Royal Affairs
Prologue I

	The tall lion swung his sword with ease, an ease that let the blade's arc cleave through a half dozen bodies. Though, even without his great skill, the frail, walking corpses of these undead soldiers would not have offered a real challenge to rend. Black blood, a wretched, tarry excess for what used to be the life giving liquid of these bodies, splattered across the lion's vibrant red armor. “Wretched beasts,” he roared out in a deep, rolling voice, “abominations!”
	As if in response to his cry, the shambling creatures screeched out like a thousand nails scraped against a chalk board. With terrifying speed, the legion's jagged movements surrounded the plated lion. They isolated him on the battlefield, their lurching bodies almost laughed at him in victory.
	He stood unimpressed by the mindless puppets, and snarled, in anger, at the thought of the necromancer's cowardice. “You want to face my army with these putrid toys, so badly?” He shifted his grand blade from his right to left hand, the black, crystalline smooth sword now grasped in reverse, pointed to the ground with the fist against his chest. Now, he dragged his claws down the blunt of his sword, and the twisting grooves on the blade burned to life. Like dormant embers freshly fueled, the patterns grew from dull black to red hot. 
	The undead balked. Buffeted by a wave of heat that scorched the rotting flesh and dried the putrid bones, they snarled and backed away several paces. 
	With a sharp snap of his wrist, the lion swung his arm around. His empty hand blazed with white hot fire, and the violent swing sent the raging flames racing through the air. Rows of undead were burned to ashes. Smoldering red dust fell in the wake of the flames victims. And, with a wretched howl in response, the undead charged. “Burn in an everlasting hellfire!” He shifted his sword upright and swung hard. The heads of three undead were cauterized off. The flesh, burned and dried out, cracked on the falling bodies, then shattered into smoldering ashes as the now truly dead corps hit the ground. Each swing of the massive volcanic blade cleaved several of the horrid creatures into ashes. Dozens upon dozens fell. The air grew thick with the red hot ashes of scorched corpses. The lion's right hand, claws exposed and raking through skulls and rips, whipped flames with each violent strike. 
	His armor and fur grew caked with ashes. A white hot aura burned around him, like steam rising off of a soaked coal. The burning blade hummed and sang as it cut down abomination after abomination. With an echoing roar that rolled across the battlefield, “Return to ashes! Burn,” the lion slammed the great, chest high sword deep into the soil. The blade was completely sheathed in earth, only the hilt exposed. Fire shot out from the ground, melting undead and rock alike surrounding the lion. Then, with the intricate gold hilt grasped in both hands, he pulled the sword hard from the earth. A tidal wave of flame radiated out from the lion and incinerated hundreds of shambling horrors. 
	The general stood isolated on the barren field of gray. It seemed almost peaceful now as he hung his fading sword on his back, his vibrant red armor again pristine from the elemental discharge he just loosed. Only his army stood now as he walked the distance from the front back to his lieutenant. “Ready the troops to march through the night, Gene,” he snarled with a huff, “we storm the necromancer's tower at dawn!”
	The wide eyed lieutenant, a  grassy green dragon with glass clear wings and easily half the size of his lion general, huffed and puffed. He could barely ketch his breath as he spoke, “But... but Darious! The men are exhausted! Why do we march so hard?”
	The lion, General Darious Cynderheart, whirled around and leaned in close. His fangs bared were only an inch away from Gene's eyes. “You will address me as 'General Cynderheart,' lieutenant! And you will not question royal law!” Darious snapped back away from the fairy-dragon and left him standing there stunned. As he stormed off, the lion muttered to himself, “All traitors to my king will burn in the everlasting hellfire of damnation....”

Chapter I

	Warm golden lights, the soft flames of tall candles, dimly lit the floor of the great bedroom. The tall silver pedestals stood like watchful guards against the walls, positioned just beyond arms reach from each other. Mirrors of stained glass depicting different dragons hung between the candles and gave eloquent life to the light that hit them in the dark. The large bed, nearly filling the room, had it's deep violet curtains drawn closed. Though this was an unnecessary veil of privacy, as the heavy material did little to muffle the soft moans that the heavier door would not.
	The slim, wingless dragon was on his back with arms stretched out and wrists crossed over his head. His deep navy chest heaved as he panted and his soft, fleshy scales glistened with sweat in the heat of the night. His tail, a strong, lean muscle despite the dragon's seemingly frail stature, squirmed and curled blissfully between his lover's legs.
	The stronger, leaner lion had one of the dragon's legs over his right shoulder, his paw gripped firmly around the slender ankle. The lion's other paw held his lover's knee up only slightly in a position that just barely exposed the dragon's rear end. Every muscle beneath the lion's short fur was taunt, and the tendons in his thighs flexed as his hips were pressed against the dragon. 
	The dragon pushed his chest up and leaned his head back. He gasped hard and let out a loud moan, a moan much louder than the others. His long, hard cock jumped and shot a thick stream of pre against the lions pristine white stomach fur. “Oh, by the light,” he cried out as his tight tailhole flexed around his lovers thick meat, “Darious!”
	Captain Cynderheart, Darious, growled with closed eyes. He shook his bright, silky, golden mane in satisfaction as he flexed the muscles in his stomach. Each of his hard thrusts sank deep into the dragon and spread the tight hole open wide. And with each firm hilt of his massive lion cock, he shook the smaller male's body. 
	With a shiver, the dragon clenched the top edge of his royal bed tight, and with another loud moan he dug his claws into the mattress. He curled his clawed toes in bliss and weakly fought against his lover's strong grip. Each time the much larger and stronger lion slammed his large cock deep into the tight, smooth hole of the dragon, he let out a low huff. He panted hard and squirmed more and more as his body grew closer and closer to an orgasm.
	Darious leaned forward, his position and grip pressed the dragon's knee against his chest. He purred and growled as his thrusts slowed in pace but grew more ragged and much harder. He huffed with each thrust as his large balls slapped against his lover's slick tail. With burning passion, Darious ran his sandy, feline tongue along the dragon's jaw. A deep, loud purr escaped his muzzle again as he did so. This new position, and it was indeed a completely intentional 'accident' on the lion's behalf, tortured his lover with even more pleasure then the hard ravaging already was. Each deep thrust, powered by the lion's strong legs, brought his stomach forward to rub that silky soft belly fur against the smooth dragon meat. 
	All of this stimulation was just too much for the poor, weak dragon. His nearly black yet blue body tightening up beneath the grand lion as he let out the loudest moan yet. His cheeks were bright red with a violent blush as the dragon lost control of his body. The rock hard cock between his legs pulsed and throbbed against his lion's firm stomach as the soft fur stroked its underside. And within seconds, the orgasm hit him. Hot, thick ropes of dragon cum shot forth against the pair's stomachs. Much of it soaked into Darious's soft stomach and chest fur, but an equally copious amount ran down the dragon's smooth, shimmering abdomen.
	The lion clenched his teeth and held back a roar. The dragon's orgasm clenched the ring of that tight hole he had his meat sheathed in, and Darious could barely keep his pre soaked cock in motion. Though he didn't need to for much longer. He thrust hard, his whole body thrown behind each powerful plunge, and ravaged the dragon through his powerful orgasm. Each hard hilt of his cock just drove the dragon's orgasm on longer, but the tight ring was still spasmodic around Darious's cock when he finally slammed his hips firmly against his passionate lover's rump.
	The dragon shivered and gasped hard at the lion's final thrust. He felt the thick cock flex inside his body. Cum sprayed so hard into the dragon he could practically feel the hot fluid fill his welcoming passage. “Oh, Captain...” he panted, “So much....”
	Darious purred loudly and gave a long pause before he slowly pulled his large cock, long enough to rest in both hands and too thick to wrap thumb and index around, from the dragon's much too small tailhole. In contrast to the savage fuck he just gave, he reached out and gently stroked his lover's smooth cheek with the back of his paw. “I exist,” his voice rolled with the purr, “only to serve you, my King.”
	“Aulric,” the dragon corrected as he reached up and grasped his lion's stroking paw. He closed his eyes and hummed softly as he held the strong, yet so very gentle and loving paw against his cheek.
	 The large lion moved himself up to sit at Aulric's side. His paw still on the dragon's cheek, Darious leaned in close. “As you wish,” he said with a smile, “King Aulric.” The lion's stubborn persistence with the use of his king's title brought a soft chuckle from the wingless dragon's muzzle. But, when the dragon parted his lips to protest, Darious pressed his own lips against those of Aulric. The sudden intrusion of the lion's tongue brought both of Aulric's paws to press against his strong, velvety chest, and the lion purred deep. He held the kiss long and with deep, passionate intimacy. His wide sandy tongue gently played with Aulric's slick narrow one. Several moments passed before Darious finally broke the kiss. “I must go now, my King,” he whispered softly in Aulric's ear.
	The slim dragon slowly sat up with a meek smile. “I know, Darious,” his soft and concerning voice, oddly uncharacteristic of a king, was laced with sadness. He reached for his deep purple robe, and let out a soft sigh as the lion stood from the bed. His cheeks, though, grew pink with a smile as he looked over Darious's strong body. The strength in his shoulders and thighs were so much more obvious from behind. The short fur, which almost radiated in the darkness with its rich blond, showed off the battle hardened muscles in his body.
	Darious moved across the floor, his pads quiet against the hard wood, and reached for his armor. He tightly bound each leather strap against his muscles, dawning one heavy deep blue plate of metal at a time. “My... Aulric, your safety is of utmost importance,” the lion spoke solemnly, “for-”
	“I know, 'for the good of the kingdom,' Captain,” interrupted Aulric, “the King-”
	“No!” The lion turned around sharply and frowned. The expression on his face was serious, but the look in his eyes gave away the true feelings behind his words. “for me.... It is my duty to protect the Fordragon family, but my honor is you.” Aulric was silent and blushed. When the royal dragon looked away, Darious smiled and tightened the heavy cloth around his waist then began to strap on the last few plates of armor to his thighs. When he stood, the lion walked back over to the edge of Aulric's bed and gently lifted the dragon's chin to face him. And after one final, gentle kiss, Darious turned, took up his obsidian black spear, and left for his patrol. 

	The full moon shown bright on the Captain's sun bleached mane. It's pale blue light made the long, light golden fur seem almost silver as midnight drifted by. Darious stood tall with the neck of his spear rested on one armored shoulder. The smooth, sharp edge of the long, black blade glinted brightly as he shifted in position. He sighed as he looked out over the cobblestone floor of the  courtyard. 
	“Not a very fun place during peace time, is it Captain?” The voice soft came from behind, but Darious didn't react with more than a nod. Lieutenant Gene, the owner of the voice, stepped casually out of the open archway leading into the castle foyer. “I got to say, though,” he said with a strained voice as he stretched his arms and wings, “it is quite relaxing.” The fairy dragon's glassy wings shimmered in the moonlight with pale blues and pinks as he folded them down on his back. 
	“Lieutenant,” Darious began without turning away from the empty grounds, “the royal guard is on full alert even during these times. Peace is the most likely time to face an assassin.”
	Gene laughed and shook his head. “Darious, we both know that's a load. Just an excuse to keep the guard's awake at night.” A small smile curled across the lion's lips as his Lieutenant spoke. Unfortunately, the fairy dragon noticed this. “Ha! You see?”
	Darious rolled his eyes and finally turned to face the short anthropomorph, who barely came up to his chest. “I have no idea what you're talking about, Lieutenant.” With a slight smirk across his face, the lion moved past Gene and back into the castle halls. 
	The Lieutenant fallowed. “Oh, sure, that's what you say, Darious. We both know you don't mean it.” Gene's green claws clicked rhythmically on the cobalt stone floors as the officers walked through the tall white hall. 
	The soft clicking of Gene's claws echoed loudly throughout the towering hallway. The brilliant white walls ascended far beyond the height of their heads and made anyone seem like a doll in comparison. Each titanic marble slab was glass smooth, polished to a brilliant shine, and had a surface that gave reflections nothing short of crystal clear water's quality. At the peak of either wall was a row of widely spaced large openings, open air windows that let in the clear light of the moon. The light reflected off the walls as if they were sheets of freshly fallen snow and lit the large empty halls almost as bright as day. The arched ceiling far above was the same deep, vibrant cobalt as the floor. However, as opposed to its lower counter part, the ceiling had intricate murals of silver engraved deep into the blue stone. Depicted were grand silhouettes of equally titanic dragons. Some breathed fire, some lashed their claws or tails, and some of them stood regally as if in triumph or as royalty.
	During the day, the reflecting sunbeams from the grand windows would hit the smooth cobalt surfaces and give the illusion of gently flowing water on the deep blue. The walls would have a radiant glow that would warm the hall to a level that would last through most of the night. This glorious path lead the way into the base of the royal tower. 
	The two officers carried on their small talk as they walked down the hall, a conversation dominated mostly by the energetic lieutenant. At the end of the hall were a set of large double doors made with a richly colored hardwood.  This doorway, though easily twice the lion's height, only barely reached half way up the marble wall. The doors hung open on their heavy steel hinges, and as Darious and Gene approached them a cloaked figure stepped into their path.
	The figure was very tall, a head and a half taller than Darious, and built with strong, tense limbs. His body, that of a white tiger, though, was heavily concealed by his long garbs. His cloak of flowing cobalt cloth hung open and left his vibrant white attire beneath it exposed. The forearms of the cloak were bound tight by large plates of silver warped around his wrists. Etched on these bracers were eldritch runes that dimly glowed a pale blue. Hammered flexibly thin and wrapped around the large tiger's torso was a brilliant silver band of metal. The band was wide as a strip of cloth and formed to him more like a bandage than a plate of metal, yet still held its shape as well as any armor. “Guard Captain Darious,” the tiger's voice rasped, “how are you on this fine night?” 
	“M-Mage Captain Nikola?!” Gene quickly bowed and spread his wings in respect. His head was low and hid the surprised expression from the large white tiger, but his wings quivered enough that an inspecting eye would notice the fear.
	Darious, however, did no such thing, nor did he show such fear. He instead looked up at Nikola and glared straight into his blue eyes as he spoke. “Why, Captain of the Arcanium, what brings you down from your patrol?”
	Nikola bared his fangs with a glare. With an angered stomp he extended his claws and brought them to with an inch of the lion's face. “You will show proper respect when addressing me, Cynderheart!” Arcs of blue energy crackled around the tiger's bracer and jumped between his claws. Heat radiated from the tensed paw as if it held a roaring lightning storm, and it indeed appeared as if that was what the tiger had conjured and condensed.
	“And you,” Darious said without even a flinch, “will abide by proper protocol while on duty, Captain Nikola.” The lion slowly shifted his gaze to the tiger's paw, an unimpressed frown on his muzzle. “Threatening another officer, an equally ranked officer I might add, is highly inappropriate.”
	“Tsk! Equals? Who do you think you are?!” The tiger's tail flicked back and forth irritatedly, and with a jerk he turned his back on Darious. “I don't have to put up with you, whelp!” Static sparked around him as he stomped off, “And you will pay for this insolence, mark my words!”
	Gene slowly lifted his head and looked up at Darious. The wide eyed lieutenant had a look of astonishment on his face. “C.. Captain?”
	The lion didn't respond to him. He simply pointed his spear at Captain Nikola and growled, “Your boasts do not impress me magician!”
	Lieutenant Gene jumped to attention. “Darious!”
	“What did you call me?!” A bolt of lightning arced past the pair and cracked against the cobalt floor. The tiger stood with his right arm out stretched. Electricity crackled around his whole body and his eyes shined a brilliant, stormy blue. “You dare call me a 'magician,' whelp?! I am the greatest sorcerer in all of the Fordragon kingdom! No spell caster within three lands can dare to challenge me!”
	Darious planted the heal of his spear firmly against the floor and snarled. “You are nothing more than the least corrupted power hungry mad man in the kingdom! If I had my rule, I would see your kind banished from the castle walls!”
	In a flash, Nikola charged Darious and sent him flying back. The lion was knocked high enough to tumble over his lieutenant's and far enough to roll half way back to the foyer doors. “How dare you,” the bleached tiger rasped, “calling I, Nikola Young, the founder of the royal arcane academy, captain of the royal battlemage's force, a mad man?!” He stomped down the hall towards Darious. Lightning crackled around his body as his target staggered to his feet. “I'll show you a mad man, warrior!”
	A light blue blur slashed across the tiger's back and shredded the cobalt robe. The surprise force knocked Nikola forward, and after regaining his footing he spun around and glared at his attacker. Behind him stood the grassy fairy dragon, lieutenant Gene. He hung there in the air, only inches from the ground, with his wings spread wide. The transparent appendages moved fluidly through the air, almost seamless and not seeming able to hold him up. Held tightly in one hand was a long gently curved blade. The thin sword was bright blue and glowed dimly. “Stand... stand down Captain Nikola!”
	The tiger snarled and shifted his stance menacingly towards Gene. “Lieutenant,” his voice rasped as he tried to regain what little composure he could, “you dare... you dare raise your blade against your superior officer?” 
	Gene shifted his sword into both hands and tilted the blade defensively. As he did the detailed etchings on the side shimmered a light silver. The edge of the blade, finely serrated from base to tip on one side, glinted in the reflected moonlight from the walls. “You have directly assaulted Captain Darious, sir! As his Lieutenant, I am within my rights!” The small fairy dragon's voice quivered timidly as he spoke. Despite this fear of facing an opponent leagues stronger than him, though, Gene stood his ground.
	“Fairy,” Nikola snarled with a wild eyed expression, “fine! Die you insolent--”
	A deep, commanding voice interrupted the tiger's charge. “What is the meaning of this?!” In the doorway to the tower stood a large black dragon.  He stood just as tall as the tiger. His limbs were heavily muscled and his scales were large and smooth as if they were heavy plates of obsidian armor. The dragon's wings were spread out wide and had a span so wide that the doors behind him were almost completely concealed just from his stance. His eyes, though, contrasted this body's firm strength and vigor with a deep wisdom and old age, yet they still burned with anger at what he was seeing.
	Both Nikola and Gene dropped their stance at once and knelt down. “General Volcanalis,” exclaimed the large tiger, “I... I... forgive me, Sir! My pride was--”
	“Does it look like I care about your pride, Captain Nikola?!” The general pulled the blade that hung at his waist, a large two handed volcanic black sword which he wielded with one hand easily, from its sheath and pointed it at Nikola. “You have assaulted a fellow captain only paces away from the royal assembly! I should strip you of your rank here and now, but that would require testing countless numbers of your poorly trained subordinates to replace you. And frankly, Young, your self absorbed and irrational behavior is not worth that much effort.”
	Nikola clenched his fist against the stone floor and held in a growl. His teeth were clenched and his eyes locked on the black dragon's bare hind paws as he spoke. “My humblest apologizes, Sir. Please, allow --”
	Again, the dragon interrupted him. “Hold your empty apologies! You are ordered to return to your barracks, if you can call that scroll and book riddled mess such a thing, and remain cloistered there until further orders are delivered! And maybe, 'Captain,' while you are there you can see too some proper training for your troops.”
	The tiger stood up and saluted, his right fist against the left side of his chest, General  Volcanalis, “By your command, Sir,” and teleported off in a crackle of defused lightning.
	Volcanalis huffed and sheathed his sword, then moved over to Captain Darious. “At ease, Darious... Gene... that troublesome tiger won't be a problem for a long time now.”
	The lion slowly stepped to his feet and picked up his spear. “Thankyou, Sir. I'm afraid, however, that I did provoke the attack from Captain Nikola.”
	General Volcanalis shook his head, “It does not matter. Young has been itching to stroke his superiority complex since the dark moon. You are not at fault.”
	Darious bowed. “Thankyou again, Sir. However, if I am not required here any longer, I must--”
	The black plate dragon interrupted the captain with a smile. “You must report directly to King Aulric Fordragon. He has requested you in his private quarters and claims them urgent matters.” The lion looked up at Volcanalis as he said this, but the General did not give him time to respond before he walked past him and continued on down the great hall. As he did he folded his wings down around his shoulders, an action that gave him the appearance of dawning a gray leather cape.
	Gene walked up to his captain. “Are... are you really all right, Darious,” the fairy dragon asked with deep concern in his voice, “Nikola hit you very badly, after all.”
	Darious waved his paw and nodded. “I'm fine, Lieutenant. Now if you'll excuse me, I must go. The King has called for me.” The lion slowly moved past Gene with a mild limp. As he exited the hall, he spoke up though, “And stop calling me Darious while you're on duty, Gene. It's 'Captain' to all subordinates by proper protocol... even if the subordinate is a childhood friend.... Dismissed.” And with that, he left.
	Gene just smiled and sighed with a weak voice. “Oh, Darious... you're always such a stubborn rule follower. I wish you would just notice what's beyond the regulations sometimes....”