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They've spent the last few weeks fixing up the cabin Colton calls home, but now it's time to start planning a strategy to deal with the horrible past the shapeshifter is running from... before it catches up to them.\n[center]----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[/center]\nAt long last, I'm proud to bring you the true follow-up to 2012's fantasy romp [url=https://inkbunny.net/submissionview.php?id=339806]Services[/url], this takes place before the super-short sequel [url=https://inkbunny.net/submissionview.php?id=745202]A Walk in the Woods[/url], which was rather constrained by its contest-forced word limit.\n\nThis time, though, I was able to tell a story that I feel is a truly worthy successor to the first tale of the Dragon and his peculiar new friend, especially after taking some time about halfway through to revamp what I'd written, to the betterment of the end product.\n\nWriting this one was difficult at times, and revamping was even harder, but in the end, I'm more than satisfied with it, and I hope you enjoy it.\n\nSpecial, special thanks go out to @ronindrake, who often helps me with my stories, though it must be said, this time, he was absolutely indispensable. n_n\n", "description_bbcode_parsed": "With the threat of darklings gone, Colton the Mokaji is safe again, thanks in no small part to his imposing yet friendly new Dragon housemate, Kenrai, They've spent the last few weeks fixing up the cabin Colton calls home, but now it's time to start planning a strategy to deal with the horrible past the shapeshifter is running from... before it catches up to them.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At long last, I'm proud to bring you the true follow-up to 2012's fantasy romp Services, this takes place before the super-short sequel A Walk in the Woods, which was rather constrained by its contest-forced word limit.

This time, though, I was able to tell a story that I feel is a truly worthy successor to the first tale of the Dragon and his peculiar new friend, especially after taking some time about halfway through to revamp what I'd written, to the betterment of the end product.

Writing this one was difficult at times, and revamping was even harder, but in the end, I'm more than satisfied with it, and I hope you enjoy it.

Special, special thanks go out to \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tronindrake\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t		\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tronindrake\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
, who often helps me with my stories, though it must be said, this time, he was absolutely indispensable. n_n
", "writing": "[center][u]Services: Escape Clause[/u]\nBy Green[/center]\n\n\nThe moon was high in the sky, snowflakes danced and fell, and not so much as a single owl or rabbit disturbed the perfect silence unique to the heart of winter. But inside a solitary cabin next to a rather imposing forest, or at least inside [i]parts [/i]of that cabin, winter held no sway, and there was only warmth and peace in the quiet. Inside that cozy warmth, an Ani-man, specifically an arctic wolf named Colton Frosthowl, at least for the time being, lay slumbering peacefully in his bed, sleeping more restfully than he had in several months. His expression was totally relaxed and comfortable, and his snow-white fur glowed a gentle yellow in the light of the lantern set on his bedside table, a lantern that hadn't been there when he went to bed. A very large hand attached to an impressively muscular arm set down on his shoulder, and the unusually slender wolf startled awake with a yelp. Where most self-respecting wolves would have spun on the spot, filled with adrenaline-fuelled rage, and snarled a warning to whoever dared interrupt their sleep unexpectedly, [i]this[/i] one rolled over onto his other side with a high-pitched whimper of distress. Eyes wide as saucers, he took in the form of a man over eight feet tall, a Dragon of the green flight, with sawed-short horns sticking straight up from the crown of his head, the tops of a pair of folded leathery wings peeking up over his shoulders, and though he was bare to the waist, the scales that covered his torso were covered in enough small nicks and scars to reveal that this particular Dragon knew his way around a fight. Trembling in raw fear, the wolf took in the sight to this intruder to his bedroom... and let out a sigh of relief, his shoulders sagging down as he relaxed. Grinning sheepishly at the Drake, Colton sat up straight. \n \"Oh... Kenrai...\" he said, \"S-sorry... you scared me for a second there.\" The Dragon, whose full name was Kenraidrikerion, of Clan Ort, smiled back, and though his mouth was full of razor-sharp teeth, it no longer intimidated the other man in the slightest. \n \"No, I'm sorry, Colton,\" he murmured, \"I didn't mean to. I know you worry, and for good reason... I should have been a bit more gentle.\" Toying anxiously with the edge of his blanket, which had slipped down, exposing his bare chest, Colton tilted an ear to one side.\n \"So... what brings you here in the middle of the night?\" he asked, hoping he knew the answer, \"It's not the room, is it? This is the first night I've been able to sleep in my own bedroom since the attack, and, uh, I figured you'd be okay with the guest bedroom, since you, um, since I didn't hear any complaints when we were sh-sharing it all this time...\" Swallowing, he forced himself to meet the Dragon's gentle but imposing gaze again.\n \"Has s-something changed?\" he asked, \"Is something wrong with the room?\" The Dragon nodded once, and his smile fell away, replaced by a tenser expression. \n \"Oh yes,\" Kenrai said, \"I'm afraid it's become absolutely intolerable. I simply [i]will not [/i]be able to sleep in that room the way it is now.\" Colton shivered, not sure whether he should be delighted or disappointed, since, as usual, he found it very difficult to tell when the Drake was being facetious. Either way, the wolf's heart was pounding... \n \"I'm sorry,\" he replied, \"Ah... wh-what's wrong with it?\" Leaning in closer, his expression absolutely dire, Kenrai sighed.\n \"I'm afraid it's the bed,\" he said, \"It no longer has [i]you [/i]in it.\" With that, Kenrai took hold of the blanket and sharply tugged it away, revealing the wolf's skinny legs and somewhat boring underwear. Before Colton could react, the Dragon, now smiling, sat down on the bed beside him and reached out to embrace him, pulling the smaller male into his arms. Giggling delightedly, the wolf reached out to hug him back, and closed his eyes as the reptilian warrior leaned in to kiss him, his lips briefly working before they were otherwise disposed.\n \"Oh, [i]Kenrai...[/i]\"\n\nA few weeks earlier, Kenraidrikerion had been wandering through Human lands, heading nowhere in particular, when he'd run into the most un-lupine wolf he'd ever met, a man who had been afraid for his life from multiple threats, and wanted to hire the mercenary to help him with one of them. The Shadowglades, the forest next to the lonely cabin, was due to live up to its name and briefly become home to hundreds, perhaps thousands of darklings, mindlessly violent creatures literally consisting of pure evil. Although they only appeared in the forest for the length of a single night each year, that was still plenty of time to swarm into one cabin and murder a hapless scholar of history like Colton, and so he and Kenrai had worked together to defend themselves from the horde. Even so, it had been a close call; there had been injuries, very nearly a death, and much of the house had been trashed by the darklings as they forced their way inside. Since then, the two of them, who had learned the day after the battle that their interest in each other went beyond merely commercial, had been working to repair the cabin while planning what to do about Colton's [i]other [/i]problem. He was such a piss-poor example of a wolf because he wasn't really a wolf at all, but a Mokaji, a species of shapeshifters most people assumed were just a story made up to entertain children. Colton assured Kenrai that most of the tales were total nonsense, but that didn't stop an enterprising Human, a trapper and skinner named Bartin Creed, from an obsessive belief that if he murdered Colton and turned his pelt into a cloak, it would grant him the changeling's fabulous powers of shapeshifting, or some other mystical bounty. He'd been pursuing the Mokaji for years now, and somehow he always managed to pick the trail back up, no matter how perfectly Colton vanished or how many different identities he went through. So the two men had been lying low, working to repair the damage the monsters had caused, and trying to work out a plan to get the skinner and his many hired goons off Colton's back once and for all.\n\nOf course, it hadn't [i]all [/i]been plotting and home improvement, as this night would testify, and at the moment, Creed was the furthest thing from Colton's mind. The Dragon was much, much larger than the false wolf was, but his movements were unexpectedly gentle, tender, clearly those of a man who knew well his own strength. As they kissed, their hands wandered each other's bodies, re-acquainting themselves with the terrain; Colton's hands found their way to the back of his lover's head, holding himself in place as their tongues mingled. Kenrai had no true hair, but the back of his head was home to a half-dozen or so thick, lightly-scaled protuberances that Colton could best describe as 'tentacles'. Kenrai couldn't manipulate them at will like his limbs or his tail, but they were very flexible, and the look reminded Colton of a foreign hairstyle called dreadlocks. Slipping his hand under these 'dreads', which he'd been told were a feature unique to the green Dragonflight, the Mokaji cupped his hand at the top of the Dragon's neck and sighed happily through his nostrils. Eventually, Colton broke off the kiss and leaned back.\n \"You're so [i]cold[/i], Drake,\" he said, somewhat chiding, \"You should be wearing your heat charm web.\" The object in question was a sort of mesh net in the shape of a vest, which was woven with miniature heatstones, magical charms which generated abundant warmth, which is something of an important topic for a cold-blooded man in winter. Kenrai just huffed dismissively and put on a cockeyed grin. \n \"At the moment, I prefer [i]another[/i] method of warming up,\" he said, his hands firmly gripping Colton's back for a moment, \"You're so much better than a hot water bottle, my little wolf.\" Colton shuddered and closed his eyes, leaning in and nuzzling against Kenrai's scaly chest. Kenrai pressed his muzzle against the smaller male's neck – which was easy, even given the difference in their heights, thanks to his own flexible neck – and inhaled deeply of the nervous historian's scent. \n \"Mmmm, seven Sentinels, you mammals smell so [i]good[/i]...\" Kenrai murmured, as one of his hands slipped into Colton's underwear and gave a buttock a nice firm squeeze, \"So hot and full of life, and with that musky smell on top, I should have crossed the line [i]years[/i] ago.\" Colton wanted to ask what 'line' that was, but the look of sheer desire in the larger male's eyes kept him silent and trembling with anticipation.\n\nKenrai started leaning forward, moving to lay Colton down on the bed, and the smaller male swallowed and tried to keep his mind occupied. The before moments always made the already-twitchy Mokaji a little nervous, and he squirmed as his underwear was pulled down his legs by the Dragon's firm hands, revealing that Colton was still soft, having been caught off-guard by the other man's attention. Grinning, Kenrai stood for a moment, and then discarded his own pants, exposing a penis that was already beginning to slip out of the reptile's genital slit. Colton started to roll over, expecting the mercenary to climb atop him, but Kenrai stopped him, laying down on his side next to the fluffy white wolf and reaching out a hand, placing it atop the shapeshifter's belly and beginning to stroke. Squirming happily under that touch, Colton sighed with pleasure. \n \"Mmmm... K-Kenrai?\" he asked, \"If you're going to rub my tummy like this, ah, would you like me to Change into a cat for you? I'll purr for you, just like a real one!\" He was already focusing on the alterations needed to reshape his body into that of a feline, but Kenrai made a face for a moment and shook his head.\n \"Ah, no, Colton, that's okay,\" he said, gently, \"I think I prefer you as a wolf anyway...\" Colton bit his lip for a moment, trying to gather his courage.\n \"But...\" That quickly failed, and his ears lowered submissively as he nodded.\n \"Okay...\" He was disappointed, but it helped him get over it when Kenrai bent down and kissed him again while his hand continued scruffing through the wolf's white fur, taking a moment to move up to his chest and trace the red spiral there with a fingertip. That was the one aspect of his appearance Colton [i]couldn't [/i]change, so no matter what he turned himself into, he would have a red spiral on the left side of his chest. He'd called it his Signature, an aspect of his species, for though every Mokaji's Signature was different, they all shared the trait of having one specific detail they were powerless to Change. It was very striking, and it had given him trouble in the past, as Creed's men had been tipped off that their prey bore that mark, but again, Colton wasn't thinking of his chest at the moment, for no sooner had Kenrai finished tracing the spiral than his hand began drifting south. \n\nThe nervous male wasn't terribly surprised when he felt the Dragon's hand slip between his legs and cup over his package, giving his balls and flaccid cock a playful squeeze, before Kenrai began to massage the sensitive skin with his large fingers. Kenrai always liked to do this when they started, and he preferred to do it when they kissed. Somehow, the fact that Colton couldn't look down to see what was being done to him made it feel so much more intimate, that the only thing he had to go on was the sensation of his penis and testicles being gently, almost curiously fondled by another man. As he began to fatten and grow harder under the Dragon's fingers, the changeling whimpered with pleasure and pushed up with his hips, pressing his bits against the Drake's palm. \n \"Yes, touch me, [i]touch[/i] me...\" Colton whispered, shuddering from head to toe. Kenrai chuckled and licked the side of his lover's face, his long, thick tongue making the impostor wolf shiver pleasantly. \n \"You're so [i]eager[/i]...\" Kenrai whispered, obviously pleased, \"And here I thought you might be upset about being woken up... If there's one thing a Dragon always appreciates, it's a lover who enjoys himself in bed.\" Grinning a toothy grin, the mercenary winked.\n \"Don't listen to the legends that describe us as horny beasts. [i]Every[/i] species loves sex as much as Dragons do, we're just not ashamed to admit it! So you see, finding someone bold enough to admit they share our eagerness is a treasure, Colton,\" he continued, in a lower tone, \"And you know how Dragons are about treasure...\" He waggled his hairless eyebrows to make his lewd implications more obvious, and Colton snickered with delight. \n \"Suffice to say, you're going to s-spend a lot of time sleeping on top of me,\" the Mokaji quipped, and Kenrai burst out laughing, then leaned in to recapture his lover's lips.\n\nWith kisses and playful caresses in abundance, it wasn't long at all before Kenrai was adjusting his hand to let Colton's penis lie comfortably flat against his stomach, having reached its full pride. Though he teased his fingertips along the sensitive underside of the shaft, making the smaller male squirm, he soon moved back down to fondling Colton's fuzzy balls, cupping them in his lightly scaled hands. The scholar smiled nervously as he reached up to trace the scale patterns on the Dragon's cheek. \n \"Kenrai... I was wondering...\" he said, blushing, \"Can we, um, can we do it face to face? Not that I don't like the way we've [i]been [/i]doing it, but...\" Kenrai churred to him.\n \"Of course, my little wolf,\" he replied, \"Though I thought I'd keep playing with you a while longer...\" Colton's blush darkened even as his smile widened.\n \"You do like to call me that,\" he whispered, \"Your little wolf...\" Kenrai reached down with his free hand and booped the Mokaji's nose. \n \"There's something I just find so appealing about you,\" the Dragon admitted, \"You're so unlike any other wolf I've ever met, even if I know you aren't really one, that it's endearing to me. You're so nervous, so sweet, so willing to listen to other people...\" The Dragon fell silent for a moment, just gazing down at the 'wolf', and then sighed contentedly.\n \"I [i]love [/i]touching you, Colton,\" whispered Kenrai, \"I love running my fingers through your fur, feeling your soft, warm body against my scales... and watching the way you squirm and whimper in response. So yes, I wanted to spend some more time touching you...\" Colton swallowed a moan at those tender words alone, and at the way the Dragon's gaze had unabashedly run up and down his naked body as he spoke them. Looking away, Kenrai reached over towards the bedside table. \n \"Here, let me show you something...\" the warrior said, retrieving a jar of oil. He'd normally used it for polishing the head of his hammer, but the Dragon and the shapeshifter had found a much more entertaining use for the stuff. \n\nSomewhat reluctantly letting go of Colton's sac, Kenrai sat up straight and leaned back against the head of the bed, and then encouraged the smaller male to move onto his lap, laying across the Dragon's muscular thighs. His upper body was supported by one of Kenrai's arms, along with, to Colton's delight, the wing from the same shoulder, extended out to comfortably cradle his body like a hammock. Swallowing anxiously as the larger male dabbed a finger or two inside the jar, Colton lifted a hand and took hold of Kenrai's previously-ignored prick, which was fairly easy given his current position. He barely had to lift his arm to take hold of the Dragon's very impressive manhood, which the warrior jokingly referred to (at every available opportunity) as his [i]other [/i]hammer. As Kenrai reached down and touched his middle finger to Colton's anus, the wolf shivered in his arms and bit his lip to keep from whimpering with anticipation.\n \"I thought... I thought you just wanted to touch me,\" he whispered, as that thick finger continued to rub the oil into his tight entrance. Kenrai grinned. \n \"If I was getting you ready so I could fuck you, changeling, you wouldn't be in this position,\" Kenrai pointed out, \"Now relax, just leave everything to me.\" The Dragon's finger suddenly pressed against Colton's opening, easily overpowered the stubborn ring of muscle that guarded it, and slipped inside. Caught by surprise, Colton tensed up for just a second and moaned. He unconsciously gave Kenrai's cock a squeeze, and it pulsed against his hand in response, a droplet of pre-come forming on the tip and drooling down the shaft. As Kenrai began to work his finger in and out of the wolf's rump, Colton shuddered with pleasure, consciously spreading his legs to give his lover more access to his rear, and he began to slowly stroke the Drake's erection. Nothing fancy, just lightly running his hand up and down the shaft; Colton was perfectly aware that at the moment, Kenrai wanted to focus on fingering and teasing the smaller male, so he only played with the warrior's dick casually, in order to reward him for his venerations. \n\nA minute or two passed as Kenrai worked that finger under the trembling wolf's tail, and Colton squirmed and tried very hard not to make sounds of pleasure, fully aware that Kenrai was spending more time watching his face than his rump. Finally, as the movements became nice and smooth, since the oil had slicked up his tight backside quite well, Colton couldn't help but arch his back and moan again.\n \"I c-can't believe your breath was the only gift your kind got from the gods,\" he sighed, \"because that f-finger is [i]magic[/i].\" Kenrai laughed softly over him, his warm breath tickling Colton's whiskers.\n \"Funny, I was just thinking to myself,\" he replied, \"I can't believe you're so [i]tight[/i] around my finger! Have you, uh, 'adjusted' yourself, or were you really this tight the last time I managed to get my [i]dick [/i]in you?\" It was true that the Mokaji could control the nature of his rear channel just as perfectly as the rest of his body, but in this case, he had not.\n \"N-no...\" he said, \"I thought I was j-just going to bed!\" Suddenly, a pulse of pleasure spread out from inside him, and Colton yelped, stiffening from head to toe for a moment. Kenrai chuckled and his fingertip returned to the spot on the lupine impostor's inner walls he'd just been rubbing against.\n \"[i]There's [/i]your sweet spot...\" the Drake murmured, with a hint of triumph in his voice.\n \"What?\" Colton asked, but Kenrai just chuckled again and winked at him.\n \"Ohhh, don't play innocent with me, my little wolf,\" he chided, \"you knew I would find your prostate sooner or later...\" Truth be told, Colton didn't know that Kenrai had been looking for his prostate, or why, but since Kenrai resumed fingering him again, this time focusing his stroking on that one spot, he just whimpered and let the pleasure take his confusion away. \n\nSoon, Colton's squirming and whimpering became more pronounced, and accompanied by heavy panting. Try as he might, he was [i]helpless [/i]to resist the pleasure that thick finger inside him was bringing him. Just when he thought he was getting a handle on it, Kenrai slipped his forefinger inside the changeling's tight rump as well, using both digits to tease and stroke the shuddering male's inner walls and coax more adorable noises out of him. But there was a growing problem that the Drake seemed in no hurry to address, and as he looked down his body, dismayed, Colton watched a drop of pre-come emerge from the tip of his aching penis. The false wolf's semen tended to be very thick and gooey, and he suspected this was related to the fact that it took a [i]lot [/i]of foreplay before he began to pre. But as delicious as Kenrai's teasing was, it wasn't doing anything for the arousal burning inside Colton, desperate to find release.\n \"K-Kenrai...\" he whispered, \"Please... I'm s-so hard, I [i]need[/i] to come...\" The Dragon looked at him and just smiled, and Colton whimpered, clenching down on the digit inside him.\n \"Gods above, Kenrai, please! Do – do you want me to beg for it? Because I'll beg!\" he insisted, and then demonstrated in his most submissive tone, saying \"I want your c-cock, Drake, I want you to [i]fuck[/i] me! Sentinels, I want it so bad...\" The Dragon churred quietly, a curious, voluntary noise similar to feline purring made by several non-Human species in Rilodell, and the muscles in the 'fingers' of his wing contracted, giving the Mokaji's shoulders an unexpected, if strangely reassuring squeeze.\n \"Easy, my little wolf,\" he whispered, \"Trust in Kenrai, he'll bring you what you want.\" Colton pouted, deciding for once he wasn't going along with it, and impatiently reached down to take hold of his member, which pulsed against his fingers as if in relief. \n \"If [i]you're[/i] not going to,\" he muttered, \"Then at least let [i]me[/i] – Hey!\" To the shapeshifter's surprise, Kenrai pulled his hand away from Colton's rump, and then, before the not-wolf realized what he was doing, grabbed the smaller male's hands one after the other and slipped them behind his back, where the hand on the arm that was helping support his weight held them in place. \n \"Don't be naughty,\" scolded Kenrai with a grin, \"I promise, if you just give me a little more time, you [i]won't [/i]be disappointed...\" Pouting, Colton wiggled a little, testing his predicament, and discovered to his complete and utter [i]lack [/i]of surprise, that the Dragon's hand may as well have been cast in iron; those fingers simply refused to budge. He wasn't sure what it meant that he realized he kind of [i]enjoyed [/i]being restrained like this... Shivering with a sort of pleasure that made him slightly embarrassed, Colton sighed and nodded, lowering his ears again, his brief surge of defiance disappearing as quickly as it had come. \n \"Okay...\" As he studied his twitching feet, avoiding his lover's gaze, Colton shivered as Kenrai licked his cheek.\n \"Cheer up, pup,\" whispered Kenrai, \"You're going to like this.\"\n\nSoon, the pleasure was building up and up, and with no one touching his dick, there was no relief, nothing to let off the pressure. Colton couldn't help but whimper and moan as he twitched and trembled in the Dragon's firm grip. \n \"K-Kenrai, p-please...\" he groaned, as another droplet of clear pre-come leaked from the head of his prick, drooling down to his stomach and leaving a clear strand trailing behind it, \"I need it s-so, so bad...\" The warrior said nothing this time, but as he smiled, his fingers began moving faster, rubbing deeper, and the pulses of pleasure radiating outwards from Colton's rear began to grow more intense. \n \"Oh – oh fuck!\" the false wolf gasped, as the pressure built up more and more inside him, \"My – my ass! Kenrai, I... I feel s-strange...\" Chuckling, Kenrai pressed the end of his snout against Colton's cheek, nuzzling his nose against the smaller male, a Draconic sign of closeness. \n \"Easy, my little wolf, easy...\" he whispered, \"Just relax, take deep breaths... It's going to happen either way, but I'm kind of enjoying watching you fight it...\" Colton wasn't sure what he meant, but he [i]was[/i] certain that Kenrai was right; this was building to something. But as he squirmed and moaned, rolling his hips against those fingers working their magic inside his rear, the sensation began to feel familiar, and by the time he realized what was going to happen, he was too far gone to comment on it – or even focus his thoughts on the idea. \n \"Gods above!\" he cried, as he began to tense up, \"I'm – I'm – Ohhhh, [i]Kenraaaai![/i]\" With his lover's name on his lips, Colton arched his back and let out a moan that transitioned into a howl worthy of his assumed surname. The shapeshifter's toes curled up and his whole body went rigid as a truly [i]explosive [/i]orgasm burst free from within him, sending pleasure dancing along his nervous system, spreading throughout his trembling frame. As Kenrai continued to rub and massage at his lover's prostate, Colton's long-ignored dick began to throb and spasm, and as he looked down at it in shock as if it had never done this before, his prick began spurting gouts of wet, gooey come into the cool evening night. As usual, its thick consistency weighed it down, but the very first ejaculation had such force behind it that it jetted through the air and draped itself across the wolf's surprised face. Colton barely noticed, however, because the pleasure that accompanied it was [i]unreal[/i]. He moaned and yelped and whimpered in ecstasy as his pulsing cock continued spilling hot Mokaji semen onto his belly and chest, and Kenrai churred in approval as he watched the smaller male writhing helplessly in the throes of climax.\n\nAs Colton slumped down against his lover's arm and wing, Kenrai gently let go of his wrists, letting the wolf's hands flop limply to his sides. Lifting the historian up a little higher, the Dragon licked his cheek, just avoiding the strand of glistening seed that ran diagonally across Colton's muzzle. Once his breathing calmed, the Mokaji looked up, confused. The slightly dopey expression was made all the more adorable by the mess on his face.\n \"You... you made me [i]come[/i],\" he whispered, glancing down at the abundant evidence, which still glistened on his torso. The scent of jism was strong in the air, and if the pre-come leaking down Kenrai's shaft was any indication, the Dragon liked it. \n \"Really something, isn't it?\" Kenrai asked, smirking, \"I had... ah, I used to have a lover who would do that for me sometimes.\" His smile faltered a little, seemed forced after a moment, but Colton didn't notice, lost in his own thoughts. \n \"No, no, I mean – what did you [i]do?[/i]\" he asked, making the Dragon tilt his head to the side. Now [i]both [/i]of them looked perplexed (though only one of them was covered in semen). Colton continued as his brain continued piecing itself back together.\n \"D-don't get me wrong, it was [i]great[/i],\" he insisted, \"I haven't come [i]that[/i] hard since before I went on the run from the skinner, but how in the world did you make me come without touching my – my penis? Was that some kind of Draconic spell? I didn't hear any runewords or incantations...\" At this, the Dragon actually laughed, which would have made Colton blush if he weren't already so flushed.\n \"I thought you were supposed to be the scholar!\" teased Kenrai, \"You [i]do [/i]know about your prostate, right?\" Lowering his ears in embarrassment, Colton pouted adorably. He didn't much appreciate having his calling questioned.\n \"Of – of [i]course[/i] I know!\" he snapped, \"It generates some of the fluid that's in semen, and it contracts during ejaculation to help get it out of the body! And my field of focus is world history and legend study, [i]may I remind you[/i], not anatomy!\" Kenrai hadn't actually freed his fingers yet, and he pressed both of them down on that 'sweet spot' again and made Colton yelp with a weak pulse of pleasure that made a little more seed drool out of his slowly deflating prick. \n \"I'll take your word for that part, Mister Historian,\" said the Dragon, \"But let me inform you that it [i]also [/i]feels [i]really fuckin' good[/i] when you apply pressure and rub on it! That's the biggest reason why taking a dick or some fingers under your tail feels so good in the first place!\" At this, all the fire suddenly went out of Colton's eyes, and his indignation was replaced with self-consciousness. \n \"...Oh.\" As Colton lay there awkwardly, Kenrai sighed quietly.\n \"I didn't mean to tease, Colton,\" he said, more gently, \"if you didn't know, you didn't know... but I'm curious, since it's a pretty popular subject with tail-raisers like us, are you really telling me none of your boyfriends ever told you about this?\" Swallowing a whimper, Colton averted his eyes and began nervously poking his forefingers together, feeling terribly embarrassed.\n \"Well, no...\" he admitted, \"Because I... I was a [i]lady[/i] for all my other boyfriends.\"\n\nIn addition to the masterful control of their physical form that allowed them to perfectly replicate the shapes of other species, the Mokaji gift of the Change also allowed them to control their gender. Each one was technically what Colton called a hermaphrodite, a term that Kenrai had never heard in his many travels, which meant they were all basically male and female at the same time; through the Change, an individual Mokaji could 'toggle' back and forth between one sex and the other at will, though this particular alteration took considerably more time than most others, and was considered something to be done in calm, quiet privacy. Colton had explained all this to Kenrai in the past, even [i]demonstrated [/i]the end result to him on a memorable occasion that made the Dragon rather uncomfortable, but the warrior still seemed surprised by this revelation from his lover. \n \"You...\" he trailed off, thinking for a moment, and then said \"[i]All [/i]of them?\" Shrugging, Colton studied the lantern that lit the room.\n \"Yes... Well, except for you, but I'm not sure if we've reached the point where you could call us –\" \n \"But before we had sex, that first time,\" interrupted Kenrai, \"You told me that you were, you know, experienced, that you'd taken it under the tail before!\" The Dragon was blustering, clearly agitated, and Colton swallowed a whimper, unsure what he'd done wrong. \n \"I had!\" he insisted, \"I'd totally had anal before! ...It's just that I was a [i]girl[/i] at the time, a river otter named Abigail Meadowdown.\" Poking the sensitive spot inside the wolf again, Kenrai looked at the other man cautiously.\n \"So, what, when you – when you shift into a woman, your prostate and, uh, [i]other bits[/i], they just disappear?\" he asked. Colton shook his head and laid a hand on his stomach, remembering too late that his stomach was still covered in come. \n \"No, they're s-still there, they just move inside, just like there's still a womb and, um, other female things, inside me now...\" he said, looking in dismay at his sticky palm, \"But I can only be fully male [i]or[/i] fully female at any one time, and the other parts go totally dormant until I switch back. When I did it as Abbie, it felt... [i]different[/i] from when I did it with you as Colton.\" Finally slipping his fingers out of Colton's rump, Kenrai idly rubbed them on his scaly thigh to smear off the oil that lingered there. \n \"So when we did it that first day, after the darkling attack, you were basically a [i]virgin?[/i]\" the Drake asked, reasoning it out. Colton let that whimper go free and blushed, as his cheeks had cooled enough for his embarrassment to show.\n \"N-no, I...\" he trailed off and sighed, \"Alright, [i]yes[/i], if you really want to get technical about it, I'd never done it as a man before.\" Swallowing nervously, he forced himself to make eye contact.\n \"Kenrai, I'm sorry,\" he insisted, \"I didn't know that experience was so important to you, or I'd –\" Raising his hand, the warrior shook his head.\n \"No, no, it's okay, Colton, I didn't mean to sound mad at you,\" he said, more softly, \"It's just that... I didn't know that you'd never done it before, and...\" Sighing, a look of disappointment showed through in the Dragon's eyes.\n \"Sorry, pup, I was just taught that your first time is supposed to be special...\" Reaching out, Colton touched his dry hand to the Dragon's firm pectoral.\n \"If it helps, Drake, it was a [i]lot[/i] more special than Abigail's first time,\" he said, briefly frowning as he stared off into the distance, remembering, \"Turned out he was just using me for sex, didn't love me at all.\" \n \"I'm sorry,\" Kenrai replied, wincing, \"What a bastard!\"\n \"It's okay,\" Colton murmured, \"Another life...\" Taking in a deep breath, the Drake managed a small smile.\n \"Well, I'm glad to be better than [i]that[/i], at least,\" he said, \"Things can only go up from there.\" \n\nAfter a moment, Kenrai turned and eased Colton down to the bed, slipping his wing out from under the smaller male and – after stretching it out to its full extension with a sigh of relief – folded it neatly behind him. \n \"Here, Colton, let me help clean you up,\" Kenrai said, lowering his mouth towards the Mokaji's stomach, \"It would be rude of me to just let all this wet, [i]hot[/i], sticky come dry into your fur...\" Colton tried not to smirk and failed; he knew from the unintentional emphasis Kenrai had put on 'hot' that the real reason he wanted to clean him up was that although he tried to downplay it, Kenraidrikerion was just as susceptible to the Draconic lust for warmth as any other member of his species, which was why he always made a point of 'cleaning' the smaller male while the semen was still fresh and hot. As the Drake extended his long, flexible tongue, and began gently licking the cream off of the not-wolf's stomach, Colton shivered pleasantly and sighed in relief. \n \"For a minute there, I thought you were actually mad that I'd never been gay before, or that I wasn't worldly enough, or something,\" he admitted. Between licks, Kenrai grinned.\n \"Oh, no way, I'd never judge that kind of thing even if you'd been a stone cold virgin when we met,\" he insisted, and after lapping up a bit more semen, he added \"In fact, since you're being so open, let me tell you something about myself.\" Leaning up and slowly licking away the forgotten strand of jism draped across Colton's muzzle, the Dragon grinned almost bashfully.\n \"You're, uh... you're the first mammal I've ever taken to bed,\" Kenrai admitted, \"Before you, all the men I ever slept with were reptiles, like me. Dragons, crocodiles, iguanas... one [i]very[/i] memorable night with a pair of newt twins... but never a warmblood.\" Colton smiled shyly, feeling oddly special. \n \"Really?\" the false wolf asked, and then his ears twitched as a thought occurred to him.\n \"That's why you like to play with my balls so much!\" he said, \"Because all the men you've ever been with had their testicles on the [i]inside![/i]\" Kenrai chuckled and looked down at his own erection, which extended out of a slit between his legs, and was indeed free of a dangling scrotum. \n \"I have to admit, it [i]is [/i]kind of fun, being able to touch your sac, to feel your boys moving around inside,\" the Dragon observed between swipes of his tongue, \"And they're always so [i]warm[/i], especially once you get turned on...\" \n\nAs Colton squirmed, quite enjoying and somewhat distracted by the frank discussion, Kenrai took the shapeshifter's flaccid cock into his mouth and slurped on it. Colton yelped, as he was quite sensitive after his climax. \n \"K-Kenrai!\" he gasped, sitting up and reaching forward, grabbing the Dragon's stunted horns. Chuckling, Kenrai took hold of his lover's hips and held himself in place, so that even when he opened his mouth to speak, the smaller male couldn't push him away.\n \"Problem, my little wolf?\" he asked, playfully, \"I was just thinking, maybe I'd suck on you and watch you squirm until you got hard and came for me [i]again[/i], so I could sample that hot seed of yours direct from the tap.\" \n \"[i]Kenraaaai[/i],\" the Mokaji whined, without intending to, \"D-don't...\" Grinning, the Dragon touched one finger to his chin.\n \"Hmmmm...\" he pondered, \"Let me think about it.\" He took Colton's tool back into his mouth, and made the trembling wolf whimper and yelp for the better part of thirty seconds. Despite himself, Colton couldn't help but twitch and gasp as that incredible tongue teased along his shaft, rubbing the sensitive flesh tenderly, almost lovingly, bringing him pleasure so intense it was almost overwhelming – which just made it feel even more surreal that he wasn't getting hard. Finally, just as the changeling thought he'd go mad, Kenrai opened his mouth and sat up, chuckling again. \n \"Well, alright,\" the warrior teased, \"But only because you asked so nicely. There, you're all clean now. Well, except for this...\" Gently taking Colton's hand, he licked the residue off his fingers and palm, working that tongue between his digits and wetting the fur with his warm saliva. Then, after making Colton blush up a storm, he released the wolf's hand and began to rub his lover's belly. \n \"Perfect.\" \n\nColton stretched out on the bed, thoroughly happy, as Kenrai rubbed his tummy. \n \"Mmmm, my little wolf...\" murmured the Dragon, his eyes warm and gentle, \"You look so content.\" Smiling a little wider, the mercenary let out a contented sigh.\n \"I love...\" Colton inhaled sharply, but before he had time to even be nervous, Kenrai finished that thought with \"...watching you come, Colton.\" The shapeshifter silently scolded himself for even [i]thinking[/i] what he'd thought this early into knowing the other man, but he felt his blush was still appropriate for what the Dragon was saying.\n \"The noises you make, the look on your face, the way you writhe and shudder...\" Kenrai breathed, \"It's like you couldn't hold anything back even if you tried, and that's why I love bringing you to that moment.\" The shapeshifter tried to think of something to say to that strangely intimate comment, but his attention was drawn down to the Drake's rigid prick. Nodding at it, Colton smiled shyly and spread his legs a little.\n \"[i]Speaking[/i] of which,\" he said, \"It would be selfish of me not to repay you after your little finger trick... do you want to take me now?\" Kenrai waved dismissively, much to the historian's surprise.\n \"Ehhh, I don't like fucking a bottom after he comes, it feels strange for him to stay soft, like he isn't getting anything out of it.\" Pouting and sitting up, Colton moved forward and took hold of the larger male's impressive tool, with its exotic ridges and ever so slightly pointed shape. \n \"Well, I have no intention of leaving you with blue balls, even if they [i]are [/i]internal,\" he replied, \"So if it's all the same to you, I'm gonna go down on you now.\" \n\nWithout waiting for an answer, Colton slipped his legs underneath himself, getting onto his hands and knees, and bent forward, beginning to kiss and lick at Kenrai's long-neglected dick, which throbbed against his lips as if expressing its gratitude. As the Mokaji worked his tongue, which was currently the wide, flat tongue of a canine, into the shallow crannies formed by his lover's ridges, Kenrai gasped out loud, caught off guard. \n \"Fuck!\" he cried, \"Oh – Oh, Orange's Chariot, pup, you're too good to me...\" With a sigh of relief, he reached down and cupped the back of his lover's head with one large hand, though his grip was surprisingly gentle, and he didn't push Colton forward at all. Using the other arm to pull himself along, Kenrai somewhat awkwardly crawled backwards along the bed until he reached the headboard, sitting up and leaning back against the wall. Colton determinedly came with him, moving on all fours, his tail wagging like a common pooch's, continuing the stream of playful licks and kisses along the Dragon's proud cock. As his tongue soothed the sensitive, needy flesh of the other man's dick, Colton inhaled deeply through his nostrils and shivered with illicit pleasure as he breathed deep of the Dragon's most personal scent, the unique reptilian musk of a healthy, deeply aroused Draconic male. Colton had been with reptilian women in the past, but not men, so the scent was unlike anything he'd ever experienced, and even though he was sated after the terrific orgasm he'd reached atop his lover's fingers, it still made him even more enthusiastic about [i]tasting[/i] the Dragon, so he licked and licked like there was no tomorrow, actually moaning out loud when his tongue gathered up a droplet of flavourful pre-come his ministrations had earned him. Unlike the false wolf, Kenrai tended to pre quite copiously, but that didn't mean Colton didn't savour every drop. Meanwhile, up above, Kenrai opened his eyes and watched the false wolf's tail for a while as it metronomed back and forth. \n \"Colton, do real wolves wag their tails when they're happy?\" he asked, after a while, \"Or is that just dogs?\" But as the warm, flitting tongue pulled away from his member, the warrior seemed to realize his mistake, and with a huff, he very gently pushed Colton back towards his cock. \n \"No, you know what, forget it,\" he said, chuckling as the licking resumed, \"It can wait.\" \n\nShortly thereafter, when he could resist no longer, Colton moved up and took the head of Kenrai's penis into his mouth, closing his lips behind the crown and slowly sliding down, letting the thick shaft slide into his muzzle. He had to cheat [i]just [/i]a little to do it, subtly adjusting the dimensions of his oral cavity, but he managed to take the entire length of his lover's impressive prick into his mouth at once. If the shudder he felt against him was any indication, Kenrai [i]deeply [/i]appreciated his efforts. As Colton ran his tongue along the sensitive underside of the Dragon's cock, Kenrai swore quietly and groaned.\n \"Lost God's Name, you're so fucking good at this, changeling...\" the warrior whispered, \"Don't stop, please, don't stop...\" Fortunately for him, Colton had neither the intention nor the desire to, and so he began to bob his muzzle along the length of Kenrai's thick shaft, closing his eyes and savouring the Dragon's musk, the feel of that cock against his tongue, the way his skin tasted... Distant habits emerged, and Colton lifted a hand from the bed, groped around blindly just beneath the base of Kenrai's shaft, and then remembered, as his fingertips brushed against common scales, that there was nothing there to fondle. Unsure what to do with his hand, he just rested it on the larger man's thigh and focused instead on his mouth, on using his lips and tongue and cheeks to bring his lover the kind of pleasure he deserved. The Mokaji worked at a steady, even pace, and he could practically [i]feel [/i]the arousal building and building inside the warrior's taut body. Despite himself, Kenrai began to twitch and grunt as Colton happily explored the exotic contours of his lover's rod with the tip of his tongue, teasing under ridges and playing along the pronounced cap at the tip of Kenrai's erection that was, for a reptile, surprisingly reminiscent of the head of a Human prick. Groaning softly around his mouthful, the shapeshifter shuddered, inhaling deep lungfuls of the Dragon's private scent, sending tingles running down his spine, all the way to the tip of his tail (and perhaps extending to the hairs beyond). In this moment, Colton allowed his feelings to mingle with his excitement; yes, he [i]was [/i]incredibly attracted to Kenrai, not just as someone to share his bed and give him a good dicking from time to time, but... but maybe as something [i]more [/i]than that. He'd just been afraid to admit it to himself because he'd known the Drake for such a short time, but that didn't matter right now, none of his worries mattered right now, because he was here, with Kenrai, and the only thing he wanted to think about was repaying the mercenary for the way he made the Mokaji feel, long after he'd thought he'd lost all hope. Abandoning coherent thought, Colton redoubled his efforts, really giving it his all, even invisibly reinforcing certain facial muscle clusters to give himself more stamina when his jaw started to ache. The lupine impostor actually moaned the next time he detected Dragon pre on his eager tongue. Seven gods, he tasted so [i]good[/i]...\n\nColton lost track of time, so focused was he on his task and his lover's body, but eventually, Kenrai was panting and trembling, gasping and groaning as he gently rolled his hips, rocking against Colton's bobbing muzzle. The Dragon's hand remained tightly clutching the back of the wolf's head, but even as his climax approached, Kenrai was careful not to apply too much pressure. \n \"Oh... oh [i]fuck[/i], changeling, you're – you're embarrassing me...\" the warrior managed to pant, \"Already getting c-close...\" Deeply encouraged, Colton shuddered again and brought in one hand to squeeze and stroke his lover's prick wherever his mouth wasn't. Finally pulling off all the way, he closed his tired jaw and looked up at the Drake adoringly.\n \"Do you want to finish in – in my mouth?\" he asked, self-consciously, \"Or... would you like to shoot it on my face?\" Colton had heard that male Dragons were fond of that very thing, some kind of territorial display that played into their typically dominant personalities. But for a moment, something flashed through Kenrai's eyes that almost seemed like reluctance, or hesitation. \n \"Ahhh, that's okay, Colton,\" he said, smiling a little less warmly than usual, \"N-no need to get your fur all sticky in the middle of the night...\" Clearing his throat, his face returned to the same sort of relaxed, calm happiness it normally displayed when he was in bed with the shapeshifter, and Colton wasn't quite sure what to make of it. \n \"No,\" Kenrai repeated, \"I think it would be [i]much [/i]nicer to return the favour and [i]feed [/i]you!\" His enthusiasm seemed real enough, and when Colton wondered if it was genuine, he started wondering if it was just his tendency for paranoia speaking, something he'd picked up after years of life on the run and constant pursuit. So, shrugging the odd moment off, he grinned, for he'd quietly preferred the option Kenrai had chosen anyway. He didn't exactly share his lover's affection for the heat, and the taste was nothing to write home about, but something about the act itself always made Colton tremble with pleasure of his own. \n\nWith a wide grin and a wink, he started moving back down to Kenrai's prick, which throbbed angrily in the cool air, as though it were furious at being interrupted. \n \"Nothing wrong with a little midnight snack...\" Colton murmured playfully, and then took that thick member back into his muzzle. Giving it everything he had this time, the false wolf rubbed and licked and stroked at the straining flesh, doing everything he could to encourage Kenrai to climax, eagerly anticipating the approaching moment. No longer fighting it, having apparently come to terms with his warrior's pride, the Dragon soon began to tense up against Colton, his breath coming in a shallow, staccato pattern, until finally, with an almighty groan of pleasure, Kenrai hunched forward, over the smaller man's body, and placed both hands on the back of Colton's head. The Drake shuddered hard, in time with the spasming of his rigid dick, which throbbed against Colton's lips and fingers as it began pumping hot, sticky Dragon sperm into the Mokaji's muzzle, painting his tongue and cheeks with seed. Colton moaned too, quivering at the sensation of his lover surrendering and winning at the same time, at the idea of the large, powerful man sharing the essence of himself with the smaller male because of the pleasure Colton had brought him. If he hadn't so recently had a mind-blowing orgasm himself, he would be [i]so [/i]hard right now... Moving back to the tip of Kenrai's prick, Colton used both hands to stroke the throbbing shaft, wanting to keep him ejaculating for as long as possible, swallowing down mouthful after mouthful of the Drake's hot come and losing himself in his lover's release. \n\nAs Colton gulped down the last of the Dragon's generous load, Kenrai relaxed and slumped back against the wall with a long, low groan.\n \"Oh, [i]Sentinels[/i], that... that was good...\" he panted, leaning back until his horns struck against the wooden wall with a [i]thunk[/i]. He looked down almost immediately, as the shapeshifter, who was smiling so delightedly he was practically glowing, climbed up next to the larger man, spooning against him and resting his head on the warrior's muscular shoulder. \n \"I thought for a moment there you were [i]never [/i]going to stop coming,\" Colton snickered, \"Maybe I should have given myself more stomach space...\" Wrapping his arm around the false wolf, Kenrai chuckled his deep, rumbling chuckle and began to rub his lover's back. \n \"You should see me on a night when I [i]haven't [/i]pleasured myself five times already...\" the reptile muttered. Colton started slightly and raised his head in shock, blushing at the mental image that popped into his head, of the front door of the cabin exploding open as Colton was washed out on a tide of reptile semen. One look at his lover's face, though, and Kenrai burst out laughing. Blushing even harder (but secretly relieved), Colton lay back down, muttering to himself. \n \"I'm sorry, my little wolf,\" Kenrai said, giving the other man a gentle one-armed hug, \"But it's been a few weeks since I started staying here, I thought you could tell when I was kidding!\" \n \"Yeah, yeah...\" grumbled the changeling, before he perked up a little and added \"I'm just glad you enjoyed it.\" They just lay there, gently entwined, for a few soft, warm minutes, just enjoying each other's physical presence, as Colton watched through half-lidded eyes as Kenrai's sated penis slowly retracted back inside its protective pouch, disappearing inside his body until the head slipped away from view and the Dragon's genital slit closed behind it. Apparently taking that as a cue, Kenrai was the first one to break the silence.\n \"Ah, if you'd like to sleep alone, that's fine,\" he said, \"Now that I've had my share of Colton for the night, I'll be happy to go back to the guest bedroom... Even if the bed [i]is [/i]imperfect these days.\" Colton forced himself not to blurt out his response before the Drake finished talking, not to look too desperate or needy. Looking up, he smiled shyly into his lover's almost luminous yellow eyes. \n \"Oh, no, that's f-fine,\" he said, with a relaxed tone so forced even [i]he [/i]could tell it sounded fake, \"You know, since you're here already anyway...\" The smile that appeared on Kenrai's face suggested that he'd been hoping Colton would say that. \n \"Ah, good,\" he replied, \"I always sleep better with y– ah, with a source of warmth next to me.\" Colton bent down and gathered the sheets, pulling them up over the two men's naked forms, and Kenrai fully lay down as he reached over to the bedside table and extinguished the lantern he'd brought with him. As the dark swept over them, Kenrai swept the changeling who had been pressed against his side up on top of him, and Colton let out an excited yelp as he was moved so easily by the powerful warrior. Once again, he couldn't help but feel a bit like a cherished stuffed toy in the much larger man's arms. \n \"Mmmm, that's better...\" rumbled the Dragon quietly. Stifling a giggle, Colton snuggled down against his lover and let out a quiet, satisfied sigh. He'd never known scales could be so comfortable...\n \"Goodnight, Drake,\" he whispered.\n \"Sleep well, my little wolf,\" came the reply. And soon, both men were peacefully slumbering, their bodies filling the space beneath the blankets with more than enough warmth to keep things nice and toasty. \n\nThe next morning, Colton awoke to find himself alone in the bed, tucked in nicely so he wouldn't get cold. He had thought himself a lighter sleeper than that... and hadn't been aware the imposingly sized Dragon could move that stealthily. Slipping out of bed, he put a housecoat on to brace against the cold, and moved out into the main room. Across the way, Kenrai was cooking something on the stove and murmuring to himself, some sort of Draconic song from the sound of it. Before announcing his presence, Colton took a moment to admire the view, as the mercenary stood there in a sleeveless shirt with his heat charm web wrapped tightly around his torso. He probably didn't need it, standing directly in front of a wood-burning stove as he was, but it was no doubt easier to leave it on than to take it off while he was cooking. While Colton was admiring the other man's muscular arms, one of Kenrai's frilled ears twitched, and he looked over his shoulder. \n \"Ah, there you are, sleepyhead!\" he said, grinning, \"Good morning!\" \n \"Morning,\" said Colton, smiling back and padding over. He paused by one of the walls they'd repaired since the darkling attack. It was smooth and flat, as befits a wall, but this made the shapeshifter a little confused.\n \"I told you I'd take care of it,\" Kenrai chuckled. Running his hand across the wood, Colton tilted his head to the side.\n \"But... but how?\" he asked, \"I don't feel any scraping at all!\" Looking back again, the Dragon waggled his eyebrows.\n \"I painted over it!\" The wolf snickered and shook his head with a smirk. A few days earlier, he had just[i] [/i]finished painting the freshly laid wood when Kenrai was taken by one of his more [i]traditionally[/i] dominant moods, and taken the changeling from behind right where he was standing. Despite his protests about the fresh paint just in front of him, Colton felt so good he couldn't bring himself to ask Kenrai to stop, and so despite his best efforts to resist the pleasure or at least turn away, his skilled lover had brought him to climax right on the spot, causing an embarrassed Colton to spill his seed all over his nice fresh paintjob, and despite his efforts to clean up, it had left a noticeable residue as the semen dried. Living with a Dragon made things more interesting, he had to give Kenrai that...\n \"Next time, how about we try [i]not [/i]making a mess in the first place?\" he asked, as he walked over. He blushed as he realized a part of him wished Kenrai would ignore that. In fact, maybe the Drake would get randy from standing next to the stove...\n\n \"Whatcha cooking?\" he asked, more to take his mind off the idea of being ravished by the muscular warrior than out of genuine curiosity. He was surprised [i]any[/i] part of him was still thinking about sex after last night's dalliances...\n \"Your breakfast,\" replied the Dragon, casually, \"I thought I'd make you something nice, and we could go over our plans for dealing with that rat bastard Creed.\" Colton swallowed, touched at the gesture, but was Kenrai just doing something nice for his friend and housemate, or was it something... more? \n \"Oh! Thank you!\" he said, \"I didn't even know you could cook.\" Kenrai [i]pshawed[/i] over his shoulder, making a dismissive gesture with a spatula. \n \"Of course I can cook, I'm a mercenary,\" he said, which seemed like a bit of a non-sequitor to the Mokaji. Fortunately, he finished that thought.\n \"When I was in the Black Falcons, we rotated duties whenever we made camp, which meant that everyone took his turn cooking for the band,\" Kenrai explained, name-dropping the group of swords-for-hire he'd formerly been signed with, \"But everyone in this line of business knows how to cook a [i]little[/i], since you spend most of your time on the road.\" Taking a plate next to the stove in hand, he carefully scooped onto it a couple of eggs and some sausage, as well as something that appeared to be made out of chopped potato pieces and spiced with... something Colton's nose couldn't identify. \n \"Here you are!\" Kenrai said proudly, \"Enjoy, my little friend. The, ah, the spices were in my pack, since I was wandering when you met me. It's something Henry used to make at breakfast...\" He trailed off and his face fell just slightly. Henry was the name of the oldest member of the Black Falcons, a greying Human whose primary contribution in Kenrai's time with the band was offering his years of experience and wisdom in the ways of combat and strategy to the younger warriors. Kenrai had never said it in as many words, but Colton got the distinct impression that Henry had been something of a mentor to the Drake, and that the old man had been the hardest of the mercenaries to turn his back on when Kenrai left the Falcons for what one might lightly refer to as 'a conflict of ethics'. Wanting to take the Dragon's mind back to the present, not enjoying the hint of sadness in his friend's eye, Colton reached out and took the plate. It really did look good, though of course he'd been prepared to choke down just about anything in the service of being polite. That's what friends do, he told himself... but it didn't mean he wasn't delighted to see how scrumptious it really looked.\n \"Thank you, Kenrai, it looks delicious,\" he said, drawing the larger male's attention, \"Do you want to share?\" Moving to sit down at the table, which was still perfectly useable despite the clawmarks marring one leg, Kenrai shook his head.\n \"No, I already ate,\" he said, \"I just thought I'd do this for you while I was waiting for you to wake up.\" Walking over to join him, Colton smiled delightedly, his tail wagging behind him.\n \"Then I'll be sure to enjoy every morsel,\" he said, \"I didn't realize I had a chef staying here along with a warrior.\" Kenrai grinned and made a self-effacing gesture, spreading his hands wide.\n \"My pleasure, pup,\" he said, \"It's just one of many services I provide.\" \n\nA few moments later, Colton was comfortably seated at the table, and Kenrai was spreading out a map of the region.\n \"Okay...\" the Dragon said, stroking his chin, \"So I feel like the smartest course of action is to lay low until the end of the winter. We'll just stay here and gather supplies for the road while we avoid attention... as much as we can... until the rivers thaw and the snow melts.\" Colton nodded as he chewed on a bit of sausage. Keeping a low profile was easier said than done for a Dragon out here in the middle of nowhere, but at least Kenrai had acknowledged that problem. Pointing to a road, the warrior continued.\n \"We'll take this route here once we're ready to go; you see how it runs alongside this forest for a couple of leagues? If we move at night and spend our days amongst the trees, it should be impossible for anyone to keep our trail.\" Colton nodded, but he wasn't entirely convinced.\n \"I don't know... I'm a [i]shapeshifter[/i], Drake, I should have lost Creed the very first time I Changed into a different person. I left town by the north entrance, then became someone else and headed south. That should have been the end of it right there, but somehow that – that evil man has always picked up my trail again!\" Kenrai nodded and frowned.\n \"I remember. I don't like the sound of that,\" he admitted, \"but that's one of the reasons I picked this road. We're ultimately heading northwest, so at the first sign of pursuit, we'll abandon the road entirely and try to cut straight through the forest. That's not an [i]ideal [/i]situation since we wouldn't even have the benefit of possible witnesses to keep him from acting, and I fear the skinner is more comfortable moving through the woods than we are, but I'm hoping he doesn't come in person, since the men he hires probably aren't as savvy in the trees. If that's the case, we can hopefully keep far enough ahead of them to reach [i]this [/i]road, here, before they do.\" \n \"That's all well and good,\" Colton said, as he forked up a bit of egg, \"but where [i]does[/i] this plan of yours lead?\" Grinning, the warrior pointed to a mountain range far to the northwest. \n \"Right [i]there[/i],\" he said, \"That mountain range is [i]Dragon [/i]territory. In fact, that tall one in the middle is home to a blue flight city, Niirkeldojan, and the green flight are on very good terms with them. Hell, I've got blue cousins! We can go there for sanctuary, since something tells me no matter how badly he wants your 'magic fur', Bartin Creed isn't crazy enough to try and take it from you from the middle of a Dragon stronghold. Once we're there, we'll ask them for help, and you'll never have to worry about it again.\" \n\nColton shivered for a moment, briefly feeling emotional at the idea of never having to worry about Creed ever again, never having nightmares of being chained to a skinning rack while the maniac happily sharpened a blade, never had to look over his shoulder in fear, afraid that anyone he saw might be working for his enemy. The first time they'd been together, Kenrai had held the false wolf close and told him that he would protect him, that he would be okay, and for the first time in a long time, the Mokaji had believed it. When he was wrapped in the Dragon's arms, Colton felt so safe and secure, and if this plan worked out, maybe he could feel like that [i]all the time[/i]... and maybe he could turn his full attention to working out exactly how he felt about the confident mercenary with the contagious enthusiasm. \n \"I like the sound of that,\" he said, downplaying the hope the Dragon's words had instilled in him, \"Why don't we just gather our supplies and leave now, though?\" Kenrai sighed and shook his head.\n \"I know where you're coming from, we don't want to risk some asshole stumbling across us before we're ready to leave, but it would be a lot more dangerous,\" he said, \"Travel will be harder with all this snow down, it'll be more difficult for me to be out there in all this cold, and worst of all, the mountain paths that lead up to Niirkeldojan from the southeast are frozen over in the heart of winter, we'd have to circle all the way around the mountain range and come at the central peak from the northwest side.\" As he traced his finger around the mountains on the map, Colton's heart sank. That [i]did [/i]sound bad... \n \"Alright, fine,\" the lupine impostor muttered, \"I suppose it won't be so bad hiding out here for the winter. Nobody comes out here because they think the Shadowglades are haunted. Uh, [i]all [/i]the time, I mean, not just one day a year.\" Kenrai's grin made him feel warm, and he averted his eyes to focus on the chopped bits of potato on his plate, which had actually turned out to be quite good. \n \"I know what you meant, pup, though you [i]are [/i]cute when you blush like that,\" the Dragon said, \"Here, since we have a lot of time, let's go over this a little more.\" Kenrai produced some more maps, and these each showed a smaller area in more detail than the large-scale one he'd started with. \n \"These are the most recent maps I could find, so they should serve us well,\" he said, \"Now, if we start by taking the road outside all the way west, we should...\" Colton kept eating and listening, and he turned his full attention to the Dragon once he'd finished off the delicious breakfast. Piece by piece, they went over the plan in detail, adjusting a few things here and there as Colton asked questions or pointed out problems that gave Kenrai pause. It was all theoretical, but it did a lot to make the Mokaji feel good, as preparation for an endgame was a much more appealing plan than just running for the rest of his life, and it reinforced the idea that it may be [i]real[/i], that someday soon he could be free!\n\nAfter a couple of hours, the two of them felt satisfied that they had a solid plan laid out, at least for a 'first draft' that they could build on in the coming weeks, and Kenrai carefully put his maps and charts away as Colton lingered by the table, putting off washing the dishes for the moment. Toying with his fork, the smaller male watched the Dragon's tail flick back and forth as he shuffled things around inside his pack, humming to himself. The shapeshifter smiled, as he'd noticed a correlation with which days Kenrai was in such a good mood, specifically with what happened on the day [i]before [/i]days where Kenrai was in such a good mood... Naturally, that thought brought him back to last night, when he'd been cradled in the mercenary's arms, gently held against him as the other male coaxed the pleasure out of his body, all the while watching him with such a warm, tender look in his eyes... \n \"Kenrai...\" he said, before his mind had caught up to his mouth, \"I, um, I wanted to ask you... Keeping warm wasn't the [i]only [/i]reason you came to my room last night, was it?\" He grinned as he said it, and hoped he looked cool and relaxed. Looking over his shoulder, the Drake laughed.\n \"Noticed that, did you?\" he said, winking, and then continued as Colton's smile grew, \"Well, what can I say, pup, sharing a bed with you seems a much more appealing prospect than having one all to myself.\" The changeling nodded, wishing he could Change his nervousness into confidence. Were it so easy...\n \"Yes, but – but you didn't even f-fuck me,\" he responded, noting that he still couldn't say those last two words without blushing, \"You just played with me for a while, and then I sucked you off.\" As he set his bag aside, the warrior shrugged, making his wings spread slightly.\n \"What can I say?\" Kenrai murmured, his voice slightly more subdued, \"You're more interesting to me than just somewhere warm to put my [i]dick[/i], Colton.\" The Mokaji's first instinct was to play off his increased nervousness with humour, to say something like 'I'm warm [i]and [/i]tight, thank you very much', but this time, he preferred to say nothing, just enjoy the shivery warmth those words made him feel, and take them at face value. \n\nEven as he smiled, a voice in the back of Colton's mind scolded him for fawning over the Dragon like a schoolgirl with a crush on a boy. He'd only known him for a few weeks, after all, so it wasn't like he was [i]in love [/i]with Kenrai, right? The voice, which Colton thought was rather cynical, liked to dismiss these feelings as just the Mokaji attaching himself to the first person who came along to help him out of his terrible situation, and trying to convince himself it meant more. But at the same time, he couldn't help but dismiss that voice and all its arguments... because while it was true that he and Kenrai hadn't known each other very long, the way Colton felt about the mercenary didn't [i]feel [/i]like a giddy, empty schoolgirl crush. And as someone who had dabbled with [i]being [/i]a schoolgirl in years past, the shapeshifter knew very well what [i]that [/i]felt like. But since dwelling on those particular memories tended to make Colton either blush or cringe, he quickly shoved them out of his mind with one final thought. While Kenrai had been maddeningly evasive in discussing his own feelings, the changeling couldn't help but think; it was hard to picture a mercenary like him putting his life on the line [i]just[/i] for great sex. Maybe he wasn't being naive to hope there was something more there... The man who occupied so many of his thoughts lately cut into the false wolf's reverie, and Colton blushed as he realized Kenrai had been trying to get his attention for several seconds. \n \"Ah, there you are!\" the Dragon teased as they made eye contact, \"Having trouble staying on Rilodell?\" The Mokaji inhaled sharply and raised a hand to his chest, but Kenrai took no notice as delight spread across his scaly features. \n \"No, wait, I know!\" The Drake laughed gently and sent Colton a lewd smile. \"You were daydreaming about last night, weren't you?\" the warrior murmured, knowingly. Colton turned beet red and Kenrai laughed again as the historian sputtered some feeble denials. Okay, so he hadn't [i]just [/i]been daydreaming about being in the Dragon's arms, but being caught by the person you were fantasizing about was still [i]tremendously [/i]embarrassing. Still, his first thought, spurred on by an innocent choice of words from the mercenary, would have been far worse, so he felt weirdly relieved at the same time. Thus, he grinned sheepishly and admitted his guilt. \n \"...M-maybe. It was a memorable night, okay?\" Kenrai grinned wide enough to show off every one of his teeth and winked at him.\n \"Ohhhh, my little wolf,\" he said, shaking his head, \"You ain't seen [i]nothing [/i]yet!\" \n\nThat phrase got Colton's heart pumping faster, but Kenrai just chuckled and turned away, leaving him with a mixture of confusion, embarrassment, and disappointment. Not wanting to dwell, managing a smile at what it suggested for the future, Colton let it slide. Looking down to the table, he gazed upon the last chart the larger man had left there, a detailed map of the mountain range where Niirkeldojan, was located. Toying with the image, dragging his finger over the tiny mountains as though he were one of the seven gods, standing watch over their world, Colton recalled something he'd learned in the blissful time before running for his life became the norm. \n \"I remember a legend I heard once, about the blue Dragonflight,\" he said, still idly toying with the map, \"There was this group of Dwarves who were making an out-of-season caravan run because they were desperate for food supplies, their own crops had failed. They got caught out on the road by a blizzard, and when they fled to try and find shelter from the storm before they froze to death, they were set upon by a pack of wolves.\" \n \"I don't like this story,\" muttered Kenrai, frowning. Colton liked to tell him stories and legends from his studies, something he'd missed in his years of running, and Kenrai had a decided preference for the cheerier tales of adventure and heroism.\n \"No, no, it gets better,\" Colton assured him, \"See, these Dwarves weren't trained soldiers, they were just merchants, so though they were hearty and stout, that wasn't going to do them a whole lot of good against a pack of hungry ferals. But just when they were finally surrounded, when it seemed like they were doomed, a blue Dragon dropped from the sky out of nowhere and chased off the wolves with a spear that crackled with lightning and a breath that carried the power of the blizzard itself.\" The Mokaji looked up, into the other man's eyes, and smiled, saying \"The Dragon didn't know the Dwarves, he didn't owe them anything, he just saw that they were being hunted, they were in danger... and he saved their lives and lead them to his home, where they were safe from the storm and from the creatures of the night.\" Kenrai smiled broadly once the story was over, leaning against the table and tilting his head just slightly to the left. \n \"Did you know that your whole face kinda lights up whenever you talk about legends or history?\" he asked, \"The same thing happened when you were talking about the War of the Gods, and why the Shadowglades is the way it is.\" Blushing, Colton grinned shyly.\n \"Do I?\" he asked, enjoying the feeling of the Dragon looking at him like that. \n \"Oh yeah,\" the larger male replied, \"Your eyes get wider, you look more alert, the corners of your muzzle turn up... you can tell that you really love this stuff.\" Scratching at his arm self-consciously, Colton shrugged. \n \"It's kind of a thing with my people,\" he said, vaguely, \"We've got sort of an obsession with history and stories, love tracking them down and sharing them with the rest of us.\" Sitting back down in the chair he'd vacated, Kenrai nodded. He hadn't looked away from Colton once, and the false wolf couldn't help but smile. \n \"Is that so?\" the mercenary asked, \"As it happens, my people are like that too. I think I heard as a kid that we've got the longest unbroken history record in the world, or something, goes all the way back to right after the War of the Gods. But...\" The Dragon chuckled.\n \"To be honest, most of us prefer the legends part... Specifically the stories about epic battles and great Draconic warriors. The [i]fun [/i]ones.\" His finger tracing a meaningless pattern on the table, Colton gave the other man a coy look.\n \"Well, now that you mention it, I actually know quite a few stories about intense battles and Dragon warriors performing mighty deeds of heroism,\" he said, as calmly as he could, \"Maybe I could share them with you, help pass the time until spring.\" \n \"I think I'd like that,\" Kenrai said, softly. The two men continued looking into each other's eyes after they fell silent, their gazes growing warmer, their smiles widening, but before either of them could seize the moment in any way, they were both startled out of it by a loud banging on the front door. \n\nInhaling sharply, his pulse quickening, Colton looked to the entrance with a deep, all-encompassing dread, as if he feared the Blue Goddess, mistress of the land of the dead, had made a house call for once, coming to collect his soul in person. As his ears flattened against his head in a most un-wolflike manner and he began to tremble, Kenrai stood, his expression steely. He put a hand on the smaller male's shoulder and nodded to the side bedrooms. \n \"Your bedroom, as quietly as you can,\" he whispered, his voice barely audible at all, \"I'll take care of this. Go.\" Nodding, Colton scampered across the room on all fours – because he'd adjusted his hands and feet to be extra padded and extra fluffy, making them almost silent against the wood floor. Once the door had closed behind him, and not a second before, Kenrai picked up his warhammer, Foebreaker the Mighty, from where it was leaning against the wall between the bedroom doors, and brought it with him to the front door, where their mystery guest was still banging away. With the hammer, which was [i]massive [/i]by Human standards, casually slung over his shoulder, the Dragon put on his business face, which for a mercenary meant that he looked grumpy and vaguely threatening, but not aggressively enough to make someone pull a sword by itself. He pulled the door open, revealing an Orcish man that, while very large and intimidating, was still at least a head shorter than Kenrai. To his credit, the rough-looking man didn't react at all as his eyes rose from where he expected to find someone's face (about where the Dragon's sternum was) up to Kenrai's eyes. And if he found the warhammer threatening, he didn't show it as he briefly glanced over at it. Even if he [i]hadn't [/i]been wearing chainmail armour under his winter cloak, it would be abundantly clear that this man was a sword for hire, and an experienced one. There was absolutely no doubt in the Drake's mind that this was one of Bartin Creed's paid goons.\n \"Yes?\" asked Kenrai, who didn't need to pretend he wished the man would go away. \n \"Afternoon, mate,\" said the stranger, who sniffed harshly before nodding to the hammer. \n \"Nice smasher, that, bet it gets you all the bitches on bar runs.\" He grinned, as if to further suggest that he wasn't afraid of the Dragon. Maybe he wasn't, there were mercenaries who'd been in the business long enough to be confident in their skills against [i]any [/i]opponent, after all. Kenrai said nothing in response, and the Orc looked around at the vast whiteness surrounding them, before returning his gaze to the Drake.\n \"I'll make this quick, then,\" he said, in his slightly accented tone, \"I'm huntin' a bounty, some scrawny little punk who fucked my client bad, bad enough that he wants him brought back alive, and not through the usual channels. He's supposed to be puny, so's I'm assumin' you're not him, but the road's right there, and I thought I'd check to see if you saw anyone comin' through in the last couple days.\" Kenrai shrugged noncommittally, which is difficult with a weapon that big on your shoulder. \n \"You clearly don't know much about my kind,\" he said, fingering the heat charm web with his free hand, \"Weather like [i]this[/i], I don't get out much. I try to ignore the roads anyway. I live out here because I like my [i]privacy[/i], don't get many people out by the Shadowglades. They say it's haunted, you know, I got the cabin for a song.\" \n\nThe Orc didn't so much as glance to the treeline, just crossed his arms under his cloak and regarded the Dragon with an unreadable expression. \n \"Are you sure? Could have been anyone, I hear this guy's not exactly dangerous, but he's a master of disguise, could pass for just about any species.\" He laughed and shook his head.\n \"Client said he even makes a convincin' [i]woman[/i], but I ain't never met a man in a dress who could fool me, no matter [i]how[/i] much of a sissy he was,\" he added, chuckling derisively. \n \"For a 'master of disguise', he's kinda slow, though,\" The warrior added, scratching at one of his tusks, \"Got himself a, whattaya call it, a distinguishin' mark, big red spiral on his chest about here.\" As he pointed, he made a noise about halfway between a huff and a snort, shaking his head. \"[i]Big[/i] help, that detail, since everybody goes shirtless when it's cold enough to freeze the fuckin' come inside your balls!\" Moving very slowly, so it wouldn't be seen as a challenge, Kenrai lifted Foebreaker off his shoulder and laid the heavy head down on the floor right in front of him, leaning casually against the long shaft, as though it was a fencepost he was chatting with a neighbour over. \n \"Like I said, bub, I haven't seen anybody go by, unless you wanted to interrogate the [i]ferals [/i]in the damned woods,\" he said, letting just a little irritation leak into his tone, \"If you had a seal from the local bounty board, that might be one thing, but I don't want anything to do with an off-the-books hunt. You should check Beacon's Edge, the people there will gossip about [i]anything[/i], they'd be [i]glad [/i]to tell you about this crossdressing 'master of disguise' of yours.\" He nodded in the direction of the nearby town without breaking eye contact. \n \"Now was that all, or did you want to step in for a cup of tea and some biscuits, too?\" As the Drake had expected, the other warrior's eyes narrowed. Thuggish warriors like the Orc here generally held disdain for things people thought of as 'fancy', like expensive clothes, most jewellery, and tea, and he'd taken it (correctly) as a minor insult to be offered some. \n \"Fine, fine, go back to whatever it is you do in there by yourself all fuckin' day,\" the Orc said, waving a green-skinned hand dismissively, \"But if you [i]do[/i] happen to see a nervous fucker go by, I'm stayin' in the Brown Calf Inn, and I'll cut you in on the bounty if your info is good.\" Reaching up and tilting an imaginary top hat, the muscular mercenary put on a lopsided grin and bowed slightly. \n \"Thanks for your time, mate,\" he said, facetiously, \"Really like the hammer. Hope you know how to use it, it would be such a waste if it just collected dust in a fuckin' closet.\" As the Orc turned and started walking off in the opposite direction from town, perhaps going to check the path to the edge of the region, Kenrai sighed, begrudgingly admiring that perfectly veiled threat. For a hired goon, the Orc was a lot smarter than he looked. Kenrai stood there for a few moments more, making sure the thug wasn't planning to double back and snoop around the cabin, but he just kept on walking, and never looked back.\n\nThe curtains had been drawn, the light was out, and Colton sat on the bed, hugging his legs tight against his chest. After ditching his housecoat and getting dressed into some actual clothes in case he had to run, the false wolf had been trying to sit perfectly still while he listened to the conversation at the front door, but he couldn't keep from trembling with fear. Since he'd met Kenrai, he'd finally felt safe and secure again, like with the Dragon around, things were finally going to be okay. But now, as he shivered in the dark, listening to the gruff voice at the door talk about him, that old, familiar fear that had been in the background of every waking moment began to build up again. With the Drake's comforting presence in his life, it had almost started to feel like the pursuit Colton had been fleeing for years now had just been a terrible dream, one he'd woken up from, but actually hearing the voice of one of Creed's horrible goons outside, even if he couldn't see the man, made every memory of that endless chase crystal-clear in his mind, and horribly, unshakably real. Maybe he'd been foolish to hope that things could change, that he could actually be free of this... He didn't fear that the Dragon might actually take the hunter up on his offer, but as he listened to Kenrai telling the man to get lost, Colton realized he was holding his breath, and he couldn't bring himself to release it until he heard the door firmly shut again. Even then, he couldn't quite find it in himself to [i]move[/i] until the door to his bedroom opened and the Dragon was revealed, quite alone. Kenrai had his hammer with him, and after laying eyes on Colton, he frowned and set the massive weapon down on the ground and set it against the wall before stepping inside. The Mokaji looked up to him, eyes wide with fear, but he didn't say anything, just glanced in the direction of the front of the house.\n \"He's gone,\" the warrior said, gently, \"I sent him away. Are... are you alright?\" Colton tried to speak, but only a shuddery squeak came out. Automatically, he nodded, before he caught himself.\n \"Yes... I mean – I don't know...\" he murmured. He hadn't felt this out of sorts in a long, long time. He felt a little ashamed as Kenrai sighed gently and came closer, turning his face away as the Dragon sat down on the bed next to him. \n \"No, don't...\" he said, feebly, \"I – I don't want you to see me like this...\" Colton felt tears building up in the corners of his eyes, and whimpered.\n \"I don't get it, I j-just don't...\" he mumbled, shaking his head, \"I've b-been living with this for years now, why is it s-so bad this time...\" \n\nAs Colton started to sob, burying his face in his hands, Kenrai bit his lip, feeling anxious for a moment. It had been a [i]long[/i] time since someone had needed him as a shoulder to cry on... practically another life. Ever since he left Dragon territory, he'd mostly dealt with mercenaries, bandits, the occasional soldier, men of the infamous 'strong, silent type' that would rather die than let someone see them like this. He wasn't used to seeing someone exposing so much raw emotion in front of him. But at the same time, he found he couldn't [i]not [/i]help the smaller man, and he reached out and wrapped his arms around Colton's trembling form. \n \"I... it's okay,\" he whispered, \"I've got you.\" Colton tensed up for a moment, and Kenrai wondered if he'd made the wrong choice, given that the man had just [i]said [/i]he didn't want the Dragon to see him like this, but then the shapeshifter let out a whimper and melted into his embrace, pressing himself against the warrior's firm chest and hugging him back. Unconsciously beginning to stroke the wolf's back, struggling to find the words, reaching for a part of himself he'd thought he'd never see again, Kenrai took a deep breath and tried his best.\n \"...You told me before that you'd been alone all this time,\" he whispered, \"While you've been on the run, I mean. Is that true?\" Colton mumbled something incoherent and nodded. \n \"Well, that's it, then,\" the Dragon continued, nodding, \"Don't you see?\" Colton didn't react for a while, just took a couple deep, heaving breaths, and Kenrai wasn't sure the wolf had heard him, but then he finally looked up into the Dragon's eyes and slowly shook his head.\n \"You've had no one to depend upon but yourself, no one who could help you, so you've had[i] [/i]to be strong in order to survive,\" Kenrai murmured, \"Believe me, I understand that. It was [i]not [/i]easy leaving the Black Falcons to go alone, knowing I could only rely on myself.\" He took a deep breath and moved a hand up to gently cradle the Mokaji's face.\n \"But... now you've got me,\" Kenrai breathed, \"Now you've got an [i]ally[/i]. Now you know that when trouble comes looking for you, it isn't just [i]your own[/i] strength you can rely on... b-because you know I'm here for you.\" Feeling a little wetness in his own eyes, and ignoring it, lest his instinctive shame ruin the moment, Kenrai began to stroke the false wolf's cheek fur with a thumb. \n \"I'm here for you, Colton,\" he whispered, \"If you're weak right now, it's because you know you don't have to be strong [i]all the time[/i] anymore, you know that we're in this together, that you can depend on someone else... and maybe now, if you have to break down for a moment, then when you pull yourself back together, you can be more yourself than the person you've [i]had [/i]to be because you were being hunted.\" Colton's soft, gentle blue eyes widened, and his mouth worked without any sound coming out, and then he let out another sob and buried his face against Kenrai's chest, no longer ashamed, clearly letting his sorrow run its course. The Dragon continued to stroke the smaller male's back and whisper to him, telling Colton over and over again that he was safe, that he was going to be okay, that the Dragon would take care of him. And, a part of him was a little surprised to realize, he meant every single word.\n\nEventually, after he had recovered enough to compose himself, Colton took a deep, shuddery breath. \n \"Kenrai...\" he whispered, \"I...\" He trailed off, unable to find the words to explain the depth of his emotions, so he just kept it simple.\n \"Thank you.\" Kenrai smiled gently, but Colton managed a small grin and spoke up again before he could respond.\n \"And d-don't you say that this is just one of the services you provide,\" he said, \"Because there's no way I'll b-believe you do this for everyone who hires you!\" Kenrai laughed, hard, and tousled the smaller male's hair affectionately. \n \"Damned straight I don't,\" he chuckled, \"But then, I don't usually spend the night with my clients, either.\" Easing Colton out of his arms, Kenrai nodded towards the bedroom door. \n \"Take it easy for a while,\" the Dragon suggested, \"I'm gonna go make us something for dinner.\" But as he turned towards the door, Colton lunged forward and grabbed his hand from behind.\n \"Wait!\" the Mokaji blurted, a little bit more forcefully than he meant to, blushing and lowering his ears as the Drake turned back towards him curiously, \"I – I don't want to be alone right now, and uh, I don't really know anything about cooking, I've been making really simple recipes while I've been on the run, soups and stuff, so... could I come watch instead?\" The warrior looked at him curiously for a moment and then smirked, nodding. \n \"Sure. C'mon, I'll show you a few things.\" Grinning in relief, Colton followed him. \n\nThe two men spent the better part of the next two hours working in the cabin's meagre kitchen corner, which had been mostly spared the wrath of the darklings because no one had been over there. Kenrai was no master chef, and the meal was a fairly simple spiced roast, but Colton still watched with rapt attention, taking in every detail, asking many questions (both about the dish and about its cook) and generally letting himself calm down after that scare earlier, surprised just how much he enjoyed simply spending time with the Dragon. He helped out where he could, gathering water or peeling potatoes while the Dragon tended the roast, leaning in close as Kenrai told him how best to stoke the fire beneath the oven without making it too strong and burning the meat. Eventually, they'd succeeded, and they returned to the table where they'd discussed their plan, and though it wasn't the most exciting meal he'd ever had, Colton couldn't help but feel it tasted more delicious than he'd been expecting. As they ate, making smalltalk now and then, Colton caught a thought in the back of his mind, and for once, he didn't silently chastise himself for it; [i]I could really get used to this[/i]. As he was pondering that pleasant idea, the Dragon lifted his head and looked at him.\n \"How's yours?\" the mercenary asked, the first time he'd brought the food up since they started eating, \"I was worried I overcooked one side.\" Colton waved dismissively and scarfed up another piece of potato.\n \"No, no, it's fine, really hits the spot,\" the shapeshifter insisted, his tail wagging, \"Thanks for, uh, humouring me with the cooking lesson.\" Kenrai winked at him and grinned.\n \"Don't mention it.\" The Drake fell silent for a while, chewing thoughtfully on a piece of beef, and then looked up again. \n \"Colton... I was wondering,\" he started, cautiously, \"Have you worked out a, you know, a [i]shape[/i] you can go on the road with? I know, I know, the spring thaw is weeks away, but it's always best to be prepared, right?\" Colton frowned, not at being reminded of the thug who'd appeared at their door – here he was already thinking of the cabin as 'theirs' – but by the obvious discomfort with which Kenrai said the word 'shape'. \n \"Oh...\" he said, rubbing at the back of his furry neck, \"Yeah... I was thinking I would be a cat. I – I don't know the breed's name, uhh, one of the patchwork kinds... not a calico, they can only be female... Er, the point is, I was gonna put a bunch of red and orange on my chest.\" He swirled his hands around his upper body somewhat needlessly.\n \"Doesn't need to be a real pattern, I just need to disguise the spiral so Creed's men can't see it, even if they kick the door down when I'm in the bath.\" Thinking of an angle, he smiled politely at the Drake across the table. \n \"Do you want me to show you? You could critique the fur pattern, tell me if it looks natural!\" He stood up, starting to peel his shirt off, knowing full well that Kenrai would stop him.\n \"No, uh, that's fine,\" the Dragon said, raising his hands and putting on a forced smile, \"We can do that as the day gets closer. I'm just glad you've got one planned.\" Letting his own grin fall away, Colton plopped back down in his seat and pouted at the other man, who was studiously staring at his remaining beef. \n \"...Kenrai?\" he finally asked, once he worked up the courage, \"Why don't you ever want me to use the Change?\"\n\nColton wondered how the Dragon would respond to the direct question. Would he make up some feeble excuse? [i]I don't have a problem with the Change, it's just a coincidence I always tell you not to! [/i]Or [i]My mother was killed by a shapeshifter and it brings back traumatic memories! [/i]Or perhaps simply [i]What's wrong with liking you as you are?[/i] But Kenrai said none of these things. For a long, agonizing moment, he said nothing at all, merely sat there with his eyes closed. But then, he looked up into Colton's eyes, sighed quietly, and said something very different.\n \"Because knowing that you can and recognizing the person I've known for the past few weeks in a different skin are two different things.\" The Mokaji stared in silence for a moment; he was somewhat caught off-guard by such a bluntly honest statement. He had noticed Kenrai tended to be a little... guarded, emotionally, and hadn't expected such a straight answer right off the bat. Perhaps they really were growing closer... He nodded slowly, letting his ears swivel back. \n \"I'm sorry, Kenrai, I – I know it must be difficult for you,\" he admitted, \"It's just...\" His hands groped in the air as his mind groped for words, and he tried again, saying\n \"For the Mokaji, the Change isn't just something we can [i]do[/i], Drake, it's... it's part of who we [i]are[/i]. We... we don't [i]have [/i]a 'true form', did you know that?\" Sighing, rubbing his temples, Colton shook his head. \n \"One of the stories about us, one of the more [i]ridiculous[/i] stories about us, is that if you catch a Mokaji 'between' forms, if you lay eyes on his true face, he has to grant you wishes, or give you gold, or bless you with unending youth...\" he said, only slightly bitterly, \"But the truth is, when we're born, we... we don't look like [i]anything[/i]. Little blobs of flesh wrapped in pale skin, that's it. No eyes, no ears, no mouth, [i]nothing[/i]. The second we're born, the [i]second [/i]we're free of our mothers and out in the world, we instinctively use the Change for the first time, to create a hole so we can [i]breathe[/i]. We don't wear the forms of others because we're jealous of their appearance, Kenraidrikerion... we wear their forms because we don't have a [i]choice[/i]. I can wear all the faces in the world, but deep down, none of them will ever be [i]mine[/i].\" \n\n \"Colton...\" the warrior whispered, \"I... didn't realize that it weighed on you like that...\" The false wolf smiled thinly.\n \"It's alright, I don't bring it up just to complain about it,\" the shapeshifter assured the other man, \"I just wanted to help you understand that the Change is an integral part of who I am, something terribly important to me, and I... I want to [i]share[/i] that part of myself... with [i]you[/i].\" He wasn't sure, as it was hard to tell with scales, but Colton thought that Kenrai might actually be blushing just a little. Smiling slightly, he stood up and walked around the table, sitting down in the larger male's lap, resting his head against Kenrai's shoulder. The Dragon's arms came up around him, and he got the distinct impression the warrior was happy to be holding him. \n \"It'll still be me, Drake, I promise,\" he whispered, \"Nothing about my mind or my personality changes, I still won't be able to cook or fight or cast a spell, and I'll still have a burning desire to learn more about Rilodell's history... and I'll still know all those stories about Dragons finding honour and glory in adventure.\" Kenrai chuckled, a deep rumbling vibration against the wolf in his arms, and Colton's smile grew. \n \"So... all I'm asking is, would you at least [i]think [/i]about it for, um, next time?\" Colton asked, blushing, \"For me?\" Kenrai churred quietly and stroked his fingers through Colton's short white fur. \n \"You speak so well, scholar, so – what's the word, eloquently? Eloquently. And you even got my full name right the first time I've heard you try it,\" the Dragon murmured, \"How could I say no?\" Delighted, Colton lifted his head and planted a kiss on the Dragon's cheek, whispering his thanks, but as he tried to lean away, Kenrai laughed happily and pulled him in again, for a deeper, more intimate kiss. Caught by surprise, Colton tensed up, then relaxed in the other man's strong arms and eagerly kissed him back. They briefly broke it off, and the churring Dragon looked the other man up and down for a moment, so blatantly undressing the Mokaji with his eyes that he might as well have been undressing him with his [i]hands[/i]. Before the smaller male could think of something to say to the way Kenrai was looking at him, the warrior leaned in and kissed him again. A part of Colton was expecting something out of the bawdy pulp novels he'd read in private during his time as a scholar, for the Dragon to boldly sweep the dishes off the table, lay the changeling on his back atop the wooden surface, and then fuck him silly while they both still wore most of their clothes. In fact, once the thought popped into his head, he was a little disappointed when it [i]didn't [/i]happen, when Kenrai finally broke off the kiss and simply left to bring his dishes to the sink. Colton had reached half-mast during the enthusiastic embrace, and he awkwardly adjusted himself through his pants before he retrieved his own plate, quickly swallowing down the last bit of beef as he walked. As he approached the sink, Colton wondered if Kenrai had deliberately teased him, and he wasn't going to be getting lucky tonight after all, but as he passed the Dragon, Kenrai grinned and gave the smaller male a playful slap on the ass. Colton yelped and blushed, but he couldn't help but smile when he saw the leering grin on the warrior's face. [i]Oh yes[/i], he realized, [i]I am[/i] definitely[i] getting lucky tonight... [/i]\n\nThe rest of the day went by fairly quietly, with the two housemates taking a break from the renovations, as Colton called them, and simply focusing on keeping things comfortable. Kenrai went and chopped some wood, since he now knew for a fact that the evil of the Shadowglades was gone for the better part of a year [i]and [/i]had nothing to do with gathering lumber, as some of the rumours had claimed. Colton stayed inside, since the Dragon was still worried that the Orc, or another of Creed's men, might still be around, and went over their plan again, adjusting their planned route slightly to favour more populated roads, which would make it harder for the skinner's goons to try anything illegal. After that, he did a little reading, and when Kenrai returned from the woods, they put some of his haul to good use as firewood, getting a nice blaze going in the cold stone fireplace. The Mokaji shivered unpleasantly; it hadn't been all that long since they'd been washing his blood out of that stone, and he could still remember the empty light in the darkling's eyes as it tore into his chest with its vicious claws... if Kenrai had been anything except a green Dragon, Colton would have died that night, but greens had an innate ability to breathe out clouds of life energy that could heal wounds and ease pain. The lupine impostor tried to put it out of his mind, since it was in the past, though there was a more lingering reminder of that night that kind of ruined the view.\n \"We really do need to replace that,\" he murmured, nodding to the rear picture window, which had been destroyed by a very, very large hand. At the moment, it was totally boarded over, to help keep the cold from leaking in. Kenrai shrugged helplessly.\n \"It's hard to get your hands on glass in the middle of nowhere, as it turns out,\" he replied, \"We were lucky to find standard shapes for the smaller windows. I think it'll have to wait until we get back from our journey... assuming you want to come back here instead of living somewhere else.\" Colton smiled at the idea of being able to decide his own path for a change, instead of simply fleeing from what Creed represented. As the two men sat in comfortable silence, Kenrai sighed happily, basking in the heat, literally, and enjoying every second of it. The Dragon drew a whetstone and began sharpening the knife he carried as a back-up in the event his massive hammer was somehow thrown from his hands during a fight, a dirk long enough to arguably be considered a short sword if anyone except a Dragon was holding it. Colton, meanwhile, was engrossed in a book, one of the few he'd been able to acquire on the run. And so, the two men spent some time just enjoying the heat and each other's presence, occasionally getting up to throw a bit of tinder on the fire, and the world passed into night.\n\nA while later, Kenrai emerged from the guest bedroom, something Colton barely noticed, absorbed as he was in his book, and stood before the fire for a moment, stretching out his limbs and sighing contentedly as the heat washed over him. After taking a moment to just enjoy it, he turned around and stepped up to the false wolf in his chair. \n \"How's the book?\" he asked, smiling gently. Colton grinned up at him and gestured to it.\n \"Oh, it's very good, it's like even the quality of what I [i]read[/i] has gone up since I met you,\" the Mokaji replied. Kenrai nodded, but he didn't really seem to have taken that answer in.\n \"Good, good...\" he said, absently, \"Listen, Colton, can I borrow you for a second? I want to check something.\" Placing an old, battered bookmark between the pages, the shapeshifter closed the book and left it on his chair as he stood up.\n \"Sure, what'd you – [i]eep![/i]\" Colton gasped as Kenrai unexpectedly bent down and literally swept the smaller male off his feet, bringing one arm up from behind the Mokaji's knees and lifting him off the floor as his other arm effortlessly caught the false wolf as he fell backwards. The shapeshifter blushed but managed a small smile as the Dragon straightened up, carrying the scholar in his arms like he weighed nothing at all. Chuckling at the look on Colton's face, the warrior winked at him.\n \"Don't be nervous, my little wolf, I've got you,\" Kenrai churred to him, \"And I'm not letting go.\" Colton swallowed, wondering if the Drake had intended the second meaning that teased at his ears. \n \"Oh, Kenrai...\" he whispered, clinging tight as the Dragon carried him to the guest bedroom. The historian was only a little bit embarrassed by how much he enjoyed being swept into the larger man's arms. \n\nMoving carefully, Kenrai nudged open the door to the guest bedroom with a foot before slowly, carefully, ducking down under the top of the doorframe, which was juuuust a little too short for the Dragon's admittedly somewhat massive frame. As he stood up straight, Kenrai playfully licked Colton's cheek, and the Mokaji giggled delightedly.\n \"What exactly did you need me for, Drake?\" he asked. In response, Kenrai carried him over to the bed and then laid the smaller male down on his side, before stepping back and crossing his arms over his chest, staring at Colton with a strange scrutiny. \n \"What?\" the historian asked, feeling rather self-conscious. The Dragon began to stroke his chin, and his tail floated back and forth behind him. Finally, he grinned and nodded.\n \"Exactly as I thought,\" Kenrai said, \"That bed [i]is [/i]much more appealing with you in it!\" Colton burst out laughing, delighted, and he wasn't terribly surprised when the larger male began to unfasten his shirt and slip it off, exposing his broad, well-defined chest. \n \"Glad to have been of assistance, Kenrai,\" the shapeshifter murmured, unsubtly leering at the other man's muscles. \n \"Truth be told, I've, uh, I've wanted you all day...\" Colton admitted. Chuckling, and now stripped to the waist, save for his heat charms, Kenrai climbed onto the bed, crawling forward and hovering over Colton on all fours. \n \"Then let me help you with [i]your [/i]problem, Colton...\" the Drake breathed, \"It's only fair, right?\" Leaning in, he began to lay kisses along the side of the trembling wolf's throat. \n \"Ohhh!\" The Mokaji tensed up at that first contact, and then whimpered as he relaxed beneath the much larger man, lifting his chin to expose more of his neck to the Dragon's lips. To his disappointment, Kenrai leaned away. \n \"...You know, Colton,\" the other man whispered, \"it, ah, it carries rather a lot of weight to a Dragon when his partner does that. It's the [i]teeth[/i], you see, we've all got such sharp teeth, and, well... it shows a certain level of [i]trust[/i] when you're willing to expose your throat to your m- your [i]partner[/i]'s teeth.\" Colton smiled shyly.\n \"C-considering the situation you found me in, I figure if you wanted me dead, you've had your chances,\" he quipped, and then he tilted his head to the side curiously, \"That's, uh, it's not too [i]forward [/i]of me or anything, is it?\" Kenrai chuckled, but this time it was low and rumbly, almost like a purr. \n \"Oh no, not at all,\" he said, \"I just wanted you to know [i]exactly [/i]how attractive it is when you do that...\" With that, he leaned back in and began laying kisses along the wolf's sensitive throat again, and Colton whimpered with pleasure. \n\nBefore long at all, Kenrai made a bold move, rolling onto his side and slipping his hand down to Colton's waist as he nibbled playfully at the shapeshifter's shoulder (something which had once made Colton considerably nervous, before he learned of Kenrai's gentle side) and unfastened the scholar's pants. Before the Mokaji, who was somewhat distracted by the foreplay going on right in front of him, could react, the Drake had tugged his pants down to his knees and slipped a hand into the smaller male's underwear, cupping it over Colton's entire package and giving it a playful squeeze. The wolf swallowed a moan, but as Kenrai leaned onto his side to free up his other hand, he began to knead and massage the historian's cock and balls, and it became much harder for Colton to suppress his signs of pleasure. Having already been warmed up by the kissing and the playful nipping, his body almost immediately began reacting to the larger male's dominant, almost possessive touch, and as he disposed of Colton's pants and started pulling the underwear down after them, Kenrai churred happily.\n \"That's it, my little wolf, get hard for me,\" he whispered, \"Show me how eager you are for me, how much your body aches for my touch...\" Arching his back with a shudder, the shapeshifter pressed himself against the Drake's hand, and Kenrai responded with a slow, gentle, but firm squeeze. When he relaxed his hand, he lifted his palm away for a moment, and Colton's fully hard prick slipped out of his grip to proudly stand up, and as the Dragon pressed his hand down against his lover's genitals again, he leaned in and whispered something in the trembling Mokaji's ear that would have driven most any real wolf into a frothing rage.\n \"[i]Good boy[/i].\" \nNaturally, Colton just moaned, finding he could no longer keep it in. \n\nAfter fondling and groping Colton for a few minutes, Kenrai sat back on his knees, pulling off his heat charm web (since the room was already warming up from their excitement) and reaching down to open his own belt. The way he leered at Colton's half-dressed form was so blatant and so [i]hungry [/i]that the Mokaji had to resist the urge to cover himself, knowing how silly a thought it was when he was about to have sex with the man. Kenrai slowly shook his head, grinning like he didn't quite believe what he saw.\n \"Mmmm... If there's any sight in all of Rilodell as enjoyable as a skinny boy with his pants off looking at you with [i]that [/i]expression in his eyes, I've never seen it,\" Kenrai murmured, and then mused \"I wonder why it's sexier when you leave the shirt on...\" \n \"Wh-what expression is that?\" Colton asked, smiling self-consciously.\nChuckling, the Dragon caressed his face, and then whispered, in a lower tone, \"The one that says 'I'm so horny right now it embarrasses me, but I don't care because I'm [i]dying [/i]to be fucked.' That sound about right?\" Colton blushed even harder, but couldn't help but giggle.\n \"Guilty on all c-counts...\" he admitted, feeling [i]deliciously[/i] naughty for admitting that. Kenrai grinned, but said nothing, just yanked his underwear down to his thighs, sighing happily as his penis was given enough room to escape his pouch, the pointed head of his dick quickly sliding out from the Dragon's genital slit and rising up as the flesh grew harder and the shaft continued to emerge. \n \"Ahhh, that's better. Nothing worse than being cooped up inside when you're hard...\" the warrior muttered, and after wrangling the underwear off his legs completely, he grabbed hold of his manhood and took in another eyeful of Colton. Kenrai hesitated for a moment, and then he swallowed and put on a (clearly forced) relaxed smile. \n \"Umm... Colton?\" he started, seeming less than fully comfortable for the first time since they'd entered the room, \"I was thinking... maybe you could, um, share, ah, that is to say... maybe you could show off the Change for me this time?\" Blinking, surprised, Colton took a moment to respond, and then he couldn't help but grin, leaning forward and freeing his tail to wag. \n \"Really?\" he asked, trying not to sound too eager, \"You mean that? I wouldn't want you to do it if you're uncomfortable with it.\" Kenrai sighed and shrugged, absently stroking his cock. \n \"I'm not entirely sure what I'm in for,\" he admitted, \"But it's clearly really important to [i]you[/i], so even if I don't completely understand that, I can [i]respect[/i] that. What can it hurt to at least give it a try?\" Walking forward on his knees, Colton leaned up and kissed the Drake on the cheek... then inhaled sharply and pulled back as the head of his dick brushed against Kenrai's. Blushing fetchingly, Colton giggled and slipped off the bed, stretching out in preparation. \n \"Okay then!\" he cried, \"Let's do this!\"\n\nClapping his hands together eagerly, his tail wagging a mile a minute, Colton looked to the Dragon as he made himself comfortable on the bed to watch. \n \"Soooo... anything in particular you'd like to see?\" the false wolf asked, \"I could try out a reptilian form, if you'd be more comfortable with that... Hey, I could even be a Dragon! You could tell me how convincing I am!\" To his surprise, Kenrai leaned forward, holding up his hands.\n \"No! Ah –\" The mercenary hesitated; clearly he hadn't intended to react so strongly, but for just a split second, Colton almost thought he saw [i]alarm [/i]in the other man's eyes. After a moment, Kenrai touched a hand to his forehead and smiled self-consciously.\n \"Sorry. It's just, I'm a Dragon, I've been [i]with [/i]Dragons, I've been around Dragons most of my life... if you didn't get every detail just right, it would just be... extremely uncomfortable,\" he said, closing his eyes, \"Maybe we could start with something, uh, a little simpler?\" Once the Dragon looked at him again, Colton nodded sympathetically.\n \"I'm a [i]pretty good [/i]mimic, but I can understand that,\" he said, \"Well, you [i]did [/i]say I was the first mammal you've been with, and that you liked the novelty, so... How about something my personality fits a little better than a wolf?\" Kenrai gestured approvingly, at least that's how Colton took it, so he spread his stance a little, let his arms dangle at his sides, and closed his eyes. That last part wasn't at all necessary, but most monoforms tended to find it extremely unsettling to watch a person's [i]eyes [/i]change shape and colour inside their sockets, even more so than the rest of the alterations. Speaking of which, almost immediately, there was a shudder along his pelt, less like a shiver than like a ripple moving along the surface of a pond, and while his pelt remained snow white all over (save for the crimson spiral, which was hidden under his shirt at the moment), the shape of his body began adjusting itself, quickly and silently. His long muzzle drew back towards his head, becoming shorter and much rounder, his ears shot straight up, growing several times longer than they had been, his feet grew bigger as his thighs became noticeably more muscular, which also gave him a slightly plumper rear end. Finally, his tail stopped wagging and absorbed itself back into his body, reminding Kenrai of the way his own penis retracted into his genital pouch when he was done with it, until just a small tuft of fur remained perched atop the Mokaji's rump. When Colton opened his eyes, they seemed slightly bigger than they had before, and as he smiled, his front two teeth elongated noticeably. Spreading his arms triumphantly, Colton giggled.\n \"What do you think?\" he asked, proudly, \"From arctic wolf to polar rabbit!\" \n\nKenrai said nothing, though, and Colton swallowed anxiously, standing up straight. His nose began to twitch with his nervousness, as the new shape brought a new kind of body language with it. Coming over to the bed, Colton sat down, toying with his hands.\n \"Aren't you going to say something?\" he asked, nervously looking into the Dragon's eyes and finding his expression unreadable. Cringing, he finally hunched down a little.\n \"Umm... if it's t-too much, I c-could try something more similar to the first shape...\" he mumbled, \"Maybe a f-fox, or a dog of s-some kind...\" This wasn't going well at all! Had he pushed things too fast? But just when he was about to Change back to his original shape, Kenrai gently cupped a hand under the smaller man's chin and turned his face towards him. Swallowing, Colton said nothing as the Drake leaned in close, studying his eyes intently. Then, smiling just slightly, Kenrai closed the distance entirely and kissed the rabbit, feeling around inside his mouth with his tongue, first hesitantly, then curiously, and then just as enthusiastically as ever. When he broke off the kiss, he smiled even wider than before. \n \"It suits you,\" he finally said, stroking the other man's new lapine cheek. \n \"S-so you like it?\" Colton asked, \"You don't want me to change back?\" Kenrai waved dismissively.\n \"No, it's just fine, you make a cute bunny,\" he said, \"I wasn't sure I'd ever be okay with it, but... I can see it in your eyes. You're still the same man who makes me smile, who tells me such interesting things... who warms my bed so much more pleasantly than my heatstone ever has.\" He gave the immensely relieved bun a kiss on the forehead and winked.\n \"No matter what shape you take, my friend, you will always be... you will always be [i]Tulo Karrim[/i] to me.\" Colton swallowed, his head tilting curiously. \n \"T-tulo...?\" \n \"It's Draconic,\" Kenrai explained, \"Heh... it means 'little wolf'. Even if you're a cute little bunny rabbit, I can still see that wolf in you.\" Colton knew enough about Dragon culture to know, vaguely, that they only gave nicknames to people who were important to them, so he found himself genuinely touched. \n \"Thank you, Kenrai,\" he said, leaning forward to hug the larger man, uncaring this time that their erections pressed and rubbed together. Kenrai happily returned the hug, and they passed a heartbeat in each other's arms.\n \"Wait... one last thing...\" Colton said, leaning back and looking as far up as he could with just his eyes. With that, his ears suddenly became loose and floppy, and they wilted down to dangle loosely behind his head. \n \"Technically, polar rabbits are really called arctic hares,\" he said, conversationally, \"And I don't know if hares can have lop-ears... but I've always found the look much more adorable than when they stand up straight.\" Kenrai just laughed and kissed him again.\n\nBefore long at all, the two men were getting too worked up to stand much more playful fondling and teasing, and Kenrai announced that he was ready to get started – by lifting Colton by the armpits and laying him down on his back on the bed. Crawling up to him, making the Mokaji shiver again with the sheer erotic hunger in his leering gaze, Kenrai teased a fingertip along Colton's penis from the base to the tip, smirking at the way it pulsed as he reached the crown. \n \"Hmm... As much as I love looking at you half-dressed, you should probably take your shirt off,\" the Dragon said, \"I'm afraid it would just get... rather [i]messy[/i] otherwise.\" The newly-remodelled shapeshifter nodded eagerly, making his long, floppy ears bounce a little before settling on the bed, and he quickly pulled his shirt up and over his head, exposing the spiral on his chest that was his Signature. Naturally, the warrior waited until his lover was blinded from having his shirt over his eyes before taking hold of the other man's penis, giving it a squeeze as Colton gasped and tensed up for a moment. As he ditched his shirt to the floor, where it was instantly forgotten, the rabbit looked up at his muscular partner shyly, his eyes dipping for a moment to Kenrai's fully-extended prick. \n \"Seven gods, you're big...\" he muttered, \"D-did you bring the oil?\" The Dragon gestured casually to the small chest of drawers just next to the bed, but kept his eyes on the bunny's supple body. \n \"Oh yes, wouldn't dream of leaving it,\" he replied, running one hand down Colton's side, \"But I kinda just want to touch you for a while... If I hadn't just watched it happen, I wouldn't believe you hadn't always been a rabbit, it's amazing...\" Colton grinned, feeling both proud and self-conscious. \n \"Thanks, Drake, that means a lot, coming from you,\" he replied. Kenrai smiled, and then chuckled as his hand slid down to the smaller male's rump, giving one cheek a gentle squeeze. \n \"[i]Mmmm[/i], your ass feels even softer and nicer now, this is gonna be like fucking a pillow...\" He laughed gently, and added \"You're spoiling me for other mammals, changeling.\" Grinning happily, Colton placed one of his hands against the one cupping his ass and teased a finger against the scales in what he hoped was a sensual manner.\n \"Only the best for you, big man...\" he whispered, \"Now, you could just fondle me all night and I'd probably enjoy that, but, um...\" Gathering his courage, which was a little more difficult as a prey species, Colton put on a big smile and winked at his lover.\n \"...But wouldn't you rather give these new bunny buns of mine a [i]try?[/i]\" [i]\n[/i]\nThe Dragon's eyes narrowed even as his smile widened. \n \"I would be [i]delighted[/i],\" he replied, letting go of the smaller male's rear, and with a shiver of delight dancing down his spine, Colton got up on all fours and turned around, presenting those soft, pert buns for his lover's approval. His puff of a tail twitched pointlessly, as after months spent in the shape of a wolf, the Mokaji still felt the urge to raise his tail and make the view more appealing. Eyes locked on Colton's treasures, Kenrai grinned and leaned forward, taking a cheek in each hand and spreading him wide for a better view of his entrance. Shuddering, almost able to [i]feel [/i]his lover's gaze on his skin, Colton bit his lip with his distinctive front teeth to keep from moaning out loud in sheer anticipation. To his surprise, however, Kenrai casually pushed the smaller male to the side, making him roll onto his back. \n \"Not this time, [i]Tulo Karrim[/i],\" he churred, \"You asked, remember? Wanted to know if we could do it –\" \n \"Face-to-face...\" Colton whispered, blushing as he remembered. With a grin, the mercenary climbed onto the bed and moved forward, once again holding himself over his lover, who was struck, and hardly for the first time, by just [i]how [/i]much bigger than himself the Dragon was. Glancing down their bodies, Colton quivered as he stared at their penises, so close together he imagined he could feel the larger male's warmth on his most sensitive flesh. Kenrai brought his lover's attention back up to face level by leaning in closer and kissing Colton just as they made eye contact. Sighing happily, Colton reached up and put his hands behind the Dragon's neck, idly fondling a couple of Kenrai's 'dreadlocks', shuddering eagerly as their tongues made contact. His mouth just felt so much [i]fuller[/i], feeling the reptile's thick tongue poking into a smaller muzzle like this... He couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to take a [i]different [/i]part of the dragon into his mouth.\n\nAfter a few moments, the Mokaji let go of his lover's 'dreads', and let his hands slip down from behind Kenrai's neck to wander the mercenary's back. At first, all he felt were the warrior's tightly corded muscles and tough scales, but as he reached below the Dragon's shoulder blades, his fingers ran across harsh, rough scars, much larger than the small, faded ones on Kenrai's chest. This disturbed Colton enough to break the kiss off. \n \"Kenrai! Your back...\" he whispered, \"I – I had no idea!\" The Dragon shrugged, not seeming especially bothered.\n \"Usually behind my wings,\" he replied, casually, \"They're no worse than the ones in front, honestly, it's just [i]really [/i]hard to breathe the healing smoke down my own back, so they don't heal as well.\" Frowning, Colton leaned up to nuzzle against the big man's cheek. \n \"Let me make you feel better, Drake,\" he whispered, practically cooing. Kenrai shrugged. \n \"Come on, don't worry about it, Colton, they don't bother me any,\" the Dragon said, \"You can make me feel better... by letting me make [i]you[/i] feel good.\" Blushing, Colton managed a small smile and nodded. \n \"Okay...\" he replied. Kenrai moved his wing-tips forward and jabbed them against the mattress, the flimsy limbs supporting his weight just long enough for him to lift his hands, reach back and take hold of Colton's wrists, and then move them back up to the warrior's uninjured neck, to take the smaller male's mind off the old wounds. Then, leaning down as he pulled his wings back into position, Kenrai tenderly kissed and licked at the false rabbit's neck, making Colton shiver with pleasure, closing his eyes as he moaned softly. \n \"Ohhh, Drake...\" the historian breathed, trailing off into pleased lapine chittering. He squirmed on the mattress, focused on his lover's soft lips and teasing tongue, which meant that he was satisfyingly caught off-guard when Kenrai finally moved a hand to Colton's rump and lightly touched the smaller male's anus. The shapeshifter tensed up for a moment and then relaxed, opening his eyes and looking down their bodies, as though confirming it was just the big man's finger. When he looked up into Kenrai's eyes, the Dragon smiled quite warmly at him.\n \"Are you ready, my little ball of fluff?\" he whispered. Colton swallowed nervously, shivering with anticipation, eager to begin. Knowing the size of the Dragon's 'second hammer' from experience, though, he smiled self-consciously and nodded to the side Kenrai had indicated earlier. \n \"Almost...\" he said, \"Just, you know, rub on some oil, and I'm all yours.\" \n\nThe warrior's finger pulled away from Colton's rear entrance for a moment as Kenrai reached over and retrieved the jar of oil from a drawer in the bedside table. After taking a moment to gather some of the lubricant, Kenrai returned his hand to the trembling rabbit's rump... just as he leaned forward and began kissing Colton's sensitive neck again. Instinctively lifting his chin, the shapeshifter wasn't able to watch as that thick, green finger teased against his anus for a moment, getting the tight ring of muscle slick with oil, and then worked itself back and forth, gently overcoming Colton's body's resistance until it surrendered completely, and the Drake wormed his finger into the bunny's hot, tight channel. Soon, Kenrai was wiggling the digit to help spread the oil around, make the passage easier, and slowly, slowly burying his finger in his lover's backside. Whimpering with need as he felt that finger inching deeper inside him, the Mokaji squirmed eagerly, his toes clenching and relaxing as Kenrai finally reached knuckle depth and lingered there for a moment. \n \"By the Spectrum, you little bookworm, you're so fucking [i]tight[/i]...\" the Dragon murmured, his voice slightly muffled by the way his mouth was still nuzzling against Colton's throat, \"Did you know that [i]every[/i] time we've done this, I've worried about hurting you when I put it in?\" He licked at the rabbit's neck and then grunted in surprise, looking down and finding that Colton had lifted one of the long feet that were so distinctive on his borrowed species, and teased his soft, fluffy toes against the Dragon's shaft. The rigid prick flexed against the soft foot, drooling clear pre-come onto Colton's leg. \n \"That's only because [i]you've [/i]got such a stupidly huge Dragon dick swinging around beneath you,\" the lapine impostor giggled, \"I'm s-surprised there's room inside you for all this cock...\" That was exaggerating, of course, but he liked the way Kenrai grinned whenever he talked about how big his lover was. The soft-spoken historian normally tried to avoid profanity, so even in as lewd a situation as this one was, he felt just a little self-conscious saying words like 'cock' and 'dick'. His personal history with the Dragon, however, had taught him that when he was worked up, he could go a lot further than that... he shivered as he remembered last night, when Kenrai had fingered him, and Colton had [i]begged[/i] the reptile to fuck him. There was something so deliciously kinky about being turned on to the point of shamelessness, but he wasn't quite there yet tonight. \n \"You say that,\" replied the warrior, \"But there's a much more [i]important[/i] question at hand tonight.\" He grinned as he removed the foot from his hard-on, laying it gently on the bed.\n \"What's that?\" the rabbit asked, playing along, making his whiskers twitch out of faux-curiosity. Kenrai adjusted his position, lowering himself until his thighs were pressed against Colton's soft buttocks, and pressing the underside of his thick cock against his lover's belly, just next to Colton's own, somewhat less impressive member. Colton swallowed a whimper as he realized that Kenrai was demonstrating how far into the Mokaji's body the Dragon's dick went every time he sheathed himself all the way. Unable to tear his eyes away from that beautiful, exotic prick laying against him, Colton blushed as Kenrai whispered his next words to him in a low, sensual rumble. \n \"To quote a learn-ed scholar I know,\" Kenrai teased, \"Is there room inside [i]you [/i]for all this cock?\" As if on cue, the Dragon's erection pulsed, a drop of pre leaked onto Colton's belly, and the shapeshifter moaned with desire. \n\nTrembling with raw need, the changeling whimpered and chittered. His point made, Kenrai lifted his dick away from Colton's belly and finally slipped his finger back into the false rabbit's inviting rump, getting the tight passage slick and relaxed, so it would be easier to fit his 'stupidly huge Dragon dick' inside later. As he rubbed and stroked at the inside of the bunny's tight channel, the deeply aroused Mokaji continued to squirm and writhe, gathering handfuls of the sheets into tight fists. Making himself comfortable, Kenrai slipped his free arm under Colton, as if he was offering his forearm as a pillow. This allowed him to hold himself closer to his lover, and as the rabbit trembled, Kenrai nipped his teeth playfully at one of Colton's floppy ears. \n \"You like this?\" he whispered, \"You like it when I get you nice and slippery inside?\" His cheeks burning, his heart pounding, Colton nodded, letting out a quiet squeak as he did so. The Dragon churred and nipped at his shoulder, making him jump a little. The scholar closed his eyes as he felt that digit inside him languidly stroking against his prostate, just barely gliding over the [i]achingly [/i]sensitive flesh. \n \"Mmmm, I know you do...\" Kenrai rumbled, \"I see it in the way you move, the noises you make... You're gonna like it even more when we get started, I'm sure of it... Orange's Chariot, Colton, I haven't wanted a man this badly in [i]years[/i].\" He pressed his muzzle against the curve where the rabbit's neck met his shoulders and inhaled deeply. \n \"[i]Rrrgh[/i], you smell so [i]good[/i], warmblood...\" he growled, \"You smell... you smell so different from when you were a wolf... but it's almost the [i]same[/i] too, I can tell it's you...\" Leaning over and nuzzling his cheek against the Dragon's rough facial scales, Colton let out a shuddery sigh. \n \"It's... it's j-just how we are...\" the bunny managed, as his backside clenched down on the probing finger, \"It's always g-going to be me, K-Kenrai... G-Gods above, I s-still can't b-believe you're only using [i]one [/i]f-finger!\" Leaning down and licking the rabbit's chest, savouring even the taste of his sweat, Kenrai grinned.\n \"Then let's make it two,\" he replied, conversationally, just as his middle finger joined the index, squeezing into the tight, oily hole and making itself at home in the hot, gripping channel beyond. Colton arched his back and cried out, his own prick drooling pre onto himself. The mercenary took in the sight with an eagerness in his eyes that matched the enthusiasm in his digits, teasing and rubbing the smaller male, making him writhe and moan, and yet somehow carefully avoiding getting him [i]too [/i]turned on, getting him primed and ready for The Deed to come without risking ending things before they began. \n\nFinally, just as Colton could take no more, just as he was about to [i]beg[/i] the Dragon to take him, to ride him hard until he couldn't walk straight, Kenrai shuddered and churred, shaking his head.\n \"Colton, I... I can't wait any longer,\" he rumbled, \"I [i]need [/i]you. Are... are you ready?\" Squeezing down on the fingers within him, the scholar chittered and nodded.\n \"Oh, Drake, [i]yes[/i], by the light of the Spectrum, [i]yes![/i]\" Looking the larger male dead in the eyes, the trembling rabbit smiled.\n \"Please, Kenrai, I want you s-so badly, and – and if you want me... [i]I'm yours[/i].\" The blush on Colton's cheeks was because those last two words held [i]far[/i] more significance to a Mokaji than an Outsider might realize, but Kenrai just grinned wide enough to show off how sharp his teeth were and pulled his fingers out of Colton's tight backside. The Dragon quickly leaned back and dipped his fingers back in the jar of oil, before slathering some along the shaft of his rigid prick, which pulsed visibly at first touch, as if it were angry at being ignored for so long. Watching those fingers spreading the lubricant across one of the only parts of Kenrai's body that wasn't covered in scales, Colton swallowed. He couldn't remember ever being [i]this [/i]eager for a dicking, even when he'd been female. Of course, no one had ever taken this much time to get him prepared and make sure he was comfortable and ready back then, either... Soon enough, Kenrai moved back towards the Mokaji and lowered himself back down. Both men watched, trembling with need, as the Dragon's fat cock slowly moved down between the rabbit's quivering thighs, and then inched forward until the very tip of the pointed length was nudging against the smaller male's anus. Pausing for a moment, Kenrai looked into Colton's eyes, silently asking a question. Colton was so eager, he had to suppress the urge to moan as he nodded.\n \"Oh Kenrai... [i]take me[/i],\" he breathed, spreading his thighs, \"Make me yours...\" \n\nWithout a word, without a nod, the muscular Dragon smiled and began to push his hips forward. Both of his hands were braced against the bed on either side of Colton's head, and he was entirely relying on his hips to begin this Deed. There was something about the confidence inherent in this that the Mokaji found deeply attractive, but right now, the only words in his mind were 'oh yes', 'at last', and 'fuck me', with the occasional 'Dragon' thrown in the mix, so he wasn't exactly feeling self-analytical. Immediately, the pressure began to build against his tight entrance, but it had been prepared by the warrior's gentle fingers, so almost immediately, the scholar's body submitted to his lover, the tight ring of muscle surrendering to the intruder and spreading wide to allow it entrance. With a grunt, Kenrai pushed forward, and the head of his prick pressed into Colton's rump. \n \"[i]Gods above![/i]\" the historian gasped. He'd taken dicks before, he'd taken [i]Kenrai's [/i]dick before, but with all the flirting and kissing and teasing, he'd been aching [i]all day [/i]for this moment, and it promised to deliver on every front.\n \"Lift your legs,\" grunted the warrior, as he tried to push his erection further into his lover, \"At the knees, lift your – [i]nnnff [/i]– your knees towards your chest. It's supposed to make it easier to take me... or something... S-sorry, I've never bottomed, I'm not sure of – of these things.\" As another inch of slick Dragon penis slid into his rear, Colton moaned.\n \"You should t-try it sometime,\" he managed, \"I'm having a b-blast...\" As Kenrai chuckled at that, Colton took his suggestion and lifted his knees. Maybe it was all in his head, but it felt like his tight channel relaxed a little, stopped resisting the Dragon's presence. \n \"That's it...\" Kenrai whispered encouragingly, \"Just like that...\" Tensing up his abdominal muscles (which was a pretty sexy sight for Colton in and of itself), the warrior gave a steady push, and the scholar's backside yielded before him, allowing the reptile to bury himself under the bunny's puffball tail, all the way to the hilt. The sensation of fullness was [i]profound[/i] for the changeling, who could feel [i]every inch[/i] of that thick prick within him. After a moment, he spread his legs a little wider, out of the way of the muscular body pressing down on him from above, and lowered them towards the bed, relaxing even further and savouring the moment. \n \"I love watching your face as I put it in,\" the Dragon mused, grinning, \"I believe the Human saying is that you 'wear your emotions on your sleeve', but since you're naked, I'm not sure it applies.\" Colton swallowed and averted his eyes.\n \"You're just s-saying that because you like to make me blush,\" the false lapine grumbled. \n \"Not at all,\" Kenrai assured him, wiggling his hips and making the rabbit shiver, \"The men I've been with have been reptilian, and mostly warriors. They'd as soon deck their own [i]mothers [/i]as show any sign of weakness, but you... you share it all. You're always nervous, like [i]this[/i] is the time it's not going to fit, and then you wince and make faces because sometimes it hurts a little or it's slow going... but then you always look so happy, so content. Makes [i]me [/i]happy to make you feel that way.\" \n \"And [i]none [/i]of the others you've been with were like that?\" Colton asked, toying self-consciously with his hands. For just a moment, Kenrai's eyes were a million miles away, and his smile faded a little.\n \"Maybe just one...\" he whispered, \"But that was a long time ago.\" Blinking, catching himself not focusing, the Dragon grinned sheepishly. \n \"I thought you were supposed to be 'the hidden race', masters of deception and subterfuge,\" he said, changing the subject, \"Shouldn't [i]you [/i]be hiding all these reactions?\" Cheeks burning, the Mokaji still managed a smile. \n \"I thought [i]you [/i]were supposed to be a race of brutes and perverts,\" he replied, \"Maybe fairy tales aren't the best way to get to know a people, huh?\" Laughing softly, Kenrai nodded.\n \"Maybe not...\" he agreed, and leaned down to kiss the shapeshifter.\n\nTheir lips didn't mingle long, both men wanted to move on to more pressing matters, like the desire that burned within them. Leaning the flat edge of a wing against the bed, Kenrai lifted a hand and gave one of Colton's soft buttocks a squeeze. The mercenary churred as the Mokaji instinctively clenched down on the hard cock within him. Kenrai slowly drew back, making Colton shiver at the sensation of those ridges rubbing and teasing against his channel, and then that beautiful dick drove itself home again... and the game had begun. As the changeling moaned with pleasure, the larger male pumped his hips, thrusting into Colton's backside again and again, and soon, a smooth rhythm had emerged. Closing his eyes, the historian let his arms fall limply to the bed on either side of his head, surrendering completely to the Dragon's desires. \n \"Yes... yes...\" Colton whimpered, feeling his cock leaking pre. Every time his lover drove himself home, Kenrai's hips would gently bump into the rabbit's backside, jarring the shapeshifter just a little, sending a pleasant tingle spreading through his body. Tilting back his head, the warrior let out a loud groan of relief, his wings twitching as he shivered from head to toe, as though the stress were literally shaking off his body. \n \"Ohhhh, [i]fuck[/i], I needed this...\" Kenrai sighed, \"So warm, so tight...\" Colton giggled, and the Drake looked down at him with a grin.\n \"[i]You[/i] needed this?\" the rabbit asked, smiling self-consciously without opening his eyes, \"Sentinels, K-Kenrai, you've only been teasing me since I [i]woke up[/i] this morning...\" Kenrai laughed, a deep, easy sound, completely bereft of worry or hesitation. It was a very [i]free [/i]laugh, at least in the false rabbit's impressive ears. \n \"Teasing you?\" the Dragon repeated, with an incredulous tone to his voice so obviously fake that it made Colton's smile grow all by itself, \"[i]Me? [/i]I would [i]never! [/i]Why, what would a f-fine, upstanding mercenary-for-hire like me gain from getting a sweet, attractive shapeshifter squirming for my dick all day long? And they say [i]Dragons [/i]are sex addicts...\" Giggling with delight, Colton opened his eyes so he could grab a pillow and bop the muscular warrior on the shoulder with it. He would aim for the head, but he was a little bit afraid one of the hard scales there, like the jutting ones over his hairless eyebrows, might actually cut the thin fabric. \n Winking down at his lover, Kenrai chuckled, and then added \"By the way, I was right,\" which made Colton's whiskers wiggle curiously.\n \"Right about – [i]nnfff![/i] – about what?\" the Mokaji panted. In response, the larger male thrust home a little harder than usual, the tip of his prick poking straight against Colton's prostate, and the lapine impostor tensed up and moaned shamelessly. Leaning in closer, Kenrai practically purred his reply.\n \"I love these, ah, these 'bunny buns' of yours,\" he teased, \"It really [i]is [/i]like fucking a pillow!\" With that, he increased his usual pressure just a little, and as the Mokaji raised his hips to meet the Dragon's thrusts, productively drooling pre-come onto his tummy, Colton whimpered, deliriously happy. \n\nAfter a few minutes, things had gotten smooth and easy enough for Kenrai to pick up the pace to the point where the oil on the two mens' bodies was making itself heard, a lewd slapping sound marking each time the Dragon hilted himself in the bunny's pert rump. For once, the warrior wasn't making dirty talk to make Colton blush, so either he loved watching the Mokaji lying there in complete submission, eyes closed, hands lying against the bed, absolutely loving letting the Dragon have his way with him... or Kenrai was losing himself in the moment just as much as the smaller male. Eventually, feeling his dick throbbing in the cool air of the bedroom, calling his attention back down to it, the rabbit idly lifted a hand and placed it on his chest, taking a moment to tease one of his own nipples (mostly for the sake of making a nice visual for Kenrai, since he'd never been able to get much out of doing that by himself, at least when toggled male) before sliding his hand down his body, slowly making a beeline for his leaking, neglected erection. But the instant his fingers brushed against the side of his shaft, a loud sound, like leather rubbing against leather, suddenly burst forth in the room, and Colton's eyes snapped open in fright, unsure what was happening. 'What was happening' turned out to be both of Kenrai's still-furled wings swinging forward and pressing point-first against the bed, and before the surprised Mokaji could even think about responding, the muscular warrior had shifted his weight to the wings, lifted both his hands from the bed, and grabbed both of Colton's arms by the wrists. In a moment that gave the historian a little déjà vu, Kenrai pulled his lover's naughtier hand away from his manhood and moved it back up by his head, opposite its twin, before pinning both of the rabbit's arms against the mattress and holding them there. As his heartbeat calmed down and he finally caught up with the idea that they weren't being attacked in the middle of The Deed, Colton looked up at his hands and fruitlessly flexed them. Just as when Kenrai had held his hands behind his back while he was getting fingered, the scholar found that his lover's incredible strength (compared to his own, anyway) had no trouble at all keeping his hands in place on either side of his head. And yet, somehow, the most stunning thing of all was that the Dragon didn't miss a beat, his rhythm didn't falter, and even in the middle of this unexpected action, he continued to pump himself in and out of the rabbit's tight rear as smoothly and regularly as a piston on one of those newfangled machines the Gnomes and Dwarves were so proud of. That train of thought briefly brought to mind the idea of a machine with a dildo on it designed for fun, but this was hardly the time to think about such silliness. Colton looked up at the Drake, who grinned silently and winked at the smaller male. \n \"Hey there, [i]Tulo[/i],\" Kenrai said, casually, \"Are we having fun yet?\" \n\nBlushing at the mercenary's teasing gaze, Colton swallowed before he answered. Looking down their bodies, watching his penis wiggling about in time with the impacts of the larger male's hips, seeing the clear, wet pre seeping down into his fur, it wasn't hard to work things out.\n \"Kenrai...\" he panted, \"You're – you're trying to make me c-come by... by [i]fucking[/i] me!\" The Drake's smile widened enough to show the sharp points of his teeth as he chuckled. \n \"I knew you'd figure it out,\" he teased, \"You [i]are [/i]the smart one, after all.\" Colton whimpered with desire as he realized the perfect view his lover would have as the rabbit ejaculated all over himself, writhing in climax. Surely Kenrai was hoping for an encore of the sizable mess from last night. As much as the Mokaji loved the idea, it was [i]so embarrassing[/i]... Pouting even more adorably than usual, the bunny averted his eyes.\n \"I – I can make more arms, more hands!\" he protested, \"The Change is f-flexible! You c-can't stop me!\" Kenrai didn't actually [i]laugh [/i]at this somewhat feeble show of defiance, but the grin on his face didn't help the way Colton's cheeks were burning. \n \"Then go ahead,\" the Dragon casually replied, \"Make more hands and jerk yourself off. Be my guest.\" Biting his lip, Colton searched the larger male's face for a few moments, looked down at his dick again... and then lowered his head submissively, swallowing another whimper. It was true that he [i]could [/i]do it, of course, but gathering the intense concentration required to manipulate the Change was rather difficult when one was overwhelmed with pleasurable sensations and distracting emotions, such as when one was, say, getting fucked in the ass by a Dragon. But more than that, if it had been the easiest thing in the world, if he could have wiggled his nose and instantly had two extra arms with which to pleasure himself, when it came down to it, Colton didn't really [i]want [/i]to.\n \"W-was it so obvious that I love it when you hold my hands in place?\" the bunny asked, studying the wall across the room. Kenrai adjusted his position and leaned in closer, kissing the smaller male's cheek. \n \"Don't be ashamed, [i]Tulo Karrim[/i],\" churred the warrior, \"It doesn't mean you're my [i]bitch [/i]or something, you just know what you like, and I like providing it for you.\" Looking up, almost surprised, Colton smiled bashfully.\n \"Oh, Kenrai...\" he whispered, \"I'm so glad you're not, um... the way Dragons are in legends. You know, all mean and d-dominant and stuff...\" \nSwallowing, he nuzzled against his lover's cheek. \n \"...Thank you.\" Smiling, the warrior nuzzled back against him, and Colton relaxed his hands, feeling safe in Kenrai's grip. After a moment, the Drake's grin turned into a playful smirk, and he put on a thoughtful look.\n \"Not that there's anything [i]wrong[/i] with wanting to be my bitch, of course, if that's what you're into...\" he teased. Laughing, Colton squirmed beneath him.\n \"[i]Kenrai![/i]\" he protested. Winking, the larger man shrugged, putting a little extra effort on his next thrust to make the rabbit's fuzzy toes curl up. \n \"Hey,\" said Kenrai, \"I treat my bitches well.\" Colton giggled, despite himself, and, perhaps proving his own point about the Drake, gathered his courage to challenge his lover's authority with a grin.\n \"Just... just shut up and kiss me, big man!\" he said, defiantly, \"Put that mouth to b-better use for once...\" Laughing with delight, the mercenary churred and leaned in closer.\n \"Mmmm, I'd love to, [i]sir[/i]...\" he teased, and then, as their lips met, Colton shuddered with pleasure as the Dragon's nimble tongue pushed into his mouth. They both knew who really wore the pants, but that didn't mean it had to define them. As the Drake's hard prick nudged against his prostate on several thrusts in a row, the Mokaji moaned into his lover's mouth and, wanting more, raised his legs, wrapping them around the larger male's waist to hold on tight. This seemed to encourage the Dragon, who began driving himself home with even more gusto. \n\nThey continued for long minutes, the rabbit writhing and whimpering, helpless against the onslaught of pleasure as the warrior buried his rigid dick inside his lover again and again and again, hitting his sensitive prostate more often now, making the scholar twitch and yelp, his own hard cock copiously leaking pre-come all over himself. His hands, still held immobile by the muscular reptile's grip, would spasm and grip at nothing in particular as the pleasure wracked his body, and his legs held tight to the Dragon's waist, squeezing each time the panting warrior sheathed himself in the bunny's tight, hot rump. Though it was a nice gesture, Kenrai's attention was, at the moment, mostly focused on kissing his lover's sensitive neck... and on the way the slick walls of Colton's inner channel would clench and shudder against the taut skin of his erection each time he slammed home, gripping him tight, as though the shapeshifter didn't want to let him pull out again.\n \"[i]Fuck[/i]...\" Kenrai groaned, \"You – you're cheating, you've got to be m-making yourself tighter...\" Laughing gently, as his breath was coming too hard to giggle, Colton squeezed down on the other man's shaft and enjoyed the grunt of pleasure the Dragon let out. \n \"[i]Nnnff[/i]... Don't slow down, K-Kenrai, keep going, this is [i]soooooo[/i] good...\" the rabbit moaned, \"I don't – I don't remember the last time I pre'd s-so much...\" Shuddering atop him, the Dragon growled with need.\n \"[i]Rrrrrgh[/i], I... Colton, I d-don't know how much longer I c-can hold out...\" Kenrai admitted, \"I'm g-gonna come soon... I – I wanna get you off like this... T-tell me when I... when I hit your s-sweet spot...\" With that, he started thrusting deeply, with determination, and the smaller male cried out as the pleasure started coming faster and more intensely. Colton was unable to keep from whimpering with each and every thrust, but just as his reptilian lover had asked, he forced himself to stay in control enough to announce the 'findings' of this little search. \n \"...[i]There![/i]\" he yelped, \"Oh, S-Sentinels,[i] right there![/i] No, no, you s-slipped away, you have to – [i]yes![/i] Yes, r-right there! Don't s-stop, Kenrai, [i]harder! [/i]Fuck me [i]harder![/i]\" Distantly, Colton could barely believe the words coming out of his mouth, but the pleasure he felt as the Dragon adjusted his position to make it easier to prod against the rabbit's prostate again and again was [i]spectacular[/i]. The scholar wanted to grip his lover with all four limbs, to moan and whimper and cry out his passion as Kenrai took his request to heart and fucked him [i]very [/i]enthusiastically, rutting into the bunny with a speed and power that made it [i]abundantly [/i]clear that some parts of those old legends were true after all.\n\nIt took less than a minute after the Dragon picked up this feverish pace before Colton felt that familiar tension building throughout his body, felt his prick growing harder than ever, and moaned out an announcement of his impending surrender.\n \"Ohhhh, Drake! I – I'm gonna come! I'm so c-close, I'm gonna [i]come![/i]\" Kenrai growled with desire, his voice shaking with the strength of his need for release.\n \"[i]Yessss[/i]...\" he hissed, \"I'm there too, [i]T-Tulo[/i], so don't hold b-back, come with me, come as hard as you can!\" That distant, logical part of Colton's mind observed that from the strength of the pressure building inside him, he didn't feel like he had much [i]choice [/i]in the matter, but those tantalizing words and the Dragon's husky voice finally pushed him that last little distance to the point of no return. \n \"[i]Aaaahhh[/i], yes!\" he cried, \"[i]Yes![/i] C-come inside me, Kenr[i]aaaaaaaaai![/i]\" The Mokaji arched his back as his lover's name extended into a long, guttural cry of ecstasy, pleasure surging forth from within him. Colton moaned helplessly as his orgasm finally overtook him, and his rigid cock began to throb and spasm, seemingly of its own volition, spurting long, gooey strands of thick, wet Mokaji sperm all over his chest and belly, ejaculating even harder than he had the previous night, cradled in the Dragon's arms. With Kenrai's dick continuing to press against his prostate on every thrust, the pleasure was so intense that Colton was blinded, seeing only stars in his eyes as he shuddered in bliss. While the bunny's pulsing cock painted his torso with come, his rump began to clench down on the invading length, and that, coupled with the sight and sound of the rabbit climaxing on the end of his cock, brought the warrior to a powerful release of his own. Throwing back his head, Kenrai let out what sounded like a roar of triumph, shoving forward and holding there as he began to empty his balls into the smaller male's tight rear, his hard, twitching prick sending hot, creamy jets of the Dragon's potent seed splattering directly against his lover's prostate and filling in what little space existed in the tight confines of the trembling scholar's backside, coating his walls – and then some – with fresh jism. After a moment, he leaned down and recaptured the moaning lapine's mouth, roughly kissing him as he began to thrust again, muscling through the convulsions and dragging out both of their orgasms into a spiral of pleasure that bound them both together in the most intimate of ways.\n\nAs the moment finally subsided, as their pleasures finally came to an end, both men relaxed, slumping towards the bed. Grinning, Colton sighed contentedly as his lover shuddered one last time and let out a satisfied groan. Then, Kenrai inhaled sharply as one of his wings suddenly buckled, the flimsy limb bending under his weight like a tree in a storm. Releasing Colton's wrists, he quickly braced his arms against the mattress, to avoid squishing the false rabbit beneath him. The Mokaji didn't really notice, so lost was he in the pleasant haze of afterglow, but as Kenrai folded his wings behind his back again, the bunny lifted his head and gazed down upon himself, staring for a moment before breaking out into tired giggles.\n \"...Goodness, I came so [i]much![/i]\" he said, back to his usual gentle-tongued self, \"If I didn't feel so [i]full[/i], I'd think you pulled out and added to this!\" Leaning onto one side, the Dragon grinned and raised a hand, dipping a finger into the still-hot cream on his lover's belly, teasing his fingertip through the semen. \n \"Making a mess is nice,\" he said, his voice slightly breathy, \"But how did it [i]feel?[/i]\" Chittering happily, Colton positively beamed at the larger male. \n \"Oh, Drake, it was [i]so [/i]good...\" he whispered, \"I'm a little worried you're going to spoil me against doing it by myself!\" Chuckling, the warrior lifted his hand and brought his finger to Colton's lips. He was thoroughly flushed from his powerful climax, but the bunny distinctly looked like he would be blushing as he self-consciously leaned forward and took the big man's finger into his mouth, suckling gently and licking his own jism away as Kenrai watched approvingly.\n \"Good,\" he replied, \"Because I came harder than I have in [i]weeks[/i], and I was going to feel guilty if it wasn't great for you, too. Well, at least a [i]little[/i] guilty. Say, do you mind if...?\" He nodded to Colton's tummy, and as he leaned away from the now-cleaned finger, the shapeshifter grinned.\n \"Be my guest,\" he murmured, \"The, um, the flavour's great.\" Moving his hand to Colton's hip, Kenrai gave a tug and pulled his slowly softening cock free of the Mokaji's tight rump with a lewd slurp, and Colton was embarrassed that his instinctive response was to tighten his legs and gasp 'No!' just a little too late to prevent it from happening. Kenrai laughed quietly as the lapine impostor averted his eyes and let his legs fall away from the larger male's waist, allowing the Drake to move down the bed so he could lean in close to Colton's torso. Then, as he had the night before, Kenrai began to lick away the semen from his lover's fur, churring as his nimble tongue gathered the cream into his mouth, where he savoured the taste for a while before greedily swallowing it down. And just as before, Colton found it surprisingly relaxing, letting his eyes half-close as he watched the Dragon cleaning him. \n\nOnce the bunny was spic and span (aside from the bountiful Draconic seed slowly leaking from his backside, of course), Kenrai moved back up the bed and took Colton into his arms.\n \"Thank you, Kenrai...\" whispered the changeling, who now felt rather tired from their exertions. He reached back and poked at his tired entrance, shivering with indecent pleasure as he felt the evidence of their tryst. \n \"[i]Mmmm[/i], there's so much...\" he murmured, squirming and enjoying the way it felt as his lover's jism squished around inside him. The mercenary winked back at him.\n \"I don't know about you, but I don't feel much like running a bath, at least not tonight,\" the Dragon practically purred, \"What with getting the water and heating it, and making sure you don't boil it because then you'd need to let it cool... Things are so much easier when you live near a hot spring. I'm of a mind that that's why Dragon cities are all in mountains, by the way.\" A heartbeat later, the warrior's eyes moved just aside from meeting his lover's gaze. \n \"You know, my little wolf,\" he said, \"You don't have to feel intimidated with me. I won't hurt you.\" Cocking his head to the side, his nose wiggling curiously, Colton stared at the larger male in confusion.\n \"...I'm not?\" he replied, \"Uh, intimidated, I mean.\" \n \"Sure you are!\" said Kenrai, \"Look how far down your ears are! Everybody knows wolves only put their ears down when they're scared or intimidated.\" The Mokaji blinked a few times, glanced down to make sure that yes, he [i]was [/i]still a rabbit, and then frowned slightly.\n \"Okay, Kenrai, first, rabbits [i]don't [/i]do that. Second, these are lop-ears, they're [i]supposed [/i]to dangle down. And third, canines lower their ears for many reasons, including –\" \n \"You worry me, [i]my little wolf[/i], is it because I'm so much bigger?\" Kenrai replied, and now, aided by the emphasis, Colton could see that the Dragon was trying not to smile, and caught on.\n \"Are you worried that I don't respect you after we have sex? Because I swear, I have nothing [i]but [/i]respect for you!\" the warrior insisted. Grinning silently, Colton concentrated a moment, and his ears suddenly flew upwards, straightening out and stiffening with a pleasing [i]fwip [/i]noise so that they were standing upright, like those of a normal arctic hare. Laughing, Kenrai leaned in and nuzzled against the smaller man. \n \"Much better!\" he chuckled, \"Always glad to see you so comfortable around me!\" \n\nUnaccustomed to seeing such silliness from the Drake, Colton couldn't help but laugh along, and they spent a brief time just cuddling silently. As they broke it off, the Dragon stretched and then yawned loudly. Reaching down, Kenrai took the blankets in hand and pulled them up over the men's nude forms, tucking them in snugly. Hugging the Mokaji tight, the warrior sighed contentedly.\n \"Now then, while we're waiting to nod off,\" Kenrai murmured in the dark, \"for a change of pace, [i]I'll [/i]tell [i]you [/i]a story, one my mother told me when I was just a whelp. It's about a group of Dragon knights, some of the Patriarch's elite, and how a clever Mokaji helped them solve a problem they couldn't solve with weapons.\" Squeezing the bunny against his side, Kenrai grinned. \n \"She thought it was just a fairy tale, of course, but now I wonder...\" Colton made himself comfortable in Kenrai's arms (which wasn't very hard), and listened as the warrior began to tell the tale. Snuggling against the larger male, Colton rested his head on Kenrai's chest, letting his eyes slowly close as he listened to the Dragon's deep, gentle voice spinning a story he had clearly heard many times, having memorized every detail. His words were so vivid, the scholar could practically [i]see[/i] the proud Dragon knights in their enchanted silver armour, and the whimsical shapeshifter who appeared in the woods as they tried to work out what to do. Despite how comfortable he was, and how tired out he'd become, Colton remained awake throughout the entire story, even asking the occasional question, finally nodding off just after Kenrai triumphantly delivered the happy ending. Seeing the bunny slumbering peacefully against him, the warrior just lay still a moment, watching Colton's breathing, and then, leaning down, he planted a soft, chaste kiss on the crown of the smaller male's head, before lying back and reaching over to kill the light from the lantern. Then, in the dark, the Dragon sighed happily and closed his own eyes, focusing on the feeling of his lover's warm, naked body pressed against him. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so content... \n\n[center]* * *[/center]\n\nSeveral hours later, it was still pitch-black out, and the Mokaji and the Dragon still slept the sleep of the just. If life were totally fair, that would be the end of it, and the two men would be able to enjoy the night – and each other's presence – undisturbed until dawn. Unfortunately, despite the efforts of the Seven Gods of Rilodell, life was [i]not [/i]yet fair, and their peaceful sleep was not to be... \n\nColton had chosen the form of a rabbit purely because he thought he made an especially cute bunny and wanted to show off this form for Kenrai. But it may have been a wiser decision than he realized, as now, in the middle of the night, his long, sensitive ears twitched, then twitched again, and then he sat bolt upright in the bed, suddenly wide awake, as he realized what he'd been hearing in his sleep. Kenrai, not having lived on the run for years, wasn't quite as light a sleeper, but his lover's sudden movement had stirred him to consciousness.\n \"Colton?\" he mumbled, blinking in the dark, barely able to make out the silhouette of his pale lover in the moonlight that made it through the curtains. \n \"Ish something wrong?\" he slurred, still trying to fully wake up, \"Didcha have a nightmare?\" The lapine Ani-man visibly tensed up and turned around to face the Dragon. Kenrai could only make out half his face, but the one eye he could see was wide and practically terrified. \n \"K-Kenrai!\" Colton squeaked, \"They're [i]here![/i] Outside! I c-can hear them talking about – about not waking us up!\" The Dragon blinked once more, and this time, he was just as wide awake as the Mokaji. He frowned, the corners of his muzzle curling up. Colton recognized this as what the warrior had previously called his 'game face'. \n \"Get dressed,\" the mercenary said, simply, \"Quick is good, quiet is better. Dress for a long trip in the cold, just in case. Then gather some supplies –\"\n \"I – I always keep a bag ready in case I need to run,\" interrupted the trembling rabbit, whimpering, \"Clothes, food, money... Griever's Tears, Drake, they're c-coming for me again...\" Sitting up, the reptile grabbed the other man's shoulders and held them firmly. \n \"Yes. They're coming for you, Colton,\" he said, bluntly, \"That's why I'm[i] [/i]here. I [i]promise[/i] you, as long as there's breath in my lungs, none of them will [i]ever [/i]hurt you.\" Tilting his head from one side to the other, his neck letting out a series of pops, Kenrai smiled grimly.\n \"I [i]can't [/i]promise you, though, that I won't hurt [i]them[/i]. Now go, I'm gonna get geared up and then grab some food from the kitchen... I don't know how long we'll be on the road.\" \n\nColton slipped from the bed, already adjusting his legs and feet to become more agile and more silent, and his eyes to be more like those of a Dwarf or a Dark Elf, granting himself their famous 'infra-vision' that gave them better sight in the dark than almost any other race. He generally tried to keep his form consistent, as the monoforms found it very disconcerting when he made such Changes, but this was potentially a life-and-death situation, and he had more important things on his mind. As he scrambled to recover his clothes from where they'd been discarded all over the room in the passion he'd shared with Kenrai, the Mokaji found himself blushing despite his fear; since he hadn't bathed, he could feel the Dragon's congealed sperm dried into the fur of his rump and left thigh. In the past, he'd almost enjoyed getting cleaned up the day after sleeping with Kenrai, saw it as a pleasant reminder of their trysts, but now, as he frantically hurried to pull his underwear on, the come on his butt and the sweat in his pelt just made him feel exceptionally dirty... and a little bit like a slut. He glanced over at the Dragon, who was already dressed from the waist down, and was pulling his heat charm web back into place over his bare chest. That [i]did [/i]suggest they'd be on the road for a while, if Kenrai wanted to feel the warmth directly against his scales. The scholar could barely believe the passionate coupling they'd shared had only been a few hours ago... already it felt like another lifetime. A lifetime without fear or threat of attack... \n\nAfter what felt like both a couple of minutes and about four thousand years, Colton stood, swinging the backpack from his closet over his shoulders and taking a look around. He'd actually liked this place, and it was a bit of a shame to leave... Kenrai, returning from the kitchen with a bag slung over his shoulder, drew his attention back to more pertinent matters. \n \"The men outside, what are they saying?\" the Drake whispered. Lapine ears twitching, Colton creeped closer to the front wall and bit his lip, concentrating intently.\n \"...It's hard for me to make out, these ears are sensitive, not [i]magic[/i], but... there's a man with a growl in his voice, I think he's an Ani-man, and he says they should j-just set the cabin on fire, ambush us as we run outside,\" he breathed, swallowing a whimper, \"But there's another man, I guess he's the leader, who says I'm asleep inside the house and their b-boss wants me alive – I guess they thought you were me? – So they should, um... have one guy kick in the door, and have the others break in through the windows that aren't boarded up, all at once.\" The Dragon nodded grimly.\n \"It's not about rushing the enemy,\" Kenrai muttered, \"Having multiple entry points gives you enough angles to have them surrounded, suddenly you're fighting a war on two fronts.\" Squinting his eyes as he stared into the middle distance, Colton frowned.\n \"Kenrai, I recognize their leader's accent, it's –\"\n \"Orcish?\" interrupted Kenrai, and the Mokaji stared at him, surprised. The warrior shrugged and picked up Foebreaker from where it obediently waited against the wall.\n \"Lucky guess,\" he muttered, \"If they're still arguing tactics, that means they haven't surrounded us yet. That's good.\" Colton swallowed, feeling his knees trembling.\n \"Wh-what are you going to do?\" he asked. Kenrai held out the bag from his arms and Colton took it, aware that he wasn't exactly going to be much good in a fight. Resting his hammer on his shoulder, the Dragon took a deep breath and let it out slowly.\n \"Well, unless you can turn into an Ogre and smash them all, or something, it's going to be just me out there,\" murmured the warrior, \"so I'm going to do what any concerned homeowner would do. Ask them very politely to leave.\" \n\nWith that, Kenrai walked up the entrance, where he paused a moment, readying himself. Hesitating as he reached for the doorknob, he looked over his shoulder at the rabbit, who currently looked every bit as fearful and anxious as the stereotypes about the lapine breeds suggested they were.\n \"Colton... if Creed is as connected as you say he is, they're not going to want to give up. I'm probably going to have to kill at least one of them,\" Kenrai said, his voice tight, \"It's not going to be the same as the darklings, they're not just going to evaporate and go away. These are [i]real people[/i], and I made my peace with that a long time ago... but you're no warrior. You... you might not want to watch very closely.\" He cleared his throat and averted his eyes, unusual for the confident Dragon. \n \"I would hate for you to think less of me because you saw me... because you saw that what I do for a living isn't very nice sometimes.\" Colton nodded slowly. His instinct was to assure the larger male that he would never judge him for such things, that he could never think less of Kenrai... but he'd never seen a person die, and he didn't even like contemplating the fates of farm animals, so he couldn't honestly say how his feelings might be affected. \n \"...I'll be okay,\" he finally whispered, \"As long as you're okay.\" The warrior actually seemed relieved, relaxing just a little as he turned back to the door.\n \"If they – if they get the best of me, [i]Tulo[/i], I want you to turn into – I don't know, a chair or a coat rack or something, and wait for them to leave. Then make a break for Beacon's Edge.\" \n \"D-don't say that!\" whimpered the bunny, who couldn't help but picture his friend lying lifeless in the snow. \n \"I'm not [i]perfect[/i], Colton. I'm confident, but I want you to have a backup plan,\" Kenrai replied, a pained expression across his features, \"Now just wait for me out here, and don't make a sound. I've gotta go have a chat with our new friends.\" Before Colton could think of a protest, the Dragon nodded to him, opened the door, and slipped outside, closing the door firmly behind him, leaving Colton in the dark with his bags and his fear. \n\nWalking up to the group of men, who were still arguing in hushed tones, Kenrai raised his voice and, as he'd put it, politely asked them to leave.\n \"[i]Hey![/i] It's the middle of the damned night!\" he snarled, \"Get off my fucking property and have your conversation somewhere else!\" They turned to face him, with varying reactions. There were five of them; three Humans of varying backgrounds who ranged from visibly afraid of the approaching Dragon to totally indifferent, the Orc who had been so genial at the door, who seemed to have been expecting Kenrai, and yes, an Ani-man, a warthog who looked incredibly angry to be challenged this way – although to be fair, this particular pig seemed like the kind of hired knife who [i]always [/i]looked angry. \n \"Ah! This is the guy I was tellin' you lot about!\" said the Orc, seeming at ease, \"The one with the excellent smasher... as you can see.\" It wasn't just a show of strength this time, so as Kenrai came to a halt about ten feet away from the men (he couldn't help thinking of them as 'goons'), he lifted his weapon from his shoulder and held it in front of him, gripping the long shaft with both hands.\n \"This,\" the Dragon rumbled, \"is Foebreaker the Mighty. The head was forged in volcanic fire and enchanted by Draconic mystics. Yes, it [i]is [/i]an 'excellent smasher', no, I don't use it to get girls in bars, and if you fuckers don't go away, [i]real [/i]fast, you're going to find out how it got its name.\" \n \"[i]Fuck you![/i]\" the boar replied, classily, \"We don't haveta listen to this [i]shit[/i], do we, Terbor?!\" He drew a pair of daggers from his belt, which surprised Kenrai at first; he seemed like an oaf, the kind of bandit who would go for the biggest weapon he could get his hands on, not something that required the finesse of twin daggers. That's when he realized the shapes of the flat sides of the blades were identical to the shapes of the man's impressive tusks. \n \"Raver's [i]blades[/i], man, wouldja calm down before you give yourself a heart attack?!\" snapped the Orc, glaring at the pig, \"You gotta be [i]fair [/i]in these things, as far as fair goes in this business...\" As the boar snorted, practically vibrating with anger and staring at Kenrai like he was trying to hate the Dragon to death, the other men grinned and snickered at their leader's comment. Kenrai had a sneaking suspicion that 'fair' in this case meant giving Kenrai the opportunity to surrender right now in exchange for a quick, painless death. \n\nThe Orc – Terbor, evidently – crossed his arms and looked at Kenrai, his eyes calm and collected, not the face of a man afraid of his opponent. \n \"Look, mate, you can put on a tough face and yell about your property all you want, but it's simple,\" he said, \"We've tracked our bounty this far, and this cabin is the [i]only [/i]place he could be hidin'.\" One of the Humans sighed loudly and shook his head. \n \"We even searched the fucking woods,\" he grumbled, \"[i]Boy[/i], going in [i]there [/i]in the middle of winter was fun...\" Kenrai glanced at the man and put on the thinnest smile of his life.\n \"You should have seen it a few weeks ago,\" he said, cryptically. Without looking at his henchman, Terbor frowned slightly.\n \"Shut up, Steve,\" he said, flatly, before focusing his eyes on the Dragon again.\n \"So! Either our 'master of disguise' is you, which means I need to have a talk with the boss on what the word 'scrawny' means, or you're out here because [i]he's [/i]in [i]there[/i], and you're, what, protectin' him? Funny, you don't seem the type.\" One of the Humans who wasn't Steve snorted in amusement and nudged the men on either side of him. \n \"Prolly ain't that many girls who'd look at a dirty reptile 'round these parts,\" he said, \"I bet our puny friend talked him into it by dressing up in a skirt and sucking his cock!\" The other men laughed at this, and even the warthog's rage seemed lessened, but while the corners of Terbor's mouth, which was adorned with its own, smaller tusks, turned up in amusement, the Orc continued to look the Dragon in the eye. For his part, Kenrai shrugged off the man's words. He knew he'd probably be braining him soon anyway. \n \"I told you before, I don't know who the fuck you think you've followed here, but you morons [i]missed [/i]him,\" Kenrai said, repeatedly relaxing one hand and tightening his grip on the simple wooden handle of his war hammer, before pausing and staring straight at the man who'd made the blowjob joke. \"...And I don't see how it's any of your business [i]who[/i] sucks my dick... though I gotta say, buddy, you got a real pretty mouth...\" Okay, maybe it had stung just a little. He was pleased when the man paled and instinctively took a step backwards as the Dragon laughed and hunched down slightly, getting into a defensive posture. \n \"So fuck it, I'm gonna give you ten seconds to go the [i]fuck [/i]away and never dirty up my property again,\" he growled, \"If you're still here after that, I'm gonna toss your corpses to the Shadowglades, let the [i]wolves[/i] have you.\" Spitting on the ground, he sneered, showing off exactly how sharp a Dragon's teeth are, and added one last barb.\n \"...If they'll [i]take [/i]you.\" Sighing exaggeratedly, Terbor shook his head and frowned faux-sadly. \n \"And here I was hopin' we could settle this like [i]reasonable [/i]blokes,\" he muttered, \"Ah well. Talkin's for bitches and nobles anyway. Boys? [i]Take him.[/i]\" \n\nThe three Humans drew their weapons – two had standard longswords, the other had a small mace and a shield that had been hidden on his back underneath a travelling cloak – and the warthog let out an excited squeal, clashed his blades together, and started forward. Only once all four of his men had begun to advance did Terbor draw his own weapons – a rather vicious-looking hand axe and a long, jagged dagger, both of which looked, to Kenrai's eye anyway, to be made out of Orcish blood-steel, rumoured to be forged in a ritual involving the donated blood of one's clansmen. While everyone else (save the unbalanced boar) seemed at least a little anxious about facing the tall, armoured Dragon with the massive war hammer, Terbor seemed totally at ease, stretching his arms out and spinning his weapons around his hands in a little flourish as he stood there, waiting. Kenrai stood just as still, his face taut and grim, letting the goons come to him, as if he planned to just stand there and let them stab him. The moment was not here yet...\n \"Remember, lads!\" called Terbor, helpfully, \"The boss wants our man [i]alive[/i], so leave this fucker breathin' long enough to check his chest for the swirly mark!\"\n \"Fuck you, Grell!\" called back the last Human to speak, but there was no doubt in the Dragon's mind that he would obey their leader's orders. The Humans held just out of range, hesitating for a moment, but with a snarled obscenity, the warthog charged forwards, giving Kenrai his cue. Suddenly springing to life, he threw himself ahead to meet his enemy, spreading his wings and sweeping them forward, summoning up a quick gust of wind that picked up the powdery snow and blew it in the faces of his opponents. Then, as the swordsmen flinched, the goon with the mace raised his shield, and – most importantly – the warthog blinked and stumbled, Kenrai filled his lungs and let out a bellowing war cry, stepping forward into the fray. Raising a leg from the snow, he snapped a kick forward, moving past the blinded boar's defenses and catching him in the chest, stopping him in his tracks and throwing him backwards with a groaned curse. Then, without waiting for the next mercenary to move forward, the Dragon whirled on the nearest swordsman, sweeping Foebreaker down low. Incredibly, the Human was able to step backwards in time, [i]just [/i]avoiding having one or both of his legs broken, but the wide head of the hammer caught the flat of his sword and knocked it from his hand. Caught off-guard, the man froze on the spot, and Kenrai thrust his weapon forward like a spear, bashing the top of Foebreaker's head against the Human's chest. He wasn't sure, but the Dragon thought he heard a rib snapping as the man went down like a rotting tree.\n\nThe Human moaned in pain, rolling onto his side and gripping his chest, but the warthog was already getting to his feet. Kenrai didn't have time to deal with either of them at the moment, though, as the other swordsman, the one who had made the crack about Colton in a skirt (not an entirely unappealing thought, admittedly, but this was not the time to ponder it), stepped forward and swung his weapon at the Drake, who blocked it with the handle of his hammer. It was simple wood, but the runes on the hammer's head reinforced the entire weapon, made it even more durable than it already was, so the ordinary iron blade didn't even leave a dent in the grain. As his foe recoiled from the blocked blow, Kenrai took a precious instant to glance to the side, and saw that Terbor – or was it Grell? Or both? – still wasn't closing in, watching the Dragon as he fought the lesser henchmen. Then the boar made his renewed presence known by barrelling in and slamming against Kenrai from the side. If Kenrai hadn't been such a large man, he would have toppled over, maybe even broken something, but though it threw him off-balance for a moment, the Dragon stayed up, taking a few steps in the opposite direction to catch himself. This, of course, left an opening, but the warthog's knives glanced off armour plating and found no purchase. He didn't show any signs of stopping his frenzied attack, though, swinging and stabbing away, so Kenrai spun around to face him. As he did so, he struck a minor blow with the lower end of his hammer, which had a metal cap affixed to it for just such occasions. It wasn't nearly as punishing as Foebreaker's business end, but it got the job done, giving the boar a heavy jab to the shoulder that pushed him away. As the warthog snorted in anger, Steve the Human (the one with the mace and shield) stepped in from the side and clubbed Kenrai on the arm, hard. It hurt, of course, but he didn't drop his hammer, and the Dragon took a step back to keep both men in sight. He raised Foebreaker while staring at Steve, who naturally raised his shield. Kenrai wasn't sure whether that would actually make a difference against the kind of power behind this weapon's blows, but it had been a feint anyway. With the hammer raised over him, he suddenly jabbed it forward, striking the top of the shield itself with the metal cap, knocking it violently out of position and nearly tearing it out of the man's hand. \n \"Black God!\" the man snarled, grimacing. Kenrai suspected he [i]would [/i]have dropped it, if the straps hadn't been so tight, and that that motion had been quite unfortunate for his arm. It hadn't been intentional, but Kenrai now found his weapon in quite a convenient location, so with the slightest smirk, the warrior let go of Foebreaker with the lower hand, swinging the wooden shaft with his upper hand – sending the wooden handle between Steve's legs and smacking against his groin. At this, Steve's eyes bulged out and he bellowed a couple of profanities, followed by groaning out a [i]very [/i]unpleasant reptilian slur as he sank to his knees, gripping his crotch with his shield hand. The Human made a wild swing with the mace that made Kenrai back off, but by that time, the warthog had pressed the attack [i]again[/i], and the Dragon was forced to focus on him.\n\nShowing a [i]lot [/i]more finesse than Kenrai had honestly been expecting, the Ani-man came at him not with random, savage stabs, but with an honest-to-goodness dual wielding form, twisting and slashing with one hand, then the other, always keeping himself in close, constantly pressing the attack. For the moment, it was all the Drake could do to get his hand back in position on his hammer and keep twisting the weapon to block the blows. \n \"Fuck Creed and fuck his bounty!\" the boar snarled, \"I want his [i]head![/i]\" The swordsman who was still on his feet closed in to try and take advantage of their numbers, press his attack while the warthog was doing the same, but it really wasn't that much harder keeping them both at bay than just one. Meanwhile, the first swordsman had reached over and grabbed his weapon, but he remained on the ground, looking uncertain if he even wanted to rejoin the fray. For his part, Steve was trying to stand, but his legs wobbled, and with a groan of pain and frustration, the man sank back to a sitting position, still holding his aching nads with the hand that had set his shield aside for the moment. \n \"For fuck's sake, boys!\" the Orc cried, \"The boss didn't hire you to faff around and make this asshole look good! And Jethro, kill him if you want, but I'm bringin' [i]you [/i]back to Creed, to let him know in person why he doesn't get his hands on the man he's been chasin' for fuckin' [i]years[/i] now!\" Without looking back, the warthog bellowed in rage and lunged forward, locking both daggers around Foebreaker's handle and leaning in close. If asked, Kenrai would describe his breath as smelling 'like a zombie covered in old cheese', though it seemed unlikely he'd ever actually encountered such a thing. \n \"Seven [i]gods[/i], I hope you're hiding that spiral fucker in the cabin,\" the man sneered, \"Because I [i]really [/i]wanna murder you...\" The Dragon, who doubted the Seven Sentinels of Rilodell would be pleased that this man was naming them, could have made some kind of witty comeback, but he didn't. His response was born from the need for an advantage, not the desire for pride. He spat in the other man's eyes. Squealing, the boar instinctively recoiled, and Kenrai twisted his hammer around, cracking the warthog in the temple with the enchanted head of the weapon. It wasn't a full swing, barely had any momentum behind it, but it was still enough to send the man stumbling to the ground. The swordsman stepped in, wanting to take advantage of the moment, so Kenrai lashed out with the hammer, striking the interloper's weapon out of his hand. Yelping, the Human dived after it, but instead of finishing him off on the spot, or turning his attention back to the pig, Kenrai walked a few steps to where Steve was finally getting back up to his knees. He looked up in surprise just in time to see Kenrai make a full strength swing, which caught him on the side of the head, breaking his skull and snapping his head to the side so violently it broke his neck. With a grunt, Steve flopped down to the snow, which began to stain red as his mace fell from his lifeless hands. \n\nTurning to the swordsman on the ground, Kenrai let out a huff and brought his weapon back into a defensive stance, saying nothing. Swallowing, the injured man let go of his sword and lay down flat, shaking his head. Turning back around, Kenrai found the remaining Human standing once more, glaring at him, and the warthog on his hands and knees, reaching up and rubbing his head where he'd been clipped. Kenrai extended Foebreaker towards the Human who'd joked about Colton and narrowed his eyes.\n \"How about you? You want to drop your sword and live?\" he asked, \"He who fights and runs away... Unless you'd prefer [i]another[/i] method of convincing me to look the other way...\" He took his lower hand off the hammer for a second to pat his crotch, which he was correct in believing would infuriate the other man. Growling at Kenrai as best as a Human could, the man raised his sword and charged him, but the Dragon easily blocked his wild strike, turning and shoving, using the man's momentum against him and making him stumble past the Dragon, just as Kenrai had stumbled against the boar's body-check. But instead of pressing his attack, Kenrai whirled around, to where the warthog was starting to get up, and brought Foebreaker's metal cap down on the back of his opponent's head, sending him sprawling to the ground with a groan. The Drake didn't know whether that had crushed his enemy's brain or just given him a headache, but he didn't linger to find out. Either way, it would keep the bastard out of the fight. Turning to block the predictable backstab from the swordsman, Kenrai spun his weapon, swinging the head down low to sweep his surprised opponent off his feet. Normally, this would leave him wide open, but at the moment, he had the luxury of focusing entirely on one opponent. As the Human landed unceremoniously on his ass, Kenrai kicked the sword away, and it disappeared into a thick snowdrift. Grinning at his disarmed foe, Kenrai winked exaggeratedly.\n \"Now stay tight for me, sweetheart,\" he said, licking his lips, \"I'll be back for you when I'm done killing your boss.\" The Human went pale, his jaw dropping open as he tried to crawl backwards, away from the Dragon.\n \"Wh-what?!\" he gasped, clearly horrified, \"You c-can't! You wouldn't!\" Dropping the lewd expression from his face, Kenrai laughed casually.\n \"Of [i]course[/i] I wouldn't,\" the Dragon replied, as if it was just a playful joke, but then his expression grew sterner, and he added \"You're not my type.\" Before the other man could work through this, Kenrai raised Foebreaker and brought it down as hard as he could, and a look of surprise came over the Human's face just before it, and the rest of his head, splattered like an egg under the tremendous blow. \n\nWithout taking a moment to rest, Kenrai stepped back, lifting his hammer back into position even as blood dripped from it onto the snow. He glanced over at the boar, who still wasn't moving, and then turned to face the Orc, who was finally approaching. The other man actually laughed as he spread his arms.\n \"Well done!\" The thug said, as though this had all been a test, though the way he held his weapons suggested anything but. \"Four to one, and you with barely a scratch!\" He paused and looked at the mess that used to be the joking swordsman, shaking his head and sighing quietly.\n \"Oh, Thom, I almost [i]liked [/i]you...\" he said, \"Best lockpick I've met in years. Shame you were so shite with a blade.\" Looking up, the man glanced at Kenrai and shrugged, one professional to another. \n \"No way around it, I guess, street thugs and cutpurses just aren't cuttin' it anymore, I've just [i]gotta [/i]start hirin' better men.\" As he turned back to completely face the Dragon, who was making efforts to control his breathing, the man put on a smile that was as cold, icy, and joyless as the bloodstained snowy landscape around them.\n \"...Fortunately,\" the Orc said, staring him right in the eye, \"a job like this means I should be gettin' enough coin for some better company.\" Kenrai let out a huff through his nostrils, two visible plumes of steam in the wintery air. \n \"Bold words,\" he said, simply. The Orc nodded, acknowledging that. \n \"Aye. Wanna see if I can live up to them?\" he suggested, \"Now, I gotta say, after watchin' you in action? There's no [i]way [/i]you're the man I'm lookin' for, sounds like he can barely [i]hold [/i]a weapon, much less [i]use[/i] it, so I assume you got him stashed somewhere.\" A pause. \"I won't insult you by offerin' to cut you in if you turn on him, or anything, I just wanted you to know that I won't be holdin' back.\" Raising one of his lips, showing off a front fang, Kenrai nodded slowly.\n \"That makes two of us,\" the reptilian warrior said. His opponent raised his blades into a combat stance, dagger held forward, towards Kenrai's heart, and nodded again.\n \"When you're done with the Griever, and she sends you to one a' the nine hells?\" he said, \"Tell 'em Grell Terbor sent you.\" \n\nWith that, Terbor charged the Dragon with a loud cry, leaping into the air and bringing his axe in close in a horizontal slash. Kenrai was caught off-guard by the move but still had the reflexes to turn his head away from the blow, just catching a shallow cut to the cheek, where the scales weren't so thick. He felt blood running down his face, but not a lot of it, and focused on his opponent, not on the pain. As soon as Grell touched the ground, Kenrai pivoted the hammer towards him, feinting with the metal cap and then reversing direction and bringing the head to bear. Apparently seeing the move for what it was, the Orc dodged out of the way of the swing, slashing at Kenrai's outstretched arm with his dagger but catching only armour. Kenrai had been surprised by the warthog's skill, but only in that he'd expected 'Jethro' to be a blowhard who was totally useless once he got angry. This? This didn't surprise him one bit. Everything about Grell Terbor, from the way he moved, to the way he talked, to the way he held his weapons, it all suggested he, too, had made this his life, and had survived long enough to [i]earn [/i]his casual attitude. Where the boar's attacks had been fast and skilled but rather sloppy, Grell's were textbook-smooth, pulling off moves and counter-moves just as fast as the Dragon. Kenrai finally had a real fight on his hands. Despite himself, the Drake found himself backing up as the Orc pressed the advantage of his weapons being much smaller and faster than the huge, heavy hammer. He couldn't get through Kenrai's defences, but he wasn't giving the Drake much room to make attacks of his own, either. Somehow, Kenrai doubted that Terbor was the kind of man to flinch or even blink from a Dragon flaring his wings, and he'd probably be smart enough to compensate for the snow kicked up from such a cheap tactic. No, there was no way around it, he was just going to have to out-fight him, fair and square. Thrusting forward with both hands, the reptilian warrior shoved the Orc back with the broad length of his hammer, and then leaped back, to keep out of range of those blades as he exposed himself by bringing Foebreaker back into position for a swing. Unfortunately, his opponent easily dodged past the heavy blow, and Kenrai silently cursed the slow nature of his favourite weapon. He briefly considered catching the Orc off-guard by tossing Foebreaker in his face and going for his back-up knife, which Kenrai kept in a sheath between his shoulder blades (and between the bases of his wings, where it was hidden from view). He almost immediately discarded that idea, though, as he knew he was significantly better with a hammer than with the blade, and he wasn't sure he'd be able to overcome Grell's obvious ease with his bloodsteel weapons, which moved like extensions of his arms.\n\nGrowling, Kenrai blocked out all thought of the other men he'd fought, of the distant aches in his limbs and the cut on his face, even (mostly) of Colton, no doubt hiding inside the cabin, trembling with fear, perhaps peeking out a window even now as the fight raged on in the silence of the winter. Shutting out everything except himself, the snowy ground under his feet, and his foe, Kenrai gave it everything he had; he wasn't going to get many opportunities for real wind-up swings, not with Terbor at full strength and ability, so instead he pushed in close, making half swings with either end of his hammer, occasionally catching the Orc with the metal cap or pushing him back with the head. It wasn't much, but it annoyed the man, and as long as Kenrai kept blocking those attacks, it was progress. He'd been at the game a long time, and even with as little warning as Terbor gave before his blades came swinging or thrusting in, Kenrai was able to get his weapon in place to block them, or failing that, to simply step back, let the Orc swing at air, and then push in to take advantage of the tiny window of opportunity and give his enemy a nice firm poke with the metal cap, punishing Grell for his mistake. The first sign that they wouldn't simply be fighting until the end of all time came when the Orc raised both weapons over his head and lunged forward as he chopped them both down, accompanied by a bellow of battle-driven adrenaline. The Dragon just barely sidestepped out of the way in time to avoid being skewered by the knife and brained by the axe, and when the heavy swing left Terbor hunched over, weapons low to the ground, Kenrai stepped forward and raised his knee into the man's stomach as hard as he could, his partially-armoured leg striking the man's gut with enough force to lift him off the ground and make him groan with agony. But he didn't fall, and when his feet touched the ground again, Terbor stepped back and raised his blades in a defensive X, taking a second to recover. Not sure what he was going to do next, Kenrai gave him that second and stepped away, glaring at him. It was said that Orcs, like certain species of ferals, were never more dangerous than when they were wounded, and the Drake was struck by the hate burning in his opponent's eyes as Grell glared at him from behind his weapons. Unlike the warthog, whose fury rendered him sloppy and threatened to consume him, Grell's rage burned silent and cold, and he seemed to draw strength from it. Clearly displeased by that unexpected knee to the guts, Terbor lowered his weapons and quickly tilted his head back and forth, popping his neck the way some men pop their knuckles, the way Kenrai had earlier. Then, spinning the weapons around his hands again, he scowled at the Dragon, his lip curling up and showing off his tusks as he faced his enemy. \n \"You're a tough nut to crack, Dragon!\" he growled, \"I'm gonna be tellin' this story for [i]years![/i]\" Then, before Kenrai could think of an appropriately witty way to say 'you won't get the chance', the Orc raised his weapons, let out a deep, powerful scream, and charged across the snow, straight at the Drake. \n\nKenrai had been surprised at the agility and reflexes Terbor showed off in their close-quarters fight, but he was even more surprised at the [i]speed[/i] he was demonstrating for a man his size. The Orc covered the distance between them in seconds, and Kenrai didn't have time to do much more than take a couple of steps backwards and brace himself, raising Foebreaker in front of him. Unfortunately, it seems that's exactly what Grell had been hoping he would do, for the charging mercenary didn't stop. Leaping off the ground again, Terbor hurled himself directly at Kenrai, holding his blades up flat in front of himself to brace against the impact as he slammed into the larger warrior with the force of a battering ram. The Drake was thrown backwards off his feet, and Kenrai only realized where he'd been standing – where he'd allowed Terbor to position him – when he felt the wooden door of the cabin slam open at his back. Then, suddenly, they were inside, and the reptilian warrior came crashing down to the wooden floor with a blow that took his breath away. Now perched atop the Dragon's prone form, Terbor pushed the flat side of his dagger against Kenrai's neck and upper chest, holding him down as best as he could manage, while he reared back and raised the axe over his head with a triumphant snarl. Glaring at the Drake with the kind of hate one reserves for life-and-death struggles, Grell spat something in Orcish at him, something that didn't sound terribly flattering. Before Terbor could behead the Dragon, though, Kenrai clenched his teeth, tightened his grip on Foebreaker, which was pressed between the two combatants' bodies, and used it like a lever to wrench the Orc to the side, throwing him off. Both men scrambled to their feet, and now that he wasn't being faced with the instant threat of death, Kenrai couldn't help but glance around; despite himself, he wondered where Colton was hiding, if he was safe. For all he'd noticed during that fight, that last swordsman had found his courage, snuck into the cabin, and slit Colton's throat. Older, unwanted images flashed before his eyes, an empty house, a decorated gravestone, a bruised and battered body, clutched in his arms... [i]No![/i] He would not let his fear make him weak. Mercenary or not, he was a warrior of Clan Ort. He had a job to do. He had a [i]promise[/i] to keep. And even if it had become a private joke instead of an actual contract, he had a service to provide. \n\nRoaring at his foe, raising his wings, Kenrai rushed forward, slamming his shoulder into the Orc. Terbor stood his ground and raised his weapons, but as tough as he was, Kenrai was simply much bigger – and his knowledge of the house meant that he, unlike Terbor, was aware there was a stool just behind the Orc's feet. Pressed back against it, his knees buckled, and Terbor toppled over backwards. Continuing to move forward, Kenrai raised his hammer and began to swing – but, correctly anticipating that Terbor would roll aside, he swung the weapon horizontally, not vertically, and caught the Orc on the side, sending him skipping across the floor with a grunt of pain. This time, when Terbor got to his feet, he didn't look quite so good. Unfortunately, he recovered faster than Kenrai had anticipated, and as he closed in, Grell repaid his opponent in kind by feinting forward, then swinging wide and catching him in the side with the axe. Thanks to his armour, what could have been a killing blow, wasn't, but though it didn't cut deep, it still, in the Dragon's own words, hurt like a [i]motherfucker[/i]. He snarled through the pain and pushed forward, shoving the Orc away, and before either of them could make another move, a familiar voice screamed at the house from outside. \n \"[i]Fuck you, you fucking lizard! Fuuuuuck yooooooou![/i]\" \nIt was the voice of Jethro, the warthog with anger issues. Apparently after recovering from his own injuries, he'd seen his allies defeated or dead and decided to go with his original plan, since right after his classy bellowing, a bottle with a burning rag jammed into it sailed through one of the cabin's recently-replaced windows and shattered on the ground, instantly spreading burning lantern oil all across the floor. The two combatants were so taken aback by this that they paused in their efforts to kill each other and just stared as the fire spread up the far wall. Looking to the Orc in sheer disbelief, Kenrai shook his head.\n \"That goddamn pig is [i]really [/i]hard to kill.\" he said, plainly. Terbor shrugged as he nodded.\n \"Yeah,\" he agreed, \"It's his only good quality, really.\" \n\nWith that, the two of them resumed their fight, both moving as one, as though they'd agreed on a time-out beforehand and it was now over. Kenrai made a swing, Terbor ducked away from it, and the Dragon spun on the spot, slamming his thick tail into the other man's ankles, sweeping his feet out from under him. As he fell, Grell slammed his axe into the nearest wall, creating an instant handhold to keep him from going on his back again. Kenrai frowned. He doubted that trick would work a second time. Should have done it outside... Pushing off the wall, the Orc snarled as he went for a head-taking strike, but positioning his hammer next to his neck saved the Drake from untimely decapitation. Grell's movements were agile, flexible, the result of countless hours of training, not just brute force, and the Dragon was by now considering Terbor his own equal... but not his better. Pressing the attack, Kenrai roared, going into a maneuver where he lashed out with the hammer repeatedly while rotating his body, stepping consistently towards his enemy while using the momentum of his arms to give Foebreaker more power, while the constant movements of the weapon around his body made it incredibly difficult for Grell to take advantage of any openings. This was usually an incredibly effective method of making your way through a crowd of enemies, who will either get the hell out of your path or get battered down under your feet, but Kenrai was using it at the moment as an elaborate feint; as they reached the middle of the room, which continued to blaze away off to the side, Kenrai 'happened' to step into a stance that maximized his stability and grip on the floor. Then, without warning, he abruptly reversed direction, swinging the hammer back the other way, and caught Terbor across the arm, which sent his axe skittering across the floor, away from the fire which was beginning to consume the wall separating the main room from Colton's bedroom. Kenrai wanted desperately to call out to the scholar, but the second he did that would be the second Terbor learned that the Mokaji was still nearby. It might even draw him out of hiding into danger.\n\n \"Son of a [i]whore![/i]\" Grell snarled, grabbing at his arm. It looked like his shoulder joint had been dislocated, and with a grunt and a slight wince, he popped it back into place. As bits and pieces of wall began to flake off and fall to the ground, the Orc shook off his latest injury, twisting his dagger around to hold it in a stabbing grip, and lunged forward, moving to pierce the Dragon's eye while raising his free hand to grip Foebreaker's shaft, struggling to tear it out of Kenrai's hands. Kenrai blocked the stab with an armoured forearm, then grabbed Terbor's wrist and kept him from trying again as they struggled one-handed over the massive hammer. Locked together, face to face, the two combatants stared each other down, their eyes blazing almost as fiercely as the fire. Grinning slightly, Kenrai nodded at his foe.\n \"You're not... half-bad... you know?\" he said, his voice as taut as his muscles, \"So. When [i]you [/i]get to... whichever of the hells they send our type to... tell them you were sent by... by Kenraidrikerion... warrior of Clan Ort!\" Leaning back, the Drake bashed his forehead into his opponent's face. Most any lowland combat instructor will teach you that unlike in the adventure stories popular everywhere, real fighters should avoid attempting a headbutt, as it is usually just as disorienting for the person giving it as the person receiving it. Fortunately, most lowland combat instructors are not Dragons, who have scale-reinforced foreheads. Spitting out an Orcish profanity, Terbor stumbled away, and Kenrai began to raise his hammer for a killing blow. But even with a mighty bruise just barely beginning to form on his otherwise unblemished green forehead, Grell bellowed with anger and lashed out with his dagger, striking Kenrai not on the hammer, but on the hand [i]gripping [/i]that hammer. With a [i]thunk[/i], blade met handle, and Kenrai's left middle finger fell to the floor and bounced away. \n\nShouting in pain, nearly dropping his weapon, Kenrai backed away from his enemy, desperately trying to keep hold of Foebreaker, which was now slick with his blood, despite the immense pain. The hammer was mighty, but it was designed in every aspect for a two-handed grip, and in one hand, it would barely be good to Kenrai as a means of defending himself, much less killing Grell. It was getting hard to breathe inside the little cabin, and the air was filling with smoke and ashes, but Terbor paid them no mind, looking viciously triumphant as he advanced on the Dragon. Their eyes met, a cold, businesslike exchange between two mercenaries, and then, as Kenrai held up his weapon, pre-emptively moving it into a defensive position, and the Orc raised his dagger again, ready to press his advantage, there came a tremendous cracking sound from all around them. Suddenly, a huge section of the ceiling collapsed, and Kenrai realized that the fire had worked its way up to the roof before it consumed the entire room below it. With shouts of surprise, both men hurled themselves backwards as an enormous chunk of the roof came to a crash almost exactly where they'd been standing; the debris was already engulfed in flames, leaving a curtain of fire that crossed the entire room between the warriors, with no way to get at each other short of leaping through the blaze. This also meant that Terbor was cut off from the [i]door[/i], and was now trapped inside the burning cabin, but that didn't seem to bother him, as he hurried to his feet and just stood there, glaring at the Dragon through the fire. Kenrai still lay on the floor, but he allowed himself to let out a ragged sigh and take a deep, painful breath, for the fight was interrupted for the moment, at least. The window that had been broken by the flaming bottle was also mostly blocked by burning timber, but a face appeared in it now, peeking around the wreckage. To Kenrai's surprise, it was the Human swordsman who'd chosen to stay down after breaking some ribs instead of resuming the fight. Maybe he'd found some courage after all.\n \"Boss!\" the man screamed, getting Grell's attention, \"You gotta get out of there! The whole fucking place is gonna come down!\" Terbor said nothing, and Kenrai didn't blame him, since [i]that [/i]much had been obvious. \n\nThe main pointed a little ways between them.\n \"That big-ass window! The one that's all boarded up!\" he yelled, \"We'll help you smash through it! [i]C'mon, Jethro, move your ass![/i]\" The distant voice of the warthog said something angrily, the words rendered vague and indistinct over the crackling of the raging fire, and then something started slamming against the picture window's wooden covering as the swordsman left the other window to help. With one last angry glare at Kenrai, Terbor crossed the floor and picked up his axe, which was still on his side of the room. Left alone, the injured reptile swore to himself in Draconic. This was bad... where the hell was the Mokaji?! Kenrai had been looking around, to see if there were any potential hiding spots that [i]weren't [/i]on fire, but the warrior stopped as his eyes happened to pass the front door. It was hanging off one hinge thanks to the violent way Kenrai and Grell had entered, and it was still wide open, which meant that from this angle, the Dragon could see Colton, standing out on the lawn, looking [i]absolutely terrified[/i] as he waved silently, trying to get the larger man's attention. Looking across the room, Kenrai saw that Terbor had turned his attention to smashing down the boards on the window, and since his injuries hadn't impeded his [i]memory[/i], the Dragon now realized that the Orc's only remaining goons were busying themselves working on the thick, triple-layered planking trapping their boss inside. And if they were all focused on the [i]back[/i] of the house... Swallowing, his mouth aridly dry in this intense heat (as pleasant as it might have otherwise been to a reptile), Kenrai turned onto his side to use his good hand to force himself to his feet... and discovered his severed finger lying just next to him on the floor. Staring at it for a moment, he got up and then scooped the digit up, carrying it in his right hand as he rested Foebreaker's weight on his shoulder, just lightly holding onto the handle with his bad hand to keep it in place. He was in absolutely no shape for combat right now, but maybe he didn't need to be. With one final glance at Grell Terbor, Kenrai walked out the front door and into the bracing cold of the winter night. As Colton hurried to meet him, Kenrai sighed, and thought to himself, [i]Let's call that one a draw[/i]. \n\nThe historian trembled as he hurried up to the man he had so recently shared a bed with. Kenrai didn't look good, there were new dents in his armour, he seemed to be bleeding on the side and face, and – \n \"S-seven gods, Kenrai!\" Colton gasped, \"Your [i]hand![/i]\" He couldn't help but stare at the maimed, bloody fist wrapped around Foebreaker's handle. [i]This is my fault, [/i]he thought, miserably, [i]I did this[/i]. Kenrai didn't seem in the mood to throw blame, though, barely seemed bothered, somehow. He was still all business. \n \"I know,\" the Drake replied, coldly, \"We've got to move, little man, we need to get to the woods, [i]right now[/i].\" Colton turned towards the nearest treeline, but didn't make it two steps before he was stopped.\n \"No! Just keep walking in this direction,\" Kenrai ordered, \"We need to keep the house behind us.\" Blinking, the rabbit frowned even more. \n \"Wait a second,\" he said, \"I was p-peeking outside every few minutes, to make sure you were alive, b-but I hid in your room and climbed out the window when you and that Orc came in... I don't understand, D-Drake, didn't you kill him?\" Starting off towards the woods, the warrior shook his head brusquely.\n \"No. He's good,\" he replied, \"He's [i]very [/i]good.\" Glancing over at his companion, who was sticking close to his right side, Kenrai sighed. \n \"He's still alive, and so are two of his men, but they're busy freeing him through the back window, so we can – [i]nngh[/i] – make a break for it, but we've got to hurry!\" Biting his lip with his notable front teeth, whiskers twitching in agitation, Colton whined. \n \"But Kenrai, you're [i]hurt![/i]\" he protested, \"You need help!\" \n \"Colton, please,\" the Dragon said, letting a bit of his professional mask down, \"Yes, I am, and yes, I [i]do[/i], but I'll be fine for a little while longer, long enough for us to – [i]aghh[/i] – to get to safety and away from these assholes! Can you be strong for me and come quickly?\" Swallowing, now more afraid for his friend than for himself, the shapeshifter nodded, and he followed the wounded warrior into the night, away across the snow, as the cabin that had been his home for months, and which he'd shared with Kenrai for the last few precious weeks, was consumed by fire, sending a plume of smoke and sparks high into the sky. In the distance, a group of people were leaving Beacon's Edge to investigate, but they only arrived long after the two men had disappeared into the Shadowglades, long after another group of three slipped away in the opposite direction. \n\n[center]* * *[/center]\n\n \"That – that should do it,\" said Kenrai, as they came upon a clearing deep in the woods. In the spring, this would be a meadow, about as beautiful as one could be in a forest that was annually touched by the influence of the Black God, but now, it was just fallen logs and snow. As Kenrai sat on one such log, he let out a groan of relief and allowed Foebreaker to slip out of his hand and to the ground, where the blood on both its head and handle began to soak into the snow around it. Colton looked around for a moment, still nervous, and then brushed the snow off a small stump, perching on it like a stool.\n \"I'm so sorry, Kenrai,\" he said, staring at the ground, \"You only fought them because of me, you – you were only [i]hurt [/i]because of me.\" \n \"It's all part of the job, Colton,\" the larger man replied, \"I promised I would keep you safe from harm. I didn't exactly expect I would just be fending off boys desperate to date you.\" \n \"But you lost a [i]finger![/i]\" the Mokaji protested. Kenrai flinched, shaking his head, and said \"Don't jinx me.\" Colton was confused, and it didn't help when the Drake finally opened his right hand and revealed that he'd [i]kept [/i]the severed finger, which had soaked his good hand in blood. \n \"What...?\" the scholar muttered, totally lost. As he watched, the Dragon took a deep breath, as if bracing himself, and then pressed the lost digit against the stump it had been severed from. Before Colton could protest that you can't just sew a body part back on, Kenrai held his hands close to his face and let out that deep breath – in the form of a billowing cloud of mildly glowing green smoke. It washed over his hands, obscuring them, and the Drake flinched as he kept going, sustaining the magical healing cloud for longer than Colton had ever seen before – longer than he knew was possible! But as soon as he finally ran out of breath, Kenrai sucked in more air and did it again with as little pause as possible, and then a third time. Finally, the warrior paused... and then winced, snarling quietly, as his hands spasmed with inner pain. Then, as the false rabbit watched with rapt attention, Kenrai slowly released his right hand... and his left middle finger stayed right where it was.\n\n \"That's – that's impossible!\" Colton breathed, but as he slowly, slowly made a fist, and his digit didn't pop off or start bleeding, Kenrai managed a grin.\n \"Isn't that one of those fancy rules of magic, or something?\" he replied, \"Nothing is impossible? Bla– uh, gods above, they [i]tell [/i]you doing this hurts like hell – when it works, which it usually doesn't – but they can't really prepare you with words!\" Rubbing his forehead, stressed out by everything that had happened, Colton sighed.\n \"Yes, let's [i]avoid [/i]saying the name of the [i]evil god [/i]who bled on this forest, [i]please[/i],\" he muttered, \"But – I had no idea your people could [i]do [/i]that!\" He got up and walked closer, and Kenrai obligingly held out his hand for inspection. It was still covered in congealing blood, but the middle finger looked like it had never been gone, save for a brand new scar, thin and pale, that wrapped all the way around it. \n \"It's not perfect,\" murmured the Dragon, \"It's not exactly going to be good as new after this, and if it hadn't been such a clean cut, it never would have worked at all. At least I got it lined up properly, I get a lot of use out of this particular finger.\" He grinned at his stupid joke only to flinch as he flexed the digit. \n \"[i]Nngh[/i]... Plus, it turns out life flowing back into a dead finger makes it feel like it's [i]on fire[/i] for a while, but it's all of the pain and none of the heat... But hey, guys dig scars, right?\" Colton smiled thinly as the Dragon cupped a hand in front of his mouth and breathed out more healing smoke, making it blow back against his own face, neatly closing the shallow cut on his cheek without leaving so much as a scar.\n \"Well then... I'm so glad you're going to be okay, Kenrai,\" the historian said, but his eyes betrayed his sadness, as his friend's wording had reminded him of another loss. Now that his fears about Kenrai's well-being were calmed, Colton sat down next to him as the warrior gingerly worked to unbuckle his armour. \n \"I got a gash on my side I'm pretty sure I can reach, and maybe some bruising on my arm...\" the Dragon said, and then paused, looking at the bunny more intently. \n \"Nobody found you, right?\" he asked, \"You don't look so good.\" \n \"No...\" Colton whispered, \"It's just... the fire. My house, all of my things... I finally felt safe again, and now it's all gone.\" He sighed, poking at the snow with the toe of his boot. \n \"I know I should be grateful that I'm still alive and you don't have any, um, [i]permanent[/i] damage... but I just keep thinking about how hard we worked to fix that place up, and how I'm never going to get to finish that book, stupid stuff like that.\" \n\nKenrai moved to pat him on the shoulder and clearly thought better of it, since his hand was covered in sticky blood. Colton didn't notice, lost in thought as he was. \n \"It's alright, [i]Tulo[/i],\" he murmured, making the smaller male smile slightly just at the use of that name, \"Once we make sure you're safe, you'll finally be able to find a home that you won't have to run away from. I'll see to that.\" He'd carefully avoided saying he would [i]join [/i]Colton in that house, but the Mokaji appreciated the sentiment.\n \"And, uh, you don't happen to mean that old tome you left on the chair by the fireplace, do you?\" the Drake asked. When Colton nodded, Kenrai grinned and finally managed to get his chestplate open... which made that old tome fall out from where it had been pressed against his pectorals, and into his waiting hand. The lapine impostor grinned as he accepted the book and Kenrai chuckled quietly.\n \"I had a gap put there when I had the armour made, so I can put my heatstone in there when it's charged up,\" he explained, \"Since it needs to be recharged and all, I thought I'd jam that book in instead, maybe help block some blows. Er, the back cover might be a bit sweaty, sorry...\" Colton laughed softly as he pushed the book into his pack. \n \"That's quite alright, Drake,\" he said, \"Thank you so much.\" \n\nAs Kenrai saw to the gash on his ribs (which, being inside his body, would unfortunately have to heal on their own), Colton let out a sigh and allowed some of the stress to leave his body.\n \"S-so I guess we head northwest, right?\" he asked, avoiding looking at the bloody cut in his friend, \"T-to the city of, um, Niir... Niirkal... uh...\" Looking up from his healing, Kenrai frowned.\n \"It's Niirkeldojan, but no, I'm afraid not,\" he replied, \"We were going to wait for the spring, remember? For the next few months, the passes on this side of their mountain range are going to be completely blocked off, we'd have to spend weeks travelling around to the far side, in territory where almost nobody lives, and we'd be sitting ducks for people like... like the ones who just tried to kill us.\" Colton had always thought 'sitting ducks' was a rather specist phrase, but he let it slide now to focus on his disappointment. \n \"Oh no...\" he whispered, \"Then... what are we going to [i]do?[/i] We c-can't just keep on the run until the spring thaw! N-no offence, Drake, but you're no shapeshifter, and you kinda stand out, they'll be able to find us a lot faster than they have before with both of us... M-maybe...\" He cleared his throat in order to suppress a whimper. \n \"...Maybe you should j-just leave me, Kenrai,\" Colton breathed, tearing up, \"I'll just k-keep running, and, uh, maybe we can pick a city where we can meet up in the spring...\" He didn't say the words 'assuming I'm still alive', but he suspected he didn't have to. Closing his eyes, he tried to hold some pleasant memories in his heart. \n \"Th-thank you for helping me, Drake,\" he whispered, \"I'm glad y-you didn't get hurt because of me, b-but I think I'll just...\" As he spoke, Colton was unaware of the sound of Kenrai scruffing his hands through the snow at his feet. And as the historian trailed off, lapsing into silence, the Dragon lifted those hands from the snow, now cold and wet but clean and free of gore, and he placed one of them on the smaller male's shoulder, gripping it tightly, his cold-blooded fingers already so icy in this weather that combined with the dampness, it made Colton gasp aloud. \n \"You'll just [i]nothing[/i],\" Kenrai said, a bit gruffly. As Colton looked up to him, he was surprised by the frustration in the other man's eyes. Perhaps realizing this, the Dragon looked away for a moment, letting out a huff, which emerged as a little cloud of mist in the cold air. \n \"Okay, so we got caught with our pants down,\" the warrior said, a little more calmly, and with the decency not to add 'literally', \"Creed's hunters got the drop on us, we lost the cabin, and I got slapped around a bit. Now we're out here on our own, they know – or at least they're [i]really sure[/i] – I'm protecting you, and our original plan won't work.\" He let that one sit for a moment before he continued. \n \"But you know what? You're fine, they didn't do anything to me I can't heal, and we got away with our lives. Two of them [i]didn't[/i]. Hell, the ones that [i]did [/i]are feeling pretty fucking sore, right about now. Yeah, the scales tipped their way this time, but we don't have to give up, not by a long shot. So do me a favour, changeling, and drop the noble sacrifice routine, it just – it just reminds me how important it is that we win in the long run.\" \n\nColton blinked, and sat quiet for a long moment. \n \"...S-so if we're not giving up,\" he finally said, wiping his eyes off with the downy fur on the back of one hand, \"What's, uh, what's Plan B?\" The Dragon made a face. \n \"To tell you the truth, that [i]was [/i]Plan B,\" Kenrai muttered, \"I thought of something else first, but it was going to be kind of a pain in the ass... for me, you understand.\" \n \"How do you mean?\" The larger male raised his free hand to his forehead and made a sound about halfway between a sigh and a chuckle, which seemed odd to the scholar.\n \"The plan wasn't just about getting to my people,\" the mercenary said, \"When you're being hunted, the best plan of action is to go where it's too dangerous for your enemy to follow.\" Colton nodded, keeping a straight face, but he also swallowed nervously, his whiskers twitching in agitation as he thought a constant mantra of [i]Please don't say Orcish territory, please don't say Orcish territory, please don't say Orcish territory...[/i]\n \"So [i]ideally[/i], you wanna go somewhere that's – what's the word – sympathetic to you, but not the asshole chasing you,\" Kenrai continued, oblivious to the false rabbit's anxious shivering, \"And before I thought about going to a city full of my people, I thought about somewhere even more dangerous for Bartin Creed. Right smack dab in the middle of an [i]army[/i].\"\n \"Wh-whose army?\" the Mokaji whispered, trying desperately not to picture the legendarily vast horde of soldiers that made up the Orcish Wrath Hounds. Kenrai smiled then, his eyes flashing dangerously.\n \"Whoever's footing the bill,\" he said, \"We're going to head straight south, make for somewhere warmer, and we're going to find my old mercenary band... the Black Falcons.\" Colton chewed on that one for a moment, and then imagined himself surrounded by warriors who would fight almost as hard for his safety as Kenrai. When he looked up again, he was smiling. \n \"Plan A it is,\" the lapine impostor said, \"Just lead the way. And, uh, Kenrai? Th-thanks for the pep talk. You must be good at cheering people up. Might be able to make a living at it if this whole 'smashing people with a hammer' thing doesn't work out.\"\n \"Ha!\" the warrior barked, as he squeezed Colton's shoulder, \"Like I told you before, that's not a service I provide. Emotional problems aren't the kind I solve for money. That one's just for you, [i]Tulo Karrim[/i].\" As Kenrai closed his breastplate and got up, the shapeshifter lingered a moment, blushing slightly.\n\nSoon, the two of them were heading off into the night, their spirits well lifted. After a few minutes of walking, Colton looked up to his companion.\n \"We,\" he said. Kenrai frowned slightly.\n \"Wazzat?\" he asked, his hairless brows furrowing. The Mokaji grinned.\n \"You said [i]we [/i]lost the cabin, not [i]me[/i],\" the shapeshifter said, innocently, \"I didn't realize you'd grown so [i]invested[/i] in the place in the last few weeks...\" Colton suppressed a giggle as Kenrai averted his eyes almost self-consciously. \n \"...That was a really comfortable bed,\" he muttered, and then allowed himself to smile a little.\n \"...Provided it had the right company.\" \nThe two men laughed together as they disappeared further into the woods, where none could find them. \n", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "
Services: Escape Clause
By Green



The moon was high in the sky, snowflakes danced and fell, and not so much as a single owl or rabbit disturbed the perfect silence unique to the heart of winter. But inside a solitary cabin next to a rather imposing forest, or at least inside parts of that cabin, winter held no sway, and there was only warmth and peace in the quiet. Inside that cozy warmth, an Ani-man, specifically an arctic wolf named Colton Frosthowl, at least for the time being, lay slumbering peacefully in his bed, sleeping more restfully than he had in several months. His expression was totally relaxed and comfortable, and his snow-white fur glowed a gentle yellow in the light of the lantern set on his bedside table, a lantern that hadn't been there when he went to bed. A very large hand attached to an impressively muscular arm set down on his shoulder, and the unusually slender wolf startled awake with a yelp. Where most self-respecting wolves would have spun on the spot, filled with adrenaline-fuelled rage, and snarled a warning to whoever dared interrupt their sleep unexpectedly, this one rolled over onto his other side with a high-pitched whimper of distress. Eyes wide as saucers, he took in the form of a man over eight feet tall, a Dragon of the green flight, with sawed-short horns sticking straight up from the crown of his head, the tops of a pair of folded leathery wings peeking up over his shoulders, and though he was bare to the waist, the scales that covered his torso were covered in enough small nicks and scars to reveal that this particular Dragon knew his way around a fight. Trembling in raw fear, the wolf took in the sight to this intruder to his bedroom... and let out a sigh of relief, his shoulders sagging down as he relaxed. Grinning sheepishly at the Drake, Colton sat up straight.
        "Oh... Kenrai..." he said, "S-sorry... you scared me for a second there." The Dragon, whose full name was Kenraidrikerion, of Clan Ort, smiled back, and though his mouth was full of razor-sharp teeth, it no longer intimidated the other man in the slightest.
        "No, I'm sorry, Colton," he murmured, "I didn't mean to. I know you worry, and for good reason... I should have been a bit more gentle." Toying anxiously with the edge of his blanket, which had slipped down, exposing his bare chest, Colton tilted an ear to one side.
        "So... what brings you here in the middle of the night?" he asked, hoping he knew the answer, "It's not the room, is it? This is the first night I've been able to sleep in my own bedroom since the attack, and, uh, I figured you'd be okay with the guest bedroom, since you, um, since I didn't hear any complaints when we were sh-sharing it all this time..." Swallowing, he forced himself to meet the Dragon's gentle but imposing gaze again.
        "Has s-something changed?" he asked, "Is something wrong with the room?" The Dragon nodded once, and his smile fell away, replaced by a tenser expression.
        "Oh yes," Kenrai said, "I'm afraid it's become absolutely intolerable. I simply will not be able to sleep in that room the way it is now." Colton shivered, not sure whether he should be delighted or disappointed, since, as usual, he found it very difficult to tell when the Drake was being facetious. Either way, the wolf's heart was pounding...
        "I'm sorry," he replied, "Ah... wh-what's wrong with it?" Leaning in closer, his expression absolutely dire, Kenrai sighed.
        "I'm afraid it's the bed," he said, "It no longer has you in it." With that, Kenrai took hold of the blanket and sharply tugged it away, revealing the wolf's skinny legs and somewhat boring underwear. Before Colton could react, the Dragon, now smiling, sat down on the bed beside him and reached out to embrace him, pulling the smaller male into his arms. Giggling delightedly, the wolf reached out to hug him back, and closed his eyes as the reptilian warrior leaned in to kiss him, his lips briefly working before they were otherwise disposed.
        "Oh, Kenrai..."

A few weeks earlier, Kenraidrikerion had been wandering through Human lands, heading nowhere in particular, when he'd run into the most un-lupine wolf he'd ever met, a man who had been afraid for his life from multiple threats, and wanted to hire the mercenary to help him with one of them. The Shadowglades, the forest next to the lonely cabin, was due to live up to its name and briefly become home to hundreds, perhaps thousands of darklings, mindlessly violent creatures literally consisting of pure evil. Although they only appeared in the forest for the length of a single night each year, that was still plenty of time to swarm into one cabin and murder a hapless scholar of history like Colton, and so he and Kenrai had worked together to defend themselves from the horde. Even so, it had been a close call; there had been injuries, very nearly a death, and much of the house had been trashed by the darklings as they forced their way inside. Since then, the two of them, who had learned the day after the battle that their interest in each other went beyond merely commercial, had been working to repair the cabin while planning what to do about Colton's other problem. He was such a piss-poor example of a wolf because he wasn't really a wolf at all, but a Mokaji, a species of shapeshifters most people assumed were just a story made up to entertain children. Colton assured Kenrai that most of the tales were total nonsense, but that didn't stop an enterprising Human, a trapper and skinner named Bartin Creed, from an obsessive belief that if he murdered Colton and turned his pelt into a cloak, it would grant him the changeling's fabulous powers of shapeshifting, or some other mystical bounty. He'd been pursuing the Mokaji for years now, and somehow he always managed to pick the trail back up, no matter how perfectly Colton vanished or how many different identities he went through. So the two men had been lying low, working to repair the damage the monsters had caused, and trying to work out a plan to get the skinner and his many hired goons off Colton's back once and for all.

Of course, it hadn't all been plotting and home improvement, as this night would testify, and at the moment, Creed was the furthest thing from Colton's mind. The Dragon was much, much larger than the false wolf was, but his movements were unexpectedly gentle, tender, clearly those of a man who knew well his own strength. As they kissed, their hands wandered each other's bodies, re-acquainting themselves with the terrain; Colton's hands found their way to the back of his lover's head, holding himself in place as their tongues mingled. Kenrai had no true hair, but the back of his head was home to a half-dozen or so thick, lightly-scaled protuberances that Colton could best describe as 'tentacles'. Kenrai couldn't manipulate them at will like his limbs or his tail, but they were very flexible, and the look reminded Colton of a foreign hairstyle called dreadlocks. Slipping his hand under these 'dreads', which he'd been told were a feature unique to the green Dragonflight, the Mokaji cupped his hand at the top of the Dragon's neck and sighed happily through his nostrils. Eventually, Colton broke off the kiss and leaned back.
        "You're so cold, Drake," he said, somewhat chiding, "You should be wearing your heat charm web." The object in question was a sort of mesh net in the shape of a vest, which was woven with miniature heatstones, magical charms which generated abundant warmth, which is something of an important topic for a cold-blooded man in winter. Kenrai just huffed dismissively and put on a cockeyed grin.
        "At the moment, I prefer another method of warming up," he said, his hands firmly gripping Colton's back for a moment, "You're so much better than a hot water bottle, my little wolf." Colton shuddered and closed his eyes, leaning in and nuzzling against Kenrai's scaly chest. Kenrai pressed his muzzle against the smaller male's neck – which was easy, even given the difference in their heights, thanks to his own flexible neck – and inhaled deeply of the nervous historian's scent.
        "Mmmm, seven Sentinels, you mammals smell so good..." Kenrai murmured, as one of his hands slipped into Colton's underwear and gave a buttock a nice firm squeeze, "So hot and full of life, and with that musky smell on top, I should have crossed the line years ago." Colton wanted to ask what 'line' that was, but the look of sheer desire in the larger male's eyes kept him silent and trembling with anticipation.

Kenrai started leaning forward, moving to lay Colton down on the bed, and the smaller male swallowed and tried to keep his mind occupied. The before moments always made the already-twitchy Mokaji a little nervous, and he squirmed as his underwear was pulled down his legs by the Dragon's firm hands, revealing that Colton was still soft, having been caught off-guard by the other man's attention. Grinning, Kenrai stood for a moment, and then discarded his own pants, exposing a penis that was already beginning to slip out of the reptile's genital slit. Colton started to roll over, expecting the mercenary to climb atop him, but Kenrai stopped him, laying down on his side next to the fluffy white wolf and reaching out a hand, placing it atop the shapeshifter's belly and beginning to stroke. Squirming happily under that touch, Colton sighed with pleasure.
        "Mmmm... K-Kenrai?" he asked, "If you're going to rub my tummy like this, ah, would you like me to Change into a cat for you? I'll purr for you, just like a real one!" He was already focusing on the alterations needed to reshape his body into that of a feline, but Kenrai made a face for a moment and shook his head.
        "Ah, no, Colton, that's okay," he said, gently, "I think I prefer you as a wolf anyway..." Colton bit his lip for a moment, trying to gather his courage.
        "But..." That quickly failed, and his ears lowered submissively as he nodded.
        "Okay..." He was disappointed, but it helped him get over it when Kenrai bent down and kissed him again while his hand continued scruffing through the wolf's white fur, taking a moment to move up to his chest and trace the red spiral there with a fingertip. That was the one aspect of his appearance Colton couldn't change, so no matter what he turned himself into, he would have a red spiral on the left side of his chest. He'd called it his Signature, an aspect of his species, for though every Mokaji's Signature was different, they all shared the trait of having one specific detail they were powerless to Change. It was very striking, and it had given him trouble in the past, as Creed's men had been tipped off that their prey bore that mark, but again, Colton wasn't thinking of his chest at the moment, for no sooner had Kenrai finished tracing the spiral than his hand began drifting south.

The nervous male wasn't terribly surprised when he felt the Dragon's hand slip between his legs and cup over his package, giving his balls and flaccid cock a playful squeeze, before Kenrai began to massage the sensitive skin with his large fingers. Kenrai always liked to do this when they started, and he preferred to do it when they kissed. Somehow, the fact that Colton couldn't look down to see what was being done to him made it feel so much more intimate, that the only thing he had to go on was the sensation of his penis and testicles being gently, almost curiously fondled by another man. As he began to fatten and grow harder under the Dragon's fingers, the changeling whimpered with pleasure and pushed up with his hips, pressing his bits against the Drake's palm.
        "Yes, touch me, touch me..." Colton whispered, shuddering from head to toe. Kenrai chuckled and licked the side of his lover's face, his long, thick tongue making the impostor wolf shiver pleasantly.
        "You're so eager..." Kenrai whispered, obviously pleased, "And here I thought you might be upset about being woken up... If there's one thing a Dragon always appreciates, it's a lover who enjoys himself in bed." Grinning a toothy grin, the mercenary winked.
        "Don't listen to the legends that describe us as horny beasts. Every species loves sex as much as Dragons do, we're just not ashamed to admit it! So you see, finding someone bold enough to admit they share our eagerness is a treasure, Colton," he continued, in a lower tone, "And you know how Dragons are about treasure..." He waggled his hairless eyebrows to make his lewd implications more obvious, and Colton snickered with delight.
        "Suffice to say, you're going to s-spend a lot of time sleeping on top of me," the Mokaji quipped, and Kenrai burst out laughing, then leaned in to recapture his lover's lips.

With kisses and playful caresses in abundance, it wasn't long at all before Kenrai was adjusting his hand to let Colton's penis lie comfortably flat against his stomach, having reached its full pride. Though he teased his fingertips along the sensitive underside of the shaft, making the smaller male squirm, he soon moved back down to fondling Colton's fuzzy balls, cupping them in his lightly scaled hands. The scholar smiled nervously as he reached up to trace the scale patterns on the Dragon's cheek.  
        "Kenrai... I was wondering..." he said, blushing, "Can we, um, can we do it face to face? Not that I don't like the way we've been doing it, but..." Kenrai churred to him.
        "Of course, my little wolf," he replied, "Though I thought I'd keep playing with you a while longer..." Colton's blush darkened even as his smile widened.
        "You do like to call me that," he whispered, "Your little wolf..." Kenrai reached down with his free hand and booped the Mokaji's nose.
        "There's something I just find so appealing about you," the Dragon admitted, "You're so unlike any other wolf I've ever met, even if I know you aren't really one, that it's endearing to me. You're so nervous, so sweet, so willing to listen to other people..." The Dragon fell silent for a moment, just gazing down at the 'wolf', and then sighed contentedly.
        "I love touching you, Colton," whispered Kenrai, "I love running my fingers through your fur, feeling your soft, warm body against my scales... and watching the way you squirm and whimper in response. So yes, I wanted to spend some more time touching you..." Colton swallowed a moan at those tender words alone, and at the way the Dragon's gaze had unabashedly run up and down his naked body as he spoke them. Looking away, Kenrai reached over towards the bedside table.
        "Here, let me show you something..." the warrior said, retrieving a jar of oil. He'd normally used it for polishing the head of his hammer, but the Dragon and the shapeshifter had found a much more entertaining use for the stuff.

Somewhat reluctantly letting go of Colton's sac, Kenrai sat up straight and leaned back against the head of the bed, and then encouraged the smaller male to move onto his lap, laying across the Dragon's muscular thighs. His upper body was supported by one of Kenrai's arms, along with, to Colton's delight, the wing from the same shoulder, extended out to comfortably cradle his body like a hammock. Swallowing anxiously as the larger male dabbed a finger or two inside the jar, Colton lifted a hand and took hold of Kenrai's previously-ignored prick, which was fairly easy given his current position. He barely had to lift his arm to take hold of the Dragon's very impressive manhood, which the warrior jokingly referred to (at every available opportunity) as his other hammer. As Kenrai reached down and touched his middle finger to Colton's anus, the wolf shivered in his arms and bit his lip to keep from whimpering with anticipation.
        "I thought... I thought you just wanted to touch me," he whispered, as that thick finger continued to rub the oil into his tight entrance. Kenrai grinned.
        "If I was getting you ready so I could fuck you, changeling, you wouldn't be in this position," Kenrai pointed out, "Now relax, just leave everything to me." The Dragon's finger suddenly pressed against Colton's opening, easily overpowered the stubborn ring of muscle that guarded it, and slipped inside. Caught by surprise, Colton tensed up for just a second and moaned. He unconsciously gave Kenrai's cock a squeeze, and it pulsed against his hand in response, a droplet of pre-come forming on the tip and drooling down the shaft. As Kenrai began to work his finger in and out of the wolf's rump, Colton shuddered with pleasure, consciously spreading his legs to give his lover more access to his rear, and he began to slowly stroke the Drake's erection. Nothing fancy, just lightly running his hand up and down the shaft; Colton was perfectly aware that at the moment, Kenrai wanted to focus on fingering and teasing the smaller male, so he only played with the warrior's dick casually, in order to reward him for his venerations.

A minute or two passed as Kenrai worked that finger under the trembling wolf's tail, and Colton squirmed and tried very hard not to make sounds of pleasure, fully aware that Kenrai was spending more time watching his face than his rump. Finally, as the movements became nice and smooth, since the oil had slicked up his tight backside quite well, Colton couldn't help but arch his back and moan again.
        "I c-can't believe your breath was the only gift your kind got from the gods," he sighed, "because that f-finger is magic." Kenrai laughed softly over him, his warm breath tickling Colton's whiskers.
        "Funny, I was just thinking to myself," he replied, "I can't believe you're so tight around my finger! Have you, uh, 'adjusted' yourself, or were you really this tight the last time I managed to get my dick in you?"  It was true that the Mokaji could control the nature of his rear channel just as perfectly as the rest of his body, but in this case, he had not.
        "N-no..." he said, "I thought I was j-just going to bed!" Suddenly, a pulse of pleasure spread out from inside him, and Colton yelped, stiffening from head to toe for a moment. Kenrai chuckled and his fingertip returned to the spot on the lupine impostor's inner walls he'd just been rubbing against.
        "There's your sweet spot..." the Drake murmured, with a hint of triumph in his voice.
        "What?" Colton asked, but Kenrai just chuckled again and winked at him.
        "Ohhh, don't play innocent with me, my little wolf," he chided, "you knew I would find your prostate sooner or later..." Truth be told, Colton didn't know that Kenrai had been looking for his prostate, or why, but since Kenrai resumed fingering him again, this time focusing his stroking on that one spot, he just whimpered and let the pleasure take his confusion away.

Soon, Colton's squirming and whimpering became more pronounced, and accompanied by heavy panting. Try as he might, he was helpless to resist the pleasure that thick finger inside him was bringing him. Just when he thought he was getting a handle on it, Kenrai slipped his forefinger inside the changeling's tight rump as well, using both digits to tease and stroke the shuddering male's inner walls and coax more adorable noises out of him. But there was a growing problem that the Drake seemed in no hurry to address, and as he looked down his body, dismayed, Colton watched a drop of pre-come emerge from the tip of his aching penis. The false wolf's semen tended to be very thick and gooey, and he suspected this was related to the fact that it took a lot of foreplay before he began to pre. But as delicious as Kenrai's teasing was, it wasn't doing anything for the arousal burning inside Colton, desperate to find release.
        "K-Kenrai..." he whispered, "Please... I'm s-so hard, I need to come..." The Dragon looked at him and just smiled, and Colton whimpered, clenching down on the digit inside him.
        "Gods above, Kenrai, please! Do – do you want me to beg for it? Because I'll beg!" he insisted, and then demonstrated in his most submissive tone, saying "I want your c-cock, Drake, I want you to fuck me! Sentinels, I want it so bad..." The Dragon churred quietly, a curious, voluntary noise similar to feline purring made by several non-Human species in Rilodell, and the muscles in the 'fingers' of his wing contracted, giving the Mokaji's shoulders an unexpected, if strangely reassuring squeeze.
        "Easy, my little wolf," he whispered, "Trust in Kenrai, he'll bring you what you want." Colton pouted, deciding for once he wasn't going along with it, and impatiently reached down to take hold of his member, which pulsed against his fingers as if in relief.
        "If you're not going to," he muttered, "Then at least let me – Hey!" To the shapeshifter's surprise, Kenrai pulled his hand away from Colton's rump, and then, before the not-wolf realized what he was doing, grabbed the smaller male's hands one after the other and slipped them behind his back, where the hand on the arm that was helping support his weight held them in place.
        "Don't be naughty," scolded Kenrai with a grin, "I promise, if you just give me a little more time, you won't be disappointed..." Pouting, Colton wiggled a little, testing his predicament, and discovered to his complete and utter lack of surprise, that the Dragon's hand may as well have been cast in iron; those fingers simply refused to budge. He wasn't sure what it meant that he realized he kind of enjoyed being restrained like this... Shivering with a sort of pleasure that made him slightly embarrassed, Colton sighed and nodded, lowering his ears again, his brief surge of defiance disappearing as quickly as it had come.
        "Okay..." As he studied his twitching feet, avoiding his lover's gaze, Colton shivered as Kenrai licked his cheek.
        "Cheer up, pup," whispered Kenrai, "You're going to like this."

Soon, the pleasure was building up and up, and with no one touching his dick, there was no relief, nothing to let off the pressure. Colton couldn't help but whimper and moan as he twitched and trembled in the Dragon's firm grip.
        "K-Kenrai, p-please..." he groaned, as another droplet of clear pre-come leaked from the head of his prick, drooling down to his stomach and leaving a clear strand trailing behind it, "I need it s-so, so bad..." The warrior said nothing this time, but as he smiled, his fingers began moving faster, rubbing deeper, and the pulses of pleasure radiating outwards from Colton's rear began to grow more intense.
        "Oh – oh fuck!" the false wolf gasped, as the pressure built up more and more inside him, "My – my ass! Kenrai, I... I feel s-strange..." Chuckling, Kenrai pressed the end of his snout against Colton's cheek, nuzzling his nose against the smaller male, a Draconic sign of closeness.
        "Easy, my little wolf, easy..." he whispered, "Just relax, take deep breaths... It's going to happen either way, but I'm kind of enjoying watching you fight it..." Colton wasn't sure what he meant, but he was certain that Kenrai was right; this was building to something. But as he squirmed and moaned, rolling his hips against those fingers working their magic inside his rear, the sensation began to feel familiar, and by the time he realized what was going to happen, he was too far gone to comment on it – or even focus his thoughts on the idea.
        "Gods above!" he cried, as he began to tense up, "I'm – I'm – Ohhhh, Kenraaaai!" With his lover's name on his lips, Colton arched his back and let out a moan that transitioned into a howl worthy of his assumed surname. The shapeshifter's toes curled up and his whole body went rigid as a truly explosive orgasm burst free from within him, sending pleasure dancing along his nervous system, spreading throughout his trembling frame. As Kenrai continued to rub and massage at his lover's prostate, Colton's long-ignored dick began to throb and spasm, and as he looked down at it in shock as if it had never done this before, his prick began spurting gouts of wet, gooey come into the cool evening night. As usual, its thick consistency weighed it down, but the very first ejaculation had such force behind it that it jetted through the air and draped itself across the wolf's surprised face. Colton barely noticed, however, because the pleasure that accompanied it was unreal. He moaned and yelped and whimpered in ecstasy as his pulsing cock continued spilling hot Mokaji semen onto his belly and chest, and Kenrai churred in approval as he watched the smaller male writhing helplessly in the throes of climax.

As Colton slumped down against his lover's arm and wing, Kenrai gently let go of his wrists, letting the wolf's hands flop limply to his sides. Lifting the historian up a little higher, the Dragon licked his cheek, just avoiding the strand of glistening seed that ran diagonally across Colton's muzzle. Once his breathing calmed, the Mokaji looked up, confused. The slightly dopey expression was made all the more adorable by the mess on his face.
        "You... you made me come," he whispered, glancing down at the abundant evidence, which still glistened on his torso. The scent of jism was strong in the air, and if the pre-come leaking down Kenrai's shaft was any indication, the Dragon liked it.
        "Really something, isn't it?" Kenrai asked, smirking, "I had... ah, I used to have a lover who would do that for me sometimes." His smile faltered a little, seemed forced after a moment, but Colton didn't notice, lost in his own thoughts.
        "No, no, I mean – what did you do?" he asked, making the Dragon tilt his head to the side. Now both of them looked perplexed (though only one of them was covered in semen). Colton continued as his brain continued piecing itself back together.
        "D-don't get me wrong, it was great," he insisted, "I haven't come that hard since before I went on the run from the skinner, but how in the world did you make me come without touching my – my penis? Was that some kind of Draconic spell? I didn't hear any runewords or incantations..." At this, the Dragon actually laughed, which would have made Colton blush if he weren't already so flushed.
        "I thought you were supposed to be the scholar!" teased Kenrai, "You do know about your prostate, right?" Lowering his ears in embarrassment, Colton pouted adorably. He didn't much appreciate having his calling questioned.
        "Of – of course I know!" he snapped, "It generates some of the fluid that's in semen, and it contracts during ejaculation to help get it out of the body! And my field of focus is world history and legend study, may I remind you, not anatomy!" Kenrai hadn't actually freed his fingers yet, and he pressed both of them down on that 'sweet spot' again and made Colton yelp with a weak pulse of pleasure that made a little more seed drool out of his slowly deflating prick.
        "I'll take your word for that part, Mister Historian," said the Dragon, "But let me inform you that it also feels really fuckin' good when you apply pressure and rub on it! That's the biggest reason why taking a dick or some fingers under your tail feels so good in the first place!" At this, all the fire suddenly went out of Colton's eyes, and his indignation was replaced with self-consciousness.  
        "...Oh." As Colton lay there awkwardly, Kenrai sighed quietly.
        "I didn't mean to tease, Colton," he said, more gently, "if you didn't know, you didn't know... but I'm curious, since it's a pretty popular subject with tail-raisers like us, are you really telling me none of your boyfriends ever told you about this?" Swallowing a whimper, Colton averted his eyes and began nervously poking his forefingers together, feeling terribly embarrassed.
        "Well, no..." he admitted, "Because I... I was a lady for all my other boyfriends."

In addition to the masterful control of their physical form that allowed them to perfectly replicate the shapes of other species, the Mokaji gift of the Change also allowed them to control their gender. Each one was technically what Colton called a hermaphrodite, a term that Kenrai had never heard in his many travels, which meant they were all basically male and female at the same time; through the Change, an individual Mokaji could 'toggle' back and forth between one sex and the other at will, though this particular alteration took considerably more time than most others, and was considered something to be done in calm, quiet privacy. Colton had explained all this to Kenrai in the past, even demonstrated the end result to him on a memorable occasion that made the Dragon rather uncomfortable, but the warrior still seemed surprised by this revelation from his lover.
        "You..." he trailed off, thinking for a moment, and then said "All of them?" Shrugging, Colton studied the lantern that lit the room.
        "Yes... Well, except for you, but I'm not sure if we've reached the point where you could call us –"
        "But before we had sex, that first time," interrupted Kenrai, "You told me that you were, you know, experienced, that you'd taken it under the tail before!" The Dragon was blustering, clearly agitated, and Colton swallowed a whimper, unsure what he'd done wrong.
        "I had!" he insisted, "I'd totally had anal before! ...It's just that I was a girl at the time, a river otter named Abigail Meadowdown." Poking the sensitive spot inside the wolf again, Kenrai looked at the other man cautiously.
        "So, what, when you – when you shift into a woman, your prostate and, uh, other bits, they just disappear?" he asked. Colton shook his head and laid a hand on his stomach, remembering too late that his stomach was still covered in come.
        "No, they're s-still there, they just move inside, just like there's still a womb and, um, other female things, inside me now..." he said, looking in dismay at his sticky palm, "But I can only be fully male or fully female at any one time, and the other parts go totally dormant until I switch back. When I did it as Abbie, it felt... different from when I did it with you as Colton." Finally slipping his fingers out of Colton's rump, Kenrai idly rubbed them on his scaly thigh to smear off the oil that lingered there.
        "So when we did it that first day, after the darkling attack, you were basically a virgin?" the Drake asked, reasoning it out. Colton let that whimper go free and blushed, as his cheeks had cooled enough for his embarrassment to show.
        "N-no, I..." he trailed off and sighed, "Alright, yes, if you really want to get technical about it, I'd never done it as a man before." Swallowing nervously, he forced himself to make eye contact.
        "Kenrai, I'm sorry," he insisted, "I didn't know that experience was so important to you, or I'd –" Raising his hand, the warrior shook his head.
        "No, no, it's okay, Colton, I didn't mean to sound mad at you," he said, more softly, "It's just that... I didn't know that you'd never done it before, and..." Sighing, a look of disappointment showed through in the Dragon's eyes.
        "Sorry, pup, I was just taught that your first time is supposed to be special..." Reaching out, Colton touched his dry hand to the Dragon's firm pectoral.
        "If it helps, Drake, it was a lot more special than Abigail's first time," he said, briefly frowning as he stared off into the distance, remembering, "Turned out he was just using me for sex, didn't love me at all."
        "I'm sorry," Kenrai replied, wincing, "What a bastard!"
        "It's okay," Colton murmured, "Another life..." Taking in a deep breath, the Drake managed a small smile.
        "Well, I'm glad to be better than that, at least," he said, "Things can only go up from there."

After a moment, Kenrai turned and eased Colton down to the bed, slipping his wing out from under the smaller male and – after stretching it out to its full extension with a sigh of relief – folded it neatly behind him.
        "Here, Colton, let me help clean you up," Kenrai said, lowering his mouth towards the Mokaji's stomach, "It would be rude of me to just let all this wet, hot, sticky come dry into your fur..." Colton tried not to smirk and failed; he knew from the unintentional emphasis Kenrai had put on 'hot' that the real reason he wanted to clean him up was that although he tried to downplay it, Kenraidrikerion was just as susceptible to the Draconic lust for warmth as any other member of his species, which was why he always made a point of 'cleaning' the smaller male while the semen was still fresh and hot. As the Drake extended his long, flexible tongue, and began gently licking the cream off of the not-wolf's stomach, Colton shivered pleasantly and sighed in relief.
        "For a minute there, I thought you were actually mad that I'd never been gay before, or that I wasn't worldly enough, or something," he admitted. Between licks, Kenrai grinned.
        "Oh, no way, I'd never judge that kind of thing even if you'd been a stone cold virgin when we met," he insisted, and after lapping up a bit more semen, he added "In fact, since you're being so open, let me tell you something about myself." Leaning up and slowly licking away the forgotten strand of jism draped across Colton's muzzle, the Dragon grinned almost bashfully.
        "You're, uh... you're the first mammal I've ever taken to bed," Kenrai admitted, "Before you, all the men I ever slept with were reptiles, like me. Dragons, crocodiles, iguanas... one very memorable night with a pair of newt twins... but never a warmblood." Colton smiled shyly, feeling oddly special.
        "Really?" the false wolf asked, and then his ears twitched as a thought occurred to him.
        "That's why you like to play with my balls so much!" he said, "Because all the men you've ever been with had their testicles on the inside!" Kenrai chuckled and looked down at his own erection, which extended out of a slit between his legs, and was indeed free of a dangling scrotum.
        "I have to admit, it is kind of fun, being able to touch your sac, to feel your boys moving around inside," the Dragon observed between swipes of his tongue, "And they're always so warm, especially once you get turned on..."

As Colton squirmed, quite enjoying and somewhat distracted by the frank discussion, Kenrai took the shapeshifter's flaccid cock into his mouth and slurped on it. Colton yelped, as he was quite sensitive after his climax.
        "K-Kenrai!" he gasped, sitting up and reaching forward, grabbing the Dragon's stunted horns. Chuckling, Kenrai took hold of his lover's hips and held himself in place, so that even when he opened his mouth to speak, the smaller male couldn't push him away.
        "Problem, my little wolf?" he asked, playfully, "I was just thinking, maybe I'd suck on you and watch you squirm until you got hard and came for me again, so I could sample that hot seed of yours direct from the tap."
        "Kenraaaai," the Mokaji whined, without intending to, "D-don't..." Grinning, the Dragon touched one finger to his chin.
        "Hmmmm..." he pondered, "Let me think about it." He took Colton's tool back into his mouth, and made the trembling wolf whimper and yelp for the better part of thirty seconds. Despite himself, Colton couldn't help but twitch and gasp as that incredible tongue teased along his shaft, rubbing the sensitive flesh tenderly, almost lovingly, bringing him pleasure so intense it was almost overwhelming – which just made it feel even more surreal that he wasn't getting hard. Finally, just as the changeling thought he'd go mad, Kenrai opened his mouth and sat up, chuckling again.
        "Well, alright," the warrior teased, "But only because you asked so nicely. There, you're all clean now. Well, except for this..." Gently taking Colton's hand, he licked the residue off his fingers and palm, working that tongue between his digits and wetting the fur with his warm saliva. Then, after making Colton blush up a storm, he released the wolf's hand and began to rub his lover's belly.
        "Perfect."  

Colton stretched out on the bed, thoroughly happy, as Kenrai rubbed his tummy.
        "Mmmm, my little wolf..." murmured the Dragon, his eyes warm and gentle, "You look so content." Smiling a little wider, the mercenary let out a contented sigh.
        "I love..." Colton inhaled sharply, but before he had time to even be nervous, Kenrai finished that thought with "...watching you come, Colton." The shapeshifter silently scolded himself for even thinking what he'd thought this early into knowing the other man, but he felt his blush was still appropriate for what the Dragon was saying.
        "The noises you make, the look on your face, the way you writhe and shudder..." Kenrai breathed, "It's like you couldn't hold anything back even if you tried, and that's why I love bringing you to that moment." The shapeshifter tried to think of something to say to that strangely intimate comment, but his attention was drawn down to the Drake's rigid prick. Nodding at it, Colton smiled shyly and spread his legs a little.
        "Speaking of which," he said, "It would be selfish of me not to repay you after your little finger trick... do you want to take me now?" Kenrai waved dismissively, much to the historian's surprise.
        "Ehhh, I don't like fucking a bottom after he comes, it feels strange for him to stay soft, like he isn't getting anything out of it." Pouting and sitting up, Colton moved forward and took hold of the larger male's impressive tool, with its exotic ridges and ever so slightly pointed shape.
        "Well, I have no intention of leaving you with blue balls, even if they are internal," he replied, "So if it's all the same to you, I'm gonna go down on you now."

Without waiting for an answer, Colton slipped his legs underneath himself, getting onto his hands and knees, and bent forward, beginning to kiss and lick at Kenrai's long-neglected dick, which throbbed against his lips as if expressing its gratitude. As the Mokaji worked his tongue, which was currently the wide, flat tongue of a canine, into the shallow crannies formed by his lover's ridges, Kenrai gasped out loud, caught off guard.
        "Fuck!" he cried, "Oh – Oh, Orange's Chariot, pup, you're too good to me..." With a sigh of relief, he reached down and cupped the back of his lover's head with one large hand, though his grip was surprisingly gentle, and he didn't push Colton forward at all. Using the other arm to pull himself along, Kenrai somewhat awkwardly crawled backwards along the bed until he reached the headboard, sitting up and leaning back against the wall. Colton determinedly came with him, moving on all fours, his tail wagging like a common pooch's, continuing the stream of playful licks and kisses along the Dragon's proud cock. As his tongue soothed the sensitive, needy flesh of the other man's dick, Colton inhaled deeply through his nostrils and shivered with illicit pleasure as he breathed deep of the Dragon's most personal scent, the unique reptilian musk of a healthy, deeply aroused Draconic male. Colton had been with reptilian women in the past, but not men, so the scent was unlike anything he'd ever experienced, and even though he was sated after the terrific orgasm he'd reached atop his lover's fingers, it still made him even more enthusiastic about tasting the Dragon, so he licked and licked like there was no tomorrow, actually moaning out loud when his tongue gathered up a droplet of flavourful pre-come his ministrations had earned him. Unlike the false wolf, Kenrai tended to pre quite copiously, but that didn't mean Colton didn't savour every drop. Meanwhile, up above, Kenrai opened his eyes and watched the false wolf's tail for a while as it metronomed back and forth.
        "Colton, do real wolves wag their tails when they're happy?" he asked, after a while, "Or is that just dogs?" But as the warm, flitting tongue pulled away from his member, the warrior seemed to realize his mistake, and with a huff, he very gently pushed Colton back towards his cock.
        "No, you know what, forget it," he said, chuckling as the licking resumed, "It can wait."

Shortly thereafter, when he could resist no longer, Colton moved up and took the head of Kenrai's penis into his mouth, closing his lips behind the crown and slowly sliding down, letting the thick shaft slide into his muzzle. He had to cheat just a little to do it, subtly adjusting the dimensions of his oral cavity, but he managed to take the entire length of his lover's impressive prick into his mouth at once. If the shudder he felt against him was any indication, Kenrai deeply appreciated his efforts. As Colton ran his tongue along the sensitive underside of the Dragon's cock, Kenrai swore quietly and groaned.
        "Lost God's Name, you're so fucking good at this, changeling..." the warrior whispered, "Don't stop, please, don't stop..." Fortunately for him, Colton had neither the intention nor the desire to, and so he began to bob his muzzle along the length of Kenrai's thick shaft, closing his eyes and savouring the Dragon's musk, the feel of that cock against his tongue, the way his skin tasted... Distant habits emerged, and Colton lifted a hand from the bed, groped around blindly just beneath the base of Kenrai's shaft, and then remembered, as his fingertips brushed against common scales, that there was nothing there to fondle. Unsure what to do with his hand, he just rested it on the larger man's thigh and focused instead on his mouth, on using his lips and tongue and cheeks to bring his lover the kind of pleasure he deserved. The Mokaji worked at a steady, even pace, and he could practically feel the arousal building and building inside the warrior's taut body. Despite himself, Kenrai began to twitch and grunt as Colton happily explored the exotic contours of his lover's rod with the tip of his tongue, teasing under ridges and playing along the pronounced cap at the tip of Kenrai's erection that was, for a reptile, surprisingly reminiscent of the head of a Human prick. Groaning softly around his mouthful, the shapeshifter shuddered, inhaling deep lungfuls of the Dragon's private scent, sending tingles running down his spine, all the way to the tip of his tail (and perhaps extending to the hairs beyond). In this moment, Colton allowed his feelings to mingle with his excitement; yes, he was incredibly attracted to Kenrai, not just as someone to share his bed and give him a good dicking from time to time, but... but maybe as something more than that. He'd just been afraid to admit it to himself because he'd known the Drake for such a short time, but that didn't matter right now, none of his worries mattered right now, because he was here, with Kenrai, and the only thing he wanted to think about was repaying the mercenary for the way he made the Mokaji feel, long after he'd thought he'd lost all hope. Abandoning coherent thought, Colton redoubled his efforts, really giving it his all, even invisibly reinforcing certain facial muscle clusters to give himself more stamina when his jaw started to ache. The lupine impostor actually moaned the next time he detected Dragon pre on his eager tongue. Seven gods, he tasted so good...

Colton lost track of time, so focused was he on his task and his lover's body, but eventually, Kenrai was panting and trembling, gasping and groaning as he gently rolled his hips, rocking against Colton's bobbing muzzle. The Dragon's hand remained tightly clutching the back of the wolf's head, but even as his climax approached, Kenrai was careful not to apply too much pressure.
        "Oh... oh fuck, changeling, you're – you're embarrassing me..." the warrior managed to pant, "Already getting c-close..." Deeply encouraged, Colton shuddered again and brought in one hand to squeeze and stroke his lover's prick wherever his mouth wasn't. Finally pulling off all the way, he closed his tired jaw and looked up at the Drake adoringly.
        "Do you want to finish in – in my mouth?" he asked, self-consciously, "Or... would you like to shoot it on my face?" Colton had heard that male Dragons were fond of that very thing, some kind of territorial display that played into their typically dominant personalities. But for a moment, something flashed through Kenrai's eyes that almost seemed like reluctance, or hesitation.
        "Ahhh, that's okay, Colton," he said, smiling a little less warmly than usual, "N-no need to get your fur all sticky in the middle of the night..." Clearing his throat, his face returned to the same sort of relaxed, calm happiness it normally displayed when he was in bed with the shapeshifter, and Colton wasn't quite sure what to make of it.
        "No," Kenrai repeated, "I think it would be much nicer to return the favour and feed you!" His enthusiasm seemed real enough, and when Colton wondered if it was genuine, he started wondering if it was just his tendency for paranoia speaking, something he'd picked up after years of life on the run and constant pursuit. So, shrugging the odd moment off, he grinned, for he'd quietly preferred the option Kenrai had chosen anyway. He didn't exactly share his lover's affection for the heat, and the taste was nothing to write home about, but something about the act itself always made Colton tremble with pleasure of his own.

With a wide grin and a wink, he started moving back down to Kenrai's prick, which throbbed angrily in the cool air, as though it were furious at being interrupted.
        "Nothing wrong with a little midnight snack..." Colton murmured playfully, and then took that thick member back into his muzzle. Giving it everything he had this time, the false wolf rubbed and licked and stroked at the straining flesh, doing everything he could to encourage Kenrai to climax, eagerly anticipating the approaching moment. No longer fighting it, having apparently come to terms with his warrior's pride, the Dragon soon began to tense up against Colton, his breath coming in a shallow, staccato pattern, until finally, with an almighty groan of pleasure, Kenrai hunched forward, over the smaller man's body, and placed both hands on the back of Colton's head. The Drake shuddered hard, in time with the spasming of his rigid dick, which throbbed against Colton's lips and fingers as it began pumping hot, sticky Dragon sperm into the Mokaji's muzzle, painting his tongue and cheeks with seed. Colton moaned too, quivering at the sensation of his lover surrendering and winning at the same time, at the idea of the large, powerful man sharing the essence of himself with the smaller male because of the pleasure Colton had brought him. If he hadn't so recently had a mind-blowing orgasm himself, he would be so hard right now... Moving back to the tip of Kenrai's prick, Colton used both hands to stroke the throbbing shaft, wanting to keep him ejaculating for as long as possible, swallowing down mouthful after mouthful of the Drake's hot come and losing himself in his lover's release.

As Colton gulped down the last of the Dragon's generous load, Kenrai relaxed and slumped back against the wall with a long, low groan.
        "Oh, Sentinels, that... that was good..." he panted, leaning back until his horns struck against the wooden wall with a thunk. He looked down almost immediately, as the shapeshifter, who was smiling so delightedly he was practically glowing, climbed up next to the larger man, spooning against him and resting his head on the warrior's muscular shoulder.
        "I thought for a moment there you were never going to stop coming," Colton snickered, "Maybe I should have given myself more stomach space..." Wrapping his arm around the false wolf, Kenrai chuckled his deep, rumbling chuckle and began to rub his lover's back.
        "You should see me on a night when I haven't pleasured myself five times already..." the reptile muttered. Colton started slightly and raised his head in shock, blushing at the mental image that popped into his head, of the front door of the cabin exploding open as Colton was washed out on a tide of reptile semen. One look at his lover's face, though, and Kenrai burst out laughing. Blushing even harder (but secretly relieved), Colton lay back down, muttering to himself.
        "I'm sorry, my little wolf," Kenrai said, giving the other man a gentle one-armed hug, "But it's been a few weeks since I started staying here, I thought you could tell when I was kidding!"
        "Yeah, yeah..." grumbled the changeling, before he perked up a little and added "I'm just glad you enjoyed it." They just lay there, gently entwined, for a few soft, warm minutes, just enjoying each other's physical presence, as Colton watched through half-lidded eyes as Kenrai's sated penis slowly retracted back inside its protective pouch, disappearing inside his body until the head slipped away from view and the Dragon's genital slit closed behind it. Apparently taking that as a cue, Kenrai was the first one to break the silence.
        "Ah, if you'd like to sleep alone, that's fine," he said, "Now that I've had my share of Colton for the night, I'll be happy to go back to the guest bedroom... Even if the bed is imperfect these days." Colton forced himself not to blurt out his response before the Drake finished talking, not to look too desperate or needy. Looking up, he smiled shyly into his lover's almost luminous yellow eyes.
        "Oh, no, that's f-fine," he said, with a relaxed tone so forced even he could tell it sounded fake, "You know, since you're here already anyway..." The smile that appeared on Kenrai's face suggested that he'd been hoping Colton would say that.
        "Ah, good," he replied, "I always sleep better with y– ah, with a source of warmth next to me." Colton bent down and gathered the sheets, pulling them up over the two men's naked forms, and Kenrai fully lay down as he reached over to the bedside table and extinguished the lantern he'd brought with him. As the dark swept over them, Kenrai swept the changeling who had been pressed against his side up on top of him, and Colton let out an excited yelp as he was moved so easily by the powerful warrior. Once again, he couldn't help but feel a bit like a cherished stuffed toy in the much larger man's arms.
        "Mmmm, that's better..." rumbled the Dragon quietly. Stifling a giggle, Colton snuggled down against his lover and let out a quiet, satisfied sigh. He'd never known scales could be so comfortable...
        "Goodnight, Drake," he whispered.
        "Sleep well, my little wolf," came the reply. And soon, both men were peacefully slumbering, their bodies filling the space beneath the blankets with more than enough warmth to keep things nice and toasty.

The next morning, Colton awoke to find himself alone in the bed, tucked in nicely so he wouldn't get cold. He had thought himself a lighter sleeper than that... and hadn't been aware the imposingly sized Dragon could move that stealthily. Slipping out of bed, he put a housecoat on to brace against the cold, and moved out into the main room. Across the way, Kenrai was cooking something on the stove and murmuring to himself, some sort of Draconic song from the sound of it. Before announcing his presence, Colton took a moment to admire the view, as the mercenary stood there in a sleeveless shirt with his heat charm web wrapped tightly around his torso. He probably didn't need it, standing directly in front of a wood-burning stove as he was, but it was no doubt easier to leave it on than to take it off while he was cooking. While Colton was admiring the other man's muscular arms, one of Kenrai's frilled ears twitched, and he looked over his shoulder.
        "Ah, there you are, sleepyhead!" he said, grinning, "Good morning!"
        "Morning," said Colton, smiling back and padding over. He paused by one of the walls they'd repaired since the darkling attack. It was smooth and flat, as befits a wall, but this made the shapeshifter a little confused.
        "I told you I'd take care of it," Kenrai chuckled. Running his hand across the wood, Colton tilted his head to the side.
        "But... but how?" he asked, "I don't feel any scraping at all!" Looking back again, the Dragon waggled his eyebrows.
        "I painted over it!" The wolf snickered and shook his head with a smirk. A few days earlier, he had just finished painting the freshly laid wood when Kenrai was taken by one of his more traditionally dominant moods, and taken the changeling from behind right where he was standing. Despite his protests about the fresh paint just in front of him, Colton felt so good he couldn't bring himself to ask Kenrai to stop, and so despite his best efforts to resist the pleasure or at least turn away, his skilled lover had brought him to climax right on the spot, causing an embarrassed Colton to spill his seed all over his nice fresh paintjob, and despite his efforts to clean up, it had left a noticeable residue as the semen dried. Living with a Dragon made things more interesting, he had to give Kenrai that...
        "Next time, how about we try not making a mess in the first place?" he asked, as he walked over. He blushed as he realized a part of him wished Kenrai would ignore that. In fact, maybe the Drake would get randy from standing next to the stove...

        "Whatcha cooking?" he asked, more to take his mind off the idea of being ravished by the muscular warrior than out of genuine curiosity. He was surprised any part of him was still thinking about sex after last night's dalliances...
        "Your breakfast," replied the Dragon, casually, "I thought I'd make you something nice, and we could go over our plans for dealing with that rat bastard Creed." Colton swallowed, touched at the gesture, but was Kenrai just doing something nice for his friend and housemate, or was it something... more?
        "Oh! Thank you!" he said, "I didn't even know you could cook." Kenrai pshawed over his shoulder, making a dismissive gesture with a spatula.
        "Of course I can cook, I'm a mercenary," he said, which seemed like a bit of a non-sequitor to the Mokaji. Fortunately, he finished that thought.
        "When I was in the Black Falcons, we rotated duties whenever we made camp, which meant that everyone took his turn cooking for the band," Kenrai explained, name-dropping the group of swords-for-hire he'd formerly been signed with, "But everyone in this line of business knows how to cook a little, since you spend most of your time on the road." Taking a plate next to the stove in hand, he carefully scooped onto it a couple of eggs and some sausage, as well as something that appeared to be made out of chopped potato pieces and spiced with... something Colton's nose couldn't identify.
        "Here you are!" Kenrai said proudly, "Enjoy, my little friend. The, ah, the spices were in my pack, since I was wandering when you met me. It's something Henry used to make at breakfast..." He trailed off and his face fell just slightly. Henry was the name of the oldest member of the Black Falcons, a greying Human whose primary contribution in Kenrai's time with the band was offering his years of experience and wisdom in the ways of combat and strategy to the younger warriors. Kenrai had never said it in as many words, but Colton got the distinct impression that Henry had been something of a mentor to the Drake, and that the old man had been the hardest of the mercenaries to turn his back on when Kenrai left the Falcons for what one might lightly refer to as 'a conflict of ethics'. Wanting to take the Dragon's mind back to the present, not enjoying the hint of sadness in his friend's eye, Colton reached out and took the plate. It really did look good, though of course he'd been prepared to choke down just about anything in the service of being polite. That's what friends do, he told himself... but it didn't mean he wasn't delighted to see how scrumptious it really looked.
        "Thank you, Kenrai, it looks delicious," he said, drawing the larger male's attention, "Do you want to share?" Moving to sit down at the table, which was still perfectly useable despite the clawmarks marring one leg, Kenrai shook his head.
        "No, I already ate," he said, "I just thought I'd do this for you while I was waiting for you to wake up." Walking over to join him, Colton smiled delightedly, his tail wagging behind him.
        "Then I'll be sure to enjoy every morsel," he said, "I didn't realize I had a chef staying here along with a warrior." Kenrai grinned and made a self-effacing gesture, spreading his hands wide.
        "My pleasure, pup," he said, "It's just one of many services I provide."

A few moments later, Colton was comfortably seated at the table, and Kenrai was spreading out a map of the region.
        "Okay..." the Dragon said, stroking his chin, "So I feel like the smartest course of action is to lay low until the end of the winter. We'll just stay here and gather supplies for the road while we avoid attention... as much as we can... until the rivers thaw and the snow melts." Colton nodded as he chewed on a bit of sausage. Keeping a low profile was easier said than done for a Dragon out here in the middle of nowhere, but at least Kenrai had acknowledged that problem. Pointing to a road, the warrior continued.
        "We'll take this route here once we're ready to go; you see how it runs alongside this forest for a couple of leagues? If we move at night and spend our days amongst the trees, it should be impossible for anyone to keep our trail." Colton nodded, but he wasn't entirely convinced.
        "I don't know... I'm a shapeshifter, Drake, I should have lost Creed the very first time I Changed into a different person. I left town by the north entrance, then became someone else and headed south. That should have been the end of it right there, but somehow that – that evil man has always picked up my trail again!" Kenrai nodded and frowned.
        "I remember. I don't like the sound of that," he admitted, "but that's one of the reasons I picked this road. We're ultimately heading northwest, so at the first sign of pursuit, we'll abandon the road entirely and try to cut straight through the forest. That's not an ideal situation since we wouldn't even have the benefit of possible witnesses to keep him from acting, and I fear the skinner is more comfortable moving through the woods than we are, but I'm hoping he doesn't come in person, since the men he hires probably aren't as savvy in the trees. If that's the case, we can hopefully keep far enough ahead of them to reach this road, here, before they do."
        "That's all well and good," Colton said, as he forked up a bit of egg, "but where does this plan of yours lead?" Grinning, the warrior pointed to a mountain range far to the northwest.
        "Right there," he said, "That mountain range is Dragon territory. In fact, that tall one in the middle is home to a blue flight city, Niirkeldojan, and the green flight are on very good terms with them. Hell, I've got blue cousins! We can go there for sanctuary, since something tells me no matter how badly he wants your 'magic fur', Bartin Creed isn't crazy enough to try and take it from you from the middle of a Dragon stronghold. Once we're there, we'll ask them for help, and you'll never have to worry about it again."

Colton shivered for a moment, briefly feeling emotional at the idea of never having to worry about Creed ever again, never having nightmares of being chained to a skinning rack while the maniac happily sharpened a blade, never had to look over his shoulder in fear, afraid that anyone he saw might be working for his enemy. The first time they'd been together, Kenrai had held the false wolf close and told him that he would protect him, that he would be okay, and for the first time in a long time, the Mokaji had believed it. When he was wrapped in the Dragon's arms, Colton felt so safe and secure, and if this plan worked out, maybe he could feel like that all the time... and maybe he could turn his full attention to working out exactly how he felt about the confident mercenary with the contagious enthusiasm.
        "I like the sound of that," he said, downplaying the hope the Dragon's words had instilled in him, "Why don't we just gather our supplies and leave now, though?" Kenrai sighed and shook his head.
        "I know where you're coming from, we don't want to risk some asshole stumbling across us before we're ready to leave, but it would be a lot more dangerous," he said, "Travel will be harder with all this snow down, it'll be more difficult for me to be out there in all this cold, and worst of all, the mountain paths that lead up to Niirkeldojan from the southeast are frozen over in the heart of winter, we'd have to circle all the way around the mountain range and come at the central peak from the northwest side." As he traced his finger around the mountains on the map, Colton's heart sank. That did sound bad...
        "Alright, fine," the lupine impostor muttered, "I suppose it won't be so bad hiding out here for the winter. Nobody comes out here because they think the Shadowglades are haunted. Uh, all the time, I mean, not just one day a year." Kenrai's grin made him feel warm, and he averted his eyes to focus on the chopped bits of potato on his plate, which had actually turned out to be quite good.
        "I know what you meant, pup, though you are cute when you blush like that," the Dragon said, "Here, since we have a lot of time, let's go over this a little more." Kenrai produced some more maps, and these each showed a smaller area in more detail than the large-scale one he'd started with.
        "These are the most recent maps I could find, so they should serve us well," he said, "Now, if we start by taking the road outside all the way west, we should..." Colton kept eating and listening, and he turned his full attention to the Dragon once he'd finished off the delicious breakfast. Piece by piece, they went over the plan in detail, adjusting a few things here and there as Colton asked questions or pointed out problems that gave Kenrai pause. It was all theoretical, but it did a lot to make the Mokaji feel good, as preparation for an endgame was a much more appealing plan than just running for the rest of his life, and it reinforced the idea that it may be real, that someday soon he could be free!

After a couple of hours, the two of them felt satisfied that they had a solid plan laid out, at least for a 'first draft' that they could build on in the coming weeks, and Kenrai carefully put his maps and charts away as Colton lingered by the table, putting off washing the dishes for the moment. Toying with his fork, the smaller male watched the Dragon's tail flick back and forth as he shuffled things around inside his pack, humming to himself. The shapeshifter smiled, as he'd noticed a correlation with which days Kenrai was in such a good mood, specifically with what happened on the day before days where Kenrai was in such a good mood... Naturally, that thought brought him back to last night, when he'd been cradled in the mercenary's arms, gently held against him as the other male coaxed the pleasure out of his body, all the while watching him with such a warm, tender look in his eyes...
        "Kenrai..." he said, before his mind had caught up to his mouth, "I, um, I wanted to ask you... Keeping warm wasn't the only reason you came to my room last night, was it?" He grinned as he said it, and hoped he looked cool and relaxed. Looking over his shoulder, the Drake laughed.
        "Noticed that, did you?" he said, winking, and then continued as Colton's smile grew, "Well, what can I say, pup, sharing a bed with you seems a much more appealing prospect than having one all to myself." The changeling nodded, wishing he could Change his nervousness into confidence. Were it so easy...
        "Yes, but – but you didn't even f-fuck me," he responded, noting that he still couldn't say those last two words without blushing, "You just played with me for a while, and then I sucked you off." As he set his bag aside, the warrior shrugged, making his wings spread slightly.
        "What can I say?" Kenrai murmured, his voice slightly more subdued, "You're more interesting to me than just somewhere warm to put my dick, Colton." The Mokaji's first instinct was to play off his increased nervousness with humour, to say something like 'I'm warm and tight, thank you very much', but this time, he preferred to say nothing, just enjoy the shivery warmth those words made him feel, and take them at face value.

Even as he smiled, a voice in the back of Colton's mind scolded him for fawning over the Dragon like a schoolgirl with a crush on a boy. He'd only known him for a few weeks, after all, so it wasn't like he was in love with Kenrai, right? The voice, which Colton thought was rather cynical, liked to dismiss these feelings as just the Mokaji attaching himself to the first person who came along to help him out of his terrible situation, and trying to convince himself it meant more. But at the same time, he couldn't help but dismiss that voice and all its arguments... because while it was true that he and Kenrai hadn't known each other very long, the way Colton felt about the mercenary didn't feel like a giddy, empty schoolgirl crush. And as someone who had dabbled with being a schoolgirl in years past, the shapeshifter knew very well what that felt like. But since dwelling on those particular memories tended to make Colton either blush or cringe, he quickly shoved them out of his mind with one final thought. While Kenrai had been maddeningly evasive in discussing his own feelings, the changeling couldn't help but think; it was hard to picture a mercenary like him putting his life on the line just for great sex. Maybe he wasn't being naive to hope there was something more there... The man who occupied so many of his thoughts lately cut into the false wolf's reverie, and Colton blushed as he realized Kenrai had been trying to get his attention for several seconds.
        "Ah, there you are!" the Dragon teased as they made eye contact, "Having trouble staying on Rilodell?" The Mokaji inhaled sharply and raised a hand to his chest, but Kenrai took no notice as delight spread across his scaly features.
        "No, wait, I know!" The Drake laughed gently and sent Colton a lewd smile. "You were daydreaming about last night, weren't you?" the warrior murmured, knowingly. Colton turned beet red and Kenrai laughed again as the historian sputtered some feeble denials. Okay, so he hadn't just been daydreaming about being in the Dragon's arms, but being caught by the person you were fantasizing about was still tremendously embarrassing. Still, his first thought, spurred on by an innocent choice of words from the mercenary, would have been far worse, so he felt weirdly relieved at the same time. Thus, he grinned sheepishly and admitted his guilt.
        "...M-maybe. It was a memorable night, okay?" Kenrai grinned wide enough to show off every one of his teeth and winked at him.
        "Ohhhh, my little wolf," he said, shaking his head, "You ain't seen nothing yet!"

That phrase got Colton's heart pumping faster, but Kenrai just chuckled and turned away, leaving him with a mixture of confusion, embarrassment, and disappointment. Not wanting to dwell, managing a smile at what it suggested for the future, Colton let it slide. Looking down to the table, he gazed upon the last chart the larger man had left there, a detailed map of the mountain range where Niirkeldojan, was located. Toying with the image, dragging his finger over the tiny mountains as though he were one of the seven gods, standing watch over their world, Colton recalled something he'd learned in the blissful time before running for his life became the norm.
        "I remember a legend I heard once, about the blue Dragonflight," he said, still idly toying with the map, "There was this group of Dwarves who were making an out-of-season caravan run because they were desperate for food supplies, their own crops had failed. They got caught out on the road by a blizzard, and when they fled to try and find shelter from the storm before they froze to death, they were set upon by a pack of wolves."
        "I don't like this story," muttered Kenrai, frowning. Colton liked to tell him stories and legends from his studies, something he'd missed in his years of running, and Kenrai had a decided preference for the cheerier tales of adventure and heroism.
        "No, no, it gets better," Colton assured him, "See, these Dwarves weren't trained soldiers, they were just merchants, so though they were hearty and stout, that wasn't going to do them a whole lot of good against a pack of hungry ferals. But just when they were finally surrounded, when it seemed like they were doomed, a blue Dragon dropped from the sky out of nowhere and chased off the wolves with a spear that crackled with lightning and a breath that carried the power of the blizzard itself." The Mokaji looked up, into the other man's eyes, and smiled, saying "The Dragon didn't know the Dwarves, he didn't owe them anything, he just saw that they were being hunted, they were in danger... and he saved their lives and lead them to his home, where they were safe from the storm and from the creatures of the night."  Kenrai smiled broadly once the story was over, leaning against the table and tilting his head just slightly to the left.
        "Did you know that your whole face kinda lights up whenever you talk about legends or history?" he asked, "The same thing happened when you were talking about the War of the Gods, and why the Shadowglades is the way it is." Blushing, Colton grinned shyly.
        "Do I?" he asked, enjoying the feeling of the Dragon looking at him like that.
        "Oh yeah," the larger male replied, "Your eyes get wider, you look more alert, the corners of your muzzle turn up... you can tell that you really love this stuff." Scratching at his arm self-consciously, Colton shrugged.
        "It's kind of a thing with my people," he said, vaguely, "We've got sort of an obsession with history and stories, love tracking them down and sharing them with the rest of us." Sitting back down in the chair he'd vacated, Kenrai nodded. He hadn't looked away from Colton once, and the false wolf couldn't help but smile.
        "Is that so?" the mercenary asked, "As it happens, my people are like that too. I think I heard as a kid that we've got the longest unbroken history record in the world, or something, goes all the way back to right after the War of the Gods. But..." The Dragon chuckled.
        "To be honest, most of us prefer the legends part... Specifically the stories about epic battles and great Draconic warriors. The fun ones." His finger tracing a meaningless pattern on the table, Colton gave the other man a coy look.
        "Well, now that you mention it, I actually know quite a few stories about intense battles and Dragon warriors performing mighty deeds of heroism," he said, as calmly as he could, "Maybe I could share them with you, help pass the time until spring."
        "I think I'd like that," Kenrai said, softly. The two men continued looking into each other's eyes after they fell silent, their gazes growing warmer, their smiles widening, but before either of them could seize the moment in any way, they were both startled out of it by a loud banging on the front door.

Inhaling sharply, his pulse quickening, Colton looked to the entrance with a deep, all-encompassing dread, as if he feared the Blue Goddess, mistress of the land of the dead, had made a house call for once, coming to collect his soul in person. As his ears flattened against his head in a most un-wolflike manner and he began to tremble, Kenrai stood, his expression steely. He put a hand on the smaller male's shoulder and nodded to the side bedrooms.
        "Your bedroom, as quietly as you can," he whispered, his voice barely audible at all, "I'll take care of this. Go." Nodding, Colton scampered across the room on all fours – because he'd adjusted his hands and feet to be extra padded and extra fluffy, making them almost silent against the wood floor. Once the door had closed behind him, and not a second before, Kenrai picked up his warhammer, Foebreaker the Mighty, from where it was leaning against the wall between the bedroom doors, and brought it with him to the front door, where their mystery guest was still banging away. With the hammer, which was massive by Human standards, casually slung over his shoulder, the Dragon put on his business face, which for a mercenary meant that he looked grumpy and vaguely threatening, but not aggressively enough to make someone pull a sword by itself. He pulled the door open, revealing an Orcish man that, while very large and intimidating, was still at least a head shorter than Kenrai. To his credit, the rough-looking man didn't react at all as his eyes rose from where he expected to find someone's face (about where the Dragon's sternum was) up to Kenrai's eyes. And if he found the warhammer threatening, he didn't show it as he briefly glanced over at it. Even if he hadn't been wearing chainmail armour under his winter cloak, it would be abundantly clear that this man was a sword for hire, and an experienced one. There was absolutely no doubt in the Drake's mind that this was one of Bartin Creed's paid goons.
        "Yes?" asked Kenrai, who didn't need to pretend he wished the man would go away.
        "Afternoon, mate," said the stranger, who sniffed harshly before nodding to the hammer.
        "Nice smasher, that, bet it gets you all the bitches on bar runs." He grinned, as if to further suggest that he wasn't afraid of the Dragon. Maybe he wasn't, there were mercenaries who'd been in the business long enough to be confident in their skills against any opponent, after all. Kenrai said nothing in response, and the Orc looked around at the vast whiteness surrounding them, before returning his gaze to the Drake.
        "I'll make this quick, then," he said, in his slightly accented tone, "I'm huntin' a bounty, some scrawny little punk who fucked my client bad, bad enough that he wants him brought back alive, and not through the usual channels. He's supposed to be puny, so's I'm assumin' you're not him, but the road's right there, and I thought I'd check to see if you saw anyone comin' through in the last couple days." Kenrai shrugged noncommittally, which is difficult with a weapon that big on your shoulder.
        "You clearly don't know much about my kind," he said, fingering the heat charm web with his free hand, "Weather like this, I don't get out much. I try to ignore the roads anyway. I live out here because I like my privacy, don't get many people out by the Shadowglades. They say it's haunted, you know, I got the cabin for a song."

The Orc didn't so much as glance to the treeline, just crossed his arms under his cloak and regarded the Dragon with an unreadable expression.
        "Are you sure? Could have been anyone, I hear this guy's not exactly dangerous, but he's a master of disguise, could pass for just about any species." He laughed and shook his head.
        "Client said he even makes a convincin' woman, but I ain't never met a man in a dress who could fool me, no matter how much of a sissy he was," he added, chuckling derisively.
        "For a 'master of disguise', he's kinda slow, though," The warrior added, scratching at one of his tusks, "Got himself a, whattaya call it, a distinguishin' mark, big red spiral on his chest about here." As he pointed, he made a noise about halfway between a huff and a snort, shaking his head. "Big help, that detail, since everybody goes shirtless when it's cold enough to freeze the fuckin' come inside your balls!" Moving very slowly, so it wouldn't be seen as a challenge, Kenrai lifted Foebreaker off his shoulder and laid the heavy head down on the floor right in front of him, leaning casually against the long shaft, as though it was a fencepost he was chatting with a neighbour over.
        "Like I said, bub, I haven't seen anybody go by, unless you wanted to interrogate the ferals in the damned woods," he said, letting just a little irritation leak into his tone, "If you had a seal from the local bounty board, that might be one thing, but I don't want anything to do with an off-the-books hunt. You should check Beacon's Edge, the people there will gossip about anything, they'd be glad to tell you about this crossdressing 'master of disguise' of yours." He nodded in the direction of the nearby town without breaking eye contact.
        "Now was that all, or did you want to step in for a cup of tea and some biscuits, too?" As the Drake had expected, the other warrior's eyes narrowed. Thuggish warriors like the Orc here generally held disdain for things people thought of as 'fancy', like expensive clothes, most jewellery, and tea, and he'd taken it (correctly) as a minor insult to be offered some.
        "Fine, fine, go back to whatever it is you do in there by yourself all fuckin' day," the Orc said, waving a green-skinned hand dismissively, "But if you do happen to see a nervous fucker go by, I'm stayin' in the Brown Calf Inn, and I'll cut you in on the bounty if your info is good." Reaching up and tilting an imaginary top hat, the muscular mercenary put on a lopsided grin and bowed slightly.
        "Thanks for your time, mate," he said, facetiously, "Really like the hammer. Hope you know how to use it, it would be such a waste if it just collected dust in a fuckin' closet." As the Orc turned and started walking off in the opposite direction from town, perhaps going to check the path to the edge of the region, Kenrai sighed, begrudgingly admiring that perfectly veiled threat. For a hired goon, the Orc was a lot smarter than he looked. Kenrai stood there for a few moments more, making sure the thug wasn't planning to double back and snoop around the cabin, but he just kept on walking, and never looked back.

The curtains had been drawn, the light was out, and Colton sat on the bed, hugging his legs tight against his chest. After ditching his housecoat and getting dressed into some actual clothes in case he had to run, the false wolf had been trying to sit perfectly still while he listened to the conversation at the front door, but he couldn't keep from trembling with fear. Since he'd met Kenrai, he'd finally felt safe and secure again, like with the Dragon around, things were finally going to be okay. But now, as he shivered in the dark, listening to the gruff voice at the door talk about him, that old, familiar fear that had been in the background of every waking moment began to build up again. With the Drake's comforting presence in his life, it had almost started to feel like the pursuit Colton had been fleeing for years now had just been a terrible dream, one he'd woken up from, but actually hearing the voice of one of Creed's horrible goons outside, even if he couldn't see the man, made every memory of that endless chase crystal-clear in his mind, and horribly, unshakably real. Maybe he'd been foolish to hope that things could change, that he could actually be free of this... He didn't fear that the Dragon might actually take the hunter up on his offer, but as he listened to Kenrai telling the man to get lost, Colton realized he was holding his breath, and he couldn't bring himself to release it until he heard the door firmly shut again. Even then, he couldn't quite find it in himself to move until the door to his bedroom opened and the Dragon was revealed, quite alone. Kenrai had his hammer with him, and after laying eyes on Colton, he frowned and set the massive weapon down on the ground and set it against the wall before stepping inside. The Mokaji looked up to him, eyes wide with fear, but he didn't say anything, just glanced in the direction of the front of the house.
        "He's gone," the warrior said, gently, "I sent him away. Are... are you alright?" Colton tried to speak, but only a shuddery squeak came out. Automatically, he nodded, before he caught himself.
        "Yes... I mean – I don't know..." he murmured. He hadn't felt this out of sorts in a long, long time. He felt a little ashamed as Kenrai sighed gently and came closer, turning his face away as the Dragon sat down on the bed next to him.
        "No, don't..." he said, feebly, "I – I don't want you to see me like this..." Colton felt tears building up in the corners of his eyes, and whimpered.
        "I don't get it, I j-just don't..." he mumbled, shaking his head, "I've b-been living with this for years now, why is it s-so bad this time..."

As Colton started to sob, burying his face in his hands, Kenrai bit his lip, feeling anxious for a moment. It had been a long time since someone had needed him as a shoulder to cry on... practically another life. Ever since he left Dragon territory, he'd mostly dealt with mercenaries, bandits, the occasional soldier, men of the infamous 'strong, silent type' that would rather die than let someone see them like this. He wasn't used to seeing someone exposing so much raw emotion in front of him. But at the same time, he found he couldn't not help the smaller man, and he reached out and wrapped his arms around Colton's trembling form.
        "I... it's okay," he whispered, "I've got you." Colton tensed up for a moment, and Kenrai wondered if he'd made the wrong choice, given that the man had just said he didn't want the Dragon to see him like this, but then the shapeshifter let out a whimper and melted into his embrace, pressing himself against the warrior's firm chest and hugging him back. Unconsciously beginning to stroke the wolf's back, struggling to find the words, reaching for a part of himself he'd thought he'd never see again, Kenrai took a deep breath and tried his best.
        "...You told me before that you'd been alone all this time," he whispered, "While you've been on the run, I mean. Is that true?" Colton mumbled something incoherent and nodded.
        "Well, that's it, then," the Dragon continued, nodding, "Don't you see?" Colton didn't react for a while, just took a couple deep, heaving breaths, and Kenrai wasn't sure the wolf had heard him, but then he finally looked up into the Dragon's eyes and slowly shook his head.
        "You've had no one to depend upon but yourself, no one who could help you, so you've had to be strong in order to survive," Kenrai murmured, "Believe me, I understand that. It was not easy leaving the Black Falcons to go alone, knowing I could only rely on myself." He took a deep breath and moved a hand up to gently cradle the Mokaji's face.
        "But... now you've got me," Kenrai breathed, "Now you've got an ally. Now you know that when trouble comes looking for you, it isn't just your own strength you can rely on... b-because you know I'm here for you." Feeling a little wetness in his own eyes, and ignoring it, lest his instinctive shame ruin the moment, Kenrai began to stroke the false wolf's cheek fur with a thumb.
        "I'm here for you, Colton," he whispered, "If you're weak right now, it's because you know you don't have to be strong all the time anymore, you know that we're in this together, that you can depend on someone else... and maybe now, if you have to break down for a moment, then when you pull yourself back together, you can be more yourself than the person you've had to be because you were being hunted."  Colton's soft, gentle blue eyes widened, and his mouth worked without any sound coming out, and then he let out another sob and buried his face against Kenrai's chest, no longer ashamed, clearly letting his sorrow run its course. The Dragon continued to stroke the smaller male's back and whisper to him, telling Colton over and over again that he was safe, that he was going to be okay, that the Dragon would take care of him. And, a part of him was a little surprised to realize, he meant every single word.

Eventually, after he had recovered enough to compose himself, Colton took a deep, shuddery breath.
        "Kenrai..." he whispered, "I..." He trailed off, unable to find the words to explain the depth of his emotions, so he just kept it simple.
        "Thank you." Kenrai smiled gently, but Colton managed a small grin and spoke up again before he could respond.
        "And d-don't you say that this is just one of the services you provide," he said, "Because there's no way I'll b-believe you do this for everyone who hires you!" Kenrai laughed, hard, and tousled the smaller male's hair affectionately.
        "Damned straight I don't," he chuckled, "But then, I don't usually spend the night with my clients, either." Easing Colton out of his arms, Kenrai nodded towards the bedroom door.
        "Take it easy for a while," the Dragon suggested, "I'm gonna go make us something for dinner." But as he turned towards the door, Colton lunged forward and grabbed his hand from behind.
        "Wait!" the Mokaji blurted, a little bit more forcefully than he meant to, blushing and lowering his ears as the Drake turned back towards him curiously, "I – I don't want to be alone right now, and uh, I don't really know anything about cooking, I've been making really simple recipes while I've been on the run, soups and stuff, so... could I come watch instead?" The warrior looked at him curiously for a moment and then smirked, nodding.
        "Sure. C'mon, I'll show you a few things." Grinning in relief, Colton followed him.

The two men spent the better part of the next two hours working in the cabin's meagre kitchen corner, which had been mostly spared the wrath of the darklings because no one had been over there. Kenrai was no master chef, and the meal was a fairly simple spiced roast, but Colton still watched with rapt attention, taking in every detail, asking many questions (both about the dish and about its cook) and generally letting himself calm down after that scare earlier, surprised just how much he enjoyed simply spending time with the Dragon. He helped out where he could, gathering water or peeling potatoes while the Dragon tended the roast, leaning in close as Kenrai told him how best to stoke the fire beneath the oven without making it too strong and burning the meat. Eventually, they'd succeeded, and they returned to the table where they'd discussed their plan, and though it wasn't the most exciting meal he'd ever had, Colton couldn't help but feel it tasted more delicious than he'd been expecting. As they ate, making smalltalk now and then, Colton caught a thought in the back of his mind, and for once, he didn't silently chastise himself for it; I could really get used to this. As he was pondering that pleasant idea, the Dragon lifted his head and looked at him.
        "How's yours?" the mercenary asked, the first time he'd brought the food up since they started eating, "I was worried I overcooked one side." Colton waved dismissively and scarfed up another piece of potato.
        "No, no, it's fine, really hits the spot," the shapeshifter insisted, his tail wagging, "Thanks for, uh, humouring me with the cooking lesson." Kenrai winked at him and grinned.
        "Don't mention it." The Drake fell silent for a while, chewing thoughtfully on a piece of beef, and then looked up again.
        "Colton... I was wondering," he started, cautiously, "Have you worked out a, you know, a shape you can go on the road with? I know, I know, the spring thaw is weeks away, but it's always best to be prepared, right?" Colton frowned, not at being reminded of the thug who'd appeared at their door – here he was already thinking of the cabin as 'theirs' – but by the obvious discomfort with which Kenrai said the word 'shape'.
        "Oh..." he said, rubbing at the back of his furry neck, "Yeah... I was thinking I would be a cat. I – I don't know the breed's name, uhh, one of the patchwork kinds... not a calico, they can only be female... Er, the point is, I was gonna put a bunch of red and orange on my chest." He swirled his hands around his upper body somewhat needlessly.
        "Doesn't need to be a real pattern, I just need to disguise the spiral so Creed's men can't see it, even if they kick the door down when I'm in the bath." Thinking of an angle, he smiled politely at the Drake across the table.
        "Do you want me to show you? You could critique the fur pattern, tell me if it looks natural!" He stood up, starting to peel his shirt off, knowing full well that Kenrai would stop him.
        "No, uh, that's fine," the Dragon said, raising his hands and putting on a forced smile, "We can do that as the day gets closer. I'm just glad you've got one planned." Letting his own grin fall away, Colton plopped back down in his seat and pouted at the other man, who was studiously staring at his remaining beef.
        "...Kenrai?" he finally asked, once he worked up the courage, "Why don't you ever want me to use the Change?"

Colton wondered how the Dragon would respond to the direct question. Would he make up some feeble excuse? I don't have a problem with the Change, it's just a coincidence I always tell you not to! Or My mother was killed by a shapeshifter and it brings back traumatic memories! Or perhaps simply What's wrong with liking you as you are? But Kenrai said none of these things. For a long, agonizing moment, he said nothing at all, merely sat there with his eyes closed. But then, he looked up into Colton's eyes, sighed quietly, and said something very different.
        "Because knowing that you can and recognizing the person I've known for the past few weeks in a different skin are two different things." The Mokaji stared in silence for a moment; he was somewhat caught off-guard by such a bluntly honest statement. He had noticed Kenrai tended to be a little... guarded, emotionally, and hadn't expected such a straight answer right off the bat. Perhaps they really were growing closer... He nodded slowly, letting his ears swivel back.
        "I'm sorry, Kenrai, I – I know it must be difficult for you," he admitted, "It's just..." His hands groped in the air as his mind groped for words, and he tried again, saying
        "For the Mokaji, the Change isn't just something we can do, Drake, it's... it's part of who we are. We... we don't have a 'true form', did you know that?" Sighing, rubbing his temples, Colton shook his head.
        "One of the stories about us, one of the more ridiculous stories about us, is that if you catch a Mokaji 'between' forms, if you lay eyes on his true face, he has to grant you wishes, or give you gold, or bless you with unending youth..." he said, only slightly bitterly, "But the truth is, when we're born, we... we don't look like anything. Little blobs of flesh wrapped in pale skin, that's it. No eyes, no ears, no mouth, nothing. The second we're born, the second we're free of our mothers and out in the world, we instinctively use the Change for the first time, to create a hole so we can breathe. We don't wear the forms of others because we're jealous of their appearance, Kenraidrikerion... we wear their forms because we don't have a choice. I can wear all the faces in the world, but deep down, none of them will ever be mine."

        "Colton..." the warrior whispered, "I... didn't realize that it weighed on you like that..." The false wolf smiled thinly.
        "It's alright, I don't bring it up just to complain about it," the shapeshifter assured the other man, "I just wanted to help you understand that the Change is an integral part of who I am, something terribly important to me, and I... I want to share that part of myself... with you." He wasn't sure, as it was hard to tell with scales, but Colton thought that Kenrai might actually be blushing just a little. Smiling slightly, he stood up and walked around the table, sitting down in the larger male's lap, resting his head against Kenrai's shoulder. The Dragon's arms came up around him, and he got the distinct impression the warrior was happy to be holding him.
        "It'll still be me, Drake, I promise," he whispered, "Nothing about my mind or my personality changes, I still won't be able to cook or fight or cast a spell, and I'll still have a burning desire to learn more about Rilodell's history... and I'll still know all those stories about Dragons finding honour and glory in adventure." Kenrai chuckled, a deep rumbling vibration against the wolf in his arms, and Colton's smile grew.
        "So... all I'm asking is, would you at least think about it for, um, next time?" Colton asked, blushing, "For me?" Kenrai churred quietly and stroked his fingers through Colton's short white fur.  
        "You speak so well, scholar, so – what's the word, eloquently? Eloquently. And you even got my full name right the first time I've heard you try it," the Dragon murmured, "How could I say no?" Delighted, Colton lifted his head and planted a kiss on the Dragon's cheek, whispering his thanks, but as he tried to lean away, Kenrai laughed happily and pulled him in again, for a deeper, more intimate kiss. Caught by surprise, Colton tensed up, then relaxed in the other man's strong arms and eagerly kissed him back. They briefly broke it off, and the churring Dragon looked the other man up and down for a moment, so blatantly undressing the Mokaji with his eyes that he might as well have been undressing him with his hands. Before the smaller male could think of something to say to the way Kenrai was looking at him, the warrior leaned in and kissed him again. A part of Colton was expecting something out of the bawdy pulp novels he'd read in private during his time as a scholar, for the Dragon to boldly sweep the dishes off the table, lay the changeling on his back atop the wooden surface, and then fuck him silly while they both still wore most of their clothes. In fact, once the thought popped into his head, he was a little disappointed when it didn't happen, when Kenrai finally broke off the kiss and simply left to bring his dishes to the sink. Colton had reached half-mast during the enthusiastic embrace, and he awkwardly adjusted himself through his pants before he retrieved his own plate, quickly swallowing down the last bit of beef as he walked. As he approached the sink, Colton wondered if Kenrai had deliberately teased him, and he wasn't going to be getting lucky tonight after all, but as he passed the Dragon, Kenrai grinned and gave the smaller male a playful slap on the ass. Colton yelped and blushed, but he couldn't help but smile when he saw the leering grin on the warrior's face. Oh yes, he realized, I am definitely getting lucky tonight...

The rest of the day went by fairly quietly, with the two housemates taking a break from the renovations, as Colton called them, and simply focusing on keeping things comfortable. Kenrai went and chopped some wood, since he now knew for a fact that the evil of the Shadowglades was gone for the better part of a year and had nothing to do with gathering lumber, as some of the rumours had claimed. Colton stayed inside, since the Dragon was still worried that the Orc, or another of Creed's men, might still be around, and went over their plan again, adjusting their planned route slightly to favour more populated roads, which would make it harder for the skinner's goons to try anything illegal. After that, he did a little reading, and when Kenrai returned from the woods, they put some of his haul to good use as firewood, getting a nice blaze going in the cold stone fireplace. The Mokaji shivered unpleasantly; it hadn't been all that long since they'd been washing his blood out of that stone, and he could still remember the empty light in the darkling's eyes as it tore into his chest with its vicious claws... if Kenrai had been anything except a green Dragon, Colton would have died that night, but greens had an innate ability to breathe out clouds of life energy that could heal wounds and ease pain. The lupine impostor tried to put it out of his mind, since it was in the past, though there was a more lingering reminder of that night that kind of ruined the view.
        "We really do need to replace that," he murmured, nodding to the rear picture window, which had been destroyed by a very, very large hand. At the moment, it was totally boarded over, to help keep the cold from leaking in. Kenrai shrugged helplessly.
        "It's hard to get your hands on glass in the middle of nowhere, as it turns out," he replied, "We were lucky to find standard shapes for the smaller windows. I think it'll have to wait until we get back from our journey... assuming you want to come back here instead of living somewhere else." Colton smiled at the idea of being able to decide his own path for a change, instead of simply fleeing from what Creed represented. As the two men sat in comfortable silence, Kenrai sighed happily, basking in the heat, literally, and enjoying every second of it. The Dragon drew a whetstone and began sharpening the knife he carried as a back-up in the event his massive hammer was somehow thrown from his hands during a fight, a dirk long enough to arguably be considered a short sword if anyone except a Dragon was holding it. Colton, meanwhile, was engrossed in a book, one of the few he'd been able to acquire on the run. And so, the two men spent some time just enjoying the heat and each other's presence, occasionally getting up to throw a bit of tinder on the fire, and the world passed into night.

A while later, Kenrai emerged from the guest bedroom, something Colton barely noticed, absorbed as he was in his book, and stood before the fire for a moment, stretching out his limbs and sighing contentedly as the heat washed over him. After taking a moment to just enjoy it, he turned around and stepped up to the false wolf in his chair.
        "How's the book?" he asked, smiling gently. Colton grinned up at him and gestured to it.
        "Oh, it's very good, it's like even the quality of what I read has gone up since I met you," the Mokaji replied. Kenrai nodded, but he didn't really seem to have taken that answer in.
        "Good, good..." he said, absently, "Listen, Colton, can I borrow you for a second? I want to check something." Placing an old, battered bookmark between the pages, the shapeshifter closed the book and left it on his chair as he stood up.
        "Sure, what'd you – eep!" Colton gasped as Kenrai unexpectedly bent down and literally swept the smaller male off his feet, bringing one arm up from behind the Mokaji's knees and lifting him off the floor as his other arm effortlessly caught the false wolf as he fell backwards. The shapeshifter blushed but managed a small smile as the Dragon straightened up, carrying the scholar in his arms like he weighed nothing at all. Chuckling at the look on Colton's face, the warrior winked at him.
        "Don't be nervous, my little wolf, I've got you," Kenrai churred to him, "And I'm not letting go." Colton swallowed, wondering if the Drake had intended the second meaning that teased at his ears.
        "Oh, Kenrai..." he whispered, clinging tight as the Dragon carried him to the guest bedroom. The historian was only a little bit embarrassed by how much he enjoyed being swept into the larger man's arms.

Moving carefully, Kenrai nudged open the door to the guest bedroom with a foot before slowly, carefully, ducking down under the top of the doorframe, which was juuuust a little too short for the Dragon's admittedly somewhat massive frame. As he stood up straight, Kenrai playfully licked Colton's cheek, and the Mokaji giggled delightedly.
        "What exactly did you need me for, Drake?" he asked. In response, Kenrai carried him over to the bed and then laid the smaller male down on his side, before stepping back and crossing his arms over his chest, staring at Colton with a strange scrutiny.
        "What?" the historian asked, feeling rather self-conscious. The Dragon began to stroke his chin, and his tail floated back and forth behind him. Finally, he grinned and nodded.
        "Exactly as I thought," Kenrai said, "That bed is much more appealing with you in it!" Colton burst out laughing, delighted, and he wasn't terribly surprised when the larger male began to unfasten his shirt and slip it off, exposing his broad, well-defined chest.
        "Glad to have been of assistance, Kenrai," the shapeshifter murmured, unsubtly leering at the other man's muscles.
        "Truth be told, I've, uh, I've wanted you all day..." Colton admitted. Chuckling, and now stripped to the waist, save for his heat charms, Kenrai climbed onto the bed, crawling forward and hovering over Colton on all fours.
        "Then let me help you with your problem, Colton..." the Drake breathed, "It's only fair, right?" Leaning in, he began to lay kisses along the side of the trembling wolf's throat.
        "Ohhh!" The Mokaji tensed up at that first contact, and then whimpered as he relaxed beneath the much larger man, lifting his chin to expose more of his neck to the Dragon's lips. To his disappointment, Kenrai leaned away.
        "...You know, Colton," the other man whispered, "it, ah, it carries rather a lot of weight to a Dragon when his partner does that. It's the teeth, you see, we've all got such sharp teeth, and, well... it shows a certain level of trust when you're willing to expose your throat to your m- your partner's teeth." Colton smiled shyly.
        "C-considering the situation you found me in, I figure if you wanted me dead, you've had your chances," he quipped, and then he tilted his head to the side curiously, "That's, uh, it's not too forward of me or anything, is it?" Kenrai chuckled, but this time it was low and rumbly, almost like a purr.
        "Oh no, not at all," he said, "I just wanted you to know exactly how attractive it is when you do that..." With that, he leaned back in and began laying kisses along the wolf's sensitive throat again, and Colton whimpered with pleasure.

Before long at all, Kenrai made a bold move, rolling onto his side and slipping his hand down to Colton's waist as he nibbled playfully at the shapeshifter's shoulder (something which had once made Colton considerably nervous, before he learned of Kenrai's gentle side) and unfastened the scholar's pants. Before the Mokaji, who was somewhat distracted by the foreplay going on right in front of him, could react, the Drake had tugged his pants down to his knees and slipped a hand into the smaller male's underwear, cupping it over Colton's entire package and giving it a playful squeeze. The wolf swallowed a moan, but as Kenrai leaned onto his side to free up his other hand, he began to knead and massage the historian's cock and balls, and it became much harder for Colton to suppress his signs of pleasure. Having already been warmed up by the kissing and the playful nipping, his body almost immediately began reacting to the larger male's dominant, almost possessive touch, and as he disposed of Colton's pants and started pulling the underwear down after them, Kenrai churred happily.
        "That's it, my little wolf, get hard for me," he whispered, "Show me how eager you are for me, how much your body aches for my touch..." Arching his back with a shudder, the shapeshifter pressed himself against the Drake's hand, and Kenrai responded with a slow, gentle, but firm squeeze. When he relaxed his hand, he lifted his palm away for a moment, and Colton's fully hard prick slipped out of his grip to proudly stand up, and as the Dragon pressed his hand down against his lover's genitals again, he leaned in and whispered something in the trembling Mokaji's ear that would have driven most any real wolf into a frothing rage.
        "Good boy."
Naturally, Colton just moaned, finding he could no longer keep it in.

After fondling and groping Colton for a few minutes, Kenrai sat back on his knees, pulling off his heat charm web (since the room was already warming up from their excitement) and reaching down to open his own belt. The way he leered at Colton's half-dressed form was so blatant and so hungry that the Mokaji had to resist the urge to cover himself, knowing how silly a thought it was when he was about to have sex with the man. Kenrai slowly shook his head, grinning like he didn't quite believe what he saw.
        "Mmmm... If there's any sight in all of Rilodell as enjoyable as a skinny boy with his pants off looking at you with that expression in his eyes, I've never seen it," Kenrai murmured, and then mused "I wonder why it's sexier when you leave the shirt on..."
        "Wh-what expression is that?" Colton asked, smiling self-consciously.
Chuckling, the Dragon caressed his face, and then whispered, in a lower tone, "The one that says 'I'm so horny right now it embarrasses me, but I don't care because I'm dying to be fucked.' That sound about right?" Colton blushed even harder, but couldn't help but giggle.
        "Guilty on all c-counts..." he admitted, feeling deliciously naughty for admitting that. Kenrai grinned, but said nothing, just yanked his underwear down to his thighs, sighing happily as his penis was given enough room to escape his pouch, the pointed head of his dick quickly sliding out from the Dragon's genital slit and rising up as the flesh grew harder and the shaft continued to emerge.
        "Ahhh, that's better. Nothing worse than being cooped up inside when you're hard..." the warrior muttered, and after wrangling the underwear off his legs completely, he grabbed hold of his manhood and took in another eyeful of Colton. Kenrai hesitated for a moment, and then he swallowed and put on a (clearly forced) relaxed smile.
        "Umm... Colton?" he started, seeming less than fully comfortable for the first time since they'd entered the room, "I was thinking... maybe you could, um, share, ah, that is to say... maybe you could show off the Change for me this time?" Blinking, surprised, Colton took a moment to respond, and then he couldn't help but grin, leaning forward and freeing his tail to wag.
        "Really?" he asked, trying not to sound too eager, "You mean that? I wouldn't want you to do it if you're uncomfortable with it." Kenrai sighed and shrugged, absently stroking his cock.
        "I'm not entirely sure what I'm in for," he admitted, "But it's clearly really important to you, so even if I don't completely understand that, I can respect that. What can it hurt to at least give it a try?" Walking forward on his knees, Colton leaned up and kissed the Drake on the cheek... then inhaled sharply and pulled back as the head of his dick brushed against Kenrai's. Blushing fetchingly, Colton giggled and slipped off the bed, stretching out in preparation.
        "Okay then!" he cried, "Let's do this!"

Clapping his hands together eagerly, his tail wagging a mile a minute, Colton looked to the Dragon as he made himself comfortable on the bed to watch.
        "Soooo... anything in particular you'd like to see?" the false wolf asked, "I could try out a reptilian form, if you'd be more comfortable with that... Hey, I could even be a Dragon! You could tell me how convincing I am!" To his surprise, Kenrai leaned forward, holding up his hands.
        "No! Ah –" The mercenary hesitated; clearly he hadn't intended to react so strongly, but for just a split second, Colton almost thought he saw alarm in the other man's eyes. After a moment, Kenrai touched a hand to his forehead and smiled self-consciously.
        "Sorry. It's just, I'm a Dragon, I've been with Dragons, I've been around Dragons most of my life... if you didn't get every detail just right, it would just be... extremely uncomfortable," he said, closing his eyes, "Maybe we could start with something, uh, a little simpler?" Once the Dragon looked at him again, Colton nodded sympathetically.
        "I'm a pretty good mimic, but I can understand that," he said, "Well, you did say I was the first mammal you've been with, and that you liked the novelty, so... How about something my personality fits a little better than a wolf?" Kenrai gestured approvingly, at least that's how Colton took it, so he spread his stance a little, let his arms dangle at his sides, and closed his eyes. That last part wasn't at all necessary, but most monoforms tended to find it extremely unsettling to watch a person's eyes change shape and colour inside their sockets, even more so than the rest of the alterations. Speaking of which, almost immediately, there was a shudder along his pelt, less like a shiver than like a ripple moving along the surface of a pond, and while his pelt remained snow white all over (save for the crimson spiral, which was hidden under his shirt at the moment), the shape of his body began adjusting itself, quickly and silently. His long muzzle drew back towards his head, becoming shorter and much rounder, his ears shot straight up, growing several times longer than they had been, his feet grew bigger as his thighs became noticeably more muscular, which also gave him a slightly plumper rear end. Finally, his tail stopped wagging and absorbed itself back into his body, reminding Kenrai of the way his own penis retracted into his genital pouch when he was done with it, until just a small tuft of fur remained perched atop the Mokaji's rump. When Colton opened his eyes, they seemed slightly bigger than they had before, and as he smiled, his front two teeth elongated noticeably. Spreading his arms triumphantly, Colton giggled.
        "What do you think?" he asked, proudly, "From arctic wolf to polar rabbit!"

Kenrai said nothing, though, and Colton swallowed anxiously, standing up straight. His nose began to twitch with his nervousness, as the new shape brought a new kind of body language with it. Coming over to the bed, Colton sat down, toying with his hands.
        "Aren't you going to say something?" he asked, nervously looking into the Dragon's eyes and finding his expression unreadable. Cringing, he finally hunched down a little.
        "Umm... if it's t-too much, I c-could try something more similar to the first shape..." he mumbled, "Maybe a f-fox, or a dog of s-some kind..." This wasn't going well at all! Had he pushed things too fast? But just when he was about to Change back to his original shape, Kenrai gently cupped a hand under the smaller man's chin and turned his face towards him. Swallowing, Colton said nothing as the Drake leaned in close, studying his eyes intently. Then, smiling just slightly, Kenrai closed the distance entirely and kissed the rabbit, feeling around inside his mouth with his tongue, first hesitantly, then curiously, and then just as enthusiastically as ever. When he broke off the kiss, he smiled even wider than before.
        "It suits you," he finally said, stroking the other man's new lapine cheek.
        "S-so you like it?" Colton asked, "You don't want me to change back?" Kenrai waved dismissively.
        "No, it's just fine, you make a cute bunny," he said, "I wasn't sure I'd ever be okay with it, but... I can see it in your eyes. You're still the same man who makes me smile, who tells me such interesting things... who warms my bed so much more pleasantly than my heatstone ever has." He gave the immensely relieved bun a kiss on the forehead and winked.
        "No matter what shape you take, my friend, you will always be... you will always be Tulo Karrim to me." Colton swallowed, his head tilting curiously.
        "T-tulo...?"
        "It's Draconic," Kenrai explained, "Heh... it means 'little wolf'. Even if you're a cute little bunny rabbit, I can still see that wolf in you." Colton knew enough about Dragon culture to know, vaguely, that they only gave nicknames to people who were important to them, so he found himself genuinely touched.
        "Thank you, Kenrai," he said, leaning forward to hug the larger man, uncaring this time that their erections pressed and rubbed together. Kenrai happily returned the hug, and they passed a heartbeat in each other's arms.
        "Wait... one last thing..." Colton said, leaning back and looking as far up as he could with just his eyes. With that, his ears suddenly became loose and floppy, and they wilted down to dangle loosely behind his head.
        "Technically, polar rabbits are really called arctic hares," he said, conversationally, "And I don't know if hares can have lop-ears... but I've always found the look much more adorable than when they stand up straight." Kenrai just laughed and kissed him again.

Before long at all, the two men were getting too worked up to stand much more playful fondling and teasing, and Kenrai announced that he was ready to get started – by lifting Colton by the armpits and laying him down on his back on the bed. Crawling up to him, making the Mokaji shiver again with the sheer erotic hunger in his leering gaze, Kenrai teased a fingertip along Colton's penis from the base to the tip, smirking at the way it pulsed as he reached the crown.
        "Hmm... As much as I love looking at you half-dressed, you should probably take your shirt off," the Dragon said, "I'm afraid it would just get... rather messy otherwise." The newly-remodelled shapeshifter nodded eagerly, making his long, floppy ears bounce a little before settling on the bed, and he quickly pulled his shirt up and over his head, exposing the spiral on his chest that was his Signature. Naturally, the warrior waited until his lover was blinded from having his shirt over his eyes before taking hold of the other man's penis, giving it a squeeze as Colton gasped and tensed up for a moment. As he ditched his shirt to the floor, where it was instantly forgotten, the rabbit looked up at his muscular partner shyly, his eyes dipping for a moment to Kenrai's fully-extended prick.
        "Seven gods, you're big..." he muttered, "D-did you bring the oil?" The Dragon gestured casually to the small chest of drawers just next to the bed, but kept his eyes on the bunny's supple body.
        "Oh yes, wouldn't dream of leaving it," he replied, running one hand down Colton's side, "But I kinda just want to touch you for a while... If I hadn't just watched it happen, I wouldn't believe you hadn't always been a rabbit, it's amazing..." Colton grinned, feeling both proud and self-conscious.
        "Thanks, Drake, that means a lot, coming from you," he replied. Kenrai smiled, and then chuckled as his hand slid down to the smaller male's rump, giving one cheek a gentle squeeze.
        "Mmmm, your ass feels even softer and nicer now, this is gonna be like fucking a pillow..." He laughed gently, and added "You're spoiling me for other mammals, changeling." Grinning happily, Colton placed one of his hands against the one cupping his ass and teased a finger against the scales in what he hoped was a sensual manner.
        "Only the best for you, big man..." he whispered, "Now, you could just fondle me all night and I'd probably enjoy that, but, um..." Gathering his courage, which was a little more difficult as a prey species, Colton put on a big smile and winked at his lover.
        "...But wouldn't you rather give these new bunny buns of mine a try?"  

The Dragon's eyes narrowed even as his smile widened.
        "I would be delighted," he replied, letting go of the smaller male's rear, and with a shiver of delight dancing down his spine, Colton got up on all fours and turned around, presenting those soft, pert buns for his lover's approval. His puff of a tail twitched pointlessly, as after months spent in the shape of a wolf, the Mokaji still felt the urge to raise his tail and make the view more appealing. Eyes locked on Colton's treasures, Kenrai grinned and leaned forward, taking a cheek in each hand and spreading him wide for a better view of his entrance. Shuddering, almost able to feel his lover's gaze on his skin, Colton bit his lip with his distinctive front teeth to keep from moaning out loud in sheer anticipation. To his surprise, however, Kenrai casually pushed the smaller male to the side, making him roll onto his back.
        "Not this time, Tulo Karrim," he churred, "You asked, remember? Wanted to know if we could do it –"
        "Face-to-face..." Colton whispered, blushing as he remembered. With a grin, the mercenary climbed onto the bed and moved forward, once again holding himself over his lover, who was struck, and hardly for the first time, by just how much bigger than himself the Dragon was. Glancing down their bodies, Colton quivered as he stared at their penises, so close together he imagined he could feel the larger male's warmth on his most sensitive flesh. Kenrai brought his lover's attention back up to face level by leaning in closer and kissing Colton just as they made eye contact. Sighing happily, Colton reached up and put his hands behind the Dragon's neck, idly fondling a couple of Kenrai's 'dreadlocks', shuddering eagerly as their tongues made contact. His mouth just felt so much fuller, feeling the reptile's thick tongue poking into a smaller muzzle like this... He couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to take a different part of the dragon into his mouth.

After a few moments, the Mokaji let go of his lover's 'dreads', and let his hands slip down from behind Kenrai's neck to wander the mercenary's back. At first, all he felt were the warrior's tightly corded muscles and tough scales, but as he reached below the Dragon's shoulder blades, his fingers ran across harsh, rough scars, much larger than the small, faded ones on Kenrai's chest. This disturbed Colton enough to break the kiss off.
        "Kenrai! Your back..." he whispered, "I – I had no idea!" The Dragon shrugged, not seeming especially bothered.
        "Usually behind my wings," he replied, casually, "They're no worse than the ones in front, honestly, it's just really hard to breathe the healing smoke down my own back, so they don't heal as well." Frowning, Colton leaned up to nuzzle against the big man's cheek.
        "Let me make you feel better, Drake," he whispered, practically cooing. Kenrai shrugged.
        "Come on, don't worry about it, Colton, they don't bother me any," the Dragon said, "You can make me feel better... by letting me make you feel good." Blushing, Colton managed a small smile and nodded.
        "Okay..." he replied. Kenrai moved his wing-tips forward and jabbed them against the mattress, the flimsy limbs supporting his weight just long enough for him to lift his hands, reach back and take hold of Colton's wrists, and then move them back up to the warrior's uninjured neck, to take the smaller male's mind off the old wounds. Then, leaning down as he pulled his wings back into position, Kenrai tenderly kissed and licked at the false rabbit's neck, making Colton shiver with pleasure, closing his eyes as he moaned softly.
        "Ohhh, Drake..." the historian breathed, trailing off into pleased lapine chittering. He squirmed on the mattress, focused on his lover's soft lips and teasing tongue, which meant that he was satisfyingly caught off-guard when Kenrai finally moved a hand to Colton's rump and lightly touched the smaller male's anus. The shapeshifter tensed up for a moment and then relaxed, opening his eyes and looking down their bodies, as though confirming it was just the big man's finger. When he looked up into Kenrai's eyes, the Dragon smiled quite warmly at him.
        "Are you ready, my little ball of fluff?" he whispered. Colton swallowed nervously, shivering with anticipation, eager to begin. Knowing the size of the Dragon's 'second hammer' from experience, though, he smiled self-consciously and nodded to the side Kenrai had indicated earlier.
        "Almost..." he said, "Just, you know, rub on some oil, and I'm all yours."

The warrior's finger pulled away from Colton's rear entrance for a moment as Kenrai reached over and retrieved the jar of oil from a drawer in the bedside table. After taking a moment to gather some of the lubricant, Kenrai returned his hand to the trembling rabbit's rump... just as he leaned forward and began kissing Colton's sensitive neck again. Instinctively lifting his chin, the shapeshifter wasn't able to watch as that thick, green finger teased against his anus for a moment, getting the tight ring of muscle slick with oil, and then worked itself back and forth, gently overcoming Colton's body's resistance until it surrendered completely, and the Drake wormed his finger into the bunny's hot, tight channel. Soon, Kenrai was wiggling the digit to help spread the oil around, make the passage easier, and slowly, slowly burying his finger in his lover's backside. Whimpering with need as he felt that finger inching deeper inside him, the Mokaji squirmed eagerly, his toes clenching and relaxing as Kenrai finally reached knuckle depth and lingered there for a moment.
        "By the Spectrum, you little bookworm, you're so fucking tight..." the Dragon murmured, his voice slightly muffled by the way his mouth was still nuzzling against Colton's throat, "Did you know that every time we've done this, I've worried about hurting you when I put it in?" He licked at the rabbit's neck and then grunted in surprise, looking down and finding that Colton had lifted one of the long feet that were so distinctive on his borrowed species, and teased his soft, fluffy toes against the Dragon's shaft. The rigid prick flexed against the soft foot, drooling clear pre-come onto Colton's leg.
        "That's only because you've got such a stupidly huge Dragon dick swinging around beneath you," the lapine impostor giggled, "I'm s-surprised there's room inside you for all this cock..." That was exaggerating, of course, but he liked the way Kenrai grinned whenever he talked about how big his lover was. The soft-spoken historian normally tried to avoid profanity, so even in as lewd a situation as this one was, he felt just a little self-conscious saying words like 'cock' and 'dick'. His personal history with the Dragon, however, had taught him that when he was worked up, he could go a lot further than that... he shivered as he remembered last night, when Kenrai had fingered him, and Colton had begged the reptile to fuck him. There was something so deliciously kinky about being turned on to the point of shamelessness, but he wasn't quite there yet tonight.
        "You say that," replied the warrior, "But there's a much more important question at hand tonight." He grinned as he removed the foot from his hard-on, laying it gently on the bed.
        "What's that?" the rabbit asked, playing along, making his whiskers twitch out of faux-curiosity. Kenrai adjusted his position, lowering himself until his thighs were pressed against Colton's soft buttocks, and pressing the underside of his thick cock against his lover's belly, just next to Colton's own, somewhat less impressive member. Colton swallowed a whimper as he realized that Kenrai was demonstrating how far into the Mokaji's body the Dragon's dick went every time he sheathed himself all the way. Unable to tear his eyes away from that beautiful, exotic prick laying against him, Colton blushed as Kenrai whispered his next words to him in a low, sensual rumble.
        "To quote a learn-ed scholar I know," Kenrai teased, "Is there room inside you for all this cock?" As if on cue, the Dragon's erection pulsed, a drop of pre leaked onto Colton's belly, and the shapeshifter moaned with desire.

Trembling with raw need, the changeling whimpered and chittered. His point made, Kenrai lifted his dick away from Colton's belly and finally slipped his finger back into the false rabbit's inviting rump, getting the tight passage slick and relaxed, so it would be easier to fit his 'stupidly huge Dragon dick' inside later. As he rubbed and stroked at the inside of the bunny's tight channel, the deeply aroused Mokaji continued to squirm and writhe, gathering handfuls of the sheets into tight fists. Making himself comfortable, Kenrai slipped his free arm under Colton, as if he was offering his forearm as a pillow. This allowed him to hold himself closer to his lover, and as the rabbit trembled, Kenrai nipped his teeth playfully at one of Colton's floppy ears.
        "You like this?" he whispered, "You like it when I get you nice and slippery inside?" His cheeks burning, his heart pounding, Colton nodded, letting out a quiet squeak as he did so. The Dragon churred and nipped at his shoulder, making him jump a little. The scholar closed his eyes as he felt that digit inside him languidly stroking against his prostate, just barely gliding over the achingly sensitive flesh.
        "Mmmm, I know you do..." Kenrai rumbled, "I see it in the way you move, the noises you make... You're gonna like it even more when we get started, I'm sure of it... Orange's Chariot, Colton, I haven't wanted a man this badly in years." He pressed his muzzle against the curve where the rabbit's neck met his shoulders and inhaled deeply.
        "Rrrgh, you smell so good, warmblood..." he growled, "You smell... you smell so different from when you were a wolf... but it's almost the same too, I can tell it's you..." Leaning over and nuzzling his cheek against the Dragon's rough facial scales, Colton let out a shuddery sigh.
        "It's... it's j-just how we are..." the bunny managed, as his backside clenched down on the probing finger, "It's always g-going to be me, K-Kenrai... G-Gods above, I s-still can't b-believe you're only using one f-finger!" Leaning down and licking the rabbit's chest, savouring even the taste of his sweat, Kenrai grinned.
        "Then let's make it two," he replied, conversationally, just as his middle finger joined the index, squeezing into the tight, oily hole and making itself at home in the hot, gripping channel beyond. Colton arched his back and cried out, his own prick drooling pre onto himself. The mercenary took in the sight with an eagerness in his eyes that matched the enthusiasm in his digits, teasing and rubbing the smaller male, making him writhe and moan, and yet somehow carefully avoiding getting him too turned on, getting him primed and ready for The Deed to come without risking ending things before they began.

Finally, just as Colton could take no more, just as he was about to beg the Dragon to take him, to ride him hard until he couldn't walk straight, Kenrai shuddered and churred, shaking his head.
        "Colton, I... I can't wait any longer," he rumbled, "I need you. Are... are you ready?" Squeezing down on the fingers within him, the scholar chittered and nodded.
        "Oh, Drake, yes, by the light of the Spectrum, yes!" Looking the larger male dead in the eyes, the trembling rabbit smiled.
        "Please, Kenrai, I want you s-so badly, and – and if you want me... I'm yours." The blush on Colton's cheeks was because those last two words held far more significance to a Mokaji than an Outsider might realize, but Kenrai just grinned wide enough to show off how sharp his teeth were and pulled his fingers out of Colton's tight backside. The Dragon quickly leaned back and dipped his fingers back in the jar of oil, before slathering some along the shaft of his rigid prick, which pulsed visibly at first touch, as if it were angry at being ignored for so long. Watching those fingers spreading the lubricant across one of the only parts of Kenrai's body that wasn't covered in scales, Colton swallowed. He couldn't remember ever being this eager for a dicking, even when he'd been female. Of course, no one had ever taken this much time to get him prepared and make sure he was comfortable and ready back then, either... Soon enough, Kenrai moved back towards the Mokaji and lowered himself back down. Both men watched, trembling with need, as the Dragon's fat cock slowly moved down between the rabbit's quivering thighs, and then inched forward until the very tip of the pointed length was nudging against the smaller male's anus. Pausing for a moment, Kenrai looked into Colton's eyes, silently asking a question. Colton was so eager, he had to suppress the urge to moan as he nodded.
        "Oh Kenrai... take me," he breathed, spreading his thighs, "Make me yours..."

Without a word, without a nod, the muscular Dragon smiled and began to push his hips forward. Both of his hands were braced against the bed on either side of Colton's head, and he was entirely relying on his hips to begin this Deed. There was something about the confidence inherent in this that the Mokaji found deeply attractive, but right now, the only words in his mind were 'oh yes', 'at last', and 'fuck me', with the occasional 'Dragon' thrown in the mix, so he wasn't exactly feeling self-analytical. Immediately, the pressure began to build against his tight entrance, but it had been prepared by the warrior's gentle fingers, so almost immediately, the scholar's body submitted to his lover, the tight ring of muscle surrendering to the intruder and spreading wide to allow it entrance. With a grunt, Kenrai pushed forward, and the head of his prick pressed into Colton's rump.
        "Gods above!" the historian gasped. He'd taken dicks before, he'd taken Kenrai's dick before, but with all the flirting and kissing and teasing, he'd been aching all day for this moment, and it promised to deliver on every front.
        "Lift your legs," grunted the warrior, as he tried to push his erection further into his lover, "At the knees, lift your – nnnff – your knees towards your chest. It's supposed to make it easier to take me... or something... S-sorry, I've never bottomed, I'm not sure of – of these things." As another inch of slick Dragon penis slid into his rear, Colton moaned.
        "You should t-try it sometime," he managed, "I'm having a b-blast..." As Kenrai chuckled at that, Colton took his suggestion and lifted his knees. Maybe it was all in his head, but it felt like his tight channel relaxed a little, stopped resisting the Dragon's presence.
        "That's it..." Kenrai whispered encouragingly, "Just like that..." Tensing up his abdominal muscles (which was a pretty sexy sight for Colton in and of itself), the warrior gave a steady push, and the scholar's backside yielded before him, allowing the reptile to bury himself under the bunny's puffball tail, all the way to the hilt. The sensation of fullness was profound for the changeling, who could feel every inch of that thick prick within him. After a moment, he spread his legs a little wider, out of the way of the muscular body pressing down on him from above, and lowered them towards the bed, relaxing even further and savouring the moment.
        "I love watching your face as I put it in," the Dragon mused, grinning, "I believe the Human saying is that you 'wear your emotions on your sleeve', but since you're naked, I'm not sure it applies." Colton swallowed and averted his eyes.
        "You're just s-saying that because you like to make me blush," the false lapine grumbled.
        "Not at all," Kenrai assured him, wiggling his hips and making the rabbit shiver, "The men I've been with have been reptilian, and mostly warriors. They'd as soon deck their own mothers as show any sign of weakness, but you... you share it all. You're always nervous, like this is the time it's not going to fit, and then you wince and make faces because sometimes it hurts a little or it's slow going... but then you always look so happy, so content. Makes me happy to make you feel that way."
        "And none of the others you've been with were like that?" Colton asked, toying self-consciously with his hands. For just a moment, Kenrai's eyes were a million miles away, and his smile faded a little.
        "Maybe just one..." he whispered, "But that was a long time ago." Blinking, catching himself not focusing, the Dragon grinned sheepishly.
        "I thought you were supposed to be 'the hidden race', masters of deception and subterfuge," he said, changing the subject, "Shouldn't you be hiding all these reactions?" Cheeks burning, the Mokaji still managed a smile.
        "I thought you were supposed to be a race of brutes and perverts," he replied, "Maybe fairy tales aren't the best way to get to know a people, huh?" Laughing softly, Kenrai nodded.
        "Maybe not..." he agreed, and leaned down to kiss the shapeshifter.

Their lips didn't mingle long, both men wanted to move on to more pressing matters, like the desire that burned within them. Leaning the flat edge of a wing against the bed, Kenrai lifted a hand and gave one of Colton's soft buttocks a squeeze. The mercenary churred as the Mokaji instinctively clenched down on the hard cock within him. Kenrai slowly drew back, making Colton shiver at the sensation of those ridges rubbing and teasing against his channel, and then that beautiful dick drove itself home again... and the game had begun. As the changeling moaned with pleasure, the larger male pumped his hips, thrusting into Colton's backside again and again, and soon, a smooth rhythm had emerged. Closing his eyes, the historian let his arms fall limply to the bed on either side of his head, surrendering completely to the Dragon's desires.
        "Yes... yes..." Colton whimpered, feeling his cock leaking pre. Every time his lover drove himself home, Kenrai's hips would gently bump into the rabbit's backside, jarring the shapeshifter just a little, sending a pleasant tingle spreading through his body. Tilting back his head, the warrior let out a loud groan of relief, his wings twitching as he shivered from head to toe, as though the stress were literally shaking off his body.
        "Ohhhh, fuck, I needed this..." Kenrai sighed, "So warm, so tight..." Colton giggled, and the Drake looked down at him with a grin.
        "You needed this?" the rabbit asked, smiling self-consciously without opening his eyes, "Sentinels, K-Kenrai, you've only been teasing me since I woke up this morning..." Kenrai laughed, a deep, easy sound, completely bereft of worry or hesitation. It was a very free laugh, at least in the false rabbit's impressive ears.
        "Teasing you?" the Dragon repeated, with an incredulous tone to his voice so obviously fake that it made Colton's smile grow all by itself, "Me? I would never! Why, what would a f-fine, upstanding mercenary-for-hire like me gain from getting a sweet, attractive shapeshifter squirming for my dick all day long? And they say Dragons are sex addicts..." Giggling with delight, Colton opened his eyes so he could grab a pillow and bop the muscular warrior on the shoulder with it. He would aim for the head, but he was a little bit afraid one of the hard scales there, like the jutting ones over his hairless eyebrows, might actually cut the thin fabric.
        Winking down at his lover, Kenrai chuckled, and then added "By the way, I was right," which made Colton's whiskers wiggle curiously.
        "Right about – nnfff! – about what?" the Mokaji panted. In response, the larger male thrust home a little harder than usual, the tip of his prick poking straight against Colton's prostate, and the lapine impostor tensed up and moaned shamelessly. Leaning in closer, Kenrai practically purred his reply.
        "I love these, ah, these 'bunny buns' of yours," he teased, "It really is like fucking a pillow!" With that, he increased his usual pressure just a little, and as the Mokaji raised his hips to meet the Dragon's thrusts, productively drooling pre-come onto his tummy, Colton whimpered, deliriously happy.

After a few minutes, things had gotten smooth and easy enough for Kenrai to pick up the pace to the point where the oil on the two mens' bodies was making itself heard, a lewd slapping sound marking each time the Dragon hilted himself in the bunny's pert rump. For once, the warrior wasn't making dirty talk to make Colton blush, so either he loved watching the Mokaji lying there in complete submission, eyes closed, hands lying against the bed, absolutely loving letting the Dragon have his way with him... or Kenrai was losing himself in the moment just as much as the smaller male. Eventually, feeling his dick throbbing in the cool air of the bedroom, calling his attention back down to it, the rabbit idly lifted a hand and placed it on his chest, taking a moment to tease one of his own nipples (mostly for the sake of making a nice visual for Kenrai, since he'd never been able to get much out of doing that by himself, at least when toggled male) before sliding his hand down his body, slowly making a beeline for his leaking, neglected erection. But the instant his fingers brushed against the side of his shaft, a loud sound, like leather rubbing against leather, suddenly burst forth in the room, and Colton's eyes snapped open in fright, unsure what was happening. 'What was happening' turned out to be both of Kenrai's still-furled wings swinging forward and pressing point-first against the bed, and before the surprised Mokaji could even think about responding, the muscular warrior had shifted his weight to the wings, lifted both his hands from the bed, and grabbed both of Colton's arms by the wrists. In a moment that gave the historian a little déjà vu, Kenrai pulled his lover's naughtier hand away from his manhood and moved it back up by his head, opposite its twin, before pinning both of the rabbit's arms against the mattress and holding them there. As his heartbeat calmed down and he finally caught up with the idea that they weren't being attacked in the middle of The Deed, Colton looked up at his hands and fruitlessly flexed them. Just as when Kenrai had held his hands behind his back while he was getting fingered, the scholar found that his lover's incredible strength (compared to his own, anyway) had no trouble at all keeping his hands in place on either side of his head. And yet, somehow, the most stunning thing of all was that the Dragon didn't miss a beat, his rhythm didn't falter, and even in the middle of this unexpected action, he continued to pump himself in and out of the rabbit's tight rear as smoothly and regularly as a piston on one of those newfangled machines the Gnomes and Dwarves were so proud of. That train of thought briefly brought to mind the idea of a machine with a dildo on it designed for fun, but this was hardly the time to think about such silliness. Colton looked up at the Drake, who grinned silently and winked at the smaller male.
        "Hey there, Tulo," Kenrai said, casually, "Are we having fun yet?"

Blushing at the mercenary's teasing gaze, Colton swallowed before he answered. Looking down their bodies, watching his penis wiggling about in time with the impacts of the larger male's hips, seeing the clear, wet pre seeping down into his fur, it wasn't hard to work things out.
        "Kenrai..." he panted, "You're – you're trying to make me c-come by... by fucking me!" The Drake's smile widened enough to show the sharp points of his teeth as he chuckled.
        "I knew you'd figure it out," he teased, "You are the smart one, after all." Colton whimpered with desire as he realized the perfect view his lover would have as the rabbit ejaculated all over himself, writhing in climax. Surely Kenrai was hoping for an encore of the sizable mess from last night. As much as the Mokaji loved the idea, it was so embarrassing... Pouting even more adorably than usual, the bunny averted his eyes.
        "I – I can make more arms, more hands!" he protested, "The Change is f-flexible! You c-can't stop me!" Kenrai didn't actually laugh at this somewhat feeble show of defiance, but the grin on his face didn't help the way Colton's cheeks were burning.
        "Then go ahead," the Dragon casually replied, "Make more hands and jerk yourself off. Be my guest." Biting his lip, Colton searched the larger male's face for a few moments, looked down at his dick again... and then lowered his head submissively, swallowing another whimper. It was true that he could do it, of course, but gathering the intense concentration required to manipulate the Change was rather difficult when one was overwhelmed with pleasurable sensations and distracting emotions, such as when one was, say, getting fucked in the ass by a Dragon. But more than that, if it had been the easiest thing in the world, if he could have wiggled his nose and instantly had two extra arms with which to pleasure himself, when it came down to it, Colton didn't really want to.
        "W-was it so obvious that I love it when you hold my hands in place?" the bunny asked, studying the wall across the room. Kenrai adjusted his position and leaned in closer, kissing the smaller male's cheek.
        "Don't be ashamed, Tulo Karrim," churred the warrior, "It doesn't mean you're my bitch or something, you just know what you like, and I like providing it for you." Looking up, almost surprised, Colton smiled bashfully.
        "Oh, Kenrai..." he whispered, "I'm so glad you're not, um... the way Dragons are in legends. You know, all mean and d-dominant and stuff..."
Swallowing, he nuzzled against his lover's cheek.
        "...Thank you." Smiling, the warrior nuzzled back against him, and Colton relaxed his hands, feeling safe in Kenrai's grip. After a moment, the Drake's grin turned into a playful smirk, and he put on a thoughtful look.
        "Not that there's anything wrong with wanting to be my bitch, of course, if that's what you're into..." he teased. Laughing, Colton squirmed beneath him.
        "Kenrai!" he protested. Winking, the larger man shrugged, putting a little extra effort on his next thrust to make the rabbit's fuzzy toes curl up.
        "Hey," said Kenrai, "I treat my bitches well." Colton giggled, despite himself, and, perhaps proving his own point about the Drake, gathered his courage to challenge his lover's authority with a grin.
        "Just... just shut up and kiss me, big man!" he said, defiantly, "Put that mouth to b-better use for once..." Laughing with delight, the mercenary churred and leaned in closer.
        "Mmmm, I'd love to, sir..." he teased, and then, as their lips met, Colton shuddered with pleasure as the Dragon's nimble tongue pushed into his mouth. They both knew who really wore the pants, but that didn't mean it had to define them. As the Drake's hard prick nudged against his prostate on several thrusts in a row, the Mokaji moaned into his lover's mouth and, wanting more, raised his legs, wrapping them around the larger male's waist to hold on tight. This seemed to encourage the Dragon, who began driving himself home with even more gusto.

They continued for long minutes, the rabbit writhing and whimpering, helpless against the onslaught of pleasure as the warrior buried his rigid dick inside his lover again and again and again, hitting his sensitive prostate more often now, making the scholar twitch and yelp, his own hard cock copiously leaking pre-come all over himself. His hands, still held immobile by the muscular reptile's grip, would spasm and grip at nothing in particular as the pleasure wracked his body, and his legs held tight to the Dragon's waist, squeezing each time the panting warrior sheathed himself in the bunny's tight, hot rump. Though it was a nice gesture, Kenrai's attention was, at the moment, mostly focused on kissing his lover's sensitive neck... and on the way the slick walls of Colton's inner channel would clench and shudder against the taut skin of his erection each time he slammed home, gripping him tight, as though the shapeshifter didn't want to let him pull out again.
        "Fuck..." Kenrai groaned, "You – you're cheating, you've got to be m-making yourself tighter..." Laughing gently, as his breath was coming too hard to giggle, Colton squeezed down on the other man's shaft and enjoyed the grunt of pleasure the Dragon let out.
        "Nnnff... Don't slow down, K-Kenrai, keep going, this is soooooo good..." the rabbit moaned, "I don't – I don't remember the last time I pre'd s-so much..." Shuddering atop him, the Dragon growled with need.
        "Rrrrrgh, I... Colton, I d-don't know how much longer I c-can hold out..." Kenrai admitted, "I'm g-gonna come soon... I – I wanna get you off like this... T-tell me when I... when I hit your s-sweet spot..." With that, he started thrusting deeply, with determination, and the smaller male cried out as the pleasure started coming faster and more intensely. Colton was unable to keep from whimpering with each and every thrust, but just as his reptilian lover had asked, he forced himself to stay in control enough to announce the 'findings' of this little search.
        "...There!" he yelped, "Oh, S-Sentinels, right there! No, no, you s-slipped away, you have to – yes! Yes, r-right there! Don't s-stop, Kenrai, harder! Fuck me harder!" Distantly, Colton could barely believe the words coming out of his mouth, but the pleasure he felt as the Dragon adjusted his position to make it easier to prod against the rabbit's prostate again and again was spectacular. The scholar wanted to grip his lover with all four limbs, to moan and whimper and cry out his passion as Kenrai took his request to heart and fucked him very enthusiastically, rutting into the bunny with a speed and power that made it abundantly clear that some parts of those old legends were true after all.

It took less than a minute after the Dragon picked up this feverish pace before Colton felt that familiar tension building throughout his body, felt his prick growing harder than ever, and moaned out an announcement of his impending surrender.
        "Ohhhh, Drake! I – I'm gonna come! I'm so c-close, I'm gonna come!" Kenrai growled with desire, his voice shaking with the strength of his need for release.
        "Yessss..." he hissed, "I'm there too, T-Tulo, so don't hold b-back, come with me, come as hard as you can!" That distant, logical part of Colton's mind observed that from the strength of the pressure building inside him, he didn't feel like he had much choice in the matter, but those tantalizing words and the Dragon's husky voice finally pushed him that last little distance to the point of no return.
        "Aaaahhh, yes!" he cried, "Yes! C-come inside me, Kenraaaaaaaaai!" The Mokaji arched his back as his lover's name extended into a long, guttural cry of ecstasy, pleasure surging forth from within him. Colton moaned helplessly as his orgasm finally overtook him, and his rigid cock began to throb and spasm, seemingly of its own volition, spurting long, gooey strands of thick, wet Mokaji sperm all over his chest and belly, ejaculating even harder than he had the previous night, cradled in the Dragon's arms. With Kenrai's dick continuing to press against his prostate on every thrust, the pleasure was so intense that Colton was blinded, seeing only stars in his eyes as he shuddered in bliss. While the bunny's pulsing cock painted his torso with come, his rump began to clench down on the invading length, and that, coupled with the sight and sound of the rabbit climaxing on the end of his cock, brought the warrior to a powerful release of his own. Throwing back his head, Kenrai let out what sounded like a roar of triumph, shoving forward and holding there as he began to empty his balls into the smaller male's tight rear, his hard, twitching prick sending hot, creamy jets of the Dragon's potent seed splattering directly against his lover's prostate and filling in what little space existed in the tight confines of the trembling scholar's backside, coating his walls – and then some – with fresh jism. After a moment, he leaned down and recaptured the moaning lapine's mouth, roughly kissing him as he began to thrust again, muscling through the convulsions and dragging out both of their orgasms into a spiral of pleasure that bound them both together in the most intimate of ways.

As the moment finally subsided, as their pleasures finally came to an end, both men relaxed, slumping towards the bed. Grinning, Colton sighed contentedly as his lover shuddered one last time and let out a satisfied groan. Then, Kenrai inhaled sharply as one of his wings suddenly buckled, the flimsy limb bending under his weight like a tree in a storm. Releasing Colton's wrists, he quickly braced his arms against the mattress, to avoid squishing the false rabbit beneath him. The Mokaji didn't really notice, so lost was he in the pleasant haze of afterglow, but as Kenrai folded his wings behind his back again, the bunny lifted his head and gazed down upon himself, staring for a moment before breaking out into tired giggles.
        "...Goodness, I came so much!" he said, back to his usual gentle-tongued self, "If I didn't feel so full, I'd think you pulled out and added to this!" Leaning onto one side, the Dragon grinned and raised a hand, dipping a finger into the still-hot cream on his lover's belly, teasing his fingertip through the semen.
        "Making a mess is nice," he said, his voice slightly breathy, "But how did it feel?" Chittering happily, Colton positively beamed at the larger male.
        "Oh, Drake, it was so good..." he whispered, "I'm a little worried you're going to spoil me against doing it by myself!" Chuckling, the warrior lifted his hand and brought his finger to Colton's lips. He was thoroughly flushed from his powerful climax, but the bunny distinctly looked like he would be blushing as he self-consciously leaned forward and took the big man's finger into his mouth, suckling gently and licking his own jism away as Kenrai watched approvingly.
        "Good," he replied, "Because I came harder than I have in weeks, and I was going to feel guilty if it wasn't great for you, too. Well, at least a little guilty. Say, do you mind if...?" He nodded to Colton's tummy, and as he leaned away from the now-cleaned finger, the shapeshifter grinned.
        "Be my guest," he murmured, "The, um, the flavour's great." Moving his hand to Colton's hip, Kenrai gave a tug and pulled his slowly softening cock free of the Mokaji's tight rump with a lewd slurp, and Colton was embarrassed that his instinctive response was to tighten his legs and gasp 'No!' just a little too late to prevent it from happening. Kenrai laughed quietly as the lapine impostor averted his eyes and let his legs fall away from the larger male's waist, allowing the Drake to move down the bed so he could lean in close to Colton's torso. Then, as he had the night before, Kenrai began to lick away the semen from his lover's fur, churring as his nimble tongue gathered the cream into his mouth, where he savoured the taste for a while before greedily swallowing it down. And just as before, Colton found it surprisingly relaxing, letting his eyes half-close as he watched the Dragon cleaning him.

Once the bunny was spic and span (aside from the bountiful Draconic seed slowly leaking from his backside, of course), Kenrai moved back up the bed and took Colton into his arms.
        "Thank you, Kenrai..." whispered the changeling, who now felt rather tired from their exertions. He reached back and poked at his tired entrance, shivering with indecent pleasure as he felt the evidence of their tryst.
         "Mmmm, there's so much..." he murmured, squirming and enjoying the way it felt as his lover's jism squished around inside him. The mercenary winked back at him.
        "I don't know about you, but I don't feel much like running a bath, at least not tonight," the Dragon practically purred, "What with getting the water and heating it, and making sure you don't boil it because then you'd need to let it cool... Things are so much easier when you live near a hot spring. I'm of a mind that that's why Dragon cities are all in mountains, by the way." A heartbeat later, the warrior's eyes moved just aside from meeting his lover's gaze.
        "You know, my little wolf," he said, "You don't have to feel intimidated with me. I won't hurt you." Cocking his head to the side, his nose wiggling curiously, Colton stared at the larger male in confusion.
        "...I'm not?" he replied, "Uh, intimidated, I mean."
        "Sure you are!" said Kenrai, "Look how far down your ears are! Everybody knows wolves only put their ears down when they're scared or intimidated." The Mokaji blinked a few times, glanced down to make sure that yes, he was still a rabbit, and then frowned slightly.
        "Okay, Kenrai, first, rabbits don't do that. Second, these are lop-ears, they're supposed to dangle down. And third, canines lower their ears for many reasons, including –"
        "You worry me, my little wolf, is it because I'm so much bigger?" Kenrai replied, and now, aided by the emphasis, Colton could see that the Dragon was trying not to smile, and caught on.
        "Are you worried that I don't respect you after we have sex? Because I swear, I have nothing but respect for you!" the warrior insisted. Grinning silently, Colton concentrated a moment, and his ears suddenly flew upwards, straightening out and stiffening with a pleasing fwip noise so that they were standing upright, like those of a normal arctic hare. Laughing, Kenrai leaned in and nuzzled against the smaller man.
        "Much better!" he chuckled, "Always glad to see you so comfortable around me!"

Unaccustomed to seeing such silliness from the Drake, Colton couldn't help but laugh along, and they spent a brief time just cuddling silently. As they broke it off, the Dragon stretched and then yawned loudly. Reaching down, Kenrai took the blankets in hand and pulled them up over the men's nude forms, tucking them in snugly. Hugging the Mokaji tight, the warrior sighed contentedly.
        "Now then, while we're waiting to nod off," Kenrai murmured in the dark, "for a change of pace, I'll tell you a story, one my mother told me when I was just a whelp. It's about a group of Dragon knights, some of the Patriarch's elite, and how a clever Mokaji helped them solve a problem they couldn't solve with weapons." Squeezing the bunny against his side, Kenrai grinned.
        "She thought it was just a fairy tale, of course, but now I wonder..." Colton made himself comfortable in Kenrai's arms (which wasn't very hard), and listened as the warrior began to tell the tale. Snuggling against the larger male, Colton rested his head on Kenrai's chest, letting his eyes slowly close as he listened to the Dragon's deep, gentle voice spinning a story he had clearly heard many times, having memorized every detail. His words were so vivid, the scholar could practically see the proud Dragon knights in their enchanted silver armour, and the whimsical shapeshifter who appeared in the woods as they tried to work out what to do. Despite how comfortable he was, and how tired out he'd become, Colton remained awake throughout the entire story, even asking the occasional question, finally nodding off just after Kenrai triumphantly delivered the happy ending. Seeing the bunny slumbering peacefully against him, the warrior just lay still a moment, watching Colton's breathing, and then, leaning down, he planted a soft, chaste kiss on the crown of the smaller male's head, before lying back and reaching over to kill the light from the lantern. Then, in the dark, the Dragon sighed happily and closed his own eyes, focusing on the feeling of his lover's warm, naked body pressed against him. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so content...

* * *


Several hours later, it was still pitch-black out, and the Mokaji and the Dragon still slept the sleep of the just. If life were totally fair, that would be the end of it, and the two men would be able to enjoy the night – and each other's presence – undisturbed until dawn. Unfortunately, despite the efforts of the Seven Gods of Rilodell, life was not yet fair, and their peaceful sleep was not to be...

Colton had chosen the form of a rabbit purely because he thought he made an especially cute bunny and wanted to show off this form for Kenrai. But it may have been a wiser decision than he realized, as now, in the middle of the night, his long, sensitive ears twitched, then twitched again, and then he sat bolt upright in the bed, suddenly wide awake, as he realized what he'd been hearing in his sleep. Kenrai, not having lived on the run for years, wasn't quite as light a sleeper, but his lover's sudden movement had stirred him to consciousness.
        "Colton?" he mumbled, blinking in the dark, barely able to make out the silhouette of his pale lover in the moonlight that made it through the curtains.
        "Ish something wrong?" he slurred, still trying to fully wake up, "Didcha have a nightmare?" The lapine Ani-man visibly tensed up and turned around to face the Dragon. Kenrai could only make out half his face, but the one eye he could see was wide and practically terrified.
        "K-Kenrai!" Colton squeaked, "They're here! Outside! I c-can hear them talking about – about not waking us up!" The Dragon blinked once more, and this time, he was just as wide awake as the Mokaji. He frowned, the corners of his muzzle curling up. Colton recognized this as what the warrior had previously called his 'game face'.
        "Get dressed," the mercenary said, simply, "Quick is good, quiet is better. Dress for a long trip in the cold, just in case. Then gather some supplies –"
        "I – I always keep a bag ready in case I need to run," interrupted the trembling rabbit, whimpering, "Clothes, food, money... Griever's Tears, Drake, they're c-coming for me again..." Sitting up, the reptile grabbed the other man's shoulders and held them firmly.
        "Yes. They're coming for you, Colton," he said, bluntly, "That's why I'm here. I promise you, as long as there's breath in my lungs, none of them will ever hurt you." Tilting his head from one side to the other, his neck letting out a series of pops, Kenrai smiled grimly.
        "I can't promise you, though, that I won't hurt them. Now go, I'm gonna get geared up and then grab some food from the kitchen... I don't know how long we'll be on the road."

Colton slipped from the bed, already adjusting his legs and feet to become more agile and more silent, and his eyes to be more like those of a Dwarf or a Dark Elf, granting himself their famous 'infra-vision' that gave them better sight in the dark than almost any other race. He generally tried to keep his form consistent, as the monoforms found it very disconcerting when he made such Changes, but this was potentially a life-and-death situation, and he had more important things on his mind. As he scrambled to recover his clothes from where they'd been discarded all over the room in the passion he'd shared with Kenrai, the Mokaji found himself blushing despite his fear; since he hadn't bathed, he could feel the Dragon's congealed sperm dried into the fur of his rump and left thigh. In the past, he'd almost enjoyed getting cleaned up the day after sleeping with Kenrai, saw it as a pleasant reminder of their trysts, but now, as he frantically hurried to pull his underwear on, the come on his butt and the sweat in his pelt just made him feel exceptionally dirty... and a little bit like a slut. He glanced over at the Dragon, who was already dressed from the waist down, and was pulling his heat charm web back into place over his bare chest. That did suggest they'd be on the road for a while, if Kenrai wanted to feel the warmth directly against his scales. The scholar could barely believe the passionate coupling they'd shared had only been a few hours ago... already it felt like another lifetime. A lifetime without fear or threat of attack...

After what felt like both a couple of minutes and about four thousand years, Colton stood, swinging the backpack from his closet over his shoulders and taking a look around. He'd actually liked this place, and it was a bit of a shame to leave... Kenrai, returning from the kitchen with a bag slung over his shoulder, drew his attention back to more pertinent matters.
        "The men outside, what are they saying?" the Drake whispered. Lapine ears twitching, Colton creeped closer to the front wall and bit his lip, concentrating intently.
        "...It's hard for me to make out, these ears are sensitive, not magic, but... there's a man with a growl in his voice, I think he's an Ani-man, and he says they should j-just set the cabin on fire, ambush us as we run outside," he breathed, swallowing a whimper, "But there's another man, I guess he's the leader, who says I'm asleep inside the house and their b-boss wants me alive – I guess they thought you were me? – So they should, um... have one guy kick in the door, and have the others break in through the windows that aren't boarded up, all at once." The Dragon nodded grimly.
        "It's not about rushing the enemy," Kenrai muttered, "Having multiple entry points gives you enough angles to have them surrounded, suddenly you're fighting a war on two fronts." Squinting his eyes as he stared into the middle distance, Colton frowned.
        "Kenrai, I recognize their leader's accent, it's –"
        "Orcish?" interrupted Kenrai, and the Mokaji stared at him, surprised. The warrior shrugged and picked up Foebreaker from where it obediently waited against the wall.
        "Lucky guess," he muttered, "If they're still arguing tactics, that means they haven't surrounded us yet. That's good." Colton swallowed, feeling his knees trembling.
        "Wh-what are you going to do?" he asked. Kenrai held out the bag from his arms and Colton took it, aware that he wasn't exactly going to be much good in a fight. Resting his hammer on his shoulder, the Dragon took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
        "Well, unless you can turn into an Ogre and smash them all, or something, it's going to be just me out there," murmured the warrior, "so I'm going to do what any concerned homeowner would do. Ask them very politely to leave."

With that, Kenrai walked up the entrance, where he paused a moment, readying himself. Hesitating as he reached for the doorknob, he looked over his shoulder at the rabbit, who currently looked every bit as fearful and anxious as the stereotypes about the lapine breeds suggested they were.
        "Colton... if Creed is as connected as you say he is, they're not going to want to give up. I'm probably going to have to kill at least one of them," Kenrai said, his voice tight, "It's not going to be the same as the darklings, they're not just going to evaporate and go away. These are real people, and I made my peace with that a long time ago... but you're no warrior. You... you might not want to watch very closely." He cleared his throat and averted his eyes, unusual for the confident Dragon.
        "I would hate for you to think less of me because you saw me... because you saw that what I do for a living isn't very nice sometimes." Colton nodded slowly. His instinct was to assure the larger male that he would never judge him for such things, that he could never think less of Kenrai... but he'd never seen a person die, and he didn't even like contemplating the fates of farm animals, so he couldn't honestly say how his feelings might be affected.
        "...I'll be okay," he finally whispered, "As long as you're okay." The warrior actually seemed relieved, relaxing just a little as he turned back to the door.
        "If they – if they get the best of me, Tulo, I want you to turn into – I don't know, a chair or a coat rack or something, and wait for them to leave. Then make a break for Beacon's Edge."
        "D-don't say that!" whimpered the bunny, who couldn't help but picture his friend lying lifeless in the snow.
        "I'm not perfect, Colton. I'm confident, but I want you to have a backup plan," Kenrai replied, a pained expression across his features, "Now just wait for me out here, and don't make a sound. I've gotta go have a chat with our new friends." Before Colton could think of a protest, the Dragon nodded to him, opened the door, and slipped outside, closing the door firmly behind him, leaving Colton in the dark with his bags and his fear.

Walking up to the group of men, who were still arguing in hushed tones, Kenrai raised his voice and, as he'd put it, politely asked them to leave.
        "Hey! It's the middle of the damned night!" he snarled, "Get off my fucking property and have your conversation somewhere else!" They turned to face him, with varying reactions. There were five of them; three Humans of varying backgrounds who ranged from visibly afraid of the approaching Dragon to totally indifferent, the Orc who had been so genial at the door, who seemed to have been expecting Kenrai, and yes, an Ani-man, a warthog who looked incredibly angry to be challenged this way – although to be fair, this particular pig seemed like the kind of hired knife who always looked angry.
        "Ah! This is the guy I was tellin' you lot about!" said the Orc, seeming at ease, "The one with the excellent smasher... as you can see." It wasn't just a show of strength this time, so as Kenrai came to a halt about ten feet away from the men (he couldn't help thinking of them as 'goons'), he lifted his weapon from his shoulder and held it in front of him, gripping the long shaft with both hands.
        "This," the Dragon rumbled, "is Foebreaker the Mighty. The head was forged in volcanic fire and enchanted by Draconic mystics. Yes, it is an 'excellent smasher', no, I don't use it to get girls in bars, and if you fuckers don't go away, real fast, you're going to find out how it got its name."
        "Fuck you!" the boar replied, classily, "We don't haveta listen to this shit, do we, Terbor?!" He drew a pair of daggers from his belt, which surprised Kenrai at first; he seemed like an oaf, the kind of bandit who would go for the biggest weapon he could get his hands on, not something that required the finesse of twin daggers. That's when he realized the shapes of the flat sides of the blades were identical to the shapes of the man's impressive tusks.
        "Raver's blades, man, wouldja calm down before you give yourself a heart attack?!" snapped the Orc, glaring at the pig, "You gotta be fair in these things, as far as fair goes in this business..." As the boar snorted, practically vibrating with anger and staring at Kenrai like he was trying to hate the Dragon to death, the other men grinned and snickered at their leader's comment. Kenrai had a sneaking suspicion that 'fair' in this case meant giving Kenrai the opportunity to surrender right now in exchange for a quick, painless death.

The Orc – Terbor, evidently – crossed his arms and looked at Kenrai, his eyes calm and collected, not the face of a man afraid of his opponent.
        "Look, mate, you can put on a tough face and yell about your property all you want, but it's simple," he said, "We've tracked our bounty this far, and this cabin is the only place he could be hidin'." One of the Humans sighed loudly and shook his head.
        "We even searched the fucking woods," he grumbled, "Boy, going in there in the middle of winter was fun..." Kenrai glanced at the man and put on the thinnest smile of his life.
        "You should have seen it a few weeks ago," he said, cryptically. Without looking at his henchman, Terbor frowned slightly.
        "Shut up, Steve," he said, flatly, before focusing his eyes on the Dragon again.
        "So! Either our 'master of disguise' is you, which means I need to have a talk with the boss on what the word 'scrawny' means, or you're out here because he's in there, and you're, what, protectin' him? Funny, you don't seem the type." One of the Humans who wasn't Steve snorted in amusement and nudged the men on either side of him.
        "Prolly ain't that many girls who'd look at a dirty reptile 'round these parts," he said, "I bet our puny friend talked him into it by dressing up in a skirt and sucking his cock!" The other men laughed at this, and even the warthog's rage seemed lessened, but while the corners of Terbor's mouth, which was adorned with its own, smaller tusks, turned up in amusement, the Orc continued to look the Dragon in the eye. For his part, Kenrai shrugged off the man's words. He knew he'd probably be braining him soon anyway.
        "I told you before, I don't know who the fuck you think you've followed here, but you morons missed him," Kenrai said, repeatedly relaxing one hand and tightening his grip on the simple wooden handle of his war hammer, before pausing and staring straight at the man who'd made the blowjob joke. "...And I don't see how it's any of your business who sucks my dick... though I gotta say, buddy, you got a real pretty mouth..." Okay, maybe it had stung just a little. He was pleased when the man paled and instinctively took a step backwards as the Dragon laughed and hunched down slightly, getting into a defensive posture.
        "So fuck it, I'm gonna give you ten seconds to go the fuck away and never dirty up my property again," he growled, "If you're still here after that, I'm gonna toss your corpses to the Shadowglades, let the wolves have you." Spitting on the ground, he sneered, showing off exactly how sharp a Dragon's teeth are, and added one last barb.
        "...If they'll take you." Sighing exaggeratedly, Terbor shook his head and frowned faux-sadly.
        "And here I was hopin' we could settle this like reasonable blokes," he muttered, "Ah well. Talkin's for bitches and nobles anyway. Boys? Take him."

The three Humans drew their weapons – two had standard longswords, the other had a small mace and a shield that had been hidden on his back underneath a travelling cloak – and the warthog let out an excited squeal, clashed his blades together, and started forward. Only once all four of his men had begun to advance did Terbor draw his own weapons – a rather vicious-looking hand axe and a long, jagged dagger, both of which looked, to Kenrai's eye anyway, to be made out of Orcish blood-steel, rumoured to be forged in a ritual involving the donated blood of one's clansmen. While everyone else (save the unbalanced boar) seemed at least a little anxious about facing the tall, armoured Dragon with the massive war hammer, Terbor seemed totally at ease, stretching his arms out and spinning his weapons around his hands in a little flourish as he stood there, waiting. Kenrai stood just as still, his face taut and grim, letting the goons come to him, as if he planned to just stand there and let them stab him. The moment was not here yet...
        "Remember, lads!" called Terbor, helpfully, "The boss wants our man alive, so leave this fucker breathin' long enough to check his chest for the swirly mark!"
        "Fuck you, Grell!" called back the last Human to speak, but there was no doubt in the Dragon's mind that he would obey their leader's orders. The Humans held just out of range, hesitating for a moment, but with a snarled obscenity, the warthog charged forwards, giving Kenrai his cue. Suddenly springing to life, he threw himself ahead to meet his enemy, spreading his wings and sweeping them forward, summoning up a quick gust of wind that picked up the powdery snow and blew it in the faces of his opponents. Then, as the swordsmen flinched, the goon with the mace raised his shield, and – most importantly – the warthog blinked and stumbled, Kenrai filled his lungs and let out a bellowing war cry, stepping forward into the fray. Raising a leg from the snow, he snapped a kick forward, moving past the blinded boar's defenses and catching him in the chest, stopping him in his tracks and throwing him backwards with a groaned curse. Then, without waiting for the next mercenary to move forward, the Dragon whirled on the nearest swordsman, sweeping Foebreaker down low. Incredibly, the Human was able to step backwards in time, just avoiding having one or both of his legs broken, but the wide head of the hammer caught the flat of his sword and knocked it from his hand. Caught off-guard, the man froze on the spot, and Kenrai thrust his weapon forward like a spear, bashing the top of Foebreaker's head against the Human's chest. He wasn't sure, but the Dragon thought he heard a rib snapping as the man went down like a rotting tree.

The Human moaned in pain, rolling onto his side and gripping his chest, but the warthog was already getting to his feet. Kenrai didn't have time to deal with either of them at the moment, though, as the other swordsman, the one who had made the crack about Colton in a skirt (not an entirely unappealing thought, admittedly, but this was not the time to ponder it), stepped forward and swung his weapon at the Drake, who blocked it with the handle of his hammer. It was simple wood, but the runes on the hammer's head reinforced the entire weapon, made it even more durable than it already was, so the ordinary iron blade didn't even leave a dent in the grain. As his foe recoiled from the blocked blow, Kenrai took a precious instant to glance to the side, and saw that Terbor – or was it Grell? Or both? – still wasn't closing in, watching the Dragon as he fought the lesser henchmen. Then the boar made his renewed presence known by barrelling in and slamming against Kenrai from the side. If Kenrai hadn't been such a large man, he would have toppled over, maybe even broken something, but though it threw him off-balance for a moment, the Dragon stayed up, taking a few steps in the opposite direction to catch himself. This, of course, left an opening, but the warthog's knives glanced off armour plating and found no purchase. He didn't show any signs of stopping his frenzied attack, though, swinging and stabbing away, so Kenrai spun around to face him. As he did so, he struck a minor blow with the lower end of his hammer, which had a metal cap affixed to it for just such occasions. It wasn't nearly as punishing as Foebreaker's business end, but it got the job done, giving the boar a heavy jab to the shoulder that pushed him away. As the warthog snorted in anger, Steve the Human (the one with the mace and shield) stepped in from the side and clubbed Kenrai on the arm, hard. It hurt, of course, but he didn't drop his hammer, and the Dragon took a step back to keep both men in sight. He raised Foebreaker while staring at Steve, who naturally raised his shield. Kenrai wasn't sure whether that would actually make a difference against the kind of power behind this weapon's blows, but it had been a feint anyway. With the hammer raised over him, he suddenly jabbed it forward, striking the top of the shield itself with the metal cap, knocking it violently out of position and nearly tearing it out of the man's hand.
        "Black God!" the man snarled, grimacing. Kenrai suspected he would have dropped it, if the straps hadn't been so tight, and that that motion had been quite unfortunate for his arm. It hadn't been intentional, but Kenrai now found his weapon in quite a convenient location, so with the slightest smirk, the warrior let go of Foebreaker with the lower hand, swinging the wooden shaft with his upper hand – sending the wooden handle between Steve's legs and smacking against his groin. At this, Steve's eyes bulged out and he bellowed a couple of profanities, followed by groaning out a very unpleasant reptilian slur as he sank to his knees, gripping his crotch with his shield hand. The Human made a wild swing with the mace that made Kenrai back off, but by that time, the warthog had pressed the attack again, and the Dragon was forced to focus on him.

Showing a lot more finesse than Kenrai had honestly been expecting, the Ani-man came at him not with random, savage stabs, but with an honest-to-goodness dual wielding form, twisting and slashing with one hand, then the other, always keeping himself in close, constantly pressing the attack. For the moment, it was all the Drake could do to get his hand back in position on his hammer and keep twisting the weapon to block the blows.
        "Fuck Creed and fuck his bounty!" the boar snarled, "I want his head!" The swordsman who was still on his feet closed in to try and take advantage of their numbers, press his attack while the warthog was doing the same, but it really wasn't that much harder keeping them both at bay than just one. Meanwhile, the first swordsman had reached over and grabbed his weapon, but he remained on the ground, looking uncertain if he even wanted to rejoin the fray. For his part, Steve was trying to stand, but his legs wobbled, and with a groan of pain and frustration, the man sank back to a sitting position, still holding his aching nads with the hand that had set his shield aside for the moment.
        "For fuck's sake, boys!" the Orc cried, "The boss didn't hire you to faff around and make this asshole look good! And Jethro, kill him if you want, but I'm bringin' you back to Creed, to let him know in person why he doesn't get his hands on the man he's been chasin' for fuckin' years now!" Without looking back, the warthog bellowed in rage and lunged forward, locking both daggers around Foebreaker's handle and leaning in close. If asked, Kenrai would describe his breath as smelling 'like a zombie covered in old cheese', though it seemed unlikely he'd ever actually encountered such a thing.
        "Seven gods, I hope you're hiding that spiral fucker in the cabin," the man sneered, "Because I really wanna murder you..." The Dragon, who doubted the Seven Sentinels of Rilodell would be pleased that this man was naming them, could have made some kind of witty comeback, but he didn't. His response was born from the need for an advantage, not the desire for pride. He spat in the other man's eyes. Squealing, the boar instinctively recoiled, and Kenrai twisted his hammer around, cracking the warthog in the temple with the enchanted head of the weapon. It wasn't a full swing, barely had any momentum behind it, but it was still enough to send the man stumbling to the ground. The swordsman stepped in, wanting to take advantage of the moment, so Kenrai lashed out with the hammer, striking the interloper's weapon out of his hand. Yelping, the Human dived after it, but instead of finishing him off on the spot, or turning his attention back to the pig, Kenrai walked a few steps to where Steve was finally getting back up to his knees. He looked up in surprise just in time to see Kenrai make a full strength swing, which caught him on the side of the head, breaking his skull and snapping his head to the side so violently it broke his neck. With a grunt, Steve flopped down to the snow, which began to stain red as his mace fell from his lifeless hands.

Turning to the swordsman on the ground, Kenrai let out a huff and brought his weapon back into a defensive stance, saying nothing. Swallowing, the injured man let go of his sword and lay down flat, shaking his head. Turning back around, Kenrai found the remaining Human standing once more, glaring at him, and the warthog on his hands and knees, reaching up and rubbing his head where he'd been clipped. Kenrai extended Foebreaker towards the Human who'd joked about Colton and narrowed his eyes.
        "How about you? You want to drop your sword and live?" he asked, "He who fights and runs away... Unless you'd prefer another method of convincing me to look the other way..." He took his lower hand off the hammer for a second to pat his crotch, which he was correct in believing would infuriate the other man. Growling at Kenrai as best as a Human could, the man raised his sword and charged him, but the Dragon easily blocked his wild strike, turning and shoving, using the man's momentum against him and making him stumble past the Dragon, just as Kenrai had stumbled against the boar's body-check. But instead of pressing his attack, Kenrai whirled around, to where the warthog was starting to get up, and brought Foebreaker's metal cap down on the back of his opponent's head, sending him sprawling to the ground with a groan. The Drake didn't know whether that had crushed his enemy's brain or just given him a headache, but he didn't linger to find out. Either way, it would keep the bastard out of the fight. Turning to block the predictable backstab from the swordsman, Kenrai spun his weapon, swinging the head down low to sweep his surprised opponent off his feet. Normally, this would leave him wide open, but at the moment, he had the luxury of focusing entirely on one opponent. As the Human landed unceremoniously on his ass, Kenrai kicked the sword away, and it disappeared into a thick snowdrift. Grinning at his disarmed foe, Kenrai winked exaggeratedly.
        "Now stay tight for me, sweetheart," he said, licking his lips, "I'll be back for you when I'm done killing your boss." The Human went pale, his jaw dropping open as he tried to crawl backwards, away from the Dragon.
        "Wh-what?!" he gasped, clearly horrified, "You c-can't! You wouldn't!" Dropping the lewd expression from his face, Kenrai laughed casually.
        "Of course I wouldn't," the Dragon replied, as if it was just a playful joke, but then his expression grew sterner, and he added "You're not my type." Before the other man could work through this, Kenrai raised Foebreaker and brought it down as hard as he could, and a look of surprise came over the Human's face just before it, and the rest of his head, splattered like an egg under the tremendous blow.  

Without taking a moment to rest, Kenrai stepped back, lifting his hammer back into position even as blood dripped from it onto the snow. He glanced over at the boar, who still wasn't moving, and then turned to face the Orc, who was finally approaching. The other man actually laughed as he spread his arms.
        "Well done!" The thug said, as though this had all been a test, though the way he held his weapons suggested anything but. "Four to one, and you with barely a scratch!" He paused and looked at the mess that used to be the joking swordsman, shaking his head and sighing quietly.
        "Oh, Thom, I almost liked you..." he said, "Best lockpick I've met in years. Shame you were so shite with a blade." Looking up, the man glanced at Kenrai and shrugged, one professional to another.
        "No way around it, I guess, street thugs and cutpurses just aren't cuttin' it anymore, I've just gotta start hirin' better men." As he turned back to completely face the Dragon, who was making efforts to control his breathing, the man put on a smile that was as cold, icy, and joyless as the bloodstained snowy landscape around them.
        "...Fortunately," the Orc said, staring him right in the eye, "a job like this means I should be gettin' enough coin for some better company." Kenrai let out a huff through his nostrils, two visible plumes of steam in the wintery air.
        "Bold words," he said, simply. The Orc nodded, acknowledging that.
        "Aye. Wanna see if I can live up to them?" he suggested, "Now, I gotta say, after watchin' you in action? There's no way you're the man I'm lookin' for, sounds like he can barely hold a weapon, much less use it, so I assume you got him stashed somewhere." A pause. "I won't insult you by offerin' to cut you in if you turn on him, or anything, I just wanted you to know that I won't be holdin' back." Raising one of his lips, showing off a front fang, Kenrai nodded slowly.
        "That makes two of us," the reptilian warrior said. His opponent raised his blades into a combat stance, dagger held forward, towards Kenrai's heart, and nodded again.
        "When you're done with the Griever, and she sends you to one a' the nine hells?" he said, "Tell 'em Grell Terbor sent you."

With that, Terbor charged the Dragon with a loud cry, leaping into the air and bringing his axe in close in a horizontal slash. Kenrai was caught off-guard by the move but still had the reflexes to turn his head away from the blow, just catching a shallow cut to the cheek, where the scales weren't so thick. He felt blood running down his face, but not a lot of it, and focused on his opponent, not on the pain. As soon as Grell touched the ground, Kenrai pivoted the hammer towards him, feinting with the metal cap and then reversing direction and bringing the head to bear. Apparently seeing the move for what it was, the Orc dodged out of the way of the swing, slashing at Kenrai's outstretched arm with his dagger but catching only armour. Kenrai had been surprised by the warthog's skill, but only in that he'd expected 'Jethro' to be a blowhard who was totally useless once he got angry. This? This didn't surprise him one bit. Everything about Grell Terbor, from the way he moved, to the way he talked, to the way he held his weapons, it all suggested he, too, had made this his life, and had survived long enough to earn his casual attitude. Where the boar's attacks had been fast and skilled but rather sloppy, Grell's were textbook-smooth, pulling off moves and counter-moves just as fast as the Dragon. Kenrai finally had a real fight on his hands. Despite himself, the Drake found himself backing up as the Orc pressed the advantage of his weapons being much smaller and faster than the huge, heavy hammer. He couldn't get through Kenrai's defences, but he wasn't giving the Drake much room to make attacks of his own, either. Somehow, Kenrai doubted that Terbor was the kind of man to flinch or even blink from a Dragon flaring his wings, and he'd probably be smart enough to compensate for the snow kicked up from such a cheap tactic. No, there was no way around it, he was just going to have to out-fight him, fair and square. Thrusting forward with both hands, the reptilian warrior shoved the Orc back with the broad length of his hammer, and then leaped back, to keep out of range of those blades as he exposed himself by bringing Foebreaker back into position for a swing. Unfortunately, his opponent easily dodged past the heavy blow, and Kenrai silently cursed the slow nature of his favourite weapon. He briefly considered catching the Orc off-guard by tossing Foebreaker in his face and going for his back-up knife, which Kenrai kept in a sheath between his shoulder blades (and between the bases of his wings, where it was hidden from view). He almost immediately discarded that idea, though, as he knew he was significantly better with a hammer than with the blade, and he wasn't sure he'd be able to overcome Grell's obvious ease with his bloodsteel weapons, which moved like extensions of his arms.

Growling, Kenrai blocked out all thought of the other men he'd fought, of the distant aches in his limbs and the cut on his face, even (mostly) of Colton, no doubt hiding inside the cabin, trembling with fear, perhaps peeking out a window even now as the fight raged on in the silence of the winter. Shutting out everything except himself, the snowy ground under his feet, and his foe, Kenrai gave it everything he had; he wasn't going to get many opportunities for real wind-up swings, not with Terbor at full strength and ability, so instead he pushed in close, making half swings with either end of his hammer, occasionally catching the Orc with the metal cap or pushing him back with the head. It wasn't much, but it annoyed the man, and as long as Kenrai kept blocking those attacks, it was progress. He'd been at the game a long time, and even with as little warning as Terbor gave before his blades came swinging or thrusting in, Kenrai was able to get his weapon in place to block them, or failing that, to simply step back, let the Orc swing at air, and then push in to take advantage of the tiny window of opportunity and give his enemy a nice firm poke with the metal cap, punishing Grell for his mistake. The first sign that they wouldn't simply be fighting until the end of all time came when the Orc raised both weapons over his head and lunged forward as he chopped them both down, accompanied by a bellow of battle-driven adrenaline. The Dragon just barely sidestepped out of the way in time to avoid being skewered by the knife and brained by the axe, and when the heavy swing left Terbor hunched over, weapons low to the ground, Kenrai stepped forward and raised his knee into the man's stomach as hard as he could, his partially-armoured leg striking the man's gut with enough force to lift him off the ground and make him groan with agony. But he didn't fall, and when his feet touched the ground again, Terbor stepped back and raised his blades in a defensive X, taking a second to recover. Not sure what he was going to do next, Kenrai gave him that second and stepped away, glaring at him. It was said that Orcs, like certain species of ferals, were never more dangerous than when they were wounded, and the Drake was struck by the hate burning in his opponent's eyes as Grell glared at him from behind his weapons. Unlike the warthog, whose fury rendered him sloppy and threatened to consume him, Grell's rage burned silent and cold, and he seemed to draw strength from it. Clearly displeased by that unexpected knee to the guts, Terbor lowered his weapons and quickly tilted his head back and forth, popping his neck the way some men pop their knuckles, the way Kenrai had earlier. Then, spinning the weapons around his hands again, he scowled at the Dragon, his lip curling up and showing off his tusks as he faced his enemy.
        "You're a tough nut to crack, Dragon!" he growled, "I'm gonna be tellin' this story for years!" Then, before Kenrai could think of an appropriately witty way to say 'you won't get the chance', the Orc raised his weapons, let out a deep, powerful scream, and charged across the snow, straight at the Drake.

Kenrai had been surprised at the agility and reflexes Terbor showed off in their close-quarters fight, but he was even more surprised at the speed he was demonstrating for a man his size. The Orc covered the distance between them in seconds, and Kenrai didn't have time to do much more than take a couple of steps backwards and brace himself, raising Foebreaker in front of him. Unfortunately, it seems that's exactly what Grell had been hoping he would do, for the charging mercenary didn't stop. Leaping off the ground again, Terbor hurled himself directly at Kenrai, holding his blades up flat in front of himself to brace against the impact as he slammed into the larger warrior with the force of a battering ram. The Drake was thrown backwards off his feet, and Kenrai only realized where he'd been standing – where he'd allowed Terbor to position him – when he felt the wooden door of the cabin slam open at his back. Then, suddenly, they were inside, and the reptilian warrior came crashing down to the wooden floor with a blow that took his breath away. Now perched atop the Dragon's prone form, Terbor pushed the flat side of his dagger against Kenrai's neck and upper chest, holding him down as best as he could manage, while he reared back and raised the axe over his head with a triumphant snarl. Glaring at the Drake with the kind of hate one reserves for life-and-death struggles, Grell spat something in Orcish at him, something that didn't sound terribly flattering. Before Terbor could behead the Dragon, though, Kenrai clenched his teeth, tightened his grip on Foebreaker, which was pressed between the two combatants' bodies, and used it like a lever to wrench the Orc to the side, throwing him off. Both men scrambled to their feet, and now that he wasn't being faced with the instant threat of death, Kenrai couldn't help but glance around; despite himself, he wondered where Colton was hiding, if he was safe. For all he'd noticed during that fight, that last swordsman had found his courage, snuck into the cabin, and slit Colton's throat. Older, unwanted images flashed before his eyes, an empty house, a decorated gravestone, a bruised and battered body, clutched in his arms... No! He would not let his fear make him weak. Mercenary or not, he was a warrior of Clan Ort. He had a job to do. He had a promise to keep. And even if it had become a private joke instead of an actual contract, he had a service to provide.

Roaring at his foe, raising his wings, Kenrai rushed forward, slamming his shoulder into the Orc. Terbor stood his ground and raised his weapons, but as tough as he was, Kenrai was simply much bigger – and his knowledge of the house meant that he, unlike Terbor, was aware there was a stool just behind the Orc's feet. Pressed back against it, his knees buckled, and Terbor toppled over backwards. Continuing to move forward, Kenrai raised his hammer and began to swing – but, correctly anticipating that Terbor would roll aside, he swung the weapon horizontally, not vertically, and caught the Orc on the side, sending him skipping across the floor with a grunt of pain. This time, when Terbor got to his feet, he didn't look quite so good. Unfortunately, he recovered faster than Kenrai had anticipated, and as he closed in, Grell repaid his opponent in kind by feinting forward, then swinging wide and catching him in the side with the axe. Thanks to his armour, what could have been a killing blow, wasn't, but though it didn't cut deep, it still, in the Dragon's own words, hurt like a motherfucker. He snarled through the pain and pushed forward, shoving the Orc away, and before either of them could make another move, a familiar voice screamed at the house from outside.
        "Fuck you, you fucking lizard! Fuuuuuck yooooooou!"
It was the voice of Jethro, the warthog with anger issues. Apparently after recovering from his own injuries, he'd seen his allies defeated or dead and decided to go with his original plan, since right after his classy bellowing, a bottle with a burning rag jammed into it sailed through one of the cabin's recently-replaced windows and shattered on the ground, instantly spreading burning lantern oil all across the floor. The two combatants were so taken aback by this that they paused in their efforts to kill each other and just stared as the fire spread up the far wall. Looking to the Orc in sheer disbelief, Kenrai shook his head.
        "That goddamn pig is really hard to kill." he said, plainly. Terbor shrugged as he nodded.
        "Yeah," he agreed, "It's his only good quality, really."

With that, the two of them resumed their fight, both moving as one, as though they'd agreed on a time-out beforehand and it was now over. Kenrai made a swing, Terbor ducked away from it, and the Dragon spun on the spot, slamming his thick tail into the other man's ankles, sweeping his feet out from under him. As he fell, Grell slammed his axe into the nearest wall, creating an instant handhold to keep him from going on his back again. Kenrai frowned. He doubted that trick would work a second time. Should have done it outside... Pushing off the wall, the Orc snarled as he went for a head-taking strike, but positioning his hammer next to his neck saved the Drake from untimely decapitation. Grell's movements were agile, flexible, the result of countless hours of training, not just brute force, and the Dragon was by now considering Terbor his own equal... but not his better. Pressing the attack, Kenrai roared, going into a maneuver where he lashed out with the hammer repeatedly while rotating his body, stepping consistently towards his enemy while using the momentum of his arms to give Foebreaker more power, while the constant movements of the weapon around his body made it incredibly difficult for Grell to take advantage of any openings. This was usually an incredibly effective method of making your way through a crowd of enemies, who will either get the hell out of your path or get battered down under your feet, but Kenrai was using it at the moment as an elaborate feint; as they reached the middle of the room, which continued to blaze away off to the side, Kenrai 'happened' to step into a stance that maximized his stability and grip on the floor. Then, without warning, he abruptly reversed direction, swinging the hammer back the other way, and caught Terbor across the arm, which sent his axe skittering across the floor, away from the fire which was beginning to consume the wall separating the main room from Colton's bedroom. Kenrai wanted desperately to call out to the scholar, but the second he did that would be the second Terbor learned that the Mokaji was still nearby. It might even draw him out of hiding into danger.

        "Son of a whore!" Grell snarled, grabbing at his arm. It looked like his shoulder joint had been dislocated, and with a grunt and a slight wince, he popped it back into place. As bits and pieces of wall began to flake off and fall to the ground, the Orc shook off his latest injury, twisting his dagger around to hold it in a stabbing grip, and lunged forward, moving to pierce the Dragon's eye while raising his free hand to grip Foebreaker's shaft, struggling to tear it out of Kenrai's hands. Kenrai blocked the stab with an armoured forearm, then grabbed Terbor's wrist and kept him from trying again as they struggled one-handed over the massive hammer. Locked together, face to face, the two combatants stared each other down, their eyes blazing almost as fiercely as the fire. Grinning slightly, Kenrai nodded at his foe.
        "You're not... half-bad... you know?" he said, his voice as taut as his muscles, "So. When you get to... whichever of the hells they send our type to... tell them you were sent by... by Kenraidrikerion... warrior of Clan Ort!" Leaning back, the Drake bashed his forehead into his opponent's face. Most any lowland combat instructor will teach you that unlike in the adventure stories popular everywhere, real fighters should avoid attempting a headbutt, as it is usually just as disorienting for the person giving it as the person receiving it. Fortunately, most lowland combat instructors are not Dragons, who have scale-reinforced foreheads. Spitting out an Orcish profanity, Terbor stumbled away, and Kenrai began to raise his hammer for a killing blow. But even with a mighty bruise just barely beginning to form on his otherwise unblemished green forehead, Grell bellowed with anger and lashed out with his dagger, striking Kenrai not on the hammer, but on the hand gripping that hammer. With a thunk, blade met handle, and Kenrai's left middle finger fell to the floor and bounced away.

Shouting in pain, nearly dropping his weapon, Kenrai backed away from his enemy, desperately trying to keep hold of Foebreaker, which was now slick with his blood, despite the immense pain. The hammer was mighty, but it was designed in every aspect for a two-handed grip, and in one hand, it would barely be good to Kenrai as a means of defending himself, much less killing Grell. It was getting hard to breathe inside the little cabin, and the air was filling with smoke and ashes, but Terbor paid them no mind, looking viciously triumphant as he advanced on the Dragon. Their eyes met, a cold, businesslike exchange between two mercenaries, and then, as Kenrai held up his weapon, pre-emptively moving it into a defensive position, and the Orc raised his dagger again, ready to press his advantage, there came a tremendous cracking sound from all around them. Suddenly, a huge section of the ceiling collapsed, and Kenrai realized that the fire had worked its way up to the roof before it consumed the entire room below it. With shouts of surprise, both men hurled themselves backwards as an enormous chunk of the roof came to a crash almost exactly where they'd been standing; the debris was already engulfed in flames, leaving a curtain of fire that crossed the entire room between the warriors, with no way to get at each other short of leaping through the blaze. This also meant that Terbor was cut off from the door, and was now trapped inside the burning cabin, but that didn't seem to bother him, as he hurried to his feet and just stood there, glaring at the Dragon through the fire. Kenrai still lay on the floor, but he allowed himself to let out a ragged sigh and take a deep, painful breath, for the fight was interrupted for the moment, at least. The window that had been broken by the flaming bottle was also mostly blocked by burning timber, but a face appeared in it now, peeking around the wreckage. To Kenrai's surprise, it was the Human swordsman who'd chosen to stay down after breaking some ribs instead of resuming the fight. Maybe he'd found some courage after all.
        "Boss!" the man screamed, getting Grell's attention, "You gotta get out of there! The whole fucking place is gonna come down!" Terbor said nothing, and Kenrai didn't blame him, since that much had been obvious.

The main pointed a little ways between them.
        "That big-ass window! The one that's all boarded up!" he yelled, "We'll help you smash through it! C'mon, Jethro, move your ass!" The distant voice of the warthog said something angrily, the words rendered vague and indistinct over the crackling of the raging fire, and then something started slamming against the picture window's wooden covering as the swordsman left the other window to help. With one last angry glare at Kenrai, Terbor crossed the floor and picked up his axe, which was still on his side of the room. Left alone, the injured reptile swore to himself in Draconic. This was bad... where the hell was the Mokaji?! Kenrai had been looking around, to see if there were any potential hiding spots that weren't on fire, but the warrior stopped as his eyes happened to pass the front door. It was hanging off one hinge thanks to the violent way Kenrai and Grell had entered, and it was still wide open, which meant that from this angle, the Dragon could see Colton, standing out on the lawn, looking absolutely terrified as he waved silently, trying to get the larger man's attention. Looking across the room, Kenrai saw that Terbor had turned his attention to smashing down the boards on the window, and since his injuries hadn't impeded his memory, the Dragon now realized that the Orc's only remaining goons were busying themselves working on the thick, triple-layered planking trapping their boss inside. And if they were all focused on the back of the house... Swallowing, his mouth aridly dry in this intense heat (as pleasant as it might have otherwise been to a reptile), Kenrai turned onto his side to use his good hand to force himself to his feet... and discovered his severed finger lying just next to him on the floor. Staring at it for a moment, he got up and then scooped the digit up, carrying it in his right hand as he rested Foebreaker's weight on his shoulder, just lightly holding onto the handle with his bad hand to keep it in place. He was in absolutely no shape for combat right now, but maybe he didn't need to be. With one final glance at Grell Terbor, Kenrai walked out the front door and into the bracing cold of the winter night. As Colton hurried to meet him, Kenrai sighed, and thought to himself, Let's call that one a draw.

The historian trembled as he hurried up to the man he had so recently shared a bed with. Kenrai didn't look good, there were new dents in his armour, he seemed to be bleeding on the side and face, and –
        "S-seven gods, Kenrai!" Colton gasped, "Your hand!" He couldn't help but stare at the maimed, bloody fist wrapped around Foebreaker's handle. This is my fault, he thought, miserably, I did this. Kenrai didn't seem in the mood to throw blame, though, barely seemed bothered, somehow. He was still all business.
        "I know," the Drake replied, coldly, "We've got to move, little man, we need to get to the woods, right now." Colton turned towards the nearest treeline, but didn't make it two steps before he was stopped.
        "No! Just keep walking in this direction," Kenrai ordered, "We need to keep the house behind us." Blinking, the rabbit frowned even more.
        "Wait a second," he said, "I was p-peeking outside every few minutes, to make sure you were alive, b-but I hid in your room and climbed out the window when you and that Orc came in... I don't understand, D-Drake, didn't you kill him?" Starting off towards the woods, the warrior shook his head brusquely.
        "No. He's good," he replied, "He's very good." Glancing over at his companion, who was sticking close to his right side, Kenrai sighed.
        "He's still alive, and so are two of his men, but they're busy freeing him through the back window, so we can – nngh – make a break for it, but we've got to hurry!" Biting his lip with his notable front teeth, whiskers twitching in agitation, Colton whined.
        "But Kenrai, you're hurt!" he protested, "You need help!"
        "Colton, please," the Dragon said, letting a bit of his professional mask down, "Yes, I am, and yes, I do, but I'll be fine for a little while longer, long enough for us to – aghh – to get to safety and away from these assholes! Can you be strong for me and come quickly?" Swallowing, now more afraid for his friend than for himself, the shapeshifter nodded, and he followed the wounded warrior into the night, away across the snow, as the cabin that had been his home for months, and which he'd shared with Kenrai for the last few precious weeks, was consumed by fire, sending a plume of smoke and sparks high into the sky. In the distance, a group of people were leaving Beacon's Edge to investigate, but they only arrived long after the two men had disappeared into the Shadowglades, long after another group of three slipped away in the opposite direction.

* * *


        "That – that should do it," said Kenrai, as they came upon a clearing deep in the woods. In the spring, this would be a meadow, about as beautiful as one could be in a forest that was annually touched by the influence of the Black God, but now, it was just fallen logs and snow. As Kenrai sat on one such log, he let out a groan of relief and allowed Foebreaker to slip out of his hand and to the ground, where the blood on both its head and handle began to soak into the snow around it. Colton looked around for a moment, still nervous, and then brushed the snow off a small stump, perching on it like a stool.
        "I'm so sorry, Kenrai," he said, staring at the ground, "You only fought them because of me, you – you were only hurt because of me."
        "It's all part of the job, Colton," the larger man replied, "I promised I would keep you safe from harm. I didn't exactly expect I would just be fending off boys desperate to date you."
        "But you lost a finger!" the Mokaji protested. Kenrai flinched, shaking his head, and said "Don't jinx me." Colton was confused, and it didn't help when the Drake finally opened his right hand and revealed that he'd kept the severed finger, which had soaked his good hand in blood.
        "What...?" the scholar muttered, totally lost. As he watched, the Dragon took a deep breath, as if bracing himself, and then pressed the lost digit against the stump it had been severed from. Before Colton could protest that you can't just sew a body part back on, Kenrai held his hands close to his face and let out that deep breath – in the form of a billowing cloud of mildly glowing green smoke. It washed over his hands, obscuring them, and the Drake flinched as he kept going, sustaining the magical healing cloud for longer than Colton had ever seen before – longer than he knew was possible! But as soon as he finally ran out of breath, Kenrai sucked in more air and did it again with as little pause as possible, and then a third time. Finally, the warrior paused... and then winced, snarling quietly, as his hands spasmed with inner pain. Then, as the false rabbit watched with rapt attention, Kenrai slowly released his right hand... and his left middle finger stayed right where it was.

        "That's – that's impossible!" Colton breathed, but as he slowly, slowly made a fist, and his digit didn't pop off or start bleeding, Kenrai managed a grin.
        "Isn't that one of those fancy rules of magic, or something?" he replied, "Nothing is impossible? Bla– uh, gods above, they tell you doing this hurts like hell – when it works, which it usually doesn't – but they can't really prepare you with words!" Rubbing his forehead, stressed out by everything that had happened, Colton sighed.
        "Yes, let's avoid saying the name of the evil god who bled on this forest, please," he muttered, "But – I had no idea your people could do that!" He got up and walked closer, and Kenrai obligingly held out his hand for inspection. It was still covered in congealing blood, but the middle finger looked like it had never been gone, save for a brand new scar, thin and pale, that wrapped all the way around it.
        "It's not perfect," murmured the Dragon, "It's not exactly going to be good as new after this, and if it hadn't been such a clean cut, it never would have worked at all. At least I got it lined up properly, I get a lot of use out of this particular finger." He grinned at his stupid joke only to flinch as he flexed the digit.
        "Nngh... Plus, it turns out life flowing back into a dead finger makes it feel like it's on fire for a while, but it's all of the pain and none of the heat... But hey, guys dig scars, right?" Colton smiled thinly as the Dragon cupped a hand in front of his mouth and breathed out more healing smoke, making it blow back against his own face, neatly closing the shallow cut on his cheek without leaving so much as a scar.
        "Well then... I'm so glad you're going to be okay, Kenrai," the historian said, but his eyes betrayed his sadness, as his friend's wording had reminded him of another loss. Now that his fears about Kenrai's well-being were calmed, Colton sat down next to him as the warrior gingerly worked to unbuckle his armour.
        "I got a gash on my side I'm pretty sure I can reach, and maybe some bruising on my arm..." the Dragon said, and then paused, looking at the bunny more intently.
        "Nobody found you, right?" he asked, "You don't look so good."
        "No..." Colton whispered, "It's just... the fire. My house, all of my things... I finally felt safe again, and now it's all gone." He sighed, poking at the snow with the toe of his boot.
        "I know I should be grateful that I'm still alive and you don't have any, um, permanent damage... but I just keep thinking about how hard we worked to fix that place up, and how I'm never going to get to finish that book, stupid stuff like that."

Kenrai moved to pat him on the shoulder and clearly thought better of it, since his hand was covered in sticky blood. Colton didn't notice, lost in thought as he was.
        "It's alright, Tulo," he murmured, making the smaller male smile slightly just at the use of that name, "Once we make sure you're safe, you'll finally be able to find a home that you won't have to run away from. I'll see to that." He'd carefully avoided saying he would join Colton in that house, but the Mokaji appreciated the sentiment.
        "And, uh, you don't happen to mean that old tome you left on the chair by the fireplace, do you?" the Drake asked. When Colton nodded, Kenrai grinned and finally managed to get his chestplate open... which made that old tome fall out from where it had been pressed against his pectorals, and into his waiting hand. The lapine impostor grinned as he accepted the book and Kenrai chuckled quietly.
        "I had a gap put there when I had the armour made, so I can put my heatstone in there when it's charged up," he explained, "Since it needs to be recharged and all, I thought I'd jam that book in instead, maybe help block some blows. Er, the back cover might be a bit sweaty, sorry..." Colton laughed softly as he pushed the book into his pack.
        "That's quite alright, Drake," he said, "Thank you so much."

As Kenrai saw to the gash on his ribs (which, being inside his body, would unfortunately have to heal on their own), Colton let out a sigh and allowed some of the stress to leave his body.
        "S-so I guess we head northwest, right?" he asked, avoiding looking at the bloody cut in his friend, "T-to the city of, um, Niir... Niirkal... uh..." Looking up from his healing, Kenrai frowned.
        "It's Niirkeldojan, but no, I'm afraid not," he replied, "We were going to wait for the spring, remember? For the next few months, the passes on this side of their mountain range are going to be completely blocked off, we'd have to spend weeks travelling around to the far side, in territory where almost nobody lives, and we'd be sitting ducks for people like... like the ones who just tried to kill us." Colton had always thought 'sitting ducks' was a rather specist phrase, but he let it slide now to focus on his disappointment.
        "Oh no..." he whispered, "Then... what are we going to do? We c-can't just keep on the run until the spring thaw! N-no offence, Drake, but you're no shapeshifter, and you kinda stand out, they'll be able to find us a lot faster than they have before with both of us... M-maybe..." He cleared his throat in order to suppress a whimper.
        "...Maybe you should j-just leave me, Kenrai," Colton breathed, tearing up, "I'll just k-keep running, and, uh, maybe we can pick a city where we can meet up in the spring..." He didn't say the words 'assuming I'm still alive', but he suspected he didn't have to. Closing his eyes, he tried to hold some pleasant memories in his heart.
        "Th-thank you for helping me, Drake," he whispered, "I'm glad y-you didn't get hurt because of me, b-but I think I'll just..." As he spoke, Colton was unaware of the sound of Kenrai scruffing his hands through the snow at his feet. And as the historian trailed off, lapsing into silence, the Dragon lifted those hands from the snow, now cold and wet but clean and free of gore, and he placed one of them on the smaller male's shoulder, gripping it tightly, his cold-blooded fingers already so icy in this weather that combined with the dampness, it made Colton gasp aloud.
        "You'll just nothing," Kenrai said, a bit gruffly. As Colton looked up to him, he was surprised by the frustration in the other man's eyes. Perhaps realizing this, the Dragon looked away for a moment, letting out a huff, which emerged as a little cloud of mist in the cold air.
        "Okay, so we got caught with our pants down," the warrior said, a little more calmly, and with the decency not to add 'literally', "Creed's hunters got the drop on us, we lost the cabin, and I got slapped around a bit. Now we're out here on our own, they know – or at least they're really sure – I'm protecting you, and our original plan won't work." He let that one sit for a moment before he continued.
        "But you know what? You're fine, they didn't do anything to me I can't heal, and we got away with our lives. Two of them didn't. Hell, the ones that did are feeling pretty fucking sore, right about now. Yeah, the scales tipped their way this time, but we don't have to give up, not by a long shot. So do me a favour, changeling, and drop the noble sacrifice routine, it just – it just reminds me how important it is that we win in the long run."

Colton blinked, and sat quiet for a long moment.
        "...S-so if we're not giving up," he finally said, wiping his eyes off with the downy fur on the back of one hand, "What's, uh, what's Plan B?" The Dragon made a face.
        "To tell you the truth, that was Plan B," Kenrai muttered, "I thought of something else first, but it was going to be kind of a pain in the ass... for me, you understand."
        "How do you mean?" The larger male raised his free hand to his forehead and made a sound about halfway between a sigh and a chuckle, which seemed odd to the scholar.
        "The plan wasn't just about getting to my people," the mercenary said, "When you're being hunted, the best plan of action is to go where it's too dangerous for your enemy to follow." Colton nodded, keeping a straight face, but he also swallowed nervously, his whiskers twitching in agitation as he thought a constant mantra of Please don't say Orcish territory, please don't say Orcish territory, please don't say Orcish territory...
        "So ideally, you wanna go somewhere that's – what's the word – sympathetic to you, but not the asshole chasing you," Kenrai continued, oblivious to the false rabbit's anxious shivering, "And before I thought about going to a city full of my people, I thought about somewhere even more dangerous for Bartin Creed. Right smack dab in the middle of an army."
        "Wh-whose army?" the Mokaji whispered, trying desperately not to picture the legendarily vast horde of soldiers that made up the Orcish Wrath Hounds. Kenrai smiled then, his eyes flashing dangerously.
        "Whoever's footing the bill," he said, "We're going to head straight south, make for somewhere warmer, and we're going to find my old mercenary band... the Black Falcons." Colton chewed on that one for a moment, and then imagined himself surrounded by warriors who would fight almost as hard for his safety as Kenrai. When he looked up again, he was smiling.
        "Plan A it is," the lapine impostor said, "Just lead the way. And, uh, Kenrai? Th-thanks for the pep talk. You must be good at cheering people up. Might be able to make a living at it if this whole 'smashing people with a hammer' thing doesn't work out."
        "Ha!" the warrior barked, as he squeezed Colton's shoulder, "Like I told you before, that's not a service I provide. Emotional problems aren't the kind I solve for money. That one's just for you, Tulo Karrim." As Kenrai closed his breastplate and got up, the shapeshifter lingered a moment, blushing slightly.

Soon, the two of them were heading off into the night, their spirits well lifted. After a few minutes of walking, Colton looked up to his companion.
        "We," he said. Kenrai frowned slightly.
        "Wazzat?" he asked, his hairless brows furrowing. The Mokaji grinned.
        "You said we lost the cabin, not me," the shapeshifter said, innocently, "I didn't realize you'd grown so invested in the place in the last few weeks..." Colton suppressed a giggle as Kenrai averted his eyes almost self-consciously.
        "...That was a really comfortable bed," he muttered, and then allowed himself to smile a little.
        "...Provided it had the right company."
The two men laughed together as they disappeared further into the woods, where none could find them.
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