19

A storm begins to brew.

Grey Main embarrassed beyond reason only gives him a yes. Feeling none of the excitement that Slyfer is.

The leather ropes start to tighten as Slyfer leans forward some of them actually stretch making creaking noises as they do.

Old Sun observes all this very closely his eyes growing wider and wider.

The weight is almost unbearable to Slyfer. He can feel his bones creak under the stress his muscles feel like they are taring to pieces. Popping sounds can be heard if you stand close enough to him. The pain is unbearable. The “gift “ that the wight dragon gave him starts to work as soon as this happens, healing rapidly as soon as they tare, they regrow making Slyfer feel like there are snakes under his skin.

Seering, burning, snakes! The popping and taring lessens as they grow stronger every-time they restore themselves. Soon the pain is gone and Slyfer can feel the wagon start to move. This is nothing compared to the boulders he threw that day. His strength then was mainly fueled by magic. He made a promise to himself only to use his body for the sake of exercise!

Old Sun can not believe his eyes as the wagon moves first slowly like a turtle inching forward. The wolves yelp in excitement as they encouraged the crazy two leg. The other elves who were laughing before now felt a very real sense of fear.

The king hears the commotion in his wagon that had been made into a very comfortable room using tents and furs. Fira had spent the entire day with him along with Pathfinder. They also grow curious at the commotion.

The guard outside wide eyed and not sure what else couldn’t help but basically scream at the King in excitement. “Its Slyfer my King! He is pulling a wagon loaded with injured wolves!”

The king unbelieving swears at the elf. “Pathfinder take a look.” The prince gets up giving the now dispirited guard a withering stare. But as soon as he leans outside he turns around with the same expression the guard had. “Father its true he is doing it!”

Then they hear the wolves howl in encouragement as the wagon picks up speed once again. Slyfer's muscles start taring again as he exerts even more strength! Trisha wide eyed cant help but get caught up in the excitement and she also starts cheering completely forgetting their deal. “Move you Beast! Move!”

Rumble rumble rumble. The wagon moves faster with every step. Every step that is accompanied with pain and suffering like Slyfer has never felt before. “Why, Why did I get this stupid idea! Stupid, stupid, stupid! Maybe I should give up, maybe this is too much for me.”

“Young one now you want to give up! You’re a dragon! You made the decision, now stick to it! You are Slyfer you are the chosen move those muscles move!" No creature has more pride than a dragon and these old ones will not let this hatch-ling give up so easily. “I cant, I cant!”

Slyfer stops, the cheering dies down. “Young one if you don’t move now we will all hum the most irritating song you have ever heard!” Another voice piped in. “I will start to explain the smell and send you images of every poop I ever had in my life! I lived about seven thousand years by the way.”

The dragons make all kinds of threats and promises that make Slyfer’s skin crawl with horror. A rare female voice suddenly speaks up making all the males quiet. “

Hatch-ling do you know what woman love the most?” Slyfer perks his ears at this. “No great one?”

“A reliable strong hatch-mate one that keeps to his word and has muscles beyond any others besides if you finish the challenge. I will teach you all about females.” The attractive alluring dragon voice giggles afterwards.

Slyfer feels the fire burn once again his will turns to steel giving him strength.

To the outside it looked like he had given up hunched over and breathing hard. He suddenly straightens and pulls again. “Hah!” a step. “Hah!” another step “Haah!” a huge step.

Everyone starts encouraging him again. Untill……

“Breaaasts!” With his……. war cry he starts to speed up with every step he takes until it turns into a jog. Grey Main sends him a message mentally. “Not too fast remember the wounded!”

Slyfer stays at the speed of a comfortable jog moving carefully around any obstacles. His face is flushed red from the exertion. He can feel the skin on his shoulders were torn to shreds but they heal quickly leaving him with a sticky feeling of the blood within the harness. He keeps going motivated beyond compare. The rest soon catch up and join him at the same pace.

Old Sun still in a daze is the first to catch up. He can’t tare his gaze away from the ground. On it he can see footprints in the ground so deep that it would have reached his shin if he were to step into it. Footprints belonging to none other than Slyfer!

Slyfer discovered, this day what most men discover early in their lives. The need to impress and gain a woman’s favor. What can drive a man more then those two things? What can give him more strength! Even in nature males compete and show off to get a mate it is a male’s bassist instinct engraved into his bones and blood vessels. How many great men were made by women! How many were destroyed by them! One needs to only look at this to see the truth of it.

Slyfer’s discovery of this changes his way of looking at the world again. What most boys discover at a young age he now discovered and it drove him on. He wants to know about these wonderful creatures that could so easily influence others he wants to know what it feels like to kiss, to love! He basically discovered what happens to most at puberty. Having been on the floating island and never seeing any other people had delayed this discovery. He is now becoming a man!

Time passes and the sun sinks past the horizon causing streaks of light ranging from orange to pink to form on the clouds in the distance. Old Sun calls for the group to stop since it will be too dark to travel soon. As they all slow down only one does not…. Slyfer having pushed himself the whole day in a mindless state. Anyone that has ever run a long distance will know about this.

It is that state that you reach where your mind completely shuts down and all your energy is used to push your body ever forward past its breaking point! Trisha is the first to see he is not stopping so she spurs her mount after him. “Slyfer! Slyfer stop its over you can rest now!” Gey Main starts to shout as well. The two of them finally reach him and he starts to slow down while Grey main brakes gingerly trying not to aggravate the wounds of his fellow injured wolves.

They finally come to halt and Slyfer is on the verge of collapse but keeps himself standing with sheer will. Trisha dismounts and just as she does Fira also appears! Slyfer starts to pull at the harness weakly. “Get…. Huff huff This Huff huff thing off of me!” The two quickly approach and start to untie the harness and as they do they give each other complicated looks that says it all: He is mine!

Slyfer oblivious to this only wants the harness off. He finally feels it loosening and the weight lifts from his shoulders. Trisha and Fira gasp at the same time. The leather pants Slyfer had been wearing is completely destroyed from the knee down. His shoulders are covered in dried blood the leather armor in tatters almost unrecognizable for what it once was. Even more surprising is that Slyfer is pulling down his pants!

It feels like a dam wall breaks inside him.It starts as a trickle but soon grows. “Yes! Sky Mother this feels so good!” A string of water is shooting out in-front of him, he is obviously relieving himself having kept it in for almost half a day its sheer pleasure runs through his body causing goosebumps. Trisha and Fira behind him panic not knowing what tot do, they flounder around! He could be injured but he is totally enjoying the long awaited release! They quickly turn from him but still, steel glances at his white cheeks that are now so proudly on display!

He soon finishes and pulls up his pants nearly falling on his face as he does out of exhaustion. He turns around and tries to take a step but he collapses into the arms of the two girls. They both catch him each one getting under an arm. Old Sun finally arrives along with Pathfinder and a few other riders. Seeing the state of Slyfer he gets a pang of guilt that stabs at his heart. “Maybe if I had not made the bet he would not have pushed it so far.”

“Call for a healer!” A rider speeds off to do as he was bid. Old Sun dismounts while ordering the girls to softly put him down. Pathfinder also approaches his eyes shooting daggers at Trisha as he sees her caring actions pointed at Slyfer. Jealousy grows in him but he pushes it down. They don’t wait long before Lady Nirn herself arrives. “Step back, step back, give me some room! Fira give me light!” Fira conjures a fireball and it casts light on Slyfer making everyone suck in their breath at the site of the blood and leather armor.

Grey Main on the wagon cant help but feel his respect for the crazy two leg grow with every second. “What he is doing for my pack has never been done by anyone before.” A female that is lying close to him also gets a look at the crazy two-leg who had fought for them to get better healing, then helped with the healing himself and to top it off he dragged them behind him until he was in such a state even the others could smell the blood all during the day as he ran with them. Slowly their respect had grown beyond what they had ever felt.

“Why does he do it Grey wolf. I don’t understand, we have never really done anything for him,so why.” Grey Main turns his head to her. “I think he is trying to prove a point to the other two legs.” She looks at him confused. Grey main thinks for a while. “Can you imagine if every dark elf treated as the same as him. If we all lived, as equals, as friends. How much stronger would we not be? How many less of us will die after each fight. We, the wolves have lost our pride and purpose we have become complacent with our circumstances! This gave those dirty dogs of the Spear clan the chance to do what they did!”

“Slyfer is showing us what can be! What we must stand for. He is showing us his pride. I for one will no longer lay down while my people suffer. It is time for the wolves to rise again. But this two leg.” His head turns back to Slyfer. “This two leg is my brother, he is part of my pack!”

Slyfer is still on the ground in blissful sleep. Nirn is crouched over him probing and feeling his body. She suddenly stops and for first time in his life, since Old Sun has known the healer she lets out a swearword. “What, what is it? Is it bad? Will the boy be okay?” She mumbles something her face a mask of disbelief. “What did you say lady Nirn, whats wrong?”

She feels around his body again, stops then turns to everyone. “The boy has no wounds, He is simply just exhausted!”

Old Sun takes a step back and looks at her for any sighs that she may be lying. “But what about the blood! Its all over him look at the state of the leather armor what you are saying is impossible!” She nods. “I completely agree this is impossible but yet here he is and there are no wounds.” She bends down again taking out a small knife and makes a cut on his arm. Slyfer does not even move. “What are you doing!” Says Trisha jumping forward her eyes threatening.

“Calm down girl, look.” The cut she made disappears within a few seconds! Old Sun swears. Pathfinder takes a step back not knowing what to do. The healer makes another cut this time she holds a vial to catch some blood before the wound closes again. Trisha is still staring at her with a venomous gaze but Fira is keeping her back.

Lady Nirn stands up again. “Take the boy to my tent I will wash him and put him to rest.” Trisha steps forward shaking Fira off. This boy had accepted her the way she is. There is no way she is going to leave him alone in a woman’s tent that just cut him twice. “I will accompany him.” The look in the young girl’s eyes along with the clenching fists at her side tell Nirn there is no room for argument. Pathfinder wants to say something but he too sees the look.

Fira makes the same statement but her brother grabs her arm and drags her away. Old Sun watches all this in amusement.

“What does he have that I don’t! What makes her completely oblivious to my advances and dote on him so much!” Pathfinder is angry his jealousy getting the better of him. In his heart he has always thought himself special above others due to his power and the wolves. Fira’s face is pulled into a grimace as pain shoots through her arm. “Pathfinder you are hurting me, let go!” Its as if he doesn’t hear her, he doesn’t want to, he doesn’t care!

He finally rounds on her when they are a fare distance away from the rest. “I will not let go. You were supposed to make him yours, to use him! For us to grow in power not the other way around!” Fira rips her arm out of his grasp and starts to rub where his hand has left a red mark. “Things have changed! At first I wanted to use him, but now I…” He smirks, disgust on his face. “Now you throw yourself at him like the little slut you are! Is that it has the beast gotten his claws into you. Tell me sister has he already fuc-“ A resounding slap on his face stops him.

“How dare you!” Fira cant help but to start crying at her brothers accusations. “Just because you cant get your way with Trisha does not give you the right to act like this!” His face goes even uglier then he starts to laugh. “Sister you better enjoy what little time you have with him. Because I will get the duel with him and then I am going to kill him in-front of everyone! All of you will see that I am better then him!”

Fira can’t believe what she just heard, she doesn’t know what to say. It feels like her heart is breaking. They had been together since she can remember inseparable, they had fights in the past of course but this was different. She wants to say something make things better, change his mind, anything! But she just cant think of anything to say.

With a last glance at her as if he is looking at dirt he walks away heading to his tent.

The next morning Slyfer wakes up to see a pretty face next to his. Trisha is lying curled up in a ball almost right against him her tail as if it has a life of its own is swishing around behind her lazily. Her nose twitches twice and she yawns. Slyfer can’t help but think. “How cute!” Not wanting to wake her up he lithely exits the tent after putting on some clothes he found next to the make-shift bed.

The clothes don’t fit though and they feel too tight. Ignoring the discomfort he heads over to go and check on the wounded wolves. To his surprise healers are already busy checking on them. With a smile and his hands on his hips he takes in the situation. The dainty small lady elf soon sees him standing there with a stupid smile on his face. Looking at it she cant help but smile with him as she feels a pang of satisfaction in her heart. She had looked at the wolves with scorn. Her mother was one of those that disappeared before the war. It had made her resent them but she knew they needed the wolves or they would not have been able to come this far.

When Slyfer had said the things he did yesterday. She felt angry at him. “What does he know! He wasn’t there. He didn’t fight with us he didn’t see….. how my people died.” But as she saw him pulling the wagon and suffering in the process she also noticed the change in the wolves. They looked at him with respect something they never really did to any other two legs, they listened, followed orders but never would they show such respect. It made her think. “What if we had helped each other like that before the war? What if they had the same respect that they show Slyfer for us.”

These thoughts spurred her on to do what she is doing now and she was not the only one that was affected in this way. Others also joined her. Some riders started to treat their mounts better talking to them as equals and not merely as things. There were still others of course that thought they were stupid for doing this. Wolves were wolves mere beasts to be used.

As she treated the wolves she also saw how they were changing towards her. They communicated more and she found that they are definitely, intelligent beings that feels pain just like she does. Think like she does everything they needed or yearned for was similar. Of course there are differences in the type of needs but still the same. It wasn’t long before she started enjoying looking after them.

Slyfer still with his stupid satisfied smile starts to help without a word. Partly because he doesn’t have the heart to break the peace that seems to hang in the air and partly because he thinks the dainty elf hates him! Its not long before they finish and they receive word its time to move out. Old Sun brings over wolves and is busy arranging for them to get hitched.

Slyfer walks over. “What are you doing Old man?” Old Sun frowns at what Slyfer calls him but shrugs it off. Some dark elves will be walking today because we need to transport the injured wolves.” Slyfer shakes his head smiling. “Its not necessary I will pull them.” Old Sun puts his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “You don’t have to you have already made your point.”

Slyfer is adamant. “Its necessary, I will pull them.” Old Sun shakes his head in defeat but cant help asking. “Why?” Slyfer smiles. “Is it not obvious? I want to be stronger!” Old Sun does not know if he should laugh or cry. “Are you not strong enough?” Slyfers face turns somber. “I nearly died saving the King. In order to protect my friends and allies I need strength and not only do I need strength I also need control!” He says this while clenching his fist. “If I don’t have control.” He looks up into the old man’s face. “Everything will die.”

Old Sun doesn’t know what to say but Slyfer doesn’t wait for a reply and starts strapping on the harness still whet from being rinsed to get rid of the blood that was stuck to it. Trisha just then wakes up and to finds Slyfer is gone. She also hears the horn to start packing up and she does.

By the time she finishes everyone else are done as well. A crowd has gathered and when she sees why, anger rushes through her. “Slyfer what are you doing! Take that thing off.” She shouts at him fist clenched her tail standing straight. Slyfer only gives her his best smile. “Kitty Cat did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed shouting this early, sheesh.” The smile and the mention of the bed stops her but not for long. “Don’t you realize what state you were in yesterday? And you promised not to call me that again!” Slyfer leans forward also moving the wagon a little as he does. He almost whispers to her. “You broke the promise first. But its okay since last night in your sleep you where whispering “beast” so sweetly in my ear!” “Did I say that correct great one? Will it work?”

“Just watch hatch-ling.” Says the sexy female dragon voice in his mind. She had given him the lines to say! Trisha gets goosebumps from her little toe to the crown of her head almost exploding with red. “I didn’t…. I couldn’t have, uuuuurggghh! Fine, do as you want!” She stomps her foot and leaves.

“Now she is angry at me!” “Calm down, calm down its all part of the plan.”

They traveled all through the day the rolling hills and seas of grass soon made Slyfer return to the same state of mind that he had the previous night it is still hard on him and the pain was still there but it had turned into a dull ache instead of excruciating mind crippling pain. In his mind the female dragon droned on and on about relationships and the mating rituals of most creatures that could be found in this world. He was surprised to find out that Dragons had a mating season as do most creatures. It made him worry! Upon hearing about it he felt his heart clench like when he heard about pellets!

Missing a step and nearly tripping and falling on his face, he asks. “Will the same thing happen to me?” The female dragon is quiet for a while before she answers. “We do not know like we have said before, you are the first of your kind.” Slyfer is once again irritated with the mystery surrounding himself. “How do you know all these things old one?” the dragon replies with a bit of anger. “Don’t ever call a lady old!.... It was my job to know. I am a rare type of dragon, charmers they called us. I never had to fight or hunt a day in my life. If I wanted something dead I would just charm it into killing itself.” Slyfer shudders at the thought.

“Are there other creatures that can use these powers?” She giggles at his reaction. “Yes there are plenty varying in power most have been wiped out by the betrayer though, others were made his slaves probably to serve as spies. There is even another great beast that has the power to charm its opponents.” Before Slyfer gets the chance to ask she already gives an answer. “It’s the great fox. They are born with the talent and can use it at will. Someone skilled in life magic can also learn the skill even if not well enough to charm someone they can learn to protect themselves from it.”

Slyfer tries to imagine how that would work old white said magic was life force energy so how would you use it to charm someone? He decides to pose the question if he ever sees the dragon again.

When they stop for the night Slyfer is once again too tired to stand. He manages to make it to the tent that serves the food. Hunger, driving him there. As he sits down Trisha joins and starts to talk about a strange bird she had seen during the day. He half listens giving grunts now and then too tired to be say much else.

Fira enters and spots the two sitting together she smiles and starts heading their way but suddenly stops as if remembering something. Her smile turns into a sad look as she gets food and then disappears towards her father's tent.

Slyfer couldn’t help but notice her reaction and the female dragon agreed something is very wrong when he asked her.

Pathfinder is sitting right behind them and that is what had driven her away. Slyfer did not know this. Pathfinder is sitting chomping at his food hacking at it as he cut it his eyes never leaving Slyfer. Hate was starting to fill his heart and the voices inside him were starting to change without him even realizing……..

In the distance lightning struck and clouds darker then the night loomed a great storm was approaching!

Another one of those boring chapters but a needed one to show character growth as well as set up the next side plot. My book outline already looks like a nest with criss crosses and snakes and who knows what else.

Also I have started working again so I don't have as much time to write. I will still be posting at least two chapters a day unless it is one that requires a looooot of work.

Hope you guys enjoy the chappie!