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Price of Survival Part 1

The rain had finally stopped which was saying a lot. It had been raining for three months straight. The sun hadn't been out and the only light that reached the ground from the heavens was the lightning that forked across the sky like a bunch of scrambling fingers, grasping at the clouds. Now it was all over and the dreadful clouds were parting as the summer season began in the Grey Marshes.

The first to take advantage of the break in the foul weather were the small tunneling creatures that made their homes in the supple ground that was surprisingly dry once one got past the mud and swamp rot that covered the surface. Small moles peaked their heads above the ground and peered up at the sun as if it was a long lost friend.

Next were the birds that shook the last of the water off of their bodies and then extended their wings to take to the skies. Small finches and other small song like birds feasted on the bugs that were always present but had been suppressed. The larger birds of prey peered down at the miles of swamp land, using their perfect vision to spy down onto the earth and pick out the smaller animals that had forgotten about the dangers of the sky.

A falcon that had spent much of the past few months pent up in a lonely maple tree that had somehow managed to sprout and grow into a strong tree over the years was now on the prowl. It wasn't going to live off of the small pickings that occasionally graced its tree, it needed a real meal. It looked down from dozens of meters up, scouring the ground for something worth the effort. It didn't take long for it to find something.

The rabbit wiggled its nose as it slowly lumbered across the ground. It hopped slowly, zigzagging through the grass as it nibbled on the budding plants, nipping off the tops so that in a few days the plants would grow back and it could repeat the process. The rabbit was comfortable in its position, the warm sun on its back with plenty of new growth to keep it fed for months to come, life was good... had been good.

The rabbit only just heard the beating of wings and only barely began to notice that a shadow had blocked out the sun when a set of talons dug into its back and began to lift it off the ground. The rabbit gave off a shrill squeal as it was dragged off into the blue yonder where it would feed something larger and stronger, just like how the plants fed it. It was the food chain, something fed something else until you reached the top, but what could possible be at the top?

Rain... Thunder... Flashes... No Rain... No Thunder... No Flashes...

The beast's eyes pealed back, both layers did, revealing a large, yellow eye that was shaped much like a cats. The newly revealed eyes darted around, taking in the surroundings, searching for threats, searching for what had awoken it from its slumber.

It was in a large, very large stone room. There were windows that were covered by wooden planks that sat on hinges and could be pulled back to let the light in. There was also a large double wooden door that was finely made, not extravagant, but not cheap either. It was closed and a small slice of light was coming in, cutting through the air of the room, the tip resting on the beasts scaled nose, warming it.

There was a fire place with the remains of a fire. There was only ash now. Someone had forgotten to stoke it, or simply didn't care to. A rug was in front of the fire. Imported from the east with its foreign designs and flashing colors that gave people headaches if they looked too long. A few fine chairs and other miscellaneous furniture dotted the room. Paintings and maps lined the walls, they were numerous enough the make the walls feel occupied, but not cramped, it was expertly designed.

The air was wet, thick with moisture as it always was, but it was more fresh than normal as if something had beaten down the dreariness of the swamp.

The rain....

The beast realized what had woken him up. There was no longer the sound of rain. The last of the torrent had ceased and left the air fresh for a while until the decay and much of the swamp rose from the ground to give the air a sweet stench once again. There was no lightning or thunder constantly racking the air with light and sound. The beast could hear the birds singing, not the pounding of water on the roof. It was peaceful.

The was a faint rustling behind the beast who raised his long neck and craned it back to looked behind him. His eyes traveled down his back that was coated in rusted red scales that began to become milky as they got closer to his underside. His eyes went past his muscled thighs that led to a long and flexible tail that curled its way onto a bed.

He was a dragon, a beast of great renown and respect. Their figure and authority was recognized by all, no matter where they were from, even one on the run, such as himself had power.

By the end of his tail, on the bed was a lump that hid under a woven blanket of clashing purple and red dyed wool. The lump shifted, bumping into the dragon's tail and he in return, pushed back.

There was a muffled moan as the tail rolled over the form and pushed it from out under the covers.

A brown head of hair popped out from it covers and then a head, much like a newborn baby.

"What time is it?" The man asked, his eyes still squeezed tightly shut.

The dragon replied in a deep voice that echoed across the cold stone walls. "It is not yet midday."

The man moaned and fled back under the covers. "Wake me when it's past midday." He shifted under the covers, getting into a more comfortable position.

"You should go for a run." The dragon said, ignoring the want for more sleep of the human. "The rain has stopped and you've been pent up inside for quite some time now. I've noticed that you've put on weight as well."

"The reward of good living." The human said uncaringly and rolled over. "Wake me later. I'll run then."

The dragon rolled his eyes. Humans, they were so stubborn, the only thing that was more stubborn than dragons. Somehow, even though it never should have happened, humans and dragons found themselves as allies. One supported the other in a symbiotic relationship that benefited all. It should have been all out war between the only two intelligent species of the planet. They were both violent at times, often disagreed with anyone else that had a different opinion and were so full of pride that they rarely accepted defeat. All of these negatives should have started a way, but it created a miracle. At some point in the past, humans and dragons came together and treated each other with respect, maybe it was because they were so alike, maybe it was because they realized that a war would destroy both sides, the histories no longer told.

No matter the reason behind the unusual friendship between man and beast, the dragon was glad that it existed because without it, he never would have come this far with this very human who was snuggled up against his tail. He never would have been rescued from hunters that had driven him into the mountains with pikes and gunpowder. If he had never met that man, then he most definitely would never had met the one he was with now. While their situation could have been better, he was glad to have this human by his side.

Caring was more than just feelings it was also the need to make sure that the human healthy and that meant exercise after months of being trapped indoors.

A quick flick of his tail sent the bed sheets flying, reveal an unclothed figure that was curled into a fetal position.

The human laid there for a moment, his skin beginning to pucker and goosebumps formed from the cool air. He then opened his eyes and glared at the dragon that had a sly smirk across his face.

"Uncalled for, Ferelis." The human slowly unwound himself, revealing a lean body of someone who was fit and young, but with the few unmistakable bulges around the sides that were a gift from the previous few months.

Ferelis. That was the name of the dragon, that was the name that was said, not with malice, but with affection from the lips of the human.

"Entirely justified, Nedric." The dragon said and flicked his tail again which lightly bumped the human, encouraging him to get up faster.

Nedric, another name said with nothing but caring and love. It was the name of the man that the dragon had sworn to protect through an old vow made between man and beast. He swore to protect the human from all dangers. What did the dragon ask in return? Nothing other than the human show the same loyalty and love in return and so far all dues had been paid in full.

Nedric shoved the tail away from him before it actually could just push him off the bed. "I'm up! I'm up!" He sat up straight and stretched his arms over his head, yawning. "Couldn't let a man sleep."

"Not when he could be doing better things." Ferelis hummed and got up. He had been sleeping just off the side of the bed with only his tail ever going onto the bed since his weight would easily crush the furniture several times over even if the bed was rarely ever used. Most nights Nedric used Ferelis as a bed, sleeping on the dragon's side, using the natural internal fire that was burning deep in the dragon to keep him warm. However, the previous night had been long and exhausting after a "workout" session and Nedric had fallen down on the bed and fallen asleep there.

Nedric slid off of the bed and padded past the dragon towards a small travel chest that was tucked away in the corner. It represented all of Nedric's belongings, nothing more than clothes which he had accumulated over the past few months after losing everything he had.

The chest creaked open and Nedric pulled out a simple pair of cotton shorts and a cotton shirt. It was peasant's clothing and at first, it had taken a great deal of will to discard his old clothes which had become tattered and worn after continuous use without any kind of maintenance. At this point, all he had was peasant's clothes.

"How humid do you think it's going to get?" Nedric asked as he contemplated on just running without a shirt. He held up the white shirt that was shaded a light brown from being worn and washed several times.

"It won't stay down for long." Ferelis said. He could feel the humidity rising already. In a few short hours it was going to get hot and muggy. It was a swamp after all. Also, the dragon didn't mind seeing Nedric out and about without a shirt on. He would prefer if he stayed naked, but there was certain amount of "decency" that humans needed when in public.

Clothes were something that mystified many dragons. They understood the need for clothes for when it was cold, or armor when in battle, but to wear clothes simply to cover up their reproductive organs? It didn't make sense to the creatures that went about their business as needed without such things.

In dragon society, if one could even call it that, there was no embarrassment for being naked. Everyone else was naked and no one cared. There were even times when it was considered fully justified to mount and mate in the presence of others. While such an act would be considered private, reproduction was a natural part of life and when a female dragon went into heat, her mate would take every opportunity to ensure that he got those eggs fertilized as soon as possible.

There were no eggs to be fertilized here. Ferelis watched Nedric's ass that had gotten more plump now that they were no longer scavenging for food and supplies. The long journey to reach this place, the Grey Marshes had turned Nedric in a man of muscles with little to no fat, but now that they had a roof over their heads, thanks to the generosity of Nedric's uncle, the human had gotten a bit lazy.

Nedric decided to forgo the shirt. He tossed the article of clothing back into his chest which also contained some coin and his sword that was sheathed, but ready to be used whenever it was needed. Even in the arms of a loved one who was capable of spewing fire from his maw, Nedric hadn't forgotten how to defend himself either.

"What are you going to do while I'm away?" Nedric asked as he pulled on a pair of light sandals that the locals wore for everything here. It kept them from sinking into the mud and were very comfortable. If the people back in the capitol got their hands on them, they would easily become the next fashion trend for all of two weeks until something else came up.

"I'm going to see if I can't find something to eat." Ferelis said and sauntered over to the door and nudged them open with his paw, with the claws retracted. The sun shone through the opening, lighting up the room that was actually the only room to a bungalow like building that was at the edge of town. The dragon could see people beginning to leave their homes and opening up their shops. "I should have something by the time you get back."

"OK." Nedric shrugged. He didn't grab his sword, it was too clunky to carry around while running. Instead he opted to grab a small dagger that fit easily around his waist with a leather belt. "I won't be long." With that he jogged out the door.

Ferelis watched until Nedric disappeared, hidden from view by the tall reeds that stuck out of the water, creating their own kind of forest.

Nedric jogged at a brisk pace, he may have laid off on exercising like this for sometime, but he was hardly out of shape. He found himself going at a pace that would have him finish the twenty kilometer trailer in just over one hour. That would give Ferelis plenty of time to do what he was going to say he was going to do and satisfy his very motherly need to have him stay healthy.

He ran through the mostly featureless swamp which was made up of a spiderweb of dry land with stagnant pools of water. Some of the pools had reeds that went up well above Nedric's head and others were just full of pond slime that seemed to grow on every inch of water. The Grey Marshes weren't known for their beaches, but its miles upon miles of inhospitable terrain. It was also known for a special type of mushroom that had very strong medicinal properties and the economy of the Grey Marshes centered around that.

The air was getting thicker and harder to breath as the rain that had pushed down the humidity was now fading away and that same wetness rose from the ground like some sort of monster that grasped at Nedric's body with each step. A sheen of water began to form on his skin, mixing with his sweat and making the man feel unclean. He pushed forward.

"Just a few more kilometers." Nedric said to himself as he reached the halfway point, an abandoned shack that had once belonged to a failed prospector some time ago. There had been the false notion at one point that there was gold in the swamp. Many people came, set up and and left with nothing. There was nothing in the swamp other than mud and mushrooms.

The shack was old and decrepit with rotted out wooden walls that were barely holding together. The roof had collapsed and the gray, slimy walls were slanted sideways from years of burden and torment at the hands of mother nature. Nedric doubted it would stand another season before it was completely swallowed and consumed by the swamp.

Reaching the front door, or what looked like to be the front door of the shack, Nedric stopped for a quick breather. He took a moment to let his heart settle and allow the beating of his heart to fade from his ears. He peered inside the shack like he always did, as if there was going to be something different.

The inside was stripped of everything, there was only the rotten wooden beams from the collapsed ceiling and a small frog that Nedric picked out quickly, the bright green of its skin contrasting with the dark, wet wood around it.

"What are you doing here?" Nedric chuckled as the small frog, no larger than a few of his fingers, croaked and eyed him suspiciously. It shifted its body to the left, ready to leap away if it decided Nedric was a threat.

Nedric had taken a liking to the wildlife of the Grey Marshes. Other than Ferelis who he saw everyday, there wasn't much to do on a day to day basis, so Nedric began to catalog the wildlife in his head.

He immediately recognized the frog as a West Green Hopper, a very common species of frog in the area that enjoyed dark and moist places such as old and abandoned shacks.

Nedric tentatively took a few steps into the shack, not concerned about it falling. The worst the rotted walls could do to him was give him a nasty scratch which would be easily taken care of.

"Let's take a closer look." Nedric crouched down just outside of what he had determined to be its security bubble. If he got closer, it would flee, but here, about one and a half meters away, the frog remained still and stiff.

This West Green Hopper was smaller than others he had seen. It must have been young or even just the runt.

The frog croaked, the skin under its neck extending out and back in. It was more of a chirp, being so small. Another croak replied from somewhere behind Nedric.

"Looking for a mate?" He asked with a small grin on his face. "Just be careful, saw some hungry birds outside." He got up, satisfied with his find and headed back out the door. He looked back into the shack once more at the frog that looked up for a moment and then jumped off its perch onto the ground where it hopped under some debris.

Nedric looked up to see what had startled the frog just in time to see a shadow blot out the sun. There were more than hungry birds out.

---

Ferelis woke up alone. He licked his dry lips and raised his head. It was dark, but his vision was just as good with only moonlight as it was in the day. He looked around at the bed, expecting to see the familiar lump under the covers, but they were cast off on the ground just as they were this morning.

Ferelis had fallen asleep, waiting for Nedric to return. He had gotten some people to bring food to the building as set it up on one of the tables by the wall where it would be ready to be eaten. It laid there cold with flies buzzing over it. Something was wrong, something had gone horrible wrong.

The dragon bolted out of the building, tearing the doors off of its hinges and waking the people sleeping in the next building over. He ran as fast as he could, urging his legs to carry him further. How he wished to have wings now.

The trail that Nedric liked to run was windy and went into the reed thickets since they helped block out the sun. The wound left and right, up small hills and around bends. Ferelis burst through them with ease, focusing on finding his charge, his chosen companion.

In less than ten minutes, the dragon's heels dug into the ground as he came to the end of the current trail, the rotted shack. The shack was gone, completely destroyed with its entrails of wood beams thrown around the area. There had been a struggle.

"No." Ferelis whispered and repeated over and over as he walked up to the sight. "No. No. No. No. No." His voice slowly grew in volume as he spotted something familiar on the ground. It was small blade, still in its sheath and partially tangled in a strap of leather.

He ran from one end of the sight to the other, looking for anything else. He found a single print on the ground, a dragon's print. It's toes splayed out and was pushed deep into the mud as if a massive amount of force had been applied, such as if a dragon was landing or pushing off to get airborne. He would never be able to track it down.

"NO!" Ferelis roared at the sight of Nedric's blade. He reared back, his chest glowing and let out a fearsome flame breath that incinerated the few wooden stakes that were sticking out of the ground where the shack used to be. The roaring inferno that burned hot enough to melt iron illuminated the night and scared away every animal within both sight and hearing distance. There was a dragon, a pissed dragon and nothing sat above it on the food chain.

The dragon continued his rampage. Destroying and burning everything in sight.

How could he allow this? How could he have grown so complacent? The dragon tore itself apart as doubts flooded his head. He had failed his sole duty as guardian.

After tiring himself out, the raging dragon fell to the ground with a mighty thud and sulked. He let his scales, so perfect and clean, get covered in the mush that was called mud. His lower jaw sunk into the ground as he let the weight of his body sink him half way into the ground. He stayed there all night.

When day came, Ferelis finally moved after a long sleepless night with only the croaking of the frogs to keep him company. He struggled to get up, his legs had sunken into pits in the mud and the suction kept him pinned. The mud made a squelching noise as one forearm was freed and immediately sunk back down as pressure was applied to free the other limbs. It took close to an hour before the dragon was back on more solid ground, covered in black and brown mud that mingled with the red and white of his scales. He was a sorry sight of a dragon.

With nothing left, but the sheathed knife that Ferelis kept hanging from his mouth, he went back home with his head down. People stared as he walked by them. Some whispered to each other and others merely kept quiet, watching the dragon crawl on by back to the building that no longer had doors.

"What happened here?" A large, round man in a silks said as he inspected the ruined remains of a door. "These things are meant to be opened, but not like this." he picked up a splinter of wood and then tossed it back, disgusted. He turned and saw the dragon.

"Are you responsible for this?" He yelled and stormed over to the dragon, oblivious to its concerned state. "I take you two in, hunted by everyone in the interior and this is what I get."

Claudius, Nedric's uncle via his mother. He was a wealthy man who controlled much of the trade in the Grey Marshes and had taken the dragon and his nephew in when they had appeared at his borders, poor, hungry and hunted. He didn't take them in out of the kindness of his heart, but rather through the vengeance that burned in it. New of his sister's death had hit him hard and he wanted to spite Marl for what he had done.

If he had his way, he would have led an army against the old Lord, but Marl had allies, allies that were very powerful and dangerous. For the time being, sheltering his shame would have to do.

"He's gone." Ferelis said lowly. "Taken."

"What?" Claudius stopped and raised an eyebrow. "Who's gone, what's taken?" The man was good with money and trade routes, but his aspects were less polished.

"Nedric."

The name of his nephew got his attention immediately. "What happened, tell me everything."

Ferelis did. He told what little he knew and presented the dagger. It wasn't long before a search party was made and sent out. They searched for days and nothing was found until the third day, some eighty kilometers to the south where a local merchant in small village stepped forward.

"I saw a great black shape a few nights ago." The old man that had a green stocking cap on said to the unlikely grouping of individuals, a dragon and two armored knights. "Thought it was just a large crow at first, but crows don't have wingspans that are wider than my home." The man chuckled and the others didn't make a sound.

"Right." The man stopped chuckling and pulled at the collar of his shirt. "Like is said, saw a great black shape flying towards the capitol." He pointed at the mountain ranges that were far off in the distance.

"Anything else." A knight asked.

"Know that I think of it." He scratched his chin with wiry fingers that had a large callous on its tip from years of arduous labor. "I believe I saw it clutching something to its chest."

"What was it." Ferelis snapped and the man backed away. The other knight stepped up and tried to comfort the man.

"What did you see?" The knight asked. "We need to know everything."

"I think it was a person. Couldn't see very well. My sight has been suffering over the past few years."

They left the man after that.

"I will go back and report the findings." One of the knights said. Ferelis couldn't remember which one was which, they both wore identical armor and had very similar accent.

"You do that."

The knight mounted his horse which had been hitched to a nearby post that had an old burned out lamp hanging from it. He rode off, out of the town that looked as if it was just randomly place in the middle of nowhere. It would be three days before he got back and reported.

"What now?" The remaining knight asked the dragon.

"We go find Nedric." Ferelis said with more certainty in his voice than he had in the past week. "We cannot wait any longer, who knows what has happened to him in my absence."

"Hold on there." The knight said, stepping in front of the dragon, irritating it. "You can't just go off on some quest like that. You're still wanted by the capitol. Everyone will see you coming, especially since you're a dragon."

"I don't care."

"By the gods." The knight huffed. "I have never known dragons to be so stupid."

Ferelis growled at that, but it was entirely justified. "What do you have planned."

"We wait for Claudius to get back to us. He may not be the smartest man when it comes to spotting the obvious, but he got his fortune somehow."

Nedric struggled against his bindings. He was alone and cold in a dark, murky cell. He had bruises and cuts from being plucked from the face of the earth by the most horrifying looking dragon he had ever seen.

Its body had reeked of death and the scales that rubbed against him as he was carried away were covered in an oily substance that felt wrong to him. He had been carried for two days straight, kept awake by the constant bouncing and noise of flight.

He had tried to break free of the dragon, but its grip had been absolute. The beast that had a large scar across its face that traveled down its neck and ended at its left forearm didn't look at him, didn't speak to him, it had kept its gaze forward the entire flight.

It had dropped him off at a keep high up in the mountains that had a single winding road leading up to it. It had relatively low walls, but with the mountain at its back at sides, it didn't need massive walls to survive a siege. It sat nestled in the bosom of where two mountains clashed with each other and overlooked the entire valley below. Whoever had built it wanted to make sure he was as safe as possible.

Nedric could see a few guards on the walls, but other than that, there wasn't much activity anywhere from the battlements to the small garden courtyard that was the only green in sight with the stone peaks around it.

As the dragon descended with its prize in its grip, several armored soldiers, bearing a blazing emblem of a dragon on fire, came out and waited in the courtyard.

"Notify the Lord immediately." One of the guards yelled to another and the man ran off, his shield clanking on his back as he disappeared through a stone opening. "Blind and gag him." He then ordered to the two others before Nedric's feet even touched the ground. As soon as he was released onto the ground by the black dragon, the two guards came at him immediately.

Nedric had no strength to resist them from his two day ordeal and was quickly subdued, gagged with a rolled up cloth and then blinded with a sack that smelled of oats. He was led somewhere, down since there were stairs that seemed to go on forever. He was never pushed or shoved, just ushered along until he was sat down and bound where he was now.

The dragon was there. He was always there since Nedric was unblinded. He sat prone with his two front paws crossed over each other and watched him. Nedric couldn't tell if there was hate in its eyes, but the way its green eyes pierced through him, it was unsettling.

The only door to the room, a partially rotted solid oak door creaked open. A rat that had been hiding in the corner made a rush for the new exit, but a cat jumped out from the door and pounced on its prey.

"Misha!" Someone called out from the other side before the door was open. "I told you to stay upstairs."

The cat quickly disposed of the rat that wasn't very large and ran out of the room with its meal.

'The door opened up the rest of the way and two guards bearing the same insignia as before, a dragon on fire, stepped in and took up positions on either side before another entered.

He was wealthy, by the way he walked, held himself up so he could look down a man who was two heads taller than him and of course, the expensive foreign cloth he wore. This must have been the lord that the guard was sent off to fetch.

"Look at you." The man covered his mouth is what seemed to be shock. A large ruby ring glimmered as he took a few steps forward. "And you stink." He turned to a guard. "Get something for this man and unbind him." He seemed genuinely angry at the state Nedric was in.

He turned back to Nedric once one guard ran off and the other unquestioningly walked behind Nedric and began to undo his bindings. "I am so sorry about the way you were treated." He kneeled down to get to eye level with Nedric. At this distance, Nedric could smell a flowery perfume on him. "I told them to get you, not..." He looked at Nedric as if he was inspecting a damaged vase. "Not this."

The bindings fell away from Nedric's hands and he rubbed at them. "Umm... Where am I?" He asked, a mix of absolute rage and curiosity flooding his head. "Why did he..." He nodded towards the dragon who didn't move from his spot. The smell of decay from the dragon had subsided, but his scales still seemed to excrete some sort of oil. "Kidnap me?"

"Caval?" The man laughed heartily. "We have much to discuss." He got up and walked over to the door. "Come."

The guard seemed uncertain and had his hand on the pommel. The man frowned. "Away with you. I have Caval and I hardly doubt Nedric here will do anything so foolish." He looked over at Nedric and raised and eyebrow.

"Of course." Nedric quickly responded and eased himself up. It was difficult to get moving, his limbs were so stiff and he was weak from the lack of rest and nourishment.

"Let's get you cleaned up and fed."

Completely contradicting his prior treatment, Nedric was treated as a guest of honor. He was allowed to bathe alone in a massive marble hot spring located in the mountain. In fact most of the compound was located within the mountain, carved straight from the stone. There was also a grand hall with one of the largest tables that Nedric had ever seen, it stretched nearly fifty meters. He was served roast duck, boiled potatoes that were seasoned with actual spice and pepper that he ate with a sweet wine.

This was reminiscent of the life that Nedric would have had if everything hadn't gone to hell. Suddenly he wasn't so hungry. He left the food that was quickly cleaned up by a small army of servants that came out of doors and passages in the stone like a flood of bugs.

This entire time, Nedric didn't fail to notice that he was never alone, nor did he expect to be alone at any point.

Caval, or so the man called it, was always there watching him from a distance. He was absolutely obsessed with him. Though the man got to Nedric before he could even contemplating approaching the wyrm.

"I see you are doing much better." He commented on the fresh look Nedric took on with loose and comfortably clothes and a full stomach. "Now we can talk like proper men." He gave a short and polite bow. "I am Lord Kar, son of Kandr and ruler of the Hidden Fortress."

"Pleasure." Nedric played along. There was no escaping, he saw how he was on top of a mountain and with a dragon always watching, he had no choice. "I am Nedric, son of..." He stopped. He wasn't really the son of anyone anymore.

"Ah, yes." The man shook his head. "A sad story. Few do not know it, how you were cast off by Marl." Nedric took note of how he didn't say Lord Marl. "A sad story."

"Perhaps you can lighten the mood by telling me why I'm here?" Nedric pushed immediately for information.

"In time, my friend." Kar shrugged off the attempt with ease. "Let me show you around."

Nedric followed in what became a long and drawn out tour of the entire compound. He saw how the place used to be a mine for marble and jewels. There were tunnels that stretched for miles and without proper knowledge or a map, a person would become hopelessly lost in the pitch black tunnels. The walls were on the edge of a seven hundred foot drop into a rocky gully. Nothing could scale the walls, anyone who wanted to enter had to either fly in like Nedric or brave a narrow and treacherous road that wound up the mountains for ten miles, most of which was exposed to a series of thirteen guard towers on the way down.

The inside of the keep was much more welcoming with a well that provided the fortress with fresh spring water that came from hundreds of feet below. There was a nice garden path that led through a small rose garden. A large host of servants provided excellent service to any guest while the contingent of highly trained guards would protect them from any assault.

Nedric got one thing from the tour. There was no escape.

It was getting dark by the time that Kar ended the tour after showing Nedric his room that was furnished more for a king. The entire time Kar had continued to dodge questions, avoiding anything about why he had taken Nedric in the first place... until dinner.

Nedric was very frustrated at his point. His forked prodded at the fresh tomatoes that were grown inside the keep since it was very hard to bring supplies up the road. He wasn't very hungry.

"You should eat more." Kar said and a piece of boar disappeared in his mouth. "You are a growing man."

"Enough!' Nedric slammed the table and stood up.

Kar didn't react much, he stopped eating and set down his fork. Caval was now standing and glaring at Nedric, but he had been doing that for much of the day as he always followed close by.

"I want to know why you brought me here, this instant." Nedric stabbed his fork into his own slice of boar that had been brought in by a pair of hunters who were well paid. The pig had been gutted and roasted over an open pit in the central courtyard and everyone got a piece of it.

"You can not hide it from him anymore." Caval spoke, his words rolled off of his tongue, floating through the air before settling in Nedric's ear. It was not the kind of voice that he expected from such an imposing creature.

"I was hoping to avoid it." Kar rolled his eyes and looked at Nedric. "I need you for a something, something you won't like."

"I'm listening."

"I made a deal with Marl." Nedric shuddered at the sound of his false father's name. "He has something of mine and now I have something of his."

"I don't belong to him." Nedric roared. "I fucking don't want to hear his name."

"Now calm down." Kar raised both hands. Two guards entered the room, but didn't do anything as Kar waved his hand at them to tell them that it was under control. "I didn't mean it that way, and as much as I regret doing this, I'm going to have to ask you to avoid causing any trouble, Marl is due to arrive in a week and I would hate to have to throw you in a cell."

---

"I'm surprised he listened at all." Kar paced around his sleeping quarters that was lit with several dozen small candles. He liked the effect the flickering lights of all of the small flames had, though Caval hated it. "I half expected him to make a dash for the exit, though he wouldn't have made it far at all."

"He's a smart boy." Caval was in his corner of the room, the only part with no candles and no carpet, only exposed granite touched his scales when he slept. "You did also give him that ridiculous tour of how impossible it is to go anywhere unnoticed here."

"Yes." Kar nodded and stopped to look at his most trusted friend and adviser. Caval had been part of his family since he was a child. The dragon, a Revelian Flamer which had a unique defense mechanism of lighting the oils on its scales on fire to engulf itself in flame, had acted almost as a second father to him. The dragon tutored him in nearly everything he knew and was always a source of support for the man who was no close to forty years old.

Kar walked over to the dragon and looked at the thick layer of oil that had accumulated on him. "You usually don't excrete as much as you did today." Kar grabbed a nearby cloth and bucket that was always filled with hot water. He began to scrub at the dragon. Despite having many capable servants who could easily and quickly clean the dragon each day, Caval only allowed Kar to clean him.

"The boy excites me." The dragon yawned. It had been a long day for him and a stressful one. "The prospect of reclaiming what had been stolen from me by Marl..." He smiled. "You know that I was never very patient."

"No you aren't." Kar laughed and dipped the cloth into the bucket, washing off the oil that was now collecting on the top of the bucket. It was routine for him now to clean Caval's scales each night. It was soothing, and a great way to unwind. "Though, you need to be patient. We can't let anything go wrong."

Caval's ears flattened. "Nothing can go wrong. Not this time, I can't lose it again." A wisp of smoke escaped the dragon's nose as his blood boiled. "As soon as I get my egg back... I'll kill him."

"Calm down there." Kar massaged the scales of Caval's neck where he knew the dragon liked it best. It had the desired effect as he lowered his head down and rested his chin on his crossed forearms, eyes closed.

"He'll pay for the treachery he's done."

"That he will." Kar reassured his old friend. "We'll make sure of it."

"What will we do with the boy?" Caval asked. "Ferelis will surely be looking for him and it won't be long before he finds us."

"I thought you left no trace."

Caval opened his eyes, meridian orbs looked at the human. "Nothing gets between a dragon and family."