So, this part is a little short by what I normally try to post, but it was the closest stopping point that, didn't feel it would require re-reading this story when the next comes out. So, hopefully that'll be a good size and satisfying.

Daniel, is a dragon at the end of the day. He's determined, he's possessive, and will pull together all he can, to get what he wants.

TMAU Part 10 The Gathering Storm

There was a pronounced stillness in the air. The immense, heavy doors of the old warehouse had only been pushed a few inches before halting. The crouched dragon on the inside keenly eying the gap, while the naga, Dia crouched behind his leg. Her long body was almost camouflaged within the curl of his equally scaly tail.
Daniel drew in a long breath. The briny air had a way of blurring his senses, but there was a familiarity to the scent. Recognition escaped him in the moment. The smell of the arrival, quite unusual, distinct. Outside, a reluctant, deep breath escaped, before a furred paw hooked around the edge of the door, the hint of a muzzle poking into view, a little above human height.
“Dragon… this is where you den, yes? I’ve come to bargain”
Daniel reached a paw high, a claw hooking the door and sharply pulling it open. The figure, pressed up against the crack stumbling within just enough for his jaws to reach. Scaled lips clamped on an arm, pulling the wolfen creature in towards his chest. The same paw above pushed, and the door clunked back into place.
“You mentioned a wolf once” Dia commented idly as Daniel dangled the haplessly squirming creature by its arm. At least twice the weight of a human, yet similar in proportions… if otherwise very much a wolf.
“Drop me, Your companion, I’ve seen them” the Wolf barked out. The grasp releasing a moment later.
The werewolf brushed a paw down his arm, eyes, seeming to flicker between forms for a moment. A ragged, shaky breath “words are, difficult like this…”
“Where is Cory?” Daniel’s question was, simply spoken but a dangerous coolness edged the words. The dragon’s thick tail drifting behind “did you take him?”
“No, it is… the others, the rivals in the pack” the figure grimaced before, slowly, eyes closed, the wolfen features faded away, he shrank, and shivered as bare human skin faced the night air “how I hate this form… but the words come easier…” His head turned, eyes cast miserably up to the titanic predator “the ones the humans would call, Biters. They took the guard, I recognised his scent, and yours. Trouble comes, I want myself and mine to be left in peace”
“How do you know all this?” Dia edged around Daniel’s paw, sizing up the… now more fitting for her coils, sized werewolf
“What she said” Daniel echoed “You’re certain? Do you know if he’s alive?”
The wolf raised his hands “I am certain, he lives. Though stripped of his markings, his coverings” he seemed to pause a moment “clothes, is the word”
“That’s what they found then…” Daniel looked off, mind moving slowly through the machinations of trickery “Wait, they wanted me to be blamed, didn’t they”
The wolf shrugged “To answer the snake’s question. I have, been trying to work for them, like this” he gestured to his gangly form “my mate lives within the territories they claim, for peace I would placate them”
Dia hissed into the recounting, sharply “are you working for them now?”
The wolf rubbed a hand to his jaw, scratching with his nails before, looking to the clawless hand with a scowl “Yes and no. They did not send me here. They seem to wish a challenge, to take leadership of the pack. If it is to be conflict, I choose the side which has a dragon on it, yes?” a low sigh escaped him “and for my mate, she has no trouble with the current… but reviles the new” he nodded up to Daniel “the dragon… the biter pack, wish him driven away I think, or under their sway. Not siding with the current leaders, anyway”
“Makes sense to me” Dia shrugged “I’d not want a dragon for an enemy either. Which makes their choice a little risky, no?”
“It is secretive. The guard is hidden, in their hold, under the ground”
“Show me where” Daniel tapped a paw to the floor, claws driving little holes in the stone. Fangs flashed to the world, as the scales pulled back. Growl like distant thunder in his throat “Their building won’t be hard to dig through”
“No, dragon” the wolf raised his hands, trying to beckon the great lizard down “not if you wish your one, saved. Will take them less time to kill him, than you to dig”
For a moment, danger flashed in Daniel’s narrowed eyes, before the slitted pupils softened to ovals “that is true… humans can be clever and crafty”
“That’s hardly an ingenious plan” Dia muttered “So, fluffy, is that where you come in? Offering to let him out?”
“I don’t have the key” the wolf shrugged “I come to inform you, and win favour. I can help perhaps. Even if I fought them… in tight places, my larger self, does not fit so well, but not large enough to break the walls like a dragon. I can be strong, but not against a whole pack in their den”
“I’d be in a similar situation” Dia hissed “but, if I can deal with humans one on one… I can be effective. Not that I’d have your ability to just wander in”
The wolf pondered the words “you are, flexible yes…? I maybe know a way you could get inside, normally guarded however”
“This could work” Daniel spoke above, drawing both of their attention “you can rescue him… then, I can punish them for daring to take what is mine”
“Careful there” Dia flickered her tongue “Firstly, I’m… willing to help but, only if there’s an actual plan here. Secondly, don’t go all tyrant lizard, alright. You’re trying to convince the humans to let you stay, right?”
“I don’t see how demolishing a building of those who took Cory harms that”
“Well…” Dia paused “you’ve got a point… might want to consider the message it sends though. Do you want them to, want you here, or be too afraid to chase you away?”
“I don’t…” Daniel paused in his reply, words lost in a faint humming “Cory, wouldn’t be happy with the second, I think. I want him to want me here”
“Wolfy, we got a timeline on that guard?”
The wolf gave Dia a sharp look, but answered “I do not know, they may well keep him a long time, if they feel he is a card to use against the dragon”
“Ok, so… let’s all calm down and think” Dia curled her coils into a heap, and rested her fore against them “You’ve maybe got a way to get me in… if you’re running distraction I can get inside? And when we’re in there, if you can get people to turn their backs…”
“Not quite” the wolf cut in “the way I know, it… is a vent. Open on the outside, closed on the inside. I would need to open it, on the inside”
“Ah” Dia muttered “so we’re back to no plan then”
“Wait here” Daniel paced forward for the doorway “I might have another friend or two”

The shroud of night changed the town so much for the woman hurrying her way down the street. Periodically pausing, ducking into an alley, or around a corner to listen. Her ears were, keener than they looked. No steps followed her, no snuffling noses or crashing wings. By day, the town was far too bright, blazing light down barren stone. But by night, she could almost feel at home. Just ignore the fact it was all wide and open for, who knew how far above, instead of a secure and solid stone tunnel.
The streets in the dark, she could almost imagine were just, breezy tunnels… full of monsters. And fuller by the minute she was sure. It had been peaceful… mostly, since the dragon arrived. Except for the dragon himself, of course. But now he seemed to be gone… it wouldn’t be long before something tried to crawl into the space. She had no interest in being eaten by whatever that would be. Home, was close, just about in sight, just one more bend.
Her internal clock was good, but tonight just a little off. Inside, her stomach twisted… a familiar warning symptom. Quickly she pressed into the nearest shadow, panting as her teeth lengthened, her body shortened, whiskers curled sensitively out into the night air. Sleek fur sprouted from pale hide. The cloak around her was soon too large, but in turn it hid her rodent form.
On reflex she felt her paw slip into her cloak, little claws tinkling along the line of vials slid into sown holders. She had a spare, and more than once she’d had to quickly down it when she mistimed her return. She was close enough…
Her paw left empty, and Ezzie hurried on. Her gait shorter now, but she could drop to all four paws for speed. Ahead, the small, barely a person house her clan had dug up under. She could almost taste her dinner, smell the comforting warm scent of her chemicals, plants and kin in the cozy depths of their tunnels. Every moment she had to remain bundled up in all this cloth was smothering. The smooth, cold metal of the door’s handle was just about in reach of her paw. Then the moon went out. The shadows went from twilight to pitch and a far larger paw than hers landed down before the doorway. A scaly, clawed, tiresomely familiar one.
The rat froze, drawing in a shaky breath as she looked up. Ears pinning, then perking, before pinning again in time with her shifting mood. The dragon wasn’t as gone as she thought… and draped over the building before her.
“Dragon!” her voice spiked in a high squeaky note before she quickly muted it down “you’re on my house. Again, and again. I’ve been clear, yes? Not my house, off my house before your heavy paws with the sharp, raking claws rake through wood and stone and break it”
She quailed back a bit, suddenly realising his tail was behind her as his snout lowered, so quickly. For an instant, she had to comprehend the movement wasn’t a deadly bite coming her way… then cross referencing that with the thick cord of scaly muscle penning her in. He wanted something, but not to eat her, she reasoned quickly.
“I will, break your house, Ezzie” Daniel’s voice lingered with the low rumble of a growl, like a distant storm “Unless, you do what you are told”
“Don’t, break the house, yeah?” her paws raised, and thinking that might not be enough she dipped her head as well to better placate the beast “Ezzie is at your service. Even if you’re keeping me from my dinner… and Kro is very punctual, so he will have made it and it’s getting colder every moment…” She glanced up, the heavy, fanged jaws a little too close above her… “I don’t want trouble, the dragon knows this, yeah? Just scurrying, selling, testing. The dragon broke a lot of things recently. Ezzie isn’t good at breaking things. I’m very opposed to the breaking of things, especially houses, which you’re still leaning against”
“I’m only planning to break one place…” Daniel retorted, some of his fire, dousing as he reflected on the statement “but there’s only bad humans inside… well, there will be. That’s why I need help”
The rat sighed, pawing to one ear as she mused the problem. What was she going to do? Deny the man… and rat… eating monster? “Too much to hope you wanted to take me up on my offer, yeah? What do you need?”
“You can pretend to be human” Daniel noted simply “that’s what I need… but, we’ll explain”
“Who is… No, bad dragon!” Ezzie yelped as the muzzle closed in again, the lips parted. Briefly she saw a lot more of the dragon’s mouth than she ever wanted to before he’d grasped his jaws to her side and leg. Her tail sliding upon something… slimy and moving “ew…”
With nary a word… not that she wanted him speaking with his mouth full… considering his mouth was full of her, and also teeth nearly as long as her arm, he trotted off. Once more, the rat being carried off by the mad dragon’s whim.
“I should charge you for this” She retorted. Distantly, her house… and her dinner, faded away, from view and hope.

Humans, weren’t good in the dark, Daniel reflected as he slunk about the streets. Some of those patrolling heard him certainly… they’d pause, become vigilant… but he stayed out of the lights they carried, and they didn’t rush into the gloom to find him. He liked to think Cory was better than these ones. Though… Cory, had him, normally. It was a longer, indirect and winding route he took back to the warehouse, but he slipped in confident he hadn’t been followed.
Before the others, he dropped the damp Ezzie. The rat brushing down her fur, muttering her displeasure just below his range of hearing.
“The rat?” Dia hissed as she considered Ezzie “and she’ll be useful, how?”
Daniel nosed Ezzie towards the other two “well, she can seem human. You said you needed a distraction, right?”
“Wait now” Ezzie pawed along her whiskers “what distraction? You said little, dragon… just grabbed me, yeah? I need to know”
“Simple” Daniel’s chest puffed above as he regarded the small collection of creatures “the wolf goes in, pretending to be one of them. Ezzie distracts them so they don’t see Dia entering the vent… and the wolf lets her in, and, those two can find Cory. Then once he’s out, I don’t need to hold back”
“A plan that means I don’t need to be in danger is a good plan” Ezzie folded her arms, head tilting “who are we tricking?”
“The biters” Dia hissed with a sigh “this, plan, isn’t much better, Daniel. The vague… then we find and rescue Cory part, doesn’t inspire confidence”
Daniel snorted, nostrils tightening as he regarded them “well, you’ll all help me get Cory, or I’ll eat you, either way”
“I feel so inspired” Dia hissed lowly
“Not inspiring, but motivating, yeah?” Ezzie mused aloud “what do you think, to two distractions? If you need me to get you inside, the… wolf?” she looked to the, for now, human appearing companion “leads, distracts those inside as you go, lets the snake get to… your guard friend, yeah? Then leads him out or, swallows and drags? Takes a while for a snake to digest, yeah?”
“Are you mad?” Dia hissed sharply “I am not, swallowing a guard. My stomach isn’t a traveling case”
Ezzie shrugged, looking to the dragon “one problem though, coordinate, yeah? Can do it to get in, not to get out, not unless snake can hide somewhere while your wolf comes out… then we get the timing just right. My timing is good, none is perfect”
“I’ve not got anyone else” Daniel’s ears flicked to his horns “unless you count the big slimy thing… but it’s underground, and big”
The wolf turned human frowned a moment. Quiet, leaning to the wall, ragged garments hugged to his form “Slimy? Is that, what I hear in the grates?”
“Spotted the icky, slippery, spying slimy” Ezzie added “pokes from the grates, thinks we don’t see or can’t see or don’t care… but we see, and we notice it”
“That” the wolf grunted his agreement “well, I’ve seen it bubbling up in the basement of the building we’re talking about, I think so anyway”
“Well, maybe that’s got some potential then?” Dia shot Daniel a sideways glance “think it can relay messages? It is, friendly? Or am I misunderstanding?”
“Talks like it’s one, big thing, I suppose” Daniel’s tail gave a faint twitch as he considered the dark, dank, tight tunnels below. For Cory he could return there for a while “I suppose I can go ask it…”

There was nothing about the tunnel underground Daniel liked. The scent, both of its purpose and resident unsettled his nose. While wide for a human, it was barely spacious enough for him to crawl without scraping his wingtips. It was an acrid aroma… one he assumed implied the digestive matter the slimy thing was made from.
His resolve was a faltering thing. He’d have little power to fight it in that tunnel… if it slimed over him. It was a heavy consideration. The way of life in town, he liked it. He’d prefer to live it peaceably. Cory was useful for that. But was it worth taking this sort of risk? He had a lot of living planned, none of it planned to be spent dissolving in slime…
The dragon wavered on the edge of the tunnel, dipping his snout to peer into the gloom. The talons of his paws dug grooves in the dirt, then carved those into a lattice, then tread that into mud as he trotted about, trying to think of better options. None seemed particularly glowing and pristine. And he was here now…
Head dipped, legs bent up against his body Daniel crawled at last back into the tunnel. His belly dragged through clear, acrid water. Now he knew what to look for, he could see the lines of slime that ran along the walls. Sensing him he assumed.
His progress was slow, a painful reminder that his extraction would be no better. Deeper, further from anywhere he could spread his wings. He found the, wall of slime much where it had been before. Whether it filled every spot beyond or simply amassed here to keep humans, and him out… he didn’t know. But here it was, and after a tense moment considering the quivering mass, once more from low down a figure shaped from goo… not unlike a human female, budding off to regard him with featureless eyes.
“Even my imitation is better than that” Daniel huffed, muzzle dipping to ponder the… slimy thing. He could barely believe he was conversing with such a thing…
The slime, he knew was calling itself Polly seemed to make little reaction to his comment before speaking “you return alone, dragon. Unexpected”
It was unnervingly quiet in the tunnel as Daniel mused his approach. Nothing but the occasional slick, heavy sound of a mass of slime shifting down the wall. “You, want to stay here, like I do” Daniel asserted slowly “you saw Cory as a way to help you do that, like me… right?”
There was more silence, as Polly considered the words “a human relatively content to accept potential predators around is rare. With his removal, we are in indecision”
“It helps you to get him back, doesn’t it?” He probed “I’m trying to get him back, will you help me? Do you know where he is?”
“We know. Will we help you?” Polly’s projection almost seemed to frown “indecision. Parts of us wish to, capitalise on progress. Others see this coming turmoil as opportunity”
Opportunity? Daniel tried to think, in a tricky manner for a long moment “you, think the humans hurting each other will help you? That’s what you think will happen? Where do I fit into that plan?”
Polly seemed to consider him “those aspects think removing you now might be convenient, prior thought you would serve to remove many of them… there is indecision there as well. You are safe, we think, dragon. No consensus on consuming you”
“Then, can the part of you that agrees with me, help me? I just want to free Cory. Surely, that can help you either way. It might start them fighting either way, but this way Cory is back for you, and me”
Another uncomfortable silence fell, Daniel’s tail twitching against the walls behind him. This was all so slow…
“There might be enough agreement to go with that option” Polly concluded “What exactly do you wish, dragon?”
“I’m, not good at planning things” Daniel muttered “can you… slime part of yourself into… do you know where I den?”
“We do” Polly noted “and we can”
“Then meet us there… I guess” he started to wiggle backwards “Dia… or Ezzie, can probably tell you what we need”
“We will speak again there, then” the slime regarded the dragon who, done with the underground, was wriggling back the way he came from “We will find something to, focus on while we wait… for you to, relocate. Slowly”
Daniel responded only with a snort, happy to progress his way out without encouraging more talk with the thing. Every breath felt stale, as if his body blocked off any new air. Laden with the humid scent that surrounded the slime. Nothing he could crave more than fresh clear air, and hurriedly he extracted himself to get some.
Cold in his lungs and on his scales the evening air was, but it was refreshing over the dank domain of Polly. If he never went there again, he could be content.
His patience wasn’t his strongest trait, but the sky above promised only so much longer under the cover of darkness. Finding Cory, might need to wait. But it gave time for the others to plan, he assumed.
The dragon sprang high, beating his wings as he took aloft. Higher into the cold, the thin air that strained to carry him. The town spread before his eyes. Crevices and shallow valleys, little pretty lights from flames highlighting the odd, unnaturally sharp edges. It was, the closest to something he’d consider, home, personal territory he’d ever had, if he didn’t include the early years in his parent’s domain.
Angling his wings he drove himself back over the wall and into the perimeter. He would not be driven away, and he would not be stolen from here…