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What Survives: Chapter 4
Haven't posted this one in a while! I felt it would be better to just finish uploading "Stay for a Spell" to streamline it a bit.
Yes, I've been writing this series nonstop since I first posted! Book 1 is done, and I'm a little over halfway with book 2! Been considering turning these into novels at some point, even though they need a lot of editing and changes.
Anyway, enjoy my attempt at drama as Denya tries to enjoy a night out with friends while dealing with a relationship fallout between himself and his own dragon.
I hope you all enjoy! 6.6k words.
Chapter 4
“A toast!” Adrian stood up suddenly from his seat, the large badger clinking the side of his mug with his claws. “Here’s to hell… that our stay there will be as fun as our way there!”
A steady roar erupted from the rest of the table, a few cries of “here here” echoing around as well. Even Denya had to raise his mug to that, taking a deep drought of his beer as Adrian retook his seat next to him.
This was easily the most fun Denya has had since enrolling in the war college. The stress of their exams were behind them, which meant the fox could finally take a night out on town to celebrate surviving his first year. It was about time he stopped studying and being smart; now it was time to get drunk and stupid!
Surprisingly, this hadn’t even been his idea to begin with. Adrian was the one who organized the event, inviting many of the first years in his quadrant to party at The Tulip Tavern. To his delight, the fox had been one of the students invited. He would have thought his shenanigans at school would have made him a less popular pick, what with him constantly being a distraction in class- even if Versailles had helped him curb his more fidgety habits. Maybe they wanted to bring him along as a joker, someone to laugh at and flick foodstuffs at, he thought at the time
But no, this was turning into a genuinely good time! Warm food, cold beers, and plenty of happy faces were the perfect way to unwind after a very intense series of exams. The fox’s face was starting to ache, how much he’d been laughing and smiling. It felt great being able to mingle with other students, with other friends, without standing out as the butt of a joke or the awkward, silent one to gawk at. It felt great being able to belong.
They weren’t the only ones from their school who thought to drown their post-exam sorrows and joys in beer. Occasionally the front door to the tavern would open, and Denya would spot a familiar face stepping in, with the snowy cold air following close by. Unfortunately, one of those faces belonged to Zeak, but the lion had thankfully taken a seat far away from their table. Good; the fox didn’t want to think about the anthros who didn’t like him today.
Because right now, he was too busy making friends! Adrian, of course, being one of them, the brawny badger easily being one of the most charismatic and outgoing of their quadrant. He was often the loudest one in any group he was in; a trait further enhanced by the amount he’s already had to drink tonight. It was a bit of a challenge to talk to him one-on-one, however, as he was the type to always have a friend around to challenge his attention as well, but whenever they did speak directly to each other, the badger was nothing but genuine and supportive, two rare traits in a war college meant to forge you into the mightiest weapon. Take that and combine it with the badger’s surprising skill on the sparring mat, and it wasn’t a surprise he was one of the most popular riders of their year.
It wasn’t just Adrian that Denya was becoming chummy with, either. Jace, a raccoon Denya shared most of his classes with, also chose to sit next to Denya and talk. It very quickly became apparent to the fox that he was using Denya to try and learn more about Versailles; the raccoon was absolutely smitten with the deer, and lately Versailles had been spending plenty of time with the fox for sparring and studying. Unfortunately, Versailles couldn’t join them; the deer wasn’t much for big social gatherings, and while Jace claimed that it didn’t bother him too much, Denya noticed the raccoon stealing glances towards the front door every time it opened, as if hoping a certain someone would come through.
Alas, not everything was perfect; the fox felt his stomach churn whenever he noticed the snowstorm brewing outside. They couldn’t exactly fly their dragons directly before the tavern, as the local population may not take too kindly to seeing a bunch of enormous, fire-breathing reptiles clogging up the streets. The riders had to leave their dragons out of sight some distance away. The trek to the tavern was already rather strenuous, before the snow and the alcohol had time to pile up. Denya didn’t want to imagine how difficult it will be to hike back to where he parked his dragon-
“You didn’t park me anywhere! I’m not some vehicle you can leave at your leisure!” Xem growled in Denya’s head.
“I know, I know.” The fox stifled a snicker as he silently thought back to his dragon. “You’re not parked, that’s just our rendezvous point. You’re off doing important dragon things now.”
“Hunting, but yes.”
“How’s that going?”
The dragon let out a low rumble. “I’ve just picked up the scent of a particularly plump sheep-“
That was all the fox needed to hear before throwing up his shields, closing the mental doorway connecting himself and the dragon. Alas, the alcohol was taking its effect, and the fox couldn’t quite close the door all the way, meaning he was forced to listen to some rather… graphic noises. Xem was such a messy eater. He needed a distraction.
Thankfully, that distraction came soon enough as Adrian suddenly let out a very loud shush directed at everyone at their table. “G-guys, guys, shush!” He snorted, pointing with a claw. “Keygan’s going for another one.”
Oh, this he had to see! Denya turned his head, along with the other 8 riders sitting at their table, to watch as a white-furred fox stood talking to one of the tavern maids, his cheeks flushed pink. Everyone watched in bated breath as if trying to eavesdrop on their conversation; Keygan’s dopey smile widening while the ferret maid nodded along, holding onto a platter of half-drunk mugs of ale.
“He’s lasting longer this time,” Jace whispered beside Denya. “You think this is the one?”
“Maybe,” Denya muttered back. Soon, he found himself taking a half-gasp as Keygan offered his paw.
Before bursting out in laughter as the ferret took one of the mugs of ale, splashing it on the white fox’s face.
It wasn’t just Denya; the entire table erupted in teases and jeers as Keygan slumped his way back. The other fox’s ears were folded and his tail curled, but there was no hiding that dopey grin on his face. “I thought I had it this time,” he said as he took his seat, his words slightly slurred.
“We thought so too!” The rider beside Keygan patted his back, a maned wolf named… Richard? Denya couldn’t remember. “What’d you say, mate? You looked like you were doing good, up until the end, at least.”
Keygan snickered loudly, slumping back in his seat. “I was just telling her how I feel, ya know? She had a great voice, a pretty smile, cute eyes, a perfect body… and I wanted her to sit on my face-“
“Noooo! You fumbled it, idiot!” Yet again, the table erupted into teasing, with the maned wolf possibly named Richard shoving Keygan so hard, Denya was afraid the other fox was about to fall out of his seat. Finally, a different fox for everyone to bully! At the very least, Keygan brought it on himself, although Denya couldn’t help but wonder if others thought the same way when he himself got in trouble.
At the very least, Keygan could certainly handle being teased better than Denya did, the arctic fox laughing nearly as loud as the rest of the riders as he waved his paws. “Whatever, whatever! I don’t want to hear shit from you, Rikard!” Ooooh, that’s his name. “I saw how you tight your breeches got when Melissa lifted her leggings-“
“Shut your mouth!” Rikard practically lunged at the snickering fox, trying to force shut that muzzle. Before the two could start a full-on brawl, alas, one of the tavern maids visited their table, warning them that rowdy behavior wouldn’t be tolerated. Just like that, everyone returned to their seats, apologizing so quickly, even the maid was taken aback. They were all riders at a war-college, after all. Respect for proper authority figures was one of the first lessons ingrained into each and every one of them.
How else could they earn their dragons’ respect?
But that wasn’t enough to ruin anyone’s buzz or good time, because with that last outburst, the topic of someone’s ideal partner came out. Rikard begrudgingly admitted that, yes, thick thighs were his passion, and even went far enough to describe his fantasy of getting crushed by them. Next to him, an otter named Brianne claimed her dream man was someone over 6’ tall, to which many of the males at the table stood up afterwards, just to compare heights. Next came Jace, who quickly blurted out that his ideal partner was “anyone with a pulse.” The table had a good laugh, and Denya shared a knowing wink.
But then it was Denya’s turn.
The fox had planned on hand-waving that question aside, make some generic answer like “I like strong men,” or something of the sort. However, he felt a very familiar stirring in his head; Xem was paying close attention. Either the dragon had just finished his hunt, or he was pausing just to listen to what his rider would say, he didn’t bother hiding the fact he was listening aptly.
Which meant Denya had to be more specific. “Alright then,” the fox muttered, glancing down at his third mug. “I like a man who can kick my ass.” He lifted the drink to his muzzle for a sip. “So, in other words, I don’t like many guys.”
The fox grinned behind his drink as he heard a couple “oooh’s” at his bold claims, as well as a soft rumble of approval from Xem. “Confidence suits you.”
Alas, Adrian had to ruin the moment with his next few words. “So, Eperin, then?”
Denya nearly spat out his drink on the table, the fox forced to hold it back in and drink it down. His eyes watered as he felt the carbonation rush out of his nose as he frantically rubbed his face. “E-Excuse me?”
“Eperin!” Adrian exclaimed in that loud, friendly voice that Denya really wished wasn’t so loud right now. “He’s been training you on how to wield your staff ever since we first enlisted, way before any of us were even picked by our dragons at Threshing! And I know you didn’t get as good as you are overnight. He’s definitely kicked your ass a couple times… probably still can!”
“I-I guess?!” Denya coughed, his face reddening for more reasons than just the alcohol. He could feel Xem growling in his head. “But, like… he’s a professor!”
“So?” The badger snickered. “This isn’t high school, and I’m not saying you two have a thing going on. I’m just asking if he’s your type.”
The fox folded his ears. “I mean… kinda, yeah.” It was horrifying, how right-on-the-money Adrian got. Truthfully, Denya did hold a bit of a crush on Eperin during their sparring practices. It wasn’t nearly as dramatic as the crush he had on Xem; the fox was still able to interact with the battle-hardened wolf naturally. He just… got a little short on breath every time he felt Eperin wrap those burly arms around him from behind, showing the fox how and where to properly grip his staff for different stances-
“I’m going to kill him.” Xem snarled. “I’m going to trample him, burn his corpse, and devour what remains.”
“For gods’ sake, Xem, this was MONTHS ago. Please don’t tell me you’re jealous.”
“Of an Anthro? Never.” The dragon muttered back, but Denya could still feel the frustration through their link. He could use another drink.
Jace must have read the discomfort on Denya’s face, for he quickly looked over at the badger. “Alright, your turn. Who’s your ideal partner?”
“That’s a gooooood question.” Adrian smirked, taking a long drought of his mug; no doubt just building up suspension. Well, it definitely worked; Denya noticed many riders learning closer in their seats, with the fox himself sitting up straighter.
But then, the badger set his drink down, and the fox felt his breath get caught in his throat when the two suddenly shared eye contact. “I think I share the same tastes as Denya. I like a guy who thinks he can kick my ass.”
The room began spinning, and Denya was somewhat certain it wasn’t the alcohol doing it. Was this really happening? The wide-eyed, smirking faces looking his way certainly convinced him it was. Was this a genuine pass at him, or was Adrian just messing with him?
The fox sat upright in his chair, leaning his arm against the table to stabilize himself better. “Is that a challenge?” He muttered as boldly as he could, trying to hide the fact he’d been completely caught off guard.
From the corner of his vision, he could see Rikard frowning into his mug, shaking it around. “What the hell?” The maned wolf muttered.
“It just might be.” Adrian chuckled, leaning against the table as well; coincidently towards Denya. “Been a while since I’ve seen you fight, Den. It’d be a shame if that’s all hot air inflating your ego.”
Denya scoffed at that, before returning the grin. “Alright, challenge accepted. Just don’t complain if it’s more than just your own ego that’s bruised afterwards.”
“Fine with me.” The badger lowered his eyes slightly. “I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeves. Tricks to get you on your back, one way or the other.”
Before the fox could reply, he was suddenly overcome with a violent, near-uncontrollable bout of rage. It took the beer-addled vulpine a moment to realize this wasn’t his own feelings but Xem’s, the dragon roaring in his head. Gods, he thought he had his shields up. Maybe he didn’t need more beer after all-
THUNK!
The sudden sound made the fox jump in his seat as everyone swiveled to the source of the noise. There, they found a wide-eyed Rikard sitting with his frosted mug overturned, a frozen-solid cylinder of ale plopped onto the table, slowly sliding along the wooden surface. For a moment, the table stayed silent as Denya began pondering if The Tulip Tavern took its promise of “ice-cold drinks” a little too literally. But then, his eyes locked on to the faint light-blue light emanating from the maned wolf’s paw, and suddenly it all made sense.
“You’ve linked!” Adrian called out, voicing everyone’s thoughts with a grin. “You’re an ice-wielder!”
“I-I did?” Rikard muttered, staring at his paw with shock. Slowly, he reached out towards Keygan, who shivered and flinched away, a new layer of frost coating his jacket. “Y-Yeah, I did! I Linked!”
“Great! Can you Link somewhere else? You’re giving me the cold shoulder.” The white-furred fox shivered, brushing the ice from his coat.
From next to Denya, Jace pushed his mug forward. “Here, please. My ale’s lukewarm.”
The maned wolf held his paw out, the light-blue light intensifying for a moment. Soon, a second frozen cylinder of ale floated across the table, along with plenty more cackling. Linked powers are hard to control when they first manifest.
“I’m happy for you, Rikard! Ice is really versatile.” The badger reached for the frozen clump of ale and plopped it into his own mug; either to avoid making a mess or to drink it himself when it thawed. “Now we just need Zeak, Dylan, and Denya to manifest theirs, and then we’d all qualify for the War Games-“
“Uh, actually.” Denya cleared his throat, raising a paw. “I manifested mine last month.”
“What?!”
The fox’s ears folded back as he became the center of attention yet again. He even noticed other eyes turning to look at him, eyes not just belonging to this table, likely other riders. Dammit, him and his big mouth. Now he was back to needing another drink. He reached for Jace’s frozen ale-cylinder instead, plopping it into his own mug while ignoring the hurtful look from the raccoon. “That was mine!”
“It was making a mess.” Not like anyone else seemed to care at the moment.
Adrian leaned in closer, his eyes still wide. “Why didn’t you tell us sooner?”
“It never came up!” The fox shrugged. Was it that big of a deal? “And I only manifested it once. It’s… not something I can call upon at will yet.”
“Oh, so it’s a strong Link!” The badger’s face split into a wide, toothy grin. “Tell us, what is it? How’d it form?”
Denya winced. Bernant was supposed to be mainly a secret for now; the fox knew he shouldn’t have mentioned his Link forming. But dammit, he’d been having so much fun up till now, and was enjoying letting his tongue get looser with each drink he had. But this wasn’t like Keygan making an ass of himself in public. If Denya wasn’t careful, he could let important information slip.
“I, uh…” The fox scratched at the side of his muzzle. “I was just having a really… really emotional moment. And then I just… got really strong.” Denya slurred his words a bit, intentionally this time. Hopefully the alcohol was a good enough excuse as to why he was being so vague.
Adrian tilted his head. “Alright, your Link makes you strong… anything else?”
“Not really.” The fox’s ears fell back. “I just got really strong. Like, I thought I could lift a dragon, strong.”
That got a couple of snorts from the table, and Denya allowed himself a silly, drunken grin.
“I like getting stepped on.” The tiger sitting next to Adrian blurted out.
That definitely caused a commotion; Denya nearly spat out his drink, and Jace started coughing loudly next to him. Adrian stared back. “Where the hell did that come from!?”
“I’ve been waiting for my turn forever!” The tiger grumbled. “Adrian said what he liked, then he and Denya started eye-fucking each other, now Rikard’s freezing everyone’s drinks. Well, I like it when strong women step on me. There, just wanted that off my chest.”
“Would you like something else on your chest instead?” Brianne the otter teased, lowering her head onto her paws.
“S-Shut up!” The tiger went beet red, and quite a few chuckles and shoves were thrown his way.
That is, until the mongoose next to him spoke up. “Are you all serious? Keygan wants to get sat on, Rikard wants his head popped off like a melon, Brianne wants a giant, Jace will take anything, Denya and Adrian want someone to beat the shit out of them, and now Tony wants to get stepped on? What the hell did this college do to you people to turn you all into fucking masochists?!”
And that caused a roar of commotion, before laughter and shouting. Denya laughed heartily along as his comrades descended into chaos, grateful the shift of attention wasn’t fully on him anymore. He would have chimed in with some half-hearted defense along with the rest of his tablemates, but alas, he caught sight of the maids glaring at their table. Something told him there would be no amount of groveling that wouldn’t get them kicked out from the tavern.
Just as Denya feared, the walk back to their dragons’ rendezvous point was miserable. The sun had set long ago, and the snow storm hadn’t let up during their time inside. Fortunately, they had a fire-wielder among them, producing a steady stream of flames from his hands to melt a path out of town for everyone to follow.
Unfortunately, that fire-wielder was Keygan, who needed to be watched by Rikard to ensure he didn’t accidentally set himself on fire.
For now, Denya paid careful attention to his footing as he followed the trail out, his arms raised slightly for balance. The fire ensured they wouldn’t have to wade through knee-high snow, but the dark slush beneath his boots was just as treacherous. The flames couldn’t melt everything, and a sudden patch of ice could be dangerous for any dragon rider. They were marching uphill, after all, and all it would take was for one rider to slip and fall to knock everyone else down like bowling pins.
What a silly sight they must be to the village locals. A pack of drunk anthros using fire to clear their way into the forest, disappearing behind the trees, only to reappear weeks later to get drunk once more. Of course, the village was well aware of the dragon-riding college not too far away, but the thought of someone seeing the sight and wondering “where the hell are these idiots waddling off to,” brought a snicker forth from the fox’s muzzle.
“You have a nice laugh.”
Denya chanced a glance behind, noting the badger’s smiling face right behind him. Even marching uphill and several steps ahead, the two of them were perfectly eye-level.
The fox huffed, turning back to stare at his feet. “You’re a tease.”
“Am not.” The badger muttered. “But if I am, it’s only because your reactions make it funny.”
“That’s not nice.” The fox muttered, pausing for a second to regain his balance. “You’re just saying crap because you’re drunk.”
“You’re drunk, too. Sounds like we’re on even ground.”
“We are not. I’m higher on this hill than you.”
The badger snorted behind him, and Denya felt a smirk tug at his lips. About time someone appreciated his terrible jokes, even if that someone wasn’t fully sober.
Although, with how clearly Adrian enunciated his next words, Denya could be forgiven for thinking he was sober. “You should try out for the War Games with us, though. You’d do great.”
“Are you sure?” Denya raised a brow, as if the badger could see it from behind. “You sounded a bit disappointed when I told you what my Link was.”
“I was expecting it to be flashier, I guess, since our Links are supposed to match our personalities, but I’m not disappointed in the slightest.” The fox didn’t need to turn around to picture the warm smile on Adrian’s face. “I mean it. If you can make yourself strong enough to lift a dragon, we’d win for sure.”
“I said I felt like I could lift a dragon. I never actually tried, and the only available dragon near me at the time wouldn’t have been too thrilled if I demonstrated on him.” Denya grunted, furrowing his brow. Walking and talking was difficult. “Besides, I’ve only really Linked once, and that’s because I begged Xem for his power. I doubt I could do it again on my own, even if I wasn’t four or five beers deep.”
“You won’t know until you try.” Denya heard Adrian’s coat ruffling as the badger shrugged. “But we’d love to have you on board. Same with your giant ruby dragon!”
Denya snorted. “What are you, the captain of the team or something?”
“Actually, yes. I am.”
“Oh.” Somehow, that slipped Denya’s mind. It wasn’t like the fox really paid the badger much heed to begin with. Adrian was always surrounded by other anthros, anthros who were all… better at something than Denya was. Better grades, better looks, better personality. It felt a little surreal, having a one-on-one with Adrian like this, being told from the badger he’d be welcomed on the War Games. This wasn’t like when he invited the fox to the tavern earlier either, where it just felt like a blanket invite to get as many riders to a party as possible. This felt a bit more personal, and it made the fox’s heart skip a beat.
Just in time for his feet to slip on a patch of ice.
“Shi-“ Denya felt himself falling back, his feet flying up before him. Dammit, he was about to crash into Adrian and send everyone sprawling down the hill, all because he got distracted from a stupid compliment! He’d be lucky to be invited anywhere after this!
As the fox flew past the point of no return, bracing himself to impact the ice below and start sliding, he was caught by a pair of firm, mighty arms, strong enough to stop Denya’s momentum entirely, despite the treacherous ground beneath them. “W-Woah! Are you ok?”
Denya gasped, relief flooding into his system. He looked up at the badger’s concerned face, taking into account the worry lines above those dark brown eyes, illuminated by the steady stream of fire up head. “Y-Yeah… sorry.”
“You’re fine. I got you.” Adrian smiled softly, his worry melting like the snow before them. “Although I gotta say, if it’s that easy to get you on your back, our match won’t last very long.”
“Give me a break.” Denya rolled his eyes, snickering. “I’m drunk.”
“So am I.” The badger teased. “See, we have so much in common.”
The fox chuckled at that, looking up at the larger Anthro. At some point, he forgot he was supposed to be looking for purchase on the ground, content to just lean into the badger’s firm, sturdy frame. It’s not like Adrian looked like he was struggling or anything. Hell, he could probably carry Denya the rest of the way there-
“You have two seconds to tell the striped one to release you before I grind his bones into dust.”
Oh shit.
Denya flicked his head up in time to see Xem stomping through the snow towards them, his ruby-red scales illuminated by the fire. Fire which went out immediately as Keygan stumbled and fell to the side, letting out a string of swears as the dragon marched right by.
The fox sighed, before planting his feet on the ground, ensuring he was stable before patting Adrian’s shoulders. “I’m fine, thank you. You can let me go now.”
“O-Oh, yeah. Sure.” The badger carefully released Denya, stepping away when the fox stood on his own. “Sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry for.” Denya said, looking back up at the dragon. They were still several minutes of walking away from reaching their rendezvous point, the fox hoping it was dark enough outside that no one in the village below would see a giant red dragon standing on the hill. But, it’s not like he could tell Xem to head back and wait for them where they agreed on, not when the dragon was this pissed.
Denya sighed through his nose, before speaking with his dragon telepathically. “Enjoy your hunt?”
“It was rather successful, yes.” Xem grunted, and Denya noticed the dragon was still chewing. “And did you enjoy fraternizing with the striped one?” Those slitted, golden eyes shifted briefly towards Adrian, and Denya saw the badger step back and look away.
“It’s not fraternizing! We’re talking about Links and the War Games. All school related topics.” Denya frowned.
“While he holds you like a whelp and speaks of putting you on your back.” Xem glared, leaning his large head closer to Denya.
“What’s… What’s going on?” Denya heard Jace ask someone behind them. “That’s Denya’s dragon, right?
“Yeah, it is. I think they’re fighting?” The tiger from earlier muttered.
“He saved me from falling, and we’re bantering about fighting!” Denya crossed his arms. “I didn’t give you this much trouble when you went off to your secret dragon meeting.”
“Do not lie to me, Fox.” Xem bellowed, revealing his sharp, bloodied teeth. “It’s for that reason alone you refuse to lay with me again.”
Dammit, now Denya’s face was heating up again, and in front of all these people!
“Is Denya… you know, gonna be alright?” The fox heard another voice behind him, painfully realizing that it was more than just their table group witnessing this back and forth. The other dragon riders had caught up as well, using Keygan’s fire trail to make their way. Wonderful.
“I-I don’t know? Should we, like, help?” Another hushed voice.
“Help with what? That’s a bigass dragon! If he wants to eat Denya, we kinda just have to watch and hope we’re not next.” Gods, this was getting embarrassing.
The fox sighed again, trying to compose himself. “At least I’m keeping myself honest, here. I don’t have a clue what you’re doing with your dragon friends.”
“Matters I am not at liberty to discuss, least of all with you.”
“I thought we agreed not to keep secrets from each other anymore.”
“There are some secrets not even I can share, stubborn fox!”
“You could have at least said something before we decided to… lay with each other, so I wouldn’t think you were making excuses to leave me!”
“Like you’ve made excuses to avoid me, when you’re my rider?!”
Denya and Xem were practically inches from each other, the fox knowing damn well he wouldn’t win this stare down with the most stubborn dragon in the continent. But dammit, he was drunk and foolish and he wanted to try! If Xem didn’t see him as a potential partner in life, then fine, but the least he could do was let Denya mingle with others from his year, and not make a scene with everyone watching behind him! The mutterings and whisperings were only increasing, and the fox wasn’t sure how to break away from this argument to ensure everyone he wasn’t about to become dragon food, at least not without angering Xem further.
But before he could think of anything, a familiar, grating voice broke out from the crowd behind him. “Honestly, this doesn’t surprise me.” Zeak exclaims loudly, loud and bold from his own share of booze. “Denya’s good at pissing off everyone around him. No wonder his dragon can’t stand his fucking guts. Can it hurry up and torch the stupid fox so we can go home?”
And then, Chaos erupted.
Denya felt a flash of pure rage enter his mind as Xem suddenly leapt from where he stood, kicking up snow with his step. “Xem!” The fox cried out, but he was helpless to watch his dragon barreling down the hill. Cries and yelps of various riders rang out as they leapt out of the way to avoid getting trampled by Xem.
But no one cried as loud as Zeak, who stumbled on his back with an expression of pure horror at the dragon charging towards him with murderous intent.
“Xem, stop!” Denya tried again, just in time to hear the sounds of trees cracking and snapping. From the nearby woods, a flash of green erupted out to stand between Zeak and Xem: The lion’s emerald-green dragon, alert to the peril their rider was in.
But not even another dragon was enough to stop Xem’s charge. With a furious roar, the scarlet dragon collided with the other reptile, and their size difference became all the more obvious. With the force of his blow alone, Xem was able to push back the green dragon, and in a flash of teeth, he had his foe’s neck in his mouth.
“Xem!” Denya yelled, stumbling after him as fast as he legs could carry him. “Let them go!”
“He does not speak like that to my rider!” Xem let out a muffled roar, his teeth pressing into the green dragon’s neck, who continued to squirm and fight beneath its red oppressor.
“Xem!”
“The maned one needs to grovel! Tell him to grovel!”
But Zeak was doing far worse than that. The lion was laying on his back, his face frozen in fear, his torso barely even propped up by his elbows to watch what was taking place mere feet before him. And from that angle, Denya could see his snow pants were damp against his legs; and not because of the snow.
“Xem, please, he looks like he’s about to pass out! He’s learned his lesson. I’m begging you, let his dragon go!”
Xem was snarling, breathing heavily through his mouth, but Denya could see his words were finally taking effect. The scarlet dragon finally opened his mouth and retreated, releasing the lion’s dragon from his mouth. The green drake spit back with a quiet, angry roar, but knew better than to retaliate, instead returning to inspect Zeak.
Just as Xem did to Denya, lowering himself to the fox. “We’re leaving.”
Denya sighed, shaking his head. He couldn’t have one outing, one outing, without something going wrong. This night had almost been the perfect break from his hectic life at the war college, the chance he had to finally make friends other than Versailles, who was surely getting sick of the fox asking him for study/sparring sessions. It’d be a miracle if he’d be wanted into the War Games now, with his volatile dragon.
“Sorry, everyone. We’re going now.” Denya sighed, before clambering onto his dragon, the drunkenness having left his body after that outburst. The fox barely had time to find his seat on the dragon’s back before Xem launched himself into the air, knocking the breath out of his lungs.
It was the worst flight of Denya’s life.
The two of them had ridden together in silence before, but it’d never been this quiet. And not just because the snowy landscape was muffling the sound of Xem’s powerful wingbeats, the air was practically suffocating. Denya could easily feel how tense the dragon’s muscles were beneath him; or maybe that was his own body pressing against Xem. In any case, he couldn’t stand a thirty minute flight with his atmosphere.
So, he tried breaking the ice. “Could you… fly a little slower? The bobbing is kinda upsetting my stomach.”
“Why don’t you fly, and I ride on your back and complain in your ear.”
Denya sighed. So much for that. “Look, Xem, you didn’t have to do that-“
“Yes I did.”
Gods, it was like arguing with an enormous toddler. “Zeak talks shit about me constantly. I can handle it.”
“You expect me to sit idly by while my rider is insulted right before me?”
“I expect you to let me fight my own battles, yes. And Zeak isn’t even worth it.”
Xem snorted. “You’re very capable of fighting with your stick-“
“-My staff-“
“-Your toothpick!” Xem growled. “But when you’re unarmed, the antlered one consistently defeats you. And when it comes to a battle of words, you’re hopelessly outmatched.”
“I don’t always need the last word.” Denya huffed. They were gonna wind up going back and forth again, until they’re absolutely miserable by the time they made it back to the college.
The fox sighed and leaned further into Xem’s back, his head throbbing softly. Despite the headache of the alcohol and his overprotective dragon, he still found some enjoyability in this flight. It was quiet, and the snowy forest below them was a breathtaking sight. On their way to the tavern, Denya flew with numerous other dragons and their riders. Now, after having left in that fashion, the two were the only ones aloft for miles around, save for the unlucky birds who decided to take flight near Xem’s mouth.
Denya rubbed at the base of Xem’s neck, tilting his head. “Can we talk about that night?”
“Only if you’re ready.” The dragon grumbled. “I’m at my last nerve having you constantly shy away, and after claiming to have feelings for me, no less.”
“I DO have feelings for you. Strong ones at that!” The fox mentally pleaded. They were supposed to be fully honest with one another, right? “That was one of the best moments of my life, laying with you.”
“Then why are you so determined not to reenact it? Would you rather lay with the striped one?”
“No!” Denya called out, breaking the still air between them. The fox flushed at that, especially as he saw Xem raise his head, turning back to give him a sidelong glance.
Denya shook his head. “That’s not it at all. I just want to know that… I’m not being stupid.”
“Stupid for liking a dragon?” Xem growled at that; Denya could feel him heating up beneath him.
“No!” Ugh, Xem was right. Denya could not win a battle of words. “I’m saying, I don’t know how you feel about me. You made a few comments that I didn’t think about at the time, but… I don’t know. You held me when I broke down crying, and you also held me when I had another… vulnerable moment. Then you left me without any warning, after I’d calmed down, so… It-It feels a little convenient, that’s all. Like you were looking for an excuse to leave when you noticed I was doing better.”
It was the full truth, and something Denya had been grappling with ever since he watched Xem fly away that evening. The dragon was so ready to just drop their session, to soar away, right when the moment between them was reaching its peak. Denya had no idea that was something dragons had to deal with: suddenly receiving summons they couldn’t ignore. He knew Xem would never lie, but it just felt so convenient, just thinking back on it made his heart ache. He poured everything into Xem at that moment, and the dragon reciprocated! They were so close to one another…
From beneath him, the fox could feel Xem heating up further, enough for snow to start sizzling off of his wings. “You’d think I’d LIE to you?”
“Of course not!” Denya winced. “But you’re keeping secrets from me, and we promised-“
“FINE!” The dragon let out a piercing roar, the noise echoing throughout the mountain. “Twenty years ago, my last rider DIED sitting where you are now, and I was powerless to do a damn thing about it. Not a day passes where I wish it had been me instead, as I was the one who brought him to that damn battlefield instead. I thought I’ve moved on, but now I have a new rider, who is not only great at making enemies, who not only needs help taking care of myself, but somehow, SOMEHOW, he has found a weakness in the armor I’ve built around my heart, and despite my better judgement, despite knowing what fate befalls you reckless riders, I can’t help but want to keep this one close to me forever!”
Oh.
The air became silent yet again. Denya wasn’t sure he could even hear Xem’s wing beats anymore. Suddenly, it didn’t matter if Xem’s summon was an excuse or a coincidence. This relationship they shared was hurting the dragon far, far more than he let on. This was the first time Xem admitted to returning the feelings he had for Denya, and just…
Fuck, the fox was crying, his tears burning his eyes worse than Xem was burning his seat. He was an asshole! How could he forget about Zander? The fox never even assumed Xem could be afraid of anything, but the dragon was certainly terrified of losing another rider…
“Xem, I-“
“I do not accept apologies.”
“I know…” Denya sighed. Xem was starting to cool off, and the fox allowed himself to lean against the dragon’s neck, giving it a gentle hug. “But I can at least acknowledge I was wrong for assuming; which, yes, I’m aware I’m terrible at.”
The dragon snorted. “I appreciate the honesty.”
And they rode on in silence, the snowy skies above them finally parting, revealing the beautiful jewels of stars above.
Yes, I've been writing this series nonstop since I first posted! Book 1 is done, and I'm a little over halfway with book 2! Been considering turning these into novels at some point, even though they need a lot of editing and changes.
Anyway, enjoy my attempt at drama as Denya tries to enjoy a night out with friends while dealing with a relationship fallout between himself and his own dragon.
I hope you all enjoy! 6.6k words.
Chapter 4
“A toast!” Adrian stood up suddenly from his seat, the large badger clinking the side of his mug with his claws. “Here’s to hell… that our stay there will be as fun as our way there!”
A steady roar erupted from the rest of the table, a few cries of “here here” echoing around as well. Even Denya had to raise his mug to that, taking a deep drought of his beer as Adrian retook his seat next to him.
This was easily the most fun Denya has had since enrolling in the war college. The stress of their exams were behind them, which meant the fox could finally take a night out on town to celebrate surviving his first year. It was about time he stopped studying and being smart; now it was time to get drunk and stupid!
Surprisingly, this hadn’t even been his idea to begin with. Adrian was the one who organized the event, inviting many of the first years in his quadrant to party at The Tulip Tavern. To his delight, the fox had been one of the students invited. He would have thought his shenanigans at school would have made him a less popular pick, what with him constantly being a distraction in class- even if Versailles had helped him curb his more fidgety habits. Maybe they wanted to bring him along as a joker, someone to laugh at and flick foodstuffs at, he thought at the time
But no, this was turning into a genuinely good time! Warm food, cold beers, and plenty of happy faces were the perfect way to unwind after a very intense series of exams. The fox’s face was starting to ache, how much he’d been laughing and smiling. It felt great being able to mingle with other students, with other friends, without standing out as the butt of a joke or the awkward, silent one to gawk at. It felt great being able to belong.
They weren’t the only ones from their school who thought to drown their post-exam sorrows and joys in beer. Occasionally the front door to the tavern would open, and Denya would spot a familiar face stepping in, with the snowy cold air following close by. Unfortunately, one of those faces belonged to Zeak, but the lion had thankfully taken a seat far away from their table. Good; the fox didn’t want to think about the anthros who didn’t like him today.
Because right now, he was too busy making friends! Adrian, of course, being one of them, the brawny badger easily being one of the most charismatic and outgoing of their quadrant. He was often the loudest one in any group he was in; a trait further enhanced by the amount he’s already had to drink tonight. It was a bit of a challenge to talk to him one-on-one, however, as he was the type to always have a friend around to challenge his attention as well, but whenever they did speak directly to each other, the badger was nothing but genuine and supportive, two rare traits in a war college meant to forge you into the mightiest weapon. Take that and combine it with the badger’s surprising skill on the sparring mat, and it wasn’t a surprise he was one of the most popular riders of their year.
It wasn’t just Adrian that Denya was becoming chummy with, either. Jace, a raccoon Denya shared most of his classes with, also chose to sit next to Denya and talk. It very quickly became apparent to the fox that he was using Denya to try and learn more about Versailles; the raccoon was absolutely smitten with the deer, and lately Versailles had been spending plenty of time with the fox for sparring and studying. Unfortunately, Versailles couldn’t join them; the deer wasn’t much for big social gatherings, and while Jace claimed that it didn’t bother him too much, Denya noticed the raccoon stealing glances towards the front door every time it opened, as if hoping a certain someone would come through.
Alas, not everything was perfect; the fox felt his stomach churn whenever he noticed the snowstorm brewing outside. They couldn’t exactly fly their dragons directly before the tavern, as the local population may not take too kindly to seeing a bunch of enormous, fire-breathing reptiles clogging up the streets. The riders had to leave their dragons out of sight some distance away. The trek to the tavern was already rather strenuous, before the snow and the alcohol had time to pile up. Denya didn’t want to imagine how difficult it will be to hike back to where he parked his dragon-
“You didn’t park me anywhere! I’m not some vehicle you can leave at your leisure!” Xem growled in Denya’s head.
“I know, I know.” The fox stifled a snicker as he silently thought back to his dragon. “You’re not parked, that’s just our rendezvous point. You’re off doing important dragon things now.”
“Hunting, but yes.”
“How’s that going?”
The dragon let out a low rumble. “I’ve just picked up the scent of a particularly plump sheep-“
That was all the fox needed to hear before throwing up his shields, closing the mental doorway connecting himself and the dragon. Alas, the alcohol was taking its effect, and the fox couldn’t quite close the door all the way, meaning he was forced to listen to some rather… graphic noises. Xem was such a messy eater. He needed a distraction.
Thankfully, that distraction came soon enough as Adrian suddenly let out a very loud shush directed at everyone at their table. “G-guys, guys, shush!” He snorted, pointing with a claw. “Keygan’s going for another one.”
Oh, this he had to see! Denya turned his head, along with the other 8 riders sitting at their table, to watch as a white-furred fox stood talking to one of the tavern maids, his cheeks flushed pink. Everyone watched in bated breath as if trying to eavesdrop on their conversation; Keygan’s dopey smile widening while the ferret maid nodded along, holding onto a platter of half-drunk mugs of ale.
“He’s lasting longer this time,” Jace whispered beside Denya. “You think this is the one?”
“Maybe,” Denya muttered back. Soon, he found himself taking a half-gasp as Keygan offered his paw.
Before bursting out in laughter as the ferret took one of the mugs of ale, splashing it on the white fox’s face.
It wasn’t just Denya; the entire table erupted in teases and jeers as Keygan slumped his way back. The other fox’s ears were folded and his tail curled, but there was no hiding that dopey grin on his face. “I thought I had it this time,” he said as he took his seat, his words slightly slurred.
“We thought so too!” The rider beside Keygan patted his back, a maned wolf named… Richard? Denya couldn’t remember. “What’d you say, mate? You looked like you were doing good, up until the end, at least.”
Keygan snickered loudly, slumping back in his seat. “I was just telling her how I feel, ya know? She had a great voice, a pretty smile, cute eyes, a perfect body… and I wanted her to sit on my face-“
“Noooo! You fumbled it, idiot!” Yet again, the table erupted into teasing, with the maned wolf possibly named Richard shoving Keygan so hard, Denya was afraid the other fox was about to fall out of his seat. Finally, a different fox for everyone to bully! At the very least, Keygan brought it on himself, although Denya couldn’t help but wonder if others thought the same way when he himself got in trouble.
At the very least, Keygan could certainly handle being teased better than Denya did, the arctic fox laughing nearly as loud as the rest of the riders as he waved his paws. “Whatever, whatever! I don’t want to hear shit from you, Rikard!” Ooooh, that’s his name. “I saw how you tight your breeches got when Melissa lifted her leggings-“
“Shut your mouth!” Rikard practically lunged at the snickering fox, trying to force shut that muzzle. Before the two could start a full-on brawl, alas, one of the tavern maids visited their table, warning them that rowdy behavior wouldn’t be tolerated. Just like that, everyone returned to their seats, apologizing so quickly, even the maid was taken aback. They were all riders at a war-college, after all. Respect for proper authority figures was one of the first lessons ingrained into each and every one of them.
How else could they earn their dragons’ respect?
But that wasn’t enough to ruin anyone’s buzz or good time, because with that last outburst, the topic of someone’s ideal partner came out. Rikard begrudgingly admitted that, yes, thick thighs were his passion, and even went far enough to describe his fantasy of getting crushed by them. Next to him, an otter named Brianne claimed her dream man was someone over 6’ tall, to which many of the males at the table stood up afterwards, just to compare heights. Next came Jace, who quickly blurted out that his ideal partner was “anyone with a pulse.” The table had a good laugh, and Denya shared a knowing wink.
But then it was Denya’s turn.
The fox had planned on hand-waving that question aside, make some generic answer like “I like strong men,” or something of the sort. However, he felt a very familiar stirring in his head; Xem was paying close attention. Either the dragon had just finished his hunt, or he was pausing just to listen to what his rider would say, he didn’t bother hiding the fact he was listening aptly.
Which meant Denya had to be more specific. “Alright then,” the fox muttered, glancing down at his third mug. “I like a man who can kick my ass.” He lifted the drink to his muzzle for a sip. “So, in other words, I don’t like many guys.”
The fox grinned behind his drink as he heard a couple “oooh’s” at his bold claims, as well as a soft rumble of approval from Xem. “Confidence suits you.”
Alas, Adrian had to ruin the moment with his next few words. “So, Eperin, then?”
Denya nearly spat out his drink on the table, the fox forced to hold it back in and drink it down. His eyes watered as he felt the carbonation rush out of his nose as he frantically rubbed his face. “E-Excuse me?”
“Eperin!” Adrian exclaimed in that loud, friendly voice that Denya really wished wasn’t so loud right now. “He’s been training you on how to wield your staff ever since we first enlisted, way before any of us were even picked by our dragons at Threshing! And I know you didn’t get as good as you are overnight. He’s definitely kicked your ass a couple times… probably still can!”
“I-I guess?!” Denya coughed, his face reddening for more reasons than just the alcohol. He could feel Xem growling in his head. “But, like… he’s a professor!”
“So?” The badger snickered. “This isn’t high school, and I’m not saying you two have a thing going on. I’m just asking if he’s your type.”
The fox folded his ears. “I mean… kinda, yeah.” It was horrifying, how right-on-the-money Adrian got. Truthfully, Denya did hold a bit of a crush on Eperin during their sparring practices. It wasn’t nearly as dramatic as the crush he had on Xem; the fox was still able to interact with the battle-hardened wolf naturally. He just… got a little short on breath every time he felt Eperin wrap those burly arms around him from behind, showing the fox how and where to properly grip his staff for different stances-
“I’m going to kill him.” Xem snarled. “I’m going to trample him, burn his corpse, and devour what remains.”
“For gods’ sake, Xem, this was MONTHS ago. Please don’t tell me you’re jealous.”
“Of an Anthro? Never.” The dragon muttered back, but Denya could still feel the frustration through their link. He could use another drink.
Jace must have read the discomfort on Denya’s face, for he quickly looked over at the badger. “Alright, your turn. Who’s your ideal partner?”
“That’s a gooooood question.” Adrian smirked, taking a long drought of his mug; no doubt just building up suspension. Well, it definitely worked; Denya noticed many riders learning closer in their seats, with the fox himself sitting up straighter.
But then, the badger set his drink down, and the fox felt his breath get caught in his throat when the two suddenly shared eye contact. “I think I share the same tastes as Denya. I like a guy who thinks he can kick my ass.”
The room began spinning, and Denya was somewhat certain it wasn’t the alcohol doing it. Was this really happening? The wide-eyed, smirking faces looking his way certainly convinced him it was. Was this a genuine pass at him, or was Adrian just messing with him?
The fox sat upright in his chair, leaning his arm against the table to stabilize himself better. “Is that a challenge?” He muttered as boldly as he could, trying to hide the fact he’d been completely caught off guard.
From the corner of his vision, he could see Rikard frowning into his mug, shaking it around. “What the hell?” The maned wolf muttered.
“It just might be.” Adrian chuckled, leaning against the table as well; coincidently towards Denya. “Been a while since I’ve seen you fight, Den. It’d be a shame if that’s all hot air inflating your ego.”
Denya scoffed at that, before returning the grin. “Alright, challenge accepted. Just don’t complain if it’s more than just your own ego that’s bruised afterwards.”
“Fine with me.” The badger lowered his eyes slightly. “I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeves. Tricks to get you on your back, one way or the other.”
Before the fox could reply, he was suddenly overcome with a violent, near-uncontrollable bout of rage. It took the beer-addled vulpine a moment to realize this wasn’t his own feelings but Xem’s, the dragon roaring in his head. Gods, he thought he had his shields up. Maybe he didn’t need more beer after all-
THUNK!
The sudden sound made the fox jump in his seat as everyone swiveled to the source of the noise. There, they found a wide-eyed Rikard sitting with his frosted mug overturned, a frozen-solid cylinder of ale plopped onto the table, slowly sliding along the wooden surface. For a moment, the table stayed silent as Denya began pondering if The Tulip Tavern took its promise of “ice-cold drinks” a little too literally. But then, his eyes locked on to the faint light-blue light emanating from the maned wolf’s paw, and suddenly it all made sense.
“You’ve linked!” Adrian called out, voicing everyone’s thoughts with a grin. “You’re an ice-wielder!”
“I-I did?” Rikard muttered, staring at his paw with shock. Slowly, he reached out towards Keygan, who shivered and flinched away, a new layer of frost coating his jacket. “Y-Yeah, I did! I Linked!”
“Great! Can you Link somewhere else? You’re giving me the cold shoulder.” The white-furred fox shivered, brushing the ice from his coat.
From next to Denya, Jace pushed his mug forward. “Here, please. My ale’s lukewarm.”
The maned wolf held his paw out, the light-blue light intensifying for a moment. Soon, a second frozen cylinder of ale floated across the table, along with plenty more cackling. Linked powers are hard to control when they first manifest.
“I’m happy for you, Rikard! Ice is really versatile.” The badger reached for the frozen clump of ale and plopped it into his own mug; either to avoid making a mess or to drink it himself when it thawed. “Now we just need Zeak, Dylan, and Denya to manifest theirs, and then we’d all qualify for the War Games-“
“Uh, actually.” Denya cleared his throat, raising a paw. “I manifested mine last month.”
“What?!”
The fox’s ears folded back as he became the center of attention yet again. He even noticed other eyes turning to look at him, eyes not just belonging to this table, likely other riders. Dammit, him and his big mouth. Now he was back to needing another drink. He reached for Jace’s frozen ale-cylinder instead, plopping it into his own mug while ignoring the hurtful look from the raccoon. “That was mine!”
“It was making a mess.” Not like anyone else seemed to care at the moment.
Adrian leaned in closer, his eyes still wide. “Why didn’t you tell us sooner?”
“It never came up!” The fox shrugged. Was it that big of a deal? “And I only manifested it once. It’s… not something I can call upon at will yet.”
“Oh, so it’s a strong Link!” The badger’s face split into a wide, toothy grin. “Tell us, what is it? How’d it form?”
Denya winced. Bernant was supposed to be mainly a secret for now; the fox knew he shouldn’t have mentioned his Link forming. But dammit, he’d been having so much fun up till now, and was enjoying letting his tongue get looser with each drink he had. But this wasn’t like Keygan making an ass of himself in public. If Denya wasn’t careful, he could let important information slip.
“I, uh…” The fox scratched at the side of his muzzle. “I was just having a really… really emotional moment. And then I just… got really strong.” Denya slurred his words a bit, intentionally this time. Hopefully the alcohol was a good enough excuse as to why he was being so vague.
Adrian tilted his head. “Alright, your Link makes you strong… anything else?”
“Not really.” The fox’s ears fell back. “I just got really strong. Like, I thought I could lift a dragon, strong.”
That got a couple of snorts from the table, and Denya allowed himself a silly, drunken grin.
“I like getting stepped on.” The tiger sitting next to Adrian blurted out.
That definitely caused a commotion; Denya nearly spat out his drink, and Jace started coughing loudly next to him. Adrian stared back. “Where the hell did that come from!?”
“I’ve been waiting for my turn forever!” The tiger grumbled. “Adrian said what he liked, then he and Denya started eye-fucking each other, now Rikard’s freezing everyone’s drinks. Well, I like it when strong women step on me. There, just wanted that off my chest.”
“Would you like something else on your chest instead?” Brianne the otter teased, lowering her head onto her paws.
“S-Shut up!” The tiger went beet red, and quite a few chuckles and shoves were thrown his way.
That is, until the mongoose next to him spoke up. “Are you all serious? Keygan wants to get sat on, Rikard wants his head popped off like a melon, Brianne wants a giant, Jace will take anything, Denya and Adrian want someone to beat the shit out of them, and now Tony wants to get stepped on? What the hell did this college do to you people to turn you all into fucking masochists?!”
And that caused a roar of commotion, before laughter and shouting. Denya laughed heartily along as his comrades descended into chaos, grateful the shift of attention wasn’t fully on him anymore. He would have chimed in with some half-hearted defense along with the rest of his tablemates, but alas, he caught sight of the maids glaring at their table. Something told him there would be no amount of groveling that wouldn’t get them kicked out from the tavern.
Just as Denya feared, the walk back to their dragons’ rendezvous point was miserable. The sun had set long ago, and the snow storm hadn’t let up during their time inside. Fortunately, they had a fire-wielder among them, producing a steady stream of flames from his hands to melt a path out of town for everyone to follow.
Unfortunately, that fire-wielder was Keygan, who needed to be watched by Rikard to ensure he didn’t accidentally set himself on fire.
For now, Denya paid careful attention to his footing as he followed the trail out, his arms raised slightly for balance. The fire ensured they wouldn’t have to wade through knee-high snow, but the dark slush beneath his boots was just as treacherous. The flames couldn’t melt everything, and a sudden patch of ice could be dangerous for any dragon rider. They were marching uphill, after all, and all it would take was for one rider to slip and fall to knock everyone else down like bowling pins.
What a silly sight they must be to the village locals. A pack of drunk anthros using fire to clear their way into the forest, disappearing behind the trees, only to reappear weeks later to get drunk once more. Of course, the village was well aware of the dragon-riding college not too far away, but the thought of someone seeing the sight and wondering “where the hell are these idiots waddling off to,” brought a snicker forth from the fox’s muzzle.
“You have a nice laugh.”
Denya chanced a glance behind, noting the badger’s smiling face right behind him. Even marching uphill and several steps ahead, the two of them were perfectly eye-level.
The fox huffed, turning back to stare at his feet. “You’re a tease.”
“Am not.” The badger muttered. “But if I am, it’s only because your reactions make it funny.”
“That’s not nice.” The fox muttered, pausing for a second to regain his balance. “You’re just saying crap because you’re drunk.”
“You’re drunk, too. Sounds like we’re on even ground.”
“We are not. I’m higher on this hill than you.”
The badger snorted behind him, and Denya felt a smirk tug at his lips. About time someone appreciated his terrible jokes, even if that someone wasn’t fully sober.
Although, with how clearly Adrian enunciated his next words, Denya could be forgiven for thinking he was sober. “You should try out for the War Games with us, though. You’d do great.”
“Are you sure?” Denya raised a brow, as if the badger could see it from behind. “You sounded a bit disappointed when I told you what my Link was.”
“I was expecting it to be flashier, I guess, since our Links are supposed to match our personalities, but I’m not disappointed in the slightest.” The fox didn’t need to turn around to picture the warm smile on Adrian’s face. “I mean it. If you can make yourself strong enough to lift a dragon, we’d win for sure.”
“I said I felt like I could lift a dragon. I never actually tried, and the only available dragon near me at the time wouldn’t have been too thrilled if I demonstrated on him.” Denya grunted, furrowing his brow. Walking and talking was difficult. “Besides, I’ve only really Linked once, and that’s because I begged Xem for his power. I doubt I could do it again on my own, even if I wasn’t four or five beers deep.”
“You won’t know until you try.” Denya heard Adrian’s coat ruffling as the badger shrugged. “But we’d love to have you on board. Same with your giant ruby dragon!”
Denya snorted. “What are you, the captain of the team or something?”
“Actually, yes. I am.”
“Oh.” Somehow, that slipped Denya’s mind. It wasn’t like the fox really paid the badger much heed to begin with. Adrian was always surrounded by other anthros, anthros who were all… better at something than Denya was. Better grades, better looks, better personality. It felt a little surreal, having a one-on-one with Adrian like this, being told from the badger he’d be welcomed on the War Games. This wasn’t like when he invited the fox to the tavern earlier either, where it just felt like a blanket invite to get as many riders to a party as possible. This felt a bit more personal, and it made the fox’s heart skip a beat.
Just in time for his feet to slip on a patch of ice.
“Shi-“ Denya felt himself falling back, his feet flying up before him. Dammit, he was about to crash into Adrian and send everyone sprawling down the hill, all because he got distracted from a stupid compliment! He’d be lucky to be invited anywhere after this!
As the fox flew past the point of no return, bracing himself to impact the ice below and start sliding, he was caught by a pair of firm, mighty arms, strong enough to stop Denya’s momentum entirely, despite the treacherous ground beneath them. “W-Woah! Are you ok?”
Denya gasped, relief flooding into his system. He looked up at the badger’s concerned face, taking into account the worry lines above those dark brown eyes, illuminated by the steady stream of fire up head. “Y-Yeah… sorry.”
“You’re fine. I got you.” Adrian smiled softly, his worry melting like the snow before them. “Although I gotta say, if it’s that easy to get you on your back, our match won’t last very long.”
“Give me a break.” Denya rolled his eyes, snickering. “I’m drunk.”
“So am I.” The badger teased. “See, we have so much in common.”
The fox chuckled at that, looking up at the larger Anthro. At some point, he forgot he was supposed to be looking for purchase on the ground, content to just lean into the badger’s firm, sturdy frame. It’s not like Adrian looked like he was struggling or anything. Hell, he could probably carry Denya the rest of the way there-
“You have two seconds to tell the striped one to release you before I grind his bones into dust.”
Oh shit.
Denya flicked his head up in time to see Xem stomping through the snow towards them, his ruby-red scales illuminated by the fire. Fire which went out immediately as Keygan stumbled and fell to the side, letting out a string of swears as the dragon marched right by.
The fox sighed, before planting his feet on the ground, ensuring he was stable before patting Adrian’s shoulders. “I’m fine, thank you. You can let me go now.”
“O-Oh, yeah. Sure.” The badger carefully released Denya, stepping away when the fox stood on his own. “Sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry for.” Denya said, looking back up at the dragon. They were still several minutes of walking away from reaching their rendezvous point, the fox hoping it was dark enough outside that no one in the village below would see a giant red dragon standing on the hill. But, it’s not like he could tell Xem to head back and wait for them where they agreed on, not when the dragon was this pissed.
Denya sighed through his nose, before speaking with his dragon telepathically. “Enjoy your hunt?”
“It was rather successful, yes.” Xem grunted, and Denya noticed the dragon was still chewing. “And did you enjoy fraternizing with the striped one?” Those slitted, golden eyes shifted briefly towards Adrian, and Denya saw the badger step back and look away.
“It’s not fraternizing! We’re talking about Links and the War Games. All school related topics.” Denya frowned.
“While he holds you like a whelp and speaks of putting you on your back.” Xem glared, leaning his large head closer to Denya.
“What’s… What’s going on?” Denya heard Jace ask someone behind them. “That’s Denya’s dragon, right?
“Yeah, it is. I think they’re fighting?” The tiger from earlier muttered.
“He saved me from falling, and we’re bantering about fighting!” Denya crossed his arms. “I didn’t give you this much trouble when you went off to your secret dragon meeting.”
“Do not lie to me, Fox.” Xem bellowed, revealing his sharp, bloodied teeth. “It’s for that reason alone you refuse to lay with me again.”
Dammit, now Denya’s face was heating up again, and in front of all these people!
“Is Denya… you know, gonna be alright?” The fox heard another voice behind him, painfully realizing that it was more than just their table group witnessing this back and forth. The other dragon riders had caught up as well, using Keygan’s fire trail to make their way. Wonderful.
“I-I don’t know? Should we, like, help?” Another hushed voice.
“Help with what? That’s a bigass dragon! If he wants to eat Denya, we kinda just have to watch and hope we’re not next.” Gods, this was getting embarrassing.
The fox sighed again, trying to compose himself. “At least I’m keeping myself honest, here. I don’t have a clue what you’re doing with your dragon friends.”
“Matters I am not at liberty to discuss, least of all with you.”
“I thought we agreed not to keep secrets from each other anymore.”
“There are some secrets not even I can share, stubborn fox!”
“You could have at least said something before we decided to… lay with each other, so I wouldn’t think you were making excuses to leave me!”
“Like you’ve made excuses to avoid me, when you’re my rider?!”
Denya and Xem were practically inches from each other, the fox knowing damn well he wouldn’t win this stare down with the most stubborn dragon in the continent. But dammit, he was drunk and foolish and he wanted to try! If Xem didn’t see him as a potential partner in life, then fine, but the least he could do was let Denya mingle with others from his year, and not make a scene with everyone watching behind him! The mutterings and whisperings were only increasing, and the fox wasn’t sure how to break away from this argument to ensure everyone he wasn’t about to become dragon food, at least not without angering Xem further.
But before he could think of anything, a familiar, grating voice broke out from the crowd behind him. “Honestly, this doesn’t surprise me.” Zeak exclaims loudly, loud and bold from his own share of booze. “Denya’s good at pissing off everyone around him. No wonder his dragon can’t stand his fucking guts. Can it hurry up and torch the stupid fox so we can go home?”
And then, Chaos erupted.
Denya felt a flash of pure rage enter his mind as Xem suddenly leapt from where he stood, kicking up snow with his step. “Xem!” The fox cried out, but he was helpless to watch his dragon barreling down the hill. Cries and yelps of various riders rang out as they leapt out of the way to avoid getting trampled by Xem.
But no one cried as loud as Zeak, who stumbled on his back with an expression of pure horror at the dragon charging towards him with murderous intent.
“Xem, stop!” Denya tried again, just in time to hear the sounds of trees cracking and snapping. From the nearby woods, a flash of green erupted out to stand between Zeak and Xem: The lion’s emerald-green dragon, alert to the peril their rider was in.
But not even another dragon was enough to stop Xem’s charge. With a furious roar, the scarlet dragon collided with the other reptile, and their size difference became all the more obvious. With the force of his blow alone, Xem was able to push back the green dragon, and in a flash of teeth, he had his foe’s neck in his mouth.
“Xem!” Denya yelled, stumbling after him as fast as he legs could carry him. “Let them go!”
“He does not speak like that to my rider!” Xem let out a muffled roar, his teeth pressing into the green dragon’s neck, who continued to squirm and fight beneath its red oppressor.
“Xem!”
“The maned one needs to grovel! Tell him to grovel!”
But Zeak was doing far worse than that. The lion was laying on his back, his face frozen in fear, his torso barely even propped up by his elbows to watch what was taking place mere feet before him. And from that angle, Denya could see his snow pants were damp against his legs; and not because of the snow.
“Xem, please, he looks like he’s about to pass out! He’s learned his lesson. I’m begging you, let his dragon go!”
Xem was snarling, breathing heavily through his mouth, but Denya could see his words were finally taking effect. The scarlet dragon finally opened his mouth and retreated, releasing the lion’s dragon from his mouth. The green drake spit back with a quiet, angry roar, but knew better than to retaliate, instead returning to inspect Zeak.
Just as Xem did to Denya, lowering himself to the fox. “We’re leaving.”
Denya sighed, shaking his head. He couldn’t have one outing, one outing, without something going wrong. This night had almost been the perfect break from his hectic life at the war college, the chance he had to finally make friends other than Versailles, who was surely getting sick of the fox asking him for study/sparring sessions. It’d be a miracle if he’d be wanted into the War Games now, with his volatile dragon.
“Sorry, everyone. We’re going now.” Denya sighed, before clambering onto his dragon, the drunkenness having left his body after that outburst. The fox barely had time to find his seat on the dragon’s back before Xem launched himself into the air, knocking the breath out of his lungs.
It was the worst flight of Denya’s life.
The two of them had ridden together in silence before, but it’d never been this quiet. And not just because the snowy landscape was muffling the sound of Xem’s powerful wingbeats, the air was practically suffocating. Denya could easily feel how tense the dragon’s muscles were beneath him; or maybe that was his own body pressing against Xem. In any case, he couldn’t stand a thirty minute flight with his atmosphere.
So, he tried breaking the ice. “Could you… fly a little slower? The bobbing is kinda upsetting my stomach.”
“Why don’t you fly, and I ride on your back and complain in your ear.”
Denya sighed. So much for that. “Look, Xem, you didn’t have to do that-“
“Yes I did.”
Gods, it was like arguing with an enormous toddler. “Zeak talks shit about me constantly. I can handle it.”
“You expect me to sit idly by while my rider is insulted right before me?”
“I expect you to let me fight my own battles, yes. And Zeak isn’t even worth it.”
Xem snorted. “You’re very capable of fighting with your stick-“
“-My staff-“
“-Your toothpick!” Xem growled. “But when you’re unarmed, the antlered one consistently defeats you. And when it comes to a battle of words, you’re hopelessly outmatched.”
“I don’t always need the last word.” Denya huffed. They were gonna wind up going back and forth again, until they’re absolutely miserable by the time they made it back to the college.
The fox sighed and leaned further into Xem’s back, his head throbbing softly. Despite the headache of the alcohol and his overprotective dragon, he still found some enjoyability in this flight. It was quiet, and the snowy forest below them was a breathtaking sight. On their way to the tavern, Denya flew with numerous other dragons and their riders. Now, after having left in that fashion, the two were the only ones aloft for miles around, save for the unlucky birds who decided to take flight near Xem’s mouth.
Denya rubbed at the base of Xem’s neck, tilting his head. “Can we talk about that night?”
“Only if you’re ready.” The dragon grumbled. “I’m at my last nerve having you constantly shy away, and after claiming to have feelings for me, no less.”
“I DO have feelings for you. Strong ones at that!” The fox mentally pleaded. They were supposed to be fully honest with one another, right? “That was one of the best moments of my life, laying with you.”
“Then why are you so determined not to reenact it? Would you rather lay with the striped one?”
“No!” Denya called out, breaking the still air between them. The fox flushed at that, especially as he saw Xem raise his head, turning back to give him a sidelong glance.
Denya shook his head. “That’s not it at all. I just want to know that… I’m not being stupid.”
“Stupid for liking a dragon?” Xem growled at that; Denya could feel him heating up beneath him.
“No!” Ugh, Xem was right. Denya could not win a battle of words. “I’m saying, I don’t know how you feel about me. You made a few comments that I didn’t think about at the time, but… I don’t know. You held me when I broke down crying, and you also held me when I had another… vulnerable moment. Then you left me without any warning, after I’d calmed down, so… It-It feels a little convenient, that’s all. Like you were looking for an excuse to leave when you noticed I was doing better.”
It was the full truth, and something Denya had been grappling with ever since he watched Xem fly away that evening. The dragon was so ready to just drop their session, to soar away, right when the moment between them was reaching its peak. Denya had no idea that was something dragons had to deal with: suddenly receiving summons they couldn’t ignore. He knew Xem would never lie, but it just felt so convenient, just thinking back on it made his heart ache. He poured everything into Xem at that moment, and the dragon reciprocated! They were so close to one another…
From beneath him, the fox could feel Xem heating up further, enough for snow to start sizzling off of his wings. “You’d think I’d LIE to you?”
“Of course not!” Denya winced. “But you’re keeping secrets from me, and we promised-“
“FINE!” The dragon let out a piercing roar, the noise echoing throughout the mountain. “Twenty years ago, my last rider DIED sitting where you are now, and I was powerless to do a damn thing about it. Not a day passes where I wish it had been me instead, as I was the one who brought him to that damn battlefield instead. I thought I’ve moved on, but now I have a new rider, who is not only great at making enemies, who not only needs help taking care of myself, but somehow, SOMEHOW, he has found a weakness in the armor I’ve built around my heart, and despite my better judgement, despite knowing what fate befalls you reckless riders, I can’t help but want to keep this one close to me forever!”
Oh.
The air became silent yet again. Denya wasn’t sure he could even hear Xem’s wing beats anymore. Suddenly, it didn’t matter if Xem’s summon was an excuse or a coincidence. This relationship they shared was hurting the dragon far, far more than he let on. This was the first time Xem admitted to returning the feelings he had for Denya, and just…
Fuck, the fox was crying, his tears burning his eyes worse than Xem was burning his seat. He was an asshole! How could he forget about Zander? The fox never even assumed Xem could be afraid of anything, but the dragon was certainly terrified of losing another rider…
“Xem, I-“
“I do not accept apologies.”
“I know…” Denya sighed. Xem was starting to cool off, and the fox allowed himself to lean against the dragon’s neck, giving it a gentle hug. “But I can at least acknowledge I was wrong for assuming; which, yes, I’m aware I’m terrible at.”
The dragon snorted. “I appreciate the honesty.”
And they rode on in silence, the snowy skies above them finally parting, revealing the beautiful jewels of stars above.
Category Story / Fantasy
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 120 x 82px
File Size 241.9 kB
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