering on the construction for long moments, or rather on the person who resided inside it. "She shouldn't be alone." Said the leopard decisively, and after letting go of Lya's hand and giving her a small smile, he began walking towards the tent, determination evident in his steps.

Biting her lip at the thought of disturbing her mistress, Snowflake nonetheless kept that concern to herself, knowing that the leopard was determined to help the Elder. Sighing after a moment, Basajaun got to his feet and quickly padded over to Zachary. "If you're gonna risk your head in the lion's den, I might as well join you," the dragon offered, giving a smile that was both teasing and supportive to his son.

With a pat on the dragon's head and a smiling nod, the leopard turned back to the tent, swallowing his last bit of trepidation before speaking up. "Mom?" Zachary began softly, poking his head through Esmeralda's tent and keeping the smile on his face, "Your son wants to give you some company, if you'd have it."

There were a couple moments of silence from inside, before a heavy sigh broke the quiet. A bit of rustling and a few footsteps later, Esmeralda opened the flap to her tent, looking into Zachary's eyes with an expressionless face. "Hey," the owl greeted in an equally flat tone.

The leopard smiled back, although with a lot of effort, for his heart was being squeezed tight as he looked at Esmeralda, heard the restraint in her voice. "Hey," and yet, his tone was nothing short of pure fondness, his eyes glimmering with concern he couldn't hide, "Wanna come out, or at least let me in?" He inquired, cocking his head slightly, an involuntary action he simply couldn't get rid of.

Looking between Zachary and Basajaun, the owl sighed. "There isn't room for your father in my tent," she observed, stepping out of her shelter and putting a hand on the leopard's shoulder. After a moment, the Elder managed to give an honest smile. "Thank you for caring," she said softly.

"Always." The feline stated immediately with a similar expression on his face, taking Esmeralda's hand in his paw and holding the limb supportively, his willingness to forget all the times the Elder had snapped at him in the last couple of days as evident as his determination to comfort the owl.

"Come," Zachary insisted, tugging on his mother's hand and gesturing towards Snowflake and Lya, "We'll wait together, all of us. And we'll be together, Esmeralda. We'll be there the whole time, after that and forever, no matter what happens." He could only smile at her as he spoke, not another gesture heartfelt enough to convey his emotions towards the Elder.

Esmeralda chuckled fondly, accepting the tugging and following along to the edge of the fire. "I couldn't get rid of you lot if I tried, could I?" she asked in a mix of amusement and relief.

"Absolutely not," Basajaun answered, nuzzling the owl's arm tenderly. The action got a smile for the Elder and her familiar simultaneously.

Choosing a spot next to Lya, Esmeralda sat down on the grass, sighing quietly as she did so. "I don't suppose a certain son of mine could give us a performance on his lute?" she asked, looking to the feline in question with a hesitant smile, "Those are always calming."

"Gladly." Zachary responded eagerly, leaving to retrieve his trusty instrument from his bags with quickened steps and arriving back with said item in his paws, an enthusiastic expression playing across his features.

He must have looked quite obvious with his desire to start playing immediately, for Lya spoke up before he could start, practically reading his mind warning him about an important revelation. "Tune it in first, dummy."

Surprised as he was by both his forgetfulness and the ocelot's observational capabilities, Zachary nodded shallowly nonetheless, doing so as he was instructed. It took him a couple of failed attempts to get his lute in a proper shape for playing, but eventually, he was ready to start.

He was ready to start... but what?

Blinking as he realized that he didn't have infinite amount of pre-written songs etched in his mind, Zachary hesitated for a moment, his paw resting idly on the instrument, his fingers eagerly hovering over the strings, yet remaining unmoving despite their keenness to begin. Improvisation, a skill he was quite good at when it came to coming up with melodies on his tune, and with his repertoire of appropriate tunes reduced to nil, he was more than willing to reach back to this natural trait of his.

Lya watched with a cocked eyebrow as the leopard closed his eyes, listening in silence to his steady breathing. A whole minute passed in quiet, marginal awkwardness settling on Zachary's audience as they waited patiently, some more than others. The ocelot of the group was growing steadily displeased with the silent musician's similarly silent performance, but once she drew breath to inquire what was actually going on, she was stopped.

Eyes closed and sitting crossed legged, Zachary finally pulled over his finger over a string, simultaneously holding down the desired fret with his other paw. The sound immediately flowed straight to the lute's inner, hollow dome, resonating strongly as long as the string was in motion, and was immediately followed up by another pull on a different string, another finger on a different fret.

It started off slow. A little too dragged-out for Lya's taste, actually. Yet, as the one playing the instrument commenced his improvised melody, the ocelot quickly lost herself in the experience. She listened quietly, not daring to make a sound as she closed her eyes to concentrate exclusively on Zachary's song.

Wondrous, previously unused melodies filled the whole expanse of the clearing, the carefully chosen tunes seemingly rendering even the wildlife around the group completely silent. The song wasn't particularly complex, yet its simplicity and heartfelt gesture lent tranquility to everyone who cared to listen, who cared to make out the subtle details that practically screamed Zachary's desire to give his mother the best performance he could.

And he really did try, using techniques like never before, soft and tender tunes, descending and ascending all the while balancing between restrained, intentional quietness and powerful, daring pitches. Somewhere halfway through his most emotional and touching melody yet, Zachary opened his eyes, his smile unpresent, replaced by evident concentration as his fingers practically flew across the strings and frets alike.

Esmeralda listened with her eyes closed, breathing calmly while a small smile graced her beak. Basajaun was situated beside the owl on the side opposite Lya, a wing around her shoulders and a paw holding her hand. The dragon's gestures and expression radiated care and support, looking as though he was ready to offer whatever help he could to the owl as soon as it was needed.

Snowflake, sitting on the ocelot's other side, joined her tintinnabulous voice to the melody provided by the leopard's lute, a serene harmony arising from the pair. It was hard not to become lost to the moment with such a calming ambiance, and Esmeralda's expression showed that this was indeed the case for her.

Opening her eyes after several minutes, the Elder wiped the tears that had brimmed up in them without her knowledge, sniffling once and smiling up at the group. "Thanks," she said simply, her grateful tone communicating more than the word did, "This... this helps."

Finished with his song, Zachary heaved a long sigh, his smile returning at once as soon as she looked at Esmeralda. "Always." He reiterated his earlier word with just as much sincerity as the first time, grabbing his lute in one of his paws, before standing and sitting down in front of the Elder.

He took ahold of her hand, squeezing the limb gently. "Do you need anything else, mom?" He inquired caringly, looking more than willing to deliver or do practically anything for the owl if she requested it.

Esmeralda smiled warmly, her hands squeezing those of the leopard and his father. "Just this," she answered with a slightly wavering voice, swallowing and taking a deep breath before she continued, "What you're doing now. All of you. I... damnit, I've never been good at these sincere moments." The owl chuckled, though whether it was a sound of amusement or regret was hard to decipher.

Spending no time trying to look for the correct answer in this case, Zachary simply continued what he was doing right now, just as the Elder had requested. He smiled at her and held her hand, not allowing his worries about Esmeralda rise forth from their depths, afraid that they would not only sadden him, but would sadden the owl too. And in this current situation, that was something the leopard wanted the least to happen.

The group stayed in their collaborative comforting of the Elder in silence afterwards, words not needed, only their desire to help her the best they could. And if it hadn't been for the faint sound of footsteps catching Zachary's attention in the utter quiet, he was sure he would have remained locked solid in front of Esmeralda, his paw frozen on her hand for eternity. Unfortunately, the time for fantasy was over, the daunting reality approaching them in the form of Xergon and Talib.

The serpent cleared his throat as he approached, carrying a great deal of supplies in both his arms and telekinetically around him. "Esmeralda, it's time," the snake announced, his voice uncharacteristically gentle.

Looking up from her family, the owl hesitated for several moments. "Just... just a moment, please," she requested, her gaze returning to those around her. With another long pause, the Elder gathered her thoughts as best she could, wanting to get what she was about to say right.

When she was ready, the owl gave a kind smile, her eyes scanning over the supportive expressions of her friends. "I want to say something, in case this doesn't go well," she began, her voice surprisingly strong as she spoke, "You all have been one of the best things to happen to me. No matter how grumpy or odd I've been, you've all been here for me. I just wanted you to know that I... I love you all. My family." Finished with her short speech, the owl took another deep breath, holding still for long moments.

Zachary bit his lip harder than he could comprehend, his breathing ragged as he struggled to suppress the tears which mercilessly longed for the freedom from their restricted confinements. By some miracle, probably by his desire to appear strong for his mother, the leopard managed to keep his sorrow at bay for now, having to close his own eyes for several moments to succeed in that.

Lya was in a similar state, although she did let out a quiet sniffle and wiped her own tears from her eyes in her shoulder, blinking a couple of times to get rid of the unwanted droplets.

"We love you too, Eszy," Zachary managed to utter the somewhat teasing words, having swallowed the lump which had formed in his throat to do so and continue afterwards, a true smile on his muzzle, "And no matter what happens," he choked on his words for a second, but pushed himself to finish what he had started, "You need to know that we'll keep loving you, despite your grumpiness or scolding, despite your flaws," he chuckled weakly, "We'll never stop loving you." Lya could only nod at those words, her smile widening and causing her somewhat soaked cheeks to dimple.

Esmeralda echoed the ocelot's expression, before giving a resolute nod and standing. Looking over to Talib and Xergon, the owl's expression was almost intimidatingly adamant. "Let's do this, then" she ordered, walking over to the lynx and serpent. Her cane was left by the fire.

Standing before the two masters, Esmeralda gave them both the same serious look. "I know you both have experience with this," she stated, her talons clenched into fists, "But I want to make one thing very clear; if it gets loose during this, I want you to kill it in whatever way you deem necessary. Don't hesitate to use whatever you've got, because it won't, either. I've... I've made my peace."

Xergon smiled down at the owl, a gesture which emitted nothing but sympathy, a gesture which might have been impossible for others, but the lynx gave it without showing any signs of struggling, trepidation or hesitation. The certainty he carried in his gaze made its way to his voice as he spoke.

"It won't come to that." He uttered the sentence with such strength that it nearly became a command of some sort, more to himself than to anyone, actually. Putting a paw on the Elder's shoulder, Xergon beckoned with his head for her to follow. "We'll do everything in our power to destroy that spirit. That, I can promise." He stated, the small smile touching the corners of his mouth yet to fade.

The owl gave a nod as Talib looked over to the rest of the group. "Are you going to stay here with them during this?" he asked.

Esmeralda hesitated, looking over to the others. "Hey, you lot going to stick around for the show?" she asked, somehow managing to retain her own brand of teasing despite the ordeal she was faced with.

Every single member of the group nodded in unison, Zachary even snorting and shaking his head a little afterwards as he said. "Like that needs to be asked, seriously."

Xergon turned back to the group as well, his smile broadening for some reason, before he looked back to Esmeralda. "You have exceptional friends, Elder Eszes," he stated sincerely, "With their support, you have nothing to worry about."

Giving his own nod, Talib looked at the campsight. "We'll need to clear sufficient space for this," he said, nodding to his ingredients, "Ten binding circles didn't seem sufficient last time; we're going to do twenty this time, and Xergon is going to reinforce them with his own spells. He's far purer than I am, I'm afraid."

"And you're a multicaster, so I guess we're even, old friend." Xergon managed to crack a joke, evidently trying to ease the otherwise daunting situation, if only by just a tiny bit. After giving a supportive final squeeze on her shoulder and a smile, the lynx began the preparations for the impending exorcism, setting up an area in a similar way Talib had done on their first encounter with the wicked spirit.

The process was long and drawn-out, lasting nearly an hour as the masters worked with both determination and concentration. After each binding circle, they would cast a strengthening spell of some sort, the self-written glyphs glowing and pulsating with a bright light for a few seconds before they returned to their normal state. Even after casting the spell twenty times in total, Xergon showed no signs of exhaustion, his resolute gait and thoughtful expression unchanged, his willingness to help Esmeralda displayed evidently.

"Alright," the lynx opened his mouth for the first time in an hour to say something other than his reinforcing spell's name, heaving a massive sigh before turning towards Esmeralda, "The binding circles are finished. And as much as I hate to ask," he gestured at the prepared chains in the middle of the circle with an unreadable expression, "Could you?" No further explanation was needed.

The Elder nodded wordlessly, stepping resolutely to the center of the circles. Looking over to Zachary, the owl gave him a warm smile. "I love you, son," she said, sitting herself down as Talib gestured. The chains animated to wrap around Esmeralda, and Basajaun felt an instinctual, protective growl escape his throat before he could suppress it.

Zachary would have growled as well, if it hadn't been for the tightness of his throat, which had become increasingly worse as he watched the preparations in excruciating, silent anticipation. Yet, he forced himself to open his mouth and talk, despite the unimaginable effort it took to do so.

"I love you too, mom." He replied through tears of worry he simply couldn't banish from his eyes, the droplets brimming their edges, as if waiting to break through the dam that held them back for now, to soak his cheeks until he could cry no more. Scared, he felt utterly terrified, afraid of the thought, of the possibility that something, anything bad or unexpected could happen.

It was a possibility, a painful outcome he tried his hardest to ignore, to cast it to the deepest parts of his mind, to simply be rid of it. He had to trust in Xergon, Talib, and out of everyone, he had to trust in Esmeralda, believe that she would be strong enough, only hope that nothing... nothing bad would happen.

His mind engulfed in both fear and hopefulness, Zachary reached for the growling dragon's wing, grasping the limb tight in his paw in an attempt to calm both himself and Basajaun. "Shh," he whispered softly, his gaze locked on Esmeralda, his voice distant, yet comforting, "It's okay, Basa. It's okay." The words were meant as much to the leopard himself as to the reptile next to him.

The drake's voice quieted slightly at his companion's words, though he still couldn't suppress the nervous sound. The dragon reached his wing around the leopard's shoulders, seeking to comfort both of them with the embrace.

Snowflake moved over to the snake as he worked on the supplemental rings of powdered suppressants of evil spirits. "I'm ready to do my part," she stated, Talib giving a nod at the statement.

The serpent reached a hand to the spirit, a bit of ice magic traveling into her form. With several loud cracks, the spirit's body fell away until only a large snowflake remained. Suspended in the air as if on a gentle breeze, the spirit moved about the binding circles, dancing above the grass and chiming in her language. Several lengths of the plants grew and twined into spiralling runes, glowing softly with natural power.

Snowflake created many of these bolsters across the twenty circles, an organic network of pulsing, grassy sigils reinforcing the more structured runes of the lynx and snake. It took another half an hour for Snowflake to finish her work, Talib and Xergon working on the chains binding the owl for the time it took the familiar to do so.

After a seeming eternity, everything was in place, unusual darkness falling on the clearing as the inevitable night settled in. Yet even after the excruciating wait, it still seemed too soon to Esmeralda when Talib offered her the final ingredient; the holy water. Giving a deep sigh, the owl looked over to Zachary for a final time. "Hey, Zach," she called out, smiling lightly, "You be good for your mother, alright? And Fa-- Basajaun, take good care of Snowflake." No words were needed for the familiar; they already knew how one another felt.

His breath catching in his throat, Basajaun nodded regardless. "I will," the dragon said, only just able to squeeze the words out of his tight throat.

Zachary was tempted to scream. He almost did, as well, only catching himself in the last moment before he could scold Esmeralda as much as he could for those words. He swallowed the lump in his throat and his rage at the same time. "You'll be right here to make sure I'm good." Was all he said with such certainty that he managed to convince even himself, the reality of that sentence wrapping itself around his heart, providing much needed relief, even if only imaginary.

The ocelot's paw moving to grasp tightly his own definitely wasn't in his imagination, though. Lya held his hand, and he held hers, his breathing accelerating with each breath he took. He knew he had to stay calm, lest he go into another painful panic experience, but with his mother's well being at risk, it was near impossible to do so.

Nodding at the leopard's words, Esmeralda looked to the ocelot beside him. "And Lya, that's my son's heart you have," the owl continued, flashing a grin to the feline, "You take care not to break it, you hear?"

Lya, having lost herself in her worried silence, could only nod in quiet. That's all he she could do; nod shallowly, yet vehemently. She wanted to come up with a witty remark as usual, to tell Esmeralda something that would get the owl laughing by some miracle, but with tormenting fear and concern coating both her mind and throat, she couldn't say anything, not a single word.

Looking up to Talib once she was done with her farewells, Esmeralda accepted the mouthful of holy water, and then nodded to signal that she was ready. Talib slithered over to the side of the circles opposite Xergon. "Ready?" the snake called over to the lynx.

His eyes distant and locked on the circles and darting between every individual glyph, the feline remained silent for long moments, his gaze refusing to stop its studying of their work. Evidently, Xergon wanted everything to be perfect.

"Yes." He said after minutes of observing, heaving a sigh, before turning to Talib. His smile was long gone, his features and posture radiating with routine-like confidence. Turning back to Esmeralda, the lynx stared at the chained-up owl, conveying the words that left his lips afterwards with sheer dedication, unquestionable resolve, intrepidity.

"Let's end this torment, at last."

The owl nodded again, before holding absolutely still. Talib cleared his throat, stretching his arms for a moment, before raising them up, Xergon echoing the pose. "Sweet Mother, we call upon you this day to receive an errant soul that has strayed from your love," the pair called out in unison, the sigils on the ground glowing brightly at their words, "We ask that you call back this child, that the Wendigo shall no more wander your land, lost to your will."

The owl's body spasmed at the name that was called out, a muffled cry escaping her throat. Esmeralda held on, though, holding the holy water in her mouth for as long as she could. "By our wills together, and those of the Voices of your will, we command this lost soul to depart," the masters continued, their words matched in perfect synchronous, "Spirit of famine in the cold, return to the frozen lands from which you come. Return to your home, Wendigo."

Again, the Elder was wracked by a short seizure, and yet the strong-willed avian still held on, despite the tears that began to stream down her face. "Quit this place so foreign to you, cold stranger," Xergon and Talib ordered together, their voices crescendoing, "We demand the release of Esmeralda Eszes, by the name of our beloved Mother, by the names of the Gods, and by your own name, Wendigo!"

The owl's head fell forward, her body going limp as the water poured from her beak. By the time the water reached the ground, it was completely frozen solid. The evening sky seemed to darken even further, while the ground around the owl began to frost over, every last bit of organic life withering away in its wake, their icy corpses standing frozen, unmoving.

A sudden chill fell over the entire clearing, feeling like winter's deepest cold. The grass, the trees, the pool, even the very air seemed to start freezing, as flakes of snow began to fall, shining weakly through the eerie blackness. As the group watched, the owl's feathers receded into her body once again, leaving only a smattering of white on the avian's frozen black body.

The creature that was no longer Esmeralda looked up from the ground, the same spiteful smile that it had borne before leering out at those present. The beast's flesh appeared pockmarked and rotten, an ungodly stench of decay settling over the clearing. Its stomach was caved in, the undying hunger reflected in its frozen, bloody eyes. The thing moved with slow motions, standing steadily as the chains binding it creaked ominously against the Wendigo's unholy strength.

"Joyous am I that you have come to offer yourselves to me. Kneel, for I hunger for your flesh, your souls, your minds, your love."

Snowflake danced in the air around the binding circles. "Mother is calling you home, brother!" the spirit sang out to the demon, "Let go of this mortal form! Return to our Mother's tender embrace!"

Zachary sat where he was, terrified. More terrified than he had ever been in his life. When the creature spoke, its vile, hateful voice, its words rendered him completely unmoving, frozen in a rigid position like the dead grass around him. Silent, like the quietness the choking darkness brought. Scared, like never before.

His glassy eyes remained locked on the demon which had replaced his mother, its whole being forcing up memories. Memories of his first encounter with Wendigo, memories of its spiteful words, of its blood red eyes staring into his soul, of its endless desire to do nothing but hurt him, to grieve him as much as it could. And he knew he was unable to help at that very moment, unable to destroy the demon, no matter how much he wished he could do just that.

So, Zachary just sat there, his grip on Lya's hand painfully strong, his paw shaking with its intensity. The pain went unnoticed by the ocelot, who could do nothing but stare as well. Yet, unlike the leopard's, her expression was unreadable, emotionless. She didn't look away from the unholy sight, her eyes remaining on the demon, searching its wicked features, completely unemotional.

Basajaun held the pair of felines next to him tightly in his wing, his earlier growl increased in intensity as he looked into the demon's eyes. The beast looked back into the dragon's soul, grinning wickedly.

"You think you can find love among creatures so far beneath you. How do you expect them to love a monster like you? You're a danger to all around you. Just ask that dog you killed."

Basajaun's growl halted as a deep pang of guilt gripped his heart. "Your words are meaningless and hollow!" Talib called out, "Abandon this woman! Return from whence you come!" The circles pulsed with power, and the Wendigo shrieked and cackled in agony. Its gaze fell on the leopard after its punishment abated.

"What hope do you have of defeating an army? You're leading your family to their deaths. And when they fall, you shall be the reason."

Zachary stopped breathing. Not a single trace of awareness could be found on him as he looked numbly at the creature. He fell. He fell in the hole of his consciousness, the beast's words bringing forth banished terrors from the depths and tossing them into that bottomless hole until he could feel himself suffocating, choking on the possibility that it could be true. Before he could mentally succumb, however, Xergon spoke up, his strong voice like a light in the infinite darkness, pulling him out of the hole of fear in the last moment.

"Not a single sound leaving your wretched lips shall be heard, demon!" The lynx shouted, his tone unshaken, "Perish from this world, from this woman, from existence at once!" The glyphs shone with bright light, the creature once again crying out in pain, its deafening scream louder than before.

The beast laughed again once the light faded, still facing Zachary. Its barbed tongue ran out along the beak of its host, licking its frozen fangs at the suffering it could feel in the leopard's heart.

"Your mother and father died to Boldrum before, boy. Do you so desire to see the pig be fed by more of your beloved that you deliver him them yourself? Truly you are a feeder of gluttons."

The leopard was on the verge of a complete breakdown. Yet, as he closed his eyes, he realized this was a fight he simply couldn't win. Zachary emptied his mind, much like he would when casting a spell. He slowly let go of Lya's paw, planting his trembling hands on his ears and remaining unmoving afterwards. He knew he had no other chance to avoid mentally drowning in guilt than by trying to shut the Wendigo out.

Basajaun put his hands on the leopard's shoulders, his gaze avoiding the demon's as he comforted his son as best he could. "Begone foul spirit!" Talib shouted out, pulsing the runes once again against the demon's flesh. The monster revelled in its own pain, its eyes still locked on the one that it could hurt the most.

"Death follows you like a contagion. Where is Merek, Zachary? Where is your real father? Where is your real mother? Where are they, boy?"

He could hear it. No matter how tightly he pressed his paws against his ears, the demon's words wormed their way through it effortlessly, the hurtful questions swirling around inside his mind endlessly, spreading like wildfire across his consciousness before they were stopped altogether, by none other than he himself.

Even in the darkest times, even in the most desperate situations or state of his life, Zachary always stood up. No matter how much time he spent on the cold streets nearly starving to death, no matter how much time he lay in the dark cell, Zachary always stood up. And he wasn't going to give up now. Not to this beast. Not to anyone. He would always, always stand up.

The leopard looked up at the Wendigo. His expression conveyed no emotions. "They're dead." He uttered the words flatly, staring deeply into the monster's blood red eyes. "They're gone." A smile touched the corners of his mouth as he spoke his last words to the creature.

"Just like you will be."

The creature's eyes widened at the leopard's response, for once looking caught off-guard. "By the love of our Mother, and the love for this woman, you are banished, spirit!" Xergon called out, taking the opportunity presented by the demon's lowered defenses, "Emorior Aeternum!"

The glyphs that formed all twenty binding circles lit up at once, shining through the eerie blackness and penetrating its defenses, reaching every hollow corpse of frozen life and glittering brilliantly against the ice. The holy light enveloped everything in its brightness, even the dark creature in the middle of the circle.

Talib raised his arms higher. "Ferio Spiritum!" the snake called out while the demon was still reeling from Xergon's spell, black energy smiting the frozen creature. Falling back to the ground, the Wendigo gasped for breath, growling hatefully as it attempted to stand once again.

"Aurora Borealis!" Snowflake cried out before the fiend could get to its feet, a ribbon of multihued light shooting from the crystalline spirit into the demon.

The creature shrieked long and hard at the intensity of the light. Its head was raised up to the sky, while it was down on its knees, breathing heavily for several moments. The Wendigo suddenly opened its eyes, its expression almost looking like it had heard something unexpected.

"C... coming... mother..."

The demon's form was engulfed in the same light that had bathed its form from Snowflake's spell, the radiance firing upwards like a brilliant geyser. The Wendigo's body was completely obscured by the brilliance, and by the time the glow faded, the beast was gone. There was only Esmeralda, laying in the grass as northern lights danced about in the sky.

Zachary paid no heed to the beautiful sight above him, standing up immediately, and with his tears finally free of their confinements and coating his furred cheeks with droplets of both relief and bottled up sorrow, the leopard ran to the owl's lying form.

He disregarded the cold, rigid ice sticking painfully on his knees as he knelt beside Esmeralda. "Mom," the leopard whispered uncertainly, gently sliding his arm beneath her head and holding her up, "Mom...?"

No response came. He waited long, but nothing.

Feeling unimaginable amount of dread filling his heart, Zachary moved to embrace the Elder to calm himself in the only way he could, only to be stopped in the middle of the motion. He glanced down, grimacing painfully at the sight. "Get these damn chains off of her!" The leopard cried out to Xergon and Talib, his arms holding Esmeralda stubbornly despite the iron confinements that secured her.

The snake gestured with a hand, the chains unlocking and sliding off of the owl while Basajaun, Lya, and Snowflake all rushed to her side. The dragon nuzzled the bird's face gently, before putting an ear to her chest. He breathed a sigh of relief has he heard her heartbeat; it was healthy. So was her breathing.

The dragon smiled warmly, before looking up at Snowflake. "Did it work?" he asked, nuzzling the spirit next and disregarding the extreme cold of her body, "Is that thing gone?"

The familiar didn't answer for a while. Without a face, it was hard to tell if she was just thinking or if she was concentrating. "I... I don't know," Snowflake finally replied, her tone one of confusion and worry, "I can't... I can't feel Mistress' thoughts. I can't feel her at all!"

Snowflake's words didn't help Zachary in the slightest, as he refused to let go of Esmeralda, hugging her body close to his. The loving gesture, for the first time, wasn't returned. But that didn't matter to him; he just wanted to embrace his mother.

"Wendigo is gone." Xergon's voice cut through the confusion, the lynx's emotionless eyes scanning the fascinating lights which swirled around in the sky. The lynx heaved a massive sigh, his posture falling at last as he became aware of his tiredness. "The demon is back where it belongs."

Nothing could communicate the relief the leopard felt upon hearing the master's statement, his grip on Esmeralda loosening just a tiny bit, yet still holding her tightly against his body. He would stay like this all night, if it was needed, hugging her until she finally opened her eyes.

Lya watched from a little distance away, a relieved, yet concerned expression apparent on her face. Heaving her own sigh, the ocelot moved to Snowflake, uncertainly putting a paw on the spirit's unusual body, and immediately pulling it back and hissing a little. Gods, she was cold! Colder than the frozen ground beneath her feet, to the point where the second of contact was painful.

But Lya disregarded the pain despite its intensity for now. "I'm sure it's only an aftereffect of some sort, Snowflake," she tried calming the spirit, not quite believing her own sentence, "We'll... just wait until she wakes up and see what happens. We shouldn't get all too worked up," the statement was actually directed to herself than to the others, "She's going to need us when she wakes up, so we... we can't..." shaking her head, the ocelot moved a paw to gently rub Zachary's shoulder, "We have to stay strong."

The spirit gave a bobbing gesture similar to a nod. Feeling her concern, Basajaun opened a wing to her invitingly, Snowflake quickly fluttering over to the dragon's side and pressing into his softness. Closing the wing over the familiar, the drake huddled her close. Her cold wasn't painful to him, and he gladly shared the warmth of his embrace.

Talib moved tiredly over to the family, panting from his efforts. "I think... me and Xergon need a good rest," the snake said, shaking his head, "I'm not sure I'll be coming tomorrow morning. Expect me in the evening instead."

Seeing the tenderness of the moment a moment later, the serpent sighed. "Actually, you know what? You can have tomorrow to yourselves," Talib corrected himself, slithering over to Xergon, "I'm heading back before I collapse from fatigue. Are you coming?"

The lynx shook his head slowly, his struggles to keep standing evident despite his best efforts, yet his affection towards his students stronger. "No... you go ahead," he waved a paw at Talib, running the other over his muzzle to not faint right then and there, "I... I'm going to wait for my student to wake up." He informed the snake, finally tearing his distant gaze away from the dancing lights in the sky and beginning to make his way towards the others.

Talib nodded, making his way out of the clearing wordlessly. Smiling to the lynx as he approached, Basajaun stood from Esmeralda's side. "So, it's really over for her?" he asked, wanting to be sure before he let his hopes get too far up.

"I was told you had a good memory," Xergon joked halfheartedly, immediately sitting down next to Zachary and exhaling loudly as he looked up at Basajaun, "As I've just stated: Wendigo is gone from Elder Eszes' body and mind alike. Forever."

The dragon smiled widely, putting an arm around the lynx before he could think better of the action. "Thank you," the drake said sincerely as he hugged Xergon almost involuntarily, purring deeply with the action, "Thank you so much!"

Too worn-out to care, the lynx allowed the embrace, but withdrew nonetheless after a moment, his expression serious. "Don't thank me yet." Xergon cautioned, looking at the unconscious Elder in Zachary's arms with evident concern and uncertainty.

The leopard flinched visibly, hugging Esmeralda once more tighter to himself. Wendigo's words still burned freshly in his mind, but with the Elder wrapped lovingly in his arms, he was able to cast the painful thoughts away, lock them up in their rightful repression and try to forget them the best he could. The mental action was difficult to perform, yet Zachary succeeded. For now. He had to stay strong for her. That's all he had to do; stay strong and hopeful.

After a moment, Basajaun released the lynx looking down to the owl that his son embraced. "Her breathing and heartrate are fine," the dragon reported his earlier observations, "She seems perfectly healthy to me."

"I'm not talking about her physical condition." Xergon reminded the dragon, despite how unpleasant it was to do so. He didn't continue, his eyes lingering on Zachary, a sympathetic grimace playing across his features. Turning back to Basajaun afterwards in silence, the lynx tapped a finger on his head. No explanation was needed.

The drake grimaced at the feline's action, hugging an extremely quiet Snowflake even tighter against himself. His skin was starting to go numb from the spirit's coldness, but he disregarded this completely. He only watched the Elder's features carefully, looking for any signs of wakefulness.

As it turned out, the dragon and those around him didn't have to wait too long. Groaning quietly, Esmeralda slowly opened her eyes, looking around for a moment with a confused expression.

If it hadn't been for that barely audible sound, Zachary wouldn't have noticed the Elder's awakening, his closed eyes depriving him of his vision. As soon as he heard the owl's voice, felt her moving in his embrace, however, the leopard immediately pulled back a little, grinning tearfully as he looked down at Esmeralda.

"You're awake!" The leopard stated the obvious as always, unable to resist the urge to hug her close once again. This time from relief, not uncertain dread.

Lya heaved a ragged sigh of relief as well, Xergon joining almost simultaneously, the two felines watching the mother and son on the ground with smiles on their faces. Still, the expression was restrained.

Grunting lightly as she was squeezed, Esmeralda chuckled after a moment. "So... this is what quiet sounds like," she mused, a tiny smile on her beak as she returned her son's embrace. When Basajaun offered a supportive nuzzle, the owl returned the gesture with a stroke on the dragon's chin.

Hearing her mistress' voice, Snowflake tugged herself out from under the wing she was held by, having to resist the urge to press herself against the Elder to avoid hurting the bird with her cold body. "Mistress! Are you alright?" the familiar asked worriedly.

Looking to the spirit, Esmeralda's expression was once again one of confusion. "Could you... repeat that?" the owl asked quietly.

There was a long moment of silence from the spirit. "So... that's why I can't..." the familiar realized slowly, drifting to the ground in defeat.

Out of the three felines present, two looked just as confused as the Elder, the young pair glancing between Snowflake and the owl in evident search of explanation. The only individual to provide that spoke up after a moment.

"So that was the cost." Xergon mused aloud, his head turning to look at the northern lights that still danced above them, his expression one of disappointment and anger. As he looked back to Esmeralda, however, that gesture was long gone from the lynx's features, replaced by sincere sympathy.

"I'm sorry, Elder Eszes," the master began quietly, sighing and shaking his head while Zachary finally withdrew from the embrace he shared with his mother, "I... It appears like..." Xergon cleared his throat, "I've failed to perform the exorcism without a negative consequence."

Zachary furrowed his brows, still perplexed. "What do you mean?" He asked from the master, feeling his earlier worries rising up once again.

There was no response for long moments, Xergon simply staring into Esmeralda's eyes in silence. "By destroying Wendigo," he began, his voice wavering with sheer remorse, "I... destroyed every last bit of spiritual influence from Elder Eszes' body and mind." Painfully long silence followed, the lynx's guilty gaze lingering on the owl. "I'm sorry." Was all he could say.

Esmeralda remained quiet for long moments, before a hand reached up and patted the lynx's shoulder wordlessly. "Snowflake, come here," the owl invited, the spirit obeying silently. Intoning a minor ice spell, the Elder allowed the familiar the opportunity to change forms, Snowflake becoming a tiny dragon the size of a house cat.

As soon as the transformation was complete, Esmeralda embraced the little spirit lovingly. "We're still a family," she said softly, small tears running down her face, "We've been through worse, Snowflake. We'll get through this, too." The spirit remained silent; her words would only be wasted, and so she simply returned her mistress' embrace as best as her little body could.

Zachary wasn't watching the heartfelt scene, his paw on his forehead, his gaze falling on the ground. He could feel Snowflake's sorrow in the bond only he and Basajaun shared with the spirit now. No matter how undeveloped yet, the familiar's feelings flooded his mind, and all he could do was heave a massive sigh of sympathy. He only came to from his mental distress when he felt a nudge on his shoulder.

He found himself looking at Lya when he looked up, the ocelot's expression one of uncertainty as she slowly sat down next to the leopard on the ground. She opened her mouth to speak, but her words were nearly lost, their silence radiating worry. "Are they talking about...?" She trailed off, but it was enough.

"The bond." Zachary breathed, grimacing as he turned to look at the ocelot next to him. "It's gone." It was gone, just like Wendigo, lost in the process, ceased to exist. Just like the demon after more than fifty years of torment, Snowflake's and Esmeralda's bond vanished into nothingness.

Lya nodded shallowly and exhaled, her breath filled with nothing but understanding, empathy and sorrow. The two felines glanced back to the spirit and owl, remaining silent afterwards.

It took long minutes for Esmeralda to look up from Snowflake, but the spirit refused to let go of her mistress. "I... need some time," the owl stated slowly, getting to her feet shakily while a hand remained to hold her quietly crying familiar against her, "And rest... yes, that's what I need."

Noting the uncertainty in the Elder's stance, Basajaun quickly moved to where the owl's cane had been moved to, bringing it immediately to her. "Here," he said softly, nuzzling Esmeralda again as she took the cane. The owl nodded in appreciation, though even with her cane, it looked like she was having trouble with her steps.

As soon as he saw his mother's struggles, Zachary immediately jumped to his feet, rushing to her side with quickened steps before she could even take more than a few herself. When he reached her, the leopard carefully took ahold of the owl's arm. "Lean on me." He practically ordered, his expression, voice serious.

Giving a sigh, Esmeralda obeyed the leopard's command. "Thanks," she said tiredly, her eyes fixed on her tent as she slowly moved forward with the aid of the feline. Basajaun was on the Elder's other side, also ready to offer assistance as soon as it was needed.

Xergon stood from his place as well, groaning with the effort it took, which Lya picked up instantly. "Do you need anything, Master?" The ocelot asked, standing, quickly walking to the lynx's side.

The master slowly shook his head, his gaze hovering over to the limping Esmeralda as she neared at her tent. "No." He said simply, his voice unusually distant, quiet. With an unreadable expression on his face, Xergon turned around, heaved a sigh, and began making his way the way Talib had left.

"Inform me if Elder Eszes shows any signs of change in her behavior. You know what I mean, Lya." That was his last request, his form disappearing under the night's darkness and the forest undergrowth as he exited the clearing. Lya watched him leave with a pained expression, nodding regardless of the fact that Xergon wasn't there anymore.

"Here." Zachary said softly as he and Esmeralda arrived at her tent, letting go of her arm, but not her hand. He held the limb tenderly and looked deeply in the Elder's eyes. There were no words he could offer, and he knew even just trying would be in vain. All he could give was a small smile, a gesture he struggled to put on his face, but did so anyway.

Esmeralda patted Zachary's shoulder affectionately. "Thank you, son," she said, her tone showing a confused mixture of relief and sorrow. Turning to Basajaun, the Elder gave the dragon a fond stroke on his head. "And you too," she continued, "I think I'll be borrowing Snowflake tonight, if you don't mind."

The dragon could only smile. "Not at all," he affirmed, nuzzling the hand that stroked him, "You need the company more than I do."

Pulling her head from being pressed tightly against the owl's chest, Snowflake looked to Basajaun pleadingly. "Can you please... get me my writing materials?" she requested, her chiming voice wavering with her words. Esmeralda's expression fell again at being unable to understand her closest friend, but she kept her words to herself.

Feeling his heart being squeezed at the spirit's sorrow, Basajaun nonetheless did as he was told, fetching the quills, ink, and scrolls from the group's bags and bringing them to the Elder's tent. The drake handed the materials to the spirit, including a small nuzzle to her head.

Sighing once Snowflake had her means of communication, Esmeralda patted Zachary's shoulder one last time, before ducking into her tent wordlessly.

The leopard stayed by the tent for a little while, his ears pricked as he listened to any signs of distress from Esmeralda, ready to offer his assistance if needed. After some time, however, Zachary heaved a relieved sigh, before he turned away from the shelter.

Without saying a word, he made his way back to binding circles, and silently began collecting the worn-out glyphs in his paws. It was perhaps the first time that he was the one straightening the campsite up. It was usually done by Esmeralda. Lya was quick to join once realizing what the leopard was doing, the two felines wordlessly gathering the worthless piece of papers in their paws.

Eager for anything that would take his mind off of his worries, Basajaun also joined in the efforts of getting the camp back in order. While the felines worked to clean up the remains of the binding circles, the dragon began building the fire back up, as the sudden wintry weather had put it out.

With a gentle fire going, Basajaun laid down by the flames, sighing heavily and looking over to Zachary and Lya. "I'm going to call it a day," the dragon stated, "I just don't have the energy for anything else tonight."

"Go ahead." The leopard called back, currently struggling to hold more than six scrolls in his paws at once, while reaching for another one. Of course, clumsy as he could be occasionally, Zachary dropped everything he had collected so far on the ground, immediately groaning in frustration, while Lya banished a snicker to the deepest parts of her heart.

"You gotta be kidding me..." he mumbled under his breath, before turning to Basajaun, his face fixed in a slight grimace, "I'll be following right behind you," he said to the drake, bending down to attempt picking up the mess he had made, "I'm tired too." Apparently tired enough to be extremely clumsy.

The dragon nodded wordlessly, settling his head on his forelimbs. It felt strange not having Snowflake beside him, but the reptile had his bond with her that made up for it. Reaching out, Basajaun gave the spirit a mental embrace for a moment, a little smile appearing on his face when the gesture was returned. His mind settled moderately by the dragoness' reassuring emotional support, the dragon swiftly fell asleep, the exhausting events of the day making it all but impossible not to do so.

Able to hold seven glyphs in his paws in total, Zachary felt a minor amount of success rising in his heart for achieving that unimaginable milestone, and turned to Basajaun to show off his accomplishment. When he noticed that the dragon was already asleep, however, the leopard snorted quietly.

"Well, good night to you too, mister manners." He made that remark as silently as he could, somehow afraid that the dragon might hear it even while being unconscious. While Basajaun was already deep in dreamland, Lya sure wasn't, and her ears were rather sensitive as well.

"He's just tired." The ocelot reminded Zachary as she finished with collecting more glyphs at once than the leopard could ever dream of. She walked with her heavy burden to the leopard, nudging his shoulder gently with hers. Gentle as the contact was, it still managed to make Zachary loosen his grip on his own glyphs, practically replicating the scene that had happened just a few moments ago.

Giving an exasperated snarl at the papers on the ground, as if the lifeless objects could be blamed, Zachary heaved a calm sigh afterwards. "I know..." He admitted quietly, shaking his head a little before he decided to try another method to collect the glyphs. With his clumsiness, it would probably take the whole night to finish up.

"I'm just... a little on the edge, y'know." He continued, gesturing with his paws at papers on the ground. At the motion, the objects began levitating immediately, bunching up in a single ball under Zachary's paw.

"We all are." Lya said, watching the impressive display of the levitation spell for a moment, before giving her own sigh. Tossing her own pile of glyphs to Zachary's, the ocelot smiled a little when the leopard cocked an eyebrow at the action. "Could you get the rest for me, dummy? I'm heading to bed as well."

Not waiting an answer to her request, Lya quickly planted a small kiss on the leopard's cheek, who simply couldn't say no after receiving that particular form of saying good night from the ocelot. "Yeah, sure, you sleep well." Zachary replied, his own small smile appearing on his muzzle, despite the thousand of uncertain thoughts that swirled around in his mind.

With a nod, Lya turned and began walking towards her own tent. The leopard watched her leave, or more accurately, he watched her similarly exhausted, yet still graceful and alluring gait. Even her tired stride was dominant and beautiful in his eyes, and when she entered her tent and disappeared from sight, Zachary couldn't help but sigh somewhat disappointedly.

Deprived of the ability to converse with anyone sentient, the leopard decided to quickly finish up with the camp's clearing. With the use of his levitation spell, he was able to collect all the used glyphs from the ground, and ever clean up the powder as well. While the chains sent a tiny shiver through his entire body, Zachary nonetheless carried the heavy iron bonds to where he put all the unwanted junk at, namely to the edge of the clearing where Talib and Xergon had left.

Even though just as tired as everyone else, especially after having spent the last thirty minutes straightening the camp up and all the while casting a spell, the leopard still wasn't done. With routine and zero effort, he summoned Kindling in both of his paws, and began defrosting the formerly transformed tundra area into its usual state. The process was long, given that he had to limit the intensity of his spell, lest he burn the grass under his feet.

It was around an hour later that Zachary was finally finished with everything. He could only admire the renovated campsite for a few seconds, before he became aware of the sudden and extremely strong dizziness in his head. "Perhaps... that was a little too much for tonight." The leopard stated the obvious with a groan, holding his head in his paws for a moment and shaking it. The action didn't help much.

Afraid to collapse right where he was, and up for sleeping anyway as always, he sauntered his way to Basajaun, losing his balance on several occasions and stumbling in his wake. Despite his inability to walk properly, Zachary arrived at the dragon without adding any bruises to his body. An impressive achievement for sure, given that the state of his body could only be compared to an extremely intoxicated individual. The leopard only realized that he wouldn't be sleeping on his usual place when he set his barely functional eyes on the hill of pudge in front of him. Normally, cresting the flabby mountain was nearly effortless, but that definitely wasn't the case this time around.

So, instead, and probably saving himself from falling down a couple of times by attempting to climb on Basajaun, Zachary simply allowed himself to collapse against the dragon's side. He slowly slid down along the curvature of the drake's abdomen, and even before his body could reach the ground, the leopard was already asleep, his unconscious form falling down in the grass without him deadening the impact in the slightest. Even that didn't manage to wake him up, though, his mind long joined by that of the other members of the group in dreamland.

Feeling the familiar weight of the leopard against his middle, Basajaun curled subconsciously around the feline, a wing extending to provide its warmth to Zachary as the dragon nuzzled at his fur.

The sound of cheerful humming wormed its way through Basajaun's sleep. Huffing quietly, the dragon lifted his head and blinked blearily at the source of the sound, surprised to find Esmeralda cooking a hare on the end of a spit. Snowflake was back at the size of a small horse, and in the drake's favorite dragoness shape. Cocking his head at the owl, the dragon cleared his throat.

"Um, good morning, Elder Eszes," Basajaun greeted somewhat unsurely, not used to seeing the avian so chipper, the mood contrasting sharply with her disposition the previous night.

The Elder flashed a bright grin to the drake. "Well good morning, Basa!" the owl greeted in return, catching the reptile completely off guard with the name, "Did you sleep well?"

Before he could answer, Esmeralda stood and virtually frolicked over to the dragon, plopping herself down right next to Zachary and leaning into the reptile's midsection. Staring at the owl as she daintily ate from the hare, Basajaun shook his head after a moment. "Are you, um, feeling alright?" he asked unsurely.

"Fantastic!" the Elder exclaimed joyfully in reply, the shout making her cushion jump in surprise, "The sun is shining, the grass is green, it's a warm day, and I have an excellent dragon friend to rest against while I enjoy a meal." Taking another mouthful of the hare, the owl tore off a piece with her talon and offered it to the drake, "Want some?"

Somehow, by some otherworldly miracle, neither Basajaun's jump nor Esmeralda's mirthfully loud voice managed to get the slightest of reaction from Zachary, who was sleeping with his mouth open for the first time, his body completely still save for his slow breathing. Evidently, the leopard was exhausted for some reason.

While the leopard slept peacefully through the commotion around him, the other feline of the group sure couldn't do so. The faint sound of rustling and footsteps were audible for a moment, accompanied by a low groan.

Lya's head poked out of her tent first, her narrowed eyes scanning the clearing for a moment, before she blinked a couple of times in disbelief. Exiting her tent swiftly, the ocelot could only stare with widened eyes at the green grass under his feet. All the ice was gone from the previous night. And as she allowed herself to scan her surroundings now that she was awake, the ocelot couldn't help but be impressed.

"Well, Zach took getting the rest really seriously." She mused aloud, turning to the other members of the group before she began walking towards them, stretching her limbs in the process and greeting, "Good morning everyone."

Esmeralda jumped to her feet again, scrabbling quickly up Basajaun's side until she could see the ocelot. "Lya! Good morning!" the owl greeted back, the same enthusiastic grin that she had given to Basajaun evident on her face, "How did you sleep? Want any hare?"

Lya stopped in her gait, blinking in confusion for more reasons than she could count. "I... uh... no?" she replied uncertainly, cocking an eyebrow and looking worriedly at Esmeralda, "And... I... slept well until someone started shouting." Immensely perplexed, yet still teasing. Zachary was definitely rubbing off on the ocelot.

The Elder chuckled cheerfully. "Sorry about that," she apologized, laying back and staring up at the sky from Basajaun's side, "I'm just so full of energy today! I feel about fifty years younger, if you know what I mean. Here, I'm full." The owl handed the rest of her hare to the dragon, who took it almost subconsciously while he continued staring at Esmeralda with an unsure expression.

"Well... I'm... uh... really glad to hear that!" Lya stated, not looking as unsure as Basajaun on the outside, but feeling the same amount of surprise and confusion inside. Resuming her walk towards the others and arriving by the fire, the ocelot cocked her head when she noticed Zachary's unusual sleeping position; he wasn't curled up in ball, rather sprawled out as if he had lost consciousness in some unnatural way. That, and the fact that he didn't react in the slightest to Esmeralda's shouting baffled the ocelot.

Sitting down next to the leopard on the grass with a slightly concerned expression on her face, Lya began repositioning Zachary's limbs so he was lying in a better position. "Poor dummy." She murmured, finishing with getting the sleeping feline in a more acceptable posture, before looking up at the Elder with a small smile. "I assume you're feeling a lot better than yesterday, Elder Eszes."

"I am," the owl affirmed while Snowflake sat herself next to Lya, "Snowflake and I had a long discussion this morning. We're going to wait until everyone's awake to go over it, though."

Sitting up with a swifter motion than she had meant to, Esmeralda smiled down to Lya. "Anyhow, what about you?" she inquired, fiddling with Basajaun's silky fur absentmindedly, "How are you doing?"

"A little surprised, but extremely relieved at the same time," the ocelot responded honestly, her smile widening, "And I'm happy to see you so joyous, I really am. So, to answer your question, I'm doing awesome," she waved a paw at Esmeralda as she added, "Despite the rude awakening."

"That's good," the owl replied, running her talons through Basajaun's fur and scratching lightly at the skin beneath. It seemed like an action brought out of idleness, but it was still one that felt very nice to the drake. Just as it started to get his purr going, though, Esmeralda suddenly turned and slid off of his side.

"Alright, I'm feeling a bit impatient," the Elder stated to no one in particular. Kneeling beside Zachary, Esmeralda shook the leopard's shoulder vigorously, much to the feline's watching father's dismay. "Hey! Zach, I want to tell you and everyone else something!" the owl insisted eagerly.

While the vehement, repeated motions elicited a quiet groan from Zachary and a half open eye, his head was quick to fall back to the ground, his mouth wide open as he resumed snoring.

Feeling similar sensations bubbling inside her much like Basajaun, Lya grimaced slightly at the owl's rather barbaric method of waking the leopard up. "I..." she began quietly, raising a finger, "I don't think that will work. He looks kinda out of himself, Elder Eszes." the ocelot observed, hopeful that her reasoning would sate the owl's impatience.

"And I don't blame him," Lya continued, gesturing at the recently reconditioned clearing around them, "Zach stayed up after everyone went to sleep to clean up everything, even the ice, apparently. I kinda feel guilty now for not helping him..."

Looking around at the tidy camp, Esmeralda sighed. "Alright, fine," she replied, getting to her feet again, "But I need to do something with all this energy or I think I'm going to drive me and everyone else here crazy." Considering for a moment, the owl turned on her heel and moved to the edge of the clearing, before looking back to the rest of the group. "Anyone want to join me for a bit of hunting?" she asked.

"Sure," Lya replied immediately, getting to her feet and stretching her back as she walked to her tent and disappeared, emerging with Rose in her paws after a second, "I was about to do my morning exercise anyway, so this is perfect for me." She smiled to Esmeralda as she arrived next to her, glancing back at the others while she positioned her axe on its right place. "Anyone else coming?" She invited.

Snowflake hesitated for a moment, before getting to her feet. "I can let you know when Hunter gets up," she said, looking over to Basajaun until he translated for her.

Esmeralda nodded, beckoning the spirit over. "Looks like it's just us huntresses again," she observed, before waving to Basajaun, "We'll be back whenever. You keep Zach nice and comfy for me, alright, Basa?"

Cocking his head at the nickname again, the dragon nonetheless nodded. Getting all the confirmation she needed, Esmeralda turned and lead the females into the woods.

Once they were out of sight, Basajaun stood carefully, letting Zachary slide down to the ground for a moment as he retrieved his spellbooks. Talib had left a more extensive collection for the dragon to study, but the drake wanted to complete the first one he was learning from. Setting his books on the ground, Basajaun carefully wrapped his claws around Zachary's torso, rolling to his back and setting the leopard on his belly.

When he and his son were properly situated, the drake began flipping through the pages of his grimoire, passing the time until Zachary awoke with his studying.

The leopard, generous and considerate as he was, gave more than enough time for his bed to indulge in his studying. He did, eventually, wake up, but in a rather uncharacteristic manner. At first, he was only whimpering quietly for a few seconds, his body slowly beginning to tremble, before he suddenly shot up from his sleeping position with a gasp, open, yet bleary and hazy eyes. He breathed heavily, his paw on his chest, only occasionally swallowing.

Immediately setting his book aside, Basajaun's head whipped up to Zachary and nuzzled his shoulder. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked concernedly, his muzzle stroking the leopard's arm.

The feline couldn't answer, having to close his eyes to calm himself while his paw settled on the dragon's head. He bit his lip, and out of nowhere without his control, completely catching even himself off-guard, he could feel his eyes brimming with tears.

"I..." he stammered, shaking his head vehemently, as if trying to get rid of something, "I had a really bad dream, Basa." He breathed, his voice wavering with evident fear, unmistakeable dread, a tear escaping his eye before he could wipe it away.

The dragon continued cuddling the leopard, trilling quietly to him. "Hey, dad's here," he affirmed, his head lifting up to look into Zachary's eyes, "Do you want to talk about it?"

The leopard's eyes fell at the question. "No." He replied curtly, wiping his eyes with his shoulder and heaving a long sigh. "It... it was horrible, I just..." the words died in his throat, and he swallowed the lump in his throat to continue, "I just want to forget it. I... want to forget it." Feeling a new wave of tears forming in his eyes, Zachary wrapped his arm around Basajaun's neck, sniffling quietly as he held the dragon close, trying desperately to follow his own words and ignore possibly the worst nightmare of his life.

The drake nodded, giving Zachary a smile. "It's over, Zach, you're back with me again," he insisted tenderly, reaching up a paw and stroking the feline's arm, "There's no way I'm going to let any nightmares of yours come true, whatever they are. Nobody messes with Basajaun's son, you hear?"

Breathing quietly and sniffling occasionally, the leopard eventually gave a shallow nod, which the dragon could only feel, given that the feline's head was pressed tightly in the reptile's soft neck.

Long moments passed in silence, Zachary's breathing eventually becoming balanced once again, his tears and sniffling gone as well. Taking a deep breath, the leopard pulled away somewhat reluctantly, as if afraid that it was the last time he had the opportunity to embrace the drake.

He ran his paw over his head, of course rustling his fur in the process, and heaved another final sigh to calm himself. "Thanks. I... I needed that." He said quietly, looking up at Basajaun, the beginnings of a smile appearing on his muzzle.

"You're welcome," the dragon replied, smiling to the leopard, "Feel better?"

"A lot." Came the answer shortly after the question, Zachary allowing himself to glance around his surroundings since waking up. Everything was the way he left it; tidy and normal. He only realized a second later that something was missing, or someone, to be exact.

"Uh," the leopard looked back up to Basajaun, gesturing with his head towards the empty clearing, "Where is everyone? Don't tell me they're still asleep, there's no way anyone can sleep longer than me, even when I'm having nightmares." He let out a weak chuckle, the first today.

"They went hunting," Basajaun answered, looking in the direction he could smell the females in, "Snowflake said she'd be bringing them back once you woke up, though. And it smells like they're on their way."

The drake paused before looking back up to Zachary. "Fair warning; Esmeralda seems to have a lot more energy than usual," he cautioned the leopard, "So, try not to be too surprised by that, okay?"

The leopard blinked, glancing in the same direction the dragon had earlier. "Does that mean she's alright now?" He asked in turn, completely ignoring Basajaun's request, his mind only able to focus on Esmeralda's well-being.

The dragon nodded. "She seemed to be," he confirmed, "Aside from being almost hyperactive, that is. She said she had something to tell us, that she and Snowy talked about already. You think you're awake enough to attend to that, sleepyhead?" Basajaun gave a teasing smirk, before nuzzling the leopard once more.

"Believe it or not," Zachary began, playfully shooing the reptile's head away and smiling to him, "Bad dreams can get you up and running pretty fast." He explained, his tone a strange mixture of amusement and worried honesty. Giving a pat on Basajaun's pudgy middle beneath him, the leopard quickly slid off, landing on the ground with a quiet groan.

"Ugh," he began stretching his limbs, grimacing slightly, "But that doesn't mean I feel rested enough. I could sleep a lil' more, to be honest." The statement was, to say the least, not surprising in the slightest.

Basajaun laughed, rolling to his side and giving a playful nudge to the leopard's arm. "Nothing new there," he chuckled, looking out to the woods again, "They should be back in a few moments. Smells like they got a boar and some hare."

"Perfect," Zachary remarked with a grin, stretching his back for a long time until he could hear it pop satisfyingly, "I'm famished. Forgot to eat anything for dinner last night," walking back to Basajaun, the leopard poked the reptile's fatty midsection playfully, "Up for some breakfast, tubby?" Much like the dragon had a few moments ago, the feline smirked teasingly to his father.

Basajaun grinned wide. "You know it!" he affirmed, getting to his feet and adding more wood to the campfire to get it ready for cooking, "Esmeralda already shared her breakfast with me, so I've had a bite. It was just one hare, though, so I bet you can guess about how much that filled me up." The dragon winked at his words, patting his chubby belly affectionately.

Watching as the reptile's flab wobbled back and forth from the contact in his usual adoration of the sight, Zachary snorted loudly at the dragon's words. "Probably as much as a morsel would me," he replied with a grin, before he began laughing as he added, "Then again, it's kinda hard to fill you up at all at this point!" Shaking his head, the leopard walked to the drake's side, putting a paw on the soft flesh and stroking it fondly.

"It makes me wonder how much your appetite can grow," he mused aloud, pinching a pawful of pudge from Basajaun's abdomen with ease, "Because this," he jiggled the soft flesh, "Can't grow forever, I think!"

The dragon actually got a visual of himself so big around that he could only ever move with the help of biomancy. Laughing at the thought, it nonetheless made the drake think a bit more about his current weight, and how, even though he loved feeling himself squishing into his own flabby middle, it was starting to make it increasingly difficult to move at his maximum flabbiness.

Considering for a moment, the dragon asked, "Do you... want it to keep growing forever?" He cocked his head slightly at the leopard, truly curious about the answer to this inquiry.

The question caught Zachary off-guard, to say the least. He had never thought about where his hobby with Basajaun would lead to, but somewhere deep in his mind, he knew it simply couldn't go on forever. Even with his father being a dragon, one of the most powerful creatures roaming the face of the earth, he couldn't increase his adiposity eternally, no matter how useful biomancy or any magic was.

Everyone had a limit. Even Basajaun. And Zachary couldn't even think of what could happen to his best friend if he were to surpass that limit. No matter how much he enjoyed the dragon's squishy fatness, he wasn't selfish. He wasn't going to place the drake in an unfair situation. His desire to see the reptile happy overpowered every other wish, every single craving. Out of everything, that much was certain. He would never ask something from him that could possibly hurt him. And besides, something that was impossible to achieve anyway. No one could keep gaining weight forever. Not even Basajaun... and Zachary knew it, as well as the answer to the question.

"Nah," the leopard waved a paw and chuckled, showing no signs of the mental debate he had just experienced, looking up at the dragon next to him, "Only time can continue forever, Basa." He smiled. Merek's quotes always made him smile.

The dragon blinked at the sudden sage words of his companion, before smiling sheepishly. "So... how much is too much, then?" he asked, fiddling with his hands somewhat awkwardly, "I mean, I don't want to stop before you're completely happy with my softness, but... well, when I'm at my fattest now, it's already kind of hard to move around myself. And I... you know, in case I ever do have to move quickly, I don't want to end up, well, unable to do so."

The drake paused, looking to his companion. "I guess what I'm asking is; are you satisfied with..." Basajaun concentrated for a moment, his body quickly ballooning outward. The dragon's mastery over his own form had improved considerably, but it still took around a minute and a half for his volume to max out. "This kind of softness?" he concluded, patting his middle with a small smile, "Because, if you want, I can get bigger, and I'd be happy to do so for you, but like I said... it's kind of getting hard for me to move around like this."

Watching Basajaun's obese form for a moment, Zachary heaved a smiling sigh, gesturing with his paws for the dragon to lower his head. "C'mere."

The drake obeyed, lowering his head to the leopard's level. "Yes?" he asked, feeling a bit unsure for the second time this morning.

As soon as the dragon's head was in front of him, the leopard placed both of his paws under his chin, holding him up and staring into his eyes. The smile that adorned Zachary's face didn't fade once as he spoke to the reptile.

"Basa," began the feline, giving a few scratches on the drake's lower jaw, "You're good as you are." Unquestionable honesty shone in Zachary's voice as he uttered those words, meaning every single one of them.

"You could be thinner, as thin as you were when we met. Or fatter, as fat as we could get you," he continued, shaking his head slowly, "And I would be still satisfied. No matter how you look or how much you weigh, I'll always be satisfied. Your willingness to be fat for me is only a bonus," Zachary embraced Basajaun's snout, purring softly as soon as the contact was made, "All I need is you around me. Thin or fat. I don't care."

The dragon gave a sigh of relief, nuzzling his face into the leopard's chest and smiling. "That's actually more than a little relieving," he stated, a forepaw coming up and stroking the leopard's arm. "I like my softness a lot at this size," he continued, his other paw playing through the fur and flab of his own form, "But like I said, I wasn't too sure about losing my mobility. Thank you for being so reasonable about this."

The drake smiled as he pulled his head away from the leopard. "So, all you need is me around you?" he repeated, though there was something a little off about his tone, "That's enough for you?"

Pulling his head back at the two questions, Zachary cocked his head at the dragon, blinking furiously. "I... I guess?" he couldn't have appeared more unsure, his expression becoming one of worry as he asked, "Did... did I say something wrong?"

The dragon grinned mischievously, before the paw on the leopard's shoulder suddenly pulled him against the reptile's supple chest, squishing him slightly into the flab until it bulged out around the leopard, though he was careful to ensure that Zachary could still breathe.

"Like this, son?" Basajaun laughed, "Is this around you enough?"

Zachary was about to protest or call the lizard by his usual nickname, to tease and mock him the best he could. Yet, as soon as his body was pressed deeply into the blissfully soft pudge and he could feel it pushing lightly against every single one of his limbs, the leopard simply couldn't do anything but purr louder than ever before.

"Per...fect..." He managed to coo the answer out through his intense purring, willingly snuggling himself tighter against the dragon's flesh as much as he could. Thank the gods Basajaun took his words literally; the experience was incredible, to say the least.

The dragon arched his neck down and nuzzled the feline in his arms. "Thought so," he purred back, the smile on his son's face all that was needed to make himself happy.

"Well, that's an adorable sight to walk in on," Esmeralda's voice cut in, the owl leaning against a tree. She was grinning wide with several hares held in her talons by their ears, with Snowflake holding two boar in her wings behind the Elder.

Hearing the familiar voice, as well as the laugh from Lya that soon followed, Zachary practically popped out of the dragon's flesh, landing on the ground with an expression which was an odd mixture of embarrassment and joy. It wasn't hard to figure out the reason behind either of these emotions. Yet, the leopard didn't show any of them as he proceeded to open his mouth.

"Well... my sight isn't that great. It's just an old owl." That single sentence leaving his own lips managed to banish every last trace of humiliation he felt, Zachary only able to let out a quiet snicker that was strangely filled with evident love towards Esmeralda despite the teasing.

"Oh, well in that case, I'll just head back into the woods," the owl stated, turning and making to reflect her words with her actions.

Seeing right through the act, Zachary shrugged nonchalantly. "Alright, have a great time!" he called back, turning away as well, "I guess that thing you wanted to talk about can wait, after all."

The avian stopped in her tracks, spinning on her heel and shaking her finger at the leopard as she made her way back into the clearing. Even though her cane was in her hand, the owl wasn't using it for support. "You could humor your mother and let her believe her bluffs work, you know," she chided half-heartedly as Snowflake and Lya followed her into the clearing.

Zachary turned back to face the owl, a wide grin on his muzzle. "And now where's the fun in that for me, Eszy?" He just couldn't stop himself; seeing the Elder up and good, as well as Basajaun's reassuring words about her mood made it impossible not to feel happiness. And with joy, natural teasing came, something that the leopard couldn't suppress.

As Esmeralda neared him, the leopard extended his arms invitingly, beckoning with his head as well. "Hug. Gimme. Now." What a mature and polite way to put a loving request.

The owl extended her own arms, walking straight to Zachary... and passing him to hug Basajaun. "Who's a polite dragon that waits patiently for a hug?" the Elder cooed as she stroked the drake's side, as though to a beloved pet while Basajaun blinked in surprise, looking between the owl and leopard.

"I, uh..." the reptile stammered, not wanting to come between Zachary and his mother, even in a playful setting.

Frozen in the same position he had been, the leopard's face was fixed in a single expression of surprise. But he quickly wiped it off of his features when he noticed Lya approaching him. He already had a new plan.

"Sorry, seems like my eyes are getting a little bad," Zachary stated matter-of-factly, as if the statement was actually true, the ocelot in front of him cocking her head slightly, "Yes. I requested the hug from you. Not Birdy. I'm glad she didn't misunderstand it." Looking at Lya expectedly for a moment and gesturing with his eyes for her to get where he was as soon as she could. The female feline rolled eyes and shook her head, obeying nonetheless and walking in the prepared hug with an amused smirk on her face.

Esmeralda froze at the name she was called, before her feathers fluffed up in seeming indignation as she spun to face Zachary. "Oh, I see," the owl declared accusingly, "Well, perhaps I shall simply withhold further hugging with my son, if he is so averse to the thought of hugging a birdy like me."

Huffing dramatically, the Elder stomped over to the fire, situating herself with her back to the leopard. "My own son, rejecting my embrace simply because I asked for simple patience!" she suddenly wailed in an overblown manner, "Oh what cruel abandonment is this that I must suffer?"

Glancing over his shoulder at the currently rather convincingly performing owl, Zachary furrowed his brows a little, before gesturing with his head for Lya to follow his lead. While not getting anything else but a cocked eyebrow for an answer, the leopard didn't pay too much heed to the ocelot's confusion, shuffling his way to the fire while staying in the embrace with her.

A thousand tiptoe-ing later, the hugging pair arrived right in front of Esmeralda, where Zachary immediately got in his act. "Did you hear something?" the feline asked casually from Lya, an affectionate smile on his muzzle as he looked down at her, completely ignoring his audience.

Lya blinked in utter bewilderment. "I... wh--"

"Yeah, me neither." The leopard cut her off, nuzzling the currently perplexed ocelot's gently.

"Zac--"

"It was probably just the wind. Or a pesky avian. I dunno." Zachary continued mercilessly, not even snickering anymore as he gave his most convincing performance yet, despite the unlikeliness of the situation. Lya didn't attempt to speak afterwards, realizing that it was a battle she simply couldn't win. Instead, she looked at Esmeralda, shaking her head and snorting in sympathy.

Following behind the felines, the dragons watched curiously as the two thespians battled with their acting skills. "Now he refuses to even acknowledge my voice!" Esmeralda cried out, determined not to break her act before the leopard this time, "Gods above, what reason have I not to cast my form into yonder fire?"

Zachary suddenly withdrew from the embrace a little, raising his head and perking his ears at the same time. "Oh, what's that? What am I hearing?" he inquired from the universe itself, looking around him in search for something, "Is that... is that bad acting I'm hearing? Oh, but how could that be possible?" the leopard's expression changed to completely emotionless, "Esmeralda isn't even here to provide that."

"Hark, mine thespian skill is being called into question!" Esmeralda declared, jumping to her feet and thrusting a talon into the air, the other pointing accusingly at Zachary, "I'll not stand for this offense! You, sir, are challenged to a duel of the acting variety!"

The leopard completely ignored every single word that left the Elder's beak. "I keep hearing this annoying sound, but Gods above, I can't make out what it is," putting a paw around his ear, as if that would improve his hearing, Zachary turned his head in every direction his neck allowed him, "So irrelevant, so aggravating, yet so intriguing with its simplicity and primitive, almost barbaric nature. I'm almost tempted to acknowledge its existence." The feline suddenly laughed out, yet didn't leave his act. "But only almost."

Opening her beak again, there was a quiet snort that escaped the owl. Trying her best to contain it, the Elder failed miserably to do so, bursting out laughing as her act was finally broken. "Irrelevant? Really, Zach?" she demanded, shaking her head as she continued laughing, "Damn it, you're a tough one to crack! That's two for you and none for me."

"Come," Zachary insisted, once more not paying any heed to the Elder as he grabbed Lya's arm, "We should seek shelter somewhere. This odd wind just keeps blowing and blowing."

"Enough!" the ocelot laughed joyously, retrieving her limb from the leopard and shoving playfully at his shoulder, "You can stop before you tax your brain too much, dummy."

Deflating at those words immediately, Zachary nonetheless began chuckling as well, shaking his head. "Alright, alright, I'm done." He reassured everyone present, turning to Esmeralda afterwards with an extremely smug smirk. "The difference in that score is only going to grow, mom."

"We'll see," the Elder challenged, before sitting back down beside the leopard, putting an arm around his shoulders and hugging him tight. "Anyways, did Basa tell you that I had something to say?" she asked curiously.

Zachary blinked, looking taken aback for the first time in a while. "Uh... come again?" He requested quietly, returning the embrace nonetheless.

"I asked if Basajaun told you that I had something to tell you," the owl reiterated, flicking one of Zachary's ears gently, "Maybe you do need these checked."

Heaving a relieved sigh for one reason or another, the leopard withdrew from the embrace, still looking a little confused, but smiling. "I... for a second there..." he stopped, waving a paw and shaking his head, "Nevermind. And yes, he did. And yes, I want to hear it. So go ahead." He replied, Lya sitting down on his other side and listening in silence.

The owl looked over to Snowflake and Basajaun, motioning for them to join and waiting for them to do so. "So, Snowflake and I had a long chat this morning," the Elder began by repeating her earlier words, "We talked a lot about the things that she and I have gone through, and about the bond that we had. We discussed how losing that bond might affect our relationship, and heavy stuff like that."

Esmeralda paused, catching her breath for a moment. A warm smile was on her face. "And do you know what we came to realize in our discussion?" she asked, looking over the faces of the group expectantly.

Zachary couldn't help himself. "Heavy stuff?" he cocked his head, a genuinely curious expression on his face, "Were you guys talking about Basa?" The teasing question was immediately rewarded by a gentle slap on the back of his head, the leopard yipping quietly at the contact.

"Gods, Zach, just shut up and listen." Lya requested with a shake of her head. The physical education seemed to work wonders; Zachary didn't open his mouth afterwards.

Esmeralda chuckled, reaching up and stroking the leopard's head comfortingly. "Anyways, the conclusion she and I came to was that losing our bond didn't matter," she stated, before adding, "Well, it does matter in a practical sense, but that wasn't the point. The point is, no matter what happened to make it harder for us to communicate, or whatever made it difficult for us to be together wasn't important. We're a family, that's what matters to me."

The owl smiled widely, tears of joy starting to brim in her eyes, though her willpower held them in place. "And the same goes for all of you," Esmeralda continued, gesturing to the felines and dragon, all of whom bore warm smiles, "You've been there for me, no matter what happened between us. We've stuck together, supported one another when we needed it, and I wouldn't be where I am without you. And where I am is free, after fifty years of entrapment. I... I can't call you my friends anymore."

The owl gestured once again to the group. "You all; Zachary, Lya, Basajaun, and Snowflake," the Elder listed off those present, nodding to each as she did so, "You've done all that you can for me. And that makes us more than friends."

"That makes us a family."