And after over a month, I finally get this next tidbit out. Whoo...

Yeah, I'm really sorry these are taking so long. I know I've complained a lot about college already, but I'm still baffled at how time consuming and difficult it is. Not only that, but R.U.N is starting to be painful to write as well, since I plan on turning it into an actual novel, which means everything. Needs. To. Be. Perfect! *twitch*

Well, aside from my slow descent into insanity, I did have fun writing a few special scenes here and there. I really can't wait to upload the next chapter, as that's when things get REAL interesting~

I hope you all enjoy!

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The sun slowly peaked out from the endless horizon, extending its long golden fingers across the dusty valley. The massive, dilapidated structures slowly revealed themselves as the first rays of light struck them, the broken windows scattering the beams in every direction. Most of the vegetation growing through the hollow buildings captured the luminescence, the vines and leaves diffusing a bright green glow, causing the architecture to appear as if they were massive emerald pillars reaching for the crimson sky.
The beautiful scenery was left ignored, however, as Callum and Ty slowly trudged down the lengthy dirt path, their backs hunched over.
"Huff huff… how much further do we have to go?" the blue lizard grumbled, dragging his feet and stirring up a cloud of dust behind him.
Despite his companion's attitude, Callum kept a smile on his draconic face and carried a bit more spring to his step. Yet, not even the energetic dragon could hide his weariness as his large reptilian tail dragged through the ash below, stirring up a plume of dirt similar to Ty's. "Oh, not too far, I assume. I bet once we crest this next hill we'll find some real people this time!" Callum flashed a grin to his blue friend. Seeing Ty return the glance with a doubtful expression, the dragon chuckled and added to his statement. "Oh come on, don't be like that. Think about the benefits of walking so much!"
"If you consider feeling my calves burn nonstop for the past few days, then yes, this trip has been nothing but beneficial," Ty retorted dryly. Despite the sarcastic comment, however, the blue lizard couldn't help but agree with his draconic companion. After several days of walking around (as well as eating any stray plastic-wrapped morsel they could find), Callum and Ty's scrawny bodies were replaced with a healthier constitution, their skeletal frames covered up with additional flesh. Every day they managed to walk a little further as their legs grew stronger, and ate well enough to have their shrunken stomachs grow. Even with their rib cages covered with a thin layer of muscle and their limbs appearing brawnier, both reptiles weren't even close to growing overweight. Their stomachs and chests were still flat as a board. Even so, with all the dangerously fattening food lying around and multiple R.U.N robots roaming the world, they knew it wouldn't be long before they started sporting rounded bellies.
It was hard to believe a future of obesity was certain for Callum as he quickly clambered up the small dusty knoll with ease. Once he neared the top, the grey dragon's eyes widened considerably. "Hey Ty!" He called out as he turned back to face his friend. "You're not gonna believe this, but-"
WHACK!
Ty barely had time to blink as the next series of events transpired. In less than a jiffy, Callum was struck in the head with a blunt wooden object, sending the injured drake head-over-heels back down the hill, almost knocking over Ty in the process. "Callum!" the horrified blue lizard yelled in fear as he watched the grey dragon flop towards the base of the hill, unmoving. Just as he was about turn to help his friend, Ty felt the grip of a strong furry paw squeeze his shoulder; it's claws digging painfully into his scales.
"Don't even blink unless you want to join your friend down there," a cold, harsh voice barked at him, sending shivers down the terrified lizard's spine. Feeling his skin crawl, Ty nodded and shakily turned his head to face his aggressor, his slender tail wrapping around his legs timidly.
Standing directly behind the frightened reptile was a large white wolf, his pearly teeth peeking out through his muzzle. Just as Ty expected due to learning about the Earth's history from Thomas, the intimidating canine was quite portly, sporting a pudgy potbelly and chubby cheeks. However, what truly differentiated him from anyone they'd ever met before was his muscle mass. As far as fatties go, this guy was totally ripped! Ty could see his bulging muscles even through his padded arms, his broad legs looking surprisingly sturdy, and even his chin was angular and narrow instead of rounded and puffy. Judging on appearances alone, the smaller lizard was certain the muscular lupine could pick him up and squash him in between the palms of his hands with ease.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?" The hefty wolf suddenly barked, startling Ty back to his present situation.
"U-u-um, well, you see…" the timid reptile began, rubbing the tips of his fingers together fearfully. "M-me and my f-friend were looking for, uh, a nearby settlement, s-so we could take refuge…"
Ty trailed on as he watched the imposing canine's face contort with anger, gripping the poor lizard's shoulder tighter. "There's nothing here for the likes of you, alright? Now scram!"
Lowering his head, the blue lizard whimpered and backed away, not wanting to anger such a powerfully built creature any further. Unfortunately, Callum had other plans, the grey dragon, sporting a small red bump on his forehead, walked up to the threatening wolf and angled his snout upwards. "Hey, that's not fair! What did we ever do to you?" Callum asked, his hands resting on his hips.
The white wolf quickly shifted his gaze towards Callum, shoving aside the frightened lizard. "Are you asking for another whack to the head?" he asked menacingly, gripping his wooden spear tighter.
"What? Of course not!" the steel-hued dragon answered, confused. "Why would I ask to get hit again? I just wanted to know what we did to get you so angry."
Growling indignantly, the broad lupine strode over to where Callum was standing, raising the blunt end of his spear. That simple action alone was enough to make Ty stick his claws into his mouth, nibbling away at his nails nervously. Deep down, the lizard knew that grabbing his friend and getting the hell out of here was the right thing to do; however, logically, if he wanted to live to see the next day, he would not interfere with such an imposing figure. Ty constantly shook his head left to right, shifting his gaze from Callum to the wolf, trying to figure out what he should do next. Fortunately for him, however, someone else made that decision for him.
"What the heck do you think you're doing, Rawe?! Cut it out before you actually hurt someone!"
The white wolf froze in place, his head quickly craning back towards the source of the voice. Standing on top of the dusty hill was a peculiar figure, at least what Callum and Ty considered peculiar, holding a spear similar to the muscular wolf's albeit with a more ornate design. Based on the large horns, slender tail, and scaly body, it was easy to assume this new fellow was a dragon, looking very similar to Callum save for a much lighter color palette. Where Callum was grey all around, the new dragon's scales were an icy blue, with a substantially darker belly. The only other notable difference between him and Callum was the blue dragon's weight. Even for the fat furs they had encountered so far, Callum and Ty were briefly thrown off by the drake's abnormally obese body. His arms and legs were like massive, wobbling cylinders of adipose, his pudgy paws looking as if they were being swallowed by his forearms, which in turn were being engulfed by his upper arms. The dragon's massive stomach currently rested on top of his pillowy thighs, the edge of which sagged over halfway down to his knees.
"These intruders were trying to barge into our community, chief!" The white wolf named Rawe spoke out indignantly, gesturing with his spear towards the two travelers.
"And why shouldn't they? Everyone deserves a place to hide from those horrible machines. What makes these two any less different," the hefty drake responded, his tone stern, yet sympathetic.
"Don't act stupid, chief. Look how thin they are compared to us! The R.U.Ns will be able to detect them from miles away and barge their way in!"
"That's just a myth and you know it! Just because someone is skinnier doesn't make them a bigger target for R.U.Ns. All I see are the faces of two honest travelers who are just seeking refuge."
Rawe bared his fangs as he stared at Callum and Ty, his entire body tense due to his barely-restrained anger. With a single motion, the muscle-gut wolf slammed his spear against his knee, snapping it into two before tossing it aside and shuffling away, grumbling incoherent insults.
Ty heaved a sigh of relief as he watched the horrifying canine disappear over the hill, the frightened lizard's heart beating profusely due to the excess adrenaline coursing through his veins. For a minute there, he was certain Rawe was about to smash that spear over his head. Looking to his left, he could see Callum was probably thinking the same thing, the grey dragon holding his arms over his head defensively. Once Rawe had disappeared from sight, the obese chief shook his head shamefully before waddling towards the pair, each heavy step he took stirred up a ring of dirt around his chubby feet.
"You'll have to forgive Rawe; he can be pretty impulsive when it comes to strangers. He doesn't mean you harm, he's just a little overprotective of our little village, which is supposed to be my job." The portly dragon chuckled, holding his claws to his bouncing blue belly before extending one out towards the two wonderers. "My name is Chief Erikon, by the way, but you can just call me Erikon, or Erik."
Both Ty and Callum flinched when Erik outstretched his arm, causing the hefty drake to rebound his arm. "What's wrong? Are you still afraid after that ordeal?"
The blue lizard and grey dragon took a moment to glance at each other before looking back at Erik. Strangely enough, they were wearing playful smiles on their face. "Haha, no it's that that. The last time we ran into a dragon, he turned out to be a R.U.N," Ty admitted, chuckling.
"Oh? Is that so?" Erik asked, returning the smile.
"Heehee, yeah," Callum grinned. "Yesterday, we saw a big yellow dragon in the distance. We thought he was another survivor, since he looked like a normal, living being, but he ended up being a R.U.N named Luke. His metal plating looked exactly like scales, so there was no way to tell if he was a robot or not from the distance."
"Oof, I'm still feeling full after the feeding he gave us," Ty muttered, rubbing his flat stomach.
"I see," the corpulent chieftain chuckled, dimples forming in his fatty cheeks. "I will admit, it is rather difficult to tell a reptilian R.U.N from a normal survivor. However, it was still reckless of you to run straight into a R.U.N without thinking. It's almost as if you were looking to get force fed," Erik playfully scolded. "Well, I believe we've stood around on the dirt long enough. Would you like to enter our village?"
To Erik's surprise, both Ty and Callum were blushing and looking away, not wanting to admit that it wasn't the first time they ran straight into a R.U.N's open arms. Once the porcine chief mentioned the village, however, both reptiles quickly nodded their heads, eager to change the topic. "Oh yes please!"
"Very well, then," Erik responded as he turned towards the hill, his broad tail almost whacking Ty's chest. Strolling up the dusty mound, the expansive drake paused once he reached the summit. Quickly scrambling after him were the two thin reptiles, their previous exhaustion completely forgotten as they dashed straight to the top, almost colliding into Erik's broad backing. Callum and Ty grinned like fools as they peeked over the chieftain's wide shoulders, just as he made his announcement: "Welcome to San-D!"
To the casual observer, the grotto called San-D certainly wasn't much, but to the two scaly beings who, until a few days ago, didn't even know they existed, it was a utopia! Multiple streets were lined up one after another, with several homes situated on each side of them. Some were worn down, while others were surprisingly preserved, but one thing they had in common was that they all looked much more habitable compared to the discombobulated structures Ty and Callum had seen before. At the ends of all the streets stood an incredibly long building, looking astonishingly well maintained compared to any building the two reptiles had ever seen. Even the roads looked like they were cared for, with significantly less dust clouding the alleyway in comparison to the endless dirt trails that lie outside the town's borders. However, none of this splendor held a candle compared to the real beauty of San -D.
Dozens and dozens of furs of many different shapes and sizes walked along the streets, bustling about as they went on with their day-to-day activities. The sheer variety of the townsfolk was a marvel of itself. Some were merely small and chubby, while others were large and obese (although no one even rivaled Erik in terms of sheer mass). A few of the citizens were carrying objects such as wooden beams and drills, but the majority of them were holding various edible goods. More often than not, Ty would spot a glutton devouring most of the food he or she was carrying in his or her arms before they even walked halfway down the road. For all he cared, they could be having a massive fistfight. What was important to him was being able to see so many people after spending days in the wilderness with a lovable dragon who snores when he sleeps.
Seeing their awed expressions, Erik, smiled at his companions and shuffled to the side, allowing them to see his village better without his bulk getting in the way. "I know it isn't much, but it's the only safe haven nearby that I know of. When someone reaches the age of 12, we assign them a job of their choosing. It can be anything, from farming to scavenging to just tidying up anything." Raising his hefty arms, the light blue dragon pointed his chubby finger forward. "That large building you see at the end of the alleys is the mess hall. Every afternoon, we meet there for dinner. It also serves as a meeting area to discuss any recent events.
"To the far right, we have several acres of farmland, where we plant and grow all kinds of PRO-duce. You'd be surprised at what our cooks can produce with the right ingredients," Erik smirked proudly as he patted his gut, which served as a testament to his chefs' cooking. "On your left are several abandoned factories filled with left over fast food from the past. Even after several decades, everything is surprisingly well preserved and edible. There's enough to last us for years to come!"
Turning to face his two companions, Erik continued to smile jovially, forming deep creases in his pudgy cheeks. "Do you two have any questions?"
Ty quickly raised his paw, ready to ask something that was on his mind for some time, but before he could do that, his draconic friend quickly blurted out something instead. "How come your town is named San-D? Is it because there's a lot of sand?"
Erik placed his meaty paws on his round gut and chuckled, amused by the fellow drake's demeanor. "Ohohoho, that could be, young one. If you come this way, you can see the sign from which our village gets its name from."
Beckoning with his paw, the rotund dragon began waddling down the dusty hill, with the two travelers right behind him. As they made their way down the slight descent, Callum noticed a tattered sign that was previously blocked off from his line of sight. Walking closer to it, he read aloud the letters he could still read. "'Welcome… to… San-D'… huh, I wonder what this sign originally said."
The dragon chief shrugged his broad shoulders. "I, too, would like to know. My father once told me it used to read 'Sandy Eggo' or something strange like that. What do you two think?"
Neither reptile said anything further, just as perplexed as their tubby friend as to what the letters on the sign originally spelt. Seeing as how the time for it had passed, Ty quickly raised his paw again and asked the question he'd been meaning to ask for quite some time. "Erm, just curious, but what kinds of jobs will Callum and I be taking, Erik?"
"Hmmm, that's a good question," the chieftain acknowledged as he rubbed chin thoughtfully, his fingers disappearing into his hanging flab as if it were putty. "We don't need any excavationists ever since we moved that giant concrete wedge that was blocking Alley #2." Without warning, Erik snapped his fingers and quickly turned towards the two reptiles, who were caught off guard at seeing someone as large as Erik move so suddenly. "Oh, I know! You two would be perfect for-"
BONK!
The chieftain's sentence was interrupted as a red rubber ball bounced off the back of his head, causing the dragon to admit a startled squeak. Turning around, Erik was greeted with the sight of a young dragon running towards him, blushing profusely. "S-sorry about that, Mr. Chief! It was an accident, I swear!" the childish drake whimpered.
Erik couldn't help but smile as he knelt down to face his little assailant, his massive stomach almost brushing against the ground. "Oh, it's alright, little Toon. Just make sure to hold onto that ball of yours a little tighter from now on. We don't want another broken window now, do we?" Patting the strangely named dragon's head, Erik grunted and heaved himself upright before gesturing to his guests. "Would you like to meet our new villagers? They're here to live with us too!"
"Oh, okay!" Toon exclaimed happily as he waddled up to the two outsiders, clutching his ball nervously. "H-hello. My name is Toon. What are your names?"
Neither Callum nor Ty could respond right away due to the fact that their jaws still hung open from sheer shock alone. It was enough of a surprise to find a dragon as round as Erik, and yet here was this new drake, who was practically the child equivalent of the chief in terms of size! Simply put, Toon was one fat dragon. It was almost impossible to determine the chubby child's age due to his excess weight making him appear much older than he really is, despite maintaining a baby-ish face. His emerald green scales puffed out in all directions, making the little dragon look like an adorable plushy, while his ruby red belly was as big and round as the ball he carried. Even with the extra weight, Toon appeared to be quite active, the pudgy drake shifting from foot to foot nervously, jiggling his body from the constant motion.

Callum, being the first to recover, quickly bent over and shook the little dragon's paw eagerly. "Pleased to meet you, Toon! My name is Callum, and my friend's name is Ty," he said as he pointed to the blue lizard, too surprised to offer anything more than a wave. Giggling cutely, the red and green dragon bounded off back towards the village, throwing the ball against the buildings and catching it again and again.

"He's quite the energetic one, isn't he?" Erik chuckled as they watched Toon, who was quickly apologizing to a green skunk after accidently whapping him with his toy.

Ty nodded his head. "Indeed, it's as if he's completely forgotten about his own weight! I do have to ask, though: is Toon really is name?"

"Of course not!" Erik smirked. "That's just a nickname his father came up with, since he's such an animated fellow."

"Oh, I see," Ty nodded his head, another question quickly surfacing. "Where is his dad, if I may ask?"

For a split second, the blue lizard could see Erik's smile waver significantly, before suddenly dropping all together. Ty immediately felt guilty after that, and was ready to apologize for bringing up such a topic before the fat dragon waved him down. "Don't feel guilty, it's only natural for you to be curious," Erik said in a kind, reassuring tone. "For two months now, Toon's father has been searching for his wife, who somehow disappeared along with her team of scavengers. He vowed to come back once he found her, but so far, there hasn't been any sign that he's been around lately. We can only hope that no trouble has befallen him."

Callum frowned as he listened to such a sad tale as he watched the young dragon roll around on his ball, giggling with glee. Just from looks alone, it was impossible to tell that Toon was missing both of his parents. Turning to Erik, the skinnier dragon proposed an idea. "Hey, I know we're supposed to have a job now, but is it ok if me and Ty play with Toon for today?"

Erik's eyes lightened up as he heard the suggestion, a jovial smile quickly returning to his chubby face. "That's a great idea, Callum! I'm sure he'd love some playmates! I can always assign your jobs tomorrow, so feel free to spend as much time with the little rascal as you want! I'll send someone to you two later today to show you to your new homes as well." And with that, the obese dragon eagerly shook his two friends' paws yet again before waving them off, watching them run off to play with the energetic drake before shuffling off to return to his own work.

Neither Callum nor Ty knew what they were getting into once they agreed to play with Toon. What sounded like a fun an exciting way to pass the day quickly turned a desperate struggle for survival as the little dragon ran circles around his two worn-down playmates, cackling madly as he "tossed" his big red ball around, knocking the older reptiles onto their butts with easy. Occasionally, the spherical hatchling would pretend he was a ball himself, shooting himself like a cannon into his new friends' ribs. From the looks of things, the nearby villagers were used to "playing" with the hyper dragon, the fat residents each casting pitiful glances towards the poor playmates. It was during one of Toon's painful tackles that Ty found himself flung onto his back, groaning softly. To his left, the exhausted lizard caught a glimpse of Callum falling right next to him, the pudgy kid sitting on the bruised dragon's chest. "Heehee, this is a ton of fun!" Toon exclaimed happily, wagging his chubby tail enthusiastically.

Straining to lean his head up, Callum tried his best to smile back at his happy companion, but only managed a pained grimace as Toon accidently bounced on a bruise that had recently formed on his chest. "Heh.. heh.. phew, I'm burned out, bud. Where do you keep all of that energy, Toon? Is it right here?" he grinned as he grabbed the hatchling's pudgy belly, tickling it all over.

Letting out some strange combination of a squeal and a laugh, Toon flopped over off Callum, rolling along the ground helplessly. "Eeeeehehehehe! No tickles, no tickles!" the round dragon giggled, despite not even being touched by Callum. Ty made sure to pay close attention at how his friend managed to subdue his tormenter, memorizing it in case Toon wants to "play" with him again.

After a few moments of gasping and catching his breath, the red and green dragon rolled onto his plump butt, idly playing with his tubby belly. "Heehee, Mr. Chief told me to eat lots and lots so I grow big and strong, so that's why I'm so big for my age," he explained, grinning proudly. "Besides, at least I'm not as fat as Stinky butt."
Now that was certainly a name that caught their attention. Ty tilted his head in bewilderment while Callum had to hold his claws to his muzzle to prevent himself from laughing. "Stinky butt? Who the heck is named that?" Ty asked, the blue lizard noticing a smile spreading across his lips due to the shear absurdity of that title.

Still giggling to himself, Toon quickly rolled onto his feet, the playful spark returning in his eye. "Heeheehee, he's another really good friend, and a real mammoth! He's the biggest guy in San-D!"

"No way!" Callum exclaimed as he shot upward, his soreness completely forgotten as he thought about what the pudgy dragon said. The thought of anyone in the city weighing more than it's obese chieftain sent his mind whirring as he bounded onto his legs again. Even Ty, as reserved as he is, couldn't help but grow quite curious about the giant mammoth as well, the blue lizard standing upright next to his companion. "Could you introduce us to this Stinky butt?"

"Yeah!" Toon squeaked as he turned around towards the houses, marching off at a brisk pace. "I've wanted to show you Stinky butt for a while!