Dragons Till The End

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catalyst

catalyst

yours truly
Original poster
LURKER MEMBER
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Posting Speed
  1. 1-3 posts per day
  2. 1-3 posts per week
  3. Slow As Molasses
Online Availability
weekends for sure, weekdays vary
Writing Levels
  1. Advanced
  2. Adaptable
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Male
  2. Female
  3. Nonbinary
Genres
Romance, fantasy (high, modern, medieval, whatevs), modern, darker themes, slice-of-life, fandom, adventure, etc. I'm pretty much open to anything so just throw any plot ideas you may have my way.
Onawa was resting on a shadowy cliff side of the Skysth Canyon, snoozing as she snored very softly, the grumbling to be heard from only those with keen hearing and within close radius. It was hot and bright as the sun was at its highest peak, but it wasn't so bad as the Asham River was only down below. If the earth dragon's temperature raised too much, she could simply take a dip.

She was also camouflaged perfectly to the Canyon's rocky terrain. She was planning to doze for another hour or so, but she knew at least most of the routes the dragon hunters used in the canyon and so she had to be extra careful. Lately, there hadn't been any activity, but it was foolish and naive not to be careful.

The official war between the dragons and the dragon hunters was relatively new as the hunters were actually joining forces, but dragons had always been hunted for as long as either side existed. Onawa as just upset with the fact that the hunters let their hate blind them.

True, a lot of dragons were rather bitter, angry, and... well, evil, towards the humans. But most were like any other beast: they needed their own territory, their own space and solitude, and if you didn't bother them, then they wouldn't bother you.

That basically described Onawa. If humans were tolerant of her dragon self, she would show them. If not, then she usually went into the city of Asham in her human form.
 
Albion had just transformed back to human out of exhaustion, collapsed on the ground. His body couldn't handle the strain the hunters put on him in his dragon form anymore. He struggled to stay conscious in order to fulfill their orders until they were finished with him.

Most of the men around him yelled for Albion to get up and "go back to his beastly self" so he could bless them with water, transportation... something. It was hard for him to concentrate on their words right, but de pushed himself to get back up. Albion struggled getting on all fours, then eventually staggering to his feet and shakily standing. Was all this worth not dying?

He felt someone grab him by his hair and jerk him backward like a child's toy.

"You have one last deed before resting for the day, halfbreed." A harsh, gruff voice yelled in his face. "Go find us another slave. You know your kind!" Whoever had him suddenly tossed him into the ground. "Go, beast!" He received a few kicks as incentive to get moving.

Albion mustered the last droplets of his strength and forced himself to transform. Pain surged through his body and a weak roar ripped from the depths of it. Transforming into a water dragon was supposed to feel relieving, not like hell. Albion dragged his body and managed a few sloppy beats of his wings to get him into the air. He aimed for the cliff on the other side of the canyon, in hopes of finding a body of water to melt into. And a dragon if he was lucky.
 
(( Assuming he has blue scales, but I can edit if not ))

There was something - no, someone else's scent in the air...

The earth dragon's brown eyes peeked open, and not very long after she heard the sound of wings flapping. Who was here in her territory? Was it a mount and its hunter? Or was it just a dragon seeking a new place to call home?

Shifting just slightly, she turned her head to see what the situation called for and found herself catching sight a body of blue scales.

A water dragon?

Cocking her head to the side and narrowing her eyes, she watched as he flew towards the riverbank down below. He looked rather weak, however, and exhausted. Was he being chased by hunters? Or was he just another that had already been caught? Either way, Onawa knew she couldn't rest any longer. Scaling down the cliff side while keeping herself camouflaged, she peered over to him at a safe distance.

"Are you seeking refuge?" She called out in his mind, using the mental connection all dragons had.
 
((Sorry, I was going to make a CS for him but forgot. >__<; Yes he is blue ))

Albion crashed down next to the riverbank that was just beyond his reach. He panted heavily, as he looked with yearning eyes at the water that was so close but just far enough to torment him.

As his eyes closed he heard a voice. A woman's voice. A voice that was distant yet close and not at all like a hunter's. His mind was running too slow to process that the voice wasn't outspoken but he replied.

"I would like to... But if only for a moment... I'm not sure if I will last much longer..." He thought for sure that whoever it was who addressed him would never hear his reply since his lips never parted and his voice did not rise.
 
(( It's okay ))

This couldn't be a trick. Onawa carefully let go of the cliff and glided down near the water dragon. She looked over the male quickly, assessing him, before gently yet firmly grabbing onto him and dragging him to the river bank. "Drink now. And hurry - I'm not sure if there are hunters around, and we want to get to cover."
 
As soon as his mouth touched the water, it parted and he lapped up as much as he could until he stuck his head into the water. By now he was taking gulps big gulps, and eventually started breathing it. He slithered his body into the river bank, over flowing it but then took it into his form.
He opened an eye to look at Onawa, who had saved him. It was a pity that he'd have to take her back to the hunters. "Thank you..." He slowly lifted his head and looked in the direction he had came from, "Hunters are there... They await my return." Albion laid his head back in the riverbank. "They own me and I am not done working for the day... I could not continue the way I was though. Even now I am too weak to properly do my job." He looked at Onawa. "I am Albion..."
 
Ahh, there he was. Onawa was afraid he was too weak to even sense the water, but it turned out he was rather okay, especially once he slunk into the water. She watched him with genuine interest and slight amusement, but when he heard that she was working for the hunters, she took a step or two back. "... I'm guessing you mean to take me back once you're well?" she asked. "I'm sorry, but that isn't going to happen."
 
Albion's expression turned sorrowful and apologetic. He didn't want to admit his plans to betray the one who saved him, but she knew. He slipped his head underwater for a while, thinking of his options, which he didn't have much of. It pained him to have to drag his kind into the clutches of hunters. It wasn't right. But it became a way to survive.
"Perhaps a weaker, smaller dragon will happen along..." He proposed to try and steer her and himself from believing their current situation. Maybe he'll be able to take back a different dragon but if not, it was a shame. He too was shamed from it.
 
Onawa shook her head. "No, this is my territory. And while I would be willing to help those in need, hardly any dragons ever come around here." She looked around then, sniffing the air to see if there was anybody on their trail. For now, they were safe.

"You don't have to go back to them, you know," she said as she looked back to him, cocking her head to the side. "You can stay here, with me, until you get better. True, they'll probably scour the ends of this canyon until they realize you're gone, but I do have a hiding spot."
 
Albion shook his head. "Don't you know what they do? Higher up dragons are trained to track dragons that have the audacity to try and escape. It's useless." He picked himself up, out of the water, testing to see how his body was holding up. Everything seemed responsive but he was still extremely weak. "Even if you have a hiding spot, some dragon will find it." He lowered himself back down into the river and started to disappear into the water. A low, humming growl of content rumbling from the water.
 
Onawa growled. She couldn't believe Albion was giving up already, but then again, she understood his situation. She didn't know how long he had been captured by the dragon hunters, but he was broken and that much was obvious.

"Well, I am certainly not going back with you, Albion. I am sorry. But you can stay here until you gather your strength back, and when you go back to those people.... simply tell them you haven't found any other dragons." With that, she lifted her wings and left, not giving the male a chance to reply.
 
"It's not that simple." He tried to tell her as she took off. He sighed, not wanting to leave the river yet or use force but he decided he had to. He watched her fly then slowly spread his wings. In one hard beat of his wings, he was up into the air.
Since his size was greater than her's, he caught up fairly quick. He opened his claws and let himself crash down upon Onawa, taking her from flight into the ground. He took care not no harm her with his claws or crush her under his weight, yet kept a firm hold on her.
"I'm sorry... I know you'll hate me for disrupting your free life to preserve my own in slavery... But you'll soon understand. You and I will not be so different."
 
She hadn't expected him to chase after her like that, but as he flew behind her she knew there was no way she was going to out-fly him. Unless... unless she used her surroundings to her advantage, but as she moved towards the cliffs, she was crashed into and she roared, trying to fight off Albion as he took her to the ground. She glared up at him, rattling her tail profusely. "And here I thought you were an honorable dragon. Seems I was mistaken."
 
Albion laid his tail across hers to silence it's rattling. Did he truly intend on taking her away? He was silent for a long while, watching her.
After minutes of prolonged silence he took to the air, still flying low, trying not to be seen. He few her back to the riverbed, hovering above it, still silent. What was he thinking? What did he want? He seemed to be thinking for a long time, battling with his thoughts. Eventually he had to land, his wings were starting to give out on him. He situated himself so that he was laying down, half in the river and half on land and holding Onawa still.
 
Onawa hated being lugged around like she was some simple kill that had no meaning. She growled at him though soon the noise faded and she was just glaring at him instead, eyes seething. "Will you let go of me now?" she asked in a chopped, irritated manner as they laid once more on the riverbed. She didn't want to throw her flames at him or really even fight him, but she would if it meant her escaping and remaining safe from the dragon hunters.
 
He stared at the smaller, angry dragon. He was deep in thought and he wasn't afraid of her. He's battled much fiercer dragons and hunters, but one thing he learned was not to underestimate his foes. His eyes narrowed and he started to release Onawa, reluctantly. He knew he craved the company she brought and didn't want her to leave because of it. He almost wanted to tie her up and carry her around like that, but that would be barbaric and indecent. He retracted his hand away from her at the thought.
"I'm sorry."
He watched her, hoping she wouldn't leave. He was desperate for two things, the water and company. But maybe he could store enough water in him to follow her on foot.
 
Onawa glared at Albion until his claws and powerful legs finally retracted from her form. She moved away from him instantly, shaking out her form as if to get rid of the shaky feeling he left her with. But she didn't leave him. Instead, she looked at him with a softer expression. "What have you been thinking about?" she asked, wondering what had him so quiet.
 
He sighed and looked up at the sky. "What I should do." He answered her. "Whether or not I should return to the hunters and if I did, would I come empty handed? With you in tow or taking another dragon to them? ... Should I stay out here and try to live freely? Should I come with you? Should I go off on my own? Are there really any safe place left for dragons?" He gazed into the water, "... Should I just let them kill me? Should I still fight to survive? What's right and wrong now? I'm torn between all of it." Albion was so unsure of what his next action should be that he felt like just staying in the riverbank and waiting for fate to do what it will to him. He had so many chances and paths he could take but none of them held stability and it troubled him.
 
It was the female's turn to sigh. "I suppose words won't change you specifically one side or the other. You need to figure this out on your own." She sat down on the bank, watching Albion. "Do you think taking others of your kind to be enslaved is right? If not, what are you willing to do to change that?"
 
Albion looked down at her.
"I don't think it's right... But... I don't know what I can do to change it... There's so many hunters... All organized at a core...." He raised his head slightly, an idea forming. "I've been to the core." His head lowered again, "But... The hunters are strong. They'd come to the aid of the core immediately. A frantic dragon would tip them off... If the hunters wouldn't do enough damage then their mounts would. The mounts are of the strongest captured..."
Albion was starting to think more like a free dragon. Like who and what he used to be. Onawa was making him start to think straight, though not completely. He still had little hope anything could really be achieved but a small spark inside him told him otherwise.
 
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