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Fealty of the Loyal Mount

Appolonia knew that the upcoming battle was going to be fierce. The Tehgolian army had been pushing at the border to Untheria, threatening to launch an all out offensive that she and her people needed to put an end to. Her general Lost was ready to make an attack on their camps across the border in order to send a message.

The Tehgolian army was comprised of Jysar, Cien, and some Oarians to combat Appolonia's saurossin-oarian hybrid army. Felines, canines, and avians against dragons and gryphons. It really shouldn't have been much of a threat to the Untherian military, except their numbers were considerably higher. Initial scouting had indicated they had four or five times the personnel, effectively matching her army's power.

She quickly hopped into some simple clothes and slipped out from her personal tent to take a visit to the stable region with the intention of giving her noble mount a proper washing in preparation for the upcoming attack. They were to leave at high noon, so she had some time to spend alone with him.

Styreks was his name. A laurossin. A lower intelligence than a saurossin, but smart enough to be the perfect aid as a mount - especially since she was a lancer. She cared for him, fed him, and kept him as happy as she could, knowing full well that laurossins were known to bond with their riders, especially if the riders were dragon-kin.

"Hey, Sty?" She called as she entered the stables. Instantly, she saw his massive head poke up over the gate and stretch out to see her. "How are ya today?"

The dragon let out a gentle rumbling purr as he leaned towards her, trying to get her to pet him. His hind legs were pacing back and forth, hopping from side to side in excitement.

"Whoa, settle down, dear." She cautioned as she slipped up close, pressing her chest to his snout and rubbing his neck, showing her affection. She gave him a pet before leaning over to unlock the stable gate, letting him out.

Styreks leaned into her, walking out into the hallway so he could give her neck a gentle lick. He nuzzled at her shoulder, purring gently all the while, even offering a gentle nibble with his sharp teeth.

Luckily, Appolonia's hide was tough and she was used to such affections. "Hey, careful there boy. Don't want to hurt me. I'm just here to clean you up." She giggled as she patted his shoulders. "Now relax for a bit, I'm going to go get some hot water, okay?" She gave his snout a gentle nuzzle before turning to the hose. Once a bucket was full, she grabbed a small pearly orb and dropped it in, heating the water up to a pleasant temperature. She tested it with her fingers, and when she was happy with it, she grabbed a sponge and dropped it in. No soap. Soap always made his scales itchy.

He leaned into her and nearly pushed her over, warm breath tickling at the frills that lined her neck and the back of her head, making her shudder in delight. She loved that sensation.

"Well alright then! Now, stand still for a bit, would you?" She patted him on the neck again as she sidled up next to his flank, hot sponge in hand. When she pressed it to his soft scales, he stiffened up and pointed his tail out directly behind, head aimed forward. He had been trained well. "Good boy. Now I'm going to give you a gentle scrub, okay?" She slid the sponge over his flank under his wing, rubbing gently when she felt some clump of dirt or hay or straw clinging to him.

The bath didn't take too long. She started at his neck, getting both sides of it before making her way down to his one side, paying special attention and care to the soft membrane of his folded wings. Once both sides were finished and clean, she wrapped her arms around the base of his tail and cleaned it right to the tip, careful to be gentle near his slit and rump. When she got to that area, he squatted down and lifted his tail for her.

Very well trained.

Once she was done the tail, she hopped up on him in a mounting position to clean his spine and the back of his neck. He was much taller than she was - at his hips he was already taller than she was standing straight up. The only reason she was able to get so close to his head and neck was because he was leaning over for her. When he stood straight up, he was easily twice her height, perhaps even more.

"Alright, that's just about it." She announced a she plucked at one of the feathers near his tail tip. When she was finished, she stepped back up to his head to grab his snout plates, scritching them under the cuticles in the way he liked. Just then, other riders and cavalry were coming in to prep their own mounts, so she grabbed the harness and guided him towards the back entrance of the stables.

He really was quite well trained. Applolonia didn't need to put him in a bridle, and she barely needed to command him to follow her, he just did it.

Once outside, she tapped his wing shoulders to make him lower them both, that way she could toss the saddle on his shoulders. He remained perfectly still as Appolonia tightened the straps and leathers. She was quite certain to be as gentle as she could, wrapping the leathers around his body, neck, and under his wings. A Long, thin strip went down his spine so that another strap could go around under the base of his tail.

Soon, he was fully equipped for war. He had armor covering his face and neck, a saddle on his back, and plates of blue and yellow covering his hips and belly. The only part of him that wasn't protected was his wings, which was needed for flight.

"Are you ready?" She asked, rubbing at his cheek. He offered a content huff before nuzzling into her. "Oh, don't be like that, you know we are fine. You're a big and strong draggie and I would never let you get hurt. Come on, I gotta get equipped as well." She turned to head back to her personal war tent and Styreks followed.

Most of the knights and soldiers were housed in collective tents with bedrolls on the ground, but she had her own personal area. As a front line Lancer, she got special treatment. After all, she was first to the field after the general and squad commanders, and last to leave when the fight was finished. She deserved that accommodation.

Within her tent was her armor and weapons, so she slipped inside with Styreks remaining outside waiting for her.

The battle was on the horizon. The Untherian army was scheduled to attack within an hour, and she needed to be ready. A special kind of dread dawned over her; not for her own safety or even for the victory of her allies. No, she was more worried about her mount. He was a feral beast; smart, sure, but still feral and unable to comprehend the situation he was in. She always felt bad about using them as beasts of burden, but it was either that or allow the Tehgolian Army to roll over their lands.

She stepped out of the skirt she wore and unbuttoned the sash, letting both fall to the ground between her feet, exposing herself fully. She brushed back the frills of her head and neck as she massaged her own shoulder. It was clear she was a little nervous, even if she didn't really want to admit it. After a few moments, she grabbed the leathers off one of her dummies so she could put them on. Protection for between her scales and the metal of her armor.

Before she could put it on, she heard the flap of her tent open, and in popped Styreks' head, cocked to the side and curious. She jumped at first, but quickly relaxed when she realized who it was. He was just looking out for her, of course. Her tail had been up high so she could step into the pants she wore, so she hiked it up again with little worry for who or what was watching.

War was war.

Appolonia hopped back and forth in the leathers until the belt band was around her waist. She tied it up over her tail to keep it in place before slipping the shirt on. Fully clothed, she put on her armor one piece at a time. First the bottoms, then the greaves, breastplate, and gauntlets. Finally, she put her helmet on and grabbed the belt that held her short sword, latching it to her waist. Before she left, she grabbed her spear and guided Styreks out of the room with her. "Come on, dear. Time to go."

As if scheduled, a young messenger reptile came through the camp, poking his head into each tent and declaring that the general was assembling his ranks. It was time to go.

"Are you ready?" Appolonia asked her mount, who in turn lowered his head in a bow, letting her climb up atop him. "Good. Well let's do this."

She hopped up onto his shoulders, wrapping her legs around his upper chest with her spear wedged along his side with the blade end sheathed in leather to ensure it didn't stab him in the neck.

Appolonia met up with hundreds of other soldiers, joining them all in a massive clearing in the forest. There, they sorted themselves into the various teams. Lancers, foot soldiers, archers, flyers, and mages. It was a formidable army to be a part of, and she was proud to protect her fellow saurossins and gryphons.

The dragon types were the lancers, foot soldiers, and half of the flyers. Gryphons, in turn, were mostly archers, mages, and the other flyers. Perfectly suited to their roles. Gryphons were better mages and had slightly better vision and aim, plus they were faster if they needed to move. Dragons, on the other end of the spectrum, were stronger, with better built in defenses in the form of thick, calloused scales. General Lost knew his way around forming an army.

A speech about honor and nobility helped to get the many knights in the spirits to fight for their fellow countrymen before they finally departed.

The many regiments of various fighters marched along the cleared jungle pathway with the military precision one would expect from an army en route to an ambush battle. Feet stomped in unison, weapons swinging in time with the beat, and the many lancers - Appolonia included - flanking the hundreds of soldiers since the large laurossin beasts weren't the best for military precision.

Half way to the fight, Styreks whimpered and looked back at Appolonia, wanting some more attention. For a reptile, he was quite affectionate. She laughed and rubbed under the armor of his scaled neck plates, assuring him of her respect and love. In battle, both had saved the lives of the other multiple times, so she loved him not only as a pet but as a war comrade.

Eventually, the parade of soldiers came to an opening at the other end of the jungle that lined the border between Untheria and Tehgol. First, the forest, then an open plain cut off by a wide, raging river with a series of bridges built across it. On the other side of the river, the Tehgolian encampment.

What happened next almost certainly confused the opposing forces, from a strategic standpoint. The smart thing to do, once the army fanned out, would be to quickly attack, taking advantage of the surprise they had. Instead, Commander Lost and the general had agreed that it would be uncouth to do such a thing. Rather than attack, the Commander went forward as a messenger to give the opposing army half an hour - fifty minutes - to prepare their army for a battle.

Polite. Dignified. Fair, while still establishing a strategic advantage. It was the way of the Untherians. In addition to the fair fifty minutes afforded the opposing forces, it was also deemed that, where possible, the Untherians were not to kill. Knock out, incapacitate, and scare into submission. The rules of war were clear on their side, even though it was not guaranteed that the others would follow in their stead.

Once Lost came back, the opposing camp was bustling with activity, with canines, felines, and avians all scrambling to equip themselves and prepare for battle. Luckily, it was a military outpost so they had access to their weapons.

Forty-five minutes later - after nearly half an hour of patiently waiting - The battle was ready to begin. On the southern bank of the Triquatic river, the Untherian army comprised of hundreds of saurossins of all shapes and sizes, as well as hundreds more gryphons. Bipeds, quadrupeds, male, female, it didn't matter. A soldier was an asset, and a soldier fought for their country.

Appolonia held her spear close to her side as the squads arranged themselves behind her in rows. Directly behind the aerial lancers were the foot soldiers, each standing shoulder to shoulder with shield raised and sword held in the groove to the side. Behind them, the archers, then the mages, then the quads that would be flying over the battlefield to rain down spears and magic.

Though she was on the eve of what could be a bloody, messy battle, the sun was high in the sky and the clouds scattered on the brim of the horizon. The gods smiled upon this battle, and that gave her hope. As the legend said, a sunny battlefield was the best, for the casualties would be low. Different weather patterns supposedly indicated different outlooks, such as how a rainy day indicated great loss.

The time had come; she was ready, with hope in her heart.

Commander Lost paced back and forth between Appolonia and Cygnovum, both of which were lancers. "Remember, Untheria. We are a nation of peace, but we shall not be insulted by the swine of the north. Crush them, defeat them, but we shall show mercy where it is due. Do your nation proud by showing your viciousness, but do yourself and your families honor by showing restraint. This will be our legacy. Now, RISE!" He raised a wing to the sky and shot a single bolt of lightning into the air, the ignition for the battle.

The opposing forces were not quite ready, but they had plenty of time to equip themselves, and now it was time to destroy them.

Appolonia dug her dewclaws into Styreks' sides, spurring him into battle. He kicked off the dirt of the riverbank and spread his wings, flapping hard to gain the lift needed to rise high above the battlefield. She gripped at her spear, keeping it close to her side as the wind whipped at her frills through the narrow slit of her fluted helmet. Up and up they climbed in the sky, spiraling to get as much altitude as they could before hearing the screech of one of the other lancer mounts, indicating they were high enough.

She tilted and guided Styreks over the river and down to the opposing front line, his wings spread far to catch as much of the updraft as they could. The thermals kept them buoyed as they glided forward, Appolonia yanking the leather sheath off the tip of the spear to expose its blade to the skies. When she was close enough, she leaned down to give her mount a gentle kiss on the back of the neck before tilting to the side to fall to the ground.

The skies seemed to part as a trail of sparks erupted from her lance head, charging the staff from one end to the other alongside her body. The tip of the blade was aiming down, the shaft of the weapon pressed close to her chest. When she landed, the static electricity that grew in her descent would be enough to stun and knock back dozens of enemies around her, and she was aiming directly at a gaggle of feline soldiers.

"And the gods will smite thee in the name of Untheria!" She shouted seconds before landing, flipping in midair to land on her feet with her pole-arm flattened out in front of her. As intended, a wave of sparks erupted in all directions, throwing each of the dozen men and women back into each other, the sparks catching in their metal armor to shock them into submission.

While her enemies were twitching and spasming in place, she hopped to her feet and brandished her weapon in both hands, swinging the blunt end towards the nearest canine's helmet. The impact instantly knocked him out, leaving him to fall on his face over one of the much smaller felines. Her form twisted and spun as she knocked out one after another, leaving a semi-circle of piled up metal, fur, and flesh before her.

The moment she was sure she was done with this group, she whistled through the slit in her helmet to call down Styreks, but was attacked by a wave of felines brandishing swords and shields. She was quite a bit larger than the tiny fighters, so she was able to grab her lance in both hands and barrel over the first few, knocking them onto their back beneath her feet. More leapt over the heap of their comrades at her, swinging sword and using their shields as weapons, bashing her on the arm, face, and chest.

She was ready to mount an offensive when she felt a sharp stab at her inner thigh. Looking down, she saw one of the first fighters between her legs, sword up and stabbed at the metal of her shin plate. The sword was strong and sharp, so a tiny bit of it actually punctured through and into her leg.

Distracted, she found herself heaped on by a half dozen feline warriors all striking her and knocking her back. One grabbed the end of her spear, rendering it useless in a fight. Appolonia tried to fight back by pushing and kicking, but they were still large enough compared to her that they could keep her from moving too fluidly.

Styreks was coming, he would help her before they impaled her.

As if on queue, a bellowing roar was heard above them and a dark shadow swiped by overhead, yanking two of the feline warriors off her, tossing them into the gaggle of enemies that were each handling the various waves of Untherian soldiers. Styreks tipped his wing and came back around, flapping high enough that only arrows would be able to reach him.

When he got to her, he barreled through her, knocking his shoulder into her chest and knocking her back, the impact rendering the felines unconscious. She rolled back onto her feet as she felt the laurossin's mighty jaw clamp down on her wrist. He jerked his head and tossed her back onto his shoulders without losing momentum, barreling through a few more enemies and leaping into the sky.

Again, she went with him to scale the skies, wings full of the warmth of the thermals while she worked hard to once again descend on the opposing armies.

While still in the air, she circled high above while waiting for the other lancers to join them. Down on the ground on the other side of the river, the Untherian archers lined up their shots and let loose a volley of arrows deep into the opposing ranks. Once that was over, the lancers let out a screech and repeated the process, diving to the ground with a static shock blast.

After a successful third wave of lancer attacks, she was back in the sky for a fourth, ready to dive deep in the enemy ranks and far away from her own allies. This time, however, she was caught off guard by a squadron of oarian battlemages. On one hand, it was about time they joined the fight. On the other hand, the hour or so of prior fighting where no aerial offense counteracted theirs made her think that the aerial squad wasn't going to be there for this fight.

The moment she saw the opposing warriors gliding towards her, she raised her staff as a rod to attract any attacks like a magic beacon, only to realize too late that they weren't planning on bolt-elemental attacks. Instead, they blasted a spray of cold mist towards her and the other lancers, coating her armor with a thin layer of ice, freezing her nearly immobile.

Though she was fine, Styreks was not as good for wear. His wings were immune to fire attacks and resistant to bolt, but weak to ice. He cried out as the subzero particles coated his wings and weighed him down. Before long, he lost the mobility needed to stay afloat and was quickly plummeting to the ground with Appolonia frozen to his back.

Together, they landed in the dirt with the ice coat shattering off them, leaving both dragons in a heap covered in water and mud. Appolonia groaned and struggled to her feet, idly grasping for her weapon as she looked up, readying herself for an attack. Luckily, the cold hadn't permeated their form or they would have shattered with it. Within seconds, the ice shards had begun to melt and she was struggling to stand on her two feet as the falcons and hawks of the opposing mage were screeching into a dive on top of her.

Unfortunately, the cold had sapped her energy, stealing much of her mobility and keeping her from responding when, in the sky above her, a series of blue and orange fireballs swirled behind the squadron of battlemages. They swooped by overhead and banked tight, leaving the fire to roar down onto her.

"'Lonia! No!" Styreks called out as he stumbled to his feet, pouncing forth and tackling Appolonia in one quick motion, covering her with a wing and holding her to the ground as the plume of blue and orange fire battered his body and melted the metal on his scales. She curled into a ball to protect herself, only to have Styreks hold her close to him with his wing. When the roar of the flame died down into nothing, he curled his form up around her while keeping the membrane of his wing blanketing her form. He remained protecting her from any further attacks.

Appolonia was shocked and confused. Had Styreks spoken to her? Was it her imagination or the effects of the cold on her mind? Of course it was an hallucination, there was no way her loyal steed could speak.

She was alone with her thoughts as her mount held his wing over her, the clanging and grunting of dozens of others fighting around them. She dared not move, for fear that she would be spotted and attacked. Her body was still numb from the ice that had coated her and seeped into her armor, but that wasn't what had her mind in a swirling spiral of emotion. No, it was Styreks. He had saved her life again, but this time he had spoken.

The more she replayed the heroic feat in her mind, the more clear it had been; it was not a fantasy or hallucination, her feral mount had spoken to her. All these years she knew him to be intelligent and capable, but never had he indicated any form of sentience. Had he done so, their relationship would have been much different.

The dragoness shifted under his wing to rub her snout to his, the cold metal of her helmet rubbing hard to the rough edges of his crimson plate-horns. She wanted to properly thank him, to show her appreciation, but with the two of them incapacitated in the heat of battle, she knew it was best to lie still and hope the Tehgolian army didn't participate in the barbaric practice of stepping through the bodies of the fallen to stab each one, ensuring their demise.

Hours passed as the battle raged on around them, slowly dying in time. The clashes of weapons grew weaker, and the grunts came farther apart. In time, it seemed the fighting had stopped. Cautious, she poked her head out from under the wing-blanket to see that the two sides were parting and the corpse-walkers were poking their way through the dead and injured, looking for soldiers who could return to their camp.

Appolonia's form had regained its feeling, the numbness having dissipated in the past hour or so. The nearest corpse-walker was a biped gryphon, so she tried to call out to him, her throat raspy and body still weak, but no sound came. Instead, she picked up a nearby rock and tossed it towards the avian, it landing on an enemy shield to make a loud, aggressive clanging.

The gryphon spun and saw Styreks' form, partially buried in dirt and mud with Appolonia's head poking out. He rushed towards the two of them and quickly helped to get her to her feet while Styreks rolled onto his side, blinking the dirt off his eyelids.

"Are you okay?" The gryphon asked, patting her down while she leaned against him.

"I'm fine, I'm more worried about my mount." She managed to whisper, body still weak by the ice and throat dry as a desert.

"Let's not worry about him, let's worry about you." The falcon countered, trying to guide her towards the nearest of the bridges to cross the river.

But Appolonia couldn't possibly abandon her loyal mount. She pulled away from the gryphon and fell back on Styreks' form, draping her arm over his neck as she tossed her helmet to the side. He weakly looked up at her and growled deeply. The gryphon shrugged and continued on his quest, prodding at the dead and injured to test and see if any others were alive and able to return.

"Th-thank you, 'Lonia." He gurgled, spitting up some blood.

A Lump formed in her throat that she struggled to swallow down. He was talking. He could talk. He was talking to her, and they may have been his last words. "No, no! You can't die!" She cried out, struggling against the rasp in her voice. She held her hands to his neck and hugged, desperate to hear another word from him.

After a brief moment of silence, he lifted his wing high and coughed again. "Don't you worry about me, 'Lon. I will be fine. Just give me...give me a few minutes more, okay?"

"I said no! That's what soldiers say as they lay dying. No, get up, we'll get you back to the healers!" She shifted her weight and forced her fingers under his neck and into the dirt, trying her best to get a grip so she could lift him up.

He shifted and pulled away. "It's fine, I'm not going to die; I promise. I heal. I can recover. Just, give me a few more minutes." He smiled up at her and offered a slow, deliberate blink, his irises growing in color and vibrancy as a teal mist started billowing out from the cracks in his armor.

"Wh-what is happening?" She gasped in between ragged breaths, backing off Styreks' form to get a better look at the ethereal cloud that was forming around him.

"I heal. Magic, like you." He assured her. A moment later, he shook his wing and rolled to his feet. He coughed blood again, but when he spat it was nothing but saliva. "See? I told you. I heal."

His speech was simple, but he was standing up straight - albeit wobbly - as he looked into Appolonia's eyes. She sniffled and rubbed her cheeks of the tears. She couldn't lose him, and evidently she wasn't going to. "Are you sure? Can you make it back to camp?"

"I can walk, yes. Cannot carry you, though." He coughed and laughed, smiling gently under the helmet that had partially melted and fused with his plate-horns.

In a fit of pure joy, Appolonia dove into him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She was near tears, but she couldn't have been happier. Her weight threw him off balance into a stumble, but he quickly regained his footing and the two of them staggered their way off the battlefield to return to their camp.

Most of the trip back to Appolonia's tent was quiet and awkward both for the dragoness and for the laurossin. Both were thoroughly fatigued from the freezing, but neither really knew what to say about the situation. Styreks was quiet - as he always was - but Appolonia didn't have the slightest clue what to say to a royal mount that was, until recently, a feral steed as opposed to a thinking, speaking companion.

When they finally arrived back to the camp, they saw the ademage healers doing their work, patching up the wounded and pacifying the dying. It was a somber sight for the two of them, but they had to shake it off as best they could. This was a war, this kind of aftermath was to be expected, and from what they could see and overhear, the casualties were quite low on both sides.

Their strength had mostly returned and she didn't need the aid of the healers, so Appolonia gave Styreks a gentle pat on the shoulder before nervously disappearing behind the line of tents to return to her own quarters. Her breaths were ragged and her heart was beating heavy in her chest, forcing her to pause and lean against one of the many trees that surrounded their camp.

"What have you gotten yourself into Appolonia?" She berated herself as she smacked the back of her head against the bark of the tree trunk. A gentle rustling nearby startled her into darting away and into her own tent. She didn't want to be bothered by anyone.

Once inside, she fell to her knees, leaning against her cot with head down and buried in her arm. She tossed her helmet to the side and started muttering to herself incoherently. "Styreks, sentient. He speaks? He speaks. What am I? What is he? Are we...could we? No. Yes. No, of course not, but what if...no, never. Maybe? Perhaps I should...yeah, I should. He speaks, I speak, to him." Her rambling carried on as she got back to her feet, gingerly disrobing from her fluted armor and setting the chest plate, greaves, gauntlets, and every other piece on the ground next to the mannequin that acted as her closet.

She noticed the tiny blood stain on the leathers of her thigh where she was stabbed, but dismissed it when she came to the realization it was inconsequential. Tiny little scale-deep wound, no worse than a child scraping themselves. She was about to disrobe from that when she heard a tapping at the flap of her tent's door.

"Busy." She called out, looking over her shoulder to make sure nobody burst in on her.

"My lady, I'm here to collect armor for repairs and cleaning, if you don't mind." It was one of the minuscule saurossins that helped out at the base, not Styreks or a general or anything like that.

"Come on in, but please be fast, I am quite tired after the battle and need to replenish myself." She invited as she squatted down to rest on her knees, back to the door.

He popped in through the flap and grabbed a piece of armor before taking it out to the cart he was pulling around. "Very well then." He acknowledged before coming back time and time again until her armor was completely gone. When he was finished, he zipped up her tent flap and rumbled the cart away to the blacksmith and the maidens for maintenance.

Though she had enjoyed the brief distraction, she foun dher mind once again drifting to her loyal mount. The speaking, sentient mount. Her confusion and discomfort slowly morphed into a low-key, seething anger. How dare he. How dare that dragon-kin betray her all these years. They rode into battle together, they nearly died together. He'd seen her naked and she didn't think twice about it. She regularly had to clean his undercarriage and she didn't think twice about it. Never once had she paused to second-guess her relationship with her steed, because it was never questioned.

But now...now everything she knew about Styreks had to be rethought, re-evaluated. For all she knew, the entire laurossin race was silently sentient without ever acknowledging it. They could have been silently infiltrating the saurossin culture!

Suddenly angry, she growled and hissed, violently tossing her leathers to the floor before grabbing a towel and hopping into some simple rags with a short skirt. She needed to get out of the camp, and she needed to clean. Appolonia was sweaty, dirty, and bloody, and she had personally requested solitude after a battle, and lancers generally got what they wanted.

She stormed out of the tent with her towel over her shoulder and disappeared into the woods, brushing ferns aside and kicking through bushes. There was no need to be silent. The jungle was not a dangerous place for a saurossin warrior, especially not one of Appolonia's stature and skill.

The dragoness knew of a hot spring near by, which would be a perfect place to relax and get away from it all. Serenity. Solitude. She needed to be alone to really contemplate what she wanted to do next. Could she even stay as a lancer with Styreks as her mount knowing what she now did? No, that wouldn't feel right, like slavery.

Slavery. Styreks wasn't a pet or a steed, he was a slave. She had been driving a slave into war, putting his life in danger time and time again and he never once pushed back. Was he of lower intelligence? Was he mimicking speech? No, nothing seemed to make sense. The only logical explanation was that he just recently acquired the ability to speak due to some sort of freak accident including magic. Yeah, that made sense. More sense than if he was willingly submissive his whole life and just didn't think to tell anyone that.

Yeah. That made sense.

Appolonia had mostly calmed down by the time she finally did make it to the billowing mist of cloud that surrounded the spring, but she still needed the comfort of its warmth. No matter what happened, the dragoness needed to clean her scales and to relax her muscles after that battle, short as it was for her. There was still a lingering tingling sensation in her extremities that needed to be rectified before she could properly think.

She parted the last fern to the side to expose the hot spring before her. It was small, about the size of a normal pool but not deep enough for her to be submerged. There was a small waterfall dribbling into it over a rock face on one end and a tiny little stream dribbling out to join the river at the other end, the two regulating the temperature.

"Finally. I can relax properly." She muttered to herself as she let her skirt fall to her ankles, also pulling the shirt up over her head and dropping it behind her with the towel crumpled up on the slate shores of the tiny spring. Of course, the dragoness needed to test the water, so she got down on one knee and dipped her fingertips below the surface, trailing them in an S-shape with a ripple following her motions.

After a brief moment of hesitation, she slipped into the water, gasping audibly as she submerged herself right to the neck. Under the water, her form glided to the other side close to the waterfall. To her surprise, the water that splashed into the spring was already pretty warm, which made her think the source might have been even hotter than the spring.

Almost instantly, her simmering rage dissipated into a mild malcontent. She still wasn't happy about Styreks' deception, but the more she felt her muscles and mind calming, the more she seemed to understand the situation. He was born into this life, not forced into it. Servitude was all he knew, at least as far as she knew. Maybe he liked it. Maybe he chose this.

Suddenly, a rustling in the trees nearby shook her from her gentle trance. Her eyes shot wide open and the frills of her head and neck stood on end as she turned to the source. Could have been a jungle cat or reptile. Could have been another of the soldiers looking for seclusion at the hot spring since she wasn't the only one who knew about it.

When a large teal and crimson head poked out between the ferns and trees, she was both shocked and relieved. It was, of course, her loyal mounted steed.

"Stryreks." She said, acknowledging his presence as she sunk deeper into the water, leaving only her chin and up above the water line. "I was just thinking about you."

He only closed his eyes and nodded. Once he realized she was actually naked under the water, he turned and looked away to maintain her modesty, head hidden behind a tree trunk.

She clicked in frustration as she rolled her eyes. "You really don't have to do that all of a sudden. You've seen me naked hundreds of times."

Styreks grumbled and slipped his head out from behind the tree to rest it down low on the slate rock next to the spring, his whole body laying flat on the ground. "I'm sorry, 'Lonia." Her apologized, a hint of sadness in his tone.

Her first instinct was to ask 'why are you sorry', but that was immediately quashed by the flood of memories about all the time he'd stuck his head in her tent while she was changing or the times he'd 'playfully' torn her clothes so he could get a look. She especially started fuming when she remembered the few times he'd slipped his snout up under her skirt and licked at her when she was in heat. At the time she played it off like it was just silly dragon-kin behaviour around estrus dragonesses, but now she knew that he was kind of just a perv.

"I really am sorry." He reiterated, as though he was responding to her thoughts.

"You should be, Styreks. All these years, all the battles, and you never once thought to tell me who or what you were? What is wrong with you?" Though she was still mostly submerged in hot spring water, she was finding her rage was returning. All the questions she had fronted to herself were bubbling up in her mind and she was ready to berate him with every one.

"I'm sorry." He apologized again, with a whimper.

"Yeah, you said that. So what do you have to say for yourself? Does anyone else know you an speak? How long have you been like this? Do you realize how disturbing it is to know that I've been..." She paused to gulp, finally feeling his remorse. It was hard to stay mad when he seemed so genuinely apologetic for his actions. Still, she continued - she had an image of steely resolve to maintain. "...I've been basically driving you as a slave. Treating you like a beast when you are not. Tell me, Styreks, what are you. Is that even your real name?"

He nodded slowly. "Yes, my name is Styreks. I have always been like this from a young age. Originally the pet of Master Ceylon, I have gone out into the world on my own, but...I never stopped being a pet. I like being cared for. I liked living my life in the service of others."

She sniffled a bit before asking for clarification. "So you're saying you lived life as a beast, because you liked people to care for you? This isn't cushy noble work in a castle, this is a war, and yet you still allowed yourself to be thrust into danger time and time again, all for what...glory? Steeds don't get glory, they get ignored once their usefulness has dried up; if they're lucky, you might get a few estrus dragon-kin to fool around with and impregnate. What could you possibly gain from-"

Styreks cut her off before she could finish her sentence. "I get you, 'Lonia. I get to be with you. I get to ride into battle with you, I get to know you care about me. I can tell that I'm more than just a steed to you."

That shut her right up. She had absolutely nothing to say at that moment. She wanted to respond to his accurate declaration of her affection and care for him, but her cold outer demeanour didn't allow her to show it. Instead, she just kept with her interrogation. "Then why would you go this whole time without telling me? Do you know how creepy it is to know that you've been watching me all these years? Have you been fantasizing about me? And seriously, why wouldn't you tell me?"

He shook his head and got back up onto his hind legs, wrings still folded tight to his flank as he slumped down, tail wrapped tight around a tree. "I don't like to speak because it does not come naturally to me. My maw and tongue are not properly equipped for proper speech. It is very exhausting to meticulously sound out every word for you. I always felt my actions were how I would show that I've sworn fealty to you, and I know you care about me as more than just a mounted steed. I'm not stupid, I can tell by the look in your eyes just how hard you're trying to pretend that isn't the case."

She gulped again, a soft whimper coming from deep in her chest. She did notice that he'd tastefully avoided answering the question of his more sensual, perverted nature, but she felt his words hit her deep in the heart. He was right, he knew he was right, and he was very confident in his delivery. That sort of self-assurance was incredibly appealing to her and melted her cold exterior pretty quickly. Still, she couldn't say anything against what he was saying.

"Now, I want to apologize for my silence, but you need to understand why I am as I am. I don't speak because I like serenity and solitude, the same as you do. I prefer being cared for, I prefer a life where my job is to be loyal and to care and protect the ones I love, and in turn I am cared for the ones who love me back. A pet's love is unconditional, sure, but I am not a pet. People assume me to be a feral beast, and therefore a pet, and I like it better because that means they pamper me and act as though my love were eternal and pure. It's not, usually, but when people think it is, they treat me the same. Do you know how that feels, to be cared for with the affection of true, uncompromised love?" He shuffled forward until he was looking down over the gently rippling water at his rider. "Do you?"

Appolonia had to do all she could to not disappear under the water and stay there for as long as her lungs would allow her to. Suddenly, the water seemed much colder than it actually was and she was shivering, nervous. "You know, Styreks, had you told me this sooner, I wouldn't have been angry. I doubt you knew this, but every time we go into a fight together, I actually am more worried about you than I am for anyone else, including myself. When we are marching to battle, my thoughts are of how I can protect you. Is that what you mean?"

"That's exactly what I mean. Though you may not be comfortable being in love with a beast in the traditional sense, a person loves their pet or steed in a way that is unlike that of a lover or family. It's a whole different type of affection, and that's exactly what I strive for. But tell me, does knowing my nature now change the way you feel about me? Would you still seek to protect me in battle? Would you still offer your loyalty to me as I have pledged mine to you?"

She started to answer, but realized before she spoke that what she had planned on saying wasn't entirely true. Her plan was to say, with utter sincerity, that she would and does in fact feel the same about him as she had every other day she'd been with him, but that wouldn't have been true. She saw him as a different person now, and that could never change.

"Exactly." He mumbled. "This is why I don't reveal my true nature. Now that you know I'm not who you thought I was, you can never, ever see me the same way. We can never go back to the relationship we had. Perhaps I should go, and leave you to enjoy your bath." He lowered his head and turned to leave, pushing the ferns to the side and slipping into the dense underbrush.

Appolonia paused for a moment while she decided what to do or say next. She could leave him to walk away, but then she might never see him again, and as a lancer she needed him. She wanted him. Sure, she could find another laurossin or gryphon to mount, but it wouldn't be the same. He was right, their relationship had changed, but that didn't have to mean it changed for the worst. He was still her mount, and she still her rider. That would never change and she couldn't even begin to imagine riding another.

Before his tail disappeared between the ferns, she called out to him. "Wait!"

He paused for a moment, lifting his head high while glancing over his shoulder.

"Don't go, Styreks. Please don't go, I want you here. I need you." She quickly lowered herself into the hot water of the springs as he turned to look back at her. Her cold exterior had been chipped and melted like chocolate, and she couldn't believe what she was about to propose to him. "You are right, we won't ever see each other in quite the same way, but that doesn't mean you're not an important part of my life. You are right, I do care for you, and I would be empty without you. I'm sure I can..." She trailed off as she gulped. "...I'm sure I can find a way to show you that I still care for you. Might not be in the same way a master cares for a pet, but I'm sure you've earned some affection from me. Affection I can share with you now that I know you're more than just a pet." The moment she finished, she averted her eyes to look down in the gently rippling spring water, the reflection of Styreks bounding in the waves.

"Are you sure about that? I am quite positive that, in the long run, that could never wor, 'Lonia. I can't have everyone knowing my true nature. To others, I will always be a mount. A Steed. A beast. Are you comfortable leaving me in the stables with the other horses and dragons? Can you live with yourself knowing that I'm in the cold while others are eating warm meals and enjoying the life of the warriors they are?" He stood tall over the spring, the mist of the waterfall moistening his scales.

She offered a meek smile before giggling a bit. "Well, actually, you steeds get better accommodations in the stables than most warriors do in the barracks, so no, I wouldn't feel that bad about knowing you're treated better than my allies." She sniffled and wiped her snout a bit before smiling again and finishing her thought. "And you know that once this war is over we'll both be returning to my homestead. What I do there is nobody's business. I'd be happy to commission an add on to the house for you, to ensure you get the warmth and comfort I do. We have plenty of time to work out the details, but for now, I'd be happy to be your rider." She offered only a solemn nod.

Styreks tried his best to remain stone-faced, but he also cracked a smile to her joke. "You are kind of right, they feed me well in the stables. Is it really that bad in the barracks? I've never been."

"Like hens in a coop. The worst." She laughed. "But, you know, I just can't imagine you in a stable anymore. I might not be able to keep you in my tent, but I might as well take advantage of our solitude here, now." She looked him directly in the eye as she stepped forward and into what could be seen as the shallow end of the pool, her upper torso emerging from the surface of the water to expose her glistening, azure breasts.

"What's on your mind, 'Lonia?" He asked, cocking his head to the side as he raised a single eye ridge.

She kept her gaze focused on him as she kept walking forward, the steaming hot water dribbling down over her scales. "You. I've spent all these years mounting you, I figure it's about a fair trade that you mount me. What do you say?"

"Seems like quite the change of tone from a minute ago, don't you think?" He scuttled backwards a bit to keep some distance, unsure of her true intentions. Suddenly, he was the one off balance and unsure of how to proceed. "'Lonia? Are you sure about this?"

The lithe dragoness kept walking towards him up the slate-steps of the bottom of the pool, exposing more of her body to him. Before long, she was at the rim of the hot spring, fully nude and dripping with the steamy water from the pool. "I am very sure. I've honestly been curious for years now, and now that I know that you are as I am and not a beast, I can indulge that curiosity. Tell me, Styreks, are you willing to vet my indulgence?"

"I-I....I'm not sure. I mean, the logistics and the biology, are we compatible?" He was fumbling with his foreclaws, backing away nervously.

Appolonia giggled a bit and smirked at his bashfulness. "After all this talk of elaborate subterfuge and love and affection and war, you're shy about the prospect of being with me? Color me surprised, but I have to ask you, have you not wanted to ravage me when I was in heat? I mean, you caught enough glances my way, and I seem to remember at least once you nosed up under my skirt to get a lick. At the time, I brushed it off as silly saurossin pheromones, but now I know better." She kept stepping in closer until she had backed him against the edge of the clearing, his tail covered in the ferns of the forest and flank pressed to a tree trunk.

"Of course I have wanted to, but it's not appropriate for a mount to...mount his rider. I'd be gelded and you know it." He was on the verge of stuttering, nervously glancing around as he wasn't sure how to respond.

"But nobody's here to see, are they?" She grabbed at his snout scales and yanked his head down to her chest level, pressing her breasts to either side of his muzzle while she reached up to caress his cheek and neck.

His eyes were close up and near hers, but the sudden physical affection seemed to calm him, as it usually did. Once she had her scales pressed to his, he took in a deep breath and relaxed as best he could. His hind legs shifted back and forth, trying their best to distract his slit from getting excited.

The dragoness smiled as she slipped around to his side, patting his neck, shoulders, and flank as she shuffled past him. She went up under his wings to give that area of him a proper bit of affection before tapping her fingers to his powerful hip muscles and the base of his tail. Instantly, the tail stuck straight out and the muscles tensed against her palm. "Don't be nervous, As it turns out we're both consenting adults. Come on, relax." She slapped his thigh a bit and sidestepped so that her palm was resting on the feathered spine at the base of his tail, which gently relaxed to the point the tip was resting on the ground.

"S-sorry 'Lonia. I just wasn't expecting this when I came to see you, is all." He took in a long, deep breath of his own and looked back over his shoulders and wings to see her all her frilled, soaking wet beauty.

"It's fine, I understand. I wasn't expecting this either. Just go with it, mmkay?" She shuddered as she took in a breath, holding it in as she slipped her hand under his tail and between his legs. He stiffened up again as her fingers found the ridged scales of his sheath, making her use her other hand to smack him gently on the rump again. "I said relax, it's fine. Enjoy this." She commanded, still cradling the bulging flesh of his inner pelvis.

There was a soft, scraping sound as Styreks curled his toes on the mossy rock beneath him, tail curling at the tip as he shuffled from hind talon to hind talon, slowly spreading his legs to give her better access to his under-carriage. A deep rumble reverberated through his chest as he enjoyed one deep breath after an other.

"Do you like that?" Appolonia asked as she pushed up on his sheathe, feeling around on his belly until she found the hard shaft buried within. The opening of his slit was moist and slick with his excitement, which she used to lube her fingers up. "Yeah, you like that." She giggled before curling her arm so that she could slip her whole hand up into him, noisily rummaging around within his slit to find his member and pull it out in a glorious, dripping mess.

Her hand was absolutely soaked with his fluids, dribbling down the underside of her scaled arm and landing in a puddle between his legs, his member thick and throbbing in her hand. She couldn't even come close to wrapping her thumb and middle finger around its ridge length.

Styreks grunted and bucked his hips, the motion pulling his member from her palm in one fluid motion. Once he realized that was what he did, he whimpered and looked back with an apologetic sadness. "S-sorry again, 'Lonia."

She smiled and playfully bit him on his rump scales as she reached back down between his leg to caress and cradle the underside of his exposed member. She pressed her chest to his thigh and looked up past his wings, asking him an oddly out-of-place question considering the genitals she had in her hand. "Why do you call me 'Lonia? I'm Appolonia." She gave he member a gentle squeeze, a single finger teasing the tapered tip and curling around it.

His form twitched again as he grunted, interrupting his train of thought. "The 'P' sounds are quite hard to make with li-lips like mine, and four syllables is a lot. It's just easier this way." He squeezed and grunted again, bucking against her grip, a thick strand of precum erupting from his member to splash and web out against her finger.

Appolonia nodded in understanding before shifting her form a bit so that she was nestled up under his wing, other hand curling around his front to cradle his cock from that direction. Rather than go from under his tail, she was now partially under his belly. She seriously considered using her lubed up hand to massage his rump, but she wasn't sure if she was into that and didn't want to presume anything on what could effectively be called their first soiree.

Though she wanted to crouch down to one knee, she couldn't do that because he was too tall; if she knelt, his member would be too high for her to taste and her best bet would be to open her maw and hope for a dribble of his essence. No, that would not do. If she was going to properly thank him for his years of protection and unconditional affection, she was going to thank him properly!

She bent over and cradled his member in both hands, one near the base and wrapped around his throbbing knot, the other closer to the tip so that her fingers could tickle at the nubs that lined it. She squeezed and stroked gently, massaging every bit of flesh he had, tugging and tickling the underside intermittently before bending over to wrap her lips around the very end of it, suckling gently.

"Hmm..." Styreks began to whimper and beg as he struggled against his own instinct to buck his hips. His claws were still curling and scraping at the rock as his tail kept high and his wings slowly spread out on either side of him. He was biting his lip and tensing his pelvic muscles to control his member as best he could, only to have her squeeze tighter and hold it in place. "'L-lonia?" He squeaked out.

"Hm?" She kept her lips to his tip and closed her eyes, focusing on the scent and taste of it. Of course, it was quite bitter, but he smelled surprisingly nice! Like pears and cooked meat. He was a carnivore, after all. Her tongue prodded out along the underside of it as she bobbed her head, forcing more of his length into her maw.

He tried to buck again, but she stopped him by spitting his member out and licking her lips clean. "I have a better idea if you want to do that." She interjected as she slipped out from under him and back to his hips. "On your back!" She commanded.

Once again, he whimpered and glanced back over his shoulder before doing as he was told. If he was to be her pet, he would have to act like it. In one fluid motion, he curled his wings back up against his side and landed on his back with a deep thud. He kept rolling until he was completely on his back with one leg up and resting against a tree trunk with both wings flat against the ground for balance. "Like this, master?"

She giggled a bit before lifting one leg over his tail to straddle him. "I am not your master, dear, but today I am your mount." She pressed her nether lips to the underside of the base of his tail as she leaned forward, pressing her snout to the bulbs of his knot, licking and caressing them with affection. He tried bucking again, but that just pushed hist tail up against her sex and that further excited her.

"Brace yourself." She warned as she shifted and climbed up his body, her feet pressed out against either of his inner thighs and her lady lips against the moist, soft scales of his belly. She smiled as she looked down over his chest to see him with he head laid back and front talons folded up over his body, still shy. Her hand explored out behind him under her tail to find his member, which was quite massive compared to her.

Luckily, saurossin flesh was quite stretchy and her hip bones were quite wide, so she had no worries about fitting it properly. She aimed the tip of it to her soft sex and leaned back onto it, feeling it part her lips and plunge into her with ease. His fluids mixed with hers and kept her nether region properly lubricated as she rocked back and forth. Her tail reached back to curl around his for stability as she felt his hips twitching, ready to buck and force his length deeper into her.

The dragoness swayed her hips back and forth as she pushed back against him to feel his ridged length pop into her one rung at a time. Her muscles twitched and squeezed in pleasure as her own toes curled tight against his scales, her hands on his chest for balance. She threw her head back as she started bouncing up and down on him, feeling his hot throbbing flesh pull out of her and force its way back in with a series of wet, juicy slaps.

His un-inflated knot kept pressing to her inner thighs, but there was no way it was going to fit. Not today, anyway. She kept forcing her body down against his until she felt his knot suddenly swell against her lips, forcing her legs apart as the length of his shaft grew defined and the ridges splayed out inside her, holding her in place. A sudden heat erupted into her as he bucked his hips and kept his back arched up, claws writhing in pleasure and talons curled around the air.

She pressed her hand to her belly to feel the pressure of his seed splashing against her sex, gurgling around inside her before slipping out next to his knot and messing up his sheath. She giggled a bit and smiled a broad grin as she looked down at his goofy looking expression. Again, she pushed her hips down onto his length and squeezed her pelvic muscles to pleasure him, but it was clear he was done. He wasn't pushing back, and the flow of hot cum was soaking between them and leaking out through her sex in tiny spurts every time she moved.

"Thatta boy." She cooed at him, gently patting him on the chest, coaxing a wag from his tail and a rocking beneath her that nearly threw her off her mount. His thick member stayed inside her but was shrinking every second, threatening to pop out and disappear into his sheath. She didn't mind the thought of that; as far as she was concerned she was saving his goods for later. There would certainly be a later.

"M-master?" Styreks chirped as he looked up with a wavering glance, neck too weak and exhausted from pleasure to keep it up. "I'm sorry I....finished already."

She smiled and rolled her eyes a bit. "You did fine, dear, it's not about that. Stamina comes in time, just enjoy this for now, okay?" She leaned her breasts to his belly and wrapped her arms around his torso as best she could, frills standing out at full stance as his member sucked itself out of her with a wet plopping sound followed by a gush of his seed. "Don't worry, now that I know who and what you are, I can assure you we will have fun again, but please stop calling me master." She sighed and nuzzled into his belly scales.

"Thank you for understanding, 'Lonia. I was really worried that you wouldn't be so kind. But when I saw that fireball about to hit you, it just kind of came out."

"Shhhh. That doesn't matter now, dear. Let's just enjoy the afterglow." Her smile wouldn't fade for as long as the two of them lay next to the springs together, and she didn't want to ruin the bliss by cleaning herself of the seed he'd offered her. Not yet, anyway.

Styreks was certainly right - she could never see him quite the same way again - but in a way she was also happy to be able to express her love for him in a way more intimate than giving him a warm sponge bath. The only problem would be maintaining that relationship when in the presence of others if nobody else could know he was more than a beast.

More than a beast. So much more.