Back To Town
#3 of Hiking Woes
"Blech, this'll never wash out!" The wolf howled out, in frustration.
"Of course not, it's blood. Would need bleach at least, I'd think." Gregory said, peering over his shoulder.
Evan let the soaked shirt flop back into the water. His ears sagged, a bit disappointed he'd not be able to salvage the piece of clothing. It floated there, before being lazily carried by the current.
"And since we're in a cave... none of that." He stated, as if to finish Evans' thoughts.
"Yeah, of course." The wolf muttered.
The dragon had to choke back a hearty laugh, before Evan looked over his shoulder to see what was the matter.
"What's so funny?"
"Oh, just that even if public decency laws changed, you now know someone to help you out of any legal situations."
Evan rolled his eyes, before catching the shirt.
"Riiiiight."
The pants had fared much better, with only small splotches of blood splattered on them, and a few large gashes here and there. Gave them a rugged, well-worn look, rather than a 'I just survived falling down a mountain in these.' sort. Either way, a trip to his dresser, or a clothing shop was in Evans' near future. After he finished scrubbing them as best he could, he flopped the clothes onto a bit of rock that was jutting out of the water.
A bit of splashing behind him, and then the dragon flopped himself down in front of him. He lifted up a paw, in a sort of conversational way, before speaking.
"I never did ask you how you were with heights."
Evan snorted, before replying.
"I climb mountains, I'm fine with heights for the most part."
"Ever flown before?"
"Well, if we don't count flights interrupted by sudden mid-air dragon collisions... once or twice in a jet."
"Good."
"Why so curious?"
The dragon did his best to look innocent, looking away from Evan, staring at the skylight filtering down into the hot springs. It didn't work very well on him.
"Oh, right. You can fly."
The dragon cracked a wide grin, and poked Evan gently with a claw.
"And soon, you will too."
Evan couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
"What are you saying, we going to do a repeat performance? Or are you going to pick me up and throw me?"
"Well, we sure aren't walking all the way back, that much is certain."
"Oh." Was all the wolf could manage.
"I figured you could save some time getting back if I just flew you to Mianka. It'd give me a good workout, and you a good view of things."
The water dripped off of his soggy form as he tried his best approximation of a shrug.
"Could be fun, I think."
"Will be fun." he corrected. "Did they ever finish those landing pads in town?"
"For winged anthros and ferals? Yeah, most of them. Pretty good size too, I'd say."
"Good, good. I don't land too well on roofs, and usually people don't like it when I do, either."
Evan relaxed, his menial tasks for the moment were complete. While his clothes would be wearable, they'd not look the best. He leaned back into the water, until he was reclined on some rocks. He exhaled loudly, puffing out the contents of his lungs.
"Something on your mind still?" The dragon prodded.
"Maxwell."
"What about him? He's probably ecstatic that you're okay and enjoying your trip."
"He'll want to ask questions, and I don't think lying is a good idea." A frown creased his muzzle a bit.
"Lying is never a good idea with people you want to keep around. And I say that as a lawyer. It all gets found out in the end. Either way, I don't know him much, but I think I can defer to your judgment on this one."
"And if he asks about magic?"
"Tell him, if he asks. If he doesn't, then don't. So long as he doesn't announce it to the world, I'm fine with him knowing." He slashed his tail through the water, splashing Evan. "So long as a majority of people don't know, I'll still be safe and secluded here."
"Hmm..." Evan entwined his digits behind his head, mulling the situation over.
On one paw, he had Gregory. On the other, he had Maxwell. While he had to keep his new companions fears satisfied, he was mostly certain that Maxwell wasn't involved in the local rumor mill. And he probably knew how to keep a secret, too. Though, how many people got to know someone healed by magic? Decisions to think about when the time came.
They both lounged there a while, letting the water wash away their woes, and what was left of their previous romp. Soon, though, all good things had to be cut short. The clothes were as dry as they were going to get, and it was only getting later in the day. Gregory took the initiative first, wading out of the water, then shaking himself off. While he wasn't a dog, nor did he have fur, it was quite effective.
He looked back over his broad shoulder, talking as he padded further into the cave.
"Give me a shout when you're ready to go, I've got some things I need to tidy up, and then I'll be ready to go as well."
Evan just nodded, and replied with a weak "Yep." before allowing himself to continue relaxing in the water. While he didn't want to keep Maxwell worried or waiting for too long, this warm water was just so nice...
He was startled awake when a certain dragon was clearing his throat. A loud "Ahem." was all it took to shake him from his slumber.
"Whoops." He blushed, a bit embarrassed he managed to fall asleep in the springs.
"It's fine, you best get ready though."
Evan dragged himself out of the water, leaving a wet trail of water droplets cascading from his form. He took a moment to stretch, letting his body readjust to supporting his weight. Several pops and cracks resounded off the cave walls. He was in the process of popping his knuckles when Gregory spoke.
"So, we could make this process go a little bit faster I think..." The reptile raised an eyebrow, implying... something?
"No Gregory, I'd rather not be charred wolf today."
The dragon did his best to put a frown on his muzzle, but the edges of his teeth poking out betrayed his smile.
"Perhaps another time then."
"There's not much to gather up, so let's get going then."
He slid the rather tattered clothes over his head, and put his pants on. He could've sworn that Gregory was almost disappointed at the lack of bare fur, but he shoved the thought away for the moment. The dragon motioned with his head towards the inky blackness. It would be another short walk to the cave mouth.
"Might as well get on now." The dragon kneeled down, his belly plopping down onto the rocky floor. Evan pulled himself up onto his scaled companion with a grunt of exertion. After he'd settled himself, the dragon almost popped off the floor.
"Wait, you better not- "The wolf was preoccupied with holding on tightly to the dragons' neck as Gregory broke out into a sprint. He ducked his head and swore as they left the springs behind. He must have squeezed his eyes shut at some point, as when he opened them again, they were at the cave mouth. Gregory was panting heavily, tongue lolling out of his muzzle as he slowed to a stop. He coughed a bit, before speaking.
"You can stop trying to choke me now." He wheezed.
"Damn it Greg." The wolf was almost paralyzed from the tension, the relaxing effects of the hot spring banished after the sprint. He leaned back a bit in his perch, letting go of his vice grip around the dragons neck.
"Thaaanks." He panted for a breath or two, before continuing. "You want that pack?"
Evan looked it over for a moment, the dirty, battered piece of gear still next to the furs where he'd left it. He waited a moment, before deciding.
"Sure. Want me to dismount?" He asked. Gregory instead picked it up in his maw, and tossed it up towards Evan. He caught it without much style, the pack almost slipping from his paws. He stuck a finger through one of the holes. Sunlight shone through. Maybe he could patch it when he got home, get a new strap too.
"Now this time, you may have a legitimate reason to hold on tight."
Evan tucked the pack under his ruined shirt, making for a bit of padding between him and the dragons neck. This was likely to be bumpy. The dragon padded to the edge of the cave mouth, and peered over, allowing Evan a nice look at the forest below.
"Wow, this is a really nice vie- NOT AGAIN!" His appreciation of the serene vista was thoroughly shattered as he and the darkly colored dragon fell towards the earth. He clutched tightly to the dragons neck, and heard the wind flowing by. A feeling of terror flowed over him for a short while. With the canopy of trees approaching rapidly, he squeezed his eyes shut tightly. A moment thereafter, he heard the dragons wings unfurl, and he was shoved harshly into his seat. He dared to open his eyes after they leveled out.
"Welcome to Gregory Airlines, takeoff is complete, and your pilot sees no turbulence for the foreseeable future!" The ex-lawyer did his absolute worst impression of an airline pilot.
"You're terrible." Evan stated, still clutching tightly to the dragon. He laughed, and his wings settled into a rhythmic beat.
"Really though, you had nothing to worry about."
"I might have slipped."
"And if you did, I would have caught you." Evan just shuddered, the cold air flowing across his form.
"Sure..."
Evan relaxed his grip ever so slightly, thankful for the bit of extra padding the ruined pack provided. Gregory hadn't mislead him, he was finding this to be rather entertaining, if unsettling at the same time.
"You know, there's a nice view to our right." He swayed his sinuous neck to the indicated direction, and Evan looked up. The sun was beginning to be hidden by some clouds, and just low enough to begin to set over the horizon. The purple, puffy clouds cloaked the bottom of the blazing orb, their edges brightly lit. A flock of birds flew past them, paying no heed to the dragon.
Evan muttered a simple "Huh." as he surveyed the sight. The two glided for a few moments, hovering aloft on the gentle currents. They banked a bit, aligning themselves with the small blip that was their destination. It would be a few hours until they got there, yet Evan was finding himself to not mind at all. He had a companion to speak with, a somewhat comfortable seat, and a nice view. What else was there to want? His stomach growled. He supposed that could be one thing to want.
"You can get comfortable now, I don't plan on doing anything too drastic for a while yet."
Evan was about to mutter something, but he was cut off.
"And this time, I'll let you know before I do." Evan could feel his massive heart beating from his tight grasp. His own was still racing as well.
Thump thump. Thump thump thump. Evan calmed himself, taking large gulps of air as they gained altitude. Slowly, his grip lessened. While he did, the dragon continued his flight.
"If you're still uneasy up there, I could always carry you with my paws." Evan didn't need to see the dragons face to know he was smiling.
Evan squeaked out a quiet "Nope." before sitting up. While the wind up here was cold, it was refreshing, in a way. Especially after the cool, damp cave. He shifted his grip from the dragons neck, to one of his neck spikes instead, allowing him to sit up fully. He looked around, seeing the massive area he had to survey now. He expected a bit of vertigo when he peered down, over the dragons' shoulder, but there was none. The various kinds of trees splayed out below them all looked similar, an endless ocean of green.
"Enjoying the view now?"
"A bit." He followed a gray strip of asphalt cutting through the endless foliage, until it was again hidden by the trees. He'd taken a bus all this way, but it didn't really seem this far on the way here. All a matter of perspective, he supposed. Certainly didn't have this view from the bus. As if on cue, a brown metal van appeared from around the bend. Evan saw it kick out a plume of smoke, before puttering down the road. He began to suppose that the trip hadn't been that bad, and he wasn't wrong. A benefit of said perspective, aided by the great heights they were currently at.
The small blob of gray buildings in the distance grew closer with every beat of the dragons' wings, they had stabilized their altitude for now.
"So, you'll have to direct me to the pad closest to your place when we get there."
"Not a problem, I don't think."
They flew on in silence for a while, the only noise was the occasional gusts of wind, and the steady beat of wings.
"So, they do much reconstruction while I was away?"
"Some, a few new buildings brought up, a couple of old ones brought down. The usual."
"Any new companies, or interesting news?"
"Well, there was this one scandal with a governmental candidate, something about having multiple affairs."
"Not much new there, hah." They both laughed a bit, and Evan continued.
"A new porn studio, too, though I don't recall the name at the moment."
"Oh, really now? How big are they?"
"About mid-sized, excellent company benefits, pay, and internet reviews. Wouldn't mind working there."
"I wonder if I've consulted for them in the past..."
"Maybe, maybe not. They don't get into much trouble though, so it's unlikely."
"All for the best."
The town was coming up now, small skyscrapers, plumes of smoke from automated factories, and traffic clogging the roads. A few other flying creatures circled around the town, though not enough to cause congestion.
"Thanks, by the way."
"It's fine, you're welcome Evan."
"I'd offer you my cellphone number, but that's impossible at the moment."
"Hah, yeah. Poor phone."
"Poor phone? You're the one with a brick!" The playful banter continued between the two until they were over the city.
"I should probably ask if public decency laws have changed for dragons and other flying creatures..."
"Not as far as I'm aware, no. Then again, I don't really keep up with them."
"Yeah." Gregory flew further into the city, before Evan pointed out a landing pad.
"I think that's the one that's closest."
"Okay." They circled it for a while, slowing their speed, and dropping their height while waiting for a few other creatures to clear the way.
"You're going to want to hold on for this, I'd think." Evan didn't need to be told twice, his vice grip on the dragon resumed as they continued their circular descent.
A gryphon squawked as it made a rough landing on the cleared area. Evan wondered if he didn't fly much. However, he would soon be wondering if Gregory didn't fly much, as it was their turn to land. Gregory roared out, a wordless thing announcing his presence. The others cleared off the pad, breaking their conversation to make way for the large dragon and his fleshy cargo. Evan gulped and held on tight as the ground came up towards them.
He heard the rustle of trees, and had the air knocked from his lungs as they landed. Gregory felt his knees pop a bit as he impacted. They lost the extra speed as he slowed his run to a light jog, before stopping entirely. The crowd cheered loudly, a welcome comparison of how to properly land when compared to the gryphon earlier.
"And that, is that. My apologies for the rough landing."
"No need, Greg. It was fun flying, surprisingly." They heard another dragon roar out, before they cleared out of the way. Gregory let Evan dismount below a large apple tree. The scales of his hide rubbed roughly against the wolfs clothing as he slid off.
"So, if you'd like I can follow you home." Once again, he was wearing that trademark grin, fangs poking out and emphasizing his smile.
"Perhaps another time, and I wouldn't be able to invite you in. Far too small."
"That's fine. I think this is where we say goodbye for a while, isn't it?" He looked away, almost sad.
Evan would have none of that, as he tugged him back towards him, pecking a kiss on his lips.
"Not before I get your number!" He chimed.
Gregory blushed a bit, his dark scales lightening a bit. He pondered for a moment, before producing the relevant information.
"And that's that, if I don't pick up, I'm out, or it's dead. I'll try to keep it charged though."
"Will keep it in mind. I'll call you tomorrow evening then."
"Yup!" His mood was quite chipper now.
"I'll get going for now, see you later Gregory."
"You too, Evan." Evan almost started walking away, before someone cleared their throat.
"Ahem."
He turned around, and Gregory motioned towards the landing pad, towards a blue, uniformed bear. He had a clipboard and pen. He opened his chops.
"There anything you two want to tell me about? Specifically, about those clothes?" He pointed the pen towards Evans' ragged clothes.
"Hiking accident, I'm fine." Evan explained.
The bear raised an eyebrow, before flipping through some papers.
"And you?"
"Yeah, I'm bringing him back to town after he finished his hike." He offered.
The bear shoved the pen back into his shirt pocket.
"Alrighty then, just making sure nothing happened. Have a good evening you two lovebirds!" And with that, the bear spun on a dime, and walked back towards his cruiser. They both blushed heavily, before breaking out into fits of laughter.
"Is it that obvious?" Gregory asked.
"Well, I mean, I did just kiss you in public."
"I suppose so..." He used a paw to scratch at his neck.
"Either way, Maxwell is expecting me. So I'll call you later, as I mentioned."
"Yup! Give him my regards."
"I will, enjoy your evening."
"You too."
And with that, Evan swung what was left of his pack over his shoulder. While flying on a dragon was entertaining, he felt glad to have solid ground beneath his paws now. He walked away, memory imprinted in his mind. He'd remember this weekend, it had been a great one. Now to more practical things, to hail a taxi, or to walk home? He heard another loud yowl coming from the landing pad. He chuckled a bit as the dragon that had just landed laid in a heap, nose deep in dirt.
He decided to walk. Or jog, rather. He got a few stares, and startled yelps as he passed people on the sidewalk. Probably his clothes.
"Are you a murder victim?" A small rat asked.
Yep, definitely the clothes. Evan simply disagreed with a short "No." before continuing on his way. The few blocks to his apartment were eaten up quickly, traffic stops notwithstanding. He skipped up the steps, his tail wagging merrily.
Thunk thunk.
"Just a minute!" He heard someone call out from inside. When the door swung open, it was Maxwells' familiar face, clad in the absolute minimum of a towel.
"Evaaaaaaaan!" He was glad to see him, and upset with his attire.
"You said you were fine."
"I am, just need a change of clothes." He stepped into the apartment, feeling the warm interior greet him.
He threw off the ragged clothes as he went to his room. He'd gather them up later.
"Gonna finish my shower, then I want to hear all about it!" Evan heard the water cut back on, and a certain hyena shut the door to the bathroom. He tugged on a new set of clothes, before plopping down onto his bed. His textbooks lay scattered throughout the room, in various states of disrepair. A few unfinished papers, and an empty mug sat on his desk. He dared to peer into the mug, but didn't chance the black sludge in the cup. He wasn't quite that desperate yet.
The water shut off, and he heard his roommate stumble across the apartment, into his own room. Evan was still on his bed when he knocked at the door.
"Come in, I'm decent." The door opened, and he peered through.
"So, how was that trip?"
"Pretty good, accident not included, hah."
"So, what happened on your trip? Lay it all on me, I want every detail."
"Well..." He detailed the lead up to the accident, all the way up to waking up the second time in the cave.
"And this is where your acquaintance comes in, yeah?" He made airquotes around the mentioned acquaintance.
Evan grinned widely.
"He was a dragon. And we screwed a loooooooot." He drew out the last word, emphasizing it plenty.
"Ohohoho. That sounds like a weekend of fun, to me!"
"It was. He even had some hot springs in the cave, too."
"Wow. That's quite the nice bit of property. Though you didn't explain how he fixed you up."
And there it was, the thing Gregory was uncomfortable about. Evan sat up on his bed, seeing Maxwell leaning against his door.
"Can you keep a secret?"
"You know me, I'm good for it." He pushed himself off the door, and crossed his fit, muscled arms.
"Well. Magic." Evan gestured like he threw a fireball.
"No really, what'd he do?" His disbelief was palpable.
"I just told you, he does magic."
He just stood there in silence for a moment. Evan could almost see the gears in his head spinning.
"Huh, well then. Not every day you meet someone capable of using magic."
"Would you believe he's a lawyer, too?"
"More believable than magic."
They sat there a while, the noises of the city filtering through the walls of the room.
"Soooooo." He drew it out. "You get his number?" He flashed his teeth, grinning toothily.
"Yep. Calling him tomorrow evening."
"Good. I wanna talk to him."
"He did say to send his best regards to ya, since you're my roomie and pal and all." He tried to deflect a bit.
"That's good. Still want to talk to him."
"I'll... ask when I call, alright?"
"Aight. Want some bacon and eggs?"
Evans' stomach growled, answering for him.
"That's a yes, then." Maxwell disappeared back through the doorway, and Evans' thoughts were racing.
What had he agreed to? How would Gregory handle it? He bashed his fist into his bed, causing it to creak with the impact.
"Gaaaah..."
For now, he'd distract himself with decluttering his room, plenty to do with that particular project anyways. Stacking college textbooks, papers, and encyclopedias. Even with the advent of the internet and faster internet connections than ever, professors still preferred physical references. He puttered about the room, sorting what he could, tossing the rest into a pile. He found his laptop case buried beneath some clothes. Perfect distraction to pass the rest of the time.
"Come get whatcha want!"
Perhaps later then. He tossed it onto the bed.
Soon, he was chowing down on a delicious plate of breakfast food served far too late in the evening to be considered breakfast. Maxwell could be a killer cook when he wanted to bother. The news was talking about some scandal or other with the latest district candidates, before Maxwell flicked it to a sci-fi flick. That was one thing they agreed on. Politics were still pointless, all these years later. They otherwise ate in silence, the only noise was the screen, and the occasional clatter of silverware.
"Thanks Max. Was good food."
"Yarp. I've got some studying to do, so I'll probably be in my room a while. Give me a shout if you need me." He got up from the table.
"Will do." Evan murmured.
He loaded the cookware and plates into the dishwasher, and sat down to watch the sci-fi movie. It was partially over, but that didn't stop him from being entertained by the latest showing of "Doktor Hoot: Attack of the Fans".
As the credits rolled, Evan idly scratched his ear. The sun had long since set, and the clock on the screen told him it was far past his bedtime. He debated staying up for a while longer to study, or perhaps surfing the net for a while, but decided against it. Instead, he made sure the apartment cell phone still had a dial tone. He set it back down, it was working properly, and thus he could continue with his plans tomorrow.
While hardly plans of world domination, they distracted him long enough for him to get to his room. After he shut the door, he heard the soft, muffled snores of his roommate just a mere room over. Evan sighed, and flopped himself down on the bed. He shoved the laptop out of the way, and curled up underneath the covers.
He could shower tomorrow. He'd probably need it after his call.
(Authors' note... Sorry for the lack of recent posts, I'll do my best to post more often. Either way, the usual applies, comment, like, and fav, and be sure to mention what you did and didn't like in the comments! Thanks for reading.)