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So here we meet our pair. Its about 11 pages long so this is a longer piece. We learn their names and have some spell work and even some surprises! I'll hopefully write more soon.
Everything belongs to me.
~Angel~
___________________________________________________________________
The little mortal fainted before him, his claw stopped tapping and his white brows frowned further. He heard what sounded like someone lumbering through the woods, but thought it would be an injured deer or elk. When he heard the splashing, he thought it had fallen into the creek and finally died. When he heard more footsteps, he knew that it certainly wasn't a deer.
But...what was the little female doing here? With a careful claw he turned her over, looking at the long braided silver hair and large rounded ears atop her head. He curved her head around, looking at the white and darker grey colored fur marked with stripes. A little grey colored tiger female. She wore mortal clothing, a sort of long off white shirt with a tight vest holding her chest in place with strands of string interlaced along its sides and pants a similar material of browned hide.
“Hmph,” he huffed aloud, shaking his head a bit to move the black strands of his mane from his eyes. He left her there for the moment, looking to see if there were any track of horses or a cart, or anything else for that matter. Nothing else seemed disturbed. It was no offering, it looked like the little mortal had come here out of free will.
What in blazes was wrong with her?
He loomed back over her, listening to her pounding heart and smelling the sweat and blood along her fur. Any other dragon would have picked her up and scarfed her down. Why not him? Well, he just finished a pair of cows for lunch, and he didn't want to get chubby. But...what to do with her? If his instincts and the evidence before him told him anything, she was determined to find his lair. He sat back on his haunches, the ground shaking again and making some of the birds in the trees shoot off in fear. He scratched his neck in thought, his tail swishing behind him anxiously before his yellow eyes darted to something in the grasses. He bent over closer, beside the little thing's paw was a...book?
His curiosity doubled, picking it up tentatively between two claws and lifting it up to his eye. He flipped through pages upon pages of accounts of dragons, of sketches and...arithmetic? This little mortal was...intelligent well, mostly intelligent. She could read and write and perform arithmetic? He tapped his muzzle tip with his claw, looking through the book further until it came to the accounts of what he assumed was him. This little female had an unhealthy obsession with his kind, and without really seeing her fair share had guessed correctly about a number of things.
His muzzle turned into a pout, she was intelligent but very stupid. A conundrum. She had come all this way seeking her beloved obsession, and just when she found it fainted and fell like a rag doll. She didn't take into account what it really felt like to be in the presence of a great predator, something beyond her comprehension.
“Heh,” he rumbled, closing the little journal and looking over her again. He could leave her here, but this was a rare opportunity. She could tell others, namely knights trying to find their name through his hide, where he lived. On the other hand, he could threaten her life to keep the lair's secret, but she would have to be awake for that. And if she said no, he could always just eat her. Full proof plan.
He let out a huff, scratching the guard scales along his chest before he scooped up the mortal in his claw along with her satchel and journal and beginning to walk awkwardly towards his lair. With a little jump he climbed into his lair's entrance and slipped inside.
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It was the damp smell that entered her consciousness first, she remembered the smell of dirt and freshly broken grass, but suddenly inside her nostrils was damp, wet—almost stuffy smelling air. Then the pain came, her head pounded terribly as did her back. She remembered...falling down the hill into the creek, then going to the prairie clearing then...
She willed her eyes open, lying on her stomach, her face smashed against poking hay. The smell was coming from the damp walls, rock walls. Some were sparkling with trickling water from the cracks in the walls and others were shimmering with firelight.
Wait...firelight?
“I see someone is finally beginning to wake,” a low voice rumbled far louder than any other voice she had heard in her life. With instinct kicking in she pushed herself up and around, sitting on the hay and scooting away from where ever the voice had come from.
The cave itself seemed to go on forever, torchlight hanging from stalactites and stalagmites where it seemed pertinent. The middle of it was carved free of the stabbing rocks and flattened with...sand? Perhaps? She took in the scene, but the voice...the owner of the voice was no where to be found. Was it in her head?
Then something brushed along her head to the floor. She jumped and stood on her feet, spinning around and seeing the large tail of the...the...
“Dragon,” she whispered in fear. Her eyes traveled along the tail to the beast itself, lying on his side with his wings half out. White and silver scales, black mane and piercing yellow eyes. Its black horns and longer reptilian muzzle just as she remembered when it approached her outside. Its eyes narrowed at her, and she felt that sickening feeling in her mind again, beginning to loose consciousness.
She fought it, tooth and nail, willing the fear to go back into her gullet and stay there for the time being.
It had some how closed mostly around her, something she wasn't expecting when outside its footsteps rumbled the ground like earth shakes. It brushed its tail against her again, running a curved blade at the tip of it under her arm as if playing with her. She jerked a little, eyes closing for a moment thinking it would pierce her flesh but took in a deep breath and stood her ground.
“Little mortal,” it rumbled, a long claw coming up to its muzzle and tapping it. “You are very determined, but very stupid to come willingly into a dragon's domain.”
It sounded male...although with how loud the voice was it could have been female and she wouldn't have known. It had four horns, so she carefully deduced it was male.
She opened her mouth, but first nothing came out. She didn't know what to say, he could speak! A twinge of excitement burbled up inside her, before she shut her mouth again to try and collect her thoughts.
“I...was seeking out...the truth,” she replied in a loud but fear driven voice.
The dragon made a thinking “hmmmmm” and began to look her over carefully.
“The truth is in this little book of yours,” he stated before pulling out the journal she had been carrying. “Well, the truth about you anyway, although it is rather impressive that you, a female, even read and write. Even more dumbfounding is your sense of logic and deduction. I paid you compliments mortal, do not forget to thank me.”
“Th-thank you,” she belted out quickly.
“Yes,” he rumbled through a barely open mouth, looking at the little book in his palm and pursing what little real lips he seemed to have. “But there was one thing I did not learn from this trinket of yours. What is your name?”
She moved a little awkwardly on the pads of her feet, it was one thing to see the terror and excitement of finally seeing the truth in front of her but it was another for it to ask her name willingly.
“Rayne,” she stated with more force to actually get it out of her throat. “My name is Rayne.”
“As in the rain is falling? A rain storm?” he asked with a small frown as if sizing her up by her given name.
“Essentially,” she stuttered but held her tone. He stood there, looking at her, waiting for an explanation without actually asking for it. She looked at her feet for a moment before looking back up at the white dragon's face. “I was born during a rain storm, my mother was creative you see.”
“Ah, so she's dead,” the dragon stated matter of factly. Rayne didn't say anything, the former fear and choke hold on her throat loosening as the uncomfortable subject of her family rose up. The dragon slipped from being around her to sitting on his haunches, towering over her and letting his shadow cast well over her head.
“I, am Magnus, Keeper of the Word,” he stated proudly, putting his large paw over his chest and looking regally up at nothing. Rayne sat there, looking slightly confused.
“Am I supposed to be impressed?” she asked in a somewhat bland tone. Magnus' eyes flared anger as his teeth exposed to the air. His neck arched down to shoot fear through her legs and torso.
“You should be VERY impressed,” he growled, “Any other dragon would have eaten you alive, you are lucky to even be having a conversation with a dragon like me.”
Rayne held back the piss that wanted to leak, swallowing as she looked at the rows of teeth above her and the stench of meat eating saliva. She swore inside her head several times before she squeaked out,
“I—am sorry, I did not mean to offend.”
Magnus curved away as if nothing had happened, his face neutral and his position regal again.
“It is your second offense to me, but I suppose I can forgive such a little creature,” he replied in a droll tone. “Someone such as yourself wouldn't know of the titles of dragons any how, I shouldn't be so quick to anger over your ignorance.”
Oh he was an arrogant beast, Rayne thought, only thought. She didn't want those teeth any closer than what they had been earlier.
“You and I have a problem, though,” Magnus stated, falling forward on his front paws and standing in front of her on all fours. Rayne's brow curved forward in confusion at the dragon's phrase. “My lair has been hidden for a long time now. It, as you know, is not easy to even get through the forest now a days.
“But, one mortal knows where it is.”
“They do?” Rayne asked, before her mind clicked. “I know...how to get here...”
“Precisely...” he said in a lower growl but his teeth showed in what could have been described as a smile. “How do we solve this little problem then? Little mortal Rayne?”
“I...will not tell anyone where you are...” Rayne stated, swallowing a bit nervously.
“I cannot trust you, as you shouldn't trust me,” he replied, his neck curving down as his muzzle grew close to her body. “You could easily say one thing and do another.”
“I would never have a dragon killed!” she yelled as the passion boiled over her fear inside her. “I want to learn from you! Everything about you and your kind!”
“You could be saying that to save your pretty little neck,” he stated, his grin turning into a smirk as he arched his head back up. “I need proof of such things. I cannot go on a mortal's word.”
“How do I prove it?” she demanded. Magnus looked a little surprised, but she had asked the question he wanted her to. He sat back on his haunches, a clever smirk forming as his eyes narrowed mischievously. He stroked his chin like a beloved pet, making his “hmmmmmm” noise and thinking quietly for a long few moments but nodded once as if making the decision inside his mind.
He swung his tail towards her before it coiled around her closer and closer like a binding snake. Rayne fretted a little, trying to step away but the tail tightened around her middle and lifted her off of the ground with ease. She squirmed and pushed on the tail before it started swinging back and forth with his steps, and so did Rayne's stomach. She felt queasy and covered her mouth with her paw as lit rock spires passed them in the damp cavern. They walked through a tunnel, Rayne closing her eyes to keep from being sick on the odd ride to the ever expanding lair.
They came to a neck breaking halt, Rayne's eyes still tightly closed as she was set on the ground nicely. But the ground...the ground was not hard and slippery rock. It felt like it was shifting under her feet...Rayne peeled her eyes opened and reflective bright light entered her eyes like sun. The cavern was filled with piles of gold and jewels, all reflecting off of the torches that lined the opened wall. Rayne's uneasy steps were both from the ride and sudden realization that she was in the presence of several kings worth of riches.
Magnus was nit-picking through a few piles, speaking to himself as the little mortal grew over whelmed. He found the object he was looking for, a gold necklace, the pendant a white dragon scale that looked identical to his own.
He cleared his throat as he lumbered back over to her, sitting in front of her and making the jewels jump around him. Rayne jerked off her feet and fell onto another pile, almost being jogged back into reality as her eyes looked up at the towering dragon.
“You stated you wouldn't tell anyone where my lair is,” he stated in a booming voice. Rayne nodded slowly, squinting still at the brightened room's lights. “Then you will swear an oath to me.”
“What sort of oath?” she asked, clearing her throat as she rose to her feet.
“Does it matter?” he asked, “Either you take the oath, or I eat you here and now.”
Rayne let out a small sigh, obviously the fear from before was still present but she controlled it to help her mind stay clear. He slowly dangled the small necklace on his claw out for her, letting the white almost mother of pearl quality scale shimmer for her inspection.
“Put it on,” he ordered, already knowing her answer. She looked at his head, before the necklace. She was getting a bad deal, she could feel it, but she really had no choice. If she took it, perhaps he would trust her enough to help her understand and learn more about his kind, and how could she resist that?
With a steady hand she slipped the gold chain from his claw and slipped it over her head. The necklace tightened to fit along her collar bone magically, shrinking to fit her neckline. Magnus slowly pushed his claw upon the small scale pendant, pushing gently against the mortal to make sure it rested against her fur and skin. With a low voice, he spoke in a dialect not of her own tongue and the cavern rumbled with a life of its own. He opened his wings and Rayne felt the warmth grow from the scale and spread through her skin like water or blood. She watched his muzzle carefully, trying to focus on his speaking as the spell washed over her, the weight and heat growing with every word and passing second. His voice began to grow louder, before the scale felt like it had bitten into her skin! She couldn't move, immobilized by the spell through every fiber of her being! She wanted to yelp, but nothing came from her throat as it felt like the necklace was sinking straight into her chest!
And then there was nothing. The pain and warmth was gone, the rumbling cavern stilled and Magnus's claw retracted from the pendant. Rayne's paw immediately went to her chest and felt the smoothness of the pendant.
She couldn't pick it up. It was sunken into her flesh as if she had a scale of her own! She felt for the gold chain, but it was gone! She looked at the shining scale, or what she could see of it.
“This is a dragon scale, I have bound your word to it,” Magnus stated with a low mysterious rumble of words. Dragon magic...dragons had such power! She had no idea! “If you speak of my lair, I will be able to hear it. If you tell anyone where my lair resides, I will let you burn for your insolence.”
With a small raising of his claw she felt the warmth again, but it was beginning to truly burn inside her flesh. She doubled over and he released the small spell. She sat back up slowly to a standing position, glad that the pain was gone.
“Now, little mortal,” Magnus stated, “You may be on your way.”
His tail began to twirl around her as before but she protested,
“W-wait!”
“Wait for what, for you?” Magnus asked with narrowed eyes and an annoyed glance but slipped his tail away. “Walking for you could take ages. I would like to be left in peace far more quickly.”
“No, I...you have every right to trust me now,” she stated, “Now I...I want to ask for your guidance!”
Magnus's face turned to bewilderment, before he snorted and let out a long, overdue laugh!
“And-HAHAHAHA~! Why would I do anything you ask?!” he cackled as he used his digit to wipe away a falling tear. Rayne looked taken aback, before she grew angry.
“I have come looking for the truth about dragons, and I want to learn everything I can!” she yelled loudly. “And here I have a bleeding, breathing representation of everything I've worked for! I have to learn about you! From you!”
“My secrets are mine to keep for myself, Rayne,” he replied as he held back his laughter. “I do not wish to teach such a fragile and short lived creature anything. I wish to be left in peace.”
“You can't deny me now!” She yelled at him in frustration, “I won't-ever be able to get this close to a dragon again! Not in my life time!”
“Then you should take this experience to heart and write it in your precious journal,” he responded, “And leave me BE.”
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She let out an exasperated grunt, spinning around on the coins below her feet and turning her back to him. She rubbed her temples as Magnus watched her curiously, what about leaving him be didn't she seem to understand? She was a determined little thing. He had given her a chance to live and here she was still challenging death between his jaws. Odd little mortal.
She turned back around, waving a finger at him.
“Please, give me a test,” she stated. “Anything, anything you wish. I pass, you will answer my questions that you are comfortable with asking. I fail you send me on my way and I never come back here again.”
Magnus leaned up high, oh he did love tests. He loved watching the knowledge search inside one's mind, the sudden epiphany in realization. Knowledge was the basis of all for him. It was his obsession, as dragons seemed to be hers. Oh he couldn't resist testing this little mortal.
“Alright, as another favor to you, I will grant you this request,” he stated, before his tail snagged around her again and they rumbled through the caverns network to the entrance of the cave. Rayne kept her eyes closed this time, it seeming to work better than the last trip in his clutches. He moved her in front of another deep and solid dark cavern, above it was a plaque and two torches on either side to light it. He twisted his tail around and placed her sitting in his claw, before raising her to the tip top of the large plaque.
The plaque looked like old bronze, and the writing upon it certainly wasn't a common tongue now a days. Magnus grinned with triumph, she couldn't read this plaque unless she was born 300 years prior.
“Read the phrase on this plaque, and I will take you on as a pupil of Dragon Knowledge,” he stated wickedly as Rayne squinted and stared at the etched writing.
“Here Be Magnus the 8th Keeper of the Word of the 16 sworn to hold the Knowledge and History of the Fire Kind,” she stated easily without missing a beat. Magnus cackled, before he choked on his own spit and coughed, setting her down as gently as he could. Rayne jumped the last few feet as he slammed his clenched claw into his chest to clear his air way.
“Wh-WHAT DID YOU SAY?” he bellowed in sheer shock, Rayne covering her ears to try to shut out some of the roar. “How could you know THAT?!”
Rayne waited until his voice stopped echoing in the miles of darkness beside them, before responding,
“I was taught how to read and write by priests who held to the beliefs of the old Gods, they taught me cryptic.”
With anger and frustration, he slammed a fist into the rock face! Making the cavern shake as several rocks fell and bounced off his scales. Rayne hid her head under her arms as pebbles hit her harshly, hoping she wasn't about to die again for getting the answer right.
Smoke curled from his nostrils, his eyes closed in sheer agitation but soon he took in a deep rumbling breath and calmed.
“You, are a very unique mortal,” he replied with some venom in his voice. “But my word is my bond. I will take you on as a pupil...”
Rayne's face lit up, smiling widely as she mentally tried to keep herself calm.
But she failed.
“You will not regret this!” she stated loudly, before she darted over to the dragon's leg and hugged it tightly. Magnus's eyes grew huge as he bent his neck over at the little mortal, before grabbing hold of her vest with two claws and pulled her off his leg.
“I have RULES, including no HUGGING my leg,” he stated as he let her go. She cleared her throat, nodding and staring up at him with eager eyes. “Now, you will call me Master Magnus. Or My lord, from this moment hence.”
“Yes my lord,” she replied quickly, far too quickly. Magnus's eyes narrowed at her a bit angrily. Why? He had no idea.
“You will never write anything I say in our lessons down,” he stated coldly. Her expression changed to worry and anger. “You must learn how to retain knowledge from more than just your pen, you will only be allowed to write what you remember down AFTER the day is finished.”
“Yes, my lord,” she stated through clenched teeth and pursed lips, it wasn't what she wanted but this was far better than death or being thrown out the cavern entrance.
“Thirdly, you will stay here one week, then leave for a week,” he replied, poking her vest with his claw. “You will rotate weeks where you will leave me be then live here. Do you understand?”
“Yes, my lord,” she answered, nodding a bit.
“I will not take you back and forth, I am not a beast of burden. You know how to get here, therefore you know how to get home without my help,” he grumbled. “I will not tolerate lateness, you will be here on time or you will miss the lesson for that day.”
“I understand, my lord,” she nodded and replied calmly.
Magnus rubbed his forehead with his claws, letting out an aggravated sigh before he seemed to finally quiet.
“Now, you will need to find your own sleeping things, I know mortals do not tolerate stone floors very well. I will give you an alcove and you may take the hay for your bed for the evening. You will not leave this cavern, you will not go exploring, and you will get something to eat and drink for the day tomorrow,” he responded, before strutting around her and towards the pile of hay she had been lying on earlier. He gathered it up in his claws and wandered around the far edge of the room before setting it down in a curved dip in the wall. He motioned for her to come, and she ran quickly to his feet.
“Your little journal and satchel,” he stated, putting it on her hay pile. “Now leave me in peace. I will wake you for food in the morning.”
He turned and lumbered off, the cavern shaking with his movements as Rayne watched him disappear into the black of the unlit cavern. She swallowed a bit, looking at the pile of hay and felt the dripping of water on her head. This could have been the worst situation to be in, but somehow, she wasn't happier.
So here we meet our pair. Its about 11 pages long so this is a longer piece. We learn their names and have some spell work and even some surprises! I'll hopefully write more soon.
Everything belongs to me.
~Angel~
___________________________________________________________________
The little mortal fainted before him, his claw stopped tapping and his white brows frowned further. He heard what sounded like someone lumbering through the woods, but thought it would be an injured deer or elk. When he heard the splashing, he thought it had fallen into the creek and finally died. When he heard more footsteps, he knew that it certainly wasn't a deer.
But...what was the little female doing here? With a careful claw he turned her over, looking at the long braided silver hair and large rounded ears atop her head. He curved her head around, looking at the white and darker grey colored fur marked with stripes. A little grey colored tiger female. She wore mortal clothing, a sort of long off white shirt with a tight vest holding her chest in place with strands of string interlaced along its sides and pants a similar material of browned hide.
“Hmph,” he huffed aloud, shaking his head a bit to move the black strands of his mane from his eyes. He left her there for the moment, looking to see if there were any track of horses or a cart, or anything else for that matter. Nothing else seemed disturbed. It was no offering, it looked like the little mortal had come here out of free will.
What in blazes was wrong with her?
He loomed back over her, listening to her pounding heart and smelling the sweat and blood along her fur. Any other dragon would have picked her up and scarfed her down. Why not him? Well, he just finished a pair of cows for lunch, and he didn't want to get chubby. But...what to do with her? If his instincts and the evidence before him told him anything, she was determined to find his lair. He sat back on his haunches, the ground shaking again and making some of the birds in the trees shoot off in fear. He scratched his neck in thought, his tail swishing behind him anxiously before his yellow eyes darted to something in the grasses. He bent over closer, beside the little thing's paw was a...book?
His curiosity doubled, picking it up tentatively between two claws and lifting it up to his eye. He flipped through pages upon pages of accounts of dragons, of sketches and...arithmetic? This little mortal was...intelligent well, mostly intelligent. She could read and write and perform arithmetic? He tapped his muzzle tip with his claw, looking through the book further until it came to the accounts of what he assumed was him. This little female had an unhealthy obsession with his kind, and without really seeing her fair share had guessed correctly about a number of things.
His muzzle turned into a pout, she was intelligent but very stupid. A conundrum. She had come all this way seeking her beloved obsession, and just when she found it fainted and fell like a rag doll. She didn't take into account what it really felt like to be in the presence of a great predator, something beyond her comprehension.
“Heh,” he rumbled, closing the little journal and looking over her again. He could leave her here, but this was a rare opportunity. She could tell others, namely knights trying to find their name through his hide, where he lived. On the other hand, he could threaten her life to keep the lair's secret, but she would have to be awake for that. And if she said no, he could always just eat her. Full proof plan.
He let out a huff, scratching the guard scales along his chest before he scooped up the mortal in his claw along with her satchel and journal and beginning to walk awkwardly towards his lair. With a little jump he climbed into his lair's entrance and slipped inside.
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It was the damp smell that entered her consciousness first, she remembered the smell of dirt and freshly broken grass, but suddenly inside her nostrils was damp, wet—almost stuffy smelling air. Then the pain came, her head pounded terribly as did her back. She remembered...falling down the hill into the creek, then going to the prairie clearing then...
She willed her eyes open, lying on her stomach, her face smashed against poking hay. The smell was coming from the damp walls, rock walls. Some were sparkling with trickling water from the cracks in the walls and others were shimmering with firelight.
Wait...firelight?
“I see someone is finally beginning to wake,” a low voice rumbled far louder than any other voice she had heard in her life. With instinct kicking in she pushed herself up and around, sitting on the hay and scooting away from where ever the voice had come from.
The cave itself seemed to go on forever, torchlight hanging from stalactites and stalagmites where it seemed pertinent. The middle of it was carved free of the stabbing rocks and flattened with...sand? Perhaps? She took in the scene, but the voice...the owner of the voice was no where to be found. Was it in her head?
Then something brushed along her head to the floor. She jumped and stood on her feet, spinning around and seeing the large tail of the...the...
“Dragon,” she whispered in fear. Her eyes traveled along the tail to the beast itself, lying on his side with his wings half out. White and silver scales, black mane and piercing yellow eyes. Its black horns and longer reptilian muzzle just as she remembered when it approached her outside. Its eyes narrowed at her, and she felt that sickening feeling in her mind again, beginning to loose consciousness.
She fought it, tooth and nail, willing the fear to go back into her gullet and stay there for the time being.
It had some how closed mostly around her, something she wasn't expecting when outside its footsteps rumbled the ground like earth shakes. It brushed its tail against her again, running a curved blade at the tip of it under her arm as if playing with her. She jerked a little, eyes closing for a moment thinking it would pierce her flesh but took in a deep breath and stood her ground.
“Little mortal,” it rumbled, a long claw coming up to its muzzle and tapping it. “You are very determined, but very stupid to come willingly into a dragon's domain.”
It sounded male...although with how loud the voice was it could have been female and she wouldn't have known. It had four horns, so she carefully deduced it was male.
She opened her mouth, but first nothing came out. She didn't know what to say, he could speak! A twinge of excitement burbled up inside her, before she shut her mouth again to try and collect her thoughts.
“I...was seeking out...the truth,” she replied in a loud but fear driven voice.
The dragon made a thinking “hmmmmm” and began to look her over carefully.
“The truth is in this little book of yours,” he stated before pulling out the journal she had been carrying. “Well, the truth about you anyway, although it is rather impressive that you, a female, even read and write. Even more dumbfounding is your sense of logic and deduction. I paid you compliments mortal, do not forget to thank me.”
“Th-thank you,” she belted out quickly.
“Yes,” he rumbled through a barely open mouth, looking at the little book in his palm and pursing what little real lips he seemed to have. “But there was one thing I did not learn from this trinket of yours. What is your name?”
She moved a little awkwardly on the pads of her feet, it was one thing to see the terror and excitement of finally seeing the truth in front of her but it was another for it to ask her name willingly.
“Rayne,” she stated with more force to actually get it out of her throat. “My name is Rayne.”
“As in the rain is falling? A rain storm?” he asked with a small frown as if sizing her up by her given name.
“Essentially,” she stuttered but held her tone. He stood there, looking at her, waiting for an explanation without actually asking for it. She looked at her feet for a moment before looking back up at the white dragon's face. “I was born during a rain storm, my mother was creative you see.”
“Ah, so she's dead,” the dragon stated matter of factly. Rayne didn't say anything, the former fear and choke hold on her throat loosening as the uncomfortable subject of her family rose up. The dragon slipped from being around her to sitting on his haunches, towering over her and letting his shadow cast well over her head.
“I, am Magnus, Keeper of the Word,” he stated proudly, putting his large paw over his chest and looking regally up at nothing. Rayne sat there, looking slightly confused.
“Am I supposed to be impressed?” she asked in a somewhat bland tone. Magnus' eyes flared anger as his teeth exposed to the air. His neck arched down to shoot fear through her legs and torso.
“You should be VERY impressed,” he growled, “Any other dragon would have eaten you alive, you are lucky to even be having a conversation with a dragon like me.”
Rayne held back the piss that wanted to leak, swallowing as she looked at the rows of teeth above her and the stench of meat eating saliva. She swore inside her head several times before she squeaked out,
“I—am sorry, I did not mean to offend.”
Magnus curved away as if nothing had happened, his face neutral and his position regal again.
“It is your second offense to me, but I suppose I can forgive such a little creature,” he replied in a droll tone. “Someone such as yourself wouldn't know of the titles of dragons any how, I shouldn't be so quick to anger over your ignorance.”
Oh he was an arrogant beast, Rayne thought, only thought. She didn't want those teeth any closer than what they had been earlier.
“You and I have a problem, though,” Magnus stated, falling forward on his front paws and standing in front of her on all fours. Rayne's brow curved forward in confusion at the dragon's phrase. “My lair has been hidden for a long time now. It, as you know, is not easy to even get through the forest now a days.
“But, one mortal knows where it is.”
“They do?” Rayne asked, before her mind clicked. “I know...how to get here...”
“Precisely...” he said in a lower growl but his teeth showed in what could have been described as a smile. “How do we solve this little problem then? Little mortal Rayne?”
“I...will not tell anyone where you are...” Rayne stated, swallowing a bit nervously.
“I cannot trust you, as you shouldn't trust me,” he replied, his neck curving down as his muzzle grew close to her body. “You could easily say one thing and do another.”
“I would never have a dragon killed!” she yelled as the passion boiled over her fear inside her. “I want to learn from you! Everything about you and your kind!”
“You could be saying that to save your pretty little neck,” he stated, his grin turning into a smirk as he arched his head back up. “I need proof of such things. I cannot go on a mortal's word.”
“How do I prove it?” she demanded. Magnus looked a little surprised, but she had asked the question he wanted her to. He sat back on his haunches, a clever smirk forming as his eyes narrowed mischievously. He stroked his chin like a beloved pet, making his “hmmmmmm” noise and thinking quietly for a long few moments but nodded once as if making the decision inside his mind.
He swung his tail towards her before it coiled around her closer and closer like a binding snake. Rayne fretted a little, trying to step away but the tail tightened around her middle and lifted her off of the ground with ease. She squirmed and pushed on the tail before it started swinging back and forth with his steps, and so did Rayne's stomach. She felt queasy and covered her mouth with her paw as lit rock spires passed them in the damp cavern. They walked through a tunnel, Rayne closing her eyes to keep from being sick on the odd ride to the ever expanding lair.
They came to a neck breaking halt, Rayne's eyes still tightly closed as she was set on the ground nicely. But the ground...the ground was not hard and slippery rock. It felt like it was shifting under her feet...Rayne peeled her eyes opened and reflective bright light entered her eyes like sun. The cavern was filled with piles of gold and jewels, all reflecting off of the torches that lined the opened wall. Rayne's uneasy steps were both from the ride and sudden realization that she was in the presence of several kings worth of riches.
Magnus was nit-picking through a few piles, speaking to himself as the little mortal grew over whelmed. He found the object he was looking for, a gold necklace, the pendant a white dragon scale that looked identical to his own.
He cleared his throat as he lumbered back over to her, sitting in front of her and making the jewels jump around him. Rayne jerked off her feet and fell onto another pile, almost being jogged back into reality as her eyes looked up at the towering dragon.
“You stated you wouldn't tell anyone where my lair is,” he stated in a booming voice. Rayne nodded slowly, squinting still at the brightened room's lights. “Then you will swear an oath to me.”
“What sort of oath?” she asked, clearing her throat as she rose to her feet.
“Does it matter?” he asked, “Either you take the oath, or I eat you here and now.”
Rayne let out a small sigh, obviously the fear from before was still present but she controlled it to help her mind stay clear. He slowly dangled the small necklace on his claw out for her, letting the white almost mother of pearl quality scale shimmer for her inspection.
“Put it on,” he ordered, already knowing her answer. She looked at his head, before the necklace. She was getting a bad deal, she could feel it, but she really had no choice. If she took it, perhaps he would trust her enough to help her understand and learn more about his kind, and how could she resist that?
With a steady hand she slipped the gold chain from his claw and slipped it over her head. The necklace tightened to fit along her collar bone magically, shrinking to fit her neckline. Magnus slowly pushed his claw upon the small scale pendant, pushing gently against the mortal to make sure it rested against her fur and skin. With a low voice, he spoke in a dialect not of her own tongue and the cavern rumbled with a life of its own. He opened his wings and Rayne felt the warmth grow from the scale and spread through her skin like water or blood. She watched his muzzle carefully, trying to focus on his speaking as the spell washed over her, the weight and heat growing with every word and passing second. His voice began to grow louder, before the scale felt like it had bitten into her skin! She couldn't move, immobilized by the spell through every fiber of her being! She wanted to yelp, but nothing came from her throat as it felt like the necklace was sinking straight into her chest!
And then there was nothing. The pain and warmth was gone, the rumbling cavern stilled and Magnus's claw retracted from the pendant. Rayne's paw immediately went to her chest and felt the smoothness of the pendant.
She couldn't pick it up. It was sunken into her flesh as if she had a scale of her own! She felt for the gold chain, but it was gone! She looked at the shining scale, or what she could see of it.
“This is a dragon scale, I have bound your word to it,” Magnus stated with a low mysterious rumble of words. Dragon magic...dragons had such power! She had no idea! “If you speak of my lair, I will be able to hear it. If you tell anyone where my lair resides, I will let you burn for your insolence.”
With a small raising of his claw she felt the warmth again, but it was beginning to truly burn inside her flesh. She doubled over and he released the small spell. She sat back up slowly to a standing position, glad that the pain was gone.
“Now, little mortal,” Magnus stated, “You may be on your way.”
His tail began to twirl around her as before but she protested,
“W-wait!”
“Wait for what, for you?” Magnus asked with narrowed eyes and an annoyed glance but slipped his tail away. “Walking for you could take ages. I would like to be left in peace far more quickly.”
“No, I...you have every right to trust me now,” she stated, “Now I...I want to ask for your guidance!”
Magnus's face turned to bewilderment, before he snorted and let out a long, overdue laugh!
“And-HAHAHAHA~! Why would I do anything you ask?!” he cackled as he used his digit to wipe away a falling tear. Rayne looked taken aback, before she grew angry.
“I have come looking for the truth about dragons, and I want to learn everything I can!” she yelled loudly. “And here I have a bleeding, breathing representation of everything I've worked for! I have to learn about you! From you!”
“My secrets are mine to keep for myself, Rayne,” he replied as he held back his laughter. “I do not wish to teach such a fragile and short lived creature anything. I wish to be left in peace.”
“You can't deny me now!” She yelled at him in frustration, “I won't-ever be able to get this close to a dragon again! Not in my life time!”
“Then you should take this experience to heart and write it in your precious journal,” he responded, “And leave me BE.”
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She let out an exasperated grunt, spinning around on the coins below her feet and turning her back to him. She rubbed her temples as Magnus watched her curiously, what about leaving him be didn't she seem to understand? She was a determined little thing. He had given her a chance to live and here she was still challenging death between his jaws. Odd little mortal.
She turned back around, waving a finger at him.
“Please, give me a test,” she stated. “Anything, anything you wish. I pass, you will answer my questions that you are comfortable with asking. I fail you send me on my way and I never come back here again.”
Magnus leaned up high, oh he did love tests. He loved watching the knowledge search inside one's mind, the sudden epiphany in realization. Knowledge was the basis of all for him. It was his obsession, as dragons seemed to be hers. Oh he couldn't resist testing this little mortal.
“Alright, as another favor to you, I will grant you this request,” he stated, before his tail snagged around her again and they rumbled through the caverns network to the entrance of the cave. Rayne kept her eyes closed this time, it seeming to work better than the last trip in his clutches. He moved her in front of another deep and solid dark cavern, above it was a plaque and two torches on either side to light it. He twisted his tail around and placed her sitting in his claw, before raising her to the tip top of the large plaque.
The plaque looked like old bronze, and the writing upon it certainly wasn't a common tongue now a days. Magnus grinned with triumph, she couldn't read this plaque unless she was born 300 years prior.
“Read the phrase on this plaque, and I will take you on as a pupil of Dragon Knowledge,” he stated wickedly as Rayne squinted and stared at the etched writing.
“Here Be Magnus the 8th Keeper of the Word of the 16 sworn to hold the Knowledge and History of the Fire Kind,” she stated easily without missing a beat. Magnus cackled, before he choked on his own spit and coughed, setting her down as gently as he could. Rayne jumped the last few feet as he slammed his clenched claw into his chest to clear his air way.
“Wh-WHAT DID YOU SAY?” he bellowed in sheer shock, Rayne covering her ears to try to shut out some of the roar. “How could you know THAT?!”
Rayne waited until his voice stopped echoing in the miles of darkness beside them, before responding,
“I was taught how to read and write by priests who held to the beliefs of the old Gods, they taught me cryptic.”
With anger and frustration, he slammed a fist into the rock face! Making the cavern shake as several rocks fell and bounced off his scales. Rayne hid her head under her arms as pebbles hit her harshly, hoping she wasn't about to die again for getting the answer right.
Smoke curled from his nostrils, his eyes closed in sheer agitation but soon he took in a deep rumbling breath and calmed.
“You, are a very unique mortal,” he replied with some venom in his voice. “But my word is my bond. I will take you on as a pupil...”
Rayne's face lit up, smiling widely as she mentally tried to keep herself calm.
But she failed.
“You will not regret this!” she stated loudly, before she darted over to the dragon's leg and hugged it tightly. Magnus's eyes grew huge as he bent his neck over at the little mortal, before grabbing hold of her vest with two claws and pulled her off his leg.
“I have RULES, including no HUGGING my leg,” he stated as he let her go. She cleared her throat, nodding and staring up at him with eager eyes. “Now, you will call me Master Magnus. Or My lord, from this moment hence.”
“Yes my lord,” she replied quickly, far too quickly. Magnus's eyes narrowed at her a bit angrily. Why? He had no idea.
“You will never write anything I say in our lessons down,” he stated coldly. Her expression changed to worry and anger. “You must learn how to retain knowledge from more than just your pen, you will only be allowed to write what you remember down AFTER the day is finished.”
“Yes, my lord,” she stated through clenched teeth and pursed lips, it wasn't what she wanted but this was far better than death or being thrown out the cavern entrance.
“Thirdly, you will stay here one week, then leave for a week,” he replied, poking her vest with his claw. “You will rotate weeks where you will leave me be then live here. Do you understand?”
“Yes, my lord,” she answered, nodding a bit.
“I will not take you back and forth, I am not a beast of burden. You know how to get here, therefore you know how to get home without my help,” he grumbled. “I will not tolerate lateness, you will be here on time or you will miss the lesson for that day.”
“I understand, my lord,” she nodded and replied calmly.
Magnus rubbed his forehead with his claws, letting out an aggravated sigh before he seemed to finally quiet.
“Now, you will need to find your own sleeping things, I know mortals do not tolerate stone floors very well. I will give you an alcove and you may take the hay for your bed for the evening. You will not leave this cavern, you will not go exploring, and you will get something to eat and drink for the day tomorrow,” he responded, before strutting around her and towards the pile of hay she had been lying on earlier. He gathered it up in his claws and wandered around the far edge of the room before setting it down in a curved dip in the wall. He motioned for her to come, and she ran quickly to his feet.
“Your little journal and satchel,” he stated, putting it on her hay pile. “Now leave me in peace. I will wake you for food in the morning.”
He turned and lumbered off, the cavern shaking with his movements as Rayne watched him disappear into the black of the unlit cavern. She swallowed a bit, looking at the pile of hay and felt the dripping of water on her head. This could have been the worst situation to be in, but somehow, she wasn't happier.
Category Story / Fantasy
Species Tiger
Gender Multiple characters
Size 120 x 120px
Listed in Folders
hehe no hug my leg *smirks*
this will be interesting to read as well
this will be interesting to read as well
it always funny when a powerful being full of itself is proven that the litte guy or gal is more then they seem!
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