The Guardian of the Valley (An AI Dungeon Adventure)

You are a male Silver dragon named Solaris. You are a quadrupedal feral dragon with shimmering metallic scales, a long snout filled with sharp fangs, slitted jade green eyes, long horns, a feathered mane, feathered wings, sharp clawed talons, and a tail with four thagomizer spikes. Your powerful, muscular body stands roughly the same size as an adult human. You normally walk on all fours, but you can rear up on your hind legs to make use of your forelimbs when necessary. As a feral dragon, you carry no weapons and wear no clothing or armor, relying on your fireproof scales for protection. As a Silver dragon, you have a mastery over many powerful magics. While you generally have a friendly disposition and prefer reading and treasure hunting over fighting, you are a fierce foe in combat. You are currently out on the lake in the heart of your territory.

You are currently out on the lake in the heart of your territory. There is a faint earthy smell in the air, as a fierce storm had just blown through here the previous night.
 You stand on a small island in the middle of the lake, looking up at the steep rockface of the mountain that rises behind your territory.
 Several smaller mountains surround this one, forming a bowl around its base.
 A river runs from the base of the mountain to the lake, and along the lakeshore is a single village inhabited by fishermen and a few traders.

A faint noise in the distance brings you out of your thoughts. It is a cascading waterfall, tumbling over the rocks far above.


> You jump into the lake and enjoy a brief swim, letting the cool water flow over your scales and feathered wings.
You dive into the water with a gentle push of your wings, and swim underwater for a moment, before breaking surface again.
 You swim around the island, briefly gliding along the surface of the water as you explore the lake.
 A fishing boat passes by on the far side of the lake, heading towards the island.


> You stare at the fishing boat for a moment. You are well known to the local humans, with whom you are on friendly terms, and they see you as a guardian of sorts. You make a note to visit their markets later.
You stare at the fishing boat as it passes. A human adult is rowing the boat, and a child is standing in the bow, staring out at the water.
 They see you, and the adult pauses rowing, but only for a moment. You swim over to them, passing the fishing boat on your way to the other side of the lake.
 You're too far away for them to see you, but they must be able to sense you somehow.
The child is a little girl, beautiful and smiling as she looks out at the water.
 She is dressed in a flowery dress, and her long hair is tied up in a ribbon. You wonder how old she is.
 Younger than you? Perhaps older, a teenager? You're not sure.
The adult is wearing a dark blue shirt and trousers, and is rowing the boat with a fishing rod and line.
 He has a youthful face, with a strong jaw and chin, and wire-rimmed spectacles on his nose. He glances at you, looking confused and worried at once, before looking away.


> You fly out of the water and back to the lake shore.
You soar up from the water, feeling the change in pressure on your wings as you glide through the air towards the lake shore.
 You spread your wings and flap them once, twice, three times, before floating gently down onto the ground, spreading them once more as you step lightly on the ground.

The sun is shining overhead, lighting your way as you head off into the trees. You spot a stream off to the side of the path, and head towards it.
 Perhaps you'll find some fruit trees nearby.
You find the stream, a gentle trickle of water flowing over its banks, and turn towards the trees.
 You hope to find something to break your fast, and perhaps some fruit to fill your belly for the night.

You find nothing but trees as the wind whispers through the leaves, and turn back towards the path. There's nothing here for you. Perhaps you'll find something else later in the woods.


> You take a drink from the stream, then decide to catch some rabbits to eat instead .
You raise your snout, finding the smell of water drawing you towards it. You follow your nose to find a stream bubbling up from the ground, a clear stream of fresh water.

You pause, looking around. There's nothing here for you, so you turn away from the stream and begin to search for something else to hunt.
You find a hare lying in some undergrowth, sleeping.
 It's an easy catch, and you grin in satisfaction as you bring your jaws down on its head, crushing it.
 You tear into the hare, tearing flesh from bone with ease. You quickly devour it, feeling energy flood into you, strengthening you for the night's journey.

You can smell the hare's blood, and feel the hunger rising within you once more. You let out a roar, feeling the need to feast on flesh tearing at your heartstrings, at your mind.
 You let out a roar, charging towards the trees. You dive into the undergrowth, heading through the trees with amazing speed.
 You crash through the undergrowth, heading towards the scent of another hare. You leap outwards with amazing speed, landing on the hare as it looks up in shock.
 You grab it, crushing its skull in your talons and tearing flesh from its bones in a matter of seconds.


> You are a smaller breed of dragon, so two hares is enough to satiate your hunger. You wipe off the blood from your hunt and fly back to your den.
You are a smaller breed of dragon, so two hares is enough to satiate your hunger. You wipe off the blood from your hunt and fly back to your den.

You turn off the path, heading away from the village and towards a hill. You fly up to it, finding a cave at the top. You enter, closing the entrance behind you.
 You fly further into the cave, coming to a stop at the back. The cave leads deep into the ground, with many stalactites and stalagmites littering the cave.
 It is quiet, and you grow impatient. You fire a flame blast, illuminating the cave and revealing an impressive collection of gems and crystals.
You pause, hearing the sound of running water.
 Picking up your pace, you head down the cave, hearing the water growing louder. You come to a large river of water, flowing steadily. On a small island in the center of the subterranean lake is your small hut made of mud and twigs.
You approach the hut, leaning against the entrance as you take in the view. You hear the water fall into the lake grow louder, as if running towards you. You turn, walking towards the hut.
 You dip your talons into the water, rubbing them against each other to sooth the scratches. You place them against your snout, running them along your teeth and gums.
 The water is perfect for cleaning your scales, so you lap at it, filling your belly and quenching your thirst.
You hear the water grow louder, as if approaching you.


> You enter your hut, admiring your many bookshelves.
You step inside, the door closing behind you. You stand in the dark, candle-lit entrance to your home, looking at the bookshelves that line three of the walls.
 You have books on a wide variety of topics, from construction to cooking to wilderness survival to engineering. There is not a single book on magic, however, despite your many studies of such things. Against the back wall, a small pile of shiny rocks, gems, and coins glimmers in the candle light - your treasures and trinkets you've collected over the years.

You walk forward, walking up the short set of stairs to your sleeping mat. You lay down, curling up and drifting off to sleep.


> You awake the next morning, placing some coins into a pouch that you wear around your neck. Then you leave your home in the subterranean lake, flying back out of the cave and off to the human village to explore their market place.
You fly out of the cave, heading to the entrance of the underground cavern that houses your cave. You exit, heading into the human village.
 You arrive, alighting on a tree nearby. You sit in the branches, taking a long, hard look at the village.
 The village is the same as any other you've seen in the region. Small, out in the open, with few natural defenses. While you could just fly into the town square unannounced, you decide to fold up your wings and trot in through the main entrance along the road - you are on friendly terms with these humans, and do not wish to alarm them.

You walk into the town, keeping your head down and your wings tucked in. Most of the humans in the village are heading to and from work, dressed in everyday clothes.
 You stop in the town square, seeing a group of humans milling around there. One of them notices you, jabbering away in the human tongue.
 You wait patiently, watching as the talker talks to another. They both point at you, and the talker nods, turning and speaking to another in the group.
 The second one nods, turning to you and smiling. "Ah, The Guardian Dragon! How wonderful!" He smiles. "To what do we owe the honor of your visit?"


> You tell the man that you simply wish to explore the market and see if anything catches your fancy - you point to the pouch at your neck and explain that you have brought money to make purchases if necessary.
The man smiles, and nods. "Of course! Please, do not feel obligated to buy anything. If you wish to explore the market, though, just let us know."
You nod, smiling back at him.
 The man seems friendly enough, and you are enjoying the visit. With a wave, you turn and head off through the market, looking around curiously.
Market-goers mill about, going about their day.
 You stop at a meat stall, examining the different cuts of flesh being sold. You find some that look delicious, and head to the next stall, to find more.

You browse the stalls, until you come across one selling paintings. Looking at the paintings, you find one that catches your eye: a picture of a large dragon in mid-fiery breath.
 In the painting, the dragon seems to have the same shimmering, fiery scales as you do. You smile as you look at the painting, and a feeling of contentment fills you.

Suddenly, you hear a shout behind you. Turning, you find yourself staring at a human, dressed in foreign clothes you don't recognize. He stares at you with a look of fear, and runs past you, screaming.

"It's him! The dragon! Run!" You turn and look at the stallholder. "Do you know what that was about?"

The stallholder shrugs. "Dunno. Offical from the Empire, I guess. Some sort of tax or duty or something. They's been a lot of that going around, lately."


> You ask the stallholder if the Empire is aware that you live in this region.
The stallholder laughs. "Of course not! Nobody knows but us! Hah, sometimes I laugh at the fools who think they can rule this place!"

You smile, and nod. The stallholder notices your coin pouch at your chest, hanging from a string around your neck. "You got coin to spare, Guardian?"
You nod.
 "Yes. Do you have anything I would like?"
The stallholder laughs. "A gift, then? Something for nothing?"
You smile, and nod eagerly. "Yes!"
The stallholder grins.
 "Alright, then. Follow me."
You follow the stallholder around the market, until you find a table covered in a large cloth. The stallholder takes the cloth off the table to reveal a round wooden box.
 He opens the box, revealing a brilliant golden necklace inside.
"Do you like it?" the stallholder asks eagerly.
You nod, looking at the necklace.
 It consists of a large, thick gold necklace, with several smaller gold chains woven into it to make a pattern. The large, thick chain has a large, thick golden dragon made out of black onyx set into it.
 The dragon has a black claw with a gemstone at the end, an open maw full of sharp teeth, a spike coming from his spine, and a long, arching tail made out of flame.
 The dragon is a perfect, intricate work of art, beautiful to look at and a masterpiece of craftsmanship.
You smile, and nod eagerly. "Yes. I like it."
"It's rather expensive,"
 the stallholder says, dropping the chain into the box. "I have many treasures, but I can only offer you this one."


> You tell him you can more than afford it, and reach for your hanging coin purse.
You reach into your hanging coin pouch, and pull out a large amount of gold coins. You put them onto the table, staring at them eagerly.
The stallholder smiles.
 "Yes, that should do it."
He takes the coins, puts them into a small bag at his side, and hands you the necklace.
 You take it, and put it around your neck. It slides down your serpentine neck and to your chest, where the gold contrasts brilliantly against your silver scales. You adjust it so that you coin pouch sits over it.
 You grin, pleased with your purchase.
"Thank you! I must find more treasures to buy, then."
"Of course," the stallholder says. "Good luck, dragon. And welcome to my store."

"Thank you!" you say. "I am pleased to be here!"
You turn and hurry away from the store, flying up towards the next shop.

The next shop you look at is one selling various knick knacks. You look at the different items, and find something you think would be good to take back to the island.

You see a purple vase with a few flowers in it, a golden cricket with a red gemstone for an eye, a silver trophy with an engraving of a dragon on it, and a few other things
.


> You make a mental note that dragons seem to be a popular motif here - seemingly in your honor.
You walk into the shop, looking around. You spot something you like, a simple black box. It's a good size, large enough to hold your treasures, but not too big.
 It has two drawers, which you could use to organize your things in.
You walk over to it, smiling. You open the door, finding a pair of interlocking rings inside.
 Perfect.
You look around, spotting a few other items that catch your eye. A golden neck chain with a red gemstone hanging from it. A silver bowl with an odd stone inside of it, glowing purple.
 A golden staff with an odd, curled horn at the end.
You look around once more, spotting something you haven't before. A shopkeeper, leaning against the counter.
 He smiles gently, nodding. "Ah, the guardian dragon. Welcome to my store."
You smile back. "Thank you."
"You looking to buy?
 I'm willing to sell, but only to the worthy."
"I'm looking to buy," you say. "What have you got?"
He smiles, nodding. "Ah, good.
 I was hoping you'd ask. Follow me.
 I've got various treasures.
 Ooo, here's one you might like...
," he says, pulling out a odd, glowing stone. It pulses with a deep purple light. "Black obsidian. Rare. Beautiful. Powerful. I think you'll like it.
 It's an offering stone. It'll bring good fortune to the one who owns it."
You smile. "That's a nice offer, but I'm happy with what I've got."
"Oh, okay.
 Fine, then. Let's see what else I've got..."
You go through a few other items, before finding a fancy golden ring with a red gemstone.
 It makes your eyes blink and waters flow when you get it close enough to a light source.
"Oh, this one. Oh, yeah, this one's a nice one."
 He holds it out, showing it to you. It's a classic three stone ring. Two diamond studs sit on a golden band, with a ruby in the center.
 The ruby has a slight purple tinge to it, giving it a warm tone.


> You purchase the ring, then head back to the meat stalls to buy yourself some lunch.
You accept the ring, smiling. You hold it out, admiring it. "How much is it?"
"Oh, you're buying it, then?" he asks, frowning slightly. "Five hundred gold."
"Done" you say, handing him the coins.
 He smiles, handing you the ring. You look at it, before nodding. This is the perfect addition to your modestly-sized hoard back home.
You walk out of the shop, smiling.
 You head to the nearest meat stall, ordering yourself some raw venison that makes you drool in delight. You eat in the shade of a tree, swallowing the meat raw and taking a break from your search for now.
 You lick your lips, looking at the remains of your feast.
 You should really save some of this for later.
Soon, night has fallen. The merchants have finished their last trips up and down the mountain, bringing food, water, and supplies to the camp up here.


> You decide it is time to go. You fly back to the cave and return to your hut in the subterranean lake.
You fly back to the entrance of the cave and curl up in your bed. You fall asleep in a few minutes, heading into a deep, dreamless sleep.
You wake up with a start, looking around you. You shake off your torpor by doing a few stretches, arching your back like a cat and spreading your wings before letting out a yawn. Then you make your way back above ground to look over your valley as the sun starts to rise.

You soar into the air, spiraling up through the clouds as you take to the skies. You find a place a few miles away from your valley and glide to a stop, looking over it.


> You patrol the borders of your valley.
You glide over the valley, examining it from above. It's a lovely place. Rolling hills and woods, a swift running stream cutting through it.
 The human village is situated near the stream that runs down from the mountains above and feeds into the massive lake in the heart of your territory, not far from the woods, with fields and meadows sweeping down to the stream.
 There's a small woods further up the mountain that leads to the cave where you make your home. It's a perfect place.
You swoop down and glide over the village, examining it.
 There's guards out, but they're off duty right now. You land outside the village and trot up to the gates, staring inside. The guards are lying around, having a cigarette and a drink.
 Perfect. You walk inside and up to the bar, ordering a pint and requesting that he pour the human beverage into a bowl for you.

The bartender stares at you for a second, as if confused by your order, but he serves you with a beer and a slice of lemon, pouring it into a bowl for you. You drag the bowl into the corner of the bar, then you plop down on the floor and enjoy your drink, swishing your tail contently.


> You pay the bartender, then leave the village and resume patrolling your borders, keeping an eye out for trouble or other dragons.
You pay the bartender, who stares at you as he puts it in a drawer, before walking outside to resume your patrol.

You fly along the borders of your territory, eyes searching the trees for movement. You pause at the edge of the woods, scanning the edge of the lake, then pause, head cocking to the side.
 You can hear low, rumbling growls through the ground.
Through the trees, you see a dragon.
 It's on the edge of the lake, head turned towards you. You pause, sensing it's likely a foreign dragon. The local dragons living in the mountains to the south and west of your valley know better than to trespass here; a few years ago, two Greens from the south thought they could drive you out and take the valley for themselves, only to suffer a humiliating defeat at your talons. You spared them, and word reached the other nearby dragons, who got the message loud and clear. Whoever this dragon is, they must not have come from around here.


> You announce your presence to the dragon and declare that it is trespassing on your territory. You demand to know its name and intentions.
You roar your challenge to the sky, wings spread as you run along the border of the woods towards the lake. As you approach the dragon, it sniffs the air and turns to face you.
 It's a bright white dragon, with gold horns coming out of its head. It looks to be around your age.
 The creature lets out a hiss, revealing a long, spiked tongue in a mouth filled with teeth.
You approach it, stopping a short distance away.


> You again announce that this is your land, and demand to know his or her name.
The dragon stares at you, and you stare back. You're not intimidated by the creature's glare. You are a Silver dragon, and your magical prowess far and away surpasses that of other dragon breeds. This challenger should be cowering in terror.

The dragon takes a step towards you, head lowered. You stare at it, head cocked to the side, before it makes a sudden lunge.


> You swat the other dragon's head effortlessly, sending it flying into a nearby tree trunk.
You lunge forward, swiping your claws as you dragon attempts to dodge out of the way. It fails, and you swipe, tearing a large gash in its wing as it tumbles towards you.
 You grab it's horn and send it hurtling into the tree, where it smacks into it's head with a thud.


> You again ask for its name, and demand to know why it is here.
The dragon slowly gets up, shaking it's head as it stares at you. You look at each other for a second, before it makes another lunge at you.
 You move to dodge, but it tackles you, and the pair of you fall into the mud.
You struggle against the other dragon, both of you attempting to gain the advantage.
 You grab its face, trying to find a weak point as you attempt to bite into it's neck. It attempts to do the same to you, but fails as your scales are tougher than it thought.
 You growl, slashing your claws against its face and leaving deep, bleeding gouges in its face. You slash out with your claws, scratching at its eyes.
 It swipes its claws against yours, cutting your hands and leaving long gashes across them.


> You leap back and hurl a thunder spell at the enemy dragon.
You let out a roar as you prepare to unleash a thunderstorm of magical proportions. The dragon looks up in terror, realizing it doesn't have the advantage here.
 You let out a roar, before raising your hands up. The dragon looks at you in terror as it realizes what you're about to do.

You release the spell, and a bolt of lightning slams into the dragon. It lets out a pained roar as it's entire body is sent into spasms.
 You keep it in place with your magic, preventing it from moving even an inch as it thrashes about.


> You are beginning to lose your patience. Demand that the dragon tells you its name and why it has entered your territory, or you will kill it.
You snarl, blood dripping down your chin as you pant heavily. The dragon looks at you, and its eyes widen in terror as it realizes that you're not going to stop.
"I. Asked. For. Your. Name," You growl threateningly, "and you will tell it to me, along with why you have entered MY territory, or I will kill you where you lay!"

The dragon stays silent. You wait a few seconds, before you raise your voice in anger.
"I said, what is your damn name!"
"Uh... Th-that's private!"
 The dragon cries desperately, it's voice shaking.
"What the fuck do you think this is?
 Do you want me to kill you? TELL ME NOW!"
"It's Theo," it says shakily, "T-they told me this valley was ruled by a weak dragon! They said I could beat you! That it would be easy to make this valley mine! No one said anything about you being a Silver!
 I don't want to die. Please. I just want to go home."

You let out a hiss of anger, before narrowing your eyes and nodding.

"I'll... I'll let you live, for now. But if I catch you here again, I'll kill you where you stand."
"Th-thank you!" Theo exclaims in relief.

"Good, now get out of here."
Theo nods, and you watch as he rapidly retreats to the skies.
 As he does, you notice the sun beginning to set.
 With a sigh, you begin to head home.


> You fly back to your home and tend to your wounds, minor as they are.
You fly back to your home in the mountain, and climb down the stairs to your cave. You walk inside, and find that it's quite dark. After applying some salve to the various scratches and bite marks left by Theo, you curl up on your sleeping mat. You mutter at the audacity of the white dragon, wandering into the territory of a powerful Silver such as yourself - the nerve!

In the morning, you wake up and get ready to leave.


> You decide to fly another patrol again this morning, just in case Theo decided to sneak back into your territory.
You know that Theo is still around, somewhere. The stupid dragon came all this way to challenge you, after all.
 Just because he left doesn't mean that he's gone, and you sure as hell aren't going to relax until you're sure he's not going to come back.

So, you get up and prepare yourself for another trip into the wilderness.
 This time, however, you're flying high. The sun is out, the wind is blowing through your mane, and your flames are roaring.
 This is what you were born for. This is what you were made for.
You burst forward, faster than anything has a right to fly.
 The earth beneath your claws becomes a blur, and soon enough you find yourself perched on the edge of the woods.


> You smell the air for traces of another dragon.
You sniff the air, nostrils flaring as you catch the scent of another dragon. For a moment, your mind goes wild, all of your senses overwhelmed by the possibilities and the reality of the situation. That idiot dragon must have wandered back into your territory! Does he have a death wish?
You take another sniff, but then realize that this is from another dragon entirely...a female...

A female? This far into such isolated territory? What's she doing out here? Surely, she must know that a dragon as powerful as you are is a potential threat.

You don't know who she is, or where she's from, but you decide that it might be best to introduce yourself.


> You fly towards the female's scent, bracing yourself in case she decides to attack on sight the way Theo did yesterday.
You fly down from the sky, swooping down towards the nearby trees. You call out to her, "Hey!"
She looks up at you, startled, as you land on the ground.
 You bow courteously, "Hello there! I am Solaris, a friend to the humans of this village and guardian of the forests and..."
You realize that she's gone.
 You call out, "Hey!" You call out, "Where are you?" You try to listen for her, but hear nothing.

A rustling noise to your right startles you, and you growl, ready to defend yourself. You look over, and see her crouching among the trees, watching you.
 She's watching you with a mixture of fear and awe. You feel pride swell within you, and you slowly open your wings to display the pure white feathers on their undersides.
She gasps, "You're a Silver dragon!"

You nod, "I am."
She stares at you, and you realize that she's probably never seen a Silver before. She continues to stare, and you realize that she must be speechless.


> You ask the scared dragoness her name and why she is in your territory.
"My name is Iris," She says.
 "I don't know how I got lost. I was flying to a different territory for the night, but it's not easy to find your way out here."
"Do you come from the eastern mountains?"
 you ask.
She nods, "I do."

You ask, "Are you lost and tired, Iris?"
She nods, "Yes."
You look over to your cave, which is easily visible from the valley. You could take her there to rest.


> You tell her that normally you would chase off an intruder, but since she has been cooperative and has come a long way, you are willing to let her rest near your cave...for a little while.
You tell her, "Normally, I would chase off any interloper, but since you have been cooperative and have come a long way, I am willing to let you rest near my cave...for a little while."

She smiles, "That's very kind of you. Thank you so much!" She takes a deep breath, and continues, "I don't want to take your cave. I promise I won't hurt anyone there."
"That's good," you say, "because yesterday I had another visitor - a white dragon that thought he could attack me and take this valley for himself. It didn't end well for him."

Iris seems quite scared by this revelation.
"He's still alive - I just chased him off," you follow up quickly, so as not to give her the wrong idea.
"Actually, when I picked up your scent, I thought you were him trying to sneak back to challenge me again."

She chuckles nervously, "No, I wouldn't dream of it.
"I've just..had a really, really rough past few days. I'm so tired, and I have no idea where I am or how to get back.
I'm sorry to disturb you," she says, "but I'm just so very, very lost. I promise I won't stay for long."

She pauses, looks down a bit, and then over at your cave. Then, she looks at you.

"Could I just rest for a moment?" she asks in a slightly timid voice. "Please."
She looks so sad and tired.
 She seems genuinely afraid that you're going to say no.

Well, it's not like you have anything better to do.
You nod, "Fine," you grudgingly reply.
Iris walks over to a rock near your cave entrance and sits down on it. Then her eyelids get heavy, and she promptly dozes off, curled up on top of the rock. She must have been exhausted from her travels, wherever she came from.


> You examine the sleeping dragoness.
You walk over to the dragoness and stand over her. You think about how pitiful she looks.

She looks like a delicate little doll, all curled up on that rock. Those big dragon eyes closed peacefully. So trusting.
Your only encounters with others of your kind up until now have been with hostile males in violent territorial disputes, and the only female you've ever known was your own mother, who died not long after you hatched. You've never seen another female dragon close to your age before, especially not this close. You hop onto the rock and curl up beside her, studying her scales.
 They're gorgeous. Turquoise blue scales with a flash of silver near the head. Her body is soft, her limbs thin, her tail elegant. She has a green, frill-like fringe running from the back of her head to the tip of her tail, characteristic of all Lake Dragons, and matching green membranes on her delicate wings.
 You run your hand over her scales, tracing every line.
She twitches slightly, but makes no other movement. You place a hand near her face, still curled up, and feel her soft breath on your clawtips.
You take in her feminine scent, an aroma you've never smelled before.
 Sweet, yet pungent. Like flowers, but a deep, dark purple. It's so pleasant to your nostrils that you lean in and take in another whiff.
 You close your eyes and try to block out the world around you, focusing on this scent, this unique smell that's all this delicate female.
She slowly starts to stir, snorting slightly and curling up slightly.
Her eyes flutter open, and she looks at you.
You look into her eyes. Emerald. Deep. Reflective. Focusing on you.

She stares at you, blinking slowly. She seems to be thinking something.
You sit there, staring into each others' eyes. You feel a pulse of electricity flow through you. Something strange and new.

The two of you sit there, motionless, staring into each others' eyes for what seems like an eternity.
Then, she suddenly scuttles backward, moving surprisingly quickly for a dragon.
"Erhm, it's just me. Solaris. The dragon who's letting you stay in my territory, remember? You kinda nodded off for a minute there..."
 you say, walking toward her.
She sits there, staring at you.


> You ask Iris if she's hungry, or if she would like to nap a little longer.
"Have you eaten anything? I can fly us to a village. I can go out and hunt something up, or you can."
She moves backward slightly, and gives a snort, shaking her head quickly.
 You slowly walk forward, moving around her.
She stares at you. Stares at you with her dark, glossy eyes. She seems to be thinking about something.

"I can't go out. I don't want to... disturb you, if you're busy with something."
She looks around, sniffing slightly.

"It's not dinner time. Can I nap with you? Please?" she asks, her voice a lot softer and lower than you expected. It's nearly inaudible, but you still understand her clearly.
"W-with me?" You ask, taken aback. You've just met this dragon! Is she really this scared - and does she really trust you this much?

"Y-yeah... please. You said there was another, less nice dragon out there, so..."
You stare at her, for several minutes. Then, you nod.
"Ah... o-of course!" You exclaim.

You slowly nod, turning around. You move your tail, shifting your body around to sit against the rock. You raise a wing so that Iris can move in next to you.

"Ah, th-there. This is better." Iris says, smiling. She scurries over, moving to curl up against you.
 She moves her body, raising her head up so that she can lay it against your chest.
"I can't believe I'm doing this." You mutter to yourself.

You slowly drape your wing around her, pulling her against you. You close your eyes, and slowly let your head fall back. The sun shines above you both. Everything is perfect.


> You let the dragoness fall back to sleep by your side, protectively covering her with your wing. You are not used to being around other dragons, but you admit to yourself that this is...nice.
You lay there, your eyes shut. After a while, you hear Iris' breathing slowly grow deeper and more even. She sleeps soundly, innocent and pure against your side.
 A feeling of bliss comes over you. You don't want to move.
But this isn't a proper relationship, you think to yourself. You're not sure how she feels. You're not sure how YOU feel. You've been a loner your whole life, and having another dragon so close and so trusting is completely new to you.
 But at the same time, it's nice. You enjoy her company, and you want to keep her safe.
You feel something else too. Something you thought you would never feel. Longing.
 It's an unusual and unfamiliar feeling for you, but there it is. A sort of deep, constant longing that reaches into your very core and won't let go.

This is new and strange, but you find yourself enjoying her presence next to you. You want Iris here with you, in your embrace.
 It's a comforting feeling, and for the first time in a long time, you feel at peace.
As you drift off to sleep, you smile.
You embrace your desire to protect her.


> You doze for a bit with the dragoness by your side, then wake up just before sundown.
You open your eyes. It's almost nighttime, and Iris is curled up against you, lying on her side and facing you.
 Her head is resting on your wing, and her long mane spills over the side and onto the ground. You slowly shift your body so that you are sitting and pull the dragoness against you.
 She cuddles into you, her head resting on your shoulder.
"Iris?" you ask.
"Hm?" she replies, still not opening her eyes.
"You awake?

She slowly opens her eyes and stares at you.
"Yes."
"It's getting late. We really should get you something to eat. Also...I've changed my mind. I want you to stay in my cave tonight."

Iris tilts her head.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," you say, putting your wing around her. "Like you said, that other dragon may still be in the area, and I don't think you should be wandering in the dark by yourself. Do you still trust me?"

She nods.
"Yes, I do."
You grin and look down at the ground.
"Ok then. I'll take you into the cave, then catch us some food. Do you have a preference?"

She slowly gets to her feet and pulls herself up against you, rubbing her head against your neck.
"I want whatever you catch for me."
"Got it."

You lead Iris into the cave, and down to the subterranean lake. You enter your hut, taking a moment to hide your small treasure hoard in a concealed opening behind one of your bookcases before letting her into the hut.
 She stares around in wonder, touching the bookcases and
 the various treasures before curling up on one of your blankets and drifting off to sleep.
You turn and leave, flying into the now-dark forest in search of prey to bring back.
 You pass the time by listening to the forest around you, and you soon hear the noises of a deer, a wild pig or a boar. Good.
 You're hungry. The woods slowly begin to wake from their nighttime activities, as various creatures flee from your presence or approach you for food.
 You watch as a hawk circles high above you, and you wonder which creature you're faster, yourself or the bird? You soon find out.

You fly forward with your mouth open, a blast of fire engulfing your mouth as you blow a hapless hare directly into the air as it screams.
 You quickly catch it in your mouth, tearing a large piece of flesh off the struggling prey with your claws and chowing down.
 You dart forward, grabbing a bird from the air with your mouth, catching it and tearing off its head before eating the flesh and tossing the bones away. Now that you've fed yourself, it's time to catch something for Iris to eat.
 You fly back to the cave, catching a deer and tearing off its flesh. You land near Iris, who awakens from her sleep as you place the prey on the ground.
 She stretches and yawns, staring at the food on the ground with a mixture of hunger and curiosity.
"Hey," you say, nudging her gently.
"Hello," she says.

"How are you feeling?"
"I'm okay," she says. "Are there any humans around? I've seen a few."
"There's a village nearby that I protect. It's a mutually beneficial relationship." You say, as you nudge the deer carcass towards Iris.

"What do you mean?"
"They give me things I want, I protect them. It's a simple deal."

Iris grabs a piece of meat and tears into it, and you smile at her expression of bliss.

"Hey," she says, pausing. "How long have you been here?"
"My whole life."
"Your whole life! But you're so young!"
"I'm not that young."

"I'd wager your human years to be a century or more!"
"Ok, I'm not THAT old."
"Why haven't you left?"
"I've asked the same question of myself. This valley belonged to my father; he was the original guardian of the village. My mother passed away shortly after I hatched, so he raised me and my two brothers by himself. Eventually, he got into a fight with the dragon who lives north of here, a Red named Ragna. He managed to drive him off, but died from his injuries shortly after. My siblings stayed with me for a few decades, but when they finally left to find territory of their own, I remained here."

"You have siblings?
 What are they like?"
"Just two. We haven't spoken in about...twenty or so years, now. I have no idea what they've been up to - or if they're even still alive. They were never all that bright. What about you - any family? Parents? Siblings? ...Lovers?"

"None that I know of," Iris says, frowning. "What about you? Have you ever had any hatchlings?
 A family?"
You shake your head. "Nope. Never. No hatchlings, no mate. I'm it."

Iris finishes her meat, and places the bone on the ground. She stares at you with a frown, before leaning in and touching your face.
"Why are you so sad?" she asks.
You shake your head in surprise - you didn't realize that you were frowning until now. You had never been bothered by being alone before, but now that Iris is with you, you suddenly realize how empty you've felt all this time, isolated in this valley all by yourself.

"I'm not sad," you reply.
"Yes, you are," Iris says, gently squeezing your talon. "Tell me about it."


> You you're not sure how to tell her that you don't want her to leave in the morning...but at the same time, you know you can't make her stay. You know she's lost, and she only trusts you because you offered her a place to stay, but you still want to keep her for yourself.
You look into her eyes, and you see a mixture of worry and fear.
 She's in a vulnerable state, and you're not sure if you should take advantage of that. But, at the same time, you really want to tell her the truth.
 You take a deep breath, and you exhale slowly, before opening your mouth to speak.

"I'm not sad," you begin, and feel yourself get a little nervous. You pause, as you try to gather your thoughts, and decide to dodge the issue.
"Actually, how did you get lost in the first place? From the way you've been sleeping, you must have come a very, very long way..."

Iris frowns, and the worry in her face deepens. "That's a longer story."
"We have all night," you reply, with a smile.

Iris stares at you for a few moments, as if trying to make you mad with her gaze. You don't react, however, and she sighs in defeat.

"I was born in the Cloudtop Mountains, in a place we used to call the Arat Kingdom," Iris begins.
 "I was brought up by my mother and father, a King and Queen who ruled over a vast mountain range. There was a lake not too different from the one in your valley up in those mountains, you see, and it's where we Lake Dragons lived peacefully. I was happy there."

"Why did you leave?" you ask.
"My parents were murdered by humans," Iris says.
 "I had to flee."
"How?" you ask. "Were there many humans in the mountains?"
"No, the mountains are a sacred place to us. There are no humans there.
 There is a large city in the mountains, called New Dessel, and that's where they came from. The old king had recently died, and his son took over. His first declaration was that he was going to exterminate all of the dragons in the Arat Kingdom so that he could claim all of the Cloudtop Mountains and their riches for himself. We were at war with them for a long, long time.
Six moons ago, I was out hunting when a large group of soldiers attacked me. I managed to escape and flee back home, but I was followed...
 They killed my parents, they killed my brother and his family, they killed everyone I loved. They took everything from me."
"That's horrible," you reply. "I'm so sorry.
 I had no idea."
"It's alright," Iris says. " I was so scared, and my brother's dying words were for me to flee, not fight. So I flew as far and as fast as I could over the sea - right into a storm that was blowing in."

Iris goes quiet for a moment, as if reliving the memory.
"When I woke up, I was here," she says.


> You remember a large storm blowing in a few days ago, and realize Iris must have been wandering, lost and alone, all this time before finding your valley.
"So...you have no idea where you are right now? You're nowhere near the Cloudtop Mountains - this is the Sawtooth Mountain Range!" You exclaim, "That storm blew you nearly half a continent off course! No wonder you've been so exhausted!"

Iris stares at you in disbelief.

"I...really am lost," she says.


> You look at her, and think. She is miles away from familiar territory and has no home to return to, even if you did help her leave. You can't just force her to leave tomorrow morning...
"Stay," you say, confidently.
Iris looks at you in shock.
"What?" she asks.
"I...don't want you to be alone," you admit. "Please stay. You have nowhere else to go."

Iris is silent for a while.
"I...have nowhere else to go," she says, "But I don't want to be a bother..."
"You won't be," you reply, "It's safer here than it is to wander around in these mountains by yourself, and I promise the human villagers here won't hurt you."

Iris thinks for a moment, and then nods.
"I...thank you," she says. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate this."

"You're welcome," you reply. "Now, come on, you should get some rest. Tomorrow I can show you around the valley and help you pick out a nice cave for yourself nearby."

"Okay," Iris replies. "That would be great."


> You pull out some animal skins and lay them next to your sleeping mat for Iris, and the two of you turn in for the night..

The next morning, you wake up early and go outside your cave to get some food for both of you. You find a few rabbits and bring them back to the cave, and Iris smiles.

"You're too kind," she says.
"Eat," you say. "And then we can head out."
Iris happily begins to eat the rabbits, and you eagerly eat some as well.
 When you're finished, the two of you leave your subterranean home and stand overlooking the valley.


> You tell the dragoness that you are going to take her on a tour of the valley, and your first stop is going to be the human village you protect. You know that she is uncomfortable around humans, and reassure her that they are friendly and that you will be by her side to protect her.
"You'll be safe with me," you say, "Now come on, we need to go see the village."
The two of you fly down the mountain, and as you do, Iris asks a few questions.

"How many people live in the village?" she asks.
"A few dozen, why?" you reply.
"Just curious," Iris says.
"It's a small village. Most of the people you'll see are traders that don't actually live here. The locals are fishermen and farmers - simple people. There's a local militia in case of emergencies that I can't handle, but no actual soldiers like the ones that attacked your home. You're safe."
"I'm glad to hear it," Iris says.
As you reach the bottom of the mountain, the two of you reach the edge of the lake. A few fishing boats are just starting to head out on the water as the locals start their day; visible on the opposite side of the lake is the village, which you continue to fly towards.
 The humans haven't noticed the two of you yet.
The two of you land near the main road, and as you approach the village, you notice Iris' body stiffen as she starts to tremble slightly. You put one of your feathered wings around the dragoness reassuringly, and the two of you make your way towards the village square.

The village square is empty at this time in the morning, save for a few farmers selling their wares from their small stands. The dragoness looks around nervously, before turning to look at you.

"It's okay," you tell her, "They're all asleep."
Iris turns back around, and stares at the village. She spots something she likes, and nudges you.

"Can we go over there?" she points, "I want to check that out."
You walk over to the stand, and look at what Iris is interested in.
 It's a trinket from one of the stands, a small silver bauble that seems to be an amulet of some sort.
"It's pretty," Iris says, picking it up.

"Yeah, it is," you say, not really paying much attention to the object.
Iris nuzzled up against your side, and you ran your claws along her scales comfortingly.
"Do you want it?" You ask her, "I'll get if for you, if you'd like. That way you'll have something for your own treasure hoard."

Iris nods, and you grin. You pick up the amulet and pay the shopkeep, who stares at Iris with silent surprise, then place the amulet over the dragoness' neck. Then the two of you walk back towards the village square.

Iris begins to examine her new amulet, while you stop to stare at the stands. Suddenly a man approaches the two of you.

"Ah, the Guardian! And... is this your lady? I had no idea you had a mate! How are you today?"
You feel your face heat up as you flush with embarrassment. "S-she's not my mate! She's a traveler from afar that is going to be staying here in the valley. I thought I'd get her acquainted with the village, is all."

The shopkeep nods. "Ah, a shame. She is very pretty. And her amulet? So beautiful. Makes her look like a goddess, it does."
You cough awkwardly, before speaking up.
 "Is there something you need?"
The man smiles. "No, not at all - I merely wished to say hello to you and your lovely lady-dragon friend," he says, before turning to Iris. "I do hope you enjoy your stay here in the valley. If there is ever anything you need, know that we of Rorik village are willing to help in any way possible." He smiles, and bows to the two of you. "Guardian Solaris. My lady. Enjoy the rest of your day...and enjoy your date." He winks, then turns and heads back into the crowd of people emerging from their homes to start their day, leaving you blushing deeply.

Iris blinks at him in confusion, before you sigh and explain.
 "The shopkeep thinks I'm your mate."
Iris giggles. "Is that really a bad thing?"

You shake your head, smiling. "No. He was just being friendly."


> You look at the beautiful dragoness, happy to see her finally smiling. You ask her what she thinks of the village, and if she's still scared of the villagers now that she's had a look around.
"I love the village," Iris says, her cheerful voice a nice change from the dour shopkeeper.
 "There's so much to explore!" She spreads her wings, flying a few feet above you as she takes in the village.
 Then she spreads them again, floating gently to the ground. "As for the villagers..." She pauses, biting her lip nervously. "Well, I'd better not say anything that might scare them...
 Can we go look around the valley now?"
You nod. "Yeah, I suppose so.
 Let's go.
 Just... stay close to me, alright?"
The two of you take to the skies and start to fly away from the village. You show her the various sights and your favorite sunning spots around the valley, and stop by the edge of the lake to catch some food for lunch.

As you eat your freshly caught rabbit, Iris raises a taloned hand. "Do you think I could...?" She licks her lips nervously.
 "Do you think I could try swimming in the lake? It's been so long since I swam, I really should do it now."


> You smile at the Lake dragoness. You know her particular breed enjoys swimming in fresh water, and you think it might put her at ease to let her swim for a bit while you watch.
"Sure," you reply, grinning. "Why not?"
Iris smiles back. "Thanks!"
 She breaks into a sprint, sprinting into the lake and diving headfirst into the water.
 She swims underwater for a few seconds, before surfacing again. She paddles around a bit in the lake, turning this way and that.
 She swims to the other side, and dives underwater again. You watch as she swims underwater, before finally coming to the surface and swimming ashore.
She breaks into a run, sprinting up onto land.
 She heads to the shallow end of the lake, and divebombs into the water. She swims underwater again, before finally surfacing and climbing onto the shore.
 "It's so cold! But so refreshing!" She shouts, shaking herself like a dog.
You watch as she climbs out of the water and shakes herself like a dog, spraying water droplets all over the ground.
 She smiles, and curls up on a sunny rock near the edge of the lake. Her blue scales gleam as the sunlight hits them, and you're able to see the happiness in her simple acts again.


> You walk over and sit on the rock next to the wet dragoness, admiring her beautiful scales as they glimmer in the sunlight.
You walk over and sit on the rock next to Iris, admiring her beautiful scales as they glimmer in the sunlight. As you look at her, she smiles warmly at you.
"Do you like it here? I know it's not the same as your home way back in the Arat Kingdom, but do you think you want to live here?" You ask.

"I like it, I like it here. There's so much to do and see, the water is refreshing, and the sun is warm," Iris replies.
 "It's good, thanks to you. Thanks to you, I'm happy again."

"I'm glad."


> You sit on the warm rock next to Iris, and the two of you sun yourselves for a bit. Once the dragoness has dried off, the two of you fly back into the skies, and start searching the mountains near your cove for an empty den for Iris to move into.
You spend the rest of the day searching the mountains for a cave that fits the dragoness' size. She's only slightly smaller than you, who are roughly human-sized yourself, so she doesn't need a massive space.
 You land on a ledge and begin to scale a cliff face, only to have your way blocked by a large rock. You blast the rock aside with a fire spell to reveal a cave beyond. "Perfect," you think to yourself.
 "This cave is empty. Iris can move in."
Iris lands behind you and looks into the cave. "This place is perfect," she says.
 "It's large, and there are lots of flat rocks and areas of bare earth that are good for drying off on." She rubs her head against you affectionately. "Thank you, Guardian of the Valley."
"You don't need to call me that, Iris," you say, "Just call me Solaris. I'm fine with that."

"If you're sure," Iris says. "I can't imagine what my life would have been like if you hadn't appeared when you did."


> You help the dragoness settle into her new home, and tell her that she can visit your nearby cave whenever she likes. Once you're sure she's alright with her new den, you fly back to your home.
Iris moves into her cave, and you move into your own den in the mountains. As the night falls, you curl up on your animal furs, but are unable to sleep. Instead, you think of Iris - her smiling face, her glimmering scales as she swam in the lake, and her sinuous body...

You groan and wrap yourself in your furs. No. Iris is a good friend, and that's it. There's nothing more to it.

But as the moon climbs higher in the sky, you find yourself thinking about how beautiful she is.
 You think about the feeling of her hot breath on your scales as she loves you, and your stomach turns.
No. She's your friend. Your only friend. You won't entertain the idea of more.

But your stomach keeps turning, and you feel an unfamiliar heat starting to build up in your loins. You look down as your member starts to slowly emerge from your genital slit, a bead of clear fluid emerging from the tip.
 You groan, kicking aside your animal furs.
There's no way you can sleep like this.
 You've slept in the dirt and the sun, but never like this. You could feel the heat spreading throughout your body, filling you with an urge that only Iris's body could fulfill.


> You bend your flexible, draconic body, raise your hind leg into the air, bring the tip of your snout to your own member, and began to lick.
You wrap your lips around your member and begin to gently suck.
 The feeling is unlike anything you've experienced, and as your body grows accustomed to this new sensation you feel your stomach start to twist and churn.
 Your body grows warm as your member grows hot in your mouth, and your heart beats rapidly.

Suddenly, you release a torrent of warm, thick liquid onto your belly as a feeling unlike any you've experienced before rushes through your body.
 Your mouth goes numb, and you gasp, opening your eyes.
As your stomach stops twisting and churning, your head begins to clear, and you realize what just happened.
Iris...
 You begin to think.
Iris... You begin to think, as you suddenly notice your mouth is filled with warm, sticky liquid. A mixture of saliva and your own pent-up semen coats your mouth and throat. Your member is still hard, and the fire is still building in your nethers. You lean in again.

Iris... You begin to think, as you gently lick the tip of your member.
 The heat in your stomach begins to build once again, and you feel your member twitch in your muzzle.
Iris... You begin to think, as you gently run your tongue along the underside of your member.

Iris... You begin to think, as you slowly begin to take your member deeper into your mouth.
Iris... You begin to think, as the taste of your own thick, sticky seed fills your mouth.

Iris... You begin to think, as the feeling of your stomach twisting begins once again.
Iris... You begin to think, as you release a torrent of thick, warm liquid down your throat.
 You bite down on your own tongue to prevent yourself from releasing more, and swallow.
Iris... You begin to think, as your body relaxes and the feeling passes.
Iris...
 You begin to think, as you release your mouth from around your own member.
Iris...
Finally, completely spent, you nod off.


> You wake up the next morning, ashamed of yourself for the night before. Hoping to clear your mind, you decide to patrol the borders of your territory.
You walk out of the cave and into the light of the new dawn. The sun is just beginning to crest the mountains in the distance.
You take to the skies, considering for a moment whether or not to check in on Iris...but then you remember your shameful actions from last night. Never before have you lost control over yourself like that - at least, not while out of mating season, anyway. As much as you enjoy being around her, it might be a good idea to sort out what, exactly, your feelings for this female actually are.

You brood over this as you fly further and further away from your cave, past the lake and on to the farthest edge of your territory.
 You intend to avoid Iris for the day, but eventually, your concern for the dragoness' well being wins out, and you turn back and fly towards Iris' new cave.

It's unlike you to be so indecisive, but as much as you like Iris, you don't want to risk messing up a good relationship for either of you.
 You've already decided to just keep your visit to her brief, though you still have no idea what to expect when you get there.

As you enter her cave, you flap your wings to slow your descent.
 The cave is illuminated only by a small fire she set in a stone pit in the ground.


> You look around, but you don't see her anywhere, and start to panic.
Iris is nowhere to be seen, and you're left standing in the cave alone.
 You feel the feathers raise on the back of your neck and you stand up straighter, glancing around the cave.
 Then, you feel a slight breeze blow past you, and you turn around in time to see Iris landing in the grass just outside of the cave. She smiles and runs up to you.

"There you are!" Iris exclaims, nuzzling you affectionately, " I was wondering where you went! You weren't in your cave, so I thought you might have gone back to that human village. But when I got close, I got all nervous again, so I thought I'd go swim around the lake for a bit - then I saw you flying back towards the mountain, so I followed you."

"Ah. Erm. I just went out to patrol the edge of the valley, is all." You say, taking a small step back. Having the dragoness so close so suddenly is causing your head to swirl with impure thoughts again, and you try not to look directly at her.

"Oh.
 Okay." Iris says, looking a bit disappointed, then looks at the ground and shuffles her feet, "Anyway, I'm glad to see you're here. Would you like to go out for a swim?"
She's looking at you hopefully, and you shift your weight nervously from one forelimb to the other.
 You can feel your throat growing dry, and you scratch at your scaly chin in an attempt to come up with a suitable answer.
"Ah... no, I would not. I have patrol duties to see to."
 You say.
"Aw, come on!" Iris says, "I won't bite! I won't!"
"I... I just..." You stammer, trying to think of an excuse.

"Please?" Iris asks, nudging you with a wing.
You look into her eyes.
 They seem to hold no malice. You can't help but look away.
"Fine." You groan, giving in.
You accompany the dragoness to the lake, and while you initially plan on just waiting by the shore until she tired herself out, she grabs you by the tail and drags you into the water with her, giggling playfully.
 The water is warmer than you're used to, but it feels so good on your scales that you don't mind it.

"Hey!" You protest, "I'm a Silver, not a fish!"
"You're scaly enough." Iris replies, pushing you under the water.

You come up sputtering, as Iris continues to push you around. Eventually, you catch her in a hold, and throw her into the lake with one powerful throw.
She pops back up laughing, and flaps a wing in your direction, splashing you right in the face and making you sputter again.

"I win!" Iris giggles, "C'mon, dry off, and let's go back."
You agree, and follow her back to the shore.


> You spend the rest of the day with Iris. Though you're fairly certain you've fallen for her, you still try to keep things as platonic as possible. Days turn into weeks, and she starts visiting your cave first thing every morning to accompany you as you patrol your valley. She fills the silence with small talk, and even though you rarely say much back to her, you soon find that you've started to enjoy these long flights together, getting to know each other better.
One day, she arrives a little later than usual, and you see that she's carrying a few purple orchids.
"Hey," She says, smiling, "How've you been?"
"Good,"
 You reply, eyeing the flowers in her talons.
Iris smiles, "So, are we just spending time together doing nothing today?"
"Well, it's been pretty quiet lately, so I suppose I can postpone checking the valley's borders for today."
"It's nice out.
 Wanna go flying?"
You nod.
"I found these flowers by the lake. They're really pretty.
 Do you like them?"
"They're pretty, but I was never really one for flowers - they taste terrible."
Iris chuckles at your lame joke, then looks down nervously. "I was wondering if you could... stay with me... for the rest of the day...
?"
You stare into her shimmering green eyes, which are looking down at her feet. Her cheeks are bright red, and you can tell she's struggling to maintain eye contact. You grin, and nod. "
I'd love to."

"Y-you will?" She asks, grinning back.
"Of course."
Iris smiles, and the two of you take to the skies.

The pair of you spend the rest of the day flying around and watching the sun set. As darkness approaches, Iris heads back home, and you head to sleep in your cave.


A few weeks later, you arrive in the sky with Iris once more. She smiles at you as she fills your bowl with fish, and the two of you spend the rest of the day chatting while you eat.
A few months later, the pair of you have become inseparable.
 You have both grown close each other, and your relationship has remained a non-sexual, intimate one.
 She spends all her time with you, and you spend all your free time with her.

She's the best - and only - friend you ever had...but deep inside, you yearn for more.


One day, Iris asks you a question. "Why did you never leave this valley?"
"There's no where else to go," you answer. "This is all I know. It was my father's land that he fought hard for, and with the rest of my family either dead or gone to parts unknown, this is all I have left of them all.
 Besides, who would look after the village?"

Iris sighs. "But...you're so lonely here. You've been all by yourself for goodness knows how long."

"I'm fine."
"You're not fine. If you were fine, you wouldn't have even told me this. I know you must miss having friends. You must miss having family. have you ever even considered finding yourself a mate?"
You look at her in surprise, and her eyes widen with the realization of what she just said.
 "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."
"Offend me? You're saying I'm lonely?"
"Well...yeah."
"I'm not lonely," you lie.

"You are. You try to spend all your time by yourself, either flying around the farthest parts of the valley or in that cave of yours. Even when I'm with you, it always feels like you're pushing me away... I worry about you."
"You worry about me?
 What the hell does that mean?"
"You know very well what it means. You think I'm not aware of how you stare at my tail?
 How you groan and grumble whenever I sit near you? How you turn red when I brush against you?"

Iris' bluntness surprises you. "I do not."
"Don't you?" Iris asks, raising an eyebrow. "You deny it, but I know you do. You want me.
 I can see it. Why else would you be so angry at me? Why else would you be denying yourself the pleasures of the flesh? Denying yourself happiness?"
"I...
don't..."
"You know you do. Or at least you know you want to. You think about it every morning when you go flying around the valley.
 You even think about it at night when you go to sleep."
You're about to retort that Iris is mistaken, but she interrupts you. "I know you do - because I do, too.
 And it's okay if you do. The dragon I love just needs to let go every once in a while. You're carrying a lot on your shoulders because you think you have to take care of me, and take care of the humans in the village. But it's okay to be a little selfish once in a while, Solaris."


> You you're about to storm off, but then the last part of her statement hits you. You look into the dragoness' fierce, green eyes and ask her, "Iris...how do you feel about me?"
"I...love you..." Iris admits shyly.
It takes a moment for the words to sink in, and then you drop to your haunches.

"You love me?" you ask in disbelief.
Iris nods.

"How? When? What do you mean?" you ask, finally able to form complete sentences.
Iris looks away, flicking her eyes towards the cave entrance.
 She stares at the cavern walls, as if pained to admit such a thing.

"For as long as I can remember, I've loved you. Ever since you found me..." Iris says.

You stare at Iris in silence, and she shifts under your gaze.
"I'm right? You feel the same way?" Iris asks.

"I...I do." You admit, staring into the green eyes of the dragoness.
You look deep into those green orbs, seeing a reflection of yourself.
 It's only natural that you felt something for her. Just as she felt something for you. You were an idiot to be shy about it.
You take a deep breath, and then you take Iris' talon in yours.

"Then, I guess I don't need to be lonely anymore." You tell her, reassuringly.

"You will never be lonely again." Iris smiles.

The pair of you stare into each other's eyes, smiling. Then, you pull the dragoness into a deep kiss.
Iris purrs into your mouth, and you feel her tongue darting in.
 Her talons find their way to the back of your head, and she grips it tightly.
After you both pull away for oxygen, you laugh and smile.
"So...what do we do now?" Iris asks.

"I...don't know. I honestly never considered this."
 You admit, honestly.
"Do...you want to mate?" Iris asks, shyly.
"Do you want to?" you ask, just as shyly.
Iris nods, grinning.

"Then, yes." You smile.
"Let's go, then." Iris smiles, winking.
You grin, nodding, and follow Iris into her cave.


> You follow the blue dragoness into her cave as she spreads out her animal furs for the two of you to lie on. You look on unexpectedly, unsure of what to do, studying the curves of her muscular body as you feel warmth rising inside you.
Iris lays down on the furs, and you do likewise.
 You begin to stare into her green eyes, your claws finding their way to her soft, smooth scales.

Iris begins to kiss down your neck, to the right of your clavicle, to the center of your chest. Her tongue darts in and out of her mouth, as she looks into your eyes.
 You smile, running your hands along her fin-like back fringe.
Iris reaches your mane of thick, white feathers and grabs a handful of it, yanking your head to her and kissing you hard on the mouth. As the two of you kiss passionately, you feel the tip of your draconic member starting to emerge from your genital slit and slowly brush up against the dragoness' smooth belly scales. You pull away and look down in embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry, that's...umm...well..."

Iris giggles. "Don't worry about it. It's completely natural." She smiles, before licking her lips and moving her head down your body.

You're about to reply, but find yourself incapable of speech as her tongue darts out and circles the base of your member.
 You gasp, before she closes her mouth around it and begins to gently suck. You blush scarlet, as your mind goes blank.

You grit your teeth, trying not to cry out, as her mouth works up and down your shaft.
 After a few moments, you feel your member beginning to release its load, as she releases it from her mouth with a pop and trails light kisses up and down your length.
 You shudder, groaning as you release a flood of your thick, white seed into the air. She licks the tip, before looking up at you and smiling.
You find yourself unable to reply.

Iris leans in, her emerald green eyes staring into your own jade ones, before kissing you deeply on the lips once more.
 You feel your heart flutter as you hold her close, before she pulls away.
"I love you," she whispers to you, sending a thrill through your body.
"And I love you," you reply.
Iris stands up and turns away from you. She hunkers down on her forelegs, raising her rear into the air and lowering her wings to her sides, then lifts her tail, revealing her cloaca to you, dripping with arousal. She looks over her shoulder at you expectantly.


> You stand and mount the dragoness, sliding your girthy member into her as you place your forearms on her shoulders and take her from behind.
You grasp her shoulders as you thrust into her, the pair of you moaning into one another's mouths as your hips slam into one another.

Your heart flutters as you feel her warmth envelop your member, the sound of her breathing, the smell of her scales... This is perfect. This is what life is supposed to be.

You move together, slowly thrusting in and out of her as your kiss deepens.
You wrap your wings around you both, holding her close as she moves her head down against the floor. You lick her neck, continuing to thrust into her doggy style (or is it dragon style?).

You hold her close, not wanting to ever let her go. Ever.
You move in perfect rhythm with one another, breathing heavily as you come together.
 Your seed sprays into her, filling her up, and you moan into her ear as you find your release.

Your mind is overwhelmed with bliss and peace, and for a moment, you're sure that you've died and went to heaven.

You release her shoulders and hold her closely to you, hugging her from behind as the two of you drop onto your side, laying on the animal furs.

"You alright?" she asks.
"Perfect," you pant.
The pair of you lies there, basking in the afterglow of your love.
This is what life is. With her. The two of you are out of season, so there will be no eggs from this mating, but you feel fulfilled nonetheless.


> You drift off to sleep, still spooning your dragoness lover.
You awaken to Iris' head resting on your shoulder.
"Mmmm," she groans, snuggling deeper into you.

The pair of you lays there, limbs entwined. You have a serene, satisfied feeling in your heart.
"Hey, Iris," you whisper softly, "do you maybe...want to move into my cave with me?"

"Sure," she replies softly, "as long as you keep me warm."
You kiss her cheek, "Always."
You look over at the entrance to her cave, seeing the moon beginning to rise.

"Perfect. It's my turn to care of you for the rest of your life." She smiles groggily.
You hug her close, and she wraps her tail around your body, nuzzling into your chest.
You kiss her forehead and return the favor, wrapping your tail around her waist.
 The pair of you stare into each other's eyes for a moment, and then kiss.
You hold her tightly to you as you drift off to sleep, your new mate resting against your chest.

You awaken a few hours later, seeing the sun shining through the entrance to the cave. You stand up, stretching and looking over at Iris.
 She slowly opens her eyes, blinking at the light.
"Oh, good morning," she yawns, "did you sleep well?"
You nod, "For the first time in a long time, yes."

"Good. I love you," she smiles, snuggling back into you.
You run your hand along her back, feeling the scaly ridges of her armor.
 You grin, "And I love you, Iris."
"Is it already time for you to go check the border? Can you stay just a little longer?" She asks groggily.

"No, no. I have to go check the border today. I didn't get to yesterday." You frown, "I wish I could though. I want to stay here with you - but I still have to check. I promise I'll be back quickly, though." You kiss the drowsy dragoness on the cheek. "I'll see you in a bit...my love."
Love. the word feels so foreign to you. But you can certainly get used to it.

You leave the cave, and look up at the sky. It's still fairly early in the day, and your journey should be brief if you hurry.


> You fly into the air and make your way towards the northern border of your valley as the sun rises over the peaks, feeling like a whole new dragon.
Your wings stretch as you fly, sending you high into the air. You fly with ease, basking in the early morning sunlight that is only bettered by the joy of your newly minted mate.
 You smile, basking in the warmth.
You fly towards the northern border of your valley, finding it surprisingly easy to find.


> Your good mood is dashed immediately as you recognize the scent of a male dragon - it's that cowardly White, Theo! You smell that he is not alone, and look around frantically for the two intruders
You bank to the right, flying a little higher to get a better view. You spot them as they launch themselves out of the forest canopy below, the White dragon Theo and a larger, Red dragon that you recognize as Ragna, the ruler of the next territory over to the north. Long ago, Ragna fought with your father for control of this valley, but he was driven away. Not long after, when word of your father's passing from his injuries had spread, he tried again to claim the valley for himself - only to be repelled by yourself and your two older brothers. Now he's back, and this time your siblings aren't around to help you fend him off...

You growl, looking down at the two dragons as they fly in front of you.
 Theo's smaller than you, and that's being generous. You can crush him in an instant. He's terrified, but there's no way he's getting away. Not this time.
As for the bigger dragon...


> You lock eyes with the Red and tell him firmly that you will not tolerate him or his new 'friend' on your land.
You growl at the large dragon, who snorts and darts forward, hissing. He lowers his head, blowing out a stream of fire that would have enveloped you had you not darted to the left at the last second.
 Instead, the stream of fire burns right past you, scorching the tree below you.
 You snarl, flaring your wings to get away as you speed up towards the lake.
A quick glance shows you that Theo is continuing to follow you.
 He's far too weak to defeat you, but he seems determined to be a nuisance.


> You quickly turn in the air and launch a thunder spell at Theo - if you can get rid of him first, you might have a better chance at beating Ragna.
You arch your back and roar at the sky. Lightning arcs from your fingers, crashing into Theo's body. Theo screams, and flutters his wings wildly as he falls into a spin.
 You dart forward and aim another arc of lightning at him, but you're too late. Theo slams into the beach with a painful thud, and you quickly dart away to escape the area.
 Theo is still alive, but his body isn't moving. You hurl another bolt of lightning at him, just to be sure...
But Ragna swoops in and deflects the spell, taking only minor damage to his tail as he uses it to knock the bolt of plasma off course and into the lake below.
Ragna laughs. "Well, well, is that any way for you to treat guests, 'Guardian?'" He sneers. "So much weaker than your father! Tell me, where are your big brothers now?"

You spit a jet of flames at him, but he's faster again and blasts you with his own cone of flame. You collapse onto the beach, and he lands not far from you, laughing. Behind him, you see the White slowly getting back to his feet.


> Your silver scales are fireproof, so you manage to quickly scramble to your feet on the lake shore with no serious injuries. You ask Theo how he managed to get Ragna, of all dragons, to agree to help him.
"I told him we'd split the valley between the two of us - it's plenty big. He seemed eager enough when I told him it was just you protecting the place."
 Theo says, running up alongside Ragna. The Red swats him aside with one of his massive foreclaws, annoyance on his face.
You're about to tell Theo that Ragna likely has no intention of sharing anything with him and will turn on him the moment he no longer needs him, but the bigger dragon interrupts you.
"Last time, I had three Slivers to contend with at once. I had assumed you were all still here...had I known the other two had flown the coop and left the weakest one in charge, I would've made my move twenty years ago!" Ragna sneers.

"You're here now, and you're gonna get what's coming to you," you say, readying a blast of fire.
Ragna laughs again, and flies into the air.


> You look up and prepare to attack Ragna, but catch a glimpse of Theo using the opportunity to leap at you. You instead blast your flames at the White, then prepare to leap back into the air after Ragna.
You look up just in time to see Theo's body plow into you. You send a fireball into his face, but it doesn't cause him too much damage and he manages to slam you to the ground.
 Theo manages to flip you over, so that your back is against the ground.
You rake his belly scales with your rear talons and kick him off to the side, scrambling to get back upright.
 Theo does likewise, but in the other direction, trying to get behind you.
Theo launches his own breath weapon at you, breathing a stream of ice that you barely manage to dodge.
 You breathe fire back, and his mane catches fire. Theo screams in pain as the fire sets his scales aflame, and you leap forward to bite into his neck.
As your fangs sink in and you start to taste blood, you are sent flying back by a mighty blow from Ragna's powerful tail as he swoops down at you from above, leaving you reeling.

Theo takes advantage of the situation and bites into your neck, trying to get as deep as he can into your veins.


> You jab one of your sharp claws squarely into Theo's left eye, blinding him and forcing him to recoil in pain and confusion. TYou takethe opportunity to hurl another lightning spell at him.
You jab your claw into Theo's eye as he screams and staggers backward. Theo is blinded and confused, and the only thing he can hear is a roaring in his ears.
 You twist around in mid-air, snarling at him.
 Theo flails around desperately and you launch a powerful blast of thunder and lightning at the fleeing Theo, sending him sprawling to the ground and keeping him from retaliating.

You fly down and slam into Theo, tackling him and trying to bite into his neck again. Theo manages to grab onto your face with his claws and hold you back.
 You snarl and grapple with each other, trying to overpower the other.
You're About to Win... Again
Theo has gone into a fetal position and is trying to protect his neck.
 You manage to sink your teeth into his neck again, barely managing to get a grip on it. Theo screams and you attempt to bite again.
 This time Theo holds your head back with one hand and slaps you hard in the face with the other, leaving you dazed.

"Get off! Get the hell off of me!" Theo screams desperately.
You release your grip and quickly roll out of the way as Ragna swoops in and tries to strike you from behind.
 You lash out at him with a powerful fire bolt, but he easily dodges it and swings his tail at your head.
 You barely manage to get your head out of the way in time, but the tail still smashes into your face, knocking you off your feet and onto the ground.

You slam into the hard dirt, momentarily dazed. You attempt to get up, but Theo is already on top of you, his claws at your throat.

"I'm going to kill you. I'm going to tear you apart, Silver." Theo says, staring at you with a mixture of terror and rage.


> You grab a small rock lying next to you and bash it against the side of Theo's skull as hard as you can, breaking one of his horns in the process.
You grab a small rock lying next to you and bash it against the side of Theo's skull as hard as you can, breaking one of his horns off in the process.
 Theo screams and falls off of you. You quickly scramble to get up andput some distance between the two of you, only to have the massive Red cut you off.

"No more tricks, little one." He grins. "Now, defend yourself!"

You lash out at him with a powerful lightning bolt, but he easily dodges it and swings his tail at your head.


> You duck under it and lunge at his scaled haunches, biting as hard as your fanged jaws can manage.
You duck under it and lunge at his scaled haunches, biting as hard as your fanged jaws can manage.
 Ragna roars and tries to kick you away, but you hang on for dear life as the monster desperately thrashes around in an effort to shake you off.
 Theo attempts to help, but is stopped by the larger dragon, who knocks him over amidst his flailing.
 Theo screams as he's slammed into the ground.
You keep your jaws tightly clamped down on the large dragon's hindlegs as he attempts to shake you off.
 His hindlegs are covered in vicious, long spines that dig into your jaws, tearing into your mouth as you try to hang on for dear life.

Suddenly, he's shaking you off, and as you fly through the air you see that your foe isn't nearly as wounded as he pretends to be.


> You cast an ice spell, creating a spear that you hurl at Ragna's massive frame just as you hit the ground.
As you hit the ground, you shoot an ice spear at the massive dragon's midsection.
 It pierces through his scales and into the soft, wet fleshy part of his belly, and he lets out a bellow of pain.
You right yourself and grin. You may be smaller than him, and you may be outnumbered, but you still have an advantage they don't: Silver dragons can use magic.

Ragna's roaring as he backs away from you. Theo stands up and, looking terrified, runs to hide behind Ragna.


> You leap back into the air and hurl another lightning bolt at the two enemy dragons.
As you fly through the air, you hurl another lightning bolt at the two dragons, hoping to bring one of them down.

Ragna leaps into the air, causing the bolt to fly harmlessly under him as he lunges at you; Theo barely manages to roll out of the way with a yelp as the bolt hits the ground inches from him, sending sand and gravel flying everywhere.
Ragna rushes you and swipes at you with his massive claws. You block the blow, but are still knocked backwards, and struggle to stay in the air.

Ragna swings his claw again, and you fly out of the way of it, but Theo leaps up from below and rakes his claws across your back, leaving deep gashes between your wings.
 You scream out in pain and, despite your wounds, manage to stay airborne.

You fly at Theo, who manages to leap out of the way. As you fly, you shoot a bolt of lightning at him.
 He tries to leap out of the way again, but the bolt still hits him, and he falls to the ground with a thud.
 He manages to knock your snout with his tail, knocking you to the ground.

Ragna rushes in for the kill, but you roll out of the way and, despite being wounded, manage to get back to your feet.
 You rush at him with your tail, but he manages to knock you back with one of his claws and swings his claw again.
 You try to leap out of the way again, but he catches you with a blow that slams you to the ground and sends you skidding along the sand.

Theo has managed to crawl away by now, but you have other plans for him.
 As he tries to stand up, you fire a jet of flames at him, forcing him to roll out of the way and back into the cover of some nearby rocks.
 You quickly fly over to Theo, and slam your claws into his hind leg, shattering it.
Theo screams in pain as his limb collapses, but manages to get up again.
 You send another jet of flames at him, and he retreats back into the rocks again.
You crawl after him, and manage to grab his ankle as he tries to flee once more.
 You yank as hard as you can, sending him tumbling into the sand. He tries to stand up, but he's unable to put any weight on his leg.


> You won't make the same mistake you did last time by letting him live.
You fly forward, smacking your snout into Theo's throat. You wrap your claws around his throat as you begin to squeeze, crushing his windpipe and preventing him from breathing.
 You fling him around like a ragdoll, before throwing him to the ground and crushing his windpipe, killing him.
You turn in time to see Ragna swooping down at you, his massive frame blotting out the sun.
 You let out a roar and fire a jet of flames, but he merely bats it away like an insect.
He rams into you - hard. You are sent flying backwards, hitting a tree with a sickening 'CRACK' as your ribs on your right side are shattered.
 You let out a pained scream as you stumble to your feet, only to be knocked off them again by Ragna, this time landing on your head with 'WHAM'.
 You're sent once more into a tree, which breaks your fall - and one of your wings.
 You crawl along the ground, dragging yourself to a safer distance from your opponent.
Ragna lands in front of you, laughing.
"And you call yourself a Silver. You're not half the dragon your father was."


> You drag yourself to your feet. Ragna is clearly immune to your fire attacks, and he's much stronger than you physically. His thick red scales make most of your attacks bounce right off. You need to find a weak point!
You look around, and see a small group of trees several yards away.
If you can get him to follow you out of the open and into the forest, his large size will make it harder for him to maneuver with the trees in the way...

You look up at him, and let out a painful scream. You fire a jet of flames, engulfing your opponent in a wave of heat.
Naturally, your flames do nothing but anger him - which is the point. When he shakes off the fire and looks at you, you've already sprinted towards the treeline.
 He follows you, letting out a burst of flames that barely miss you. You pick up the pace, and keep sprinting, but then you stumble and go sprawling forward... right into the middle of the group of trees.
 You're still visible from the edge, but it'll be a lot more difficult for him to see you from that direction now.
He strides forth, easily tearing through the underbrush and into the clearing.


> You run deeper into the woods, ignoring the pain screaming through your body, as the trees become thicker and are spaced closer together.
You're running, and he's chasing. You dart from tree to tree, as the roar of his flame blasts gets closer and closer.
Suddenly you hear him roar in frustration as his massive girth starts to make movement between the large trees difficult. It's working!
 It's working! He can't get through, not in this terrain!


> You turn to face the Red. Now that his mobility has been hampered, you may have a fighting chance! You lash out with another ice spear, knowing Ragna has no room to dodge.
It hits him in the chest, and he stumbles. You keep running, as he lets out a roar of frustration and tries to shove his claws through the trees. You circle around him and fire a bolt of electricity at his hindquarters.
 He lets out a pained roar, and this only angers him further. You hope he gets too frustrated and angers to turn and face you, so you can land a good hit on him.

He's definitely angrier. He turns around, shaking his head as if to clear it, and takes a step towards you.

You freeze the earth under his feet, and he slips and tumbles to the ground. Before he can get up, you charge and slash at his face with your talons.
 He catches your wrist and crushes your arm. You kick at his face and manage to hit his nose, but he doesn't even let go. With your free hand, you unleash another blast of frost.
 He lets go of your arm and covers his face with both forelimbs.

He steps back and slams his shoulder into the nearest tree, breaking it and giving him room to maneuver; he then turns and swats you with one of his massive wings, knocking the wind out of you and sending searing pain up your broken ribs. You groan and roll over, unable to get up.

"Damn you," he roars, "Your little tricks won't save you!"
 He picks you up with his claws and flings you against the tree he just broke, then charges towards you and slashes at your torso. You dodge, but not fast enough as his claw digs in and leaves a ragged tear along your side. You let out a scream of pain as blood spurts out.


> You turn and run further into the woods, through the thicker underbrush as you make your way into the foothills of a nearby mountain.
You sprint through the woods, making your way to the thicket. You run through it, not slowing down as thick thorns catch at your face. It's been a while since you've been this deep in the woods.
 You keep running. The beast breaks through the underbrush and is hot on your trail.
 You reach the thicket and dive through it. Your lungs are about to give out, but you make it through.
You stumble forward and turn around, finding yourself nose to nose with the dragon.
 You back up, stumbling as he lowers his head. He opens his jaws, preparing to lunge, but you lob a bolt of electricity into his maw, causing him to howl in pain as you turn and dart through the underbrush.
The red dragon bursts forward and races along after you.
 You reach the reach the point where the forest meets the side of the mountain and starts to go up an incline. You race forward, skidding to a halt as you reach the base of the mountain. You collapse on the ground, panting.


> You you're in agony and getting dizzy from blood loss, but you can't stop. You climb the incline, looking for some large boulders you may be able to push onto Ragna while he's still tangled up in the underbrush below.
You climb up on a large rock. You're dizzy, but you push the rock off. It falls for a moment, teetering in the air for a second, before it starts to roll down the mountain.
Ragna charges out of the underbrush, only to have the rock slam into his face.
 He stumbles back, giving you enough time to roll another boulder into his path. He leaps out of the way, but not before it slams into his side and knocks him off his feet.


> You pummel the Red with multiple ice and lightning spells as he tries to rise to his feet.
You hurl a ball of lightning at him, and he manages to rise to his feet just in time for it to explode on his scales.
 You follow this up with an icicle, which crunches into his skull. He rolls to avoid your next attack, and in the process manages to knock your legs away from under you.

You slam into the ground with a painful thud, and roll to avoid his grasp. As you stand, you cast a bolt of lightning at him.
 He dodges, but you manage to hit his side. He roars, and leaps on top of you. You lash out with a stream of lightning, and manage to fry his underside.
 He slides off of you and lands on his feet, snarling at you.
He swings his head, breathing fire in a large arc. While you manage to evade, his flames light the surrounding trees on fire, setting the forest ablaze.


> You know that you will lose this fight if Ragna is able to get into the air. While he's burning down trees to make room to move around, you launch and icicle at one of his wings, shredding the membrane so that he can't fly.
As the flames lick at your feet, you hurl another ice ball, which smashes into his wing, causing him to howl in pain.
 You dodge his tail as it smashes into the ground, and lash out with a ball of frost, which he blocks with his other wing.
 He tries to use his wings to kick you away, but he over-estimates the distance, and instead only ends up tripping himself up with his own leg.


> You scramble up the mountain side and through the flaming trees, trying to get the high ground now that he can no longer fly.
You clamber up the side of the mountain as quickly as you can, dragging your broken body with you. You come to a stop on a ledge under a rocky overhang, gasping for breath.
 You can still hear the beast in pursuit, even above the sound of the raging forest fire.
The dragon bursts through the trees, rushing directly at you.
 You stand your ground, raising a wall of ice to bar his way. He bursts through the ice, only to find himself sliding to a stop as he runs headlong into the rockface.


> You roll to the left, then look up at the overhanging rockface and get an idea! You hurl an explosive fireball at the overhang directly above the dragon's head...
You hurl a ball of fire directly at the overhang above the dragon's head. The dragon roars as the rockface explodes, falling down onto the beast.
 Ragna screams as the entire overhang collapses onto him, crushing his skull and killing him instantly.

Ragna's body smashes into the ground and is partially buried as ton after ton of rock tumbles down the side of the mountain, dragging his bloody corpse with it. You collapse on the ground, barely noticing the landslide.


> You your vision starts to fade to black as the pain from your injuries starts to overtake you. Your thoughts drift to Iris as you lose consciousness...
You pass out, drifting into a peaceful slumber.
Time passes, and after what feels like an eternity, you finally open your heavy eyes and find yourself inside an unfamiliar building. After blinking a few times, you realize you are lying in a human bed in a cabin of some sort. You also notice the blue scaled dragoness sleeping on the floor next to you, her head resting on the edge of the bed.

Your mind slowly starts to come back to you, but you don't feel the strength to get up. The dragoness opens her eyes and looks at you, nuzzling her head against your chest.

"Oh, thank goodness you're awake!" Iris says, as tears start to run down her cheeks.
"Where are we?" you ask.
"The human village," she says. "When you didn't come back, I went looking for you. Then I saw the flames...and the big, dead Red. I tried to move you, but you were too badly injured, so I flew back here and rounded up some of the villagers. They took you to this shack and treated your wounds.

What...what happened out there?" she asks.

You slowly start to sit up, and as you do so the pain spikes through your entire body, causing you to grit your teeth and take a deep breath.

"Remember how, the day we met, I told you there was a hostile White that attacked me before? He came back...and he brought backup. It seems he allied himself with the Red dragon from the north, Ragna - the same Ragna who killed my father years ago.
 Ragna's a big, territorial dragon that's always coveted my family's valley...he kept his distance all this time because he thought my brothers were still protecting this place with me, but when that White, Theo, told him I was all by myself, he decided to finish what he started years ago.
 I managed to beat that cowardly White with minor difficulty, but I had to literally drop a mountain on Ragna's head to stop him."

Iris puts her hand over her mouth in horror.


> You tell your mate that she doesn't have to worry - it's over now, and your valley should be safe for a long time now that Raga is dead.
"No need to worry, my beloved. It's all over now," you say, wrapping your talons around Iris. "It's finally over."
"You're safe,"
 Iris says, nuzzling against you.
 "You're here."
"I am," you reply.
 "It's good to be here."
Iris begins caressing your body with her claw, while you wrap your unbroken wing around her.
 You look at your mate, with her beautiful blue dragon scales and shimmering green eyes. She looks so lovely, so powerful, so untouchable...
Iris wipes a tear from her face, then kisses you gently. "Get some sleep. I'll stay by your side, I promise, so rest, my love."

You nod, and close your eyes.
You spend the next week in the human village, being tended to by the local doctor while Iris remains faithfully by your side. Word of the attack spreads throughout the village, and as soon as you are able to walk again, a feast is held in your honor; Ragna, the Terror of the North, was a well-known threat to the villagers, and his death is a major cause for celebration.

You and Iris return to your cave to find a small village has erected a small temple in your honor, with a statue and everything. You look at it with satisfaction, then smile at Iris.


> You come to the realization that, while Theo had no land of his own, Ragna owned the entire northern region of the continent, having conquered it by killing many other dragons ant claiming their land as his own. With his passing, all of his territory is now yours. With your wings still broken, you and Iris decide to venture out of your valley to look upon your new territory.
You decide to venture forth and take a look at your new territory. With your wing still broken, you cannot fly, so you and Iris instead hike on foot to the northern border of your valley and beyond, taking your time and resting frequently. You keep to the highest mountain ranges, marveling at the sweeping views of your newfound kingdom.

Your kingdom consists of six mountain ranges, each one stretching from far in the north to far in the south. To the east, you now own the coastline from the extreme northern border of your territory all the way to the edge of the ocean.
 To the west, your land reaches deep into the jungles and rainforests of the western continent. This land, once owned by many dragons, was conquered by the big Red long ago, some of it before you were even hatched; and now it is all yours and your mate's.


> You nuzzle up against Iris and grin. "You wanted me to leave the valley, right? Well, how's this for a start?"
With the newly acquired northern territory of your valley under your rule, you decide to leave your cave and venture out into the world for the first time.
Your wings may be broken right now, but you have found a certain inner strength that you did not know you had.
Still, you need to venture out into the world and see it for yourself.
You walk out into the world with a newfound confidence, Iris at your side.


> You kiss your mate and tell her this land will be perfect to raise your future hatchlings in.
Iris' reaction is a shy one, and she looks away. You grin, and entwine your tail with hers before planting another kiss on her.
 This time, she responds, kissing you back. After a moment, you take a step backwards, smiling at her. "Well then, shall we go see this big world of ours?"

Iris grins, nodding eagerly. "Yes, let's go!"

You laugh, holding your talon out to her. "Then let's go."

THE END